Saturday, June 11, 2016

Nothing like old friends!


There is nothing like old friends! People who already know your "back story" - even after long absences, you can just jump right in and resume your relationship, as though no time has passed.  

We recently spent a weekend hosting our dear friends, Dave and Denise, from Indianapolis.  Scott and Dave were high school  friends.  Dave stood up for Scott at our wedding, and Scott sang at their wedding.  We were all married in 1978, they in June, and Scott and I in September.  Still going strong!

Scott and Dave - the hombres! 

Denise and myself.  We were about to head into Chicago for a day full of sightseeing and fun activities - and eating and drinking, of course! I told them to wear comfortable shoes! We had breakfast at home, and then we headed out!
This is our reflection in a VERY large artwork in Millenium Park, called Cloudgate - but lovingly referred to by nearly everyone as "the bean".  It's a fun gathering spot for tourists and locals alike.  I love hearing all the different languages spoken here.
Here you see one of the amazing fountains in the park.  There are multiple images projected from inside the fountain, and the images move, too! There is a splash pool down below - very popular on warm Chicago days.
This is "the bean" - not my photo, but you get the idea - this is huge!
While at Millenium Park, we toured the fountains, gardens, artwork, and the fantastic Pritzker Pavillion, shown here.  There are dozens of free, outdoor concerts here every summer, which we love to attend.
Then we toured the Chicago Cultural Center - originally, the Chicago Public Library.  It is a stunning architectural example in Chicago, full of amazing Tiffany glass mosaics.  
You can see all of the Tiffany glass work on the wall and ceilings  everywhere in this ballroom!  There were setting up for an event.  This is one of  the most sought-after locations for weddings in Chicago.
After a stop for a snack, we headed to Chicago Distilling Company.  We got to see how they create spirits, like gin and bourbon, and they gave out samples! We each tried one of their cocktail creations, too.

We finished the day with dinner at my favorite spot, Tre Kronor, in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago.  Chicago is a city of neighborhoods - over 200, I think - and we drove through lots of them on our little tour of the city.  Cheers to old friends!

Happy New Year!

Happy new year!  Here's hoping for peace in our world!  A quote that I carry around with me is from my hometown pastor, from years ago -...