A series of pictures and factoids for Create's NaJoPoMo Challenge.

When I was eleven years old, we moved to Chicago. Not my favourite place. From the way everyone carried on, we thought we were leaving the country. They gave us farewell parties.

We were really disappointed to find that the currency and postage stamps were the same.

It was a different country, though. According to the internet, there are now 525 Southern Baptist churches in Chicago. In 1963, there were, um, about two, as I recall. One of them was a storefront. I know, because I used to bang the piano in the place. I also mopped the floor on Saturdays. Look, I was eleven. I didn't have much to say about it. Anyway, I have fond memories of this rather primitive form of worship. We didn't have stained glass, and – it being Chicago, Objiwa for 'skunk' – the water smelled awful and tasted worse. But hey, you can sing to the Lord anywhere you like. It's a free country.

Even though the local monsignor told all the kids they'd go to hell for listening to me play. Heck, I didn't hit that many wrong notes.

The Library of Congress didn't have a picture of our storefront church, but here's another. Ours didn't look that much different. It had a bit more glass at the front – I remember, because I used a lot of Windex on it.