Week 27-January 29th. Full Moon @ 10° vs Full "Blue" Moon @ 80°

I was driving home from work this evening and the big bold beautiful moon was rising. My son and his buddies were hanging out at our house. I ran in and said to Jack,"Get the camera! We have to take a handstand photo! The moon is gorgeous and huge!" His friends, somewhat confused asked Jack, "What is she talking about?" I blurt out, "I have a handstand blog and I am taking a picture a week for 52 weeks." Luke says, "I am still confused" We all get in the car and drive down to the end of the street. I jump out get set and get the feet up! It was my longest held handstand to date. I was up so long I was able to chat with Jack and finally said, "Did you get it?" It had to be about 25-30 seconds! Luke is less confused, but he isn't the only one who has said, "Now why is she doing this?" Oh well.

I have posted another handstand photo today that was taken in Hawaii. It turns out the Hawaii moon was a Blue Moon! A blue moon is the 13th full moon in a calendar year. Usually there are only 12 full moons in a year, but because each solar calendar year contains an excess of about 11 days and the lunar cycle is about 29.5 days every 2-3 years there is a 13th full moon in the year! Hence the phrase "Once in a Blue Moon" This one just squeaked in on December 31, 2009! I know, now, how that phrase evolved. Not only am I handstanding every week, I am accumulating fun, new and exciting knowledge!

HANDSTAND AT 10˚F IN CARLISLE, MA January 29, 2010

HANDSTAND AT 80˚F IN KIHEI, HI December 31, 2009 A BLUE MOON!

Photographers: top photo: Jack Donovan

bottom photo: Arley Donovan

Locations: described above

Week 26 CCHS Swimming & Diving January 19th 2010

This was team picture day for the CCHS Swim and Dive team! The kids are treading water and trying to bunch together, harder than it looks even for these talented water beasts, the coaches are on deck behind them. Behind me on the right is Coach Goldberg, handstanding with me is Coach Bird, behind her is BOSS Moss, then Jenny all the way to the right and Bert all the way to the left and our stats girl Leah next to him. Tomorrow will be our last meet, against Lincoln/Sudbury before DCL Championships! GO PATRIOTS!

Professional Photograper: Pierre Chiha http://www.pierre.com/

Location: Beede Center Concord MA

Week25-Maui Ended

My last handstands in Maui ended here on Hookipa Beach in Paia on the south side of the island. Hookipa was once known as windsurfing capitol of the world! I had to put up both of these photos because the ocean behind is so spectacular and I loved this little cove. On this day the surf was pushing 15+ feet! There were no windsurfers, but plenty of surfers! This photo is taken right of the beach where gigantic lava rocks scatter the shore line and cows roam the the lush green hillside above.

I tried to be unobtrusive while I took my flipped position because there was a man on the rocks chanting in sanskrit. I must say though, as I have learned from years of yoga, every accomplished yogi must learn to maintain his centeredness amongst distraction.

Also, in the last days of our days on Muai, my daughter and I had the great fortune of swimming with the Maui Masters off the shores of Makena Beach where we got about 75 yards from a couple of whales. we observed them cresting the water and tail slapping. We could also here them chatting loudly as if were right beneath us and in fact some of the group saw them beneath us! Check out Maui Don's blog for some beautiful underwater photos and videos at http://www.dolphindude.com/ You can see the underwater photo of the group on that day, including myself and my daughter with our ABC Gray Sharks silver caps dated Jan 10, 2010.

Photographer: Arley Donovan

Week 24-HULIHIA WAHINE Hana, Maui

When we visited Maui 10 years ago we were fortunate enough to discover the secluded and prized Red Sand Beach in Hana. Arley and I took a trip out to Hana and had to venture back to it! It is most definitely the most beautiful beach I have EVER seen. It is a treacherous hike down over 100 feet of stone, dust and lava gravel pathway . One must be fit and courageous to even attempt the feat!

In the waters we saw 15 plus tropical fish in the Kahaone'ula cove while adorned with our top notch speedo goggles! On this day, the waters were calm enough to venture out beyond the lava rocks that separate the calm waters from the rough waters, towards the open ocean.

There are always interesting folks to meet on this beach! Today there was a guy, about 30 years old, who had a tattoo on each shoulder. One tattoo was of a peace sign and the other of an anarchy sign while on his chest he had the word DESTINY written backwards. Arley and I contemplated over why he was tattooed with these symbols and the word. I thought it was something worldly like one could choose peace over unrest and the word destiny written backwards was more about the fact that we all have a choice and our destiny is preceded by the choices that we make as we move through life.

After questioning Nick for a while, we found out that his choice for his tattoo was meaningful but not quite what I had conjoured up in my mind. Nick had joined the Marines and after a short stint had wanted out. Tattoos are not allowed in the Marines so he thought he would get some controversial tattoos in the hopes that he would get kicked out. That didn't work so he started failing drug tests. That didn't work either so he committed fraud. That didn't work, so he picked a fight with a fellow marine and finally 6 months before he was to be discharged the Marines became aware of all of his infractions and he was finally kicked out!

It turned out that the DESTINY written backwards tattoo was one he had chosen in high school because he noticed while he was making the choices he wanted to make in high school, others were making choices because they thought it was was "cool." He wanted to remember that he always had a choice.

This photo was taken in one shot with only 3 shots left on our throw away camera by: Arley Donovan

Location: Red Sand Beach Hana Maui HI

Week 23-Happy New Years

Happy New Year from MAUI 2010!

These two fabulous photos are taken on the same day in Maui at 6:30 PM. The sun was setting and the moon was rising. The photos were taken within 3 minutes of each other. Arley and I wish all of our friends and family a very Happy New Year with much love, health and happiness to all in the coming year!

By the end of this Hawaiin trip Arley will be handstanding in one of the photos with me!

Photographer: Arley Donovan

Week 22-Colored Lights

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Scene Set-up: Arley and Jack Donovan

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Week 21-Wrappin' up the Short Course Meter Season!

Coaching the ABC Gray Sharks Masters Swim Team is a pleasure! Posing with me here are just a few of the sharks! We get up at 5 in the morning to arrive at the pool by 6:00 to swim 3000-4000 yards. All of this to stay in shape to compete in 2 major swim meets a year! Most events cover just 200 yards or less! These swimmer guys and gals infiltrate my mind more than they know. If I had to project what I would have been doing as a 40+ year old when I was 20, I never would have imagined I would be a leader of 100 swimmers ages 25-90. I am truly blessed all of these people a part of my life! Thank you!

We finish up the end of each swim session with a beastly game of waterpolo where our competitive spirits really become exposed. The rules of waterpolo really don't apply to The Gray Sharks. Most, but not all, escape without scratches, bruises and bloody noses, but if you want to play you gotta be tough!

Photographer: Tracey Bird

Sharks from left to right: Lissa, Ilene, Dave, Ben (hidden), Steve, Kirsten, Andrew, Amy, Don,Mike, Steve and Dudley.

Just a few stats New England SCM@BU 2009:

Sharks came in 3rd place

4th place overall

2 men were in the top 10 highest point scorers out of over 400 male swimmers

2 of our swimmers broke New England records in the 200, 400 and 800 free and the 50, 100, and 200 breast

1 record was broken in the womens 4x100 free relay which we previously held.

We entered 50 swimmers in the meet.

Over 20 swimmers had best times or established their first swim time ever!