Oasis Reunion

Belvidere, Illinois, September 2016. The Howard Johnson's is gone; it isn't what it used to be.

Fish Boil: It's a meal of boiled fish.

Door County, Wisconsin, July 1980. We treat my Godmother and her husband to a traditional Door County meal.

"Fraternal Kiss"

Art in Lithuania.

Hello Dolly, in Three Takes

After my Mom retired, she moved in 1991 from our Suburban Chicago home to Madison. Mom's former physician colleagues treated her to a "going-away dinner" at the swank restaurant at the top of the Hancock Tower. Mom found the dinner a bit pretentious—she ordered Quail and reported it felt like she was eating a toad. The highlight of the meal, however, was the location of the women's table: they sat behind a group hosting Dolly Parton.

Suburban Chicago, October 1991. Mom is ready to depart.

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Chicago, Illinois, October 1991. Mom didn't get a photo of herself with Dolly Parton, but you can see Ms. Parton sitting behind Mom's group.

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Chicago, Illinois, October 1991. Ms. Parton was most gracious when Mom took her photo. Mom—who is quite tiny—still remarks about how small Dolly Parton was.

Remember when 17 politicians ran in the primaries?

That was in 1976. One of the candidates was Terry Sanford, a former North-Carolina Governor and President of Duke University. He later served in the United States Senate.

Sanford also served as chair of the ITT International Fellowship Committee. Sanford and his wife, Margaret, toured southern Italy with the American recipients of the 1983-1984 fellowship.

When I met Governor Sanford, I did not know who he was. During the trip, I learned he was a true gentleman. He was kind in spirit, thoughtful, and buoyant.

Positano, Italy, May 1984. This was a memorable meal: spaghetti with cuttlefish and squid.

Dinner Stop

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Central Illinois, June 1972. Our eighth-grade class had dinner at this buffet on our way home from Springfield.

Novelty

New York, New York, 1952. People used to think of Chinese food as exotic.

Homeward

Madison, Wisconsin, June 2015. They share a direction.

We came for the view.

Madison, Wisconsin, June 2015. We return during a different season.

A Fancy Table

New York, New York, 1952. We don't know what occasion prompted this outing, but it might have been work related. Dad didn't like Chinese food, but he enjoyed the company at this meal.

Dance-Floor Reunion

Chicago, Illinois, March 14, 2015. "Thank you parents/guardians for your cooperation."

Lake-View Seating

Madison, Wisconsin, January 13, 2015. If you wait until dinner time during the winter months, then you will miss the view.

Appreciation

New York, New York, 1952. Dad's mastery of the English language improves. This must have been a workplace outing because Mom does not remember the event.

The Quieter Side

Via Garibaldi, Venice, Italy, March 1984. Explore a different part of town. "The street (actually a filled-in canal) is unusually wide, so you really feel like you're on solid ground."

The Castello neighborhood also is home to one of our favorite restaurants (although we've not visited it ... since 1989).

"The potatoes are wrung dry."

The key to good Cepelinai is the potato processing.

RIP Charlie Trotter

Chicago chef and University of Wisconsin—Madison grad.

Another View of "Yesterday's"

Evanston, Illinois, about 1975. My friend Kris—who also attended Northwestern—today sent along a photo of a watercolor. Kris writes, "I saw your blog entry about Yesterday's a day or two ago. Brought back fond memories. Used to love having a burger with the blob of soft cheddar on top on Sunday evening when the food service was closed. Oh, and plunking my coins in the jukebox to play The Beatles' 'Get Back' (one of my favorite songs)."

Sunday Dinner, Student Style

People who attended Northwestern University in the 1970s likely remember "Yesterday's." The restaurant stood on Sherman Avenue, close to the sorority quad, Willard Hall, and my dorm.

Evanston, Illinois, is home to the Women's Christian Temperance Union.* When I lived there, the city was essentially dry. There were no liquor store in town; however, the liquor store on Howard Street, on the Chicago border, would deliver to dorm rooms. There were only two ways to buy a drink in Evanston itself: (1) go to one of the the two or three hotels in town. Hotels had a municipal exemption from the blue laws because the city did not want to turn away out-of-town visitors; or (2) buy dinner at a restaurant that carried a limited liquor license. The city granted licenses to sell beer and wine in downtown restaurants, but patrons could buy the beverages only if they ordered a "meal."

Illinois law at that time allowed 18-year-olds to buy beer and wine. Almost everyone on campus therefore could drink legally. Students were good at persuading restaurant servers about what constituted a "meal" under the beverage laws. If you ordered something that wasn't on the appetizer menu, then the restaurant often allowed you to buy a beer or a glass of wine.

*One dorm, situated near the WCTU, offered T-Shirts for its residents that read, "We're Behind the WTCU."

Evanston, Illinois, February 1, 1978. We ate chili at Yesterday's on many Sunday evenings, when the university food service did not offer dinner.

I never met a dog I didn't like (Late Summer 2013)

Madison, Wisconsin, 2013. It's been a while since I posted a photo in the little "I never met a dog I didn't like" series. This is a lovely "Parti Poodle;" she was breakfasting with her master.

Why do I have two large bags? I was carrying several knitting projects.

Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival

Yesterday, a friend and I attended the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival in Jefferson.

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The vendors' booths filled two barns on the Jefferson County Fairgrounds property. This structure must have been used as a horse stable.

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The market reminded me of the one at the Knit In, but this one was much larger.

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Homestead Sheep and Fiber displayed some beautifully dyed yarns.

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I hadn't been to Jefferson in about thirteen years.

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There are quite a few law offices in town.

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We enjoyed a delicious and reasonably priced lunch here.

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Where have the old county courthouses gone?