Everything’s up to date in Kansas City–For the 2012 All Star Game

July 10, 2012: the American and National Leagues’ best players compete in the 83rd All Star Game, right here in Kansas City.  If you live here, you just can’t avoid the excitement.  Cowtown has always been in love with sport–and celebrations of all sorts. We also love to show off our city.  The best of all worlds for us.

Kansas City is all spiffed up to look its best for the athletes, their wives, the fans and the tourists who have blessed our fair city with their presence, and their dollars.  And everything is blue.  Bright blue.  Fountains on the Country Club Plaza, Barney Allis Plaza and at Crown Center spew out vivid blue water.

The last All Star game in Kansas City was in 1973.  The National League won.  39 years later, we are ready to again host this spectacular event.  In fact 3 days of special events are being scheduled throughout the Kansas City to Plaza corridor, all of the places that most symbolize our home town spirit.  Well, and Kauffman Stadium, of course!

Hotels in and around Kansas City are full.  Streets on the Plaza began to close by late afternoon Sunday in preparation for Tuesday’s parade. This giant baseball sits on Wornall Road, adjacent to Michael Kors, on the Plaza.  It is directly on the route of the All star parade scheduled Tuesday afternoon.

Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers and Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants face each other as starting pitchers.  Kansas City’s only home town player is Billy Butler.  But every Royals fan will be rooting for him.  Kauffman Stadium is all dressed up and ready to take center stage.   There is so much energy in the air.

Kansas City takes great pride in showing off our wonderful city during the festivities.  Not only are key intersections labeled with All Star regalia, even fire hydrants have been painted for the occasion, blue of course.

There are decorations on store windows, intersections and even a bit of whimsy on the lamp poles.  As the day ends Monday, it is quiet on the Plaza.  The entertainment tonight is at Kauffman Stadium.The game culminates tomorrow’s events.

Even the elegant Intercontinental Hotel has succumbed to baseball fever, and shares the frenzy for royal blue.

Take us out to the ballgame!

Are we making wise decisions about our charitable contributions?

   [1]

Hopefully, each of us has a charitable heart.  Whether we support educational programs, the arts, disabled veterans, disaster relief, Native Americans, or (name your own favorite cause), we want our charitable moneys to be well spent.  So, the question is, how do we make good decisions about our charitable contributions.

I took this photograph of my dog in an attempt at a little levity.  But it is a significant matter.  Charities and foundations solicit and receive millions of dollars a year from caring contributors like ourselves.

I could set up a charity, comply with the legal requirements and begin to solicit contributions for Kansas City dogs like Casey who have sustained minor injuries.  I could pay myself a salary and an expense account and give nearly nothing for the care of injured animals.  Would anyone contribute?  I hope not, since organizations like Wayside Waifs do such a great job of caring–and finding forever homes–for dogs and cats like Casey.  As evidenced by the fact that Casey is a product of that wonderful organization.

Over $300 billion dollars a years is contributed annually to U.S. charities.  That is an amazing outpouring of generosity from individuals and corporations.  As staggering as the amount of money, we can’t afford to have any of that money wasted.  But it is likely that millions of our dollars fall through the cracks.

All of us have seen, heard or read the tragic stories of human or animal suffering accompanied by a request for money?  I have received solicitations from charities enclosing pennies, dollar bills or a piece of a blanket, accompanied by a request for a contribution.  More important, my 97 year old father has: over, and over, and over again.  Often the same charity sends mailings on a weekly basis.  Sometimes charities with different names, but the same return address, solicit contributions from unknowing but caring individuals–like my dad, who gives generously, but (sorry dad) not always cautiously.  But seriously, why would any charity take my contribution and use my money to send pennies or dollars or trinkets to other potential donors?

Anderson Cooper recently did a special entitled Charity Cheats.   He focused on investigations conducted through AC 360, his program, and research conducted by CNN’s Drew Griffin and David Fitzpatrick.  He focused on charities and fundraising organizations that solicit and collect millions of dollars, but provide almost no funding for services. Primarily, Cooper focused on  the high cost of building mailing lists, and the abuse of in-kind gifts to intended recipients of charitable dollars.

In addition to the abuses on which Anderson Cooper has focused his attention, there are  also charities that pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries to key employees.  A few have been targeted for having huge financial holdings, vast amounts of real estate and supporting elaborate lifestyles for their founders and employees. If these claims are true, how do we protect ourselves from the abuses addressed by Cooper, and others?

Before you open your checkbook to make a contribution to a charity about which you have little information, beware. Most organizations work hard to squeeze every penny out of the donations they receive.  But a few, large and small, are very poor stewards of our money.  So what to do? Find out about charities to which you wish to donate. Numerous watchdog agencies offer assistance in helping us spend our money carefully.  Among them are The Philanthropic Advisory Service of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the American Institute for Philanthropy, GrantSmart, GuideStar, the National Charities Information Bureau and Charity Navigator. Their methodologies may differ, but they provide information not easily available from other sources.

For many of us, the adage to “put your money where your mouth is” may be the best advise.  When we contribute our time and our money to the same organization, we significantly increase the chances that our money is well spent.  When our goal is provide assistance outside of our own areas of knowledge, looking to the wisdom of experts on evaluating charities may be the best way to protect our contributions and those we seek to benefit.

The opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily represent the opinions of our families, our friends or our employers.  Obviously, Anderson Cooper and the investigative reporters at CNN take seriously the issues in “Charity Cheats” and similar reports.   


[1]Casey was obviously an unwilling model for my photo-shoot.  Hard as I tried to get him to appear in distress, he was having none of it.

Water, Water Everywhere, in San Francisco Bay….But a precious resource, indeed

It’s a beautiful part of the world. San Francisco Bay has become our new home this last year, and we’ve loved exploring the area. Last week we took the Larkspur Ferry into the city, and seeing the water and beautiful views reminded me of why I care so much about the health of the environment and protection of our natural resources.

Many of our dinner conversations lately have circled around one of the most precious natural resources: water. With all the water that surrounds us here…the bay, the ocean, the rivers…it is easy to forget how important it is to conserve water. In California, our water bill is by far our highest priced utility. It costs so much because there are so many people in California who draw from a rather limited water supply. It makes me wonder, do people really pay attention to their water usage? When taking a shower, does someone turn on the water and wait 5 minutes for it to get to just the right temperature? What about landscaping. When designing the layout for the front yard, does someone in California choose local plants and landscaping that doesn’t require an excessive amount of water, or lush grass that requires water every other day? These have all been on my mind lately.

I imagine this will be an ongoing discussion for me, so I encourage you to include your thoughts. I am also interested to know how people feel about water usage in different parts of the U.S., or even the world.

I encourage you to take note of the amount of water you use in a day, and see where in your routine you might be able to save a gallon or ten. If everyone made an effort to conserve water, and only use what they needed, surely we could better protect such a precious resource.

Redwoods and the California Coast

My husband’s younger brother, Derek, was out for a visit last week. It was his first time to California. Naturally, I wanted him to see the ocean, and maybe a few of the wonders the California Coast has to offer.

We started our day driving out D Street to Point Reyes Station. We turned South on Hwy 1, and down the coast we went. There is always a lot to see when driving the coastline, but here are a few of my favorites.

First, the view looking north from Muir Beach Outlook.

Next, we walked through Muir Woods, which is absolutely one of my favorite places out here. The trees are like giants. Some of them were even standing long before we declared our independence from Britain. Amazing.

I continue to be amazed at how much beauty surrounds us here in California. The views are stunning, the open spaces vast, and the magic of the redwoods truly humbling. I hope you are able to visit these amazing places, and appreciate them as much as I do.

Night lights from the American Restaurant

We were invited by friends to a special event at the American Restaurant in Crown Center, in Kansas City, Missouri.  It is one of Kansas City’s finest restaurants.

Alas, not expecting any need or desire for a camera, it didn’t occur to me to drag along my Nikon. And I could barely squeeze a lipstick and iPhone in my fancy (meaning tiny) evening bag.  I was facing the center of the restaurant.  Terry was beside me and had been talking with our host.  He suddenly pulled out his iPhone and took a photograph of the western sky.  If Terry noticed the view, I knew I needed to turn around to see what he discovered.  The sun had just set and there was still some light in the sky.  But the buildings were ablaze with color.  I dug out my own iPhone and took a series of photographs.  Here they are.

This is the sky looking North West from Crown Center toward the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. Directly below us there was a nearly deserted street fair with a sky-walk that weaves through the center of the image.

With my iPhone camera already at work, I turned back to the center of the restaurant and refocused my attention on the pattern of lights in the ceiling.

Finally, I became that another window reflected the lights of the American Restaurant. When nearly all the residual light was gone, I took a final series of photographs.

Funny that a lot of wonderful shots are just waiting to be noticed.

Independence Day–a day for reflection and fun

Two hundred thirty-six years ago The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress.  In that document the original 13 colonies declared their freedom from Great Britain.  It states, in part:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with                                            certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness…

Independence Day is a great day on which to remind ourselves of the privileges we hold dear and the sacrifices that have helped shape our nation and our national values.  For me it is a time for gratitude.

Hopefully, it is also a day for celebration: for fun, barbecues, laughter, and fireworks!

Have a safe and happy holiday.

________

The American flag was photographed July 3 at the Liberty Memorial.  The fireworks were photographed July 3 during the Westwood, Kansas, fireworks display.  All the photographs were taken using my Nikon D5100 camera and Tamron 18-270 zoom lens.  I am trying to learn the secrets of my camera.  I took lots of shots of a nearly limp or semi-limp flag before I finally was lucky enough to catch a couple of shots where the wind had opened the flag .  I had to try numerous settings to get the light and speed right to make it possible for me to catch the fireworks as they raced across the sky.  It will be years before I photograph fireworks with the skill to make it to PhotoBotos, but for now, I think these are fun.

They Say it’s Your birthday[1]—Have a good time

Good morning, Meg.  Happy July 3.  Happy birthday.   My wonderful daughter turns 29 years old today.  She is lovely, full of spunk and energy.  Meg loves taking on projects to make the world a better place and also to make her own world joyful.

This is the first time I haven’t been with you on your birthday.  Oh, my. I bought you presents.  They should arrive promptly today.  But something was missing.  Hmmm, what to do?  There needed to be more.  Something reminiscent of all the birthdays, we have spent together since your original birthday, when you were labeled the fire cracker baby, on July 3, 1983.
So I decided we needed a cake.  A special cake.  A birthday cake with pink hearts and ribbons and “Happy Birthday, Meg” written on its face.
So Meg, since you and Jake are in California, we had to party without you.  So we shared cake with the tennis group.  Terry and the tennis group send birthday greetings:
There was still cake left:
We went to dinner with Sherry and Mike.  They shared the cake and send their love:
By Monday there was just a bit of cake left.  Bob and Barb were delighted to share a piece of cake and to send you birthday greetings:
Aunt Sherry spent the night.  She sends her love and wishes you a wonderful birthday.  But she was too late to get any of the cake:

 Since you weren’t here, we celebrated without you.  Sorry you didn’t get to enjoy the cake.  Is it okay that we celebrated without you?
We all send our love.  Especially me.  Have a great birthday.  I miss you a bunch.  But I know you will have a great day with Jake, Auntie and Tio.  Love you.
Mumsy

[1] The Beetles

Election politics–Respecting our own values

It is July, Independence Day is just around the corner.  We are in the thick of a Presidential election campaign. Stories concerning President Barack Obama and his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, fill our newspapers, our television and radio stations and the internet news.

                                                                                                               NYDailyNews.com Samad/Getty

                                                                                                Washington Post  Charles Dharapak-AP

There are weeks you would swear that the insults and barbs are directed at an enemy nation, not at an individuals who are lead and/or seek to lead, this great nation.  Listening to the venom in the political debate, you would swear that neither candidate is fit to be President.  In fact, both of these men are good men.  They are flawed, as are we all.  Their values, and the values of their parties, may be different than yours and mine.  But they are not evil, incompetent or stupid.

Francis John McConnell, a bishop in the Methodist Church and president of DePauw University from 1909-1912, said it well:

“We need a type of patriotism that recognizes the virtues of those who are opposed to us”.

We are so fortunate to live in a country that values its citizens.  Our government is a model for the world.  We are so fortunate to live in a nation with a United States Constitution that speaks to fundamental rights such as freedom, democracy, liberty and the rule of law.  Wouldn’t our founding fathers weep at the level of venom directed at our government leaders; not only our Presidential candidates, but all levels of elected office (and this isn’t the day to talk about the election of judges.)

As fortunate as we are, and have been, our nation has serious problems, and we aren’t going to solve them by demeaning our government leaders through campaigns of hate.  And can’t we stop throwing insulting comments at family and friends who vote for “the other guy”.  Can’t we recognize their virtues?

Isn’t this a time to direct our attention to finding solutions to serious national problems: the economy, immigration policy, strengthening our position as a leader within the community of nations.  Can’t we look for answers together.  Can’t we set aside our anger long enough to find common ground and to focus on solving problems together rather than focusing on new ways to embarrass and harangue those with whom we disagree.  Can’t we make our leaders and each other look good, not bad?

Support the candidate of your choice.  Raise money, go door to door, help the processes of democracy work well.  But at the end of the day, can’t we just find each other’s virtues?

In this opinion we do not intend to speak for our employers, our spouses, our families or our friends.  

Good Morning Petaluma

I went for an early morning run the other day, right along the fence line on the east side of Petaluma. With everything going on lately, I find my morning runs to be the most relaxing.

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was coming up, the birds were chirping, and even the cows gave me a “good morning” nod as I passed by. I took this photo from my phone, right along my favorite running trail. It was a beautiful start to a beautiful day.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Welcome to our family: Caroline Marie Soper

She is a beauty.  I just have to say it!  Born at St. Luke’s Hospital on June 26, 2012, at 2:08 a.m., she didn’t make her entry into this family easy on mom or dad. As is always the case, mom (Dana) bore the brunt of it.  But dad (Jon) was also a trooper.  He was with Dana for the duration.

The maternity ward seemed full with just Caroline’s grandparents and step grandparents.  Caroline, of course, has no idea that she is the source of such joy for her parents and all the members of her extended family.  It will take her years to understand the traditions, stories and values that come with any family, and certainly ours.  It will take a lifetime for her to understand her own value to each of us and to the families of which she is a member.

Sweet Caroline.  Welcome to the family.  You have cousins, parents, grandparents, a great-grandfather, and aunts and uncles all waiting to meet you.  May your life be filled with love and happiness as you bring love  and happiness to us.