Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, July 14 through July 19

For everyone who took the time to express birthday greetings this past week: THANK YOU.

The past couple weeks have been amazing, interesting, challenging, and full of surprises of all kinds, all the way up through yesterday with some last minute interviews scheduled for today.

I'm tired (but I've got a Gloria Jean coffee sitting beside me, another surprise), and I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend of making art on many levels.

I pray everyone reading this had a wonderful week and an even better weekend waiting for them.

Have a great Friday, readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans! :)

Non-bylined features:

Monday through Saturday I assembled my non-bylined works - brief posts and calendar listings - into one convenient file and posting them on Facebook in the evening, so readers can easily choose the ones they want to read.

One can also find those event listings, the Gotta Do It calendar, as well as the pets, health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars, under the sections tab on the left hand side of http://www.theherald-news.com/. Click on "features" and the topics drop down.  Gotta Do It runs under "people."

Community news? Again, under the sections tab, under features, and by topic. Updates are posted on these days in print and web (and some only on web on other days as I have the time): 

 Social media:

Daily updates: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61.

BryonySeries stuff: I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries. And assorted related content at www.facebook.com/BryonySeries. And of course, please follow the adventures of Bertrand the Mouse on Instagram at bertrand_bryonyseries.

If you're a writer anywhere in the world, you're welcome to jon WriteOn Joliet's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/writeonminooka/?ref=bookmarks. We're based in Joliet, Illinois, but we love to meet and interact with writers outside our area, too.

Upcoming events:

Once Timothy Baran is done updating this page, these will listed here: https://www.bryonyseries.com/fetes-and-feasts.

Check out the progress he has made so far. Each square is hand-built. And be sure to "hover" your hand over the first square. Note: this only works (so far) with the desktop version.

But he's also made A LOT of changes to the website. So be sure to roam around a bit.

Books and Such

Information on my books (including where to buy) along with upcoming events is at www.bryonyseries.com. Again, Timothy is in the process of updating the website, so all titles may not appear. If you have any questions, email me at bryonyseries@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News. And for reading this blog. And if you've read (or plan to read) any of my books. Your support is greatly appreciated.

The adorable part of Shorewood's annual festival
Past winners offer their best tips to entrants of this year's baby contest

With the deadline quickly approaching for entering a child in this year's contest, Mary Quast of Plainfield shared some tips for parents. She felt the right outfit, along with a great demeanor on the part of the baby and the parents, really helps.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/12/9c54c6f33853455fba3b43551ad3f485/index.xml


An Extraordinary Life: 'She was indeed a tough person'
Joliet native didn't let challenges get in the way of accomplishing her goals

 AJ Erickson of Burr Ridge said he walked the Disney Princess half marathon at Disney World in 2014 with his Stephanie Pavnica, two years into her battle with a carcinoid, a rare neuroendocrine tumor.

And they finished it.

"I had done no training," AJ said, "And she was still pushing me along. I had a hard time keeping up with her."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/12/33a1dc7d4d8240698f9a3f8118623aac/index.xml


Channahon woman battles breast cancer with all she's got

Chiara Robinette said: "Women are living longer and longer with metastatic breast cancer. I plan on being one of them."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/14/d10aebd9f1a244009b72fa9966fb3550/index.xml


Celebrate National Ice Cream Day with 4 vintage recipes

Two vanilla, one strawberry, and one apple ice

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/16/2b0335b84bcb4e71ac3c592cc8454d25/index.xml


Be safe while grilling foods outside this summer

With the heat index stuck at "way too hot" for the remainder of this week, more people will likely turn to outdoor grilling rather than turning on the stove.

But July is also the peak month for grilling fires, according to a news release from the Office of the State Fire Marshall.

https://www.theherald-news.com/2019/07/16/be-safe-while-grilling-foods-outside-this-summer/aw4vofb/


A curiosity as big as Houbolt's
Joliet Area Historical Museum to host interactive, commemorative event

Heather Bigeck, museum curator, said Houbolt once put wings on a baby buggy to see if it could fly and experimented with flight by jumping out of a hay loft holding an umbrella. He was always pondering, "How does this work?"

Sometimes we lose that curiosity as we mature and we go onto higher education and learning," Bigeck said. "He took that curiosity and turned it into his career."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/09/c30c90bf22ea4002971ad459257fefa3/index.xml


Two instruments, one large sound
Renowned harmonicist to perform at #Joliet park on July 25

"When you're looking at a guitar player, you can watch their fingers," Filisko said. "But when you're playing the harmonica, the magic happens inside the mouth with the acrobatics the tongue is doing. That has been endlessly intriguing to me."

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/14/bf9c3efe480445c2aab77212610a787d/index.xml


LocalLit book spotlight: "Stay" by Jim McGuire of New Lenox

On May 7, I wrote a story for The Herald-News about a book by Joliet Area Community Hospice Chaplain Jim McGuire of New Lenox.

I have since read the book, "Stay," which I will review in this Tuesday's LocalLit newsletter.

https://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2019/07/18/4fb2249c68194578bf768489e9461fa6/index.xml

Illustration by Matt Coundiff for "Visage." Follow him at www.facebook.com/artbymattcoundiff