sistermama gets real

danger, walking, eating

I left my hotel last night at about 6:00 pm to walk over to the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art.  My first walking impression of Montreal was that the pollution was really bad.  I could smell it and it was tingling my eyes.  I ducked into a bank in the corner of a large building complex so that I could use the ATM.  As soon as I stuck my card into the machine, the announcement cycling on the PA system switched to English and I realized why there was a loud, repetitive beeping broadcasting in the little ATM room.  Turns out the pollution probably isn't normally so bad. This was the scene on the other side of the building.

The museum was a bust as they were between exhibits and only had one currently open.  I decided to walk around and check out the area.  Montreal is super pedestrian friendly and REALLY clean.  Strangely, though, there were very few garbage cans, so I'm not quite sure how they managed that. I walked for about two hours around Rue St. Catherine, Rue St. Laurent and Rue St. Urbain. 

 
I headed down to Old Montreal to do the touristy stuff.  Old Montreal is said to look like an old European street and I guess it does, but honestly it seemed like much ado about not much.  It was pretty, but not much different from what I've seen in many other cities.   It is a nice space to walk around though, the evening was mild and there was lots of opportunity for people watching.  I stopped to have dinner at a place where I could sit outside.  My dinner sounded SO good on the menu, but only so so in actuality.  I've had better crepes in Schenectady.  The draft cider was really good though. 

The gelatto from next door more than made up for the lackluster food.  Nutella gelatto?  As fabulous as it sounds.  Halved with pistachio gelatto?  I may have to go back tonight. 

goodbye April, hello Montreal

We traveled from Spring (Lucy in my spring coat circa 1978, isn't it so sweet?)

To summer (those 6 year old grins really crack me up!)

Tried out the pillow case dresses and loved them

Now I am off to Montreal.  Yes, I, not we not us just I.  As in three nights sleeping in a bed by myself, walking around a new city, eating yummy meals I don't have to rush through and, oh yeah, attending the conference that is the actual reason I'm going.  But really, the conference may just be cover for sleeping alone! 

I'm a little worried about Lucy Worried isn't the way to describe it since she will be cared for by her father, grandmother, great grandmother and also a dear friend.  I guess it would make more sense to say I feel empathy for her, since I know it won't be super easy on her for me to be gone.  My friend and I were talking last night about how when we were little, kids still cried when they started kindergarten,  in fact it was normal for 5 year olds to cry as often their mothers were leaving them for the first time.  But now it is considered strange that my 4.5 year old cries when I leave... Anyways, this morning at breakfast I drew out a little calendar for Lucy so she would know what she is doing each day I'm gone, and also be able to track when I will be back.

Wednesday - Mommy leaves, its a Daddy day
Thursday - Daddy day with mac and cheese for lunch and soccer play
Friday - Day at our friend's house, with little bounce house, sleep over at Grandma's house
Saturday - Day with Reg and Great (Jack and Lucy call their grandma "Reg" short for regular as in    regular grandma as opposed to great grandma, who is called Great!  Soccer game.
Sunday - Self explanatory!

Poetry Friday

I'm going to try and post poems (by other people!) on Fridays, just because I never seem to find the time to read poetry even though I want to.  Of course I'll do this legally, and not violate current copyrights while I'm at it. 

I was first introduced to Adelaide Crapsey when I was reading A Northern Light.  This excerpt from To the Dead in the Graveyard Underneath My Window  serves as the epigraph:

And if the many sayings of the wise
Teach of submission I will not submit
But with a spirit all unreconciled
Flash an unquenched defiance to the stars.

I've been thinking about what she means "with a spirit all unreconciled."  Unreconciled to the teachings of the wise?  Unreconciled with her choice of nonsubmission (I'm not sure this is a word)? 

I like these  two three, as well:

Release
With swift
Great sweep of her
Magnificent arm my pain
Clanged back the doors that shut my soul
From life.

Trapped
Well and
If day on day
Follows, and weary year
On year...and ever days and years...
Well?

Amaze
I know
Not these my hands
And yet I think there was
A woman like me once had hands
Like these.

Can you tell she invented the cinquan?  Crapsey is one in a long line of female poets whose work was long disregarded, seen as trivial and mundane.  I appreciate the "everyday"ness of it.

Quick Easter Sewing

I have just got to admit to myself that I am not a pattern type sewer.

I bought all of this stuff a few weeks ago after I realized I was too close to Easter to pick up any Strasburg dresses on ebay.  I had the patterns from a big dollar sale last fall.  In the bag all this stuff sat.  My mom offered MULTIPLE times to help me sew, even offered to help cut patterns.  Saintly if you ask me.  I gave her every excuse in the book though.  Because, truth be finally realized and told, I HATE sewing from patterns.  I don't like cutting them, marking them, reading the directions, etc., etc., etc..  I also don't love off the rack clothes or paying for new fabric.  What I do like?  Making things up as I go along, getting visual inspiration from someone's online tutorial, using thrifted, repurposed fabric and best of all, simply marking lines on fabric with disappering ink. 

With a wedding and Easter coming up in the next two weeks, enter the pillowcase dress and I am saved.

Ignore the fact that my lighting is always awful.  I never remember to take pictures until about 9:00 pm.

My mom came over last Sunday and we whipped these up in no time.  Hand tacking on the ribbon ties probably took longer than anything else.  Lucy has a pair of white eyelet bloomers that are going to look really sweet under these dresses.  Jack and I are in agreement that a little ric-rac makes everything better.

I love when I can make something new out of something old (and cheap or free).  My favorite quick girl sew before these pillowcase dresses is this great idea for turning a men's shirt into a sundress.
I've also had good luck cutting down adult size dresses into Lucy sized skirts.  Adult sleeves make quick and easy toddler pants.  What other great ideas am I missing for repurposing fabric?