“There’s beauty in the day. There’s beauty in the night.” ~ Claudette Dudley Living a life of wonder seems to be a good bet: an interesting corner, path, neighborhood, town, or city— wonder leads to wandering that often leads to something quite magical. Here’s to …
Ain’t life grand? In the image above, a boy and his bubble are captured by photographer, Marvin E. Newman, in 1950s Chicago. Immediately coming to mind at first glance was the moment of both intention and anticipation: chewing the gum so one can blow a …
Onion Dip for Breakfast is taking a class at the University of Chicago. By that, I mean that the women of this site are jointly enrolled in this class, Explorations of Mars, together. Each week, we learn, listen, and share our ideas on the limitless fascination with our neighboring planet. Is there life on Mars? Has there been life? Could we live there?
When one thinks of living elsewhere, of course one’s mind wanders to the question of what a good life is in the first place. Are we just existing, making do, thriving, or dare we say it, flourishing?
One thought on my mind for years has been whether some of us have given up on Earth, ready to move on to new lands as if we’re planetary pioneers going west. Or wayyyyyy north…
That idea suggests that it’s too late to care and nurture this place we call home. As billionaires launch plans in outer space, we earthlings navigate the natural and built environments.
This planet, with all of its flavors, fascinates, inspires, nurtures me. I love it here.
As long as I can remember, I’ve been told that I am my mom’s copy. It was always understood that they meant I looked like her (which was the highest compliment) but what I always wished was that my heart was like hers. There is …
This month the Black Garden co-sponsored a monthlong film festival by the nonprofit, HotHouse, featuring Afro-Cuban women. Each documentary highlighted a different woman’s story and I was reminded once again that not all stories are told and certain ones are perennially left out of history. …
As a kid, traveling meant using every single mode of transportation and exploring both the new and familiar. We were just as likely to visit the other side of the city where we were living as we were to be in San Francisco, Venezuela, Boston, or Montreal. Who didn’t want to follow the drama of the highly competitive but amiable koi competition in your hometown? We spent much of our time trying to figure out why one fish was deserving of the blue ribbon over all of the seemingly similar fish. If someone came to visit, there was no shortage of sights, sounds, and tastes to share because we were forever tourists and residents simultaneously.
Before I lived in Italy, I visited. Eager to test out my fluency, I longed to experience first-hand what I had learned about its art, food, literature, architecture, history, music, and more. And yes, I was amongst the throngs of people in Venice, Florence, Siena, and magical places featured in plays, paintings, and operas.
Before there were digital cameras and smartphones, I had one of the best trips of my life to the island of Sicily. I went with visions of The Leopard, Ancient Greek cities, and, of course, the Godfather. I had gone with the promise of lemons and bright citrus, marzipan, fresh seafood, chocolate bars punctuated with interesting ingredients, and brioche with ice cream for breakfast!
What I hadn’t imagined, but in hindsight is quite obvious, was the North African influences on the island. There was that familiar seafood I had expected but it was mixed in and topped tomato-sauced couscous, making something delicious and akin to paella. Otherwise, the fish was grilled or sautéed and kissed by wild fennel, briny capers, and sour citrus.
What is liberation? Is it lying on a beach, eyes closed, resting? There will be endless images of sunsets and lovely views but for now we’re exploring some of that Hawaiian bounty. As we enjoyed the markets, restaurants, and cafes, two thoughts kept coming to …
Over the years, our traveling family unit has grown from just me and the parents to my brother to significant others and even the next generation. We’ve asked ourselves: if we go there, what will so-and-so like? This is just another reason why cities are …
This will be short and (so) sweet.
This week my parents came to Chicago to party. Yes, it included late night conversations, a walk around the Point, delicious food, and laughter. More than anything, it included love. Parents, grandparents, children, spouses, and grandchildren… so much love flowing between, amongst, and around.
Why were we partying? We were celebrating my parents’ anniversary and it was beautiful.
Young love is often described as naive, tumultuous, and sugary. It can indeed be that but its often constant, developing, and deep. Could we emphasize the word ”growing” when we say growing old together? I say YES!
For more sweetness, don’t miss our Remembrances of Love.
The Black Garden is coming along nicely. Like most things in life, when you’re planning something, it’s not always clear how things will work out. Does gardening encourage patience? Flexibility? Curiosity? Every year, the Black Garden gets more interesting. A new black tomato is planted, …
