Dread, because back-to-school meant battling for bargains with crowds of other moms grabbing at the same discounted items. When the eldest was little, we didn’t get the supply list until the first day of school, so we all converged on the stores on the same, first evening. Even with the lists available earlier now, there always were a few additions that I had to pick up that night.

My dread also stemmed from knowing that my children never would use some of those so-essential school supplies that year, i.e. the wooden colored pencils, compass or protractor.

My dread stemmed from knowing that any of the supplies, particularly the expensive calculators (one for math, one for science at the high school level) had a good chance of being stolen - and for good reason. It happened to my daughter when the teacher sent her on an errand outside the classroom and she had left the calculator on her desk. Smaller items routinely disappeared, even though I wrote their names on everything.

Dread, also, because the ads give our children the idea that last year’s backpack, gym shoes or wardrobe can’t possibly be good enough this year.

Underlying the dread was knowing that all the purchases and fees for three children all at once busted the budget every August, from kindergarten through college: registration fees; band fees; special (specific from either of two stores) gym wear with last name ironed on the bottom of the shorts and back of the T-shirt; lunchboxes; instrument rental; biology/science fees; sports fees; college tuition and activity fee; book purchases; residence hall/rent and food costs; field trip money; Kleenex for the class; backpack or gym bag; locker padlocks; parking tags, and on and on…

And that’s not counting the supplies…

Yes, it was fun to take the excited kids to school with their new backpacks and outfits, meet their teachers and see how many of their friends were in their classes. It was fun chatting with the other moms and hearing about their summers.

But, this is the first time since 1983 that I can take a breather from shelling out money for “back to school.” In fact, it’s a great feeling to sit out this buying season. I feel as though I’ve also “graduated,” along with my offspring and my checkbook.

What will it be next week?

The Food and Drug Administration has been tracing origin of the problem peppers, and now says they originated in Mexico. There’s a local interest because several people became ill after eating at an area Mexican restaurant, perhaps tainted peppers, forcing it to close several days.

Added to the earlier issue of poisonous Chinese pet food and toothpaste, I’m wondering if this latest problem with foreign ingestables is prompting people to more thoroughly question origins of their food. I hope so.

Two weekends ago, I made a round of three fruit and vegetable stands within a relatively close proximity of each other. At the first one, people disappointedly left after discovering the only home-grown tomatoes were little Romas, and the big round ones on display were from Arkansas. There was no sign proclaiming the tomatoes’ origin - just a state away from the then, suspect Texas tomatoes - and with just a tiny sticker on some of them. They also had a highly inflated price over the same fruit available at area grocery stores.

At the second stand, people were inspecting Arkansas tomatoes, also the only ones available. A young man was dumping a wooden crate of green beans onto a flat display, and looked at me oddly as I craned my neck to see what was stamped on the box. I told him I wanted to see where the beans came from (perhaps the next disease-carrying edible?) He said they were homegrown, and that the farmers just re-use crates. I was tempted to press further, as in: “Homegrown in whose field, in which state?” but I backed down.

An older couple wearing Illini shirts chimed in and said they, too, check where produce is coming from, as consumers can’t just assume it’s homegrown just because a roadside stand is selling the produce.

I finally lucked out at the third stand in my quest for homegrown tomatoes. “We only sell homegrown food here,” the young man said. They also have the best corn.

I don’t know if my completely unscientific observations are based on the popular “slow food” or “locavore” movements, or because of the current crop of tainted tomatoes, er peppers. It is interesting, though, to hear others’ concerns about where the food is grown, and prioritize buying local produce.

In keeping with that theme, and since we are in the so-called “dog days of summer,” the amusement appropriately enough can center around dogs and cats - and the candidates.

The funniest Website I’ve found related to this is: www.catsforobama.com. (I haven’t found a McCain counterpart). No matter your political preference, if you think cats are funny, it’s worth an online visit.

The site has a vertical gallery of photos that supporters of presumed Democratic candidate Barack Obama submitted in behalf of their furry “bosses,” who probably wouldn’t lift a paw to vote if they were allowed in the booth. Appropriately enough, the cats come in all colors, genders and breeds. Many of them appear to be more than well fed.

Space doesn’t allow for a lot of descriptions here, but it’s obvious there are some creative people out there who know how to use Photoshop as they cut and paste pictures of their cats on photos of Obama’s podium, in his arms and inside the campaign’s big logo. One cat snuggles inside a running jacket emblazoned with the official logo; Edna, a calico, has a sign that says, “I (heart) Barack Obama,” and another is “holding” a cloth doll of the Democrat. Other cats have small cloth dolls of Hillary Clinton, with various captions, including, “She just seems so fake.”

A black and white tuxedo cat is quoted: “As a skinny black cat with a funny name, Obama has given me hope for the future! Yes we can!” Clover is lying on her back, front paws curled back and ready with the caption: “Clover wants to fight for Obama.”

So much for the summer silliness about cats. Bring on the dogs.

On the doggy side, the writer of two blogs says if John McCain was a dog, he would be a pug, and Barack Obama would be a Great Dane:

 http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features…
 http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features…

The Websites show photos of the candidates and the two dog breeds to compare physical resemblances.

His case regarding McCain and pugs: “Pugs are decidedly square and cobby, with free, self-assured, jaunty gait and a perpetual expression of confused defiance on their wrinkly faces. They are even-tempered and stable, prone to snorting, and they love to have a good time. They can be clowns, yet they can also be dignified and charming, when the situation requires it. They can be docile one minute, highly animated the next. Pugs are intelligent, curious and loyal. They will do whatever it takes to get what they want, often using playful or clever tactics. They are rather independent, strong willed and even forceful for such a little dog, but they rarely show aggression. Tendency to bark, aggression and suitability as guard dog: Low

Posters responded by saying “no,” McCain is a pit bull or a cat.

Now for Obama and Great Danes: “A large and muscular breed, with a long rectangular head, a short coat and an appearance of being very noble and dignified. They can be fawn, black, blue, brindle or a combination of black and white in color. An intelligent and loyal dog that, with an experienced handler, can be trained for protection work. As they grow very quickly into a very large dog, their training has to start when they are young. They enjoy exercise and will happily go along with the family on their outdoor activities. They also enjoy spending time at home in front of the fire. The Great Dane is an affectionate dog — gentle and delicate, without being timid. They get along well with other dogs, household pets and children. They are ideally suited to the active family, preferably one living in a very large house. They are quick to alert the family of any strangers approaching their territory. Tendency to bark and aggression: Low. Suitability as guard dog: High.

Sometimes you just have to get silly to get through it all. Soon the campaigns will go back into high gear with the snapping and growling, so enjoy a few laughs now.

This is about the action, not the person.

I’m not interested in check presentations and people thumping their own chests, but simple acts of “paying forward” (as in the book and 2000 movie, that both are called Paying it Forward). The actions make someone else’s life easier, help an animal or Planet Earth, going beyond what is required by law, job or convenience. Ever drop an extra dime in someone’s parking meter that had expired? How about offering a dollar to a frazzled mother with whining children at a checkout lane who finds herself 90 cents short?

I’ll start by giving a shout out to a young man who parked next to the Berm Highway (River Heritage Parkway) shortly after 6:30 p.m. Thursday and waited as cars dodged a large, oblivious turtle stopped in the middle of the road. Its head was up, (probably wondering in its small brain what all those speeding chunks of rubber and metal were that steered around him) and I could see its massive arms.

I watched in my rearview mirror as I drove east and saw the man run out into the road, traffic clear, to the turtle-at-risk. Soon I was too far away to see if he saved the turtle from certainly being squished, but I think he intended to do so because he had the hatchback open on his small red car. Hopefully the turtle wasn’t a hissing, snapping variety that would not have been appreciative of the young man’s efforts.

That’s one example of a day-brightener. If I get a few contributions, they will be posted as comments at the bottom of my blog. If I get a lot of them, I might combine them in a new blog altogether. Let’s see.

Now it’s time to keep your eyes open and let me know what little good deeds you see in the greater Alton area.

Friends/Dunlap residents said this was the first time in their memories that the association put on this show and it amazed all of them. The show was so good that some neighbors were getting nervous about maybe being on the hook for a special assessment!

The fireworks were of the same quality of some towns’ shows - and even better in most instances. There were designs we had never seen, such as the long-lasting, streaming waterfall flowing low in front of the dam. The show lasted 35 to 40 minutes, and several times people began clapping when it appeared to have a grand finale. Then there was more. And more.

The darkness from Dunlap Lake, its thickly treed rim and lack of street light interference enhanced the fireworks’ colors and their brightness for spectators on the water. It was my first time to see fireworks while relaxing on a pontoon boat in the middle of a dark lake. The vantage point was perfect, and lots of fun to share with boaters. I’ll toss a rose to Manny, who kindly invited us to cruise on his pontoon.

Independence Day always was my favorite holiday as a child, with Dad churning up a batch of wonderful ice cream; cooking out on the grill; and then eating dinner on our picnic table covered in a red and white checkered oilcloth tablecloth. We finished up the night with our bottle rockets, sparklers and bigger “booms” if my cousin’s boyfriend came over with his arsenal. It was just an overall, fun holiday and I would love to go back there just one more time.

Years later, my favorite holiday provided another cause for celebration - I delivered my son July 4, 1982.

It’s nice to see an association do something fun for its families/duespayers, instead of wasting a lot of money on ostentatious signs, improvements that only benefit a few properties or putting in ugly plantings at the neighborhood’s entrance.

I’m sure the fruit and vegetable supply only will get better in coming weeks. I am going to try to patronize more stands/markets this year, but without expending too much more gas. Late last year when a woman was ringing up my purchases at the fruit/vegetable stand where I normally shop, she commented that all of the people running stands in the area set prices together. I told her it was “un-American” and possibly illegal, but she said the others would get “mad” if she didn’t participate. I shrugged my shoulders and said, “So what if they get mad?”

I decided to see if I can find some “non-conspirators” and spread my money around to more growers in 2008.

I’ve always bought locally when I could, knowing the produce has to be fresher than food shipped in from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Anyone tasting locally grown tomatoes, corn, apples or peaches usually can be converted with a mouthful or two. I must admit, though, that I picked up some berries at that woman’s stand in May, and they were expensive and not particularly sweet. There are exceptions.

So, now the idea of buying food grown locally or within 100 miles is trendy, with such avid practitioners being called “locavores.”

There are more layers to this movement, though, than just freshness of food, among them supporting local growers; using less petroleum to bring the food to market; not exploiting Third World workers; safer produce; and establishing a relationship between grower and consumer - for starters. The issue can be complex, with various ethical and practical twists, as I discovered when I read the excellent book, “The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter,” by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. Sometimes it isn’t better to “eat locally,” they wrote, but you’ll have to read the book yourself to find out their reasons.

In the meantime, I must shop. Last weekend, my friend Donna and I took one of our regular trips to historic Soulard Market in St. Louis. We have our routine “down pat,” with different priorities and family sizes, favorite vendors and those we vow to not patronize again.

At this point in the season, there still isn’t even a lot of local produce at Soulard. I checked labels and quizzed one large man in overalls where his bundles of beets were grown. “Imperial, Mo.,” he said proudly. He made a sale. I also happily bought homegrown offerings from a Millstadt, Ill. farm family.

I will be even more happy, though, when the stands are laden right around here in Illinois and I can save some gas.

Last Saturday it was perfect weather for the parade.

We watched the entourage of shiny, reconditioned vehicles pass by our vantage point on someone’s steps along St. Louis Street. I assume some cars evoked memories in nearly everyone of a certain age who watched the parade. I know some of the cars reminded me of my childhood and teenage years. One car resembled a vehicle that had a minor crash on my street when I was probably about six years old. I’d never seen a crash before, and was transfixed that the car had smashed bags of groceries in its trunk and broken eggs leaking everywhere.

The purple Plymouth Road Runner in the parade? High school friend Hal had a roaring green one and he liked to rev its powerful engine. The big Caddy with fins? My banker-aunt used to get one of those every few years and we marveled at how many functions were a button-press away. My sister and I thought the arm rest in the expansive back seat was a kiddie chair for us. She’s in her 90’s and had a Cadillac the last time I visited her a few years ago.

At the parade two years ago, we had a great view of the “antique” car/truck parade from a front window of the former location of Erato wine bar on Vandalia Street. It was a refuge from choking heat and fun to share with others who were perched at tables inside. Some friends popped in to say “hello” between their car’s laps around the block, and then we joined them for a “spin.”

Last year I rode with friend Brigitte and her daughter in their 1966 Ford Mustang convertible. It was truly fun to pass by lines of people waving, while riding in a car that still is popular with so many people. The Mustang ride reminded me of high school, when I would ride with friends Cheryl and Dave, my boyfriend and me bouncing in the back seat with every bump. It was not a smooth ride, and the seat seemed to be pretty close to the pavement, compared to my old Ford.

One thing I don’t understand, though, is people who drive newer cars than I have in the parade. Mine is 10 years old, so I guess I won’t have to wait too long before it is a “classic.”

Then, in City Park, the live music, artisans making and selling quality wares, carnival food and running into people you haven’t seen in awhile added to the fun of the “66″ celebration. The washers tournament also drew its fans, and many people were happy to write their name on a post-it note and tack it onto a map of Route 66 that they had traveled. Mine was near Tulsa.

I admire people who organize community events, remembering the big things and the all-important small details, plus recruiting sponsors for monetary donations. I almost feel a civic obligation to attend and maybe spend a little money to make their efforts worthwhile. You also can’t beat the people-watching.

With that in mind, I probably will be going to the “Meet Me on Main Street” Glen Carbon Homecoming this weekend. Besides the usual carnival food, beer, wine bar and other attractions, there will be a parade, pony rides, smash-a-car, blackjack, dice, four bands during the two days and fireworks at dusk Saturday at Miner Park. The past couple of years, the fireworks have been pretty good.

If not this homecoming, try to make it to some other towns’ celebrations this summer. It’s part of living in the Midwest.

During Memorial Day weekend, I drove 15 hours roundtrip to Oklahoma - a “new” state for me - during which time I tried to keep alert by looking for something interesting. I didn’t see anything monumental, but it did pique my interest in learning more about Native Americans living in that state.

When I entered Oklahoma, I saw a sign that says, “Cherokee Nation,” not to be confused with Illini Nation sports fans. I subsequently saw other tribes’ nations territory designations, which got me wondering about the differences between a “nation” and reservation.

Having grown up in Nebraska, with relatives farming on reservation land in Minnesota and a father who worked on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ projects in South Dakota, I was familiar with Indian reservations, poverty within and other aspects of peoples’ lives there.

A perusal of the Internet hasn’t answered all of my questions, but I did see that there are mutual law enforcement agreements with estabishment authorities and tribe memberships. I also saw campaign signs for “principal chief” and “second chief,” and discovered the Indian nations issue their own license plates - with cooperation from the state.

All of that was new to me.

Sometimes it is the familiar sights, though, that also perk up a long, boring drive because of the memories they evoke.

From about Rolla on, perimters of Interstate 44 were littered with corpses of unfortunate armadillos who either were too stupid, too slow or just didn’t bother looking far down the road for the zooming cars and trucks approaching them.

Seeing those dead mammals reminded me of a family trip to Arkansas about 10 years ago when we saw a dead armadillo by the highway. We explained to the two younger children how the nocturnal critters crashed through our campsite one night in Texas, which sounded like a small invading army but turned out to be small, timid creatures.

Rather than explain the crusty football-with-tail animals, we pulled off the road to show them first-hand what an armadillo looks like. I think my son poked it with a stick. Anyway, they were intrigued by the odd animal, which to them resembled a tiny dinosaur - I know, an oxymoron.

It was the passing motorists, though, who were the most amused. They slowed down and we could see them smile, point or perhaps laugh as these people from Illinois seemed so interested in armadillo road kill.

Happy safe, INTERESTING travels this summer.

The only catch is you have to live in Alton and apply for the grant by June 6 - so get busy, talk to your neighbors and grab an application.

Last week, Laura Wallendorf of the Alton Clean City Beautification Committee, announced people can apply for grants ranging from $100 to $250 with which to plant flowers, vegetables, herbs or do something else to spiff up a neighborhood.

Wallendorf said the committee wants neighbors to work together to come up with creative ideas and which would foster collaborative efforts and feelings of ownership within Alton neighborhoods. She also said people living in an area best know how to spend some money for beautification purposes there.

In order to get the grants, the gardens or other beautification projects have to be on public property and within the city of Alton. Imagine how nice it would be to grow a community garden - perhaps in a city-owned vacant lot - where neighbors could till, plant, de-weed, water and then enjoy the fruits, herbs or vegetables throughout the season. Those who worked on the garden also could hold a street party or barbecue to enjoy the final harvest and celebrate a successful, united effort.

On a smaller scale, neighbors could plant some flowers to add color near a street sign or to embelish a dull corner. Or, maybe someone could put in a small water garden where people could walk or sit and enjoy some peace and tranquility.

I told Laura that I would be interested in following the garden trail of the grants, and I probably would do a story on how the money is being used. I can’t wait to see if someone comes up with a truly interesting project. I used to garden quite a bit, but with a wooded back yard I am now limited to a few herbs where the sun breaks through and shade-loving flowers. I did pop in a couple of pepper plants this spring, but I am not hopeful they will thrive and produce.

The grants have several other limitations: The money cannot be used for: gardening projects on private property; work already taken place; people or projects that have gotten funding from the committee within the past six months; or used to install trash cans, play equipment or permanent structures; tree removal; overhead costs such as office supplies, phone bills or labor; or for tools and equipment. Eligible projects also could be used to enhance ecology of a neighborhood. Grant recipients must use the money within three months and with volunteer labor doing the work. They also must provide the committee with “before, during and after” photos documenting the project.

The two-paged applications are available at Alton City Hall, 101 E. Third St., Haskell House, 1211 Henry St., and the Alton Public Works Department, 2 Emma L. Kaus Lane. For more information, contact Sue Weber at 462-4991 or by e-mail:  webersue at charter.net.

Both depend on the willingness of Altonians to put forth a little effort.

Some creative ideas also will help.

The larger effort is through the committee’s subgroup, BridgeWest Transportation Corridor Beautification Plan Task Force. The 10-member subcommittee is soliciting ideas for beautifying Alton’s riverfront-Downtown entrance along U.S. 67, from the Clark Bridge along Landmarks Boulevard, north on Piasa Street to Ninth Street.

The group held a public meeting and “open house” last month to solicit the public’s ideas. Many citizens predictably wanted to see more fountains, a water wall, more trees planted along the route, reduction of overhead power lines and enforcement of city ordinances regarding unsightly properties. Some people also consider the “arrow” sign (don’t drive off the road) and its accompanying warning to move away from emergency vehicles that greet motorists coming in off the Clark Bridge to be less than welcoming.

At least someone removed the sign that had been there saying police arrest “drunk” (it should read drunken) drivers. Don’t they do that everywhere?

What was especially graphic to me at the first event, the Blue Sky Workshop, was a video tour of the route by Andy Franke of Planning Design Studio of St. Louis. I drive half of that stretch every day coming into work, and so I hadn’t even noticed how ugly it is anymore. The slow-moving tour, though, gave me a fresh look. Starting at the bridge, as someone drives west, there is an unattractive mishmash of various signs indicating points of interest, speed limit, road numbers and more. Some of the signs tilt.

There is an ugly gray electric substation, unsightly views of rears of some buildings, overgrown weeds and eventually the great, gray concrete wall of Alton along Front Street.

Franke said one likely outcome will be an attempt to consolidate signs in a grouping so the route doesn’t look so cluttered.

At the second event, I tossed some ideas to Franke for blog purposes. I told him how much I love driving to St. Louis in the spring along Highway 40 because a city initiative (Operation Brightside) to hire youths in the summer and put them to work planting hundreds of daffodil bulbs. Their colorful result pops up every spring. How lovely it would be to have people working off fines in Alton’s PACUP program, volunteers or city employees dig some holes and drop in bulbs along open areas and hills motorists see when they drive into Alton (such as the hill beneath City Hall?) and in the Route 143 medians (albeit east of the targeted area to be beautified).

Franke said there has to be considerations of mowing and maintenance while planning the improvements. Also, the Illinois Department of Transportation has setback restrictions. “We will decide what we can plant by what makes the most sense,” he said.

Not wanting to offer too much, I did comment that another feature I like seeing in St. Louis is the decorative terra cotta facades on large medians in the middle of some streets and boulevards, such as Kingshighway near the hospital complex and along Forest Park Parkway. Franke, a landscape architect, also has experience with those features. “We did that at the Olive and (Interstate) 270 interchange, which was successful until they got hit and started to look bad. They tend to get hit and destroyed,” he said, to my disappointment. “Large vehicles jump the curbs and hit them before the driver realizes it.”

BridgeWest will meet and discuss citizens’ ideas, and eventually formulate a master plan this year. Chairwoman is Sara McGibany, executive director of Alton Marketplace. It’s still early in the process, so if you have some ideas you want to add to their lists, I’m sure they would welcome them. E-mail Sara at:  sara at altonmarketplace.com or call (618) 463-1016. Leave a message if she’s not there.

Next time: Even your neighborhood can get a grant to plant some flowers, a community garden or other “beautifier.”