The constant gardener

Joann Miller, a Sun City resident, loves to garden, and her beautifully planned gardens are proof. At 94 years old, she confirms that gardening can be good for your health, happiness, and quality of life.

Miller said, “In August, I will have lived in Sun City for 20 years. My next-door neighbor, Diane, moved in on the same day. We love gardening.”

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My favorite bird in the garden

Don’t tell the other birds, but my favorite bird in the garden is the little house wren.

While other birds are beautiful in some gaudy, outlandish way — like cardinals, orioles, goldfinches, or even robins — the tiny wren’s beauty lies in its simple, classical, dappled brown look, like a tiny refined Englishman in a tweed suit.

Singing for strangers

As I write this, I’m at the beginning of an 11-day European tour as a member of a choir. Over the next week, we will sing concerts in the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary.

Tonight, our first concert is in Prague. We have rehearsed, but now that the performance is drawing near, tensions are high. It’s hot. The performance hall we are in does not seem to be air conditioned.

My mom recently moved to the area so that I didn’t have to worry about her being alone after my dad passed away. While I’ve enjoyed all the quality time I’ve had with her, she’s yet to make friends here. I’m fearful about her well-being once school is back in session.

Late to the party

Writers are always trying to grasp the hem of greatness, not immune to fads and popularity. Last year’s Barbenheimer is the most recent example of such. The zeitgeist is our goal as much as anyone. However, sometimes you have to look back at why we felt these trends deserved praise or be derided. In the spirit of a podcast called “Rehash” I have been listening to, let’s walk back over a couple months and talk about some topics we all got into a tizzy about. Maybe we can understand why they fascinated us in the first place.

Pret-zilla

Just like clockwork, the deadline for our restaurant review approaches every two weeks. Honestly, this time we had nothing! Time to ask the fountain of all knowledge (not Nancy), we’re talking about Google. We searched restaurants near us and were treated to a list of culinary delights. This included such delicacies as burgers, hot dogs, sub sandwiches, and the all-encompassing chicken nugget emporiums. We kept expanding our search until something caught our eye in Lake Barrington. We decided the place we are going to review is the Wild Onion Brewery.

Fishing derby makes big splash!

The weather was perfect on July 25; the fish were biting, and the grandkids and grandparents had a great time at the Fishing Derby.

This popular event was hosted in conjunction with the Del Webb Anglers for Sun City residents and their grandchildren over two years of age. Prizes were awarded for various categories for ages 2-7 and 8 and above. Each child was able to choose a prize due to the generosity of donations from the Anglers, grandparents, Bait Shanty, Ace Hardware in Huntley, Culvers, and Moretti’s.

Gardening resources, an interview with Brenda Dahlfors

Successful gardeners rely on all sorts of support. Personal experiences, friendly advice, research orientated books, plant-based events, and horticulture programs all can assist homeowners as they live and learn while trying to grow vegetables, flowers and shrubs. For 114 years, Illinois residents have benefited from the research and education of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Extension programs.

Political Place: August 8, 2024

Note: The views expressed in these political submissions do not reflect those of the Sun Day, its staff, or those associated to the Sun Day.

Del Webb team receives silver medal in the 70 and older 6 County Softball Senior Olympics at Elk Grove Village

The team lost 7-6 in a very spirited game to the Elk Grove League champions.

‘He knows everyone’s name’

Tom Schlechter, a steadfast pillar of the Sun City community, has diligently served as the pool monitor at Meadow View Lodge pool for ten years, withstanding the challenges of the COVID years.

“I like people. I like talking to them. They all have interesting stories,” he shared, a testament to his unwavering dedication to the community.

Brick by brick

They may be called nerds or geeks, but there’s a more fitting term for adult LEGO collectors – AFOLs, which stands for Adult Fans of LEGO. These AFOLs are not just collectors but also builders, and anyone with a deep-seated passion for the LEGO brick. This shared passion creates a strong sense of community among adult LEGO collectors.

During the pandemic, Peter Mazzoni embarked on a new hobby. “I used to love building models. When I was younger, that’s what we would do. But I always disliked the smell of the glue. Then my son suggested, ‘Why don’t you try LEGOs?’ And that’s when I got hooked. I built the Colosseum, R2-D2, Millennium Falcon, and the shuttle.”

Lions, tigers, and bears… and gorillas… and the Brookfield Zoo

We were thrilled when we found out our granddaughter (13) would be able to visit for a week this summer. Then the panic set in! What do we do to keep her entertained for a week? Not that she wouldn’t enjoy just visiting, but a week is a long time for a teenager. The quest was double-hard since she had just finished a two-week vacation with her parents in Europe. She had spent days in London, Venice, Rome, and Lisbon. A high barrier to overcome but we knew we could find something. After multiple suggestions, we decided on the zoo, but not just any zoo, Brookfield Zoo. We realized we had not been there in over 10 years and it surely had changed but that didn’t matter. It was at the top of our list. Now what would be the best day?

An impossible snapshot of a fleeting, meaningless moment

When I retired from 34 years of teaching and coaching, I spent my last few days walking around the school, saying goodbye to all that I would miss.

I started, of course, by saying goodbye to colleagues — teachers, secretaries, custodians, counselors, and even a few administrators — but then I bid farewell to the places and things I would miss.

Go fish!

The Sun City Anglers Charter Club’s Membership met on Wednesday, June 19, in the Birch/Cedar Room of Prairie Lodge to thank their outgoing President, Randy Johnson, with cake and a plaque acknowledging his service as club president for the past eight years. One of the members also prepared a pictorial remembrance book of those years.

Francis Rowinski beautifully encapsulated Johnson’s dedication: “Randy has been deeply devoted to our Angler’s Club, tirelessly working to create a space where anglers of all skill levels can grow and find new friends. His instrumental role in organizing fishing tournaments at Wildflower Lake twice a month during each fishing season is a testament to his unwavering commitment.”

Sunday in the park

Our dog Baxter is named after the tiny dog that belongs to Will Ferrell’s self-important character Ron Burgundy in the “Anchorman” movies.

Like most pet owners, we subject our poor Baxter to many nicknames. Some are run-of-the-mill like “Puppy” or “Puppy-Schmup.” We call him “Booxie” and “Booxinator.” On days when Baxter is freshly brushed and walks with a certain swagger, I refer to him as “Lord Buxton.” This is always pronounced in an awful English accent for absurd reasons that I can’t explain. I hope you agree with me when I say it is our absolute right as pet owners to be reduced to sappy ridiculousness when it comes to our pets. No explanations required.

Old Dayz takes silver

For the second year in a row, ASAP Garage Door Repair sponsored a softball team named OLD DAYZ to play in the 6 County Senior Softball Tournament, hosted by the Elk Grove Park District.

Making our new house a home: Creating an outdoor oasis

Chris, my husband, and I are traveling a path on which many of you have traveled before. We are empty nesters who are downsizing. We have chosen to sell the home in which we have raised a family, developed a beautiful private outdoor oasis, and created countless memories. We are grateful to be able to move into my grandparent’s old farm house. The farm house located only a few miles away from our current home holds wonderful memories but little in the way of landscaping and certainly no outdoor oasis. We have our work cut out for us and thankfully we have learned so much from homeowners, like you, who have successfully navigated from one phase of life to the next.

Ask an Angel: July 25, 2024

As I find myself navigating the complexities of aging, I’ve begun to consider the possibility of seeking home care to help me maintain my independence and quality of life. I don’t want to be a burden to my family, yet I’m hesitant to take this step due to the many myths I’ve heard about home care.

One of the most prevalent myths that gives me pause is the belief that receiving home care means giving up my freedom and independence. I worry that inviting a caregiver into my home will diminish my sense of autonomy and control over my own life.

Late to the party

As the Fourth of July has passed, we are entering a lull period that could be the dog days. Oppressive heatwaves have certainly given that impression. But that doesn’t mean that we are without our reasons to party. Seeing as I left out Pride this year, let me declare this a second Pride month with some reasons to celebrate and educate all on a bit of secret history. No fear that this be a dry, doctrinaire thesis; we are about fun after all. And what doesn’t say entertainment more than humor.

ABBONDANZA!

Social media is a wonderful thing. Where else can you learn about a household “hack” that will wind-up taking you twice as long to do a chore. You can read a post from someone trying to convince you that the earth is flat, complete with Photoshopped pictures. Also, you are able to engage in a rousing argument about which is the best toe nail clipper. We have to admit, sometimes social media does come in handy, like when we heard the buzz about a new Italian restaurant in Marengo. It piqued our curiosity, so we locked up little Rosie in her crate, armed our GPS, and dashed off to Abbondanza Cucina.

Political Place: July 25, 2024

Note: The views expressed in these political submissions do not reflect those of the Sun Day, its staff, or those associated to the Sun Day.

All eyes on the 25th annual golf cart parade!

Sun City’s 25th anniversary celebration continued on the streets on June 29.

It started with a pancake breakfast catered by Sammy’s Bar and Grill. After breakfast, residents and guests got their faces painted, sponsored by the Grandma, Grandpa, & Me Charter Club (GG&ME). Student volunteers from Huntley High School assisted club members in fulfilling requests. Board members Dottie Harrison and Bob Olson sat down and were happy with the artist’s work.

Olson said, “I loved getting my face painted. The young people from the high school who did it were all terrific young people and fun to talk to.”

Reflecting on the Sun City cicada summer

The Chinese insist that 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, but if you’re an Illinoisan, you know that 2024 is the summer of the cicada.

Still, if you’re a Sun City Illinoisan who was looking forward to getting reacquainted with those long-awaited love-bugs, this year of the dragon has been a bit of a drag, because there hasn’t been a cicada in sight in our part of the world.

Percussion with a purpose

Alex Macaluso, 68, has transformed his garage in Sun City into a musical workshop, where he spends his time preparing donated drum sets and other percussion instruments to be given away on behalf of a non-profit organization called Recycled Rhythm.

Recycled Rhythm got its start in 2018 when its founder, Anthony Maland, wanted a way to share the positive effects of music therapy with other young people. Maland, who was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at age 5, benefited greatly from his musical training and refused to allow his diagnosis to hold him back.

Reaching 100th blood donation a proud milestone

Fred Joob, a regular blood donor, was recognized on Monday, June 17, for his blood donations. Joob first started donating blood in 1990. He vividly remembers the moment that sparked his commitment. “I belonged to a church in Chicago. A parish member, a young girl, Emily, had tumors around her heart. I started donating palettes. I got in the habit of donating. I kept on donating every six weeks.”

Today, Joob is a 100-pint blood donor, an accolade he reached.

Proudly Serving the Community of Sun City in Huntley

Proudly Serving the Community of
Sun City in Huntley