The Christmas Visit

By John Kass

Sunday Dec. 22, 2024

I’m sitting in the big chair by the fire, thinking about this amazing journey we’ve been on together, the ups and the downs, and thinking also about that ideal Christmas visit I’d have with you.

You’ve been here with me for years. And this is the time of thinking of the people who mean so much in our lives. And without you, there’s no johnkassnews.com, no columns by me or others, no chance to write any of them, none of the back-and-forth between us under those columns.

And here’s how that visit would go:

First thing, I’d get up early and drive over to a great bakery to find a coffee cake for our sit-down. Not some supermarket faux bakery, not a bakery as an afterthought where the managers pretend its a bakery.  Is it “real” because it’s in the back of the supermarket and the dough comes in a plastic vacuum sealed bag and the icing comes in a can? No. That’s not a real, dedicated bakery. I’m talking about the real thing.

And with that real coffee cake from the real bakery under my arm, I’d stand on the front stoop, knock on your front door or ring the bell and then step down off the porch, down off the front stoop so I wouldn’t appear to be threatening to those inside. It’s not some trick, but a courtesy offered out of respect for fellow citizens. You’re at their home. You respect them first. What comes later, if it ever does, comes later.  I learned this from old-time Chicago precinct captains of bygone days–and they didn’t bring coffee cake–but even so, I keep that coffee cake and present it with a smile if I’m fortunate enough to be invited inside.

Because that’s where we’re going, inside your house, into your kitchen, if you’d be so kind to invite me. We have plenty to talk about, you and me about how we’re being governed, how we’ll keep our American liberty in a land where we can only trust corporate journalists to lie to us, how to make some braised oxtails for a cold winter meal, and what kind of puppy Betty and I should get since Zeus died and left that hole in our hearts?

I don’t know what they do in other places, but Chicagoans are taught never to go empty-handed to someone’s home. You visit someone’s home, you bring a coffee cake.

Like a cake from Calumet Bakery maybe Pticek & Son at 55th and Narraganset, or Weber’s Bakery.

These are South Side bakeries. I know. I’m from the South side. I grew up eating on the South Side, not in Wilmette or Winnetka. And no poppyseed, though. I mean it. No deep-dish pizza either—think of it as a hunk of bread dipped into Red Sauce #10. I gag every time it’s mentioned, as our friend Jimmy Banakis knows only too well.

But don’t mind me. In your idealized Christmas dream you can eat any pizza you want or select any coffee cake. You can even offer frozen Jell-O “fruit cakes” with the horrid floating chunks.

Sorry, this is not your idealized Christmas visit dream. This is my dream in your house. I’m just using your kitchen. Thanks. Yeah, it’s weird.

But as we fight about it, would you please make us a big pot of coffee?  It goes with coffee cake doesn’t it?

We’ll have our coffee in your kitchen, in one of the many tasteful coffee mugs to be found at johnkassnews.com…under “shop”

Like the Chicago Way mug with Jeff Carlin and me…Or the classic “No Chumbolone Zone ™” mug. I’ll have a large mug please.

Why are we in your kitchen? Because the kitchen is the most comfortable room in the house, the place where friends gather. I don’t want to sit with you in some fancy mausoleum of a room. We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends head for the kitchen first. I kicked this idea around on The Chicago Way podcast, about coffee cakes and kitchens, where you listen to podcasts on your phone, where you read columns like those at johnkassnews.com from your phone.

And I was thinking about our need for prayer on Christmas. Because Christmas is the time for thankful prayer, yes, because God sent his only son to redeem us of sin. There is nothing easy about it. But life isn’t easy either. And Christianity isn’t easy. We do say our prayers before meals at the kitchen table, don’t we?

So, that is what Christmas for.

Prayer first. Thanking God for His most perfect gift.

And time to spend with family and friends. It is the best time for Christmas hunts with a good pointing dog on hard fields, the bell on his neck sounding across the stubbled corn. And those of you who can, please go walking and hunting with those you love. I can’t tell you how much you’ll miss that if you ever find that you can’t walk those fields anymore. So walk.

It’s also a great time for a Christmas ride on a good horse in the snow, if not on Christmas Day, then in that vicinity, the week before, the week after. The horses are bored in the barn. And stiff. They long for crisp days in the woods. The horse stops on the trail, plumes of vapor breath, warm, and 50 feet away you see a herd of deer.

And they’re lost in the plumes, too. Even the squirrels are still. Waiting.

We’ll talk about that too, as we gather as friends, in your kitchen.

I do have some disappointing news.  I can’t drive over today. Sorry your kitchen and your mugs are safe from me. The nice lady from the DMV just turned me down for a license, so I can’t get over there on my own.  I wanted to drive so badly, but wanting doesn’t make it happen, especially since I’ve had this brain injury you all know about, and I don’t want to hurt anyone.

I don’t want to be one of those old men you hear about. And this spring I’ll go back to driving school and start again to learn to drive safely. If I can’t, then I can’t. But I won’t ever get behind the wheel until I’ve been assured by professionals that I’m safe to drive. And that I feel I’m safe for others. Who said life was easy?

But as I’ve told you before, there was this old man named Laertes. He was a king once, in a land called Ithaca, When he got old and was brought down by age, he still had the strength in him–and some of the rage–that was necessary to throw a spear. But he wasn’t alone. And since you’re reading this, I know I’m not alone.

Now I throw my spears here, writing at  johnkassnews.com. You’ve been with me for years, you stood by me after the Soros mob came after me, you stood by me after the heart attack and the stroke and the other issues, through the Obama and Biden lies, through the Trump victory, you’ve searched me out. All politicians, sine they’re human, are liars and lie to us or they lie to themselves. We’re grown-ups and understand this as part of the human condition.

But the last few years have killed journalism itself. It died from the Marxist rot from within. And so, it was left to those of us who can, to help preserve  journalism and our civic life. And I’m asking you to go to the top of this page and search one more time. For me.

At the top you’ll find words to click on, like “shop” for mugs and No Chumbolone Zone (TM) caps, and “podcasts”–the Chicago Way podcast is always free and sent to your email inbox if you’re a subscriber–and column archives, including the “Golden Moutza” and other buttons to click on to help you navigate this site. And there’s one more to the right. It says “Subscribe”  https://johnkassnews.com/plans/subscribe/

If you click on that you can subscribe monthly, or for a year and get two months discount (my favorite). Each time I sit down to write and sharpen a spear, I give you my oath: that I will do my best for you. And you can give a gift subscription to friends and family. Because I can’t do it alone. I can’t keep this going alone.

I need you to get yourself a yearly subscription to johnkassnews. And to tell your friends to subscribe.

I couldn’t do this without you.

No man walks alone. And even with this cane of mine clomping along at my side, I don’t walk alone. None of us do. Because you are there.

And I don’t need to drive to sit across the table to tell you three very important words:

Thank you friend.

Merry Christmas

(Copyright 2024 John Kass)

  

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About the author: John Kass spent decades as a political writer and news columnist in Chicago working at a major metropolitan newspaper. He is co-host of The Chicago Way podcast. And he just loves his “No Chumbolone” hat, because johnkassnews.com is a “No Chumbolone” Zone where you can always get a cup of common sense.

Merchandise Now Available: If you’re looking for that Christmas or holiday gift for that hard-to-buy for special someone who has everything, just click on the link to the johnkassnews.com store.

Where else would you find a No Chumbolone™ cap or a Chicago Way™ coffee cup?

Because I know this about you: You’re not a Chumbolone.

Comments 109

    1. Merry Christmas John, God bless You and your family! I’ve been with you from the beginning and will stay there. Come over anytime. Coffee is on. Any good coffee cake from a real bakery is a treasure. We have some good ones on the northwest side.

  4. Good morning! Merriest of Christmases, and a most happy and prosperous New Year!!!!

    Coffee is always ready here. I cold brew it myself, in giant glass Mason/ Bell jars, in a quantity suitable for friends to pop by.

    I grew up eating Lindahl’s and Mom’s aka “Mon’s” on the North side. In fact, my siblings and I sans one grew up literally above a bakery (Lindahl’s), a butcher shop, and an “electrical” store. So I get the etiquette. But on your mythical odyssey, you as a guest must be offered cookies! And there is an assortment. Try the pepparkakor, I developed the recipe myself.
    *******************
    I’m sorry driving isn’t on your list of things to do. I practice weekly with a list of maneuvers, just to be sure. I was thinking of moving somewhere warmer, but am kind of anxious about passing the driving test. It’s that, or move to a locale with *stuff* within walking distance.

    Merry Christmas again to you, Betty, the Boys and their sweethearts, and that fortunate future puppy who will never replace Zeus but nonetheless will put joy in your heart!

  6. Merry Christmas to you, Betty and your magnificent sons. I am thankful for you and your thoughts which you share. I am thankful for the cast of characters which step to the plate as needed to write incredible columns. God made you for this time, given you talent and gifts for this purpose of informing and enlightening. Blessings to you and all who serve.

  8. What a great Christmas picture John! Thanks for writing through all of this. I don’t write as much as I used to. It’s not as easy as most people who don’t write think it is. So I get it. And I get it about the bakeries too.

    Back as a boy growing up on the south side I briefly worked at the Sister’s Bakery on 99th St, a few short steps from the Rock Island tracks. We would go to work at about 3 am on a school day and enter through the back alley door so we could scrape the dough off the wooden floor on our knees with broad blades seemingly made for just that job. It was a gooey mess. We’d stack the greasy cooking sheets and pans so grown men could wash them by hand later in the day. It was hard work but the smell of the fresh bread and sweets was the payoff. It smelled like I imagined heaven might smell if I ever got there. So I get it. Thanks for letting me reminisce here at johnkassnews.

    Sitting here with my coffee before church it feels a little like sitting in our kitchen with you and having that coffee cake neither of us is supposed to eat. Merry Christmas John, to you and Betty and the family. And thanks for visiting us at Christmas here in our kitchen.

  9. Merry Christmas, John, to you and to yours and also to these now familiar names who share our (nearly) daily reads and add their pearls. You’ve visited my kitchen many many times and often left me there, pondering a Chicago long gone yet as vivid and crisp as those winter walks in Columbus Park or Thatcher Woods. And today’s column teaches me that whether a cane or a driver’s license, we all share something poignant that comes with those brilliantly bright memories; the march of time and our feet of clay. So, thanks again for filling my Sunday’s start with my heart buoyed. My trophy wife, Molly is in the mountains with a daughter for the Holidays so I am able to work the special hours at the meat market in Plano. It’s a crush of customer’s picking up rib roasts and crown roasts and tenderloins tied and ducks and geese and whole pigs. Your kind of store, eh?!! It’s my chance to play elf, searching for a 12 pound brisket amidst 20 pound behemoths and bringing a smile to a stranger. And to say “Merry Christmas” to each one and, now, to you, again. Your column is a year long gift that engages us all.

    your buddy, your pal

    hansen

  12. Merry Christmas to you, Betty and those fine young twins you’ve raised into fine young men.

    Coffee cake should always be the good stuff, Weber’s when I lived in the city and then Kirshbaums after we moved.

    But the important part is heartfelt affection for those who matter.

    1. Lovely memories of another time…remembering the amazing sweet rolls and coffee cakes from Dvorak’s bakery at 82nd and Ashland. Long gone, like so many other south side memories. Those treats were fetched on Saturday (get there before noon so they’re not sold out!!) The “bakery ladies” wrapped in their aprons, wearing those little rings that were actually string cutters. Overhead, above the counter, were HUGE balls of white Bakery Twine. After the white boxes were filled with the treats you chose, those ladies would stack them and in a flash they would grab that tail of string and go around and around your stack of treats, spin the box, wrap that ever-present string the other way, have it all knotted up in a flash, and in one quick move, they’d cut that string with that little ring, and off you’d go…bearing your boxes of treasure. If mom didn’t have enough cash to send on Saturday, she’d go in on Tuesday and settle up, after we’d walked to the old Standard State Bank at 79th and Ashland.

      The other part that added to the mystique? The newsstand just off the corner, right in front of tge bakery. Ole Ernie with his unlit cigar stuck in his mouth, his black and red wool cap (winter or summer, didn’t matter), little fire going in the barrel next to the stand, wearing his Sun-Times change apron. He always had do many customers and a what looked like LOT of money in that apron….as kids, we had no idea what else he might have been collecting money for…we thought he just sold A LOT of newspapers. …and the bakery seemed to keep him supplied with coffee and sweet rolls.

      Once again, you’ve evoked good memories of another time. A time when a little girl could walk through the city, in search of the treats from the bakery……Merry Christmas to you and those whom you love!

  13. Merry Christmas, John & Betty and the entire Kass οικογένεια!

    Sadly, those bakeries of which you write are all too quickly going the way of the dodo.

    Even so, if you can make it to north Texas, you are more than welcome in our kitchen, any time!

  14. Lovely memories of another time…remembering the amazing sweet rolls and coffee cakes from Dvorak’s bakery at 82nd and Ashland. Long gone, like so many other south side memories. Those treats were fetched on Saturday (get there before noon so they’re not sold out!!) The “bakery ladies” wrapped in their aprons, wearing those little rings that were actually string cutters. Overhead, above the counter, were HUGE balls of white Bakery Twine. After the white boxes were filled with the treats you chose, those ladies would stack them and in a flash they would grab that tail of string and go around and around your stack of treats, spin the box, wrap that ever-present string the other way, have it all knotted up in a flash, and in one quick move, they’d cut that string with that little ring, and off you’d go…bearing your boxes of treasure. If mom didn’t have enough cash to send on Saturday, she’d go in on Tuesday and settle up, after we’d walked to the old Standard State Bank at 79th and Ashland.

    The other part that added to the mystique? The newsstand just off the corner, right in front of tge bakery. Ole Ernie with his unlit cigar stuck in his mouth, his black and red wool cap (winter or summer, didn’t matter), little fire going in the barrel next to the stand, wearing his Sun-Times change apron. He always had do many customers and a what looked like LOT of money in that apron….as kids, we had no idea what else he might have been collecting money for…we thought he just sold A LOT of newspapers. …and the bakery seemed to keep him supplied with coffee and sweet rolls.

    Once again, you’ve evoked good memories of another time. A time when a little girl could walk through the city, in search of the treats from the bakery……Merry Christmas to you and those whom you love!

      1. Oh, yeah – the sauce, the perfectly seasoned crust. Add in an Italian Beef in Red Sauce.

        If only I wasn’t 1,700 miles away …

        Merry Christmas to you and yours, John.

      2. The first home Carol and I bought was in Evergreen Park. And we often (too often perhaps) enjoyed the Palermos pizza. Great memories from back at that time. We still remember Fox’s on Western as our favorite growing up in Beverly though because everyone has a little different taste in pizza. There is no pizza in Grand Rapids like the Southside pizzas we still love.

      3. It was my pleasure to enjoy a couple of Palermo’s pizzas with you and Betty and the boys.
        I especially recall the time the owner came by our table and informed you that the “Speaker” (AKA King of Madiganistan) was in the house. And that he hoped for a quiet evening. I believe you replied that relations between you and the Speaker were always cordial.
        When I had occasion to visit the Men’s Room, I had to pass right by a cozy alcove where the Speaker was seated aside a couple of oversized goons with weapon bulges in their jackets.

  17. When you come to my house for the Christmas visit, the operative bakery is DeEtta’s in Naperville (right behind Naperville North HS on Ogden). Get the chocolate braid coffee cake. The best! The girl behind the counter is a little crabby sometimes so easy banter is not what you will experience there but still worth it. John, you are the only writer I know that can transform stream of consciousness thoughts in your head into a great Christmas column. Amazing! Merry Christmas to you and Betty and the boys and their girlfriends. Love you, Bro, from a paid subscriber since day 1!🎄

  21. Thank you, friend! Thank you for always evoking the best memories of my life. We, your readers, are blessed to “know” you.

    Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones. May God continue to bless you all.

  22. John, been with since you started joblessness.com. Love your fearlessness in telling the charlatans and lying politicians to go pound sand without having an editor or writer’s guild trying to stop you. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Here is to a healthier and saner 2025 and beyond

  23. God bless you and Merry Christmas.
    I grew up on the Southeast side of Chicago and Calumet Bakery was a neighborhood staple. Fond memories. Thank you, John and all who give us journalism at its best.
    Health and happiness in 2025.

  26. You and Betty are more than welcome to join my husband and me in the kitchen. Winston will most likely bark–a great deal–to announce your presence. Then, he will proceed to want his belly scratched and, somehow, wind up on your lap. In other words, Winston will help you decide if Corgi mixes are in your future.

    We are all fortunate to be on this wonderful ride with you. Blessings to you and your family for 2025.

  28. Come on over, we’ll be waiting for you in our kitchen. Can’t drive?…. I’ll pick you up as long as I can listen/watch da Bears today. Happy holidays and here’s to a healthy 2025 for you and your family.

  29. This wonderful Christmas column inspired an optimistic thought: For a good-spirited exile, some Chicago spirit can survive in Indiana. Even in Wisconsin — when surrounded by all those Packers fans — some Chicago spirit can survive.

    Meanwhile, among those brave enough to still reside in the disastrously-coached city on the lake, more citizens are now speaking up, maybe even using their brains to vote in the next mayoral election.

    Well, as was once said by another survivor with a cane, God bless us everyone. At the top of my list is the guy with an irreplaceable spear and no driver’s license. Merry Chicago, in recollection and optimistic hopes, to us all.

  30. Γιάννη,
    We’re blessed and thankful for voices like yours which help keep us all grounded in reality! Keep it up, and get stronger each day. Thankyou for inviting us all on your life’s journey. Helluva ride so far!! Εις ανώτερα! Και καλά Χριστούγεννα. Σού εύχομαι υγεία και ευτυχία το καινούριο έτος!!

  31. Come on in John. You’re always welcome in my kitchen, whether you have a coffee cake or not. Always great to have you share your wisdom.
    Grew up on bakery goods from Duke’s Bakery in Alton Illinois, and circuitously ended up at Kirschbaums in Western Springs. Western Springs ain’t what it used to be.
    John have a blessed Merriest Christmas and may God Bless you and your family. A Savior has been born!!!!

  32. Coffee is on! Would love to have you come by for a chat in our kitchen with a coffee cake from Pticeks or Webers (how lucky are we to still have both of those bakeries)? Hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. I also hope you will consider adopting your next pup from one of our many wonderful area shelters.

  33. Very touching John. The way things used to be. I complained the other day about no real bakeries here in North Carolina, or if there are they are the uppity, artsy type that cost double the $$. I pray you have a full recovery so you are able to drive, fish & walk without your cane soon. You are the type of person(s) I grew up with that made Chicago great. Merry Christmas to you, Betty & your sons from my wife & I.

  34. Great writing as always, and you are correct, Kerry and the staff at Calumet Bakery are the best!

    I wish for you a continuing recovery from your health issues and am confident that it will come. Please keep writing, using your gift and making your Greek ancestors proud. Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year to you and your Family.

  35. John, Betty, your sons and Zeus (RIP) have been a joy to my mind. I too have departed Chicago for a point 500 miles south (sadly still a blue city in a decidedly conservative state). May you have a wonderful Christmas season. With the distance and the Indiana DMV hobbling you we will have to settle for a virtual visit via your wonderful column. Regarding Zeus, he will never leave your heart. You seem to be still seeking a hunter, might I suggest the versatile Vizsla. About the same size as a GSP (Zeus) but equally at home running like the wind or snuggling next to their owner like Velcro. Sweet and smart. You have a large lot in Hoosier land so the energy can be dissipated. Female V’s are smaller. Read up too before you choose. Whatever breed you like.
    To all of our fellow readers who look forward to a cup of midwestern common sense I wish a wonderful holiday season as well. Stay healthy my friend. We need you.

  36. Merry Christmas to you and yours John. May you have many more ahead filled with happiness and better health.

    Your columns are a highlight in my inbox – that has been taken over by outrageous SPAM and even Smut that somehow Google is now letting through to me – I think they may in cahoots with Soros and trying to destroy our society.

    Enough of my rant, this note is about you and how you have helped keep the Dem’s on their toes (heels?) for a guy like me that enjoys a cigar, good cocktail and good food and responsible government.

    Blessings to you.

  37. MERRY CHRISTMAS, JOHN!
    You’ve been a part of my daily life for as long as I can remember, you and those who contribute writing columns are masterful at your craft!
    Please continue fighting the good fight. GOD BLESS YOU. 🙏🏻🎄

  39. Good Morning. Thank you for this column, as well as the many others I have enjoyed these last many years. I look forward to reading many more. Merry Christmas and a Blessed Happy New Year to you and your family.

  42. Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you, Betty and your family! A Saviour has been born to save us from ourselves! You are welcome for a cup of coffee in our kitchen any time! Alas, we escaped Madiganistan and the taxes and craziness 1200 miles to the south in the quiet of central Florida (where the fishing is fabulous this time of year)! So it requires a long trip to get here!

    Thank you John, for your perseverance to keep writing such wonderful columns and assembling others of like mind to contribute as well! Your columns and podcasts always bring much to ponder and discuss with my wife. Will renew my subscription to keep participating in dialogue with the wonderful readers you have!

  43. Thanks John for your voice of reason, and thank you to your guest columnist s and most importantly your loyal readers. Not only to I get great column s but also great commentary from the readership.

    Merry Xmas to the Kass family, and Merry Xmas to your loyal dedicated supporters.

  44. Merry Christmas to you and your family, John. And thank you for this digital column where we are allowed to share our views. It’s comforting to know we conservatives are not alone in this blue state. You have actually formed an online community at JohnKassnews.com – thank you! Been reading your columns since Royco left, and we look forward to reading your colorful insights for many years to come. May God bless you! Stay well and enjoy the holidays, John.

  46. Merry Christmas to you John Kass and your wonderful family. Thank you for your words and, yes, they do inspire myself and many more. God bless you, Betty and the boys.
    Tom

  47. Thanks for your wisdom and your amazing comeback. Looking at lung clot removal and bypass surgery in 2 weeks. I hope I can be as strong as you were in recovery.
    Your wonderful words are a bright sun on a dreary day.
    Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a healthy new year!

  48. Please know you have been part of my family since your days at the Bad Place. To be able to continue reading you is a joy.
    I wish you could come over. I would make a coffee cake. (From scratch, no mix!) And bring Betty!

    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    Marianne

  49. Merry Christmas – brought some tears to my eyes as I recently escaped Illinois and have not found a bakery like Webers nor pizza like Palermo’s. God Bless and hope 2025 is a better year for you

  52. Merry Christmas from Flyover Land (Peoria) John and Family, Nick too!
    Keep sharpening and throwing Spears, there is plenty deserving targets. I enjoy your articles and podcasts and league of support you get from others who step in to keep JK News running.

  55. Hello John,
    Just became a subscriber today. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. It certainly was a good time to be alive. I left the Chicago Tribune about the same time you did after many years as a subscriber. I just couldn’t take it anymore. Keep up the good work and may God give you the strength to keep us informed to the truth. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

    Warren and Karen Hughes

  56. Merry Christmas John and family. I’m subscribed to John Kass, and plan on keeping it that way. I’ve always been a fan. Read your columns on the communist publication the Tribune, loves you on WLS, even back in the Don and Roma days, through Dan Proft, but now being retired, I don’t get to hear you on the radio too much anymore. But thank you for starting John Kass online! And your podcasts. Keeps me in touch with a very good man with extraordinary writing skills. I’ve always enjoyed your great wit. And thank you for NOT just another non thinking Commie columnist like some of those at the Tribune still, a paper I don’t even look at at the store anymore. Thank you for being there. So continued prayers for you, your health, your wife and family, etc! Merry Christmas to the Kass family!

  57. Merry Christmas John. You will drive and more importantly, fly fish in a stream again. If you came to my kitchen we could tell stories about the fish we caught. We could talk about how we gutted and cleaned them and cooked them right out of the water. How the fish tasted so good and fresh with a bottle of something. We’d remember that the symbol for the early Christians was a fish. We’d remember that we are supposed to be “fishers of men”. You do a lot of fishing for liberty on this site and I welcome your columns. We need it. I just read about an old acquaintance, Steve Fanady who is being unfairly imprisoned by Tom Dart and the corrupt Chicago Democratic political system. So, it could be worse for us. Fanady’s plight is a lesson to us all. It’s where they want to send us if we don’t bend the knee.

  58. You’re in my kitchen Mr. Kass. Now, on to the beef stock.

    I try not to make believe that my lifetime is any more momentous than any others.

    But what happened in 2024, I believe was incredible. I’ve never prayed so hard. Thanks to all and Merry Christmas!

  59. Thank you! We are inspired.
    In a way, you and I are “brothers.”
    I too was turned away by our DMV here in CA due to an age related vision issue. I am 71 now. They won’t renew my license. But they did give me an extension while my ophthalmologist works on it.
    Thank you for your work.
    And thank you for removing the many trolls, the “cockroaches in a gas station urinal.” They have many other places to spew.
    God bless you.

  60. I grew up and used to deliver newspapers in the South Deering neighborhood where the original Calumet Bakery was located. After delivering the Sunday papers you could go to the side door and the bakers would let you in before they opened to pick the freshly baked goodies. Right from the oven and still warm! Sorry about driving John. I guess you’re never too old for a little drivers ed! A very poignant essay that is much appreciated from all of us. It brings back memories of the way things used to be, way before this toxic tracking device called a “cellphone” became the focus of actual human interaction. Yes, people actually used to just sit at the kitchen table and just TALK. TO EACH OTHER. I fled that state and city nearly six years ago and am much better for it. I moved to the Free State of Texas where we don’t get a five dollar tax (grift) added to my gas bill to “help the needy”. Can you make a case of taxation without representation? Stay in Indiana John. You made the right move. You’ll get that driver’s license back and with some training and eventually be able to get to Tzatzikis on Indianapolis and 80/94 for some good Greek home cooking. Now if I could only find some way to watch “Bozo, Gar and Ray”, along with your writing, the holiday would be complete.

  62. Great picture John!
    Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

    Side note on kitchens, they always seemed to be where folks hung out during parties. There could be all sorts of room and comfortable seating elsewhere, the kitchen was the place we ended up.

    Also if you ever take up Timm Schwartz on his offer to visit him and Chris in Pekin, we can car pool there!!😆😆

  63. A very Merry and Blessed Christmas is wished to you and your family, John. May the New Year be a time when we can come together and set this country back on track. Thank you for all you write about – we know we can find the truth here. God Bless!

  65. John, the best thing I can wish you during this sacred holiday that brought us the Son of God is for the Holy Spirit to fill you with grace and love and especially for you–good health. I forget which of the apostles said to his people “I need you in order to be me” We must have each other or we are nothing–not even a person.

  67. Good morning, John. From our family to yours, a wonderful Christmas and many blessings in the new year. 💕
    Thank you for today’s trip down memory lane. Our family lived a few blocks from Pticek’s bakery and I was there often. God forbid if visitors dropped in unexpectedly and we didn’t have something sweet to offer them! My mother would send one of us six kids to run to Pticek’s & get a coffee cake. 😋
    We didn’t gather in our parlor, as you said, always in the kitchen.
    You have been through many trials these past years and I am amazed at your perseverance and your faith. I thank God for His blessings on you and Betty and you are both in my prayers. 🙏🏻
    Your new puppy is out there waiting for you! Can’t wait to see the pictures.

  68. Merry Christmas to you and your family John Kass. Thank you for the years of enjoyment Ive had reading your work. Informative, funny and always interesting.
    Thank you again.

  70. Merry Christmas John and also to your family.
    I try to keep my annual subscription up to date because where else could I get truthful news and insight?
    Not all politicians are bad but they all believe their own lies are truth, sad.
    I’d like to be out hunting in the corn stubble and my wife will be back on her horse again soon.
    A good coffee cake would make my day complete but down here in the swamps folks think grocery bakeries are actually good. I’ll keep making my own cranberry pumpkin bread and for Christmas a big Bacardi cake.
    Your columns keep me on the right track.
    Thank you John

  71. Hey John,
    I picked up a nice marble pound cake with chocolate icing from Weber’s Bakery. The thing is so heavy, you could use it as a door stop! But, it’s the best pound cake on the southwest side!
    Kala Christougena!
    Have a lovely Christmas Day with your family.
    And, as we say in Polish, Wesołych Świąt!
    Linda Strzelczyk

  72. Thanks John for your writings. Since leaving Illinois in 2015, we rely on your column to keep us connected with our home. You highlight both the good and the bad knowing that in the long run, the good will win out. Have a Merry Christmas and get back to full speed soon.

  73. Dear John : Merry, Merry, Merry Kissmas! – as my 3 year old daughter used to greet some 45 years ago.

    I wonder why you were turned down at the DMV. You are completely cured now and write your columns and I don’t see why. May be you should see a Doctor and reapply.

    Almost 5 months ago at 81, I had an heart attack some 18 years after I had my triple bypass. This time they found my arteries were clogged at 3 locations and put stents and still after CRI and MRI, I was under anaesthesia and had a stroke and its influence for more than 6 hours before I came to senses, clean. Only those nurses and my family know about it since they didn’t even (fortunately for me) record the stroke! So, I won’t have any problem at the DMV when I go there next year for my license renewal! And a month ago I had to go the ER again to have a clog removed from one of the stents they put in just 4 months ago then!
    So, Good Luck and hope you get your driving license back.
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

  74. Merry Christmas, John! My bakeries growing up were Tuzic’s and Sixta’s, both on Kedzie just north of 55th. I’d finish my Sunday morning paper route, the old Chicago American, and stop by at 6:30 am for a plain cake chocolate-drenched donut, which I would take home and have with a cold glass of milk. An 8th grader’s version of heaven.

    Unless something has changed, my subscription will automatically renew next month, and it will continue to renew as long as you and your friends continue to write!

    Here’s hoping the New Year gets you behind the wheel again, but if not, thanks for being the example we would all be advised to follow.

  75. I renewed my subscription today. Merry Christmas to me! Merry Christmas to you and yours! The only thing I wanted for Christmas was the joy of reading you and to know that in some small way, I can thank you for all you do. Blessings to you at Christmas and always.

  76. Looking dapper there John. As far as driving is concerned, have you thought of hand controls? This may or may not apply to you, but just in case, let me fill you in. Last March I decided to get hand controls put in my RAV4, due to Parkinson’s. It ended up costing me $2300. Tennessee prices, not Illinois. Best thing I’ve done.

  78. John,

    Merry Christmas to you and yours and we’re all happy you’re still kicking!

    As for bakeries…..I truly miss the lineup on 22nd street, especially Vesecky’s.

  79. John, Thank you so much for what you do. I will be subscribing as long as you will be writing. Many of my friends are voting with their feet here and while I hate the politics in this state, I had some people ask me to run for office because of the corruption inherent in the system. In this case the pols with the Rs next to their name were the corrupt ones which doesn’t matter to me. Corrupt is Corrupt. It wasn’t until I got into the thick of things that I realized the Ds and the Rs work together. I mean I knew that from following you for so many years but had not truly experienced it. The retired cop and veteran in me wants to fight and I probably will but for how long I don’t know. I find solice in finding people who believe as I do that we need to take back the state from the corruption and of course your writing helps me as well. Thanks for all you do and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

  80. Merry Christmas to you and yours John. Grew up in used to be fabulous and safe Roseland. Now i s a burb of KC.
    Thanks for helping to remind me of how great and readable the Trib used to be.

  84. Merry Christmas, John, to you and yours. Love the picture!

    I am so grateful to have found your site. Telling the truth about the politics and politicians is so important.

    My bakery was on 63rd Street, east of Honore. I cannot remember the name, because it is more than 50 years since I was back in that neighborhood. My “job” on Saturday mornings was to walk the two blocks and pick up the coffee cake. Butter streusel most times, sometimes a cinnamon. That my mom would trust me with the paper money made me feel so important.

    I am sure hoping for a wonderful 2025. Change is coming, and not soon enough.

  85. Thank YOU John. This has been quite the ride and I’m glad to be part of it.
    Your story of sitting at the coffee table drinking coffee and eating bakery coffee cake is something I’d love to do with you. It would be a dream come true. Maybe someday.
    Let’s keep this thing going. I’m in for the ride.

    Merry Christmas !

  87. Merry Christmas to you, Betty and your handsome boys. So sorry you lost Zeus this year. Losing a beloved pet does leave a hole in your heart. I not only love reading your columns and guest writers, but love to look at the opinions of your readers. My favorite was from last week, when one of them dubbed the Obama library the “Taj Mabamba.” Do I have that right? Hilarious!

  88. Have a most Merry and Blessed Christmas, John. I am still on the ride with you through whatever woods you will take us all next year. A mighty steed will not fail us. Keep it coming. Don’t think you need a license to ride a horse , do you? Out in the wild west suburbs, there was a great bakery in Aurora, Harner’s, that was the old world gold-standard bakery. Alas, gone the way of most.

  89. Merry Christmas, John! You personify the combination of empathy and firmness, of God-fearing humility and passionate idealism. Your columns are always worth reading, since your worldview embodies the best of humanity and of the American dream. Blessings and continued stable health!

  90. MERRY CRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR to you and all your family! I am praying for a full recovery for you.
    You mentioned getting another dog because Zeus the wonder dog has passed.
    Please consider a rescued dog from a reputable shelter.
    Our daughter’s two chihuahuas are a bonded pair who were abused for their first 3 years!
    It took several weeks to gain their trust. Now, they are the most loving ( stubborn, selectively nasty
    toward strangers ) beasties ever!
    when I was going through 3 months of chemo, when I would come home, they would lay on my lap for hours. Peachy, the female, would sprawl across my chest and like my face. I called it “getting a pet scan!”
    Wishing you a speedy recovery and God’s blessings!
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
    Mike

  91. You and your Family have had a remarkable journey of health the past 2 years.
    Keep going forward.
    You look Great and I hope Santa brings a new pup.
    God Bless you all and Merry Christmas!

  93. Merry Christmas to you and your family, John!

    Thank you always for the words you share with us all. We are enriched by the experience and blessed to have this opportunity to bond with you and fellow subscribers. Your voice, and the voices of those commenting are a beacon of light in the darkness.
    My sympathy for the loss of Zeus the wonder dog and may you be blessed soon with the love of another canine companion. It will do wonders for your heart! 😉
    PS – your Christmas photo is great! I wish you continued healing, good health and ace that drivers test when you’re ready!!

  94. John, I grew up right between Pticek’s Bakery and Weber Bakery-52nd and Newland Ave.
    Both excellent choices!

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!

    Joe Lisak

  95. John
    I re-subscribed.
    I buy your cups, hats, etc for myself and my friends, relatives, etc for their birthdays, anniversaries, etc. They make great gifts.
    The best bakeries on Northwest side are gone: Ackermanns, Webers (they originally on Central and Cullom), Gladstone, and original Ideal (current owners suck). Then there was the old hood bakery: Sereks. All gone.
    BUT the original owners of IDEAL had family in Arlington Heights and there is JAROSCH BAKERY. BEST DAMN BAKERY AROUND. VISIT MY FRIENDS. U WONT BE DISAPPOINTED.
    Keep fighting John, there’s no other choice. Quit? Then u die. As a button I have states so bluntly: ‘Life is Hard, then you die.’

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