Season's Greetings from Beantown

Here's Part 2 of my Boston-themed holiday season:

Loyal Verbatim reader Amy sent me the greatest card:

 

I know you probably can't read it clearly from this photo, so I'll tell you what it says, from bottom to top:

On the twelfth day of Christmas, a Bostonian gave to me...
12 marathoners running
11 Pops a-playing
10 Celtics leaping
9 Sox a-swinging
8 ducklings waddling
7 Swan Boats swimming
6 Revolutions kicking
5 pots of baked beans
4 quarters of Patriots
3 speedy Bruins
2 quacking Duck Boats
And 1 skater on the Common's Frog Pond.

I love this card! For the non-Bostonians in the room, I refer you to the post I wrote in May after Julie's field trip to the Boston Common, complete with Swan Boat ride and view of the Frog Pond. And if you don't know about the Duck Boats, look here. (No, of course I've never ridden one! Those are for tourists, and I live here!) (But I'd like to.)

The card was made even better by (1) the fact that its purchase benefited the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and (2) the enclosure of a photo of Amy and her family taken by none other than Cambridge legend Elsa Dorfman. My friend Nancy is the only other person I know who's had an Elsa family portrait done. Wonderful.

Comments

[jo]

I am truly jealous. I had never heard of Elsa Dorfman until the demise of Fleet and the year I spent surfing the web before the final layoff I discovered Philip Greenspun and obsessively read his tale of his travels with his dog as i sat weeping at my desk.
she takes such beautiful honest photos. She was my first thought when I heard Polaroid would no longer be making the film that fits her beloved camera.

[Margaret]

That's a wonderful card! I could read it just fine, even with my cataract.

[margalit]

I have loved Elsa Dorfman 's photos since I was in grad school and saw them often in Harvard Square. I've always wanted a portrait but by the time I could afford one and had the family to photograph, she was no longer doing individual family portraits. I still haven't recovered from the disappointment.

Never been on the Swan Boats? What kind of shoddy upbringing did you have, and what are you doing to your precious children by skipping that most important of growing up in Boston. They are NOT just for tourists. You would be amazed at how many locals go year after year after year. You MUST go, but of course you have to read Make Way for Ducklings first, to remind you of all the things to look for, like Officer Mike. :-)

[amy]

Margalit,

Elsa is still taking family photos; we just had ours done last December.

Karen has been on the swan boats but not the Duck Boats, two different things. We did a Duck Boat ride years ago when friends came to town and it was a blast; my kids got to drive it in the water and we all had fun quacking at our fellow Bostonians.

Thanks for the shout-out Karen!

[Erin]

In San Diego the duck boat tour is the Seal Tour. If you can't bring yourself to do the Boston one and you ever find yourself out here, I highly recommend it. :)

[Di]

How interesting...because my BF Amy sent me the same card!!!