I stand with so many other people around this time of year who are annoyed with the stores, malls, and restaurants that begin their Christmas decorating (and sales) way too early. In fact, this year I saw so much red and green before Halloween I had to look at a calendar to check the date more than once. I don’t enjoy the barrage of Christmas music, in elevators, on the radio, in stores, everywhere. It’s partly because I’m Jewish, I suppose. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy a good Christmas tune–Mariah Carey’s recent take on “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is my modern favorite–it’s just that…
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Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go: Now Available in STORES!
Blurred reality. I was just informed that Barnes & Noble is placing an order for my book, Chicken in the Car and the Car Won’t Go: Nearly 200 Ways To Enjoy Chicagoland With Tweens and Teens and should have it on the shelves by the December holidays. This was one of my main goals for the book: to get it into a major bookseller’s stores. CHECK! So there you go. Though the order they are placing is not big enough to get copies into every store (Yet. Let’s stay positive, shall we?), you CAN go into your local B&N, no matter where it is, and special order a copy for…
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Chicago’s Water Tower: Small But Mighty
This Saturday marks the 140th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The fire, rumored–but never confirmed–to have been started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, not only razed just about the entire city but also set the stage for its rebirth into the world-class metropolis it is today. (If there ever was a silver lining to a disaster, that would be it.) The fire even jumped the Chicago River (more than once) on its way to burning an area four miles long by a half mile wide. It was one of the biggest disasters to occur in the United States in the 19th century. The Water Tower, at the north…
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Magdalene in September
Remember how I showed you my three favorite sculptures in the city of Chicago? I went back to take a new picture of Magdalene yesterday so you could see her full skirt, freshly grown for autumn. Soon? She will bloom.
- 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…