Small Mercies
It’s been a tough fall. Tough schedule, tough travel, challenging projects (in mostly good ways), tough politics, tough times. But today I had such a rush of pleasure from the littlest things. That I needed the car and my loving spouse was willing to take the train (which he hates) and that we live in … Continue reading
Simplify
things are manic this fall. I’m teaching a night class; Beanie’s seeing evening clients; I’m traveling a bunch, especially right at the end of my talk tour season. We can go whole weeks without an evening at home. So normal nesting routines of slow roasted squash and seasonal charm will be seized in small moments … Continue reading
Living Beautifully
A year ago, I was uncertainly stepping into a new job. After floundering and soul searching and asking the darkness big questions (and finding myself even more afraid of the answers), I set myself a task. Over the course of several weeks, I paid attention. To what brought me joy, certainly, but also what brought … Continue reading
Things I Like — Social Media
Confession: Some days scrolling the endless supply of updates is plain old boring. Humblebrag: Some days housekeeping for your feeds and maintaining your “Expert” status is humdrum. Truth: But some days brim with genuine connection, shared moments, and emotion contagion that make it totally worth while. In case you’d like to delve into the mishmash … Continue reading
Things I Like — Sonja Thomsen
After success with free concerts, and my eternal love of free museums (fueled by my need to put pretty things in my eyeballs daily), I popped into DePaul University’s Art Museum. The semi-truck turned giant-pinhole-camera photographs were neat. But Sonja Thomsen‘s arresting explorations of light, prisms and rays stole the show. There was a large … Continue reading
Things I Like — Notes from Afar
Even though I love letters, I am a terrible correspondent. Ofttimes my lack of consistency becomes a point of self-flagellation (and later, entirely giving up). A vicious cycle. Every blue moon I manage to shake off the Shoulds and the Regulars and just drop someone a digital line. Not big enough to cover the lost … Continue reading
Things I Like — Free Music
I may bemoan the lack of free museums in this city, but summer heralds a cornucopia of affordable musical fare. Finally attended the Dame Myra Hess Concert series under the beautiful Tiffany dome at the Chicago Cultural Center. Bite-sized classics, today a cello sonata, for lunchtime listeners. (You can tune in live on WMFT‘s website … Continue reading
Things I Like — PRIDE
Windy City Bucket List Item #6: Big City Parade! Sunday we hopped to Boystown to celebrate this momentous, historic moment with laughter and Carnivale-worthy costumes. It was great catching Mardi Gras beads and just being silly. (The Village-People-styled ROTC unit dancing to Uptown Funk with choreographed rifle drills was freaking adorable.) But it wasn’t all … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 