Dinosaur Decorations

    We are currently the proud owners of a designer Christmas tree, decorated by our resident paleontologist.  We put the tree up last weekend, but did not have time for decorating until this weekend. So our youngest took it upon himself to add a touch of whimsy to the tree.

a reptile/dino tree

a solar flashlight - because all trees need lights!

T-rex will keep you from peeking at your gifts too soon!

the velociraptor ready to leap on naughty children

I won't even try to guess. 

California for Thanksgiving

    I popped out to California for the week of thanksgiving.  My youngest sister had spinal surgery and I was there to  help out, drive her to  the doctor, etc.  My eldest sister was there for the week after the surgery - she had the trickier  time of it.  Mine was week 2 so I was not as critically necessary.  It was nice to spend some time with my sister, and brother-in-law.
   I flew out of Albany to Boston in a tiny Cessna. It held ten people, one of whom was the pilot.  I swear I have been in vans that are larger!  From Boston it was a non-stop to CA.

"We Flap Harder" Airlines

The pilot of this plane was very puzzled as to why I was taking his photo!

    Driving up from San Jose to their house was gorgeous.  Here is a look at the San Luis Reservoir which I drove past.

Windmill farm on the top of the hill

   Thanksgiving was a feast - but I am not used to cooking for only three people, so we had a ton of food!

For having had spinal surgery just two weeks earlier, she was pretty mobile!

Lest you think the 52 Project has fallen by the wayside, let me assure you it has not.  I made a hat for my son, while in CA, but did not take a photo.  I also completed my first sock.  

Okay, maybe this only half counts, since it is not a pair, so there is still some yarn in the stash, but it took me over a year to do.  I worked on it last Christmas  while traveling, then put it down after we came home and just picked it up out of the unfinished projects bin.  It is my very first sock. This is my second attempt - I tried socks once before, and spent more time pulling out stitches and getting used to double pointed needles than I did  actually completing the sock. It  is currently languishing in the unfinished pile.    I have pretty much been a self-taught knitter.  I learned the very basics from my mom when I was little, but the rest I have parsed out from books and articles. So this sock, knitted in Patons Stretch Sock ( a blend of cotton, wool, acrylic and nylon) is an accomplishment. (And it actually fits me!) The REAL accomplishment, however, will be getting both done and wearing them!

     This week I also began knitting some Christmas presents which I cannot speak about. 

November

I wish the end of year holidays were spread out a bit more.  How about we keep Thanks giving in Nov.  but move Christmas to February to give everyone a chance to breathe as their turkey is digesting before they are inundated with the Christmas shopping frenzy?
    November began with the opening of She Stoops to Conquer at the college.  I designed the costume look, renting some and building others.  The wigs were created by a wonderfully talented young man who has returned to school for a computer graphics  degree after having gotten  a degree in theatre.  Without the wigs, the show would have looked flat and boring!
    Here are a few shots.

Marlowe and Kate in her plain dress

Mrs. Hardcastle, Mr. Hardcastle and Tony Lumpkin

Tony at the tavern

The seeds of deception being planted

Diary of Anne Frank

Here are a few shots of The Diary of Anne Frank, which we closed a couple weeks ago.  It was a wonderful cast and they gave a truly touching portrayal of these very brave people.

Mr. Kraller brings Mr. Dussell to the annex

Hanukkah

caught stealing bread

Summer Show Number 2

A few more shots of this summer's shows.  This is from Rounding Third with my husband and Jack Harris  creating the wonderfully funny Little League fathers who are the characters for the show.

the geeky non-baseball dad and the veteran coach

Please God, let him catch this ball.

agreement

A few things that have been keeping me busy

   Since  the end of last school year, I have been doing one show or another in succession - and sometimes concurrently - so I have been a bit busy, distracted, incommunicado - you choose.  here are s few shots of some of my work since last May.
   The following are shots from Chenango River Theatre's production of Almost Maine, for which I designed the costumes.

Halloween a little late

   Par for the way life is running these days, I am about a week behind in posting the Halloween costumes.  Hubby has better ones but they are lock in his Ipod in his pocket at this moment.  Younger son was a peregrine falcon - or a  reasonable facsimile thereof.

My daughter was WINTER.  It was a "stitch it together t-tunic - throw on a few snowflakes and slap some blue and silver make up on under a tinsel wig, last minute, She forgot to plan ahead" type costume.  As she walked out the door to go to the parade (required marching band assignment) she said,  "I think I'll plan better next year."  Some lessons must be learned not taught!



PS For the 52 Project the falcon  finished off the weird fuzzy fabric that looked like the falcon's pin feathers as well as a bunch of black felt for the feathers.