This coming Wednesday, I will be attending my first ever botany class, the first of ten classes that form the Master Gardener program at Chicago Botanic Garden. Assuming I pass the exams and don’t miss classes because I got snowed … Continue reading
Kristine Smith
It’s the time of the year when my thoughts turn to cooking and baking, stocking the freezer, and trying new recipes. For the last couple of years, I’ve made a new-to-me dessert for a friend’s Thanksgiving gathering. Last year, I … Continue reading
Seems like only a few days ago that the hibiscus still bloomed and mums resembled gold and burgundy bloom-dotted upside-down bushel baskets. Now we’re in the grip of unseasonable cold here in northeast Illinois. Most of the leaves have fallen–when … Continue reading
(Warning—post contains mention of sexual assault) Last Monday, I attended a viewing of the filmed recording of the UK National Theatre’s 2011 production of Frankenstein. One reason this staging of the play is so well known is because the two … Continue reading
A week and a half ago, I joined some friends on a trip to Door County, Wisconsin. It was my first visit. Fall colors were still a couple of weeks away, but we enjoyed hikes through Hotz Memorial Park and … Continue reading
The Art Institute of Chicago is featuring a John Singer Sargent exhibit through the end of September. I hadn’t visited the museum in years, but a friend is a member and she and I both love Sargent’s work, so off … Continue reading
My friends and I take walks through Illinois Beach State Park several times a week, weather and Life permitting. The park is located in far NE Illinois along the shores of Lake Michigan, and consists of a narrow strip of … Continue reading
I like trying unusual ingredients, so when I found online recipes utilizing tea, I knew I would have to try some eventually. A local spice shop makes a chai spice blend that contains sugar and vanilla, and I’ve used that … Continue reading
So tomorrow, August 7th, is a writing anniversary of sorts. Twenty years ago on that date, I signed my first professional contract. It was a three-book deal, for Code of Conduct—written but not yet edited—and the books that became Rules … Continue reading
Last year, I took several classes on the care and feeding of bonsai in order to better care for a ficus that I had mishandled. When last we saw my little tree, it had been trimmed back by the instructor, … Continue reading