Author Archives: Mrs. Fitz

Our 1950s-built ranch house in Elmhurst, Il occupied its lot in a polite way. It stayed put in the middle of its skirt of grass, like a damsel. Unlike the three children our Mom and Dad housed there, it didn’t … Continue reading →

Neighborhood street fairs in Chicago squish into a sliver season following snow and preceding  snow, the time when our city is stunned to see street. We fist-rub our winter-nap eyes to get a gander at each other. Each other is … Continue reading →

We who attended college during the whimsically labeled “turbulent” 1960s were fond of asking questions. This both freed us from finding answers and left time for more important endeavors, such as protesting. The Next Fifty Years: Science in the First … Continue reading →

During summers in the 1960s, Dad wore his brown suit and polka-dot tie to work at Sears Roebuck & Co. during the week. He looked tidy, but I think this get-up rubbed him the wrong way when the great out-of-doors … Continue reading →

My baby boomhood coincided with the ranch-house boom. Ours, on Sunnyside avenue in Elmhurst, Il, was built on a vacant lot among older tall homes. These jutted and strutted in tudor and colonial style. The upstart ranches that snuck in … Continue reading →

Hiding is one of my favorite pastimes, a legacy from youth in the western suburbs of Chicago during the 1960s, where it was encouraged. I hid from my two brothers, one older and one younger until such time they stopped … Continue reading →

Chicago is ready for Spring before Spring is ready for Chicago. This has an upside. It inspires thinking about new growth. This may coax nice weather to feel free to show up sometime. Here are three idea sprouts, unencumbered by … Continue reading →

There are many reasons folks don’t write. Lack of talent isn’t one of them. Being smart is. Following are three smart-writer mistakes: 1. Explaining what you know. Being told isn’t fun. Discovery is fun. You will know you are explaining … Continue reading →

In Elie Wiesel’s book “The Gates of the Forest,” a rabbi says, “God made man because He loves stories.” I’ll bet one of his favorites is the story of Chinua Achebe, a man born in Nigeria in 1930. He died … Continue reading →

A woman I admire was interviewed for an essay about her life, which is far from over; but more of if is her past, since she has seen more than 90 summers. She said three events influenced who she is. … Continue reading →