Friday Randoms

It is hard to believe that it is the end of February all ready!  Our days are full and evenings relaxed with family suppers and favorite television shows starting back up.    I still have been trying to decide whether to bring my big camera to Spain or just let our iPhones do the snapping.  Though I do not relish the thought of hauling it around, I am having a hard time thinking about being without it.  As a form of inspiration, I just signed up for a self-led online photography class to fine tune my skills, and solidify my decision to take amazing shots overseas.

:: When we were at the airport in California over the holidays, we stopped for coffee between flights.  On the menu was a dirty chai. Basically it is a chai tea with a shot of espresso, genius!  I had not seen this before, but I am here to tell you it is the. best.

:: A great rule of thumb and life lesson:  Why You Should Wait Five Minutes Before You React.

:: Oh my goodness!  I had no idea, and what a space saver!  5 Condiments That Don't Have to Be Refrigerated.

:: This overnight oatmeal, simple, and so good.  An instant family favorite for a quick, filling, healthy meal on any hectic morning!

Have a great weekend!

Weekend Excursion and Maturing Tastes

A quick trip down to Chicago this weekend was our first such excursion to Chi Town since the kids were much younger.  Now as the teen years overtake us, longevity and interests allow for quite a different experience.  We had a beautiful, jacket free day near 60 degrees and with the insanity from Friday's windstorm past we were left with a gentle 10mph breeze. A perfect way to get our winter dulled endorphins kick started.

We began at the Museum of Science and Industry.  It is a fantastic museum, but with the exception of a handful of areas, one we had done enough when the kids were small, they felt a bit like they'd outgrown it.  A major hit for Sidney was the Chemistry area, she walked in and said, "now this is my wheelhouse".  Then she had me load a periodic table to her phone so that she could see if she could remember how to calculate moles.  She was successful.

After a nice tapas lunch we walked downtown for a couple of hours with a stop at Millennium Park and a few obligatory photos at the bean.  All in all a great day.  It was perfect for seeing the different ways that our kids tastes are maturing, and get ideas for next time.

Hibernation and Awakening

I have always loved the change of seasons, each one with its own special something that I long for.  Winter is a time for hibernation that I love.  We are unable to work outside, so it is a forced time to not only rest but re-evaluate and plan.  I love the cozy candle lit evenings with the family.  Even during this rest in farm activity, life goes on.  There is great growth and great stress, laughter and tears, anxiety and relief.  It is the ebb and flow of life.  It is natural.  It is expected and accepted.  This year, the cocooning seems to have silenced my voice.  The words simply would not flow, ideas would come but never develop.

Then today is a 55 degree day with powerful 50 mph wind gusts that all but made the snow evaporate in a matter of hours.  The grass below is saturated but with a telltale hint of green that made my heart skip a beat.  Walking the property in the wind, watching the pigs frolic in the mud and the chickens finally take a few hesitant steps outdoors again, fed my soul in a much needed way.  It felt like an awakening.