2011 in Review: Superbowl Sunday in Northern IL

...somewhere in the far N.W. Chicago 'burbs--near the Wisconsin border--a pristeen, sapphire and snowy chill helped make for a nice walk and pretty rustic photos before going in to the warm hospitality of our hosts for the party. Fun!

From the Front Door on Winter Evenings...

...one blue and one vibrant lavender sunset near soltice in Chicago-Land, USA  SkyWatch Friday

A Brand New Bird for the Blog...

A gorgeously handsome Yellow-Shafted Flicker visited the suet feeder this morning while I was at my desk and had my camera handy! I was just able to snap the photo as it was getting ready to depart in a hurry! The bird is larger and more dramatic than the other woodpeckers I've seen here, so far. Where is my Pileated Woodpecker opportunity? That is what I want to know.       It's on Critter Cam

"World's Most Serious Baby" Speaks Out....

"Oh, hi. Yes, I appear serious, but I'm just a very smart little kid, getting a grip on this new experience called "Life". I'm a semi-regular BlogStar; you may remember me from other posts like this.. I'm the second youngest of the Gardener's grandchildren. My big sister Alice just started going to pre-school (whatever that is) lately, and I like this since I get to play in her room with her toys when she is gone. So, you saw on the last post that we all got together last Saturday with my GP's, my Aunt and my Twin Cousins. Later, Aunt Grace came over too. Not sure exactly what they were doing, but everyone was busy making noise, laughing and mixing up stuff in bowls. Some of it tasted good, but mostly I watched and ate a graham cracker.

They did this activity all day, til I got tired of it, then Grandma and Aunt Grace played with me, fed me some lunch and I probably napped--I don't remember I was asleep. It's like that for a kid like me. Eventually, they produced quite a selection. Turned out, they were making cookies, which I understand!! Believe me, I understand a good cookie! The entire family is full of food scientists, so they know how to rock a kitchen!

I got to help, btw. I made lopsided, red-hots boobs on the gingerbread lady. lol. See, I'm not such a serious baby after all. One of the other kids put a ton of sprinkles on some cookies! Whoa! Then my aunt said to my grandma that when they were kids, they were never allowed to put too much sugar sprinkles on the cookies. (So, I learned, they've done this before!) How come it's ok now? she wanted to know. But Grandma just sighed and said, she guessed when you get to be a grandmother, you learn there are more important things in life than how many sprinkles a child puts on a Christmas Cookie. That makes sense... So, I watched all the action, I decorated a little and I ate and inspected. Quality Control. That's me.  Merry Christmas, World.

At The Gardener's House--with the new kitchen--

 Holiday yumminess prepared by a houseful of pink and pretty little children, learning while doing what they can...Micah is measuring baking powder, with Mom's help...

Micah manages a nice smile, as usual. He's a never-ending source of fun and he's developing a sense of humor of his own....

 This one is busy growing teeth and enjoying the results: the ability to nibble....

 ...while her big sister, Alice takes her role as chef seriously in her darling little hat. Here she's busy pounding a rolling pin onto a plastic bag of graham crackers...

 Molly and her Aunt are working on the same operation...first, the demonstration so that Molly...

...can take over and make lots of little crumbs. I think this was to be for some creamy, butterscotch and chocolate bar cookies. I couldn't stay long but I bet by the end of the day, the house was fully of sweet sugary aromas and the children were full of cookies.

Li'l Pearl ---and others---Want Electricity!

...photo taken by my daughter-in-law near their home in CA. Big wind damage! Huge skylight blown out at my son's school (no injuries since it happend at night); maybe electricity on Sunday.  Amendment and Correction!!!   Good Grief.  I'm told--haha, Mom the photo was from the LA Times!!!

More of the 2011 Review...Oblique..off balance...

...pretty strange cirrus sunset from Jan 2011. This photo was likely taken just as the sun was starting to come back to us in 2011. Bad news for Australia, I guess.