MY SUN DAY NEWS
This year, summer seemed to hang on well into September, and I let my healthy habits slide. Between the heat, cookouts, and slower pace, I got out of my routine. I found myself skipping walks, spending more time indoors, and saying yes to comfort food more than I should have.
Sun City resident Esther Bell had words of admiration for one of her neighbors, Sandy Magana.
“She has been a dedicated member of the Elgin Symphony League (ESL) for over 25 years and manages the Boutique at the Hemmens Cultural Center, during performances. Before that, she served as an usherer at ESO concerts for six years, including during Bob Hansen’s 25th anniversary season. It is an experience she fondly remembers.”
Recently, after an early round of golf, I stopped in at my favorite watering hole, Clasen’s Tavern in Union. It was a bit before their 11 a.m. opening time, but the doors are usually open by then.
The only person in the place was my favorite bartender Tammy, so we quickly caught up on the “what have you been up to” news you share you see somebody only once every couple of weeks or so.
My 24-year-old son lives in Chicago, working as a musician. One night after a gig, a woman drove up to him on the street, got out of the car and tearfully handed him a small bundle. “I can’t take care of him,” said the woman, trembling. “Can you take him?” My son looked at the bundle in his hands and saw two twitching ears, whiskers, and a pink nose. They belonged to a tiny kitten, mostly white with some orange striping on his tail and back.
My 24-year-old son lives in Chicago, working as a musician. One night after a gig, a woman drove up to him on the street, got out of the car and tearfully handed him a small bundle.
“I can’t take care of him,” said the woman, trembling. “Can you take him?”
My son looked at the bundle in his hands and saw two twitching ears, whiskers, and a pink nose. They belonged to a tiny kitten, mostly white with some orange striping on his tail and back.
Darkness was coming fast when the Lumbarjacks took their 11th inning swings against the Monarchs in the Sun City Softball Club’s 16-inch championship series. The season concluded with 90 minutes of intense softball and a 6-3 Lumbarjacks’ comeback triumph for the title over the Monarchs at Veterans Memorial Field Sept. 3.
Darkness was coming fast when the Lumbarjacks took their 11th inning swings against the Monarchs in the Sun City Softball Club’s 16-inch championship series.
The season concluded with 90 minutes of intense softball and a 6-3 Lumbarjacks’ comeback triumph for the title over the Monarchs at Veterans Memorial Field Sept. 3.
With Halloween candy already on the shelves, it’s also time for the highly anticipated Halloween Bash in Sun City. The Grandma, Grandpa, and Me (GG&Me) Charter Club, Model Train Club, and the RV Club are preparing for a unique and thrilling event on Sunday, October 26. This event is for everyone, regardless of age. There will be games, crafts, and entertainment. Everyone can come in costume. Pam Mosier, president of GG&Me, said, “The party starts in Drendel Hall at 1 p.m. This event is also a fundraiser for the GG&Me club, raising money for the other events held throughout the year, which are offered at no cost or at a low price to the club’s membership.”
With Halloween candy already on the shelves, it’s also time for the highly anticipated Halloween Bash in Sun City. The Grandma, Grandpa, and Me (GG&Me) Charter Club, Model Train Club, and the RV Club are preparing for a unique and thrilling event on Sunday, October 26. This event is for everyone, regardless of age. There will be games, crafts, and entertainment. Everyone can come in costume.
Pam Mosier, president of GG&Me, said, “The party starts in Drendel Hall at 1 p.m. This event is also a fundraiser for the GG&Me club, raising money for the other events held throughout the year, which are offered at no cost or at a low price to the club’s membership.”
Tax season might reach a fervor in April, but it’s a year-round topic. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides tax assistance free of charge, with a special focus on taxpayers over 50 and with low-to-moderate incomes. The program is free and does not require membership in AARP.
Tax season might reach a fervor in April, but it’s a year-round topic.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides tax assistance free of charge, with a special focus on taxpayers over 50 and with low-to-moderate incomes. The program is free and does not require membership in AARP.
Life is full of many mysteries. What is jumbo shrimp? What are chicken fingers? Why does Octoberfest fall in September? I guess we’ll never know. Even though Nancy makes excellent German food, such as rouladens, spaetzle, and has a dynamite recipe for red cabbage, we still wanted to go to a German restaurant and celebrate Octoberfest in September. We donned our lederhosen, jumped into our German car, and headed off to Schnitzel Platz in Glendale Heights.
As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, I’ve been feeling more anxious about my dad. He’s 81 and lives alone. He’s pretty independent and still sharp, but he’s had a couple of near-falls in the past year. I work full-time, have two kids, and I just can’t be there as often as I’d like.
Celebrations take on all forms. It may be in the form of a birthday party for 90-year-old, a card lovingly given for Valentine’s Day, or a family picnic to celebrate Labor Day. Although traditionally not celebrated, the first day of fall occurred on September 22. In recognition of fall and all of the joy that it brings, I thought it might be fun to, as a community, celebrate the first day of fall through some gardening projects. I hope that these ideas promote some thought and perhaps lead to a few joy-filled memories.
There are many things I miss about the Nineties. First and foremost to the discussion, there was a large number of films just shy of two hours that were entertaining throughout their length. In this context I am speaking about The Game, Panic Room, Fargo, and Out of Sight (the latter I just watched the other night). With the ballooning cost of making movies however, studios are starting to bring back the mid-budget feature again. Two have been tearing up multiplex screens for a few weeks.
On July 17, the Huntley School Board awarded the Sun City community the Positive Outlier Award. A Positive Outlier is someone who goes above and beyond to spread positivity and lifts the community around them. Bill Niemasz, Sun City Board President, Brian Gregory, Executive Director, Dolores Fischer, a resident and a critical component of the partnership with the school district, and Ben Manibog received the recognition on the behalf of all of Sun City residents who have given their time, shared their skills and experience, and helped with many needs of the School District.
On July 17, the Huntley School Board awarded the Sun City community the Positive Outlier Award. A Positive Outlier is someone who goes above and beyond to spread positivity and lifts the community around them.
Bill Niemasz, Sun City Board President, Brian Gregory, Executive Director, Dolores Fischer, a resident and a critical component of the partnership with the school district, and Ben Manibog received the recognition on the behalf of all of Sun City residents who have given their time, shared their skills and experience, and helped with many needs of the School District.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve written a Happy Trails. Managing a business and keeping after a very energized 8yo, whose circle of friends and social environment is ever growing, leaves me little time to write a grocery list let alone a column…a regular one at that. However, I’m inspired to write a brief one in this edition because I wanted to tell you about a longstanding project of mine that’s finally (and a little thankfully, if I’m being honest) coming to a close. It’s called, My Brother’s Treehouse.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve written a Happy Trails. Managing a business and keeping after a very energized 8yo, whose circle of friends and social environment is ever growing, leaves me little time to write a grocery list let alone a column…a regular one at that. However, I’m inspired to write a brief one in this edition because I wanted to tell you about a longstanding project of mine that’s finally (and a little thankfully, if I’m being honest) coming to a close.
It’s called, My Brother’s Treehouse.
More than a dozen years ago, an idea for a new ladies golf league became reality at Pinecrest Golf Club. “The name Diva’s was chosen by the ladies by a show of hands and the league has evolved over fourteen years,” Diva’s Ladies Golf League president Joyce Marnell said.
More than a dozen years ago, an idea for a new ladies golf league became reality at Pinecrest Golf Club.
“The name Diva’s was chosen by the ladies by a show of hands and the league has evolved over fourteen years,” Diva’s Ladies Golf League president Joyce Marnell said.
The Huntley Village Board of Trustees and the Huntley Park District Board have both approved an Intergovernmental Agreement which would add 153 acres to the park district.
“Is that all the corn you have left?” I asked the man at the Woodstock Farmer’s Market, with maybe just a hint of panic in my voice. Because, after all, here it was full summer in northern Illinois where corn on the cob is pure gold, but all he had was just one small bin, maybe fifteen or twenty ears of corn. “That’s not corn anymore,” he said.
“Is that all the corn you have left?” I asked the man at the Woodstock Farmer’s Market, with maybe just a hint of panic in my voice. Because, after all, here it was full summer in northern Illinois where corn on the cob is pure gold, but all he had was just one small bin, maybe fifteen or twenty ears of corn.
“That’s not corn anymore,” he said.
This morning my husband calculated how many days we’ve spent as active parents, ever since our first child was born in 1996. The number is astounding: 10,531 days. For each of these days, my primary identity was “Mom.” Every waking moment was spent thinking about momming, or executing the tasks of momhood. It swept me up in a funnel cloud of carpools and parent-teacher conferences, youth group and birthday parties, moderating arguments and doling out band-aids for scraped knees. There were many unglamorous moments, but of course memory doesn’t work like that. I can already feel my memory distilling those 10,531 days down to reels of first giggles and piano recitals and the many Hallmark moments when my children were happy, hilarious, and oh-so adorable.
Many gardeners seek out sources of inspiration when considering improvements in their own landscaping. Lurie Garden located in Millennium Park in Chicago has provided inspiration for many gardeners since its opening just over 20 years ago. With over 330 plant types, there is much for gardeners to appreciate while wondering the two-and-a-half acre site. For this column, Kathryn Deery, the Director of Horticulture for Lurie Garden, has agreed to answer a few questions for us about the garden, its features, the designers, visiting and the spring bulb display.
Many gardeners seek out sources of inspiration when considering improvements in their own landscaping. Lurie Garden located in Millennium Park in Chicago has provided inspiration for many gardeners since its opening just over 20 years ago. With over 330 plant types, there is much for gardeners to appreciate while wondering the two-and-a-half acre site.
For this column, Kathryn Deery, the Director of Horticulture for Lurie Garden, has agreed to answer a few questions for us about the garden, its features, the designers, visiting and the spring bulb display.
Last month’s health new report focused on the recently published Consumer Report (CR) article “10 Really Risky Foods Right Now,” focusing on the top five foods that can cause food poisoning. This month the remaining five offenders will be reviewed with tips on how you can protect yourself and what to expect should you eat one of these ten risky foods and become sick.
The Pencil and Palette Charter Club is hosting the Colors of Sun City second annual gallery exhibition on Saturday, September 20, from 1–5 p.m. and Sunday, September 21, from 1–4 p.m. The exhibition will take place in the Birch and Cedar rooms at Fountain View, Prairie Lodge. The gallery will be a vibrant showcase of Sun City’s artistic diversity, featuring over 140 original artworks from more than 40 talented artists of the club. The exhibition will be a rich tapestry of artistic expression, with works in acrylics, oils, pastels, colored pencil & graphite drawings, watercolor, and collage.
The Pencil and Palette Charter Club is hosting the Colors of Sun City second annual gallery exhibition on Saturday, September 20, from 1–5 p.m. and Sunday, September 21, from 1–4 p.m. The exhibition will take place in the Birch and Cedar rooms at Fountain View, Prairie Lodge.
The gallery will be a vibrant showcase of Sun City’s artistic diversity, featuring over 140 original artworks from more than 40 talented artists of the club. The exhibition will be a rich tapestry of artistic expression, with works in acrylics, oils, pastels, colored pencil & graphite drawings, watercolor, and collage.
Sun City residents Michael Hollis and his wife, Norita Degallado, share a deep passion for music that brought them together. Hollis fondly recalls, “A friend of ours introduced us in 2007. We went out together once.” Degallado adds, “We talked about music, but we made no plans to get together.”
Sun City residents Michael Hollis and his wife, Norita Degallado, share a deep passion for music that brought them together.
Hollis fondly recalls, “A friend of ours introduced us in 2007. We went out together once.”
Degallado adds, “We talked about music, but we made no plans to get together.”
Well, last month was a scorcher huh? I don’t know if I have lived through a heatwave like that since thirty years ago. I remember back in high school just getting in my room, laying on the floor from exhaustion. Either that or my time was spent in the basement during the day. That would be the case, unless I was at swimming. This August wasn’t as bad as I remembered the nineties to be. However, it was still enough to drive one crazy, not unlike a certain summer on the Eastern seaboard.
We all have to agree this has been a very hot and humid summer. Now that the temperatures are starting to cool, we jumped right past Halloween and started to think about repairing our Christmas decorations. This entails days and days of removing strands of old lights on our wire frame decorations and adding new ones with the help of zip ties and a hot glue gun. Rosie is still spitting out chewed up zip ties. We were tired and hangry and decided to go to an old restaurant that has been around for over 100 years. This is Art and Alma’s Century Inn in Burlington.
I’m a 72-year-old woman who has always tried to take decent care of myself. I watch what I eat, walk when the weather is nice, and keep up with the grandkids when I can. But for the past couple of years, my cholesterol levels have kept creeping up. My doctor mentioned medications, but I’d like to try making some real lifestyle changes first.
The Barrett family, Evers, Mike, Susan, Jack, and Bonnie gathered for a photo along the third-base line at Sun City’s Veterans Memorial Field. They were celebrating the Monarchs’ 8-7 comeback win over the Adjusters in the first round of the Sun City Softball Club’s post-season tournament. Evers, age 5, shouted “go grandpa, go” during the exciting night of softball Aug. 13. Grandad, age 85 years young, came through with a single and three key putouts at home as catcher.
The Barrett family, Evers, Mike, Susan, Jack, and Bonnie gathered for a photo along the third-base line at Sun City’s Veterans Memorial Field.
They were celebrating the Monarchs’ 8-7 comeback win over the Adjusters in the first round of the Sun City Softball Club’s post-season tournament.
Evers, age 5, shouted “go grandpa, go” during the exciting night of softball Aug. 13. Grandad, age 85 years young, came through with a single and three key putouts at home as catcher.
“That was a good meal,” he says, leaning back in the creaky wooden chair. He inhales carefully, as if his belly is so full that even breathing in could cause him to burst. This is a hazy memory I have, from a scene in my childhood. I can’t remember if it was a church potluck or around the family Thanksgiving table, but for some reason, that sigh of contentment, that feeling of attempting to straighten the abdomen by stretching like a wooden board, completing the isosceles triangle with the dining chair, sticks in my mind. I still hear the unbuckling of the belt, only loosening it a bit to allow the food to digest and settle. The way, after a good meal, the conversation slows until a comfortable silence takes over. This is especially true at a meal that offers an embarrassment of riches, so much food that you can’t bear to say no to any of it and now you’ve stuffed yourself so full you can hardly speak.
“That was a good meal,” he says, leaning back in the creaky wooden chair. He inhales carefully, as if his belly is so full that even breathing in could cause him to burst.
This is a hazy memory I have, from a scene in my childhood. I can’t remember if it was a church potluck or around the family Thanksgiving table, but for some reason, that sigh of contentment, that feeling of attempting to straighten the abdomen by stretching like a wooden board, completing the isosceles triangle with the dining chair, sticks in my mind. I still hear the unbuckling of the belt, only loosening it a bit to allow the food to digest and settle. The way, after a good meal, the conversation slows until a comfortable silence takes over. This is especially true at a meal that offers an embarrassment of riches, so much food that you can’t bear to say no to any of it and now you’ve stuffed yourself so full you can hardly speak.
Since 2007, the Lions of Illinois Foundation Mobile Screening Unit Program has been traveling throughout Illinois and conducting screening for hearing loss and retinal eye diseases. Each year, local Lions Clubs host the Mobile Screening Unit within their communities. The Huntley area Lions Club is hosting this mobile unit on September 30, allowing Sun City residents to have their hearing and eyes checked conveniently. A Sun City resident generously donated $500 to cover the expenses. The van is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and staffed by trained professionals to screen for retinopathy (diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness) and hearing loss.
Since 2007, the Lions of Illinois Foundation Mobile Screening Unit Program has been traveling throughout Illinois and conducting screening for hearing loss and retinal eye diseases. Each year, local Lions Clubs host the Mobile Screening Unit within their communities.
The Huntley area Lions Club is hosting this mobile unit on September 30, allowing Sun City residents to have their hearing and eyes checked conveniently. A Sun City resident generously donated $500 to cover the expenses. The van is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and staffed by trained professionals to screen for retinopathy (diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness) and hearing loss.
John and Mary Paule Bierlein never even heard of Huntley, Illinois until they decided to move there in 2008 to be closer to their grown children. Their roots were in Michigan, where they fell in love at Michigan State University, married in 1960, and spent most of their married life and child-rearing years settled north of Detroit. But when their two children, Paul and Lori, wound up relocating and settling in Illinois and southern Wisconsin to start their careers, John and Mary Paule eventually followed. Because they were at retirement age, someone suggested the Bierleins check out Del Webb retirement community in Huntley.
John and Mary Paule Bierlein never even heard of Huntley, Illinois until they decided to move there in 2008 to be closer to their grown children. Their roots were in Michigan, where they fell in love at Michigan State University, married in 1960, and spent most of their married life and child-rearing years settled north of Detroit. But when their two children, Paul and Lori, wound up relocating and settling in Illinois and southern Wisconsin to start their careers, John and Mary Paule eventually followed.
Because they were at retirement age, someone suggested the Bierleins check out Del Webb retirement community in Huntley.
Jennifer Davis of Huntley rode her bicycle across northern Iowa as part of the 52nd Annual RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), with a two-fold purpose. Davis’ ride of 400 miles raised funds for the Msrklund Home. Marklund Home’s mission, as described on its web site, “is to make everyday life possible for individuals with profound disabilities.” Davis said her late mother-in-law, Anne Davis, started the family’s support5 of Marklund Home, which has Geneva and Elgin locations. Davis donated $500 to Marklund.
Jennifer Davis of Huntley rode her bicycle across northern Iowa as part of the 52nd Annual RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), with a two-fold purpose.
Davis’ ride of 400 miles raised funds for the Msrklund Home. Marklund Home’s mission, as described on its web site, “is to make everyday life possible for individuals with profound disabilities.” Davis said her late mother-in-law, Anne Davis, started the family’s support5 of Marklund Home, which has Geneva and Elgin locations. Davis donated $500 to Marklund.
With everything going on in the world today, we can all use a good laugh. And not some piece of political satire, such as the likes that South Park have been cooking up. Although boys, keep it coming. The news of Stephen Colbert ending his run on the Late Show hit pretty hard. Gen Z, unfortunately, is where humor goes to die (whatever you do, don’t watch FX’s Adults). No, we need something goofy and a bit irreverent the likes of some ‘90s comedies. I know just the series that comes to mind.
