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.

The fall bon bons are here!

How super cute are these fall arrivals at our local chocolate shop, Stam's (with locations in Des Moines and Amsterdam, thank you very much)!

Iowa City fall fashion

We made our annual October visit to Iowa City/University of Iowa campus. There is so much to love about this place. The drive is right out of American Gothic and what's not to love about the vibe of a college campus? We spent our time at a fun breakfast joint (Hamburg Inn, home of politicos during the presidential caucus), thrift shops, the Museum of Natural History, Prairie Lights (where Kurt Vonnegut used to hang), and the myriad shops. There are some really fun clothing stores on the pedestrian mall. Unfortunately, the one I really wanted to go into was already closed when we passed by.

Walking

This street is next to ours. It doesn't have sidewalks, which is charming. I so love the red barn house and I like the first house on this post for its Great Expectations/Grey Gardens qualities.

Leaves

On the ground in our 'hood and on the mantel in our house...in the middle of the street.

Pretty flowers

sure help me stay motivated at work for some reason.

More...from Grass Doe

Can you stand it?

These images are so beautiful. From a site called grassdoe.blogspot.com. I can't find anything about the photographer, unfortunately.

Sunday running route

My 8-mile run was especially beautiful today with gray skies and fall color. The run takes me by old homes, the edge of downtown, an old barn, a small pond, an old wooden bridge, and a horse farm.