Day 163: First world problems

"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency" - Bill Gates

 Project 365: #162

At last we have relented and purchased new machines. We battled for 6 weeks in the hope that our European washer and dryer would work efficiently with transformers, but no such luck..so here are the new ones...can't live without them (first world problems!) I am grateful for them and not having to battle with the washing any more! 

Day 159: Hearts

"Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts" - Paramahansa Yoganada

Project 365: #159

Hearts mean home, family, love...After an idea from someone else I started collecting hearts. I love them and all they mean. The family tend to think we are trying to hard to make it look like we are a happy loving family...but hearts are a good start anyway. If our souls smile through our hearts, and our hearts smile through our eyes we will scatter many rich smiles in sad hearts, and uplift people without even knowing it.

Day 165: Autumn grasses

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns" - George Eliot

Project 365: #165

The autumn days are still beautiful, calm and sunny. The night temperatures  dipping, with heavy dew. But everything in the garden is changing, putting on a new show...the grasses are all flowering, looking beautiful. The anticipation of the changing leaves promises a show of magnificent nature. It is truly delicious!

Day 164: Soaking up the sun

"Your best ideas, those eureka moments that turn the world upside down, seldom come when you're juggling emails, rushing to meet the 5 P.M. deadline or straining to make your voice heard in a high-stress meeting. They come when you're walking the dog, soaking in the bath or swinging in a hammock" - Carl Honore

 

Project 365: #164

As you can see, I have not been out much! Been tooo busy, so just have pics of cats lounging around. I am grateful for the cats and their company when I am feeling overwhelmed and helpless with all the issues of transitioning that the girls are facing. It is awesome to be a cat in this house, soaking up the sun in the warmest spot possible! It is often in these moments of the pure luxury of nothingness, or doing everyday things, that we have our best ideas, and hopefully have a pen to write them down!

Day 162: The comfort of cats

"Cats are connoisseurs of comfort" - James Herriot

Project 365: #161

Sunday afternoon again...

Day 161: Bridges

"We build too many walls and not enough bridges" - Isaac Newton

 

Project 365: #161

Walking around the neighbourhood...another river on the other side of the causeway from the road-bridge above. There is a wall here, that is fundamental to maintaining the river from collapsing during high flows, and the bridge is necessary to cross the river. So, some walls are important for foundations, but more bridges are definitely necessary to cross the water safely!

Day 160: Bake sale

"I love to bake! I have a huge sweet tooth, and I love to make things like zucchini muffins, you know, anything decadent like that. And I stand by the claim that chocolate can be good for you! I love having a good piece of dark chocolate, one that's 70 percent or more cacao" - Lauren Bowles

Project 365: #160

All sport teams do some fundraising for the season...usually including a bake sale...so were asked to provide baked goods beautifully packaged in a fall theme. It is so nice to be able to purchase anything needed....I forgot how much I love to bake, any excuse will do! Even more exciting in my awesome gas double-volume oven! It is also more fun eating the raw mixture out of the bowl, than waiting for the baking to be done! Chocolate is definitely good for you, and adds the finishing touches to most baked goods, including banana bread! The most fun part is dressing the baked goods, so exciting!

Day 158: Resilience of frogs

"Don't be a fish; be a frog. Swim in the water and jump when you hit ground" - Kim Young-ha

 Project 365: #158

Meet Herr Frosch...our resident pool-frog, no matter how far into the forest and over the fence  he is distributed via the poolnet launchpad he resiliently returns...no matter what...time after time. We could learn from this determination...striving for our goals, not letting anyone or anything get in our way until we succeed. 

Day 157: Roots

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

Project 365: #157

It is always important to look back at our roots when moving forward, else we do not have anything to gauge our value system on. Roots are important for grounding, so our children can independently and confidently spread their wings to reach their full potential. Hopefully, even with moving, ours have strong roots at home.

Day 156: The river bend

"The river is constantly turning and bending and you never know where it's going to go and where you'll wind up. Following the bend in the river and staying on your own path means that you are on the right track. Don't let anyone deter you from that" - Eartha Kitt

 Project 365: #156

We may no longer live on a lake, but we are privileged to have a stream at the bottom of the garden with stunning natural architecture:

This stream forms part of the headwaters of a large river downstream, and is full of bends and twists, with little rockpiles and waterfalls along the way. In the midst of all the change, it is important to continue following the bends in the river along our own paths. They all lead to the right track in the end, the most important thing is just to follow them.

Day 155: Sunday afternoon snooze

"There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort" - Jane Austen

 

Project 365: #155

There is nothing more comforting than a cozy Sunday afternoon snooze on the couch in front of TV. When everything else is overwhelming and too much, or it is just too hot, or too wet outside, then the comfort of home and the couch is always waiting! Oh the life of a cat in this home!
 

Day 154: Weather building

"After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul's indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer" - William R. Alger

Project 365: #154

The weather is becoming less of the same balmy summer blue skies and a little more unpredictable, with a few awesome storms thrown in between. There is always a little anxiety, as we really know nothing of what to expect in inclement weather here. The weather is mimicking our general mood at the moment, for, as those who have moved countries know there is excitement and anticipation followed by anxiety and depression as reality and all things new and overwhelming set it.  We are in this for the long-haul, and I know that everything works out in the end, just as the sun shines after the storm, so too will our souls.

Day 153: 9/11

 "No day shall erase you from the memory of time" - Virgil

 

Project 365: #153

The quote from the memorial museum is an apt reminder of today's events, fourteen years ago in history. Living here, it is not difficult to remember the horror and devastation of the terror attack on the US. Everywhere there are reminders of 9/11, with a deep respect for all those who lost their lives, including all the first responders. I am grateful for all those who put their lives at risk for the security of the nation that we may all have freedom. I am grateful for all those who think nothing of putting their lives at risk to help and rescue other people. I am grateful for their compassion and patriotism.

Day 152: Leaf colour change

 "By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer's best of weather And autumn's best of cheer" - Helen Hunt Jackson

 Project 365: #152

The colour of the leaves is changing noticably! We have had the best weather for the past few weeks, hot days, a slight breeze, low humidity, cool evenings, and the leaves yellowing. This is just the beginning, heralding the change of seasons. The seasons make running the same routes routinely less boring, nature's way of teaching us to look at life from different perspectives. Nature is a great teacher if we are willing to learn!

Day 151: Highway cruisin'

"The connection to place, to the land, the wind, the sun, stars, the moon... it sounds romantic, but it's true - the visceral experience of motion, of moving through time on some amazing machine - a few cars touch on it, but not too many compared to motorcycles. I always felt that any motorcycle journey was special" - Antoine Predock

Project 365: #151

This is quite difficult to see as it was taken through the windscreen. This was an outing of Harley's cruising down the R202, with good patriotic music blaring from their bikes, and flags waving!  How cool it must be to cruise along the highway, experiencing the freedom of motion, connecting to the land, wind, sun, stars and moon! Enjoying the warm breeze and autumny scent in the air. And of course, entertaining the likes of me along the way!
 

Day 150: Fireworks

"My early childhood memories center around life in a small American town, including celebrations marked by fireworks and patriotic music played from a pavilion bandstand" - Frederick Reines

Project 365: #150

What would Labor Day celebrations be without fireworks. At the end of the relaxing fun day of listening to music in the pavilion bandstand, we sauntered back up to the Green at sunset for a grandstand seat to watch the fireworks. The pretty much typifies small town America. What a nice way to end summer, and to get back to the realities of the challenges of the schoolyear ahead with a bang!

Day 149: Labor Day Parade

"I'm still passionately interested in what my fellow humans are up to. For me, a day spent monitoring the passing parade is a day well-spent" - Garry Trudeau

Project 365: #149

One of the most amazing things here that I have not experience before, not even Germany, is the absolute pride in everything, home, town and country. I have heard all about the highlight of the town's year culminating in the Labor Day Parade (sadly marking the official end of summer), so I couldn't wait to see what it was all about! Everyone stakes their claim along the road with their camping chairs from early in the morning, setting them up, then returning home until the start of the parade. The the streets begin to fill up with townfolk, and the parade begins! The forefront are the police leading the way, followed by the all important officials, and Fire Department. All the fire departments in the area are represented, in polished uniforms and vehicles, their honor bursting through. The parade included the major, senators, sports clubs, marching bands, the Tin Cans (veterans from WWII battleships), pipe bands, Irish dancers, vintage cars, churches....all marching past, some throwing sweets to the children watching on the sideline...all culminating at the town green for a day of family fun. This parade has given me amazing insight into the heart and values of this small town.

Day 148: Our first US bbq

“Intelligence is something we are born with. Braai is a skill that must be learned”

 

 Project 365: #148

On the way home from work one day this week, I passed Mike in the road as I was fetching the girls from school. I stopped in the middle of the road, as he was so excited to show me what he had bought on his way home - a new little bbq/braai/grillen as the weather has been so good, and would be a shame to waste it....needless to say we have been looking for a suitable excuse to use it. Nothing better than a get-together with cousins! Yay! Joc, Pete, Matthew and Steven popped in for a braai from down the road in NYC, bringing with them delish pud of strawberry cream cake, and a genuine NY cheesecake, what a treat! Awesome to have family living not too far away!

Day 147: Saturday hockey matches

"Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward" - Kurt Vonnegut

Project 365: #147

Back to the DMV this morning to hopefully get my NJ driver's licence (with english translation in hand)  AT LAST....no such luck, did not even get as far as last time :( my paperwork was flagged by inland security somehow, so go home and we will contact you :( so...now we wait...have absolutely no clue what has been flagged as they say they have no clue. None of my paperwork has changed, so have no idea....better luck next time. I did really want to cry for the rest of the day. Laughing would be a much better solution.

At least it was quickly forgotten by watching the first official school field hockey match of the season, yay! Stunning weather, and good play! Go Mendham!

Day 146: Long-weekend excitement

"Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure" - Irving Wallace

Project 365: #146

After two days at school....I am SOOO excited that it is a long-weekend for Labor Day on Monday. YAY. We have not had to get up so early for school since SA, as in Germany school started at 8:35, and here it is back to 7:35! We literally live 5 minutes from school, but with the school traffic, it takes almost 20 minutes, so we still have to leave just after 7 am. It is also already DARK when my alarm goes off in the morning, boo-hoo...Labor Day does officially mark the end of summer festivities...so I guess it is time for a little reality. Being Labor Day, Mendham goes all out. There is a fair on the borough green (three blocks away from home) which began this evening, and there are festivities throughout the weekend, with the highlight being a parade through town on Monday, finishing with fireworks in the evening. SOOO exciting for us out-of-towners! 

We were enjoying sundowners on the deck this evening, and heard the fire-engines, wondering what was happening. They got louder and louder, so we realised they were in our street. Of course, we rushed out to see, like the good rubber-neckers that we are, and it turns out that they are taking kids on tours around town...tooting and blowing the sirens and horns all the way. It was so exciting! Then about 10 minutes later, we heard them again, and jumped up to see....then about 10 minutes after that, we heard them again, and went to look...then about 10 minutes after that, we said, hmmm....there is the fire-engine again. Then...10 minutes later...we were wondering how long it would go on for....that was two hours ago...and they are still going! Seriously though, it is pretty cool! Just wish the girls could have enjoyed it when they were a little younger! Nic is even exploring the fair with friends from down the road....yay, friends in the neighbourhood at last and something to do on Friday night!! Monotony transformed into adventure!

Day 145: Back to school

 "You're off to great places, today is your day. Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way" - Dr Seuss

Project 365: #145

Back to school today after a two month vacation, as a Senior and a Sophomore. It is the last first day of Caitlin's school career...unbelievable how the time has flown. I would love to say that it as been a restful, peaceful, rejuvenating break BUT not really....moving house is not for sissies, oh wait, nor is moving countries, and schools (again)! Anyway, the girls look rested and like they have had a good sunny summer! I think we should take a photo after school to compare the before....happy, excited, a little nervous to COMPLETELY shell-shocked! This is a completely different system, where you either sink or swim....there is no home-room with a class teacher. There is a rotating schedule over four days with six hour-long lessons a day. So, you basically arrive at your locker, then head to your first class, which may be with kids from a variety of grades, as you need a certain amount of courses for your high school diploma...there is no buddy to meet you, and teachers are not overly sympathetic. Friends are probably not the easiest to make as there are about 340 kids in a grade.  It is also not very cool to be the only Senior in a class of Sophomores and Juniors! I dare say the whole experience is rather overwhelming. If the girls can survive and adapt to this, they will be able to conquer anything life tosses at them! This is the beginning of great things and great places, their mountain is not insurmountable!

Day 144: One more sleep...

"Working hard is very important. You're not going to get anywhere without working extremely hard" - George Lucas

Project 365: #144

The cats know there is something up...the household has been a hive of activity this week, catching up missed work, doing summer assignments, completing due assignments...not very much time for fun. Needless to say, they have been anxious to garner as much attention as possible. They can also maybe pick up on the pre-school new-school nerves and excited anticipation.The girls have certainly worked hard, so hopefully their preparation will give them a good base to begin the year. One more sleep to go!

Day 143: Field hockey season

 "Remember that part of being a great hockey player is the desire to play. Skill can be mostly taught, but desire can't" - Anon

Project 365: #143

The fall season of sport begins here in 30 degree C weather! This is the school turf  shared with lacrosse and football, so sometimes practises begin at 1 pm to slot in all the schedules. This pic was taken on a cloudy day, which is not very often! Sport is a big commitment, field hockey has a two hour practise 6 days a week, including two matches, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. The pre-season began a month before school opened with the same schedule. At least Caitlin will be fit and tanned (albeit a long-socks  and sports-top tan) going into the new school year! Don't loose that desire, Cait, your skills will soon be polished. Good luck for the season!