Almost to the Finish Line

No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn

When I was younger, my parents prided themselves on taking us all over the country, from Maine to California and everything in between. Our family joke is that we saw every fort across the nation. Let’s just say lots of time was spent in the back of the station wagon (with no seatbelts).

Although we put a lot of mileage on that wagon, it is nothing compared to Don Parrish. Valerie Hardy, Contributing Editor, had the opportunity to spend time with Don to gain insight as one of the most traveled people on the planet. And luckily, we get to showcase a small piece of his adventures on these pages. As summer travel plans are underway, think about Don Parrish and his thoughts – “one of the greatest joys of travel is discovery.”

Everybody is Irish in March. So, of course, we need to pay tribute to one of the most festive holidays of the year. From Irish Dance to information when traveling to the emerald-isle, enjoy our shout-out to the Irish.

Did you also know that this month is also Women’s Month? During this time, all are encouraged to celebrate the vital role of women in American history. We drill down a bit more locally as we share the story of Lottie O’Neill and her groundbreaking efforts during the 1920s in the state of Illinois.

Alison Henderson is one of fewer than 30 Certified Movement Pattern Analysts worldwide. Since 90% of communication is nonverbal – and most of our movement patterns remain unchanged through our adult lives – you may need to work on building nonverbal rapport, whether that is with a co-worker, spouse, or friend. Read Alison’s tips on body language in our “Home Grown” feature.

With spring around the corner, that means one thing – yard work. Personally, I do not have a green thumb which is why we asked The Morton Arboretum to give us some tips and tricks on how to make a garden bloom. We also highlight outdoor landscape trends, from evening gardens to big, bold foliage houseplants to bring the indoors outside.

As wedding season kicks into high gear, Kristina Taheri, owner of Kristina Taheri Special Events, weighs in on what she sees in the world of wedding planning, from venues to flowers. We also feature local industry leaders in our “House & Home” feature. Learn the inside scoop on their successful journeys and the “face” behind the name. Our “Chef Showcase” also features Dan Moody, the chef behind the new Texas-style BBQ restaurant in Naperville, Smokeshow.

Giant Steps, a therapeutic day school, has serviced students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for the last 25 years. Since 2012, the school has extended services to adults with ASD through the Canopy Adult Day Program held at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. Thanks to owner Jerry Rich and his donation of space, the program offers adults with autism a variety of leisure and occupational experience. Thanks to Giant Steps for sharing their progress as they expand their program to accommodate more individuals as we celebrate National Autism Awareness Month in April.

Enjoy the issue, and happy reading. Cheers!

Sincerely,

Anne Healy Associate Publisher anne@HinsdaleMag.com