Category Archives: winter

Baking ugly, and tasting pretty: chocolate truffle tartlets

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

This post could have been titled: Mommy, that tart dough just doesn’t love you. Once again, when given the task of making tart dough from Dorie’s instructions, my first attempt failed — and my second attempt worked, and tasted chocolatey … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food, winter | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Snow covered in snow

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

A red berry bush covered in snow. Monkey Man has been reading Maisy’s Snowy Christmas Eve, and my favorite line in the book explains that on the journey to find the stuck Eddie, the friends find, “Snow covered in snow.” … Continue reading →

Posted in experience, family, motherhood, snow, winter | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Grumpy february

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Sure, it is February, and we’re all tired, tired of winter, cold, dreary days, and too much cloud cover. Still, that’s no excuse for bad behavior, but it seems to be on an uptick lately. Gorilla Girl’s class is making … Continue reading →

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“February” by Margaret Atwood

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Winter. Time to eat fat and watch hockey. In the pewter mornings, the cat, a black fur sausage with yellow Houdini eyes, jumps up on the bed and tries to get onto my head. It’s his way of telling whether … Continue reading →

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Shadows and windows

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

My recent window photograph got me interested in how light works, especially during the dreary days of winter. There was an oh-so-brief moment of sunshine today, flirting with the intermittent snow flurries, and I wanted to capture that moment. Curiously, … Continue reading →

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Windows

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Roused from sleep by the warmth of cuddling five-year olds as the sun washes over us, with the promise of a weekend ahead. Sleep deprivation and the aches and pains scrunched in a corner of the bed matter not.

Posted in family, morning, motherhood, winter | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Christmas at dusk

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Posted in holidays, inspiration, photography, winter | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Too much of a good thing?

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

We lost power the night of the thundersnow, February 1st. We snuggled under the blankets and listened to the transistor radio detailing the troubles of  the lost souls, and cars, on Lake Shore Drive.  It was warm enough and we … Continue reading →

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Snow day?

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

  While Chicago and most of the midwest is hunkering down in preparation for “snowmageddon,” my school is preparing teachers, parents, and students for business as usual. The blizzard alert for Chicago on  The Weather Channel emphatically warns people not … Continue reading →

Posted in community, education, experience, memory, teaching, tradition, winter | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

On running

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

For most of my life, I ran either the Chicago streets or most recently, the Chicago Lakefront Path. Running in Chicago is exhilarating: the lake path is used by runners, walkers, and bikers and is well traveled.  Running from Hyde … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, connection, running, snow, transformation, winter | Tagged | 3 Comments