MY SUN DAY NEWS
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.”
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.
Our Huntley Walmart store brand prices and Thornton gas prices remained largely unchanged from January 15 to February 15.
After the last Valentine’s chocolate has been eaten, it will be time to find some new joys to get us through. With the last gasps of winter claiming these weeks, there won’t be much frolicking outdoors for a while. So get cozy with some friends or a loved one with something to laugh at or listen to for a bit.
I’m struggling to help my wife, who has dementia, get the nutrition she needs. She has little to no appetite most days, and I suspect her medications may be playing a role. Unfortunately, she needs them, so stopping or adjusting them isn’t really an option.
Pam Pettrone, a Sun City resident, invites residents with Parkinson’s, and caretakers of those with the disease, to join a group called the Martini Shakers. Pettrone said, “I find there is a need for people with Parkinson’s and their caretakers to get support. Joining our group can provide you with a sense of community, emotional support, and practical help, which can significantly improve your quality of life.”
Pam Pettrone, a Sun City resident, invites residents with Parkinson’s, and caretakers of those with the disease, to join a group called the Martini Shakers.
Pettrone said, “I find there is a need for people with Parkinson’s and their caretakers to get support. Joining our group can provide you with a sense of community, emotional support, and practical help, which can significantly improve your quality of life.”
Exactly how long does one have to be doing something to start feeling confident and competent at it? Forgive me if I’m getting all “what is life” on y’all, but I recently had a big milestone birthday, and as the old Steve Miller Band lyrics say, “Time keeps on slipping … into the future.” The past few months have me taking inventory. What are the things I’ve accomplished? Which life goals need to be pushed to the front of the line? Which goals are probably going to fall by the wayside? Who am I, besides a daughter, wife, and mother?
Exactly how long does one have to be doing something to start feeling confident and competent at it?
Forgive me if I’m getting all “what is life” on y’all, but I recently had a big milestone birthday, and as the old Steve Miller Band lyrics say, “Time keeps on slipping … into the future.” The past few months have me taking inventory. What are the things I’ve accomplished? Which life goals need to be pushed to the front of the line? Which goals are probably going to fall by the wayside? Who am I, besides a daughter, wife, and mother?
Family relationships can be complicated, can’t they? In big families, it can be hard to forge your own identity, or come to grips with the quirky identities of some of your brothers or sisters. And holiday get-togethers, or election years? Forget about it.
Family relationships can be complicated, can’t they? In big families, it can be hard to forge your own identity, or come to grips with the quirky identities of some of your brothers or sisters.
And holiday get-togethers, or election years? Forget about it.
Steen Metz remembers the day exactly when, as an 8-year-old only child, his life changed drastically in his hometown of Odense, Denmark. The day was Oct. 2, 1943. “Two or three German officers came to the door,” Metz said. “They allowed my mother to go to the bakery downstairs to get some food, but they held my father.”
Steen Metz remembers the day exactly when, as an 8-year-old only child, his life changed drastically in his hometown of Odense, Denmark. The day was Oct. 2, 1943.
“Two or three German officers came to the door,” Metz said. “They allowed my mother to go to the bakery downstairs to get some food, but they held my father.”
The Sun City Civics Committee is hosting a “Meet the D158 School Board Candidates” event on Monday, February 24, at the Prairie Lodge Birch Room from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Bunco is back (or perhaps it always has been.) Here in Sun City, many neighborhoods have a weekly game of Bunco. Jan and Steve Burnett play a lot of Bunco. Jan said, “Because of the game’s popularity in the neighborhoods, not everyone could participate in the weekly game.”
Bunco is back (or perhaps it always has been.)
Here in Sun City, many neighborhoods have a weekly game of Bunco.
Jan and Steve Burnett play a lot of Bunco. Jan said, “Because of the game’s popularity in the neighborhoods, not everyone could participate in the weekly game.”
This month’s health report continues with the remaining seven Public Health Headlines of 2024 and concludes with some questions about future public health events in this country. New awareness of deteriorating public health associated with public health policy; Gun Violence, Abortion Ban Consequences, and Lower U.S. Life Expectancy.
This month’s health report continues with the remaining seven Public Health Headlines of 2024 and concludes with some questions about future public health events in this country.
New awareness of deteriorating public health associated with public health policy; Gun Violence, Abortion Ban Consequences, and Lower U.S. Life Expectancy.
Jim is rapidly becoming the Six Million Dollar Bionic Man. Actually, that price is not too far off after looking at our Medicare bills. He’s had a knee and hip replaced and is now having the other hip replaced. The good news is, this is now considered outpatient surgery and you are in and out in three hours. What can possibly go wrong?
With Punxsutawney Phil claiming to see his shadow, he’s condemning us to six more weeks of winter. Whether you believe in that feat of prognostication or not, the bitter wind and dampness is here to stay for a while. We might as well settle down for some equally spine-tingling entertainment. For those seek this out, you’re in luck. Two films are now in theaters which I highly recommend, regardless of your horrific content.
