In Bartlett, IL

DAY FIVE-SIX: We arrived in Bartlett Monday at about 6pm and now it is about 10:30pm on Wednesday. It has been very cold and tonight especially. We had hoped to get in some walking here but that hasn't happened. But we have had a good time. Yesterday we went over to "Whitewood" which is what the family calls the the 140-year-old house at 445 South Street in Elgin where my brother Stewart and his family lived for several decades and where his daughter Rebecca is living now. It had sort of fallen into disrepair in recent years, but in the last few months it has been spruced up both outside and inside, and the work has revealed its attractive lines.

Rear view of Whitewood

Living room at Whitewood

After our tour of Whitewood we had lunch with Becky at Al's Cafe in downtown Elgin - which has the very nice ambiance of old law offices.

The fireplace at Al's Cafe

Becky and Ellen at Al's

Tuesday evening some of the Elgin Crockett clan gathered at Maggie and Jerry's for pizza supper and we celebrated the first birthday of Declan Costello (in absentia) -  my great-great nephew.

The gathering of the clan

 Becky is still going through piles of papers at Whitewood and often comes up with little treasures. This time, among other things, she found some 94-year old Sunday comics! Hawkshaw the Detective, Andy Gump, The Captain and the Kids and Mr. and Mrs. The paper is very brittle and torn, but it's pretty cool looking a comics from February 1, 1920. I'm sort of puzzled by just who saved them and why. My parents were not exactly Sunday comics fans!

Captain and the Kids comic from 1920

Today, we had lunch out with Carol Plagge, my brother's dear friend, who suggested we go to Alexander's Restaurant in Elgin, which has been newly renovated, and a good choice it was - the food was excellent and well presented. We had a good visit.

Alexander's

My favorite college basketball team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, pulled out an 85-84 win over NC State in overtime tonight.  They've now won ten in a row. Go Heels!

We head down to Columbia, MO tomorrow and will be taking in the True/False Documentary Film Festival over the weekend. There will be lots to tell from that I'm sure. And I hope it's a bit warmer there.