I am in Chicago and fall is in full swing. The trees are bright shades of orange, yellow and a burnt shade of red. Every gust of wind brings down another flutter of leaves. It's been rainy the whole couple of days I've been here and the wet pavement makes the leaves stick where they fall.
One of the reason we came was to check on some land I have in Indiana. There was a cottage there once, but now it is just a forest of trees that lead down to a river. Nothing was up with the property beyond seeing a bunch of chickens and a rooster wandering around on a house across the road. It is out in the country and near a small town. I am using the area in the new series and I wanted to refresh my memory of the town. The only places that haven't changed from when I was a kid are a bar called Flannery's and a drive in called The Port. The only difference is that now they seem retro.
I wanted to check out an old red school house that was turned into a shop a long time ago. It's out in the country and the basis for the red school house my character inherits. I wanted to see what the place really looks like compared to how I had described it when I imagined it for the book.
It turns out a lot different and I like my imaginery version better.
From there we went to Michigan City because my son had never been there. He wanted to see the beach. The parking lot was almost empty and the lifeguard stand was closed for the season as was a cafe. There was something melancholy about the empty sand and flat water with its opaque greenish caste. The sky was a pewter color heavy with threatening clouds. The light house seemed lonely with no boats to warn. We were barely there long enough to take a few pictures before the clouds began to dump their moisture. It wasn't the kind of rain you rush to get out of like the torrents we get in L.A..
The rain kept up off and on through the drive back to Chicago and our stop for pizza downtown. The wind had kicked up and it felt a little blustery, but still nice to be out in. It's funny that fall has always been my favorite season in Chicago. It always felt like things were livening up after the languid feeling of summer. But really it's all about ending and dying like the fields of dried out corn stalks we passed and all those trees saying good by to all their leaves.
9 comments:
Good morning -- Sounds like a nice trip -- fall is such a beautiful season. There are a few trees around here that turn a beautiful golden yellow but nothing like the midwest and northeast. We were in the New England area during mid-October a few years ago -- breathtakingly beautiful.
I'm beginning to think about Christmas crochet projects. My daughter wants some sort of a crazy hat to wear when she has recess duty and during pick-up at the end of the school day. I started a bright green beanie -- made a wide border that I plan to decorate with tiny wrapped boxes -- I'm making it up as I go so who knows what the final project will be.
I usually don't order afghan kits but I saw two online I couldn't resist -- one has a C2C granny square in the middle, then the traditional granny square worked around it. The other is a granny ripple -- I'd found a pattern online but some of the directions didn't make sense so hope this will work out.
Enjoy your Chicago trip -- and your pizza.
Are you starting another new series ? You mentioned the old schoolhouse. That sounds like fun. I always had to stop at the one at Knott's Berry Farm anytime I was there. Of course someone actually inheriting one now will probably lead to ghosts of children past ....
Would that mean you will have 4 series in progress? You will need character charts to keep everyone straight. I remember way back when Mason had a grandson that he brought to a program at the book store, but later he had no grandchildren. There was the interesting guy who was trying to learn how to date and got a big crush on Molly, and Barry's daughter who only appeared once in a picture on the kitchen counter. Story lines all over the place! Keep up the good work, you get a lot done, with all the family fun you live with too !!
Linda Osborn,
Mason did have some changes in his family situation. Hopefully, it doesn't happen going forward. The Writer for Hire series ended with the fourth book, so only three series. The new one is about a crochet artist from L.A. who inherit an old red school house that houses a yarn shop now. She decided to add a tea room to it. It is a lot of characters to keep track of and sometimes they just appear in one book like Leo. I have started using a software program that keeps track of who is who in a book.
I haven't been to Knott's Berry Farm in years. We are probably going to take Jakey there for his birthday. I will look for the red school house.
Patty, it is nice to get a dose of real fall. The hat sounds like fun. I'm curious about a c2c granny square and will have to look that up.
Bhookedcrochet.com has a really good pattern and tutorial for the c2c granny square.
Happy Chicago and Happy fall! And how fun that you're able to visit a site that was the inspiration for a story location.
Linda, back in L.A. where instead of fall meaning falling leaves, it's Santa Ana winds and dropping palm fronds. But the sunshine is nice after all the gloomy skies.
Fall was my favorite season in Chicago. Some years you had a long season and other years it just seemed like a few days in between summer and winter. I do miss the fall season living here in Florida.
Where is your favorite pizza place in Chicago?
Sally, fall is my favorite season in Chicago, too. This year is was all gray skies and rain instead of the bright blue skies I remember from the past.
Our current favorite spot for pizza is Lou Malniti's. We at their twice and that's with us only being their a few days. I wanted to try the one they mentioned in The Bear called Perquods. Maybe next time.
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