Smart Living Rockford - September 23, 2021

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Your Better Quality of Life Magazine • 95¢ • September 2021 • No. II

Right in Our Region

Model Railroads for Fun & Learning See Page 20 osny

: Ken M Pictured

Heart Health: What Women Should Know Choosing the Right Chrysanthemum Back-to-School Supper Ideas from the Pantry It’s Time to Get the Fireplace Ready

Best of Life Information for Our Region’s Residents & Visitors Proudly Serving the Needs of 326,000 Neighbors - For Your Home, Health & Fun!

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In This Issue

Right in Our Region .........................Cover & p. 20 Model Trains for Fun and Learning Your Home ......................................................... 13 It’s Time to Prepare the Fireplace Inspiration & Worship ....................................... 14 About Money Your Kitchen ...................................................... 17 Back-to-School Pantry Meal Staples Your Health ........................................................ 27 Heart Health: What Women Should Know Your Money ........................................................ 31 How a Lawyer Can Save You Money Outdoor Living .................................................. 33 Choosing the Right Chrysanthemum Your Community ............................................... 35 How ReStore Helps Aspiring Homeowners Your Fun ............................................................. 36

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Bill Hughes Executive Editor/Web Editor Chris Linden Managing Editor Jermaine Pigee Editor Emeritus Janine Pumilia Graphics Director Samantha Behling Graphic Designer Ashley Smith Contributing Writers Peggy Werner General Sales Manager Brent Hughes Sales Manager Brad Hughes Advertising Sales Representatives Brian Hughes, Jeremy Jones, Lisa Brandt, Nita Lasky Administration & Circulation Manager Lisa Hughes Distribution Kelly Fairbairn Website www.SmartLivingWeekly.com Published by Hughes Media Corp.

222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104 (815) 316-2300, Fax: (815) 316-2301 lhughes@northwestquarterly.com Smart Living.

Copyright 2021 by Hughes Media Corp., 222 Seventh St., Rockford, IL, 61104. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Ted Lasso: ‘Midwest Nice’ W

atching the 2021 Emmys, I was pleased, for two reasons, to see my new favorite show widely recognized.

First, “Ted Lasso” honors the concept of “Midwest Nice” – how often do we see that on TV? At Northwest Quarterly and Smart Living magazines, we’ve championed the Midwest for 17 years now, so this is noteworthy.

Second, “Ted Lasso” makes me laugh and leaves me feeling more optimistic about people: What a difference one person can make.

Even though Midwest values are the shining star of this comedy, the story takes place in London, where Nebraska football coach Ted Lasso is hired to coach a soccer team. Rebecca, the team’s owner, secretly wants the team to fail, to hurt her philandering ex-husband, who loves the team. Hiring Ted will doom it for sure, she thinks.

But what Ted lacks in soccer knowledge, he makes up for in basic decency and people sense. He can separate the sin from the sinner, so to speak. So, when he meets his nasty, bickering, selfish group of “footballers,” he uses his folksy maxims and relentless optimism – his “Midwest Nice” – to set better attitudes into motion. As the players become more caring of one another, their teamwork and game improves. These wins matter less to Ted than the wellbeing of those he works with, from Rebecca down to Nate the towel boy.

If this all sounds a little hokey, it’s not, thanks to brilliant writing. This is not a show for children; these are some crude, messed up people and there’s more cursing than I enjoy.

But it’s the flawed humanity that makes the show’s message divine: We’re all, including Lasso, a broken mess of scar tissue yearning to be loved. Each of us can become more whole by choosing to love others. We can choose not to accuse or demonize. We can choose to look deeper, to care more, to find the better angels in others – and therefore in ourselves.

When we do that, magic happens.

And maintaining our Midwest Nice manners always helps!

Have a good week! ❚ Janine Pumilia SLW Editor

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Your Home & Garden

Get Ready to Light Up the Fireplace

By Jermaine Pigee

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ow is a good time to look around your home and prepare for cooler days ahead. One thing that can add warmth and comfort to cold weather living is a fireplace. In recent years, many homeowners have been switching to gas fireplaces.

“People haven’t been burning wood as much because it’s a lot of work,” says Kevin Obee, Benson Stone Co., 1100 11th St., Rockford. “When I get home at night, I’m tired. The last thing I want to do is get wood and tend to it when I can get the same effect in a gas fire.”

Another reason for the switch is the introduction of the direct-vent gas fireplace.

“That completely changed the way the fireplace industry went,” Obee says.

“Open-faced, wood burning fireplaces can now be converted into a sealed gas direct-vent fireplace.”

These are far more energy efficient because furnace-heated air is not swept up the chimney.

Obee also finds that using a gas fireplace is less stressful. Unlike wood fires, gas fires turn on and off with the flip of a switch or remote control. Depending on the model, options like flame intensity, heat output and electric ambiance lighting also can be adjusted by remote control.

“People have come in here and told me they haven’t used their fireplace in five years because they don’t have the time to babysit a wood burning fireplace and you have to clean it out,” Obee says.

“To burn a wood fire, you need four or five hours at the fireplace to enjoy and maintain the fire.”

Gas fireplaces aren’t for everyone, however.

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“We still have people who love wood fires best,” Obee says. “They love the beauty of the flames and the scent of burning wood.”

No matter your preference, Benson Stone can accommodate your fireplace needs. “We have pretty much anything you’d want that’s related to the fireplace industry. ❚

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Inspiration & Worship

About Money F

or many of us, no subject in the Bible is more difficult to tackle than the proper role of money in our lives. It’s a rare person who embraces the truth that all we possess – indeed our every breath and heartbeat, too – belongs to God the creator.

Much of Jesus’ ministry was devoted to this subject. Luke 12:15-21 (NIV): Then he said to them, “Watch out!

Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years.

Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” To be rich toward God is to be rich toward one another. Says Jesus in Matthew 25 34-44: “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me.

I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” ❚

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– Janine Pumilia

Sept 2021 • No. II

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Your Kitchen

Turn to Pantry Staples on Busy School Nights B

ack-to-school season means busy evening hours. RAGÚ blogger and mom Jamie Krauss Hess recommends stocking up on go-to pantry staples for quick, nutritious recipes. Find more at ragu.com.

Grown-Up Tomato Mac and Cheese

1 box (16 ounces) gemelli pasta 4 cups water 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided 1/2 cup (2 oz) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 1 TB corn starch 1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk 1 jar (24 oz.) RAGÚ Simply Traditional Pasta Sauce 2 tsp. cracked black pepper In large pot, cook pasta over mediumhigh heat 20-22 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a bowl, combine 2 cups cheddar cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese and corn starch. Reduce heat to medium; stir milk, cheese mixture and sauce together with

cooked, undrained pasta. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is thickened.

Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and pepper; serve immediately.

Mini Turkey Sloppy Joes

Recipe courtesy of Honey and Birch

Servings: 8 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound ground turkey 1 cup carrots, finely diced 1 medium green pepper, diced 1 medium red pepper, diced 1 jar (24 oz) RAGÚ Simply Chunky Marinara Sauce 1 TB Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp ground mustard 1/2 tsp kosher salt tsp black pepper 1/2 8 mini buns

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Sautee onion and garlic. Add ground turkey. Break up meat and stir until browned. Add carrots, green pepper and red pepper. Cook 5 minutes.

Add marinara sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat so it simmers; partially cover pan.

Cook 10 minutes.

Serve on mini buns. ❚ Source: Family Features

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Right in Our Region

Model Railroads: A Fun & Sociable Way to Learn

By Janine Pumilia ost of us don’t give much thought to railroads and how they transformed our world, or the important role they still play. But there’s a group of people keeping that story alive, and they’re having a lot of fun doing it.

“Model railroading enthusiasts are more than just a bunch of people who play with trains,” says Ken Mosny, superintendent of the Rock River Valley Division, National Model Railroad Association (RRVD-NMRA). “A lot of people take it very seriously and do a great deal of research to accurately model routes from various time periods and locations.”

Mosny knows people who’ve traveled to the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. to research train routes.

As an active local chapter, the RRVD organizes model train shows each spring and fall. About 30 of the 75 to 100 members meet monthly to share information and tour each others’ layouts.

Although the pandemic put a damper

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on in-person gatherings, it also opened opportunities to exchange knowledge with train enthusiasts across the nation via Zoom. As a retired mechanical engineer, Mosny enjoys the technical side of the hobby and shares his knowledge with a national audience. The NMRA also sees growing interest from hobbyists in Europe, Russia and China.

“It’s such a multi-faceted hobby because you have people like me who enjoy the technical and mechanical side of it, but you also have artistic people who enjoy the creative work of making the scenery and also people who really love the historical research aspect. If you don’t have the whole skillset, there are always people willing to jump in and help you.”

The work of improving a train layout never ends, but that’s part of the fun.

“When people see my layout, they almost always ask, ‘So when will it be done?’ My answer is ‘Never!’ I’m always planning the next thing for it.”

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Mosny, like many others, grew up in the 1950s enjoying Lionel model trains and now has the time and money to revisit the hobby. But he also sees multi-generational interest and says it’s an affordable hobby for parents and grandparents to enjoy with children, who learn about history, math, art and evolving technologies while having fun. Today’s kids can even download apps to control trains with their smart phones.

“Some of the more sophisticated prototype train modeling not only replicates the train equipment itself, but also the operating sessions – the points of origin, the schedules, dispatches, the timing of when trains meet and pass each other.”

Train layouts may be based on real or fictional places; many compress distances to scale, just as the model trains themselves are scaled to the size of real trains.

There are 23 model train sizes, all set by the NMRA. The five most common are O, HO, S, N and G. About 65

Right in Our Region percent of model railroaders use HO, which scales to 1/87th the size of a real train. The G, or Garden size, is largest, at a scale of 1/22.5. It’s often used in outdoor settings.

“This is the train you see running around at Nicholas Conservatory.”

The S group includes American Flyer trains scaled at 1/64th and the O group is scaled at 1/48th.

By far the smallest scale of this group is N, scaled at 1/160th the size of a real train, which means you can fit a lot more of them into a layout but they can be harder to handle for children or adults with arthritic hands.

The train scale shouldn’t be confused with the term “gauge,” which refers to the distance between rails.

At least two local hobby stores in Rockford cater to model railroaders – Hobby Town at 3782 N. Alpine Road (near the Loves Park Wal-Mart) and Midwest Rail Junction at Highcrest Centre.

Hobbyists often save money by picking up pieces they need at model train shows.

“A brand new, modern locomotive with a sound system and digital controller

may cost you $400,” says Mosny. “Or, at a train show, you can pay $30 for an older locomotive that runs fine and you can pick up a lot of freight cars for $5 each.

Prices are all over the map. A teen can get started for a few hundred dollars and an adult can set up nicely for $1,000.”

Novices can buy everything readymade or build their own trains like Mosny does. His personal layout, which he calls Sugar River to Ridgefield, focuses on the 1900 era in our region.

Mosny explains that, like many hobbies, model railroading became popular during the Great Depression “when men had a lot of time on their hands but not much money. They made their own trains but when they wanted to take them over to each other’s houses, the sizes had no uniformity. So the NMRA formed in 1935 to set up scale-of-size standards.”

Train hobbyists appreciate the way railroads shaped our nation in the 1800s.

“Travel from the Midwest to San Francisco once took about 6 months by animal power and you had to time it to avoid winter weather on the Great Plains.

Then, in the 1869, Pacific Railroad

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See model trains at CherryVale Mall on Oct. 2 & 3.

service opened (now we call it the Transcontinental Railroad) and the trip took you 10 days instead of 6 months. It was truly like light speed to people then.”

The Rock River Valley Division group welcomes visitors at its monthly meetings on the first Sunday of the month September to May, usually held at 1 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd across from West Middle School.

It will host a small show at CherryVale Mall on Oct. 2 & 3, with at least four operating model train layouts. Its large spring show in March 2022 will feature more than 30,000 square feet of space filled with a dozen operating model train displays and hundreds of vendor tables.

Learn more at RRVD-NMRA.com. ❚

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Your Health

Women and Heart Disease: What to Know B y To n i R o c h a or decades, heart disease has been the No. 1 cause of death for men. More recently, it’s become a top concern for women, too. Dr. Shobashalini Chokkalingam, a cardiologist with Mercyhealth, says the disease is 80 percent preventable if women pay attention to their health.

“We used to see women develop heart disease mostly after menopause, when the estrogen levels that protected them diminished,” Chokkalingam says.

“Now, we’re treating an increasing number of women in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

While one in 31 women will be diagnosed with Dr. Shobashalini Chokkalingam

F

breast cancer, one in three will develop some form of heart disease.”

Risk factors such as smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure and cholesterol can lead to heart disease in all ages. Chokkalingam recommends women do two things starting at a young age.

First, they should understand their family health history. Heart disease in close family members may point to the same vulnerability in a younger woman.

“The other important item is to know their numbers,” Chokkalingam adds.

“By that, I mean they should know their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol count and blood glucose through regular physical exams with their primary doctors.”

Most of all, women need to stop ignoring their own health concerns.

“They often can’t seem to focus on their own needs, even to the point of not calling 911 when they might be having a heart attack,” Chokkalingam says.

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“Women experience different symptoms of an impending heart attack than men, who primarily suffer pain and crushing weight in their chests. About 40 percent of women have no chest pain at all. But they do experience heaviness, shortness of breath, joint aches, nausea, fatigue, low energy levels and other seemingly unrelated symptoms.”

Women need to step up their game, especially African-American women.

According to Mayo Clinic, one in every two U.S. black women over age 20 has some form of heart disease.

“Something as simple as reducing the amount of sodium in your diet can make a huge difference,” Chokkalingam says. “Just eating a handful of blueberries or blackberries three times a week can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by as much as 34 percent, according to a Harvard study. Unsalted almonds are also a benefit to prevent heart disease.” ❚

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Support your community.

Shop the ReStore.

When you shop for vintage items, home goods, furniture, tools, hardware & more at the ReStore, you are supporting the work of Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity.

Store Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Donation Drop-Off Hours: Tues-Fri 10am-4pm & Sat 10am-3pm *Donation drop-off is temporarily closed on Mondays* Have items to donate? We'll pick them up for FREE! Call 815-580-1205 to schedule a pickup.

7141 Harrison Ave, Rockford IL | 815-713-3184 | rockfordhabitat.org @restorerockford

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Your Money

Being Legally Proactive Can Save You Money

By Janine Pumilia

A

ttorney James Meason has practiced law in some of the largest cities of the country. But he says that opening his own practice in Rockton, Ill., in 1997, was one of his best decisions.

“By being a small-town attorney, I can really help people,” he says.

His services include family law, estate planning, real estate, business law, mediation and environmental law. He takes pride in providing what clients need – and not selling them what they don’t need.

“I grew up in a working class neighborhood of Chicago, went to public school and was the first person in my family to attend college,” he says. “I know how hard people work. I hate to see how some attorneys complicate things in order to charge more money. Sometimes they build you a lunar module when all you need is a minivan.”

Before coming to Rockton, Meason

Attorney James Meason

was a top attorney at the national firm Hinshaw & Culbertson, where he defended companies charged with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violations. Before that, he worked as a federal attorney prosecuting companies for EPA violations.

Meason earned his Master’s in International Relations from Georgetown University and was working 13-hour shifts at the Pentagon for the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Naval Intelligence when he

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decided to earn his law degree by attending night school at American University.

He discovered that he loved the law.

“People can save a lot of money if they’re proactive about consulting an attorney at key times in their lives,” he says. “You wouldn’t believe the messes people find themselves in because they didn’t do this when setting up a business or closing a real estate transaction, for example.”

There are simple things people should know, but don’t, he says.

“Many people own homes valued at more than $100,000 but don’t realize that an estate of more than $100,000 will go through Illinois probate unless a trust has been set up,” he says. “Or they think that being married automatically gives the spouse power of attorney. It doesn’t.”

The practice is located at 113 N. Main St., Rockton. Learn more at measonlaw.com. ❚

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Outdoor Living

Choose the Right Mum for Autumn Beauty

By Janine Pumilia

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ust as summer blooms begin to fade, chrysanthemums emerge to brighten the autumn landscape. But there are things to know before you buy this very popular fall plant.

“If you want to plant it in the ground and see it come up year after year, be sure to buy a hardy mum,” says Jamie Swanson, owner of S & H Nursery, 5956 McCurry Road in Roscoe. “Hardy” mums are bred to withstand our winters like other perennials do.

Annual mums, sometimes labeled “garden mum” or “florist mum,” are bred to provide one season of beauty like other annuals you might place in a pot on your front porch. Enjoy them while they last, keep them watered and expect them to die at the end of fall.

Both kinds of mums come in a variety of lovely colors including yellow,

gold, rust, white, pink and lavendar.

Mums are sometimes confused with asters, another fall-blooming plant that comes in vivid shades of purple, blue, pink and white and also can be grown as a perennial.

S & H sells locally grown hardy mums known for their dense foliage, fullness and prolific large blooms.

“I sell them for as long as I can get them,” Swanson says. “They’re really All chrysanthemums are not alike. If you want to plant popular.” one in the ground that will rebloom each year, be sure to Plant hardy mums as soon as choose a “hardy” mum. you purchase them, she recommends. surroundings. Water and fertilize as you “The earlier you get the mums into the would other flowering plants, and pinch ground, the better. Plant them while the off tired blooms. As long as they’re wellbuds are still tightly closed.” maintained and weather permits, mums For best results, don’t dig the hole will keep blooming. too deep. Leave about a half inch of the “I’ve seen mums still blooming outplant soil above the ground to give roots side at Christmas,” she says. ❚ a chance to breathe and adjust to new

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Your Community

Rockford ReStore Helps Aspiring Homeowners

By Peggy Werner

W

hether you’re buying something for your home, donating items or volunteering at ReStore, 7141 Harrison Ave., you’re improving local lives by supporting Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity.

“Our Rockford ReStore is a key funding source in the support of the Habitat for Humanity mission, which provides safe, affordable housing to deserving area families who want to be homeowners,” says John Hargrove, a volunteer and former Rockford Habitat board president.

ReStore opened in Rockford in 2005.

“In 2021, ReStore will provide 50 percent of the funding for six new Habitat homes.”

ReStore sells gently used furniture, tools, home furnishings, building supplies like windows, sinks and doors, electrical and plumbing supplies, flooring, tile and more. New items are also sold,

donated by businesses and corporations.

Hargrove, a retired manager, worked 42 years for Sears. He led the relocation of ReStore to Harrison Avenue, across from CherryVale Mall, in 2018.

He says the move was “a leap of faith” that’s proven hugely successful.

“With the move, ReStore tripled in size and became more visible to the public, attracting more shoppers and donors.

The number of donations is staggering, but that’s a good problem,” he says.

“Some people shop with us every week,” says Hargrove. “The important rule at ReStore is ‘buy it when you see it.’”

Volunteer labor keeps ReStore open, he adds.

“Bring a friend with you to volunteer and see how fun and gratifying it is to support a great nonprofit organization.”

ReStore accepts drop-off donations Tuesday through Saturday. Find a list

Tell them you saw it in ...

John Hargrove at Rockford ReStore.

of acceptable items at rockfordrestore. org, or call (815) 580-1205 to schedule a pickup.

ReStore shopping hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Families interested in learning about the home ownership program and people interested in volunteering can call the local Habitat office at (815) 636-4573.

Says Hargrove, “Dollars and donations really do make a positive difference in our community.” ❚

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Your Your Fun Fun

Entertainment & Events

These Shining Lives Sept. 24-25 & Oct. 1-2, 7:30 p.m. Based on the real lives of “The Radium Girls.” Winneshiek Players, 228 W. Clark St., Freeport, (815) 2327023, winneshiekplayers.org.

‘Hands on a Hardbody’ Sept. 30-Oct. 3, Thurs.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.. Ten hard-luck Texans have a new lease on life. Armed with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, they’ll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. Cheek Theatre, 5050 E. State St., (815) 226-4100, artistsensemble.org.

Fall ArtScene Oct. 1 & 2; Oct. 1 from 5-9 p.m. and Oct. 2 from 4-9 p.m. This biannual gallery walk is hosted by Rockford Area Arts Council and puts Rockford-region talent on display. All participating venues are adhering to the current COVID-guidelines and require masks.

Learn more and find maps and lists of participating venues at artsforeveryone.com.

Avalon String Quartet Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. Returning to the MPAC stage, this quartet concludes a Beethoven

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series interrupted by the pandemic in addition to newly rediscovered, early 20th century compositions from Chicago. Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center, Starr Center, 415 N. Church St., Rockford, (815) 964-9713, mendelssohnpac.org.

Boz Scaggs: Out of the Blues Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m. The rock legend returns to his roots with a selection of blues and rock favorites. Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 968-0595, coronadopac.org.

Darci Lynne: My Lips are Sealed (Except When They’re Not) Oct. 9, 7 p.m. The youngest contestant to win “America’s Got Talent” takes her singing and ventriloquism act on the road. Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., (815) 968-0595, coronadopac.org.

Gabriel Iglesias: Beyond the Fluffy World Oct. 15, 8 p.m. One of America’s most successful stand-up comedians reconnects with fans on his latest tour. Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford, (815) 968-0595, coronadopac.org.

Sept 2021 • No. II

To advertise call 815-316-2300

Be amazed by the talents of local artists during Fall ArtScene on Oct. 1 & 2 throughout Rockford.

Get the Led Out Oct. 16, 8 p.m. This tribute band captures the essence of Led Zeppelin, re-creating the songs with studio overdubs that Zeppelin never performed live. Coronado, 314 N. Main St., (815) 968-0595, coronadopac.org.

Jayne Latva and Michele Lekas Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m. Rockford Symphony’s concertmaster and keyboardist perform rare sonatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Starr Center, 415 N. Church, (815) 964-9713, mendelssohnpac.org. ❚

THE AFTERNOON’S

FOUR QUEENS.

LAR KELLY C

ELAINE

KSON

CA ROJAS-

DEBORA

STILLO

LLE H NORVI

SHANNO

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3P

FIRST AT 4

4:30P

AT 5 LIVE + STREAMING + Tell them you saw it in ...

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To advertise call 815-316-2300

Tell them you saw it in ...

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To advertise call 815-316-2300