Nancy Knows Madison County

Labor Day weekend is an event-rich time in Southwestern Illinois, Madison County and the greater St. Louis region. You can travel back in time to the Victorian era, enjoy a celebration of Japanese culture, rock on to the St. Louis blues and party with the Greek community.

Following is just a quick selection of some of the best events. Get out and take advantage of the wonderful things to see and do this time of year.

ALTON BLOCK PARTY

3^rd Street between Piasa and State streets
Saturday, August 30, 2008, 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Just steps away from the Mighty Mississippi River, Alton turns 3rd street into a live music and dance venue for the evening. The Night Owls start the music at 6:30 and local restaurants and clubs hit the street with a big variety of goodies. Kids' activities start at 4 p.m. (618) 465-6676.

79th ANNUAL BETHALTO HOMECOMING

August 29 - August 31, September 1; Friday, 5 p.m. - Midnight; Saturday & Sunday, noon - Midnight; Monday, noon - 10 p.m. Bethalto Park  is the site for this annual Labor Day festival featuring carnival rides and games, crafts, tasty food items and plenty of free entertainment. 618-377-1072

ST. NICHOLAS GREEK FESTIVAL

Central West End neighborhood, in St. Louis, 4967 Forest Park Blvd. at Kingshighway. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday. 314-361-6924.  Say Opa!  It's time for the best Greek food in the region. Go hungry and order Moussaka (bakes eggplant and ground beef cassarole), lamb shanks, spinach pies, honey-sweet Baklava and much more. Plus there are performances by Greek folk dancers at 1:15, 3:15 and 5:15 each day, tours of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church and a Greek goods marketplace.

BIG MUDDY BLUES FESTIVAL

Laclede's Landing entertainment district, Downtown St. Louis, Find out how good feelin' bad can be at the Annual Big Muddy Blues Festival. The free festival focuses on the best local, national and regional blues artists performing on three stages.

JERSEY COUNTY VICTORIAN FESTIVAL

August 30, 31 & September 1; Hazel Dell Historic Farm, 25007 Highway 67, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily. $7 admission, $2 for kids under 12. This annual iving history event presents a large Civil War reenactment. Bluegrass bands, tours of the Fulkerson Mansion, arts and crafts, antiques and great food are part of the day. See steam engines, tractors and other historic farm equipment plowing, threshing and sawing. Don't get in the middle of the Duel of Honor or stagecoach robbery which take place daily. For more information (618) 498-5590.

JAPANESE FESTIVAL

August 30-31, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; September 1, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Grounds open at 9 a.m., go early to beat the rush.) Missouri Botanical Garden. From massive Sumo wrestlers to delicate flower arrangements and stirring Taiko drummers, this festival celebrates all things Japanese. Set in the delightful Missouri Botanical Garden -- home of the largest authentic Japanese Garden in North America -- the festival is an annual family favorite in the St. Louis region. For more information, 314-577-9400.

It's Friday and that can only mean one thing in Madison County:  Fish Fry Night.

If you're new to the St. Louis metropolitan area -- or new to the Midwest -- this might be an unfamiliar ritual. It involves calling a bunch of people you know and arranging to meet them at the Fish Fry of your choice. My family and friends have patronized the American Legion Post in Collinsville, Illinois for years, so that is the event I'll detail for this blog post.

There are certain restaurants in the world where you have to know exactly what to do before you set foot in the door. Mother's in New Orleans is one ("whatchu havin', baby?), and the famous Soup Nazi from Seinfeld is another ("No soup for you!). The Fish Fry is also a prime example of a place where you have to get your act together before stepping up to the order taker. But bypass the rules here and the friendly workers will still let you have your fish.

In this case, things are pretty simple. There's fish. It's cornmeal breaded and fried. The tasty filets can be served on white or rye bread. If you want a fish platter, then it comes with fries and tangy cole slaw. You can order sides of sharp, white onion or a large, unsliced dill pickle. Packets of tartar sauce and ketchup bottles are on the tables. (My friend Mary makes a pinkish sauce by combining the two into the perfect fish condiment. I am not convinced.) As an aside, Collinsville is home to the world's largest catsup bottle, so maybe it's fitting that folks are using it on fish.

The menu also offers fried shrimp and a few other items. I have never seen anyone order them, but I'm sure it happens from time to time.

Order as you enter the hall. Be sure to specifiy which bread you want. And buy your drinks at the same time (soft drinks or beer). There will be a long line behind you, so stare at the overhead menu as you approach the order table and make your decisions.

Then seat yourself. The best way to do that is to plop down at a long, gradeschool-type table with others. You'll get a good conversation and maybe even some new business opportunities. The last time I was there, I met a fellow who had invented lighted safety triangles for use by truckers. They're now being marketed all over the country.

Servers will come around to take your order ticket and bring your food and drinks. Don't forget to tip them by leaving some bills on the table as you head home.

For dessert there's pie. Maybe. Get there early and you might get lucky.

At the Collinsville Legion Post, the event takes place each Friday beginning at 4 p.m. and continuing until about 8 p.m.

Next "Madison County Traditions" post, we'll cover one of the region's other ubiquitous weekend activities: the Trivia Night.

The Madison County Recycling Program is hard at work again helping everyone stay safe and green.

if you have household hazardous waste, it can be turned in on Saturday, September 27 from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.  Just take your items to the Madison County Wood River Facility at 101 E. Edwardsville Road in Wood River. (That's the former Wood River Hospital.)

You will be asked to show proof of Madison County residency to participate.

If you have questions, call the Madison County Recycling Hotline at 618-296-6647 or click on www.madisoncountyrecycles.com.

(Car lovers can be environmentally responsible too by taking part in the Used Tire Collection event on October 3 and 4. Your worn tires can be turned in on October 3 & 4 at the Nike Base Storage Facility on Fruit Road north of Marine, IL.)

Just a couple of months ago I helped a young couple -- first-time buyers -- purchase a lot in Madison County. They were looking for a place to build their first home and wanted to stay in a particular city.

The pair came to me via a floor duty call. Their original question had to do with a lot listed by our agency. I gave them the pricing and told them a bit about the land. It was out of their price range, so, of course, I offered to see what else was available that would meet their needs. The wife said, "You'd really do that for us?" Well, sure.

I came up with several possibilities, called them back and one property in particular intrigued them. The wife confessed, "We saw that one listed online and called to ask some questions about it.  They were mean to us on the phone, so we didn't go see it."  (Ah-hah. Now I was beginning to see why she was so shocked that I would help them find an alternative lot. Apparently no one else had wanted to "mess with" such a small deal.)

Not being "mean" myself, I urged the couple to drive by anyway and then told them I'd do some research on the property.  Long story short, I became their agent and we successfully acquired the lot.

The wife and I correspond by e-mail periodically, (she has me in her address book as "Nice Realtor Nancy" -- that's so cute) but I didn't have a recent update on their plans for the lot. Last night I was in the neighborhood and decided to drive by to see if they had done any prep work to the site. Much to my surprise, there was a lovely, new ranch home on the lot. It looks like it might be just a few weeks from completion.

It makes me feel great that I played a role in this family's happiness. The moral? Maybe it's just that sometimes being nice can get you "a lot." 

This weekend we moved the first wave of "stuff" into our daughter's new rental house in Champaign/Urbana. She's a Junior at the University of Illinois studying Industrial Design in FAA, Fine & Applied Arts.

The marathon move-in is going to spread itself over a week-long period with the finale scheduled for next Saturday. It's amazing how much one "needs" to go away to school these days.

She and three friends found the house last fall after spending the last two years in the dorms. The rental tradition at U of I mandates that the search begin almost as soon as classes start and the best properties are snapped up by October. Leases run from August of the next school year to the following August.

The girls found this house without any parental help and given the condition of some properties in the area, it looks like it's going to be fine -- after the landlord addresses some remaining issues.

Why am I blogging about this?  Because this weekend was another example of how a Realtor's job is never done.

Most parents were shopping for white goods, stocking refrigerators and saying their goodbyes. What was I doing? Checking for mold, testing the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fretting about peeling paint and vacuuming ducts. I was looking for potential electrical problems, questioning the soft-feeling subfloor in the lower level bathroom and making sure the bedrooms' egress windows actually open as they're supposed to.

It's probably hard for restaurateurs to dine out without turning a critical eye toward to meal and it's certainly hard for a real estate professional to move their kid into a house without giving it an extra once-over.

(By the way, the Swiffer Wet Jet -- worth its weight in gold.)

Those of us who enjoy Japanese food know that a little wasabi -- that firey green horseradish-based condiment that comes with sushi -- goes a long, long way.

That's not the case with the restaurant called Wasabi -- with popular outposts located on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis and in Clayton's central business district. Just a little bite there leaves you happily wanting more and visiting again and again.

The Goshen Gourmet is happy to report that Wasabi will be opening a restaurant in Edwardsville, Illinois in October. (Note the photographic evidence from the Goshen Gourmet's spy satellite on this page.) 

The sign is on the door of the new plaza at the corner of Buchanan and Vandalia, across from the Library and park on the west and St. Boniface on the north. CVS and Buffet City are neighbors in the plaza.

Those who don't embrace sushi (yet) will enjoy the restaurant's Bento Boxes -- little trays that offer beef, chicken or shrimp with rice and sauteed vegetables.  Tempura, tasty fried tidbits of meat and vegetables, also is available.

Wasabi has been named St. Louis' favorite sushi bar by the readers of Sauce Magazine. Learn more here.

Get up early next Saturday morning and check out the freshest weekly event in Edwardsville -- the Land of Goshen Community Market.

This is where savvy locals go from 7 a.m. until noon to buy some of the best vegetables and fruits in Madison County. The market is open throughout the growing season, so you have plenty of time between now and late October to enjoy the experience.

In addition to summer's best produce, many of Madison County's finest cooks bring their baked goods and canned items to the market site just south of the Madison County Courthouse.

Fresh flowers raised in local gardens are joined by homemade doggie treats, frozen lemonade slushes and the tastiest flax seed cookies ever baked (from Mills Apple Farm). These are just some of the items shoppers can snag at the weekly market.

Artists, like Jim and Christee Cook of Collinsville (pictured left) bring their works to display and sell at the market too. This week, your secret shopper (that's me) also found retro-style aprons just like Grandma used to wear, lunch and wine bags made from sturdy and attractive tapestry materials, canine couture (yes, scarves for dogs) and lovely hand-made pottery.

Friendly ladies demonstrate the ancient art of basket weaving at the market and you can buy the results. Another artist will create a watercolor version of your home, which would make a perfect closing gift for a new home owner. Precious stones are used in hand-crafted jewelry for sale on site.

You can have a chat with a Master Gardener or learn more about your own growing efforts from the University of Illinois extension office. Musicians sing on the courthouse steps during the morning with a heavy emphasis on blues, folk and bluegrass.

Be sure to stop at the Biver Farms tent. They supply organic produce to many of the finest restaurants in the St. Louis region, but you can get the same sharp and nutty arugula or tender squash for your own home gourmet concoctions.

If you live anywhere in or near Madison County, Illinois, come out to the market on Saturday. Bring your own shopping bags and plan to spend some time just enjoying the ambience.  We'll all be waiting for you.

My best friend is a cat lover. (I must confess that I also am a cat lover. We have two members of the family who are furkids -- Roxanne and Stanley. Both were adopted from Madison County shelters.)

So when I was looking for a gift for my friend's birthday, I came across this terrifically titled tome, "Feng Shui for Cats." Who could resist a book like this? (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

You don't need to believe in the principles of Feng Shui to enjoy the book, but it did make me think about my cats' natural use of the art. They DO care where their food bowl is located and how the kibble should interact harmoniously with the water dish. Stanley, in particular, has certain needs that seem to be related to the best positions for feline nourishment. He always scoops the dry food out onto the floor with his paw before eating.

They also enjoy napping with their little heads facing certain directions and they hate it when their toys are in the wrong quadrant of the room. I guess nature works in mysterious ways.

As a Realtor, I am sympathetic to customers who want to employ Feng Shui in their buying decisions. Thinking back to the first time I encountered this need, however, I probably should have found a way to handle it more effectively. It was my first time out with a group of buyers who were looking for homes as a family -- a large family, including grandma, grandpa, two sons, the wives of the sons and all of their children. They were very nice folks, but the showings were chaotic at best. There was a lot of input going on at every stop -- all in a language that I, sadly, did not speak.

The first home was visited was #55 SomeStreet. Before we even entered the door the daughter-in-law who was the spokesperson for the group asked if they could change the address on the home. "Bad Feng Shui," she explained. I told her that the postal service and the town's emergency services personnel would most likely frown on a random address change.

If this happened today I might tell her she could call the home "Ralph" if she wanted -- just get her mail delivered to a PO Box and paint the house number on the curb -- or would that be cheating? Something tells me you can't fool Feng Shui. The unfortunately numbered house would still be a sow's ear of a #55, even if you dressed it up to look like a silk purse of an #88.

I better stick to Feng Shui for cats and leave the real thing to the experts.

Glen Carbon, Illinois is beautiful anyway, but the G.L.E.N. (Gardening,Landscaping,Enhancing Nature) Committee is working to make it look even better.

They're hosting a special meeting at the Glen Carbon Community Center on August 13, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

The committee will be viewing plans for the new village limits welcome signs and discussing landscaping ideas for these sites. 

The public -- and that means you -- is invited.

For more news about Glen Carbon, visit http://www.glen-carbon.il.us.