Thanks, Friday!

I try to write every day, but that doesn't always happen.  Most often, I just get too sleepy and can't hang in there long enough to get it done.  That doesn't mean that I turn in early because I'm usually up until at least midnight.  I just wait too long to get started and then I just can't take it anymore.  I almost always fall asleep with my laptop next to me.  Like a teddy bear.  A shiny, black teddy bear that doesn't cuddle well.  Now, if someone would create a soft-sided laptop, a lot more people would be sleeping with their computers.  If someone decides to try this, remember you read it here first.  I want my cut.

Sometimes I find it difficult to write because I can't think of anything substantive or funny to say.  On days like today, the funny finds me and I am so grateful for people like Friday.  He basically blogged for me.  Let me tell you about it...

There's this guy who can frequently be seen walking anywhere along a three-mile stretch of 14th Street.  He usually has his head down, not paying much attention to where he's going.  I get concerned that he might be hit by a car, but so far, so good.  He has a lot to say but I don't know what he's saying or who he's talking to.  Not trying to be funny, but if he's not talking to himself (which is PERFECTLY NORMAL--I do it so it must be!) I am unable to see who he IS talking to.  Moreover, if he can see them, then there's an additional problem.  I call him Friday because he looks like what my mind conjures up when I think of Friday, as in Robinson Crusoe's best bud.

Today, I stopped by the drug store so my son could get his chips, tea, granola bar and Spearmint Lifesaver fix.  Like when he became adamant about using deodorant, and later bodywash, I am a little suspicious about his fixation on Carmex and Spearmint Lifesavers.  And the marathon toothbrushing sessions.  I give him his space, but I do have a couple of spies in the school.  I don't want any problems...none!  Just stick with the sports kid, to keep you busy and keep those hormones in check.  We've got two more years before college and this needs to go as planned.  Oh yeah...about Friday.

So he's doing his usual thing and he comes into the parking lot and he seems agitated.  He's walking around and talking louder than usual, although I still don't know what he's saying.  Rolling the windows down may have helped, but nah, that's okay.  He goes over the the dumpster and flings the top open.  Flings the top open.  Like, FLING!  He was riled up.  He turned towards the store then, and he walks in my direction.  Now I know that Friday is basically harmless and pretty much keeps to himself, but today he's making eye contact.  Not with me in particular, but of course I was looking at him, which would have been okay, but he removed his shirt.  Then his undershirt.  Then put the shirt back on.  Then took it off.  (As long as it's just the shirt...)  Uhboy...Friday needs a belt because his jeans are slipping off of his really slight frame. Uhboy, uhboy, UHBOY!  Friday needs underwear!  At that point I covered my eyes because I could see where this was going, and it wasn't going anyplace I wanted to be.  Or see.  This is not harmless, this is disturbing and potentially gross if it is allowed to continue.  I uncovered one eye just enough to see my phone and I called 911.  "What's your emergency?"  "Well, there's this guy, who I see all the time.  And he's not bothering me or anything, but, well...he's taking off his clothes and it's kinda gross."  I felt bad for squealing on Friday but the situation was getting out of hand and soon other body parts were going to get involved and well, I decided that this was an emergency.  "Where is he now, ma'am?  The parking lot?  Where in the parking lot?  There's a big parking lot there... Front, back, side?"  The dispatcher was being a real (insert insulting name here) and apparently didn't appreciate the call.  About a minute after Friday drifted off down the street, two officers showed up.  "Oh, that must have been Jack". I would have told them it was Friday, but I try not to argue with the police.

I try to always have things in the car that I might need.  I keep dollar bills for the homeless people who stand at the expressway ramps and busy intersections of the city.  I don't concern myself too much with whether or not they're legit 'cause that's not my problem.  I give what I can and if they're not doing the right thing with it, well that's not on me.  I'd rather help someone who doesn't really need it than to fail to help someone who does.  I also keep snacks--granola bars, maybe some turkey jerky, and water in case I come across someone who looks like they're strung out and money is probably the last thing they need.  In the winter I usually have a couple of extra pairs of gloves because I hate to see people who look cold.  Last winter I stopped a gave a pair to a young mother and her little one on a super cold and windy day.  Now, thanks to Friday, I realize that I need to add a couple of other things to my car's "survival kit".  That would be belts...and underwear, just in case the cops don't get there in time to stop a real catastrophe.  I often joke about needing to pluck out my mind's eye.  If Friday had gotten any further with his impromptu strip tease/tantrum, I'd be needing to pluck out the real ones.

Rain, Rain, Stay Stay Stay!

I really should close the windows.  It is in fact, raining.  The windowsills are wet and now have towels covering them.  The floor has a little of the same.  But I don't want to close them.  It's cold and rainy and I love the sound and the feeling.  It's after 1a.m., but I know that once I shut it down for the night, I'm going to sleep like a baby.  I'm usually awakened by some degree of discomfort, generally brought on by feeling way too hot.  Sometimes, drenched in sweat.  But not tonight!  I am totally enjoying this cool cold breeze, even if my blowing curtains are wet.  I can deal with that later.

Of course there are trains, whistles, and someone down the block who apparently is getting their Beatnik on, because they've been drumming for about three hours.  Even that isn't bothering me because this cold air has got me feeling fine.  What a switch from say, a year ago, when I was still complaining about the horrible Chicago winters and vowing to move to a warmer climate once my son graduates from high school.  At this rate, he'll be in school somewhere warm, and I'll be right here enjoying the cold water falling from the sky. I NEVER thought I'd be saying that because as much as I don't mind rain, I really hate it when it's cold.  Cold water falling on me always seemed particularly cruel.   I wonder if this is going to last, or if I'm going to go back to hating the cold once the "power surges" stop.  This is a very important thing to consider when planning to relocate.  At present, I think California or Florida would make me want to jump in the ocean.  That may not sound like a bad thing, but I can't swim.  See?  (The curtains have stopped blowing...no, please!)

Did I ever show the pictures of my niece's porch?  I decorated it one day while she was at work.  Pretty cool, huh?  Well I stopped by today and this rug has been torn to shreds and I can't blame her little Shih-Tzu, Pepper.  Nope this was shredded by a real shredding machine.  Pepper can make hay out of a pile of newspaper, but even she couldn't handle this job.  It was so violently vandalized that I couldn't even take a picture.  This is in the heart of the city, three floors up, so what could it be?  Raccoon?  Opossum?  Rat?  I know, that's just way too creepy, but you oughta see what's become of this thing.  It is was an outdoor rug, made from recycled plastic rope.  Now, it's a pile of plastic strings.  The weirdest thing?  There's no sign of the missing pieces.  You'd think there'd be a trail of string somewhere, but either it was eaten or carried away.  Well, at least they cleaned up their worksite.  Last consideration?  It was simply shredded, not with the intent of using the materials.  In this case, what a vindictive little critter it is.  I'm setting up a camera...I'll catch the little vermin varmint if it's the last thing I do.  Whilst I devise my plan, I'm going to lie down and enjoy the traffic, trains, drums and rain.  Oh good, the curtains are blowing again!

Showtime!

A couple of days ago I wrote about several things that struck me as "odd" during that day.  Unfortunately, I forgot one--one that struck me as not just odd, but really funny.  And curious.

So, apparently strip clubs "Gentlemen's Clubs" are kosher now, since they're popping up everywhere.  I can think of three within 10 miles of my house, in either direction.  They all sit a little off the beaten path, just outside of town, or in the middle of a cluster of factories, but easily visible from the highway.  There is one straight down 14th Street.  When it was going up, I thought it was a banquet facility.  I would have thought it was a casino, but there's no licensing for that in this area yet.  Finally, I figured out what was going on.  I was initially shocked, but now, it's just another building that I pass about once a week, and I don't pay too much attention to it.  It's probably livelier at night, but during the day it's just a building with an empty parking lot.  Since I never go that way at night, I may never know.  About the same time as this one was built, another one popped up, very visible from the expressway.  I'm usually whizzing by but as luck would have it, the traffic was a little jammed yesterday.  This gave me the opportunity to look around and what to my wondering eyes should appear?  A marquee advertisement for "Amateur Night".  At the strip club?  Just what would that entail?  I can just imagine the professionals snickering at the lack of skill, or being insulted at the mimicry of their profession.  And what is the real need for amateur night?  Some dancers took the night off and they're short on entertainment?  Is this an on the job interview?  Maybe a stripper strike?  Scabs!  What ever happened to solidarity?  Didn't these people see "Billy Elliott"?  Perhaps I'm overthinking the whole thing, but Amateur Night at the strip club just has me scratching my head.  And laughing.

Wouldn't you know it?  I did a quick search for a funny picture for this post.  First listing?  A 16-step how to for...wait for it...

AMATEUR NIGHT AT A STRIP CLUB!

It's worse than I thought.  Still scratching my head but not laughing as loudly.  Great reminder of my advancing age.  I'm such a square.

Goodbye...for now!

It's been just over a year since I moved into this space.  It was bittersweet, leaving the house I raised my children in, and moving back to the neighborhood I was raised in.  Now, I'm considering another move, for the sake of space and convenience.  Making the trek up three floors several times a day is rough.  The lack of closet space, one bathroom and shortage of bedrooms just isn't working, but I really hate moving so I am taking a lot of time to consider the decision.  The hardest part?  Being afraid that I won't find anything that is as much "me" as this place is.  

I wish that I could keep it as the home of 14th Street Vintage, but that's not possible right now.  I do hold out hope that I may return in a few years, when the kids are out of the house and it's just me.  Then there will be plenty of space for me and all my "projects".  I've fantasized about having the unit directly below me, making this a two-story unit.  Now that would be fine! In the meantime, I have a year's worth of pictures taken mostly in this room.  I'll never forget the warm yellow of the tray ceilings, the dark woodwork, the ample shelving, the floors and those windows.  Someone described them as "sexy".  I'll take that!

It really is an amazing place.  With all that has changed in my life over the past few years, this will always stand out as one of the best changes I made.  It may be short-lived, but I am so glad that I got to live in this gorgeous home.

Random Things That Happened Today.

I saw a lady standing on the sidewalk.  She walked into the street, spit into a pothole, then went back to her spot on the sidewalk.  I hate potholes too.

I went to the doctor today and my daughter was with me.  The handsome young doctor, whom I refer to as "doctor" introduced himself to my daughter using his first name.  Why does she get to be on a first name basis with him?  Surely youth and beauty had nothing to do with it.

An x-ray tech handed me a cup of white stuff to drink, but not before she donned a lead trench coat.  I am uncomfortable with this.  She needs protection to hand it to me but I can drink it.  Not cool.  I'll tell you what was cool though.  I had to stand on a platform with my back against a wall.  Later I had to face the wall.  I had to hug the wall.  The wall turned into a table and I got to ride on it.  Whee!  That was fun.  No, I mean it really was fun.

I saw a sign that said "Whites Stay White".  Seemed odd until I realized it was a Dry Cleaners.

I inadvertently startled a squirrel when I was leaving the house this afternoon.  He was so frazzled that he ran straight into a brick wall.  I heard his little head "thunk!" Then he turned around and ran the other way.  Never seen a squirrel do that before.  They always seem to be so aware.

After my tests they gave me two coupons for the cafeteria.  Everyone's getting in on the coupon craze.  The $5 in coupons made being nuked SO worth it.  And that's how the hospital keeps 'em coming back.  (They have apparently hired a marketing genius.)

I saw a guy with a noose tattooed around his neck.  No comment.

I saw a business called "Reliable Fabrications"  Is that possible?  I mean, if it's a fabrication, how reliable can it be?

And, I saw a restaurant called "The Dog's Bollox".  Of course I had to look it up to see what it meant, but I had a pretty good idea.  I don't eat at any restaurant referencing a dog in it's name because it just grosses me out.  The Hairy Dog, The Lazy Dog, The Salty Dog, The Hungry Hound...hate all of them. I don't even eat hot dogs. But this one just took my dog/restaurant aversion to a new level.  Now excuse me while I go pluck out my mind's eye.

                                           See?? Some things just shouldn't be combined. 

Button Earrings.

I swore off these things years ago.  Very popular when I was young, I collected them in all kinds of colors and patterns, metals, plastics and fabric.  It was virtually impossible to not find a pair to match whatever you were wearing.  How cute they were, sitting on each side of my little round face, the perfect complement to the blue eye shadowed and pink lip glossed circle in the middle.  Cute...until that little round face became a big round face.  Then the name of the game was "lengthen, elongate, slim."  Button earrings don't do that, so away they went, along with the belts, the round necks and the ruffled collars.  None of the above is capable to lengthening, elongating or slimming.  I haven't worn anything but hoops and the occasional drop earrings for the past 20 years.  I bought a bunch of clip-on button earrings (or earbobs, as my Aunt Effie used to call them) from a neighbor a few years back, with the intention of selling them.  I have sold a few pairs, but I've bought more.  I still don't like them on me, so I sell a pair here and there, hoping that someone will take the whole lot off my hands one day, like I did for my neighbor.  

A few days ago I found an estate sale which had a ton of button earrings.  They're still fun to look at, what with all the colors and everything.  I even bought a couple of pairs, just for fun.

I thought the brown and white pair was just unique, and the turquoise and gold pair is one of my favorite color combos.  Since I like to jazz up my shoes periodically, I thought I might make some shoe clips out of them.  The green beads were for my daughter, who wears "pearls" pretty much every day.  I tried them on and I don't know if I was hallucinating or what, but they didn't look half bad!  Big round face notwithstanding, I was digging the look!  I even wore a pair to church.  Could this be the end of an era?  Could this be the start of something big?  Like, big round face with round earrings on each side which make it look bigger?  Or maybe I've been too hard on myself all these years.

If you look right in the front of this display, there is a pair of faux-tortoiseshell earrings, which are the ones I wore today.  I love tortoiseshell, faux or otherwise, root beer and amber lucite and bakelite, and even the plain old plastic stuff.  As you can see, I have a small collection.  This gets used a lot.  (The cameo box is a vintage Avon dusting powder decanter.)  I guess I love it more than I hate button earrings. 

I encourage you to revisit something that you may have given up wearing a long time ago, because you felt it wasn't "for you" anymore.  Maybe you just needed a change of pace.  Maybe you needed to regain your confidence.  Or maybe now it's just time to give yourself a break and wear whatever it is with pride.  Keep a look out for me--I'll be the one happily wearing the button earrings. 

I Feel Like A Fashionista...

...but I am decidedly not!  I don't shop brands, I shop looks and at this stage in my life, I shop what fits.  This fact alone limits my wardrobe choices greatly (just because it's in my size doesn't mean...you know the rest.)  I do believe I'm on my way to doing something about that.  Blame Credit the latest health scare.  In an effort to stay busy, thus keeping myself out of the kitchen, I went to an estate sale today.  I was really looking forward to attending the opening of an art exhibit, but due to the unpredictable nature of my current illness, I didn't think it was a good idea.  (Think excessive burping...) Not classy.  Okay for an estate sale though!!

So I took my very reluctant daughter with me, who showed very little interest in anything until we made a third pass by this really cute orange dress.  She offhandedly said, "If I were to buy anything, it would be that".  Six dresses later, we made our way to the counter.  I convinced her to try them on so I could take some pictures while we still had some natural light coming in.  Ho hum, but okay.  Later, when I'm on the phone, she brings my camera to me, to show me the pictures (uhh...I took them??) Let's just say she was pleased and can't wait to wear her new/old clothes:

  Is this not the prettiest dress?  I think it's amazing, unique, and will be great to wear to a semi-fancy function.  She watched Mulan about 50 times when she was little.  Paying homage. 

Great wear to work dress.  Blazer--yep.  Cardigan--yep.  Ooh, over the shoulders with a sweater clip!  What do I know?  I'm not a Fashionista!

Every girl looks and feels great in a muted floral.  So feminine.  So Impressionistic.  So four dollars.  So happy.

Just darn cute!  The orange dress that started it all.

Fashionista or not, I really hope to someday be able to wear these gorgeous vintage clothes myself and not have to force fight  watch my daughter have all the fun.  Even though, as her mom, it's tons of fun for me.  It's great that I can still dress up my little girl...sometimes...when she lets me...when she's not rolling her eyes...when she feels like indulging me...when she loves the clothes even more than I do!

Rainy Day Fun.

Although I was definitely not at my best, I had to go downtown today to take care of some business.  I mean, I HAD to...and that's the only reason I even got out of bed.  Of course, you get up, you get going, you feel better, generally speaking.  So this is how my day went:

I've been wanting to get some pictures of the giant planter heads on Michigan Avenue, and I found myself right in front of one while walking down the street.  With only a cellphone handy, I went for it.  These things are really cool and I hope they stay!  

 She works at Walgreens...Personally I think all the flowers are a bit unsanitary, given that she works in the pharmacy.  Just sayin'...She needs a hair net.  And if anyone vandalizes this thing and the city wakes up to a hair-netted sculpture, I had NOTHING to do with it!

                                                At least with all the rain, they were well watered.

                                I think this one is my favorite.  I call her "Golden Lady".  Clever, huh?

Yes, I was moving that fast!  Not!

So I sat outside Panera and waited for my ride.  While there, eating my yogurt and bothering no one, in comes this little intruder and he stands on my table, just inches from my cup.  What the??

The nerve, seriously.  He was very rude and stayed there for quite a while.  He knows I'm scared of birds I'm sure.  Blame Hitchcock for that one.  

 

Been wanting a picture of the "legs" too.  I finally got it.  My sister hates them.  I think they're amazing! And tall...

And finally, I stopped by my  niece's house but she wasn't home.  (Of course she wasn't...she was at work!)  But since I was there, I let myself in and helped myself to the contents of her refrigerator.  Shrimp, green beans, tilapia and a little bit of chicken salad with grapes.  Yummy!  I snapped a picture and texted it to her, just so she would know how much I enjoyed her home while she was out.  I crack myself up.  I played with the dog, lounged on the couch and watched t.v.  Love my family!

All told, I do feel better today.  I'll see the doctor on Saturday and find out how we're going to proceed with this latest health issue, but if having a little fun is part of my treatment, I should be just fine!

I'm Sick Y'all...

A hiatal hernia?  What NOW?   My status as "runt" is official.  I have always got something.  And it's usually something weird.

So this is my diagnosis after trying to ignore the excruciatingly sharp and painful jabs I've been feeling in my chest and back for the past three days.  I was sure it wasn't a heart attack since I've had this pain before.  Today, I just couldn't take it any more, plus I was starting to worry, so I took myself to the E/R.
What to do about can be complicated, but it can also be fairly simple.  I think I fall into the latter category since diet and weight can definitely affect it, and both of mine are out of control.  Working on that...

So, I'm pretty tired tonight, but didn't want to skip another day of posting, so here you go. I'll be better tomorrow, I promise!

p.s.  I was looking for a cute graphic or joke to show how lousy I feel. I googled "sick momma jokes".  That was NOT a good idea!

Kids Are Expensive!

This weather!  It was cool today, but I have to say that I wasn't mad about that.  It was actually comfortable.  I'm still sleeping with the windows open, the fan on and even had the a/c on for awhile.  I felt bad though, with my kids sleeping burrowed under their blankets, so I got up in the middle of the night and turned it off.  Good thing I think, because I'm not feeling great.  A few more hours of excessive cooling and I probably would have been out of commission today.

Yesterday, now that was a chilly day.  Chilly and wet.  I had tickets to a baseball game, but decided to turn over all the tickets to my son who easily found four friends to join him.  I really dodged one with that decision because the game was delayed for four hours due to rain.  I kept texting him, asking what they were doing.  Are they warm?  Are they bored?  Do they have enough money?  This was an important one, because 25 bucks at the game does not go far!  Add to that an extra four hours of idle time, and I'm starting to worry that he has eaten his $25 and now that the game is finally starting, he'll be out of snack money. He apparently figured it out because not only did he have a great time, he brought home $3!

The frugality was fruitless, however, at least for me.  He's now busy shopping online because he "needs new clothes".  Why?  He wears a uniform to school, and he's just coming off of a birthday where he got nothing but money.  He spent every dime and now he's trying to spend more.  That $3 isn't looking so good now...

Kids are expensive.

Thrift Hauls!

I don't post all of my thrift finds, but I found some amazing things over two days of thrifting earlier this week that I just had to share.  It all started with a simple bit of information that I received.  My daughter found out she had an after work event to attend and went to work wearing the very same outfit she'd worn to the last after work event.  No big deal to her (she shrugs) but I'm thinking "what if".  What if she sees the same people?  What if those people are undercover fashion police?  So I did what any concerned parent would do who is interested in having their (job-seeking) child make the best impression.  Dash off to the mall?  Hit up Macy's downtown?  Uh-uh.  Nope.  Nothing about my budget has changed, folks.  I ran off to one of my favorite thrift stores, one that I don't go to very often because it's not close to home...St. Vincent's in Chicago.  True to form, there were tons of treasures buried there, more deeply than usual.

I was starting to think I wasn't going to find anything that was appropriate but I didn't give up.  I just made my way over to housewares, where I picked up a set of four vintage Fire-King refrigerator dishes.  I had been planning to buy some for a housewarming gift.  I'm going to fill each one with a meal for one.  Yes, this gift is for a bachelor...my nephew, who really likes my cooking!  To find a set of vintage dishes was just a bonus--I was planning to go to Target for them.  This just makes it better...


These are actually from a vintage home yogurt maker, c. 1960's.  Coolness.


Once I found these, I settled down and really started to look.  I found this really cute, silk, fully lined, back-zip sheath:

A bit of a splurge at $8.

Two cardigans and two pairs of shoes.  A girl must have choices!  I kept with the gray/black theme.  I even found a cute vintage black link bracelet.  

                                                            Anne Taylor Loft, $3.

Kohl's/Daisy Fuentes, $3.  This is a really nice quality sweater, fine gauge knit, nice style and length.  It will be worn a LOT, I can tell. 

             Isaac Mizrahi for Target.  Not pricey normally, but even better at $4.

Pewter slingbacks.  $4.  Leather with snake trim.  Classy!

She was already carrying a black Coach (freebie, long story) purse. I thought I did a pretty good job of getting her ready to schmooze.

BTW, she picked the gray cardi and gray shoes.  Again, options are important!  Oh yes, the bracelet:

Just the black one, the green bracelet, which I love, was found elsewhere.  I also got the pink earrings yesterday because she loves pink.  No other reason needed.  Not pictured are the silver hoops I found, new in the package at St. Vince's.  So I rushed to her job and brought in my two bags of stuff.  Who does that??  Me!  She took what she wanted, and I hauled the rest home. 

She did NOT take any pictures...aarrggghhh!  That's okay, we're due for a photo shoot anyway!  

Next stop was Restoration Ministries--their smaller store in Harvey, Illinois.  Small but mighty!

I hate that I didn't have these vintage "golfer" glasses on Fathers' Day:

 I wasn't too sure about this print two-piece.  I really like it, but it's not my size.  My sister can wear it, but pretty much everything she owns is print and I don't want to feed her habit.  I tried to convince my daughter that it would be so cute with boots this fall.  She wasn't too excited about it, but said she might wear it, but definitely not both pieces at the same time.  It's probably a little big for her, but it has nice style.  Black and gold cord trim, fabric button and loop closure, and a tapered waist on the jacket.  

Vintage is the new black.  She should trust me on this one. Just $3.50, so no harm done. 

              Another vintage Vera scarf.  I have enough but at .50, why not??

Season's over, but I couldn't resist this vintage Hawaii made dress.  Half price at $3.50.  

And there you have it, except for the jacket which I won't reveal until I team it up with something cute, at which point my kids will draw straws to see who has to take 25 pictures of Mom so she can find one that she's happy with. 

Painted Wallet-DIY Post

This is my favorite wallet.  I have tons of wallets.  They're all empty, but that's beside the point.

It has a lot of marks and stains, so I haven't been using it.  But I still love the style, especially the big button on the front. I couldn't toss it, so I needed to figure out how to make it presentable again.  (What Would Bettie Do?)


Paint it, of course!

 Bright orange or dull gray?  You wouldn't believe this unless you saw it, right?  I opted for the gray!

Well, not entirely.  I was already getting bored looking at it, so I changed my mind.  I went instead with the GIFT BOX BLUE!  That's right, I didn't like either of my original colors, so I went with the same blue I used on a pair of shoes a few months ago:
 http://14thstreetvintage.blogspot.com/2013/06/paintfast-becoming-my-best-friend.html

I went with the gray as an accent color, and also on the inside.  I gave the orange some love too:

I love my new wallet!

How Do You Remember This Day?

I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the attack.  Most people do.  I certainly don't want to ever feel that again, but I remember some good that came out of it.  Remember the little flag window clings for your car?  Or the antenna flags?  Flag pins?  I really remember a sense of togetherness.  No one was blaming anyone else for their problems, and I didn't hear much about race.  For a brief time, we were all Americans, and we were all mourning.  And scared.  So I guess we can only be brought together under horrific circumstances...now most of what I read, even from my friends, is about who is killing who, or more specifically, which race has the lead in killing the other.  I have had to delete a few friends who insist on keeping this going.  It upsets me since we obviously have other things to concern ourselves with.  For instance, over the past few days I've read a lot about children being adopted, then the adoptive parents changing their minds and "giving" them away to strangers.  These people cannot really be considered part of the same species as me, can they?  There's all kinds of crazy going on in this world, in this country, that we need to worry about.  September 11, 2001 put a brief halt to all of the infighting and made us all focus on each other, realizing that as Americans, we are in this together, like it or not.  I actually liked it, feeling that everyone had my back for that brief time.  My flag decal had essentially been burned into my windshield by the time I got rid of my car a few years back. 

So now what?  With all of the commemorative speeches and tributes and memorials, how can that feeling of togetherness be recaptured?  The short answer is that it can't.  Not unless we have another national tragedy, one where we can't blame each other because the attack comes from the outside.  Still, I prefer to remember everyone's sacrifice, and loss, and how in the midst of tragedy, they brought our country together for a very brief time.  I'm thinking that if we really want to honor that memory, we should never let those deaths be in vain.  It's the least we can do.

Beachy Keen

I've found myself on the shores of Lake Michigan this summer more times than ever before.  I've been doing a lot of driving and a lot of waiting.  I figured out that parking at the beach is more plentiful and in most cases cheaper than looking for a space on the street.  While waiting yesterday, I headed straight east to the lakefront where the parking was free at this particular beach.  I walked a little, but it was really hot, so I sat on a rock and returned some phone calls.  Little did I know until I really paid attention to the activity on the sand and in the water, that this was a DOG BEACH.  Hmmm...I decided that I'd stay where I was and not venture too close to the water because, well, it's kind of like a giant litter box, right?  What I did do was watch, and I got the biggest kick out of that.  Dogs everywhere!  And so well behaved!  It really was a joy to watch them running all over, in and out of the water, and making friends.  I don't know, but they looked like really happy dogs.

                                                  Any excuse to get my toes in the sand...

One lady walked near me on her way back to her car.  She, in her bikini, had four dogs trailing her.  One Great Dane, one Doberman, and two terriers that resembled pit bulls, but she had other names for them.  They were so well trained that I was almost not nervous.  What nervousness I did have, I hid it well.  The Great Dane seemed very interested in me and he stayed the closest.  At one point she said something in German, and all four dogs stood on the rocks and posed for a picture.  I kid you not.  She commanded them with one word, and all four turned towards the camera.  I had to ask.  How exactly are you doing that?  She explained that she was a dog trainer, and had taken an online course over one year.  Hey, anyone that thinks online coursework is a joke should see this lady in action.  I was recruited to take a few shots of her with the dogs, after which they waited patiently while we talked.  After about five minutes, she spoke again and all four dogs jumped into her open Jeep.  I couldn't resist getting a shot of the five of them driving away.  Cool.

I have always loved to watch children at play but I don't think this will be my last trip to the dog beach.  It was great watching the four-legged kids having a good time.  I might even bring my own dog next time.

Keep it Positive!

My daughter loves the movie and the stage musical "Legally Blonde".  I loved the movie, but I haven't seen the play because when I sprung for two tickets when it came to Chicago, I gave them to my daughter and her friend.  She's very big on soundtracks though, so I've heard it many times.  The one song I remember best is called "Keep it Positive" and I've been singing it for the past two days.  It's kind of stuck in my head.  I told you a few days back that a friend had started a 30 Days of Positive Thinking Challenge and invited me to join in.  I think that song is my way of reminding myself that I signed on and don't want to be a quitter.

I suffered a huge disappointment this week and am trying really hard not to let it bring me down.  I won't say whether I've been successful or not, but today I was.  I attended the Mexican Independence Day celebration in Little Village (Chicago) and had a great time.  We started off with breakfast at the beautiful restaurant, Mi Tierra.  It's bright, happy and colorful.  Like REALLY bright, happy and colorful:

See?  No coffee needed.

We met some new friends and had a lengthy and enjoyable conversation with a (very handsome, not that I was looking) guy from Spain and a couple who came down from Minnesota on the Megabus to visit for the weekend.  They were a completely friendly and engaging group, and the lady sitting next to me told me about her life growing up in Mexico, going to school in France and finally settling down in Minnesota, of all places.  It's been her home for 40 years.  We stayed talking after nearly everyone else was gone.  Then on to the real party...the parade!  Mariachis, dancers, floats, horses, children and clowns--speaking of which, there are clowns...

 And then there is Bozo!!

No shortage of cute kids...

Floats filled with musicians, beauty queens, politicians and regular everyday citizens, enjoying a few minutes of fame on a bright, sunny day. 

And of course, there was the crowd.  I folded myself into the crowd, completely forgetting that I had very little knowledge of what was being said.  At this celebration, there was no real need for words...the music, the smiles and the energy  of the people, myself included, said it all.  Today, I kept it positive.