What vegetarians eat needn’t be mystifying

I overheard a woman say that she was a vegetarian until her husband got tired of eating salads every day. “I could, but he couldn’t,” she commented.  Assuming she meant salads as a main dish, I was surprised. Did she not know about options, from meatless variations of popular dishes to fake meats? Did she... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
Monday at 10:21 am
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Book group takes on a GAN

You’ve probably heard of the Great American Novel. (Yes, it’s capitalized, and some people even use the acronym GAN.) With my turn coming up to suggest a few novels for our book group to choose from, I looked at books that have been thought worthy of the title.  From visiting a half-dozen websites, I learned... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
June 14, 2021 at 10:19 am
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Differences about what we’ll do now

My friends and I agreed about those who weren’t treating COVID as a serious health threat. But now that we’re vaccinated, we diverge about reentering seminormal life. The differences have made me feel defensive on occasion.  Did I detect a self-satisfied tone when two vaccinated friends said that they intend to keep their masks on... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
June 7, 2021 at 8:02 am
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Recalling a disappointing meeting with an icon

If you listen to WBEZ, you know that National Public Radio celebrated its 50th anniversary this month. The names Susan Stamberg and Bob Edwards are familiar to those who go back to the beginning with public radio. They were cohosts of NPR’s flagship daily news show All Things Considered until Edwards moved to its morning... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
May 31, 2021 at 10:42 am
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Visit an unfamiliar museum and pretend you’re traveling

Favorites like the Impressionist paintings at the Art Institute and everything at the Chicago History Museum are always a pleasure to revisit, but as the new normal loomed, seeing unfamiliar museums allowed me to indulge the pretense of traveling. 21c Hotel Museum I had never heard of the 21c Hotel Museum until my friend JoAnn... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
May 24, 2021 at 10:20 am
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Resumed activities fall short: bad luck or a bad omen?

During the pandemic, my friend Sandie and I have played Scrabble online twice a week, double the amount we used to play in person, and my book group has met via Zoom. The activity that I missed is Chicago Greeter, where I’d logged almost 1,000 hours giving tours to out-of-towners. Chicago Greeter resumed operation in... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
May 17, 2021 at 9:31 am
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Lessons from eight seasons of container gardening

It’s the time of year when Chicagoland gardeners have to restrain ourselves from planting annuals outdoors yet.  “Too early,” I keep repeating while eyeing the annuals I impulsively bought Saturday. They’re safe indoors for now, but whether I can wait until Memorial Day weekend, the target planting date, remains to be seen. In eight previous... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
May 10, 2021 at 10:33 am
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What I’d like to say to someone who refuses a vaccine

Maybe you also know someone who doesn’t want to get a COVID vaccination. There’s a good chance that someone isn’t in the Baby Boomer generation. Eighty-five percent of us are or intend to be vaccinated, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. One in four adults under 30 are wait-and-see or definitely not. The person I... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
May 3, 2021 at 10:39 am
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The caring example of my cousin Bob

My cousin Bob may have been as attentive to his frail Aunt Anita, my mother, if he weren’t in a wheelchair. But he might not have had the time because, at 58, he would still have been working.  A decade ago Bob woke from back surgery in a Joliet hospital unable to move his legs.... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
April 26, 2021 at 8:48 am
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Being alone is a choice for many older women

Interviewed for the April issue of Harper’s Bazaar, 83-year-old Jane Fonda said she was through with romantic relationships.  “I don’t want to be in a relationship, a sexual relationship, again,” she said. “I don’t have that desire.” Three-quarters of my women friends of my generation are single, with the single numbers equally split between never married... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
April 20, 2021 at 10:30 am
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