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I live near a neighborhood called "Candy Cane Lane" that decorates their houses with lots of Christmas lights. Maybe Grand Ma got run over by a reindeer (a cheesy song) because Santa was driving a truck with Mrs. Claus.

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Yes, I know it is almost Christmas (or Kwanzaa, or whatever you may celebrate), but I was putting together some family pictures and thought I would share.

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I'm finally done finishing up my BA at UMass Boston.
It's finally starting to sink in.
I will not get my diploma until February, and I want to perma plaque it, which takes (another) 8-10 weeks.
When it gets here, I'll make a nice color copy of it and put it in a frame while I'm waiting for the perma plaque to get back.
But that means I still don't have anything for now.
Hmm.
So this is what I did. I went out and bought a mat for a frame that I already have.
Then I printed a B+W laser copy of a photo a classmate sent me when she finished in August. I've kept the photo on my desk top as a reminder and motivation when I was pulling my hair out writing a paper. (I swear I had a lot more hair 16 months ago when I started school again to finish at UMass.) I cut out the diploma portion of the photo, and scotch taped it to the mat.
Totally silly, I know.

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On Thanksgiving my family gathered at my cousin's house. My cousin Asley, 9, (with the pony tail) is a gymnast. Jumping around with her are my nephew, Ian, and my niece, Michaela. I don't mean Ashley takes a gymnastics class. I mean she is a gymnast. She trains 6 days a week and is home schooled by her mom, Michelle. Ashley declared to her pediatrician at age 5 that she was going to be a gymnast. Really. I couldn't make that up. What's even more astonishing is that she is completely self motivated--this is NOT coming from her parents. Her drive at such a young age is remarkable. She called up her dad (cousin Arnie) at work one day (unusual by itself) and asked if he would get her a trampoline for their backyard so she could train more. Wow. With the high cost of education, we're all hoping she lands a college scholarship, too :-)