Baptismal Font

The stairs of the baptismal font at Valporaiso University Chapel

Hear the music?

When I was in college a mentor was driving me from Illinois to Indiana and we passed Valporaiso University. She pulled over to show us the beautiful chapel on campus.  Now, every chance I get I stop in at the chapel.  This summer it is under rennovation.  Here is the keyboard of the pipe organ.

Mint

Mint on my kitchen counter in morning sunshine

Bowling

Tomato Vendor

This is a statue at Maxwell Street near Halsted.

Other Plans

Ever feel like everything is falling apart, has been cut down?  And it feels sad.  Oh, so sad.

Ever feel like the fire has burned out? Like there is nothing left?

Yeah. Me too. This month I was informed that my last day of work (remember the Happy Mother's Day post?) would be June 30.  I decided to put my last two weeks of vacation at the end, making my last day in the office June 15, just three weeks from yesterday. 

And then I started to make plans to thru hike the Appalachian Trail.  And I started smiling. (This is the funniest self portrait I could find.)

Desert Room at Garfield Park Conservatory

And I started buying gear...



My tent at McKinley Park in Chicago


My roommates walked by as I was posting this and reminded me that I'm a city girl who isn't quite ready for this hike, pointing out that Garfield Park and McKinley Park are not exactly Baxter State Park equivalents.  They are correct.
Wish me luck.

Lots of folks

And here are the last images I'll post from the protests on Sunday in Chicago...enjoy.

A show of force

Children

The next picture is of a CPT volunteer.  Christian Peacemaker Teams is constantly doing good work around the world. Check them out here.

Rising Tide

In the top photograph the butterfly wings say immigrating to survive on the left and in Spanish on the right the same message, immigrando de sobrevivir.  There was a lot of creativity and expression at the march, but I think Rising Tide spent a lot of time and effort on creating props and signs, from the green silk printed bandanas to the fish, river, butterflies and human skeletons.

 Rising Tide is an organization that is a 100% volunteer, grassroots network of groups and individuals who take direct action to confront the roots causes of climate change. We promote local, community-based solutions to the climate crisis and support climate justice.  To learn more read up on them here.

Drones

NATO and protests

May has been an overwhelming month for me, with lots of collective energy swirling around the NATO summit in Chicago and the resulting protests.  I've been to protests before, various large gatherings of like-minded people, angry about an injustice (or piles of injustices) and using creativity and a collective voice to speak out against (or try to get the attention of) the powers that be.  I've traveled in buses of students or others to Washington, DC or Fort Benning, GA, stayed for a day or two, chanted, carried signs, and traveled home again. What I had not done before was welcome thousands of people at once into my home city.  I had no idea how much preparation went into such an event.  Maybe you have noticed, like me, that the media has done a great job of covering the logistics headaches created by the rolling blackouts on the highways because of various motorcades, or street closures because of the protesters, but has done little in the way of encouraging discussion around the issues. Yes, you ask, but what are the issues, exactly? Remind me?  There has been little in the way of explaining and educating about what NATO does, or why the Summit is here and now.  And little in the way of explaining or listening to the voices of the protesters.  And if you know me, you know that I love logistics, no really, I'm good at them, I don't mind discussing them.  But I think we got a little lost there.  I'll use this week to share a few pictures and a few ideas from the Sunday protest...comments are welcome.


Here is Chicago on Sunday. Beautiful, right? (Notice the helicopter that was swooping over the rally in Grant Park, next to Buckingham Fountain.)

Boats Displaced

Usually this harbor is chock full of boats, but today it is totally empty. This picture is taken with my back at the North East corner of McCormick Place.  In preparation for the NATO Summit they have all been moved to the harbor at 31st street beach.  It's a strange sight.

Sometimes

Sometimes the wheelchair is too confining, and you get tired of being pushed around by someone.  Then, you have to get out and smell the flowers on your own.  Here is grandpa at the Lakefront Path at the Chicago Firefighter/Paramedic Memorial Park near McCormick Place.

John Hancock Building

Grandpa and I wandered around Lincoln Park today. Here is a picture of him in the People's Gas Education Pavilion looking at the John Hancock Building.

Wires

The Bean

Today we went to the Bean (Chicago's Cloud Gate Sculpture in Millennium Park). At first Grandpa wasn't so impressed, but after we walked under it, and all the way around it, and touched it we started to have a good time taking pictures.  In all we took 27 pictures of the Bean itself plus a video and spent over an hour in the park.  Here's a picture first of Grandpa at the Crown Fountains (the Face Towers in Millennium Park), then the Bean, then Grandpa in the Bean.  Enjoy.

This week...

This week my grandpa is staying with me. So far, in less than three days we have gone out to eat, seen lots of friends, and visited the Garfield Park Conservatory. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds. Here's to slowing down, investing time in good conversation and relationship.  This is a picture I took last weekend on the Kal-Haven Trail State Park in Michigan near South Haven, MI. I like it.

Happy Mother's Day

*Disclaimer* I work in an office where we routinely discuss the death of children and babies, sometimes at the hands of their parents or caretakers, as part of our jobs.  My co-worker brought her son to work one day, and to amuse him she showed him how to use the type writer.  This is his gift to her: (posted with permission)

I love you mom you are my mom and you are nicer not mean and you are the coolest
person in the world to me and you give me shelter and food and you even bought a xbox360 for me
you be there for me and you let me have my own room and you let me have my own games and you have a some moms don't have jobs and some people and moms kill there kids and so I love you mom.
Tyrese-age 10

Happy Mother's Day!

p.s. Remember to show your kids you love them.

A Photogenic Mushroom

Chives

See the ant?

South Haven, MI City Hall

Tattoo

 Before and After the Goddess

Mia behind the curtain

We had mice in our house, baby mice, too many mice...so we brought in the enforcer; the Great Mia.  She stayed for two weeks.  And now, we have seen no more mice. Thank you, Mia.



Who, Me?

Trillium

General John Logan Statue

May Day March

Finals Week in the Park