The Hinsdalean - Community journalism the way it was meant to be

I think the refugees currently living with my husband and me would have enjoyed Hinsdale's Fourth of July parade. By "refugees" I mean my daughter, Amanda, son-in-law Drew and my 5-... — Updated 7/1/2020

My tenure as a contributing columnist officially ends today with my 31st column for the Hinsdalean. Adding five written earlier for The Doings brings the total to 36 over 10 years.... — Updated 6/24/2020

My teenage son, who runs cross country, shrugs and cringes slightly when I invite him to run with me these days. Once a junior Olympian and collegiate runner myself, I'm no slouch,... — Updated 6/17/2020

After volunteering these past few weeks at HCS Family Services with the food pantry and more recently experiencing the justified outrage about police brutality and systemic... — Updated 6/10/2020

These days, I find myself waking up to what sometimes feels like one long day on repeat. As our routines have changed, the days have a way of blending together. Occasionally, I... — Updated 6/3/2020

I'm going to be honest: the bloom is off the rose. I'm done with family time. What little attraction shelter-in-place once had for me is now gone. We can say how nice it is to slow... — Updated 5/27/2020

We moved to Hinsdale when I was 3 years old. I never could have guessed just how great this town would be, and I never could have imagined that the day I'd have to leave would come... — Updated 5/20/2020

The current crisis has triggered the recollection of a question in the muddle in the middle of my head, where there's plenty of room for faint relevance. The recollection was of... — Updated 5/13/2020

I'm doing final edits to this column on April 28. Perhaps things have changed by the time you're reading it, but I hope not. So far, our family has weathered the pandemic by being... — Updated 5/6/2020

I was at the grocery store last week picking up a few things and was wearing a disposable mask. I noticed most customers were wearing masks as well and wiping down their carts. The... — Updated 4/29/2020

"Will the Corona virus be over tomorrow?" my two young daughters asked. "When will we be able to go somewhere again?" I struggle to find an answer that satisfies my inquisitive... — Updated 4/15/2020

There's a funny meme making its way through social media these days, which reads: "Just a reminder that when Shakespeare was quarantined with the plague, he wrote King Lear." This... — Updated 4/8/2020

Three weeks ago, I had it all. I was the lead in my school musical, "Footloose," I was going to Disney World, and I was anticipating the excitement that comes with the end of... — Updated 4/1/2020

Recently, a friend I saw at the orthodontist's office told me her family is missing all kinds of teeth. "Me, too!" I practically shouted, excited to know someone else plagued by... — Updated 3/25/2020

My husband and I have been huge fans of the "Great Courses" DVDs for years. Each of the hundreds of courses available typically includes 24 or 36 half-hour lessons taught by... — Updated 3/18/2020

It has become the biggest news story for the last month. Every social media platform and news outlet has had its eyes trained on the latest information, constantly updating their... — Updated 3/11/2020

Changing habits can be difficult, especially when it's a choice and not something that is forced upon you. When I first lived in Belgium more than 30 years ago, the grocery store... — Updated 3/4/2020

The human heart has many surprising angles. Some we can see and some we just have to feel. There are the angles of the stories told during February. Think about Valentine’s Day,... — Updated 2/26/2020

Midwestern winters require more than just the recommended fur-trimmed puffy coat. Dressing in warm layers is helpful. But, sometimes it's simply not enough. I have learned over the... — Updated 2/26/2020

Back in the olden days, when I taught literature, I often began with a broad discussion of what "comedy" and "tragedy" mean. Broadly speaking, classical comedy is a structure; the... — Updated 2/19/2020

Some moments in life feel like they are straight out of a movie: your first day of high school, summer nights with your best friends or driving around in the car with the windows... — Updated 2/15/2020

The small stack of elderly firewood beside my garage occasionally reminds me of Chet and Ron. They were my first two project bosses after I was hired by a management consulting... — Updated 2/5/2020

As a former very frequent flier, I’ve followed the news about Boeing’s 737 MAX airplane crisis and the appointment of a new CEO to drive major change. While this news hasn’t... — Updated 1/29/2020

It was almost midnight when we settled in by the fire and my friend said to the group, "I want to hear everyone's favorite childhood memory." Groans of protest ensued. "Come on ...... — Updated 1/22/2020

When I moved my household from Washington, D.C. into storage, I got rid of about 100 books. Some were obvious choices, like the global trade textbook that was required for a class... — Updated 1/15/2020