The past four days have reminded me of the multitude of reasons that I’m not born to camp. I’m just not a back-to-nature type gal. I don’t like to rough it, if roughing it means going without my morning coffee, Internet service, and a place to plug in my blow dryer.  I tried to be a good sport when our power went out after the storm on Tuesday night. I really did. But as the hours without electricity and Internet mounted, so did my crankiness. By the 36th hour, at which point our power was restored, I was as close to being straight-out nasty as I get. During the course of the outage, laundry …

Nobody talks about finding their Inner Child anymore, but I think this is because the Kid is now a permanent resident. The children we once were have fully merged with the hard adult outer shell, creating young-old hybrids with long memories, disposable cash, and a Snoopy lunchbox. People well out of their teens sport Mickey Mouse ties, have full-size versions of Galaga in their basements, and wear sparkly nail polish. Star Wars has become a virtual new religion among the 30-45 set; if conversation lags at your next party, ask if Han shot first.While some have cast a rolling eye at the …

Walk through Lyman Woods at the corner of 31st Street and Highland Avenue and you will find a concrete wall with an iron railing still attached. It's one of the few signs that the parcel of land, which now educates thousands each year about the glacial history of our hometown, was once a subdivision. Now, groups of students, scouts, volunteers and nature enthusiasts enjoy the butterfly garden, the paths and the William F. Sherman Jr. Interpretive Center at Lyman Woods. Many current Downers Grove residents don't recall a time when the preserve's amazing ecological features—the kame, wetland …