The Center 27th June 2012

Reading April's blog over the years I have come to "know" The Center. Now I finally saw it for myself.  The peaceful hits you the minute you enter the grounds. Its a calm nurturing place and it seems to wash away your troubles. April spends a lot of time giving art classes and also taking art classes here. The Center is an amazing place. Here's what I found on their website: 

The Center was conceived as a dream of the late Reverend Paul T. Sanders. That dream became a reality in 1932 and has prospered over the last seventy-five years. It is still in the process of fulfillment. The dream is more than a place—it is a facility, a program, and a philosophy. Most of all, The Center is about people. 

There is art, pre-school, camps, retreats, a little chapel which holds regular services, and even a farm.

 The Log Cabin Center for the Arts

 The Wayside Chapel

 Herb Cottage

 inside The Lodge

 The office of The Children's Farm

 the barn on The Children's Farm

 the vegetable garden

 the barn is filled with animals

 love

 little porkers 

 even some horses

 the rooster was checking me out to make sure I was behaving myself

 check out the peeling paint

 zooming in 

 at the pre-scahool

 detail of the carvings over the mantle

 this donkey was carved from April's drawing

 sit a spell ... take a load off

 a swim to end the day with April's daughter Julie

another new friend ... Missy

My Day at Laura's 26th June 2012

Laura was my first cyber friend. We met on line in 2007 and I finally got to meet her in person. There is just no way to describe how amazing it feels to finally hug someone who has been in your heart for so many years. I was finally able to see the things I have read about on Laura's blog over the years. Laura's home, her studio, her garden and her paper making tent in the yard. I also got to meet her family. Laura had organised a group of us to make paper in the tent in the yard. A beautiful day!

 the back yard

 the paper making tent

 one of many hugs

 this is some of the clan from the first Artist's Way journey

Laura, April, Doris, Me, Marg, Nancy

 meet Hank ... he gives good kisses

 and Carl ... both behaved so well

 making paper

 we were meant to dry the paper flat but we decided to hang them on the line so we could remember which ones were ours

 sitting around the table chatting and eating (all healthy food)

 Laura, Doris, Robin, Me, Marg, Elena, Barb, April

 a bunch of dags hehehe

My Day in Downtown Chicago 25th June 2012

We got up early and caught the train into Chicago. April, Robin, Julie (April's daughter) and I arrived about 9am. First impression was, its bloody HUGE!!! I got a sore neck just looking up and side to side. Can you imagine how overwhelming it was. You don't know where to look first. I took well over 200 photos that day. I couldn't possibly post all them here so I have managed to cull them a little. April and Julie left around 3pm I think but Robin and I stayed to catch the last train back after 11pm. What an amazing day that was!!!!

 April, me and Robin on the train

 Robin, me and April 

 The Palmer House ... very swish

 the ceiling was magnificent

 there were some questionable people loitering by the lifts hehehe

 I may not be able to afford to stay here but I can pretend that I can

 Dick Blick's ... two floors of art supplies ... TWO FLOORS ... heaven

 time for coffee ... I had chai latte

 This sculpture in Millennium Park is called Cloud Gate but its affectionately called the bean ... where's Uta

 I love how the bean reflects its surroundings

 some of the city scape

 This is the Jay Pritsker Pavilion. Robin and I saw a live band there later in the evening. 

 another view of the pavilion 

 this is a stainless steel bridge in Millennium Park 

 it winds its way across the park

Lake Michigan from Lake Shore Drive

 Buckingham Fountain

 love my friends

 loved this statue of a Native American ... bowman

 the fire escapes are just like in the movies

 there was a Lichtnestein retrospective on in the Art Institute and Robin and I loved it!!!

 the entrance to the Art Institute of Chicago has a couple of Leo's guarding it

 The Crown Fountain has faces projected on them. Sometimes they squirt water from their mouths.

 ALL the kids had fun splashing in the water of the fountain

 we had lunch at the Park Cafe where I left my mark

 it wasn't me officer

 Robin wanted me to try the deep dish pizza that Chicago is famous for. It was a 45 minute wait to get in so we amused ourselves in a nearby bar with $4 Margaritas while we waited

Our last stop before heading back on the last train was the Hancock building where you can see all the lights of Chicago. Breathtaking and so so huge. On the left you can see Navy Pier.