MY SUN DAY NEWS
This is the story of a family tree, a walnut tree, and a cherry tree. But not just one; quite a few. Floyd Donley, a Sun City resident and member of the Woodchucks, recently fulfilled a request from his daughter. “My daughter has a glass coffee table. She is tired of seeing the dust on it as the sunlight streams through the window and the fingerprints and smudges,” he said.
This is the story of a family tree, a walnut tree, and a cherry tree. But not just one; quite a few.
Floyd Donley, a Sun City resident and member of the Woodchucks, recently fulfilled a request from his daughter.
“My daughter has a glass coffee table. She is tired of seeing the dust on it as the sunlight streams through the window and the fingerprints and smudges,” he said.
The Tall Oaks Tennis Club has scored a major win, securing support from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to launch a red ball tennis pilot program. Thanks to the efforts of club president Duane Fontana, the USTA has provided the club with new equipment to help introduce its members to the sport in a more accessible and enjoyable way.
“If we go back maybe seven, eight years ago, I saw that the population of Sun City was getting older and a lot were getting injuries or they can’t do what they used to…I had shoulder surgery so I understand now. So, I said, ‘There’s got to be a way that I can make it easier for older people or people that have injuries to do this.’ So, I came up with this brilliant idea that if I had a slower ball and a smaller court, it might make it easier for the older people,” Fontana told My Sun Day News.
Mary, my adult daughter, and I recently went shopping. Thanks to her patience and good decorating abilities, I now own a few new home décor items. While certainly not extravagant, each time I walk into the kitchen or living room I smile because these new items that seem to make the rooms more inviting and pleasing.
Spring brings the chance for us to add a few new things to our garden. Much like adding new items to the inside our home, adding something new to the outside of our home will often add interest and brings joy. Thankfully, plant growers and hybridizers have spent years researching and developing new plants for our yards. Often times these plants have been growing in trial gardens across America as a way to ensure that when they are planted in our yards, they will thrive.
Ah, the wild west!!! A time in American history of lawlessness, cattle rustlers, and gun slingers. This was immortalized by such historically accurate TV shows (NOT) such as Have Gun Will Travel, Bonanza, and our personal favorite, Gunsmoke. This show had memorable characters such as the 6’7” Marshall Dillon, the vivacious Miss Kitty (who we always suspected of running a promiscuous business on the side), and comic relief provided by Chester who was desperately in need of orthopedic work. With this in mind, Jim put on his chaps and spurs, which for reasons we won’t go into, he just happened to have lying around the house, jumped on our faithful steed “Mini,” and blazed a trail to Cattlemen’s Burger and Brew in Algonquin.
The good news is that most of the products we are watching were the same price on March 15 as they were on January and February 15. The bad news is that the two exceptions are whoppers. Ground beef was $5.84/lb in March, an increase of 25.86% since January 15; and eggs were $5.97, an increase of 43.51%.
How does a relationship last? This is a question that has plagued smarter men than myself. Marriages are tougher. You promise to stick it out through thick and thin. Then there’s the needling and bickering; the yearning for your own individuality while maintaining a unit. And don’t get me started on how to hang the toilet paper roll. (It is over the roll, welcome to my Ted Talk). However, what if your respected jobs require discretion and even a bit of duplicity?
Letters for the week of March 27.
I’m in my seventies and trying to take care of myself, but I feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting nutrition advice out there. One day, I hear I should cut carbs, the next, I’m told to eat whole grains. Some people swear by high-protein diets, others say too much meat is bad for me. And don’t get me started on all the different opinions about dairy!
pNote: The views expressed in these political submissions do not reflect those of the Sun Day, its staff, or those associated to the Sun Day.
The Life-Long Learning Committee (LLLC) brought the sold-out session on the History of Riverview Amusement Park to Sun City. Dottie Bobzin, a member of the LLLC, said, “Many Sun City residents remember Riverview. Our Chicago-related topics are well attended.” Jackie Monilaw, Chair of LLLC, said, “We were thrilled to find out that someone locally, Fast Eddie’s Car Wash, had several items historically related to the amusement park. They lent them to us for the lecture and donated several free car washes for a raffle.”
The Life-Long Learning Committee (LLLC) brought the sold-out session on the History of Riverview Amusement Park to Sun City. Dottie Bobzin, a member of the LLLC, said, “Many Sun City residents remember Riverview. Our Chicago-related topics are well attended.”
Jackie Monilaw, Chair of LLLC, said, “We were thrilled to find out that someone locally, Fast Eddie’s Car Wash, had several items historically related to the amusement park. They lent them to us for the lecture and donated several free car washes for a raffle.”
All the great thinkers of the world have come up with Laws describing how the world works. Adam Smith devised “The Law of Supply and Demand” in 1776 to explain why some things are expensive and other things are cheap. Sir Isaac Newton came up with “The Three Laws of Motion” in 1687 to explain why objects either sit still or move around.
All the great thinkers of the world have come up with Laws describing how the world works.
Adam Smith devised “The Law of Supply and Demand” in 1776 to explain why some things are expensive and other things are cheap.
Sir Isaac Newton came up with “The Three Laws of Motion” in 1687 to explain why objects either sit still or move around.
Marilyn Stucki has lived in Sun City since 2003, moving from Palatine with her husband. They have three sons and one granddaughter. A dog, cat, or both has always been a part of the family. Stucki said, “As a child, I always had a pet. I got my first cat as a little girl from my uncle. They had a litter of kittens. I had to pay twenty-five cents for the kitten. My very own first pet. I named her Sky.”
Marilyn Stucki has lived in Sun City since 2003, moving from Palatine with her husband. They have three sons and one granddaughter. A dog, cat, or both has always been a part of the family.
Stucki said, “As a child, I always had a pet. I got my first cat as a little girl from my uncle. They had a litter of kittens. I had to pay twenty-five cents for the kitten. My very own first pet. I named her Sky.”
It was 2015, we were in the middle of a pay freeze, and our life was generally chaotic with four little kids, a floppy-eared puppy, and a house that always seemed to need fixing. Toys were everywhere, our savings account was barely worth mentioning, and we hadn’t taken a decent vacation in years. There were nights I couldn’t sleep, worrying how we would pay for school fees and music lessons and clothing for our children. Something had to change. Ten years ago next month, we made a big change: we moved into a house half the size of our previous home.
It was 2015, we were in the middle of a pay freeze, and our life was generally chaotic with four little kids, a floppy-eared puppy, and a house that always seemed to need fixing. Toys were everywhere, our savings account was barely worth mentioning, and we hadn’t taken a decent vacation in years.
There were nights I couldn’t sleep, worrying how we would pay for school fees and music lessons and clothing for our children. Something had to change.
Ten years ago next month, we made a big change: we moved into a house half the size of our previous home.
Sun City residents may have heard of the Lifelong Learning Committee, but many may not be familiar with the dedicated individuals who volunteer their time to bring various topics of interest. These individuals, including Jackie Monilaw, Chair, Bill Ball, Dottie Bobzin, Victoria Cederquist, Joan Davis, Carl Hupert, Tom Smith, Dave Fink, and Carol Waxenberg, along with staff liaisons Shannon Smith and Melissa Hornick, are the driving force behind the committee’s activities. Bobzin said, “The committee began around 2007. Carl Hupert had the idea and is still a member.”
Sun City residents may have heard of the Lifelong Learning Committee, but many may not be familiar with the dedicated individuals who volunteer their time to bring various topics of interest.
These individuals, including Jackie Monilaw, Chair, Bill Ball, Dottie Bobzin, Victoria Cederquist, Joan Davis, Carl Hupert, Tom Smith, Dave Fink, and Carol Waxenberg, along with staff liaisons Shannon Smith and Melissa Hornick, are the driving force behind the committee’s activities.
Bobzin said, “The committee began around 2007. Carl Hupert had the idea and is still a member.”
On Saturday evening, March 1, a group of Sun City residents headed to Huntley Park District’s Cosman Theater. The women wore poodle skirts and blouses with chiffon neck scarves, bobby socks, saddle shoes, and cat-eye glasses. Some were in Grease-inspired costumes; men in black attire, and women sporting pink lady jackets. Some wore their favorite bowling shirt with slacks, saddle shoes, or penny loafers. A few were sporting high school sweaters with earned letters. Parsla Gagainis, Sun City resident, said, “I loved seeing everyone get into the spirit of the evening by wearing iconic costumes of the ‘50s era. My pink lady jacket was homage to the pink ladies in Grease. The poodle-skirted ladies were really awesome.”
On Saturday evening, March 1, a group of Sun City residents headed to Huntley Park District’s Cosman Theater. The women wore poodle skirts and blouses with chiffon neck scarves, bobby socks, saddle shoes, and cat-eye glasses. Some were in Grease-inspired costumes; men in black attire, and women sporting pink lady jackets. Some wore their favorite bowling shirt with slacks, saddle shoes, or penny loafers. A few were sporting high school sweaters with earned letters.
Parsla Gagainis, Sun City resident, said, “I loved seeing everyone get into the spirit of the evening by wearing iconic costumes of the ‘50s era. My pink lady jacket was homage to the pink ladies in Grease. The poodle-skirted ladies were really awesome.”
Since this is indeed the month of St Patrick’s Day, it is perhaps fitting to consider some recent research about the health of Irish people, focusing on lifestyle, especially diet. Many Americans envision the Irish diet as unhealthy with an emphasis on fried, fatty snacks (think fish and chips), followed by meat-centric heavy meals, and washed down with a Guinness. The most recent survey of the state of Irish health seems to reflect that (Source: State of Health in the EU-Ireland). Ireland has the highest rate of obesity among European countries, with high rates of alcohol-related deaths, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Let’s be honest, St. Patrick’s Day is not really known as a culinary holiday. Most people prefer Guiness and Jamesons over boiled potatoes. A perfect example of this is Nancy. If there’s Guiness on tap, she’s there in a heartbeat. She actually survived in Ireland on Guiness and flights of Irish whiskey rather than eating such delicacies as Piggy Cheeks and the delicious blend of oatmeal, pork, bread, and suet known as White Pudding. However, we digress. We found an Irish pub in Downers Grove with an interesting menu with lots of creative and authentic Irish dishes. We jumped into the Mini-Mobile, followed the rainbow hoping to find a pot of gold at Ballydoyle Irish Pub.
I’m worried about my mom and could use some guidance. She’s always been fairly active, but after having knee surgery last year, she went through physical therapy, made great progress, and then… just stopped. Now she insists she’s fine and doesn’t “need” to exercise anymore, but I can see how much less she moves. She’s more sedentary and complains about stiffness. Even simple things like getting up from a chair are becoming more difficult for her.
We moved into Neighborhood 3 a little over a year ago. During our orientation we learned about the Del Webb neighborhoods, and we have a question about the neighborhood numbering. Whenever we meet someone at tennis, or in the Prairie Lodge, one of the first questions that comes up is “What neighborhood do you live in?” Once I’m told, I still have no idea where they live; the neighborhood numbers make no sense to me. Am I missing something, is there a secret decoder ring that will clue me in to where a numbered neighborhood is?
Recently, I walked the streets where Che Guevara, Jose Marti, Fidel Castro, and Ernest Hemmingway walked. Havana, Cuba. Here, it is called Habana, Cuba, and it is where I met my six fellow travelers and our wonderful guide, Daryl Hawk. I highly recommend his Cuba tours. I did not mind waiting for everyone at the airport, for it gave me more time to admire the classic cars that drove around the airport picking up arrivals. Or just showing off their luster from the ever-present sun. Well, almost ever-present sun. Flowers do need rain sometimes.
For the first time ever, I decided to put up our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving. Usually, I wait until a few days before Christmas to decorate our home and most importantly the tree. After hauling from the basement box after box of tinsel, ornaments, and lights, I came to a disturbing realization. The decorations weren’t going to do me any good, because we didn’t have a Christmas tree. During our move last summer, we had made the decision to give away our old Christmas tree and planned on purchasing a new one. The problem was, we never purchased a new one. Thankfully a few trips to local big box stores and some shopping online helped us to ensure that we were still able to decorate the tree by Christmas Eve.
Ever since the advent of sound in the 1920s, the very idea that we would go back to silent pictures seems ludicrous. But this style of filmmaking isn’t completely dead. We had a Best Picture back in 2011 called The Artist that was largely a visual film with no dialogue. Many independent directors such as Todd Haynes, Guy Madden, and Pedro Almodóvar have dabbled in the art form; breathing in new life. Some of the best animated features are as such. So, it would stand that there is still gas in the tank for this engine to keep going. And, to be honest; with the chatter online, we could use a little less squawking.
Note: The views expressed in these political submissions do not reflect those of the Sun Day, its staff, or those associated to the Sun Day.
For the last 15 years, Rebecca Tulloch of Bartlett has educated audiences regarding the 11-year history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). As a new Major League Baseball season dawned with Spring Training’s start, an audience of 25 heard about the Rockford Peaches success in the AAGPBL from Tulloch at Huntley Area Public Library Feb. 11.
For the last 15 years, Rebecca Tulloch of Bartlett has educated audiences regarding the 11-year history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).
As a new Major League Baseball season dawned with Spring Training’s start, an audience of 25 heard about the Rockford Peaches success in the AAGPBL from Tulloch at Huntley Area Public Library Feb. 11.
It’s not that I enjoy watching my kids struggle — I really don’t. All the motherly instinct in me wants to run in, sweep them up in my arms, and rescue them from pain, frustration, embarrassment, or fear. But I learned a long time ago that you can’t wrap your children in bubble wrap; the more we hover around them and try to catch them before they fall, the less likely they’ll know how to get up again by themselves.
Rich Ptak, a Sun City resident, begins his story in the city. “I lived in the city of Chicago. I never went camping. I never went hunting. I never went fishing. Then I was sent to Vietnam, where I lived outside for eight months,” he said. Ptak’s best friend got drafted, so he decided to enlist.
Rich Ptak, a Sun City resident, begins his story in the city.
“I lived in the city of Chicago. I never went camping. I never went hunting. I never went fishing. Then I was sent to Vietnam, where I lived outside for eight months,” he said.
Ptak’s best friend got drafted, so he decided to enlist.
Many know Sun City resident Gini Leopold, a fitness instructor who has taught in Sun City for over twenty years. But not everyone knows her story. Leopold has always loved sports. She played field hockey for four years in high school. “It was hard to graduate and leave that behind,” she said. “I enjoyed playing for those four years. I got married soon after high school. Harry got drafted, and we were in Germany for two years.”
Many know Sun City resident Gini Leopold, a fitness instructor who has taught in Sun City for over twenty years. But not everyone knows her story.
Leopold has always loved sports. She played field hockey for four years in high school.
“It was hard to graduate and leave that behind,” she said. “I enjoyed playing for those four years. I got married soon after high school. Harry got drafted, and we were in Germany for two years.”
It’s been a long time since I saw Cory — two or three lifetimes at least — and I wonder what sort of shoes he’s wearing now. It’s not reincarnated lifetimes I’m talking about here, though it might as well be when it comes to Cory. The last time I saw him he had lived three full lives at the least. By now he must be well past five.
It’s been a long time since I saw Cory — two or three lifetimes at least — and I wonder what sort of shoes he’s wearing now.
It’s not reincarnated lifetimes I’m talking about here, though it might as well be when it comes to Cory. The last time I saw him he had lived three full lives at the least. By now he must be well past five.
On January 27, the Grafton Food Pantry received a generous Sun City Concert Band Charter Club donation. The donation was in the spirit of the Pantry’s Website request for “A Brighter New Year Begins With You. Your donation brings food, supplies, and hope to our community. Together, we can make a difference!”
It’s so much fun living in the Midwest. You can experience every type of weather known to man all in one day. It can start off as a bright sunny day followed by fog and finally snow. The same is true with dining out. Almost every cuisine in the world is available only a hop, skip, and jump away. You can enjoy Italian, Asian, Mexican, and just about anything else you can think of. One day I said to myself, “self, let’s get some German food.” After a quick search on the Dining Duo computer, we hopped into our German car and took the autobahn, otherwise known as I-90, to Renate’s German Restaurant in Hanover Park.
