Mother's Day Trip to Kansas City - Day Three

Cafe Sebastienne at the Kemper Museum

After breakfast with my brother-in-law, Peter, at First Watch, we went to the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art near the Plaza for some indoor photography.  This is a wonderful community asset created and sustained by Kansas City's leading banking family.  There is no admission charge.  Among the many interesting features and exhibits is the Cafe Sebastienne.  The walls are completely covered with a 110 interlocking paintings by Frederick James Brown.  Each piece is a tribute to specific artist or school.  In the artist's words, "This is a project of love.  It is a tribute to art and artists throughout the ages.  The works in exhibition are my interpretations of the selected artists and/or art.  No attempt was made, nor was it ever the intent, to reproduce or copy any works of art."  Any visit to Kansas City should include some time at the Kemper Museum.

Louisa

After that I drove to Grandview to pick up my sister, Louisa, who is rehabbing after knee replacement surgery.  Actually this is her second replacement...but of the same knee.  The first one ended up providing a home base for a raging staph infection that nearly cost her the leg!  She has been off work since January but should go back next month.  She is doing well and it was so great to see her pain free after two years of dealing with infection and its systemic effects.

After lunch I returned to Grand Court to pick up Mom for a trip to Kauffman Gardens, again down by the Plaza.  These gardens were created as another public asset by the Kauffman family.  Ewing and Muriel Kuaffman founded Marion Laboratories and the Kansas City Royals Baseball Team.  Their immense fortune was used at their deaths to create the Kauffman Foundation (NPR listeners will often hear a reference as an underwriter) which is primarily focused on the quality of life of the Greater Kansas City area.

Mom and me

It was beautiful spring afternoon, cloudless skies with a steady breeze.  The gardens were filled with wedding parties, graduating seniors, families, and young couples.  We enjoyed looking at the flowers and the people...oh, yes, and the resident cat, Tom.

We stopped at a nursery on the way home so Mom could pick out a plant or two for her balcony.  She chose a couple of coleus plants.  She then prevailed on me not to eat dinner in the dining room at Grand Court.  She wanted to go to another of her favorite dining spots:  McDonalds.  So we did of course.  After holding out for three days, I finally gave in to eating bad but delicious food.  "Please supersize those fries."

Click here to view the constantly updated album of photos from this trip to Kansas City.