Tall Tales from Kansas

the recipe for a perfect day

It's Tulip Time at Ted Ensley Gardens in Topeka. If you live in the area, you may want to go. But make it quick before the wind and the rain put an end to the celebration that this day was.

The thing is there are big trees, little trees, flowering trees, and interesting structures in addition to the tulips. 

I already mentioned the lake didn't I? 

The massed plantings are splendid. Up close and from a distance. The air is also perfumed with the smell from flowering shrubs. 

This year was the best display we have caught. Our timing was perfect. 

An essential element to the visit is bringing your lunch to sit and eat slowly as you take it all in. There are many tables and benches. Alternately, you can do what we did and get yourself a sandwich from Schlotsky's on SW 29th street. I like the original. Chris goes for the ham and cheese. Cold water, iced tea, a few chips. 

That's the recipe for a perfect day. A nap after you get home as an add-on to the itinerary is strongly suggested. 

this sense of opening up

Spring weather in the midwest can translate to glorious skies. Here is a perfect example from last week. 

Looking up the river and across to the other side, the reflections of the remnants of the storm on the water were wonderful. 

Just straight up was pretty good too. 

Especially as I turned for home and the sky got blue. This year we have had a wonderful bloom on the redbuds which are native to the area. 

Really marvelous. 

This has not a thing to do with clouds or storms or redbuds, but the birth of a leaf is pretty cool when you can catch it. 

On this morning walk I ran into quite a few birdwatchers. They told me the migration websites had indicated conditions were excellent for spotting warblers. It's nice to talk to someone who is just completely delighted with what they are doing and happy to answer questions. 



After the walk there was time for a latte and playing around with my new brush pens. One of the nicest things about working part time is this sense of opening up, slowing down, making time for just hanging out. 

long may you reign

Today apparently is tulip Tuesday, luckily I have lots of photos to commemorate the flower that is being celebrated.

This bunch is my bouquet of the week from the farmers market. They are a perfect compilation of colors and textures. 

I mean come on, who thought to take pinking shears to the edges of a tulip... and then figure out the whole hybridization thing? 

In other news, I just bought a pair of cantaloupe colored walking shoes. Seriously. I haven't photographed my feet in them yet, but you get the idea. I feel my fitness level getting boosted to whole new heights as I gaze upon them. 

P.S. Happy Birthday Nancy! Long may you reign.

give me a second to get the flowers on the table

Hello flowers. You beautiful local, colorful, splendidly wonderful, things. 

Good to see you lettuces. Especially all grown together in a salad pot. 

Oh, hey there relatives of the Dracaena trifasciata that I got last year. Which by the way, remains extremely healthy, and about to go back outside again. To it's front porch summer location. 

She was getting good advice on succulents from a succulent farmer. 

No words needed for the cuteness factor here. I want these 3 to move next door to me so I can be their old lady neighbor. 

"...with the practiced eye of a market regular she examined the plants and selected exactly the one that would be perfect for the location she had picked out..."



Good morning cinnamon rolls, pecan rolls, and Black Forest cake. 

Welcome back green onions fresh and pungent, you would go well with the multi-colored eggs. 

Greetings were shared with my favorite vendors. 

So nice to see you lilac bouquets, with your smiling arranger. 

And last, but never least, the spirit of the market today can be seen in this lovely woman who thinks nothing of donning a crown for her head when she feels the need. She ALWAYS makes me smile when I see her.  



Here is what I came home with. 



If you give me a second to get the flowers on the table and put on a pot of coffee, we can have cranberry orange scones together. I have our napkins already picked out. 

You can tell me about your dreams, and I will tell you about mine. Alternately we can just talk about how happy I am that the Lawrence Farmers Market is back in operation. 

some sort of a triangle quilt

The prairie makers loaded up and headed to the Missouri Star Quilt Company in Hamilton, Missouri this week. It's only a few hours away and seemed like a thing to do.

Yep, we had to get the picture at the worlds largest spool of thread. Started in 2018, 22 feet tall, and with one million yards of thread, visitors are encouraged to bring and add thread.  Next time we will come with our contributions. Maybe a ladder?



This trip started with a visit to the quilt museum, filled with quilts, machines, notions, and a very knowledgeable young man at the door who answered all our questions. There were some quilts on display from a national collection ... more on those later. My personal favorites were all these quilts made by "regular" folk. Above is a crazy kite quilt circa 1900. 

This 9 patch was labeled as being completed in 1901.

Seeing an early Bernina was a treat.



While I love all the really "scrappy" quilts, this anything but simple black and white was stunning. 

Crazy quilts have always had a special place in my heart... the combination of embroidery and pieced scraps is so interesting and personal. I especially loved the border on the one below. 

The precision in the stitching on this butterfly quilt, all by hand, was a thing of beauty.

The "Dresden plate" design below was one I especially enjoyed studying. Why do you suppose there is more white space at the top? Also... another lovely and complex border.

This really scrappy number below is so marvelous it made me want to jump up and down and clap. Every time I looked at it I was caught by another optical illusion. Circles, triangles, diamonds!

Yes, I forced Joan to pose by the giant rotary cutter, and I also got a shot of the tiny machine she got as a child for Christmas.  Which she still has, I might add. 





The "lily garden" quilt below was machine pieced, hand embroidered, and hand quilted in 1990. It was included in the section from a national quilt museum. Completely amazing. 

The appliqué in this quilt was mind blowing. The lighting in the room where these quilts were displayed was not quite as good so my photos were a bit blurred. I wanted to get a better shot of the appliqué that had so much texture, alas, those did not turn out. Not really sure what that technique is called. Fabulous. We came here to get inspired and left filled to the brim.    



There are many murals in town - again, perfect for posing in front of. 

At the end of the day, I could not pass up this incredible bundle of Kona solids at one of the stores. It is destined to become some sort of a triangle quilt. Unless it whispers otherwise to me in the middle of the night. Which is entirely possible. It's hard for me to go anywhere for fabrics other than my own local shop downtown, Sarah's Fabrics... but sometimes a field trip is called for. 

Helpful links: Missouri star quilt company

sitting down and looking at it after each session of work

On our last day in Santa Barbara we were treated to a simultaneous presentation of clouds in the sky and clouds at our feet. Sometimes life gives you things that are hard and some days you receive this.  I don't think it's a perfect balance. It just IS.  

The birds and the rocks and the waves and the smells and the breeze ... holy smokes, mercy, and yes... I stored it all away. 

The tide was low enough for a few treasures to reveal themselves. 





We could not have asked for a better last walk along the shore. 





On the occasion of this last post on the topic of California, until I schedule my next trip that is, let me close this chapter with a reminder that the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden is splendid. 



They have lots of benches there for contemplating the views. 





Last stop on the way back to LAX was lunch at the Bates road beach. We watched hang gliders, ate "chicken dressed up like a salad" sandwiches, and called it good. 



Today at home, garden clean up began in earnest. It's official - porch sitting season has begun in Kansas. The nice thing about a trip to California at this time of year is that it inspires me to get that soil turned, the weeds pulled, some new mulch down, bushes trimmed, porch swept, pots filled up with colorful annuals... because sitting down and looking at it after each session of work is such sweet satisfaction. 

the moss sisters don't claim to be graceful

Tonight just a sampling of the "non-beach" delights to be found in the Santa Barbara area.  You may not have heard about the street of the Italian stone pines, it's not in a travel guide, but is worthy of a visit. 

We chose "our" houses from among the selection of streets that bisect this corridor of trees.

There is no shortage from which to choose.

Excellent coffee shops are very plentiful from Carpinteria to Santa Barbara.  Nothing says vacation like a French press coffee at breakfast, especially if it is the accompaniment to the Duck Confit Hash.  Um yes. I mean seriously, when am I going to have the opportunity to have that again?

Franceschi park provides wonderful views of the city with a few nice benches for sitting. Writing. Sketching. Talking. Napping. A stroll around the old house is a must. Reading the fresco's on the walls. When I win the lottery I will invest in the restoration of this marvelous spot. Although even in this shape, it's pretty great.




Books were read and discussed. Sketches were drawn. A celebrity was spotted at Pierre LaFond's where we had cinnamon roses and coffee after beach walks. One of us may have bumped into a Range Rover and knocked a plastic piece off, right in front of the owner... the Moss sisters don't claim to be graceful, but we do laugh a lot.  

a box of whoppers

after a weeks worth of morning beach walks in california, easter sunday was a bit on the brisk side here in kansas this morning

but there was still good stuff to see and the bunny left me a box of whoppers in my basket

flowering trees and shrubs + candy + chris making easter dinner tonight = win, win, win

you choose the superlative

at last, this morning, at dawn, the tide was low enough for a walk to the east, towards Hammond meadow.

these are the things I saw there. magnificent, glorious, splendid, you choose the superlative that suits you. none are adequate, but you get the idea.

Life is unfolding, we are partaking

Todays rambles started by the water and then veered off in new directions. Things call, we follow. 



If you ever run across a pistachio cream croissant in a pastry case you are going to want to try it. If it has rose petals on the top, all the better. Sister preferred the pistachio loaf. You can’t go wrong with either.

While we ate, we enjoyed life going on around us. There was excellent people watching for entertainment - friends greeting each other, spontaneous coffee dates.  Delightful store windows full of fanciful items. 

We wandered through Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden near by, where the coral trees are in full bloom. There was a forest of acanthus, some fine Morton Bay Fig trees, a very fit couple doing yoga, and a smiling 18 month old sitting with his mother on a blanket who was fascinated by the garbage truck across the street.

Sweetshade trees covered in yellow and white blossoms fill the air with a fragrance that is a cross between plumeria, jasmine, and Victorian box.  Sigh. 

The days slide by. We tell them to slow down. We sit with dear people, making art, sharing stories, eating corn and cheese arepas with tomato soup and apple slices.

Nice strangers offer to take our picture and we agree. Life is unfolding, we are partaking.

in the don quixote courtyard at the music academy of the west

we are occupied with the business of water, sand, sky, surf, and sun here in santa barbara, and in particular, the point where they all converge.  we fly out the door early and mostly have this fabulousness all to ourselves.

there are also rocks and shells looking for us. the birds call. yesterday in the don quixote courtyard of the music academy of the west (right up the road from butterfly beach) we spontaneously broke into an unrehearsed rendition of the impossible dream from man of la mancha. true story. 

patron saint of nervous travelers

Neighborhood walks in the city of angels are not to be missed. The air Friday morning was heavy with fragrance. Jasmine mixed with rose, lavender, citrus, and maybe it’s my imagination but did a bit of Victorian box stick around just for me? I thinks so. All this is especially nice since it was 33 degrees and raining when I left the house Friday morning in Kansas.

While sister toiled away at school, Wyatt and I spent time together. Then, after my walk, I got into her refrigerator and found a perfect lunch to eat out on the front porch.  Me and the birds. Sheer heaven. Hopefully she wasn’t thinking that was going to be part of our dinner tonight. 
Happily none of my imagined travel catastrophes came to past… things like the car breaking down on the way to the airport, not being able to find a place to park in the underground garage, terrible seatmate, not finding my reserved shuttle at LAX. I never worry about the actual flight, just all the details around it.  I usually schedule Dottie to send all her good “ju-ju” my way on travel days and it always works. She does it for me for free, but I think she could start a business. I can see it now… “ex-nun, hospice chaplain, patron saint of nervous travelers”…. I am going to call her about this! It’s such a good service it would be a shame not to share it. On a limited basis of course, and only when I don’t need her myself. 

splendid is not a good enough word to describe the experience

Before I tuck Benonville away in the memory banks, let me show you just a few more things. Like a neighborhood walk down a steep hill that took me closer to the lake. 

How about one of the cool murals spotted in Bentonville. I could have done a whole post on just these, if I had taken more photos. Which I did not. Next time. 



We visited a really cool bookstore with old books that we loved exclaiming over. Nice bookshelves too.





You know I am a sucker for a signs on the street and love to make my companions pose with them. 



Pea Ridge is a National Military Park in NW Arkansas.  If you are a history fan, you might find a visit interesting and educational.  I am a sucker for a good video at the beginning of a history lesson that gives me the background and details of things. This place had one. 



A few gratuitous shots of spring blooms and I will be done. 





But the views from the deck, especially in the morning, remain the highlight of the trip. Splendid is not a good enough word to describe the experience, but it's the best I can do. 

a little more glass

Every year I make a point to try and capture the grouping of star magnolias around 8th and Tennessee in Lawrence. Depending on the weather it's a whole different look each time. 













I like it every year. But I like it better when I have my Nikon and not just the iPhone camera. Sometimes you just need "a little more glass".

2021 Magnolia shots

2019 Magnolia shots

a resounding 2 thumbs up apiece

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is another not-to-be-missed outing in Bentonville. This rendering of it by the architect (I think), is great. I love the roughness of it and that the end result is very true to the original vision. 

Its hard to choose a favorite work of art from the collection, but I didn't know Rosie the Riveter had her foot on Mein Kampf did you? I love finding something unexpected when seeing art work you thought you knew. The frame is also a perfect complement to the painting. 

There was a series of paintings on palette's, using the "thumb hole" in creative ways. This was my favorite. 



It was too rainy and cool to take advantage of all the outside art trails and garden spaces, but we did catch a few glimpses of what awaits on our next visit.



When all the flowering trees are blooming in a few weeks, it's going to be amazing. 



The Bachman-Wilson house, a Frank Lloyd Wright design, is not to be missed. So interesting to be able to walk through it and appreciate his bringing the outdoors inside style. There is a nice audio guide to talk you through the features of the design. FYI - reservations are needed to walk through. 



This was another of my favorite paintings in the museum. The lighting on all the art work is fantastic.



This fellow below is only included in case one of you is an art expert and can tell me the significance of what appears to be rings hanging from the sash at the waist. I saw this in several portraits of men in their uniforms. 



Depending on the time of day you visit the museum, there is a nice dining area for lunch, apparently dinner too, and also a great looking coffee bar. Our lunch was perfect and the space is wonderful to sit in with expansive views to the out of door spaces that are so lovely. 

We all took a vote and gave Crystal Bridges a resounding 2 thumbs up apiece. An excellent way to spend a day. 

signs of love were spotted in various places

Sunday morning, at the church of the glassy river, there were frogs. A whole symphony of them. There were also 2 coyotes who crossed the railroad tracks.  One looked both ways before crossing, the other did not.  Cardinals were a blaze of color in the not-yet-leafed-out trees. 

One red-tailed, and one gray squirrel spiraled up and down and around a tree before parting at the bottom and each going their separate ways. Geese called as they flew overhead.

Signs of love were spotted in various spaces. It was a perfect reflection for the service. The church of the glassy river may be the best congregation I have ever belonged to. 

the mind that imagined this and pulled it off

In addition to spending hours staring out at Beaver Lake from our Airbnb in Garfield, we also did some exploring. Here are two local spots you MUST NOT MISS if you are in the area. The good thing is they are close to each other. 

Whether your jam is dying, knitting, stitching, weaving, quilting, or just looking at beautiful things... get thee to hillfolk. The space is wonderfully open with lots of space for wandering from one lovely thing to another. 

The woman who helped us was friendly, helpful, nice... 

Inspiration was abundant. That topographic quilt of the area was museum quality. I love the mind that imagined this and pulled it off. 

After you settle on your purchases, take a drive a few blocks over to Airship Coffee and enjoy a "lumberjack" latte. It was the smoked salt in the description that hooked me and it did not disappoint. Lots of outdoor seating in addition to inside space - good tunes, good java. Alone or with a group, this place is perfect for whatever it is you need in a coffee shop.

Did I mention the mugs were ergonomically pleasing? 

Helpful links:

hillfolk shop

Airship coffee at 5th street