Take Ten: awesome art environments
Restless but uneasy about mingling with lots of strangers during this pandemic year? Then gas up for a road trip around rural Wisconsin, to roam […]
A big cheese, private dining, new zoo baby
My dairy farmer father for many years held a side job: hauling milk (stacked in steel cans, no less) by the truckload from the neighborhood […]
Travel cancellations: Lessons learned
Gone, officially, is any hope of hopping the border with four longtime girlfriends for a summer vacation in Canada. Sadly, we are relieved. Weekly day […]
Tulsa: from affluence to agony
My first job outside of Wisconsin was at the now-defunct Tulsa Tribune in Oklahoma, which seems like a lifetime ago and marked the start of […]
2020: year of the drive-in for food, fun
A burger would be on my short list for best last meal on Earth. Not just any meat slinger’s burger, but a perfectly seasoned, chargrilled […]
Summer shows go on, in novel ways
All the world’s a stage but COVID-19 compromises the traditional platforms and performers that we count on for entertainment this summer. For some troupes, that’s […]
Take 12: for moms, other mentors or you
Mothers get their day this month, but maybe that should apply to other mentors too. And perhaps our kind words, deeds and gifts should extend […]
B&Bs, PACs, supper to go, virtual tailgates
Bed and breakfast operators intend to do good as they mark Arbor Day and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, founded by the late U.S. […]
In, beyond Waldo: silver linings on Easter
One of my favorite parts of a recent virtual church service was a challenge to find the silver linings that are a part of our […]
Take Twelve: ways to cut coronavirus angst
How odd to have no place to go, be it far away or close to home. When the first round of travel restrictions between the […]
Wisconsin meat raffles fill taverns on wintry days
At least 30 years have passed since my husband and I walked into a small-town tavern one wintry morning, in search of a beer and […]
HobNob gains attention for excellence in hospitality
The James Beard Foundation typically pays attention to the nation’s edgiest and newest chefs and restaurant concepts. An easy majority of the annual Beard semifinalists […]
Ice bars, ice castles, MKE coat check, PEEPS show
At this time of year, bellying up to the bar for a cold one can be taken literally. Glistening ice bars – ice sculptures with […]
NYC’s MoMath: not just for math geeks
Consider the dichotomies of life: birth and death, night and day, salt and sugar, introverts and extroverts. These polar opposites have things in common too. […]
Take Ten: Fine fireplace getaways in Wisconsin
Single-digit temps are forecast as I write this, hot chocolate within reach and fat cat on my lap. Happiness through hygge (“hoo-ga”), the Denmark concept […]
How Elvis lives on, in Madison and beyond
One of the more colorful, late-life anecdotes about Elvis Presley in Wisconsin has the music icon leaving his limo, while stopped at a red light […]
Take 12: All in good taste for 2019
Extraordinary dining is not about category or price. This year I found it at farms and an aquarium, from rural Wisconsin to the seaside of […]
Chicago’s Second City presents holiday movie parody
Come celebrate the holidays at The Second City with a festive, all-new holiday movie parody, Deck the Hallmark: A Greeting Card Channel Original. Under the […]
Christmas movie props/costumes, holiday windows fill Castle Noel in Ohio
Mark and Dana Klaus love Christmas. Big time. You’ll find them at Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio, where the Christmas spirit lives all year. Big […]
Winning recipes: grasshopper cheesecake, choco cheesecake bars
Two home bakers in Wisconsin have taken the top prizes in the Taste of Homes recipe contest, “Best-Ever Baking”. Sue Gronholz of Beaver Dam was […]