Ann: Welcome to the forum. I too live in the Chicago area. Phals. are my favorite (so far). I found Cynthia's skewer watering method to be one of the best tips I learned. Once I stopped overwatering, everything changed. Most of my Phals. are still in bloom or on their second bloom. I grow mine in a protected west window and monitor the sun carefully (mine don't seem to like much sun - a little in late afternoon, but I'll have to watch as the weather warms up. There's a ton of great information here on the forum and lots of friendly folks willing to help. Good luck with your orchids.
Skewer use for watering of orchids