Tall Tales from Kansas

one emerging cone of blue

It is possible that these grape hyacinths are the most anticipated flower ever.  In all the history of bulb planting.  I feel certain that none have been examined as closely as these have anyway.  Each day, since the first bits of green appeared, I have been inspecting the progress. 

I was a little worried when it snowed.  But only a little.  They may be small but they are mighty and made to withstand a little late snow.

Maybe by Sunday or Monday or Tuesday next they will be at their peak.  And it will be sunny.  Fingers crossed. 

Meanwhile, I am delighted each time I discover one emerging cone of blue.   Delighted and amazed.  And happy.  

the cousin of the hot cross bun might be the cornmeal molasses roll

If dinner rolls and raisin toast were people, and if they decided to get married, and then start a family, their children would be hot cross buns.  I speak with authority on this matter since I made hot cross buns for Easter.  I omitted the frosting criss-cross on the top because I was serving them with dinner.

In case you have never in your life made or eaten one, I pass this along so you will know.  It is possible that you could be asked this question by a random stranger on the street one day.  And if you get it right maybe you will win a large sum of money.   All because you read this post. 

 Along the same line of thinking I have to believe that the cousin of the hot cross bun might be the cornmeal molasses roll I read about last week.  I will not know this for sure until I make them.  They are next up on my baking to-do list. 

I have decided that the only way to become a better bread maker, is to make more bread-type things.   Which means I have to eat more bread.  Luckily, that is not a problem for me. 

P.S.  I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe  in case you have an inquiring mind.  

even when the world seems like a crazy place

I am about to be done rhapsodizing about all the flowering trees and shrubs, which are putting on an amazing show this Spring, but not before I go on just a bit longer.  There are after all, a few I haven't shown you yet, as well as some that deserve another look - mainly the redbuds, for that pop of purple against the green. 

Flowering quince, pink cherries,  bradford pears, crab apples, and yes, the redbuds.  They all make me sit up and take notice.  Even when the world seems like a crazy place.  

as we Moss kids like to say

Today, despite the snow, we held the annual Easter-egg dying contest.  Chris being a believer in the Paas kit that comes complete will all manner of tra-la-la for dying and adorning eggs.  While I tend to come from the food color, vinegar, drop-em-in and forget about-em school of coloring. 

While I think it is clear which eggs are superior, the bottom line is they all devil the same.   Angie would have approved highly.  Lip-smacking good as we Moss kids like to say. 

 

eggs to be dyed and deviled

Happy almost Easter from Tall Tales Headquarters, where today flowers, candy, and rabbits were strewn about hither and yon in an extremely organized manner, so as to look casually placed.  You know what I mean. 

There are still eggs to be dyed and deviled, followed by my first ever batch of hot cross buns.  Wish me luck.  

 

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after all this playing you will have one sleepy baby

a very wise choice

Joan was sporting her newly knitted poncho on our excursion this week.  This makes the 7th person I know who is currently knitting, or just finished this project.   It looks good on everyone.  Which is the best reason to make it. 

She wore it for our "first of the year" visit to the Kauffman Gardens,  where we spotted a blooming horizontal espalier, one of my adopted cats, a beautiful orchid, some johnny-jump-ups, and a new garden sculpture project to figure out how to make. 

All this beauty worked up a powerful hunger in us so we went and got lunch.  Followed by dessert.  We could not decide between the cranberry oatmeal cookie and the nut bar so we did the smart thing and got both.  A very wise choice. 

If you find yourself around 18th and Baltimore you will need to check out Mildred's Coffeehouse... and everything else in the neighborhood.    On my way home I bought pansies and put them in pots on the front porch.  I couldn't stop myself after seeing these.   

City excursions are the best.   Especially with a good friend. I hope you have one planned soon. 

Well done Mr. Haas, well done

On my day off this week I unexpectedly ran into a series of 4 giant heads.  This series, by Philip Haas, is an interpretation of Giuseppe Arcimboldo's (1526-1593) portrait series "The Four Seasons".   It pretty much stopped us in our tracks the other day. 

In the statement on display with the work, the artist says he likes to .... "recontextualize the world of classical Renaissance portraiture using the transformative elements of scale, material and dimensionality".

These are amazing to experience.  We walked around them in a state of wonder.   I love art that is unexpected and imaginative and colorful.  If it's BIG, so much the better. 

I don't know if this is a permanent installation.  I do know if you are in the KC area it's worth a trip to the Nelson Atkins museum to see.  And it's free.  And the weather has been lovely here.  And there is a whole sculpture garden full of blooming trees and shrubs you can see while you are at it. 

Well done Mr. Haas, well done.  

don't get heavy handed with the splash

The arrival of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere has necessitated a bit of "springing" up around these parts.  Nothing too complicated, just things like switching up the kitchen towels, changing out the potpourri, and buying a new bird plate. 

Since porch sitting time is looming large, a new cocktail was called for.   Nothing fancy, just some white wine, slices of lemon/lime/orange (as much for the color as the flavor) and a splash of peach schnapps.  Don't get heavy handed with the splash or it will take over the whole drink. 

I also strategically placed a few chicks and eggs on the rabbit on the front porch.  Easter decorating is for kids and middle aged women.  Since I fall into both categories I plan to get into it this year.  Beware.  

we should have gotten some salty fries to go with it

You know how when you get older and you think back to some of the things that you thought were so delicious way back when, and then you go back and taste them again and wonder how you could have possibly thought that?   Something like, say a Shamrock Shake from McDonalds.  Where you never, ever, eat now because you prefer to spend your calories on something that tastes better and is more nutritionally sound. 

Yesterday Chris and I decided to try one.  Just to see if it was still that perfect blend of mint and vanilla with neither flavor overpowering the other.  OR, to determine if it had never really been that great, and nostalgia was just making us think that it had been.   While we were out looking at cars, he veered into the drive through and ordered one up for us - without the whipped cream on top and without the maraschino cherry because I swear they didn't use to have those.

I took one taste, looked at Chris, and said "crap, this is really good".  Then he took a taste and said "we should have gotten some salty fries to go with it". 

I hate to say this, but the Shamrock Shake is in fact, even better than I remember it being.   We have made a pact to limit ourselves to only two a year.  Which means we can still go back in the next 9 days and get another one. 

the floral version of raspberry lemonade

 Prunus Cistena +Forsythia Viridissima = the perfect floral arrangement for Sunday. 

I like to think of it as the floral version of raspberry lemonade.  Especially when arranged in a pink mason jar.  Having it on the table helped me finish my tax preparation work today.

Spring flowering trees and shrubs are the best for floral arrangements while I wait in eager anticipation for the Lawrence Farmers Market to start.  Which I think is in 2 more weeks! 

a deeply satisfying read

This book has been walking behind me everywhere I go this week.  I have been unable to put it down.  It's about Maud Horsham, an older woman with dementia, who is worried about her friend Elizabeth Markham, who seems to be missing.

The author really brought the inner workings of the mind of a person with dementia to life.  I have no idea if Maud's experiences are really the way the world seems to a person with dementia, but it seemed very plausible to me.  

Part real, part made-up, with a bit of mystery, and a little history, it was a deeply satisfying read. 

Highly recommended. 

 

gratuitous use of props to make a picture work for a purpose to which it really is not suited

 In honor of St. Patrick's day I am starting out these photos of Daffodils with one that features their lovely green stems.  I appreciate their precision uniformity in addition to the hardiness that enables them to support the pretty yellow parts. 

I also put an old basket with a shamrock fabric liner and handle cover in the frame.

This is what is known as gratuitous use of props to make a picture work for a purpose to which it really is not suited.

I think St. Patrick would approve though. 

 

 

in case any leprechauns break in the house while we are at work tomorrow and decide to be making us a wee bit of an Irish cake

The other day I got it in my mind that we needed some St. Patrick's day treats around here.   This whole green dessert business started in 2014 when Chris thought we should have a shamrock cake.   Which turned out to be a very very good idea, I must say. 

I used Martha's sugar cookie recipe, which was a snap, and when they were cool, we frosted, sprinkled, dotted, and in general made a great big mess of the kitchen floor with a lot of flying decorations.  Oh it was fun!

When all frosting was done, and the kitchen was back in order, we selected the three cookies that looked like they had been decorated by 6 year olds and gobbled them up right quick.  Just to be sure they were good enough to serve to guests should any come over.   On all the cooking shows they say you should always taste your food before serving.  

The bad thing is that tomorrow is St. Patrick's day and I might finish eating all the cookies today.  That would mean no shamrock sweets after the "bangers and mash" we are having for supper tomorrow night.   Happily there are still plenty of sugary sprinkles around for decoration in case any leprechauns break in the house while we are at work tomorrow and decide to be making us a wee bit of an Irish cake. 

these definitely fall into that cultivar

We are having a most excellent Spring here in Lawrence.  Colors are popping up everywhere you look.   The gray skies that go along with the rainy days we expect in March, did not, in any way, diminish the splendidness of this display I spotted over the weekend.    

I have no expertise in the identification of individual magnolia species.  These look like either "Japanese Pink Saucer" or "Jane" to me.   I do however, happen to know pretty when I see it, and these definitely fall into that cultivar. 

Crocus - check.  Forsythia - check.  Redbuds starting - check.  Magnolia trees - check and check!  I think the flowering plums or cherries are next in the line up.  Either way, I'll just be here waiting.  Gratefully.  Camera in tow.     

 

Lauren Pfanmiller (who married Will Pfanmiller, who is the son of Jennifer Pfanmiller, whose mom is Marti Huff)

Way back in 1972 when Jim Croce was singing about saving time in a bottle I am pretty sure this was the bottle he was planning to save it in.  Isn't it the one you would pick?  Such a lovely aquamarine color with all those air pockets creating the most imperfectly beautiful treasure of a bottle. 

It does happen to be the one that Lauren Pfanmiller (who married Will Pfanmiller, who is the son of Jennifer Pfanmiller, whose mom is Marti Huff) picked to have scattered on all the tables, full of flowers, when they got married in the middle of a beautiful Kansas Prairie last year.  Or was it two years ago? 

Anyway,  it was at the desk next to mine at work (where Nancy sits, who is the other daughter of Marti Huff, sister of Jennifer Pfanmiller, Aunt to Will Pfanmiller, and Aunt-in-law to Lauren Pfanmiller) the other day and I stole it.  I couldn't help it.  The minute I saw it I had a plan for it. 

A plan to go hunting for redbuds and bring them home and place them just so in the bottle.

Because even better than saving time in a bottle, is enjoying pretty redbuds about to blossom in a bottle. 

P.S.  Will and Lauren Pfanmiller I shall drink a toast to your happiness every time I put in a fresh arrangement. 

P.P. S.  Dear Will, I know you are a son and not a daughter and have corrected my error in the title and body of this post this morning.  It was late last night when I was trying to explain the lineage of the Pfanmillers.

stopped in my tracks by them

If you happen to be in Lawrence Kansas on Monday, with a picnic lunch in your bag, and no where to go to eat it, I suggest you head for this grouping of Star Magnolia's.  They are located north of 9th street between Vermont and Kentucky and it just so happens that there are benches conveniently located underneath them. 

I hope, hope, hope, that the rain we are getting right now doesn't cause all the blooms to fall off.  But if it does, I'm sure glad I got to see them in all of their magnificent glory the other day.   I was stopped in my tracks by them.    Completely astounded.   In the best way possible. 

 

an old swimming patch that never quite got affixed to one of our swimsuits

Today I got very industrious and collected things from Angie's sewing box and corralled them into a mason jar.  I saw this idea when I was out with Joan a few weeks ago, and decided today was the perfect day to get it done. 

There was a "ruffle-maker" which I can not recall mom ever using, but it delighted me to know that she at one time harbored a secret plan to make ruffles. 

There was a variety of seam binding, snaps, hooks & eyes, instructions for sewing in zippers, and one lone blue zipper.  

There were rusty needles, part of an iron-on-patch, screws, a chunk of wood from a box that needed to be glued back in place, and a piece of blue tailers chalk that I remember mom using when she hemmed up our pants. 

I threw in her thimble, though I debated leaving it out to use myself, and an old swimming patch that never quite got affixed to one of our swimsuits. 

For good measure, I tossed in one of her old "twisties" that I found the other day around an extension cord.  Good stuff.  All of it.  It's sitting on a table in the living room along with my own sewing and knitting projects.  Right by the jars of sand dollars, tiny shells, and sea glass.  You can't have too many jars of collections. 

give in to the pull of the universe

On the way to the library today I saw two things that made me very happy.  Number one was yellow and it's name is forsythia.

Number two was a little miss with a backpack on her back, and pom-pom things on her tights, walking with a very springy step on her way to something fun.

Under the spell of all that happiness, when I got home, I made a party plate and sat down to read a book.  Then I heard birds started singing so I had to go investigate, which led to me reading outside because it was too nice to stay indoors.  Before you know it Harvey decided to come over to visit and it was 3:43 pm, which was way to late in the day to start trying to do anything productive. 

When the stars line up like this on a day off, it's best to thank your lucky stars and give in to the pull of the universe. 

 

 

you gotta shoot while the shootings good

In case you didn't get the memo, tonight marked the beginning of spectacular sunset season in Kansas.  Maybe in your part of the world too? 

I sure hope so, for your sake.   I pulled into the garage at 6:36 pm and these were snapped between 6:37 and 6:38.  You gotta shoot while the shootings good around these parts.  

all while I was supposed to be working on the taxes

Today I spotted the first blooming forsythia of the year, had a delicious "peppery" chai tea latte in a pottery cup that felt perfect in my hands, listened to the rain through an open window, watched a very precise baker prepare pan au chocolat, appreciated that someone brought in cuttings from a flowering pear, and stumbled upon a wishing bench.

This all happened while I was supposed to be working on the taxes.  Pretty good decision to leave the house for a short break I would say. 

am ready with one hundred men and two Gattling guns

One of the most interesting things Dottie and I did in Laredo (actually Dottie did all the work while I made mistakes knitting) was scan photos from Aunt Coty's old albums while she sat alongside and confirmed who each person in the photos were, to the best of her recollection.    These first two pictures are our great, great, grandparents, Noah Cox and Rosaura Barrera. 

 

While we were in Rio Grande, our cousin Joe took us by the balcony of the jail where Noah Cox was shot as noted in the telegram above.  He survived this injury and was back at work 6 weeks later according to Joe. 

I had never seen this photo before.  That's Angie there in the middle row at age 13.   Aunt Coty is the one with her Dad's arm around her shoulder.

Please note that my sister Mary Ann and I come by the adoration of our pets honestly as demonstrated below with the addition of "Daisy" written in ink on the photo of great Aunt Fanny and Aunt Critch. 

 

I hope in years to come our great, great, nieces and nephews find this photo and wonder what we were doing at Camp.Had.It.  I am going to write this on the back of my copy - February 28, 2016 - Carol Moss Mulvenon, David Garza, and Dottie Moss after they were chased by a herd of Javelina and lived to tell about it.

days of porch sitting after work and on weekend mornings

The crocus are blooming, the red sunset maple is budding out, and the succulents are turning green here in Kansas.  All sure signs that Spring is just around the corner.  Oh I am ready for some color outside.  My sister has been going for walks at the Huntington gardens and Descanso gardens and it has been making me insanely jealous since we are still mostly in the gray zone around here.  But not for long! 

The tulips, grape hyacinths, and alium are also popping up out of the dirt and the Persian lilac bush has green buds on it.    I have major trimming to do on the rose bush and the decorative grasses need to be cut down.   I suppose there must be some work to balance out the beauty ahead.  The days of porch sitting after work and on weekend mornings can not be far away.  Oh joy. 

flowers, un-knitting, and card writing

Because there were no purple hyacinths at the store today I was forced to buy purple Japanese iris to put on the table along with the ever so faintly pink-tinged white hyacinths.  Somehow the sight and smell of the flowers made it easier to put up with all the ripping out of the knitting. 

In addition to getting flowers, un-knitting, and card writing, I also managed to cut some succulents for tiny flower arrangements above the kitchen sink and locate my shamrock rabbit.  Oh, and if you live in the area, and happen to get to Louie's Wine Dive, I can vouch for the deliciousness of the BLT deviled egg appetizers.   And if you order dessert, promise me that you will get a glass of the Barbadillo Oloroso Dulce Sherry.   Someone will be going to the liquor store tomorrow to buy a bottle for the house.  I am pretty sure the smoky maple sweetness will taste as good with a Lorna Doone cookie as it did with the polenta cake. 

 

in all his glory at the age of 6 months

Hello friends and welcome to the Friday night weekend report.  Where I tell you about all the things I am dreaming about doing in the next 48 hours. Simple things like writing out some notes and taking them to the post office, looking for a hyacinth to put on my dining room table, and reading a few chapters in a book.   Restful things such as taking a walk to look for green things sprouting up and getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night.  There will also be laundry and ripping out all the knitting I did while I was in Texas because I made a mistake somehow that simply can not go uncorrected.  I am thinking about balancing that out by going out to dinner with friends at a place where they have BLT deviled eggs on the menu as a starter.  

But before I do any of that I mustn't forget to wish my brother, Wilburn Ray Moss, Jr. a happy 60th birthday.  This is him in all his glory at the age of 6 months.  Being held in the arms of Great Aunt Clotilde Cox in front of the house Angie grew up in.   I hope you have something planned that will make you just as happy as you look in this photo brother.  If you want to stop by, I will make you an angel food cake with maraschino cherry frosting just like mom used to make for you.