August 30th is National Beach Day. I love going to the beach. When I was little, my mom would take me and my siblings to the beach all summer long. One summer in June, when school was still in session, she said, “It’s too nice to go to school. Let’s go to the beach.”
Of course, we were all excited and ready to go within a few minutes. We could walk to the beach from our house. We hung our sand buckets on the handles of our stroller. One or two small children were always sitting in it.
I loved the feeling of the sun on my skin. I happily jumped into the water, thinking that this was much more fun than sitting in a hot classroom. Schools didn’t have air conditioning back then.
Years later, I took my own children to the same beach. Now my grown children take their children to the same beach.
My husband and I still go to this beach. Sometimes we meet our grandchildren there.
So, have a nice day at the beach everyone. Life is a beach, as they say.
School has started again. Although I don’t advise mothers and children to skip school and go to the beach, I’m glad my mother did. That’s just how she was. Of course, none of us ever won an award for consistent attendance, but I think if there was an award for the most eccentric mother, my mother would have won it.
The West Lawn Branch Library, located at 4020 W. 63rd Street, will soon offer extracurricular activities and homework help for all students in the neighborhood. While their little students are at school, parents can head to the library and take a yoga class. These classes will be held on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. from now through December. All ability levels are welcome.
The Chicago Artopia Company will present a concert with the Kaia String Quartet on Saturday, September 21, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the West Lawn Library. Registration is required for this event. Call the library at 312-747-7381.
Every time I call the West Lawn library, the nicest people answer the phone. The staff is so nice not only on the phone but in person as well. I recently called to ask if they still had a donation box for old glasses. The person I spoke to said they didn’t have one but told me the Mount Greenwood branch at 11010 S. Kedzie does have one. Call them for more information at 312-747-2805. I hope they are as nice as our West Lawn library staff.
I lead such an exciting life. After calling the library, I visited the reopened Family Dollar store at 6540 S. Pulaski. I wanted to see what it looked like after being closed for so long. Inside, it looks the same as before and has the same products as before. Most are $1.25 and up. I must say, the aisles seem wider. Maybe they combined some of the merchandise displays. It’s a little easier to navigate now and it’s not as crowded when there are two or more people in an aisle. So thumbs up for that.
Attention. The Starbucks at 6520 S. Cicero is hiring now. They need baristas and shift managers. Call them at 708-552-9650. Starbucks is open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Last week, I contacted the Save A Lot grocery store at 4439 W. 63rd Street. I asked when they expected to reopen. Their main office responded, “We continue to make progress and have already completed a significant amount of work at the Save A Lot store at 4439 W. 63rd Street. Unless there are any further unexpected project delays, we are planning for a November opening.”
So there you have it. It’ll take a little while, but it’ll be just in time for holiday grocery shopping.
In a previous column, I mentioned a few pizza places. A reader called and recommended Waldo Cooney’s Pizzeria at 8541 S. Pulaski. I decided to check it out. I bought a slice. I find the best way to judge pizza is to order it with cheese, but there are plenty of toppings to choose from. The slices have a thick crust. It was really very good. The bread-like crust was freshly baked. In fact, Waldo’s smelled like freshly baked bread when I walked into their restaurant, which you can eat in or take out. I enjoyed the slice and will be back sometime to get a whole pizza, which they make with a thin crust. I’ll tell you about it. Besides pizza, Waldo’s also has sandwiches, calzones, pasta, chicken, shrimp and more. They have a convenient parking lot and are open until 11 p.m. daily. Call them at 773-585-0965. The staff is super friendly. You can also order online at www.waldocooneyspizza.com.
I know what you’re thinking – is she going to eat the whole pizza if she goes back to Waldo Cooney’s for a thin crust? Well, maybe I will to ensure accurate reporting. What sacrifices I’m making!
