Tall Tales from Kansas

you are part of a community who gets it

Even though I am working part time these days, I did work today and am also working tomorrow. Working the 2 days before the holiday means planning the whole Thanksgiving thing out meticulously. It is important when you host to have lists. Lists upon lists. Cleaning lists, shopping lists, cooking lists. Cleaning began last week. Why do we feel the need to clean our house as if our family and friends are going to be going over things with a white glove? Why, in our minds, when we are cleaning, do we think our guests will find some fault, and get irritated in advance when no one has even walked through the front door? What is THAT?

We made charts with what we were each doing in the days ahead. Monday for me was silverware polishing, good china washing, all the glassware rinsed, dried, checked for spots, table linens inspected. Chris has been cleaning the garage, taking the screens down before the window washers come, vacuuming like a fiend, disinfecting the bathrooms!

Tonight he said, "when the guests leave on Friday we are going to sit on our butts and not do anything for 3-4 days". I seconded the motion and it carried. Then we decided that maybe if we did a deep cleaning 3 times a year when we are not on a deadline, it might be easier. Inside, even though I am the one that suggested it, I was laughing my head off. Clean without a specific reason to be cleaning? Sheer madness. 

All this to say, if you are hosting this Thanksgiving Chris and I are standing with you in solidarity. As you clean, as you cook, as you think about how many cocktails and glasses of wine you will have on the big day, please know that we have your back. We agree with every crazy thought in your head, we endorse your feelings of irritation. When you are about to explode, picture us in your head nodding, putting our arms around your shoulders, telling you what a good human you are, and finally, reminding you that you are part of a community who gets it. 

If I have missed some element of the travail that is hosting a holiday function, please add it in the comments. It will make me feel less like a small minded person. 

P.S. If you are someone coming to our house for Thanksgiving dinner, you are the person it is a pure joy to cook and clean for and we don't begrudge you the work one teeny tiny bit. 

we will each lick exactly one half of the dish

Our Memorial Day weekend was extremely low key, some might say pitifully boring, and that wouldn't stop me from doing it all over again the next time there is a 3 day weekend to be had.

To start there was a blueberry snacking cake made with a bag of blueberries in the freezer from last year, that somehow went undiscovered over the winter.

I wanted to use some of a very large container of sour cream and thus substituted it for the buttermilk. Excellent substitution - cake was perfect. 

I took out my super cool pins from Brooklyn Haberdashery and used them to pin a pattern to some fabric because I can't find the perfect, extremely light tank top, to wear underneath a sheer linen shirt. There isn't one to be had. All the ones I see are clingy (that's an Angie word), made out of jersey material, and the thought of putting one on my body makes me sweat. 

I have no idea how it's going to come out but I am giving it a shot. This weekend I decided that often I don't start a sewing project because as long as it remains unstarted, there is an idea of what it could/will be like in my mind that is perfect. If I start and I fail then that all comes crashing down. Do you ever do that?

This sign was posted on the window on the front of La Prima Taza in downtown Lawrence. I thought it made real good sense.

There was this recipe for a Strawberry Pretzel pie in the NYT summer cooking insert in the paper. Lord love a duck! It looks and sounds good. I sent the photo to Dottie and told her that when I come to Albuquerque this summer we should make it. She agreed. Of course. Sometimes you need a partner in crime when you embark on something like this. Plus, we can take a very long walk in the morning together before we make it and then feel like we have earned it. After we each have a piece we will take plates and forks and knock on all her neighbors doors and ask them if they would like a piece to help join in the celebration. When it's all gone we will each lick exactly one half of the dish and call it good. 

P.S. this is what happens when you start a blog post with no idea where it's going to go and just follow where it takes you without censoring yourself. 

P.P.S. link to blueberry snacking cake recipe