Late Night Double Feature Picture Show aka Rocky Horror

Last night we went to Wichita to a midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It has been awhile since I've been to one, but it was even more fun than I recall.

There were lots of people dressed up, including this group that allowed us to snap a photo after the show. We got there just in time for the show because we had another event before it, so we didn't get a chance to see all the costumed folks before.

It's good to know there are folks on the prairie who appreciate the fun of a good Rocky Horror experience. It was at the Orpheum, which is a wonderful old building - complete with these lamps.

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Vintage Hankies

Pretty things have been finding their way to me lately. I've always loved vintage hankies but it seems they love me now, too. I keep running across them in quantity. What is a person to do except bring them home?

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Presenting at Conference

This morning I spoke about social media to the Kansas Museums Association. I did it a couple of years ago, but this was a different presentation. I'm starting to have quite an assortment of them.

It was in Newton so I made a stop at the Et Cetera shop in Newton, and had lunch at Reba's. All in all a nice morning. It's lovely when pleasure can be had - literally - on the way home from business!

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Sunlight and Fronds

We are expecting our first major freeze in the next few days. Ironically, I had the AC back on yesterday and today.

I do love the changing of the seasons. There's something nice about the world around you looking different as the year progresses. It seems soon there will be little green to see in the landscape.

Tonight was Creative Sisterhood and it was a great evening. It's hard to believe we're into our 10th year, now.

Otherwise, I've been occupied with various projects. I was house-sitting for some friends the last few days. Last night was my first night back in my house for a little while. It's good to try on other people's lives every once in awhile. But, I"m happy to be back in my own space.

Work continues to go well. I'm really blessed to have wonderful clients with interesting projects.

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The Problem with Moral Arguments

I've never had a debate class, but I feel certain if I had, that this would have come up. Morals are not the best way to win an argument.

The reason is simple - if we don't share the same morals, then your argument based on morals will have no impact on me. To top it off, if you make morals any part of your argument bullet points, I'm going to discount all of them. Why? Because you've just proven to me you aren't making very wise decisions. Once you've illustrated that it would be rather foolish of me to put much stock in anything you say.

Please be clear - I'm not saying your morals are right or wrong. I'm just saying they're a foolish way to try and win anyone over to your viewpoint. Because, think about it, if I shared your moral code, I'd probably already agree with you, and you wouldn't be trying to convince me.

Simple? Yes.
Necessary to state? Apparently.

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Too Perfect to be Believable

Saturday I gave a presentation about Social Media to a Lions Club gathering in McPherson. When I returned I was greeted with this beautiful sunset. I love how the curve of the clouds mirrors the curve of the trees. If someone had painted it, we'd say it was too perfect to be believable.

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Tact, or the Lack Thereof; and an Apology

In a wide-ranging conversation with a friend today I was telling him a family story and he said, "Ah, a little passive aggressive." I laughed and said, "No, nothing about my family is passive."

I grew up in a "tell it like it is" family. I like that. I understand that. It makes sense to me.

I honestly only learned about 2-3 years ago that you just cannot do that in the "real world." You must learn to preface sentences with, "I think...," and sprinkle them with "maybe" and "perhaps" and "I'm wondering." In communication theory, it's pointed out that women tend to do the later much more than men. Men are more likely to be straight about things, without the tentative language.

While I've learned to do this, it is not natural for me, and it takes a considerable amount of energy to constantly remind myself. So, I probably engage less with the world because it's more tiring. I sometimes just say, "That's up to you," or something similar because I just don't have the energy to couch my words with that "spoonful of sugar." The more urgent the issue is, the less tactful I generally am because - obviously - the previous approach hasn't worked or we wouldn't be having the same conversation again. But I find myself less and less willing to engage in those conversations at all.

Truly, until a couple of years ago, I didn't even understand why people would want this softer style of communication. Frankly, I still don't. If I'm working on a project and someone sees a huge flaw I've overlooked, I'd rather they say, "Hey, this isn't going to work. The blah blah blah is in conflict with the blah blah blah." That seems so much better to me than spending 40 minutes exploring the positives and negatives of it with me, in hopes I'll see the error of my ways. If I had seen the error, I wouldn't have done it this way in the first place.

That said, I do understand it's a kinder, gentler way to approach issues. And we can all use more gentleness in the average day. But, please, if I'm about to make a fool of myself and you see it happening, don't hesitate to stop me. Isn't it kinder to prevent disaster than walk gently toward it?

As with all things, I'm guessing the balance is the key here. And, lets face it, balance isn't my best thing. Ironically, the friend I was speaking with said it has only been in the last couple of years he had learned to speak his mind about anything. I guess confusion comes in all varieties.

All of this said, let me take this opportunity to apologize to coworkers, friends, neighbors, bosses and anyone else I may have crossed paths with in this lifetime who found me "abrasive." It was never my intent to harm you in any way, so I apologize if I did.


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Random Beauty

The skies in October are the bluest. I took this downtown a week or so ago. I love random bits of beauty.

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Other Projects

I feel as if I'm on the threshold of some new, wonderful things happening in my life. Just like this photograph suggests, the gate is partially open, and with the slightest push, I can open it all the way. Or I can just slip in sideways and hope no one notices.

One thing I've learned - finally, after living for five decades - is that one should prepare a little bit before blundering on in. Of course, you can't know everything that's going to happen, but you might as well prepare for what you can foresee. There might be a few cobwebs to get out of the way, and you might as well be bold and push the gates open wide. All of that requires some preparation.

So, that's what I've been doing the last few weeks. It has taken some energy that I ordinarily devote to this blog. I have also been busy working on website projects beyond this blog. That's part of the reason I've been less present here. I've also grown really frustrated with the way blogger (the way I blog here) handles some things, particularly photographs. So, I've been looking at other options.

This blog will continue. When everything is up and running on other projects, I'll be here more. I realize I'm missing a gold mine of material during this election season, but other things are more pressing in my little corner of the world.

Although it's not quite ready for prime time yet, this is one of the sites I've been working on for my Cook's Library Column in Kansas Country Living.  It still has some tweaking to do here and there, but the time is overdue for this website. I'd like to connect with readers in a more efficient manner. We'll see how that goes. This is its first premiere. It still needs some back-end work. But, all in all, I'm pleased with it.

I will be adding to it regularly, and eventually I will link all of these things together. That's somewhere far beyond that gate, though!

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Autumn Arrives on the Prairie

Autumn seems to have arrived on the prairie. I, for one, welcome it. The summer was not miserably hot for extended periods of time, but it was so dry it moved into frightening. 

A couple of days ago we made a stop at our local truck market, Polk's, on a nice misty, rainy day. I couldn't resist a photo showing both the Autumn colors and the moisture - both welcome.

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Trying on Different Lives

Children "try on" different ways of being in the world through unstructured play. When they're allowed to just let their imaginations roam they experiment with seeing what it would be like to be different kinds of people.

Unfortunately, today children spend far more of their time in "directed activities." As a result, children are measurably less creative now. "Directed activities" include everything where children are engaged in things with rules and adults who are making decisions.

I was thinking about how this applies to adults as well as children. We should all try on different lives occasionally. We spend a lot of our adult lives in "directed activities," trying to live by the rules others set down. Are we killing our creativity too? Maybe we all need more unstructured play time.

I think that's part of what we do when we go to a B and B. We immerse ourselves in that, we try it on, we think how it would be to live in that environment. We enjoy a little unstructured play, we experiment.

Soon I'll have a chance to try on a different way of being in the world. I'm sure it will be interesting, and probably enlightening. Of course, details will follow here, as soon as they are some!

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Urban Chicken Farming

Today I went to a presentation at the local library about Urban Chicken Farming. I'm not planning on getting any chickens for my backyard, but I was sure it would be interesting and it was.

Austin and his wife, Amy, keep a few chickens in their backyard. They've become the local experts.

I love it that the Hutchinson Public Library does cool events like this. There's something quite wonderful about chickens (and ducks today, as well) being inside the library. Just another lunch hour in Hutchinson, KS.


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Beautiful Things

My friend, Judith, brought me these lovelies that she got at a sale some time ago. Aren't they wonderful? 

We got to spend a couple of hours together yesterday afternoon and have a nice chat. She mentioned to me how much she enjoys my photos on the blog. I'm flattered, of course. But it is something I've been hearing a lot lately from various people. It seems I should pay attention.

I'm a big believer in signs, that the universe tries to get your attention in multiple ways. And the fact that photos are coming up so much in my life these days makes me think I should pay attention to that. I was even contacted by Parade Magazine a week or so ago, asking about using some photos from the blog. Not sure that's going to happen, but it's yet another indication.

So, I'm mulling over what to do with that information. In the meantime, it's always nice to look at pretty things!

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Sunday Flea Market Find - Grape Doily

This was one of my flea market finds on Sunday. Isn't it lovely? Just a couple of minutes before I spotted it I bought a pattern for a grape doily. It's slightly different in the middle, but the same basic grape design. Of course I love it!

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Wiley Building

While Greg and I were having breakfast downtown last weekend I noticed these beautiful pink roses outside the window. At some point I went out to get a photograph of them in the dew. I waited a little too long, but in the process of trying to capture the flower, I took a photo that showed a bit of the Wiley Building in the background. I liked the idea, so took another that showed more of the building.

The Wiley Building is a landmark downtown, but is owned by someone who doesn't seem to want to maintain it, and it now has no tenants. It's one of the largest buildings downtown, and I think most locals don't perceive how much would be missing if it weren't there.

As I was running around doing errands on Saturday, this point was reinforced multiple times. First was this photo. Then, as I was coming back from the Farmer's Market I noticed the reflection of the Wiley Building in the First National Bank building.



I decided to go take a photo of the actual Wiley Building.



And as I drove past, I couldn't help but notice its reflection in yet another window. This time on a white van with Oklahoma plates.



If you want to see some really cool photos of the inside, check out Greg's post here.

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Shadows

Saturday morning Greg and I were both up early so we decided to head out to Fraese Drug for breakfast. We sat there and chatted for quite a while, and at some point Greg noticed this wonderful shadow on the wooden floor from the lettering on the glass window.

That's one of the great things about hanging out with a photographer. They see stuff like that.

Cool, huh?



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The Pink and Blue Elephant

Yes, he's spectacular, isn't he?

I bought him at the Salvation Army on Saturday. There he was, just sitting on a shelf, surrounded by other elephants.



No doubt it was someone's elephant collection.



I don't collect elephants. But I do collect cool stuff.
Exhibit A:



The consensus from my Facebook friends, including someone who knows a bit about such things, is that it's a planter - perhaps a Hull. I don't know. I don't care. I just know he's cool. And now he's mine.

And, then, there was a special treat on the bottom of it...



It says: 3-16-1950 - Em brought this from Wichita, Kansas.

He will be a wonderful companion to the Pink Hippo who has been living with me for a few years.

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Candy Crowley at Dillon Lecture Series at Hutchinson Community College

Candy Crowley spoke at the Dillon Lecture Series at Hutchinson Community College Tuesday morning. She is CNN's Chief Political Correspondent and anchor of their Sunday morning talk show, State of the Union.

She spoke about the presidential election and what the candidates are doing as we get closer to election day. She said she lives in Maryland and although it's not a swing state, Virginia is, and they're seeing the ads geared toward that state. She said watching the ads that, "You would think males are an endangered species because all the ads are about women." The reason, of course, is that women tend to vote to more.

Her comments were really balanced as she spoke about both campaigns and what they were concerned about at this stage. She talked quite a bit about polling and how it's just a snapshot of today. She said she uses polls to see general trends.

She also talked about why certain stories get play and others don't. She used Romney's comment about the 47% and how that fed into an existing storyline that was already in the zeitgeist. The trick for candidates, it seems, is to lay out those storyline potentials long before something like that happens that feeds into them.




Of course, timing is also important. She mentioned a gaffe Obama made, but it was in March, and how something in September is harder to overcome by the time of the election. She said Romney's camp is concerned about not having time to recover from various things and Obama's camp is concerned that he's polling under 50% sometimes and that's not good for an incumbent. She said at this point, Romney has to run a near-perfect campaign if the polls are correct because they give the edge to the President.

She said this is a "base election," meaning it will hinge on who gets their base out to vote. She said she has thought for years that there are no undecided voters. She said, "There are voters who aren't paying attention, and there are voters who've decided they're not going to vote." But she said a conversation with her son convinced her otherwise, and that some people are actually undecided, because he is. But she said it's a small percentage of people.

What it comes down to are the 4.5 hours of the debates. She will host the one on October 16, the first woman to do so in more than 20 years. She said she's getting more than 100 emails a day of people suggesting questions

She said there's always an "x-factor" in who people decide to vote for, things we can't determine exactly. She noted that 40% of people are saying they're not satisfied with their choice, which means things could change. She said for Obama part of the x-factor may be, "The pull of history in some of those undecideds," because he is the first African-American president.



Looking ahead to four years, she comments on both parties and potential candidates.

How partisan things are is related to redistricting, as has been said by multiple people. She pointed out that more than half the house was elected by a 60% majority or more because redistricting has made districts more of whichever way they leaned.

She said if Romney loses there will be a real fight in the Republican party between the idea of the tea party and that we need a "real" conservative, versus those who believe we need to widen the tent and can't remain a party of largely white people in a country where there's a minority majority. She said it will be a party trying to figure out its heart and soul.

For the democrats she said, "Joe Biden still dreams of being president." She said she believed what Hillary had been saying about not planning to run in four years but just recently she saw her speaking at a Clinton Global Initiative Event about collecting taxes on a equitable level and the expression on her face made Crowley think Hillary might be considering it.

It's that surprise that Crowley says she loves about politics. You never know what the candidates or the voters are going to do. She ended the lecture by telling the audience to remember that, "The country is always stronger than the people who run it."



At the luncheon following she said it was helpful to her to hear what questions people had - what people in Kansas wanted to know about the election.

The questions were non-partisan (I was so glad!) and included:

• voter fraud
• the amount spent on elections (she said for people to always look at who is giving money for any ad you see and what their agenda is)
• the Mormon question (we don't know - elections are always multi-determined)
• how she prepped for the debates and how much leeway she has (she said she asks a question 3 different ways generally and then says something like, "so you're not going to answer" and lets it go so she doesn't waste all her time)
• how important are spouses (she said people vote for the top of the ticket)
• who runs polls and who is asked
• how has social media affected elections (she recommended factcheck.org, politifact.com and snopes.com, and encouraged people to consider where information is coming from)

She was incredibly warm and pleasant. She mentioned that when she worked at the AP, the motto was, "Get it first, but first get it right." That's how journalism is supposed to work. It was a wonderful, interesting morning!

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Morning Glory

A few years ago I planted Morning Glories in front of my house. I love their vine-y goodness!

This year I noticed something growing and starting to travel up the side of the steps. Then it migrated onto the porch, then covered a wicker shelf I had on the porch and continued to march toward the door. Just as it seemed it would try to come into the house it started travelling upward again.

There are very few blooms, but it it is a morning glory plant. Yet another indication that everything wants to live and is striving to do so.

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Pretty Pictures

I've been going through photos tonight for a project. It's kind of nice to see time slipping by through a series of visual references.

Lately multiple people have complimented my photography. I feel like it's okay, but not great. Maybe that's because I see all the "outtakes." But, looking at some of the photos tonight, without all the extraneous ones I passed over, I've started to think some of it is pretty nice.



It would be enlightening to be able to perceive ourselves as others do. Of course, we might not like everything we learned that way.

Regardless, tonight I'm just going to enjoy pretty pictures.



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Quote of the Day

Anything I can not transform
into something marvelous,
I let go. 

                                                        -Anaïs Nin

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A Hunger for Beauty

I've been thinking a lot lately about what I hunger for. What is it that I'm longing for, that I'm homesick for? What is always in my mind as a need unfulfilled?

Something that comes back to me again and again is beauty. I need those bits of beauty in daily life. Sometimes it's a vase of flowers on a table, sometimes it's tea, sometimes it is something I don't anticipate, but relish when it arrives unbidden.

But I've realized I'm always on the hunt.

For reasons I don't fully understand, these bits of beauty seem more scarce where I live. There is no restaurant in my town that has fresh flowers sitting on the table, like this Oklahoma City restaurant did. Yet, our city has a profusion of blooms in the medians downtown - just gorgeous.

But for some reason, I need beauty in this more personal way, up close, where I can experience them intensely - the flowers where I can touch them, not just see them. I need to enjoy them on more than one level.

That's part of what I love about tea. It's beauty on multiple levels. And I get to experience it, not just observe it. As my friend, Jesse, pointed out, we find the divine in beauty. Why not experience it?

Is this a flaw in my personality? Perhaps. After all, maybe I am the only one who needs this. Then again, maybe it is something we all need but that no one has given voice to yet.


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Small Town 2012 State of Now 140conf - Discount Included

People from 20 states and two foreign countries will be in Hutchinson on November 8 for the Small Town 2012 State of Now 140conf. You may wonder what that is, and I'll admit, it's hard to explain. But, if you can, just think of it as people coming from all over the place to explore how our world is different because we all live in the "state of now," with media and the internet.

Topics will be wide ranging, but speakers will have only 10 minutes each to make their points. You can see the preliminary schedule here: http://smalltown2012.stateofnow.com/schedule.

Regular cost to attend is $100, and it's worth every penny. But, there's a discount code that can save you 60%, making your ticket cost only $40. When you register, use the code, "friendofST12" and your ticket will be only $40. Student tickets are only $14. You can register here: http://smalltown2012.stateofnow.com/register.

This is the third year for Hutchinson to host this conference. Other State of Now events have been held in New York, Tel Aviv, San Francisco and other large cities. I'm trying to say, this is a big deal. A really big deal. So, please come if at all possible. If you can't come, please help spread the word. This is not just an event for techie people. It's a fascinating look at the world and the people in it.

Come join in!



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Cowhide Leather Wallets Made in India

I took this photo at the Kansas State Fair.

Considering they worship cows in India, I'm troubled - and confused - by this sign.

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Fair Divinity Pix

I didn't realize there was a cash prize that came with the divinity entry at the state fair. But, I am now the recipient of a $6 check, to go with the red ribbon. I'm debating if I should cash it or keep it as a souvenir. (Yes, I know, this is the very definition of a "first world problem.")

I was lucky enough that last Friday of the fair when I got a chance to go to the Domestic Arts Building to run into Brian Lingle, a local photographer, who snapped this photo of me with the divinity.

So darned handy to know those photographers!


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Gracious or Pragmatic

"You're gracious," a friend wrote in an email to me today. It was in response to my  reaction to some news she had shared. It's very flattering she believes me to be gracious, and goodness knows I try. But sometimes I think my "graciousness" is really just pragmatism, dressed up in fancier clothes.

I grew up in a situation where I learned early you had to pick your battles. I don't mean that in the sense of fighting, but in determining what you're going to give energy to.

We all have a limited amount of resources - there's only so much time, energy and stomach lining to devote to anything. Life presents some unexpected things that demand a considerable amount of those resources. What is left is all we have to devote to what we desire.

Simple math told me early to live life in a way that taxed those limited resources as little as possible. It's why I have no people in my life who thrive on drama. I don't indulge in worry, fear or regret because they all take energy, but accomplish nothing. Instead I will save those resources for things that restore me, encourage me and energize me.

So, maybe I'm gracious. But maybe I'm just practical.

However, for today, I think I will just revel in the idea of being gracious. It's such a lovely thought.

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Doily Pattern Book

Look at this treasure I found at the flea market recently. It's a pattern book for doilies. Right on the front is a pineapple pattern, one of my very favorites. I'd love to find one of these doilies, but so far that hasn't happened.

Who knows, maybe my next flea market visit will be the one...

Regardless, I love seeing these pattern books. I'm sure millions of them were printed, but it's not that common to run across them.

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Domestic Goddess Still a Goal

I had reason today to be going through some older blog posts. This one from May of 2009 still makes me chuckle. Unfortunately, it's an ironic chuckle indicating how little has changed, instead of one celebrating I'm now a true domestic goddess. 

Although I am happy to report my home is sans ants, and there are no longer dishes piled on the dining room table, but clean clothes. I'm not sure that's in improvement, but at least the dishes haven't been there for three years. That's a bonus.

My Title of Domestic Goddess is in Serious Jeopardy

My title of "Domestic Goddess" is in serious jeopardy.

Truth be told, I'm not sure anyone has ever referred to me as a domestic goddess, but I've always hoped someone would. Frankly, I would have been a wonderful 1950s housewife in so many ways.

I've always wanted to be the perfect combination of Alexandra Stoddard, Martha Stewart, and Bree Hodges. The only problem  is that one of them is fictional, one is well-staffed and other is married to a man who made it unnecessary for her to make a living when she got started, and I have none of those things working in my favor.

Despite these obstacles, I have persistent fantasies of welcoming people into my spotlessly clean, well-appointed, completely renovated Victorian home where the fresh citrus scent of my homemade cleaning products lingers in the air. (Of course I'm wearing pearls in this vignette.)

I'll serve freshly baked scones with berries from the garden and my homemade lemon curd. The linen napkins will be pressed crisply, smelling of sunshine and just a hint of the vanilla rinse I put them through. People will ooh and ah, and I will bask in all this appreciation for my domestic prowess. After a lovely gathering during which we'll gather around the piano in the music room for a couple of songs, I will retire to the sitting room off my boudoir with a nice cup of tea. I'll lie down and rest with a good book or do some delicate handwork.

In reality, of course, I'm working all of these hours. And, if you drop by you're likely to find a paint can lying about because my renovation now stretches into years, and nothing in my house is spotless. Not even close. "Sanitary" is the most I hope for. While I love handwork, I find it more expedient to buy pieces at sales than to spend the time making it myself. And my piano is so out of tune I wouldn't even let a child bang on it for fear of ruining their budding musical talent.

Today is an example of the startling difference between my real life and my fantasy life.

I've been working all weekend to eradicate the ants who insist on taking up residence in my kitchen cabinets. No matter what poisons I use, and how much silicone caulk I smear over tiny cracks here and there, they persist. So, the dining room table is covered with the dishes that have already been through the dishwasher, and both sinks and the counters are full of things waiting to be washed. Alas, it is not the scene of someone who has been testing which tomato variety makes the best marinara sauce.

Between running the dishwasher, I've been cleaning in my home office. My home office is such a disaster area that I close the door when company is coming, and yet it's where I spend most of my time. It's a wonder my fingers have not been crushed by an avalanche of things careening onto the keyboard. And the top of the desk is one of the better areas.

Today I sat in the floor and started sorting through the piles. While doing so I found a fuzzy piece of Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal. I don't even recall when I last ate that for a snack, which means this has been there for some undetermined, but lengthy, amount of time. Although one might think you could gauge timing by the amount of dust, much like rings on a tree, I declined. Instead I decided to use the archeology method and take note of what was near it. It was nestled between a green and white speckled breath mint, the remains of a roll of Wintergreen Lifesavers, and a French Franc that is no longer legal tender. None of that was helpful.

I don't think domestic goddess types have grungy cereal underfoot. Cereal they don't even know about. And I cannot blame children or pets, as I have neither. The responsible party would be me. The shame of it all. This is not how practitioners of the domestic arts conduct themselves.

Of course, I have a full time job that pays for the house which is the stage for my domestic goddess-ness. Unfortunately, it takes the time I could spend whipping up chocolate mousse for dessert to top off the gourmet dinner I would throw together in between planting the herbs, polishing the silver, and planning my next dinner party complete with engraved invitations and matching place cards. (I also own no silver - mainly because it requires polishing - which would take time I don't have.)

Don't get me wrong, I can hold my own with the average, every day, domestic goddess wannabe. I can write a thank you note with the best of them, and my handwriting is more than passable. My homemade lemonade is made with freshly squeezed lemons, a simple syrup and some fresh lavender from the garden. I own a considerable amount of china and can set a lovely table for almost any occasion, complete with fresh flowers in a glass flower frog.

But, I believe on the domestic goddess tally sheet that cereal of unknown origins lying about on the floor undiscovered for some extended period of time, negates a nice thank you note. If only I had a scone to fortify me. But who can cook while waging war with ants?


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State Fair Season

The Kansas State Fair has wrapped up for another year. There's something I love about the rituals we have of riding the train, visiting certain booths, and making the rounds.

Time to move on to other rituals for other seasons.

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Sea Lions

The Kansas State Fair had a sea lion act this year. This was just too cute to not share. What more needs be said?

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