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The Muppets are back. And they are offensive. That's the message attached to 18 of the 120 episodes of the family variety show, which Disney Plus launched Friday. You remember them, right? Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, the Swedish Chef? And those crabby old guys in the balcony? I loved watching the show, which aired from 1977-81. I have absolutely no memory of Johnny Cash singing "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" in a barn decorated with the U.S. flag and the Confederate...
Perhaps you’ve heard the famous Albert Camus quote: “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” I appreciate Camus’ message of resilience. Really, I do. But I am not feeling summer, invincible or any other type, within me. This winter — and in particular, this past week — has beaten me. Our high temps since Saturday have ranged from a mere 5 degrees to 24 on Tuesday, with lows ranging from -2 to 13. We might get up to 26 today, b...
My favorite ads on TV right now are ones that feature kids of various ages expressing some level of disgust with their parents. First, there’s the Geico “Scoop, There It Is” commercial. Dan and I have friends — with no adolescent children living at home — who thought watching hip hop group Tag Team dish up ice cream and the play on their hit “Whoop, There It Is” was hilarious. They didn’t even notice the teenage daughter — or her look of disgust as she exits the room after he...
3 for '21. Gretchen Rubin's suggestion seemed pretty simple. "If you don't want to make a New Year's resolution, consider writing your '21 for 2021' list," the author of "The Happiness Project" wrote Dec. 15 in her blog. I liked the sound of it - a list of 21 concrete things to accomplish. (I also appreciated the photo of a typewriter that ran with the post!) She listed really helpful suggestions, too, like using the number 21 within this list (read 21 books, visit 21 diners)...
Imagining what the inauguation would look like in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic was difficult for me. Would Planet Fitness sponsor "pods" for first responders to view the events, as they did at Times Square on New Year's Eve? Would 6-foot circles be chalked on the ground, with invitees bringing their own lawn chairs to sit in them? Would everything be broadcast on Zoom or Google Teams? Having stood - wedged shoulder to shoulder - with other attendees at the first inaug...
The best advice I encountered for 2021 as 2020 came to a close was hilarious. And prophetic. "Nobody claim 2021 as 'your year,' " the Facebook post advised. "We're all going to walk in real slow. Be good. Be quiet. Don't. Touch. Anything." Unfortunately, a whole bunch of people didn't get the memo. We're still recovering from the events that took place at the nation's Capitol Jan. 6, but I for one refuse to believe this country is irreparably broken. Nor do I feel discouraged...
"Schadenfreude" is a term introduced to me by the very erudite musical, "Avenue Q." Its technical definition is taking pleasure ("freude") in another person's pain ("schaden"). Or, as the song lyrics go, "When I see how sad you are, it makes me sort of happy!" I've seen schadenfreude at work, and wrote the better part of a column about it a few years ago. After a bit of a scheduling snafu that caused Ainsley to miss dress rehearsal for her school's variety show, she took...
Nine years ago I began an annual tradition that I have somehow managed to continue. In the issue before Ainsley’s birthday each year, I use this space to write a special letter to her. When I wrote the first, Ainsley was in preschool. She wanted to call Santa and ask for a ride in his sleigh so she could visit Baby Jesus in Heaven. She hadn’t yet learned to read — although she could recite many of her books by heart — and she had just received her first real bicycle for Chr...
“Turn and face the strange ch-ch-changes.” — David Bowie One thing you learn as a parent is how much things change each holiday season as your kids (or kid, in my case) get older. One Christmas you’re lending Santa a hand assembling the Barbie Dreamhouse he delivered for your 5-year-old. Before you know it, her Christmas wish list includes a laptop and headphones for gaming and “merch” from her favorite YouTuber, YaBoiAction. For several years you enjoy gathering as a family...
Several years ago I found a reprint of a vintage Betty Crocker cookie cookbook at Yankee Peddler - the very same one my mom had when I was a kid. I later regretted not purchasing it. But then I found my mom's old volume, which is even better. The "Cooky Book," as it's titled, was first published in 1963. My mom was not much of a baker, so we got out the book exactly once a year, at Christmastime. My favorite part of the cookbook then (and now!) is the photos - full-page...
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." - the 14th Dalai Lama Did you ever learn a new word and then start to see it everywhere? Or encounter the same message or theme emanating from a variety of sources? I've experienced both, and - as you might guess - am currently doing so right now. I keep discovering the same message from different people and places. It's simple and straightforward: Be kind. While I was home in quarantine with a sick husband, I counted on...
Last Monday I was supposed to start the week with a 90-minute gratitude walk at Mayslake Forest Preserve. Instead, I was home in quarantine while my COVID-19 positive husband was upstairs in isolation. I know that the best antidote to focusing too much on my troubles is to think about the things for which I am grateful. And so - without the benefit of the gratitude walk - I embarked on a list. Despite all the reasons I had to complain, I found plenty to be grateful for. • B...
"The world is round, and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning." - Ivy Baker Priest I've used that quote many times since I first read it in a book gifted to me by a friend more than 20 years ago. I find it even more poignant this week as I cope with the loss of my mom. She passed away last Wednesday from cancer, which had spread throughout her body, unchecked by new medication she began taking in January. When we learned of her condition after...
As the color guard marched into the gym to open the Veterans Day assembly at Madison School Monday, the students rose to their feet and one Boy Scout snapped his hand to his fore-head in a salute. He and the other kindergartners through fifth-graders then sat at attention for close to an hour, listening to veterans from many branches of services who served during peace and war discuss their experiences. Of course the students are too young to comprehend the horrors some of the...
Among the list of casualties of COVID-19 this year is my family's annual Spooky Dinner. For years, we've invited neighbors over to dine on dishes like mummy hot dogs, cheesy Crescent ghosts, pumpkin spice spread with bat wing dippers and chicken enchilada mummies. Last year I outdid myself, offering a menu featuring mashed potato snakes and "feetloaf." I knew the dinner was a success when our neighbor's son, 8 at the time, looked at the bloody bone (leek with tomato sauce)...
If you're lucky, you have a great pic of your kids in their Halloween costumes taken by Jim Slonoff at one of Hinsdale's Fall Family Fests. My favorite one of Ainsley is from 2009, when she was just 10 months old and dressed as an adorable pink bunny. She's sitting by a pint-sized pumpkin with her cloth carrot resting in her lap and one of her silly little half smiles on her face. She's had some great costumes over the years - Minnie Mouse, a witch, Cinderella and Laura Ingall...
I enjoy seeing the giant spider climbing up the American Eagle roller coaster at Six Flags Great America while driving up to Lake Geneva for a fall get-away each year. And taking Ainsley to trick or treat with her favorite Looney Tunes character through the Character Candy Trail or seeing The Wiggles' Halloween Show probably would be fun. But there ends my interest in the theme park's 20th annual Fright Fest. The mere thought of the "Saw Live" haunted house makes me tense...
October is my favorite month of the year. I love everything associated with it - and fall. Pumpkin spice lattes and other pumpkin treats. Corduroy and cashmere (not necessarily worn together.) Fall foliage. Our annual trip to the pumpkin farm and the arboretum. Halloween. It's just a great month. October 2020, I have to admit, it is a little less great. There is no high school football. No homecoming parade or pep rally. No Fire Prevention Week open house. A host of...
The headline caught my eye immediately. "Is pumpkin spice good for you?" Who cares? It's delicious. My level of caring also was low because I received this digital newsletter on Sept. 8, a full 22 days before the Official Start of Pumpkin Spice Season on Oct. 1 (at least as far as I'm concerned). I know many believe PS season starts much earlier. Perhaps they are the same people who endorse the start of "meteorological fall" on Sept. 1 rather than waiting for the actual autumn...
Just before we sat down to watch the Illinois Press Association’s annual editorial awards lunch last Thursday, I asked Jim Slonoff a question. “Is there any chance we won the sweepstakes this year?” I queried. “We never win the sweepstakes,” he replied. It’s true. We received third place two years ago and an honorable mention last year, but we’ve never brought home the trophy. “I just thought maybe this would be the year,” I said with a sigh. Fast-forward about 90 minutes. We...
When we announced this summer that we were looking for new contributing columnists, we didn't expect to have the largest applicant pool we've seen in years. (Perhaps being stuck at home with nothing to do made people more likely to apply!) While I was happy to receive emails from so many people, it made the job of selecting new writers very difficult. We announced our three new columnists - Bret Conway, Gabriela Garcia and Alegra Waverley - and our retuning writer, Kelly...
Dan and I love to grill. We don't use a traditional charcoal grill (takes too long) or a Green Egg (too pricey) or one of those Weber wood pellet grills (too new). We have your standard issue Weber gas grill, a Father's Day gift for Dan a few years back to replace a cheap Charbroil he had rebuilt twice. His favorite part of the gift? Fuller's Home & Hardware assembled AND delivered it. The recipes we enjoy making aren't too complicated, either. Many of our favorites - includin...
In the early days of the pandemic, I turned to Dan Brown. I mean, if the fate of the world rests on Robert Langdon's ability to decipher the next location where a killer will strike, that doesn't leave much time to worry about whether I should wipe down my groceries, does it? Plus, since my husband had purchased several of his books years ago, they were conveniently available on a book shelf near me. I hadn't thought much about Brown since I binge-read "The Da Vinci Code" the...
I first met Ly Hotchkin some 30 years ago. If I remember correctly, I had just become managing editor of The Doings when I was sent to The Community House to meet her. Ly wanted someone from the organization to write a column about something or other, and I knew I was going to have to tell her no. I was still in my 20s and found Ly a bit intimidating. She seemed used to getting her own way, and the thought of refusing her request scared me a little. I remained slightly...
I've been a little obsessed with Brené Brown's "Unlocking Us" podcast since I first was introduced to her in February by Tim Ferris on his eponymous podcast (notice a theme here?). She's on hiatus for several weeks this summer, and I miss her. I've decided to cope by recreating a piece of her podcast here. She concludes every episode with a set of "rapid fire" questions for guests. I've enjoyed listening to their responses and thought it might be fun to write up mine. 1....
