When You Wish....

The other day, after Sunday School, I took Lilly to the little Princeton, Iowa river park where she likes to pick up shells.

I was sitting on my swing/bench, reading the Sunday paper. Lilly quickly became bored with the shell game.  She got up on the bench next to me. Her voice low and quiet, she said, "that star light thing doesn't work, Grandma."

Confused, I said, "what do you mean, hon?"

Lilly: You know -- Star Light, Star Bright, First Star I see tonight...it doesn't work. It never works...

Hummm...I'm wondering if this is a Santa Claus moment? Is it that time already? Does Lilly have to let go of a childhood fantasy??

SHE'S ONLY FIVE.  Holy Cow.  Why do we promote these myths anyway?  I am really, really gonna hate this...

Looking at her sitting next to me, she seemed so sad.   I said, "What did you wish for, Lilly?"

Very seriously, with a huge tone of disappointment, she said, "I wished to be a fashion designer..."

Of course, I started to laugh.  She did NOT appreciate my reaction.  I tried to explain that her wish could very well come true...it just didn't happen YET.  She is not old enough.  SHE IS ONLY FIVE.   Being a fashion designer is a JOB -- and no five year old can have a job.  She needs to be a kid first...grow up, go to school...I thought what I was saying made a lot of sense.

She listened, but then she said, "it doesn't work, Grandma.  It never works.  One time, I wished I could read...and then I wished for a cupcake...it has never worked..."

I sat there, listening to her.  And I was SO ANNOYED with that damn star.  C'mon -- you couldn't muster one lousy cupcake???

The Apron Chronicles!!

EllynAnne Geisel...the author of The Apron Book (a treasured gift from Mary Mulari) is going to be IN IOWA on October 2-4. 

Her world-traveling exhibit, Apron Chronicles, will be at the Grout Museum in Waterloo, Iowa!!
  
APRON CHRONICLES: A Patchwork of American Recollections has been traveling the United States since 2004. Comprised of 46 photographs, accompanying text in story form and 150 vintage aprons, APRON CHRONICLES is nationally recognized as America’s most nostalgic, thought provoking and generationally friendly traveling exhibition.

Prompted by project writer and apron curator EllynAnne Geisel, the contributors to APRON CHRONICLES recall a woman who’d worn an apron and what she represented to a family; an event when an apron was worn; recipes; values and traditions from gentler, less complicated times; the bond between parent and child; survival; friendship; opportunity; challenge, and modern perspective.

The diverse contributors include a 111-year-old mother and her only child, a Holocaust survivor, a biology professor from Mali, Africa, and a preteen and her grandmother. Their stories explore the people behind the aprons and give life to the fabrics and the exhibit.

Award-winning author EllynAnne is honored to be the voice behind the exhibit, with award-winning photographer Kristina Loggia preserving the storytellers’ images in an environmental style that complements the unadorned honesty of their recollections. Like the oral histories, the portraits’ strength is their directness and lack of pretension.

******************

The MINUTE I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT --- I knew it was going to be a wonderful day trip....

The Apron Chronicles is a terrific exhibit!!  I am SO JAZZED that it's coming to Iowa...

I am delighted to go to the Grout Museum...I have never been there and it's only 2 hours from my house...

Here is a link to their website -- check out this wonderful event in Waterloo, Iowa

** Lecture - A Celebration of the Apron: Remembering the Richness of Our Lives Through a Humble Icon – According to apron archaeologist EllynAnne Geisel, aprons don’t hold us back, they take us back. Apron author, exhibit curator and designer, EllynAnne speaks on the apron’s historical odyssey, shares her life-changing apron journey and the people, the aprons and the stories she’s collected along the way. Audience members encouraged to wear their aprons. Approx. 1 hour.

The dinner on Friday night (and entertaining lecture/demo) is only $40.  And the Saturday morning event is only $25.  I WILL BE ATTENDING BOTH -- and would love to see you there.

As it happens, this event was scheduled on the same weekend as the Quilt Show in Des Moines, Iowa.  So I'm afraid the attendance isn't what it should be....C'MON...BRING A FRIEND...we'll have a great time!!

Dressing My FALL Bed

I got quite a few emails last week after my BUY SOME GOOD SHEETS blog post. I would love to hear from anybody who decided to go the distance and purchase sheets from Boll and Branch...!!

Today, I'm going to write about how I change my bed for the FALL season.

In the old days, before central air conditioning and reliable furnaces -- the reality of hot and cold temperatures required BIG changes in the family beds. Nowadays, because we are able to maintain a comfortable, constant temperature in our homes...the seasonal changes in our bedding are much more subtle.

For my own bed -- two things NEVER CHANGE. My bed always has a thick, 100% cotton mattress pad.  I wash the mattress pad four times a year -- when I change the bed for the seasons.  And I always use cotton sheets, so that element never changes.

SUMMER BED: Mattress pad, cotton sheets and lightweight cotton bedspread.  Simple and PERFECT in every way...

Remember this treasure from my trip to Mineral Point last spring?

It was a lightweight cotton -- the black zebra stripes were cotton chenille. It gave me a giggle every time I got into bed....

FALL BED: Two things change, but not necessarily at the same time.  Last week, I changed my bedspread, and when it starts to gets colder -- I will add a flannel sheet.  For Fall, I love, love, love adding the weight of a heavy, 100% cotton Matelasse bedspread...

My bedspread looks like this -- altho this isn't my ACTUAL bed (tip off? NO CLUTTER all around it)...

The heavy Matelasse makes getting into bed a complete different experience.  Because it's cotton, it doesn't provide a lot of extra warmth -- but it does provide some extra weight.  Which is perfect for Fall.  When the temperatures get colder, I will add the flannel sheet on top of my top sheet (which is next to my skin, of course).  Then, I finish off with the bedspread. Soooo warm and cozy...

I LOVE MY FALL BED...

I had some questions about laundering blankets...so that will be NEXT week's Monday laundry topic...

Sippi's

After our wonderful afternoon at the Figge Museum -- the four of us were STARVING. Luckily, right across the street -- there is a wonderful gem of a place called Sippi's.  I don't pretend to be a Davenport, Iowa historian -- but most of the buildings on this block were torn down about ten years ago.  Most of them had been empty for years -- many were abandoned.  For some reason, this building remained standing..their website says it was built in 1885 and restored in 2009.

This is the only building still standing in this block... Sippi's, is on the ground floor....

It looks like there is an apartment upstairs...

And they have a large outdoor patio area

The inside is interesting, clean as a whistle, and full of kitchy stuff...

But the REAL STORY HERE is the incredible, delicious food. HOLY COW...this place was GREAT. We ordered a variety of stuff -- the blue cheese burger, french fries, cole slaw, onion rings, the apple/chicken salad. IT WAS ALL AMAZING. Fresh and delicious...reasonably priced, huge portions, toasted buns. GREAT, GREAT LUNCH, Sippi's!!

Museum Cleaning Crew

The truth is -- there are about a kajilion jobs out there that I never even think about. That thought hit me when I noticed this cart at the Figge...

OF COURSE somebody has to clean all these statues...

I asked the young lady if I could take her picture....

She uses delicate camel hair brushes to dust the statues and frames...it takes a very light touch...

The young lady had headphones and was listening to music. If I had that job, I'd listen to a different book on tape every day. I do really enjoy my books on tape (I have John hooked, too)...

So, as I was thinking those random thoughts -- I turned and saw this painting...

Hey -- we live in Iowa.  A picture of a cow's ass isn't all that surprising...But I must admit, it didn't strike me as a masterpiece....

I mean -- who are we kidding -- if you've seen one cow butt -- you've seen them all -- right??

But, much to my surprise, this wasn't a painting by a local Iowa artist.  THIS is a painting by Rosa Bonheur, one of the most important women artists of the 19th Century....she was FRENCH...I'm telling you....Emperor's New Clothes...

Hey -- learning something new is always the real point of visiting a museum, isn't it?? This painting fascinated me...that anybody would spend their time and energy painting a cow's ass...I HAD TO LEARN more about this artist.

I am so ignorant about so many things.  Here's a Wikipedia link to : Rosa Bonheur,

Welcome, Kathy to Popover World

Recently, my friend Kathy Keefer (one of the best cooks I know) became a Popover convert. It is still amazing to me that I lived most of my adult life without ever meeting or falling in love with a Popover...

I always use King Arthur Flour -- because I basically got my recipe off their bag...

The recipe is on the opening page of this blog -- ALWAYS -- I tweeked it just a bit, so it is the perfect amount of batter for my popover pan.

The important thing is to preheat your oven to a scorching 425 degrees

AND you must also preheat your popover pan...this is my new mini-popover pan!!

This picture was taken through the window, after 20 minutes...

PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT...

Be sure to stab each popover as soon as you get them out of the oven -- to release the steam -- so they don't collapse...

Now that you have the recipe and the technique down pat, Kathy -- here's a fun variation. Use two iron skillets, or pie plates (something that can take the high heat)...put butter in them, preheat them, add half the batter to one and half to the other -- and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes....

It's a Dutch Baby Pancake!!

The recipe on this blog will make two Dutch Baby pancakes. Serve hot -- with butter and syrup!!

Of course, Kathy -- with all the stuff you make out of your garden -- you'll want to use homemade apple butter, preserves, jellies -- OH MY GOD....heaven...

THANKS FOR PLAYING my popover game...

ROAD TRIPPIN'

Today, if everything is going right --

I am spending the day in Cedar Rapids with my young friend Anne...

I think it's a very worthwhile thing to have women friends who are both older and younger than you are. And -- who are we kidding -- it's getting pretty damn tough for me to have OLDER friends...so that makes my younger friends even more important, don't you think???

I call Anne "my young friend Anne"...and, obviously, she will always be that.

Anne humors my penchant for thrift store shopping...

This is a t-shirt treasure I found during one of our last adventures...

I'm pretty sure she passed on these pants, tho

Today -- we won't have time for much thrifting. The truth is, I already bought ALL THE COOL STUFF I have room for...lol...

Our plan is to spend the day touring Grant Wood's old stomping grounds...and I COULD NOT BE MORE DELIGHTED...

This painting is one of many at the Grant Wood Studio in Cedar Rapids. It is called "Woman with Plants". I can't wait to see it up close and personal....Doesn't that look like a Mary Mulari apron??

There will be a report at a later date...OF COURSE..

Because it's a long ride to Cedar Rapids -- I invited my friend Sue to join me. Although, she doesn't know where we're going or what we're doing...

SUE NEEDS AN ADVENTURE....

Sue is not "spontaneous". I called her well in advance so she could clear the day on her calendar. (I was competing with things like window washing, and starching of dresser scarves)...

It is shaping up to be a beautiful FALL here in the Midwest. I love the changing of the seasons -- and Fall has always been my favorite...the color of the trees, the brisk air. yep. PERFECT TIME FOR A ROAD TRIP...!!!