Thursday, August 11, 2011

Chicago to Boston Part 2

Farmers Market Oak Park Style


This particular market takes place in a church parking lot.
Volunteers wake up at 4 am and make homemade donuts to sell at market. Profits benefit the church. The line is very long and it.is.totally.worth.it.


Farmers Market banjo time!



I made my way over to Hinsdale and visited Sandi and Tom.


Meet Sammy. "I am treated like a tiny human! I love you!"


We paid a visit to Great Aunt Lois. She is currently recovering from a recent fall and is living at a rehab center. Unfortunately, she didn't know who I was. We had a nice conversation anyways. I asked her what it was like attending the Art Institute of Chicago and she had no trouble recalling the time she spent there learning to paint and draw under the tutelage of some very talented artists and professors. I love this woman dearly, and it was hard to watch her struggle to put sentences together.

Seeing her made me think about all of the wonderful holidays we spent together with my grandfather (her brother) and my grandmother. It's hard to believe that just 11 years ago everyone was alive and moving around without wheelchairs or oxygen tanks. I will always cherish the Christmas mornings we had together, complete with stockings (handmade by Grandma), a new set of paints or brushes (from Lois) under the tree, and old fashioned donuts I always asked Grandpa to bring back from his daily 6 am visit to the Buttercream Bakery. Lois would open her stocking to find various types of candy- she'd read every single ingredient listed on each candy label out loud while Grandma rolled her eyes. Grandpa would turn on golf or baseball and zone out until it was our turn to open something he had lovingly picked out with Grandma. Their eyes would light up as we opened their gifts and squealed. We'd usually spend the whole day together playing games and eating stocking stuffers/whatever delicious spread Dad cooked up that year. I miss those days.


Sandi dropped me off at the train station after our visit.


I took an architectural tour of the city via boat.
Fantastic way to see the city!


Willis (Sears) Tower


"Corn Cob Towers"
Also called Marina City-very 60s



The Windy City



Stopped at Navy Pier (basically Pier 39 but with McDonalds and party boats)


Met up with Mari and Isaac for Deep Dish!
2 pints Blue Moon + Deep Dish = food coma



Evening activity: Outdoor art and music festival.
Mashups galore


1 comment:

  1. Parts 1 and 2 were great, but I'm REALLY looking forward to Part 3!

    ReplyDelete