Completely Random - or not.

 

Above: My Old North art classroom 2023, my special ed classroom at Westview Middle in 2021.

Change is constant. Episodic as my life continues to be, I keep stumbling into joyfulness. So I just have to think the ups and downs are the way things have to be. Knowing what I have endured, I tend to embrace change. Even if it makes me a bit uncomfortable (especially if it makes me uncomfortable). 

My nephew JV asked me to cooperate with his almost 15 year old daughter for her assignment to inverview an adult (over 50). He encouraged her to pick me as her subject. She did. She was nervous about conducting the interview as she knew more of me than about me. Anticipating the session, I became a bit reflective. "How did I get to this place in time?" I wondered. Does the sum of the parts really equal the whole person? Is it more complicated than that?

I was having lunch with my golfing pal on Saturday after a round of early Sping Golf, when I bumpled into an old friend who happens to be a talented artist. I met him when he moved to Saint Louis from England more than twenty years ago. John had, among other things, designed an album covers for the rock n roll band Boston. That encounter triggered my own personal connection with the band as a recurring soundtrack. I frequented a roller rink in Miami during my undergraduate years. "More than a Feeling" was a perfect tune for me as I cruise the roller rink pondering the future.

  

 

My brother Greg was captured in a Miami department store (Burdine's I think) for a skin care demonstration and newspaper story about the same era as when I was a regular at the Roller Rink (listening to among others, the rock n roll of Boston). Funny, he always had a cigarette in those days.

I have an offer to resume as Art Teacher at Old North Academy even as I have mixed feelings about this year before Spring break. Flattering but a little thankless too. Anyway, they're giving me a generous 15 days to think about the offer. (I might give them more than 15 days to think about thier offer.) 

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them" - Henri Matisse. 

Lawton's Poem

 

My Poem

The World 

by Lawton

As the flowers grow.

Leaves fall.

Roots in the ground.

Wind blows.

World is beautiful.

The end. 

Lawton at Camp Sea Gull in Arapahoe, NC this summer (2023) turned 7 and sent home a poem. 

Go Kid Go.

AMA of Saint Louis Golf Classic 2023

AMA Wes Morgan Classic 6-30-23

Photo: Tom Shaughnessy, Marco Tocco, Bob Mogley, Rowdy Jones

The annual golf outing on or around July 4^th is a AMA Saint Louis Chapter tradition. This is one of those years when the weather will challenge the heartiest of golfers. It’s 100 degrees, sunny and clear. We have a shotgun start at noon designed to allow for a quick nine holes. Golfers are treated to lunch when they check in and golfers are briefed on the format – stroke play with prizes for low net, closest to the pin (#2 and #9) and long drive (#8), but mostly the object is to have fun.

Dave Cox served as leaderboard supervisor, entering scores to the final tally at the end. Dave also did an excellent job of acting as Master of Ceremonies in Air Conditioned comfort of the break room after the players completed the round. Michael Elliot of UMSL went low and might have won it all with a round of 41 but Randy Niederer’s card shows a score of 40. Dave Cox once again captured the long drive prize while Randy got closest to the pin on #9.

The eclectic foursome of Tom Shaughnessy, Marco Tocco, Rowdy Jones and Palie Bob Mogley should have gotten the award for best-dressed. (Those guys always look like they are tour professionals.) The University of Missouri - Saint Louis marketing club president and a group of student colleagues came out. We also saw institutional/faculty leaders Perry Drake and Michael Elliott from UMSL. Eric Rhiney represented Webster University. Chapter Leaders Dave Shogren, Nick Niehaus, Hannah Frisch, Mark Denk, Joe Maddock, Wes Morgan and others participated and/or helped with details of sponsor signage, goody bags, cart pairings and more.

AMA was especially grateful for hole sponsors Beanstalk Web Solutions, Sneller Creative, KolbeCo, Companion Kombucha, 5K Printing Solutions and U S International Foods.  

 

   

Wanamassa vs. Matawan Fathers' Day

 

Samson's team, the Wanamassa Surge is pumped for the championship game versus the Matawan Huskies. Samson is James' cousin and he's one year ahead of James in school. He is in first grade. The big game is on Father's day. The game will be a home field advantage for Wanamassa at Colt's Field. 

The Huskies bring walk up music and intimidating black uniforms to psych out thier foes. Both teams show that they have skill and are well coached to work as a team. Both teams are learning to throw and catch and think about plays. All players are swinging for the fences in hopes of bringing in runs. 

Samson's fan section is significant and includes mom (Autumn), dad (Perry), maternal grandmother (Virginia) and her husband (Greg). Greg is a convenient substitute for our broadcast booth since he is familiar with the rules in this league of first graders and is paying close attention the the score that can ramp up quickly due to fielding errors of these developing stars. 

   

This Father's Day began with a round of golf with Samson's dad (Perry) and my son (Ben) and me (Wes) at the William F. Larkin Golf Course at Colonial Terrace. Perry was an accomplished ball player in college and a D-3 College World Series Campion. The Samson fan base included his mom (Autumn) and Dad (Perry) along with Perry's parents, paternal grandparents Deborah and David Schatzow and our matriarch (great grandmother Toby Stevens). Samson's cousin James Morgan was there too - with his mom (Allison) and dad (Ben). 

James was part of the fan section but distracted by thoughts of so many activities this week, the last week of Kindergarten. Maternal Grandmother (Jean) and paternal Grandfather Papa Wes, that's me - James' dad's dad). Among the things James has on his mind this week: School Field Day/Picnic, Lemonade Day, Ice Cream Day, and more. 

The Surge was poised and played excellent defence in spite of the score reaching a tie at 9-9. The Surge got the lead of 14-9. The rules resulted in the Huskies having the last at bat but the Surge showed how well they were coached - staying focused and poised and defending thier win. 

Father-Son photos and excited players and fans erupted but only after both teams showed judgement and class of shaking hands. Congrats to Samson and the Surge and the opposing team the Matawan Huskies. 

  

 

  

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Magnolia Marine – Golf, Crawfish and Benbow City Shuffle

 

Golfer Band: Tom Shaughnessy, Dave Cox, Rowdy Jones, Wes Morgan and Marco Tocco

Dave Shogren’s band, Benbow City Shuffle has a gig on May 5, 2023 at Cloverleaf Golf Course in Alton, Illinois. It seems like an ideal time to get the “band” back together. Magnolia Marine Transport is incredible corporate sponsor of the event. It is a Friday that feels like a holiday and it includes Dave (the Benbow City Shuffle base player with lovely roadie-wife Linda) and another Dave (Rowdy Golfer). I have been fortunate with a number of friends named Dave in my episodic life. Dave the base player and incoming American Marketing Association Saint Louis chapter president and Dave the founder of Sandbox Creative are part of this day’s amazing confluence of events.

The “band” of golfers is Rowdy Jones, Tom Shaughnessy, Dave Cox and Wes Morgan. This metaphorical band of brothers share a bond that dates back decades to Rowdy Golf Weekends at the Lake of the Ozarks (beginning circa 2001). Our foursome recalls old memories while we manufacture a batch of new ones. This time, we’ve invited “studio musician” a la Billy Preston - Marco Tocco. A couple of marketing professors from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis were slated to join us too. (The UMSL team couldn’t make it due to some academic politics, however, called for their leadership and attention. Perry Drake PhD and Michael Elliott – you were missed.)

Michael Elliott, UMSL Marketing professor warned me that this course had small greens and tight lies. He was right. But the two-man scramble format with Marco Tocco as 50/50 bonus player assured that both of our teams amounted to above par play and exceptional camaraderie. I wish Dr. Drake could have been there to compare stories of broken bones and surgery endurance and recovery with with Marco.

 

The forecast was 90% chance of rain. I am somehow blessed this year, however, as rain was not a factor in Alton, Illinois this day. The sun even came out as our shotgun start on #14 meant that we finished with a smiles and multiple shot attempts to make the par 3 to a short 120 yard island green. It wasn’t Sawgrass but it felt like we were all gunning for spots on the PGA or maybe the LIV tour. 

Generous portions of sides and crawfish alternatives were served as families, girlfriends and kids joined in the picnic atmosphere in the sunshine. At about 4:00 Benbow City Shuffle entertained on the patio with breaks for two raffles – one for kids (toys and games) and the second for adults (electronics, 55” TV sets, and more).

Benbow City Shuffle with guest harmonica player from Magnolia Marine play on patio at Cloverleaf Golf Course in Alton, Illinois. That's Dave Shogren on base, Rich Stewart on keyboards, golden throated Al Funk on harmonice and, for this performance, Paul Jarvis on the drums.

I continue to live a life of good fortune, amazing friends and some sort of divine intervention. God, I am grateful!

Forget-me-not Grammy Lawton

 

Please send me some information about your state as I am studying it in school.

This was essentially the content of the letter I wrote to dozens of state capitals when I was in 5^th grade (around 1966-67). It was not technically true that the St Luke School curriculum included any particular focus on one state or another. I just somehow discovered that such a letter would generate a variety of cool stuff via the U. S. Mail. I was just thrilled at the activity generated. I would get books on tourism, copies of state constitutions, stickers, state flags, maps, premium items and lots of other fun stuff in response. It doesn’t take much to impress a pre-teen in the mail, I guess.

In any event, I was well prepared for a school assignment that was to be about a state of our choice. The assignment coincided with the week of my maternal grandmother’s wake. Mom was determined to honor her mom with an Irish style celebration of life at our house on Edgewater Drive. So. Guests arrived in our living room as I positioned my collection of facts and images for a graphically outstanding presentation of our 49^th state with a nice map showing the locations of the state capital (Juneau) and Alaska’s biggest city (Anchorage).

The readers of my report would be treated to bonus information on the state flower (Forget-me-not) and amazing facts about the Kodiak bear (the unique subspecies of a brown or Grizzly bear).

Grammy Lawton lived with us at the end of her life and suffered from dementia but she has a light that still shown in my mother’s eyes as she greeted people from the community ranging from Lakewood Little Theater (now the Beck Center) and Morgan Studio (dad’s business founded in 1951) and lifelong friends (some of whom may have attended the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan at St, James in Lakewood on  December 19, 1942). 

Love Dem Kids

 

My daughter is amazing. My Son is amazing. They have both found partners in marriage and live amazing lives. They both have boys born in  2016 (a vintage year if you ask me).