PART 2 - Cowboys, Windmills & Tea Parties: SNAPSHOTS From the DAY!

What a fun day! Here are my "picture postcards" from Kansas. I love the shot of the windmill and the house...things have come a long way since the windmill and sodhouse on the prairie of Oliver's day, that's for sure. Well...maybe not the house, but the windmill has certainly been improved upon :)





Here is an old homestead that we came upon while chasing windmills - and a lone cowboy on a mule. I know it will never happen with a city boy for a husband, but I personally could live here in Kansas!

This is me with Virginia Alexander. I met Virginia when I was in Esbon, KS back in 2006. She knows a lot about the history of the area and she has sent me some great records over the last few years. I had no idea she was coming to the museum today to hear me talk and I was thrilled to see her again!

The sandwiches on the menu at the Tea Room all have names - This one is called "The Oliver" - how could we resist! Well, truth be known, I resisted since it is tuna (no thank you) but Virginia said she was going to order it in honor of Oliver whether she liked it or not, and order it she did!

Here is the player piano from the tea room - only 25 cents
a song - can you see the keys playing??

Here is 1/2 of our table at the Huckleberry Tea House. These three ladies are Kathleen, Tina and Jean - all good friends of my host, Sara Gault. They are all in education - principals and teachers - and wonderful people!

And last, but certainly not least.....the girls of the Tea House! Don't they look like they're having fun....dressing up in hats, boas, white gloves, etc. and sitting down to Afternoon Tea with girlfriends??? I don't think we have Tea Rooms in Delaware, do we? Maybe when I get back home, I'll look into opening one, it was such a fun time!

Tomorrow I'll be spending the day relaxing at the hotel....sleeping....reading....swimming in the pool... soaking in the hot tub (don't be looking for any pictures - there won't be any!)

Monday starts week #2 with fewer visits but more driving since the schools are in areas around Salina anywhere from 10-50 miles. I do plan to get back to Concordia since I haven't yet been able to actually go in the museum and I'm NOT leaving Kansas before I do that :)

DAY #9 - Wrapping Up Week #1

Wrapping up the end of the first week here in Kansas, I began the morning at Schilling Elementary School where my host, Sara Gault (the crazy lady responsible for this excellent adventure!) is a fourth grade teacher. These pictures are taken from her class. The kids were great, lots of them bought copies of the books for themselves, and their interest and questions did not disappoint. This little girl's name is Astrid. The third picture is Sara Gault and I - we both agree that neither one of us takes a good picture....but, for posterity, we begrudgingly did our best-lol! Sara's daughter Molly works for the local paper and she, along with a coworker who writes for the paper came to the presentation and took lots of pictures - one with each child - to have as a souvenier. There may also be an opportunity to have Fly Little Bird, Fly published in portions in the paper for people to read. More on that later as I get more information :)

After two presentations at Schilling and a quick lunch break, I traveled to Coronado Elementary for visits with the third graders, followed by the fourth graders. Students and teachers alike have been very interested and involved in the many discussions that have "spontaneously erupted" during my visits and it's easy to see that this is a subject that really gets people, young and old alike, thinking and wondering about.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'll be traveling to the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, KS which is about an hour drive north of here. I'll be doing a book signing and reading from 10-11:30 followed by a luncheon at the Huckleberry Tea Room in town. I'm really looking forward to seeing the museum now that it's completed! Sunday will be a "day of rest" - literally. Then next week the visits will begin again in schools in surrounding communities!

Enjoy your evening - I'll be resting up - and I'll see you on Day #10. Thanks for following :)