Splurge! Magazine in Wichita

Well, today I get to feel like a celebrity. OK, no one has asked for my autograph or anything. Not yet, anyway... but it could happen... at least in my fantasy world.

I'm one of the "Splurge! Blurbs" this month in Wichita's city magazine, "Splurge!" If you click on this photo you'll get a version big enough to read, that shows the other two folks featured this month, too.

Of course, I just scanned this, so it doesn't do justice to the magazine. "Splurge!" is a really beautiful magazine - slick, full color, very upscale - fashion, restaurants, happenings, etc.

Thank you to the people involved who have made me feel all warm and fuzzy today.

The magazine can be picked up at various locations around Wichita, including one of my favorite restaurants, Yia Yia's, where I had dinner tonight.

Well, I'm going to enjoy these 15 minutes or 15 seconds or whatever it turns out to be...

________________
Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more.

Enjoy the rest of the blog by going to www.patsyterrell.com/blog.htm

Hiawatha Tea

I promised photos from the tea this past weekend in Hiawatha. It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

They have community volunteers bring in their own place settings, table cloths, centerpieces, etc. A couple of the tables this year even brought their own chairs.

The most elaborate one was this one:





There were a lot of different designs. My favorite was this one that had cake plates set up to be a tiered centerpiece.

This was our table. It was done by the library staff. I loved the pansies.

The food was better than it was last year. They serve it on these little plastic plates so the plates don't really get very dirty, which makes it easy for them to be packed up to be taken home. Quite ingenious.



This was our little group - Teresa, Cynthia, Susan and me. Unfortunately, Kathleen wasn't feeling well and didn't get to partake.

The Hiawatha tea supports the Morrill Public Library. You know how much I love libraries so I'm thrilled to support this event and have a great time all at once. The Morrill Public Library is celebrating it's 100th anniversary.

Politics

I've had a few emails from people recently asking me why I haven't written about politics in awhile. I've had to ponder this a bit.

1. I'm weary of it all. I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that George W. Bush is in the White House and so I'm just counting the days until he's not. (663, in case you're wondering - you can find a counter at http://newprez.com/index.jsp?key=20070325PM)

2. Our government hasn't done something like let people die in the streets of New Orleans in awhile. I'm hoping we can go another 663 days without this administration being faced with something else they're incapable of handling.

3. It seems that, finally, other people have awakened from their very long slumber and gotten interested in seeing us get out of Iraq. I feel less need to be talking about it every few days because others are. Finally. It doesn't mean I feel any differently, but I've stated my views already and there are finally new voices to carry it on. In case you missed it - War is Stupid. This War is Extra Stupid. The Iraqi War has nothing to do with terrorism and everything to do with oil. I support the troops by wanting them home, instead of being blown up in the Iraqi desert. I want us out NOW. I don't give a flip about a plan - fly a plane over and load up our troops and bring them home. This is a civil war and it ain't none of our business. It's another Vietnam because we don't learn. OK, some of us do. But then there's bloodthirsty Bush. Nothing good is going to come of this.

4. I'm still mad as hell and it's just not good for my stomach lining or blood pressure to remind myself of it any more than necessary. Isn't it funny how you can scarcely find anyone who voted for Bush, and yet he won a majority of the votes. It's the incredible vanishing voter - particularly noticeable in this Republican stronghold. You used to see "w" stickers every few cars. I haven't seen one in months. My guess is that sales of scraping razor blades have increased with the death tolls.

OK, there's the short version. However, naturally, I reserve the right to rant at any moment.

Quote of the Day

"I'm the me I choose to be." Sidney Poitier

Self Control - Or Lack Thereof

The Atlantic Monthly has a piece online about a study in the Journal of Consumer Research that indicates, "regret over indulgence and gluttony diminishes with time, but regret over missing out—doing the responsible thing and deferring gratification—only increases."

Researchers look at two ways people approach life - the idea of enjoy it now and pay for it later, and the idea of giving up immediate gratification for future benefit.

Apparently the guilt we may feel for overeating or overspending or over-fillintheblanking is intense. But, we're fickle, and it's fleeting. On the other hand, that wishing "if only I had" emotion comes on slower but stays much longer.

I believe this is what people mean when they say they regret the things they didn't do more than the ones they did.

I've always believed my elders on this matter and been a very much "live in the moment" person. I don't have any regret over anything I've done, and none for any missed opportunities either.

I'm sure some of my escapades in my wilder days would shock many people who see me in the mode of chamber breakfasts and afternoon teas. It just goes to show that people are multi-faceted - some of us more than others, perhaps.

At least I think people are multi-faceted. I hope so. I hope the other people I see at chamber breakfasts have, at some point, done something more exciting than this. I hope so. I really hope so.

Everyone should have some things worthy of regret in their past, maybe in their present. It doesn't mean you have to engage in the useless exercise of regret. But, everyone should do something "shocking" on a regular basis.

Of course, "shocking" is in the eye of the beholder. I just think I'm living my life until I'm telling someone about something and watching their eyes grow wide and their mouths drop open. My friend, Leah, is the ultimate in this regard. She jokes that I've given her more gray hair than her children. Maybe she's not joking.

I think I'm due for something shocking. Maybe overdue. Maybe you are, too. "Shocking" in a good way, of course, just that way that gets the blood going, the adrenalin pumping - raises the excitement level of your life a bit.

However,  I said shocking - not stupid - drive sober, practice safe sex, and don't mess with any potentially instantly-addictive substance or activity.

St. Mary's Church in St. Benedict Kansas

Sunday before the tea, Susan took us to St. Mary's Church in St. Benedict, Kansas. It is just outside of Seneca, where I had been before with the ex-boyfriend when he worked there. He had taken me around a lot of the area up there, and it seems like we had driven by this church, but hadn't stopped in. I'm so glad Susan took us - it was an amazing place to be.

Because I love stars, of course I was enchanted with this bit of a stained glass window. There are many, many, many stained glass windows and lots of hand painted decoration on the walls. Stunning. Completely stunning.




The church was completed on November 13, 1894, three years after construction began. It is 162 feet by 60 feet, with a tower of 172.5 feet. The limestone came from the Schneider and Hurley farms about three miles north. This is actually the fourth building to serve the parish, which was founded in 1859.



The church has the traditional, Roman style, layout. Inside the front doors is a small vestibule. When you walk into the sanctuary, the organ is overhead in the loft, which was open when we were there. The vaults are 52 and 35 feet high, with cast iron columns bearing the weight of them and the roof.



The ribs in such structures are always amazing to me.








The painting on the walls was done in 1901 by G.F. Satory of Wabasha, Minnesota did the decoration in the church. He used stencils to create patterns, bands and friezes in a variety of colors. He did the columns, vault ribs, window openings and other areas. The designs incorporate many Christian symbols. It was this ornamentation that got the church placed on the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 5, 1980.



Around the church are the 15 mysteries of the Rosary. This one, "The Finding in the Temple," is in the choir loft.











If this all looks very fresh for more than 100 years, you're very observant. It was restored beginning in 1979. It took three years to complete the job, but was done with painstaking accuracy to the original as far as color, blending and design. It is the only known Satory-painted church to be preserved. All the others have been lost to modern paint jobs over the years.

The choir loft has two angels, one pink and one blue, holding lights. They are magnificent pieces. In this photo you can also see more of the painted decoration.

You may notice some color differences - that's because of where I was in relation to the sunlight in the church. The choir loft was one of the best areas for photography.




In 1984, the pipe organ was fully restored by the Quimby Organ Company of Warrensburg, Missouri. It is all mechanical. It was manufactured by the Hinners Organ Company of Pekin, Illinois about 1916. The sound is styled on the Romantic Period of organ building. It has 17 rans with 932 pipes. Most of the pipes are constructed of wood, but the larger pipes in and behind the case are made of zinc. The smaller ones are made of an alloy of fifty percent lead and tin.



Of course, the stained glass is spectacular.











I couldn't resist some close-ups in the one place I could get close enough - the stairs and the choir loft.





Structures like this are built with attention to detail. One place where it's obvious is in the light that hangs near the altar. If you put yourself right under it, the decoration is made to the perfect size to frame the light itself.





It's a beautiful place to spend some time. There's also a grotto to the side, with some fascinating rocks to enjoy.



St. Mary's is worth a drive to enjoy.

________________
Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more.

Home

I have returned home from the weekend at Susan's. It was lovely and I got to see my online turned real life friend, Cynthia. We met in real life a year ago when we went to the same tea we went to today.

Tea was lovely, and Susan, Teresa and I were a great trio all weekend. We bonded well.

Susan's friend, Kathleen, wasn't feeling well, so didn't get to enjoy tea, which was a real pity.

We also took time today to drive to Seneca and go to a beautiful Catholic church near there. Pictures will follow soon, but Teresa and I talked until 3 a.m. and then got up before 8, two nights in a row, so it's time for me to get some sleep.

Under the Rainbow

Teresa and I are enjoying a lovely weekend at Susan's farm in Valley Falls. When I say "lovely," I mean it's been beautiful in a variety of ways - not the least of which was this stunning rainbow late Saturday - just an added bonus.




We got here Friday night in time to relax a bit before bed. Susan, our hostess with the mostest, made a Paula Deen extravaganza of a French Bread casserole. We did help - Teresa cut the bread, I zested the orange - but basically Susan did the work.








It was baked this morning and turned out perfectly wonderful.




Susan served it on this beautiful china I've fallen in love with. I have a thing lately about orange. This is Czechoslavakian china, which Susan collects.




This afternoon I worked on one of my "bits and pieces" books that hold the ephemera of my life, and Teresa made a collage.

After she was done with the collage, we tried to psycho-analyze her based on it. She's such a good sport.

I also worked on some recipe things. I brought my collage stuff but didn't get any of that done. The days just go too quickly. We took just a few minutes to run to Valley Falls to check the antique stores. I bought an old button jar with some very cool buttons. I have a project in mind for them - look for more details here soon - but that's all I got.

Susan, bless her heart, has just taken such good care of us in so many ways. She always makes you feel so welcome at her home, and dotes on you. It would be so easy to get spoiled.

This afternoon she *really* outdid herself by fixing us a lovely tea. It was just wonderful. When she said we were having tea, I thought she meant we were having tea and cookies, but she did a whole spread.




This is Susan, who after the wonderful breakfast, and an amazing soup for lunch, and then this incredible tea, went on to fix a great vegetarian lasagne for dinner tonight.

Needless to say, we're stuffed!

This afternoon while we were working on projects, Teresa noticed the rainbow.

Oddly enough, just a couple of days ago, Teresa had called to tell me that there was a stunning rainbow visible in Hutchinson. Unfortunately, I didn't get the call until after dark so I missed it. But, I thought at the time that I love having friends who will call me about a great rainbow. Those are the kind of friends I want to have - who know that a gorgeous rainbow is important enough for a phone call.

Tomorrow we go to the tea in Hiawatha. We're going to pick up my friend, Cynthia, in Horton, and then we're all going to lunch at a place near Hiawatha. Then late in the afternoon we'll have tea there.

I'm so blessed to have such great friends who are so generous.

1001 Posts

Well, this is 1001 posts on this blog. Amazing. There are earlier posts at my live journal site. Who knew I had this much to write about? Not me. If there's anything worthy here is another matter. I'll just leave that up to conjecture.

Creative Sisterhood and More

Last night was Creative Sisterhood and it was a really good night. Julie didn't come but did stop by afterwards.

Her daughter and two granddaughters were in a car accident the day before and she was helping out. Fortunately, everyone is OK although her daughter hurt her neck and back. Hopefully it's not a long term problem. The cause of the accident? The other driver was text messaging while driving and ran a stop sign.

We didn't know that when we were having Creative Sisterhood, of course.

It was a really good night. My topic was the cookbook donation, which is a big deal for me. It's odd to be giving away something that has been a huge part of my life for so long. I've always thought about what to do with them when I die, but I'm a long way from dying. But, it's still time to send them to a new home. I need to make room in my life for new things.

In the spirit of such things, I made a new cake last night from a recipe I got out of one of the cookbooks I'm giving away. It's an orange cake. I made seven minute frosting to go on it and it was a big hit. I made five thin cake layers instead of three thick ones - more frosting opportunity that way.



I also got out a variety of cups and saucers. Generally we use mugs, and they do have the virtue of keeping the tea hotter, but it's nice to use china sometimes, too.



Almost everyone knew about the cookbooks because they read it here. Frankly, sometimes I think this blog is part of the reason I sometimes feel distanced from people in my real life - they don't talk to me, they just read the blog. It's flattering and yet troubling at the same time.

I sometimes discover that someone I never would have guessed from my past is reading along, but never emails or phones or mentions it. It's odd. I guess they want to remain incognito, maybe thinking I would be negative toward them. In reality, I have no ill will toward anyone in my past - old friends, lovers, coworkers, bosses, etc. - I would welcome contact from any of them.

I have chosen to live with nothing but positive feelings toward everyone I've crossed paths with. Admittedly, that takes some effort sometimes if you feel someone has really harmed you physically or emotionally. And it always takes a while to move past the hurt when it has been a serious love relationship, but it happens with time. Blissfully, I'm at that place now - a peaceful place - where there's no more hurt to move past with anyone.

I'm often criticized that people can't just "choose" such feelings and I expect too much of people - I heard that just today as a matter of fact. In reality, I'm just talking about my own life, not anyone else's. I have made a choice - and it is a choice - to be positive toward everyone I've had any connection with in this life, even if it was a seemingly negative experience or ending. I'm a pragmatist. There is no benefit to harboring ill feelings toward anyone. The only person who will suffer will be me. So, I choose not to do that. Others can do as they wish, but that is my choice.

One of my life lessons has been the realization that we all do what we gotta do to get by out in the big, bad, world. People are hurt, wounded, insecure, worried, troubled, fill in the negative adjective of your choice. We all make decisions we think weren't the wisest in retrospect, but are the only options we see at the time. We all do things we wouldn't want our best friend to know about. We all make mistakes - sometimes very big mistakes - most of us are just lucky enough to not suffer horrendously for them. We all stumble around, doing the best we can with what's before us, and I've learned that you often don't know what is before other people.

As I am fond of saying, "if you weren't there, you don't know what really happened." You don't know the pressures, the implications or the demands that are made behind closed office doors or bedroom doors or even front doors. Whenever you hear someone's recounting of a situation, it's edited - if only by omission of some facts - sometimes a lot of facts. I've been the victim of such things and I've been the perpetrator of such things - so there you go. No one is perfect. Everyone is doing the best they can do at the time.

One of my life lessons has been to let it go, let it be and let it lie.

How to Decaffeniate Tea Yourself - Easily

I cannot have caffeine, so have learned to decaf tea on my own. Whenever I mention this, people are curious about how to do it. So, I thought I'd share. It's quite easy.

Just brew your tea as normal, but leave it in only 30 seconds. Pour off that water, then pour hot water over your tea and brew as normal. Almost all the caffeine is now down the drain with the first brew that you've thrown out. It's as decaf as the commercially available "decaf" tea.

Bear in mind that you are getting minute amounts of caffeine even in what is labeled "decaf" in the store, and the same is true for what you decaf at home.

In a restaurant you can always ask for another cup and just brew the caffeine away in one cup then but the tea into a fresh cup to brew what you're going to drink. Of course, in tea places they will know, and in some places - like the tea house at the Portland Chinese Garden - they will do it for you. But, if you want to be sure you can always do it yourself.

Tea this weekend

This weekend I get to go to tea again, and I'm looking so forward to it. If you've read here for awhile you may remember my post from this time last year with the photos from the tea I went to. It's that tea that I'm going to this weekend.

Teresa is going this year, too. Susan has invited us to stay with her at her farm and Cynthia will be joining us for tea. It will be so good to see her again.

I am a huge fan of having tea. It's one of the few times people actually sit, have conversation, and just relax. Rarely a day goes by that I don't have some tea, even if it's just me. I love to use a real teapot and a nice china cup, although I do have some favorite mugs, too. (Scroll down a few entries to see my latest teacup find.)

There is a silent auction and table viewing an hour before tea started. Last year the tables were extraordinary. They're done by different people locally, each with its own theme. Businesses sponsored them and there was a wide variety of designs. I'm sure this year is going to be really neat once again. Here are some pix from last year.

I've had one of those "in constant motion" days but have accomplished a long list of things. I even have everything ready for my board meeting tomorrow. I had to work into the evening to make that happen, but it was worth it. I am going to give myself the luxury of not getting up in the morning until I just wake up. Of course, I will probably wake up early, as I usually do, but I love the idea of it nonetheless.

I was reading the other day that in the near future experts say that we will all work in a way that allows us to seamlessly blend our home and work lives together. I've always wanted to do that and in the last five years I've been able to. I get so much more done for both places than when I have this time for work and this time for personal, etc. My brain just doesn't work effectively that way.

Apparently, neither does anyone else's brain. For those who do jobs they don't have to think about away from work, it's fine to set aside a certain eight hour period for work. But for those of us who need to spend a lot of time creating our jobs, we need the flexibility to blend home and work together.

I'm not sure why it is such a big deal for some companies. Of course, some of the most successful companies have been doing this for years. In the future, those who don't will probably be gone, so it won't be an issue. Naturally, some jobs will never lend themselves to that. Someone has to be on the air at radio stations all the time. Stores have to be open so people know when they can go. We want emergency rooms to be staffed 'round the clock. But for many jobs, it doesn't matter when the tasks get accomplished, as long as they happen on time.



I am starting to feel as though my house is really coming together. Last night I cleaned off the shelf in the kitchen, adding this bottle I found in a box of things from my mom's house. I have no idea what it once held. It's an Anchor Hocking jar and it had a dried cork in the top. I thought it would be perfect for holding a daffodil.

I've started collecting these little vases with the delicate flowers in the last couple of years. I really must find another one because I like odd numbers of things.  I love to put a tiny flower in each one. I don't have much blooming yet, but some grape hyacinths, regular hyacinths, pinks and daffodils, along with some greenery, were enough to give a bright spot in the kitchen.

I love having fresh flowers in the house - even if it's just one stem. I keep trying to grow enough flowers that I can have continual big bunches inside but I'm not sure how many that takes. I don't have anywhere near enough for it yet, though.

Last fall I planted a ton of lily of the valley. It's too early for them yet but I'm so hoping they come up this year. Lily of the Valley is one of my most favorite flowers. One year we were in Paris on May 1 where it's customary to give Lily of the Valley to friends for May Day. Everywhere we went there would be vases of them - on hotel counters, in restaurants, on people's lapels. I fell in love with the custom.

I relayed this story over tea to my friends Pat and Sondra when I got back. The next year, on May 1, Sondra showed up at my door with a bunch of Lily of the Valley from her yard. I was so touched. I've wanted to plant some ever since. Finally last year I got around to it. I hope they "took" and that they pop their little heads up this year.

On another topic - sorry, my brain is in high gear and I need to wear it out a bit so I can sleep soon - as I was going through cookbooks the other night I ran across one that features recipes of Puerto Rico. I flipped through it and spotted a recipe for tostones, which I loved when I was there in the summer of 2005. Tostones are made with plantains, something I developed a real taste for in Honduras.

I remember being in Santiago, Guatemala, and there were these huge piles of plantains, fresh picked, at a stand. They were being bought and cooked in a restaurant a few doors down the hill. Needless to say, the ones I buy at Wal-Mart are not nearly as good as those were, but I do like to buy them occasionally.

I cook them, just sliced, in some butter with a little cinnamon sugar sprinkled on. In fact, I cooked some earlier this week. I was thinking about doing a "food porn" post when I took the pic, but that hasn't happened yet and probably won't. I held on to that cookbook so maybe I'll make some tostones soon. We'll see how complex they are to make.

In the US we have gotten so far removed from food. Ironic considering how much is grown here, but we buy it at the grocery store, after it has been through many hands, instead of just getting it more directly from the source. One of the things I love about travelling in the developing world is how incredibly good the fruit and vegetables are.

When I was coming back from Egypt I had two oranges in my backpack. I had met this man in the Cairo airport who I'd just hit it off with and we ended up sitting together on the plane, talking for much of the 11 hour flight. At one point I peeled an orange and offered him some. He said, "Oh, gosh, I can't take that - they're so good - you should eat it." I laughed and said, "I've got two - I'll share." He got the joke - that I might not have shared if I'd only had one. These oranges, picked off the trees right there, were amazing - big, sweet, juicy. We were both lamenting the fact that we couldn't share them with loved ones here but, of course, any fruit is confiscated when you come back into the US in case it has some sort of bug on it. In fact, they even burn the trash from international flights to avoid such things.

I'm not sure why we can't have "real" food in the US. I'm thankful I can buy fruit year 'round and such, but I would like to have food fresh from the ground on occasion. I was thinking about this tonight when I was buying bagged spinach, boxed pine nuts, and a portabello mushroom in a styrofoam tray so I can make more of my favorite salad. It has been my standard dinner lately. I'm thankful I can have that in March, when spinach isn't growing in Kansas. But it would be nice if I could just buy it fresh when it is in season here. But, I doubt I'll be able to. That seems screwed up.

I go to the farmer's market, but even then some of that isn't being grown by those people - it's being grown elsewhere and brought in to sell. Of course, some of it is local and it's pretty easy to tell which here. I'm looking forward to that.

I will also plant some basic things myself. I noticed a couple of days ago that my parsley and oregano are coming up. I hope the lavendar comes back too. We'll see. I want to make sure I get some basil and tomatoes in. I put in two basil plants last year and that was a lot of basil but I think I'll put in three this year. I discovered it's something very easy to give away, and I do like to make pesto.

It will also be good to have mint tea. I noticed the mint is coming up in the front. It may be "invasive" to some, but it's just "hardy" to me.

Beautiful Day, So I Hear

It was a beautiful day, so I hear. Well, OK, so weatherbug said. I have been inside all day - haven't even peeked my head out the door. I've spent the day boxing cookbooks, doing computer work and working in the kitchen. Why is it that I seem to spend a huge amount of time doing things in my house and yet my house isn't done?

Five years ago during March Madness I was moving into my house and it was even less done then. I remember because my boyfriend at the time was a big sports fan and we were timing trips back to the apartment where the TV was so he could catch the end of games. I was just thankful to sit down for a little bit - and very, very thankful for his help. He did a tremendous amount of work in moving me into this house. Pity he's not around now to haul boxes of cookbooks down the stairs.

I watched the UK/KU game today and my beloved Wildcats did not win. I wasn't really expecting them to - they've not had the best season - but an upset would have been nice. I haven't really kept close track since graduating lo those many years ago, but Mary Ann is a huge fan so since I've been in Kentucky more I'm more up to date these days. Kentucky Wildcat fans are not really used to not having great seasons. As the announcers kept pointing out today they're one of the four most winning teams of all time. Yes, we know. Unfortunately, today was not one of those days to help their averages.

I have another five boxes of cookbooks ready to go. Something I realized today is that I own a lot of Italian cookbooks. I knew I loved Italian food, but apparently it's a love more intense than I realized. I made spaghetti for lunch - not that I'm susceptible to suggestion at all. Of course, I didn't use any of the numerous Italian cookbooks. I think that sums up why I need fewer of them.

The last couple of hours I've been working on an MHA project that I want to complete tomorrow. It is shaping up to be a busy week, with a nice mix of fun and work.

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Thrifting

I spent part of the day hitting antique and thrift stores. At the Et Cetera shop I picked up the sweetest little mugs with orange flowers on them. I have this "thing" about orange lately.

Orange is associated with the chakra that controls creativity and I think I'm not getting enough creative time. Maybe that's why I love it so much lately. All I know is that I'm attracted to pretty much everything orange these days. I'm going to stop myself from painting a wall orange, although I am using some copper in the library.

After picking up these cups downtown I headed out to Goodwill, hoping I could lay my hands on a few more of them so I'd have enough for Creative Sisterhood. Unfortunately, they didn't have any. They're very common, I know I've seen them around before. So, I'm sure I'll be able to lay my hands on some.

My other big purchase of the day was a crochet pattern book at the Et Cetera shop. It was published in 1981 but is full of patterns from older things. I am in love with one of the doilies in there, but I'd say the likelihood of me ever making it is very, very, very slim. But, I love to look at the patterns. And who knows, maybe I'll meet someone who just loves to crochet and wants to make such a thing.

I'm really feeling the need for some serious "newness" in my life these days. It seems my life is turning into a series of days that are more alike than not. Of course, I find joy in the daily bits of life, too, but I am a person who needs some continual "newness."

My usual way to get that is to travel. When you're in a place with which you're not familiar you're instantly getting newness. I think it's also a case of you being more open to new things when you're in that environment.

Unfortunately, I seem to find it difficult to get that feeling of newness in the US anymore. I keep trying, but every town seems to be the same - Starbucks on one corner, Walgreens on the other, Walmart on the edge of town, not too far from Target, Applebees nearby. Pop by the Office Max/Depot and stop by McDonald's. It's as if there's a formula for how towns are supposed to look and everyone is falling into line. I long for something different, something distinct, something unique.

The one thing I can get that sense about in the US is nature. I just got the information about the artist's retreat I went on last year and I desperately want to do that again - spend a week in a cabin in the woods. It was an amazing experience for me - not exactly life-changing - but pretty darned close to it. It's in mid-May this year, which is about the same time it was last year. I loved that experience, even though I didn't have running water, which still amuses my family that I could manage. I have a reputation - I think somewhat undeserved - of being "prissy." (Maybe I shouldn't post this when you can scroll down a few posts and see a photo of my painted toes and a toe ring.)

It's the weekend and part of me just wants to take off tomorrow and do something different, but I'm not even sure that that would be. And another part of me knows I should work on my house. I'm so ready for my house to be DONE. I'm getting close but I just run out of energy to stay focused on it.

I've been boxing up cookbooks and it has been fun to be reminded of some of them. I have three boxes full and another stack pulled ready to be boxed up. Once I go through them this first time I'm going to take those to the university and get them out of the house. I think that will inspire me to work on the books more. Now that they'll all be out on the shelves in the library, I'll be able to get an instant sense of wether or not I'm using them. So, when I go through them again it will be easier to pull things again. It has been so long since I've seen some of these books that they seem new again. I have to live with them a bit to see if they belong with me awhile longer or not.

I'm also feeling the need for some more friends in my life. Teresa and Greg are about the only people I know who will do things spur of the moment. I love that about both of them, but when they're both gone - as they were a few days ago - I can feel that lack in my life.

Numerous friendships in my life seem to be requiring a tremendous amount of effort from me to keep them going lately. I'm tired of it so I'm quitting. I need to put that energy into finding new friends instead of trying to maintain these friendships that are obviously waning, for whatever reason. Nothing has changed on my end, but when people don't return your phone calls, or answer emails, or try to get together for lunch or something else for months, they are telling you that they are no longer interested in a friendship. To not listen is foolish. It's a complete waste of time to continue to put energy into those relationships, so I need to move on. It's always sad, but one must keep a dose of reality, even in emotional matters.

4:14 a.m.

I am up at 4:14 - less than three hours since I went to sleep. Admittedly, I'm often up very early without having much sleep, but this was not intentional. I'm up because someone is irresponsible and their dogs were barking outside my bedroom window. At 4:14 a.m. My second story bedroom window.

I am not a dog hater. Quite the opposite, there are dogs I adore. You may remember seeing pictures of Petie on this very blog. I could quickly become a dog-owner hater, though. I never understand why people think others want to listen to their dogs yap. If I really wanted a big dose of dog barking in my life, I'd get a freaking dog.

Guess how much dog barking I want? Zero. I find absolutely nothing charming about it. Nothing. I can't figure out what others like about it. Of course, they don't really like it, or their dogs would be with them instead of barking outside my bedroom window. At 4:14 a.m. My second story bedroom window.

My next door neighbors have one of those little dogs that barks constantly, but I never hear it. They're responsible dog owners. Maybe twice a year I hear the dog when they're going in or out of the house, and I don't mind. I can't relate to the dog - whenever I see it it's just yapping; at me, at them, at cars going by, at a leaf on the ground, at the open air. I can't imagine what joy anyone gets from such a creature but I suppose they do and more power to them as long as I don't have to share in it.

Unfortunately, my neighbors from somewhere across the street don't keep their dogs so well controlled, because they were barking outside my bedroom window. At 4:14 a.m.

When I went outside to see what was going on they took off across the street, so I'm guessing that's where they belong. Did I mention it was 27 degrees with a windchill of 19 when I was outside, in the dark, dealing with someone else's dogs barking outside my bedroom window? At 4:14 a.m.

It was a gorgeous day today, which I got to see very little of. I have a grant due tomorrow so I have been working on it all day. I did go outside and pick a few daffodils to bring inside. That's my favorite thing about warmer weather is having fresh flowers. I grow them so I can bring them inside and no matter how many I grow it's never enough.

The shelf over the kitchen sink is a favorite spot to put a flower. And daffodils are the perfect color accent.

As of yet I have no tulips coming up. I hope they do show up. I considered it an "investment" year before last when I planted all those. Last night at Altrusa someone told me their tulips weren't up yet either so that made me feel a little better.

Teresa and I went to Roy's for lunch and afterwards I went and delivered some signs for Trish's campaign. April 3 is election day so it's right around the corner. I hope Trish wins in her bid for city council. She will do a great job, I know.

I've been thinking a lot today about house things. I packed another box of cookbooks last night before I went to bed. Suddenly I find myself sentimental for things I haven't looked at in a decade. I think I will have to photocopy some of the inscriptions people have written to me before I pass the books on.

I ran across one from Dave Case, this guy I interviewed a bunch of times when I worked in radio. He was a fish and wildlife person and I really liked him. He was always friendly and pleasant. He wrote a cookbook with a coauthor about cooking with game and gave me a copy. I hadn't thought about it in years but there it was, just for the picking up. A nice little memory. But I can preserve the memory without holding onto the book. So, that's what I'm going to do.

Spring has Arrived

Spring has arrived, if not on the calendar, by temperature at least. It was in the mid 70s here today, which means it was the first day I could wear sandals, and sport one of my recent toe ring purchases. I picked this up in Seattle - at least I think so - maybe it was Florida - maybe it was somewhere else. I don't know - but I bought it somewhere in the last year and fortunately I still like it.

After work today I decided to get started on packing cookbooks. I went through just one shelf in the living room and have a full box ready to go to K-State. Most of the books in the living room are not cookbooks, but other things. However, there are plenty of cookbooks there I want to donate as well. I haven't even gone upstairs and looked at those since I've known that they want the collection.

It will be a big relief to send the books on, as well as a little sad. Cookbooks have been a big part of my life for more than 20 years. And they still will be, but I just have too many to take care of well. And I'm not really using them and neither is anyone else right now.

On this first go 'round I'm going to donate the ones I'm absolutely certain I want to give away. Then, when I don't miss any of those after a while, I'll be ready to let go of a bunch more. I just know that's how I work.

That was one of the things I learned when working with my life coach, Sheri Gaynor. I was talking with her about an issue and said, "I just have to have time to live with it for awhile, to get used to the idea." Although I say that all the time about various things, it wasn't until Sheri pointed it out that I realized that's how I process things and it's important that I have the chance to do it the way I'm comfortable. I have to have time to get used to it, to live with it, to shrug into it - whatever "it" is.

Art of Gracious Living #64 - Stories

Our stories are how we connect with others. The Kalahari Bushmen believe a man's story is his most precious possession because it's the basis of culture and civilization. The same is true in modern society, but we're more likely to tell someone what we do for a living than what we care about, than who we are.

When I thought about applying this to myself I was reminded of a piece I wrote a few years ago that I gave to some friends with driftwood I had collected at the confluence of the rivers near where I grew up. That is a place I return to repeatedly.

In 2001, I gave pieces of driftwood I gathered at the river to some friends with the following piece I wrote.

I am a person of rivers.

For those of us born to rivers, they are life itself. We speak of them reverently. We fear them. We cherish them. We are drawn to them by a force we cannot comprehend but have no choice but to obey. They flow through our souls. They define us.

We go to the river for strength, for guidance, for solace. We cannot possibly find our way in the world without returning to the river periodically. It beckons to us. We cannot deny its call. We learn at a young age that there's no point in even trying. Not that we want to anyway. The river knows when we are away from it too long. It summons us home.

We gather at the riverside for family celebrations, baptisms, and catharsis. We have rituals, public and private, that are carried out only on those banks.

The confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers is a place I return to when I've lost my way in the world. I have said prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of entreatment from the same spot. I have sought direction and consolation. I will do both again as long as I walk upon this Earth.

I gathered this driftwood on an April Day of 2001 with the idea of sharing it with a few special friends at Christmastime. I had no idea then how profoundly changed I would be by the end of this year. My life will never be the same as it was that day.

I can't give you the river. I can't even explain its attraction for those of us born to it. But I want to share with you a small token of it. May this driftwood encourage you to visit what restores you.

I hope the holidays are a time of joy for you and yours this Christmas.

Patsy
Christmas 2001

My cookbooks have a new home.

Kansas State University will be the repository for my collection. KSU has an extraordinary collection already, so this will be only a small addition to it, but it feels "right" that it go to them.

Many of the books I have are Kansas-specific ones from all the years I've reviewed books for Kansas Country Living. It makes sense that they remain in Kansas. Cookbooks, particularly community and church ones, not only offer recipes but they put people in a certain place at a certain time. One of the things I've always loved about cookbooks is that they capture the essence of an era and a place. Food is so central to our lives.

Putting the library together upstairs has really pointed out to me that my collection is simply too large for me to care for properly. I no longer use the books for recipes often and I'm just keeping them in storage, and not doing that well. It will be best for them to be somewhere where they will be taken care of and used.

I emailed four different universities/libraries and K-State got back with me right away. The guy I contacted wrote and said he would have the person who handles their cookbook collection email, who did right away. I called him today and we had a nice chat - he's a UK alum, too. K-State is interested and will pass on whatever they cannot use to another library. I like that idea so, ding ding ding, we have a winner.

I just took the books out of boxes to put them on shelves. Now I'm going to go through and repack some of them back into the same boxes and give them to the library. I'm glad I didn't throw the boxes out, or even bring them downstairs.

Needless to say, I have much work to do.

Saturday night Sondra had me over for dinner. She fixed burgers and potato salad. It was very yummy - apparently it's the Hellman's mayo recipe. I recommend it.

Before I went over I worked on the library. I decided since I was home unexpectedly this weekend that I'd get a head start on it. Good thing because I've worked on it all day today too and it's still not done. Perhaps my assertion to do it in one weekend was a bit hasty. Fortunately, I set the deadline for next weekend so I still have some time to work on it. But, I have something every night this week so I won't have much time to be in there.

I had planned to go to Andrea's again tonight for a "meet and greet" for Trish in her run for city council. But, I was so occupied in the library that when I came down to wash the paint off and get ready it was already underway. I guess I hadn't really adjusted to the time change yet.

Today was a bit of a personal archeaological dig. In unpacking boxes, there were not only boxes of books but also personal papers. I ran across a journal from 1988 - hard to believe that's almost 20 years ago. Some of the players in my life are the same and some are long gone. Some I don't even recognize anymore. Of course, when I was writing, I couldn't imagine those people not being regular players in in my life. But 19 years later their names don't even ring a bell - not even a faint one.

I rarely read old journals - pretty much only occasions like this, where I run across one. For some reason it makes me sad. I'm not sure why, but it does. It's not that I'm reading about sad things, but nonetheless it makes me sad. So, I don't do it. Today was no exception. Looking back with the perspective of time, of course,  we can see all kinds of options we didn't see at the time. But, things just are as they are. Oddly enough, I could distinctly remember writing some of those entries. I could put myself back at that place, which is pretty amazing after all this time.

I promised more pix from Andrea's birthday party Friday night and haven't gotten around to it until now. This will also be good for readers who want more photos of more people I talk about. So... without further ado... here we go...

Starting with the birthday girl herself...

Kris and John came over from Wichita with their friend, Carol. I'd not met her before, so that was fun. I like her. And, hey, she loves Christmas so you know she's my kind of people.

Speaking of Christmas... Kris and I have decided whenever we're together we need another photo of us in what is becoming our pose. We took a similar one at the Christmas party.p>

We had to educate the guys about being at a "girl party" as Andrea put it - that you pass things around and sniff, stroke or whatever is appropriate. Fortunately, I had given Andrea some Bath and Body stuff, perfect for the sniffing. John and Brad were both good sports about it. Dan had already made his escape before the sniffing started. Martha demonstrated...

Debbie and Diana were there with their hubbies, Dan and Brad.

That's Dan here with Martha and Carol. Dan is married to Debbie, on the left in the photo above.

Debbie owns the yarn shop where Andrea works parttime and where she gets her regular fix of yarn. Andrea showed us her latest project, a sweater for her almost one year old nephew, Sam, who's celebrating a birthday very soon. I think it's OK to show the photo because I don't think Sam is a regular reader of this blog so it's not a spoiler.

That's Teresa and Brad in the photo below...

Happy Birthday, Andrea!