The lighter side
One of the great pleasures of the holiday season is driving around the neighborhood taking in display upon display of festive lights. Decorating one’s home is a pleasure all its own, an annual activity made all the brighter with a quick stroll through some local seasonal shop aisles. LEDs are hotThe market for LED lights…
Book an award winning adventure
Books open a world of discovery in ways even the coolest toys can’t achieve. This season, tempt a kid to turn off the TV and find an adventure in words and pictures on a printed page. These acclaimed titles were winners or finalists for some of the most esteemed awards in children’s literature for 2010.…
Anatomy 101
Want a Christmas tree that’s more than just a reason to dust off old ornaments? Start by considering an overall color scheme, says Michelle Workman, a Los Angeles-based interior designer who has composed spaces for celebrities like John Travolta and Jennifer Lopez. Traditional colors like red, green, white, gold and silver never get old. For…
The Republican takeover of Downstate
One of the consequences of Gov. Pat Quinn’s laser-like focus on Chicago and Cook County during this fall’s campaign is that he won just 20-22 of the state’s 59 Senate districts, according to recent estimates by the Illinois Senate Democrats. That’s not even close to half. There’s been plenty of hand wringing in the Downstate…
Giving thanks to citizens and grass-roots progressives
During this season, even progressive Americans can find plenty of progress for which we can be grateful. Let’s start with the Girl Scouts of America. When news broke that the national organization for girls had fallen off its ethical pony, many of its grass-roots members and supporters knew that the first job of a citizen…
Beyond cookies and candy for holiday sweets
I love cookies, and I’ll certainly be making and eating my fair share of them during the holiday season. But after awhile, the cookie onslaught starts seeming “same-old, same-old.” That’s why I like to vary things a bit – especially when I’m giving homemade sweet gifts. Here are four non-cookie sweet treats that are good…
People with disabilities seek independence
Health care reform could be a big plus for the disabled, says one Springfield disability advocate, but only if the state fundamentally changes how it handles those with special needs. Tyler McHaley, president of Springfield Area Disability Activists (www.disabilityactivists.org), shared that message Nov. 16 with the Health Care Reform Implementation Council, a collection of state…
Charity says ‘No, thanks’
Not all dogs that find temporary refuge at animal shelters are destined for a new home with space to roam and lots of loving pats to the head. But, volunteer Nancy Hunter says, when a shelter houses more than 30 dogs that have lived there since at least 2006, some nearly their whole lives, it’s…
Good and green… to go
Conserving resources, eating organic, using non-toxic cleaning products and recycling everything humanly possible – it’s 2010 and it seems like every household has gone green. The next step? Taking the eco-friendly lifestyle on the road – literally. From stylish bags, outerwear and outdoor dining accoutrements, to sun care, portable toys and transportation devices, this holiday…
Cinnamon raisin scones
Scones are the ideal home-baked breakfast bread: not only do they mix up in minutes, their baking time is short compared to yeast doughs. This recipe calls for raisins, but I often use other dried fruits such as cranberries, cherries or blueberries. Since scones are best fresh from the oven, consider giving bags of scone…
Tommy and the High Pilots
When his band Holden unexpectedly folded in 2007, Tom Cantillon – the Tommy of the High Pilots – took off from his native Santa Barbara, Calif., for a year in New York City using the inspiration of the Big Apple to fill a songbook. Returning to the Golden State in 2008, Cantillon formed the High…
Christians under attack in Iraq
In the past couple of weeks, two events have brought wide media coverage in Washington and Baghdad: George Bush’s personal interviews about his book, Decision Points, and the news that after eight months of impasse, the three political blocs – Shiites, Sunni Arabs and Kurds – had reached a power-sharing agreement and there would soon…
Holiday film preview
The consensus among critics is that 2010 has been less than a memorable year as movies go. Moviegoers agree to a certain extent, if box office tallies are to be believed. As we enter the last month of the year, a frontrunner in the end-of-the-year awards season has yet to emerge. I’d be hard pressed…
Building up to the holidays
Tour six historic homes dressed up for the holidays in Lincoln Park neighborhood at: 1225 N. Third, 1317 N. Third, 1345 N. Third, 1422 N. Fourth, 407 E. Keys and 607 E. Black. Purchase your tickets at any of these locations. In addition, there will be caroling and a bake sale. Proceeds help with neighborhood…
Warrior days
It’s that time of year again, when youth gangs dressed improbably in bloomers and armed with basketballs rumble at the gym to defend the honor of the Red and Black or the Green and White – or, as in my case, the Blue and the Gold. In the mid-1960s I proudly, if ineptly, represented Washington…
Friend’s Toothfairy Poem
The most dangerous gameIs Tooth FairyA terrible bargainIn your moist palmA SacagaweaUnder his pillowA shard of boneAnd if, at the wrong moment,You coughOr a nightmare wakes himOr the dog growlsOr, or, or . . .Then magic absents itselfFrom yet another worldMaybe hisBut most certainly yours
Limoncello crema
Limoncello is a traditional sweet lemon liqueur made in southern Italy, usually served as an after-dinner drink. There are a few commercial cream versions, but most contain only alcohol, sugar syrup and lemon peel. Limoncello is pricey, but inexpensive and surprisingly easy to make at home. Even the cream version below is a snap, and…
The piano player plays on
They say it’s good to get a head start on things and Zach Radwine did just that. At the ripe young age of three Zach had his fingers on the piano keys then started in on lessons around four years old with extensive practicing included. Now 20-something years later the music still happens and the…
Miniature manger displays
Hospital Sisters of St. Francis open the doors of the Motherhouse for a viewing of more than 100 nativity sets that capture the birth of Jesus and many cultures from around the world in wood, clay, porcelain, paper mache, metal and more. Each miniature display comes with a unique story of origin and tradition. Visitors…
Tangled goes back to Disney’s roots
When you’re in a slump, it makes sense to review what made you a success in the first place. With that strategy in mind, Disney’s animation division goes back to its roots with Tangled, an updated, rollicking fairy tale that Uncle Walt would have been proud to put his name to. Bearing little resemblance to…
Cranberry orange granola
Who doesn’t love granola? This version fits the season, with its use of orange and cranberries. As with the scone mix, florists’ cellophane bags make ideal gift-giving containers for it. 1/2 c. vegetable oil, such as canola 1/2 c. honey The zest from 2 large oranges 4 c. old-fashioned rolled oats 2 c. raw wheat…
Logic doesn’t slow down Dwayne Johnson’s Faster
I don’t expect high art for a film like George Tillman’s Faster, but I do hold out hope for a gritty piece of pulp fiction that entertains, though it might make me feel a bit guilty for doing so. For the most part, Dwayne Johnson’s return to the action arena delivers, sporting a particularly vicious…
Holiday harmony
Still on fire from the fall release of their CD, Bronze Images, Bells in Motion, an experienced group of approximately 15 handbell musicians from around the Midwest, heat up the winter night with holiday harmony. Accompanied by string bass and percussion and directed by Michael Lamb, this concert features Christmas favorites and carols from around…
Musical classic
Springfield Theatre Center presents a traditional musical for the entire family. Based on the 1954 film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, the story is about two friends, Bob and Phil, who find their soulmates in two sisters while performing at a Vermont Inn during the holidays. Many Berlin songs are included in the stage…
LEGO LEAGUE
Ten students from Iles School are trying to change the world – one LEGO at a time. The students, this Saturday, Dec. 4, in Champaign are competing in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League “Body Forward” Challenge, in which children work with adult mentors to design and build LEGO…
A COMPUTER FOR EVERY KID
Computer Banc’s new logo says it all: A computer for every kid. It’s the goal executive director David Fowler has set for the Springfield community to achieve over a three-year period. Just by ramping up output by 1,000 computers each year, Computer Banc can provide every family whose children participate in the free and reduced…
Letters to the Editor 12/02/10
ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTYIt is time for Illinois to abolish the death penalty. In addition to being against many major religious traditions, the death penalty is a violation of common sense. When we know the death penalty doesn’t deter crime, costs millions more than any other punishment, and risks that we will kill an innocent…
Lemon pecan poundcake
This unusual lemon pecan poundcake came from a distant aunt of my husband’s. It was a top secret recipe that she only reluctantly divulged after securing sworn promises never to reveal it to anyone outside the family. Enough time has gone by since she passed away years ago that I feel relatively sure that her…
Impatient with Medicaid patients
“Patient responsibility” was the phrase of the day Monday for the Republican co-chair of a special state Senate committee formed to review and recommend reforms for the state’s Medicaid system. The bipartisan committee, charged with issuing a report and legislative recommendations by Jan. 3, was formed in an effort to sway Republicans, who have sought…
