A Trip to Topeka

This past weekend (October 21-23) LaDonna and I took a trip to Topeka. It was a chance to get away yet stay close enough and not spend a lot of time and money on travel. So many times there are places/things of interest in the area that we tend to overlook. Several years (many?) ago we spent 4-5 days of vacation in Kansas City with the kids. We stayed at a motel within ten miles of our house that had a pool and visited sites in the KC area such as Fort Osage and the Truman Library. Before taking our current three day get away we looked at going to Leavenworth, KS, St. Joseph, MO or Topeka, all within an hours drive.
We got to Topeka thursday evening and took a scenic day trip to Wamego, KS on Friday. Wamego is about 40 miles west of Topeka on highway 24 which happens to follow the Kansas river. It was a beautiful fall day, the colors and the Flint Hill region giving lots to look at. We passed through several small towns along the way; Silver Lake and St. Mary's which had a college with several stone buildings that one time had been an Indian mission. The purpose of our trip to Wamego was to visit the "Wizard of Oz" museum. When asking the museum host why Wamego for an Oz museum, she replied that someone in town gave a large collection of memoribilia and since no specific town in Kansas is mentioned as Dorothy's home, any town in the state could be "no place like home". Of course there were lots of movie exhibits as well as displays based on the original book, spin-offs and sequels. Next to the museum was an eatery called "Toto's Taco's" and a sewing shop called "The Wicked Stitch".

After our visit to the museum we ate a picnic lunch in the town park. The park was home to a dutch windmill moved from a farm originally built in the late 1800's outside of town. Wamego was a small town and as such had its own unique personality. Not sure we discovered it but it was fun looking at the attractions mentioned as well as several old historic homes.

Saturday found us in Topeka looking at "The Great Overland Train Station Museum" and the "Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site". Both contained exhibits and pictures to be read. The Train museum had a unique fountain and plaza outside as well as history of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF). With Topeka as headquarters of the Railroad their historys have much in common. The Brown v.Board of Education site had a lot of pictures and videos giving history of desegragation in the United States. Lots to read and look at so we rested some in the afternoon before heading to see a movie "Moneyball". It fit well with watching the World Series game that night in our motel.

Finally on Sunday we took opportunity to walk around the state capitol building. There was work being done on the outside of the building and of course the inside was closed. Around the capitol people were setting up booths, signs, etc. for "Race for the Cure" that would take place in the afternoon. Before leaving Topeka we headed for Gage park. The park houses the Zoo, a small train, a Carousel and a Rose Garden as well as usual sports and picnic facilites. LaDonna had a great time taking pictures in the rose garden and yes, we rode the carousel. It was another beautiful fall day and great to be outdoors. It was fun to get away and enjoy exploring new places and just like the story says........"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" (fooled you didn't I?) -30-

Dad's Home Cooking

The picture is from 1957, outside of our house on Della Street in Springfield, MO. The back door leads into the kitchen. Of course my Dad spent time in the kitchen. Sometimes he would even cook. It wasn't something he did on a regular basis but he did have some "favorite" recipes he would cook from time to time. Some that I remember and want to share with you include - beef stroganoff, clam chowder and chili. He would also whip up a batch of scrambled eggs from time to time as well. He probably cooked other things but these are ones I remember.
For Beef stroganoff Dad would slice strips of beef, brown them in the skillet with some flour and butter. He would add this to a pot (this was before crock pots were famous) along with noodles, sour cream and mushrooms. He would allow this to simmer for a while on the stove. He would use the wide egg noodles and it seems like he may have used home made noodles. I'm not sure of the amounts, time cooked, etc. I mainly remember that it tasted good.
Another of his recipes was Clam Chowder. This was mainly a winter time meal. Dad would mix a can of whole clams with milk, butter, seasoning and let it simmer for a while. This was always served with oyster crackers. Chili was another dish that Dad would fix, but it didn't usually attract as much attention.
It seemed that most of Dad's cooking took place on Saturdays or Sundays, usually the evening meal. I remember one particular dish that Dad fixed on a Saturday evening when we lived in Riverton, Illinois. Dad was doing some grocery shopping one Saturday afternoon and I happened to be with him. The meat case/counter was in back of the store and Dad spotted some pork? beef? brains and got in a discussion with the meat clerk about them. As the clerk wrapped them up I remember saying something like, Yuk! I'll never eat those things. That evening for supper we had scrambled eggs as the "main" course. Knowing that Dad had fixed the eggs I commented, Gee, these eggs are pretty good. Dad replied, got those brains in them.
Because of that meal I have a lot of extra memory. (OH please!) Okay, but I do have memories of Dad cooking and from time to time have tried to duplicate some of his recipes. Just like my Dad, most of my cooking is done by the seat of my pants; add a little this, try that, see if it works, can't hurt, if it's not good I won't make it again, if it is good I'll probably never be able to duplicate it.
Some of my favorite recipes include those that Dad made (except the brains) along with Pork Steak (Brandy's fav) Toll House Pie (family fav) and Pecan Pie (my fav). Whenever you come to visit you might get something I make, but you'll never get any brains. -30-

Feed the Birds OR For the Birds?

In the movie "Mary Poppins" Jane and Michael have a desire to feed the birds. Their desire is fueled with a song by Mary Poppins who tells of a bird women in the town square feeding the birds and selling bags of popped corn for "tuppence a bag". Michael's desire to use his two pence to feed the birds creates a stir within London's banking establishment. So, why do we feed the birds? Why are we attracted to such a simple thing like this? Allow me to share some of my "bird brain" thoughts on the subject.
When I was growing up there were Sundays we would go to one of the parks in Springfield, Illinois and feed the ducks. Our feed was usually a bag of dry, moldy bread we might have in the house. Great fun then and with our kids while they were growing up. Simple, cheap entertainment. Bird seed was too expensive.

Hummingbirds are fascinating to watch. They are so small, move their wings so fast, yet can hover to take nectar from a flower or a liquid feeder. Our Pastors wife, Nell Anderson from Lebanon, MO, would hang a feeder outside her cabin's kitchen window in Colorado. It made the birds easier to see. My Mom did the same thing at her home on Planeview Drive in Lebanon.
GM and GP Brown had a bird feeder that hung from a tree outside of their kitchen window on Lincoln Street in Jefferson City. Mrs. Brown always had a camera handy at the table waiting for that perfect moment to take a picture. Today GP Brown has several feeders outside the back deck at his home on Nelson Drive.

So, why do we feed the birds? They fascinate us with their movement, their colors, cheap entertainment. Our bird feeder hangs on the back porch outside of our kitchen window. It's always fascinating to watch them when working at the kitchen sink. We have a small book on the counter to look up any new birds that we see. Most of our birdfeed visitors are cardinals, bluejays, sparrows, some woodpeckers, juncos, finches, grackles, etc. One unusual bird visitor was a Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It was only around for a few weeks during its migration from Central/South America.

Once when I was sitting on our back deck enjoying a cup of coffee and newspaper I could hear the crack of sunflower seeds as a Cardinal was visiting the feeder. Obviously I remained very still. So, why do we feed the birds?
Maybe we feed the birds because it's something so simple. It reminds us how birds, as free and unencumbered as they are, survive. "Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" (Luke 12:24) Is that why we feed the birds, because it reminds us of Gods love?
When I was growing up, my Mom (Grandma Rita) would tell me, feed the birds in winter and they'll come back to sing for you in the spring. -30-