• Amazing People,  Family Fun,  Music

    Something Old, Something New

    My Dad is a very interesting fellow, one-of-a-kind, for sure. He’s hilarious most of the time, he is very smart with more common sense than most, and he makes the best prime rib you would EVER taste, as evidenced by the fact that he made that for us for dinner on Friday night and I still can’t get it out of my head. He’s not without faults, though. His intense dislike for anything Will Ferrell has ever done–especially “Elf”–is something he talks about enough to make me wonder if he really likes “Elf” deep down but has talked so much trash about it that he would never admit it. (Not.)…

  • Amazing People

    A Gift Called Wanda

    Having worked in a salon for seven years, I’ve had the opportunity to become friendly with many people whom I never would have otherwise met. It’s always a pleasure to see a regular client arrive for her weekly (or bi-weekly) appointment, and over the years I learn so much about their private lives: their family, friends, what makes them happy, what ticks them off…all kinds of things. These clients become a part of the salon’s fabric. Each of us has our own favorite clients. There are a few clients, however, who are on everyone’s list. Margy was one of them. I wrote about Margy when she passed away three years…

  • Amazing People,  Childhood Memories,  Family Fun,  Fun in Chicago

    Happy Days

    Tuesday nights in the early 1970’s meant one thing in my house: “Happy Days”. I wasn’t the only one who loved the show: my parents, having spent their teenaged years in the 1950’s, were also huge fans of Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie, Mr. and Mrs. C, and–of course–The Fonz. A couple of years after “Happy Days” premiered, “Laverne & Shirley” spun off and joined the Tuesday night lineup on ABC. I always wanted to be Laverne: assertive, outgoing, and sassy. One Halloween I even dressed up as Laverne, and a friend of mine who was cuter and much smaller than I dressed up as Shirley. Seriously. So, knowing that,…

  • Amazing People,  Best Thing Ever,  Blessings,  Friends,  Fun in Chicago,  Writing

    Inspired To Action.

    A funny thing happens sometimes, when you’re busy with life, going through your daily schedule and getting things done (or not): your mojo can start to slip away. It can slip when you’re tired, and it can slip when you aren’t organized. Mojo can fade away when you’re not paying attention. The silver lining in all of this is the fact that, it’s easy to get a jumpstart for your mojo, and I had not one but TWO jumpstarts today. First, after insanely aggravating traffic that, due to nothing in particular except for some rain, caused me to be in the car for a full two and a half hours…

  • Amazing People,  Chicken in the Car,  Fun in Chicago,  Proud Moments,  Something That Could Change Your Life,  Travels

    Make No Little Plans.

    “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will themselves not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die.” ~Daniel Burnham, American architect and urban planner, 1846-1912 How much do you know about your hometown? Could you tell somebody about its history? Do you take advantage of what it has to offer in the way of entertainment, architecture, parks, and all of the other good stuff? Do you feel comfortable exploring the entire area, as opposed to staying in the cocoon of your neighborhood? Do you know anything about the…