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.

2012: Week 4

2012: Week 4, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

In a week when London was blanketed with snow-- thus exponentially increasing the photo opportunities-- I went with this one instead. While the snow was beautiful, I thought this photo would be what I would want to remember for the week. It was, after all, my younger son's first protest march. May it be the first of many.

Lewisham Hospital, our local hospital, is facing the dismantling of its services due to the failure of a neighbouring (not even its own) health service. The plans, which are currently under review by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, would involve the closure of Lewisham's A & E departments and a reorganisation of its maternity ward, as well as the reorganisation of many other departments.

On a beautiful Saturday morning, my son, my friend, her son and another friend took part in the march, along with about 25,000 other people. I don't know if it will change Jeremy Hunt's mind (the cynic in me says no) but I feel better having made my outrage known in a very public way.

2013: Week 3

2013: Week 3, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Have you heard? It snowed in London (and elsewhere) this weekend. (Sarcasm hard to transmit electronically.)

In any case, we hit the slopes of Greenwich Park early on Saturday morning. Later, the hill in the background was heaving with sledders of all shapes and sizes. We like to get there early in the day when we have the place nearly to ourselves.

I took this picture on Saturday morning, and snow continued throughout that day and again on Sunday. London truly became a winter wonderland. But the sun is out now on Monday, so it won't last.

2013: Week 2

2013: Week 2, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Just in time for the winter snowstorm, we went off to Canary Wharf in week 2 for its annual Ice Sculpting Festival. There were some amazing ice sculptures, including a King Kong on a Big Ben, which we thought was quite inspired.

My son and I also had a go at doing our own ice sculpting. It was-- no big surprise here-- very difficult to do. Luckily, all of the hard work on our polar bear had already been done. We only had to do some minor work on it. Too bad it was so ephemeral, but at least I got to take a picture of it.

2013: Week 1

2013: Week 1, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

We're lucky enough to live in Greenwich. Home of the Meridian Line, the one of the locations of the Les Mis movie and the Thames. When the tide is low, we like to go out and see what treasures we can find on the foreshore. Luckily, we've done it a few times with people who know what they're doing, so sometimes we think we know what we're looking at.

This may or may not (we think may) be a roof tile from Henry VIII's Palace of Palcentia (or Pleasure Palace). When they demolished it, they threw all of the rubbish and rubble into the River Thames. As it was so huge, you can still find roof tiles pretty easily. The hole in the top is where they attached it to the roof.

I could be completely wrong, but that's what I like to think we found on our Sunday walk in Week 1 of 2013. My husband (pictured) was the one who scored it for me. Thanks.

End of the 2012 52 Weeks Project with Video

This is the Guardian video of its 52 Weeks Photo project. Watch it!

Regular readers of this blog will know that I participated in the Guardian's 52 Weeks Photo project this year. I loved it. It was a great and easy way to record 2012.

I'm chuffed to say that three of my photos were included in the video roundup.
• The boys walking in Blackheath under some Olympic bunting from Week 27 appears at 1:25. Click on this sentence to see the original post here.
• A bike messenger carrying his bike over his head amid the crowds watching the Olympic victory parade from Week 37 appears at 1:34. Click on this sentence to see the original post here.
• My 12.12.12 picture of Big Ben from the train from Week 50 appears at 2:11.  Click on this sentence to see the original post here.

Enjoy.

2012: Week 52

2012: Week 52, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Date: Christmas morning
Time: Just after finishing opening all the presents
Place: Next to the Christmas Tree and in front of the TV
Watching What: The 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony on DVD
Why: Because he got it as a present

For my final picture of 2012, I could have chosen the classy nighttime shot of the Greenwich Christmas lights in front of St. Alfege's, which we saw on 27 December when we walked the Advent Windows with our friends. Very classy. But no. I went with this one because I love it.

Yes, that's Christmas wrapping paper on the floor that really should have been thrown away. Yes, there are new presents strewn about, seemingly forgotten about just minutes after opening them.

I love this picture because here is Thing Two cuddling his Christmas present from Thing One while watching (again) the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics. Thing One found the present at Hamleys in September and knew then that he wanted to get it for Thing Two for his Christmas present. I told him we should wait, because he might find something that would be better by December. But December rolled around, and he still wanted to get it. We dutifully went to Hamleys, but alas, the Tiger head puppet he wanted to get was no longer available. But I did some Internet sluething and found the manufacturer and ordered direct. Did Thing Two love his present? Did he ever. He's named him Caesar. Nothing like a brother to know the perfect present for his brother.

I also love this picture because of what we're watching: The Olympics. We loved every minute of it. August truly was the best of times and the worst of times for our family. But the Olympics were an experience of a lifetime.

And thus ends my 2012 52 weeks experiment. I'm thrilled I kept it up and was able to complete it. My 2012 photo time capsule is really something I will treasure.

2012: Week 51

2012: Week 51, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

For the penultimate week of 2012, I went with a Christmas picture of my whirlygig (I'm sure that's the technical name), next to the Christmas cake that our son won at his school's Christmas Fair.

For many years we've hoped to win the gingerbread house or Christmas cake at the Christmas fair, but walked away empty handed. But not this year. My No. 1 Kitchen assistant had to guess how much the cake weighed and he nearly got it bang on (it was 2.44 kilos, he said it was 2.5). Well done to him.

The funny thing about the cake is that we were sure it was a fruit cake. It looked beautiful, to be sure, but we thought the shape of the cake meant we were destined to be awarded something we didn't like. For one week, the cake then sat on the sideboard to be admired, but not eaten.

Finally, on 22 December, we decided to have a Cake Reveal Ceremony. We lit the whirlygig. We put Christmas carols on the CD. We all held our breath as I cut it. We were all thrilled to discover that it wasn't fruit cake at all, but delicious chocolate. Yum.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Greenwich Advent Windows 2012

Every year, Greenwich hosts an Advent Window project for Christmas. Homes and businesses adopt dates and become an "Advent Window" for that date.

This is one of the houses that is participating this year.

2012: Week 50

2012: Week 50, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

12.12.12 at 12:12 (EST)

For the 50th Week of 2012, I decided to go with the 12.12.12 at 12:12 shot. Those of you with an acute knowledge of times of days will notice that I say it was taken at 12:12, which here in London would mean the middle of the day, not nighttime. As it happens, i was sitting at my computer at 12:12 GMT, so I went with the 12:12 EST time instead, when I happened to be on a train that was passing Big Ben. I think it's a far better shot than a screen shot, which is what a lot of people were posting for 12.12.12 at 12:12. Can I just say: Yawn.

Maddingly, the time stamp above says that it was taken on 13.12.12. Let me assure that isn't the case. It got that time stamp because that's when I went to the Over App to add the above text for clarification. Believe me at 17:11 (GMT) or 12:11 (EST), my nine-year-old and I were staring at the screen, waiting for the change to 12.12.12.

After 12 years of repetitive dates, that's it. The party is over. I'm glad I was able to go out with a bang, even if I had to fiddle with time zones in order to do it. Surely it still counts though, right?

2012: Week 49

2012: Week 49, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Every year for Christmas in Greenwich, where we live, they have an annual "Advent Windows" project. It is yet another way to celebrate the festive season.

Twenty-four houses and businesses create windows that are unveiled every day through Advent. Some families (including ours) now include "walking the windows" as part of their Christmas traditions.

For this house, they not only decorated their windows with doves of peace, but hung some doves of peace in their trees too. Beautiful (if I do say so myself).

For more information about the project or to get a map if you'd like to walk the windows yourself, go to www.adventwindows.com.

2012: Week 48

2012: Week 48, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

If there's anything we can can say about Week 48, it is that the Christmas season has well and truly begun. Advent calendars were started, the wreaths were hung on front doors and the decorations in the West End were admired (pictured here).

This beautiful light display is near Seven Dials in Covent Garden. The beautiful full moon, which cooperated by being in the frame, was an extra bonus.

2012: Week 47

2012: Week 47, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

My life philosophy, on a plate. The fact that the plate is holding my favourite pie of salted caramel apple pie is a bonus.

Apologies for the shaky focusing, but it was taken at the end of our Thanksgiving feast, which we celebrated on Saturday. We don't do it on Thursday since everyone has to work. Though our Thanksgiving feast was more low-key this year than in past years, we still managed to drink 1.5 bottles of wine per adult.

We love Thanksgiving. All you have to do is get together the people you love and then eat, drink and give thanks all day. Perfection.

2012: Week 46

2012: Week 46, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

We've started a new family tradition, which involves a walk through Greenwich Park every Sunday morning. As it's a new tradition, I don't know if it'll stick, but I hope so.

This past Sunday was an absolutely glorious morning: Perfect blue sky, bright sunshine, glorious autumnal colour. It was so nice that our 13-year-old was bummed that he didn't get to go on the walk too.

I was glad to capture the beautiful colours still in the park, because I don't know how long they'll last and it's been an epic autumn.

2012: Week 45

2012: Week 45, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

A photo of the Missing Man Formation that flew over Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. for my brother, Col. Michael Stapleton on 9 November 2012. This formation is quite special because it features the two jets that my brother flew during his life: the F-15 and the F-22. As one of his fellow pilots said afterward, "It took a lot of paperwork to do that." I bet.

I think this photo also is a good example of what the 52 weeks project is all about. While I would love for every week to be happy-- with Olympic celebrations and bunting and sunshine and cake-- it's just a fact of life that that's impossible. So Week 45 was sad week for me, as it was for many others who loved my brother.

Please note: For reasons completely unfathomable to me, it says this photo was taken on 19 November, which is when I uploaded it to Flickr. I couldn't change it, but rest assured, it was taken on 9 November.

2012: Week 44

2012: Week 44, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

It looks as though the clouds are going to invade London. Or the Dementors are on their way.

I took this shot on Friday, on our way to taking our son to his very first James Bond cinema experience. I may have also had Harry Potter on the brain, given that we'd been on the Studios Tour last week and have been watching the films incessantly ever since, and this looked like some sort of Dementor cloud.

As it was Halloween week, I thought for sure that I would pick a Halloween picture. But I didn't like any of them as nearly as much as I liked this one, as it reminds me very much of Magritte's "The Dominion of Light", where it is night in the lower half of the picture and day in the top half of the picture.

2012: Week 43

2012: Week 43, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This week in London started off very foggy. So foggy that the fog didn't lift FOR DAYS. When even the London locals are talking about the fog, you know it's something.

But that didn't deter my 13-year-old and I as we embarked on climbing over The Dome (or the O2, if you want to be all Corporate Sponsorship about it). We couldn't even see Canary Wharf, just over the river. As you can see, we only got half the view. Alas, we did not get half-price tickets due to conditions.

It was awesome, though. We highly recommend the experience.

2012: Week 42

2012: Week 42, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

One of the things I've really enjoyed about the 52 weeks project is how I've been able to capture moments big and small during the course of the year.

We've been American expats living in London for nearly 14 years so I can't decide if voting in the US Presidential election is a big moment or a small one. But this shot dovetails nicely with my shot from week 18, when I voted for the London mayor in my first election as a British citizen. (See it here: www.flickr.com/photos/mastapleton/6992702796/)

I don't know which way the election is going to go, but we've done our part. Also, it's always nice to check in with the mothership and remind ourselves that we are American too.

2012: Week 41

2012: Week 41, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

We picked up my cool new purple glasses (colour hard to discern here) on a day with beautiful blue skies.

It definitely was time to replace the old pair. Bought in 2003, the frames were selected by the then 4-year-old (now 13) while the baby (now 9) slept in the buggy. They were purple too, so I'm seeing a pattern here.

2012: Week 40

2012: Week 40, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Photo trickery!

I really have loved the 52 Weeks project. Some weeks, like this one, I really struggle with picking my one photo to mark the week. This beat out two other pictures for Week 40. I captured this snap while taking a photography course with my son, who got a new camera for his 13th birthday. We both loved it.

This picture is also Exhibit A as to why you should never delete photos while out and about. I completely missed how this looked while I was taking it-- at the time, I felt I had missed the shot I really wanted. But I looked again at home on the view finder and actually turned the camera upside down because I thought I had taken it the wrong way around. Now, after downloading, I also noticed the arrow sign that seems to be pointing at the reflection and saying, "Hey! Look at this!"

Only 12 more weeks to go!

2012: Week 39

2012: Week 39, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

One of our greatest family traditions is having cake for breakfast on our birthdays. So we did again on Saturday. And it was good.

2012: Week 38

2012: Week 38, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

My 9-year-old son picked the photo for Week 38, as it was the highlight of the week. My uncle and cousin were visiting from the States, so we took them around The Big Smoke to see the sights. As it happens, my son had a random inset day so he was able to tag along too. After a very full day of sightseeing, a river cruise and a trip around the London Eye, he said what he *really* wanted to do was go on the Starflyer.

The Starflyer, for those who don't know, is a swing ride on steroids. It reaches half the height of the London Eye and then you swing around. It's a miracle that (a) I got a photo that was in focus (b) I managed to capture Big Ben and (c) I didn't drop my camera. This is when a point and shoot really shows its muscle.

In any case, we survived. I found that the important thing was to Not Look Down. Ever. The 9-year-old? He loved it. And he thinks he found the most fun way to conquer his fear of heights. It's not how I would do it, but hey, whatever works.

2012: Week 37

2012: Week 37, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The 2012 Olympics are well and truly over, but it was blast while it lasted. On Monday in week 37, the Olympians and Paralympians had their victory parade through the streets of London. They estimated about 1 million people lined the streets to cheer them on.

Where I stood, at the corner of Canon Street and Queen Victoria Street, in front of the Mansion House tube station, it felt like every office worker in the area had taken their lunch break and decided to go. I could not believe the crowd. You can just see the athletes behind the Tube sign. When I got home, my family asked me, "Who did you see?" I replied, "I have no idea."

Spare a thought for the poor teachers I saw who took their classes to the parade. I can't imagine the stress of keeping them together in such a crowd.

But even worse, this poor guy had to retrieve his bike and then carry it above his head through the masses watching the parade. I submit that this is its own Olympic effort and deserves a gold medal all its own.

HOORAY! This photo got picked by The Guardian in its weekly roundup of photos for the week. You can see the others that they picked by clicking through this hyperlink sentence (now that is a sentence with SKILLZ.)

2012: Week 36

2012: Week 36, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Sunset over the Thames, HMS Ocean & London. #nofilter #ilovelondon

The HMS Ocean has been with us in Greenwich all summer, as part of the security forces that were staffing the Olympics and Paralympics. I've gotten so used to it being there that I don't even notice it any more. But it's leaving this week, and we will miss it.

Also, i would like to say that I was able to capture both the sun and the moon in the same frame, but alas, I checked the moon cycle and that dot appears to be just a spot on my camera. Sigh.

I chose this for my picture of the week because in a week of such epic sunsets, I was glad I captured this one. I love a sunset picture, but so did my grandpa. He took one in the same spot on the same beach in Florida for years (he had multiple photo albums filled with sunset pictures), so I know that somewhere he is smiling.