Burnt Chocolate Stories

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 ...

July is a strange combination of events for me. On the one hand, it's the month we lost Ben to ALS which is always a startling realization. Eighteen years ago yesterday. He'd waited ten months to be able to get a diaphragm pacer to help him breathe so he could spend more time with his son and less lying on the couch. We were so excited to see this happen for him but at that stage in his decline, minor surgery could become major which is what happened to him. A quiet ending for a spirited man. It's also my birthday month which is mostly positive, except when the number is the same as my father's in the last year of his life, it does give me pause. I'm celebrating in a strange way by giving up my car on the last day of the month. When I mentioned to my children that I was just thinking about it, to a person they all agreed this was a 'great idea.' I admit I was a little taken aback. Afterall, I'm a fairly decent driver, still comfortable on the highways, h...