I have a pass to swim laps at the Chicago Hilton pool on Michigan Avenue, and I wanted to swim Sunday morning. The lobby would be packed with fans partying before the afternoon game at Soldier Field, so Mike agreed to work out, too. That way he could walk Harper and me there. Along the […]

the hat you made me, Aunt Betha,” Lydia’s feathery voice came drifting out of my answering machine from her Little House in Minnesota. I’m wearing it all day today. I really love it. Thank you, Aunt Betha.” Sounds corny, I know, but I really did think of Lydia with every stitch. Her sweet message confirmed […]

I am the youngest of seven, and I have 16 nieces and nephews. Eleven of those nieces and nephews have children of their own. One of my nieces has two grandchildren already! As Mike likes to say, “It’s not a family. It’s a nation!” Buying Christmas gifts for this brood is out of the question. […]

My dad came home sick from work on my third birthday. Two weeks later, he died at home. Heart attack. He was 47 years old. I am the youngest of seven, and at age 45, Flo (my mom), was left to support us. She found a job at a local bakery, got to work on […]

Here’s an update on some of the women I’ve mentioned in recent blog posts. Flo saw a nurse at her post-operative visit Thursday (the wonderful Janet drove her, of course!) and everything looks good. Her wounds are healing well, and (most important to Flo) some of the hair on her head is already starting to […]