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My dear friend Laily has always had an eye for fashion and design, as evidenced by her blog and personal style. A while back she suggested a number of blogs to me, all of which were inspiring and interesting to read. One of those blogs is {this is glamorous}, which Laily recently joined as a contributor.
Check out her first post, where she interviews Chloë Sevigny in person. I am looking forward to her future work!
Today is the first day of the Nineteen-Day Fast. I came home from Baha’i Feast last night around 9:30 pm, thoroughly exhausted but happy from spending time with the Baha’is in my local community. I baked banana bread, as the bananas were turning brown and I had very little food for breakfast the next day.
I often set up my breakfast the night before, since I’m not quite functional at 5:30 am. I cleaned the kitchen, and as I picked up the electric griddle from the counter, the drawer where bacon grease drains fell onto the floor.
Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but a few days ago I had poured boiling water on the griddle to clean it off, so the bacon grease was in liquid form and covered my entire kitchen floor in bacon grease water. At 10:30 PM. And I needed to wake up at 5:30 am.
I promptly started cleaning the floor. As soon as I was done, I picked up the griddle again…and apparently all of the water was not drained, because it spilled AGAIN.
I had to wash my floor for the second time in one evening. I think I learned my lesson.
My griddle is trying to kill me.
There are some exciting developments in the worlds of Nineteen Months and Nineteen Days.
First of all, we have completed our first year of Nineteen Months! You can see the photos for the month of Loftiness here. We are looking forward to the next year of photos, and will be doing great things with the site. Announcements will be made in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
Nineteen Days has announced its photographers for the 2011 Fast, and have dedicated this year’s project to the Baha’is who live in Iran. I am sure that the photos will be amazing, as always. Check for daily updates from March 2-21.
Tomorrow is the last day of Ayyam-i-Ha. I spent the weekend with friends and family, ate way too much food, and worked on a service project with my junior youth group. They baked cookies and brownies for the fire and police departments of Wilmette as a thank you for the service they do for the community, then had the opportunity to tour the facilities.
I watched the Oscars last night with a group of friends, which is much more fun than watching it alone. Even so, it was often painful. You wonder at the amount of money being spent, and how difficult it seems to be to find hosts in an entire city devoted to entertainment.
On Monday night I received a call at 10 pm that my paternal grandfather, Richard Loehle, had passed away. He was 87 years old and was a successful artist and writer from Georgia. My home is full of his paintings and those of my grandmother Betty. They met in art school in the 1940s in Tennessee, lived in Chicago and Georgia, and supported their family of 4 children through their art.
I was about 1 month old in this photo with my grandparents. Since I was the first grandchild, I received a lot of attention from them.
When I was little, we lived 3 hours away, so I had many opportunities to spend time with them. In this photo, I am with my grandfather in the family room of their home.
Granddaddy taught me how to build things, and he loved explaining how things worked. I remember when he and my dad built a swingset for us in our backyard, taking walks in the forest behind their house, and catching turtles and crawfish in the creek.
Granddaddy was a tough man who lived through the Depression and World War 2, a descendant of German immigrants. He played the trombone in high school, which I then played for a year because I wanted to play the same instrument. We would get into lively discussions about all sorts of topics, from art to books to religion.
Rest in peace, Granddaddy.
A gathering of souls, meeting to discuss the future, full of excitement. You can see what the world might look like one day, if we strive hard enough.
News of my great-aunt’s passing at the age of 94. Maryam Saniei Firouzi, wife and mother of martyrs, servant of the Faith, loved by her entire family. I was able to visit her a few weeks ago, and I know she is now reunited with her family, so my sense of sadness is overtaken with joy that she has been released from this life.
The sun is finally shining today. Accomplishment in my tasks, the week isn’t over yet but I know that it is all perfect, no matter what.
I “suited up” and braved the snow and cold (it is 23 F outside right now) to take photos. Obviously it isn’t a good idea to drive yet, so I stayed local. Everyone that I saw was smiling & friendly. Most businesses were closed, but the grocery store was open.
The roads near me have mostly been plowed:
But there were places where the snow was nearly up to my waist.
My car is trapped, we’ll see how much I’ll have to shovel in the morning.
See more photos on my Flickr page.
And now the cleanup begins. This is what I woke up to today at 9 am:
By 11 am, I ventured downstairs to do laundry, opened the back door to see this snowpile AS TALL AS ME. Our snow removal service was working in the middle of the night and is still out front trying to get us out.
The front door is completely blocked, there is a snowdrift at least 3 ft tall. Had to take this through a window, you can’t really open the doors. The mailbox across the street is nearly buried.
I’ll venture out later when the wind dies down and I can actually take my DSLR out. These were all taken with my cameraphone, and I’d like to give you some perspective on what it really looks like. Some places are reporting 17-20 in of snow, the airports are pretty much shut down, and 1,000 cars were stranded on Lake Shore Drive last night. So glad I had no reason to be out last night and today. Hoping everyone stays warm and safe!
I have been home since 3 pm today. You may have heard that Chicago was anticipating a blizzard. Well, the wind is the strangest part for me right now. Everything is white outside my window at the moment, and snowdrifts are starting to build:
I took this video at 9 pm. It is much louder and more windy now, a solid wall of white, no visibility. I am wondering how crazy the world will be when I wake up. I’ll definitely take my DSLR out to take photos.
Something about storms like this, the hibernation, the silence, how everything shuts down…it is surreal. I haven’t had any power outages (thank God), and I have a ton of food, so I am just cozy in my little cave here. Obviously I won’t be at work tomorrow, so I put everything on a USB drive to work on from home. Will try to keep you updated!
She hasn’t heard your voice in years and years
the softly whispered tones
She had enough of the lovely tears
and every night alone.
She hasn’t slept with peaceful dreams
there has not been a moment’s rest
She struggled with the lonely schemes
and the multitude of tests.
Once she saw the shadowed skies
in blue and black and white
She saw the settled lies
in such a different light.
July 2009
September 2009
October 2009
December 2009
January 2010
March 2010
April 2010
June 2010
August 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
I’ve been trapped at home for the last week and a half with a nasty cold that is now subsiding after powerful antibiotics and enforced rest. As a result, my couch has a Sholeh-sized indentation in the middle, my back is killing me from lack of exercise, I ran out of Internet, and I started talking to the walls. I really have to thank the wonderful people in my life who have done such an amazing job taking care of me, making sure I eat, and making me laugh even when I’m coughing my lungs out. Thank you. Really.
For those of you who are curious, I spent New Years Eve watching all three Back to the Future movies and eating terrible Thai food. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Here are some things that are not insanity-inducing that I thought you might like.
-Free download of some awesome music from Made in Heights (my friends Kelsey and Saba). Go. Now.
-Photos for the month of Speech, Questions, and Honor are up on Nineteen Months, in case you missed them.
-New photos up on Flickr from the last month or so.
-Thanks to Lacey for the heads up about this awesome story from WTTW about a Chicago street photographer, Vivian Maier. A free exhibition of her work is at the Chicago Cultural Center until April 3.
-Sometimes, when I get caught up in my own problems, I look at a picture of the Milky Way, and I chill out.
A few months ago we were invited over to our friends’ house for dinner. Dinner was excellent, because Jade is a fantastic cook. But when we got to dessert, I nearly died and went to heaven. Everything was made from scratch.
First she started with triple chocolate mousse:
Melting pieces of cooled sugar
Until it is melted and bubbling
Take off the heat when it starts getting sticky
Then waving the sugar around on top of the mousse until it creates a little nest.
It was SO good. Thanks Jade and Tom!
In October I went on a photography class to Starved Rock, which was given to me as a birthday gift by B. It was raining on and off during the morning, but it actually made the experience better because the colors were vibrant and I had fun traipsing around with my umbrella and learning how to take photos in the rain.
I truly love macro shots, and one of the participants lent me his 50mm f/2.5 lens…so I was in heaven!
We stayed in Kaskaskia Canyon, but because of the rain there were not many people there.
In a 2 sq ft area, there were logs with 3 different kinds of fungus. I spent a good ten minutes there.
There is life growing right out of the canyon walls.
For all you Chicago folks, you should definitely consider a trip down to Starved Rock.
Many of my cooking adventures begin because I am hungry, not because I carefully planned it. I look in the fridge, see what I have, and start cooking. The other night I got creative and got lucky. This recipe makes enough food for about 5 people.
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breast, sliced thin
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
4 oz (1/2 pkg) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt, pepper, garlic to taste
In a bowl, combine spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella, and spices.
Place the sliced chicken in a casserole dish.
Spread the mix on top of the chicken evenly.
Cook at 350 F for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the cheese is browned. I didn’t cover it, but if it looks like it is getting dry, put some foil on top.
I also made some mashed potatoes (salt, pepper, garlic, milk, butter, parsley), and cranberry sauce from scratch, which is very easy to make. 1 package of fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup water, boil.
Delicious!
Let me know if you try this recipe! It was super easy to make.
“Know thou that every fixed star hath its own planets, and every planet its own creatures, whose number no man can compute.”
-Baha’u'llah
NASA announced a discovery today regarding a “microorganism (that) substitutes arsenic for phosphorus in its cell components.” It evolved on earth, but it can adapt to things that we consider toxic!
“The definition of life has just expanded,” said Ed Weiler, NASA’s associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington. “As we pursue our efforts to seek signs of life in the solar system, we have to think more broadly, more diversely and consider life as we do not know it.”
I have been wondering for a number of years why the search for life always seemed to discuss certain elements as being the only building blocks for life. As we look for life on other planets, it seems logical that not everything will be carbon-based, or even resemble what we understand life to be.
“The earth has its inhabitants, the water and the air contain many living beings and all the elements have their nature spirits, then how is it possible to conceive that these stupendous stellar bodies are not inhabited? Verily, they are peopled, but let it be known that the dwellers accord with the elements of their respective spheres. These living beings do not have states of consciousness like unto those who live on the surface of this globe: the power of adaptation and environment moulds their bodies and states of consciousness, just as our bodies and minds are suited to our planet.
…Beings who inhabit those distant luminous bodies are attuned to the elements that have gone into the composition of their respective spheres.”
-’Abdu’l-Baha
(by the way, Baha’u'llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote these passages over 100 years ago)
Edit: for a little humor – Arsenic-Based Life from xkcd.
I am only writing in my head.
The words stop at my lips,
stop at the line that separates
my tongue from the air of the world
and I stop.
come on
come on now
We’re sleeping on our feet
trust me, there is more than this!
I am writing everyone I know a letter.
Real paper, the kind that can cut you
and soothe as you hold the pieces in your hands.
If only the words would come
the right words that make you understand
(this love)
There are a few ways to count lucky stars. In the quiet way, 1 2 3 in a row, listed in order, in a way that makes you think of libraries, lace doilies, and trying too hard. Then there are the shouting, the in-your-face counters, in a desperate plea for attention, with too much cologne or comments on walls (graffiti or otherwise). The entire spectrum isn’t important, just stay away from the extremes.
As usual, moderation is key but there are elements of the extremes that can be included without being that person. We all know those people. No need to discuss it further. Moving on:
Telling stories. I have never been a storyteller. How I have kept this going for nearly 10 years is completely baffling. But storytellers are the best counters, the best givers of the gift of understanding luck/mercy/fate while acknowledging the hard work involved. I know some great storytellers, and most of them have lived enough life that their stories are actually worth the time it takes to listen and understand.
My stories are little pieces, dancing for the chance to get out but to tell them in the way they need to be told is so difficult. Counting lucky stars is even harder. You have to know your audience, and here I write to blank faces. I write to the people that still read this, the people that haunt, the former friends and new ones, the stranger that found this little corner of my claimed piece of the cloud…there are no eyes to look into. Sometimes it traps me, and my stories drown under the weight.
I saw a child tonight whose perfection made my heart stop. I literally became dizzy. My dear friend reached into the incubation unit to comfort her son, this innocent soul and I loved him immediately and without reservation or thought. This is a story.
Spending quiet moments with you, the perfect times when I look up to match eyes and the wrinkles we all get when we smile at each other. This is an ongoing story.
I’ll sing my children to sleep some day with the stories of my family, my Faith, my love. I’ll sing them to sleep with the stories of the world, the stories of things that are good. I’ll have to learn the songs, first, but I’ll count my lucky stars and I’ll show them how to count theirs too. We’ll be the counters that dance in green grass with bare feet, the ones who stare up at the heavens at a never-ending universe and laugh to be alive.
“This is the divinely-inscribed Book. This is the outspread Tablet. Say, this indeed is the Frequented Fane, the sweet-scented Leaf, the Tree of divine Revelation, the surging Ocean, the Utterance which lay concealed, the Light above every light…
Indeed every light is generated by God through the power of His behest. He of a truth is the Light in the kingdom of heaven and earth and whatever is between them. Through the radiance of His light God imparteth illumination to your hearts and maketh firm your steps, that perchance ye may yield praise unto Him.” -The Báb
One day a few weeks ago, there was a need for prayers. A long day, friends and family who needed love, everything about that day sent me to the House of Worship. When saying farewell, I turned to see this:
As I drove away, the sun was turning the sky into a perfect sunset.
“O ye who have turned your faces toward the Exalted Beauty! By night, by day, at morningtide and sunset, when darkness draweth on, and at early light I remember, and ever have remembered, in the realms of my mind and heart, the loved ones of the Lord. I beg of Him to bestow His confirmations upon those loved ones, dwellers in that pure and holy land, and to grant them successful outcomes in all things: that in their character, their behaviour, their words, their way of life, in all they are and do, He will make them to achieve distinction among men; that He will gather them into the world community, their hearts filled with ecstasy and fervour and yearning love, with knowledge and certitude, with steadfastness and unity, their faces beauteous and bright.” -Abdu’l-Baha
