http://www.kcchronicle.comRSS from www.kcchronicle.comen-usI’ve had impulses, from time to time, to take on certain polarizing issues related to children and families. But I generally don’t. Friends and acquaintances occasionally quip, “Sounds like there’s a column here!” when such issues arise, and still, I don’t. http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/17/tales-from-the-motherhood-construction-project-at-lippold-park-disheartening/akap6b0/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/17/tales-from-the-motherhood-construction-project-at-lippold-park-disheartening/akap6b0/Fri, 17 May 2013 22:31:39 GMTI recently attended a telenet presentation at the University of Illinois Extension Office. This program, “All About Tomatoes,” was presented by Elizabeth Wahle, an extension educator. I wasn’t sure I would learn anything new about tomatoes. I was wrong!http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/17/learning-to-grow-protect-tomatoes-this-summer/af6rc78/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/17/learning-to-grow-protect-tomatoes-this-summer/af6rc78/Fri, 17 May 2013 22:17:34 GMTI finally put myself on the list. My “to do” list. You see, it finally dawned on me that in order for me to take care of everyone and everything on my list, I have to be on the list, too. And not just on it. First.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/10/tales-from-the-motherhood-mothers-day-a-time-of-rededication-to-self-discovery/aagcyzp/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/10/tales-from-the-motherhood-mothers-day-a-time-of-rededication-to-self-discovery/aagcyzp/Fri, 10 May 2013 22:12:26 GMTGENEVA – Downtown Geneva merchants will host the fifth annual Gardenology event at 10 a.m. May 18, located along Third Street.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/10/gardenology-to-hit-geneva-on-may-18/aemo1jk/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/10/gardenology-to-hit-geneva-on-may-18/aemo1jk/Fri, 10 May 2013 22:08:44 GMTIt appears spring has finally arrived. The forsythia, crab trees, magnolias and redbuds have all bloomed. One thing nice about the cooler, spring weather was having these beautiful trees and bushes hold onto to their blooms a bit longer.  http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/10/learning-to-grow-its-tomato-planting-time/az2tixv/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/10/learning-to-grow-its-tomato-planting-time/az2tixv/Fri, 10 May 2013 22:02:15 GMTGENEVA – Barnes and Noble bookstore in Geneva, will host a meet-and-greet event and book signing with the authors of “Fluffy, Funny, and Fabulous: A Tale of Five Sisters” from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/03/barnes-and-noble-to-host-signing-by-local-authors/amrvc0d/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/03/barnes-and-noble-to-host-signing-by-local-authors/amrvc0d/Fri, 03 May 2013 20:40:40 GMTI’m surprised my kids’ names didn’t end up in the police blotter. http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/03/tales-from-the-motherhood-april-showers-bring-flowers-but-may-brings-baskets/atehfg3/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/05/03/tales-from-the-motherhood-april-showers-bring-flowers-but-may-brings-baskets/atehfg3/Fri, 03 May 2013 20:34:10 GMTBATAVIA – STAGE, the parent booster group that supports theater arts at both Batavia High School and Rotolo Middle School, will sponsor a dinner fundraiser in conjunction with the comedy classic “Arsenic and Old Lace,” beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at The Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main St., Batavia. http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/26/batavia-fine-arts-centre-to-host-arsenic-and-old-lace-dinner-theater/a7015ys/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/26/batavia-fine-arts-centre-to-host-arsenic-and-old-lace-dinner-theater/a7015ys/Fri, 26 Apr 2013 22:02:23 GMTI have always enjoyed watching birds in my garden, especially when they take up residence in one of my birdhouses in the spring.  http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/26/learning-to-grow-becoming-a-good-bird-landlord/a374xi7/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/26/learning-to-grow-becoming-a-good-bird-landlord/a374xi7/Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:53:26 GMTAfter a week that included bad news and a flooded basement, a box of kittens was just what we needed. Holly agreed. http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/26/tales-from-the-motherhood-box-of-kittens-provide-respite-from-woes-of-world/avigck1/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/26/tales-from-the-motherhood-box-of-kittens-provide-respite-from-woes-of-world/avigck1/Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:47:51 GMTShortly after my son got home from school Monday afternoon, he jumped online to do his homework. Breaking news about the bombings at the Boston Marathon was hard to ignore, however, so we talked about that, instead.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/19/tales-from-the-motherhood-escaping-reality-talking-with-actor-eric-scott-from-the-waltons/an1wd0g/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/19/tales-from-the-motherhood-escaping-reality-talking-with-actor-eric-scott-from-the-waltons/an1wd0g/Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:49:06 GMTAh, spring, when a young man’s fancy turns to love! Well, so said Tennyson, anyway. http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/19/learning-to-grow-spring-is-a-little-like-love/auwap81/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/19/learning-to-grow-spring-is-a-little-like-love/auwap81/Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:39:27 GMTST. CHARLES – Attendees of Summit 303 on Wednesday will learn about signs that their children might be struggling, St. Charles School District 303 officials said in a news release.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/18/summit-303-to-focus-on-signs-children-might-be-struggling/a4i3xwt/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/18/summit-303-to-focus-on-signs-children-might-be-struggling/a4i3xwt/Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:30:00 GMTThe world is rediscovering musician Shuggie Otis.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/13/acclaimed-musician-shuggie-otis-coming-to-chicago/ao6yaoc/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/13/acclaimed-musician-shuggie-otis-coming-to-chicago/ao6yaoc/Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:46:11 GMT• Science show set for Sunday at Fermilabhttp://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/12/weekend-life-briefs-kite-flying-fun-craft-fair-and-more/a1g13aj/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/12/weekend-life-briefs-kite-flying-fun-craft-fair-and-more/a1g13aj/Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:18:39 GMTFor me, spring is like New Year’s Eve – a time to begin planning a new vegetable garden and making all kinds of resolutions – I will stay ahead of the weeds, I won’t plant more than I can manage, I won’t buy plants as soon as the big box stores put them on sale, and I won’t buy more than one cherry tomato plant ... and just like most new year’s resolutions, these promises will be broken in the first months.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/12/learning-to-grow-planning-a-vegetable-garden-in-time-for-spring/aqsgtcg/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/12/learning-to-grow-planning-a-vegetable-garden-in-time-for-spring/aqsgtcg/Fri, 12 Apr 2013 21:10:37 GMTBefore my feet even hit the floor last Saturday morning my firstborn strolled in with the latest news about Kim Jong Un, that puzzling, young communist dictator-guy in North Korea who appears poised to stop at nothing, even a missile strike aimed at longtime foe South Korea – or possibly even, Noah has heard, Hawaii, in efforts to establish his supremacy. http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/12/tales-from-the-motherhood-sometimes-all-you-can-do-is-pray-for-peace/aw9cfcs/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/12/tales-from-the-motherhood-sometimes-all-you-can-do-is-pray-for-peace/aw9cfcs/Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:59:29 GMTTwo days after Easter, I spotted a bunny in my neighbor’s yard through my kitchen window. She stood still as a sentry for several minutes, staring in the general direction of my front porch. As the pan I washed scraped against the sink, she flinched slightly, but didn’t budge, so I called the kids to the window to have a look. I imagined she was scoping out a safe place to have her babies, but Ashley Flint, director of the Fox Valley Wildlife Center in Elburn, suggested that she may already have had them. http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/05/tales-from-the-motherhood-wild-baby-shower-to-aid-fox-valley-wildlife-centers-growing-need/amjh2f4/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/05/tales-from-the-motherhood-wild-baby-shower-to-aid-fox-valley-wildlife-centers-growing-need/amjh2f4/Fri, 05 Apr 2013 22:19:33 GMTGENEVA – Craft beer abounds at the appropriately named Geneva Ale House located along downtown Geneva’s main drag. The theater marquee – which pokes out from the building’s facade – originally caught my interest, but what got me through the door was the word “Ale.”  http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/04/mystery-diner-geneva-ale-house-entices-with-burgers-and-brews/af83dfr/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/04/mystery-diner-geneva-ale-house-entices-with-burgers-and-brews/af83dfr/Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:03:41 GMTReenforced and renovated, Szechwan restaurant in downtown St. Charles is back, bringing with it the same delicious fusion of Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese cuisine.http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/04/mystery-diner-szechwan-reinvents-space-keeps-cuisine/af68yci/http://www.kcchronicle.com/2013/04/04/mystery-diner-szechwan-reinvents-space-keeps-cuisine/af68yci/Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:09:00 GMT