So, when you’re out shopping for your Valentines, please share the love and pick up a few items for the Food Pantry. Here are some of the specific things they really need right now:

• toilet paper
• facial tissue
• paper towels
• canned fruit
• healthy snacks
• cookies and crackers
• cooking oil and condiments

What they DON’T need is Mac and Cheese or beans of any kind – they have enough to last a while.

You can take your donations directly to the Food Pantry at 739 Elm St. in Winnetka. Or drop them by our office (Coldwell Banker) at 568 Lincoln Ave. and we’ll deliver it. Go here to learn more about the New Trier Food Pantry.

“We cannot live only for ourselves.  A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.”  ~Herman Melville

It may be a cramped and crowded throwback to an earlier day, but that doesn’t bother loyal patrons, who come to buy or repair bikes, sharpen their skates and order team uniforms for the local sports teams their children play for. They love the familiarity, personalized service, information and advice that’s freely given by the shop owners and their employees.

You can watch the TV segment here:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

At our house we have gotten a little lax in the Christmas decorating department, and at this point I’m wondering when we’ll even have time to go get the Christmas tree between hockey games and pageant rehearsals. But luckily for us, most of our neighbors take this decorating thing a bit more seriously and we can enjoy their Christmas lights. One neighbor, in particular, puts on a display worth going out of your way to see. It’s grown every year and has gotten so popular that this year they set their lights to music and invited everyone over to munch on cookies and drink hot cocoa while enjoying the show. Even Santa stopped by to hear last minute gift requests from neighborhood kids.

Steve Maris, a self-proclaimed Christmas junkie, has been decorating with lights every year, adding more and more to his collection each Christmas. At this point he has about 30,000 lights on his house and garage, in the trees and all over the yard. In the past year he has spent countless hours programming the lights to blink to the music until he had a two hour long show. It truly is an awesome sight and will put even the most Scrooge-like person in the Christmas spirit. You can get a taste of it here:

Want to check out Steve Maris’ handiwork in person? The show will go on nightly through Christmas at 1200 Cleveland Street in Wilmette, but don’t count on hot cocoa or cookies unless you bring them yourself. And Santa has headed back to the North Pole to prepare for the big night.

The other night after a hockey game in Winnetka, we stopped at Stormy’s in Northfield for dinner with another family from the team. Stormy’s, formerly Seul’s, changed hands last summer and reopened in September, and we had not yet had a chance to check it out. I guess we weren’t the only ones with that idea because, when we got there, we ran into three other families from our hockey team and discovered that one of Emma’s hockey coaches also tends bar at Stormy’s, so it was like old home week. Probably not surprising that it’s a big Wilmette Hockey hangout given that owner Chad Bidwell coaches Bantam AA for the club.

Like Seul’s, Stormy’s is a great place to go with the kids. It’s casual dining with reasonable prices. Your basic bar food, but tasty and fresh. There are still a few arcade games off the dining room and no one seems to mind the noise that comes with rowdy kids. What I was really interested in was whether the new owners had improved the ambiance in the dining room. In the Seul’s incarnation the bar was pitch dark and the dining room was so brightly lit you had to squint to keep from being blinded. I was happy to find that there’s enough light in the bar that you can actually see the person you’re talking to. And that the dining room was not so bright that you had to wear sunglasses. The best part was that we were there about an hour and a half having adult conversation and not once did the kids complain that they were bored or wanted to go home. A few dollars kept them busy and happy in the room with the arcade games.

The layout is pretty much the same as it was but the place looks nicer now and more updated.  The menu has changed somewhat but not dramatically. It’s fairly standard: appetizers are nachos, quesadillas, wings., etc.  Pizza, burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads are the main dishes. Prices are between $7.00 and $10.00 for most things. Beer on tap. Soda by the glass or by the pitcher. The service is friendly and attentive. I give it two thumbs up for casual family dining.

Stormy’s is located at 1735 Orchard Lane in Northfield and is open seven days a week from 11:00 am to 1:00 am.

"The Human Resources Manager" from Israel will be shown on November 17th.

Last week the Tribune ran a story about Wilmette’s arts and culture scene (“Wilmette: Not Like Other Towns”, by Lauren Viera). The article talked about the diverse programming at the Wilmette Theatre, the “Starlight Theatre” series at the Wallace Bowl, the Wilmette Historical Society and the new Studio North Academy of the Performing Arts.

But there’s another great cultural offering the article didn’t mention, and that is the Foreign Film Club at the Wilmette Library. The club meets monthly and and screens great foreign movies from all over the world. And it’s free! The movie club is the brainchild of fellow Coldwell Banker agent, Daverille Sher.

I interviewed Daverille for the back-story on the club:

Anne: When did you start your movie group and what gave you the idea?

Daverille: I started my movie group in 2006. I was President of the Wilmette International Club at the time and really missed foreign movies. The Wilmette Theatre had just been taken over by Carole Dibo and she was open to having us start the Foreign Film Club there. After I gave up the Presidency of the International Club I retained the movie group. I love researching good movies and I love sharing them with others. Three years ago the Wilmette Library kindly offered to host us and we have been there ever since.

Anne: Tell me about the types of movies you show.

Daverille: The first movie we showed was “The Journey” by Ligi Pullappally. Ligi was a client, a lawyer who gave it all up to go to India to write and direct a movie that would give hope to the young gay community. She came and spoke of her experiences. It is an incredibly inspired movie.

"The Colors of the Mountain" from Colombia will be shown on December 15th

I try and keep the movies current and choose ones that are not out on the general circuit. We just saw  “A Screaming Man,” made in Chad. (yeah, I know you didn’t know they made movies in Chad). It is a wonderful movie about the ravages of war, yet it doesn’t show any violent sequences. Absolutely amazing. The lead was not even an actor but his acting was superb.

Anne: What’s the format of the club meetings?

Daverille: The club’s format is simple. We hold it on the 3rd Thursday of the month. We start with coffee, a little something to eat and socializing (it is a great way for people new to the neighborhood to meet others) from 9am to 9.30am. The movie starts at 9.30 sharp. The next movie (on the 17th of November) is ” The Human Resources Manager” from Israel. On December 15th we will watch “The Colors of the Mountain” from Colombia.

If you’d like to be notified about upcoming foreign films, give Daverille at call at 773-230-7346 or go here to subscribe to her e-newsletter. You can learn more about Daverille here.

After I got done browsing and buying, Mike was kind enough to let me interview him to learn more about his new business.

Anne: How (and why) did you get started doing estate sales?

Mike: I have been involved with senior citizens and the disposition of estates in one form or another for many years. I am a trial lawyer, licensed in Georgia and Illinois, and one of my focuses has been the legal needs of senior citizens. I pursued an auctioneer in Federal Court a few years ago on behalf of a senior citizen who had hired him to dispose of her mansion full of antiques. He gave her a check for only $21,000 several weeks after the auction which emptied her house. After that experience I realized I really like being the solution to those kinds of problems.

I had a good friend start an estate sale company when he retired from real estate – this was in South Carolina – and I helped him set up the business and worked on sales with him. I really enjoyed the hands on aspect of the sale – bringing value just by being part of the process, organizing, smiling at people, making it work.

Then I started as an agent with Coldwell Banker for a lot of the same reasons – being a solution, making things work. And the estate sales just evolved out of that. I consider the two businesses to be very complementary. First, because I meet a lot of people at the sales that I wouldn’t have otherwise met – which expands the network of people I can potentially find solutions for, both in estate sales and real estate.

Second, because I can provide a needed service for my real estate colleagues – I have a strict “no poaching” rule, so I am regularly referred estate sale work by agents without any fear of my taking their clients away.

And third, because I keep myself busy and fired up about my work – being busy and productive is a tonic for me. And when I am fired up about things, that energy is contagious. It makes everything better.

Anne:  So, Mike, what makes yours different from other estate sale firms?

Mike: There are several fine, large, more experienced companies offering the same types of services I do. In many cases they have more infrastructure, more signs, more uniforms and more sales. BUT, they don’t offer me. I know that sounds strange. But I realized a long time ago that one of my best assets is me. I love working with people. I love solving problems. I love orchestrating projects and getting things done. And, I find that people like dealing with me. People tend to trust me. And I surround myself with great people. My team in the estate sale biz is awesome – full of product knowledge and experience that I don’t pretend to have. So when someone hires North Shore Estate Sales they are getting something different than Fulton & Cord or SOS or any other company. Better? I don’t know about that. But different. Personal. Passionate. Professional.

Anne: How can you help people who are moving or downsizing?

Mike: We offer solutions. When someone is downsizing or moving we come in to evaluate and consult. We start by finding out what the owner really wants done. Then we figure out the best options. The best part of what we offer to families and or individuals is the peace of mind of knowing that it is going to be taken care of, whatever “it” is.

You can learn more about North Shore Estate Sales here. Or call Mike at 312-283-4399. I am sure he would love to hear from you!

What’s Pawgust, you ask? In a nutshell, it is heaven on earth for dogs. It’s the one day of the year when dogs can run free on 21 acres of open land, swim in the pond, dive for tennis balls or chase lures on a grassy lure course. It is hosted by Mitzi Heytow on her Libertyville estate. There will also be food and drink for both people and dogs.

Ms. Heytow hosts the event as a fundraiser to benefit LEARN, a Laborador Retriever rescue and adoption network. The organization has saved an estimated 1,600 labs to date. Although this is a fundraiser for labs, dogs of all breeds are welcome at the event (even mutts).

Event Details:

When: Saturday, August 13, from 10:00 to 4:00
Where: 25775 St. Mary’s Rd., Libertyville, IL (3rd driveway south of Rt. 60 on the east side of the road) – Look for the balloons marking the entrance.
Admission: $10/person or $15/family

Dogs must be socialized and current on vaccinations

In this video Pete names his favorite Chicago area spots, and three of them are in Wilmette: Walker Brothers, where he and his family used to go after church on Sundays, Chuck Wagon and Lou Malnati’s. Keep a lookout for him in August, as he’ll probably stop in to one or more of these places for a meal. But you may not recognize him now that’s he’s ditched the black eyeliner and bangs.

Here it is again in the middle of May, when the tulips were in bloom and other perennials were starting to sprout. And the birdhouses have come out to join the flowers.

Here’s how it looked just one month before:

April 13

Hallelujah! Now that spring is here (I think), we can stop eating frozen food and start enjoying nature’s bounty.  At farmer’s markets up and own the North Shore you can buy locally (or regionally) grown fruits and vegetables and locally produced cheeses, baked goods and arts & crafts. They run from late spring through the fall, mostly on Saturdays. Here are dates and times for 2011. The first one to open is the French Market in Wilmette, this Saturday, April 30th.

Evanston

Downtown Market: Corner of University Place and East Railroad Ave.
Saturdays, 7:30 am – 1:00 pm
May 7 – November 15

West End Market: Church St. and Dodge Ave. (Evanston High School Parking Lot)
Saturdays, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
June 4 – October 29

Central Street Farmer’s Market: Independence Park (Central and Stewart)
Wednesdays, 3:00- 7:00 pm
June 1 – October 26

Wilmette

Wilmette French Market: Downtown Metra Parking Lot
Saturdays, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
April 30 – October

Northfield

Northfield Farmer’s Market: 6 Happ Rd. (across from New Trier High School’s Northfield campus)
Saturdays, 7:30 am – 12:00 pm
June – October 22

Glencoe

Glencoe Farmer’s Market: Village Court near Hazel
Saturdays, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
Through October 29

Glenview

Glenview Farmer’s Market: Wagner Farm, 1510 Wagner Rd.
Saturdays, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
June 25 through October 8

Highland Park

Port Clinton Square Farmer’s Market: corner route 41 and Park West Ave.
Thursdays, 4:00 – 9:00 pm
June 23 – October 27

Deerfield

Deerfield Farmer’s Market: northwest corner Robert York and Deerfield Rd.
Saturdays, 7:00 am – 12:30 pm
June 18 – October 15

Lake Forest

Lake Forest Market on the Square: 220 Deerpath Rd. (City Hall parking lot on Forest Ave.)
Saturdays, 7:00 am – 12:00 pm
June 18 – September 24

Lake Bluff

Lake Bluff Farmer’s Market: 40 E. Center St. (Village Green at Center and Sheridan)
Fridays, 7:00 am – 12:00 pm
June 10 – October 14

Related Posts:

• Wilmette’s French Market