Illinois State Capitol & Great Western Depot-Springfield, IL

It has been almost a month since I last blogged about our trip in June. Clearly, the time has come to get caught up on here.

Back in June we traveled from North Carolina to Minnesota to visit a dear friend of mine. One objective on our way to MN was to learn about Abraham Lincoln by visiting as many historical sites as we could fit into the trip. We stopped in Springfield, Illinois since it was Lincoln's home for 24 years and were surprised by the beauty of the Illinois State Capitol. There are a bunch of one way streets in the capitol and we kept getting this stunning view.

Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, won the presidential election in 1860. He departed Springfield, IL for Washington, DC on February 11, 1861 from the Great Western Depot down the road from the Illinois State Capitol. The people of Springfield gave him a grand send off. In his farewell speech he stated that "to this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything." 

The Great Western Depot was closed when we arrived, but we peeked through the windows.

Such a lovely old brick building.

It is worth the time to see where our beloved President Abraham Lincoln left his home in Springfield, IL to selflessly lead our country.

Dark Rain Cloud

We have had some drama in our home with the arrival of a dark rain cloud, its short stay and swift departure. There have been years since I last experienced the presence of such a dark rain cloud. The negative effect has been all encompassing for me and my little family. It has really thrown us for a loop. For the first time in my married life I have experienced first hand how negativity from outside sources can destroy the harmony and peace in one's home. Lessons have been learned about protecting our family at all costs and not extending courtesies to those that are ungrateful. Maturity is harder to learn for some and arrogance will only paint you in a bad light. Negativity begat controversy. Controversy begat contention. Contention begat negativity. See the cycle. That was our life for a month.  We are just barely getting our family back to normal after needing another month to recoup. We have now learned that it is best to keep dark rain clouds at a distance. The effects of inviting them into one's home can be expensive, time consuming and damaging to the harmony of one's family. Lesson learned!