Tall Tales from Kansas

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.

I was captivated by all that I saw

I finally made it back out to the Baker Wetlands to check on this years showing of the American Lotus blooms.

It was lovely. Nature's lacemakers had been out spinning overnight and the new cat tails were pretty. 

I did a quick scan of the ponds near the boardwalk and was rewarded with glimpses of 2 blue herons. 





All in all a wonderful morning. We had a really wet early spring here followed by this period of super hot days that everyone is experiencing. The lotus blooms have been more plentiful in previous years, but I was captivated by all that I saw. Just as it was. 

served al fresco on a patio with twinkling lights

Peaches were the hot item at the farmers market Saturday here in Lawrence. 

I picked the perfect little basket and brought them straight home and proceeded to eat them for breakfast. Sliced up, in a bowl, with greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, a few toasted walnuts. Equally as delicious as in a pie or cobbler, so easy. 

A few heirlooms were also selected for this week's BLT's or Turkey Clubs or just by themselves between some sliced bread with Duke's mayo and salt. 

Below are this week's shining examples of what the best dressed vendors and shoppers were wearing at the market. 

Can't you just see these carrots roasted in the oven, lightly sprinkled with a bit of feta and some chopped pistachios. Bread and butter on the side and a nice cool glass of sauvignon blanc. Served al fresco on a patio with twinkling lights... tuscan pines off in the distance down in the valley.

The zinnias were plentiful - in ALL the colors. These were my favorites on display. While we are at it, how about Lin, Lin, and Moe's orderly display? 

Since I wasn't making pie with my peaches, I had to bring home some strawberry - lemonade cake.  The sign said it was "zingy and refreshing" and I am in total agreement with that assessment. 

Happy Sunday night friends, or Monday morning... depending on where you are in the world as you are reading. 

I did not find any flaws

The other morning I took a cookie sheet, some clippers, 5 vases, and myself out to the back yard. Here is what I did. 

I cut a bunch of zinnias and greenery, threw them on the cookie sheet, then sat down in a comfy chair on the deck (in the shade), and made arrangements. 

When all the stuff on the cookie sheet had been placed in a vase, I brought them all inside and admired my handiwork. 

I did not find any flaws. Not one. 

a lemon tartlet with whipped cream on the side

Along the lines of getting out, exploring, and making your own fun, as mentioned in my last post - yesterday I had lunch in Kansas City with the Huff's. We went to one of their favorites that I haven't been to in years - Andrés at 5018 Main St. This place has been around since the mid 1950's serving up Swiss-style confections. Yesterday I sampled the Quiche Lorraine, carrot salad, pickled beets, and a wonderful roll with butter - one of the best lunches I have had for awhile. Did I say it also came with a lemon tartlet with whipped cream on the side that was the perfect ratio of tart to sweet? Definitely worth a visit, if you can get the Huff's to go with you, all the better. Delightful company are they. 

I also went to the library to pick up a book and on the way out the door spotted this:

I had the best time getting these glimpses into the minds of others' perceptions of the pandemic. 

Maybe you are like me and can't handle long conversations about what it has been like. It's hard to listen sometimes when your own experiences are still right there. I have no energy for any debate about it. But this, this was different. 

As you can see, I was most taken with what kids had to "say" about it all. 

After looking at these, I might want to sit in a room with a bunch of kids and have them share their thoughts. Just what comes into their heads. Nothing programmed in by anyone else. 



High marks to the Lawrence Public library for this excellent project. 

I accidentally on purpose took 2 stickers

What I did for fun recently:

1. Made biscuits and a few jars of pickled cucumbers and onions. I discovered recently that pickles and onions are a wonderful accompaniment to spicy beef and broccoli. The perfect foil to the whole soy/sesame/oyster sauce/umami thing.  

2. Went for an early morning walk and saw sunflowers at the middle school down the street. In that first morning light they were magnificent. Anything + early morning light = beautifulness. 

3. Went over to the county election office and voted in person early. I accidentally on purpose took 2 stickers that said I voted. 

4. Mixed up a wine spritzer of sorts so I could use up the last 4 strawberries before they went bad. 

5. Admired my very own patch of coneflowers. After pulling weeds. Which was NOT fun, but nonetheless required attention. 

Finding things to do that are "fun" is essential to living a contented life. For me. 

Helpful links:  Biscuit recipe here.