On this, the last day of May 2014, I want to reflect on and thank God for the many good things of this month.
Right off the bat (no, this is not a baseball item), on May 1, I received an email from a relative in Denmark, Flemming Rossen. We have been getting acquainted, and I'm delighted that he contacted me . . . having found me via my website! In 1979 I reestablished contact with our Danish relatives--my great-grandfather, Peter Rossen, left Denmark in the late 1800s and settled in Chicago--but had only been in contact with the Copenhagen branch.
Flemming lives in western Denmark, Peter's place of origin, which my parents and I visited in 1980. He sent me a photo of us from that visit, so I got to say hello to my 25-year-old self. Ah, youth. I look forward to continuing my exchange of info and photos with Flemming as I get more adjusted to my full-time job and new schedule.
Speaking of work, my job as a proofreader at Ogilvy & Mather, a major ad agency, is going very well. I started full time April 30, so I now have a full month under my belt (although I usually don't wear a belt). The work is challenging, the people are terrific, and I feel that I make a real contribution. Proofreading is something I've been good at for a long time . . . and now I can ply my trade on something other than menus, billboards, and TV graphics.
May 11th was one of the best Mother's Days of my life as a mom. My daughters, Miranda and Dana, treated me to a brunch downtown at The Gage on Michigan Avenue. It was a delight from start to finish, with two beautiful young women. For all of this I'm very grateful.
The Grande Prairie Singers, with which Bob and I sing, had its season-concluding concert May 18. "Forces of Nature" was a dynamic theme, with selections from Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah to "Singin' in the Rain." I also was in an ensemble of altos on the wonderful "Down in the River to Pray."
Bob and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary May 26. Our customary celebration destination is a ballpark, depending on whether the Cubs or the Sox are in town. So on Saturday, May 24, we watched the White Sox play the Yankees and got to experience Derek Jeter's last series in Chicago. He is one of the greatest ambassadors for the game that baseball has ever seen. (It was also Chris Sale Bobblehead Day. Me likey.)
I'm so thankful to be Bob Burgwald's wife. He is a constant encouragement to me--as he has been these past seven years of un- and underemployment and other challenges. With him, I know what it means to be cherished.
A sad occasion was also part of May, though it too is an occasion for thanksgiving. On May 15, longtime friend Nancy Milnes died after a three-year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). I'm grateful that her suffering is over and for all the hope she brought to my life.
Right off the bat (no, this is not a baseball item), on May 1, I received an email from a relative in Denmark, Flemming Rossen. We have been getting acquainted, and I'm delighted that he contacted me . . . having found me via my website! In 1979 I reestablished contact with our Danish relatives--my great-grandfather, Peter Rossen, left Denmark in the late 1800s and settled in Chicago--but had only been in contact with the Copenhagen branch.
Flemming lives in western Denmark, Peter's place of origin, which my parents and I visited in 1980. He sent me a photo of us from that visit, so I got to say hello to my 25-year-old self. Ah, youth. I look forward to continuing my exchange of info and photos with Flemming as I get more adjusted to my full-time job and new schedule.
Speaking of work, my job as a proofreader at Ogilvy & Mather, a major ad agency, is going very well. I started full time April 30, so I now have a full month under my belt (although I usually don't wear a belt). The work is challenging, the people are terrific, and I feel that I make a real contribution. Proofreading is something I've been good at for a long time . . . and now I can ply my trade on something other than menus, billboards, and TV graphics.
May 11th was one of the best Mother's Days of my life as a mom. My daughters, Miranda and Dana, treated me to a brunch downtown at The Gage on Michigan Avenue. It was a delight from start to finish, with two beautiful young women. For all of this I'm very grateful.
The Grande Prairie Singers, with which Bob and I sing, had its season-concluding concert May 18. "Forces of Nature" was a dynamic theme, with selections from Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah to "Singin' in the Rain." I also was in an ensemble of altos on the wonderful "Down in the River to Pray."
Bob and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary May 26. Our customary celebration destination is a ballpark, depending on whether the Cubs or the Sox are in town. So on Saturday, May 24, we watched the White Sox play the Yankees and got to experience Derek Jeter's last series in Chicago. He is one of the greatest ambassadors for the game that baseball has ever seen. (It was also Chris Sale Bobblehead Day. Me likey.)
I'm so thankful to be Bob Burgwald's wife. He is a constant encouragement to me--as he has been these past seven years of un- and underemployment and other challenges. With him, I know what it means to be cherished.
A sad occasion was also part of May, though it too is an occasion for thanksgiving. On May 15, longtime friend Nancy Milnes died after a three-year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). I'm grateful that her suffering is over and for all the hope she brought to my life.
