The Northeast has been brutalized by snow since the start of winter. Last weekend, it was our turn in the Midwest. It snowed here in Chicago, leaving us with an average of about 20 inches of wet, drifting snow. To be honest, I was kind of looking forward to it…since it was really our first of the season. And because my Chow Kallie loves to play in the snow. As we walked Sunday night, surrounded in all directions by white, I got lost…in another blizzard ; one I wrote about fo

Change can be difficult for most everyone. I don't love it. Ken was adept at handling change, and instrumental in my process of dealing with it. I've learned to manage it on my own--out of necessity--though old habits of inflexibility appear from time to time. Thinking of how he would handle any given situation is equal parts helpful and frustrating--because I have never possessed the kind of patience he had, and I so miss his myriad talents for caressing my soul. The annual

Since getting Kallie in a new day care situation closer to home I've been able to return to my normal route of taking Lake Shore Drive to get to work. (It's fun to say "I took LSD this morning.") As I was driving toward the lake the other morning I took Wilson Ave. When I passed Malden Street I smiled, adjusting the visor against the rising sun, and thought about the long, miserable year I spent in a studio apartment there back in the 90s. It was my fifth year living in Chic

I took over cooking full time after Ken's surgery in early 2010. It was quite a shift for us because this role had primarily been Ken's. He was a supremely creative man and his cooking was no exception. His improv skills played a role in everything he did--particularly cooking. He often commented that he loved when we cooked together--which ultimately served as great training for me. I learned to get comfortable experimenting--no matter what the result. It was about the journ

I can't believe the mild winter and seemingly early spring we've experienced in Chicago this year. Up until this winter, we've had increasing amounts of snow, culminating in last winter's February 1 blizzard. I was talking to a friend at work recently about this amazing weather. I brought up the power of "the promise of spring." The anticipation and excitement of warmth and sun. Rebirth, really. There's a walk I like to take when the weather is decent. It's not even mid-Marc

What is it about a day off work that can make you feel like the possibilities of the day or innumerable and exciting? Also, this streak of spring-like weather doesn't hurt either. (I wasn't aware today was President's Day when I scheduled this day off a couple of weeks ago.) Since I was foiled in my attempt to get some coffee shop writing time yesterday, I re-upped the effort this morning. I had great success today at The Perfect Cup . It instantly became a new favorite. I h