2013: Week 53

2013: Week 53, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Looking ahead to 2014.

Taken after our New Year's Eve dinner at Hawksmoor, continuing a fine family tradition of having a steak dinner on the last day of the year. Happy new year.

2013: Week 52

2013: Week 52, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Christmas morning in the Christmas onesies. Perfect.

2013: Week 51

2013: Week 51, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Christmastime is BUSY -- to say the least. This fact is best represented by this picture, showing our son topping out the Christmas tree a full week after we first put it up and decorated it. At least we remembered to do it.

This picture also marks the occasion that this is the first year he was too big to go on his dad's shoulders to put on the star. He used a small stool instead. Time marches on, indeed.

2013: Week 50

2013: Week 50, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The fog rolled into London this Wednesday. During my morning run through Greenwich Park, it was unbelievable. I couldn't see anything. Even though I couldn't see anything, that didn't mean that I didn't stop to take pictures-- again and again and again.

I captured this group of runners on the field between the Queen's House and the Royal Observatory (where the stadium was for the equestrian events during the 2012 Summer Olympics). Amazing, you can't see the Queen's House, even though it is just to the right of the runners.

No filter was harmed in the creation of this photo.

2013: Week 49

2013: Week 49, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Here in Greenwich, we have an annual Advent Window tradition whereby different houses decorate a window-- or in this case, windows-- on each day of December leading up to Christmas. The theme this year is "Heaven & Earth" and this window is called "Heaven & Earth on the Greenwich Meridian."

2013: Week 48

2013: Week 48, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

In a week full of photo opportunities--- Thanksgiving celebrations, seeing old friends, admiring the London Christmas decorations, I went with the most simple one: a single candle I held during Advent Services on the first day of Advent.

2013: Week 47

2013: Week 47, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Happy Holidays!

With one month until Christmas Eve, let the hoopla begin. Spotted on a very posh store in South Kensington, London.

#ilovelondon #ilovechristmas

2013: Week 46

2013: Week 46, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

On a very grey and rainy day in London, I spotted this: a lonely chicken taking a call next to the Thames. No, I have no idea why he's there. No, I don't know who he's talking to. (His agent? He might be saying something like, "You need to get me a better gig than this.") But whatever his reason for being there, his presence cheered me up immensely.

#ilovelondon #nofilter

2013: Week 45

2013: Week 45, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

I captured this photo near the end of an epic walk on my birthday eve.

We had a most excellent dim sum brunch at Royal China at Westferry in Canary Wharf and decided to walk back home because it was a beautiful sunny day. We tried our best to stay on the Thames Path on the way back. But several times we found that some money grubbing, heartless developers closed off their sections of the Thames Path and we had to do some zig zagging back and forth from the Thames to Westferry Road. This was one of the zig zags.

But it was a fantastic day just the same-- tasty brunch, sunshine, fun walk and (most importantly for this picture) great light.

2013: Week 44

2013: Week 44, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

I was spoiled for choice to pick just one picture to capture Week 44 of 2013. We went to the Shard at sunset (Ooh!). It was Halloween (Boo!). We kicked the autumnal leaves in the park (Ouch!).

In the end, I went for a snap of the Blackheath Fireworks. It's a huge part of our autumnal calendar, and we go every year (except for last year, when I mistakenly booked tickets for us to see the opera that night instead. I won't be making that mistake again.) They estimate that more than 100,000 people gather on the heath to watch them. It is insane, but one of the many reasons why I love living in London.

2013: Week 43

2013: Week 43, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

On our way back from ComicCon, which probably deserves a picture itself, we passed this amazing sculpture in Canning Town. It was completely unexpected and lovely. From this angle, it looks to me like the Iron Giant is picking a leaf off the tree.

This beautiful surprise is one of the many reasons why I Love London.

2013: Week 42

2013: Week 42, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Autumn is rolling in, and with it, the autumn colours.

When I saw this shadow in the back garden, it looked to me like the Bat Sign-- calling Batman to Gotham CIty to restore law and order and do other Batman-like things.

2013: Week 41

2013: Week 41, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Falling Rain + Falling Leaves = Our Sunday Morning.

I took this picture for Instragram's weekend hashtag project, "Signs of the Season." I took it in the pouring rain, which wasn't at all pleasant, but I thought it was perfect for the project, as the directional sign seems to be pointing at the fallen leaves saying, "Look! Autumn is right here!"

2013: Week 40

2013: Week 40, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This year, we had a bumper crop of apples. It was the most we've ever had off of our small tree-- about 30. The conditions must have been very favourable this year, with our wet spring and very hot summer. Last year, we didn't get any apples off our tree, so it was quite a result.

In Week 40, we had our apple harvest. In the midst of harvesting, we found this little friend on one of the apples.

2013: Week 39

2013: Week 39, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Week 39 of 2013 was a monumental week in our family. Actually, the week wasn't so monumental, but the Sunday of Week 39 was. It marked the day that our son turned 14 AND the day that our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers played at Wembley Stadium.

It was a fantastic day. We had cake for breakfast, as is the tradition. The sun shone. The tailgating at Wembley was epic. The pre-game show featured Tinie Tempah. We enjoyed some American fireworks to go with the American over-the-top festivities.

The funniest moment of the day was when the lovely gentleman from Devon seated next to me turned to me and asked, "So, is this your first American football game?" To be fair, he hadn't heard me talk yet, so maybe my American accent would have negated the need to ask that question. I only laughed and said, "Well, I've seen A LOT of American football games. I have no idea how many." (This is just a ballpark figure, but maybe 11,631?)

We also learned the answer to the question that had always troubled us: Could Gene Simmons, he of outrageous makeup of "Kiss" sing the national anthem without his usual getup? Alas, he can. Who knew?

Alas, the Steelers did not win. But it was an amazing day just the same.

2013: Week 38

2013: Week 38, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The party is over, but what a brilliant party.

2013: Week 37

2013: Week 37, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This is the only picture I took all week. The reason for the paucity of output is simple: I thought I would be spending Sunday at the Goodwood Revival, where they would be photo ops aplenty.

Alas, I spent Sunday at home with my sick teenager. Motherhood is so glamourous sometimes.

On the plus side, I finally installed the new version of the vsco app for my iPhone. This is the first picture I took with it, and I know I'm in love already. So at least something good happened to redeem my day.

2013: Week 36

2013: Week 36, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Sunset as the Summer Party.

The party was as amazing as this sunset.

2013: Week 35

2013: Week 35, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Or, in this case, when your son and his best friend want to raise money for their favourite charities, make lemonade. Which is exactly what we did.

I think I got RSI from squeezing several dozen lemons, but it was delicious. The boys also managed to raise £103 on the day, so it was well worth the effort.

2013: Week 34

2013: Week 34, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The drive from Provence to London is pretty lengthy, so we decided to break it up by stopping in Reims on the way.

Reims is the capital of the champagne region, so we were disappointed to not be given a bottle of complementary champagne on our arrival in the city. Oh well.

Reims is also known for its amazing cathedral. We have been to our fair share of extraordinary churches in our time, but this one was by far the most awe inspiring of them all.

Extraordinary.

2013: Week 33

2013: Week 33, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

On our last night in Provence, my son and I went out with our cameras, lenses, phones and other photo gear to capture the sunset over the vineyards.

It was epic.

We got great photos, sure, but it was epic because of the fun we had together. It was a perfect ending for a perfect trip.

2013: Week 32

2013: Week 32, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This was the view outside our living room room of the house we rented in Week 32 in Semur-en-Auxois in Burgundy, France.

It made for an interesting week, as the ducks would glide by in the morning and evening and we had the ever-present sound of water rushing down the waterfall (we got used to it eventually). The sight also reminded me of a waterfall from my childhood that was just down the street from our house, which was nice.

But after surviving a hail storm and a small flood in the house here (that's another story for another time), I'm glad we were only visiting, not living there permanently.

2013: Week 31

2013: Week 31, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

We all set off in Week 31 to take part in RideLondon, a completely manic ride with thousands of other cyclists through central London. As you can see from the above, we passed by the most famous London landmark of all, but we rode past plenty of others, too, including Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's, the Tower of London.

RideLondon is the successor to the Sky Ride, which we also did. Central London is closed to automobile traffic, but it is still completely mad because so many people take part. But there is definitely a special thrill having the roads taken over by cyclists and gliding past all the places that make London London.

We managed two loops-- 16 miles-- before the crowds got to be too much and we headed home. It definitely was something special though.

2013: Week 30

2013: Week 30, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

See? Romance isn't dead.

This was the theme of the wedding we went to in Week 30. You've got to love a couple with a wry sense of humour.

2013: Week 29

2013: Week 29, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

My feet on the Olympic track, London, after running 5 miles in the Anniversary Run. This was definitely a highlight for week 29, if not for all of 2013. Amazing.

Hashtags: #FromWhereIStand #Epic #ALifetimeOfRunningCameInHandyAfterNoTraining

2013: Week 28

2013: Week 28, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Wandering around the garden of Charles Darwin's house down in Downe.

2013: Week 27

2013: Week 27, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

A day of miracles: Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, getting nine people to church on time, a beautiful sunny summer day (after a very soggy spring), and a ray of sunlight streaming through the church windows to shine on (only) me during Thing One's confirmation.

2013: Week 26

2013: Week 26, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

As the Steve Miller Band once sang, "Time keeps on slippin' slippin' slippin' into the future."

This week I was reminded more than once how quickly time flies. Our 13-year-old is heading off for a week with his class for a trip to France, while our 10-year-old moved up to the highest swimming level after taking lessons non-stop since he was 18 months old. It seems only yesterday that both of them were toddlers with a headful of curls running around whenever possible.

They'll be leaving for university before I know it if I'm not mindful of the time we've got together.

2013: Week 25

2013: Week 25, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

I had a really hard time choosing this week's picture: it was down to either this one or the red balloons floating to the sky for Walk for Tom.

Walk for Tom was a charity walk around the grounds of Charlton Athletic to raise money for Charlton Park Riding for the Disabled. It honoured the memory of Tom Warren, who had cerebral palsy, and loved riding at the RDA. (To see that picture, see it here: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/mastapleton/9118297022/])

In the end, I went with this one. "Brain Collector" was one of the dozens of art happenings this weekend as part of the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival. Brain Collector was absolutely mad-- in a good way. I have no idea if it collected our brains after we visited, but it sure was interesting.

2013: Week 24

2013: Week 24, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The moon shines on Bruce Springsteen at Wembley during his EPIC concert during Week 24.

It was amazing. Bruce was epically good, as always. But it was also amazing because we took our 10-year-old and 13-year-old sons with us. They now know why The Boss is The Boss. It's almost as if our parenting job is complete. Ha!

I was also able to capture the moon rising over the Wembley. It's not often that you look up at the sky during a monstrous rock concert, but there you go. That's me for you.

2013: Week 23

2013: Week 23, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

X marks the spot on this delightfully sunny day.

Week 23 was a week of glorious sunshine. I found myself eating lunch and working in the garden every day, because I was so desperate to soak up the sunshine and Vitamin D. I even managed to get sunburned on two days. It all made a nice change from the endless gray skies we seem to have had so far in 2013.

2013: Week 22

2013: Week 22, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The Cutting Edge, in one way or another.

I literally stumbled across this street art on my way back from eating pizza on a retired double-decker bus. Only in London.

2013: Week 21

2013: Week 21, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Drinking in the experience that is ComicCon London.

A formula for you:
CosPlay* + Marvel Avengers + XBox Game Preview = ComicCon Nirvana.

*For the non-hipsters among you, it means "Costume Play". I had to ask the 13 year old what it meant.

2013: Week 20

2013: Week 20, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

When I was a little girl, I absolutely loved the movie "The Red Balloon." (One of the Simpsons writers did too, because it featured on the episode when Bart became an exchange student in France.)

This Red Balloon found its way to our ceiling during Thing Two's 10th birthday celebrations. It, along with a dozen other balloons, found their way there while Thing One showed us all how static electricity worked. Every morning after they had fallen down in the night, Thing One would dutifully put the balloons back on the ceiling for us.

2013: Week 19

2013: Week 19, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

High concentration, strategy and creativity were all in order as the boys tried to create the fastest drag racers at Legoland during Thing Two's 10th birthday party there.

2013: Week 18

2013: Week 18, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

In Week 18, I found that it was peak cherry blossom season in Greenwich Park during one of my morning runs.

The funny thing is, this is our 14th spring in Greenwich, but this is the first time I actually got around to taking a picture of the beautiful cherry blossom lane near the top.

No filter was harmed in the making of this picture.

2013: Week 17

2013: Week 17, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Sun + Trees = Epic Tree Shadows.

Captured in Greenwich Park during my morning run. It was fantastic to get a string of sunny days. It's been too long since we've had reliable sun.

2013: Week 16

2013: Week 16, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The 2013 London Marathon had perfect conditions on Sunday: a clear blue sky, sunny and lowish temperatures.

Every year we go to Deptford Creek bridge and cheer on the runners. I spied this patriotic fellow as we were walking back home. Unfortunately, my son lost interest before we got to see any interesting fancy dress runners, but we did manage to see Mo Farah, which was its own sort of awesome.

Inevitably, the cheering exercise also reminds me of the year that I ran the marathon myself, in 2005. It was easily in the Top 5 of the best days of my life. Although I won't be able to do a marathon ever again, it still brings a smile to my face and a tear to my eye when I think about that day.

2013: Week 15

2013: Week 15, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Every year at the height of the daffodil season, we take our sons down the street to the Queen's House in Greenwich to take their picture in front of the daffodils.

Although we can't see how tall they're getting from year to year, since they sit down in the picture, it's still a great way to chart their growth and mark the years.

This year was the latest we've ever taken the picture, which is probably down to the cold winter and spring we've had. But usually we take the snap in mid- to late-March. This year, it was mid-April, and we could have waited even longer as the daffs are still emerging.

2013: Week 14

2013: Week 14, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Barbed wire still remaining from the D-Day landings at Utah Beach in Normandy, France.

2013: Week 13

2013: Week 13, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Otherwise known as the Easter Morning Massacre. What was left of one of the chocolate bunny. Not pictured: the other chocolate bunny, in a similar state.

2013: Week 12

2013: Week 12, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This is the week it officially became spring. This is also the week it snowed in London (and in lots of other places around the U.K.). So if I were to make a mathematical formula, it would look something like this:
(First day of Spring) + 2Snowstorms / (Interminable Grey Skies) = Most Rubbish Spring EVER.

Yes, Rubbish Spring. That's what it's been.

On Saturday, the third day of spring, we woke up to snow. Now if I were still in Chicago, this would not be newsworthy. But here it is. We're all fed up with it. Please, if the sunny skies and the warmer temperatures could get here ASAP, we would very much appreciate it.

Thing No. 1 made this snowball while we were out and about on Saturday afternoon. Not surprisingly, we spent most of the walk complaining about the weather.

2013: Week 11

2013: Week 11, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The granddaughter of an Irish immigrant to the States, St. Patricks Day was a BIG deal in our family when I was growing up. My grandfather even had a special sign that counted down the days until St. Pat's, starting with 364. (He couldn't help himself. His name was Patrick too.) The tradition continued at university, where I was surrounded by other Irish-Americans who liked to live it up on St. Pat's. When I say "live it up" what I really mean is, "start the party at 8 a.m."

I then went to graduate school in Chicago, a city that *literally* dyes the river green for St. Patrick's Day. When I first moved there, I thought it was a joke, because the Chicago River was pretty green for the rest of the year. But no. On St. Patrick's Day, they dye the river a bright green. Amazing.

St. Patrick's Day 2013 in London was a cold, grey and rainy day. But I was determined to celebrate. So I set myself the task to find green things in Greenwich, which I did. I might not have drunk any green beer, but I think my grandpa would have approved.

Red Nose Day 2013

Clark Kent/Superman eats his breakfast and gets ready for Red Nose Day 2013. #rednoseday #squareready, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Clark Kent/Superman eats his breakfast and gets ready for Red Nose Day 2013.

His school asked that they dress up as superheroes. As he has outgrown his old trusty Superman outfit (Sad Face), we had to improvise, but I think the improvisation is better than the original.

2013: Week 10

2013: Week 10, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

In Week 10 of 2013, I had a variety of events from which to choose my weekly image. This past week we had World Book Day, me trying (and failing) to see a taping of the Graham Norton Show at the BBC Television Centre, and finally, Mothering Sunday.

These pussy willows were given to me by my sons on Mothering Sunday. No fool me, I put in a specific request for them on Saturday to give them a steer on what I would like. Early on Sunday morning, the two boys went out to the flower lady down the street and got them for me. When I finally got up (Saturday had been a very late night), they were waiting for me on the dining room table, along with my cards, some chocolates, some hand-made gifts and the Sunday Observer.

Pussy willows are my absolute favourite flowers of March. My Gramps had a massive pussy willow bush, so every March when he came to visit, he would arrive with an armload of them to give to us. (Now at £3 for 3 stems, the armload was worth a fortune in today's market. But I digress.) So whenever I see them, I think of him: his kindness, his love of reading and his dry wit.

Happy Mothering Sunday everyone.

2013: Week 9

2013: Week 9, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The skies have been unrelentingly grey, but I spotted some crocuses that gave me hope that Spring will be here eventually.

I took this photo on 27 February, but for reasons unknown to me, that's not the time stamp assigned by Flickr.

2013: Week 8

2013: Week 8, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Week 8 of 2013 happened to be half-term week, which we spent in North Devon.

There is no way I can say the next statement without sounding like a twat, but honest, I'm not. We rented a castle to stay in for the week. The central heating might have been a bit dicey, but I did manage to get some good photos. This one was my favourite of the lot.

2013: Week 7

2013: Week 7, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This was a week with loads of photo opportunities: Pancake Day (check). Valentine's Day (check). Arrival of my parents from the U.S. (check).

But I went with this one, because it's my favourite of the week. My son and I were waiting for the bus after his weekly swim lesson, and I saw that the rain and the car lights looked really cool through the glass panel of the bus shelter. I didn't know if the picture would come out, but it did, and I love it.

I didn't even put it through a filter or do any PhotoShop shenanigans. This is just how it came out.

As they say, the best camera is the camera you have with you. Thanks iPhone.

2013: Week 6

2013: Week 6, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Guerrilla Knitters brighten up the Thames Path in Greenwich. It never fails to make me smile.

For years, the Thames Path in Greenwich, between the Cutty Sark and the Dome, was a hard-core industrial area. Bit by bit in the last seven years, the businesses have moved and plans to redevelop the area into a residential area have moved ahead. At the moment, it is in between the two phases, making it a bit desolate.

Greenwich Guerrilla Knitters, our local guerrilla knitters group (doesn't every town have one?), have done their bit to brighten up the path in the last few months. I think it looks gorgeous, and it definitely brightens my day as I run down the path. During Christmas, they even mounted an advent calendar and Christmas stockings with a fireplace, which really was something else.

I picked this photo for Week 6 because I took this photos during my run on Friday morning. It was one of those legendary runs when you don't feel like going out at all, then you convince yourself to go a little farther and a little farther. Before I knew it, my plan to do a quick two-mile run had evolved into a five mile run. It was a glorious morning and the sun was shining. I'm also glad I took along my phone. I never do, but maybe I will start to make it a habit.

2013: Week 5

2013: Week 5, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

EAST London, as quickly captured from the DLR.

In actual fact, I was surprised I got the picture at all. On the way into the Stratford DLR station, I saw this mural and figured it would make a great picture. But eager to get on with the task at hand (buying son a new pair of shoes at Westfield Stratford), we hurried past it when we arrived.

Of course, sod's law meant that when we got back there to get our train home, the doors were about to shut and I couldn't stop to take the picture, as neither one of us had the required energy to wait 10 minutes for the next train. So as soon as we dropped our bags, I ran to the door and snapped several pictures as the train pulled out of the station.

Sure, the EAST isn't as much in focus as I would like. But I love how the tracks are out of focus, which is down purely to the fact that we were on our way.