Why you should always carry carrots in your pocket during winter
A good habit on snowy days might also result in a healthy snack for later.
Snow
Creating joyful urban snowmen: making the most of found materials
Forget rolling snowballs, transform found materials into a unique and joyful urban snowman by utilizing existing snow chunks and materials from the city’s trees and curb. Bring a touch of whimsy to the cityscape by placing your creation on a bench for all to see and enjoy.
Snow during social isolation can be nice
Whenever snow falls in April, it always is a bit of a surprise. We tend to think of April as a spring month. The temperatures start warming up. And then boom. Snow. Snow? Really? When there isn’t a global pandemic keeping everyone at home, I can understand how most people don’t want to see the …
A garden appeared on the Picasso sculpture at the end of winter
Possibly our last accumulating snow of the season, Chicago was freshly covered in a light blanket of snow. Wonderful white canvases became available once again across the city. This morning I made sure to walk above ground to enjoy the snow. Many Chicagoans avoid the snow by walking in the underground Pedway that goes directly …
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Uri Shulevitz paints like Kandinsky
One of my favorite children’s books to read to my kids is “Snow” by Uri Shulevitz. The architecture in this book is a jumble of buildings. Shulevitz’s delightful depiction of the architecture complements the playfulness of the storyline. Whenever I read this book, it’s so much fun to observe all the details of the city …
A little more permanent origami
While walking to the train in the light snow/rain, an empty lot with lots of rocks and plants always grabs my attention. This lot reminds me of the empty lot next to my apartment of 13 years. I have the urge to leave origami flowers in the chain link fence. But in the rain, those …
Wipeout on the Picasso
Last year I was able to walk on the base of the Picasso sculpture in the snow. Only at the end did I slip a little. (Blog post, video) This morning a fresh blanket of snow covered Chicago, including the iconic statue by Pablo Picasso. I walked up to the Picasso to admire the beauty …
Drawing winterflowers in the snow
The light dusting of snow created wonderful canvases all over the city. One in particular I couldn’t pass up. A planter in the same plaza as the Chicago Picasso sculpture had a beautiful layer of cotton snow. The combination of the round planter with the snow formed a beautiful ringed canvas. No flowers in the …
Video: Snowflakes gently landing on the Picasso in Chicago
Happy little snowflakes softly land on the cold hard metal of the Picasso sculpture. Such a beautiful scene: the contrast of the white snowflake against the dark, aged corten steel. I find this two-minute, 46-second video very calming. Nothing “happens” in this video. Just snowflakes falling down. Landing. Sitting. Then all of the sudden scooting. …
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Surfing the Chicago Picasso
Every morning I walk by the Chicago Picasso. Not just by it, but I walk right up next to it, so I can run my hand along the base. With all the snow we’ve been getting, it’s been fun seeing how the base changes. From all white covered in snow. To melting snow. To salted …
Observations of first snow, 2018
First snow! Hooray! Snow normally arrives in Chicago on November 17th. Mother Nature Chicago tweeted a great graphic by the Chicago Tribune: This year, on November 11th, the snow as a tad early. I woke up a bit surprised to see snow on the ground. I put on my snow boots and my daughter’s shoes. …