blue

 "crazy hair" day.

fall

i've watched this house slowly fall apart during the past several years.

taste

today, i accidently grabbed someone else's coat when i went to lunch. when i exchanged it at the closet, i noticed that there were 4 very similar coats. i'm not sure if we all subscribe to the same chicago uniform? or if we all have very very good taste.

cello

friday means the cello goes to school with him. it's his first day.

cheers

me: we need to schedule our next lunch.

her: forget lunch, let's go get a drink.

routine

clearing the dishes. doing the homework. all in an evening's work.

run

sometimes living in oak park is like living in a movie. this afternoon, there was a definite juno vibe.

ties

we all 20 (or more) of us wrapped our wrists in soft orange wool for the last month of her pregnancy.  Baby Dashel was born yesterday into a magical circle of love.

pink

i was feeling overwhelmed today. not wanting to put much effort into anything this evening, and frankly, feeling resentful, i decided to walk onto my front porch and snap one picture. i was surprised by the pink streak across the sky and humbled by how lovely it was. i went immediately from resentful to appreciative.

mundane

we had tacos for dinner. and then i folded and put away the last of the laundry.

compose

sometimes the best dinners sort of sneak up on you.

leaves

after a summer of not reading very many books, i think i can once again call my reading habits voracious.

fire

my neighbor has been learning how to fire dance.  he puts on a pretty good show!

color

you know winter is just around the corner when you start having 20 minute conversations about what kinds of boots are best suited for chicago winters.

sporty

 

there is nothing like a couple of hours of soccer practice on a beautiful almost fall day to put a spring in your step.

socks

i've wanted a pair of lucky brand jeans for a while, but could never justify the price. yesterday, i found a pair in my size at the consignment shop for less than $20. boo-yah!

clear

my guy enjoying a new view of the world (& looking mighty cute, too).

rank

the us news and world report college rankings came out today. and this is what malcolm gladwell has to say about that.

http://www.ctcl.org/files/pdfs/RankingsNewYorkerGladwell-1.pdf

bike

someone got a new bike for her birthday. logged about 20 miles today just riding around town.

gratitude

Listening to NPR's report on poverty in America this evening while making dinner made me deeply grateful for our simple meal.

full

full moon at the end of a full day.

line

She was afraid that she wouldn't remember anything. But she did, and I got 2 thumbs up after class.

grill

100 degrees on a Friday night in September means we're cooking outside.

up

a 20 minute uplifting conversation in the middle of the afternoon is sometimes all it takes to find the energy for the last 90 minutes of the day.

Walk

In constant motion today.

color

"So look see the days; the endless colored ways; and go play the game; that you learned from the morning." :: Nick Drake

endings

It has been nearly three weeks since she announced her intention to stop playing viola, but I haven't been able to bring myself to return her instrument to the music store. Maybe tomorrow.

grocery

We love pears.

tattoo

It was Holly's birthday yesterday! (Someone celebrated with a dragon tattoo).

aftermath

cake (+ pie!) + cards + flowers = happy birthday. it's so nice to feel well celebrated.

toast

burnt toast resigned to the fate of the front walkway after being tossed from the kitchen door.

clear

a new opportunity presented itself this week; and now things aren't so clear.

homework

7th grade requires a lot more homework than 6th grade, but she's handling it all in stride.

window

we are falling back into our school routine nicely.

peachy

Getting a little help from my neighbors with the evening watering.

temple

frank lloyd wright was my age when he designed this building.

toes

First day of school means "me" time for mom.

summer

one of the best things about summer is standing over the sink, biting into a perfectly ripe peach, and letting the juice drip down my chin...arm...elbow.

farewell

My fabulous neighbor Naomi made a beautiful tart for her own farewell party. She's off to Cal in case you were wondering.

balance

the last few blocks, she walked barefoot.

home

 

Returning home after an evening meeting to a cheerful house full of family

west

We went to the book store in Estes Park yesterday. There was a woman standing at the register who mentioned she was visiting from St. Louis. Chris motioned to me and said to her, "We both used to live in St. Louis." The woman and I looked at each other and she said, "I know you...you look familiar." I said, "Tiffany...?" She said, "Yes...!" I said, "We were in the same birthing class...." and she said, "...eight years ago!" Our daughters were born 10 days apart and we even had a few play dates when they were babies.

Aubergine

Ratatouille for fifty requires a lot of eggplant.

stairs

I was at my favorite store today picking up a gift when one of the women who works there stopped me and said, "I love that skirt! You wear it very well." Shallow? Sure. But it made my day.

Treat

Sharing is lovely, but some nights call for a stealthily procured treat enjoyed alone.

porch

Tonight was the first time I realized that our evening porch-sitting days will eventually come to a seasonal end.

Play

Poker night at Alex & Paul's. I might be getting the hang of it.

lights

"Grace changes us and change is painful." ::Flannery O'Connor

try

i tried two new foods within a week - pork jowl (in austin) and octopus (in andersonville).

bridge

There is a lot to be said for a house right on the beach.