October Outings

We could never have loved the earth so well if we had had no childhood in it. ~George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss, 1860

Boston Harbor
This month my parents came to visit and we had so much fun. The weather cooperated very nicely with our outings and the scenery was everything I would have expected from one of America’s favorite historical cities.
By many, Boston is known as “The Hub”.

This was first coined by writer Oliver Wendell Holmes, who actually referred to the State House as the hub of the solar system. While my parents were here we took a historical cruise around Boston Harbor. On this cruise I came to understand first hand why this city had merited such a nickname as “the hub”. I watched the navy ships, coast guard cutters and sailboats all take their turns moving in and out of the Atlantic Ocean. I admired the enormous cargo ship docked alongside the pier with its endless line of containers from all over the world waiting for their final destination; and watched the underside of the commercial planes as they landed at the nearby Logan International Airport. The energy of the harbor was fascinating. My favorite part of our tour was when our ship crept up the Charles River and we were able to get a picturesque view of the Old North Church, Bunker Hill and Old Ironsides. The words of Longfellow’s poem, “one if by land, two if by sea, and I on the opposite shore will be” seem to be forever suspended in the air right there on the mouth of the Charles River.
One architectural aspect that I love about Boston is the many beautiful bridges. There are several bridges that connect Cambridge to Boston, spanning the Charles River. They all seem to have their own historical feel, but my favorite is the Longfellow Bridge (also known as the Salt and Pepper Bridge). I loved that bridge even more when I found out why it was named after Longfellow, here’s the story:
Longfellow courted Frances "Fanny" Appleton. During the courtship, he frequently walked from Harvard to her home in Boston, crossing the Boston Bridge. After seven years, Fanny finally agreed to marriage, and they were wed in 1843. That bridge was subsequently demolished and replaced in 1906 by a new bridge, which was eventually renamed as the Longfellow Bridge.
Bridges are so romantic to me. Ahhh. I feel like my time in Boston has been my own personal bridge between Chicago and Korea.

Kimball Farm
We took a break from the congestion of the city by visiting a farm way out in the woodsy countryside of Carlisle, Mass. Jim and I decided to get a banana split and share it. We were shocked by what we received at the pick-up window: A twelve inch high ice cream sundae. Humor me Kimball Farms! I have never seen an ice cream so big. Talk about an ice cream lover’s paradise.

Mount Auburn Cemetery

We talked my dad into taking some family pictures for us in the lovely grounds of the Mount Auburn Cemetery of Cambridge (recently voted the best foliage walk in Boston). Why I torture myself and punish the children and Jim every some-odd months for a family picture is beyond me! It is so much work. Not to mention the very, very low probability that all seven of us will actually look charming at once. So much goes into getting ready for that one millisecond: the instantaneous snap of the shutter. The results? Two runner-up pictures. Please vote on your favorite, #1 or #2.
Lexington and Concord

We picked up Paul Revere not where we left him the week before (at the mouth of the Charles), but up in Lexington, where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired just as the sun was rising. We were fortunate enough to happen upon the town as they celebrated the induction of three minutemen who had been overlooked from the April 19th 1775 minutemen roster. Soldiers and pastors dressed in colonial attire right down to the white wig were a part of the program and each of the three minutemen was hailed with a blast of the cannon. We took a walk up to the Old North Bridge in Concord where the fighting of the first day of the revolutionary war continued,
"By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world." Ralph Waldo Emerson

What great courage these farmers (“minutemen”) had and what noble ideals. As I admire Boston, I can’t help but feel the religious zeal that those colonial people had. There is a church on nearly every corner and their love of God and freedom can still be felt here today.

Favorite Conference Talks:
Jim: Julie B. Beck
Kim: Dallin H. Oaks and Julie B. Beck
Susan Grace: President Eyring , Miriam: Julie B. Beck

Children’s happenings:
Susan Grace memorized two of Robert Frost’s poems, The Pasture and The Road Not Taken.
Miriam was lucky enough to get to go with Daddy on a three day trip to Chicago so that she could get her retainer from the orthodontist. She spent one day visiting with a dear friend in Chicago trying on all sorts of dress ups.
Anna got strep throat. Boy was that miserable.
James went on his first play-date this month. He is making lots of new friends. He has a new love, Legos.
Margaret loves books. She loves books so much that instead of nursing her, I read her a couple of books and put her to bed. She doesn’t mind the change at all. I’m sadder about it than she is. Her favorite book? She loves them all, but she is only allowed to have board books because she has a tendency to tear the other books to shreds. I’m so sorry Watertown Library.
J. B.: spent some time working in Chicago, continues plowing forward with his research, and dabbled a little in a marketing presentation with good friend, Dave Elkington.
Me: made a major mistake on my knitting. I had to pull out all of my work. Sigh. (wiping of tears.) Oh, well. It was a hat for a baby girl and come to find out—Natalie is going to have a BOY! So, I’ll just start over with the right kind of hat for that gender. I’ve also been reading the tortuous Twilight. Ugggh. Can it please be over now? I don’t do well with 500 page books. Highlight of my month? I got the stroller of my dreams. I can hear you all saying it in unison, “It’s about time!”

Best purchases of '07: Nikon D40 digital camera, Maclaren Techno XT stroller, Inspiron E1705 Laptop

Worst purchases of '07:

Lobster at Legal Seafood, Thule bike rack (we can't even keep track of our kids, let alone seven bikes)

Our stay here in Boston is over half way done. Korea is just on the horizon.
Love to all.