by John Kalec In the heart of the South Side of Chicago in 1935, on a narrow street lined with brick homes and the hum of distant streetcars, lived a little girl named Evelyn. Her home at 5246 Hermitage was modest and often bustling with the sounds of her older brother Fritz, her younger brother Rich, … Continue reading A Story of My Mom’s Garden Legacy
Tag: writing
Who/What is Your Competition
"It's amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit." Harry Truman It seems as though people are always competing. Automobile drivers race ahead of the car ahead only to stop at the same stoplight down the street. Line too long in this lane, maybe I can move to the right and … Continue reading Who/What is Your Competition
Conversing with a Baseball Card
From the age of 13, I collected baseball cards because I was a baseball fan. I did not collect and trade cards for any other reason. At age 85, my reason remains the same. My most poignant memory at that age involved a quick stop at Floyd Nielsen’s local drug store on Main Street on my 45-minute … Continue reading Conversing with a Baseball Card
My Nerdy Side: Theater
Although education and coaching dominated much of my professional life, the persistent backdrop of my journey has been in the arts: music, theater, literature, and poetry. Much of my writing has focused on life’s transitions from childhood to adulthood to old age without appropriating justice to the arts’ roles in those transitions. This piece is about theater. … Continue reading My Nerdy Side: Theater
“My Greatest Work Hasn’t Happened Yet”
Ken Kennedy I asked my brother, Kenny, to trace some of his work history while growing up in Braidwood. He responded with this story, a story that I hadn’t completely known about. He still conducts his business along Route 53 in Braidwood, adjacent to the Polka Dot restaurant. Along with the opinion of many others, I … Continue reading “My Greatest Work Hasn’t Happened Yet”
Elena’s View of Braidwood
Elena Bergman Hibler I attended the East School and Murray Scott was the principal. I also had Josephine Donna (wonderful teacher) in the 5th and 6th grades. In 3rd and 4th grades I had Kate Fallon. She was remembered as wearing long dresses all the way to the floor. We moved to Braidwood from South … Continue reading Elena’s View of Braidwood
Braidwood from Another Perspective
Richard Shaw Richard had read some of my blog articles on Braidwoodguy.com and informed me that as a couple of years my senior, he could add some insights and respectfully offer some differences as he saw things. I completely accept these opinions, perspectives, and insights. Aside from formatting the following letter, I didn’t make any … Continue reading Braidwood from Another Perspective
My Braidwood Memories
Dee King DeGroh I recently asked Dee (King) deGroh about her strong affiliation with Braidwood. Dee’s grandfather, MJ Donna, documented significant historical facts about our town, in “The Braidwood Story.” She cherishes the time she has spent in Braidwood where she actually lived from 2005 to 2016. But then Dee returned to Naperville to be … Continue reading My Braidwood Memories
Nicknames vs “Knocknames”
Nickname: an additional or substitute name given to a person, place, or thing usually descriptive and given in fun, affection, or derision, as “Doc,” “Shorty,” etc. a familiar, often shorter, form of a proper name, as “ Dick” for “ Richard” (Merriam Dictionary) Knockname: a substitute name meant to demean, dehumanize, or otherwise degrade another human being and perpetrated by a bully. (TRK) Dear Grandkids: If … Continue reading Nicknames vs “Knocknames”
Dear Grandkids: Money Rules
“I love money. I love everything about it. I bought some pretty good stuff. Got me a $300 pair of socks. Got a fur sink. An electric dog polisher. A gasoline powered turtleneck sweater. And, of course, I bought some dumb stuff, too.” --Steve Martin Dear Kids: My letters to you and previous conversations with you … Continue reading Dear Grandkids: Money Rules
Braidwood Beginnings 