pt. 1 // Friday night

I’m sitting here, emotionally bursting with quiet joy, as snow falls quietly outside. It’s the perfect storm— a January weekend in Des Moines, as Friday evening traffic moves hesitantly down the interstate just blocks from where I sit. A mug of mostly-drunk chamomile tea sits next to me on the warm, black radiator. I’m curled up on it, my seat warm and my back cool against the attic windows. In-between sentences in my new library book, I watch the snow accumulate and my neighbor back his car off the street and on to his lawn. The city will go into snow ordinance mode, something I’ve never had to learn about until this winter.

Surreal, this life. I never thought I would sit in an attic bedroom, in a Craftsman-period home. Even more, that I would be working under the title of “artist” and reading good books about other Artists. (Currently reading a biography on my favorite defining American painter- Norman Rockwell- and laughing out loud at various phrases.)

That I might live in a city! One that is full of “city” things, like interstates and traffic mixers and homeless populations, too. With history and modern coffee shops, lots of shopping boutiques and hurts in the community that go unnoticed by the media. To live here, and own a record play and live a mile away from a record store. Working in local restaurants on Friday mornings, grabbing sushi for lunch “just because” and in the same geographic as a Trader Joes. What a dream, this current living.

pt. 2 // Sunday afternoon adventures

Post-church and apres-lunch, I bundled up to explore. Saturday had turned into a sick day of the most unpleasant kind, so I was out to reclaim what I had left of my weekend. My first stop was Zzz Records—a store I’d wanted to explore for months! Half an hour was spent, and $15, but new treasures in the sound of Phil Collins acquired.

My car took me down the street to a highly popular food-and-drink spot. I’d never been there alone, but a window seat at St Kilda with a cup of hot rooibos tea and a Madeline L’Engle book turned out to be a wonderful solitary activity. After airports and libraries, I think restaurants & bars may be the best spots to people watch.

I foolishly wanted to walk downtown, and made it about a mile to the Court and Fourth Hyvee. There, I took refuge inside, wandering the aisle and picking out artisan bread and candy gushers. I guess we all have our weaknesses! Those are some of mine.

A brisk walk back to my car led to the end of adventures, at least for the weekend. Brief, but life-giving. I’m thankful for this time I have in the big-little city of Des Moines. <3