Each time my husband and I went to a concert
at Ravinia Festival we took a moment to say a toast,
"Here's to Marlon!"
As in Marlon Brando, my doppelgänger.
(HA!)
Some of you know why I say this,
because
I WON TWO SEASON PASSES
to Ravinia the summer of 2019
in a Marlon Brando LOOK ALIKE CONTEST!
It's a longer story, but let's just say my hack
improv skills and silliness bagged the $4,000+ valued prize.
Ask me about it, I love retelling the tale.
We went to MANY concerts,
rain or shine,
but not as many as I would have liked,
only because we were busy doing other fabulous activities.
Here's some photos of the last days of our summer
of rockin,
and rockin'
and rockin'
with a little bit of classical, jazz, and dance.
Diana Ross sang for about two hours and had a million costume changes!
Stevie Nicks paraded on stage with platforms, capes and ribbons!
Sting advocated for PEACE and gave a soulful performance!
The Pink Floyd tribute band was spot on!
In September we made it to all of these events:
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Emmylou Harris,
Too Many Zooz, Grace Kelly, Erykah Badu,
Hubbard Street Dance Company, and Queen!
My favorite was the Yacht Rock night!
I lost my voice because I sang along with every song!
Speaking of losing, I rarely did when spinning the prize wheels
the sponsoring radio stations had by the swag tent.
I came home with multiple tee shirts, stickers, and such.
As usual I sent some of you correspondence,
did some puzzles and enjoyed the hammock.
The Queen of England passed away and the world
watched as she was given a formal goodbye.
I read, listened to podcasts and music,
and watched movies and shows.
I played Rummykube and bought a silly sweater vest.
(It's out of this world, get it?)
I ate healthy.
while only walking to a park a mile away.
I did a little bit of dog sitting,
watched a lot of The Great British Bake Off,
and made some collages.
A friend from Florida visited and we had an adventure downtown.
I walked about Chicago around Rush Street and Michigan Ave.
I love using a B&W filter to really see the city's lines and shapes.
architectural tour of Chicago on a beautiful boat.
We did not know about the lock system that is used
between the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.
Amazing!
The boat was quite posh!
The views and information shared
by the tour guide were fascinating!
but now the air is crisp.
Nothing says fall like my husband's chili! YUM!
(And a warm cuppa tea in a mug from a dear friend!)
We have had a lot of rain, but nothing like others.
Stay safe!!!
I saw this stinker MANY times
while in another neighborhood
and in the DAYTIME which really surprised me!
Life is full of sunrise and sunset moments.
I went to the city to give my car to my daughter
and came home with a Laura Ashley vintage dress!
The Halloween decorations in the city were great.
I have passed this graffiti mural many times
I have passed this graffiti mural many times
but I finally captured a photo of it!
I think it's out of this world!
Treasure them.
Our family met in Ohio to say goodbye to a dear cousin.
Then we roadtripped it past "landsharks"
(landmarks) to meet up in Michigan
to introduce our grandchild to her great grandparents!
It's hard to see, but there's a helicopter
between these trees.
There was a guy fixing light polls from
a platform attached to the base of the helicopter!
Talk about a strange and brave job!
What have you been up to this month?
It's been a year since our bulldog Magnus left us.
We miss him, but we have been able to easily zip off
to see our grandchild and others without
needing to find care for him.
I miss his facials and seeing the world through photos of him.
Below is a bulldog statue on our driveway with a chipmunk on it's head.
We remember our pup when we see this scene.
Thank you for continuing on this blog journey with me
as I record my gratitude and thoughts.
I am grateful for your companionship.
Peace be with you,
Jen Pen
