Sometimes it’s not us who achieve our life dreams, it’s our descendants. In my case, it was my granddaughter Maeve, and the dream was to win the 4th of July pageant. Growing up in a small town in Kansas in the ‘60s, the 4th of July was a huge deal. One year, our swimming pool had an Independence Day … [Read more...]
The Art of Hospitality
When my sister, Judy, comes to visit us in a few weeks, she will be lucky if I have stocked the guest bath with toilet paper and put a few scraps of food in the fridge. But if Judy (or I!) had been lucky enough to have my friend Marsee as a sister, she would have had a different experience. Very, … [Read more...]
The Joy of Dining: A Spring Table at My Cottage
As the flowers poke out of the ground, and the leaves bud on the trees, another force of nature comes back alive: my desire to entertain. In the winter months, Dan and I don’t have folks over as much, preferring to cocoon when we’re home. But one of my rites of spring is dressing my table and … [Read more...]
Cheers in the New Year
Even though our lake cottage is snug, during the holidays, we still manage to fill it with lots of family and friends. One of the keys to fitting in so many folks is to find ways to encourage everyone to spread out through the house, not just wedge into the kitchen like merry making sardines. At … [Read more...]
A Feast at Stoney Oaks Farm
Linda was on a mission. She and her husband, Mike, were hosting a farm-to-table feast at their home north of Kansas City to benefit their church. She stopped by Nell Hill’s on her hunt for the dishes and linens and other supplies she would need to create a beautiful fall table in her barn.A … [Read more...]
Inspiration for Thanksgiving and Fall Dinners
There’s the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving. Beautiful, perfect. Then … there is the Garrity Thanksgiving. Not so beautiful, not so perfect. In fact, after the last friends and relatives wobble out our door after a raucous day of thanks, my home is more fit for a hazmat unit than a photo shoot. I guess … [Read more...]