Skip the theater and go straight for the DVD rentals

This week’s column will offer some rental recommendations. These are all excellent films and if you missed any of them the first time around you might consider checking them out. Several of them have appeared on HBO recently, but they are all available through Netflix or any other source you may use.

Click here to read our latest edition online in PDF format.

Ask an Angel: June 29, 2017

I have taken on the role of caregiver for my younger sister. he is only 54 and has been diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s Disease. She needs more care as her disease progresses. What are her options? What are my options?

‘Water’ you doing to keep your plants hydrated?

I think in my version of an ideal world, I would be completely self-sufficient. I was raised by a mom who learned at a very early age that you have to do things for yourself in order to survive.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is pretty neat, these airplane things,’” he said. “I remember the sound of the gears and the flaps coming up.”

Amazon’s sales techniques have no ‘Borders’

In a world with increasing digitization, it’s always noticeable when trends go in the opposite direction.

Recently, Amazon opened its first physical bookstore in Seattle. This March, Amazon opened its first Chicago store, bringing the reality close to home: the internet and the real world continue to merge.

A Duck Tail

As spring begins, mother Mallard ducks lay eggs in parks, planters, and other usual spots.

This year, Sun City resident Gilberto Raffanti and his dog, Basil, discovered a duck nest with six eggs in their own back yard. That discovery was the beginning of an adventure that dominated Raffanti’s life for almost a month.

Have today’s teens found a cure for summertime blues?

When I was a teenager, the radio was filled with songs about working in the summer, like “Get a Job” by the Silhouettes, or “Summertime Blues,” by Eddie Cochran.

But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than a third of American teenagers these days have a summer job, which means (among other things) that none of them will ever be able to write a column like this one 50 years from now.

Sew ‘N Sews irons out equipment questions

Sometimes, good things happen in the most unexpected ways. Just ask Sun City’s Sew ‘n Sews Charter Club.

Slowing down Alzheimer’s

As we age, our brains tend to develop memory loss and daily life cognitive difficulties. Did you know that 5.5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of senior mental decline or dementia? Today Alzheimer’s accounts for 60 to 80 percent of Americans’ progressive loss in thinking, memory, and behavior.

Box Tops effort met with success

The “Box Tops for Bill” fund-raising effort in Sun City this past spring was unique and successful.

All fired up for a wild celebration

From the Sun Day News “Believe It or Not!” category. An old married couple living in Del Webb Sun City, Huntley, Illinois miraculously reviewed 100 different restaurants in the last four years. This can easily be confirmed by their expanding waistlines.

Wonder Woman – we don’t need Superman anymore

A Chicago Tribune editorial writer said it best, “If you’re ever in trouble, forget Superman – get in touch with Wonder Woman.” After seeing the movie, I know I would.

Fix a Leaky Sillcock

You have two or more sillcocks on your house even if you don’t know the name sillcock. They are the outside faucets where you connect garden hoses and they often leak. If a sillcock leaks when the water is on you are in luck as the fix is relatively easy. This leak is caused by a loose packing nut.

Northern Europe, part 2: Driving through Deutschland

Background: Some friends retired and enjoy traveling so they decided to do a train/driving tour in Northern Europe. They had planned on just a trip to Germany and Burgundy, but the airfares were horrible! After desperately searching the internet and all the travel sites, they found a package for a full month of European travel!

June pruning projects

When my kids were young, I would spend a lot of time with them outside. I was quite busy the summer that no one was old enough to push themselves on the swing set. During those summer days my mind would often wander.

Hang Your Hat: June 15, 2017

Letters for the week of June 15.

Waterfall finally restored

After a six-month repair job and the spending of more than $580,000, the rear waterfalls feature behind Prairie Lodge was reopened on June 2.

Ask an Angel: June 15, 2017

My husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. His memory has declined quite a bit and I’m constantly answering the same questions over and over and it doesn’t take much for me to feel frustrated. What can I do to help us both?

Theatre Company donates to Food Pantry

Theatre Company members presented Mary Hardy a $200 check for the Grafton Food Pantry.

Was Kilroy here?

Gather ’round, Sun Citians, and I’ll tell you a tale from World War II.

If you were a GI in the early forties, you no doubt remember one of the war’s most famous phrases – Kilroy Was Here. On this 46th anniversary of Memorial Day, let us reminisce a little.