WHERE THERE'S A WILL...

I've been spending the last couple of months organizing and sorting through some of my clutter. I'm not proud of it, but I've discovered what a hoarder I've become through this process. Don't get me wrong, I'm not enough of a hoarder to be the subject of a television show or worthy of a news story. Nor is there a need to wear a hazmat suit to walk through my house... but still, a hoarder just the same.

This Is Not My House!!

One of my favorite hobbies is genealogy. Anyone that has ever dabbled in this science knows that the accumulation of documents, photographs, memorabilia, and books is part of the fun of it. Organizing and cataloging these items requires a will of iron, and can take months or weeks. If you've been researching your family tree long enough, …it can take years. If you have multiple interests, such as collecting antiques, books, or crafting…your "clutter" will be multiplied tenfold. Add on top of all that, the day-to-day junk that we accumulate, and you've got yourself quite a mess.


My catharsis began by ridding myself of paper...lots of it. Old magazines with articles that I will never read or ideas I will never try. Stacks of junk mail, statements for accounts I no longer own, recipes that I will never make...you get the point. Papers were coming out of every orifice of my home. It's been driving me crazy for quite a while.

I decided to grab the bull by the horns so to speak, and try the Marie Kondo philosophy of getting rid of those things that no longer give me joy. So far, I have filled three tall kitchen bags with the shredded remains of the joyless paper stacks, and there is enough shredding left to fill another 3-4. The problem is that instead of holding on to paper, I now copy and save links to the articles & various websites. The snowball effect of that is...I forget I have the hyperlink, and now instead of physical clutter...I have a lot of 'cyber clutter.' On the bright side... now at least it is only visible to me...on my phone, iPad, and laptop. It's like shoving everything into a room, and shutting the door when guests are on their way over. I've never done that mind you, but I've heard some people do. Somehow, I don't think that is what Marie Kondo had in mind.

I will probably never become a minimalist, but I must admit throwing stuff out, giving it away, or shredding it into a million pieces can be very therapeutic. I've been putting together a game plan on how to approach the rest of my stuff...books, craft materials, and other miscellaneous dust collectors. My problem is...I like my stuff! I don't know if any of it 'gives me joy' exactly...but it does give me comfort.


Organizing my home is long overdue. It is one of my resolutions for this year. Sadly, it is a resolution I make every year... along with going on a diet and exercising. This time I mean it! It may take me the rest of the year, however, but I'm bound and determined to get it done!! After all, where there's a will... there is a way. Right? As for going on a diet and exercise... baby steps.

RESOURCES:

http://clipart-library.com/

https://konmari.com/

READIN' & WRITIN'...

The love of reading was something that my mother instilled in me at a very young age...three-and-a half-months-old, to be exact. 

Here I am, in my usual "loungewear" during that time of my life. My trusty pencil behind my ear, and a book in my hand. Looking off into the distance for a quiet place in which to concentrate, I've no doubt that I'm on the verge of writing a spellbinding review of Peter Pan, a much-loved book. 

Other than the fact that I now have slightly longer hair, and have managed to avoid diapers so far... not much has changed over the years. I still love to read and write and spend a lot of time doing both whenever I can. 

Sepia Saturday Photo Challenge #517

LANDING THE SECOND PUNCH...

When you lob an insult, it's bound to land somewhere. Since you can't hurt feelings of an inanimate object… it's safe to assume that the lobbed insult will land on a person. One can only hope that the recipient has thick enough skin to cushion the blow, and if not, …here's hoping you can run really fast!

The story I'm about to relate may not be one that you might typically find on a genealogy blog or a history blog for that matter. It is, however, a part of my personal history, and so I'm qualifying it as a family story.

 If ignorance is bliss, then I ran into one of the happiest people on earth several months ago. Let me say that I do not dress up on the weekends to run errands. On this particular morning, I went to the hardware store to pick up a couple of those 3M removable hangers. I thought I looked particularly chic that morning, [said with a shrug]. In my standard weekend attire of jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and no makeup, I bumped into this woman that I had worked with a couple of years ago. She always seemed to be a pleasant individual, and so when she approached me in the store, I greeted her with a friendly smile and said, 'hello.' Her response to me was slightly less social when she said, 'hi, you know you should never leave the house without makeup' and proceeded to walk away. I was somewhat taken aback. The unsolicited comment from someone who didn't exactly look like a page out of Vogue magazine either, [and for the record, never did] was rude and insulting. 

  

I admit that my tongue has always been a little sharp, but I generally do not go out of my way to hurt a person's feelings, because I'm not too fond of it when it happens to me. It serves no purpose. That doesn't mean that I don't mutter under my breath or make snarky comments while being gossipy with a friend. After all, I'm not a saint, but I try to keep it to a minimum and, at the very least, not do it in public. So, shortly after the verbal vomit that I had just been subjected to...I found myself following behind for a few steps and plotting what I would say to my former coworker in response. 

As we were both approaching the exit, the moment arrived. In a clear, unemotional voice, I snapped back ...' well, you may be right about my appearance but, at least when I put makeup on...I know how to do it. Would you like me to help you with yours?' I left her standing there with a slightly stunned expression on her face as I continued to walk out of the store.  

I will never understand anyone that thinks it is okay to insult, belittle, or try to embarrass another human being, all in the name of "constructive criticism." When the shoe is on the other foot, however, and the "critic" becomes the target of the negative remarks, they are often astonished or incensed. I'm sure when she told her family and friends about the incident, she was the innocent victim, and I was the instigator. I will say that it was not one of my proudest moments, and I hate that she reduced me to her level of ignorance, but it did feel good to give back as good as I got for once.  

Maybe the moral of this story ended up being...never mess with a woman wearing jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers, and no makeup! I would have much preferred...treat others the way you want to be treated...with kindness and respect. Maybe next time.

  

RESOURCES:

https://www.fotosearch.com/clip-art/

A GAGGLE OF COUSINS...

Whenever family came in from out of town, it was time to whip out a camera and snap a few pictures. Unfortunately, not everyone got in this snapshot (I for one, wasn't born yet). The occasion for the gathering was to celebrate my Aunt Ann, Uncle Steve and cousin, Ronnie's arrival from Connecticut on Jul 15, 1950, which took place at my Uncle Lenny's house.

Back Row From L-R: Uncle Steve (Sember), Aunt Kay (Poppa), Uncle Charlie (Craig), Tommy Craig (on Charlie's lap), Mrs. Sember (Steve's mother),  Aunt Beth (Craig), Ricky Poppa (on Beth's lap), Grandma Poppa, Natalie Poppa (my sister), Marilyn Poppa (Mom), Patrick Poppa (in mom's arms), Aunt Ann (Sember) sitting on couch,  

On Floor From L-R:  Ronnie Sember, Uncle Augie (Poppa), Charliene Craig (sitting on Ann's lap) and Uncle Lenny with Prince the dog (is that a smile on his face?)

Sepia Saturday Photo Challenge #516

TAKE A DEEP BREATH...

     Other than the obvious definition for the word air, it can also be defined as a way to express, vent, utter, voice, or broach. To make known what one thinks or feels. An impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.[i]

     I was ‘up in the air’ on how to approach this week’s post. Do I take the word literally and write about oxygen? I can point out the fact that you can’t live without it. Or, sometimes, when it’s humid outside, the air is so thick, you can cut it with a knife. 

     Maybe I should write about the time I broke up with an old boyfriend over the phone because he made a promise and didn’t keep it. That was a deal-breaker for me. When he tried to call a week or so later, acting like nothing happened, I hung up the phone. I guess you could call that ‘giving someone the air.’ 

     What about a cute little story about the pair of socks that go into the dryer, and somehow only one comes out? The other one seems to disappear ‘into thin air’ or does it? I suspect there is a parallel universe out there that has a multitude of single socks, wondering what happened to their mates.

     A story on one of my ancestors, a great aviator with many adventures while soaring through the air, could be interesting. The problem is, I don’t have any aviators in my family and so no adventures to write about. Or... I could write about a hot air balloon ride, except I’ve never been on one, so I have no point of reference...  

     Who would have thought that a word representing something that comes as naturally to every healthy human being as breathing in and out, would be so challenging to write about?  I may need to sit back, take a deep breath, and let the air clear before I tackle this one.

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[i] https://www.thefreedictionary.com/air

FIRE!

If you have a fire in your belly, you might have an unyielding determination to succeed. To light a fire under someone is to encourage that person or persons to take action. Whatever the word means to you, it's clear that fire is powerful. 

"You're fired!" A phrase you never want to hear shouted at you during your working career. "Fire!" A word that you never want to hear shouted in a crowded building. Two different meanings, both harmful. The definition of the first one is a burning mass of negative energy exhibited by your boss (just kidding), and the definition of the second one is 'a burning mass of material.' [i]

Chicago has had its share of fires. Three that come to mind are the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, the Iroquois Theater Fire in 1903, and the Our Lady of Angels School Fire in 1958. All 3 are famous, and all are tragic. 

Perhaps the most famous fire to sweep an American city – and certainly the most infamous case of farm animal arson – the Great Chicago Fire claimed up to 300 lives in 1871. After starting in a barn on a particularly dry October night, the fire spread through the Windy City's unregulated wooden structures. It wreaked miles (and millions worth) of property damage.  The Great Chicago Fire was transformative for the city of Chicago, sparking political upheavals and restoration efforts that led to a population boom in the decades to come. Of course, it also changed the way we construct, insure, and regulate buildings – and not just in the city of Chicago. After the devastation of this historic event, City Council stepped up within a year to ban wooden building materials and require flame-resistant materials instead.[ii]  

 

Aftermath of Chicago Fire - 1871

Just a few decades after the city's Great Fire, Chicago suffered another fiery tragedy when the opulent Iroquois Theatre caught fire, with 602 people trapped inside. These mass casualties inspired federal and state overhauls of codes that affect public spaces, and these codes continue to govern our theatres and other entertainment and hospitality venues to this day. Like the "unsinkable" Titanic, the "fireproof" Iroquois Theatre proved to be anything but. Tragedy struck on December 30, 1903, when a stage light sparked and ignited a curtain during a packed performance of a play. Some exit doors opened inward, but the vast majority – 27 of 30 total exit doors – were blocked with curtains or locked with strange mechanisms. The audience panicked as many failed to escape, and nailed-off vents trapped the smoke and heat inside with them. [iii]

The Our Lady of Angels School Fire is known as the deadliest school fire in U.S. history, killing 87 children and 3 nuns. Survivors and family members of this tragic fire still mourn the loss of their loved ones 60+ years later.  If any good came out of this tragedy, it is the improvements made to school safety. Today, fire drills are a regular part of the school experience, allowing teachers and students to learn what the fire alarm sounds like and practice a safe exit. [iv] ^,  [v]

In 1884, the Home Insurance Company Building, designed by William LeBaron Jenney, was the original site of the world's first skyscraper. It was ten stories tall with a steel skeleton, stone curtain walls, and an elevator. It was demolished in 1929 to make way for what would then become known as the Field Building. The Field building was erected by the estate of department store magnate Marshall Field. The 44-story building was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. Construction completed in 1935; 

135 Building - 1935

it was intended to be the largest office building in the Loop. It is considered to be the last true Art Deco skyscraper built in Chicago's Loop district. It was the last major building erected in Chicago before a lull in construction brought on by the Great Depression and the Second World War. On the fifth floor are 17 panels depicting Robert Cavelier de la Salle's exploration of the area. He is believed to have made camp at this location. Considered by some to be  Chicago's Empire State Building, the building was outfitted with mail chutes in the shape of the building and is crisscrossed by pedestrian bridges.   Eventually, the building would be known as the LaSalle Bank building or simply by its address, 135 South LaSalle. [vi] ^, [vii]  

I feel very fortunate that I have never had to escape a burning building. However, I did experience a close encounter. Back in 2004, I worked on the 14th floor of the LaSalle Bank Building located in the heart of Chicago's financial district. It was December 6, 2004, about 5:45 pm… forty-five minutes past my standard quitting time. I was going to stay longer, but I was tired and decided it was time to go home, have some dinner, and relax on the sofa. I got in about 6:30 pm.  Thirty minutes later, I received a phone call from a friend of mine, checking to make sure I made it home alright. I was confused. I asked her why she thought I wouldn't have made it home? She said, "turn on the news."  

A fire had broken out on the 29th floor of the 44-story building. The building was in the process of putting in infrastructure for sprinklers at the time of the fire, but on the night of the blaze, there were no sprinklers on the 29th floor. The fire was reported about 6:30pm and continued to burn until midnight. The stubborn blaze shot flames out of the windows of the beautiful art-deco designed building along with thick, black smoke. The intense heat from the inferno caused window frames between the 29th and 30th floors to twist. Over 300 firefighters responded to the fire. In all, about 37 people sustained injury, mostly firefighters due to smoke inhalation. However, several suffered minor to serious injuries according to news reports at the time. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. Bank employees had recently participated in a safety drill, about a month or so earlier. Those individuals still in the building knew what to do. [viii]  Firefighters found everyone and led them out of the building to safety. It's important to note that none of the stairwells were locked, and fire alarm announcements provided clear and concise instructions. 

A few days before Christmas, employees were allowed back in the building on the lower floors. The upper floors remained closed for weeks. The acrid smell from the fire still hung in the air, but lessened each day. Fire and safety inspectors had gone through each floor of the building to identify the cause. Eventually, it was determined that the root of the fire was faulty wiring.  Space heaters that some people had under their desks were piled up in the middle of the floor. I found sooty boot prints from the firefighters on top of my desk as they used it as a way of accessing the windows to repel down the side of the building. They stood on the wedding cake-like tiers of the building's design to gain better access to the flames with their hoses.

I don't know how I would have reacted had I been in the building at the time of the fire. I like to think that I would have stayed calm, followed instructions, and made a safe exit out of there, but I'm glad that I never had to find out.

I have attached a couple of documentary videos below on two of the fires related to this post. Both are interesting, as well as very sad. They're approximately 10 minutes or less in length, but very informative.

 RESOURCES

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[i]  https://www.dictionary.com/browse/fire

[ii] http://www.strikefirstusa.com/2016/07/trial-fire-5-fires-ultimately-improved-world/

[iii] Iroquois Theater Fire - Chicago History  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spzAGnNwaUg

[iv] Our Lady of Angels School Fire  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-JdU-YPRzM

[v]  https://nthfmemorial.org/the-fire-that-changed-everything-our-lady-of-the-angels/

[vi]  https://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/685/Bank-of-America-Building.php

[vii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_Building_(Chicago)

[viii] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/37-hurt-in-chicago-skyscraper-fire/