Tall Tales from Kansas

Kate Pfanmiller - following her arrow

It is likely, that at some point in our lives, we feel a universal urge to do something completely out of character, totally spontaneous, and wildly adventurous.  The desire for the opportunity to test out some alternate path we could have traveled down.  But didn't.

Right now my friend Nancy (daughter of Marti Huff) has a niece who is living large in New Zealand.  Doing her thing.  Checking out what life has to offer.  In a whole other corner of the world.  I am thoroughly enjoying seeing this alternate path through her eyes.  Wondering would I ever have been that brave.  Completely cheering for each moment of her potentially scary, insecure, honest, experience.  I am thinking that some of you might like to follow along too.   Follow this link to her blog -  Kate Pfanmiller

Prepare yourself for some amazing photography.  And some darn good writing. 

Photo credit:  Kate Pfanmiller

It wouldn't do to get sucked into it before attending to my decorating duties

In accordance with the September 28th official Halloween banner and garland hanging decree, I proceeded tonight, after work, to get mine up. 

Then, I looked to the left at this ridiculous bundle of fat quarters sitting on the table amongst the fall brick-a-brac.   And my mind began to wander over the possibilities.  

But I did not let myself get distracted.  I did not. 

Until my eyes wandered to The Witches, which my sister is reading to her 3rd grade class.  Which led to my requesting it from the library.  So I snuck a small peek inside.  Barely a glance really.  It wouldn't do to get sucked into it before attending to my decorating duties.  But then I started reading about REAL WITCHES and how to identify them. 

At Tall Tales Headquarters, official Halloween banner and garland hanging has officially been postponed until the first of October. 

unique in their own individual ways

Here is contestant #3 in the Knitted Pumpkin competition.
 

He was a breeze to knit up and stuff.  I dug out my set of double points made from really smooth wood.  Wow.  Using them made all the difference.  The yarn just slides so much easier on them as compared to bamboo.  The pattern for pumpkin #3 is free by the way, and can be found on Ravelry.

Gosh he's cute.  It's really hard not to like him best. 

I think they are all charming.  Unique in their own individual ways.  Do I sound like a mother trying to be diplomatic when talking about her kids? 

Since I said I was going to declare a winner though, I guess it's #3.  Meanwhile, it seems that just pumpkins isn't enough.  I am on to leaves now.  In a big way. 

I posted a link to the pattern a few weeks back when I did the first knitted pumpkin. 

The fun thing about these mini projects is they go so darn fast.  Who knows how many I will end up with.  Somewhere between 8 and 12 will be needed for sure.  Maybe even 14.   I am going to add them to the fall/winter garland that is getting ready to go up over my table ASAP.  

even though I lived through this and know how it comes out

Sunday I filled a vase with zinnias, some basil, lemon balm, and a marigold. 

Made perhaps the last kale salad of the season.  I used barley as my grain.  Very tasty. 

And started pumpkin number 3.  I know.  Stop the presses.  It was so exciting.  

Then because it was raining, and we were forced to put off any yard work, we went to the movies.  If you haven't seen Sully yet, you might want to go.  Strange how on the edge of my seat I was for the whole movie even though I lived through this and know how it comes out.   I guess that's what good acting and directing will get you.  Chris says "it's big screen worthy for the spectacle, the sound, and larger-than-life experience". 

Lastly, I just ran across this blog that I am adding to my "read regularly" short list.  Thoughtful.  Relevant.  Well written.  Who couldn't use a little more of all those things these days?   

roast beef, cream cheese, tomato jam, salt and pepper

Squash was front and center at the farmers market today.   It was 70 degrees when I arrived at 8:09 am.  People were smiling.  And sneezing.  Apparently I am not the only one with "ragweed problems" who eagerly anticipates the first frost each year.  Rest easy though, this post contains no scary ahhhh-chooo photos. 

This young merchant, whose proceeds are going into a college fund was artfully arranging his produce. 

These globes of tomato goodness were quite appealing to they eye, and had I not already placed tomatoes in my basket, I may have gotten them.

Remember that wee ironing board from a few weeks ago?  Just when I thought it couldn't get any cuter... it was joined today by a teeny weeny shopping cart.  Oh Katharine Ray how I needed you with me today. 

This was my first glimpse of BIG pumpkins.  For the record that cute boy with hair and socks that matched the pumpkin just happened to walk by and I did not pay him to be in the photo. 

I came home with a most unusual market bouquet.  Amaranth, ornamental cabbage, hot peppers, and some very sweet little white flowers.  A perfect accompaniment to the table of pumpkins. 

These Cherokee purple heirloom tomatoes are on the menu for supper tonight.  Think pumpernickel bread, roast beef, cream cheese, tomato jam, salt and pepper.  Maybe a frito or two on the side and a nice glass of zinfandel.  We are sophisticated diners.  Chris and I. 

I don't know what I will do with these pears yet.  Probably just eat 'em.  With a hunk of blue cheese and maybe some of that no-knead bread with lots of seeds. 

I am going to carry it around in my pocket for awhile

Yesterday morning, exactly 18 minutes before the start of fall, the last flower photos of the summer were taken. 

I spotted them growing on the side of a building and ran to snap them, causing me to be exactly 3 minutes late for my 9am haircut.

But when you see a fabulous background like that, in the golden pinkish morning light, in the last minutes of summer, AND you have your camera.  Your mission is clear.

By 9:38 am, when I was filling my car with gas.  The pink was gone, but oh the blue and white was pretty spectacular.

I had the day off yesterday, so took it upon myself to record this transition from summer into fall.  Just in case anyone wanted to know about it.   I may request off next year and do the same thing.  That's what a good day it was.  I am going to carry it around in my pocket for awhile.  So I can remind myself. 

those of you who are perhaps a bit less enamored with fall

Today, on the autumnal equinox, it seemed right to try out another knitted pumpkin pattern.  And so I did.  I used leftover bits of yarn.

The pattern was a bit fussier than the extremely simple one I did previously.  Lots more stitches and increasing and decreasing and the like, but it does add an element of realism to the finished product.  Even though my stem looks a thimble.  

And now there are two.  Until I try the next one.  I have one more pattern to go.  There are 3 contenders on the shortlist of the "best knitted pumpkin pattern".  I intend to declare a winner. 

For those of you who are perhaps a bit less enamored with fall and all things pumpkin, I give you this perspective on the season.  I do so enjoy a clever read.  I intend to go back to the archives at McSweeney's (which I added to my Feedly) and read every other article ever written by Sarah Hutto.  

use the first paragraph as your model

Today at work I had the opportunity to read what I consider to be perhaps the most succinct, yet crystal clear advanced directive I have ever seen. 

"I wish to live and enjoy life as long as possible, but I do not wish to receive futile medical treatment that I define as treatment that will provide no benefit to me and that will only secure a precarious and burdensome prolonging of my life.  I would also consider treatment futile when I had irrevocably lost the ability to interact knowingly and effectively with others.  In general, I would, if competent, reject treatments that impose suffering or strain on me that were out of proportion with the benefits expected to be gained by the use of such treatments, even if my condition is not one that is specifically described in this instrument."

Compare this with the "standard language" in an advanced directive below. 

"If at any time I should have an incurable injury, disease, or illness certified to be a terminal condition by two physicians who have personally examined me,one of whom shall be my attending physician, and the physicians have determined that my death will occur whether or not life-sustaining procedures are utilized, and where the application of life-sustaining procedures would serve only to artificially prolong the dying process, I direct that such procedures be withheld or withdrawn, and that I be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to provide me with comfort care."

I don't know if you can appreciate fully the simple beauty of the language in the first advanced directive.  But I will tell you that as a healthcare provider it tells me EVERYTHING I need to know about how to care for this person if they are ever in a position of not being able to tell me what things we should and should not do to/for them.  If you still don't have an advanced directive may I suggest you use the first paragraph as your model?

the sis-boom-bah of a municipal band

The season of fall festivals is here at last.  Where you can find marionettes, unique local pottery, and "wind-catching-thingies" to put in your garden.  All in the same venue.

Plus you can wear your boots with your tie-dyed skirt, your church clothes, or your superman cape.   No dress codes at fall festivals.

As usual I was attracted to the fiber arts.  I love all things re-cycled.  Including that dinosaur, even though he was not created from anything remotely soft.  

There were also wooden trains and bags.  Why do I think I need a new bag every single time I pass by a selection that looks interesting?  How many bags can one lady need?   

I admired the work of this quilt artist.   So beautiful. 

And even if you don't like arts and crafts, you gotta love the sis-boom-bah of a municipal band.  And let me tell you, the Lawrence Municipal band puts the sis in the boom-bah.  And that, is a very good thing. 

off to practice my dance moves

Dottie sent this to me this morning and it is SO SO SO worth watching that I am posting it here for you.  In case you haven't seen it yet.

 

More later, I am off to practice my dance moves.  Soy YO!

staring and petting

Happy Sunday Morning from Kansas.  I hope your weekend, has been as restful as mine.  Filled with staring contests in the back yard with goldfinches that are occasionally interrupted by visits from the Harvey boys. 

You would be amazed at how time can get away from you when you are staring and petting. 

how to stick a needle and thread all the way through those big purple pumpkins

Last week I got together with my friend Mary Joan so we could make stuffed pumpkins.  And boy, did we make some pumpkins. 

I am not sure why we decided to make purple ones.  Except for the fact that I had some purple velvet from who knows what project and it seemed like a good way to use it.  And if your are going to make something purple you might as well make it BIG.

We were concentrating too much for me to take a lot of photos during the process.  If you google making stuffed pumpkins you will find lots of methods.  We used a combination of all of them.  For the stuffing we used the insides of pillows, plastic pellets, and beans.  Sometimes all 3 in one.  We were experimenting.  I can't say that any one is better than another.  

This one above might be the favorite one that I made.  Or it could be the little bitty taffeta one below. 

I think I like this one best of all the one's that Joan did.

But it's hard to make up my mind for sure.  I like all the ones below just as well. 

The bottom line is these were completely do-able and very fun.  Did I mention we did them at Joan's house and she made a pumpkin dump cake for a mid-morning pick me up and then chicken salad croissant sandwiches for lunch? 

Long after these pumpkins have faded away I will remember Mary Joan and I trying to figure out how to stick a needle and thread all the way through those big purple pumpkins AND be able to get it through to the other side.  Needle nose pliers are helpful. 

It's hard to fully explain the complete enjoyment of a crafting adventure with a dear friend.   But if you have experienced it, you now what I mean. 

if having butterflies flit and flutter all around you sounds like your cup of tea

Last week at the butterfly house at Pendleton's Country Market there were some amazing caterpillars.  Seriously big and bold and HUNGRY.  They were going after the butterfly milkweed like nobody's business.  I saw a butterfly lay an egg, watched a caterpillar hanging upside down that was about to turn into a chrysalis, and in general was enormously delighted by the whole thing. 

If having butterflies flit and flutter all around you sounds like your cup of tea, you might want to get on over here.  Or else find a butterfly house near where you live.  I bet they have one.  And if they don't, they should!

her dress sure is pretty

In some class, in some country, in some grade, a long time ago, I recall a "current events" board.  Where the teacher would post things that were happening and we would, at some point in the day, discuss it.  If I had a bulletin board right now.  These are the seven things I would put on it.  Minimal discussion required.  

Just finished this tonight.  A good commute listen.  Not spectacular.  But definitely good. 

My fall tablecloth find from a second hand store last year.   Yes, I posed it with that mug on purpose.  It's not everyone who can appreciate this color combination.  Lucky for me. 

The black eyed susan vine is putting on a second flowering since the days have cooled off a bit. 

Lastly, I present Vivian and Vanessa.  From my sister's class.  I should have stopped with Vivian.  Poor Vanessa.  Something happened to her.  But her dress sure is pretty. 

Dottie, don't you answer that question

After a two week absence, I was glad to get back to my farmers market Saturday am.   I missed my people.  My fellow early risers, eager to get out and see just what our farmer friends are coaxing from the earth. 

The zinnia's this year have been absolutely beautiful, and of course none more artfully arranged than Madeline's. 

Right next door at Pam's booth was this gorgeous bunch of gourds, which have nothing in common with zinnias except for the fact that they are just as beautiful. 

My discovery this week at the market were Grimes Golden apples.  They apparently originated in Virginia in 1832 on the farm of Thomas Grimes, and are the probable parent of the Golden Delicious.  That's what I read about them anyway. 

This nice man, who grew them just south of Eudora, described them to me as a sweet/tart/cidery tasting apple.  So of course I had to get some. 

I also came home with these which were turned into the season's first batch of butternut squash soup by 1pm Saturday.  We made fajitas with the red, green, and yellow peppers I bought, and the Genovese heirloom tomatoes will be going on BLT's later in the week.  Deviled eggs rounded out the weekend cooking when Chris came home from the store with a dozen because he didn't know that I bought a dozen at the market.  Can you have too many eggs?  Dottie, don't you answer that question.  

which Chris thought was nigh on heresy

For Saturday night, I present a jumble of pictures from last weekend's drive through a scenic route in Kansas. 

All meant to encourage you to get off interstate 70 the next time you drive through Kansas.   If you happen to be hungry and are near Wamego Kansas, we had some exceptionally good apple pie at The Friendship House on Ash street.   Oh, and we also got Bierocks to bring home.  They serve them with horseradish sauce which Chris thought was nigh on heresy.  It was a stroke of culinary genius in my opinion. 

 

 

living fully while understanding that we have more years behind us than we do ahead

If you are between the ages of 45 and 80, or anywhere close to that range, you might enjoy reading this book.   I renewed it from the library twice.  When I tried a third time I was unsuccessful because somebody was waiting for it.  This is a book you want to read slowly.  Take some time to digest.  Figure out if there are things you might want to try.  I am not a huge reader of non-fiction books.  But this will go down as one of my most enjoyable for 2016.   

I wouldn't exactly call it an instruction manual.   But it offers some practical, well researched, strategies for those of us who want to keep living fully while understanding that we have more years behind us than we do ahead.  Which isn't always easy.

as long as you aren't too greedy

There have been some amazing photos of fields of very tall sunflowers with big giant heads on my recent forays through the internet.  Sort of like the one I went to near me, the week before they bloomed.

These are not those photos. 

Nope.  These are the ones at the Rotary Arboretum in Lawrence.

Very close to home.

So I can walk over and check them out day or night.  Rain or shine.

There are paths mowed through them for walking. 

It might even be possible to bring some clippers with you. 

Then walk around to the very back of the field.

And clip a few to bring home for the table.   As long as you aren't greedy.  Not that I am advocating such a thing.  Just saying it might be possible. 

 

after I ate a goodly amount of cake

Ok - here is my first knitted pumpkin for the 2016 season.  Thank you so much Joan Clark for calling them to my attention!  I used a much bulkier yarn than called for in the pattern, cast on the same number of stitches, and knit for 4 inches instead of 3.  Dang if it isn't cute.  I combined some left over green and gray yarns and knit them together into an I-cord for the stem.  Very fast and very fun project. 

As soon as I finished this, being in an extreme fall frame of mind, I made the Steen Syrup cake this weekend.  I actually sifted the dry ingredients twice like the recipe says to do this time.  Unfortunately, I used a whole cup of hot water instead of 3/4 cup because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing BUT, happily for me, it came out better this way.   Even more moist. 

Oh I do love the look of a freshly sifted mound of flour.  I sure wish Aunts Ola, Mabel, Lois, Bea, and Pauline were in the kitchen right now to discuss their thoughts on the merits of sifting.  Then we could eat cake and have a "swaller" of coffee to go with. 

Heck if I am going to wish I'll take his older brothers Elmer and Lee too.  They are those two cute boys in overalls in the bottom right corner. I think they would like their cake with a big old dollop of whipped cream.  I take mine any way I can get it.  Warm right out of the pan is my favorite.  One little sliver at a time.  I just put this piece on a plate to take a picture and appear civilized.  If you like the moist, dense, dark flavor of gingerbread, this recipe is for you. 

After I ate a goodly amount of cake I felt fortified for more knitting.  I tried my hand at some knitted leaves.  I have lots of ideas for these.  I think they look so pretty in that malabrigo yarn.

There will of course be solids too.  And maybe other shapes.   The possibilities are endless.  

time and distance quiet that extremely loud-mouthed

So you know how sometimes when you are working in your visual/art journal, and each stroke of paint you lay on the page feels like torture, and you wonder "will I ever finish this page/book"?  That's exactly how I felt about his book.  Until today.

Today when I looked at it, I felt goofy with delight for every single page, and I thought to myself how glad I was that I did everything I did in it.  I couldn't find a thing I wanted to rip out.  What I thought about while I was flipping the pages was just  how much fun Mary Ann and I had, that it looked just like free expression, and I wanted to do more stuff exactly like it. 

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, surely time and distance quiets that extremely loud-mouthed inner critic.  And to that I say AMEN!

to the best of his recollection

Through the rolling hills of Kansas we went this past weekend.  Me, armed with a muffin man latte* and Chris with a bottle of water.  We headed in a westerly direction with plans to stop in a few spots to see what we could see. 

In Paxico, population 221, we found lots.  For example, if you are in need of an old metal bucket, a corn shucker, an outdated calendar, or a pair of ice skates, you can get them on Main street. 

The flags were flying and the window boxes were all spiffed up in anticipation of our arrival.  I think they do that for everyone, but we appreciated it to be sure. 

There were ceremonial robes from some sort of fraternal lodge, hats, shields, and spears included.  What DID they do with those things anyway?

An old Hamilton Beach stand mixer was calling my name but I turned a deaf ear.

I could not think of a reason to buy a toy cash register, a soft monkey, or a canteen.  But I did snatch the holy water bottle up lickety-split the minute I set eyes on it.  

The fellow behind the counter, who was playing cards with his buddy to pass the time, told me it had been blessed by the pope.  At least he thought so.  To the best of his recollection. 

 * a muffin man latte is made with a bit of carmel and a bit of gingerbread syrup.  They may be purchased at Z's Divine Espresso in Lawrence.  In addition to the 2 locations on their website, there is one on West 31st street by the Sonic Drive-In.   If you drive to Lawrence just to get one of these and do not one single solitary other thing, you will not be sorry. 

this land is your land

If you were in the Flint Hills of Kansas right now, just south of Interstate 70 on the Native Stone Scenic Byway, this is what you would see and hear.

 

I am learning about videos and embedding them.  It is a steep curve for me.  But I wanted to show you how beautiful the grass is when it moves and you can't do that in a still photo.   I recommend singing "this land is your land..." while watching.   

where to turn left and where to turn right

These are the things that happened today.  On a Friday.  Before a three day weekend. 

Pumpkins were started.

Plans were hatched. 

Plans for a circuitous drive through the by-ways of Kansas to see what we can see.   A pot of tea was made and iced to put in a cooler for our adventure.  I wrote down where to turn left and where to turn right on a sheet of paper so we won't get lost. 

Sheets were changed.

Roses were cut, cards were written, packages were mailed. 

This bougainvillea has nothing to do with what I did today.  Except for the fact that I looked at it about a million times.  Happy long-weekend adventures to all! 

 

we all are fine musicians we practice everyday

Tonight, for your listening pleasure, I present the first live concert of the bathing Watsons.  You saw them here first. 

 

Please note they take their craft very seriously.