Tall Tales from Kansas

read eagerly this morning, over coffee

Happy last Monday in January. Six days goes by fast when one works part time, especially if a chunk of those shifts are all together in a row. It leaves little time for anything but working, sleeping, and eating. I sometimes ask myself how did I used to work that much? Just like everything else in life though, we adapt to what we are currently doing, and it becomes the norm.  

Sewing triangles together is occupying my time when not at work. Sewing individual triangles one to the other is addictive. Which is a good thing, because I have a lot of them. But triangles is not the purpose of this post. Nope. An article from the Sunday NYT is. I read it eagerly this morning over coffee and the last piece of frozen pumpkin bread from Thanksgiving.

Some of you may recall I did  a post about American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins a few months ago. I thought it was an important book that should be read, no matter all the hullabaloo that ensued while the author was at the beginning of her book tour. This is an excellent opinion piece about that controversy and some of the problems with the publishing industry these days. Pardon my French, but it really pisses me off when someone gets a bee in their bonnet about something and somehow manages to go unchecked by the rest of their peers. What I LOVE about this article is that it mentions how regular book lovers - LIKE US, can continue to wield our influence by reading what appeals to us and then telling everyone else about it. 

Here is a link if you want to read the article for yourself, which I highly recommend.  The Long Shadow of American Dirt

And now I resume my shift at the sewing machine, after which I hope to get the bathroom cleaned, followed by some solid knitting time, and after that finishing up the Sunday paper. 

it's turning out like I thought if would, in my mind

I have fallen into a rabbit hole of triangles. Equilateral triangles. Multi-colored, solid, equilateral triangles to be precise. Triangles that will be sewn into a quilt. 

Cutting, arranging, re-arranging. Then moving them around again. 

I read somewhere about taking a photo, then making it black and white, to more carefully consider the color values. Such a smart idea. 

The truth is I like each arrangement pretty well. I could walk around this bed for another week playing with it. So I am stopping. 

Saturday morning the sewing will commence! So far (cannot be over stressed) it is turning out like I thought it would in my mind. Hallelujah! I haven't picked a backing yet. Binding will be some sort of small multi-colored stripe... I think anyway. All decisions are subject to change up until the very last second.

everyone is on their own journey

Thanks to Jacki Long for recommending Between Two Kingdoms, by Suleika Jaouad to me. It's likely I would not have picked it out on my own. As a palliative care nurse working with seriously ill patients currently, and a former oncology nurse, caring for many patients with various cancers over the years, I wondered if this was something I "needed" to read. It's the story of a young woman diagnosed with leukemia and how this disease alters the life she thought she would have.  

The author's story is compelling, well written, gives voice to her unique experiences which of course are similar, but not the same, as any person I have cared for in the past. The book spans the time from pre-diagnosis to the present, and her reflections on all she has been through related to the illness. There are specifics about side effects, the people she meets, reactions to her illness by others, things that were helpful/not helpful, and just what it is like to live in the uncertain world of serious illness.  All of it so very thoughtful. A reminder that everyone is on their own journey, carrying things none of us can know. 

Highly recommended. 

I'm not built that way

We had some big white snowflakes today in Lawrence. But just for about an hour or so. Nothing stuck to the ground. It was the perfect morning for a late breakfast, steel cut oats topped with big giant blueberries, walnuts, some yogurt and maple syrup. Coffee to sip. A glance through the paper. Nowhere to go. 

Cold weather makes me want to stay inside and make stuff. Coincidentally, I scribbled down a list in my journal the other day of things I want to get going on. Today I worked on three.  Let's begin with the triangle quilt. As you can see, it has not yet been started. 

I have wanted to make one since Pam Garrison brought her's to art retreat #3 (I think) in Palm Springs years ago. Solid triangles, sewn together in strips. She told me she got the idea from Elise Blaha and today I found her old post of a baby triangle quilt she made. It was fun to look at in preparation for embarking on mine. 

I made a few practice cuts on some scraps to be sure I understand how this is going to fit together. I'm glad I did. This stack of Kona Solids (fat quarters) was acquired a while back with just this purpose in mind... plus a few other projects I have thought of for using the scraps I am going to have afterwards.  

My needlepoint project also got some attention. I think I am just past the halfway point?

This cowl was also begun. Yarn purchased in Lincoln when we went over the summer. It's a combination of linen and silk and is very nice to work with. 

Sometimes I think if I just did one thing at a time, I would complete things more quickly. But I'm just not built that way. My hands and my mind like to skip to and fro and I feel compelled to go where they lead me. 

a remake of the Swedish film

A rainy Wednesday in January, in the middle of the afternoon, was the perfect time to go and see Tom Hank’s new movie - A Man Called Otto. It is based on the Fredrik Backman novel - A Man Called Ove, and a remake of the Swedish film of the same name. 

I had forgotten some of the story line since it's been a number of years since I read the book and some parts were changed to reflect the location change (United States vs. Sweden) as well as artistic license on the part of the new director? Bottom line is both Chris and I enjoyed it very much. The supporting cast, and in particular Mariana Treviño, who played the part of Marisol who moves in across the street from Otto, were very very good. Highly recommended. 

P.S. Full disclosure, I am a huge fan of Tom Hanks and pretty much anything he does. 

P.P.S. We had not been in a movie theatre since February of 2020. It felt good to see something on the big screen, though I could have done without all the ads and other hoo-hah prior to the previews. Do we need trivia contests and all that other ridiculousness? Angie would highly approve of my feelings on this matter. Which, in and of itself, makes me smile. 

this stuff requires practice

On the last day of virtual art retreat, feeling a little frisky, I decided to dive deep into the philosophy of "doing something hard you think you can't do".  An excellent mantra for the timid artist, especially during an art retreat. 

So, with the proper frame of mind notched in place, self-doubt in check, Annette (whose birthday is soon) was selected as the model for the first page. Great fun was had. Concentration was focused, laser sharp, except for when it wasn't.

Next up, a Kansas landscape in the black sketchbook. 

There was much to experiment with - in particular how much water to use on the gouache to maintain the opaque vibrance, but still juicy enough to swish around on the paper. There is more to learn there.  Sister painted brother Paul and cats and landscapes. Time went by so fast. Before you know it, day 3 was done. We are going to schedule another art retreat in February. This stuff requires practice. More of it. 

It's humbling to do things you aren't that great at, but at the same time enjoyable if that even makes sense. And, unlike knitting, quilting, and sewing you can start and finish a piece in a few hours. Or you can keep fiddling and overwork it if you want to. The thing about these sketchbooks is they are for fun. Every time sister and I get together to do these sessions, we flip though and show each other previous bits of work... hilarity ensues. It's good therapy. 

a little slice of life I don't usually see

No spectacular sunrise this morning, but how nice to "discover" the loveliness to be found this day. Blues, grays, a sliver of pink, a touch of gold, reflections on the water.

The moon hung high over the dam.

The old streetlights in the park were flickering off. Big dark leafless trees. 

The grain elevator by the railroad tracks

The employees at the muffler shop, next to where I parked, were showing up for work, thermoses in hand, turning on the lights in the shop. A little slice of life I don't usually see. 

When I got home the Sumo Mandarin came out, was peeled, and each segment popped into my mouth. 

Each mouthful a burst of pure deliciousness. While on a visit to California a few years back, Sister and I picked up a couple of these on a whim. They are unusual looking. Don't be scared. Try one if you see them. The one in the photo above doesn't have the characteristic "top knot" and do be advised they are about $3.50 each. Worth every cent. 

tomorrow the sky is the limit

Sister and I just concluded day 2 of 3 planned days of ZOOM art making. I need several days in a row of art dates. It takes at least 1/2 of the first session to get my mind to free itself up and get started.

That's Angie at age 11 and Marti Huff at age 99.  Sister was painting seascape masterpieces, Otto was prowling around in the background, good fun all around.

Today started with a self portrait followed by my rendition of a scene on the box of long matches up here in the art room. This was especially enjoyable.

Tomorrow the sky is the limit. Maybe I will attempt seascapes, more portraits, or something completely different. 

My "chore" today consisted of putting the neon pothos that has been rooting in water, into dirt today. Before it suffered root rot. I think that's a thing. Hopefully it will take, then hold until it's time to put it out in pots with the caladiums out front again this year. The succulents that had been hot glued on top of the mini pumpkin were also stuck in dirt. Who can say if they will survive. I figure if they lived without any water on top of a mini pumpkin for 3 months they should?

I hope you are spending your long weekend (if you have one) doing what you like too. 

no sign of foul play but the investigation is ongoing...

When putting away the holiday finery this week, which felt good by the way, I finally found these bottles that I have been trying to find for a whole year. Since they were put away in 2021 when I was decorating. At the time I distinctly recall telling myself, "this is a great place to put these".  Does that sound familiar? Please say it does. 

They were hiding in a box in the basement that did not get opened when putting stuff out this year. That means most of the stuff in that box was not missed and could be donated right? It's time. Time to sort through the holiday rick-rack and anything that doesn't have a specific memory of a time, place, or person who gave it to me, can be donated. It felt good to reunite the bigger bottles with the smaller bottles of sea glass and shells.

The tree was pulled apart and transported to the basement. 

As Chris (in his knee pads) and I struggled to wrap, tie, and replace it in it's bag, we joked about the headlines that could ensue if we were to experience simultaneous arrests or some other such catastrophe given our huffing and puffing to get the job done.  "Geriatric couple found dead after being alerted by neighbors that they had not been seen for days, no obvious sign of foul play but the investigation is ongoing...".

It's been awhile since I have seen the original Harvey boy. I think he may have left the building, but I will say that every single time I saw him this past fall, I picked him up, gave him a giant squeezer hug, and told him what a good boy he was and how much I loved him. Meanwhile, Alex (aka light Harvey) has been around a lot. He look like he is sleeping but he is on the hunt. For lizards. Lizards are his favorite. I do like his tail as "paw warmer" pose here. 

For you quilters out there... do you use a stripology ruler? I got this at the library after hearing about a class. I have only heard good things about them but will appreciate any input you have. It seems like a great tool for efficiency and accuracy when you have lots of strips and squares to cut. 

No good sunset on this day out and about, but there was a dried hydrangea bloom in front of that lovely old brickwork at Decade coffee shop. 

The flat white was most excellent as well. After I ordered I saw a sign that said they had "orange sipping chocolate".

It sounded intriguing and delicious but not at 8am. A perfect reason to visit later in the day sometime. 

a glowing ball of orange at it's finest

Here is a sunrise at the "church of the glassy river" from this week. 

So technically, it's just minutes before sunrise, when the colors are most spectacular. I look to the right, look to the left, look across the river. All views superlative. 

Then before you know it, here it is, right there, a glowing ball of orange at it's finest. I love the pink light reflecting off everything it shines on. 

Hello moon. Hello path made gold by the sun.

The most splendid of ways to start a day.