30 for 30 Years in Oak Park

Earlier this year, Oak Park marked 120 years as a village on January 25, 2022.

This month marks 30 years since Saturday, November 28, 1992, the moving day when my family came to Oak Park.

Morning time in Oak Park, IL, on November 28, 2022

Being here for 30 years gives me so much reason to celebrate as I think about memorable events, places I hold dear in my memories, and places I still enjoy, a portion of which I recount now in this list of 30:

1. As a Julian alumnus, it was momentous when the PBS NOVA documentary "Forgotten Genius" debuted, which was a biography of Dr. Percy Julian.  There was a special ceremony a week prior at Julian.

2. Fair Share Finer Foods was a great neighborhood grocery store in southern Oak Park.

3. Jerusalem Cafe is a great restaurant with wonderful Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food offerings.

4. I really enjoyed the concept of Red Mango on Lake Street, pumping out the frozen stuff into a cup and then adding the toppings.

5. Hole-in-the-Wall is a famed ice cream stand in southern Oak Park.

6. Maze Branch Library reopened in early June 2006 after months of renovation work, and at the ceremony that day, Oak Park Public Library Board President Kelenson remarked, "Communities build libraries because libraries build communities."

7. In October 2003, the OPPL opened its Main Library in early October 2003 after months of work to construct a fine new building.

8. I had such a great time participating in the OPPL Children's Summer Reading program, and when I aged out of it upon reaching middle school, I volunteered for it during middle and high school summers.  I spent so many great afternoons at Maze.

9. The Barrie Park Hill is quite the sight, and I have great memories of sliding down it.  Walking it up gives good exercise, too.

11. One splendid way I would spend warm summer days growing up was walking to Rehm Pool.

12. The Multicultural Collection is a unique collection housed by the OPPL, and once housed inside Julian.  For many years in May, District 97 would host the Ethnic Fest, with a parade and other activities showcasing and celebrating diversity in our community.

13. The OPRF History Museum on Lake Street is a unique space that showcases local history.

14. I seriously enjoy going to see Dr. Esposito, my dentist, who has seen me grow up into the person I am today.

15. The Original Pancake House at Forest and Lake was a cherished restaurant in downtown Oak Park, serving up lots of good breakfast food.

16. Aripo's, the Venezuelan restaurant on Marion Street, was one of my favorite places to eat, with a unique ethnic concept.

17. I have great memories of going to La Majada on Harrison Street, usually as an end-of-the-year field trip for Spanish class.  I always liked the ambiance inside.

18. Lalo's, now Margarita's, on Oak Park Avenue, is a great Mexican restaurant, and has splendid decor that sets the mood so well.

19. The Buzz Cafe is a nice spot in the Harrison Street Arts District.

20. Oak Park is famed as the home of Frank Lloyd Wright.  My brother underwent training to be a junior interpreter tour guide there, and as part of the certification ceremony at the end of the process, he gave a private tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio to my parents and me, which, as I look back on it, astounds me.

21. To celebrate my brother Eric's birthday when he turned 30, he invited family and friends to dinner at Lou Malnati's in downtown Oak Park on the Sunday prior.  Before dinner, Mom and I joined him at a Chicago A Capella Concert at Pilgrim Congregational Church featuring music celebrating Chicago with Geoffrey Baer as the Master of Ceremonies.

22. Border's Bookstore at Harlem and Lake was a go-to place to get books, movies, and music. I found lots of great gifts there, even the go-to gift item of a Border's gift card.

23. The Pleasant Home is a resplendent historic home at Pleasant and Home.

24. The Oak Park Farmer's Market has wonderful offerings, including the famed donuts and the annual corn roast, along with bake sale fundraisers for various community groups.

25. Attending Julian Middle School had such an impact on me, especially in introducing me to other cultures, most especially when I had the honor of attending my friend Zach's Bar Mitzvah at Oak Park Temple.

26. During History of Chicago class with Ms. North in my final semester at OPRFHS, we had a spontaneous field trip to the Continental Divide sign on Chicago Avenue.

27. Starting the new middle school experience in Oak Park was truly a hallmark experience of my life, and an opportunity for me, at 11 years old, to make an impact on my community then, and for thousands of students to come after me.

28. The Julian Middle School mural is a masterpiece of art, and there was an excellent dedication ceremony for it, including remarks from Dr. Julian's daughter Faith.  I was so thrilled to contribute money to the project and get a tile that celebrates my Julian years.

29. Teaching Religious Education at Ascension Church brings together many of the significant aspects of my life, and has been a way for me to continue giving back and edifying my church community and even the community at large.

30. Serving as an election judge is always an exhausting, yet exhilarating and inspiring experience, being part of running the democratic process of the Republic and seeing people come out to vote.

My most recent service as an election judge for the General Gubernatorial Election on November 8 was yet another amazing experience, my 7th time as an election judge.

Like in all previous times, I awoke at 4 AM on November 8.  As I left home and walked to Maze, I was up early enough to see the reddish tint of the full moon during the lunar eclipse, which was a treat since I wouldn't normally be up that early.

I worked with a really great team of people for precinct 16, who approached the work thoughtfully.  There was a good team upstairs, too, serving precinct 3, including two sisters who have served so many times, even longer than me, and are established experts.

Serving the voters is an honor that makes the long day worth it, especially all the people I saw who I know from Ascension Church, including parents of former and current RE students. One of my former students herself came to vote.  Another of my former students, who has not yet reached voting age, accompanied her parents to see them vote, and it was wonderful to see her, since most of my current and former students don't typically accompany their parents to see what the voting process is like.

It was a steady flow of people throughout the day, and the line never really got too long.  I felt a sense of energy throughout the whole day.

In some respects, serving as an election judge brings together many of the significant parts of my life, putting to use my interest and knowledge in government processes to serve the community.  It's special to do it at Maze, where I first had the opportunity to serve the community as a teen volunteer.

Regardless of the outcomes that result following the election, it's a celebration to see what unfolds during the day.

And it's a major reason why I have so much to celebrate marking 30 years here in Oak Park.

My fellow election judge Aaron photographed me in a lull moment on Election Day, November 8, 2022, a great day of drawing from my experiences in Oak Park to serve the community.

30 Years in a Defining Place

A house truly becomes a home as we recognize it as a vessel holding the experiences we hold dear and that make us who we are.

So it was definitely a defining day in my life 30 years ago on Saturday, November 28, 1992, when my family moved to the house on Clarence Avenue in Oak Park, a special place that is the core of who I am.

To celebrate and party like it's 1992 all over again, I reflect on 30 memories of this place:

1. It was a delightful day when we rode down Harlem Avenue to Sid's at 111th Street and returned home with an apple tree and a cherry tree and then plant them, and see them appear so splendidly to the side of the house for many years.

2. I enjoyed playing the Carmen Sandiego computer games as I traveled through the USA, the world, and through time.

3. Among the major events I saw live on TV was Pope Francis's election in 2013.

4. I also extensively watched live coverage of Pope Francis's trip to the USA in 2015.

5. Block parties are a good time to get together with the neighbors. One year, different families took turns hosting gatherings at their houses, beyond our block parties.  One day in June, likely in 2010, we hosted an ice cream social for the block, which I'm fairly certain was Dad's idea.

6. I have such fond memories of celebrating my 8th grade graduation at home, first, a dinner on the evening before the ceremony on 6-8-2005, with Grandma Dottie present, and then a celebration with more family on the Sunday evening that followed.

7. A few months after 8th grade graduation, on 10-15-2005, we had a great dinner at home to celebrate my Confirmation after the Mass.

8. We had a splendid celebratory dinner at home after my MLIS graduation ceremony on 5-8-2016, with food from Grape Leaves.

9. Throughout 6th grade, I always looked forward to coming home after school on Friday each week and getting into weekend mode by watching Liberty's Kids.

10.  During the summers of elementary school, after going to Maze Branch Library for more books and to check in my summer reading program progress, upon arriving home, with my head still in a book, I'd remove my shoes and get comfortable in a living room chair.

11. On Memorial Day weekend--likely the day itself--in 2014, we had a family gathering.  After singing to Mom for her birthday, we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Ava shortly before she turned 1.

12. Finding Teddy as a little boy brought me long-lasting comfort and joy.

13. Over the many years growing up, I became acquainted with new technology, like the time I watched a DVD for the first time, the animated version of the movie 102 Dalmatians.  I even learned you don't have to rewind a DVD after I hit the rewind button and waited for it, and nothing happened.

14. The January 1999 blizzard was a pretty epic weather event as we hunkered inside and kept cozy while snow raged all around us outside.
15. I always liked the baking of sweet breads, like orange bread, cinnamon bread, or even cinnamon rolls, especially when Mom did it spontaneously.  I'm fairly certain taht's where I picked up my knack for baking these breads for my RE class.

16. I had so much fun creating Brio train layouts, surely because of my intense interest in trains.

17. And I definitely liked having fun with Playmobile toys.

18. At one point, we put up an awning on the deck during the warmer months.  After it rained, a pool of water collected in a pouch, and I had fun taking a broom and poking at it, to let the water empty.

19. With inheritance money from Uncle Arnold, my parents had a Sunroom attached to the back of the house on the deck, which has been a wonderful space for us realized in various purposes.

20. It was a thrill to see horse-drawn wagon rides come down our block as part of the Fall Fest festivities at Rehm Park, usually on a Sunday in September.

21. Each autumn, the tree out front enters into autumn mode with brilliant red leaves.

22. I remember the day back in the 1990's when I first watched Arthur, and I watched many more great episodes in the succeeding years.

23. In December, we add a festive touch by creating St. Nicholas Square layouts, which I enjoy.

24. Watching the annual National Memorial Day Concert on PBS is a cherished custom on the Sunday prior to the holiday each year that helps set the tone for us to honor the occasion.

25. Watching the annual July 4 concert, A Capitol Fourth, on PBS is another great annual custom.

26. I had wonderful times with bedtime reading with Mom and Dad on alternating nights. After Bible and other spiritual reading, we spent time with a range of books, from picture books to the sophisticated, like the Federalist Papers, inspired by Our Country's Founders.

27. It always fills with me with great delight to see the blooming of the peonies each year in late spring/early summer.

28. After getting so homesick going away to college, my first weekend visit home in September was a truly joyful experience reconnecting back with this beloved place.

29. It has been a great delight to welcome to this home so many friends I've made in college, including Zach when we were off on Thanksgiving Break during our 2nd year at ValpU, Richard during Spring Break later that year, the Ruggabers after I graduated, and even Rogenique, Roy, and Matthew earlier this year most recently.

30. I have so many fond memories of holiday gatherings here.  One that truly stands out was Thanksgiving Day 2008.  Carol Finnegan, a fellow Ascension parishioner, was present, and so were Brian Aden and his fellow Navy comrades.

Throughout these experiences is a common thread of connecting with other people and the world at large through the familiar setting of this place that has seen so much.  It is truly become a home because of the life we have shared here, and how we have extended that to others who have come through the doors.  And in our lives here we have known the love God first showed us in Christ, and that He gives in a special way for families to share together.

In all the memories I have listed above, and so many others, I feel great comfort and abundant joy, which are hallmarks of this home.  No matter where I go in life, I will always think of this home in this way.

Indeed, in this place, we have realized the gift of God's presence, Who is the giver of all gifts, and how we have been gift to each other in our family, and all those who have come here.

Thanks be to God!

This dearly beloved house has truly been a home, where we have truly made a life.

Thanksgiving Thoughts 2022: What Really Matters

Something stirs deep within me each year as I celebrate Thanksgiving Day.  It's an American holiday, with deep spiritual overtones that speak to the timeless values defining this day.

In whatever circumstances, having an attitude of gratitude uplifts our spirits as we remember what matters most in life.  Surely that's why St. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5, "In all circumstances give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

God indeed is the Great Source of everything, and we recognize this reality by faith.  In God, we have life, and Abundant Life.  When I walked into St. Edmund Church for Thanksgiving Day Mass this morning, Denise, the longtime flute player at Ascension, greeted me with "Happy Easter!" only to realize what holiday it is today.  As I was about to leave after Mass, I approached her and remarked that we can give thanks even today that Christ is Risen from the dead, and we have great purpose in life because of the Resurrection.

Indeed, I'm grateful for the church community that makes the real the unseen God, as we manifest Him to each other.  Going to Mass on Thanksgiving Day morning always invigorates me so deeply because the source and summit of the Christian life is the Eucharist, which is a Greek term that means "Thanksgiving".  We ground our lives in Thanksgiving by attending Mass week after week, encountering God, giving Him thanks for all, and being sent forth as a response to our encounter with Him.  Indeed, like Father Robert said in his homily, this day is about action.  Even the name "Thanksgiving" suggests there's something we are meant to do.  Today is the birthday of St. Padre Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest born in Spain in 1783, and who established missions up and down the California coast, proclaiming the reality of God.  Certainly, we are called to give thanks by sharing this Good News with others, that our God saves and gives us an extraordinary meaning to our lives.

And we participate together in thanksgiving with others, realizing what it means to belong, certainly in church community when we gather for Mass as the body of Christ, and also as we consider what it means to be in the United States of America.

It's great that this holiday comes just a couple of weeks after Election Day 2022.  Regardless of our opinion about the results of the elections, we can certainly give thanks for the opportunity to participate in the process of our government and have a say in who enters into these offices established under the auspices of the US Constitution.  Back in 1789, President Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving Day as a holiday to offer prayer for thanksgiving for the establishment of the US Constitution and for God's other manifold blessings, and to seek His mercy for wrongdoings, beholding that our just God is also so merciful.

I worked as an election judge on Election Day, and once again, despite being a long, tiring day, it was also so inspiring to see people come out and vote, to embrace the opportunity to be part of the democratic process of the Republic.  Despite its flaws, we are still blessed to be part of a country that provides free elections as we have.  And our freedoms are made possible by the sacrifices of so many, especially our veterans, who we recognized two weeks ago, shortly after the elections.

Serving as an election judge is also inspiring because of the way I can serve the community, especially the many people I know from church who came to vote that day.  Certainly, human relationships grant such a strong sense of purpose to life, and are another core part of what it means to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

Throughout the month of November, I've thought about family members, and even others outside my family, who have passed on from this life, grateful for their presence and how they made an impact on others.  I am filled with joy for all the relationships I have with others around me, in my family, in the community, with my co-workers at my various jobs, and at church.

I am especially grateful for my RE students.  In the midst of challenges I've faced in my life, it heartens me greatly each week when I'm in the classroom with my students.  Even as I support them, they support me.  Last month, I asked my students to pray for me, even as I pray for them.  I invited them specifically to pray for me while I was in the midst of the application process for a new job.  With great joy, I shared with them my good news that I accepted an offer for a new job.

Indeed, on this Thanksgiving Day, I'm grateful for the ways that in my circumstances, I realize what matters most in life, that there is a God, that He is the Giver of all gifts, and we respond in thanksgiving by being gift to one another.

Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land USA in Washington, D.C.

The Intricate Details Defining Chicagoland

I am always grateful for the opportunity afforded by Open House Chicago (OHC) weekend to appreciate what's in my own neck of the woods.

Volunteering again for the 2022 event offered a special touch to my participation as it did last year.

And I brought it even closer to home, physically and metaphorically speaking, by spending 4 hours at the OPRF History Museum on east Lake Street.  After having such a great experience volunteering last year, I was eager to do so again.  The OPRF History Museum sent an e-mail newsletter with a spot noting that the museum was seeking volunteers.  I contacted the museum to state that I was interested, having grown in appreciation for Oak Park over my almost 30 years of making my home here, and especially appreciating the history and the way the museum showcases it.  Aware of the coming 30th anniversary of when I first came to live in Oak Park, I felt it was the right time to be part of helping showcase it during OHC.

I started my time there on the morning of Saturday, October 15, around 9:30 to get oriented with Rachel Berlinski, the operations manager, and the other volunteers, in time for 10 AM, when we welcomed visitors.  During the 4 hours I was there, I floated around the museum, directing people, and highlighting what was there to see.  We had a fair number of visitors come.

The museum is a unique space, thanks to the efforts over multiple years to transform the largely unused former Oak Park Public Works facility into a building that hearkens back to its original use as the Cicero Firehouse from the 1890s.  There are many objects from bygone years, like a library card catalog, pictures, signs, a typewriter, and topographical maps.

The upper level has a Wall of Fame that the Rotary Club created, and currently has an exhibit on the process of making fair housing established in Oak Park.  Given how much Oak Park means to me, and my appreciation for how history is part of that, I delighted in the chance to showcase the museum's offerings to visitors this day.

Here I am posing inside the museum.  I think Rachel or one of my fellow volunteers got this photo.  All photos in this post are mine, unless otherwise noted.

A little later that day, I made one of my regular visits to the Oak Park Conservatory, which I do 2-4 times a month.  It was included as an OHC site, another great place on showcase in Oak Park.

The next day, Sunday, October 16, was my day to participate in OHC as a visitor.  My Mom and I drove around for about 2-3 hours in the afternoon.

First, we visited Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School, on Jackson Boulevard in Austin.  Someone on the school's fundraising staff gave us a tour.  We first walked down a hall to see the Chapel, a modernistic space surrounded by walls that let in filtered light.  After going there, she showed us some of the classrooms, and other spaces like the cafeteria and the gym.  We also learned more about the impact the school makes for its students.  It helps its students pay for their tuition by giving them real work experience one day a week.

Above and directly below are views of the Chapel.

Exterior of the school along Jackson

We continued the theme of religious sites with a visit to the West Suburban Temple Har Zion on Harlem Avenue in River Forest.  There were scheduled talks held throughout its afternoon open visiting hours.  Upon arriving, we were directed to a space on the other side of its sanctuary to hear a talk on the Genesis windows.  These stained glass windows are amazing pieces of art with great details highlighting so many aspects of Genesis stories that are defining stories of who they are.  Subsequently, we joined a presentation at the entrance to its sanctuary on the tapestries, from the artist who created them, a member of the Oak Park Temple just a couple of blocks north on Harlem.  These tapestries displayed scenes from the giving of the Law in Exodus, with abstract designs, and create a focal point into the sanctuary where the Torah scrolls are brought out of the ark, a special cabinet.  It was great to hear from the artist herself and get a sense of her thought process as she created the artwork.

Genesis windows

Flanking the doors to the sanctuary are two of the tapestries, that are designed to bookend the doors

Mom and I finished by taking in a higher view of things at the One Lake Brewing brewery at Austin and Lake.  We walked upstairs to its rooftop terrace, with views that looked out over Austin Boulevard into the West Side and east toward downtown.

Artistic feature

View from the rooftop terrace, looking east into Austin, with Lake Street appearing to the left

Here's Mom and me on the rooftop terrace. A fellow visitor took this photo, who I recognized as a CAC docent.

I always value how OHC gives people the opportunity to appreciate what's in their own backyard in Chicagoland, and showcase what's here to those who come from out of town.  There's something for everyone with over 100 sites available many of which aren't typically open to the general public.

Yet my explorations of Chicagoland weren't confined to just that weekend.

Earlier in October, I spent an afternoon at Palmisano Park.  It used to be a quarry, and has been turned into a prairie natural area.  I enjoyed walking around for a while, appreciating the natural landscapes there that speak what defines Illinois originally, and taking in great views of the skyline.

View looking northeasterly toward downtown Chicago

View looking northwesterly toward the pond area in the park

Later in October, on a wonderfully mild day, after my family visited my grandparents at Lincoln National Cemetery, we drove a short distance away to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie for a short hike.  Again, it was wonderful to walk through this restored prairie area, and look at the vast grasslands that are part of Illinois's heritage.

Looking west at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

Looking in a northerly direction at Midewin

On the final Sunday of October, I attended Mass at the National Shrine of St. Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini in Lincoln Park. I felt it was fitting during the Jubilee Year marking 75 years since her canonization.  It's located in what used to be Columbus Hospital, where she served for many years. The sanctuary is an incredibly beautiful space.

Inside the sanctuary

The outer entrance of the shrine

Someone at the front desk photographed me in the entryway

Following Mass, I drove north for a short visit to Little India along Devon Avenue, with many businesses with offerings from India, as well as other places in the Middle East.

Above is the view at Devon and Artesian looking east on Devon, and below is at the same intersection looking west. I shopped in the World Fresh Market shown below.

There's a lot that I can appreciate about living in this area.  And throughout the month of October, during OHC weekend, and beyond, by visiting new places nearby and in different areas, I further increased my appreciation for the intricacies of Chicagoland.

100 Years of Abuelo José

It's time to party like it's 1922 all over again: Today 100 years ago would result in a blessing for so many, including me way down the line, when, on November 15, 1922, my Grandpa, mi Abuelo, José Rubio was born.

I am delighted to celebrate his remarkable life.

He trod the path so many have trodden to be part of the USA experience.  As a young man, he would spend certain months of the year working in an agricultural setting in New Mexico on a worker's permit.  He eventually settled in the USA and brought his whole family over, which included 9 younger siblings.

Many years ago, I had various discussions with him about his life, and he told me about a woman named Mrs. Podell who rented a room to him in her large house in Chicago.  She traveled to Mexico around the time the Paricutin volcano suddenly formed in 1943.  Some people there helped her when she ventured to see the volcano, and she remained grateful to the Mexican people.  As I understand it, she did so much to help Abuelo gain success in life.

After settling in Chicago, he met and married my Grandma, mi Abuela Vel, and raised his family, including my Dad.

Abuelo gained quite a multifaceted experience from running a tavern, JV Liquors, for many years on Diversey Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood.  He heard many interesting jokes there, including one about "brains", which became a running inside joke between us.  I can still picture him in a comfy blue chair in the living room at 5445 N. Lamon, turning red from laughing so hard.

Additionally, he enjoyed animals.  I remember how he endeared himself to three Shih Tzu mix dogs, including Daisy, Mei Mei, and especially Buddy.  He knew Buddy was the one when he and Abuela went to Orphans of the Storm, and Abuelo said, "He's my Buddy."  I remember one amusing instance the summer after they brought him home: The three of us came back to their house and Buddy kind of cornered Abuelo in a doorway.

Perhaps there's something about animals that tapped into his very relaxed demeanor.

I'm fairly certain Abuela took this photo of Abuelo out on the front steps with Buddy.  Most likely, all photos in this post are Abuela's, expect when otherwise noted.

I also regard him as someone knowledgeable, who deeply sought out knowledge.  When I was thinking of people to interview for each of the gifts of the Holy Spirit while preparing for Confirmation, Mom, who was helping me think of people, suggested Abuelo Jose for the gift of knowledge.  I called him, and we had quite an interesting conversation.  He was in his element as he answered my questions.

He demonstrated the importance of knowledge as a pursuit all through life.  After he retired from the tavern business in the 1990's, he went to the City Colleges of Chicago to get a degree.  I have a faint memory of attending the graduation ceremony when I was about 4 or 5 years old, and he spoke.  During his coursework, he wrote a composition on Abraham Lincoln, a person he greatly admired.

Above all, he was a person of deep faith.  I have great memories of accompanying him to Mass at his parish, Queen of All Saints Basilica on the far north side of Chicago.  His understanding of faith factored deeply into many of his conversations.  He was even involved in the Cursillo movement.  At a retreat, someone mistakenly thought he was the Holy Spirit coming into a bedroom at night since he had a towel wrapped over him to keep warm when the heat wasn't working.  Abuelo was also the sponsor for a friend, Scott Buhrmaster, when Scott joined the Roman Catholic Church.

Seeing how he imparted faith is something that makes his presence timeless, especially today, 100 years after his birth.

One year, on Christmas/Nativity Eve, my Dad got his parents a copy of The Advent Book.  Here's Abuelo flipping through it shortly after opening it. He definitely enjoyed this chair.

For his 80-year birthday, which was 20 years ago, Abuela cooked up quite a surprise for Abuelo.  She hired a limousine to drive us to Lawry's.  Abuelo is clearly still floored in this photo by the surprise while we ride in the limo.

Abuela was keen on getting each of us to pose during various celebrations.  Here, I pose with Abuelo, likely on one of his birthdays.

Here I am posing with Abuela and Abuelo at a meal they hosted for my birthday, though I'm not sure what year. I think Dad might have photographed this photo.

After posing for a photo with my Uncle Bernie, my sponsor, and BIshop Kane, likely taken by my Dad, Abuelo decided to jump in for a photo at the reception following my Confirmation Mass.  He appears to the left of me in the photo, and Bishop Kane on the right.