F-Word Friday: Far-Flung

First, before I do anything else, I want to add myself to the ranks of those who have participated in Spin A Web Of Gratitude thus far, an idea by Elle Bee, and propagated by my buddy Dawn.

If you've read much of my blog, buried in all the sarcasm is a serious desire to be positive. I try to surround myself with positive people and help others find that silver lining that is so often hard to see. We live in an imperfect world, but it's not without hope or happiness - not by a long shot.

Here is my list of blessings and things I'm grateful for - incomplete for sure, but full of joy nonetheless!

My kid, who still writes me love notes even though she's a teenager
Someone lovely to be with who's kind and thoughtful and really cute
Friends who I can see and friends I can't and both are equally fantastic
A family that's insane (yes, I'm really grateful for that - normal is overrated)
A personal history that mingles with those of others
All my faculties, which all work reasonably well
The smell of cookies and bread and spices and pine and fresh laundry
Cats and long hugs and soft sheets and warm sun and cool breezes
A house filled with books and crafts and enough food to not be hungry
A car that runs and doesn't eat too much gas
A job that allows me slack time
Being well and happy
Hope

And so, on to today's F-word... Far-Flung. Okay, it's more of a phrase, but I'll take liberties if I wanna!

I lived in Chicago, with a brief period in Denver when I was 3, until 5 years ago when I moved to Colorado, which I do not regret at all except sometimes when I do, although it's always brief and usually involves people, food, and the lake.

I've talked (at great length) about this, but as with everyone's home towns, it's so hard to describe what it is you're missing if the person you're describing it *to* hasn't ever lived in or experienced that place.

Enter this gem, found by my mother, about Chicago - watch for the red building at 3:14 - I used to work there, and didn't know it was so old! (It was originally Bennett Brothers' Warehouse, and was built in the 20's - thanks Mom!)



I've always been strangely nostalgic not only for my past, but for that of my mother and *her* mother, and this made me wish I could have seen it in person. It's mostly still there, under different names, a little dirtier, a little more worn, and now surrounded by steel skyscrapers the heights of which couldn't have been imagined then.

To everyone else, this just looks like an old city - to me, it's home, and always will be whether or not I ever have an address there again.

There are a *ton* of these TravelTalks reels on YouTube... go look!



Florida in the 40's just seems so glamorous, doesn't it?



Lovely... but sorry kids, Chicago's still prettier.

Have a wonderful weekend... mine will involve my sewing machine to a large degree, I'm sure, along with the first 2 discs of Dollhouse, which just came out... lovely.