Rainy Saturday Creative

Christmas Letter 2025

Posted on December 7, 2025December 7, 2025 by jsunrain

I hope everyone had a great year! Sorry I am not able to send out physical letters this year to those who I normally send letters.

Goals:
Let’s start off with my 100+ 2025 goals that were met (2026 goals not started yet, but there will be a lot of overlap). Goals accomplished (some loosely):

*Walk more
*Go to more meetups
*Start learning a language (Spanish, though I am taking a break right now)
*Take a pottery class
*Do more art
*Make spam fries
*Make blueberry octopus pie (did mixed berry and really a Cthulhu)
*Zine fest (both attended and sold at one)
*Go to a concert (many were attended)
*Do a 5k
*Read a book (some years none get read, some years only one gets read, this year is 6 read)
*Take a walk in the rain
*Visit Cleveland (I have a friend who lives close)
*Learn Archery

Impromptu zine I made for my love of Chicago

Books read this year, though I cheated on one, didn’t really finished, but felt I drudged enough through it I wanted to give myself credit for it even though I shouldn’t. Forgive me, or not, I don’t feel apologetic about it. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmer *****; Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman (didn’t finish, was a sludge); Cabin Sketches by Nicholas Trandhal **** (one of my favorite contemporary poets but I do like his previous books better); What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami ***** (not a novel though); Vagabond: A Memoir by Tim Curry (of Rocky Horror fame and much else) *****: Wabi-Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers ** (I love the Wabi Sabi concept but the book was above my head).

I hope to finish reading A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold before the end of the year.

Travel:
Of course I have been to Chicago many times. In March John and I met up with Paula and her husband in Chicago. Paula and I took a tavern pizza class at Bettie’s Chicago, a cooking school. We always have fun there. Next day we ate at Schneiders Deli for lunch and for dinner went to our favorite Armenian place Sayat Nova. Paula and I went to Naperville IL to meet famous TikToker (social media guy in general) B Dylan Hollis. He does vintage recipes and has a couple of cookbooks out. John and I went to California in May to go to a music festival called Cruel World. It is like alternative 1980s music band and music inspired by it. My favorite of the day was seeing Clan of Xymox. Not during the show, but after on the forums I became friends with Amy and she is now part of my close friend circle. In mid-July John and I visited my niece Michelle who lives outside of Detroit. We had Detroit Pizza and coney dogs where Anthony Bourdain went, Duly’s Place. We also went to downtown Detroit, John R King bookstore which is huge, and to the Belle Isle Aquarium and Nature Center. After that John and I went to Cleveland to visit Paula and Russell. Paula and I enjoyed the sushi place across from the hotel where John and I were staying. The men not so much, but they didn’t order sushi and they did order they said wasn’t great. Paula sadly had to work the next day so John and I were on our own at the Cleveland Art Museum to see the Takashi Murakami exhibit. We both loved it. We spent evenings at Paula’s house watching movies and her making chicken and waffles.

Takashi Murakami exhibit at Cleveland Art Museum

Concerts:
Many. Some local or smaller acts. One local band Kate and I fell in love with was industrial band DT Harm. We couldn’t get enough of them. Some bigger acts I saw this year: Anything at Cruel World (too many to mention), English Beat/Chameleons (my fave of the night)/Psychedelic Furs at Summerfest with Amy and John. On September 20^th John, Paula, Kate, Amy and myself saw Lene Lovich. She is from the 1980s. We never dreamt we would get to see her and she was just wonderful. I saw Morrisey by myself since it looked like he actually wasn’t going to cancel on September 29^th. John and I saw the band Air on October 5^th in Chicago. Then finally John and I went to Chicago to see Gina Birch (from the band The Raincoats) and the Miki Bereni Trio (formerly of the band Lush). Another dream come true. Almost forgot seeing Yo La Tengo and Nick Cave! How dare I! Both were excellent. That was it for the big concerts.

People visiting me:
Paula has been a regular and we always cook together like making the Cthulhu pie, but we made it with mixed berries. It has been a long-time goal of mine. My mom was here in late April. I got to take her to a place in Milwaukee by where I live called Black Cat Alley. It is commissioned public art down what used to be an alley. Paula and Amy also came up for Lene Lovich. Earlier in the day Paula and I did a Roper Romp where everyone dresses up like Mrs Roper from the TV show Three’s Company. Then Paula came again (yes, I am spoiled) October 10^thwhere I took here to a spy themed restaurant here called the Safe House. We also visited the Bronze Fonz. Next day we did a spooky 5k and dressed representing the Grady Twins from the move The Shining. Amy and her friend Kristen came up for a visit so we could go to this new wave music festival with cover bands. We all had a good time.

Work:
August 18^th I got laid off from my job of 24 years. Thankfully I started my new job on November 17^th. Basically a receptionist at a medical office. As of this writing I have been there three weeks. More challenging than you might think, but I still have sooo much to learn. But things are well, they seem to like me and I really like them. I do anticipate this being a place I will work until retirement. Maybe in 13 years when I am 70. Hope for my health to keep up.

I am sure there is so much more to talk about, but this is good enough. Keep in my mind my day to day life is mundane as anyone, I am just so lucky to have amazing friends and family. Have a happy holiday.

Hoffman Estates Zine Fest!

Posted on October 15, 2025 by jsunrain

Should have started writing about this when I first got in! I will be tabling at the first ever Hoffman Estates Zine Fest this Saturday, October 18th at:

Hoffman Estates Zine Fest
October 18th 2025
Hoffman Estates Village Hall
1900 Hassell Road
11am -4pm

I am very excited! This will be my first time tabling at a zine fest since Milwaukee April 2024. There is so much more I wanted to do like a Halloween Advent Calendar. Maybe 2026. I am still not sure I will get all done I want to get done! But I will have the bare minimum done but I want way more than that done. 🙂 it is sweetest day so I will have free smarties and hearts at least. Here is a video and some photos of everything in progress!

What I’m reading January/February 2025

Posted on February 2, 2025 by jsunrain

In January I finished the audiobook Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It is so nice to listen to it in audiobook form. Robin’s voice is comforting while learning the science but also Native American wisdom with living with the earth. I have learned giving thanks and giving back to the earth as much as we take, to listen. It is very at peace.

In December or January I started the book Waterlog by Roger Deakin. A book about swimming in various places across the UK. It not only is swimming, but history of the places he visits to swim. I am not very far in, though enough, and it is a fascinating journey. I love swimming. He also references books and such adding to my reading list. I love living vicariously through Roger Deakin.

Just in the mail today I got Cabin Sketches by Nicholas Trandahl. I have some of his books and his poetry is down to earth and comforting. Eventually I will get all his books. I am really looking forward to reading this one! You should follow him on Instagram.

I got the audiobook from the Libby app for Where the Deer and Antelope Play by Nick Offerman. I was just looking for a book I could start right away and I am surprised that is the one that was available. Not mad though. I love nature and look forward to reading his perspective via audiobook, so I guess hearing.

2025 Goals

Posted on January 25, 2025 by jsunrain

Every year I make 100 or so goals. Not to check everything off, but to have a fun list of things to do, to try! Many things get carried over. Some things I drop from the list because they no longer interest me. Some goals achieved in 2024: visit LA, see a live band (saw Luna and X), made zine (made a few and tabled at Milwaukee Zine Fest which was not a goal I had thought to have), do more art, and get nails done,

I was determined on January 1st 2025 to get one goal done! I made Spam fries. I love Spam but somehow the idea of them as fries doesn’t work for me, but I initially liked the idea! My friend and I also took an archery lesson. We really enjoyed it and want to do it more. Not on the goal list is my Goodreads goal of reading 25 books. I usually only ever read 1-5 books any given year, but this year I am more motivated for no reason. I am almost done with the audio book version of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I am also reading Waterlog by Roger Deakin. I recommend both books. I am more of a non fiction reader. Anyway, here are my 105 goals, more may always be added.

1. Cook a recipe from my community cookbooks

2. Learn to juggle

3. Make paper mache antlers

4. Use my tagine

5. Do more meetups

6. Get down to 200-210 pounds

7. Start learning a language

8. Walk more

9. Make a sculpture

10. Take a pottery class

11. Take more artsy photos or photos of the world in general

12. Wear earrings more consistently

13. Learn chess

14. Create a milk and honey cheesecake

15. Make a cookbook zine

16. Make a fictional map

17. Make peach cobbler

18. Use instant pot more

19. Finish crochet blanket

20. Have a makeup lesson

21. Do monkey bars

22. Make some videos

23. Do more art

24. Practice ukulele

25. Try an accordion

26. Refamiliarize myself with the night sky

27. Go to zoo by myself, preferably when it is spring or fall

28. Go somewhere new

29. Do a 30 day challenge

30. Try stand up paddleboarding

31. Use apple peeler, make apple crisp, cake, or pie

32. Take a class in something new

33. Make dal Makhani

34. Make dal tardka

35. Cook from my regular cookbooks more

36. Make croissants

37. Make paella

38. Bake whole fish and/or make fish curry

39. Make spam fries

40. Make Lahmacun

41. Make Khachapuri

42. Make Okonomiyaki

43. Make Blueberry octopus pie

44. Make Fruit roll up

45. Knit a brioche project

46. Knit socks

47. Get a book about trees

48. Make Lumberjack cake

49. Journal every day, or be better about it

50. Zine fest

51. Write on my blog once a month

52. Do a weekend workshop if have money

53. Do a collaborative creative project

54. Go to a concert

55. Do like a term/research paper for the fun of it

56. Get published somewhere other than my blog

57. Create a lot more zines

58. Go camping

59. Take a Domestika class

60. Learn a new game

61. Have a two night staycation at a local hotel

62. Do a 5k

63. Play frisbee golf

64. Make a champagne cake

65. Post something on TikTok

66. Learn Rollerskating

67. Eat at a nice restaurant alone

68. Learn how to make a candle

69. Take a day trip

70. Make a style board

71. Have a tech free day

72. Make sourdough bread

73. Yoga

74. Go charter fishing

75. Chicago pen show or similar

76. Make ice cream

77. Read a book

78. Visit a lavender field

79. Take a walk in the rain

80. Try canoeing or kayaking

81. Finish knit WIPs

82. Take an Urban Ecology class

83. Visit Cleveland

84. Go to a winters farmers market

85. Ride a hot air balloon

86. Stay in a cabin

87. Figure out the best way to sell online

88. Learn professional photography

89. Take local cooking classes

90. Go to 7 mile fair

91. Write a letter to someone well known

92. Do rock climbing indoor

93. Take a knife skills class

94. Make omurice

95. Take an art class

96. Take a video editing class

97. Get a new iPad and learn Procreate

98. Learn archery

99. Make a collage

100. Take a small train trip

101. Ride in a helicopter

102. Create lighting moods at home

103. Go to Liontooth’s bookstore

104. Take a class or two at the Bindery

105. Indoor skydiving

We are not in the photo, I took it as we entered! At Chicago Archery.

My video on my 2025 goals!

2024 GOALS

Posted on December 29, 2023 by jsunrain

It’s that time of year again. Everyone is making their New Year’s resolutions. I am sure most of those resolutions last 24 hours if even that. Certainly there are people that are very diligent about making and achieving their resolutions. I am very type B, resolutions aren’t for me. Now don’t think of being type B as a bad thing. I just stress out easy and need calm.

I learned to make pasta from scratch with a friend that has done it before. This achieved one of my 2023 goals!

So I do 100 goals. Some years I don’t think of that many, but I really tried this year. I know that sounds stressful, but for me it is opportunities of growth and fun when I am ready for them. I try to stay away from the lofty stuff people usually do, though I do have a weight loss goal anyway.

Learning to weave more was one of my 2023 goals!

Last year I did 13 of my 73 goals. The intent is not to do ALL of them, but have a guideline for when I feel like doing something new. I expect this year I will get more done. Some I am sure I won’t. I carried over many from last year. Not really fair to carry over the train to San Francisco since I know I likely won’t be able to do that, but I was running out of ideas so I kept it. And since writing this paragraph I added another thing. 🙂

Making babka was another 2024 goal achieved. I took a class at Sur la Table. We took home mini loaves.

What are your goals for 2024? What should I add to mine? I don’t mind going over 100.

2024 Goals

1. Cook a recipe from 12 community cookbooks

2. Learn to juggle

3. Make paper mache antlers

4. Use my tagine

5. Do more meetups

6. Get down to 200-210 pounds

7. Start learning a language

8. Walk more

9. Make a sculpture

10. Maybe take a pottery class

11. Take more artsy photos or photos of the world in general

12. Wear earrings more consistently

13. Learn chess

14. Create a milk and honey cheesecake

15. Make a cookbook zine

16. Make a fictional map

17. Make peach cobbler

18. Use instant pot more

19. Finish crochet blanket

20. Take train to San Francisco

21. Have a vegan week twice

22. Have a makeup lesson

23. Do monkey bars

24. Make some videos

25. Do more art

26. One veggie centered meal a week

27. Practice ukulele

28. Try an accordion

29. Refamiliarize myself with the night sky

30. Do more activities at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

31. Go to zoo by myself, preferably when it is spring or fall

32. Go somewhere new

33. Do a 30 day challenge

34. Try stand up paddleboarding

35. Use apple peeler, make apple crisp, cake, or pie

36. Take a class in something new

37. Make dal Makhani

38. Make dal tardka

39. For cooking, buy what you use, don’t waste food

40. Cook from my regular cookbooks once a month if not more

41. Make croissants

42. Re-create a dish from a restaurant

43. Make a dish popular from a different decade

44. Cook a regional dish from a region I don’t live in

45. Make paella

46. Bake whole fish and/or make fish curry

47. Make spam fries

48. Lahmacun

49. Khachapuri

50. Okonomiyaki

51. Blueberry octopus pie

52. Fruit roll up

53. Paint Brianna’s apple pies

54. Knit a brioche project

55. Knit socks

56. Get a book about trees

57. Orange/blood orange marmalade

58. Lumberjack cake

59. Go to Los Angeles

60. Journal every day

61. Try out morning pages on weekends

62. Create a zine

63. Write on my blog once a week

64. Do a weekend workshop if have money

65. Do a collaborative creative project

66. Go to a concert

67. Do a term/research paper for the fun of it

68. Get published somewhere other than my blog

69. Write a poem once a week

70. Write a short story once a month

71. Create a half hour of silence every day.

72. Go camping

73. Take a Domestika class

74. Learn a new game

75. Have a two night staycation at a local hotel

76. Do a 5k

77. Play frisbee golf

78. Make a champagne cake

79. Find an inland lake in the greater Milwaukee area to swim in

80. Post something on TikTok

81. Get nails done

82. Learn rollerskating

83. Eat at a nice restaurant alone

84. Find places for letter writing

85. Learn how to make a candle

86. Take a day trip

87. Make a style board

88. A tech free day

89. Make sourdough bread

90. Yoga

91. Go charter fishing

92. Chicago pen show

93. Make ice cream

94. Read a book

95. Go to all the Brady Street businesses that aren’t strictly bars or smoking related.

96. Visit a lavender field

97. Take a walk in the rain

98. Try canoeing or kayaking

99. Finish knit WIPs

100. Create an evening wind down routine!

101. Take an urban ecology class

Gardening and catching up

Posted on April 9, 2023April 13, 2023 by jsunrain

So it has been a few months since I made a blog post. I hope to turn that around. In the last few months I have moved back to the East Side of Milwaukee Wisconsin, a place I love with all my heart. Hope I don’t ever leave unless it is to a warm southern state! I still loathe winter. I read stuff on how Scandinavians get through winter and I just can’t do it. So my other thing is I shut down during winter.

Before I lived in a small community 20 miles North of Milwaukee and felt really isolated and alone. Since moving back I have joined Meetup. So far the only thing I have done once in a while is get together with people at a coffee shop and play with art. Last time I was there, there was a person doing a small sculpture, someone cross-stitching, a couple people doing digital art and the rest were painting or drawing. A really nice group with positive energy. I am not into bars and drinking, so this is a nice alternative.

I am so happy to have a community garden plot again. It has been 11 years since my last garden. This one is right in my Brady Street neighborhood. I did a video walking from my garden plot, down Brady Street, to Walgreens at the other end of Brady Street. Doing videos like this is not my specialty, but I hope you enjoy it.

I have also signed up for postcrossing. It is where you get to send postcards all over the world and others send postcards so you. So far it is a little slow going. I have mailed out 9 postcards, 4 have been received, but I only have received one so far. Still though, this is all really exciting. I like this better than pen pals because even though I am well intentioned, I am not good at keeping up with pen pals.

Finally, I have been taking weaving classes. I am retaking the beginner weaving again since a missed a couple classes first time around and didn’t get far. Whenever I get into something new I buy the cheapest supplies possible since I don’t know if I will take to it. I love weaving but buying an 8 shaft table loom is out of my budget. I do have a rigid heddle loom I bought at Goodwill for $15, so that gives me something to play with.

In future weeks I hope to cover more gardening and maybe some pics of my place which is very slowly coming together.

Where is Dr Zasio and Matt Paxton when I need them?

Posted on November 1, 2022 by jsunrain

Normally I blog about cooking and crafting, but this month I just moved from a studio to a one bedroom! More space, right? Not so so much. I had a generous size storage locker in my old place and no storage locker here, so everything I own needs to go in this space.

When I do my spring cleaning, which isn’t always done at spring time, I love to catch up on Hoarders to motivate myself to get rid of stuff. I am more a pack rat than hoarder though I can see myself in them. Before I moved I had taken out tons of trash and made three big trips to donate to Goodwill. After the movers moved my items to the new place, it really looked like an episode of Hoarders!

So I will take you through my process, as someone who is not a professional (except good at accumulating things and not getting rid of things), in how I deal with my paring down and getting rid of excess.

I am thinking first I will just unpack everything, or will still look like a hoarders paradise. My plan is then to ask myself if I didn’t already own an item, would I purchase it. If not, then out it goes. Then I realized this is basically the Marie Kondo method. So be it! Wish me luck and stay tuned!

Apple Cake, upcoming candy corn project, other updates

Posted on September 7, 2022 by jsunrain

Apple Cake

My local library has a cookbook club. They used to meet evenings and I had only been to one before they switched to days when I was at work and couldn’t go. As luck would have it I was off work yesterday and they were having a cookbook club meeting. The theme was apples, so I made apple cake. I had made one from a community cookbook long ago. I no longer remember which one, so I looked online. I found this recipe. https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/fresh-apple-cake/

I used 5 apples instead of 6. I first put together the wet ingredients, then grated the apples and put them in the batter. It doesn’t say to sift the dry ingredients but I did anyway. This recipe is so easy. The hardest part is grating the apples and even that isn’t hard. The recipe also includes instructions for homemade caramel sauce. I just simply bought the squeeze bottle kind. This cake is so moist and delicious it doesn’t really need the added caramel.

Variety of apple goods at the cookbook club!

Candy corn project and other updates

I have knit a candy corn hat and made candy corn earrings. Why? I have started collecting unusual candy corns and I plan on doing a series of short videos taste testing them. I generally prefer long format videos, but the short video format is perfect for this. The videos on YouTube doing the same thing are way too long. I will probably post them to TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. So far the candy corn I have is Funfetti, Nerds, Tailgate, and somewhere in my place is the Taco Truck ones. I still have yet to get a hold of the Thanksgiving Dinner one. What other ones should I try? Maybe in spring I will do some Peep stuff even though they seem to be out for all the holidays now, but I associate them with spring/Easter.

https://www.instagram.com/rainysaturdaycreative/

https://youtube.com/user/myklia1

https://www.facebook.com/RainySaturdayCreative

I am Jsunrain on TikTok if you the QR code doesn’t work for you.

I am a little timid about this. My preference would be to be behind the camera, but you need to see my face as I try the hot dog flavored candy corn. Should be interesting. I am looking forward to it! I hope to start posting videos no later than early October but I might start posting them sooner than that.

In general I want to start trying my hand at doing videos. I need to learn thumbnails and video editing. Most videos will likely be cooking of some sort, but where I currently live isn’t easily set up for that. May also do crafts and maybe even poetry readings. My goal is not monetization. This would be a hobby much like my knitting. Something fun and different outside of work hours. What things do you want to see?

Laundromat Diaries September 2nd 2022

Posted on September 2, 2022 by jsunrain

I have been lazy about going to the bank and getting a roll of quarters and often I can get the one cheap machine so having $3 is no problem. Today was a woman and her two sons and a single man and the cheap machine was of course taken. Meant I went to CVS next door, bought a Diet Pepsi with my debit card so I could get cash back and ask for $1 of quarters be a part of it. I will be better off prepared next week.

I brought my dinner in. A delicious poke bowl from Aloha Poke. A bit spendy, so a once in a blue moon treat. I should make some version at home.

The people that were here when I came have left.I suspect their laundry isn’t done. Friday man came this week just now. Unfortunately I am still eating in the booth he normally sits at. He just stepped out, but I am assuming just to the CVS. Some red lady just came. I better finish my food.

I am moved to the easy chair now. Now red head lady out the door after moving her stuff to the dryers. I am the only one here for a second, but this place is busy. Hope I get a dryer I want but I suspect I will need one of those carts to tote my clothes further down.

I was able to get a decent dryer but still had to wait for my wash to be done a bit. 31 minutes really means 36 minutes. 😔 The one lady that works here is now vacuuming. That is good, this place is much more a mess than usual. She seems to know Friday guy.

Now someone has entered with a ton of clothes. So glad mine are in the dryer now, but I still have 50 minutes to be here and the place is crowded again and I feel like going home until my clothes are dried, but I will probably stay here. Then at home put my stuff away and likely take a late nap to start my four day weekend.

Busy enough now I am losing track of the comings and goings. Just a half hour more! If it were cloudy and cooler outside, I might sit outside. Some people sit in their cars. Doesn’t seem like a horrible idea, but if I get in my car I am driving home and coming back when the laundry is done! Almost thinking next week I will go to a different laundromat, but last week was dead quiet. Most weeks are in between this week and last week. Can’t wait to leave now!

Things got quiet again, but I was so happy to get out of there! Until next week!

Laundromat Diaries August 26th 2022

Posted on August 26, 2022 by jsunrain

I continue to do laundry every week but haven’t hung out at the laundromat. Either I was busy with errands or I was tired and cranky and rather stayed at home during the wash and dry cycles.

Today my energy was just right for hanging out here. Bonus, it is dead quiet right now. I got dinner at one of the restaurants in the strip mall the laundromat is in. My appetite has been tepid lately, I am on a new medication, appetite suppression is a side effect. Not mad. It is unlikely I will finish those potatoes. The gravy is different and not as good this time anyway. When I am done eating I will move to the easy chair. I know the Friday night guy likes the booth and I only need it for eating. In fact, I’m done eating now. Don’t worry, zero chance I will ever be anorexic. This is probably how I should have always been eating.

The back door is open. Nice to have fresh air. There are a couple of seats back there, but I have no desire to sit back there.

I have switched the clothes to the dryer and still no one else here. Not mad! For all the crappy music they play here ELO is on right now. Might be crappy to some of you but I love them! I am also collecting weird candy corn and since Halloween started late June this year and CVS is next door, I went to check it out. I couldn’t believe they had Nerds Candy Corn! I hate CVS, but they have a special place in my heart for that! Wonder what is up with Friday guy. Hope he is okay! Maybe he was able to come earlier.

It has been over an hour and I am still the only one here! This never happens no matter when I come! I am enjoying it, but there isn’t much to report!

8 minutes before my clothes are done, another woman comes into the laundromat. The woman had never been here before so I was telling her about the one machine that is $1 whereas all the other ones are $2. Before I could show her the machine a man comes and grabs it. He must have known about it already. Oh well.

The woman and the man didn’t stick around. I got my clothes out of the dryer and left being the only one there, then leaving it as empty as when I came.