MY SUN DAY NEWS
It all started with a horse named Sunshine. “Sunshine, my first horse, changed my life,” said Sandy Horn. Horn was a horseman all his life. When he was a young boy, he would meet Dick, a big red draft horse who pulled the milk wagon. Horn said, “I used to meet the wagon about four houses before ours and feed Dick a treat, usually a cookie, apple, or carrot. I’d pet Dick for a moment and then go to my stop and wait for the wagon to arrive.”
It all started with a horse named Sunshine.
“Sunshine, my first horse, changed my life,” said Sandy Horn.
Horn was a horseman all his life. When he was a young boy, he would meet Dick, a big red draft horse who pulled the milk wagon.
Horn said, “I used to meet the wagon about four houses before ours and feed Dick a treat, usually a cookie, apple, or carrot. I’d pet Dick for a moment and then go to my stop and wait for the wagon to arrive.”
Like me, when you think of Easter (putting aside any religious references), you probably think of sunny mornings in springtime, pastel everything, nice clothes, and colorful baskets. It’s a clean feeling. And the other night, I learned why Easter is a morning tradition or daytime tradition and not something celebrated at night…because it’s creepy.
A couple weeks ago, my wife’s cousin (who has a son around the same age as mine) invited us to go on a flashlight Easter egg hunt sponsored by their park district. My first thought was that it sounded pretty neat. Normally Easter egg hunts involve about ten thousand screaming kids making a mad dash across an open field, scooping up hastily hidden eggs like they were harvesting precious commodity. Although slightly odd, a nighttime Easter egg hunt sounded just enough different to be interesting and fun. It also sounded less congested and hectic. We were in.
Tennis players everywhere have felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But according to an annual study commissioned by the Physical Activity Council, tennis has also boomed during the pandemic with an estimated 21.64 million Americans picking up a racquet in 2020, up 22.4 percent after several years of stagnant participation. In a sense, there’s no real surprise that tennis stood to benefit more than other sports from COVID-19 because it’s played outdoors and doesn’t require people to be within six feet of each other.
On Sunday, April 3, if you were taking a walk in Neighborhood 21, you might have run across a lawn heavily-decorated for a birthday celebration. The balloons indicated a milestone that you don’t see very often: 109. Betty “Lulu” Lucille Winkelman celebrated her 109th birthday on April 3, 2022, with friends, family, and neighbors.
On Sunday, April 3, if you were taking a walk in Neighborhood 21, you might have run across a lawn heavily-decorated for a birthday celebration. The balloons indicated a milestone that you don’t see very often: 109.
Betty “Lulu” Lucille Winkelman celebrated her 109th birthday on April 3, 2022, with friends, family, and neighbors.
After having lunch at a restaurant with my son recently, we got into the car and I turned to look over my shoulder as I backed out of the parking space. “Wow,” he said, “you still do that old-school.” I had no idea what he was talking about, which is pretty much par for the course for me when it comes to conversations with members of generations that are less vintage than mine. “What are you talking about?” I said.
After having lunch at a restaurant with my son recently, we got into the car and I turned to look over my shoulder as I backed out of the parking space.
“Wow,” he said, “you still do that old-school.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, which is pretty much par for the course for me when it comes to conversations with members of generations that are less vintage than mine.
“What are you talking about?” I said.
EVERYDAY HEALTH, in its April 2022 newsletter, invites us into the realm of those grieving, especially on the loss of a loved one – such as a parent, spouse, sibling, daughter or son, friend, or pet – even the loss of a job or romantic relationship. Psychologist Sigmund Freud published a 1917 essay on the subject which he called “grief work.” He described it “as a period of time following a loss when a person must process or work through their thoughts, memories, and emotions in order to move on with life.”
More than $106,600 in impact fees were disbursed at the March 24 Huntley Village Board meeting. My Huntley News contacted Cathy Haley, Village Director of Finance, for an explanation of the fees. Haley explained that “Impact fees are added to each new residential and new commercial construction permit and are paid by the developer.” She continued, “The Village is just a pass-through for these fees for the other taxing districts.”
More than $106,600 in impact fees were disbursed at the March 24 Huntley Village Board meeting. My Huntley News contacted Cathy Haley, Village Director of Finance, for an explanation of the fees.
Haley explained that “Impact fees are added to each new residential and new commercial construction permit and are paid by the developer.” She continued, “The Village is just a pass-through for these fees for the other taxing districts.”
Our time is finite. We have absolutely no control over the amount of time in each hour, day, week, month or year. What we can control is how we spend that time. As the author of this column and a landscape professional I can honestly tell you the less time I spend working in my yard the better. I would rather spend time enjoying my yard rather than working in it. Sustainable landscaping is a pathway towards less work and more joy.
Once in a blue moon, Nancy and I get a taste for some good old fashioned tangy, smoky barbeque. Luckily, we did get a recommendation from someone, but because we’re old, we can’t remember who it was from or the name of the restaurant. We knew it was “Moon” something.
Agreed, that title is very weird. You, dear readers, may be scratching your head in confusion and bafflement. Honey, you don’t even know the half of it. Trust me, this was my first feeling when I saw the trailer for Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. The latest from distributor A24 in theaters, we should know a bit of what we are in for if you saw my reviews for The Lighthouse or The Green Knight. Arthouse and avant-garde are the best descriptions for their output. And this release is no exception.
In the summer of 1992, I was packing up for my first semester of college. I was 17, about to move to another state, to live in a dorm where I knew no one. That’s when my Dad gave me a gift, wrapped in the comics from the Sunday paper. The Sunday funnies were always the first choice for wrapping paper in my house, and Dad would take extra care to wrap it so that his favorite comic strip — featuring Charlie Brown and Snoopy — were prominently displayed on top. You would never fold the flap over Snoopy, or place tape over Charlie Brown. No, the Peanuts gang always got top billing as gift wrap.
In the summer of 1992, I was packing up for my first semester of college. I was 17, about to move to another state, to live in a dorm where I knew no one.
That’s when my Dad gave me a gift, wrapped in the comics from the Sunday paper. The Sunday funnies were always the first choice for wrapping paper in my house, and Dad would take extra care to wrap it so that his favorite comic strip — featuring Charlie Brown and Snoopy — were prominently displayed on top. You would never fold the flap over Snoopy, or place tape over Charlie Brown. No, the Peanuts gang always got top billing as gift wrap.
‘m writing about my father who is approaching his 90th birthday. He is my mother’s primary caregiver, who’s in her mid-eighties and has early-stage dementia. They live in a single-family home. I’m fortunate to live nearby and pop in often to visit. They also come to our home for dinner regularly. While he’s in relatively good health, I’m growing concerned about his driving ability. He doesn’t drive too far and seems to have set his own limits (such as not driving at night). However, I’m not sure how long he should continue driving, even locally.
Letters for the week of April 21.
Ever heard the phrase “raised in a barn”? What if the barn is a barndominium, a combination of a traditional barn and a condominium? Duane and Nancy Fontana had their barndominium ground breaking ceremony with a gold shovel, gold balloons and gold champagne on Wednesday, March 16.
Ever heard the phrase “raised in a barn”? What if the barn is a barndominium, a combination of a traditional barn and a condominium?
Duane and Nancy Fontana had their barndominium ground breaking ceremony with a gold shovel, gold balloons and gold champagne on Wednesday, March 16.
Before we had children, my husband and I decided to adopt a cat. We were in our early 20s, starting our jobs that we hoped would turn into careers, living in a sunny one-bedroom apartment. We had to download forms off the internet, fill them out, and take them to an office where a woman looked at us sternly from across her desk. She asked us if we had a vet. A vet? No, we don’t have a vet. We don’t even have a pet. Yet.
Before we had children, my husband and I decided to adopt a cat.
We were in our early 20s, starting our jobs that we hoped would turn into careers, living in a sunny one-bedroom apartment. We had to download forms off the internet, fill them out, and take them to an office where a woman looked at us sternly from across her desk. She asked us if we had a vet.
A vet? No, we don’t have a vet. We don’t even have a pet. Yet.
Marilyn Berendt, President of the Sun City Board, announced Barry Newman’s resignation from the board at the opening of the March 23 Board meeting.
Deanna Loughran, Sun City Executive Director, in an email to all residents, described the Sun City Board’s consideration of a By-Law Amendment that would affect the term limits of Board members.
DORA is coming to Huntley! Not the children’s cartoon character, but the new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) Special Events. Barb Read, Village Special Events Manager, presented a resolution “designating the Village Sponsored Special Events area as a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area.” This allows for the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the town square, but only during village sponsored events.
DORA is coming to Huntley!
Not the children’s cartoon character, but the new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) Special Events.
Barb Read, Village Special Events Manager, presented a resolution “designating the Village Sponsored Special Events area as a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area.” This allows for the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the town square, but only during village sponsored events.
According to Wall Street Journal’s March issue, as people return this Spring to offices and other indoor spaces, infectious-disease experts highlight the vital roles of air quality and inoculation. Since the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of the cause of the pandemic two years ago, opinion on the importance of temperature checks and deep-cleaning desk surfaces has now been dismissed as very little aids in the removal of the virus and its many mutants.
If you’re looking for a chuckle some time, Google “Florida Man.” The laughable parade of ridiculous clowns is endless: The Florida man who told police he couldn’t be arrested for drinking and driving because he only gulped his bourbon at stop signs. The Florida man who stole a Walmart mobility scooter so he could drive his date to a sports bar. The Florida man who fast-tracked an effective vaccine against Covid, but then told America to inject bleach into their veins instead.
If you’re looking for a chuckle some time, Google “Florida Man.” The laughable parade of ridiculous clowns is endless:
The Florida man who told police he couldn’t be arrested for drinking and driving because he only gulped his bourbon at stop signs.
The Florida man who stole a Walmart mobility scooter so he could drive his date to a sports bar.
The Florida man who fast-tracked an effective vaccine against Covid, but then told America to inject bleach into their veins instead.
It all started with a phone call. Pamela Bartholomew received a message from a funeral home. DeFiore Funeral Home said they had bouquets of beautiful flowers that families were hoping could be given to others to enjoy. This began one of the missions of the Red Geraniums (Sun City Garden Club), and their commitment to using the flowers that would be thrown away.
It all started with a phone call.
Pamela Bartholomew received a message from a funeral home. DeFiore Funeral Home said they had bouquets of beautiful flowers that families were hoping could be given to others to enjoy. This began one of the missions of the Red Geraniums (Sun City Garden Club), and their commitment to using the flowers that would be thrown away.
The Theatre Company of Sun City’s will present Sentimental Journey, a musical about an entire lifetime and the milestones along the way in a production that is both humorous and heartwarming, featuring familiar songs and dances of days gone by. The show is created by Rob Kaye, director, and Peter Davis, music producer.
The Theatre Company of Sun City’s will present Sentimental Journey, a musical about an entire lifetime and the milestones along the way in a production that is both humorous and heartwarming, featuring familiar songs and dances of days gone by.
The show is created by Rob Kaye, director, and Peter Davis, music producer.
Joy is found in many places. Making a child smile, cleaning a home, and guessing the Wordle word on the third try all make my day a bit brighter. For many, the sense of satisfaction and joy that follows having a lush green lawn is one of nature’s great pleasures. Achieving a healthy lawn is certainly not easy and can require almost year-round care. Today’s column will address items that can and should be done now to minimize problems in your yard and maximize your chance of success at achieving a picture-perfect lawn this year.
I’m concerned about my mother-in-law. She’s in her mid-seventies, lives alone, and is still independent. However, the past few times I’ve stopped by to visit, she’s seemed more stressed than usual. We usually get together for lunch during the week, but she’s backed out four of the five times we’ve made plans.
Our friends Ken and Karen are Mexican food aficionados. For some time now, they have been telling us about a small unassuming storefront restaurant on Route 47 near Woodstock. Our schedules finally aligned and we made a date for lunch at Mixteca Tequila Bar in Woodstock.
Adrian Lyne has been a strange case in the annals of film history. Two words that best used to describe his work would be sexy and opulent. His characters exist in realms of privilege; shiny exteriors that mask true emotions under cool surfaces.
The Shalom Group of Huntley hosted a presentation by Ron Romero, Chairman of the Board of the Rock & Roll Museum, a new museum in Joliet. Romero said, “I woke up one morning and had a dream of capturing the music influence that came from our state Illinois. I wanted to showcase the creative spirit of Illinois.”
The Shalom Group of Huntley hosted a presentation by Ron Romero, Chairman of the Board of the Rock & Roll Museum, a new museum in Joliet.
Romero said, “I woke up one morning and had a dream of capturing the music influence that came from our state Illinois. I wanted to showcase the creative spirit of Illinois.”
I’m going to keep this one short because I’ve been known to yawn on in my writing, and this message is super simple.
Last week, a group of dear college friends came to my house for fondue. Every few months, for the past 20-some years, we track each other down and have dinner together. Each time we gather, a new chapter is added to our ongoing stories: We’ve shrieked over engagement rings, attended each other’s weddings, compared swollen ankles during pregnancies. We’ve rocked each other’s babies and handed down clothing. We’ve helped each other move out of apartments and into houses. We’ve held each other at funerals and during divorces.
Huntley Police Sergeant Megan Carney issued a press release announcing the availability of Smart911 to Huntley residents. The release said, “We encourage our residents to consider enrollment in Smart911, a free service that allows individuals to provide vital personal and medical information about themselves via a self-registration portal.”
Huntley Police Sergeant Megan Carney issued a press release announcing the availability of Smart911 to Huntley residents.
The release said, “We encourage our residents to consider enrollment in Smart911, a free service that allows individuals to provide vital personal and medical information about themselves via a self-registration portal.”
