"To Peaceful Travels, Virtual & Face-to-face...." LauraWest's Profile

Time for a new photo! I had a winter scene from the Museum of Contemporary Art, here in St. Louis. I've just replaced my opening photo with one I took in November at the City Museum, also in St. Louis. You are looking at part of Beatnik Bob's Cafe. I have a tip on the City Museum, if you're interested.

We've had a lot of rain this Spring and early Summer. Plants are bigger than I have ever seen them before in my garden. Personally, I haven't suffered from flooding, but nearby along Missouri river towns and in Iowa and Indiana, flooding has done much damage. Nature has two sides, the beautiful and the destructive.

our cat on my bed

I have had an interesting life so far. From growing up just out side of Chicago, traveling around the USA as a teenager very cheaply, to being a single woman again these last five years and traveling as much as I can afford. Traveling inside my mind remains a daily pleasure. I love to explore new ideas and try to keep up on what inspirational ideas people around the globe are coming up with, to improve life with all the struggles we face. There is much to be concerned about, but some hope, too. Lack of clean water and basic health needs for so many millions of people and the minority have more than they need. And most of those want even more! do I include myself in this later group? I try to live simply, by reducing consumption of energy and new products. I make a lot of my food instead of buying overly processed foods with crazy amounts of additives & packaging. I buy used clothes and other things others don't want anymore. Try hard not to buy anything new, unless somebody made it by hand. But yes, I know there is more I can do for the environment and am trying to do it!

I am always trying to make my life what I want it to be. Right now I have a zillion projects going, it seems! But one needs to relax and reflect, too. I don't ignore that need. And my messy house will attest to that fact.

Life is good to me. When do I have time to travel though?? Not enough! But this old cottage/house eats a lot of my money (in maintainence & "fixing it up" projects), but I love my 5 room home and feel fortunate to have it.

I live with my youngest in an old suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, USA. I'm a mother of two daughters (21 & 26), a passionate gardener, a written word lover, lover of nature, wild animals, plants, trees, rocks and healthy food. I love art, and much more. I love to walk on many different surfaces on the planet and to float on the water. And I love to see new places.

I dream of peace for all the world. Nothing to kill or die for...imagine. I dream of a day when every child will be loved and respected. I dream of a world where there is no greed, where people respect each other, nature and the earth. Animals will not be raised for human food. ....and we learn to live in harmony, is it too late?

Free Concerts In St. Louis

St. Louis has a great music scene...come check it out! Here's the link for the free downtown Summer concerts - http://stlouis.missouri.org/ae/index.html I am making a new tip for the entertainment scene, so check it out!

I was at a Blues music festival on Sept. 1st, 2007, thinking...when I lived in California, they didn't have free concerts all the time, like they do here. What a great place for a music lover!

We are famous for our blues, but did you know we have just about every kind of music played here? If you want any tips on where to go, just ask me....

Forest Park Balloon Race

It is called the Great Forest Park Balloon Race and is held the third Saturday in September. I took this photo from a 16th floor balcony of a building across from the park. Most of the hot air balloons are still on the ground, at this point. This free event is very, very popular.

I posted a New tip about this event on my Saint Louis, Missouri pages and the event they hold the evening before, too. For my night photos, I should have had a tripod.

my heart is bleeding

This plant is part of the garden at my home. It grows in the Spring near my driveway, beside my house & now also, in front of my house. I divided a plant! I look forward to Spring when I will see it again and so many other amazing plants, too! Spring is my favorite season. What is yours?

Gene talking to Me!

When I read in the paper (June 7, 2005) that one of my all time fav actors, Gene Wilder, was going to be signing his new book while I was in London, I had to go! I waited in line, sitting on a carpeted floor ( not bad!), for about 90 minutes. I was so excited when I got up there. I got him to talk & look at me, too. I don't think most people got Gene to do that.

I really liked reading the memoir, too. Kiss Me Like a Stranger, it is called. I started it right there on the floor in the book store & finished it at home about 5 weeks later! Very interesting. Made me want to see all his films over again. I did borrow "Stir Crazy" & "Silver Streak"& that was fun. He writes about those 2 films, their creative process, etc. But the book is not just about his films at all. It explores his search for love & his inner demons. Anyone else love Gene?