the day i left milwaukee, i made one last attempt to take in the city and see those few kindred spirits that i didn't yet have a chance to see. naturally, i started my morning off at the local favorite, rochambo's coffee and teahouse on brady street with a dear friend :) you know, the type of friend where it doesn't matter how much time has passed between correspondences, but you know you can always pick up exactly where you left off..!? yeah, it was definitely a great morning with my dear kattia; nothing short of what i would've expected when you put 2 people with our energy in one room and add 2 pints of quality espresso beans to the mix, haha. and i don't even need caffeine! exactly what i needed to begin my last day of my brew city visit - lots of love and laughs while catching up on life!
i stuck around the neighborhood for a light lunch and eclectic shopping, then took a stroll down the once familiar lakefront i spent so much time at a lifetime ago... until i met up with another old friend that afternoon at the nomad, brady street's infamous world pub. he was working, i was getting thirsty and it was the absolutely perfect day out to enjoy a drink while people watching outisde the joint as we and joked with his regulars and soaked up the sun.
and let me just say, wow! you wouldn't believe me if i told you :) haha. oh, the people i met and things i saw that afternoon. it was definitely an "experience," they say "the nomad doesn't get any more eccentric!" and it sure lived up to its reputation :) thanks for the libations, mando!
one thing led to another, and before i knew it, i was at hosed enjoying more cocktails over great conversation with a small group of women i randomly met at the nomad who invited me to join them on their quest for drinks as they traveled deeper into the neighborhood :) one of which also so happened to own and operate fred boutique - a cute little shop not more than a block from my sister's condo on the river in milwaukee's infamous 3rd ward... it seems the further you venture, the smaller the world gets!
and you see, this is ultimately what i love about this city; the mixture of diverse people all within a small area and the surprise of not knowing who you will meet, run into, or where the day will take you as you make like a leaf and blow in the wind. :) good times. goodbye milwaukee.
you know how i'm always thankful for my friends and the good people i'm blessed enough to have in my life? well, i truly am a lucky gal to be able to call this guy a dear friend of mine: chef larry. and since the day i've met him, we've become great friends and kindred spirits in greenery and fishing.
if you aren't familiar, chef larry is the man behind sweet baby ray's award-winning gourmet sauces; a household name across the nation becoming the fastest growing bbq sauce in america and the #1 premium sauce in grocery!
this past holiday weekend, equipped with nothing but the plan to enjoy labor day weekend, i packed up my northwoods essentials and accepted his invite to stay at his beautiful cottage right on the lake up north. needless to say, i was spoiled from the second i arrived! thank you, chef..! for everything.
it was definitely a great weekend spent with 2 of wisconsin's most renowned chefs - the other was chef larry's washburne culinary institute classmate and lifelong friend... also known as former executive chef for the green bay packers for many years - whose company (and food!) i genuinely enjoyed the entire time too. so much, in fact, that i stretched out my 2 day stay another night/day :) because yes, it was that fantastic and i thoroughly loved every moment!
p.s. happy birthday, chef! (september 10th!)
♩ ♪ ♫ ...but you can't stop nothing if you got no control, of the thoughts in your mind that you kept and you know. that you don't know nothing
but you don't need to know, the wisdom's in the trees not the glass windows. you can't stop wishing if you don't let go, of the things that you find and you lose and you know. you keep on rolling, put the moment on hold... because the frame's too bright, so put the blinds down low. ♪ ♩ ♫
a rainbow peeked out and bade us farewell as we left the clouds behind us and headed towards the sunny blue skies to our weekend destination camping in door county. i like to believe i’m a child of the universe and these little phenomenas are merely an intricate network of ethereal vibes within a natural cycle just waiting to be recognized, absorbed and, in return, exuded as positive spiritual energy onto those around us.
by the time we joined our party at peninsula state park there was just enough time to set up camp before being greeted with generous provisions and a roaring fire awaiting our company. great friends are truly the family you get to choose :) and i am thankful for the people i've built quality relationships with.
in a world where technology has replaced the simplest of social interactions, there’s absolutely nothing quite like unplugging and just being out in the woods under a blanket of stars and honing our skills on the fading art of conversation!
whitefish dunes and cave point were classic wisconsin sights explored… and taking a dip in lake michigan after basking under the midwest sun couldn’t have been more perfect! to this day, i am still blown away at the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis. we are truly are blessed to be surrounded by such beauty! after all, when you've replaced the term “vacation” as a destination with moreso a state of mind... life will be much more pleasant. i promise!
the remainder of the weekend was spent exploring, enjoying and appreciating more little wonders this wisconsin peninsula has to offer. it still blows me away to realize how simple, yet breathtaking, the natural sights really are here... including its rich history of how it all came to be. it just reaffirms the fact that i truly am a wisconsinian at heart... a "lakes and trees" kinda girl; greenery over skyscrapers. sometimes :) hha!
♩ ♪ ♫i was a little girl, alone in my little world, who dreamed of a little home for me... i played pretend between the trees, and fed my houseguests bark and leaves, and laughed in my pretty bed of green.♪ ♩ ♫
i've had a few pretty amazing days recently and it's only natural it's gotten me excited for what's in store for the warmer months ahead :) and with that mindset comes attached the nostalgic medley of my past summers... horse with no name by america.
after a chill day jamming to it in my car while running errands yesterday... i woke up with it still on the brain and immediately put it on the turntable this morning. i would be lying if i said it wasn't the sole inspiration behind the day's accessories to accompany a simple outfit to sum up my current mood.
♩ ♪ ♫ the ocean is a desert with it's life underground... and a perfect disguise above.
under the cities lies a heart made of ground, but the humans will give no love... ♪ ♩ ♫
here's a song that's been on repeat, lately! actually, this entire album is amazing. i love everything about it. every. thing. this in particular is just another one of those songs whose lyrics invokes real emotion for me personally; and deeply resonates :) plus, it doesn't hurt that i absolutely dig the sound of it, too! definitely an ep i need to snatch on vinyl..!
♩ ♪ ♫ don't make me sad, don't make me cry. sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough, i don't know why. keep making me laugh, let's go get high. the road is long, we carry on, trying to have fun in the meantime... ♪ ♫
...i was talking to a friend about the newly released film "limitless" the other day and how i thought it was a great concept, but lacked a proper screenplay and execution to do the storyline the justice it had potential for. he then mentioned the book flowers for algernon somewhere in the conversation... and so i recently picked it up and read it straight through.
before continuing, let me just say - at the risk of sounding like a complete nerd - i took it a step further by actually researching the author, daniel keyes, in detail after coming across a short summary of how this novel came to be the actual premise in which limitless was based upon... and wow. it really did give me a newfound appreciation for the subject matter.
definitely a great and easy read. i would highly recommend this to everyone. i don't know how it skipped my high school, but who knows if i would've appreciated it back then anyways. very poignant and insightful... and it was one of those literary works that deeply tugged at my heart strings from the very beginning.
going off on another tangent here, it also led me to read the novellette, "understand" by ted chiang. again, so good too... similar concepts :) again, highly recommended! click here to read it, right now - for free! and if you do/did, let me know what you think of it..!
♪ ♩ ♫ what is the light, that you have shining all around you? is it chemically derived?
'cause if it's natural, something glowing from inside... shining all around you. it's potential has arrived... ♪ ♩ ♫
the lakefront; brewery. cielito lindo. lincoln park. urban fishing. bbq's for two. miller tours. summerfest. mpm. mam. pabst. tap city. mke county zoo. seven mile fair. value village. records. thrifting. 727 21st. 437 shawley. ugly mug. yellow jacket. stonefly. hip hop. libraries. marquette. the darkside of the moon. budget cinema. washington park. dineen. stallis. brady street strolls. rushmor. the blue armadillo. wizard of odd. eesanes. 7th&maple. oakland gyros. oak leaf trail. autozone. music festivals. jjs. pizza shuttle. thomson. herbs. jameson. jim beam. little red, the devil schwinn. bremen cafe. cafe mocha. art bar. maingia. berni. dan. mando. pie. enid edie. el rey. renaissance books. and bayview.
it's not that i miss you or that i long to someday return - but moreso, that feeling i can still vividly recall while i was there with you that brings a certain peace to my heart. so thank you... for being such a big part of me and showing me what beauty really entails when you can look past the rough streets and begin to appreciate the hidden gems between each nook and cranny so many overlook. for that, i will always love you. and regardless of the evils - we had some pretty amazing times, you and i :) that's what i choose to remember and take with me.
♪ ♩ ♫ when i was drinking, when i was with you... living it up when the rent was due. with nothing and no one to live up to. you and me dying on the vine, holding hands and drinking wine. now i'm not the same girl i left behind with you. twelve bars behind us and twelve bars to go... bottles of beer lined up in a row. one for each hour you didn't show. you and me dying everyday. getting high just to pass away, but that's not the reason i couldn't stay with you. now i am sober, now i'm alone... three years have gone by since you have gone. letting you go, letting me go on, but i'll raise a glass now to you and me. to lift me higher so i can see... which of these blessings are killing me. ♪ ♩ ♫
