Lights

Morton Arboretum's Illumination show is totally worth it. If you didn't make it this year, you should plan to go next year. 

Pretty lights and a few special interactive bits (hug a tree, sing to a tree), plus enough big fire drums along the trail to keep you from freezing.  Our favorite bit was probably the light show on the hill that was choreographed to classical pieces. 

Magical.

Good Thing Six: This is Still a World Where. . .

people store gold fish in bright turquoise lined tanks.


Totally showing off their gold-fishiness with great success.

Three Spirea Bouquets

Little kiddies have been stealing the low hanging blooms on our spirea bushes, and it occurred to me that I should do the same. Don't know why it took four years to consider bringing in spirea blooms for bouquets in the house. . .

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Happy Spring!

Knock Out Sunset

Two days ago. . . the most lovely sunset.

Not a Curlew

Took a walk to the pier two days ago and I saw a bird I've never seen on the Outer Banks before. I only noticed him when a whole flock of birds flew up shore and one of them was a pretty cinnamon color instead of the usual grey, black and white.

A passerby--who was also taking pictures--told me he was a Curlew. . . but I found a Sibley's on Ocracoke, looked him up and am confident that this birdie is, in fact, a Marbled Godwit. He was very handsome.


Correct me if I'm wrong, Ornithologists! (I'm looking at you, Alex)

Beachcombing

So, it looks like a fair amount of rain is in the cards for this first week of vacation. But it's the beach, so the rain comes and goes and there are periods of lovely sunny weather. And so far, during the day, the rain has been light and gentle. Yesterday, for example, I went to the pool to get in a workout session and it rained half the time I was there and no big deal.

But yesterday, we all got out to the beach late in the day for sitting and reading and I even took a little walk down the beach. .. and here are the things that caught my eye:

Dan swims!

I have been a big fan of ghost crabs since I was a tot in Pensacola, Florida. They're crabs without all of the pinching because they're too wee to do any harm.

Rain storms, at the very least, bring really impressive skies. Getting to see this keeps me from holding a grudge for too long.

Embroidery Bug

I've got the bug and I enjoy every part of it--setting up the canvasses, picking embroidery thread colors, making a plan, embroidering it.

Usually, I'm a much more illustrative embroiderer and work on pre-painted canvasses that give my work depth, but I've been trying something a little more free form this past week. And now two new pieces and a number on the way as a result:

Night Blooming Sirius

Ridiculous. Mine has bloomed every year ever since it turned four. I think the trick is to abuse it a little and to put it outside for the summer. As soon as the fall days hit highs in the 70's and lows in the 50's at night, it buds up.

And I'm not sure there's a prettier flower on the planet.

Tiny Mum

I've prepped a bunch of embroidery canvasses for my impending vacation to the beach--where I will craft up a storm. But I don't want to start on them, but also kind of do--like when you were a kid and your mom bought you a new book or a new tape cassette or a new magazine to keep you occupied on vacation and you weren't allowed to have it until you were buckled into the car and had left the city limits. You both wanted to get your hands on it and also didn't want to--anticipation was king.

So, I'm holding off, but in the meantime, I knocked off this simpler piece just to satisfy the embroidery bug. . . because I'm not a kid any more and I can do what I like. :) Plus, it's the season of the mum and we should celebrate it, no? Fall's last flower.

Hope everyone had good vacations this year. . . I'm counting the seconds until mine.

Spring in the City

Is filled with unexpected surprises. Everything blooms in the burbs and then a few weeks later everything blooms by the lake because of the 5-10 degree difference caused by Lake Michigan. So, I forget to expect two springs.

The other day, walking from the train to work, I turned the corner from Congress on to State and these little beauties knocked me out. I actually gasped. . .


I hope the kids who live in the University Center felt a little lucky to be welcomed by these this past week coming out of their dorms for classes.

Both 623 S. Wabash and Not 623 S. Wabash

This building is not 623 S. Wabash. It's directly across the street from 623 S. Wabash. But the light show is being cast upon it by the late-day sun hitting the windows of 623 S. Wabash and reflecting back. I don't know what accounts for the extreme variation in shape, but it was lovely to see. . .

The building in this photo is not 623 S. Wabash, but surely the photo captures a record--removed as it may be--of 623 S. Wabash.

Snow Snow Snow

My office is under construction at work. So, half of my co-workers and I have moved down the street temporarily. I think people were a little worried that it would disgruntle us movers, but how could it, when this is what we see each morning while waiting for the elevator?

(although, hey, Mr. Smoke Detector in picture 2, what's up with messing up a perfectly gorgeous ceiling? centrally placed in a medallion or no, you couldn't wear your bronze suit to fit in better?)

And during the snow storm yesterday, this was the view from my buddy's office window.
Unbelievably beautiful.

And when there's no snow storm, an unobstructed view out to the place where water meets sky, fading into the horizon's blue blue, airplane contrails interlaced above the frozen surface of Lake Michigan.

All in all, I think we're doin' okay.

Savannah Salad

Had friends over for dinner last night. We slow-cooked/smoked a bone-on pork butt on the grill for about 5.5 hours for North Carolina Pulled Pork. As one of the side dishes, I made this yummy/pretty salad:


I got the idea for this salad from a hostess in Savannah who threw an amazing brunch for my buddy Alex, the day after her wedding. Romaine and spinach, goat cheese, pine nuts and water melon. . . and I added edible nasturtium blooms. The dressing is made of watermelon juice, walnut oil, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.

It's the perfect summer salad and a nice pairing for entrees that are strong tasting--like the vinegary/smokiness of N.C. pulled pork. It's cool and crisp and sweet, a little creamy. And really pretty.

Dan missed this

The sky was so beautiful in our backyard yesterday morning. . . and I think my sweetie left too early in the morning to see it in all of its glory.

D, look at how pretty.  Wish you were here.