Tall Tales from Kansas

if you don't have a friend who is almost 99 years old

Things I am appreciating, enjoying, investigating. That's what this post is about. 

If you don't have a friend who is almost 99 years old, can I suggest you go out and find one? Then be sure and schedule regular meet-ups to talk about important stuff - like getting over the part of us that always thinks we should be "doing" something. Marti Huff makes life better and I am grateful to this day that she wrote up a contract to make me an honorary member of the family.  

In the enjoying arena, unless you have a field of zinnia's of your own (though other flowers would also work),  you can not imagine the sheer pleasure of going out to cut every few days and putting together fresh arrangements. Whatever strikes your fancy gets cut.

Below I am appreciating AND enjoying this short cooler spell we are having which makes needlepoint on the front porch wonderful. At all times of the day. The natural light is the best. 

It's about to be full on bougainvillea time here. When it's hot and sticky and things are melting and fading, it is at it's finest. 



I requested my local library buy Finna by Nate Marshall, sometime in the last year. I think I mentioned it here before. You know how when you read a poem that touches something in you, a shared experience that somehow the poet has found a way to say that makes you want to shout YES! This isn't that book or that poem. This is a collection of words and sentences put together in a way that touch you for a whole lot of other reasons. I do not have the words to do it justice. Just go get it.

Then settle in for a lesson on language. HIGHLY recommended. 

no matter where that happens to be on the globe

Today, after instructing every one of my aches and pains to remain at home, I set out for a walk at the Baker Wetlands. There were multitudes of birds singing in 7 part harmony, with no conductor in site. I also witnessed a snowy white egret in a solo performance as it took flight, headed for who knows where. 

At 7:15 it was 63 degrees out. The absolute perfect temperature for a walk.

As I crossed a bridge, I saw a rock perched on top of the railing. Carefully painted and placed for just the right person to find. Today it was me. Tomorrow who knows. 

I love thinking about the maker as she was painting, deciding where to leave it, imagining the finder. I sent my appreciation telepathically with lots of hearts and balloons.

The natural world is my favorite place to be on earth, no matter where that happens to be on the globe.

stuff those zucchini blossoms and flash fry them

This fella was a bit hesitant (initially) to stand by the sign that demonstrates how the family mill operates. He warmed up pretty quickly though, and soon we were on a first-name basis.  Next week I will ask him to tell me about his role in the operation. I'm sure it's substantial. 

Other new things at the market this week included watermelon and canteloupe.

I was delighted the peaches were still there.  

Mr. Peters told me that one of the best ways to eat them is to cut them in half, scoop out the pit, put them on the grill for a few minutes, and top with vanilla ice cream. He also said they would likely have them through August. Hurrah.

I spotted this pony-tail as I walked in to the market this morning. Her mom said she would only let Dad do her hair this morning. I think he did a fine job. I didn't think she could be any cuter, then she turned around.  

Elderberry-lemon cake was featured this week. At this point I pretty much HAVE to get a piece every week. 

I also got some strawberry lemonade to have on the porch, under the fan, while I listen to the birds. Citrus vodka, lots of ice, splash of Chambord to be added... maybe.

Colorful peppers, luscious tomatoes, the cutest zucchini you ever did see, and flowers were also on display at the market. I want someone to stuff those zucchini blossoms and flash fry them for me, I will take the zucchini itself on the side, maybe spiralized with a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper, and a generous sprinkle of aged grated pecorino Romano. 

There was also Ms. Kansas Agritourism. Promoting all things agricultural in the state of Kansas. She wears the crown well. 

Lunches this week will include spinach pie from my friends at Lebanese Flower. He told me this batch might be "a little bit hot", which sounded great to me.  

I got another batch of sunflowers since last weeks were so nice, a new bottle of honey from Anthony, and that's a wrap on the Saturday market. Until next week. 

I don't tell people I am going to make a masterpiece of their likeness

This past weekend the Oh My Gouache class met on Sunday and did some ZOOM painting together. In our previous sessions we have tackled portraits and I have been practicing on everyone. Taking quick screen shots in ZOOM meetings gives an opportunity for all sorts of expressions and angles to be captured. I don't tell people I am going to make a masterpiece of their likeness.  I just do my thing. 

This week the topic was landscapes and it was great fun. I wish I had a week after each of these sessions to immerse myself totally in doing nothing but eat, drink, sleep, and paint... but that's not life and it does not stop me from painting when I can, how I do, and the outcome is not judged too harshly.  

If you want to see "pretty", let's look at the sunflowers from the farmers market.   

On the reading/listening front I finally finished all 8 episodes of the Trojan Horse Affair podcast. Wow. That is investigative journalism at a very high level.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Link below if you are interested in listening. Each episode is around 40 minutes or so. I loved all the conclusions they drew at the end, about what happened, about each other, about expectations. Link provided below.

The Trojan horse Affair podcast

Last but not least here are some of this week's zinnia clippings. 

I rather like the pale peach colored ones in the very center. Almost as much as I liked Barry (the newest Harvey boy) coming to let me pet him while I was cutting them. 

when they are sold by smiling vendors with sunflower masks and cool glasses

This accordion player added extra goodness to the farmers market in Lawrence this weekend.

He was positioned right next to the brown butter peach cake ... 

...which of course I had to try. 

There was also a basket of peaches from Mrs. Peters. As long as peaches are in season, a basket comes home every Saturday. I remain hooked on them for breakfast. The whole concept of eating seasonally has come late to me. But boy is there something to be said for it. A juicy peach picked (for me) the day before it comes to market is unbeatable. 

 Sunflowers are in season too. In many different forms.

I haven't met one that I don't like. Especially when they are sold by smiling vendors with sunflower masks and cool glasses.



The morning light on this basket of basil was simple perfection, as were the bundled carrots and the beautiful purple eggplants. 

My favorite sign this week is below.

Lately I have taken note of several booths with lemonade. I am always in a coffee frame of mind early in the morning at the market, but as I write this, I am thinking I need to take a mason jar to put some in next week. How delicious would that be on the porch, in the shade, in the afternoon after waking up from a nice weekend nap? With lots of ice and maybe some kind of fresh herb thrown in for good measure. 





As I write this, the cucumbers and onions have been pickled and are in jars in the refrigerator. The green beans were boiled for just a few minutes and a bit of butter, salt, and a squeeze of lemon went on top.  The cake has been sampled and I am giving it 2 thumbs up. 

These carrots will be roasted tomorrow. Really simply with salt, pepper, and olive oil. I did a bundle of these like that in Lincoln last weekend and they were incredible. 

The sunflowers are perfect next to the zinnias don't you think? My friend Jamie gave me that vase with the long skinny neck a few years ago - absolutely perfect for long stemmed flowers. I love that she knew I needed it.  

this time I mean it

Through the years, during zinnia season, there have been postings where I have declared one specific zinnia my absolute favorite. Today, an addition to that list is this hot orange number with lavender on the tips of its petals towards the center. 

You will notice the queen lime reds along with all those wonderful pink/fuchsia colors. They are special too. 

But seriously, and this time I mean it, the orange with lavender is really my absolute, final, selection for favorite.  

Until I see a different bloom next week.  

Sharron recommended it

With some trepidation, but trusting the recommendation of a friend, I recently picked up Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, from the library. 

I am certainly glad I listened. On my own, this would have most likely passed me by. I am not typically a fan of futuristic tales of the world ending and what life is like for survivors, but Sharron recommended it, and we tend to have similar tastes in books. 

I'll not go into great detail about who's who and what's what. There's a pandemic, the world as we know it changes drastically, most people die, some survive, they get on with life the best they can. It follows a group of characters over a span of years, allowing the reader to see how some cope with death and some with survival. There are some unbelievable/coincidental connections through the years (it's a book, that's allowed). 

In the middle of a pandemic, it's quite interesting to read a book written in 2014 about a fictional pandemic. 

Recommended. Thanks Sharron for the heads up about it. 

 

in case you want to cook up your own perfect get away weekend

When we went to Lincoln to the quilt museum this was our home base. Because why wouldn't you want to rent a house that looks like this? We were operating under the "you only live once" principal. There was not a book with the history of the house and its former occupants contained in the home (that we could find anyway), but we used our imagination and made up (really excellent) stories. 

There was a visit to a local restaurant where we started with grilled peaches, lemon ricotta, basil/arugula, crispy prosciutto, balsamic and honey.  The moaning after each bite was done as quietly as possible to avoid being asked to leave. Every single thing was wonderful. If you go to the quilt museum, DISH restaurant on O street is the perfect place for dinner. 

While I am on the topic of food, we had a wonderful appetizer spread for dinner at home one night - a personal favorite for supper. Please note that we did not let the lack of a vase in the house stop us from making flower arrangements to put us in a festive frame of mind.

We checked out The Mill coffee and tea and LOVED these Wheat Paste Murals on the building! Done by Nebraska artists - they were striking. I wish I had captured more images, but you get the idea. 

There was time for a morning neighborhood walk to check out all of the unique homes with their great porches.  I love a neighborhood with all kinds of different houses and yards.

At the quilt museum we stumbled upon these reclaimed wood "quilts" by Laura Petrovich-Cheney. Oh! What we wouldn't give for a pile of unclaimed old painted lumber, safety glasses, a power saw, and a big table to play around with pieces on. Here is more about her and her work. 

In addition to knitting and stitching, we also made time in the mornings for yoga on the wide front porch and wine sipping in the early evening while we sat in the rocking chairs.  

These details are provided as a partial list of ingredients in case you want to cook up your own perfect get away weekend.  

whatever superlative you use to describe an amazing experience...

This weekend, Ann and I ventured up to Lincoln Nebraska to check out the Red and White exhibit at the International Quilt Museum. Shut The Front Door! Holy Smokes! %$&%*! Insert whatever superlative you use to describe an amazing experience... and this is what this exhibit was like.

Apparently there are 652 quilts in the entire collection. This display contained maybe 100... which was just the perfect amount.  More than this would have overwhelmed.  As it was this allowed us to ooh and ahhh and "look at this!" about all of them.







Some of these designs we had never seen before. Not that we are quiltologists or anything... but to be surprised by the unexpected brilliance of some of these makers was mind blowing.







We really enjoyed the variety of ways in which they were displayed for viewing.  







I was struck by the fact that the makers of these quilts were mostly unable to be identified. It seems a shame that these masterpieces did not have a history of the maker (photo included) right by them. 







I hope their spirits were hovering close and they heard every single thing we said about how unbelievably amazing their art is. If you are in the area, and love quilting, you MUST see this. I think the exhibit is up until mid September. 

hello Barry

Please do not be fooled by this first photo and think this is another post about zinnias. It contains zinnias but it is about something much more important. It's about what is in the right bottom corner of the first photo.

Trying to blend in among the zinnias. That's Barry. He is a Harvey boy. Over the last 6 months he has been very wary of me, despite the fact that his older brothers think of me as their adopted cat mom.



Today all of that changed. We had "first contact". First contact of the serious petting kind. He has approached before but only sniffed then backed away.



Today there was the sniff, the lick, the brushing against my legs, the head butts on my hand with the petting, the PURRING. It was magic. 

The rest of the summer and fall look very promising. For lots of kitty love. 

What could be better than a cat in your zinnia bed? Nothing. That's what.