living in an architectural rendering

maybe you're not familiar with what i mean when i say "architectural rendering." they are drawings that architects make to allow the general public, or clients who need to be sold on an idea, to imagine the future new building, or urban public space, and how it might be used. sometimes they are straight up drawings, or water colors. they include trees, and landscaping, and people inhabiting and interacting with the space.

this is actually one of the renderings for the b-line trail.

when i was in school, we would make slick hybrid drawings, using photos of the existing site, insert a drawing or computer rendering of our designed intervention, and then we'd stick in some scaled figures (referred to, lovingly, as scalies) which were usually cut out of magazines, scanned, and then reduced to the scale of the drawing.

from a project i did with bill rankin-- in nice, france

we would choose figures in action poses-- skateboarding, riding a bike, pushing a stroller, jogging--or a group of youth, gossiping on park benches. sometimes we'd pose people in the studio, doing specific actions related to our project, and use photos of our own for scaled figures.

in any case, the drawings are always idealized notions of what this thing is going to be, who will be using it, and in what manner. well, this week i had the bizarre experience of riding down bloomington's b-line trail, from city hall/showers plaza, to where it ends on second street, near kroger, and seeing an architectural rendering of the B-line trail, turned into 3D, real-time, lived space. and, i was IN IT.

this was taken on another day, but you can see what i mean

there were people jogging with ipods, pushing baby carriages, skateboarding, bike riding, studying historical markers. youth were gathered on park benches, smoking cigarettes, and texting. some guys were playing hackey-sack, dogs were being walked, couples were stolling, holding hands, or talking intimately on a bench, under a shade tree. i saw a guy carrying four kroger bags, full of groceries. the trail was being used for actual transportation, as well as recreation, leisure and fitness.

the weather was perfect, and i was capping off a rather idyllic day of community involvement. i'd started the day meeting with the project manager for the middle way house's new wings project-- discussing how i'm going to get the cubbies for the child care area built this summer. then i went off to one of mother hubbard's cupboard's community gardens, and put in a couple of hours there, thinning lettuce and radish seedlings, and talking compost with other volunteers. after a lovely salad of micro-green thinnings, plus some spinach, arugula and violet blossoms from my own garden (topped with the last of the easter eggs), i jumped on the bike and headed down to city hall, for the first annual meeting of the bloomington community orchard. at the meeting i saw the inspiring orchard design sketches, stunning photos of the many varieties of fruit trees being researched and chosen for the orchard, and we voted in the by-laws for the brand new organization.

riding home, through that picture-perfect urban trail scene, i couldn't help but believe, at least for that moment, that what we imagine and hope for, really can come true. sometimes.

anatomy of a clothing swap

i've been to a number of clothing swaps over the last year or so. before i moved here, i had never been to one, nor had i even heard of them. now, i find that i rely on them for most of my wardrobe. lucky for me, they happen pretty regularly in my community. in case you've been invited to one, are considering hosting one of your own, or you just wonder how they work, i'd like to let you in on a few of the ingredients for a successful clothing swap.

first of all, you need to invite a lot of women. this increases the chance that there will be a variety of sizes and styles of clothing. before i had been to one, i feared that i would be surrounded by tiny women, and there would be nothing in my size. that has never been the case. while you might be nervous about inviting too many women to fit in your house, don't worry. a bunch of them won't be able to make it, and it isn't like other parties. the place is going to be cluttered and chaotic anyway, so it's okay if it is also crowded with women.



you'll want to have snacks and beverages, so be sure to ask those invited to bring something yummy to share. some women will go-all-out and bake something, others will bring some sparkling water, or apple slices. there will most likely be a nice spread of delectables. the last one i went to was also labeled as a tea party, so the snacks were in fancy dishes, and they served tea and coffee. i've also been to night swaps, which featured wine and beer.

before you go to a clothing swap, you'll want to cruise through your closet and drawers and weed out all that stuff you haven't worn in the past two years, and pile it all into baskets or bags. you can also take the opportunity to gather any clothes you child has outgrown.



in some cases, the clothes that each guest brought, are dumped in a big pile, in the center of the main room, or multiple piles, un-sorted. no one looks through the pile until everyone has arrived, and then the host says the word, and everyone digs in at once.



another strategy is to attempt to sort the clothes, as they arrive, into rough catagories: pants, sweaters, skirts/dresses, jackets, tops, shoes, unmentionables, and kid's clothes.

in either case, at some point, the event descends into a free-for-all-frenzy of clothes flying off, and on, and a few women running around in bras and underwear, while others discretely retreat to the bathroom, or designated dressing room (hopefully with a full length mirror). some choose to just take the clothes they're interested in home with them, to try on in private. if it doesn't work out, just bring it back next time. i have seen a few items show up over and over again.
i often pick up wool sweaters that have either been shrunk already, or that i can use for making felted crafts.

i've noticed that i get inspiration from other women's fashion choices. someone will put together a few items in a way i would have never thought of. i get more daring in my choices, and take home things i am not completely sure i will wear (after all, everything is free!). a too short camisole might end up looking great over another shirt, or i could take-in these adorable, light-weight pants, and they'd be perfect. i usually walk away with almost as much as i brought, and in the stack, are one or two pieces that become favorites. last fall, i found a gorgeous, chestnut colored, cashmere sweater, which fits me perfectly. it became my sweater-of-choice all winter long.

occaisionally, i find i'm not really in the mood to hunt for clothes. but a house full of half-naked women, talking, laughing, enjoying food and each other's company, is something i needed even more than a new outfit.

the regularity of the clothing swap has changed my addittude towards my closet, from scarcity to abundance. i no longer cling to clothes i never wear (but might some day, if the stars align just right) or clothes-that-don't-fit-me-but-i-hope-they-will-soon. it's easier to let go, when i know i will find something better. Plus, what i bring to the next clothing swap? it just might become a friend's new favorite. last time, i brought a zip-up, charcoal-colored hoody, that i've been hanging onto for years, even though it has never felt right on me. it is in great shape, but too heavy, and a bit too small for me. i finally decided to let it go. early on in the clothing swap, i noticed someone wearing it, and i heard her say "i'm never taking this off!" i ended up finding a roomy, extra-soft, navy blue, pull-over hoody, that i can honestly say is the hoody of my dreams! perfect exchanges like that happen all the time at clothing swaps.

so, don't hesitate! organize a clothing swap today! it's a great opportunity to clean out your closet, recycle, get quality clothes for free, and bring all your lady friends (and their lady friends) together, for fun-with-a-purpose.

this message paid for by clothes swappers of america.

family dance

only in bloomington would there be a big, family-friendly dance in the middle of winter, right in the neighborhood, in the gymnasium of harmony school. it was sunday afternoon. it was cold. it is not easy to get cosmo out of the house in such weather. but i am so glad we did.



live music, easy, group dances, led by a gentle woman, who clearly knew what she was doing.
the place was packed with adults and children of all ages, sizes and abilities. the repetitive nature of the dances allowed everyone to pick things up at her own pace, and the entire event was about having fun. not about showing off dance skills, or even learning to dance. it was about community, and inclusion, and running around in a big space, in the dead of winter with family and friends.

cosmo was intrigued at the beginning, but didn't want to hit the dance floor right away. after one dance, i pulled him out there, held him, and swung him round and round at the "swing your partner" part. he giggled with glee, and was in for the rest of the time. he clung pretty close to carl and i, refused to partner with anyone but us, but he did participate and declared afterwards that it was "really fun." i know we will be going to the next one (and, i will bring my camera). if you live in town, hope to see you there.