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Up in the UP
Lush woods, crystal clear waterways, and crisp, fresh air. If this appeals to you, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is calling your name. The peninsula sits south of Lake Superior, North of Lake...
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Folk Music and Storytelling Festival
Geneva, Illinois loves festivals and we have some of the best. Swedish Days, Geneva Arts Fair, Festival of the Vine, and the Christmas Walk are the main ones but a lesser known festival marks the end...
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Thank You for Serving
Only a handful of fond memories of my grandfather, John (Jack) Joseph Doyle, who passed away in 1960, remain, but I would love to have known him better. From the stories I heard and the number of...
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Happy Thanksgiving!
My French Canadian daughter-in-law, Ellie, once told me that she thought it was amazing that Americans across the country take one day every year to sit down with family to the same traditional meal....
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Deck the Halls
Every year since 1974 I place my oldest and most expensive ornament at the top of the Christmas tree. The ornament has survived dozens of curious children and our cat, Tinkerbell, who thought the tree...
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Candle Safety
When I was a child, my family lived across the street from Our Lady of Angels Church in Chicago. The Our Lady of Angels School stood on the opposite side of the church. On December 1, 1958 a small...
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The Christmas Letter
When their children were young, my friends, Mary Ellen and Mike, sent the most entertaining Christmas letters. They offered a not-so-flattering but realistic and humorous glimpse of their large family...
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Pat Doyle’s Pizzelles
My mother was an excellent cook and baker. Many of her dishes were Italian. Mom was German and Irish but made them for our father, who was half Italian. We especially loved her pizzelles. For those...
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Peace on Earth Goodwill Toward All
Christmas is a joyous season for Christians. We believe in the incredible miracle of God incarnated in the human form of Jesus. And with the presence of Christ, the Anointed One, comes a promise of...
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One Extra Step
Most Midwesterners have roots and extended family and friends nearby, which make us accountable. When we mess up or hurt someone, we quickly see the repercussions because our “twelve degrees of...
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When In Doubt, Throw It Out
The CDC estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans (48 million) get sick from food borne diseases. Of those people, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die. With the upcoming holiday it is a good...
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Trick or Treat?
Is it a trick if you hand out “healthy” treats to trick-or-treaters? When my children were young I would give raisins, popcorn balls, or stickers. I believed it best to offer children one less sugary...
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Gesundheit!
It’s that time of year. The decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping, partying—and sneezing—has begun. As the cold weather brings us indoors and in close proximity of one another, the transmission of...
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Fresh or Frozen?
For the last decade, I’ve hosted Thanksgiving for 20 to 40 people. With that amount of hungry mouths to feed, the decision to purchase fresh or frozen turkey was easy because of the considerable price...
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Leftover Turkey
Gobble, gobble up any of that leftover turkey today. According to the University of Illinois extension, cooked turkey is only good three to four days, so this is it. Turkey is such a bargain for...
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Edible Paper Cookie Decorations
I love a good cookie and enjoy baking but I am not very patient when it comes to decorating. My solution this holiday season was to decorate with edible wafer paper made from potato starch, vegetable...
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Christmas Blessing
My friend and mentor, Sister Alexa Suelzer, included a quote by St John Henry Newman in her Christmas card to me. The message is the closing of the saint’s sermon, “The Mystery of Godliness.” It is a...
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Lily White
The sweet, pungent fragrance of Easter Lilies along with colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, and baskets of goodies signal the season. If it is your tradition to include lilies in your holiday...
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Bunny Hop
The bunny that hippity-hopped into most of our homes this past weekend was made of chocolate, and once spotted, lost its ears. But if we look out the window throughout the Midwest, it’s not hard to...
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The Art of Gift-Giving
Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, Sweetest Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, anniversaries, hosted events, – so many gifting occasions. Giving the perfect gift is a...
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