Biking the Minuteman Trail

A couple weekends ago, we went for a ride on the Minuteman Bike Trail from Bedford MA all the way to Davis square. It ends up beiing about 30+ miles round trip if you ride around Davis a bit (like we did), and it's a great way to spend an afternoon.

Arouond Massachusetts, they've started replacing many of the old, unused railroad tracks with nicely paved bike trails. It's one of our favorite features of New England. Since most of the roads are simply too curvy and dangerous for novie riders, like us, the rails-to-trails program offers tremendous riding potential with minimal hazard.

Here is a beautiful stretch of clear road ahead of me. It's harder than you think to get a straight shot while riding a bike!

Stopped off at Spy Pond. Why it's named Spy Pond, I have no idea.

What I do know, however, is that it was a great place to have a mini-picnic. The pond is located about 5 minutes away from Alewife, so it's pretty much a good halfway point if that's where you're stopping. Once you get to Alewife, you can either park your bike in the cage and ride the subway into the city, or bring your bike on the train and toodle around town on two wheels (as long as it's not during peak hours).

Came across three little ducks hanging out over by Alewife station...

...then we saw this monster turkey come from out of no where! Right in the middle of the city!

The large Tom (another name for a male turkey) headed into the bush...

...so this Tom headed in after him for a closer photo!

Back on the trail again, all turkeys aside, Jen and Tommy ride off into the sunset.

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THE END

*(For more info about the Minuteman Trail, click the title of this post - ed.)

Yelp Elite's End of Summer party at Scampo.

As some of you know, Tommy was selected to the Yelp Elite Squad this year for his awesome writing and reviews on Yelp. It seemed like a match made in heaven, as anyone who knows Tommy also knows of his infamously strong opinions he has about anything and everything.

Now that he's been putting his talents to good use, I've been reaping the rewards! Yippee! Tuesday night was another Yelp party, similar to the cruise we went on earlier this summer. Once again, we were wined, dined and romanced by Yelp Boston as a thank you for all the hard work of the summer's Yelping, and to bid farewell to summer as the party was also the last day of patio operations at Scampo.

Scampo is an awesome restaurant/bar/lounge nestled underneath the famous Liberty Hotel in downtown Beantown. The hotel is so cool is deserves it's own blog post (coming later this week) because it used to be (catch this) a JAIL. Even as recent as 1990 it was a jail! Gotta love New England for re-using old buildings like nobody's business.

Anyway, here are a few highlights from the event:

Yelp always has the best schwag, like these super-soft, super-comfy American Apparel t-shirts (I'm wearing mine as I type this! And they had girl sizes!!)

We were greeted by two nice hostesses who signed us in and gave us the lowdown on the party, after which we were again greeted by Leighann F., who is known as the Yelp Boston "Ambassador". She was really cute and very nice to uall night.

Fancy place-settings and little cute buttons were everywhere! We must have like a dozen buttons on our bags now. ;)

More schwag-bags. These contained HUGE cookies with apricot chunks and white chocolate, plus coupons for free lunches at Scampo and an invitation to yet another dinner party at the hotel next week. It never ends!

The place was wall-to-wall packed!! We headed outside for some fresh air and stayed out there most of the night.

Buttons, buttons, buttons!

The bartenders were dishing out all the white wine, red wine, vodka cocktails and Heineken we could drink.

The patio was cool, breezy and very cozy.

"Table for two, please!" Once the waitstaff heard we were vegetarians, they went out of their way to bring us special creations from the chef that weren't even on the menu! The head chef even came out and talked to us about the veggie selections and brought samplers for us. Talk about service. Local joints could take a tip from these pros.

Me with my free t-shirt at the end of the night! I love it :D

Tommy has to get Yelping again soon so he can earn his elite status again in 2010, this time from a different town probably. The next post will be a review of The Liberty Hotel itself. Although we didn't stay there, so it's not really a review, but wait until you see the pictures! That place is incredible.

Bye for now! -Jen

(For more information about Yelp, or to learn what it is and sign up yourself, just click the title of this post. -ed.)

I'm coming out of the art closet...

OK. I'm finally coming out... I'm releasing my drawings for sale to share them with the world instead of hoarding them to myself and my bookshelf. I've never shared my drawings to the public before, so hopefully I won't self combust by doing this. Here's the scoop...
This first series of illustrations were inspired by my sister Crystal. Her and her hubby, Andre came to visit Tommy and I this past spring. We watched old home videos at Yaya's house and laughed and cried. The cutest was her 1st birthday party. Her cake hade a dog made out of frosting. She loved dogs. In fact, 'dog' was her first word. She would jump and point and say 'DOG!' over and over whenever she would see one. Her stroller would shake all over and you'd almost drop her if she was in your arms cause her little legs would be kicking like crazy. She wouldn't stop screaming 'DOG! DOG!' until someone else recognized that we also saw the dog and that it was cute.
Funny thing is, when she came out to visit us (20 years later) and we were touring them through Boston, she pointed at every dog we saw. And she told us over and over, 'I want that dog....no I want THAT dog.' And she didn't stop until we acknowledged that we saw the dogs and that they were cute. Some things never change ;0)

My imagination started to think in pictures, what would my little sisters life be like with no boundaries and unlimited fun and adventure?
My hope was to inspire her to do whatever she wants in life.
So, I hope you'll enjoy the thrill and tickle of excitement in the tummy that little Crystal is having in her imaginative world of fun with her friends.


Here's the link to see 9 more and order a print if you so desire:
nspire.etsy.com

I'd love to hear some feedback and opinions.
Thanks!
XO Jen

P.S. Stay tuned for a print giveaway...

From Lowell to Portsmouth.

So here's the latest news on our relocation status:

After our third visit to Portsmouth, NH, we really decided we liked the atmosphere and layout of the town. It's got a lot of places to hang out, it's close to the ocean and there's a nice artist community as well.

Right after we decided we wanted to move there, we got notified by our landlord that she's not renewing our lease because they want to sell. Confirmation that we're making the right choice.

As a back-up, we met with our Lowell realtor, Steve, who showed us a few places on the market here in town. Let's just say the places we looked at only added to the confirmation for moving. There's really nothing else available to rent that even comes close to the place we've been lucky enough to call home for the past year.

So we're making the official announcement here on our blog that by the end of the year we'll most likely be in Portsmouth. I say "most likely" because I don't ever want to close doors or burn bridges if there is something in the works that pops up at the last minute. Long and short-term planning must be liberally sprinkled with flexibilty to be effective and practical.

Plus, with PM only being abour 45 minutes from Lowell, we can still see our friends, visit Boston and be close to Jen's family at the same time.

So why Portsmouth, you ask? Check out this article from the NY Times. They explain it much better than I could. Calling it a "mini-Boston" on a small slice of coastline, and naming it one of their 24 "havens" to escape to, the real question is "Why wouldn't we move there"? Here's a short excerpt from the article:

"Residents describe Portsmouth as a mini-Boston. The city’s historical section is loaded with Cape- and Colonial-style buildings from the 18th century, and the commercial focal point is Market Square, where the tall white steeple atop the North Church is the town landmark. The streets radiating from the square bustle with shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants like the Portsmouth Brewery, which bills itself as New Hampshire’s original brewpub."

Got opinions or advice about Portsmouth? Share it with us on the blog. And if you know anyone who's looking to buy a sweet loft in downtown Lowell, let us know so we can hook you up with a finder's fee! It's available anytime.

We'll do our best to keep the blog updated during this busy time of moving, packing, exploring and everything else that Fall brings.

Our Top Green Websites of 2009.

Hi everyone!

For our more environmentally-conscious readers (and really, who isn't these days?) we've put together a listing of what we feel to be the most important, best designed and most useful "green" websites of 2009.

These websites cover a variety of eco-topics, from where to find green products to analysis of global climate shifts and even how to travel greener.

While this list is by no means comprehensive, we felt these sites were the most relevant for green-minded web surfers to get the most information about the widest variety of topics, resources and information.

Know of a great site that we missed? Dropp us a comment and we'll be sure to give it a look for the next packet.

In the meantime, stay green!

Click here to download the free PDF packet. (3.5 MB)

Perception is everything.

Wonder what Baby Kitty's perception was when she entered this world?

There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. The individuals who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, love, success, and prosperity. Such people have, however, been blessed with the ability to take the circumstances they’ve been "handed" and make them into something great. Our individual realities are colored by perception—delight and despair come from within rather than without.

Situations we regard as "good" please us, while situations we label "bad" cause us no end of grief. Yet if we can look at all we have accomplished without dwelling on our perceived misfortune and make each new circumstance our own, the world as a whole becomes a brighter place. A simple shift in attitude can help us recognize and unearth the hidden potential for personal and outer world fulfillment in every event, every relationship, every duty, and every setback.

The universe is often an unpredictable and chaotic place, and the human tendency is to focus on the negative and assume the positive will care for itself. But life can be no more or no less than what you make of it. If you are working in a job you dislike, you can concentrate on the positive aspects of the position and approach your work with gusto. What can you do with this job that can turn it around so you do love it. When faced with the prospect of undertaking a task you fear, you can view it as an opportunity to discover what you are truly capable of doing.

Similarly, unexpected events, when viewed as surprises, can add flavor to your existence. By choosing to love life no matter what crosses your path, you can create an atmosphere of jubilance that is wonderfully infectious. A change in perspective is all it takes to change your world, but you must be willing to adopt an optimistic, hopeful mind-set.

To make a conscious decision to be happy is not enough. You must learn to observe life’s complexities through the eyes of a child seeing everything for the first time. You must furthermore divest yourself of preconceived notions of what is good and what is bad so that you can appreciate the rich insights concealed in each stage of your life’s journey. And you must strive to discover the dual joys of wanting what you have. As you gradually shift your perspective, your existence will be marinated in happiness and contentment that will remain with you forever.

*Reprinted with permission from DailyOm.com - Nuturing Body & Spirit. © 2009 All Rights Reserved.

Preventing anger.

Why we get angry, and what is the best medicine to prevent it

By Angelo Geonie

http://arjunaspath.com/

Anger arises when we experience the feelings of unhappiness. These feelings are brought on by unpleasant circumstances, such as not getting what we want or by getting what we do not want.

If we examine our mind, we shall see that most of our anger arises from the first item: not getting what we want. Whenever someone or something prevents us from attaining an object of desire we become first unhappy, but then anger towards the person or object arises.

The other condition that is common is getting what we do not want. There are many situations during the day that give us what we do not want, from sitting in traffic to stubbing our toe, or losing an object that is precious to us. We cannot prevent these events, but we can prevent the mind of anger from arising.

If we understand that it is impossible to fulfill all, or even most, of our desires, and it is impossible to prevent many of the things that we do not want from happening to us, we have only one choice: the practice of patience. A patient mind cannot be disturbed when things do not go our way.

Just think back to when you were a small child, and you were always told to be patient or wait your turn, or you cannot have that right now. How is it that we have forgotten those lessons of patience? This is a practice we must cultivate, for it does not come naturally in a world where immediate gratification is being fed to us by society. Patience cannot help you once anger has arisen, it is like taking a vitamin to prevent illness. It is a way of understanding our mind and how it reacts to our world.

Patience is becoming a lost art. To some, the practice of patience is seen as a weakness, but this is an incorrect view. Patience takes great strength and wisdom, especially in a world where most minds react in anger very quickly. The art and practice of patience will create more peace in our lives and benefit all of the people we come into contact with.

So, do your best.

Please do not take my word for anything that I write. We must all try to see for ourselves if a practice works. That is what I will do, continue to master this art of patience.

Angelo Geonie has spent more than a decade studying and integrating the metaphysical principles that enhance and transform the quality of our physical, mental, emotional, and energetic life. A protégé of multiple enlightened masters from Korea and the Philippines, he has honed his skills in breath work, acupressure, chi energy healing, movement release practice for past life and contemporary stress, and coaches others to integrate these into their personal rituals for life-long change. You can find Angelo at his website (http://arjunaspath.com/ ), and Morning Coach (www.morningcoach.com).

Hoot hoot! Owl iPod® cases are here.

Hi everyone! This is Jen with a quick update on some new items in my Etsy store.

I've been hard at work on a new series of unique owl iPod cases. They are hand-knitted from sturdy and protective wool, hand-felted by me and then embroidered with a special owl design that I made.


Custom colors are also available - just ask!

Protect your iPod! Look at that nice, tight, custom fit.

Hoot hoot! ;)

Bye for now!! - Jen

Don't jump to conclusions.

I love this story that comes from an old Taoist parable; many of you have already heard this from other sources, but for anyone who hasn't, it's a powerful lesson regarding our tiny views of reality and how hard it can be sometimes to see the big picture, especially when we're in the midst of some turmoil in our own lives:

The story.

It begins with a poor farmer in ancient China who worked a small plot of land with his teenage son. During this time horses were considered a sign of wealth; the richest person in the province owned no more than a few of them. One day a wild horse jumped the poor farmer’s fence and began grazing on his land.

According to local law, this meant that the horse now rightfully belonged to him and his family. The son could hardly contain his joy, but the father put his hand on his son’s shoulder and said, “Who knows what’s good or bad?”

The next day the horse made its escape back to the mountains and the boy was heartbroken.

“Who knows what’s good or bad?” his father said again.

On the third day the horse returned with a dozen wild horses following. “We’re rich!” the son cried, to which the father again replied, “Who knows what’s good or bad?”

On the fourth day the boy climbed on one of the wild horses and was thrown, breaking his leg. His father ran to get the doctor; soon both of them were attending to the boy, who was upset and in a great deal of pain. The old farmer looked deeply into his son’s eyes, and said, “My son, who knows what is good or bad?”

And on the fifth day the province went to war.

Army recruiters came through the town and took all the eligible young men to fight the war, including the neighbor of the old man and his son. All except for the young man with the broken leg.

As the old man's neighbor watched his own son get taken off to fight in a war he didn't even really believe in, he said to the first old man, "You are lucky that your son was injured, so he did not get taken for the war. Now I may never see my own son again."

With a twinkle in his eye, the first old man turned and said to his neighbor, "My friend, who knows what's good or bad?"

The Conclusion.

Bankruptcy. Foreclosure. Lay-offs. Dis-ease. Sickness. Divorce. War. Things break, people get old, and circumstances change sometimes beyond any possibility of recognizing even a faint glimmer of hope.

However, as the old man in the story so wisely said, "Who knows what's good or bad?" It's only after the fact that we are usually able to see how a seemingly "bad" incident may have worked out in our favor. Even then, it's important to still not label the fortunate events as "good", because that will also defeat the purpose.

Just remember that we are here to learn, we are always taken care of, and the things that "happen" in our lives have no relative meaning other than the ones you assign to them. Ask yourself repeatedly, "Who knows what's good or bad?" like the old man in the story.

Your most uncomfortable moment may inevitably lead to your greatest triumph, so just "keep calm and carry on".

Have a great weekend!

The Big Blue Blog Post.

One of my favorite stock photography companies, Veer, is hosting a contest through one of their Twitter accounts (@VeerUpdate). Entrants must submit links to photos they've taken that follow today's theme. The theme for today's contest is "BIG and BLUE".

Since I needed a place to host the photos to enter the contest, I thought I'd throw 'em on the blog as a sort of creative post. It's also a fun recap of some of the traveling we've done over the past few years. I thought it was fun going on a mini-mental vacation as I sorted through all my photos looking for ones with BIGness or BLUEness, so why not share the fun!

All photos are somehow related to BIG and BLUE, and I'll add captions so you understand the context of each image.

Wish me luck!

P.S. If you want to enter the contest yourself, check out the Veer blog by clicking here.

a BIG circular rainbow in front of a BLUE sky - Lowell, MA

the BIG BLUE sign in front of the S&W headquarters - Springfield, MA

this BIG BLUE body of water is also a literary legend: Walden Pond - MA

the BIG BLUE line train from the T - Boston, MA

a BIG BLUE wall mural of a clipper ship - Cambridge, MA

someBIG trees with BLUE Christmas lights - Harvard Sq., Cambridge, MA

it doesn't get any bigger than the BIG Apple, with a relatively BLUE sky to boot. - New York City

nothing represents BIG better than an IKEA store, which also happens to be BLUE. - New York City

a BIG BLUE ship in the harbor on the Savannah River - Savannah, GA

when I think of BIG and BLUE, the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, the ocean. - Boynton Beach, FL

this high-mountain reservoir, 10,000 feet above sea level, is as beautiful as it is BIG and BLUE. - Colorado Springs, CO

turquoise BLUE waters of the Atlantic grow darker as a BIG tropical storm rolls in. - Jupiter, FL

No one can deny that this steer is BIG; ironically, the rancher told us his name was "Old BLUE", and that always stuck in my head, so I took his picture. - Nebraska, USA

a BIG mammatus cloud formation, photographed by me while wearing a BLUE raincoat. - Monument, CO

they say Colorado has some of the BLUE-est skies around; viewed from up near the summit of this BIG mountain (elevation around 11,000 feet), I can definitely see why. - Front Range, CO

a BIG view of a bright BLUE sky: Springtime in the Rockies. - Colorado

a BIG BLUE ladder in a friend's loft while under construction. - Colorado Springs, CO

you want BIG? Try Chicago. Both the foreground image (John Hancock Building) and the background (Lake Michigan) are certainly BIG, and the Lake (other than where the Chicago River empties into it) is most definitely BLUE. - Chicago, IL

a BIG BLUE sign in front of the visitor's center in Maine. - near Kittery, ME

A BIG picture of a pure BLUE sky, taken while laying in the grass in my backyard. - Colorado Springs, CO

some BIG white birch trees overlaid on a BLUE summer sky. - Colorado Springs, CO

a BIG thank you card (addressed to President Obama in the days following the 2008 election) with a BIG BLUE headline (I even used a BIG BLUE marker to sign it.) - Washington, DC

a BIG phallic symbol pointing up towards a crisp BLUE sky in late fall. - Washington, DC

the BIG BLUE wall we see every day when we walk into our offices at spark* Creative Services. - Boca Raton, FL

simple, but effective: the BIG BLUE sky of Colorado with some wispy clouds lazily drifting around. Serenity now! - Colorado Springs, CO