by Hélène | Feb 2, 2023 | Musings
A few months ago, during a routine physical, my physician found a lump on my thyroid. You know when they put their hand on your throat and ask you to swallow? That’s so they can feel for any masses. And I had one. The doctor explained that thyroid nodules are... by Hélène | Jan 18, 2023 | Musings
A few weekends ago, I went to the movies at the Chicago Music Box Theatre. I was keen to see a new release that was only available in theaters: Women Talking. The film is an adaptation of the Miriam Toews 2018 novel of the same name, which is based on a horrifying... by Hélène | Dec 31, 2022 | Musings
When the “storm of the century” was due to hit Chicago right before Christmas, coinciding with our flights out to visit my parents in Santa Barbara, my husband and I decided to move our travel plans up by 2 days and avoid the mess entirely. (Good thing we... by Hélène | Dec 19, 2022 | Musings
For nearly 3 years, I avoided it. I’d find out after-the-fact that I’d been exposed and still, no sign of it. Like last Christmas, when over a dozen of us gathered for the holidays and many ended up with Covid. Not me! Or a couple of months ago, when I... by Hélène | Nov 30, 2022 | Musings
Two weeks ago, I woke up to a text from my friend Karen—well, really her eldest son Alec who had taken over her cell phone at her request. He wanted to let me know that his dad, Jim, had suffered a serious accident and was in the hospital in New Jersey. We’ve...