Put your best foot face forward.

This week's I Heart Faces theme is the best face of January. Who better for this week's contest than Mr. Noam! He is nearly 3 months old and gets cuter each day. 

He is just so darn cute! And his eyes are so expressive, I seriously wonder what he is thinking about!

This week's "winner" is being chosen by the winners! So! If you think this little guy is adorable (I mean really is that even up for debate?) please vote for my photo.  I know I am not the most "atrsy" or professional photographer out there, but how can you say no to that face!

Have a wonderful week!

It's a tundra out there.

As of right now 60.4 inches of snow has fallen in Boston this winter and much of it is still on the ground.  I decided to venture downtown to explore the frozen tundra that Boston has been transformed into.

The Duck Pond is a snow covered paradise.  People were walking across it, crazy! Of course I walked in it too.  At first I thought they had drained it and it was only snow, but there was definitely ice under the snow - crazy!

 The "Make Way for Ducklings" ducks were knee(do they have knees) deep in snow. Actually it looked like they had to be dug out so that they could be seen!

 I really went downtown to see the Charles River all frozen over.  I had never seen anything like it. Straight across  frozen solid and then covered in snow. I ventured out onto one of the docks and it was amazing - the snow was nearly up to the dock's level and it was just amazing to be standing in this frozen zone.

 Then as I wandered farther down along the river I came along this sight.

 That would be the Charles River they are playing on. Clearly, the river is really frozen.  My mom told me that years ago when they lived up here people would skate on the frozen river, never thought I would see that in today's tumultuous weather times.

 And then, I figured, if they were doing it, why couldn't I!

Oh yes, that is me, standing on the Charles River! If I had a bucket list, standing on a frozen over river probably would have been on it, and now it would be crossed off! Insane, but a pretty cool thing to experience!

And of course, Tuesday and Wed. we could get another 10 inches. If that is the case the amount of snow that has fallen will be taller than I am - I.N.S.A.N.E.

just because

I am always behind the camera.

It's going to be a happy new year!

My 23rd birthday was a smashing success.  I really truly enjoyed each and every moment of my celebrations and smiled from ear to ear as my phone pinged with Facebook wall comment after comment.  I seriously felt the love all weekend long!

 My poppy seed cake - my favorite cake of all time - with a vanilla glaze - yumm-o!

 I had some friends over for a birthday dinner - I made chili, cornbread, and had other munchies.  My friend Melissa insisted on lighting my candles and brining them into me!

 Making my wish! I think I chose a good one!

 I had a fun realization at the gym on Sunday when I realized it was my last time telling the machine I was 22 - then of course loved telling it I was 23 for the first time!

Think it was cold enough? Look at the windchill! Insane, last year on my birthday it was way above average by DC standards and I was wearing a short sleeve shirt and light jacket - this year as many layers as I am old!

I made birthday blueberry pancakes! Just like when I was little - even used GF Bisquick! The 2 and 3 are backwards since I thought when I flipped them you'd be able to see them, I was wrong... But they were so yum! Then I went to Indian for lunch - they had my favorite pakoras! I may or may not have pigged out, but there are no calories on your birthday so it's cool!

 Nearly every day I look at the clock at 1:24, which I find awesome since my b-day is 1/24. So I like to take a picture of it on my birthday! And of course, 1:36, when I officially turned 23.  I was talking to mom on the phone, fitting. 23 years ago I was with her then too!

 One of the best birthday greetings ever! Mr. Noam and his b-day wish to me! Then I had a chance to video chat with Avi and Noam, made my day!

I had class all evening, but it was fine since I was with friends at Wheelock.  When I came home I put a candle in another slice of cake and made another birthday wish! It was the perfect ending to a fantastic birthday. So far this year is off to a great start - here's to another 364 amazing days!

Hello 12. Hello 13 Hello 23

Well, 23, nice to meet you and welcome to my life. 

You're following a though act, 22, but I have a feeling you can hold your own.  22 was an amazing year for me. I grew, both in height (hello 5' 5-3/4'') and in many other ways.  It was a happy year and a year with a lot of milestones. 

I am still amazed that in 23 years I went from being this tiny little person.

to being this grown and composed (most of the time) person.

There was also something very special about seeing a new life come into this world this year.  Seeing that little guy grow and change has made me want to cherish every moment in my life too, it may be harder to see as an adult (am I really one of those), but I am growing and changing daily and having new and exciting experiences each and every day.

So, here's to a year of living, loving, and laughing. Embracing every moment and not looking back. The world is my stage and today the curtain goes up on my 23rd Act - and I have a feeling this one will get some good reviews.

So 23, welcome, I think we're going to get along smashingly.

I Heart Innocent Wonder

This week at I Heart Faces the theme is "innocent wonder" - the theme is a broader theme and meant to spark some creativity. Personally, I think this is a great theme for today, my 23rd birthday, because you are never too old (or young) to wonder!

So for this week, I immediately thought of one of my favorite pictures I have taken recently; I took it when I was in Las Vegas visiting friends.  I had an impromptu photo shoot with their youngest, Miss Sof. She was so absorbed in her playing that she had no idea I was taking her picture.  She didn't say "cheese" or ham it up for the camera and I really captured the sweet innocence and wonder in her play.

She had been playing with this toy for a few days, but when she came out of the playroom with it that morning it was like she had never seen it before.  She sat there talking to each of the people, kissing them, moving them, and just had the sweet look of childhood innocence and wonder in her eyes.

Longer arms come in handy

I was flipping through an album of the pictures I took with my first camera the other day and came across a few hilarious pictures.  

I apparently began attempting the self-portait at a young age.  And clearly my aim stunk.  

Now, either I have gotten better at the self-portrait technique or the invention of digital cameras has made it really easy to delete the horrific ones.

That or having longer arms has something to do with it!

I Heart Winter Wonderlands

This week over at I Heart Faces it's all about winter wonderlands.  Now up here in Boston there is well over two feet of snow on the ground, but recently I had the chance to experience a winter wonderland in a place that is not often associated winter.

I spent a week in Las Vegas visiting family friends and on one of my last days there we woke up to snow.  I was shocked, I never expected to see snow falling in Las Vegas.  There is something insanely beautiful about palm trees covered in white fluffy snow flakes.

It was a school day and my friends kids were mesmerized (and a bit bummed that school wasn't out for the snow!).  Before climbing in the car the kids had some fun outside in the snow.  They were hilarious and trying to "eat snow for breakfast."

Within an hour or so the snow had stopped falling and shortly there after it all melted, but it was a magical winter wonderland while it lasted, that is for sure!

Now I just wish I had managed to get a palm tree in the pic! But you can see the other snowy desert pictures if you click here.

Rallying to Reaffirm Sanity

A few weeks ago I learned that Westboro Baptist Church was going to be protesting at American University, my alma mater.  WBC was going to AU to teach the students and faculty that homosexuality is sinful (AU has won awards for it's support of rights for ALL students) and to save the students from the liberal ideals and thinking of it's staff and professors.  

President Kerwin sent out a letter reaffirming that WBC's views and ideals go against those of AU.  As the day of the protest drew nearer information on civil counter protests surfaced and it was dubbed the "Rally to Reaffirm Sanity." 

Well yesterday was the big day.  Well, big day for AU.  Close to 1200 AU students, alumni, faculty, and staff turned out to counter protest the 4 WBC protestors.  Oh, yes 4.  Clearly, WBC didn't do their research and learn that AU embraces tolerance, civility, rights, and freedoms. And we AU folks don't really like it when people try to tell us our way is the "wrong" way.  

These pictures are from AU's staff photographer Jeff Watts, and they are just fantastic.  They show the love and passion that the AU community has for all people, regardless of anything! 

 This picture is wonderful. The sign in the center of the picture, the white one, has the best quote ever. It reads, "Jesus had two dads and he turned out okay."

 See the troves of people on the left? Oh yes, that is AU.  See the small crowd on the right? Those would be people looking at the 4 WBC protestors.

I'm so proud to say I am an alumni of AU.  The rally to reaffirm sanity was civil the entire day.  No one was arrested, no one tried to make a scene, or do anything rash.  AU just came together to show WBC and the DC community that we are a community that cares about everyone and believe that everyone is equal and loved!

GO AU!

I asked Hashem for that?

Yesterday I was going through a box of my old school projects and papers.  I came across a paper from second grade.  The instructions asked each of us to write a letter to Hashem (Gd).  We could write about our selves, ask a question, ask for something, or say thank you for something.  

Then I started to read the letter.  Then I began to laugh really, really, really hard. 

After ignoring the line paying homage to my brief skateboarding phase there is the line: "Why is my ginne pigs babies taking so long?"

Besides sounding like I grew up in the sticks, which I sort of kind of did, I cannot believe I asked Gd why my guinea pig wasn't pregnant yet.  

We were a family of guinea pig owners.  There were many guinea pigs before I was born, and then there were several after.  When I was in kindergarden my sister got her own guinea pig, Nachos. 

Cute, no? This picture does a remarkable job at hiding how large of a guinea pig he was.  Word to the wise, don't name pets after fast food, it goes right to their thighs...

Then after first grade I got my own guinea pig, Ms. Guinea.  She was a petite little thing and this picture makes her look very long, but isn't she adorable? Yes I am aware I am gushing about rodents, but they are cute rodents! 

Since my parents had bred guinea pigs in the past we thought we'd give it a go with Nachos and Ms. Guinea.

So, anyway we tried to get Nachos and Ms. Guinea to become Guinea parents. Let's just say it went really, really, really, badly.

 This picture was taken after one of our breading attempts.  No, Ms. Guinea didn't climb up into the food bowl, she was shot out from under the weight of Nachos into the food bowl.  She sat their shaking until I rescued her.

I think we tried once or twice more to create a second generation of guinea piggies, but I may have come a bit concerned that Avi's pet was going to suffocate mine to death and then we'd be minus one piggie rather than plus a few piggies....

What's even more remarkable is that Ms. Guinea wasn't scared squeak-less of Nachos after the "incident." She was a sweet little thing and he was just a typical man, cute but clueless. 

So, Gd may not have helped my guinea pig get knocked-up, but I love looking back at my naivety and laughing really hard! 

Thanks to Avi for sending me some of these piggie pics!   

Falling off mountains!

We just got back from an awesome two days at Jiminy Peak!  The slopes were empty, a nice advantage to going during a non-holiday week, and the conditions were fabulous.  

 That's me over there on the left of the picture.

It was a great trip, and I am already pumped for my next trip!

Remembering a tremendous spirit

Sunday the Jewish community, and the world's music community, lost an amazing voice and spirit.  Debbie Friedman z"l, passed away after a battle with pneumonia.

When I first learned about her being in the hospital via Facebook I was in disbelief, as if I didn't believe the news, it couldn't be true.  Of course I thought of her and was humming her Mi Sheberach, but I just couldn't imagine such an amazing voice silenced by this illness.

Then my heart sank when I saw on Facebook that Debbie had left this earth, how could it be? Slowly I began to realize it was true, not a dream, and it just hit me more and more that Debbie Friedman was no longer alive.

The outpouring on Facebook from friends, most of them who I know from the CAJE conferences where we all sang and laughed and cried with Debbie each summer was amazing.  Memories came flooding back and tributes were posted as statuses.

Same Glaser, another amazing Jewish musician I think said it best:

"Our dear friend, mentor and spiritual ima has left the world. I can't imagine what a beautiful, holy place she is in right now.  How many of us did she touch with her sweetness, with her direct channel to God's music?"


My mom and I have been reminiscing over some of our favorite Debbie memories.  One of mine was at CAJE in 2003 in Ohio.  The day most people were flying to the conference was the day that massive blackout hit the east coast.  Debbie made it to the conference but her suitcase didn't.  She as a result came out to perform at the opening program in the jeans and shirt she had traveled in.  She made some jokes and gave as usual a great performance.

Then at the closing program a few days later Debbie came out in those same clothes, pulling her now arrived suitcase.  Everyone was laughing as she unzipped her bag, pulled out the sheet of paper which was meant to serve as our bathmats and the hand towel meant to serve as our bath towel.  Without saying anything she wrapped the towel around her waist, plugged in her amp, and began to sing.  I remember crying from laughing so hard.

There are so many more memories, and I will cherish them forever.

Zichron L'vracha - may her memory always be for a blessing.

94,877

Well today we said good-bye to an old friend, our C-RV of 7 years.  We lovingly (when it was working) referred to this car as, "Car" (yes we name our cars) and it was a really good car, despite its occasional tendency to act up.  

Today I was driving the car and realized it would be my last time driving it alone before we traded it in for the new wheels.  I sat there in the car thinking about the past 7 years with it and I actually got a little emotional.  I realized that in the 7 years since we drove Car home:

- I got my driver's permit.
- I got my driver's license.
- It drove Avi to her wedding.
- I drove car to my last day of high school.
- I went to college in Car.
- We drove Car when we moved to NY.
- For four summers it was my set of wheels.
- Car drove all my things home after I graduated college.
- We took Car to Canada.
- It didn't get to drive me to Boston, but brought more of my stuff up the next month.
- We drove a grand 94,877 miles, in 10 states and one country.

It was sad to leave Car at the dealership, but we are already becoming acquainted with our new set of wheels.  It's a beautiful dark blue Kia Sportage and right now it's name is Luna.

Here's to many miles and memories Luna!

Snow in the Desert!

I went to Las Vegas to see some dear family friends, and I think I brought the east coast chill with me!

We woke up Monday to a winter wonderland.  I never thought I would see snow fall in the desert, and I certainly didn't think the first time I saw actual now this winter it would be in the desert!

 Palm trees look really odd, but pretty in the snow!

 Needless to say the kids were thrilled, and had a few flakes for breakfast!

What a beautiful thing to experience!