Ask an Angel: February 7, 2019

My father’s dementia is progressing, and he has gone from being a mild and loving man to one that is mean and obstinate. I don’t know how to deal with his outbursts. I’ve spoken to his doctor, but I didn’t get much help from him. How do I deal with him lovingly, rather than play into his mean spirit?

The haunting — this time it’s personal

My ceiling fan is haunted.

I know, you might not believe in ghosts. I didn’t either, until an old Buick I once owned decided to lock and unlock its doors every now and then throughout the night. The garage was right beneath my bedroom, so I could hear it every time it happened.

Dreaming of the Caribbean

The holidays are over, and we’re still trying to pay our bills and make amends to all the relatives we offended. It’s freezing cold outside, and there’s not much to do but hunker down and wait for the inevitable spring thaw. Imagine how excited I was when Jim said he wanted to go to Antigua!

Ask the Woodchucks: January 24, 2019

I am often asked how we know how to repair so many different things. We have all been fixing things for 40-60 years, so we have a lot of experience, but the internet has added substantially to our competence.

If Beale Street Could Talk — exceptional acting

James Baldwin’s 1974 novel, If

Beale Street Could Talk, is brought to the screen in an extraordinary adaptation by director Barry Jenkins. The story is set in Harlem in the 1970s and tells the story of two young lovers played by Kiki Layne (Tish) and Stephan James (Fonny). Friends from early childhood their relationship evolves into an enduring and everlasting one.

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I need to slow down. I am a caregiver to both my parents and I am burning the candle at both ends. I need a little motivation to help me. I do give myself permission to take a break, but I get right back into a frantic pace. Help!

National Lampoon’s Eggers’ Christmas Vacation

T’was the 18^thof December and look at our car, all gassed up, shined up, and ready to go far. The luggage was packed with clothes for all weather, and believe you me, not light as a feather.

And so, armed with beef jerky and Twizzlers, began the Dining Duo’s “Christmas Vacation” to see the grand kids in Jupiter, Florida.

Navigating winds and tides at Christmastide

I spent this holiday season in Naples, Florida, where my wife and I bought a home in 2009 to escape the bitter Chicago winters.

On Christmas morning this year, I slipped my kayak into the water by the Jolley Bridge at Marco Island and paddled the Big Marco River westward toward the Gulf of Mexico, tugged by the falling tide. The wind was northerly — neither help nor hindrance just yet.