The Middle Lands

New Blog

2010-12-25T22:41:00.001-06:00

I am begining a fresh new blog; Busy Being Gillian. Come join.

Decor and More

2010-09-30T17:26:00.004-05:00

Although I haven't blogged much about the topic, I have become more and more interested in redecorating / learning to decorate on the cheap / transforming misfit pieces into vintage treasures. My own design aesthetic as changed over the years. In younger (child-less) days, I was enthralled with lush jewel tones and Victorian elegance. My low budget result was a comfy-cozy male-friendly, if not dark & a bit hodge-podge, kind of style. As my children grew to school aged and I went back to work, the clean efficiency of 1930s styling began to attract me. I like things to have a function, not just a pretty. As the children have grown it seems as if my house has shrunk! So, I have also leaned towards anything that makes our home seem brighter, airy, and hopefully a little room. Slowly, I have begun to set aside the heavy dark colors to replace them with creams and white. Blue, which has not previously been in my color palette, is now creeping in with accompanying hues of turquoise and pale green. And oh the joy of spray paint! Instant gratification!! -I'm hooked. Currently, my kitchen is a schizophrenic mix of the old and new. ~Sigh~ But to redecorate, not just to celebrate a season, but to a completely new style, takes a little time on a budget. For inspiration, I have cruised the blogoshere. Here's what I like, love, and lurve!...

My Favorites:

I'm still developing my own style that works for the entire family - stay tuned....

Daily Mail UK

Kitchen Building

Country Living

Elle Decor

Country Living

Artisanal Chocolates

2010-09-25T12:02:00.004-05:00

While man-chatting and looking over the vintage motorcycles at Cafe Racer, my husband and the owner of the shop struck up a conversation with another customer in the store. He was wearing a chef-style uniform. They asked where he worked and that is how we first learned of a little piece of heaven on earth - Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates. So, "Chris" is a chocolatier. No, no... Chris is an Artist!

Luke and I were amazed this jewel was right here in our city. The chocolate boutique is in the Crossroads District of downtown Kansas City, Missouri. There is one other store in San Francisco. The shop is extremely modern and chic in design with all the chocolates for sale lined up in a glass case like precious jewelry. Gems for my tummy! Through a glass wall, you can view the chocolatiers at their work.

There are several treats to be had. The little chocolates, chocolate bars, an assortment of different chocolate covered nuts, AND the most wonderful inventition EVER - Drinking Chocolate. This is not your Mama's hot coca. Nope. I could have died right then and there a very happy woman.

And you can sip your Drinking Chocolate at this swanky, Drinking Chocolate Bar under the chandelier while gazing out at the poor chocolate-less souls walking on the downtown sidewalk. Indeed, Christopher Elbow chocolates were ranked #1 on Food & Wine magazine's chocolate Top Ten!

The selection of chocolate was truly amazing. I tried a strawberry balsamic, a vietnamese cinnamon, and a raspberry chocolate. But my favorite was the Venezuelan Spice (dark ganache infused with a chili-spice blend). OMG! So if you are in Kansas City (or San Fran) you MUST stop by. Luckily for the rest of us, you can also mail order your own little bit of heaven.

Omaha Outdoors

2010-09-22T17:10:00.001-05:00

I'm a bit late posting for this week's Outdoor Wednesday but I thought I offer a few pictures of the old mrket area of Omaha, Nebraska. We visited the Omaha Zoo and afterwards ate at the Upstream Brewing Company. I love the architecture and I can almost imagine what the area looked like in its heyday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Outdoor Wednesday!

Ol' Cluckers

2010-09-20T07:16:00.000-05:00

Ain't this a beauty? This little gem came with our house when we bought it. It has adorned the back of the hallway bathroom door for seven years. SEVEN years!! How and why, I don't know. I amaze myself that I never took it down before today. Poor thing has always been missing a peg and couldn't hold any more weight that a wash cloth. (sigh) When my children were toddlers, they would talk to the baby chics when they took baths. Ah yes, the chicken was a bit of a family mascot. But now the children are bigger and (I hope) won't miss ol' Cluckers and her three little chicks. Buh-bye!

Halloween Post Cards

2010-09-05T04:56:00.014-05:00

I love old postcards. They are snapshots in time of culture and history. Here are some vintage Halloween postcards and greeting card images I've collected from around the web. They are pretty hung as decorations or used in craft projects. Or they are just fun to share!

Did you notice tht several of the cards reference discovering the identity of one's future lover by looking in a mirror on Halloween? There are many superstitions related to mirrors.

But, Halloween night is the most popular time for using the mirror to discover a future mate. These Halloween "games" provide a fascinating insight into mirror magic and scrying as it was used among the common folk.

Apple Slices: At midnight sit down in front of a mirror and cut an apple into nine slices. Eat each slice from the tip of the knife. Before you eat the ninth slice, the image of your future lover will appear in the mirror and ask you for the final piece of apple.

Hair Combing: Stand before a mirror in a candlelit room and comb your hair. You will soon see the image of your lover-to-be standing behind you.

Cellar Stairs: Hold a mirror in front of you while walking down the dark cellar stairs backwards. You will see your intended's reflection in the mirror.

Happy (Jolly) Halloween to you!

Tie-Dyed Craziness

2010-09-01T19:22:00.002-05:00

We recently went to a fantabulous birthday party where the kids made there own tie-dyed shirts. Although my photography here is not the best, I bet you can see that they turned out pretty awesome.

Joshua Muscles (aka String Beans)

Walk like an Eygptian!

Livy is too cool for school!

Monkey-Girl

I have no idea what Will was going for here.

Jazz hands.

~ That's my kids! ~

Elm Spring - Part 1

2010-08-31T17:59:00.001-05:00

We take frequent trips to the area in central Missouri, the Ozark Highlands, where my husband grew up. He is a proud Ozarkian (aka Hill-Billy). This summer we hiked part of my father-in-law's property in Mack's Creek, Missouri. We were on the hunt for a spring that he had shown me the year prior. We found it! And explored its entire two mile length...

Luke and Joshua hunting along a likely washout for Elm Spring.

Abby helped us find the spring. Good job, Abby!

Elm Spring. This right where the water bubles up from the ground. It is crystal clear, drinkable in fact, and very cold.

All along the creek that flows out from Elm Spring is breathtaking green. The lushness of the green makes the creek stand out against the rocky brown Ozark terrain.

Will and Josh try reenacting the trek to the spring that my Father-in-law's family did daily for water before they had indoor plumbing or even a well!

The water is so clear!

Beautiful oasis in the otherwise dry, woodland hills.

The explorers: Olivia Rose, Josher, Willy-Beast, & dear ol' Pa.

At some points the creek spread out over its rock base.

At other points, Elm Spring creek cut deep into the soil.

Here you can see the depth of the surrounding topsoil.

Livy found a good luck charm. I wonder how old that horse shoe is.

My favorite spot - a little waterfall.

Will found his own place to relax.

Eventually we came to the confluence of Elm Spring Creek and another un-named creek.

The two creeks together make a nice little pool to dip in. The children were very surpised just how cold the water could be. In fact, the water temperature seemed to cool down the air temperature right around the creek - you can feel the difference by walking only a few feet away.

Come back soon and see what we found when we explored a bit further!

And check out other amazing blogs celebrating Outdoor Wednesday.

Light at Night

2010-08-22T12:57:00.001-05:00

Now that school has begun and the freedom of summer has passed, I enjoy looking back on the adventures of the last hazy, hot summer months. As the grass browns and the leaves change colors, summer memories take on a dream-like quality...

Father's Walk in the Woods

2010-08-04T08:26:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Outdoor Wednesday!

We have a tradition in our family to go for "walks" to celebrate days and events that are important to us. Father's Day 2010 was a perfect reason to go exploring. We choose the Parkville Nature Sanctuary in Parkville, Missouri.

Daddy's Little Monkeys

It was a beautiful day on a beautiful trail.

We found interesting little creatures.

And we even saw a deer (look closely).

We followed the creek...

... to an amazing waterfall.

There was lots to see: a grass-lined stream,

prairie flowers,

quiet woods,

... and fun places to play.

Happy Outdoor Wednesday!

Check out more Outdoor Wednesday fun at A Southern Daydreamer.

Without Such Absence

2010-08-03T13:13:00.011-05:00

A "middle" twin of mine, Benjamin Vogt, has just published his second book of poetry,

Without Such Absence.

I am not surprised it is receiving wonderful reviews.

Benjamin Vogt’s Without Such Absence is a book filled with unanswerable questions, as if plenitude – of world, or body, or love – can be felt only framed by loss. Vogt loves the natural world and makes us love it, too, especially when he gives formal gardens voice. It’s his wit, and terror, and delight that frame these fine poems, finally, that speak the stories behind the old photographs in all our albums.

-- Hilda Raz, author of All Odd and Splendid and What Happen

‘No one remembers unless they have a souvenir,’ writes Benjamin Vogt. In Without Such Absence, poems themselves become souvenirs. These are photographs of a lost America—wooden schoolhouses, clotheslines, faded flags, and strange gardens—a poetry so polished and formally rigorous that we cannot forget the places Vogt has captured.

-- Jehanne Dubrow, author of Stateside and From the Fever-World

Here is a couple of Vogt's poems to enjoy...

Suddenly, Autumn

Is it here at the window where we truly see
the brown-leafed oaks, the drying grass,
the bulge of clouds that darkens asphalt roads?

Is it within a frame of measured faith and chosen
color, relief of temperatures in flux—the southern
wind that fishtails from the north in thirty minutes,

sun spots glancing blows through tattered canopies?
How everything is almost everything we feel?
Loosening cold clothes from our tired limbs,

the quick friction warming us against the air,
then against ourselves, between our knees, our
arms and torsos, bone and streaming lungs.

Is morning like hot tea gripping at your chest,
flooding down and through you like some
revelation, incantation of the perfect pitch,

choral song of waking, sparrow, passing cars?
Will emptiness feel as bold, will the space
our body’s voices leave be sacred words

that vision won’t speak, that sound won’t touch—
a place the mind can’t frame without such absence?

Japanese Garden

Enter through the hedge like wind slipping from itself a stained earthly veil. Step forward with calm to find a stone in your path—all flowers open slow. Beside the tea house rinse your hands and mouth to show you walk from rivers. Speak softly in shade, smell cool dew against your feet, hear nothing but light. Yatsuhashi leads across calm water, trains stars beneath the surface. Beside a black pine one stone looks up, one over; something speaks inside. Waves of sand move still around three green islands, yet mountains cry within. Weeping willows trace the arc of my back like clouds—one leaf trembles. Lotus in the pond; we must rest here awhile like wonted stones. As the sky, gravel; as rivers, flesh of peony; without me, you.

You can pre-order this volume (by September 3rd) and shipping is only $1. Check it out!

Happy EOD Day!

2010-08-03T09:18:00.000-05:00

EOD: Entry On Duty.

Today is the 2 year anniversary of my first day at work for the government. 2 years? -Not big deal in and of itself except that I have now successfully completed my internship period. I came to government work through the FCIP (Federal Career Internship Program) after I graduated with my MA. Bit of an irony that I am celebrating this worklife accomplishment while on vacation!

Be True to You

2010-08-03T08:22:00.000-05:00

stephaniefizer.etsy.com

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.

from The Life and Work of Martha Graham

oursuburbancottage.blogspot.com

6 Months Gone By...

2010-08-02T21:11:00.003-05:00

Working in front of a computer for 8 to 10 hours a day, generally means that I really, REALLY don't feel like sitting down in front of another computer in my off time. But, in the spirit of a grand "Mulligan." I'm declaring a do-over.

This is what has happened since I posted last...

1 wedding as matron of honor
3 babies born to dear friends
6 family birthdays
1 10th anniversary (mine!)
2 new house bought (not mine)
3 vacation trips to the farm
1 stay-cation due to tummy flu
4 case of tummy flu
1 ear infection
4 baby teeth lost (1 more dangerously loose)
3 dozen easter eggs found
1 set of car keys "misplaced"
26 jars of jam & jelly made
2 dog beds destroyed
16 inches cut from a little girl's hair
1 donation to Locks of Love
too many grandma tears to count!
2 wins at Scout Derby car races (1 for son, 1 for dad)
14 fencing lessons
1 soccer trophy
1 football trophy
4 boy scout patches
1 crazy tween girls sleepover
multiple grown-up sleepless nights
3 boxes of bandaids

dozens of Mama-make-it-better-kisses

"several" time-outs
... and lots and lots of LOVE!

Letter from Birmingham Jail

2010-01-18T10:42:00.009-06:00

When thinking of Martin Luther King Jr., many a minds eye will jump to the powerful "I Have a Dream" speech delivered before the multitude on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial or perhaps to the moving "I've Been to the Mountaintop" sermon given in Memphis, Tennesse. It is in these indelible images and his stirring orations that King, the civil rights leader, is lauded and remember.

But Martin Luther King, Jr. was also a man, a husband, a father... who lived, day to day, in the word of Jim Crow segregation, of blatant discrimation, and of violent intolerance. It was this world that he protested in Birmingham, Alabama in April of 1963 as part of a planned non-violent protest conducted by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference against racial segregation by Birmingham's city government and downtown retailers. King was arrested and jailed in the course of the protests which produced many of the iconic and heart wrenching images of the civil rights movement.

It is then while in jail, King wrote the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" on April 16, 1963. The civil rights movement was fracturing. Some with the movement agitated for ever more aggressive street protests while others pressed for the battle against racial segregation to be fought solely within the courts. Indeed, King's letter was a response to a statement released by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12, 1963, titled "A Call For Unity". King was increasingly leaning towards the more radicalized segements of the movement believing that without nonviolent forceful direct actions such as his, true civil rights could never be achieved.

It is these calm yet resolute words of King the man that have touched me so deeply. Read... He explains why waiting (for the courts) is impossible.

"Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience."

The complete Letter from a Birmingham Jail.

Hermann Architecture

2009-12-08T20:00:00.007-06:00

Welcome Outdoor Wednesday...

Autumn & Architecture in Hermann, Missouri:

....................................................................

But my favorite "Architecture" was there long before.

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Vintage Cowboy

2009-12-05T20:39:00.007-06:00

My daughter's horse riding coach is also co-worker of mine. Kirsten is having her first baby, a boy, due in January so I was so very happy to host her baby shower at work. Right away I knew we had to do something fun and unique for my fun and unique friend. Besides, Kirtsen is not exactly the pastel, ballons, and punch kind of gal. I found this fantastic fabric and decided on building the shower around it. Kirsten had a vintage cowboy baby shower.

I covered the table in red bandana fabric with the vintage print as a runner. The centerpiece was the little saddle Olivia uses while training. Around it I place vinatge toys like a pop-gun, and little model horses. Also, I decorated with my grandfather's 1950s felt cowboy hat and suede, fringed jacket my husband wore as a five year old playing cowboy dress up. Kirtsen's favorite flower are daises so I centered mason jars with daises down the runner.

Because it was a work, there wasn't much more decorating we could do. So, I scoured the internet for photos of vinatge children's book and record covers. I "framed" them inexpensively with mats and hung them around the room with gingham ribbon. Kirten's has them now to decorate the baby's nursery. So fun!

We made the baby shower male-friendly by serving pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, and coleslaw with rootbeer, cream soda, and blackcherry soda iced down in buckets. Kirtsen doesn't really like cake so we indulged in blueberry, cherry, and strawberry-rhubarb pie. I was a perfect cowboy pic-nic to honor coming baby Ezekiel.

We Hold This Rock... 40 years ago.

2009-11-20T21:05:00.006-06:00

The nineteen-month occupation of Alcatraz Island that began on November 20, 1969 is a watershed in the American Indian protest and activist movement. Prior to this event, Indian activism was generally tribal in nature, centered in small geographic areas, and focused on specific issues such as illegal trespass on Indian lands or violation of Indian treaty rights for access to traditional hunting and fishing sites. The Alcatraz occupation brought together hundreds of Indian people who came to live on the island and thousands more who identified with the call for self-determination, autonomy, and respect for Indian culture.

Today, the Alcatraz occupation is recognized as the springboard for the rise of Indian activism that began in 1969 and continued into the late 1970s, as evidence by the large number of occupations that occurred shortly after the November 20, 1969 landing. These occupations continued through the BIA headquarters takeover in 1972, Wounded Knee II in 1973, and the June 26, 1975 shootout between American Indian Movement members and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Alcatraz was the catalyst for this new activism as it became more organized and more "pan-Indian." Many of the approximately seventy-four occupations of federal facilities and private lands that followed Alcatraz were either planned by or included people who had been involved in the occupation of the island.

The Indian people who organized the occupation and those who participated either by living on the island or working to solicit donations of money, water, food, or electrical generators, came from all walks of life. Some, like Richard Oakes and LaNada Boyer, were college students trying to better themselves and Indian people through education. Others, such as Adam (Nordwall) Fortunate Eagle, Dorothy Lonewolf Miller, and Stella Leach, had relocated to the Bay Area and were successful in their own businesses or careers. As the occupation gained international attention, Indian people came from Canada, from South America, and from Indian reservations across the United States to show support for those who had taken a stand against the federal government. Thousands came; some stayed, and others carried the message home to their reservations that Alcatraz was a clarion call for the rise of Red Power.

The success or failure of the occupation should not be judged by whether the demand for title to the island was realized. If one were to use this criterion, the only possible judgment would be that the occupation was a failure. Such is not the case. The underlying goal of the Indians on Alcatraz Island was to awaken the american public to the plight of the first Americans, to the suffering caused by the federal government's broken treaties and broken promises, and to the need for Indian self-determination. In this the occupiers were indeed successful. As a result of the Alcatraz occupation, either directly or indirectly, the official U.S. government policy of termination of Indian tribes was ended, replaced by a policy of Indian self-determination.

The people, young and old, who stood against the federal government for nineteen months endured severe hardships such as lack of water, heat, and electricity. However, days and nights on the island were often filled with a new-found sense of pride in Indian culture--what the occupiers called "Indianness"--and with a new freedom from government control. The days and nights were also filled with fear that the government might come at any time and forcibly remove the Indians from the island. And, in fact, on June 11, 1971, United States marshals, GSA federal protective officers, and FBI agents removed the remaining occupation force of fifteen Indians: six men, four women, and five children.

Professor Troy Johnson

California State University,
Long Beach

Fountain Fun

2009-11-17T19:27:00.005-06:00

I love it when its time for another OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY...

The leaves have all fallen from the trees. The sky has lost the brillant blue of early autumn and has taken on the gray shawl of November. And with that, cold drizzle seems to be an every day occurance. It is the quiet, sleepy time between the colorful frenzy of Fall and the clean snowy white of Winter. I daydream of summers past. And my children - summer children, outdoor children - enjoying the world.

Every year as a celebration to the end of summer and the beginning of school days, we trek with Grandma to POWELL GARDENS, a short drive east of our home. Powell Gardens is beautiful bontonical garden. Our favorite part of the gardens is an awesome fountain designed for play.

Happiness.

Hold on!

You and me together.

Sweet William.

Their world.

Rosebud.

Dance with me.

Big Sister will protect you.

Some bring swim suits for their kids to test the fountain waters. I watched, incredulous, as these tentative, suburban children walking the edge of the fountain. Not these two - reckless abandon would better describe them. That makes me smile. We save the fountain for last, looking forward to the cold refreshment after getting all hot and sticky on the garden trails. Somehow it seems a little more fun, perhaps illicit, to play in the fountain wearing your clothes. Mommy even gets in the water - sorry, no pictures of that. When they are tired, soaked, and happy, the kids laid on the cement path to warm and dry themselves (just a bit) before we made our way home.

Bristol Ridge Vineyards

2009-11-13T17:11:00.004-06:00

Early last summer, Mr. L. & I got together with friends at a favorite vineyard and winery - Bristol Ridge Vineyards. It is still run by the same family who established it in 1979 as the first winery in Johnson County, Missouri. The winery itself sits atop a high hill and you cans see for miles. The grounds are lovely and the hospitality warm.

Bristol Ridge Vineyards & Winery

Tasting room courtyard.

We found a shady spot to relax.

Time for cheese, crackers, & conversation.

View north from the hilltop vineyard.

Sweet little gazebo.

Mr. L. & me. (A Guiness shirt at a winery?)

Thanks for fun day Bristol Ridge!

Pause to Consider

2009-11-12T12:01:00.008-06:00

~ Originally, I had planned a blog tribute to the WASPs, women pilots in WWII, for Veteran's Day. In light of the events at Ft. Hood, I'd like to instead discuss minorities in the military at times of war. ~

Last thursday, to celebrate upcoming Veteran's Day at work, we had a wonderful presentation from the Heart of America Chapter of Tuskegee Airman. It was truly inspirational to hear their stories. To share our own stories, my co-worker vets had brought in uniforms, pictures, medals, and other memorabilia to display. We had quite the competion going between the different branches of military service. Yep, a lot of smack-talking going on. After the presentation, we sat and chatted over cake and coffee, reminiscing about our days in uniform. I laughed at all the tall tales and felt good thinking of my own personal history in the Air Force.

Back at my desk, I turned on my computer and set back to my daily work. That was when I first heard about Ft. Hood. Several emails from friends alerted me to the on-going events. I read the first reports given by CNN and felt the rock in the pit of my stomach grow. I spent the rest of the day listening to NPR and thinking about Veteran's Day in a very different way. I was sickened to hear of the dead and wounded. Of all the places to feel safe in the military, your home base should be it. I wondered if those not familair with the military understood that people don't go around on base armed, guns slung. No, instead, base is home... where their children play and go to school, where they shop at the grocery store, where the meet friends to go to a movie, the playground, the library.

But as the reports of the identity of the shooter was came out, I grew concerned for a particular population on the base and in the military at large: Muslims. Though I am no expert nor do I possess any special information, it seems to me that we can reasonably deduce that the tradegy was the act of a mentally ill individual. The desire to blame a greater conspiracy, a lurking threat is strong I know. And I have heard, on television and the radio and amongst my own neighbors in the days since the shooting, the blame being transfered to Islam itself and by association all Muslims. The venom though understandable in the wake of tragedy is misplaced. I find this a very frightening course. Before we take that path, let us pause while the investigators do the deciphering work, to most importantly honor those whose lives have been taken but also to protect our own. Let's circle the wagons and examine history.

Although they had served in small numbers in the American Revolution and the War of 1812, African Americans were originally turned away from combat service in the military during the American Civil War. Law and white suspicions prevented them from bearing arms. Eventually, the North realized the need for additional troops and with the Emancipation Proclamation paving the way, black recruitment was pursued in earnest. By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died.

In addition to the perils of war faced by all Civil War soldiers, black soldiers faced additional problems stemming from racial prejudice. Racial discrimination was prevalent even in the North, and discriminatory practices permeated the U.S. military. African American soldiers did not receive equal pay, rations, equipment, or even medical care to those of white soldiers. Additionally, combat troops armed with weapons were employed only as a last resort due to the lasting fear of where the loyalties truly lied for black troops. The confrontations were devastingly one-sided and bloody. However, the African American troops shined in their military service. An example is the July 1863 assault on Fort Wagner, SC, in which the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteers lost two-thirds of their officers and half of their troops, that was memorably dramatized in the film Glory. And by war's end, 16 black soldiers had been awarded the Medal of Honor for their valor.

In the early 20th century, German Americans were the nation’s largest immigrant group. Although they were regarded as a model of successful assimilation, they faced vicious—and sometimes violent—attacks on their loyalty when the United States went to war against Germany in 1917. The most notorious incident was the lynching of German-born Robert Prager in Colinsville, Illinois, in April 1918. Other incidents stopped just short of murder. Suspected of not strongly enough supporting the war effort, German-American John Meintz, who was subject to at several previous attacks by mobs was dragged from his home, tarred and feathered and threatened with lynching unless he left the state.

Again, predudices against racial, ethnic, and religious groups persisted in the military, especially during war when xenophobic fears were at the their highest. Yet, American minorities of the perceived "enemy" continued to honorably serve in the US armed forces. On December 7, 1941, America was jolted into WWII as the shock of the Peal Harbor bombing by the Japanese sunk in. Two months after the declaration of war, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. It provided the United States Army with the authority to round up Japanese Americans living on the West Coast and put them in so called "relocation camps" farther inland. It was justified as a security measure against possible spies and saboteurs. Ultimately, over 110,000 West Coast Japanese Americans were interred, 70,000 of them U.S. citizens.

It is sadly ironic that the same Army responsible for herding Japanese American families into the camps also drafted their young men into the armed forces to fight for America. According to Japenese-American Jimmy Konno, most men in the camps were willing to join, in spite of their anger. "Most of us felt, 'if this is our country, we have to fight for it.' You had to prove your loyalty," he says, then, with a strong emotion in his voice, quickly adds, "the '442' did prove that we were loyal. We stood together and we fought a war!" Indeed, members of the 442nd Infantry Regiment performed so many distinguished acts that the "442" became the most decorated unit of its size and length of service in the American Army.

The Japanese American troops, so clearly discriminated against, were treated with the same suspicoins and distrust as had German Americans and African Americans before them. Today, there are thousands of active duty Muslims in the American military and thousands more who work for the government. President Obama himself has stated unequivocally that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is not a war against Islam. Let us consider the Muslim soldiers fighting bravely and honorably in our army and navy today while remembering the minorities from previous wars, to whom we owe so much, and who have served just as bravely and honorably.

Violoncello Yin & Yang

2009-11-05T19:30:00.001-06:00

Bach beauty...

Turn up your volume...

Maybe I should start Music Monday.

Tadpole Goodbyes

2009-10-22T16:24:00.027-05:00

A Outdoor Wednesday Story:

This past summer, Olivia had a couple tadpoles she loved dearly. Their names: Fred and Sparkle. They had good lives in the aquarium by her bed. Fred and Sparkle grew quickly from tiny slips of almost nothing to hulky creatures squirming around their habitat. However, they never seemed to grow past a certain point. Little nubs for legs didn't lengthen... they seemed sad. Deciding that the smallish habitat may be to blame, Oliva bravely decided that Fred and Sparkle should be released into the wild. So, we tranferred the duo to a little bowl for traveling and set out for Burr Oak Woods. Near the nature center, a beautiful water garden was famous for its multitude of tadpoles and frogs. And that precious pond became the new home of our dear Fred and Sparkle.

"Willy-Beast" and "Rosebud"

New Watery Home

Sparkle ( left) Fred (right)

The Moment of Truth

The pretty new home of Fred & Sparkle

The proud parents of future frogs

Bye-bye Fred. See ya Sparkle.

Good job kids

My Hero Linus Pauling

2009-10-22T14:05:00.007-05:00

LINUS PAULING explains how he discovered the alpha helix... All you need is a piece of paper, the intellgence of a genius, and the spirit of an innovator. Amazing.

Besides his groundbreaking work in chemistry, Linus Pauling was also an ardent advocate of peace and a outspoken protestor of the use of nuclear weapons.

Linus Carl Pauling (February 28, 1901 – August 19, 1994) was an American chemist, peace activist, author, and educator. He was one of the most influential chemists in history and ranks among the most important scientists in any field of the 20th century. Pauling was among the first scientists to work in the fields of quantum chemistry, molecular biology, and orthomolecular medicine. He is one of only 4 individuals to have won multiple Nobel Prizes. He is one of only two people to have been awarded a Nobel Prize in two different fields (the Chemistry and Peace prizes), the other being Marie Curie (the Chemistry and Physics prizes), and the only person to have been awarded each of his prizes without sharing it with another recipient.

Children's Community Garden

2009-10-19T19:12:00.013-05:00

On the advice of my BFF, Valerie, over at Our Front Porch Looking In, I've made my first ever participation in OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY hosted by A Southern Daydreamer. This is looks like a lot of fun and I hope you check out some of the other OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY posts for this week.

I have been tending my sick children for what feels like weeks now. I thought a look back to "healthier" times was in order. Early this fall we attended the Fall Harvest Fest at the Kansas City Children's Community Garden. We had never been before so everything was new to us. It was a wonderful adventure and we plan to go back and particpate any way we can - maybe a few kiddo volunteer hours are in our future! LOTS of pictures follow!!

Veggie Garden near the entrance.

Sweet William inspects the lastest growth.

Children left the shells in the upper basin of this stone fountain.

There where several educational demonstrations going on. We watched as she spun cotton fibers (from the garden) into threads for weaving. Pretty cool.

On the path to another interesting area of the garden.

Hey! They have a coy pond too!

Do fish dream when they sleep?

Something cool. Not sure what.

Can't hardly have a proper festival without a microscope station. Duh.

I love the texture & color.

Making natural peanutbutter.

Me too.

Young owl brought to the festival by the folks at Lakeside Nature Center.

If your eyes were the same proportion as that of the owl, THIS is how big they would be!

Another Lakeside foundling. Kinda cute, uh?

The separate zones of discovery were great fun to explore along the winding paths.

My new best bud - the Bug Lady. Check out the shirt - awwwwwesome.

Dramatic. In a good way.

Lookie what Mama found!

The kids played games for free books.

The children are encouraged to pick & taste from the garden. These little gems were quite tasty! The chocolate mint didn't go over as well as I thought it would.

Room. With a view.

Not a color you see everyday.

We had fun.

Braddock Bay

2009-10-16T19:56:00.006-05:00

Migrating Sandhill Cranes at Sunrise (NPR)

As the weather grows chilly and the days grow short, birds from the north begin their yearly journey south to winter in warmer climates. When completed, the flight maps of these amazing trekkers can cover thousands of miles. At the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, researchers and citizen scientists seek to learn more, tracking the birds' flight patterns and banding song birds. Below are a couple short but very in videos produced by Flora Lichtman and hosted by NPR's Science Friday on the work done at Cornell and Braddock Bay. Enjoy.

Bird in the Hand to Save Those in the Bush

Bird Banders and Bird Nerds

For those avid birders interested in migration, related links:

North Pairie Wildlife Research Center: Migration of Birds
Zoological Society of Milwaukee: Bird Migration Facts

Cornell Lab of Orinthology: Nocturnal Migrant Fligth Call Research

Wired Science: Build Your Own Bird Tracker

NPR: Cornell Program Helps Public Count the Birds

Bird Radar Images

Project FeederWatch

Audubon Birds and Science

Scientists banding birds at the Braddock Bay Bird Obervatory

Damn Dam

2009-10-12T20:52:00.003-05:00

Rogue River in Oregon

The environment and our need for energy as long been at odds. And for as long as mills have ground grain into flour or hewn logs into lumber, our waterways have served our power needs. In more recent times, we have ~~damned~~ damed our rivers, rushing waters spinnign turbines, to create direct electricity. No viable form of energy production is without its impacts. Overly channelized rivers have destroyed the landscape's ability to deal with flooding, habitats were destroyed by the dam lakes, and some species such as salmon have neared depletion as spawning waters were cut off from the ocean.

The environmental impact can and has been mitigated by some projects like fish ladders. However, there is a growing trend to return some damed rivers to their (more) natural state by removing or altering the dams. Frequently, this is not possible in areas where development has occurred downstream. On the Rogue River in Oregon, the natural area surrounding the aged Savage Rapids Dam allowed for its recent demolition. For the first time in more than 100 years, the Rogue could flow unimpeded for 157 miles from the Cascade foothills to the Pacific Ocean. The dam's fish ladders, as well as some fish screens, no longer meet federal standards. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation thinks removing the dam will increase the number of salmon reaching spawning grounds by 22 percent a year, an increase of about 114,000 fish.

Construction crews built a coffer dam and started jackhammering half of the dam to pieces last April, and on Friday removed the piles of rock and gravel holding the river back, allowing the river to flow freely. The rest of the dam is to be removed by December. The river quickly cut down through the huge accumulation of sand, gravel and rocks that had built up behind the dam the past 88 years. A flotilla of some 80 people in rafts, driftboats and kayaks celebrated the breaching of the Savage Rapids Dam this past Saturday by floating through the remains of the concrete structure. "What this really represents today is our culture being capable of backing up a little bit and doing something differently," said a flotilla participant as he pushed off from the bank and rowed his driftboat down the newly freed section of river.

Source: Jeff Barnyard, AP

Rosebud Blooms

2009-10-05T19:36:00.003-05:00

She did it! The great abyss that was my daughter's room is actually passable. It is so wonderful to see the floor. Seriously, I am proud little girl got her room more organized and because she has begun her blogging. I love you Liv!

ROSEBUD

Debut Delayed

2009-09-30T18:10:00.002-05:00

You may have noticed on my sidebar, a link to my daughter's blog, "ROSEBUD." Olivia Rose is 8 years old, and wonderfully creative, caring, and bright child. I know, I know... all parent's say this but truly I feel very lucky and blessed to be her mother. Her passions are for animals of all sorts but she recently began riding lessons with a friend's horse, Athena. Rosebud plans on blogging about her adventures in horseback riding, the outdoors, reading, science, her pet guinea pig, Hamilton, dog, Abby, and other 8 year-old girl stuff. So, soon she will be blogging... but first, the deal is she MUST clean her room. Hopefully, that will be soon.

Olivia Rose and her brother Will in a puddle at Grammy's.

Ken Burns-National Parks

2009-09-27T13:03:00.006-05:00

Ken Burns Documentary on American National Parks begins this evening on PBS. This is a must see.

Premieres Sunday, September, 27 at 8pm et/7pm ct.

The NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA'S BEST IDEA is a six-episode series directed by Ken Burns and written and co-produced by Dayton Duncan. Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales – from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.

The National Parks: America's Best Idea is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background – rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy.

Full episodes are availbale online at PBS.org.

More interative material on American National Parks is also available online with PBS.

Kids 1, Mama 0

2009-09-26T22:41:00.008-05:00

A True Story...

THE SCENE: shower time with a Mom and her sweet, innocent, 3 year old little girl. Mom is washing little girl. All is well until...

LITTLE GIRL: (Giggling) Mama, your tummy is woggly. (Referring to the, well woggly, stomache of said Mother).

MOM: (Sighing) Yes, well, thats true. But Mama is eating healthier and walking a lot so hopefully it will be less woggly later.

LITTLE GIRL: (Looking doubiously through the shampoo bubbles) Oh. (Giggles and tries pinching her own tummy skin)

MOM: (Feeling she gave little girl a positive body image kind of response, smiles to herself and then looks down at her tummy) You know, my tummy is this way because you were inside it once.

LITTLE GIRL: (Giggling) Me? In there?

MOM: (Feeling a bit smug) Yes, we have talked about that. (Pointing to her belly) See? You streched me all out. (Returns to washing little girl's hair for a few moments of thoughtful silence)

LITTLE GIRL: (With a very earnest look) So... then... What happened to your butt, Mama?

Linda Hall Library Lectures

2009-09-25T22:28:00.010-05:00

The Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology is situated adjacent to the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I think it must be my favorite library. Ever.

There is a couple really interesting things coming up at Linda Hall Libarary. Check 'em out:

LINDA HALL LIBRARY-CLIMATE CHANGE SYMPOSIUM

Friday October 16, 2009

8:00am - 4:30pm

The symposium moderator is Neil Degrasse Tyson (or as Jon Stewart calls him-The Man Who Killed Pluto).

For more information on the featured speakers, schedule, registration, etc. CLICK HERE.

DARWIN SPECIAL LECTURE SERIES
October 1, 2009

7:00pm in the Main Reading Room

The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species. The Linda Hall Library will commemorate these Darwin anniversaries with book discussions, film and lecture series, and an exhibition of rare books from our History of Science Collection. All events are free and open to the public.

Special Lecture - "Darwin's Evolution as Naturalist: A Bird's-eye View"

Lyanda Haupt is an author and naturalist in Seattle. Her works include "Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent: The Importance of Everything and Other Lessons from Darwin's Lost Notebooks" (Little-Brown, 2006), and her latest book, "Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness", will be out this July.

For more information about Darwin@200 at Linda Hall Library CLICK HERE.

For other Darwin Resources CLICK HERE.

The Bad Seed

2009-09-14T20:10:00.017-05:00

Celebrating Local Food, Culture, and Community

There has always been city farming in America's history. (See Urban Arcadia: Introduction and Urban Arcadia: Part 1). Indeed, urban agriculture has served many purposes: food security, culture transmission, education, and even binding society in times of need.

At work in the Bad Seed Farm

Driving my own home town of Kansas City, Missouri, I am struck by the lack of healthy food sources in the city's core. What few grocery stores are present have been the target of local news investigations for sub standard facilties, food care safety, & general low quality foods. My observations are shared by others - throughtout the country, academic research and government reports seek to gain a greater understanding of what has been coined a "food desert." According to Dr. Larsen, of the Urban Development Program at the University of West Ontario, a food desert is "a socially distressed neighborhood with relatively low average household incomes and poor access to healthy and affordable food." Food deserts are also often served by a surplus of convenience stores and fast food restaurants. For an example within the United States, please see this Chicago Mag article on the Chicago food desert. (See also USDA report on food deserts). I believe this to be both a key environmental justice issue as well as a basic public health concern in city cores which mainly house minorities and lower income resident as well as a compunding factor in health disparities between racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. See the Tulane University School of Public Health Prevention Research Center for a comprehensive list of reports, articles and research. In response, city farming has presented itself as a sustainable, affordable, and healthy alternative to our urban neighbors.

The Bad Seed Farm, Kansas City, Missouri

As we consider not only the availability of quality foodstuffs but also food security in recent times of economic distress, the city farm movement is growing across the country. In my area, the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture is working to promote small-scale, community-based, entrepreneurial farming in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The KCCUA sponors 3 programs: Kansas City Community Farms, Urban Farmer Development, & Juniper Gardens Farm Business Development. Kansas City is today has over 50 small plot urban farms throughout the metropolitian area.

The Bad Seed grows organic produce on an urban farm

One of those KC farms is the The Bad Seed Farm & Market. Ironically named, the Bad Seed has become the focus of urban farming and zoning laws in Kansas City both locally (Kansas City Star Article) and nationally (Huffington Post). The debate has spreads across the internet in thoughtful blogs and news websites (Civil Eats and Urban Tilth). Unlike their inner city cousins, the Bad Seed is situated in a suburban location. So, here, it is concern over the sights and sounds of a small farm theoretically disrupting the suburban ideal of manicured lawns with the occasional tasteful swingset and bar-b-gue grill. Though not addressing critical urban issues of vacant lots, polluted soils, and potential income in poverty stricken areas, the Bad Seed controversy highlights the social boundaries of American urban and peri-urban settlement patterns.

Owners of the Bad Seed Farm: Brooke Salvaggio and Daniel Heryer

Despite, or perhaps in reaction to, zoning issues like the Bad Seed, Kansas City government is turning more attention to the issue of urban agriculture. The Kansas City Climate Protection Plan includes policies to promote urban agriculture as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Bad Seed Farm may have found a friend in Councilman John Sharp, who’s not enthusiastic about backyard livestock but supports the concept of urban gardening. “Truck gardening is clearly a term that brings up images of hauling vegetables and fruits from a single-home residence,” said Sharp, who thinks zoning laws may need a tweak.“This will take some getting used to by folks who aren’t used to seeing this in urban areas.”

Photos and quote (Kansas City Star, 09/01/09)

The White Rose

2009-09-10T20:12:00.004-05:00

Over Labor Day Weekend, our family set out on our annual camping and canoe trip in southern Missouri. Any road trip that has three children as particpants can be sure to included numerous (and inevitably inconvenient) pit stops. Ramping off the highway in Carthage, Missouri for one of these "breaks", our expedition leader (aka Dad - we like to humor him) spied a sign for a local winery. Eager for an enroute distraction, we headed down the small town road and found The White Rose: Winery, Restaurant, Bed & Breakfast.

We had a wonderful time touring the property and tasting wine. Our host was the charming and knowledgeable Jan O'Haro. In Jan I found a kindered spirit in the love of history. She told us about the beautiful limestone Victorian house built in 1900. Positioned along the Spring River in Carthage, the house had been the jewel of a 2000 acre Hereford ranch built by the owner of the local quarry. Later, the ranch was parcelled out and transitioned into a 1000 acre dairy farm with cow stalls built of the same beautiful stone as the main house. Today the home, sitting on 10 treed acres, is the the O'haro bed & breakfast with a Victorian palor room for wine tasting.

We tried several of the O'haro wines while our children played with corks (which are apparently as fun as leggos) and chit-chat with other patrons. From the wine list we tasted: Norton, Chardonel, Cayuga White, Spring River White, and Lady in Gold. The Cayuga White was a beautiful, smooth honeyed wine that very much reminded me of mead. The wines of the White Rose winery are produced in a traditional European fashion without added sulfites (the nasty stuff that causes hangovers in lessers wines). The wines are the namesake of a lovely garden statue of a woman with roses in her hair, looking over a little coy pond. Having enjoyed our time at The White Rose and with two new bottles of wine to add to our collection, we said goodbye to the Lady of the Roses and headed back down the road.

My Dear Hubble

2009-09-09T21:35:00.007-05:00

Though I have lead a decidedly terrestrial life, I like many other children lay on the lawn on hot, summer nights staring at the Moon and stars. I even "borrowed" my brother's telescope to better sketch the surface of the moon and track the movement of my favorite constellations. So, today, as an adult, it is no surprise that I have taken an interest in the magnificent and truly magical photos that have come from the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope. Long in the tooth, the Hubble has recieved its last repairs. I imagine my dear Hubble, self aware, churning out the images, capturing the research data, and transmitting all to us on Earth as if it knew its life was limited.

*Click on the photographs to enlarge them.*

These photos were released by NASA today, 09-09-09. For more breathtaking images, visit the NASA website. For a more complete story on these new images and the refurbished Hubble, visit this NPR website.

Book Worm

2009-09-08T22:23:00.002-05:00

I'd like to bring your attention to a new widet addition on my blog: LibraryThing. I love this website. I have added several of my favorite history and science texts to "My LibraryThing" and plan to add more. I will link My LibraryThing to the books I highlight in my series "In the Book-Light." You are invited to look over the library posted to the right and begin or join in any discussions about anything you find of interest.

Paul Simon

2009-09-02T22:37:00.004-05:00

"Why am I so soft in the middle when the rest of my life is so hard?"

Public Power, Private Dams

2009-08-30T16:25:00.006-05:00

IN THE BOOK-LIGHT:

As a graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in Environmental History, I had the opportunity to read some really amazing texts that challenged me in many ways. For my love of reading and in respect to the educators to introduced them to me, I would like to begin a blog series where an important or personally influencial book can be put in the spotlight, or in this case, IN THE BOOK LIGHT.

Karl Boyd Brooks. "Public Power, Private Dams: The Hells Canyon High Dam Controversy." Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2006. xxvii + 290 pp. $35.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-295-98597-8.

Here is my own review of "Public Power, Private Dams," as it appeared H-net Reviews: in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Missouri Master Naturalist

2009-08-29T15:48:00.005-05:00

This fall I am priviledged to be taking part in the 2009 Missouri Master Naturalist class at the Osage Trails Chapter held at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center. I have already attended several class and have enjoyed them thoroughly. There will be much more information to come...

A Season of Neglect

2009-08-29T15:36:00.005-05:00

ne⋅glect /nɪˈglɛkt/ --verb (used with object)

to pay no attention or too little attention to; disregard or slight: The public neglected his genius for many years.
to be remiss in the care or treatment of: to neglect one's family; to neglect one's appearance.
to omit, through indifference or carelessness: to neglect to reply to an invitation.
to fail to carry out or perform (orders, duties, etc.): to neglect the household chores.
to fail to take or use: to neglect no precaution.

Let me tell you what happens when you neglect your blog... Well first, you might be busy or even a little lazy and some (fairly reasonable) amount of time passes since your last post. Then if like me, you will forget the password to the blog because of course it doesn't match any of your other zillion passwords. But its ok because you know the blog is still there and you can look at it from time to time. Next the email address the blog is based upon becomes obsolete when you lose the account due to - you got it - neglect. So now you can't apply for a new password because you no longer have access to the email but again you are reassured because you can still SEE the blog. However, the blog now seems to taunt you with its out-dated posts and long past pics. Eventually you recognize & come to grips with your blog-neglect, swallow your pride, and ask assistance from someone more knowledgable in matters such as these... perhaps a somewhat bemused spouse. At any rate, the season has passed and it a time for refreshment. Blog on!

Green Vodka?

2009-04-08T19:17:00.016-05:00

So, we have all noticed the shift in advertising from the over-the-top opulent to the Gen Y "green" and natural. Green is the new bling. Overall, I see this transition as fairly benign, perhaps even beneficial. Overtime I find that I more and more identify myself as an evironmentalist insomuch as I am concerned about the continued health of our environment, our planet. But I do find myself somewhat bemused by the dazzling array of (presumably) "green" products that have appeared in the marketplace. What does it mean to be "green" or environmental or ecological? Have these terms lost some of their meaning and impact with their increasing ambious use?

My dear husband recently returned from costco with a find that he was rather proud of - "green" vodka. Vodka? Why, yes... now your booze can be "green" too. The brand is 360 Vodka with the byline of "the world's first eco luxury vodka." The packaging and production are touted as ecologically friendly. True, the labeling utilizes the familiar rough brown and pleasing dark green ink we have come to identify will all things environmentally friendly. Somehow, that is not what my husband noticed when he picked it up. Instead he was attracted by the fact the vodka is produced locally in Weston, Missouri at a division of McCormick's.

Beyond first look, 360 Vodka promotes several positive environmental impacts (according to about.com):

85% recycled glass bottle (70% post-consumer waste)
100% recycled paper used for labeling and marketing
Shipping materials made of 100% recycled material
Water based inks used for all printed material
"Close the Loop" program for returning/recycling bottle closures to the distillery
Locally grown grain reduces fossil fuels used for transport
The distillery has it's own water treatment plant
Carbon dioxide reclamation process that prevents the gas from escaping into the atmosphere
Sulfur dioxide emissions reduced 99.7% and polluting dust particles reduced 50% in entire distillation process in comparison with traditional distilling

Most interesting is the Close the Loop program to reuse the bottle stoppers. Included in the packaging now is a postage-paid envelope to return the stopper to the distillery.

So, how does it taste you ask? Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I am not a connoisseur of premium vodkas. For more complete reviews, click here and for a video review click here. Maybe this Earth Day you will imbibe the 360 in a Greentini or in Planetary Punch. In any case, I hope you consider the efffects of green marketing in your consumer choices. More broadly (and more importantly) consider whether or not the eco-revival of sorts that we are experiencing is truly the "critical mass" shift in our collective western conciousness or the result of calculated, profit motivated marketing... marketing that may fail when the trend has run its course. Is green vodka here to stay?

Albert Einstein

2009-04-06T21:34:00.001-05:00

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Not So Fast...

2009-04-06T19:18:00.016-05:00

After returning from our trip to the Farm, I surveyed the sad state of our lawn. Years of splitting my time between pursing my master's degree and run-a-way toddlers, our lawn has been all but neglected. I've never been much for lawn care per se but it is looking rather thin. My Little Rose and I decided to rake up some of the thatch and overseed with a hardy grass seed. Afterwards we wandered the yard looking for "bugs and blooms."

"Little Rose"

The forsythia, or golden bell, is one of my early spring favorites. It sits on the edge of our property, probably more so in the neighbors yard. Little Rose and I convinced the neighbor in question to allow us to care for the forsythia, saving it from it's usual severe trimming. We have allowed it to shape naturally and have carefully chosen a couple older branches to prune out. In a couple years, it should be returned to its full glory. Forsythia bloom on old growth wood so wait to prune until after the plant has finishing its take to pruning. Each year survey the plant and prune back approxiamately one fourth of the oldest stems to withing four inches of the ground.

Forsythia branches can also be cut and forced to open indoors in vase. Choose a branch near the top of the plant with closely spaced buds. Cut the entire branch, trim away buds that will be submerged, re-cut branch on the slant, and immediately place in a vase of cool water. In a day or so, re-cut again on the slant and palce in warm water and in a sunny place in your home. The beautiful yellow blosooms will appear - hope that Spring is on its way. The cut branches may even root, allowing you to plant the trimmed branch.

This year, a Spring snow storm attempted to steal away the golden flowers alreadying blooming. A very heavy, wet snow blanketed the area just a week after the first photos were taken. I thought the forsythia was just as beautiful laced in ice and snow. As much as I have anticipated Spring and the coming warmth and sun of summer, mother nature reminds me who is really in charge and blows a last cool breath of winter wind.

Chapel Bluff Burns

2009-03-28T16:48:00.024-05:00

Over the children's spring break vacation from school, our family went to on one of our annual pilgrimages to my in-laws farm in central Missouri. My husband's mother & step-father live on several hundred acres near at Macks Creek, Missouri. "The Farm" is a misnomer. The land, once used to support a dairy, has been added to in acreage and now is more of a ranch in true definition. My father-in-law, Grandpa C., raises cattle for sale.

Although he has not sought the designation for his product, the beef is essentially organic as the cattle are free range, grass-fed and without interventionist antibiotic treatmeants. We are the lucky recepients of "Clopp beef," which is not dyed (like most supermarket hamburger) and so lean that as cook you must ADD oil to receipies when using the beef!

My suburban-raised kids (and I) love exploring, hiking, investigating, four-wheelering, & running about every inch of the land. Situated on what is know as Dry Ridge, the farm is part high grassland and part rocky woods.

About three miles to the southeast of the farm, feeding into the Lake of the Ozarks, is the Little Niangua River. On the western bank, overlooking that portion of the river is a beautiful limestone bluff known as Chapel Bluff. So striking is the bluff and the commanding view of the east-bank valley that the entire area is known as Chapel Bluff.

Grandpa C. as told us many stories of how is father grew up in Chapel Bluff and of the river side land he farmed when he was young. In fact, Grandpa C.'s grandfather was one of the original homesteaders in the area. A street sign on the gravel road bears his name.

When we arrived in Mack Creek, the low, shadowy haze of smoke hung throughout the valley. Walking around the property near the house, we quickly determined that the smoke was heavy enough to keep the children indoors.

Grandpa C. and Grammy explained that fires were battled all over the county and adjoining counties for over a week. It is commonplace for farmers to "burn-off" the overgrown grass and scrub from their lands. But some fires had gotten out of control, spreading wildly.

Forest service aircraft had dumped water in the area and agents had visited. It is shameful to say but some of the fires had been intentionally set. Within an hour of our arrival, Grandpa C. & Luke were called away to help fight a grass fire (undoubtly set on purpose) near the home of an elderly county resident. As the sun set, smoke seemed to blanket the entire area and we watched the glow of a small fire to the south of the property and that of a huge blaze to the south-east. Chapel Bluff was burning.

Grandpa C. said he had seen many, many fires over the years but it was unsual to see so much land burning at once. On their way home from assisting the neighbor in need, Grandpa C. and Luke passed fire trucks from several municipalities and counties, mostly volunteer, fighting the fire. In turn, the trucks drove down the hilly country in gravel roads edged by four foot high flaming grass to the creek. There the trucks syphoned water to carry back to the fire line.

Literally, fighting fire with fire, families scattered in the hills, lite their own fires to back-burn away from their homes, creating a fire break or dead space the wild fire could not cross. My husband told us of a family, small children lined up on the gravel road, while the adults worked their own protective fire ringing their house.

The power at the house flickered as transformers were damaged by fire. Fortunately, rain came that night, ending the worst of the fire at both Chapel Bluff and on the south of my in-laws property. Perhaps fifty or so acres had burned on the farm. In the Chapel Bluff area, however, several thousand acres burned. We drove the area with the children the next day. The trees remain. The wild turkey's feasted on "popcorn," roasted insects, eagerly plucked from the charred ground. The grass and veggetation will return. It will be interesting to watch the land as it mends itself and grows green again.

Nicolaus Copernicus

2009-03-23T21:26:00.002-05:00

At rest, however, in the middle of everything is the sun.

Urban Arcadia - Part 1

2009-03-17T10:28:00.012-05:00

RELIEF GARDENS

Relief Gardens, such as those planted in Detroit during the economic depression of the 1890s and those promoted by the W.P.A. during the Great Depression, provided welcomed sustenance to city dwellers in times of need. Presumably, an allotment for the poor, the urban garden became a liberating space for marginalized people to flourish on marginalized land. Such was the case in the 1990s at the South Central Community Farm in Los Angeles. Designed to act as a kind of relief garden for low-income, mainly immigrant families, the farmers in Los Angeles and in many major American cities successfully brought both new plants and new cultural traditions to the land.

Brooklyn, New York garden, 1930

Brooklyn, New York Garden, 1930

Japanese immigrants with American flag, New York, 1917

Syster Pat tends a Chicago community garden with immigrant children

An oasis in the city - South Central Farm, Los Angeles

Despite protests, South Central Farm was bulldozed in 2006 for development

URBAN ARCADIA: City Farming in Modern America

2009-03-17T10:12:00.005-05:00

The Arcadian Myth has a deep history in ecological thought. Peaceful and idyllic, Arcadia has long been considered a perfect representation of nature. Indeed, an Arcadian tradition is at the heart of many political theories and social affairs from Jeffersonian political rhetoric to American settlement patterns. While Arcadian nature has always been significant, in the late nineteenth century it takes on a new importatnce. Amid the clang and clatter of change -- Industrialization, Urbanization, and Immigration -- America looked to the natural world to stabilize society. Americans collectively clung to the sublime as an antidote to change. Chief among the manifestations of Arcadia in the American imagination was the Nature Study Movement. While Americans of leisure bought country homes and visited national parks, others found nature in the urban world by reinventing traditionally rural activities for city life. From the Gilded Age forward, urban Americans planted small city farms and gardens for economic relief, education, and for love of community and country. What these urban plots reveal is the embrace of nature, not escapism, as a condition of Modernity. Indeed, we can trace the development of a particular brand of American Arcadia through the study of urban farming in America.

Filling the Void

2009-03-17T10:04:00.007-05:00

This last August, I completed my Master's in Environmental History. We decided, as a family we needed a break (and maybe a little $ too), so I re-entered the working world. I now work for the federal government. The transition hasn't been smooth. Though I enjoy some free time that was never available before, I can actually feel the slow atrophy of what is left of my brain. I miss the intellectual challenge of school. I picked up blogging in an effort to fill the void. I also thought I could air out some ideas I'm mulling over - I invite you to respond.

Thanks goes to Benjamin Vogt for making the first post to my fledgling blog. Vist his The Deep Middle and wish him luck on his upcoming dissertation defense. And a special thanks to my dear friend Valerie for providing inspiration and encouragement. She has a little "Garden Girl" of her own!

What follows is a four part series on urban faming in America. The idea was rolling around in my head for several years until I put together a poster presentation for the ASEH. I shelved the project afterwards; but my interest in urban farming has reignited while recently considering how to increase local food security during times of economic hardship.

Caution: Construction Area

2009-03-10T04:39:00.003-05:00

I'm brand new to the blogging world so please be patient with the multitude of changes while I experiment... Hmmm, does this background layout make my butt look big?

RFK Symposium, 2009

2009-03-09T21:59:00.005-05:00

LECTURE ANNOUNCEMENT:

The University of Missouri - Kansas City presents the 40th annual Robert F. Kennedy Symposium "The New American Dream: Environmental Sustainability and American Progress," March 9th-12th.

Keynote Speaker: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., "Our Environmental Destiny," March 11th. Click Here for more information.

G is for Garden

2009-03-08T12:43:00.013-05:00

I enjoy feeding the fantasy by pouring over glossy gardening mags to perfect the sublime garden in my head. It's fun, but then I come to my senses, survey the yard, and go looking for inspirational AND practical information to work out my gardening dilemmas. In name, HGTV is Home & Garden TV. But, as the gardening shows have all but disappeared from the line-up, I'm left wondering what ever happen to the "G" in HGTV? Garden Rant has blogged on this very issue. Like Garden Rant, I lament the missing (and missed) gardening & landscaping shows like "Rebecca's Garden," "Gardener's Diary," "Gardener's Journal," "Urban Outsider," and others. My favorite show, "Gardening by the Yard" with Paul James has been cut from 4 shows a week to just one. More than pretty fluff, "Gardening by the Yard", provided a plethora useful knowledge and tools. I encourage you to click here to register a complaint with HGTV and let's see if we can get a little gardening back into the HGTV schedule somewhere between frantic weekend bedroom make-overs and cute house-hunting newlyweds.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

2009-03-07T23:46:00.004-06:00

"Ignorant people see life as either existence or non-existence, but wise men see it beyond both existence and non-existence to something that transcends them both; this is an observation of the Middle Way."

Project Spring Alive

2009-03-06T16:36:00.010-06:00

Last week, in the middle of a snow, I watched a Robin through the kitchen window as it positioned itself in the old pine tree. Normally I'd say the sighting of the season's first Robin meant Spring had finally made it's arrival. I had to smile at that while I watched the poor thing fluff it's feather's against the cold. Today, the temperatures are mild and the tulips are starting poke through the dirt. More and more signs of spring appear each day.

Naturalists have long observed and charted these changes in seasons and migratory patterns of animals. This is called Phenology. Scientists have found this data to be useful in studying climate change. The US National Phenology Network has begun a program to work hand and hand with amatuer naturalists to collect and share this information. The program is online and easy to use - great for home schoolers, outdoor or youth groups, or the budding naturalist in your family. It is a fun and meaningful way to teach your children a love of the Earth. The tradition was kept by Aldo Leopold who taught his children. We will post updates to our own Project Spring Alive.

Click Here for Phenology web links

Click Here for Sci Fri story on NPR

Go Out and Play

2009-03-05T13:51:00.015-06:00

I can hardly believe it is 78 degrees outside. Only 5 days ago it snowed 6 inches! I know the weather can't stay so warm for long, but it is wonderful while it lasts!! I look forward to the kids getting home so we can go out and play. While I was still at work, looking longingly out the windows, I listened to a piece on the local public radio station about the importance of play.

"Steve Kraske, talks with Dr. Stuart Brown, author of Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. Together they explore the importance this most basic activity has in brain development and social interaction as well as the surprising impact lack of play can have on a life. We’ll also talk with Denise Filley of the KC Play Therapy Institute who explains the way play helps in treating a variety of conditions and strengthens family bonds."

This is an issue that has been on my mind lately while we negoiate the week's activities of soccer and scouting. I have had to face that my school-aged children are no longer babies and have interests of their own and at the same time being careful not to over schedule them. But, do we give them enough time to just go out and play? How can I encourage the creativity to transform a toppled picnic table into a pirate ship or a preference for mudpies over computer games?

Click Here to listen to the NPR show.

Wake up, Little Ones

2009-03-04T16:20:00.033-06:00

My children are my touchstones. The are my deepest and truest connection to the natural world. In many ways, they have taught me more about the world than I could ever teach them. When my family took a walk around a small local lake recently, I had the opportunity to see the first subtle signs of spring through their eyes. The shaded side of the lake was still frozen and my youngest could walk out, giggling onto the ice. But, on the sunny side, the ice had already given way to slush and chilly water we dipped our fingers in. The frozen ground was softening and the breeze was cool off the lake. It was a wonderful way to shake off winter hibernation and celebrate the world waking up around us. No matter how troubled or lost I may feel, the joy of experiencing nature with my children is like a little revival of the soul. Exploring nature together will always hold a special magic for us.

Another way we share our love of natue is through literature. I have begun a link list of some of our favorite children's nature stories. I'm sure the list will grow and evolve over time but this is a start. I resisted titling the list "children's environmental books." I have learned that the most significant books for us are those that tell a story or share a experience. This is the power of literature. So, I have declined to list children's field guides or instructional texts here for the sake of "nature stories," in the broadest definition. If you are interested in more classic examples of environmental books for children, see childsake. And wake up to Spring!

Robert Frost

2009-03-02T20:58:00.008-06:00

"We dance around the ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows."

The Begining of the Middle

2009-03-01T21:15:00.007-06:00

Beginnings are easy. You arrive, you put on foot in front of the other, and you go forward. Because, in the Beginning, forward is really the only direction to go. On the journey-just-begun, the path is clear and the prospects promising. At the End of our travels, there is little for us to determine. So, if not easy, Endings posses an ease of their own, destination known. It is all the Middle-mess in which we must face the dilemmas large and small, the detours off road that make up the substance & texture, the adventure. The Middle Lands are the uncomfortable, uncharted, wonderful territory of our lives. But it also the sum of the greatest part of our lives.

Today, I am in the middle of the country, in the middle of my life, and in the middle of lovely chaos.