Laowai

recent posts

  • THE BEST SATURDAY MORNING

    I’ve just had the best Saturday morning. I’ve been playing with my new Christmas gift (thank you Brian) while drinking my coffee and getting texts from my Bea and Brian.

    Brian sent a photo of the grocery store chocolate aisle. Swoon.

    While Bea sent some amazing photos of her hike.

    Here’s my new toy – it’s called a Prixel Press. It’s a set of little shapes that you mount onto an ingenious holder and then you can stamp the most charming little images. The possibilities are endless and the images have a great modular feel to them.

    I made some gift tags.

    And this swan – oh, I’m in love – but I can’t take credit because I copied the design from someone online.

    I could play all day but maybe I should fold some laundry.

  • NO STOCKINGS

    Today Brian arrived in Switzerland and moved into his apartment. There’s his large load of luggage on the train – two suitcases, a backpack and computer bag and of course a big bike bag. More on that later.

    I felt a little scattered all day – wishing I could help him settle into the apartment. And thinking, now that he’s gone most of the time, who’s going to kill the spiders at the top of the wall; who’s going to fill the soda stream bottles; and most importantly who’s going to serve me cheese on a cracker while we watch shows.

    I did a bit more Christmas decorating to cheer myself up.

    Here are some photos of this year’s Christmas decorations – no stockings because we will be with Bea on Christmas

    To switch up the Christmas decor I put a little village in one of our bathrooms. A fun little surprise for those who like to peek into medicine cabinets. He He.

  • TIME FLIES

    Seems like a minute ago it was pre-Thanksgiving. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

    Brian and I took a walk to the Lake.

    And I had some nice strolls at the Botanic Garden

    And then winter came.

    When mom cleared out her house I took her old Denby dishes. They were sitting in a box but I decided they should see the light of day. I’ve been using them now and then – the matte glaze has such a nice feel. And there is the sweetest little gravy pot that Brian like for sauces.

    I had fun one weekend making a few crocheted wreaths. One for mom, one for mom-in-law and a green one for me.

    After Thanksgiving in Midland we got our Christmas tree

    And since then we’ve had more and more snow – it’s a treat and it puts me in the mood for Christmas decorating.

  • LOOK AT THIS PHOTO!

    Just another weekend walk for Bea.

  • DEAR DIARY

    This makes the third time I’ve written a post like this. We are slowly starting to move to Switzerland… again.

    Brian will be moving there part time rather soon. And Claire and I will hold down the fort here in the US until she is done with high school.

    The idea is to start the clock ticking in the procedure for long-term residence as Brian looks forward to his retirement.

    That’s the plan anyway.

    Straddle the ocean with our family.

    There will be some cycling.

    So Brian has been plodding along the path to getting his visa and residence permit. Doing it with the help of his employer is much smoother than all the stress we went through with Bea*. I guess it also helps that he will be helping with you know… commerce.

    *Bea’s process is not done – still waiting for her student visa

    All this to say, here is a photo of photos I took this morning. I was gathering some stuff together to mail off to the consulate and I came across all these old extra passport photos.

    The fam will be so pleased that I’ve posted these gems. But seeing them spread on the table told a story that I could not ignore.

    I mean look at my girls! I was pregnant with Claire in that photo. Also, why does Brian look like he’s about to murder someone in the bottom corner photos?

  • HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

    Claire made me a yummy cake.

    Bea sent a photo of a swan (I love swans)

    And Brian took me to The Lyric Opera

  • FADED FLOWERS

    I went to the Chicago Botanic Garden and the fading mums caught my eye.

  • CABLES!

    I’ve been working on a new sweater – a cable knit sweater. This week I discovered I can do it! And I’m having so much fun.

    This is the top back – I’m making good progress.

  • LAST WEEKEND

    Last weekend was mostly good.

    My maple tree was at it’s peak. I love when the yellow fills the windows of my green dinning room. Although photos never capture just how bright it is.

    As I packed up my Halloween decorations I got rid of a bunch of stuff that doesn’t seem worth saving (now that my kids aren’t little). All down to a box and a plastic pumpkin and a big jack-o-lantern cutout that goes on my door. That feels good.

    Claire had Friday off and made some macarons for her friend who just had foot surgery. Yum!

    We had a little frost earlier in the week and my zinnias still looked pretty.

    I got to spend the weekend with mom – Jennifer dropped her at our house on her way to visit Jenna at Madison. And then we got snow! It was very pretty covered in yellow leaves.

    The bad thing that happened over the weekend is something that I just want to put down here to remember in the future. ICE (immigration and customs enforcement) and federal agents have been in Chicago reeking havoc and stealing people off the streets in the most inhumane way. Over the weekend things got very close to home when they came to my neighborhood and cruelly took some landscapers away. They were adjacent to Bea and Claire’s elementary school! Across from Thornwood park where we used to go to play all the time. This is a five minute walk from my front door!

    The weekend before I picked up a whistle and a brochure when I was in downtown Wilmette. Lowly little whistles have become a powerful tool and symbol to everyone who is trying to resist. So I have been wearing mine whenever I go out – just in case I happen to see something and as a symbol of my support for immigrants in the United States.

    I hate what is happening to our country at the moment – I’ll just leave it at that.

  • PAPER KNITTING

    Last week I came home from knitting class and went a little paper cutting crazy. I made some paper illustrations/art of knitting stitches.

    This one shows knit stitches on one side and purl stitches when you turn it over.

    I’m going to put a couple of these in our local little free art gallery. They were just fun to make and they give me a better understanding of how stitches fit together.