Springtime at Marquette 2022

“The tulip is the loveliest of all flowers. So whoever despised the tulip offends God immeasurably.” — Alexandre Dumas

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

April 2022 in Pictures

"No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. April is a promise that May is bound to keep.” – Hal Borland

Currently • April 2022

“April is the cruelest month…” — T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land

READING: Dreaming in French: The Paris Years of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, Susan Sontag, and Angela Davis by Alice Kaplan — “…brimming with the ferment and yearnings of youth and shot through with the knowledge of how a single year—and a magical city—can change a whole life. No one who has ever dreamed of Paris should miss it” (Goodreads).

WATCHING: The Hardy Boys Mysteries on YouTube (We skip the Nancy Drew episodes.) — I read all the books and never missed an episode of this TV show when I was a pre-teen. I was (and maybe still am a little) obsessed with Shaun Cassidy.

LISTENING TO: The Godspell Soundtrack — It’s a Holy Saturday tradition while I prep my contributions to our family Easter dinner. The music inspired by the Gospel of St. Matthew will stick in your head like an endless, looping prayer and reminds me of Father Naus’ annual midnight Godspell Mass at Marquette.

ENJOYING:

• Art in Bloom at the Milwaukee Art Museum — After a two-year hiatus, Art in Bloom was back this year. Despite the attempt to stagger tickets, it was very crowded on Friday and, honestly, I wasn’t as impressed by the floral interpretations of the art inspiration pieces as I had been in the past. Still, it was really nice to be back at the museum.

• Longer days and tiny signs that spring is indeed arriving, slowly but surely.

LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• The end of the third, and worst, COVID-19-impacted school year — There are six weeks left including a few Mondays that I hope avoid with my remaining four and a half flex days. Never before have I felt so burned out nor have I questioned my impact more than I have this year. Earlier this week, I received my annual Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds summary along with a letter that congratulated me for officially reaching retirement eligibility. Although I do plan on staying for 2-5 more years, I feel a sense of relief knowing that if I want to leave, I can. And while five years seems like it might no longer be the goal, I am encouraged by the fact that if I can make it through two more, I will be fully vested. I do tend to keep things light here on the blog, but, since the Currently posts also serve as a mini-journal to which I refer often, I want to be honest about not only the celebrations, but also the challenges.

• Better weather — While it is well established that I love snow. I’m not a big fan of two or more inches in the middle of April. Temps in the 30s and wind chill factors on Easter Sunday were especially challenging, but I did take the long way into work on Monday to enjoy (hopefully) one more beautiful, snowy morning.

• Planting and landscaping — This is totally weather-related, but I am so eager to plant pots for my porch and deck, to freshen our garden beds with new mulch, to take down or prune some old tree, and perhaps plant a few new ones. It will be wonderful to spend time outside enjoying the fruits of our labor. We are even discussing a new outdoor space that may appear in my “Currently Planning” features soon.

Links I Love • April 2022

“A woman [or a beagle] can carry a bag, but it is the shoe that carries the woman.” — Christian Louboutin

• 9 Iconic Bags And The Brilliant Women Who Inspired Them — Could Miss Piper be the next great handbag inspiration? Here’s the bag that I’m carrying these days.

• 10 Fun Dog Facts You Need to Know About the Cheeky Beagle

• The 26 Best Ballet Flats to Wear All Day, Every Day — I love ballet flats and wear them nearly everyday, but I’m not crazy about all of the shoes on this list. My favorites are Chanel, Repetto, and Sarah Flint.

• Looking for excellent deals on shoes and bags? Check out the Fashionphile website.

• 15 Books for Those Who Dream of Traveling to Paris — I have read half of them and, who doesn’t dream of traveling to Paris?

• How to Travel Like a European — I especially like the ideal of channeling your inner francophile (comme moi).

• How to Get Free Travel Upgrades

Art in Bloom 2022

"All art is but imitation of nature." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

My favorite flowers and color palate

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Honorable Mention

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

1st Place (not my favorite)

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

March 2022 in Pictures

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." - Pedro Calderon de la Barca.