Tall Tales from Kansas

if you don't have a sister that you can travel with

I used the iPhone camera for all the posts I did from our Grand Tour of California on the road.  That does not mean that I did not take over 1000 photos with the Nikon.   You know that means you have to look at some.  Right?

Take heart though.  It's just photos and only a few words.

Just to say that if you don't have a sister that you can travel with, I am sorry.   Boy did we make some memories.  I took notes too.  For the record.  In case someone tries to change any important details later when I can't remember. 

a prolific rose drawer of great renown

While on the Grand Tour of California.  I kept notes in my everyday journal and joined my sister in the fun of playing around in about 4 different sketchpads. 

I love the roses Mary Ann is always drawing so I set my jaw in a determined manner and decided to become a rose drawer.  On this trip.  In 13 days.   

I started out by copying some she had done in her journals in the past and then tried to branch out on my own a bit.  

I know of no good reason I should not be able to become a prolific rose drawer of great renown if I focus and concentrate. 

I branched out into a few other areas while waiting for breakfast one morning and while Sister was drawing the neighbors house one evening. 

I came back to the roses though on Sunday when we had a FaceTime Sketchtime session. 

Thirteen days + 5 have passed now and I am still working out the kinks.  Jaw remains set.  Determination still strong.  

when you get to page 470 of 501 and someone tries to prevent you from finishing

Ok.  Here IT is.  Your next read.  The Signature of all Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.  If you are like me, and could not get through Eat Pray Love, do not let that deter you from starting this.  You would be doing yourself a great disservice.  This is a wonderful story.  Alma Whittaker, the main character,who also happens to be a curator of mosses, is a woman of some substance.   

My sister, Dottie, told me about this book.  I am so glad she did.  Sometimes it is nice to read a book about a person who lives a remarkable, ordinary life.   As you see from the photo above, I listened to this book.  Until CD # 17 of 19 started skipping that is, rendering it unlistenable.  At that point I had no other choice but to download the book onto the kindle app on my iPad.   When you get to page 470 of 501,  and someone tries to prevent you from finishing, you will understand why this was necessary. 

there are no excuses for the fifth one

I know I said I was going to show you the roses I drew in California and then I was going to also show you the sketches I did of Mary Ann and I.  But I am doing it in reverse.  Before I come to my senses and realize that these sketches really should not be out in the public domain with my name attached to them in any way. 

First there was this red one...

which led to the blue one...

that made me want to do the third one...

at which point I felt like I was really getting somewhere and so needed to do the fourth one.  Which is when things went terribly wrong.

There are no excuses for the fifth one. 

The end. 

cruising the streets on foot and by car

Last night I arrived safely back home to Kansas.  The second thing I did upon arrival was go outside and look up at the sky.  I am to be reporting to sister what I can see from here.  She is to be keeping me informed of how many steps she is taking.  It is our astronomy/fitness long-distance coaching plan.   It's anyone's guess who will fall off the wagon first. 

Meanwhile I am missing Corky aka "the Missus".  She is my sisters 2nd favorite cat.   For this reason I am extremely partial to her.  We always have lots of petting sessions when I visit. 

I also miss wandering back alleys and coming upon ginormous colorful bougainvillea's and traipsing through Arlington Gardens to see all the succulents.  

If you are planning a trip to LA anytime you will want to stop in at Malo and get yourself a Tia Angelina.   I will advise that if you have one in the middle of the day, after you have been flying all morning, you may need a nap afterwards.  I will also suggest you get some burnt habanero & creme to go with your chips followed by one squash blossom taco and one al pastor taco. 

Before we headed up north on our Grand Tour of California we did these regular LA things.  Cruising the streets on foot and by car.  Looking for the unusual and extraordinary.  You are guaranteed to spot many.   Especially if your tour guide happens to be an expert on all things LA. 

 

On this trip I finally got up the nerve to draw some roses.  Next post will contain my efforts.  I will also be featuring an exclusive series of sketches I did of Mary Ann and I.  You will need to empty your bladder before viewing.  And don't have any liquid in your mouth either. 

trying to remember how Dexter ended

We decided on the way from Pacific Grove back to Los Angeles to rename this adventure the Grand Tour of California Part One. There is simply too much to investigate in one trip. Yesterday we saw the great tidepool (so named by Ed Ricketts), a fairy tale cottage or two, mountains, Bixby bridge, crashing surf, cows grazing by the ocean, lighthouses, pelican squadrons, and other things I can't remember.

We landed back at Moss Cottage around 9pm. Today I am assisting sister in the role of assistant gardener. We are lopping trees, discussing if we should watch East of Eden or Henry and June tonight, trying to remember how Dexter ended, and sketching. More about that when I get home.

the 49 miles in 3 hours route

On the route we took from Mendocino to Pacific Grove we saw many things. The gas station in Albion, redwoods, the grapevines of Anderson Valley, Gowan's oak tree fruit stand, French butter pears, freshly made yogurt and granola at the Boonville general store and bakery, the Golden Gate Bridge, Healdsburg, Half Moon Bay, and at long last the Monterey peninsula.

We selected the 49 miles in three hours route. When you are doing the Grand Tour of California you don't want to miss anything.

sketching in earnest

Here are the specimens we collected today from Jughandle Reserve state beach. I don't know what I'll do with it. Probably just look at it along with the collection of sea glass. I like re-arranging collections of things from the ocean in the middle of winter in Kansas.

The Grand tour of California also included the dahlia garden and paths to the ocean at the Botanical Gardens up the road from us.

There was an eye popping display of begonias as well. And I do mean eye POPPING. Unusual specimens the likes of which I have not seen before.

We are also sketching in earnest.  Which means that's all she wrote for now.  As my dad used to say.  

When you have a sea gull following you

I was unprepared for the Mendocino Headlands. They take my breath away. Wonderful paths that meander along the coast. Up and down and all around. It's a walkers paradise.

Walking above the surf is a new experience. Sunny, foggy, windy. Beautiful in all conditions. Especially when you have a sea gull following you.

the moon dropping into the sea

Here are some of the things my eyes landed on yesterday. The sea and the sky. From my first ever views of the Milky Way to the sheer fun of Glass beach. They do not disappoint.

The moon dropping into the sea was the icing on the cake.

coffee on a bench overlooking the ocean

After 563 miles and 12 and 1/2 hours of driving we arrived last night, to our home base, from whence all explorations for the next 6 days will begin. Along the way we saw pink clouds and rainbows, rolling hills and grasslands. There were no unicorns.

On we drove, our spirits high. We discussed Cat Stevens, the history of new age thinking, the class 1 soil of the Central Valley, and why egrets and cows might be grazing together in a field off highway 1.

We saw bridges and buoys and stopped for an appropriate road trip lunch of fish & chips with apple pie shakes.

To merely say it's pretty here would be a huge understatement.

Our day has begun with coffee on a bench overlooking the ocean.  I recommend it highly.   

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the getaway car has been fueled

In preparation for an intensive immersion in sketching on the GTOC (grand tour of California), I stretched my drawing muscles yesterday with a Palm tree exercise.

Followed by a geranium.

And concluding with a car sketching lesson.

There was also some walking, sipping, hooting, cat petting, and burger eating.

I also found a super cute house to buy.

Stay tuned. The bags are being loaded and the getaway car has been fueled.

a whole lot of playing

Today I am zipping through the clouds.  Westward bound.  Meeting my sister to embark upon the Grand Tour of California.

This adventure may or may not include hiking, camping, spelunking, fire building, fishing, and tree climbing.  But it will certainly include ocean breezes, cat petting, drawing, beach walking, everyday journal writing, park visiting, Tia Angelina drinking, tidepool investigations, and a whole lot of playing.  We may or may not have internet access.  Blogging may be sporadic. 

with a breaded pork cutlet on the side

If you have been wondering what delicata squash is, and what it looks like inside, and if you have to peel it, and how to cook it... you have come to the right place. 

I saw these little beauties last week at one of my favorite booths at the market and picked some up.

I did some research and found it needs no peeling (much like the patty pan squash) and that roasting is the perfect thing to do with it.  So I removed the seeds, cut it up, drizzled on some olive oil and salt and pepper and threw it on a cookie sheet in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Then I turned the pieces over to get them brown on both sides and threw it back in the oven for another 7 minutes.

Here is what the end result looks like.  It's great.  Very starchy.  I recommend balancing it with something that has a vinaigrette on it.  It was really good with the last of the pepper and black bean salad with a breaded pork cutlet on the side.  

Oh and yes, I ate the skin.  Every last bit of it.   

the octopus adventure patch I have made to affix to her rain hat

The problem with successfully finishing a big project (the afghan) and a little project (the napkins) is it makes you think that you can do many things. 

Things you haven't attempted since the days of home economics in maybe 7th or 8th grade? 

Where I learned to pin the pattern to the fabric and cut it out.  Nowadays are you supposed to trace the pattern on the fabric?  That's what this pattern says.  Is it easier that way?  I don't see how it could be.

So I of course pinned the whole thing and cut it out.  Like in the old days.  Did your sewing teacher make you pin that tissue thin pattern together and try it on to be sure it would fit right before you started sewing?  Ours did.  

I am now up to step # 11 in the pattern which is something about pulling on the basting threads and somehow making the sleeve fit smoothly into the armhole. 

It this all works out according to plan, I will have an octopus tee for the Grand Tour of California Adventure which I shall embark upon in a few days.  Doesn't it seem fitting to have an octopus tee for the tidepool exploring segment of this trip?   Sister says she can't wait to see it.  She can't fool me.  I know inside she is making fun of me.  Wait until she see's the octopus adventure patch I have made to affix to her rain hat.  We'll see who gets the last laugh.  

factoring in what percentage are likely to buy so I can calculate the probability that there will be some left when I walk by after I take all the pictures I want

I haven't told Chris yet, but my goal for next summer is to buy us matching straw hats and make him come to the market with me so he can haul all my stuff around.  Seeing these two last Saturday gave me the idea.  

If I would have had him around last week I could have picked up a nice basket of Asian pears the minute I saw them. 

Instead I have to plan strategically - dividing the number of baskets available by the estimated current attendance at the market factoring in what percentage are likely to buy so I can calculate the probability that there will be some left when I walk by after I take all the pictures I want/need.

You see how complicated it can get.  Especially if you pass by amazing flowers early on in the trip.

Sometimes there is the matter of the weight of all the things I buy slowing me down and making me break into a sweat too.   Another good reason to have a porter to accompany me.

Luckily for Chris, who was sleeping peacefully when I got back home, no one had taken my bouquet with the orange thistle looking flowers by the time I got back to buy them.  I would have hated to wake him up and let him know it was his fault that I didn't come home with the flowers I wanted. 

that crazy slap my chest trying to get it OFF dance

The sunflowers are in hyper-drive right now in Kansas.  Simply spectacular.  There is a farm not too far from here with a field full of amazing sunflowers that I showed you a few years ago.  But on Sunday I discovered it's cousin.

It's more common,ordinary, side of the road kind of cousin. 

Except when you get up early to go on a walk and all of a sudden you encounter a whole big bunch of them, it feels pretty majestic. 

Whether the sun is to their backs, the side, or full on front - they were all lovely. 

 I liked the paths mown through the fields; encouraging exploration.

Sunflowers.  They can't help but make me smile.  Even if I did walk through a big spider web on the way there and do that crazy slap my chest trying to get it OFF dance while I hoped no one was watching.  

and so ends the impossibly long story of the making of the lizard ridge afghan

It seems only fitting, on the eve of Labor Day, to show you this.

I wrote the first post on the Lizard Ridge afghan in December of 2012. 

Since that time I have done an additional 15 posts, sharing the individual squares as I finish them.

For this last phase I picked up a crochet hook and added the border.

I settled on a scallop edge and was amazed at how fast it went once I started.  I like crochet and am certain there is an unconventional granny square afghan made of bright colors in my future.  I hope you are up for this Mary Joan.  In my mind we will be working on it this winter.  

I love how this turned out.  Here is what I am now thinking about ... making a very muted quilt for our bed that this can go on top of for the winter.

I had originally thought to put a very bright border around it.   But when I took it to the yarn store and laid out a bunch of different colors next to it, this green seemed to go best.  It let the colors of the squares be the stars of the show.  I like how it does not match, but coordinates nicely with all the shades contained within the afghan. 

In case you are wondering, here is what the backside looks like.  There are ridges from the seaming but it looks perfectly fine to me. 

This winter when I am warding off the chilly nights, I will have such fond memories of all the places I worked on these squares. 

And so ends the impossibly long story of the making of the Lizard Ridge afghan.   It was truly a labor of love.  

It's pretty and it tastes great and it keeps your mind sharp

It has come to my attention that it is now September 5th and I don't believe we have had bratwurst yet this summer.  Not one single solitary time.  Not at home and not at a cookout.  This shameful omission is being corrected tonight. 

If you are like me, when you have bratwurst you want a cold raw vegetable salad to go along with it.

Preferably one with lots of peppers and onions.

A little cilantro is also nice.  Especially since I am continuing to harvest from my modern sprout herb kit cilantro plant.

A light and tasty vinaigrette dressing rounds it all out. 

Oh and wait.  Some black beans too.  I read the other day that if you eat beans once a week it delays the onset of dementia.   I am all about that.  

This is the recipe I used.  It's pretty and it tastes great and it keeps your mind sharp.  What other reason do you need to make it?

We are serving a selection of seasonal brews with our bratwurst and pepper salad.  I think I also read that wine and beer are essential in staving off dementia.  I might have dreamt that part after I went to sleep though.   But I don't think so.  

cut yourself a thick slice of orange and make a Cosmo to sip while you congratulate yourself

As we near the end of summer and it's hot, hot, hot, and you are tired of watering your plants, and you don't want to say it out loud but you might be ready for snow.... this is the time to call yourself a genius for putting a bougainvillea in a giant pot on your back deck.  

This plant thrives in the hot sun with a minimum of water and is currently in the midst of another growth spurt.  It has, in fact, surrounded the head of the big bird of the patio. 

Call yourself a double genius if you remember to cut yourself a thick slice of orange and make a Cosmo to sip while you congratulate yourself for knowing that this was a great plant to get.

Three day weekends were made for sipping and staring.  Hope yours has started out as nicely as mine. 

I want to use beautiful things every single day

After washing up all the fat quarters the other day, I set about looking for threads in my sewing box that would work for the project I had in mind.  

Bobbins were wound, pins were readied, and I set about making a new set of napkins.  I know.  You are crossing your eyes saying "napkins? really?!"  So simple can you really call it sewing at all?

I watched a mitered corner YouTube video and started out on shaky legs.

Before I knew it though, I had figured it out and was a mitered corner pressing machine.

So easy ... once you get the hang of it. 

I am now the proud owner of 12 lovely new napkins.  Thanks to Brigitte Heitland, the German mother of three, fabric designer, who let me know that she named this collection FOR YOU.  It is part of her Zen Chic line put out by Moda Fabrics.  You gotta go look at her blog and see what people are doing with it.  AND some of her other designs (fabrics and quilts).  So lovely. 

Me, I am perfectly delighted with this simple project.  Started and finished within a few days.  I am not one to "save" something this beautiful to use it on something special.  I want to use beautiful things every single day. 

Starting with lunch today. 

heirloom tomatoes need no fancy treatment

Today I took the heirloom tomatoes from Saturday's market and I sliced them up.  I told you I was going to made them into a capresse salad for lunch this week but that was a lie.  Because at the last minute I had another idea. 

Another new tomato recipe idea.

This recipe involves puff pastry, cream cheese, tomatoes, an egg or two, and sesame seeds. 

A sprinkle of salt and pepper too.  After all was assembled, there was some spreading, topping, folding, and crimping. 

Followed by egg washing, sesame sprinkling, and baking.

And then of course was the eating.  The pastry is light and flaky, the tomatoes juicy and not at all overwhelmed by the cream cheese spread.   Yum, yum, and yum.  

I will be the first person to tell you that heirloom tomatoes need no fancy treatment.  They are perfect all on their own.   The good news about this recipe is none of it is fancy.   But you don't have to tell the people you are making it for that.  It can be our secret.  Here's a link to the recipe.   

Brigitte Heitland, I don't know who you are

Last week Marilyn (one of my office mates who is an amazing quilter) had to go and show me a picture of a new fabric line that she had just been alerted to on Facebook.   Which led to me going downtown to check it out myself.  That resulted in my needing to buy a bundle of fat quarters.

You can see why I needed it right?  The orange and pink may be my favorite.

But then again, I must consider the yin and yang of this pleasing combination of ovals.  Maybe they are the apples of my eye.

And who among us does not love a cool gray accompanied by these striped ellipses. 

Brigitte Heitland, I don't know who you are but I love your Zen Chic collection.   It's a thing of beauty.  Not to mention that these colors are helping me ease out of summer and into fall in a most harmonious way.  

I have properly pre-washed my fabric, hauled the ironing board upstairs, and sewing shall commence momentarily. 

Ideas are flying around.  Plans are forming.  Results to follow.  Hold on to your hats.