I've heard Bennison's has been serving these long and luscious lovelies all summer.  I've also heard they're only available Thursday through Sunday.  I've spoken to several people who claim they're incredible. And all I can say when I look at one is...yum.

The New York Public Library approached a group called Improv Everywhere to help them raise awareness about budget cuts.   The hilarious video created by Improv Everywhere has now been viewed over 4,000,000 times (so far). Flash mobs aren’t new, but they’ve certainly gained popularity in the last few years.  According to Wikipedia, the first modern-day flash mob took place in 2003, though Improv Everywhere has been organizing and filming them since 2001. Since then, the concept of crowds surprising crowds has grown into a worldwide phenomenon.  Sometimes called smart mobs, especially when …

I recently heard this phrase:  You know, in Evanston, it's either Yale or jail. I'd never heard this phrase before. Is it common everywhere? Particular to Evanston? Why did I just notice the phrase now? While I don't agree with the sentiment, I understand what it's suggesting -- that if you're from Evanston, you're either on the right side of the tracks or you're not. Evanston's not unique.  Ask anyone from practically any town across America, and you'll find an "us vs. them" mentality. Whether it's social, racial, religious, economic, sexual...you name it, everyone's perspective is unique.  …

What’s nice about living in a town like Evanston is, there’s always something new and interesting going on.  Sometimes it’s right here in town, and sometimes it’s just around the corner. On Sunday, my husband and I took the kids to a concert at Ravinia, where Rufus Wainwright played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  If you haven’t heard of Rufus Wainwright, here’s a Youtube video of him singing his version of Hallelujah. I hadn’t appreciated the singer/songwriter’s talents until a few years ago when my Evanston friend, the writer Jill Schacter, was over for dinner.  We’d asked her what …

I can’t deny the fact any longer: the summer’s winding down.  In just a couple of weeks, the kids will be back in school, and for many of us who work full- or part-time, we’ll have some uninterrupted time to get back to whatever it is we do (including reading online columns like this one. You didn’t think I could see you, but I can). Earlier this week, I attended a funeral service for the mother of an Evanston friend.  It was a beautiful service, and my family and I learned a great deal about her life. Speaker after speaker shared memories of and gratitude for her selflessness, her humor and …

One of the big trends these days is salted caramel.  It might sound awful, but trust me.  It’s amazing. A friend offered chocolate covered caramels with sea salt last summer and I gave her the stink eye.  “Salt?” I asked.  “On candy?”   “I know,” she said, handing me the container.  “I sampled one in the store and it’s actually really good.” I dared myself to try a piece, all the while preparing myself to make a nasty face upon the first taste…but I kid you not, the salt actually made the chocolate taste more chocolate-ier and the caramel taste more caramel-ier. Just think about peanuts or …

Feeling sluggish after a lazy summer?  Someone who hasn’t been lazy is Jonathan Webb, Division Manager for Community Health for the Evanston Health Department. Webb oversees programs related to obesity prevention (i.e. Women Out Walking), tobacco use cessation, chronic disease/diabetes self management, and prostate/testicular cancer screening awareness. Additionally, he serves as staff support to the Mental Health Board, oversees the Children’s Dental Clinic and Vital Records Office, and manages staff that signs residents up for the State’s Allkids/Moms and Babies Insurance programs. I …

You know what?  Life's not always neat and pretty.  In fact, in can be one gigantic hassle sometimes. For instance, today I just had a downright bad day. Nothing earth-shattering, but totally annoying. I found ants in my kitchen. I suppose it could have been rats, and then I really would have been upset. But then, the Comcast Internet connection suddenly stopped working, and a 30 minute hold-time with Comcast just got me fuming.  I would have been less angry if the Comcast service tech hadn't just been here fixing our cable TV earlier in the day.  I know, whine whine whine...at least I have a…

When a sign (or a visual) makes you stop in your tracks, you know it's a keeper.  Please keep us laughing and add your own photos. 

Evanston resident Janet Doroba just forwarded this New Yorker article (aptly titled Turf Wars by Elizabeth Kolbert) which includes some interesting highlights you might be interested in, such as: --Americans spend $40 billion on their lawns --The anti-lawn movement’s been around for decades and began as a (no joke) grassroots effort (get it?) --“…lawns in the United States cover nearly fifty thousand square miles—an area roughly the size of New York State.” --According to the Environmental Protection Agency, almost one third of Americans’ residential water use is for landscaping purposes. Wow…

Discussions about an Evanston marina continue to swirl*.  If we ever develop one, should we also consider an Evanston-based ferry service?  Something that might take passengers to and from Evanston (and most importantly, bring visitor$ to our lovely town)?  I just returned from a trip to Mackinac Island, a place reached only by public ferry services or private vessels.  I hadn’t even thought about ferry boats in Evanston until the drive back home, when I drove through Muskegon, Michigan, and noticed some of the town’s similarities to Evanston.  Muskegon and Evanston are both… …cities ending …

Oh wise and vocal Evanstonians, please advise: The question of the hour is: do kids who don't get onto the advanced math track by middle school then "suffer" in high school?  I've heard many times that kids who perform at grade level simply "slip through the cracks" at ETHS.  I'd love to hear what current and former ETHS students and parents think of this opinion. This week, parents of incoming 6th & 8th graders received a letter informing them of their students' math placement for the 2011-12 school year.  What's the best attitude for students and parents to take when reading the results? …

My husband and 13-year-old son sailed in the 2011 Race to Mackinac Island.  It was their first Mac race, a 333-mile sailboat race from Chicago to Mackinac Island in Michigan.   Two other Evanstonians, Sean Jolie and Chris Froeter, were among the 8-man crew aboard Chief, a 33.5 foot Beneteau 10R. During this year’s race, two experienced sailors died during a violent storm with wind gusts up to 100 knots and waves of 4-6 feet.  The deaths were the first in the race's 103-year history. News of a capsized boat, six rescued crew members, missing sailors… it was upsetting and surreal. While I …

Has Evanston ever held a sand castle contest or a sand sculpture festival?  Imagine the visitor$ coming in to see the works of art we’d produce on our miles of beaches.  Imagine the spike (or even just a blip) in our local economy as a result of the visitor$ coming in to admire these creations.  Imagine the fun we’d have admiring all the creativity. Places like Grand Haven, Michigan hold annual sand sculpture contests.  Maybe we should consider it...

The first time I experienced NU’s Norris Center, I attended a dance marathon in support of our college babysitter.  I walked into the center gripping the hand of my 2-year-old son and infant daughter, worrying about germs and stairs and the absence of changing tables the entire time. I was a young mom, trying to seem with-it and cool and part of “the scene.”  I loved how the NU students looked at my little ones with such sweet, earnest faces. I overheard comments like, “I used to suck my thumb, too!” and “He’s so little, Man. That little guy looks too young to be walking.”  I felt like the …

I love hearing from Evanston residents about things going on around town: Victoria, a resident of 53 years, emailed this past weekend; she’s elated about one of the City of Evanston’s Safe Summer Initiatives --   free weekend roller skating for Evanston's youth at Chandler-Newberger Center and Fleetwood-Jourdain Center.  According to Victoria, both of her sons are skate guards and “…all of the other young people working there are all camp counselors from Chandler Sports Camp. Fleetwood had 50 kids [Friday night]; Chandler only had 8.” When Victoria dropped off one of her sons, she checked out…

Someone recently said, “After the 4th of July, summer’s halfway over.”  It made me sad until I looked at the calendar and counted how many days of summer break the kids actually have.  According to the District 65 calendar, which is the guiding force in my life for at least one more year, the kids have 76 days of summer vacation; we’re only on day 23.  Technically, we’re only 30% through summer, with another 53 more days to go. So smile…or cry, depending on how your summer’s going so far.

I love Bagel Art. It’s a great, locally owned bagel shop at the corner of Dempster and Sherman, right across from the Dempster Purple Line El stop (where Café Express used to be).  The shop is surprisingly large, and the bagels, when they’re hot out of the oven, are fantastic.  The shop has a delicious menu and outdoor seating on lovely days.  The 7th and 8th graders at Chiaravalle Montessori School grow and provide the basil (see photo); Bagel Art is really a true, local taste of Evanston. On Sunday morning, my husband picked up some fresh, warm bagels and a couple of tubs of cream cheese.  …