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

With politics dominating the headlines, I am consciously - but maybe not subconsciously - steering well clear of any partisan chatter. You'll get your share of that during... — Updated 11/24/2020

The happy frenzy of the holiday cooking season is coming. It would seem that Thanksgiving is all about the traditional turkey, but in our house I know better. Everything I make is... — Updated 11/18/2020

Growing up, I always believed that attaining higher education and possessing an above-average IQ were strong indicators of success. I believed that a class schedule full of AP... — Updated 11/11/2020

Early into the school shutdowns this past spring, I got reassured by the two girls next door. Not missing a beat, Caroline began Zooming ballet, younger Julia hip hop. Caroline... — Updated 11/4/2020

It seemed like 2020 just couldn't stop dishing out nasty surprises, so this summer I went rogue and took a 1,400-hundred mile road trip to Arizona with the kids and the dog. I'd not... — Updated 10/28/2020

Picture this: you're walking into Wrigley Field and see the Sox playing. You check your tickets and nope, it's not the Cross Town Classic. That is the same feeling every single... — Updated 10/14/2020

Finally - after being apart since February, I was able to see my partner Patrick in person. We spent the month of August in Ireland, after waiting through various July deadlines to... — Updated 10/7/2020

Bob Dylan once sang about prior generations turning a cynical eye to youth activism. Fifty-six years later, when recent Hinsdale Central grad Maiwen Amegadjie organized June's... — Updated 9/30/2020

Every home has a story to tell. We live in an orange brick 1960s colonial revival. Our Realtor affectionately called it the "Leave It to Beaver House." Our house was well-loved,... — Updated 9/23/2020

If there's one thing that the pandemic has taught me, it's that the over-scheduled and over-consumerized lifestyles that we were once living is not sustainable. The societal... — Updated 9/16/2020

You see them everywhere these days. Their names are Max, Tillie, Sadie, Dixie, Leo, Rocky, Pepper. They are joyful, bounding around on lawns, their entire little bodies vibrating... — Updated 9/2/2020

I am challenging myself to write this column without (not once) mentioning that word we are all tiring of. Here goes ... I would not consider myself a good cook. Adequate, yes. I... — Updated 8/19/2020

As an ICU physician, I have seen the horrors of COVID-19 up close. I have witnessed firsthand what this virus can do to people, to their bodies, to their spirits and to their... — Updated 8/5/2020

We lost my paternal grandfather, Pooky, last month. He would have been 99 in August. He did not die from COVID-19 but was a victim, nonetheless. Pooky was the life of the party who... — Updated 7/29/2020

I only have 500 words, so I'll be brief. Be who you are, ignore the critics. Listen to the person inside - not the one who's wrong, but the one who knows right from wrong. Really... — Updated 7/22/2020

I have a little secret. I am kind of enjoying this era of enforced isolation occasioned by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Sure, there are days when I awaken feeling that I'm... — Updated 7/15/2020

Several weeks ago my daughters came up with this crazy idea of all of us going to South Carolina for a family vacation. What's even more ridiculous, they wanted to leave in 12... — Updated 7/8/2020

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