Publications & Sites 
Judy’s Evanston Top Five for March 1, 2012
Updated: April 2, 2012 8:43AM
Ed. note: Here’s Judy’s picks for coming community activities in the Evanston area, spiced with a little commentary.
He rhymed sublime. The next session of Lapsit Storytimes, for babies up to 12 months and their care providers, will take place from 9:30-10 a.m. Thursdays, March 8 through March 29, at the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave. Come for rhymes, stories and finger plays. Admission is free. To register call (847) 448-8600.
Here’s my poem celebrating the birthday of the master rhymer and story-teller Dr. Seuss, aka Theodore Geisel, who was born March 2, 1904: “Happy birthday Dr. Seuss/ Have some cake, some apple juice/ Have some pie, some chocolate mousse/ There’s no reason to reduce/ You’re in heaven, where your size’ll/ Be just fine – beyond reprisal/ Get as plump as Old King Faisal!/ Dear Dr. Seuss (or Mister Geisel).”
Go get your own. The Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd, hosts a “Chili” Moonlight Hike from 6:30-8 p.m. March 3. Gather with friends at the Ecology Center for a night walk through the Arboretum – with a focus on native nocturnal animals and their adaptation for survival at night. Then return to the center for a mug of turkey or vegetarian-style chili. Dress for the chilly weather. This program is for those ages 5 and up; the cost is $10 per person. Preregistration is required; call (847) 448-8256.
So the focus will be on “ … native nocturnal animals and their adaptations for survival at night.” Well, I’m a night person – or nocturnal animal - and I adapt for survival by making sure the fridge is stocked with Jamocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream for my regular 3 a.m. visits. Whether this is true for possums, I don’t know, but they can’t have any of mine.
Whilst smiling sweetly, too. The North Shore Choral Society performs “Carmina Burana,” one of the most popular cantatas of all time, at 3 p.m. March 4 at the Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Ave. They will be joined by the Evanston Children’s Choir, professional soloists, two pianos and percussion. To buy tickets, call (773) 956-8500.
I’ve been told by the North Shore Choral Society that I can’t sing-along or clap-along during this cantata concert, because I would be horribly disrupting, plus thrown out. So I guess the only thing I’m allowed to do is sit still and look adorable - which is what I do best, anyway.
Paging all poets, except me. The Evanston Public Library wants to remind everyone that the entry deadline for the Jo-Anne Hirshfield Memorial Poetry Awards is March 16. The competition is open to all students in kindergarten through eighth grade attending an Evanston elementary or middle school or residing in Evanston, and all high-school students and adults in the Chicago area. For more information visit www.epl.org or call (847) 448-8600.
Poets write about all sorts of things – the sun, the moon, the stars, for example. I write about my favorite television show. Hmmm. Anyway, here’s my poem: “When I am both cross and crabby, I imagine Downton Abbey/ It’s where I never lift a finger/ But take my tea, with time to linger/ Then at night when I descend/ The golden staircase (let’s pretend)/ It’s Lady Judy in her glory/ So refined, so hunky-dory/ So when your woes seem like a mountain/ Make believe! Go rule at Downton!”
And finally ... or a maple tree – whatever. Everyone is invited to drop by the annual Evanston Speedskating Club Competition from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 11 at the Robert Crown Ice Complex, 1701 Main St. Come and see one the fastest sports! (Shani Davis, the club’s most famous member, is a world champion speed-skater and Olympic Gold and Silver medalist in both the 2006 and 2010 Olympics.) Admission is free. For more information call (847) 448-8258.
I’ll be rink-side at this skating event so I can pick up some pointers on how to improve my own ice-skating technique. Such as how to stay upright more than 15 seconds (my current record) before pitching forward, backward, even sideways onto the ice – a move I’ve cleverly disguised as resembling a proud oak being axed down in a forest (I often yell, “Timber!”). Ice skating as a metaphor for the wanton destruction of nature – you read it here first.
