Winter doldrums

Yup, I'm there. The "I-can't-wait-for-winter- to-end" feeling. The deep freeze, after last week's blizzard, has been grand. But luckily there is good music, hot drinks and Netflix. And phone calls with old friends. I'm on a documentary and English drama kick right now. I think Netflix thinks I'm doing grad school research.
**
I enjoyed this music interview today. A whole life in a song?

"Some people write love songs about what happens in the beginning of a relationship," Bergquist says. "We've sort of moved on to what happens during the bulk of that relationship — the work, the investment, the commitment, you know? And some of it doesn't really sound all that sexy."

God, I love them. I own several OTR albums now. His liner notes always read like a beautiful and poignant short story.


(Image taken by Vana. That was such a fun trip!)

appreciate {the little things in life}

{appreciate / green and gray / letterpress print}

****
Do you ever listen to The Story on public radio? I went to the chiropractor this morning {sooo stiff from a weekend migraine} and couldn't walk into my apartment until I heard the end of the program.

The first piece was a real life story comparable to the movie 'Up'! ... On a dare from his work mates, Jonathan Trappe took his first balloon-powered flight two years ago, in his office chair. Hoisted by over 50 giant helium balloons, he sailed up to 14,000 feet, floating across the North Carolina countryside for over 4 hours. ...

The second story made me think about the first architecture office* I worked in while still in high school. ... Jami always had an interest in typography, and that's how she found herself visiting a small print shop in town called The Sherwood Press. The owner, Jocelyn, would change the way Jami saw her career and her life. ...

*I don't quite remember how I came to work in the office. The office was within walking distance from my house and I think I just showed up one day wondering if they would hire me as an intern; they did. Fred and Adelaide were a husband-and-wife team and were easily in their mid 70s by the time I started. They had thirteen children and welcomed me into the fold like family. I haven't worked with Fred in years but I still remember his vocational instruction and his stories. The office was tiny. I remember everyone gathered for a holiday party once and we had four religious backgrounds at the table: Catholic, Evangelical Christian, Buddhism and Hinduism. To this day, I've never had a boss treat me with as much respect as Fred did. I don't think I really appreciated it at the time.

the holidays

We had a quiet Christmas Eve in Chicago... he worked 1/2 day, she cooked, cleaned and called some family & friends. We watched Kitchen Stories, a quirky Norwegian film.

On the 25th, we went to Brad's grandparents' house and celebrated Gideon's 1st Christmas{day}. cute, cute. A pretty low-key afternoon/evening. I called down to the North Georgia Mountains & chatted with the nephews... and additional family members. {The boys are older now but that creekside picture is so darn cute!}

****
My parents' gave me a gift certificate for a {speciality} cooking class. fun! Brad received a gift certificate to the board game store. :) And you can never go wrong with cash. We participated in a Secret Santa exchange with Brad's immediate family... board games, CDs, interesting new artwork, LAIKA Cosmonaut dog! Hoodie ... nerd points. And that includes the 2010 NPR calendar in my kitchen. ha! {thanks Joslyn}

gratitude

I heard about the Weezer Snuggie on NPR this morning. For thirty bucks, you get their Raditude {Standard} CD + Exclusive Weezer Blue Snuggie.

I haven't listened to Weezer in quite sometime. They remind me of college and the spontaneity that goes with the territory. Not too long after Brad and I were officially dating, we drove up to Milwaukee- on a Tuesday night- with a couple architecture classmates. They played at The Rave... truly a magical dump. As Weezer started their set, Brad guided me out of the mosh pit so I didn't get pulverized by the football players behind us. Aww, true love.

In These Arms

You'll have to pause the background blog music {scroll down} but I assure you this clip/song is eqally as beautiful and contemplative. :) The Swell Season has a new album coming out, "Strict Joy." It is their follow-up album to the enormous success of their little film, "Once." The video is a snippet of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova's performance on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. You can watch the 34 minute session here.

Unspoken Requests

I've been in a bit of a blogging funk. My mind and energy have been elsewhere. Is it really a week into September already?? Brad took this picture and I didn't know I'd be in the frame. But I sorta like the composition. A reflective gap...
****
We entertained some family over Labor Day weekend. My brother, the farmer, was in town for the wedding of a childhood buddy. Dave brought along his two youngest boys. His wife and eldest son stayed back at the farm. A few highlights:

~Exploring Chicago's Green City Market + picking up treats.
~Strolling through Lincoln Park with my brother.
~Having the boys spend the night at "the hotel." That's what Nic referred to our apartment in the city. :) Playing with our childhood toys from the 80s.
~Taking the train downtown (con: the train being 30 minutes late) and riding the water taxi on the Chicago River.
~Walking around Millennium Park with the nephews and my Dad.
~Pausing on the wooden footbridge to dip our feet in the shallow water.

****
I love public radio because I enjoy listening to a good story. I take pleasure in reading children's literature with my nanny children. I'm fond of the band
Over the Rhine. They write songs {and album notes} with thoughtful details. Poetry. Stories. Music. Linford Detweiler, along with his wife Karin Bergquist, comprise OTR. I often listen to Linford's solo piano albums while I work at home and/or during a quiet reflection.


****
Hmmm. An unspoken request...

Yesterday, I saw my estranged brother and his family. Luckily, I had a sibling-husband-nephews-buffer. My parents were present as well. I haven't been beside my two brothers since my wedding. SIX years ago. I was a tad bit anxious. :) Family can be a complicated relationship. Three vehicles met in small-town Wisconsin. We rode a vintage trolley, went to an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and walked around the summer camp my brothers and I attended as children. I wish things were different, but they are what they are. It was a tiny step forward.

Needless to say, it was a lloonnggg Labor Day weekend.

She & Him

I listened to a Sound Opinions podcast last night. They interviewed She & Him- Zooey Deschanel + M. Ward. Deschanel stars in the summer indie hit, "500 Days of Summer" {loved the film}. This music video is sooo weird!


****
Brad and I explored Goodwill yesterday, prior to a family gathering. He found some interesting things for a few altered book projects. 59 cents each. And two ugly canvases to paint over and/or within the original painting. We now have four such canvases in our art studio... ready to be transformed.


I'm a fan the children’s book illustrator, Eloise Wilkin. I found one of her Little Golden Books yesterday, "Prayers for Children." Amazon is selling it for $3.99 or more; I found it for 59 cents {hardcover}.

I think it was a pretty successful Goodwill excursion.

Stories

Are you familiar with "The Story" on American Public Media? There were two engaging stories on today {Thursday, August 6th}.

The first half was about urban farming. {image via Ghost Town Farm}

"... For the past six years she's {Novella Carpenter} grown veggies and raised animals in an empty lot next to her apartment building near downtown Oakland, California..."

The second portion was about the resignation of President Nixon and the swearing in of President Ford... as told by two White House summer interns.

Local food system

As I was coming home from the grocery store today, I caught part of "Worldview" on Chicago Public Radio. Today's program was about our local food system and what’s happening in other parts of the world {how appropriate}. I listened to rest of the program while eating lunch.

I live in the Midwest where local produce should be plentiful but sadly it is not! My brother- and his family- operate a small, family-sized organic farm in Georgia. Whenever Dave and I catch up on the phone, we inevitably talk about sustainability and farming. Such was the case yesterday. I in Chicago; he in the north Georgia mountains.

Brad and I are CSA shareholders with a small farm south of Chicago. For three seasons, we get a weekly box of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. We also get organic eggs. Farmer Vicki has an amazing operation. I love reading her weekly CSA emails with recipes and details about what is going on at the farm. Very reflective for this city dweller!

Next month, we are going on another farm tour.

Gabriel Byrne And The Art Of Listening

Did anyone else listen to Terry Gross' interview, with Actor Gabriel Byrne, today on Fresh Air? Byrne plays a psychoanalyst on the HBO series, In Treatment. I thought it was an intriguing interview; particularly the part about listening and about his stint in seminary.
****
"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer."
~Henry David Thoreau

An Urban Explorer in Detroit

Your NPR Name...
Mine: Lemanne Vézelay
Short, NPR nerd-humor: click to read
{Vézelay, France. a beautiful village.}
****
One of my favorite bloggers, Jim from Sweet Juniper, was recently featured on The Story {Tuesday, April 14th}.

Urban Explorer
"Economic decline has left Detroit with many abandoned buildings. Jim Griffioen lives in the city and has been documenting the destruction of some of those buildings by "scrappers," people who strip abandoned buildings of valuable metals.

Jim is most interested in schools. He's taken photos of trees growing through books and other things left behind. Recently Jim has gone beyond documenting what he sees and is reclaiming what he finds. He collects abandoned library books and other school supplies and gives them to community centers. Jim talks with Dick Gordon about his explorations and how his view of the city has changed..."

More on his work here.

Flickr set: Detroit Public Schools Book Depository/ Roosevelt Park Warehouse

Architecture 5¢

I heard an interesting piece on Morning Edition this morning {Click here)

"After getting laid off from an architecture firm for the second time last year, John Morefield knew something had to change. He could look for another job again — or set up a booth at a local market in Seattle and offer home renovation advice for 5 cents a shot. Now he's earning more than a nickel — and building a clientele."

John Morefield's website: Architecture 5¢

Bromance

My mind is still on job searching! but this program on Fresh Air got me thinking. {{Side note to the blogging community... do you have any professional development websites to share? Let's join forces together!}} Sooo, Terry Gross interviewed the actor Jason Segel- "who stars as an obnoxious best man in the new "bromantic" comedy I Love You Man". Did you catch the entertaining radio interview??

In part of the interview, Segel spoke about the differences men and women have when it comes to making friends. Yup, we're different alright- especially when we look at post-college life. For instance, I just joined this Sustainability Task Force and attended my first meeting last Thursday. I now have one new Facebook friend and I'm in communication with another "new friend" to meet for coffee this week. Just. Like. That. And then there is this little thing called blogging. I've "meet" several creative, insightful {new} people online.

I think Brad owes me an enduring THANKS! because it was Holt and I that initiated a coffee meet up in January, 2007. We talked for three hours on that first girly date. And as luck would have it, our husbands ended up liking each other, too. bonus! {*That is Brad + Tony on the Texas State House tour while we were in Austin, TX. Awww, boys and Christmas decorations.}

From my experiences, it always seems to be the girls that initiate these dinner parties, too. Now, don't get me wrong, my husband has several friends. Good friends even. But his circle doesn't seem to grow. He seems completely content on his circle of childhood and college buddies. Content isn't a bad thing. I'm using content merely as an observation. Going back to the interview, I just thought Segel's male perspective was humorous.
****
I should note, my husband is going to an all-day board game meet up on Saturday. ALL. DAY. They met online and they camp out at this guy's church for hours! and play board games (and eat). Though I highly doubt they "discuss" the sort of things us girls talk about over coffee. Just a hunch. :)

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring

It's been a lllooonnggg week: Annual meeting at church, Uncle Art's wake and funeral {God rest his soul}, doctor appointments, emails/ correspondence/ work stuff, school projects {major nanny points- ha!} and avoiding the cold that's been going around {one of my kiddos caught the bug this week- blah}.

The SUN! came out this morning and I had some hot, steamy tea in my new robot mug {thanks Nikki}. My über creative sister-in-law made me that little button bouquet. How clever is that project?! I need a time out. I scheduled nothing for the weekend... no Super Bowl parties in this house! The plan: watch Lars And The Real Girl, read, tackle several organizing projects and whatever else sneaks in the mix. Brad has a few arty painting projects on his list. What's on your agenda???

****
On an unrelated topic, did you happen to hear Fresh Air's archival interviews with the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, John Updike {RIP} from earlier this week? I find myself getting a bit of literature anxiety when I think about all the books I haven't yet read. I think my {librarian} mother has given up hope. I put reading on my weekend plan. It's good weather to read as the winter doldrums have consumed most of the country. It's been a long winter in the Midwest. It's only the end of January but I think we're all anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring...

Lazy Sunday afternoon

(Lone Horse. Jared May, photographer. here)

We collected A LOT OF SNOW in Chicago this weekend.

Soooo, what's on your weekend music playlist??

I just finished meal planning for the week. I'm chipping away at my list.

I'm hopeful that this week plays out a little better than last! I got into a fender-bender, his fault, last Monday in front of my kiddos' school. It was a bothersome week of insurance calls. Our car is driveable but needs to be fixed. The dude had a few issues: warrant out for his arrest! carried an invalid auto insurance card! AND, I got a meter-expiration ticket Wednesday morning out in front of the public library. 8 minutes late. Crap. I guess the city really needs the money. blah. Okay... my vent session is over. Though annoying, these things are minor in the grand scheme of things.

****
A lazy Sunday is in order... maybe a little light reading. My trip to the library included acquiring a copy of "Christmas Remembered" by Tomie DePaola {well-known children's book illustrator}. Brad and I listened to a podcast of 'The Story', on American Public Media, Christmas morning about DePaola. Have you ever listened to 'The Story' before? Their goal is to find people whose lives are intersecting with significant issues in the news.
I have a keen interest in sociology and community development. I think we could all benefit from being better listeners.

"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer."
~Henry David Thoreau

Have a relaxing afternoon...

It's about time.

SPRINGFIELD---In a historic vote, the Illinois House has impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich...

We live oh, about 15 minutes from G-Rod. He never moved down to Springfield. It's been an interesting day in Illinois. Politics! The snow!
Oh, the hair, the hair. Big news day.

What's your life, in six words?

"Welcome to Dial A Stranger. We take questions from you, the listener, and attempt to find answers to them by asking strangers over the telephone."

Brad and I listened to an episode of Dial A Stranger this evening after dinner. I LOVE the concept of this radio program. I can already see myself getting addicted to it like I already am with This American Life.

Tina Fey is awesome

SNL has declined over the years but this 2008 presidential election has provided some comical gems. Tina Fey is awesome. I LOVE her Governor Sarah Palin impersonation!

I am a NPR nerd. Check out Political Junkie by Ken Rudin...
"Debates Deciding The Presidency? It's Debatable"

Playing the banjo in Chinese

Little Byrd posted an entry entitled 'The universe, the cosmos - do you believe?' Now, I personally don't read my daily horoscope but I do believe the universe sends messages. I would consider myself a fairly religious person.

As I was running errands this afternoon, I decided that I needed to add more folk and bluegrass music to our CD collection. I was literally thinking that I should do a post where I ask for music recommendations in this genre {you know who you are!} and then I turned on the radio.

Chicago Public Radio to be exact and caught most of the program The Story.

Abigail Washburn and her group The Sparrow Quartet are currently in Beijing. The group was invited by the Chinese government to be "cultural Olympiads." For Abigail, it was an invitation to return to a country she loves.

China has been Abigail's life passion since she was in college, but before she set off to Beijing to study law, she wanted to spend time learning something quintessentially American. Her foray into traditional American music took her down a rather unexpected road. She talks with guest host Aaron Henkin about how she now uses music to accomplish a longtime goal - building understanding between China and the U.S. - and how the Chinese language fits in surprisingly well with the pluck of the banjo.

If this interests you, listen to the podcast (Wednesday, August 13). I really happened to enjoy it- good timing.

The Giant Pool of Money

Brad and I love the radio program This American Life (produced by Chicago Public Radio). TAL is a weekly hour-long radio program and is hosted by Ira Glass. It is also, quite recently, a television program on Showtime. Each week's show is loosely centered around a common theme (Prom, Human Resources, How to Talk to Kids...etc). The theme of the show is explored in several "acts", usually two to five. The program is generally non-fiction although they have featured short fiction, essays and such. A popular contributor is the writer David Sedaris.

"The Giant Pool of Money" episode is a MUST listen! It is a special program about the housing crisis. They explain everything...

"What does the housing crisis have to do with the turmoil on Wall Street? Why did banks make half-million dollar loans to people without jobs or income? And why is everyone talking so much about the 1930s? It all comes back to the Giant Pool of Money."