Big Spring @ the Current River

For our spring break trip in March we went to Van Buren, MO where we stayed at Big Spring Lodge and Cabins. We were interested in seeing and exploring the area around Big Spring, which feeds into the Current River and is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways system. I guess most people visit during the summer when they can canoe or float or play around in the Current River but we're not into sharing the outdoors with big, big crowds so we wanted to check it out now in the off-season. Another reason that we choose this location was because the cabins were built by the CCC in the 1930's. Ever since we stayed at the Old Faithful Inn a few vacations ago, I've had this obsession with historical lodges and cabins in state & national parks and/or wilderness areas. This one was cool too. No heat, no air, just a small three room cabin with a fireplace and a few kitchen and bath amenities. Oh, and a screened in back porch. I'd recommend bringing your own sleeping bags and/or blankets though if you go in early-mid March. I did stay warm with the fireplace but not nearly as much as I would have liked once I went to sleep.

On the way there, we also stopped off for a quick hike up the tower at Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri. Bill and I had been there previously but never with Willa. She had a great time climbing to the top. And, on the way home (despite the cold and wet weather) we stopped off at Johnson's Shut-ins and Elephant Rocks State Parks. A few years back, Johnson's Shut-ins was devastated by a major flood and we wanted to see how it looked after it had been restored; we couldn't tell much: #1 the Black River was in spring high water mode, and #2 no real vivid memory of what it looked like before - Bill hadn't been in many, many years and I'd never been.

Near Big Spring

Big Spring

Looking away from Big Spring

CCC Cabin at Big Spring Lodge and Cabins

Grover having fun on the Current River

Taum Sauk Mountain Tower

Johnson's Shut-ins State Park

Elephant Rocks State Park

Blooming Azaleas

Willa posing with the azaleas

We have 3 larger sized azaleas in our front yard -- all very vibrant pinks and reds. I love the way that they look when they are in full bloom. They create this awesome sea of color that pops out amid the green hues of the other revived plant life.

Kindergarten Parents Lunch at SMOS

Bill and I got lucky this year when the annual St. Margaret of Scotland School parents' lunch day fell during our Spring Break. Yay! No need to take a personal day! And, as if it couldn't get any better than that, it was actually on my birthday. On the menu? Papa John's cheese pizza, salad, orange wedges, and your choice of milk or orange juice.

My First Kickball

(photographs mostly align with the story. but you get the idea.)

A few weeks ago, Willa went to a friend's birthday party in Tower Grove Park. One of the planned post-lunch activities was a game of kickball. So, when the time came, the players, all ranging in age from about 5 to 15, divided into teams; a few dads acted as fielders and coaches. I watched from the sideline, my eyes and fingers focused on taking photographs. When it was her turn, Willa walked up to home plate and looked to Eric, the dad of the birthday girls, for some guidance. Willa had never played kickball before (I'm not sure that she had even heard of the game!) so she needed a little help. So, Eric leans in and explains what she is supposed to do. Bill and I watch, anxiously (at least me), to see if Willa's foot would actually connect with the ball. And, luckily, it did! But, instead of running full steam ahead toward first base, she paused, like she didn't know what to do next. So, Bill stepped in and starts coaching and encouraging her. It was then that I realized, a little too late I might add, what was actually happening. One of the teen girls had fielded the ball and was standing between Willa and first base. Willa slowly ran toward her, I think, completely unaware of what the girl's internal choices were - 1. to throw Willa out, or 2. to give the little kid a break and get by her. The girl chose #1 and Willa got slammed with the ball on her arm. You should have seen the look on Willa's face! Hurt and surprise all wrapped up in one. I'm not sure how hard the girl actually threw the ball at Willa but I am certain about three things: 1. Willa was totally shocked by this (friendly?) act of violence, and 2. while Willa probably did get hurt but she reacted the way that she did because we didn't bother to tell her all the rules of the game, and 3. Willa won't ask to play that game for awhile.

Tree Climb on the Big Oak

2 Above: Bill and Scott, the big Red Oak tree

Bill and Scott, the other middle school science teacher, started an after school club, called The Adventure Club, this year. As the name suggests, they try to learn about things and do activities that are adventurous. Their most recent adventure was to learn how to tree climb. You might be thinking that tree climbing doesn't sounds too adventurous, right? Well, take a look at the photographic evidence -- obviously, not the kind of tree climb that you might have imagined! At the back of our school, on this empty lot, lives this huge big 70 foot tall Red Oak tree. And, yep, as you can see, they climbed it! Bill, Scott, and their students, along with instructors Deanna and Guy from the LREC, all got harnessed up and up they went! Up and down. Over and over. Even Willa joined in. Although, at 6 years old, she stayed a little closer to the ground. The best part, to her, was being swung in the harness about 6 feet or so off the ground.

4 Above: Going up the tree, Still going, Up in the tree, and Bill doing a "Bat Hang"

2 Above: Willa climbing the tree, Willa staying warm

Bees

Bill and fellow teacher/friend Kay are the official beekeepers at the middle school in our district. Bill has enjoyed it so much that he's purchased our first Henske hive, which arrives at the end of April. Our plan is to keep the hive at our neighborhood community garden and, so far, there's been no opposition to that. Back at the middle school though, the bees have been a big hit with the kids. A few times a month, Bill and Kay lead a beekeeping club. Not only have the kids enthusiastically excelled at beekeeping, they have also taken an interest in all things bee-related such as making jars of honey, lip balm, and hand lotion. Next up? Facial moisturizer! Yay! I took these photos of Bill and Kay beekeeping during our spring break a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun to watch and photograph. And, despite having dressed completely inappropriately - it was a cold day so I wore dark, woolly, fuzzy clothes which, while keeping me warm, happen to look a lot like bears to bees! - I managed to remain sting-free.

Snow in the Lou

An unexpected snow hit us here in St. Louis on Saturday. It wasn't that the snow itself was unexpected - because it had been in the forecast - but it felt unexpected because it had been between 70 - 80 degrees earlier in the week. But, no biggie to me; as you all know, I love me some snow! And, it was gorgeous! Here are a few photos that I took from Saturday and Sunday. The top two are from Saturday, early afternoon, when the snow first started falling. They were taken at the park by Lola on North 14th Street where we went for brunch. Great, great food! The bottom three were taken today, Sunday, at the playground in Forest Park near the Missouri Historical Society. As you may have noticed, our 4 -6 inches of snow had melted considerably since it was about 40 degrees today.

Book Review: The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Bradley Udall

Okay. I am not a romantic. Never have been. Probably never will be. But I’m the first to admit that I’m otherwise easily moved. As in I can, and will, cry about most anything else that tugs at the old heartstrings. Ad nauseam. It’s a sickness really. Thank you inventor of waterproof mascara! That said, Bradley Udall’s The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint made me cry. As in I had to put this book aside occasionally because I was so saddened by it kind of crying. Edgar, his life, was so, so heartbreaking. Yet, he remained so innocent, so good, so hopeful, and so resilient. Ugh. It think that I’m about to cry right now. It’s just too much! If you’re a fan of John Irving or John Kennedy O’Toole, like I am, do yourself a favor and spend sometime with Edgar Mint. You won’t be disappointed.

Winter

I'm guessing that I in the minority here (I usually am in most things anyway) but winter is definitely my favorite season. But, I do really like fall too. Ooh, and spring too. Okay. I like 'em all except summer. I hate summer. I hate being hot. I hate the St. Louis humidity. Ugh. Double Ugh. I better move on before I start sweating. Or swearing. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the snow that we had a couple of weeks ago. Isn't it lovely?

Painting Like Pollock

One of my favorite art supply stores, ArtMart
+
One of my favorite artists, Jackson Pollock
=
One super fun art party in celebration of his birthday!

Check out Willa painting like Pollock in honor of his 99th birthday!

To learn more about Jackson Pollock
check out his wonderfully informative site on Artsy.  

The Zoo in Winter

The St. Louis Zoo is one of the best zoos in the country. I love going year-round but my favorite time to go is during the winter. Yes, you do sometimes risk not seeing certain animals due to the cold temperatures or blocked/dangerous paths as a result of snow. But, the million dollar payoff is that crowds are reduced to a small fraction of what they are during the peak months. If you're not already convinced, maybe these photos will bring you to my way of looking at the situation. These are from our last trip to the STL Zoo a couple of weekends ago.

Zoo snow posing.

Interesting feather find.

Camel loves this weather!

Where are all the people? At home!

Maybe she'll become a zoo vet!

Improved Bathroom Cabinet

We live in an old house; it was built in 1906. I absolutely love most things about living in an historic home -- except the lack of storage. We were particularly challenged in the bathroom because we had a lot to store -- bath linens, toiletries, good hygiene essentials, first aid & medicines, and a small assortment of odd, but necessary, things -- and no where to put it. We ended up purchasing a small cabinet from Crate and Barrel (it looks like the picture shown above except a little taller and with sliding doors). I envisioned the cabinet looking like a Pottery Barn display, with linens folded neatly, lots of decorative pewter and glass holders for everything from cotton balls to Q-tips, and nice natural fiber storage baskets to hold anything else that was private or without a proper place. And, honestly, this was exactly how it looked for the first year. After that, the only thing on display, to my embarrassment, was the dust and grime and disorganization from everyday living. I started looking for an antique cabinet/hutch on Craig's list that could be repurposed for bathroom function. Ultimately, I didn't find what I was looking for but it ended up being okay because I really did like our old cabinet, which was still in perfectly good shape both aesthetically and structurally. But I still needed to find a way to make my stuff less exposed. In the photo below you can see how I addressed the problem. First, I bought two kinds of paper that I liked from ArtMart - an old map print and a faux bois print - decided between the two and took the doors off. Then, with outdoor grade Mod Podge, because of the humidity of a bathroom, I glued the paper on the glass. Voila! I love the results and am so glad that I decided to improve the cabinet like this. In case you're wondering about cost and time, I spent about an hour and a half in ArtMart (this was both in the selecting of the paper and shopping in general), spent about $45 for 9 sheets of paper and the Mod Podge, and invested maybe an hour applying/drying/reapplying three coats of Mod Podge. Not too shabby, eh?