Enjoying Nature’s textures… if you just take time to stop and look down!

Yesterday started out beautifully sunny bursting with fresh spring blooms… like these beautiful star magnolias blossoms along my route. Some times you just need to stop and smell the roses… err, magnolias?

Good to see the bees are already up & hard at work…

Yesterday’s bike ride took me further north yet again. Finding new beaches. Enjoying new views. During these tough times, my bike offers the perfect escape. Solo riding, keeping my distance while getting some fresh air, beautiful lakefront views and a slight sense of normalcy.

Looks like Spring has sprung in Minneapolis too!
Thanks to Sarah for sharing her spring tulips in one of my older “vintage” soda-fired vases!

Just bringing a little bit of Spring inside with just a few snips!
No huge centerpiece… just my take on a Spring ikebana floral arrangement.
Seemed fitting for the day!

Oh, what to do with the tiny little leftover snips?…
put them in a tiny little vase of course!

So I “think” I may have just been to my first Seder Dinner?!
Let’s not get crazy… I was self-isolating home alone as usual…
but watched “Saturday Night Seder” on my laptop!

My friend Pam told me about it… a star-studded celebrity evening of a “virtual” Seder Celebration! Now it wasn’t very religious, but they did cover the stories, the wine, the Seder plate and sang a few songs along the way! Seemed like a party to me… even if everyone was partying from the safety of their own homes! I still think it counts, right?!

Hosted by Jason Alexander, with tons of celebrities like Fran Drescher, Josh Groban, Darren Criss, Andy Cohen, Idina Menzel, Bette Middler, Billy Porter, Isaac Mizrahi, Judith Light, Debra Messing, Richard Kind, Billy Eichner, Dan Levy, and more… plus a few Rabbis… one Rabbi with a DJ disco light on his ceiling?!

Click here to watch “Saturday Night Seder” on YouTube.

Looking for something fun to watch?…
how about another spectacular installment from Cirque du Soleil.
This time they share with us scenes from ALEGRIA, KOOZA and KA.
This time I’m three-for-three… kinda…

I haven’t yet seen the re-imagined 35th anniversary ALEGRIA which is seen here in this special. And it’s kind of a sore subject… I got tickets as a Christmas gift for during their run here in Chicago this summer… which has already been cancelled due to this crazy pandemic!!! So, until things clear up a lot more… this may be as close as we get to Le Grand Chapiteau for awhile!!!

Click here to watch the video on Facebook.

Along my ride yesterday through the Skokie Northshore Channel Park, I passed this statue to Gandhi… with some very thoughtful, caring & appropriate messages especially during these trying times.

After dropping off my pottery in Evanston, I continued north to “explore” more of our beautiful lakefront. I started by heading up along the Skokie Channel Park, and then over into Wilmette along their lakefront… as the Chicago lakefront is STILL on total lockdown. A beautiful day along the lake, blue skies, great breezy… nature is amazing!

Another great “escape” from the craziness going on around us… another solitary ride, another chance to get outside while carefully steering clear of everyone!!!

So it has come to this… yesterday I did my first no-contact pottery delivery! I rode my bike up into Evanston to drop off two mugs for a customer who bought them online. I took all the precautions, wore gloves & my “mask”… we chatted from about 20-feet away… and then I pedaled away! All good, but… I MISS ART FAIRS!!! I miss seeing & interacting with my customers! Some day soon, I hope!