Wilmette resident Carrie Winter was in Gillson Park recently, walking Gus, her 9-year-old Labrador retriever, and Beyonce, a 7-month-old terrier mix rescue dog, when she stopped to talk to Pioneer Press about winter, travel, how she spent her holidays, and a good local place to eat.
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Q: Since it’s cold and frosty outside today, tell us if you like winter.
A: I have to say, we are fans of winter, pretty definitely. We enjoy the changing seasons, not just because it lets us appreciate spring, but because we like doing things in the winter. I grew up in Michigan and I ski. My daughters snowboard.
Q: What did you do during the holidays?
A: I’m still very fortunate to have both sides of my family to visit. We went to Michigan and we spent time with parents and family, and it was a wonderful way to spend our holidays.
Q: Do you have any things that you’d really like to do in the new year?
A: If you’re talking about things like work, or chores, I think I’d like to organize my office. On the fun side, I’d like to travel out of the country. We’ve been talking about Costa Rica and South America. We have two daughters, a junior in high school and a 13-year-old in eighth grade, and they seem interested in Costa Rica. To be able to have a place that everyone likes as a location is a good start.
Q: Do you have a cause or charity that you’d like people to be aware of?
A: I’m on the board of the Youth Connection (youthconnectionwilmette.org/), which is a group for young people in fifth through eighth grade, so that’s a local cause. We also give to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (www.chicagosfoodbank.org/).
Q: Finally, do you have a favorite local restaurant?
A: We love Akira, (153Akira, 1137Greenleaf Ave.) here in Wilmette. Everyone there is so friendly, and we love the food. We feel so comfortable going in there, and the food is something we enjoy that we wouldn’t normally have at home.
– Kathy Routliffe, Pioneer Press
@pioneer_kathy
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.