This weekend brought the GO! St. Louis Marathon Weekend to our house. And if I could describe it in one word, it would be…different. Not bad different. Just different. For starters, and most obviously, the start and finish points physically changed from the Union Station area on Market Street to directly under the Arch. It…
Category: if you lived here
Saturday With Degas
This morning I headed to the art museum for Degas, Impressionism, and the Paris Millinery Trade, a remarkable exhibit examining Degas’ study of millinery production in Paris. While he was famous for his dancer subjects, high-fashion hats and the women who made them were the focus of a lessor-known period in his career. This exhibit is the…
Found
Nemo! I live for photos like this. And this. A leprechaun dinosaur in the neighborhood. Weird people are awesome.
Snowy Saturday in the Garden
Plot twist! Earlier this week, temperatures were comfortable, flowering trees were glorious, perennial buds were opening, and then….boom. Snow. But I decided to make the most of it and had a date with my camera at the Botanical Garden. I wasn’t the only one with the idea; there were several photographers strolling along the grounds. One gentleman was so…
Little Butterflies
“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.” Sunday afternoon with my Little Sister at the Butterfly House and the Faust Park merry-go-round. Almost 60 degrees in February. What a wonderful day. We even spotted snowdrops blooming and a little bee friend. It’s hard to believe she’s been my Little Sister for a year now!
Just Gotta Look Around
“Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” – Camille Pissarro, painter Tiniest old church tucked in a rundown area… Smiles from a building under construction… Random dominoes embedded in the pavement in the middle of an intersection. Beautiful blessings abound for those willing to take the time…
Icy Stroll Through Laumeier
Photos just don’t do this justice. The ice makes everything look so beautiful. Another bonus? I had the entire park to myself. Somebody is missing this, I’m sure. Somebody else is missing this.
Blessings on Ice
This is Archie, the resident cat of our neighborhood hardware store. He was overseeing shopping preparations last night as people poured in to buy flashlights, batteries, candles, water, etc. Not only is he a hard-working kitty, he’s a big, purring love bug. With a three-day icy forecast, I stocked up on everything we needed to settle in…
Let Your Heart Be Light
Our annual trip to the Way of Lights at Our Lady of the Snows looked and felt a little different this year. Our car was a little more crowded with some new faces. But that’s the great thing about love — the more we give, the more we have. The circle can always be expanded. New…
Somewhere Between Darn Good and Dumpster Fire
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language, and next year’s words await another voice.” – T.S. Eliot I’m currently sitting in the hospital waiting room for my youngest’s marathon MRI session to end. Rather than stew for hours in fear and anxiety, I’m opting to put together my annual year-end review post. Honestly,…
Time to Glow
Started the season off at my favorite place with one of my favorite events — the Garden Glow! I took my Little Sister and her mom with me in celebration of my Little’s birthday (after a trip to Build-a-Bear). It was my Little’s mom’s first trip to the Garden, let alone the Garden Glow. She…
Sunday Stroll in the Garden
“Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.” – William Cullen Bryant
Onward.
“If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. The Girls on the Run 5k was this weekend. As I indicated a few days ago, discouragement had given me reservations about running….
Saturday Stroll
The first Saturday in November brought temperatures in the 70s. So there was no option but to get outside. And off to Laumeier I went. The fall colors haven’t been great this year, but it’s still beautiful and interesting. I have no idea what this sculpture is all about, but I love this photograph. This…
Signs of the Season
The leaves have been as reluctant to change as the temperatures have been slow to drop. But one thing is for sure, the days are gradually growing shorter — and my runs are getting darker. And over the past few days, I’ve noticed some sure signs of the season’s transition. Resident chipmunk or neighbor’s squirrel…
Behind the Scenes With Big Cats
“My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.” – Diane Arbus Yesterday I took my Little Sister on an adventure at our zoo for a behind the scenes tour of Big Cat Country! What a great time! Neither of us had ever done this before. When we first walked up to the exhibit…
Distracted Runner
A couple of really good runs this weekend brought the most distractions I’ve had in awhile. It was remarkable. I didn’t even get photos of everything. I marvel at some of the random stuff I find along my routes. After four years, I just now spotted this peace sign — the fourth one of these…
Hey, I Have an Idea!
An 80 degree day and an outing with my Little Sister? Yes, please. The original plan was to go to the zoo, but I had a last-minute idea. Typically, the five most dreaded words in my household are “Hey! I have an idea!” But every now and then, my ideas pan out. Sometimes even some…
You Are What You Notice
A cat’s purr in my ear. An easy morning commute. Homemade pumpkin bread. A thoughtful note from a friend. Rainbows appearing at my feet. Texts from both of my kids at the exact same time. The arrival of a new issue of my favorite magazine. Sparkles dancing under a bridge. A cute couple picnicking under…
It’s the Japanese Festival!
Got to spend the afternoon at one of my very favorite places with some of my favorite people. Today our Botanical Garden was host to the annual Japanese Festival. Bonsai displays, art, demonstrations, food, flowers, Japanese product vendors…there was a lot of neat stuff. We were surprised by how many people dressed in ethnic costumes for the…
Art Adventure
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he* grows up.” – Pablo Picasso *or she. Sorry, Pablo. Check out my Little Sister, the artist! You can see her handiwork on this wonderful metro bus (in partnership with the Saint Louis Art Museum), along with the handiwork of lots…
Good to Go
Despite any drawbacks or concerns accompanying pop culture’s Pokemon Go craze, I will say this: I have never seen so many public spaces being utilized by so many people. Especially young people. I’ve had many a Sunday stroll through Laumeier Sculpture Park, and it’s typically a pretty solitary exercise. Not today. I’ve never seen the place so…
Patterns, Shapes, and Hidden Things
Try to find patterns, interesting shapes, and hidden things. That was my photo challenge to myself early this morning when I went to the Botanical Garden. I also confined myself to the front of the garden, with a boundary of the pools near the climatron. My favorite subject, the Japanese Garden, is beyond that boundary. But…
Life Lately…
…it’s been busy around here. Within the past few days, my kids and I have seen Coldplay in concert… …saw the Legends of the Dome game (the Rams’ last hurrah in St. Louis. Thank you, Isaac Bruce.)… …including VIP passes and an autograph session… …and went to the ballpark with my Little Sister for Build-a-Bear night….
For One Minute…
…walk outside. Stand there… …in silence. Look up at the sky… …and contemplate… …how amazing life is. (Have we had the most amazing clouds lately or what?)
hey there, friends 