Happy Birthday Kansas! Today, you are 162 years old, having become a state in 1861. And, there is no place quite like you, no sunsets and sunrises quite like yours, no rolling hills like yours. Most importantly, there are no people like yours.

“Ad Astra Per Aspera.” “To the stars through difficulties.“ This is the motto of your people, and we don’t disappoint. The Kansas farmer feeds the nation, and we know how this works. Gail, Suzanne and I are farm girls, and we know how farmers make it through difficulties to keep going. We learned from our parents, from each other and our brothers, our schools, our community and our state.

As adults, we continue to learn this from each other, but perhaps more importantly, we also continue to learn how to reach for the stars, and how to celebrate when we arrive there.

I had grand plans to make my second annual Kansas Day tour with my husband, but it was not meant to be this weekend. It worked last year ( There’s No Place Like Kansas, January 30th, 2022), and it will work again soon. The weather is bitter cold today, but it is warm inside. Inside where Gail, Suzanne and I gathered briefly at my home when Gail was passing through our small city.

We take every opportunity to gather, even if it is for a brief visit. Today was no different. In honor of Kansas Day, we took a group picture, but it appears Suzanne didn’t get the memo, instead sporting a Colorado shirt. We will let her off the hook. Especially since she never fails to notice my Kansas Day “costume.”

In honor of our magnificent state and its birthday, I am offering a montage of pictures of us enjoying the wonder of Kansas from previous posts.

Little Jerusalem State Park in Logan County

The backyard of Gail’s/Lola’s home in Atwood

Konza Prairie Trail in Riley County

Somewhere in rural Rawlins County in the wee hours as Gail celebrates her birthday in grand style

The bike shop in Osborne— Trixie and Lucille are their faithful bicycles

Suzanne and her husband Steve preparing for a journey through Kansas

My front porch

Classic big hair/big dress for Easter in the 80’s on our family farm

Gail soaking up the Kansas sun on her back patio

Sunflower season near my home

Bennington State Lake

Easter on our family farm, Osborne County

Bundling up for a winter outing on the farm

Meeting in Colby to head to Colorado, Thomas County

Suzanne and me wallowing in the mud with our little brother on the farm after a Kansas summer rain

My backyard during my favorite season in Kansas

I’s born in Osborne. So were Gail and Suzanne

My driveway

The famous bathroom in Lucas, Russell County

Gail’s back patio

Saline County fair

Swheat girls, our family farm in Osborne County

Again, Suzanne, that’s a great shirt from another great state, but we are celebrating Kansas here…and that Nebraska shirt in the Sunflower picture? We’ll talk.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KANSAS!

Be sure to tune in next week for the second annual “Spell-it Sisters Spelling Bee edition. Once again, win or lose, we guarantee we will hold you spellbound.