The Country Register of Indiana Nov-Dec 17 by The Country Register Publications

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The Country Register of Indiana

Editors’ Corner

Shop with our Advertisers this Holiday Season

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 • Nov & Dec 2017 • Vol. 18 No. 4

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.

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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. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.COUNTRYREGISTER.COM

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I know! I find it as hard to believe as you must. Can it be true that it is the Holiday Season already? If you need proof just visit any of the shops advertising in this issue of The Country Register and see the beautiful Holiday displays that only our advertisers can bring you. They have worked for months hand making, shopping for and gathering all the best for the Holidays and you will be amazed at the choices you find this year. Review the list of Holiday Open Houses the shops have scheduled, which are listed on the following page, and mark your calendar accordingly. You won’t want to miss them! Now is the time to “make your list and check it twice” to be sure you don’t miss

that special, one-of-a kind gift you know your loved one will cherish. Our writers have lots of ideas not only for making your Holiday Season less stressful but also for recipes and gift ideas that might simplify your planning and gift giving. When you visit the shops and events who advertise with us this season please remember to thank them for bringing you The Country Register. It is their ad dollars that keep this publication coming your way every two months.

Let’s Go ShoppingAND THE GRANDKIDS!

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Building Harmony

by Jeff Cappis

My neighbor Renee came over last Christmas with an unusual offer. He wanted to know if I was interested in a free turkey. Now, a free turkey at Christmas isn’t that unusual, in fact, it can make for a nice gift. No, this turkey was different. Renee took me over to his car and we peered through the windows. It was a live turkey. A big live turkey. Live and animated. He was going berserk and tearing up Renee’s upholstery. He pecked at the buttons on the dash. Feathers were flying everywhere inside. The car was rocking and then the bird discovered the horn. “His name is Clyde,” said Renee with a wince. The horn went off again and Renee banged hard on the car. “Give it a rest you bird from hell!” Then he regained his composure. “Clyde likes going for rides. It gets him excited” Yup, Clyde was a full grown living turkey. “What are you doing with a live turkey?” I asked. Renee had never struck me as the livestock type. “Well, it’s a long story,” he replied. Then Clyde locked the doors. “Guess I have time.” As the headlights began flashing on and off, Renee began it tell me the story of Clyde... Mr. Andolini down the road decided that the family was going to have the best turkey of their lives for Christmas later that year. The traditional Christmas dinner with everybody around the table was his favorite time of year and being Italian, he fancied himself a great cook. He started by going to a local turkey farm and bought a chick. Not very old, the chick fit into a small cage and Andolini placed him in the front seat for the ride back to the acreage. The bird chirped and jumped around as he looked out the window. Andolini thought it was cute. The bird loves to ride in cars. He didn’t have any kind of a coop and he was concerned about wild animals, so he decided to raise the turkey in his garage.

It was a two car garage. Kind of free range. Lots of room for a turkey. He was sure that Mrs. Andolini wouldn’t mind and the turkey didn’t look like it would take up much room. It would only be until Christmas. Clyde took to the garage right away. He had his own comfortable bed and lots of feed. He started to grow. Over the following months he ate everything Andolini brought out to him and more. He produced a lot of, uh, fertilizer too. This would get harder to clean up as he got bigger because Clyde also became grossly territorial. At first he would nip at anyone who entered the garage. He got Mrs. Andolini cornered once as he flapped up a storm and made hideous gobbling noises at her. She was really afraid of him. One time she had to go grocery shopping. She quietly entered the garage and gently got into her car. No Clyde, no problem. She figured Clyde must have been sleeping and she was right. Ten minutes later he woke up. In the back seat. Locals reported seeing a car swerving down the road with the lights flashing and feathers flying out the windows. It would take Mrs. Andolini four months before she would drive again. Sometimes he would grab Andolini’s broom as he tried to clean up the scat, other times he would follow Andolini around and nip at his butt. The place began to stink and nobody would go in the garage. They parked the cars outside and still checked the back seat before they got in. Clyde made a racket all night long and kept the Andolinis up. One morning, at the breakfast table, a very frazzled Mrs. Andolini gently explained to Mr. Andolini that if he didn’t go in the garage and kill that bird, no one would get Christmas dinner because Clyde would be full of buckshot! Then she took a breath, sipped her tea, and gave her husband the eye.

A Christmas Turkey

November & December 2017

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Advertiser Index

Events Listing

Shops are listed alphabetically by location.

See shop & show ads for complete details. Cities & Shops

P age # Page

Bedford ........................... 14, 15 Twelve Months of Christmas Timeless Treasures Bloomington ....................... 12 Fancy Works IN Heritage Quilt Show Simply Primitive Brownstown ........................... 5 Scrappy Patches Quilt Shop Crawfordsville ........................ 6 Harvest Inn Interior Decor/Gifts Decatur ................................ 10 the homeplace Edinburgh ........................... 13 Longarm Quilting Ft Wayne .............................. 10 Nature’s Corner Antiques Mall Georgetown ......................... 16 The Quilting Bee Greensburg ............................ 4 Tree City Stitches Greenwood ............................ 7 Back Door Quilts Lewisville ............................. 17 Flatrock Mercantile Liberty ................................. 17 Pohlar Fabrics Madison ............................... 16 Fabric Shop Marion ................................... 8 Quilters Hall of Fame Metamora ............................ 17 Christmas Walk Middlebury .......................... 11 Pumpkinvine Quilting Mooresville ............................ 6 Breezy Manor Farm Muncie ................................... 8 Cotton Candy Quilt Shoppe Nashville .............................. 12 The Story Inn Wishful Thinking

Now Andolini was faced with something he hadn’t given much thought to. He would have to kill Clyde, and he’d never killed anything in his life. If he was going to keep his dream of a fantastic family Christmas dinner, he would have to do something brutal. So he did. He called Renee and offered him a free Christmas turkey. As ornery and mean (and plump) as Clyde had become, Andolini had raised him. To kill a kind of family member like that at Christmas didn’t feel right. Better to let Renee do it. The Andolinis did have a great family Christmas dinner in the end and the store bought turkey was delicious. All is well that ends well and a very Christmas. “So why did you take the turkey?” I asked Renee. “Being French, I fancied myself a great cook.” Then he smiled a little bit. “Problem is, over the last few weeks I’ve gotten to know him. Besides, it’s Christmas.” We had a sentimental pause, then the radio in the car began blaring different radio stations and the trunk popped open. “I’ll eat him in January.”

Cities & Shops

P age # Page

Nineveh ............................... 13 The Farmhouse Cafe Tea Room North Vernon ........................ 5 Sharynn’s Quilt Box Pierceton ............................. 11 Heritage Primitives Show Plainfield ............................... 7 Gilley’s Porhouse Primitives Plymouth ............................. 11 Simply Thymes 2 Richmond ............................ 17 Heartland Antique Shows Rome City ............................ 11 Caroline’s Cottage Cottons Rushville .............................. 20 Elizabeth’s Keepsakes In Stitches St Paul .................................... 4 Olde Barn Primitives Seymour ............................... 19 Primitive Crow Small Town Stitches Shipshewana ........................ 24 Yoder Department Store Spencer ................................ 13 Relics Antiques & More Unraveled Quilt and Fabric Store Wabash .................................. 9 Heaven on Earth Nancy J’s Fabrics Sale A Bration Washington .......................... 21 The Stitching Post

Not Classified by T own Town and Out of State Classified Ads ............................. 22 Out of State ........................ 22, 23 Tour Towns ................................ 21 Web Based ........................... 18, 23

Day

Event

November

Page #

now- 12/2 Responses to Marie Websters Quilts, Marion .......................................... 8 3, 4 17, 18 Christmas Open House - The Homeplace, Decatur ....................... 10 9-11 Home for the Holidays Tour, Various Towns ........................................ 19, 21 10, 11 Seasonal Open House - Harvest Inn Interior Decor, Crawfordsville ........ 6 10, 11 Holiday Open House - Simply Thymes 2, Plymouth .................................. 11 16-18 Christmas Open House - Timeless Treasures, Bedford ............................. 14 17, 18 Christmas Gathering - Flatrock Mercantile, Lewisville ............................... 17 17-19 Christmas Open House - Porhouse Primitives, Plainfield............................ 7 17-19 Holiday Open House - Gilley’s, Plainfield ....................................................... 7 18 Anniversary Celebration - Carolines Cottage, Rome City .......................... 11 18 Heartland Antique Show, Richmond ............................................................. 17 24, 25 Christmas Thyme Open House - Olde Barn Primitives, St Paul ................ 4 24, 25 beginning of Christmas Walk, Metamora ..................................................... 17 24-12/4 Christmas Open House - Breezy Manor Farm, Mooresville ..................... 6 28 Wana Night Out - Yoder, Shipshewana ......................................................... 24

December

Day

Event

1-12 2 26-30 29, 30

“Santa Baby Sale” - Cotton Candy, Muncie .................................................... 8 Primitives & Antique Show, Pierceton ........................................................... 11 Year End Sale - Tree City Stitches, Greensburg ............................................. 4 New Year Eve Sale - Nancy J’s, Wabash .......................................................... 9

Quilting with Barbara Who can resist all the panels on display at quilt shops these days? As the little red hen said, “Not I!” So now I have quite a stack. Seasonal (Christmas), topical (Tree of Life), child-oriented ( Hungry Caterpillar) art (Van Gogh’s Iris) are just a few. They are still as delightful as they were when they were bought, but they’re serving no purpose hidden in a cupboard. True, every so often I take them out to fondle, admire and then re-shelve, but that isn’t really productive. So lately I have been accumulating some ideas for using panels in projects so others can share these treasures. A few panels, of course, can stand alone. All they need is some low-loft batting, a little judicious quilting to emphasize a few features, and a binding. Unfortunately these panels are rare; most benefit from a little work and creativity from their owners. A common treatment is adding a border or two. Most of us can manage that with no problem. Another common treatment is adding one or more pieced borders to the intact panel, but in the past I could never find a border pattern that “fit” the panel, so back it went into the cupboard. After this happened several times, I finally realized that panels need not necessarily be left intact. They could be cut! What a breakthrough! A whole new world opened up! The panel could be made to fit the border, instead of the border fitting the panel. Piano key, flying geese and prairie points borders all lend themselves to this approach. A tulip panel could be framed by a windmill block border; a flower panel could be set off with a trellis border. Endless possibilities. As well as their obvious use for wall hangings or centre medallions for quilts, square or rectangular panels can be incorporated into cushion covers with the addition of low-loft batting, backing and a cushion form. Four square panels combined with a central fabric and setting triangles can make an octagonal table topper. Three or four square panels with

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by Barbara Conquest

or without sashing can be turned into a fast table runner or place mats. Panels of any shape can be slashed vertically and the slashes filled in with contrasting fabric. Remember Ricky Tims’ convergence technique? Scenic panels can act as a background overlaid with a filigree or window frame design in a dark – usually black -- fabric (Susan PurneyMark and Daphne Grieg’s “too-easy applique”). If panels are small, say 3-5 inches square, cut them apart and consider choosing some co-ordinating fabrics to make square-in-a-square, log cabin or courthouse steps blocks using the individual panels as centres. Two advantages here: speed, and the possibility of using up some scraps to surround the small panels. Using medium size (6”- 8”) panels, cut squares the same size as the panels from a co-ordinating fabric, and alternating them with the panel blocks for a fast and easy project makes maximum use of the panel blocks in minimum time. Consider using coping strips to standardize different-sized medium panels. Life is so much easier when all blocks are the same size! Other possible uses for medium panels include pot-holders and trivets. Commercial resources on the topic of panel use are becoming more commonly available. Recently some fabric manufacturers have made patterns to accompany their panels, and several quilting magazines have featured directions for finishing panels. Two books to inspire creativity and help with details are Panel Play (Barbara Becker, www.fourpawsquilting.com) and Learn to Quilt With Panels (Carolyn S.Vagts, Annie’s Quilting). What can you produce, given a beautiful panel, a little time and creativity? Try it and see! –Barbara Conquest writes her column from Blue Sky Quilting in Tofield, AB. © Barbara Conquest.

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The Country Register of Indiana

GREENSBURG - ST PAUL

Olde Barn Primitives

5827 W County Road 700 N St. Paul, IN 47272

www.oldebarnprimitives.com • (765) 525-6249 “Like:” us on Facebook

Regular hours: Fri & Sat 9-3

Handmade Primitives Prim Tart Burners Electric Lights Signs Dolls Stitcheries A Sprinkling of Antiques Lighted Canvas Pictures Gift certificates available Cash or check only. No credit or debit cards

Christmas Thyme Open House th th November 24th & 25th 9-3

“Come in out of the cold to shop in the cozy barn, filled with lots of handmades and such. Get warmed up with spiced cider and homemade cookies while you shop.”

ilt u Q op h S Located on the square in downtown Greensburg Merry Christmas to all! 125 E. Main Street, Greensburg, IN 47240 812.222.0920 www .tcstitches.com www.tcstitches.com

4 County Holiday Shop Hop – Nov 30, Dec 1 & Dec 2 Oh what fun! 3 days, 4 shops! You won’t want to miss out!

Year End Sale – Dec 26 - 30 Batiks • Cott ons • Pr e-cuts • Flannels Cottons Pre-cuts Wide Backing & much mor moree.

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

The Day I Learned the Truth ... By Kerri Habben about Santa Claus When the little things of the world catch up with us, we cease to sense our truest dreams. Therein lies the tragedy of relinquishing our best selves without any real resistance. Which is when Santa Claus, Father Christmas or St. Nicholas becomes a healer of sorts. Absurdly, it is easier to write a letter to an imaginary man in a red suit with elves and flying reindeer than it is to confess that we have lost part of ourselves in the details of our lives. I understand that Santa Claus is a secular part of Christmas. Yet Santa’s story has a universal quality to it. He gives to every child, everywhere. All he asks is if you’ve been a good girl or boy this year. Which means that a sincere heart and kind actions matter most to him. His philosophy brings the Golden Rule to life before our very eyes. Pure joy is an affirming emotion to witness in someone of any age. In a child there is precious and refreshing innocence to it. When someone more immersed in the light and dark of our world retains that particular essence and it shines from within them, it is achingly, enduringly beautiful. It doesn’t necessarily mean that life was always kind to them; instead the exact opposite could be true. It simply means that they found a way to hold onto what many others gradually lose. Perhaps joy becomes an even greater treasure when we’ve experienced or imagined how empty life would be without it. If we can extend our imagination as we did when we were children, in taking that leap of faith we remember how to dream with a youthful spirit. We may also yet find our better selves through giving and sharing with each other. In that essence I offer the following poem, originally published in an anthology entitled "Looking For Santa." I hope that whatever holiday your heart embraces, this poem adds joy to this season and a smile to your face.

To Dance With Santa 'Twas some time before Christmas, late in Oktoberfest to be exact, when as the strains of a waltz swirled, I waited wistful and weary beside a river journeying on its way. Suddenly inside, the song shiftedthe simmering sound of Patsy Cline's Crazy shimmered through the doorway, showering me with its unabridged lament. Who should appear, as I pondered imponderables, but Santa Claus, dressed all in red from head to toe like a true Father Christmas. "Perhaps you would dance with me," offered he, gently and quietly. From around myself, I unwrapped my arms, stepped away from the night and the chill toward the light and Santa himself. I let the water carry my doubt away as accepted Santa's white-gloved hand. As we danced, I remembered how to dream. The next evening I saw Santa once more. He, kindly helping to clean tables, was dressed from head to toe in cap and overalls. And the truthafter all I'd heard speculation over the yearswashed over me. Now I knew. Even Santa has to take his suit to the cleaners every once in awhile. –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. She donates many of her yarn creations to those in need. Kerri has gathered a decade of essays she is working to publish. She can be reached at 913jeeves@gmail.com.

The Knitting Savant

By Andrea Springer

Inheritance

Sometimes life drops a happy coincidence in your lap. One of my favorite recent coincidences was running into the daughter of a former coworker at a volunteer event. She was a young thing when I worked with her mother, and it’s been a delight to get to know her as an adult. Her mother has passed on a few years ago, but my friend remembers her in small ways every day. Earlier this year she asked if I could help go through her mother’s knitting bag and then, teach her how to knit. My response? “Absolutely.” Many of us have had the good fortune (or misfortune, depending on your perspective) of being the recipient of someone else’s “stash”. Sometimes it’s the knitting bag with yarn, tools, a pattern or two and maybe an unfinished object (UFO), and sometimes it’s boxes of yarn, books, needles and magazines – all curated by a crafter with a vision. It’s fun looking through vintage patterns and notions, oohing and aahing over that halffinished baby sweater, but then what? Here are a few things to consider: Yarn – Check yarns that you know are older than a decade. Acrylics may be perfectly fine to knit with, but natural fibers tend to degrade over time. The easiest way to test is to pull a length off of the skein and see if it pulls apart easily. If so, it’s past its prime. Sometimes the outside of the skein is weak but the inside yarn “hangs together” like it’s supposed to and can be used in projects. The

deteriorating yarn can sometimes be used in a needle felting project, but sometimes, it just needs to be tossed. You may find partial skeins – some with labels and some without. If you have the label, you can weigh the partial skein on a kitchen scale and calculate the remaining yardage based on the total yardage and o u n c e s provided. If you don’t have the label, you’ll need to determine the type of yarn it is (DK, worsted, bulky, etc.) based on the “wraps per inch” or “wpi”. Grab a ruler and the mystery yarn and count the number of times you can wrap it over one inch. You can find a handy reference chart for “wraps per inch” conversions at ravelry.com. Needles – While needles and notions are fairly standard over generations, not all needles over the years were marked with sizes. Use your trusty needle gauge to check sizes. My friend found some yarn and a pair of needles in her mother’s bag and has started her knitting journey. Over the last year, she’s moved from making practice swatches to knitting fingerless gloves and has new projects on the horizon. It’s been a lovely way to use the creative tools she inherited and lets us both remember the special person her mother was. –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 with her at andrea@knittingsavant.com or follow Knitting Savant on Facebook and Twitter.

November & December 2017

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BROWNSTOWN - NORTH VERNON November: Flannel 25 % OFF!

Sharynn’s Quilt Box EST EST.. 1994

December: Last Minute Christmas Items and Fabric

812-346-4731 • sharynn@frontier.com Shop online at: www.sharynns.com 890 South State St (PO Box 1041), North Vernon, IN 47265

(or just for your own stash)

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2000+ Bolts of 1st Quality 100% Cotton FFaabric Kits • Books • PPaatter ns • Notions tterns Bloc Blockk of the Month • Classes and Clubs Kno wledg ea friendlyy staf stafff. Knowledg wledgea eabble and friendl tif ica tes Gift Cer tifica icates Certif Authorized Dealer

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Hours: Tues-F ri 10-5; ues-Fri Sat 10-3 S ales R ep for: Rep

408 W. Spring St., Brownstown, IN 47220 812-358-1734 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 9-12

Now you can shop online with us at:

www.scrappypatchesquiltshop.com

Short Stories by a Mystery Book Author Here We Come a’Pinteresting! by Cathy Elliott

Holly – Well Known Christmas Symbol

by Jo Branham

American holly is known by many different names: white holly, prickly holly, Evergreen holly, Yule holly, and Christmas holly. It is native to the US and can be found along the East coast from Virginia to Florida, and from Massachusetts to Maryland. It’s also found in Eastern Texas and in parts of Missouri. Hollies are usually considered shrubs but they can actually grow to tree like proportions, from 25 feet to 60 feet tall. They are dioecious, meaning some plants are male and others are female. To have flowers and berries on your holly, you need to have both a male and a female holly bush in relatively close proximity to each other. Honey bees love the nectar from their tiny flowers. Holly blue butterflies lay their eggs at the base of the bush’s flower buds each year. Birds eat the berries and shelter in its branches. The white wood

of the trunk is used to make furniture and woodworking. One of the most well known symbols of Christmas is holly leaves and berries. You’ll find them pictured on Christmas cards, tablecloths, even clothing. Their association with Christmas came about because of their evergreen trait and the beautiful red berries which are in evidence at Christmas time. In ancient times, they were used to decorate churches and homes. In the cold dark days of winter, the bright green leaves and shiny red berries brought a festive note into people’s lives. There is a legend that says the prickly leaves represent the crown of thorns place on Jesus head. The red berries symbolize the drops of blood he shed as he hung on the cross for you and me. How appropriate that this plant has become a symbol of Christmas.

Favorite Recipes – Cathy Elliott Grandma Evelyn’s Beef Burger Soup Not just for Holidays – this heardy soup is great anytime!

Ingredients: 1 lb ground chuck or hamburger ¼ tsp marjoram ¼ cup chopped onion (1 small) 3 cups tomato juice (or 2 small cans ¼ tsp pepper tomato soup) ½ tsp salt 1 cup water 1 Tbsp sugar 2 cans cream of celery soup 3 Tbsp butter 2 cups grated carrots Brown meat & onions. Add all ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour before serving.

We all have our treasured Christmas traditions. In my world, many of those traditions have changed and are still changing. Fast. For instance, our family used to gather right after Thanksgiving, cram ourselves into a couple vehicles, & head for the mountains. With boots crunching the hard packed snow, we spent chilly hours choosing the perfect tree for each household, roping them to the tops of the SUVs. Then, with our breaths icy puffs, we waited while my mom poured steaming hot chocolate from an oversized thermos, passing us each a mug to warm our hands & our tummies. Back home at the folk’s, Mother warmed up a big pot of Beef Burger Soup, which we downed with grilled cheese sandwiches. A nice change from the turkey overload. Then, time for the tree trimming to begin. With carols on the stereo, we helped the folks start their decorating. Stringing lights & hanging our favorite family ornaments, we made very merry. Then, one by one, departed home to dress up our own trees. Eventually, the tree-cutting custom became too much for my aging parents. A storebought, fake tree did the honors for the next seasons. A tradition lost. And missed. Ah…nostalgia knocks. Fast-forward a number of years. Our parents passed away & we feel their absence. Yet, we still keep Christmas – just much differently now. My daughter is married with a family of her own. It’s delicious to have little ones excited about decorating the tree. Or maybe more

accurately, “…excited about pulling ornaments off the tree.” Gift cards for iTunes, Blue Ray DVDs, & the latest technological gadgets have replaced the shirt & tie as popular presents. It really is a new day. There have been changes for me, too. Five years back, I finally dumped my dial-up for wireless. Got an iPhone. (About time I joined the twentyfirst century.) Then decided to decorate my Pinterest page for the holidays. It took valuable time away from the vacuuming, true, but I managed to find a Christmasy cover for each of my Pinterest boards. It was such fun – almost as if I was stringing sparkly lights on the tree. Too much? Probably. Overkill is my middle name. (Shh. Don’t tell anyone!) Take a look at my Pinterest Site at: http:// pinterest.com/ cathyelliott10/ to judge for yourself. While you’re there, check out my “Christmas Crafts” & “Christmas Quilts” boards. Also, “Christmas Decor” & “Christmas Recipes.” They are filled with great ideas for making your holiday even more festive! I think I like Pinterest a bit more than I should. And I love Christmas! Combining the two is a given. Maybe I’ve just started a new tradition. –Cathy Elliott is a full-time writer living in northern California whose mysteries reflect her personal interests of crafting and collecting. She also leads music at church and cherishes time with her grandchildren. In addition to various articles and anthology contributions, Cathy’s written ten children’s books for classroom use. Her plot-twisting works include A Vase of Mistaken Identity, Medals in the Attic, and A Stitch in Crime. Website www.cathyelliottbooks.com

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The Country Register of Indiana

CRAWFORDSVILLE - MOORESVILLE

“Like” us on FACEBOOK: Breezy Manor Farm

Breezy Manor Farm SHOP Wool Shed LOCAL CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE NOV 24 - DEC 4 Handmade Woolen Goodies from my sheep, goats and bunnies.

Har Harvvest Inn

Harvest Inn Interior Decor & Gifts 1521 South Washington Street Crawfordsville, IN 47933 (across from Applebee's on 231 S.)

765-376-5802 • Open at 10am Tues-Sat

Please join our Family for our:

Seasonal Open House November 10th and 11th

Additional Locations • Trader Bakers in Jasper (Booth #911) • Gilleys, Plainfield

• Limited Quantity Seasonal Items • Aspen Mulling Spice • Flavored Teas and Egg Nog • Ponchos, Jewelry & Mona B Bags • Lanterns and Luminera Candles • Exclusive Candleberry Line

We are all about You and Your Home! 5803 E Watson Rd., Mooresville, IN • 317-260-0571 Sun-Wed 12-5 or by appt. Donna Jo Copeland, Farmeress

Join us on Facebook & Website

www.harvestinn.webs.com

Living My Grandma’s Dream by Teresa Isensee Braaten This afternoon as I was watering my farmyard landscape and the nine new Ponderosa Pines we bought for a quarter a piece from the Soil Conservation District this spring, I half-listened to the podcast playing from my phone. I was “half-listening” for a couple of reasons: 1) It was an incredibly gorgeous day in the mid-70s with a light breeze and big puffs of clouds in the bright blue sky; and 2) I could only half hear it, because even with the volume on max, it was playing out of a pocket of the sweatshirt I had tied around my waist. When a young woman started talking about how she was living the dream of her ancestors, I listened more intently. Just last week my parents, who are in their eighties, took my sister and me to tour a cemetery where we have a lot of relatives buried. The hope being that once they are unable, we will put flowers on the graves. As we walked through the cemetery, my mom told stories about nearly everyone in the graveyard (it’s fairly small and located in the town in which she and my dad grew up). My dad laughingly commented after listening to my mom ramble on, that they knew way more people in the graveyard than they do those living in their hometown now. I’m sure that comment struck me as funny, because in fact, it is true. Following the cemetery tour and a stop at a birthday party, we took a meandering trip through town on our way home. We drove past the hardware store that my mom lived above as a young child as well as by the home she lived in once her uncle, who had owned the hardware store, passed away. Once again, memories of her life flooded our conversation. Fueled

by this nostalgia, my dad drove us to a vacant lot where he and my mom owned their first house and still own the farmland next to it. In the many years we’ve spent visiting relatives in that small town, I never once remember hearing about that first home or being shown where their land is that they’ve rented out for more than 60 years. We drove another several miles and ended up at the now abandoned farmstead owned by my grandparents in the 1940-60s, before they moved into town and the only home I remember. This was when my dad took over the conversation. He showed us the window he put in as a young boy in the now dilapidated and barely standing barn to make his job of feeding the animals easier, as well as the never-ending feeder he made for the chickens by connecting the coop directly to a grain bin. We looked at the well, a good 150’ from the house, which supplied all water for cooking, drinking, laundry and bathing. My dad told us about how they’d hang a basket full of food items down the well to keep them cold, since they didn’t have an electric refrigerator. He talked about cutting ice in the winter and storing it under hay in attempt to have it for as long as possible in the warmer months. As I lay in bed that night reliving the afternoon’s stories, I envisioned my grandma and the six children, one sister, and two grandchildren she raised. I imagined how physically challenging her life would have been out on that farm. She was churning her own butter, collecting the eggs, milking the cows, and reading to her children by candellight. There were no trips to Costco, no KitchenAid mixer, no washing machine

Wanted: Budding Writer Interested in Seeing Your Articles Published The Country Register is in search of articles to publish in future issues. Articles on topics related to usual, seasonally appropriate content of our publication, seasonal subjects and/or the types of products sold by our advertisers are of interest. Articles about your shopping experiences also welcome. Email samples in MS Word doc to email@countryregisteronline.com.

or even running water or lights to make life easier. As the woman in the podcast said, “I’m living the dream of my ancestors,” though the ancestors to whom she referred were slaves, the dream for a better life prevails. I am living the dream of my ancestors too, or at least of my grandmother. We probably all are for the most part. I feel loved and content as I sit here now at my computer, imagining my grandmother who was always in the kitchen wearing her perfectly pressed dress and apron with her sensible shoes and the pantyhose that made a swishing sound as she moved around the kitchen. Her chubby fingers laying homemade cookies or half pieces of doughnuts around a plate for our afternoon snack. (Yes, half a doughnut. We could have two halves, but never, ever a whole!) The same woman who would hug me goodbye and stand in the driveway waving to me until my little face pressed up against the back of the window of the car, could no longer see her. Today, I feel confident that I am living her dream. I live on a farm that has both running water and electricity. I have a refrigerator (and in fact until a recent power surge, two of them), as well as a

deep freezer. I also have plenty of ice. Even in late fall, I can have ice in my lemonade. Although I don’t have shelves of home-canned goods, I have shelves of fruits and vegetables that I picked up at Costco. And the time I didn’t spend canning, I spent with my family at the lake. Like my grandma, I enjoy sewing, gardening and other crafts. Unlike my grandma, however, I’ve made artisan soap to sell and because it was fun and I’ve sewn quilts and Halloween costumes just because I wanted to. I had a vegetable garden for years, but now just raise flowers because there’s a great strawberry patch and garden produce for sale near our lake in the summer. I am living her dream. My life is good. I need to keep that in perspective. My complaints about never-ending laundry or the distance to the grocery store are irrelevant and self-centered. I’m crossing my fingers that this feeling of gratitude continues to pervade my life – at least through the lake potluck that we are hosting for our beach tonight. In my grandma’s eyes, I live a charmed life, I’m sure. I am living her dream. –Teresa is a mother of three and real-life farm wife from Southern ND. She can be reached at tabraaten@rrt.net.

November & December 2017

Page 7

GREENWOOD - PLAINFIELD 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

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Porhouse Primitives Farmhouse & PPrimitive rimitive Decor

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE NOV 17 - 19 braided rugs & accessories unique wood signs • antiques Black Crow & Warm Glow candles See Me At Gilley's Antique and Decorator Mall one mile West of downtown Plainfield, IN on Historic U.S. 40 Open 7 days 10 - 5 Dealer 503 in 1st aisle in Decorator Mall

Become Inspired - Season of Fall

Decorating, Entertaining and Living in the Early American Style

By Annice Bradley Rockwell

Salvage Style

by Marla Wilson

Photo Display

At first glance, this photo holder may look like it is made from a shutter, but it is not. It is actually the front from an old, school locker door. It works much better than a shutter, because the louvers are a very thin metal, so any clip, clothes pin, or even magnets, work on it. It is also somewhat bendable, light weight and easy to cut. I first cleaned up the metal. I liked the patina with the different colors it had been painted through the years showing. For the base piece I used a panel I had salvaged from an old wood door. I painted “family” at the top of the panel with a coordinating color, and after it dried, I sprayed it with a clear coat. I then cut the metal piece to fit the area I wanted to

cover. As I said, the metal is quite thin and easy to work with. Attach the metal to the base piece with small screws. If painting isn’t your thing, you can purchase initials made from wood or metal. A simple initial at the top would work well.I thought about putting a “W” since our last name is Wilson. I am very pleased with how this turned out.The photos are very simple to change out, so when the grandkids get new pictures, I do not have to mess with frames. –Marla Wilson is the owner of The Rusty Wheel, a gift boutique in Scandia, KS. The shop features her floral designs and repurposed "junk," as well as home decor . Follow The Rusty Wheel on Facebook, or www.therustywheel.vpweb.comor contact her at stumpy1954@hotmail.com

A Time of Anticipation The anticipation of the holiday season is an exciting time for country enthusiasts. With the first cold snaps of the year we can happily begin to plan for the festive season to come. Creating a welcoming space to celebrate the season can include many of our favorite things— early antiques, changes in lighting and elements of nature to provide balance and beauty. At this time of year our decorated homes surround us with a special glow for our festive gatherings with friends and family. When planning to set the stage for splendor, consider a rearrangement of furniture to more easily accommodate larger groups with ease. Then to add texture and color to your vignette you might select woven runners or oriental mats that feature vibrant reds or deep cranberry tones. Using a prominent antique in an unusual way is a fun way to dress your home for the season. For example, an antique sled in early paint can serve as a beautiful riser at the center of a harvest table. Adorned with live greens, berries and candles, it would make a beautiful statement for the season. Early carriers of all sizes can be used not only to decorate, but to hold utensils for a holiday party. Nature’s bounty can round out your Christmas displays and complement early antiques beautifully. Using a tall pineapple surrounded by boxwood and berries on a pewter charger looks wonderful in either a formal setting or a more primitive space.

The use of other fruit, like apples or pears tucked in and among boughs of green add a touch of nature and fill out the beauty of the scene. The Spirit of the Season To get into the spirit of the holiday season, nothing inspires more than the sights, smells and sounds that the country shopper can experience at C h r i s t m a s shopping events. On selected crisp, cold weekends in November and December, many shopowners will have an evening open house event when their decorating talent and enthusiasm for the season is in its full splendor. Redecorated spaces capture the essence of Christmas and the relaxing sound of the harpsichord and scent of balsam make shoppers feel eager and welcomed. Finding that perfect gift for a friend or the ideal accent for your own Christmas display is a true joy in a setting that has been tended with such care, with you, the country shopper in mind. So this holiday season plan to venture out to country shop events. Take in the beauty of the efforts of those who love country as much as you do. Enjoy the feeling of anticipation that this special season naturally brings and share that sense of excitement with those you hold dear. – 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

Page 8

The Country Register of Indiana

MARION - MUNCIE

Madeline’s Musings . . .

by Madeline Lister

Storms with Three Holes

5001 N Wheeling Ave. Muncie, IN 47304 (765) 254-1584 Everything you wanted for Christmas & More!

• Block of the Month Programs • Full Range of the Best Quality Fabrics from Moda, Robert Kaufman, and many more including American Made www.cottoncandyquiltshoppe.com Brand Solids • Classes

Santa Baby S ale Sale Dec. 1st - 12th

• Now thru December 2- Dialogues: Contemporary Responses to Marie Webster Quilts by Studio Art Quilt Associates December 2 we will close for the winter. Thank you for a wonderful year! We will reopen February 27, 2018. The Quilters Hall of Fame is open Tuesday thru Saturday, 10am – 4pm 926 S Washington Street, Marion, IN 46953 (765)664-9333 www.quiltershalloffame.net ~ admin@quiltershalloffame.net

November Familiar and Little Known Holidays by Jo Branham Veteran’s Day and Election Day are two well-known November holidays. But the best known holiday of the month is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving always falls on the third Thursday of the month and is a day to celebrate our family, friends, and the many blessings we’ve received throughout the year. The Friday following Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday and is officially the first day of the Christmas shopping season. (Many of our advertisers celebrate Black Friday with special events and sales.

My favorite food holidays for this month are: Deviled Egg Day on the 2nd; Sandwich Day on the 3rd; the 16th is National Fast Food Day; the 17th is Homemade Bread Day; and French Toast Day is on the 28th. Yummy! There are a few more holidays you could celebrate on the 2nd. One is Plan Your Epitaph Day, which does not sound like fun, but might be a good idea if you’re particular about what’s going to be on your gravestone. Another is Look For Circles Day. What does that even mean? Happy November folks!

It was a sure sign that things were getting colder. All over town, storm windows, stashed away in garages and under porches, were being hauled out. The autumn get-ready-for-winter ritual had begun. “Get them on before the temperature drops,” Daddy would say. No double- or triple-paned thermal windows back then. Oh, no. When it got hot in the summer, you went outside and sat under a tree, and prayed for a little breeze. When it got cold in the winter, you thanked God Dad had put on the storms. And quite a process it was, putting up those windows. Especially if you had an upper story or two, like most of our neighbours. A ladder, that’s what you needed. And somebody at the bottom to hold it steady. Off with the screens, and on with the storms. Up and down, up, and down. Protect and insulate. Keep in the heat. In summer, the evenings usually cooled off. By raising the lower half and dropping the upper half of the window, we were able to coax a wondrous breeze through the house. Each room was refreshed. Window screens kept out the mosquitoes. But there was no such option with glass storm windows. That wood-framed window was fixed. Not that you wanted the howling wind reaching its fingers into your already chilly room, mind you. Nevertheless, a little fresh air to counter the staleness of a closed-up house is rejuvenating to both body and mind, not to mention helps reduce the chance of mildew. So, what to do? Enter, Ventilators. When ordering your windows, you could order with or without ventilators. One-inch diameter holes, three to a set, drilled in the window frame’s bottom sash to allow for air flow. One set or two, price 10 cents per set, as per The Mulliner Catalogue of 1893. “Weep holes,” some called them, as they also allowed for the draining of the water from melted snow accumulation between the normal window and the exterior storm window. Long pointy icicles grew down the side of the house below each hole as the drips “weeped” from inside. A little arm, or flap, covered the holes. It could be pivoted up or down, depending on how much “refreshing” Mother wanted in her house. In the deep of winter, Jack Frost locked us into a frozen world. It was magical. Intricate patterns papered our windows. Across the street could have been a thousand miles away. By scratching at the frost, you would get a blurry idea of whether it was merely foggy, or “blow’n up a gale” outside. But why have only a fuzzy idea of the world beyond? Simply flip up the arm and check out the day! My sister and I called them peep holes. Taking turns, we scooched in close to the holes and drew a long breath of crisp cold air to clear the night’s cobwebs. Then, holding one eye shut, we snooped. There was Mr. MacKenzie, frantically clearing the night’s drift from his

driveway. If he didn’t get a move on, he’d be late for work. From time to time he’d jab his shovel into the snow bank and slap his mittened hands together. While he shovelled, great puffs of vapor rose from his truck. A running engine would mean a warm cab when he pulled away. Cold work, that. Through those peep holes we watched as the long rays of the sun and the morning’s wintry breeze swirled in the icecrusted trees about our house. A million diamonds were set to dancing. Cally and I imagined we were locked high up in an ancient stone fortress, there to languish until Spring would break through and rescue us. At times, “peeping” paid us back something fierce. Those wintry breezes quickly became fierce gales, and found their way into every crevasse only the wind could find. Getting a blast of snow in the eye would bring the arm down with a slam and we’d scurry back under the bedcovers. Before Mom could call up the stairs, “No school today, girls,” we already knew. All day the storm would rage. The winds howled, ice pellets pinged the windows, snow drifts mounded up along the fences. The mercury sat at the bottom of the thermometer. “Weather fit for neither man nor beast”, Grandpa loved to say. It can be most trying for young and old to be cooped up indoors all day, school, or no school. But who cared? We had our very own “snow bank”. Through the long night, snow had been piling up between the inside window and the storm. Though an arm covered the weep holes, nothing completely sealed the openings, so, wisp by tiny wisp, the drift grew, sandwiched betwixt the windowpanes. With great care, Sis and I raised the inner window. Packed white walls of snow, sometimes a foot high, held their place. And we carved away—miniature houses, curving streets, skating ponds. Elfin snowballs whizzed across our room. No boredom back then. Fun was never farther away than a “Why don’t we . . .?” Eventually, the warmth of the house spelled the demise of our snow play. Only then did we close the window, and mop up the drips running down the wallpaper. Today, storm windows with three holes have long ago gone the way of the proverbial Dodo bird. Such a pity. Should you ever find yourself on Star Trek’s Holodeck, ask for a stormy Victorian winter’s day, and do some peeping yourself. Until next time, happy peeping to you . . . Madeline Lister –Madeline Lister is a quilter and writer by heart and by trade. Having retired in 2015 from the quilt shop she founded , Madeline still fills her days creating with fabric and the pen, and traveling alongside her hubby who suffers from an incurable case of wanderlust. Madeline writes from their farm in the peaceful wine region of southern Ontario, Canada. Photo by Steven Campbell. Used with permission from Lost Newfoundland: Reflecting: A window of an abandoned home in Clarke’s Beach, Newfoundland.

November & December 2017

Page 9

WABASH

Heaven on Earth

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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

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In Historic Wabash, Indiana, located on South Wabash St. (State Road 15/13) 1/2 Mi. So. of the Wabash River Store Hours: Mon-Fri 10-5:30; Sat 10-4

Visit us in the Shop or Online L oof for our FACEBOOK page too!

Recipes From Breezy Manor Farm Mom’s Cranberry Salad “Not just for Thanksgiving Day.” Cook ½ pound cranberries in 2 cups of water. When it boils add 1/8 t. baking soda and ½ t. salt. Cook 10 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 small box of raspberry jello. Stirring constantly add half of a small bag of miniature marshmallows. Let cool some then add 1 cup diced apples, 1 cup diced celery, ½ cup chopped pecans. Pour into a 9 inch square glass dish and chill in the refrigerator overnight. from: Donna Jo Copeland, who is a farmeress/fiber artist and owner of Breezy Manor Farm

Life on Breezy Manor Farm

by Donna Jo Copeland

Too often we forget to be thankful. In the still dark of a winter night, peace and answers come to those of us who are “of the land”. Orion takes aim at those who would harm us. Cassieopea eases our hearts as she lazes across the sky. Winter nights with their cold crisp air sometimes carry magic in their winds. Downy flakes muffle the cares of everyday life. And long cold winter nights are ripe for reflection. The outside world is full of chaos, hate rampages, love hard to feel. But true farmeresses know a secret. We find peace in the eyes of aged ewes, comfort in their soft baas. We find joy in the antics of lambs. We find contentment in the rhythm of animals and hard farm work. We find the strength and determination to live the life we love. Winter separates the chaff from the grain. The weak give up. Those of us, the grains, stay, embrace critters, farm and cold fingers and toes. Oh yes, we often wonder. But if you look into the soul of a farmeress you will see farm and work, critters and love and the sunshine of our lives. We try to make our corner of the world better. In my 1880s farmhouse I admit to dreading winter—its cold and dark. There is only a woodstove for heat and even after 45 winters here I admit I am still afraid of fire. (I buy lottery tickets

hoping to win enough for a new start with better living conditions for me and the critters—won’t be giving up farm life— but central heat and hot and cold running water would be nice.) I think often of my ancestoresses who spun and wove and knitted in Ireland, Scotland, the mountains and plains here. They learned to live with nature, the seasons. Spinning wool by the fire all winter long. Weaving outside on the porch or in a shed in summer. Making the fabric of their lives. I know it was hard but I feel their love each time I sit at wheel or loom. Thankful their gifts have come to me. Too often we forget to be thankful. Each day is a gift we open every morning. I shall try to open each winter morning gift with a smile on my lips and a thank you in my heart as I head for the barn. For in these humble places magic thrives in each and every season, fed by critters and farmeresses, nurtured by their love and carried in the winds. Blessing to ye all. And now for a family favorite made each winter several times by mom since the 1950s. –Donna Jo Copeland, farmeress of Breezy Manor Farm, Mooresville, IN. Where she farms with sheep and goats and bunnies.

Page 10

The Country Register of Indiana

DECATUR - FT WAYNE

2307 Spy Run Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46805

Stories of a Farm Wife

by Tammy Page

The Farm Table

Each year as we gather and stand around my in-laws table at Thanksgiving, my father-in-law, who yes, sits at the head of the 10 seated (12 if we can squeeze a little one in) asks, “does anyone have anything to say today?” In the past, there have been many announcements, accomplishments on school projects, plays in a winning football game, acceptances into college, marriage proposals, baby revealing, and sometimes a sentimental story from papaw or a special poem from my sister-in-law Martha. As we gather around it these days, we are announcing accomplishments of the next generation; our grandchildren. The conversations lean towards pee-wee baseball home runs, losing front teeth, starting elementary and junior high school and 4-H banners. Most times we get off subject and tell a funny story about one of us. Believe me, there have been many of these to tell! There seems to always be a remark from someone of “love you” or “glad everyone made it here safely”. You see, not only does my in-laws dining room fit a long 10- person table in it, there’s also another table set up to accommodate 10 more people. Most holidays, both tables are full so there is a lot of chatter going on and some “shushing” to get the little ones to quiet down for the prayer. As we stand in front of our places at the table where most of us have stood for many years and after papaws announcements, it’s a race to get

in line to the kitchen where all the many dishes of food have been prepared or brought in. The conversations continue while the line slowly moves through the main course, the sides, the salads and you can’t forget…the deserts! As we catch up while in line some teasing might even be heard about “what’s the hold up?” or “save a deviled egg for me”. These gatherings of the Page family on the farm where my husband, sisterin-law and brotherin-law have grown up have become so very special. It’s just expected that each holiday we will mark our calendars and gather again at the farm table at mamaw and papaws house. This sense of togetherness is something I hold dear to my heart. When any of us has to miss one of our celebrations, they are greatly missed! As the holiday is fast approaching we will again be gathering at the farm. The women will be sharing recipes, new and old. Some of our favorites and old standbys are mamaw’s mac and cheese, Martha’s sinful potatoes, Amanda’s homemade caramel corn and Angie’s pumpkin cake. There’s also the must haves from my grandchildren that I have to bring…deviled eggs, baked beans and baked corn casserole. Now you may think that all we do at these gatherings is eat but you are wrong. We also review old stories since we last met, tell new stories, share photos, and talk local news while staying clear of political issues because that can sometimes get heated. And, not surprisingly some of the men end up on

a couch or recliner and take a short nap. If the weather is nice we end up outside with a glass of tea where we soak up some late fall sunshine before the winter months keep us indoors and close to the fireplace. As I write this and remenise about these special moments, my heart is full of love and admiration for my family for caring enough to keep up this tradition of gathering around the farm table alive. –Tammy lives on a working farm with her family .

Farm Recipes from Tammy Page Sinful Potatoes

One of Martha’s Favorite Recipes

1 large bag of shredded hash browns 3/4 cup sour cream (can use "light" if you'd like to save a few calories-haha) 1/2 block of Velveeta cut into cubes (can add 1 cup of shredded cheddar for a tangier taste) 1 can cream of chicken soup 3/4 cup milk salt and pepper to taste Mix all together and put into a greased 9x13 greased pan. Top with two sleeves of crushed Ritz type crackers Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 min. or until top is browned.

Farm Recipes from Tammy Page Baked Beans

This is usually a throw together recipe so feel free to add more or less.

3-4 cans of pork and beans 1 (heaping if you like onions) tablespoon of dried minced onions 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons of hickory (if you like a smokey flavor) or honey bbq sauce Mix all together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Pour more bbq sauce over the top before baking. Bake for 40 min. at 375. Let sit for a few min. to set up before serving.

November & December 2017

Page 11

MIDDLEBURY - PIERCETON - PLYMOUTH - ROME CITY

Simply Thymes 2 YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR GIFTING AND HOME SPECIALTY NEEDS!

100 W Garro St, Plymouth, IN • 574.935.6688 Shop Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm and Saturday 9am-4pm

Plymouth’s unique gift shop, specializing in quality gift and home décor items: Home décor, Kitchen items, Mancave, Lodge, Lake, Farm, Wedding décor, wine decor, specialty clothing www.simplythymes2.com • www.facebook.com/simplythymes2

Holiday Open House – November 10th & 11th More details on our Charity partner, door prizes, and discounts on our facebook page!

All roads lead to R ome... City Rome... City,, Home of:

Caroline’s Cottage Cottons

Visit our 1870’s cotta ge, wh ere ea ch room hhas as a different focu cottage, where each focus.s. You will find Civil W ar War ar,, 20’s, 30’s, Batiks, Homespuns, Contemporary ool for PPenny enny RRugs. ugs. Contemporary,, and lots of W Wool

December is Sign Up Month for 2018 Block of the Month •Books •P atterns •Notions •Patterns

10th Anniversary Cel ebration Celebration

195 W eston Street, R ome City Weston Rome City,, IN 46784 260-854-3900 • M, TT,, TH , F 9-5, W 9-6; Sat 9-2 TH,

www .CarolinesCottageCottons.com www.CarolinesCottageCottons.com

Stop in for ssom om omee 10th A nniversary Anniversary Cake on Sat., Nov. 18th, 9-2 Thank you for letting us serve you and share the love of quilting!

Toilet Paper Pumpkins Jack-O-Lanterns by Tammy Hempstead Materials Needed: • Full rolls of toilet paper (one for each pumpkin you wish to make). However, you can use partial rolls to create skinnier pumpkins. • Empty toilet paper tubes (cut in half) to use as stems for your pumpkins • Scissors • Scraps of cotton fabric (I used fat quarter scraps.) Approximately ¼ of a yard for each pumpkin • Black cardstock or other black paper to cut into Jack-O-Lantern facial features • Double-sided tape or Scotch tape Directions: Make initial cuts along one edge of the fabric of your choosing. Each cut should be approximately 2 to 2 ½ inches apart and about an inch deep. Once that is completed pull each side of the fabric of each cut apart from each other to create torn strips of your fabric. Remove any excess dangling threads and you are ready to create your pumpkin. Using one strip at a time, insert approximately 2 inches of the first strip into the center of your toilet paper roll with the remainder of the strip on the outside of the roll. Bring the bottom half of the strip up through the center of the roll and overlap ½ of the first insert to hold it in place. Continue with this process strip after strip, continuously overlapping until you have completely covered the roll of toilet paper with strips

of fabric. Set your covered rolls aside and next make your stems. Stems are made by cutting the empty toilet paper tubes in half and creating two smaller tubes. Both smaller tubes then get cut in half by length which will allow you to roll them out into two curvy rectangles. Each rectangle is then places on a rectangular piece of fabric that is precut to be approximately 1 inch larger on each edge of the cardboard rectangles you’ve created. You will place each cardboard rectangle on its’ own piece of fabric (good side of fabric facing down) and fold the fabric edges that border the cardboard around the cardboard and roll the cardboard up (now fabric covered) into a coil that will fit inside the center of your fabric covered toilet paper pumpkin. Each pumpkin gets its’ own fabric covered stem inserted into its’ middle which will hold the wrapped fabric in place. If you wish to make your pumpkin a Jack-O-Lantern just cut out eyes, noses, mouths, etc. and attach using double sided or rolled Scotch tape. You can remove these features and use you pumpkins all through Thanksgiving. Enjoy! –© Accent Floral and Galleria. Tammy Hempstead is the owner of Accent Floral and Galleria in Columbus, NE. To see a how-to video of this activity, visit: accentfloralandgalleria.com or watch this same video on our YouTube channel

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Page 12

The Country Register of Indiana

BLOOMINGTON - NASHVILLE Established 2001

Simply P rimitiv Primitiv rimitivee Home of Hilltop Candles O ur uun nique ssh hop ffeeatures... â&#x20AC;˘ a vvaa r iet ade, ietyy of hhaa ndm ndmade, rs o ne locc a l vvee ndo ndors of-aa -k i nd it itee m s bbyy lo ne-- ofles H â&#x20AC;˘H il Hil illl t o p C Caa nd ndles Haa nd nd--p ou ourr e d O Onn -sit -sitee â&#x20AC;˘H ade & A ue FFuur n it Haa ndm ndmade Ann tiq ique ituu r e â&#x20AC;˘H ade JJee w elr Haa ndm ndmade elryy â&#x20AC;˘O Ouu t side & IInn side H Hoo me D Dee c o r â&#x20AC;˘A nd M Arr t w o r k aand Moo re 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

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into my grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen. The floor was black and white checkered, the refrigerator was a one door, shorter style with a small icebox inside and the white sink was made of metal and cast iron. The dĂŠcor in the kitchen was simple and practical. A metal breadbox was positioned on top of the refrigerator and an old Maxwell House coffee tin sat on a shelf above the old stove. Next to the kitchen, our cottage had a bathroom with a beautiful claw-foot tub and pedestal sinks. Old pictures of floral scenery hung on the walls. We then each chose our beds where pretty quilts adorn the pillowtop mattresses. After snacking on some cheese, crackers and party mix we had brought from home and chatting for a couple of hours about our purchases from shopping in Nashville that day, we decided to go across the street for dinner. We all agreed that we would like to order from the bar menu and are directed to the cellar bar area. This part of the Inn is very rustic and true to itsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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Around 12 miles south of Nashville and through some beautiful countryside, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find the historic town of Story, Indiana and The Story Inn, Driving up and down hills and around corners and curves it feels as if my friends, Rita and Deb and I are in the Great Smokey Mountains. The Inn was decorated out front with colorful mums and felt welcoming with benches and tables on the porch and patio. The interior is tastefully decorated with 1851 (the year Story, Indiana was established) memorabilia and stained-glass windows. The dark wood gave the reception area a feel of warmth. 1851 souvenirs, jams and jellies and Story Inn aprons for sale are displayed on shelving along the wall. The reception staff was friendly and registration went without a hitch. Our cottage (Wheeler Back) was straight across the street, the first of several gingerbread style cottages on the property. As we unlocked the door, it was as if I had just stepped back in time

by Tammy Page

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Bloomington Monroe County Convention Center Bloomington, Indiana

Fall Visit to Story Inn

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27TH ANNUAL INDIANA HERITAGE QUILT SHOW

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

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originality. There we enjoyed the pork bbq sandwich and burgers with bacon jam. Each sandwich was plated with a huge order of homemade french fries. We all agreed the orders were large enough that if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not very hungry, you could share with a friend and be satisfied. The cellar was busy with a beer event and

locals so the long wait for food and drink gave us plenty of time to catch up. After filling our stomachs; too much even for the bread pudding with caramel sauce that we all wanted but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t order, we headed back leisurely to our cottage to settle in

Continued on page 16

November & December 2017

Page 13

EDINBURGH - NINEVEH - SPENCER

Relics – Antiques and More

(Please call for winter hours.)

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 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

www.UnraveledQuiltStore.com unraveledquilts@gmail.com

unraveled quilts

LONGARM QUILTING Edge to Edge quilting on hand driven longarm FAST turnaround! Prices starting at $0.015 per sq inch

located in: Edinburgh, IN 317-985-0423 oldfarmhousequilts@gmail.com Like us on:

by Paula Spalding Old Farmhouse Quilts

On a recent “girls weekend” to Brown County and The Story Inn, my friends and I had started on our “no rush, no rules, no worries” trip. After a hearty breakfast to get us through the day of shopping we headed south to Owen County. As we entered Spencer, the county seat in Owen County, we started noticing craft booths and yard sales along the road. We later found out that the annual Apple Butter Festival was in progress. We drove by some very cute vintage items in front of a shop…so nice that we turned around and went back. The shop was Relics owned by Laura Cummings. We immediately started “ooing and ahhing" as we got out of the car. Before I even got into the shop, I had picked out two items to buy. One special buy was a "Clark’s Confectioners” cardboard bucket and another was an old 45 record player case. Lucily I was able to add to my evergrowing mixing and ser ving bowl collection with the red beauty on the counter in the top photo. As I stepped into the shop, my first impression was that it was immaculate with booths filled with just the right amount of vintage items, jewelry and furniture. The shop is not overly crowded and was easy to maneuver throughout. The friendly saleslady, Rita was inviting and warm. As we continued to look around the booths, the owner, Laura came to greet us. I explained that I write for The Country Register and would love for her to read our newest issue and possibly advertise. Laura stated that she loved the

by Tammy Page

publications’ stories, articles and especially the recipes. And, we discovered that Laura was married to my traveling friends’ cousin. What a small world we live in! After we talked for almost an hour about antiques, glassware, and The Country Register we continued on to our destination. We had to chuckle to ourselves because after being on the road for 3 hours, we were only one county south of where we started. We continued to talk about how nice the shop was and the variety it offered. We were all please with our buys and vowed to stop in again soon. I later called Laura to ask why she named her shop Relics. Laura stated that she once read a sign with many words on it describing antiques. One of those words was “relics”. She said it stuck with her because all relics have a past, “just like me.” Laura herself likes to collect old lipstick cases, red glassware and “stuff ”. Laura opened her shop this past April at 377 Fletcher Avenue in Spencer, Indiana. Her hours are Tuesday –Friday, 10a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Sundays by chance. She can be reached at 812-829-7354. I know you’ll enjoy this quaint little shop just as my friends and I did. Be sure to stop in and check out Laura’s new items and seasonal gifts. You will surely find some “stuff ” to buy. –Tammy Page writes from the family farm in IN. She enjoys collecting and time with family.

Page 14

The Country Register of Indiana

BEDFORD

Free Pattern

Timeless Treasures CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS

Find more free patterns at: JacquelynneSteves.com

Country, Primitive and Farmhouse decor and Gift Shop!

Christmas Open House • Nov. 16 - 18, 10-5 refreshments • door prizes • in-store specials • free gift with purchase

Handcr afted, painted and distr essed fur nitur Handcrafted, distressed furnitur nituree tha thatt is all designed and bbuilt uilt bbyy us – Custom or der elcome! order derss w welcome!

• Friendship Upholstery – Made in U.S.A - wing back chairs, recliners, sofas, and rockers and more with 100’s + of fabric choices • Old Village Paints • Candles by: Crossroads, Candleberry, and 1803 • Framed prints & wall decor • Berry picks, candle rings, garlands, cotton stems • Windmills, rusty signs and letters – exclusive for us! • Victorian Heart and Park Design textiles • Lamps and shades • Braided area rugs • Car Star air fresheners like & follow us on Facebook at: becks’ timeless treasures for current event updates, new products & pictures

1749 US Hwy 50 East, Bedford IN 47421 (812) 276-2074 • Fall/Winter Hrs: Mon.-Fri. 11am-5pm; Sat. 11am-4pm or home decor nitur or eas! decor,, gifts and fur furnitur nituree in Bedf Bedfor ordd and sur surrrounding ar areas! Voted #1 ffor

Beck’s Timeless Treasures

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. Commer cial use is Commercial strictl ohibited. strictlyy pr prohibited.

by Jo Branham

Plans 20th Annual Christmas Open House Register to Win A Piece of Handcrafted Furniture The holiday season is upon us once again and Beck’s Timeless Treasures is having a Christmas Open House. This is her 20th year to do this and she is just as excited now as she was when she started. Beck describes the shop as Country, primitive, farmhouse, fixer upper style, home decor and more. You’ll find windmills, cotton stems, floral picks, wreaths, garlands, galvanized items, clocks, textiles, pictures, rusty letters, braided rugs and much more. They carry two lines of upholstered furniture: Friendship and Country Manor. A wide selection of candles is available from Candleberry,

1803, and Cross-roads candles. There are Christmas trees, ornaments, snowmen, and a table full of arrangements put together by Beck for your gift shopping (and gift giving) convenience. New this year is a line of primitive snowmen and Santas handcrafted exclusively for Timeless

Treasures by a lady here in the USA. And we can’t forget the handmade, painted and distressed furniture, including barnwood by Becks husband Steve. A

selection of signs, cabinets, harvest tables, hutches, and many other unique items are available in the shop. Custom orders are also welcomed. Just bring in a picture of what you would like or just explain the design idea with measure-ments. Steve paints his handiwork with Old Village Paint which they sell in the store. You can register to win your own piece of furniture, handcrafted by Steve, in Timeless Treasures' November Giveaway. (See details in store or find details on facebook on November 1st.) Follow Beck's on Facebook at facebook.com/ beckstimelesstreasures for more information on the Open House and pictures of their new shiplap designs. Mark November 16 – 18 from 10 to 5 all three days (the weekend before Thanksgiving) on your calendar. This is one sale you don’t want to miss!

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!

Santa, Santa who is up so late Please take the cookies from this plate Cranberries - Holiday Tradition by Jo Branham One of my favorite things about the holidays is cranberries. Often called bear berries because bears loved to eat them, cranberries were undoubtedly a part of the first Thanksgiving feast. They grow in boggy areas are native to Massachusetts and New Jersey, as well as Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. The fruit is harvested in the fall, usually from September through the first of November, when the berries turn a bright red color. References to cranberries date as far back as 1550 when it was noted that the Indians ate them and used them for dye in their clothes and cosmetics. Cranberry farming began in the 1800s. Some cranberry bogs are over a hundred years old and still produce fruit every year.

Up until the 1930s, cranberries were usually sold fresh. As the demand for them began to grow, especially around the holidays, manufacturers began to freeze and can them. Cranberry juice soon became popular as well. Cranberries are full of good things like vitamin C and antioxidants. Sailors ate cranberries during long voyages as a source of vitamin C to fight off scurvy. And we have known for a long time that cranberry juice is good for treating (and possibly prohibiting) urinary tract infections. Research is now being done to test the cranberry’s effectiveness in fighting heart disease and cancer. Cranberries aren’t just for the holidays anymore. They’re good for you and delicious year round.

November & December 2017

Page 15

BEDFORD

The Twelve Months of Christmas by Jo Branham

A Magical Experience 3 floors, 13,000 sq ft to explore. We have everything Christmas! Byers’ Choice Carolers • Jim Shore Collections Egyptian Museum Glass • Karen Didion Designs Fontanini • Old World Christmas Ornaments & More!

Come have a look our around our shop! Plan a trip to help us celebrate 16th Season in 2017! www.ChristmasInBedford.com www.facebook.com/TwelveMonthsOfChristmas

915 15th Street, Bedford, IN 47421 • (812) 275-2001 Hours: thru December Mon - Sat 11:00 - 5:00 Closed Sunday

Celebrating their 16th year of business, The Twelve Months of Christmas in Bedford, Indiana had their annual Ribbon Un-tying on Saturday September 30th. Over one hundred people visited the store throughout the day. Owner Pat Hutchinson and her staff were incredibly busy, but that’s exactly how they like it. I asked Pat how she came to open a specialized Christmas shop. She said she and her husband, Randy, were in Las Vegas and she wandered through Jones Christmas Shop. When she told them how much she enjoyed the shop, they told her she needed to visit Atlanta’s Buyers Market. So she did. In Atlanta she went to MeraVic which sells holiday décor and florals of all kinds. As she walked in the door, she was met by Lisa who was carrying a clipboard. Pat told her she was really just looking around and wasn’t sure she would be buying anything. Lisa told her that was fine and that they’d just write down the things Pat was interested in and then Pat could decide what she wanted. Needless to say, Pat signed her name on the dotted line, bought ever ything they’d written down, and The Twelve Months of Christmas was born. At that time, Pat and Randy were building and decorating homes and then selling them. Pat was the decorator. They bought a building in Bedford with an upstairs apartment where they lived in between fixing up houses. The bottom floor was where her grandchildren played, but after her Atlanta trip it became The Twelve Months of Christmas. She originally considered it a hobby, but the response to the shop was so overwhelming she knew she had to keep it going and expand.

Within a year, Pat sold the building they were in and moved to their current location of 915 15th Street, Bedford, Indiana. The building consists of three floors, totaling 13,000 square feet of pure Christmas magic. The staff includes Barb, Sandie, Judy, Sheryl, Susan and Pat’s daughter, Roxi, and, of course, Pat and Randy. You are greeted with a welcoming smile as you walk in the door. Someone is always at the front to greet customers and ask if they can be of assistance. The ladies I met (Roxi and Barb) were very helpful without being pushy. I like that. Too many times you go into shops where people hover over you the whole time you are trying to just look around. You won’t have that problem here. The staff lets you know they are available if you need them. As I wandered around the shop I was delighted with the many different Christmas settings I saw. Some were based on colors, while others were based on certain items associated w i t h Christmas, like snowmen, reindeer, S a n t a s , cardinals, etc. There are vintage-style ornaments; novelty lights (one light set even has eight different settings!); a selection of table top décor, such as Santa’s sleigh or deer; florals; wreaths; garlands; and Christmas trees. There are all different kinds of Christmas trees! You’ll f i n d collectible Christmas items such as Byers’ Carolers, Karen Didion Santas, a variety of Jim Shore items, Fontanini Nativities, Egyptian Museum Glass Ornaments, Old World Christmas Ornaments, nutcrackers by Kurt Adler and Steinbach, and Floridus Elves.

Speaking of elves, the shop is full of them. You can actually adopt an elf this year and you will receive an Elf A d o p t i o n Certificate which can be filled out in Calligraphy by Pat. Who wouldn’t enjoy that? There are two lines of jewelry available in the shop. Lauren Spencer’s Austrian crystal jewelry in Christmas designs (such as snowflakes and snowmen) looks vintage but is actually new and is a big hit with ladies. The other line, Chavez for C h a r i t y bracelets, donates 25% of gross sales to charities. The Twelve Months of Christmas chose to carry the white bracelets in support of their local Lawrence InterFaith Endeavor. Pat was hard pressed to name what she likes best

about owning her store. She loves meeting the customers, shopping at market for new products each season, opening the boxes when they arrive in the store, and the Christmas music, but she guesses her favorite part is decorating the shop with all the new pieces she gets each year. The Twelve Months of Christmas, located on the Bedford Square, is open from October 1st through the end of December each year. Store hours are 11-5 M o n d a y through S a t u r d a y. They are closed on Sundays. Please stop by, enjoy the Magic of Christmas, and let them know you read about the store in The Country Register.

December Familiar and Little Known Holidays

by Jo Branham

The holiday that immediately springs to mind when we think of December is Christmas, of course. Are there any other holidays associated with Christmas this month? Yes, there are surprisingly quite a few: the 4th is Santa’s List Day; the 6th has two Christmas related holidays: St Nicholas Day and Mitten Tree Day; Christmas Card Day is the 9th; Poinsettia Day is the 12th; the 19th is Look For an Evergreen Day; and the 20th is Go Caroling Day. Christmas food days include Roast Chestnuts Day on the 14th; Bake

Cookies Day on the 18th; and National Egg Nog Day on the 24th. December 3rd is the beginning of Advent and the 12th is the beginning of Hanukkah. If you’re a Scrooge, you can celebrate Humbug Day on the 21st, which also happens to be Winter Solstice/the first day of winter. This is one day I’ll probably celebrate because it is also the shortest day of the year, which I do not like. Bah, humbug! Whatever you do or don’t celebrate, I hope you have a blessed holiday season and that your days are merry and bright.

Page 16

The Country Register of Indiana

GEORGETOWN - MADISON

FABRIC SHOP

4904 Old Georgetown Road, Georgetown (Edwardsville), IN 47122 I-64 at Exit 118 • (812) 542-1236

Like Us On

Your full service quilt shop offering a large selection of the finest "Quilt Quality" 100% cotton fabrics from the major quilt fabric manufactures and designers, classes, patterns, notions and more!

Hurley Adams & Judith Adams - Owners

The Quilting Bee Quilt Shop

Ann’s Lovin’ Ewe

812-265-5828

Store Hrs: Tues - Fri 10 - 5, Saturday 10-3, Closed Sun & Mon

220 E. Main St • Madison Embroidery Unlimited Custom Embroidery by Ilene

by Ann Stewart

Presents and Presence “No gifts please. Your presents is all we request.” We knew what the invitation meant but the spelling error made us chuckle at the oxymoron. As a kid, I couldn’t fathom why grownups said, “No presents.” What? That was a part of what made Christmas so fun! The anticipation, the mad scramble of ripping paper, then diving into a box to find hidden treasure. As I grew older, the quantity of presents decreased as their monetary value increased. Still, what became even more significant was time spent with friends and family. Especially after I married and moved to Virginia, reuniting with Seattle friends was my favorite gift. One Christmas when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, we joined together not knowing if his next Christmas would be in heaven. It was. That Christmas no present could compare with the presence of Dad. What I would give for one more Christmas with him. Of course, having two little girls meant we enjoyed watching them tear into gifts and squeal in surprise at their treasures. But later they, too, preferred the presence of family. “Don’t give us gifts this year, it’s present enough to fly to Seattle.” Now that they are both in college, we all look forward to their coming home for the holidays more than anything else. So what do I give my precious friends and relatives? Here are a few simple ideas to make presents the gift of presence. MASON JAR MEMORIES TO MAKE: Two friends gave me a mason jar and as many slips of paper as my age. We wrote one thing we’d like to do together on each slip of paper. That lunch hour was spent creating a bucket list of sorts! COUPON FOR EVENT: Another time, my two daughters gave me a coupon for our trio to get a pedicure. Unfortunately, I broke my toe, one daughter bruised hers, and the other had to have surgery so our salon visit is on hold! Perhaps the idea came from the coupon booklets they would receive at Christmas with twelve seasonal activities

to do over the next year. Now the sisters no longer exchange gifts, but purchase an event they can do together. They value presence more than a gift. This Christmas, their cousins are reuniting in Seattle and instead of exchanging gifts, they are opting for an evening out together. These young adults are going to have a great time making memories together.

• Wide Variety of Fabrics & Notions • Quilting Supplies • DMC Floss • Knitting Yarn & Accessories • Kwik-Sew Patterns • Handmade Quilts • Machine Quilted Quilts • Sewing Machines- New & Used

CALENDAR of MEMORIES: Each Christmas I give my mom a calendar made from pictures taken of her grandchildren and her. It’s not expensive to have these made, but it’s her favorite gift, proudly displayed on her kitchen wall for all to see and for her to brag about. COUPON CARE PACKAGE: When my youngest was still at home, she’d give her collegeaged sister a coupon for care packages to be mailed throughout the year, spreading Christmas cheer all year long. STOCKINGS of CONSUMABLES: My mom, two sisters-in-law, and I sit by the fire on Christmas morning and exchange stockings filled with consumables: soap, chocolate, lotion, lip gloss, and sometimes used items we treasure but know someone else would appreciate more. Spending Christmas morning together sharing little gifts, our lives and love is probably one of my favorite traditions. What do you do at Christmas that shows you appreciate the presence of others? I’d love to hear about it. Respond on www.AnnMarieStewart.com or Facebook: Stars in the Grass –©2017 Ann Marie Stewart, who lives on Skye Moor Farm, in Virginia. Just released is her first novel, Stars in the Grass which can be found on Amazon and bookstores. No reprint. *This September my favorite birthday gift was the announcement that Stars in the Grass is one of three finalists for the Christy Award for First Novel. In November, I fly to Nashville to enjoy the Gala Awards. And if you are looking to purchase a simple Christmas gift, Stars in the Grass makes a great Christmas present.

Fall Visit to Story Inn

by Tammy Page

Girl’s Weekend!

Continued from page 12 for the evening. With our jammies on and our bellies full, we sat and talked for hours before collapsing into bed for slumber. I slept like a baby that night on the pillowtop mattress along with an abundance of fluffy pillows. We woke lazily and relaxed in the living room where the sun was shining in the large windows, taking our time to get dressed for the days events. For breakfast we each ordered something different off the menu. Brunch started at 9 a.m. and lasted until 2 p.m. and we could order off the breakfast or the lunch menu. I ordered the homemade buttermilk biscuits and gravy which turned out to be very tasty and filling. Rita ordered the eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast with a side of bacon

jam. We all fell in love with that jam! Deb ordered the fresh greens, bacon and potato omelet and said that it was scrumptious and the best omelet she’d ever tasted. While the staff was few in number and very busy that morning, we received some extra special service from the sweet receptionist Veronica. She was accommodating in every way and even carried my box of purchases to my car for me. That type of service can’t be bought…it comes from the heart of a true public servant! All in all our overnight stay was relaxing, enjoyable, scenic and scrumptious and I would recommend it for anyone wanting to just get away from the hustle and bustle. Visit www.StoryInn.com to plan your trip to Story Inn.

November & December 2017

Page 17

LEWISVILLE - LIBERTY - METAMORA - RICHMOND

Flatrock Mercanti le Christmas Gathering Nov 17 & 18, 10-4 A variety of handmade one-of-a-kind items by local artists! Handmade and Antique Furniture Seasonal Needfuls Homemade Baked Breads “Purveyors of the Simple Life” Tom and Sue Saunders Flatrock Mercantile, 106 N First (SR 103), Lewisville, IN 765-524-0631 (Located in the workshop behind the house.) Follow us on : www.Facebook.com/FlatrockMercantile Sign up for email updates at: www.FlatrockMercantile.com

Heartland Antique Show

by Show Staff

"A Country Christmas" is the Theme Popular magazines often set the tone for decorating trends. These days those publications are filled with photographs of country antiques mixed with everyday home décor. One exceptional source for those items from the past is the fall edition of the Heartland Antique Show, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 18., at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Richmond, In. The semiannual show is well known for an intriguing mix of late-18th- and early19th-century American country and formal furniture and accessories. Among the most popular items at the show are folk art and Americana. Other objects include fine art, textiles, treen, redware, stoneware, architectural material, ethnic items and holiday decorations. The latter fits in perfectly with this year's theme, "A Country Christmas." "Heartland is well known for the variety and quality of genuine antiques offered," said Jennifer Sabin, who promotes the event. "Some of the nation's top antique dealers sell at Heartland, and they bring an impressive selection of material. It's simply the best." New dealers can say a lot about an antique show. That's certainly the case for Christopher and Bernadette Evans Antiques of Virginia. Specializing in country antiques and folk art, the couple will offer a selection of items strong in original paint and great form. From cupboards to weather vanes to hooked

rugs, they carry a traditional line of antiques defined by condition and rarity. That's the case for all of Heartland's 85 dealers. Representing 15 states, they carry top-notch antiques in a variety of prices, making the show just as enticing for beginning buyers as it is for advanced collectors. "One great thing about Heartland is that the dealers have done this for a long time and know what buyers want," added Sabin. "This is a show that's refined to the tastes of Americana and country collectors. Shoppers find what they're looking for, which is why they come back year after year." As a way of thanking customers for their patronage, Heartland will conduct a drawing for two $200 vouchers good for merchandise from any dealer at the show. Hours for the show are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Wayne County Fairgrounds are located at 861 Salisbury Road, on the western edge of Richmond. For more information, please visit our website www.HeartlandAntiqueShow.com or contact show manager Jennifer Sabin at (843) 812-0282 or by email at sabinmgmt@hotmail.com. –Photographs: Top: Offered at a recent show was this selection of furniture, bowls and pantry boxes in original paint. Bottom: Offered at last November's show were this platform hobbyhorse and two rugs with bold, geometric patterns.

Christmas Walk

4 Weekends Beginning Thanksgiving Friday Friday & Saturday – Open Until 10pm

www .metamor aindiana.com www.metamor .metamoraindiana.com

Merry Christmas to you and yours from The Country Register Advertisers

Page 18

The Country Register of Indiana

WEB BASED

Life In Skunk Hollow

by Julie A. Druck

On Earth Peace, Good Will Toward Men I love living nativity scenes. Every year, the church down the road sets up a “drive-thru” nativity about two weeks before Christmas. People of all ages participate, and there is an array of animals on loan from various farms. The scenes are well lit, and the background music is at just the right volume. The well-dressed characters are stock-still (not even shivering in the cold) and dozens of luminaries are lined up to guide the way from Mary and Joseph at the census office to the Wise Men coming from afar. These people KNOW how to do a live nativity. And then there was the other one. One cold night close to Christmas we were on our way home from a gathering and came across a live nativity at a little church in an area through which we don’t frequently travel. Excited, I convinced my husband to pull in. Surprisingly, the first scene was of the Wise Men (usually they’re reserved for the end). The Magi were portrayed by three chubby, middle-aged men arrayed in bright, gaudy robes and turbans. They were enthusiastically waving a hearty “Hello!” to every car that came through. As they were grinning earto-ear and totally enjoying their “job,” you couldn’t help but smile and wave back. Next up was Mary & Joseph, who appeared to be played by a pre-teen girl

and boy. Mary was taking her job very seriously with a serene look settled on her face, standing still as a statue. But her pregnancy “bump” (aka, a pillow) was more in the area of her chest than her belly, which elicited a giggle from me and a chuckle from my husband. Her “betrothed” was imbibing a donut with one hand and holding onto a pony with the other. The third scene was to be where the shepherds are abiding in the fields and are overcome with awe at the appearance of the angels. However, this scene looked a little different. The teenage angels were huddled together giggling in a group, excitedly sharing some piece of news while the shepherds were squatting around a campfire playing with the flames. Their goats (I guess they couldn’t get sheep) were wandering around unsupervised. And just for good measure, the last scene was of . . . a turkey in a crate. A turkey in crate? I still haven’t figured out where that scene comes from. The two of us drove out of that church driveway chuckling. The nativity that we had come across that night wasn’t terribly authentic, but it sure was quirky and we couldn’t help but love it. And come to think of it, maybe that quirky nativity really IS more authentic than the first nativity scene I described. For it was

Poinsettias

by Jo Branham

What do we know about poinsettias beside the fact that they are often associated with Christmas? Poinsettias are not native to the United States. They originally came from Southern Mexico and were brought to the US in 1825 by Joel Roberts Poinsett (hence the name “poinsettia”), the first US ambassador to Mexico. He thought the flowers were beautiful so he brought some home to the greenhouses on his plantation in South Carolina. He often gave them as gifts and sent them to botanical gardens. A German immigrant, Albert Ecke, came to Los Angeles, California in 1900. His dream was to run a dairy and have an orchard. He saw the plants and was intrigued by them. He began to grow them and sold them as cut flowers from his street stands. Original poinsettias are straggly and weedy looking and made good cut flowers. However, Ecke’s son, Paul, developed a grafting technique, which gave their plants a fuller, bushier look. From 1923 through 1991, the Ecke’s monopolized poinsettia sales in the United States. In 1991, a university researcher discovered the grafting technique and published it, allowing other horticulturists, nurseries and gardeners to begin using the method to produce a better quality of plant. Why do we associate poinsettias with Christmas? Paul Ecke would send free plants to television stations for display on air throughout the holiday season, from Thanksgiving through Christmas. He also appeared on television shows such as The Tonight Show and Bob Hope’s Christmas Specials to promote the plant. It was very smart advertising since his company was the only one selling poinsettias at the time. Poinsettias now come in a variety of colors and are readily available throughout the holiday season. Brighten your holiday with a poinsettia.

made up of a bunch of ragamuffins who were out on a cold winter’s night, trying to get by in life when God suddenly comes into their presence. Nothing was rehearsed, and nothing was “as it should be.” Everyone was out of place, yet everybody was exactly where they needed to be on that night long ago.

And you know what? I think that God got as much joy out of that donut-eating Joseph, ill-placed baby bump, and turkey in a crate as I did –Julie Druck is from York, Pennsylvania, and writes from her farm in Skunk Hollow. She’d welcome your comments at thedrucks@netzero.com.

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SEYMOUR

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Veterans Day Saturday, November 11 Wit & Wisdom

by Judyann Grant

Cleaning Out the Attic King Solomon thought it was "better to live in the corner of an attic than with a crabby woman in a lovely home" (Proverbs 21:9TLB). Perhaps if the wise king had seen our attic, he would have rephrased that proverb. In the years since we moved to our present home, we managed to fill the attic with an amazing amount of stuff. Our first home was short on storage space, so when we bought this roomy old farmhouse, it was pure delight to say, "Put it in the attic." Any items that were worn out, broken, outgrown, or in any way no longer useful or necessary were tucked up beneath the rafters. One warm day, as I rummaged through the attic trying to unearth our camping gear, I was overwhelmed at the number of boxes, bags and barrels I had to maneuver past in order to get at what I wanted. Something needed to be done with all that clutter! Turning on a big overhead light, I began the tedious task of sifting through every dusty box and cobweb-covered barrel. I made a decision with every item to either sell, give, throw away or (as a last resort) to keep. It was a timeconsuming yet worthwhile effort as a

at: Small Town Stitches

tremendous amount of excess baggage was eliminated from our lives. Just as we have a tendency to save material possessions long past their usefulness, sometimes we store things in our mental attic that we would do well to get rid of. Things such as bitterness over old hurts and wrongs done to us . . . anxiety over things we can't control . . . frustration and anger over things that didn't turn out the way we hoped . . . regret over times when our self-centeredness spoiled things . . . and doubts and fears over our tomorrows that steal our joy from today. Why do we insist on hanging on to excess baggage that only serves to clutter our minds and cloud our thinking? The Bible suggests a better way to use our mental space. “Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about” (Philippians 4:8 TLB). This is an excellent time of year for mental “attic” cleaning and thankfully we have the searchlight of God's Word available to help us reach into all those dark and dusty corners. -Judyann Grant writes in northern NY.

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The Country Register of Indiana

RUSHVILLE

In Stitches

A chill is in the air. Come browse! Enjoy homemade soup and a sandwich while you browse the many antiques dealer’s booths, new seasonal merchandise home decor. A cup of cappuccino and pie are sure to please your taste buds.

○

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Our specialty is panels. Lots of samples to inspire! Fabrics by: • Moda • Timeless Treasures • Hoffman • Quilting Treasures and more!

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Don’t Miss It! A Cup of Tea with Lydia

By Lydia E. Harris

Countdown to Christmas One of the traditions our family enjoys during December is counting down to Christmas using Advent calendars. When our children were young, we purchased colorful paper calendars with 25 windows that opened to reveal festive scenes. Now, for our younger grandchildren, we buy calendars with chocolate candy behind each window. Occasionally I’ve made personalized calendars with treats each person will enjoy. Although I’m usually the one giving A d v e n t calendars, last year I received one in the mail from my friend Barbara. I was so pleased with her TEA-lightful Advent gift that I wanted to share the idea with you. Countdown with Tea Barbara knows I love tea, so she made my Advent calendar with teabags, nuts, and candy. She used dark-blue cotton fabric with snowflakes for the calendar, added a wooden dowel across the top, and made a hanger of twine. (Further directions can be found on nearby pages here.) Then she stapled on a few treats wrapped in cellophane or placed in small clear bags. Mostly she added delicious, individually packaged tea blends in colorful wrappings. She included some with a Disney theme, which delighted my young granddaughter. Each day I selected a gift—usually a teabag to enjoy with my husband at a meal or teatime. But on days when my grandkids came over, they chose their favorite tea or treat. Do you know a tea enthusiast who would like a tea-themed Advent calendar? If so, you’ll find festive teas in grocery stores and online. (See holiday teas listed with instructions to make an Advent

calendar.) If individuals on your list would prefer something besides tea, attach small treats and gifts or add encouraging and affirming notes on their calendars. This makes every day special as they count down to Christmas. Countdown with Simplici-TEA I recall Decembers when I felt panic instead o f experiencing the Prince of Peace. I realized it was time to cut back on h o l i d a y preparations to reduce stress. So when our kids were preteens, we held a Christmas planning night and talked about what was most important to our family. What traditions should we continue or eliminate? We couldn’t make every kind of Christmas cookie, so each selected a favorite to bake. We couldn’t decorate every room in our home, so they shared which decorations meant the most to them and helped decorate. If you feel stressed, list your Christmas activities and traditions and consider which ones you could omit. During the busy holiday season, less is often more. This year, as I count down to December 25 and pray for family members, I want to relax with a cup of holiday tea and bask in the true meaning of Christmas. (An excellent resource for the Christmas season is Preparing My Heart for Advent by Ann Marie Stewart.) Won’t you join me? -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.”

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Email your shop info to email@countryregisteronline.com for a free ad design idea

From Lydia’s Recipe File Candy Cane Crispies

Crisp and buttery cookies that melt in your mouth. Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 1 1/3 cups flour 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy canes, divided red and green sugar crystals, optional In large mixing bowl, mix together butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, oats, and salt. Add to butter mixture and blend. Mix in 1/4 cup crushed candy canes. Shape dough into one-inch balls. Roll balls into remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Place two inches apart on greased baking sheet (or use parchment paper). Flatten cookies with fork, making a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle with additional crushed candy canes and sugar crystals. Bake at 325 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Use spatula to transfer to cooling rack. Makes about 30 cookies.

November & December 2017

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WASHINGTON - VARIOUS TOUR TOWNS

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From Lydia’s Idea File: How to Make a TEA-lightful Advent Calendar By Lydia E. Harris Last year I received an Advent calendar from my friend, Barbara. She knows I love tea, so she made my Advent calendar with teabags. Following are instructions on making one of your own: Supplies: For each calendar you will need: 12 x 18-inch piece of fabric 14-inch piece of dowel 20-in piece of string for hanger (twine, ribbon, or yarn) 25 colorful teabags Small bags of candy and nuts, optional Directions: Select festive fabric for the calendar. A darker color displays the teabags well. Cut fabric into a rectangle about 12 x 18 inches. Leave sides unfinished or hem with narrow seams. Fold fabric down 1 1/2 inches across the top to make a casing for the dowel. Stitch by hand or sewing machine. Sew a narrow hem across the bottom. Select a verse or saying to display across the top. Mine from Barbara included the words of Zephaniah 3:17 typed on white paper and glued at the top of the calendar. Add a cord of your choice for hanging, attached to each end of the inserted dowel. Select 25 tea bags and staple or tape them on in rows. It’s fine to include several of the same kind. For loose tea or teabags not individually wrapped, place in a clear plastic bag and label. You can add numbers from 1 to 25 on the bags, but I prefer to let individuals select their own blend each day. If desired, prepare small bags with treats to replace some of the tea bags. For example, fill bags with 2 or 3 candy kisses or a few nuts. Or add a small candy cane or individual candies that come

wrapped in cellophane. To make your own bags, use snack-sized baggies that reseal. Cut them in half vertically. Seal the cut sides with clear tape. The tops will still zip shut. You can also purchase small bags at craft stores. Mail your TEA-lightful Advent calendar before Thanksgiving to make certain it arrives before December. Simple variations: 1. Make your Advent calendar on tag board instead of fabric. 2. Cut about a yard of 4-inch-wide ribbon. Staple the top around a craft ring for hanging. Fasten 25 teabags or other items onto the ribbon.

I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion. –Henry David Thoreau

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White Christmas

by Jo Branham

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas . . . We all know that wishing for a white Christmas means we’re hoping for snow on the ground. Or at the very least that we’ll have snow flurries on The Big Day. Did you know there is an official standard as to how much snow is required to qualify as a “white Christmas”? The US standard (it’s different depending on where you are in the world) calls for at least one inch of snow on the ground by Christmas morning. It seems to me that white Christmases are becoming a thing of the past. Winters today don’t seem to be as cold or snowy as they were when I was a kid. I remember one winter, around our Christmas break from school, when we were snowed in for day, school was canceled for a couple weeks, and we were even without electricity for a few days. Then there was that one Christmas when I was about 11. I’ll never forget it because it was so disappointing to me. Presents had been opened and played with. Mom was baking the turkey and whipping up all the other goodies for our

Christmas dinner. And we had to turn off the furnace and open both the living room and kitchen doors because it was so hot outside. To top it off, it was raining like someone had turned the kitchen faucet on full blast. I moped around all day because “it just didn’t feel like Christmas.” (I could be a real pain when I was a kid.) I admit, I still wish for a white Christmas every year. But I’ve come to realize it’s not about snow or the temperature outside. It’s not about Christmas trees, sparkling lights or presents. It’s about the love Jesus has shown to us, coming to Earth to be born in a barn, fully knowing that one day He would give His life for us. That’s what Christmas is about. But if He wants to send a little snow my way on His birthday, I wouldn’t mind at all. Merry Christmas everybody! –Jo Branham writes from her home near Nashville, IN. She enjoys quilting, and writing about shops and events her, her family, her church and her cat.

Country Register Recipe Exchange Pumpkin Brownies 1 15 ounce can of pumpkin 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 2 cups sugar 2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together eyys, oil, pumpkin & sugar. Stir in remaining ingredients until evenly mixed. Pour into a greased & floured 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Frost with cream cheese frosting or whipped topping. Top with chopped nuts. Delicious & very easy to make

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The Country Register of Indiana

OUT OF STATE ADVERTISERS

Classified Ads TO PL ACE A CL AS SIFIED COUNTR Y AD: These 2x2 ads are PLACE CLAS ASSIFIED COUNTRY offered to crafters, artisans, mail order houses, shop or antique mall 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?

Need exhibitors/crafters?

This is Your spot! Advertise right here with The Country Register classifieds. Reach over 70,000 readers for $40! Call or Fax by the 1st of the month prior to the issue date to be in our next issues -

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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.)

Prescription for Adventure

By Naomi Gaede-Penner

My Favorite Time of Year This is my favorite time of year. I look forward to the invigorating chill in the air, hot cups of tea and mugs of coffee, the comfortable feel of flannel shirts and flannel sheets, the lingering fragrance of wood smoke from fireplaces, and dogwalking with the music in my ears of fallen leaves crunching beneath my feet. I smile in amusement watching my creamy-white retriever run wild zigzags in the open field, invigorated by the crisp temperatures. She finds areas collecting wet runoff and after wading to her knees, she dashes out and hurls herself into the tall grass, thrashing and rolling in contentment, then standing up with a grin. This time of year is a welcome relief from the heat of summer and the random schedules with vacations and kids out of school. Pumpkin patches and colored leaves often evoke fond memories of of Thanksgiving gatherings with warm pies and interacting multigenerations. On the other hand, these images can be a stabbing reminder of emptiness from the loss of children who won’t be around for the holidays due to military enlistments, rebellion, or estrangement; or they the pleasure is dampened by poor health that prevents

participation in the seasonal, and previously reveled in, activities. My mother knew the loss of family. She’d been uprooted to Alaska, away from her small community of Peabody, Kansas. She felt family absence more keenly at the holidays, which, like a closing door, nipped away the pleasures of gardening and bonfire picnics, and pushed her into the black and white world of winter. Evening and morning darkness strangled the sunlight. Upcoming holidays would not be celebrated with a table full of cousins, aunts and uncles. And so along the Yukon River, she watched and waited for handwritten letters describing familiar activities, a new twist to a recipe and how many tenths of rain had fallen the previous week. There were losses. There were also opportunities. Her resourcefulness turned indoors. Her need for relationships turned outward. She contentedly poured molten colored wax into tin cans and then whipped up white wax frosting to lather around brightly colored candles. If ambitious, she’d sprinkle on glitter before the wax dried. These would be future Christmas gifts for schoolteachers and friends. Christmas lights went up early, strewn around inside

November & December 2017

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NEIGHBORING STATE ADVERTISERS & ON-LINE ADVERTISERS

Town and Country Cooking

by Janette Hess

Holiday Menu - Bavarian Style In the Bavarian region of Germany, holiday menus often include a delightful mixture of hearty foods, designed to ward of the cold weather of the season. This holiday season plan a get-together of family and friends and create your own festival of German-inspired flavors by serving this menu of Bavarian Baked Ham, Sauerkraut Soup and German Chocolate Dessert Bars. Bavarian Baked Ham starts with a saltfree rub and finishes with an extra tasty ham in savory pan juices. Although you and your family will want to gobble down every slice, remember to reserve a portion for your batch for the appetizer which is this perfect concoction, Sauerkraut Soup. Note that neither recipe calls for added salt, because cured meats already contain enough salt to get the job done. Just for dessort, bake a batch of German Chocolate Dessert Bars. According to culinary lore, the original German Chocolate Cake has absolutely no connection to German ethnic cooking, so, by extension, neither do German Chocolate Dessert Bars. But these bars are a delicious combination of chocolate, pecans and coconut, and they deserve to top off any festive meal, German or not. Many traditional sides from your usual holiday menu combine easily with the food in this menu. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;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. Sauerkraut Soup 1 medium onion, diced 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 tablespoon butter 1 32-ounce bag sauerkraut, well drained with excess juice pressed out 4 cups chicken stock 1 pound fully cooked sausage (such as kielbasa), sliced 1 generous cup ham cubes 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 teaspoons dried dill Freshly ground pepper 1 cup cream or evaporated milk Place carrots, celery, onion and butter in slow cooker. Cook on high setting for 1 hour. Add all ingredients except cream or milk. Reduce heat to low setting and cook for 6 hours. Add cream or milk and serve hot. Makes approximately 12 cups of soup.

Bavarian Baked Ham Â˝ fully-cooked, bone-in, smoked ham (8 to 10 pounds) 2 teaspoons dried marjoram 2 teaspoons caraway seeds 1Â˝ teaspoons garlic powder Â˝ teaspoon paprika Place ham, cut side down, in shallow roasting pan. Rub seasonings onto ham. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature of ham reaches 135 to 140 degrees. Remove from oven and baste with pan juices. Re-cover with foil and allow ham to â&#x20AC;&#x153;restâ&#x20AC;? for at least 15 minutes before carving. If desired, reserve pan juices to drizzle over ham slices. Skim fat before serving. If too salty, dilute with hot water

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Start your own The Cocoa Exchange Business! German Chocolate Dessert Bars 1 boxed brownie mix (approximately 18 ounces), mixed according to package instructions 2 ounces sweet â&#x20AC;&#x153;Germanâ&#x20AC;? chocolate OR semi-sweet chocolate Âź cup butter Â˝ cup white sugar Â˝ cup brown sugar Â˝ cup milk Âź cup corn syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Âź teaspoon salt 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup finely chopped pecans 1Â˝ cups sweetened, flaked coconut Prepare 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish with oil or cooking spray. Spread brownie batter in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. While brownies are baking, melt chocolate and butter together over very low heat or in microwave oven. Cool slightly and then combine with remaining ingredients. Carefully spread over brownie layer and return to oven. Bake an additional 35 minutes, or until topping is set and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool before cutting. Store in refrigerator. Makes 18 to 24 bars, depending on desired serving size. Note: Homemade brownies may be used in place of a mix for the first layer. Select a recipe that normally results in an 8- by 8inch pan of brownies.

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sewingstoreforsale@gmail.com Continued from previous page windows to bring a cheerful contrast to the obscurity beyond. My siblings remained in Alaska. My sister in Fairbanks heads to the Barnes & Noble where the sudden warmth mists her glasses. She stomps snow off her boots, heads for Starbucks coffee, and then with a tall cup in hand, sinks into an overstuffed chair and puts her feet on the hearth of the huge round fireplace made of heavy stones. Another sister pulls out fabric and patterns and mulls over choices for a

flannel quilt. A cup of tea and praise music in the background will brighten the corner where she sews. No pulling weeds now. My brotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus shifts from his gold claims, mowing the homestead taxiways, and painting outbuildings, to composing and recording music in his studio and picking berries. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing else that demands his attention besides preparing his snowplow and playing indoor pickle ball. For me? This time of year means the opportunity to sort through old letters,

play with words, do research and synthesize these bits and pieces into my fifth book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Bush Doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wife.â&#x20AC;? For my dark-eyed fluffy dog? Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be sniffing the air for snow, stretched out in the mid-day sun or sitting silently with her nose pointed toward a herd of deer. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Find Naomiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prescription for Adventure books, at www.prescriptionforadventure.com. Follow her on Facebook (Prescription for Adventure) or read her blogs at blog.prescriptionforadventure.com.

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The Country Register of Indiana

SHIPSHEWANA