Tall Tales from Kansas

carefully steered through the aisles by their fearless leader

Jaw dropping gorgeous dahlias were my morning hello at the farmers market today. Can you even believe the amazing structure of these plants? 

The sunflowers were holding their own in the show stopper category as well.  But oh my the dahlias.

I asked the folks in line for the slow rise doughnuts to give me a wave as I walked through their line. Such great smiles! I do love a happy responsive group at the market.  

Radishes were grabbed along with a bag of the lettuce blend at Mellowfields Farms. Chris is making baked ziti for dinner tonight and nothing is better than a simple lettuce, radish, celery, red onion, salad dressed with a light vinaigrette on the side. 

I saw her and that great giraffe bag she carries last week. This week I got brave and asked to take her photo. She was down with it. 

Ditto for her and her cute little doggie. 

Mums, apples, and death by chocolate cake rounded out the list of things that caught my eye today. 

Oh and this family, carefully steered through the aisles by their fearless leader - Mr. Blue Crocs.  

This market trip ended where it began. With those amazing dahlias. 

I spent every cent I had with me today on what you see below plus 3 big pumpkins for the front of the house.  

There is nothing more fun than sprinkling a few pumpkins here and there on the porch when I get home from the market. Then making a pot of coffee and sitting to look at it all. 

it was lying on the sidewalk as I walked by

Consider this a fair warning that we are about to embark upon the season where I post an excessive amount of pictures looking up at the undercarriage of trees. Maybe I should say up into the canopy? Both seem like they could be correct. Bottom line is it's the season of leaves. At least most of the time. Sometimes the leaves have gone but the structure is still interesting. 

Today, while on a walk in the neighborhood, I found a tiny red leaf. It was lying on the sidewalk as I passed by.  I bent over to retrieve it to place into my everyday journal. A sign of things to come. A keepsake to remind me of the moment. 

while I am still operating under my own power

As I arranged the wreath and pot of mums from the farmers market on the front porch this week, I got an idea for a new business. Maybe it already exists and I just haven't heard of it? It's where a really nice farmer loads up their truck with big heavy pumpkins that you prefer not to have to lift yourself and delivers them to your front porch. 

Is there such a thing? Do tell. In the meantime, I will just continue to bring a few heavy loads home each weekend and happily arrange them while I am still operating under my own power. Gosh I love all things fall. 

one of those mornings where you remind yourself of your good fortune

On a recent excursion to the blue trail at Clinton Lake, to see if there were any migrating white pelicans to be spotted, I was stopped in my tracks when I looked up to see 3 deer staring at me while I stared back at them.

It was a lovely experience. I whispered and coo'd to them, telling them how beautiful they were, and after a few magical moments we each went on our way. Me, all the better for it.

I did see turkey buzzards overhead in the tree's airing out their wings and snowy egrets on the far shore. No white pelicans. It may be too early for them.

It was a perfect 52 degree morning, with blue skies, and fallen leaves on the path. It was one of those mornings where you remind yourself of your good fortune and promise not to be ungrateful by having any complaints about your lot in life.  

Upon the recommendation of a like-minded reader, I have stared listening to The Overstory by Richard Powers. At a mere 1 hour in (total of 23 hours of listening), I find myself hooked. As a lover of trees it seems like a good fit. 

Best wishes for your own deer encounter on a trail near you. Soon.

heavy basket season

It was another glorious fall morning at the farmers market today. This little car full of succulents is just the ticket to bring anyone out of whatever worry is on their mind.

If that doesn't do it, well surely the fall flowers will?

And if a third try is needed... STRAWBERRIES + a return of mellowfield's lettuce mix. 

Below are the 2 candidates for best T-shirt at the market. You get to vote. 

I was not able to pass by the gourds today. Which is why it is officially heavy basket season at the market. Gourds + a butternut squash + 2 more jars of Mrs. Peter's applesauce for the pantry - what could I do?

Thuy told me about "kale-me" juice last week at the market - WHAT? Who knew kale in a juice could be so delicious. Some days there is not much time for lunch at work, but there is always time for a juice while working on notes. I picked up another bottle this week. 

If you have juice for lunch it's an automatic yes for dessert after dinner. It's a rule. 

I loved this kid's hand warming method and great grin. 

These 2 get the prize for happiest faces at the market this morning.

I had to take my basket to the car, put it in the back, grab the credit card and go back for the wreath and ginormous pot of mums with a decorative cabbage, coleus, and celosia. 

I know I could have waited another week, but what if there were no more? 

Besides, today just seemed like the right day to "fall-ify" the front porch. Which I did, after the lettuce was washed and the gourds admired. 

I would also like to report that when I was carrying the giant pot and the wreath back to my car I had several people ask "do you need help?" I think it's mostly because people in Lawrence are nice, not that I looked like I was about to bust a gut. 

melty marshmallows are quite challenging to hold on to

This is a sweet potato latte from 1900 Barker on Mass in Lawrence. It has been available since September 1st as part of their seasonal menu. I consider it a matter of incredible restraint that this is the first one I have sampled. If it has been eons since you have let yourself go and truly enjoyed the melty, messy, deliciousness of a toasted home-made marshmallow floating in cup of creamy espresso with a hint of sweet potato that is not overpowered by fall spices - do get yourself here and have one. And yes, I did grab a wooden stir stick to stab that marshmallow with to help get it up to my mouth without having it slip through my fingers. Melty marshmallows are quite challenging to hold on to.

This may be my last arrangement of the season. I am savoring it. 

A long Friday morning walk - this was before the melty marshmallow extravaganza. 

My latest YA read. 

I have just this moment finished season 1 of Hotel Portofino. I like how it concluded with optimism for the future even though we know there are troubles ahead. The beautiful scenery on location in Croatia where this is filmed is breathtaking, as well as the costumes and sets. It has definitely held my interest. 

it's important to talk a lot before you actually do things

Chris and I recently packed our bags, made a sandwich, grabbed a bottle of wine, picked up The Kansas Guidebook 2, and hit the road. Destination: parts west, but not too far west. We have been talking about going to Lindsborg for years, but just never seemed to get around to getting ourselves there. 

It was agreed that driving out and back the same day would not be conducive to a relaxing trip, so an Airbnb in Salina was scouted out. We scored a condo in the old administration building that was formerly Marymount College. There was time for a picnic lunch at the cemetery with Chas, Eleanor, and Aunt Pat and we talked about all the other names we recognized on headstones. We are of an age where we can get into a lunch with the long-gone relatives at a cemetery. It provides a great opportunity for remembering.

We walked through the chapel at Marymount, where we got married many moons ago.

There was a great exhibit on women at the Smoky Hill museum - I was delighted to see Evangeline Thomas (ET!) who I took care of when I was a baby nurse at St. John's hospital, and later always enjoyed seeing at the Motherhouse in Concordia. Bessie Caldwell and Eloise Lynch were also featured. It's nice to be able to look at history and be able to say "HEY! We knew those people!"

We zipped into the cathedral to reminisce for a bit too.

We stopped at Coronado Heights on the way to Lindsborg. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado apparently passed through there in 1541. There is an old castle structure and areas to picnic that were part of a WPA project in 1936. It would be a marvelous place to come and sit for a long visit - as long as you are prepared for the wind. 

The object of my great desire in Lindsborg was a stop at the Birger Sandzén gallery. It did not disappoint. The pictures below are my 2 favorite paintings, but there was much to admire here including his block prints. It's a small gallery, my favorite kind. There were spots to sit while staring and the woman at the front was delightful, inviting us into the office spaces to see more of his work that was on display in there. 

After the gallery, there was a grilled reuben and a frosty mug of beer at Öl Stuga on main in Lindsborg.  It's important to make plenty of stops to sit and let things sink in when you are on an adventure. 

We loved watching the sun come up (first photo in this post) and the sun (and moon) go down from the balcony of the condo we rented. It was a perfect getaway.

We have been talking about getting out to Little Jerusalem State Park for years too. Maybe this will be the year we do that? It's important to talk a lot before you actually do things. 

she is destined for a creative path in life

On a cloudy morning, with intermittent drizzles, in middle to late September, it is becoming more difficult to get enough light to take a decent picture at 7:30 in the morning. That did not stop me from trying... and from circling back after my basket was full to get a few more shots. 

I decided to start with the cake this week, to be sure I did not forget to put it in my basket after I paid for it, like last week.  I don't think I have tried the orange and honey cake previously. Shame on me. It is a lovely combination. 

The red-haired umbrella twirler caught my eye early on. Kids know how to have fun. 

This inquisitive 5 year old had on my favorite rain gear. She investigated carefully the contents of my basket and asked me what each thing was. She told me she like to pick things up and that's what her bag was for. Then she proceeded to jump in a puddle.  I feel certain she is destined for a creative/artistic path in life. I hope I see her again. I thoroughly enjoyed our short visit. 

This pot of fall loveliness made me gasp.  It's not time for mums on my porch yet... but maybe I need to get some anyway? Especially when they are combined like this!

A few heirlooms were selected from this sea of tomatoes. Cherokee purples this week. You might not think so, but in addition to pairing well with bacon and lettuce, they elevate a sloppy Joe to a new level of deliciousness.

Gourds for bird houses or just gourds to hang from trees because they are so cool looking.

I caught these two right when I was leaving, they were starting to load up their bags. I approved of the hoody rain protection plan. 

Here is what came home this week. I was excited about another week of local strawberries. 

Once it was unpacked I whipped up a batch of cucumbers and onions with some fresh dill I had in the refrigerator. I thought it might be my last batch for the summer, but they turned out so good with the fresh dill that I may need to keep making them until the cucumbers stop producing. 

Good stuff. 

they all played their parts as written

I am going to try NOT to clutter up the unfolding of this perfect morning with a lot of descriptors. Because really, it's difficult to access just the right combination of words to describe how lovely it was. Suffice it to say that it was exceptionally good. How's that? 

The sunrise, mists rising from the wetlands, birds, breezes, spider webs, water on the grasses, and the beginning of the changing of the leaves all played their parts as written.

an amazing, wonderful, perfect, cat

Recent things occupying my time include making corn muffins, engaging in petting sessions with Barry, getting in a few last zinnia bouquets, walking outside, and trying to figure out how many of the top 100 books of the first quarter of this century I have read. 

The muffins were excellent. Almost as good as petting Barry for a solid 20 minutes while I told him what an amazing, wonderful, perfect, cat he was.

I love watching all the nuances of the zinnias as the sun moves across them throughout the day. 

I don't know about where you live, but here in Kansas we are in the middle of serious ragweed season. There may be other things out there making me sneeze too, but I believe that's the main culprit. We are popping Claritin like candy as we wait for the first freeze. 

Do you like to compare your reading to what others deem to be the best? I think it's a function of being human. That, along with wanting to be sure we don't miss a book that is supposed to be great. I counted and I have read 10 of them... I circled a few others to look up. I was going to list all the ones I have read that are not on the list but should be. But then I found something more productive to do. 

Sock #1 is coming along. Toe decreases have commenced.