Omaha City Parks: Grace Young

So, I thought I would visit a few parks around my fair town this summer. First stop: Grace Young Park. It is the closest park to my home and it is a sad little place.

Firstly, who was Grace Young? I couldn't track any information down on the internet. Guess I'll see if I can scrounge anything up next time I pop in at the library. GYP doesn't seem to have much going for it. The location is right off of NW Radial Hwy so there is a lot of traffic noise.

The only facilities were a small playground, a baseball diamond, and one basketball hoop. The park needed to be mowed badly:
According to Keep Omaha Beautiful the park has been adopted, but whomever is looking after it must be on vacation. There was a pile of mismatched shoes in one spot that seemed as if they'd been there for awhile. Bits of garbage and weeds and no flowers dotted the landscape. The park is surrounded on three sides by houses. You think someone would do a better job of keeping it up.

I was there around 9 am this morning and had the place to myself. Hopefully, the city does a better job with the rest of its parks.

an extra day

february 29th only happens every four years and it was an exceptionally wonderful day today. although the only sign of the upcoming spring here is the melting snow, it was a truly beautiful day. not a cloud in the sky (there was actually a teeny one, but when i tried to take a picture of it, it had disappeared).


i was productive in the kitchen this morning making granola and white chip chocolate cookies.

good thing the weather cooperated and i managed to get my walk in. enjoy!

dresses

my initial choice ($398)


until i found this (the impossible to own dress) ($450)

and the one i was thinking i would get last night ($96--the best price)

until i saw this. i think this could be it. what do you think? ($335)

i kind of like the funk factor to this one ($253)



nice. is it too summery? ($310)

this one seems better for january ($178)
what do you think? any other ideas? i've looked at some vintage dress sites, but most of the dresses are for teeny tiny ladies. hugs!

Repeal Day

I am already making plans to celebrate Repeal Day with friends on December 5.

http://www.repealday.org/



It may even become a tradition.

Fun To Do List: #1

Watch all of Doris Day's movies in chronological order (minus the ones that aren't available on DVD yet or never show on TCM).

This weekend it was Romance on the High Seas. Doris' first movie and the only movie she smokes in (See comments). She was actually a heavy smoker in real life until her late 20s which is so surprising to me. She really does have a goody goody image even to those of us who didn't grow up with her.

I like this movie. The songs aren't great, but Doris is certainly fun to watch in this one--alternating between high society and nightclub singer persona. She really was a natural in front of the camera.

inspiring home

Kathy, this is for you. For some reason, I just really loved this home. The dining room was on the cover of the magazine (Marie Claire Maison-September 2007). I think it's the simplicity. I know I could never have an all-white home, but maybe one room or a little backyard one-room retreat. It would just be so relaxing. Here is the dining room.

I really love the mismatched chairs and the giant mirror and and the rustic table and especially the simple lighting fixture.

The living room:
I am on the search for the perfect coffee table. I liked this one, but it would be too low considering all of our meals occur there.

And finally, the bedroom.


I think I might be able to swing an all white bedroom since it is the only room in our house that is off limits to the cats. But that will have to be a future goal--the bedroom is the only room in the house that has been re-painted since I've moved in (and it's light blue).

Let me know what you think. Hugs.

blog action day for the environment

did you know that today fifteen thousand blogs will be discussing the environment and reaching over 12 million readers? it's a very cool thing so i thought i should participate. check it out for much more information and to see who else is participating:

http://blogactionday.org/

i think one of the best possible things you and i can do to make this world a better place is to get out of our cars. even if you only walk or bike or skateboard or whatever once a week rather than hopping in your car, it will make a difference. it forces you to slow down and notice what is going on around you. i often find very interesting things when i travel a pied and if you happen to find something like a very clever note, i suggest you send it in to the fellas at found (they were in omaha on saturday night and they are coming to you very soon and i definitely suggest checking them out).

and you know how bad cars are for the environment and how good walking, biking, etc. is for your health so c'mon now, put the car keys down and go enjoy the beautiful fall weather.