Buying or Selling?
Carol Hofmann
1428 615-.hu 513-ofm ff.com ann carolh
OVERfifty REGISTER PUBLICATIONS 2014
FREE Standard Mail U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 16 Dillsboro, IN
OCTOBER 2014
Down Memory Lane
Field trips are not just for kids
Ray and I stop by Schrank’s farm on a gave them nightmares. One year, I remember very busy day. It is the week when they clearly, there seemed to snakes under every offer around 350 fourth graders from 6 area rock. Even too many snakes for me. schools a step back in time. We plan to join a One I especially enjoyed was taking my special group from local health centers com- class (from Central School) to eat our lunch ing after students leave. on the Lawrenceburg levee when the MonDenis and Pat Schrank, rural Batesville, arch butterflies were following the river have been hosting classes at their farm for route south. It was not unusual to count up to 27 years. It all began when their youngest one hundred flittering by. Sadly, such countdaughter was in the fourth grade in Olden- ings are long gone. burg Elementary School. Soon afterwards The Schrank’s outing requires a lot more they invited the seniors. than a snake talk. Getting it together is famI am familiar with field trips. In my 34 ily project. Then around twenty long time years of teaching I have taken my class- helpers man various hands-on stations such es various places. Most have passed on as making butter, washing clothes, making from my mind, but a couple have cider and cross cut sawing. Probstayed with me. For years Ray ably the highlight of the student’s and I hosted second graders at the day is a ride in the back of Denis’ farm, not for a visit to old times 1918 truck. You’ll hear all about like at the Schranks, but to visit it and other creations he has put nature offered by scenic Hogan together in a later column. Creek that passes through the Ray and I arrived before the farmstead. The same creek I loved scheduled seniors. We were in to wade through when I gathered time to see Pat share the job of the cows. Anytime I meet a foridentifying some 50 small anmer student they remind me of tiques she has gathered. The stutheir fun visit to the creek. Doris Butt dents had the task of trying to It first began with a field trip identify them. When she showed a my graduate science class took plastic covered metal egg basket I to the creek. I remember the professor had just about jumped up and shared that I was the ability to make the oriole bird call and very familiar with the basket. My Saturday they soon circled around him. I didn’t’t even job was cleaning a couple cases of eggs for know there were orioles in area. Mom. I say Mom because chickens were her Each of my fellow teachers was in charge project. I decided I had better not distract the of presenting info to all classes on what to very attentive students. I must say some of expect on the visit. One presented plants, Pat’s objects stumped me. another animals and so on. I had the task of Only one group of seniors from the Batesbuilding up interest in the trip by telling what ville Chateau braved the dark sky and threat to expect. Now to create a little excitement I of rain. They were seated in the garage. Now put an emphases that there would probably the Schrank’s garage is like most buildings see lots of snakes. Thinking back I probably See TRIPS, Page 3
With recycled boxes now filled with dresses and shorts ready for shipping to Togo are Janet Hornbach, Judy Mosier, Gerri Barber, and Marita Cizek on the left, and Jean Vaughan, Pat Thompson, and Mary Bradley on thr right, Delores Rector is in the back and Fayla Nanz in the front.
Sew much love, sew much time devoted to helping others
The Dearborn County Retired Teachers Association recently gave away another 121 dresses and 52 pairs of boys’ shorts for the children of Togo. Christy Sopcisak, a missionary teacher for Fellowship International Missions, is a former student of retired East Central High School teacher Pat Thompson. When told of the great need for the children in this African nation, Thompson turned to the retired teachers for help. The retired teachers generously responded with items collected for their Teachers’ Treasures Sale and the pillowcase dresses and shorts. Gerri Barber never envisioned how the pillowcase project would grow when she first took a sample of a pillowcase dress to a coffee where the retirees assembled for a time to be together again. Her simple, “Can we make these?’ has resulted in almost 2,300 dresses and 500 pairs of boys’ shorts given to underprivileged children in Haiti, Brazil, Kenya, Tanzania, and now Togo. Barber, Cathy Mund, and Delores Richter have made all of the shorts. Cochairwoman Jean Vaughan helps with the assembly of the dresses. Although the retired teachers no longer meet for coffee, they faithfully meet each Thursday at the Lawrenceburg Community Center to sew. Dresses and shorts are all artistically decorated with buttons, yo-yo’s, or lace. Each dress also has a crocheted barrette to accompany it. Ac-
cording to Judy Mosier, however, it is the boys, who never seem to receive gifts, who are the happiest to receive their colorful shorts. All are so appreciative of the items which have been given to them. Making a dress takes at an least hour. That is, if all of the materials are assembled and ready, a dress takes approximately one hour to sew. The time to decorate, make the yo-yo’s, and to crochet and make the barrettes is not included in this. Although the seamstresses meet weekly, many of the dresses and shorts, the yo-yo’s, and the barrettes are made at home to be ready for the production line that is set up to finish the outfit. Others can be found scouring the countryside for pillowcases and other materials. Lawrenceburg Community Center Executive Director Mary Beth Hedrick, herself a retired teacher, said “the Dearborn County Retired Teachers is a great organization.”These are wonderful ladies, some of whom are my own former teachers. I am so proud of all that they do to help their communities. These ladies have been sewing for the past three years now.” The teachers are especially appreciative of the Lawrenceburg Community Center as each week it donates and sets up a room for their use, allows them to store their machines and materials at the Center, and cleans the room after their departure. Amzi
See SEW, Page 3