I Always Love Hearing Jim Belushi sing, Sweet Home Chicago

And now I know what he and others are singing about, in that wonderful Blues rendition! WOW! My oldest daughter, Shae, so kindly came through Cleveland from VA, picked Micah and I up and allowed us to travel with her to Chicago for her audition for The Color Purple. The audition experience is awesome in itself. You can just feel the intensity of the crowd and see the sweat and tears of each person's desire to get selected for a part. Many try out but few are selected. Shae is not discouraged though. She is going to keep on keeping on with the fantastic talent God gave her and when the time is right, we both know all will fall into place.

Afterwards, however, we had the opportunity to sight see. Micah and I may be been the only people in Cleveland that had not visited Chicago. haha EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, in Downtown Chicago, there is absolute beauty. You must take the Architecture Tour, sample some Garrett Popcorn, try the original Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (slightly different from what we are accustomed to here) AND enjoy brownies where brownies were actually invented. Just imagine that. The Art Museum has sooooo many originals...Picaso, Renoir, all the greats. There are wonderful fountains and flower gardens. I saw Johnson Publishing, and the home of Ebony and Jet Magazines. There was jazz playing in Grant Park, amidst the marvelous aromas of the local restaurants as the children giggled and played in the outdoor water maze. THE CITY FELT SO ALIVE!!! I also had the pleasure of going to Oprah's new high rise builing where I was told she lives on floors 5 and 6. And last but not least, you know I HAD TO GO to Harpo Studios. God has truly blessed her! I was so impressed by those actually sweeping the streets and sidewalks and everywhere I looked people were using the trashcans lined along the walkways (even little children). I felt their pride and wished more Clevelanders could be more like that.

It takes less than 6 hours to drive there, so just in case you have not been there... GO...PLEASE...You will never forget it. Thank you Lord always for Your provision. What a blessing it is to have a daughter that is kind enough to allow her Mom and brother to tag along on her vacation experience. She even bought gifts for us! She is quite a lady.

I took about 200 pictures but here are just a few.