Tall Tales from Kansas

and hello trees

These things I saw on a lovely walk this week, when I pulled the car over on a whim, and got out, because I could.  There were patterns and a little Free Library that had a copy of Winne the Pooh - in french!

There were red chairs with sun shining through them and garlands & stars adorning a porch.

There were big old trees and wrought iron fences.

I saw a wreath on a door of a house with a porch with a peak that contained Victorian Gingerbread woodwork.  And hello trees.

All the while I was walking, I was serenaded by wind chimes that someone had the good sense to hang in just the right spot to be melodic, but not clanging.   Oh Joy.  I hope your 2017 is full of just this sort of afternoon.   

One year ago today.

Cut, paste, stamp, cut, tape, move, tape some more

This week I pulled out all manner of scraps and bits of papers and cards and quirky handmade labels (from sister) and old calendars and wrapping paper (from Pam) and anything I looked at that I liked.  That could be cut.

There was lots of stuff.

I advise you not to think too much about it or you could get caught in a protracted planning phase.  Like I was.

The base for my planner/calendar is a 4 x 5 1/2 heavy paper thing I bought at Paper Source.   This format worked out so well in 2016 that I saw no reason not to repeat it. 

There is not much that can not be made better by a good hour or so of cutting and pasting and taping.

I printed out some photos of 2016 adventures to include.

At the very last minute I remembered some of Lisa Hoffman's stickers and that also made me think to pull out some old rubber stamps. 

Before you know it, I was done.  Cut, paste, stamp, cut, tape, move, tape some more. 

Which just goes to show you that I can flat out finish something, if I put my mind to it.

like I was one of the characters who just didn't have any lines

This morning, while I unloaded the dishwasher, then ate my breakfast, I listened to the last 40 minutes of The Likeness by Tana French. 

Oh how I hated for it to end.  Except that it was already 13 days overdue.  Please accept my most sincere apologies person who has been waiting for it.  I gladly forked over the $1.50 in late fees when I returned it.    This is the first book I have read/listened to by Tana French.  It will not be my last.  It is the second in the "Dublin Murder Squad" series, and I am going to reserve the first book as soon as I finish this post. 

The mystery is set in and around Dublin and from the very beginning I felt as if the story was unfolding right in front of me.  Like I was one of the characters who just didn't have any lines.  The narrator, Heather O'Neill has the perfect Irish brogue which added an element to the experience I am not sure would have been there if I had been reading it.   If you are someone who likes audiobooks you are going to adore this one.  I am delighted to have discovered a new series.  Thank you to the person who recommended it to my sister in the comments section of one of her posts sometime in the last 3 months.  If I wasn't so lazy I would go look and see exactly who it was and thank you personally.  Highly recommended. 

the one year warning signal to wake up and pay attention

It could be that in the last days while you were eating smoked turkey and cabbage rolls, or opening presents after eating waffles and bacon on Christmas morning, or driving around town looking at the holiday lights, you might have missed this article about looking death in the face.  I am only mentioning it because I overlooked it myself.  Luckily, my sister Dottie passes these important reads on to me.  So I am passing it on to you.  One good turn deserves another, or something like that.  

Last year, I intended to write a post about my plan to start living each year of my life as if it were my last.  Practicing if you will.  Because I want to make sure the things that I think I would want to do if I only had a year left to live, are really what I want to spend my time on.  Meaningful things.   And, in my line of work, we know that you usually don't get the one year warning signal to wake up and pay attention. 

Even though I didn't write that post on this blog, I kept some notes.  Here is how I thought I should focus things: 
1.  Eliminate shoulds - no sense wasting time on things we don't want to do if there is a choice (and there often is)
2.  See important people more regularly - mainly my sisters and brother
3.  Eat good food - !!
4.  Make stuff
5.  Be outside more
6.  Travel widely

In retrospect, I am going to keep all these things on the list for next year.  After you read the NY times article, please tell us, ..."how will you transform the nature of how you live"?

we would just end up doing 4 things at once

Today I can't decide between working on my calendar or my scrap bag quilt.

Which means I am doing both.  Simultaneously.  While I run downstairs and eat a handful of peanuts and grab a sip of Chris's beer to keep myself hydrated and nourished. 

I also drank coffee out of each of these mugs today because I couldn't choose which one to break in first.   

And, last night at Christmas dinner I had pecan pie and apple/cranberry crisp for dessert.  I had to taste both to see if the recipes needed any modification before I make them again.   They did not.

Are you similarly plagued today?  With trying to do 2 things at once?  I would suggest you come over and we could talk about it, but I think what would happen is we would just end up doing 4 things at once.   Which, may not necessarily be a bad thing.  Unless of course we wanted to actually finish something. 

just my kind of december 24th

Happiest of Christmas Eves to each and every one of you, from Tall Tales Headquarters and the merchants of the downtown shoppes, who decorated their windows just for YOU (and me). 

I do so love a window display.  Almost as much as I love being able to go downtown and do my last minute shopping from local merchants.  With nothing but a vague idea in mind, knowing I will find something that will be just perfect. 

Meanwhile, as I wait for Santa to arrive I am just knitting away on this long tube with leftover yarn.  It's going to be filled with something (maybe beans?), and be placed on the floor at the bottom of our north facing front door, to stop that draft that sneaks in when it's super cold and windy.  I got the idea from a Kristin Nicholas book.  She has a pattern for a beautiful one with tons of color that I want to make sometime.  For now this one will do. 

Presents are wrapped.  The desserts we are taking to Christmas day dinner are halfway done.  Chris is making shrimp pasta for supper, and some sort of silly holiday movie is on tap for tonight's entertainment.   Just my kind of December 24th.  

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things that can never be understood simply on the basis of the ingredients

little Christmas moments

Tucked in between the hustle and bustle of the season, there have been some nice understated moments this December.  Like the unexpected opportunity to have a nice dinner out with a friend, or slowly reading though Christmas cards in front of the fire. 

I love seeing my college room-mates' daughters turn into the spitting image of her as they graduate from college themselves. 

And I can be counted in the group of people who so appreciate getting small handmade treasures given as a token of the holiday spirit.  Like "no-bake" cookies with Nutella from Mary.  Delicious! I hadn't had one in such a long time.  And will you get a load of the intricate stitching on this lavender sachet that Pat made?  

I love getting out special things collected through the years, like the table runner my sister-in-law Ann made in 1995... and these cheap wooden ornaments Chris and I bought and painted at the dining room table in 1981 for our first Christmas as a married couple.  He painted the puppy to look just like our dog, Alex. 

Hopefully you are all having your share of these little Christmas moments as well. 

As a special treat, this bottle of eggnog came home with me from the store today.   We always had eggnog at Christmas when we were growing up.  I wasn't going to buy any, but thought better of it after I saw some from a local dairy.  After putting away all the rest of the groceries, I raised a glass in Angie's memory.   Then, just to be sure it was as good as I thought it was, I had another half glass.  Because if mom was here, that is what she would have suggested we do.    

in other words, Gingerbread Perfection

This is the story of how I made a new gingerbread recipe that could have been an epic fail.  But it wasn't. 

It started out the usual way, with scooping and measuring and whisking. 

And turning everything into this thick glossy brown goodness.  Did your mom always put a dishrag under the bowl in the sink when she was mixing things?  Angie did.  So I do too. 

The recipe took a turn towards the unusual with the addition of orange zest.  Which is what made me want to try it in the first place.

Unfortunately about 5 minutes from the end of the cooking process, and probably because I kept opening the oven door to see if it was done, this happened.

In case you can't tell what "this" is, it's a fallen middle.  I did not let that stand in my way.  I thought through it and decided I did not want to dump a bunch of frosting into that "well".  So I took it to work with the frosting on the side and called it a "frost your own" gingerbread.  

It turns out people like to put their own amount of frosting on gingerbread. 

This gingerbread is dark and dense and oh so moist.  It has a lovely spice to it that is rounded out with just a hint of orange.  It is, in other words, Gingerbread Perfection.  If you are a gingerbread lover, promise me you will try this recipe.  It could give your old favorite a run for it's money.  If you are not a gingerbread lover, try this recipe.  It could be that you just haven't tasted the gingerbread of your dreams yet. 

P.S.  It may sound sacrilegious but I like a square of this just as well with whipped cream on top as an alternative to that delicious buttery, cream-cheesey, not too sweet, melt in your mouth, frosting in the recipe.  You might want to try them side by side to see which you prefer.  

despite my very best efforts

It was 1 degree when I woke up this morning.  We waited until it was 5 degree's before we went outside to clear the snow off the driveway.  

As soon as that was done it was inside for hot chocolate testing, part 2. 

Just a couple of basics to start with.  As you will note above, it is important to have a somewhat festive mug for your beverage. 

Secondly, I prefer the pan and whisk method of heating the milk over the microwave method.  And always milk and never water with your hot chocolate. 

There are all kinds of ways to make the cocoa.  My favorite is the one I happen to have on hand.

I am an equal opportunity topper.  That means I like marshmallows as much as I like whipped cream to crown the cocoa. 

This is where it gets tricky.  The adult addition to what is perfectly perfect on it's own.  In part 1 the other day I tried hot chocolate with Baileys Irish Cream and marshmallows.  If you happen to like things sweet (which I do) you will find this completely divine.  The perfect thing to drink after dinner for dessert. 

Today I went for something a bit unusual, but might be my favorite.  Butterscotch Schnapps and hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.  Warm and buttery the perfect thing to drink right before you go to bed. 

Then there is the classic.  The one that is hard to beat.  Hot chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps and marshmallows on top.  A whole gob of marshmallows.  With extra on the side in case you need more.

This is the choice for anytime you are sitting in front of the fireplace.  Night, day, early, late, it's a winner.  If "Baby it's Cold Outside" happens to be playing in the background, so much the better. 

If you need a snack to go with, I suggest Chex Mix.  Not the ready-made kind from the store.  The kind with butter and Worcestershire sauce and chili powder that is baked in the turkey roaster by Chris every year at Christmas time.  This week I intend to test Creme de Cacao, Godiva chocolate liquor, Vanilla vodka, Kahlua, and bourbon.  I couldn't get them all done today.  Despite my very best efforts.  

where to hide your valuables so you remember where you put them but anyone trying to take them will by stymied

We are participating in the deep freeze thing that is going on across much of the country today. 

The snowfall amount is not all that impressive (so far), but the winds and bitter cold are making up for it.  I love a good "winter event".  When it happens on the weekend, and I don't have to be out on the roads, and my heater is working, and I have stocked up on all essential supplies.

I spent the day doing a little of this and a little of that.  I talked to my brother this morning.  He informed me that my 3 year old great niece has decided that next year she will bypass grade school and high school and head straight to Virginia Tech.

Then I talked to my sister who is headed to Nicaragua tonight.  I had to go through the pre-travel warning list with her since Angie is not here to do it.  Just the usual stuff like where to hide your valuables so you remember where you put them but anyone trying to take them will by stymied. 

Then I removed from the liquor cabinet anything that might be good when added to hot chocolate.

So far I have sampled Baileys Irish Cream and Peppermint Schnapps.  No final decisions on which is best yet.  The night is young and I have miles to go before I sleep.  

 

I thought I made it perfectly clear

This morning, after one cup of coffee, I gathered, unrolled, measured, cut, wrapped, packed, sprinkled, and labeled.  Then I went to the post office.

 

And all the while there was a cardinal couple on this bush eating red berries.  You wouldn't know it, because every time I opened the door to take a picture they flew away.   I thought I made it perfectly clear that the price of those berries was a picture, but apparently they weren't listening. 

For the record, this in no way detracted from my feeling of incredible productiveness at having my post office duties done for the season. 

sometimes, when you are very lucky

The other day when I was going through the 453 e-mail messages in my inbox, I got caught up in some interesting places.  First I was enticed by the headline about the "30 books you should read if you want to be well-read" only to discover I am not.  Well-read that is.  Then I was drawn into an internal debate with myself about the need to try baking either an orange gingerbread cake or a honey grapefruit bundt cake after seeing recipes for both on cooking blogs.  For the record, orange gingerbread with a cream cheese frosting is happening here on Sunday, despite the fact that I don't need either.  Next up was the David Letterman and Tina Fey interview after which I told Chris we MUST see "Date Night".  It has been tentatively penciled in for Saturday, when it is supposed to be snowing.  Finally I came to this little gem, and remembered why I sometimes waste a good hour reading through stuff when I could be doing something more productive.  Because sometimes, when you are very lucky, you stumble upon just the thing you need to read.  At just the right time. 

Happy almost weekend everyone. 

 

the creation of the blue spruce

 After sewing, washing, folding, and finally reveling in my new set of holiday napkins, I have rededicated myself to decorating.

I set out some stuff on the mantle and then got out some of the collection of trees we have somehow amassed over the years.  These bottle-brush flocked numbers will forever make me think of Angie. 

Next up was the teeny tiny forest of wee trees.  I made my first one in 2014 and added a few more to the collection last year.   I started to think I was going overboard and the forest was too big last year.

Then when I set them out this year I realized that was a complete miscalculation.  It looks like this forest has had some lumberjacks loose in it.  Which can mean only one thing.  More TREES!

And this is how the decorating got stalled out in favor of the creation of the blue spruce.  

P.S.  there is a link to the pattern in the 2014 post I provided above.  Don't click on it unless you are prepared to create your own forest. 

the bee man had a tuxedo on

Dear co-workers:  I am sorry to report that at the Lawrence holiday farmers market this past weekend I encountered a very nice Swedish woman who was selling her very special tea rings.

This means you will be forced to help me eat it this week.  I know we agreed that we would slow down on the holiday treats, but what could I do? 

All the farmers were so nice and the Bee Man had a tuxedo on. 

There were wreaths that could be adorned to your liking, frosted sugar cookies, and a tree of birdies made from yarn that were oh so clever.

This lady did not have a crocheted jacket for sale or I would have bought it.  Isn't it lovely? 

This little miss, whose Dad obviously knows how to pick his battles, made me laugh out loud.  In his defense, it was before 9am.  On a Saturday morning. 

In addition to the Swedish tea ring, I found a great rag rug which everyone needs to go by their back door in the winter when it's sloppy outside.  Plus some of Karen Pendleton's hand-painted gourd ornaments. 

A few bags of fresh spinach came home with me too.  Because there is nothing better than a simple fresh spinach salad, with chopped egg, red onion, and a drizzle of honey mustard dressing.  Especially when a large portion of one's calories for the day have already been allotted for the consumption of the Swedish tea ring. 

 

turning a bag of someone else into a quilt of you

The siren call of the scrap bag is keeping me from my appointed holiday decorating duties.

All like sized pieces have been sewn together and the seams ironed in the same direction.

Having a bag of scraps that didn't come from your own previous projects is very fun.  Turning a bag of someone else into a quilt of you.  Or something along those lines. 

They are being laid out on the underside of another blanket that has been folded to the size this quilt will be.  Oh the possibilities.   I am following the example of Nettie Young, not using a pattern.  Just going with a feel for how this should all go together.  I can hardly sleep at night with all the ideas in my head.   Dark fabrics, light fabrics, gradients of color. 

 The discovery of small scraps of fabric so sweet you just can't help but smile.  

I would likely not have picked some of these fabrics, but am loving the combinations they are making. 

This is my favorite stage of a project.  When it's still loosely forming. 

Sister I am going to NEED you to contact Chrissy West

Today, in between making a dental appointment (which I blame on Dottie & Christy for giving me a box of pumpkin seed brittle) and doing laundry, I finished listening to Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave.  

It takes place in London in the first years of World War II.   I found it a compelling story and recommend it highly, especially to those of you who are historical fiction buffs like me.  Sister I am going to NEED you to contact Chrissy West and arrange for the 3 of us to meet when we go to England so she can tell me about what it was like to live in London at this time. 

While I listened, I knitted away on this yarn which has been in my stash for awhile.  It is so pretty and I wanted to make something from it that would be light enough to wear inside.   We'll see how what I am doing works out.  Which means you may or may not see it for awhile.   Fingers crossed for the former.  

P.S.  The pumpkin seed brittle is from Trader Joe's and it is phenomenal. 

 

I decided to turn the poinsettia 180 degrees

Oh these December days are rushing by.    

In an effort to slow down time, I am doing everything quite deliberately.   For example, after "festivizing" an area I like to stop and eat some oatmeal, or knit a few rounds, or cut up some fabric, and then go back to look and make sure it's just right. 

Sometimes I change my mind and decide things need to be moved around. 

For example, after breakfast the other day, I decided to turn the poinsettia 180 degrees.   Who knew what a difference that could make?  These are the kinds of holiday decorating tips I like to pass along.   Feel free to share with others.  

the perfect combination of horse and people watching

The Nicodemus Buffalo Soldiers were one of my favorite parts of the Old Fashioned Christmas parade in Lawrence yesterday.

We were two of the many who gathered on Massachusetts street to watch.  

Hats, mittens, and scarves were required.

This was the perfect combination of horse and people watching, with just the right amount of  "Merry Christmas-ing" thrown in to put us in a jolly frame of mind.  When we got home Chris made a chocolate cake.  I suggested this be a regular part of the annual Old Fashioned Christmas parade festivities.  He agreed wholeheartedly. 

 

a big fat crazy mess or an incredible work of art

It was poinsettia buying time in Lawrence today.  For the last several years I've gotten ours from Pendleton's Country Market.  Usually I get them at the Holiday Farmers Market, but wised up this year and went directly to the farm while I had Chris with me to help carry.  This will leave my arms free next Saturday for other stuff.  Presents.  For others. 

I am always tempted by the more exotic looking varieties, but find it very hard not to get the deepest most beautiful pure red plant I can find.   This year was no different. 

I am also in the middle of sorting this bag of scraps from Pam.  I have convinced myself that I can make a quilt out of them if I put my mind to it.  I told Mary Ann the other day that it is going to be a big fat crazy mess or an incredible work of art when I get done with it.  

I am using a process that I saw on crazy mom quilts using scraps.  It was helpful to have an idea for just how to get started. 

I am pairing like sizes and sewing them together.  Once I get all that done I will lay them out and try to figure out a plan for assembly.   There will be neutrals added in somehow as well.

This group of already pieced bits will be used exactly as they are with just a bit of trimming.  They are going on the back of the quilt in some kind of arrangement.   

On the cooking front, I made a pot of baked pumpkin oatmeal this morning to fuel me through the day.  Its a great recipe and the perfect way to use up the rest of a can of pumpkin.  If you happen to have a half of a can hanging around waiting to be used, that is. 

In between sorting fabrics and waiting for the oatmeal, I got a bit of cable knitting in.   I wish I could make myself only do one thing at a time but that's not how my mind works.  It stutters and stalls and likes to jump around. 

This fabric might have gotten washed in preparation for holiday napkins too. 

Because if two projects are great, three are spectacular.  Don't ask me what four is.  

a very well written, extremely disturbing story

This is me.  Reading the last of my book in a very well-lighted, safe, cafe.  In the middle of the day.  With other people around.

Because this book was too scary for me to read all aloney on my owny at night in the bedroom at my house.

Luckily, there is a new place in town that I needed to check out.   As it turns out, it is more of a breakfast/lunch spot than a coffee shop.

But the straight up joe they were serving was mighty fine and I loved their cups.  Coffee tastes best when it is in a cup that feels right to your hand and pleases your eye.  They also happened to have one of my favorite breakfasts on the menu.  

The Levee Cafe is in North Lawrence, a part of town that I find quite charming. 

There is a super cool art exhibit up on the walls at the Levee right now.   Photographs of Lawrence taken by Katy Clagett over the last several years.  Very much worth seeing. 

I was glad to be surrounded by all this goodness and niceness as I finished I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid.  It's a very well written, extremely disturbing story.  You have been warned.  All that said, there are two people I know who will absolutely want to read this book - Jamie Boatman and Cheryl Jean Moss.  I already called and told Jamie.  Brother you tell Cheryl Jean about it.  Dottie, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you to read this book.