small things...

Month 6 wrap up–halfway point!

Time moves faster, doesn’t it, as we get older?  I read someone’s theory about this phenomenon before that said time seems to move faster as we get older because when compared to all of the years we’ve been alive a year becomes less and less of a long time in comparison.  Am I making sense?  So a year seems super long to a 4 year old because it’s a 25% of their whole live so far.  But for me a year is only 2.5% of my whole life – a blip!

What I’m finding, however, is that time seems to move a bit slower when you fill it with fun things to do.  A lot can happen in a year if you let it.

June came along and things started hopping! Here’s what happened:

• #32 – I went to a Flea Market
• #16 – I went to an Art Opening
• #36 – I went to an Outdoor Concert
• #24 – I went Berry Picking

I *ALSO*:

• #23  - Grew some vegetables!  When I put this on my list I had my fingers crossed that I was going to nab a plot in our town’s community garden.  Alas, I did not. I even tried to get one in the next town over!  Undeterred, I realized that there was a little bit of space where I could grow some food on my back stairwell.  I have a tomato plant – though I think tomatoes are technically fruit…is that right?  But I do have these mini beauty’s hanging off my railing:

Hooray! Little baby lettuces!  They aren’t quite big enough for a full on salad, but they are perfect little additions to sandwiches and burgers and wraps and anything that needs a little extra greens.

• #20 – Read a few more books.  I’ve read 17 out of 40.  23 to go!?

The Collected Home – By Darryl Carter.  Always looking for ideas for my own place

(Audiobook).  Apparently I love me some, Lisa Unger on Audio.   In this one, a girl goes missing…everyone is a suspect!

• #6 –Hiked a few more miles (11.74 hiked.  28.26 miles to go. eek.)
• 3.2 miles at Erickson Woods in Northfied.  This morning I got up and joined a 5k at a local forest preserve.  It was a beautiful, cool morning.  It was a tiny race and no one was there to welcome back the walkers!  There was a couple several yards behind me so I waited for them and we cheered for each other. goofs.  Anyhow, having this on my list got my ass out of bed this morning, walking in the woods cheering for strangers. 

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At the halfway point of the year, I’ve successfully completed 11 items off of my list and made decent headway on six more.  I am most definitely not halfway through my list, but I’m not worried.  I mean really, what reason would be there to worry – all this means is that the next 6 months are going to be fun as hell.

Take another look at the list, friends: http://juniperandsage.typepad.com/smallthings/2013-life-list.html

Anything you want to join in on?  Pay special attention to #40 – still looking for takers!  OR if I helped you reach a goal and I don’t realize it – let me know.

If you’re interested in the rest of the Monthly Wrap-ups:

• January Update
• February Update
• March Update
• April Update
• May Update

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So what’s on tap for July?

• Redo my bedroom!
• Go fishing!
• Seems like time for some homemade ice cream!
• I gotta take that tour!
• I gotta try some new foods!
• READ BOOKS! short ones!
• Can I get myself to swim with my face in the water?
• WHAT ABOUT THE CHICKEN CARCASS??

See you soon!

xo

erin

#24–Go Berry Picking

Some times people make the mistake of thinking this list I’m working on is a “Bucket list”.  And maybe when they think it’s that they wonder why I have things on my list like, “create a budget and stick to it for a month.” Why do I have that on my list? Boooorrrrinnng.   Maybe those same people are a little underwhelmed when the see ‘go berry picking” on this same list.  Those people hate berries.

Berry picking is where it’s at.  And it’s where I was at yesterday morning with my friend Simona and her littles.  Simona is about to pick up and move to Florida, where undoubtedly she’ll get to pick oranges off of trees every morning before breakfast (if she can fend off the alligators), but maybe she won’t have as many opportunities for strawberry picking down south.  I actually just don’t have any idea, but I like to think there will be something she’ll miss about these parts. 

In any case, they were up for helping me cross this one off my list. 

We headed down to Homer Glen, IL to the Garden Patch Farms.  They’ve got a U-Pick option at their farm.

They set us up with a wagon and a bunch of pint boxes and then sent us out back into the fields

It was sunny and warm out. Perfect for picking and snacking on strawberries

  

 

They also had shady rows of cherry trees.  And I kept almost remembering that there is a song about meeting me under the cherry tree, but I couldn’t quite remember, but I did think that I could totally see the appeal.  It was lovely and shady and cool under those trees.

This photo does not prove the shadiness.  Take my word for it.  Or, better yet, go find yourself a grove of cherry trees.  I didn’t pick any cherries, but I did snack on a few.  Which I guess means I picked some.

On our way out I took the opportunity to pick some collard green leaves too.

 

There was a point where you kinda felt like you could just keep picking and picking and picking, b/c there were so many berries!   But really, I’m just one girl.  I just picked what I needed. 

yay! berry picking!

It was a good day.

#36–Attend an Outdoor Concert

#36 – Attend an Outdoor Concert   COMPLETE!

Monday night I had a day off of work.  And I was a complete slug.  TOTAL slug.  I had some allergies, sure, but mostly the problem was that I had no plan for the day.  And I am a listless wanderer with no plan.  I can walk by a pile of dirty laundry over and over, but if I didn’t plan to wash them that day the pile will remain.  It’s true.  This happened on Monday.  Don’t judge me.

My sister had been talking about going to see a show at the Pritzker Pavillion down at Millennium Park  that night and I was thinking of tagging along, but in the end she couldn’t go.   Earlier in the day I’d reached out to a couple of people to see if anyone else might want to go, but it was a Monday night and folks couldn’t make it.   So I sat on my couch and wondered if I’d just go by myself.  I could go because it was something from my list.  I could go because I liked this musician and it was about a 25 minute drive from home.  I could go because what better way to reverse the effects of slugdom then go to an outdoor concert in the city.

So I put on my big girl pants (really, I think I was still wearing my exercise capris) and headed downtown.  There was a fog advisory, but it didn’t seem too bad on the way down.  I found a place to park and headed up to the show that was just getting started.  This was what I saw first.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one who headed downtown for the show. Oh, and the show was Glen Hansard  (of The Frames, the Commitments, The Swell Season) featuring members of The Frames.  The city hosts these free concerts every Monday throughout the summer. 

There were surprisingly a good number of seats available for the taking so I headed down and found myself a spot.

Whenever I go out like this by myself it always takes me a little while to settle in, to know what to do with myself…I mean what do I do with my hands?!    I feel compelled to talk to my neighbors.  I’ve said it before, but maybe not here, my first line of defense in awkward/vulnerable situations is to quickly make a friend.  But instead this time I just paid attention to the music.  I breathed deeply and felt the cool air blow across my face.  I took the time to really see the Pritzker in all it’s architectural glory.  And of course I had my trusty camera.

This is beautiful, right?  Chicago is a great city.

I heard some good music

I found some Irish kids.  I know this because I heard them speak, not because I can just tell.

I walked right up to the stage and was able to get these…

And then the fog started rolling in…

By the time I was on the road home it looked a little something like this…

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While it would have been more *fun* to go with a sister or a friend – it was still a great night out on my own.  So my advice to you – go.

xo

erin

#16–Go to an Art Opening

#16 – Go to an Art Opening   COMPLETE

Last night I took a walk to see some art made by friends and neighbors.  There was art showing in three different venue’s: Space 900,  Artist Seeds and Artruck

Yep, that’s a group of folks hanging out between two U-Haul trucks filled with art!

Why didn’t you think of that?

The three shows were within about a 2 block radius, perfect to stroll between on a nice cool, June evening. 

Look – Rebecca got photobombed by a kid with a guitar…and Swiss Chard!

Also, the bread car was there.  Buy bread out of a hatchback!  best way to do it.  Of course, I didn’t end up with any Bread Car- bread, but I did drink the wine and eat the cookies.

The last place we ended up in, Space 900 is home to a couple of friends from high school, one of their mom’s and several other artists.  It’s a wonderfully tucked away space to find art and there is great art being made.

work by Dustin Harris

Lea Pinsky, the friend who helped organize this event, has promised there will be more of the same in the future.  I’m hoping they figure out a way to not only have the gallery shows, the Artrucks, and the Bread Car….but maybe invite some of the area Food trucks for a big ol’ party…wait are there any food trucks in the area anymore?

In any case, people are making art.  Go see some.

 

**Plus, I walked the 4+ mile roundtrip from my house...b/c that's what Fit Erin would do.**

Related articles

Month 5 - wrap up

#32 - Go to a Flea market

#16 - Go to an Art Opening

#32–Go to a Flea market

#32 – Go to a Flea Market   COMPLETE!

On Sunday I packed up early and took the drive out to St. Charles to see what I could find at the Kane County Flea Market “Best in the Midwest!” …you know it.  I’m not sure why I wanted to go to a flea market so badly. I’m not a collector, I’m not a DIY maven - though maybe I aspire to being one.  I’m not particularly knowledgeable about antiques or collectibles.  I think it’s because I like things that are old, things that have promise and I like a good ‘find’ no matter what it is.  This particular flea market has all of that and more.

If you look closely you’ll find a truck. Right there…behind that fence.

We had one of these toiletry cases in white, remember Megan?

  

It was an inspiring morning and I found what I was looking for – a console table for my entryway.  It needs some major TLC so I’ll post pics of it later on once the project is compete. 

The stuff to be found at this flea market was great, but the collectors/sellers were just as interesting.  The AMOUNT they collect, the way the edit and display their finds.  The love and obsession is obvious.  I found myself moving back and forth between wanting to purchase all of their things or becoming one of them.  I am sure I’ll be going back. 

I’ve been slowly working on my condo – making it my own.  It’s been such a slow process it’s hard to notice at all, but I think I’m starting to figure out my style – my style identity.  It was helpful to go to this market and notice that I was often drawn to the same things over and over. 

I think my style is like a california-rustic-casual…is that a thing?  What’s your style? does it have a name? Do tell.

Month 5–wrap up

26. Have a Themed party – Complete!

Saturday, May 4th I could have thrown a May-The Fourth-Be-With-You party, but with my newly developed crush on Louisville, Ky, it only made sense that I threw a Kentucky Derby Party.  It was a small party, as parties go, but there were 7 of us by the time the “Fastest 2 minutes in sport” took place.  And I didn’t let our smallness in number take away from our good eats and fun times.

BBQ pulled pork sliders with red cabbage coleslaw (and horseshoe toothpick.)

We all picked the names of horses to root for out of a hat and the winner  won roses

AND!!!  I got to add another item to my “eat or drink 10 things I’ve never tried before “  (5 down, 5 to go.)

Mint Juleps!  they were tasty

#6 Hike 40 miles of trails in Illinois. 8.54 miles down; 31.46 to go!

Can I get 11 more miles hiked by the end of June…?

• added 2.74 miles at Fullersburg Trail in Dupage County
• and 2 miles at Middlefork Savanna in Lake County

 

#20. Read 40 Books.  15 books complete, 25 to go

Can I read 5 more books by the end of June?…eh.

The Spectacular NOW - Tim Tharp. 

A 21st century “Catcher in the Rye?”.  I actually never read CIR so I don’t know for sure

Maine - J. Courtney Sullivan

A family held together by their summer home

Foodist - Darya Pino Rose 

food. good food. eat it

St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves – Karen Russell

My favorite read this month.  A strange and wonderful collection of short stories.  Also…a Minotaur

 

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The end of June marks the halfway point for this year.  The best case scenario would be to be halfway done with my list by this point.  Currently I’ve completed 6 out of 40 items…so…can I get 12 more items crossed off in one month. ummm….we’ll see! 

What I do have on tap:

• go on a tour, any tour
• go to an art opening
• skincare routine
• start with the bedroom redo
• go berry picking
• flea market
• maybe an art opening?
• maybe an outdoor concert?
• could I have a cooking contest throwdown?