Repair a Squeaky door

As the houses in Sun City get older, and lubricant on door hinges dries up, they start to squeak.

Annuals – always a welcome sight

In less than 7 days I will hug my daughter, Mary, for the first time in 4 months. She has spent the last semester studying abroad in London. Over the course of those four long months, she has stood in awe among the rocks at Stonehenge, explored the Catacombs in Paris, eaten octopus from the city market in Barcelona, and walked along the shores of Sardinia, Italy.

Ask an Angel: May 17, 2018

Before I moved to Del Webb, I attempted to get rid of a lot of “stuff.” Once I somewhat settled in here, I found I still have so much to get rid. I don’t know where to begin or how to put things in order. I feel overwhelmed. How do people do it?

This little piggy went to Woodstock

We received a very interesting letter, from a very interesting person, about a very interesting restaurant. The letter was from Pierre Pollin. If his name does not sound familiar, allow us to enlighten you.

There goes your privacy, rolling down the road

The license plate holder is back on my car, framing the plate with a message to tell the world everything they need to know about me.

Not that it’s necessary. Facebook and the Russians already know.

I could feel the Master Card heat up from anticipation.

Ask the Woodchucks: April 19, 2018

How old is your furnace and when do you plan to replace it?

Isle of Dogs – Pawsitively well done

This is an unusual, unique and a “one of a kind” movie. On the other hand, what Wes Anderson production isn’t? He and his technical crew just took the art of “stop-motion animation” to a new level with this exceptional film.

Mulch ado about gardening

Mulch is an integral part of our landscaping. It enhances the appearance of our home, adds nutrients to our soil, suppresses weed growth and helps the soil retain moisture. It also seems though, that mulch is often misunderstood. For this column, I have asked Kevin Donnelly, a horticultural soil scientist to answer a few questions about mulch. Kevin is a key member of the Quality Control Team at Midwest Trading.

Ask an Angel: April 19, 2018

My husband is older than I am by ten years. It didn’t make a difference in our lives until recently. His health has impacted him, and I am finding that I can’t care for his needs because I have physical limits of my own.

Big skillet, small price

We received a letter from a loyal reader recommending the restaurant that we will be reviewing today. This restaurant was recommended to them by a friend, who had a friend who recommended this restaurant, that was recommended to them by a friend, and so on…You get the idea. This highly recommended restaurant is the Big Skillet Restaurant and Pancake House in Elgin.

Dealing with grief, one way or the other

A day or two after my wife died from a stroke on Valentine’s Day, our daughter Jenny helped me go through Gail’s prescription medications that would no longer be needed. Out went the Coumadin that kept her blood from forming life-threatening clots. Out went the Neurontin that battled her incessant nerve pain. Out they went, and others — out, out, out.

But Jenny paused when we came to the Cymbalta (an antidepressant) and the Xanax (an antianxiety drug).

“You may want to keep these handy,” she said. “You might need them for yourself for a while.”

Keeping birds out of house vents

When we moved here seventeen years ago, there were very few birds. Our previous house was located in the woods, and we were used to hearing birds in the morning when we awoke and there were many birds to be seen in the air and in the trees all during the day.

Double feature: the good news, the bad news

This has been in the theater for several weeks now, and some of you may have already seen it. It’s an uplifting true story about the number one Christian song of all time, and how it came to be written. Prior to seeing this I had never heard of Bart Millard, the singing group Mercy Me, or the song “I Can Only Imagine.” Wow, where have I been?

Ask An Angel: April 5, 2018

Our family is caring for our parents, and I am the oldest of our siblings, as well as the leader for their care. I’ve noticed a change in their needs. I am also feeling an increase in my stress level due to these changes.

A dragon in a garden

One weekend, Jim and I found ourselves “discussing” at great length where to go for dinner that Saturday night. During this “discussion,” I did tell him several times where he could go, and it sure wasn’t a restaurant!

Tag – you’re it: plant edition

Sarah, my daughter, is considering attending University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall. She is spending 5 hours in a classroom on campus today taking placement tests. As I dropped her off, she asked what I was planning on doing during those 5 hours.

We are all caregivers, aren’t we?

In last week’s column, “A final Valentine’s Day lesson of love everlasting,” I told you of my wife’s passing after 68 years of life and almost 49 years of marriage to me. After writing that painful tale, I thought I would take a break from my column to heal, for as long as it took. I doubted if I would have anything to say for today’s column, or for any column in the future, for that matter.

But you changed that.

Winter got your goat?

Hang in there, we’ve almost made it through another Midwest winter. The days are getting longer and spring is on the horizon. Because we’re all getting grumpy, we thought it would be fitting to pay a visit to the Grumpy Goat Tavern in Elgin.

7 Days In Entebbe — great story, terrible movie

In 1967, with their survival at stake, Israel launched attacks on three fronts against an Arab coalition, which included Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq. Those nations were intent on the total destruction of the Jewish state. It only took Israel six days to win a decisive military victory.

Spring into a challenge this season

Flowers, gardening, and just being outside makes us happy. It has been scientifically proven that gardening reduces stress, boosts brain function, improves heart health, and increases self esteem. Both our mental and physical health can be dramatically increased by participating in gardening activities.

Ask the Woodchucks: March 22, 2018

There are many small things, including several battery changes, you may not have thought about when it comes to garage door maintenance. Lubrication is absolutely necessary for devices like this that operate every day.

Ask an Angel: March 22, 2018

I’ve been a caregiver for over 30 years, and I’m now ready to retire and must get something off my chest. I mainly work with people who have mental problems such as Alzheimer’s, depression, bipolar, etc. Why do people treat mentally ill people differently from people that are ill from many other illnesses?

A final Valentine’s Day lesson of love everlasting

Just after dinner this Valentine’s Day, while we were in our Florida home, my wife caught my attention as I was washing the dishes. She beamed a beatific smile, flashing me a thumbs-up from her wheelchair.

Because she was robbed of speech eight years ago by a pair of severe strokes, there is no way to know exactly what she meant by it. It might have been: “Thanks for cooking my favorite meal tonight.” Or it might have been: “What fun we’ve had over these past few days.” Or it might have been: “I love you so much it almost hurts.” It might even have been her approval of the little solar-powered dancing flower I gave her at breakfast that Valentine’s Day morning, the kind of tiny gesture we both treasure far above grand displays of love.

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