Chicago Day 2: Tuesday Part II

After Oak Park and Columbus Park we headed over to the Garfield Conservatory.  It was so fantastic!  Very green, very lush, very satisfying. 

I took a few pictures of leaves, which you may find boring.  But this is what interests me!

 So many wonderful patters and variations on greens and golds.

 I could have stayed here for a very long time.

 

I found this to be refreshing.  Yes!

Chihuly had an exhibit here about four (?) years ago.  These pieces stayed.  Very fun.  They looked so much better in person, as most things do.  The koi was a great addition in bringing vibrant color, fluid movement and a wonderful sense of wisdom into the space. 

Water lilies.  Love water lilies.

 

 

There was a fun maze/labyrinth to walk in.  You start here, in the center and follow to trail out and around and around dipping in here and dipping in there.

 

A very large Century Plant.  Wow.

Chicago Day 2: Tuesday Part 1

We started the morning out in Oak Park.  This is where Frank Lloyd Wrights home and studio are located, along with several residential homes that he designed.  Funny that this is the only picture I took of his home and studio.  Inside photography is not allowed and I guess nothing captivated me enough on the outside.  I have an interesting relationship with Mr. Wrights architecture.  I don't feel loved in it.  I have tried to as I have studied it and seen it over the past 4 years.  I do appreciate his mind and love some of his thinking as an architect. Brilliant in many ways.  But as a whole, when it's pieced all together I feel too dark, and too....I don't know.  I just wouldn't want to live in one of his houses.  Sorry.  I have yet to see Falling Water, which might brighten my mind to Wrights work, but for now my opinion remains the same as it has for years.

However, this sculpture did take me.  Man's struggle?  Struggle for what.  Struggle to become?  Struggle to rise from this fallen world we are in?  Maybe something so different.  But whatever is causing this being to fold and hide himself into this position, I relate.

I have been taking pictures of trees.  Lots.  My favorites are the ones that show the branching patterns.  They fascinate me and I find them to be very beautiful.

The ceiling of the Unity Temple.  Another one of Frank Lloyd Wrights works.  Again....liked certain details and thoughts, but as a whole I wasn't in awe.  Many others were quite taken with it, indeed.  But not I.  But do notice the details in the above picture.  Note how each glass panel is the same design, but rotated 45 degrees to create repetition with variety.  Cool. More pictures below.

Love the red phone booth.  Love it.  Ring, Ring!

After Oak Park we ventured to Columbus Park.  See this lovely large flock of geese?

I wonder what would happen if I chased after them.

?

They take flight and make for the river.  I was with the group at the time, walking down the trail.  I was walking out in front with Peter Lassig, of whom I will speak of later.  I mentioned something about chasing after the geese, and as we were approaching them and getting closer and closer with each step, he said, "Oh, I can't help myself."  And we both took off running.  Now, Peter is 72 and is currently with Parkinsons disease - but we ran and waved our arms anyways and had a great laugh.

The Council Ring at Columbus Park.  30' diameter.

Chicago Day 1: Monday II

Right after I arrived at the hotel I went and grabbed a bite to eat.  I found a small mexican restaurant where I purchased a gordita for $2.35.  The server was funny - Chicago-funny, and he referred to me as sweetie and told me not to get lost.

I then returned to my room to grab my coat and headed to Millennium Park where I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening.

Cloud Gate - which the locals refer to as The Bean.

Fun photos with The Bean

The city skyline as seen in The Bean - awesome.

Some high school students were doing a school project at the park.  At one end they had a poster that said "Jesus is..." and at the other end they had a poster that said "A Christian is..."  They wanted to do a compare and contrast study to see what were the similarities and what were the differences.  Interesting.  There were some people that said they were Christian, but didn't believe in Christ.  I participated and wrote on the board.  I didn't see the Christian board, but I wish I would have taken a picture of it as well.  My contribution to the poster was "Jesus is the Redeemer of my soul."

How would it be to see a concert here?!?!

The Laurie garden - late fall.  Blooms have spent.

 

 

This...thing...is held together by...

Zippers.

They showed a film inside on the canvas wall.  It was about Chicago which further established my love of this city.  When they were creating the Chicago Plan, one of the planners (who I am sure is a very famous person whose name I don't remember) said, "Don't predict the future, make it."  And that's why Chicago is Chicago.  Fantastic.

 

Sometimes water shoots out of these (there are two facing each other in the plaza).

At the end of the day I met the group I would be bashing around with in a conference room at the hotel.  I also met the lady I would be rooming with, who is great!  There are twenty of us here ranging from ages 13 to 91.  Twenty amazing individuals whose houses I shall surely visit after I return from Chicago.  Life-long friends have been met and they shall continue to have an important impact on my life as a designer, artist, thinker and person.  By the end of the day I knew this week was going to be amazing, important and changing.  It continues to be so.

Chicago Day 1: Monday

Welcome to Chicago.  Palmer House Hilton.

Enjoy your stay.

I arrived at the airport shortly after noon where I met a Brazilian lady in the airport and before I knew it I was in the back of Sergio's minivan being taken right to the front door of my hotel.

So Brazilian.

Yes - you get to see several pictures of the room I am staying in, because it interests me and this is after all - my blog.  It is just two blocks away from Millennium Park and several other Chicago attractions and wonders.

I took the bed by the window.

In the bathroom, yes.  This might not be saying much, but this is probably the nicest hotel I have stayed in.  That I can remember, anyways.

The view to the right.

The view to the left.

 

Looking straight out.

What screens that straight out view.

This covers half of Monday.  More commentaries and photos to come!

Chicago

Been in Chicago since Monday.  Here on business.  In a round-about way.
Here 'til.....

?

Too busy to post - sorry!  But I will most assuredly do a week in review that will hopefully convince you to GO TO CHICAGO!

Satoyama:

villages where mountains give way to plains.

i am going.

No, no and no.

For the past few days a certain annoyance has been hanging around, asking so politely for my attention.  I, so politely, have been declining.  I do not want a relationship - not even a first date.  Don't come too close, I need my personal space.  Besides, I really don't think we would make a great couple long-term (nor short-term).  We just don't have enough in common.  I want to fly, dream, reach and live.  And I feel the other party would hinder and dampen my desires.

And I don't really want to invest in the kleenex, cough syrup and cough drop business anyway ...I think it's time to not be so polite.

The answer is NO.

No and no.

Sorry.

But not really.

   

playing with a sentence

I embrace the thought of being near the scent of wet pines with you.

I embrace the thought of being near the scent of you.

I embrace the thought of being near you.

I embrace the thought of you.

I embrace you.

Early this morning I found myself at the Taj Mahal, coupled with being present at some stone amphitheater centered around the goddess Diana.  It was such a pleasing dream and I didn't want to wake, as time spent abroad is never long enough whether in a dream or in reality. My bed was the kind of comfortable where you feel utterly connected with the mattress, pillow, sheets, comforter and the ultra-plush square zebra throw pillow that stays in arms length and/or up against the side of the face all night long.  But as I woke to rain and rumbling thunder, I softly and sleepily smiled.  If not the Taj Mahal, soul-satisfying thunder with the fall of rain is what I will love this lazy Sunday morning.  A Stormy Sunday morning in early fall..... one dream come true.