Since rejoining the commuting workforce, I get a chance to observe a lot of people.  Sometimes I jot down bits of conversations I overhear.  Like this one:

“I smells like someone threw a dead rat in here.”

[tweetthis]“You know what a dead rat smells like?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”[/tweetthis]

Third person chiming in, “I think it’s the Kimchee.”

Little snippets like these make me laugh and also remind me how lucky I am to work in such a multi-cultural setting, filled with friendly people.

Here’s a few more of the things that make me smile and recognize how lucky I am:

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Hailey from Empowerment Plan who granted an interview.  She employs homeless women to sew.  She pays them a living wage, helping them leave homelessness behind.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Bobbie, a homeless man I meet every day on my way to the Green Line.  He’s a young, intelligent man with brilliantly blue eyes.  I give him an apple or an orange, sometimes a breakfast wrap as I pass each morning.  Each day he gives me a smile and a thank you.  This week I surprised him with a new coat that converts to a sleeping bag. Perhaps you guessed, that’s what the women at Empowerment sew.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Rain, rain, and more rain. And then sunshine.  My fall transplants look so lovely.  We needed rain so bad.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Two healthy koi in my water garden, swimming together like old friends.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  People from everywhere rallying to help Puerto Rico.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Miss E and her best friend, CoCo, Loved-One going with me to Chicago Open House. This is our second year.  We visited several historical sites and a brand new building filled with architects working on more new buildings.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Strong bones and joints that stayed with me through the 6 miles of walking we did.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Seeing the sun rise over the streets of Chicago every morning now that the days are shorter.  (Okay, it’s true, I don’t much like the idea that I’m leaving and returning home in the dark.  Trying to look on the bright side, here.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  A nomination for “Soon to be Famous Illinois Author for 2018.” Nomination must be from a librarian.  A big deal, don’t you thing? Yay!

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  A table in the Great Lakes Book Bash October 27 and 28.

[icon name=”sun-o” class=”” unprefixed_class=””]  Grandchildren reminiscing about our Halloween parties.