4:14 a.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spring has Arrived

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

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

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

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

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

My cookbooks have a new home.

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

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

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

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

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

Needless to say, I have much work to do.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Starting with the birthday girl herself...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Birthday, Andrea!

I was suspicious...

I have suspected for some time, and today have confirmed, that I own too many cookbooks. Some of them must go to live somewhere else. Many of them. Hundreds of them.

I have been collecting cookbooks for many years. I bought them when I travelled and I have the ones I've reviewed over the past dozen plus years. Some of them I love and some of them I have barely looked at since they've been in my possession. None of them are really used for recipes anymore. When I want a recipe I go online.

So, it is time for many of these cookbooks to find a new home. I think I'd like to just give about 75% of the collection to a library that could use them, with the remaining ones going there after I die. The trick now is to see if there's a library that would be interested in them.

I wasn't looking for another project right now, but I guess I need to devote some energy to this. I want to move them on to their new home soon.

Sudoku Brain Power

Have you started working sudoku? I was resisting. And I was doing a good job of it. Until I was in Kentucky in October and Mary Ann had a little book - just lying there on the counter - all innocent looking.

Well, I started working them and discovered I'm not very good at it. For most people, this would make them stop. I, instead, came home and found a place online to work them for free. Now I've purchased a book - damn the Target $1 section.

The online place gives you an option of seeing how you're doing compared to others. I suck even more than I knew. Once it told me that 98% of people do them better. Hopefully I've gotten a little better.

Obviously, this uses some part of my brain that isn't fully functioning. I'm trying to stimulate it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And, yes, I'm only working the "easy" ones. Don't laugh.

I started my day at 4 a.m. in Topeka. It's now midnight and I'm back in Hutchinson.
This morning was our annual legislative breakfast for Compeer. The various programs in the state convene at the capitol and provide donuts and cinnamon rolls for anyone in the capitol who wants to stop by. We talk about Compeer, which is a mentoring program for adults and children recovering from a mental illness.


It gives us a chance to visit with everyone and tell them a bit about the program.


This morning was especially fun - I ran into Jeff King from dialogue, and visited with him briefly. I also saw Mark Treaster for a few minutes. I was hoping I'd run into Jan Pauls, but I didn't see her.

I was flattered that Tom Hawk remembered my "This I Believe" piece from Kansas Dialogue last year. He asked if it was available anywhere, which prompted me to locate it online tonight and send it to him.

All in all it was a successful morning. I rather enjoy the process. I liked doing it for the MHA last year in DC, too, although I was pretty much just listening and learning. I found out this past week that I'll probably get to go to that conference again this year, so that will be a cool.

When I talk about enjoying visiting legislators the looks people give me are very similar to the ones I get when I mention that I like public speaking. Sometimes I think this may not be the "norm."
But I think of it as just an information exchange - there's no way people, even legislators, can know all the details about everything. And Compeer is a fabulous program so it's good to be able to tell its story and demonstrate that taxpayers are getting something significant for the money devoted to this program. Although it's not a huge amount of money for the state, it's huge for these programs. We couldn't provide the service without that funding.

The friendship that people develop in a Compeer match has a dramatic impact on the lives of the people involved. That friendship is often cited as a reason people are able to develop more social skills, or go back to work or school. People with a Compeer friend are much less likely to be hospitalized, which is a huge money saver. It's a good program, so it's easy for me to speak positively about it.

I guess that's the deal for me. If it's something I can be completely positive about while being totally honest it's very easy to promote it. I just can't be in a position where I have to fudge the truth or make things look better than they are. Fortunately, it's easy to be positive about Compeer.

I got back to Hutchinson tonight in time to go to Andrea's loft for a birthday gathering. I had thought I wouldn't be back, but really wanted to go. I'll have more photos to share, but - of course - we need a photo of the birthday girl - opening presents, naturally!

Decision

I have made an important decision. It's not one of the typical, potentially life-altering decisions you might think, but it's an important one in my little corner of the world. And I'm stating it publicly right now. Next weekend - March 17/18 - I am going to finish the library. I have been talking about it and putzing around with it for so long I'm boring myself whenever I think about it, much less talk about it. So, next weekend I'm just going to finish it and be done with it.

I'm not sure what the deal is but I've developed some sort of weird mental block about this room. I thought it was getting the shelves put together so I hired Austin to do that, but I still didn't get in there and finish the room. I have some "issue" with it - maybe that I'm not sure I really want to keep all the cookbooks I'm creating a room to hold. Whatever it is, next weekend I'm putting it to the side and getting my ass in gear and getting the room done. I have eight more days to nurture my weirdness about it and then it will be time for action and I'm going to accomplish it.

I've decided it's going to be a lovely way to spend a weekend. And by Sunday night I will be feeling very proud of myself and enjoying my lovely room, with shelves full of books lining the walls, my rocking chair in place, and all will be right with the world. Or at least in that one room.

This bedroom-soon-to-be-library appears to be little more than a junk room at the moment. That is a terrible, terrible thing to let happen. It takes a long time to undo it and that's where I find myself. So, I'm going to dig in and do it and be done with it. I want to move on to other projects and this is my only free weekend for the next couple of months.

I'll do some before, during and after photos. Goodness knows I should be embarrassed to even show what the room looks like. But, as we all know, you'll be able to find the photos here on the world wide web. It will be like one of those organizing shows "before" photos.

When I was in Kentucky at Christmas I discovered that my nephew, Bobby, shares my distaste of those organizing shows. Throwing away my things is not organizing them. If you are an "organizer" you're supposed to come in and ORGANIZE my things - not just throw them away. If I only had 5% of the things I own I wouldn't need your help to organize them - I could do it myself.

And if you think I'm going to be arguing with someone over whether or not I get to keep something I value, you've lost your freaking mind. If I went to the trouble to make the money to buy it, went and purchased it, carried it home and hauled it upstairs, I want it. And if you're my organizer you're supposed to show me the efficient way to have/house/store/display/enjoy said item - not toss it out.

On another home front, I've also been thinking about trying my hand at reupholstering. I have a chair upstairs that I bought specifically with the idea of experiementing on it. I think the time has come to give it a whirl. If I screw it up I'll just toss it all out and consider it a lesson learned. I've got some fabric, a staple gun and a sewing machine - what else could I need? OK, so some knowledge and experience would be good, but both of those have to be gained. Nothing like just jumping into a project to get some of both.

My mother reupholstered furniture, and although she never had a lesson and only did it for family, hers looked as good as what I've seen the "professionals" do. I understand the hardest part is the cushions so I just decided maybe I'd hire those done if I ran into problems. It looks to me like it involves a lot of stretching and stapling.We'll see how confident I feel once I have something in pieces. I could be singing a completely different tune then.

Megatrends 2010

I've been reading the book, Megatrends 2010, by Patricia Aburdene. Her belief is that we are moving into a time of social consciousness in business. She cites many examples of companies encouraging meditation and how that has reflected positively on the bottom line.

She talks about how the real promise of expanding business is finding a way to bring the rest of the world into it, in a socially responsible way. Forgiveness, heart math and a variety of other techniques are discussed.

It's worth a look. We can only hope she's right about the "rise of conscious capitalism."

Hand work

Early this morning I was making a cup of tea and glanced over at the wire basket full of hand crocheted potholders I've accumulated over the years. I'm not sure exactly what my attraction to them is, but it is substantial. Maybe it's the different designs and the beautiful colors - some of them are incredibly intricate.

One of the things I love about handwork is that you can see people's creativity - even when following a pattern, and even when supplies were probably limited. I am very lucky to live in an area where lots of ladies still practice some of these crafts. However, it is fading, just like so many other things.

I have looked for some old patterns before, thinking maybe I would crochet some of these myself. But, I've never found the old patterns and I'm not sure I'd get motivated enough to do it anyway. The only thing I've found online that seems to be close is at http://web.archive.org/web/20030608131706/
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/lffunt/scallph.htm. It would be really wonderful to run across an old pattern book. If I got interested enough I could probably look at some of the ones I have and figure out the basics of how to make one. But there's somethign so charming about having ones that have stood the test of time and have that patina of age on them.

While I was in the kitchen this morning I smiled yet again at the lovely tea towels Julie gave me more than a year ago. I had mentioned how much I loved embroidered tea towels and she purchased these for me. There's a whole set of them, one for every day of the week. They're new, not antique ones, and I love them.

It was so sweet of Julie to remember that conversation, and buy these for me. I have used them at various times as decoration on the refrigerator door, but haven't used them for anything messy. I'm sure I will eventually, but I want to keep them nice looking as long as possible. The whole set is done in these nice colors and sweet designs.

I am going to make it a habit to put that day's towel on the fridge each day, so I can enjoy them all. I'm not sure why, but my mom always had a towel hanging on the fridge door, as did everyone else I knew when I was growing up. For whatever reason that custom has faded but I think I shall revive it in my own home - if for no reason other than to enjoy these.

I spent the work day huddled over the keyboard, which was all the more difficult today because it was a gorgeous outside. But I accomplished a number of things. I also got some a letter today saying that we are getting a grant for the MHA that I was a bit unsure about. So, I'm happy about that.

After work today I went to Carey Park for a long walk and to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful afternoon, warm and sunny.

Little Luxuries

I have had a rather relaxing day by my standards. I got some writing and some recording done, which is good.

I also made a trip to Goodwill, where for less than $9 I added to my teacup collection including some lovely hobnail milk glass cups.

 I also picked up a Denby china cup and saucer made in Portugal.It has a stamp on the bottom that reads Denby Fine China Portugal Tabletop Designs S.A. 1974 with a 32 added on it. I have no idea what any of that means, but I was enchanted with it.

I love this set, it's so sweet. The little flowers are so delicate.

 They had some more cups, but only one saucer. I don't care about having a matched set always, but one of the neatest bits of this is on the saucer - a little butterfly where the cup sits.

How can you not love that?

Of course, I had to try it out tonight so I'm having a cup of Constant Comment right this very minute. Why does tea taste better when you drink it from a beautiful cup?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the little luxuries I enjoy in daily life. I am convinced they're essential to mental well-being. Mine, fortuantely, are pretty simple.

1. I love good perfume - love it - one of my favorite parts of the day is deciding what perfume to wear each day. Yesterday it was Ombre Rose, today Ralph Lauren Hot, tomorrow who knows... maybe Obsession, a long time favorite. I have a large collection of scents and love them all.

2. I have nice soap at every sink in my house. The last year or so I've been devoted to Bath and Body, but it can change.

3. Bubble bath is an essential. I adore a nice long, luxurious bath. It's my favorite place to read, lounge and relax.

4. Nice sheets - the extra thread count is worth the extra money.

5. Fine stationery. Although it's largely lost on most people, I appreciate the feel of certain paper - for writing and reading. I don't think there has been a time in my life since I was in college when I've not had some Crane's in my home - even if my home was only a small apartment. Kate's Paperie in New York is a place where I can spend hours.

I am blessed to be able to indulge the luxuries I enjoy. There are so many "things" I appreciate - from antique linens to glassware to a wonderful cup of tea. They all make me feel settled into who I am.

I am finally getting my life organized enough that I have time for all the things I want to do. It has been a slow process, but I'm getting to the place where I can work in everything I want in a day.

Edit: Janice in England tells me that Denby is made in England and Portugal is the name of the pattern. Ah! I love the delicate little flowers - very sweet. Thanks, Janice.

Writing

Greg and I returned to Hutch tonight, after a whirlwind couple of days. Of course yesterday was devoted to seeing Bill Clinton. Today we spent a majority of the day at the Kansas Capitol building. We wanted to take the dome tour, and ended up getting the dome and historical tour with a lovely woman.

As we were leaving Topeka, Greg realized there was a lunar eclipse going on so we took note of that and lamented we had not paid closer attention. Greg is very observant about such things, but it was almost over by the time we noticed.

I dropped Greg off a little after 10 tonight and I am trying to catch up on some correspondence and other writing since I got home. I need to spend parts of tomorrow at the computer and the writing desk.

I have been neglecting my handwritten correspondence lately and I need to devote some time to it. I'm considering moving my writing desk into the downstairs sunporch, in front of the window. That seems like it would be a lovely place to write, particularly in the early morning. I enjoy the feel of pen to paper, chosing the stationery, and the look of a letter ready to be dropped in the mailbox. There's something special about having a place where you sit down specifically to write by hand.

I do nothing at my writing desk except write notes and journal. I do not use a computer there, nor do I pay bills or anything of that nature. That space is sacred for communication by the handwritten word - whether it be with the outside world or my inner world.

President Clinton

We got to see President Clinton twice today - first in Manhattan, Kansas, as part of the Landon Lecture Series, then tonight in Topeka as part of Washington Days, the annual get together for the democrats in Kansas

I guess I can sum it up by saying he's just as inspiring as you would expect. This is the first time I've seen him in person and it was worth the effort and the money, although - of course - I wanted more. Don't I always?

One of the things I've always loved about Clinton is that he's smart - oh so smart. And I think that's why so many women find him sexy, too. Smart is always sexy.

I did not take notes at his speeches today. I wanted to just enjoy the experience, without thinking about that. But his Landon lecture will be broadcast on C-Span. He spoke there about the five questions he thinks we should all ask.

Of course, our beloved Governor was with him all day. Apparently they have known each other for a long time. I don't know if she has any national political aspirations, but if you ever get a chance to vote for Kathleen Sebelius, do - she is really a good, common sense democrat who is also loved by republicans. Witness she's been elected more than once in a republican state.

In Topeka Clinton geared his talk more to Kansas but there was some overlap, including talk about healthcare. A statistic that stayed with me is that we now insure 4 percent fewer people now than when he left office, but it's costing us 32% more. The cost is in administration - namely insurance companies trying to not pay, or at least delay payment, and the ensuing tug of war.

Another overlap area was economic. He said for the middle class to survive, every 5-8 years there has to be an influx of new, good paying jobs. He said in his administration it was the tech jobs that served that purpose. He believes that the opportunity exists now for jobs related to different forms of energy.

He was hopeful, as he always is. I just adore the man and nothing would make me happier than the next president having a little pillow talk with Bill Clinton.

I also took the opportunity tonight to buy some Hillary for President buttons.

I want to say a big thank you to Greg for the photos. It's so darned handy to travel with your own photographer!

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

Tired Pup

I am a tired pup tonight, but I've accomplished many things in the last week. While I was in Kentucky I finished a couple of MHA projects I needed to get done, as well as an Altrusa thing. But, spending a night with no sleep and then standing in the cold to get Clinton tickets, and driving 1300 miles in less than a week has worn me out a bit. I think after a good night's sleep tonight I'll be feeling normal again.

And - good thing - because tomorrow we go to see President Clinton in Manhattan and then again in Topeka. I'm sure all will go smoothly getting from one place to another because we've done a lot of planning for it, but it has taken some energy.

The other morning when I left my brother's I made a quick stop in Barlow, Kentucky. Barlow was my address the first 17 years of my life, and is the small town closest to the farm where I grew up. On the main corner in Barlow was the hardware store on the corner - run by Miss Mary Nave. Next to it was the drugstore. Now the hardware store is gone and the drugstore looks not to be far behind. I couldn't resist snapping a photo. Whoever owns the building has removed the false front that was on it for years, exposing a hand painted sign which is quite the time capsule.

When I approached the Kentucky-Illinois bridge between Wickliffe and Cairo the sun was just peeking from behind a cloud. I had thought about stopping by the river briefly, but that sealed the deal. I turned left instead of right, which would have taken me toward home, and drove the winding road to the riverfront. I arrived just in time to grab a few shots before the sun broke through and ruined the effect. I was literally back in the car and turning around when the sun popped out so I got my few pictures just in the nick of time. I lead a charmed life.

This is the same spot I showed a day or two ago, where the rivers run together. But I shot this from further away from the edge. But, I'm glad I went ahead and shot. I didn't know it, but I didn't have time to walk to the water's edge - I would have missed it if I'd tried.

Rivers and River Towns

I have been home in Kentucky for a couple of days and it has been nice. I just headed on here Saturday after spending Friday night in Kansas City after getting the Clinton tickets.

I went to the river today, as I do everytime I'm in Kentucky. When I talk about going to "the river," I'm really talking about going to Illinois to the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, near Cairo. Yes, it's named after the Egyptian city, but it's pronounced differently. The one in Illinois sounds more like CARE-roe. But, it was named after the one in Egypt because of the river connection - same as Memphis.

As I usually do at the river, I collected some driftwood and took some photos. I have some art projects in mind for the driftwood.




That ripple that you can see in the water is where the Ohio and the Mississippi run together. It's the Mississippi on the right and the Ohio on the left.

Tomorrow I drive home. It takes about 12 hours to get from my brother's house in KY to my house in KS. It's a lot of time to think. The other day driving here I really didn't think much about my life - I'm not sure why, but I just listened to the radio and some podcasts and didn't do much thinking, plotting or planning like I usually do. Maybe my brain just needed a break.

I have been pretty overwhelmed the last couple of months but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I completed some projects while here, which is nice. Sometimes I can focus better and think better in a different environment.

After going to the river today I drove on into Cairo to look around. It was once a thriving town - we used to go shop there when I was a kid - but it has really gone downhill.

Many of the building on the main drag near the river levee are just falling apart. Some have collapsed. In some ways it's a beautiful bit of "urban" decay. I think it would make an amazing "portrait" of a town in decline. I didn't have time today to take all the pix I wanted to take but maybe next time I'm here I'll go over in the morning and in the afternoon to get sun on a variety of things and do a better job.

Even in the ruin you can see the beauty that once was.




This was one of the few businesses still operating in that area and the building is a stellar example of the "porthole" windows so common in Cairo and other river towns. Much of the architecture in towns like Cairo traveled up river from New Orleans, so you'll see some of the same styles you expect in the deep south river towns.




There are some bright spots there, though, including the library built in 1883, which is a stunningly beautiful building, with lots of stained glass.




Hopefully one day soon I'll get around to working on some more of the photos I took today and sharing more of the town. Cairo has some beautiful mansions and some incredibly run-down areas. It's a microcosm of urban life in a small town.

I have it!

I have it - that precious little piece of paper - that lets me in to the lecture on Friday by President Bill Clinton at Kansas State University. It required a night of no sleep - and I mean none, a long drive during the night/morning of no sleep, and waiting in line in the cold, but I have it.

They were distributed at 10 a.m. Friday morning, which I found out at about 11 p.m. Thursday night. So, I had to do the work I had slated for Friday in the overnight hours so it was done. I left for Manhattan, about 2 1/2 hours from where I live, about 5:00 a.m. Greg came up separately since I was not coming directly home. We were expecting the line to be very long, but it wasn't too bad. Greg got there before I did so we're not sitting together, but that's OK - we both get to go.

We bought our tickets for the Topeka event, but I'm thinking Clinton may talk more in Manhattan and I really wanted to do both. The last time he was in Kansas - in Lawrence - I did not get to go. I couldn't go stand in line the day they were handing out tickets that time and I didn't get to benefit from any friends' extra tickets. So, I missed out. I was really disappointed then, and I didn't want to be disappointed this time.

I have been calling everyone I thought might have any connection to K-state for weeks, since this was announced, trying to get details on how to get tickets. K-state didn't seem to want to share that information. Finally, late Thursday afternoon Greg got word from someone he knows who is a student that after the student distribution there were still tickets left for the public - then it was a matter of how to lay our hands on them.

It wasn't as smooth as I would have liked it to be, but we got them.

Lemuel Sheppard

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 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.

Lunches and Lectures

I went to lunch with Peggy today and we sat and talked for a long time. It was good to reconnect. We don't seem to see each other often enough. I needed a break so it worked out great.

Tonight I went to a lecture on grief, which I'll say more about when I'm not quite so weary, but for tonight I want to get some rest.

The last few days I've been working every waking moment and that's all I've done tonight since getting home. It is time for me to rest. I need to rest. I must rest.

Shorter Work Week

As a result of my "Dilbert isn't funny when you're living it" post, I got an email from the folks who founded an organization for a shorter work week.

Americans are way overworked. We don't even seem to have time to feed ourselves anymore, hence the proliferation of fast food restaurants. You'd think  not being able to feed our own young would be a long term issue for the species, but so far we don't seem to have noticed.

http://www.shorterworkweek.blogspot.com/

Blue Skinned

I'm starting to feel like that kid we see on King of the Hill every once inawhile that is hunched over his computer with the blue skin. It seems I've been typing for days and days and days. This time of year I do a lot of grant writing and budgeting and such, and it all requires a lot of computer time. But I've had a string of really productive days and accomplished many projects. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get outside and see some sun. I need to take some daylight time and get outdoors a bit. I'm starting to feel as though my veins are visible.

Tonight was my board meeting and afterwards Trish and I spent some time chatting. We also ran into Terry as he was coming in to the library. Trish is someone I trust implicitly and trust is a huge deal to me. She is never judgemental, never-passive agressive, never condescending. It's a rare blend in a person and one I try to emulate. She is far better at it than I am.

I knew this about Trish, but when I was involved with a man who was much younger than me, she was one of the very few people in my world who passed no judgement on that - openly or otherwise. She was supportive in the beginning and she was supportive at the end. That's what a friend is about - someone who is there over the whole spectrum of experience, with nothing but positivity regardless.

Last night was Creative Sisterhood and although there were only four of us here it was a really great evening. Diana left early, leaving Teresa, Martha and me but it was an insightful time together - at least for me. We talked about many topics, including The Secret and the Law of Attraction.

Dilbert isn't funny when you're living it

Today was a holiday in the states - well, for some people. I didn't get any mail today, lets put it that way. What holiday? President's Day. It was created by people trying to sell appliances as a way to "honor" Lincoln and Washington who both had birthdays in February - neither of which happened to be today, which is a Monday so therefore an extended weekend.

I, of all people, am fond of holidays, but I wish we would just be honest about them instead of hunting for some tenous reason to have a holiday. Americans are overworked in so many ways - we take less vacation than any other industrialized nation except Japan. Even those who are entitled to lots of vacation don't take it. Not this girl - I take my vacation. I would be in need of mental health services if I didn't.

However, although today was technically a holiday I have worked all day. And, wouldn't you know it, have had an incredibly productive day. I completed FOUR tasks I've been putting off and dreading. I had done some work on each of them and as of 3:02 a.m. they are all completed.

I don't intend to stay up this late, but I get into "the flow" of a project and I don't want to stop. If I keep going I can finish it in another 30 minutes. If I stop, it will take me an extra two hours to get back in the mindset where it will take those 30 minutes. Unfortunately, when that happens repeatedly, it ends up being after 3 a.m.

I had a boss years ago who would say, "it's like you do nothing for weeks, then you pull an all nighter and more is accomplished than seems humanly possible in one night." What he could never understand was that 1.  I was not just idly sitting at my desk doing nothing, despite appearances - I was THINKING about the projects all those previous weeks. 2. I got more done when no one was interrupting me so of course I could accomplish a lot of things. 3. If he would have just left me alone and let me do things my own way he would have gotten much more out of me.

My current employers are very good about letting me do my work my own way. They're getting far more than 40 hours a week from me because I devote one of the many tracks in my brain to work all the time - not just 9-5. And I'm happy to do that as long as I'm treated well. When I'm not respected by an employer I just switch that off at 5 p.m.

Having worked in broadcasting for many years I have had some funny work experiences.

At one place I worked you couldn't make any long distance phone calls without the manager's approval. He had severe back trouble and you had to go into his office and ask him if it was OK. He would be lying prone on this table built so he didn't have to bend to sit on it. So, you would bend over at a 90 degree angle so you could look him in the eye and ask if you could make a phone call.

At another place I worked, only the first few people who got their paychecks to the bank every week got paid. Everyone else's would bounce. I was working there parttime and the checks were printed at 10 a.m. Tuesdays. I would go pick up my check, that of the program director and a friend who worked nights and take them all to the bank. Depending on how much money was in the account a couple of other people might get paid. It was paycheck roulette.

That was the same place where one of the sales guys wore this powder blue leisure suit to work every day - I mean every day - for two and a half months. Finally the sales manager pulled him aside and said you've got to get another suit.

At another place I worked, the evening anchor guy was having a torrid affair with the weekend weather girl. The anchor guy's wife was the noontime anchor and knew nothing about this. Maybe because she was busy with the weekend sports guy. Kenny, the sports guy, was, meantime, hitting on every intern that went through the place - including me. While he was awfully cute, I refrained. Who wants to be in someone's love triangle, quadrangle, hexagon or whatever that is.

For the record, Dilbert isn't funny when you're living it.

An Evening of Friends

Tonight Mark and company were in Hutchinson for dinner at Skaets. Mia had to leave for Joplin but the rest of us met there and then everyone came back to my house for dessert.

It was really nice to sit and visit with them. I made brownies, coffee and tea and we all talked for 2-3 hours. They're super nice folks and I enjoy them all. I am a big believer in the importance of sharing conversation and

It was beautiful here today - 60 degrees - quite a change from a week ago when the temps were single digit and the predicted "trace" of snow amounted to about six inches over about 3 1/2 days. I think all of the snow melted today, except maybe the big piles in parking lots and such.

I snapped this photo of my neighbor's flag on Tuesday morning - less than a week ago. Of course, I was taking the photo before I realized that my car was frozen shut. I should have been devoting myself to breaking into it but I didn't know that at the time.




On the way out to lunch that day - once I was able to break into the passenger's side of the car - I took a few more pix a couple of blocks away.

Olde Towne Restaurant in Hillsboro, Kansas

Mark, his friends Carl and Chris, and Wayne, are in the area from Kansas City this weekend. Carl is notorious for planning what has now been dubbed the "food coma caravan" trips.

I'm quite impressed with what they do. They get The Kansas Guidebook by Marci Penner and plan a route, with the idea of hitting a number of local restaurants along the way. They had breakfast at the Burns Cafe, lunch at the Breadbasket in Newton and dinner at the Olde Towne Restaurant in Hillsboro.

I didn't get to join them until dinner tonight, but it was a blast. Greg and Mia had lunch with them today, too, but I was at the retreat and then Trish and I had lunch here.

On the drive to Hillsboro Greg, Mia and I were treated to a nice sunset, too.




The Olde Towne Restaurant is in a building built in 1887. Greg and Carl explored it and its multiple levels. The rest of us just ate. It's a German buffet - $11.49 for an adult - and includes a salad, dinner and dessert.







We asked one of the servers to take our photo. That's Mark in front, Mia in the orange, Chris in the green shirt, Wayne in the center, Greg in the blue jacket, me behind Greg, and Carl - the mastermind - is the tall one in the back.




It was a blast to see them. I hadn't gotten to see Wayne in a long time. The open road suits Carl and Chris. Mark is always fun. It has been a long time since I've seen Mia - that girl works hard - so it was nice. I wish I had time to see them all more.

Creativity Determines Sexual Success

The following explains a whole lot about a whole bunch of people I have known over the years. I do think the 4-10 number is a little low, unless we're assuming that the wisdom of American Pie applies and for women you multiply that by a factor of "3." Or maybe the Brits are just a bit more reserved in this area as well as others.

And before you get too excited about the sexual part, keep reading to the mental illness part. There's always a catch, huh?

I took this from the Newcastle University press release site - http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/content.phtml?ref=1133344280

How could this have escaped attention for more than a year?!?!?

Creativity determines sexual success

Date released 30 November 2005

The more creative a person is, the more sexual partners they are likely to have, according to a pioneering study which could explain the behaviour of notorious womanisers such as poets Lord Byron and Dylan Thomas.

The research, by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Open University in the UK, found that professional artists and poets have around twice as many sexual partners as those who do not indulge in these creative activities.

The authors also delved into the personalities of artists and poets and found they shared certain traits with mentally ill patients. These traits were linked with an increased sexual activity and are thought to have evolved because they contribute to the survival of the human species.

Some 425 British men and women, including a sample of visual artists and poets and schizophrenic patients, were surveyed for the report, which is published today in the academic journal, The Proceedings of the Royal Society (B). Although creative types have long been associated with increased sexual activity, this the first time that this link has been proved by research.

Study participants filled in questionnaires which asked about their degree of creative activity in poetry and visual art, their psychiatric history, and their history of sexual encounters since the age of 18. They were also required to answer questions on a "schizotypy inventory," a breakdown of characteristics linked with schizophrenic patients.

The average number of sexual partners for professional artists and poets was between four and ten, compared with a mean of three for non-creative types. Statistics also showed the number of average sexual partners rose in line with an increase in the amount of creative activity a person took part in.

The lead author of the study, Dr Daniel Nettle (pictured), lecturer in psychology with Newcastle University’s School of Biology, suggested two key reasons for the findings. He said: "Creative people are often considered to be very attractive and get lots of attention as a result. They tend to be charismatic and produce art and poetry that grabs people’s interest."

"It could also be that very creative types lead a bohemian lifestyle and tend to act on more sexual impulses and opportunities, often purely for experience’s sake, than the average person would. Moreover, it’s common to find that this sexual behaviour is tolerated in creative people. Partners, even long-term ones, are less likely to expect loyalty and fidelity from them."

Dr Nettle added that the results suggested an evolutionary reason for why certain personality traits that serious artists and poets were found to share with schizophrenic patients perpetuated in society.

He added: "These personality traits can manifest themselves in negative ways, in that a person with them is likely to be prone to the shadows of full-blown mental illness such as depression and suicidal thoughts. This research shows there are positive reasons, such as their role in mate attraction and species survival, for why these characteristics are still around."

Yet although some "schizotypal" traits are linked with high numbers of partners, schizophrenic patients do not experience this level of sexual activity. These people tend to suffer from acute social withdrawal and emotional flatness - characteristics that the researchers found were linked with a reduced number of sexual partners.

SOURCE INFORMATION: "Schizotypy, creativity and mating success in humans" Daniel Nettle and Helen Keenoo, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, November 2005. Doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3349

END OF PRESS RELEASE: Issued by Newcastle University Press Office. Contact Claire Jordan, tel. + 44 (0) 191 222 6067/7850 or email press.office@ncl.ac.uk. Website: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office