Just another weekend walk for Bea.
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This makes the third time I’ve written a post like this. We are slowly starting to move to Switzerland… again.
Brian will be moving there part time rather soon. And Claire and I will hold down the fort here in the US until she is done with high school.
The idea is to start the clock ticking in the procedure for long-term residence as Brian looks forward to his retirement.
That’s the plan anyway.
Straddle the ocean with our family.
There will be some cycling.
So Brian has been plodding along the path to getting his visa and residence permit. Doing it with the help of his employer is much smoother than all the stress we went through with Bea*. I guess it also helps that he will be helping with you know… commerce.
*Bea’s process is not done – still waiting for her student visa
All this to say, here is a photo of photos I took this morning. I was gathering some stuff together to mail off to the consulate and I came across all these old extra passport photos.
The fam will be so pleased that I’ve posted these gems. But seeing them spread on the table told a story that I could not ignore.
I mean look at my girls! I was pregnant with Claire in that photo. Also, why does Brian look like he’s about to murder someone in the bottom corner photos?
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Claire made me a yummy cake.
Bea sent a photo of a swan (I love swans)
And Brian took me to The Lyric Opera
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I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden and the fading mums caught my eye.
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I’ve been working on a new sweater – a cable knit sweater. This week I discovered I can do it! And I’m having so much fun.
This is the top back – I’m making good progress.
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Last weekend was mostly good.
My maple tree was at it’s peak. I love when the yellow fills the windows of my green dinning room. Although photos never capture just how bright it is.
As I packed up my Halloween decorations I got rid of a bunch of stuff that doesn’t seem worth saving (now that my kids aren’t little). All down to a box and a plastic pumpkin and a big jack-o-lantern cutout that goes on my door. That feels good.
Claire had Friday off and made some macarons for her friend who just had foot surgery. Yum!
We had a little frost earlier in the week and my zinnias still looked pretty.
I got to spend the weekend with mom – Jennifer dropped her at our house on her way to visit Jenna at Madison. And then we got snow! It was very pretty covered in yellow leaves.
The bad thing that happened over the weekend is something that I just want to put down here to remember in the future. ICE (immigration and customs enforcement) and federal agents have been in Chicago reeking havoc and stealing people off the streets in the most inhumane way. Over the weekend things got very close to home when they came to my neighborhood and cruelly took some landscapers away. They were adjacent to Bea and Claire’s elementary school! Across from Thornwood park where we used to go to play all the time. This is a five minute walk from my front door!
The weekend before I picked up a whistle and a brochure when I was in downtown Wilmette. Lowly little whistles have become a powerful tool and symbol to everyone who is trying to resist. So I have been wearing mine whenever I go out – just in case I happen to see something and as a symbol of my support for immigrants in the United States.
I hate what is happening to our country at the moment – I’ll just leave it at that.
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Last week I came home from knitting class and went a little paper cutting crazy. I made some paper illustrations/art of knitting stitches.
This one shows knit stitches on one side and purl stitches when you turn it over.
I’m going to put a couple of these in our local little free art gallery. They were just fun to make and they give me a better understanding of how stitches fit together.
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It’s well into November and I just put away my bird bath fountain yesterday. I set up the heated birdbath even though it hasn’t been near freezing yet.
My Hairy Alumroot is blooming and looking lovely.
I’ve brought a few Zinnia blooms in so I can save the seeds. This makes me think of my Grandma Dice. She saved her Zinnia seeds and always delighted in what colors and shapes grew up the next year.
Fall makes me want to turn to some serious knitting. I’m starting a cable sweater – my first try at cable knitting. Here’s one of my guage swatches. Tonight I have my knitting class – so glad I have my teacher to guide me through the process.
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Bea continues to send beautiful photos as she explores her new home. These recent photos show that the snow has arrived in the mountains.
We often have long text exchanges that make me laugh – or sometimes she will Facetime me and it’s so good to see her face. Last week she wanted to make Zopf. I gave her my recipe and talked her through the process over a few hours.
Look how great it turned out!
This week Bea has her Fall break so Brian went over to visit. She asked me to send a few things along with Brian. Things like some of her pens and a hat and scarf and also binder clips. Binder clips are not readily available over there. I made a little felt bowl to put the clips in. I have such an urge to make her a quilt or something homey but I can’t since she doesn’t want to accumulate lots of stuff right now.
Anyway, here are a few photos from Brian and Bea. They have been traveling around Germany as Bea can’t leave the country while her Visa stuff is still being processed. Nuremberg, Leipzig, Potsdam and I can’t remember what other cities they will visit.
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Halloween looks a little different around here these days – nobody is dressing up and I put up fewer decorations. But I do enjoy some of our traditions like handing out candy and making pretzels.
And I picked my volunteer pumpkin – it grew all by itself from a pumkin that I tossed along the side of the house last year. It didn’t get a chance to turn orange but that’s ok it was big and heavy and I enjoyed carving it.
And here are the pretzels – just a half batch. I made a few snacky things to go with them and we had a nice fire in the fireplace. We didn’t have as many trick-or-treaters as last year even though it was a lovely evening.
Laowai 