Episode 85: A Summer of Firsts

We’re back after a brief hiatus, and we’re kicking things off with some firsts!

This week, we share stories from our recent trip to Savannah and Hilton Head—our first time visiting both! We made the journey for a truly special occasion: a surprise birthday party for Jenn’s great aunt (and Godmother) who turned 95! 

Back home, we experienced another “first”: a block party on our street! While most of the festivities were in the cul-de-sac at the end of the street, we met 3 couples who are our age with grown kids. We’d never met them in the 4 years we’ve lived here, so that was nice.

We know that the political landscape is still stressful, so we thought we’d take a break from politics and didn’t bring it up once! 

You can find the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel, and please follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). 

We hope you enjoy this episode, and please feel free to leave us a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 84: Chicago Pride, Busy Weekends, and Keeping Sane

It’s been a busy few weeks, but we’re back after a brief hiatus. This week, we talk about what we’ve been up to lately, including a whirlwind weekend that included a cookout with friends, our second screening of the documentary, Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between (produced and directed by our dear friend Claire Jeffreys), and a fantastic Sunday day marching in the Chicago Pride Parade with one of our favorite organizations, Lambda Legal.

We also talk about our newfound appreciation for non-alcoholic beer. Not that we’re turning into teetotalers, but a lot of breweries are making excellent non-alcoholic varieties these days. We’re especially fond of Athletic Brewing, which specializes in non-alcoholic beers and cocktails.

Finally, we spend some time talking about the Supreme Court’s disappointing ruling in the Skrmetti case (see Episode 64 for more on the case) and how to protect your mental health during these dangerous times.

You can find the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel, and please follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). 

We hope you enjoy this episode, and please feel free to leave us a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

Episode 83: Welcome to Summer

In this week’s episode of In the Shadow of the Evening Trees, we talk about how it’s kinda, sorta, maybe, finally summer in the Chicago area. 

We also talk about:

🌟 Our oldest daughter’s exciting engagement news!
🏊‍♀️ How we’re loving our backyard pool (finally!)
🌆 The ups and downs of living way up north of downtown Chicago
🏳️‍🌈 And a bit about Pride Month and why it matters to us

As always, thank you for listening — or watching! You can also listen to the audio of this episode on Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms. For the video, you can catch the full episode on our YouTube channel and a 15 minute preview on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We love hearing from you, so feel free to drop us your thoughts or questions in the comments below or DM us on Instagram.

Until next time, stay kind, stay informed, and take care of yourselves.

Episode 82: To-Do Lists, Travel Tales, & the Social Media Tightrope

In this week’s episode of In the Shadow of the Evening Trees, we cover a little bit of everything—because that’s how life goes!

Jenn shares stories from her recent work trip to San Francisco, while Dave takes a stroll down memory lane to his own high school visit to the Bay Area. With warmer days ahead, we’re opening the pool and prepping for summer—though Dave may not have realized that Jenn’s weekend to-do list was less of a one-off and more of a new tradition (surprise!).

We also dive into a thoughtful conversation about social media: when the people you follow post a lot, is it a harmless outlet or does it sometimes cross a line into stress-inducing territory? We get it—it’s complicated.

As always, thank you for listening (or watching!). You can catch the full episode on our YouTube channel and a 15 minute preview on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We love hearing from you, so feel free to drop us your thoughts, questions, or weekend list ideas!

Until next time, stay kind, stay informed, and take care of yourselves.

Episode 81: Happy Mother’s Day!

We’re back after a short break and we hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day.

On this week’s episode, we cover a little bit of everything—from a gala to family legacies, and even a saintly surprise.

We start by recapping the Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration, an annual fundraising event for Lambda Legal’s Midwest Region, which was held in the stunning Modern Wing of the Art Institute. It was a beautiful evening full of inspiration, community, and action. It’s not too late to support the work Lambda Legal is doing. Please consider donating here!

Then, David shares the story behind his newest tattoo, which is based on the shoulder patch of the US Army’s 66th Infantry Division in World War II, with whom his father fought some 80 years ago. It’s a powerful tribute to service, legacy, and remembrance. If you’re listening to this on our website, images of the patch and the tattoo are set out below:

We round things out with a little unexpected Catholic history… Meet Pope Leo XIV—from the Southside of Chicago. Yes, really. You’ll just have to listen.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you don’t have support or you feel alone and alienated by what’s happening in today’s world, you’re always welcome to send us a direct message on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We are happy to chat with you! 

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram.

Until next time, stay kind, stay informed, and take care of yourselves.

Episode 80: Fundraising, Food Finds, and Frightening Headlines

We’re back with a new episode, and this week we’re diving into a little bit of everything, from our ongoing support of Lambda Legal, to a delicious neighborhood discovery, and yes… some eyebrow-raising political developments.

First up, we’re so excited to share more about our fundraising efforts leading up to the Bon Foster Gala on May 9th. It’s such an important cause, and we’re grateful to everyone who has supported our campaign so far. There’s still time to contribute, and if you’d like to donate to our page, we’d be so thankful! Every bit helps in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. And for more information on the cases that Lambda is working on, check out their website.

On a lighter note, we recently tried a new restaurant near our house, and, wow, it did not disappoint. We probably never would have found it if not for our local Facebook group, which has turned out to be a surprisingly great resource for everything from food recs to local happenings. If you’re not already in one for your town, we definitely recommend checking it out to see if one exists. It’s a great way to meet new people and stay connected to what’s going on around you, especially if you are new to the area.

Of course, no week goes by without a bit of chaos in the political sphere. We touch on RFK Jr.’s troubling remarks about autism, and the incredibly concerning news that Dr. Oz is now heading Medicare and Medicaid. Yes… really. 

It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed sometimes, but talking through it together helps.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you don’t have support or you feel alone and alienated by what’s happening in today’s world, you’re always welcome to send us a direct message on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We are happy to chat with you! 

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram.

Until next time, stay kind, stay informed, and take care of yourselves.

Episode 79: Parenthood

We begin this week’s episode with a reminder that we are raising money for Lambda Legal’s critical work in defending the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and people living with HIV. As Lambda Legal’s CEO Kevin Jennings often says, this is our “What did you do during the War” moment, and we hope everyone rises to the occasion. 

For more information on Lambda Legal’s work and their recent successes against the Trump administration’s assault on the rule of law, check out their website. If you’d like to help, you can buy tickets to the Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration here, or donate any amount on our fundraising page.

We then turn to the main topic of this week’s episode, which is parenthood. Specifically, we talk about understanding the assignment, as the kids say — which is to support your children and love them unconditionally no matter who they are or what they do. It’s pretty simple, really, but a lot of parents don’t get it. From accepting your kids’ identity and orientation, to vaccinating your kids for their good and the good of the community, to learning how to cede control when it’s necessary for your kids’ welfare, that’s the job you signed up for and that’s what you’re required to do.

We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you don’t have support or you feel alone and alienated by what’s happening in today’s world, you’re always welcome to send us a direct message on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We are happy to chat with you! 

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram.

Episode 78: Fundraising for Lambda Legal

In this episode of In The Shadow of the Evening Trees, we talk about our fundraising efforts for Lambda Legal and the Midwest Region’s annual Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration, which takes place on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. at the Art Institute of Chicago. You can buy tickets to the event here, or donate any amount on our fundraising page.    

The money raised helps with legal costs for the LGBTQ+ Community.  This cause is personal for our family. As parents of a transgender daughter, we care deeply about ensuring that everyone—no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation—has the right to live freely, safely, and with dignity.

If you’re able, we would be so grateful for your support. No donation is too small to make a difference.

We also discuss a recent news story about an unnamed trans fencer who’s opponent would not fence them because they were transgender. This also brought up that sports in general there are MANY people who are born with certain abilities that help them excel at sports, and being transgender, or cisgender – the playing field is never equal and mindset also plays a big role in how people can be successful in their various sport.  

We hope you enjoy this episode and want to remind you that if you feel alone about what is going on in todays world and don’t have support – you are welcome to send us a direct message on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). We are happy to chat with you! 

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram.

Episode 77: Celebrating With Tequila, Part 2

On this week’s episode, we continue our conversation about our recent trip to Cozumel to celebrate our 30th anniversary, and we talk about challenging yourself to do new things. Jennifer talks about going snorkeling for the first time, and, in particular, snorkeling in open water.

We also talk about striking the right balance between scheduling enough things to do to keep a vacation interesting but not over-scheduling it so that you don’t have time to relax. We’ve gotten pretty good at this.

And, finally, we get to the part you’ve all been waiting for: Jennifer launching her career as an international karaoke sensation. You don’t want to miss this!

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave).

We hope you enjoy the show, please feel free to leave us a comment, and we’ll talk again soon. 

Episode 76: Celebrating with Tequila

We’re back after a two week hiatus, one of which we spent celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in Cozumel, Mexico. On this episode, we talk about that trip, from making a rookie mistake (you might be able to guess what it was!) to snorkeling, off-roading, tequila tasting, and hanging out with (or trying to avoid) midwestern rednecks! 

Yes, midwestern rednecks are a thing. 

But it was a great trip, and there’s a lot more in this episode, so please listen to the end. And join us next week when we talk about Jenn’s budding career as an international karaoke star.

In addition to the audio podcast you can find here, you can watch a video version of this episode (and future episodes!) on our YouTube channel and on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave).

We hope you enjoy the show, please feel free to leave us a comment, and we’ll talk again soon.