Hoosier Happiness

Today in my quest for my fill of Hoosier happiness, I organized an outing with my friend Nicki, who is always a most agreeable companion on my Indiana explorations.

First stop: the Bloomington farmers' market, with fresh salad greens, asparagus, and dead-ripe strawberries galore, as well as artisan breads, Amish cheeses, and more.  We both bought greens and strawberries; I also bought an extraordinarily delicious bowl of hot, steel-cut oatmeal cooked with raisins, dried apricots, cinnamon, and vanilla for a lovely late breakfast.

Stop number two: lost from taking the wrong turn at a poorly signed detour, we found ourselves at the Tibetan Cultural Center and wandered around a bit there.  Nicki had just told me, when we were lost, that she learned on study abroad in Ghana to be contented wherever you ended up, even if it wasn't where you had intended to be, so she enjoyed seeing that philosophy of life so appropriately confirmed mere moments after she uttered it.

Stop number three: the best stop! -the home and studio of famed Hoosier Impressionist artist T.C. Steele and his second wife, a fellow artist.  Their House of the Singing Winds has carved over the fireplace these words: "Every morning I take off my hat to the beauty of the world."  The beauty of the world was everywhere around us, in green rolling hills, gardens of peonies, choruses of birdsong.

Stop number four: lunch at the Muddy Boots Cafe in the charming touristy town of Nashville, Indiana, a restaurant recommendation we solicited from an artist painting on the grounds of the T.C. Steele historic site.  After that, we stopped for home-made ice-cream, of course, and poked into a  few shops.

Then we drove home: Brown County to Monroe County to Owen County to Putnam County.  Indiana, from now on, I plan every morning to take off my hat to your beauty!