FOTO FRIDAY: ADVOCATING FOR OTHERS

FOTO FRIDAY: Today's FOTO FRIDAY is filled with images of last night's fundraiser meal for Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families at Allsopp & Chapple with a delicious 4-course dinner with wine pairings.

 
Starting off with Welcome Bubbles but  a must was to try one of their well-renowned cocktails.  Notice  all that's left of the I'm Human cocktail is a lemon peel surrounded by other goblets, to be filled with 4 other wines.

Blackened Red Fish,  rum glazed pineapple 

and micro cilantro 

 Frei Brothers Chardonnay

Course 1 

Onion and Plantain Fritter frijoles negros Cuban style, crema and avocado

Motin Códax

Course 2 

Fish 'n rice

MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir

           INTERMEZZO

Mango Sorbet

Course 3

Chicken (sub for pork chop)

mango jalapeño salsa

fried sweet potato

Mount Peak Rattlesnake Zinfandel

Course 4

Key Lime Pie with Whipped Cream

J Vinyards Brut Rose

Satisfecha... indeed.

TBT: BEAM ME UP

 TBT: Thanks to my neighbor and friend Linda who is on the board of United Way, another wonderful community service project began where community volunteer possibilities are posted for each month listing the job description, date(s), times, frequency and place. 

Linda made sure to tell me about a special possibility in particular since it is a new Easter Seals program called A.R.T. with summer volunteer training sessions.  She had me pegged correctly.

This program sounded fascinating and would take place less than 10 minutes from home. Students come to this center for physical therapy, life skills, computer classes, music and art. Yet, one particular group of wheelchair students with limited use of hands/ feet couldn't participate in their art program until some brilliant person came up with a headband with a red laser beam to be used to aide verbal ability.

Pointing the red laser beam tells us volunteers all the artist's desires: color choices, type of instruments to use as paint brushes (kitchen utensils, sponge forms, molds, etc) and also indicates where they want them used on the canvas. 

Completion is dependent on the artist and one hour is generally not enough time, not just due to paint drying, but also if our artist tires with so many decisions.

Below is one of our proud artists whose work behind us took 3 classes to complete. You can see how happy she is with her finished product which will be stretched onto a frame. (She wanted the headband off for the photo.)

In the fall, there will be a fundraiser for this Easter Seals Art program, and our artists' paintings will be auctioned off...

I may go home wearing some paint, but I also have a very full heart... 

MIDWEEK MUSINGS:GOODNESS GRACIOUS, A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

 

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: Last Wednesday, good fortune was in my favor to hear Kim Burket speak about her passion, Goodness Village, a Little Rock grassroots organization serving all area hospitals...

 Goodness Village is apartment living for patients/ their families so far serving as a wonderful stress reliever for over 400 guests from 25 different states requiring 6300 nights of housing while undergoing various medical treatments. 

Initially, these leased rooms were filled with donated items, but today, brand-new furniture and necessities greet these residents, meeting every possible need. ( $22,000 per unit)  They are also accompanied by a welcoming home-cooked meal in their freezers, ready for whenever they arrive, surrounded by a comforting and caring community during their stay.

 A team of dedicated staff and volunteers await these guests in addition to offering them a clean, safe, and affordable temporary housing during their treatment. (Most city hotels are over $100/night, while Goodness Village offers a much lower cost ~ $57.00/ night ) *Additional assistance is available for those with financial hardships.

There are 2 locations: Park Avenue Lofts and Palisades at Chenal Valley, providing a place to rest and recover with the following: flexible reservations, 1/2 bedrooms, fully furnished including linens, kitchens with all the amenities, cleaning supplies, tv in living room and bedroom, included wi-fi and utilities, full sized washer and dryer in each unit, and a smoke and pet free environment. 

The volunteers have provided over $226,000 value of service.

Goodness Village is definitely a place of goodness because as we all should remember, it takes a village...

MONDAY MUSINGS: THE BOY NEXT DOOR

MONDAY MUSINGS: One never knows what's going to happen to the kids who grew up next door but Carolyn Staley had a special new neighbor in high school who needed a piano accompanist for his  saxophone solo. 

In a small highschool in Hot Springs she had learned the new boy at school was going to be her neighbor. They shared a love for student government and clubs and also paying for gas riding together to school. Her share was $2/week.

Carolyn with her moderator for the evening Janice Kearney,  shared quips from her book The Boy Next Door, differentiating the two families: Staley with a Baptist preacher for a Dad and a stay-at-home Mom (very common at that time) while the Clintons household was not Baptist with a deceased father and a Mom who worked outside the home as a nurse. (He had lived with his grandparents while his Mom went to nursing school.) The Moms also dressed very differently, as Staley's Mom wore modest clothing unlike the tube top wearing Virginia Clinton. Scandalous. (LOL)

The highschoolers also took part in Girls and Boys State, a summer camp for outstanding students to learn about government, and both ran for office at their respective sessions. Bill as Governor of Boys State was chosen to go on to Boys Nation, where he met his hero JFK. Nothing could stop Bill as he could be whatever he wanted to be...

The 60's their college days were a tumultuous time and the draft shook many souls who had to serve in a war with a great patriotic conflict. Nobody knew why they were in 'Nam... 

Move forward past college days and Staley had moved with her husband to Chicago when she received a call from her old neighbor Bill asking her if she'd like to be neighbors again, and sure enough, the Staleys moved into Quapaw Quarter just down the street from the Governor's Mansion as she was named to head various Art initiatives. Dinners were shared between the two couples. And in '92 after the Preidential election declared Bill the next President, the Clintons ate breakfast the day after on the Staley's porch .

Bill never forgot his friends and to keep himself surrounded by dedicated folks. Once again Carolyn received a call to come to D.C. to become the head of Continuing Ed for adults to return to school to graduate.

There were a lot of stories. Their public school education taught them that children are children and their education needed to be equal. In '82 there was public kindergarten in Arkansas, whereas in the rest of the country public kindergarten didn't become mandatory until 2011. Whoa.

The last story was another testament to this special friendship when Bill and Hillary had a daughter, Chelsea. Carolyn decided to bring a sweet bud vase with a small pink rose bud and 2 red roses to represent the parents. She walks into Governor's Mansion's kitchen and it's full of long-stem roses. Oh dear, the small bud vase just wouldn't do. So what did Carolyn Staley do? She went home and composed a song.

Tomorrow for Tuesday Tunes, you'll be privy to that lovely, sincere gift. 

Stay tuned...

TUESDAY TUNES: LEAN ON MY LOVE

ThisTUESDAY tune may be behind us but this tune needs to be shared so here's Jon Batiste and Andra Day's Lean on My Love. It'll  stay in your head . Take a listen ...

LEAN ON MY LOVE 

FOTO FRIDAY: FENCES

 

FOTO FRIDAY: My neighbors to the east have chickens and a coyote had no problem having a quick escape from their yard into mine with his prey through the last section of picket fence. Feathers were strewn all through my backyard. Hence a new fence section to decorate.

Voila- 

My outdoor art gallery as the fence ages...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY...THE AMEN CORNER

TBT: NATUREMAN 's BIRTHDAY

TBT: Today, the 21st of August was Natureman's birthday and he would have been 77 today.  It's a bittersweet day as this day was always filled with his preferred bike ride/ canoe trip/ both. 

Today, I will post justice sayings of the past with him in mind as these messages resonate even more in today's climate. As a birthday gift perhaps all of us could remember to do something kind for a stranger. It's one of those things money just can't buy.

Hugs to you all... 

MUSINGS COMBO: PROVIDENCE

 One might assume I have become a slacker in my 'old' age due to my inconsistent postings but reality is that life has been super full. In fact, Sunday was an example by participating in the Interfaith Volunteer Network cardmaking activity.

Different houses of worship were asked to send 4 volunteers to come help make cards for our community seniors, Arkansas Children's Hospital patients and the newly built Providence Park, a 50-acre plot of land with 50 small homes for the chronically homeless. 

A last-minute request for cardmaking supplies opened a can of worms in my workroom/study, as numerous bins had to be scoured for stuff to share.  It definitely was well worth it as the 2-hour workshop resulted in 330 handmade cards and 50 letters.  Unfortunately, it didn't make more of a dent in my supplies!

Truthfully, I was thrilled to be doing something creative, but alas, I made the mistake of raising my hand when asked who had good penmanship. My assumption was to be the one at the table who would write the script on the cards, but that assumption was WRONG. It was for helping write 50 welcome letters for the first residents moving into Providence Park. Our table couldn't really visit because we had to concentrate on these page-long letters. Two hours sped by.

Now, it will take a lot longer than 2 hours to consolidate those opened bins. If you don't see me, it's because I am lost in organizing - sorting what to keep, donate/toss. It will look like a tornado hit for a while. May the end result be some empty bins.

Bins that take up more space than the space allotted in the total area of each little home in Providence Park...  

FOTO FRIDAY:: THE AMEN CORNER, PERFORMANCES EXTENDED

 FOTO FRIDAY: James Baldwin's THE AMEN CORNER has been extended a week due to popular demand. How wonderful!

 I got the very last seat in last Sunday's powerful matinee. It was great to be in church!

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was THE UNORDINARY CEMETARY

FOTO FRIDAY: tHE Unordinary Cemetary

FOTO FRIDAY: Dulce Tillie, my newest foster has been working ardently on creating her own space by the den couch in a corner.It's not just a space to remove herself from the action but for toys that are no longer living...

 

For last week's FOTO FRIDAY, check out Dog Days

TBT: 10 YEARS AGO ARCADIA ,WI

 TBT: FRANKIE VALLI

Shared with Public

They just don't make tunes nor singers like they used to ... Not only did I get to hear Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tonight in concert but first got to hear them practicing and testing their mics this afternoon. The man's 81. Wow. Moving slow but we didn't care.

SO for any of you who love his music, looks what's happening here in Arkansas 10 years later on August 23rd in Hot Springs.

2705 Central Avenue.

TRAVIS CLOER is the longest-running Frankie Valli in the TONY® and GRAMMY® Award-winning smash hit Jersey Boys. With a voice that channels the spirit of a bygone era and a stage presence that electrifies, Travis brings the golden age of rock 'n' roll back to life in his brand new show, The Frankie Valli Songbook. Featuring unforgettable hits, vintage flair, and behind-the-scenes stories from Broadway, Las Vegas, and Travis' real-life friendship with Frankie Valli and the original Four Seasons, this show is a heartfelt tribute that is equal parts music, memories and magic! Experience the iconic sound of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons through the voice of the man who made it famous on stage at the Oaklawn Event Center on August 23! Oaklawn Rewards Presale is Thursday, May 8 from 9am - 9pm with code: VALLI25

MIDWEEK MUSING: THE BIGGER, THE BETTER? NOT

 MIDWEEK MUSING: Rumors were my childhood block held a BIG surprise.  Today I took a drive over to take a look, and at the stop sign, a block westward, there up in front of me, new construction towered over the houses and trees...

The last time I visited, cinder blocks were forming, obviously just part of the foundation.  On a block where originally most homes were ranches ( ramblers ) one floor homes, 3 have been remodeled into 2 floors over the last 3 decades and now this new one has 3 floors.

New structure view from our family bungalow

It's truly an eyesore being so out of place with no yard left, no less. UGLY. Those poor neighbors in front of this monstrosity. Fortunately, our small 3-bedroom family home has a huge tree blocking our large picture window from the new structure's view.

One would think there would be building codes, right? The front facade is so much closer to the street than any other home on the block. Where will the owners even park their cars? 

Reflections of a society that doesn't think about how their actions affect others and our environment. SAD, SO SAD!

TUESDAY TUNES:HONEY

TUESDAY TUNES: Who knew this guy was still around? And I think he's been working out. 

He certainly was off my radar until I heard this song  in Jazzercise..

Take a listen to Lenny Kravitz singing  HONEY

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azRue-MJppE

MONDAY MUSINGS: THE GOLDEN YEARS/ FOREVER YOUNG...

MONDAY MUSINGS: You might recognize these sexagenarians.  Mattel's Barbie, Ken, Midge, and Skipper.  They actually started living together in my childhood home when I was in grade school. Allowance monies helped me make these purchases. My parents would never have gifted me these.

Skipper

Midge

Ken

I had kept these childhood friends in pristine condition for these past 6 decades.  They all had their original hair styles. until I introduced them to a 6-year-old a couple of years ago.  The four suffered a different fate at the hands of this young girl's use of permanent black magic marker, scissors and a hair brush. 

Apparently, the young cosmetologist felt they needed an extreme makeover and they ended with a goth look with black lips, eyes laden with too much black makeup, piercings and coal black hair. 

Initially, when I saw the young beautician's work, tears formed in my eyes.  For a good hour, I tried to de-goth them.  I tired and decided to tackle them another day... Life intervened and I never got back to them...  

Here's as far as I got back then...

until I went to the toy closet today to find some dog toys for my newest foster. I was drawn to work on the Mattel crew again.

I never found Barbie's head who knows what her fate was or if the garbage can provided a good hiding place. 

So  Midge still has some fading bruises on her upper leg,  

Skipper's bangs still need to grow back and..

Ken.. well, he looks like his old self with darker highlights...

Isn't that the way that men seem to age better than women? LOL. 

Perhaps it's like life, we can try to recapture youth but it may be just in our spirit... Here's to the golden years!

FOTO FRIDAY: PLENTY OF DOG DAYS

 

FOTO FRIDAY: We certainly have had a lot of dog days with this heat. And when I returned from New York, I had a definitely different kind of dog days as my new foster arrived. She had just been given the name of Tillie.

Tillie certainly didn't know her name yet and as each day passed, her shy, cowering demeanor changed and she is just the sweetest dog ever, so I call her Dulce (Spanish for sweet).

Meet Dulce Tillie, my new buddy.  She has a lot of lab but much smaller. Her fur is so silky...

Traces of white on her snout, tip of her tail and paws besides her obvious white chest patch.

Dulce has made so much progress coming out of her shell this week. 

She'll be ready for a new family in no time!