With so much to see and do and learn about The Garlands, one can easily forget to get to know more about perhaps our greatest asset of all – the neighbors! Garlands members come from far and near and a variety of life backgrounds and stories. Let us introduce you to a few of them here!
Karen Stathakis is moving in a healthy direction at a pace of 4,000 steps a day – as tracked by her Fitbit! Be FREE After years of caregiving, raising two sons, maintaining a home and juggling a career, Garlands member Karen is free at last to pursue her passions and step into the spotlight: on… Continue Reading Be FREE
“Always my sister, forever my friend.” Be FAMILY Garlands members and sisters Nancy and Sally grew up side by side on the northwest side of Chicago near the famed Riverview amusement park and Wrigley Field. Nancy, the older by two years, attended Alvernia, an all-girls high school. Sally opted for the co-ed St. Benedicts “because it was more… Continue Reading Be FAMILY
Marlene Peterson is a priceless original. Be CREATIVE When a Garlands friend asked Marlene if she painted, she replied, “I don’t ‘do’ art.” The friend’s response, “How do you know?” sparked Marlene’s curiosity and creativity. Dozens of masterpieces later, Marlene exhibits her work at The Gallery at The Garlands and around town, but her true gift is… Continue Reading Be CREATIVE
The sky is the limit for Fred and Natalie Sponsler. Be ADVENTUROUS Garlands members American Airlines pilot Fred and tax accountant Natalie were “fixed up” later in life by their fraternity brother teenage sons. Taking a risk on love again, the adventuresome Fred and Natalie began dating. A trained Air Force pilot and owner of his own Cirrus… Continue Reading Be ADVENTUROUS
Sharing breathtaking views atop a snowy Colorado mountain is a real thrill for Gary and Sue Ellen Griffin. Be THRILLING Family ski trips that started when their three boys were in grammar school continue today…with the addition of seven grandchildren on the slopes! They’ve been risk-takers and adventurers from the get-go. Sue Ellen took the first… Continue Reading Be THRILLING
His and her offices are the perfect fit for Richard and Dorothy Winsor, two scholars with doctorate degrees in their respective fields. Be YOURSELF In their Garlands home, each spouse has space – in the home as well as in their relationship – to be him or herself and follow their own individual passions – along… Continue Reading Be YOURSELF
As they say, “It’s funny how time flies, especially when you are having fun.”
It is hard to believe that I have lived at The Garlands for 16 years now–I have enjoyed every moment! In fact, this might even sound like an ad for The Garlands, however, I thought that maybe some people might like to learn how an “old timer,” who has lived here nearly from the start, feels about being a Garlands member
Continue Reading Sixteen Years, WOW!
The Garlands is home-sweet-home to Dick and Alice Van Egeren. Be GRACIOUS When these Garlands Members returned to Barrington, where they raised their five children, it was a happy homecoming after 15 golden years in Arizona. Once settled, they welcomed a new four-legged family member, Callie, affectionately known as their “Velcro dog.” Ever perched on a… Continue Reading Be GRACIOUS
The Zilkowski classroom knows no boundaries. Be SMART For these Garlands members Red is the color of love and Bob Zilkowski’s beloved alma mater, Indiana University. “I bleed crimson,” says Bob, a Hoosier fan through and through. Bob and Janet met on a blind date at IU, fell in love and married on the beautiful… Continue Reading Be SMART
Bonnie Gekler is organized, Chris Kotarba is a wee bit loosey-goosey. Be FRIENDS These Garlands members and lifelong friends are like two distinct peas in the same pod. Whale watching, hiking, retirement parties, a wedding and divorce, a few medical challenges, birthday celebrations―the two pals cruise through life’s ups and downs together. Workmates at First National Bank,… Continue Reading Be FRIENDS
Be THE LIGHT Garlands member Bonnie Smith Smiley’s friendliness, outgoing personality, and yes, smile, consistently exceed even the highest of those expectations. Bonnie’s life journey began in California and led her and her husband, Don, to serve in Guam and then return to California, Washington, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida. With their son’s encouragement, they eventually moved… Continue Reading Be THE LIGHT
Be VALUED Joyce Carlson comes from a long line of do-it-yourselfers. An assistant in a third-generation, family-owned paint contracting business, Joyce was a “working mother” long before the term was coined. When the business line rang in her family’s Chicago three-flat, she would whip into multi-tasking mode, corral the three kids and book the next… Continue Reading Be VALUED
A longtime English Professor who taught technical writing at Iowa State University, Garlands member Dorothy Winsor, 72, pursued her desire to write fiction in retirement. “Although I read plenty of fiction, I never thought of myself as being creative enough to write it,” Winsor said. “Turns out I was wrong!” Winsor’s fifth young adult fantasy novel is currently with her publisher, and she’s eyeing a sixth.
Her advice to others who are considering pursuing their dreams in retirement: “Don’t doubt yourself! Be brave enough to try new things no matter what your age.”
Dorothy is a guest blogger for The Garlands. We are delighted to share her thoughts on writing . . . and just about anything else that crosses her creative mind!
Garlands of Barrington Author, Dorothy Winsor, Publishes Fourth Young Adult Novel Barrington, IL . . . At age 72, Dorothy Winsor moved to The Garlands and took up a second career as an author writing young adult fiction. She has published three books and is releasing a new young adult novel, The Wysman, this… Continue Reading Dorothy Winsor Publishes Her 4th Novel – The Wysman
Dorothy A. Winsor Sometimes writing is easy. You’re in the zone. The words pour out. Good words! But sometimes, writing is so difficult it feels impossible. You have the dreaded writer’s block. There can be different reasons for writer’s block, and overcoming it depends on why you have it. Fear, boredom, and unarticulated problems with… Continue Reading OVERCOMING WRITER’S BLOCK
Dorothy A. Winsor In February, I went to a Chicagoland SFF conference called Capricon. Among the engaging panels, I attended was one called “Book Reviews vs. Literary Criticism: But is it good?” Panelists included a publicist, a couple of writers, and a book reviewer for a newspaper. The topic they started with was the difference… Continue Reading SHOULD I REVIEW THIS BOOK?
THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT Dorothy A. Winsor Back when I was writing academic books and articles, I conducted a five-year ethnographic project at an engineering center. My area is professional communication, so I hung around the center watching engineers try to communicate in their natural habitat. It was a lot of fun, and… Continue Reading Be BRAVE
You want to know what I’ve learned about writing during a pandemic? It’s hard. And for me at least, maybe impossible in any sustained way. That’s what I’ve learned. For the first couple of weeks, I felt guilty because I had all this extra time while I was locked down at home, and yet I… Continue Reading WRITING DURING A PANDEMIC
