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The Country Register of Indiana
Editors’ Corner “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
o f In d iana Ind Gail & Merle Taylor, Editors & Publishers P. O. Box 128, Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763 Phone: 888-616-8319 • Fax: 800-609-0278 IN@CountryRegisterOnline.com • www.countryregisteronline.com The Country Register of Indiana • March & April, 2017 • Vol. 17 No. 6
The Country Register is published every other month. Copyright © 1998. The Country Register of Indiana, Inc. is one of a national network of independently owned and published specialty newspapers licensed by The Country Register with exclusive rights to publish in the state of Indiana using logos and graphics owned by The Country Register. Page header and footer, and icons accompanying regular features in this edition are copyright © 2006 by Tracey Miller and this publication and may not be reprinted. Reproduction or use, without obtaining permission, of editorial or graphic content by anyone in any manner is strictly prohibited. Articles published in this newspaper, which are contributed by outside sources, express the opinions of their authors only, and may not express the viewpoint(s) of the management or staff of The Country Register. Such articles that are accepted for publication herein may be edited at the sole discretion of the publisher. Responsibility for products advertised in this newspaper lies with the advertisers themselves. Though The Country Register will not knowingly publish fraudulent materials or fraudulently obtained materials, we are not liable for any damages arising from purchase or use of products advertised herein. Notification regarding any consumer complaints related to merchandise purchased from our advertisers would be appreciated and would assist in our publishing efforts.
March weather can still be iffy, but we can sure get ready for spring. It is never too early to start decorating for spring. The shops advertised here are displaying everything you will need to help you celebrate the new season. They all enjoy making this publication available to you free of charge as their gift to you for shopping with them. Please remember to let them know you appreciate it when you visit them. Many of them have been advertising since we started publishing and they do so because The Country Register works! You pick it up and read it, then you visit the shops who advertise with us when you need a gift for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation, a wedding, or want to decorate for the season. It is thanks to your response to their ads that the shop owners realize their
investment is paying off. Letting them know by saying “Hey, I saw your ad in The Country Register...” verifies for them that they are spending their money wisely. Please check the events listing on the following page, taking note of the shop open houses and spring events. Mark your calendar or simply place a copy of The Country Register in your car so that you have it along should you find yourself in a shopping mood. Let us know what you think! Drop us a note or send us an email. All of our contact info is always on the top left of Page 2 to make it easy for you to find. We’d love to hear from you! Now....
Let’s Go ShoppingAND THE GR ANDKIDS! GRANDKIDS!
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The Country Register Publisher Contact List
The Country Register began in Arizona in the Fall of 1988, to provide effective, affordable advertising for shops, shows, and other experiences enjoyed by a kindred readership. Since then the paper has flourished and spread. Look for the paper in your travels. To receive a sample paper from another area, please mail $3.00 in U.S.A. or $4.00 in Canada to that area’s editor. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.COUNTRYREGISTER.COM
The Country Register Founder: Barbara Floyd 602-237-6008, Phoenix, AZ
Publications All Across The United States & Canada USA Alabama: Beverly Bainbridge, 304-723-8934 Arizona: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Arkansas: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 California & N. Nevada: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Colorado: Jan & John Keller, 719-749-9797 Connecticut: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Delaware: Merle & Gail Taylor, 888-616-8319 Florida: Amy & David Carter, 866-825-9217 Georgia: Linda Parish, 706-340-1049 Idaho (N): Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Idaho (S): Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Illinois: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Indiana: Gail & Merle Taylor, 888-616-8319 Iowa : Linda Glendy, 641-751-2619 Kansas: Cindy Baldwin, 866-966-9815 Kentucky: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 443-243-1118 Maine: Gail Hagerman, 207-437-2663 Maryland: Amy & David Carter, 866-825-9217 Mass. & RI: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Michigan: Bill & Marlene Howell, 989-793-4211 Minnesota: Kim & Mick Keller, 763-754-1661 Missouri: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Montana: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Nebraska: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Nevada (N): Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Nevada (S): Glena Dunn, 702-523-1803
New Hampshire: Kathleen Graham, 603-463-3703 New Jersey: Merle & Gail Taylor, 888-616-8319 New Mexico: Jan & John Keller, 719-749-9797 New York: Dave Carter, 866-825-9217, North Carolina: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 North Dakota: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Ohio: Barb Moore, 937-652-1157 Oklahoma: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Oregon: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 Pennsylvania: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Rhode Island: Michael Dempsey, 919-661-1760 South Carolina: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 South Dakota: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 Tennessee: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 443-243-1118 Texas: Lenda Williams, 405-470-2597 Utah: Glena Dunn, 702-523-1803 Virginia: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Washington & E. OR: Barb Stillman, 602-942-8950 West Virginia: Amy Carter, 866-825-9217 Wisconsin: Scott & Jennifer Hughes, 715-838-9426 Wyoming: Dee Sleep, 605-722-7028 CANADA Alberta: Ruth Burke, 780-889-3776 British Columbia: Bryan Stonehill, 800-784-6711 Manitoba & Saskatchewan: Scott Kearns, 306-736-2441 Ontario: Harriet Ramos, 343-882-5812
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Meet Our Cover Artist...
Dawn Rosengren, Watercolor Artist Dawn Rosengren is a watercolor artist and homemaker. She lives on the family farm in Huntsville, AL with husband, Scott, where she home schools their two precious children. Dawn says: “I am truly thankful for all the ways the Lord has blessed me. There are so many little beautiful things each day that are gifts from His hands. We live on a five acre hobby farm filled with many little animals that we call family. I love to paint and photograph with my children of life on the farm and I love capturing those precious moments or the tiny surprise gifts like a birds nest or the color of a
newly opening flower. I want to live my life always looking for these gifts from the Father's hands and always finding something to be thankful for. “Each day is a gift, so live life beautiful.” Each of Dawn’s original work of art is watercolor on canvas. She sells prints of all her artwork on watercolor paper. Any painting she has created can also be ordered as a gallery wrapped canvas. Additionally, she sells selected artwork on greeting cards, necklaces, bookmarks, gift tags, and journals. She is looking forward to selling her artwork on pottery in the near future. See more of Dawn's work at: LittleLoveFarm.com (where you can see image galleries of her artworks organized by subject), or www.facebook.com/LittleLoveFarm plus see her at www.facebook.com/ Dawn.T.Rosengren. You can also reach her via email to LittleLoveFarm@gmail.com.
March & April 2017
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L AWRENCEBURG
Advertiser Index
Shops are listed alphabetically by location. Cities & Shops
Page P age #
Angola ................................. 24 Sewing Treasures Beech Grove .......................... 4 The Fussy Cut Quilt Shop Bloomington ....................... 11 Fancy Works In A Yarn Basket Indiana Heritage Quilt Show Simply Primitive Brownstown ........................... 9 Scrappy Patches Quilt Shop Centerville ........................... 16 Warm Glow Candle Company Clarksville ............................ 21 Sew N Tell Quilt Show Crawfordsville ...................... 10 Harvest Inn Interior Decor/Gifts Georgetown ......................... 21 The Quilting Bee Greensburg .......................... 18 Tree City Stitches Greenwood ............................ 5 Back Door Quilts Lanesville ............................. 21 Olde Country Cupboard Lawrenceburg........................ 3 Tri-State Antique Market Liberty ................................. 17 Pohlar Fabrics Madison ............................... 20 Fabric Shop Marion ................................... 6 Quilters Hall of Fame Martinsville.......................... 14 Berries & Ivy Metamora ............................ 17 Metamora Town Events Mooresville ............................ 5 Breezy Manor Farm
Four Leaf Clover I suppose March’s most famous holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick is mostly known for converting Ireland to Christianity. And for driving the snakes out of Ireland, but I think that one’s bogus. We have parades to celebrate him. We wear green on St. Patrick’s Day to honor him. I don’t know about anyone else, but holidays that happen during the school year often bring back memories of school. Not all of them are pleasant. In school, on St. Patrick’s Day you absolutely had to wear green or suffer the consequences. You would be pinched if you weren’t wearing green. I personally don’t think St. Patrick would have condoned pinching someone because they didn’t wear green on his day. Considering he’s a Christian saint, I doubt if he would condone pinching at all. The other thing we did at school on St. Patrick’s Day was to make a four leaf
Cities & Shops
Page P age #
Muncie ................................... 6 Cotton Candy Quilt Shoppe Nashville ......................... 12, 13 The Story Inn Wishful Thinking Nineveh ............................... 13 The Farmhouse Cafe Tea Room North Vernon ........................ 9 Sharynn’s Quilt Box Richmond ............................ 16 Quilt Show-Wayne County Ext Rising Sun ........................... 20 QuiltFest Rushville .............................. 19 Elizabeth’s Keepsakes In Stitches St Paul .................................. 18 Olde Barn Primitives Salem ................................... 15 Piecemakers Quilt Show Seymour ................................. 8 Primitive Crow Small Town Stitches Shipshewana ........................ 24 Yoder Department Store Spencer ................................ 14 Unraveled Quilt and Fabric Store Wabash .................................. 7 Heaven on Earth Nancy J’s Fabrics Washington .......................... 15 The Stitching Post
Not Classified by T own Town and Out of State Classified Ads ............................. 13 Out of State ........................ 22, 23 Tour Towns ................................ 15 Web Based .................................. 23
by Jo Branham clover picture. It was really neat. You would either color or paste the stem onto a piece of construction paper. Then you cut out four green hearts. Paste the hearts so the pointed ends all meet on top of the stem you placed on your construction paper. Voila! Instant four leaf clover. I was surprised to find that four-leaf clovers are not the same as a shamrock, which is what should really be used to represent St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks are the national symbol of Ireland, just as the rose is to England and the thistle to Scotland. They are a type of clover, just not the four-leafed variety. Four leaf clovers represent luck. I remember spending hours in our yard when I was a kid, looking for a four leaf clover. With all that talk about lucky charms and the luck of the Irish, I guess it’s just natural that we eventually chose to use the four leaf clover to represent an Irish holiday.
Events Listing
See shop & show ads for complete details.
Day
Event
March
Page #
2-4 IN Heritage Quilt Show, Bloomington .......................................................... 11 3rd Saturday of Month-March to November, Bluegrass, Metamora .............. 17 Friday last of Month-March to October, Acoustics, Metamora ........................... 17 13-4/7 10% off yarn and more - In A Yarn Basket, Bloomington ....................... 11 16-18 Spring Open House - Harvest Inn Interiors, Crawfordsville .................... 10 25 Quilters Day Out Show - Sew N Tell Quilt Guild, Clarksville .................. 21 29-4/1 Shop Hop - Tree City Stitches, Greensburg ................................................. 18 31-4/2 QuiltFest, Rising Sun ........................................................................................ 20
Day
Event
April
Page #
7-9 Spring Retreat - Tree City Stitches, Greensburg........................................... 18 8 Craft Show - Rockford United Methodist Church, Seymour .................... 13 19-23 Quilt Show, Paducah, KY................................................................................. 23
Day
Event
May
Page #
7 Antique Show - Tri State Antique Market, Lawrenceburg ........................... 3 19, 20 Quilt Show - Wayne County Extension Homemakers, Richmond ........... 16
Stories of a Farm Wife
by Tammy Page
A “Spring” in my Step The months of December, January and February have been pretty good to us as far as cold and icy weather goes. The Midwest has been lucky this winter and has had very little snow, which is ok by me. With spring fast approaching, I am so looking forward to the appearance of singing birds and sunshine through the windows warming my farm home. With temperatures rising into the 50’s I enjoy pulling out my small decorative tables, my welcome signs and spring flags. Finding these things is no small task in my over-crowded, much needing a cleaning, catch-all garage. That’s another story in itself and a full day of sorting and pitching. Some of my favorites to include in my yard décor are the brightly colored flags that greet visitors into our driveway. Another favorite is a big basket of red gerbera daisies that look so life-like they look just- picked. I put those on my table
on the back patio to welcome back door visitors. My table on the patio is the also a perfect place to rest my watering can and use as a potting stand. The arrival of red birds, blue jays and finches are the hope of soon-to-come warmer days and brings a spring to my step. A friend of mine who is an avid bird watcher and has a menagerie of feeders on her deck has a contest with her husband on who can see the first robin of the season. It’s always fun to hear about their first sighting. We all have our own idea of what sights and sounds announce the spring season. For me, it’s the sight of new sprouts of grass, the smell of crocus and tulips and freshly plowed fields. Top that off with a gentle shower of rain and you know it is spring! –Tammy Page lives on an Indiana working farm with her family, farm animals and many pets. She enjoys writing and adding to her farm collections during searches of local shops.
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The Country Register of Indiana
BEECH GROVE
Quilting with Barbara www.theFussyCut.com 201 Bethel Ave, Suite A-1, Beec Beechh Gr Groove, IN 46107 317-786-9289
• Longarm Service • Quality Fabric • Notions & Books • CLOSE OUT ON... Vintage Sewing Machines
Free Pattern
Find more free patterns at: JacquelynneSteves.com
Use this pattern for embroidery, wool applique, punch needle or rug hooking, painted projects or whatever your imagination can dream up! Reduce or enlarge pattern as desired. Commercial strictlyy pr prohibited. Commer cial use is strictl ohibited.
We love to see the projects that you have made from our patterns. If you decide to post projects based on one of our patterns on a blog or website, please give design credit to Jacquelynne Steves. Thank you!
Geese have been on my mind lately. The noble Canada goose (branta Canadensis) with its distinctive call and Vshaped flight pattern is one of our longed-for harbingers of spring. Living on the North American flyway as we do, we are familiar with hearing the swoosh of their huge wings as they fly just above the roof of our house on their way north in the spring – sometimes we can almost touch them. For the last several years a pair has decided to stay here; they nest on our neighbours’ dugout, and we have been privileged to watch them raise their goslings. However, interesting as Canada geese may be, quilters pursue quite a different bird – the flying goose. On the surface this block seems simple; a few cuts, two short seams, and it’s done – “fun and done,” one might say. If it were only that simple! For several years I have searched for a technique – thinking there must be one – to produce the perfect, accurate, completed goose. Apparently I was in good company: I’ve found numerous techniques and rulers from various sources, which must mean that other people have had problems with geese too. There is a formula that works every time for quilters who don’t mind tossing numbers and fractions around, assured that their calculations are correct every time. Unfortunately I’m not one of those people, so I’ve spent some time looking for alternate methods that wouldn’t tax my math-challenged brain. One of the simplest methods to be sure your geese are the right size is to cut the background pieces (“sky”) 1/8"larger than the pattern requires, sew, and then trim to the desired size. Another nonruler method, resulting in four geese in one operation, is found in many contemporary quilting magazines, particularly ones with the Fons and Porter imprint. Surprisingly, I found several purposedesigned rulers that made the job much easier; I wish I had looked sooner. Following, in no particular order, is a list of some rulers I have used and found to be helpful. The list is by no means exhaustive, but you might wish to check some of these rulers out at a quilt store. Flying Geese x 4 No Math Ruler by Lazy Girl Designs, true to its name, takes any guesswork or math out of the “cutfour-at-once” method above. Flying geese with finished dimensions from ¾”x1 “ to those 31/2”x7" are made possible by this ruler – and you get four geese at once.
by Barbara Conquest
E-Z Flying Geese Ruler by Kimberly Einmo (E-Z Quilting) is a triangle. The quilter uses the pink line printed on the ruler to size and cut the centre triangle (the goose), then rotates the ruler and uses the green printed lines to cut the side triangles (sky). Both components are cut from pre-cut strips of the width desired. One flattened point on the ruler lets you eliminate dog ears as you cut. With this ruler, finished geese range from 1 ½”x3" to 6"x12". Calling All Geese by Eleanor Burns of Quilt in a Day fame is somewhat larger than the first two rulers, and it is different in that cutting notches and paths which guide the rotary cutter are cut into the ruler itself, so the final cuts will be extremely accurate. Written directions (included) illustrate a novel method of sewing the geese first, and then cutting them to size, using the ruler and its slots for accuracy. A seam is clipped which allows the seam allowance to be pressed in opposite directions for a smoother finish. This method produces two geese at once, which can range in size from 1"x2" to 5"x10" finished. Square In A Square Ruler (Jodi Barrows) can be used effectively for flying geese (Jodi’s Option 3). Since this method requires a book, Jodi’s ruler and personalized instruction in uses of the ruler – preferably from Jodi or people she has trained – I will not go into detail except to say I have used these materials and methods and they work. And for something completely different and very useful… Bloc-Loc Flying Geese Rulers. They come in sets of three, and are used to size geese that are sewn but not yet trimmed. Recessed channels on the back of each ruler fit snugly over the seams of the goose, letting the quilter centre and trim very accurately and very easily. The set I use has rulers for three sizes of geese: 1 ½” x3"finished, 2"x4"finished, and 3"x 6"finished. Other sizes are available in other sets. Recently I taught a flying goose class, and my Bloc-Locs were very popular. (A similar ruler for half-square triangles is also available). Disclaimer: I have no connection with this company. Whether you hear the call of the goose from the sky or your sewing room, if you are less than satisfied with your present geese or methods of making them, think about trying one of the above. It’s always great to learn something new. –©Barbara Conquest, Blue Sky Quilting
March & April 2017
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GREENWOOD - MOORESVILLE Thousands of bolts of fine quilting fabrics Hundreds of books and patterns for: quilts, stitchery, English paper piecing, and more
Back Door Quilts 2503 Fairview Place,Suite W Greenwood, IN 46142 (317) 882-2120 Established 1973 Located just off SR 135 South Indianapolis Call for Directions
Better Homes & Gardens Top 10 Shop
HRS: Mon - Thur 9:30 - 9:00; Fri & Sat 9:30 - 5:00 1st & 3rd Sundays 1 - 4
www.backdoorquilts.com
The Knitting Savant
By Andrea Springer
Knitting for That Baby Face Like many of us, I check social media daily to see what’s up the world. One of my favorite parts of my feed is the babies. We have a daily ritual of sharing the photos our family and friends post of their little ones, usually with the exclamation, “Aww, look at that peanut!” After a day of grown up challenges, these little faces are a shot of sunshine. We welcomed new “peanuts” to our family and neighborhood recently. I designed this simple rolled brim hat for gifts, using a striping method called the Helix Technique that eliminates the color “jog” that happens when knitting in the round. Three colors are used in each round, each working progressively, section by section, creating a “helix” of color. This pattern is topped with an Icord knot and is a simple gift to frame that sweet baby face! Look At That Peanut! Hat This simple rolled brim hat pattern uses the Helix technique to knit stripes. • Sizes: Baby (14” circumference) / Toddler ( 16” circumference) • 3 colors of DK weight yarn (A, B, & C), approximately 125 yards total • Needles: US #6 – can use DPN’s and/or 40” circular using the Magic Loop method • Notions: Stitch markers, tapestry needle Pattern Cast on 77 / 88 stitches. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker at the beginning of the round. With Color A, knit until the hat measures 1.25” from the cast on edge. The edge will roll naturally. Next Round: K 25/ 29. Place marker. K 26 / 29. Place marker. K 26 / 30. The beginning marker is here. If you’re using DPN’s, you can arrange the stitches on three separate needles. Begin Helix Technique Striping: Helix Round 1: Knit 25 / 29 to the first marker with Color A. Drop Color A. Pick
up Color B and knit to the second marker. Drop Color B. Pick up Color C and knit to the beginning marker. Helix Round 2: Continue knitting past the beginning marker with Color C to the first marker, where Color A will be waiting. Drop Color C. Pick up Color A and knit to the second marker. Drop Color A. Pick up Color B and knit to the beginning marker. Make sure not to pull the first stitch in the transition too tight so it doesn’t pucker. Continue in this manner, picking up the waiting color at the first and second markers, and knitting with the color picked up at the second marker to the beginning marker and then on to the first marker (you will work two sections in each round with a single color). Work until the piece measures 4.25” / 4.75” from the rolled brim. Decrease Round 1: Decrease 2 / 3 stitches evenly around. 75/85 stitches remain. Decrease Round 2: K2tog, K3, repeat to the end. 60 / 68 stitches remain. Knit 5 rounds. Decrease Round 3: K2tog, K2, repeat to the end. 45 / 51 stitches remain. Knit 5 rounds. Decrease Round 4: K2tog, K1, repeat to the end. 30 / 34 stitches remain. Knit 3 rounds. At this point, knit with Color A only. Decrease Round 5: K2tog, repeat to the end, K1. 15 / 17 stitches remain. Repeat this round 2 more times. You should have 4 / 5 stitches left. Using two DPN’s, work the remaining stitches in I-cord for 1.5” and bind off. Weave in loose ends and tie a single knot in the I-cord to finish the top! –Andrea Springer blogs at www.knittingsavant.com where she helps folks remember that they have everything they need to be successful in knitting and in life. You can share comments or ideas with her at andrea@knittingsavant.com or follow Knitting
Breezy Manor Farm Wool Shed Handmade Woolen Goodies from my sheep, goats and bunnies.
• Farm fresh rovings, yarns • Farm made rugs, blankets, shawls, sweaters, and hats • Original rug hooking designs 5803 E Watson Rd., Mooresville, IN 46158 317-260-0571 Monday-Wednesday 11-4 and by appointment • Open Most Sundays • Donna Jo Copeland, Farmeress “Like” us on FACEBOOK: Breezy Manor Farm
Short Stories by a Mystery Book Author Random Axe... urr Acts of Kindness
by Cathy Elliott
While I freed a shopping cart at Lowe’s, an older couple ambled over to pull one from the long line of hooked carts. The man appeared a bit unbalanced so, thinking he might appreciate something to steady him, I pushed one in his direction. “Would you like a shopping cart?” Unsmiling, he grasped the handle with an aside comment. “I hope you don’t expect me to give you a dollar.” Pardon? “No,” I said, tensing. “Maybe a ‘thank you.’ But that isn’t even necessary. I was just trying to be neighborly.” He harrumphed and veered away, in case I might suddenly reach over, grab a free public wipe, and literally clean his cart. With my other cashless hand outstretched. Good grief. Why would anyone think I’d beg-fora-buck by offering a shopping cart to an elderly gentleman? (Make that a grouchy geezer.) I glanced down at my freshly ironed blouse and Coach bag. Surely he hadn’t mixed me up with someone who jumped off the curb at stoplights and squirted clean windshields with dirty water. I pulled out my compact, flipped open the mirror, and examined the reflection. (Ah, youth is so fleeting!) Okay, maybe I was a little scary looking, but really. His response was over the line.
My inner Good Samaritan shook her head. How sad that this man seemed so jaded he couldn’t accept a small kindness from a stranger. With no expectations in return. But that was not the issue. More depressing was my inadequate response. I should have had a funny, uplifting quip atthe-r eady. Something to make him grin instead of grump off in a huff. “Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.” At least, according to a quote by C. Neil Strait. Had I offered an unkind attitude along with the shopping cart? Not my intention. But certainly my response was less than adequate. I found myself not so lifted by Strait’s comment. So I turned to another source of wisdom. AESOP and The Lion and the Mouse. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Whew. That’s better. I’m glad I gave him the cart…but still…I long for a do-over.. –© 2017 Cathy Elliott writes sweet, cozy mysteries on her trusty typewriter from her home in California. The newest release, A Stitch in Crime, features a special heirloom quilt known to carry the secret to great riches. Find out more about Cathy & her books at: www.cathyelliottbooks.com or at: https://cathyelliottbooks.wordpress.com/
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The Country Register of Indiana
MARION - MUNCIE
Memorial Exhibit honoring Linda Koenig. Quilts included in the exhibit will be from her books: Scrap Quilts & Ratsburg Road Quilts and The Stories They Tell. The Quilters Hall of Fame is open Thursday thru Saturday, 10am - 3pm 926 S Washington Street, Marion, IN 46953 (765)664-9333 www.quiltershalloffame.net ~ admin@quiltershalloffame.net
Come Join us at a Retreat! Pamper yourself you deserve it. Call or visit our website for details
www.cottoncandyquiltshoppe.com (765) 254-1584 • Block of the Month Programs • Classes • Full Range of the Best Quality Fabrics from Moda, Robert Kaufman, and many more including American Made Brand Solids.
5001 N Wheeling Ave. Muncie, IN 47304
Useful Adapter Lids for Mason Jars
by Jo Branham
Mason jars have taken on various configurations since being patented by John Landis Mason in 1858. The containers were originally used to preserve food, but with the invention of adapter tops, Mason jars now have applications all across the board, from lighting fixtures to cocktail shakers. These simple canning jars have might be an American icon, for good reason, but are becoming popular again as home decor. Mason jars are very pretty and, with now with adapter lids, can function in countless ways. Some of our advertisers carry a variety of Mason jars and various useful adapter tops which create a variety of uses for the mason jars. These lids will work with any standard sized mason jar. Here’s a list of the lids. 1. Drink Lid: A cute lid with tear drop shaped designs and a hole for your straw 2. Sugar Dispenser Lid: This would be neat in your country kitchen. It has a spout to pour you sugar or whatever you decide to place inside. 3. Dispenser Lid: The spout is larger than the sugar dispenser and would be perfect for oatmeal, corn meal or pancake mix. 4. Screened Dome Lid: Works perfectly with battery operated candles and has a handle so you can hang it.
5. String Dispenser Lid: Great place to store your jute string. Easily dispenses through a hole in the middle of the lid. 6. Soap Dispenser: Contains a pump to dispense your hand soap or dish soap. You choose! 7. Coin Bank Lid: Slit in the lid allows you to save your change for a rainy day. 8. Chicken Wire Flower Lid (two sizes/styles): Perfect for displaying flower arrangements 9. Flower Frog Lid: Another choice for displaying flowers. The lid has a large mesh screen to hold your flowers. 10. Hanging Lid: Large wire hanger with a star cutout makes this perfect for holding candles. 11. Oil Lamp Lid: A long wick extends from above the top of the lid down into the oil. 12. Candle Holder Lid: Recessed area in lid holds taper candles. Fill the jar with decorations. 13. Lid Light: A solar option. This would look great outside on your porch or patio. Find an adapter lid that suits your needs and make good use of those mason jars which most of you can find in your cupboards, pantry or basement. –Jo Branham lives in Nashville, IN
March & April 2017
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WABASH
Heaven on Earth 4767 N. St. Rd. 15, Wabash IN 46992
(6 miles north of Wabash) • 765.833.5461
GARDEN CENTER OPEN!
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9-5; Sat. 9-3; Closed Sun. Large selection of quality cottons, homespuns and wools Lots of samples for inspiration We purchase full fabric lines Embroidery and Punch Needle Long arm quilting service Friendly service www.heavenonearthofwabash.com info@ heavenonearthofwabash.com
1604 S. W abash St., W abash, IN Wabash Wabash, Phone TToll oll F ree: (866) 563-3505 Free:
F abric, P atterns & Books Patterns www .colorsgonewild.com www.colorsgonewild.com In Historic Wabash, Indiana, located on South Wabash St.
If Cats Could Talk My ‘Fur’less Mom If you have pets, you undoubtedly wish you could understand what they are trying to tell you. They do their best to communicate with us and with each other. If she could talk, here is what our Lily might say. Life changed at our house recently and our ‘fur’less mom is home a lot more. That means we have to behave—or at least get into trouble quietly and in a spot where she can’t see us. Ever since she rescued me from the middle of the road (where the mean people left me), our lives had been pretty much the same from day to day. Mom would wake up, feed us and play with us, then head out the door to work. Most days she did not return home until time to feed us again. We missed her a lot but she told us if we wanted kitty food, kitty litter and treats, then she had to go to work. Many days she returned home to a mess and I always blamed it on Gracie. (Even though Gracie is too old and grumpy to have any fun and Lacey and I had done the deed.) This summer, all that changed. We moved to a new house where we have lots of stairs to run and play on and our ‘fur’less mom stays at home with us. She still goes to work but now her work is downstairs in what she calls the studio. We like having mom at home and now we get to help. For instance, just this week when she went upstairs for lunch, I helped by knocking everything off of her cutting table. She gets pretty messy as she works and, with my help, she got to organize it all again. The day before that, I helped rearrange the quilt blocks she was working on. (In a much better pattern if I do say so myself!) I even hid the one I did not like, giving her the opportunity to make another one that was much better than the first. Sometimes her color choices need a little help. When this happens, Lacey and I try our best to point her in a different direction but last week nothing helped. I finally had to throw up on the red she wanted to use in order to get her to try something else. Little does she know just how much we help her with these difficult design choices.
by Deb Heatherly Lacey and I are also concerned about mom’s health. We often bring her toys, like pretend mice and little balls, and we insist she take a break during the day and play with us. This makes her get up and stretch as well as give her eyes a break from that box she stares at for hours on end when she is writing patterns. She always thanks us and we make her smile. (Well, at least most of the time.) You see, there was that one day when she didn’t smile very much. I was just doing my job and trying to protect her from caffeine. I’d heard on the TV that too much of that stuff is not good for ‘fur’less parents. So when mom wasn’t looking I took my foot and knocked over her diet Pepsi. Yes, I knew exactly what I was doing (which she pointed out to my ‘fur’less dad when he got home), but I love her and want to keep her away from things that might harm her. Even so, that was not a good day. After she cleaned up the mess, she was pretty grumpy for the rest of the afternoon and I do not think I’ll try that again. She and her diet Pepsi are on their own. Finally, we are also in charge of protecting mom while she works. Maggie, the dog, thinks that’s her job but all she does is bark. She also goes outside a lot so this important job falls to me. Mom says I do a great job and told me I was a very brave girl last week when a ladybug snuck into the studio and I single handedly killed it all by myself. (Take that, Gracie! Like usual, I was working while you sat on the couch and slept.) Boy, being assistants to a quilt designer is tough work, but we are more than happy to be able to help. Maggie, Lacey, Gracie and I are excited that our ‘fur’less mom now works from home and we look forward to helping her design rulers and patterns for many years to come. Author’s Note to Photo: If these two could talk: "I can't believe she picked that fabric." "Me either." "What was she thinking?" "She needs to let us help next time." –Deb Heatherly is a Creative Grids® designer and author of the books Cat’itude and Strippy Stars. Visit her website: www.Debscatsnquilts.com for more information. Contact her at Debscatsnquilts@aol.com
(State Road 15/13) 1/2 Mi. it So. of the Wabash River s i V : Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30; Sat 10-5 u s R otar y Antique Quilt Show otary R obert Cherr y Civic Center Cherry Paducah, K Y April 25th - 29th KY http://rotar yquiltshow .com/ http://rotaryquiltshow yquiltshow.com/ See ad on P age23 Page23
Page 8
The Country Register of Indiana
SEYMOUR
PRIMITIVE CROW Spe ci Speci ciaa liz izee in Long Arm Qui lting Quilting Wid et cs and Qui lting SSuu ppl Widee V Vaari riet etyy of FFaabri brics Quilting ppliies Monthly Cl a ss es + Si t and S ew A v ai l a Classes Sit Sew Avail bl blee Block of the M onth N ow A Month Now Avvai aillabl blee
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ffol ol olllow us at owns smallltltowns ownstititittches chesll lc sma on...
By Simone Gers
Gotta Love a 'Gimmie!' I’ve been to two meetings in the last week at which there were giveaways—or, as I call them, 'gimmies.' In one, I got a little plastic device that I can sit my cell phone in so it is standing up on my desk. I liked it so much, I asked if I could have a second one for my home office. At another meeting, I got a canvas messenger bag. It is really a great size—my laptop fits in it—and I’ve used it a lot. The last time I received a canvas bag giveaway was when I started my job—it was one of the on-boarding items. I still have that one after 18 years and it is great. My husband Tray hijacked it along the way and still loves it, using it every day. Tray was at a conference in January and he got a couple of little cotton bags that I’ve added to my grocery bag collection. I love a useful giveaway. I remember licking S & H Green Stamps to fill books for my Mom. Green Stamps were one of the first loyalty programs. Mom got the stamps at the A&P and we would fill the books. I looked forward to going to the store with her when she had saved up enough to get what she wanted. When I was a young girl, my dad would bring me various pins—hatpins, lapel pins, stickpins and advertising pins. For me, growing up in south Louisiana, giveaways were a part of the culture since many merchants always had a lagniappe— a little something extra—to throw in the bag. My favorite was the baker’s dozen, or 13 Pistolettes, from Poupart’s bakery. However, we had a variety of rulers, shoehorns, calendars, ink pens, pencils, small diaries, note pads and other gimmies stuffed in drawers and closets. A former giveaway that is popular among collectors today is Depression-Era Sandwich glass that was very often used as promotional premiums at grocers, gas stations, movie theaters, with magazine subscriptions—and more. On our last Christmas road trip, Tray found his first piece of Sandwich glass. He had left me at my folks’ home in Louisiana and was heading back to
1515 West Dalton Ct/Persimmon Lake, Seymour, IN 47274
812-497-3057 Hours will be posted on FB, Call for Appointment or by chance Early Wares Antiques Primitive Goods Tattered Linens Primitive Candles
Country Neighbors Tour Dates June 9 - 10, 2017 Other 2017 tour dates: Sept 8 - 9 and Nov 9 -11
Hrs: M on-F ri 9:30-5 1-16 63 Mon-F on-Fri 9:30-5,, Sat 9:30-1 • 812 812--27 271-16 1-166
Gather – A Vintage Market
MOVED TO THE CABINS
Arizona. On a back road in the middle of Louisiana as he was heading toward Texas, he saw this little store and decided to stop. He saw this piece and was intrigued by the cut of the glass and had no idea what it was. The lady told him that it was Sandwich glass, a Tiara pattern. He bought it all. When he put it in the store, it flew out the door. And ever since then, he has been on the hunt for it. Sandwich glass comes in various sizes shapes and colors. Tray recently found a set of six ovalshaped, teal luncheon plates that had never been out of the box. He got so excited that he called me from the road to report his find. When I asked him what he likes so much about Sandwich glass, he said, “It sparkles in the light and I love the beautiful cut designs.“ Well, y’all know from past articles, I am all about sparkles and shine, so I decided to find out more—and there is so much to know. There is a Sandwich glass museum in Sandwich, Massachusetts, and there is a ton of information on the Internet—so much so that I wondered how could we have gone this long and not known about Sandwich glass? What I found most fascinating is that there are two big periods for Sandwich glass. The first is the 1820s to 1880s when it was produced at the Sandwich Glass Works Company in Sandwich where the museum is and in Boston. Then from the 1920s to the 1960s, Anchor Hocking, Indiana Glass, Tiara Exclusives and Duncan Miller produced the DepressionEra Sandwich glass. Interesting pieces produced from the Sandwich and Boston companies are still inspiring glassmakers, with some replica patterns still in production. Buyers might be able to determine an older piece from a newer piece by the weight as the older pieces contain lead, which makes them heavier. Anchor Hocking produced many of the freebie pieces that are still readily available today and that are distinguished by the scroll and flower designs, which were similar to the original Sandwich glass
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Continued from previous column pieces made in Boston and Sandwich. Buyers can tell Anchor Hocking pieces from other companies' because of the company’s scroll pattern resembles a V in the middle of a piece. Duncan Miller produced the most variety of pieces, distinguished by its scrolls that connect in an elongated diamond shape. Sandwich glass production gets a little complicated along the way as Indiana Glass, produced in the 1920s and 30s, joined with Tiara, which then bought out Duncan Miller’s Sandwich glass molds when it closed. Tiara Exclusives then produced sandwich glass until 1998. Because Tiara used the molds of Indiana and Duncan Miller, these pieces are harder to decipher, but many feature a wide bottom in the shape of an “M." Tray reports that Sandwich glass plates sell for $6 to 8 a plate and some of the rare colors and shapes sell for about $12.
I wonder if any of the gimmies around today will make it 40, 50 or more years? How much will our canvas bags or that little plastic cell phone holder be worth then and, if someone finds the holder in a drawer someday, will they even know what it is. Will gimmies still be around 50 years from now and, if yes, what will they be like? Whether gimmies are a part of future life or not, I am pretty sure the quality giveaways of the past, like Sandwich glass, will still be around. And you have got to love that. -Simone Gers began her antiquing journey 35 years ago when she married Tray, an avid collector. They still have the first piece they bought together and they have been upcycling vintage finds ever since. The Gers own Gather A Vintage Market in Tucson, AZ, a monthly market. Simone has taught writing and literature at the college level for many years.
Easter Recipe File
traditional Polish egg bread is Easter Paska "This wonderfully light with a slightly sweet
flavor." Recipe by: Tiffany Leyda Ingredients For the Sponge: 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F) 1/2 cup white sugar 3 cups warm milk 4 cups all-purpose flour For the Dough: 6 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup white sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest 12 cups all-purpose flour 1 egg 1 tablespoon water 2 tablespoons butter, melted Directions Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl until slightly frothy. In the meantime, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in the warm milk; allow to cool to lukewarm. Once cooled, add the milk mixture to the yeast mixture along with 4 cups of flour. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Cover and put in a dark, warm place until the mixture is bubbly and doubled in size, about 2 hours. Stir in the beaten eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup butter, salt, and lemon peel. Stir well to blend. Begin adding the remaining flour a cup at a time to form a very soft dough. Knead the dough on a floured board until soft and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down, and allow to rise again for 30 minutes. Divide dough into three parts (see Cook's Note). Shape into slightly rounded loaves, and place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water; brush onto loaves. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake in preheated oven until loaves are deep brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Once they are done, brush the tops with melted butter for a soft crust. © 2017 Allrecipes.com Printed With Permission From Allrecipes.com
March & April 2017
Page 9
BROWNSTOWN - NOR TH VERNON NORTH
Sharynn’s Quilt Box EST EST.. 1994
Scr app yP at ches Quilt Shop Scrapp appy Pat atches “Come Sit and Sew” March: Select Green Fabric 25% OFF April: Select Easter Theme Fabric & Select Spring Fabric 25% OFF Fabrics • Notions • Classes
We moved, Come take a look!
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North Vernon, IN 47265
@scrappypatches 408 W. Spring St., Brownstown, IN 47220 812-358-1734 HRS: Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 9-12 • After Hours Available
812-346-4731 shar ynn@fr ontier .com sharynn@fr ynn@frontier ontier.com Shop online at: www .shar ynns.com www.shar .sharynns.com
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Kissed Quilts
by Marlene Oddie
Our Labor of Love If you are a quilter, then you understand the labor of love a quilt takes to make. If you are not a quilter, then maybe you would like to understand the general process involved. Whether you are making a quilt for yourself, a loved one or a worthy cause, it requires a variety of materials and a lot of time. Some quilts are made for functional use while others are made as pieces of art. These are two very different distinctions and you might choose materials very differently depending upon the intended use of the quilt. Let’s first define the difference between a quilt and a blanket. A quilt has at least three layers and is stitched all the way through (the quilting!). A blanket is a single layer and typically does not have stitching throughout although it may have an edge on it to finish. Whether you’re making an art quilt or a functional quilt, you need a basic idea or design—even if you just want to do something in an improvisational way. If it is a very specific design, you might draw it out on paper, graph paper or even use software, such as Electric Quilt. I love using EQ because I can design in black and white for contrast and then color it. I can even work with the same look of the actual fabric and get a true visual of the quilt before I have ever cut one piece of fabric! There are many genres of styles, plenty for everyone to find their favorite! There are many patterns that have been designed with written instructions. You can make a similar quilt, adapt it to your liking or make it precisely the same. It is great to have inspiration but be sure to provide credit indicating where it came from in your label as well as in any public setting. When you have a design in mind, the next step is to source your fabric. Whether from your personal stash or the latest arrivals at your local quilt shop, there are always fresh ways to put fabric together. The industry now provides precut fabric in various shapes to assist those who prefer not to do much cutting. There are basic tools used for most quilt making. Most quilters now use a rotary cutter, ruler and mat vs. marking a shape and cutting with scissors—but you could do that, too. Even for fussy cut
elements where a shape is drawn, you can still use a ruler and rotary cutter to get a great straight line cut. My good cutting scissors are now mostly reserved for when I trim a binding join at the sewing machine. Given the variety of shapes and styles of quilts, there are many cutting and shape tools available. Piecing the quilt top together may often be referred to as quilting but it really is just the piecing. Once the top is completed, batting is added underneath and then a backing fabric. The back of the quilt might be one piece or several pieces stitched together. Regardless, it is typically a bit larger than the top so you have something to hold onto in the quilting process. Quilting might be tied, quilted by hand or on a machine. On a domestic machine or a sit-down mid-arm, the three layers are moved around the needle in order to stitch out the quilting design. On a mid or long-arm machine, the quilt is loaded onto rollers and the machine is moved (like on roller skates) to create the design. It might be moved by hand or computer controlled. Designs can range from a simple meander to being highly customized. Or you can consider the theme of the quilt and use an overall coordinating edge-toedge design. There are various weights of thread that can be used in the quilting from very heavy 12 wt to very fine 100 wt. What type you use will depend upon the style and desired use of the quilt. Hand quilting thread is typically heavier than machine quilting thread. When finishing an art quilt, you might use a facing instead of a binding but either is considered acceptable. Functional quilts may be bound in one of several ways. Traditional and show-quality bindings are finished to the back with hand stitching. For durability, consider finishing completely by machine. There are a variety of techniques and gadgets available. My go-to for functional quilts is to finish to the front completely by machine. You will find detailed steps and photographs in my co-authored book, You Can Quilt!, available nationwide and published by the American Quilter’s Society.
Dealer Hours: Tues-F ri 10-5; ues-Fri Sat 10-3
Wit & Wisdom
by Judyann Grant
The Good Parts “Granny, can we just tell about the good parts and not the naughty parts?” Our three-year-old granddaughter, Annabelle, was spending the day with me. A lively, inquisitive child, Annie had promised Mommy that she would be a good girl for the whole day. As the time drew close for Mommy to return, Annie sweetly asked that we mention only the good parts of our day together. The “good parts” - Annie eating all her breakfast, getting dressed, picking up her toys and putting away her coloring books before we went outside to play. The “naughty parts” - Annie emptying my office shelves of a carefully arranged book collection… hiding under the table so I wouldn’t wipe her runny nose…throwing handfuls of dirt that landed in her hair and nearly in my tea cup. Even at her tender age, Annie didn’t want to disappoint her Mommy. Her request caused me to think about how we all want to put our best face forward. Though no one is perfect, we all want others to think we are. None of us deliberately sets out to hurt those closest to us. We try our best, but often fall short. The façade of perfection slips and our faults, foibles, imperfections and insecurities are exposed.
God knew all about our human frailties. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” That verse applied to us even before we were born, because all are born into a world of sin (Romans 5:12.) Numerous times throughout the day, when Annie showed her less-than-perfect side, her conscience was pricked and she would say, “I’m sorry,” and remind me again to tell just the “good” parts. Guilt is an uncomfortable emotion, even for a toddler. If only it were that easy to wipe out the bad parts of our day! But the memories linger and we try to ease our conscience by making allowances for ourselves. We remind God of all the good we do and since we are “only human” we are therefore occasionally prone to misjudgments, erroneous assumptions and just plain bad behavior. When we mess up we need to ask forgiveness from those we have disappointed or hurt and seek God’s help to develop better attitudes and demonstrate better actions. Then, like Annie, we can focus on all the good we have done, put the “naughty” behind us and move forward. –Judyann Grant and her husband, Don, live in northern New York State
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Continued from previous column Don’t forget to create a label for the quilt. Consider giving the quilt a name, indicate who it was made for and by, when, where and the design source. On the back of the quilt, attach the label on the lower left. Ultimately, quilts are made with lots of love. Every quilt maker hopes the recipient understands the love intended with the gift of a quilt. Now that you know a little bit about it, try making a quilt?
–Marlene Oddie is an engineer by education, project manager by profession and now a quilter by passion in Grand Coulee, WA. She enjoys long-arm quilting on her Gammill Optimum Plus, but especially enjoys designing quilts and assisting in the creation of a meaningful treasure for the recipient. Follow Marlene’s adventures via http://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts and her blog at http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com.
Page 10
The Country Register of Indiana
CRA WFORDSVILLE CRAWFORDSVILLE
In A Yarn Basket
Harvest Inn Interior Décor & Gift Shop 1521 South Washington Street Crawfordsville, IN 47933 (across from Applebee's on 231 S.)
765-376-5802 • Opening at 10am Tuesday - Saturday
WE ARE ALL ABOUT YOU AND YOUR HOME We Are busy as bees getting ready for Spring! Freshen up for Spring, Easter, Mothers Day and Graduations Come in for... • Spring wreaths and florals • Curtains, rugs and lamps • Albanese confectionery candy available everyday and for Easter • The Arrow Collection and garden flags • Sassafras mats with changeable inserts • Garden stones and solar lanterns
Har v Innest
Spring Open House March 16-18
www.harvestinn.webs.com
Become Inspired
By Annice Bradley Rockwell
Decorating, Entertaining and Living in the Early American Style The Promise of Spring The months of March and April are a time of great promise and true anticipation. With our days slowly brightening and the air holding the intermittent scent of warm earth, our spirits begin to lift for it is almost spring. We tend to long for that strikingly unexpected sunny day where we feel more alive and inspired to plan for the vibrant season ahead. The once stark countryside begins to feel alive with the promise of spring just as we do. The birds begin to chirp and sing and the symbolic flight of the woodcock in a New England meadow at dusk confirms the arrival of this happy time. Farm fields and brown earth slowly transform to touches of green indicating nature’s innate talent to transition. A Symbolic Season of Renewal As we become mindful of the advent of spring, we often spend more time out of doors and it is a time savored. A simple walk to the wintered-over beds of fragrant thyme suggests hardy survival and a promise of the abundance to come. Visiting the raised vegetable beds, we can envision a first planting of peas or even the bountiful blessings that come with a first crop of our own tender lettuce. Chores such as cleaning the yard or decorating our porch provide us the opportunity to reflect on the season that
is safely behind us to focus now on the symbolic season of renewal. Nature’s Spectacular Lead Gathering items to capture the essence of spring is a joyful task. Sturdy antiques can be used to pot beautiful blooms that instantly brighten a porch scene. The contrast between a time-worn piece and nature’s color is uplifting and ideas to create this contrast are endless. Cast iron kettles filled with soil look seasonally special planted with herbs of green and a selective pop of color. Even chairs or primitive baskets that seem beyond use can be put back to work as garden accents when coupled with a blooming plant. Porch doors and windows can be easily enlivened with natural twig wreaths accented with herbal notes. Surrounding ourselves with the symbols of this awakening season provides a soulful lift that we crave and enjoy. And as we plan for the warmer months ahead, it is the early part of spring that gives us the biggest push forward as we endeavor to follow nature’s spectacular lead. – Annice Bradley Rockwell is an educator and owner of Pomfret Antiques in Connecticut. She is currently working on her book, New England Girl. NewEnglandGirl2012@hotmail.com
by Jo Branham
Knitting, Crocheting, Spinning, Weaving & More In A Yarn Basket has been in business for nine years, but the current owners are relatively new. Not to the shop, of course. Claire Abel had been a customer for a number of years. In 2015, when the owners decided to sell, it happened at a time when she was able to make the change from customer to owner. Pamela Czurak moved to Bloomington from Michigan and found the shop. She became a faithful customer and in April 2016 she joined forces with Claire and became a co-owner. The shop offers many items for knitting, crocheting, spinning and weaving. In April they plan to bring in an assortment of fat quarter fabrics and begin sewing classes. They already offer knit, crochet and weaving classes. A variety of yarns, from sheep, alpacas, llamas, rabbits and angora goats, come from all over the world and in a wide variety of colors. Notions and supplies for your knitting, crocheting, weaving and spinning projects are also available here. Roving Indiana Yarn Crawl, similar to the quilter’s Shop Hop, is taking place the last Friday in February through March 12. Fifteen shops are involved. Buy a passport at any of the shops and you will receive 10% off yarn purchases. Visit each shop in the Crawl and you’ll be eligible to enter for the Grand Prize drawing, as well as a prize baskets being given away in each shop. Sign up now for their 2017 Fall Retreat Getaway which is being held September 8 through September 10 this year at Waycross Conference Center in beautiful Brown County. Our guest teacher is
Cheryl Beckerich from Indianapolis who is a nationally renowned teacher and pattern designer. In A Yarn Basket is involved in a number of community service events: Hats For the Homeless, Knitted Knockers (breast prosthetics for women who have gone through breast cancer) and Afghans for local veterans (they work with American Legion Post #18 in Bloomington). Some shop features and events include: • Art by different local fiber artists is displayed in the store each quarter. • Hosting free Knit and Crochet times weekly and anyone can attend. • The Lunch Bunch meets Tuesdays from 11:30 to 1:30 • Knit and Crochet Night is Thursday from 6 to 8. • They offer “Children Learn to Knit” birthday parties. • They provide private or group classes. There is nothing these ladies enjoy more than sharing their love of these handcrafts with others. I asked them what they liked best about owning their own shop. They were quick to reply they loved meeting new people, people who share their love of handcrafts. They also said that they really enjoy all the new yarn. The day a new shipment comes in is like Christmas! You can find them on Instagram at “Yarn Basket” and on Facebook at “In A Yarn Basket.” To sign up for their free newsletter, go to their Facebook page and message them your email address. Better yet, plan a trip to Bloomington soon. Stop by the In A Yarn Basket and tell them you read about them in The Country Register.
WORLD WIDE Y DAY QUILTING DA MARCH 18
March & April 2017
Page 11
BLOOMING TON BLOOMINGTON
IN A YARN BASKET Offering a large selection of yarns, notions, books, patterns and classes in knitting, crocheting, weaving, and spinning.
Follow us on Facebook @ inayarnbasket, Twitter @ yarnbasket and Instagram @ inayarnbasket
Come have a look around our shop!
10% off yarn and use cash for an extra 5% discount valid March 13-April 7
1907 S. Walnut St., Bloomington, IN 47401 812-330-5394 • inayarnbasket@gmail.com Mon-Wed 11-6, Thurs 11-8, Fri & Sat 11-5
H il les illl t o p C Caa nd ndles H a nd ndpp ou ourr e d O n -sit -sitee
Fancy Works
Needlework Supplies & Accessories
Offering charts, fabric, fibers for counted cross stitch, charted needlepoint, embroidery, cross stitch supplies and designs, frames and more!! We are “Your NeedleArts Supply Center!” 3635 West State Road 46, Bloomington, Indiana 47404 Located behind Arby's on Hwy 46 West, between Bloomington & Ellettsville 812-935-6353 or 877-470-5031
• stitch@fancy-works.com • Find us on FACEBOOK at Fancy Works
Simply Primitive
O ur uun nique Home of Hilltop Candles shop ffeeatures... a vvaa r iet ade, oone ne rs ietyy of hhaa ndm ndmade, ne-- ofof-aa - ki nd it itee m s bbyy lo locc a l vvee ndo ndors H a ndm ade & A ue FFuu rn it ade JJee w elr ituu r e • H Haa ndm ndmade elryy ndmade Ann t iq ique A r t w o rk • O Ouu t side & IInn side H Hoo me D Dee c o r 4445 W St Staa t e R Rdd 45, Bl Bloo o m in ingg t o n, IN 47403 Hrs uesSat 10-6; SSu un 12-5; C lose dM on rs:: T Tuesues-S Close losed Mo
812-825-9660 • hhil il les@g m a il illl t o p c a nd ndles@g les@gm il.. c o m
www .f ac eb m prim www.f .fac aceb eboo o k .c o m/si m/sim
• Mon - Wed 10-6; • Thurs 10:-8; Fri 10-6; Sat 10-2 or later by appointment
Over The Tea Cup
By Janet Young
Outdoors in Spring
Spring…the time of year between winter and summer. The time of year to plan all the projects which have been temporarily put on hold. For, after a long cold winter, we become inspired by the warmer temperatures and the longer daylight hours. For all gardeners, this is their season to shine, as they prepare the landscape and their gardens for a bountiful harvest come summer. For parents of young children, this is the time when at last, you can take your toddler to the park and allow her to release her unbounding energy. Spring is the beginning of outdoor activities such as the first picnic of the season, or perhaps you might want to entertain some guests with an outdoor garden tea party. With St. Patty’s Day and Easter celebrations this time of year, there are plenty of celebratory occasions. So, why not take the celebrations outdoors. If you are so fortunate to have a porch or even a patio, there is nothing more inviting than to be outside to enjoy the fresh new dawning of spring. This past fall, I was invited to speak at an historical mansion with a large wraparound porch. It was a warm September afternoon with the sun shining brightly. All the tables and chairs were placed strategically around the porch. The wait staff was dressed in period costume, pushing the tea cart serving tea, and then
offering a wonderful assortment of sandwiches and desserts. It was a lovely tea. Yet somehow I believe it was enhanced by being outdoors. For, as the guests ate, they were able to look out over an expanse of land and view the skyline and the natural setting that cannot be duplicated indoors. It was a memorable experience. So, even if you do not have a view of that magnitude, there is just something about being outdoors that brings life to the party. Yes, spring is a most wonderful time of the year! However, it is but a brief respite before the heat of summer descends upon us. So, if you think you might like to try a garden tea party or some other outdoor activity, now is the time to plan and to prepare before an inevitable heat wave surfaces. In the meantime, if you have never tried outdoor entertaining before, I hope I have inspired you to at least think about a creative way you might incorporate at least part of your celebration outdoors. It will bring a new spark to your event and who knows, it just may mark the beginning of a new way to celebrate and/or entertain your family and friends. –Janet Young, Certified Tea and EtiquetteConsultant, is a founding member of Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association and freelance writer/national tea presenter. Visit her website at www.overtheteacup.com.
March Dates to Celebrate As with most of the other months, March is named for a Roman god. Mars, mostly known as the god of war, but he was also considered an ancestor of the Roman people and a guardian of agriculture. It was thought that he oversaw the new growth in Spring. March is special to me as my birthday is the 19th. (No, I’m not telling you what year.) We are all familiar with St. Patrick’s Day on the 17, the beginning of Spring on the 20th, and also the beginning of Daylight Savings Time which starts on the 12th this year. But there are quite a few holidays you may not be aware of. On the 1st you can celebrate National Pig Day. The 2nd is Dr. Seuss Day. National Barbie Day is the 9th. You might want to celebrate that one
by Jo Branham
with your daughter. Another couple of days to celebrate with your children are National Children’s Craft Day on the 14th and National Crayon Day on the 31st. National Quilting Day is the 18th this year and National American Diabetes Association Alert Day is on the 28th. There are a number of food related holidays this month. March 6th was my Dad’s birthday and is also National Chocolate Cheesecake Day. He would have loved that! Also: 9th is National Meatball Day; 14th is National Potato Chip Day; and the 19th is National Chocolate Caramel Day, National Poultry Day and National Corn Dog Day, all rolled into one glorious day. Sounds like a corn dog for lunch and fried chicken for dinner kind of day!
Page 12
The Country Register of Indiana
NASHVILLE
A Cup of Tea with Lydia
By Lydia E. Harris
Egg-ceptional Easter Brunch
Life In Skunk Hollow
by Mrs. Julie A. Druck
Walking in the Light Never before have I looked more forward to springtime. In the past 10 months or so, our family has gone through an unprecedented number of major life events. Within that time frame, we: • Wrapped up 17 years of home schooling our children, graduating the last student in June • Helped our middle son prepare for his wedding and renovate a small home for his bride • Moved our youngest into his own apartment closer to his lifework, resulting in our new status as empty-nesters • Purchased the 50-acre farm next to our current farm, which includes two houses and are renovating them with our married sons • Are in the process of downsizing in order to move into the smallest of those houses when renovations are complete • Went through the loss of my husband’s grandmother and helped with the resulting clean-out of her property • Were given the Christmas gift of an announcement of our first grandchild from our oldest son and his wife this summer I recognize that most of these things are good events but also know that even good things result in stress. In fact, just out of curiosity, I took one of those lifeevents stress tests. They list various major happenings in life - marriage, job change, moving, deaths, births, etc. – and assign each a point value. The higher the number, the more it supposedly indicates the level of stress added to your life. I wasn’t surprised to see that our final score was off-the-charts high! As a result of all these happenings, I have found myself often overwhelmed. It seems I have cried more in the last year than the entire past decade! This winter has been especially difficult. Christmas looked very different this year – we didn’t decorate as usual since the house is in the chaotic state of moving, plus this is the first year that all our boys were gone from home. Renovating houses is more of a challenge in the midst of cold and snow. And sorting through old toys in a frigid attic makes the job seem even more depressing.
But spring is coming. A recent phone conversation with a friend blew hints of fresh air into my spirit. After responding to the question of “how are you?” with my usual busy/ chaotic/ stressed answer, my caller expressed empathy and related a story of a similar time period. He then said, “But now, I look back at that time and am so thankful for all the time I spent working with my dad.” And the light went on. I realized that my focus had been on the negative aspects of all these happenings – the change, the loss, the work, the anxiety, and the sheer tiredness of physical and mental labor. I had labeled these events as “stressors,” when instead I should have been recognizing them as “graces.” Our Heavenly Father, in His gracious audacity, has poured out a ridiculous number of blessings on us, and how did I respond? I lost sight of gratitude. In the midst of all these things He has given us the graces of family closeness; the satisfaction found in working together; the joy of a growing family through marriage and birth; the completion of a season of life that allows more time, energy and freedom in different areas; provision for our children to live in homes close to us and inherited goods to set up housekeeping; increased time with one another and the list goes on. That phone conversation helped me to know that I don’t want to just “get through” a difficult time and then look back to see the good stuff. I want to live in the moment – viewing every event with a heart that’s quick to respond in gratitude and eyes that focus on the good, because it’s always there. So as the door of winter closes, I seek to look for the light amidst the darkness, thanking Him for the pinpoint stars against the midnight sky. And though I’m still looking forward to stepping into the warmth and joy called springtime, I remind myself that, with Him, I can walk in Light all year round. –Julie Druck is from York, Pennsylvania, and writes from her farm in Skunk Hollow. There she seeks to follow God by serving her family, keeping her home, and encouraging others. You can share comments with her at thedrucks@netzero.com.
Do you have Easter traditions? I have enjoyed several from childhood to grandparenthood. As a young child, on Easter morning I would hop up and look under my bed for my Easter basket. Our family also colored Easter eggs and enjoyed mother’s homemade Paska, a lemon-flavored sweet bread with frosting and sprinkles on top. When I became a mother and later a grandmother, we continued these traditions. After five lively grandchildren were born, we added Easter egg hunts to the fun. This Easter I’m thinking of trying something new: an Easter brunch—with tea, of course. That sounds simpler than preparing a dinner. For those attending an Easter sunrise service, coming back for brunch would be perfect. Here are some ideas to consider. Egg-cellent Food Since eggs are such a focal point at Easter, prepare your favorite egg dish. Perhaps quiche, eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs, or my Eggs-tra Special Brunch Dish. For a more hearty meal, add sliced ham, sausage links, or crisp bacon. Breads or Rolls Paska is our family’s favorite Easter bread (see recipe in this paper). But hot cross buns, waffles, or pancakes would be delicious as well. My daughter and family enjoy Empty-Tomb Buns, made with refrigerated biscuits, cinnamon and sugar, and large marshmallows. To make the buns: flatten the biscuit, place a marshmallow in the center, and seal it inside the biscuit. Then roll it in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place aluminum foil on a baking sheet before adding rolls (makes cleaning up easier). As the rolls bake, the marshmallows melt, leaving the inside hollow. Just like the tomb on Easter Sunday, these buns are empty. What a sweet surprise! Fruits and Veggies For fruits, serve a fresh fruit tray with vanilla yogurt on the side for dressing. Or layer fruits, yogurt, and granola to make parfaits. Or prepare a frozen fruit cup using a mixture of canned and fresh fruits in a base of concentrated orange juice.
Add your favorite fresh veggies, including carrots, for color and nutrition. Desserts and Beverages Often the breads are enough without dessert. But if you want more, make individual banana or coconut cream pies. Sprinkle with coconut you have tinted green with food coloring. Add jellybean eggs to make a colorful dessert. Another idea is my recipe for Easter Nests found here in this publication. For a delicious breakfast beverage, make a punch by combining equal parts of sparkling apple cider and mango nectar. Also, set out an assortment of teabags with and without caffeine, and let everyone make their own favorite blend. Easter Activi-Teas When I hide eggs for the grandkids, I use a different color of eg gs for each grandchild. I fill about a dozen for each child with candy, money, and little gifts such as erasers and stickers, depending on their ages. Sometimes we leave one egg empty to represent the empty tomb. My six-year-old granddaughter has already reserved the pink eggs for this year. Often we plan activities to tell the Easter story. One year we wrapped each child in toilet paper like a mummy so they could easily burst out exclaiming, “I’m alive!” And the cleanup was easy. Another year I made a tomb in a downstairs bedroom using a blanket over a card table. I let the grandkids take turns being the angel in the tomb. When we looked inside, they would shine a flashlight and say, “He is not here; He is risen!” Later that day, when I looked for our grandson, Alex, I found him sitting in the tomb eating his Easter candy. What a sweet tomb! With Easter coming up on April 16, it’s time to plan a special event to celebrate new life. Perhaps you’ll consider an Easter brunch. However you celebrate, I hope you make rich memories over tea. -Lydia E. Harris, who holds a master’s degree in home economics, wrote the book, Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting (AMG Publishers). Her grandchildren call her “Grandma Tea.”
March & April 2017
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NASHVILLE - NINEVEH - CL AS SIFIED ADS CLAS ASSIFIED
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From Lydia’s Recipe File
Eggs-tra Special Brunch Dish Easy to make, always a favorite.
From Lydia’s Recipe File Easter Nests
Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
Ingredients: Melt in large saucepan: 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine Stir in: 2 cups granulated sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk
Cook approximately three minutes on medium heat to soft ball stage (230 degrees). Remove from heat and add: 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 cups quick-cooking oats Stir quickly to blend.
Directions: Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. To shape into nests, use the back of a spoon to hollow the center of each cookie. While warm, fill with green tinted coconut (coconut mixed with a few drops green food coloring). Add a few jelly bird eggs. Makes about two dozen nests. Store in a covered container when cool.
Ingredients: 12 eggs 2 cups cottage cheese (1 pint) 1/2 cup melted butter (less if desired) 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/2 pound) 2 cups shredded Jack cheese (about 1/2 pound) Directions: 1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. 2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs thoroughly. 3. Add cottage cheese and beat until mixed. 4. Add butter, flour, and baking powder. Mix well. 5. Fold in cheeses. 6. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. 7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until knife comes out clean when inserted near center. Serves 10 to 12. Variation: Cut recipe in half if desired. Or make individual servings in custard cups. If you choose one of these options, reduce baking time.
Classified Ads TO PL ACE A CL AS SIFIED COUNTR Y AD: These 2x2 ads are offered to crafters, artisans, mail order houses, shop or antique mall PLACE CLAS ASSIFIED COUNTRY space for rent, church-sponsored craft and quilt shows, local events, businesses for sale and similar supporting businesses. Send your ad information along with a check for $40.00 to the address on Pg. 2. Ad copy and check must be received by the 10th of the month preceeding publication. We reserve the right to reject any ad not in keeping with the theme of our paper. Are you organizing a local arts, crafts or antique show?
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WIN A STOR Y INN GIF STORY GIFTT CERTIFICA TE CERTIFICATE Keep those cards, favorite recipes and letters coming! To encourage more of you to write, every recipe and story submissions received will be entered into a drawing for one of two $25.00 Gift Certificates* to The Story Inn in Nashville, IN each edition. Certificates will be mailed to winners and announced here. (*Valid towards a stay, dining or gift shop.)
APRON ART BY JAN ELAINE Unique handmade aprons for serving in your café, tea room, bed & breakfast and home entertaining. www.apronartbyjanelaine.etsy.com
Rockford United Methodist Church
2nd Annual Spring Craft Show Saturday, April 8th 9am-3pm 1934 N Ewing, Seymour, IN 47274 Join us for a fun day of shopping! Some vendor spaces still open. Vendors of handcrafted items please call for application. Dee Plumer: 812-592-9910 Pat Lewis: 812-522-8733 Delores Gallion: 812.522.2105
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The Country Register of Indiana
MAR TINSVILLE - SPENCER MARTINSVILLE
Unraveled
Quilt & Fabric Store
"Where Creativity Comes Together"
Our Unique Quilt Shop Features: Fabric, Notions, Patterns, Classes Quality Fabrics Plus Friendly Service! Open Sew Studio times for groups and individuals Interested in Classes? We have you covered! Here are some samples. Quench the Fear of Sewing: Learn all the basics you need to get started on any quilting project you can think of. We'll cover all the basics: threading your sewing machine, fabric choices, rotary cutting, pinning, prepping and jumping into that project! Thursday Make and Takes: Need a little sewing fix with some friends? This is a short class with varying projects for all skill levels! First Thursday of every month. Block of the Month: Join the club! Each month you'll receive a pattern for one block. By the end of the year, you'll have a beautiful quilt top! Stress-free quilting!
BE RRI E S & IVY ER ES Antiques ~ Primitives ~ Country Décor Candles, Rugs, Country Textiles, Willow Tree Painted Gourds and Gourd Demonstrations Rug Hooking Supplies, Wool and Patterns Hooking Group meets Saturdays 10-12
28 N. Main St. Martinsville, IN 765-342-7722 Open 6 days a week Google us for Virtual Tour Visit us on Facebook For area information www .visit morg ancount y in.com w.visit .visitmorg morgancount ancounty
381 N Fletcher Ave., Spencer, Indiana 47460 812-821-0309 HOURS: Tues, Wed and Fri 10-5; Thurs 10-7; Sat 10-2; Closed Sun and Mon Unraveled Quilt Store
unraveled quilts
www.UnraveledQuiltStore.com unraveledquilts@gmail.com
Life on the Farm
by Donna Jo Copeland
The Rites of Spring
April Dates to Celebrate April comes from the Latin word “aperis.” That means “to open or bud.” I think that’s a pretty fitting name for the month when all the flowers and trees begin to bud out. Everyone knows April 1st is April Fool’s Day. The 15th is a huge favorite with everyone: Tax Day. (Which is not really a holiday, or much of a reason to celebrate.) Easter falls on April 16th this year. The 22nd is National Earth Day and the 28th is National Arbor Day. There are a number of holidays perfect for poets and writers this month. The 10th is National Encourage a Young Writer Day, the 17th is a two for one day: National Haiku Poetry Day and
by Jo Branham
National Poem in Your Pocket Day, and the 28th is National Great Poetry Reading Day. April 10th through the 14th is National Library Week. My favorites of the many food holidays this month: the 3rd National Chocolate Mousse Day, the 5th National Deep Dish Pizza Day, the 13th National Peach Cobbler Day, the 17th National Cheese Ball Day, the 20th National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day, 23rd National Cherry Cheesecake Day and National Picnic Day (a bit early in the year for a picnic in most of the Northern states, I think), and the 30th is National Oatmeal Cookie Day and National Raisin Day. So have an Oatmeal Raisin cookie. What a great way to end the month.
Recipes From Breezy Manor Farm Grandmother Clara’s Angel Food Cake (Uniced - of course!)
13 egg whites 1 cup flour 1/8 t. salt 1 t. cream of tartar 1 ½ cups sugar
Diections: Beat the egg whites til very foamy in a large metal bowl (Grandmother beat hers with a wire wisk, I use a mixer). Add the cream of tartar. Beat til stiff. Fold in the dry ingredients gently. Add the vanilla. Pour into a tube pan, ungreased. Bake on the lower rack in your oven 55 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven when done, turn pan upside down on a rack on the counter. Leave til cool. Then slide a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Serve uniced. from: Donna Jo Copeland, who is a farmeress/fiber artist and owner of Breezy Manor Farm
Gosh, sliding into March 1st after one very up and down winter, doesn’t seem possible spring is near. Now we get to see lion or lamb, wind or not, and just maybe early spring flowers will pop their heads up and bloom to colorize this central Indiana landscape. Chase away the grey. Now grey isn’t all bad. A grey day and leaden skies really make my colorful handspun yarns shine and sing. Strong sunshine can alter colors and texture. Haven’t had to worry about sunshine this winter. Hoping the spring sun will shine brightly. Talking with mom last night she reminded me of spring greens. When she was young she would often accompany her grandmother into the woods to cut fresh greens—anything green--dandelions, plantain, pokeweed, wild asparagus and others. They brought the basket into the kitchen, washed the greens and put them into a pot of water to boil. The first water was poured off. Pot refilled and a piece of fatback or bacon was added. At the table everyone got a helping of greens. Sometimes sweet and good, sometimes very bitter. But the spring greens were good for you (oh how I remember those words…). With spring it is time to remove the flannel sheets from my bed. One trueism—removing them in a warm spring spell will be followed by a bitter cold snap. Always. I have been known to leave mine on my bed til June. On my wee farm, spring is another season of mud and pasture flooding. Often I have dreamed about small wellies for my sheep. Fortunately my breeds have sound feet. The spring shearing will happen in late March. Maven, Caileen, Rosie, Orion, Zoe, Kahula, Essie Mae and Belle Starr are waiting. Even with my damaged hand I will shear my ram myself—he has never been handled by a man and I don’t want to start now that he is 15 years old. Cup and I have an understanding.
After shearing I will have wonderful fresh fleeces to wash. I just love seeing my yard dotted with racks of drying fleece. The nesting birds like it too--often a male Robin will try to make off with a huge pile of wool. They think bigger is better when it comes to nest material. Spring is also garden time—peas on St. Patrick’s Day, potatoes on Good Friday. Early spinach and lettuce as soon as the ground is ready. I fill 2 liter bottles with water to act as hot water bottles in the garden for the tender plants. Every year I have to rein myself in as its just me and I don’t need a huge garden. But digging in the dirt is so much fun and so is wiggling my toes in fresh turned earth. After winter’s chill I just can’t wait to go barefoot! Every day in March and April I poke around looking for what is coming up— snowdrops, crocus, Johnny Jumpups, daffodils, bluebells. I collect dandelion greens for the bunnies, leaving the blossoms for the honey bees. No matter how March comes in I always pray it will leave like a lamb. In early spring the old hens will lay eggs and continue til the hot weather sets in. With this abundance my great grandmother always made angel food cakes—my favorite. Uniced. And then homemade noodles with stewed chicken. Sunday dinners fit for royalty. April brings fiber/wool shows. Its fun to reconnect with other shepherdesses. Fellowship is a big part of the fiber and wool world. We work hard and have a passion unbridled, our hours long, our contentment mammoth. No matter how terrible the world, for generations peace comes in the serene gaze of a contented ewe. And in the shepherdess as she surveys her flock. We are blessed. – © by Donna Jo Copeland, who is a farmeress/fiber artist and owner of Breezy Manor Farm in Mooresville, IN. “Like” her on FACEBOOK @ Breezy Manor Farm.
March & April 2017
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SALEM - W ASHING TON - TOUR TOWNS WASHING ASHINGTON
Town and Country Cooking
by Janette Hess
Any Occasion is Right for Home Cooking Most people think making a restaurant reservation when planning for a special occasion. It is convenient, easy and everyone can order what they want to eat. I get it! But for your next special occasion, you might consider a home-cooked dinner. After all, nothing says “I love you” quite like an elegant candlelight dinner. For your next celebration or holiday, treat your loved one — or loved ones — to an elegant home-cooked meal and save the restaurant reservations for another evening. To that end, I offer this menu that is both elegant and fairly easy to prepare. Consider serving pork tenderloin or marinated salmon as your main course. Add a favorite salad and a side dish, light the candles, and let the compliments begin! Serve your own home-made truffles as a chocolatefilled finale. Then smack your lips or raise a toast. Either would be an appropriate for an elegant home cooked meal. . –A trained journalist, Janette Hess focuses her writing on interesting foods. She is a Master Food Volunteer with her local Extension service and enjoys collecting, testing and sharing recipes. Creamy Cocoa Truffles 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2½ cups powdered sugar 5 tablespoons heavy cream 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract Coating options: Finely chopped nuts (pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts or toasted almonds) Finely chopped coconut (regular or toasted) In medium mixing bowl, combine melted butter and cocoa powder. Add powdered sugar; stir to combine. Gradually add cream and extracts; beat until smooth. Chill mixture until firm. When firm, form into 1-inch truffle balls, working quickly to keep melting to a minimum. Return truffles to refrigerator. When again firm, roll in desired coatings and place in foil or paper candy cups. Cover tightly and chill until serving time. Makes 22 to 24 truffles. Toasted Almonds: Place desired amount of blanched, slivered almonds in skillet. Cook and stir over medium to medium-high heat until almonds turn golden, approximately 5 minutes. Quickly transfer from skillet to prevent burning. Chop when cool. Toasted Coconut: Evenly spread desired amount of sweetened, flaked coconut on rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally and watching closely. Immediately remove from oven as soon as coconut is nicely browned. Transfer to separate dish. Crumble or chop when cool.
Pork Tenderloin with Shallot Relish 1 trimmed pork tenderloin (approximately 1½ pounds from center or thick end) 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ cup diced shallots (approximately 3 bulbs) 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup chopped parsley ¼ teaspoon dried thyme Additional salt and pepper for seasoning pork To make shallot relish, heat butter and olive oil in medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté just until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and ¼ teaspoon salt; stir to combine. Add parsley. When heated through, set mixture aside. Place tenderloin on rimmed baking sheet or oven-proof dish. Pat dry and then rub with thyme and approximately ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Spread shallot relish on top and sides of tenderloin. Roast tenderloin at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Allow tenderloin to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. (Temperature will continue to climb during resting period.) Makes 4 servings.
Sesame Salmon 4 5- to 6-ounce salmon fillets ½ cup lower-sodium soy sauce 1/3 cup rice vinegar ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup sesame oil 2 teaspoons Asian or Thai chili sauce ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon sesame seeds Place fillets in shallow dish. In separate dish, make marinade by whisking together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, chili sauce and garlic powder. Set aside ¼ cup of marinade for later use. Pour remainder over fillets and let stand for 15 minutes, turning at least once. Transfer fillets to foil-lined baking dish. Before discarding marinade, drizzle each fillet with small amount (approximately ½ teaspoon) of the mixture. Bake fillets on upper rack of 475-degree oven for approximately 8 minutes, or until salmon is opaque throughout and flakes easily. While fillets are baking, heat reserved marinade in microwave oven. To serve, place hot fillets on presentation dish, drizzle with heated marinade and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Toasted Sesame Seeds: Place sesame seeds in small skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until seeds begin to darken, about 5 minutes. Quickly transfer from skillet to prevent burning.
Piecemakers Quilt Guild 36th Annual Quilt Show Friday & Saturday, June 9 & 10 from 10am to 4pm DST Judged Entries Accepted: June 6 10am -6pm Location: Southern Hills Chruch, 1645 S State Rd 135, Salem, IN 47167 Donation Quilt • Vendors • Demonstrations • Much More! Local Shop Vendors: Quilting Bee, Edwardsville & Scrappy Patches, Browstown Featured Quilter: Melinda Hobson • Special Quilt Display: Snake River Admission $3.00 • For More information: (812) 820-8911
The Stitching P ost Post “Your Country Quilt Store” A friendly country store with lots of MODA, Riley Blake, Andover and Quilting Treasures. Also 1930’s and Civil War reproduction fabrics, flannels, batiks and solids. Southwestern Indiana's largest full service quilt store with over 10,000 bolts. Come see for yourself! 401 E Main St, Washington, IN 47501 812-254-6063 • Like us on Facebook Hrs: Mon - Sat 10 - 5
Online Catalog: http://stitchingpostquilts.com
COUNTRY NEIGHBORS TOUR Spring into Summer Tour June 9 & 10
We are a unique gathering of like-minded country folks, bonding together to unveil our wares and creations. Grab your family and friends for a tour of our home-based businesses in southern Indiana... Come for a visit and make a day of it in the country visiting our 13 hidden gems. Blessings friends ~the Neighbors
Watch for other 2017 Tour Dates: Sept 8 & 9 and Nov 9 - 11 For a map & list of all participating shops visit: www.picturetrail.com/countryneighbors For more info: (812) 834-5529
Flowers Mean Spring It’s getting warmer. The sun seems to be shining just a little bit brighter. The forsythia and lilac bushes are budding. The crocuses, tulips, narcissuses and daffodils are blooming. Spring time is here and it’s time to start planning those summer gardens. One of my favorite Spring memories is of helping Mom plant the flower garden. We had different areas around the yard where she planted flowers. She was a big moss rose fan, so we usually had them in a couple spots. We could count on having marigolds, zinnias, cosmos and hollyhocks most every year. Every once in a while she’d add something new, like tiger lilies and gladiolus.
by Jo Branham
I love the flowers I’ve mentioned above. Most of all, I love the memories they bring back to me. A friend recently shared how she ran across her mom’s old cookbook while cleaning out her cookbook stash, and how the memories of time spent in the kitchen with her mom came flooding back. Flowers, especially the ones I’ve named here, affect me the same way. Whether they’re ones I’ve planted or flowers I see growing in my neighbor’s yards as I’m driving down the road, they bring back those precious memories of Spring days spent outside with my mother. –Jo Branham lives in Nashville, IN with her cat. She enjoys quilting, shopping and writing .
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The Country Register of Indiana
CENTER VILLE - RICHMOND CENTERVILLE Wayne County Extension Homemakers 7th Biennial Quilt Show May 19-20
Come spend the day with us!
The theme of this year’s show is “Patchwork Panorama” Wayne County Fairgrounds 861 Salisbury Rd North, Richmond IN 47374 Silent auction features our “Stars” charity quilt made by the homemakers with proceeds to benefit Purdue Cancer Research Endowment Fund. Themed baskets auctions benefit the Wayne Co. EH scholarship fund for 2 Wayne County High School Seniors annually! Featured speakers/quilters include Jan Livingston Brady, Linda Ringley & Karen Hicks 200+ Quilts on display, Demos, and More! Lunch, featuring our Famous Homemade Chicken Salad & Veggie Soup available on site. Let us know if you would like to exhibit your quilts – from beginner to expert. Special section for Junior quilts – those 18 and under. We are still accepting vendors. Get your entry in today! Admission $5 • Time: 10am - 6pm Welcome new Vendor: Wilson’s Calico Corner
Ann’s Lovin’ Ewe
The Recipe Hoarder
I’m a recipe hoarder. There’s no other word for a person who clips or copies every interesting recipe from newspapers, Facebook, and even discretely (but wrongfully) has torn them from office magazines. Perhaps I was once an overachiever who thought I'd make all those delicacies. (Even if I made one a day, they'd outlive me.) But now that I've recognized the error of my ways, I’m freeing myself from the unrealistic expectation of someday making all of these foods. I have kept my personal cookbook of favorites to set the bar. Could any of the hoarded recipes actually top the tried and true? First, I dumped the cookbooks that took up too much space in my kitchen, either donating the books or ripping out the best recipes and chucking the rest of the book. After all, with my computer nearby, unlimited recipes are only a click away. Then I purged my files, discarding recipes with too many weird combinations, too many ingredients, too many calories, and too many steps. How many chickens can one cook? Mango Chili Chicken, Man-Pleasing Chicken, Chicken Gillespie (?), ThreeGlass Chicken (with its 13 ingredients) And how many Award-Winning or AllAmerican or Lentil or No-Chop Chili recipes does one need when you know if you don't make your usual recipe, the natives will be restless? We have ONE lamb recipe we all love. I especially love it because it is the ONE recipe my husband makes. Why would I suggest a new one? (Disclaimer: We do NOT eat the lamb from Skyemoor Farm). Some ingredients don’t belong together. Barbecue Chicken and Grape Salad? No! Leek and Fennel Chowder with Smoked Salmon. What was I thinking? Sweet and Sour Roasted Eggplant Salad? Malaysian Chicken Pizza? And why on earth did I keep Turkey and Pasta with Peanut Sauce. Poultry, pasta and peanuts? What a strange trio. Three strikes, you’re out!
by Ann Stewart Some had too many ingredients and would break the budget. Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Pho) is a family favorite, but with 16 ingredients (one of which is holy basil) and the spices which are to cook in a cloth bag, why wouldn't I just go to a Vietnamese restaurant and relax over an $8 steaming bowl of soup? And Garlicky Red Lentil Dal. Do I want to buy 15 ingredients for one appetizer? Roasted Beet and Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese, Fennel and Pecans. When would those specific ingredients inhabit my refrigerator at the same time? I’d prefer picking a seasonal array from the garden rather than driving to the store to hunt down my salad. Some recipes sound wonderfully decadent: Triple Hazelnut Cheesecake, DoubleCaramel Turtle Cake (If I multiply an ingredient is it more impressive?). But most desserts that are too fussy, are not too delicious. Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake tastes better than Petit Fours or Raspberry Jelly Roll with Apricot Coulis. My general rule about desserts is that the uglier they look, the better they taste. Compare Oreo Mud Pudding Cake with heavily decorated Sugar Cookies to flavorless royal frosting glued on top. I'll take deliciously ugly over art. I couldn’t even pronounce some of the recipes. Lombo di Maiale Coi Porri, Turkey Vatapa? Just how would I answer my guests when asked, "What's for dinner?" Alas, at the end of the day, some recipes made the cut. Especially the dessert titles which caused me to drool. I'm still hoarding Coconut Crunch Cake, Brown Butter Salted Caramel Snickerdoodles, Cappuccino Trifle, White Chocolate Tiramisu. But most hoarded recipes don't top what I already have. Yes, I want the stimulation and adventure promised by a new recipe, but I prefer recipes shared with me by friends and written in their familiar script, tagged with the memories of their presence and love. Still, I know what will happen when I clip “Ann’s Lovin’ Ewe” from the next
Country Register. The nearby recipe will sound so nummy and homey and inviting...and my collection will grow. –© 2017 Ann Marie Stewart All rights reserved. Used by permission. No reprint without author’s permission. Ann’s debut novel
“Stars in the Grass” was recently released. See book trailer: www.annmariestewart.com/ book-stars-in-the-grass – www.AnnMarieStewart.com or join me on my Facebook page at: AnnMarieStewart@StarsintheGrass.
March & April 2017
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LIBER TY - MET AMORA LIBERTY METAMORA
Pohlar Fabrics Has Moved
500 Feet From Previous Location
by Jo Branham
By the time, you read this, Pohlar Fabrics will have been in their new shop for close to two months. They’re still moving things around, trying to find the perfect fit for everything. They are open, however, and there are still lots of choices. Rose, Megan and their co-workers are thrilled with the amount of space and are working to fill it with items to tempt old and new customers alike. There are three Bernina long arms on the floor. Pohlar Fabrics will be starting a rental program in the near future. They are also a Bernina sales representative and have three certified Bernina technicians on staff. Rose said that they now carry over 6000 bolts of fabric, plus an assortment of precuts. There are a lot of Moda (especially Kansas Troubles), Civil War designs, 1930 prints, Batiks and flannel. They also have a huge selection of panels with coordinating fabric. The walls are covered with samples and there are kits for a number of them. Pohlar Fabrics is planning to expand their lines of m a c h i n e embroidery, hand embroidery, needle punch and English paper piecing according to Megan. Beautiful Valdani floss is
available for hand embroidery and needle punch projects. Not only have they expanded their merchandise, Pohlar Fabrics is also planning a wide range of classes. Currently, they have a weekly class that meets on Monday nights. These crafters have been gathering together for the past five years. Bring a project and join the fun. They are also planning two Block of the Month clubs a little later in the year. And they are participants in the Row by Row Experience. As if all of this doesn’t keep them busy enough, Megan and Rose also create quilt patterns. Megan has over 50 published patterns and Rose has 25. Some of the patterns are available through a distributor, but all are available on their website and at the shop. Pohlar Fabrics services all makes and models of sewing machines. They also sharpen scissors and will do machine quilting for their customers. December 2017 marks their 30th anniversary. Watch for information on shop anniversary specials and events later in the year. Take a drive to Liberty and check out the new Pohlar Fabrics’ beautiful new location.
This Space Reserved For Your Shop or Show Info from an advertiser: “You folks do a great job with design and I can honestly say that going into my 9th year in business, your paper has been the best advertising vehicle I’ve used.” E-mail your info to: email@countryregisteronline.com
Cook’s Library with Patsy
By Patsy Terrell
Making Connections At the Tallgrass Writing Workshop last year in Emporia, author Max McCoy said, “Write from the inside out,” during his presentation about mystery writing. When I reread my notes later, the first thing that came to me was that we should live from the inside out. Max was saying that in mystery writing you have to know the nuances of the story – where you’re going with it. While we can’t know all the twists and turns life will present to us, it is helpful to have an idea of where we’d like to go. Admittedly, this is not easy work. Knowing ourselves, our motivations, our weaknesses and the events from the past that affect us today is a tall order. But, I think it’s a worthy one. It often means facing things we would rather keep hidden, even from ourselves. Perhaps most diligently from ourselves. But when we know ourselves inside out, we are able to look at the world through a less cloudy lens. We can question our reactions because we understand our motivations. One of the things I know about myself is that I have a drive to create. Sometimes that happens with words, sometimes with paint, sometimes with occasions. In all of these things it’s about creating a connection. I am confident that connection is one of the most important tasks we have in our lives. What other purpose do we have? We learn about ourselves by interacting with others. We observe how they respond to things and ponder the
applications for our own lives. It’s possible because of the connections we have built. One of the things often with us when we’re making connections with other people is food. From birthday cakes to family celebrations to lunches with friends, food gives us a way to build traditions and make memories. Our recipe this month is one I’ve shared with friends many times over the years. You can whip it up in just a few minutes and it cooks in the microwave. –Patsy Terrell makes brownies and friends whenever possible. See more recipes and stories at cookslibrarywithpatsy.com. Brownies 1 Brownies 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup margarine, melted 1/2 cup flour 1/3 cup cocoa Salt to taste 1/2 cup nuts, optional In mixer beat eggs, blend in sugar and melted butter. Add flour, cocoa and salt and mix. Stir in vanilla and nuts. Pour into ungreased microwave safe dish. I use an 8 by 8 glass dish but a glass pie plate will do, too.\Microwave at medium (50%) for 6 minutes. Turn quarter turn and microwave at 100% for 1-3 minutes until mixture begins to dry on top. .
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The Country Register of Indiana
GREENSBURG - ST P AUL PA
ilt u Q op Sh
Located on the square in downtown Greensburg
125 E. Main Street, Greensburg, IN 47240 812.222.0920 www .tcstitches.com www.tcstitches.com
Charming Shop Hop March 29 thru April 1
Olde Barn Primitives
Handmade Primitives Prim Tart Burners Electric Lights Signs Dolls Stitcheries A Sprinkling of Antiques Lighted Canvas Pictures Gift certificates available 5827 W County Road 700 N, St. Paul, IN 47272 www.oldebarnprimitives.com (765) 525-6249 Cash or check only… no credit or debit cards
Hours: “Like:” us on Fri /Sat 9-3 Facebook Spring Items Are In! L ots of Handmades
Spring Retreat April 7-9 Cottons Pre-cuts Batiks • Cott ons • Pr e-cuts • Flannels moree. Wide Backing & much mor
NEW fabrics arriving daily! Stop in and take a look. Check our website for classes. Open: TTues ues & Thurs 9 - 5; W ed 9 - 8; FFriri 10 - 6; Sat 9 - 4 Wed
Quilts That Redeem The Tornado Siren
FYI – The events of this story are true, but I confess, it plays in my head like a Jerry Clower story of calamity and chaos like those involving the Ledbetter family (Ardell, Burnell, Raynell, Udell, Odell, Marcell, Claude, Clovis and New-Gene, etc) If you’re shaking your head with no clue . . . google Jerry Clower and The Burning Building. That pretty much sets the stage for what’s to follow. The characters are my husband, Rod; our 4-month-old puppy, Griz (looks like a woolly, red-furred grizzly bear cub); our new stray kitten, Pepsi (found behind the outside Pepsi machine at our nearby grocery store); and yours truly. The background is that we decided to schedule the carpal tunnel surgeries for both Rod’s wrists on one day. It would mean fewer costs due to one clinic visit and fewer sick leave days. All this would work because “I” could be his care-giver. Voila! Both hands operated on. Ouch! Ouch! Done! Fast forward one week to the early evening of Oct. 6. The weather was threatening, but we were scheduled to give a quilt to a family who had been victims of the May 25 tornado that ground through rural areas around our town. [Note: With people having lost everything, my Sew Promises quilt ministry group rallied ‘round to make sure all the families got a quilt – letting them know they were cared and prayed for. The verse Joshua 1:9 was put on each quilt’s label.] Oct. 6, the tornado sirens sounded once again in Abilene. We had been giving out quilts since June and listening to everyone’s stories of the night their homes got hit by the May tornado. Hearing the sirens blaring that afternoon, many of their comments went
by Sherry Osland
through my mind. I grabbed my biggest tote bag and herein begins the calamity and chaos. (Take it from here, Jerry!) My husband, with his compromised hands, somehow managed to get our pup from the garage, put a leash on him, hooked him to his belt and got him down into the basement. Griz sensed the amped energy in the air and tried to run hither and yon, circling Rod’s legs. They got to the basement and Rod tried to figure out a way to unleash Griz from his belt and secure him to a support pole - carefully. Rod began calling for me to get down there. I had my bag, and I heard in my head . . . closedtoe shoes! Jacket! Business folder! Flashlight! Bible!! Running through the house, I grabbed and stuffed like crazy. Pepsi was fit to be tied with the sirens continuing, the yelling and my hurrying. He was running in circles around my feet upstairs. The sirens had been going off for a while, and it was high time to head down to the basement. I got to the second step. I have no idea if it was Pepsi at my feet, the heavy bag falling off my shoulder to my elbow making me off-balanced, or the turning of my right ankle, subsequently turning my left one that caused me to fall. But, in the blink of an eye, I went down the other eight steps on my back . . . head first!! I remember calling out to Rod, “CATCH ME!!” Then, almost in the same breath (as I remembered his hands), “NO DON’T!!” We all four ended up in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. We were all dazed. I remember looking at my legs expecting to see bones sticking out. I also remember sitting on the concrete floor facing the closed space under the steps and thinking, “Well, God. That’s the
safest place, but I know I can’t get there. Please protect us where we are.” Rod was trying to sort out critters, dealing with his hurting hands AND trying to figure out if I’m ok or not All I wanted to do was cry for a minute. Then I’d be ok. I wiggled my toes – check! I felt both legs – check check! Must not be anything broken, but . . . HURT! In no time flat, everyplace that hurt started swelling up. Getting up the stairs remains a little blurry except that I wondered if I should go up step-by-step on my bum. I know I got to the top and had to use a folding chair as a walker to get to my big chair. Rod iced my legs immediately, and I stayed there until going to bed. We would re-assess them in the morning as to whether I would need to see the doctor. Well, no question! I needed to see the doctor, and we got a mid-afternoon appointment. I had my first wheel chair ride. After x-rays, Rod and I sat in the exam room waiting for the doctor. She has a good sense of humor, so I apologized for not shaving my legs, to which she replied, “That’s ok, I didn’t shave mine for you either!” ? She left to get the x-rays and then walked back in chuckling. “I’ve never had a patient with TWO broken legs before!” WHAT?!! Oh My Goodness! This is where we part from the Jerry Clower scenario of calamity and chaos. In the midst of ALL that, the small bones (fibula) in both legs were cleanly fractured in a diagonal break, and both were still perfectly lined up! I had no surgery, no metal pins and screws, no cast, etc. We drove to where we could get two KAM boots (up to the knees), and I modeled those “fall fashionista boots” through sixplus weeks of elevating them with minimal walking. Rod, with his poor hands, had to become my caregiver. There were some long days, but made so much more bearable by our family, Church family and friends. We had meals and
visits that were amazing. We were so loved and cared for. I’ll never forget one afternoon. Things were quiet, and we were sitting side-by-side in our respective chairs. We just looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and raised our eyebrows. No words. . . . Rod went to work after a couple weeks. I remained in my chair with my legs elevated. Before he went to work each day, we made sure I had everything I might need within a 3-foot radius of my chair, including a friend’s borrowed walker. For the two months I couldn’t work, I had a few times when the “woe-is-me’s” cropped up. On the heel of one, I’d soon hear of someone whose hardship was ten times worse than mine. Thinking back on the whole situation, I think that’s truly what it was all about. . . a lesson in counting my immeasurable blessings and recognizing the goodness of God through it all. Often, I would think of a story I heard years ago. I don’t know who wrote it, but it is about a man who is carrying his burdensome woe-is-me cross of troubles and he meets up with Jesus. The man tells Him about his cross and how heavy it is. Jesus takes him to a room and opens the door to a room full of crosses of different sizes and shapes. They step inside and Jesus tells the man he can put his cross down and pick a different one if he’d like. The man walks in, looks around and spies the smallest one over by the door. He decides he will take that one. As they leave the room and Jesus closes the door, He tells the man that that particular cross is the one he went in with. My prayer has been: “God help me to see You and Your blessings in everything. Amen.” –Sherry Osland of Praise Works Quilting. 1216 NW 3rd Abilene, KS 6710 In business and ministry for l6 years. For examples of work and tornado quilts given, go to: facebook.com/praiseworksquilting
March & April 2017
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RUSHVILLE Enjoy lunch from our Deli Menu:
HOURS: Mon–Fri 10–5, Sat 10–2; Closed Sun
In Stitches
• Fresh Croissant and Wheat Roll Sandwiches • Fresh Fruit Romaine Salads • Home-made Soups • Cappuccino • Desserts: Cheesecake, Pies, Cakes
837 W. Third St., Rushville, IN 765-938-1818 www.institchesquiltshop.com
Now Carrying Candleberry Candles
Our specialty is panels. Lots of samples to inspire! Fabrics by: • Moda • Timeless Treasures • Quilting Treasures • Hoffman and more! “Like” us on FACEBOOK search: “In Stitches Quilt Shop”
www .elizabethskeepsakes.com www.elizabethskeepsakes.com
An Awakening Springs Forth
By Kerri Habben
It’s Party Time with Lesley
by Lesley Nuttall
“You can make any occasion a party.” As I pondered as to what kind of recent party I could write about, I thought of the dinner party I prepared on the spur of the moment for our Son Tom’s ‘unusual celebration’ that we had been proud to share and give our blessings for. He announced proudly that tomorrow he would be one month ‘smoke free.’ I said, “that’s great Tom,” and immediately began thinking how I could plan a special party for tomorrow nights meal to celebrate this beginning to better health for him. Tom’s cancer had come back after four years, and although he stopped smoking then, he slowly, over time, began again. This time he says he has quit for good. He had been hospitalized for3 weeks earlier with pneumonia, and the lymphoma in his abdomen had aggressively grown to the size of a grapefruit. On his discharge from the hospital, as he is a single man on his own, we suggested he move back into his old room and live for a while with his father and I, so we could give him tender loving care and Mom’s good home cooking. This party was likely the smallest I had ever planned, which was very easy as I prepared all of his favorite foods. I also worked into the plans, foods that were considered good ‘cancer foods.’ Tom loved chicken and there definitely had to be mashed potatoes. I also prepared broccoli and cauliflower which are excellent cancer fighting foods, as well as a small green salad made with romaine, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes and sprinkles of shredded carrots on top, knowing that all will help improve his immune system. For dessert we needed something special, so his father picked up a black forest cake from the bakery. Tom showed his thanks with very big smiles. Now this may not sound like much of a party, but the occasion was very special
and knowing that it made a young man happy, and that it was good for his health, made it all worthwhile. You can make any occasion a party. I always love to entertain with a fancy colorful tablecloth, matching napkins and a special centerpiece. But sometimes, just the normal place mats and paper napkins still work just as well. On this occasion, it was how proud our son was that he had accomplished one month smoke-free, and the happiness we felt for his success. As I write this, he has already passed the two month marker without cigarettes. He has already undergone two months of chemotherapy and is looking forward to going to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for a stem cell transplant in the very near future. Prayers are always welcome and we say, “thank you.” I remember about 50 years ago, my husband, our 3 ½ years old son, Tommy and myself were traveling the 4 hour trip to visit my husband’s Mother. In those days, people smoked in their cars. My husband had just lit up a cigarette and I was grumbling about how the smoke bothered me. He put out his cigarette, quietly rolled down the window and threw the remainder of the package out the window. I know, he littered, but he never smoked again. So, whatever occasion may be ahead for a celebration, make the most of it and make someone happy. Family and friends are such a blessing and some of us put off having the big party, thinking it is too much work. But with some preplanning, it is surprising how everything will fall into place. –© 2017 Lesley R. Nuttall, the Author of Secrets of Party Planning and llives with her husband in Dryden, ON, Canada.
I offer you a story of renewal as spring blossoms upon us. When my grandmother was in her nineties, she enjoyed crocheting lap robes for a local hospital. At her passing at almost 100 in 2006 she had achieved 6500 hours of volunteer hours in 13 years of giving. As she worked on these blankets sometimes she’d say, “These colors are so nice together. Would you like it if I made it a little bigger and you can keep it?” Her talent in blending and matching tones and hues truly was a natural gift, so given that and our love for her and her work, Mom and I always answered with an enthusiastic response in the affirmative. We brought each one home and over the years, especially during the last decade, we’ve developed a system of which blankets we use each season. We also always travel with one of them, carrying a little bit of my grandmother with us. Recently we decided that it was indeed time to donate some of the blankets. We could not in good conscience keep many of them stored when their intention had been to keep others warm. So there we were, me in the attic at the head of the pull-down stairs and Mom waiting at the bottom. I opened one plastic tote, tossed some blankets down and went to another tote. Then I peeked in a few other boxes and down went more. Suddenly we were in the living room with 40 blankets. 40 in addition to the ones we already use regularly. We’d thought perhaps there were about 20, but like a mother and grandmother’s love, there is always more. We chose some for family, some for dear friends like family, and ,yes, we found some that we just want to keep “for now.” After that there were still 25 blankets, and we decided to carry them to the Salvation Army Community Center as on the news there had been a segment about
extra need after Hurricane Matthew’s devastation in early October. Now winter was almost upon us. So into boxes went the remaining 25. A gentleman came right out to assist me as Mom stopped the car by the curb. We each held a box, me telling him about my grandmother, her good work, how long she crocheted, etc. It is entirely possible I prattled on some, but the man was kind and simply listened. We emptied the boxes onto a long table, and the man suddenly gazed upon me with wide, soul-filled eyes. “You ain’t keeping nothing your grandma made?” He sounded quite aghast, bordering on appalled. I hastened to reassure him that we were indeed surrounded by her life’s work (91 years worth) in many forms, including a multitude of blankets. When he sighed with relief, I was affirmed we’d made the proper decision. However, something else affected me along with the man’s sincerity. As we’d emptied the boxes, the blankets spilled forth in a sea of color and a burst of pure energy. Like a garden in spring-time, they came to life after a long dormancy. Before me was part of a long-beloved soul, one I suddenly saw for the first time all over again. My grandmother’s love breathed, and her exquisite blankets were prepared to serve. As Mom and I drove away I studied the Salvation Army sign, offering a meal and a message. I knew that wherever my grandmother’s blankets would call home, it was me who’d been saved the most. -Kerri Habben is a writer, photographer, and crochet instructor living in Raleigh, NC. An avid crocheter and knitter, she learned these skills from her grandmother and mother. Many of her yarn creations she donates to those in need. Kerri has gathered a decade of essays she is working to publish. She can be reached at 913jeeves@gmail.com
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The Country Register of Indiana
MADISON - RISING SUN
Fannie Farmer
by Mrs. Kimberly Chaffee
Cooking for the Sick
FABRIC SHOP
220 E. Main St • Madison
812-265-5828 Embroidery Unlimited Custom Embroidery by Ilene
Hurley Adams & Judith Adams - Owners
• Wide Variety of Fabrics & Notions • Quilting Supplies • DMC Floss • Knitting Yarn & Accessories • Sewing Machines- New & Used • Machine Quilted Quilts • Kwik-Sew Patterns • Handmade Quilts
Long before Julia Childs captured the attention of American housewives with her French cuisine in the 1960s another American revolutionized home cooking with her standardization of measurements and practical recipes for the Bostonian housewife. Fannie Farmer, the polio survivor turned student, turned principal, and later author, was well known for her scientific study of food. She reworked old recipes and taught the science behind food at the Boston School of Cooking where she became the principal at 36 years old. Her students were motivated by her fortitude and constant strive toward precision and perfection. Marjorie Mills, the Boston Herald’s longtime food editor, described Fannie Farmer as ‘limping briskly about her platform kitchen, teaching some 200 students. She was a prim girl with vibrant enthusiasm who arrived early at school laden with market supplies and was the last to leave at night.’ “[Farmer] was an extraordinary woman of charming personality, boundless energy and original ideas,’’ read a 1947 article in The Boston Globe, which referred to Farmer as a “New England spinster school ma’am.’ “Her bright blue eyes, red hair and vivacious personality made people overlook her plain face and the pince-nez she always wore,” said Elizabeth Schlesinger. “She was plump and had no interest in dress, but a maid who accompanied her on lecture trips saw that she always looked well. “ She set the example for standard measurement, changing the terms “a pinch of this” or “a teacup of milk”, to implementing measuring tools such as tablespoons, cups, and teaspoons. Her descriptions were written as, “a cupful is a measured level, a teaspoon is a measured level, etc.” These standards earned her the name, “the mother of level measurements.” Fannie Merritt Farmer’s self-published collection of recipes, The 1896 Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, was 600 pages, contained almost 1,500 recipes, and sold for $2. (The title was later changed to The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.) The publishing company did not believe the book would sell but Fannie knew better and she bought the first 3000 copies with her own money. Nicknamed “The Bride’s Bible” the investment proved worthy, selling 21 editions and 360,000 copies during her lifetime. She taught basics of cooking to the regular housewife with the goal of improving the wife’s ability to care for the health of the family. It was her later work, motivated by her own infirmity during childhood, that led to her writing the 1904 book, Food and Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent . She knew that people who were ill would need special foods and diets to help them get well. She taught nurses and hospital dieticians about these special needs and lectured doctors at the Harvard Medical School. Quotes from her book: • With the progress of knowledge the needs of the human body have not been forgotten. During the last decade, much time has been given by scientists to the study of foods, and their dietetic value, and it is a subject which rightfully should demand much consideration from all. • I certainly feel that the time is not far distant when a knowledge of the
principles of diet will be an essential part of one's education. Then mankind will eat to live, be able to do better mental and physical work, and disease will be less frequent. • Progress in civilization has been accompanied by progress in cookery. Fannie’s book covered the science behind food, labeling what we now refer to as proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, starches, and calories. Chapters were devoted to the science behind early childhood growth and development, and the importance of healthy food in a child’s diet. 113 years later we still use these same basic principles with regards to feeding our children foods that aid so importantly to their diet. She spoke about sending a child to school with a meal stating their success as school depended on a healthy breakfast. Fannie made the case for sugar, but warned about the effects of sugar on teeth, and how care must be taken to avoid sugar after the child had brushed their teeth for the evening. Chapters covered digestion, food and health vs. drugs, food for the sick, cooking for the sick, and the importance of water. The chapter regarding alcohol included the science behind different types of alcohol and this warning, “Distilled liquors are responsible for 9/10ths of the evil results of intemperance.” Only doctors and dietitians should administer alcohol during these times. 1.When the pulse is persistently weak. 2.When there is persistent high temperature 3.When there is nervous exhaustion. 4.When there is tremor or low delirium. 5.When the digestive system fails to do its work. 6.When the aged are feeble or exhausted. 7.Cases of shock or accident. She writes about circumstances that may require wine, or brandy, or malt liquor. Measurements are given as to how many ounces so that the patient would not become intoxicated. Tea drinkers would be interested to know that tea leaves are steeped 3 minutes only, because after 5 minutes too much tannin is released. Tannic acid stimulates digestion, but on an empty stomach it acts as a diuretic. “Excessive tea drinkers are apt to become nervous, to suffer from insomnia and mental depression. The habit must be closely guarded, for the habitual, excessive tea drinkers often become a nervous wreck.” The cookbook is an impressive collection of recipes and the science behind each category of food is well documented. Fannie Farmer certainly pioneered the science of food and her research toward helping the sick can be accurately termed as remarkable. If you would like to read more of Food and Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent, I will have a link to the Library of Congress File Number on my website at www.kimberlychaffee.com -Kimberly Chaffee is a freelance writer and business owner. She is married with four children and enjoys raising dairy and milk goats on her small hobby farm. You can reach her with comments at pittsewing@gmail.com
March & April 2017
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CL ARKSVILLE - GEORGETOWN - LANESVILLE CLARKSVILLE Established April 2005
at: Tri County Shrine Club, 701 Potters Lane, Clarksville, IN 47129
We share the love of quilting with all National Quilters’ Day Out guilds by presenting great inspiration with our quilt display, demonstrations and vendors at the 10th annual Sew’N’Tell Quilters’ Day Out. A $5 donation will be accepted at the door. Quilt demonstrations and door prizes continue throughout the day so don’t miss out on one minute of the fun! You need not be present to win one of our door prizes. Vendor’s featuring local and regional quilt shops with fabrics, notions, sewing and embroidery machines, will be on hand. Quilts made by the Sew’N’Tell guild members will be on display. Our guild “Sale Table” will feature books, fabrics, notions and other sewing and craft interests. Concessions will be available. As always, FREE PARKING!
For more information: sewntellquiltguild.com sewntellquiltguild@gmail.com See us on Facebook
Prescription for Adventure
Kids Are Still Kids
I didn’t grow up with a TV, Internet, smart phones or electronic devices. We think kids have changed and can’t entertain themselves without these amenities. Some can’t. Some can. When my father was the Public Health physician at the hospital in Tanana, in Interior Alaska, we lived on the medical compound in a village of 300. There was one playground, no amusement park or museum, and an uneven sidewalk for roller-skating and chalk-drawings between our duplex and the hospital. At one time, the hot water pipes from the hospital that led to our duplex were rerouted. During that time, the scalding hot pipes were elevated 24 to 30 inches above ground. These were perfect for my sister, Ruth, and I to fry mud pies. Sizzle they did! Did Mom worry? She was probably just happy to have two of her four kids playing outdoors. The pipes were to be buried in deep trenches. Some of us gradeschoolers crawled into the moist ditches. We dug roadways along the sandy walls for our small trucks and cars. Then my father took a position at the Browning, Montana hospital. Mom had packed our household goods in 55-gallon heavy cardboard soap barrels. Those barrels entertained us for hours as we climbed inside and rolled down the back yard into a ditch – giggling and shrieking all the way. Within nine months, we moved to Tulare, California. In our backyard was a gigantic tree with a trunk about 6 feet across – and partially hollowed out. That made a delightful playhouse for me. My brother, Mark, and Ruth, found pleasure in the slugs and snails. We all learned about the word “metamorphous” with the tadpoles Mom brought home from Mooney’s Grove and put in a bucket. Bored? Never. A year later, we returned to Alaska, this time to Soldotna. Behind our rented house was a wood-frame greenhouse with torn plastic crackling in the breeze. While Ruth and I made mud pies, Mark attempted to fly from the greenhouse upper trays. Who knew he’d become a bush pilot? Somewhere, we found a long 12-by-2-inch plank and put it across an empty 55-gallon drum of aviation fuel. We rocked and rolled on the homemade teeter-totter, trying to dislodge our sibling at the other end. Always an avid reader, I found western novels a previous renter
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By Naomi Gaede-Penner
had left. I had enough imagination that I didn’t need a screen in front of me to play out the drama. Six months later, we moved to a different house. Upstairs, under the peaked roof, was an apartment. Ruth and I were ecstatic that no one lived there. We moved in with our dolls, cribs and medical gear of cotton, gauze, tongue depressors and tubing. We had a top-notch hospital. In winter, Dad flooded the area behind the house, and we ice-skated to the Sugar Plum Fairy played on our record player. At one point, Mark chucked the hand-me-down white figure skates from his sisters for actual hockey skates. He spent quite some time tumbling into snow banks as he learned to stop. A library was started in a room on the backside of Dad’s clinic. I kept my nose in sequels of Cherry Ames Nurse books, along with exciting biographies of Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale and Louis Pasteur; the words painted pictures in my mind. Decades later, in an era of television, Netflix, video games and iPads, my sixyear-old grandboy comes over. He rides his bike while I walk my dog. He builds a “water park” in my raised-flower-bedturned-sandbox. Egg cartons, yogurt containers and milk jugs disappear from my recycling bin to be transformed into rockets, sandbox cities and forts, or holders for rocks we’ve found on our hike in a canyon. He and his pals are excited as they use their imagination, work together and have fun. We bake cupcakes and sew beanbags. “I love having my boys play with your grandson!” says my neighbor. “He’s so creative and fun!” The day is over. No requests for TV, laptop, or smart phone games. On the way back to his house, we stop at the car wash. He gasps in delight and hangs on tightly as the hose shoots out water full force. He looks like a fireman. “This was the best day in my life!” He exclaims. Mine, too. (By the way, I don’t play Trivial Pursuit. I didn’t watch enough TV.) –Find Naomi’s Prescription for Adventure books, at www.prescriptionforadventure.com or by calling 303.506.6181. Follow her on Facebook (Prescription for Adventure) or read her blogs at blog.prescriptionforadventure.com.
4904 Old Georgetown Road, Georgetown (Edwardsville), IN 47122 I-64 at Exit 118 • (812) 542-1236 Store Hours: Tues - Fri 10 - 5 Saturday 10-3 Closed Sun & Mon
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The Country Register of Indiana
OUT OF ST ATE AD VER TISERS STA ADVER VERTISERS
Building Harmony
by Jeff Cappis
It has been my good fortune over the years to be involved in the occasional community project. This year we wanted to raise funds for a community center/ volunteer fire hall. I got to visit homes up and down the road to raise awareness and garner support. This is a good excuse to catch up with neighbors and I enjoy the visits. One such visit was with and elderly woman named Quinta who lived at the end of the road. She lived alone and for the most part she spent her time sitting on her porch in a rocking chair, making quilts. That’s really all anyone recalls seeing her do. For that reason, she’s became known as Quiltin’ Quinta. We’d all taken turns visiting her on that porch. It was the community’s way of checking on her to make sure she was alright. If the weather was hot, she served
a sour lemonade that would make your mouth pucker for hours. If it was cooler, she would serve a killer coffee that was guaranteed to clear your system out. (Most people headed straight home after two cups). Quinta was a very pleasant woman and I found this particular visit most comfortable. As the afternoon peacefully wandered by, she rocked in her chair and put stitches on yet another quilt by hand while we talked. “My husband and I were the first ones here,” she told me. “We were here before there was even a road. My husband said that living in the city sucked slough water so we moved out here over 60 years ago.” I began asking her about the history of the neighborhood. She smiled at me and said, “Let me show you something.”
A Stitch in time
She got up off the rocking chair and led me to the door. I grabbed my colon clearing coffee and followed her into the house. Amazingly, the entire place was almost all filled with quilts! Some were hanging, some were still to be finished, but most were filed in neat, tall stacks. She told me how they keep her house warm in the winter time. “It’s like living inside a big hug!” “Do you sell these quilts for a living?” I asked. “No.” she replied, “I do this as a hobby”. “How do you get by?” “Oh,” she laughed, ”the good lord provides.” She must have believed it. The largest quilt hanging on her wall had a mural of a large golden cross surrounded by heavenly scenes. It was even illuminated by a shaft of light from one of the living room windows. Now, I’m not a very religious man, but I could almost hear a church choir somewhere. Next to it was a quilt covered with images of fire trucks, and emergency personnel. “That one I made for my husband.” she said. “Was he a fire man?” I asked. “No, that was to remind him never to work on our car again.” She led me to a particular stack of quilts. She started to look through the stack. “Let’s see, here’s one for the flood of ’05... another for our first outhouse... the great moose stampede of ’64... oh, here we go, your
quilt. I make a new quilt for every family that has moved here over the years. It helps me remember all the neighbors. This one is about you. There it was, and it was quite a quilt too. It had a rendering of our house with a pond out front and the forrest surround all of it. It even had a few likenesses of Cathy and I. “We’ve got quite a good community going here.” I mused. “All we need now is a good community center and fire hall,” she mused back. We both looked at each other. “Don’t worry. The good Lord will provide.” About that time the coffee kicked in and I figured I should be heading home. I thanked Quinta for the lovely afternoon. She gave me a hug, and I began the fast quarter mile walk back to my place. Sadly, I never saw her again. She died peacefully in her sleep about a week later. Before she died though, she did one last thing for the neighborhood. She bequeathed all those quilts- and about two and a half million dollars to the community for a hall. We found out later that her husband had made his fortune printing and selling bibles before they moved to the country. Turns out the good lord did provide. We hung her quilts up all around the community hall as a tribute to Quinta and man, that hall is sure warm in the winter time. It’s like being inside a big hug. ©2017 Jeff Cappis
March & April 2017
NEIGHB ORING ST ATE AD VER TISERS & ONLINE AD VER TISERS NEIGHBORING STA ADVER VERTISERS ON-LINE ADVER VERTISERS
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The Country Register of Indiana
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