Pool Party

This photo captures perfectly why a 45-year-old woman has her birthday party at a pool. And she does so every year.

I am that 45-year-old woman. Nothing makes me happier than children at a pool. These are my children. I was in hospital rooms holding their parents when they were born. I was at their first birthday parties. I was the friend who was called when their parents were at their wits’ end. To them, I am Lala and Sloanie and Aunt Sloane. I love them all deeply.

There are only two of my children missing from this photo, and they are my nieces who live in Chicago. I miss them on my birthday, but I swim with them when I can throughout the year.

Birthdays are awesome, but pool parties with children are out of this world. I find that I have infinite patience when I am soaking in chlorinated water in bright sunshine. I will play “monkey in the middle” and throw gutter balls for hours. I will stand with my feet at the distance of my shoulders and be a “bridge” that can be swum through. I will throw diving sticks in random formation for “lung capacity competitions”. I will be an “island” in deep water for kids to cling to, and I will always hoot and holler for dives and impressive jumps from a diving board – the low one or the high one. I will do all these things, and not just on my birthday.

And, on non-party days when I’m at the pool for R&R, I can easily fall asleep on a lounger to the sounds of children splashing. General pool noise can lull me into a welcome nap.

My friend Andy said it perfectly this year when he stated, “Weren’t we just here?” And I shared his pain with how fast the years are rolling around for all of us. I cherish my day at the pool with my family, and I soak up every minute of it.

Sloane

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Lucky Update

Last weekend, I wasn’t able to attend what I just knew was going to be a fantastic fundraising event. The Coterie Theatre holds their annual fundraiser every year in early July, and it always seems to collide with my husband’s family reunion. I have never been able to go. Ever.

I was there in spirit. stuff trumped me, though: stuff was there in the form of two foot tall fully-lit carnival letters. I’ve written about them before, but the back story on how these letters became a part of the Lucky Lounge at the Coterie event is one of my favorites to tell.

My friend Jeff Church is the Producing Artistic Director at Coterie Theatre, and I met him for the first time 13 years ago in the T-shirt sales tent at AIDS Walk. Here was this happy, smiling man who had sparkling eyes, and he was very spirited and passionate about the cause. I immediately liked him. I’ve learned, as the years have gone by, that the tent he has worked in every year at the Walk is know for its “early in the day” cocktails. The tent I work in features Lamar’s donuts and Jell-o shots; his serves mimosas, bloody Mary’s, etc. Maybe that explains a bit of his “spirit”, but probably not.

So…early in 2009 I was out in front of the store setting up a new window with Casey. Jeff walked by and stopped in his tracks – and not just to talk. He was mesmerized by the letters Casey was hanging on the other side of the glass. He mentioned right then that the Coterie was doing a show in summer 2010 called “Lucky Duck”. He wondered out loud what the possibility was of borrowing these letters for their fundraiser in 2010. Now, here is where retailers and theatre producers are a bit different. Retailers see 12 months ahead, and theatre directors go even farther, planning whole seasons of shows 18 months in advance. He sees seats full of people at great shows taking away great memories, and we see everything we bring in walking out the door in the hands of happy customers.

I said, “No problem.” I knew it was highly likely that we would sell the letters long before then, but I was certain we could order in what we needed to fulfill his wish.

One month later, I was sitting in one of the Coterie’s sold out shows and knew a call to Jeff was in my future. I wasn’t looking to talk to the top dog because I was having a bad experience – not at all. I was just right then needing to know if stuff could borrow some of the set pieces and backdrops from “The Breakfast Club” when the set was struck.

The very next day on the phone, he said, “No problem.”

Our back to school window last fall was amazing, and his event last weekend was successful. I adore Jeff. Our friendship suffers from no problems.

Sloane

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Ellen G

A few days ago, I posted a blog about the weird connections my brain makes when I see something curious. (Poisonous Snakes = My Love Life). It made me giggle. But, in case you think I don’t also make happy connections upon random discoveries at rest stops, here is another quick connect from my travels this summer.

Vases of Flowers at a Rest Stop in Paducah, Kentucky = Ellen G.

Ellen is one of our amazing stuff team members. Her life plans include working for us until we (she, Sloane and I) are in need of false teeth and walkers. And our life plans include her keeping that promise.

Ellen is an avid gardener. She finds limitless joy in her garden, and she has the gardener hands to prove it. She is also a kind, warm, thoughtful and sharing woman with limitless generosity, so, if you work at stuff, on your birthday you will always find a small vase of flowers from her garden waiting for you.

I have no doubt that a person with a soul as good as Ellen’s is spending time at the Whitehaven Welcome Center, Historic Site and Rest Stop.

Casey

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Glue Gun Gary & The Vickster

Yesterday, I was hanging out at Starfish Co. in Cortez, Florida, having one of my all-time favorite meals – the Shrimp Box with extra hushpuppies, an order of clams to start, and a cold Corona Light with lime. I was half-heartedly reading a Country Living magazine (damp and wrinkled from being shoved in the bottom of the beach bag all morning) when I happened upon a feature about rope decorative items. And I was struck with a great memory of my dad and his sidekick in life, “The Vickster” (my stepmom).

Yup, my dad has a knack for interiors, and he loves to use adhesives. And my stepmom is addicted to home magazines.

It was many, many years ago when my dad purchased a lake home at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for our family to enjoy. And I learned at that time that it is pretty common to buy vacation homes furnished.

Now, how do I put this nicely? This home was not furnished with the “Simmons Aesthetic”. There was a whole lot of brown – and not the “good” brown. But who in the world is going to march out and buy all new furnishings for a weekend lake home for use by a family of adult children, their kids, your friends, and a small kennel of dogs? Not this handy dude.

My dad took it upon himself to whip that place into shape. With family labor, he managed to paint everything he could in white, off-white and cream. He broke down and re-carpeted the joint (again off-white – not a popular choice with the family, but it did brighten the place up). After he gave a bunch of junk away (designers call this “editing”), he was ready for some decorative character.

So he went out and bought a huge amount of raw rope and his favorite adhesive for the job, and he meticulously (he does everything meticulously) wrapped and glued the rope around a large vase-like lamp that was pretty darned awful looking. No doubt with plenty of “guidance” from his trusty pardner. And I’ll be damned if it didn’t turn out great. Who knew it could have been featured in Country Living magazine?

If memory serves, I did hear him admit that it would have been cheaper to buy a new lamp, since it took a lot more rope than he initially thought. And I think I heard him mumble, “I will never do that again.” But what’s the fun in that?

I promise to get a photo of the rope lamp for y’all soon. But, in the meantime, I’m on island time.

Casey

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Beware of Poisonous Snakes

I love to travel. The sheer randomness of where my mind wanders fascinates me. I saw this sign at a rest stop and thought it was funny.

I went back to the car to get my camera. And, as I was taking the shot, all I could think about was my love life.

Casey

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And Vice Versa

It’s an age-old dilemma…does art mimic nature, or does nature mimic art?

Today, while reading my July National Geographic magazine, I was unable to get past the article about the bower birds of Australia. It was mesmerizing and amazing at the same time. It struck me that these birds must share studio space with Andy Goldsworthy. My sister Casey has been on an Andy Goldsworthy binge lately, so he’s been in the forefront of my mind by professional and general sisterly osmosis.

My age-old dilemma, however, has been this: How am I going to afford to visit all the places in the world and see all the places and things that must be seen with the human eye – like bower birds in their habitat?

Here is an Andy Goldsworthy work of art.
Here is a great bowerbird's piece of art.

Wow. Thank God for magazines.

Sloane

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Copyright Casey Simmons and S. Sloane Simmons. People who steal other people's words & thoughts are asshats. Don't be an asshat.