Apparently these are in Woodstock, where “Groundhog Day” was filmed.

Looks like we’re mostly centered on trivia, as some places are getting yearlong schedules for weekly trivia. And things are calming down ahead of the Super Bowl and Valentine’s events.

Monday, January 31

3:00 – 7:00 pm • Country Grill Chicken Truck
Evil Horse Brewing Co., 1338 Main St., Crete, IL (708) 304-2907 Map
Country Grill Chicagoland is a food truck company offering rotisserie chicken and ribs fresh from the spit, homemade salads and pretzels.

3:00 – 9:00 pm • Pilsner Night
Dovetail Brewery, 1800 W. Belle Plaine Ave., Chicago 773-683-1414 Map
A night of Czech-style beer service.
• Only serving our house pale or dark Czech-style lagers.
• Enjoy goulash from Beard & Belly.
Na zdraví!

5:00 – 8:00 pm • Wandering Cafe Pop-up
Temperance Beer Co., 2000 Dempster St., Evanston, IL (847) 864-1000 Map
Wandering Cafe will be serving up delicious food every Monday in our Tap Room!

5:00 – 10:00 pm • Pints & Pies at Max & Leo’s
Max & Leo’s at Kings Dining & Entertainment, 1500 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago (312) 973-4920 Map
Name a better duo…we’ll wait!
Max & Leo’s at KINGS Lincoln Park has teamed up with local breweries every month to bring you Pints & Pies! Visit Max & Leo’s Monday through Wednesday to indulge in one artisan pizza and 2 craft beers for only $25!
Revolution Brewing Featuring:
Anti Hero • A Little Crazy • DDH Stratasphero while it lasts
Deep Woods Rotation starting with Blackberry Fin while it lasts

7:00 – 10:00 pm • Weekly Trivia @ Pilot Project
Pilot Project Brewing, 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (773) 270-5995 Map
Join us in the Pilot Project Heated Tent for free pub trivia every Monday!
Beer Special: Every player will receive one free 4oz taster of beer, booch or cider.
Reservations Available on Tock

8:30 – 11:00 pm • Tuesday Night Trivia
Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant, 5157 Main St., Downers Grove, IL 630-969-0600  Map
Come down to the Pub for live and uncensored trivia. Completely random questions. It’s free to play and prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. sign up begins at 8:30pm. Bring your smart friends!

Tuesday, February 1

Lake County Libation Trail Month/Check In Challenge
Lake County, Illinois is home to many well-known, creative producers of craft beer, local wines and distilled spirits. We promote and support these partners on the “Libation Trail” all year long, and we especially dedicate the month of February to encourage residents and visitors to discover new destinations and flavors throughout the county. Follow the Libation Trail for great tastes and fun times. Cheers!
Guests who “Check-In” at 5 or more locations between Feb. 1-28 will be eligible for a drawing, where 50 people will win a new Libation Trail Roster Shirt. The long-sleeved 100% cotton shirt lists all the LT partner locations to visit this year. Once 50 names are drawn after March 1, winners who respond to email notification with their name and mailing address within seven days will be awarded a shirt to wear proudly.
1. SCAN the QR code, TEXT “CHEERS” to 224.706.1133 or visit Experience.VisitLakeCounty.org. (also where you can find participating locations).
2. Sign up for the Libation Trail Passport and opt-in for location services and prompts.
3. CHECK-IN at five or more participating locations between Feb. 1-28 to be entered to WIN.
4. 50 eligible entrants will win the new Libation Trail Roster Shirt, a sought-after souvenir for adventurous libation connoisseurs.

6:30 pm • Tuesday Trivia: General Knowledge
One Allegiance Brewing, 10215 S. Harlem Ave., Chicago Ridge, IL (708) 529-7067 Map
Join us on Tuesdays for a night of trivia dedicated to various popular TV shows, movies, and themes! First Tuesday of every month is general knowledge trivia.
Each game is free to play!
First place winner will receive a $30 OAB Gift Card and other prizes include a beer to go. There is no entry fee to play trivia.
Trivia starts at 7pm but come in to register at 6:30pm so you and your team can grab a couple drinks before the games start!
See you soon for some fun, games and prizes!

6:30 – 8:30 pm • Seinfeld Trivia Night
Chuck’s Café, 8025 S. Cass Ave., Darien, IL 331-431-4000 Map
You know the characters, you know the episodes! So gather some friends up for Seinfeld Trivia Night!
Reservations highly suggested: 331-431-4000!
Prizes awarded to the Top 3 teams plus great drink specials including:
$2 Domestics | $2 PBR Drafts | $8 Flights
$3 Imports | $4 Well Spirit One & One’s

7:00 – 9:30 pm • Trivia Night in Skokie
Sketchbook Brewing Co. – Skokie, 4901 Main St., Skokie, IL (847) 588-0652 Map
Trivia courtesy of Pub Trivia USA. No cards, teams will play on their phone apps. Prizes for the winning teams: $35 for 1st place, $25 for 2nd, $15 for 3rd. Pop up Latin American cuisine from Libertad from 5:30-8:30p!

7:00 pm • Brewery Bingo
The Open Bottle Lockport, 16437 159th St., Lockport, IL (815) 293-6350 Map
Brewery Bingo is back! Over the next 5 months, we’re partnering with a new brewery every Thursday at 7pm for our monthly Brewery Bingo! No more sneaking into bingo halls for you!
Every week, we’ll have a draft beer on special and prizes from a variety of local breweries.
Here’s who’s up:
February – Half Acre Beer Co.
March – Old Irving Brewing Co.
April – Goose Island Beer Co.
May – Mikerphone Brewing
It’s Bingo with breweries you love & fantastic prizes for you to win!
HOW TO PLAY:
Imagine a Bingo card. Now replace the B-I-N-G-O with five breweries and the numbers replaced with their most popular beers. We’ll spin our bingo balls ’round and ’round until a random ball decides to set itself free. We call out a beer, you look at your bingo card, and then place a bottle cap on your card if you’re lucky. Get 5 in a row and win a prize! In between rounds, there will be penny pours, good music and even better times. Must be 21+ to play.

7:00 – 10:00 pm • Bar Bingo
Crafted 1979, 19200 LaGrange Rd., Ste. E, Mokena, IL 708-860-2826 Map
Bar Bingo with a brewery sponsors each night! There will be specialty tappings and prizes all night long. The sponsor rotates regularly with the usual bingo fun.

7:00 – 9:00 pm • Trivia Night at Alter Brewing Downers Grove
Alter Brewing Co., 2300 Wisconsin Ave. #213, Downers Grove, IL 630-541-9558 Map
Come out for our General Knowledge trivia night and join your host as they quiz your teams through two full hours of general knowledge trivia, including awesome themed bonus rounds and music rounds!
While we’re testing your wit, Alter Brewing Company will be keeping you fueled up with craft brews all night, PLUS the top teams will win bragging rights and prizes, so bring your friends, family, and even your enemies (if they’re good at trivia) to increase your chances of winning. Feel free to order in delivery from one of the awesome local restaurants (we highly recommend Dan’s Pizza!) to enjoy during the event, as well.
Due to limited capacity, reservations will be taken for indoor tables the time being – simply email [email protected] to reserve a table for your team.
Please follow ALL Covid-19 guidelines and restrictions put in place by the venue, and here are a few extra tips:
1) Please bring your own pen/pencil. Our host will have pencils just in case, but it would be best to use your own for everyone’s safety & comfort.
2) The questions will be read by your host over our PA system, but may not be displayed on a screen if one is not easily available.
3) Any and all rules/restrictions are subject to change.

7:00 – 10:00 pm • Weekly Movie Night
Pilot Project Brewing, 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago (773) 270-5995 Map
Where // Pilot Project Heated Tent
Movie Selection:
2/1: ANCHORMAN
2/8: CHEF hosted by Brewer’s Kitchen ($2 off BK beer)
2/15: LEGALLY BLONDE hosted by ROVM Hard Kombucha ($2 off ROVM booch)
2/22: CB4 hosted by Funkytown ($2 off FT beer)
Food Special, House popcorn mix
Reservations available on Tock

Wednesday, February 2

5:00 – 7:00 pm • Art History Brewing – Special Mixer
Art History Brewing, 649 W. State St., Geneva, IL 630-345-6274 Map
Out n About Kane County invites you to a Special Mixer at Art History Brewing in Geneva. Come Relax and Unwind with Beer Specials and Tombola’s. Click GOING and we will have a nice cold one waiting for you.

6:00 – 9:00 pm • Groundhog, Woodchuck, What’s the Difference?: A Cider & Cheese Pairing
Plank Road Tap Room, 39W149 Plank Rd., Elgin, IL 224-238-3527 Map
We thought it was appropriate to celebrate Groundhogs Day with our friends at Woodchuck Cider. Let’s all kick back, chill and enjoy a cider and cheese pairing!
On Wednesday, February 2nd, one of our most popular ticketed events is back…it’s time to pair cider and cheese!
We will be pairing four exquisite cheeses, thoughtfully paired with four delicious ciders from Woodchuck Cider in Vermont.
The Cheese & Cider:
1. Entremont Brie (cow’s milk), Served with Pearsecco
2. Raw Milk Manchego (sheep’s milk, Spain), Served with Sangria
3. Colliers Cheddar (cow’s milk, Wales), Served with Amber
4. Gorgonzola Dolce DOP (cow’s milk, Italy), Served with Barrel Select 
We’ll start the evening with a reception from 6pm-7pm so that you can relax after work and settle in. Pairing will begin around 7pm. We will guide you through each pairing and why they were selected.
Tickets are $29.99 per person and include a flight of ciders paired with four cheeses from around the globe.

6:00 – 8:15 pm • Door Hanger Painting Party
Hopvine Brewing Co., 4030 Fox Valley Center Dr., Aurora, IL 630‑229‑6030 Map
Something new from Studio ONE Painting Parties! Create your own Welcome Door Hanger. Neutral colored bows and floral stems, pick your own colors. Shown in Navy blue and white with elegant gold paint. 15″ round. OR Paint a St Paddy’s Day Gnome! All supplies and complete instruction included. Come a bit early to order food and drinks and make a night of it!
Make reservations here.

7:00 pm • HQ Beercade Trivia Night
Headquarters Beercade River North, 213 W. Institute Place, Chicago 773-665-5660 Map
Introducing our next trivia night… BREAKING BAD! See how well you know Walter White and you have the chance to win a $250 PRIZE PLUS your tab covered up to 6 people!!
We look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday, Feb. 2nd at 7pm!
Tickets are free but you must reserve your spots at the linktree in our Facebook bio.
Don’t forget tonight is INDUSTRY NIGHT! 50% off all tabs for our industry friends

7:00 – 9:00 pm • Stump Trivia Quiz
Ten Ninety Brewing Co., 1025 Waukegan Rd., Glenview, IL 224-432-5472 Map
IN-PERSON trivia is back at Ten Ninety Brewing Company! Wednesday nights have never been better! Join us for two free, fun, rounds of trivia beginning at 7pm & 8pm.
We will be using our new digital scoring system. Each team will designate one person to submit answers on your team’s behalf. No need to write anything down by hand, no need to stand up, and no need to turn in a paper answer slip!
Remember – venue capacity may be limited, so please call ahead to RSVP!
More info: here.

7:00 – 9:00 pm • Music Bingo
Pints Elmhurst, 112 S. York St., Elmhurst, IL 630-833-4303 Map
Music BiNgO is coming to Pints every Wednesday beginning February 2nd! Free to play with the purchase of food and beverage. Join us for themed nights with prizes and giveaways. Wednesday Specials include $8 House Wines + $13 Southwest Chicken Salads.

7:00 pm • Will Ferrell Movie Trivia
The Brass Tap, 14225 95th Ave. Ste. 400, Orland Park, IL 708-226-1827 Map
Do you love Will Ferrell as much as we do? Then come on out for Will Ferrell Movie Trivia. It’s free to play and prizes are awarded to the top teams ! Call now to reserve your table !

7:00 pm • Trivia!
Rock Island Public House, 13328 S. Olde Western Ave., Blue Island, IL 708-388-5513 Map
We will have an all-subjects trivia game with questions covering a wide range of subjects. Possible categories include history, geography, current events, television, fashion, science, and much more. FREE TO PLAY!
We will have prizes for the top three teams. Get your team together for some trivia fun!

7:30 pm • Star Wars Trivia w/ Empirical Brewery
Navigator Taproom, 2211 N. Milwaukee Ave., Ste. 100, Chicago (773) 687-9135 Map
Whaddayaknow? hosts the best trivia in Chicago, while Empirical Brewery pours the best beers in the city as well.
Beskaar Dark Lager & the Mangolorian IPA are both on tap for this cosmic event!
“May the force be with you” while you try to answer the hardest questions in the galaxy (i.e. who shot first, Han or Greedo?)
*don’t worry! For you non-star wars nerds, not all questions will be Star Wars related. so don’t feel like you have to binge 48 hrs of Lucas cinema to kick some Womp Rat!

Thursday, February 3

3:00 – 9:00 pm • Nashville Hot Chicken Thursday!
Wildrose Brewing Co., 1104 E. Main St., Griffith, IN (219) 595-5054 Map
It’s Thursday…..you know what that means.
Due to popular demand we’re serving up Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches every Thursday. Topped with Chef Mike’s homemade slaw and pickles and paired with a side of fries for just $10!
We are now also offering up a less spicy version for those who can’t handle all the heat. Both the spicy and less spicy will be available only while supplies last. These have been extremely popular the last few weeks so you don”t wanna miss out!

6:00 – 8:00 pm • Rhythm n’ Brews Music Bingo
On Tour Brewing Co., 1725 W. Hubbard St., Chicago 312-796-3119 Map
MUSIC BINGO NIGHT, ANYONE?
Test your music knowledge at our first ever “Rhythm n’ Brews” music bingo night Thursdays through February from 6 – 8 PM! From behind-the-scenes tour tickets to 4-packs of our delicious beers, there are a ton of prizes to be won. Grab a bingo-loving buddy, a beer and escape the cold weather for a guaranteed fun night.
HOW TO PLAY:
No sign-up necessary. If you’re itching to play, let a bartender know when you arrive and they’ll give you a bingo sheet. Rhythm n’ Brews Music Bingo is on a come-and-go basis but the longer you stay, the better the chance you have of winning!

6:00 pm • Cruz Blanca Tap Takeover
Roots Handmade Pizza, Chicago locations.  Map
Find Cruz Blanca at Roots Pizza every Thursday @ 6PM for the month of February for a tap takeover!
ON TAP:
Palm Shade Tropical Hazy IPA
El Train Chicago IPA
Vamos Vienna Lager Especial
Rey Gordo Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
Scheduled locations:
Feb 3: Lincoln Square, 2200 W. Lincoln Ave.
Feb 10: South Loop, 744 S Dearborn
Feb 17: Second City, 1610 N. Wells
Feb 24: West Town, 1924 W Chicago Ave.

6:00 – 8:00 pm • Dry City Trivia
Dry City Brew Works, 120B N. Main St., Wheaton, IL (630) 456-4787 Map
Trivia at Dry City! Themed trivia every Thursday!

6:00 – 9:00 pm • Take Flight Thursdays
Riverlands Brewing Co., 1860 Dean St. Unit A, St. Charles, IL (630) 549-6293 Map
Thursdays seem lame until you realize they’re really FRIDAY EVE. To celebrate come sample some of St. Charles’ hometown beers and SAVE.
Every Thursday*, from 6pm to close, we’ll take $2.00 off flights of four 5oz pours. This is the PERFECT date night opportunity, or a chance to just try out some of our 16 taps all at once.
We also have a rotating calendar of pub games each Thursday, including our monthly trivia nights, shuffleboard tournies, and (weather permitting) patio disc golf putting. Check our weekly events for more details.
*Excludes holidays or other special events

6:00 pm • February Steak Night
DeJa Brew Bar & Grill, 5219 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn, IL 708-423-0484 Map
The first Thursday of each month we are grilling you prime steaks with sides to compliment!
Wine & craft beer pairings available.

7:00 – 9:00 pm • Yellowstone trivia
Arrowhead Ales Brewing Co., 2101 Calistoga Dr., New Lenox, IL 815-717-6068 Map
Have a crush on Jimmy like the other young ladies? Is Beth your hero? Hope for love like Kayce and Monica? Yellowstone is such a huge hit we could not resist hosting a trivia night all about this series!
You can play solo or round up a team of fans and compete to win!
Top teams win prizes.

7:00 – 9:00 pm • Holzlager Trivia
Holzlager Brewing Co., 150 S. Eastwood Dr., Woodstock, IL (815) 308-5901 Map
Come test your knowledge with our weekly Holzlager Trivia Nights! Our Trivial Pursuit-inspired game focuses on 5 topics: Entertainment, History & Geography, Science & Nature, Art & Literature and Sports & Leisure. Stay tuned for our monthly special-themed trivia nights!

7:00 pm • 80s Music Bingo
The Brass Tap, 14225 95th Ave. Ste. 400, Orland Park, IL 708-226-1827 Map
Music Bingo hosted by DJ Rick! It’s Name That Tune meets Classic Bingo (yes you can use your phones) Fun! Prizes!
Support your decade!

7:30 – 8:30 pm • Virtual Craft Beer Tasting Series-February
River Forest Park District, 401 Thatcher Ave., River Forest, IL 708-366-6660 Map
Back by popular demand, the River Forest Park District’s 2nd Virtual Craft Beer Tasting will be on Thursday, February 3rd, from 7:30-8:30pm. This tasting featurs Two Hound Red Brewing Co. and Miskatonic Brewing Company. Join us via Zoom to be part of the discussion with the Brewmasters on the beers they make, their brewery operations, and answer your questions while sampling their beer. Each registration includes a 4-pack of craft beer which will be available for pickup Tuesday-Thursday 8:30am-4:30pm, prior to the virtual beer tasting date. Pickup will be at the Depot, 401 Thatcher Ave.
The Zoom link will be sent to your email address the Wednesday before the event.Registration here is $20. Last day for internet registrations is January 31.

7:30 – 9:00 pm • Thursty Thursday Elephino Trivia
Side Lot Brewery, 110 Slocum Lake Rd., Wauconda, IL 847-714-2584 Map
Join M.C. Hill & Elephino Trivia every Thursday night at Side Lot Brewery for Team Trivia. Free to play & fabulous prizes to win.

Woody Allen’s newest film, “Rifkin’s Festival,” is a delight. It’s light-hearted, filled with lively jazz tunes and European flavor, and proof that the 86-year-old writer-director is as good or better than he’s ever been.

I watched the film recently on-line, via Google Play

Made in 2020, the whole film has a light, European-flavored touch and feel. It follows Mort Rifkin, a New York writer and former film teacher, and his wife, Susan, a publicist, to San Sebastian, Spain, and its International Film Festival.

San Sebastian is a real city in northern Spain, near that country’s border with France, and has an international film festival.

In a nutshell, Rifkin is jealous of the handsome French actor his wife spends much of the festival with, though he compensates by finding a fetching young heart doctor named Joanna, who has marriage problems of her own.

Of course, the plot is just a taste of what this movie-meal is about.

Is Rifkin the Allen character here? Yea, maybe. In the capable hands of actor Wallace Shawn, Rifkin is the guiding presence that holds the film together.

Across the board, most of the acting here is first-rate.

Shot in Sony Digital, the film is filled with gorgeous, colorful visuals, thanks to the European setting and the expert eyes of its Oscar-winning cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro.

As in many of Allen’s films, the work is a mixture of comedy and drama, with satirical jabs about characters and culture alongside questions about the meaning of life.

Apropos for a film set at a film festival, the movie is filled with Allen’s reflections on cinema. His memories of movies are often comic and dream-based. For example, early in “Rifkin’s Festival,” there’s a sequence based on the famous “Rosebud” scene from “Citizen Kane,” except here the reference is to a woman Rifkin knew in his youth, Rose Budnick.

There are the usual Allen set pieces on display. There’s the New Yorker sensibility, even though here the action is set in the rolling hills of sunny Spain. There’s the pondering over the larger questions of existence, including life and death, and what does it all mean? There’s the reverence for the classics of literature and film, and the appreciation of romance, and women.

Allen is returning in “Rifkin’s Festival” to the themes and ideas he’s been perusing on-screen for decades. But as the director’s career has largely shifted to Europe in recent years, this film deals with those Allen themes with a European, lighter touch. Along with his ace Italian cinematographer, many of the actors are European, as well as the crew members.

Along with the southern European light and sun, if feels like there’s less guilt in this film, and more, dare I say, joie de vivre.

The French guitarist Stephane Wrembel is credited with providing the music for the film. From start to finish, light jazz permeates “Rifkin’s Festival,” giving the movie a jaunty, playful feel.

In addition, there’s light, beautiful female jazz vocals sprinkled throughout the film: a delightful addition.

Make no mistake, of course. Allen’s limitations as a filmmaker are on display here, too. The action often seems vaguely formalized, like we’ve happened upon a play in progress, rather than real life. And the general sense is that we’ve entered the world of the rich, with gorgeous interiors, straight out of a design magazine, and characters who don’t seem to even think about money, at all.

But…nevertheless, there are those of us who overlook Allen’s limitations, and enjoy his considerable talents.

Woody Allen’s latest, “Rifkin’s Festival,” is one of his best.

Zephaniah Jon Steinke was born to us on November 1, 2021, two years after I was cured of breast cancer!

This blog post is the 41st in a series about my (and twin sister’s) breast cancer journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. In 2019, I also started documenting our younger sister’s breast cancer previvorship journey. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link. You can also follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

I became a mother for the first time on November 1st, 2021, exactly two years to the day after I met with the surgeon who would perform my double mastectomy that would cure my Stage 0 DCIS breast cancer. (You can read about my November 1st, 2019 surgery appointment / double mastectomy plan at this link, and about the surgery that actually happened on December 3rd, 2019, at this link. I’ve been cancer free for two years now, woohoo!)

Here is Zephaniah with my dad and me a week postpartum! Zephaniah is the youngest member of “Team Mayo Clinic” and the American Cancer Society’s “Real Men Wear Pink!”

Our son, Zephaniah, was a week late and had to be induced–but God knew what he was doing and wanted to surprise us! Not only did we get to welcome Zephaniah on “All Saints Day” but Zephaniah also got recognized as the 50,000th baby born at Maple Grove Hospital in Maple Grove, MN! You can watch a video and read an entire news story about his birth / arrival at this link. 🙂

We named him Zephaniah inspired by one of our favorite Bible verses, Zephaniah 3:17:

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

That verse carried me through much of my breast cancer journey and has been a comforting promise during survivorship, as well. It’s a blessing to know it’s also the promise my husband and I will pray over our son for the rest of our lives! And, actually, my husband, who is a worship pastor and musician, sings to him regularly already 🙂

Here is my husband singing to Zephaniah!

We are so grateful beyond measure that we had a healthy birth and that our baby is healthy and happy! Almost three months into parenthood, we have three major praise reports, followed by a list of blessings we’ve experienced in our 3 months of parenthood so far:

This is me, Zephaniah, my husband, and two dogs after a 200 yard walk 5 days after delivery! It was amazing to get outside but I almost passed out after 100 yards and forced myself to turn around. Postpartum is a trip!

1) Postpartum recovery is going well!: Three months after delivery, I am FINALLY feeling ALMOST normal, mentally and physically. There’s a roller coaster of emotional and physical side effects that come with pregnancy and postpartum recovery, and extra excitement from being induced with Pitocin and experiencing a second-degree tear exacerbated everything! While I can’t wait to be back to 100%, I understand that healing from childbirth–a lot like healing from my double mastectomy!–takes time and rest. I’m still learning that following doctor’s orders to lie low for longer than I’d like is always a good idea so I can be back to full health in due time 🙂

2) A Free Year of Bobbie Baby Formula: Because my double mastectomy makes it impossible for me to breastfeed, my twin sister nominated me for a year of free baby formula from Bobbie, an organic formula company founded by women that provides a breast cancer sponsorship to survivors of breast cancer who can’t breastfeed (which is AMAZING!). This year, Bobbie sponsored ~60 breast cancer survivors with free formula for a year you can read about their breast cancer sponsorship program at this link, and see their founder in an interview on CBS at this link and posted above!). After being interviewed by their founder and executive board members (you can view highlights from our group interview at this link), I was blessed with a sponsorship this year along with ~60 other amazing breast cancer survivor mamas! I do not take this for granted because my husband and I prayed and prayed that we’d find a perfect formula that our baby would like and that was healthy. You can watch a video about the sponsorship here, and read more on this praise report below!

Here are Zephaniah and I all ready for our bobbie Zoom interview with the founder 1 week postpartum! We received a year of free formula as part of their breast cancer survivorship sponsorship!
Zephaniah wakes up happy in the mornings because he’s such a good sleeper!

3) Sleeping through the night!!: At one month old (!), Zephaniah began to sleep through the night with 1-2 feedings / diaper changes max between 11pm and 5am. Now, at almost 3 months old, he is sleeping from 10pm to 6-8am every morning!!! We do not take this blessing for granted because we have prayed every day that he’d be a good sleeper and here we are, 3 months after delivery, snagging 8+ hours of sleep per night. 🙂 Praise God!

As one of my friends recently told me, I shouldn’t try to process all that it means to become a mother all at one time, but I am going to try my best to share some of the highlights and blessings that come with being a breast cancer survivor mama here!

Here’s Zephaniah drinking up his organic bobbie formula which he LOVES!

Blessing #1: A Year of Free Bobbie Formula: Breast Cancer Survivorship Program!

First of all: Keeping an infant alive is hard work. Second: Not being able to feed them in the way God designed (breastfeeding) is incredibly challenging emotionally and mentally. These things make finding a formula your baby incredibly stressful until you find the right one–and then it’s an immense relief when you finally find a formula that works!! My husband and I knew we wanted the best formula for our baby which meant tons of nutrients and preferably organic ingredients.

Not only did we find a formula that worked (bobbie!) but it has tons of nutrients, organic ingredients, AND a sponsorship program for breast cancer survivors. Bobbie is the only female-founded and mom-led infant formula company in the U.S., and it also “joined forces with The Breasties Organization to launch an awareness campaign and public petition for moms who physically can’t breastfeed after a mastectomy to receive insurance coverage for a viable way to feed their babies” (read more about this partnership and program in this Business Insider article).

All that to say, I am so grateful to be part of this program and I recommend bobbie to any woman looking for a formula but especially breast cancer survivors looking for a formula. Bobbie is amazing, and they have resources for women who struggle with breastfeeding, too–not just breast cancer survivor mamas. So, check out their website and look around! 🙂 You can also gift it to parents you know looking for a good formula!

Here is my husband Chris feeding our son Zephaniah his first bottle of bobbie formula in the hospital!!!!

This formula has been a blessing in more ways than one. One of my fondest memories from the hospital was watching my husband feed our baby his first bottle. I still tear up with gratitude thinking about all the prayers that went into bringing us to be parents and finding the right formula. We are so thankful!

Here is my husband feeding our son Zephaniah a bottle in the middle of the night at 3:25am at the hospital!!!
My husband and mom got to be with me for labor and delivery which was AMAZING!!!
Here I am, eating a “Labor Induction” burger from The Suburban in Excelsior, Minnesota, at 40 weeks pregnant. It didn’t put me into labor like it has for 600 other women, haha!

Blessing #2: Childbirth!

I had to be induced a week after Zephaniah’s due date because he didn’t want to come out on time even though I’d been dilated 3cm for 3 weeks. Ha! When we finally got to the hospital at 41 weeks, it was Halloween night at 11pm. I was already contracting, and had been for at least a week, probably because of all the raspberry tea and curb walking I’d been doing!

Here’s my support team during contractions (my husband and mom)! The contractions were much more manageable while I bounced on a yoga ball!

They started my Pitocin at 4am, then my doctor broke my water at 7am. My contractions started with vigor right after my water broke, and I got an epidural at 8:45am. My nurse told me that “I got the epidural at just the right time.” Phew! One thing they don’t tell you about the epidural is that your body will shake uncontrollably after you get it as labor intensifies. That’s all the adrenaline. It was a crazy amount of shaking!

Here I am after getting the epidural. I was a happy camper!

I rolled around with a peanut ball between my legs, shuddering under tons of warm blankets, until 12:30pm, when my nurse decided I’d dilated to 10cm and it was time to push! That’s when the charge nurse came in and told me that, if I pushed Zephaniah out before the next scheduled C section at 2pm, he’d be the 50,000th baby.

“LET’S DO THIS!!!” I said.

And we did! Childbirth itself was a ton of fun. I really truly enjoyed pushing Zephaniah out into the world in 68 minutes (!), and the fact he was the 50,000th baby born at the hospital was an incredible blessing!! My labor and delivery team was incredible and I loved my doctor and nurses. My husband and mom got to be in the delivery room with me which was an amazing, and my nurse and doctors were such helpful coaches teaching me know how to breathe and push!

Here is my doctor and me and Zephaniah right after birth!!!

After 9 hours of active labor following Pitocin and my doctor breaking my water, I only had to push for an hour to get him to come out into the world to meet everyone!! We received a gift basket and a round of applause when he arrived, which was awesome.

Here is me and Zephaniah and the labor and delivery nurse with our basket of goodies for Zephaniah being the 50,000th baby born at Maple Grove Hospital!
Here is my labor and delivery nurse and me with Zephaniah! She was amazing!!!

Blessing #3: Surviving Postpartum Recovery!

And so we went from celebrating Zephaniah being the 50,000th baby at the hospital and being numbed by my epidural to the brutal reality of postpartum recovery. The postpartum recovery process was A LOT more difficult than I’d anticipated. I had a few friends let me know it would be challenging emotionally and physically, but nobody told me with brutal honesty how hard it would be.

Postpartum recovery in the hospital entailed lots and lots of ice, heat packs, trying to sleep, bleeding, figuring out how to use the bathroom, and figuring out how to feed a baby and change diapers!

For example, if you’re subject to any kind of tear following vaginal delivery, you bleed constantly at an alarming rate for an extended period of time. Like, for over a week. Or two. Or three. And that, immediately following delivery, it’s A LOT of constant blood. Which makes sense because you just pushed a child out of you. But it was jarring to me because the bleeding lasted for quite a bit of time–like the entire time I was in the hospital and for a while when I got home, too. I had a second degree tear which wasn’t nearly as bad as fourth degree tears some women endure but was no fun nonetheless!

Here is the donut pillow I sat on for several weeks after delivery! It was a gift from my aunt and a godsend!

And then, once I got home, where family, groceries, and meal train meals from our generous church family were!, I needed to sit on heat packs, ice packs, donut pillows, and cushions daily for at least three weeks to make the pain subside. And I also needed to take Advil and Tylenol on an alternating basis for at least three weeks to keep the pain at bay–and even then, on constant Advil / Tylenol, I still had uterine and back cramping that didn’t subside even with pain pills. I wasn’t about to ask for a narcotic, but the pain was intense enough at times that I thought I could have because even with constant alternating Advil / Tylenol the pain didn’t totally go away. So, as I bled through several pads a day and battled fatigue and postpartum headaches, my uterus continued to contract for approximately a week after delivery as well which felt like the worst menstrual cramps of my life.

Even though I had horrible back and stomach cramping during postpartum, I forced myself to walk several times a week just to be out and getting my blood flowing! Here is me and my dad out for a walk with Zephaniah strapped to me in his carrier!

And, because I had an epidural, my back hurt terribly at the site of the epidural if I walked more than 20 feet. This pain shot nerve pains all over my abdomen and triggered uterine cramps which exacerbated the nausea I was already feeling. The nausea was pretty strange because it was worse than the worst morning sickness I experienced during pregnancy, but after a bit of looking around on various pregnancy health sites (like Mayo Clinic’s), I discovered nausea can be a side effect of Pitocin, which I had plenty of due to being induced! I’m still nauseous sometimes which is kind of crazy almost 3 months out from delivery but hormonal regulation doesn’t totally get back to normal until 6 months postpartum sometimes. So I pray and wait! (At almost 3 months out, I’ve started elliptical again and am lifting dumbbells. I start pelvic floor therapy next week to regain some core strength, too!)

In addition to all of this physical strife, postpartum recovery involves plenty of emotional mood swings. Like, crying all the time. For me, that was about 4 times per day, and it can come on suddenly. When I cried, it felt largely due to an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I was grateful to have survived childbirth, to have given birth to a healthy baby boy, and to have an incredibly supportive husband, family, and support system.

Here we are about 2 weeks postpartum!

I am also grateful to have a formula to feed him and that I survived breast cancer so I could be here to help raise him alongside my husband. I am still incredibly grateful, and now, I’m 3 months out from delivery and don’t cry every day anymore. Now, it’s more like once a week. Which means my hormones are regulating. Which I also don’t take for granted!

Like my twin sister learned in her Breast Cancer Boot Camp with a Mayo Clinic psychologist: “Tears honor things that are meaningful to us.” This truth plus encouragement from my husband, family, and friends that reminded me crying constantly would only last a season, gets me through!!

Here is Zephaniah at 2.5 months, basically holding his own bottle!

Next steps!

Just over a month into parenthood, we’re grateful for God’s faithfulness and the great cloud of witnesses encouraging us along the way. 🙂 I have learned a LOT from the ~60 other breast cancer survivors who also received a Bobbie sponsorship for the formula, and LOVE having friends and family feed him bottles when we have visitors! Our Baby Brezza is a godsend as well–it makes bottles for us in 5 seconds or less!!!

Looking back briefly and looking ahead, here are some brief historical highlights and our next steps!:

October 2021: My twin sister completed “Breast Cancer Boot Camp” with a Mayo Clinic psychologist for her cancer survivorship journey and made some great fellow cancer survivor warrior friends through that program. She has gained a lot of mechanisms that will help her (and the rest of us!) with her survivorship heading into the future!

November 2021: Zephaniah Jon was born! And I became a breast cancer survivor mama!

Here’s my baby sister outside Mayo where she got an “all clear” at her most recent preventative screening!

January 2022: Our youngest sister had her clinical exam and ultrasound with our Breast Clinic doctor on January 4th, 2022; she got the “all clear!” and will be back in July for more screening!

January 2022: My twin sister started her “timed break” from Tamoxifen and will check in with her oncologist and gynecological oncology team before she starts IVF in April 2022!

February 9th, 2022: Our youngest sister is due with her first baby (it’s a girl!)

April 2022: My twin sister and I both have ovarian cancer screening checkups at Mayo. Then, my twin sister starts the IVF process with a fertility clinic in the city; I have my next follow-up appointment with our doctor at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic!

We are so thankful to be where we are and for the great cloud of witnesses supporting and encouraging us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It truly does take a village to become parents, and we don’t take one blessing for granted! God has given us Zephaniah as a little ray of sunshine to be part of my breast cancer survivorship journey from here. And for that, we are grateful 🙂

Zephaniah, my little ray of sunshine! 🙂

Northlight Theatre brings to the stage a Civil Rights Movement play where a charismatic reverend travels throughout the South seeking to galvanize his people with the help of his wife. Playwright Donja R. Love Fireflies is a story that details the overshadowing that black women played during the Civil Rights Movement and seeks to highlight the passion and the struggles they experience as being black in America.

The Rev. Charles Grace is well known for speeches that electrified congregations; however, his wife Olivia was the power behind these brilliant speeches. As his wife that supports the movement, she wrote all of Charles’s speeches and scheduled his dates, but inside she is suffocating with the thoughts of living a life with Charles, a man she doesn’t love, and with a pregnancy she doesn’t want to keep.

Fireflies deals with the traumatic times when being black was a death sentence, and most pregnant black mothers feared. Olivia is a strong and devoted wife to Charles; however, she received something in the mail that changed her entire perspective of life. After coming home from his travels, Charles is grateful to be with Olivia and their expecting child, drowns his anguish and fears in a bottle of Bourbon while Olivia prepares his next speech. But there are secrets within this marriage that will destroy them both. Secrets unfold through a package, some letters, and a cigarette.

Fireflies is part of Love’s trilogy, the first being Love’s Sugar in Our Wounds, where a family living on a plantation during the Civil War witnesses a mystical tree stretching toward heaven while waiting for their freedom. In Fireflies, Love probes the nuance of Blackness and Queerness during the critical moments of Black American history. Directed by Mikael Burke, Fireflies is a 90-minute play that seems to tackle several different points but, unfortunately, never seems to find its focus.

Olivia, who sees flashes of fire that temporarily paralyzes her, appears to be struggling with her life as a preacher’s wife and her desire to be more involved in the movement. She also fears bringing a child into a world that deprives the color of their skin. This expecting mother asks God to remove it; her child is also battling her desire to be with a woman named Ruby, whom she only met once. At the same time, Charles’s faith seems to be more in lies and deception than being a devoted husband and a Godly man.

The cast of Fireflies features the talented Chanell Bell (Olivia) and Al’Jaleel McGhee (Charles). Their chemistry on stage aided this confusing and disconnected storyline that ventured from fears to infidelities. Fireflies touch on a few consequential subject matters. Civil Rights Movement, the fear of bringing a Black child into a world filled with hate, and how hostility can affect any relationship. Still, instead of staying the course and riding with one main focal point, the storyline maneuvers more like a television soap opera with multiple angles running in different directions.

Fireflies also compare Olivia and Charles to the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King and Coretta Scott King. Suppose the suggestive comparison of this play to the relationship with Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King, Jr is what the playwright envisioned. In that case, it’s both disappointing and boarders of disgrace to one of America’s most honored and respected black preachers, his legacy, his wife, and the legacy of his family.

Charles is a drunken, mean-spirited, and adulterous man. A man called (picked out) by God to preach is himself, incapable of writing speeches or having any inspiration from God. At the same time, Olivia comes off somewhat schizophrenic, needing psychiatric help and religiously battling with an inappropriate biblical relationship. The only thing that stops her from aborting her pregnancy is an unprofessional physician who forces her into an indecent sexual proposition; and still doesn’t perform the extraction because he knew she was the preacher’s wife.

So many stories sought to tarnish the legacy of King, which ultimately filtered into killing any honorable history of black Americans. Hypothetically, suppose the playwright compared the actors on stage to the King and his graceful wife, Coretta Scott? I say the storyline of Fireflies has enough problems without dishonoring the legacy of King.

Let’s Play Somewhat Recommends Fireflies at the Northlight Theatre.

Northlight Theatre
Fireflies
By Donja R. Love
Directed by Mikael Burke
January 20 – February 20, 2022

DOGS make great companions; they get it when it comes to the importance of the human/animal bond – how it makes people happy and the health benefits that come with that relationship.

There is nothing quite like a DOG greeting someone or snuggling up to a lucky human. Pet therapy is a real thing. The concept has been used to foster responsibility with great results. While making a documentary about the subject I had a chance to meet a young autistic girl who according to her parents was listless until they brought home a couple of sibling puppies that were truly special. The puppies, besides being sweet-and-cuddly cocker spaniels needed medication for diabetes. The young lady of nine wanted a pet and was willing to do anything for her wish. It was granted with a caveat; it would be her duty to give the medication daily at the same time each day, provide the pups with a walk and prepare their meals. According to her parents, their young daughter made a 180-degree turnabout, with renewed energy and a zest for life. DOGS have been used to do the same for convicts who have lost any hope or purpose for their lives. Each convict in the program is entrusted with a German Shepherd. The DOGS are trained to assist our military, our border patrol agents, and police/fire departments for rescue operations. DOGS are now being used in some hospitals that allow trained canines to spend time with terminally ill patients, raising their spirits at a time when such a need is so welcomed.

And my dog Sydney(pictured above) has become a mascot for the Community Adult Day Center that cares for older adults seeking socialization or in need of a caregiver during hours when their adult children may be at work or their spouse/caregiver might need time to run the errands of any household, knowing that CADC will provide loving care of their beloved.

The day ELVIS came to sing the music of the KING was in honor of a former CADC client, Chuck Turner, whose family and friends upon his passing wanted to give back something in his memory.

Chuck loved music and the artistry of Presley. It was only fitting thatSydneywould be a part of the festivities that day since Chuck loved petting the Gonczy (pronounced GONSKI) – a Polish Hunting Dog (a hound) almost as much as he loved hearing the music of the KING.

Sydneyworked her charm letting all the older adults take their turn petting her as she gave kisses to those who put their ear next to her muzzle. ELVIS was touched and dedicated to the black beauty, “You Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog,” which brought another joy in life – laughter.

It was a great moment, something CADC – an organization made up of people who know how to GO DO GOOD- making every day a great day!

If you’d like to know more about the Community Adult Day Center, volunteer, donate or utilize for a beloved one that needs a bit of help, check out the CADC website: communityadultdaycenter.org. or call 630–968-1068.

When will it end? Those Republican billionaires trying to buy elections with piles of cash. Working to get their special interests to run our government. Yet another threat to democracy.

To find out who, go here. Oops, I got the party wrong. Never mind.

Not Lia’s package.

Female teammate objects; U of Penn says nothing to see here, move along.

The Daily Mail reports:

Lia Thomas’ UPenn teammate tells how the trans swimmer doesn’t always cover up her male genitals when changing and their concerns go ignored by their coach.

Meanwhile, the school stands, err, firmly behind the transgender she who’s really a he. The New York Post reports:

The University of Pennsylvania is considering a lawsuit if Lia Thomas is barred from competing in the upcoming NCAA women’s swimming championship, according to a report.

Just how awkward is this: The Daily Mail refers to “her genitals.” Another woke corruption of the language.

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