Winter, Working & Big Orbit Member Show

Winter doesn't seem to have them down at all.

Winter

We survived the holidays! We are just a few days away from the mid-point of winter. For the first time  I had the thought, "Gee, spring would be nice." I do tend to a little seasonal blues, I do live in Buffalo but I've been painting some, spending time with friends, keeping generally busy. All in all not doing too bad.

 look ma, it's architecture!

Work

Speaking of busy. I've been working for the last  7 months (and clearly not updating my blog). It feels so good to be back out in the "real world"; even if I absolutely hate getting up in the mornings. I've often written about achieving balance in life and I'm definitely working on that right now. I do miss the rhythms of being a stay-at-home mom, but at the same time a lot of that was not working well for me either.  I missed adults, working, leaving the house every day. I also really resented the assumption that since my childcare role meant I was at home most of the day, that I was supposed to take on all of the housework as well. I am not a domestic goddess, now that I'm working again I get to spend a little more time doing something I really good at.

Needless to say the entire family has been adjusting to our new dynamic.  I have given up on the idea that I will ever work the 50+ hours per week that I did BC (before children). My son and daughter seem to be thriving in school. K started full day kindergarten and A still at the Waldorf pre-school. And my dear husband, has started reading my old blog post for dinner recipes.

Big Orbit Member Show

Now the really reason I wanted to post today is because I've once again submitted some artwork to the Big Orbit Member show and wanted to give you the particulars:

Art
(for sale even)
at BIG ORBIT

Big Orbit Member Show

22nd Annual
Members' Exhibition
February 2 - March 9, 2013

opening reception:

Saturday, February 2 from 8 - 11 p.m.

Usually there's a wide range of visual and sculptural art from Buffalo creatives, I've never been disappointed.  I will be out of town for the opening but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go!

10 Reasons I Live in a City (& Love it!)

A typical Buffalo Neighborhood

I love living in the city. Moreover, I love living in Buffalo. Urban life makes me happy. I'm even working on a series of paintings about side walks and streets. Check out my other blog for updates on that. Heck I even have a Pinterest board called,"The Streets Were..."!

Let it be said, I love city life! I while I have only been subjected to the suburban lifestyle in small short burst, but the idea of it make me ______.  (Well this is supposed to be a family blog, right.)  I feel that a little less downright angry about genuinely rural life. I could imagine myself at least vacationing on a farm or in small town inn, with out getting too stabby.

I have family and even friends that for some reason prefer the suburbs, or country, I know the city is where I belong.  It is part of who I am, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  I am passionate about this, so my list might be a little long, actually I should probably write a whole book on this. Anyway, I am going to post my bullet points a few at a time.  So stay tuned.


This list is in no particular order.

Ignore the baby bump,
that's Pittsburgh back there!

1: I grew up in a city: 

There is something, again to be said, for sticking with what you know. Pittsburgh in the 80's was suffering from industrial decline, crime, and pollution. It was still a wonderful place to grow up.  I have fond memories of public school, PAT busses, friends and cousins that lived within walking distance. 
Pittsburgh, even in its muddy, dirty, under-doggiest, always had its good points and a lot have to do with being a vibrant central city.  As a little kid and a teenager, I benefited tangibly from being part of a community with research hospitals, theater and classical music productions, the Carnegie museums and libraries. There are intangible things too, like winning sports teams, extended family and community. All of these were accessible, largely, without a car.

Buffalo, is not Pittsburgh, but it still has a familiar network of places, people, and destinations that I can be meandered and discovered. I have lived her for nearly 16 years and I still and learning things about this place. I was born in a city and I feel like I understand urban pulse and it is comfortable to me.

2) I am rarely the strangest person around.

I'm sure it's everywhere,
but there's more weird stuff in a city

I don’t ever remember fitting in. For whatever reason, I tend to stick out. I have learned to accept that.  The nice thing about living within an urban community I am usually never the biggest weirdo around.  There is always someone with more tattoos, piercings at least.

The selling point of many suburban developments has long been homogony.  You live around people who all live in nearly the same style house, which everyone bought for the same price. For a long time minorities were not welcome. Cities thrive on the very crashing different communities together.

I married someone who was raised Polish Catholic, I am, by self-report, an African-American Buddhist. A city is, for me, the place where the bird and the fish can live together.  Even their children do not even stick out that much.

Nature in the city

3) Concrete grey is the new green

In my earlier post about making Every Day Earth Day I talked about house, I try to make green a lifestyle choice. While I do not think suburban life makes that impossible, there is a considerable carbon footprint associated with new-build, car only accessible development. If we take clues from our urban past and make the most of new technologies city life will be the green alternative for a sustainable future.

That’s all for now, more post about why to live in and love your central city coming soon! Tell me what you love about where you live, be it city, country or suburb.

Make Everyday Earth Day

Earth Day 2006

My first job as a kid was going door to door collecting donations for PennPIRG and their reduce reuse recycle campaign. I was 17, and at the end of that summer I went off to college. Its funny how you are so often formed by the experiences of your late teens. I'm still a vegetarian because a reading of Anne Lappe's, Diet for a Small Planet. I just never learned to cook meat.

So,  I'm a life long greenie, but Earth Day often goes by unnoticed.