Kim's County Line

Leadership Lens

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:47:00 +0000

"How do you view leadership through your camera lens?"

That was the question K-State's Staley School of Leadership proposed to professional and amateur photographers as they looked to refresh their building's artwork.

The Leadership Lens initiative generated 86 images from 28 artists from Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon and Texas. From the entries, a juried panel selected 19 photos from 15 different photographers to refresh the hallways and conference rooms of the Staley building.

There was a photo from the South Pole. Another showed a desolate desert scene from a world away. And even from among those unique, far-flung places, I had two photographs chosen for inclusion - taken by a farm wife in South Central Kansas. It just goes to show that there is beauty everywhere. It's in city skylines, but it's also found on an early morning down a dirt road in Kansas or reflecting off water at sunset. It's just a matter of opening our eyes to the wonder.

Last Friday, March 27, the Staley School of Leadership hosted a reception for Spirit of Leadership, an annual event where alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff come together to reconnect, reunite, and re-energize around leadership. They also recognized the photographers whose work was chosen for display in the 2025-26 version of Leadership Lens.

They moved into the Staley School of Leadership building on the K-State campus in 2010. At that time, they chose photos to include in the hallways and conference areas. In 2017, they offered the opportunity to submit photos for a "refresh" of the space. (I had two photos chosen then. Click HERE for more about those photos. They auctioned those 2017 pieces off to raise money for programs at the Staley School.)

Last fall, they again offered the chance to submit photos and to focus on how leadership could be reflected in the images by submitting artist's statements.

My artist statement for A New Day Dawns: The best sunrises and sunsets occur when there are clouds in the sky. The clouds create a unique texture of light, shadows and color to make the sky an interesting tapestry. As leaders, we may wish for blue skies and an easy path. But the “clouds” in our lives build our tapestry, too. It gives us empathy for others and helps us persevere. Likewise, milo is known for its resilience in difficult growing conditions. Success seems sweeter when we have faced obstacles and come out on the other side.

I took this photo of a sunrise over a milo field south of our house last fall. It now hangs in a second-floor conference room.

The second photo chosen was taken at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge during a December 2021 sunset. It hangs in a second floor hallway at the Staley School.

Taken at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Stafford County, Kansas

My artist statement for Ripples:

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.

--Mother Teresa

Effective leadership radiates outward like ripples in water. The ripple effect underscores the power of small leadership actions in creating significant, positive changes. When leaders recognize small wins, practice active listening, demonstrate empathy and foster open communication, they can build a strong, cohesive and motivated team and make "ripples" in the world at large.

The artist statements hang by the artwork.

I was thrilled that several members of my family could join Randy and me at the reception. (Brooke had a birthday party for one of her best buddies.)

Eric's parents, Alan and Christy, also joined us.

It meant a lot to me that they all made the effort to be there.

There is art other than photography in the building, too. Susan and Kinley did their best statue impression.

Organizers of the event used the monarch butterfly as a central theme for the evening's festivities, handing out lapel pins.

It seems to be a lesson we could all use these days: Practice leadership by nurturing growth within yourself and others. Like the monarch butterfly, embrace and celebrate transformation.

This Facebook reel shows some of the process of selecting and installing the new artwork.

What an honor it was to have photos chosen! If you're ever on campus, check out all the artwork.

Leftovers

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:42:00 +0000

This was on Jill's 1st birthday before the car was fully assembled. She was pretty happy!

The memories are not for sale.

But we are passing along a kitchen, a work bench and a car to new owners. No, I'm not giving up cooking or driving. These particular items are vintage toys.

It's a reality check when your kids' toys are now considered "vintage." We have been slowly whittling away excess "stuff" from our house since we began the process during Covid. In this round of decluttering, we have hauled several vintage toys to Topeka where Jill can list them on Facebook Marketplace. Any money raised will go into the girls' accounts.

I must admit there are some "pangs" from this sentimental mom. And these Little Tikes toys can still take up real estate in my mind - just not in my basement. (I somewhat jokingly say that we need to get rid of some of these things while Randy is still physically able to haul them upstairs. But there's also some truth to that.)

Jill

Loading up her dolly for a ride.

The Cozy Coupe was our first Little Tikes toy. This gift to Jill from my parents was "driven" hundreds of miles by Jill and later Brent.

Cousin Blake in his car

My parents also gave cars to Jill's cousins, so my parents' great-grands put even more mileage on the cars as the next generation drove them around.

Kinley in the Little Tikes coupe

According to an internet search, the 1990s marked the peak of the Little Tikes coupe. The class '90s model - like the one Jill got for her 1st birthday - was often referred to as a Flintstone car because it was propelled by the driver's legs. By 1991, it was the top-selling "car" in the U.S. In 1997, 313,000 units were sold in the U.S., with another 100,000 in the UK. Our coupe stayed in the house, so it's still in decent shape even though both Jill and Brent - as well as Kinley and Brooke - put the miles on it.

The design remained largely unchanged until 2003.

When Brent was 1, we added another "vehicle" to the fleet. It was a little two-wheeled Playskool "bike," also propelled by kid power. Jill had a slightly larger pink version, but it evidently didn't survive. We didn't find it among the toys in the basement.

Jill also put lots of miles on a baby walker. Even Goodwill wouldn't take it. (I think walkers like this were banned because of safety concerns, but Jill certainly put lots of miles on hers.)

We also hauled the Little Tikes workshop and kitchen to Topeka to be resold to new owners. Though I'm not sure what year we gave them to the kids, they did make for a memorable Christmas. Somehow, Jill's name got attached to the workshop and Brent's was on the kitchen. And while we are all about equal opportunity experiences, it wasn't exactly how Mom and Dad had planned. However, it's made for a funny memory that's been retold time and again. In fact, Jill said she might not remember it had the miss-marked toys not happened.

Unfortunately, I have not yet discovered the plastic tub that houses the photos of the play kitchen and tool bench.

The Little Tikes play kitchens from the 1990s had mounted corded phone and coffee pots. They had burners that clicked. There was a small sink area with a molded faucet. Not all the components survived, but we hope some child will still enjoy playing with it. We had plenty of pretend meals served from that kitchen at our house.

The 1990s Little Tikes workshops were made of thick molded plastic and featured bright primary colors. The components included a hammer, saw, pegboard for hanging tools, and a storage area. Some of those "extras" actually survived, including the phone.

The toys aren't the only paring down I'm doing. I've also been whittling down my kitchen supplies. However, I must admit that I am finding it difficult to part with my Grandma Neelly's square-shaped cake pans. Grandma Neelly sometimes used those for birthday cakes. I always wanted a homemade angel food cake, but others opted for other flavors. As I was looking through photos, I did find cakes she'd made featuring the square shape. In the photo below, he had the bonus gift of a few of his great-grands serenading him with the "Happy Birthday" song.

I took the pans out of the cabinets for awhile. But, I must admit, they went back in. It's silly, since I haven't ever used the pans since bringing them home from Grandma Neelly's house. (And I've made plenty of cakes since that time.)

I know that even if I get rid of the pans, I'll still have the memories. We'll see ... They do take up less room than the toys.

Ash Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 15:17:00 +0000

The sunset on Ash Wednesday (February 18) was beautiful. But, as we stopped at the corner south of our house on that Ash Wednesday evening, I couldn't help but think about how ashes from massive wildfires south of us were helping to color that sunset.

We were returning home after a drive through the baby calves. But 117 miles away or so, other cattle owners were fighting fires for the second day and still trying to move cattle to safety.

It was only nine years ago that so many of these same ranchers lost their homes, farm properties, hundreds of miles of fencing and thousands of cattle in the Starbuck Fire.

These were numbers from the 2017 fire. It will be days before everything can be accessed from this latest fire.

As Greg Gardiner of Gardiner Angus Ranch in Ashland says, their operation was almost to the point where they could say they'd "recovered" from the 2017 fire. Though how do you truly recover from that?

The 2026 Ranger Road fire burned more than 283,000 acres. Map courtesy Oklahoma Department of Forestry Wildfires4-RFP-022326. It is still not fully contained - a week after it started.

Beginning a week ago on February 17, 2026, wildfires ripped across areas of Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas and Nebraska, killing livestock, destroying structures and sending firefighters to the hospital with fire- and smoke-related injuries. Winds gusting over 65 miles per hour drove flames through dry fuel and kept air support grounded.

The largest fire this time, known as the Ranger Road fire, ignited in Beaver County, Oklahoma, and crossed the state line into southern Kansas, burning more than 283,000 acres. The towns of Ashland and Englewood, Kansas, were evacuated, as were rural residents along the fire's path.

In television interviews, Gardiner says they learned many lessons from the Starbuck Fire in 2017, and they used that knowledge to try and mitigate the losses in 2026. But even your best efforts doesn't mean that you are able to dodge the inevitable.

I sometimes wonder about the people who settled the Kansas prairie. Did they marvel at the sky? Did the call of birds wake them to see the hint of color painting the eastern horizon? As their covered wagons rumbled toward the west, did they marvel at the sunsets?

I imagine the temperaments that marked the people who set off from established homes in the eastern part of the U.S. and decided on adventure, traveling westward to a new kind of life.

Since the state was established in 1861, Kansans have had to pick up the pieces from all kinds of natural disasters. Why do they do it?

That pioneer spirit brought people to Kansas. And some of the heartiness remains generations later.

Maybe the fortitude to stay had something to do with the joy of seeing those cute faces in their cattle herds. As we drove through the cattle lots and watched the baby calves race one another or sip contentedly from their personal "mama milk machines," I couldn't help but think of the ranchers still battling the wildfires.

For those in the wildfires' paths, lives won't go back to normal anytime soon. They are still burying their livelihoods in big mass graves in the burned ground. They are tending to injured cattle, bottle feeding babies whose mothers died, rebuilding thousands of miles of fence. And some of them no longer have a home where they can lay their weary heads come nighttime, after days of physical labor and emotional heartache.

Even today - a week later - firefighters aren't saying the wildfires are totally under control. Instead, they say the blazes are "90 percent" under control. And today is another day when the wind is howling, stoking those embers yet again.

It's going to take a new pioneer spirit for them to rebuild. Just like us, their families have been on Kansas soil for five generations, and, for a few, even six generations. That pioneer spirit is part of their DNA.

Like us, they delight in seeing new life every spring.

To assist livestock producers affected by the Ranger Road fire, please reach out to any of the following. That way, you know the money or supplies will go to the people who need it:

SHAW FEEDYARD: Shaw Feedyard in Ashland is a drop point for hay. Please contact Ryan Koons at (620) 805-4682 if you have any questions. The address is 2428 CR 15 in Ashland, KS.

ASHLAND FEED & SEED: Ashland Feed & Seed is a drop point for hay and feed. The address is 1975 CR U, Ashland, KS 67831. Contact the main office: (620) 635-2856.

Cash donations can be made to the ASHLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. One hundred percent of the money will be redistributed to those in need. You can donate directly by clicking https://www.ashlandcf.com/donate-today or mail or drop off monetary donations to STOCKGROWERS STATE BANK, 622 Main Street, Ashland, KS 67831, or mail checks to ASHLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, P.O. Box 276, Ashland, KS 67831.

KANSAS LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION is helping organize in-kind donations for delivery to affected areas in Kansas. To donate hay or trucking services, call KLA at (785) 273-5115. Cash donations can be made through the Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF), KLA’s charitable arm, by going to www.kla.org
and clicking on Donate under 2026 Wildfire Donations. Checks can be sent to 6031 SW 37th, Topeka, KS 66614. Please put “wildfire relief” in the memo line. KLF is a 501 c(3) organization. Donations to the foundation are tax-deductible. All funds will be used to support fire relief efforts for Kansas producers.

From Isaiah 61 - The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
²to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
³    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.

⁴They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

Ah Kansas!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 21:21:00 +0000

If there's anything better than life - it's life in Kansas.

Kansas Chamber of Commerce, 1930

It's been awhile since Randy and I were in school. But we can still complete an assignment. This morning, we spent an hour with Mrs. Kylie Meyer's second grade class at Stafford Elementary School, Randy's alma mater.

Mrs. Meyer gave us an assignment to compare the "then and now" of farming. The second graders are learning about comparison and contrast. Mrs. Meyer helps to illustrate the concept by inviting community members with different backgrounds to talk about their professions or interests and compare them, then and now.

Another Then and Now comparison: When Randy was in second grade, there were two classes of 26 each. This year's class has 16. We also talked about the difference in the number of farms and the county population when comparing then and now.

We have gladly participated in this activity for several years now. I put together a PowerPoint slide show with historic photos from both of our families. We were both 5th generation farmers before retiring in 2022. Many of the photos are from books my mom compiled for our kids with memories of family members and farm equipment from my parents' farming legacy. (There are several photos from the slide show and links to family history posts HERE in a blog post from 2022.)

For this year's presentation, I added some information on the number of farms in the early 20th century compared to now. That information was from our visit to the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka on the day after Kansas Day. I suppose a Kansas Day visit on January 29 would have been more symbolic. But, after finding out that 800 people (mostly school children) had been at the museum on Kansas Day to celebrate the state's 165th birthday, we were happy we were able to visit on a quieter day!

What is Kansas? Kansas is a crossroads. The heartland. A geographic center. The birthplace of ideas that have shaped our nation. A site of adaptation, conflict and consensus. A home of people, ideas and dreams ... Why Kansas? People came to Kansas for many reasons: for the land, for its resources and for the promise of a better life. Some, regrettably, came by force. Kansans stayed to make a home, to make a living or to fight for a cause. While here, Kansans have experienced conflict and cooperation, engaged in innovation and adaptation and promoted celebrations and communities.

From displays at the Kansas Museum of History

Randy had been to the museum with our Kansas Master Farm Family group four years ago. However, I was sick and didn't get to go on the tour.

Since Jill and crew live in Topeka, we're often looking for something to do when the girls are in school and Jill and Eric are working. The Kansas History Museum wasn't an option for several years. It had been shut down for three years, undergoing a $6 million renovation. It updated the 1980s-era displays to new, colorful, interactive exhibits.

While we were mainly in Topeka to see the girls' sports activities and to enjoy some family time, we thought the Kansas Museum of History was a worthwhile diversion. The gallery shares personal stories of people who came for many reasons and became Kansans for many more. The new exhibits are broken into four main themes: Bleeding Kansas, Making Kansas, Connecting Kansas, and Changing Kansas:

Bleeding Kansas tells our formative story from the territorial period, tracing the political and violent events that led to our statehood and recounting Kansas' role in the Civil War.
Making Kansas shares stories of people building lives, developing industries and grappling with extreme weather - experiences rooted in the land and its rich resources.
Connecting Kansas weaves accounts of trails, transportation and the railroad which shaped our towns and influenced immigration and settlement.
Changing Kansas explores efforts for civil rights and social reforms, examining why Kansas is often at the heart of issues with national implications.

There was also information on Kansas' indigenous history, featuring contributions from all 36 tribes with historical ties to the area.

We have seen the actual mural of John Brown in the Kansas Capitol on another "tourist" day in Topeka. (Click HERE for that blog post.) The Capitol mural was painted by artist John Steuart Curry on the east and north walls of the east corridor of the Capitol's second floor.

But a reproduction of the mural also helped tell the story of "Bleeding Kansas" in the museum. And I learned something new about the mural:

The famous mural depicts the moral complexities of war, featuring a heroic, yet fanatical, John Brown painted larger than life. Many Kansans opposed Curry's interpretation, saying it misrepresented their state's identify. Frustrated by the criticism and unable to fulfill his vision, Curry refused to sign his statehouse murals and left Kansas. He died of a heart attack in 1946 at the age of 48, never knowing how celebrated his work would become.

As required by the new constitution, the first Kansas Legislature established the state seal and motto in a joint resolution on May 25, 1861:

The east is represented by a rising sun in the right hand corner of the seal; to the left of it, commerce is represented by a river and steamboat; in the foreground, agriculture is represented as the basis of the future prosperity of the state by a settler's cabin and a man plowing with a pair of horses; beyond this is a train of ox-wagons going west; in the background is a heard of buffalo, retreating, pursued by two Indians on horseback.

The motto, Ad astra per aspera, which means "to the stars through difficulties," is above 34 stars, representing Kansas' entry as the 34th state in the Union.

What is Kansas? It is the promise of a better life - sometimes fulfilled, sometimes deferred. It is striving to reach the stars in the face of difficulties. It is the joy of belonging, the creation of community.

Kansas is the story of everyday people whose inspiring narratives reach far beyond the state's borders. Some Kansans served the noblest of goals. Some served their own self-interests. Most, just like the rest of us, acted with complicated and very human combination of both. Regardless of their intentions, they all helped shape the world we know today.

The Emporia Gazette used this cylinder press from 1890 to 1906 to print daily and weekly issues, including William Allen White's influential 1896 editorial, "What's the Matter with Kansas?"

While I enjoyed all the exhibits, I especially liked the "power of the press" section. (I worked as a reporter and editor at The Hutchinson News for nine years and have done a daily M-F radio Central Kansas Report for KFRM 550AM radio since March 2008.) The exhibit featured Emporia journalist William Allen White's printing press and a projector showing Kansas headlines, even as recently as the police raid on The Marion County Record newspaper back in August 2023.

And, of course, both Randy and I were attracted to the displays featuring farming and agriculture.

I took a photo of this because the windmill was from Clay Center, where my sister lives.

"All parts of Kansas grow good corn, but
in wheat, Kansas can beat the world."

-- Topeka Daily Capital, 1889

Farming is a way of life in Kansas, impacting its politics, laws, innovations, social customs and traditions. The economy relies on many agricultural businesses, including those related to storing, transporting and processing farm products.

Most early Kansas farmers wanted to grow crops they could sell. The standard farm size of 160 acres was too large for subsistence farming but generally not large enough for commercial ventures, especially as farmers moved west. As technology advanced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, farming became big business in Kansas. There were 178,000 farms in Kansas in 1910, with an average farm size of around 244 acres. That number dropped to 55,000 farms in 2023, with an average size of 807 acres. Changing - and more expensive - technology, fluctuating crop prices and efforts to make farming more efficient all contributed to the rise of larger farms and agribusiness. With its advancements in agriculture, Kansas came to be know as the Wheat State and the Breadbasket of the World.

This just scratches the surface. There is also a 1914 biplane made in Topeka, an 1860s cabin, train cars and depot and lots more. Both Randy and I would recommend a visit if you're near Topeka. Hours are 9 AM to 5 PM Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM. It is closed on Mondays.

***

And, just for my memories, we also got to experience several of the girls' activities.

We picked up Kinley from school and got to watch her tennis lesson.

We saw Brooke's basketball game.

And we got to see a couple of her volleyball games (and witness the coach's skills.)

Though I don't have photographic evidence, we shopped for Kinley's 14th birthday presents in Kansas City and ate lunch with the whole family - including Brent and Susan.

Fun and a little education? It was another great stay.

Butterfinger Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:11:00 +0000

Serving a snack that's called a "Butterfinger" Chex Mix probably isn't ideal when you're talking a menu for the Super Bowl. Clumsy Butterfingers and football don't mix.

But, since the Chiefs aren't in contention this year, I am not overly invested in the game's outcome. So, if one of the teams has "butterfingers," so be it.

Of course, we will still watch the big game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. I'm probably leaning toward the Seahawks. If only former K-State Wildcat standout Tyler Lockett were still there ... Cheering for the Seahawks will also make Randy's cousin and my Pacific Northwest blog friend happy, so there is that.

But let's get real. This year - like most of America - I'm mainly there for the snacks and the Super Bowl ads.

This was the second Christmas season that I added Butterfinger Chex Mix to the snack mix repertoire. Our family enjoys the treat, and I also gave away some for gifts.

It's super easy, especially if you use the the Butterfinger Bits. Another option is smashing up regular-sized or mini Butterfingers if you can't find the Butterfinger Bits. If your store stocks them, they are likely in the baking aisle by the chocolate chips and other mix-ins.

Enjoy - whether you're watching the big game or just need a sweet, decadent snack! It would be a sweet treat for your Valentine, too!

Butterfinger Snack Mix

5 cups Chocolate Chex or regular Rice Chex cereal

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups Butterfinger Bits (or crushed candy bars)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparing the coating: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until the mixture is smooth and fully melted. Add vanilla and stir.

Place the Chex cereal in a large mixing bowl. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cereal and gently fold to coat evenly. Sprinkle the Butterfinger candy over the coated cereal and fold again to distribute evenly.

Transfer the coated cereal into a large resealable plastic bag or a bowl with a lid. Add the powdered sugar; seal and shake until the cereal is fully coated. (I used an extra-large Tupperware bowl for mixing the whole recipe and just added my powdered sugar at the end.)

Spread snack mix out on parchment paper or waxed paper. Cool and dry. Once set, transfer to a serving bowl or store in a sealed bag or bowl until serving.

NOTE:

For the Butterfinger Snack Mix I gave away at Christmas, I mixed red and green Christmas M & Ms in to add a festive color. You could do the same, adding the colors of your favorite sports team.

***

Need other ideas for your Super Bowl party?

Click on the links for the recipes pictured below. Looking for something else? Type "bar cookie," "snack mix," "cookies," "sandwiches," "soup," etc., into the blog search engine. The search engine is found in the upper lefthand corner of the blog post.

Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs AND Sweet & Sour Baked Beans

BBQ Meatballs - Make them full-size or bite-sized

Chili Lime Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Homemade Guacamole

Cheesy Pull-Apart Sliders

Zesty Italian Wraps

Turkey Club Pinwheels

Crescent-Wrapped Cranberry & Brie

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Lemon Muddy Buddies

Super Snack Mix-Up

Brownies for a Crowd

Butterfinger Blondies

Peanut Butter S'Mores Bars

Southwest Ranch Cheese Dip

Baby Boom

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:23:00 +0000

A photo from Todd of twins born to one of our mamas, No. 775. We were in Topeka at the time, watching our granddaughters' activities. The twins got to stay awhile in the shed but are now out in the lot with their mama and the herd.

I have a pretty cushy job these days. I get to be the paparazzi for our new baby calves. But I don't have to staff the overnight shifts. Or - come to think of it - the daytime shifts either.

Tye and Todd, who handle the day-to-day care for our mamas and babies, had several days when they took catnaps in their pickups instead of getting into REM sleep their nice cozy beds. Sub-zero wind chills and newborn baby calves are not a good combination.

The twins have their own "earrings" now. Tye and Todd use a different system than we did. They tag the babies with the mama's number.

I don't think the few cookies I delivered make up for the sleepless nights. But we sure appreciate all their work. It wasn't all that long ago that we were the ones watching the maternity ward and warming up new babies.

Come to think of it, maybe another cookie run is in order.

Snow and chilly temperatures haven't made calving easy on man or beast. But - ready or not - it's calving time in Kansas for us and for lots of other folks. We always had people ask why we calved in January and February. Like many Kansas farm families, our operation was diversified. Crop farmers are busy in the spring, summer and fall with those duties. They have time for the extra work that feeding cattle and calving entails during the dormant winter season.

Our mamas and babies have the yellow tags. Tye and Todd use other colors.

For the last few years before retirement, I was the hired hand who helped with feeding chores and did my best to help when Randy needed to pull a calf. I can't say that I'm missing the time in that rather drafty feed truck every day. But I definitely enjoy the drives through the cattle lots with camera in hand.

Some extra hay spread out gave babies a place to snuggle down.

On one of our trips through the cattle, we saw a mama cleaning off her brand new baby.

It's good that Tye and Todd have a liberal visitation policy. I'm sure the paparazzi will be back.

Who Let the (Sun) Dogs Out?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:49:00 +0000

Who let the "dogs" out?

As I turned onto the highway toward Stafford for my Recently Read Book group at the library last evening, the sunset colors had some competition. A vertical rainbow added some additional color to the evening sky. Of course, I had to pull over and take some photos.

I had seen sundogs during a cold patch back in 2019, but those looked a little different. (I wrote about them at this link.)

So I wasn't positive that my singular "rainbow" was the same thing. But after some research today, I think it, too, was a sundog or sun pillar.

Here's what the AI Overview said:

A vertical rainbow in winter is typically a sundog (parhelion) or a sun pillar, created when sunlight refracts or reflects off ice crystals in the cold air, often appearing as vertical, colorful streaks or bright spots on either side of the low sun. These phenomena occur when plate-shaped ice crystals align as they fall, acting like millions of tiny prisms.

Key Details About Vertical Winter Rainbows:

Cause: They are formed when sunlight passes through ice crystals in the atmosphere, often from high cirrus clouds or low-level lake effect snow. The ice crystals in the upper atmosphere act as prisms.
Appearance:
They can appear as colored, vertical pillars of light (sun pillars) or bright, rainbow-colored spots (sundogs/parhelia)
.

Timing: These are most common during sunrise or sunset when the sun is low on the horizon.

Terminology: They are sometimes referred to as "mock suns," "phantom suns," or colloquially as a "snowbow".

These optical phenomena are not actually rainbows, which require liquid water drops, but rather a form of atmospheric ice halo.

Some interpretations view a winter rainbow as a symbol of the loyalty of friends and family ... or so says one source.

OK ... that's a nice thought.

Writing for the Old Farmer's Almanac, James Garriss said this:

In medieval times, the three bright lights were sometimes interpreted as the sign of the trinity, a sign of great fortune. Nowadays, they are a sign that you were lucky to be looking at the sky at just the right time.

I like being at the right place at the right time. And then I got to hear about some favorite reads at my local library? That's a pretty great evening in my "book." (A little library humor for you!)

Make 'Em and Hide 'Em!: Peanut Butter Fingers

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 16:36:00 +0000

Before Christmas, I was lamenting the "death" of the snail mail Christmas card. Perhaps I should have taken a lesson from Mark Twain. You might recall his famous line: "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

By the time Christmas arrived, we did get some cards. I appreciated every single one.

One card from a college friend offered an "assignment" of sorts. Along with a brief update of life, she included a recipe. Becky said this:

I'm pretty sure you have every recipe known, but I thought you might get a kick out of this one from my Mom's recipe box.

I've never been one to turn down a recipe - or a challenge. How could I resist the handwritten note by Becky's mom at the end of the recipe?

Cool; cut into bars and hide 'em!

That made me laugh. And surely it gave me a preview for the tastiness of the recipe. So I made Peanut Butter Fingers from Becky's mom and served them as one of the cookie selections for the Core meal I did this past week.

I should have taken a photo earlier in the evening when I still had full containers, but it still shows the variety available.

I only had four of the bars left over at the end of the night.

In case you'd like to try them too, here's the recipe.

Peanut Butter Fingers

From Becky Miller's mom

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup flour

1 cup quick oatmeal

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

2-4 tbsp. evaporated milk

Cream butter, 1/3 cup peanut butter and sugars. Add egg, vanilla and salt and blend until well incorporated. Add flour and oatmeal; mix. Spread in greased 13- by 9-inch pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. (I baked it 20 minutes.)

Remove from oven and sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips. (I used mini chocolate chips.) Let stand for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, combine sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter and the evaporated milk. Mix well.

After the 5 minutes are up, spread the melted chocolate evenly over the cookie layer. Then drizzle peanut butter mixture over the chocolate.

Cool; cut into bars and hide 'em!

Notes:

I had chunky peanut butter in my cabinet. My attempts to use a decorator tube to actually drizzle the peanut butter mixture were not as attractive as I wanted for serving away from home. So after my drizzle, I lightly spread out the peanut butter drizzle on the bars.
While the topping was still wet, I also sprinkled with Peanut Butter Mini M&Ms - again, just making them pretty for serving. You can find the PB Mini M&Ms in the candy aisle at bigger grocery stores.
I only used 2 tablespoons of milk. This may depend on humidity, etc.
Becky's mom didn't indicate how many bars this recipe made. But, since she called them "fingers," I cut them into narrow bars.

Why Is the Sky Blue?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 15:52:00 +0000

December 27, 2025 - Quivira National Wildlife Refuge - Little Salt Marsh

Once upon a time ... long, long ago, I was in charge of Kansas State Fair coverage for The Hutchinson News. I practically lived at the fairgrounds during its 10-day September run. In fact, I stayed one night in the 4-H Encampment Building for a story, also walking down to the livestock barn to visit with fair entrants who were snoozing overnight there with their cattle. So, I guess I did "live" at the fair that day and night.

The fair established an office for print journalists adjacent to the KWCH-TV studios. Of course, we print journalists were the ones behind the scenes. The TV anchors were schmoozing with their fans at the open air studio next door.

I'd write my stories and send them electronically back to The News. Then, I'd wander around the fairgrounds looking for other ideas. On one of those strolls through the Commercial Building, I had the idea of talking to the people who traveled from state fair to state fair, trying to sell knives, pots and pans, magazine subscriptions, windows or any number of consumer goods.

A persistent encyclopedia "hawker" asked me an important question: "How will you answer your child's question, 'Why is the sky blue?' "

Besides being a newspaper reporter and editor, I was also a mom to a toddler at the time. So the question did make me think - then and throughout the years as both Jill and Brent asked their share of difficult questions.

Thankfully, I resisted the urge to pony up the big bucks for an enormous set of encyclopedias, which would have become an expensive set of paperweights and flower pressers in these days of push-button technology and information.

Nowadays, when you type "Why are winter sunrises and sunsets more colorful?" you get an AI overview that condenses the answer:

Winter sunrises and sunsets are so colorful because the sun is lower in the sky, light travels through more of the atmosphere, scattering blues and leaving reds/oranges, and the air is often cleaner, drier and contains fewer particles (like humidity and haze) that would normally mute colors, allowing longer wavelengths to shine through move vividly. Cooler, drier air, combined with specific clouds, enhances these vibrant displays.

And, if that's not enough to satisfy your curiosity, there are plenty of other articles to explore - all with a simple click on the links.

No matter the science behind the colorful sky, there have been plenty of opportunities to enjoy the unique masterpieces of the Kansas sky in winter - even on unseasonably warm December nights like we found at Quivira on December 27.

It's also a tradition for me to take a photo of the final sunset of a year. The photos below were from New Year's Eve 2025:

December 31, 2025

I do the same for the first sunrise of a new year.

January 1, 2026

But it doesn't have to be New Year's Eve or New Year's Day for me to take the short drive away from my tree-lined farmstead to take in the beauty.

January 7, 2026, sunrise, back at the sunrise tree

January 7, 2026

Every day and every sky is different and another opportunity to glory in God's masterpieces - His bookends to the day.

Sunset, January 5, 2026

And for that, I am thankful - no matter the reasons why.

Sunset, January 5, 2026

The sky is the daily bread of the eyes.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Cat's Meow

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:51:00 +0000

The newest residents of The County Line are the cat's meow. Literally.

On November 3, Randy added two new kitties to our farmstead. While we've sometimes been overrun with cats, the population had been severely depleted. Randy spent some time on area humane society websites, looking for new feline friends.

Randy has a particular affinity for yellow kitties. You might remember Big Cat, who was a favorite around here for a long time.

Big Cat - May he rest in peace.

Randy's newest yellow kitties were adopted from the Golden Belt Humane Society in Great Bend on November 3.

They are Carat ...

And A Boy Named Sue. As you might suspect, there's a story behind Sue's name. Susan and Brent gave Randy money to adopt a kitty for his 70th birthday. Hence - A Boy Named Sue.

The girls got to meet them during Christmas.

They are fitting right in ... at least, in Randy's estimation.

Sue

Most days, they are good for some evening TV viewing ... at least, for awhile.

Carat & Randy

Randy was glad to welcome them to the menagerie, but one of the older cats was less welcoming.

That cat decided that there was no vacancy in the Igloo Inn.

As the weather got colder, the kitties discovered the area between the back steps and the house.

They certainly aren't the first ones to find that cozy sleeping spot. Randy even purchased a cozy rug for the space.

Kitties from the past - Salt and Pepper

We had done some looking in pet stores and farm stores for another igloo or small cat abode, but they were more expensive than Randy wanted to spend.

But I decided that I'd buy one for a Christmas gift for Randy. Unfortunately, the box that arrived on the back porch was clearly marked "Cat House." So I skipped the wrapping paper, and Randy put it together before Christmas.

We texted the kids with our new cat apartment complex.

Little did I know at the time that Brent and Susan had the same gift idea for Randy.

As the kids say, we now have a cat compound.

Word on the street must have spread among the cat community that the County Line now has deluxe apartments. On Friday, January 2, one of our long-lost cats showed back up.

We're not sure whether it's Will or Avery. Since it was the day that the NCAA portal opened up again, Eric said we should say it's Avery, in hopes that K-State's quarterback Avery Johnson would stay put. (He did!) However, Randy's pretty sure it's Will.

Will seemed to be in great shape. We can't believe how big he's gotten. Randy says he either found another family to mooch from or he's an excellent hunter.

Will definitely remembered the routine. Randy would let him in the back door and he'd immediately go to the loveseat in the living room, where he'd curl up with his favorite human to do things like watch Jeopardy!

The text thread with the kids gave us lots of laughs. Brent said:

"Would pay for a ticket to a documentary that tracked Will's actions for the months he's been away and what made him do a Homeward Bound."

It came complete with a snippet of Homeward Bound, one of Brent's favorite childhood movies.

But, Will was gone again on Sunday. As Randy said:

"I guess Will hit the transfer portal."

Well ... the saga continues. On Monday, Will returned.

I need a scorecard ... kind of like college sports these days.

Snacking Your Way to 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:17:00 +0000

Do I need more snack mix recipes? No.

But do I keep adding them anyway? Yes.

Susan raved about this one after a K-State football tailgate and got the recipe from a friend. I made it for the first time for our family appetizer Thanksgiving.

But I also added it to the mix - so to speak - for the Christmas array of snack mixes. I made a total of eight different snack mixes this year. Lots of it is given away as gifts from the kitchen. But there's always plenty for our own family Christmas celebration, too. And I always provide plenty of plastic bags for much of it to go home with the kids.

This one would be a good one to say goodbye to 2025 and hello to 2026. There's just a hint of sweetness and a little kick from some cayenne pepper. I was a little worried about the spiciness because Randy and I are wimps when it comes to heat. But it even worked for our wimpy palates.

It also uses a fun combination of mix-ins.

So, whether you're looking for a last-minute snack mix for a New Year's Eve party or wanting something different for the full array of bowl games and NCAA football playoff games to come, check out this mix. It didn't really have a name. So I've christened it "Tailgate Snack Mix."

Tailgate Snack Mix

1 cup butter, melted

2 packets ranch dressing mix

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

5 cups Chex (I used Life cereal for part of this)

3 cups mini pretzels

3 cups mini club crackers

3 cups Cheez-Its

2 cups Ranch Cheez-It Grooves

Preheat oven to 225 degrees and line two trays with parchment paper.

Melt butter and mix first five ingredients together. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour wet butter and seasoning mixture over dry mix and toss until evenly coated. Spread on the lined trays. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool, then store in airtight containers.

Christmas-Birthday-Driver's Ed Combo

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 26 Dec 2025 18:05:00 +0000

It never lasts long enough. But we always pack in plenty during our Christmas celebration.

This year's Christmas Eve was extra special, since my mom was celebrating her 90th birthday, complete with balloon arch and all 33 of us.

We moved to the shed for our birthday meal several years ago. We outgrew the house.

After the buffet, Mom got the annual rendition of "Happy Birthday to You!" and people chose from two kinds of cake (chocolate and confetti) and three kinds of homemade ice cream (mocha, cookies and cream and strawberry).

Thanks to Tamara for setting up the camera timer so we could all be in the shot!

Then, we successfully accomplished our annual photo shoot.

Their kids ...

The grandkids ...

The great-grandkids ...

The group we affectionately call "the outlaws."

And a new one this year: The decorating committee, who did their usual wonderful job with place cards and table decor.

Before the "official" photos, we also managed to squeeze in a time for an updated family portrait. My tip for you: In the absence of a professional photographer, choose a teenage girl for your portrait. They are used to handling the phone camera. (Thanks to my great-niece Neelly for her assistance.)

Photo by Brent

I wish I'd gotten one with us and the granddaughters, but we missed that one.

Our own family Christmas was just as packed with activities. Besides opening presents and eating (a lot!), the girls met Grandpa's new cats - A Boy Named Sue and Carat.

Notice the kitty hiding under the blanket?

Brooke helped restock the bird feeders and added some of Grandpa's new feeders.

And, maybe most important of all, had driving lessons.

Kinley, who will soon take her driving test, got a little practice on rural roads with both Grandpa and Uncle Brent.

And Brooke had her time in the driver's seat with the Gator.

It was over too soon ... other than the leftovers. I'm thankful for those today!

Christmas Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:45:00 +0000

I think Christmas cards are going the way of the dinosaur. They are soon to be extinct.

However, I'll be one of those people hanging on until the bitter end. I've been part of photo Christmas cards for most of my life.

It's a family tradition. I starred in my very first one in 1957, as a 6-month-old baby.

By the time 1958 rolled around, I was already sharing space with my sister, Lisa, on the annual missive from Bob and Janis.

Though my brother, Kent, was born in December 1966, he didn't make the Christmas card until 1967. This is the first photo card with all my siblings. I would have been 10, Lisa, 9, Darci, 6 and Kent was 1.

My parents included their children on the family Christmas card until we graduated from college. Randy and I sent our first photo card in 1981, the year we were married.

We didn't send another photo card until 1985, the year Jill was born. It was only natural, I suppose, that we continued the tradition with our own children.

Christmas Card Photo - Jill - 1985

We sent one with the three of us in 1986, when Jill was 15 months old. After that, I usually stayed on the other side of the camera and just included the kids. (When you're the one doing the work, you get the most votes.)

Christmas Card Photo - 1986

The first one with Brent was in 1988. Brent would have been about 7 months and Jill was 3.

Christmas Card Photo - 1988

Back when Jill and Brent were little, this annual attempt was captured on film. And you weren't sure what you'd gotten until the film was developed. I have rolls and rolls of film chronicling the misadventures of getting two little kids to look their best in the same frame. The move to digital photography makes the storage problem easier - though it can't help everyone look great in every frame.

Kinley made her first Christmas card appearance in 2012.

When Brooke joined the family in 2014, I featured several outtakes of the girls on the blog. This was just one of them. Kinley, almost 3 at the time, was definitely in her cheesy smile stage.

This one was from 2020. (Boy, the girls have sure changed!)

We didn't do the formal family portrait this year, so some snapshots had to suffice for the 2025 Fritzemeier Christmas card.

No matter whether you're a Christmas card advocate or you aren't, Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Peace on earth, good will toward all.

Light of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:45:00 +0000

Sunrise, December 3, 2025

The darkness of the world can only be cured

by the Light of the One who created it.

--Anonymous

The wives were one of the topics during "the guys" meet and greet for coffee last week. Once a week, Randy meets with several buddies for breakfast at Joan's Cafe in Stafford. Randy knows that I would prefer not to be the subject of weekly topics covered by this band of buddies. Stick to the weather, guys!

He's a smart man, so he usually doesn't share when I - or the other wives - become conversation topics. I'm not naive enough to think it never happens. And I suppose I precipitated his revelation. I was making yet another snack mix for our Christmas celebrations and holiday gifts from the kitchen, and I started thinking about other people I "should" add to the list.

If I give to this person at church, shouldn't I give to that one, too? And how about her? Or him?

That's when Randy broke the covenant of silence and said, "We talked about this at breakfast this week. About how the wives want to make things perfect and make everyone happy at Christmas."

He then added the guys' perspective, with several of them chiming in that "In their day, you just had to be happy with what you got" ... so why do the wives think it should be different now? Yes, guys. And you had to walk three miles - uphill - in a snowstorm to get to school, too, right?

I suppose that says more about the difference between guys and gals than "complaining" about their wives' propensity to try and be all things to all people. And it probably speaks to their oblivion about all their moms or grandmas were doing to make Christmas special ... yes, even back in the day.

But as for my answer to their question? I plead the Fifth.

OK, really, I plead guilty. Every year, as Christmas approaches, I struggle with the anxiety of things needing to be perfect and wanting to be all things to all people. If I'm honest, I struggle with that feeling most of the time.

I see all my imperfections. And I think, "If I just try really hard to make everyone happy, maybe they'll overlook this, that or the other that I find lacking in myself."

It never works because "other people" aren't the problem. The problem is me, myself and I. I'm the one who puts undue pressure on myself.

I can sing songs about making room for the Christ Child. I can sing it. But unless I apply it, it probably doesn't do a lot of good.

A Facebook memory came up from a K-State performance of "A Christmas Carol." In that blog post from 2014, I posted the words to one of the songs from the show:

Let the stars in the sky

remind us of man's compassion.

Let us love 'til we die

and God bless us every one.

In your heart there's a light

as bright as a star in heaven.

Let it shine through the night

and God bless us every one.

'Til each child is fed,

'Til all men are free,

'Til the world becomes a family

Star by star in the sky

and kindness by human kindness,

Let me love 'til I die and

God bless us every one.

So, "kindness by human kindness," it will take all of us to change.

Sunrise, December 3, 2025

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
—James 1:17

Sunset, December 17, 2025

It would probably do me more good to go outside to experience even more of God's masterpieces at sunrise and sunset. It would likely be more productive than adding another snack mix - or some other self-imposed task - to my schedule.

Sunset, December 17, 2025

Prayer for Reflection

God of peace, hope, joy, and love, in our Christmas preparations, may we never lose sight of the meaning of the season. Help us ready our hearts to receive your Son and show His light to all. Together we pray. Amen.

God Bless Us Everyone.

Thanksgiving Tidbits

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 14:25:00 +0000

My Grandma Neelly was notorious for cutting people's heads off.

Don't get me wrong: She was the most mild-mannered, even-tempered lady. But give her a camera, and she'd chop off your head in a heartbeat. Lisa said she must have been channeling Grandma Neelly when she took the photo of her Thanksgiving crowd. Randy was the victim in this case. (He should have moved into Lisa's chair. Oh well!)

All is forgiven. We were just thankful to be included in the Thanksgiving feast hosted in Clay Center. And it was a good laugh while we remembered. My brother was the chauffeur for my parents, and we joined the Bauer crew for a delicious traditional meal.

The next day, Randy and I had a different kind of Thanksgiving at Jill's. Daughter-in-law Susan and daughter Jill came up with the idea to do an appetizer competition for our little family's Thanksgiving. It was just as tasty. We were all supposed to add our offering to a Google Doc so we didn't end up with eight versions of the Cranberry Relish Dip over cream cheese. As it turned out, no one brought that. (I'm sure it will be on my Christmas menu.)

Most people complied with revealing their contributions, though Brent was adamant that his would remain a secret until the event. Jill developed a ballot, and everyone scored each appetizer with a 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. If someone refused to even take a taste of the appetizer, you had to give that dish a 3. (There was some controversy concerning that scoring decision among our participants).

And, drum roll please: My appetizer won. (A caveat ... None of these food photos is great. Most were taken after we'd already eaten and not taken very creatively. But maybe they are better than nothing.)

I brought homemade soft pretzel bites with a warm beer cheese dip. (I also had a platter of fresh veggies you could dip, too.)

My offering was one of several that came off our family's go-to recipe website, Sally's Baking Addiction. As Jill says, "Sally never lets you down."

I've made a lot of yeast bread. In fact, I also took the yeast crescent rolls for our Thanksgiving celebration at Lisa's. But this was the first time I'd used a soda water bath. I'd always been kind of intimidated by the thought, but it turned out to be easy - though a little messy.

Still, I'm already thinking about making them again for our family's Christmas "charcuterie" evening meal. (We'll have the traditional ham with trimmings for our noon meal and go the appetizer route for supper.)

Brooke's focaccia turkey sliders and Kinley's fruit kabobs.

Brooke also used Sally's arsenal of recipes, making homemade focaccia to make turkey sliders. We were all highly complimentary of her efforts.

Remember Brent's huge mystery contribution? It was Candied Prosciutto Crackers. Yummy!

Susan brought Sausage Stuffing Balls, also a contender.

Eric used his love of Little Smokies and turned them into an appetizer version of pigs-in-a-blanket with a cranberry/mustard dipping sauce. There were only two left when I got around to taking a photo at the end, so they were popular, too.

Jill said she knew that her Harvest Salad probably wouldn't be the most popular. But it was a nice, fresh addition to our menu. And it was a winner among those of us who like a little green with our meals.

It seemed that effort was rewarded among our voters. Kinley's fruit kabobs and Randy's shrimp cocktail platters received the lowest scores, though we enjoyed them, too. (Randy knew what he was bringing as soon as the appetizer theme was announced. And, bonus points: He shopped for his own contribution rather than just adding it to my grocery list for me to pick up.)

We are thankful that son-in-law Eric has long arms so that we could all end up in a selfie.

There was a bonus optional competition for desserts. (I didn't get photos of those, but they were just as delicious.) Brooke made a banana cream pie, and Eric made a coconut cream pie. Susan contributed a blueberry-pear galette, and Jill made an apple-cranberry bar, also from Sally's website. (She used the filling recipe from the Apple Cranberry Crumble Pie and the crust recipe from Salted Caramel Apple Bars. The caramel apple bars are a family favorite already.)

I brought the leftover pecan, coconut and pumpkin pies that I'd made for the Bauer Thanksgiving. We had plenty of sweet treats! (I use the same syrup for both the coconut and pecan pies.)

I am not including the recipe for the Pretzel Bites - just giving you the link. Sally's Baking Addiction has great, detailed instructions, and you might as well get it straight from the source. She even has a video, if you're a visual learner. She had a cheese sauce linked, but I used a different one.

I saw this recipe from a Hutchinson kitchen store, Apron Strings, and wanted to try it. It was a hit, too, and I'm sure I'll make it again.

Beer Cheese Dip

From an Apron Strings email

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup lager beer
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, grated
2 tablespoons chives, finely minced (opt)

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Create a roux by gradually whisking in the flour until all is incorporated.

Reduce the heat to low and add the cream, beer, and Worcestershire sauce. Continue to stir. Whisk in the spices. Slowly add the cheeses and stir until melted and the sauce becomes smooth. Taste and add additional salt or spices, if desired. Garnish with chives, if desired. Enjoy immediately.

I doubled the recipe to take to Jill's.

***

All the girls went on a Black Friday shopping expedition to help me fulfill the wishes for two sisters from our Stafford community's Angel Tree. As we were coming back, Kinley wanted to know if they could wrap them, too. What a huge help!

Then, on Saturday, Randy and I froze along with other Wildcat fans at the K-State vs. Colorado football game. The stands were definitely not packed.

It was brisk! We had all the weather covered - rain, sleet, snow and even a little sunshine - very little sunshine.

We sat in my folks' seats. If we'd have been in our regular seats, we would have faced that north wind the entire time, so we lucked out ... sort of. It was still cold!

But we got a victory to end the regular season and qualify for a post-season bowl game.

Through the purple smoke!

And I left my car seat warmer on the entire way home.

Teed Off

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 17:21:00 +0000

I am perfectly happy when Randy is "teed off." I am not a golfer, but I do like golf courses. When we're on vacation and the weather is right, we usually include one or two stops at golf courses. Who can argue with pretty scenery and a quiet place to read a book?

We didn't make it out of Kansas on our October 13-20 trip to Colorado before stopping at the first golf course. (Yes, I am late posting this.)

Randy has always wanted to golf at Buffalo Dunes south of Garden City. So he did.

Buffalo Dunes - a 72-par golf course - opened in 1976. A course-wide renovation plan has been put into action by current Superintendent Clay Payne, set to be completed in 2026 to celebrate the course's 50th anniversary.

And - bonus! - their wildflowers were in full bloom and just beautiful (at that time).

I didn't need my book for awhile.

This beautiful array of colorful wildflowers was on the Back 9. They attract butterflies ...

... And people who appreciate nature's beauty.

The beautifully-manicured course seems an anomaly in Western Kansas. I'm sure it benefited from better-than-average rainfall this summer and fall.

BRIDGES - Montrose, Colorado

The other golf outing was midway through our vacation in Montrose, Colorado.

The par-71 Bridges course is a Nicklaus-designed course that features a number of golf cart and walking bridges, as well as native plantings, natural arroyos, rock features and waterfalls winding through 400 acres in the heart of historic Montrose.

The 360-degree views of the surrounding peaks make for a memorable and scenic round of golf. Multiple tees vary the length of the course from 5,380 to 7,207 yards. Randy says he plays the "old man" tees.

The website says:

The Nicklaus design team has incorporated a degree of difficulty into the course, but has also made it an enjoyable layout for the average golfer. The Bridges offers a true western club lifestyle to its residents and the Montrose community. The championship golf course is the heart of The Bridges golf community, complemented by a luxurious 23,500 square foot clubhouse, with 11,000 square feet of patio off our award-winning Remington’s Restaurant.

We can't speak for the restaurant, but the course was beautiful.

The Bridges at Black Canyon is approximately 65 miles south of Grand Junction and 65 miles north of Telluride on Colorado’s western slope. The property is surrounded by many natural wonders – to the east is one of the Nation’s newest National Parks – The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. To the north is the Grand Mesa – the World’s largest flattop mountain. The views of the San Juan Mountain range from The Bridges at Black Canyon stretches the length of the southern horizon. The gently ascending Uncompahgre Plateau extends west of Montrose clear to the Utah border.

We would recommend both golf courses ... if you're into that kind of thing!

Wild Country: Our National Parks

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:30:00 +0000

Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed. We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, as part of the geography of hope.

Wallace Stegner, The Sound of Mountain Water

The quote above was on a sign at the last overlook we visited at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

HOPE ... it's something that we could all use in today's world. We are increasingly bombarded with disagreement - whether it's on the Senate floor ... or in our local communities ... or on the inevitable Facebook, Instagram or X scroll.

Even before the government shutdown, it's been a tough year for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The South Rim Fire started on July 10, 2025, due to dry lightning in the canyon leading to the park's closure and visitor evacuations. While the fire was significantly contained as of mid-August, the South Rim and East Portal campgrounds and parts of the South Rim road remained closed to allow for recovery and ensure visitor safety from hazards like flash flooding and falling trees. It burned 4,000 acres.

The South Rim Visitors Center reopened on August 18.

But, after the government shutdown in early October, the doors were again locked at the visitors centers and there was this sign:

During this lapse in appropriations, national parks will remain as accessible as possible. We are doing our best to take care of your parks at this time, but some amenities and services may not be available.

Thankfully, the National Park Department didn't barricade the roads or the overlooks. So we were able to see another of our nation's parks during our Colorado trip.

Still, the evidence of the wildfires was apparent - even at our very first stop.

It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but if you look closely, you might see a little green peeking through the charred earth as the earth begins to rebound and recover. It reminded me of pasture fires here in Kansas. The old growth is burned off so that new green grass sprouts.

So, HOPE ... even in less-than-ideal conditions. The craggy rock formations were also a reminder of harsh conditions.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison lies on the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau, a region spanning Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.

It's a region well known for its natural features, plateaus, buttes, deep canyons and colorful rock layers. It is also adjacent to the Southern Rocky Mountains.

Black Canyon is the result of multiple episodes of uplift and erosion and the carving power of the Gunnison River. The canyon displays a wide variety of rock types - including igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary.

Black Canyon exposes nearly two billion year old Precambrian "basement rocks." Deposition, uplift and erosion are the key factors that created the canyon seen today. Black Canyon's greatest depth is 2,722 feet. The narrowest width is 40 feet at the river.

We were amused by this sign at a trailhead.

We weren't tempted to try it anyway, but note the last line:

Remember: Hiking down is optional; hiking back up is mandatory.

Another of the overlook markers talked about being "perched on the edge of the untrammeled."

We were glad not to do any extensive "trammeling." It looked pretty treacherous to us.

We are perched on the edge of the untrammeled - a place where human impact is limited. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison Wilderness is just below you. Small towns, limited industry and open skies have left the total view untouched. The works of our own hands are few. Here Earth is alive. Yet we can still harm lands without and outside designated Wilderness. Most of this view is unprotected. Still, we can be part of his living world. Wilderness is preserved as much in our hearts as on the land itself.

We saw "wilderness" of a different kind at another national park - the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We were very surprised to find the Visitors Center and campgrounds open there, with park rangers available. We're not sure why those rangers were at work during the government shutdown, but we were thankful for their presence. We appreciated the opportunity to see the visitors center there, along with an an informative film about the dunes.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve protects the tallest dunes in North America.

The park contains ecosystems ranging from mountains to grasslands to wetlands to forest to tundra.

During a wetter time thousands of years ago, ancient lakes covered much of the valley floor. Streams carried eroded sediments from the San Juan Mountains and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains into these lakes. Over time, a thick layer of sand was deposited at the bottom of these lakes.

Through natural climate change, the lakes have largely diminished, leaving a vast sheet of sand on the valley floor. Predominate winds from the southwest funnel sand into a low curve of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Storm winds push sand back, forming the tall dune field.

The Great Sand Dunes National Preserve covers approximately 44,661 acres.

Advice from Great Sand Dunes:

Be ready for adventure.

Cherish wild spaces.

Embrace winds of change.

Spend time outdoors.

Keep a sense of wonder.

Don't get carried away.

Stay loose.

Postcard from the visitors' center

Scenes from Colorado

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

"It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen."

So said a guy with a huge telephoto lens as we stopped at an overlook on a Colorado highway. He was referring to a lake just a little ways down the road. So I took my little Nikon, hopped back in the car and took his advice. I was glad we did.

Just a few miles down the road was Trout Lake. It was an unscheduled - but beautiful - stop as we traveled between Mesa Verde National Park and Montrose, Colorado. The sun wasn't in an ideal spot for photos. But it was beautiful anyway.

Trout Lake is operated by the Public Service of Colorado as part of the historic Ames Hydroelectric Development. Trout Lake Recreation Area is open to the public for day use from "ice out" to October 31.

That other photographer knew what he was talking about. Another internet site says "Trout Lake is one of the most photogenic spots along Lizard Head Pass, the mountain route connecting Rico and Telluride, Colorado."

Of course, I also finagled some earlier photo stops from my chauffeur.

One of the stops was Lizard Head Pass. The sign said that elevation was 13,113 feet. No wonder it was so chilly, and there was some ice on water.

Along the route, I could glimpse the river from the road and wanted a stop that also showed some fall color. Mission accomplished.

This was another random stop along a road near Cimarron, Colorado. (At least, that's what my phone says.)

While we were past the peak color for aspens, an early stop in the trip helped satisfy my desire to find a few iconic Colorado aspens still dressed in their fall finery.

These were taken at Conejos Canyon.

A stay in Salida offered beautiful fall scenes along the Arkansas River.

The water in the Arkansas River in Colorado seemed more plentiful than in Kansas. In fact, there have been lawsuits between the two states, with Kansas contending that Colorado took more than its "fair share."

All the rain that fell before our arrival in Colorado probably helped the river's flow as well.

We were there on the perfect fall afternoon.

Originally founded in the 1800s, Salida was a stagecoach stop and later became a stopover on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Salida's downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.

We enjoyed the art galleries and the unique stores in downtown Salida.

Salida is a premier destination for trout fishing, with sections designated as "Gold Medal" water, meaning they are in the top 10 percent of all Colorado rivers for fish size and quantity. We saw a fisherman trying his luck.

Randy got to eat his second meal of trout during our Colorado trip and watch the fisherman's progress at the same time.

Plans Off a Cliff? Mesa Verde

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 16:02:00 +0000

Best laid plans: They don't always come to fruition.

Three years ago, we visited Mesa Verde during our retirement trip. As I wrote then, Randy has a fascination with Mesa Verde, likely fueled by his second grade teacher, Laurabel Simpson. Even though it's been nearly 60 years, Randy still remembers Mrs. Simpson telling his class about her trip to Mesa Verde.

When we were there in 2022, he didn't get a chance to get a closer look at the cliff dwellings. So, for this trip, he had booked a guided tour. However, the government shutdown also shut down his chance.

Nestled in the heart of Southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its ancient cliff dwellings, archaeological treasures and high-desert landscapes. Home to the Ancestral Puebloans for more than 700 years, the park offers a mix of cultural history and scenic beauty. Established in 1906, Mesa Verde National Park was the first U.S. national park created to preserve cultural heritage. It protects nearly 5,000 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloan people between 600 and 1300 CE. Unfortunately, those cliff dwellings were off limits during the government shutdown.

Randy was disappointed that he wouldn't get the up close and personal look. But we were thankful we were still able to stay at the Far View Lodge located inside Mesa Verde National Park. It's not run by the government; rather, it's operated by an independent company.

Their restaurant was also open, though we were nearing the end of the season for both the lodging and the food service.

The Far View Lodge offered a sunset and sunrise view of Mesa Verde from our balcony. We got there soon enough to enjoy the view.

Far View Lodge is the only lodging within Mesa Verde National Park and sits on a high shoulder offering panoramic views and wildlife watching, according to their publicity materials. However, we didn't see any wildlife. The lodge has 150 rooms.

I read my book and drank coffee on the balcony while we waited for sunset, snuggling up in the blanket during a chilly afternoon. There was no television service at the hotel, but who needs that when you have a view, a book and a balcony?

I probably see more spectacular sunrises and sunsets from my Kansas farm home. But it's not every day that you get to see those two bookends to a day at a National Park.

This was taken outside the restaurant while we waited for our table.

Randy had made reservations in advance at the Metate Room.

We knew it would likely be our most expensive meal on the trip, but it was delicious.

We had the blue corn tortillas and prickly pear margaritas for our appetizer.

I chose the Three Sisters Soup, a harvest soup made with corn, squash, and beans, a Native American staple. I wanted something native to the area.

My entree was the salmon.

Randy chose the trout, which, I admit, was a more authentic Colorado choice. Both were delicious.

Did we need dessert after that? No, but we ordered churros filled with apple filling and accompanied by ice cream anyway.

I set the alarm so that we could witness sunrise the next day.

As we arrived and as we left, we took time to stop at several of the overlooks.

A traveler in 1892 described a trail on the ridge as the Crinkly Edge Trail. In 1911, the trail became the Knife Edge Road, a new section of the main park road. Two years later, the park built a bypass through Morefield and Prater Canyons. When the first automobile trip was made in 1914, vehicles used the bypass and the Knife Edge Road was soon closed.

We made the trek on Park Point Trail. The sign said it was a "steep, but short trail." It didn't seem so short. But we made it to Park Point, the highest point in Mesa Verde at 8,572 feet. On a clear day, four states are supposed to be visible from the point - Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. There was also a fire tower there, which is usually staffed during the summer season to watch out for fires.

The broad Mancos Valley separates Mesa Verde from the mountains to the northeast. These ranges, part of the Rocky Mountains, were uplifted beginning approximately 65 million years ago. Time and water removed rock and sediment between the valley and the nearby mountains. This isolated Mesa Verde and created the steep cliffs and the valley.

Will Randy ever get his cliff dwellings tour? We'll just have to see. Still, we enjoyed our overnight stay in Mesa Verde.

Best-Laid Plans: A Vacation Detour

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 16:39:00 +0000

Sometimes our best-laid plans require detours.

Randy is the vacation planner in our family. He does a great job of lining up the schedule. But an unscheduled government shutdown also shutdown his plans to get a guided cliff dwellings tour at Mesa Verde National Park.

Photo from the museum's website

So, we pivoted. We spent more time in the Durango area before going to Mesa Verde. Our first stop was the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum in Ignacio, Colorado.

The Cultural Center and Museum was built to preserve and share the history and culture of the Southern Ute people. Groundbreaking for the facility was in 2008, with the grand opening in May 2011. The museum houses interactive exhibits and artifacts from the Ute people's long history in the region, which began before the state of Colorado was formed.

The Bears Ears Totem Pole was gifted by the House of Tears Carvers, Douglas and Jewell James of the Lummi Nation.

The center was built by Southern Ute tribal members, who donated and loaned many of the artifacts displayed. Its location in Ignacio is in traditional Ute territory and near the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, which was established in 1877.

The elders of the tribe stress this message to their descendants:

Listen ... That was the main thing that was taught to us from childhood. Don't talk back ... Listen ... You will learn as time goes on.

It's sounds like something that would benefit society today, doesn't it?

After the museum, we went back to Durango. The Durango Botanic Gardens surround the library and continue down toward a pedestrian walk/bike route along the river. While most of the plantings were past their prime for the season, we still enjoyed the path.

The Animas River in Durango was still up from all the rain the previous weekend (that also led to our abbreviated train trip). But it was a nice fall day to walk along the river.

The walking path also gave us a different view of the train tracks used by the Durango to Silverton train that we'd ridden the day before.

We could also walk closer to the trees and enjoy all those fall colors.

We still had some time before we needed to leave for Mesa Verde. And the library was right there. So, it won't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me that we spent a little time in the library's book store and exploring other parts of the library.

A display on the wall near the circulation desk.

I left a little money behind in their used book store. It's all for a good cause, right?

This was a view from one of the library balconies.


Randy is holding the used books I purchased from the library book store.

We still had time to go back to a favorite stop in Durango - the Cream Bean Berry Artisan Ice Cream store. Maybe I won't say how many times we visited.

While we were enjoying our treat, a local business - April's Garden - walked by with a wagon full of free flower bouquets.

I loved the one with the aspens leaves. We shared one of our bouquets with the front-desk worker at the hotel. The tag said, "Flowers make people happy." They certainly did.

Then it was off to Mesa Verde. More on that next time.

All Aboard! Durango to Silverton Train Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 21:07:00 +0000

A government shutdown and flooding in Colorado may have caused us to tweak our vacation plans a bit. But we made the best of things. (We are farmers: You learn to roll with the punches.) We traveled to Colorado (via a Garden City detour - more on that later) from October 13 to 20.

We knew before we left home that Randy's guided tour of the Mesa Verde National Park cliff dwellings would be scratched - unless there was a miraculous end to the government shutdown. There wasn't.

However, we didn't know about the aftermath of flooding in southwest Colorado. Our hotel didn't have water the first night. However, the restaurant we visited - Steamworks Brewing Co. - did. So it could have been worse!

Our tickets were for riding the train from Durango to Silverton. However, flooding impacted the tracks, so our trip was condensed from Durango to Cascade. And while that could have been disappointing, we realized how lucky we were: We were the first group of passengers to be able to travel on the Durango-Silverton train at all that week. Some of the passengers the previous Saturday had to be bussed back to Durango.

Taken at the turnaround point at Cascade

The train trip ended up being our vacation highlight, despite the abbreviated route.

Durango was founded by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in 1880. The railroad arrived in Durango on August 5, 1881, and construction on the line to Silverton began in the fall of the same year. By July of 1882, the tracks to Silverton were complete, and the train began hauling both passengers and freight.

From the very beginning, the railroad was promoted as a scenic route for passenger service, although the line was constructed primarily to haul mine both gold and silver from the San Juan Mountains. It is estimated that more than $300 million in precious metals has been transported over this route.

Though there was some drizzle and even rain during our trip, the railroad certainly proved its reputation as a scenic route.

These were some of the scenes from the windows as we made our way toward Cascade.

The sun also made an appearance, enhancing the fall colors along the roaring Animas River.

The narrow gauge track out of Silverton was laid in 1887. In 1893, 10 large mines in the Silverton district were forced to close when silver prices dropped from $1.05 an ounce to 63 cents an ounce. Just three years later the Yankee Girl and Guston Mines played out. In Durango, the fire of 1889 virtually destroyed downtown. The first automobile arrived by train in 1902. By 1906, Mesa Verde was designated a National Park, increasing the potential for tourism promotions.

However, by 1947, the Silverton branch was in danger of being abandoned. Then Hollywood discovered Durango and the railroad. During the next 10 years, several movies were filmed in the area showcasing the train: Ticket to Tomahawk, Across the Wide Missouri, Denver & Rio Grande, Viva Zapata and Around the World in 80 Days.

These scenes could be out of a western movie, right? This was the Horseshoe Curve, but we also traveled over the High Bridge and the Animas River Gorge. We also saw workers shoring up the train tracks during our travels.

During the latter part of the 1960s, the Durango-Silverton was registered as a National Historic Landmark. In 1969 the railroad abandoned the tracks south of Durango, isolating the line and leaving the future of the line in question. Hollywood continued its fascination with the area and the railroad with the filming of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. As the railroad prepared to celebrate its 100th birthday, Charles E. Bradshaw, Jr. purchased the Silverton branch and with the restoration process complete, engine #481 returned to service after 20 years in retirement.

The passengers ride in the restored train cars, giving a glimpse of nostalgia from years gone by.

Throughout the 1980s, the railroad continued to build on the scenic tourist railroad industry. In 1985 the railroad purchased the Silverton Depot, returning it to service. By 1986 there were four trains running to Silverton with a fifth running to Cascade Canyon Wye.

Because of the flooding, our train took us to Cascade.

They even had a fire lit there.

At Cascade, we were able to get off the train and wander around for about an hour, before leaving to go back to Durango.

It gave us a little closer look at the swollen river and the beauty all around us.

The train route takes passengers into the Rocky Mountains with views of the San Juan National Forest.

Today the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad continues to provide year-round train service, operating a historic train. The locomotives used to pull today’s train are either oil-fired or coal-fired steam-operated and diesel. The steam locomotives are 1923-25 vintage.

The coaches each feature bathroom facilities and are heated during the winter months. Open gondola cars provide a panoramic view of the mountains. We were in a closed car, but were able to open the windows, if we wanted. The Durango & Silverton is owned and operated by American Heritage Railways.

We recommend it.

Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 14:45:00 +0000

Let's face it: Pumpkin Spice can be a bit overdone. You have to admit that Pumpkin Spice toilet paper is just plain weird. In 2020, Kraft produced a limited run of pumpkin spice mac and cheese, mostly sold in Canada. In 2019, Pumpkin Spice Spam was a limited edition canned meat product offered online from Hormel. They suggested using the Spam - with a blend of cinnamon, clove, allspice, and nutmeg - in fall-themed recipes, such as adding it to savory breakfast dishes like waffles and cornbread, or using it in hashes and grilled cheeses. Well ... OK ... I guess?

Those just scratch the surface of weird pumpkin spice products.

But, when the list went around to sign up for foods to bring to a museum reception at the Vernon Filley Art Museum, I jumped on the pumpkin spice bandwagon. My assignment: a pumpkin spice snack mix.

I am known for making multiple varieties of snack mixes at Christmas time. So it was definitely in my repertoire. But I didn't have a pumpkin spice mix in my tried-and-true arsenal. So, like every modern woman, I Googled it until I found one I wanted to try.

This version was found on the blog, Chelsea's Messy Apron. Of course, I had to make a trial run - just to make sure it was good, you know! Randy and I - as well as my Mom and Dad - gave it a good review.

It reminded me of the Churro Snack Mix that's a favorite. Cinnamon is the only "fall" spice in that snack mix. It's one of the snack mixes I typically make at Christmas and give as a gift from the kitchen. It was also one I used for Brent and Susan's wedding welcome bags.

The snack mix got good reviews last week at the museum event. So, if you're looking for a tasty treat for a Halloween gathering or a fall tailgate, here's a pumpkin spice recipe to try. It beats Pumpkin Spice Spam, right?

Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix

Adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron

4 cups Cinnamon Chex cereal

4 cups Honey Nut cereal

1 cup pretzels (I used Butter Snap)

1 cup fancy mixed nuts, salted

1/2 cup butter (cut into 1 tablespoon pieces)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 cup add-ins (like Reece's pieces, candy corn, M&Ms of any variety, etc)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15 X 21-inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Grease generously with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine both Chex cereals, pretzels and mixed nuts.

In a medium pot, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Place over medium to medium-high heat and stir constantly until butter is melted. Continue to stir until mixture comes to a rapid boil. Boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add baking soda and salt. Stir to combine. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Pour over cereal mixture, working quickly to coat dry mixture. Pour coated cereal mixture into prepared pan and spread out.

In a small bowl, combine pumpkin pie spice and granulated sugar. (Use 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for stronger flavor.) Sprinkle evenly over the cereal mix. Don't mix the spice sugar into the cereal.

Bake for 5 minutes, remove from oven and toss using a metal spatula. Spread mixture again to an even layer. Return to oven and bake for 4 more minutes. Remove from oven and toss again. Spread in one even layer and let cool for 5 minutes. Add mix-ins and toss to combine before spreading out into an even layer. Let stand at room temperatures for 30 minutes to 1 hour to fully harden and set up.

Notes:

The Butter Snap pretzels catch the spice sugar mixture in the crevices of the pretzels, but any pretzel can be used.
The original recipe called for leaving the pretzels out of the sweet syrup mixture, instead, adding with the add-ins. I went ahead and coated all the dry ingredients with the syrup mixture.
If you especially like sweet and salty, you could add additional pretzels, Bugles or mixed nuts to the sweet mixture after baking. That would lessen the sweetness level.

Celebrating Milestones: A Farm-To-Table Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:20:00 +0000

Jill celebrated a significant birthday in September. (I'll let you ask her which it was.) She chose a birthday meal at Saltwell Farm Kitchen, rural Overbrook. The route took us up and down hills and over dirt roads to a beautiful farm setting nestled among mature trees.

This particular celebration was an adults-only gathering. She and Eric invited Randy and me, as well as Brent and Susan. They didn't figure the girls would appreciate the six-course tasting menu and the leisurely 3-hour supper.

But the rest of us certainly did.

Saltwell is named for the salty wells built on the original 1856 McKinzie Farmstead, Saltwell Farm Kitchen is 20 minutes west of Lawrence and 20 minutes east of Topeka, nestled in a grove of walnut trees and native Kansas prairie land, just around the bend from Clinton Lake Beach Park. Advance reservations are required.

They serve 50 guests per dinner seating each Friday and Saturday night.

The tables are far enough away that you don't hear other diners' conversations. Each table is set with vintage linens and mix-and-match vintage china.

During the months of May through early October, guests dine outdoors near the Potting Shed bar and culinary gardens.

From mid October through the end of April, guests dine inside the old farmhouse around the antique wood-burning stove in a candle-lit dining room and bar.

Inside or outside, diners can add signature cocktails and mocktails to their evening for an additional charge.

The Saltwell Experience is a farm-to-table menu inspired by the seasons, local ingredients, neighboring farmers, and foraged foods.

We got there in plenty of time to walk around the grounds and enjoy the beautiful evening.

We entered through a vine-covered arch into the seating area.

Waiters delivered each course with an explanation.

Our first course was focaccia boule, flavored with aged cheddar and poblano, served with cream cheese Saltwell honeybee butter. Yum!

Course two was Crimson rosado gazpacho with coriander queso fresco and sumac tajin. The gazpacho included watermelon, cucumbers and tomatoes. It wasn't the favorite course for anyone at our table, but it was still fun to sample something we'd only heard about on Food Network.

Third course was Goddess Roots - fresh herbs and tender greens with feral Green Goddess dressing and crispy cassava root. (It was definitely not like Green Goddess dressing from the bottle!)

Fourth course was called Southside Southpaw - a Chicago-style hot beef arepa, a type of flatbread corn "pancake."

Beef was on the main course menu - a black pepper rosemary sirloin, served with smoked potato salad and garden succotash.

And the sixth and final course did not disappoint. It was Dubai Choco-Taco - a Dubai chocolate cannoli with dark chocolate whisked ricotta, pistachio phyllo stuffing and a pistachio whipped topping.

(The photos probably don't do the food justice, but as it got darker, it was harder to capture good photographs.)

But the atmosphere was even better as the sun went down with the fire pit and the lights strung above the tables.

It's not every day that you eat food prepared by a James Beard-nominated chef - Rozz Petrozz. It is expensive, but it was a memorable experience to celebrate a special occasion.

LIFE LATELY

I've posted on Facebook, but the rest of this post is for me. We had a wonderful September, following Kinley's 8th grade tennis season. We definitely "kept the road hot" as I tell my friends, driving back and forth to Topeka to catch the action. And we wouldn't trade a minute of it.

Kinley had quite the fan club at some of her games. Our fellow grandparents - Alan and Christy - helped cheer her on. At another, Uncle Brent and Susan caught the action (though I missed a photo).

The trip was a little shorter the day we went to Wichita Collegiate for tennis!

At her season finale, she won 5-0 and took home the first-place medal in No. 1 singles!

She started playing tennis at Genesis several years ago, and all her hard work certainly paid off.

Her little sister has not yet made a total commitment to tennis. She's still playing the field - so to speak - with volleyball, basketball and softball. She says she's thinking about cross country when she gets to junior high competitions. So, time will tell.

But at one of our trips to Topeka for Kinley's tennis, we got to watch Brooke at her tennis lesson. So we'll see ...

However, she has totally committed to being a bookaholic, like her grandma.

She did watch her sister play tennis. But she also read during others' matches.

I tell her - and her parents - that I'm happy to feed that habit. Jill asked if we could be to Topeka soon enough to take Brooke to Barnes and Noble so she could spend her birthday gift card. How fast could I type, "Sure!" (Pretty fast!)

I've supplemented the public library a couple of times in the last month. Once, the book Brooke wanted wasn't in their collection. The other time, she had been "waiting and waiting" for The Hunger Games. Grandma ended up buying it before she left town. (And Brooke finished it in a day!)

We book addicts have to stick together.

It's always fun to have family with us at K-State football games.

Kinley wasn't there, but Jill, Eric and Brooke joined us for the UCF game September 27.

We even got a win!

Let's hope for a repeat this weekend. It's homecoming vs. TCU.

Lasting Message

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 19:08:00 +0000

Sunrise, October 1, 2025, over a hay field.

I finished a book last night. That is not unusual. But this book - Theo of Golden - will likely stay with me for quite some time.

I had seen glowing posts about the book on some Facebook book groups. The cover didn't immediately grab my attention. We've talked about the power of book covers at the Recently Read Book Club I attend monthly at my Stafford hometown library, the Nora E. Larabee Memorial Library. What is it that grabs our attention and makes us want to crack the book spine?

Still, while not overly enthused by the cover, I did check with the Hutchinson Public Library, but it wasn't in their collection.

However, I stumbled across it as I helped arrange books for our church's Oktoberfest book sale this coming Friday and Saturday. I immediately paid my 50 cents and took it home.

I was surprised to discover it was self-published. Books that get their start that way rarely find much success. But, as I wiped tears from my eyes and closed the book last night, I understood why it defied the odds. (And, for the record, that wasn't the first time I'd had tears as I read this beautifully-written book with a timely message.)

Here's a synopsis:

Theo of Golden is the endearing story of a curious old man who quietly moves into a southern city and, for reasons unknown to anyone but himself, undertakes a campaign of anonymous generosity. Theo’s love for people, combined with his fondness for books, art, birds, and story, unite in a colorful expression of outreach and affection. Stories are shared, friendships are born, and lives, in response to his inexplicable kindness, are affirmed and transformed. The old man, no stranger to sadness and loss, quickly becomes a welcome presence in the community but his new friends and neighbors wonder, who is Theo? And why is he here? Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted story about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life and the far-reaching possibilities of anonymous kindness.

This morning, I woke up to news of a government shutdown ... more political finger pointing ... a caravan that brought a police officer killed in duty back home to rural Kansas ... more gun violence overnight ... and I despaired. But, as I walked by the window, I saw color in the sky and figured it was better for my mental health to drive down the road to watch the sunrise, rather than watch more of the newscast.

Milo field sunrise panorama, October 1, 2025

I was probably a few minutes later than I should have been, but it was well worth the effort. And it again reminded me of the book. Besides Theo's generosity to his new neighbors, he was attuned to the natural world around him - the birds, the flowers, the trees, the sunset and even feathers.

Ironically, not long before I started reading the book - which features a single feather on its cover - I saw this blue feather lying in the grass as I got into the car to leave. And I couldn't resist taking a photo. Honestly, at the time, I was thinking about how I might be able to use the photo to illustrate the Emily Dickinson quote:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

In the book, Theo meets new people at a bench by a fountain. At another bench near the river, he sits under a tree and watches at 7 o'clock each evening as the sun goes down. Maybe that thought about Dickinson's "hope" wasn't all that far off from Theo's philosophy of life either.

Theo's bench - From the author's website

At one point of the book, Theo talks to one of his new friends about "good art." But his answer turns out to be about much more than just "art." It's about life.

It might not make a of of sense, but for anything to be good, truly good, there must be love in it. I'm not even sure I know fully what that means, but the older I get, the more I believe it. There must be love for the gift itself, love for the subject being depicted or the story being told and love for the audience. Whether the art is sculpture, farming, teaching, lawmaking, medicine, music or raising a child, if love is not in it - at the very heart of it - it might be skillful, marketable, or popular, but I doubt it is truly good. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.

From Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

For me, messages that I'm supposed to "get" often arrive unbidden from multiple directions. This morning after my return from the sunrise chase, I opened an email devotional from The Upper Room and again read the words of the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

Sometimes, it's hard to battle my way through those darker emotions - the hatred, the injury, the doubt, despair, darkness and sadness. But maybe we can find it as we pay attention to the small things around us. I spent some time this morning on the author's website, and read several of his essays, including "Taking the time to see" and "Learning Small Things Matter is Really No Small Thing." Those are themes I often talk about here at my little spot on the internet.

And, thankfully, in the midst of all the other stuff, there's plenty of small "miracles" to open our eyes to see ...

We've just experienced the Monarch butterflies' annual migration through our area.

Even the search for butterflies can remind us that it may take some time and effort. I had trouble capturing photos of butterflies at rest. Most were flitting around high in the trees. But persistence paid off - a few times, at least.

The butterflies also share a message of perseverance and triumphing over obstacles as they make their way from northern climes to their wintering grounds in Mexico.

But even through the rough days, we just have to look for the Light ...

... and the beauty around us.

And give thanks - even when it's hard.

If you have read Theo of Golden or if you read it in the future, I'd love to hear what you think.

Finding Hope and Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Kim) — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:29:00 +0000

Sunset, Sunday, September 14, 2025

Our first question at Sunday School this week was a doozy, considering the week the world had had.

"Can you think of a time when you felt like giving up on people? What helped you come back to a place of grace or hope?"

I'd like to say that the lesson then shared a revolutionary "How to save the world in 10 easy steps." It didn't.

The lesson centered on Psalm 14. And, at first glance, Psalm 14 is pretty depressing.

The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
    any who seek God.
³All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.

Yikes ... After that first question, I thought we were supposed to be finding grace and hope.

So ... How do we find hope? How do we keep hope?

I didn't quit thinking about it after I left the Sunday School room. Or after I trudged down the church steps to the car after the church service.

On Monday, I looked up the lesson summary from UMC Discipleship (the source of the Sunday School material). It says that in Psalm 14, hope happens somewhere in the space between the comma and the “but”:

“You would confound the plans of the poor, BUT the LORD is their refuge” (Psalm 14:6).

But God.

But the good news.

But grace.

We find and keep hope when we name all that is hard in our world ...

Take a breath ...

And then remember, BUT GOD.

However, if we are trying to find God on social media, it may be tough.

If we are trying to find God when we only get our news from the sources that confirm our own ideas and denigrate anyone who dares to disagree, it may be tough.

Sunset, Sunday, September 14, 2025

For me, it's a lot easier to find God on a lonely country road, surrounded by God's beautiful creation.

Just maybe, it will give us the strength to encourage one another to live in hope instead of despair.

The psalm suggests that God is a refuge for the poor and the righteous. What does it mean for God to be a refuge? The Sunday School lesson suggests:

A place of safety, dignity, and protection
A place of truth-telling without rejection
A source of strength when the world feels hostile.

Sunset, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, January 2022

Maybe if we follow Jesus' example, the ripples could be far-reaching.

It's worth a try, right?

Sunset, Sunday, September 14, 2025

Closing Prayer from the Sunday School lesson:

God of justice and mercy, when the world seems filled with disappointment or corruption, remind us that you are still our refuge. Help us to see others as you see them, not as categories, but as beloved children. Soften our hearts and strengthen our hope. In Jesus' name, Amen.

And giving credit where credit is due: The Sunday School lesson was written by the Rev. Anthony J. Tang, the Senior Associate Minister of Mission and Vision at First United Methodist Church of Dallas, Texas.