Events

Love Family Band

2008-07-21T13:41:00.001-07:00

On Friday August 1^st, Rudy Love and the Love Family Band will be performing at Avenue A. Park kicking off Hutchinson’s 119^th Annual Emancipation Day Celebration Weekend. This Free concert will start at 7:00 pm.

With Wichita as a home base Rudy Love has continued the family tradition of musical performing excellence began by his father Robert Love Sr. who recorded for the Chess Record label and toured the country as a performing musician with noted gospel and R & B artists.

A musical prodigy, Rudy formed his first group, the “Junior Canaanites,” at his home church when he was in the 5^th grade, by the age of 18 he was touring with Little Richard and in the early 1970s was an established studio artist working for Motown Records and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section appearing on records with such luminaries as Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, and the Temptations. In 1975 Love became the musical director for Sly and the Family Stone touring the world with that popular group. Later as a soloist and leader of his own band Rudy extensively toured Asia and Europe developing a loyal following of fans that helped make his 1997 disc “Out of Rhythm” go platinum.

Returning to Kansas, Love has kept performing, recording and writing music. Examples of Rudy’s more recent work can be found on the sound track of the hit movie “American Gangster” and his collaborations with hip hop impresario Jay Z.

The appearance of the Love Family Band is a return to the tradition of top flight entertainment being part of the Emancipation Day Celebration festivities. In the past noted entertainers such as the Jay McShann Combo, Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra, and Booker T and the MGs have played in Hutchinson as part of the Emancipation Day Celebration.

The public is invited to join us for free hot dogs and lemonade along with some great music to create what will surely be a memorable summer evening in Downtown Hutchinson.

This program is sponsored by The Emancipation Day Celebration Committee and the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council in partnership with the Downtown Hutchinson Revitalization Partnership. For more information contact the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council at 620/662-1280 or hrah@cox.net.

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Music at the Farmer's Market

2008-07-18T12:32:00.001-07:00

The Red Lion Jazz Band will be performing at the Reno County Farmers Market this Saturday (July 19^th) from 9:00am to around 11:00am. Another reason for us all to visit this superb venue and start our weekend out on a positive note.

Sponsored by the Reno County Farmers Market and the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council.

Next Saturday Bob Ulelele (AKA Bob Colladay) will be at the Farmers Market.

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Free Movie on July 23

2008-07-16T13:53:00.001-07:00

To highlight July as Americans with Disabilities Awareness Month and note the 18^th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26^th) the Prairie Independent Living Resource Center along with the Hutchinson Public Library and the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council will sponsor a free showing of the theatrical film “Music Within” to be followed by a panel discussion concerning issues addressed by the ADA.

“Music Within” is the true story of Richard Pimmental who in his career played a key role in the creation and passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. After losing his hearing due to his military experience in Vietnam Pimmental returns home to deal with his own frustrations and doubts as well as trying to overcome the obstacles that existed due to the lack of acceptance and understanding of the disabled by society. The determined veteran makes it his mission to prove that he can achieve the goals he has set for himself. Through his journey he learns that for the community and for individuals to achieve their full potential, both societies’ perception of the disabled and their perception of themselves need to be altered. This movie is rated R.

“Music Within” will be shown free of charge on Wednesday, July 23^{rd, at} 6:30pm, in the auditorium of the Hutchinson Public Library. For more information call Annette Smith at 620/663-5441 #132 or Mark Rassette, 620/662-1280, e-mail, hrah@cox.net.

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Deadman Flats in Hutchinson Saturday

2008-07-07T21:46:00.001-07:00

“Bluegrass in the Park” a celebration of music and community will take place Saturday, July 12^th, starting around 12:30pm at Avenue A. Park in the beautiful historic Downtown Hutchinson. Seating will be arranged on the plaza, adjacent to Main Street East of the gazebo.

Opening Saturday’s program will be the “Tallgrass Express String Band” featuring American roots music from the Tallgrass Prairie. Formed through meetings at the renowned Friday night jam sessions at the Emma Chase Café in Cottonwood Falls the group’s repertoire is as broad as the cultural roots of Kansas. Genres include fast driving Old Time and Bluegrass favorites, beautiful ancient Celtic tunes, early American Gospel hymns, beloved Cowboy and Western standards, and early vintage Country Classics.

Following the Express will be Deadman Flats a Lawrence based band with strong local connections, musicians Alex Law, Hank Osterhout, and Matt Stambaugh are all from Hutchinson.

Influenced by artists as diverse as the Greatful Dead, Split Lip Rayfield, Earl Scruggs, Johnny Cash and the Fast Food Junkies the band works in a hard driving alternative bluegrass vein interlaced with humor.

This Free program is sponsored by the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council in conjunction with the Downtown Hutchinson Revitalization Partnership. For additional information contact HRAH at 620/662-1280 or e-mail hrah@cox.net.

Waitress movie at the Fox Theatre in Hutchinson

2008-04-18T12:10:00.001-07:00

The movie, "Waitress," is at the Fox Theatre in Hutchinson this weekend. 7:30 Friday and Saturday nights and 2 p.m. Sunday.

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Author Max McCoy speaking in Hutchinson

2008-04-10T12:56:00.001-07:00

The Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council in cooperation with the English Dept. at HCC and the Hutchinson Public Library will sponsor an evening with award winning Kansas author Max McCoy on Monday, April 14^th at 7: 00 pm in the Auditorium of the Hutchinson Public Library. McCoy will read from his forthcoming novel I, Quantrill, and his nonfiction work in progress, Strangely Heavy: A True Story of Passion and Rivalry in the Meteorite Fields of Kansas.

A native Kansan, McCoy was born in Baxter Springs and has lived in Kansas all his life. Kansas and Missouri tend to figure heavily in his novels.. A graduate of Pittsburg State University he earned his M. A. in English from Emporia State University and is currently a professor of English at Emporia State University.

Max McCoy is an award winning novelist, investigative reporter, screenwriter, and independent filmmaker. The topics addressed in his journalistic work are wide ranging and include serial killers, atomic bomb survivors, and white supremacists. His fiction is varied as well, embracing westerns, historical novels, and thrillers such as the Indiana Jones Series.

This program is free and open to the Public. For more information contact the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and humanities Council, 620-662-1280. hrah@cox.net.

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Food For Thought on April 30

2008-04-08T20:13:00.001-07:00

Food for Thought Series from Prairie View
Hutchinson stop will be at 7:30 a.m. at the Town Club.
Cost is $15. For reservations contact Judy Janzen, education coordinator of the Prairie View Learning Institute, at 1-800-362-0180 ext. 6412 or 316-284-6412.

“Tell Me Something Good!” with Marian Madonia
      • April 29, 2008, Wichita and Hillsboro
      • April 30, 2008, Hutchinson and Newton
      • May 1, 2008, Salina and McPherson

Sometimes it is easier to tell someone what went wrong with our day than it is to “tell me something good!” Marian Madonia, owner of Madonia International, will help us look at the difficult “garbage” experiences in our life and motivate us to focus on the “something good.” This is a practical program (with a healthy dose of humor) to help us look differently at life’s situations so that we might turn the circumstances around to the benefit of ourselves and others. A gifted storyteller, Marian brings to life the lessons that are universal for all of us.

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La Vie En Rose at Fox

2008-03-28T16:24:00.001-07:00

Some of us are going on Saturday night... if you want to join us... drop me an email!

La Vie En Rose
(Based on the life story of Edith Piaf)

Saturday, March 29, 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 30, 2 PM

2008 ACADEMY AWARD WINNER: Marion Cotillard, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

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Poet Howell on March 27 in Hutchinson

2008-03-24T10:42:00.001-07:00

Christopher Howell noted poet, editor and educator will be in Hutchinson on Thursday, March 27^th, for two events. At 1:10pm he will be joining Bill Sheldon’s “Introduction to Creative Writing” class in room 216, Lockman Hall on the HCC campus. Anyone interested is welcome to attend. That evening at 7:00pm Howell will give a reading at the Hutchinson Art Center, 405 N. Washington Street; this event is free and open to the public.

Howell is the author of eight volumes of poetry the most recent being the award winning Light’s Ladder. Since 1975 he has served as the director and principal editor for Lynx House Press. Howell is also editor of Willow Springs literary journal, senior editor of the Eastern Washington University Press, and on the faculty of the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at Eastern Washington University.

Christopher Howell has been the recipient of three Pushcart Prizes, two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, and a Vachel Lindsay Prize among other honors.

Commenting on Howell’s work two time National Book Award winner Albert Goldbarth has said “I wish I could describe this new book of Christopher Howell’s. But…these poems are always topsyturvying our expectations…with every turn of the page---and yet are connected, too: by deep thought worn lightly, and by large vision writ in small details.”

These programs are sponsored by Hutchinson Community College and the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council for more information please contact Daniel Spees, HCC, 620/665-3435, or Mark Rassette at HRAH, 620/662-1280, hrah@cox.net. Books will be available for purchase at the events.

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Dillon Lecture Series - Sen. Pat Roberts Monday 10:30

2008-03-21T00:40:00.001-07:00

Senator Pat Roberts is the Dillon Lecture series guest on Monday, March 24, at 10:30 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. Cost is $5 and you can buy a ticket at the door.

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

Ad Hoc Book Club for Eat Pray Love on March 26 at Patsy's Place

2008-03-21T00:37:00.001-07:00

The Ad Hoc Book Club Gathering to discuss "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert will be at my house on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. Let me know if you're coming so I can prepare. I emailed some folks but know I missed some, so let anyone know you think would be interested. If you're in the Hutchinson area and would like to join us, just drop me an email. In the future, these events will be posted on the events section of my website instead of the blog.

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

William Stafford Memorial Poetry Rendezvous - April 4 Registration Deadline

2008-03-11T14:45:00.001-07:00

This is taken from a brochure... please forgive the layout... but the information is valid.

William Stafford Memorial Poetry Rendezvous

April 10 –12, 2008
Hutchinson, Kansas
Newton, Kansas
Flying W Ranch, Clements, Kansas

William Stafford Memorial Poetry Rendezvous

April 10 – 12, 2008

Thursday, April 10, Hutchinson

1:15 p.m. Workshop
Kim Stafford and the HCC
Creative Writing class

7:00 p.m. Poetry & Music
Location: Hutchinson Arts Center,
405 N Washington
Kim Stafford, Jim French & Company

Friday, April 11, Newton

12:00 p.m. Poetry & Pizza @ the
Newton Public Library
Kim Stafford, “Poetry in the Family”
Location:
Newton Public Library,
720 N. Oak

William Stafford was born in Hutchinson,
Kansas, in 1914. He received B.A. and M.A.
degrees from the University of Kansas, and his
PhD from the University of Iowa. He won the
National Book Award and served as Poetry
Consultant to the Library of Congress, now
Poet Laureate. His dozens of books include the
major collections, Stories That Could Be True
and The Way It Is. He taught at Lewis & Clark
College for over thirty years and died at his
home in Lake Oswego, Oregon in 1993.

Kim Stafford has authored numerous books,
including Having Everything Right Early
Morning: Remembering My Father. He has
served as director of the Northwest Writing
Institute at Lewis & Clark College and as a
writing teacher and workshop leader over much
of the continent. A poet, writer, composer and
musician, he lives in Portland, Oregon.

Saturday, April 12, Flying W Ranch,
Clements, Kansas*

William Stafford Memorial Poetry Rendezvous

Kim Stafford & Company

10:30 a.m. Informal meeting of poets & writers
Denise Low, State Poet Laureate,
Kim Stafford, and friends

1:00 p.m. William Stafford & Kansas
Kim Stafford

2:30 p.m. William Stafford: His Art & Influence
Moderator: Tom Averill
Panelists: Harley Elliott, Amy Fleury, Steven Hind, Jonathan Holden, Denise Low, Kevin Rabas, Bill Sheldon, and Kim Stafford

3:30 or 4:00p.m. Audience/Panelists
Conversation
5:00 p.m. Supper at the Ranch (Josh Hoy, chef)
6:30 p.m. Campfire Music and Poetry:
Kim Stafford, Anne Wilson, Jim
Hoy & Company

*The Flying W Ranch is located 7 miles
southwest of Elmdale on Highway 50. Take the
Clements turnoff, onto Road G, 2.4 miles to the
“Bunkhouse” on the east side of the road.

About William Stafford

William Stafford’s words are both good
poetry and good medicine, antidotes to the
deadening effects of vaunted posturing in life
and language. The poet Louis Simpson said
of Stafford, “He is a poet of the people in the
deepest and most meaningful sense.”

His “common sense,” as unpretentious
clarity is often called, clears the air, as in
“Keepsakes,” on a too familiar cliché: “Some
haystacks don’t even have any needle.” There
are the quiet stunners such as “Freedom,”
proclaiming that “Most of the world are living
by / creeds too odd, chancy, and habit-forming
/ to be worth arguing about by reason.” In its
closing he suggests the reader, “wake up
before other people,” as a way to liberty from
herd reflexes of every stripe.

This is not to imply that Stafford takes his
function without a sense of humor. He sides
with Aunt Mabel who says about the
“Senator” who “talked war,” “‘He’s a brilliant
man,/ but we didn’t elect him that much.’” He
can stop us with a smile in “Religion Back
Home” where the insinuated motto too often
seems to be, “Our Father Who art in Heaven /
can lick their Father Who art in Heaven.” His
is a tenacious striving for authenticity. What
is to be sought from a trip across Kansas at
night “past the town where I was born”?
“Once you cross a land like that you own your
face more.”

William Stafford

Memorial Poetry Rendezvous

For many poets, and readers in general,
William Stafford is the unofficial Dean of
Kansas Poetry, and on Saturday, April 12,
2008, at the Flying W Ranch southwest of
Elmdale just off U.S. Highway 50 (2.4 miles
from the Clements turnoff), a gathering of
poets, including Bill’s son Kim Stafford
from Oregon, will celebrate the gifts and
influences of one of the great voices of
twentieth century American poetry.

You are invited to attend the gathering
and join in. Kim Stafford will speak at 1:00

p.m. preceding a panel of poets and writers,
to be followed by an open exchange
between panel and audience. Many Stafford
poems will be given voice, and following a
ranch supper, the evening will continue in
celebration with campfire music and
conversation. Admission is free; however,
an evening meal will be available for a
charge. Books by both Staffords and the
panelists will be available for sale.
Sponsored by:

Hutchinson/Reno Arts and

Humanities Council (HRAH)

Center for Great Plains Studies,

Emporia State University

Center for Kansas Studies,

Washburn University

Hutchinson Community College

Registration Form

Please fill out and detach the registration form below and return it by April 4 to:

Steven Hind, 503 Monterey Pl., Hutchinson, Kansas 67502 (620) 662-2292 Shind4444@aol.com

NAME(S): ______________________________________ ________________________________

ADDRESS: ______________________________________ _______________________________

___ I will attend but not partake of the evening meal

___ I will partake of the evening meal (pulled pork tacos and all the fixin’s)

$10.00 per person X _____# in my party = $_____________

___ I will provide my own lawn or camp chairs ___ I wish to be provided with a chair(s)

(Please enclose a check payable to HRAH for the evening meal.)

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM BY APRIL 4, 2008

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

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Check http://www.hutchchamber.com/community/calendar.cfm for a detailed list of events in the Hutchinson area.

Author Fred Kaplan Speaking in Hutchinson Kansas

2008-03-11T13:32:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday March 19^th, noted journalist and author Fred Kaplan will be in Hutchinson to talk about his latest book Daydream Believers: How a Few Grand Ideas Wrecked American Power. Mr. Kaplan will be speaking at the Hutchinson Art Center, 405 N. Washington St. at 7:00pm.

Concerning Daydream Believers Walter Issacson has stated, “Fred Kaplan has long been one of our most incisive thinkers about strategic issues. In this provocative book, he challenges many of our assumptions about the post 9/11world and offers a dose of realism about the way the world works after the Cold War. It is a bracing read.”

Fred Kaplan (Hutchinson native and HHS graduate, 1972) writes the “War Stories” column in Slate Magazine. The author of the classic book The Wizards of Armageddon he has also written for the “New York Times,” the “New Yorker,” the “Washington Post,” the “Atlantic Monthly,” and other publications. He earned a Ph.D. from MIT, worked as a foreign policy aide on Capitol Hill, and spent decades as a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter in Washington and Moscow. Fred now lives in Brooklyn with his wife Brooke Gladstone, a journalist at NPR who co-hosts the weekend show “On the Media,” and their two daughters.

Copies of Daydream Believers will be available for purchase at the event. This program is free and open to the public. For more information contact Mark Rassette at the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council, 620/662-1280 or hrah@cox.net.

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

________________
Check http://www.hutchchamber.com/community/calendar.cfm for a detailed list of events in the Hutchinson area.

Salt Mining in Hutchinson

2007-12-04T01:44:00.003-08:00

I had the opportunity to go to the Kansas Underground Salt Museum last week for the express purpose of sharing the visit with you here. This new museum in Hutchinson is quite astounding. I am hoping to have the story ready next week. Greg went with me and took a lot of photographs, so you'll be able to share our visit until you can make your own trip.

In the meantime, it made me go back and look at my photographs from a year ago when our leadership class went underground. There is a real mining operation for salt, and Underground Vaults and Storage, which is fascinating in its own right.

Of course, a live mine site is not exactly a place that can welcome the public, nor is a business designed to provide secure storage. But, the museum does an amazing job of giving you a true experience of what it's like.

Following are some photos I took a year ago, before the museum was open, on the private tour for the leadership group. When you see the others, you'll realize how true to life the museum is.

The sign says, "Welcome to The Carey Salt Mine
You are now 645 feet below the Earth's surface
surrounded on all sides by a vein of solid rock salt."

Until the 1960s they gave tours of the mining operation. The vehicle they're driving in is just one of the ones the mine crew uses to move around down there. They are old cars and trucks that were brought down in pieces and reassembled. The one I rode in is shown below.

The day we were there they were getting ready to blast, but they were not setting off explosives. But, this is the wall they were preparing. You'll see one just like it in the museum.

They have these massive machines there that do a variety of chores in the mining operation. Considering they all had to be brought down in a small elevator, it's rather amazing they're there.

These machines break up the salt once it's blasted out

and then it's run by conveyor.

This vein of salt is huge, extending over multiple states.

And, no, that's not a ghostly orb - it's salt dust caught in the flash light.

They let us all choose a piece of salt to take with us. You'll get to do the same thing on your museum tour.

Underground Vaults and Storage rents space from Carey Salt for a storage facility. I did a story on it many years ago and it's quite interesting. They are used a great deal by Hollywood, as well as many, many companies. The museum has a fabulous exhibit on it.

You'll see the names of lots of things you recognize...

On the day I was there I spotted episodes of Tom and Jerry, LA Law and Mama's Family. You might question why some of those things were being saved, but there they were nonetheless.

I'm eager to share the museum with you. It's something anyone can come visit and is a truly wonderful experience.

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posted by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com

Edgewalkers by Judi Neal

2007-12-04T01:44:00.001-08:00

Thursday morning I went to see Judi Neal speak at a Prarie View Food for Thought event. Neal is author of the book, "Edgewalkers." This is the term she uses to define people who help bridge different worlds by being on the edges of them.

On her website, www.edgewalker.org, she says, "they are often people who have pursued unusual educational and career paths... these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive."

She started and ended her speech this morning by singing. She has a lovely voice, and plays guitar quite well. She seems to be a woman of many talents.

She said she first came up with the phrase "Edgewalker" when she was reading an article and Malcolm Gladwell was quoted in it as saying that most people who cause positive social change live on the edge of town. They don't want the judgment of people who are interested in maintaining the status quo. He was talking about it in the context of quantum physics and the idea that the edge is where creativity happens. Neal thought that was interesting and she came up with the word, "Edgewalker," to describe people who are the ones who live on the edge where this new thinking can occur.

She listed three things that are hallmarks of Edgewalkers.

1. Self-awareness
Awareness of your thoughts, values and behavior and if you're living that way now, and a commitment to spend time in self-reflection.

2. Passion
Edgewalkers have an intense focus on purpose and the use of gifts in a way that adds value to their life and work.
*Nothing is half-hearted about Edgewalkers
*Intense
*Commitment to something bigger than themselves
*No tolerance for small talk
*Life histories often include traumas or life threatening events; near-death experiences; alcoholic, abusive or mentally ill parents; being inspired by a saint-like person

3. Playful
Joyful sense of fun and creativity. An ability to keep everything in perspective.

Obviously, as you know if you're a regular reader here, those things describe me. The question, as always, is what to do with that information. It is much like reading "The Creative Class" by Richard Florida. It's interesting. I can identify myself. But what do you do with that information? The difficulty is getting "the establishment" to appreciate those of us who are "different."

She had a little test for us to take to see if we were Edgewalkers. There were 20 questions. I said yes to 19 of them. Her cut off was if you answered yes to 12 or more you were an Edgewalker. There were a couple of them that really, really resonated with me.
I frequently feel different from most people.
and
People often see me as a risk-taker, but the things I do don't seem risky to me. Somehow I just know they will work out.

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know both of those are things I've talked about here multiple times. The archives of this blog would illustrate all of these 20 questions, actually.

The one question I didn't choose was, "People often see me as a leader, even though I am different from most of the people who have been leaders in that organization." I guess that would also be true if I consider my current job. I am very, very different than the people before me. They were trained clinicians and I'm not is an obvious difference. So, maybe I had 20 out of 20.

I have often described my life as living in two different worlds. That was even one of the questions I posed for the Sunday morning dialogue sessions in August - what double lives do you lead. It's something that I have pinpointed as a difficulty for me when relating to other people. I will always be a farm girl at heart and am so thankful for that background, but I spend more time these days doing things like serving on boards and going to chamber breakfasts - neither of which I ever did in the farm world. I like having both perspectives, but I don't really, fully, fit into either one. And it's difficult for people to relate to me as well.

Of course, the chamber breakfast involves something I despise - chit chat. Peggy was sitting with me this morning and looked over at me and laughed when that one came up because she has heard me say dozens of times that I hate chit chat. I just see no point in it. It's a waste of time. I'm not going to find out anything about you and you're not going to find out anything about me while we're engaged in mindless prattle about the weather. So, why bother? Idle chatter is boring and I'd much rather be by myself and quiet than listening to it. I can meditate, read, think or create in that time that would otherwise be wasted with small talk.

My favorite questions to ask people are, "What are you afraid of?" and "What have you always wanted more of?" because those two questions give you a sense of who a person is at their core level right away. And if we aren't people who are going to bond, then why waste our time? We'll both be better served by finding different people who are on the same wavelength.

I had to learn that you just couldn't ask people things like that the first conversation you have with them. It took me a long time to learn it. I'm still known as "the question person" among my friends. I have always thought it's a leftover from my days as a journalist. One of my best talents as a journalist was interviewing people. I was always good at that. You have carte blanche to ask almost any question you wish.

You may remember I mentioned recently that in Salt Lake I met someone I knew I was supposed to meet. One of the reasons I knew that - other than I just knew it the second we exchanged hellos - was that I knew I could ask him those questions in our first conversation and that he would have an answer. I did. And he did. Just as I expected. So, instead of having chit chat, we had real conversation - such a pleasant change of pace from the normal experience of someone you meet by happenstance.

I really enjoyed Judi Neal and her lecture about "Edgewalkers." It would be wonderful if the corporate world would listen to her, but it's hard for me to imagine such a thing. The mere structure of the business world is designed to crush creative souls - rigid hours, bare cubicles and white walls with mission statements posted on every available surface should keep everyone from having an innovative thought. Should one occur, however, there's always a middle manager nearby to contain it before it infects anyone else. OK, I'm being overly dramatic for effect, but only by a little bit, and bear in mind I've spent most of my career in "creative" fields.
As I used to joke with coworkers, "Dilbert isn't funny when you're living it." And there's a reason so many people can relate to Dilbert.

I don't know this to be true, but I'm guessing that expanding new media companies don't demand that people punch a time clock, keep their work areas pristine white, and spend endless hours in meetings where they watch powerpoints of the company handbook.

I'm really fortunate in my current job that I get to do things on my own schedule, in my own way, but that's because I don't have any coworkers, so I don't have to conform to anyone's standards. And, my board is very supportive - as long as the work is getting done they don't care how it happens. I'm blessed. And I'm thankful for it everyday.

My dream remains to make my living being me.

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posted by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com

The Spoils of Fall

2007-12-04T01:43:00.001-08:00

This afternoon I took a nice long walk at Dillon Nature Center recently. There's some color in the landscape, but not as much as I'd expect this time of year.

I decided to take some close-ups of leaves, just to preserve this moment in time. There's a tiny little stream, too, which is also full of leaves.

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posted by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com

Polk's Market in Medora

2007-12-04T01:42:00.001-08:00

Polk's Market in Medora, Kansas, is an old fashioned fruit and vegetable market. It's run by Pam and Earl, who met 44 years ago while working in the Dillon's Apple Packing Department.

Earl said Ray Dillon taught him a lot about merchandising and groomed him to work at Dillons. But, Earl couldn't stand being inside so he followed in his grandfather's footsteps. His grandfather ran "River Banks" market on 30th Street in Hutchinson for many years.

Polk's has fresh fruit and vegetables - mostly from Kansas. They also sell some nuts and candies. And... one of my favorite things... apple cider slushies.

Earl says they sell more apples in slushies than any other way these days. He said 50 years ago his grandfather would sell tons more apples than he does today - partly that's because he is competing with the big stores, but it's also because people just don't eat as much fresh produce as they once did.

This time of year, Polk's is well stocked with pumpkins and gourds, of course. And he says those sell much better than they used to. He said 25 years ago he would sell about 100 pumpkins during the season, now he sells close to 4,000.

Polk's is a great little place. Earl says they try to give you the feeling of going back in time 50 years - much like his grandfather's place was.

Occasionally you find a pumpkin that has a little something extra - a little bit of wisdom tossed in.

In case you can't make it all out, it says "Life is like a Pumpkin Patch. You never know what you'll get."

I guess that would fall into the category of life truths.

___________________
posted by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com

Victorian Tea August 11, 2007

2007-07-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

The MHA's 5th Annual Victorian Tea is set for Saturday, Aug. 11, from 3:30-5 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church at Main and Hyde Park in Hutchinson. This is a fundraiser for the MHA and tickets are $20 each.

We're serving a full menu, including all the traditional tea foods such as cucumber sandwiches and scones. Everything is cooked from scratch, using fresh herbs and vegetables from local gardens when possible.

The program this year is by Nan Duncan who will talk about plants you can grow in Kansas with which you can make tea. She will have samples for everyone to try.

The Victorian tea is a great way to spend the afternoon with friends or family - a fabulous mother-daughter outing, and perfect for a group.

Hats and finery are encouraged, but not necessary. Tea is one way to slow down, de-stress and enjoy conversation with those you care about.

Order tickets by mail from:

MHA
PO Box 2021
128 N. Main, Suite F
Hutchinson KS 67504-2021
620-663-7772 or tickets@mhatea.com

See www.mhatea.com for more information.

posted by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com

Blues in the Park

2007-07-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

As part of this year’s Emancipation Day Celebration events internationally noted Blues and Folk musician Lemuel Sheppard will perform in Hutchinson.

Lem will be performing in beautiful Avenue A Park on Friday, August 3rd, starting about 7:00pm. The concert is FREE and everyone is invited to come around 6:30pm for free hot dogs and lemonade. This event is sponsored by the Emancipation Day Celebration Committee, the Downtown Hutchinson Revitalization Partnership and the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council. For more information call the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council at 620/662-1280.

For over twenty years Sheppard has lived the life of the traveling Bluesman. He has taken his own brand of Blues from his Kansas City roots to Africa, South America, on numerous national tours and even a solo performance at the Kennedy Center.

Lemuel possesses a deep appreciation for a wide range of vocal music he refers to as African-American traditional song. This, combined with his ability to perform many historical and geographical Blues styles has gained him a reputation as an authority on African-American folk music. Despite this recognition for his scholarship Sheppard feels his Cultural Heritage is his greatest asset as a performer.

In addition to his concert work, over the past few years Sheppard has been inducted into the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame, composed the Blues soundtrack for the (Emmy nominated) PBS documentary Black, White, and Brown,” and his recent CD Urbanfolk has been featured on the National Public Radio program “Open Mike.”

For more information about Lem Sheppard and to listen to examples of his music access www.lemuelsheppard.com.

posted by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com

Walking in Distant Footsteps

2007-07-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today - in 1969 - kids got out their Apollo toys and play-enacted to the "beep...beep...beep" of NASA audio while history was beamed into their living rooms.

As commemorated in this plaque on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins and lunar module pilot
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin successfully got Armstrong and Aldrin onto the lunar surface. Armstrong insists that he actually said "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" and that the "a" was obscured in the recording. Others believe he simply flubbed it. Personally, I don't care; I was just happy to be allowed to stay up late and hear it on TV with the rest of the country.

One of the fun things about being an adult baby-boomer is that you can visit the icons of your youth. I caught up to the Apollo 11 command module, Columbia in the Milestones of Flight gallery at the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian in Washington DC, back in 1980.

Here's a closer look.

To commemorate the 28th anniversary of the first manned moon landing, we recently paid a visit to the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, KS.

One of the Cosmosphere's artifacts is this "white room", from which the astronauts transitioned from the gantry to the command modules.

A helpful photo at the Cosmosphere shows how it worked, 320 feet above the ground.

Visitors are allowed inside, and your "inner eight-year-old" can imagine the curved hatch of a command module instead of the view of the floor. This is one of three white rooms, and there is no available record of which rooms were used on which missions, but according to the signage here, this one would have been used for about 1/3 of the Apollo missions.

Outside the white room is this actual console from one of the two original mission control rooms in Houston. This particular one was used by the flight surgeon to monitor astronaut physiological signs on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

The Cosmosphere has some artifacts specific to Apollo 11, like these neoprene gloves, used by Aldrin and Armstrong on the mission. They were worn during their moon walk, but with an outer protective glove. I believe that the Cosmosphere also has at least one of the parachutes that brought the command module to splashdown, but they are not on display in the museum.

A few years ago, it was my pleasure to meet Buzz Aldrin. If my memory serves correctly, he mentioned he was actually urinating in his suit in this photo. The Cosmosphere has a nice display of astronaut...uh...waste management stuff.

As to the records of that historic moon walk, I recently learned that many of the original higher-resolution tapes of the Apollo missions have been misplaced.

To me, the centerpiece of the Cosmosphere's Apollo collection is this Lunar Module. It was built as an engineering test model by Grumman, the company that made the Lunar Modules used on the missions, and was restored by the Cosmosphere using many flight-ready parts. I miss the days when it was displayed in the round, in a previous museum configuration.

It does occasionally cross my mind that while I'm shooting pictures with Ace, security folks are watching.

Outside the building, Ace pays tribute to this statue of astronaut Eugene "Gene" Cernan, seen also in the top photo of this post. Cernan was actually the last man to walk on the moon, on the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

I'm no car enthusiast, but reader email suggests that lots of you are. So, I should mention that the Cosmosphere currently has Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean's gold and black special edition 1969 Corvette Stingray on exhibit. Bean never actually owned the car; three such 'vettes were leased for $1 a year to he and the other two Apollo 12 astronauts. In the early 1970's, the cars were returned to Houston dealer Jim Rathmann, and were sold. Collector Danny Reed bought this one; signs at the Cosmosphere state that the whereabouts of the other two are unknown.

The "LMP" on the custom decal stood for Lunar Module Pilot, Bean's position. Each astronaut had a color and Bean's was blue, hence the placement.

What times we have seen.

posted by Ace Jackalope at www.thelope.com

Pretty Prairie Exhibit

2007-07-15T05:29:00.001-07:00

The photography of National Geographic photographer and Kansas native, Jim Richardson, will be on display in Pretty Prairie, Kansas from July 16th through July 21st. The exhibit titled The Flint Hills: A Kansas Treasureprovides the viewer with a glimpse of the majesty of this unique Kansas prairie-land.

The exhibit is free and open to the public at the Pretty Prairie Civic Theatre. Interested parties should contact the Pretty Prairie City Offices 620/459-6392 or come to 119 W. Main St. for admittance to the Theater.

This event is sponsored by the Pretty Prairie Civic Theater and Pretty Prairie Boosters Club courtesy of the Hutchinson/Reno Arts and Humanities Council and the help of the Greater Hutchinson Convention and Visitors Bureau.

posted by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com

Old Friends

2007-06-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

I was writing at my desk this morning with a cup of tea and looked out to see a beautiful pink sky across the street. I went out to take a picture and discovered the moon was setting between the trees. Sunset tonight looked very promising but wasn't as pretty as I expected.

I’ve been in the mood to make contact with old friends, lately. Just this morning I wrote a card to a very dear friend, Evelyn, who I met when we were 17 and freshmen at Murray State University. We were both there for the music program, which was highly renowned at the time. One of us was incredibly talented, and one of us was about to reach a humbling understanding.

In case you’re unsure which of us is which, Evelyn is a college professor with a doctorate in music and has authored many articles, when she hasn’t been busy presenting at national conferences. Prior to beginning her teaching career, she toured the world performing.

Oddly enough, another person we met that first year - my only year at Murray - recently told me that while getting her master’s in education, some of Evelyn’s writing was required reading in her course. It is, indeed a small world. One of us is in Hutchinson, one in St. Louis and one in New Orleans - all places we had no connection to when we were in college together.

Evelyn and I rarely see each other, but when we talk or email or do see each other we relate on the basis of our current lives. It was Evelyn who noted this when we spent a couple of days together a few years ago - the first time we’d seen each other since college. I was in Florida for a conference and just called her up spur of the moment because she was living there then. She came over and stayed with me and we went to dinner at the Kapok Tree restaurant in Clearwater, a local institution since closed.

Over dinner that night she told me she had been a bit hesitant to drive the two hours to where I was because she was afraid we would only be talking about our college years but that it hadn’t even come up. I had never thought about that until Evelyn mentioned it. But I have remembered that conversation many, many times since, particularly when I'm with people who live almost exclusively in the past - who's conversation centers around "remember when..."

You wouldn’t think that in our 20s Evelyn and I would have had much past. But even that night as we sat across from each other, drinking from those glasses the Kapok Tree was famous for, one of us was grieving the loss of the man we expected to be with forever to a fire, and the other was recovering from a sexual assault that had left us reeling. We had enough history to share those things and enough distance to be honest about them.

Even though our adult lives had barely begun, they were moving fast. So much had happened in the few years since college that it was already little more than a footnote. And high school seemed a lifetime ago. We had both already learned to live in the present and future because that’s where possibilities were. Even the recent past was too distant for us to relive, or to care to.

Periodically I have a need to reconnect with people, like Evelyn, with whom I've shared important things. I was there when Florida native, Evelyn, saw snow for the first time. (Her first shocked response walking out the front doors of White Hall that morning was, “It’s cold!”) She was there when I decided music just wasn’t the life for me. Those moments are all part of what make up a life. And the insight she gave me about the past versus the present was a critical thought for me to grasp.

When I consider pivotal moments in my life, that is one of them - that I am not a person who rehashes the past very much - and that I don't care for the process. I love family stories - always loved to hear my mom talk about her earlier years and enjoy it when my brothers tell me stories of their childhood. I appreciate that history shapes who we are, but life is lived in the now, and the possibilities are in the future. Maybe because I've always journaled, I feel my own life history needs no further discussion.

I have little to say about the past - mine or anyone else's. And I bore very quickly with other's stories of, "remember when..." - even if I'm in those stories. I do not want to live a life where high school shenanigans are still fresh enough and interesting enough to tell nearly thirty years later.

So, I long to connect with people like Evelyn, with whom I have a past but will always have a future. Those kinds of friends are so rare.

Labels: friends, past

posted by from Patsy Terrell's blog at www.patsyterrell.com |

Why You Should Always Keep a Photographer Handy

2007-05-26T12:02:00.000-07:00

My friend, Greg, (www.thelope.com) is an exceptional photographer. Many years ago, when we first met, I remember having a conversation with him in which I took the foolish position that photography was not art. That was before I had seen photography done by a true artist, which is what Greg is. I have since realized the error of my ways.

He has an extraordinary eye and can always be counted on to get THE shot. When we do freelance things together I never, ever, worry that he has the picture to illustrate whatever I'm writing about. He always has it. And it's always perfect.

Yesterday we were headed out to dinner and spotted this little guy in my flowers in front. Greg just snapped a few pix and they're all wonderful.

I'm very, very, very fortunate to have my own personal photographer. Greg is very generous with his talents.

posted from Patsy Terrell's blog at www.patsyterrell.com

Lemuel Sheppard

2007-02-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight Greg and I went to see Lemuel Sheppard at the Flag Theatre in Hutchinson, Kansas. He was here as part of the Gordon Parks events in conjunction with the state reading, "The Learning Tree."

Sheppard did a fantastic job of weaving together poems, information and song. It was a really interesting evening.

Sometimes when you go to events like this they're fabulous - like tonight. Other times they end up being a scholar reading the equivalent of a term paper to you, and not with much feeling.

Sheppard had the perfect blend. I could have listened to him for another hour or two, which is something for me. I tend to get pretty fidgety pretty quickly. To top it off he was very personable, which is not always to be expected either.

He had a Langston Hughes poem set to music that I just loved:
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
I've known rivers:I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I've known rivers:Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
-- Langston Hughes

Being a person of rivers, myself, I love that poem. (http://www.patsyterrell.com/2006/01/home.html)

I must read more Langston Hughes - I have obviously missed some spectacular writing. I used to have a copy of Harlem Sweeties on my bulletin board where I saw it every day. The first time I heard it outloud was when I saw Maya Angelou speak, so whenever I read it I hear it in her voice, which is an incredible gift.

Excerpted'>http://www.patsyterrell.com/images2/20070222sheppard.JPG">
Excerpted from Sheppard's website (www.lemuelsheppard.com):
Lemuel Sheppard is a folk musician who has gained a reputation as an authority on African-American folk music. He feels his cultural heritage is his greatest asset as a performer.

Lemuel began playing guitar at the age of nine in Kansas City's rich jazz and blues atmosphere. The self-taught guitarist developed many natural abilities to perform this music. Lemuel is not only an interpreter of African-American folk music, but composes much of his own repertoire. Lemuel states, "So much of the blues is about personal expression, an artist should be able to connect with the audience and share something about their life and time."

In 1999, Lemuel Sheppard was nominated by a congressional committee to represent the state of Kansas in a solo performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. That performance was presented live over the Internet and can still be viewed there on the Kennedy Center's Web Page.

Lemuel prefers to define some performances as "short-term diplomatic duties." Whether one is representing a discipline, one's background and training, or a presenter, the audience should leave with an understanding of the kind of artist one is, as well as be entertained.

The U.S. Embassy in Brazil referred to Lemuel as "the perfect touring artist...talented, flexible, interested in the local culture, and knowledgeable of his own." The Eisteddfod International Music Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa, referred to Lemuel (the first American to perform there) as an example of inter-cultural relations.

Another song he did tonight was "Sunny Kansas," a tune I've never heard, despite living here more than 20 years. You learn something new every day and if I had 11 Rules for Living instead of only 10, that would be one of them.

by Patsy Terrell www.patsyterrell.com