The city cannot claim a monopoly on eccentric, grumpy people. This is the second year in a row that one of my neighbors across the greenway has caution-taped his or her lawn off for the big soccer tournament this weekend. I mean, this is kind of ridiculous. And hilarious. And somewhat impressive. I mean, this […]
Two Europeans, One Pakistan Day, and Zero Samosas 
August 26, 2012 by
In 2011, 8000 people came to the Pakistani Independence Day celebration in Bolingbrook. This year, I wanted to go check it out, too. The founder, Talat Rashid, believes it’s the oldest continuous celebration in the Midwest, and maybe the whole country. My friend Monica was in town and, since she’s always game for international foods […]
Take 12 – August 
August 21, 2012 by
Not all taken on August 12, but thereabouts… (“Take 12” is a project to take 12 pictures of your daily life on the twelfth of each month in 2012). My desk, with calendars, church directory, thank you notes, a Sunday bulletin, cup from Subway, to do list, and various: The attendance count sheets we […]
Little Suburb on the Prairie
August 8, 2012 by
Laura said to Mary, “This prairie is like an enormous meadow, stretching far away in every direction, to the very edge of the world.” The endless waves of flowery grasses under the cloudless sky gave her a queer feeling. She could not say how she felt. All of them in the wagon, and the wagon and […]
The History of My Subdivision
July 30, 2012 by
My house stands on what used to be someone’s farm. Their home was here. Their family lived out every day on this land, under this sky. There were crops, animals, and outbuildings. Now, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of houses, here. Not much is left from the farm days but a few kitchy […]
St. Benedict Was A Suburbanite
July 22, 2012 by
The patron saint of my church is St. Benedict, who lived in Italy in the 6th century. He was one of the first people to organize a monastery that wasn’t eccentric or extreme. His monks ate three meals a day, slept in beds, and, although they went to church nine (!) times a day and […]
“Historic Preservation is a Priority”
June 29, 2012 by
The Chicago Tribune reported this week: “The Bolingbrook Village Board on Tuesday called on residents to observe National Historic Preservation Week next week…” What does it mean to observe a week of historic preservation when your community is barely fifty years old? Here’s the full article: Bolingbrook Looks Ahead to National Historic Preservation Week. Of course, a […]
“Take 12” for June
June 14, 2012 by
“Take 12” is a project to take 12 photos on the 12th of every month. I’ve been doing this all year (admittedly, sometimes on the 13th and 14th), and haven’t quite gotten around to posting here. So finally, 12 pictures from my life on the 12th of June, 2012: Nasturtiums in my garden. Bright orange […]
