I almost forgot! Despite the fact that most of the sidewalks in Chicago were covered in snow, guess who still found money?
Okay, it was only a nickel, but still.
It made me happy.
Then I laughed. I don't think there has been a trip where I haven't found money.
I'm thankful for my sharp eye.
Showing posts with label Chicago trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago trip. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Tuesday in Chicago
On Tuesday morning, Sami went out early to pick up an order of Paczki's, a Fat Tuesday tradition. We left earlier for the Ethiopian Community Association and made it there with time to have devotions in the van. We shared the paczki's on the way.
The teacher for the class had called out sick. We had worked with the students who needed special attention the day before while the teacher had taught the "advanced" students. Since the teacher was sick, the director asked for volunteers to help with the advanced class. Tim and I jumped at the chance.
The director gave us their worksheet. This group was working on superlatives and comparatives. Easy!
Or so I thought.
They may have been advanced in that they could speak english. But because we were using words like small, smaller, smallest, they didn't quite comprehend the meaning. We had a marker board and we drew shapes to describe the words. That worked until we got to poor and rich. At that point we moved on. We stopped teaching the class as a whole and handed out new worksheets. The new worksheet had story problems and the students had to write sentences like the example. Here is my example:
Jen went to the grocery store in the morning.
Jen planted flowers in the afternoon.
Jen listened to music in the evening.
Did Jen go to the grocery store in the morning? Yes, she went to the grocery store in the morning.
Did Jen listen to music in the afternoon? No, she listened to music in the evening.
I started helping a woman who reminded me of my mother-in-law. She was very sweet and was taking copious notes. She understood answering the question in the positive but had difficulty understanding the negative. She answered everything with a yes. No matter what. I worked with her until the end of the class. I think by then she got it. She called me teacher and thanked me. All of the students asked if we would be back tomorrow? No, we were going home. They said, you'll come back tomorrow. We kept telling them no, we were going home. But so were they, so they figured we would come back too.
From there, we drove over to Greater Chicago Food Depository. We made a quick stop at the McDonald's drive-thru and we ate our lunches in the car.
The GCFD is very similar to the one in Philadelphia where we volunteered. It was a huge, clean warehouse that receives large donations from all over. Then GCFD goes through and sends out food to different food banks, schools, etc.
At GCFD, we put labels on individual peanut butter packets. Everything that is packaged and goes out has to be labeled. Since these came from the manufacturer, they were not labeled (I think because they were not for individual sale). Each box had 120 packets in it. There were several other groups there. We needed to get 4,000+ labeled. By the end, we had done over 6,000! They had several statistics on food insecurity in the Chicago area. Of course it was too many facts, my brain was on overload and I don't remember. Just know that the numbers are high.
Their mission statement is,
The teacher for the class had called out sick. We had worked with the students who needed special attention the day before while the teacher had taught the "advanced" students. Since the teacher was sick, the director asked for volunteers to help with the advanced class. Tim and I jumped at the chance.
The director gave us their worksheet. This group was working on superlatives and comparatives. Easy!
Or so I thought.
They may have been advanced in that they could speak english. But because we were using words like small, smaller, smallest, they didn't quite comprehend the meaning. We had a marker board and we drew shapes to describe the words. That worked until we got to poor and rich. At that point we moved on. We stopped teaching the class as a whole and handed out new worksheets. The new worksheet had story problems and the students had to write sentences like the example. Here is my example:
Jen went to the grocery store in the morning.
Jen planted flowers in the afternoon.
Jen listened to music in the evening.
Did Jen go to the grocery store in the morning? Yes, she went to the grocery store in the morning.
Did Jen listen to music in the afternoon? No, she listened to music in the evening.
I started helping a woman who reminded me of my mother-in-law. She was very sweet and was taking copious notes. She understood answering the question in the positive but had difficulty understanding the negative. She answered everything with a yes. No matter what. I worked with her until the end of the class. I think by then she got it. She called me teacher and thanked me. All of the students asked if we would be back tomorrow? No, we were going home. They said, you'll come back tomorrow. We kept telling them no, we were going home. But so were they, so they figured we would come back too.
From there, we drove over to Greater Chicago Food Depository. We made a quick stop at the McDonald's drive-thru and we ate our lunches in the car.
The GCFD is very similar to the one in Philadelphia where we volunteered. It was a huge, clean warehouse that receives large donations from all over. Then GCFD goes through and sends out food to different food banks, schools, etc.
At GCFD, we put labels on individual peanut butter packets. Everything that is packaged and goes out has to be labeled. Since these came from the manufacturer, they were not labeled (I think because they were not for individual sale). Each box had 120 packets in it. There were several other groups there. We needed to get 4,000+ labeled. By the end, we had done over 6,000! They had several statistics on food insecurity in the Chicago area. Of course it was too many facts, my brain was on overload and I don't remember. Just know that the numbers are high.
Their mission statement is,
We have 1 goal,
1 mission.
To fight hunger,
1 dollar,
1 meal,
1 person at a time.
Until the day
no 1 goes hungry.
In Grand Rapids, one in five children is food insecure. I've heard the phrase "one is one too many" and I know that hunger is one thing that we can all fight together.
Back to our trip. After we finished at the food depository, we dropped Tricia off at her house. She had a volleyball tournament and needed to change and get her car. We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, (where Tricia met up with us before her game).
We headed our separate ways after dinner. The rest of the group went back to the housing site where we bought t-shirts, packed and cleaned. We loaded up the van and were headed home by 7pm (still local time).
Sami dropped me off at 11:50pm (Eastern time). Whew! We made it home.
Just in time! The next morning, Sami went to start the van and it wouldn't start. Big Red got towed to the Ford dealer. I haven't heard what was wrong, but she's back in the church parking lot as of tonight (Sunday) and even had a bath! (Boy was she dirty.)
That was Chicago!
I am thankful that we made it back. I'm also thankful for all of the organizations working to deliver, receive and distribute food to those with food insecurity.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Fun in Chicago
First we stopped by Jersey Junction. They opened on March 1st, but since Sami's Speedy Shuttle Service picked me up at 6:30am JJ wasn't open yet. No worries, Sami is the best and had ice cream that we ate outside. In the snow. Only a true ice cream lover in Michigan is crazy enough to do that.
That would be me.
We made it to Chicago by 10:30am (local time). We stopped by a donut shop for some gluten free donuts for a friend of Sami. Sami also picked up a dozen donuts for us.
From there we picked up Tricia. We ate lunch at Gino's and then went to the John Hancock building and went up to the observation deck. Here are my photos.
That's Navy Pier and the frozen Lake Michigan.
Looking north up Lake Shore Drive.
My selfie for Instagram. I love heights.
(No, I don't.)
The Sears/Willis Tower in the background.
Chicago!
After we stopped to get coffee, we drove to the CSM site located at North Park University. We checked in and unpacked. We had dinner at a Columbian restaurant then we took our prayer tour. I never knew there were different prayer tours; we took the West Side Prayer tour. I will admit that I didn't get everything out of the prayer tour that I could have because I was driving Big Red (our fifteen passenger church van). It was snowing. The wipers kept freezing up. The defrost only worked with the fan on high. I could see out of 30% of the windshield at any given time. I focused on driving, avoiding potholes (or as we started calling them; "big", "bad", "pot" or "hole"), listening to Sarah, our host, tell me where to turn, stopping at stop signs (many are hidden behind large vehicles parked too close to the corner), and keeping the van shiny side up.
We bought new wipers the next day. It made a world of difference.
I digress, after the prayer tour, we went to bed. That was Saturday.
I was thankful for Shawn who kept jumping out when we would stop to try to knock the ice off the wipers.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Gone Fishin'
No, not really. I don't fish. I don't eat fish. I don't hook worms on fish hooks. I don't fish.
I'm off with the college/young adults on another spring break mission trip. This year we're headed to sunny, tropical, wait for it, Chicago!
After last year's incident, I will not be taking my laptop with me. I will blog about our trip when I return.
We left this morning at 7am. Send us good thoughts or prayers while we're gone. We'll return late (midnight) Tuesday night.
It's a shorter trip because Illinois state law requires TB tests for individuals working with children for more than two days. It's very complicated. Needless to say, we're coming back a day early. I'll be back to blogging Wednesday.
For the time while I'm gone, know that I'll be thankful each night that I crawl into bed for sleep.
I'm off with the college/young adults on another spring break mission trip. This year we're headed to sunny, tropical, wait for it, Chicago!
After last year's incident, I will not be taking my laptop with me. I will blog about our trip when I return.
We left this morning at 7am. Send us good thoughts or prayers while we're gone. We'll return late (midnight) Tuesday night.
It's a shorter trip because Illinois state law requires TB tests for individuals working with children for more than two days. It's very complicated. Needless to say, we're coming back a day early. I'll be back to blogging Wednesday.
For the time while I'm gone, know that I'll be thankful each night that I crawl into bed for sleep.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Vacation!! the last day
Here we are, finally. The last day of our vacation photos. We checked out of the hotel and waited for the bellman, then the elevator, and then the car. It took an hour to actually get out. I felt like we were in Hotel California. But we made it. We headed to Yolk, a breakfast place that I heard about, but cannot remember where. There was a wait, but it was worth it. Bill had the steak and eggs, I had the crepe platter. Wow, the crepes were so delicious. They didn't need butter or syrup, in fact when I added the syrup just to try it, that ruined them! We didn't need to eat again until later on our way home. I don't even think we were really that hungry, we just ate because we figured we should.
I digress. Before we left Chicago, we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. We parked in the parking garage, so I didn't get any pictures from the outside of the building. But we took a couple of pictures inside. Here's what we saw:
The 727, and the other airplanes hanging around
a couple of clowns
the U-505, which we toured. This was my favorite exhibit. I think Bill was torn between the planes and this.
the main gallery.
That was it. That was our 10th Anniversary extraordinaire vacation. I hope you enjoyed the photos. And that it was just as boring as a slide show in our home (although we would have made popcorn for you).
I digress. Before we left Chicago, we went to the Museum of Science and Industry. We parked in the parking garage, so I didn't get any pictures from the outside of the building. But we took a couple of pictures inside. Here's what we saw:
The 727, and the other airplanes hanging around
a couple of clowns
the U-505, which we toured. This was my favorite exhibit. I think Bill was torn between the planes and this.
the main gallery.
That was it. That was our 10th Anniversary extraordinaire vacation. I hope you enjoyed the photos. And that it was just as boring as a slide show in our home (although we would have made popcorn for you).
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Vacation! day six
Okay, so these posts are lasting longer than the entire vacation. But it's fun for me to post one day at a time. First, because the photo uploader uploads the photos backward. If I want it to be easy I have to think of what photo I want to be last, and attach it first. I don't always remember. Then I have to sit here and move the photos around in the post, which should be easy, but is not. Second, I get to relive the vacation and see if I remembered everything in my journal. Third, it is hopefully less of a burden to you. I hope you continue to enjoy our vacation pictures as my memory of the vacation quickly fades into routine...
Saturday morning we had tickets for a 10am architectural river cruise. It was another beautiful day and perfect for taking some pictures of the amazing architecture in Chicago. I plan on framing some of them to add to our collection in our living room.
waiting for the tour to start
lots of sunlight pours down over the city, thanks to the setback requirements when skyscrapers first started going up
this is one of the choices for the living room
We saw this sign back at the entrance to Navy Pier. I could not resist taking a photo.
And what are they doing?
We got back to Navy Pier and decided to eat lunch, which was smart because it was already getting crowded. Then we walked to the end of the pier, or as close as we could get because it was all roped off for the Tall Ships. You had to have a ticket to even look at them and they were strategically placed so that you could not even sneak a peak from the restrooms! We decided we have seen enough tall ships and didn't need to purchase tickets, so we would walk back on the inside of the arcade. Did you know the biggest museum/collection of stained glass is housed in Navy Pier? Neither did we, but we do now!
This was in the floor
If you know First UMC Grand Rapids, this will look familiar. We have one of the last Tiffany stained glass windows and it is very similar to this one.
I love the pastoral scenes
We will never forget.
Saturday morning we had tickets for a 10am architectural river cruise. It was another beautiful day and perfect for taking some pictures of the amazing architecture in Chicago. I plan on framing some of them to add to our collection in our living room.
waiting for the tour to start
lots of sunlight pours down over the city, thanks to the setback requirements when skyscrapers first started going up
this is one of the choices for the living room
We saw this sign back at the entrance to Navy Pier. I could not resist taking a photo.
And what are they doing?
We got back to Navy Pier and decided to eat lunch, which was smart because it was already getting crowded. Then we walked to the end of the pier, or as close as we could get because it was all roped off for the Tall Ships. You had to have a ticket to even look at them and they were strategically placed so that you could not even sneak a peak from the restrooms! We decided we have seen enough tall ships and didn't need to purchase tickets, so we would walk back on the inside of the arcade. Did you know the biggest museum/collection of stained glass is housed in Navy Pier? Neither did we, but we do now!
This was in the floor
If you know First UMC Grand Rapids, this will look familiar. We have one of the last Tiffany stained glass windows and it is very similar to this one.
I love the pastoral scenes
We will never forget.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Vacation! part five
This is day two in Chicago. Bill and I decided not to go to the museum of Science and Industry on Friday and we would go on Sunday on our way out of town, instead. I think it was a wise decision since the weather was beautiful. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for our morning caffeine and took a nice walk. We walked to the bridge on Michigan and were about to cross it when I looked down. Not smart for someone who has height problems. Instead of crossing the bridge we took some pictures and walked back to shop at Crate and Barrel.
It was a nice quiet morning. We went back to the hotel and did what most people who have been married for ten years do, and ignored each other while sitting on our laptops. We decided to make a lunch (we brought a cooler full of supplies) and then walked up to Lincoln Park Zoo. Yes, it was about two miles away, but who wants to drive less than two miles? The walk wasn't going to kill us, so we set off. We walked along the lake, until we had to cross over to get to the park.
The zoo is on the north side of the park and it's free! What you can't see in this picture are the dragonflies. They show up in this photo as black spots. If you click on it to enlarge the photo, you'll see them.
We saw all kinds of animals and we took lots of photos. I think my favorite were the lions. She was out sunning herself up on the rock so everyone could see. If you look close you can see her mate...
He's not easy to spot in the shadows, so I walked around and took his photo from the other side, can you find him?
This sign made us laugh. Really?
I'm also fond of giraffes, so here is one, the other put his head down and is just behind the rocks.
We decided we were hungry enough to stop and eat on the way back. After we looked up restaurants on the gps, then looked at reviews on the blackberry we picked one and headed toward Wells Street. We discovered that we're old and we eat too early because the restaurant we had chosen wasn't open until 6pm. We kept walking, and figured since we were in "Old Town" we would find something. Almost across the street we found this.
Topo Gilgio. Italian sounded good, so we stopped here. We got an anti-pasta plate that was bigger than our table. It had salami, olives, artichoke, some kind of quiche, cheese, red peppers, mushrooms... I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember. Bill ordered the special; black linguine in a cream sauce with shrimp, scallops and salmon. I had rigatoni with pancetta in a red sauce. Both were delicious!! We had to walk back very slowly because we were stuffed and we were bringing home leftovers! We drank our last bottle of Stringio (from the winery we went to in Tuscany) and had a relaxing evening, resting with our feet propped up.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Vacation! part four
Thursday, we drove to Chicago. We had bought tickets online to tour the Robie House which is on the campus of University of Chicago. We got to the house early and actually found a parking spot! We were on the 2 o'clock house tour, so we took the walking neighborhood tour and then ate lunch. The tour took us around the quad and over to Rockefeller Chapel. The Chapel was open so we were able to walk inside.
outside looking at the chapel
inside the chapel looking at the ceiling
in the courtyard of Ida Noyes Hall
We walked over to 57th street and walked until we found a restaurant that looked good. It was Medici and it was delicious! Bill had a "beef stroganoff" burger and I had the special, a meat lover's calzone. Then we headed back for our tour. You are not allowed to take pictures inside which is okay because it's currently under restoration and there is nothing special to see. Especially not after we have been in the Meyer May house here in Grand Rapids, where it's furnished, fully restored and you are allowed to take pictures. Here are a few of the photos from the outside.
It was one of the first houses in the city to have a three car garage!
From there we headed to the Allerton Hotel on Michigan and Huron. We were upgraded to the suite, which was awesome (you can see pictures on facebook). We had dinner reservations at Riva on Navy Pier. We enjoyed our dinner. The food was spectacular and the view was amazing.
Bill had the clam chowder and I had an artichoke stuffed with cheese appetizer. Bill had the swordfish over a creamy shrimp risotto and I had the pork chop. Of course we had dessert and espressos.
It was a lovely anniversary evening. On our stroll back to the hotel we were able to watch the fireworks that were shot off at Navy Pier.
outside looking at the chapel
inside the chapel looking at the ceiling
in the courtyard of Ida Noyes Hall
We walked over to 57th street and walked until we found a restaurant that looked good. It was Medici and it was delicious! Bill had a "beef stroganoff" burger and I had the special, a meat lover's calzone. Then we headed back for our tour. You are not allowed to take pictures inside which is okay because it's currently under restoration and there is nothing special to see. Especially not after we have been in the Meyer May house here in Grand Rapids, where it's furnished, fully restored and you are allowed to take pictures. Here are a few of the photos from the outside.
It was one of the first houses in the city to have a three car garage!
From there we headed to the Allerton Hotel on Michigan and Huron. We were upgraded to the suite, which was awesome (you can see pictures on facebook). We had dinner reservations at Riva on Navy Pier. We enjoyed our dinner. The food was spectacular and the view was amazing.
Bill had the clam chowder and I had an artichoke stuffed with cheese appetizer. Bill had the swordfish over a creamy shrimp risotto and I had the pork chop. Of course we had dessert and espressos.
It was a lovely anniversary evening. On our stroll back to the hotel we were able to watch the fireworks that were shot off at Navy Pier.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Chicago
I love architecture. This picture caught me by surprise. We were walking back to the van after seeing "Wicked" and we were all talking and I looked up, and there was the Sear's Tower.
Then as we were driving to the CSM building, I noticed the Chicago times building, then as I looked past it, I saw the John Hancock building. But the camera totally picked up all the dirt on the windshield.So we saw "Wicked" and we took a prayer tour on Sunday. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we worked at a Head Start program at the Carol Robinson school from 9am-noon. Just in time for the little buggers to be ready for a nap! Monday night we worked at a soup kitchen at the Uptown Baptist Church. Very cool, the bananas are donated by the Blue Man group. Tuesday night we were "Immersed" into Chicago. My group fed a homeless man. Very touching, as they decided to do this on their own.
We ate Vietnamese, Thai and of course, Chicago style pizza. All local restaurants, all delicious!
I have to add, our host's name was Emily, she graduated from Noblesville High School (for those of you who don't know, that's seven miles from where I grew up)!
All in all it was a great experience, and the group that we took were amazing. If anyone reading this ever gets a chance to work with CSM, I highly recommend them, as they were well organized and took great care of us.
Monday, March 12, 2007
What would you do?
I know this has little to do with Chicago. However we found this flask, and thought it was hilarious, especially since we were on a mission trip. I hope you get a kick out of it too. It's not meant to offend anyone, although it brings up an interesting question; "What would Jesus do?"
Our answer was to take a picture.
(note: it says, "what wouldn't Jesus do?")
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