Burnt Chocolate Stories

Sometimes, like this morning, I have so many thoughts rumbling around in my head that it's difficult to focus. For one, the water and air shows are performing today. I'm not sure what the fascination is with hoses spurting water in circles is about, but apparently a number of people find it intriguing. This afternoon, the noise of the airplanes will frighten the birds and remind me of the millions of dollars spent on metal instead of human beings. But enough of my negativity. The silver lining for me this morning is that the constitution, combined with all the laws that have been passed during these last 250 years, is so complicated and convoluted, I'm convinced we will survive and thrive, but it may take some time.  Instead, I'll share a story that always makes me laugh. Mona Haslip began bringing students into her home after school and on the weekends to create art, music, literature in Hyde Park. Her dream of building a center for all these activities and more came t...

Steve loved to collect beautiful artifacts from a myriad of different realms. Antiquarian Silver, Natural Mineral Forms, Contemporary Art, American Scrimshaw and Asian Netsuke. Intrinsic beauty was the connection between them. As the collections outgrew our home, the idea to create a public viewing place was born. And in 1981, we purchased the dilapidated University Club in Evanston which gave us the opportunity to rebuild it. One room reflected Art Nouveau. Another Art Deco. A third Asian. Byer Museum of the Arts was born and open to the public in 1982. Why am I telling you this? Because recently my daughter Sarah and son-in-law Barry had some video films they uncovered in storage digitized so they could be viewed. And there among a film of Zoe's baby naming and Ben and Barry's trip to Jamaica was a film of the dedication for Byer Museum that no one knew existed. Seeing it was a trip back in time for me. The film is somewhat blurry and rambling but it was a treat to see so man...

Even on a beautiful morning of warm breezes and sunshine, I feel a heaviness in my heart. I should stop reading Richardson's emails because they are filled with the latest assault on our way of life that we've, unfortunately taken for granted for too long. But here we are, fighting an uphill battle to retain our rights. I'm a cultural Jewess as opposed to a religious one, which means I enjoy the traditions, foods, holidays, history and Yiddishisms. I have a mezuzah on my doorpost and often wear a Jewish star on a gold chain but my commitment to attend religious services often wans. But when the going gets tough, as it is now, I look for solace in my own historical past, and others, as the world has never been kind to my ancestors. There's a legend that originates in the Talmud (sacred, ancient religious teachings) that at any given time, there are 36 exceptionally righteous people who spare the world from destruction. They perform selfless acts of loving-kindness which ...