“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestioned ability of a man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.” – Henry David Thoreau Recently I explored nearby and familiar locations where a little known early Wichita pioneer and entrepreneur, Peter Stackman, lived, worked and invested. Sparked by a re-reading “A Living Gravestone” written by […]
Three Simple Lessons From A Dreaded Jury Duty Day
“I vote and I do jury duty.” – Christopher Hitchens “It’s rare to find someone excited over jury duty. If they’re out there, I’ve never met them. Not a one. When the summons for jury duty arrives in the mail, how many people scream, ‘Yes!’ and run to clear the calendar? None. Our first and […]
Calm Joyful Remembrance: Recall, Recount And Respond
Think only of the past as its (calm joyful) remembrance gives you pleasure. Jane Austen This weekend is Memorial Day in the United States. This day of remembrance began after the civil war. Honor was expressed by decorating the graves of fallen soldiers. In fact it was called Decoration Day even by my parents. It […]
If It Is The Joyland Carousel Then It Is Wonderful Wichita!
My husband and I recently visited Botanica, The Wichita Gardens. This is the new home for the Joyland Carousel scheduled to be open to the public fall of 2019. I have know this was coming, seen pictures and layouts, but it was not until this visit and seeing the building site, did I truly […]
Five Great Reasons To Pause A Project – The Little House Attic
It’s not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities. – Kristin Armstrong I am not great at pressing “pause” on anything. I […]
Repurposing Tree Bark Into A Landscape Carpet
“Giving Found Materials Fresh Form And Purpose” is one of the subjects shared about on this BLOG. It falls under the FOUNDATIONS pillar of my Stonebridge. In today’s terms it is called up-cycling, re-purposing or re-cycling. In Kansas we just call it making-do! Even tree bark gets into the act. This activity uses materials ranging […]
Spring Fever – Projects, Pruning And Grafting
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina For some reason, it has been a long winter here in Kansas. I am not sure why it seems that way since I spent three weeks after Thanksgiving in Papua Indonesia. There the temperatures were pleasant, the sun was out and avocado smoothies became […]
Grosspapa’s Passing – Most Viewed Post of 2017
In 2017 one of the last of the Steinbüchels to live in our home passed on. The post about the passing of his ancestor, Herr von Bernard Karl Steinbüchel, was one of the most visited posts this year. I am pleased that in this time of loss, we were able to reconnect with several of […]
Lath and Porcelain – Leftovers From the Attic
What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the houses for you and me. We plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors, We plant the studding, the lath, the doors, The beams and siding, all parts that be; We plant the house when we plant the tree. by the American author, Henry Abbey […]