Now that I’m finished with graduate school, I have my weekends back (hooray!) and Hanna and I have been trying to re-learn what it means to spend leisure time together … time not compressed by the anxieties and demands of trying to complete academic work on top of a 35-hour work week and, you know, the daily tasks of living.

Walking home through Fenway Victory Gardens Photograph by Hanna

I seriously don’t understand how couples who have full-time jobs manage to care for children. Is there time travel involved? Because caring for our family as just two adults is difficult enough.

Anyway. Back to basics. How do you enjoy a weekend that’s truly a weekend … as in: time off from one’s regular mode of employment?

I thought it might be fun to spend a few months playing quasi-tourist in our own city. Particularly since, as an employee of the Massachusetts Historical Society, I have free admission to lots of cultural sites in the region. (Free entertainment always being preferable when you’ve got student loans to pay off!) Over the past four years, I haven’t found a lot of time to make use of this benefit, but I’ve decided that this should change. Therefore: watch for more “from the neighborhood” posts in the coming months, as Hanna and I explore new parts of our own backyard.

Our first stop, this weekend, was the Museum of Fine Arts, just up the road from the MHS. The MFA is currently hosting an ehibit of work by glass artist Dale Chihuly. I’f you’ve never seen Chihuly’s work, I highly recommend checking out the photos and video clips on his website — the installations are breathtaking. I first saw his work at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan about a decade ago and can’t think of anything that’s more soul-enriching than sitting in one of his galleries and soaking in the color. Here are some photographs we took at the exhibition here in Boston.

So much of his work looks like ocean life of some kind

The camera washed out the color on this one, but I love the reflection. See a better image at Chihuly’s homepage.

See what I mean about the tide pool effect?

Hanna and I agree he should design sets for Tim Burton…

Chandelier detail

Shadow pictures especially for my mother, who is currently working on a photography series like this.

Chandelier (by Hanna) Hard to tell here, but these are massive.

I love seeing his work in organic settings; sadly, the MFA space had few outdoor installations.

Purple reeds (by Hanna)

All in all, it was an amazing way to spend our Saturday morning. Not sure what we have planned for our next outing, but rest assured I’ll take the camera and report back!