It's Going to be a Charley Harper-y Christmas

It's going to be a beautiful weekend- swing by Farbach Werner for a walk through the woods and stop by the Nature Barn for the Charley Harper exhibit. And while you are there, support the estate of a local artist and pick up a few Christmas gifts. Santa started his shopping there last night.



photo cred: 1, 2

Design Geekery

After years of talking about and a failed attempt, mom, Edward and I finally made it to Enriching Spaces in Forest Park last year- we felt like we made a grand discovery... a small but meticulously curated collection in their retail area. I left with a Jill Bliss notebook and a rad Umbra wood grain wastecan. But in my heart, I was lusting after these:
Vitra's Utensilo wall-mounted organizer

Tord Boontje's Garland Lights.


We went back last week to do a bit of Christmas shopping, the selection was spare, many items were marked 40% off, so they might be trying to clear out their inventory. If you plan to go, they are open Monday-Friday 9-5. Definitely worth a gander if you are or are shopping for that kind of geek.

Wee Wednesday and More Produce Arranging

Wee Wednesdays at the Cincinnati Art Museum might have been a little ambitious with a certain Mr. And I think Edward and Iliana may have enjoyed the drive through the city more than the actual destination, but we did come away with a bit of inspiration.



This event was basically story time at the art museum. But following one of the stories, the wee ones got a chance to set up a still life with fake fruit.



Iliana was really fascinated with the concept and asked to try it out once we got home. So we did... and we have the pictures to prove it.

Sunflower Festival

Gorman Heritage Farm Sunflower Festival. Crazy fun. I cannot think of a more perfect day to spend a Sunday afternoon. And our boy loves bluegrass!



(photos courtesy of Brady)

Polly Apfelbaum

Blossom


Deadheading Horizontal


Funkytown-Detail


Weaving Line #7


I saw Blossom in all of it's big huge glory at the CAC in 2003.
I liked it then... but it has really taken root. I love it now.

I'm not Catholic, but if I were....

I would definitely go to St. Monica-St. George on West Macmillan in Clifton.


I attended a wedding there over the weekend. And. Holy.


Here is a bit of history.
I have avoided this post because I really wanted to share, but my amateur skills and little league camera just could not do justice.
But here it is. In all it's Early Christian, classic cathedral layout glory. Completely, insanely over the top. Not a single inch unaccounted for. A feast.

Fallish

It's here.
Well, it's doing that tug-o-war thing seasons do around here.
It's 58, then it's 83, in a matter of a few hours.
But steadily the averages dip and the air turns crisp and
the contrast heightens, the haze of summer dissipates.






Fossil hunting+throwing rocks in the water at Keehner Park.

Matryoshkas, Babushkas and Barynyas

First time for the Loveland Russian Festival. A small but earnest affair. Loved the music and the dancing. The line for the pirozhki, borscht, and shish kebabs was most prohibitive. But it was a gorgeous day in one of the Cincinnati area's most charming little towns. And there was a Goodwill right around the corner- and wouldn't you know, it was 50% off day. Definitely want to go back and traverse the Loveland bike trail. But I need a bike. One with one of those kiddo seats on the back. And a bike rack on my car. And...
Maybe we will walk it.

Tuesdays are for Overcoming Fears and Windmill/Pump/Wells

Finally, we went to Parky's Farm. In high school, my friend, the most imaginative I've ever met, had this story about Parky's Farm- something like it was a commune/cult for midgets, and when you went there, they drilled a hole in the back of your neck and brainwashed you. So, I just never really wanted to go. Call me crazy. Also I thought I didn't like Winton Woods. I thought this because I only have ever been to the harbor part. Oh, and also in high school we went camping there, and a drunk guy tried to do kung fu on us. I forget why. I think he wanted us to give him a ride to the drive thru. But the western side of the park is so nice.
All this to say I am so grateful that a fellow blogging 'nati mum gave her stamp of approval, and so finally I gathered my courage, ready to defend my son against the drill toting midgets.
But all we found was perfect weather, a late summer garden, lots of charming farm animals- and the highlight- a windmill/well/pump. I practically had to pry Edward off of it. That last picture is of him gesturing (pantomiming? what's the word?)how the pump works.

Concert-ing

Went to Fountain square to listen to these guys.
They're the awesome.
All they're missing is a banjo.

We Missed the Boat

Literally. We were supposed to spend the day on the lake at Brookville. It was going to be awesome. I was secretly hoping for s'mores. And a little sunburn. But we missed the boat. It was my fault (though, I'd like to share the blame with Verizon).


We thought we might. So we came prepared. With sandwiches and Terra chips and not-very-good grocery store fruit. We picnicked. Brady and Edward stared at the family next to us. They actually ate their entire lunch in this manner.


Refusing to let the day be a wash- we stopped by a "flea market" on the main strip of Brookville, IN. This was really a barn with a parking lot right off Main Street. It was particularly peculiar because I am certain the woman lived there. There was kind of a barricade where I could see an oven and there was an easy chair next to a fireplace and a door that I am certain had a bathroom behind it. Not a public bathroom either. I took a couple of pictures inside, but I could tell she wasn't pleased. They're pretty blurry. It was very dark inside, lit only by a few shadeless lamps. And jam packed with junk. Junk even I had a hard time appreciating.
But then, outside, she had all of these flowers and plants and few produce items for sale. I did end up making a few purchases. White pottery. I'm unintentionally starting a collection.
It was the juxtaposition of the flowers and the dirty lot of junk, and she lived there. And her relentless stare. And the iced tea in the mason jar. I couldn't help for a moment, loving this strange meadow, the Midwest.


Craving a swim in the lake, we headed out to Hueston Woods for fried chicken and people watching and a dip in the murky waters.

PS, a little trivia- my parents lived in Brookville, IN when I was born. That town was my first home (only briefly) But it was interesting to return (only briefly), as a grown-up.

Truck Touchers

Touch-A-Truck... who says two-year-olds can't drive bulldozers?

Voice of America Park

 

                                   

We had a couple of hours to kill, so we headed to Voice of America Park. This area is developing at a breakneck pace, but VOA is a nice place to observe local birds, bugs, fish, flowers and marsh plants. A good park for a drizzly day.

                         

Happy the 4th (and 5th)

Food+Napkins+Friends. Pesto Potato Salad with Green Beans from here.


Beth shared her pie skills- blueberry pie with walnutty struesel topping (Mark Bittman recipe)


Long walk through The Wooden Shoe Hollow

M is for...

Muffins- blueberry lemon. David and Amy's farewell breakfast.


Monuments at Spring Grove (photo courtesy of Brady)



Magnolias at Farbach Werner

Love in the City

The weekend, starting Friday at 3:45 AM, Union Terminal and extending until the Greyhound station at 8 PM Monday night, was nothing short of magic. Not since Berea days have I had such a captive and hungry audience to guide through this bittersweet city. We Skylined and hiked up to Mt. Adams for UDF (where I tried to break routine, but couldn't resist my usual vanilla soft serve), looked in vain for a decent view (with minimal trespassing), swung on Atman, the giant swing sculpture in front of the art museum, Ban-the-baker-man made us brioche (then made French Toast out of it later) and cream puffs and tutored me in bread making, hit the Springfield Township yard sale and College Hill Coffee and St. Theresa's Textile Trove, we Valley-Thrifted, Jungle-Jim's-d, bocce-ed, caught fireflies, ate copious amounts of granola, apple pie and strawberry cake and strawberry shortcake and chocolate pave (chilled ganache with whipped cream, sans the cake), checked out O'Bryonville (MiCA and indigenous) and even hit Trader Joe's (just to see if it was any different than West Coast stores- and other than inflated wine prices, consensus is no- all TJ's are the same)for cheese and wine before the Sunday dinner fondue extravaganza.
It's so quiet around here today. The living room is far too easy to navigate, there's no one to tempt me with bread and chocolate, no expeditions to pack up for. Just quiet.
And that's nice, too.
A napping boy, some dough on the rise, laundry in the dryer...
and a dear friend- home again.

(ps-French Toast photo courtesy of my ridiculously talented husband)