Horizontal & Vertical

Sometimes life gets so busy, so hectic, so frustrating and demanding that we only see horizontally. Sometimes we only see the people around us, or the stuff we have to do, or the appointments and plans of the day. One of the lessons I've learned is that as often as possible I need to look vertically.

Tonight was one of those nights where living in Woodstock, IL was not just about driving to get somewhere horizontally, but also vertically. Noticing a coming storm (that never really made it all the way to Woodstock, but got close), I grabbed my camera and headed for an out-of-the-way place just West of the city and looked up. It was beautiful. See all my pictures of the night here, but here is my favorite...

Memorial Day Weekend

Wow. Spectacular beginning to Memorial Day Weekend. (As always, click on pictures for larger versions.)

I played catch with my two oldest boys this morning, as I do most days. We are preparing for baseball season in the weeks ahead. Every time one of us dropped a ball it got soaked with dew, but it was a great time. They are working on ground balls right now and every day of practice finds them much better.

I got some work done today at Starbucks (as a pastor I work most of the day on Saturday and take Monday off) and saw Jennifer Kohnke who was displaying some of her drawings. They are fantastic. Starbucks in Woodstock has been displaying them for several months and you should check them out.

Also on the Square was the farmer's market, which always has some good stuff. Today was a special treat as a couple of painters were capturing the Old Court House and the farmer's market scene. I was able to photograph both of them and talk briefly with Mort Luby. Beautiful paintings. A joy to watch someone create a scene and work colors on canvas.

Then I went to Woodstock Water Works for a bit to watch the kiddos swim. It was packed on this their first day open of the year, and rightly so as it's in the mid-80's.

Get out and enjoy Woodstock this Memorial Day Weekend.

Spring

I love Spring. Today was one of those days where the temps were comfortable, the skies broke open with downpours every so often, and it just felt good to be alive.

I also got caught walking a long way to my car today while running errands and ended up soaking wet. It was frustrating until I realized that getting wet was a childhood pastime and I should enjoy it. How quickly life passes us by, and I'm only 33!

Just as the sun was setting I got outside with my kids and took a few pictures. What a gorgeous evening full of ripe green leaves and pink clouds, warm air and the sound of birds. I just wiped off a lawn chair so I can go out in the dark and breathe in the late evening. When you get a chance, I hope you can do the same.

You can click on the pictures for larger versions.

Fair Diddley '06

After morning worship at my church, we took the kiddos downtown for Fair Diddley. We even had visitors at Calvary just because of the Fair. (Click the pictures for a larger version.)

The weather was spectacular, the crowd was big, the booths were full of...well...Fair Diddleyish stuff, and there was plenty to eat. We ate Kiwanis hot dogs, kettle corn, roasted corn at the V.F.W., and sno-cones. But we didn't buy anything, though the selection was good. We really liked some outdoorsy folding chairs, but couldn't afford them. It was just a great time in our fair city to get out and enjoy the day with locals and visitors alike.

We have yet to find an event on the Square that hasn't been enjoyable to some extent. It should be a great summer in Woodstock.

A Beautiful Evening

I have a home office, but I often work at the Woodstock Starbucks for a change of scenery (and for a grande skim no whip extra hot mocha). Tonight, in preparation for our church services in the morning, I was working at Starbucks. But before returning home (about 9:30pm) I decided to take a stroll around the Square. The weather was so beautiful with temps in the mid 60's. Fine for short sleeves.

Passing La Petite Creperie I noticed my friend Joe and his wife Sue. They invited me over to their outside table around a beautiful fire pit. Two other couples were there as well, including one of the owners and his wife. We sat around the fire and talked until 11:30pm. We talked about movies and food, kids and weather. It was a beautiful time.

I grabbed a photograph of the old Woodstock court house on the way to my car in an off-square parking lot.

Welcome

I created this site to share my experiences of living in Woodstock, IL and to encourage a love for our city. If you are a resident or visitor of Woodstock, I hope you will comment on these posts and share more about your experience of Woodstock.

This isn't a news site, a place to advertise business or events, or a place for me to speak my mind on any number of local issues. This site will say nothing of politics or complain about problems. We all have enough places in our lives to do that. This site is a place to reflect on what's praiseworthy and beautiful about our city.

And please, if you find this site helpful, pass it on to other residents of Woodstock. You are also encouraged to share your thoughts on things you want to encourage others to experience (art, music, food, drink, fun, family or whatever).

I hope you enjoy your day in Woodstock, IL.