A Rainy Frank Lloyd Wright Sunday In Oak Park

Our Son, Tom, And His Wife, Mary, in Santa Monica This Past Weekend

It's early, 6:00, and we are staying in Oak Park for another day, to enjoy the Gill family, but also because the weather is scary, out to west, both freezing rain and snow.  And tomorrow, Tuesday should be sunshine the entire way through Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Elaine has already left for work so the house is quiet.  And it was a upsetting few minutes, as I thought we forgot to make the coffee  and I was not sure where the coffee was for the coffee maker.  However, resourceful as ever, I found instant Starbuck coffee packs, heated water, and was a happy camper.  Pathetic to think that no coffee in the morning is a scary proposition.  What happened to that guy who fearlessly took his family to both Hawaii and Turkey back in the 60's and 70's?  He got old!

Alex and Kianna, Loving The Treasure Chest

Yesterday was another wet, gray and rainy day, our third in a row, not a great start to our vacation but we made the best of it.  Everyone but me slept in, Elaine being the first one up, then Evie and Jim and Kianna, finally the teenager Alex about 10:30.  Wouldn't it be nice to sleep in till 10:30.  We sat around and talked over coffee, trying to figure out our day, as Elaine made all of us her special smoothie, with fruit, yogurt, flax and spinach, quite good, and then a healthy frittata for breakfast, which we all devoured.  We were thinking about spending the afternoon at the great Art Institute of Chicago, perfect for a rainy afternoon.  But I noticed that the weather on Monday, our supposed day of departure, was going to be icy and wet for driving.  So Evie and I talked it over, and with the Gill's reluctant acquiescence, just kidding, we decided to stay another day in Oak Park. Thus, we put off our visit to the Art Institute until Monday and decided to go for a walk through downtown Oak Park, shopping a few stores, then walking down what I call Frank Lloyd Wright Street, filled with homes he designed.  We were in no hurry, so Evie pulled out the traveling Treasure Chest, for both Kianna and Alex and as always, it was a fun exciting time for the kids.  Despite the age, they all find something to treasure and the most fun is watching them trying to make up their mind what two treasures to take.  The mood rings are always a hit, as was the head massager.

Vintage Stained Glass In Elaine and Jim's Dining Room

For lunch Elaine had made a nice thick vegetable soup, which we all enjoyed with a baguette, sliced and toasted.  Both Alex and Kianna decided they did not want to go for a walk in Oak Park, so we drove off in Elaine's Prius for a mile and a half, then parked in the heart of Oak Park.  It was not a great day for a walk, but we had slickers and umbrellas, so despite the rain, we were able to enjoy our walk in 40 degree weather.  We hit a couple of shops that had all kinds of silly gifts, the kind perfect for the Treasure Chest.  Evie managed to spend twenty bucks on junk that kids will love, so she was happy.  We then walked into a hat shop, where I looked for a cap, the kind I used to wear back college, what we called a Hilt hat(only Bobcats will know what I mean), but they looked silly on me so I passed. We then walked the street with Wright's various homes, most owned by families, ending up at his home and studio.  We did not go in because we had been there the last time we visited and we were ready to head home, as we were getting wet and cold.  It was interesting to see Wright's variations on the Prairie Style home.  We got back around 3:30 and I took a nice nap, just what I needed while Evie played Pick Up Sticks and decorated cookies with Kianna.

Frank Lloyd Wright's House and Studio

Typical Prairie Style Frank Lloyd Wright House

Blasphemy, Fox TV In A Frank Lloyd Wight House

An Earlier Frank Lloyd Wright House

Austin Park

For dinner, we decided to go out to a local restaurant Elaine and Jim like called Maya Del Sol, a Latin American fusion restaurant.  It was the perfect  place to go on a rainy day, crowded but a great atmosphere, with diners enjoying each other as well as their food.  It also had a great bar, on the other half, where you could watch a game or eat.  Evie had delicious fish tacos, my dinner was roasted pork shoulder, wrapped in tortillas with various salsas.  All our meals were fine and filling.  We didn't get home until 8:30.  Alex was the only one who didn't go because he wanted to work on a couple of essays he was writing for school, a good kid.  We sat around the dining room table and played a dice game with the kids, called Left, Center, Right.  And we had our dessert, the cheese cake with raspberries, perfect after a Latin fusion night.  We were all tired, the kids had school, and Elaine leaves for work at 6:00, so we were upstairs in our beds by 10:15.

It's now 7:30, everyone is up but Alex.  Jim made home fries, a breakfast Kianna loves.  Everyone will be off to either school or work by 9:00, and we will head into the city by train around 10:30.  We are looking forward to day at the Art Institute.

Oak Park,IL For The Weekend With The Gills

Evie, With Her Sister Elaine, Her Daughter, Kianna. 

I am the first one up, and it's 6:30 on a gray and wet Sunday here in Oak Park.  As I sit here finishing this, it's now 7:40, and I have fed the cat Itchy, let him out and in, and finally someone, Elaine is also up with me.  It looks like another gray day, the third in a row for our trip, highs in the 40's perhaps.

We left Euclid around 7:30, in freezing rain for the first two hours at least, but the roads, though wet, did not seem to have frozen although our windshield did.  It started to clear up some, still gray but not as dark, as we were nearing Toledo thank goodness.  It was not a fun six hour plus ride but, fortunately, we did not hit much traffic until we were almost in downtown Chicago, where we took the Eisenhower west out to Oak Park.  In fact, the Eisenhower was the most busy of all the roads.

Aloha Chicago

We arrived at Elaine and Jim's home around 1:30, just as they got home from shopping, good timing. Elaine was making a vegetable stew, so we all ended up in the kitchen, talking and deciding what       we were going to do for dinner.  By 3:00, Evie and Elaine were off to do some shopping at Costco, picking up things for dinner as well as the week and then picked up Kianna at gymnastics.  While they shopped, Jim took me out and let me drive his Chevy Volt, an electric car.  It drove amazingly well, a great pick up, and of course, quiet. For just driving around town, less than say forty miles in a day, this is the perfect car.  He also let me drive his Prius, which seems more utilitarian but gets great mileage, is perfect for both trips as well as driving around town.  And I was quite comfortable in both.

Alex, Elaine, and Kianna

The suburb of Oak Park is quite chic, a bustling, thriving town about ten miles from Chicago, twenty minutes by train.  It's downtown is filled with cool shops, stores, restaurants, coffee shops, all the kinds of thing you might want in a village.  Jim and Elaine live about a mile or two from the town center, on a street filled with Arts and Crafts homes.  Their home was completely updated in the Arts and Crafts style, with amazing stained glass windows, built in cupboards,  by the the previous owner, a perfectionist fortunately.  Most of their furniture is in the Mission style, emphasizing horizonals and verticals, the chairs and tables made of oak.  It's the style Evie and I love as well, and wish we could have brought more of it to our house in Chautauqua.  We have one Morris chair which, however, is uncomfortable so we have it in the attic, alas.

Vintage Stained Glass Windoes

Dining Room Window/Backyard

When Evie and Elaine returned, Elaine and her daughter Kianna put together a cheesecake for dessert, and made up some bruschetta for an appetizer.  Everyone was hungry by 5:30, so we all relaxed in the living room, enjoying our toasts with a glass of wine, picked up at Costco, where else. Dinner was great, stuffed shells and turkey meatballs, and great bread from the local artisan bakery. Their son, Alex, a twenty year old, having spent a gap year in Australia, regaled us with stories and jokes.  And Kianna is the perfect audience for his jokes, as she can rarely stop laughing.  A great family.

Dinner In Their Arts and Crafts Dining Room

In the evening, Elaine and I sat back and talked, while Alec, Kianna and Evie played a game called Clue.  Not sure what it's about but I thing it involves figuring out who the murderer may be from the various 'clues.'

Le Chat, Itchy

Pasta Dinner In Euclid at Holzheimer's, Lots of Nieces and Nephews, On to Oak Park

Our Cardinal

My Sister Linda and Her Husband, Rich

Sky Line Of Cleveland At Dusk

It's 6:30, and I am sitting in the darkness of Lake Erie, waiting for some sunlight to appear, to light the day.  We are in Euclid, Ohio, staying at my sister Linda's home, about a mile from where I grew up.  As usual, I am the only one up at this hour but Rich, my brother in law will be up soon, as he's an early riser as well, enjoys the quiet of dawn, especially here on Lake Erie.

Yesterday began with our decision that we were going to Euclid, early afternoon, Oak Park, IL, on Saturday morning, weather forecasting be damned.  So, though we were both up early, we had lots to do even though we were doing 'lots' to prepare for our trip for a couple of days.  I decided I needed some yoga, so I took off for Lakewood at 9:00, on a snowy morning though the roads were fine.  Like last week, I was the only one in class, the weather having scared everyone else away, so I had personal attention from Courtney.  We went through the usual class but she helped to make sure I was doing everything right, or as right as I can make it.  I feel bad that I am the only one in class, that she has to stay for me, but she doesn't seem to care which is nice.  I was home by 11:30, and Evie had been busy, as four or five bags were sitting in our hallway, ready to be packed.

We were not living until 2:00, so I figured we had plenty of time.  We had soup and toasted cheese for lunch, watched some Stewart and Colbert, then got serious about getting ready. We packed the car, closed up the house, checked numerous lists to make sure everything was done, closed the door, zipped up our canvas and we were on our way at 2:00, as scheduled!

The Cooks Welcome Us 

The roads were fine, no snow, and the sun even came out when we neared Euclid, so bright in the western sky that I needed my sunglasses.  We got to Euclid around 4:15 and unpacked quickly, one bag a piece.  Linda and Rich had also been busy, as we could smell the huge pot of pasta sauce simmering on the stove, piles of meatballs and Italian sausage, sitting next to it on the counter.  That's the way to end a drive, walking into a house filled with the smell of food cooking.  Rich then built a fire in their living room, and we relaxed and talked until about 5:30 when their kids and grandchildren started stopping over, after work or school.  Linda had mentioned we would be in town and invited them over for some drinks and appetizers.

Nieces and Nephews - Courtney, Kirsten, Kevin

Another Nephew, Patrick

Kevin and Son Dan, a Junior at Villa Angela/St Joe

Evie and the Girls, Sophie and Emily

More Girls, Grace, Sophie, and Emily

So, by 6:00, there were thirteen of us, enjoying the appetizers and  drinks.  It's always fun to see their family and its rare because they are usually so busy that when we do come to Euclid, they are usually off at a game or practice. Anyways, it was great to see them, Evie took lots of pictures, and they stayed until about 7:00.

Pasta Dinner

With My Nephew Richie

We ate around 7:30 I think, and Richie, their son who lives in the neighborhood, stayed for dinner because his wife had taken their son to a soccer tournament in Dayton.  I guess there are no soccer teams nearby.  Dinner was great, of course, great meatballs, sausage and of course the sauce was delicious, made by the maestro, Rich, and simmered for hours.  We had spumoni for dessert, reminding all of us of having eaten with our parents at a couple of restaurants in Little Italy when we
were young, the Golden Bowl and Ronzini's, both long gone.  We stayed up talking, sitting around the fireplace until about 10:30, then we all went up to bed, tired from day, of driving for us, cooking for Linda and Rich.

THE DIRECTOR: DAVID IGNATIUS

This is the latest by the Washington Post journalist, quite different from his other novels.  Instead of CIA spooks, drops, and subterfuge, we have computer geeks, in tee shirts, with ears pierced and flip flops, sitting around computers, jamming and hacking every conceivable country, business and person, at times running rampant over other governments as well as our own, all in the name of security. Welcome to the post 9/11 world of Wikileaks, Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning.

This is a world most of us know little about which is why this book is informative as well as a good read.  Ignatius has the connections, the knowledge of the spook world as it used to be, and I assume from this novel, as it has become. The novel begins as Graham Weber, successful  businessman and billionaire, takes over the CIA, bringing some of his business efficiency and  know how to a stumbling, fumbling agency, unsure of its role, in a moment of grand transition.  Needless to say, running a government institution, with a history and culture like the CIA, is quite different from starting up your own company and making money.  So he's thrust into this world, must somehow find his way, depending on colleagues and mentors, as dubious as that may be.  The conflict revolves around James Morris, computer geek, a whiz kid, who has gained the confidence of not only the CIA but Cyril Hoffmann, veteran of all the political wars, in charge of both the NSA, FBI, and CIA.  A week after Weber has taken reins, Morris has gone rogue, working with hackers from all over the world, hoping to turn the world upside down, and like a modern Robin Hood, steal the money from all the wealthy countries and banks, and wire it to the poorest countries.

We are never quite sure how much Cyril Hoffmann knows about Morris, whether he's on board with this type of project, but for a good part of the novel, he supports him.  It's Weber's task to somehow find out what Morris is doing, stop it, meanwhile fighting the typical turf wars one finds when moving into a new position and trying to change the culture.  No one seems on board and there are few people to trust.  Hoffmann, however, is the biggest problem, as he soon realizes Weber is his own man, marches to the beat of his own drum, not Cyril's.  His solution to this problem is to set up Graham Weber, and make it look as if he's responsible for Morris and all the problems he has caused.

Fortunately, Weber is a step ahead of Cyril, finds a woman agent who he trusts, and together,  they set up Hoffman, and prove that he hired and supported Morris. The novel ends with the fall of Hoffman, the resignation of Weber, and a woman, for the first time, taking the reins of the CIA.   The ending is a bit thin but learning about the new CIA, and the old, with its leftover 'wise men,' was interesting.

Less Than A Foot Of Snow Overnight, Westward Ho

7:23

Up at 5:45, to the honks of Canadian geese, sounds I heard on and off during the night.  At the moment, they have moved elsewhere, to wake others along the lake.  We did not get as much snow last night as predicted, up to 18 inches, more like 10-12 or so it looks from my back porch.  The road has been already plowed by Shane, comforting to know he is on top of things along Woodlawn.

Yesterday was a day of waiting, a lost day more or less because we tried to make sense of the weather warnings, whether we should drive to Cleveland or not.  We could not leave until the afternoon because Evie had a dentist appointment late morning and did not get home till around 1:00.  After much angst and realization that whatever we chose the opposite would happen, we decided to put off our trip West until today.  And, of course, as we predicted, it was sunny most of the afternoon here at the lake, though it did cloud up and start snowing hard around 7:00.  We could have driven to Cleveland without a problem, or so it seemed, if we had left early enough but Interstate 90 as well as Interstate 86 can be treacherous.  Let's just hope that the Interstates are cleared by the time we leave today, around 2:00, when the snow is supposed to stop, the lake effect warnings expire.  For the first time, I can see the advantages of spending the winter in Florida, not that I want to but!

So yesterday was a day of anxiousness until we decided to stay, then we both collapsed and did little the rest of the day.  We were all packed, the house was organized, and we had nothing we had to do. So we did nothing but lie around, watching TV, reading, regretting at times the fact that we had not driven to Cleveland for the night.  Around 4:30, just before wine time, I went outside and did some easy shoveling of the parking space and walk, around two inches of blowing snow.  We then relaxed, listened to the radio, kept up on the weather reports for the night and Friday.  Then, around 7:00, as we were having our burritos, the snow began, heavy with blowing winds, the heaviest snow so far this year, at least along Woodlawn.

Heavy Evening Snow

Around 9:00, I turned on our spotlight and went out and shoveled one more time.  About six inches had fallen in less than two hours.  Fortunately, the snow was light and fluffy, so it was easy to move and it was kind of fun to be outside, snow hitting my face, as I cleared our parking space.  It took about twenty minutes at the most and I hardly worked up a sweat.  When I looked out this morning, it looks like we got another four or five inches, so it will be another easy shoveling this morning.

We had dinner as I mentioned around 7:00, watched an early Steven Soderbergh 1993 film called King Of The Hill, about a young boy, forced to grow up on his own during the Depression.  It was decent, the perfect diversion to keep our mind off the weather, our decision to stay the night. We ended the evening watching Stewart and Colbert, then went up to bed around 11:00 to read, then sleep.

This morning we will have to decide whether we should drive to Euclid today, then Chicago for the weekend or just wait until Sunday and drive the southern route to Kansas City.  They are predicting icy roads, freezing rain on the Interstate's on Saturday, the day we would drive to Chicago.  More decisions.

7:28

It's now 7:30 and the sun just burst through the clouds, an orange globe, hanging briefly over the trees of Wells Bay.  To the north, it's all cloudy and gray, in fact, except for the dash of light over Wells Bay, it's all clouds.

An Inch Or Two Of Snow, More To Come?

6:53

7:41

Up way too early, like yesterday, at 5:20, just popped awake and couldn't get back to sleep.  Strange how I know the time when I wake, that I won't be able to get back to sleep.  I checked outside and we may have had an inch of snow last night, still not much of an accumulation.  I am not complaining. It's warmer than yesterday, 24º and it's still too dark to see the sky or the lake.

Yesterday was really cold but there was little accumulated snow so I went to yoga expecting a small class but when I walked in, it was almost full.  Everyone seemed to want to get out of the house, get some exercise, even a couple of new people in our class.  After class, I stopped for a coffee at Ryders, as usual, and drove home carefully and slowly, though the roads seemed fine, but you never know. When I got home, Evie was busy with getting the house in order for our trip, sorting and packing her clothes for our twelve days living out of a suitcase.  And we both put together an emergency kit for our car, so we are prepared if we ever get stuck on an interstate like the poor souls in Buffalo two days ago.  Scary.

We then spent the rest of the day organizing, taking it easy, no walks or hikes because of the cold weather. I did shovel the parking area but there was hardly any snow, the wind having blown most of it away.  And I walked some along Woodlawn, and it felt good, as the wind had lessened, the cold was not as bitter as earlier in the day.  I could have kept going but it was late and a glass of wine was waiting.

Snacking Canadian Geese, Wednesday Afternoon

Dinner was easy, leftover pot roast and mashed potatoes, a salad, the perfect meal for the day before we travel, easy but good.  Not much on TV so we watched the Cavs lose to the Spurs, a pretty good game.  The Cavs had a chance to win it but Lebron had a turnover in the last few seconds and the Cavs lost the game.

Neither one of us are looking forward to today.  For one thing, we discovered we have no heat in our upstairs bedrooms, so we are going try to get a plumber over here before we leave, if we leave.  I am not optimistic but we will see.  Late morning, Evie has a dentist appointment, and when she gets home around 1:00, we will have to make a decision whether to drive to Cleveland, take the chance despite the warnings, or not.  It looks like the lake effect snow will be spotty, bad in some areas, fine in others but you cannot tell.  If there's any doubt, we will probably put off our travel a day but it does not sound like it will be much better tomorrow until late in the day.  Decisions.  Uncertainty. Anxiety.

PInk Sky In The Morning, Chautauquans Take Warning

6:39

7:26

A Rotund Goldfinch (side views are never flattering)

Awake at 5:00, but did not get up until 6:00, to the honking of geese.  The reason, fifty to sixty are huddled together, like a huge block of ice, just off of our neighbors, the Bergen's, house.  There's a shallow area, which attracts these visitors from Canada.  It's a sparkling morning, clear skies, crescent moon hanging in the sky, pink/orange above the skyline, and cold, 10º, of course.  I have been listening to Buffalo's NPR, as they are following a news conference by city officials, talking about the problems caused by three or four feet of snow yesterday in some areas south of the city, up to six feet in others, warning about another two or three feet on Thursday, for a possible total of 90 inches in a few days, as much as the areas might get in a year.  Wow.  There are still a few people stranded on the Interstate but most of the problem seems to be getting the roads cleared of stalled cars and trucks.

Help is coming from all over the East coast.

Line Of Snow Storm In South Buffalo

Yesterday was cold and windy, with little snow fortunately.  I could not make up my mind whether to go to yoga or not when Evie mentioned her ear was hurting.  Because we are going on a road trip, maybe, tomorrow, we decided to see if she could get in and see her PA. They had an opening at 9:40, so off we went, and she came home with antibiotics for an ear infection.  It was a good thing we went.  We then stopped at Hogan's, filled the car up, making sure we are ready in case of heavy snows tomorrow.  And I picked up my Honda in Lakewood.  They could not find out what was wrong, why it wouldn't  start.  They took out and cleaned a few parts, and it started right up.  So we will keep our fingers crossed that it was moisture or a crossed wire.

Early Morning Wild Fowl

Once we picked up the car, we were able to settle in our house, and not have to venture out again. Evie kept busy for a good part of the afternoon, making cookies for our granddaughter, Marlena and niece Keanna, to decorate over Thanksgiving holidays.  It was too cold and windy to go for a walk, so I hunkered down on the couch, finished The Rosie Project, a story about a guy with Asperger's Syndrome, and his somewhat clumsy but humorous attempts to find the perfect wife.  And I started a book recommended by Charlie Heinz, another detective series, this time set in Denmark by Jussi Adler-Olsen called THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES.  I liked it immediately and it reminded me of both Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo, especially its major character, the depressed, anti authority,  Carl Morck.  What else would you expect to find in a Scandinavian inspector.

Swans A Swimming

Earlier in the afternoon, Evie had put together our dinner, pot roast, with carrots and onions. so we had the smell of pot roast cooking in our house most of the afternoon.  We were able to have a glass of wine at dusk, just as the pot roast finished.  I then carved it up, Evie mashed the potatoes, made a salad and we had just the kind of dinner we wanted on a very cold evening here at the lake.  We watched some junk TV as we were all caught up with our shows, and I was in a hurry to get upstairs to read my new novel.