Weekend for One

My sweet has been gone for the weekend, which is the first time since August that we have been apart for more than a night. He's at a manly-men-only-weekend at the cabin of a friend where many husbands and boyfriends of people I know gather to drink beer, bowl, compare the ridiculous mustaches they are required to grow as an admittance requirement and, I'm sure,do other assorted things I care to know nothing about. This weekend gave me some time to spend by myself and with my parents one-on-one.

After a Friday commute home in powerful wind and rain, I stopped by the annual Coalition for Photographic Arts (CoPA) Member Photo Exhibit. My Dad is a part of this local photography group and wanted me to come see the show. I braved the nasty weather and the ridiculous Third Ward Gallery Night parking situation to see the show in what used to be the Aveda Institute building. The show was great and I have not been to any kind gallery show in a very long time (except my sister's culmination BFA show). I schnibbled on some homemade cookies, looked at interesting photos and got to meet some of the people from CoPA that my Dad is always talking about.

A few endearing things about my Dad. One: is that he always refers to his friends and acquaintances by their full names, almost expecting that the listener knows all of these people, which of course I don't, but there is something colorful about that. Two: is that my Dad gives huge bear hugs, sometimes so long that you feel like he won't let go, but there's something endearing about that too. At least you know you are loved in that moment.

I didn't stay at the show long because I'd made a promise to myself that I would visit one of the two Landmark Theaters in Milwaukee to take in a film no matter how exhausted I felt or how far away the East side is from my house. I love the Oriental Theater the most, but ended up at the Downer instead because I picked a new version of Jane Eyre out of the lot of foreign and independent films currently being screened by Landmark in Milwaukee. It's rare that I go to any other movie theaters than these two because I love the selection they play, but also because a movie experience here is like stepping into another era. They are such an amazing gem in this city and if you have never been to one, I say go to both, now!

I used to shy away from going to movies alone, because it made me feel awkward. But now I love it. It's liberating to know that I can go alone and it's no issue, even on a date night like Friday. But it's also an intimate and personal viewing experience that can be a nice contrast to going in a pair every now and then. When I go on my own, I select the film I want to see at the exact moment I want to see it with no compromise and the experience is completely my own. Funny to say that something you do sitting in the dark next to fifty other people can be personal, but it is for me.


Since I didn't eat dinner before hitting the movies, I allowed myself to indulge in a little movie theater gluttony: honest-to-God real buttered popcorn, Dots and a lemon Italian soda.

I was unfamiliar with the story of Jane Eyre having never read any of the Brontes. I guess there are something like 19 film versions of Eyre dating back to the early twentieth century. This version was dark, moody and somewhat slow moving. I liked the story and the themes explored. I liked the British landscapes, the sensuality and the effective projection of the central character's rich, yet also stilted inner life. I liked the chemistry between Jane and Mr. Rochester and the clipped sensuality of their interactions. Overall, the whole of it hit me in the right place for a rainy, evening-for-one kind of night.


The marquee lighting up a misty, cold night on the East side.

On Saturday afternoon my Mom graciously treated me to lunch at Cafe LuLu down in Bayview. This restaurant is a Bayview standard having existed there since before the neighborhood was definitively "cool". My family used to go there together for dinner sometimes before my parents got divorced. It's also where I often go to dine with friends and the first stop when we were celebrating my bachlorette party. Ry will go there with me, but it's not his favorite. So, I was happy to go for an afternoon with my Mom. Afterward we visited several local shops in Bayview and the Third Ward looking at sewing stuff, stationary, mid-century antiques and assorted accessories. We ended our shopping at Home Depot where I bought the tension rods I need to complete my kitchen curtain sewing project.

The rest of my weekend has been utterly devoted to sewing curtains. After completely the panels for the large window which I posted earlier in the week, I was set to start the valences for the other smaller windows. This was going to be a bit more complicated because I had to attach several panels together to make them long enough to cover the window. Even though I was fairly sure I had underestimated the amount of total fabric I needed, I still made an entire valence out of just one panel hoping that it would work. It didn't. It looked silly and I had to rip out the seams and do it over, doubling the length. I measured out my new fabric needs and learned that I'd barely have enough to make valences for the two corner windows and wouldn't have enough for the others.


Guess who kept getting in my way? Every time I got up to press a seam he was sitting on the ironing board. Every time I went to sew a seam he sitting in my chair. What can I say, the little fur ball loves his mommy.

Even though I started out carefully measuring, I eventually got a little more lax and started eyeballing it. I know from the first part of the project that this doesn't work. Remember how I ended up with two different curtain lengths? Well, for some reason I did it anyway and again ended up with valences of two different lengths. The summary of my night and a bit of this morning was seam-ripping, seam-ripping and seam-ripping again!

They are finally done and I am very happy with the look. It's funny how we were used to the windows being naked for almost an entire year. Something as simple as a little curtain makes a big difference for how finished the space looks. It makes me excited to try other home decorating sewing project around the house that will make our home unique.

There is something wonderful about creating something you know can't be bought in a store and is totally yours. Even though it's been challenging, I like that I am developing a handcrafting skill that is not super common place anymore. I know many women and men sew, but comparatively few with how many did fifty years ago when people made their own clothes and home decor items all the time. It feels good to be keeping a handcrafting skill alive in my own fledgling little way!


The almost-finished product. This is before I evened them out. It's not completely apparent in this pic, but there was about an inch different in length between the two. I took 'em down this morning and fixed 'em.