Novembering

November is my favorite month. It always has been. And, before you ask, it's not just because my birthday is this month; though I'm not going to lie that is a perk. But it's more than that. November feels like fall (and sometimes winter). November has that great smoky first fires of the season kind of smell. November has that settled-into-school routine but it's not quite finals. November has a major holiday but it requires less shopping. All in all, November is a liminal month; and while at times I don't like change, it is always kind of fun to stand on that threshold and anticipate the positive changes to come.

This November I've been quite lucky to have several fun visitors--I think it has something to do with the fact that I've moved to a pretty cool city (don't let that go to your head Boston). A city that I really like, so it's lucky that it's where I live. I also finally did some touring in November, so here are some pictures.

Wonky gravestones at the North End Cemetery

(I had just read Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book),

Paul Revere outside the North End Church (you know of "one if by land two if by sea" fame) even though Paul Revere isn't actually famous,

Erin and Julianne in the posh Beacon Hill area of Boston where Louisa May Alcott lived once she was old and famous,

and Julianne amiably posing at a cute little alley also in Beacon Hill
(to prove that I actually do have friends and not all of my Boston pictures are just of things).

November also brought the advent of one Maggie Naomi B___ (I feel so Victorian blanking people's names out for confidential purposes in my personal, published communications). Now Maggie, let's get it out here and now. I was told you were not coming until December, and so the fact that I finished your baby blanket a half hour before you were born is only due to my own diligence (surprising); and the fact that you did not have it when you were born is entirely your fault. Not that I'm bitter or petty because I'm blaming a newborn baby, never.

By the way, Melanie, this is part of my room (since you were saying you wanted to see pictures of my room).

This was my first foray into handicrafts of any kind really and I found I quite enjoyed it. So who's having a baby now? I have skills I can't let get rusty. And anyway, I expect the entire world to take me into consideration when planning their families, doing otherwise would just be rude.

And that's my dinner done. Though not really because I'm going to go make it right now.

Fallen Back

Despite my pleas to abolish Daylight Savings Time, I was outvoted. (I think it went roughly 6, 794,108,553 to 1.) So I acquiesced and "fell back" with the rest of you. The weekend was pretty busy because I had a friend in from out of town, plus schoolwork, plus amazing Stake Conference sessions with the Apostle who likes to follow me around. But Sunday afternoon after dropping Jamie off to catch her ride down to DC I went up to one of my favorite thinking spots around the Bunker Hill Memorial. Ben Affleck was nice enough to have moved his movie sets so they wouldn't spoil any of my pictures.

Here's a taste of fall in Boston.

Sorry these aren't at all artistic, I just kind of snapped as I went.

And sorry Jamie that I don't have any pictures with you. I'm fairly bad at remembering to have my camera with me.

Also, these look better in real life, so I guess you'll all just have to come visit me.

Guess Who

Guess who didn't check the weather this morning?

Answer: the same person who is now doing homework in their pajamas. At least I had an umbrella and a jacket, which is something I suppose.

And just FYI this is where I'm going to church this weekend. Pretty sweet digs, if I do say so myself.

Virtual Tour

I know you all miss me and wish you were living here in a cold basement in Charlestown just like I am. So I thought I'd throw you a bone.

So please keep your hands and arms inside the plane and come along with me.Here are some of the places I've been and some of the things I saw today.

Here's the Old Statehouse. Apparently this is where the Sons of Liberty used to incite insurrections. I always enjoy me some good rebellions.

Incidentally it is also the view outside of my boss's bank.

Here we are on Kilby Street where some dude's pouring out his coffee (I was actually holding coffee and lottery tickets while I took this picture, I have a very important position at our firm). Look at those lanterns though, seriously. And you see that building with the green details around the top, that's where I work.

Here's Sam Adams, my distinguished forefather, in front of some very important historical buildings (and no, I don't know which ones). But do note the famous cricket weather vane.

Now I'm not even going to pretend that I know what this is. I think it's something to do with the Holocaust.

I kind of like them though.

This is the Oyster House. It's very famous, I assure you. Actually, I have no idea but I liked the scorpion on the building and I thought it was kind of a cool picture. This is the North End. The North End is famous that I do know.

At this point I'd walked three T stops, so I hopped on an actual T to get across the Charles River. So here we are looking out at Charlestown from the Community College T stop (on the Orange line in case you were wondering).

And over here's the other side of Charlestown.

Thank you for joining us today, please come back real soon.

Surprising

Today I faced quite a few unexpected events.

I was surprised by how much adding a trench coat to my nice slacks and button down shirt could do to make me feel more at home in the Financial Distrcit of Boston.

I was surprised to be buying my first ever lottery scratch cards.

I was surprised that I was purchasing them for work.

I was surprised that I was able to sign up for a gym membership for $10 a month with a sign up fee of only $1.

I was surprised that I had never before read White and Strunk's The Elements of Style, and that I had not realized that the said White was, in fact, E.B. White of Charlotte's Web fame.

I was surprised to learn that I had been making a fool of myself all these years by telling people that I was nauseous when I should have been saying I was nauseated.

I was surprised to find myself laughing at parts of The Elements of Style, and you may be surprised to find that you are my friend.

Curiouser and Curiouser

Remember back a few months ago when my technology was systematically revolting? Well I thought I'd settled that all down: I learned how to trick Jasper into obeying me, I replaced my old external hard drive, I even managed to get my cell phone Napoleon to comply. But then this week I discovered the ultimate betrayal. My gmail account (well one of them) has been selectively not delivering very important emails from my TA. Et tu Brute? Now that both my TA and I have figured this out we should be able to work around it, but I am still reeling from the shock. What could possibly happen next? Is my tv going to fall on me and my DVD player spit DVDs mockingly into my face? Or will I simply be sealed inside a T tomb? I probably should not have given the technology any good ideas. Hopefully the keyboard does not have a collective consciousness.

On a completely different note, I just finished The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams for my Writing for Children class. I read the entire thing straight through--not a single break. If you knew how much I had to drink this afternoon/evening that would be more impressive to you. I was majorly skeptical at first because it's about a girl in a polygamous cult in a desert who has just found out she is going to be forced to become her sixty-year-old uncle's seventh wife. And it was written by someone in Utah, hmmmm. But I was quickly riveted and became deeply invested. I'd say it's worth a read.

Tomorrow I'm going to read Keesha's House by Helen Frost and Toning the Sweep by Angela Johnson. (You know, in case you feel like reading along and living my life with me. If you really want I can tell you which text books I'll be reading this week too).

Really? Her?

Why did Virginia Hamilton's M.C. Higgins, the Great win so many awards? Pretty much all of us in the Criticism of Children's Literature class (essentially the incoming Masters Students in Children's Literature) found it painful to read and not at all easy to understand. Needless to say, I do not recommend this book.

Though if you're looking for some cultural diversity, The Circuit by Francisco Jiminez was an interesting, moving, and mercifully quick read about a young Mexican immigrant family's experiences in California.

This has been another "review" (more like a verdict) by your current Children's Literature Correspondent.