Tall Tales from Kansas

Mary Ann worried she might be a vampire

As I approached the end of Dracula by Bram Stoker, I found myself wanting to enter a time machine and go back to 1969, to South Carolina. More specifically, the TV room at our house on Shaw AFB, at 3:30 pm (or was it 4?), everyday after school to watch Dark Shadows. We sat clenched in dread and excitement as we watched Barnabas Collins and Quentin Collins and Angelique, and some lady with blonde hair as they barely escaped alive or undead from whatever new calamity was upon them. Seriously, right this second I want to watch an old episode, though it's best I not, for fear of disappointment by what I thought at the time, was so thrilling. I am a little surprised that Angie let us watch it at all. But I digress...

I am going to call my first classic read (listen) for 2024 a success. It's a long listen - 19 hours, but now that I have listened to it, I am sure that it would have been hard for me to get through it if I had been reading. It's told from the journals, diaries, etc of the main characters - Jonathan Harker and his wife Mina, Professor Abraham VanHelsing (vampire expert who happens to be from Amsterdam and he is voiced by the narrator with the speech patterns of someone who does not speak English as a first language, and with a marvelous accent), there is also Lucy Westenra (Mina's friend) and Dr. John Seward, Quincy Morris, and Arthur Holmwood (the three fellows who all love Lucy though her heart belongs to only one of them). Of course the Count (Dracula) is in there but only as he is told of by the others. 

I loved (in my mind) going back to the original story and thinking about how all the tales that have come after it followed the general superstitions and "teachings" about how to keep a vampire away, what their powers are, and how to kill one.  Professor VanHelsing is the one who does all the research and figures out how they should proceed in trying to get rid of Dracula.  

A teeny bit of investigating into whether or not Bram Stoker's Dracula (published in 1897) was the original - led me to the 1871 novel Carmella by Sheridan Le Fanu. It could be that at some point I will read that... but not right now. I am dipping into something a bit lighter first.

Overall, I am quite glad to have read Dracula. The story will stay with me for a long time... especially since it's linked to my already existing memories of the Dark Shadows soap opera. Which, by the way, I did confirm with my siblings that we all did watch though Dottie and Ray gave it up for lent because it scared them so much. Mary Ann also recalls having to lay down and take a nap with mom when it was over and watching her mouth/teeth carefully because she had slightly pointed canine teeth and Mary Ann worried she might be a vampire! You can't make this stuff up. We all had a good laugh tonight about that one. Thank goodness for siblings and shared memories.  

maybe it will be sewn and then cut up

Good evening from the upstairs room of Tall Tales Headquarters, where I sit to do a weekly check in. The blinds are closed, lamps are on, candles lit. Who besides me is ready for sunset to come later? But everything in season, as we discussed at lunch this week... 

The Huffs drove to Lawrence and we had a delightful lunch at Wheatfields, complete with a ginger almond spice cookie and mixed fruit tart. You may want to know that the coffee cups at Wheatfields are "bone china" which Marti heartily approved of. Their regular salad is a delightful concoction - mixed greens topped with pickled cucumbers, a bean salad, crunchy croutons, with a piece of focaccia bread on the side... good stuff. 

In addition to seasonal eating there was a review of the games Marti and her husband played with 3 other couples they used to hang out with. The sheet that was hung with holes for noses so you could "pick a nose" ... as in identify whose nose was whose, no fingers involved, was the most original. Marti told us the meetings to plan the parties were as fun as the actual events. Isn't that often the way? 

In addition to lunches out, there have been coffee meet ups with friends this week. Fabric stores were visited, projects discussed - no photos taken, I was too busy exclaiming, touching, asking questions. It was one of those very simple meet ups that for some reason, gives that needed shot in the creative arm/brain. 

These units have been arranged, re-arranged, and re-re-arranged many times. Such fun to see how different they can look.  There is a bit more sewing of units to do, then I will stitch them together. Maybe this will go on the table in my living room? Maybe it will be sewn then cut up and made into a bag of some sort? Who knows. It is just simple fun and two weeks post class I am still practicing, learning, having ideas. The true sign of a good class.  

Susan S. commented on my last post about deciding on a whim to load up the car and head west to see the redwoods and the Pacific Ocean!!!  I jumped up and fist pumped her from afar. I have given Chris fair warning, told him how amazing and wonderful I thought that was, reminded him our years are limited, nudge nudge... will keep you posted on my success at subliminal/overt suggestions. 

We have warmed up into the 30's and 40's this week. Hurrah. The snow is melting, the car was washed, a few remaining Christmas decorations came off the porch. Plans are being made for ham and beans this coming weekend with really good corn muffins. I am listening to Dracula and it is riveting! There are 5 hours to go... can't wait to discuss. Yes, with YOU. All of YOU. 

alongside the roasted pork

The other day Deb Perelman (aka Smitten Kitchen) posted a recipe for pickled cucumbers. But not summer pickled cucumbers. It looked like more of a side salad, something you would see in an Austrian restaurant alongside the roasted pork, kraut blau, thick crusty bread to mop up the pork drippings, and a stein of beer. 

So of course out came the mandolin, and other assorted pickling things. I have never worked with dill seed before. To me it imparts a different flavor than fresh dill or even dried dill weed. Softer somehow if that even makes sense. 

I love that the recipe calls to remove part of the peel using a zester or a fork. It's so pretty. Served with the chicken fried chicken, mashed potatoes/gravy, and corn, it was a perfect foil to break up all the richness. 

It's still cold here in Kansas. A large cup of coffee to sip while staring out at the snow is lovely. Three pairs of fingerless mitts were blocked yesterday. I don't usually block mitts, but why not? 

We continue to watch the birds and fill the feeder.

That's all the news (that's really not worth reporting) I am sharing with you today. Please tell me what you have been up to that's as exciting. Because don't we still want to say Hi even when we have nothing else to say? 

Helpful Links:

Smitten Kitchen Viennese Cucumber Salad

give me a bowl, a spoon, access to your refrigerator and pantry and I can make you a breakfast

When last I posted, I had just taken a virtual improvisational quilt class with Maria Shell. The cutting, piecing, playing, exploring continues... as you can see from my waste basket. What a great idea to do a class like this right before the temps dip below zero and you are best off staying at home. 

The birds have been hitting the feeder hard and heavy! This is outside my kitchen window and I have been filling it every day for the last 2 days. It takes a lot of calories for teeny birds to survive in this weather. I love that the rock wall in the back of my house provides lots of nooks and crannies for them. 

We went and bought a second feeder today to make the switch out a bit easier in the ice and snow.  

The tree remains up but the ornaments came down. I like a slow wind down and am still enjoying the lights being on from morning till night. 

When I took down some of the red and green I put back up a collection of old nursing and teaching books that belonged to Eleanor (Chris's mom) and great Aunt Alice. I love having these and thinking about them studying from them all those years ago.

Finishing up gifts from Christmas for breakfast has been quite enjoyable. 

In case you need a guide for the bowl below... it is blueberries topped with oatmeal, greek yogurt, pumpkin pecan butter, and hazelnuts. Give me a bowl, a spoon, access to your refrigerator and pantry and I can make you a breakfast. 

Other cold weather activities have been watching movies... Oppenheimer, May/December, My Octopus Teacher, and American Symphony. If you have not seen My Octopus Teacher or American Symphony yet... I highly recommend them both. May/December is disturbing but well acted - not for everyone. Oppenheimer is hard to get through at first then races to the end - you know I love anything that is historical. 

I hope you are having some good days, whatever you are doing. I'll just be here, waiting for the temperatures to rise, occupying myself with all sorts of interesting (to me) indoor endeavors. 

"improvisational quilt making is not a sloppy craft"

Here is the color palette I pulled for a quilting class (Half Circles and Lines with Maria Shell) this past weekend. I did not spend a lot of time on this, just pulled from the stash with a goal of getting a variety of colors and values as well as just what might look good together. 

Gosh this was a great class. Content, pace, audio, video, moderation of comments, new information, questions answered that I did not know I had.  Improvisational quilts have always appealed to me, they seem to be pieced so intuitively and are wildly creative. A key point from Maria was this - "Improvisational Quilt Making is Not a Sloppy Craft". The thing is, there is such genius involved in the cutting, placement, and use of color that it looks like it just came together willy nilly ... until you try to make one yourself. Then you can fully appreciate the effort and order in the composition, AND the true skill of the artist.

All this said, I am having the best time playing around with individual units. Experimenting with making pieces that may or may not come together into some sort of finished object. Maria made the sewing, cutting, and fitting together look easy. She has been doing it for years. I am ok with all this practicing, figuring out how my hands do this best... like playing in an art journal. 

I hope your making is giving you this much joy. Whatever you are creating.

something akin to a summer beach read to balance out the snow

If you need something akin to a summer beach read to balance out the snow and chilly, gray days of January, may I suggest Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty?  It's been on my list for ages. Can't recall how it first got on there. I wasn't at all sure I was going to be able to stick with it initially... but it ended up being just what I needed.

It's the story of the 3 Kettle sisters. Triplets. Lyn, Cat, and Gemma and they are turning 33 this year. I listened on Libby from my local public library. The narrator, Heather Wilds, does a wonderful job, giving each sister their own unique voice, while maintaining that lovely Australian accent. If you can get it on audio, it absolutely adds to the enjoyment.

There are fights, accidents, affairs, pregnancies, picnics, cheating husbands, weddings, anxiety attacks ... just the stuff of everyday life. 

she makes things seem easy that are actually complicated for a normal person

Today, in the school of slow-making, a project was completed. The Shangri-La Gold pillow (available as a kit from Ehrman Tapestry) started about 18 months ago, in the car, headed north on Highway 75, to Lincoln Nebraska to investigate the International Quilt museum, was stuffed.

While the twisted cord was lovely and went nicely with the backing, it was abandoned by the side of the road about 10 minutes into trying to figure it out. Yes, I watched at least 5 videos on how to put cording on a pillow, no, I could not find one that was specific for needlepoint. 

After some sewing, some turning inside out, some stuffing, and some hand sewing, I will report several things. It's a little bit lumpy, I will put a zipper in the backing next time to make it easier to stuff. It also goes well with several previous projects that live on the couch, the hexie pillow and the lizard ridge afghan.

I have informed Joan that she is to call me the next time she is turning her needlepoint into a pillow with cording so I can come and watch. She makes many things seem easy that are actually complicated for a normal person like me. 

Finally, these Japanese needle threader aids from Brooklyn Haberdashery, are extremely helpful. Plus they are cute. 

In the end, I learned good things from doing the finishing myself and bottom line - it is done! Off the list of things I have been procrastinating about, and each night as I sit on the couch to do Wordle, I will look at the whole of it. I will recall  the fun I had stitching the needlepoint, and avert my eyes from the spots no one will notice but me.  

telling about it

Yesterday the 3-ring binder with recipes collected from magazines, websites, friends, etc etc etc was given a much needed purging. I mean really, if I haven't made the stuff ripped out of Bon Appetit in 1992 yet, chances are extremely high they will never be tried. 

Brother I did not throw out the "Falsomagro" recipe and Dottie I did not throw out the "Celebration Cake" recipe - both epic recipes that have only been made once and will not be recreated again unless I do them with you. But every single time I look at the recipe I think of the fun we had making them. Eating them too, of course. But really it was the making, wasn't it? 

I still have the full magazine that Modern Macaroni & Cheese was in from 1989. It automatically falls open to this exact spot. We made it for New Years Eve this year. 

This was before going into the oven. Always good. Never fails. Loaded with lots of vegetables. 

The inspiration board got a facelift for the new year too. I have been doing this for many years... Diana Giffin was a fellow blogger that turned me on to the idea. Up in the right hand corner is the photo I took of her board that gave me the idea. It always remains on the board. Diana has been gone for some years now, but she lives on my inspiration board. Sometimes my mind wanders to her beautiful geraniums, or her amazing art studio with all the windows. 

The other piece that has lived on this board for a few years now is this quote from Mary Oliver. It's' up there with all the things I want to make and do and dream about. 

P.S. this is me telling about it. 

a lovely way to open this chapter of life

It's blue skies from Kansas on the first day of the new year.

I just made a pan of cornbread to go with the Hoppin' John on the menu for dinner tonight. I have sent well wishes using all the wonders of this technological age to Brother and Dottie and Sister. I have asked them to ponder what we did on NYE and NYD when we were kids. My memory is fuzzy about all that. 

While I was over on instagram, I spied a quilting class that is happening next Saturday (virtual) that I signed up for. I have Maria Shell's Improv Patchwork book, so why not take a class and jumpstart my quilting adventures for the new year. I LOVE her style. 

There was also this amazing picture of the Watson kids, aka my great niece and nephews from Virginia... it literally made my heart squeeze when I saw it. In a good way. 

I would like to report these front porch transplants are looking good today. Remembering the watering duties can be tricky. 

And finally, today I ran across this on instagram - maiapoetry.
It's from the book when the waves come.

i hope

i hope
when you come home to yourself
there are flowers lining the front porch 
that were left from all the women
you were before

This will be written down in my journal today. A great quote for the new year. What else is there to say, except what a lovely way to open this chapter of life. And to top all that off, I am headed out the door for a restorative yoga class. Ahhhhhh.