The Sandwich Life

Summer Saturday

I've had a remarkably busy and social weekend thus far. It's been wonderful; I'm definitely in need of some quiet time and some work time today. I slept horribly Friday night, so woke up bleary yesterday. I had a quiet morning reading and doing a bit of work. Then I got antsy and said we needed to go on a drive. We headed off, wending our way through cornfields on county roads. The day was gorgeous, and it felt nice to be out in the green fields. I wish I'd brought my camera, but I made do with my phone.

A church near Parkville, I believe.

We passed a row of telephone poles with these black bands. Ernie mused that they might be in mourning.

Maybe an old general store? Complete with gas pump, in Bourbon, Illinois.

A few of the remains of what used to be Rockome Gardens. Sad to see these pieces overgrown and neglected. It's a wildlife park now, and these delightful little things are not the focus anymore.

As we headed home, we got a text from Teri, so met her and Brian for a drink at Quality.

We toddled home, planning to smoke a pork tenderloin. I think the weekend caught up with me though, so I suggested the guys have pizza. Of course, I ended up cooking for myself anyway, so we really should have gone with our initial plan. I sauteed a piece of mahi-mahi, well kind of over-sauteed but what the hell, and then threw spinach and what I thought was a banana pepper in the pan with it and sprinkled some flaxseed and slivered purple cabbage on top. Turns out it was a very HOT pepper, a bit too hot for what I was going for, but overall still pretty wonderful. Oh, and there's just a tiny piece or two of avocado because I seem to be going through an avocado drought of late. They're too hard when I get them and when they're softened they're half bad. Just when I'd convinced myself that the key to perfect avocados is just to buy and eat them regularly. Oh well.

The guys enjoyed the pizza, and as always, I stole one piece of sausage. We watched a little tv. I was too tired to even mess with the pictures I'd taken. Watched the beginning of SNL and realized I was WAY too tired. I left Ernie with the tv and drifted off to bed. Slept like a ROCK.

Onward.

The Nascent Sandwich Life: the Jefferson Building 1982

Our dear friends Pat and Doug stopped by the house the other day. It was a lovely treat. We hadn't seen Pat in too long, and Doug came bearing gifts: a cool old book on trains from the 40's for Leo, and some vintage local papers, the Psychadelic Boneyards and Fingerprint Files. I finally got the printer working again (why is it that they won't SCAN when they don't have ink? Infuriating) and took the time to scan one of the articles. I didn't do a good enough job to get Photoshop to photomerge them but I'm too impatient.

Could this be the nascent birth of our house concerts? I had completely forgotten that this was in here. My friend, Eileen, and I wanted something fun to do on Halloween in 1982 so we decided to...well, put on a show. We trotted around downtown Champaign (which was a very different place back then) looking for a place. We landed upon the Jefferson Building, the old Masonic Hall on Hill and State. We rented the theatre and got to collecting bands. The B-Lovers (pre-Turning Curious), Milktoast, the Erasers (why don't I remember them? Who was in that band?), and the debut of the Outnumbered. I remember a phone call from someone that thought they weren't high enough up on the bill...I think I let Eileen deal with that one. Heh. Milktoast HAD to play last as Pat Daily was playing somewhere else earlier that night.

Bernie made a flyer, Jack Rundle got something in the DI, we bought pumpkins and black balloons.

Good lord, how cute. We took in enough money to pay the B-Lovers a bit. Someone stole a sign so we lost a hundred dollars on that, but we came out with enough money to go to dinner. 

I wonder why we never did it again.

"One of the best local musical events of the year." 

Heh.

Look, there's Ernie in the back:

Random Pictures from the Sandwich Life

Oh, Rascal.

Lamb loin chops (yay Aldi), seared in olive oil, sprinkled with lemon juice and salt.

I'm so glad that kids still buy candy at the Huber's window.

Purple cabbage love.

Tim Easton at the Rosebowl

Lovely night last night. Tim Easton at the Rosebowl. Life is good. Thanks to the Rosebowl, CU Folk & Roots, and, of course, Tim Easton. Did my heart good even if I do hug too much when I'm happy and have had some wine. There are worse things I suppose.

Oh, and popcorn. 

And he even did this song for us....you can catch a glimpse of some of our favorites in it too....Julie Christensen and Aaron Lee Tasjan. And directed by our beloved Stacie Huckeba too.

Onward.

Memories Are Made Of This

Boo just sent these to me. Look how beautiful she looks. Must have been a holiday party at 306 W. Columbia...so woulda been 1984 maybe. I believe I am wearing Christmas tree beads around my neck. Good God but I loved eyeliner....and those apartments. Look at that tile. The tile in our kitchen was the same gray at the base, but then with maroon edging. We painted the walls pink. Heh. And look at how cute Ernie is in his black sweater in the other picture.

 

 

The Burnham Mansion Breaks My Heart Again

Maybe I was just in a bad mood today, but Seth Fein's comments about the Burnham Mansion in Smile Politely today saddened me greatly. Here are my thoughts.

 

Dear Seth,

I think you know that I love you dearly, and am incredibly supportive, and admiring, of your creative efforts, and your undying love for this town. And you and I have disagreed, with, I believe, respect, about our views on the issue of the Burnham Mansion and the renovation and expansion of Central High School. However, I am deeply saddened and disheartened by your comments about the Burnham Mansion saga, as you called it, in Smile Politely today.

First, I’m not sure why activists was in quotes. Was this to imply that they were not activists, bad activists, fake activists, or just activists you didn’t agree with? I truly do not understand that, but perhaps it is just an editing issue that doesn’t matter. More importantly, I don’t understand the reference to slave quarters. Again, I truly, truly just don’t understand. Can you explain? The Burnham house was built several decades after Emancipation. Is this a reference to servant’s quarters? I can not comprehend somehow equating this house with slavery. If you want to equate every house built in the 19th century with that, well, I got nothing…..as that would perhaps include the house that you are restoring, or so, so many structures throughout this community and this country.

You refer to adults acting as toddlers after it was announced that the house would indeed be destroyed. I agree wholeheartedly. I saw people on BOTH sides saying things that I thought were completely lacking in basic respect and common courtesy---about the issues, and particularly about the people involved. I abhorred some of the comments made about people working incredibly hard (such as Chris Kloeppel and Amy Armstrong….Amy, whom I consider a beloved personal friend), even though I happened to disagree with them. However, I also abhorred some of the equally ignorant and thoughtless comments that I heard over and over and over again about the importance of the Burnham House and those that happened to see its value and importance in this community, and throughout this nation.

Further, to imply that everyone that supported the preservation of the Burnham Mansion did not see the value of an expanded, restored and functional Central High School, is again short sighted and regrettably insulting. I supported the referendum. I saw the need. I have one son that recently graduated, and one son still attending Central. And every day I drive down Church Street to my home and I see the buildings being torn down one by one. And I could sorrowfully accept the destruction of every one of those EXCEPT the Burnham Mansion.

I applaud that you are preserving your house. I am, if not preserving, doing my damndest to sustain, an old house which I love dearly...and I believe the restoration and preservation of vernacular architecture is vital and important, in this community and beyond. However, the Burnham House was not vernacular, it was a highly significant structure, both architecturally and historically. The historic significance was important to this community, but the architectural significance was important to this country. Yes, COUNTRY, not county, not town, not community. However much I will be pleased to see a healthy and functional Central High School, I will always see the destruction of this building as an embarrassment and a disgrace. It did not have to be EITHER the Burnham or the School. As you referenced, creatively, patience, and a sense of the role of the history IN education, could have prevailed. The Burnham Mansion, without question, was built by an internationally important architect, and was one of the few remaining residential buildings by the renowned architect Daniel Burnham, who is most famous for his 1909 Plan of Chicago, for overseeing the design and construction of the 1893 Columbian Exposition, and for buildings throughout Chicago and beyond.

As Burnham once so presciently said,

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and our grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us.

Seth, I remain your friend.

Sadly,
Cynthia

Uni Place Community Dinner

Friday again, but it's been a lovely week. Wednesday night we went to the last community dinner at Uni Place. It was the last day of Owen's internship there and we couldn't have been more proud of him. We were so impressed with the whole program. It's a community dinner for all....underserved, students, etc., and was a marvelous mixture of both. University students volunteer and this was the first semester in which high school students, such as O, could get credit, and payment, while working there---and getting their food handler's license as well. The whole thing seemed to be done so thoughtfully---from communal round tables, to using china and silverware instead of disposables.... The folks that he had worked with were absolutely lovely and of course it was manna for a mother to hear them all say such kind words about Owen. And they teased him, which was delightful to see. Oh, AND they highlighted his personal chocolate chip cookie recipe which was being served for dessert.  To Jessie, and all, congratulations on an important program, and many thanks.

Oh yes, I did like it when Jessie said that sometimes she had to say to Owen, "Owen, shhhhh, Jesus is listening" to which he would reply "Jesus would agree with me." I nodded in sympathy when she said often he was right. Yup, that's what it's like being with Owen.

 

Dorm Room Memories: Allen Hall 4S

I wouldn't have actually remembered the S part of where I lived in Allen Hall many, many years ago, except that in trying to do some cleaning and sorting, I came across a collage that my friend Jeanne had put together as a Christmas present for me after our first semester living in the dorms. After taking some pictures of it I was going to throw it out as it is a bit worse for wear. Owen was appalled however, and spirited it away.

For now, here are a few hints to my life during my first semester of college....exactly where Leo is today. It boggles the mind.

Gold Trees, Heavy Skies, and Voting

Yesterday I worked on our health insurance application for awhile, ate lunch, and then suggested to Ernie that we go on a drive. Honestly, I didn't feel great yesterday but I felt a bit restless, and am trying to get out of the house more. It was a grey day with extraordinarily heavy skies. We headed for Homer Lake. My friend Cheryl had posted beautiful pictures she took out there on Saturday. I think she caught the highest bit of color, but it was still beautiful. The leaves were all shades of yellow, gold, and brown, but the undergrowth was still green, like some kind of fancy flounce on a sleeve. The heavy grey skies seemed to make the whole driver feel more intimate, as though it were just the two of us in this quiet world.  We saw a turkey trot out in front of our car, before darting back into the woods with his comrades, and we startled a deer as we drove by the entrance to a trail. We got out and stood and watched the water. Why is it I live in Central Illinois when I love water so much? Well, I love my endless fields as well, so it's ok.

We wandered on, driving through some tiny little towns. Eventually it started to rain so we headed back north toward CU. The black dirt of the harvested fields looked beautiful as we drove. I always remember my mother saying how shocked she was when she moved to the Midwest from New England...because the dirt was so black compared to brown New England dirt. I think of her whenever I admire the black dirt fields.

Leo didn't have class this morning so the three of us headed out to vote. It was mid morning and we didn't have to wait...we rarely do at our polling place. As we left I told Leo how good it felt to vote as a family, and that when Owen turns 18 we will have to vote together as a family at least once. I expected him to roll his eyes, but instead he said quickly, "Oh, of course."

I love my sweet peas so. 

Onward, with crossed fingers, and prayers, for the election results.

Random Pictures from the Sandwich Life

1. Ernie in his happy place: watching Jacques Pepin, a Thanksgiving show no less, and with his foot up, per doctor's orders.

2. I love this woman so much! It was such a treat to see the brilliant and beautiful Melanie Brandabur last night. She thoughtfully not only brought snacks from Watson's, but made sure there were things I could eat. God bless the Vertebrats for giving me such wonderful friends. 

3. And here's a Leo in HIS happy place, with his new mixer.

4. And so Dr. Howard came down. Although I'm nostalgically sad to see it go, I know this is needed and is being replaced on the site by a new school, so this doesn't hurt my heart and soul the way the loss of the Burnham Mansion did. Yet still....to have this school that was a big part of our life for years, to be gone...is unsettling.

Earlier in the week above, and below is yesterday.

5. And then there was this little guy. Nobody told him he was off-duty for the season, so went ahead and just re-bloomed. Thank you, sweet little coneflower.

 Onward.