Tall Tales from Kansas

a friend who can bring a moment in a well-lived life to the present...

This week marked the first 2023 lunch gathering with Marti Huff, my favorite nonagenarian. We met in Lawrence at Merchants Pub and Plate where we were able to get our favorite table and start with an order of the famous Brussels sprouts as an appetizer. 

Some of us had hot tea to drink, some had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, some had a beer and a cup of hot tea. I leave you to guess who had what, just know that Marti Huff is not holding back on enjoying the indulgences of life. As we awaited our meals we discussed things. Important things. There was sharing of strange dreams, with our take on what they each meant, and how a weird dream can leave you feeling unsettled even after you wake up and realize it didn't happen. What is that? 

One of the best things about having a nonagenarian friend, is that they have history to share. Interesting history. Marti brought this photo from when she was 9 or 10 at school in Chicago and learning to type.  She is on the right, second from the front, with her perfectly ironed (by her mom) puffy sleeved blouse.  Note that all the boys wore ties and knickers. She could recall most, if not all, of the names of the kids in this class! How glad I am at my age to have a friend who can bring a moment in a well-lived life to the present so we can all "experience" what it was like.  

We discussed introversion and extroversion and how Nancy loves nothing better than to sit at the breakfast table with a bunch of strangers at a B&B and TALK to them. Marti, Jennifer, and I shudder at the thought. 

After an almost solid 2 hours of serious catching up, we parted ways, but not before scheduling a date for February, where we have discussed the warm comfort of Austrian cuisine (Grünauer) versus sampling the tamale's at Carniceria y Tortelleria San Antonio, which a patient of mine recently told me was well worth the risk of aspirating and dying should he not be able to swallow safely. 

We will keep you posted. 

to be conjured up in a dream that unfolds in its own time

In addition to the loafing discussed yesterday, I have been occupying myself with conjuring up ideas. When the mind is restful there is so much conceptualizing that can occur without the schedules and deadlines and all of that other baggage that is actually planning. Planning without the troublesome need to actually DO anything = dreaming.  

I have been on the hunt for Kantha cloth because the look of it makes me happy. When sister and I went to Lummi island some years ago, the cute little cottage that we stayed at had a lovely swatch of Kantha cloth on my bed. 

Then, when I took a class at KC Maker Studio a few months ago there was a woman (who it turns out was the owner of the joint) wearing a jacket made out of Kantha cloth and I wanted to steal it off her back. Instead I inquired after the pattern. Unfortunately they were out of the fabric at the time and while I did see a few sources on line... this is something I actually want to be able see before I buy it. 

When I saw they had gotten more in this week I dashed over and bought a few pieces in order to be sure I get the patterns and colors I want in just the right spots on the jacket.  Ha ha ha ha! Did I actually say that? In my defense, remember this is all a dream.

Can you imagine wearing a jacket made out of these colors? In the first photo above, there is a red and green piece that at this exact moment is living on our bed. It has a hipster Christmas vibe to it. I am hoping there is a bit of the yellow with the birds on it below left over for a pillow. 

Here is the pattern that may or may not be used to make the jacket. Loose and swingy, just my style. 

Every single scrap of fabric not used in the jacket will be saved for some other project yet to be conjured up in a dream that unfolds in its own time. 

it makes dusting such a pleasure

On an October adventure in Kansas City, my friend Mary Joan and I stumbled across this marvelous little shop, Homesong Market. 

If you are local, or here on an adventure, it's in Brookside at 6213 Oak Street. There are many interesting local shops in Brookside. You could spend the whole day there if you start at the Roasterie Cafe, check out the shops, go for a neighborhood walk, and then have lunch. 

There were many items to love at this spot (handmade brooms!) but the thing I could not resist, that I remain most excited about, is my feather duster. 

Don't laugh! It makes dusting such a pleasure. I think the idea of a feather duster snuck into my head when I was watching Mrs. Harris goes to Paris and when I saw them in the store I knew it was meant to be.  

P.S. In case you are wondering, Susan Hubbard (of Geneva Lake Wisconsin) invented the feather duster in 1876. It's important to keep useless facts like this around in your head, you never know when they may come in handy. 

Helpful links: homesong market

I did not lie on my back in the leaves and look up

Last Saturday morning, on the way home from the farmers market, I turned left off 9th street onto Mississippi. It's one of my favorite streets in the city for enjoying the colors of fall.  It did not disappoint.   

I did not lie down on my back in the leaves and look up, only because getting back up would have been tricky. But I did kick some leaves just to hear the scraping crunch and to unleash that wonderful smell into the air. I leaned over like I would if I was stirring a pot of stew on the stove and breathed in deeply. 

I don't know what you have planned for this fall weekend stretching ahead of us, but for me, there will be more of this. And maybe a little of that. 

hello Barry

Please do not be fooled by this first photo and think this is another post about zinnias. It contains zinnias but it is about something much more important. It's about what is in the right bottom corner of the first photo.

Trying to blend in among the zinnias. That's Barry. He is a Harvey boy. Over the last 6 months he has been very wary of me, despite the fact that his older brothers think of me as their adopted cat mom.



Today all of that changed. We had "first contact". First contact of the serious petting kind. He has approached before but only sniffed then backed away.



Today there was the sniff, the lick, the brushing against my legs, the head butts on my hand with the petting, the PURRING. It was magic. 

The rest of the summer and fall look very promising. For lots of kitty love. 

What could be better than a cat in your zinnia bed? Nothing. That's what.

that almost metallic silvery glow.

Sunday morning, while having breakfast at the table, I noted the pre-snowstorm tulips were shedding their petals.

Later that evening, in the last of the setting sun, I was compelled to take more pictures.  I love how you can see the lines in the petals and that almost metallic silvery glow. 

When Mother Nature made the tulip she knew what she was doing. I have gotten way more than $12.75 worth of enjoyment from this bunch. 

Another glorious site on Sunday morning, as the sun was coming up, was a flock of 11 - 12 gulls flying very high overhead. The pink morning light was reflecting off the underside of their wings and white breast feathers, and as they flew they twinkled like golden pink lights in the sky. It was astonishing. I stopped to be amazed and attempted not one photo, knowing I could never capture the essence, and not wanting to miss a second of just looking. 

my ongoing love affair with Harvey

A conversation:

Me: Harvey! (in high pitched squealing voice)

Him: Oh, hello (in refined, slightly bored cat voice)

Me: come down here at once and let me pet you!

Him: sorry looking for lizards or other unsuspecting creatures right now.

Me: but you are yawning and look tired, you can sit on my lap.

Him: that's an act, I am on high alert.

Him: come to think of it, I am a little sleepy, you climb up here and pet me. Bring me a treat while you are at it. Make it something good.

My ongoing love affair with Harvey and his brother Alex continues. Unabated, despite the winter break. 

pure playtime joy

The tree thing, started on January 1st, continued on into January 3rd. It moved from watercolor, ink, cut... to cut out trees from old calendar, add newspaper, fire up the sewing machine. 

Then out came the toned gray paper.  Why not? Before you know it there was a small forest. 

Which begged to be set up on the water color pan before going back to the inspiration board.

These Caran D'Ache crayons have not seen the light of day for many moons. They will get more play time this month.  For sure. As will those colored pencils. 

It's hard to say exactly what it was that made these trees so much fun to me, but it was pure playtime joy. I want more of that feeling all year long. 

And while I am at it, more French toast with blueberries and raspberries on top because it was incredible. Bacon on the side. Cause you got to have the salty with the sweet. It's a balance thing.  

warning - you may find yourself unable to stop

On the morning of November 4th, at the University of Kansas hospital in Kansas City, the APRN's on the palliative care team were taught how to make origami book marks by Marilyn.

She brought really pretty 6x6 squares of paper, and proceeded to give us precise instructions. With gentle coaching, we all succeeded. 

The soothing, distracting, benefits of putting your hands and eyes to work on a simple task like this can not be overstated.

In the event that you find yourself in need of inner calmness or composure, I recommend it highly. Google origami bookmark and have at it. Warning: you may find yourself unable to stop. 

the amazing geometric perfection of this sunflower

It was hard to walk by the Dahlias at the market last Saturday, but on my exploratory first pass I knew was going to have to bring these sunflowers home. 

They were trimmed, popped into an old water pitcher, and placed on the table.

They were turned this way and that, admired from every angle.

Then I sat right down with a cup of coffee and started reading the paper, in between staring at the amazing geometric perfection of this sunflower.

for my personal enjoyment alone

Inspired by my inherent love of cutting and pasting, and this wonderful issue of Uppercase magazine and all the glorious ways to use scraps...

... today I hauled out some "stuff" and proceeded to play around with my new planner/calendar.

I always get the "school" version of a new calendar, starting with September because us dreamers typically begin making plans for the the new year now, and want to start writing things in.  This year I got a slightly larger version of the calendar.  By mistake, but I am trying it anyway. 

Here are the last 5... some more embellished than others. Using all the beautiful imagery available in the world gives me great pleasure. It seems wrong not to use it, for my personal enjoyment alone. 

Old photographs, found items, stickers, images cut from magazines. Such fun to put together.

Saved notes from Pam that have been living on my inspiration board will of course be incorporated. And you will notice that Sister's hand drawn labels are always used as well.

I hope you are equally occupied with some creative, simple, diversion today, and that you are following my lead by having a local shrub with club soda as a refreshment on the side. 

oh heaven help us all

It feels like this far into October there should be more photos of orange stuff on this blog. That means today is catch up day.  Pumpkins, gourds, mums.  All jumbled up together, solely for the purpose of celebrating orange-ness.  

Which reminds me I have not made a pumpkin pie yet this year and it's high time to correct that.  And speaking of baking and fall things... did you see this recipe for frosted snickerdoodle bars? Oh heaven help us all. 

where the light makes them sparkle and shine

I am not sure what it is about "collecting" that appeals to us humans. Looking. Finding. Gathering. Joining. Collating. Re-arranging. What I do know, is that very small collections give me the most pleasure. Nothing to weigh me down.

Easily sorted by color.

Arranged with little effort on the small, slightly rusty, metal tray Aunt Critch told me was a family heirloom.

Mixed up and reformed into a circle, 

then back into a square,

and finally into an atypical blooming botanical.

Then back in their tiny containers, in front of the sink, they go. 

With the flowers, where the light makes them sparkle and shine. Just like when they were in the cove on Glass Beach rolling in and out with the tide.  

if you can limit yourself to just once a day

For your entertainment, enjoyment, and delight; while I am away visiting Dottie for a long weekend of "sistering", I present this video. I suggest you watch it nightly.  If you can limit yourself to just once a day. 

Thanks for showing it to me Marilyn!