A memorable storm enveloped my office one February day. I had barely set down my coat or caught my breath before the big window that I have written of before beckoned me. I looked out. The snow had intensified the colors of the buildings and muffled Chicago’s customary noise. The storm was as intense as…
The great beauty of this earth
I continue to hanker for warmer seasons and climes. I continue to flip through my old pictures, basking in memories of glorious February adventures.
A scene without season
A scene without season, place, or time of day, yet of a sort that seems familiar to the many millions who pass through.
A special-occasion centerpiece
My husband gave me some flowers for Valentine’s Day. We were having dinner at home last night with another couple, so I decided to make a special-occasion centerpiece. Like my photography, my flower-arranging is an amateur undertaking. What I know about it I’ve learned from trial and error. I’ve picked up tips by looking at…
Happy Valentine’s Day
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Feel the love! Celia
A hotel some call home
Dining at Mon Ami Gabi is a happy excuse to pass through the Belden-Stratford lobby. This grand old apartment hotel, built in the Beaux-Arts style, is situated on Lincoln Park West, right near the zoo and conservatory, and gives onto the glorious gardens that distinguish this street. Stars like Louis Armstrong and Gloria Swanson used…
The artistry!
A parking lot, packed full of meaning as well as cars, exudes confidence and a shrewd sense of economy. One false decision, and this precise configuration dissolves into an ugly interpersonal and logistical snarl. But my guess is that all the relations implied here are customary: one person—a very experienced and trusted person—parks all these…
A mansion amid the march of time
Scattered along the quiet side streets of East Lakeview are some wonderful mansions that have held out against the march of time. Over the years, many of their neighbors have fallen to the wrecking ball, or become sandwiched in between massive high-rises. This house is one of my particular favorites. Despite its modern appearance, it…
Landscape with memory
The el speeds past an indifferent landscape, much of it devoid of association or meaning. Yet embedded in the landscape is a memory, like a tiny glimmer of quartz in all those dull rocks that lie on the beach, waiting to be picked up and looked at more closely. In this case, the memory is…
Nostalgic for another season
Celia flips back through her photo albums, dwelling on happy images of warmer seasons and fairer climes. Even unremarkable pictures have acquired remarkable charm, as long as they contain evidence of warmer light and plants growing. Wistfully she gazes on masses of leafy trees and recalls the feeling of moving about the city on a…
Razzmatazz
Those who designed the party possessed a certain genius. Even a casual snapshot looks like a fin-de-siècle painting you might find in a museum.
Blessings of light
What a relief, on a gloomy night, to step into a beautifully lit room, cave-like and colorful at the same time. Celia’s winter-weary eyes are re-opened, appreciating the blessings of light anew.
