Before the Storm

On July 25, Timothy and I were standing on my porch for a a few brief moments before the storms began.

I'd had surgery the previous week and during a heat wave, so it felt good to stand outside and feel the breeze.

While we chatted, he snapped photos of flowers near the porch and the threatening skies.

I thought they were gorgeous, so I'm sharing the seven best images with you today.

Enjoy!

Six Photos From Various August 15s

Today is a medical catch up day for Rebekah and me.

This means today we are catching up on routine parts of our health lives that we've let slide the last few years due to beating back one health emergency or another - while also mourning the loss of cherished family, friends, and pets. So we're addressing some things during this "lull" period.

So while we're busy making appointments, getting some in-person visits done, and even running a couple of necessary errands, please enjoy this sampling of photos I've taken with the camera on my cell phone on August 15 over the past few years. 

May you be attuned to the beauty around you today - and perhaps be inspired to capture it with your phone to enjoy a second time on another day.

Happy Thursday! 

Taken Monday, August 15, 2022 at 7:18 a.m. So most likely within walking distance of my home, since Rebekah and I walk together in the mornings before work.

This photo was taken one minute later.

Same walk as above, except it was taken at 7:31 a.m.

This one is a mystery. The photo says it was taken Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 7:41 a.m. But I think it backed up wrong. The lighting isn't right for so early in the morning. And I would not have been in Chicago at 7:30 on a Wednesday. I think this is from a trip with Rebekah, Daniel, and Cindy, which would have been on a Saturday.

Here is Bertrand signing a new shipment of his books on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at 5:12 p.m.

Taken Saturday, August 15, 2020 at 8:06 p.m. Can't remember where. Most likely from the walking path near Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Joliet.

She Wants to be a Tree

With few exceptions, I am the Angel of Death to plants.

Don't "home" a plant with me. It will not survive.

True, a friend started a little patio flower garden for me this past summer. And with proper amounts of water, the garden did thrive and brought beauty to my corner of the world for several months.

Now it appears I have a houseplant that wants to be a tree.

Either I did something right. Or I have a monster plant.

In October 2016, a job shadower thanked me for her time by presenting me with a plant. My Facebook memories tell me she is a Croton.

After getting some suggestions on social media, I named her Chloe "Lucky" Hawk.

This is Chloe's baby picture.

And here is Chloe celebrating her first Christmas.

Here is Chloe is June 28 with Pinky Tuscadero. I received Pinky from the Joliet Area Retired Teachers Association as a gif for speaking to the group about self-publishing at a lunch.

Pinky did not survive for very long under my care.

Chloe switched from becoming an office plant to a house plant in 2020 during the shutdown. By then, she had outgrown her original container. Timothy transplanted her to a larger one.

But Chloe outgrew that container, too. Here she is, newly transplanted (again) in May 2021.

Chloe has recently experienced another growth spirt and will soon need another transplantation.

So to any plant experts who might be reading this, I have three questions:

1) Is this typical of Crotons?

2) What is her lifespan?

3) How much taller/larger etc. is she expected to grow?

Story Round-Up: Features in The Herald-News, April 16 through April 21

WHEW! As you can see below, it has been one busy week.

Because, yes, as our news editor puts it, I'm a one-woman show. I write or edit nearly everything that goes in the features section and take most of my own photos and videos, too, definitely not the quality of our photo editor, but, hey! I do try.

And speaking of trying, I'm apologizing in advance for any typos. Blogger's spellcheck is not working, and it's instructed me to "try later."

Um, no.

Second apology of the day: My illustrator for "Cornell Dyer and the Missing Tombstone" found a few typos. It a appears the wrong version was uploaded (we reverted to an earlier version because the recent version wound up with formatting issues). However, my illustrator is also better at formatting than we are, so she is going to help us and re-upload. So the book is still available until then, but buyer beware...

After a few weekends of minimal fiction-writing (the flu, weekend editor, a semi-working Easter weekend), I am looking forward of immersing myself in Before the Blood tomorrow (after early morning blood work and a few errands and before a work obligation later in the evening.

And now...

First, the non-bylined work: the health, faith, and arts and entertainment calendars. Three of them can be found at this link:. http://www.theherald-news.com/lifestyle/

Gotta Do It, runs each Sunday and often stays on the home page throughout the week.

Feature briefs for Tuesday (health), Thursday (faith), Friday (Arts and Entertainment), and Sunday (People) are also edited (texted and photos) by the lady of this blog, but only the stories have bylines.

Another option: I do post the briefs and calendars on Twitter during the week, so you're welcome to follow me at @Denise_Unland61. And of course, I post curated content relating to the BryonySeries at @BryonySeries.

Just an FYI: On free days, holidays, and Sundays I'm not on call, I only post the blog to my "real" Twitter account, as my company insists we do take time off. I'm less reasonable, so unless I'm on a real vacation, I still post to the BryonySeries accounts.

FYI: videos have not been attaching to my Herald-News stories, although they do run for a time on the home page. You may also find them under the "videos" tab.

If you'd like to watch a video, and it's not showing up for you, message me, and I'll manually attach it. No worries for this week, though, although I will have videos for Sunday.

Thank you for reading The Herald-News.

Right hat for the right era: Will County Historical Museum exhibits vintage hats and accessories (VIDEO EXTRA)

See history through hats at Lockport museum

“People don’t wear hats nowadays except for utilitarian hats,” Susan Marbes, co-curator, said. “These have more character and flair to them. How much hats meant to women – it was part of the total woman.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/03/28/right-hat-for-the-right-era-will-county-historical-museum-exhibits-vintage-hats-and-accessories/aawxd2r/

Photos: A glimpse of the vintage hat display in Lockport

Take a peek at some of the vintage hats now on display at the Will County Historical Museum and Research Center in Lockport.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2017/03/28/76bf9cce67a6436fa1510adfd4a9bc6c/index.xml

Photos: Trying on vintage hats in Lockport

While covering the story about vintage hats at the Will County Historical Musuem in Lockport, the curators invited me to try on some hats.

http://www.theherald-news.com/lists/2017/03/28/070f57d5c0054a59bb96a56acb97b682/index.xml

Mission Easter Hat: Seeking the perfect 1 in Joliet

On Palm Sunday, Rebekah and I headed over to Louis Joliet Mall in Joliet with two missions: an Easter hat for me and an Easter purse for her (Rebekah doesn’t like hats, but she does love big purses).

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/04/04/mission-easter-hat-seeking-the-perfect-1-in-joliet/af8roy1/

An Extraordinary Life: Life was an adventure to history-loving, bus-driving Joliet man

Anthony ‘Butch’ Tadey found adventure in life and organized the same for others

Ray Strle, Butch’s friend of 60-plus years, who described him thus, said Butch had an extensive knowledge of history (especially World War II), an inexhaustible capacity for great ideas and a natural leadership style.

“He would just invent these things and say, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’” Ray said. “He always had interesting ideas, so [we] went along with it.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/04/14/an-extraordinary-life-life-was-an-adventure-to-history-loving-bus-driving-joliet-man/aqje3wc/

Pets of the Week: April 17

Click on the caption of each photo to find out about that pet, including where he or she can be adopted.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/04/14/pets-of-the-week-april-17/aiccdwg/

New Lenox woman discusses her battle with 'the suicide disease'

Nicole Ferguson is raising awareness of invisible illness

She recalled the first bolt, while having lunch with her parents in 1993.

“It was excruciating, like a lightning shock to the skull,” Ferguson said. “I felt like my skull was being tightened in a vise and electrocuted at the same time.”

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/04/07/new-lenox-woman-discusses-her-battle-with-the-suicide-disease/aqyv4g8/

Mystery Diner: Mamma Onesta's serving fine Italian food for 8 years in Lockport

One step inside and we were struck by its Old World elegance and café charm.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/03/28/mystery-diner-mamma-onestas-serving-fine-italian-food-for-8-years-in-lockport/az5pu1r/

Christian artist Audrey Assad will perform in Plainfield on April 21

She’s especially passionate about four topics: pornography addiction, Catholicism, womanhood and Syrian refugees. Assad may share on these or others at the upcoming concert.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/04/18/christian-artist-audrey-assad-will-perform-in-plainfield/axepq7e/

As New Lenox Park District recreation director retires, she looks back on the district's growth

Shirley Braglia’s love for recreation, which began in her childhood, even before her first job as a day camp counselor for the Chicago Park District.

That was 1972. Braglia was 13 and said she was paid $1 a day “to keep kids entertained.” Braglia had her own group of 10 to 15 children, which she moved from station to station.

Camp went from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. five days a week for six weeks. It also was free, although campers brought their own lunches.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/04/19/as-new-lenox-park-district-recreation-director-retires-she-looks-back-on-the-districts-growth/ajhedkt/

Artworks: Joliet cafe displaying nature photography through end of April (VIDEO EXTRA)

The photographer, John Kessler, stresses he is not a professional photographer.

“I’m just an old man trying to take good pictures,” Kessler said.

http://www.theherald-news.com/2017/04/18/artworks-joliet-cafe-displaying-nature-photography-through-end-of-april/ackd68y/