Busy Week In and Out of Town

One often hears folks bemoaning the lack of things to do in small towns. Maybe our small town is different or maybe the folks who are doing the complaining are simply not looking very hard for stimulation. We started the week with a day trip to Chicago on the train. From Galesburg to downtown is three hours and by 10:45 AM we were walking down to the Art Institute to see the Van Gogh's Bedroom exhibit. A lovely lunch in the patio at the museum and then a stroll over to the Cultural Center to partake of a fascinating exhibit of traveling beasties titled "The Dream Machines of Theo Jansen" Then a little State Street shopping before heading back to Union Station to catch the 6:00 PM Illinois Zephyr back to Galesburg where wonder of all wonders the parking is free.

Worked at our local history museum on Tuesday morning. Then an Archaeology Lecture at the college that evening. We learned that Rome burned far more times than just when Nero fiddled.

Wednesday played eighteen holes of golf. Enough for one day.

Worked at the Warren County History Museum again on Thursday morning and returned there that evening to hear our new Pattee Executive Director talk about his plans for the future.

Friday night was theatre time with a visit to Monmouth College's Fusion Theatre for a production of Aphra Behn's "The Rover." Interesting thought that this small town has a live production of a play by a seminal female playwright that probably could not be found anywhere else in the country this weekend.

Saturday found us partaking of the annual Classics Day at the college. More fancy costumes--this time Roman rather than Restoration. Grilled some gorgeous lamb chops for dinner and followed it all with a trip to the College Auditorium to listen to Glen Brooks--a local guy and college alum-- who has made a living playing jazz all over the country. "The Very Live Band" rocked the house for two sets. Glenn's brother Chris, a former student of mine, joined the quartet for the opening set and we even had some vocals from a whole group of Brooks bro's. Glenn is here in his home town to spearhead a Vista project to teach music to kids this coming summer.

And here it is Sunday morning. Time to do a bit of gardening before setting out to meet the incoming plane of another friend--college guest alum Jane Kurtz--a nationally known author of childrens' books. She and her sister will be spending two days at the college and the local library promoting their Ethiopia Project to send books to Africa.

Damn damn and double damn, there is just nothing to do in this small town. Seek life and you will find it. Or maybe it will find you if you open your eyes and ears to the world around you.