366 Things I Love

DECEMBER 31, 2016 - 366/366 THIS COFFEE URN

When I started this project a year ago, I never wanted it to be about “things,” despite being called “366 Things I Love.” So over the past 366 days, I’ve rarely photographed something I own, unless it was to talk about the sentimental value that object held.

This coffee urn belonged to a dear friend of ours, Jack Edwards, who passed away in 2013. The urn came from England, and inside is stamped “W Baily, Grace Church St., London.” Jack liked beautiful things, and after he died we inherited a number of his belongings. We only bring out this urn once a year, but when we do, I always think of Jack, and the many stories he told us about his fabulous life.

I didn’t know how to end this project, and felt a lot of pressure to produce an “epic” photo to go out on a high note. But instead of an amazing landscape, or a classic Minneapolis building, I’m presenting this photo, and my memories of one of the dead. New Year’s Eve is a great time for us to look back and reflect: to remember all that we’ve lost, and appreciate all that we still have. 

DECEMBER 30, 2016 - 365/366 THIS RUNNER ON LAKE OF THE ISLES

DECEMBER 29, 2016 - 364/366 THOSE WERID FOAM BENCHES IN CALHOUN SQUARE

If you walk through Calhoun Square, you’ll see these strange-looking foam blocks in the middle of the atrium. The first few times I saw them, I wondered what they were all about; each one was slightly different but I couldn’t figure out why.

DECEMBER 28, 2016 - 363/366 THE MIRRORED WINDOWS AT THE GUTHRIE

The Endless Bridge at the Guthrie Theater is usually the first place I bring out-of-town guests; from there you can see the origin of Minneapolis at St. Anthony Falls and the Mills District. 

DECEMBER 27, 2016 - 362/366 THIS SUNSET VIEW OF THE WEISMAN MUSEUM

DECEMBER 26, 2016 - 361/366 THE WITCH’S HAT

The Prospect Park Water Tower was built in 1913, on one of the highest points in Minneapolis, to increase water pressure in the neighborhood. This functional structure was given a whimsical appearance by city engineer Frederick William Cappelen; to the delight of generations of Minnesotans to come, he topped the building with a fanciful brimmed "hat" of green ceramic tile, and hence its nickname was born. (source: Wikipedia)

DECEMBER 25, 2016 - 360/366 THESE BROWN PAPER PACKAGES

This afternoon I went to my friends’ home, Andrew and David, for a low-key Christmas party. Their home is beautiful, with an eclectic mix of furniture and art that is obviously carefully curated, but somehow feels very natural.

Under their tree there were some vintage sleds, ice skates and these lovely packages. It was all so beautifully staged that I had to ask if those were real presents, or if they were just there for effect. It turns out they’re real, and the skates belonged to Andrew’s mother decades ago.

DECEMBER 24, 2016 - 359/366 THIS CHRISTMAS TREE

This isn’t the most beautiful tree in the world. In fact, it’s an artificial tree that I bought at Home Depot for my parents a few weeks ago. It’s one where the lights are already attached, so all you have to do is assemble the three sections and plug it in. I picked it out because it has a small footprint that fits better in their 1950s Richfield rambler.

When I was a kid, I hated the idea of an artificial tree; I only wanted a “real” tree. I thought that any other kind of tree was sad, and was for people who didn’t really care about Christmas. It’s funny how your perspective changes as you get older.

Now what’s important to me is being able to spend Christmas Eve with my family; to help my aging parents get the meal on the table, and to see nieces and nephews so that we can catch up on each others’ lives. It didn’t matter that the tree didn’t smell real; it was still beautiful because of the care with which it was decorated, and because of the people who were there.

So when I say I love this tree, what I really mean is that I love what it represents, and how it brought our family together tonight.

DECEMBER 23, 2016 - 358/366 THIS BIRD WATCHER ON THE OLD CEDAR AVENUE BRIDGE

—I just saw some whooping cranes. -Are those the white birds? I saw them land a few minutes ago. —Yup. -They’re pretty.

[silence]

DECEMBER 22, 2016 - 357/366 THE WELLS FARGO TOWER

DECEMBER 21, 2016 - 356/366 THIS TANGLE OF OAK BRANCHES

DECEMBER 20, 2016 - 355/366 THIS STAND OF PINES

DECEMBER 19, 2016 - 354/366 THIS LATE AFTERNOON WALKER

DECEMBER 18, 2016 - 353/366 THESE BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

DECEMBER 17, 2016 - 352/366 THIS SKYLIGHT AT THE UPTOWN LIBRARY

I was running some errands in Uptown today, and it was pretty cold, so I briefly ducked into the beautiful Walker Library, designed by VJAA. It’s a modern, comfortable space inside, and there were many other patrons hanging out and getting warm. 

DECEMBER 16, 2016 - 351/366 THESE SNOWY WREATHS

DECEMBER 15, 2016 - 350/366 THESE PINECONES

I remember picking up these pinecones from beneath a tree near Lake of the Isles several years ago. I’m not sure why these particular ones caught my eye; I live in Minnesota, so I see pinecones all the time. But I remember I was on a walk with a friend, when I noticed something on the ground, and the next thing I know I had filled my shirt with as many of these spiky things as I could carry.

They’ve been hidden away for a couple of years (my cats would love to play with something like this, leaving bits of pinecone everywhere) until this morning, when I was working on a project and needed a bit of wintry accent, My brow furrowed for a moment, and then I  remembered the bag of cones that had been sitting on top of our dryer.