Tall Tales from Kansas

when you are trying to teach your brother a new move

It was another great trip to the Maplewood Cemetery this year.  Despite the fact that it was cold AND there were no knuckleheads (aka great nieces and nephews) with us, we still had some good family time. 

Brother attended to his grass clipping duties with gusto.

These two did their best to keep everyone in line.

Which can be difficult when you are trying to teach your brother a new move. 

The foliage was beautiful

Stories were told.

Pictures were taken.

Bourbon was sipped.

And in the end our work was done. 

hang it if you got it

 We are headed South early in the morning.  Time for the annual pilgrimage to Harrison to celebrate Ray and Angie.  Dottie is coming from the west, Ray and Cheryl are coming from the East, and Chris and I are coming from the North.  Converging at precise, predesignated coordinates.

In the meantime, I leave you a hodge-podge of photos from my holiday decorating.  Including the donning of hats and sweaters by Swedish bunnies. 

I abide by the "no area should be left unadorned" decorating policy.  In other words - hang it if you got it.  See you in a few days. 

somehow Dottie got her hands on it

If you are very lucky, you have a Dottie in your family.  The keeper of the files.  Guardian of the family stories.  Ready with a fact or a picture when you need it.

When I was in Albuquerque Dottie showed me Aunt Fanny's prayer book, and an old photo of she and her friend in their swimming costumes, hair undone, complete with baby on hip.  Wow. 

I also had a chance to read a letter our dad had written to his sister after his father died.  Dad was only 25 at the time and Mom was about to give birth to Dottie.  All the way across the world in Hawaii - which meant he couldn't attend the funeral and be with his sisters and brothers and mom.  That's a rare opportunity.  I am grateful that Aunt Ola kept it, and her family didn't throw it away after she died, and somehow Dottie got her hands on it.  And could locate it at a moments notice because of her most excellent filing system. 

your part in the current opioid crisis

The other day when organizing cupboards in the kitchen, I found these.

Four bottles of hydrocodone dating back as far as 2007.  All for oral surgeries Chris has had since that time.  Just for kicks I opened each bottle and counted.  There are a total of 54 tablets.  If you have bottles like this hanging around, let me do a quick Public Service Announcement.  October 28th is national Take Back Day 2017.  The goal of this day is to get opioids and other medications out of the general circulation, where they may do harm if taken by someone they were not prescribed for. 

I used to think it was wasteful to get rid of medications that we might "need" at some future time.  The truth is, if I am having enough pain to need to take an opioid, I likely need to go to a health care provider to see what's wrong.  

If you are wondering what your part is in the current opioid crisis in this country, it is this.  Be responsible with these medications.  Even if you think no one is going to break into your house and take them, or, that no one who would be in your house would go looking for them, and take them.   If you have recovered from the injury/illness for which they were prescribed, get them out of the general circulation. 

Here's what you do.  Go to this website.  Put in your zip code.  You will be directed to sites in your geographic area where you can safely turn in any medication you are no longer using.  It's that easy.   

should make for some good bowling

We are in that season, where at any time, with no warning at all, the opportunity to take a walk on a sunny day, will vanish. 

The Osage Orange trees are FULL of hedge apples this year.  Should make for some good bowling on Thanksgiving this year.   Fair warning Mulvenon's... Chris has started practicing. 

the ultimate in escapism, into the English countryside of the 1950's

I have just finished listening to The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, and can honestly say that my second visit with Flavia de Luce was as completely and utterly satisfying as my first encounter with her.  These books are the ultimate in escapism, into the English countryside of the 1950's. 

I found this clip below that introduces you to the reader of the series, Jayne Entwistle.  In case I haven't enticed you, perhaps listening to her read a small clip will. 

There are to date, 7 other books in the series.  Quietly awaiting me.  Whenever I choose to indulge myself.  Which delights me to no end. 

who doesn't need a reminder like that floating around?

My Friday started with a color check on the burning bush, followed by mum watering, and a short sit on the front porch before we got down to the real business of the day.  Sampling the Huevos Bravos at the Ladybird Diner. 

The swirling leaves and pumpkins in the windows did not distract me. 

We sat at the counter.  Next to a young woman who started her breakfast with an Irish coffee, and a young man who had just completed an exam and ordered a bloody mary and a half order of biscuits and gravy with 3 eggs on the side. 

If you are a fan of a breakfast with a mexican slant, you will not be disappointed by this.  Black beans on the bottom, topped with a cotija cheese quesadilla, egg, chorizo, and avocado. The salsa verde, sliced radishes, and pickled onion are things you don't always see on Huevos Rancheros.  Maybe that's why they are Huevos Bravos?  Heck you can call them what you want I just gobbled them up.  Happily. 

Then we headed for a walk.  But not before we spotted a truck full of pumpkins and this letterboard.  Which I did not buy.  But I might go back and get, so I can put the sentiment on the coffee cup in photo #6 on it.  Who doesn't need a reminder like that floating around?  

Celastrus Orbiculatus

Oh Celastrus Orbiculatus you delight me so.  Especially when you are hanging from the knobs of an old flower seed display.

I hope you have a local farm to visit for your fall flower needs.  It is one of my favorite things about living in Kansas.  You never know what you are going to find there.  That you NEED.  

heaven in a glass jar

Soup season has started in earnest around here. 

It began with the carrot ginger soup.

Followed by the curry-cumin roasted cauliflower soup.

All leading up to the queen of soups...

THE butternut squash bisque. 

Which may look like baby food, but tastes like heaven in a glass jar.  Serve with an apple on the side.  Done. 

Link to previous post with the recipe is here.

easily delighted

Tonight it's a string of photographs taken in the last week, threaded together on a very loose common thread. 

Of things I can't let go of.

That make me smile.

Like new discoveries.  The cheddar/chive scone.  Who knew?

Starting next year's planner. 

The weekly bouquet.

Drinking tea from a mason jar.

I'm a simple person.  Easily delighted. 

went to work gussying up the house

You likely have a place you wander through for ideas, before you go up to your attic or down to your basement to get out the Halloween, Thanksgiving, or general "fall" labeled box(es) or bag(s).   For me it will always be J'adore in Brookside.   

Just that little push to get me going.  A glimpse to get the ideas percolating. 

It's a feast for the eyes.  Orange, brown, yellow, green, halloween, pumpkin, thanksgiving, everything fall you could think of and more.  I came straight home and went to work gussying up the house.   And I do mean gussy.  In the very best sense of the word. 

it made them taste even better

Saturday morning, while I was getting a hair cut, Jami and I got into a deep discussion about brownies.

Which is why, at the peak of pumpkin season, I had to do this.

Jami falls into the brownie "purist" camp.  That means a really good chocolate, no additions to the batter, and more fudge than cake in regards to texture. 

I, on the other hand, will use what is in the pantry, even if the stamp on the box of chocolate says good until February 2017. 

Given the option I will ALWAYS want walnuts in my brownies.

I have also been known to add coconut or a swirl of cream cheese.  But not this time. 

This is just a good basic brownie.  Like the kind Angie used to bake and freeze when we had company coming. 

The perfect cross between a cake brownie and a more chewy, fudge brownie. 

I drank coffee in a pumpkin mug while I ate mine.  I think it made them taste even better.  Recipe below if you are interested. 

 

a sidewalk that coaxes you along

There was a pilgrimage to Kauffman gardens this week.  A little jewel tucked into the heart of the city. 

Where the dahlias had me exclaiming.

And the asters, mums, and zinnias whispered "don't forget about us".   

There is always time for flower meditation here.  Benches to sit on.  And a sidewalk that coaxes you along.  To everything you need to see. 

Even if you didn't know you needed to see it. 

 

the intangible qualities of fall

My favorite month to have a day off, in the middle of the week, is October.  For the weather, the colors, the neighborhood walks, and to immerse myself in all the intangible qualities of fall. 

The perfect fall day for me can include a neighborhood drive where there are pumpkins on the porch, maybe a cobweb or two with a spider dangling down.  A sit in a coffee shop with people in sweaters holding warm mugs and a faint aroma of spices mingling with the scent of freshly ground beans.  A chat with a friend about our recent travels, what we have been making, and what we may create in the months to come. 

There are many uncertainties in life.  It's important to balance that with the things you can count on.  The stuff that makes you feel good.  Like the incredible sense of well being found in a fall afternoon, with a friend. 

guides like Dottie and Christy

Where do I begin to explain the balloon festival?  As I said to Dottie and Christy after we had been on the grounds for about 10 minutes.  "Oh this is something you have to experience to really get the magnitude".    

And the color.  And the spectacle that is all those balloons lifting off the ground.  One after the other.  

And no collisions.  I guess because of the balloon referees?  What do you call these guys & gals that seem to be in charge of helping clear the path of ascent?

Besides "cheerful, friendly, and cute" I mean.  Because they were all that too.  While keeping everyone in line. 

Everyone was looking up and smiling.  Imprinting the color for when it is needed on a drab winter day. 

Let me not forget to mention the green chili breakfast burrito.  It was the perfect antidote to that chilly morning wait for the bus ride out to the festival grounds.  I don't know this guy's name, but if you go next weekend I hope he makes yours.  He made mine, and it was a big old mess of spicy, warm, green chili, scrambled egg goodness.   

I hope if you get to the balloon fest, you have guides like Dottie and Christy.   Who will hold your coffee so you can take photos, are skillful at working their way through the field, make sure you don't get lost, and will take you home for an afternoon nap if you need one.     

Which I surely did. 

Oh Albuquerque

In addition to hiking and ballooning, there was some fine dining done in Albuquerque last weekend.  Dottie flat out did some amazing cooking while I was at she and Christy's home.   

Perhaps most unforgettable was this plate of goodness.  Ye'abeshe Gomen (Ethiopian Collard Greens), Pumpkin Curry with Chickpeas and Kale, and I didn't write down the name of the lentil dish.  My palate appreciates exotic flavors.   

I cleaned the plate shown above and then went back for seconds.   A meal like this demands it.  Besides, there was walking planned for later.   

Strolling past adobe and cactus and ristras on a pleasantly cool October evening.  Peeking in to courtyards, catching glimpses.

Picking out places to check out more carefully on my next visit. 

Oh Albuquerque.  There is a lot to like about you.  And I haven't even gotten to the balloons yet.  But I will. 

the very definition of complete contentment

When I told Dottie I was coming for a visit, she gave me lots of options for things we could see and do.  I informed her that the only "musts" were seeing her house, the balloon festival, a hike in the mountains, and eating some green chili's.  To that end, on Friday morning we headed to the Tree Spring trail in the Sandia Mountains.   

I give high marks to this trail for the gradual ascent and variety of things to see.  What you can not get from these photos is the incredible smell of the decomposing fall leaves. 

The joy of a walk in the woods can not be overstated.  If you can also see aspens turning colors, feel the cool of the shade and the warmth of the sun, hear the wind as it moves through the trees, and walk in companionable silence with your sister at the same time... well that is the very definition of complete contentment.

the proper way to hold on to your cookie

Have you seen the inside of a Kiwano fruit?  Otherwise known as a "horned melon".  Me neither.  Until last Saturday at the Farmers market.  My first thought was "now that's a strange looking fruit".  My second thought was "oh, so many seeds".  Thought #1 made me want to try it.  Thought #2 made me not buy it. 

And while we are on the topic of seeds.  There was also this.   I haven't eaten a yellow watermelon, but gosh they were pretty.

Moving on to the pumpkin portion of this post... they were stacked atop each other, lined up, and laid out.  All equally pleasing to the eye. 

Other sightings included a young lad showing the proper way to hold on to your cookie, a teen-age girl demonstrating her rebellious spirit and a cool skirt (meanwhile isn't her little sister cute?), and an extremely nice gentleman carefully observing the flowers as he waited for his companion to make her selection. 

And after all that, I went home and made the last batch of wilted greens with cherries and onions for the season.

It was a perfect morning. 

settle in for a serious snacking session

I am sorry to do this to you.  But it's time.

To gather supplies.

Measure out ratios.

Combine them to mingle the flavors.

And settle in for a serious snacking session.  Happy Friday.  

I wanted to touch them

If you live in the area, and are planning to come to Lawrence for anything before Thanksgiving, here is something you should check out. 

On the west campus, at the Dole Institute, there is an exhibit that highlights the role of the wives of soldiers who were missing or prisoners during the Vietnam war. 

It's a small exhibit, but powerful and informative. 

It is worth the 30-45 minutes it takes to go through and read and listen. 

This is the first time I have been in the Dole Institute.  It's an impressive bit of architecture. 

It also happens to house two pieces of the World Trade Center.  I wish they hadn't been enclosed in glass.  I wanted to touch them. 

perfect for bedtime reading

I saw some of the images from The Paper-Flower Tree on Brain Pickings Weekly, I think.   I checked it out from the library so I could examine it more closely

The drawings combined with the use of color and patterns is really lovely, and the story is simple and sweet. 

It's a tale of imagination and creativity that is perfect for bedtime reading.  To yourself or a child.  Highly likely to induce creative, colorful, dreams.  With no harmful side effects. 

mini pumpkins were lined up on the table runner

Signs of the advancement of fall at Tall Tales Headquarters include:

The first batch of roasted cauliflower with cumin and curry soup getting made. 

The Salty Sea Air candle was changed out for the Vermont Autumn Leaves fragrance.

And mini pumpkins were lined up on the table runner on both sides of the flowers. 

What is THE quintessential fall thing happening at your place these days?  

the lost companion of the banner over my fireplace

The thing I got most excited about a few weeks ago at Art in the Park in Lawrence was these banners.  BANNERS seriously float my boat.   

Cute babies with squishy legs and feet, pet beds with canopies, and a dad getting a head massage are all good.  Seriously good. 

But a banner is so cheerful.  And it lasts for a long time.  And requires no maintenance. 

Second to the banners there was also this future singer in a rock & roll band, the tuba player from the municipal band, and baby in boots with sunglasses giving me the serious stare down.   

But see how nicely the banner works with the pom-poms and puzzle balls hanging over the table. 

These 2 curly headed creatures were so cute they almost killed me. 

But it was only the circle garlands that came home with me. 

This one clearly is the lost companion of the banner over my fireplace right now.  I was glad to be able to facilitate a reunion.