August 2009 Archives

Birmingham residents enjoy some of the best views anywhere, yet probably take them for granted as we go about our everyday business. You don't have to be in a home perched atop Red Mountain or the crest at Greystone to enjoy the vistas all around the city.

One of the best spots you'll find for catching up with a friend or reading is easily accessible and beautifully maintained by the good folks at the Summit. This is one of the tables on the patio of the Cafe at Barnes & Noble. The table on the other side of the flower bed is private enough for a phone call or conversation but only paces away from a coffee or smoothie. It makes you wonder why you work so hard in your own garden when there's a spot like this at your disposal.

The Summit has other spots for enjoying the view al fresco, like California Pizza Kitchen or Cheesecake Factory. My kids love to eat outside at PF Chang's next to the "horse's rear", where it thrills them to sit juxtaposed beneath a horse's behind. (I acknowledge this is entirely appropriate symbolism on some days.) We sit opposite them - and the horses - to enjoy the magnificent view across to the Colonnade and beyond. I'm a little dismayed that so many of the developments here don't take advantage of the vistas around them, with the new parking deck now taking the most prominent spot. (Isn't this like buying beach property and then siting the house toward the frontage road?) 

The next time you're riding along highway 31 and crest Shades Mountain, cut through the Red Mountain on the expressway, or drive down Hwy 280, take a moment to notice. People pay hard-earned money to pause and enjoy distance views similar to ours at mountain resorts all around us. Lucky for us, we don't have to drive hours up the interstate enjoy the lush trees and receding skyline views have in every direction.

Thank goodness for Little Caesar's Pizza since it made the $5 hot-n-ready pizza the deal to beat. These pizzas have served many a birthday or slumber party and been the back-up dinner of choice for moms at their wits' end.

There's another cheap pizza alternative for moms near downtown and in Alabaster now: Hungry Howie's Pizza and Subs. Their take-out "Fast & Fresh" $5.99 pepperoni or cheese pizza is comparable to Little Caesar's in size and you get to choose one of their flavored crusts, the differentiator between Hungry Howie's and most other pizza chains. Crust flavors are Original,  Butter, Buttercheese, Garllic Herb, Sesame, Ranch, Onion and Cajun.

Although Hungry Howie's delivers and has an extensive selection for a pizza place, with items like wings, chicken tenders, oven baked subs, baked pastas, and salads. They are reasonably priced but frequentlyhave excellent coupon offers, and of course they deliver.

The Southside location is take out only but has a drive-through window. Alabaster (in the Publix shopping plaza) has a dine-in area and will soon be moving to the former Bruster's in the same plaza, where it will have a larger dining area and a take out window).

BirminghamMomSuggestion: Grab-and-go pizza makes for an easy picnic on a pleasant day. Order your take out pizza at Hungry Howie's on Southside (1501 11th Ave), then run into the convenience store next door for fountain drinks. Return for your now-ready pizza and head to Vulcan park for a picnic with one of the best views of the city anywhere. 

My mom maintains that the greatest blessing of having grown up on a farm is that she learned "where food comes from." Personally, I have preferred not to know.

I've been content to think chicken just materializes at the grocery store in portion-controlled strips with a touch of solution for preservative. Ditto the rolls of ground beef and sausage; don't patties of anything seem perfectly natural? I have flinched occasionally at baloney and hot dogs - especially those bright red weenies - but that's only because I'd prefer a big burger instead.

As someone too squeamish to debone a chicken (the giblets, the stretchy skin, and the popping sounds are just too grizzly), I know that I have come too far from the source of my food and am missing the connection it should have. I've been repulsed by organ meats and turned my nose up at cow's tongue and pigs' feet, eschewing anything that is too identifiable with a living animal. Yet, as I've read one chef quoted, "If you're going to be willing to kill it, you should be willing to eat all of it," I have felt sort of ashamed (hey,isn't this where those hot dogs come into play?).

I am becoming more aware of some of the paradoxes in food production, national policy, and our consumption in general. I consider that it takes seven pounds of grain to raise one pound of beef, that most commercially prepared sauces list corn syrup as a major ingredient, and that obesity and diabetes are epidemic in our nation and especially our state (are you aware of the Jefferson County Childhood Obesity Task Force?). The industry says it's not the corn syrup, it's the portion size. But how can processed food cost so much less than its original ingredients, the raw produce itself? There's more to the story.

I seek discussion about the story of our food in the upcoming screening of Food, Inc. Food, Inc. is a documentary about the food industry and its impact on the economy, workers, our health, etc. Screenings will take place over Labor Day weekend at BottleTree Cafe and proceeds will benefit the Greater Birmingham Community Food Partners. The Sunday evening screening includes a locally-sourced Sunday Supper and a panel discussion. I feel sort of hypocritical even attending, what with the possibility of an empty breakfast bar or a potato chip wrapper littering my back seat, but I need to know more about what's going on behind my chicken nuggets. (Buy tickets here).

Documentaries do tend to get me riled and I almost dread being confronted with the details of where food comes from these days. Although I'd love to serve only the best local fresh food, as a busy mom, convenience and price are as critical as nutrition, taste and quality. Besides, I can't ethically lobby the school to get rid of french fries if I'm ordering fast-food combo meals all around on the way to karate. How can I condemn sodas if I let the kids drink them on my watch? I'm not the only BirminghamMom who's conflicted. At the last school event, word spread quickly among us volunteers that we might get our Diet Coke fix if we just got to the vending machine locked in the teacher's lounge. The caveat: Don't let the kids see. I sympathize with the teachers. I wouldn't wish a soda-free workday on anyone.

So I know that the discussion needs to go beyond what agribusiness and its lobbyists are doing and move on to practical application, like what are my options? I've tried and it's so discouraging! I once took a crate of clementines for snack after a ballgame and the kids looked at me like I'd stolen Christmas. The parents didn't know what they would do with the peels (don't cookies also come in packaging that must be disposed of somehow?). My husband is still laughing over that faux pas, since he saved our reputation that day by having bags of chips ready. I know I'll never recover cool mom points with that group. 

I'm ready to take a more purposeful approach to food. For tonight, though, I'll have one more oblivious dinner. We're having the fried chicken that materializes in buckets.

Note: Check out Food Revival for a broad range of information on local food and resources from a former Cooking Light food staffer. 

 

Jefferson County's Public Libraries are sponsoring a September food drive that will let you put outstanding library fines behind you and help a good cause.

One dollar in fines will be waived for each non-perishable food item donated in September, up to $10 per library card holder. That means you can wipe out the fines your kids may have incurred on their cards as well as your own (in defense of moms, those slick book covers do tend to make books slide around under the car seats).

Expiration dates must be visible on all food and the waived fees apply to fines only. Buy extra cans of vegetables, soups, etc. at good sale prices and you will come out ahead in your pocketbook while helping the community.

I know it's wrong to be discussing Halloween when daytime highs are still in the nineties, but the retailers are already pushing their fall collections so what else can we do? There are lots of BirminghamMoms who like to have these seasonal purchases buttoned up well in advance so they can relax and enjoy the festivities. For their sakes, I offer the latest BirminghamMom.com Find at Old Time Pottery in Pelham.

These Trick or Treat bags are less than $2 and the selection is wonderful right now: Ghost, black cat, funny witch, Frankenstein, jack o' lantern, bat, bones. In short, every Halloween icon is represented here.

The patterns are stitched, not ironed on, and some are three-dimensional. The bags are a craft grade of flannel, so they won't wear as long as, say, canvas bags would. Then again, do you really want to make an investment in something as fleeting as a bag to hold candy for one night? At this price, you can still personalize them with a monogram or permanent marker and have a bag that rivals any you'd find in a catalog.

While you're at Old Time Pottery, take a moment to look at the abundance of seasonal decorations. Those painted, corrugated tin pieces that have become popular can be cute near the front door or walkway, but they're usually expensive. This particular three-pumpkin stake is only $12 and is over three feet tall, big enough to make an impact.

Other surprises:

Chenille cotton bath rugs, $3.98

Children's board books, $1.99

Caroline Kennedy compilation of American Christmas stories, $2.99 (hardback, originally $26.99 and a perfect hostess gift during the holidays) 

Chrome slide-out drawer for base cabinets, 11" wide, $9.99

Old Time Pottery is on Hwy 31 in Pelham.

 

Now that school is starting, it's time for me to give my best friend and old college roomate a call. We shared some carefree, happy years as I studied business and she studied early childhood education. To the casual observer, it would appear that my motivation was avoiding Friday classes while hers was passing time cutting shapes out of construction paper. In fact, she was building complicated lesson plans while I was studying chapters with titles like, "Management by Walking Around." Seriously.

Now she's an elementary school teacher (not in Birmingham) with two kids, married to a fellow educator. For  all these years we've exchanged chiding remarks at the beginning and end of each school year. During most of this time I've worked without extended summer or holiday breaks that she enjoys, having to ration precious vacation days to cover actual vacations as well as home projects, preparing for company, holiday decorating, and any form of scrapbooking. She and I talk smack in the way only old friends who know each other's secrets can.

First day of school, I call her early: "WAKE UP! Get your rear out of that bed and get moving. Your summer naps are over, sister!  It's time to get these taxpayer dollars back to work. Let's see, I'll be  heading into my sixth meeting of the day by the time you shoo the last kid out the door. With any luck, I'll finally be packing up my desk when you're clearing off your dinner table and watching the evening news."

Her usual voice mail in reply: "It's me, starting another year of molding the young minds you'll depend on your old age. I've spent the last two days putting up bulletin boards and arranging reading centers. I wonder, will you be spending any of your evenings taking up tickets at ballgames? Chaperoning a dance? Answering phone calls from demanding parents? Oh nevermind, you're probably out right now having a $5 cup of coffee."

The last day of school she's quick to call me again for payback, greatly exagerrating for effect: "Aaah, we dismissed early today for summer break . Guess I'll sleep in tomorrow morning and take my time figuring out what I should do with the afternoon. Shall I watch television? Read a book?" (She knows this cuts me the  most). "Or maybe I'll take a long nap. I mean, the summer is ten weeks long but will it be enough?"

Finally, we catch up with one another via cell over a summer weekend. "I would ask what you've been doing," I say sarcastically, "but I know you've probably just been eating bon bons. Surely you can't begrudge me my latte when it's clear I'm developing a vitamin D deficiency from living under flourescent lights." 

"Oh, cry me a river," she laughs. "If you think a teacher's schedule sounds so easy, just imagine spending every day rushing through 30 minute lunches, surrounded by runny-nosed kids asking you to help them open their ketchup packets. You think your kids demand your time? Imagine hearing your name called all day from all directions."

This final retort shuts me up. Some days I can hardly portion out my own kids' food and endure the subsequent rounds of, "Where's my napkin?", "I dropped my fork," "But mine has mustard on it," and, "Ewww, what's that?" as I try to gulp down my own meal.  I would simply never make it long-term in the early childhood environment.

Thank goodness for all the educators out there, including my old roommate.  These are the pillars of society who provide instruction, maintain order, and build the structure. We parents can reinforce the kids and challenge them to learn, but it's the teachers who are tasked with explaining abstract concepts and keeping a classroom of individual minds engaged for hours every day. And of course there are the ketchup packets.

When you consider all that, it's apparent the school breaks are well deserved.  

 

A friend tipped me off to the Birmingham Arts Journal recently. Where have I been to have missed noticing this lovely publication?  It has a carefully curated selection  of passages, poetry, art and photographs. It's also available in it's entirety via web. What a perfect pick-me-up for when a BirminghamMom needs a short mental break from the usual routine. 

The editors describe their efforts better than I ever could:

The Birmingham Arts Journal is published by passionate volunteers, who believe that exceptional works by the famous, not-yet famous, and never-to-be famous deserve to be published side by side in a beautiful and creative setting.

Isn't there something comforting about knowing even the "never-to-be" famous have a forum for us to find and enjoy their work? There are some delightful pieces here, with several that had me imagining what interesting company their authors might be. Collectively, these guys would have to make for a fascinating cocktail party.

One artist had originally wished to be a photographer but was discouraged by the fierce competition in the field, so she pursued another love - neurology (?!) - and practiced at UAB before taking a leave to pursue her interest in photography once again. I can only imagine how refreshing it was for her to take a respite from her field to photograph umbrellas on the beach (p. 25). Did she giggle when she realized she was out of a lab coat and in flip-flops for the moment? Admit it, don't we all harbor a desire to pursue another interest one of these days? And is the Pro-Am golf tour the universal fantasy among husbands?

If the web version isn't as satisfying as an old fashioned paper-and-glue one, you can purchase a copy for only $5 (the equivalent of every fast-food value meal right now) at Reed Books, 2021 Third Ave. North, or the Marilyn Wilson Gallery in Forest Park. A $20 donation will entitle you to the next four issues.

The Birmingham Arts Journal also accepts submissions for consideration. If you've been quietly harboring your own alter-ego artist, poet, photographer, or writer, why not submit your work? If your work is published, you'll receive a free copy of the journal that includes your submission. Then you'll be the toast of your next cocktail party!

 

There's a song out that your kids have heard even if you haven't. The lyrics include, "..Shush your lips...do the Helen Keller, and talk with your hips."  The remaining lyrics aren't - to use an old-fashioned term - "wholesome," even if the tune is catchy. The video has also spawned some controversy over the dancing (eyes shut, off beat). But if I could get my hands on the band that sings this song, I would first make them apologize for insulting Ms. Keller, then I would haul them up to Tuscumbia's Ivy Green, where they would learn a thing or two about an Alabamian who accomplished more than their disco-beat minds can imagine.

During a visit Ivy Green over the summer, it occurred to me that I've probably never fully appreciated what Helen Keller had to overcome and what she ultimately achieved. Consider:

No Americans with Disabilities Act in those days. You were on your own with a special needs child in those days, and no IEP (Individual Educational Plan) or counselor was going to offer you suggestions or options on how to manage. How fortunate for Helen that her family had the means to provide a skilled, personal teacher like Anne Sullivan for her. What future Helen Keller is out there now, who with access to resources can unlock a fully functional, joyful life? 

A Miracle Worker. Only an elite few are gifted with the patience to work every day with children, let alone those who have already been written off as hopeless cases. Helen's teacher, Annie Sullivan, didn't have a pre-made lesson plan to whip out and follow with Helen; she had to improvise and even stand up to her employer, Helen's doting parents. She forgave Helen's naughty pranks on her - Helen famously locked Sullivan in a closet for hours - and went on to sign EVERY LETTER OF EVERY WORD OF EVERY LESSON into Helen's hand for the duration of her education. Think about that when you are asked to read Goodnight Moon yet again.

Limited educational options. Helen was the first deaf/blind person in the U.S. to graduate college. She didn't attend just any university, but Radcliffe, which was Harvard's counterpart for women. She had the same entrance exams as any other student, yet she and Annie had to arrange most of their own coping strategies (you couldn't say they received many accommodations) for Helen to complete her studies. It was unexpected and rare for a woman to attend college at all during those times, let alone a deaf/blind woman.

Personal Setbacks. During preparatory school, Helen was accused of plagiarism. She had apparently memorized a story that had been read to her as she was first learning to sign and then written portions of it as her own. This was a serious accusation and agonizing for Helen, as she was forever paranoid that she had taken something she had read and remembered it as her own original idea. Although she was found innocent of intentionally copying the story, she never wrote fiction again. It turns our her real life is more remarkable than fiction, anyway.

A cause greater than self. Helen and Annie Sullivan worked tirelessly for the American Foundation for the Blind, their means of making a living, and Helen was instrumental in having braille recognized as the world's standard system for reading and writing for people with vision loss.  

Medical care. Helen's blindness and deafness were  illness-induced and might have been avoided had she had the advances in medicine that we have today. Would she have stretched her intellect, developed her strong determination, or even experienced life as fully? We will never know. Many in similar circumstances would surely have given in to despair. Not Helen, her parents, or her teacher.

So there you go. Apparently the writers of the aforementioned song only know of Helen Keller as a deaf and blind historical figure with a convenient four-syllable name that suited their lyrics. These guys need to read The Story of My Life while they ride their tour bus. If there is anything that's telling, it's that Helen Keller's name is still recognizeed in a Top 40 song 40 years after her death. Hopefully some kids will be spurred to find out more about her.

Make sure your own kids don't grow up to be ignorant of Helen Keller's life and accompplishments. Besides the lesson they receive in school,  discuss Helen with them at home , look up some of her inspiring quotes,and plan to take the short trip (2.5 hours) to Tuscumbia and Ivy Green when you have an opportunity. Helen's life is a testament to how determination can help any individual overcome even the most difficult of circumstances.  

 

"Surely God didn't give me this much good taste and no budget to satisfy it," laments a friend of mine who can spot a Barbara Barry side chair from 100 feet away. Both of us have a shameful habit of trolling real estate websites just to see the interiors, and we can't even swap shelter magazines because we've each already torn out the best pages. This is the kind of friend I can call from a showhouse tour and mutter words like "Cashmere...ebonized... custom..." and she will get just as excited as I me.

The fascination with grand homes and furnishings has served as inspiration for many a makeover, project, or upgrade in our own houses. While she would probably prefer to buy what she wants outright, I rather like the process of creating something with disparate pieces from unconventional (read: cast-off) sources. At least in my case, I don't have to mourn too long over an unfortunate spill or scratch, which I've learned to expect at every extended family gathering.

If you're a BirminghamMom with a similar fascination for home furnishings (or just need a dose of inspiration now and then), you should have these resources on your radar:

Birmingham Home and Garden Magazine - a glimpse inside area homes that defy the conventional, off-the-shelf looks; the magazine usually hosts a showhouse featuring area builders and suppliers

Birmingham Magazine - always a section on a local home, neighborhood or nearby vacation house

Independent Presbyterian Church Holiday Home Tour - a must, usually the first weekend in December. The church building itself is trimmed out in beautiful greenery and ribbons for the holidays, and the homes are breathtaking. I never miss!

ASO Decorators' Showhouse - every spring a decorators' showhouse benefits the Alabama Symphony Orchestra. These are entertaining to view and always have unique features, either by virtue of the house itself or unique paint treatments and furnishings. These can lack cohesion, with every decorator seemingly outdoing the next, but there are always plenty of good ideas.

Southern Living Magazine - Need I even mention SL? It's the holy writ of the Southern viewpoint, and most ideas are obtainable. It's worth home delivery just to avoid all the subscription ads embedded on the website - and of course, to have your own copy to dog ear and file. (Confidential to the Editors: I volunteer my home as your laboratory.)

Southern Accents - Sooo sophisticated, and a great way to see what the fashionable homeowners in Dallas/New Orleans/Richmond are doing these days.

Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles Magazine - 'Fess up that you've wandered outside our lovely hamlet to take in the arts, culture, and shopping that is to be had in our sister city. This publication lets you peek inside sleek condos and fabulous estates, and it is a wonderful guide for shopping when you crave a little road trip.

Maybe we don't all have the budget to satisfy our tastes, but at least we can dream. As Barbar Barry herself says, "It's not how much we have but how the things we have enhance our lives." A good reminder about our things, whether they come out of a packing crate or from the thrift store.

 

 

There's never a truly convenient time to renew your driver's license, but if you're a BirminghamMom in Jefferson County, now is surely the worst time. Since the county placed many of its employees on administrative leave due to a funding crisis, your visit to the courthouse or license office promises an exasperating experience. If you thought your last license photo was unflattering, just wait until your expression is captured after a three-hour wait in line.

You should know that you have options. You do not need to renew your driver's license in Jefferson county; you can go to any office that processes renewals as long as you meet the standard criteria. Shelby County has two convenient offices, one on Hwy 280 in the Inverness Corners Shopping Center, and one in Pelham that is left off exit #242 from I 65 South. 

If you can swing it, it's worth getting to either office before lunch or the late afternoon rush. Hours are from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The Inverness office mercifully has a television mounted on the wall so you can view the news as you wait (and watch media coverage of the long lines just up the road in Jefferson county).