Let's be cultured!

Blog time? Sure!

Matthew came to Chicago last weekend!!!!! It was so great. I think I walked the entire city. Twice. But it was excellent. I love him.

Mushy stuff aside....

I can't believe I'm out of here in mere days. Wednesday - Last class and Policy paper time, Thursday - work (maybe a half day), Friday - work (close-ups, clean-ups, and lunch with my supervisor). Saturday. Move out. Crazy!!!

So, needless to say, this week is full of trying to get ready to pack up and ship out. And fit in the things on my Chicago to-do list that I haven't done yet. Fun, cultural things, of course. Today I went to the Chicago Cultural Center. SO COOL!! There were 3 really cool exhibits (probably more, but these 3 really hit me):
1) Photographs of churches all around Chicago. They were mostly pictures of the insides of churches.... a lot of them unkempt and obviously facing poverty. And yet, verses and sayings of hope graced the walls. God is good. In all circumstances. God is good.
2) Photographs of faces of people. I believe that they were all blind people, but I am not positive about that. But they were all so beautiful. They were all big poster-size pictures and all close-ups of faces. And all black and white. I stood in the center of the room and spun around and I saw so many beautiful faces making so many different expressions. It was so excellent. And so moving.
3) An exhibit consisting entirely of works created by those with mental or developmental disabilities. Also, entirely beautiful in a different sort of way. It is really cool to see the world through another perspective. To view life through the eyes of the people that I have gotten to know and love and serve. Such a blessing.

Also, as a side note, during exhibit #3, I got asked on a date. I think. Strange circumstance. But we had a good conversation, talked about how I was finishing school and getting married.... he talked about how he is unemployed and dating a wonderful woman, and then the conversation ended with him asking if he could treat me to something to eat, right after I told him I had to get back to work. A nice gesture or a date? And, he was like my parent's age. Take it or leave it. I left it.

I have some more great pictures to post sometime..... Again, hopefully soon, though we will have to see for sure. I don't have finals to deal with, but I do have a Policy Paper to nail out tomorrow. And I have a sweet list I'll upload of all the great things I did in the Windy City.

Also, I have been saying a lot of goodbyes lately. I have wrapped up with all 4 members (aka, clients) on my case-load and also said goodbye to my Supported Employment Specialist team, which is an absolutely phenominal team to have worked with. Props to you all and I think you are all great. I have finished up at the Mental Illness and Substance Abuse group that I've been working with for an hour every Tuesday and said goodbye to them today. I've also been starting goodbyes with friends, since Hope students left last weekend. The rest of the goodbyes will come in the next couple days..... but it is time to move on. Thanks for a great time!

Until the next post, peace out, girl scout (thanks, Lydia!)

If you have slow internet.... Good luck.

Here are the promised pictures! About a million of them. I hope they all load for you. And they are in no particular order because I can't figure that much out. Haha, but at least you get pretty images and a sneak peak into what I've been up to!!

A glance into my neighborhood - the Gold Coast - at sunrise. If you are looking to settle in, the median home price in this area was $3,69,000 in October 2007 according to chicagohomeestates.com.

Katie at 6:30 in the morning enjoying the sunrise.

God's beauty and the fulfilling of one of my life dreams - to watch the sun rise over Lake Michigan. I've been able to see it set over the lake a hundred times, but I have always wanted to see it rise over the Lake. On Saturday April 4 I fulfilled that dream.

The blue tree. 8,223 children were abused in Cook County in 2008. 29,940 children were abused in the state of Illinois in 2008. Each year more than 3,000,000 children are abused or neglected throughout the United States. The trees were blue in rememberance of this.

My kitchen and dining area of the Chicago apartment (one of the few times the dishes are not overloading the sink and counter).

The living room and office and sometimes bedroom of the Chicago apartment. The apartment came fully furnished (minus the really sweet floor lamp), so we did not get to pick out the really sweet furniture. Actually, it is all pretty uncomfortable. But it works.

This is back in Jackson. By the mall there was a wonderful cart graveyard going on. I thought it was pretty sweet. I hope I'm not cursed for taking pictures at the cemetary....

The front of my office building. And the typical Chicago vehicle (the mini-cooper) that happened to be parked next to the biggest van in the world. Kind of similar to the fights that the tiny little cars have with the big public transit busses every day. This made me chuckle a little inside.

Katie "sitting" on some pretty sweet "rocks."

Near my office the cobblestone is showing through the pavement. I think it is sweet. I would almost be okay with going back to cobblestone roads. But not really. I just think they look cool.

This was on the Red Line (an El Train). For some reason that man had a kitten with him. I think the kitten was terrfied but it was so super cute!! I have no idea why the kitten was riding the El. Must be the newest form of pet transportation.

The black and white house that apparently couldn't make up its mind.

The snow at the very end of March, on my walk back from church.

And there you have it, folks! A picture post. Not highly exciting captions, but this is a small glimpse into my life over the past month or so. Sorry I have been negligent with my posting, but life is keeping me super busy. And I would really like to pass my classes this semester, even if it is not with flying colors.

I have been keeping a list of cool things I've done in Chicago. Remind me at the end of the semester to post it so you can all really see what I've been up to.

However, despite the lack of posting, I love you all and think of you all often.

Miss you much.

And I finish with this:

"Live simply so that others may simply live."

Picture Post Coming Soon

This is me promising a picture post soon. I have some ones I think are worthy of sharing. Maybe this weekend. Now that I wrote it, I'm committed.

You Know You're A Social Worker If...

1. You think $40,000 a year is 'really making it'.
2. You don't know what it is like to work with men.
3. You know all the latest lingo for drugs, where to get them, and how much they cost.
4. You've started a sentence with 'So what I hear you saying is....'
5. You've had 2 or more jobs at one time just to pay the bills.
6. You tell people what you do and they say 'That's so noble'.
7. You have had to explain to people that not all social workers take away kids.
8. You use the words 'validate,' 'appropriate' and 'intervention' daily.
9. You spend more than half your day documenting and doing paperwork.
10. You think nothing of discussing child abuse over dinner.
11. People have said to you 'I don't know how you do what you do'.
12. You've never been on a business trip or had an expense account.
13. You know a lot of other social workers who have left the profession for another.
14. You're very familiar with the concept of entitlement.
15. Staying at a job for 2 years is a 'long time'.
16. Your phone number is unlisted for good reason.
17. Your professional newsletters always have articles about raising salaries...but you still haven't seen it.
18. You're very familiar with the term 'budget cut'.
19. You can't imagine working at a bank or crunching numbers all day.
20. You've had clients who liked you just a little too much.
21. Having lunch is a luxury many days.
22. You've been cursed at or threatened...and it doesn't bother you.
23. Your job orientation has included self defense.
24. You have the best stories at any cocktail party.
25. Your parents don't know half the stuff that you've dealt with at your job.
26. You know all the excuses clients used for a failed drug test by heart.


This list is from somewhere.... but I don't know where. Sorry. It was slipped under our door in our Social Work Professional Seminar group on Monday, and I liked it just so much that I had to share it - particularly with you other Social Workers out there. :-) Or with those of you who want to know what my life looks like! Most of these are a very accurate description.... and I'm sure that I'll learn more as I get more experience out in the real world!!