Well that was fun. I like this new style of Halloween celebration. It started last year when we were so deep in the covid crisis and everyone sat outside and handed out candy at a distance. I like sitting cozy in my garden bench while the kids ramble up and down the street. I tell…

Why do we need Hanukkah candy canes? And why do people paint over outlets? I've started another painting project – long overdue.

I took a nice walk at the Chicago Botanic Garden this week. It's starting to be less busy there – which is nice. All the workers were busy putting the garden away for winter. Blowing leaves, flushing out the irrigation system and pulling the tender plants out to go to the greenhouses. The English Walled…

Fall the black oaks flingtheir bronze fruitinto all the pockets of the earthpock pock they knock against the thresholdsthe roof the sidewalkfill the eavesthe bottom line of the old gold songof the almost finished yearwhat is spring all that tendergreen stuff compared to thisfalling of tiny oak treesout of the oak treesthen the clouds gathering…

Today I completed my first wood window restoration. I chose to work on a storm window on the side of our house as my first project. We don't see that side of the house too often so if I screwed up it wouldn't be so bad. But it turned out fine. I've learned a lot…

Here's what's been happening around our house this past week. I've been making slow and steady progress with my window restoration project. Both windows have the paint removed and I've sanded them. I also rubbed some boiled linseed oil into the wood because it was so dry. Part of the reason I'm moving so slowly…