March 31, 2022 By Joy Lynn Clark Throughout my life I have always had a weekend trip or sometimes a weeklong vacation in the country. By country I mean right around the lake in Michigan. I have been there many times. On mom’s side we would travel to our favorite orchard to pick apples and grapes. This orchard is the kind where patrons buy a wooden bushel basket and fill them up. I always wanted a really special thing with the apples but we mainly just eat them for a snack. Grandma‘s real specialty was wine and vinegar. As a kid, I had had plenty of vinegar to put on…

By Joy Lynn Clark February 17, 2022 When I lived in Pilsen finding work was tough. Luckily for me, I found a cool staffing company. Times have changed! The pay was terrible but I really needed the extra cash. My only gig: proctoring the police exam. At the time, the city of Chicago was in dire need of cops and many of us were hired to proctor. It was so massive, that there were probably 200 proctors and the test was given at McCormick Place convention center. I laughed as I touched base with some of my artist friends who are also hard up for cash. We exchanged info and…

February 2, 2022 By Joy Lynn Clark I am really allergic to dogs. As a kid, we had a very sweet German Sheppard – collie mix. I stayed on allergy meds and kept our contact to a minimum. Although I was fond of her. Everyone in my family besides me is allergic to cats. As a kid, our dog ran around the backyard and we even had a dog run for doggy to do her business. In our neighborhood, watch your step when walking in the grass. Some places are fair game; Mainly places where you’d only let your dog go anyways. Near the playground or picnic area, no way!!…