Yummy Bug

Yummy Bug has become very, very popular in our house.  He is usually covered in drool and lives in a special bowl with a few other beloved smaller toys in our living room.  I don't know how we'd get through the day without Y.B.

First snow

The season's first snowfall crept in and back out again while we slept last night.  We awoke to a calm, quiet world that seems to hold a wondrous secret.  I hope that Ivy's first winter is a peaceful, happy one and I look forward to showing her the beauty of winter in her own backyard.

Driving Lessons

"What shall we do today, Dearest Sister?"

"Hmmmm.... let's don our Tuna Fish box helmets, hightail it to Quillin's and take a joyride down the cookie aisle.  Just let the fuzz TRY and catch us!"  
  

w00t - w00t!

(Um, manager, clean-up in aisle hilarious.)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

How `bouta kiss from your gorgeous offspring?

Autumn drive

This weekend was beautiful and instead of staying at home and addressing the things that need to be done in the house (finish Ivy's room, clean the kitchen, paint the stairway...), Kevin and I went for a long drive on Saturday afternoon.

We stopped for lunch in Baraboo and were pleasantly surprised to discover a fall art festival.  Artists and craftspeople were set up around the courthouse square.  

We opened the windows and drove along some country roads.

We stopped, briefly, at an apple orchard and rested with the honeybees. 

Content and sleepy, we headed home and realized that the best views are sometimes found right outside your own front door.

Birthday update

This just in: for his birthday meal Kevin chose a walnut burger at the Harmony and a glass of Spotted Cow.  And, we were still in our pajamas and on the couch by 8:00, watching Mary Tyler Moore on DVD.  (What a guy - he lets me choose what we watch on his birthday.)  We turn into couch potatoes during rainy, cold weather.

They say it's your birthday

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! I look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you and our little girl.

How should we celebrate your special day? Dinner at Buraka? Walnut burgers and Spotted Cow at the Harmony? Or shall we order a pizza from THE NICKEL, get in our pajamas at 7:00 pm, camp out on the couch, and watch Newhart on DVD?

Lazy Sunday

Kevin and I spent the weekend recuperating from colds and saving our reserves for our upcoming adventures with Ivy. October is here and the weather is changing; there is a chill in the air that didn't exist a week ago. Today was gray and rainy and, even though we roused ourselves out of the house for two walks, we spent most of the afternoon on the couch watching an old VHS tape of Star Wars. Kevin munched on popcorn, I worked on a blanket I'm knitting for Ivy, and Edgar nestled on our laps.

We also worked on Ivy's room and I emptied her closet of old clothes that I've been keeping for sentimental reasons. I finally got rid of all my Angelheart clothes from my Corning years when I was 10 pounds lighter and never should have worn all those loose, billowy, linen clothes in the first place. (My friend Kip, upon seeing the movie Star Trek: Insurrection, described the idyllic world of Ba'ku as "a planet where everyone wears Angelheart." Kip, Lisa and I made annual trips to the yearly Angelheart Barn Sales in Ithaca and, even though we've all moved on to more tailored clothes, I stored all those tired, wrinkled clothes as a way to stay connected to dear friends.)

Kevin just found our old VHS version of The Empire Strikes Back and he's put another bag of popcorn in the microwave. Today is a walk through time and aging technologies - a walk in linen, flaxen pants and long flowing, blouses. Live long and prosper!

do we have to push the car all the way to Switzerland?

It is true what they say -- the right pair of shoes really does make all the difference between a horrible day and a fabulous one.

Even the 3-year-olds in LaCrosse celebrate Oktoberfest! Keep your little fingers away from Friedrich's teeth, wee Mädchen.

Nut-Nut in the house

Lisa had no idea how badly her scheme would backfire when she made this shirt for Kevin last summer...

It always feels so natural and right to have Lisa in our house. She gracefully slides into our days and routines and when she leaves us the house continues to reverberate with her energy. We're so glad that she stops and recharges with us for a few days when she's on her cross-country trips and, while we're glad she won't be making them for a while, we're sad knowing that her little biodiesel VW, always loaded with treasures and organic spinach, won't be pulling into our driveway any time soon.

Look what I've got!

A daughter!  To learn more about our little girl, Ivy Kestrel, check out her blog!  

Happy Birthday, Marjorie!

Hier is your Geschenk!

xoxo, K & S

Nine years ago today...

Nine years ago today I married my best friend in a small chapel on the shores of Seneca Lake in New York State. It was a beautiful early fall day and that night we were blessed by a sliver of September moon and dancing northern lights.  I still am overwhelmed with joy when I think about all our loved ones who gathered with us on our most special day.  Thanks to everyone who has been with us and supported us throughout our life together.  We're looking forward to our next adventures on this wonderful journey.

First day of preschool

Who can turn the world on with her smile?

Our sweet little niece is growing up and started preschool last week.  She is a kind hearted, optimistic and compassionate little girl and she makes this world a better place.  We are very proud of her and look forward to hearing more about her busy mornings at school!

Firste daye of Kindergarten

Our godson is fortified and prepared for his first day of kindergarten.  

As a novice to the world of public education, he shall pick up all his toys, keep his hands to himself at circle time and will polish his school-day armor at the end of each and every day.

Godspeed, younge knight.  You already make us very proud.

Thanks, Mom & Dad...

... for the past 40 years.  I love you both.

xoxo

Shawn

Baby, I've got your number

... and I know that you've got mine.  

Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

Thanks for the birthday breakfast, Mom & Dad!  We had a wonderful weekend with the two of you and we appreciate your making the trip to MadTown on this holiday weekend.  The next time you're here we'll have to pick up where we left off and continue eating our way down Atwood Avenue.  There are more restaurants (and many more calories!) to encounter!  

Yo, we're back from Jersey. What's it to ya?

When other people go to Manhattan, they shop on 5th Ave. and go ice skating at Rockefeller Center.  When Kevin and I were in the City last weekend, we visited the hallowed ground of the Humanities & Social Sciences branch of the New York Public Library.  (You know, the picturesque building with the lion statues that flank the grand front entry.  The photo at the left was taken in the outdoor vestibule of the building right before the library opened.) The weather was glorious and we spent a lot of time in beautiful city parks.  (This park is pretty great, too.)  We had dinner, drinks and laughs with dear friends in Queens and we toasted and celebrated all of our futures. 

When we weren't walking around the city, pretending that we lived there, we spent our time with Kevin's family in New Jersey.  I met an aunt, two uncles and several cousins for the first time.  They're all fun people and I loved how everyone had a nickname like Butchie, Chum-Chum and Uncle Funny. I also loved how Uncle Sonny kept re-filling my glass with Pinot Grigio.

It's good to be home and our own little lions were very happy to see us when we walked through the door earlier this afternoon. Here's a video that captures the essence of the weekend - look out, though, my father-in-law sings a **very bawdy** song in the middle of the clip, which I know that some of my ribald friends will definitely enjoy.

 

Community gardens along the Eastside bike path, late summer

During the years when we were away from Madison I used to have vivid dreams about the community gardens that line the east side Capital City bike path.  These dreams about wistful hollyhocks and towering sunflowers were always accompanied by the faint scent of dill and sweet basil.  I've now been home for 7 years and this bike path is just a few blocks from our house.  Here are some photos of the bike path during my favorite time of the year, late summer.  This slideshow is for Amy, Asa, Gary, Kimi, Marjorie, Maureen, Caroline, Kersten and everyone else who has bicycled or strolled along this path.

She's back!

Kimi's back in town this weekend - look out, Dubuque, here we come!

Tonya and Dan - we promise that we'll be on our best behavior at your wedding. We're looking forward to seeing the LaCrosse gang and we can't wait to celebrate with you both on your very special day.

I do not want to snuggle

No, thank you. I do not want to snuggle.

Tell you what... how about I bite your ankles as you're getting into the shower instead?

Aren't you late for work? You'd better get going. I'll see you when you get home. Buh-bye, now. Oh - don't forget to bring home some of those amazing little toy mice. I need to tear something apart.

Let's snuggle!

Do not go to work today - stay home with me and rub my furry wittle tummy. Let's stay in bed all morning and pretend that we don't hear anyone when our names are called. We can watch cooking shows on channel 38 and then, after that scary UPS truck rumbles by, we can hide in the basement behind the water heater until Daddy comes home and serves us our delicious dinner.

You can feed me tasty treats all day long! Look at how adorable I am when I play with my puffy pink pom-pom ball! How can you resist? I'm cute! I'm Twyla! Mmmmeeeeeeeeeeeewwww!

Lions in the living room

This is what happens when a 15-year-old long-haired cat gets matted fur in the summertime in our house:  

It's the return of the Lion Cut!  Rooooaaarrrr!

"In the bun-ga-low, the quiet bun-ga-low, the lion sleeps tonight" (in our bed).

Happy Anniversary, Kimi & Marjorie!

Kim & I met our freshman year in college and we were polar opposites. Kimi was loud and outgoing and she made me nervous; she was athletic and a fast talker. I, on the other hand, dressed all in black and read the American Transcendentalists by a single beeswax candle in my quiet dorm room and often gazed out my window, sighing and wishing that I was able to meditate upon the wind-swept heath instead of the dumpy apartment complex across the street. Despite our differences, Kimi and I constantly found ourselves with one another and we realized that we needed each other; deep, true friends, we helped one another grow up and mature and we've always fiercely protected and supported one another. The lovely Marjorie and I seem to be cut from the same cloth. We're both Virgos and find strength and purpose through our emotions. We're continually amazed by our commonalities and, even though she humors me and I believe that Kim listens to me when I (constantly) tell her what to do, I know that Marjorie is the one who has her ears and truly, eternally, her heart.

Dorothy and Me

I recently returned home from the annual American Library Association conference, which was held this summer in Anaheim, CA. This was my first trip to Anaheim and I was pleasantly surprised that I was not overwhelmed by the exhausted families who seem to endlessly pour from the Disneyland Park, which was right across the street from our hotel. My friend & roommate, Jean, and I went to Disneyland on our first night in CA and we had a blast.

One of the best things about going to these conferences is meeting up with friends from all parts of the country. I was happy to run into my dear friend, Mrs. Dorothy Evans, on the first official day of the conference. Dorothy and I served on the 2007 Caldecott Award committee and we've been good friends since the very first day our committee met in San Antonio back in 2006. Dorothy retired from the Chicago Public Library last year. She worked at the library for 64 years and she spent over 50 of those years as a children's librarian. Dorothy is loved and respected by so many people and I'm honored to be one of her friends. Dorothy and Kevin have a nice relationship, too, and I think that she was a little disappointed when she learned that he didn't travel with me this year. Dorothy is an inspiration and I hope that I acquire a similar sense of grace as I grow into my own life.

Read On, Wisconsin!

(left to right: Tessa Michaelson - Cooperative Children's Book Center; Me!; First Lady, Mrs. Jessica Doyle; Amy Alt - MATC Preschool; Karen Radtke - Milwaukee Public Library)

I've served on the First Lady's Literacy Advisory Committee for the past two years. It's a wonderful committee that chooses books for the statewide children's and teens' book club, Read On Wisconsin. The committee meets once a year and we divide ourselves into small sub-committees and choose books for kids of different ages. I usually serve on the committee that chooses books for the youngest kids and this year I worked with a great group of women to determine the books that Mrs. Doyle will introduce to preschool teachers and parents of very young children. This is always a beautiful, inspiring day spent at the Governor's residence

and I'm thrilled to live in a state in which the First Lady is a strong proponent of reading and children's literature. I'm proud of the books that we chose for the 2008-2009 school year and I hope that we're able to introduce meaningful books to some young children and their families. Read with a child! And, as we say in the great state of Wisconsin, Forward!

Sunday morning workout

Capture your youthful looks with these 6 easy steps:
1. Rise at dawn and wake up all the adults in the house. This is accomplished with much crying that is expertly balanced with extreme cuteness.
2. Choose some morning workout music. A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action by Elivs Presley will do.
3. Grab Aunt Shawn's weights and strike a pose.
4. Hold a pout for 5 seconds. Then take weights from little sister and shake your groove thang.
5. Eat 4 tiny bites of oatmeal with mashed blueberries.
6. Power nap at 11 am.

Just the Two of Us: At the Terrace

Kevin and I spent a long, languid evening at the Union Terrace last weekend. We drank a few glasses of Spotted Cow, listened to some great music and soaked in the splendor of early summer on Lake Mendota's shores. And, just when when we thought the night couldn't get any better, the band played some great old Bill Withers songs. Our Best of Bill Withers cd helped us get through the difficult, painful time when we briefly lived in Memphis and if I ever meet Mr. Withers I'll tell him that Use Me Up and Just the Two of Us probably saved my life in the early months of 1996.

Dreamkeepers

Half-way between our house and the State Capitol building, just off the bike path, nest the Dreamkeepers, two massive iron birds and a gaggle of their chicks. I used to be terrified of these sculptures, particularly on dark, moonless nights when I scurried by these sentinels with the car windows securely closed, until I learned that they were created with the intent to protect sleepers from restless dreams. As an incurable insomniac, I've found some solace from these creatures that protect and, admittedly, at times, terrify.

K & I rode past the Dreamkeepers on Saturday when we biked to the farmer's market. We locked our bikes and then joined the throngs of thousands who made their way to the Square on this Memorial Day weekend. We often get frustrated with the crowds, the slow strollers and the red wagons that run over our toes, but we found our patience this weekend and moved with the flow. We ate a leisurely breakfast, ran into friends and made a list of herbs that we want to plant in our garden later in June. It was a great morning and was a fitting way to ring in the season.

Congratulations, Rowdy and Dan!

Three cheers for my soul-brother, Rowdy, and the beautiful, lucky, Daniel. I have extensively written about this joyous event in my Book of Schemes. Please let me know when you want me to deliver a stellar version of "You are the Wind Beneath My Wings" at your tasteful, seaside ceremony. This has been a week of wonderful news! Thank you, California!

Welcome to the world, Baby Kai!

I already love you very, very much, Precious Kai.  Some day I promise to dance and twirl with you under Finger Lakes skies, but until then I'm sending my love to you and your parents in Corning, NY.   I can't wait until I meet you in person and hold you in my arms.  I'll tell you about all your wonderful parents and how much I miss them each and every day.  

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Take some time to relax and enjoy your special day, Dad.   We promise to give you a break and will not ask you to help us build fences, lay floors or install new electrical outlets on your birthday.  Kevin will move this giant concrete tube all by himself today.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom -

Cheers!  

Aren't you glad that you're in balmy North Dakota instead of freezing your toes off in WI this weekend, Mom?

And very special Mother's Day greetings to Kersten, Kip and Mosie!

Monty's for dessert

If you're looking for some standard diner fare in Madison, you can't go wrong with stopping at Monty's Blue Plate Diner for a cup of vegetarian chili, a down-home meatloaf platter or a piece of carrot cake.  While there's better food at other restaurants in town, the atmosphere at Monty's is quintessential quirky Mad-Town.  Those of us who live in the neighborhood know that Dobahn and the Mermaid Cafe are actually the best places to spend Sunday mornings, but we rarely steer our friends away from The Diner.

Kimi, this one's for you.  I hope that all the Madison natives enjoy this photo of Monty's in the spring.

Adventures in remodeling: chapter 1 - Insulation!

In late 2004 Kevin & I moved into my dream house.  We now live in the house that, when I was in graduate school in the mid-90s,  I used to imagine being mine - someday.  In 1994 our house had two large topiary trees in the front yard that were trimmed into the shape of giant teddy bears and the house was called, fittingly, The Teddy Bear House.  These trees are now long gone, removed by the previous owners, and K. and I have spent the past 3 years working on the interior and re-landscaping the yard.  This summer we're turning our attention to the exterior and plan on painting the house and adding columns to the front porch to add era-appropriate elements to our 1924 craftsman bungalow.

Our 84-year-old home, a house that has withstood many Wisconsin winters, has never been insulated and we decided that we needed to insulate the house before we paint it.  Gentle giant men arrived late last week to begin the insulation installation and I was fascinated by the entire process.  I was especially excited to see the original wood siding that has been covered for 50 years by the current siding that we'll paint later this summer.  Beneath a layer of 1950's mint green (probably lead) paint we found hints of the original color of the house - a beautiful rich, golden ochre.

The exterior work is our project for the summer and I'm sure that I'll be boring everyone to tears and talking about nothing but column construction and how difficult it is to choose the perfect shade of warm woodsy green for the main exterior color.  But for now, check out the exciting 17-second video of the insulation installation.  For a moment, I thought that it was snowing again and that winter had returned.  Don't worry, environmentalists - the guys cleaned everything up very well at the end of the day.  Dad - I know that you'll dig this video!

Spring has sprung

Spring is finally here to stay in Madison.  Our tulips are fading and dropping their once brilliant petals and I'm waiting for the lilacs to bloom. We need flowers and color after the long, cold, snowy winter.  It was an extremely difficult season, one of frozen kitchen pipes, tired car batteries and ice-clad city streets.  We're all tentatively venturing from our homes, blinking at the sun and green grass, and sharing stories of winter heroism.

Spring is a good time to begin new projects, so I'm starting this blog as a way to keep in touch with my dear ones in all parts of the world, to share Madison anecdotes with friends who have moved away from the city and as a very public writing exercise.  

Thanks for joining me on the ride!