Something Corny To Tell You

I GREW CORN!!!!! My neighbor said it wasn't going to happen. That the raccoons were going to get it. But I did it! It's not your average run-of-the-mill sweet corn. It's a dwarf heirloom variety...and blue. I haven't eaten any yet, and frankly I don't care if it's good or not. I GREW CORN! Now I just need to learn how to save the seed and then I can cross one more thing off my list. Also exciting (well, for me at least)...my tomatoes are starting to ripen!! I have over 30 plants. I'm hoping I have enough to do some canning and get a couple jars of sauce for the winter. I've been canning a lot of what I get from the farm. So far we have done 3 Qts of Strawberry Lemonade concentrate, 8 Strawberry Jams, 8 Strawberry/Raspberry Jams, 6 Dilly beans and today I'm planning on some pickles. I believe I might also pickle my carrots. For some reason my crisper doesn't like to do it's job. I've got limp carrots after a couple days. Not cool. In regards to items on my list...I am continuing to work in my artist's journal. I actually have a project I'm working on for someone! Yay! I don't expect any compensation since it's for fundraising but at least I'll have something to add to my portfolio. Also, I've been brainstorming on ideas for short stories and what I'm going to write in November for nanowrimo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/). I figure if I don't accomplish that this year I'll still have two more Novembers. I've also brought home some photo albums of my grandma's to scan in. I'm going to try to make books for my cousins and uncles. It's a big undertaking and it might take me the rest of my 1001 days to do it. She took A LOT of photos! I started asking her about her past when I started the 101 things project back in February. Unfortunately in a few short months she has gone from bad to the worst...she can no longer speak or do anything on her own. I don't know how much verbal history will be in this book, but it will be packed with photos. I am hoping my great aunts will be able to give me some stories of my grandma and her family growing up. It just goes to prove that life is short and time slips between our fingers. Growing up I always asked her about her life. Now I wish I would've written it down.

I'm on a roll

I'm crossing off #38. Go to Anthropology & art museums at KU...only there is no anthropology museum. It's the Natural History Museum. But it's pretty much anthropological exhibits. I highly recommend taking time to visit it. Only don't go when there's a group of 50 six & seven year olds. The noise can be deafening. My favorite part about the museum was the 3rd floor - paleontology and native species of Kansas. Did you know there used to be saber-tooth cats and mammoths in Kansas?!!!! Yeah, AWESOME! Really, you should go check out this place. We also went to the Spencer Museum of Art. Not as exciting as the history museum. Maybe I was just exhausted. Or maybe it was the dang docent following us around like we were going to jack a painting. It just wasn't as fun and exciting...that was until the power went out for a few seconds. Pitch black. Of course that guy was right behind us so it made it a bit creepy. We were just about to head up to the third floor but you could only get to it by elevator. We decided to say we'd seen enough. The last thing I wanted was to get stuck on an elevator. Especially if that creepy guy followed us onto it. Overall it was a good little day trip. Highly recommended. And if you go, stop in at Local Burger (9th & Vermont, East Lawrence exit, one/two blocks south of the river). This place is YUMMMMY!!! They use local and organic ingredients. And they have a list on the wall of all the farms that they buy their produce from... perhaps one day my farm will be on their wall! (Try the buffalo burger with cheddar and bacon.)

Two Down...98 More to Go

Well, I get to cross two more off my list! Yay! While driving home last week I passed a garage sale that had a lot of furniture. I found the cutest chair! I now have to find some awesome fabric for it to reupholster the seat. I'll post a picture once it's done. AND...I had my cousin dye my hair blonde. It's not all over blonde but more than not. Unfortunately my hair is always pulled back unless I'm going somewhere...and even then. BUT, it looks good! I might have to go all blonde. Once again, I'll post a photo. It's really unfortunate that my laptop monitor went out. I need to get that fixed. It's putting a damper on keeping up with blogging and emails.

Well poey!

I really hate that my laptop screen decided to stop working. It's putting a damper in me getting this blog accomplished. It's been over a month!! I might as well start making a list of charities I am going to donate to for items not completed.

This past weekend I drove out to Dodge City, KS to see my nomadic friend, Sarah. Had a great time. Saw some beautiful scenery. Learned some history about KS. And found out why people got the hell out of Dodge....

IT STINKS!!!!

Behind me are just a few of the feedlots. There are more cows than humans in Dodge thanks to these industrial feedlots. Actually, there are more cows in Dodge than humans in the whole state of Kansas! But, like I said, I had a great time. It helps that Sarah has a major travel addiction which has given her the ability to be a good tour guide. We went to the Boothill Museum, a replica of what Dodge would have looked like back when it was "the wickedest little town in the west". Watched a shootout. Found out thanks to an ignorant little shithead that "Indians" were the first drug addicts. Normally I'd say something to point out the stupidity of such a racist argument but there were a lot of Nascar shirts. And those people scare me. (I guess that was a bit of a racist comment in itself). I settled on giving the child's father one of my famous evil looks that quickly stopped him from egging on his child. Ah....Kansas!

We also got to see some ruts from the Santa Fe trail. Once I figured out what I was looking for it was pretty awesome. Whenever I drive through Kansas I always have to wonder how it must have been for the settlers. And how similar some of the landscape is to this day. Below is a picture of the ruts. Ok, well, you can't really see them. I guess you'll just have to go to Dodge to see it for yourself.

They're to the right in the picture towards the top of the prairie. They kind of look like waves.

Saturday night we trekked over to Greensburg. I have the utmost respect and admiration for the people of that town. It's been two years and it still looks devastated to a degree. We went to see a Celtic guitarist play at their new arts center. It is the only LEED certified building in Kansas. It looks out of place but it's awesome. And the people we talked to from there were all nice and open about their experience. Words really cannot express what it felt like being there.

Oh, and on my way to Dodge I stopped at Oz Winery in Wamego, KS. They have some gooooood wine. Well, the three I tried were good. They were out of a lot of their varieties. I guess I'll have to go back. Wendy, add it to your list. More and more wineries are popping up within an hour of the metro. So I think I'll be able to cross that one off soon.

Well, I guess that's it. Oh, I'm going to dye my hair blonde here soon thanks to my cousin Kelly. I'll be able to cross that one off my list. Yay!

Brain Fart

I got an artist's journal today. On clearance. I'm cheap. I thought of making one to make it even more "creative" but it would've cost more money. I think I have artist's block. More like artist's coma. My creativity is alive somewhere in the recesses of my mind and surface briefly here an there. A little movement to give hope. But when I go to interact with it, it lies still and motionless. I need to revisit my list. I'm starting to forget what I'm supposed to be doing...

When will the rain end?!

Getting closer to getting rid of all non-organic cleaning agents. Thanks to my boss at the farm I now know a recipe for an all purpose cleaner that will be waaay cheaper than buying any from the store. I've also been reading some books that have some recipes for other types of cleaners. Have nothing else to say. I have very little energy to put towards knocking a few off the list. Did have the desire to do a painting the other day. Unfortunately I was not home and by the time I got home I was pooped. And all this rain doesn't help. I just want to sleep or read. Tomorrow is First Friday. A friend from high school has an opening that we are going to. Perhaps we should have dinner at YJ's or another place that was listed on Diners, Drive Ins & Dives... That way I can feel I accomplished something.

Ichi, Ni...Perhaps 3?

Went to Stix in the Legends Friday for a friend's birthday. It's an Asian/ Hibachi style restaurant where they grill your food in front of you. Not a great place for someone with a shellfish allergy. The chef tosses a small piece of shrimp to each person and they try to catch it in their mouths. I got to sit out that round. Yay allergies! But I had a good time. One ethnic restaurant closer to completing # whatever that was. Debate: Jazz Cajun restaurant. Does that count as ethnic? Somebody (not you Eric) let me know what you think. I'd like to give a shout out to my Aunt Bea! Hollaaaa!