This is 22

Looking at my son’s face, it is easy for me to see him as he was when he was an infant, with silken hair kissed with just a touch of blonde. Or as a toddler, the way his cheeks would jiggle when he took halting, determined steps across the living room. I was there for all those little moments as he grew up: the birthday parties, the book reports, and the Band-Aids.

But that little toddler with the blonde hair is no longer around. That sweet, bespectacled student leaning over his homework has grown up.

Valentine’s Day scar-kissed memories

The table where I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day is a fine piece of furniture. Made of pecan wood with wood-peg construction, it has four craftsman-style drop leaves, held in place by sliding wooden bolts under each leaf. It is one of my favorite pieces of furniture—but not only because of the features that attracted me to it when I bought it new 13 years ago.

It took two accidental scar-kisses upon that table to remind me daily of how blessed I have been in love.

A valentine nightmare

The holiday feared by most red-blooded American men is rapidly approaching. I’m not talking about anniversaries, the wife’s birthday, or Sweetest Day. I’m talking about the holiday with the most pressure and angst of all: Valentine’s Day. Nancy does not appreciate flowers, she will not allow me to cook in her kitchen since I burned up the microwave handle, and chocolates are a “no-no” in keeping with her New Year’s resolution. After much contemplation, I thought of a relatively new restaurant where I can get a good steak, save a few bucks, and have a Valentine’s dinner with my better half. I whisked my sweetie off to the Longhorn Steakhouse in Algonquin. Cupid’s got nothing on me.

Falling in love again

As we enter the bleak midwinter (at least mid by Chicagoland standards), my task of searching out good romantic content for this review has been daunting. It took me a while to come to the conclusion you see before you. Maybe it was the lack of love in my own life but perhaps the absolute dreck studio and steaming services have on hand. Every time an ad for Shotgun Wedding came on, my eye rolls became a sort of neurological tick. Upon looking at my rack of Blu-rays, a spark reminded me what made be fall in love with love stories in the first place. Here are some older and possibly overlooked gems for your V-day viewing.

Ask an Angel: February 9, 2023

My wife has some memory issues that are beginning to evolve. Her mother had Alzheimer’s disease and lived to her upper 90s. My wife is 86 years old and I’m approaching my 90th birthday. We’re managing life okay, although I do have my health concerns. While I love my wife, caring for her is starting to exhaust me.

Heaven – at the end of the path or the path itself?

Not long ago, I did something nice for a lady who was a total stranger, and my friend said to me: “That was very Christian of you.”

I don’t remember what I did for that stranger — it was some little kindness any thoughtful person would do for another. Maybe she dropped a dollar and I called out to her. Or maybe she struggled with an armful of groceries and I offered to carry some out to her car. It was some kindness so small and commonplace, I don’t recall it.

We had just moved halfway across the country from Illinois to Colorado. Our first son was just a toddler. I was primarily a stay-at-home mom, doing some freelance work on the side; my husband taught music to middle school kids in a small town situated in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.

A three-second joke that lasts thirty years

When you watch a documentary on Netflix, you expect to learn a lot of things about people you don’t know.

What you don’t expect to learn is that an old friend of yours has died.

That’s what happened when I watched the Netflix documentary “Sr.” created by actor Robert Downey Jr as he interviews his father, filmmaker Robert Downey Sr, over a period of about three years.

Personal Histories

Well, I hope all had a good holiday and a happy new year. As we careen head-first into our resolutions maybe we should take this time for some reflection. What do you want out of our time here? To be perfectly honest, 2022 was a lot for me. Some films currently in theaters I have avoided due to personal reasons. Amazing as I have heard Brendan Fraser’s performance is in The Whale, the idea of it is still too raw for me. Same goes for Spoiler Alert. A great many filmmakers mine their own lives and history for their art. Here are a few that affected me during the break.

Paddling with the pigs

A friend and his family finally accomplished a lifelong dream – swimming with pigs. What? Not your cup of tea? Well, you have to understand the background.

And the B.E.L.C.H. Awards go to…

Hollywood has the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. Broadway has their Tony Awards and music has the Grammy Awards. The food industry has the James Beard Awards and the Michelin Stars. All of these pale in comparison to the most prestigious, most sought after, and coveted award ever. Of course, we are referring to the annual Dining Duo’s B.E.L.C.H. Award (Best Eating Location Close to Huntley).

Delight is everywhere, if you look

My word of the year for 2022 was Delight. Instead of traditional New Year’s resolutions, I’ve tried to focus on one word to shape how I approach another year of life. So this year was about finding delight in the ordinary: being more spontaneous, tuning in to the world around me, searching for good things that might go unnoticed.

Did Santa just say, “On Billy, On Nanny…”?

Once upon a Christmastime, almost a half-century ago, a hundred heads swiveled in our direction to cast angry stares at us, with that “what kind of a monster are you?” look that no parent ever wants to see. And all because our cute little daughter picked just the wrong time to get it all wrong.

We had taken little Jenny to the Woodfield Mall to see Santa Claus so she could sit on his lap and tell him about all the toys that were on her Christmas list. She had heard of Santa all her short life, of course, and had seen him on television and on posters at the store, but she had never met him in person. This would be her first time.

Giacomo’s favorite restaurant

If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that we sometimes have a habit of overdoing things. Since we live on a corner lot, we feel it’s our duty to honor Chevy Chase in the movie “Christmas Vacation” by filling up our yard with every imaginable blinking, flashing, and twinkling light decorations. They can take the shape of snowmen, Santa Claus, or elf figures. This is a four-day process which includes taking anti-inflammatory medications, drinking a half bottle of Fireball Whiskey, and smoking several Cuban cigars by our fireplace.

Holiday whodunnits

As we are about to settle into the Christmas season yet again, we will meet with family and friends and share good times. Some of us listen to festive music, while others decorate the home in order to get into the mood. I, personally, like to watch movies that fill me with holiday cheer. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many new ones to recommend.

Ask an Angel: December 15, 2022

I am having a hip replacement in a few weeks. While I’m looking forward to being able to walk around with less pain, I’m not looking forward to the necessary therapy after surgery. My orthopedic surgeon recommends that I go to a short-term rehabilitation facility after being discharged from the hospital. I know I’ll benefit from the extensive therapy. However, I’m dreading the many unknowns of what to expect.

Scenes from the Big House

It was about 26 degrees the day I went with my daughter, son, and best friend to watch a football game at the University of Michigan, where my son is a freshman. This was my first football game watching the Wolverines at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Nicknamed “The Big House,” the stadium is the largest stadium in the United States; the third largest in the world. It boasts over 107,000 seats. I only know this because my friend, the ticket holder, was kindly sharing her knowledge of sports trivia with me.

When a Supreme Court decision hits home

Like everyone else, I had strong feelings about the Supreme Court’s controversial decision regarding abortion, even though there was no way it would ever affect my body directly, for reasons too obvious to mention. But the Supremes are currently mulling over a decision that could strike to the very heart of my identity.

I refer, of course, to the suit filed by the Jack Daniel’s Whiskey company against an Arizona company named VIP Products, which makes doggy chew toys.

Passion plays

Hello all, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. And now we are in the thick of the holiday season. However unfortunately, a number of entries I planned to view aren’t out yet. And, due to a slight cold, any chance of going to the theaters were thwarted. But if you are in the same boat as myself, where do you turn to but the streaming services. And now more than ever, they are providing vast oceans of content for your viewing pleasure. Well let’s grab out the remote and surf through, shall we?

Cooked sushi

Old habits and recipes die hard, especially with Nancy. Truth be told, she is actually an excellent cook. This was evident when we were younger and had a houseful of people over for holiday dining. Now our family is dwindling and the kids and grandkids have all moved away, but the recipes stayed the same. As a result, Nancy always cooks for the holidays a meal that would easily feed 12 people even though it is just the two of us. I made the mistake of mentioning that maybe she could cut down the recipes, but to her, change is evil. The recipes have been handed down from generation to generation, and must not be tampered with. Such was the case during the recent Thanksgiving holiday.

Ask an Angel: December 8, 2022

I’m concerned about my mom. She’s 71 and lives alone. My dad passed away five years ago and I’m convinced that my mom is still grieving his death. Since she became a widow, she’s become more reclusive. She doesn’t like to drive far from home and doesn’t make much of an effort to maintain friendships. I live nearby and try to include her as much as possible. She loves to shop but rarely leaves her home to shop unless I’m with her.

The nest just out of reach

A long time ago — maybe 1978 or so — my Brittany Spaniel puppy, Dandy, was obsessed with a robin’s nest.

The nest was tucked six or seven feet up into the crook of a maple tree, and Dandy, filled with puppy curiosity, enthusiasm, and energy, would leap into the air to go nose-to-nest. Then she would sprint around the yard and do it again.