The Natural?

Oak Park Farmer's Market

ANNA (hands)

I just about flipped out this morning when I saw this. I was working at home this morning, and Anna was drawing on the floor. She said "Look papa! I drew my hands!" We've been working on tracing her hands, and she's definitely getting good at it, but this is the best that I'd ever seen her write her name. It's very exciting.

Anna says: "Um, I made that by myself. OK? I wrote my name all by myself. It was on my Magna-doodle."

Fun with Papa

Anna and I drove up northwest of Chicago for me to do a talk on art for the high/middle school youth groups from our church. We got up there really early so I decided to look for a place for Anna to burn off some energy. I saw no McDonalds, but there was an old mall, so I thought we'd explore. This is what we found, and had a marvelous time!

Art Star

Karen has a friend named Sally Gulde. Sally is a fantastic photographer. She's even won an award. Perhaps you've heard of it? Does Grammy ring a bell? Here's their Christmas card this year:

I kind of flipped out when I saw this card. No mere amateur makes a card like this from scratch.

Sally agreed to take a new head shot of Karen as she anticipates an upcoming audition or two. They actually met at the Oak Park public library to take the shots. Apparently it offers some really nice natural lighting. Well, in addition to the head shots Sally snapped several pictures of Anna and Karen frolicking around. Here's the Flickr set from their session.

This one of Anna might just be my favorite picture of all time. How I helped produce such a cool kid I will never know...

The Family Makes it to an Opening

On Wednesday night Anna and I met Karen up at Loyola U when she was finished teaching and we all attended an art opening at the school together. This was the view of Lake Michigan from the gallery's atrium:

What you're looking at in this small cell-phone picture are giant mounds of ice being pummeled by huge waves buoying even more ice. Were it not for the foliage and other signs of humanity, I'd have sworn I was standing on the coast of Antarctica.

Tonight we expect our 35th (yes, 35th) measurable snow of the winter. Brrrrrrrrrr...

A New Convert

Note the weather detail on your right there. See the current temp in Chicago, IL? Today I understood for the first time the importance of a term that I had previously only associated with wealthy folk or retirees. The term is "snowbird". I am determined to become one. I decided today that if I live in Chicago for another year (which I fully intend to do), I will be out of town for the month of February. Very out of town. The entire month. Period. Anna might not mind, but I do. She was born in Philadelphia, I, in California. We are two different breeds!!!!