Sunday, October 5, 2008

Cottonwood Falls and Love's Fatal Arrow


A recent trip with my bookclub to historic Cottonwood Falls Kansas, a jewel of a small town set right in the center of the Flint Hills, set my pulse to racing and my heart to pattering, as I was able to view some very fine architectural details in the Chase County Courthouse as well as tour a beautiful turn of the century farmhouse.


WooHoo!  Was that a run-on sentence or what?

Maybe I should break it down in an outline so it will be easier to grasp...

1.  Book club to Cottonwood Falls
a.  Jewel of a small town
b.  Center of the Flint Hills
c.  Pulse races
d.  Heart goes pitter pat

2.  Chase County Court House
a.  Beautiful architectural details
b.  I got to see 'em

3.  Farmhouse
a.  Turn of the century
b.  Still clinging to the butler's pantry.
c.  Wait!  That comes later
d.  Nevermind!



What more could an architecture junkie ask for?






The courthouse, which is currently undergoing an extensive renovation features some massive trim.  The windows have deep sills that are set into the thick limestone walls of the 1872 building.









A curving staircase reaches all the way to the third floor.







As you ascend, you can visit the courtroom.








And the jail, where I hope your stay will be very brief!








Many lovely sights will greet you once you again gain your freedom...








...and begin your descent back into the town itself.









Where, if you don't stop for a piece of pie at the Emma Chase Cafe,  with your friend and your other friend... you might as well not have come in the first place!








The main event of the day for me, was touring the childhood home of my friend Nancy, of Three Blondes and the Law.







Other than the addition of a main floor bathroom and mudroom, this gorgeous turn of the century farmhouse has not been altered in any significant way from it's original floor plan.  






Which includes a Butler's Pantry... 

A Butler's Pantry...

A Butler's Pantry that I fell deeply, deeply, DEEPLY in love with.







I also struggled in leaving this dining room behind.






But not nearly as much as I struggled in disentangling myself from the heated embrace of the butler's pantry.







There were some trim details that included an outer ribbon of chocolaty wood encasing a rich golden inner layer of wood that did cause me to suffer a few unladylike palpitations.






And an INGLENOOK that brought me to my knees!







Until I remembered the butler's pantry and all that we had been through.

His noble gait, his broad shoulders, his steady gaze, and I re-pledged my troth to be his and his alone and I felt whole and unviolated again.






So that the "come hither" curve of a certain beguiling stone wall.







and the ferocious virility of a large red barn may have caused me to tremble for a second... or two seconds... or maybe three...







Still...  nothing made me as fluttery and as weak kneed, and as quivery as the love of my fragile youth... the butler's pantry.








And our love will live on in my heart... like a quiet burning ember of love... stricken through by the cruel arrow of fate... but still beating, beating, beating... and yes still... throbbing, throbbing, throbbing.... and still quivering, quivering, quivering... like a green gelatin salad... with sweet little marshmallows inside... quivering in love... quaking in love... until the sands of time are no more.

Fare thee well my love. 



Fare


Thee


Well...

37 comments:

Sharon said...

Awesome pantry. Is that an old dumbwaiter? Or a blocked up window?

Anonymous said...

I understand the affect of the butler's pantry. It can hold precious things with care and keep secrets locked away...
I may swoon looking at your pictures.

Rechelle said...

I know nothing about a dumb waiter. There is no one else. It is just me and the butler's pantry! What are you suggesting?

hayseed said...

I completely understand your love and devotion for the butler's pantry. I myself have coveted many a pantry. It's all of that .....storage!

Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith said...

What a wonderful tour! Thanks for sharing.
Positive mention of the Flint Hills always gets my attention! Thanks!
So happy it brought me to your site. I invite all your readers to visit the Kansas Flint Hills regularly.

Our 22 county Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, Inc. promotes visits to the Kansas Flint Hills – the website is: http://www.kansasflinthills.travel/

Best wishes!
Dr. Bill ;-)
Personal Blog: http://flinthillsofkansas.blogspot.com/

Jenni said...

You had me right up to green Jell-O salad with marshmallows...

Dr. Bill (William L.) Smith said...

Jell-O with marshmallows it great - but I prefer orange, or red, to green, actually.
;-)

MAYBELLINE said...

Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for sharing.

BankingPennies said...

There were several things in those picture I would not mind putting in my old farmhouse!

--Carmen

Freth Stifter said...

Very nice!

It would be a little impractical in our house/cabin ... tiny cottage ... we'd have to knock a hole thru the backside of the shower to build it ... the problem is the shower hangs halfway out thru the house wall ...

I'll go back to fighting off the spiders ... and leave the pantry to you. :-)

Joy said...

Wow! Amazing.

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