One of the recent WBEZ Curious City episodes was about women living independently in Chicago in the early 20th century. I didn’t know the term “women adrift,” and to be honest, I thought that women were not even supposed to live on their own back then, so all of this was incredibly interesting. Sharing here.
Continue reading “How Single Women In Chicago Lived in 1900s”Month: October 2025
The Sun/Moon Concert at Guarneri Hall
I learned about Guarneri Hall, one of Chicago’s “hidden gems”, earlier this year from one of the WBEZ shows, and when I went there for the first time, I was blown away by the uniqueness of this experience. When they announced the program for the new season, I reserved several single tickets, even though I was unsure whether I would be able to attend.
It so happened that a good friend of mine visited Chicago this week (to run a Chicago marathon), and she happened to have that very evening free. I got one more ticket to the concert, and we went together.
I was happy to share this experience with someone else (for the record, so far, there have been no concerts on any of the days when Boris was here).
Yesterday’s program was called “Sun/Moon,” and was dedicated to Hydrogen Day (yes, I also didn’t know such a day existed). The concert opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Andrew Johnston, Vice President of Museum Experience & Collections at the Adler Planetarium. He talked about the origin of the Universe, the role of hydrogen in it, and what the “music of the spheres” really means. The program featured absolutely extraordinary performers, soprano Kristina Bachrach and pianist Winston Choi.
The program notes for those who are interested.
Nothing can compare with this special feeling of presence just a few feet away from where the music is made, hearing the clearest possible sound, and following the artist’s facial expressions :). And after the concert, there was a Q&A with the performers, and a small reception (my friend and I used this time to catch up on life).
From My Monthly Health Check
I am enrolled in as many Apple Health studies as applicable to me, because I like to know things about my health, and because I understand thatconsicten Apple Watch warerers can make a valuable contributions to studies of human health, behavior, and their relationships
My answers “almost never” change, but I always wonder why questions 2 and 3 do not allow to reply “always” 😀
Unexpected Find
Last week, my mom told me, as she often says, that “she needs time when I won’t be in a rush, because she needs to tell me something and to show me something.” And if you think that I am dismissive and not paying attention to something important, I have tried to listen to “something important” many times in the past five years, so I sort of knew what was coming.
Still, I acknowledged the request and suggested that she probably could tell me something on that day, when I was not that rushed, and then we could sit together for another hour late in the week. She replied that “an hour was not enough” and she needs “half a day.” Realistically estimating her endurance, I could not imagine any activity for longer than two hours, and told her that I could come any time she wants on Saturday, so that she could have as much time as she needs (I was indeed flexible on Saturday, and knew it wouldn’t be half a day). She tried to ask “when it was convenient for me,” and I told her any time would work, so she asked me to come at 11 AM. Knowing her meal schedule meant that it wouldn’t be more than an hour and a half, and it was.
First, she said that she “wanted to show me where things are so that I know where to look when she passes away.” I already knew, because she showed it to me many times, but she took out three bags with documents again. There was a bag with Russian documents and another with American documents, so I told her it was all good and that she needed to keep them all. She was about to put everything away, but then she said: Oh, we didn’t go over the third one!
We started with the third one, and she showed me a purse which she had shown me before with some small amounts of dollars, euros, and rubles, which she used to carry with her when she still traveled. But then, she opened other envelopes, and I saw that there was a lot of money! In dollars, euros, and rubles! I said: Mom, why is this money here? We put all your money into the bank when you first came to the US! What I figured out looking at the receipts was that she brought this money with her when she first came (and later she was always telling me that she is afraid to carry money on her, so even when she still traveled, Boris had to bring her pension converted to dollars, back to the US.
My hypothesis is that she didn’t trust me when she came, and decided to stash some money “under the pillow,” just in case. And then she forgot about it, but not until recently, because I remember her showing me “everything” several times.
I took the US money, except for small bills, which I hope she will remember to use for tips and deposited it to the bank. Euros will travel to Helsinki. Rubles won’t go anywhere.
Oh, and as for the important things she wanted to tell me, it was something she told me multiple times previously, and with more details. But that’s what I expected, so I sat politely and listened.
Yesterday’s Chicago News
Not only do we have a great governor in Illinois, we also have a great Attorney General (even though his office gives me a lot of grief with my non-profit registration):
We are still waiting to see the result of this power struggle, and I hear helicopters over Lake Michigan every evening.
The Mayor was not silent either, and that’s what we need these days: call it what it is, a war on Chicago, not “special operation.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson calls for ‘dramatic’ response ahead of imminent National Guard deployment
Mayor Brandon Johnson delivered forceful rhetoric Monday against what he dubbed President Donald Trump’s “war on Chicago,” but offered few concrete answers about how to stop it ahead of an expected deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to the area in support of the federal government’s deportation campaign targeting the nation’s third-largest city.
Speaking at a news conference on the West Side in which he signed an executive order he said would deter U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Johnson told Chicagoans to stand together against the White House’s mounting threats of a military occupation.
His latest line in the sand came after weeks of roiling standoffs between federal immigration agents and protesters in Chicago and Broadview, where a suburban ICE facility has become ground zero for the local response against Trump’s “Operation Midway” deportation blitz.
“In the coming days and weeks, we may be pushed, if not forced, to take even more dramatic action if this administration continues to escalate and provoke our people,” Johnson told reporters. Pressed to elaborate, he said, “Everything. Everything, whatever is necessary to ensure that we’re protecting people.”
The Last Week Of Summer?
I think that the last week was truly the last week of summer, and that today was truly the last beach day. I was so nice and warm, all week long, and the weekend was as perfect as it could be.
I went for a long bike ride in the morning and to the beach in the early afternoon.
Each time I am at the beach, I think about how blessed I am to have this treasure so close to home. I am forever thankful for this gift from the universe, and I will never take it for granted!
The War Zone
Yes, I am very well aware that many people live in real war zones, and it might be insulting to them to call the current Chicago situation “the war zone,” but there are too many episodes that feel a lot like it.
When Y visited me yesterday, we talked about the raids; I knew that she was very reluctant to travel across the city when things are so unstable. I asked her why she was afraid – after all, ICE is mainly going after Latinos, but she replied: Oh no, they take Black people as well!
Now, that I watched several news clips, I see what she meant!
I am unsure whether YouTube pieces are visible to people outside the US, but if they are, you would understand the public outrage. Also, here is a SunTimes article (this one should be available to non-subscribers).
When the ICE agents jump from the helicopter to the roof of the building to conduct arrests, I don’t know what else I can add to this picture.
Also, as it turned out, Trump did not deploy the National Guard to Chicago (it was very confusing on the evening news yesterday, so today’s update is that he wants, but the deployment is temporarily blocked by the Federal Court, so we are unsure what will happen next).
I spoke with Vlad and Dylan today; they are following the Chicago news and say they stay optimistic, trying to do the right things. They told me that National Guards actually do less harm than ICE, because they are professionally trained military people, while ICE personnel are extremely unprofessional, receive very little training, and just show off. And I second that.
The Chicago Threads are filled with messages of support for Chicago, and “stay strong!” and “there are more of us than them.” All of this gives me a lot of hope, and reassurence that we will win this fight.
Why?
Why is it true that all brilliant ideas come to your mind when you take a shower? It’s something preverbial, but it is absolutely true! Yes, I might get that you need “to sleep on it,” but why not when you are brushing your teeth or when you are walking? It always happens in the shower!
A New Life Formular
I’ve changed the way I speak about time and the lack of it. For the longest time, I used to say: “God does not give me more than 24 hours a day, even though I absolutely deserve at least 30!!!” On Friday, when I was talking to one of my fellow escorts, I came up with the follow-up: “However, God does give me 24 hours, and I am determined to use every minute of it!”
The early morning Friday shift was unusually intense; five antis were out, and there were just three of us, so we didn’t have enough bodies to escort patients and shield them. And that was the first time I was the shift lead (why am I taking on more responsibilities – don’t ask!). But while there is a need in the morning shifts, and while it’s warm enough for me to survive these morning shifts, I will be there. That’s one of the meaningful ways to use these minutes :).
And summer in Chicago continues! It was the upper 80s today! I was finally able to meet with my friend Y; we had been trying to meet since June, and had to cancel for either her or my reasons. I was sad that she didn’t have a chance to visit me in the summer, but we got a summer day in October! We went to the beach, and sat there in the lounge chairs, and I swam in the lake (she didn’t). This time, it almost didn’t happen again because she was afraid to be out while the ICE agents were terrorising the city, but then she decided she would make it, and I am glad she did.
I do not know a single person who would be happy with what’s going on in the city these days. My hairstylist came to do my hair on Friday, and with all her being “neutral” and “not wanting to talk about politics,” she couldn’t keep it to herself.
And on the ICE/Trump topic, there was another shooting, although this time not lethal, and also, Trump quietly deployed 300 National Guards, and now the whole city is mad that police is not protecting the citizen from ICE, and they also mad at the Governor, although it’s hard to tell what he could do in the current situation (except for there are multiple lawsuits filed). Also, he froze the Red Line extension money, but to be honest, I had no doubts it would happen.
Keeping fighting, and keeping doing good whenever I can.
And A Very Different Dinner
The last time I was at ODS, I spoke with one of the staff, N, who always supports my efforts to make a difference and loves my cooking, especially baked salmon. We agreed to try to make a baked salmon dinner when I am back from the conference. Although I am “not supposed” to communicate with staff directly, with the absence of a coordinator, it was my only option.
Everything worked great, and it turned out that no matter how infrequently I come to the ODS these days, everyone remembers baked salmon :). All ingredients were purchased, except that I asked to buy eight lemons, and there were only two (although big ones :))
In addition to making baked salmon and mashed potatoes (which are also an all-time hit), I brought half of the apple cake, which I baked on Sunday, and the amount of praise and the number of “thank you”-s was way above average.
That’s all I need. I am happy that I made other people happy 🙂 and received so much good vibes!
Hettie's Reflections 