summer 2020 is canceled

NO FAIR
(Yes, I know that Raygun already coined this.) Iowa State Fair board has decided to cancel this year’s festivities. Unsurprising, yes. Last year was (finally) my first visit to the fair and I had an absolute blast. Sure I’ll miss my fried-corn-dog-stuffed-with-a-pickle-on-a-stick, but… To be honest, I can’t stop thinking about all those east side families who rely on the fair for the extra financial boost by using their properties for parking, etc. – and how they, too, will be impacted by this cancellation.

NO PRIDE
Okay, there will always be Pride in this house, though the lack of community celebration is certainly a bummer. This year I purchased a Progress Flag to display, and could no longer resist the siren of the witty Raygun apparel.

NO CONFERENCE
Technically the annual conference has not been canceled (yet), but my abstract was. *sigh* Receiving the rejection email this week was like a turd schmear on an already-turd bagel. I’m feeling a lot of feelings about having most parts of my life grounded – though I completed my thesis, which is currently in the hands of my second reader. And if there is one highlight of this all… my thesis ended up being 69 pages. 😬

SPEAKING OF BAGELS
One benefit of the pandemic has been the abundance of shops, farms, and other like producers who are doing local home delivery (I just received my first milkman delivery today! HOORAY!). Good Bagels start-up in Des Moines WILL DELIVER TO YOUR HOUSE. And if you just need an excuse to get out of the house, I believe they have a stand at the Playhouse Market every Saturday.

is it corn?

Yesterday was Corn on the Cob Day, and here’s a fun quiz to see how well you know your corn.

midwest shenanigans

No shenanigans here: I stand for all Black lives and all Black Lives Matter. Here are some area organizations that could use your assistance both physically and financially: Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Des Moines NAACP (yes, you can be white and join/support the NAACP!), and the Iowa Bond Project. Also, write to your city council, congresspeople to demand police reform.

OF ALL TIMES TO HAVE A SATURDAY BIRTHDAY. (I guess I need to stop with the all-caps; Grammarly is telling me that I sound angry.)

something in the way she moos

The pandemic has forced us to change how we work and build relationships with local vendors, retailers, restaurants, and farmers. Sadly, I missed out ONCE AGAIN for any local CSAs. However I AM HERE FOR the Return of Milk Delivery.

Sheeder Cloverfield Dairy has set up a home delivery program – and I put a deposit on my refrigerated lockbox. They are partnering with Big Sky Baking and Southwest Iowa Egg Coop to include bread and eggs, respectively, in their deliveries.

other birthday slash local support

Happy to support the following local peeps for Birthday Week: Lemon cake from Red’s Bakery; margaritas and cupcakes from Creme; Thursday goulash from The Dam Pub; a tower of alcoholic beverage-flavored cotton candy from Chocolate Storybook (and a side of PICKLE COTTON CANDY!); macarons from La Mie Bakery; Winefest celebration with ROCA; ice cream from Black Cat (omgggg that Breakfast Trash); smoothie sours from Barn Town Brewing; chocolate truffles from Stam.

Look, I’m… probably not going to want to eat sugar for another 3-6 months after this.

Special thanks to my spouse for homemade meals of enchiladas and eggs benedict and cleaning all the bathrooms this weekend – effectively stretching my birthday celebrations through Mother’s Day. I am a lucky and very full lady.

midwest shenanigans

And then there is THIS: Fair Food Fridays. Anyone craving a Hot Beef Sundae?

Happy May Day!

I have hit a milestone in becoming an “official” Iowan by receiving my first May Day surprise.

egg layer

A friend of mine had extra farm eggs and did a porch drop this week. And now I am looking up the city code on chickens. Several of our neighbors have chickens and the (neighbor’s) coop behind our house already drives the cats NUTS. It’s probably a fun/terrible idea.

to market to market

Apparently Farmer’s Markets are allowed to be open again here in Iowa? I’m not ready. But if these organizations/farmers can make them work while including physical distancing measures, cool. I still have no visible germination on my pepper plants. And, while a little late, I’ve currently got some tomato seeds soaking to be planted. Let’s hope for one of those magical long, late Iowa summers.

midwest shenanigans

RAYGUN is the best for making light of some polarizing situations (and, err, people). Of course I had to purchase a Resting Mask Face face mask. Also a portion of the proceeds of sales will go to local community food banks.

Anyone else equating this current environment to Groundhog Day? (Hopefully not Russian Doll. If you’re looking for something to binge and haven’t seen it, might I kindly recommend you do so? Same for Groundhog Day if, FOR SHAME, you haven’t yet seen that either.)

Things are starting to become greener around central Iowa and once again I awaiting the Take Down by my seasonal allergies. Funny thing about living in a city for so many years, you don’t realize how sensitive your corn pollen allergy is. Or that corn pollen allergies exist.

growing season

Speaking of corn and the color green, the fun John Deere farm equipment has been spotted out on the roads and fields, so I guess planting season is underway. One of my Iowa Goals is to get to ride in/on one of those giant pieces of machinery, and I think I’ve already made a contact to do so.

A few years ago, I received small seedlings for tomato plants, which were lovingly tended to by a former coworker. Because I no longer have that contact, I need to acquire some tomato seedlings! When we moved into our current house it came pre-planted with two tomato plants that produced tiny fruit for us for a few months. I positively loved going out to my deck and picking my own fruit. In any event, I received a porch drop of seeds for tomatoes and peppers, so fingers crossed that this urban farmer has green thumbs.

when life gives you lemons

How are yinz holding up? Need lemons? Need tequila?

Can I grow a lemon tree in Iowa?

midwest shitfest

Look, I will not sugarcoat this rim. All of these social distancing mandates and event cancellations SUCK (I was to have gone to Europe on April 30 and WAS training to run the Prague Marathon that would have taken place on May 3). I lost my job. I also cannot complete my masters program because all of sports shut down. ALAS. I am NOT ready to leave the security of my crawlspace couch. So, yes, while some parts of Iowa will open and allow for more Things/Fun, please remember this:

JOMO over here in this house.

Since moving into the city, I don’t really see the fields as much anymore (not that this category will go anywhere). But SINCE WE STILL OWN THE OTHER HOUSE, I need to make irregular trips back to check on packages and dust content. And we still live in Iowa – and by any outsider’s guess, that means we all live on farms. Be that as it may, I have a strong response to seeing yet another plot get listed by developers, another with a request for zoning changes (OMG how many more commercial strip plazas do we need in Waukee??), and my heart breaks for the change of scenery on my bike rides.

And I’m not even from here.

Suffice to say, corn season is affirmatively over. Morning temperatures are already in the 30s. THE 30s. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of fall and winter but oh my lord did the seasons change abruptly.

hot corn salsa

I went to Mean Girls at Des Moines Performing Arts Center this weekend and there is a bit where someone is dressed as a sexy corn (you know the Halloween party scene), and admittedly (disappointingly? lol), I want that costume. 😂

OK, OK. So I volunteer at races quite a bit and I honestly think it would get quite a laugh from runners. 🌽

Speaking of costumed races, sign up for next weekend’s To Grandmother’s House We Go trail race!

midwest shenanigans

Did you hear that The Flag of Des Moines has officially been re-adopted? I’ve been a huge fan of this movement (and a new owner of their new cool branded hat). Fly your flag, Des Moinesians!