meriah's nest... where I dwell...

Dreaming about sailing

2011-03-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Its been a long winter and I am dreaming about sailing.

Northern Light in NYC this past fall

2011-03-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

The two pictures above taken by Cory Silken.

The images below were taken by yours truely.

Bathroom

2011-02-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

Paint really can go a long way. The upstairs bathroom was purple on purple. Enough said.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

See that tiny little terracotta tile? Im thinking that tiling the floor would be the perfect final addition....

p.s. thanks to my mommy and kyle for helping paint trim and installing a beautiful new sink and faucet :)

delivery gifts

2011-01-26T14:22:00.001-08:00

My family has a tradition that when you go off on a sailing delivery you get to open a little gift each day. In the past I have sent K off with chapstick, toothbrushes, socks, little games, pictures, notes, etc. This next delivery is much longer and much bigger.... so I made little envolopes to open each day. They feel reminiscent of love letters from long ago... If only I had the time to hand write 45 letters.... It will be a long month. Maybe I will write them then.

a coffee table

2011-01-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

This christmas Kyle Dufur built my parents a stunning coffee table. The base is all mortise and tenon joints (no fasteners). Its amazing that people can be this talented!

We bought the slab of Oak out in western mass at http://www.berkproducts.com/

Stay tuned for a bed frame in the next few months...

a spot of tea

2011-01-26T14:10:00.000-08:00

For christmas my aunt gave me a beautiful blue tea pot.... Isnt it pretty.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years from Cape Cod!

May this year bring health and happiness...

Napkins

2011-01-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I was looking for any excuse to spend some time in front of the fire hand sewing.... the final result was linen napkins with embroidered patterns. I made them for two special women in my life. There was a set of blue and a set of off white napkins. I hope they use them in good health...

Click on this tutorial to learn how to make mitered corners for your napkins

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/11/sewing-101-embroidered-mitered-napkins.html

The first Ch'i bag...

2011-01-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

A birthday present a few years back

A christmas teepee

2010-12-29T14:02:00.000-08:00

It was christmas time......

So we built a fun little hideout...

and we played.....

For a build your own teepee tutorial check out this site....

http://obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com/2010/02/tent-week-day-four-twin-sheet-teepee.html

A hooded baby towel

2010-12-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

A hooded baby towel for my new cousin...
Based off
http://www.purlbee.com/cozy-hooded-baby-towel/

A Toiletry Bag

2010-12-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

I created a toiletry bag using the fabric from the original sails on CH'I. I used the tutorial on http://www.purlbee.com/zippered-dopp-kit/

The christmas spirit/ excuse to spend every waking hour sewing!

2010-12-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

Just a little teaser... the final products will be up in the new few days!

a mudd room

2010-11-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Before - there was a open door to the living room from the front hall

After - I blocked the doorway with my storm door, added a storage area and a coat rack. So much more functional. You have to utilze every space in a small house.

hallway

2010-11-13T18:50:00.000-08:00

Before - Blue trim, Green walls - Caribbean influence? yes that is thousands of tiny red hot chili peppers decoupaged on each stair tread.

After - White trim, Orange walls - The orange is bold - I wasn't sure if it was too bold, but I really like the way it brings out the natural tones in the wood and warms up the hallway.

a desk area

2010-11-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

Before

After

Downstairs bathroom

2010-11-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Before Pink sponge painted walls, a purple counter top, tiny tuscan pictures... it couldnt have gotten much worse.... oh ya the bright pink trim.

After "pussy willow" walls, a burgandy acent wall, WHITE trim, Stephan Brigidi custom prints, and a sail from Ch'i streched... Much better...

The view from my back porch

2010-11-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

An oyster and a fish eating a fish

A rocking chair

2010-11-10T15:29:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting a rocking chair like this one for quiet some time... It reminds me of the chair my mom has in the living room at home. I have looked for one in my antique shops but they are always too expansive, really beat up or gigantic. I finally found just the right one... I did have to reupholster the chair... but that was easy.

Chairs

2010-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

I have given my set of Ikea chairs a new life. I spray painted them black. Remind me in the future how much I hate using spray paint. There were drips and holidays everywhere :( But now I have a set of chairs for the table...

Learning to cook

2010-11-10T15:25:00.001-08:00

This winter I plan to really tackle learning how to cook. Back to the basics.... Im practicing how to chop with a chef's knife.

I teach.

2010-11-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Meriah Burman, US Photography Teacher from Beaver Country Day School on Vimeo.

Beaver Country Day School is making a new website in which they will be featuring people from the community talking about different aspects of the school. They asked us to just talk for a few minutes and they trimmed it down to be a short video. I was really nervous!

Sewing a shirt

2010-11-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

As soon as the weather gets cold all I can think about is sitting in front of the fire and sewing. So this fall, I tried sewing a men's button down shirt. Overall I am pretty excited about it, although it does have all sorts of little quirks that make it one of a kind. For example, the sleeve buttons face away from the body rather then towards it and the pockets on the wrong side... oops! Hopefully it will still get worn even with all of its little imperfections :)

the color of the fabric is shown in the image above... blues and browns

Kitchen

2010-10-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

Before

After

What a differnce paint can make! That will be the theme for my next few blog posts....

The original kitchen was light purple with lilic decopauge bordering the ceiling. Now the cabinets are a forest green and the lights are a bright white rather then disco teck blue.

A gift

2010-07-21T12:12:00.001-07:00

I was given this beautiful danish modern banquet as a gift from long time family friends Pam and Steve... Isn't it just perfect!

Clam Bake

2010-07-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ch'i

2010-07-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

Newfoundland

2010-07-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

Click here to see more pictures from our adventure...

A little place to do work...

2010-06-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Flowers in Bloom

2010-06-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to summer - Basking in spring time

2010-05-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

The grass is slowly starting to grow in the backyard...

I cant wait to use my new Kayak!

Sage

2010-04-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Sage is the newest addition to my little family.

Inspiration #12 - A table and chairs

2010-04-10T17:51:00.000-07:00

Our newest addition to the house is the table and chairs Abe grew up with.

Inspiration #11 - The window cafe

2010-04-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

The window cafe is open for business!

Inspiration #10 - A very warm house

2010-04-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

Our house gets amazing afternoon sun... it beats in through the windows and makes our house at least 10 degrees warmer then we set the heat for! Hence on this lovely HOT afternoon I needed some way to cool off.

Inspiration #9 - Farms on the coast

2010-03-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Farms literally on the water!!!!! ahhhh ive died and gone to heaven. There will be many more images from farmers markets this summer.

inspiration #8 - Pussy Willows

2010-03-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

Pussy Willows are just starting to bloom... I have been so inspired by them that Im painting one of my bathrooms pussy willow and i took this series of pictures to go in it.

inspiration #7 - A space to play

2010-03-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

I finally have a big desk with a nice view..... to play....

inspiration #6- Birds

2010-03-26T07:43:00.001-07:00

Birds birds everywhere...... except to our bird feeder :(

inspiration #5 - RI

2010-03-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

The license plate in RI is a wave. Enough said.

Inspiration #4 - Antique stores in New Bedford

2010-03-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

New Bedford is home to many antique stores... including this warehouse that has a floor of claw footed tubs!

Inspiration #3 - Walking trails

2010-03-26T07:30:00.001-07:00

Tiverton and Little Compton are littered with conservation land and walking trails. Many of them are surrounded by fulling functioning farm land. Im considering becoming a part of the Tiverton Land Trust.

Inspiration #2 - Early morning sunrise

2010-03-26T07:26:00.001-07:00

Now that I live in RI, I wake up very early to start the commute. The one positive is our house looks so cute in the early morning sunrise!

Inspiration #1 - blue walls

2010-03-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

The first thing we did when we moved in was paint our living room/dining room a really deep blue. Its called Seaworthy and feels very dramatic. But we have a ton of natural light so it does not feel dark.

Inspired by my magical surroundings.

2010-03-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

I have just recently purchased a home in Tiverton RI. The location is one of the best kept secretes in New England. I am inspired by everything around me...

Sailing on Northern Light

2009-06-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is a video made from a charter guest on Northern Light... Yes im the blond in the blue polar fleece :)

a little glimpse at a work in progress

2009-05-29T05:20:00.001-07:00

We still have some final touches to do like cabinet door handles, baseboards, installing a fan above the stove and a panel for the side of the dishwasher. But what a differnce it makes on the room!
After
Before
After
Before

An idea for a rug that has been destroyed by dog pee.

Clingstone

2009-05-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

I have sailed by this landmark for the past three years. I have finally found out what the inside of clingstone looks like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click here to read the New York Times Article on the most interesting house in Narraganset Bay

images by Erik Jacobs for The New York Times. Click here to see the whole slideshow

Fire Pit

2009-05-26T04:54:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since i last left a post. Life has been busy with the end of the school year, working on the kitchen and the nice weather.

For mothers day my brother and I wanted to help my mom build a fire pit for the backyard. I couldn't believe what a difference it makes to the yard!

More posts will come soon.

Volvo Ocean Race in Boston

2009-04-27T06:15:00.000-07:00

The volvo ocean race just made landfall in Boston. We went to fan pier to watch the first few boats come in. Kelly and Matt came and joined us in the festivities. You can see the schedule of events at volvo ocean race. orgThere will be in harbor races starting May 9th.

Kitchen makeover - painting

2009-04-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

This was the original wall paper and the sink is gone!

Abe doing the trim

Our new yellow kitchen. Ahhhh i can finally breath again because that horrible green is gone.

Kitchen Makeover

2009-04-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

We have been existing in a disfunctional kitchen for the past year. There was one single cabinet below the sink and about a foot of counter space! Time to redo it... Check back soon to see our progress.

Diana's water testing

2009-04-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

My mom has been voluntarily doing water testing for the Center for Coastal Studies for four years. She goes out a few days a week and tests the ph of the water, disolved oxygen, temperture, salinity and tripidity as well as recording the weather.

Check out those muck boots!!!!

Chi'i

2009-04-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to sail on Ch'i this summer.

I simply love google

2009-04-03T17:04:00.000-07:00

I simple love igoogle. You can customize each home page to have your rss feeds imported, your financial portfolio, your email, calendar, to do lists and about every kind of widget you could imagine! ohhhh its just so useful!

Saturday on the Cape

2009-03-30T08:20:00.001-07:00

Went home for the weekend...... my parents and abe laid a new brick walkway while i made a 21st birthday present for Judd (check back soon - i cant ruin the surprise yet!)

Photoshop World

2009-03-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

I spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday going to Photoshop World here in Boston. It was a large expo and a series of workshops each day. It reminded me that photoshop is an amazing comprehensive program that people use in so many different fields. There were teachers, photographers, designers, editors, scientist, etc.

I learned the following:

an introduction to channels

how to use the pen tool

how to professionally edit faces and bodies

all about curves

I got a refresher on:

how to utilize a flash to enhance the lighting in a portrait

masks

layers and levels

Check back soon to see some examples of what i learned....

San Fransisco

2009-03-23T16:46:00.001-07:00

Click here to see to see more photos of Abe and I...

Technology panel discussion at BCDS

2009-02-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

Click here to read the article I presented my students online website. You can even watch videos of the talk....

Dirty Dancing

2009-02-19T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last night my mom and I went to see Dirty Dancing the musicale at the Opera House. The building is ornate and really well maintained. I was very impressed by the tapestries and detailed wall decorations. The scenery was very well done. They had a rotating floor that changed scenes countless times. They also projected photographs on screens and walls.

A wintery day adventure...

2009-02-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

Abe and I went to Gloucester on our day off.

Europe Scrap book

2009-02-14T17:05:00.001-08:00

I went to Europe in 2003. I lived in Florence, Italy and traveled to Paris, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Rome, Venice, Sicily, Siene, Pisa, Lucca, Viarregio, etc. I am a serious pack rat and kept everything from the trip. I started making a scrap book of pictures, notes, receipts, tickets, napkins, magazine articles, etc. as soon as i got back. Today - six years later i finished it. It might possibly be the largest scrap book ever. 102 pages. Finally i can check this off my list!

February 14th

2009-02-14T17:00:00.001-08:00

I am a lucky girl :) I am sick as a dog with the cold and i had homemade chicken soup made for me!

Who does she think she is?

2009-02-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Last night my mom, Rachel (my serrugote mom) and I went to see the documentary Who does she think she is? The movie was inspiring and made me want to make work right now! But at the same time their was a real reality check that I went through regarding relationships. In my moms words, "be a passionate women in what ever you do, and finding self confident men (and friends, family) that are not threatened by that". Im very lucky to have creative woman role models in my life :)

"In a half- changed world, woman often feel they need to choose: mothering or working? Your children's well being or your own? Who does she think she is?, a documentary by Academy Award winning filmmaker Pamela Tanner Boll, (my brothers roommates mom) features five fierce woman who refuse to choose." - Synopsis of the movie

It will be playing at the following places over the next month. I would highly suggest every woman I know to go.

Cinema Salem
Feb 13th @ 4:15, 6, 7:45, 9:35
Feb 14th @ 12:15, 2:15, 4:15, 6, 7:45, 9:35
Feb 15th- 19 @ 12:15, 2:15, 4:15, 6, 7:45

MIT Campus, Room 6-120, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
Feb 26th @7

Berkshire Museum, 39 South St. Pittsfield, MA
March 12 @7pm

Who does she think she is website.

Projects in process

2009-02-08T16:20:00.000-08:00

I have started becoming obsessed with throwing on the wheel. These were my first creations.

I have started making scrap books for all of my trips. I have finally started my Europe adventure. Only 6 years after i went. I am now up to seventy pages and I still have many many more to go.

I bought 5 of these skirts at old navy ( $1.99 a skirt on clearance) I have started to disassemble them to use the silk to make a version of the pattern above. This will be the first sewing project in the new sewing room.
Today I re-taught myself how to knit. The yarn is "bamboo silk". As if i need a new project. I seem to constantly have tons of stuff going on but lately i've been feeling really guilty that none of the projects involve me taking pictures.

Symphony

2009-02-08T16:04:00.001-08:00

Abe and I went to the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall. James Levine was the musical director and they played Mozart (with a Italian opera singer), Schuller (a commissioned piece from a Boston local), and Brahms (my favorite). The high ceilings, shiny ornate details, original wood floors made the night.

I wore the shawl that my Aunt Leona and Uncle Milton had made for me for graduation from high school. My aunt and I went to the weavers workshop (The Blacks, in Barnstable, MA) and I got to choose the yarn and pattern for the piece. The shawl is one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing i own and the memories of where it came from are even better!

Abe was looking the part of the handsome date.

Im on the quest for online fabric stores...

2009-01-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

I'm on the quest for online fabric stores, since all of the good ones around me are out of business :( Today i found a website with interesting bohemian fabrics. This site has some funny patterns and designs. This is a data base of many online fabric shops.

ohhhhh ive found my favorite! Click here to see beautiful patterns!

Hope Chest - Seamen's Chest

2009-01-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

This was the original plan for the chest given to me on my 21st birthday (that was in 2003! for anyone thats counting)

Hope Chest- a gift, traditionally to daughters to store handmade blankets, treasures or trinkets. Chests were passed down through generations.

Seamen's Chest- A chest to store all of a sailors belongings aboard the ship. They were painted with mermaids, seashells and all sorts of nautical adventures.

My mom working on the folk art mural in her studio.

My dad working on the box in the barn.

The finished piece!!!! This is a view of the box open, so you can see the mural. The box is made from Cherry and the top has beautiful patterns. It's the perfect height to sit on.... and hopefully some day i will have a bedroom big enough to place it at the end of my bed.

This is a detail of the folk art mural. You can read the symbolism of each part in the letter below.

I am a very lucky girl to be blessed with just loving, talented and creative parents!

Sewing room

2009-01-20T05:59:00.001-08:00

I converted an old cedar closet into a sewing nook.

This inspirational little room is just what i needed to help me create while i'm hibernating this winter. Check back soon for my first project.

Ikea chair's new life..

2009-01-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

I bought two of these Ikea chairs off craigs list for $20 a chair. They were really comfortable but had pasta stains on them. My mom and I went to an amazing fabric store a few months ago and i bough this pale green micro suede to cover them with. You can click here to read the blog post about the fabric store.

Here is the chair pinned.

Finally finished! Here they are in the living room.

My first piece of pottery...

2009-01-13T09:41:00.001-08:00

Top View
Side Profile

I am teaching a ceramics class this winter..... and am learning more then i have in a few years. I love the feeling of the clay on my hands...

Chi's original sails

2009-01-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

My mother hand/machine sewed the original sails for my boat "Ch'i". They were dyed a brilliant red and have faded in the sun over years. This year I took one of the jibes and started making wall hangings for my family. I Looked for interesting patterns sewn into the cloth and stretched those pieces over canvas stretchers. These were some of the final pieces. They vary in size from 5 feet to 8 inches. I was inspired by Rebecca Roberts fabric works. You can see more of her work at dukebecky.com.

Seamen's chest

2008-12-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

A few years ago my parents designed a seamen's chest/hope chest for me. My dad is making the chest out of maple, oak and cedar with dovetail corners. My mom has designed a folk art mural that will be inside the lid of the chest depicting where i have come from and the elements of the earth through colorful drawings. It is coming out beautifully and its such an honor to have a handmade piece of furniture designed and built for me.

"A hope chest, dowry chest, or glory box is a chest used to collect items of clothing or household linen, by unmarried young women in anticipation of married life"

"Sea Chests were traditionally built by sailors to transport and store their possessions while aboard ship. They would hold naval instruments, journals and clothing. Usually the sea chests were constructed out of pine using dovetail joinery. This form of joinery was developed in the early 1500's and is considered to be the strongest method of building chests. In the 1700 and 1800's, old growth forests allowed the milling of very wide boards so the sea chests were able to be constructed without laminating the wood. The inside of the lids on the old chests where usually painted with images of harbors, whales, mermaids, even game boards. The chests are family heirloom's passed through generations."

Christmas on the cape...

2008-12-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

Update on the new zealand adventure...

2008-12-27T17:06:00.001-08:00

Judd's back! I saw thousands of photos that look like paradise on earth.

Quint New England Christmas

2008-12-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

We stayed in an inn in the white mountains and went skiing the next day. The views were great, the food was very extravagant and i got a very cool new ski coat from Abe.

Exploring Boston as a tourist

2008-12-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

Corrie and Andy are in Boston and we explored the city as tourist! We walked the freedom trail, drank peppermint hot chocolates, trudged through an old burial ground, toured the state capital, pretended to ice skate, drank a beer at Cheers bar, walked Newbury street, drank a beer while looking out of the green monster. Oh fun times!

update on the New Zealand adventure...

2008-12-23T16:14:00.001-08:00

"Yup that's my room right there in the middle! The hostel is in National Park the base for my Togariro walk" - Justin Burman

"Hiked the Tongariro crossing today. The weather could not have been any better! Hardly a clowd in the sky. The hike starts on the west side of Mt Tongariro, a massive valcano or at least what is left of it, heads up through lava flows and along the base of a much more recent valcano. This is the forward most in the picture atached. It last erupted 10 or so years ago! The hike than continues through the crater, of long dormant, Tongariro than up to it's rim, that is where this photo was taken from looking back over the crater and the more recent volcano with massive Mt Ruapehu in the background. From there you continue down the eastern side past several emerald colored lakes, stunning! Back through the bush past a few glacier melt streams and hot air vents back down to the car park. 22 km in all so it's a good days walk but nice because you don't have heavy pack. Off to Auckland tom." - Justin Burman

Places i have traveled

2008-12-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah ruined

2008-12-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

Our valiant attempt to make it to the cape through the snow storm for Hanukkah dinner.

update on the new zealand adventure...

2008-12-21T06:52:00.001-08:00

"Happy winter solstice! And a merry Chanauka. I am now back in Welington. Today I traveled up from Christchurch by train than took the ferry over the Cook Strait.

Yesterday I traveled over Authors Pass. Unfortunaly the weather was not conduceive for seeing anything out side of the train. It was raining extreamly hard. The eavning before there was a total of 6 inches of rain on the pass. New Zealand is not green for no reason, some areas of the westcoast of the south island recieve upwards of 9 meters of rain anualy!

Tomarrow I head to national park for two nights. I plan on hiking the Tongerara Crossing, renownd as NZ best day walk. We will see. It looks like the weather should be nice, for a change! Then on the afternoon of the 24 I finish my train journey, ariving in Aukland around 7. The next day it's off to the airport. I will give you guys a call when I arive in San Fran. leting you know the status of my subsequent flight.
Love Judd
The attached photo is of Fox Glacier"

Snow Day!

2008-12-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

Snow day! I'm going to go buy a sled because we don't have school!

Update on the New Zealand adventure...

2008-12-18T04:41:00.001-08:00

"so i had a bit more time in fox than i planed i got upn to the glacier and i went on a night hike and saw some glow worms!" - Justin Burman

Wishing it was warm again

2008-12-17T09:26:00.001-08:00

Its a snowy slushy mess today :(

I wish it was warm again! This picture is of a family fun sail we had on Northern Light. My mom is behind me and my friend Ryan Miller is steering.

Update on the New Zealand adventure...

2008-12-17T04:55:00.000-08:00

"Finished up the Routeburn Track today. It was amazing! A day and a half of rain and a day and a half of sunish waether. It was an amazing hike starting in a super lush forest were every thing is covered in a thick blanket of moss, than moving on to beach forests with endless waterfalls, than up above treeline. Than back down in the reverse order. The track takes you over the continetal debide. The two huts you stay at are very nice. One is next to an enormous waterfall
The other dust on an alpine lake. Well off to fox glacier tom. I dought I'll have time to explore it, will see tho" - Justin Burman

Update on the New Zealand adventure...

2008-12-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

"At the moment I am in Queenstown. In the morning I head out on the Routeburn track, a 36 km 3 day alpine hike. Unfortunatly it looks like a fair amour of rain. Hopeful there will be a few breaks so I can see some sceney.

Prior to being hear I spent thursday and saturdaynight in Te Anau. Inbetween I was kayaking in Doughtful Sound! The weather was unbelievable! We used two person kayaks, my partner was a crazy 40 year old guy from Wales. He made it a very intersting time, in a good way. We saw a pod of bottlenose dolphins that live exclusivly in the sound. They are the southern most family of bottlenose in the world.

The picture I have attached is of me on route to find a kiwi. We took a 40min boat ride to a remote portion on the south of Stewarts island. We left at 9:30pm and returned 1:00 am. The kiwi is most active at night.

After the Routeburn track I head to Fox glacier spend the night, spend the next night in Hokikita. From there I go up to Greymouth and travel across Authors pass, spend that night in Christchurch. The next day I will head up to Picton up to the north island than sleeping in Welington. The next day I head to National Park. I will send 2 nights there. I plan on hiking the Tongera crossing. This is a 5 or 6 hour hike that skerts the rims of several volcanoes. Than back to Aukland to fly home!"
- Justin Burman

I simply love the act of giving

2008-12-13T17:07:00.001-08:00

This years guidelines are: "Everything homemade in brand new wrapping paper and ribbon". I may have gone a little overboard again.

my grandmother, my mom and me :)

2008-12-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

My grandmother, my mom and me all went to cambridge to go boot shopping and have tea. We went to Upstairs on the Square which was just like a colorful scene out of the nutcracker with live music and all. We chatted over pots of tea and zebra skin coaches.

My first tree

2008-12-07T16:51:00.001-08:00

My freshman advisory

2008-12-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

I was put in charge of 7 wild and crazy freshman this year. They have given themselves the nickname of water buffalos, don't ask like a said a wild group of kids. They entertain each other by singing and dancing. Its really quite amusing. One of the group is taking after-school photo with me this winter and set up this photo to include in a book she is making.

First Day of Term 2

2008-12-05T08:03:00.001-08:00

I'm finally teaching photo again :) On their first day i have them make contact prints of their syllabus. The darkroom and enlargers are completely set up so they literally only have to push the button. I miss the smell of chemicals.

Bruins

2008-12-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

After the big win we met Ray Bourque in the elevator. My friends made complete fools of themselves but it was very exciting none the less.

Update on the New Zealand adventure...

2008-12-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

December 4th, 2008
"Hello all I write to you on Thursday the 4th, day three of the queen charlet track. Today I covered 25 km which took me aproximatly 9 hrs. Not bad cosidering today track went from sea level to 600m, back to sea level, back up to 450m than finally back to see level. My 35lb pack has quickly gained weight from food and water, which I have seemed to have packed the perfect amount. Needles to say i am exhausted. Tomarrow is the last day of this tramp. It is only 12 km and over relitavely flat ground! There, a launch will pick me up and bring me back to Picton. Dispute today rigerous tramp over all this track has been amazing. The track leads though lush rainforest, aired zones, green hill sides were sheep graze, cedar forests, waterfalls, and beach tree forests, all of which over look countless bays of emerald and aqua color, when the sun is out.
This track is unique. There are many BBs along the way. The launch that drops you a ships cove, the beguining of the track, and picks you up at the end will drop your pack at your next nights stay for you. I how ever have choosen to camp which requires you to carry your pack as the camp sites do not have water axis. It is extreemly nice to be able get a cold beer at the end of the day! The picture I have attached is looking down from the track to BB"
December 5th, 2008
"spending the night in picton. Tomarrow I head off to kaikoura were I need to choose from a whale watch, from a boat or helicopter, swiming with seals or swiming with dolphins. Decisions decisions. Orca and sperm whales are frequent visitors off the coast of kaikoura. I would love to see them! Well I'll get back to you leting you know how things turned out. Hope all is well back home" - Justin Burman

update on the new zealand adventure...

2008-12-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

" I am currently in whakatane I went to white island today! Speracular!"

"I spent the night in Napier. I stayed in a hostel that was an old prison. It was very neat, a bit eire though. Walking down the street I found this hotel. Surprisingly enough it was even nice. This afternoon I head to Welington."

" It's the 1st I have spent the morning walking around Welington. I must have taken 200 photos of flowers haha. I head to Picton, the south island this evening. " - Justin Burman

Reading now...

2008-11-28T17:48:00.001-08:00

Recently read...

2008-11-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Black Friday

2008-11-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

Its black friday, so we did our family tradition of going to ptown.... My mom, dad, abe and i walked around for a few hours and saw the sights :)

I give thanks for...

2008-11-28T17:26:00.001-08:00

I would like to give thanks for my warm loving family....
We hosted 18 in the barn for thanksgiving. Does it remind you of the last supper?

Rainy day activities

2008-11-25T14:38:00.000-08:00

Today down poured.... there is nothing better then sewing on the coach. Hence these three stockings were the results. Merry Merry Christmas!