no ghosts

 I visited a cemetery today

    Not just any cemetery, but one that is on a historic list.  Funny thing, it was 2 blocks from where I grew up and I never really paid much attention to it.

    Sure, my mother's parents are buried there. And an aunt and uncle are buried there.  But once I moved out and Mom moved away, we had not visited. My memory sometimes plays games with me, but I know my parents would take me to Graceland to visit the relatives and have a picnic.  I remember sitting by a lake and eating, although it is a bit fuzzy.  When I saw the lake and surroundings, something stirred deep inside my little brain.

    Anyway, I am posting some pictures.  

    I met my niece Cindy there and as part of our day we tried finding my grandparents and aunt and uncle's graves.  We were half successful, or 2 thirds, depending on how you look at it.

    Afterward I decided to go to the Starbucks by Wrigley Field, since that is just couple of blocks away.

    I found parking space one block away and walked to the Starbucks.  I took some pictures of Cubs greats along the way, and stepped in to order a coffee.

    I was a little surprised at the remodeling that had been done. Then I realized it was not a Starbucks!  Holy cow!!

    I headed back to the car and some guys were in front of Wrigley taking pictures.  They asked If I would take a picture of the 3 of them with the marquee behind them.  I did. I showed them the picture and they liked it.

    Funny thing....they were wearing Cleveland Browns shirts!  They were visiting Chicago, not sure for how long, and wanted to see Wrigley.  We talked about the Browns, Bears, Guardians and Cubs for a minute or two before we went on our ways.

    I have to say, for someone who has a hard time talking to people, I carried on a pretty good conversation!

    I got back in my car and drove maybe 100 feet and there was a Starbucks!  But it was a pick up only store.  So I stood inside, placed my order on my phone, waited a minute, and picked it up.  I also told him I went into the Starbucks near Gallagher Way and was surprised to see it wasn't a Starbucks.  He said it hadn't been for almost 3 years.  I guess it has been a while.

    I also talked to a guy in the cemetery who was taking pictures of my boyhood nightmare.  He was from Ohio also.  He said he paid his respects at this grave site by circling it three times and touching the earth. He was excited to be visiting the cemetery.

    And despite living in the country and never having seen a coyote, I saw one today.  Graceland has a relatively well established pack.  Go figure.

Peace and Love

And pictures.

The Field plot...as in Marshall and his family.  If the sculpture seems somewhat familiar, the same artist did the statue for the Lincoln Memorial.  

Let's play 2 today!  Fans leave momentos on Ernie's grave all the time.

This is the Potter Palmer memorial....The Palmer House and other enterprises.  Mrs. Palmer wanted to sell small cakes to people attending the 1893 World's Comedian Exposition.  But she wanted the cakes to be hand held, so she made small ones.......or brownies, as we call them.

Her parents are in the  crypt across the road; but has  a French Abbey influence

Goodman's memorial is topped by what appears to be a stage.  He founded the Goodman Theater

Many of the burial vaults have an Egyptian flavor, either featuring pyramid shapes or ancient symbols.  Snakes were frequently the guards of the doors.

The girl in the glass case is a beautiful carving, but the weather was starting to deteriorate, so the girl was put inside glass.  Our  guide said the child was struck by lightning, and if you are in the cemetery during a lightning storm at night you may see her ghost rise up. The tokens are there to tell her she is remembered.

Even the dead have neighborhoods.

This sculpture scared the bejeebees our of me when I was a kid.  I hated going past it.  Legend is if you look it in the eyes you will die.  But we all die eventually, right?.  It is copper, and the lovely patina adds to the fright Eternal Silence can cause.  By the way, this is 1 of 2 Lorado Taft sculptures in the cemetery. The shadow makes it look like she is holding a hook.

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• In 1876 Chicagoan William Hulbert decided to clean up professional baseball.  He was tired of the gambling and poor behavior, so he organized a professional baseball league with 8 teams.  He called it the National League.  His name and the original 8 teams are on his memorial.  Chicago is on the other side.

These are my mother's parents and grandparents.  Cindy found them and was surprised to see that honer of her  daughters shares the name Charlotte with a great great grandmother.  Small world, eh?