Photo Essay
The Huerta Family & Friends at

TASTE OF CHICAGO

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Rob & Chris

Phylis & Teresa

Roger, Janette & Abby


ON THE TRAIN

Rob with M and M

Christy with M2

Janette & Abby

Brad & Rachel

ARRIVAL

Phylis & M1


CHICAGO ART INSTITUTE
Thank God for Art Institute membership.
It makes a much better potty break than those awful porta-potty things at the Taste!!
And a pretty dandy background for photos, too!

Janette & Roger with Abigail & M2

Phylis and Christy strolling and eating. (The purpose of the day!)

Teresa poses with Chicago's "Tin Man"

Janette's first taste of Chicago Style Hot Dog

Delicious Pizza!

Isn't she sweet??

Who doesn't love chocolate?

YUMMY!!

Phylis & Teresa

Buckingham Fountain
sparkled in the afternoon sun

Tired girls pose
squinting in the
bright sun

First day crowd increased
as the afternoon wore on

A good time was had by all!
Yep that's me with the gigantic purse!!
And the neon sunburned neck!
THE END

Mariners

Proof positive from our day on Lake Geneva. I'm chomping on a pear while piloting the boat. Captain Teresa handles the boat with ease!

:)

Ancient History
The Iguana Factor
Or
The Amazing Levitating Powers of "Uncle Bob"

This iguana is five-feet,
(and the man is just an innocent bystander -- unrelated to the characters in the story!)
the iguana in the following story was only about 3 and half feet!

The story told through a series of e-mails (with minimal editing for clarification).

Randy to Kenny:

. . . Good thing I keep reptiles or nobody would remember me! Speaking of reptiles, don't ever get uncle Bobby going about a small encounter he had at our house in Long Beach with one of my little iguanas. I think it was a significant emotional event that might have sent him into the clergy.

*********

Kenny to Bob:

Uncle Bob, Is there something I need to know here about a reptilian encounter????

*********

Bob to Kenny:

What Randy is talking about is the “iguana” factor. Phylis and I had only been married about 4-5 months and were living in Menlo Park, California. We decided to take a weekend to visit our family in Long Beach. At that time, Randy had two iguana pets. I have never liked iguanas and was a bit leery of them. At feeding time, Randy pulled the iguanas out of their cage and set them on the floor. I asked Randy if they were aggressive—he said: “No way!” They refused to eat, all the while staring at me. I was standing by the door of his bedroom. I thought it would calm them down if I sat on the corner of the bed. The one kept “eyeing” me. Suddenly, the one that had been eyeing me, arched it’s back and hissed (like a cat) and lunged at me with its claws fully stretched! I responded in that same instant, by whispering a Grandma Adela saying: “la sangre de Cristo”---and miraculously jumped off the bed and landed on my tush on the floor. The iguana landed on the bed but found that I was gone---he was surprised; I was surprised as well that he didn’t get me.

In the process of clerginess, I was well on my way there—it just taught me that more things than not do tend to attack!

There you have it!

P.S. (I still don’t trust iguanas!)

**********

Randy to Kenny:

Clearly he has a better grasp of the details that led up to his exit from my bedroom. All I remember is someone looking more like Spiderman than my uncle. I was extremely impressed with his evasive maneuvering!

************

Phylis adds her two cents:

Kenny, Don’t let Randy fool you. That wasn’t a “small encounter”! I was standing in the door of the room watching with my mouth open!! That iguana had SOME claws. When Randy picked it up off the bed, the thing had its claws in the bed (All the way through to the mattress) and he had to set it down and extricate it claw by claw from the bed in order to leave the mattress still on the bed.

Things learned: I already knew I didn’t want to be in the room with a 3-foot iguana. I learned that Bob can move much faster than I ever realized. He leaped(?) from a sitting position and landed on the floor in a split-second. It was really quite amazing. - PJDH

********

Kenny to all and Sundry:

The more details I get on this, the funner it gets!

*********

Phylis final remarks:

You’re right, Kenny. This one is a story worthy of re-telling—and one I had totally forgotten. Add in Randy’s “Spiderman” comment and it reaches epic proportions!! I can hardly wait to hear you tell this one at the reunion!!!

********

I had forgotten this little episode until I was reminded by Bob's nephew. I thought it might brighten your day to read about "Uncle Bob" and his amazing levitating powers.

PJDH

Finally, the dogs are under control -- the purse is still straying!
Remind me not to carry a purse the next time I'm in charge of two sixty pound dogs.

Abigail and Cleopatra, who almost pulled me into the lake, and me, trying to hang on to my purse AND two dogs!

Rod getting the boat ready while Teresa, Abigail and Cleopatra watch, sort of.

Teresa dogsitting while we load the truck

Having Fun

It's been a busy couple of days. Yesterday Teresa and I went to Lake Geneva and spent the day on a boat with Maureen and Rod. Oh, and Cleopatra and Abigail, too! Cleopatra and Abigail are yellow labs who flunked out of obedience school. They are beautiful and loving, but a tad rambunctions. It was an wonderful, exciting day for all of us. I don't have the pictures on the boat, yet. (Teresa and I debuted as pilots!) But here are some shots getting the boat -- and the dogs -- ready for the ride. Have a great day!

Brad, Rachel and the girls at Tyler Creek

Bob and Bismarck

Phylis and Teresa

Brad and Rachel

Christy and M2

Rob with M and M

Brad and the girls exploring and searching for crawfish

M and M at The Creek

Me with the girls at The Creek -- just takin' it easy.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY
(Father's Day at the Huertas)

The Promises of God

Anybody else wonder about how long it takes for God to fulfill His promises? Do you weary of doing the right thing and wondering when the reward will come? I refuse to believe that I'm the only one! I found a comforting scripture in Jeremiah yesterday:

Jeremiah 31

11 For the LORD will ransom Jacob
and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.

12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD—
the grain, the new wine and the oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
and they will sorrow no more.

13 Then maidens will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.

14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,"
declares the LORD.

15 This is what the LORD says:
"A voice is heard in Ramah,
mourning and great weeping,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because her children are no more."

16 This is what the LORD says:
"Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,"
declares the LORD.
"They will return from the land of the enemy.

17 So there is hope for your future,"
declares the LORD.
"Your children will return to their own land

God promises hope for the future. His promises are sure and true!! I believe!

PJ

TIPS TO GOOD HEALTH

18 Proven Stress Reducers

1. Don’t rely on your memory. Write down appointments, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc.

2. Get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning so you don’t start the day feeling frazzled.

3. Keep a duplicate car key in your wallet.

4. An instant cure for most stress: 30 minutes of brisk walking or other aerobic exercise.

5. Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and erring, for sometime in life you will have been all of these.

6. Say “No, thank you” to extra projects you don’t have the time or energy for.

7. Set up contingency plans--just in case, “If either of us is delayed,” “If we get separated in the Mall, here’s what we’ll do…”

8. Put brain in gear before opening mouth. Before saying anything, ask yourself if what you are about to say is 1 True, 2) Kind, and 3) Necessary.

9. Stop worrying, If something concerns you, do something about it. If you can’t do anything about it, let it go.

10. For every one thing that goes wrong, there are 50 to 100 blessings. Count them.

11. Learn to live one day at a time.

12. Every day, do at least one thing you really enjoy.

13. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

14. Laugh!

15. Remember that the best things in life aren’t things.

16. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.

17. If an unpleasant task faces you, do it early in the day and get it over with.

18. Do one thing at a time.

Source unknown

Are We Having Fun Yet?
Yesterday, at the park
Marilyn and I (me: no make-up but with hair!)

January after a church service
Marilyn and I (Me: wig over bald head)

Our grandkids -- Mine and Marilyn's
(I was interrupting their movie -- thus, the "Cheese" smiles)

Mattea and Mikaela at Festival Park

The girls and I after Mikaela's dance Recital
(Love the little Sailor!)

I think I look a lot better now (Better = less ill!) than in January, in spite of the very short hair (Which I do NOT like). My eyes look healthier, I'm less swollen and my color is much better. I'm getting there, in terms of health.

This was a very busy weekend with Mikaela's recital Friday night -- the same night Marilyn and her girls and grandsons arrived. Then Saturday we played at the park, roller skated, and went to Saturday night Spanish service. Sunday after church and dinner we went to the pool. Monday we played in the park, then with water pistols and later went to Festival Park.

Marilyn and her tribe are on the way home....here we have an ice cream festival tonight. "Make your own Sunday". We handed out 125 coupons for free ice cream. (Church activity...not just our family!!) Are we having fun yet????

Enough!
PJ