My weekend was so full. Here are some of the highlights:

Picking up a cat named after a raincloud, Nimbus, while a storm was brewing. Nimbus went to  live with my kind friend from work, Michael, on Wednesday. She gets to live in a beautiful big apartment in Pilsen with loft spaces and lots of light. Michael writes this wonderful blog (Making a Mess of It). Every week, he bakes an item out of an old copy of the Good Housekeeping Cookbook and writes about it
(and, in the process, writes about so much more). The blog is such an inspiration to me and I always look forward to reading it.

Jumping into freezing Lake Michigan for the first time this year after an intensely hot run with another work friend, Ollie.  The lake was so very cold - Ollie says it's because the Great Lakes were frozen for so long this year. He is full of insights. 

Making preparations for Niall and my's upcoming trip to Ann Arbor and Detroit. My favorite purchase? A one-burner camping stove. I cannot wait to use it.

Cooking this Corn Chowder and topping it with chives from my very own garden. The soup is even better today than yesterday right off the stove.

Going for my first run with Niall, through Loyola's campus, past the sweetest smelling roses. I'm excited about this new thing to do together.

Wandering the garden with my thoughtful friend Monique, admiring the veggies growing and talking about big things.

The Clary Sage is so pretty in my plot- though I have no idea what to do with it.

Michael lives across from this beautiful little park that is a sanctuary for the Monarch Butterfly. I saw a stray beige and white cat in there, but couldn't scoop him up. I hope he finds somewhere good to go with someone good to help him.