Kansas Blog

Music, Art Fills Downtown Hutchinson on Third Thursday

Tue, 07 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

I expected to see cookbooks and colorful utensils, but what made my heart sing was a band playing "Wild Thing" when I stepped inside Apron Strings Kitchen Store in Hutchinson. What could be better than shopping to the sound of live music? Borrowing from the song's lyrics: Third Thursday, I think I love you.

Eco Friendly Art Draws Attention at Belle Plaine Festival

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Winding my way down a path lined with bright orange tulips, I stopped under tall pine and redwood trees to peruse an artist's collection of watercolors featuring bright colored flowers when the sounds of a fiddle and accordian filled the air. The musicians were among a lineup of acts performing under a canopy of long-standing trees during Art at the Arb, an event at the Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine that coincides with the city's annual Tulip Time Festival.

Blog Post: Oz The Great and Powerful movie

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Magical. I know it sounds obvious but that simply is the best word to describe the movie Oz The Great and Powerful that premiered last weekend. The new movie that is the prequel to The Wizard of Oz, a cinema masterpiece of its time, provided the perfect date night with Hubby, who grew up watching the beloved classic, based on L. Frank Baum's novel, every year on television with his family.

Lindsborg’s Sandzen Gallery Showcases Artistic Diversity

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Standing in awe at the unique oil paintings in the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, I realized the Swedish-born artist's signature use of vivid colors and bold brushwork reminded me of a mural in the Belleville Post Office I'd seen as a child. Gallery Director Larry Griffiths said Sandzén painted murals in post offices in Halstead, Lindsborg and Belleville as part of the Works Progress Administration program in the 1930s. It's no wonder I have grown to love Sandzén's paintings, especially the larger pieces found in the gallery that bears his name.

Gamble On Entertainment At Kansas Casinos

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 07:00:00 GMT

I'm not much of a gambler, but my friends who love to visit casinos want Hubby and me to come along. While the others wager their money on blackjack or poker, I'll try my luck at the slot machines and bingo for a while. And when I am ready for a break

Top 5 Favorites in Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 07:00:00 GMT

At the sound of the clip-clop of hooves on pavement and the jingle of bells, I could feel the excitement building amongst the crowd standing around me on a street corner in downtown Lawrence one chilly morning.

Goodland’s On The Bricks Café Worth The Stop

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Like many others driving across northwest Kansas on Interstate 70, I’ve often grabbed fast food at a drive-through and continued on my way with hamburger in hand. Sadly, dining on the road became a quick stop necessity in my hurry to get where I was going rather than the experience it should be for travelers. I realized how much I was missing when I stopped in Goodland for lunch at On The Bricks Café, a quaint restaurant with delicious food, a calming atmosphere and friendly staff providing quick service.

See the Big Picture: Concordia's Brick Whole Wall Mural

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The faces of three young boys from an orphan train peer out, their forlorn looks forever sculpted in brick on a busy street corner in Concordia. Having three sons, I quickly spotted the boys among the two dozen or so realistic scenes depicting the story of Cloud County on the three-dimensional Whole Wall Mural. Measuring 140 feet, this amazing piece of art is currently the longest sculpted brick mural in the country—and possibly the world!Standing before the mural, I began playing a game of “I Spy,” finding pioneers planting seeds, coal miners and brick layers at work, a 1928 biplane, a wooded windmill, grain elevators, a John Deere “A” tractor, a schoolhouse, a church, a train, and an iron truss bridge over the Republican River I remember crossing as a kid when my family drove from our farm near Cuba to shop in Concordia.

Roy’s Hickory Pit BBQ in Hutchinson Hog Heaven

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Exiting my car parked in front of Roy’s Hickory Pit BBQ in Hutchinson, I got a whiff of the tantalizing aroma of meat slowly smoking over hickory and my stomach quickly started to rumble. Fired up for Roy’s mouthwatering meat topped with a mild and sweet sauce I remembered from a previous visit, I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into those succulent ribs once again. In fact, I purposely arrived early to avoid the potential long line of customers that sometimes extends out the bright red front door of the sunny yellow building during the lunch hour.

Fort Scott Celebration Honors Legacy of Gordon Parks

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

I’ve long admired the work of Gordon Parks, who was once told not to try to attend college because his best shot at succeeding in life was to be ...