Sunflowers Up and Sunflowers Down

We're Kansans.    The sunflower is our State Flower.    We're even called "The Sunflower State"!    If you've gotten a Kansan quarter, there's one on it and there is even one on our State Flag.     Sunflowers grow well on the prairie!

And sometimes we grow sunflowers at Linderhof.    Never on purpose because the garden isn't really big enough but rather any sunflowers at Linderhof are gifts from the birds!!!!     The seed that we feed them in the winter is mostly black sunflower seed and it seems to grow very well in the garden.    If not pulled, it will grow and bloom!     We sometimes are able to pick a bouquet of these sunflowers for the house.     Which I posted about HERE.     I even made some sunflower cookies.

But last week I was a the market and there was a beautiful bouquet of really big sunflowers.    Home they came, into a blue and white Spode pitcher and onto the breakfast room table to brighten meals the following week.

Big beautiful sunflowers.

For most Tuesdays in August, I've been teaching cooking classes at the Senior Center in the little town 20 miles east of us.     It's been enjoyable and my theme has been "Cooking For One (or Two)" because it is sometimes hard to reduce quantities of things like ham and beans, soup or stews or lasagna into manageable meals for one or two.

And at the Senior Center there is a table of handmade items -- some embroidered, some sewn and even a quilt or two.

And on the table, I found . . .

These pillowcases.     "Kansas" pillowcases!!!!  

They're painstakingly cross-stitched on regular pillowcase fabric.    The cost -- a mere $15.    Surely not enough for all of the work involved!

And they look smashing on the guest room bed!!!!

And . . . friend Pat, another Kansan, posted about sunflowers this week that she has at her home, On Crooked Creek  and she featured these napkins.    

Picture courtesy of  Pat at On Crooked Creek

Twice, now, I've been at TJ Maxx and have had these napkins in my cart.      And each time I've put them back -- their April Cornell and the price is certainly reasonable but I just can't convince myself that I need them!!!!

A decision I will probably regret when they are no longer available!!!!

At least my pillowcases will allow sunflowers at Linderhof during the dreary winter when the only sunflowers at Linderhof are the seeds that fill the feeders!

It's Friday and I'm sharing my sunflowers with Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday!