This week, in Kansas, it has been warm enough to wear shorts, and today we just had some snow flurries blow through. It makes life interesting, this in between extremes, that is the beginning of spring. I have been tending my teeny plant above, watering it from the bottom, waiting to put it in a pot on the front porch when more temperate weather is here to stay. I very badly want to tell you the name of it. It starts with an “E” I think but it eludes me at this moment and so I let it go. It will come to me after I hit the publish button.
There has been some practice at painting French buildings in preparation for the trip coming up in May with sister.
The tree’s are budding out and hopefully will be just fine with a several day cold snap. Mother Nature knows how to handle this better than we do. Or so it seems to me.
I am progressing along on my hand quilting. It’s very meditative, except for when I stick myself unexpectedly which causes me to curse, then stick my finger in my mouth so I don’t get blood on the quilt. I feel fairly certain I am not alone in this.
If you have not been properly introduced to “black squares” from Bath England… please allow me to facilitate your getting acquainted. These are some amazing, unusual, extremely delightful, crackers that are the perfect pairing with a triple cream brie and a pour of your favorite crisp white wine. The olives, nuts, and dried cherries are icing on the cake. The crackers have a bit of chocolate in them. But not like a sweet chocolate, more like the effect you get when adding chocolate to a Mexican mole – it increases the flavor profile in a way you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know you like it.
This is a perfect addition to your spring cocktail hour. Plus your guests (if, and only if, you want to share them) will think you are a culinary trend setter. Thank you Annette for telling me about them.
While I am on the subject of really good things, let me recommend (HIGHLY) When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen. If you can… the audio version is wonderful. Ivan Huw Dafydd narrates the 89 year old Swedish main character (Bo) beautifully. Bo is living alone, in his home, with the support of “carers” and his son Hans to check on him. His wife with severe dementia has been placed in a facility, and Bo misses her mightily. The story follows the last months of Bo’s life as he comes to terms with what his life has been, and where it is now. He badly wants to be sure he has done right by his son, but at the same time is inwardly intensely frustrated at being told what he must do. Isn’t losing our independence what we all fear the most? The author handles this subject matter honestly without backing away from what is hard.
Thank you so much Susan Bjerke for recommending this to me. It’s a real gem.
Since my last post about the marginalizing of trans people through the invalidation of drivers licenses and ID’s because of the requirement that gender on the card match sex at birth, I have been doing a lot of thinking. Mostly struggling with what to DO? We all want to DO something to amend this injustice towards one segment of the population. My indignation over the trampling of someone’s freedom out of ignorance about the trans community has me wanting to get this changed. Just like so many things of late that I want to see changed.
I read a great quote from Anne Lamott (one of my heroes), took a long walk outside (listening to the birds), and spent some time thinking about pluralism and why is it that we can’t be more open to all people and all beliefs. Which of course made me look in the mirror and think about my lack of tolerance to those in power in this country right now.
So what I want to know is what are the things that you are doing? I mean beyond our writing letters, making phone calls, donating to causes. I need to open my eyes wider, for ways I can help, so of course I want your help.
Here are the things on my mind… paying for the groceries for the person in front of me that is short “because it’s been a really hard month”, intervening when encountering conflict to interject calmness and kindness into the equation, and trying to stop being so angry about what I absolutely can not understand and try to learn about it instead.
We gotta talk about stuff before we kill each other. I am going to have to turn off the deep, dark, horrible, revenge videos playing in my head that aren’t working and instead hang out as a peace-keeper. I think I am likely a real natural for a flower child. Okay, that may be pushing it but I am pledging to try. In the meantime, I will keep lighting candles, waiting for the light to return.
P.S. Restorative yoga has also been incredibly soothing to my soul.
P.P.S. There is a hearing today to seek a delay in the enforcement of the law invalidating driver’s licenses.
I am ashamed to call myself a Kansan today. Disgusted by what our state representatives and senators have done. The Kansas legislature overturned the veto by our governor, of legislation requiring drivers licenses and identification cards to “reflect sex at birth”. This immediately made it illegal for a trans person to operate a motor vehicle. This leaves a population of humans unable to get to work, to vote, to travel… and basically do anything that requires an ID. Also included in this bill is legislation forcing individuals to use the bathrooms in public buildings that matches their gender at birth. Kris Kobach, the Kansas attorney general, and republican lawmakers have led this push for “law enforcement and medical purposes” as well as “protecting women and girls” specifically in relation to the bathroom issue. The language in this bill also authorizes anyone to sue anybody they suspect of being transgender for using the “wrong” restroom in public buildings. What kind of a cockamamy idea is that? Pitting individuals against each other because they don’t fit someone’s idea of what they should look like?
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit on behalf of transgender residents calling it a “direct attack on the dignity and humanity of transgender Kansans”. Am I wrong to expect more of people in leadership positions? I have made a donation to the ACLU and let Kris Kobach know what I think of this particularly cruel form of jackassery.
If we really wanted to protect women and girls, we would be investigating and holding to account all of the sex offenders and pedophiles named in the Epstein files. Enough is enough already. In the words of my dad I really “have my dander up” about this. He is right. There is no fury like the fury of a moss sister who see’s injustice and has reached a breaking point. At the same time, I want my better self to step up and take the reins when I am so angry I want to spit (and much more).
Hang tough friends. I want to believe we can get through this.
Happy last day of February and why are the bulbs in my yard coming up already? And while I am asking unanswerable questions what the Sam Hell is Donald Duck Trump doing doing attacking Iran – without any congressional input? Whew. Thanks I just had to get that out.
In the event that you do not have the most talented, creative, person on earth as your sister, you can pretend that you got the above valentines from your imaginary sister.
Chris and I took a walk today out at the Baker Wetlands and enjoyed the sun on our pineal glands.
I have begun the quilting portion of this small quilt whose exact purpose is yet to be decided. I was inspired by the quilt that won the award for best hand quilting at QuiltCon. Wow, wow, wow, to all the photos from the event of the quilts and the attendees. One of my favorite reels was on the Quiltcon instagram site – showing people wearing what they made. INCREDIBLE! The absolute joy on the faces of the individuals as they showed off their creations was over the top. A balm for these troubled times.
If you need something new to try with oats for breakfast how about this? 3 cups old fashioned oats, 4 smashed ripe bananas, 3/4 c peanut better, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 cup chocolate chips (if you want), mix it all together, put it in an 8×8 pan, bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or so. It’s like a breakfast bar but with no additives (well I guess except for what is in peanut butter). Not really sweet but I LOVED them. Will make again for sure. I served mine with a small cup of greek yogurt with hazelnuts and a drizzle of honey.
Tonight we watched Finding Nemo. Yes, I know it came out in 2003 or something like that. The people I work with were flabbergasted I had never seen it. It was the ultimate in fantasy escapism. I was all in for the full 90 minutes.
There has been a lot of buzz out there in the world of reading about Levi of Golden by Allen Levi. I decided to read it after a friend of mine read it in her book group and thought I might like it.
In the end, I really wanted to like it more than I did. I recall some review where the author was compared to Wendell Barry (which is one of the reasons I wanted to read it), but they must be reading a different Wendell Barry than I am because I found no similarity.
This is the story of an elderly Portuguese man who comes to a college town in Georgia and starts to meet people and quickly establishes a community of friends and acquaintances. We are not sure what has brought him there, or what he plans to accomplish. It feels a bit contrived with a cast of characters who have been through hard things. At times it seemed like a full length fairy tale with the main character delivering parables and soliloquies, veering off on a christian bent that was a bit too much for me.
Despite all this, I finished it because I do want to meet a Portuguese octogenarian and sit on a bench with him and watch the sun set and talk about meaningful things. Which of course is unlikely to happen. David Morse narrates the audible book beautifully. He does a wonderful Portuguese accent as well as a nice southern accent that is not overdone.
Hats off to Allen Levi for doing something he says he always wanted to do and in a way that has certainly struck a chord with many people. You may, like me, want to read it for yourself to see exactly how you feel about. It won’t be a waste of your time, unless you are really opposed to the christian theology. Which I would like to say, for the sake of clarity, I am not completely opposed to. I do stand against any faith that persecutes people in the name of religion – as in christian nationalism.
I would very much like to hear what others thought of this book. Please add your thoughts in the comments if you read it and have things to say.
Yesterday, to my great delight, there was a Huff + 1 lunch club meeting at 3rd Street Social on Main in Kansas City. I am not being one bit flip when I say that these women are an integral part of my mental health strengthening program. We are each “lifing” (life as verb?) it in our own way, tackling our own things and talking about it – literal and emotional nourishment. Food + kindness = solace. It’s a thing.
How about that peach rose? A surprise from my dear valentine.
Have you picked up The Look yet? Simply wonderful. Filled with excellent pictures – I love the joy in the one below. “I got this!” is what it says to me. I had the best time flipping through it, dipping in and reading here and there and everywhere all in the same sitting. The paper is a joy to run your hands over, the color so vibrant. Pick it up if you can.
That’s it. A quick hello from Kansas to each of you, blown from my hand and into your homes, on the wings of dragonflies.
It was with that wonderful feeling of sadness, delight, and deep comfort all rolled into one, that I finished The Correspondent by Virginia Evans last night.
Despite all the hype about this book, I really dug in with no specific expectations, except that it was written in the form of communication (letters, emails) through the years, between a woman and I really wasn’t sure who else. It was the perfect nightly read. The story unfolds through the letters with such a wide range of individuals you would not expect someone to “normally” communicate with. It was so well done and I loved reading it. It definitely made me want to write more letters. Highly recommended.
Sister told me she was making valentines so I set out to do a bit of heart making myself. So much fun. There is no reason that 60 somethings should not have as much fun as 6 year olds when it comes to valentines. The getting, the sending, the making or buying.
I started quilting my “table runner” and am having the best time. I am just slowly moving along, following the lines and trying to see how far I can go before I lock myself into the middle of a spot I can’t quilt out of. Great fun.
A valentine knick knack came up from the basement. Just in time before the 14th. While I am at it, the Cupid’s blend M&M’s are especially good this year. I can’t say why. Try them and let me know if I am correct.
I have been meaning to call your attention to this special section in the NYT that was part of the January 4th Sunday paper….. but wanted to read every work thoughtfully so I could be sure it was something that might be helpful. I did, it is, and here we are.
It covers a variety of topics pertaining to end of life, from those as practical as cleaning out your belongings way ahead of time, to the complexities of grief. It outlines things to think about such as a will, a medical durable power of attorney, and other documents you should likely have in place. If you have ever had to pick up the reigns after the death of a loved one, you will know how helpful all of this stuff is.
There is also a great section on writing an obituary – I have been threatening forever to start mine. No sappy obituary for me please. No reason not to do it yourself in advance if you are so inclined. I was glad it included a part about end of life decisions to think about – such as things you may not want to be put through when you are nearing the end. It explains what hospice is and what it can provide to you and your family. I loved the section on funerals and burials. Who knew it was legal to be buried at sea (as long as you are 3 nautical miles from land and the water is 600 feet deep)? There is a very very helpful part about talking to kids – or just answering their questions about death. Kids often have questions about death and they should not be ignored.
In general this is a quite thorough (while staying on the short side), very easy to read, and full of pertinent, useful things we should all know about.
I am putting a link below. I get a certain number of articles a month I can share so I hope this link works even if you are not a subscriber. Since all my blog archives went out into a big wormhole from my typepad account, I plan to try and readdress some of the palliative care things I wrote about in the past. This nice section from the paper is a great place to start.
Hello and howdy and how the heck did we get to February 1st already? Day by day Carol… that’s how it happened, just like everything else, time is moving while we are mired in ugliness, doing our best to do our part, to make the world the place it should be for all the inhabitants of the planet.
Overnight oats and sumo mandarins for breakfast while I compose regular emails to my representatives in congress who likely don’t give 2 hoots about how I feel, but I like to tell them anyway. I am their constituent after all, they are supposed to represent ALL Kansans.
A knitting basket with 2 ongoing projects. Different sized needles somehow makes the motion less repetitive and easier for the hands. I bought the red, gray, and black tweed years ago at a sale and have been waiting for it to knit itself, but it’s not happening so I gave in and cast on myself.
This air plant has survived 3 and 1/2 months with slipshod attention from me. When I remember to dunk it in water I tell myself I will do better so it will thrive instead of just getting by. It’s like a pet that can’t tell me exactly what it needs but I try to interpret the signs.
On the bedside table right now is a collection of poetry and The Correspondent which just came up for me at the library. I am hooked after my first night of reading.
February 1st means a new pattern in the Block Studies Collective class. I guess I better get the January block put together. Jen Carlton Bailey aka “Betty Crockerass” was a guest teacher for January. Loved her pattern and pallete.
I hope you are all finding ways to hang tough as we struggle to cope with the thugs in the White House. I LOVED Maureen Dowd’s piece in the NYT this morning – Slovenian Sphinxs’s Flick Nixed! Seriously – no words myself about the gall of it all. I added a link below if you want to read what others who do have words had to say.
Did I mention the tapioca pudding and lemon bars that have been made in the last week or so? Consider this a public service announcement that we are moving away from the heavy, densely spiced, desserts of fall and winter into the lightness of spring. That is of course unless you are not ready to pivot quite yet, in which case how about a chocolate Guinness cake? Chris had to go and mention that this morning, which made me remember the last time I made it. And how good it was. And how it likely should be repeated.
Stay safe out there everyone, let’s keep holding each other’s hands.
Tall Tales from Kansas 