My Trip Home To Illinois

I just got back from a visit with my mom, sister (Martha) and brother-in-law (Ken) who all still live in Illinois. My flight was uneventful, other than waiting over an hour for the one bag I checked at a cost of $15. It seems there are a variety of approaches to O'Hare airport, but this time our plane went right over Lake Michigan. I was happy not to have to use my seat cushion as a "floatation device." As we came back across land it was clear to me that we were actually a bit north of Chicago. I looked out my window and could just barely see the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette. I scrambled for my camera and got a shot of it just as it was passing out of view.

A magnified view of the Baha'i Temple

The original picture with the Temple barely visible in the center.

Martha and Ken play tennis regularly with people from their retirement community. One morning they graciously let me tag along and I enjoyed myself immensely. (that's me with the white sun visor)

Please don't look at my form.

Martha smacks it back to me.

That's Ken on the right. It's not evident from this picture but he's quite good.

I'm happy to have survived!

After a quick shower and lunch I drove to mom's place and found her watching a group of people playing bowling with a Wii. She was fascinated but then so was I!

After she'd had enough of that we went to the computer so I could show her some photographs and videos on my blog. She's a great-grandma now! She's also a cat lover and a nature lover, which is pretty much what my blog is about. I guess that old saying, "The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree" really fits in our case.

My mom has the prettiest white hair. It's so shiny and smooth and she doesn't do a thing with it. I'm so jealous. When I get old I'll be lucky to have hair!

After exhausting my mom with all the updates from my family I came back to Martha's and caught her fixing dinner.

She fixes sun-tea during the warm summer months and here she is adding lemon. During the colder months we get coffee... it's the rule :-)

Any southerners out there be forewarned: Midwestern iced tea is not sweet!

A close-up of her fridge: photos clockwise from bottom left: Cinnamon :-( , a group shot from Shirin and Gabriel's wedding, Shirin/Lisa/Anahita from Lisa's wedding, Anahita and Mom from August 2006, Ken's niece, my Dad :-( , and two pics close together of Anahita and Cha Cha and Shirin receiving her diploma.

The Master Griller

Ken creating the perfect burger.

Fortunately he knows better than to cook my veggie burger next to his dead cow patties!

We all agreed that the corn in Illinois is like no other, and that if none of the burgers came out right it'd be OK as long as we had our corn-on-the-cob! Yum.

Worshipping the corn.

The next morning we went to "The Southern Belle" for breakfast. Ken had a gift certificate but I like to think they chose this place because of me (get it? southern belle? Ok, so I'm no southern belle.)

We went straight from there to a bike trail to work off some of those pancakes, eggs, and hash browns.

I couldn't get over how swollen their waterways are. Ours are still low, with rocks jutting out. I guess we're still not over the drought.

Back to Mom's to chat while she mends a pair of her pants. Can you see the picture on the wall behind her? It's actually a framed edelweiss from the Austrian alps. If I'm not mistaken (Martha - correct me if I'm wrong) my grandfather sent that to her.

It felt like old times; Mom sewing and me chewing her ear off about every little thing!

That evening Martha and Ken took me to Drury Lane in Oakbrook for dinner and to see The Buddy Holly Story. The place was very lovely. We walked around a bit and several other huge rooms were set up for wedding receptions.

Some of the other folks in Martha and Ken's retirement community.

Ken got us to stop eating long enough for a quick pic.

The theater was also lovely and the guy who played Buddy Holly was quite talented. He had to act, play the guitar, and sing Holly's songs to sound like him.

Ready for the show!

On our way back to their house we drove through our hometown to look at some of the old places. We drove by the homes we grew up in (Ken grew up one block away from Martha and me), our old schools, downtown Main Street, and the old Pool and Racquet Club where all three of us spent many summers. When I look back at our old home it looks so small, but when I was a kid it was just right!

The next morning Martha was back in the kitchen fixing blueberry pancakes.

Those were some awesome fresh blueberries. Usually they drive up to Michigan and pick the blueberries themselves, but gas prices nixed that this year.

My sister spoils me. She tries so hard to find and fix me vegetarian versions of their food.

These vegetarian sausage patties turned out so tasty. Even Ken liked them, which is good, but then it means I have to share.

I loaded up on Martha's yummy breakfast because I knew I had the flight home in front of me; the snacks are gone but the flight attendant still brings you something to drink.

Don't believe the newscasters when they say flying is down. This is the baggage claim area in Charlotte, people six deep in front of the conveyor belts. It seems as busy as always to me.

It's good to be home with Saeed and the kitties. I think Saeed missed me but I know the kitties missed me. They follow me around; I feel like the Pied Piper. Thanks to Martha and Ken for their wonderful hospitality.... I'll be back!