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!

A Grand Night for Singing!

Prescription for a lovely evening!



Start with great company - daughter Hannah, above, in the gorgeous Millenium Park gardens, with the amazing Pritzker Pavillion, designed by Frank Gehry, in the background.   No hint that that we were about to be rained on for about 10 minutes! No matter...



After our brief shower, we were damp, but our spirits were high! We were about to hear the Grant Park Symphony performing Rodgers & Hammerstein favorites, aided by 3 top Broadway soloists.  Dinner was easy - carryout sandwiches, and a bottle of red (and white for me). Delicious!



It was fun to share the evening with Hannah and her boyfriend, Danny.  Danny doesn't have the same musical background that we do, but he is an eager and willing participant.  We had a wonderful evening!



Not a typical week - but a great week!

Paris Opera Ballet at Millenium Park.

We love going to concerts and plays! We don't do it very often, but in the past week or so - we've seen three great performances! We saw the musical play, "The Light in the Piazza", at Theo Ubique in Chicago. A dear friend recommended it - and we are so glad we went! It was outstanding!

Featured in a supporting role is Justin Adair, who was a high school classmate of our daughter, Emily. Justin sang like an angel back then, and now - oh my goodness, he is amazing! A lovely, strong, rich lyric baritone voice, with the sweetest high notes, too - and a great actor, too - Justin just received the Jeff Award (the Chicago version of the Tony Awards) for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. If you go here, you can hear him singing a selection from the show.

We also were able to attend not one but two performances at Chicago's wonderful Millenium Park. Don't you love the Pritzker Pavillion, designed by Frank Gehry?

We attended opening night of the Grant Park Symphony, and also a very special performance by the...Paris Ballet! They were performing live, in the Harris Theater (located behind the pavillion), and it was projected onto a HUGE, state-of-the-art screen, on the stage. We sat on the grass, had a picnic, and enjoyed the Paris Ballet. What a night!

Picnic in the Park

Scott and I had a great day in Chicago this past Sunday, July 3rd. We got to Millenium Park early - the big concert (Grant Park Orchestra's annual Independence Day Concert) was at 5:30, but we got our spots on the Great Lawn around 2:15! It was a glorious day, around 80 degrees, with a nice breeze, and no mosquitoes in sight!

We brought our picnic, plus the Sunday paper, a crossword puzzle to share, and a deck of cards. We had fun playing, until Scott decided to beat the cookies out of me at 500 Rummy! Well, he was still having fun...

This is the view of the stage from our chairs. The Frank Gehry-designed Pritzer Pavillion is simply stunning. And I love the overhead grid - you get a feeling of being inside a room, while allowing the view of the Chicago skyline. We love not just people watching, but also chatting with the other concert-goers. We met some college kids who went to U of Minnesota (our alma mater), and also a mom and her little daughter, visiting from India.
Doesn't Scott look relaxed? These foldup chairs are very comfy, plus we have a collapsible table which doubles as a sweet foot rest!

We had a really fun day - can you tell? Oh yeah, the concert was GREAT!