My mother grew up in St. Louis and moved back there with my younger brother and sister after my parents divorced. For years they lived in a duplex rental in Webster Groves that we all squeezed into at holidays. Later, after Mom launched a career in real estate, she bought a large two-family home around the corner, and that was the homeground of Christmases and summer reunions as the grandkids grew. So even though I never lived in St. Louis, it holds a lot of memories.
Me and Sooze.
Webster Groves also holds my dear college roommate, Sooze Wall. We both studied theater at University of Michigan, but she’s the one who really became an actress. Regional theater, mostly, and commercials. But she just finished her first full-length movie with Florence Henderson and Judge Rhinehold. Coincidentally, she moved to Webster Groves not long after she graduated, so I got to see her whenever I would go visit Mom.
Bessie in the driveway.
Driving from Pennsylvania, we had one overnight at a Walmart in Columbus, Ohio and got into St. Louis late the next afternoon. I’d checked with Sooze at the last minute, and she was not only available that night but insisted that Bessie would fit just fine in her driveway. Sooze and her family have a large, beautiful ranch house not far from where Mom lived. And sure enough, Bessie fit perfectly. Their yard isn’t fenced, but its large enough that Bailey and Gypsy could romp freely, and their large gray cat, Chubbs, begrudgingly tolerated the invasion. It was a wonderful place to hang out and visit.
I loved spending a relaxed stretch of time with my old pal. She made us a wonderful dinner, and the next morning, we all went to Trader Joe’s, our favorite grocery for stocking up. Kate and I drove around the old neighborhood, past Mom’s, past my sister’s old house, past the familiar Old Webster stores and gazebo. From there, it was just a 3-4 hour drive to Dad’s in Springfield.
So glad you got to have a brief trip to St.Louis! Great pic of you and Sooze!