The Paper Warehouse

paperstl.com

Monday is a big day for our girl, Isabel.  She is getting better everyday and will be leaving the hospital for therapy at a less intensive facility.

Alli decided a celebration is in order, so she is making a cake.  And when Alli makes a cake, it is some cake!! I'll be going to my favorite locally owned party place for suitable plates and napkins: Paper Warehouse in Kirkwood on Manchester. There is also a store in Creve Coeur but Kirkwood is on our way to the Hospital. Paper Warehouse has been an independent retailer since 1976; they will have something beautiful, worthy of the masterpiece Alli will create.

With so many wonderful colors 

and patterns

to choose from

 this will be a cheerful decision.

Since a party is one of my favorite things,

I will allow enough time to browse 

for future ideas.

The Paper Warehouse is also a place to find gifts. 

They have all manner of ribbon

 and wrapping

 

to make a unique package.

In fact, one of my favorite gifts for someone who has everything is a basket of colorful paper plates, cups and napkins, so they have all they need to plan a casual lunch or dessert party.

But my mind wanders. Back to Isabel's party, I think daisies will 

represent our hopeful and optimistic mood!

Tower Grove Farmer's Market

tgmarket.org

When it comes to food, the local options for shopping in St. Louis are surely unsurpassed in the whole country!

Think about it, we have three major supermarkets: Dierbergs, Schnucks, and Straubs; many small deli style shops; several permanent produce stands and Sappington Market; I have been told we have a different farmer's market in town everyday of the week; and many opportunities to buy directly from area farmers individually.

I was talking with one of Isabel's nurses about healthy eating a few days ago. Hmmm, let me think, our normal eating habits are at least moderately healthy, but with vacations and the unscheduled nature of dealing with a serious illness, I was having trouble remembering our last vegetable experience.

I conclude, it is a good time to support our local farmer's market.

 Tower Grove Park hosts a very successful market on Saturday morning.  So Will and I decided to brave the heat and go in search of fresh healthiness.

\

We found a festival atmosphere as folks strolled from tent to tent choosing 

from an inspirational variety

of vegetables

amid the welcoming presence of real people who work all week to bring the best of their farms into the heart of the city.

 

 Not only veges but fruits and grains, 

handmade candies, baked goods and cheeses,

 home grown meats and home harvested honey are available.

All of this is displayed in one of my favorite St. Louis parks.

So this is what we should do: slow the pace a bit, choose a beautiful Saturday morning

to meander through the park, wade in the pool,

or play on the play ground,

 

then choose some of your favorite treats at the market, find a shady tree and have a picnic.

Well, that is what we are doing next time, but this day a schedule insists we take our treasures home.  On the short drive back to Maplewood, I was considering the cost.  Folks had told me the prices would be higher than usual...and they were.  So for my big family, maybe this will have to be a special but unusual treat.

However, the created feast was so outstanding I will be back much sooner than later. A Saturday afternoon meal of fresh picked vegetables and fruits....a good tradition I think!

So this is what we had:

 grilled summer squash with a sprinkle of salt.

rainbow swiss chard saute'd with some olive oil and prociutto

sliced tomatoes with slivers of fresh basil and Feta cheese

and peaches so sweet they didn't even need sugar.

I heartily recommend this summertime outing, find a market near you and go have a really good time!

Two Stories and a Number

Christnerinc.com

When life becomes difficult, as it has a way of doing, the folks around us can make that time more difficult or they can help ease the trial.  This writing is about two stories and a number: one story is about a small company that helped during a difficult time and one is about a large company that did not and a number that might explain why.

First Story:


Rick is Isabel's Papa. He is a great Papa and a very good architect.  He works for a locally owned architecture firm, Christner Inc.

Ted Christner founded the firm in 1963. Based on solid values his company has grown to be a leading design practice in St. Louis.

On Christner's website you can read this:

 "All work and no play makes a company lose it's edge.... At Christner, we believe people produce their best work when their lives are in balance.  So we make it a priority to create an environment that is flexible for families."

It is easy enough to hire a good writer to express an ideal notion like that. Not so easy to put that ideal into practice, especially when deadlines are looming in the highly competitive world of architecture.

.

We were concerned when Rick called to tell supervisors about Isabel's critical stroke.  The family needed him as never before, but in four days he had a very important deadline with perhaps dozens or ultimately hundreds of people depending on him to meet it.  What would they say?

Basically the response was this:  "Rick, we'll take care of it.  Don't even think about coming in until Isabel is better."

Second Story: 

About 20 years ago Carl was a young husband to Rene' and father to 8 year old Toni. 

 He worked for a relatively new company in St. Louis.  They sold food and their prices were low, I mean seriously low. We were all amazed by the sleek operation.  We marveled that bringing your own bags, returning you own cart, and the magic of bulk buying could result in such drastically low prices.  I shopped there every week, what fun having money left in my wallet to buy other stuff.

During those shopping trips I got to know Carl.

Carl had been the manager of the store in our neighborhood for about 10 years, he put in really long, hard hours every day of every week.  He wasn't paid a lot but he was young and strong and hoped to go far with this new company. It was a good time for this little family.

But difficult times came when Rene' was diagnosed with an aggressive leukemia.  Their solid faith and community of friends supported them but the company in whom he'd invested so much did not.  They would allow an occasional day off for a life threatening crisis, but after a few of those they dispassionately informed him if he missed another day he would lose his job.  Carl made a good choice. He missed another day, left the company and was by Rene's side for her last weeks on this earth.

The enterprise for whom Carl worked has gone on to see great financial success. In many ways the Albrecht brothers who originated the store in Germany have done good things. Certainly, they have provided a very thrifty way for  our family and many other people to feed their families when budgets are tight.



A number:

And yet I wonder....

I know these are just two examples and many more could be offered:  large companies who were absolutely supportive during a personal crises and tales of small businesses who behaved poorly.  I do think if the Albrecht brothers had known Carl they would surely have helped him keep his job.  But they were layers of management and an ocean and half a continent away.

Dunbar's number is 150.

 Robin Dunbar has proposed a theory that people work best and are better able to sustain a stable social group if the number in that group is around 150.  Beyond that it becomes necessary to regulate the group with more and more stringent laws and regulations.  It is an interesting concept when comparing the relative advantages of small business and large corporations.

Doesn't this theory support our theory that big is not always bad but small has a better chance of maintaining a benevolence that enables them to treat employees (and customers!) with respect and human kindness?

Webster Record Shop

websterrecords.com

Isabel is still very sick, deep in a coma.  A few days ago one of her many doctors came in while she was listening to "Il Trovatore" with Mary.  He was thrilled to hear the music and started conducting, ya gotta love a doctor like that!

He said yes! Good music...opera is what she should be listening to...."LaBoheme"!

Alli decided to go that very day to get "LaBoheme" for Isabel.

We knew where to go!  Webster Record Shop, another of those feisty little businesses that have been a part of St. Louis culture since the '50s.

They specialize in classical music with a wide variety of new  

and used CDs,

but they also have a great mix of all kinds of music

from rock to ragtime,

on CD or vintage vinyl.

I discovered another reason to shop at Webster Records: Bill Wondracek. Bill is a great guy, one of those people you just like right away! He knows about music and is there to be of service. I appreciated his help deciding which of the 3 or 4 versions of "LaBoheme" to buy.  Bill has been working at Webster Records for 10 years; he started working part time to give the *original* owner a little time off.

There have only been three owners since the beginning of the store 53 years ago.

Jennifer Bellm has owned the store for about 5 years now.

Mia Culpa...it is confession time. I don't remember the last time I bought a CD from a real record shop. When I think of a whole town of people not buying records locally I am amazed we have a music store at all. 

Bill told me a few years ago in Manhattan there were 5 or 6 thriving music stores.  Now, there is only one and when New Yorkers are in St. Louis, many come to Webster Records to shop.

 Here we have at least 3 music stores.  I am so grateful to the resourceful and dedicated business owners of St. Louis and their faithful customers for preserving these treasures until I awoke from my stupor.

I know it is great ordering cds on the internet. But isn't it even greater to be a part of keeping a record shop in downtown Webster Groves for another fifty years?

It really is up to us.

Donut Drive-In

6525 Chippewa St.

St. Louis, MO 

314-645-7714

Since this is a journal about life and shopping locally under all sorts of circumstances and for all kinds of needs, you should know our family is walking a challenging and heart rending path with Isabel.  Isabel is the 19 year old daughter of our precious friends, Rick and Mary.  She and her brothers and sisters bring sheer joy to our family.  Last week Isabel suffered a complicated sort of stroke, statistically 3 in a million.  She is seriously ill and still in a coma; however, her condition is stable and improving, oh so slowly. 

More information about Isabel and her family can be found here.

In the midst of such heart ache it has always seemed to me life should come to a dramatic stasis, where all action stops, but I've lived a long time and that is not what happens.  I've even come to be glad it doesn't.  Work still has to be accomplished, houses cleaned, food prepared, shopping done.

Coming home from Micha's swim team I saw this sign:

an old neon sign speaks comfort to me,

especially when it says do-nuts :-).

Donut Drive-in opened in this location in 1953 after breaking ground in 1952.  It looks pretty much the same as it did all those years ago.  In those 62 years this little shop has had only 3 owners.

I didn't get to meet the owner, but this very nice woman gave me a little history.  The Donut Drive-In has been making these tasty treats since the heyday of Route 66, when Chippewa was a quiet little road with an occasional restaurant and motel.  With car ownership on the rise and gas prices low, road trips were a popular entertainment.  And the Drive-In was a welcome stop along the way.

Drive-Ins have waned since the '50's but we in St. Louis are still privileged to have one of the originals.

 Once inside, I'm not sure which I noticed first, the columns of boxes 

or the rows of donuts.

Not only is this a great nostalgic stop, their donuts are really good and inexpensive.
 Alton Brown of cooking show fame has even declared these to be his favorite donuts!

 

If they were good enough for Alton, we figured they would provide a fine celebration of the Dr.'s success in bringing Isabel to a stable condition as we yearn for her healing.