Dear Uncle Jesse

Dear Uncle Jesse –

As they say, everything comes full circle and you know that better than anyone, what with Full House making a wonderful comeback with Fuller House.

We started watching Full House in 1990. It was a great show, refreshing and also more importantly, spoke to the fact that not all families are made up of a mom, dad and two kids. A wonderful message. We loved the show, my two kids and I. It was part of the “TGIF’ line up – pizza, TGIF and we were good for the evening.

When my daughter was in 3rd grade, I took her and a friend to see The Beach Boys at Poplar Creek in Hoffman Estates, IL. It was a warm August night and the outdoor venue of Poplar Creek was always one of my favorites. We sang along with the Beach Boys and oh, man —shrieking and hysteria ensued —Uncle Jesse was on stage playing along with the Beach Boys.

All of the girls in the audience and on the lawn dashed down to the stage to get a closer look. It was a night to remember.

These two girls are now 31 years old and my daughter’s friend always remembers her ‘first concert.’

Now, my daughter has a daughter who is 6 years old. And yup, they watch Fuller House together. My granddaughter informing us that it is 29 years later. She, however, never saw the original.

I got the whole first season from the local library and on a sick day when I had her, we watched all 22 episodes. It was great. We are now on Season 2.

Recently my daughter and granddaughter got a new dog.

There was never a doubt: my granddaughter named him ‘Uncle Jesse.’

So, Uncle Jesse and the gang live on in our family history. Thanks, it’s really been a blast.

Happy Birthday La Grange Park!

2017 marks the quasquicentennial anniversary of La Grange Park. Our 125th birthday. A committee of residents, businesses and community groups have come together to organize festivities throughout the year to help our Village celebrate this occasion.
The Village will have:

• A historical exhibit, walking tour and interactive community map to honor the Village’s rich history.
• A community art installation at Village Hall representing the families of La Grange Park.
• A time capsule reflecting our community today to share with future generations.

The activities will culminate with a Village picnic and birthday party to be held July 15, 2017 at Memorial Park. The party will include live music, food and other activities planned throughout the day, including the dedication of the renovation of our crown jewel, Memorial Park.

On January 13, 2017 “La Grange Park Stories’ was held at the La Grange Park Public Library. There were 27 people in attendance. It was an evening filled with heartfelt stories from residents who have lived in the Village for a long time and also those who are relatively new to our town. There was pride, love and gratitude for landing in such a great place as La Grange Park.

Future events include “Brick by Brick: Tracing your Home’s History” on Thursday, April 13 at the Library. Tina Beaird will provide strategies for researching the history of your home by using government records, newspapers, phone directories and maps. What story will your home tell?
The Community Art Project is a tile wall that will be installed in Village Hall. Residents are encouraged to submit either photographs or hand drawings of their families, homes, or what they would like memorialized about their life in La Grange Park. Forms are available online at the village’s website: www.lagrangepark.org.

Residents have three choices regarding their tile sizes:

4-1/4 x 4-1/4 - $12.50; 6 x 6 - $17.50 and 6 x 8 - $22.50. There is a limit of two per household that can be used in the public display. However, residents can purchase additional tiles for their personal use. The submission deadline is April 30, 2017.

Happy Birthday, La Grange Park!

Reflections on stories about my town

I attended the “La Grange Park Stories” evening at the Library last month. It was a Friday night and I had had an unusually busy week, so I thought about just staying home.

But my son had come by the night before. He lives in the city, but works out this way occasionally. He likes to don his running clothes (Mom, do I have a sweatshirt around here?) and jog through the old neighborhood, his stomping grounds since birth. When he returned, he said, “You know what I love about this village? It’s the people. I was running by all of my old buddies’ houses and so many of their parents still live here. It’s the people that make La Grange Park what it is.”

I thought yup, he is exactly right. I decided to go to the gathering.
The evening was filled with pride, emotion, history, gratitude and love. People reminisced, laughed and some even shed a tear.

A retired doctor brought his ‘house call’ doctor kit. He made house calls for $5.00. Many of the folks in the audience were young patients of his. Dr. Loren Horton was one of the original doctors on staff at La Grange Memorial Hospital, now Amita. He and his wife have lived in the village for many years.

Another presenter was G. Thomas McAtee. As a young boy during World War II, he lived at St Joseph Academy, which was located where Nazareth is now. It was a military school, he also is a retired Marine and said that his experience as a young boy of 14 was much the same as the service. He showed us photos of his classmates, told of the nuns. It was a wonderful presentation of a time long forgotten in our neighborhood. Mr. McAtee presented his experiences with pride and love.

My neighbor Eric Boyd, shared a remembrance about a colorful character on our block: Allan Calhammer. Allan was a Harvard grad and was a mail carrier in La Grange Park for many years. He also was a ‘gamer’ – he invented the game “Diplomacy.” When he died a few years ago, the Chicago Tribune ran a tribute to him and his contribution to the board game industry.

Eric spoke of Allan’s professional accomplishments and had the copy of the Chicago magazine in which Allan was featured. But what Eric brought to the evening was the essence of the man, the neighbor that he was to all of us.

And yes, I think my son is right: the people make the village the great place it is, Happy Birthday to La Grange Park!

Groundbreaking at Memorial Park

If you have walked down Oak past the Library of late, you have seen lots of activity and fenced-in areas.
What is going on?

Over 8 years ago, the Community Park District distributed a survey to the community asking residents what they like about our parks and what they would like to see in our parks.

One of the residents described Memorial Park as the crown jewel of the community. Taking those sentiments, the Park District board began to plan renovations for the Park.

Over the course of the next several years, planning and funding began. The Community Park District was awarded the largest possible grant available: $400,000.

And that is what you see going on in Memorial Park. The official groundbreaking was Friday, March 3, 2017.
Planning Resources Inc is the project architect; Builders Land is the general contractor for the shelter and Kee Construction is the general contractor for the remainder of the project.

The Park District staff worked tirelessly helping to design the project with strict attention to the costs. A thank you from the community to Karen Boyd, Lucy Stastny, Tim Ogden, Jeff Kilrea, Bob Corte and the former President of the Board, Lou Ritten whose efforts were monumental.

When the work is completed, residents will enjoy a new shelter with a covered picnic area, bathrooms in the shelter and a small splash pad area for kids. There will also be a permanent bags setup and a permanent bocce ball area, a new gazebo, and improved walking trail and fitness stations along the trail. You can follow a visual timeline of construction on the Park District website: www.communityparkdistrict.org.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2017 and the grand unveiling will take place in conjunction with the Village’s 125th birthday party on July 15, 2017. Activities begin at noon that day and continue into the evening with bands, play equipment for the children, cake and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5:00 p.m.
As Karen Boyd, president of the Board of Trustees for the Park District, stated in her welcome speech at the groundbreaking: “I hope that everyone will agree that our crown jewel has been polished and perhaps a few new precious jewels have been added to Memorial Park.”

WRONG COAT ANTHOLOGY

Reading
“The Wrong Coat” anthology
Tues., July 12, at 7 p.m. at Brookfield Library

“Our coats are quiet, obedient servants, reliably there for us when we need them . . . until they're not. Learn what can happen when the wrong coat meets the wrong person. It could happen to you.”

Local authors will present a reading from a paperback collection of their fiction works, “The Wrong Coat: an anthology by the Brookfield and La Grange Writers Group,” Tues., July 12, at 7 p.m. at Brookfield Library, 3609 Grand Blvd, Brookfield, IL 60513. For more information, or to register to attend, contact the Brookfield Public Library at 708-485-6917 or visit www.brookfieldlibrary.info.

Copies of the anthology, based on the authors’ responses to a writing prompt based on one individual’s personal experience, will be available for sale at the event. Copies of the book are also available for check out at local libraries, and are available for sale on Amazon.com.


“The Wrong Coat” is now available on CreateSpace and Amazon, edited by contributor Marie Anderson*, with other contributors Barry Abrams, Sally Anderson*, Janet Barrett, Jim Chmura, Kevin M. Folliard*, Lorelei Glaser, Linda Lea Graziani, Judith Kessler, Bonny Kotapish*, Carlos McReynolds, Joan Nelson, Ruth Princess, John Quinn, Margo Rife, Judith Tullis, Cindy Wallach, and Laurie Whitman* with cover design/artwork by Rife and Jessica Myers. *Several members including Lauryn Kotapish further volunteered to serve as contributing editors.

Publication Date: Apr 10 2016; ISBN/EAN13: 1530652057 / 9781530652051

Join us - ! It is very interesting what happens when you get the wrong coat!

My Favorite Restaurant

My favorite restaurant is Nickson's. I love the food, I love the preparation. I always tell people it is just like what you would make at home, but a few steps up in both taste and interest. Owner/brothers Rick and Nick Baca are now in the 9th year of running this successful and homey restaurant.

Chef Nick changes the menu seasonally, and though interested in trying new combinations, manages to keep the standard selections the same. It is like going to your mom's for your favorite meal. Never disappointing, always appealing.

So, when I received an email a couple weeks ago saying that the television program starring Brittany Payton "Chicago's Best" was filming there, I thought I can't miss this.

My friend Maureen Hernandez emailed me and said "Wanna go? I'll make reservations."

The day before, I wasn't sure I would be able to make the lunch due to a previous appointment. When I got up last Wednesday, the day of filming, I went back to my original thought: I can't miss this.

So, Maureen, her son Keith and I went to lunch. The actual making of the meal takes place before everyone congregates in the establishment, so Brittany Payton was sitting at a table by herself with the lunch crowd approaching her, taking selfies and talking with everyone. Maureen mentioned that her son had ordered the Texas brisket grilled cheese sandwich, the dish they were featuring. Brittany is very sweet and takes time to talk to the patrons, kindly acknowledging that some of us witnessed her dad breaking records for the Chicago Bears.

We noticed that Brittany then went up to the camera crew and indicated that someone at our table ordered the featured sandwich. So, the camera crew was soon at our table.

They interviewed Keith, took a video of him chomping on his sandwich. I thought maybe they would pan Mo, as Keith did mention that the taste of grilled cheese brings back fond memories of his mom making buttery grilled cheese sandwiches coupling them with tomato soup. But, alas, we did not make the cut.

Nickson's is a comfortable place; to me, it represents our community: friendly, convivial atmosphere, local flavors and beverages, great prices and a spot where the owners care that you are there.

I heard the air date was supposed to be the end of April. When that is confirmed, I will pass it on.

Nickson's
30 South La Grange Rd
La Grange, IL 60525

Where is the Justice?

Recently I was involved in an accident in my hometown where a woman slammed into me trying to make an illegal left hand turn.

Passers-by stopped to ensure I was okay; I was fine, just stunned.

Debris was all over the street (La Grange Road just north of Ogden in La Grange, IL) and the washer fluid container was on the ground. The entire right headlight and all surrounding areas were crunched. The car had to be towed.
The driver stopped, fortunately. Unfortunately she had no insurance.

The police officer indicated that he could not force me to go to court, but if I didn’t go, she would get not even a ticket. He issued two tickets – one for failure to yield and the other for no insurance.

I went to court.

The judge informed the court room that if the party with whom you had an accident was not sitting in the room, plead ‘not guilty.’

The woman who hit me received a $214 court charge plus a $100 fine for not having insurance.
I, on the other hand, paid my $500 deductible plus additional car rental charges of $600 on the $9,000 repair bill on a 2015 automobile.

Justice?

P.S. As an aside to this story (which I submitted to the Tribune editorial page) I thought I recognized the officer who was writing up the accident report. I asked him if his birthday was February 17 (which is my birthday also).

He answered with a surprised lilt in his voice, "How did you know that?"

"Because it is my birthday also and you let me off of a ticket about 4 years ago for the sole reason we have the same birthday."

He laughed, did not remember that incident but he said it is unusual for him to work day shift - lucky for me, though.


Laurie Whitman
506 N Waiola Ave.
La Grange Park, IL 60525
(708) 829-8286

Competition is a Good Thing

My son, the perpetual fitness advocate and giver of Christmas presents I would never buy for myself, got me a Fitbit for Christmas 2014.

I had asked for it because I walk every day, had been clocking my steps with my Nano (a previous gift from him many Christmases ago). I saw Fitbit advertised, thought it looked good and he got me one – with a fuchsia band.


I set a goal of 10,000 steps a day and 8 hours of sleep a day. I never thought I would achieve the latter.


I reach the step goal a few times a week. I’ve doubled it twice in a year. I also have ‘friended’ two girlfriends, one is 10 years younger than I and walks every day with a fellow woman warrior and another friend just one year younger than I. And yes, I usually am beaten to a pulp by my younger friends.


An unforeseen benefit is that I am sleeping! Maybe not like a baby but clocking eight hours a night, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. There is a sleep graph that shows you your restless times and your awake times. I do wake up a couple of times during the night, but the time between wake-ups is totally clear on the chart – meaning uninterrupted sleep. It’s a godsend.


Having raised two kids, I don’t think I have had uninterrupted sleep in – let’s see, one kid is 34 the other is 29. In about 34 years.


No longer am I complaining about how badly I slept. No longer am I nodding off during the day while reading the newspaper (even at 7:30 in the morning). No longer does my bed beckon to me at 8:30 p.m.
I am now well-rested….all because I want to beat my Fitbit!

Summer Field Trips

Now that we are at the “official” end of summer (and by the way, I think school should not start till after Labor Day like when I was a kid) we have reviewed our “Field Trip” list. Each June, sitting on the porch on one of those warm breezy nights when summer is beckoning us, we draw up the things we would like to do in the three months that are before us. This year’s list included:


1) Train ride and dinner to Two Brothers Brewery in Aurora.

2) Pedway tour that I saw advertised in the “On the Go” section of the Trib.

3) Farnsworth House in Plainfield – the Mies van der Rohr Glass House.

4) foot detox at The Salt Cave.

5) Milwaukee boat brewery tour that I read about in the June issue of Cooking Light.



Haven’t done the train ride yet, but we did look at the schedule. It appears that we would have to drink about three hours worth of Prairie Path beer should we decide to train and dine there – and that’s the weekday schedule. There is still time, however in September for that adventure.

Have not taken the pedway tour but I think it still sounds cool. There are a few offerings and it looks like the one that costs about $20 is worth it, as the tour guide is also a bit of a historian.

Still need to get uptown for the foot detox. Just putting my feet into cool water and sitting there for a half an hour sounds heavenly.

We did go to the Farnsworth House on a gorgeous Thursday for the two hour tour. Plainfield is a trek and it took a good hour and fifteen minutes to get there. There is a movie that is shown prior to the tour so you get a bit of the history. The story of the house and of Dr. Farnsworth, her relationship with Mies and the actual building of the house are fascinating. We had a very good docent who gave a great tour and answered any and all questions.

Finally, the boat brewery tour was a blast! I read about it in Cooking Light magazine in a small section about gastronomy in the Midwest. Tours are arranged by Riverwalk Boat Tours phone number 414-283-9999, www.riverwalkboats.com. For $30 a person, you have a 4-hour combined tour and boat trip along the Milwaukee River. We started the day at Lakeshore Brewery where we were treated to a very fun, alive tour for about forty-five minutes. Upon arrival at each brewery, each participant gets 2 tickets for 2 beers per stop. We also each got an orange 12-oz cup. So, you get 2 12-oz beers per stop times 3 equals 6 regular sized beers! (Plan to stay overnight, we didn’t so I could not imbibe as much as I would have liked).

There are about 50 people in the group. After the first tour – we got to taste some of their specialty beer as well during the tour from a tapper installed in the basement – I think it was 8.6 percent – we boarded the pontoon and went to Milwaukee Ale House. There was a short talk there, describing the beers. The actual brewing occurs at a warehouse a few blocks from the Ale House.

Since this was our first time on a tour like this, we were not sure about eating lunch or if we could even get food along the way. At the Ale House, we got 2 tickets once again and also had a leisurely hour to spend eating and drinking as it is a full serve restaurant. The final stop was Rock Bottom Brewery – again 2 tickets and a full menu. We met some people from Boston and talked Hawks, Patriots, Bears. Also the tour guide was sitting with us. We commented on the amount of BEER on this tour and she laughed and said when people first come on board, they want to know if they can buy more tickets for beer. She quipped, “Believe me, you won’t need more tickets.”

We arrived back at Lakeshore Brewery at 5:30, a four hour tour. It was a delightful day, made even better by perfect weather and great company….oh and good, oh so good, beer. Riverwalk Boats offers a few different types of tours; my son told me he attended a bachelor party on a tour. Fun, but Sunday afternoon is probably free from that type of party. The tours start up in May. It’s a great way to spend a Sunday or if you are heading up to Milwaukee for a couple of days, this is a fun way to see the riverfront. Enjoy - !

The Salt Cave

There was considerable buzz when the advertisement went up for the Salt Cave on La Grange Road. When I walked by and saw the sign, I thought it was going to be a seafood restaurant...not so far-fetched since we don't have one and restaurants are opening and moving all the time.

But the Salt Cave turned out to be just that:  a salt cave. Fortunately, a friend enlightened me and told me it was a meditative experience and is relaxing, you sit and think, pray or just enjoy the quiet...and the healing air.

Then my husband got me a gift certificate for Mother's Day. He ventured in there on an open house and thought it was really cool. He tried to describe it to me, adding there are various treatments, and so gave me enough leeway to choose what I would like. Along with the gift certificate came a nylon bag with beautiful coral colored salt crystals.

I stopped in on a Friday afternoon with the work week behind me. Ah, I thought now I can relax.

The first thing that I noticed was the lovely pinkish lamps and crystals displayed everywhere. And the fragrance, it was lovely. Just enough to appeal to the senses without bombarding them.

After an introduction of each of the treatments, I decided on the Aqua Float.

There is a human-sized box in the room that you climb onto. A board is just below the top of this "box" and the attendant covers you with a sheet, then a plastic blanket that is filled with gussets that will eventually fill up with water. The attendant indicates that you will hear some gurgling, as that is the water filling up in the pockets.

You then are lowered very slightly and the water flows around you, gently massaging your neck and back. You are fully clothed and protected with the plastic covering. I expected the water to be cool, but it is body temperature. I thought I might get hot or claustrophic, but neither happened.

During the last 5-7 minutes, the water waves around your feet. It is not hard jets like a whirlpool, but rather gentle waves. I asked if anyone falls asleep and the attendant told me yes, but mostly people say it is like lying on a beach, watching no kids, just noting the sounds around you but not listening to anything in particular. It is much like that, when your body is carved perfectly into the sand and you drift off with the sounds of the afternoon. I think I did fall asleep for a bit, though.

I love the Aqua Float - I felt very relaxed and sat for a minute in a chair in the room and had a bottle of water. The room is very soothing with dimmed lighting and music and it all smells so good. Definitely a treat -

30 minutes and $30.00
8 S La Grange Rd., 708-482-2505 www.primaloceanssaltcave.com

The Cat's Meow

When my friend’s mother, Betty fell about a year ago and no one was able to get to her without breaking down the door, my friend and her sister decided to not only have keys made for their mom’s place, but also to enroll their mom in a “Help! I’ve fallen and can’t get up” service so that she could summon help if needed. Of course, the mom did not want this extra attention and figured that things were fine as they were, but the daughters won out.




One daughter got married in December and the newlyweds left on a long-awaited honeymoon this past week. Grandma Betty was delegated to take care of the bride’s cat, Socks. Socks is a very social cat and acclimated easily to her new temporary home.



On Tuesday, Betty awoke in the middle of the night to three paramedics standing over her. She was a little taken aback, what was going on?



The dispatcher relayed the story: When the help call came in, she could hear only meowing that got louder and louder. No human sounds, just cat sounds.



It turned out that Socks had hit the alarm on the bracelet while Betty was asleep and was holding a conversation with the dispatcher. It was later revealed that Socks had in fact summoned the service three times previously, but it was during Betty’s waking hours and Betty assured the dispatcher that she was all right, that the cat had “accidentally” triggered the alarm.



Socks must have become lonely in the night…..

Reading in the new age

I love to read - I love everything about reading from the feel of the book, the paper, the typeface and I even like bookmarks. I heard all the buzz about electronic reading devices - how it's so great not to have to lug a book around; there is the dictionary feature built in so you can look up a word right then and there. And I even heard from a librarian about how much she loved her new Kindle.

So, when my son was going Christmas shopping this year, he called and said that his girlfriend really likes to read books and he was thinking of getting her a Kindle. He asked my opinion.

"Well, I really like to read books too and I would not like a Kindle."

He responded, "Well, too bad. That's what I got you. Get with the times, Ma."

One of the reasons I did not want a Kindle or a Nook was that you had to buy books when the devices first came out. I am a library patron; I buy one or two books a year for myself and I will buy books as gifts. But I would rather wait weeks for a bestseller rather than shelling out $20+ for a book that I will read only once.

When libraries introduced electronic books to patrons, I was a bit intrigued and relaxed a bit in my opinion of Kindles and Nooks. When I opened my Christmas present, surprise surprise, I got a Nook. I was further intrigued and loved the spiffy purple cover for it. I looked at the instructions on the library website for Media on Demand, and thought I had better go to the library to get a demo.

I went to La Grange Park Library and up to the reference desk, where all the librarians are more than willing to help you set up and get going. And it takes all of five minutes to get up to speed. I downloaded a book - a Lee Child Jack Reacher adventure and I was on my way.

And though I am not ready to pitch my bookmarks, I have to admit - I LOVE my Nook.....and this from a staunch non-believer.

Tasty Trivia

Looking for something fun to do in these dark, long evenings? Try your skill at the La Grange Park Library’s inaugural trivia night, “Tasty Trivia,” to be held this coming Saturday, November 10. The event will raise funds needed to update the Children’s Department Activity Room.




US99 radio’s Drew Walker will test your knowledge of food, books and movies with food and more as the master of ceremonies at the library’s first Trivia Night fundraiser. Just $15 in advance ($20 at the door) gets you in the game. Teams of up to eight people are welcome, but you don’t have to be on a team to play.



Doors open at 6:30 p.m., games begin at 7:00 p.m. Desserts and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase, or BYOB.



“We’re going to provide you with food for thought,” said Susan Fagan, fundraising committee chair. “We are looking forward to bringing the community together for a fun evening and a great cause.”



Come join the smorgasbord of fun!

Wildlife in La Grange Park

When I walked outside the other day with my dog, Mitch for his afternoon walk, I heard rustling in our front tree. It is a large Norway maple, 30 years old with lots of branches and tons of leaves. Squirrels abound in our yard, especially at this time of year, when they are digging up my tulip bulbs for their winter meals. I figured it was a couple of squirrels on a chase down the tree.

Suddenly, I saw something fall from the tree, as if it were pitched at a great speed. It landed with a big thunk on the sidewalk. It sounded like a hammer had hit the deck. It was a baby squirrel, lying there, twitching. I figured he was a goner.

When we returned from our walk, I glanced at the baby and saw that its eyes were open, but the animal still was not moving. I told my husband, brave soul that I am, if I have a choice, I will ask someone else to cart away carnage. He went out with a dustpan and a broom.

When he approached the little guy, he was on all fours, a bit groggy, but definitely alive. He poked the baby animal with a broom and the poor thing started squeaking. Within a couple of moments, the mom squirrel dashed down the tree, grabbed her baby in her mouth and scaled back up to the nest.

As we were discussing this strange occurrence on our front porch, a parental squirrel was in our tree next to the house, chittering away. We figured she was thanking us.

Springtime in Fall

Last week as I was walking down my driveway, I caught a glimpse of purple on my aged lilac bush. In recent years, autumn clematis has crawled up the lilac and graced the top with lovely white flowers and the unique fragrance of fall. But purple? I thought it was one of my unruly morning glories that made its way up the bush.




I looked closer: it was a lilac! This bush is probably 60 or 70 years old and I have lived in my house adoring these lilacs for 34 years – adoring them in the spring. But the fall? Never.

I even cut one and brought it in the house so I could capture the delicious aroma. It was a small flower and there were just a few on the bush; certainly not the prolific flowering that is typical around Mother’s Day.



But this past spring, by Mother’s Day, the lilacs were already spent, having bloomed in mid March when we were “unseasonably warm.” March to September = 6 months.



Wonder what Spring 2013 will bring?

Uh-oh

I own a mailing service, Alpha Omega. I am continually at the La Grange post office where I drop mail, pick up mail trays and conduct any other business to do with mail. The deadline for turning in bulk mail is 3:00 p.m., so I am usually barreling down the street at about 2:49, hoping to catch the light at Kensington and Ogden Avenue.

Since the carriers mill around the dock till about 9:00 a.m., I have made it a habit to stay out of there until at least 9:30. So, it was unusual for me to be running to the post office at 8:00 a.m. to get some mail trays.

I was on Ashland, heading north. I stopped at the stop sign, glanced both ways, thought to myself, "Nah, I don't want to go up to La Grange Road, I have an opening, I am going to jump across Ogden."

Even though I am at that corner thousands of times a month, I have never really read - or at least it didn't register - the sign that indicates there is right turn only allowed at certain times of the day, 8:00 a.m. being within the time restraint.

As I glanced in my rear view, of course I saw a police car behind me, flashing his lights.

Uh-oh.

He calmly walked to my door and said, "I was hoping you were going to turn right. Right turn only is allowed at that intersection at this time of day."

He then asked for my license. In my trips where I just 'buzz' to the post office, I routinely leave the house without my purse.

Oh-oh.

"I don't have my license with me. I just ran out to get some mail trays, blah, blah."

"Hm," he says. "Can I see your insurance card?"

That I did have and proudly handed it over.

He said, "Just a moment." He went back to his car with the flashing lights.

He once again approached the driver's side and asked when my birthday was. I told him. He wrote it on his hand and once again walked back to his car.

When he came up to my car again, he had bad news.

"You have two moving violations: one for not adhering to the right turn restriction and the other for driving without your license. That carries a penalty of your having to come to the station with me and posting a $120 bond."

Oh, great, I think. How can you post a bond when you don't have your purse? Instead of speaking those thoughts out loud, I simply nod.

He then says, "I don't usually do this, but we have the same birthday, so I am going to let you go."

"WOW, thanks, I say - and we celebrate with ....."

"Michael Jordan," he says. So, I know he was telling the truth.

Ain't Grandparenting Grand?

Before my granddaughter was born six months ago, I would listen with some interest to other new grandparents extolling the virtues of grandparenting. I would nod politely, oooh and aah about the photos that were seemingly endless and give my heartfelt congratulations to the new family. Along with the initial conversation would be comments from the new grandparent that went along the line of - "Wait till you have your own grandbaby...you will know what I am talking about."

Going through the pregnancy with my daughter was fun; we had a shower at home with many relatives and close friends. I called her every day to see how she was feeling - an unusual occurrence as sometimes days would go by without our speaking, but not while she was pregnant. After the diagnostic ultrasound, we knew that the baby was going to be a girl. I wasn't sure if my daughter was going to tell the masses, but she did leave a flowering pink plant on our porch with a balloon stating that she was in fact expecting a girl.

Wow, a girl. We secretly referred to her as 'Baby Lulu.' Names were tossed around, but I kept telling the mommy-to-be that even though she may have picked her all-time favorite name for her new baby daughter, she may well change her mind once she gazed upon that little face.

Charlotte Mae was born on September 13, 2011. Beautiful, of course.

Everything I heard about how wonderful being a grandmom is is true...tenfold, one hundred fold. I am very lucky in that I get to see Charlotte (and my daughter!) a few times a week and I never, no matter how busy I am, pass up a chance to be with that little baby. She is the light of my life, the heart of my heart. I have hundreds of pictures of her on my phone and I am of course perfectly willing to show anyone who will look at them.

I heard something that most closely describes how I feel about being a grandparent. I was talking to a woman who was awaiting the birth of her first grandchild and she was asking me how I felt. I tried to get my feelings into words and she nodded and said, "That's what everyone says." But what she told me was the best definition I have heard thus far:

"..having a grandchild is like falling in love the first time. It is the first thing you think about in the morning and the last thing you think about at night."

I hope I see you today, Baby!

The Cat Groomer

Before grooming

My cat, Virginia McCatskey (namesake of the grand dame of football, Virginia McCaskey, owner of the Chicago Bears) is formidable. Not only formidable in attitude, and personality, but size as well. She is a beautiful, long-haired calico with a haughtiness that is unmatched in the feline world. She is also - how do I put it delicately – tubby. Because of her rotund shape and long hair, she has difficulty cleaning herself.




Recently upon a visit to the La Grange Park Cat Clinic, I noticed they have a service called ‘sanitary clipping.’ Just what the old girl needs. I take her there every eight weeks or so to have this service performed. Keeping ‘the area’ clean helps prevent infection and bad odor. While I was there, I picked up a brochure from The Cat Groomer and this week, I called on her to restore my kitty’s dignity and beauty.



Cheryl Maibusch refers to herself as a trifecta. She has some unique offerings to cat owners: 1) she is a cat groomer; 2) she is a certified cat groomer and 3) she comes to your house.



Cheryl has a very cool, fully equipped tall van that proudly announces that she is The Cat Groomer. She arrived about noon the other day with her able assistant, Kristin Davis. I was curious as to how the whole operation works, so Cheryl gave me a quick tour of the inside.



The van is very clean, warm and has a washing station, a drying station and also a special clear plastic box where kitty is placed with not-so-intense drying and relaxation after the trauma of the bath. It is in this box that Cheryl places her hands through holes on the side of the box and grooms, cuts, brushes your cat.



Cheryl has photos that she will show you to determine the length that you would like your cat, whether you want a mane or whether you want the lion cut, where the body is shaved, the tail is shaved but for a poof on the end and the head is left mane-like. Virginia has magnificent spots on her body, so I like them to show. I left it up to Cheryl’s discretion as to how the cat’s head and mane would be trimmed.

Though I did not venture into the van during the actual coiffing, I did not hear any screeches coming from the driveway. From all reports, Virginia did quite well and was very pleased with her new look. She gazed at us all day with confidence in knowing that she looks beautiful. Still tubby, but beautiful…and clean!

Contact the Cat Groomer at 630-432-1799 or view her website at TheCatGroomer.com.



Kristin Davis



The Cat Groomer



Cheryl, the trifecta of cat grooming





The lovely Virginia









Book Club

As book clubs go, everyone who participates in one thinks hers (or his) is the best. Evidence in the Saturday Chicago Tribune who publishes a Chicagoland Book Club every week. There is surely a wait list for that space.

Our book club, Ladies of the Evening, or LOTE was formed almost 20 years ago as an offshoot of parenting classes that were held at Ogden Avenue School. We all had kids at school at the time and the start time of our monthly meeting was 8:30 to ensure bedtime was met for the kids. 8:30 sometimes stretched into 9:00 actual start time, but we were younger then...like 20 years younger!

When I got married in 1977, my mother-in-law played bridge with a group of ladies in her neighborhood. She told me that they have 'granny showers' in honor of each grandchild that is born to one of the ladies in the bridge group. I tucked that idea away, hoping that someday I would have a group like hers and that we too could celebrate the births of our grandchildren.

Happily, our group has a few grandchildren and we have thus had a few granny showers. Gifts can be either for the grandbaby or the grandmom - books, picture frames, hooded towels, photo albums, anything fun to celebrate the grand event.

But we had a special occasion to celebrate this year:  a wedding! Lori Sands married Cris Martinez in October and at the next monthly meeting, we decided to have a wedding shower. The hostess of the evening, Maureen Hernandez, went digging around the basement and found an old Skipper doll of her daughter's already dressed for the day. Maureen fashioned a bundt cake with an extra layer on a beautiful footed cake stand, frosted in white buttercream and adorned with fresh raspberries.



And the gift for the new bride? Flannel pj's with matching slippers...we are, after all 20 years older!

Proud members of the Ladies of the Evening are: Shelley Cameron, Maureen Hernandez, Judi Kaminski, Marian Lynch, Lori Sands Martinez, Marcia June Scharnweber, Nancy Schwerin, Pat Sirchio, Betty Waterman, Pam Zadak and me.

Post Thanksgiving

As I write this, it is a dreary, rainy, starting-to-get chilly Saturday afternoon. But since I don't mind these kind of days once in a while, I was in a good mood to clean out my laundry room, aka the catch-all room. Also, this being the 'breather' weekend, when you can catch your breath a bit before jumping into the Christmas season, it is a good time - and a good day - to regroup.

And what else to think about as we launch into the holidays is - shopping. About a month ago, I received an email from a friend with a simple message: let's try not to buy a lot of stuff this year, let's make this a useful gift-giving and receiving season and let's keep it local. We all read a lot about buying local - and I do try to support our local businesses as much as possible. Also the message in that email was that - everyone needs haircuts, why not get a certificate for a local barber or hair stylist? Cleaning service? So many things that people really need - rather than buying more 'stuff.'

Last week, for example, I needed a new watch band. I parked right in front of Linnea Jewelers on Ashland and inquired about a watch band for my watch. Denise Rose, the owner, is always on hand to help and advise. They had exactly what I wanted and my errand was finished in no time flat. Since I had a great parking spot, I walked into the new shop uptown, Alixandra. They happened to have a sale going on where if you bought two tee-shirts of a brand I particularly like, you could get one free. Great deal and easy access.

One of my friends gave me a $5 gift card for Fannie May as a congratulations on the birth of my baby granddaughter. I walked to Fannie May at the corner of La Grange Road and Burlington and picked out my $5 worth of candy - incidentally, what a fun gift to receive! Then I made a stop at Hallmark, just five doors west of Fannie May and picked out my November birthday cards.

I should also add that before the time change, my husband said, "Let's walk uptown for breakfast in the dark." (always the romantic, he is) - We walked up to Cafe Calbay on a rainy morning and had a superb breakfast. I am ashamed to admit it, but it is the first time I was ever there and I thoroughly loved it. The place is bright, a throwback to the old places that were always most comfortable to us. I also noticed how many people come in for a 'go cup' of coffee, as the Cafe is located directly across from the La Grange train station.

And I also stop frequently at Veni Vidi Val. Val has been in business for 20 years, 7 here in La Grange. Prior to her moving the shop to La Grange Rd., she was located on Michigan Avenue. Her selection of gift items, clothing, purses, scarves, trinkets and Thymes bath and beauty soaps and lotions is always changing. It's a perfect spot for a gift for a friend....or a gift for yourself.

All of this with no hassle of following someone to his or her car at Oakbrook Mall, hoping they are leaving so you can snare their spot; only a five or seven minute ride and easy access with the owners of the shops eager to serve you - let's keep it local this year!