Infographic: Every Kid Needs a Family

Every Kid Needs a Family    Kids do best with the support of a loving family. As our child welfare system develops strategies to help our most vulnerable children, it has a number of opportunities to provide kids with supportive families.  One is to help families that are living in precarious circumstances by providing the supports they need to care for their children in a safe and stable environment.  When a child does need to be removed from her immediate family, she can be placed with a grandparent or other member of the extended family (called kinship care). Finally, the state can seek to recruit more foster parents who can provide good homes to children who would otherwise have to live in group homes or other institutional settings. Every Kid Needs a Family: Giving Children in the Child Welfare System the Best Chance for Success, released today by the national partner of MassBudget's KIDS COUNT project, explores strategies for providing more children in the foster care system with the opportunity to grow up in a family.  The progress on these issues in Massachusetts, and the continuing challenges, are described in MassBudget's recent report Family Ties: Exploring Massachusetts's use of Kinship Foster Care for Children in the Child Welfare System and a related report by KIDS COUNT Advisory Council member the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute: The Ties That Bind: Strengthening, and Reducing Racial Disparities in, Kinship Foster Care in Massachusetts. The infographic below shows that Massachusetts is below the national average in giving children who are in the child welfare system the opportunity to live with members of their extended family.  This contributes to more kids leaving the system (aging-out) without the support of a permanent family. And unfortunately, when kids age-out without this support they are less likely to finish high school and more likely to end up homeless or even in jail.   The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

New Hope 5K and Family Fun Walk - Jun 6

Event Information:

The New Hope 5K and Family Fun Walk is a community celebration of healthy lifestyles, healthy relationships and healthy communities.

When: 

Saturday, June 6^th, 2015

Where: 

Remington/Jefferson School – 628 Washington Street Franklin, MA 02038

Time:

• 7:45 am Registration opens 
• 9:00 am 5K Race Starts 
• 9:00 am Family Health Fair 
• 9:30 am Family Fun Walk Starts 
• 10:30 am Awards

new hope 5K and family fun walk

Website:

www.new-hope.org

Registration:

http://www.active.com/franklin-ma/running/distance-running-races/new-hope-5k-and-family-fun-walk-2015

New Hope 5K & Family Fun Walk - June 6

Event Information:

The New Hope 5K and Family Fun Walk is a community celebration of healthy lifestyles, healthy relationships and healthy communities.

When: 

Saturday, June 6^th, 2015

Where: 

Remington/Jefferson School – 628 Washington Street Franklin, MA 02038

Time:

• 7:45 am Registration opens 
• 9:00 am 5K Race Starts 
• 9:00 am Family Health Fair 
• 9:30 am Family Fun Walk Starts 
• 10:30 am Awards

new hope 5K and family fun walk

Website:

www.new-hope.org

Registration:

http://www.active.com/franklin-ma/running/distance-running-races/new-hope-5k-and-family-fun-walk-2015

"story prompts to help trigger memories"

Another app that can be used to capture your family history can be found at Legacy Stories. Thanks to Marjorie Turner Hollman for sharing this.

LegacyStories.org is a free living history library that provides life story learning, recording, archiving and sharing to families, professionals and groups.

Our intuitive technology offers a variety of options to compose and record legacy stories including multi-media story pages, oral history slideshows and the ability to record powerful Pict-Oral Memories with our Apple and Android mobile app.

Our members can also link stories to over five billion ancestor records in the official family tree of humankind. We'll show you how to discover your highest priority "legacy stories" and tell them in ways that will fascinate loved ones generations to come.

screen grab of Legacy Stories webpage

The recent post on StoryCorps
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/04/capture-that-family-history.html

Capture that family history

I was fortunate to capture some of my father's story and record it for the extended family to listen to. I did not get to hear all the stories before he passed away but we do have a good archive of the stories in his voice to listen to when we want.

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover, the holiday weekend should bring families together. To help foster a good conversation between the generations and to capture the history that the elder generations still remember is made easier with the new StoryCorps app and smart phones.

Settle in, enjoy the 21 min video and download the app for your Apple or Android device and set up to record.





You can find out more about StoryCorps on their website  http://storycorps.org/


You can find more excellent videos on the TED site here  http://www.ted.com/


A sample of  my father's story can be found here. In this segment, he talks of his service in the Marines as part of the "Joint Assault Signal Company" made famous in the movie "The Whisperers"
http://jerrysherlockstory.blogspot.com/2007/09/jerry-story-joint-assault-signal.html

screen grab of StoryCorps.me webpage

Fairy/Fishing Portrait Fundraiser - Feb Vacation Week

From Jennifer Lynn Photography:

Looking for plans during Feb break with your little ones? I am hosting 2 fundraisers that week to support my 2015 Boston Marathon run for Dana Farber Cancer Institute in memory of my stepdad Bob Bossa (from Franklin).

Fairy/Fishing Portrait Fundraiser

For additional information and to reserve a time slot:
https://www.facebook.com/events/791424417614797/?pnref=story

New MassBudget factsheet: Balancing Work and Family

BALANCING WORK AND FAMILY: The Economic Effects of Earned Paid Sick Time To build a life of economic security for themselves and their families, people need to be productive at work and meet their responsibilities to their families. "Balancing Work and Family: The Economic Effects of Earned Paid Sick Time" examines how providing paid sick time affects working people, their families, and the broader economy. Most children now live in families where all parents work. The share of children with a nonworking parent declined from 64 percent in 1967 to 34 percent in 2009. Yet our employment policies often don't reflect the challenges faced by working parents. Earned paid sick time provides one useful support by allowing workers to earn paid time off to address a health issue or care for a family member in need. Most higher-paid employees already have this benefit. But one in three Massachusetts workers doesn't, including more than half of low wage workers.  Click HERE to read the factsheet. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108 The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Summer Sizzler Family Event - July 17 - 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Summer Sizzler Family event that will be held this Thursday evening, July 17th from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Bernon Branch of the Hockomock YMCA



Register at hockymca.org (Register for Programs button/keyword search ‘Sizzler’) or sign-up at Member Service Desk.

The Hall at Patriot Place Announces 31 Days of July Program Featuring Daily Activities & Family Fun

The Hall at Patriot Place announces 31 Days of July program featuring daily activities and family fun

Program includes autograph signings, a magic show, Patriots painting lessons, games and tournaments,
caricatures and more throughout the month of July inside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Already a great destination for family fun, The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is taking its interactive experience and activities to another level with its 31 Days of July program, beginning on Tuesday, July 1.

The program features daily activities such as autograph signings by Patriots alumni, a magic show, Patriots painting lessons, games, tournaments and sweepstakes and of course the exciting and interactive Patriots Hall of Fame and museum.

All events will take place inside The Hall and are included with admission. Tickets to The Hall are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children 5-12. Children four and younger are admitted for free. The program's schedule can be viewed below or online at www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.

On Thursday, July 31, Patriots 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Ty Law will be the featured guest for The Hall's popular Speaker Series. This is a special ticketed event. Tickets are $30 each and include access to The Hall before and after the event.

The Hall is the only sports and education experience of its kind. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts, The Hall showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England, and promotes math and science education for thousands of schoolchildren each year.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehallatpatriotplace.com, visit "The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon" on Facebook or follow @TheHall on Twitter.

31 Days of July Schedule of Events

Tuesday, July 1: Scavenger Hunt – Find out who can be first in your group to answer all the questions and find all the artifacts that are part of The Hall's impressive exhibit galleries.

Wednesday, July 2: Game Day – Are you any good at cornhole or finger football? Stop by for Game Day at The Hall and have some fun while you enjoy The Hall's interactive exhibits and tour the modern museum.

Thursday, July 3: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Friday, July 4: Show Your Patriotism for Discounted Admission – Celebrate America's birthday by wearing your Patriots gear to The Hall and receive a 30 percent discount off your adult admission (discount applies only to person wearing Patriots gear).

Saturday, July 5: Show Your Patriotism for Discounted Admission – Celebrate America's birthday by wearing your Patriots gear to The Hall and receive a 30 percent discount off your adult admission (discount applies only to person wearing Patriots gear).

Sunday, July 6: Show Your Patriotism for Discounted Admission – Celebrate America's birthday by wearing your Patriots gear to The Hall and receive a 30 percent discount off your adult admission (discount applies only to person wearing Patriots gear).

Monday, July 7: Win VIP Seats to Ty Law's Patriots Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Ty Law will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 1, in the NRG Plaza adjacent to The Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but The Hall is giving away seats inside the ropes where the Patriots alumni and VIPs sit. You will be sitting only a few rows behind Patriots Hall of Famers, VIPs and members of the Kraft family. Enter to win when you visit The Hall on Monday, July 7.

Tuesday, July 8: Trivia Day – Are you a Patriots trivia wizard? Come to The Hall and find out. This is a fun chance to win a great prize during your visit to The Hall's interactive exhibits. The Hall will supply the wizard hat for you to wear while staff asks you Patriots trivia questions. As long as you answer correctly, The Hall's staff will keep asking questions. When you answer incorrectly, the questions stop and the staff tallies the number of correct answers you gave. The person with the most correct answers will be The Hall's trivia wizard.

Wednesday, July 9: "Crazy Train" Lip Dub – The Hall is boarding the "Crazy Train" on Wednesday, July 9, and you are invited! Patriots fans know the team runs onto the Gillette Stadium field prior to each home game to Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and The Hall is giving fans an opportunity to be part of an exciting lip dub video featuring the song. The Hall will distribute lyrics to "Crazy Train" in the morning and plan the lip dub video with guests of The Hall. Then the cameras will start rolling as fans – both individually and in groups – will lip sync the lyrics to "Crazy Train" in a fun and energetic way. The Hall will post the video on its website and to its social media pages (Facebook, Twitter).

Thursday, July 10: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Friday, July 11: Beach Party – Visit the Grand Hall and receive a lei while dancing and playing limbo games to beach-themed music.

Saturday, July 12: Steve Nelson Autograph Signing – Stop by The Hall from 12:30 to 2 p.m. to meet, and get an autograph from, Patriots Hall of Fame linebacker Steve Nelson.

Sunday, July 13: Win Patriots Tickets to Preseason Game – Visit The Hall on July 13 and enter to win tickets to the New England Patriots' preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium.  

Monday, July 14: Meet the Curator – The Hall's curator, Chris Meiman, will greet guests at The Hall's Building Blocks exhibit. He will show Patriots artifacts from the 1960s and relate them to Patriots history. If you are a Patriots fan interested in the team's beginnings, this is the event for you to come ask questions and see artifacts dating back to the Patriots founding in 1959.

Tuesday, July 15: Combine Day: Test Your Skills – Find out how you stack up against NFL players by taking some of the athleticism tests used at the NFL Combine. The Hall will provide you with your own score sheet to track your results as well as average results from NFL players by position. You can test your time in the three-cone drill and the shuttle run.

The Hall's Paint the Patriots activity held over spring vacation (courtesy of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon)

Wednesday, July 16: Paint the Patriots – Paint the Patriots with The Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Artists Laura Zanghetti and Jerry Aissis will teach you how to paint the Patriots logo and you will leave The Hall with your own painting on canvas.

Thursday, July 17: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Friday, July 18: Face Painting – Get in the spirit of the 2014 Patriots season by getting your face painted in Patriots' red, white and blue – or almost anything you want - by artist Jennifer Rand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, July 19:  Gino Cappelletti Autograph Signing – Stop by The Hall from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to meet, and get an autograph from, Patriots Hall of Fame wide receiver and placekicker Gino Cappelletti.

Sunday, July 20: Win Patriots Tickets to Preseason Game – Visit The Hall on July 20 and enter to win tickets to the New England Patriots' preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.  

Monday, July 21: Joe Andruzzi Autograph Signing – Stop by The Hall from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to meet, and get an autograph from, former Patriots offensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Andruzzi.

Tuesday, July 22: Game Day – Are you any good at cornhole or finger football? Stop by for Game Day at The Hall and have some fun while you enjoy The Hall's interactive exhibits and tour the modern museum.

Wednesday, July 23: Free Hot Dog Day – Enjoy a free Kayem hot dog on National Hot Dog Day after you visit The Hall.

Thursday, July 24: Magic Show – Magician David Hall will be performing a 45-minute magic show in The Hall's Raytheon Theatre beginning at 1 p.m.

Thursday, July 24: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Friday, July 25: Tom Brady Jersey Giveaway – Stop by The Hall from July 25 to Aug. 17 and enter to win an authentic Patriots jersey signed by quarterback Tom Brady.

Saturday, July 26: Mascot Day – The Hall will have a few special guests for fans to hang out with, including Pat Patriot from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Other mascots, including Slyde, the official mascot of the New England Revolution, will be in attendance throughout the day.

Sunday, July 27: Combine Day: Test Your Skills – Find out how you stack up against NFL players by taking some of the athleticism tests used at the NFL Combine. The Hall will provide you with your own score sheet to track your results as well as average results from NFL players by position. You can test your time in the three-cone drill and the shuttle run.

Monday, July 28: 1960s Patriots film viewing – Fans can view The Hall's collection of Patriots game film from the 1960s in the Grand Hall. The films will be played on a projector.

Tuesday, July 29: Caricature Artist – Visit The Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and have a caricature of you created!

Wednesday, July 30: Scavenger Hunt – Find out who can be first in your group to answer all the questions and find all the artifacts that are part of The Hall's impressive exhibit galleries.

Thursday, July 31: Madden Video Game Tournament Finals – All winners from previous Madden tournaments at The Hall will square off for a great prize.

Thursday, July 31: Ty Law Speaker Series – Patriots 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Ty Law will be the featured guest at The Hall's popular Speaker Series. Tickets are $30 each and include access to The Hall before and after the event as well as one autograph from Law. For more information, visit http://www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.

About The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon

The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is the crown jewel of Patriot Place and the only sports and education experience of its kind. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts never before viewable by the public, The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England, and promotes math and science education for the thousands of schoolchildren expected to visit each year. For more information, please visit www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.

--www.TheHallatPatriotPlace.com—

Happy Easter

May you and your family enjoy this Easter Sunday.

MassBudget: New Reports from MassBudget and KIDS COUNT

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Shelter and Housing for Homeless Families: Historical Funding and the Governor's FY 2015 Budget Proposal  It is important to every family to have the basic security of a place to live. When children become homeless, their opportunity to succeed in school and in life is significantly reduced. Our new Budget Brief examines the Governor's funding proposals for affordable housing and shelter for families, and it puts those proposals in historical context. In the 1990s Massachusetts dramatically reduced funding for affordable housing for low-income households. Before 1993 the state paid for almost 20,000 rental vouchers to help families pay for housing. By 2013, the state was funding only 5,600 such vouchers. As funding for housing vouchers has been cut, spending on family shelters has risen considerably. In our current difficult economic times, growing numbers of families have been unable to afford market rate housing and this has led to increased state costs to provide shelter. Shelter and Housing for Homeless Families: Historical Funding and the Governor's FY 2015 Budget Proposal explains the Governor's proposals to increase funding for family shelters to allow families now living in hotels and motels to move into shelter. The Governor's budget also proposes level funding long-term housing programs, such as MRVP and state support for public housing. Funding shelters is an important way the state can make sure that families are not living in unhealthy and unsafe conditions -- and shelters provide important supports to help families get back on their feet that hotels and motels do not. But without adequate funding for long-term affordable housing -- or much more aggressive policies to help people escape poverty -- it will be difficult to find a lasting solution to the problem of family homelessness.  Read the Budget Brief. Race for Results: Building a Pathway to Opportunity for All Children The Annie E. Casey KIDS COUNT project this week released Race for Results: Building a Pathway to Opportunity for All Children. The report explores the intersection of kids, race, and opportunity. The report features the new Race for Results index, which compares how children are progressing on key milestones across racial and ethnic groups at the national and state level. Read the full report. MassBudget is the KIDS COUNT group for Massachusetts. You can learn more about our KIDS COUNT project here. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108

Jazz 4 Kidz Featuring Mark Poniatowski and Friends

Franklin Performing Arts Company’s annual, free Family Concert Series continues this season with “Jazz 4 Kidz Featuring Mark Poniatowski and Friends” on Sunday, March 2 and “Opera for Kids: Dr. Seuss’s Gertrude McFuzz and Green Eggs and Ham” on Sunday, March 23. An FPAC tradition for more than two decades, the Family Concert Series programs begin at 1 p.m. at 38 Main Street in Franklin.

Franklin Performing Arts Company

All Family Concert Series events are especially geared to children in length and presentation, and provide young audiences with a fun introduction to the world of live music. The performances expose audiences of all ages to music of many genres and feature talented, professional musicians in an entertaining and interactive format.

Jazz 4 Kidz presents this musical tradition in an up-close and engaging way that’s accessible and easy to understand. Audience participation is encouraged. The concert features bassist Mark Poniatowski of Berklee College of Music. Poniatowski has performed with Sid Caesar, Floyd Dixon, Janiva Magness, Rita Moreno, Bob Newhart and Junior Watson. His recordings include Mississippi Moan with the Bruce Katz Band and The George Carlin Show soundtrack.

Opera for Kids features performances of two classic Dr. Seuss stories. Set to music by Robert Kapilow, Green Eggs and Ham brings to life the beloved children’s tale with iconic character Sam-I-Am. A great companion piece to Green Eggs and Ham, Gertrude McFuzz introduces the memorable “girl-bird” who learns to like herself just as she is, with her one-feathered tail. Engaging audiences of all ages, each opera is about 20 minutes in length and in rhymed verse. The performance features two members of the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) voice faculty, Shauna Martin and Mariko Matsumura, along with two FSPA students, Lily Barney of Franklin as Sam and Sara Weissinger of Hopkinton as Lolla Lee Lou.

A member of the FSPA Music Faculty since 2006, Shauna Martin received her master’s degree in Opera from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Music degree from Brandon University. Her performances include a wide variety of operatic and musical theater roles in works by classical as well as contemporary composers. A native of Winnipeg, Canada, Martin is a founding member of the popular children's show Opera Night in Canada and has performed with Canada’s regional orchestras and on CBC Radio.

A native of Tokyo, Japan, Mariko Matsumura received her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance with high honors from the University of Montana and a master’s degree in Vocal Performance from Longy School of Music. Mariko's performance credits include Messiah, Aida, Hansel and Gretl, Der Rosenkavalier, The Magic Flute and numerous premiere performances throughout the Boston area. Mariko has been a member of the FSPA faculty since 2002.

FPAC’s 2014 Family Concert Series is sponsored by Berry Insurance and the Franklin Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. For more information, call (508) 528-8668 or visit www.fpaconline.com.

5 things for your Sunday reading

It is a slow summer news day here in Franklin but there is good stuff around the internet to read and share. For example:

1 - As parents we are learning to raise our children to be digital citizens. We can not turn to our parents to help in this space. In this article, I like this sentence:

"Bridging the gap isn’t an annual family meeting—it’s a conversation that is on-going until your children leave the nest."

You can read the full article here
http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/making-it-cool-to-be-a-good-digital-citizen


2 - For the college students:

"One of the biggest recent trends in entry-level recruiting is the rise of the internship. Summer internships have become a necessary element of a college student’s qualifications for a post-graduation job, and many employers are treating internships as a “three-month interview,” making full-time offers to high performing interns for the following year."

Read the full posting about how to make your summer internships work for you
http://blog.linkedin.com/2013/07/24/the-ultimate-linkedin-guide-for-interns/


3 - For the family:

"There is no better time than summer break to spend some quality time in the kitchen with your kids. With all the learning our children do when they are off at school a few things they are not being taught are some pretty important household duties like cooking, cleaning, and laundry - just to name a few."

You can read the full posting on 10 recipes to cook with your kids
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/07/26/real-food-tips-10-recipes-to-cook-with-your-kids/


4 - For those driving along Lincoln and Daniels St, if you don't already know about the road construction Warren Reynolds provides a good summery;

Quite an extensive stretch of Lincoln Street in Franklin, Mass will be worked on in coming months. Construction will open the Lincoln Street roadbed in sections roughly from Brook Street to Daniels Street. 

Before all work is completed in the fall, new lines will also be installed on Daniels Street (from its intersection with Lincoln Street up to Lenox Drive).

You can read the full article here
http://www.02038.com/2013/07/expect-delays-on-lincoln-street/


5 - And finally for the romantics among us, this is a wonderful time. It takes a couple of minutes to do the build up but then gets rolling. (Keep the tissues handy!)

"What's possible when a community comes together in love and gratitude!"

Originally posted to UpWorthy
http://www.upworthy.com/the-kind-of-marriage-proposal-that-makes-you-want-to-go-out-and-fall-in-lesbian-love?c=ufb1

Spring photo mini-sessions - family photos!

Aubrey B Greene Photography

This Spring, mini-sessions will be held on June 15, 2013, from 9am - 4:30pm, with slots every half hour. Sessions will be 20 minutes long and can include any number of people. My selection of the best images will be edited and posted online for ordering prints, canvases & gifts. 

Sessions cost $100 each, and will be held outdoors on the Dean College campus in Franklin, MA. 

If you would like to sign up, please e-mail AUBREY@AUBREYGREENE.COM to reserve your time slot!

You can view Aubrey's work on her website
http://www.aubreybgreeneblog.com/index.php/post/view/spring_mini_sessions

View the event on Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/events/500862403315043/

Happy Boxing Day!

There were plenty of good times with the extended family around for dinner on Sunday. There will be more time this week to spend with family. For those also who have taken time off from work this week, let there be safe travels and good times to enjoy!

Boxing Day is traditionally a day following Christmas when wealthy people and homeowners in the United Kingdom would give a box containing a gift to their servants. Nowadays Boxing Day is better known as a bank or public holiday that occurs on December 26, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some other Commonwealth nations.

Read more about Boxing Day here

Family tradition

One of our family traditions signalling the end of the school year and the onset of summer is to have ice cream at the Franklin Flatbreads and Spruce Pond Creamery. If we go early enough, we make a meal of our ice cream. Banana splits and the works. If we go later in the evening, it is usually for small cups of our favorite flavors.

It was a cloudy evening Friday. The clouds were gathering and threatening to rain on someone, but not here in Franklin fortunately.



What tradition do you have to mark the end of the school year?