When an out of town meal prevents you from eating local

One of the highlights of the recent girls weekend in Chicago was dinner at Cabra, Stephanie Izzard’s Peruvian restaurant. On my prior visit to Chicago, I had enjoyed a fantastic evening at the bar of one of Izzard’s other spots, The Girl and the Goat, and I was excited to try another of her venues. … Continue reading When an out of town meal prevents you from eating local

How I spent my last solo day of summer

Slept until 6:00 Took Jeter down the yellowbrick road Finished some writing, did some reading Gathered some of my clothes together for going to the beach Rode my bicycle down to South Pearl Street to jump onto the rail trail Rode to Voorheeseville and home again at a comfortable pace Enjoyed a killer salad of … Continue reading How I spent my last solo day of summer

The housing market is officially insane

This house just went (back) on the market. It sold 4/30/25 for $90k. It had been abandoned, had a boarded up window, an overgrown lawn and a garage that looked suspect. The buyers did some painting, a little trimming of the shrubs and dropped a fresh coat of the kind of blacktop one gets from … Continue reading The housing market is officially insane

Bloom where you’re planted

Over the more than 30 miles I walked last week in Chicago, it seemed like everywhere I looked there were flowers - hibiscus, black eyed susans, coleus, lilies and hydrangea were all present and accounted for. It was beautiful. Since arriving back at home, I’ve made it a point to take notice of all of … Continue reading Bloom where you’re planted

Chicago top 10

My (nearly) four days in Chicago went by in the blink of an eye! There was lots of walking, some lounging by the pool, a few historical sites and a couple of tremendous meals and a fair amount of silliness. It was a terrific getaway and I’m already looking for pet sits so I can … Continue reading Chicago top 10

Summer sweetness

Can we all agree that we’re having a real summer? It has been hot to an extreme that keeps my oven off and my desire to spend time in the kitchen low. When it’s 95° and humid, I’m simply not cooking. Salads, fruit and yogurt do the trick for me without my breaking a sweat. … Continue reading Summer sweetness