Many happy returns

As the unsettling feeling that summer is ending creeps in, some promise of new media comes with it. Although there haven’t been many good choices at the theater, television and streaming has been picking up the slack.

Escape to Japan

We love hibachi restaurants, it’s a show and a dinner all in one. The dinner is provided by the chef who slices and dices your food with lightning speed on a flaming grill. The show is provided by Nancy trying to use chopsticks. Eating her food with them has been challenging, especially the soup!!!

A DIY writing retreat

For as far back as I can remember, going on a writing retreat has held a certain allure. Blame it on my third-grade teacher, who encouraged me to enter a writing contest through the school. When my story advanced to state, I got the exciting news: I was invited to spend an entire Saturday at Illinois State University with other elementary school-aged writers. That day, I met my first real author, as I clutched a hardcover book that she signed on the inside cover with large loopy letters. I was star-struck. I was hooked.

Too soon or not, a taste of pandemic nostalgia

After an unmitigated disaster has passed, when can you say anything good about it, beyond the point when anybody might say “too soon”?

After WWII ended in 1945, it took 20 years before “Hogan’s Heroes” could crack jokes about life in a German prisoner of war camp. It took a similar number of decades before “Mash” could get us laughing about a Korean War triage medical hospital.

Rule 1: Do nothing.

Rule 2: See Rule 1.

The cosmic loophole of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse

The headline came to my phone while I was at work: “Pee-Wee Herman Actor Paul Reubens Dead at Age 70.” My heart sank. I waited for the world around me to take a collective moment to remember Paul Reubens. But in the office, phones kept ringing and computer keyboards kept clacking. My younger coworkers may not even know who Paul Reubens is. Was. But I knew.

BIG menu, BIG portions, sweet name

Every Friday after a taxing, strenuous round of bocce ball, a few of us seasoned athletes get together and go out for lunch. After playing three challenging games and being physically and emotionally drained from either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, we really needed to load up with a lot of food. One of our friends suggested we try a new restaurant that offers huge portions to match our huge appetites. We all jumped in our cars and made our way over to Randall Road to check out Sweet Basil Café in Algonquin.

Travel tips for 2023

Are you thinking about taking a trip? Will you be going to another country? Will you be checking bags? Here are a few tips based on recent input from travelers. First of all, know your abilities. A friend was vacationing in the Caribbean and decided to take a snorkeling trip; easy-peasy, right? Well, it turned out a little different.

Ask an Angel: August 10, 2023

Living far away from my parents has made it challenging for me to be actively involved in their day-to-day lives. I struggle with guilt knowing they are all alone. I have asked them to consider moving closer to me and my family so that I can be there for them, but they prefer the familiarity of their town and aren’t ready to say goodbye to lifelong friends and neighbors.

Meeting Gary and slithering back to childhood

I’ve only known my new neighbor Gary for a little while, but he brings a smile to my face each time I see him, because he reminds me of my childhood.

Well, I guess you might say that Gary is not my neighbor, but my tenant, because Gary is a garter snake living in my garden. I call him Gary because… well, he looks like a Gary to me.

Vactation, I’ve dreamed of this

It’s T-minus five days until vacation, and my legs and arms are restlessly pulsing along to the tune of the cicadas. It’s all I can think about.

My highly scheduled existence consists of work schedules, school schedules, and deadlines. My grocery lists are categorized into four columns where I systematically tick off each item as it lands in my cart. I write menu plans, fill out calendars, and make to-do lists: Lists of things I want to do. Lists of things I have to do. Lists of things I want other people to do.

Seven farmers markets you don’t want to miss

The season of summer brings many things: ample sunlight, conversations outdoors with neighbors, quiet time spent reading outside and recreational activities with family. For many of us, one special highlight of summer is eating farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Farmer’s markets offer a very special experience of bringing people together in a fun, friendly environment.

Thankfully, our area has a wide variety of different options when it comes to Farmer’s Markets. Each market has its own personality. The markets vary based on their type, the array of offerings, number of vendors, location and hours. While not a comprehensive list, here are a few area farmer’s markets that you may want to check out.

Ask an Angel: July 27, 2023

I am a 72-year-old woman who is becoming increasingly concerned about my memory. I have a family history of dementia and I can’t help but worry about some of the changes I’ve been experiencing lately.

‘REAL’ onion soup

Every once in a while, the food gods smile down on the Dining Duo. Such was the case at our last neighborhood Christmas party where we won a $65 gift card to a local restaurant. We checked the menu prices online, and after seven short months, we finally saved up enough additional money to use our gift card. We put on our Sunday best, and headed off to Montarra Grill in Algonquin.

Don’t make ‘em like they used to

Two months down for the summer and we are finally getting some real blockbusters. As I write this, the actors guild SAG-AFTRA is on strike. Halting any future film plans, next year may not fare better than this one. A lot of crashing and burning has been going on. Low returns and attendance have CEOs scrambling. A warning was already on its way before the pandemic that a sea change was coming. Streaming can host more content than multiplexes can ever match. If the theatrical experience has any hope of thriving, it needs to bend to the will of the public and make some drastic changes. Let’s look at two such examples recently.

Yellowstone in winter

A few notes. Janie and I grew up on the same street and graduated in the same high school class so you could say we’ve been lifelong friends. She had fallen on ice recently and I mentioned that I had purchased a product, YakTrax, for my wife who had also fallen. They are elastic adaptations for your shoes that have tiny spikes to keep you from slipping. When it’s icy, she won’t leave without them. And, yes, they are available via Amazon. This is her travel story.

In case you were wondering about that flag on my porch

Every day until the end of her life, my wife flew a flag from our front porch, and she changed it often.

She was an avid gardener, so most of her flags were inspired by the season. Goldfinches and lilacs in April and May. Red cardinals and orange leaves in October. Turkeys and pumpkins in November.

Snapshots of the heart last a lifetime

After raising four children, I have certain mental snapshots I keep close to my heart. There was the day when my 5-year-old held my hand to cross the street. He paused to look up at me and said, “Momma, I love you so hard.”

There are those first few seconds when, after glancing over their shoulder, the realization sets in: Dad has let go of the back of the seat and they are, in fact, riding a two-wheeled bike.

A different breed: new plants to expand your garden

Plant breeders often spend their entire lives dedicated to the development of a better version of a plant. They work diligently at developing plants that have characteristics that make them superior to other similar plants. These characteristics may include compact form, disease resistance, fragrant flower, colorful foliage, and drought tolerant. Today’s column focuses on 20 new plants that, thanks to plant breeders, have many of those characteristics.

Art is in the house

Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July. Now that the summer is in full swing, the multiplex has been finding it hard keeping interest up. Recent blockbusters have gone bust from the Fast franchise to Marvel. Studios seem hellbent on hurtling down this well-worn road, with little heed to what audiences are saying with their dollars. But can theaters continue on this trajectory as well? Hopefully managers will see that counter-programing might be the only thing keeping them afloat. Here are some recent examples that might hold your attention on those silver screens.

King of the eggrolls

Our kids have grown up and moved on, our house is too small to have them return, therefore, it’s just the two of us. Because of this, where is the logical place for us to go grocery shopping? Sam’s Club, of course. We can stock up on such necessities as the five-gallon jug of mayonnaise, the giant drum of nacho cheese sauce (both of which turn blue and fuzzy before you can use them up), and the giant log of processed American cheese which has a shelf life of…forever. After loading up the mini-mobile with our treasures, we headed home with the hatch back dragging on the road behind us.

Ask an Angel: July 13, 2023

My parents retired a year ago and have recently decided to downsize from our family home to a condominium. I agree with their decision to find a smaller home that requires little maintenance, especially since they no longer have the energy to pour into a large home. However, I’m most concerned about the emotional impact this move might have on my parents. Both my parents were extremely involved in their neighborhood and were accustomed to neighbors dropping by to shoot the breeze. I worry that they might feel a sense of loss as they leave behind familiar surroundings and friends.

Learning to leave well enough alone

It was just about a year ago that I got rid of my old, crotchety microwave oven and got a whisper-quiet new one.

The old microwave had served me for nineteen years, a long enough career I suppose for kitchen appliances and quarterbacks not named Brady. It still worked well enough, except that the handle had cracked and was held together by packing tape, and when turned on it whirred and sputtered like an asthmatic chipmunk riding a bike with a baseball card clothes-pinned to fan the spokes. (This is the microwave I’m talking about, not the quarterback, who may or may not whir or sputter when he’s turned on. How would I know?)

Weaving in the Imperfections

I slid a slightly crooked hand-woven bookmark into the envelope before sealing it and mailing it to a friend. I attached a note:

“My newest fascination is hand weaving on a loom. I made this bookmark for you. It’s one of my first, but I’ll send another one after I’ve had more practice. Hopefully you’ll see my progress. Happy Reading!”

Not so super

Dog days usually come at the end of the summer, not at the beginning. The studios seem to have this all turned around as most of the fare in theaters have been lackluster. For all that we were promised for a big return, the five majors haven’t really given much to write home about it. In an attempt to wait out until more interesting films are released, I perused the streaming services to catch up on previous material I had messed over the past few months. And let’s answer a question that is starting to plague me more and more: Do we really need superhero movies anymore?

Get your just ‘deserts’ in Palm Springs

My son, Mike, recently had a business trip to Palm Springs, CA. His wife accompanied him as she wanted to hike the desert and expand her photo library. Sounds great, right? Well, when they stepped off the airplane it was 100 degrees in the shade; a dangerous situation. The trails in the Joshua Tree National Park were marked but had major warnings regarding the situation. “Danger, if you attempt this trail, you may die!” Basically, if you’re not prepared, do not attempt. One park sign insisted that you have liters of water and a full day of food before attempting the trail.

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