Time once again to share what has been going on around the house outside of the quilting room.
On Saturday, March 16th, we traveled to Henderson, Nebraska for their annual Smorgasbord. We were invited by a former Irving student who moved to Henderson following her 8th grade year. This is an event that has been going on since 1955 and is the main fundraiser for the band program. Over 1,000 people are served some fantastic German food including Pluma Mos, a raisin and plum pudding, and Verenike, cottage cheese bundles that were either baked or fried. Our favorite was Worscht, a sausage which was actually the best! Every bite was a taste treat! The evening concluded with an enjoyable concert by the students in the Heartland instrumental groups.
I have subscribed to the Martha Stewart Living magazine for several years because it has a variety of interesting articles ranging from home decorating, gardening, food, health, and travel. And the pictures are so pretty! Last fall there was a recipe for baked pumpkin doughnuts that sounded so good. I did not, however, have any doughnut pans. That problem was solved when I received a couple of colorful ones for Christmas. I finally had an opportunity to try out the recipe last week and they turned out pretty good. I think a cream cheese frosting would be a good addition to this recipe so will plan to try that with the next batch. I’m also looking forward to checking out Pinterest to see if there are some other flavors that I can try.
I have read several good books lately. One that was recommended by a couple of the quilting podcasters that I listen to was Eleanor Oliphant Is Perfectly Fine by Gail Honeyman. Eleanor suffered a traumatic incident as a child and now struggles with loneliness and social skills. The book is equally funny and sad causing you to laugh out loud one moment and pause to think about relationships the next. Another book whose subject centers around loneliness was Our Souls At Night by Kent Haruf. It is an endearing story about two “mature” adults who are searching for companionship following the deaths of their spouses. They encounter resistance from family and friends but do not let that deter them from spending time together. The third book that I would recommend is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini who also wrote another good book, The Kite Runner. I have about 80 pages left to finish so am anxious to see how it ends. It is a riveting story about two Afghan women who persevere through arranged marriages and wars. Given the vast cultural differences between our country and theirs makes this an interesting read.
We saw a couple of movies recently that were nominated for Academy Awards - Greenbook and A Star Is Born. Not often do we ever see a film that wins Best Picture but Greenbook was the winner this year. It is an heart-rending story about race relations in the Deep South during the 1960’s. Touring the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee a few years ago reignited my interest in this subject and Greenbook brings it to life on the big screen. A Star Is Born is the fourth remake of this movie that was first released in 1937. I saw the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristopherson and have listened to the soundtrack many, many times. Now I am enjoying the newest version with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Who knew that Bradley Cooper could sing? And Lady Gaga was unlike any Lady Gaga that I had seen before.
The advent of Spring means warmer temperatures and no more snow. It also means that it is baseball season! I have watched a few of the Kansas City Royals spring training games and am looking forward to opening day on March 28. We also enjoy following the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Haymarket Park is one of the most relaxing places on earth even when the weather is cold and cloudy as it was for our first game of the year on a Sunday. For several years we have had tickets through the Diamond Deal - a nine-game package that also gives us an opportunity to purchase tickets for the Big 10 Tournament at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.
Other events occurring yet this spring include a recital for my piano students, judging at District Music Contest in Sutton, and a Midwest Machine Quilters workshop at the International Quilt Museum. I am also looking forward to warmer weather so that I can have breakfast on the patio. What are you looking forward to in the coming weeks?