Possibly blown in...

along with the wild storms that passed thru Chicago today...

this four-inch long, prehistoric looking beetle has currently attached itself to my front screen door.

when my daughter comes home later she will screamingly abhor

Calling It As I Saw It....

Father's Day 2010.

Becoming a father while still a very young man himself, he brought (as we all do) the baggage of his childhood along and made decisions about how to be a father.

Some of which were good and some...

not so good.

But those that he fabulously perfected...


makes me so wish that he was still physically in our lives.

Yes, I have comfort in the knowledge that he is seated next to the King of Kings, celebrating the ultimate Father's Day in Heaven...

but I so selfishly want him here.

pops sending up fathers day cheer

"What the heck?"

I thought while reaching into the right pocket of my blazer on the train home tonight.

A crazy, hectic day at the corporate law firm, running from floor to floor, I put my cell phone into that same pocket, forgetting it was there until I was sitting on the train heading home, and decided to see if I had any missed calls.

Reaching in I felt something slimy...immediately I pulled my fingers out and sure enough, they were covered with what appeared to be a creamy lotion.

Not exactly sure what it was, I did what most people would do...

I smelled it.

I didn't smell like lotion.

But it did have a familiar scent.

One I smell often during baking season.

That is when I remembered putting a pat of butter in my pocket this morning after buying a bagel in our building's cafeteria and obviously FORGETTING to use it.

What about my phone?!?!

was my next thought as I pulled it out...

made me want to shout

"If I brought in some swatches...

will you help me pick out which colors will look good together?"

my new workmate, Gigi, asked last week.

"Sure." I let her know "I could do that."

But today, while I was out in the garden, it occurred to me that if you are wondering what colors go well together, look at how God perfectly colored most everything around us...






See!!

and it is for free

It was worth it all!

Even through the crush of the crowd...


the smell of sweat that permeated the air and drunk youngesters, who at times were yelling and smoking...

it was still exhilarating to be at the ticker tape parade and enjoy the Blackhawks' celebration!!


stanley cup elation

Hawks Win! Hawks Win!!

Everyone at this large, corporate, somewhat stuffy, but obviously a lover of all things Chicago, received an email yesterday saying...

"When our beloved Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup tonight, please show your support by wearing Hawks attire (or black and red) to the office tomorrow.

If, by some small chance they don't win tonight, (because Pronger is illegally cross-checking our guys) please show your support for their win in game 7 by wearing Hawks attire (or black and red) on Friday."

And as the WORLD knows by now...

the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS WON THE STANLEY CUP!!

So last night after the presentation of Stanley's Cup, I ran over to my sister's house and borrowed my brother-in-law, Steve's official Jonathan Toews jersey.

While handing it over, he requested that I "don't lose it!"

To which I responded "I will be wearing it, so if IT gets lost, so do I!"

As of this illegal posting...

Steve should have no worries - I haven't lost it yet.

But for me...I am starting to be concerned about those I hang with on the train!

funny faces they cannot refrain

Picture of the Day

Re-seeded from places unknown and in the middle of a crack in the "vintage" sidewalk that runs alongside my house...this beautiful little flower...

has survived.

and thrived