Sow what?

Well, I may not be able to sew, but we can try our hand at sowing. Last night Andrew transferred some carefully selected seeds into a seed starter "greenhouse" (basically a divided plastic tray with a cover). Some of these seedlings should start to sprout in as little as one week! Then they will be transferred into peat pots that can later be planted directly into the soil. I am becoming more and more convinced that there will be no room to sit on our porch this summer.


Here's what we got cooking:

Black from Tula Tomato

Sweet Pea Currant Tomato

Brown Berry Tomato

Beam's Yellow Pear Tomato

Greek Oregano

Purple de Milpa Tomatillo

Basil-Genovese

Wapsipinicon Peach Tomato

Miniature Chocolate Bell Pepper

Cilantro

Green at Heart

Since Andrew has started working for Topiarius, I've noticed a different rhythm to our home: one that is more in tune with and accepting of the seasons. Each season commands a respect, has something to offer and has something to prepare us for (if nothing else, the next season). A week or so ago, I found Andrew poring over a catalog of plants and seeds, after which he excitedly (and cautiously) rattled off his plans for our back porch this spring and summer. I could almost see the visions of Tom Thumb Pea plants dancing in his head. Not long after that, he brought a bag of hibernating tulip bulbs up from the basement. He took them out of the paper bag, dusted them off and then proceeded to store them in our crisper where they will remain until planting time. (Apparently, tulip bulbs need to be kept cold for a period of time before planting, but they would be too cold outside.) And if that were not enough, I also learned that bulbs cannot be stored with fruit. So, in went the bulbs and out went the fruit. And thus I was introduced to bulb care.

Despite the ever prevalent wintry temperatures of these past weeks, the energy of spring is upon us, if no place else than in Andrew's hopeful plans. This week he has started taking Botany 1 at The School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, so I'm sure it is only a matter of time before plant taxonomy and classifications are rolling off his tongue. While it is good to accept the present, there is a time to look ahead. And I've embraced Andrew's carefully laid plans to usher Spring our way. I've enjoyed discussions about what herbs we'll be growing and Andrew's intention to grow heirloom tomatoes from seed this year. I love to open the back door and envision a porch laden with green life. I like that our refrigerator's traditional role is being disrupted, and I'm grateful that every time I go to grab a piece of fruit, I'm reminded of the sacrifices that must be made for the sake of preparations. Spring is surely coming.

Tomorrow is Andrew's birthday, and as he prepares to celebrate a new year, in many ways, so do we all.

2009

At some point along my haphazard journey to discover a hobby, I committed to paper. Not scrapbooking, just paper. Letterpress. Stationary. Gift wrap. The Perfect Greeting Card. Decorative paper with whimsical designs. And while I don't think I ever truly embraced the full-fledged art of Paper (I finally admitted that I really just liked to buy it and appreciate it, as opposed to actually ever doing anything with it), there are some things I picked up along the way that I just can't shake. Take greetings cards for instance: If you get a greeting card from me, you can be assured that it will be hand selected and not from Jewel (and if I'm feeling really inspired, I might just make it). Or gift wrap: try a paisley print or Paper Source's Colonial Indian Chinz pattern. Fonts? Texas Hero is still my favorite. And so, as you can probably imagine, the Paper Source has become a treasured merchant in my quest for creativity. When I go there, whatever little dormant dusts of inspiration I have are resurrected and I feel the sense of possibility once again. Last year, I discovered their exclusive Date Books and for the first time in my life, I felt satisfied with my chosen method of organization. Great design, eco-friendly and fantastic colors. What more could a paper girl want?

Well, I'll tell you what she wants: less planning. If there's anything I'd like to change about myself for 2009, it would be that if I ever needed to, I could throw that planner out the window (at this point, I don't ever see that happening, but it's only January 7th). I'd like to be less scheduled, more flexible and more generous with my time. While I realize that this is easy for some, I'm confronting the fact that it is very, very difficult for me. I protect my time to the point of selfishness and somewhere between Monday and Sunday I have forgotten on whom I should be spending it. And so, in a symbolic gesture, this year I bought the Mini Date Book (in persimmon red). May it be a reminder to me to not covet those blank pages, but to give of them freely. A reminder to plan less and live more.

Voila!

If you've been in our kitchen, then you know that counter space is at a premium. Given the situation, we've done pretty well (Thanksgiving has presented the most need for innovation in prepping, storing and serving space). Shortly after we moved in, Andrew developed plans for building a concrete counter-top table that would serve to almost double our counter space. After undergoing a position change at the Field Museum, a job change to Topiarius, a search for a work shop and a search for material funds, I'm proud to say that he has finished the table.


I am consistently impressed with anyone who can transform unfinished wooden boards into things as aesthetic and practical as beautiful tables, chairs, bookcases, frames... you name it. Regardless of the amount of time, space and money Andrew's endeavors may (or may not) take, I must always remember and be grateful for the fact that his hobbies tend to benefit the both of us (which is more than I can say for my dabbling in horse betting).

Ahoy!

Since a hobby of mine would never necessitate buying a sailboat, for example, that means I must maximize other available resources, like friends who have sailboats. Seriously, tell me that's not a good deal. Several weekends ago, a co-worker of Sarah's offered to take her and some of her friends out on his 30-foot Catalina to cruise around Lake Michigan. Our captain was exceedingly gracious and hospitable, and despite the brief thunderstorm, it was a wonderful opportunity to eat, drink and be merry... matey.

One Bet - $2; The Thrill - Priceless

While you can all breathe a sigh of relief that gambling is NOT going to become my hobby, I have to admit that I had one heck of a time at Arlington Park a few weekends ago. I lost $4, but it was totally worth it. Horse racing: a definite hobby potential.

In the Hobby Lobby

Do you ever feel like all the good hobbies are taken? I have been on the hunt for a hobby for the better part of 4 years, and to no avail. I suppose that to actively look for a hobby somehow defeats the purpose; aren't they supposed to be natural expressions of things we're good at? But I just can't seem to land on that one thing (one, at least, please!) that I can call my own. Sure, I'm good at some things like organizing (snoozefest) ... [long pause here while I try to think of things]... being a friend (NOT a hobby), reading (who doesn't?), skiing (I'm really great those 2 times a year), lounging (actually, I'm not so good at this because I'm too busy organizing), going to restaurants (great, I like to pay a lot to eat food) and I like to pick out greeting cards. See what I have to work with?

In talking to my friend Jessica (who, gratefully, is on the hobby hunt too), we realized that when we think of hobbies, we automatically think that they must be something creative. Things that come to mind: sewing, painting, knitting, cooking, taking photos, quilting, playing an instrument, building, writing... you get the idea. I enjoy dabbling in creativity, but with a creative husband and irritatingly creative friends, I'm just about always playing second fiddle (I did try playing mandolin... hobby potential TBD). I suppose a hobby doesn't have to be exclusively creative, but I would like it to reflect something I'm good at or something I enjoy--something unique to me.

So, what to do? Anyone have some good hobby suggestions? Here are some guidelines when proposing hobby ideas:

1. Not too expensive (I'm not about to buy a yacht or take polo lessons).
2. Not a huge time commitment (this should be a hobby, not a day job).
3. Fun (sorry, I'm good at organizing but I'm not going to file your old bank statements or check the expiration dates on your old spices).
4. No collections.
5. No scrapbooking.

That's it. Sounds easy, huh?

Mandolin 1 Rep

Well, I'm back at it. After a brief holiday/winter hiatus, I have resumed my mandolin lessons and have started the next class, Mandolin 1 Rep, at the Old Town School of Folk Music. At the end of 8 weeks, I hope to have expanded my repertoire, improved my picking skills and beefed up my calluses. And if all that fails, at least it will be spring.

The dynamics of this class are quite different: there are 12 students on the roster as opposed to a mere 3, and we meet for an additional 20 minutes (believe me, my fingers can feel the difference). I'm pretty sure that Mandolin 1 Rep is going to be the make-it-or-break-it factor in my mandolin career. There are definitely more experienced people in my class this time, and while it's good to have those to push you along, it's hard not to think of them as pushing you around. Every once in awhile, my competitive spirit kicks in and I think, I'm gonna do this thing, gosh darn it, no matter how much I have to practice. And then, in the next breath... argh, who am I kidding? I'm sure this battle is not unique to those learning something new. Sure, there are naturals, but most people are like me, right? This is the question I struggle with: do I have that special "something" beyond dedication, determination and practice (assuming I have those, of course), that will truly make me a decent musician? Is there a "something" at all? And if so, is it necessary for any functional musician, or is that "something" merely what separates the great musicians from the good ones? I guess when it comes down to it, I just want to know if it's possible for me. If I knew that, I would avoid the risk of wasting time and money. So, I guess I'm looking for a safe way to be a rock star without taking the risk of wasting anything. Boohoo.

This post sounds like the revealing ramblings of someone in therapy. That wasn't my intent, and despite what it may sound like, these thoughts aren't keeping me up at night. However, this does teach me some things about myself and our society, namely, I (we) expect FAST results and I (we) don't want to sacrifice a lot to get them. Of course, I need only look at the great artists of this age and those of ages past to realize how those expectations can only set me up for failure. So, I will play on.

Mandolin I | Class 1

This week I started taking mandolin lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music. I can't say exactly what inspired me to take on such a challenge other than I think the Old Town School is cool and I thought the mandolin might be cool. (And I want to be a rock star.) The Old Town School is a reputable, well known music establishment in the city. They offer a wide variety of classes (from instruments to voice to dance) and concerts, and they house the Different Strummer music store. And since it is within walking distance of my apartment, I thought I'd be remiss to not take advantage of this great resource in some capacity.

My class meets once a week for 8 weeks and there are only 2 other students besides me. So, for the price of a group lesson, I'm almost getting private training (let this not be a factor in any expectation you may have of my performance). Class 1 found us fumbling through some basic chords, followed by a timid execution of "Norwegian Wood" by the Beatles. Hey, at least we weren't attempting some folkish rendition of a nursery rhyme. Needless to say, I have plenty to work on for next Wednesday.

What are my goals, you ask? Aspirations? Well, in addition to launching a career as a traveling minstrel, I will faithfully attempt to debunk the stereotype that to be a mandolin player, you must look like this:


Hopefully, I have this one under my belt.

Dog Days

Every summer I try to adopt the mentality of living in the present. Summer arrives and the fun begins and then, before you know it, it's over. So I try to soak up every moment and be conscious of each day. Sometimes I succeed; sometimes I fail. But it's always a good reminder for me to look back at the summer's events and remember that we did indeed take advantage of those dog days. I know we still have some summer left, so all the more reason to be conscious of what we did and what we have left to do.

Celebrating Cristina's birthday in June

Fourth of July fireworks in Grant Park

A game of Cornhole (there have been lots of those)

Go Cubs!

Applying tattoos at our church's neighborhood block party

The Butterfly Conservatory at the Nature Museum

(Even the best of us can have an identity crisis)

The butterfly mating dance

Venetian Night at Monroe Harbor

Not just for secretaries...

While I admit that I am sometimes wary of yard sales (or tag sales, depending on where you're from), I also must admit when they do deliver. Andrew seems to have an internal radar for yard sales, always pointing them out and eagerly searching for his next treasure, while I try to distract him and steer him in the other direction. But alas, his trained eye proved to be most beneficial this weekend, and lucky for us both, I was nowhere within a fifteen mile radius. He has harbored a fascination for antique typewriters for some time now, and was fortunate to find this one for sale in our neighborhood for a great price.

Here is what we know about it:

Brand and Model: Underwood No. 5
Year: 1900s - 1920s
Description: The design that launched millions of typewriters! When it appeared on the market shortly before 1900, the Underwood No. 5 immediately became the design standard for all typewriters to come, all the way up until the 1960s when the IBM Selectric came out. This is the most successful typewriter design in history, and by 1920 almost every typewriter in production was using some imitation of the Underwood No. 5 design. The production of the Underwood Models 3, 4, and 5 lasted until early 1932. The differences among the three models are subtle: The No. 3 is a wide-carriage machine, the No. 4 types 76 characters, and the No. 5 types 84 characters. The No. 5 was the quintessential Underwood. Millions of these machines were used by secretaries, journalists, government officials, and writers throughout the first half of the twentieth century. The classic desktop. (Source: mytypewriter.com)


If you are or are discovering yourself to be a typewriter enthusiast, click on the graphic below to go to a very cool website.