Beckie Lives and Learns

If it's not illegal, immoral, or blatantly stupid, I am willing to give it a try!

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  • About Me
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  • What I Made
  • Fun and games
  • What I Did
  • Other Stuff I Learned

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Recent Posts

  • Go Apple Picking!! Here are 9 Great Reasons Why!
  • It’s Farmers’ Market Season–ENJOY! Each Trip Can Be Great for Your Health!
  • Coffee and Conversation–Take the Time to Talk. Bonus–You Benefit!
  • 52 Ideas for Your Own Mini “Bucket List” Calendar–Make it Your Best Year Yet!

Previous posts

Recent Comments

  • Beckie on Go Apple Picking!! Here are 9 Great Reasons Why!
  • Sue Jacobson on Go Apple Picking!! Here are 9 Great Reasons Why!
  • Go Apple Picking!! Here are 9 Great Reasons Why! on 52 Ideas for Your Own Mini “Bucket List” Calendar–Make it Your Best Year Yet!
  • Beckie on It’s Farmers’ Market Season–ENJOY! Each Trip Can Be Great for Your Health!
  • Steve Bergman on It’s Farmers’ Market Season–ENJOY! Each Trip Can Be Great for Your Health!
  • PIZZA!! The final product--cut and ready to eat!
    What I Made

    Homemade Pizza Night!

    April 10, 2020 /

    (Personal disclaimer:  Currently, my family is celebrating the holiday of Passover.  This pizza was prepared and enjoyed before the holiday. During Passover, you cannot eat leavened products.) If you have been to a grocery store recently, you may have noticed the lack of cheese pizza availability.  Of course, this does absolutely nothing to diminish the craving for pizza. Other items people have had trouble finding recently, from what I have heard at least, include items for baking such as flour and yeast.  Well, as members of warehouse clubs, despite not being able to find these items at our neighborhood grocery stores, my husband DID find them at a big box…

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    Beckie 9 Comments

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    My etched plate!

    Glass Etching–Final Product Looked Great Despite Being a First Attempt!

    March 8, 2019
    Dragon Fruit

    Dragon Fruit–Trying a New (to us) Fruit

    February 6, 2019
    When forming the matzo balls, my husband made one especially for me!

    Matzo Ball Soup, Chicken Salad, and Some of the Most Amazing Brownies EVER

    September 14, 2019
  • Local trees since we cannot travel currently
    Other Stuff I Learned,  What I Did

    Experience Five (Virtual) Tours of National Parks in Just One Hour! (aka How to Travel while Sheltering at Home)

    April 3, 2020 /

    I am in desperate need of a vacation, and with the world’s current turn of events, I will be waiting even longer than originally hoped.  Saying that, I decided that it was worth checking out one of the many sites available that allow for virtual tours, and I chose to play tourist from the comfort of a cushioned chair at home.  I won’t even pretend to imply that virtual tours were anything like the real thing, but I certainly enjoyed them and have a desire to visit these sites in person someday. I recently posted about multiple websites that might be of interest while we are spending more time at…

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    Beckie 3 Comments

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    TEDx notebook

    Falling in Love with TED

    January 20, 2019
    Just part of the view of the Fourth Lake forest preserve.

    Let’s Get Down and Dirty

    June 23, 2019

    Looking for Something to Read?

    January 24, 2020
  • Me and my sign--I watched how it was created from start to finish!
    Other Stuff I Learned,  What I Did

    It’s a Sign! (aka The Birth of a Banner)

    March 22, 2020 /

    I have known Andrew for quite a while (our kids have gone to school together since they were little), but I honestly never really knew what he did for a living.  Guess what. Now I know! When I posed the question on-line of who would be interested in teaching me something new, he offered to introduce me to THE WORLD OF SIGNS (my emphasis : ) )!  I had a behind-the-scenes look at a business about which I knew nothing. What is the name of your company?   Creative Edge Visual Solutions  http://www.creativeedgechicago.com/ How did you get into this industry?  Does your previous education/background tie in to your current work? After…

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    Beckie 8 Comments

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    Before and after a flip

    Steak 101

    June 9, 2019
    The Roaster!

    The Wild Roaster

    June 30, 2019
    The Breathing Festival

    The Breathing Festival 2021–The Power of Our Breath

    February 7, 2021
  • Other Stuff I Learned

    Bored While Stuck Inside? These Links May Help You Avoid Going Stir Crazy.

    March 18, 2020 /

    Now that so many people are going to be stuck inside, we know that we need more than just a few days worth of ideas and activities to keep us from going stir crazy.  I am trying to put together a list of links that we all may find useful in our quest to make the most of this difficult situation. We may actually find something really unique that we otherwise would have never seen, tried, or experienced. This post may not be pretty or look complete.  I just want to make it available as soon as I can.  I have tried to list items in a somewhat organized fashion. …

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    Beckie 3 Comments

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    The Roaster!

    The Wild Roaster

    June 30, 2019
    Me and my sign--I watched how it was created from start to finish!

    It’s a Sign! (aka The Birth of a Banner)

    March 22, 2020
    Some creations from the library's 3D printer

    3D Printing for Us Common Folk

    February 27, 2019
  • I am guessing that there was some turning involved here! It looks like I will soon take flight!
    What I Did

    Israeli Folk Dancing on a Wednesday Night

    February 25, 2020 /

    My good friend, Donna, invited me to join her at her Israeli dance class on a Wednesday night.    She has been dancing with this group for years, and she knows that I love both trying new things and dancing.  I marked my calendar for a Wednesday night and gladly joined her.   I could quickly tell that this was a wonderful group of individuals who knew each other not just as classmates or dancers but also as people.   They developed real friendships through their dancing. That feeling had a positive impact on the whole evening.   Since I was a newbie with the group (I had done some Israeli dancing…

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    Beckie 3 Comments

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    My 30(ish) Minute Beauty Getaway

    June 8, 2019
    All smiles after our axe throwing adventure!

    Axeplosion!

    August 18, 2019
    The Shed Squad!

    Super Shed 3000

    July 7, 2019
  • I am ready to bring some music into your lives!
    What I Did

    My First DJ Lesson!

    February 18, 2020 /

    Ryan lives in my community and, in response to one of my regular requests for people to teach me something, offered to introduce me to his professional world!  I knew what he did, so I was excited! I was about to have my first DJ lesson! Before getting my hands on any of his equipment, I asked lots of questions, and he was nice enough to take the time to answer them for me. What is the name of your company?   4 Sure Entertainment & Chicago’s Best DJ  How did you get into this industry?  Does your previous education/background tie in to your current work? Started as a little kid,…

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    Beckie 2 Comments

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    Birthday signage

    Happy Birthday to Me!

    January 5, 2019
    At the Carolina Hurricanes hockey game.

    College Tour, Part 1: From Home to Chapel Hill, North Carolina

    April 10, 2019
    RAMBUTANS

    Want to Try a New (to you) Fruit? I Present…THE RAMBUTAN!

    November 12, 2020
  • A closer view of the old gas valve. This has to be removed in order to be replaced.
    Other Stuff I Learned,  What I Did

    Furnace Fixing “FUN”!

    February 9, 2020 /

    One recent Saturday afternoon, I heard a beeping in my house and followed the sound down to my basement.  Lo and behold, I realized that the beep was to inform me that a nice puddle had formed which I thought was coming from the hot water heater.  Fast forward to later that day, my husband realized that the problem was the furnace, not the hot water heater. Neither is fun, but a non-functional heater in Chicagoland on a weekend in the winter, to put it gently, sucks.  To add to the situation, my husband, the handy one in my house, was going to be out-of-town few that following Monday and…

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    Beckie 2 Comments

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    My family's Passover Haggadah

    Aspects of Passover 2019

    April 25, 2019
    I can now fold this fitted sheet!

    I FINALLY Know How to Fold a Fitted Sheet!  

    December 12, 2021

    WE ARE BEING INVADED BY EUROPEan buckthorn!

    December 18, 2019
  • Other Stuff I Learned

    Looking for Something to Read?

    January 24, 2020 /

    In my effort to continue growing and learning, I will often look for book recommendations.  (There are WAY too many options available if I were to just check out the shelves at the bookstore or library.)  Using the WWF (Wonderful World of Facebook), I posed the questions below to part of the FB community. More specifically, I posted this (and received responses) on my personal page as well as three local community pages.  I knew that I would be reaching out to groups whose members’ opinions I respect.   This is what I posted:   I want to try to create and share a list of non-fiction books which have had a…

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    Beckie 2 Comments

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    Hanging out with Daisy, Mrs. O'Leary's cow. (She was innocent!)

    Chicago History Tour–I Love to Play Tourist Locally!

    November 27, 2019
    TEDx--REBOOT

    TEDx: Reboot–Prepare for a Reset, a Fresh Start, a Do-Over

    January 12, 2020
    My family's Passover Haggadah

    Aspects of Passover 2019

    April 25, 2019
  • TEDx--REBOOT
    Other Stuff I Learned

    TEDx: Reboot–Prepare for a Reset, a Fresh Start, a Do-Over

    January 12, 2020 /

    We all have times when we feel a need to reboot.  We need a reset, a fresh start, a do-over. Sometimes you need to stop, turn, and take a new path.  Sometimes you want to simply find a better way to do something. My local library hosted a TEDx event back in September  A TEDx event is an independently organized TED event. These events take place literally all over the world.  This type of program is about community. They spark conversations. A TED talk presents “ideas worth spreading.”  The recent one in my community had the theme of “Reboot.” Although the event was last fall, now, with the start of…

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    Beckie 1 Comment

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    I can now fold this fitted sheet!

    I FINALLY Know How to Fold a Fitted Sheet!  

    December 12, 2021
    Learning and Loving

    Great Decisions–We All Benefit by Learning about our World

    January 25, 2021
    Hanging out with Daisy, Mrs. O'Leary's cow. (She was innocent!)

    Chicago History Tour–I Love to Play Tourist Locally!

    November 27, 2019
  • What I Did

    Terrain, Terrain, Pull Up, Pull Up–Our Experience at Extreme Flight Simulation

    January 4, 2020 /

    Disclaimer #1:  My family received a complimentary Extreme Flight Simulation experience in exchange for sharing our adventure and opinions in my blog. Disclaimer #2:  I shared several links in case you are interested in learning more about some of the airports mentioned.  Some of these links are to Wikipedia or other blogs. I acknowledge that these may not be the most ideal sources of information, but, since no life or death decisions are being made here, I figured that these sites would be fine in this situation. During winter break this year, my family flew around the world!  It might be more accurate to say that we “flew” around the…

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    Beckie 17 Comments

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    Donated books

    Bernie’s Book Bank

    January 30, 2019
    Fingerspelling in American Sign Language (ASL)

    Let’s See If I Can Learn American Sign Language

    June 27, 2020
    VOLS WIN!!

    My First Live SEC Football Experience–GO VOLS!

    January 5, 2024
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