First Day of the Year Ride

First Day of the Year Ride

uyguguygu   07.00   Comment  

On the first day of the year JR and I decided that we were going to ride around the city from friends house to friends house. We wanted to greet them with the happiness of the new year and keep our friends cozy and warm so we handed out pairs of wool socks, which sound really silly but was way more fun and brought much more joy than we could have anticipated. We got started around noon and took a two hour jaunt around. We handed them out to friends we ran into while walking. We left them at unanswered front doors. We gave them to friends who were up and at 'em. We really got lucky with the weather during the ride - before and after we rode it was snowing, cold, and wet. 

Hope your 2014 is cozy and warm so far! 

***

The blazer is by Banana Republic (somewhat similar one here) and the chambray shirt is by The GAP (somewhat similar one here). I'm wearing (again, yes, I know...) Madewell's Skinny Skinny jeans with thrifted shoes. The pearl earrings were a gift from my in-laws and the belt was given to me by my aunt. The bike is a Pashley Princess Sovereign and of course the socks we gave out are made by Wigwam, which are made in my home state of Wisconsin! 

As I Walked Out One Evening...

As I Walked Out One Evening...

uyguguygu   05.59   Comment  

I decided to start memorizing poems a few days ago, as kind of a brain retention challenge, just to see how much I can fit in there. I was inspired by the readers on the iF app I just downloaded. I can get behind Tom Hiddleston, Bill Nighy, Harry Enfield, and Helena Bonham Carter reading me poems! And as I listened to them speak I wondered what it would be like to memorize one, just to have it in my back pocket for the next time I needed a poem.

I started with a short one with two outstanding lines that I fell in love with - When You are Old and Full of Sleep by W.B. Yeats. The lines "But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you/and loved the sorrows of you changing face" spoke so much to me I wanted it wrapped into my brain. Since it was only twelve lines long it was memorized quite quickly. I'm now working on "As I Walked Out One Evening" by W.H. Audin, which is a lot longer but more sing songier. I've gotten about half of that down, and I think I can have the next half memorized soon.

How are you challenging yourself? 

***

Four quick snaps taken on my way to work yesterday - every day I am thankful that I can have such a relaxing and beautiful commute.

***

The shirt is by Madewell, the pants are by Banana Republic, and the shoes are also by Madewell, who makes very comfy, teacher appropriate ballet flats!

***

Also, I sold my cross bike and got a new commuter bike. I really wanted something that I could ride to work in my regular work clothes on. It's a slower ride than my other bikes, it weighs about a million pounds, but I'm totally in love with my new Pashley! I don't think I've ever had so many compliments on a bike so quickly!