DRIVING ACROSS THE WIDE OPEN SPACES OF THE KANSAS PRAIRIE ON OUR WAY TO KANSAS CITY was agitating early in the morning as the visibility was next to none. Heavy FOG made it very difficult to see the road in front of me making me tenser than usual. AND who needs tense? Usually I am on guard because of the other drivers speeding around me, but this time the fog was a blinding white cloud making my eyes work overtime.
A migraine started to come on. I couldn't see the pastures to the left and to the right of me. Visibility ended at the edge of the road and a short distance in front of me. I was engulfed in a mystical mist.
It doesn't seem to matter the weather conditions, there are always drivers zooming right on by at a faster than safe speed. This is troublesome as their recklessness doesn't impress me, but puts me on a higher alert.
The foggy morning traffic wasn't so threatening, but the visibility made the drive extremely challenging for this old woman behind the wheel straining to do well. I was tense, but in some weird way the hour and a half drive seemed like a dream in a romance novel. I've seen paintings with less fog and they seem to have an eloquence to them.
Walking to school in the fog was a rare occasion in my day back in Liberal, Kansas, but it was a fantasy world on those days where I couldn't clearly see as the fog was making theatre out of life. I had visions of being on the streets of London walking to my destiny where ever that was for the day. The West Junior High School building would greet me as I stepped towards it.
Now to fast forward to the present. Upon arriving to our Kansas City destination, the fog lifted. Dream over.
We had already eaten our breakfast on the road from TOPEKA before entering KC. Eating a meal from STARBUCKS fit the bill. I like their Egg and Cheese Protein Box with 2 boiled eggs, about 6 grapes, half of a sliced apple, 2 small white cheese triangles, circular piece of bread, peanut butter and packaged spices to sprinkle on the eggs. Of course we both had unsweetened Iced Green Tea in a TRENTA cup.
Sample. Mine had grapes instead of citrus.
ABOUT 460 calories for me. Just right. My conclusion is that I seem to feel better eating Breakfast than FASTING until noon or so. As I sat in the car waiting for our order, I noticed that most of their customers walking into the brick and mortar establishment were young woman who had ordered ahead of time coming back outside almost immediately carrying their cups of FANCY coffee. I suppose they all were on their way to work? Where that is, I don't know.
I ate some grapes and a couple of apple slices right away while sitting in their parking lot. The boiled eggs came after we returned to the Interstate. This box breakfast worked well for me as I drove to KC. Sipping on the tea took time.
We chatted on the way to Kansas City for the 10 o'clock appointment with a printer to get the ball rolling about a piece of artwork that my Husband has created. This is a first. We've never had prints made of any kind. A new adventure for sure. In a few days we'll return to KC to see the results for under a hundred dollars. Pray it's a good fit.
Arriving early made time to change out a tail light on the car so we went to a local auto parts store to take care of this before going to the Print Shop for the appointment. Bathroom break at HOME DEPOT. How convenient is that?
While standing for the Art appointment in an old house with overgrown greenery on the metal fence and potted plants on the large porch, I began to sweat as the front room didn't have circulating air. I could see the results of sweat beads soaking through the top of my blue dress. Feeling faint, I excused myself to return to our car where air conditioning could be felt. Satisfied, I waited for my companion to return. We left his beautiful drawing in the hands of a stranger that will see to it that the drawing will be photographed for a print.
Hubby is somewhat nervous turning loose of this particular piece of artwork which has hours of labor in it. Pray it is a fit and all goes well.
After Hubby got in the car, we went to the GILLHAM HOUSE with antiques and furnishings that we saw as we drove the neighborhood to the printers. This very upscaled shoppe was a treasure to come across.
When I stepped inside the mansion with very high ceilings, I got lost gawking at the merchandise arranged in the house by different dealers throughout the manse. I was curious what they must be paying to lease a space. I can only imagine.
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https://www.diebolts.com/
I had no idea that Nell Hill's Mary Carol Garrity had a 400 square foot cubby hole store in this mansion called diebolt's. Nell Hill's in Atchinson, Kansas was her previous business that she has since sold. She had another rather large store in KC that I did not have the pleasure of visiting while she ran it. The business exchanged hands and her huge Atchinson mansion sold as well. I think she sold this business in 2018 to retire and move into a two bedroom cottage by a lake.
We had toured her Atchinson mansion about 12 years ago. Seems like yesterday. I have photos from the 2013 Fall Home Tour of hers which can be looked at on this blog's sidebar under Mary Carol Garrity etc. I did not know she was so famous until later.
I first noticed her walking about and recognized her. That's Mary Carol Garrity. Later I'd say hello and tell her that we had toured her HOME. She's sweet as ever and very personable. Her lil cubby hole shop carries the same style of merchandise she was peddling in 2013. She was really big into blue and white porcelain ginger jars and urns, pretty porcelain dishes, fragrant candles and silver trays hanging on the wall with black ribbon before and still is. A nice touch for glamour.
Mary Carol, Author and Decorator had a small Christmas tree decked out with tear shaped crystal prisms on top of a table in the middle of her tiny store. She has a flare that many admire and lust after. Things for fun not necessities, as she has put it.
AFTER LEAVING THE GILLHAM HOUSE, we drove to UNION STATION to eat lunch upstairs at HARVEY's. I had a salad. Imagine that. Exciting choice. grins. Somewhere in here is a paper thin shaved piece of asparagus. There was ONE slice in the whole salad. One? One. Only one. Did I say one? Yes, one.
Carrot Cake