Angel Sightings

Last night a friend and I were talking about the Unity Walk here in Joplin.  I told her how much I enjoyed the spirit of community and sense of triumph that defined the event for me.  As I was describing my experiences from the day, she stopped me and said, “Wait, I have to tell you something my mom told me the other day.”  She then went on to tell me about a local man who is writing a book about “angel” sightings during the tornado.  I told her another friend of mine also told me about this book a few months back, but I couldn’t remember who was writing the book (it's Dr. Larry Brothers).  The book is titled, "And the Angels Came", and it is about several stories the author has investigated over the past year that led him to believe angels – real ones - were at work here during and after the disaster.

Now, I know this stuff sounds a bit fantastical.  And, truthfully, I am quite a cynic when it comes to things of a spiritual nature.  I can understand why people believe in God – and I can understand why people don’t.  But these stories are compelling enough to bring goosebumps to my arms and tears to my eyes.  Not having read the accounts yet, I can only give a brief summary of the stories I’ve heard, and they go something like this:  the day of the tornado several people have witnessed two dark figures who spoke to them and led them to safety (or instructed them on how to lead others to safety).  I am incredibly intrigued by these stories, and am anxious to read this book one day. 

Today I’d like to do something a little different.  I am kind of “borrowing” an idea – expanding on it, actually – from E.L. Farris over at “Running From Hell With El” who opened up a discussion in which readers commented about their faith in God and religion.  I want to know if you believe in angels – not just in an ethereal sense, but real, live, actual angels.

 

Do you think this stuff really happened?  And do you think angels show themselves during disasters (such as last year’s tornado or the tsunami in Japan)?  Have you ever had an experience with an angel (or know someone who has?)  How do you reconcile the survival stories and accounts of angel sightings with those stories of people who perished?  Do you think angels are real? 

Please, tell me in the comments section below – I am really interested in getting this discussion going and I want to hear your thoughts!

Tornado Anniversary Wrap-Up

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the following video serves as a novel for describing my thoughts and emotions over the past year and, in particular, this past week.

Earlier today I found an article posted by the Boston Globe that did such an eloquent job verbalizing my own personal observations from Tuesday's Day of Unity event, that I wanted to post the link here.  Enjoy my video, and then, please, take a minute to read about "The Joplin Effect".  I know you won't be disappointed.

Now you know why my children informed me last night that we are not allowed to ever move away from Joplin.  It is, after all, our home.

In Celebration of Mothers - Sherry Ellis of "Mama Diaries"

The always entertaining and insightful Sherry Ellis

Today it is my great pleasure to introduce you to Sherry Ellis, who writes about family life over at "Mama Diaries".  Sherry is a professional musician and author and, in her spare time (!), she writes about her daily life with her children and their many pets (the best stories, of course, are those about her pseudo-rambunctious German Shepherd).  She has two published children's books, That Baby Woke Me Up Again!, and That Mama is a Grouch.  Sherry's posts are always cute and to the point, so sit back and enjoy and when you're finished here go check out some of her other posts over at "Mama Diaries"!

Even Mamas Make Mistakes

       It was my daughter’s big day – graduation from kindergarten. We put it on the calendar and counted down the days.

       To commemorate the occasion, parents were invited to come in to school for a little celebration and watch the kindergarteners sing. Day after day, I listened to my daughter diligently practice her songs. She even showed me the dance moves that went with them. She was bubbling over with excitement.

       Finally, the big day arrived. “Mama, don’t forget!” my daughter reminded me as we went to the bus stop.

       Later in the day, I took my four-year-old son to the nature preserve. We hiked along, admiring the flowers, chasing butterflies, and poking under rocks, uncovering worms and other assorted critters. We even found a cute little box turtle.

       Time passed quickly. Soon it was time to pick up my daughter at the bus stop. Only when she stepped off the bus did I realize I had completely forgotten about her big day.  Her sad little face told the whole story. My heart dropped to the ground. How could I have forgotten?  I was absolutely the worst mom on the planet! I could never go back and see my little girl celebrate her graduation from kindergarten.

       “Oh, honey,” I said rushing over to her and wrapping my arms around her. “I’m so sorry I forgot.”

       “You were the only parent not there,” she said.

       That made me feel even worse.

       For the rest of the day, I tried to make up for it by giving her extra attention, but I could tell she was still upset.

       Finally, it was bedtime. I read a story and tucked the blankets around her. “I’m really sorry,’ I said. “I messed up big time. Will you forgive me?”

       She looked at me with her big blue eyes and nodded. “It’s okay, Mama. I still love you. I know even Mamas make mistakes.” Then she paused. “Do you want to see the show?”

       Tears welled up in my eyes. “Yes, I’d love to see it.”

       My daughter crawled out of bed and did the whole thing – every song, every dance.

       When she was done, I gave her a hearty round of applause. Not just for her performance, but for her kind and thoughtful soul. I am truly blessed to be the mother of such a wonderful person!

Was there ever a time that you made a mistake as a mom?  How did you apologize?  How did your child react?

Joplin - One Year After

All of us here in Joplin have tornado stories.  My story, while hair-raising to me, is nothing compared to the stories of so many of my friends.  I know that, this time, I was lucky.  The challenge for those of us who were physically untouched by the tornado is figuring out how to properly balance an immense sense of pride for the strength and resilience of our community while suitably acknowledging the tremendous loss felt by so many of our neighbors and friends.   Make no mistake about it, we have come a long way, but we still have a very long way to go.

Amy Stevens is one of my friends whose tornado story is typical – the event starts benignly enough, and then escalates to fear as she realizes the storm’s impact on her family and the community around her.  For me, Amy and her family embody the strength of so many others here in town.  Amy is a fellow blogger, and recently provided her account of the storm and how her experience impacted not only her impression of the community but also her perspective on life in general.  Please take a minute to read about Amy and her family and how they have returned to a more normal – and more grateful – life here in Joplin.

For me, the impact of the storm on May 22nd took several hours – even days – to digest.  Miraculously my family found its way home from graduation just as the storm hit St. John’s Regional Medical Center.  As my parents and sons entered the house and we raced to the basement to take cover, our electricity went out with a powerful “boom”.  After fifteen minutes of rain, hail, and wind, things quieted down and we waited for word about when the remaining graduation activities would resume.  Slowly we received bits and pieces about destruction throughout the city: “Academy is gone.”  “Our family is safe, but both cars are destroyed and the roof of our house is missing.”  “IHop is gone.”  “The top two floors of St. John’s are gone and power lines are down.”

At this point, we realized this was no ordinary thunderstorm.  We began the tedious and frustrating task of determining the whereabouts of our friends and the amount of destruction they encountered.  By eleven o’clock that night, all but one of my daughter’s friends were accounted for.  This friend lost his life in the tornado, and will be forever missed by the Sticklen family.

At midnight we learned our church – and our son’s school – had been decimated. 

St. Mary's church and school

Other stories slowly filtered in over the next several hours and days.  One of my friends and her family were driving home from graduation when they pulled into their neighborhood and had a tree fall onto the hood of their SUV.  While that tree probably saved their lives, their home and business were both destroyed by the tornado. 

Another friend was in the Caribbean with her husband when they got the news that the tornado had ripped through their neighborhood and destroyed almost all the homes.  She waited with bated breath for news that her children – who were home at the time – were safe (and, thankfully, they were).

My daughter’s friends, most of whom were returning home after graduation, have their own stories to tell.  Some were trapped in their cars while others sought refuge at strangers’ homes along the route.  Like us, some even made it home just before the storm hit, only to go back outside and participate in search-and-rescue efforts.  These kids saw things they no longer wish to talk about.  They became adults that night, much more quickly than they had anticipated.  No matter how much I wanted to shelter them, I learned that some things are simply out of my control.  I also learned about their resilience and strength in the face of tragedy.

Tonight is Joplin High School’s graduation.  For me, it will be the ultimate representation of a return to normalcy.  Tonight’s graduates will listen to speeches – some by persons of notoriety (the President of the United States and the Governor of Missouri), some by their fellow students – then they will wait in anticipation to hear their names called out as they walk across the stage and receive their diplomas while their families cheer loudly for them.  Afterward they will take pictures with their friends and then return home to prepare for their Project Graduation.  Hopefully, this evening will be completely normal.  At the same time, it also embodies the strength, patience, and resiliency of many who have endured so much and learned to live – and even prosper – during the most aberrant moment in our city’s history.  Students who lost not only their homes and loved ones but also their school have persevered through the hardships in order to achieve tonight’s goal.  For them, this year’s graduation is more than a ceremonious rite of passage.  It is a celebration of overcoming the greatest obstacles ever presented to our community and the power of the Human Spirit.

Today, as we prepare to commemorate this past year and all its tragedies and triumphs in a variety of ways, I would like to leave you with this:  Many people here in town lost their homes and/or businesses.  Several lost loved ones.  All have shown strength and grace unlike anything I have ever witnessed.  I am proud to be a part of this community, and my heart is heavy with sadness for those who lost so much.  I find it incredibly difficult to reconcile these emotions, and I hope my words, feelings, and actions never offend but instead pay tribute to the amazing people I am fortunate to call my friends and neighbors.  May our city rebuild stronger than ever while still maintaining the wonderful sense of community we possess which, in my opinion, is our greatest resource and quality.

Foodie Fridays: Instant Karma

One of the things I love most about Joplin is its abundance of great places to eat.  Over the years the local restaurant scene, much like the local art scene, has grown and flourished.  Just about every cuisine imaginable can be found in this small city - Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, barbecue, sushi – you name it, we have a local chef who specializes in it.  Here on “Foodie Fridays” I will choose a local restaurant, specialty store, or chef to highlight and share some of my thoughts on why I think they are successful and how they enhance our community with their artistry.

The counter at Instant Karma

Instant Karma Gourmet Hot Dogs was opened in March 2010 by Jason and Suzanne Miller.  Over the past couple of years Instant Karma has developed a strong customer base and, yes, I’m a groupie.  Not only do they serve up some amazingly delicious food ( a bacon-wrapped Black Angus hot dog topped with sour cream and avocado, accompanied by a side of blue cheese coleslaw – can I get an “amen”?), but the place also scores high on the coolness scale.  Knowing Jason’s background, I speculated the place would be a success before it even opened its doors to the public.

I first met Jason when he was working at another of my local favorite eateries, Crabby’s.  He’s great fun, incredibly artistic (duh, he went to art school in New York City), and can seriously cook.  However, it wasn’t his work at the restaurant that impressed me as much as it was his mad catering skills.  Several years ago I attended a party that was catered by Crabby’s.  I stopped by the kitchen and said hello to Jason as he and his staff were hard at work preparing the evening’s buffet –which, much to my surprise, included the very delicate, very expensive, fish, sea bass.  As I am sometimes wont to do, I mingled a bit too much and found myself last in line for dinner.  By the time I got to the buffet, there were only two pieces of fish left in the chafing dish.  As I stared at the fish lying in the big stainless steel pan, Jason said to me, “don’t worry, it will be good.  I promise.”  Needless to say, I was a tad bit skeptical.  Look, I’ve had fish from the buffet line before.  And over the years I have learned to avoid it.  But I took the fish anyway (because I was hungry and there were no other options), looked over at Jason and said, “If this stuff is still any good then you are nothing short of a magician in the kitchen.”

I carried my plate to a table and hesitantly tasted the fish.  It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious!  Honestly, I couldn’t believe how good it was!  The quality was just as great as it would be if it had been plated straight off the grill and then hastily placed before me by an attentive server.  I looked over at my husband and said, “That does it.  From now on, whatever Jason cooks, I will eat because I know it will be amazing.”

That talent, combined with his extensive background in art, is why Jason’s epicurean creation is a hit with Joplinites.   Jason returned to Joplin after a six-year stint in New York City because, as he puts it, “the girl I loved was here.”  (The guy’s an artist AND a romantic with an innate sense of business.  How could he not be successful?)  While he lived in NYC (in the East Village, no less), Jason worked at a couple of restaurants.  One of those restaurants was Tortilla Flats, a popular and trendy Tex Mex place that has been going strong since the early 1980’s.  One reason for the Flats’ success and longevity is its owners’ philosophy of encouraging creativity and mutual support among the staff.  This experience, combined with his post-art school job as an art director for a commercial interior designer, laid the foundation for Jason’s own business philosophy.

Jason’s sense of artistic creativity shows in everything he does at Instant Karma.  The menu, inspired by Crif Dogs in the East Village, is ever-changing and unique, reflecting not only his own ideas but also those of his staff.  Jason encourages an environment of creativity, experimentation, and spontaneity.  This attitude keeps the restaurant fresh, fun, and inviting for both customers and employees.  Even the music played over the sound system is carefully chosen to reflect Jason and Suzanne’s cool, laid-back personalities.

Jason told me, “I feel like everything I’ve done has brought me to where I am today.  All the experiences up till now created Instant Karma.”  As I reflect on his stories and my own impressions of Jason and Suzanne, I know he's right.  Instant Karma is the perfect blend of creativity, hard work, and love and I’m certain it will be delighting diners here in Joplin (and maybe, someday, even elsewhere) for many years to come.

Have you ever eaten at a gourmet hot dog restaurant?  What is your favorite, unexpected, eatery?  What is your favorite item on Instant Karma's menu?

A Blog Mingle and Third Thursday in Joplin

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Today I am over at Tina Hook's blog, "Girl with a New Life", talking about what I would choose as the title of my life's soundtrack.  Once a week Tina hosts a blog mingle by posing a question for her readers to answer in the comments section and then encouraging them to visit the blog listed above their comment.  A couple weeks ago I met one of my newest blogging friends, Tele, author of "Hooked".  Seriously, you should check out her writing.  I swear I can feel the sea spray on my face, the chill of the Alaskan air, and the exhilaration of the big catch as I read her stories about her life in Alaska.  Yes, she's THAT good.

Thinking about a title track for the soundtrack for my life brought many musical memories and references to my mind.  Initially I wanted to use “A Star is Born” but then I remembered I don’t work onstage. Next I thought of “Caddyshack” but decided that wouldn’t work because I don’t play golf.  I then ruled out “The Big Chill” because that dude commits suicide, Glen Close’s husband has sex with her friend in order to help the friend get pregnant (because obviously this was way before the days of artificial insemination), and Jeff Goldblum is a total jerk throughout the whole movie.  Nah, that wouldn’t work, either.  Likewise, I decided against “Purple Rain” because I am neither African-American nor from Minneapolis.  “Stayin’ Alive” was a no-go because, well, that movie sucked.  “Grease” is an option, but since I attended high school in the ‘80’s, “Footloose” is a bit more relatable to me (and Kevin Bacon is totally hot).  So many great movie soundtracks, but I can’t really pick just one to describe my life very well. (Head over to Girl with a New Life to read what I finally decided my title track would be....) 

Joplin Downtown Alliance

Tonight is this month's Third Thursday, hosted by the Downtown Alliance.  There are lots of special activities slated for tonight's event, and one of the biggest will be the annual Art Feeds auction at JB's Piano Bar (112 S. Main in Joplin).  Auction items include works created by Joplin & Ghana Art Feeds students, gift baskets, and personal lessons by local artists.  A $5 donation is suggested for entry.  If you can't make it to the auction, you might consider participating in the annual Art Feeds Online Auction.  Head over to their blog for information on how you can score a $40 credit!

You should also plan on stopping by Spiva Center for the Arts (222 W. 3rd in Joplin) to view images from the "Dear World From Joplin With Love" project as well as the exhibit, "Through a Child's Eyes".  This special exhibit was created and coordinated by local photographer, Jessica Kory, who encouraged children (ages 5-18) to share their thoughts and photographs commemorating the one-year anniversary of the May 2011 tornado.

So, take a moment to read my brief piece over at Tina's blog, and then make plans to attend this month's Third Thursday event.  You'll be glad you did!!

In Celebration of Mothers - Guest Post

I am so excited to introduce you to my first guest blogger (ever!)  Sharon Munroe is a contributor at The Advanced Maternal Age Project.  Here she and co-founder Jennifer Rustgi strive to provide support and encouragement to women who become first-time mothers over the age of 35.  They offer much-needed advice and information on the many paths women can choose to pursue motherhood.  Sharon shares with us her story about finding her family when she realized the time was finally right for her.  I hope you enjoy, and be sure to check out Sharon's blog as well as her children's store, Little Green Beans!

This is My Advanced Maternal Age

Sharon and Baby Shannon

By Sharon Munroe 

From age 27 when I first married through age 38, I was regularly asked “when are you going to start a family”? I had a set answer, one that seemed very socially acceptable: “I do not think that my husband and I are going to have children.”  I was perfectly content with that response both in my head and my heart.

Fast forward to the present day: age 44 and being married to a different, caring man who comes from a large family. This chapter of my life is the best and includes a healthy infant boy. Sweet Shannon was a pure miracle or accident depending on one’s perspective. Is the old adage, “good things come to those who wait (and wait and wait)”? This one was worth the wait.

Shannon (yes, that is a boy) is a very smiley seven-month old as I write this. With bright blue eyes, fair skin and fine, strawberry blonde hair. He is what empowers me most in my busy, ambitious life that includes owning a one-year-old retail business, co-founding and leading marketing and business development for a new marketing research agency, and being a writer.

I am proud to have an infant son again. I hold him dearly and am truly amazed. He nurses, nibbles at pureed vegetables and smiles with the biggest grin I’ve ever seen on a baby. His smile melts my heart, truly.

Just one year ago my husband and I were awaiting the results of the CVS test, the much dreaded and highly accurate embryonic test for genetic abnormalities. I held my breath during the procedure in the perinatologist’s office. The same lack of air enveloped me when I got the call back from the genetic counselor whom I know well. She was calling with good results this time. I was already 43 years of age and having been through the test twice before I knew the odds. I exhaled and smiled. I haven’t stopped smiling.

Like most babies, Shannon has suffered from many minor infant ailments: jaundice at birth, colic during the first three months of life, hair loss at four months, a bit of eczema, and he also tends to spit up more than other babies. (This is what bibs and burp cloths are for.) Nothing rattles me though. Shannon takes it all in stride too--smiling, laughing at all of us but mostly at his big brother and soon-to-be adopted sister.

Our family is bigger than I could have ever imagined or dreamed. At age 38 I was busy with my career as a market research executive, lots of business and personal travel, volunteer work and hobbies. I liked young children though I wasn’t prepared to have my own.

What changed? Not the proverbial biological clock but an awakening instead. This was the right place, person and time in my life. Today at age 44 ½ I have two healthy sons and a daughter in the middle. They are all active, bright and loving.

Every nook and cranny of my pre-child home is filled with their lives. Their books, stuffed animals, building blocks, clothing, coloring pages, and other remnants of their childhood are everywhere. Organization hangs by a thread. We can still find everything we need (most days) but it is far from my neat and clutter-free days when I inhabited this place on my own, just five and a half years ago. It is never dull or un-exciting. Someone always needs something and I am able to help, at least one of them at a time. We are outnumbered but getting used to it.

Sibling bonds are already forming. They joke and giggle together. They run, pull hair and sing together. They are already making music that’s beautiful to my ears. The “big kids” ages 4 and 20 months tickle Shannon and make him giggle. I could not have imagined this time. 

This is my time to have a family. This is my advanced maternal age. It’s filled with sincere appreciation for these young lives and their love. It’s a very rewarding time in my life.

Sharon Munroe owns LittleGreen Beans, a unique children's and maternity consignment shop, is an executive in a market research agency called ReconMR and lives with her husband and 3 young children in Austin, Texas. She blogs for each business and is thrilled to be working with Jennifer Rustgi on this exciting new and personal writing effort called The Advanced Maternal Age Project, which is now seeking stories from first-time mothers of age 35 or better.