More Snow!

So the crazy lady at Starbucks says that we are going to get 18 inches of snow in the next 2 days, I think that might be an exaggeration, but it began to snow early this morning and has gotten heavier as the day progresses. When I went down to move my bike under an awning, I took this picture of the pretty tree outside my apartment window. In the last few weeks, I have watched the buds grow as if spring might actually be coming soon, but I don't think it is coming today.
The second picture is of the remaining ice bank from the December and early January snows. You cannot see the dirt that is covering the snow, but it is more black and gray than clear. These are scattered all over Cambridge and soon they will be pretty and white again, but you have to wonder when these will disappear for good.

A Field Trip to the Medical School

I know my posts are getting increasingly scarce. Between an extra class and the assignments coming at a higher frequency, there has been no honeymoon period this semester. Some pretty cool things are happening here - I just haven't had time to write about them. Mary, the program director for Mind, Brain and Education, has been great about letting us know what is going on around campus. When she offered to take anyone interested to see the skull of Phineas Gage at the Harvard Medical School, it was an offer I could not refuse.So much was due the next week, I almost did not go, but we had a lovely outing and the most impressive part was the magnitude and the beauty of the medical school. I know that Sam, Amy's young man, has many more privileges through the Law school than we do at the Ed school and I also know that the reason is that those people grow up to be president some day and to give money back to the institution while teachers have no money. However, you should see the medical school! It is even ritzier than the Law School. The buildings are made out of beautiful materials and I think there might be some ordinance against being silly within a 10 mile radius of the campus. Anyway, here is our group on our excursion to the medical school. It was impressive to see the extent of the damage (even with repair) to Mr. Gage's poor skull, but mostly we were all in awe of the majesty of the buildings!
The group in the picture: on the front row, the Chinese woman in the purple coat is a Mind, Brain professor from China who is studying here this year. She is in all of my classes. Standing next to her is her son. On the other side is a very confident young scholar from Singapore. She got her undergraduate degree in London, UK and then came here for her Master's degree. Marissa (sunglasses) just finished law school and entered our program this year. Jessica is a speech therapist - yes I have to have one of those in my life to function - from Washington. She sits behind me in most of my classes and is absolutely brilliant and delightful! Mary - on the end is our program director. The tall blonde in the back is Kitty who was at Duke the same time as Sam. She is in every one of my classes as well and is my research partner for one of my classes.