If you own an old home like mine, you’re living with someone else’s decisions, such as where trees are planted in your yard. I’m fortunate to have three 40-year-old trees that provide shade in the summer and great fall color. But they also have provide headaches. A sweetgum tree fills my front yard. While its […]
Arts & Culture
Posted inArts & Culture
Knoepfle 10-2-03
something about love love is like a bowl so when you break it glue it together if it won’t hold water fill it with apples © John Knoepfle 2003
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Bards of the Sangamo
Edited by Corrine Frisch Illinois Rich loamed tumescent earth black as Mississippi silt crusty as brown sugar lies waiting for the plow. Yielding with sensuous delight to the disc and harrow furrowed rows of yawning mouths greedily eat the seed that drops in measured cadence. Then sated quietly quicken through sun lit days and moon […]
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Grace Smith’s birthday movie
Grace Smith wanted to do something radically different for her 30th birthday: She decided to write, direct and star in her own feature film. She will screen the result–Hope’s Happy Birthday–at this year’s Route 66 Film Festival, where her do-it-yourself movie has been selected as the festival’s Best Comedy Feature. The protagonist, Hope, strikes out […]
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Knoepfle 9-25-03
fall night stars in their dormitories they are like students even when they are awake they are asleep © John Knoepfle 2003
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Fall for spring bulbs
Yellow and purple crocus peak up through a dusting of snow. Nothing brightens a winter day in March more than the colors of early blooming spring flowers. Now is the time to plant your hardy flowering bulbs. Spring flowering bulbs–classified as “hardy bulbs”–require a cold period before breaking their dormancy. Because of their wide variation […]
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Knoepfle 9-18-03
rising with mars the best of springfield how about that the merry-go-round the brass ring have a muffin I like the blueberry this is the best that I can do this is the best for the best in springfield the carousel is called a lively uncle in spanish let us all get up and look […]
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Bards of the Sangamo 9-18-03
By Lee Gurga Here is a piece by Martha Vertreace-Doody from her new series of poems on Elizabeth Caldwell Smith, wife of Joseph Duncan, the sixth governor of Illinois. Northern Cross Railroad, 1838 Engineer Fields coaxes a crochety locomotive, “Rogers,” from Meredosia to Morgan City, tracks laid with his magic pen filled with State funds […]
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Movie Reviews
Secondhand Lions Tim McCanlies’ Secondhand Lions is a deftly handled, heartwarming story that gives its audience exactly what it wants–an affirmation of a sound moral code rendered in the best Capracorn tradition. Credit McCanlies’ fine cast for bringing this coming-of-age story set in rural Texas, circa 1962, to life. Michael Caine and Robert Duvall are […]
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Daffodils, Narcissus, or Jonquil�
You say narcissus, I say daffodil. No matter which name you use to refer to this plant, most gardeners would agree that daffodils are one of the most vigorous and colorful flowers of spring. Daffodil is the common name, while narcissus is the Latin or botanical name for the genus. Jonquil refers to a specific […]
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Bards of the Sangamo 9-11-03
by Lee Gurga A few turns around the Windy City with a Chicago girl who doesn’t seem to have opened the sports section lately! Jivin’ Chicago Girl High steppers, high heels, high signs, high rises I’m just a Chicago girl, living in a Chicago world High rises, high heels, high steppers, high signs Sophisticated clothes, […]
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Mums the word
Tip of the week “Autumn Jewels” is the name of this year’s mum show, November 8 through 23 at the Washington Park Botanical Gardens. The conservatory is open noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss this spectacular display of chrysanthemums. By now your petunias are leggy, […]
