My younger girl's birthday is in January. I cant always celebrate it with her on the very day of her birth because she has lived in another city since she was 18 and so it's not possible for her to drop everything for a visit from an eager mother. Even this year, though I made myself very available closer to the actual date, scheduling a get-together proved to be difficult. She had conflicts, and then I got Covid and that emptied out the calendar some more. It isn't until this day that I can drive over and give her a fortieth birthday hug. And yes, it's late in the game! The Zodiac calendar has moved away from Capricorn (her sign) a long time ago! Indeed, it's about to move from Aquarius (the next sign) onto Pisces (the one after)! Neither of us follow that stuff, but still, it's indicative how far from her birthday we are right now. And yet, here I am, getting up way way way before dawn, loading up the car with her presents, feeding the cats quickly (Ed! you do the chickens!), getting behind the wheel and heading for Starbucks (I need my coffee!), then turning the car south, to Chicago, to celebrate her day.
Since we had plenty of time to plan out my visit, I have before me quite the wonderful two days. And it all begins downtown.
(so little traffic early on a Saturday morning!)
(driving underneath the El reminds me of my youth: I bought my first very very used car when I lived in Chicago as a graduate student; taking it downtown gave me my first taste of moving around by car in American cities)
Remarkably, we both arrive at the agreed upon parking garage at the same time. Primrose has a dance class nearby and their routine has her go to class while the parents and Juniper hang out at the Art Institute waiting for her to be done. So this is how it works today: we walk the older girl to her dance class, then her dad stays in the studio, while Juniper and her mom and I walk over to the Art Institute. Do you know the museum? It's fantastic! It has one of the best Impressionist collections anywhere! The young family signed up as members of the museum, and they get this privileged entrance at an early hour, before the general public comes in. I get to join in as their guest.
But first, Juniper insists we walk over to the Bean.
Oh, the Bean! So much fun in one shiny Bean!
(I can still lift the girl!)
From there, to the museum. I'm tearfully grateful for this quiet moment among these canvases. (I'll restrain myself here and just show you four images of our beautiful half hour among the best of the best.)
As members, they also have access to a place where you can get refreshments. This is where we wait for Primrose to be done with her class.
We eat lunch, and then Primrose wants to show me her favorite museum displays.
Do you recognize this next piece? A stained glass window by Chagall. This was my one moment of remembering the brutal destruction taking place in our country right now. Why? Well, I was of course a United Nations kid. (Read about it in my book, Like a Swallow.) I first learned about Chagall when I visited (repeatedly!) the U.N. in those very young years. The New York U.N. headquarters are home to a large Chagall, full of symbols of peace and love. The window in Chicago very much reminded me of the UN piece. And I had to think how far we've strayed from its message in recent days...
We leave the museum.
And now we have an extra treat: right across the street there is a new ice cream shop and these guys know it well -- it's a branch of a favorite from across the ocean! We get ice cream. I get ice cream! You can get three flavors just as a "single scoop!"
Back to the Bean, because Primrose wants her turn to play with the reflections.
We then go to their house for the afternoon. Juniper still likes to nap and this gives us a chance to hang out and catch up. And once the little one is up, we do a full scale celebrations: presents, snacks, delightful minutes of family!
(This book was for Primrose, from Paris and it totally pulled her in.)
For dinner we head out for dinner at Antico. It's classic Italian and warm and lovely to boot. A perfect meal over which I can say happy birthday to my Italian loving girl (she, like me, learned Italian just for the heck of it).
(yes, of course I had to tell them it's "her birthday!")
Such a beautiful and full day! I could not be more thrilled with this visit to Chicago. Could not!
I decided it's easier for everyone if I stay at a hotel for one night and so I make my way afterwards to my new place of choice-- the Zachary, across the street from Wrigley Field. Not that you can see it tonight, but it's there!
If I ever wanted a distraction from the country's chaos right now -- this is it. Your family will do that for you -- lift you up and take you away into beautiful places, full of magic. And love. You let go of the rest, at least for the moment, and oh, it feels so so good...
with lots of love...
