Participating in Jocelyn Green’s World’s Fair Christmas Tour of Chicago last month met every expectation and more. What an amazing time we had. Oh, how many new places I saw and new things I learned about this city of my family’s roots in America. And tons of ideas for Tangled Promises’ sequel. See a few of the highlights in the photos below.
But first, meet George A. Tribble! Yes, a gnome. A very special one. The “A” stands for Alvar — the name means truth speaker. So, expect him to share some truths along the way. And the Tribble name refers to a bold or brave person. A strong name for my fun-loving new friend. So from Left to right (top row first) here are a few highlights. (There’s a gnome in Tangled Promises, too.)
- Meeting (character actor) Bertha Palmer, wife of Potter Palmer, the founder of Marshall Field’s department store and, of course, The Palmer House where we stayed. The hotel was built as a gift to her.
- Finally meeting one of my favorite authors, Jocelyn Green, in person. Such a special lady.
- Inside Second Presbyterian Church with its beautiful Tiffany stained glass windows.
- Lunch at the famous Walnut Room restaurant in Marshall Field’s — George is sitting on the menu, but you might be able to see the little section on the Chicken Pot Pie. The dish that started it all in this place. 😀
- Overlooking the living area of the Glessner House on historic Prairie Avenue in Chicago. Mr. Glessner was the founder of International Harvester. It is one of the few historic homes filled with original furnishings. At one point everything had been removed. As the home was restored family members have been returning many of the pieces.
- George attended The Nutcracker Ballet with us at the Lyric Opera House, a beautiful venue. Performed by the Joffrey Ballet, the story was reimagined to feature a poor family on Christmas Eve 1892 before the opening of the Columbian Exposition in the summer of 1893.
- My friend, Christy, and I at the Christkindlmarket with our cups of hot chocolate in the official 2022 mug of the market. This was our first day in Chicago, and the day I adopted George.
- The Russian Tea Room is a lovely little restaurant serving incredible food and teas. George joined us there, too.
- And the stunning dome above Georg’s head is the 1.6 million-piece Tiffany mosaic ceiling in Marshall Field’s.
George will be traveling like Flat Stanley to see many new places, meet new people, and have lots of new adventures and experiences. His fun times will be exclusive to my newsletter subscribers. If you are not already a subscriber to my newsletter, Inklings from my pen, be sure to sign up today.
Copyright 2023, Lynn U. Watson