toaster oven

We received a thank you note from our eight-year-old nephew yesterday:

Uncle Brad and Aunt Leanne,

Thank you for the birthday money and the game. I hope to buy a toaster oven. How are you doing?

Love, Nicolas


A toaster oven?!?!! Hey, whatever floats your boat! :)

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!}

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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}

The boys...

My nephews have these Plasma Cars (I think they were Christmas gifts from Grandma & Grandpa). My sister-in-law just emailed me this video of the ramp contraption they created on their property. Boys!!


I sure do miss them.

merry, merry

On Saturday, I ventured downtown and had lunch with an old friend. Joslyn and I met in first grade. We met at the Chicago Cultural Center- easily one of my favorite buildings in the city. An all-city youth ensemble played live jazz music for an hour. Later that evening, Brad and I walked down the street to a church gathering. Potluck.. games... white elephant exchange... roaring fire. You know, typical winter festivities in the Midwest. :) Last night, we had some family come down to the city for Thai food and the Redmoon Theater's Winter Pageant. {Brad and I attended another Redmoon production over the summer.} The Winter Pageant was very entertaining- quite odd!- but a lot of fun.

"Redmoon Theater creates theatrical spectacles that transform streets, stages, and architectural landmarks into places of public celebration utilizing an original language capable of speaking across cultural, ethnic, and generational boundaries."

Nonfiction

I realize I'm late to the buzz about "Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality." I had a long, boring jury duty summons to get through today and spied it on our bookshelf. {@ the Criminal Court building. Stayed 6 1/2 hours and got sent home} My girlfriend, Alyssa, gave it a good review. I read A LOT today; I like Miller's style.

"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But I was outside the Bagdad Theater in Portland one night when I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for fifteen minutes, and he never opened his eyes. After that I liked jazz music. Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way. I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened."

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I read "Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology" around Labor Day and I'm still thinking about the story. I mailed the book down to my brother in the north Georgia mountains. He lives in a rural community and his little sister lives up in Chicago and yet we overlap with an interest in farming/CSAs, sustainability and ways to live more simply. On a similar topic, I added this book to my Secret Santa list (that we do with my husband's immediate family)- "The Plain Reader". As we near the end of the year, I think we all tend to do a little mental cleanse. Refocus...

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Side note, Rick Steves' book 'Travel as a Political Act' came recommended to me at Thanksgiving. Brad's aunt and cousin attended a reading out in Seattle. I'm a huge fan of Rick Steves' travel/ guide books. I'll have to check my local library stacks. {Thanks Aunt Marilyn}

I found this Etsy print via a search on "architecture" and "home." Apparently a search on "hedges" would have sufficed. :) It doesn't really capture late autumn in the Midwest {Thanksgiving!}, but her style reminds me of Edward Hopper a bit. I love the way he painted realistic urban and rural landscapes... a slice of Americana. Simple scenes. A year or two ago, I went to the Art Institute of Chicago's joint exhibition of the works of Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer. Beautiful pieces. My father is a watercolor painter and I encouraged him to see Homer's work in particular.
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Did you have a nice Thanksgiving??? My in-laws hosted about 30+ people for dinner, my parents included. I ate wwaayy too much. A small group of us ventured outdoors for a hike, letterbox adventure and to burn off some calories. In one year's time, we've lost an Uncle & gained two adorable babies to the family. Happy and sad reflections. I learned a lot about Bainbridge Island as we have family that semi-recently relocated to the Seattle area. A road trip is in order! Board games were played- several in fact. All in all, it was a relaxing holiday and we've spent the last two days zoning out at home. Such is life.
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Oh, I tried out this pumpkin bread recipe and just added wheat-free flour instead. I used real pumpkin purée because I had two CSA pumpkins staring at me in the kitchen. :) It made the bread making process a little longer, but it was really tasty.

Vivienne and friends, Wisconsin 1974

{Limited edition print here. Love it}

I went up to Madison, WI with some family friends last weekend. I really like Madison; Brad and I have been there a few times. We crammed a lot into our short overnight- walking along State Street and the Capital Square, arts festival, farmers market, thrift stores... My 80 year-old Grandmother kept up pretty well. My cousin is in graduate school at the massive UW campus. Her tiny college apartment is on the edge of Lake Mendota. You could hear the crew team in the morning. The one place we didn't have time to explore was the Arboretum {Holt, remember when I dragged everyone letterboxing around the arboretum??}
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I capped off the autumn weekend with a dinner party. The last time all three couples were together, we were relaxing in Door Co., WI. Alyssa, your recent home improvements are lovely. I can't get over that upcycled headboard- wow! Thank you for dinner...

Sunday vignette

Last Sunday's fall date...

We walked around the Bluff Spring Fen Nature Preserve. The fen is located at the edge of the old Bluff City Cemetery. creepy!


We went to a matinee of "Where the Wild Things Are." {Very enjoyable but don't take young children. Too dark} Early dinner.


And then met and cuddled with our new little nephew, Gideon. :)

Polaroid {love it}.. found here.

We're an aunt and uncle again.
Baby Gideon was born yesterday.

Away We Go

Brad and I watched the arty film "Away We Go" yesterday. After a weekend of feeling sick/blah and attempting to work on some projects (she: sewing new curtains; him: working on original board game art), it was a relaxing pause.
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Thinking about new beginnings {movie reference}... today, we're anxiously awaiting news on whether we'll be aunt + uncle to a wee little nephew or niece. :) yeah! Saying a little prayer that Racquel's delivery goes alright... {Print from Sarah Jane Studios.}

some gum

We received this letter from our nephew this afternoon:

What a cute oddity! Yes, that IS some gum. But just one piece, eh?! I'm not quite sure why he sent this to us to be honest. Does he think we have bad breath? :) I remember Noah offering Brad and I some watermelon gum when we went downtown together. Perhaps this was another thoughtful gesture. {thanks Noah} ~ xoxo

Wedlock

I think "wedlock" is an odd word. :) Anyways, we attended my cousin's wedding this past weekend. {I don't know her too well. Family stuff can be complicated.} The ceremony and reception were held at beautiful Starved Rock State Park. The bride and groom seemed really happy.

Their first dance song has been in my head since Saturday night- ha!



Hope you had a nice weekend...

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...
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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.

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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.


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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.

Following 28 and preceding 30

{GREEN photograph from my friend Steve's 30 mile hiking trip in the Smoky Mountains...}

Yesterday was my 29th birthday.

Brad + I went to a she-and-him birthday concert earlier this month. We spent part of my birth-day at The Modern Wing with my parents.

My father went to art school and did a fair amount of water coloring painting, as a hobby, during my childhood. He loves to paint Midwestern scenery, particularly barns. I found it humorous to view the contemporary art collection with him yesterday... weird stuff. He seemed to enjoy admiring the new Renzo Piano addition with two, nerdy architecture kids.

My parents bought us lunch and I asked everyone to eat alfresco. We sat with our to-go bags on a bench- in a small, beautiful park adjacent to the museum. A place tucked away from the busy streetscape. It's one of my favorite places in the city... it feels very European.

Brad + I had BBQ take-out for dinner and watched a movie. I had a lovely late-night chat with my good buddy, Alyssa {thanks for the call}. After our friendly chat, I did a little online shopping on Etsy. I bought myself two birthday treats. :)
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I walked to church this morning and the service was in the garden, along with a little folk band. Later on, I walked to a church pal's house for an art camp show + tell... along with bubbly wine and snacks. She recently returned from Ox-Bow. I feel artfully motivated!

Music, babies... and a compost bin

Fleet Foxes - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

On Friday night, Brad + I hosted dinner with a couple that lives around the corner from us. We met at our little neighborhood church and spent hours talking and listening to music. Melissa is having their first child early next year. An earlier rain cooled things off a bit.. as we chatted with the windows wide open.

Saturday welcomed us with her hot + humid wake-up call. ugh. We picked up that free compost bin Saturday afternoon {Finally. Get it together Dept. of the Environment} Pick-ups were scheduled at the Chicago Center for Green Technology. If you're in the area, I would suggest checking out the facility. That is, if you can actually locate the building; it's in a funky location. It's a decent resource for all things under the umbrella of environmental stewardship.

Later that night, Brad + I met up with a college buddy and his wife to see Fleet Foxes. Jayson's caption: @ the Metro, about to see the Fleet Foxes. Also, sweating profusely because it was 157 degrees in there. No joke. Amazing band but the intense humidity was a little too much for me. Let's see... water or crappy beer? Hmmm.

Yesterday, I attended my sister-in-law's baby shower. I wrapped up a few freezer paper stenciling projects. Oh, and Racquel recently opened up an Etsy shop. We had Sunday dinner with my husband's folks and grandparents. On the menu: typical Midwestern fare. Mmmm, sweet corn.

Did you have an enjoyable summer weekend??

3 generations

My first cousin is getting married next month. My mother called me on my cell phone this morning to go over lodging {she had just spoken with her mother}. She called me about 30 minutes later and left a voicemail message asking me to call my grandmother. I was supposed to tell her what she wore to my wedding.. six years ago. I'm working from home this morning, mind you. I stopped what I was doing, found a photograph and called her. She was waiting to go shopping and was anticipating my phone call. Good grief. My grandfather picks up the phone and without saying a word, he immediately hands the phone to my grandmother. I said, "Why don't you just where the dress you wore to my wedding- it looked nice on you." She said, "Please describe the dress to me... I'm walking to my closet." Uh, "It was white with large blue flowers.. green leaves.. short sleeves.." How long were the sleeves again, she asks. Just blue flowers? She can't locate the dress. "I think I'll just go shopping.. I wished you lived closer {she's in South Carolina} so you could come with me."

All this before 9:45am CST. I think going shopping sounds a lot better than my plan for the day. Because I have a hunch we'd have crab cakes and iced tea for lunch. Oh, and maybe some key lime pie for dessert. Perhaps I should have just kept working and let this play out over voicemail. But now I can't stop thinking about key lime pie- yum! Back. To Work.

Lazy Sunday

Anniversary number six.

Redmoon Theater tickets at the end of June.
Costa Rican food outing last night. Sat outside.
Lazy Sunday..
She + him art/ studio time.

xoxo

The 4th

We took our nephew, who is from the mountains of Georgia, on an urban hike, a train and a boat last Friday. We had lunch at the Billy Goat Tavern and then explored the Lego Store for AWHILE.

I mentioned a walk to Millennium Park but both boys! were overwhelmed by the people and asked to go home. ha! We had dinner and watched Master and Commander {Nathan's pick}. The boy is growing up...

We celebrated July 4th with these lovely people. {Hi Alyssa!}
And then spent Sunday at a family BBQ.

{From their Europe adventure... I forgot my camera last weekend. Thanks for hosting us, friend. I enjoyed our lazy Sunday breakfast...}

{Door Co., WI}

Happy birthday, mate. Thanks for writing your 20s with me...
xoxo

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Brad + I stink at giving each other birthday gifts {proven fact}. We generally use the $ we would have spent on presents and go on some sort of adventure instead. This year, we bought concert tickets.

Seven Story Mountain

My brother, the farmer, lives in the North Georgia Mountains {sooo pretty}. My parents just spent some time with my brother's family and they are bringing their oldest boy back to the big city. We'll be buddies for part of the holiday weekend. Though, Uncle Brad seems to be Nathan's favorite...

A little jam band music for the upcoming weekend...