Crazy Rich Asians: a perfect title

I was not overwhelmed with this movie, although it was different and did have some moments. On my way out of the theater however, I talked to eight or ten others, all of whom gave it a hearty thumbs up. I will say this as an endorsement; no one got shot or killed, and there were no high-speed car chases. Tom Cruise would have been lost in this one, but then he’s not Asian.

Surveying garden design

For about 7 days this summer my daughter was consistently looking at her phone. While this isn’t out of the ordinary, what she was doing was mind-boggling to me. In preparation for moving into the Honors House at Kansas State University she had downloaded an app that allowed her to visualize what the interior of her dorm room might look like. She would longingly look at the 2” by 4” screen and picture herself there with her roommate succeeding in this wonderful environment that they created through a well-decorated room.

Tap dancing through the American medi-go-round

“Medications?” the nurse asked.

“None,” I said.

She stared at me. “Blood pressure meds? Cholesterol?” She was just trying to be helpful, because geezers my age can forget.

“Nope.”

She gazed at the computer screen in front of her. “I don’t know what box to check,” she said.

Ask the Woodchucks: August 9, 2018

My wife and I just moved into a house in Del Web and are doing some renovating as we move in. The Patio door needs replacing and the lock at the bottom doesn’t work, as it’s broken. The lock at the middle that locks to the frame on the wall has the handle broken. Plastic cover is broken off!

Landscape design 101 … and beyond

We all have those days we will never forget. It could be the milestones achieved such as weddings, birthdays or anniversaries. It could also be particular highs such as a birth of a grandchild or lows such as a death in the family. Sometimes the memories that stick with us the most are simply minutes spent with friends or hours spent alone.

Meeting around the table

The Neighborhood 35 Supperclub is on the road again. This time we traveled to the South Barrington Arboretum to “meet around the table” with our friends. What better place to do this than a restaurant with the name Incontro a Tavola, which loosely translates to “meeting around the table.”

Due to some new construction and the fact that the restaurant is by a roundabout, parking is a challenge. Just be creative and put on your walking shoes. Since Jim’s new knee is not playing nice, I was his own personal valet parking attendant.

I wish I could tell you each lily’s name, but I wasn’t paying attention when I was told.

Some of them turn their faces straight up to the sun and sky — the yellow one with the pale purple frill on the edges, the white one with the red blush around fiery orange stamens, the creamy one with the burgundy rim.

Raining it in

It seems that most yards have an area that is wet. Those areas are often considered the problem area of the yard. They are the portion of the yard that most people wish wasn’t there or that it could somehow be improved. A rain garden may just be the answer for those low-lying areas. For this column, I asked Grace Koehler, the sales manager at Pizzo Native Plant Nursery, to help us understand what a rain garden is and how it can best be incorporated into a yard.

Cruisin’ to Carrabba’s

Nancy and I seem to be slaves to our food cravings lately. First it was Chinese food, and now Nancy had an insatiable desire for lasagna. She remembered that one of the stops on a Del Webb Senior Safari was Carrabbas Italian Grill. The one she went to is now closed, so the next closest one we found was in Woodridge. Off we went in the Mini-Mobile, Nancy salivating at the thought of having her craving satisfied.

Ask the Woodchucks: July 26, 2018

I have lived in Sun City since 1999. Some of my windows are very difficult to open and close. How can I repair them?

Ask an Angel: July 26, 2018

My husband and I are in the process of trying to consolidate some of our belongings and organize our important documents. It’s overwhelming. What do people do to get organized?

The gospel according to Hershey and Nestle

There are only two kinds of people in this world, and the difference between them is irreconcilable.

No, I’m not talking about Republicans and Democrats. True, they’re irreconcilable, but when it comes to politics there’s also a third group—Independents—who are also maddeningly irreconcilable.

Ask the Woodchucks: Fire Extinguishers

Every home in Sun City should be equipped with fire extinguishers. The most likely location to have a small fire that you could fight with a fire extinguisher is in the kitchen. However, a grease fire in a pan on the stove should not be blasted with a fire extinguisher. If you do that, you will blow the grease and the fire onto the wall behind the stove and possibly set the whole kitchen on fire.

Ask an Angel: July 12, 2018

I had to quit my job so that I could care for my husband, who has early onset dementia. He is doing well but showing signs of irritation and frustration over little things. I know it is the disease, but I find I don’t want to take him with me when I go out because his behavior is unpredictable.

Vegetable garden memories

When writing columns, I usually have a purpose in mind. Being a former horticulture teacher, the purpose is usually educational in nature. Sometimes I try to be informative or inspirational, and occasionally I go out on a limb and try to be funny. Today, the column is purely a series of reflections.

Sammy’s “SI”

The World Cup is in full swing, and the entire planet is excited about “Futbol”, except for the U.S. We call it soccer and consider whatever “da Bears” do to be football. So what better way is there to join in the celebration since Mexico is in the World Cup, but with a dinner at Sammy’s Mexican Grill in Elgin.

Kick that frown away with a hearty thumbs-up

So many languages, so little time, right?

Sure, you have those moments when you get upset with yourself for not following through with your plans to learn at least one other language, or maybe even three or four. By this point in your life, you thought, you would be able to take an around-the-world trip and chat with anybody you met.

Garden walk sneak peek

Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos! Willkommen.

No matter how you say it, the idea conveyed is the same: ‘Come in and enjoy your time with us.’ What a wonderful thought and feeling.

Wall aboard!

The Winter Games are over in South Korea but will restart in China in 2022. With the past Summer Games of 2008 and now the Winter coming up, there has been a resurgence of visitors to the area. Most expect this to increase over the next few years, so if you want to get ahead of the crowd, now is the time to plan your trip.

Herb and Jackie of Del Webb took what they described as “an awesome trip to China in October for 15 days.” They gave such an excellent analysis of their trip, and most of the story is in their own words.

Double feature: one thumbs up, one thumbs down

Michael Chrichton was a prolific author; his books have sold over 200 million copies. Arguably one of his best was Jurassic Park, published in 1990, an instant best seller, a book I could not put down, and if you read it you probably couldn’t either.

Ask the Woodchucks: Animal problem

When I returned from Arizona there was a large pile of crushed rock beside my front porch. I could not think of why someone would pour crushed rock there or what it was for. On closer examination there was a hole under the stoop. It was becoming clear that an animal was carving out a den under the front porch. In removing the gravel I found that 6 five gallon buckets full had been removed from under the front porch. Occasionally over the years, chipmunks had made their homes under the porch but they only removed about two cups of gravel.

Ask an Angel: June 28, 2018

When I started caring for my elderly mother, I felt confident that I could be the caregiver she needed me to be. However, I quickly learned that I can’t do it all. I am considering day care or homecare. What is the best way to go?

Niko’s – Part Deaux

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining, the birdies were chirping, and the Del Webbers were out walking their fluffy white doggies. What does the Dining Duo do on such a lovely afternoon? I’m glad you asked. We hop into the Mini-Mobile and venture out in search of food. We do have to keep up our strength, you know. It was such a gorgeous day for a drive in the country, and we wanted to go to Ream’s Meat Market in Elburn for some sausages to put on the barbie that evening.

Oh, the places a little T-bird roadster can take you

I saw a sweet little black ’57 T-bird ragtop roadster tooling down the street the other day, and I couldn’t help but think of my Uncle George.

I guess nobody in the family was all that surprised when my Uncle George pulled up to the curb in front of our house in his shiny new Ford Thunderbird that Sunday long ago when I was eight or nine years old. He was, after all, my mother’s brother, and he often came to visit.