The arrow is pointing up, make that way up, when it comes to interest and popularity in women's basketball. Fan following of the WNBA continues to increase, and witnessed the recently completed March Madness basketball tournament where the unthinkable almost happened- women stealing the head…
I love living in Chicago but I get very nostalgic during the holidays for my hometown of Dupo, Illinois. It’s the summer celebrations, like Memorial Day, that really make me wistful for days gone by in this small railroad town of 3,000 people set near the banks of the Mississippi River in S…
Recently, I took a road trip to the great state of Texas with my parents. We traveled to my hometown of Houston, the charming town of Gruene, and one of my favorite places to visit, Austin.
Chicago's 'L' is as quintessential to the city's identity as the skyline that graces our shores. Since 1892, it's been a living chronicle of our city's story, bearing witness to our evolution, our triumphs, and our hardships.
Ramblings, rumblings, and other miscellaneous, unconnected things:
Dear Candid Candace: A sensitive question here. Our son is coming back from spring break, and he is bringing his girlfriend to stay with us. We have met her before and she is a wonderful young lady, and they seem to get along great. BUT, and maybe you saw this coming, we don’t feel comfortab…
The year is 1993. The world teeters on the edge of the unknown, the embryonic stages of a technological revolution that would ultimately define the very fabric of our society. We called it the internet. I remember being a six-year-old in Glenview, Illinois, stepping into my local library's c…
Camp Aramoni opens on April 13, 2023, for its second season. This woman-owned and family-run luxury campground is located near Starved Rock State Park, only two hours from downtown Chicago. The camp sits on a former 19th-century brickyard.
Often when I walk the streets of our fine city, I like to spot, observe and make mental notes when I see someone doing something, shall we say... just something “nice.”Many times it is just a little thing, seemingly insignificant. Insignificant in the big picture, yes, but when you stop to t…
Changes in latitude, changes in attitude. Jimmy Buffet said it best. I know everyone needs a change of scenery during Chicago’s long, cold, dark, winters and I feel their pain. Luckily, we were able to make it back to Palm Beach and in a week, I already felt like I’d been away for a month. I…
If you are looking for a quick weekend getaway and a short road trip from Chicago, then St. Louis may be the perfect travel destination for you. Only four hours from Chicago, St. Louis offers iconic landmarks, fun activities, baseball games, spa accommodations and a guaranteed fun time on th…
It may still be cold and windy, and there are still sightings of a few white little flurries flying around, but believe it or not, it is almost time for the home openers for our beloved Cubs and White Sox baseball teams. That's right; another baseball season is on our doorstep!
Dear Candid Candace: Need some advice from the “skies above.” I have a new job and, for the first time, I am traveling and spending more time in airports- specifically in airplanes. One problem is a medium-level fear of heights and it is starting to get to me. For example, when there is a …
The brackets are out, the much-anticipated field of 68 is set, and the NCAA college basketball tournament is finally ready to begin!
In the colder months, many Chicagoans head south to Florida’s Gulf Coast for blue skies, blue water, warm sand and fabulous weather. But more and more, southwest Florida destinations, like Fort Myers and Sarasota, also offer theater and music experiences that add cultural flavors to the menu.
Cadillac, Michigan, is the perfect Midwest winter getaway with friends! The town is only four hours from Chicago and full of outdoor activities, boutique shopping, wonderful food and amazing people.
The Chicago Bears and Soldier Field. Since 1971, they've gone together like giardiniera and Italian beef. But, after the Bears announced they officially closed on a 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, the team could be leaving their longtime home. While the loss of the Bears might be a b…
Chicago is known for many things, from pizza to our gorgeous lakefront and so much in-between but underrated and certainly near the top of the list, is our vibrant jazz music scene. Lively, ever-present, and quality driven.
Thoughts, observations, and reactions from Super Bowl 57
Dear Candid Candace: This is a “stuck in the winter’s blues” question here. I am not a homebody. I like to get out and I need activity even in the cold Chicago winter weather. My husband, though, especially as he gets older, seems to just basically want to hibernate and stay inside for th…
Is it just me or is Thursday the new Friday? Maybe it is because so many folks work from home now on Fridays, or suddenly the three-day weekend has become a thing, but whatever the case, Thursday nights in our fine neighborhoods of Chicago are rocking big time. Downtown and in the suburbs, e…
Dear Candid Candace: Looking for some help here. I have always had a tremendous fear about buying gifts, especially during Christmas time. This year it’s kicking in big time and started very early. I think it began with a gift-panic stress stomach pain right after Halloween and it wasn’t fro…
I’m thinking of creating a coffee table book called “The Last Word.”
You may have heard that the Chicago Star is making the transition to go primarily digital. Initially when I was informed of this decision, my thoughts could best be described as the sound a completely deflated basketball makes when hitting the ground (think thud).
We’ve all experienced that sinking feeling when the thought hits: one more gift to buy—and no time to buy it.
Topping the holiday list for many parents of school-aged children is finding the perfect gift for their child’s teacher. The idea behind this generous gesture is to express appreciation for a job well done. A carefully selected gift that is meaningful, practical and heartfelt will send the m…
Thanksgiving isn’t like it used to be. When we were younger, the table with filled with family, friends, kids, barking dogs and lots of frenetic activity. It actually used to grate on my nerves but, now that it’s gone, I miss it.
If you think the post-pandemic staffing battle will be over once you get a fair number of your younger employees back in the office, you’ve got a very rude awakening heading your way. Getting bodies back is a good start but only if hearts and minds follow. There’s a great deal of work still …
Dear Candid Candace: I knew it was coming sooner or later, but apparently “sooner” won out. My 12-year-old daughter is now starting to wear makeup, wear shorter dresses, and is getting texts from names not normally in her previous friend group (translation: boys). My wife and I discussed it …
Children can be taught to appreciate life’s little things
Why do we cheer for raffle prize winners? They didn’t do anything to win - it’s luck.
When I was 17, my best friend’s family invited me on their vacation to Italy.
I just finished reading the latest in a series of posts by older folks who—much to their surprise—were abruptly laid off after decades of often exemplary employment. I’m not sure these events were really as surprising to the authors as described.
Dear Candid Candace: I'm a pretty normal, functioning person apart from one major, admittedly somewhat insignificant, flaw. Whenever I'm at the dentist office, sitting in the chair, and the drill sound comes on I go into full-fledged body debilitating panic mode. Really quite embarrassing, …
A week before September’s Riot Fest, I stopped into The Vic Theatre to see live music because that’s what aging Gen Xers do. The featured band was Echo & the Bunnymen, a late-1980s act whose songs you know, even if the name doesn’t ring a bell. Anyhow, I’d forgotten how friendly and fami…
I think we’ve turned a corner and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a long time coming, but the days of walking on eggshells to appease snowflakes, Millies, and other entitled employees could soon be ending. The timing couldn’t be better because, if we’re planning to compete for the future on…
If you are a baseball fan, September is the month you have been waiting for. It is when nearly five months of play all comes down to the final moments. October may be the home of the “World Series Classic,” but it is September when teams can truly earn their playoff stripes.
Dear Candid Candace: Looking for some "Candid " advice here. My significant other and I (18 years together and still not married, but that is a whole other story) seem to be in a rut in our things-to-do category. We go to the same couple restaurants, walk the same park every day and usuall…
Last week the Chicago Tribune’s blog platform, Chicago Now, surreptitiously shut down. Whether it was a business decision or the Trib simply forgot to pay the GoDaddy bill (believe me, I’ve done this), it was disappointing to see the web community go. Chicago Now was the first place, being d…
The past few years, I have been spending more and more time away from our beloved city and “wintering” down in Southwest Florida.
Two-year-old Shenzi is the cutest little hyena (Catahoula Leopard Dog mix, 33 lbs.) that you’ll ever meet! She has such a unique look that people constantly stop to meet her on walks. She’s a fun, playful girl with a great energy level. She loves to play fetch, go for walks, and zoom around …
As social media climbs in popularity, its role in its users’ lives has grown tremendously as well. From 2017-2022, social media platforms and apps have evolved drastically, creating new ways for people to communicate, advertise and influence online.
I’ve always believed that good music has a magic all its own. It can inspire and excite. It can bridge gaps and unite. And it can comfort and console. In a matter of minutes, music quickly takes us somewhere else for a moment in time and it can stay with us for a lifetime. Magical music neve…
To some, New Buffalo, Mich., a quiet escape an hour east of Chicago, could be labeled as quaint. But quaint doesn’t quite do the town justice. Not when you factor all the wonderful lodging and dining experiences that await you in this peaceful lakeshore town.
Waiting for the corn stands to open, anticipating friend-filled picnics in the American Legion Park and visiting with former classmates at my No-Class Reunion are just a few of the many activities I look forward to every summer in my little hometown of Dupo, Illinois, nestled near the banks …
Eleven is a tricky age.
I am going to make a quantum leap here, so brace yourself.
It was sometime back in the 1990s when I first met someone with the name Payton. Payton, from what I remember, was about my age, mid-twenties at the time. She was
Boy, were we ever wrong. We’ve been misleading our young adults about certain life skills which we’ve assumed were gospel. But it turns out that the self-congratulatory conferences, the unending TED lectures, the entrepreneurial liturgy and business press, and, of course, celebratory media o…
I’ll meet you at the AMC 21 this Friday or maybe over at Webster theater, Archlight or the Icon theater—whichever is more convenient. Wait a minute, I think the Archlight Theaters went under and the AMCs are nearly bankrupt. Actually I can’t go this Friday after all ‘cause I’m still binge wa…
I worried a lot as a kid. Although outgoing, I quit after school activities for fear my mom would forget to pick me up. I ended every conversation with my dad by saying, “Wear your seatbelt.”
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