A Similar Sweater

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Verona, Wisconsin, July 2016. I worked the sweater in the same pattern as this one. Here's the yarn; I used color "Latte."

"[W]e must be in the middle of a migration."

That's what usoniaboy said when he noticed how many goldfinches we have this year.

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Verona, Wisconsin, May 2014. The Redbud is starting to show some growth.

Loden Coats

I recently admired a boiled-wool jacket that a colleague picked up at a resale shop. The loden-green jacket reminded me of the coats Venetians wore during the foggy, Italian winter months. In the 1980s, men and women alike sported elegant Loden coats. I regretted that I didn't buy one of the coats back then, and I failed to pick one up when I visited the alpine town of Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1985. I later acquired a Loden coat here in the States, and I've worn it ever since.

Ah! Loden coats are making a comeback in Italy.

Bailey's Harbor, Wisconsin, July 2000. Mom considers sizing while I try on a Loden coat. I bought the coat, and I also picked up one of the matching Fedoras.

"Scottie Pinwheel"

Adorable.

Thanks to usoniaboy for pointing this out to me.

"Shetland" Ponies ...

... wearing Shetland, fair-isle sweaters.

Thanks to usoniaboy for calling attention to this article.

Casual Tweed

Suburban Chicago, December 1981. Dad is in a favorite chair in the Rec Room. A friend today wore a similar jacket, and I recalled how my Dad's wardrobe included many tweed jackets. He often wore one at home when he returned from work.

Thanks to my friend Kris for making this photo available to us.

Riverbed History

A drought reveals historical treasures.

(Via Boing Boing.)

Maywood Architecture

My childhood home stood on a street that ran perpendicular to the banks of the Des Plaines River. Across the river, to the east of our home, began the tony suburb of River Forest, and beyond River Forest, was elegant Oak Park.

Both River Forest and Oak Park are home to architectural gems. I attended high school in River Forest, and Mr. Irene's high school was in Oak Park. We each often rode past famous homes, including the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. My Mom made a house call to the William Winslow House.

Fewer people know about the architectural history of Maywood, the suburb that began three blocks to the south of our home. Many unaltered, historical homes—both Victorian and Prairie-Style houses—stand in Maywood. Today a friend pointed me to a new video, The Historic Homes of Maywood. It's worth a look.

(Via Chicago Curbed.)

Greenhouse Reunion

Madison, Wisconsin, June 2011. I visit with a friend at his new greenhouse.

General Manners: Share your blessings.

Suburban Chicago, April 1962. My babysitter admires me as I model one of my early nun habits. That's a costume that I resurrected often.

A Mild December

It's been unseasonably warm here so far this winter. The moderate temperatures even made it possible to spend more time outdoors.

Suburban Chicago, May 1961. I express an opinion as I circle the driveway.

UPDATE: In the comments, usoniaboy writes, "That's the same finger your grandmother used to show her displeasure... "

I agree. It's exactly the same gesture.

The Sound of Music

The Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies. Although we own a copy, it's always exciting when a network broadcasts the film during a holiday weekend. Old school.

I loved the movie before it morphed into the cultish subject of Rocky-Horror style sing-alongs. I fell for the film from the moment I saw it at the movie theatre, in 1965. The Sound of Music combined plot elements that drew me in easily: nuns, Nazis, World War II, romance, refugees, a wicked baroness, and, of course, Julie Andrew, the star of Mary Poppins.

My Best Friend and I staged a backyard production of the movie for the neighborhood. She played Captain von Trapp, and I was Maria. We sang the songs and ran around the Weeping Willows in the yard as though we were in the Alps. As our staging inched toward the five-hour mark, my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, pulled the curtain on our play.

When my Parents and I traveled to the German-speaking countries, our itinerary including a mandatory stop in Salzburg for a "Sound of Music Tour."

Today, I still remember the lyrics of many songs from the film. The other day, someone mentioned Christopher Plummer. A coworker and I burst into "Somewhere in My Youth" without hesitation.

I think the Ländler scene—in which the Captain leads a startled Maria through the steps on the traditional Austrian folk dance—remains one of the most touching moments captured on film.

Suburban Chicago, 1965. I engage in a "Maria moment" at my play table.