A Good Start to the Day

Cameron and Shelly Wiggins own Neighbors Cafe at 204 S. Main, McPherson. I love it when restaurants have web sites, like they do: http://www.neighborscafe.com/.


This isn't a really big place but it's fun to sit at the bar and watch the grill action.


Shelly is a friendly sort, in a neighborly way. Sometime she gets on the bull horn to make an announcement!


And, if you want to be a long-term contributor to Neighbors Cafe you can drop some change or dollars into the plastic container. Money is being collected to get a new stool seat.

This is the place where WenDee likes to order Mickey Mouse pancakes. I love the Fancy Browns! A half order is plenty. As the menu says, hash browns, green pepper, onions, and cheddar cheese.

Obviously, I love my Fancy Browns!

Feeling neighborly? This is the place to go. Open Tuesday through Saturday 6 a.m.-2 p.m. 620.241.7900. Where good friends meet to eat.

Get Neighbors, Get Kansas!

KE #2 Marci Penner

The Pancake Quest continues

I admit I love pancakes and now have an even better reason to eat them more often at Neighbor's Cafe in McPherson. Shelley and her crew won my heart years ago with their extraordinarily HUGE cinnamon rolls. These things are legendary and are as big as a dinner plate! But the kid in me comes out sometimes - okay, frequently - and what better way to express the kid in you than indulging in a Mickey Mouse shaped pancake! It's complete with a butter daub for a nose and is served with thick, hot syrup! Can you think of a better way to start your day?

Stop in and enjoy one for yourself sometime. The kid in you will thank you for it!

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Nominate your favorite restaurant!

Below is the official news release for nominating your favorite Kansas restaurant. The very important thing is to send in background information about the restaurant. If you don't wish to do the research print this out (or print out a news release) and send it to the restaurant. Tell them you want to make sure they are noticed!

The Kansas Sampler Foundation announced that nominations are now being accepted through March 31 for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine.

The restaurant must be 10 years or older with intent to stay open for many years. Only non-franchise restaurants that are open regularly are eligible. Food items produced in Kansas and available to the public may also be nominated. Restaurants or food items must be iconic, legendary, or have some unique claim to fame.

All nominations will be listed on the website but those that include background, history, and details will receive the greatest consideration to be selected as one of the 24 finalists.

Director Marci Penner said, "There are so many excellent restaurants in this state. It is very important that as much information as possible be included in the nominations, including address, phone number, and web site but especially history."

Cuisine nominations may be submitted at www.8wonders.org or e-mailed to marci@kansassampler.org.

The 24 finalists will be announced April 23 when voting will begin.

We have some very iconic restaurants in the state and knowing about them helps the world "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner

More in Norwich!

Sondra said we had to see Ye Olde State Bank before we left town. As I remember it, a couple moved in from out-of-state and the result was the resurrection of the corner bank. It's now open Friday-Sunday for antique shoppers but, as proved the day we were there, they'll open it anytime. If it's closed, just go to the hardware store. In fact, while we were yakking in the hardware store a woman came in just happened to have a key!


Before Dave the owner (pictured with Sondra on the porch) could get there our tour had already started. It seems to have more valuable antiques than many places. Plus, they'll even cater a meal for you out of Ye Olde Bank. So if motorcycle or bicycle clubs, Red Hats group, or others want a meal catered, this is the place!


Or, you could go eat at Redz, right across the street. Look closely for a pizza advertisement and open sign in the window. You won't see the name of the restaurant on the red brick building right now but that will come soon.


For now, just know there is great atmosphere, great ice cream treats, Hunt brothers pizza and more waiting inside.


While we were waiting for our food, Sondra took me to another place just around the corner from Redz -- Brick House Designs! Yep, yet another person, Karen Poindexter, wanted to have a business in a small town -- and this one is gaining steam all the time.

Need some screen printing done? This is a good place to do it!

People that "Get Kansas" know that you can make it with a business in a small town if certain ingredients are present -- and they are in Norwich!

KE #2 Marci Penner

Three-in-One in Norwich

Yesterday I was on assignment with First Generation Video. We were filming for a DVD on "how to explore." An Explorer had told me that good things were happening in Norwich so we made that our first stop. Norwich is in southeast Kingman County on K-42.


The Main Street Hardware is at 2nd and Main and that's where you'll find an abundance of good people and good energy for Norwich, a city of about 540.


The source of this abundance is Sondra Nickell. She is the owner of the hardware store and manager of forward motion in Norwich. There is so much to tell about Norwich but we'll just start with the hardware store, I mean the grocery store, no, I mean the post office. Oh my. I'm not really confused. It's just that they are a three-in-one deal.


The hardware part of the store offers all sorts of regular hardware, paint, tools, and lots of lumberyard type items.


The town lost their grocery store a couple of years ago so the back section of the hardware store is devoted to groceries. The Cheney grocery store lets Sondra buy through him -- the only way it would be possible for her to get such a small amount of groceries. The young mothers and senior citizens couldn't appreciate this effort more. They even have a couple of coolers, featuring frozen meat packaged in Kansas!


The story keeps getting better. A short time ago, Norwich was on the losing end in a battle with the federal post office. The post office was closed because of mold -- allegedly. Despite great efforts to save the post office, it's hard to beat a federal system that rewards employees for closing post offices. But, Norwich didn't give up. They are one of the few towns in the state (are there others???) to end up with a contracted post office. A CPO.


What this means is that the hardware store also houses the post office! And hardware store employees run the post office. There is an outside door where the public can come in 24 hours a day to get mail out of their box. During day hours, they can buy stamps and send packages at the hardware store post office. We are grateful for this option though it means the system doesn't have to pay an employee with federal benefits. But, we'll take it. At least Norwich has a post office and didn't have to lose their zip code.

There is so more to know about this town. The 3-in-1 post office, grocery store, post office is enough to absorb for now.

By the way, Sondra and her employees are about as friendly and helpful as you can find. What a pleasure to step into the Main Street Hardware Store.

If you're wondering how one can make a living at this, just know that Sondra is a flood adjuster and that's how she makes everything else work. She spent about three months in New Orleans.

Why would a person do this? Because they love their hometown. Understanding why you'd work this hard, so willingly just to keep a small town viable will help you "Get Kansas."

KE #2 Marci Penner


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Fabric stores bring people to town!

Kathleen Holt still owns the venerable 1887 Cimarron Hotel at 203 N. Main, Cimarron. No longer used as a bed-and-breakfast or site for Sunday chicken dinners, the north side is now home to Country Dumplings Quilt Store! You step into the lobby at the south door, take that all in, and then step into the colorful fabric store!


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This is Pat Hess. She drives in from Coldwater to work here. She loves it so much she says it's worth the hour and twenty minute one-way drive.


With antiques tucked between and among the quilts, it's a friendly and fun place to shop or to attend classes! Betty Mae Jantz is the owner and her business card says, "Serving you is SEW much fun!"

Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., you can call 620.855.4686 or e-mail countrydumplingquilts@yahoo.com for information about classes, more.

Knowing how important fabric stores are to rural communities is to "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner

Where the Whirligigs Start -- and meeting a legend

I bet you've seen those crazy whirligigs west of Mullinville on U.S. 400. They just go on and on, easily over 1/4 mile. Drive into town and you'll see more -- and you'll see more east of town, too. They are everywhere! As you're looking at all these creations don't you want to meet the guy that makes all of these "things?"

You've probably heard about M.T. Liggett a time or two. In fact, his version of grassroots art was deemed so unique that he was one of the 24 finalists for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Art. The neat part about his art is that it garners lots of conversation.


The other day WenDee and I were headed back from doing a game show in Garden City and stopped in Mullinville to deliver the 8 Wonders finalist poster to M.T. I had never met him so was hoping he'd be around. Locals said they had seen him driving around at noon but they thought he wasn't home right now. After about four different sets of directions, we found his house. The neighbor said I should just leave the poster in his car. As I was leaving it, he drove up in his brown pickup. I was about to meet Mr. M.T. Liggett!

Before you know it, we were following him to his "shed" or workshop. When we got there he picked up a broken key under a metal plate and proceeded toward the front of the shed. We soon got a taste of his humor because there is no door to this place.

He was explaining all sorts of things -- including his penchant for coffee cups. Coffee cups EVERYWHERE! Well, everywhere that there wasn't other stuff. Dirt floor. This was definitely shaping up to be an Explorer adventure.

We saw his tools of the trade everywhere from signs, to paint, to metal scraps, to leftover anything.

He told us all sorts of stories including some pretty intriguing ones about his days overseas. He asked us our names and he was just sure he had one of those disc plates with the name "Marci" on it. To look for it was to find a jillion of those plates with just about any girls name on it you could imagine. Of course, none spelled WenDee. In the end, we just told him we'll be glad to come back. He gave us some crazy looking metal face piece and we felt like we were getting a gift from the grassroots Smithsonian!

We ended it all with pictures. It sure was fun meeting M.T. A living legend. That's for sure.

Kansas is full of characters and they all have a story -- and talents! To know M.T. is to "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner

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