We were thrilled to have Dr. Marybeth Browne as the 2026 Luck-Raffensperger Lecturer for the Department of Surgery at Lurie Children’s Hospital. Her lecture was personal and insightful and left us with action items to help improve the lives of children. At the same time, Andy, Molly and the boys were in Napa for a family wedding.A few days later, I drove to the Milwaukee Art Museum to enjoy an exhibit of Gertrude Abercrombie’s work. It was a spectacular exhibit and I was so glad I made the trip.Drove to Madison to enjoy some fine dining and symphonic music with Ann and Jim. Christopher joined us to celebrate my birthday.Having watched the Artemis launch, Declan is now interested in space travel and has become a big fan of Buzz Lightyear. Nicole’s final performance with Ballet Chicago was magical and I was so happy to be able to see her dance.Returning to New Orleans for my 50th reunion of Tulane Medical School graduation, I was joined by my squad of supporters. We had to go back to a favorite haunt of mine. “Mothers” got the ball rolling with NOLA cuisine. It was hard to believe we have stayed together all these years. I know my career and life have been enriched by my friends and family. Jen, Brian, Lizzie and Quin did not make this photo but were with us all the way. We visited the spectacular WW2 museum, which is a “must see” for anyone in NOLA.Mary Martin had nominated me for an award and my friends and family joined my medical school class for a lovely brunch. We dined the night before at Pelican Club and that night at Antoine’s. I made it home just in time to attend Nicole’s graduation from St. Ignatius. We were quite a crowd celebrating with her. Andy and Molly have moved to the suburbs and are enjoying their new space!We took our first trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden which is very close to their new place. The boys especially enjoyed the miniature train section and I know will want to go again. The boys love checking out the van and helping me fill it with water before I get on the road again.After a minor delay, I headed west and stopped at Mississippi River Palisades State Park. It’s a beautiful park and each morning I was awakened by the song of so many birds. At one point, I counted 11 different species singing to me as I walked along.My next stop was Pine Lake State Park in Iowa. I was the only person on the water that afternoon and was so happy to be back on the road and into my kayak.My next stop was Clear Lake, Iowa, and the Surf Ballroom. This was the last place Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper played in 1959 before leaving Clear Lake in a small plane and crashing in a nearby field. It is still a music venue and I took a fun tour of the ballroom and adjoining museum. Stepping inside, one feels like one has been transported back to the 1950s.I meandered through other state parks in Iowa and Nebraska and finally made it to Superior, Colorado. Every Sunday, we can enjoy coffee from January Coffee and a great bagel sandwich at Call Your Mother Deli.We enjoyed music and walks and lots of play at Christopher and Natalie’s house. I started my drive back through Kansas but the road I chose had few gas stations and the heat was pretty bad. I turned north and stayed again at a Windmill State Park in Nebraska. I got back to Chicago and it was time to wash the van. Owen is pictured here helping me out!Declan was also a big help and we got it all done in a jiffy. Andy and I met up at Wrigley Field to see John Mulaney. The show was terrific! Buddy Guy was first on the stage and David Letterman introduced John. I first saw John perform at Zanies Comedy Club in Chicago. His shows keep getting better and the 40,000 attendees at Wrigley were in agreement.
