Monday, December 20, 2010

Um maravilhoso Natal e um próspero Ano Novo!

Written to Smokes Like Lightning by Lightnin Hopkins

"Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length."
- Robert Frost

This will be one of my shortest-ever blog posts, a brief text wishing all of our family and friends um maravilhoso Natal e um próspero Ano Novo!

As regards our own family, Pelle and his girlfriend, Jemma, arrived yesterday at Ninho da Arara, the pousada of a good friend of mine from my Berkeley days, Davis Bales. Pelle and Jemma will unwind for a couple of days after a long, long journey from UK before returning by bus to Taubaté, where Esben and I will pick them up after picking up Johannes, weather gods willing, from São Paulo/Guarulhos – Governor André Franco Montoro International Airport. Weather gods not permitting…we will have to make do with two of Les Trois Mousquetaires. 7-9-13!

For those of you who have not yet registered the monumental event that was my joining Facebook, I have, in fact, recently succumbed to the seductive power of Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2010. I held out for as long as I could, I really did, but in the end the gravitational pull of the more than 500 million people connected to what Esben glibly describes as the world's most time-consuming image management tool was too overpowering for my fragile psyche. We shall see where it all ends, but for now I have ensconced myself in the warm glow of this world's digital hoi polo.

And finally, what would a year-end blog post be if it did not end with a quote from our generation's oracle:

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”
- Oprah Winfrey

Friday, December 3, 2010

Son of Corcovado


"As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border."
-Sarah Palin, explaining why Alaska's proximity to Russia gives her foreign policy experience, interview with CBS's Katie Couric, Sept. 24, 2008 (You can read 9 more gems of equal depth here)

Originally, I was going to call this blog post Moon over Alfheim (I trust this photo explains my initial leaning), but opted instead to title it Son of Corcovado in homage to Esben who, together with Jeff, Suzanna and Emmanuel Cabale, completed the Trilha do Corcovado in the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar - Núcleo Santa Virgínia on Saturday, November 20th.

Armed with his incomparable Nikon D90, Esben took a series of breathtaking photos, five of which I have highlighted here (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

While Esben and his compadres were scaling the heavens, Lone and I remained at Alfheim and took care of the daily chores.

Unable to control myself, particularly given the stunningly beautiful day at hand, I opened the door to the chicken house and let the chicks explore their yard for the first time. Great fun!

And while his choice of extracurricular activities might not be a giveaway, Saturdays are now officially Esben's day off...Sundays Lone's. That said, Lone has as much trouble sitting still as does Esben, so she has taken to making candles out of the leftover bees wax from her honey production. Needless to say, I now know more about wick density than any man has a right to.

Not satisfied with candle making, Lone further added to her farming baggage by participating in a week-long cheese-making course in Paraibuna. While this particular Parmesan did not make the grade, both Esben and I are eagerly awaiting Lone's future efforts.

Finally, I could not let the following observation pass without sharing it: