We're not in Alabama anymore Toto

Take a look at this image from the Boston Globe this morning:



Made me laugh - why you might ask - the road signs with an image of Alabama are in the middle of Easthampton, Mass. Interesting. So just if you are curious is there an Easthampton, Alabama?

Yup! But it doesn't look like route 141 and 10 go through there....

Here is the full article from the Boston Globe:
Word to road crews: Tuscaloosa is over 1,000 miles thataway - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Mass. - News

Why Mr. Holland's Opus

Hi everyone-

Well last weekend (Sunday to be more specific) we watched Mr. Holland's Opus - a great movie when it came out - now it has an even more important part in my heart. Watch the movie from the perspective next time of a father who has lost - and what the movie would mean from that perspective.

Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

It is uplifting in that all of the characters in the end bring happyness to everyone and when finally the father gets that his children - his son and his family - really are the most important part in his life.

Garden Pictures

Hi everyone-

As many of you reading this blog have figured out my wife and I recently lost our son - Ryan. Ryan's Uncle Scott is a register landscape architect - so he designed Ryan a garden. Something that we could make it a place to think about things, reflect on things, and to just have fun with our family in - not making it some sacred place.



Here are some pictures of us working on the garden brick by brick. It will be 32 feet in diameter, with ~250 sq ft of wall and 250 sq ft of patio. We have worked on this the last 2.5 weeks. It is really starting to take shape. More as we do more.

Also here is some text from Scott on his thinking:

The plan is essentially the same as developed that day. The overlying form is a circle, a pure element of design. I will call this the circle of life, something which inspired me as I thought about this special garden. Elton John wrote a song titled such as heard in the Lion King. Some lyrics I found relevant:

It's the Circle of Life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope

Through faith and love

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the Circle

The Circle of Life

The location is inspired by the geographic connection through the natural woodland to Ryan’s place of rest. I think a circle of around 30-ft diameter will work, and this seems to incorporate the white pine and the red maple in that area. The back of the space (to the north) is cut into the existing hill side. This will ultimately be retained either by ledge and boulders found while digging, or if none are found, a wall to be built. This wall could be natural stone (most appropriate but more difficult to build), a SRW or segmental retaining wall (I can show you some of the various options); sloped grade that is planted (this may work but we will have to see) or a combination of these.

As the wall comes to the line which bisects the middle, it will slope down to meet rade, as it also approached the locations of the two trees that are included in the circle. To the east (towards the house, there will be an opening to enter the garden. On the ground plane, are suggestions of paths which can be flat field stone at the edge of the garden, then (as you see on the plan) a few steps set into the existing lawn. Metaphorically, these might be: The path towards the house “going home”; the other towards the street is “going out into the world”. They are a few steps only, the ultimate path determined by the user.

The circle will be completed by placed boulders into the woods. These can be rocks found in the woods, or other.

The garden patio floor may be flat field stone, brick, concrete pavers, blue stone or other. (I can show you some options.) The bench will sit in this area and there is space for other seating, a small table, a small fire pit or other. This space is approximately about 12-ft by 20-ft This will be a flat area defined to the north by the wall with a planting bed in front of it, and to the south by the edge of the exiting woodland. Above the wall will be another planting bed, from the back edge of the wall to probably the existing edge of the lawn now. This bed will wrap back around down to the woods.

I hate summer colds

Hi everyone-

Well I guess it was bound to happen - catching a summer cold. It started Saturday night after working all day on Ryan's garden. I know - pictures of this garden would be nice.

Anyway I think the stress of work and Ryan's death added with the physical exhaustion finally put my immune system to the breaking point - aka I caught a cold.

Missed 2 days of work - but now I'm back....sorta....snif,sneeze,cough...just plain yuck.

Website: Common Cold
Website: NIH Cold Recommendations

Back to blogging

Hi everyone-

So what has been happening that last 2 weeks.

(1) Working way to much
(2) Working on my son's garden
(3) Spending some non-work time composing myself
(4) 4th of July Holiday


Item #1:

Well it has been a wild couple of weeks. Sorry about not posting. Work became very busy. We had a major milestone that we needed to pass successfully - it required me to work several weeks at a break neck pace of 13 hour days mostly - that is an average. It was a great experience - although one that I don't really want to repeat any time soon - months I hope. Basically in the business that I work in our customers like to see demonstrations of the capabilities of the software and hardware and make sure that things are working as specified. Running through our tests things appear to be work as specified - yeah.

Item #2:

Since Ryan died about 6 weeks ago Aline and I have been working through some very difficult but hopefully healing experiences. One of these experiences is working on a memorial garden. We have dug the garden out of a hillside towards the back of our property. We are currently working on getting the pavers and wall stones from Ideal block - very cool company. More specifically we are using the Roman Pisa II for the wall and for the pavers we are using Millstone. We have some pictures which will be posted later. We think things are going along we well. The 3/4" stone which back fills the wall should be delivered today - 15 tons.

Item #3:

During those long hours at work it became very apparent that life has changed direction for Aline and I. We lost our son - and this is very difficult. Long hours at work break down the barriers that you put in place to protect others from your pain - and sometimes that pain gets out. Well hopefully not much of that pain got out to everyone and I am happy to say that Aline and I are fine. It was difficult to balance both aspects of my life - but I think I did pretty well. Not visiting with Ryan most of last week was very difficult to do. I don't know where the strenght came from but it was welcomed. I also want to thank Aline for putting up with me - her compasion and care for me definitally helped me through the rough times. This weekend off from work helped me recenter and figure out what is important. Yeah!

Item #4:

All I have to say is:

Happy Fourth of July America!