A third week of September 2013 - starts out and continues with cool fall-like days.

                       Copyright@L.Hadley 2024

          September 2013 zooms by fast and after a few very hot and bothersome days at the beginning of the month - the second and third week continues with very cool, rainy, fall-like days and nights.
       Since most of the people in our family love the autumn and hate long overly hot summers - fall is welcomed and always goes fast like a blink of an eye. If the Chicago winter starts out mild and continues in that mode - we enjoy it - however - frequently - the winters here - are windy, blistering, long and awful - so it's nice to get the hell out of Chicago for January and February. 

      It's not always easy to accomplish but as we get older - there are less deadlines and pressures to bother us. Thank God we get something good - connected to getting older. I love the very mature women and men who not only get better with age - but they also look great. Their personalities also change for the better with age - just like the finest wines. Those are my kind of people - well worthy of admiring.

     

     Copyright@L. Hadley and Associates 2024
    

During the second week of September - Chicago had several enormously hot, humid and bothersome days.

      Only a week before the official fall begins - Chicago had some nasty, hot and humid days during the second week of September 2013.  While August, July, June of the summer 2013 - were cool, sunny and pleasant - barring a single hot and humid day - here and there - September had quite a few hot and unbearable, nasty days.
      Thank God - all this is ending - since the next week - the third week of September 2013 - promises to be cool and terrific. I can finally go back to my favorite place Irish Cultural Center and pick up their September schedule. It needs to be mentioned that the Irish Center huge mansion is not air-conditioned.
      The magnificent Irish Cultural Center - 4626 Knox Ave - Chicago, IL 60618 - is much better to visit - during the cool weather. I went there one time during the very warm - not even hot day - this summer - and it was uncomfortable inside - notwithstanding its huge, castle like numerous rooms.
      Have a great second week of September 2013!!!                                        Copyright@L.Hadley 2026

This is the first week of September 2013.

         For this week - all of you my loyal and numerous - "cyber-friends" we will feature Chicago's - Michigan Avenue - the so called "Magnificent Mile" running roughly from Michigan and Walton to Michigan and Wacker.
       If all possible - I beg of you - do not visit that area from May 30 (Memorial Day) until the Labor Day is done - right now this time. If you have to visit the Magnificent Mile at the time I mentioned above - be prepared to be squeezed like a sardine in a tight can - by millions of newly arrived tourists in your face plus their screaming children.
      On the other hand - if you come right now - let's say between this time and Thanksgiving - you will love the Magnificent Mile - unless you are mentally deficient and like to fight crowds - I am just kidding you - of course.
     At any rate - have a super marvelous week and I promise to feature something really "Chicago" - next week!!!

                 Copyright@L. Hadley and Associates 2025

Every Labor Day - Chicago hosts a super gorgeous Jazz Festival with the most talented Jazz perfomers playing tons of gigs in safe vanues - Chicago Downtown.

Hey everybody who loves good Jazz,

     Every Labor Day long weekend - the city of Chicago has been hosting a fabulous Jazz fest which is free to the public. The concerts are - usually outdoors - so we pray for good weather.
     This year - 2013 - we got lucky since barring an awfully hot Sunday and Friday - Saturday and Monday - should both be beautiful.
     You need to get a little bit earlier to Millennium Park since everybody has the same idea - to get there for free to listen to great Jazz.
     My friend and I will go Saturday since it will cool off - today - Friday Aug. 30 - 2013 - is very hot and even if the humidity "behaves" it still feels crummy - thank God for the breeze from Lake Michigan.

     Stay tuned - breathlessly - for my follow up report on some early Jazz concerts on Saturday August 31 - 2103 (they start at noon).

    Have a great Labor Day! Hurray - the summer is ending the fall will be here soon!

The third week of August will feature - Chicago's - Broadway Armory building.

     During this "heat wave" week - Chicago has a so called "Broadway Armory" building - a fabulously rehabbed huge, loft structure which houses a big gym for younger kids - but also a spacious, clean "senior center" for old farts. Some of them have no teeth and chronic bad mood - but most might have no teeth - but a nice smile.
     The big, round, loft shaped building stands close to the gloriously beautiful Thorndale/Sheridan beach.  The building - itself - is on Broadway/Thorndale - corner.
     The "old gizzards" get a good meal - nutritious lunch - for a dollar and all all kinds of "old farts'" activities in which most of them - participate. The city of Chicago is rich - if it didn't waste its tremendous resources on rich political "hacks" - it would be a nice city.
     Thank God for the press and media in Chicago which shines the light on their "shady", half-legal activities. Eventually it's their turn on the "butcher's block" - as well.
     Not to get side-tracked from the Broadway Armory building - it's gorgeous - cool in the hot days - warm in the winter. My kind of place.
Come in the take a look!

August 2013 - new hot spot in Chicago - is actually a very old - but rehabbed and gorgeous - huge mansion!

Hey everybody who clicks here!

        A new, August 2013, hot spot in Chicago, Illinois - is coming momentarily! There is another, small Chicago in another state. We - make sure - to identify "our" Chicago - the heart of the U.S. which the well known American poet named Carl Sandburg - called a "giant with big shoulders".
      Back to our column. The rich people who lived in Chicago at the beginning of the twentieth century loved not only to build huge dwellings for themselves and their numerous servants of every kind - they also adored to build huge clubs/castles - for their entertainment/recreation. 
      One of those gigantic, mansion structures is an Irish Heritage Community Center - on Knox and Lawrence located in Chicago's north west neighborhood. It's a massive, three story building - designed in an ornate style - newly renovated - containing two big ballrooms - huge kitchen with dining area and tons of smaller rooms on every floor.
      The parking lot is humongous. This beautiful venue is easily accessible if you drive or take the public transportation. The center is perfect for all kinds of concerts, festivals, dances. 
      You absolutely cannot forget about the next big event - Irish Books Arts & Music Celebration coming up October 11, 12 and 13th. This spectacular Irish Cultural Weekend will feature the finest Irish Writers, Artists, Musicians, Dancers, Storytellers, Film, Theatre and Exhibitions.
      Mark your calendars with a big, fat marker - Irish American Heritage Center - 4626 N. Knox Avenue - Chicago, IL 60630 - call 847-872-0700
www.ibamchicago.com - absolutely not to be missed.
      Ask for me - name this exciting website and come and give me a hug - I take a shower every day and use deodorant. Hope you do the same - otherwise - just shake my hand.  See you there!!!

Ezra Russian Center - 909 W. Wilson Ave - Chicago, 60660 has dynamite Tuesday afteroon concerts.

    
      Every Tuesday afternoon - starting 1:30 pm - the Russian Center located in a nice and clean, rehabbed, three story building located at the very heart of famous Chicago's - Uptown - right down the street from the well known junior college - the Truman College - the Ezra Russian Center has been hosting a lot of super good concerts - free of charge. You need to understand Russian - however - if you are to enjoy yourself.
      On June 4 - 2013 - the accomplished pianist/arranger Ms. Olga Bashkena organized a terrific afternoon concert consisting of a lot of magnificent pieces composed by a famous Russian composer - who created more than 1500 successful songs performed by the most prominent Russian vocalists - such as Leonid Utesev, Mark Bernes, Irina Allegrova.
     The composers' name is Oskar Feltzman who graduated with distinction from Odessa Conservatory of Music - majoring in composition and he passed away from heart failure at eighty three - in the United States where he lived towards the end of his life.
    "The Ballad of War Colors" moved me to tears since it reminded me how my mother loved to listen to it - many years before I heard it last Tues. June 4 - 2013 - performed in an almost totally professional manner by Mr. Marat Vilenski - an older tenor. 
     It was a funny feeling of almost meeting a deceased composer after I heard and loved his song which I knew for many years and have forgotten it - in the interim - busy with my life. I never knew who composed this beautiful ballad. They lyrics skillfully written by Mr. Roshdenstvensky are simple - 
     "A plain but good woman gave birth to two sons - one had red hair - she whispered that she brought into the world a 'boy sent from the sunshine' - while the second son had a pitch black hair - like shiny tar glistening on the rooftops."
      When the Great War broke out - both boys had to go fight Hitler so they respectfully said goodbye and left their mother's home. She waited and worried but kept the upbeat thoughts in her head and she was very lucky - both of them returned from the War but both of them had white hair since the War colors turns the young men's hair - white."
      If you live in Chicago area, understand Russian and like Russian culture - you will have a lot of fun during the Tuesday afternoons at the Chicago's Ezra Russian Center.

      

                    Copyright@L. Hadley 2025