Runners * Explorers * Dream Chasers
In Chicagoland’s South Side there is a marathon trail at just over 26 miles that follows the Calumet-Sag channel connecting the Sag Quarries in Lemont to Freedom Park in Alsip, Illinois. On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the Jagers set off on another adventure to explore a new trail with our bikes. We started our journey […]
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Three friends who love the Michigan State Spartans took a road trip to see a baseball game at Wrigley Field. Not one of us is a self-proclaimed Cubs fan, but instead root for the Tigers, Blue Jays, and White Sox. Even so, as baseball fans we wanted to experience the authentic Wrigleyville atmosphere since this […]
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It’s the peak time of Spring for migratory birds flying over Lake Michigan to make a pit stop in the Indiana Dunes. The long-awaited annual migration of birders flocking to the lakeshore had finally arrived. As birders since 2019, we have been planning to attend this festival since the 2020 convention was canceled and we […]
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The summer of 2020 marked the beginning of our gardening journey when Derek and I grew plants from seed packets on the windowsill of our apartment for the community garden plot. Over the course of the next several months, we learned how to grow organic vegetables, fruits, and lots of sunflowers. So when given the […]
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There was no Christmas tree in our apartment this year but that doesn’t mean that we lacked greenery or joyful decoration. Our love of plants flourished on the porch garden with select species transitioning inside as the weather turned. The dragonfruit cactus outgrew several sized pots and our bonsai ficus, acquired circa 2019, received new […]
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Michigan State has had an unbelievable start to their season. Ranked No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings after beating Michigan last week in Spartan Stadium, we were hopeful the team would continue its streak of undefeated games. With Purdue’s campus only an hour and a half drive from Valparaiso and ticket prices much […]
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Art brings people together. Artists tell stories, bring history to life, and reimagine the future. I consider it an honor to teach art for a living, investing this passion into my students as creative thinkers who become more empowered to take risks, learn collaboratively, and create meaningful artwork. It’s also important to develop myself as […]
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It was so bitterly cold that we wore face masks to shield every possible inch of exposed skin from the ferocious winds that drifted over the dunes. Bundled in layers with our hoods up and snow boots on, we trekked the snow covered staircases one step at a time at West Beach in the middle […]
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Long, long ago, so long ago that nobody knows just when or where it was given, the name “Green Mountains” was bestowed upon the range that extends through the State of Vermont…the origin of the state’s name that was given by the French, “Verd-Mont” …most likely by the explorer Samuel Champlain or more probable by […]
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It has been a long time since we went to the movies. In retrospect, I cannot remember if the last film we saw in a movie theater was Avengers: End Game, Captain Marvel, or Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker, all of which were released in 2019. While we have both been captivated by […]
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Game Changers 