Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Today in History: October 8, 1871

Sunday October 8th through Tuesday, the 10th, 1871 over three square miles of the center of Chicago burned relentlessly.
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 Chicago in 1868 
(All that is shown burned plus more to the north (right) and south(left)

A bustling metropolis and manufacturing city, as well as the transportation hub to the west, Chicago was still a boomtown of sorts. The Chicago River had been linked to the Illinois River and connected to the Mississippi River. This linked Chicago to most states via waterways in the Union. 

Railroads criss-crossing the 'booming' country provided access to the East and all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Chicago was primed to be the greatest of American cities...and then She burned.
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 Burned Districts in Red

More than two-thousand acres burned of prime and not so prime Chicago land. 
A dry summer and fall, wailing winds, overcrowded residential districts built of wood with wood fences and wooden walkways fed the flames of the fire that started in the south part of the city. 
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North Branch of the Chicago River

 It quickly reached the Chicago River mouth reaching tornado like conditions feeding the flames. People fled in every direction, streets filled with fleeing victims as 'fire-proof' buildings crumbled behind them. Bridges clogged and quickly as the fire came from the West and the South riding howling winds.

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Randolph Street Bridge
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Chicago Harbor

 Victims fled to the Lake Michigan beach, to boats and piers...with only the clothes on their backs, dragging animals and carrying children and the elderly in their arms.

 Tuesday morning rain drizzled and then rained, but the fire had burned and then ran out of fuel to the north with fewer homes and walkways to feed on.

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Above the remnants of the new City Hall are in the background as a shell.
Only known loss of life was set at approximately 300. Many panicked survivors poured onto the Lincoln Park Beach and into the Lake. A cemetery on the lakefront housed many for days as they waited for everything around their oasis to cool. 

 Property losses totaled 17,500 buildings destroyed, dollar losses were estimated at  $222 million dollars. 

 The center of the city buildings were all of stone and brick and most were reduced to a baked powder. Some had been advertised as 'fire proof'.

As far as the eye could see...nothing was recognizable.  Eventually the rubble was dumped into the lake to surround what had been the all the railroad's central depot. 100,000 of the residents of Chicago were homeless, and many more fled. Massive relief efforts were organized in cities across the nation and supplies shipped to Chicago to help. Winter was only 6-8 weeks away.

Source
The only municipal building left standing was the 1868 Water Tower now located on North Michigan Avenue. Today it is the iconic symbol of Chicago's tenacity and a tribute to the CITY that rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire. 

All these photos are historic and all over the internet and Pinterest. So, I have chosen not to show a source as they are long out of copyright, except for the Water Tower photo! 

I'm thankful for each and every comment, and will try and answer every question.

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Monday, October 7, 2019

Thoughtful Moments #3 "Do you see...what I see?"


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My oldest memories are of my favorite Fall seasons. I always loved warm sun on my back with a cool breeze licking my face.

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Chippewa Flowage, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

Who wouldn't love the green world bursting into so many colors...and tones you can't imagine?

I loved to do my gradeschool artwork with chalk on black paper, leaves and grasses bright in Fall's display.

oldnewgreenredo
Fox River south of McHenry Dam
Dad was a fisherman, so my youngest memories are of throwing in a line with a cane pole and watching it drift with the current. Ripples on the water teasing the bobber and his earnest reminder to, 

"Wait for it to disappear." 

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South of McHenry Dam
 Late afternoon October skies showering the water with diamonds, blinding in beauty.

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Moraine Hills State Park Illinois
Our family had property in the middle of Wisconsin surrounded by fields, hills, and nestled on a small chain of lakes. I would take long walks along the creeks and across the fields, the ever changing landscape as it morphed from greens to golden tans and then to the subtle dead grays of November.


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Lakewood Forest Preserve  Wauconda, Illinois

Even with the flowers long spent, the grasses and wild plants provided fascinating details and diversity.

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Moraine State Park, McHenry County Illinois

Windswept delicate grasses and grains, strong enough to withstand the pounding fall rains and wave playfully in a breeze.

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Moraine State Park McHenry County Illinois
The teasing angle of an Autumn Solstice sun, fiery when high and smoldering and smokey in dusky light as it lowers in the southwest.

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Lakewood Forest Preserve Wauconda Illinois

Fleeting clouds or....a pink sunset, what do you see? 
When you stop long enough...

'to really SEE'. 

These photos are all mine---some as old as 2007. Color has yet to even begin to change in N.Illinois this year.

I'm thankful for each and every comment, and will try and answer every question.






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Tuesday, October 1, 2019

MidWest Gardening September 2019

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 It's the end of September and while some things are just DONE...
others are not. As of 9/27 today, our GREEN vegetable garden is pretty much done, except for peppers and butternut squash. I picked the last of the tomatoes and got a huge bag in the freezer. 
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This picking was early September---we had two more pickings and we still have a bunch of peppers on our 12 or so plants. They have been big and thick. 

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Today, the Basil has had too much water, I dump the excess after every rain, but we have been soaked every third day or so.The Rosemary, Oregano, Thyme are very happy in the pot on the right. My Cilantro has revived and is growing thick. My Parsley not in the picture is almost as big and also has lettuce starting. If it gets cold, these long planters will go into the new greenhouse.

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This Rosemary Pot is very sweet and quite crazy. I will bring this into the house when/if it gets cold.


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My crazy late sunflower has branched out at the top and I had 12 blooms on it this week. They change colors and vary, day to day.

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You can see the trees aren't turning at all, yet!

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My big pot at the base of the stairs is very happy. Now in shade most of the day, everything has doubled in size. The 'sunflower' turned out to be a mulberry tree. and was promptly cut out this week. I will have to dig out the root after frost.

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This, Unexpected gift, which is quite happy by the pond. A Baby Tears I had in a few planters last year. I dumped dirt from pots around the pond last Fall, and it must have taken root. I will mulch and see if it makes it. I have had multiple ground covers here with not much luck. Too hot in the sun for most of the Spring and Summer, I guess the secret is more water, since we had tons of rain, records in fact.


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While the Sweet Peas are dead, this Monster Morning Glory has started in. 
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Huge mutant rubbery leaves and gorgeous 3" blooms. The color is amazing. I assume they will go until frost!

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These were not planted, but the birds help with that---after eating the seeds, from the neighbors plants.

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These are the grown-from-seed Marigolds after I trimmed them for the third time. We roll carts down this concrete. 8-10" marigolds are 18-20". The 12-16" ones are about 30" inches high. Amazing what hot weather and tons of water will do.

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I keep nipping flowerings on the Coleus, but they are just huge this year! We gave up on bug/critter spraying with rain falling constantly.

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This one gets more sun and is just as big. I do use a mix of composted dirt and 1/2 potting soil. They were fertilized, once????

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My Giant Sedum plants are full of pinkish blooms---the bees are thick and loving it, so I have to stay away from these areas. Some have fallen over because of the weight of the heads. Next year I will wire ring them early. 

As soon as they begin to turn burgundy, I will use some for cut arrangements. Such a wonderful plant for NO CARE--drought resistance and great foliage.

Well, it is Chicagoland...and 
SPEAKING OF RAIN, we are now in our 5th day since I started this post-----so....

(to be Continued)
Later when I can get some photos!


Thanks for visiting, I love all your comments, 
and I will be happy to try and answer questions!







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Friday, September 27, 2019

Our Fall Home 2019 pt.1

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This is definitely an OLDS post with lots of vintage and antique items highlighted, so come on in!

 Fall is so slow arriving here in Chicagoland. Last week's temperatures were in the upper 80's with several days of rain. The inner-city remains warm, while the suburbs' temperatures drop a bit lower at night. Everything is still in full bloom, and there is barely a hint of color in the trees. With these brightest sunshine days--and the dark dull gray days of rain, it seems to be nothing inbetween.

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We are totally skipping Halloween this year, but I will add a few pumpkins here and there soon. The OLD quilt is a hand stitched and quilted, I found at a Thrift store for $6. It's perfect to brighten up the porch, our cushions are really faded. This porch is a southern exposure and really takes a bleaching.

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Even on a cloudy day---it's bright, I took this today before the rain. I'll save our yard for my Midwest Gardening series. So, Welcome to my almost Fall Porch. I have to explain--we are doing limited decorating this Fall, as I'm having a knee-replacement the end of October, so all decor will have to be put away by hubby after Thanksgiving.
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We have burgundy doors and brown trim on a gold home...perfect for Fall! I did a REDO this wreath last year---and I still love the subdued foliage with the sunflowers!

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Our huge front window was scheduled to be replaced, (the last one) but the greenhouse REDO, soaked up all the funds along with a few other projects in the yard.

My mom's maple rocker(1950's), and the 100+ year OLD spinning wheel are great reminders of the warmth of Fall and Home.

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My Grampa's OLD handpainted wooden duck decoys are happily quacking on the window table.
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This Canvas back decoy is original paint from the mid 1930's or older. An unmarked 1910-1920's? OLD antique pottery saucer holds some potpourri and some bitty birds. I still use candles, (always soy) this time of year.

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Two OLD mallard female wood decoys chatter on the other side. The faux greenery was a find at the local thrift shop---A big bundle for $4.00, much better than $6-12 a stem at the local craft stores. The pitcher I found in my stashes from my old shop---probably 2006-8 or so. I do like the narrower throat on this one for taller branches.

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Our Vintage Fall Kitchen

There is only a hint of Fall with our normal cast of characters on the island---this I'm sure will change soon. I really need a pumpkin or two...LOL. The working side of the kitchen---is just that, we cook and eat 95% of our meals here. 
Seldom do we eat out, or have take-out.
The contemporary vase holds some faux flowers surrounded by broken marigold stems from the yard. They are huge this year and very prolific. The crocks are Old and New
The trivet is old, but unmarked (30-40's)

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The OLD antique fish poacher holds some dried gourds and faux pumpkins...red leaves bring my colors in. I will reprint the sign, when I find it on my comp again---on beige. 

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I love the rusty reds of Fall, and the Old thrift store plaid tablecloth covers the bright white cabinet making our dining area warm and inviting. A bowl of apples and pears is surrounded by my husband's great-grandmother's oak table and four chairs.(definitely antique-1880s) We have added two contemporary oak chairs to match the blinds. 

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Christmas pig is busy snuffling in the Antique coffee grinder, my grandmother's OLD coffee pot holds some sunflowers.
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This OLD metal lunch basket was a gift for Christmas last year. It has a green top--so it will be out through the Winter filled with goodies. Here is a favorite pumpkin cookbook, some dried gourds and faux vegetables. Our live squash have not ripened yet, and we have no pumpkins this year, it was a tough Spring. 

The OLD mini kitty mold I found last year. I'm going to make some chocolate treats in it for Halloween, before my surgery.
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I'll fill the OLD Capitol Dairy Co, Chicago (1920's-30's) milk bottle with Fall candy for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Since it is still hot--I'll wait a bit. The clay lump---is my son's 6 year old's detailed log cabin.(It's already 40 years OLD) and perfect for a fall setting. The antique (1920's) scale is always somewhere in the kitchen.
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For the first time in three years, I pulled most of my blue and white antiques out of the cabinet. I added my OLD English and Japan cottage pieces, a pumpkin plate and a really OLD Turkey platter. The antique OLD brass grater on the wall is hallmarked for the early 1800's and was from the family.

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This OLD brown transfer ware platter is quite large and perfect, though there seems to be a slight crack under the glaze. I'll post more about this in a Finds Post.

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This week I found this OLD 1930-40's Sadler Tea Pot from England...perfect for our home. I added a few flowers to the small OLD blue pitcher.
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I love the Turkey platter and it almost fits in the cabinet. A canning jar ring pumpkin Redo adds a bit of homey shine. 
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A pitcher of dried flowers fills in this shelf with a few gourds. My other transfer ware plates are all antiques at this point. 


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Later Afternoon light can become quite moody, casting rich shadows.
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I took this today, a rainy day---and turned on the lights...I confess we had a miserable late Spring and we never removed the pine garland woven with lights. We used them often to brighten the house during all the RAIN we had in our miserable Spring.

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Some sparse NEW Dollar Tree garlands woven through the lights and pine are perfect until the Christmas season. I took this photo at noon and this makes the darkened room so cheery!
I have a bit more decorating to do in the living room. And that will be it. Finally pumpkins are showing up at the grocery stores. We hope to go to a pumpkin farm this weekend...IF it doesn't rain.

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Old Goodies, waiting for further Fall decorating. 

Have you found some great pumpkins, and what do you put out every year for the Fall season!

Thanks for visiting, I love all your comments, 
and I will be happy to try and answer questions!














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