More fuzz

we're still planning to get a puppy sometime after the new year. as evan says, our place will be a "madhouse."

Kittens, dammit!

Here are our new babies...Miss Mittens: The Avenger (gray) and Sueno (tabby) because he likes to sleep. Miss Mittens is a wee bit "slow," but her freakin cute face makes up for it. Sueno starts purring the minute you make eye contact with him. Mostly, he wants to be held (when he's not chewing on his sister's ear) while he slips into his sweet slumber.

J Morgan Puett

Oh my gah. I'm so in love with this artist who has a piece of work on display at the Des Moines Art Center. Must. Learn. More.

Objectified

I've mentioned the pretty great art center within walking distance of my house before, and today was another example of its interesting features. I went with a friend to see Gary Hustwit's documentary, Objectified. Hustwit previously produced Helvetica (a documentary I've yet to see but want to) and a film about my favorite band, Wilco, which I did see and liked very much. Today's viewing was quite interesting: An examination about product design and the designers and engineers behind products we use every day. Lots to think about in terms of where design is headed (i.e. should design be only about function? personally, i hope not) and sustainability (definitely not an option but a requirement).

The other bonus about today was a chance to see J Morgan Puett's installation. I didn't recognize this clothing designer by name at first, but after a bit of time on Google, I discovered that I had read about her in a NYT profile story that ran about a year ago. Still, I didn't know about her collaborations to exhibit in museums and galleries. Some images from those exhibits next...

Zoo, part 2

I can't remember the correct name for that fawn-like being at the top, but I think he played a role in the Chronicles of Narnia.

What's a close second to a Nat Hist Museum?

The zoo. This weekend, in particular, the Omaha Zoo. Is it just me or is that dragon-fish seahorse thingy, second from the top, kinda a little bit freaky?

Marlow&Sons

Next trip to NYC will mean a stop to Brooklyn to visit the Williamsburg restaurant, Marlow&Sons. The diner produces what looks to be a great foodie magazine called The Diner Journal. Check it out here.

Alex the cat

It's been a week since our cat Alex passed away, rather suddenly. We think he must've had a heart attack because it happened so quickly (he was playing just seconds before), wasn't sick, and was only 4 years old. While I've posted about his sometimes cranky personality here, he was a much-loved member of our family. I will miss seeing him in the front windows of our house when I drive home, his greeting us by the kitchen door sitting on his perch by the stairs, and warming up my side of the bed before I get in at night.
We've marked Alex's grave in our backyard by the woods with several stones and various twigs that Evan has left for him when he visits.
We already had plans to get a new puppy around the first of the year, but now we'll also likely get a new kitten (who can resist those faces in the top picture?).

Dinner, Jamie style

Evan has instituted candlelight dinners, which we have on Wednesday and Sunday nights. Somehow it seems to make things more civilized. That is, until Mark starts poking Evan with his pinky finger and calling us all "stooges." But I digress. I picked up a used Jamie Oliver cookbook the other day and have been loving some of his recipes. Sunday night, I made his Moroccan lamb stew with sweet potatoes, couscous and Greek yogurt. Very nice flavors with spicy hits of peppers. For dessert, I made a favorite: almond butter cake (recipe from Pure Desserts cookbook).

Day of the Dead

On Sunday, we walked to the art center for the big Day of the Dead celebration. Some 2,000 Desmoanians attended. Evan had his art on display from work he did in his cartooning class.

School party

Fourth graders are still a rowdy bunch. I helped out at Evan's classroom party, where I soon learned how a pinata can turn relatively sane 9 year olds into savages.

Halloween '09

Sorry for the blurry images...the iPhone doesn't like dimly lit rooms. Here are my boys: Indi and bad wedding singer. Mark and I went to a Halloween party last night at this house packed with books, spider plants, bones, and incomplete walls. It seemed like it would be home to a professor of anthropology or some type of academic who works at a natural history museum. Perfectly imperfect. Love.