Singing my Hallelujahs

On a whim, I signed up for a community choir audition. My voice trembled for the entire audition. I struggled to reign in my voice, which doesn’t respond the way it did in my younger days. My voice now is weaker, and sometimes even raspy. To make matters worse, I had to sing the Star Spangled Banner. Unless you have a multi-octave range with a penchant for belting, the Star Spangled Banner is very difficult to sing. Our national anthem is, in my humble opinion, one of the most unsingable songs ever written.

Will is king

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. And now we’re in the thick of holiday season. But if we could tear ourselves away from retail discounts and Prime deals online, maybe we can find time to gift ourselves a good movie.

“King Richard” is now available in theaters and HBO Max. Based on the life of the Williams sisters but from a different angle, we follow Venus and Serena through the eyes of their father. An odd trajectory for a sports film, in hindsight it’s clearly the most compelling.

A lesson in breathing, rather than bait-taking

I’m sure you’ve felt it as I have — that feeling that maybe, just maybe, we can begin to breathe again.

Sure, it has something to do with ripping off that smothering facemask, but it has to do with way more than that. It has to do with watching more and more of our friends, family and neighbors get life-saving vaccines, and then boosters. It has to do with watching covid infections, hospitalizations and death rate rates plummet as a result.

Heading off to hibernation

Experiencing the seasons is what many homeowners enjoy about living in Northern Illinois. We have very distinctive time periods, and each is filled with equal parts beauty and corresponding chores. While we are winding down our gardening chores, we know that snow and ice will bring their own challenges. There is some comfort in knowing that nature is ever-evolving while it surrounds us with its beauty. As Arthur Rubinstein so perfectly stated, “The seasons are what a symphony ought to be: four perfect movements in harmony with each other.”

While driving to our romantic repast, Jim noticed the clouds were thickening, and it started to rain. There goes the moonlight ambiance. Luckily, the restaurant had a covered area to drive up and drop me off so as not to ruin my coiffure.

Home is where the plants are

The use term ‘Plant Parenting’ has become prevalent over the past five years. It was coined by millennials to describe the caring for houseplants. Although I have tried to adopt it, I really do not like the term. Until a Boston Fern needs me to wake it up repeatedly, make breakfast for it, find its favorite shirt, sign a field trip form, finish packing its backpack, yell at the top of my lungs that the school bus is coming, and cheerfully smile and wave goodbye all before 7:45 a.m., I am not its parent.

Ask an Angel: November 4, 2021

I’m a veteran of the Korean War. I live with my wife of over 65 years. We are fortunate to have family nearby to support us. Yet, I still struggle with feeling lonely. My wife has early stages of memory loss. I try to be patient with her, but I’m finding that I spend more of my time supporting her than conversing with her. I miss the woman I fell in love with, her humor and her wit.

The miracle of a three-year-old’s kisses and wishes

As family Bears parties go, this one would have been considered epic even without the tiny miracle that happened, because it was the first time that my entire family could all be together on the same day.

There was my son Dave and three grandkids by him — Jack, Natalie and Olivia, all between 12 and 16 years old. And my daughter Jenny and grandkids Quentin, Evan and Johannah, all between 23 and 26 years old, with Quentin’s birthday only days away. And Johanna’s kids — my great-grandkids — Anastasia (Asia), who is three already, and Dakota, just barely a half-year old.

Dining Duo finds Big Foot

Breaking News: The Dining Duo finds Big Foot! Everyone was searching in the wilderness, but Big Foot was found just outside the city limits of Harvard. This is proudly proclaimed on a roadside sign on Northwest Highway. More evidence can be found as you drive past the Big Foot Cemetery. Venturing further on we discovered the place where all the Big Foot (Big Foots??? Big Feet???) dine and socialize. We are ecstatic to announce the discovery of the Big Foot Inn Supper Club and Restaurant in Harvard.

Finding My 15 Minutes of Sunday

Early in the morning, I wrapped an oversized fleece plaid blanket around my shoulders just as the light of dawn was taking hold. I was in my favorite chair on my screen porch, looking out to my backyard.

That’s when I saw him: a grey-and-rust colored coyote, walking slowly through my backyard! He stopped for long pauses to sniff the air and look around. He didn’t seem to notice me. He was in no hurry. He looked to be out on a Lazy Sunday stroll.

Fall-ing in love with an autumn garden routine

Each of the past five mornings, I have managed to convince myself that there is enough toothpaste in the tube that justifies keeping it for one more day. I vacillate; I should throw this out? No, I should keep it. I am literally trying to squeeze the last little useable bit out of this common household item. It seems that as we transition from one season to the next, there is also the desire to get the most out of each season. We often want fall to last as long as possible before the cold harsh reality of winter sets in.

You know his name

Well, this has been a long time coming. Six years, to be precise, but here we are. The granddaddy of franchises, James Bond, returns to cinemas. Billed as Daniel Craig’s final outing as the character, the build-up was palpable in many of the trades. All the speculation can be put to rest as this is both the most fitting end to this iteration as well as Craig himself. So, grab your martinis and strap in. Or in my case, Ricard and Limoncello LaCroix. Please, no judgments.

Ask an Angel: October 21, 2021

I’m concerned about my mother. She lives alone and is in her late 80s. She used to be somewhat active, especially for her age. She would volunteer in the kid’s ministry at her church, meet friends for lunch during the week, and participate in activities at the senior center where she lives. Since COVID, however, she has retreated to her home.

Some ‘holy cow’ facts about the great Chicago Fire

For the record, it wasn’t a cow that caused the Great Chicago Fire a century and a half ago. That fact was settled a long time ago, and you probably already knew that if you’ve read the stories that abound every October retelling the tale — and none more than this year, the 150th anniversary of the Great Fire.

Let’s taco bout my small house

Last week, my daughter, a high school freshman, invited five of her friends over to our house to get together before their first homecoming dance. Each friend brought something to share: drinks, chips, fruit, and cookies. So. Many. Cookies!

As each high schooler arrived, the voices went up a few decibels. The energy and excitement before the dance seemed to become more palpable by the minute.

The special treatment: what each plant needs in the upcoming season

Like all moms, I know most of my children’s likes and dislikes very well. Their food preferences though are something that I could never remember. Having three children in three years and three months, many nights I considered it an accomplishment if I simply put something that resembled dinner on the table, much less designed a menu that accommodated their requests. If my daughter felt the need to pick each and every diced tomato out of a casserole, as the saying goes, ‘that’s on her.’ Neither of us was offended and over time they all grew up into healthy adults.

Ask an Angel: October 7, 2021

Q. I’m in my mid-70s and suffer from chronic joint pain. It seems to be worse during the late afternoon and into the evening. I have difficulty engaging in my favorite leisure pursuits, such as knitting and baking because the pain is so extreme. At times, the sensation even wakes me up in the middle of the night. I take over-the-counter pain medication as needed, as prescribed by my doctor. I’m starting to feel a little down because the pain only seems to be worsening.

The best of the fests

As a critic, I have been prone to fawning over the occasional arthouse movie. That isn’t to say that mainstream fare is lost on me. After watching so many superhero blockbusters, one longs for some originality. No better place than the film festivals to showcase more unique entries. Most audiences roll their eyes at pretentiousness, but still really good movies come out of the fray. Here is just a few of the cream sieved out for your perusal.

A crusty reporter’s firsthand crustacean report

After nearly two years of pandemic lockdown, it’s easy to let your world shrink to the little you can see outside the window, just this side of the trees at the back of the yard. TV is no help, stuck in an endless loop of fake news fighting real news, conspiracies battling confirmation, tucked in between messy hurricanes and war evacuations.

That’s why it’s important for principled columnists — like me — to go that extra mile to keep your world expanded beyond the narrow bounds of your lockdown life, to keep you up-to-date firsthand on things that don’t sit just outside your window in Huntley.