Odds & Ends: Soup, Grant's Farm, Real Estate

This post is about a lot of random things. I'm writing it while finishing up this amazing Potato Leek Soup I made last night. Healthy? Probably not. Delicious? Ridiculously so. This is the fourth batch of soup I've made in a week. Last weekend for an impromptu dinner party I made vegan Creamy Cashew Butternut Squash Soup and cobbled together a ham, bean, and kale soup from several different recipes. Last night was the potato soup and chili for a couple from the neighborhood. Winter. Soup. It's what I do.

Saturday I attended a presentation for Grantwood Village residents by Dr. Jeffrey P. Bonner, President and CEO of the St. Louis Zoo. It was a standing room only crowd, probably 100 in attendance. He talked about the zoo's vision for Grant's Farm should the current litigation favor those from the Busch family who want to sell to the zoo. Trudy Busch Valentine gave a heartfelt message at the end. The overall tone of those in attendance seemed to support the zoo proposal with an overwhelming caveat that very close attention be given to traffic, parking, and attendance numbers. It really seems like the best option for keeping the original intent and spirit of Grant's Farm while providing needed improvements. I'm hopeful and excited.

I haven't talked a lot on my blog about my new job, which I started in August. I am now an Operations & Marketing Manager for a small real estate team with a local boutique real estate firm. I am loving every minute of it. I'm learning all kinds of new things, it satisfies the house-geek in me, I'm directly involved in building something really cool, and my teammates are progressive, smart, and fun people to be around. I am looking forward to 2016 with this crew. 

Art with a Heart at West Elm

One of the unexpected and happy results from the 2011 St. Louis City Guide that I wrote for DesignSponge* is my friendship with Darraugh. She was moving to St. Louis from Florida and because of my DesignsSponge contribution, contacted me with some questions about St. Louis. We continued emailing, she moved here, we met, and we've been friends ever since. She's got impeccable taste, is totally down-to-earth, and is just a genuinely sweet and sincere person. Her partner Bob is an awesome guy too, so we've gone on dinner dates a few times, but not nearly as often as we'd like. One of the first places the four of us went together was an annual fundraiser for Turner Center for the Arts and we were all blown away with how great it was. (More here and here.) Darraugh is the Visual Merchandising Manager at West Elm and has put together a fundraiser for the artists of Turner at West Elm. I think this is a fantastic idea and can't wait to go. Congrats to my dear friend and I hope you consider supporting Turner.

*I'm hoping someone else from St. Louis will update the guide. It is woefully out of date, but I don't have the time. Plus, I'm just not into all the hip scenes, as evident by my use of the phrase "hip scenes".

Reading on Race & Ferguson

Some Thoughts On Mercy
Ross Gay | The Sun
This essay was published in The Sun in July 2013 by poet and professor Ross Gay. So relevant tdoay. A beautiful piece.

When we have mercy, deep and abiding change might happen. The corrupt imagination might become visible. Inequalities might become visible. Violence might become visible. Terror might become visible. And the things we’ve been doing to each other, despite the fact that we don’t want to do such things to each other, might become visible. If we don’t, we will all remain phantoms — and, as it turns out, it’s hard for phantoms to care for one another, let alone love one another. 

Why I Fear For My Sons
Kimberly Norwood | cnn.com
Commentary written by a Washington University law professor and mother.

The Case for Reparations
Ta-Nehisi Coates | The Atlantic

John Crawford Case: It’s Open Carry for Whites and Open Season on Blacks
The Root

For-Profit Policing Means Ferguson Is Basically a Debtor’s Prison
Michael Hendrix | Values & Capitalism

Voter Registration Drives in Ferguson Are "Disgusting," Says Missouri GOP Leader
Tasneem Raja | Mother Jones

I am racist and so are you
Rachel Shadoan

More proof that kids are smarter than adults (and more on FYI here)

More on Ferguson

 

The Racial Divide
I've been reading more articles that show the real disconnect between how white residents and black residents see Ferguson and how they propose to move forward. I am making an assumption that the churches of Ferguson are just as segregated as the rest of the community - wonder if clergy from Ferguson area churches have met?  Seems like a natural place to start. But the quotes from some of the white people in these articles are so out of touch.

"There’s is a not a racial divide in the city of Ferguson.
That is the perspective of all residents in our city,"
Ferguson’s current mayor James Knowles
told MSNBC on Tuesday. 

The size of the rock he's sleeping under has obviously crushed his sense of reality. 

Having a parade isn't going to fix this problem. I'm not suggesting I know how to solve it, but the first thing I would do is make sure black people have representation at every discussion. And maybe, just maybe, the white folks should just shut up and listen. Really listen, for a change.

• Why Did Ferguson Erupt? (NBC News)
• The Two Very Different Worlds of Ferguson (Slate)

The Educational Divide
My dear mother-in-law's entire career was in pubic education. She has very strong ideas around equal educational opportunities for ALL children, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. I respect her opinion and insight tremendously on these kinds of issues. Her network consists of others equally versed and passionate on educational affairs. One friend did some educational consulting work with NISL in Ferguson. Her friend was "so impressed with the quality and enthusiasm" of then superintendent Art McCoy, who was recently forced out by the all white school board.

• Listen to the Democracy Now! interview with Art McCoy.
• Mike Brown and St. Louis education: Symptomatic of a failing system 

Ending On A Positive Note
On a more optimistic note, Do Something Now is a Facebook page that share ideas about how we can all be a part of the solution to the challenges we see playing out in Ferguson, MO and other places. Events being held by various organizations across the area are listed. 

The Peace Train riding through Ferguson made me smile. And so did God's tweet.

The Real Ferguson

In my Facebook and Twitter feeds over the last couple of days, there have been some "this is the REAL Ferguson” or “this is the REAL St. Louis” posts. Each time, I feel a pang of hope and a pang of discomfort. I understand that they are well-meaning efforts to show the (many) positive sides of our communities being overlooked in the mainstream media during this situation.

But I do think it is important to consider the language. 

“This is the REAL Ferguson” implies the other Ferguson is not real—that it is fake or illegitimate—and that kind of denial and oppositional thinking (real vs. fake, us vs. them) is part of our collective problem, along with not wanting to acknowledge, atone for, deal with, or discuss the complex and multifaceted issues of race and racism in this country because they are uncomfortable, inconvenient, difficult, and frankly, it sometimes seems futile.

There are many sides to this community, all real. There is ANOTHER side of Ferguson and St. Louis—a side where people of different races live in relative harmony, collaborate, work to improve neighborhoods and for the common good. But I think that is disproportionately smaller than ANOTHER side of St. Louis—which is a very segregated community* where inhabitants either don't question the status quo or are incapable of escaping the status quo.

I do feel this is a very real opportunity for meaningful dialogue, action, and change for the better. A lot of folks are expressing similar sentiments. There are so many people who love this city and are fighting for it. But more important than fighting for this city in an effort to inflate our civic pride—we need to fight for each other and for our children. All of them.

 *According to data from Brown University's US2010 Project, looking at the 50 metropolitan areas with the largest black populations as of 2010, St. Louis ranks as the 9th most segregated.

Ferguson & First Day

The girl on the left was supposed to start first grade in Ferguson today. 

The girl on the right did get to start first grade today.

It was hard to be focused on my own kid this morning. There is just so much wrong.  

When this little girl protesting showed up my twitter feed, I sort of lost it. 

The injustice of the Mike Brown killing by police has been soul-crushing. The militarized over-reaction by police to protesters has been surreal. The slow reaction by elected officials has been depressing. Yet I know so many who are on the right side of this. I hope people outside of St. Louis, but more importantly, the black community here, understand that there are many people who want to see justice and change and are willing to work for it. I totally get why there would be mistrust or apprehension. Events over the last 4-5 days have not offered up stellar examples of compassion. Crap, let's face it. We wiped out the natives who were here and have been oppressing people of color for hundreds of years. Our track record sucks.

But there are swaths of people cleaning up the neighborhood, holding peaceful vigils, interviewing folks who have been directly affected, trying to get the stories out. Last night, I was up until 2am watching live streams and twitter feeds about #Ferguson. Not just friends and acquaintances from around the city, but people all over the world are outraged. It was hard to believe that this was happening. In Ferguson.

When I was just a bit younger than my daughter is now, we would visit my grandparents in Ferguson every week. They lived on Alameda and a trip to the city (sidewalks!) was a big deal to this country kid. My cousins and I would walk to Gasen's drug store or walk down to the church parking lot to play with no cares or worries. Later, my aunt and uncle raised their family on the same street, calling Ferguson home for over 25 years until they retired. For years we would go to Wabash Park to watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. I've always had a nostalgic affection for Ferguson. 

I am just going to keep praying that something much larger and something good comes out of this situation. A real dialogue about race and some real action about race, poverty, education, and how we treat our children (and each other). Maybe I'm naive, but that is all I have to hold on to. The idea of raising my daughter in a country that accepts this kind of systematic abuse of power, that treats the black population (especially black males) like they are completely disposable, is unbearable. But I know I have to do more than pray. I have to take action. I'm not sure what that looks like right now. And I think a lot of people feel this way and are asking, "what can we do?"

I hope the family of Mike Brown and the residents of Ferguson know the world is watching. Change is going to come. There is love in this world. It can prevail. It has to.

GrandPortraits by Jess Dewes

On Saturday, Jess Dewes, my dear and talented photographer friend, made the journey out to parent's place for one of her newest ventures, a GrandPortraits session. Her husband Mike, and sweet daughter Sylvie joined her and we made a day of it. My dad took the girls on golf cart rides through the woods, we toured the workshop, played with the fifty new chicks, had peach cobbler, and shared lots of stories.

I should preface all of this by letting you know, my parents are sort of no nonsense people. Posing for photos is not something they are typically comfortable with or would make time for. But I told them that Mike and Jess had been wanting to come out and see their place and that they wouldn't have to pose, per se...that Jess would just kind of follow us around as we did stuff. They didn't know what to expect and were really good sports about the whole thing.

So that's how it went down. The magic of Jess is how well she connects with people. She makes you feel comfortable. Before you know it, you are joking around, swapping stories and barely realize your picture is being taken. My mom and Jess were joking about "smizing" when she snapped this one. 

It is hard for me to look at this picture of my dad without getting emotional. It captures so much about him and then there is just a lot about this face that reminds me of my grandma.

I saw a few of the snaps on her camera before leaving and got teary-eyed. The shots above are just a few that she shared on Facebook--I haven't seen the finished collection. I can't tell you what a powerful, wonderful, and emotional experience this was. My parents mean the world to me. To have really great photos of them in their own environment, wearing clothes they usually wear, looking how they really look,  and to have the memories of that afternoon will be something I will cherish forever.

Jess is launching this new facet of her portraiture business after a recent experience she had producing work for a group show in St. Louis called Air.  I highly recommend you read this very touching piece. And I also emphatically encourage you to have photos made of your own parents or grandparents. Again, it was a wonderful experience. Jess made it so. You will not regret it. My only regret is that I don't have pictures like these of my own grandparents.

Here are some extra shots I took of the girls on the go-carts and my brother, Tony. Such a fun day. Thanks Jess, Mike, Sylvie, Mom, Dad, Tony, Lindsey, and Audrey. Love to all.
xoa

City Garden Sunday

We took Audrey to City Garden on Sunday because it was just so sunny and gorgeous. I don' think we went last summer (criminal) and she didn't remember going the summer before. She loved it. What's not to love? Afterwards went to the Tap Room, where we hadn't been in quite some time. The menu had some fantastic updates.  Then off to The Fountain. It was a pretty glorious day.

Turner Center for the Arts - Part 2

 

{Martha Kump / Turner Center for the Arts}

On Friday, Audrey and I picked up this painting from Turner Center for the Arts. Lindsey and I bought it last weekend. The artist, Martha Kump, is 75 and obsessed with roller coasters and zombies. I'm in love with it. It is framed and looks so fantastic on our mantle. We also bought two pieces by artist Jon Munoz, including the elephant below. Again, I can't say enough great things about this organization.

{Jon Munoz / Turner Center for the Arts}

Wrapping The Week

Last night's Kick Ass Awards were amazing and yet another reminder of how so many people in this town seriously rock. After nine years, I think I'm finally getting the hang of presenting and was way less nerevous than in previous years. I gave awards to Turner Center for the Arts and Pint Size Bakery. I realized too, that I may be the only one who consistently gives out food related awards--The Cupcake Project, SweetArt Cafe, and now Pint Size. But food is so related to a sense of community. It just makes sense to me. I love being introduced through this event, to so many new people, projects, and ideas. And we had some total firecrackers. The venue, The Heavy Anchor, is a bar I would definately go back to, if I still went out to bars. Another sparkling KAA.

This afternoon, Audrey and I head to the country. We'll be hanging out at my parent's place for a couple of nights while they are away on a short anniversary trip. I'm looking forward to enjoying their fireplace. Sunday we will probably Trunk or Treat. I know I've shared the photo above before, but I just love it so much. Planet of the Ape (Jeff), Rosie the Robot (me), and Evil Knievel (Tony).

Vintage Creepy Halloween 

Joe Queenan on books

Making middle school less awful

Kale & Butternut Squash Gallette? Yes, please.

Christmas is coming

Ellen weighs in on Bic Pens for Women

Wanderlust playlist (RookieMag is my guiltiest pleasure)

Kick Ass Awards 2012

{Photo: Shannon Howard, Kick Ass Recipient 2010}

Tonight I will be taking part in the 9th Annual Kick Ass Awards. We will be recognizing twelve St. Louis individuals or organizations who are making positive contributions to our community. Plus, we'll be giving out one mystery award. The festivities kick off at 7pm at The Heavy Anchor at 5226 Gravois. This is a 21 and up event (no exceptions). It is our first time holding the event there. I'm glad we switch it up. I love doing it every year and we have some outstanding winners this year...but we always do. Also Kick Ass - my brother who is babysitting Audrey tonight!

Brinkop Park

I don't remember how I discovered Brinkop Park, in the middle of a residential area of Shrewsbury, but it is my favorite park - plenty of shady spots, hardly anyone ever there, clean restrooms, quiet and manageable. I especially love taking photos at Brinkop. The way the sidewalks intersect the playground areas, the lines on the basketball court, and those magnificent blue poles of the swingset, make all kinds of interesting divisions and planes to play with. I would like to use these as studies for future paintings.

Turner Center for the Arts

Less than two miles from my house and in existence since 2006 is Turner Center for the Arts, an open studio studio space catering to adults with disabilities. Yesterday I toured the Maplewood studios with Executive Director, Nate Larson. Nate and the organization are receiving a Kick Ass Award on October 25th, and I've been wanting to learn more about their program. To say I was blown away is an understatement.

The artists work on self-guided projects and pay a nominal fee ($10 for three hours) which is also available on a sliding scale so cost is never a barrier for someone who wants to make art. TCA just received non-profit status about eight months ago and will be devoting more efforts to fundraising and grant writing as they look to become more independent from Bridges Community Support Services, the program that helped them get their start.

Nate shared that the artists are very serious and come in with clear ideas about what they want to work on. "They have a vision," he said. "We have done some artist lead workshops in the past, but after a while our clients weren't really interested. They want to work on their own thing."

As an artist, a sister to a developmentally disabled brother, and someone who has had the opportunity to tour Creative Growth, one of the pioneering arts program for adults with cognitive and physical disabilities, seeing TCA in action was a real thrill. Nate was sincere, the artists were serious, and the program seems both well organized and well intentioned with a real focus on the encouraging and supporting the self-expression of the artists. If you haven't been, I highly encourage you to visit. And this Friday, October 5, is the opening reception for their Winter Exhibition at Union Avenue Christian Church.

To see more artwork, visit TCA's flickr photostream.

Melelani Perry, artist and bellydancer. Melelani is a profilc collage artist and recently displayed her work at the juried Art Outside Festival.

Pauline MacDonald was working diligently on a landscape.

Dave Walter is a regular artist at Turner Art Center.

Nate Larson, Executive Director, with one of several portraits he has received from TCA artists. What an awesome gift! 

Half Order Fried Rice

My friend Thomas has a new project, Half Order Fried Rice. This is my favorite in the series, so far.


HOFR: Poetic Support Systems from Thomas Crone on Vimeo.

Weekend Bits & Pieces

{source}

After a brutal week of weather (hello 108°) and packing boxes and furniture into a 16 foot pod (hello 180°), this Saturday we bought a new house. I'm going to be honest. I am terrified.

I have lived in the same two mile radius for 15+ years. We were hoping to buy in Webster Groves,  Shrewsbury, or Crestwood, because they are a some of the closest suburbs to the south city area, our territory. But we've had no luck finding homes that match what we are looking for. Saturday we looked at four houses and fell in love with a ranch rambler on a cul-de-sac in the Kirkwood school district. The backyard is private, quiet, cozy, quaint and the basement is huge (studio!). The house has great bones and is in excellent condition, but does need some updating. Many DIY projects are in my future, which I am thrilled about and will chronicle on this blog. Seriously. I love the house and feel really good about its energy. (Sorry to get all hippie about it.)

So why have I been crying almost non-stop since 3:00 p.m. today?

While we will be in the Kirkwood school district, our actual address is Des Peres. That's officially considered West County. And I am having a REALLY BIG emotional barrier with that fact. I grew up in the country but have lived in the city most of my adult life. I always claimed it would be one way or the other. We would live in the country or the city BUT never the suburbs and never ever West County. But here we are headed to Des Peres, land of the tear down/rebuild.

Why? One word. Schools.

Audrey starts kindergarten next year and St. Louis City is a non-accredited school system since 2007. That is unacceptable, embarrassing, and depressing. My guess is that the city will continue in a downward spiral until the problem is addressed regionally. I'm no scholar on the subject, but a moral solution would be pooling school taxes paid by all St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents and then dispersing the money evenly between ALL students, no matter what district they live in. This will never happen in a region as divided as ours or more broadly, in a country as divided as ours. Wake County in North Carolina has had one of the most successful school systems in the country for years under this model. Now it is under attack by national tea party conservatives.

We researched our options for over two years. The few private schools we looked at were impressive, but would leave us financially strapped. I think testing preschool age children to qualify for gifted/magnet programs is questionable science at best (Read Nurture Shock). Area charter schools are dealing with quality and solvency issues. And we would never consider supporting the Catholic church or its schools. Every one of the above options have been chosen by friends. I do not judge anyone and hope not to be judged. I listened to their anguish as they tried to make hard decisions and I believe we are all going with what we instinctively feel will be right for our kids. For a variety of reasons, Lindsey and I believe the public school system will best serve Audrey's needs. So we looked at the best public school system for us and settled on three...Kirkwood, Lindbergh, or Webster.

We know we aren't the first family to face the school issue, and sadly, we won't be the last. We are going to miss terribly living so close to family and friends. [I can't even go into detail here, because that is when I truly turn into a basket case.] And we will miss Biggie's, Chris' Pancakes, Michael's, Anthonino's, Pint Size Bakery, Sweet Art Cafe, LeGrands Market, and all the other local establishments we have enjoyed supporting over the years. I know we will be back, but the reality is, it probably won't be as often. We will miss our neighborhood and such easy access to a unique culture and community, which we value tremendously and have taken full advantage of.

And if I'm really honest, I am mourning for St. Louis, who still can't get its shit together and is losing yet another family to the county. I have invested a lot of energy over the past 10-12 years trying to support and promote this city through a variety of different projects and endeavors. That is why I've been crying since 3:00 p.m. today.

I know we will make friends in our new neighborhood. We already met nice neighbors today. They all appeared to be over sixty, but I'm hopeful we'll find some like-minded families. We are going to embrace this as an experiment, an adventure. We'll explore new parks and restaurants. And when we get itchy, we'll head east.

Des Peres is about a twenty minute drive from where we are now in Clifton Heights. But in a region as divided and parochial as St. Louis, it's like a trip to the moon.

Our new home is on Firethorn, which is the common name for Pyracanthas, a thorny evergreen shrub, particularly valued in situations where an impenetrable barrier is required. They are also a good shrub for a wildlife garden, providing dense cover for roosting and nesting birds, summer flowers for bees and an abundance of berries as a food source. I find irony in this and oddly, a sense of comfort.

Weekend Bits & Pieces

Guidebook To St. Louis

St. Louis is lucky to have Amanda Doyle as an evangelist, and videographer Bill Streeter to capture the word.