A St. Louis Moment

For a moment last week, 

I was slated to tell a room full of early childhood music researchers what it was my own research had found.

So, I did.

And then, mixed in with some other conference-y moments,

I had myself a little St. Louis moment.

Taking a walk from my hotel

 I headed down the street,

 until I arrived here, at this well-known object.

Then, I turned around, walked the way I'd come,

and took in some of the things I'd noticed along the way.

In a row of food trucks, 

 I chose this one

[with the rationale that since my next presentation will be in Brazil, I might as well get ready...] 

and  hunkered down in the Citygarden

with this beyond delicious sausage & pepper sandwich 

and a side of yucca fries.

[If the real Brazil offers anything even close to this, 

I will be a happy woman come July.]

I looked all around me and took a moment to notice some things, 

things like my companions in the sunshine,

 the singing in my soul.

Then, I made my way back to the hotel,

 an amazing hotel by the way,

 converted from an old train station

 and feeling like no hotel I'd ever been a part of before.

 [Sitting in my thinking spot on the morning before my presentation, my view was this old train tunnel;

but if the lobby floor hadn't been covered in construction materials, you likely would have found me here, 

under this gorgeous ceiling, 

 and near this beautiful stained glass.]

After a few more conference moments,

 these fellow conferencing friends and I 

 made our way to the nearby baseball stadium. 

 I was there for the view and the company;

the others were there for the game.  

[We all received a bonus:

I, $10 from some lady who really wanted my complimentary-at-the-gate bauble head; they--extra innings, due to a tie.] [And, believe me when I tell you--that overtime felt like significantly more than a moment...]

The next morning I hopped on the train and found myself in the airport for the rest of the day,

 having a moment with my favorite magazines,

  before arriving home sweet home.

Moments full of good, 

in a city full of moments.

The Word Is:

move

The Word Is:

 begin

&

continue

&

grow

A Chicago Style Break

Last weekend I took a break from my life, 

climbed into this beauty of a rental car

[how did they know my licence plate should say New Jersey?!],
drove through Ohio 

[confession: stopped at their best antique mall],
picked up Kristen,

and arrived that night at Hotel Felix, Chicago.

There for a piano teachers' conference,
Kristen and I also partook in some city culture,

starting with these weird guys right outside our hotel.

 Upon settling in, we wandered out to the Navy Pier,

 found a jungle,

 a ferris wheel,

 and a stained glass museum, 

before digging into some Lebanese food at an authentic restaurant back in our neighborhood.

The next day we headed out early to the conference, for master classes and general thoughts on all things music and teaching.  Really, though, we were there for the snacks

[our friendship thrives on
our unique ability to pack interesting snacks]

 and eating our lunch out of a bag

 [which we may or may not have
stored on ice in the garbage can in our hotel....].

We were also there to reunite with our dear Ingrid,

who is uniquely gifted at calling out our own personal giftings

 [which includes scooter retrieval and navigation].

After a long but enriching day, 

we treated ourselves to
some enrichment of the Chicago deep-dish kind.

The next morning we conferenced a bit,
but then told ourselves it was time to play.

We did a little fun shopping,

ate a little raw food [yes, that's ravioli made out of sliced turnips and cashew nut "cheese"]

about which Kristen was particularly excited.

Then,

 we joined this knowledgeable lady, 

 who toured us all around the city,

 explaining to us many specific-to-Chicago buildings,

 architecturally important, and beautiful:

 [The Palmer House]

 [The Empire Supper Club at the Palmer House]

[think Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Emma Fitzgerald...]

 [Ornate department stores]

[think ladies of luxury,
and customer service that actually means something...]

 [Can't remember where this is, but it's Tiffany, and it's beautiful!]

 [The Library!]

[Millenium Park]

Upon completion of the tour,

 we returned to the Palmer House lobby for warm beverages 

and some resting/keeping up on our real lives

before jumping on the el train 

 for a walk through historical neighborhoods.

When it was time for dinner, 

we crashed into this neighborhood place, and--

delighted with our spontaneous find--

stretched out on the bench to relax,

and to eat yummy and neighborhood-y fried food,
complete with burger bar.

Happy with our day of play,

we returned to our hotel keepers,
and followed it up with another day of conferencing.

Then, we climbed in that fancy car,

turned on the heated seats and the bluetooth music [as I debated just keeping this treat of a car for the rest of my life....] and drove ourselves home.

A lovely little respite with a good old friend in a fun new city, thinking about things I love to think?

A Chicago Style Break is welcome, any time.