It's Friday...which means....

it is LEFT FOR ME TO FIND picture time!!

Here is a smattering of things that I found along my Chicago journey this week, take a peek..


An unidentified object of yellow, looking smashed and mellow....


A beautifully flowered tree in a nearby park, where dogs go bark, bark....


A backpacking Mom and her son, a little one...


A peel from an orange that was left behind, just rind...


A lost chewy toy of a dog who will be so very sad, not at all glad...


And, last, but certainly not the least in my Susan Snippet's Chicago weekly walk...a note to me from a secret admirer...


just another desirer

My Home with a View!!

Moving several years ago to a quaint river town in the suburbs of Chicago....AWESOME!

Finally buying that small, vintage home I have always desired....INCREDIBLE!

Opening my front door to welcome my boyfriend’s parents on Memorial Day and seeing this eight foot long....


on the never-has-seen-graffiti-before, turn-of-the-century, white brick school across the street....PRICELESS!

Some of you might remember that I am a fan of street art....although never being in favor of criminal acts...I do love and respect the artistic quality of some....


But these novices....not only did they NOT know how to spell...


One Einstein (a junior at the local high school that my daughter knows) was stupid enough to sign his own name...


at least the cops know who to blame

"You are going to be a Rock Star there!"

my neighbor said to me last Friday afternoon after telling her that I was going with a group of friends for the first time to the Sycamore Speedway to watch the stock car races.

Ironically, the day before there was a $5.00 off admission coupon in my local paper.....

and because I never like to pass up a deal - I went and invested another 50 cents to be sure that Keith and I were both covered with $5 savings on the cost of admission.

Boy did I get some "rightfully-so" grief for that!

Why would I not spend $3.00 and get all SIX of us that were going a $5.00 off coupon - for a $30 savings???

"Blondie" must have momentarily overtaken my brain!!

But back to the races....what fun...and HOW very correct my neighbor's prediction was!

From the toilet paper in the women's washroom stalls....


to the patrons...


the beers...


and the flying mud/dirt...

the loud races and colorful cars...



to the souvenir shop....

where Keith bought himself some blinking glasses....


and the bar next door that we visited afterwards....


where I saw all sorts of "different" things...


A quick stop in Maple Park for a nightcap at one of Steve & Judy's favorite bars and we were all ready for some sleep.

And at the end of the day....what did I learn?

I learned that next time I head out for the stock car races....I will be sure that I have a fistful of coupons and that I am appropriately "race wear" dressed.

quite the cooterfest

p.s. - Also a special shout of thanks to hedy and jim for setting up that wonderful evening and making sure that we were driven safely to and fro.

you are the best you know

The invitation just appeared on the.......

dining room table. Placed there with the same nonchalant attitude that she has shown throughout her Certified Nursing Assistant class this year. I had to pull information out of her just to get a glimpse of her clinical experiences..."Well I was showering this 95 year-old man last week and he said 'I have to go boom-boom!' and then he pooped all over!"

This couldn't possibly be the same young woman who does not allow us to discuss "poop" on any level inside our house?

Could it?

Yes, it could.

Outside of her family circle she is confident, caring and undeterred by flying poop from a 95 year-old man in a shower, thus allowing her to be a good CNA and eventually a dedicated registered nurse.

For background information....one of the many positive things that came out of my cancer journey was the instilling in my daughter a desire to become a nurse. We were blessed to have awesome nurses care for me both in the hospital and at our home, many of which took extra time to explain what they were doing and instruct the then-11-to-12-year-old curious girl.

Now that little girl has grown into a beautiful young woman, who is graduating high school and continues to have her sights on that career.

To that end she has achieved a Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate as a high school senior and last Tuesday I proudly and teary-eyedly sat at her “Pinning” Ceremony with my Snippet’s camera and a bouquet of flowers in hand....


along with my sister and her husband (her Godparents) who, at the last minute, were also able to attend.

There was a slide presentation and several speakers who shared their experiences about working alongside the students....


We sat straight up in our chairs, beaming, as she was “pinned” making her an official Certified Nursing Assistant.


Then there was a celebratory reception with punch....


and cake....


and had-to-have mom photos for me...


all of which we followed up by taking her for a quick lunch before she drove back to high school to attend her last class of the day.

I am so very proud of this young woman, who, with a reading disability and a sometimes jumbled childhood (divorce, a sick mom), has accomplished these first steps along the path to her has-known-for-years-what-she-wants-to-be career!

persevere my dear persevere

Once again...Left for Me to Find FRIDAY!!

Photos of "special" things I stumble upon during my journeys throughout this City that I so love.

A cup of bad luck....


Just missing the bowl and spoon...


And for those of you who think that at times I EXAGGERATE about the conditions in our down-the-hall-from-my-office women's washroom....this was on the floor this past Tuesday...


that is all i will say

btw - have a wonderfully fun and safe holiday weekend.

love i send

Farmer’s Market Chicago Style

Every Thursday from May thru October the Farmer’s Market is held at Daley Plaza, underneath the watchful gaze of the Picasso....


Right now..being it is still early in the growing season you will mainly find flowers and plants....


along with an occasional stand selling asparagus or rhubarb or mushrooms...


there are always baked goods (yum!)...


and interesting entertainment....


and it also has seating (a planter in this case) to just relax and read a book.


so come to chicago and look look look

"It's a beautiful day for a ballgame...

Let's play two!" was his trademark cry, letting everyone know he so loved the game that he wanted to play a doubleheader every day.

After being signed in 1953, Ernie Banks spent his entire major league career as a Chicago Cub – thus giving him the moniker of “Mr. Cub”.


You can read about his stellar career here.

Dutchie Caray is the wife of the late Harry Caray, who has been gone for over 10 years, but is still larger than life in the hearts of Chicago Cub’s fans. Dutchie has become something of a First Lady of the Near North Side, a frequent sight at Harry Caray's restaurant downtown and an often visitor to all things Cubs.

Just a little Chicago history before I write about my amazing experience on Sunday with these two Chicago icons.

In being a member of the Chicago Cub’s West Side Rooter’s Social Club that I blogged about last year here, I receive emails about upcoming events.

Some weeks ago one such email was sent seeking members to ride on a Chicago Trolley in the Lombard Lilac Day Parade...Lombard, the hometown of Susan Snippets...and the parade that I have attended as a spectator throughout my life...I finally was being given an opportunity to be IN the parade.

And not only in it, but in it with the likes of Ernie Banks and Dutchie Caray!

How could I refuse?

I was allowed to bring three guests.

Keith and my 30-years-as-friends-and-life-long-Cub-fans, Jim and Patti were my picks.


We met at Harry Caray’s Restaurant in Lombard and due to the efforts of a young, gorgeous, talented (and as you can see below FUN) Sonja of Harry Caray's marketing department, we proceeded to have a blast!


A beautiful sunny parade day, shared by the gracious Ernie Banks and the warm-as-your-momma, Dutchie Caray.

There were plenty of fans asking for autographs and chatting away with both Mr. Cub and Dutchie.




Including us.

While we were in line awaiting the start of the parade – I pulled a clown into our mix and in doing so we found out that as a child, Ernie Banks wanted to be a clown or a hobo (good thing he didn’t follow those ambitions instead of baseball!).


Ernie sang this short snippet for us that I captured on video....



There are many stories still to tell from that day....but at the end of it all, Mr. Cub had a Snippet’s business card with my and Keith’s cell phone numbers scrawled on the back.....and for my dear friend Jim....well he fulfilled a lifelong dream of watching the Chicago Cub’s play while talking baseball with a legend of the game.


he will never again be the same

Monday PRE-Memorial Day

A beautiful start to this holiday week with sunshine and temps predicted to be in the 70's and although I promised a Monday morning blog about all the fun and frivolity of yesterday....it will have to wait until tomorrow as I upload the pictures/video(s) and compose the story in head. Until then you might want to read this post from the latter part of the Cub's "winning" (almost!) season of '08 to gain some background.

So instead....I leave you with this morning's video of the fast-growing-and-forever-pooping-goslings that take up residence at the East Bank Club every year, under the always-watchful-eye-of-their-Momma Goose....but be careful - they hiss and bite.



momma is never out of sight

This started out....

being a post about yesterday's lunch....when I met my good friend Hedy (my blogging inspirer) of Hedy’s Blog at one of our favorite outdoor spots.

So manned with my trusty Snippet’s camera, I purchased a salad at the East Bank Club and walked over to the park for some food, friendship, fresh air, sunshine and Chicago scenery.

All the while taking pictures of this and that.....







knowing full well that I would be going back to the office and blogging about our girl talk, the park, our food, the beautiful weather, the scenery, and the fact that they were replacing the pathway along the Chicago river with lovely brick pavers.

But I changed my mind after I loaded my pictures onto the computer and saw this shot that I took of Hedy.....


only from behind, so as to keep her identity hidden from all of her blog stalkers.

Once I saw this photo....I just knew that I couldn’t write about our too-long-since-our-last-lunch; or the park; or the sunny weather; or the only-in-Chicago views..instead I HAD to write about her incredibly beautiful, shiny hair..

it is so unfair

"Rainy Days and Mondays...."

For my walk into the office this morning and again for my lunch walk......

I don't think I need to say much more.

pour pour pour



*Photo courtesy of Phillip Moody Photography