Robin Macy, the original Dixie Chickie, Kansas Treasure, soil and soul sister of Mother Earth at The Bartlett Arboretum, Inspiration.

Aug 4 2011

Robin Macy, the original Dixie Chickie, Kansas Treasure, soil and soul sister of Mother Earth at The Bartlett Arboretum, Inspiration.

by admin

I have to begin the concerts at The Bartlett Arboretum with Robin Macy.

Robin Macy & Paula Adams. Jimmy LaFave 17 July 11. The Bartlett Arboretum, Belle Plaine, Kansas.

The First Encounter

I first met Robin at some kind of architectural function where musicians were playing (maybe architect musicians?). Robin was attending because Mike Siewart, her architect for her home and co-creator at The Bartlett Arboretum, was there and I think was maybe playing. I didn’t know anyone and was new to Wichita, newly working for SJCF Architecture and my daughter Lacy just beginning her 3 year jaunt at Wichita Collegiate.

There was wine. And Robin refused it saying, “I have to speak to the parents at Wichita Collegiate about the Honor Code and it probably wouldn’t be good for me to be slurring my words.” She had this wild blond platinum curly hair that reveals her soul piled high and some knockout attire that completed the picture, but in no way detracted or distracted from the spirit within. And, a few days later I met her at Parent’s Night. I learned that she was head of the “Go girls” (can’t remember name…kind of a find your light and let it shine in whatever context or era women are born in) group. And, blessed, the next year she was Lacy’s geometry teacher.

The Angel Professeur at Wichita Collegiate Graduation, May 2006. Wichita, Kansas.

So I better get to the basics since I don’t know if anyone really reads this stuff anyway which are the following:

The Bartlett Arboretum, links to Robin’s site, description of Lacy and Paula’s first visit, pictures.
The XIT Ranch, Robin and Kenny’s visit.
Robin’s beautiful poem to Lace at Sr. Graduation.
A recent pic from Jimmy LaFave concert at the Bartlett Arboretum. These concerts from her summer series and music will be in separate posts.

okay one

The website has most about The Arboretum as Robin doesn’t talk much about herself, but if you ever see the video on early Dixie Chicks, she is in that and here’s the wikipedia link to Robin.

This is Robin singing[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UicERus50Ig[/youtube] 1992. She is the lead singer and guitar, voice like honey.

SYNOPSIS of HISTORY OF BARTLETT ARBORETUM AND ROBIN.

Go here for the site’s history of The Bartlett Arboretum, the 100+ year old 15 acre planned landscape started by Dr. Walter Bartlett as an avocation in the city of Belle Plaine.
He also contributed to the community in the form of ballparks and public spaces in part motivated with his fatherly interests in son Glenn’s pursuits.
The next generation carried on with his son Glenn becoming a professional landscape architect and horticulturist. He took it to the next level with his introduction to French gardens and landscapes as Company Commander in the 1st Division in France during World War I.
As life would have it for those with Kansas roots, while completing post-graduate work at Columbia in NY, Glenn encountered Belle Plaine native Margaret Meyers. She was an artist, fashion designer for magaines, a university instructor, flower arranger and garden-club organizer. So Kansas was blessed for them to return, bringing everything they had gathered while away back with them to share with Kansas and Kansas to share with them.
Their daughters, Glenna and Mary along with Mary’s husband Bob Gourlay carried on until 1995 when they finally decided to sell to Robin “this cute little blond elf…[who] came knocking at the door. …we gained another daughter.”So Robin’s work began.
The site has all the rest, the soil sisters, all the people who make it happen, concerts, etcetera. She says it best.

The Buildings

But, one last word about design. I can’t talk much about the landscape, out of my element. And a picture is worth hundreds of letters I use, so I hope to add more photographs later and edit a little here.

I’ve seen Vaux le-Vicomte, Versailles, Green Animals and lots of other stuff, but this little jewel in Kansas is most special because it is ours: a product of Kansas midwestern work ethic and lots of planning and perspiration.

The house: Mike Siewart’s design (Wilson Darnell Mann, Wichita) built a second level upon the simple several room brick dwelling that was originally on the property.

Robin Macy and Emmanuel Magisson with classic expressions. Pictured to actually show the original house lower level in the background.

The Kitchen: This joint creation of Mike and Robin’s has wonderful stained white concrete counters with weathered patina in the tiny L-shaped workspace. There are only the cabinets that one person needs (husband Kenny has a separate house…the perfect setup), with several doors of antique glass spool cabinets. These were memorable to me as I have a few of these in which I use as drafting tabourets.

The Upstairs: It is kind of a loft space, so the steps are the grand ascent to her bedroom with footed tub and sink.

The Closet: should be in a period museum and is a painting in itself of boots, petticoats, urban, rural, high, low, cowgirl, play area that is how I imagine a movie costume room to be for a Merchant Ivory Movie except it would be a different movie, maybe Wade’s Even Cowgirls Get the Blues meets Daisy, Mattie Ross, and Coco Chanel. But, never a costume on Robin. She always looks like someone who just transcends time.

The Guest House: this is where Robin offered for Lace to live her Sr. year. I lived in Wichita for two years, but went home the third. I think it was the old chicken coop. It was really too far for her to commute with activities, but Robin was such a supporter of our family to make this loving offer. It takes many mothers…or maybe she was Lacy’s sister since Lace didn’t have one. Anyway, Robin helped raise the Adams family.

Robin's guest house and some kind of former outbuilding.

Hmmm..only on two? I’ll make this one brief.

The kids and I were gone from the ranch that day, but Robin and her then boyfriend now husband Kenny were on a road trip one day and said, “I think Miss Lace lives around here.” They whirled up in a cloud of dust at the XIT Ranch on the Cimarron River in this dashing convertible to drop in and say “hey” to John Adams. This is always, always appreciated. Kenny is the guy mentioned above who is a musician among other things and lives with his son in the other house on the property at The Bartlett Arboretum. He is darling with curly curly hair, too.

Here’s the cute pic, I’m so proud of John or whomever took it since the usual photo lady not there. Thank you Robin I’d say.

Robin and Kenny in front of XIT Ranch Headquarters where the John Adams family all raised themselves together: John, Paula, Lacy, Jack.

Three: Robin’s poem toasting Lacy at the Sr. Graduation Dinner at Wichita Collegiate School.

Comin’ outta shoot No. 2, weighing in at 101, no stranger to a saddlehorn or a pair of running sneakers, we now toast our Curly Girl.

Miss Lacy Amelia Adams journeyed the furthest to be with us tonight.

Born and reared on the histori working XIT cattle ranch in Meade County, Kansas (Daddy, John, met me at the cattle cross last year wearing spurts and sweat) this fourth generation cowgirl has much to yodel about.

Our Lacy rode a school bus 60 jies to attend a rural elementary school before her parents decided to send their Little Girl to the Big City for some AP-style “edumacation.”

She has been a very courageous woman, living without her family all year in order to make this dream-come-true.

Lacy was born smiling, from wrist to wrist. She calls ’em like she sees’em and knows all the words to Back in the Saddle Again. Mathematics did not always coe easy for Lacy but she was true to her upbringing: tenacious and disciplined.

Qualities she surely learned while mending fence or building feed bunks in the summertime- alongside her beloved ranch hand and constant companion, brother Jack.

She was a mainstay in my classroom after schol during her Geometry tenure and I am grateful for those times together.

Always a style-setter this fun-loving madrigal singing trackster nevr said an unkind word about anyone.

No wonder Lacy is loved and adored by her classmates and teachers.

Like her hair, Mrs. Stokley says her vivid writing and note taking is wild and magical.

Lacy heads off to the University of Kansas in the fall where I’m certain she’ll continue to be wearing her sweaters backward and with her infectious laughter, continue to be the life of the party and proving to all who are lucky enough to know her that some of the best cowboys are, indeed, cowgirls.

You can see, life will never be long enough for Robin to refill the pitchers she pours for us all, sharing so many gifts that she taps into from one moment to another. Her focus on the big picture, caretaker and co-creator of a beautiful landscape, leaves Kansas with her footprint and those of so many others. So, she lives on and will always, putting her energy back into the soils of the earth in one way or another, always with Robin’s soundtrack as backup.

Comments (1)

Aug 2 2011

Exposing Emmanuel to the Flint Hills Symphony: The French farm garçon-son I never had.

by admin

Paula sans chapeau et Emmanuel at Flint Hills Symphony

From: Emmanuel Magisson <e_magisson@yahoo.com>

Subject: Re: l’art de la bicyclette

Date: June 10, 2011 6:33:20 PM CDT

To: Paula Adams <paulagravesadams@gmail.com>

The bike show seem interesting. 🙂

Attached is the route to my place from Wichita.

The route to the Concert will be pretty!!!
We can stop at Cottonwood falls and look at the Church!

For the time, it is up to you. Wichita-Volland is a 3 hour drive.

Your time is my time.

Bring a large chapeau for the sun. Like a Audrey Hepburn hat you know. 🙂

The black hat you have is a smaller version of the one she wears in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Very elegant.

A bientot,

Emmanuel

Well, what can I say?

Yes, it’s embarrassing for both me and more so for Emmanuel, I’m assuming. But, we’re over that.

first meeting

I met him at The Good Egg where we were both sitting at the counter on a Sunday. I had blown in from outside after walking here with Rosie who was waiting outside for her bacon. After hearing him ask the waitress for something, I seized the opportunity, being pretty confident it was a French accent. J’ai sauté et j’ai parlé. When in Wichita with the French, do as the Frenchmen.

History

So, we then had a bit of background about my summer in France and subsequent trips, and his youth growing up on his father’s family’s cattle farm outside of Lorraine before escaping to engineering school in Paris. After that, we were quick copains, and he walked me home with Rosie.

He also told me of various French cultural events in Wichita sponsored by fellow Frenchwoman Claude Puntel of the CCAI Institute but that’s another post.

How the friendly French say, “How-dee'”

So, here’s Emmanuel and how he said, “How-dee!” as he is very receptive and tries, at least in part and at first, to “when in Kansas, do as the Kansans.” That is, he let me take the picture. I would have gotten a disdainful look and promptly recoiled in France, I am sure. And, he is a farm boy at heart, hard-working, practical with money, true to his roots. The style this is a little different though….there are farm boys and there are farm boys…

Emmanuel and Paula at The Good Egg. March 2011

So, we’ve advanced to me helping him get his game on with the ladies in the US. He is very polite and reserved, a gentleman, and lives up in Newton doing high level mechanical engineering prototype design for agricultural implements. And, not getting any younger. So, my unsolicited advice was in the form of a comment re: the number of years he has been in the states and that he better get on it. Or at least, back on. And who will really ever know what he does back home on the farm?

So, we’ve decided the l’été-l’automne thing of being seen in public together might work for our respective programs though I am trying really hard to find him younger, fun’er female companions. But, he’s not pulling his weight on this part.

Emmanuel’s program as I see it for him, unsolicited of course: to highlight what I have told him are the cultural stereotypes that he will always have to endure to include the following…

a) the men thinking he is a snotty socialistic bastard and jealous of his ways with women.

b) the women thinking he is a great lover.

Paula’s program: to get attention for my blog which has no point except for me to have fun with hopes of a future design client to pay for this fun to include…

a) practicing my French

b) to promote one of a few good hardworking kind men with rural roots that I know on FB to women.

c) To allow my American men friends (C Michael Bailey) to have an actual Frenchman at whom they might hurl their European socialist political slurs.

[note: He bikes in Kansas with many men like this, so when a new rider takes him on as bait and his older buddy jumps in, Emmanuel says, “I can handle it.” Much of the time he takes it on the chin. In general, we don’t talk politics. Values are basically the same.]

c) to promote idea that I am really leading a secret wild life to work with basic “attention” program above

d) to flaunt c) so openly as to hide the possibility that this might in fact be a reality….no, that was a joke.

Yes, we tend to get our picture taken alot for some reason, possibly because we are speaking in French.

And so you’ll know, Emmanuel has no tolerance for a photographer asking his name once and then having to tell another person. He will say, “ask that guy.”

[He thinks that he blends in, does not have an accent, and is a totally polite Frenchman adopting all American ways. But I seem to always capture that inner French look of disdain that they are born with, humble and respectful and americanophile that he is.]

And possibly, we are also noticed because of how we dress in Kansas.

Emmanuel wears those black shirts that have like flat tabs on the shoulders, a very European look. He has about 20 and they all look the same. I think his jeans are levis, old school, but the history of “de Nimes” is another post. He was appalled at the cost of jeans in Brick’s in Wichita.

I wear my usual Paula clothes…a Degas-like tutu netted top with red belt, my black patent pale pink French whore platforms with cutouts, a small black hat with a big fuschia flower, that type of thing. Not all together of course, only a piece at a time and with French restraint. No “matchy-matchy.”

So, no. I do not want to be pictured in next year’s brochure for the Flint Hills Symphony, “Emmanuel Magisson with un-named much older woman.” Would I want the father of my children to be photographed and pictured in a brochure when he is touring the Frank Lloyd Wright house in Wichita (he has done this in Oak Park) with Emmanuelle Seigneur? We must have some respect for each other’s territory.

And especially not in Kansas… those Puritan roots run deep. Ah, but the French have always had a tolerance for such things. They call the after-office-hours rendezvous of a man with his mistress the ‘cinq a sept’ – after which he goes home, happy and relaxed, to his wife and family. It might be something we should adopt in the next century….but don’t tell my father I said that.

And, since I’ve spent this entire blog post making excuses for why I’m hanging out with a much younger French guy named Emmanuel, I’ll have to do the post of the evening in Volland at the Flint Hills Symphony in another place. So, I will just have to say….”whatever….” to what anyone thinks.

Okay, stay tuned for The Symphony and two concerts at The Bartlett Arboretum with Paula and Emmanuel. No more excuses.

Comments (3)

Aug 1 2011

le sketch du jour: 30 June 1980. SMOOCH à la français.

by admin

[I did not include June 29, the day of arrival. I arrived before everyone from NYC with the Parsons Group. They gave me a free breakfast, a croissant and café au lait. In France, they bring a croissant in a basket or usually a plate and a big coffee cup or most often, it is already at the table. Then, they come to table to pour the two pots of coffee and steamed milk simultaneously into your cup. The steamed milk always tastes very sweet. It is all on lots of thick, very white ceramic tableware, but the carafes are stainless.

The other notes were mention of my roommate Charlie from Toledo, a small town in Texas. She is kind of a bit bigger girl, smiley eyes, short dark hair, and proved to be a bit promiscuous with the men from Marseilles, but she had a kind heart. The other girls were soon to be very good friends that I met that day. They were a Tri Delt (Allison from Tuscaloosa) and Kappa Delta (Lisa from Memphis) from the University of Alabama and had southern accents. This was my first contact with southern women and they were very very nice, not unlike my KC/KU girlfriends, but more attune to feminine things it seemed. I hung with them much later in the summer as I realized I was alone so much with Charlie out all hours of the evening with dark men. ]

30 June 1980.

Paula ravished by Frenchman in a SMOOCH! au coin de Boul Saint Germain-des-Près et Boul Saint-Michel.

Woke 7:00. Ran 3 miles. A man kissed me twice when I was asking directions!!! What do you say?! On the forehead-actually took my face in his hands!

[Can you tell I loved it? This has only happened to me one other time upon first meeting someone, though it was actually upon re-meeting someone I had only known a little bit from my past.]

Breakfast: croissant & thé at hotel. We met at le Musée (des arts décoratifs which is the north wing of the Louvre and where we would study and meet in the mornings for our lecture). It is closed to everyone but Parsons students at the present due to renovation.

Orientation: Michael is my lecturer-young, dark beard, long jesus-y hair, nice. Charlotte Lacaze gave a lecture on the History of Paris City Planning & then we bought our subway cards (carte d’orange). I bought some cold chicken & carrot salad which I ate in the Tuileries $(4.50). Then, I walked around ’til two when class began again.

[This is the start of my pleasure in doing things by myself which I still enjoy. It was not by choice in Paris most of the time. But to this day, I love to eat, go to movies, and travel by myself. I sometimes am lonely, but not very often when I am alone. If so, I just go out. I love watching people and meeting new people and I don’t feel compelled to talk so much and can listen and ask questions and learn.]

Map of Paris Stomping Grounds, Day One. from (still very old) 14th edition antique bookstore copy of Karl Baedeker's "Paris and Environs : Handbook for Travelers", published 1900.

This is the first of many maps from my antique 14th edition of Baedeker’s classic field guide to Paris, found and given to me by my mother Ginny Graves. What I love best about this book is his blessing to the reader…

‘Go, little book, God send thee good passage,

And specially let this be thy prayers

Unto them all that thee will read or hear,

Where thou art wrong, after their help to call,

Thee to correct in any part or all!’

-Says everything a writer hopes for.

At 2:00 we had a Decorative Arts lecture au Musée and then we visited the 14th, 15th, & 16th c. pieces.

Walked on Rue St.-Honoré to find American bookstore & needlepoint shop. But needlepoint store was closed. It was very expensive, too.

Very tired so bought dinner in a charcuterie-a little quiche & some kind of spinach/vegetable salad.

Big Day! Lots of walking!

Comments (0)

Aug 1 2011

Accosting young Frenchmen in Kansas…

by admin

I’m kind of doing payback for the Frenchmen that bothered me the summer of ’80 in France. The Italo-French Architect in the Louvre who admired my sketches, the man from Marseilles who followed me off the subway, the curly-headed copain who nuded me in the auberge laundry room.

Now, if I hear un peu de l’accent français, je saute et je parle. So this was my first subject…..

Faridj et Paule, Latteland. Plaza, KC.

I found this jeune homme speaking on his cell au bas de l’escalier at The Palace Theatre on the Plaza. Faridj Air is actually Berber (Northwest Africa, primarily arabic) of origin, but grew up in Paris. His (wife) and mother of his child are from Wichita where she lives with their son on the Plaza in KC. Thus, he wants to spend more time in ol’ Possum Trot to be with his son. But, he caters private parties and lives in New York. When in Kansas City, he also serves a client down in Houston.

He was also doing an event for an artist Patrick Courtois in NYC (Chelsea) over my birthday and there were many French people traveling to New York to attend, so he invited me to come. Being a week’s notice and I just met the garçon, I thought it premature to attend as well expensive at the last minute, but perhaps in a near future life I could live with such abandon. He put me on the phone with Patrick Courtois so that I might hear l’accent français d’un homme de Marseilles, in the south of France. It is quite different, more earthy and guttural but still sec-zee’.

Faridj has many interesting friends from France and beyond. He has another business as a middleman with a group that exports products such as what I would call “elite olive oils” sold in very very specialty food markets, each produced on local farms. As you can imagine, the packaging, brochure about the people and place, and the included pour spout is everything and very well-done. As it must be for a $12 3 oz. can of olive oil…maybe for my purse? Then again, that could be a mess.

So, might point is that he gets it with my website. Or at least the part that has to do with history, place, buildings, people, products, and food. Many of his connections live in French countryside producing food on their land in small family businesses, they invest loving hands in historic French farmhouses for guest travelers, and they make art. They appreciate good food from native growers, fine wine or water, and moments with friends, new and old. I get that.

Comments (3)