Rain, rain go away – picking plants that defy a drought

Tolerance is often viewed as a positive characteristic. Most people can recall a situation in their lives in which tolerance played a crucial role. Tolerating my dog, who now chooses to begin needing attention when I am talking on the phone, has become a necessary behavior of mine this summer. Whether we are tolerating an animal or person, tolerance usually allows us to get through a situation more easily.

Now You Know: August 28, 2025

A while back, you addressed a question about the assigning of numbers to the Sun City Neighborhoods. I have a follow-up question. What went into the naming of the streets here in Sun City and who made the choices?

The Eggers go to Eggville

Off we went to get our fill, to a restaurant in Cary that’s called Eggville. (Dr. Seuss, eat your heart out)!!!

Because you never know if PETA is listening

Avid “Planet Kerth” readers will remember that a couple weeks ago I wrote about the amazing sniffing abilities of the beasts that share this planet with us, from beagles to bugs. You probably clipped it and stuck it to the side of your fridge with a magnet.

Go ahead and read it again if you want. I’ll wait.

My wife was diagnosed with early-stage dementia last year. For now, we’re managing okay, but the days are getting more complicated. I’m still able to care for her, but I can feel the weight of it building. I’m 76, and while I’m in decent health, I know that I need to be realistic about what I can do on my own.

Bird, plane, rock, flame

Superheroes: they have been as old as time if you count Hercules and Perseus of Greek myth. Funny how my audience was treated to a teaser to Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey adaptation during one screening, but that is for next summer. Superman and Fantastic Four are the topics of the day. But rather than review them respectively, I want to take a moment to take the temperature of these two long-running franchises. DC and Marvel are the big dog on campus in the comics landscape. However, I think it is interesting to see them trot out their most squarest of characters.

Shame stood up and took a bow

For a few days, the Coldplay Jumbotron incident captured the spotlight in the headlines, much like the couple captured on camera encircled in each other’s arms, rocking blissfully back and forth to the smooth (and to some, romantic) crooning of frontman Chris Martin.

In the Before, they were like any typical couple, enjoying date night on warm July evening at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

It’s a wonder how critters make sense of those scents

My son’s Brittany spaniel is an olfactory wonder.

Whenever I go to visit, he dashes circles around my legs, praying to play fetch. (The dog, not my son. That would be creepy.)

The yard is filled with fetchable things — chewed up tennis balls, bones, sticks, rubber toys — and all I have to do is choose one of them and give it a toss. Cinder the spaniel dashes off and brings it back.

From Asian to Cajun

Just to give you a heads up, this article is going to be very strange. Try to follow along and we will explain it as best as we can.

New heights: gardening from the ground up

“Come out and see this!” Chris, my husband, exclaimed on a recent Saturday morning. He had stopped at a garage sale and purchased what he deemed a treasure. He was thrilled to find a small metal ladder that had oval planting containers hooked on several rungs. His vision included setting the raised planter near our vegetable garden and having vines grow to cover the sides and rungs of the ladder with beautiful flowers. After talking through a few options, we decided to plant morning glory seeds in the three metal planters. We knew whatever we planted in the small containers would not live through the winter so an annual vine seemed like the natural choice. I view morning glories as a guilty pleasure. Although they can be invasive, each time I see them they make me smile.

Rock on

Music has been a part of film since its inception. Even as silent films ran, an accompanying piano or orchestra served as the soundtrack. But as the years wore on, different genres and artists burst onto the silver screen in a multitude of projects. Many have been complimentary but of their time (Spice World comes to mind.) Others like Mariah Carey’s ill-fated Glitter got panned as vanity projects. And then there is Pavements.

Now You Know: July 31, 2025

Karen from N10 writes: I’ve noticed the “lost and found” box in the fitness center. Is that for items that were lost only in the gym or for anywhere in the Lodge? What steps does the staff take to find the owners, and what happens to unclaimed items?

Ask an Angel: July 31, 2025

I’m reaching out as a daughter who is trying to hold onto some joy and tradition with my aging parents, even as things have changed a bit this year.

They’ve always loved summer, the botanical gardens in full bloom, music in the park, and strolls through the farmer’s market. These little outings have meant so much to all of us over the years. But recently, my parents had a bit of a health setback, and I’m realizing that even the simplest day out now takes a little more planning, patience, and flexibility.

Father of the groom

Our oldest son is getting married! He and his beautiful girlfriend announced to us earlier this month that they will be getting hitched in late October. We suspected they would tie the knot at some point, but for the past few years, they didn’t seem in any rush. This proved to be a challenge for my husband and me, Gen X-ers who were married at ages 21 and 22. More than a few times we’ve kicked each other under the table when one of us was about to ask, “So, are you two ever going to get married?”

“Stay cool,” we’d mouth to each other behind our water glasses. “Relax — It’s none of our business.”

Might the curse of quiet summer mornings be lifted?

At 8:23 a.m. on July 6, a warm, drizzly, Sunday morning, I realized that it was a red-letter day.

Not because of the Independence Day parade I had planned to visit later in the day. To be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to that. Crowds, heat, and impending rain are not a red-letter recipe for a day well spent, in my opinion.

Eat where the locals go

Our son and his family were coming to visit us from Florida for the Fourth of July holiday. This traditionally is a day of parades, fireworks, and barbeques. In anticipation of this, we travelled to that well known sausage and butcher shop in Elburn. Now to stock up on hot dogs, bratwursts, and thuringers. The trick is to stop Jim from buying a shopping cart full of beef jerky and salami sticks. I have to admit, they have the best pre-cooked pork schnitzel you have ever tasted and we usually buy out the display. This shopping spree worked up quite an appetite for us. We decided to check out a nearby breakfast/lunch café that we heard about on social media that was only ten minutes away. Off we went to the Sugar Grove Café in, where else, Sugar Grove.

And when I’m back in Chicago…

City dwellers get agitated every time someone says you are from Chicago, and that person is really a suburbanite. Hostile would be the operative word for how they react. A friend of mine, who now lives in Jefferson Park, rolls his eyes at such notions. However, I think Gertrude Stein said it best that America was her country but Paris is her hometown. Having lived just a couple hours away, the city has become of part of my DNA. From going to museums as a child to partying in the various clubs and villages, there are too many memories to divorce myself from our major metropolis.

Ask an Angel: July 17, 2025

I’m in my late 40s and living with multiple sclerosis. I’ve had my diagnosis for over a decade, but in the last year or so, things have gotten harder. Some days, I wake up and my legs feel like they’re made of concrete. Other days, it’s the brain fog or the fatigue that knocks me off course. I try to balance work and my friendships, but honestly, I feel like I’m constantly letting people down.

In their defense: what you can do to support the environment

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Although this quote is attributed to Margaret Mead, it could very easily be the motto of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County. For over 50 years, they have worked diligently protecting our ecosystem and preserving our natural environment all while educating residents. They have successfully protected valuable areas such as Ryder’s Woods in Woodstock and the Volo Bog State Natural Area. They also assisted in the development of the Crystal Lake watershed protection ordinance and the McHenry County Stormwater ordinance.

Some sobering thoughts on a festive holiday

This July 4th, take a quiet moment in the morning to thank our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) for their sacrifices in gaining our nation’s independence.

And then stay home. Fire up the grill. Char those burgers and brats. Lay into that potato salad and coleslaw with a vengeance, as if it offended you somehow.