Christmas letter

Dear Family and Friends,
It's hard to believe that 2012 is coming to an end.  We have had a wonderful year in Milwaukee, even though at times it was difficult being so far away.  But we have made great friends and have been keeping busy!  Jeremy is working hard on this Masters while working part-time at the Adult Learning Center as a transition specialist and volunteering weekly at the Urban Ecology center fixing bikes.  I am working full-time at Growing Power, a nonprofit and urban farm, in the accounting department.  Other than working we have had a great year of bird watching and biking!  Jeremy is also in two bands: Pay the Devil, a blue grass band were he plays the washboard and spoons, and The Delphines, a post-punk-rock band were he plays the drums.  And I have been taking ballet and making an effort to do something creative everyday.  Jeremy has one more semester at Marquette University before he will earn a Masters in history.  After graduation we will head out on our next adventure: biking the Northern Tier across the U.S!   We would like to with you all a Merry Christmas and a joyful 2013.

Happy Thanksgiving

Upon waking up the first thing that came to my mind was, "wow, it's already Thanksgiving".  This of course means that winter is about to be upon us and that the year is almost over.

We weren't able to spend Thanksgiving with our family this year, but fear not, we were not without good friends and food.  A friend and co-worker invited us to her family's Thanksgiving celebration were we did things a different.  Well, not too different.  We drank, watched football, and baked a pie, so really the only difference was the meal.  I think this was the first Thanksgiving were we had not eaten turkey.  At first I thought it was odd, but our friend's dad explained that they never make turkey because they don't really like it.  Which made me think, how many families cook a turkey just for "traditions" sake?  Anyway, the meal was great we had beef, red cabbage, green beans, wild rice and acorn squash with spinach, sunflower micro-greens and goat cheese, yum!

Wind Map

In honor of Hurricane Sandy I thought I would post a wind map picture!  It's crazy to think that all the way in Milwaukee we are experiencing the effects of Sandy as well. For a "live" view of the map, please check out the Wind Map.

Butternut Squash Chili

Squash season has arrived and once again I am up to my knees in butternut squash. Of course this isn't a bad thing, but there are only so many ways I know how to cook it and they have been exhausted.  So yesterday our friend Mike came over after a 35 mile bike ride to teach me how to make chili with butternut squash:

What you need:
1 butternut squash (cubed)
1 onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (diced)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can corn (drained)
2 cans diced toms
1 can chopped green chilies
2 stalks celery (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)

The following Mike also used, but I have know idea how much....
olive oil
coconut oil
cumin
chili powder
cinnamon
brown sugar
apple cider vinegar
ground flax seed 


And now for the fun part:
1 - chop/dice/drain/measure out all your ingrediants
2 - saute onions and garlic until soft
3 - add spices (everything on second list), butternut squash and a little more olive oil - cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat - stir often
4 - add beans, corn, toms, chilies, celery and green pepper - cover and cook on low until butternut squash is soft - stir often (I think this took about 30 minutes?)
5 - serve with shredded cheese and bread - and be careful! The squash holds in A LOT of heat!

Pay the Devil: Live at the Irish Knot

Banjo: Ivan  - Guitar: Ivan  - Washboard/spoons/drum: Jeremy - Mandolin: Matt

Homemade bread

I've been telling myself that I was going to bake our own bread since getting back from the Czech Republic.  Let me clarify: In July 2010 Jeremy and I returned home from the Czech Republic after living there for two years.  We spent a week with Jeremy's parents and Jeremy's mom gave me her bread  maker because she hadn't used it in years.  That was two years ago....and I finally made my FIRST loaf of bread. The best part is I know exactly what is in it: whole wheat flour, butter, brown sugar, salt, water and dry yeast.  And I got the thumbs up from my peanut  butter toast eater!

End of Summer Approaches.

Our trip to the Czech Republic is over. I had great ambitions to write/blog each day, but that fell by the wayside when the beer and liquor started flowing. The two weeks that Jamie, Tyler, and me were there play back in my mind like a sped-up CD recording. I know that we conversed, that we took trips, that we indulged in $1 pilsners in countless pubs throughout the Czech Highlands. But I just can't visualize that happening. When co-workers and friends ask me how my trip was, I usually answer with an affirmative "amazing" and that's it. I don't elaborate. There is nothing to elaborate on. I relished the time spent with friends in Policka and I'm emboldened now more than ever to claim the Czech Republic as the second home of my heart. I know its language, its people, its history, its prices, its beer, its wine, its Slivovice, and its habits as well as I know my own. Our last two days were spent walking around and taking in the sites of Prague. Jamie and I chuckled at the fact that we know that city better than even Erie, Milwaukee, or Pittsburgh. And, I must admit, it's pretty true. Because you see, nothing in the Czech Republic changes quickly. It's a county with a stubbornness and pride that inhibits it from jumping at the next fad. Hell, even the mullet is still worn by an unsettling amount of men. And for me, it's reassuring. I know that in two, five, even ten years, Policka will still look the same. The wall will still enclose the square. The church will maintain the same decor. And Czechs will continue to wear socks with their sandals. It's just the way it is. And it's the way my relationship with that country will be: stable, slowly becoming deeper as immediate experience turns into memory and memory into the fabric of me.

One thing that I did miss greatly while being away was my 1994 TREK 1200 road bike. After about one week, I yearned for him/her (whatever it is). I wanted nothing more than to ride over the Czech hills and careen down into the valleys while my hair (well, what's left of it) bristled (a balding man's hair can't flow) in the breeze. It was not meant to be. So, naturally, the first activity I wanted to do upon arriving back in the United States was get on my bike and take a nice long ride around Milwaukee. Which is exactly what I did. The trip on my bike served as my reacquaintance with my adopted city  and a reassurance to my TREK that I had not forgotten about him/her. Yet, being quite an old bike now, I noticed a few new sounds and cracks. The shifting was a little rougher than I remembered and the chain felt chunky when I cranked. I don't know what happened, but I guess the two weeks in Policka made me more aware of its flaws. Needless to say, I can't stand riding a noisy bike, so I'm going to redo the entire drive train. I just purchased a replacement chain and tomorrow I'll have a new cassette. I'm also going to replace the shifting cables. I justify these purchases by claiming that "this is the bike I will train on" while working my way up to our cross-country bike trip next summer. That makes a lot of sense to me, but in reality, I'm doing it out of care and compassion for my bike. The silver color, the lightness of the aluminum, the stiffness of the frame when taking on pot holes, and the feeling of flying when I wind through city streets and around embanked curbs has me head over heals for it. The more I ride my bike and rely on it as my main form of transportation (which is now going on 4 years), the more I begin to see its simplistic beauty. I used to get mad at my father for always turning his head and stopping to look at an antique automobile as if it were a gorgeous woman. Unfortunately, I'm afflicted with the same disease. They're slim, colorful, full of character, and oh so much fun to ride.


Jamie and I have been members of a community garden for about three months now. It's only natural that I've started this project with Jamie, as for the past few years I've been drawn to the idea of living a more environmentally-conscience lifestyle. The idea of growing our own food and feeding our friends is quite addicting. This interest only became stronger when my brother Jonathan moved  to Maine to apprentice as an organic farmer. The more I see the happiness and peace that he has attained by working the land, the more I've yearned to bring a little part of that lifestyle to my city existence. I've been learning a lot about soil health, harvesting, and plant types. Due to the fact that the United States has essentially abandoned the small family farm, we Americans grow up with a dearth of practical knowledge about vegetable types, seasonal eating, and cooking. This week I harvested three green peppers, numerous green beans, and checked the progress of our carrots. And when I'm hungry at lunch, I often walk over the garden bed and pillage what is just about ripe. I've been reading a lot more about how to make this type of "urban homesteading" more of a reality for Jamie and me, which has naturally led me to envision our future home. I envision orchards, a vegetable garden, a herb garden, and native flowering plants all around our house. We will effectively utilize our energy, ride bikes nearly everywhere, heat our home with wood, and cook our meals from the food we harvest. A bit ideal? maybe. Unrealistic? Absolutely not.

Three days from now my friend Nate Hastings will be driving from Pittsburgh to meet me in Milwaukee. From Milwaukee, we will travel nearly 6 hours north to the very tip of Wisconsin, where we will ride a ferry to Oak Island in Lake Superior. There we will camp two nights. Upon which, we will take a ferry back to the mainland and backpack our way (on the North Country Trail) through Wisconsin's northern-most national forest, The Nicolet. This will most likely be my first and only backpacking trip of the season. Throughout this past week of work, I've been struggling to stay seated at my desk, as the outdoors clamor for my attention. I keep telling myself that all next week I will be enraptured in beauty and isolation. I yearn for awe-inspiring outcroppings, Sand Hill Cranes, a lack of mosquitoes, and a few (just a few) Black Bears. My back is a little weaker than last season when I was backpacking a lot, so we'll see how the seven days affect my strength and health. Hopefully I'll be in good enough shape to clamber up a few kame hills and lay amidst the bleached drift wood of a Lake Superior beach.

The Little Things in Life: Panniers

They're here! Our dry bag panniers (ta da!).
We're one step closer to our cross country trip (smile).

Happy 4th of July

Hello Again.

It's been nearly a year since I posted on this blog. I don't know what happened to me. I think graduate school has stifled my ability to reflect and be still. Each day I arrive home from work, I have a multitude of tasks to accomplish, all of which do not seem too appealing. I don't have time to write. I don't make time to think. I don't make time to read. But, my intention here is to not make you think that my existence in Milwaukee is gloomy. To the contrary, I've enjoyed the social life that I've built up around myself in this fine city. And because I'm writing this blog in about thirty minutes time, I will give you a brief update as to what has transpired since my last post, all the way back in September.

School: University, as I alluded to above, is ironic in that I feel intellectually stifled most of the time. I have to cram so much information and literature into my mind that I often feel as if I'm forgetting while I'm reading. It's not really any fun. The school experience has been exactly what I expected: specialized to the point of irrelevance. Being a graduate student of history has forced me to read pages upon pages of "material" that really has to do with one thing only: people. Throughout the summer (and the semester for that matter) I've been attempting to get my mind into books that expand my knowledge. I seem to have found a passion for birding, ecology, agriculture, and sustainability. Not that I wasn't interested in these topics prior, but now that I've  lived for a year in the rarefied environment that is "historical scholarship", all I've wanted to learn about has been the natural world around me, not the social, political, or economic realm that is my study. The fellowship has been going well and the people in the program are fantastic. I've done well grade wise and I wrote a thesis paper that I'm proud of and interested in--I wrote about the settler experience of Americo-Liberians from 1822-1846 (not that anyone would be interested).

Work: I've been at the Adult Learning Center for nine months now. I've adjusted to the job and have begun to realize that my organization is rather boring (in a good sense). We are a very simple nonprofit organization. Our only goal is to enhance the education of adults within center-city Milwaukee who have had (or still have) barriers to academic achievement. There are only 11 employees at the center, and only 1 of which is full time. My day consists of assisting and counseling our adult students with "outside-of-school" problems. This means I write a lot of resumes, make phones calls to social service nonprofits, and assist with college applications. The job is OK, but I feel as if my talents aren't being utilized to their fullest potential. I'm also not too thrilled with working such a sedentary job. I seem to sit way too long in front of the computer, feeling my body weaken into a flabby pulp. I volunteer every Friday at an organization known as the Urban Ecology Center as a bike mechanic. They have a fleet of over 35 bikes that they rent out to people in the community. The bikes need weekly tune ups and repairs, and I'm delighted to help. Nothing relieves my stress like being able to use my hands and actually DO something of tangible value. It's been a nice change of pace from the rather cerebral environments of the Adult Learning Center and Marquette.

Social Life: Jamie and I have developed a pretty solid (and diverse) group of friends in the city. We're a part of a community garden, located right across the street from my place of work. We're harvesting our peas and beans at this moment, and I've been battling the rapid growth of the brussel sprout plant, which seems to have ambitions of being the sole plant in the bed. I might have to kill him before his time of glory arrives, as his massive leaves keep blocking the sun light for our desperate bean plants. Jamie and I also have bike riding friends. Nearly every weekend, I am on my bike going on a long-distance ride (60-90 miles) or am planning a bird outing or a hike. I love the active lifestyle that is to be had in Wisconsin and I've enjoyed getting to know the ancient, enrapturing call of the Sand Hill Cranes. Every Thursday night I get together in a section of the city known as River West to play music with a group of guys. We play what we term "mountain music." We have two guitars, a banjo, and spoons and washboard  (me). It's been quite a fun experience and I relish the release of music after a long day of studying and work. We recently played our "first official gig" at a dive bar called the Irish Knot. It went well. The thirty people in attendance loved the music and gave us a lot to smile about. Aside from the pouring sweat and the late night, I did enjoy playing for people that were appreciative--the free drinks all night didn't hurt either :). Anyways, after that show, we were invited to come back to the Irish knot and play and have since received to other bar "shows" in River West. Looks like my "music" career has finally taken off :)Oh, and yes, our band name is "Pay The Devil."


Plans for Next Year: Being the dreamer that I am, I've been thinking a lot about my future. I have only have one year left in Milwaukee, which has me a tad nervous. Jamie and I are getting pretty exhausted from the two-years-there-two-years-here trajectory our life thus far has been on, and I think both of us are FINALLY (gasp!) coming around to the idea of "settling down." I don't know where that will be, but we do have an idea of what our life should be like. To sum it up, we want to live simply, holistically, and have a damn good time. This might look like a life in the city, with a garden, and a strong social life. Or, this might look like a homestead nestled in the hills of some Appalachian state. Either way, we want to grow food, learn skills, pursue art, and be healthy. One thing that is for certain for next year, though, is our planned cross-country bike trip. That's right, Jamie and I (upon my graduation from Marquette) will hop on touring bikes and ride all the way from Seattle, Washington to Maine. I've never been West of the Mississippi River and have never even sniffed the Rocky Mountains. What better way to experience both than on a cycle!? We're going to be riding a route known as the "Northern Tier": total milage: 3,000 miles. I can't wait.

Horicon Marsh: It's paddle time

Bike Ride to Port Washington

Transit of Venus

"Do you see that little dot on the upper right side? That's Venus."

The last time I remember something passing in front of the sun I was in third or forth grade and there was a lunar eclipse. We went outside with a blank index card with a whole in it and were instructed to stand with our back to the sun and to look at the our index card over the back our shoulder, or something like that. 

Today at 8am I had no clue that were was anything cooling about to happen. My co-worker, Sam, called me to ask about ordering more boxes for packing product and just happened to mention that Venus was going to cross in front of the sun this evening and it wouldn't happen again for another 105 years. I more or less forgot about it until about 2pm when I got an email from our friend, Aaron, about where to look at "trasit venus" in Milwaukee and where to buy the glasses. Done. I would check it out before ballet. I called Aaron and we agreed that we would meet up at 5:30pm (I would pick up two pairs of glasses).

Coolest thing ever.

 

Spider Friend, part 2

Little Spider Friend

The other day, while washing my face, I noticed a little black speck out of the corn of my eye. I put my glasses back on and saw that the little speck was an ity, bity spider hanging from a thread of silk. Then the spider descended the rest of the way to our sink, walked over to one of the droplet of water and then climbed back up the the ceiling. Looks like we have a little friend!

Made In China

Most things we assume are made in China, but every so often there are items that surprise us. Like TOMS. TOMS prides it's self on being a company that makes a quality product AND for every pair of shoes you buy another goes to a child in a developing nation - cool huh? So like many others I was both surprised and disappointed (and maybe a tad embarrassed) that TOMS were made in China. However they do claim that their employees make a fair wage (http://www.toms.com/manufacturing-practices). And then I look at my beloved shoes - green Merrell hiking shoes - which are also made in China...I spent about $80 on them because Merrell makes an amazing shoe and like magic my back never hurts when I'm wearing them. Would I be willing to spend an extra $20 on them if they were made in the United States? Absolutely.

Sweetie, are you cold?

Yesterday I was coming home from ballet on my bike and I'm sitting a a red light and I "feel" this car creeping closer to me. Then I hear, "sweetie, are you cold?" I turn around and there's this mid 40sish woman, an RN according to her name tag, in a tan corolla with her window down. "Do you want a pair of mittens"? was the next thing she asked, while holding a bright red, balled up pair toward me. "No, I'm fine, but thank you" was my response as the light turned green. How cute was that?!

Rims Real Big.

About two months ago I started noticing these older, souped up cars over by were I work. Mostly Luminas, but I've seen what looks like a 1994 Corolla as well. Now I see them EVERYWHERE! My favorite is a lime green early 1990s Oldsmobile with giant lime green rims to match.

Yellow bellied sapsucker.

Today I went for a walk with our friend Katie while Jeremy was helping Ivan fix his bike, and on our way to Pick N Save (grocery store) I saw a little black and white bird laying on the ground next to a house with two large windows. my first thought was that I was going to walk up on a really disoriented bird that had flown into the window. After getting closer I found that it had flown into the window, but rather than being cute and dizzy it had died. The first emotion to come was sadness because birds are amazing and I don't like seeing dead animals. But then I got curious. Obviously I have seen birds before, but generally not this close up. So I got a stick and checked out it's feet and wings, and flipped it over to see it's back and belly. I was still sad, but more fascinated in seeing this bird up close, so I called Jeremy. And called. And called. Oh yeah, he was helping Ivan fix his bike - his phone was upstairs in their house. So me being me I found a plastic bag, picked up the bird and carried it back to the house to show Jeremy. After a little "awww" of pity we identified it (yellow bellied sapsucker - male), took a few pictures and then buried it in our friend's flower bed. I wish I had found a live bird, but I am thankful to have had such a learning experience.

things you deal with when undergrads are around...

So last weekend there was a HUGE party at the undergrad house next to our apartment building. HUGE. Needless to say campus security was called by a number of residents in the area. Anyway, there were undergrads everywhere - girls yellin' and screamin', guys gettin' in flights, and someone apparently dancin' on our car....

75 degrees and Sunny - but wait, it's March?

The last few days (weeks/months) have been unseasonally warm. The springs birds are back, flower are blooming, trees are budding and the bees are out in full force looking for food. But it's still the middle of March. Isn't supposed to be cold still? But then again this entire winter season has been extremely mild. Upon moving to Wisconsin everyone warned us of the sever winters...I think we got a maximum of 11 inches of snow and just a handful of weeks were it was cold enough to freeze the ground. Sure, it's been great not having to deal with the snow and cold, but I kind of feel like we have completely missed a season. I guess we'll see what's to come.

Acoustic Open Stage at Linnemans

So Jeremy has been playing blue grass with a group guys for three months now. They'll meet up at our friend Ivan's house (who is from Waterford, PA, plays banjo and has two of the coolest people for parents)on Thursday nights. Generally I don't go watch them play since they jam until about midnight, but on occasion I'll watch them and hangout with Ivan's girl friend Kate (all around great person: swim coach, baker, web designer.)

Anyway, last Thurday I did go watch them play. I did't have to work the next morning so I could stay out as late as I wanted. They had a great little practice and they even recorded a few of their songs just to see how it sounded. Next thing I know, they are talking about playing on Wednesday rather than on Thursday because there is an open mic night at a bar called Linnemans which wasn't too far away. And practice continued.

The next morning Jeremy asked me, "did we agree to play at an open mic night last night? Because I'm not sure if we are ready for that". Well, ready or not, they did play on Wednesday. Enjoy.

Four Years.

February - I'm usually sick of snow by this point, however today is the first real snowfall we have had this winter season, which is odd - we should have has a bunch more by now. Jeremy even took his snow tires off his bike - looks like he will be putting them back on.

It started snowing last night, so it kept the tradition of snowing on our wedding anniversary -that's what we get for getting married in February. Wow, it's been four years since we got married. Four years since we worked/lived at Camp Wilson in Ohio, and soon to be four years since we got on a plane headed for Policka, Czech Republic. People aren't kidding when they say time flies.

This winter season along has been sprinting past us - due to Jeremy being swamped in work and grad school readings and paper and me working full-time and attempting to keep up with cleaning our apartment building and the mountain of dishes what constantly plagues our sink - I'm pretty sure they are reprodu

cing in here, because after washing them everyday the mountain remains. It's February 24, I've already had two of the six weekend workshops at Growing Power, Jeremy has already read about 2, 000 pages for his classes -another 4, 000 to go -and we are already talking about our summer plans.

And it's snowing (smile)

Lake Michigan at sunset

It's Winter Time.

N 34th and Lisbon

Find a penny pick it up.

So over the weekend I was little bored and for some reason thought it would be fun to see how old of a penny I could find in our house. 1962 was the winner! Wow, a penny that has been in pockets, in cash drawers, and on the ground for 50 years, cool!

Then I thought, hmm, I wonder if we have pennies from every year since 1962. Turns out we don't but we are pretty close.

I was telling our friend Kyle about my little game and asked if he had any pennies laying around. Out came his change cup and away I went. 1960! Awesome, the oldest penny challenge was on it's way. There were only a few pennies left, mostly shiny but there was one that was really beat up. 1910! I couldn't believe it -both Jeremy and Kyle verified it for me - yup, 1910. I think we have our winner, but now I need to find pennies for all the years in between (smile).

Market Basket

Dear Milwaukee Drivers

Dear Milwaukee Drivers,

Right on red is always an option, not a requirement. If cars are coming I am not going to turn infront of them and be killed, and honking at me is not going to make me change my mind. Also, when turning right on red you are still required, by law, to stop before turning - you are still at a red light.

When making any sort of turn, be it left or right, the drivers behind you would appreciate if you used your turn signals as it is the only way we know that you are in fact turning and not just stopped. Furthermore, if your car breaks down in the middle of the road or you feel as though you need to stop or let someone out please put on your four-way flashers - it's all about communication.

Most roads in your city have two lanes for cars (both directions), a lane for bikers (yes, they are supposed to be on the road...), and a lane for curb parking. Why must you constantly pass me using the curb lane? Most of the time there are no other cars in the left lane (the proper passing lane for those of you who don't know) and is getting to the stop sign first really going to get you to your destination any quicker?

Also, riding my ass is not going to make me drive any faster and we would all appreciate if it you would not text while driving. Thank you.

Sincerly,
A Pennsylvania Driver


PS: 3 inches of snow is nothing to freak out about - just take it easy.

Winter Sunrise - Milwaukee, WI

Winter Hiking

Pabst Brewery Tour

Friday the 13th Market Basket (mwaah haa haa)

Annie in Milwaukee!