Java Journal

Transcription

Java Journal

May 2009
Java Journal
exclusive interview
with J.C. Corcoran
positive and uplifting…always in good taste!
Chasing Dixie
www.javajournalonline.com
O
ur mission at Java Journal is
to share all that St. Louis has
to offer — connecting readers
with advertisers in a
fundamental, yet positive way,
strengthening the community
through communication,
compassion and common
purpose.
(And we intend to put the fun
back in fundamental. Join us as
we highlight all that makes
St. Louis feel like home.)
Positive and uplifting ... always in good taste!
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CHIEF BARISTA
Marian Rein
CONTRIBUTING SCRIBES
Laurel Clark, D.M., D.D.
Lucy Moorman
Mary K. Morgan
Joe Pfeffer, Ph.D.
Marian Rein
Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D.
Phylis Clay Sparks
Jessica Wilson
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C ONTENTS
Lines From
Our Readers
May 2009 | Page 3
“Java Journal is a keeper. It’s a winner.”
-Brenda Finley
11
“Thanks for the great article about Lyn
Magee and Elaine AuBuchon in your
April issue. I work with them both, and
they are certainly people to be celebrated. Good luck with your continued
publication.”
-Sister Barbara Schlatter
9
photo by Lucy Moorman
Thanks to Java Journal for spreading good
news. I particularly liked the article in the
April issue about teaching yoga and meditation to prisoners.
-Burt Mandel
“I LOVE the gorgeous cover photo of the
flower much more than the cover with
the pigs. I left my copy of Java Journal on
a plane to Utah hoping the next passenger would enjoy it as much as I did.”
-Patricia Presti
12
Please keep those
letters coming to
info@javajournalonline.com
courtesty of Chasing Dixie
Simply delicious!
7
5
Motherhood
Creating a New View
by Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D.
7
Chasing Dixie
from St. Louis to Nashville
and Beyond
by Marian Rein
9
The Softer Side of J.C.
J.C. Corcoran—celebrating
25 years in St. Louis
by Marian Rein
11 Java Journal Journeys
Hot Springs, Arkansas—
It’s cool!
by Lucy Moorman
12 Cafe Ole
Gordon’s Stop Light Drive In
by Marian Rein
13 Choose Your Words
Wisely
by Phylis Clay Sparks
Your Java Journal
Fortune
Cookies
17 The Universal Language of
Dreams
by Laurel Clark, D.M., D.D.
18 Toby’s Tale: A Year in the
Life of a Rescued Dog
Toby Pushes His Limits
by Jessica Wilson
14 Mother’s Day Stories
from the hearts of
Java Journal readers
16 Life Skills
Nature vs. Nurture—
Think Attachment
by Joe Pfeffer, Ph.D.
20 UMSL English Scholar
named Guggenheim Fellow
21 Java Journal Movie Morsels
by Mary K. Morgan
22 In Your Community
Select a “cookie” by choosing
a number between 1 and 10.
Then turn to page 20 to
read your fortune.
Page 4 | May 2009
javajournalonline.com
Coffee Break with the Barista
I
heard financial adviser Suzi Orman say
something to the effect of, during these hard
economic times, don’t look to our government to solve our problems—we can solve
them ourselves (no argument here, Suzi). She
gave suggestions for reducing our individual
spending and getting ourselves out of debt.
It seems to me that one of the ways we
can help each other is to buy from locallyowned small businesses. While we all see
signs of hard times, there are people whose
day-to-day lives have not been seriously impacted by the economy. While I’m not an economics expert, it just seems that if you’re
lucky enough to be able to spend today as
you did yesterday, why not consider spending your dollars in a way that will have an immediate and positive impact on individuals in
our community? While it may be true that
certain products are less expensive at national mega stores, spending perhaps just a little more at locally-owned businesses will help
so much and it will be greatly appreciated.
If there’s an upside to the financial difficulties, I think it’s this—it has caused me to
reevaluate my priorities. Yes, eating and paying my bills are priorities, but I see people
everywhere downsizing, one way or another,
and reevaluating their priorities. There’s nothing wrong with living a comfortable lifestyle,
but when the primary focus of your life is on
what luxury item to buy next, something’s
out of whack.
There is so much joy to be found playing
a game of Scrabble with our kids, or riding
our bikes with friends, cooking for loved ones,
writing poetry, gardening, conversing with a
wise old friend, finding ways to bring a little
happiness others—and it doesn’t cost a nickel.
Aren’t these really the things that bring us joy,
Correspondence
Corner
the things we will always remember? When
all is said and done, no one will wish that
they’d purchased a bigger television set.
In the April issue, Java Journal asked readers to send us stories about their mothers in
celebration of Mother’s Day. We received
touching stories, and not one had anything to
do with money or social status. The stories
are about the love they received from their
moms, stories that bring warmth to our
hearts and perhaps inspire us to share a little
care and kindness.
And speaking of mothers, Diane Sanford, Ph.D., offers a little gift of compassion
for the work performed by mothers—the
never-ending tasks they perform so selflessly
for their kids, and shares her wisdom that I always find so inspiring. Thank you, Dr. Sanford.
On the lighter side, I had the good fortune to have a personal interview with J.C.
Corcoran, who is celebrating 25 years in St.
Louis. I distinctly remember J.C. arriving in St.
Louis and creating quite a stir. Over the years,
we’ve witnessed his ups and downs, good moments and, well, perhaps not-so-good moments depending on how you look at it. I
Kindly,
Marian Rein
Foster Homes Needed!
By temporarily
opening your home
and your heart
We’d like to hear from YOU
Java Journal welcomes your
thoughts and comments. Is
there someone you know
who has done something
extraordinary? If there’s
someone, something
or somewhere that
brings you joy, sheds
a little light—or you
would like to just
share a positive
thought, now is
the time and
this is the
place.
remember squirming a time or two at a couple of the things he said, but for the most part
I smile.
You know, if we lived in a different country, I might be standing side by side with J.C.
as our hands were being lopped off for ruffling a few feathers! Thank God we live in a
country where we’re free to speak out. I
hope you enjoy reading the interview as
much as I enjoyed interviewing St. Louis’ own,
J.C. Corcoran.
I’d like to thank everyone who contributed in some way to this May issue of Java
Journal. Thanks to our writers as well as our
readers who sent us stories about their mothers, and others who sent well wishes. If there
is something you would like to share with me,
or a story that would be of interest to our
readers, send me a note at marian@javajournalonline.com. I’ll be thrilled to hear from you.
Now sit back, have a cup of coffee, relax
and enjoy Java Journal.
you will be
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animal in need.
Send us a letter or an email so we
can spread the word. After all,
we’re all in this together, and sharing brings us closer together.
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Java Journal Correspondence Corner
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Creating a New View of
Motherhood
by Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D.
File photo
wants to listen—not really. Even the eyes of
their closest sister may glaze over when negative words come out of their mouth.
When mothers report that they are so
sleep-deprived that they feel like an 80-yearold running a marathon, well-meaning friends
and health professionals will tell them to sleep
when their babies sleep. Who do they think
they’re kidding? When babies sleep, new
mothers tend to their wounded bottoms, or
throw some food in the oven, or agonize
over the birth announcements they haven’t
had time to purchase, much less address the
envelopes.
M
y column for this month is excerpted from a new book I’ve co-authored,
Life Will Never Be the Same: Surviving the Ups
and Downs of Pregnancy and Postpartum,
which will be released later this year. As a
mom of two daughters, ages 17 and 21, I
vividly remember all the changes that pregnancy and motherhood brought, intermingling moments of joy and awe with worry
and doubt. Of everything I’ve done, being a
mother has been my most important role,
and the one I’ve learned from the most.
What follows is my Mother’s Day gift to expecting, new and veteran moms, to help
them let go of guilt and unrealistic expectations and instead, honor and appreciate
themselves and all they do for their children.
Motherhood: The Most Demanding Job,
Ever (from my book)
Having a baby is thought by many people to be one of the happiest times in a
woman’s life. For nine months, she awaits her
child’s birth with a whole range of emotions,
from nervous anticipation to unadulterated
joy. Society is quite clear about what her
emotions are supposed to be once her baby
is born—television, movies, magazines and
newspapers carry messages that happiness,
calm satisfaction, joy and pride are the norm.
Family, friends and medical professionals tell
them to relax and enjoy their baby, as if relaxation played even the smallest role in the
drama of life with a brand-new child.
People rarely talk about the enormous
physical, emotional and relationship changes
that accompany the birth of a new baby—perhaps because no one wants to be the killjoy,
sounding the notes of grim reality amongst
all the soft-focus hype. For many women and
their families, having a baby turns out to be
very different from their expectations. They
may feel devastated when all their beautiful
images of motherhood crash in a pile at their
feet. And the worst part of it is that no one
A NEW VIEW OF MOTHERHOOD
Our new view of motherhood has to
become more real, more accurate. We need
to recognize that being a mother is likely the
most demanding job a woman will ever perform. There are certainly tremendous rewards in being a mother, and these are not to
be minimized or forgotten, but more emphasis needs to be placed on the challenges
and difficulties that are part of the territory.
Cultural bias often minimizes the job—you
are adopting this attitude yourself if you ever
degrade yourself by saying, “I am just a mom.”
Society needs to recognize the critical importance, as well as the stress, of being a parent. Motherhood is not always the glowing
and rewarding job it appears to be on television and in magazines. Parenting is tough
work. Being a mother is being in the
trenches, mucking out the stalls, and contributing much that is neither glorious nor immediately satisfying.
What makes this new job so demanding? Step back a moment and look at some of
the realities of the day-to-day job itself:
Java Journal
May 2009 | Page 5
“
S
i
l
l
y
”
PHOTO CONTEST
Send us your BEST “Silly”
photo for Java Journal’s
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The deadline for submitting photos is May 15, 2009. One photo entry per person. Please submit by email in JPEG format, pixel width 2250 or 7.5 x 5 (vertical
or horizontal) at 300 dpi. Photo must not contain obscene or provocative images
or be controversial in nature. Please include your name, address and telephone
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Parenting is nonstop. Mothers are always
on duty. They are even on call when their
children are sleeping. In a paid job, labor laws
in this country require that you sit down for
two 20-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch
during an eight-hour shift. If life with a new
baby has three eight-hour shifts a day, mothers are entitled to breaks totaling three and
a half hours per day. Multiply that by seven
days and mothers deserve nearly 25 hours
off! Maybe they get this much IF their babies
are sleeping. Even if their babies sleep eight
hours at night, and they only have two shifts,
their breaks still add up to more than two
hours per day!
Parenting is drudgery. Repetitive, mindless, physical labor is what childcare is about,
particularly in infancy—changing diapers,
cleaning up vomit, doing laundry, walking a
squalling sack of potatoes around for hours
on end. It is important to remember that you
can love the child and hate the job. A recent
survey that asked mothers to rate the enjoyment from their daily activities placed
childcare below nearly every activity—slightly
(continued on page 6)
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Page 6 | May 2009
Motherhood
(continued from page 5)
than housework, paid work and commuting.
The big picture is that mothers do realize that
there are sweet and satisfying moments laced
in with the drudgery—at least eventually.
lacks that feedback, so the job is even more
difficult—how can you know you are on the
right track without a little feedback? Which
leads us to the final factor:
There are few absolute answers about
how to parent correctly. No matter how
hard we try to do right by our child, we are
absolutely guaranteed to make some mistakes. Everyone from granny to the pediatrician has ready advice, solicited or not;
everyone has a better way. Even the experts
often give conflicting advice. Since there is no
one “right” way, we will have to define what
works for us. Expect to make, and overcome,
your share of mistakes.
Parenthood is one of the most important
jobs there is. Period. Parenting is one of the
most critical and demanding undertakings you
will engage in during your lifetime, yet our culture says your value (as well as the value of
the human being you are launching) is on the
line. If your child has difficulties, our society
will point a finger at you. This fault-finding is
often patently unfair, for there are myriad influences on what children become. Many parents struggle with this pressure nonetheless.
Society devalues the job of parenting. As
a culture, we don’t honor the job of motherhood financially. Unlike some nations, we
don’t guarantee paid parental leave. We pay
childcare workers and teachers minimal
wages to be surrogate parents. We recognize
mothers one day per year—Mother’s Day.
And if you have ever watched the face of a
new acquaintance at a party when you announce that you are “just a mom,” you know
this is true.
FROM BLAME TO APPRECIATION
Adopting a more balanced view of motherhood may help women to stop blaming
themselves for their struggles postpartum
and after. If the period following childbirth is
expected to be difficult, and the job of motherhood is accepted as challenging, women
may see their problems as part of a normal
adjustment process rather than a personal
shortcoming. They may feel more comfortable asking for assistance from family and
“Adopting a more balanced view of motherhood may help women to stop blaming themselves for their struggles…A change in
society’s attitude may give women permission
to be more loving and gentle toward themselves as they learn to be moms and to appreciate their strength to carry on.”
Society devalues the intensity of the job.
Again, our culture doesn’t attribute much importance to the job of motherhood because
we simply don’t think it is very hard. Not only
do we not value the contributions of mothers, but we have trouble as a society believing
that parenting is really any big deal. Any 13
year old can do it, no license required. So if
you are having a tough time at it—getting frustrated, irritable, fatigued or angry—the message is that there must be something the
matter with you. Validation—that it is exhausting, demanding, challenging, even extremely hard work—is not universally
forthcoming.
Return on your investment is slow. As a
mother, your product will not be finished for
a long time—18 or more years, to be sure.
You even have to wait two months to see a
smile. Human beings cope much more easily
when they get positive feedback on how they
are performing—this is why most employers
have yearly job evaluations. Raising a child
friends, and speaking up when problems
occur rather than suffering in silence. A
change in society’s attitude may give women
permission to be more loving and gentle toward themselves as they learn to be moms
and to appreciate their strength to carry on.
This Mother’s Day, give yourself the gift
of love by recognizing all you do instead of
your perceived shortcomings. Resolve to see
yourself and other moms in a kinder, gentler
way. By promoting this new view of motherhood, together we can ensure that all the
hard work moms do is valued. For all you do,
I applaud you. Happy Mother’s Day!
Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D., is president of
Women’s Healthcare Partnership in Creve
Coeur, Missouri. She is the author of Postpartum
Survival Guide and Midlife and Menopause: A Celebration of Women’s Health. Dr. Sanford can be
contacted at (314) 991-5666. www.drdianesanford.com.
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May 2009 | Page 7
MUSIC
Chasing Dixie from St. Louis to Nashville and Beyond
by Marian Rein
T
he odds of a young music group
hitting it big in this day and age are slim to
none. When a group does attain national
recognition and that group has a root in
our hometown—it’s thrilling.
Chasing Dixie, a dynamic young
country trio, is now on its way to making
a national name for itself. In 2007, music
producer Tony Holden began scouting for
talent. After a long audition process, he
found three girls whose individual talents
blended into a country music trio with
the power and skill to excel at a national
level. Their vocal and instrumental talent,
along with vibrant personalities, combined just the right sound and stage presence to make Holden’s vision a reality.
The group’s lead singer, Alaina
Whitaker, is best known for competing
on the hit television show, American Idol,
in 2008. At the age of 17, with her powerful voice, this Tulsa native became a top10 finalist on the show. Despite her
young age, Whitaker is a seasoned performer, with more than 50 first-place trophies and awards from singing
competitions across the country.
Erin James, singer/songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist from Maryland, had
previously been working on a solo career
in Nashville. She spent her days working
as an emergency room nurse and her
weekends playing shows with her band at
honkytonks around the country. Her talents once landed her on a tour playing
with country legend, Ronnie Dove.
Andrea Young, also a Nashville veteran, is an accomplished violinist who
began playing at the age of two at the
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Suzuki violin program. At 18, she began
teaching with Nora Teipen at Teipen Performing Arts in University City, Missouri.
“Nora has always been like a second
mom to me. I’ve actually grown up working at the school. The reason I have been
financially secure is that she is the most
flexible and generous boss ever, allowing
me to take off months at a time for my
career,” said Young.
With a supportive boss as well as a
loving family cheering her on, Young has
been able to travel the world, playing her
fiddle. “One of the highlights of my career
has been playing with the legendary St.
Louis group, Pavlov’s Dog, for a crowd of
54,000 at the Arrow Rock Festival in the
Netherlands,” Young said. “Last year, I
played with Sixwire for Country Music
Television’s segment, (continued on page 8)
Chasing Dixie, from left: Erin James, Alaina Whitaker and Andrea Young
Chasing Dixie, from left: Andrea Young, Erin James and Alaina Whitaker
Page 8 | May 2009
Chasing Dixie
‘Can You Duet.’ Another highlight is that
every night last summer I played for Halfway
to Hazard, and we opened up on Tim McGraw’s tour. And best of all, on the fourth of
July, I got to play the big stage with Tim, right
here in St. Louis in front of all my family and
friends.”
Now in her twenties, Young brings her
high-level performing experience to Chasing
Dixie with their premiere performance on
March 30, which was her debut in Nashville
as an artist rather than a “hired gun.”
So what’s on the horizon for Chasing
Dixie? Storme Warren, a host on Great American Country, will feature the band on an
episode of his show, Headline Country, this
summer. Plus, the group recently filmed a reality show pilot they are hoping will find a
home and air sometime this fall. “We’re planning to hit the road this summer with our
friend and mentor, Keith Anderson. He has
been instrumental in getting Chasing Dixie off
the ground. We can never thank him
enough.” Anderson travels all over the country and has been known to pack the house in
St. Louis. According to Young, there’s a good
chance that Chasing Dixie will be playing in
St. Louis, soon.
Yes, the girls have an impressive lineup,
in addition to writing appointments with
some of Nashville’s best, including Jeffrey
Steele, the Warren Brothers and Keith Anderson, but these are not simply stardomseeking young women. These are serious
musicians who are dedicated to their profession. “We’re having a great time performing,
and each of us want to continue to develop
our sound,” said Young.
Asked if she would like to make any
shout-outs, Young responded, “My thanks to
KIX102.5 in Joplin, Missouri, for helping us get
our start on the radio. I’d also like to thank
Cowgirl Punk Clothing for outfitting us, LGBMedia for generously handling much more
than publicity, Leroy Anderson for his prayers
and for always being there, Joe Miller for his
dedication, Tina Holden for her belief, D.
Scott Miller for producing our demos and
sharing his wisdom, and our family, friends
and rowdy Chasing Dixie Street Team. And
of course, Java Journal for helping to share
our story! Thanks to all of you.”
[Writers note: I’ve known Andrea Young
for many years. Not only is she known as an
outstanding violinist, she’s an extraordinary
person. With her loving spirit, vibrant per-
sonality and dedication to her students, it was
clear that she would rise to become a national
performer. Java Journal was fortunate to have
Andrea grace the cover of its first issue in
April 2007. My best wishes to Andrea and
Chasing Dixie.]
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Chasing Dixie, from left: Andrea Young, Alaina Whitaker and Erin James
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May 2009 | Page 9
INTERVIEW
The Softer Side of J.C.
J.C. Corcoran—celebrating 25 years in St. Louis
courtesy of J.C. Corcoran
by Marian Rein
J.C. Corcoran and his wife, Clarissa Clark
A
one-word name by which a person is
known—Cher, Elvis, Madonna and Ringo—it’s
called a mononym. A grammarian might argued whether or not two initials constitute a
mononym, but if they do, then St. Louis has
one of its own: J.C.
J.C. Corcoran arrived in St. Louis in 1984
from Chicago. I don’t remember all of the details of his arrival, but I distinctly remember
that right from the start, J.C. was a hit. I’ve
come to appreciate that there are definite
reasons why certain people stand out—it’s
more than luck of the draw. Donald Trump
doesn’t make millions because he’s lucky.
Madonna isn’t a world-wide household name
by accident, and J.C. Corcoran isn’t simply
known as J.C. for nothing. He’s made a name
for himself here in St. Louis, and it’s been
growing for 25 years!
Radio and television personality, columnist, film critic, author and father—J.C. wears
many hats, starting here in 1984 as the focal
point of the Morning Zoo program at KSHEFM. It didn’t take long for him to dive into television, with one of his longest stints as a
familiar face on local TV. Corcoran served as
entertainment editor at KSDK-TV, the NBC
affiliate here in St. Louis from 1985 to 1991,
and for KMOV (CBS) from 1992 to
1999. During these periods, J.C. traveled to
show business meccas Los Angeles and New
York literally hundreds of times to screen new
films and interview the hottest actors and directors in motion pictures and television.
But what many may not know is this
man with the insatiable work ethic is a passionate baseball fan. A standout baseball
player during his youth, J.C. revived his baseball career last year playing for a local team.
At age 55, he took the mound and discovered that he hadn’t lost much off his fastball
from those glory days. In 1995, he had the
honor of throwing out the ceremonial first
pitch at a St. Louis Cardinal game at Busch
Stadium. And in 1998, his annual homeopener baseball radio special had been added
to the archives of the Major League Baseball
Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Lately, he’s been honing his skills to
throw out the first pitch May 15 at Busch Stadium prior to the Cardinals game. On the receiving end will be John Ulett, his longtime
friend and partner on KIHT-FM’s Morning
Showgram program, which airs between 6:00
and 10:00 a.m. weekdays. It will be a celebratory moment for the duo, who will spend
the month of May celebrating J.C.’s 25 years
in St. Louis.
In 2001, while J.C. was at KLOU, he was
honored at the St. Louis Air Awards with the
prestigious March of Dimes Lifetime Achievement Award. He still maintains a close rela-
tionship with the Salvation Army, having
raised more than a quarter of a million dollars and collected more than 50 tons of food
via the Food and Cash Salvation Bash and the
Cans Film Festival special events.
In 2007 and 2008, J.C. provided nightly
commentary pieces titled, What’s On My
Mind on the FOX2 (KTVI) News, weeknights
at 5:00 and 9:00 p.m.
And somewhere in between, J.C. authored two books—Twenty Years of JC: The
Man, The Legend, The Lawsuit and Real Life Stories of JC and The Breakfast Club: Or Twenty
Minutes in the Dark with Madonna, area bestsellers for Virginia Publishing. He’s since
added another writing gig as a monthly
columnist for St. Louis Sports Magazine.
But on any typical morning you’ll hear
J.C. talking about what’s happening in St.
Louis. The Morning Showgram with J.C., Ulett,
Laurie “Mac” McConnell and Carl “The Intern” Middleman can be heard on K-HITS 96
(KIHT), and online at www.k-hits.com. J.C.
can be reached at jc@jcontheline.com.
J.C. lives in St. Louis County with his
wife, Clarissa Clark (whom he affectionately
refers to as “Triple C” for Clarissa Clark Corcoran), two cats—Victor and Louie—and
daughters Addison, 16, and Whitney, 13. Unlike J.C., Clarissa seems to stay out of the public eye—probably a good decision when you’re
married to a man whose name is a mononym.
J.C. and Clarissa are expecting their first child
together in September.
The following interview took place April
13 and 17, 2009.
J.C., you’re a passionate baseball player.
I understand that last summer you rejuvenated your career as a pitcher. Tell me
about your passion for baseball. Where
did your passion come from?
Growing up in Chicago, my uncle played
for the Chicago Cubs. As a little boy with an
uncle playing baseball, the fact that the Cubs
stunk didn’t matter. WGN-TV played all
games. We listened on the radio. My uncle
had sort of a celebrity lifestyle. If you can’t
play the game, you begin to figure out a way
to be involved. In 1964 there were The Beatles on Ed Sullivan…and baseball, etc. I knew
that at age four I’d be involved with this.
You’ve had a long relationship with John
Ulett and have been great friends for
many years. When you left KSHE, you
were on The Morning Zoo together. And
you’ve been together for seven years at
KHITS. What makes your friendship
with John special?
It’ll be eight years in September that
we’ve been back together. We were bitter ri-
vals for a while. I was unpopular around this
building. John couldn’t afford to be friends
with me. But hanging out at Cardinal games—
he was raising his daughters, me mine—he
helped to break down the walls. John helped
me get welcomed back. He’s unusual, smart,
playful and has a serious side. He means very
well and doesn’t anger easily. In this business,
there are not many people like him.
You’re a huge cat lover. How many do
you have, and why cats over dogs?
When I was growing up, my dad wouldn’t allow us to have pets. My sister brought
two cats home for the summer. Slowly, we
warmed up to them. I had a dog for 10 years.
I’m considering getting a dog right now. I
adopted two black cats because no one
seemed to want them. They’re a riot. We
love them.
What are a couple of your most memorable professional highlights over the past
25 years in St. Louis?
Being right there as it relates to big
events. The World Series, first Batman film,
one-on-one interviews with people like Kim
Basinger, Michael Keaton, David Letterman…
It sets us apart.
My job is like being a chef—it takes lots of
ingredients, and you must know how much
of each to put in the pot! What to put in,
what to leave out—my job is to take ingredients and make it into something different.
Big events! I have to confess, I still get excited about it, too. A lot of people who cover
sports, they seem very blasé about it, and I
probably seem like a naïve, wide-eyed little
kid, but this stuff still gets me very, very excited. And it’s really exciting to be able to
watch an entire community become captivated, like what’s going on with the St. Louis
Blues right now. It’s a great story. People who
don’t understand this—why people get excited—I think are missing the point. It’s not always about sports. It’s about drama and
theater. You have all the elements. You have
the element of surprise, the underdog, and
people coming back from adversity. And
that’s all human stuff. And so that stuff still
gets me very, very excited. So we just try to
glom onto them as much as we can and bask
in the reflective glory.
You have become, I would say, a
renowned film critic. What does it take
to be a credible movie reviewer?
Well, you’ve got to see the movies, number one. It’s funny, there’s a new movie out
about a Saturday Night Live character. She’s a
blogger and really
(continued on page 10)
Page 10 | May 2009
J.C. Corcoran
You were recently married to Clarissa
Clark, also known as Triple C?
Yes, 2008.
And you have a baby on the way?
Baby due in late September.
And you have two teenagers, is that
right?
One who will be 16 by the time this goes
to print, and I have one who’s 13.
This time around, do you think you’ll parent differently?
takes down these movie stars, making fun of
them and ridiculing them. Then at the end of
the segment she admits that she hasn’t seen
any of the movies. We know people like that
here who are sort of getting away of it. I grew
up watching Siskel and Ebert on local TV, long
before they went national, so I started watching them in the early ’70s, long before the entire country knew who they were.
Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel use to say,
“I have one job and that is to see the movie
and say exactly what I think.” And that’s what
the job is. It sounds simple, and it’s really
more up to the filmgoer to determine what
critic they’re going to listen to. I know people
who read critics, and if the critic says they like
it, the individual says, “then I know I won’t go
see it,” because they know their judgment is
the exact opposite of the individual’s judgment. Or, if someone says the movie stinks,
then they’ll go see it because the reviewer’s
judgment stinks. “I’ll go see it because it’s
probably good.”
You know occasionally, a good critic will
be able to shine a light on a movie that is
lesser known and get people to see it, like
Slumdog Millionaire. So there are instances
where a good critic can sell some tickets. I’ve
been saying this for years—here’s where I
think a critic’s job really comes into play. A
couple, maybe two couples on a double date,
they go out to dinner, already gotten babysitters, they’ve invested all this time and money
and effort into this, and then they show up at
the movie theatre and guess what? It is sold
out! And now here they are, standing in
front of 20 slates [movie titles] up there, and
somebody says, ‘you know, I heard J.C., Laurie Mac and Carl the Intern say that such and
such movie was okay—why don’t we go see
that?’ And they go see it and they are just delighted and surprised. They were going to see
the (Arnold) Schwarzenegger movie and instead they go see this independent film that
they heard us talk about, and maybe we’ve
done something then. But outside of that, I’ve
got to be honest, I don’t really think we make
that much of an impact.
There’s a big problem in the entire critical community and that is that there are critics who are writing for one another. That’s a
real exercise in futility. It’s like breathing for
us here—we say exactly what we think. We’re
not doing it to impress film critics. We’ve
been doing it because this is our job, and
we’ve been trained for so long now to say
what we think.
Well, I have to because my first marriage
broke up when my daughters were only six
and four, so a lot of that whole watching-yourkids-grow-up thing had been very, very difficult. It’s an acrimonious situation. It’s not that
I will do it differently; it’s that I’ll even have a
chance to do it at all, because I didn’t get
much of a real chance. I also know it will be
very different because the woman that I am
married to is very much the strict disciplinarian when it comes to kids, and that will be an
interesting dynamic in our house. I’m probably a softy once in a while and I don’t think
my wife is going to be much of a softy.
I’d like your wife. Being firm—that’s a
good thing! I imagine you’re a good dad?
Everyone tells me I’m a good dad, so I’ve
decided to believe that.
that’s one of the reasons why when Jeff Fister
contacted me from Virginia Publishing and
said, I think you should write a book, I agreed
with him and that’s why we called it Real Life
Stories of J.C. and The Breakfast Club: Or 20
Minutes in the Dark with Madonna. Because of
the magnitude of it—you know, if it had happened with Bill Murray, or it had happened
with Pauly Shore, but it was freakin’
Madonna! I remember on the four-hour plane
ride back home from that trip to Los Angeles,
thinking to myself, “No one is going to believe
this.” It’s just really really funny to me.
What’s been your most embarrassing
moment?
Well, I’ll tell you one story. I was interviewing Nicole Kidman in Los Angeles, and
she was trying to grab a bite to eat in between interviews, and she’s all wired up and
made up, and I come in and they wire me up.
And these things are very, very intense. People are very nervous. You’ve got 10 people
standing around—the handlers, the makeup
people, producers…Everyone is nervous
about how the interviews are going. Nicole
needs this, Nicole needs that, and these
things are really tense environments. And the
thing is, you don’t stop for any reason outside
of a power failure of course like the Madonna
thing. So, we start the interview, and Nicole
is looking like a million damn dollars in unmarked small bills, and I ask her the first question, and she starts talking, and she gets
about 10 seconds into the answer and I say,
“We gotta stop.” And you would have
thought that I said I have a hand grenade because people started jumping up and won-
dering, what are you stopping for? And
Nicole Kidman is looking at me like, what is
going on? And I said, “Nicole, would you
please just smile for everybody?” And now
these guys are ready to just punch me in the
head. And she says, “What are you talking
about?” I said, “Will you just smile?” And she
smiled, and she has a giant blueberry stuck to
her two front teeth from eating a muffin. And
now everyone is like, “Yeah, that probably
wouldn’t have been a good idea to have an
interview with St. Louis go on the air where
she looks like she’s got a tooth missing.” It was
very weird and very embarrassing for a few
minutes until they finally started realizing,
okay, he was doing something that was actually good.
The next 25 years—what are you looking
forward to?
Employment. When you see somebody
like Mark Klose get laid off [from KIHT], you
see [longtime KSDK reporter and anchor]
Deanne Lane lose her job—it’s an industrywide problem where people of legendary status are just being told, “You make too much
money, you’ve been here too long, we’re
making changes and you’re not part of it.”
And I’ve been a part of that, too, but it’s just
totally off the hinges now in terms of it being
a problem. So that’s number one.
In 25 years I’ll be 80 years old, so I’ll be
glad to be alive. I think that I’d like to have a
crack at being a father for the duration of my
kid’s youth, you know, hands-on, every-daythere father. That would be nice.
I think because I’m having a kid at so late
an age, there’s very (continued on page 19)
What was the most humorous thing that
ever happened to you?
It still goes back to that moment with
Madonna. Here I am with arguably one of the
most famous people in the world—an image
of being an ego-maniacal, bloated superstar—
and the power goes out and the room goes
as black as night. And now you’ve got security
guys jumping out of closets and at least one
gun being drawn, almost something out of a
movie or out of a dream. And then after they
sort of register the idea that nothing subversive had gone on, that this was just a gardenvariety power failure, and while they tried to
restore power, here I am for 20 minutes, sitting in a room in a basement of a hotel in
Santa Monica, face to face with a woman
who’s not going to move because they’ve got
her all made up and wires running up her
[clothes] with microphones. Same thing with
me—I’ve got wires running up my suit. And
they told us, “We would like for you not to
move because when the power goes back on,
we’re going to be behind schedule and we to
need to go the second the power goes back
on, so sit here.” And I don’t think they
thought it was going to be 20 minutes.
And so now here I am, sitting there, not
with international superstar Madonna. Here I
am, sitting there with Detroit native Madonna
Ciccone, and we’re sitting there talking about
Michigan, and we’re talking about her father,
and this crazy radio station back in St. Louis
that won’t play her music because they think
she’s a bad role model, and talking about kids
and breast feeding and the fact that it’s going
to be Lourdes’ [Madonna’s daughter] first
Christmas, and how she’s buying all this stuff,
and we’re going on and on, and you just sort
of sit there and you think to yourself, “nobody’s ever going to believe this story.” So
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May 2009 | Page 11
TRAVEL
Java Journal Journeys
Hot Springs, Arkansas—It’s cool!
story and photos by Lucy Moorman
H
ot Springs, Arkansas! It’s a bit of a jaunt
(eight hours) from St. Louis, but well worth it
when you get there. A small city of approximately 36,000 people, Hot Springs has plenty
to offer.
Aptly named Hot Springs, there are 47
springs that trickle to the surface of the
mountainside where they arrive at 143 degrees. Hot Springs National Park collects
700,000 gallons a day to use in the public
fountains and bathhouses. And where does
the hot water come from? From rain that fell
over 4000 years ago that seeps into the
porous rock through faults and fractures. As
the water percolates deeper and gets hotter,
the process dissolves minerals from the rocks.
The hot water then rises quickly through a
fault in the mountain which brings it back to
the surface while it retains most of its heat.
Known as the Valley of the Vapors, Hot
Springs has been a place of peace and healing
for many years. Centuries past, Native Americans came to soak and recuperate in the healing waters. In the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, French trappers, hunters and
traders came to the waters. Later, the railroad brought more visitors as the hot springs
continued to grow in popularity.
Does the water have healing properties?
The park service has no comment on the
matter, but the locals will swear it keeps them
healthy. Frequently, someone will pull up to
one of the free fountains in the middle of
town, pop open their trunk, pull out plastic
bottles and start filling them. When I asked
one local man why he drinks the water, he
said, “It tastes good.” Another person said,
“It’s full of minerals and makes you healthy.”
The locals say it helps arthritis, rheumatism
and a host of other ailments. I often heard,
“It keeps me young.”
What’s in the water? Different springs
have different properties, but generally there
is silica, calcium, magnesium, free carbon diox-
ide, bicarbonate and more. It is odorless, colorless, tasteless and safe to drink.
There are lots of places in Hot Springs to
experience the thermal waters. On Central
Avenue, among a row of Magnolia trees, is
Bathhouse Row which features eight turn-ofthe-century bathhouses. Not all are in operation, but the Quapaw Bath & Spa and the
Buckstaff Bath House are open for business.
For a nominal fee, both bath houses offer a
soak in a private bathtub. Visitors can also get
scrubbed with a loofah by an attendant and
get wrapped in hot towels like a mummy with
a cold towel applied on your face while drinking cups of the mineral water. Or, visitors can
get in a small public pool to soak in the thermal water.
Where to stay in Hot Springs? My favorite
place is the Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa
(www.arlingtonhotel.com). With 468 rooms,
it is the largest hotel in Arkansas. But don’t
let the size fool you—as in all of Hot Springs,
it gave me the feeling of personal comfort and
small-town southern hospitality. The Arlington has an outdoor mountainside hot tub, so
in the spring you can soak in pleasantly hot
water while you enjoy the blooming dogwood and redbud trees. There are also two
heated swimming pools maintained at a comfortable 80 degrees.
Standing between two mountain ranges
square in the center of town with panoramic
views from the windows, The Arlington has a
colorful history. Infamous gangster Al Capone
was a frequent guest of the Arlington. A gracious guide will tell the story of the healing
waters and gangsters that made it a hot spot
in Hot Springs.
One of my favorite places in Hot Springs
is Garvan Woodland Gardens (www.garvangardens.org). Located on the banks of Lake
Hamilton, it features a 210-acre woodland nature preserve, waterfalls, a fern glade and several beautifully designed bridges. Around the
last week in March, 100,000 varieties of tulips are in full and glorious bloom. On the sprawling
grounds is Anthony Chapel—a
structure of mostly glass and
wood that blends in perfectly
with the woods surrounding it.
Many weddings take place there.
If you enjoy nature, there
are plenty of hiking trails, parks
and lakes in and around Hot
Springs. In fact, you can hike
straight up the mountain from
Hot Springs National Park and
end up at the Mountain Tower
where you can see views of up
to 70 miles in all directions.
You can’t go to Hot Springs
without getting a little dirty digging for crystals. There are many
crystal mines where you pay $10
to $20 to dig for shiny quartz
crystals. You get to keep all you
find and you can dig all day if you
want. The red dirt tends to stain
your shoes so take along digging
tools and old clothes if you are a
rock hound. Ron Coleman’s
Crystal Mine charges $20, but if
you aren’t happy with what you
find, you may pick something
from the shop of equal value. So you may go
home dirty, but not empty-handed.
And yes, ladies, there is plenty of shopping along Central Avenue and many spas
that offer full-service pampering for a price.
There are a number of art galleries—I was fortunate to be there on a perfect spring evening
the first Friday of the month for the gallery
walk. There is also a documentary film festival (www.hsdfi.org) that takes place every
October and a music festival (www.hotmusic.org) that produces 20 concerts and 250
open rehearsals for two weeks in June.
There are plenty of food choices from
down-home cooking such as Granny’s Kitchen
or a more upscale Italian cuisine at Belle Arti.
There’s also plenty of barbecue, including Bill
Clinton’s presumed favorite, McClard’s.
So, as you can see there is plenty happening in this cozy town in the Ouachita Mountains—a great place for restoring the soul.
Even the gangsters didn’t fight when they
were there. It’s a refuge and a very special
place with a calming and ancient energy, surrounded by Arkansas’s natural beauty. For
more information, contact Jimmy Sample, director of Visitor Services, jsample@hotsprings.org.
Lucy Moorman is a writer, photographer and energy therapist living in St. Louis. Visit her at
www.lucymoorman.com.
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Page 12 | May 2009
Cafe Ole! Gordon’s Stop Light Drive In
by Marian Rein
I
n a world that’s changing so fast
it’s stressful just thinking about it,
there’s more than comfort food to
be found in a place reminiscent of a
slower, simpler time—at Gordon’s
Stop Light Drive In in Crystal City,
that’s exactly what you’ll find.
An open grill, stainless steel
counter, clean white-tile floor and a
simple and delicious fare, cooked to
order—it gave me the feeling I had as
a young girl, sitting on a swivel stool
at the counter of my grandfather’s
diner in Jennings—a friendly and welcoming neighborhood experience.
The highlights at Gordon’s are
the burgers, fries, chili dogs and
shakes. My son, Sam, and I shared a
Famous Jumbo—a grilled burger
topped with onion, cole slaw and barbecue sauce. It was so good that we
ordered another. I would recommend ordering your own, and make it
a double.
We also shared an order of fries.
At Gordon’s, the fries are my favorite
type—skinny and crisp, and I love to
smother them with ketchup!
Who could resist a handdipped shake? Not me! We had
a strawberry shake, and it was
more than enough for the
two of us.
Perhaps it has something
to do with spending so much
of my childhood in a family
diner, but the experience of sitting at the counter at Gordon’s
Stop Light Drive In, swiveling on the
stools, conversing with the cook and
eating delicious, simple
food—well, even my
14-year-old son, Sam,
loved the experience.
We’ll be going back,
soon!
Gordon’s Stop Light Drive In
500 Bailey Road
Crystal City, MO
Simply delicious!
Cookin’ with Java Journal
and Judy Schulman
Spring entertaining can be a great time to treat your guests to some spicy tomato-based appetizers. The
tangy blends are promises of the garden-fresh treasures that will follow later in the season. Both recipes are
easy to prepare in advance and call for common ingredients. Have some copies of the recipe handy as people will want to know your culinary secrets.
Spring Tomato Salsa
1 can (28 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained,
reserve juice
2
⁄3 cup chopped cilantro
1
⁄3 cup chopped red onion
1 Tbsp. minced jalapeno pepper
2 tsp. fresh lime juice or vinegar
1
⁄4 tsp. each, ground cumin and salt
Mix all ingredients, except reserved juice from canned
tomatoes. In medium bowl,
stir in 1⁄4 cup of the reserved
juice. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
1
⁄2 cup shelled walnuts
1 jar (8.5 oz) sun dried tomatoes, in oil
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. each tomato paste and olive oil
1
⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1
⁄4 tsp. ground pepper
Place walnuts on a paper plate and microwave on high until
toasted. Pulse sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, tomato
paste and olive oil in a food processor until chopped. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in pepper and parmesan cheese.
Serving suggestions: Use with pizza dough as a sauce; spread on
a sandwich and top with tuna, olives and lettuce; or spread on
small rounds of Italian (or French) bread and toast in the oven for
a tasty serving of bruchetta appetizers.
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May 2009 | Page 13
Choose Your Words
Wisely
GET CLEAN™
Safe for you, your home,
and your planet.™
File photo
by Phylis Clay Sparks
I
heard someone say, “Just about the
time a mother thinks her work is done, she
becomes a grandmother!” I also heard that
the quickest way for a mother to get her
child’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
Motherhood is one of the biggest and
most demanding jobs on planet Earth, and I
commend all of you moms for your resourcefulness, your patience, your caring and
your nurturing spirit. But most of all I recognize the huge responsibility you carry on
your shoulders with respect to the words
like breathing. We do so much of it unconsciously.
If we were to keep a log of what comes
out of our mouths, we would be amazed at
what we say only for the gratification of the
passing moment or from the nervous habit
of talking to avoid silence. These idle words
are spoken with no thought of their effect on
ourselves or their effect upon the one to
whom we have spoken.
Think about how many opportunities
we face each day to choose the thoughts we
think and the words that come out of our
mouths. We can be cheerful or horrific at the
breakfast table. We can argue about who
does what around the house. We can lose
our temper when a child tracks mud on the
carpet, or when our co-worker crashes our
computer, or another car cuts us off on the
way to work. We can refuse to speak to
someone who has hurt us, or we can repeat
a juicy story about our neighbor’s misfortune.
We can gossip and make up stories and
spread lies. Or, we can become conscious of
the fact that our words create an exchange of
energy and information that shapes our experience of life. We get back what we give
out—we reap what we sow.
The bottom line is that words have a
tremendous impact on our lives. Positive
words can heal and comfort; negative words
can have a toxic effect on another person’s
life. Once they are spoken they can’t be taken
back. It’s an awesome responsibility to be
mindful of our words. It requires a lot of dis-
“…we can become conscious of the fact that
our words create an exchange of energy and
information that shapes our experience of life.
We get back what we give out—we reap what
we sow.”
you speak to your children.
When I think about how my mother has
affected me the most, what comes to mind
are the things she told me or said to me.
Likewise, that which I feel the best about or
the worst about are some of the things I have
said to her.
We rarely realize how much power we
release with our words. With the words we
speak we can make someone laugh or cry.
We can lift them up or tear them down. We
can speak the truth or spin a yarn, tell a story
or tell a lie. Our speech comes so naturally—
cipline and conscious awareness on our part.
It calls for noticing the feelings that trigger the
words we say. It’s vital that we say what we
really want to say, not what we are impulsively tempted to say out of habit.
On this Mother’s Day, and every day
from now on, may we all be mindful of the
words we speak. May they be kind, respectful, appreciative and forgiving. May they bless,
not poison. May they heal, not harm. May
they uplift, not tear down. If we all did this,
can you imagine how our world would
change?
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Page 14 | May 2009
Mother’s Day Stories
from the hearts of Java Journal Readers
I
have very
special memories of my grandmother
who had an amazing impact on my life, although
when I was young I did
not realize it.
My mother’s family came
here from Lebanon in the
1920s and settled in south St. Louis in the
neighborhood surrounding St. Raymonds
Parish. My father was German and I was the
second of three children and the only girl. I
was born in l955, and when I was young my
parents would send me to grandma’s house
H
ow fitting that Mother’s Day is my
mother’s birthday. I have been blessed to
have a saint for a grandmother and a
mother. I was saddened a couple of weeks
ago when God called my grandmother
home. I was sad for my mother, my
brother, myself and the rest of her family
and friends, but not sad for my grandmother (she is finally back with her wonderful husband of 66 years).
Some people don’t understand the
bond that my mother and I share. She is
my best friend. That might sound odd to
some, but this saint of a woman has been in
my corner through my entire life, the fun
times, the times I let my parents down, the
times that I lost everything, and so forth.
I have a passion for travel, and on
every trip I take, I made sure that my
grandmother and mother received an item
from the place I visited. They received
rocks from the Base Camp of Everest, sand
from Pamplona, prayer beads from Nepal,
a stone from the top of Kilimanjaro, etc.
Even though they are not able to travel
with me, they are still with me on every
journey. They are in my heart.
One of my life-long goals was to meet
Coach Lou Holtz, and this past June, I did
(because of an article that appeared in Java
Journal). My mother was supposed to travel
with me to meet Coach Holtz, but had to
cancel at the last minute to take care of my
grandmother who wasn’t feeling well. My
mom never complained about not being
able to go with me even though she had
her heart set on it. She knew that staying
with her mother was more important, and
sometimes you have to make sacrifices for
the ones you love.
I met Coach Holtz as planned and I
told him how my mother was supposed to
be with me, but she had to stay behind. I
asked if he would be kind enough to call my
mom’s house and leave her a message on
for weekends, holidays and for several
weeks during the summer.
My grandmother spoke almost no English, and during the day all my aunts and uncles would leave and go to work and I would
stay home with grandma and spend the day
with her. I would go out to the garden and
pull weeds and water. Then I would pick eggplant, tomatoes, grape leaves and other vegetables and bring them to grandma and she
would make us lunch.
After lunch, we would go into the living
room. Grandma did not know how to use
the record player, so I would play her favorite records and we would dance together
her answering machine. This man made
two dreams come true when he told me
to dial her phone number. Coach Holtz will
never know how much that meant to my
mom and me. If things get rough, I listen to
the message he left for her as a reminder of
how blessed I am to have this saint for a
mother.
Someone told me that a mother is
only as happy as her saddest child—how
true. My mother would do anything for my
brother and me without hesitation. She has
done without so that we can have. I tell
people, “Don’t wait until you are dying to
start living, and don’t wait until tomorrow
to tell someone you love them.”
I have had so many great experiences
in my lifetime, but the best has been having
such a loving mother and friend. So I would
like to say, “Happy birthday mom, happy
Mother’s Day, and please know that to me
everyday is Mother’s day because of the
wonderful friend you are to me. I love you
more than words can say.”
Below is the eulogy I delivered for my
Grandmother just a couple weeks ago.
Todd Lewis
St. Louis
A lot of you might not know this but
my grandmother saved my life. My grandparents took my brother and me fishing at
a reservoir when I was seven. I decided
throwing rocks would be more fun than
fishing, and began tossing rocks into the
water, throwing with all my might. Of
course I lost my balance and fell into the
water. My grandmother dove in to save
me! She didn’t know how to swim or how
deep the water was, she just knew she wasn’t going to lose me on her watch!
My Grandmother would want us to
celebrate her life today—and the life that
she gave to us. But it is hard not to be sad.
around the living room. Of course, the music
was Middle Eastern and we would belly
dance, although at the time it did not seem
unusual to me. At almost all our family gatherings there would be Middle Eastern music
and everyone would dance—a lot of times
we would do the line dance known as the
“debka.”
Grandma died when I was 15, and my
mother quit speaking the “secret language”
(Arabic) and started wearing pants and became very American. It would be years before I would remember these times. Going
forward to my late 20s, my Lebanese
cousins called and asked if I wanted to take
She was the sunrise and the sunshine. Although she will no longer be with us as she
has been in the past, she will be with us in
other ways—in the sunrise and the sunshine
that remind us of her.
Once when I was about 16, I went to
Mulkeytown, Il., with my mom and dad to
visit my grandparents. During the visit, I
lost my temper and said something hurtful
to my mother. My grandmother intervened
and said, “You ought not to have said that
honey, you hurt your mother’s feelings.” I
remember those words like it was yesterday. I stormed out of the house, drove
about a block, pulled the car over and
cried. I realized I hurt my mother and my
grandmother, and that I needed to apologize. I drove back, we all cried, and my
grandmother ordered a pizza. My grandmother didn’t want to see me sad. I bet
grandma is trying to have a pizza delivered
from heaven.
Last Mother’s day, I went home to see
my grandmother and mother. We had a
great time, and before I headed home I
asked Grandma if I could borrow a couple
of her books. She told me that I could have
any book I wanted after she left. I asked
her where she was going. Without hesitation, she said, “honey I’m going to heaven.”
And so she has.
I’ve been looking through my grandmother’s books over the last couple of
days. It’s been fun to read all the passages
she underlined, and to read her favorite
stories. All I really needed to know I learned
in Kindergarten: “Take a nap every afternoon…When you go out into the world,
watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together…Be aware of wonder…Remember
the little seed in the plastic cup—the roots
go down and the plant goes up and nobody
really knows how or why, but we are all
like that. Goldfish and hamsters and white
mice and even the little seed in the plastic
belly dancing classes to learn how to dance
like grandma and grandpa.
The moment I heard the music I was
back in grandma’s living room belly dancing
with her. I went on to study the dance and
culture, directed one of the largest Middle
Eastern dance studios in the area, and taught
and performed all over the midwest. Who
would have thought those days with
grandma would lead me to an artistic calling?
Diana Wolf
St. Louis
cup—they all die. So do we. And it is still
true, no matter how old you are, when you
go out into the world, it is better to hold
hands and stick together.”
There were times when I made mistakes, times when I disappointed my grandmother, but our family never stopped
holding hands and we stuck together—just
like she taught us.
“And the day came when the risk it
took to remain in the bud became more
painful than it took to blossom.” I saw
Grandma last Saturday. For the first time,
I saw her in pain. But on Sunday, she blossomed. And she went home to heaven.
But I can feel her still holding my hand and
sticking by me.
One of my favorite quotes is, “The
journey is better than the inn”—but this is
one time that I disagree. For grandma, the
inn is better than the journey. Her inn will
have her parents, her husband, friends and
family, all anxious to welcome her home.
For Grandma, the inn is a place called
heaven.
In closing I will leave you all with one
of my favorites by Emily Dickinson:
By a departing light
We see acuter, quite,
Than by a wick that stays.
There’s something in the flight
That clarifies the sight
And decks the rays
Marjorie May, my mother, was born
in Altamont, Illinois. She grew up on the family farm with three sisters. My mom often related fond memories of growing up in a close
SOnecrabble
Anyone?
of my fondest memories of my
mom and dad, Dorothy and Joe, was watching them playing Scrabble almost every
night. After my dad retired from teaching
at O’Fallon Technical High School, Scrabble
was their entertainment since they didn’t
have much money to go out.
It was quite a competition. When it
came to Scrabble, neither spouse gave the
other any special consideration. My mom, especially, was out to win. You would think
there was a big prize involved, like a new car,
but she had never learned to drive.
My mom was a stay-at-home mom who
tended to raising her five children—three
girls and two boys—out in Arnold where
there was no place to walk to a store. So she
loved baking, especially her homemade
lemon meringue pie. She also passed down
her talent of sewing to me. In her family, she
sewed for herself and four sisters. I continued her interest in the craft by sewing
matching outfits for my two daughters. Of
course now when they look back at pictures
of these outfits they complain, “Mom, how
could you dress us alike?” I would reply,
“That is just how we did things then.”
After my dad died, mom continued
playing Scrabble with some of her 16 grandchildren. She usually won, but they put up a
good fight. The years passed and then it was
time for her to move from her home to a
senior living residence. Even at 80 years old
she still loved the challenge of Scrabble. She
found three men in her building who joined
her once a week for the game. Dorothy won
Ladue School District. She became a teacher
specifically so she could have the summers off
to be with me.
Of the many gifts Mother has given us,
health was the most valuable. As I was
growing up, my mother made sure
our entire family had excellent
nutrition. Every meal was
well balanced with all food
groups represented.
Mother attended all
my PTA meetings and
every band concert. She
made sure I attended Sunday school and was confirmed in church. She was
there to take me to doctor,
dentist and orthodontist appointments. This was in addition
to holding down a full-time teaching
position and managing our household.
Mother defended me from bullies when I was
a child. She still tirelessly defends me from
criticism now that I am an adult. Her integrity
is remarkable: she has never failed to speak
her mind or stand up for what she feels is
right. She instilled a strong set of values in me,
as well as in the students she taught.
Mother paid for five years of college so I
never had to hold down a job while attending
class. I could focus wholly on my studies. She
has given me a generous amount of financial
help with the purchase of my homes. When
I moved to my townhouse, many repairs still
needed to be done. She house-sat for 20 days
while repairmen completed work so I wouldn’t have to use up my vacation
or sick time. During these sessions, Mother laid carpet in my
utility room, lined all the cabinets with contact paper and
sewed curtains for my garage
windows.
I constantly marvel at
Mother’s strength. She was, at
one time in her life, able to lift
a 27” television into the trunk
of a car all by herself and haul
happy family. She attended school in Altamont, graduating from high school in 1936.
After graduation, she moved to St. Louis,
where she was employed. Shortly thereafter,
she met my father, Bill Woodward. They
were married on Dec. 23, 1939.
My parents were married for 43 years.
During those years, they always worked together—first, at their business, Burt Coal
Company, and later as the selling team of
M.M. Woodward, their advertising specialty
business. My mother enjoyed the business and kept things organized. Mom
always had a positive attitude, looking
for the best in people and things. Her
four children miss her encouraging words and smiles. She
was always called in times of
trouble, as well as exciting and
happy times. She was always
there.
Marjorie, a faithful and
positive Christian, is now in
heaven.
most of the time, but the guys didn’t give up.
They enjoyed her company and took her
challenge chivalrously. She became the talk
of the building. A few women asked if they
could join, but the men said, “No.” They
made a habit of going up to my mom’s apartment, then escorting her down to the game
table. Some of the women became jealous
a sofa up a flight of stairs. She’s equally strong
emotionally, giving advice full of common
sense and compassion. Mother has a great
sense of humor that always lifts my spirits.
Dozens of people over the years have
heard my stories about Mother. They all ask
if she could adopt them! That makes me feel
proud. I am richly blessed to be her daughter.
Lynda S. Rosenthal
Kirkwood
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of my mom—there is always a shortage of
men in senior apartments.
So this was the first Easter without my
mom. It felt odd not visiting her and playing
Scrabble. I invited all my children and grandchildren over for the traditional ham with all
the trimmings. After the meal, I asked my
granddaughter, Kayla, what game she
wanted to play. She said, “Let’s play Scrabble like we used to with Grandma Koch.” A
smile came to my face. Of course I had to
warn her that “Grandma’s usually win.”
Kathy Corey (Koch)
Shrewsbury
-YLL,Z[PTH[LZ-\SS`0UZ\YLK
SINCE
1999
Supplies ar
are
e limited. Not valid with any other of
offer.
M
y mother, Margaret Sue Rosenthal,
is the most inspirational person I’ve ever
known. Her life has been one of enormous
personal achievement and devotion to our
family. Mother was born at the
onset of the Great Depression.
She pulled herself out of
deep poverty through
sheer hard work and by
consistently making
top marks in all her
educational efforts.
Graduating Magna
Cum Laude from
Louisiana Tech, her
first job out of college
was Head Dietician for
Barnes Hospital here in St.
Louis. She was only 21 at the
time. Shortly thereafter, she met
and married my father.
Five years later, when I was born, she
quit her job to stay home with me. Later, she
returned to the workforce as a teacher in the
May 2009 | Page 15
Page 16 | May 2009
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by Joe Pfeffer, Ph.D.
E
very new mother wonders whether
social influences or genetics has the greatest
influence on her precious bundle of joy. She is
not alone. For decades psychologists, sociologists, biologists and others have debated
whether personality is the outcome of heredity or learning. Some have argued that it’s
formed as a combination of both.
Recently, a new idea is emerging. Scientists are beginning to understand that social
interaction affects brain development. Not
only are both influences important, they
work together as a seamless unit.
As you might expect, the earliest experiences of children play the greatest role in
determining the people they become. During
these early years the brain is growing quickly.
And it’s plastic, not set in stone or hardwired.
However, the early interactions between children and caregivers have lasting effects.
For the infant, the most important social
factor is interaction with the mother or primary caregiver. When infant and mother
have formed a close bond, a sense of security
is created in the child, allowing its blissful na-
some level, both the parent and the child
know that it’s a game, the game of deepening their relationship by testing limits, creating new boundaries and feeling safe to do so.
Nearness to the parent is an elementary
survival tool. The child instinctively knows
that moving away courts danger. When he
becomes upset or fearful, the parental orbit is
a safe haven. As attachment relationships develop over the years, the parental image becomes part of the child himself. As adults, our
parents, in a sense, live inside us. They give us
the secure or insecure base from which to become independent human beings.
As parents we may get used to being
needed. It can be hard—very hard—to loosen
the bonds through later childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. The reward comes
when our children, as mature adults, become
our friends because they love and understand
us just as we love and understand them.
One reason attachment is such a major
topic in mental health today is that when it
goes wrong, it can be damaging. Those who
“Our own attachment history is the main factor
in how we relate to our children. If our history
determines our behaviors…how can we avoid
the vicious cycle? Will we pass on bad attachment behaviors down through the ages?”
ture to bubble over, and healthy brain and behavioral patterns are formed.
Attachment is the term researchers in
the field of child development have given to
the relationships parents develop with their
children. Leading researcher Daniel Siegel
studies attachment and describes parenting
as the moment-to-moment art of making the
child feel secure while at the same time letting her explore the ever-widening world
around her.
Observe any sensitive parent and you’ll
see this process taking place, spontaneously.
It’s not as if the parent has to think, “Hmm,
should I let her explore now? Should I run and
hold her? When should I do what?” Security
and exploration are integral parts of parentchild experience. If you’ve been a parent and
you have seen your child run around the
room, checking out what is there, bumping
into things, falling down, running back and
jumping into your arms perhaps with an anguished wail, then running away again and repeating the process, you know what this
interaction is about. For many parents, this interplay is one of the greatest joys in life. At
have studied it have come up with four distinct forms of attachment, each with its own
consequences. They are the following:
Secure attachment. This is basically the
pattern described above, when the parent is
“there” for the child while at the same time
letting her discover the world around her.
This is where brain processes come into play.
Suppose your child is raising a cup to drink.
When you see her do this, your brain forms
a mental image of what she’s doing. You feel
the action. Witnessing thousands of situations
make us mind readers in a sense, though not
in the sense that we know the words the person is thinking—young children don’t even
think in words. But when our children sense
that we feel as they do, they feel acknowledged and valued. Their brain cells then fire in
a way that activates their genes, leading to the
production of chemicals that enable new connections to form in their brains. By fostering
secure attachment, parents help their children’s brains grow in a physical way that otherwise would not happen.
Insecure-avoidant attachment. In
avoidant attachment, the parent maintains
emotional distance from the child. She often
does not respond to cues the child gives off.
Children who grow up with such distant parents often become self-reliant, but emotionally stunted adults. They distance themselves
from others, and often wondering why they
are unhappy since in their minds they need
no one. They dismiss close relationships as
unimportant, then wonder why they never
feel fulfilled.
Insecure-ambivalent attachment.
These children grow up with parents whose
hallmark is inconsistency. They can be intensely close, almost merging with the child,
then they become emotionally unavailable.
The worst part is their unpredictability. The
children never know what their parents are
going to do next, and so they become chronically insecure. When these children grow up,
they often have relationship issues. Rather
than dismiss relationships as unimportant,
they get hung up on them. They confuse infatuation with eternal love, and by the same
token they often turn away from people who
deeply love them. At the extreme, they become the people labeled borderline, the ones
who drive their partners crazy because they
haven’t the slightest idea what’s coming next
or, more commonly, if love and hate will be
expressed at the same time.
Disorganized attachment. These are
the children of neglectful and/or abusive parents. They are chaotic in their own relationships if they have them at all. They are at risk
of becoming abusive themselves because they
can make no sense of the contradictory emotions that arise when they become involved
with others. They often show evidence of impaired brain development involving intuition
and logic.
Our own attachment history is the main
factor in how we relate to our children. If our
history determines our behaviors—behaviors
that get locked in by changes in our brains
that took place because of our early experiences—how can we avoid the vicious cycle?
Will we pass on bad attachment behaviors
down through the ages?
Not necessarily. As in childhood, the
brain is plastic in adulthood. Awareness is the
key. In reflecting upon our attachment histories, we can reprogram our brains. We can
learn to tune into our children and respond
to the signals they send almost before we’re
aware of doing so. We can look back on our
own lives and realize we don’t have to behave
as our parents did.
Above all, we can learn from our children—let them help us. Watch, listen, feel and
respond to the signals your children give you
from the moment of birth. Don’t try to be
perfect or do what the experts say. Let yourself go. You’ll find that, rather than a chore,
it’s the most enjoyable thing in your life.
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May 2009 | Page 17
DREAM ON!
The Universal Language of Dreams
by Laurel Clark, D.M., D.D.
T
hroughout history, people have wondered about the meaning of dreams. Dreams
have inspired artists such as Salvador Dali and
writers such as Mary Shelley whose famous
novel, Frankenstein, came from a dream.
Dreams can solve problems or even change a
nation. Mahatma Gandhi’s salt march was a
dream-inspired idea. Harriet Tubman discovered the path of the Underground Railroad in
her dream. In the Bible, Joseph won the favor
of a king by interpreting dreams.
Dreams are also a source of wisdom.
When we know how to interpret them, they
are like teachers or counselors, giving us insight, advice and perspective. In many places
of the world, knowledge of dreams is considered to be the province of a select few:
shamans, healers and counselors.
Everyone dreams every night. People
can learn to interpret their own dreams, becoming empowered with their knowledge
and wisdom. Every dream is about the
dreamer. This was one of Sigmund Freud’s
great contributions to the understanding of
dreams. His student and colleague, Carl G.
Jung, thought that dreams come from a universal collective consciousness and communicate with universal symbols.
The School of Metaphysics, located in
Maplewood, has been researching dreams for
more than three decades, and teaches students to understand the symbolic language of
dreams. When dreamers learn what their
dreams mean, they no longer need to depend
on another person for interpretation.
Some people wonder how dreams can
communicate in symbols that are universal. If
I am a cat lover, how can a cat mean the same
thing in my dream as it does in my sister’s
dream when she hates cats? The answer is
that dreams do not come from the conscious
mind, where we experience likes and dislikes.
They come from the subconscious mind,
which is neutral. Our dreams do not judge.
The conscious mind makes judgments. This is
one of the benefits of understanding dreams
–they can give us an objective perspective
that we may not have in our conscious minds.
The following analogy may be helpful in
understanding the universal nature of symbols. There is a particular wavelength and vibration in the light spectrum that makes the
color red what it is. Whether or not I like red,
and whether I call it red in English or rouge in
French or roja in Spanish, the vibration is the
same. Similarly, a certain vibration defines the
note “C.” A person with perfect pitch can
hear the note and identify the sound as “C,”
while someone else might hear the sound but
not know what it is. Nevertheless, that particular vibration is still “C.”
One can understand a dream symbol by
knowing its function in waking life. For example, animals, such as cats, operate by instinct
or by compulsion—they are not reasoning beings. So in dreams, cats symbolize habit. This
is the universal meaning of the symbol. The
dream is also personal, so only the dreamer
can determine specifically what habit is being
represented in the dream. For example, if I
love cats and have a cute, cuddly kitten in my
dream, it could be a habit I am fond of. My
sister, who might dream of a cat that keeps
getting in her way, could be dreaming of an
annoying habit. Only the dreamer can determine how the dream fits into his or her life.
Some common symbols in dreams are
people, animals, houses or buildings, water,
cars and food. Common themes are being
back in school, teeth falling out, being chased
by an unknown person or thing, falling or flying. What do they mean?
People symbolize aspects of the self.
The dreamer needs to identify the outstanding quality he or she sees in the person in the
dream to identify what the dream is relating.
For example, if Mary is in my dream and I see
her as being generous and kind, in my dream
she symbolizes that aspect of kindness and
generosity in myself.
Animals (previously discussed) symbolize habits.
Houses symbolize the mind, and
other buildings symbolize a particular attitude
or state of mind. A school, for example, indicates that the dreamer’s attention is on learning. A church or synagogue symbolizes the
dreamer’s attention on spiritual concerns.
Water is a symbol for conscious life
experiences. If the dreamer is swimming
through the water, he or she is handling the
waking life experiences with ease. If he or she
is drowning, this is a person who is getting
overwhelmed by daily experiences.
Cars symbolize the physical body.
Dreams of car problems can predict potential
health problems. For example, a dreamer
who dreams of flat tires may be experiencing
fatigue or sluggishness. In a dream, a car that
won’t start may be revealing the dreamer’s
difficulty getting up in the morning.
Food symbolizes knowledge. One of
my students reported that as she learned to
put her lessons into practice—doing concentration exercises every day, learning to think
more positively, exercising her imagination
and will power—her dreams changed from
dreaming of junk food to eating nutritious,
healthy food in her dreams. She attributed
this change to her waking change from reading books about “far out” or impractical ideas
to learning practical ways to improve her life.
Losing teeth. Understanding that food
symbolizes knowledge in a dream helps us to
understand the dream of teeth falling out. If
our teeth are falling out, we can’t chew. So
this dream means that the dreamer has
knowledge that he or she isn’t putting into
practice. Often times, dreamers who read a
lot and theorize without applying the ideas
have the teeth-falling-out dream.
Another common dream is some variation of the following:
Being back in school (high school or college), trying to find a particular classroom,
and suddenly realizing that there is a test, but
you haven’t attended the class all semester.
You get panicked and wake up.
A school in a dream shows that the
dreamer’s attention is on learning. This
dreamer is aware that there are life lessons
he or she needs to learn, but isn’t quite getting it. The dreamer might say, “I know there’s
something for me to learn from this experience, but I have no idea what it is.”
These are the universal interpretations.
The dreamer is the only one who can discern
what the life lessons are. One dreamer might
note that she is aware that she needs to
speak up rather than being passive, but when
the opportunities arise to voice her concerns,
she clams up as usual. Another dreamer
might identify the lesson as his need to follow
through on his ideas, yet he repeats a pattern
of procrastinating.
Being chased. When an unknown person is chasing a dreamer who is afraid the
pursuer is going to kill him, this indicates that
the dreamer is afraid of change. Death symbolizes change. In his waking state, this
dreamer may be facing a situation in which he
feels he is being forced to change rather than
choosing to change. For example, this could
be a person who is dissatisfied with his job
and keeps thinking he should change jobs but
doesn’t do anything about it. Perhaps he is
anxious and worried (continued on page 20
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Page 18 | May 2009
PETS
TOBY’S TALE: A Year in the
Life of a Rescued Dog
Toby Pushes His Limits
story and photo by Jessica Wilson
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I
t has been several months since I
adopted my Golden Retriever, Toby, from
Gateway Golden Retriever Rescue. Toby
is still doing well and has made tremendous strides in adjusting to life with me
and my cat, Gizmo. That’s not to say that
life with the 60-pound pooch is perfect.
Now that Toby is comfortable living
with me, he’s trying to push his limits and
see what kind of bad behavior he can get
away with. He’s been doing everything he
can possibly think of to see what will get
him in trouble.
Against the advice of many people, I
decided to let Toby sleep in bed with me.
I figured it would be a treat for him and
for me so I could cuddle with my sweet
boy. At first, Toby did a good job of sleeping in the bed with me—he even stayed on
his own side of the bed! Then one day I
was trying to get out of bed and told him
to get down and he growled at me.
When I again tried to make him jump off
the bed by giving him a slight nudge, he actually bared his teeth at me. I climbed off
the bed and ordered him down, and that
was the end of Toby sleeping on the bed!
I knew that if I let him get away with
that behavior he’d eventually think he was
the pack leader. And, if watching The Dog
Whisperer has taught me anything it’s that
WANTED:
Loving Foster
Parents for Pets
The Animal Protective Association of
Missouri (APA) urgently needs foster families for cats and dogs who are not ready
to be placed in permanent homes. These
include kittens and puppies under the age
of eight weeks, dogs and cats in need of
socialization or training and others who
simply need temporary housing.
Interested families must have experience caring for animals and be willing to
learn training and behavior modification
techniques. Requirements: completion of
an orientation or
training session, a
one-on-one interview with a foster
care coordinator
and a home visit.
Fostering can last
from a few days to
several months.
Food, supplies and
veterinary care are
provided.
For more information, please contact
Christy Pritchard at (314) 645-4610 or by
email at foster@apamo.org. The Animal
Protective Association is located at 1705
S. Hanley Road. www.apamo.org
Courtesy APA
dogs are animals, and no matter
how much we love them, they
need to know we are in charge.
Toby’s bad behavior hasn’t
stopped with wanting to stay on
the bed. He has started to show
some dominance behaviors
when we play. If we’re wrestling,
he will take my arm in his mouth
and try to push me down onto
the floor so he can stand on top
of me. He’s also been mouthing
at me if I’m lying on the couch or
talking on the phone. It doesn’t
hurt, but I know that if I don't
stop the behavior now it will only
lead to more aggressive behaviors.
Another new behavior is that
Toby has been pulling trash out
of the garbage can. He doesn’t
eat it, but just pulls the trash out and
leaves it strewn around the house.
The good news is that Toby is getting
better at heeling. I purchased a Gentle
Leader collar and he has made tremendous strides in walking without pulling my
arm out of its socket. Since Toby is learning to heel, I decided to take him to the
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown St.
Louis. The rescue group I adopted Toby
from participated in the event. It was wonderful to see all the Golden Retrievers
walking down Market Street.
Toby was skittish at first, but once he
realized all the people standing along the
side of the road would pet him, he was in
puppy bliss. Since he did so well at the parade, I’m hopeful that we can attend more
events where he can romp and have fun
with other dogs.
I’m very pleased that Toby was so
well-behaved at the parade, and even
though he sometimes makes mistakes, I’m
glad he is comfortable trying to get away
with things. When he first came to live
with me, he was so skittish and wouldn’t
even come near me. He’s come such a
long way in a relatively short amount of
time and I think the fact that he’s testing
his limits shows he feels at home with me.
And home he is!
Adorable
Adoptables
PIPSTER
Pipster is a one-and-a-half-year-old Border Collie/Chow mix. He loves to sleep
in the bed and he knows some commands, such as sit and shake. Pipster is
very loving and would be a wonderful addition to a family.
AMY
Amy is a one-year, eight-month-old
brown and white tabby. She loves attention and can be vocal when she thinks she
isn’t getting enough! Amy has been at the
APA since December, so she is really looking forward to her forever home.
To adopt one of these adorable pets, please call or visit the
Animal Protective Association
1705 S. Hanley Road, (314) 645-4610, www.apamo.org.
May 2009 | Page 19
J.C. Corcoran
little chance I’m going to end up retiring. Dick
Ford worked until, I believe, 71. I think Dick
also had gotten married and had kids at a late
age and worked until he was at least 70. And
I see myself doing that. People forget that this
whole ripple and the demographic curve in
terms of baby-boomers, it’s not like it was for
our parents. It’s different now in that you’re
going to see this huge swell in the demographic curve, moving along the demographic
curve every year so that when I’m 70, everybody’s going to be 70. So it’s going to be a
different thing than media has encountered
in the past, because it’s going to be different
than the world has encountered. So I’d like
to think that there’s still going to be opportunities for us to be playing Crosby, Stills and
Nash songs when we’re 70 years old. I don’t
see any reason why not. People have not
thought this out as to what the world’s going
to be like in 15 or 20 years. We’re all going
through this giant ripple in the demographic
curve, and it’s going to be maturing right
along with us. And I like to think there’s going
to continue to be opportunity for us to continue doing what we’re doing.
I think that’s true. People are different
today. People are aging very well.
Women, for example, are looking great.
I agree. I find women in their 40s and, in a
lot of cases, 50s just ravishing. When we
were kids, if you were 40 or 50, you might as
well have had one foot in the grave. I really
think I’m an example of many who carry
themselves much younger than they are. I’m
not denying age. It’s an important distinction.
It’s not like I don’t know how old I am—I do.
It’s just that I feel young and I think young and
as long as that’s the case, I just feel there isn’t
any reason to carry myself in any other fashion. Audrey [Audrey Pywitch, news director
at FOX2 and former weekend producer at
KMOV] said, “I just think it’s really really hard
for a woman to age when she’s on television
every day.” And that’s one of the reasons I
like Audrey. She makes me think about stuff
that I might not think of otherwise.
J.C., thank you so much. It has been
a real pleasure speaking with you.
Some people have tried to label J.C. Corcoran with words such as controversial, workaholic, outrageous, humorous, creative or
pugnacious, but as he celebrates his quartercentury anniversary in St. Louis, one word
seems to capture this multi-talented local icon:
mononym. Thank you, J.C., for being a part of
our community for the past 25 years.
Moms Get Cozi!
by Denise Lee, professional organizer
I
n today’s fast-paced world it’s easy
to lose track of your family’s schedule and
lose sight of precious family time. Thankfully, the Cozi website (www.cozi.com)
has made the job of managing family life a
whole lot easier.
Cozi provides you with your own calendar that is color-coded by family member so it’s easy to see who is doing what
and when. Because the calendar is webbased you have only one place to update
your appointments. Entering events is
easy and straightforward. Access your calendar from any computer and your mobile phone. Send reminders or updates
easily to family members so everyone is
in sync. You can even sync your Cozi calendar with your Outlook calendar at
work if you want.
Cozi’s shopping list function renders
paper lists obsolete. Keep all your shopping lists in one place and access them
from your computer, your mobile phone,
or call Cozi’s toll-free number and have
the lists read to you. Create a chore list,
a books-to-read list, a to-do list—the sky is
the limit with these customizable lists. I
create our weekly dinner plan on Cozi,
and use the handy interface with Betty
Crocker’s website to find new meal ideas.
Even with a busy schedule you don’t
have to let happy memories slip away. Jot
a few lines in Cozi’s Family Journal. Maybe
upload a photo. It’s an amazingly uncomplicated way to preserve your family’s big
and little moments. And soon you will be
able to share your Family Journal with
your friends.
Put the photos stored on your PC to
use. Windows users can download a
photo collage gadget that creates a
screensaver slide show of your family photos. Another gadget puts the Cozi calendar on your desktop so you always know
what’s on the agenda for the next few
days. Speedy updates to your calendar,
lists and journal can be made right from
your desktop.
Are you looking for some inspiring
tips and articles? Cozi’s “Live Simply” page
has just what you need. I am a contributor
to the organizing section. You’ll get insider
tips and information on creating the life
you want to live.
When it comes to managing your
family life, Cozi puts the “fun” in functionality. And the best part? Cozi is free. Isn’t
it time your life was a little simpler? You
can sign up for your own Cozi account at
www.cozi.com.
If the Shoe Fits…
F
or decades, the National Horseshoe
Pitchers Association (NHPA) dreamed of
finding the right location and opportunity to
build the Hall of Fame. After much investigation and discussion of other potential sites,
the NHPA officers felt that the best location
would be in Wentzville. When the St.
Charles County Government and the St.
Charles Parks Department offered the Quail
Ridge Park location, project planning got underway.
The Quails and Quailettes of the Quail
Ridge Horseshoe Club (QRHC) are settling
into their new nest since the opening of the
National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame
and Museum in October 2007. Upon seeing
it for the first time, visitors have told the
QRHC members how lucky and fortunate
they are to be pitching in perhaps the finest
facility in the world!
This 21,000 square-foot, million-dollar
facility sits high on a hilltop in beautiful Quail
Ridge Park at I-70 and Hwy. 40-61. The facility is open four days a week to the public:
Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5:00 p.m. and
Monday and Wednesday, 2:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Horseshoe tournaments are held monthly
and winter leagues are held twice nightly. A
daytime league is now being organized.
The facility is heated and air-conditioned
year-round and is designed for future expansion. It houses 16 indoor courts and 16 outdoor courts for public use.
Whether you are a beginner or more
experienced at pitching shoes, there is a
place for you at Quail Ridge. The NHPA Hall
of Fame and Museum displays horseshoe
memorabilia from the past hundred years
and enshrines its 144 Hall of Fame inductees.
During the past year, QRHC has held
17 tournaments. Some of these tournaments
have brought in some of the greatest horseshoe pitchers of our time, including world
champions Alan Francis and Sue Snyder.
The exciting Six Pac Tournament will be
held May 2 and 3 and will include the top 32
pitchers from across the United States. The
QRHC was host to the 2008 Missouri State
Horseshoe Tournament and will again be
hosting the 2009 State Championships during Labor Day weekend.
The World Horseshoe Tournament will
be held in Springfield, Il., this summer and the
QRHC is expecting lots of visitors to be coming to the NHPA Hall of Fame for the first
time. Visitors will be surprised and impressed
when they see the facility and find out what
organized horseshoe pitching is all about.
Cybersaving
through the finds of the posters.
If you like to join consumer groups, I suggest you try www.startsampling.com.
Membership is free and you will receive some
interesting new products and offers.
The site also features recipes and
coupons.
by Mary K. Morgan
I
f you have a few tools and a little bit of
skill, you just might save on repair bills if you
visit www.fixya.com for a little inside advice
from experts. Technical support, manuals, instructions and troubleshooting guides are at
you fingertips with a few clicks.
Visit www.slickdeals.net and click on
“Forums,” then on “Hot Deals” and you are in
a network of consumer information coming
at you from all directions. Constantly being
up-dated and supplemented by astute shoppers, the best deals usually appear here first.
Go to www.target.com and scroll all
of the way to the bottom of the page. Under
the title, “Target Stores,” go down three lines
and click on “Grocery Coupons.” Every
week, usually on Sunday, the coupons
change. Use these Target coupons along with
manufactures’ coupons for double savings.
A site with a strange name often has
some good deals—www.spoofee.com. I usually click on the tab, “Community,” and scroll
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A New Look at Yoga, especially
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Free Lecture & Book on
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Tuesday & Thursday mornings
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Page 20 | May 2009
UMSL English scholar named
Guggenheim Fellow
Photo by August Jennewein/UMSL
Richard Cook will use fellowship to prepare edition of Alfred
Kazin’s journals
F
ollowing in the footsteps of the subject of his most recent book, Richard Cook,
chairman of the Department of English at the
University of Missouri-St. Louis, received a
Guggenheim Fellowship Award. The awards
were announced in April.
Cook is the author of Alfred Kazin: A Biography, released in January 2008 by Yale
University Press. The book chronicles the life
of Kazin from his impoverished childhood
growing up in the Brownsville section of
Brooklyn, NY, to his 50-plus years as a prolific
writer, critic and literary historian.
Kazin was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1940 to help him complete his
book, On Native Grounds. Cook will use his
fellowship to compile an annotated selection
of entries from Kazin’s journals.
“Being awarded a Guggenheim is a great
honor, and I couldn’t be more pleased,” said
Cook, of Clayton, Missouri. “That the fellow-
ship is to help me publish an edition of Kazin’s
journals is particularly gratifying. It was my
discovery of the journals in the New York
Public Library that led to my writing Alfred
Kazin: A Biography. Now I have the chance to
present the journals themselves—to let Kazin
tell his story in his own words."
Cook called Kazin “…a dominant figure
in America’s literary/intellectual life throughout most of the twentieth century.” Both
writers received their awards in the category
of American Literature.
Kazin wrote 15,000 manuscript pages
that cover 40 volumes of journals. “They
record his daily reflections on his private life
and intellectual trends, as well as personal impressions of many of America’s and Europe’s
leading cultural figures whom he knew and
with whom he corresponded,” Cook said.
Cook said the Guggenheim Fellowship
will help defray the costs of visits to view the
journals at the New York Public Library and
Kazin’s letters to friends, acquaintances and
public figures of which there are collections at
Yale, Harvard, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Texas at Austin.
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial
Foundation has awarded $273 million in fellowships to nearly 16,700 artists, scientists
and scholars for 85 years.
Cook’s Guggenheim Fellowship follows
just months after Alfred Kazin: A Biography received several year-end accolades, including
the Washington Post’s 2008 Best Book selections, and it was named by Choice magazine
as a 2008 Outstanding Academic Title and
by the Association of American University
Presses as a 2008 Best Book of the Year.
Alfred Kazin: A Biography is available in
hardcover at www.amazon.com.
Dreams (continued from page 17)
and wants to develop confidence, but he
doesn’t practice to become confident. Then,
he gets a warning at work that he must improve in certain areas or he will be laid off.
This is a kind of forced change that might be
revealed in a dream of being chased by an unknown person.
The falling dream occurs when the
dreamer is in the process of waking up.
Falling is the experience of moving from the
inner levels of consciousness or the inner
dream world back to the waking state. The
dreamer hits ground in the dream when he
or she is fully awake, with the physical body
and physical senses.
Flying in a dream is thought of as an
out-of-body experience. The feeling of freedom that accompanies a flying dream is our
natural state of being—free. We can discover
in dreams the freedom of thinking “up” and
we can fly upward; thinking “to the left” and
we go left. If we transfer this to our waking
state, we have freedom to choose how to live
life according to how we direct our thoughts.
These are some of the common symbols
and themes in dreams. Learning to interpret
dreams is like learning a language. To learn
the vocabulary, or symbols, a teacher is the
best resource. There are also books that can
be used for reference. The best reference I
know for learning dream symbols is The
Dreamer’s Dictionary, by Dr. Barbara Condron, published by SOM Publishing.
In a world that is struggling to find a
common language so that we can bring about
peace, it is comforting to know that there is
a language we all have in common—the language of our dreams.
Laurel Clark, D.M., D.D., is the president of the
School of Metaphysics. She has been teaching
and researching dreams since 1979. Classes and
books are available at the local branch in Maplewood (www.maplewood@som.org or (314) 6450036). There is also an online study program
offered at www.dreamschool.org. Laurel Clark
may be reached at lclark@som.org.
Java Journal
Fortune Cookies
1. Start your day with the
thought, “It’s going to be a
great day.” See what
happens.
6. There is an upside to every
situation. Step back and
broaden your perspective.
You might be surprised at
what you see.
2. As Deepok Chopra says,
“Luck is the intersection of
opportunity and preparedness.” Be prepared!
7. Happiness comes from
within. Joy comes from
sharing with others.
3. It’s time to do some spring
cleaning. Clear out the clutter
to make a space for something wonderful!
4. Spread your wings and try
something new. You possess
talent that’s waiting to
express itself.
5. For all your desires, there are
steps you can take to achieve
them. Outline the steps and
take one every day.
8. Never, never, NEVER give
up. Persistence pays well.
9. It’s been said that changing a
habit or thought pattern
takes 21 to 30 days. So get
out your calendar!
10. Get clear about what you
want. Make a list of your top
10 desires and work on it
every day. And don’t forget
to enjoy the process.
Java Journal
Home Entertainment Highlights
by C.E. Morgan
Imagine the Choices
Technology has broadened home entertainment choices. Many titles offered in
the latest Blu-ray format cannot be played
on standard DVD or digital equipment, including portable and car players. Leave it to
the mouse to help solve the issue. Walt Disney feature, Bedtime Stories, has just been
released for home viewing in a three-disc,
multi-use package. Blu-ray, DVD and a digital
format are all included in a neat, plastic case—
something to match everyone’s equipment.
Bedtime Stories is a fine family comedy,
packed with adventure and fun. Meet Skeeter
Bronson (Adam Sandler)—every child’s
dream of the perfect babysitter. His imagination runs wild with adventure stories that
he delights in sharing. In each story, Skeeter
is the hero. His talents are put to good use
when his sister (Courtney Cox) is called out
of town and Skeeter is asked to watch his
niece and nephew for a week. The intriguingly wild bedtime tales traverse the globe
and wander through time with plenty
of help from the kids’ imaginations. When
the fiction pops into real life, things take a hilarious turn. Rated PG.
Academy Award Nominations®
Doubt is without a doubt one of the
most acclaimed films of 2008. After an extended run at theaters, it is now available on
DVD. Set in the 1960s, the drama unfolds on
the campus of a Catholic elementary school
in the Bronx. The pivotal characters are Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), an oldschool nun who runs the school with an iron
hand, and the more liberal and nurturing
parish priest, Father Brendan Flynn (Phillip
Seymour Hoffman). Tension is high between
the two strong personalities with their opposing philosophies toward the students. The
real doubt looms when a young nun (Amy
Adams) makes some shocking allegations to
Sister Aloysius. Rated PG-13.
Rainy Day (or Any Day) Fun
Scholastic has released a collection of
storybook favorites that is sure to entertain
and amuse any preschoolers or primary
grade children. My First Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics: Preschool Stories is presented in a read-along format that can be
used with beginning readers or younger children who enjoy picture books. The illustrations are great and the selection of stories is
outstanding. Many of the Scholastic book titles have already won numerous awards and
are proven favorites with the kids. There Was
an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Good Night
Gorilla, Knuffle Bunny and Is Your Mama a
Llama? are just a few of the all-time favorites
in the collection. Rated G.
C. E. Morgan is a member of St. Louis Film Critics.
May 2009 | Page 21
Java Journal
Java Journal
M vie Morsels
Sip ’n’ Solve
by Mary K. Morgan, a member of the St. Louis Film Critics Association.
Observe and Report (R) (2009)
Move over Paul Blart, Ronnie Barnhardt
(Seth Rogen) has
trumped you. The
undisputed ruler of
Forest Ridge Mall,
Chief of Security Barnhardt, patrols his turf
diligently and with the
edginess of a delusional, wannabe cop.
His top minion and
trusty yes-man, Dennis (Michael Pena),
serves Ronnie dutifully, backing him up
on all points of mall security. Lest you think
that annoying kids and parking-lot skateboarders are the primary targets of mall
guards, think again. Ronnie’s latest nemesis
is a flasher who has been striking fear (not
to mention, a horrible memory) into the
hearts and minds of innocent mall workers
and visitors.
Under pressure from the media, the
mall director calls in the local police to handle the flasher matter. Detective Harrison
(Ray Liotta) is assigned to the case and
proves to be a major pain in the neck for
Ronnie who is determined to singlehandedly rid the mall of the streaking pervert.
Not only does Harrison take over the case,
he quickly puts major moves on Ronnie’s
dream girl, and trashy looking cosmetics
sales associate, Brandi (Anna Faris).
A comedic take on the classic psychological thriller Taxi Driver, Observe and Report has so much going for it that it’s
definitely a must-see-again flick. Priceless
are actual twins, John and Matt Yuan, playing twin mall security guards John and Matt
Yuen. The pervert is Randy Gambill, not an
actor but rather the production designer
for “The Foot Fist Way,” who possesses the
perfect physique for the roll. Plus, you’ll
love Ronnie’s mom, Mrs. Barnhardt. Sure,
she drinks a bit, but she sure loves her boy!
Crossword puzzle provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission.
Fast & Furious (PG-13) (2009) The
fourth generation of the F&F franchise, it’s
running a little low on fuel. However, there
are a few plusses in this latest offering. First,
it’s miles better than Tokyo Drift (although
both share the same director, Justin Lin)
and the original cast (Vin Diesel, Paul
Walker, Jordana Brewster and Michael Rodriguez) is back to race once more.
The engines are strong, but the plot is
grossly underpowered. Ex-con, fugitive
Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and federal
agent Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) team
up to battle a common enemy. Of course,
they must push their vintage rides way
over “red line” in lightning-fast pursuit sequences that keep the audience’s adrenaline flowing as freely as the nitro fuel.
Five years have passed since the two
opposing racers crossed paths, now they
meet and form a temporary alliance in
order to bust a powerful drug runner.
Brian needs him to serve as a key witness
in an FBI case and Dom simply seeks re-
venge. Both go deep undercover to compete for a spot as a driver for the drug cartel and gain access to leaders of the gang.
Soon the racing games begin in earnest. Especially thrilling
are the race
scenes that careen through underground
tunnels that illegally connect the
U.S. and Mexico.
If you love
fast, tricked-out
cars and beautifully
choreographed racing
scenes,
you’ll
enjoy this latest
F&F offering. If you drifted from the franchise after Tokyo Drift, you will be back in
the driver’s seat again.
Across
1- Shatter
6- Division of a school
year
10- Pitchfork-shaped
letters
14- Petrol measure
15- “Orinoco Flow”
singer
16- Sicilian peak
17- Broadcasting
18- Waterfall
19- Defeat decisively
20- ___ favor
21- Evidential
24- Controversial
What a Riot!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Hannah Montana: The Movie
(G) (2009) Young Miley Stewart (Miley
Cyrus) returns to
Crowley Corners,
Tennessee,
to
seek refuge from
the fast, rock-star
life she has been
leading lately. The
wholesome life is
just the respite
that she needs to
clear her mind and
appreciate her life
and loved ones.
Dad (Billy Ray
Cyrus) knows that she is heading in the
wrong direction and doesn’t hesitate to get
her away from the bright lights for a breath
of fresh country air.
This is Disney’s third feature-length
movie based on a television series and it appears to be a big hit with fans. With its mild
G MPAA rating, parents and tweens can
enjoy a night at the movies together with
no embarrassing moments to spoil the fun.
The soundtrack is enjoyable and should
produce some great residuals from many
downloads to those signature Hannah Montana MP3 players.
26- Christian festival
27- German article
28- Onward in time
30- Pertaining to the
small intestine
33- High-minded
34- Thigh
37- Female rabbits
38- Hornless
39- Hemingway
sobriquet
40- European name for a
moose
41- Virile
42- Hopeless case
43- Flowery verse
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Never raise your hands to you kids. It
leaves your groin unprotected.
I’m not into working out. My philosophy is no pain, no pain.
I’m in shape. Round is a shape.
I’m desperately trying to figure out
why Kamikaze pilots wore helmets.
Do illiterate people get the full effect
of alphabet soup?
I’ve always wanted to be somebody,
but I should have been more specific.
Ever notice when you blow in a dog’s
face he gets mad at you, but when you
take him in a car he sticks his head out
the window?
Ever notice that anyone going slower
than you is an idiot, but going faster is
a maniac?
You have to stay in shape. My mother
started walking five miles a day when
she was 60. She’s 97 now and we
have no idea where she is!
I have six locks on my door, all in a
row. When I go out, I lock every
44- ___ Schwarz
45- Detestable
48- Prosperous
52- Improve superficially
55- Golden, in France
56- First name in scat
57- ___ even keel
58- Love, Italian-style
60- Among
61- Unspecified in
number
62- Rich cake
63- Neck part
64- Singles
65- Moves with care
Down
1- Slant
2- Lesser
3- Pong maker
4- Hindu title
5- Miscreant
6- Tending to a definite
end
7- Oklahoma city
8- Baseball’s Sandberg
9- Courteous
10- Suffer destruction
11- European ermine
12- Accustom
13- Lustful deity
22- Bordeaux, e.g.
23- London gallery
25- Mariners can sail on
seven of these
28- Absurdity
29- Comply
30- Chemical ending
31- Chat room chuckle
32- A mouse!
33- Sisters
34- Solo of “Star Wars”
35- Big galoot
36- Mutilate, spoil
38- Majestically,
musically
39- Wading place
41- Pouting grimace
42- Shaped like a hood
43- Scented ointment
44- Turkish headwear
45- Indian, for one
46- Stuffed savory vine
leaf
47- Long Island town
48- Fermented grape
juices
49- Smells
50- Specialty
51- Springs from the clink
53- A party to
54- Approached
59- Extinct bird, once
found in New
Zealand
George Carlin’s Reflections on Life
11.
12.
13.
14.
other one. I figure no matter how
long somebody stands there picking
the locks, they are always locking
three of them.
One out of every three Americans is
suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of two of your best
friends. If they are OK, then it must
be you.
They show you how detergents take
out bloodstains. I think if you’ve got a
T-shirt with bloodstains all over it,
maybe your laundry isn’t your biggest
problem.
Ask people why they have deer heads
on their walls and they tell you it’s because they’re such beautiful animals. I
think my wife is beautiful, but I only
have photographs of her on the wall.
A lady came up to me on the street,
pointed at my suede jacket and said,
“Don’t you know a cow was murdered for that jacket?” I said, “I didn’t
know there were any witnesses. Now
I’ll have to kill you too!”
Page 22 | May 2009
In Your Community
GARDEN PARTY NIGHTS
Thursdays, Memorial Day through Labor
Day (not offered June 25), 5–9pm
Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd., south St. Louis
$7 adults; $3 children (3-12); $5 Garden
members; $3 members’ children. 314-5779400. www.mobot.org.
MARK WEBER REVISITS ‘20 YEARS
OF PAINTING’ IN ST. LOUIS AT PHD
GALLERY
May 2–June 13
phd Gallery
2300 Cherokee Street, St. Louis
Opening Reception and emerging artist Susan
Sullivan 6–10pm, May 2. 314-664-6644.
www.phdstl.com.
BABES IN TOYLAND
Saturday, May 2, 6pm
Mei Hua Chinese Restaurant
9626 Olive Blvd.
Monthly meeting of the Babes in Toyland, the
local Laurel and Hardy movie club. Buffet dinner $10. The Babes in Toyland meets
monthly to celebrate the classic comedy of
Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Dinner is at
6pm; films begin at 7pm. The films in May
are Double Whoopee and The Live Ghost. 314962-3352. The public is invited to attend.
COCACABANA 2009
Saturday, May 2
COCA
524 Trinity Ave, University City
COCAcabana is COCA’s annual spring
fundraiser. The event includes cocktails, silent
and live auctions, dinner and dancing. Tickets: $175 to $400. Funds support COCA
programs and services. To RSVP: pward@cocastl.org or 314-725-1834 x105.
NO VACANCY ART EXHIBIT
Through May 16
Washington Avenue Post
1312 Washington, St. Louis
Located in the heart of Washington
Avenue Loft district, this office
service supply center and full service coffee bar is family owned and
offers personalized service in a
comfortable, friendly atmosphere.
314-576-7155 or janelinders@sbcglobal.net.
WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CLINIC
OPEN HOUSE—MEET THE SPRING
BABIES
Sunday, May 3, 1-5pm
Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic
1864 Little Brennan Road, High Ridge
636-677-3670. www.wild-life-rehab.com.
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
AND SHAW NATURE RESERVE
HOST NOT-TO-MISS SPRING PLANT
SALES
Greenhouse Plant Sale
Thursday, May 7, 9am–4pm
Greenhouse complex
Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd., south St. Louis
Free to attend sale; regular admission applies
to enter Garden grounds ($3-$8). 314-5779400. www.mobot.org.
Spring Wildflower Sale
Saturday, May 9, 9am–4pm
Shaw Nature Reserve
I-44 at exit #253, Gray Summit
Free to attend sale; regular admission to
enter reserve ($2-$3). 636-451-3512.
www.shawnature.org/nativeland/plantsale.aspx.
KIDS WALKING FOR KIDS
Saturday, May 9, 5–9pm
Creve Coeur Park, Tremayne Shelter
12101 Marine Ave, Maryland Heights
Kids Walking For Kids is a celebration benefiting CHADS Coalition for Mental Health.
Live music, including Ticket to the Beatles, rock
climbing wall, beach volleyball, loads of games,
food, and Kids Fun Zone. Sunset luminary
walk will honor those who struggle with depression, and fireworks will end the day with
a bang. Emcee: Christine Buck. Special guest:
Rams’ Aeneas Williams. Proceeds fund earlyonset depression research and education. For
more information, 314-952-2046. info@chadscoalition.org, www.chadscoalition.org.
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT COLLECTION
DRIVE
Saturday, May 9, 9am–3pm
List of locations: www.stlhelp.org
The St. Louis Health Equipment Lending Program will hold an equipment drive at 12 locations. Donated equipment is cleaned and
refurbished then loaned to individuals in need
at no cost. For information or to donate
equipment, call 314-567-4700.
WELLNESS—IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR
Saturday, May 9, 9:30am–noon
Webster Groves High School Commons
100 Selma Ave, Webster Groves
The event will feature activities and exhibits
for all ages. Participants include Flex Agility
and Massage, American Diabetes Association,
Sports Medicine and Training Center, Kids ‘n
Motion, Clayton Sleep Institute, bike safety
checks, helmet fittings and more. The fair will
include children’s activities and free childcare.
The school district Wellness Committee is
sponsoring the fair. 314-961-1233.
PARTIES IN THE PARK
May 13–Sept. 9, 5–8pm
Shaw Park, Clayton
Shaw Park will be hopping this summer
as the Clayton Chamber of Commerce
celebrates the 26th season of Parties in
the Park, with presenting sponsors
Hanley Station Condominiums and 1st
Date STL. Best of all, admission to one
of the city's most familiar and eagerly
anticipated parties in town is free and
open to the public.
MOTHER’S DAY TEA AT THE
BUTTERFLY HOUSE
Sunday, May 10
seatings at 1 and 3pm
Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House
15193 Olive Blvd. in Faust Park
The Parties in the Park 2009 season
kicks off Wednesday, May 13 from 5 to
8pm in Shaw Park, located on the
southwest corner of Brentwood and
Forsyth Boulevards, and continues on
the second Wednesday of each summer month through September.
$19.95 adults; $14.95 ages four to 12;
free ages three and under. Advance
registration required. 636-733-2339.
May 13
Kim Massie
(Tribute to Aretha Franklin)
June 10
Ticket to the Beatles
(Tribute to The Beatles)
July 8
Charles Glenn
(Tribute to Prince, Stevie Wonder)
August 12
Ghost in the Machine
(Tribute to The Police)
MOTHER’S DAY AT THE MAGIC
HOUSE—MOMS ARE FREE
Sunday, May 10, 11am–5:30pm
516 S. Kirkwood Rd., Kirkwood
Children can also wish their mom a very special Mother’s Day by creating a one-of-a-kind
Mother’s Day keepsake just for her in the museum’s hands-on Expericenter.
THIRD DEGREE GLASS OPEN HOUSE
May 15, 6–10pm, FREE
Third Degree Glass
5200 Delmar, St. Louis
At 8pm, music by Rich Simmons with Caravelle for a fusion of hot folk, bluegrass and
jazz! Make a paperweight–$30, a flower glass
tile keepsake–$20, or learn to make glass
beads–$20. Third Fridays are free and familyfriendly. Cash bar. 314-367-4527. www.stlglass.com.
MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE
Saturday May 16, 7pm
Ethical Society Theater
9001 Clayton Rd., St. Louis
$15 in advance, $29 at the door. For info,
314-965-6393 or diana@dewolfstudio.com.
September 9
Runaway
(Tribute to Bon Jovi)
A.D.O.P.T (ANIMALS DESERVING OF
PROPER TREATMENT) DINNER AUCTION
Saturday, May 16, 6–10pm
Arnold Recreation Center
1695 Mo. State Road, Arnold, Mo.
To raise funds to build new animal shelter in
Jefferson County. Special MC, Brian McKenna.
636-942-2313.
SECRET GARDENS TOURS OF
WEBSTER
Sunday, May 17, 1–5pm
This year’s tour features gardens at 465 West
Jackson Ave., 16 Algonquin Ln., 47 Marshall
Pl., 703 Crofton Ave., 477 Hawthorne Ave.,
672 Clark Ave. and 310 S. Gore Ave. Tickets
are $12 in advance, $15 day of tour and are
available at Rolling Ridge Nursery, Straub’s
grocery, Webster Groves Bookshop, Mac
Hardware and the Webster Groves High
School main office. Proceeds benefit the class
of 2012 at the High School. 314-918-7052.
May 2009 | Page 23
SCIENCE CAFÉ DISPELLS MYTHS
AND REVEALS TRUTH ABOUT
HERBAL MEDICINES
Thursday, May 21, 7–9pm
Herbie’s Restaurant (formally Balaban’s)
405 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis
Free. Food and beverages available for purchase. Presented by the Saint Louis Science
Center and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
314-289-4424. slsc.org. mobot.org.
Dancing In The Street Festival Seeks
Dance Groups and Solo Performers
Deadline for Performance Applications: May 15
POWER OF THOUGHT
Thursday, May 21, 7:15pm
St. Louis Lodge, Rosicrucian Order
209 East Kirkham Ave., Webster Groves
Learn how to tap the hidden resources of
your mind to lead a healthier, happier and
more self satisfying life. Free. Open to the
Public. Bookstore opens 6:45 p.m. 314-3384471 or stlouislodge@gmail.com.
FOOD FIGHT: A MUSICAL COMEDY
FOR WAIST WATCHERS
Through May 24
Playhouse at Westport Plaza
635 Westport Plaza, Maryland Heights
This hilarious hit show is about our love/hate
relationships with food, dieting and exercise.
Show times are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm and Saturday and Sunday at
2pm. Tickets are $34.50 - $43.50 and can be
purchased at Metrotix, 314-534-1111 or
www.metrotix.com; or in person at The Playhouse box office, Monday through Friday,
noon to 5pm or 314-469-PLAY.
COCALOCO 2009
Saturday, May 30
COCA
524 Trinity Ave, University City
COCAloco is an annual fundraiser. Proceeds
benefit COCA’s Urban Arts Program, a multifaceted outreach program of arts instruction, performances, workshops and
residencies offered in school, after school and
during the summer. 314-725-1834 x105 for
tickets and information.
SPRING TO DANCE FESTIVAL
2009
May 21-23
Touhill Performing Arts Center
University of Missouri-St. Louis
Where can you spend only $10
for a live show that features some of
the world’s best dancers gathered together from 10 states and performing everything from hip-hop to
cutting-edge ballet? Only one place in
the whole Midwest—Spring To Dance
Festival 2009 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on Memorial Day
weekend starting Thursday, May 21
and running through Saturday, May
23. Dance St. Louis and Touhill created this festival last year with the
hopes of its becoming an annual
event. The wildly enthusiastic audiences agreed, and the show is back
this year with a ticket price that’s
even more welcome in these tough
economic times. 314-289-4108.
THE 34TH NATIONAL WOMEN’S MUSIC FESTIVAL
July 2–5
Mariott Madison West
1313 John Q. Hammons Dr.
Middleton, Wisconsin
The 34th National Women’s Music
Festival will be held indoors at the Marriott Madison West, just outside of Madison, Wisconsin. The Festival is a four-day
musical and cultural extravaganza that incorporates all facets of women’s lives. It’s
a jam-packed weekend of workshops, concerts, comedy, theatre presentations, a
marketplace, newly released films and
videos, a live auction, spirituality series,
writer’s series and more.
Most Festival attendees are women,
although men can and do attend. Attendees come from all walks of life and cultures. Festival programming reflects many
points of view; a diversity of ideas and topics are explored and discussed. The festival
is completely accessible to all, with concerts being interpreted for the deaf and
hard of hearing. Full event passes, day
passes and evening concert passes are
available. Volunteer opportunities are
available in abundance.
The performers include Lucie Blue
Tremblay, Lisa Koch, Vickie Shaw, Roxanna
Ward, Sarah Bettens, Erin McKeown, Alix
Olson, Patrice Pike, Zoe Lewis, Pamela
Means, Steff Mahan, Julie Clark, Maggie
Cassella, and Adrianne. National
Women’s Music Festival is produced by
Women In the Arts, Inc.
For more information on NWMF
and registration, please visit www.wiaonline.org.
Grand Center, Inc, seeks entries for
its third annual dance festival, Dancing In
The Street, to be held Saturday, Sept. 26,
2009 in St. Louis’ art and entertainment
district. The festival is open to dance
groups and solo performers. Applications,
including a DVD or VHS tape of proposed or previous performances, must be
received by May 15, 2009 and participants will be notified by June 19 of their
acceptance. To submit an application, contact Rachel Beatty at 314-289-1517 or
rbeatty@grandcenter.org. All applications
will be reviewed by a selection panel.
Serving as the opening celebration
for the district’s fall arts season, the Dancing In The Street festival will be filled with
juried performances from dance companies performing a variety of dance styles.
Attracting approximately 20,000 attendees each year, the Dancing In The Street
festival is a free event and will enliven
AN EVENING WITH WILD CANID—
THE STARS COME OUT
June 9, 6:30pm
Wild Canid Survival & Research Center
Kemp Auto Museum
16955 Chesterfield Airport Rd
The Wolf Sanctuary will host its annual gala,
An Evening with Wild Canid–The Stars
Come Out. This very special fundraiser will
feature actress Betty White and “Jungle”
Jack Hanna, silent auction, dinner and opportunities to meet White and Hanna. $150
per person. Proceeds will be used to continue the Wild Canid Center’s international
work of preserving endangered canids.
www.wildcanidcenter.org.
MARTIAL ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS
June 13 Open House
CC’s Elite Training System
941 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood
To mark their 10th anniversary, CC’s will be
awarding 15 FREE summer scholarships for
classes at the school. Scholarships will
be given to children who are at risk,
Grand Center from 1 to 9 p.m.
Grand Center, an arts and entertainment district, is located just west of
downtown St. Louis. It is home to more
than 30 arts organizations and hosts
more than 1,500 cultural events and welcomes more than 1.7 million visitors, annually.
Grand Center’s artistic renaissance
began with the restoration of Powell Symphony Hall and the Fabulous Fox Theatre
and continues today with the growing vitality of commercial and residential development, the addition of more cultural
institutions, galleries and dining establishments as well as serving as home to two
of the region’s premiere large-scale cultural events, the annual Dancing In The
Street festival and First Night®.
For more information about Grand
Center, visit www.grandcenter.org.
vulnerable or could not otherwise afford to
come to classes. Demonstrations include kids
and adult martial arts, fitness classes and
Xtreme Martial Arts (the high-flying, gravitydefying stuff that kids love). Applications for
the scholarships will be available at the school
beginning May 4 and must be returned to the
school by May 25.
Web and Graphic Design
Usability l Analytics
RSS l Web 2.0
Internet Consulting
Ecommerce Solutions
www.crookedtoothmedia.com
staff@goplacez.com
314.799.4440
Crooked Tooth Media is a
goplacez, llc. Company
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provides a positive look at unique and
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around St. Louis. Our mission is to
provide a positive message for our
readers, our advertisers and our
neighbors, and to highlight the
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