Lindfors' Retirement

I was blessed with an awesome high school choir teacher, Mr. Lindfors, who was married to my equally wonderful English teacher. As a teenager all adults seemed old to me, so I didn’t realize how young they both were when I was in their classes, but their careers at Costa Mesa High School were long enough to teach the children of former students. How do you honor a legacy of literally teaching generations? For starters, by singing in the final choir concert. 

It was fun to reconnect with former classmates and see how many were able to join in, and to see how the program has grown over the years. The high school’s new theater building is a testament to how much had changed for the better because of both him, and the band teacher who’d retired just before him. Given their impact, it was an unanimous decision to name the theater in their honor, and the process was formally announced that night (apparently even with consensus there’s red tape that takes time). 

Thanks to the advice of a friend, I had a hand in another gift: the Lindfors Fund. The Costa Mesa High School Foundation graciously established a dedicated fund within its endowment, ensuring that their influence continues to resonate through the lives of future students in English and the performing arts. I was hoping for small donations from a large pool of alumni to cover a myriad of minor expenses in the coming years, but an angel donor exceeded my expectations and will allow them to be more generous in how the funds are used. It was truly a heartwarming night.

And as a final gift, we surprised Mr. L in the gym with a small party the next day that gave us more time to visit with him and each other. He had a tradition of us singing “Irish Blessing” at each graduation, and serenading him with it as he walked in had everyone choked up. “...and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.” You can watch it here: "Irish Blessing" to surprise Mr. L

 

 

 Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Lindfors!

Return to Nauvoo

It was fun to be back in historic Nauvoo, and the highlight was attending a session with these amazing women in the temple. I also enjoyed seeing them experiencing these places for the first time. 

We got to cross the state line to go to dinner, which always makes my geographer’s heart happy.

Saturday was more historic Nauvoo sites and a trip to Carthage, followed by the moving evening program that tells the stories of people who had to leave Nauvoo and the faith that supported them in the journey west.

After church on Sunday, we drove back to Chicago and spent a moment on the shores of Lake Michigan to enjoy the late afternoon weather. As someone who grew up near the ocean in a fairly arid place, it was hard for my brain to comprehend that this endless horizon was a freshwater lake!

Capping off the day and the trip, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a fancy restaurant found by the foodie in our group. Fine dining isn’t my norm, but it was sure a treat!

 

I said goodbye to these great women fairly early Monday morning for the second component of this trip: continuing on to California for an event later that week.

 

Surprise Day in Chicago

 

Memorial Day Weekend this year started with another girls trip returning to Nauvoo, but this time with a group of friends now split between the DC area and Idaho. Stepping off the plane in O’Hare, I learned that one woman’s flight would be delayed by several hours, so instead of immediately hitting the road, I now had a full day in the city. My knowledge of Chicago is largely informed by movies, so taking a tip from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” I hopped on the “L” and headed to The Art Institute of Chicago. It was a gorgeous day, but no small feat to schlep around my suitcase on the city streets, so after a hot dog lunch I was more than happy to take advantage of the museum’s coat check inside.

The movie shows a few pieces in the collection, which I naturally chose to visit, but I was pleasantly surprised by how many other famous works of art are in their collection. Looking at their highlights map, I kept saying “that’s here?” and trying to figure out an efficient route to see as many of them as possible. Along the way, I was delighted to discover several other works I enjoyed, and took one of the mini tours to appreciate a few more pieces. Here are some of the highlights:

Tiffany Window

American Gothic

Nighthawks

Thanksgiving

Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire, Portrait as Cynthia from Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queen

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte

The Advantage of Sharing the Fresh Air on an Italian Terrace Together with a Great Number of Insects

The Sixth Knot (Albrecht Dürer!)

Water Jar by Alvina Yepa

In the Café

Once I hit my saturation point for art, I left my bags at the museum and stepped outside for a few hours to enjoy the surrounding parks and lakefront. Just being outside on a beautiful day was lovely, but getting to see the architecture along the lakefront made it that much better. Heading back to the airport to meet up with my friends allowed for another movie moment, this time by catching the train at a different station to see the one featured in “While You Were Sleeping.”

Buckingham Memorial Fountain

Are you sure? Because it looks like he's *leaning*.

The start of Route 66

 

...But the best sight was reconnecting with the girls.