Saving planet earth -- News-Gazette

 "What's the dirt on saving planet earth?"

is my latest published article

digital & print in the

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Voices Guest Commentary

Saturday June 13, 2026.

I welcome your comments.

Robotastic! Summer of Screens by Sari Karplus, on sale MAY 28, 2026

 Long awaited 4th in the Robotastic series

Children's author Sari Karplus

presents

Robotastic! Summer of Screens

Available on amazon..com and other sources.

Enchanting book aimed for children ages 3-8

available in paper or hard cover May 28. 2026

City workers -- News-Gazette

 "Kudos to our city workers" 

is my latest published article in the

print & digital

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Voices Guest Commentary

Saturday May 2, 2026.

I welcome your comments!

Food trucks -- News-Gazette

 "Awestruck by the food truck"

is my latest published

Voices Guest Commentary

in the print & digital

Saturday March 21, 2026

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com.

I welcome your comments.

Tech makeover -- News-Gazette

 "The great tech makeover"

is my latest published article in the

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Saturday February 21, 2026

in the print & digital

Voices Guest Commentary.

I welcome your comments.

Inviting Indianapolis -- Prime Life Times

 "Inviting Indianapolis"

is my latest published article in the 

February 2026 print edition, page A-13, of

Prime Life Times.

I welcome your comments.

A Frank discussion -- News-Gazette

 "A Frank discussion"

is my latest published article

in the digital and print issue

of the Voices Guest Commentary

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Saturday January 17, 2026.

I welcome your comments.

Holiday letter

 

Another year gone by … another holiday letter

By Debra L. Karplus

It’s now signed, sealed, and delivered.  I’m referring to my latest holiday letter.  I emailed it to a couple dozen or so family members and out-of-town friends who presumably want to hear the family news and what I’ve been up to.  If not, then, they can hit their “delete” key. 

I want to believe that my recent “dear family and friends” letter, like my previous letters, is more about telling and less about bragging, but sometimes it’s difficult to sort that out.

Overall, I’d say it was a mostly good year.  I wrote about some of the visitors I had who arrived by car, train, Uber, bus, or plane.  My brother and wife came for a day and it was lovely.  My son came with one of his three sons, all the way from Utrecht, just outside Amsterdam. That was super special.

I wrote about not one but two visits from my Southern California daughter; one visit was with her husband and three children.  She’s a children’s author and came for a book tour here in Champaign-Urbana.  Their trip coincided with my birthday.  Wonderful visit.  Her other visit was solo to attend a weekend of events for her University High School 30 year reunion.  How blessed I am that family members were willing to travel off the beaten track to get to Champaign-Urbana and see me and some of the amazing sites and restaurants C-U has to offer.

Soon after my letter went out I received a few from recipients.  One told me about his new pacemaker that was just inserted because his doctors discovered that though he doesn’t have sleep apnea his heart sometimes just stops. He also has some form of “man cancer”.  Another friend quickly responded to my holiday letter with details of the bad leak in her house that required her and her husband to temporarily move out of their home while repairs were occurring and also that her sister-in-law, a non-smoker, has tongue cancer.  Frankly, I’d never heard of that.  Perhaps that’s why the dentist and periodontist check my tongue at each visit!

This got me wondering if my holiday letter possibly wasn’t honest enough because my relatively good year included some darkness.  A dear friend’s 70-something husband who I knew well, died of pancreatic cancer after a brave 2 year fight, during the summer.  And I frequently hear about other same-aged friends who have a variety of unpleasant illnesses.  When in one’s seventies, it’s tough watching the impact of the aging process on peers, many of whom take excellent care of themselves.

A close family member in her 40s was diagnosed with CML, chronic myeloid leukemia.  It’s rare and neither genetic nor lifestyle-related.  The medications which are essentially chemotherapy in a pill can cause icky side effects, such as nausea and skin issues.  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has CML and is a national spokesperson for it.  He’s looking rather healthy and fit these days so that’s great inspiration for others with CML.  When managed, people with CML can live a long healthy life.  Much money is going toward research toward cures for diseases like CML.

Two relatives lost their seemingly secure jobs.  One is nearing retirement age, and though not ready to retire, found himself dumped from his long time job working in New York for a major broadcasting network; he’s opted to take a lower-paid job with their new management.  Another family member who has a new PhD, a new bride, and a home became a victim of government worker cutbacks and was furloughed. I’m not sure what his “Plan B” is. 

I did have a visitor here for a few nights who was less than the ideal houseguest.  I’ll spare you the details and will save them for some future commentary about rudeness.

Thank goodness for the Eastern Illinois Foodbank.  I’m pleased to give them some money annually.  No one needs to give me any pat on the back.  I’m able to eat anything I want, but many, because of circumstances simply can’t.

There are many deniers of climate change, but look at all the crazy, scary weather disasters in the US and other places.

And the political divide in this country?  Well don’t even get me started because friends know I refuse to talk politics with ANYONE!

When it comes to holiday letters, I’m more of the Reader’s Digest kind of person.  I just want to write the positive, feel good stories.  Save the drama of the National Inquirer for some other writer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adoption option??

 

Adoption options:

Solutions to the empty nest syndrome, or maybe not?

By Debra L. Karplus

Partially asleep on my sofa after an exhausting day, I’m half-watching Family Ties reruns on Antenna TV. Numerous commercials are on this and probably most channels that aren’t public television, products for eczema, incontinence, weight loss, chronic pain, ED, and more.  But an ad to adopt an elephant startles me into total alertness and my whacky imagination goes into overdrive.  Perhaps if I adopted an elephant, I could cure myself of the empty nest syndrome, no matter that my children are edging in at 50 years old.

Naming my adopted elephant Steinbeck, a non-gender- specific name after the acclaimed author, I have visions of stuffing Steinbeck into my Honda Fit. I’d proudly bring Steinbeck to story time at the library, register Steinbeck for kindergarten, attend parent-teacher night at school, arrange playdates with Steinbeck’s friends, provide treats for Steinbeck’s lemonade stand, applaud Steinbeck at a first violin recital and school theater productions, shop for prom attire, visit colleges with Steinbeck. I’d glow at Steinbeck’s graduation ceremony.  

I quickly pull myself back to full-consciousness.  I’ve seen this television commercial and similar ones, and truly wonder if adopting an elephant is a legitimate cause.  Much to my surprise, one can actually adopt an elephant!  There are various programs for adopting all sorts of unwieldy beasts, including lions, giraffes, orangutans, rhinos, whales, dolphins, and even bears.  I discovered a person can even adopt a penguin; that would be my choice as I adore these flightless birds.

These charities typically suggest a fixed amount yearly; the contributor receives an adoption certificate.  Some of the organizations encourage you to visit your adopted animal in their surroundings in Kenya.  I have no burning desire to visit Kenya, so that’s not a real draw for me!  Others might find that enticing, and perhaps there is even some tax deduction component to this, an interesting idea.

I can tell you I actually have already adopted!  The City of Champaign has, or at least had, an adopt a drain program.  I was one of the first in the city to adopt one, c. 2019, and mine proudly sits at the north end of my cul-de-sac here in Southwest Champaign.  I’ve not yet named my drain, nor can I claim it as a dependent on my income taxes. I keep my drain scrupulously clean and free of debris such as grass clippings, twigs, empty water bottles, and miscellaneous stuff that end up in city sewage drains all around town. In winter when the street ices up, I break up some of the chunks so water can drain quickly. I discovered that cities such as Naperville, Moline, and Seattle have similar adopt a drain programs.

One can participate in an adopt a highway program by donating money and/or time.  All 50 states have some sort of adopt a highway program, and though the requirements and expectations vary from state to state, essentially the adopter is expected to keep their stretch of the road presentable and free of litter. But don’t expect to be excused from a speeding ticket on “your highway”.  Ain’t gonna happen!

I looked up the definition of adoption and read that it’s the legal process where a couple or person assumes that role of parent to a child who is not biologically their own.  That’s quite a stretch from adopting an elephant, whale or penguin, a highway or even a city drain on your street corner, but I suppose the sentiment is there just the same. 

Adopting a cat or dog from the Humane Society or a rescue organization, seems more like what adoption is all about because you interface daily with these animals and these pets instantly become a beloved part of your family and aren’t  living on the other side of the planet.

Supporting charities that save endangered animals sounds like a very commendable effort. But I truly wonder how many sober people watching old sitcoms on a lesser-known TV channel are likely to pull out their credit card and make that financial commitment to support an animal in Africa.

If I find some extra pocket change, I might consider adopting an elephant or two, but at least for now I’d much rather support the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, my place of worship, Eastern Illinois Foodbank, WILL TV and radio, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Krannert Art Museum, and a few other causes that are near and dear to my heart so people who I know and care about benefit from my generosity.  But that’s just my opinion!

 

Five-Star Commentary

 

How do you write a 5-star Guest Commentary?

By Debra L. Karplus

Maintaining indoor humidity at the recommended 40 to 60% is challenging during Central Illinois winters.  I wouldn’t care what my 4.6-star hygrometer displayed, typically 33 – 35%, but getting little static electric shocks though not dangerous, are annoying and a smidge uncomfortable.  Normal people would purchase a bedroom humidifier (4.1-star) for about $40, but I’m a bit of a contrarian.

So I searched online for a queen-sized cotton blanket, recommended blanket fabric for less static, and discovered the Bedsure 100% Cotton Queen , breathable & soft, white, 90x90 inches, 4.4 stars (out of 11,634 reviews total), for $44.99. I always read customer reviews that give 1-star (not higher), and disregard those that involve, “dented box” or “arrived late”.  “The Blanket That Followed Me Into The Grave” by Richard S, October 20, 2024, grabbed my attention.  If I knew Richard, I’d encourage him to write News-Gazette Commentaries because he appears to be a darn good wordsmith.  The gist of his very long, engaging review is that this blanket caused the demise of his relationship with now ex-partner Mary.

I got off my comfy 4.5-star Sleepova Office Chair Cushion, steeped a hot cup of soothing  4.6-star Celestial Seasonings Roasteroma Herbal Tea, and Facetimed my daughter on my handy 4.7-star IPad, to share a few laughs about the review. Once we stopped chuckling over the cotton blanket review, Sari referred me to a customer review of the 4.4-star Hutzler 571 Banana slicer.  I had no clue that a specialized kitchen gadget was a required tool for banana slicing, since I’d always found an ordinary kitchen knife adequate, or just eating the banana whole, bite by bite; but not everyone’s like me!  A compelling 1-star review was written by curmudgeon entitled “Sliced!” (February 3, 2013).  According to the author of this well-crafted review, a series of bad events evolved in his 23-year marriage to Marsha because of this particular slicer.

Searching the Internet, I learned that customer reviews emerged c.1999 when online shopping started to become trendy.  Before that, 1995 was when Angie Hicks founded Angie’s List (now Angi) in Columbus, Ohio.  And in 2004, we first heard of Yelp, another generally reliable source for customer input on a wide range of local services.

I’m a happy Christie Clinic patient, and whatever specialty doc you are looking for, you can read their profile and examine the Patient Satisfaction Score, which rates patient satisfaction related to specifics, such as communication and lab work ordered, on a scale of 1 to 5.  I would say all my Christie providers are worthy of 5-stars.  Thanks for keeping me healthy, Christie Clinic.

A few months ago, I totally freaked out when I learned that my local dentist of nearly 30 years was retiring.  It had to have happened sooner or later, but I still wasn’t at all prepared for such bad news, (though I need to congratulate him on his upcoming retirement).  I’ve had only 4 dentists in my entire 72-plus years, so finding a new one who met my specific needs was not a task to be taken lightly.  So I did what felt was the right way to approach this, asked for recommendations from my same-age friends with good teeth, narrowed my choices to 4 dental clinics, and carefully scrutinized the patient testimonials and proceeded from there.

These days, you can, and are encouraged to review most any product or service you receive.  I live in an essentially low-maintenance townhome, yes still I’ve purchased big and little items, and routinely when the job is complete I receive an email soliciting input on my experience.  I’m a member of numerous local fitness centers thanks to my Medicare Supplement Plan; periodically I get an e-mail, as do most of their member, I am certain, to rate various aspects of the gym’s features. 

I’m somewhat baffled when I read an excellent review, yet the customer only gives 3 of 5 stars.  What’s up with that?

There was a stretch of time when my now 12 year old grandson found our FaceTime chats sometimes disappointing.  So we established a rating system, and I’m delighted to share that to the best of my knowledge, our chats now are typically 5-star.  Hoorah for us!

How did we function before this 5-star system that seems to prevail in virtually all industries? I guess word-of-mouth was our source for finding acceptable products and services.

I pride myself in trying to be non-judgemental, but these days we all must learn to function in this 5-star world.

Winter warmth -- News-Gazette

"The burning issue of winter warmth"

is my latest published article in the 

print & digital

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

news-gazette.com

Guest Commentary Voices

Saturday November 29, 2025.

I welcome your comments. 

Memorable good buys -- News-Gazette

 "Some memorable good buys"

is my latest pubished article in the

online & print edition of the

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Saturday October 25, 2025,

Voices Guest Commentary.

I welcome your comments

Vincennes & vicinity -- Prime Life Times

 "Vincennes and Vicinity Vacation"

is my latest published article in

Prime Life Times

October 2025, print edition, page A-4.

I welcome your comments.

Gym junkie -- News-Gazette

 "Confessions of a gym junkie"

is my latest published article

in the print & digital

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Saturday September 13, 2025

Voices Guest Commentary.

I welcome your comments!

You've got to have class -- News-Gazette

 "You've got to have class"

is my latest published article in the

print & digital

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Guest Voices Commentary

Saturday July 26, 2025.

I welcome your comments.

The Dutch Way: Who pays?

 

“The Dutch Way” or some other way?

By Debra L. Karplus

Now that my son has taken up residence outside Amsterdam, I thought I’d become the interested Mom who could talk intelligently with him about the place he now calls home. So when I spotted local girls doing Double Dutch jump rope on a nearby playground, I came home and researched Double Dutch but couldn’t find any obvious connection to anything in the Netherlands.  Then I thought about Dutch chocolate and discovered that in the early 1800s the Netherlands was a producer of chocolate bars and cocoa powder.

Recently chatting with my son, thanks for Facetime, I mentioned that I’d enjoyed Chinese food at a popular Champaign restaurant with a friend, and though we typically order identical menu items, we always ask for separate checks.  My son chimed in, that in his part of the world they call that “The Dutch Way”, a term which originated because of the reputation for straightforwardness embraced by folks in the Netherlands. 

A long discussion with my son began about the protocol for who pays when people go out for a meal or some other activity.  For married couples, the question of who pays is generally straightforward.  But for everyone else, it can become a very murky situation.  (I heard there’s even an app that helps sort this out.  What an amazing world we live in!)

When Dad would take the family for a restaurant meal, he’d insist on paying because he was the patriarch of our group of many adult children and numerous grandchildren.  I have several friends who say it’s that way in their families, also, and that the elder might even take offense if another person offered to pay. 

But what’s the rule for friends dining out?  Perhaps one party’s a big eater, ordering alcoholic beverages and/or dessert.  Splitting the check 50/50 simply doesn’t seem equitable.

Does gender figure into the” who pays” equation?  In earlier times, the man typically paid, but these days that’s not necessarily the case.

Is age a factor in deciding who picks up the check?  Is it assumed that the older person will take care of the check? 

Sometimes it’s obvious that one person might be in better shape financially, either because of their lavish lifestyle or current employment situation?  Is there some expectation that the seemingly wealthier person pick up the check?

And if someone has driven a long way for the meal, or is even an out of town guest, should they be treated to the meal?

When there’s leftover food from the meal, who gets to take it home, the person who paid or is it split between two households?

I hate pettiness and have been in situations when one check is delivered to the table after the meal, and the person I am with suggests we each pay our own and then squabbles over exact change which involves pennies.  I find that exhausting and am happy to pay more than my share, just to keep it all simple.

There are still restaurants that accept only cash, or offer a generous discount for paying cash versus credit card, or similarly charge a surcharge for those using credit card instead of cash.  These days, many people no longer even carry cash so would be in a bit of a pickle at a “cash only” dining establishment.  I was with someone once when that happened, he didn’t carry any cash, and it angered me, but I was a good sport and paid for both of us. 

Mom’s been gone nearly 10 years but I, as a young adult, remember her always telling me it’s a good idea to carry “mad money”, a little bit of money, and I stress “little bit” in my wallet “just in case”.

Purchasing Krannert Center or other entertainment tickets in advance can be equally convoluted, when we’re going “The Dutch Way”.  One of my friends orders and pays for a bunch of tickets and then invites friends with the expectation that they’ll reimburse her.  Often, I’ll arrange with a friend that I buy our two tickets and they’ll pay me back.  A new friend introduced me to what seems like the best way to obtain tickets with someone not in my household.  One of us buys one ticket and tells the other our seat number; consequently, they can independently buy the adjacent seat. 

It seems that social situations, in general, are much more ambiguous these days than they were when I was a young adult over a half century ago.

Old dogs learning new tricks -- News-Gazette

 "Old dogs learning new tricks" 

is my latest published article in the

print & digital issues

Saturday June 28, 2025 Voices Guest Commentary 

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com.

I welcome your comments.

Strangers in your home

 

Would you invite someone like me into your home?

By Debra L. Karplus

To keep life interesting and have a bit more pocket change, I’ve done numerous odd jobs.  One of the more unusual, totally fun gigs was my employment as a Welcome Wagon hostess (1983 to 1984).  People assumed I was a volunteer, but I actually hauled in some decent income.  I’d bring a basket of goodies (I still have that basket) to newcomers and others going through life changes.  I was compensated based on how many visits I made and the number of paid advertisers represented in my basket.  I was reasonably successful recruiting businesses.  Because of my overflowing basket and calendar filled with WW appointments, I additionally earned bonuses, practical prizes such as a magazine holder and coat-tree that I still use today.

Friends ask me if Welcome Wagon is still in business; I searched online.  Welcomewagon.com didn’t provide a straightforward answer other than to state they started in 1928, and still exist, but somewhere in the recent past have morphed from a face-to-face enterprise to something different.  Frankly, I’m relieved, as these days, I can’t imagine going into the homes of strangers, nor can I imagine them letting me in!

As a therapist, in the late 1990s, I visited homes around Central Illinois to provide services to children ages birth to three years old.  I didn’t question my personal safety in this state-funded program.  But around 2009, there was a very high profile homicide case in the residence of one of my home visit clients.  I often thought the family was a bit creepy, but I was diligent about doing my job, so never flinched. 

There were other families I’d visited during that stint that gave me the heebie- jeebies, but “keep on keeping on” was my mantra.

My mom is no longer around, but I have a vague recollection of her story about a professional who came by appointment into our home around 1958 to take family photographs.  His name was later in the Chicago Tribune for doing something very naughty.  Mom was very protective of us, so I never really got the ugly details, but it could possibly have been murder, hopefully not of one of his photograph-ees.

Well, that’s enough about grotesque and scary tales for now!

In our lifetime, selling popular household items door-to-door was extremely popular.  Vacuum cleaner salesmen were plentiful, from reputable companies that still exist, such as Kirby.  After visiting your neighbor’s home, they’d knock on your door and you’d happily let them in, serving up a cup of Sanka.

They’d sprinkle a container of schmutz (dirt) on your nice white carpeting, then demonstrate how nicely their vacuum cleaner did the job, and voila, you’d become the owner of a new vacuum cleaner.  There were travelling salesmen from who-knows-where selling items like Fuller Brush, Avon cosmetics, encyclopedias, and even Bibles.

I was very curious what caused their demise, since the only uninvited “guests” that come to my home, if they can even find our sleepy little cul-de-sac, are folks distributing political flyers or selling cable services.

I thought it was probably a safety issue, But, no, in the mid-1970s more women were out at work, thus nobody was home to invite these well-intended salesmen in.  Thus the apparent death of door-to-door selling evolved.

Once I hired a piano tuner to come to our house to keep our large musical instrument at its best for my children who were taking piano lessons, the tuner called me into the room.  I assumed he wanted to show me the inner workings of our piano, but instead started reading me scriptures.  I was patient with him, but didn’t appreciate hearing his rendition of religion. 

There are so many other things we used to do and never question the safety or security.  School identification was your social security number.  We used to also use our SS number on our personal checks and driver’s license.  It’s nearly impossible to imagine that being okay, but though we live in a world where the majority of people are honest and kind-hearted, there are a few bad apples, very bad apples.

Many places of worship have security systems at the front door, some even have hired security companies to serve and protect parishoners, as do buzzers at places like 24/7 gyms, and, of course, schools.  It’s terribly sad to see the erosion of trust!

But clearly we need to keep our perspective.  Most people are good, but unfortunately it’s those unsavory individuals that have kept us on guard to protect our safety.

 

 

 

Train travel: News-Gazette

 "Training for train travel:  All Aboard!"

is my latest published article in the

print & digital

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Voices Guest Commentary

Saturday May 17, 2025.

I welcome your comments.

ABCs of bidets: News-Gazette

 "Taking care of business: The ABCs of bidets"

is my latest published article in the

print & digital

Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette

www.news-gazette.com

Voices Guest Commentary

Saturday May 3, 2025.

I welcome your comments.