Touring the Home Town

Last week we had an opportunity to do one of our favorite things. We had visitors from out of town, David and Dot from North Carolina. Their stop here was part of a greater adventure to explore the midwest; specifically, Chicago, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis.

We like enjoy showing off our beautiful city to first time visitors. We believe that of all the places we've been to there is no city more beautiful or well kept. It was especially clean as it was preparing for the NATO conference the following week-end. Perhaps that is why we were also lucky to find it basically uncrowded whereever we went. Our first order of business was an evening ride into the city to enjoy the lights and get an overview of what they would see the next day. Our favorite view at night is from the Adler Planetarium. The sky was particularly clear that evening making it a spectacular evening to view the lighted skyline.

In the morning we took the train into the city and the water taxi to Michigan Ave. The top of Dot's must see list was the observation tower at Sears (Willis) Tower. We stepped out onto the glass platform which gives the illusion of standing over the city.The water taxi is a great way to explore the canyonesque effect of the skyscrapers. We were able to skip Navy Pier in favor of some of the more obsecure hidden treasures of the city as they had explored that on their own the day before we met up with them.

We emerged from the river onto Michigan Avenue in front of the Wrigley building and Tribune Tower. I wanted them to note the various rocks imbedded into the building from exotic places arount the country and around the world. They come from such places as the Parthenon, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Berlin Wall, the Alamo and the White House to name just a few.

The focus of our tour was amblilng straight down Michigan Avenue South from there especially to explore Millenium and Grant Parks.

We detoured slightly to see the lobby of the Chicago Cultural Center which will always be the old Library to us. The mosaic and marble stair case and celing are one of thos hidden treasures we were talking about. We were fortunate that there was a concert in progress up the stairs and the acoustics of the music drifting down the stairs was amazing. The security guard on duty noticed us trying to take pictures and offered his assistance. It turns out he is the photographer who takes all of the publicity and brochure pictures for the center.

We also introduced them to the Walnut Room in Marshall Fields, oops, I mean Macy's. This is one aspect of the store which Macy's left intact with all its elegance. In the world of Hard Rock Cafes and Cheese Cake Factorys, it seems like the Walnut Room is all but forgotten. In its day, it was the place to lunch when downtown shopping. The elegance and service remains untouched and our lunch provided quite a long respite from our exhausting walk.

Returning to Michigan Avenue, we spent considerable time exploring Millenium Park. There are so many areas of the park to find peace and beauty. Of course, the most unique is Cloud Gate or, as most Chicagoans call it, "the Bean".

And, of course, no trip to Chicago is complete without viewing Buckingham Fountain.

Dot likes museums and we had to tell her that if you had to choose one among Chicago's many to invest your time, it would be the Museum of Science and Industry. I have so many fond memories of the times our mother took us there as children. It has been considerably updated even since our last visit in even more recent years. Gone is the giant walk through heart which I sorely miss, and in its place is a giant virtual reality heart. A suitable replacement I suppose for the our technology rich generation. Most of the changes are delilghtful and thanks to it being a week day and very few children were present we were able to enjoy the interactive exhibits unimpeded. It was just plain fun. We closed the place down still wanting more.

We are proud of the city we call home, even though we live in the suburbs. If you enjoy it as much as we do, I am adding the rest of our pictures just for fun.

 

 

 

Back to Basics

I'm back. After a few weeks of silence I have found my voice again. Ever since returning from Florida I have felt myself returning to the humdrum routine of everyday life in which not much different happens on a daily basis. This is not a bad thing. That routine of taking care of business is what makes life happen.

It was good to get back to our golf course and OMG what was that green stuff under my ball? and why does it stop rolling almost as soon as it hits the ground? This is real golf and my scores reflect that.

Of course, a trip to Green Bay to reunite with the children and grandchildren is,as always, the first order of business. Bob brought the boys over from Minneapolis to see us. Unfortunately Gretchen was unable to accompany them. We appreciate her willingness to share her family with us for a few days. We had the privilege of having a whole day with Robbie, Jacob and Elise. We spent a great portion of it at McDonald's play park which makes babysitting a lot easier.

The other focus of the week-end was hockey. Jack has taken his skills to a whole new level. We saw him score a goal and assist with several others.

Saturday night was Dance party time with Ella and Elise.

On sunday, after church and breakfast with Bob and the boys, we headed back to Woodridge to continue our Pinocle marathon with the Fulls.

Then we reinvolved ourselves with our social responsibilities: food pantry Thursdays, various committees for our parish 50th anniversary celebrations, transitional housing activities, and our small christian community. Making this list makes me sound so busy, but I'm not really.

These are the stuff that real life is made of. The winter in Florida, while most fun and refreshing is something of a fantasy world. The weather is always nice enough to play outside and there are minimal responsibilities to anyone but ourselves. That is pretty great for a few months, but that lack of responsibility detracts from the fullness of life after a point. It is in the everyday routine of ordinary life that we find meaning and belongingness. (is that a real word?)

Time to Smell the Roses

Spending time with two toddlers ages 3 and almost 2, is a great reminder to slow down and smell the roses. They take such joy in simple pleasures and can experience the same excitement over and over again repeating the same act.

We had a great visit this week from our daughter-in-law, Elizabeth and our grandsons Drew and Ollie. I believe a wonderful time was had by all, but Grammy was the big winner.The best advice I had all week came from a three year old who said, "Grammy you're going too fast. Slow down."

Only a three year old and the brother that follows his every move can make you forget the shops and turn a walk down St. George Street into a great adventure. First we spied a fountain that was just waiting for two little boys to wash their hands in it. Then along comes a man with a wagon full of tiny puppies just itching to be petted.

They feel the rain running off the roof onto their heads and they call it a fun shower.

And who can pass a cannon in a park and resist climbing onto it?

 There is a waterfront restaurant called Santa Maria where the waiters bring the kids baskets of bread to drop through trap doors in the window sills to feed the seagulls. Now who would say this isn't the most fun?

For a moment I was afraid they would fall through the trap door.

These children never tire of screaming as each wave of the ocean washes over them then laughing at the result. Digging in the sand to no avail is just plain fun.

Sitting around a campfire telling stories and eating smores never gets old to a seasoned camper, but to a child it doesn't even matter that the fire is mostly smoke. The St. Augustine wood historically refuses to burn and generally just smolders. It pays to invest in a few duraflame logs to get started.

Just remember the first time you saw the world through a cheap pair of binoculars. Wasn't that amazing?

I love the live oaks for their stately beauty, but they also make the most wonderful climbing trees.

A soaring swing  makes you feel like you can touch the sky.

And no matter what your age, ice cream is just plain manna from heaven.

If you want more details of our adventures in St. Augustine, visit Elizabeth's blog Embracing Chaos.

http://www.echilson.blogspot.com/

My 5K Story

One of the most beautiful places in central Florida is right here in Sanlan Ranch RV Park. About 6 miles of trails that meander through live oak forests, along two lakes and a creek, and across the golf course. It makes a daily walking routine a pleasure.

I was inspired by a facebook post by a friend that she just finished her first 5K run. This friend is someone who is physically difficult to keep up with so I was surprised. I would have thought that was a piece of cake for her already. I said to myself, "I am already  walking 4-5 miles a day on these trails at a good clip; maybe I could run 5K (3.1 miles) of my route." So, inspired by my friend, I started into a trot and, walla, there I was, running the 5K.

Now there are two things I must admit about my 5K.

First, I run or, more correctly, I believe the term is jog at a pace not much faster than I walk. It takes me about 50-55 minutes to complete the course.

Second, in my defense, my run is up and down some short but rather steep hills and many stretches of soft sand. We're talking beach soft here. Since my route is actually about 4.8 miles, I have about 3/4 mile warm up and cool down.

I hope that when we leave here, I will be able to maintain my training on the bicycle paths of Woodridge. While they are very user friendly and do meander through some park land, they can't begin to compare with the ambiance here. Not only is the scenery inspiring, I am often accompanied by the most delightful wildlife. Often a butterfly will even seem to ride along with me for short intervals.

Butterflies won't pose, but this family of American Bitterns had no problem

Most important out of all this, is that I never thought I was a person who could be a runner, and even though I wouldn't call myself one now, I have found out that I can be a runner if I want to and there is no greater feeling than discovering some new capability about yourself.

If you would like to experience what I mean about my route just follow along.



The trail starts with a climb up a ridge overlooking the campground. I use this for my warm-up.




This is where I start my run



A sample of the sandy portions. The hard sand above doesn't count.



This great blue heron just sat there until I entered the bridge.





There is a snowy egret across the water.



Find the turtles on the logs.

The two aningas and the turtle seem to be posing.



The final ascent back up the ridge over the campground. It is a lot more strenuous on the return than at the beginning.

Now wasn't that an awesome walk?