Youth: The Essense of Christmas and New Years.

For Fans of Molly, Micah and the World's Most Serious Baby....

I helped capture a family picture on Christmas Day for my friends next door; it features all the "cast members" who were present in the area for a holiday. Remember the "Thanksgiving baby" from a few weeks ago?---well, here he is, all grown up. And...this is great!...it was just announced that this tiny baby has a new first cousin just born (in another city). Two brand new grandsons!

She Grows Up, Finally...

At 65 years old, I finally lost my fear of using the "good china" of my ancestors. (It's pretty and it's pretty old). I used it at Thanksgiving, an event with my friend and for Christmas. OK. This is liberating.

"Hobbes Would Have Wanted It...."

Hobbes was our recently deceased 20-year old cat fossil. We miss her, of course. So I put food out for a feline (this grey and white) which may or may not be feral. It skitters around the neighborhood and will not be social at all, which makes me fear it is outside in some pretty cold temperatures. So I feed it. Cats can be unrewarding clients... (sometimes the 'possum gets it's food.)

Frosty, Wintry Lake Michigan....

from the shore at Kenilworth. We live only about 7 miles from the lake and I work with a constant view of it. Rarely do we go for a closer visit.

Ravenswood and Lincoln Square neighborhoods in Chicago....

Artist You Should Know....Craig "TapeCat" McCudden

A gallery show this past weekend in Chicago, with Hubsy.

A Chorus Line...

From Hubsy's winter garden.

Another Time, Another Place....

I finished reading "Far Away and Long Ago" by W. H. Hudson. I like to read "19th Century Childhood or Pioneer Memoirs"; a recent example was "Clearing in the West", which I mentioned a few months ago. The English author of this book lived from about 1840-1920; he was born in the Argentine pampas country where his parents ran an estancia or ranchero til he was in his teens. Hudson was a life-long naturalist with a love of bird-watching. The book is full of his memories of the very colorful and exotic animals, plants and most of all, people that filled his early life. The narrative has a feel of Alice in Wonderland. His parents indulged their children with rather lenient discipline for the era; the kids had a lot of freedom to roam the pampas, riding bareback on their ponies after daily lessons taught by a series of inept tutors. A age 6 or 7, the boy came near to being killed and eaten by a wild pig while out riding alone! The foundation of the ranchero home was occupied by a multitude of snakes which moved about their area "speaking" to one another all night long. Strange observations of an extinct time and place. Even as the book was written, in the 1910's, the wild pampas was already turned to farm land.

After the Autumn Showers...

captured by Hubsy

We Don't "Want" Another Cat....

I mentioned that our elderly, long-time pet cat Hobbes finally passed away in mid-October. I'd rather not have the responsibility (for lack of a better term) for a new pet just now. This grey and white number has hung around for the past few months; it seems in good condition. I have fallen into the silly, old-lady habit of feeding "outdoor cats", and this one is glad for the hand-out. It is very anti-social and will not allow humans to approach. Perhaps it's feral.

Splendid Late Autumn Foliage...

captured, likely, on November 10; that's Hubsy and my niece, Flower Girl's joint birthday.

Is it Just me??

or do all American ladies, the day after Thanksgiving, say: "Thank goodness, it's over!"

Let Me Update You....

From Halloween: The Twins Molly and Micah: Molly decided to be an active shark for Halloween. Micah is the ashtonaut. Our Flower Girl is the Bride of Frankenstein. Popeye and Spider-lady appeared at my office.

Thanksgiving Baby and His Family..

My Garden-Loving next-door neighbor and her Hubsy plan to celebrate the holiday with a new Grandson! You've seen the little girls before: World's Most Serious and her big sister Alice. Here's what it looked like when the girls met their two day-old baby brother. Blessings Abound! PS: the photos are not mine; borrowed immediately from the Proud Grandparents!

Interesting Stops Along the Route....

I'm on my way back to work, after an early morning errand. I headed east on Lake, where I noticed the authentic, old time store front. Further on, after I turned south on Wells St., I reacquainted myself with this old, 1870's relic. Must have been built just after the Chicago Fire in 1871. Happily, it appears that the building was renovated and restored. A few years ago it was a wreck! I like that the renovation went so nicely in the lobby. There are few of those old "pre-skyscraper" buildings left; I'm obsessed with them. I wish I could get inside the lobby, but mainly the buildings are locked to outsiders.