Gill Reunion 2010

A year to remember!

Poultry Alert...

I live in the suburbs! Why is there a chicken on my porch!!!

Fun at the job...

Fun at the job! May 2010, Faculty-Student Basketball Game. Us clowns provided the entertainmant. That's me in the skirt!

Summertime in Chicago...

It was a perfect day for a long walk along Lake Michigan today. I parked at the 31st Street Beach, then walked up to Montrose Harbor and back. It was a few miles, don't really know how many, and it was great! I can't wait to go again. Hopefully, someone will join me next time!

Fun in Chicago with the Nephews...

I've had the privilege of sharing the past week with my nephews, Jack and Grant. Each summer they come and spend some time with me in Chicago, and it's always a lot of fun (as soon as Caroline and Sam are a little older, they'll come up for a solo-trip also... can't wait).

Our first outing was to a big water park. By design, there is not a photographic record of this. We had lots of fun, but we weren't very cute about it. The fewer pictures of me in a swimsuit, the better...

Today we ventured to Chicago. First we stopped at the Bean in Millenium Park, and we photographed our reflection with the city in the background (Ross and I did this a few years ago, and it's one of my favorite pictures).

Out next stop (and the one they looked forward to the most) was at the Lego Store on Michigan Avenue:

After that, we stopped in front of the Chicago Theater marquise on State Street:

You should have seen Grant jump when Sue the Dinosaur growled and showed her teeth right in his face! Who knew we'd encounter a prehistoric creature as we were crossing the street!

It was a great day! Jack and Grant, thanks for sharing it with me!

Happy Birthday Trenton...

Trenton and I are the top picture (Aug 1989), and that's my Talia and Johnny (Summer 1990). If Trenton would've lived, he would've been 21 years old this past May 30. I miss him so!

Things don't always go as planned, but I can still say that I've got some great kids.

Wish they were still around...

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I'm here in Chicago at the Ronald McDonald House. I'm the Weekend Volunteer. I've been here since Friday night, taking care of the House and the guests so the office staff can take the weekend off. This afternoon I will go to my friend's home and share the remainder of the holiday with their family.

I must confess to some melancholy emotions on this day. I remember past Easters with my kids when they were younger, and I miss them so. My memories are good from those times, although their's must be different since they keep their distance from me now. I hope we can repair the damage someday soon. We had some good times before, and I know that it could be good again. Life is too short to hold ill feelings.

"Good Day, Sunshine..."

I see something big, round, and very bright in the sky... finally, the sun has made an appearance! I'm taking advantage of the nice day, and I will begin the hunt for a better place to live. Where I'm at now is very good, but it's time for a change. Perhaps knowing that my brother and his family are going to a new home has put me in the mood. I plan to drive through towns and neighborhoods until something feels right. I know, the rest of the world is saying, "Why don't you just go on-line?" Call me old-school, but I'll know when I feel it, and I can't feel it through a monitor. Also, the sun can't shine on me while I'm at my desk!

I just love my family!

It's easy to feel lost sometimes when I don't get to see my loved ones as often as I would like. The day-to-day routine can be overwhelming sometimes, and things don't always go just as we'd planned. But then, when I get home and decide to get on the computer, and I see those wonderful messages and postings from my family, the weight of the world just melts away! I love the pictures, I love the videos, and I take to heart those sweet words from you... I just love my family!!!

Anger Management

While facilitating an Anger Management workshop for 25 high school students yesterday, a fight nearly broke out between two girls. Apparently one girl (who, incidentally, had completed this workshop once before) was being flirtatious with the other girl's boyfriend (the fact that both halves of this couple were referred to an anger management workshop is, in and of itself, cause for some concern). This near-fight took place during the last 20 minutes of a 6-hour long course. When asked at the beginning of the session to pick an animal with which they can identify (i.e. dog, cat, lion, etc.), most students refused and said, "I won't compare myself to an animal," yet they are so ready, willing and able to scream, hit, scratch, claw, and pull hair without any rational thought processes. Is it just me, or isn't it that cognitive ability that separates us from the rest of the animals?

Does this mean that I'm a failure? Is it even possible to modify the behaviors that are so ingrained in this generation?