Category Archives: Life

So many milks! And coffee, coffee, coffee!

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

Americans don’t realize how rich we are. It’s so easy not to feel rich when we read about luxury homes sold in London, Paris, or New York for eight or even nine figures. Millions and millions and millions of dollars. Who can afford … Continue reading →

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Tenacity (or, “Life finds a way.”)

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

At first glance this probably looks like my usual abstract, geometrical whatever type of photo. (It surprises me to realize I even have a “usual” type of photo . . . ) But look again. Can you see it? That delicate little spiral … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Movies and film, Nature, Photography | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Fallen Petals in Wet Grass

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

When the spring rains come, the litter of magnolia petals and crab apple blossoms somehow reminds me of the Ezra Pound poem, “In a Station of the Metro”: The apparition of these faces in the crowd: Petals on a wet, … Continue reading →

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A Venetian-Blind Rainbow

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

Here’s what I saw when I stopped by my office on the way to my 8:00 a.m. class this morning. Usually the light slanting through the Venetian blind into my office is white, creating interesting patterns of grayscale shadow on my multi-recessed wall. I’d never seen color … Continue reading →

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Signs of Spring

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

You know it’s spring in Milwaukee when lawns throughout the city are taken over by these lovely carpets of blue flowers. Scilla siberica (Siberian squill) is their official name. They make me so happy! Apparently, though, this pretty flower is considered “invasive” because it … Continue reading →

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Grohmann Museum Rooftop Garden, February

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

If I have a small class, I’ll occasionally take my students up to the rooftop sculpture garden on a warm spring day. We carry benches from all corners to sit together for discussion. To keep track of our time, we need merely glance over … Continue reading →

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Approaching “Lake Effect” Snow

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Katherine Wikoff

A high-pressure system to our north is causing a strong breeze to come in from the northeast. As the cold Canadian air crosses over the warmer water of Lake Michigan, it is picking up moisture, forming it into dark clouds … Continue reading →

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Crow amid empty branches, December 31

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Katherine Wikoff

Crows are sometimes seen as bad omens, even signs of impending death. But they are also seen as omens of positive change and messengers from the gods. I much prefer the latter interpretation, especially as catching sight of this one … Continue reading →

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12 Days of Christmas Songs (#5) – “Barbara Allen”

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Katherine Wikoff

“Barbara Allen” is a real downer of a song; no question about it. And it isn’t really a Christmas song, but I have always associated it with this time of year, dating from my first viewing of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim … Continue reading →

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12 Days of Christmas Songs (#4) – “Silver Bells”

Posted on December 26, 2015 by Katherine Wikoff

Christmas shopping when I was young meant pausing at magical window displays while trundling along snowy sidewalks in heavy coats and boots between the fancy department stores and the Woolworth’s and Kresge’s five-and-dime stores. Tinsel, pine boughs, and strands of multicolored lights … Continue reading →

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