There is an essay I found several years ago that I have taped to the wall in our office. It’s a good reminder to live in the present. It ends with this thought for the day…

“Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. And, dance like no one is watching.”

I couldn’t help but think of this when I saw this awesome video by Matt Harding, a CT native who not only dances like no one is watching, but then asks the world to join him! What an inspiration!

We don’t know Matt, but we love him!!! He at least appears to be the kind of person we aspire to be and someone we would love to sit and talk with for hours. He epitomizes the idea that it’s okay to color outside of the lines, to follow your own unique path (no matter where it leads) and to live and love without boundaries or fear. He is evidence that if you do those things, you will surely find your bliss! And maybe, in the process, you might even help change the world! Go Matt Go!!!! You rock!!!

In 2005, Matt’s dancing captured the world’s attention and the sponsorship of Stride Gum. The idea for this video was first hatched in 2003, when he created a website to keep his family & friends abreast of his travel ventures. “A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said ‘Hey, why don’t you stand over there and do that dance. I’ll record it.’ He was referring to a particular dance Matt does. It’s actually the only dance Matt does. He does it badly. Anyway, this turned out to be a very good idea.”

A couple of years later, someone found the video online and passed it to someone else, who passed it to someone else, and so on. Thanks to the generous (and very smart) folks at Stride Gum, there have been two subsequent trips since that first video went viral. This is his latest. If you’d like to learn more about this inspirational guy go to his website www.wherethehellismatt.com.

Hey Matt, if you & Melissa ever tie the knot….we want in!!!! Please give us a call! We just know that you two would have no trouble loving with your hearts WIDE OPEN and we’d be honored to be there recording that for you! Not to mention your first dance!!! Yeeeeehaaawww!

After a 17-year hiatus, the cicadas are back and more are coming - by the thousands.

A few weeks ago, we started noticing these strange nickel-size holes all over our front lawn. Some friends told us it was likely the Cape cicadas, otherwise known as Brood XIV Magicicada septendecim.

Large, ugly creatures with big beady red eyes and clear inch-long wings, cicadas look somewhat like locust or grasshoppers, but are taxonomically closer to shrimp, spiders and millipedes. The Cape cicadas last came out in swarms 17 years ago, before we moved here. Covering houses, cars and buildings for a few weeks during the month of June, they mated, laid their eggs and died off, while their offspring hatched from the trees where they were laid and promptly headed back underground.

I had hoped this was all just some kind of urban myth, that Andy was actually making the holes to freak me out and there was no such thing as swarming cicadas here on the Cape. Then the noise started. About a week ago, we noticed this loud humming sort of buzzing sound that reminded us of our vacation last year in the Nicaraguan jungle. And it hit us, the cicada are really coming!

This morning, I went outside to check the mail, and resting on our front porch in the shade, while its new adult shell hardened, was an adult cicada covered in fine powdery pollen. I hate bugs, so this was a big deal for me. I grabbed my 105mm macro lens, got down close and took a few quick pictures, before scurrying off like a scared dog.

Meet the cicada:

I very cowardly slid a quarter in next to it to give you perspective on how big they are.

Keep your veils handy ladies as they could be useful in the next couple of weeks if these buggars really swarm like they say they do. I’m still holding on to hope that it won’t be as bad as some are predicting.

In Massachusetts, cicada typically don’t emerge any further north than the Cape. For some reason, Mashpee and Sandwich have been local hot spots for cicada citings….our house in particular has loads of holes strewn across the lawn. For the record, they’re reportedly harmless. They don’t bite or sting and really just live to love!

The cicada life cycle is a true wonder of nature. For 17 years the immature cicada live underground, sucking on tree roots. Then, towards the end of their life, when the ground warms up to about 64 degrees, the light brown colored nymphs emerge from the depths of darkness, shed their shells (and inhibitions) and go out in search of a mate or two…or two thousand.

Cicadas only live as adults for about three weeks, during which time they sing and shag like crazy. They lay hundreds of eggs on trees - proud markings of their zealous love-making. And when they can’t shag anymore, the adults die off, littering the ground with their spent corpses. And several weeks later, the fruits of their labor hatch from their eggs and a new generation makes its way back underground for a long hibernation.

Kind of a crazy life, but definitely something worth celebrating, since it’s unique to this area and happens only a handful of times in our lifetime.

Stay tuned for more cicada updates as I have a feeling this is just the beginning of their emergence. We’ll try and record their buzzing noise too. It really is quite loud. Andy is definitely the nature freak in our family, but I have to admit, even I think this is pretty cool! Creepy, but cool!

If you spot any cicadas in the next couple of weeks and can muster the courage to get close enough for a photo, please feel free to e-mail us your pics and we will happily put them on our blog to share.

Viva La Cicada!

So, this might be a tad cliché…okay, no, Andy just informed me it’s VERY cliché…but I thought it was funny. Amid packing and researching restaurants and fun shops, I managed to grab this quick photo with our little point and shoot in honor of our trip tomorrow to NYC. We’re going there for a couple of photo shoots and we’re so excited to get off Cape and hit the big city!

We haven’t been back to the city in several years, since before 9-11, so no doubt a lot has changed. We’ll put some photos up next week to share NYC with you, as seen through our eyes! For now, I’ll leave you with this tasty snack…

Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated by the Rubik’s Cube. I had a mate that could complete it really fast, and he always made it sound like it was no big deal. I was so impressed. It helped that I didn’t know anybody else that could complete it without removing the stickers or taking the cube apart! Anyway, after walking around Restoration Hardware this winter while doing a little Christmas shopping, Chris and I saw a Cube for sale. I guess there has been a Rubik’s Cube revival recently. Well, guess what I found stuffed in my stocking? Yep, you got it. Since then, I have been dedicated to trying to learn how to complete this frustrating toy!!! Well thanks to the internet, and in particular YouTube, there are a whole host of tutorials available. And it really isn’t that hard to learn once you get the hang of it. I now have it mastered!! I am no world record speed cuber, but i feel quite the sense of achievement that i can now do it. Here’s my tribute to the cube!!! Check it out….

So i was wondering how many people out there can complete the cube too? Can you?

Friends of ours Megan & John e-mailed us one of these elfin cards the other day featuring photos of their kids. We were hysterical watching it and decided we wanted in on the fun. You may have already seen this, but if you haven’t buckle up…it’s pretty funny!!! We hope you get a good chuckle out of it and relieve some of that holiday stress! Happy holidays everyone! This won’t be up for long so enjoy it while it lasts!!

Click the image to see the show!!

Add on: Okay, so Office Max, which hosted this little show, has taken its dancing elves offline. Sorry, no more dancing Chris & Andy!

Every now and then we manage to capture a really funny or unusual image and so we’ve decided to start sharing some of them with you as part of our new Bello Chuckles photo section. We hope you laugh along with us and are reminded that life is too short to take ourselves too seriously! If we can’t have fun, then what’s the point?

We’re really hoping this new section gets people talking (and laughing), so to make it more interesting we’re going to ask you to come up with a witty/funny caption for the images. All thoughts and comments are welcome!

Our first Bello Chuckles photo features this little lovebug. He’s the adorable nephew of one of our fabulous couples, Molly & Guy, who got married last month here on Cape Cod. He comes from a large Italian family and is quite the character. We just loved photographing this little guy, but we’re not sure the feeling was mutual. We got the feeling he was trying to tell us something. What do you think? Roll your mouse over and off the image quickly for the full effect. Then, tell us what you think he’s trying to say.