A Second Chance at Life – Part Four
Part four, the finale, of Tauna and Jim’s saga: Even after all the changes and efforts to live a more healthy life, Jim still went in the summer of ’08 and received three more stints in his heart. He had been feeling sluggish and was showing many of the signs he did not recognize the…
A Second Chance at Life – Part Three
Part three of Tauna and Jim’s saga: The next 24 hours were the most dangerous for Jim and the most stressful for all of us concerned. I spent the time rubbing his feet and legs to keep the blood flowing to avoid blood clots and also he was complaining of them cramping. It was the…
Cranberry black pepper chutney
My daughter, Ashley, found this chutney in Gourmet magazine’s December 2002 issue. Like her mother, she can’t resist tinkering with recipes; this is her adaptation. The tang of the cranberries and spicy heat from the black pepper is a welcome counterpoint to rich holiday meals. Ashley makes a large batch every year to have extra…
SANTA’S HELPERS
Christmas stockings filled with goodies like travel-sized hot cocoa, instant soup and granola bars are now headed to troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries overseas, thanks to the Peoria-based Operation Santa — one of the nation’s largest stocking drives. Volunteers from Illinois and other states create stockings year-round for Operation Santa and then…
Fine buoyed by De Niro’s return
Robert De Niro returns for the cinematic wilderness with Everybody’s Fine, a subtle and effective look at a man who comes to realize that the family he thought he had shepherded to happiness is in shambles. Frank Goode (De Niro) puts on a good front, though his life is in disarray. His house is in…
Holy night
Dress in your warm coat, gloves and hat for a 20-minute outdoor journey with a wise man through scenes where costumed characters reveal the story of Jesus’ birth. Journeys start every four minutes and end at a live nativity. Journey to BethlehemSaturday, December 12Sunday, December 135:30-8:30pmWestern Oaks Baptist Church 5345 Old Jacksonville Rd698-8622Free
Eye on Italy
Who doesn’t love Tuscany’s ambience and old world charm? See the beauty captured by the distinctive and fresh eyes of eight Robert Morris University students who studied for five weeks under international photographer David Weiss (once a student of Annie Liebowitz). The juried selections feature Cinque Terre, Maremma and Tuscany’s capital city, Florence. Pictured is…
Obama’s war
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to war we go! Pound the drums loudly, stand with your country proudly! Wait, wait, wait — hold it right there. Cut the music, slow the rush and let’s all ponder what Barack Obama, Robert Gates, Stanley McChrystal and Co. are getting us into … and whether we really want to…
Winter wonderland
Even though winter hasn’t officially arrived, bundle up and take a closer look at the garden on the cusp of the prairie’s winter preparation. Join arborist Larry Miller for a December hike and learn to identify trees by their buds, see what birds flock the feeders and spy other late fall wonders. Hot chocolate served…
HIGH-SPEED, SLOW START
There’s finally some agreement on high-speed rail in Springfield, but it seems to be an agreement to disagree. The city, county and Illinois Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that an impact study would be conducted to measure the effects of a proposed high-speed rail expansion on Third Street and 10th Street. That follows a unanimous…
A Second Chance at Life – Part Two
Part two of Tauna and Jim’s saga: While sitting in the garage, Jim realized just how bad he was feeling and even mentioned it to his friend whom he was on the phone with. He couldn’t seem to put his finger on what the problem was, since he had never felt this way before.…
Springfield schools waiting for federal recovery funds
School improvements are on hold for Springfield School District 186 as it waits for $8.6 million in economic recovery funds awarded months ago. Sangamon County schools have locked in $25.4 million in federal dollars under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a $787 billion nationwide project meant to stimulate the economy. But few schools have…
Caramelized onion marmalade
Caramelized onions are incredibly unctuous, with a rich mouth feel that belies the small amount of oil used. They are so delicious and have so many uses that I try to always keep some in my refrigerator. The only preparation that takes much time is slicing the onions. If making multiple recipes, you may need…
Parmesan and herb biscuits
These biscuits are a wonderful alternative to other breads at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They’re a snap to make, particularly if the dry ingredients have been mixed ahead of time. To make them for gifts, line up the bags you’ll be putting them in and make an assembly line. Half the cheese goes into the…
The upside of the down economy
The cold December wind sweeps through the quiet parking lot of Dane’s Discount store, where a large sign proclaims, “STORE CLOSING” above shiny new motor scooters with prices slashed in half. Inside, the store is eerily quiet. Barely audible is the cheery music that trickles through speakers overhead, and the usual jolly crowds of holiday…
Brass band restoration
I thought about calling this, “Show Me Your Brass or Who Gives a Toot?” like some old Rocky and Bullwinkle episode, but that makes for a lengthy headline and really doesn’t do justice to what a spectacular concert lies in store for a listening audience on Saturday when the Vintage Brass Band presents A Vintage…
Letters to the Editor 12/10/09
GOODBYE, BOB Regarding “Bob Waldmire’s farewell tour” [by Bill Crook, Nov. 26]: A wonderful article about an interesting man. I had the pleasure of running into Bob at his final art show. Bob was his usual generous self and I thanked him for being him. His artwork is a must-have for a true fan of Route 66. He has…
Disability advocates address city’s ADA procedures
Since Springfield Area Disability Activists (SADA) was created a year and a half ago, team leader Cilla Sluga and other members have worked for an accessible and integrated Springfield. The volunteer organization has helped tackle barriers that people with disabilities encounter around the city, such as rocky sidewalks and curbs that don’t have cuts for…
Larry Washington civil-rights lawsuit declared mistrial
After U.S. District Judge Jeanne Scott declared a mistrial last week in the federal civil-rights lawsuit Washington et al v. City of Springfield et al, both parties say they plan to pursue another trial next year. Larry Washington and Jennifer Jenkins filed suit in March 2007 against the city of Springfield and several police officers,…
Samba Llamas
Talk about diverse styles in the Springfield music scene should include the Samba Llamas, who move and groove within a class of diversity all alone. The many-piece group focuses on the rhythms of Brazil and performs songs of samba, bossa nova, pagode and other regional styles created by the convergence of African, European and Native…
Asiago toasts
These long thin toasts look and taste sophisticated, but they’re easy and inexpensive to make. Give them by themselves, or with a wedge of good cheese (the Corkscrew has the best selection locally) and a bottle of wine. Gift tag suggestion: Asiago toasts are great with soups and salads, as an accompaniment to cheese, or…
Movies to the rescue!
Home Alone (1990): Young Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is left behind as his family rushes to make a flight to Paris for their winter vacation. Mayhem ensues when a couple of bumbling burglars try to break into the McCallister house, but Kevin’s booby traps prove better than any state-of-the-art alarm system. Son-in-Law (1993): South Dakota…
Video gambling is the new crack
Becoming law in July 2009, the Illinois Video Gambling Act allowed Illinois more gambling and more video gambling/slot machines (VGMs) than Nevada. This legislation permitted any licensed establishments pouring alcohol to have “mini-casinos” with video gambling — including not just bars, but also truck stops, restaurants, bowling alleys, airport lounges, entertainment parlors, fraternal clubs and…
Savory holiday gifts
They’re everywhere: cookies, candies, and more cookies – an avalanche of cookie walks, cookie exchanges, tins of gift cookies. Same old, same old. Don’t get me wrong, I love cookies, and I’ll make and eat my fair share during the holidays. But when it comes to giving food gifts, I like to do something different…
Community Wish List for 12/10/2009
Lend a hand to these central Illinois organizations this holiday season. Check Illinois Times next week for more local wish lists. Send lists to holidaywishlist@illinoistimes.com Forever Home Feline Ranch3600 Persimmon Dr., 679-1593 Forever Home Feline Ranch is an organization created to provide a “forever home” to every cat in need. The ranch is a sanctuary…
This Life Ain’t Pretty
Statistics are often hard to remember. We might forget that 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS or that the global total is more than 30 million. We might not know that 25 percent of them don’t know they have a disease. We might not recall that there are 44,000 new HIV cases each year,…
In Serious Man, glass is half empty
Though they’ve denied being nihilists in many interviews, the work of Joel and Ethan Coen makes clear that they are. With No Country for Old Men, Fargo and The Man Who Wasn’t There on their filmography, there’s no doubt these are “glass-half-empty” kinda guys. Their latest, A Serious Man, finds the Coens delving once more…
A better campaigner than he is a governor
For the past several weeks, I’ve been confiding to friends that I think Gov. Pat Quinn has turned out to be a much better campaigner than anyone expected, and a much worse governor than everyone had hoped. The campaign team that Quinn has put together is quite good. He’s raised a ton of cash, which…
Jingle bell sing-a-long
Select your seat around a roaring bonfire and croon Christmas carols with others, accompanied by bells. This free family singalong and outdoor holiday shindig even has cookies and hot cocoa and a free souvenir songbook for everyone in attendance. Santa visits from 5-5:30pm. Caroling at the CarillonSunday, December 134:30-5:30pmWashington Park Rees Memorial Carillon W. Fayette…
