Tall Tales from Kansas

2 women who meet in a seemingly random way

I just finished listening to That Summer on a portable CD player while I did some sewing. You know what that means. I could not possibly wait for my next commute to work to finish it. It is the story of 2 women who meet in a seemingly random way but are connected by events from the past. 

The story unfolds in a past and present sort of format, going back and forth between the main characters, slowly letting the reader figure things out as you get to know each of them individually and become invested in how things will turn out. It's fiction obviously, but gives a perspective on the #MeToo movement, that is well worth reading. Recommended.  

cloud study # 62

Sky with clouds. Sunday morning between 6:33 and 7:32 am. It was glorious.

Note to self: go outside and look up more often. 

that is another matter entirely

I met Wanda this morning at the market. She told me she comes every Saturday. I wanted to follow her around, watch what she bought, then go home with her, sit in the kitchen, and have her describe what she was going to do with everything she purchased, taking notes as needed.  Instead I settled for her picture. She told me about the time a few years back when she was somewhere with her husband, a Korean War veteran, and unbeknownst to her someone took her picture which showed up on page 3 of the Journal World the next morning. If you know Wanda, please show her this. She told me she doesn't know much about computers and the internet. 

The number one item on my "get this" list today was green beans, to go with the rice and pork chops for dinner tonight. The woman who bagged up the pound I purchased told me they were just picked yesterday. Which of course means they are only going to take a minute or 2 to cook and they are going to be perfect with a bit of butter, lemon, and salt. 

Heirloom tomatoes were plentiful.

The woman below told the farmer she wanted 7 pounds of cucumbers - she had an afternoon of pickle making planned.

Flowers and women and dogs were spotted and photographed.

Cabbages and gourds have me thinking about the coming of fall.

This sign caught my eye but I'm pretty sure I won't be trying it.  

The cherry amaretto crumble cake though, now that is another matter entirely.  It was my pick of the week from the Chonky baker this morning. The sweetness of amaretto and the tartness of cherries are a perfect blend of flavors. When added to a rich moist cake and a slightly crunchy top... well I think you get my point. I suggest you have it for dessert with a cup of Earl Gray Creme on the side. 

Baklava, another sugar cube cantaloupe, and a bouquet of sunflowers for the table rounded out my purchases this week. Quite a satisfactory visit, if I do say so myself. 

what would you guys have done with them

So here are the sand hill plums from Saturdays market. The ones the farmer warned me would NEED sugar.  As soon as I got home I popped one in my mouth after rinsing and ... oh lord he wasn't kidding! Sour doesn't even begin to describe the pucker factor.

But in the spirit of perseverance, and channeling my inner CHOPPED chef persona, I decided to make a syrup. Why not?

Easier than jelly and a perfect accompaniment to greek yogurt or oatmeal/quinoa topped with bananas and flakes of coconut - a fruity/tart replacement for honey. 

It may be good on ice cream or a vanilla custard - I haven't tried that yet. Or, what about a nice thick piece of toast with ricotta cheese, blueberries, a sprinkle of chopped toasted walnuts and a drizzle of sand hill plum syrup? 

I did make a refreshing cocktail with apple vodka, plum syrup, and club soda. It wasn't the best cocktail I have every made, but it was also by no means the worst. Further experimentation is needed. If you have some sour plums you need to use, here is what I did. They were put in a pot and covered with water, brought to a boil, let the skins burst, mashed them up a bit, let them cool, and strained them. This left me with 2 cups of strained plum liquid to which I added 2 cups of sugar, that was brought to a boil, cooked down a bit, skimmed the top and poured in jars. 

Tell me what you guys would have done with them? I am dying to know. 

they had kitty bow ties for sale

Below is my purchase from the newly opened, new location, of The Raven Bookstore, on Massachusetts street in downtown Lawrence Kansas.  I could not miss an opportunity to pet a cat, support a local favorite, and check out the new space. Which is perfect, by the way - you must let me know what you think if you visit. 

Ngaio was ensconced in a chair in the front window, tucked out of the way, and we had a nice visit. I began to acquaint myself with the new layout and had to tear myself away from the section labeled "First in a Series", which will be the area I explore on visit #2. 

P.S. if you live with a cat, they had kitty bow ties for sale. I wonder if the Harvey boys would each like one? 

an "over-the-top" day at the market

Corn cookies, pink poodles, and crocheted edges on sleeves are featured this week on the farmers market report.

So lets just dive right in to the cookie story... it started with a shot of the cake of the week at Chonky Sweets & Eats, which led to my admiration of their hand lettered sign, and then I had to ask about their "story".

Which goes something like this... talented baker leaves office work in 2019 to follow a dream, turns a home kitchen and love for baking into a way to make a living, using recipes he has had for years and tweaked, including the corn cookie, which gets it's name and flavor from local corn that is roasted and turned into a powder and added to a shortbread/butter cookie. Could you hear this story and not buy some? Not me. 

And so it begins. I am now going to have to eat my way through the menu.

Because when Ryan said the corn flavor was pronounced he wasn't kidding.  This is a soft, tender cookie, with a buttery-salty-corn-sweetness that I have never tasted before in a cookie. It is addicting. The perfect dessert on it's own or accompanied by a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. The shape is also a bit unique, slightly reminiscent of the top of a corn muffin, and the corn also adds a nice texture. 

When I turned around after talking to them, I saw my friend the seamstress wearing another fabulous top, and this time with crocheted edging on the sleeves and bottom!

Such a clever idea! I can't wait to tell the Prairie Makers about this. 

Let me not forget to show a few pictures of some of the splendid flowers, fruits, and vegetables on display this week.

I loved that this woman was doing some preliminary shucking work on the corn she had for sale. 

Some sand-hill plums made their way into my basket this week because I have been seeing them for years and never bought any. The nice farmer I bought them from warned me they would need some sugar. More on that later in the week.

This lady looked really happy with her bouquet selection. 

This is the one I chose, not that I don't have red lime zinnias myself,



but I don't have any of that optic grass or sedum, which really make this arrangement splendid.

And, yes, there really was a pink poodle at the market and I did take a picture because ... how can you not? 

I sure hope they walked by the little boy below as they made their way around the market, because I think he would have enjoyed it as much as I did.

It was an "over-the-top" day at the market on Saturday. In all the very best ways possible.

Until next week ...

sometimes nature gets an idea and just goes with it

This bougainvillea is having a spectacular summer. Bright and bushy. Just plain fabulous. It keeps pushing out the color. Reaching into the herb containers territory, it knows no bounds. I make zero attempts to restrict it. 

The caladiums out front are also performing well. The sun moves across them in a most pleasing manner while I sip my coffee in the morning. 

A swallowtail and a dragonfly stop to visit

A new favorite zinnia blooms. I don't know its name. I did not order any that looked quite like this. 

Sometimes nature gets an idea and just goes with it. 

In that same vein, of nature knowing best, the bougainvillea is as captivating in the evening light as it is in the early morning and mid-day. I am looking out at the pink clouds as the last of the evening light fades right this second. I hope your view, wherever you are sitting, is as restful. 

God's love of lemon meringue pie

In the second installment of the Three Pines Mystery series by Louise Penny, I have been drawn deeper into the subplot of the Arnot case, an incident that happened within the ranks of the Sûreté du Québec, that has caused trouble for Chief Inspector Gamache. I had to listen to the last part of it several times to be sure I was hearing and understanding it all correctly. The beauty of this series is the escape into the village of Three Pines, learning more about the inhabitants, while you wish you were sitting in Olivier and Gabri's bistro with a basket of warm crescents in front of you. 

I will give myself ample time to let all the things that happened in A Fatal Grace sit for a bit before I request book #3. I am not one to "binge" watch or read a series. For me, stories like these need to be read slowly and carefully, to capture all the details and nuances that may be important later on... such as learning about God's love of lemon meringue pie. This series is highly recommended. 

Below, is the most recent finish from the pile on my bedside table. It, is something you can just race through because really you know how it's going to end and frankly the 364 pages could have been condensed to 227. Still, I finished it because I did want to be certain some crazy twist didn't come in at the end, which would have been much worse than the predictable conclusion. 

Isn't it a good thing there are so many different kinds of books in the world to appeal to all of the different people we are? Even though I didn't love People We Meet on Vacation I can absolutely see how others might. If you want to read a story about friends who meet and realize over the course of 10 years they were meant to be more than that... this IS the book for you. 

jimracks and doodads

This week, my self-prescribed, heart expanding, resilience therapy consisted of lunch with the Huff girls. There was discussion of how Nancy is faring 7 weeks into retirement (very well), whether legs really do look better tanned or not (it was a 50/50 split), the need to support small/local businesses (even if you might have to drive 30 minutes to get there), and the vital importance of taking time to just sit and be. Books, haircuts, new glasses, and the joys of aging also made it on the agenda. 

For 90 minutes we laughed, Marti taught us about "jimracks and doodads", and we sampled the iced sugar cookies, a chocolate crinkle, the snickerdoodle, and an over-the-top 7 layer bar that included chocolate, coconut, pecans, granola, ?butterschotch chips, butter, and maybe sweetened condensed milk. 

At the end of our time together, I was filled up. Somehow more open inside. Good humans, these three. 

to help us all get through this as safely as we can

This blog post has been rolling around in my head for a few weeks. The competing desire to share the bedside experience of what is happening with this latest surge of COVID, fueled by the Delta variant, keeps running up against the desire NOT to have anyone think or comment that what I am doing is anything more than it is. Which is doing a job that I love, am well compensated for, and wouldn't trade for something different. 

The need to describe what I am seeing has won out, obviously. This morning our number of hospitalized COVID patients was up around 85. We are back at that place of walking through the ICU with room after room of someone seriously ill, on a ventilator, no family here, with no end in sight. Back to the discussions of "would they want a tracheostomy" to allow more time to try and recover, even though they will not regain the quality of life they once had. We are also seeing much younger patients this time around. The mother whose baby was delivered early, the one she hasn't held or seen because she is on a vent, on ECMO. The young man who may yet need a lung transplant - which certainly does not mean a new lease on life as the median survival is somewhere around 8 years after transplant these days. Most of these patients had not been vaccinated, but not all. Some fully vaccinated individuals for a variety of reasons (other co-morbid conditions such as cancer for example) who did not develop the immunity expected from the vaccine, have been critically ill and died as well.  

At the end of last week I rotated off the COVID team for awhile. A needed change. I vacillate between wanting to punch people who have not gotten a vaccine (for whatever reason), to being sick and tired of hearing people say "get the damn shot". The vitriolic comments on a recent "Next Door" post made me sick - on both sides of the argument. I am so sad for families who can not be present for their loved one. I don't have it in me to do a half-ass job caring for unvaccinated patients with COVID who are dying, anymore than I would do less than my best for  an un-helmeted head trauma patient, someone with end stage liver disease, or heart failure who may not be in the place they are now if they had made different life-style choices.  

Where this will end I can't say. What I do know is that there are times when I am less less patient than I could be, less tolerant of others, and have been misunderstood because of a comment made before fully thinking it through. All of these thoughts circulate in a loop in my head while I wrestle with the importance of speaking up to protect our most vulnerable populations. Thank you to everyone doing your part, the best way you know how, to help us all get through this as safely, and intact, as we can.

Finally, I am incredibly grateful for nature. The morning walks, the evening sunsets, the reminders that our world is full of beauty. Still. 

our bench was sturdy, the shade was bliss, and the ants stayed away

Today, after reading about a new exhibit of small ceramic buildings at the Nelson/Atkins museum in Kansas City, Chris and I headed over. To see what it was all about. We started our visit with the works of the Staffordshire potteries. They were designed sit on mantles and hold small charcoal or wooden discs that were dipped in essential oils that could be burned and improve the odors of the homes. Without all the modern amenities they tended to be pretty smelly places I guess. Plus, look how pretty they are. 

Modeled after castles, cottages, and places where ghoulish crimes had occurred, they were charming. I had never before heard of them. I do love European ceramic pottery. 

Next we headed for a glimpse of Claude Monet's water lilies - this is a lovely exhibit with the light changing over the course of a 10 minute time frame in which you can sit, watch, and listen to the recorded sounds from his garden. I had no idea that he created 250 (or so) paintings of water lilies, or that some were so large (this one is about 6 1/2 feet by almost 14 feet). 

Last stop was a rural, folk, and self-taught art exhibit. I had expected to see images like the one above by Calvin Balis. What really was interesting to me though were the "works" of Jesse Howard from Fulton, MO. A self taught artist and ardent defender of the First Amendment. 

A perfect combination of work to make me love ART in all it's forms, and appreciate the ability to go see it at such a lovely place. 

We ended our visit with a trip to the sculpture garden, where we sat on a bench and split a roast beef sandwich, a bag of Cheetos, an apple, and a cold bottle of iced tea.  All while we gazed at Henry Moore's bronze Upright Motive no. 9. Our bench was sturdy, the shade was bliss, and the ants stayed away. 

The joy of simple things.  

the perfect number needed

I walked into the farmers market Saturday and made a bee-line for these sunflowers. They were a flashing beacon that grabbed my attention. I was pretty sure they would be my flower purchase, but it never hurts to get the lay of the land before making a final decision.

Music is back at that market, and while I knew I missed it, when this balladeer began to sing City of New Orleans my heart did clench just a teeny bit. I swear if I closed my eyes it would have been 1973 or so and I would have been at an Arlo Guthrie concert, pretending to be 17.

This lady had on the outfit I would wear now, if I were at that concert again.

Sweet corn, rainbow chard, and string of pearls caught my eye. 

Would you get a load of this basket? Hands free shopping, though one might need a companion to load the purchases. It looks so cute on her, and with the skirt! Practicality is over-rated.  

A tomato and cucumbers were selected at this booth. This year I am fully appreciating my local cucumbers. Almost a creaminess to them if that makes any sense at all.

There was a truck load of watermelon for sale, sister if you were here I would have bought one.

But I had seen her, eating a juicy piece of cantaloupe, and knew this was the melon I was getting. 

I returned to find the sunflowers waiting for me, and they were carefully wrapped up by these two smiling flower growers. 

Two bunches were needed.

I think you will agree that was the perfect number needed.  

In case you now MUST hear City of New Orleans, it is provided below for your listening pleasure. 

 

 

what happens with the returnees

Some of this week's zinnias gathered on the table.

A few bright colors were added to go with the limes because experimentation is fun.

Before I threw the old blooms out, I decided to pop off the flower heads and arrange them on a cupcake stand. 

After they were completely dried, I tore them open and threw them back out in the flower beds. I have had good luck with a few volunteers coming back each year. It's fun to see what happens with the returnees. 

The kitchen window sill must have it's vase of zinnias as well. The addition of basil makes things more interesting.   

I always have such rose envy when I see a garden full of beautiful rose bushes. At the height of zinnia season though, I am totally counting my blessings. The colors, shapes, and staying power of a good vase of zinnias is hard to beat. 

P.S. I am not running for the position of president of the international zinnia fan club. Even though I realize I do tend to go on about them, in a manner that might make you think my name is on that ballot.  

with a bit of spicy vanilla syrup

A recent walk in Lawrence started out under cloudy skies, and progressed to a drizzle that quickly sputtered out and was completely manageable with the aid of a hat. No umbrella required. I am a "let's just try" person. As in, maybe it will just rain for a few minutes and be fine, if not I can race back to the car. This philosophy has opened the door to many good experiences that would have otherwise been missed.  

This latte, with a bit of spicy vanilla syrup, which I have never tried before, was perfect for the after walk reflection. The syrup tasted like it had a hint of cayenne in it. Wonderful for a cloudy morning. While I was sitting there looking out the window at Alchemy, I noticed that the new sign is up on The Raven Bookstore's new location on Massachusetts street. 

I look forward to walking through the doors for the first time to see the new space. I am uncertain of the exact date of the opening, but it will be this summer, I think. I want to walk up to the door with my eyes closed and have someone guide me through the entryway, then after I am completely inside open my eyes like a kid on Christmas morning. Wouldn't that be marvelous? 

they added a different element to all the existing arrangements

In case you were wondering what I did with all my tuberoses from the farmers market, 

some went on the table with last week's sunflowers which are still going strong and therefore can not be tossed out, 

some went in a little vase upstairs next to the zinnias by the computer,

and finally, some went outside on the front porch with another "still good" sunflower. I got a dozen stems, and those of you familiar with tuberoses know they can really pump out the fragrance in the evening, all 12 on the dining room table would have overwhelmed. I like how they added a different element to all the existing arrangements. 

In other follow up news, this organic sweet corn from Mellowfields farm was crunchy, sweet, summer perfection.



Finally, the fountain was filled and ran beautifully for about an hour - until the water all leaked out.  Drat. The tension from the angle of the cord will require a bit more caulk. No big deal. I also discovered when I was cleaning the top of the fountain before I turned it on, that a wasp had made a nest inside the place where the water spurts out the top. I now have a rock at the ready to cover the hole to hopefully prevent that whenever it's not running. I love trying to outsmart a wasp.

I might start thinking I can do more than is realistic

On Friday, on the way home from work, I DECLARED to sister that I WAS going to accomplish 3 things this weekend. I let her know that I was telling her exactly what they were so she could ask me if I did them, thus holding me accountable to someone for achieving them. This method of announcing to someone what I was going to do, worked for me about 27 years ago when I wrote in a summer newsletter for the local chapter of a nursing organization that I was going to learn to ride a bike over the summer. Which I did. 

I am here to tell you, that the 2 most important things on the list did get done. #1 haul old Christmas tree out of the basement and to the good will store - I have been intending to do this since we got a new tree last year. I would have photographed it sitting in the box by the door but I had to beat it out of there once I got it out of the car. If you have ever dropped something off at the good will on a Sunday morning when they are not "officially" open you know why.  

#2 replace water pump in fountain on front porch which went kaput a few weeks ago and I have ignored. The thing about this job is that it requires a fountain tilter/supporter and a pump/cord grabber. I assigned Chris to the pump/cord grabber position, which he managed swimmingly so he also got assigned the job of applying and smoothing the caulk. 

Once it dries, we will know if this job, that seemed to go much easier than I thought it would, was in fact successful. 

#3 was to start sewing this blouse that has been cut out for well over a year. Maybe two? The prairie makers are meeting near the end of August for a sewing day and I really wanted to have this done before that date so I can concentrate all my efforts on a quilt that day. 

Somehow, doing all 3 things seems wrong at this moment, late on Sunday afternoon. I might start thinking I can do more than is realistic. But mostly, I feel the need for a nap right about now, and I do have my priorities straight when it comes to the importance of resting and restoring. 

a mission of fun

Scenes from the Lawrence farmers market today included the following:
Morning light coming through bundles of flowers for sale.  

First local apples of the season. The first that caught my eye anyway.

Organic sweet corn! Sunday dinner just got re-planned.

The look of pure contentment on this man's face made me have to ask to take his picture. I don't know if it was because of the tomatoes he was looking at, or the bundle of flowers he was bringing home.

These were the flowers I was going to get, 

until I spied the bucket of tuberoses, 

and what about a bouquet of what looks like flowering dill? 

I enjoyed very much watching her pick a bouquet, with the help of her brother of course. 

Oh I did want to wait for her to unwrap her instrument and listen ... maybe next Saturday?

This young man's smiley face hat caught my eye, but when I got home it was the "grandson" appliqué on his shirt that made me smile. I hope the maker/giver knows he is getting good use out of it. 

The caramel latte cake was going fast this morning. Espresso in the cake and coffee on the side. Yes please. 

Caprese salads are what I am making with my heirloom tomatoes this week. 

Right when I was leaving I spotted this fellow racing across the street to get to the market. I don't know what he was going for, maybe just fun with dad? But he was on a mission. A mission of fun.

Here is what came home with me today.

I think tuberoses are amazing. How do they know when they are inside that it's evening and time to release their fragrance? I must investigate. 

I was raised to believe you can have more than one favorite of anything

This month's ordinary stuff has included walks,

Skimming through this wonderful book about birds which is packed full of little bits of things you have likely always wanted to know, in a format that does not get overly detailed and is beautifully illustrated. Check it out from your library to decide if you MUST own it. 

Evaluating the progress of the succulents that I thought would die from too much rain (they haven't) and showing them to sister who told me that my string of fishhooks was actually a string of dolphins. Which in hindsight seems pretty obvious. 

Wrapping packages, mailing cards.

Drinking latte's and bringing cold brew home. 

And... watching the moon, in the early morning. It's my favorite time to look at it. Except of course when I am looking at it at night, which is also my favorite time to look at it. I was raised to believe you can have more than one favorite of anything. 

a perfect breakfast before a hike or a plane ride home

Just a few last photos from Albuquerque... then there will be no more until my next trip. Which I have already decided will be in early spring. When we can go to some hot springs and soak while we look at red rocks, maybe take a hike... and whatever else we fancy.

It's hard to pick a favorite coffee spot in Albuquerque, but if push comes to shove, it's going to have to be Little Bear. The baristas are so nice, the seating wonderful, the bags of beans from local roasters all over the world on the walls. It's got a most excellent vibe. 

The colors of New Mexico are so appealing... and always that blue sky. 

I think I told you we ate well during my visit. I did not tell you that Dottie is a great cook. One morning we had roasted sweet potatoes, sliced banana, blueberries, greek yogurt, pineapple chunks, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and toasted hazelnuts for breakfast. We named it the Alba Quirky bowl. 

What a great combination of flavors. The pineapple was unexpectedly perfect as the sweetener.  Just the right breakfast before a hike or a plane ride home. Don't knock it till you try it. 

From the window of the plane as we made our approach into Kansas City. Who can resist trying to get the perfect shot out of a plane window? Not me. I'll let you know when I get it, in the meantime, it's important to record the progress. 

when things like that happen

Just a few zinnias for today. In a pink vase, purchased 7 or 8 years ago. Before I knew I was going to become a zinnia grower and need a vase exactly like this in which to properly display the Queen Lime Reds and Tequila Lime's. 

I do love it when things like that happen.

mushrooms that looked like flowers

Fairies from the Renaissance festival were at the farmers market on Saturday. They were friendly and knew how to strike a pose - without even being asked. Talk about cute. The festival starts in 6 weeks if anyone needs to know that. 

There were tomatoes, eggplant, and mushrooms that looked like flowers. 

This very nice man told me that I could take his picture even though he had not checked with his agent beforehand. He has clearly not lost his ability to make his girlfriend laugh with his witty comebacks. 

Meantime, these 2 women were busy thoughtfully discussing the problems of the world, searching for consensus. I am voting for them for something. If they are running. Which they probably aren't. Still.

In case you are not familiar with a millet bouquet - here is one. Isn't it pretty? 

My basket this week was filled with all the stuff you see below. 

For the moment I remain committed to the acquisition of sunflowers for the table.  I even put some outside on my front porch this week. 

Because I could.