Petrak: La Grange psychologist on why ‘when I was your age’ doesn’t ring true, anymore
As a parent, certain things fall out of your mouth that you swore you'd never say. "Put a coat on, I'm cold!" and "Don't throw that ball in the house!"...
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Petrak: La Grange resident brings cancer fundraising effort to local event
You don't need to wear one of those T-shirts that condemn cancer in coarse langauge, although they are pithy and pointed, to share the sentiment that cancer is a beast...
Petrak: Love of back-to-school shopping skipped a generation in my family
It's not an exaggeration to say that my mom spent hours with me at the local "stationery store" picking out supplies for each coming year. She was thrilled with the...
Petrak: Aging musicians keep us lively
Will teenagers be going to see septuagenarians Taylor Swift or Chance the Rapper when they're older? That was the thought that popped into my head more than once this summer,...
Petrak: La Grange to kick off 140th birthday celebrations
One of my favorite things about living in and writing about La Grange is learning something new about its history on a fairly regular basis. As a naturally curious (nosy,...
Petrak: Hometown memorabilia is a big seller
There's no place like home — including in your home. Beyond sentiment, hometown pride can extend to one's personal belongings and surroundings. One my favorite framed pieces in my house,...
Petrak: String lights keep La Grange neighborhood festive year round
Christmas in July is coming up, which means that actual Christmas merchandise will be showing up in craft and other stores any day now. Fittingly enough, I got a bit...
Petrak: What early birds get, besides a worm
Maybe it's the birds chirping rather incessantly right outside my window or perhaps it's two of my kids clunking around the kitchen and tromping up the stairs as they get...
Petrak: Remembering my mom at the Summer Solstice
I walked into her room with a Lemonade Shake-Up I had carried for eight blocks. The annual community food fest was going on and, as I walked past the booths...
Petrak: La Grange lawyer sampling local restaurants for Facebook blog
It's not quite like the late Anthony Bourdain's quest to find delectable foods all over the map on shows like "Parts Unknown" and "No Reservations" or, for that matter, the...