It's a special time of year when we change calendar years.
Many people take time to look back on the year that's closing, and I certainly enjoy doing that myself.
I here now reflect on 2019 in accordance with the Spanish custom of eating 12 grapes for the New Year's holiday.
Grape #1, World Youth Day 2019: This trip was the experience of a lifetime, and I'm sure I'll be thinking and sharing about it for a long time to come.
Grape #2, Washington, D.C., trip: There's so much to see in this illustrious city, and I enjoyed yet another opportunity for sightseeing there, doing so for an extended weekend with Mom, longer than the multiple layover visits of the past few years. And we traveled there in style, riding for the first time in Amtrak Sleeping Class accommodations. This year's trip came 20 years after a spring1999 family trip there and 15 years after a December 2004 trip there, during the latter of which we stayed at the same place in Alexandria where Mom and I stayed this time around.
Grape #3, more celebrating of Illinois and its Bicentennial: All the exploring I did during the Illinois Bicentennial year in 2018 made me eager to keep exploring Illinois, which included more traveling around the state outside Chicagoland, including the Shawnee National Forest, Vandalia, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Springfield (on multiple occasions), Tampico, Dixon, and Quincy.
Grape #4, CAC tours: Coming alongside exploring more of Illinois, I enjoyed the opportunity to explore various buildings and areas in Chicago, and nearby, through wonderful tours that helped me appreciate the finer details of the architecture, not to mention Open House Chicago.
Grape #5, trip to Michigan: It was really special to visit Michigan for the first time in 14 years. I did some great sightseeing at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, and the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids. I also spent a magical evening visiting my cousins in Portage, which gave me much to ponder about the meaning of life, librarianship, and family.
Grape #6, visit to West Branch, IA: I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to visit the sights of Herbert Hoover in West Branch, and it was particularly special to be there on his birthday, August 10.
Grape #7, another reunion visit to Winnebago, NE: I was glad to have the chance to visit again the St. Augustine Mission and its environs, to reconnect with the extraordinary experience I had there. Connecting again with this trip has made me all the more eager to support the campaign for a new school there.
Grape #8, books: I read, and listened to, a good number of books this year. I won a copy of David McCullough's Pioneers book in a Goodreads contest. I also had many "Aha" moments about how to live life meaningfully reading 90 Seconds to a Life you Love by Joan Rosenberg and Called to Forgive by Anthony Thompson.
Grape #9, movies: I saw some meaningful movies. Coco had a great family-oriented message. I unexpectedly and delightfully gained great insight into what it means to be called watching Moana. And it was moving to watch Unplanned, on opening day, March 29. I later had the opportunity to meet its star, Ashley Bratcher, at an Aid for Women banquet on May 1.
Grape #10, the Roys Report: Julie Roys used to have a great radio program on Moody Radio, but after she blew the whistle on upon uncovering misdeeds at Moody Bible Institute, she was terminated from employment there. I was so delighted to encounter the news about the launch of her new program, The Roys Report, during the summer. She has great content on her program and engages in meaningful discussions on current issues in church and society.
Grape #11, personal anniversaries: There are two notable personal anniversaries in 2019 that come to mind: In May, I celebrated 20 years since my first communion in the St. Giles Family Mass community. I attended Mass there as part of my celebration, my first time back there in many years. Later that day, I was spontaneously invited to the first communion celebration of the daughter of a former co-catechist. I also marked 10 years since starting at Valparaiso University, which was intimately tied in with the 10th anniversary of my first Mass at St. Teresa's, which I continue to regard as a truly life-changing event, for what happened during that hour, and the impact it had, and continues to have, for a long time. And while not a personally-oriented anniversary, I took much delight in marking the 150th Anniversary of the Golden Spike Ceremony, because I am so enamored with trains. I was glad to do something for it when I visited a special exhibit in honor of this anniversary at Historic Union Station in Springfield, IL.
Grape #12, relationships: I think about the important relationships I've participated in throughout this year. I'm glad for the visits my brother made to Chicagoland after his move to Miami for a new job. And I had further opportunity to get to know my sister-in-law Naomi and Weasley the dog before they moved.
Furthermore, I think about the importance of relationships I fostered within church context. I formed great relationships in a young adult small faith-sharing group during Lent. It's been a joy to keep up with the people, especially with significant life events, including a marriage, an engagement, and two new babies. I was at the baptism for one of them, and was spontaneously invited to join the family at a celebration afterward.
I was able to share a special experience with my Uncle Bernie when we attended a Dynamic Catholic event at St. James Parish in Arlington Heights, attending with my Uncle Bernie. We heard from Allen Hunt, who talked about four practices to reinvigorating our spiritual lives. (This talk highlighted the continued opportunities I've had for lifelong learning, just as I had more opportunity to learn much upon getting my first ever smartphone on June 19, learning about all the functions of this tool.)
I am also pleased that I got acquainted with Stars for Life, the pro-life group at Dominican University. With the extreme abortion legislation in Illinois, I got on the Illinois Right to Life e-mail list, and did my part to oppose the legislation. In the wake of its passage, I first became aware of Stars for Life when an e-mail from Illinois Right to Life told me about a banquet they were hosting at the end of June. In November, they hosted a mini-conference on Theology of the Body. One of the speakers was Sister Helena Burns, who spoke so eloquently on the subject, and there were numerous "Aha" moments during her talk, as my eyes were opened even wider. Indeed, I was glad to have opportunities to support this pro-life group at my alma mater.
And I delight greatly in the sense of connection I've forged with my RE students. I've had great groups of students in both RE years that have spanned this calendar year. And giving a presentation on my trip to World Youth Day for the middle school students in RE provided me a great chance to interact with the students who were coming down the pipe, many of whom are in my 8th grade classes this year. Particularly notable for the 2019-2020 RE year is how many students in my classes are younger siblings of former students. It's special to continue interacting with the families, and speaks to the impact I have had on people's lives, and how much meaning I've found in my life by making an impact, and living out my own faith, especially as I was inspired to do upon my own Confirmation, and teaching RE for middle schoolers, as well as being a mentor at Confirmation meetings.
Despite the challenges associated with adult life, and some of my own personal internal struggles, not to mention the troubles in the world at large, I continue to be very satisfied with the state of my life, and I continue pointing to teaching Religious Education as a large part of why that is.
So as I mark a significant change in chronos time, I look upward to the God Who has gifted me 2019 and I think about the opportunities I've had to use the chronos time of 2019 to attain to Kairos time, by which I may encounter Him through offering 2019 as a gift back to Him in thanksgiving.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Monday, December 30, 2019
2019 News and Events in Review
Just as many news outlets and other organizations do, as the calendar year 2019 draws to a close, I think back upon the news and events of this year.
Oak Park news came to my block as my neighbor Susan Buchanan was one of 11 candidates running for 3 seats on the Oak Park Village Board of Trustees. That reality certainly made for a notable campaign season, sorting through all the candidates. I went to an election night gathering at her house, and was there when the election results noted her as one of the three victors. She actually earned the most votes of all the other candidates.
There was also a crowded field of candidates for Chicago mayor. The February election resulted in a runoff between two African-American women, Toni Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot, and the latter was elected in the April run-off election. Mayor Lightfoot set about making numerous reforms in Chicago, even proposing drastic measures to address the budgetary problems in Chicago in a speech later in the year. She wasn't so successful in addressing the concerns of the Chicago Teachers' Union, which resulted in a strike in October. Right before that happened, she announced an end to overdue fines at Chicago Public Library.
JB Pritzker was inaugurated the governor of Illinois in January. He hit the ground running to push his agenda through, including a raise in the minimum wage and the legalization of recreational marijuana, the later of which is set to take effect on January 1, 2020. He also advocated for an increase in access to abortion. That legislation ended up getting snuck through the General Assembly toward the end of the session by being reworked into legislation that included financial matters. I remember keeping an eye on the legislation as it worked its way through committee hearings during Memorial Day weekend and filled out witness slips when I got alerted by Illinois Right to Life.
Illinois wasn't the only state to take drastic action to expand abortion services. The abortion controversy flared up when states like New York passed laws to go so far as to deny protection to babies that survived abortion attempts, partially as a means to protect abortion services should the US Supreme Court reverse the Roe vs. Wade decision, an increased likelihood with President Trump's two Supreme Court nominees' taking seats. These extreme abortion laws in placed like New York caused the pendulum to swing the other way and states like Alabama pushed back to restrict abortions.
It was a chaotic year for Planned Parenthood. Leana Wen became its president to succeed Cecile Richards, but Dr. Wen left after only a few months, following comments she made referring to her unborn child.
The US government's shutdown mode continued into 2019 after starting in late December 2018. It finally ended when President Trump caved to pressure from Congress. Tucked into the legislation ending the shutdown mode was a provision that made Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore the latest US national park.
Controversy over President Trump's questionable actions culminated in a vote in December by the US House of Representatives to impeach him, with not a single Republican vote.
In February, President Trump had a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Hanoi. And then President Trump became the first US president to set foot in North Korean territory when he visited the Joint Security Area at the Demilitarized Zone.
President Trump held a large "Salute to America" rally on July 4. And on October 1, Jimmy Carter celebrated his birthday and became the oldest living ex-president in US history.
Difficulties in making a Brexit deal led to Theresa May's resignation as British Prime Minister. She was succeeded by Boris Johnson in July, in the midst of an intense heat wave in western Europe.
In Israel, difficulty in forming a coalition government led to the announcement of another round of elections in 2020.
Owing to his declining health, Japan's Emperor Akihito abdicated, which was an unprecedented move, and his son Naruhito took the throne as Japan's new emperor. President Trump was the first foreign leader to visit the new emperor.
Roman Catholic leaders gathered in Rome in October for a synod to discuss meeting the pastoral needs of the Amazon region in South America, and to discuss faithful stewardship of Creation. Indigenous idols were brought into churches, and some individuals took them out and tossed them into the Tiber River, and filmed it, as a way to take a stand against idolatry in the midst of the synod's proceedings, which some said was filled with heresy.
On Holy Monday, the heartbreaking news came out of Paris that the Notre Dame Cathedral was on fire, after having survived centuries of war and turmoil. An hourslong effort finally doused the blaze, and though the spire was gone, the Cathedral's towers were still standing. Even with Europe's trend to secularism, there's no doubt that churches like Notre Dame are an important part of its heritage, and are truly treasures for all the world to behold.
Major natural events included a major cold spell throughout the United States in late January, as well as another cold spell in November that wasn't as intense, but still penetrated much of the country. Hurricane Dorian was a catastrophic storm that devastated the Bahamas before moving up the East Coast of the United States. And California experienced an earthquake in July, and then large wildfires in October, the latter of which nearly threatened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley.
Among the departures this year included former Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens, actor Albert Finney, author Toni Morrison, former French President Jacques Chirac, and Paul Sirba, Roman Catholic Bishop of Duluth.
Among the anniversaries this year including Sesame Street's 50th. There were also two significant technological anniversaries: 150 years on May 10 since the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, and 50 years since the first manned moon landing on July 20. Alabama marked the bicentennial of its statehood on December 14, one of a string of state Bicentennials in the course of about half a decade that gives us much to look back upon as we march into the future.
Oak Park news came to my block as my neighbor Susan Buchanan was one of 11 candidates running for 3 seats on the Oak Park Village Board of Trustees. That reality certainly made for a notable campaign season, sorting through all the candidates. I went to an election night gathering at her house, and was there when the election results noted her as one of the three victors. She actually earned the most votes of all the other candidates.
There was also a crowded field of candidates for Chicago mayor. The February election resulted in a runoff between two African-American women, Toni Preckwinkle and Lori Lightfoot, and the latter was elected in the April run-off election. Mayor Lightfoot set about making numerous reforms in Chicago, even proposing drastic measures to address the budgetary problems in Chicago in a speech later in the year. She wasn't so successful in addressing the concerns of the Chicago Teachers' Union, which resulted in a strike in October. Right before that happened, she announced an end to overdue fines at Chicago Public Library.
JB Pritzker was inaugurated the governor of Illinois in January. He hit the ground running to push his agenda through, including a raise in the minimum wage and the legalization of recreational marijuana, the later of which is set to take effect on January 1, 2020. He also advocated for an increase in access to abortion. That legislation ended up getting snuck through the General Assembly toward the end of the session by being reworked into legislation that included financial matters. I remember keeping an eye on the legislation as it worked its way through committee hearings during Memorial Day weekend and filled out witness slips when I got alerted by Illinois Right to Life.
Illinois wasn't the only state to take drastic action to expand abortion services. The abortion controversy flared up when states like New York passed laws to go so far as to deny protection to babies that survived abortion attempts, partially as a means to protect abortion services should the US Supreme Court reverse the Roe vs. Wade decision, an increased likelihood with President Trump's two Supreme Court nominees' taking seats. These extreme abortion laws in placed like New York caused the pendulum to swing the other way and states like Alabama pushed back to restrict abortions.
It was a chaotic year for Planned Parenthood. Leana Wen became its president to succeed Cecile Richards, but Dr. Wen left after only a few months, following comments she made referring to her unborn child.
The US government's shutdown mode continued into 2019 after starting in late December 2018. It finally ended when President Trump caved to pressure from Congress. Tucked into the legislation ending the shutdown mode was a provision that made Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore the latest US national park.
Controversy over President Trump's questionable actions culminated in a vote in December by the US House of Representatives to impeach him, with not a single Republican vote.
In February, President Trump had a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in Hanoi. And then President Trump became the first US president to set foot in North Korean territory when he visited the Joint Security Area at the Demilitarized Zone.
President Trump held a large "Salute to America" rally on July 4. And on October 1, Jimmy Carter celebrated his birthday and became the oldest living ex-president in US history.
Difficulties in making a Brexit deal led to Theresa May's resignation as British Prime Minister. She was succeeded by Boris Johnson in July, in the midst of an intense heat wave in western Europe.
In Israel, difficulty in forming a coalition government led to the announcement of another round of elections in 2020.
Owing to his declining health, Japan's Emperor Akihito abdicated, which was an unprecedented move, and his son Naruhito took the throne as Japan's new emperor. President Trump was the first foreign leader to visit the new emperor.
Roman Catholic leaders gathered in Rome in October for a synod to discuss meeting the pastoral needs of the Amazon region in South America, and to discuss faithful stewardship of Creation. Indigenous idols were brought into churches, and some individuals took them out and tossed them into the Tiber River, and filmed it, as a way to take a stand against idolatry in the midst of the synod's proceedings, which some said was filled with heresy.
On Holy Monday, the heartbreaking news came out of Paris that the Notre Dame Cathedral was on fire, after having survived centuries of war and turmoil. An hourslong effort finally doused the blaze, and though the spire was gone, the Cathedral's towers were still standing. Even with Europe's trend to secularism, there's no doubt that churches like Notre Dame are an important part of its heritage, and are truly treasures for all the world to behold.
Major natural events included a major cold spell throughout the United States in late January, as well as another cold spell in November that wasn't as intense, but still penetrated much of the country. Hurricane Dorian was a catastrophic storm that devastated the Bahamas before moving up the East Coast of the United States. And California experienced an earthquake in July, and then large wildfires in October, the latter of which nearly threatened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley.
Among the departures this year included former Supreme Court justice John Paul Stevens, actor Albert Finney, author Toni Morrison, former French President Jacques Chirac, and Paul Sirba, Roman Catholic Bishop of Duluth.
Among the anniversaries this year including Sesame Street's 50th. There were also two significant technological anniversaries: 150 years on May 10 since the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, and 50 years since the first manned moon landing on July 20. Alabama marked the bicentennial of its statehood on December 14, one of a string of state Bicentennials in the course of about half a decade that gives us much to look back upon as we march into the future.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
AMS Centennial
The American Meteorological Society was founded in 1919. The AMS has celebrated its centennial throughout 2019, which is to culminate at the 2020 Annual Meeting in Boston, the city of its headquarters.
I first became aware of the AMS as a meteorology undergraduate at Valparaiso University. We had a student chapter for the AMS and another organization, the National Weather Association (NWA).
After hearing about the AMS a lot while at Valparaiso, I had the opportunity to participate in the organization in a larger way when I attended the 2013 Annual Meeting in Austin, TX. This conference played a part in helping poise me for my professional life after college by putting into the mindset of a professional through the events and interactions at this conference.
At the start of the conference, there was a large gathering held with Boone Pickens. The moderator had a dialogue with Mr. Pickens as he shared his experiences. It caught my attention when the moderator did something a little bit different, introducing those gathered to Mr. Pickens. The moderator referred to the AMS attendees present as a community of people who were involved in some way in the science of meteorology.
The AMS is an organization that brings together thousands of members in academic, public, and private sectors of meteorology.
There's no doubt that weather affects all of us in some way. And it's very likely the vast majority of people check the weather before headed out for the day. The information people get about weather has so many people behind it. Certainly, there are the meteorologists who look at the current conditions and other available information to make a forecast about what will happen. Much of the information used to make forecasts is the result of research, and a huge sector of the meteorology community is involved in scientific investigations to better understand the atmosphere and how weather happens, because there's so much unknown about the atmosphere: for example, one of the most attention-grabbing aspects of weather research is storm chasing, where scientists head for severe thunderstorms to better understand why some storms form tornadoes, and others don't.
Some researchers are at universities. Others are part of government agencies. The US government also has operational meteorologists who forecast the weather, particularly in the National Weather Service. And there are people who work at private companies who forecast the weather, often in a pointed way focused on the interests of their company, like meteorologists who work for airlines.
Probably the most visible meteorologists are those who are on TV telling us the weather. Two people I've followed closely are Tom Skilling on WGN-TV Chicago and Brant Miller on NBC5 Chicago. And I know a number of people among my friends, classmates, and colleagues during my years at ValpU who are broadcast meteorologists.
While I was studying meteorology, people would often ask about my being on TV. While I first became interested in weather after watching Brant Miller, my interests involved, even beyond a growing awareness of the less glamorous details underneath the surface regarding the hard work of TV meteorologists. While at ValpU, I became aware of all the ways meteorology can applied in various aspects of society. Attending the AMS Annual Meeting increased my awareness of those applications, like with the group Atmospheric Science Librarian International.
There are so many working behind the scenes toward a better understanding of the weather, so that we all have the best information available when headed out the door. Even if they're not in visible roles like those on TV, they are still providing an important service, looking to the skies to better understand what's happening up there in all its complexity, and helping the rest of society make sense of it in a down to earth way.
Indeed, it would be difficult for the average person to make sense of all the complex movements in the atmosphere, with much technical language used to describe it, and complex mathematical equations behind the language. (If you want to have a sense of how technical meteorology can get, read an area forecast discussion written by an employee of a local NWS office. Go to weather.gov, type in a location in the search box, and then scroll down past the forecast to where it says "Forecaster Discussion". Depending on what office it is, you may very well be reading something written by a ValpU alumnus, maybe even someone I know, as they are at numerous offices throughout the country.)
With so much happening in the skies above us, it's great to have people who dedicate their life's work to doing something about. They go beyond the adage, "Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Meteorologists help people make sense of the weather. But you can't necessarily blame them for it: At a presentation by NWS employees when I was at ValpU, I heard the Meteorologist-in-Charge of the Northern Indiana Weather Forecast Office say that meteorologists are in sales, and management is way above.
Aware of all that goes into the science of meteorology, I have much reason to celebrate the AMS Centennial, for the role this organization has played in bringing together the members of the meteorology community to advance the science in our society.
I first became aware of the AMS as a meteorology undergraduate at Valparaiso University. We had a student chapter for the AMS and another organization, the National Weather Association (NWA).
After hearing about the AMS a lot while at Valparaiso, I had the opportunity to participate in the organization in a larger way when I attended the 2013 Annual Meeting in Austin, TX. This conference played a part in helping poise me for my professional life after college by putting into the mindset of a professional through the events and interactions at this conference.
At the start of the conference, there was a large gathering held with Boone Pickens. The moderator had a dialogue with Mr. Pickens as he shared his experiences. It caught my attention when the moderator did something a little bit different, introducing those gathered to Mr. Pickens. The moderator referred to the AMS attendees present as a community of people who were involved in some way in the science of meteorology.
The AMS is an organization that brings together thousands of members in academic, public, and private sectors of meteorology.
There's no doubt that weather affects all of us in some way. And it's very likely the vast majority of people check the weather before headed out for the day. The information people get about weather has so many people behind it. Certainly, there are the meteorologists who look at the current conditions and other available information to make a forecast about what will happen. Much of the information used to make forecasts is the result of research, and a huge sector of the meteorology community is involved in scientific investigations to better understand the atmosphere and how weather happens, because there's so much unknown about the atmosphere: for example, one of the most attention-grabbing aspects of weather research is storm chasing, where scientists head for severe thunderstorms to better understand why some storms form tornadoes, and others don't.
Some researchers are at universities. Others are part of government agencies. The US government also has operational meteorologists who forecast the weather, particularly in the National Weather Service. And there are people who work at private companies who forecast the weather, often in a pointed way focused on the interests of their company, like meteorologists who work for airlines.
Probably the most visible meteorologists are those who are on TV telling us the weather. Two people I've followed closely are Tom Skilling on WGN-TV Chicago and Brant Miller on NBC5 Chicago. And I know a number of people among my friends, classmates, and colleagues during my years at ValpU who are broadcast meteorologists.
While I was studying meteorology, people would often ask about my being on TV. While I first became interested in weather after watching Brant Miller, my interests involved, even beyond a growing awareness of the less glamorous details underneath the surface regarding the hard work of TV meteorologists. While at ValpU, I became aware of all the ways meteorology can applied in various aspects of society. Attending the AMS Annual Meeting increased my awareness of those applications, like with the group Atmospheric Science Librarian International.
There are so many working behind the scenes toward a better understanding of the weather, so that we all have the best information available when headed out the door. Even if they're not in visible roles like those on TV, they are still providing an important service, looking to the skies to better understand what's happening up there in all its complexity, and helping the rest of society make sense of it in a down to earth way.
Indeed, it would be difficult for the average person to make sense of all the complex movements in the atmosphere, with much technical language used to describe it, and complex mathematical equations behind the language. (If you want to have a sense of how technical meteorology can get, read an area forecast discussion written by an employee of a local NWS office. Go to weather.gov, type in a location in the search box, and then scroll down past the forecast to where it says "Forecaster Discussion". Depending on what office it is, you may very well be reading something written by a ValpU alumnus, maybe even someone I know, as they are at numerous offices throughout the country.)
With so much happening in the skies above us, it's great to have people who dedicate their life's work to doing something about. They go beyond the adage, "Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Meteorologists help people make sense of the weather. But you can't necessarily blame them for it: At a presentation by NWS employees when I was at ValpU, I heard the Meteorologist-in-Charge of the Northern Indiana Weather Forecast Office say that meteorologists are in sales, and management is way above.
Aware of all that goes into the science of meteorology, I have much reason to celebrate the AMS Centennial, for the role this organization has played in bringing together the members of the meteorology community to advance the science in our society.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
21 for Illinois the 21st State at 201
After an exciting Bicentennial Celebration last year in 2018, it's time to celebrate Illinois's birthday once again, and the 21st State is now 201 on December 3, 2019.
It is an occasion to think back upon the scope of Illinois in its history, and what Illinois means for me.
Illinois was first inhabited by many indigenous groups, including the Illiniwek people, and one of their large cities was Saukenuk (#179), located where the Rock River meets the Mississippi River, located at present-day Rock Island in the Quad Cities.
We have to give a lot of credit to Nathaniel Pope (#180) and David Pope Cook (#181), both of whom were instrumental in getting Illinois admitted as the 21st State of the Union, and even having Illinois's northern border positioned far north enough to give Illinois a shoreline on Lake Michigan and the mines near Galena.
Abraham Lincoln certainly is a larger-than-life figure in Illinois history, and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area (#182) covers a large area in central Illinois that includes many sites pertinent to his life.
The Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor (#183) was the first such corridor designated by the US government. It stretches from Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood nearly 100 miles away to LaSalle, preserving sites of the old I&M Canal. A canal towpath still remains along parts of the corridor to provide wonderful recreational opportunities.
That canal corridor brought all the world to Illinois, as Chicago turned into a "great commercial tree" like the Illinois state song says.
But it was more than just commercial activity that brought the world's attention to Illinois.
The crowds came out in Chicago for the visit of Pope (St.) John Paul II (#184). He came to Chicago for a couple of days during his visit to the United States that lasted nearly a week, which was 40 years this past October.
During his time in Chicago, he attended a CSO concert at Holy Name Cathedral (#185), celebrated Mass at Five Holy Martyrs Parish (#186) on Chicago's Southwest Side, and celebrated Mass with nearly a million people in Grant Park (#187).
Probably one of the most notable events in the history of Illinois was when the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series Championship (#188), breaking a nearly 108-year World Series drought, an event that resonates with me because I was born on the North Side of Chicago at Swedish Covenant Hospital along Foster Avenue (#189). Three miles west was the first home I ever lived in on Lockwood Avenue (#190), one of the L streets between Cicero and Central, part of a plan to make mail delivery easier by naming streets in mile-long stretches according to the same letter. A few blocks west of that home is St. Cornelius Parish (#191), where I was baptized by Father Ed Pacocha (#192), who served as pastor there for many years before his retirement.
After living on the North Side of Chicago, I moved to Oak Park, a community that has made me who I am in so many ways. And I follow as the second generation of my family that has been shaped by Oak Park, as my Mom and her siblings grew up in this community. She tells many interesting stories about her block on Highland Avenue. One notable Oak Park person who grew up a few doors away from her was Jayne Carr Thompson (#193), former First Lady of Illinois as wife of longtime governor James Thompson. She grew up on Highland Avenue a few doors away from where my Mom and her siblings grew up. My family tells the story about how Jayne came to see my Grandpa Martin one day and asked for advice about life. Later, Mrs. Thompson mentioned my Mom's family at the Illinois Governor's Mansion.
The people of Oak Park have much to offer, and one person who's stood out to me is author Harriette Gillem Robinet (#194), who wrote several historical fiction children's books featuring African-American protagonists, which I enjoyed reading in my so-called tween years.
I fostered a lifelong love of reading and learning by spending time at the Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library (#195), which I believe is where I first encountered one of Mrs. Robinet's books. This branch was named for Adele Maze (#196), the longtime librarian at the south side branch she advocated for. And I was privileged to work at the main Oak Park Public Library (#197) for nearly 2 1/2 years, which was a fine time at a wonderful institution.
Also on my side of town is Oak Park Conservatory (#198), constructed back in the 1920's. It's a gem of a place, providing a space to relax in the quietude of the flora, and some fauna, too, as there are a few birds there, including George the Double-Yellow Headed Parrot (#199), with whom I enjoy talking.
And then there's the place where I grew up, which has provided me such a strong sense of home in Oak Park, giving me that sense of roots in Oak Park and Illinois. One aspect of the neighborhood I enjoy is the block parties that my neighbors and I have (#200). Oak Park started block parties back in the 1970's as a way to enhance community relations, and I enjoy the opportunity they provide to build relationships with my neighbors.
As Illinois marks another birthday, I feel strongly that there is so much to celebrate because of the goodness that we find in this land and in the people of Illinois. It's been great taking trips around Illinois over the past 2 years to see places that have made Illinois what it is, and learn more about the people who made it what it is. Learning more inspires me to take my part in continuing to shape Illinois, as it has shaped me. All the learning I did in celebrating in the Bicentennial Year of 2018 has made me so glad to be part of the great story of Illinois.
That's why I was proud to display that I am part of the story of Illinois at World Youth Day 2019, waving around my Illinois flag, still fresh in Illinois Bicentennial fever, along with my US flag.
It's also why I've kept celebrating by traveling to other places in Illinois in 2019 to learn and experience more.
And that's why I'll keep embracing further opportunities to learn more about, engage with, and live the story of Illinois day by day and to furthermore contribute to the vision of Illinois for the years ahead, for I am proud to be an Illinoisan, born and bred.
God Bless Illinois, my home sweet home. And God Bless the United States of America.
Huzzah for Illinois!
Here is a list of all the blog posts with my second 200 List of Illinois Notables:
"In Celebration of 200 Years of Illinois and Beyond"
"The Heart of Illinois"
"Illinois Bicentennial Follow-up, in Vandalia"
"New Outlooks Around Me on the Pleasant Peninsula"
"So Much to See Drawn from the Land"
"Along the Mississippi"
"From Illinois to Beyond"
And this post has a round-up of my first 200 List of Illinois Notables:
"Partying 1818-Style: An Illinois Bicentennial Salute"
This post also has an item in the first list that was omitted from the aforementioned post: "Gifts 2017: Reflecting in the Spirit of the Magi"
It is an occasion to think back upon the scope of Illinois in its history, and what Illinois means for me.
Illinois was first inhabited by many indigenous groups, including the Illiniwek people, and one of their large cities was Saukenuk (#179), located where the Rock River meets the Mississippi River, located at present-day Rock Island in the Quad Cities.
We have to give a lot of credit to Nathaniel Pope (#180) and David Pope Cook (#181), both of whom were instrumental in getting Illinois admitted as the 21st State of the Union, and even having Illinois's northern border positioned far north enough to give Illinois a shoreline on Lake Michigan and the mines near Galena.
Abraham Lincoln certainly is a larger-than-life figure in Illinois history, and the Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area (#182) covers a large area in central Illinois that includes many sites pertinent to his life.
The Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor (#183) was the first such corridor designated by the US government. It stretches from Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood nearly 100 miles away to LaSalle, preserving sites of the old I&M Canal. A canal towpath still remains along parts of the corridor to provide wonderful recreational opportunities.
That canal corridor brought all the world to Illinois, as Chicago turned into a "great commercial tree" like the Illinois state song says.
But it was more than just commercial activity that brought the world's attention to Illinois.
The crowds came out in Chicago for the visit of Pope (St.) John Paul II (#184). He came to Chicago for a couple of days during his visit to the United States that lasted nearly a week, which was 40 years this past October.
During his time in Chicago, he attended a CSO concert at Holy Name Cathedral (#185), celebrated Mass at Five Holy Martyrs Parish (#186) on Chicago's Southwest Side, and celebrated Mass with nearly a million people in Grant Park (#187).
Probably one of the most notable events in the history of Illinois was when the Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series Championship (#188), breaking a nearly 108-year World Series drought, an event that resonates with me because I was born on the North Side of Chicago at Swedish Covenant Hospital along Foster Avenue (#189). Three miles west was the first home I ever lived in on Lockwood Avenue (#190), one of the L streets between Cicero and Central, part of a plan to make mail delivery easier by naming streets in mile-long stretches according to the same letter. A few blocks west of that home is St. Cornelius Parish (#191), where I was baptized by Father Ed Pacocha (#192), who served as pastor there for many years before his retirement.
After living on the North Side of Chicago, I moved to Oak Park, a community that has made me who I am in so many ways. And I follow as the second generation of my family that has been shaped by Oak Park, as my Mom and her siblings grew up in this community. She tells many interesting stories about her block on Highland Avenue. One notable Oak Park person who grew up a few doors away from her was Jayne Carr Thompson (#193), former First Lady of Illinois as wife of longtime governor James Thompson. She grew up on Highland Avenue a few doors away from where my Mom and her siblings grew up. My family tells the story about how Jayne came to see my Grandpa Martin one day and asked for advice about life. Later, Mrs. Thompson mentioned my Mom's family at the Illinois Governor's Mansion.
The people of Oak Park have much to offer, and one person who's stood out to me is author Harriette Gillem Robinet (#194), who wrote several historical fiction children's books featuring African-American protagonists, which I enjoyed reading in my so-called tween years.
I fostered a lifelong love of reading and learning by spending time at the Maze Branch of the Oak Park Public Library (#195), which I believe is where I first encountered one of Mrs. Robinet's books. This branch was named for Adele Maze (#196), the longtime librarian at the south side branch she advocated for. And I was privileged to work at the main Oak Park Public Library (#197) for nearly 2 1/2 years, which was a fine time at a wonderful institution.
Also on my side of town is Oak Park Conservatory (#198), constructed back in the 1920's. It's a gem of a place, providing a space to relax in the quietude of the flora, and some fauna, too, as there are a few birds there, including George the Double-Yellow Headed Parrot (#199), with whom I enjoy talking.
And then there's the place where I grew up, which has provided me such a strong sense of home in Oak Park, giving me that sense of roots in Oak Park and Illinois. One aspect of the neighborhood I enjoy is the block parties that my neighbors and I have (#200). Oak Park started block parties back in the 1970's as a way to enhance community relations, and I enjoy the opportunity they provide to build relationships with my neighbors.
As Illinois marks another birthday, I feel strongly that there is so much to celebrate because of the goodness that we find in this land and in the people of Illinois. It's been great taking trips around Illinois over the past 2 years to see places that have made Illinois what it is, and learn more about the people who made it what it is. Learning more inspires me to take my part in continuing to shape Illinois, as it has shaped me. All the learning I did in celebrating in the Bicentennial Year of 2018 has made me so glad to be part of the great story of Illinois.
That's why I was proud to display that I am part of the story of Illinois at World Youth Day 2019, waving around my Illinois flag, still fresh in Illinois Bicentennial fever, along with my US flag.
It's also why I've kept celebrating by traveling to other places in Illinois in 2019 to learn and experience more.
And that's why I'll keep embracing further opportunities to learn more about, engage with, and live the story of Illinois day by day and to furthermore contribute to the vision of Illinois for the years ahead, for I am proud to be an Illinoisan, born and bred.
God Bless Illinois, my home sweet home. And God Bless the United States of America.
 |
| Mom took this photo of me posing in the Wolf Road Prairie near 31st and Wolf, by the Chicago suburb of Westchester. |
Huzzah for Illinois!
Here is a list of all the blog posts with my second 200 List of Illinois Notables:
"In Celebration of 200 Years of Illinois and Beyond"
"The Heart of Illinois"
"Illinois Bicentennial Follow-up, in Vandalia"
"New Outlooks Around Me on the Pleasant Peninsula"
"So Much to See Drawn from the Land"
"Along the Mississippi"
"From Illinois to Beyond"
And this post has a round-up of my first 200 List of Illinois Notables:
"Partying 1818-Style: An Illinois Bicentennial Salute"
This post also has an item in the first list that was omitted from the aforementioned post: "Gifts 2017: Reflecting in the Spirit of the Magi"
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Illinois: Chicago Suburban-Style
It was 27 years ago on Saturday, November 28, 1992, that my family moved to the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, IL, the occasion that truly marks me as an Oak Park resident.
As I celebrate this anniversary, I think about how all the Chicago suburbs in their own special way contribute to the amazing patchwork quilt that makes up Illinois.
One of Oak Park's famed residents was Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of the original Tarzan books, who is #144 on my second Illinois 200 list. A plaque sits outside the home on Augusta Blvd. where he lived.
Richard Sears (#145) moved to Oak Park after he moved his company, Sears*, to Chicago.
To the west of Oak Park is River Forest, and one of its notable residents was Nebraskan Edwin Perkins (#146), who invented Kool-Aid. He lived in River Forest after moving the production of Kool-Aid to Chicago.
Further south along the Des Plaines River corridor is the Village of Riverside (#147), one of the loveliest spots in Chicagoland. The village was laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted as a resort community. The long, winding streets mimic the curves of the Des Plaines River.
Running throughout the suburbs is Salt Creek (#148), from Palatine to near where it empties into the Des Plaines River at Riverside, providing lots of recreational opportunities, including a bike path that I enjoy riding.
Suburban Chicago other wonderful natural offerings, like the fabulous Chicago Botanic Gardens (#149) in Glencoe, at the very northern edge of Cook County.
Over in the western suburbs is the Morton Arboretum (#150) in Lisle.
In nearby Lombard is Lilacia Park (#151).
In Wheaton is Cantigny (#152), a park that was once the estate of Joseph Medill (#153) and his grandson Robert McCormick (#154), both publishers of the Chicago Tribune.
Nearby Lisle is Wheaton College (#155). One of its famed alumni is evangelist Billy Graham (#156). On campus is the Billy Graham Center (#157), which has a museum dedicated to him. One of its early presidents was Jonathan Blanchard (#158), a staunch abolitionist, and it is apt that the building on campus named for him, Blanchard Hall (#159), aptly served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Among other important religious institutions is Trinity Christian College (#160) in Palos Heights, where a group gathered for the creation of the New International Version of the Bible.
Lemont has St. James at Sag Bridge Roman Catholic Parish (#161), the oldest continually active Roman Catholic church in Illinois.
White Fence Farm (#162) in Romeoville offers a pretty good fried chicken meal, as does Dell Rhea's (#163) in Willowbrook. Both are along the iconic Historic US Route 66 corridor, astride the portions covered by I-55 and Joliet Road*.
Park Forest (#164) is a community that was laid out after World War II.
Naper Settlement (#165) is a historic area in Naperville that gives visitors a glimpse into life in bygone years, as does the Graue Mill and Museum (#166) in Oak Brook.
The Historic Downtown District of Long Grove (#167) has a collection of shops that retain a sense of old-fashioned charm.
In the northern suburbs is Ravinia (#168), home of a large summer music festival.
Science fiction author Ray Bradbury (#169) was born in Waukegan.
In the southwest suburbs is Argonne National Laboratory (#170), a research facility that was established in the 1970's near Darien.
Evanston has the prestigious Northwestern University (#171). Nearby in Wilmette is the Bahai House of Worship (#172), an amazing work of architecture.
Another stunning house of worship is Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church (#173) in Homer Glen. The pastor, Father Thomas Loya, was once a commercial artist, and he did the iconography inside the church sanctuary. On the grounds of the Church is a prairie landscape.
Also up in the northern suburbs is the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary (#175). The seminary and the town are named for George Cardinal Mundelein (#176), the 3rd Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago (#177). One of the biggest events there was the Closing Mass for the 28th Eucharistic Congress in 1926 (#178).
In Des Plaines is the Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (#174), the largest outside Mexico. It draws thousands of pilgrims every year on December 12 for la Virgen's feast.
Noting all that is in the Chicago suburbs reinforces the amazing patchwork quilt that Chicagoland is, with plenty to offer those who live, work, and visit.
*There was an error with my second List of 200 Illinois Notables in the blog post "So Much to See Drawn from the Land" which repeated Abraham Lincoln's Home from the first List, so the Sears Company fills in to make up for the repeat. The blog post "Along the Mississippi" skipped #46, so Joliet Road fills in for that spot.
As I celebrate this anniversary, I think about how all the Chicago suburbs in their own special way contribute to the amazing patchwork quilt that makes up Illinois.
One of Oak Park's famed residents was Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of the original Tarzan books, who is #144 on my second Illinois 200 list. A plaque sits outside the home on Augusta Blvd. where he lived.
Richard Sears (#145) moved to Oak Park after he moved his company, Sears*, to Chicago.
To the west of Oak Park is River Forest, and one of its notable residents was Nebraskan Edwin Perkins (#146), who invented Kool-Aid. He lived in River Forest after moving the production of Kool-Aid to Chicago.
Further south along the Des Plaines River corridor is the Village of Riverside (#147), one of the loveliest spots in Chicagoland. The village was laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted as a resort community. The long, winding streets mimic the curves of the Des Plaines River.
Running throughout the suburbs is Salt Creek (#148), from Palatine to near where it empties into the Des Plaines River at Riverside, providing lots of recreational opportunities, including a bike path that I enjoy riding.
Suburban Chicago other wonderful natural offerings, like the fabulous Chicago Botanic Gardens (#149) in Glencoe, at the very northern edge of Cook County.
Over in the western suburbs is the Morton Arboretum (#150) in Lisle.
In nearby Lombard is Lilacia Park (#151).
In Wheaton is Cantigny (#152), a park that was once the estate of Joseph Medill (#153) and his grandson Robert McCormick (#154), both publishers of the Chicago Tribune.
Nearby Lisle is Wheaton College (#155). One of its famed alumni is evangelist Billy Graham (#156). On campus is the Billy Graham Center (#157), which has a museum dedicated to him. One of its early presidents was Jonathan Blanchard (#158), a staunch abolitionist, and it is apt that the building on campus named for him, Blanchard Hall (#159), aptly served as a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Among other important religious institutions is Trinity Christian College (#160) in Palos Heights, where a group gathered for the creation of the New International Version of the Bible.
Lemont has St. James at Sag Bridge Roman Catholic Parish (#161), the oldest continually active Roman Catholic church in Illinois.
White Fence Farm (#162) in Romeoville offers a pretty good fried chicken meal, as does Dell Rhea's (#163) in Willowbrook. Both are along the iconic Historic US Route 66 corridor, astride the portions covered by I-55 and Joliet Road*.
Park Forest (#164) is a community that was laid out after World War II.
Naper Settlement (#165) is a historic area in Naperville that gives visitors a glimpse into life in bygone years, as does the Graue Mill and Museum (#166) in Oak Brook.
The Historic Downtown District of Long Grove (#167) has a collection of shops that retain a sense of old-fashioned charm.
In the northern suburbs is Ravinia (#168), home of a large summer music festival.
Science fiction author Ray Bradbury (#169) was born in Waukegan.
In the southwest suburbs is Argonne National Laboratory (#170), a research facility that was established in the 1970's near Darien.
Evanston has the prestigious Northwestern University (#171). Nearby in Wilmette is the Bahai House of Worship (#172), an amazing work of architecture.
Another stunning house of worship is Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church (#173) in Homer Glen. The pastor, Father Thomas Loya, was once a commercial artist, and he did the iconography inside the church sanctuary. On the grounds of the Church is a prairie landscape.
Also up in the northern suburbs is the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary (#175). The seminary and the town are named for George Cardinal Mundelein (#176), the 3rd Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago (#177). One of the biggest events there was the Closing Mass for the 28th Eucharistic Congress in 1926 (#178).
In Des Plaines is the Shrine of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (#174), the largest outside Mexico. It draws thousands of pilgrims every year on December 12 for la Virgen's feast.
Noting all that is in the Chicago suburbs reinforces the amazing patchwork quilt that Chicagoland is, with plenty to offer those who live, work, and visit.
*There was an error with my second List of 200 Illinois Notables in the blog post "So Much to See Drawn from the Land" which repeated Abraham Lincoln's Home from the first List, so the Sears Company fills in to make up for the repeat. The blog post "Along the Mississippi" skipped #46, so Joliet Road fills in for that spot.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Thanksgiving Thoughts 2019
Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite holidays, because this national celebration in the United States evokes so many themes that align with my sense of faith.
Indeed, this past Sunday, I attended the OPRF Community of Congregations Interfaith Thanksgiving Prayer Service, held at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago. The choir got us started off with an exuberant song, "Enter His Gates", which nearly raised the roof, to mention our mood, based on Psalm 100, which calls us to enter the presence of God with thanksgiving and praise.
Indeed, I enter before God's presence this day with great thanksgiving. Certainly, I feel that once I get started with pondering all I'm grateful for, it's easy to compile a long list, as I'm sure others notice.
Yet on this particular Thanksgiving Day in 2019, I'm especially thankful for two main reasons:
It was 27 years ago this day that my family moved from the North Side of Chicago to Oak Park. Indeed, it was a memorable day that I became a resident of Oak Park, the place I have cherished as home.
And in the midst of all my celebrations of Illinois's Bicentennial, Oak Park has taken on added significance as the place where I've put down roots, so that I can call Illinois my home.
As I've mentioned before, it was great growing up in Oak Park and to have lived here for so long. I enjoy easy access to the amenities of Chicago, while being in a community with its own distinct identity. There's easy access to getting around Oak Park, and this village has much to offer.
Many experiences I've had in my home in Oak Park have shaped me in many profound ways, especially my middle school years at Julian. I also say this about my home parish, Ascension, on Oak Park's South side, which continues to have a profound impact on me to this day.
And the other noteworthy reason that gives me much reason to celebrate today is that 6 years ago on Thanksgiving Day, on November 28, 2013, I served as a Eucharistic minister at Mass for the first time. Having graduated from college a few months prior, I was riding a wave with a vibrant spiritual faith life, and I channeled my zeal by taking on additional opportunities of ministry at Church. and what a great setting to render this ministry service, that day 6 years ago, on a day of Thanksgiving, gathered together at Church to celebrate the Eucharist, which is from a Greek word for "Thanksgiving". It was all the more fitting to serve as Eucharistic minister once again today. (I also note that today is the birthday of my baptismal godmother, my Aunt Terri--yet another reason to celebrate.)
And the Eucharist experience we share as a church community speaks to the way of life God calls us to when we depart from the gathering at Mass, a life of thanks offering. Mass motivates us, as we plead God for His mercy, and then receive instruction from His Word and nourishment from His Body and Blood to live in a way that rightly responds to His goodness.
When we give thanks to God, we behold Who He is, especially as the Source of what we have in life. And our thanksgiving gives way to our response to God, as we live a life devoted to Him, constantly offering Him thanks for all we have by the way we live, sharing with others the goodness He bestows on us day by day.
The goodness I find in the life of faith is something I'm eager to share with my Religious Education students. I've had a great time teaching RE once again this year. I can't help but notice the ways I've connected with the students I have on Tuesday evenings, especially at the end of class when at least one student offers thanks to my co-catechist Nelson and me. While I may not know for certain the specific reasons we get thanks, I sense that the expression of thank you is born from the meaningful experience the students are having each time they are in RE class.
Indeed, it's amazing to behold how we encounter the goodness of God's presence throughout our lives. We encounter it especially in being together and sharing love with one another. It's like what Marcy tells Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, about how this holiday is more than just eating, and is about thankfulness for being together. And what a gift it is to respond by offering our thanks and living in a way that shows it day by day.
We are truly connected in thanksgiving.
All my relations.
Thanks be to God.
Indeed, this past Sunday, I attended the OPRF Community of Congregations Interfaith Thanksgiving Prayer Service, held at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago. The choir got us started off with an exuberant song, "Enter His Gates", which nearly raised the roof, to mention our mood, based on Psalm 100, which calls us to enter the presence of God with thanksgiving and praise.
Indeed, I enter before God's presence this day with great thanksgiving. Certainly, I feel that once I get started with pondering all I'm grateful for, it's easy to compile a long list, as I'm sure others notice.
Yet on this particular Thanksgiving Day in 2019, I'm especially thankful for two main reasons:
It was 27 years ago this day that my family moved from the North Side of Chicago to Oak Park. Indeed, it was a memorable day that I became a resident of Oak Park, the place I have cherished as home.
And in the midst of all my celebrations of Illinois's Bicentennial, Oak Park has taken on added significance as the place where I've put down roots, so that I can call Illinois my home.
As I've mentioned before, it was great growing up in Oak Park and to have lived here for so long. I enjoy easy access to the amenities of Chicago, while being in a community with its own distinct identity. There's easy access to getting around Oak Park, and this village has much to offer.
Many experiences I've had in my home in Oak Park have shaped me in many profound ways, especially my middle school years at Julian. I also say this about my home parish, Ascension, on Oak Park's South side, which continues to have a profound impact on me to this day.
And the other noteworthy reason that gives me much reason to celebrate today is that 6 years ago on Thanksgiving Day, on November 28, 2013, I served as a Eucharistic minister at Mass for the first time. Having graduated from college a few months prior, I was riding a wave with a vibrant spiritual faith life, and I channeled my zeal by taking on additional opportunities of ministry at Church. and what a great setting to render this ministry service, that day 6 years ago, on a day of Thanksgiving, gathered together at Church to celebrate the Eucharist, which is from a Greek word for "Thanksgiving". It was all the more fitting to serve as Eucharistic minister once again today. (I also note that today is the birthday of my baptismal godmother, my Aunt Terri--yet another reason to celebrate.)
And the Eucharist experience we share as a church community speaks to the way of life God calls us to when we depart from the gathering at Mass, a life of thanks offering. Mass motivates us, as we plead God for His mercy, and then receive instruction from His Word and nourishment from His Body and Blood to live in a way that rightly responds to His goodness.
When we give thanks to God, we behold Who He is, especially as the Source of what we have in life. And our thanksgiving gives way to our response to God, as we live a life devoted to Him, constantly offering Him thanks for all we have by the way we live, sharing with others the goodness He bestows on us day by day.
The goodness I find in the life of faith is something I'm eager to share with my Religious Education students. I've had a great time teaching RE once again this year. I can't help but notice the ways I've connected with the students I have on Tuesday evenings, especially at the end of class when at least one student offers thanks to my co-catechist Nelson and me. While I may not know for certain the specific reasons we get thanks, I sense that the expression of thank you is born from the meaningful experience the students are having each time they are in RE class.
Indeed, it's amazing to behold how we encounter the goodness of God's presence throughout our lives. We encounter it especially in being together and sharing love with one another. It's like what Marcy tells Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, about how this holiday is more than just eating, and is about thankfulness for being together. And what a gift it is to respond by offering our thanks and living in a way that shows it day by day.
We are truly connected in thanksgiving.
All my relations.
Thanks be to God.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
The Design of Chicago
A little more than a year ago, on Labor Day weekend 2018, the Chicago Architecture Foundation opened a new location beside the Main Branch of the Chicago River, which came with a new name for the organization: the Chicago Architecture Center.
During the opening weekend, I went to visit the new location. I entered a contest as part of opening weekend, and won prizes, including a free one-year membership and tickets for an architectural river cruise.
If there's one thing that's worth splurging on in Chicago, it would be a CAC architectural river cruise, which is #90 on my Illinois 200 list.
I had gone on an architectural river cruise before for a field trip shortly before I graduated from OPRF High School, while in Ms. North's History of Chicago class. From the dock at Michigan Avenue, we went west on the Main Branch of the Chicago River to Wolf Point (#91), the "Y" where the North and South Branches meet the Main Branch, and then went on the South Branch to a spot near Adams before turning around and heading back to the Main Branch. Then, we went through the Chicago Lock (#92), and out about 3/4 mile into Lake Michigan.
For my prize of two free tickets for a river cruise, my brother Eric accepted my offer to join me for a nighttime cruise (#93). We went down the South Branch to around Harrison Street, and up the North Branch to near Chicago Avenue, right by the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center, where the Chicago Tribune and other papers are printed. We also went east on the Main Branch to the harbor near Navy Pier. It was fabulous seeing the buildings lit up at night, including the Merchandise Mart (#94) with its new art display (#95) projected in lights on the river-facing side of the building. We also learned about the various efforts to create new developments along the river.
Throughout the past year, I also used my winnings to partake of the CAC's offerings, which include many architectural walking tours.
Soon after getting making my membership prize official, Mom and I went on a tour of the Chicago Board of Trade Building (#96), which included a visit to the vault.
About a week later, I went on a tour of Palmer House Hotel (#97), one of Chicago's most famous and fancy hotels.
Next up was a tour of the Chicago Pedway (#98), particularly the western portions. I've used the pedway many times as a convenient way to escape less favorable weather and the streets above the city as I get around the Loop. We started our tour in the James R. Thompson State of Illinois Center building (#99). Then we went into Chicago City Hall (#100), and went by Cook County Offices, right by the Daley Center (#101).
Next we passed through Block 37 (#102), a commercial establishment, which I remember many years ago was an empty lot with an ice skating rink. It is on the west side of State Street, across from the old Marshall Field's Store (#103).
Next up heading east is an interesting sight, with a swimming pool right off the pedway, connected with a health fitness club.
Then we reached the Chicago Cultural Center (#104), which was built as Chicago's first library. Next door is the Millennium Station (#105), with a sophisticated modernistic design to befit the name of Millennium Park (#106) above it.
We wound our way by the Prudential Building (#107) and ended up at the Aqua Hotel, with a spectacular lobby. I also went with a group that did a post-tour extension walk to the Illinois Center (#108) and the CAC.
It was a rather cold day I went on that tour, so it was great to go on it, since it spends so much time indoors, underground.
A couple days later, I went to see the sights open for Open House Chicago weekend (#109), which I think is one of the best events in Chicagoland, and is totally worth participating in, even for just an hour or two to see a couple of sites.
During my few hours out with Mom, we started at the old Chicago Post Office. Then we visited a number of buildings with great views from high up, some of them with rooftop terraces.
Later, in November, I went on a tour of Chicago Union Station. We had the chance to see some of the lounges located near the Great Hall, and look at the artistic designs throughout the Great Hall.
A few months later, with summer well underway, I went on the Historic Skyscrapers tour. We wound our way around the Loop to look at some of the examples of the earliest skyscrapers that were built in the latter portion of the 19th Century. They include the Auditorium Theater (#110), the Rookery (#111), and the Marquette Building (#112). While no longer present in the Loop, the Home Insurance Building's (#113) influence is still felt, as it was the first skyscraper built in Chicago, the head of the line in pioneers that sought to build onward and upward toward the sky. Buildings could reach greater heights by using a metal skeleton frame. The Home Insurance Building is one example of the work of William Le Baron Jenney (#114). One the site now sits the Field Building (#115), with a swanky Art Deco hallway.
Next up, I went on the North Side Elevated Art with Mom. It was fascinating to stop at various stations along the Brown Line corridor from the Loop up to Belmont to see the artwork in the stations (#116).
Later, on a very hot day in July, Mom and I went to the Chicago Riverwalk to hear talks from CAC docents about how the history of the Chicago River, including the engineering work done on the waterway, and the buildings that went up along it.
I went to tour the Merchandise Mart, which is along the Chicago River, later in July.
Then, in August, I went on the Millenium Park tour. Ever since the summer before I was in 8th grade, when it opened, I've been rather fascinated by the park. It has great amenities and very notable architecture, like the Pritzker Pavilion (#117), the BP Bridge (#118) going across Columbus Drive, the Lurie Garden (#119), the Crown Fountain (#120), Harris Theater (#121), and Cloud Gate (#122), also known as the Bean. Notably, there's a waterway in the Lurie Garden with walls that mimick the limestone wall design of the Illinois and Michigan Canal (#123).
Later in August, I went on the Loop Elevated Architecture tour. We stopped at various stations to look at the architectural elements of note, starting with one of the newest CTA stations, Washington/Wabash (#124). We got off by the Harold Washington Library (#125) to view the building and station there. Subsequently, we got off at Quincy to view the classy olden architecture of that station (#126). And our final stop was at Clinton, just outside the Loop, to view the sights around there.
I also took advantage of the Frank Lloyd Wright (#127) tour, in my own neck of the woods during Labor Day weekend 2019. Starting at his home and studio along Chicago Avenue (#128), we walked around the nearby neighborhood, mostly along Forest Avenue, to view houses he had designed, which represent the Prairie style of architecture that he developed (#129). A truly lovely spot in that area is the block along the short stretch of Elizabeth Court (#130). Also of note is a ticket booth from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in the yard of the Hills-DeCaro House next door to the Nathan G. Moore House, with Tudor architecture.
I had the chance to visit another lovely neighborhood, for the first time, when I joined the Beverly South architecture tour, in the South Side neighborhood of Beverly (#130). One landmark of note is the Glivins Castle (#131). There are also many fine homes, representing a great variety of architectural styles. There's even a Wright-designed American System-Built House (#132).
Later in September, my parents and I went on the Oakwoods Cemetery (#133) tour. Among the notable people buried there include athlete Jesse Owens (#134), Ebony magazine founder John J. Johnson (#135); Bishop Henry Louis Ford (#136), a Chicago religious leader whose name is on the Bishop Ford Expressway on I-94 south of 95th Street; activist Ida B. Well-Barnett (#137), and Harold Washington (#138), Chicago's first African-American mayor.
At the start of October, I went on the Chinatown (#139) tour. We walked up and down Wentworth Avenue to view the architecture of the buildings, many of which house businesses. We also stopped by St. Therese Church (#140), once built as a parish for Italian immigrants, and it still retains Italian architectural elements, even as it's outfitting with Chinese architectural touches and now serves Chinese-Americans. We also went inside the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library (#141), with a very distinct architectural design of a round building and glass all over. We ended our tour at Chinatown Plaza (#142), a newer commercial development along Archer Avenue.
Later in October, I enjoyed OHC again, with plenty more great rooftop views, particularly at the Prudential building overlooking Millenium Park, as well as 1 N. Dearborn, a commercial building at Dearborn and Madison, which contributed significantly to the thriving business activities in the Loop business district.
I have to give a lot of credit to the CAC for its many wonderful offerings that allow people to take in the sites of Chicago, and appreciate the architectural elements. It's a great way for people visiting Chicago to see what's here.
But I've enjoyed it as someone who lives in this area, because it's an opportunity for me to appreciate what's in my own neck of the woods by spending time visiting what's here.
And I have to hand it to the amazing group of CAC docents (#143), who, through a very involved training process, know so much about Chicago's architecture, and can help anyone who lives near or far away, embrace the architecture that's here and why it's significant.
During the opening weekend, I went to visit the new location. I entered a contest as part of opening weekend, and won prizes, including a free one-year membership and tickets for an architectural river cruise.
If there's one thing that's worth splurging on in Chicago, it would be a CAC architectural river cruise, which is #90 on my Illinois 200 list.
I had gone on an architectural river cruise before for a field trip shortly before I graduated from OPRF High School, while in Ms. North's History of Chicago class. From the dock at Michigan Avenue, we went west on the Main Branch of the Chicago River to Wolf Point (#91), the "Y" where the North and South Branches meet the Main Branch, and then went on the South Branch to a spot near Adams before turning around and heading back to the Main Branch. Then, we went through the Chicago Lock (#92), and out about 3/4 mile into Lake Michigan.
For my prize of two free tickets for a river cruise, my brother Eric accepted my offer to join me for a nighttime cruise (#93). We went down the South Branch to around Harrison Street, and up the North Branch to near Chicago Avenue, right by the Chicago Tribune Freedom Center, where the Chicago Tribune and other papers are printed. We also went east on the Main Branch to the harbor near Navy Pier. It was fabulous seeing the buildings lit up at night, including the Merchandise Mart (#94) with its new art display (#95) projected in lights on the river-facing side of the building. We also learned about the various efforts to create new developments along the river.
Throughout the past year, I also used my winnings to partake of the CAC's offerings, which include many architectural walking tours.
Soon after getting making my membership prize official, Mom and I went on a tour of the Chicago Board of Trade Building (#96), which included a visit to the vault.
About a week later, I went on a tour of Palmer House Hotel (#97), one of Chicago's most famous and fancy hotels.
Next up was a tour of the Chicago Pedway (#98), particularly the western portions. I've used the pedway many times as a convenient way to escape less favorable weather and the streets above the city as I get around the Loop. We started our tour in the James R. Thompson State of Illinois Center building (#99). Then we went into Chicago City Hall (#100), and went by Cook County Offices, right by the Daley Center (#101).
Next we passed through Block 37 (#102), a commercial establishment, which I remember many years ago was an empty lot with an ice skating rink. It is on the west side of State Street, across from the old Marshall Field's Store (#103).
Next up heading east is an interesting sight, with a swimming pool right off the pedway, connected with a health fitness club.
Then we reached the Chicago Cultural Center (#104), which was built as Chicago's first library. Next door is the Millennium Station (#105), with a sophisticated modernistic design to befit the name of Millennium Park (#106) above it.
We wound our way by the Prudential Building (#107) and ended up at the Aqua Hotel, with a spectacular lobby. I also went with a group that did a post-tour extension walk to the Illinois Center (#108) and the CAC.
It was a rather cold day I went on that tour, so it was great to go on it, since it spends so much time indoors, underground.
A couple days later, I went to see the sights open for Open House Chicago weekend (#109), which I think is one of the best events in Chicagoland, and is totally worth participating in, even for just an hour or two to see a couple of sites.
During my few hours out with Mom, we started at the old Chicago Post Office. Then we visited a number of buildings with great views from high up, some of them with rooftop terraces.
Later, in November, I went on a tour of Chicago Union Station. We had the chance to see some of the lounges located near the Great Hall, and look at the artistic designs throughout the Great Hall.
A few months later, with summer well underway, I went on the Historic Skyscrapers tour. We wound our way around the Loop to look at some of the examples of the earliest skyscrapers that were built in the latter portion of the 19th Century. They include the Auditorium Theater (#110), the Rookery (#111), and the Marquette Building (#112). While no longer present in the Loop, the Home Insurance Building's (#113) influence is still felt, as it was the first skyscraper built in Chicago, the head of the line in pioneers that sought to build onward and upward toward the sky. Buildings could reach greater heights by using a metal skeleton frame. The Home Insurance Building is one example of the work of William Le Baron Jenney (#114). One the site now sits the Field Building (#115), with a swanky Art Deco hallway.
Next up, I went on the North Side Elevated Art with Mom. It was fascinating to stop at various stations along the Brown Line corridor from the Loop up to Belmont to see the artwork in the stations (#116).
Later, on a very hot day in July, Mom and I went to the Chicago Riverwalk to hear talks from CAC docents about how the history of the Chicago River, including the engineering work done on the waterway, and the buildings that went up along it.
I went to tour the Merchandise Mart, which is along the Chicago River, later in July.
Then, in August, I went on the Millenium Park tour. Ever since the summer before I was in 8th grade, when it opened, I've been rather fascinated by the park. It has great amenities and very notable architecture, like the Pritzker Pavilion (#117), the BP Bridge (#118) going across Columbus Drive, the Lurie Garden (#119), the Crown Fountain (#120), Harris Theater (#121), and Cloud Gate (#122), also known as the Bean. Notably, there's a waterway in the Lurie Garden with walls that mimick the limestone wall design of the Illinois and Michigan Canal (#123).
Later in August, I went on the Loop Elevated Architecture tour. We stopped at various stations to look at the architectural elements of note, starting with one of the newest CTA stations, Washington/Wabash (#124). We got off by the Harold Washington Library (#125) to view the building and station there. Subsequently, we got off at Quincy to view the classy olden architecture of that station (#126). And our final stop was at Clinton, just outside the Loop, to view the sights around there.
I also took advantage of the Frank Lloyd Wright (#127) tour, in my own neck of the woods during Labor Day weekend 2019. Starting at his home and studio along Chicago Avenue (#128), we walked around the nearby neighborhood, mostly along Forest Avenue, to view houses he had designed, which represent the Prairie style of architecture that he developed (#129). A truly lovely spot in that area is the block along the short stretch of Elizabeth Court (#130). Also of note is a ticket booth from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in the yard of the Hills-DeCaro House next door to the Nathan G. Moore House, with Tudor architecture.
I had the chance to visit another lovely neighborhood, for the first time, when I joined the Beverly South architecture tour, in the South Side neighborhood of Beverly (#130). One landmark of note is the Glivins Castle (#131). There are also many fine homes, representing a great variety of architectural styles. There's even a Wright-designed American System-Built House (#132).
Later in September, my parents and I went on the Oakwoods Cemetery (#133) tour. Among the notable people buried there include athlete Jesse Owens (#134), Ebony magazine founder John J. Johnson (#135); Bishop Henry Louis Ford (#136), a Chicago religious leader whose name is on the Bishop Ford Expressway on I-94 south of 95th Street; activist Ida B. Well-Barnett (#137), and Harold Washington (#138), Chicago's first African-American mayor.
At the start of October, I went on the Chinatown (#139) tour. We walked up and down Wentworth Avenue to view the architecture of the buildings, many of which house businesses. We also stopped by St. Therese Church (#140), once built as a parish for Italian immigrants, and it still retains Italian architectural elements, even as it's outfitting with Chinese architectural touches and now serves Chinese-Americans. We also went inside the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library (#141), with a very distinct architectural design of a round building and glass all over. We ended our tour at Chinatown Plaza (#142), a newer commercial development along Archer Avenue.
Later in October, I enjoyed OHC again, with plenty more great rooftop views, particularly at the Prudential building overlooking Millenium Park, as well as 1 N. Dearborn, a commercial building at Dearborn and Madison, which contributed significantly to the thriving business activities in the Loop business district.
I have to give a lot of credit to the CAC for its many wonderful offerings that allow people to take in the sites of Chicago, and appreciate the architectural elements. It's a great way for people visiting Chicago to see what's here.
But I've enjoyed it as someone who lives in this area, because it's an opportunity for me to appreciate what's in my own neck of the woods by spending time visiting what's here.
And I have to hand it to the amazing group of CAC docents (#143), who, through a very involved training process, know so much about Chicago's architecture, and can help anyone who lives near or far away, embrace the architecture that's here and why it's significant.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
From Illinois to Beyond
It was shortly after 9 AM on Friday, August 30, 2019. Many people would surely be driving out later that day at the start of the Labor Day Holiday Weekend. I got in Avila and headed west.
I got on the I-290, a familiar stretch of road, and at the edge of Cook County, continued in a westerly direction onto the I-88 Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (#65), a fitting way to travel to the sites of his early life for my day's outing.
But before getting to those sites, I exited I-88 near Rochelle and drove around farmland to Franklin Grove (#66), to visit the National Headquarters of the Lincoln Highway Association (#67), the famed transcontinental road named for the most prominent Illinoisan.
The building is mostly a general store. There was also a woman there who had lots to share with me about the organization and its efforts.
Please note, all photos in this post are of my own photographing, unless otherwise stated.
I drove west out of Franklin Grove on IL Route 38 (#68), which has the name Roosevelt Road (#69) in west suburban Chicagoland, and in this part of Illinois is the alignment of the Lincoln Highway.
I continued west to Dixon, and passed right by the Reagan Boyhood Home without stopping while I made my way back in time, so to speak, as I got on I-88 and traveled a short distance to Rock Falls, where I exited, and then wound my way around until I reached Tampico, where it all began for him.
The Reagan Birthplace (#70) is located in a stretch of historic buildings along Main Street (#71) that had commercial uses on the main level and apartments for rent on the upper level, including the one where Ronald Reagan. The buildings look as they did in 1911, according to preservation guidelines.
I started in the visitors' center/gift shop. Sharon was on duty there, and she showed me around the displays and told me about the Reagan family in the early 20th century. They moved around numerous times, in part because of his father's various jobs. (The family actually lived in Chicago for a few months, but opted not to be a major city setting, so moved back to rural northern Illinois--I was intrigued to learn that for the first time.) They settled in Tampico, thinking it was an up and coming place because the nearby Hennepin Canal (#72) would make the town prosperous, though that didn't necessarily pan out the way some people thought it would.
Then she led me upstairs to the apartment (#73) that the Reagan family rented for about $10 a month, quite a substantial sum back then. The room where Ronald was born has a clock that is stopped at the time he was born on February 6, 1911, around 5:50 AM (#74).
She noted there was a major snowstorm that day--and around the time of the centennial of his birth in 2011, there was another major snowstorm. She then showed me around the various rooms. One room had a piano, and Mrs. Reagan taught piano as a way to help pay for rent.
It was interesting to gain a sense of what life was like in the early 20th Century through the items in the home, like the appliances, tools, and the sign for the ice delivery.
Then she took me back downstairs to show me around. Beneath the Reagan birth apartment was once a bakery, which later became a bank, as it appears today--please see the photo below.
There were lots of cool displays, like newspapers with Reagan headlines, and a mat that said Ronald Reagan stepped here (#75), which was from one of his visits to Tampico.
It was a very interesting tour, and I enjoyed my visit there. After leaving the building, I looked around the town a little.
It was shortly after 1 PM when I got back in Avila and headed back to Dixon. I stopped in Rock Falls to get a fine sandwich lunch at Arthur's Garden Deli.
Between 2:00-2:30 I was back in Dixon, and went straight to the Reagan Boyhood Home (#76) along Hennepin Avenue near 9th Street for a tour.
I was directed to join a tour that had just started. The tour guide enthusiastically shared about Ronald Reagan in the years of his youth, which included plenty of insights into life in the early 20th Century. He furthermore shared about the process of restoring the home, and President Reagan's visits there.
Apparently, to get the wallpaper just right in the area by the main entrance, they had to get assistance from a Norwegian company that had a design authentic to the original.
From the entry area, we went upstairs to the guest bedroom. Mrs. Reagan was kind-hearted enough to let people stay a night or two there as they got back on their feet. I remember the tour guide mentioned something about how she would extend this offer to those recently released from prison.
Then we went into the room Ronald shared with his older brother Neil. There was paraphernalia from colleges there, including Ronald's alma mater, Eureka College, as well as books and items for their amusement.
I learned that Ronald got his nickname "Dutch" from his build as a child, and his haircut. His older brother Neil got his nickname from the famous cartoon character Moon Mullins, who I had never heard of before.
The tour guide pointed out the moon oil in the bathroom as well as the cologne--the French term for which translates into English as "toilet water".
In the parents' bedroom, the tour guide talked about how Mrs. Reagan's favorite Bible verse was 2 Chronicles 7:14. Ronald Reagan took the oath of office as president with his mother's Bible (#77) opened to that verse. That Bible is on display at the Reagan Presidential Museum in Simi Valley, CA. Our tour guide went there after Mike Pence used it for his inauguration as Vice President in 2017. No one at the museum knew where to find that verse, so they opened it to a random page, but our tour guide set the matter straight when he informed them where he worked.
There were also interesting stories when we went to the rooms on the main level. By the fireplace next to the entryway in the room that functioned as the parlor was a tiled area: Ronald and his older brother Neil stored coins to go see movies underneath a loose tile there.
In the early 1980's, Ronald Reagan returned to Dixon, and visited his old home, which had been newly refurbished. Soon after entering, Mr. Reagan went to that fireplace and jostled a tile loose at that spot, and it is now on display at his presidential museum.
During that visit, he enjoyed a meal with some family members there. The White House chef cooked it in the 1920's-era kitchen. President Reagan insisted on using the dishes in the house, even though the Secret Service was concerned that they hadn't checked to ensure the dishes were safe to eat, i.e., not having been poisoned.
It was really interesting to look around in the kitchen at the appliances and kitchen tools used in the 1920's. There was also a sign for the ice delivery. There was a pantry off the kitchen, where they would store the groceries they bought, usually enough to last many months at a time, since it wasn't a good idea to take a horse out to go shopping in the winter months when it could be injured on ice. Our tour guide also pointed out that there were exposed pipes in the kitchen. Indoor plumbing was such a fabulous new innovation back then that people exposed pipes to show it off.
Our tour concluded in the kitchen, and we exited. Toward 9th Street was a lot that used to have a neighboring house, but now is the site of a Reagan statue (#78). An artist donated it, although the people maintaining the home had to pay for the paved brickwork around it. Mr. Reagan is holding corn kernels in his hand, which is a way of noting him as the only president born in Illinois.
There was a garage behind the house, with an old-style car inside. Ronald's father fixed up old cars, like Model T's. And there were corn stalks growing next to the garage.
With the tour finished, I went over to the Northwest Territory Historic Center to look at the museum there, housed in a building where Ronald Reagan attended school. Unable to get inside, I returned to the Reagan Boyhood Home to view a short video in the house next door with the gift shop where I paid admission. On my way out, I bought some Jelly Beans, which was Mr. Reagan's favorite candy.
I made a point to stop by the Dixon Public Library (#79), where Ronald went frequently, which is in the photo below.
It now has a special collection of Ronald Reagan items on display, which is in the photo below.
I then drove about 10 minutes away from Dixon to Grand Detour (#80) to the John Deere Historic Site (#81). I got there a few minutes before closing time, but that was sufficient to walk around and get a feel for what was there, with several buildings, including the house where the Deere family lived. The staff present were kind enough to show me some things there. I first went to the blacksmith shop where I got to see the process of blacksmithing. John Deere was a blacksmith, and that led to his invention of the plow that made his name famous. That was housed inside a recreated blacksmith shop.
The interpreter there did a great job sharing the history of John Deere's work and the science and technique of blacksmithing. He demonstrated making an "S" hook, which he then gave me as a souvenir.
The site of the original blacksmith shop John Deere had is now a museum structure (#82).
There, I watched a short video that told the story of how Mr. Deere went from New England to Illinois, and how he started a business venture in producing plows, which became the Deere Company (#83), renowned for its production of farm equipment, though as the blacksmith interpreter made it clear, tractors came along long after the plow.
Once the video was over, I got a few photos.
And then I drove back to Dixon to get some more photos at the Dixon Arch (#84), the First Christian Church (which the Reagan family attended) (#85), and along the Rock River (#86), which included one of the Lincoln Highway Gazebos (#87) that are along the famed route in Illinois.
I then drove across the Rock River to get a drink at the McDonald's at 5th and Lincoln/Galena--shown in the photo below--, which sits on the site of a home where the Reagan family lived in Dixon (#88), one of 5.
I then headed back to I-88, concluding a day getting to know Ronald Reagan by riding the road now named for him.
I exited I-88 in Naperville to enjoy a fine meal at Cracker Barrel, a restaurant I associate with road trips, before returning home to Oak Park.
It was a fine day taking in the sights of northern Illinois, especially along the Ronald Reagan Trail (#89). While he largely made his name with his professional pursuits outside of Illinois, he is still the only US president born in Illinois. My travels this day gave me the opportunity to see the places in Illinois where he grew up, and what shaped the years of his youth. And in considering Ronald Reagan's youth, I can think about my own life, I recognize how much Illinois has shaped me, particularly Oak Park, and what I display when I go forth from here to other places.
There's something fitting about the artist who created the Reagan statue that sits in the lot next to his boyhood home, with Mr. Reagan fingering with corn kernels. So much richness has been drawn from that land, certainly the agricultural products, and also the people who were tilled on these soils, many of whom have gone on to contribute significantly to the world at large.
And in the spirit of Illinois's Bicentennial, what those individuals contributed, spurred on by how their time in Illinois shaped them, gives us plenty of reason to celebrate.
I got on the I-290, a familiar stretch of road, and at the edge of Cook County, continued in a westerly direction onto the I-88 Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (#65), a fitting way to travel to the sites of his early life for my day's outing.
But before getting to those sites, I exited I-88 near Rochelle and drove around farmland to Franklin Grove (#66), to visit the National Headquarters of the Lincoln Highway Association (#67), the famed transcontinental road named for the most prominent Illinoisan.
 |
| The woman on staff at the headquarters building kindly got my picture out front of the building, a more full photo of which is below. |
The building is mostly a general store. There was also a woman there who had lots to share with me about the organization and its efforts.
 |
| Display at the headquarters building |
I drove west out of Franklin Grove on IL Route 38 (#68), which has the name Roosevelt Road (#69) in west suburban Chicagoland, and in this part of Illinois is the alignment of the Lincoln Highway.
I continued west to Dixon, and passed right by the Reagan Boyhood Home without stopping while I made my way back in time, so to speak, as I got on I-88 and traveled a short distance to Rock Falls, where I exited, and then wound my way around until I reached Tampico, where it all began for him.
The Reagan Birthplace (#70) is located in a stretch of historic buildings along Main Street (#71) that had commercial uses on the main level and apartments for rent on the upper level, including the one where Ronald Reagan. The buildings look as they did in 1911, according to preservation guidelines.
 |
| Above and below are close-up photos of the Reagan birth apartment building |
I started in the visitors' center/gift shop. Sharon was on duty there, and she showed me around the displays and told me about the Reagan family in the early 20th century. They moved around numerous times, in part because of his father's various jobs. (The family actually lived in Chicago for a few months, but opted not to be a major city setting, so moved back to rural northern Illinois--I was intrigued to learn that for the first time.) They settled in Tampico, thinking it was an up and coming place because the nearby Hennepin Canal (#72) would make the town prosperous, though that didn't necessarily pan out the way some people thought it would.
Then she led me upstairs to the apartment (#73) that the Reagan family rented for about $10 a month, quite a substantial sum back then. The room where Ronald was born has a clock that is stopped at the time he was born on February 6, 1911, around 5:50 AM (#74).
 |
| Below is the room where Ronald Reagan was born, and above is a close-up shot of the clock stopped at the time he was born. |
She noted there was a major snowstorm that day--and around the time of the centennial of his birth in 2011, there was another major snowstorm. She then showed me around the various rooms. One room had a piano, and Mrs. Reagan taught piano as a way to help pay for rent.
 |
| The piano above is in the space that basically functioned as the living room, and another view of that room is below. |
 |
| Dining room table |
 |
| Kitchen |
It was interesting to gain a sense of what life was like in the early 20th Century through the items in the home, like the appliances, tools, and the sign for the ice delivery.
Then she took me back downstairs to show me around. Beneath the Reagan birth apartment was once a bakery, which later became a bank, as it appears today--please see the photo below.
There were lots of cool displays, like newspapers with Reagan headlines, and a mat that said Ronald Reagan stepped here (#75), which was from one of his visits to Tampico.
 |
| I believe someone other than Sharon on staff there took this photo of me stepping on the mat where Ronald Reagan stepped. |
 |
| Display of memorabilia |
 |
| I believe someone other than Sharon photographed me posing with Mr. Reagan. |
It was shortly after 1 PM when I got back in Avila and headed back to Dixon. I stopped in Rock Falls to get a fine sandwich lunch at Arthur's Garden Deli.
Between 2:00-2:30 I was back in Dixon, and went straight to the Reagan Boyhood Home (#76) along Hennepin Avenue near 9th Street for a tour.
I was directed to join a tour that had just started. The tour guide enthusiastically shared about Ronald Reagan in the years of his youth, which included plenty of insights into life in the early 20th Century. He furthermore shared about the process of restoring the home, and President Reagan's visits there.
Apparently, to get the wallpaper just right in the area by the main entrance, they had to get assistance from a Norwegian company that had a design authentic to the original.
From the entry area, we went upstairs to the guest bedroom. Mrs. Reagan was kind-hearted enough to let people stay a night or two there as they got back on their feet. I remember the tour guide mentioned something about how she would extend this offer to those recently released from prison.
Then we went into the room Ronald shared with his older brother Neil. There was paraphernalia from colleges there, including Ronald's alma mater, Eureka College, as well as books and items for their amusement.
I learned that Ronald got his nickname "Dutch" from his build as a child, and his haircut. His older brother Neil got his nickname from the famous cartoon character Moon Mullins, who I had never heard of before.
The tour guide pointed out the moon oil in the bathroom as well as the cologne--the French term for which translates into English as "toilet water".
In the parents' bedroom, the tour guide talked about how Mrs. Reagan's favorite Bible verse was 2 Chronicles 7:14. Ronald Reagan took the oath of office as president with his mother's Bible (#77) opened to that verse. That Bible is on display at the Reagan Presidential Museum in Simi Valley, CA. Our tour guide went there after Mike Pence used it for his inauguration as Vice President in 2017. No one at the museum knew where to find that verse, so they opened it to a random page, but our tour guide set the matter straight when he informed them where he worked.
There were also interesting stories when we went to the rooms on the main level. By the fireplace next to the entryway in the room that functioned as the parlor was a tiled area: Ronald and his older brother Neil stored coins to go see movies underneath a loose tile there.
In the early 1980's, Ronald Reagan returned to Dixon, and visited his old home, which had been newly refurbished. Soon after entering, Mr. Reagan went to that fireplace and jostled a tile loose at that spot, and it is now on display at his presidential museum.
During that visit, he enjoyed a meal with some family members there. The White House chef cooked it in the 1920's-era kitchen. President Reagan insisted on using the dishes in the house, even though the Secret Service was concerned that they hadn't checked to ensure the dishes were safe to eat, i.e., not having been poisoned.
 |
| The dining room table |
It was really interesting to look around in the kitchen at the appliances and kitchen tools used in the 1920's. There was also a sign for the ice delivery. There was a pantry off the kitchen, where they would store the groceries they bought, usually enough to last many months at a time, since it wasn't a good idea to take a horse out to go shopping in the winter months when it could be injured on ice. Our tour guide also pointed out that there were exposed pipes in the kitchen. Indoor plumbing was such a fabulous new innovation back then that people exposed pipes to show it off.
 |
| In this photo of the kitchen, the door to the left leads to the pantry. |
 |
| This photo of the kitchen shows the door leading outside. |
 |
| In this photo, near the sink, you can see the exposed pipes. |
Our tour concluded in the kitchen, and we exited. Toward 9th Street was a lot that used to have a neighboring house, but now is the site of a Reagan statue (#78). An artist donated it, although the people maintaining the home had to pay for the paved brickwork around it. Mr. Reagan is holding corn kernels in his hand, which is a way of noting him as the only president born in Illinois.
 |
| Someone in my tour group was kind enough to get my photo posing by Ronald Reagan. |
There was a garage behind the house, with an old-style car inside. Ronald's father fixed up old cars, like Model T's. And there were corn stalks growing next to the garage.
With the tour finished, I went over to the Northwest Territory Historic Center to look at the museum there, housed in a building where Ronald Reagan attended school. Unable to get inside, I returned to the Reagan Boyhood Home to view a short video in the house next door with the gift shop where I paid admission. On my way out, I bought some Jelly Beans, which was Mr. Reagan's favorite candy.
I made a point to stop by the Dixon Public Library (#79), where Ronald went frequently, which is in the photo below.
I then drove about 10 minutes away from Dixon to Grand Detour (#80) to the John Deere Historic Site (#81). I got there a few minutes before closing time, but that was sufficient to walk around and get a feel for what was there, with several buildings, including the house where the Deere family lived. The staff present were kind enough to show me some things there. I first went to the blacksmith shop where I got to see the process of blacksmithing. John Deere was a blacksmith, and that led to his invention of the plow that made his name famous. That was housed inside a recreated blacksmith shop.
The site of the original blacksmith shop John Deere had is now a museum structure (#82).
 |
| This photo inside the museum structure shows a plow, in the spirit of the original Deere plow design, suspended from the ceiling. Below, and not present in this photo, is an excavation of the original blacksmith shop floor. |
Once the video was over, I got a few photos.
 |
| The lady on staff was kind enough to get this photo of me posing by John Deere's statue. |
And then I drove back to Dixon to get some more photos at the Dixon Arch (#84), the First Christian Church (which the Reagan family attended) (#85), and along the Rock River (#86), which included one of the Lincoln Highway Gazebos (#87) that are along the famed route in Illinois.
 |
| Lincoln Highway Gazebo near the Bridge along the Rock River |
 |
| The Rock River, with the Lincoln Avenue Bridge appearing to the left |
 |
| First Christian Church |
 |
| Signs on a post along Lincoln Avenue in downtown Dixon, with the Arch obscured |
 |
| The Dixon Arch over Lincoln Avenue |
I then drove across the Rock River to get a drink at the McDonald's at 5th and Lincoln/Galena--shown in the photo below--, which sits on the site of a home where the Reagan family lived in Dixon (#88), one of 5.
I then headed back to I-88, concluding a day getting to know Ronald Reagan by riding the road now named for him.
I exited I-88 in Naperville to enjoy a fine meal at Cracker Barrel, a restaurant I associate with road trips, before returning home to Oak Park.
It was a fine day taking in the sights of northern Illinois, especially along the Ronald Reagan Trail (#89). While he largely made his name with his professional pursuits outside of Illinois, he is still the only US president born in Illinois. My travels this day gave me the opportunity to see the places in Illinois where he grew up, and what shaped the years of his youth. And in considering Ronald Reagan's youth, I can think about my own life, I recognize how much Illinois has shaped me, particularly Oak Park, and what I display when I go forth from here to other places.
There's something fitting about the artist who created the Reagan statue that sits in the lot next to his boyhood home, with Mr. Reagan fingering with corn kernels. So much richness has been drawn from that land, certainly the agricultural products, and also the people who were tilled on these soils, many of whom have gone on to contribute significantly to the world at large.
And in the spirit of Illinois's Bicentennial, what those individuals contributed, spurred on by how their time in Illinois shaped them, gives us plenty of reason to celebrate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)