Inquire, Inspire, Aspire
Things are still hectic around here, but I thought I’d post a little something I did on my staycation by playing a game with my (rank) amateur photos. What’s the difference between this body of water above and the one below? Hint: The answer is not the watermarked year.
Continue reading “Coasts, Canines and Crafts”
Every year as January 1st draws near, I hear some people say, “I can’t wait to start the new year. Thank God this one is almost over.”
I don’t usually post two days in a row, but I feel the need to today.
It’s been a tense year for our country. The vitriol, division and violence portrayed everywhere. It seems as if evil is taking over the entire world … and many believe that evil is “the other side who doesn’t agree.”
But, among the mucky weeds of strife, there was one beacon of light during the first week in November.
Even after many years living in the south, I still didn’t forget what it was like to live in the great white north. Except, some little things did slip my mind. There have also been new developments that I’ve needed to learn.
Many years ago, when my husband and I were still newlyweds, we moved far, far away from family and friends.
Those who follow me know we went from the Chicago area, to Florida, but I never shared why.
You see, it was becoming more and more difficult to afford the cost of living in Chicago. My husband was a blue collar worker where he was either forced to join a union, or work for petty wages outside of a union. Neither choice was good, and here is why.
I’ve still been contemplating more of the subtle differences between the two places I’ve lived in my life, Illinois and Florida. I’m skipping the very obvious weather and economic differences. I’m also not talking about people, but environments.
You knew it was coming…my observations on life and the differences between the two states where I’ve lived. First half of my life I lived in Illinois . . .
… what (the hell) did you move to Illinois from Florida for … they’ll be a viral video of a short, 
middle-aged lady screaming at someone like a raving maniac.
Have you ever felt out of place, like a puzzle piece in the wrong picture? That’s how I have felt since the year 1988. That was the year my husband and I moved from the Chicago suburbs to Florida.
I don’t normally do local stories, but this one relates to daily life, home and food, which is what I write. Not to mention that it has me feeling homesick.
Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Hot  was the name of my blog post one year ago. The first weekend in March, 2012 I went to the yearly Florida Art Festival in town and …whooo-wheee, was it ever hot.
Max (the dog), my husband and I went again this year, and brrrrrrr, was it ever cold. I’m from Chicago, so yes, I know cold weather.
For the day’s festivities I wore jeans, a t-shirt, a sweater over the shirt, and a heavy cardigan sweater over that sweater. I thought it would be enough for a cooler Florida day. It wasn’t. A whipping, icy wind came over the river, and I questioned if I’d traveled all the way back to Chicago.
You can click here to read about how hot it was last year. Photos of the river are posted there too.
To compare, below are photos of the patrons from each year. You may need to click on it to see the clothes better.
Continue reading “The Difference a Year Makes”
. . . back to that same old place. Sweet Home Chicago.
It’s been perfect weather since I arrived in my suburban Chicago home. I took the Chicago River (boat) tour and the following are a few of the photos that resulted. Of the twelve days I’ve been visiting thus far, the day I scheduled for this tour is the only one that turned out gray and misty. The lighting wasn’t the best for photos, but all in all, a very enjoyable day.
Hey and Howdy!
Here are the photos of day two of our road trip from Florida to Chicago. To see the photos of day one, check here. Again, please excuse the quality and bug juice on the windows as I took these on the fly. 😉
On the road again in northern Tennessee. (for use of photo, please attribute to Lori and this website) Continue reading “I Spy with my Little Eye Pt 2”
I am a Chicago-Italian, so we range slightly different from Italy-Italians, and New York- Italians. However, the way these Italian words are pronounced in the video below, are the same way we pronounced them in Chicago. And, it’s true about the five hour “madanad” on Sundays that they speak about.
I’m sharing this funny video with you today because I’ll be busy over the next few days (if my vertigo holds out). I’m looking forward to sharing what I’m doing here on my blog. I also always look forward to reading more bloggers out there, so hopefully I’ll be able to catch up with you all too. Hope you find this video as funny as those of us who talk this way (find it funny). 😉
Isn’t it supposed to be cold outside right now? That’s why I’m a freak, because I expect it to be cold in January. Not only that, I want it to be cold.
For those of you who haven’t read my memoirs yet, I’m from Chicago but live in Florida. Continue reading “Okay, so I’m a Freak”
