The Big Stinky

A few weeks ago, the U.S. Botanic Garden hosted an event that came to be known as "The Big Stinky", featuring "The Stinky Flower", or just "Stinky" for short.  The Botanic Garden had a 24 hour livestream of Stinky, and kept visitors apprised of just when "peak smell" would occur. Now, for a flower (technically "the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world", thank you Wikipedia) whose main claim to fame is that it smells like a corpse, I was a little surprised at all the hype. But when the 8-foot flower opened, I understood the fuss.

The first time I stopped by I was too early-still no bloom!

Open and Stinky!

Couldn't resist.

A Blue Gate

In my new home in Old Town Alexandria, there are many hidden spaces that a person notices when they are moving slowly, and for a girl without a car, that's not too difficult a task.

I was born and raised in Virginia, so sometimes it is easy to feel as though I've already seen and made up my mind about everything here. Coming back was difficult - the physical move back was hard to separate from the journey forward that graduate school certainly is. Of course, when so much is changing it is easy to become overwhelmed by the Big Questions, and I find that focusing on the simplest pleasures helps me to stay focused when my head begins to go into overdrive.

Northwestern

Northwestern is such a beautiful community-it reminds me a little of the campus at William and Mary with a more urban feel and a slightly larger lake! We arrived just as a major rainstorm was subsiding and everything was soggy but sparkling.

A church in the middle of campus. Not technically part of the University but still part of the landscape. There was a wedding reception taking place here-we listened to some celebratory bag-piping before continuing on our way!

                                An ancient oak standing guard over hidden pathways.

      A field of white snowball hydrangeas waved merrily to us as we entered the campus!

                                                      Tudor-style architecture.

                                      A cairn,the beach, and a mother-daughter duo.

Baha'i Temple

I finally made the journey north of the city to visit the Baha'i Temple, renowned for its unique beauty and message. We were allowed inside, but could not take pictures-a practice I find peaceful in a holy space. Consequently, I can only share the exterior of this magnificent structure and the surrounding rose gardens. The Baha'i faith is so beautiful-among their tenants included an emphasis on the equality of men and women, harmony between science and religion, and humanity being one family.

 

 Gardens and fountains surround the Temple on all of its nine sides.

     The Temple is made of beautifully wrought, blindingly white concrete.

 Baha'is believe that throughout history, God has revealed Himself to humanity  through a series of divine messengers, each of whom founded a major world religion. If you look carefully, you can see symbols from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam worked into the design details.

                                                                 The dome.

                                                           In the rose garden!

Days Alone

Some days just feel lonely, even though you may have spent the whole of them with crowds of people. In the four years since I graduated from college, I have lived in seven new cities, and this fall I am once again relocating. Constant moving means constant adapting, and learning how to be alone- and NOT lonely- is an essential skill to this lifestyle.

  
At the beach this winter, I ran across these lone seagull tracks on the snow that nearly had me in tears for their seeming isolation.  After walking alone for a little while, however, the gull once again took flight and rejoined his soaring comrades.

The Fruits of My Labor

All spring and summer long, I have been spending my evenings tilling, planting, weeding and watering a small 10 x 15' patch of the world in the hopes that all that dirt under my fingernails would pay off. Despite the drought and the uncharacteristically hot Chicago summer, somehow it is all happening!
Last week bright pockets of color started showing up in the midst of my little green jungle, and I plan on exclusively eating tomato-basil salads for the rest of the summer!

Feeling the Heat

It's going to be 96 degrees today and I am planning to take a group of 10-year old children fishing for the first time. Just a little reminder to myself that I love warm days and I am so grateful it's summer!

Winter in Illinois is coooooold!