Have you ever been asked to look at someone’s pictures after they returned from what they claim was the best vacation ever? And you were bored to tears? I’ll try hard not to be that person but won’t guarantee it while I post photos from our Rhine River Cruise. Our wonderful excursion began in Amsterdam. […]
Summertime Potpourri
What to do on a blistering hot day like the one we’re having in Kansas? Find a cool place to curl up with a good book or sink into one of those gigantic chairs at the air-conditioned theater for a great movie. The book and movie I’ve selected are serious in nature but well worth […]
The Perfect Day
What would your perfect day look like? What would you choose to do? Yesterday was my birthday and it got me to thinking about how to spend the perfect day. First–Companions I’d love to have the whole family to share the perfect day, but since they are widely scattered I’m happy to spend the day […]
Pass the Torch this Memorial Day
Last Saturday I joined DAR members in placing flags on the graves of veterans at our Olathe cemetery. We share this responsibility with groups like the American Legion and together recognize veterans from the Mexican American War to our most recent conflicts. I noted with interest the Civil War veterans served in units from PA, […]
Renewal and Hope
All things seem possible in the spring. The world is flush with beginnings even as we shiver in heavy coats, marveling as the crocus and daffodils poke through a crust of snow. As the blossoms of April and May arrive I once again find myself filled with hope and renewal that only spring can offer. […]
Madonna of the Trail and Other Delights
A steady drizzle fell as we pulled into Council Grove two weeks ago to visit once again this engaging town on the Santa Fe Trail. The gloomy sky suddenly brightened at the sight of a welcome sign in front of the Post Office Oak where our tour was to begin. Members from the Council Oak […]
We are the Champions!
February is the month of red roses and valentines. In Kansas City it’s become the month of Red Everywhere all the time. Wear it, drink it, decorate it, eat it, because in case you needed reminding, the Chiefs are Super Bowl Champions, and the city has gone nuts again. This is Union Station, filled with […]
Remembering November
Before we leapfrog into December, I want to linger a moment and give our November holidays their due. Last weekend the Olathe Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) honored local veterans with a luncheon as we do every year on Veterans’ Day. November 11, 1918, was the first anniversary of the end of WWI and […]
Endings and Beginnings
We’ve been busy. No, we’re not opening a hardware store, but we just held a huge tool sale in our garage last Saturday. This is what a carpenter accumulates in 18 years when his wife isn’t paying attention. As you can see there were drills, saws, hand tools, more drills, more saws, heaters and lots […]
Crawdads and Drinks
Do I have a treat for you—a quick trip to the movies and a tall cold summer drink. I read Where the Crawdads Sing over a year ago and saw the movie this week. The coming-of-age/murder mystery book has been enormously popular. In my opinion a vulnerable yet triumphant protagonist makes a compelling story, and […]