Slice of Life Post for June 24, 2025, by Barb Edler

I love traveling on the train from Macomb, Illinois to Chicago. The train departs at 7 a.m. and arrives before 11 a.m. A short hike down Adams Street takes one directly to the Chicago Art Museum.

Last Thursday, I did just that with two of my friends. The weather was fantastic, and my friends and I were all eager to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit.

Seeing the Kahlo exhibit was fairly easy. Martha had paid for the tickets prior to the trip. We had to scan the tickets once we arrived and wait for a text to take our turn. The exhibit was held in two rooms, and I was a bit surprised by how small the exhibit was. Had I paid attention to the title, I might have understood this better: “Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds”.

Fortunately, the exhibit was still interesting. A letter Mary Reynolds wrote was on display which shared her longing for Frida to return. Mary also made several journals that were covered in a variety of skins such as amphibian and goat. I also saw a photograph of Frida with her pet deer and a few of her paintings.

Afterwards, we decided to eat the Chicago Art Institute’s Cafe since we were not wanting to spend a lot of time on lunch. Wow, it was delicious. I ordered a Tomato Heirloom Flatbread that I could have easily split with one of my friends. We sat outside in the courtyard and enjoyed viewing a sculpture.

After lunch, we went to the Writer’s Museum that was located a few blocks away. It was impressive and engaging. I enjoyed playing a game where you fill in a writer’s story with your own words selected from the screen. Players receive points for choosing the exact words as the writer. Everything was arranged beautifully, and the price was a mere $10.00 for students or seniors.

Of course, we had to stop at Monk’s Pub for a brew before heading back to the Union Station. I need to plan more day trips! Thoughts?