One thing I never, ever, ever take for granted is how much each of Beth’s Seeing Eye dogs has meant to Beth and to us. I still remember the days when Beth struggled to hone her cane skills—it was a real struggle for both of us. I constantly worried, she didn’t get around as independently […]

Whitney and I took a commuter train to Deerfield, Illinois Thursday to talk with third graders at Wilmot Elementary about what it’s like to be blind and get around with a Seeing Eye dog. I started by explaining the three rules Wilmot students should keep in mind if they happen to see a guide dog […]

This morning my Seeing Eye dog Whitney and I take off for Union Station to head to the Chicago suburbs. It’s Disability Awareness Week at Wilmot Elementary School in Deerfield, and we’re slated to give a presentation to eight- and nine-year-olds. The third graders are studying Helen Keller, and you can bet I’ll be publishing […]

Four weeks ago today I was eating cheese and petting goats on a beautiful, warm, sunny afternoon in central Illinois. I’ve written here before about Marcel’s Culinary Experience, the culinary retail store and cooking school my childhood friend Jill Foucré opened in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The success of Marcel’s inspired her to open Marché, an […]

Looking for something to do this Thursday night, October 11? Here’s a great idea from the Facebook page of Women And Children First Bookstore in Chicago: Jean Thompson in conversation with Beth Finke Join us as we welcome Jean Thompson for a conversation with Beth Finke about Thompson’s new novel, A Cloud in the Shape […]