Week 52-Squam Lake II

The last and final photo. My son, Jack (chief photographer), Gypsy on the kayak and my toes.
In closing, alas, a perfect toe point!  My coach would be proud.
Below were my goals for this venture. I stated these goals on September 13, 2009.

1.  Succeed in actually taking one photo a week.
2.  Maintain a 5 second handstand.
3.  Maintain a 10 second handstand.
4.  Not to make this blog too "self promoting," to include interesting people, places and things while     making a mini-autobiography of the year, August 2009-August 2010.
5.  Get creative with the photos.


1. Well, not quite!  85 %
2. Check
3. Check
4. I will leave behind a pictorial and historical snapshot of 8/09-8/10. Check!
5. Definitley, Check.  Thanks to all my photographers and photo shopper!


I am sad and relieved to see the end to the year in handstand photos!  It was very challenging to get to the photos in the last few weeks of the summer when I was working full time at the pool!  One of the reasons I wanted to do this blog was to take my mind off my mother's ailing health, so I could focus on something "lighter," but in addition to that, also to make a commiment to something.  A commitment to something I could actually commit too.  My husband would surely say,"You already commit to an extensive exercise program! Why this too?" Commitments and goals give us something to look forward to and to focus on.  I have a wandering mind.  I am always looking for the next thing!  When you are looking for the next thing, but don't know what it is you are lost.  It helps to have a focus to achieve your goal whether it is big or small.  After my 148 miles bike ride from Quincy MA to Windsor VT my husband asked me, "What's next?" Surprisingly, he hasn't asked me, in reference to the blog,"So, What's next?" 
I have had 2 thoughts on what might be next.  I have been on a Jack London kick lately.   I hear that there has been a Biography written about him recently.  I entertained the thought of trying to write a specific number of words each day.  Jack London was said to have written 1000 words a day!  This entry has 378 so far.  Don't know if I can commit to that.  The other thought I have is a blog of vintage sign photos.   I love vintage signs!  I would like to start a collection of vintage sign photos and perhaps pursue the history of them as I come across them.  No dead line each week!  Sounds marvelous!  Definitley something I can commit too!


Finally, I will still practice my handstands and on occasion take photos of them and post them here.  Maybe I will post some that never made the cut.  It's been fun!  Thanks for following!


Photographer: Dan Donovan
Location: Squam Lake

Week 51-Squam Lake I

Last year about this time one of the first few handstand photos was taken in my house with my nephew balanced on my toes. Here I am at Squam Lake in NH with my nephew, brother and sister-in-law hanging around "at my hands" at the dock.  We had a lot of fun out here on the dock rocking it, doing cartwheels off of it, swimming out to it and sunning on it.  I was fortunate to have both my brothers and their families come and enjoy a family vacation on Squam Lake this year.  The two babies, my nephew at 15 months and my niece at 8 months, had a swell time floating around in the little intertube you see near the dock.  My nephew was also a fan of the Shock Rocker!  It's a giant intertube with a center cut out where he could dangle his feet.

Photgrapher: Dan Donovan
Location: Squam Lake NH