Tall Tales from Kansas

a bit of a browse

In our last days in the Cotswolds we carried on with our slow travel. Loose plans that can be changed, early to bed, naps as needed, afternoon tea… you get the idea. 

We did not dress in matching outfits everyday, but sister did collect feathers, and I did make sure we took the house key everyday before we left. 

We had afternoon tea at a spot our friend Matthew told us about and enjoyed it thoroughly. There was enough to feed 4 instead of 2 but we are not shy about bringing home leftovers. I will investigate where to buy clotted cream when I get home. For special occasions of course.

While Sister tried on hats in the Charity Shops, I convinced myself I did not need any children’s toys to add to my collection. 

Sister got very good at mastering the driving - on all roads. There was the one time we met a tractor coming towards us on a very narrow road but the farmers are used to us tourists.  We scoot all the way over, they skillfully maneuver around, we breathe sighs of relief and high five when it’s done.  

It’s hard to capture how narrow the lanes are.  The one above is not the most narrow we encountered.  Did I mention we got insurance? Something I never do in the US. 

As we were wandering around Bath, before catching the train back to Heathrow, I spotted this really cute yarn shop and we investigated.

The women inside were very supportive of us having “a bit of a browse”.

There will be a few more posts about the Cotswolds when I get home and have time to look over all the photos and think about what else there is to say. It was a wonderful getaway. International travel seems harder than it used to. That’s what happens as you get older and also when it’s been awhile since we did it. BUT all that said, we had great luck with flights, connections, and maintaining our senses of humor. I worked hard not to GASP on the narrow roads and sister was very patient with my navigating. We truly met some of the absolute nicest people. England we love you, and hope to come back. 

When I reached the Village of Blockley

This mornings walk, where I went up a hill, through the woods, looking over fences and searching for the path.

The soundtrack was bleeting sheep and the call of the wood pigeon.

I looked into back gardens, peered into windows, appreciated the flower pots and boxes.

When I reached the village of Blockley, I did an about face and came home. Enjoying the scenery just as much from this perspective. 

getting drunk on pollen

Hidcote is one of the splendid gardens we have explored here in the Cotswolds.

Look!, but did you see this, what’s that?, we have those in California… are just some of the things you would have overheard had you been walking within earshot of us.

The bee’s are alive and well in this part of England. Buzzing all over the gardens. Getting drunk on pollen.



There happened to be a super cool “tapestry” artist on exhibit when we were visiting. All her “weavings” from parts of the garden.  

Some plants we recognize, some we do not. All of them seem quite happy right here where they are. 

Every post must have roses. Never, have I been in a spot so perfumed by the roses.  Even in California. We decided they only grow aromatic roses here.

Such a pleasure to take it all in. Stopping for rests on well placed benches along the way.

we thought this might be a corpse plant but when I looked it up it says “common dracunculus” also known as a dragon lily and a vampire lily. Strange. Apparently it has a somewhat foul odor though we didn’t note anything too strong or terrible. I won’t need one in my garden.  

spotted in the grocery store

Every little thing is charming in the Cotswolds. The flowers, views overlooking the  fields and villages, thatched cottages, afternoon tea with a sweet, windows of the shops on the high street, and all the climbing roses and hollyhocks.

I had to include a shot of the British tabloids spotted in the grocery store. Just for fun.

In case anyone is into that sort of thing. 

our new friend Matthew

Activities over the past few days have included getting up early to explore the Broadway Tower - mostly the views around it. It was not open at 6am. We had the place to ourselves + a few red deer.

There is a small circular ramble near the tower where we saw the deer, a few hot air balloons, and of course some sheep. 

Bourton-on-the-Water was next. The parking was plentiful this early, and we were first in line when the bakery opened at 8am. In addition to the almond croissant and latte, we bought a loaf of malted bread. For toast. 

Sheep grazing among old building where they can shelter and rub against the rocks is extra nice.

We met our new friend Matthew who told us to avoid the congestion of Bibury where “all the coaches pull in and tie everything up”. He also endorsed our idea of the Farm Park where we are sure to see “many breeds of sheep and cows”.

Thank you Matthew. We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. You also took a brilliant photo of us. ❤️

a trio of sausages, mash, and peas

One of the things we have been most looking forward to is seeing sheep, and to that end we ventured to Dover Hill to have a look the other evening.

Cool breezes, clouds, grazing sheep, it was like a fairytale. Sister did some sketching. I sat and stared.

It’s the whole experience, the sounds and smells, watching where you walk, knowing how lucky you are to be here. Now. Able to do this.

The climbing roses are so fragrant and of course beautiful.

 

We so admire the stacked stone walls, covered with moss or ivy, with things growing right out of them.

While on the topic of things to admire…

… there was also this. When at a pub in the Cotswolds one must partake of the pub grub.  It’s a rule. 

We believe in getting proper rest

Tonight just a few photos of what we have been up to since arriving in the Cotswolds…

We have visited churches with hand embroidered cushions, which reminded me of the Tracy Chevalier novel “A Single Thread”. On the bulletin board there was a flier for a knitting group that meets regularly. I would love to drop in on a “meeting” with the socks I am working on.


The flowers are everywhere and are stunning. Lush, varied, colorful, and planted all together in large groupings.

The walks on the different public footpaths are varied - though woods, fields, and small villages.

We have taken to making tea at home in the afternoon and sitting in the back garden of our house.

I am out of practice trying to do a post from the iPad. Forgive wonky formatting. More to follow of course once we are back home.  Rest assured I am sampling all the local favorites in terms of foods.  Now it’s off to bed, we believe in getting proper rest while on vacation. 

Thanks for reading.  

taking in the loveliness

Hello from Bath, England where I am happy to report that the cream tea, complete with scone, jam, and clotted cream is actually even better than I imagined it would be. 


It is hard to fully describe the deliciousness of the perfectly tender scone with the sweet strawberry jam topped with the clotted cream which does not taste like butter or whipped cream but a wonderful combination of the two that must be tasted to fully appreciate it’s uniqueness. 


We are wandering about, taking in the loveliness of this old city, admiring the architecture, and the nice people we are meeting.

The pink sky last night was especially beautiful as we wandered around the lanes right before bed. It is good to be traveling abroad again after such a long time. Tomorrow we head for the Cotswolds, where we will master the art of driving on the opposite side of the street. Fingers crossed.

if you live close, check it out

This is a public service announcement for those of you who live in the vicinity of Lawrence Kansas. The Huff + 1 lunch club took it on ourselves to check out Aunt Netter's cafe in LeCompton Kansas, with the goal of investigating the pie. 

We each consider ourselves to be somewhat of an expert in what it takes to make a good pie. With each of us differing slightly based on our individual tastes, but with a full understanding of what makes a truly good pie.

The brought the pie to the table first, while the rest of lunch was being prepared. We ALL approved of this move. As you can see we took this assignment seriously. The cherry, dutch apple, coconut cream, and peanut butter/chocolate were ordered. 

There are lots of good spots to take photos in LeCompton by the way. AND the people there are friendly! But let me get back to the pie. We collectively rated the cherry and the peanut butter chocolate as a tie for #1. They are such different pies it's hard to say one is better than the other. Both absolute perfection - tart cherries, substantial crust that was cooked perfectly. The peanut butter chocolate was just pure heaven. Sweet and creamy but not overly sugary. The coconut cream was also divine with lots of toasted coconut on top and the apple was a good, honest, by the book, apple pie. Apples not mushy, not too much cinnamon - excellent crust. 

Marti and I decided that if this was the last lunch we ever had together, we went out with a bang. If we get another chance though, we are coming back. I want to find out when they are serving lemon meringue although the peach must also be sampled. 

If you live close, check it out. Heck, if you live far, check it out. 

Useful information: Aunt Netters Cafe in LeCompton

I could feel my Louisiana aunts right there with me

Way back when we had regular Art Retreats in Palm Springs, Pam Garrison brought several quilts one year at my request. I had seen pictures but needed the full experience...  I was completely captivated by her triangle quilt. The colors, the shapes, the total improvisational feel of it. 

It percolated on a back burner in my mind for years, but I never let go of it. I got a fat quarter bundle of Kona cottons several years ago and started working. Slowly slowly, as is my nature. 



I started hand quilting this at the end of February and finished that up by the middle of May. I had already decided to put a border on and I struggled a little bit with what to do with the binding, but am very happy with my choice. I do love a bias binding with stripes or checks. The last of the binding was sewn down while sitting on the front porch a few days ago. 

This is not a huge quilt, but it will go on our bed. I like something smaller that can be pushed off or pulled on without a large struggle in the middle of the night. The back is pretty plain with just a few wonky half triangles that got turned into diamonds and were pieced into the backing.

I love how the light shines through the different colored triangles. 

This would be an awesome quilt to throw over something and make a tent out of if you were a kid. It could be a cathedral tent. 

I quilted inside each of the triangles on the front. On the back, the pieced diamonds just got quilted where they got quilted. 

This was a challenging project for me, but do-able. If I were to do it again, I would construct it a bit differently. I made long strips of triangles and then sewed each row on to the next row. Now I see I would have had a bit more control, and been more precise (perhaps) if I had made blocks instead of rows. But maybe not. 

I could feel my Louisiana aunts right there with me through the cutting, the piecing, and especially the quilting. It was nice, in the same way as when you are making a recipe that's been handed down through the years. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but you love it fiercely because of all that it evokes. 

the tail feathers of an attentive parent

The geraniums in the front porch pots have settled in nicely and are performing well as we get ready to dive into June, where the heat of the summer sometimes makes me want to overwater. This can be a death sentence for plants, but I am cautioning myself to be restrained. 

The rabbits are all lined up in front of the pots to scare off the squirrels. In my mind.

The "in the house" flowers from the market and my first bouquet of zinnias from my garden are doing well. Oh how I do love to go out back and pick and choose and arrange. 

This ground cover (whose name escapes me) is doing well, as are the coneflowers.

The back deck pots are still pretty small, but by the end of the summer should tower above where they are now. Time will tell. 

Two other things worth reporting on include that the coconut lime cake from the market this week has been insanely good, and that I have spent a ridiculous amount of time sitting on my porch listening to the chirping of a nest of baby house finches in the Japanese maple out front.  





You can just make out the tail feathers of an attentive parent in the photo above... if you look very closely.  
These are the things that make life worthwhile. Flowers + cake + birds = good stuff.

each local berry is savored

The MOST exciting thing about the farmers market today was BLUEBERRIES. Not just any blueberries. Blueberries that were picked yesterday and have been lovingly tended by the really nice lady that I bought them from, who I don't have a picture of because I was so excited about seeing the blueberries and grabbing the blueberries that I did think about taking a picture of the blueberry grower. Mea culpa.

Oh the delight of a firm blueberry that pops when you bite into it and goes perfectly will with greek yogurt and a sprinkle of granola. Tomorrow I will eat the second half of this basket on oatmeal. Unless I finish them before then. Which is entirely possible.  

There were flowers for everyone at the market today. Bouquets that could be put in a vase, edible pansies to beautify your plates of food, and stems for making your own arrangements. 

Summer squash has arrived on the scene.

I remain deeply enamored with kale and prepping salads for the whole week with it. This week's will have garbanzo beans, beets, pumpkin seeds, and a Thai peanut sort of dressing. 

How pretty is this? I love walking by this vendor and feeling like I am in California. 

I got in a Harry Nilsson frame of mind and went straight back to the early 1970's when I walked by Chonky Eats and spied the Coconut Lime cake. I applied the brakes and of course stopped for a piece. This flavor combination may be my very favorite cake in their repertoire.  

Here is my unpacked basket. 

I got busy getting the beets peeled, chopped, and put in the oven before I did anything else. Olive oil, cumin, salt, pepper, for seasoning this week. 

Then it was time to move on to the blueberries. The season is fleeting here so each local berry is savored.

Happy Saturday night to you friends!

patterns and cycles that recur through the years

On Thursday, June 6th 2024, between 5:52am and 5:55am, headed east on K-10 to work, this is what I was treated to.

I have previously mentioned that the beginning of June is the season of beautiful sunrises here in my part of the world. In my opinion anyway. Which is a well informed one as my drive time coincides with the rising of the sun. It's interesting how the older one gets, the more one is able to see patterns and cycles that recur through the years. 

sipping iced coffee with the fan overhead

Best thing #1 about starting a morning walk early is watching the sun climb up higher in the sky and noting how every minute changes happen. 

Thing # 2 is of course that it starts out cooler, and by the time you are getting hot and sweaty,  you are thinking about the fact that it is now the season for iced coffee, and you are at the tail end of the walk. 

All the wild things are blooming at the wetlands. Each in their own time. In this season before all the yellow things start, there is a lot of color out there on the prairie. 

The Indian Paintbrush is spectacularly bright.  

It seems like this will be a decent year for the American Lotus out at the wetlands too. 

Thing #3 about starting out early on a morning walk is how quiet the neighborhood is when I am back home and sitting on the porch. Sipping that iced coffee with the fan overhead stirring the air, in that "zen" phase, before I start thinking of what I "should" be doing, instead of enjoying what I am doing.  

I am working to keep top of mind this valuable advice from Winnie the Pooh.... "don't underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering." 

we thought it was all very normal

I spied elephant ears as I entered the market this morning. Elephant ears! We had them all over our yard when we live at Howard AFB in the Canal Zone. Along with banana trees, geckos, kudamundi's, and all sorts of other exotic things. We thought they were all very normal. One of these was snapped up for a nice bit pot on the deck.

My favorite supplier of chili walnut dip, baklava, Lebanese bean salad, falafel, and tzatziki told me the kids were heading to Florida today. They were excited in a low key, hip, playing it cool, kind of way. 

I love the look of a hat with a scarf around the brim. She obviously knew what she was doing when she put this look together today. 

The sugar snap peas were so good last week, I did a repeat.

The twosome with the best smiles in hats and shorts today are below. 

I am giving him honorable mention for the tie dyed shirt and hat.

It was Rainbow week at the market - complete with cake. I bought a piece of this last year thinking "... ok, maybe it will be good...?" There was no second guessing this year. 

As soon as this basket was unpacked and a picture taken, the work began. 

Cake sliced into 3 pieces, wrapped/frozen. Flowers in a vase. Snap peas rinsed and ready for snacking.



Cauliflower cleaned, chopped, sprinkled with olive oil, curry powder, salt, roasted. Kale rinsed and chopped. 1 Green onion added along with dried cranberries, toasted almonds, and roasted cauliflower. My kale salads were so good last week I needed more this week. Slight change in ingredients, same dressing. So so so good. 

Then it was out to the porch to sit, rock, stare, listen to the newly hatched birds in the Japanese maple tree, sip on coffee, and be delighted with this day, this moment, this life.