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Welcome to The Morning Star B&B Update!
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Greetings!
March was a busy month. Our website www.morningstarbandb.com underwent several updates including to the Promotions (used to be Specials) page and Stay In Touch (used to be Newsletter) Page. I've started a blog for The Morning Star (see right hand column) The yard got a major Spring cleaning. Bill got the porch furniture out of storage so that with the warm weather guests can once again enjoy sitting on the front porch. Finally, at the end of the month I renewed my certification to teach Tai Chi for Arthritis (also known as Sun short form) - a program developed by Dr. Paul Lam, a physician in Australia and world champion tai chi chuan practicioner. Oh, and by the way, there is still time to sign up for Replenish Yourself in the Heartland - the Wellness Retreat we are hosting in June. Like March, April looks to be a busy month. I bet that you have a bunch of things to do too. Thanks for taking time to read The Update! Enjoy! |
 Joseph Loganbill Joseph and Marilyn Loganbill stayed with us in March when they were here for the opening of UrbanScapes at the Strecker Nelson Gallery in which Joe is the main featured artist. Joe and Marilyn were both were friendly and laid back - really nice guests - and I was so glad to have them stay with us. Sometimes I need a little extra nudge to take advantage of what is in the area and getting to know Joe a little bit made me get out of the house and go see his work. Joseph's paintings are atmospheric, soft oil paintings. I kept ooh'ing and ah'ing looking at them. One of my favorites is Waiting for You. The show is up until April 14th. |
 The Maple Leaf Annie from Kansas sent me a recipe for a wonderful yet simple Bourbon cocktail. I had to do a little research to find the name of the cocktail, but along the way I found this delightful serving tip: "Drink on a porch with an old dog." With Ginger turning 17 this month, that's perfect for us. Thanks, Annie!
2 oz. good Bourbon
1 oz. real maple syrup
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake, strain, and serve over ice.
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 What is Tai Chi?
Tai chi chuan is a group of martial arts from China dating back to at least the 13th century, if not centuries before. Today tai chi is mostly practiced for its health benefits rather than for self-defense, yet understanding its history as a martial art is important for understanding what tai chi is.
The early history of tai chi is not well documented. However, it is known that tai chi was based on taoist principles, such as yield and overcome. Legend has it that Chang San-feng, a Shaolin monk who left the monastary to become a taoist hermit, observed a snake and a crane fighting. Believing that what he observed was in accordance with taoist philosophy, Chang San-feng thus developed the notion of evading, yielding and attacking as the basis for self-defense. Many of the seemingly dance-like movements practiced in tai chi were originally intended to teach one how to yield to and redirect incoming force. Today they are practiced for general fitness and relaxation. There are 5 main families of tai chi, named after the original masters from each family, samples of which can be viewed by clicking on the following links: Chen, Yang, Sun (pronounced "soong"), Wu Hao, and Wu. Some variations use weapons such as sword, fan, and long pole. Push hands and sparring require a partner. But don't worry ... there won't be any weapons or sparring at the Wellness Retreat, just plenty of gentle exercise and relaxation!
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 Planting Pots With most of the country having had record or near record high temperatures in March, many people are thinking that winter is long gone ... as it well might be. However, this part of the country has been know to have snow storms in April and frost up until early May. Normally at this time of year I would be advising that if you are really itching to get some planters started, it is good start with cold-hardy annuals such as pansies. For more delicate plants such as basil, I would recommend that you plant them in a portable container that you can move to a sheltered area - even indoors - if the weather takes an surprise turn for the chilly side. With the National Weather Service predicting unseasonable warm temperatures for the next 60 days, this might be an unnecessary precaution. Based on experience, I myself had been predicting one more cold snap; but this year that just might not come.
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 As always, I hope that you enjoyed this issue of The Morning Star Update. I look forward to hearing from or seeing you soon!
Sincerely, Laurie Pieper
The Morning Star B&B |
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Flint Hills Discovery Center
| | The long awaited opening of the Flint Hills Discover Center is April 14th. Just a few blocks from The Morning Star, the Discovery Center will be a wonderful place for guests to visit. It will be like an interactive version of a natural history museum focusing on the people/culture, weather, geography, vegetation and resources of the Flint Hills. Architects Brad Nederhoff (the principal-architect in charge) and Jonathan Kharfen (the project-architect) from Verner Johnson, Inc. stayed with us periodically during the planning, design and construction phases of the Discovery Center as did the very creative exhibits team from Hilferty; so we feel genuine excitement about Manhattan's newest cultural attraction. Be sure to check it out on your next visit! |
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A Taste of Morning: Journal of The Morning Star B&B
| After comments from The Morning Star Update readers and discussions with consultants, I decided to pass on Facebook at least for now. Instead, I have started a blog as a way to help stay in touch with those interested in The Morning Star.
How does the blog differ from the newsletter, you ask ... The main differences are (1) the blog focuses more on fun daily details of the B&B so has different content from the newsletter, (2) the content of the blog is posted in smaller bits ... one article or image at a time rather than a collection of articles once a month, and (3) you can post comments right on the blog! The newsletter will continue to feature recipes, tips, and articles on things to do in Manhattan. |
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K-State Baseball
at Tointon Stadium
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April 3rd: v. Nebraska
April 5th, 6th, 7th: v. Sacred Heart
April 13th, 14th, 15th: v. Baylor
April 17th, 18th: v. Northern Colorado
April 24th: v. Wichita State
April 27th,28th,29th: v. Oklahoma State
May 4th,5th: v. Nebraska-Omaha
May 11th, 12th, 13th: v. KU
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Dates to Remember
| through April 7th: Spencer Lawson Metal Works, Manhattan Arts Center
through April 14th: Urbanscapes, Strecker Nelson Gallery
April 3rd: Ginger's 17th, Abbey's 6th Birthday
April 13th: Into the Night with Gershwin, C.L.Hoover Opera House, Junction City
April 14th: Bring Back the Good Old Days presented by the Little Apple Chorus, McCain Auditorium
April 14th - 15th: 25th Annual Tulip Festival, Wamego
April 15th: Kansas through the Eyes of F.M. Steele (photography), Manhattan Public Library
April 17th - Sept. 2nd: Quiet Symmetry, The Ceramic Art of Yoshiro Ikeda, Beach Museum
April 21st: K-State Open House
April 22nd: Earth Day
April 24th: DANA Wine Dinner, 4-Olives
April 27th - 29th: JCLT's A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, C.L. Hoover Opera House, Junction City
April 27th - 29th: Funny Girl, Manhattan Arts Center
April 28th: K-State Spring Football Game
April 28th: World Tai Chi & Qigong Day
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