Hot soft light » Holiday http://www.hotsoftlight.com Rob Hart Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:23:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Memories are Made of This http://www.hotsoftlight.com/2010/605/memories-are-made-of-this/ http://www.hotsoftlight.com/2010/605/memories-are-made-of-this/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:01:28 +0000 Rob Hart http://www.hotsoftlight.com/?p=605
James Hart, my Grandfather, passed away last night. I owe him and my Grandmother a lot. They were there every day when I was kid. They were at every hockey or baseball game. They’d always take a bunch of us crazy grandchildren to their cottage. Grandpa was very helpful when we bought our first house and the night I directed them to sleep in a motel in Broadview that was frequented by prostitutes is a great story. And if you hear it from my Grandma, even funnier.

He is loved and missed.

]]> http://www.hotsoftlight.com/2010/605/memories-are-made-of-this/feed/ 3 Economy Shopping http://www.hotsoftlight.com/2009/567/economy-shopping/ http://www.hotsoftlight.com/2009/567/economy-shopping/#comments Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:16:24 +0000 Rob Hart http://www.hotsoftlight.com/?p=567 This story has been done and I’m ok with that. My newspaper wrote a story about the Economy Shop in 1919. I really wanted to find someone doing their holiday shopping on the cheap, the same way people have been doing here for 90 years. I love the hunt for a story, when the door opens and you stalk each room, spark up conversations and figure how comfortable you can make them quickly.

After 30 minutes of wandering a three-story house filled with treasures I found Patricia Green picking out five cent ornaments. “I’ve been coming here for the last, oh my god, thirty years. This place has been just a blessing for me,” Green said as I fumbled to get my audio recorder rolling. She was so cute and nice. Green allowed me to follow her as she shopped for everything you can imagine. Christmas tree with ornaments, bows, shoes, towels, bundt pan, wreaths, jewelry, and a $1 winter jacket. She shops for 7 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren and many kids in her Austin neighborhood that are in need.

They’ve got a few more sale dates before Christmas. It’s an adventure and shopping all in one.

OAK PARK 12/3/09 Patricia Green inspects an umbrella she would eventually purchase at the Economy Shop in Oak Park, Dec. 3, 2009. The 90-year-old store is staffed by volunteers of local charities. "I've been coming here for the last, oh my god, thirty years. This place has been just a blessing for me." Green said. Green shops for her seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and some of the other under privileged children in her Austin neighborhood. "Every Thursday, every Saturday I'm here. I look forward to coming here and shopping. When I leave I'm always happy like a little child at Christmastime," Green said. (Rob Hart/Staff Photographer)

OAK PARK 12/3/09 Patricia Green inspects an umbrella she would eventually purchase at the Economy Shop in Oak Park, Dec. 3, 2009. The 90-year-old store is staffed by volunteers of local charities. "I've been coming here for the last, oh my god, thirty years. This place has been just a blessing for me." Green said. Green shops for her seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and some of the other under privileged children in her Austin neighborhood. "Every Thursday, every Saturday I'm here. I look forward to coming here and shopping. When I leave I'm always happy like a little child at Christmastime," Green said. (Rob Hart/Staff Photographer)

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