When Icicles Hang

After January Thaw, Second Chapter, our temps plummeted about 30 degrees. 22f is not necessarily horrible....unless....
it comes with high winds like we woke up to this morning.

We've sealed up every nook and cranny possible in this old farmhouse, but it insists on being drafty. My fingers positively feel like icicles as I sit and type!


Electric space heaters help the furnace along (but not our budget) and we are comfortable enough, but bitter weather like this gives me pause to think about people who are not as lucky, and about how people in times gone by managed in weather so cold that it seems downright wicked.


William Shakespeare knew such winter weather and described it well when he wrote As You Like It:

Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most freindship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

 

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.

Marcheta *not feeling so jolly      

The Simple Truth

We are what we eat.

This is no surprise, is it?

But the surprise comes from not knowing exactly what has been added to the innocent food that we've always been eating. The reason that I love local markets is that you get to talk directly to the person who raised the food that you are buying.

Dr. Oz addresses hidden 'stuff' in food on his show today.
http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/hidden-chemicals-you-re-feeding-your-kids#cmpid=em013013

I think that today's Oz  will be a show worth watching.

 

This picture is one that I took last summer at NorthSide Farmers' Market in Galion. It has Witter's Produce in the foreground with a grain farmer harvesting in the background. This is where food comes from in our area, from hardworking farmers like Becki Witter (and her hubby, of course!), and large scale farmers like the one pictured in the background.

And this picture is of our apples and cider at the same market. The cider has 1 ingredient: apples! Our cider is  not pasteurized, instead it is treated with UV light, which  kills e-coli and 5 other pathogens, a process that we deem safe while retaining the good qualities of the juice. No chemicals, like preservatives, are allowed.

 

We make it fresh for each market we go to. The price? Cheaper than store-bought pasteurized and over processed cider. Why? Our overhead is lower.

 

It's the Simple Truth.

 

Marcheta *to our own selves, be true

Parsely, Sage, Rosemary and Time

 

Yes, I know that the correct spelling for the herb is t-h-y-m-e.  This post is about herbs and time, so I thought I’d toss in a catchy title, just to see if you’uns are awake J

As mentioned in an earlier post, it is not exactly the right “time”

for the regular home gardener to be starting seeds. Most seed

companies recommend starting indoors 6 -8 weeks before
outdoor planting is ready, in our area May 15^th is the target

 date. But, “time” is what I’ve got a little bit more of these days,

and besides, I like to see a bit of green sprouting on cold February

days. Today I took a few minutes to start some herb plants, just to

 see what will happen.

Herbs are not the easiest of plants to start from seed in a home

situation. Greenhouses use germination chambers to get these

little buggers started. We can duplicate the process at home,

though, and expect some level of success. No victory, even a small

one, is wasted time in my book, so I went for one today.

This is the process that I use to start all plants. Note: if you’ve

never started plants from seeds before, I suggest you begin with

 really easy ones, like marigolds or tomatoes. But I digress; back to

 the business at hand.

 

 

1.     Cover your work surface with newspapers or an old vinyl cloth for protection and to make clean up faster.

2.     Gather your supplies. You need:

a.     Pots with drainage holes if you are not planning to transplant later, which I used since I am starting a small amount. For larger quantities, use cell packs or egg cartons.

b.     Potting soil

c.      Plastic food storage bags for pots, plastic grocery bags for cell packs on trays

d.     Seeds

e.     Craft sticks or plastic plant markers and marking pen

f.       Water

g.     Tray to hold the pots

3.     Put each pot in a bag and fill the pots with soil

4.     Water the pots. It is important to do this now because potting soil has vermiculite to help retain moisture, and the soil sort of bubbles up when watered for the first time. If the seeds are placed in before the initial watering, they usually float together and end up in a pile instead of being dispersed over the surface of the soil.

5.     Sprinkle on seeds. As you can see, they are small. I put a few in the palm of my left hand and then sprinkle the seeds on the dirt with my right hand, much like when adding a “pinch” of “this” or “that” to whatever I am cooking.

6.     Cover the seeds with a small amount of dirt.

7.     Lightly water again.

8.     Label each pot with the craft stick or plant marker

9.     Bring open ends of the bags over the tops of the pots and close with a twisty tie. The bags keep the moisture inside. There is no need to open the bags to water until you see sprouts.

10.    Seeds need heat more than they do light, so place your tray of pots in a warm location. I use the top of my refrigerator.

 

11. Now you can relax and let the seeds to their thing. Check on them daily.

12.  This is IMPORTANT. As soon as you see sprouts, open the bags so that air can get inside. If you don’t, too much moisture will cause “damping off”, which means the plant will begin to rot at the place where the stem meets the soil. And then it dies. Not good.

13.    If you are transplanting, wait until the plants have 2 sets of leaves on their tiny stems. Most herb plants do not like to be transplanted, so I start them in the largest pots that I have room for. But mostly I buy my garden herb plants from Toni Norwood, who has a germination chamber and is a pro at starting seeds from plants.

That’s all there is to it!

This post has evolved into one of my famous “Epic Sagas”, but before I end it I have to mention that I can never write about time without thinking of Pink Floyd.

 Time

By DAVID GILMOUR, NICHOLAS MASON, ROGER WATERS, RICK WRIGHT

 “…Ticking away the moments
That make up a dull day
Fritter and waste the hours
In an off-hand way”

Marcheta *ticking away moments

 

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Not me! Not me! Not me!
 
Well, sometimes I am.

 A "wolf", of course, can be anything that frightens us or holds us back. As a result, we have many different "wolves" come in and out of our lives. We can run or we can conquer, it is as simple as that.
 
 
 

The most recent "wolf" in my life was a color laser printer. Seems simple enough, right? Buy new printer, print lovely things. But no. I let words like "wi-fi", "wireless","network", "e-print", "print from anywhere", etc. paralyze me. My old laser printer never made such claims. Plug and print was all it took. That printer went to the Big Computer Bone Yard in the Sky a few years ago. I mourned for a bit and then forgot about it because I did not really need one, until now.


The new printer sat in the middle of the floor for a week before I decided to stare that "wolf" down.  Within half an hour I was printing my first document, a color tri-fold brochure for this blog. Did I feel foolish?
 
No, not really. I've let fear of technology freeze my brain cells many times. Past experience has taught me that something "simple" is usually going to end up taking a full day and night and the result is usually going to end up with my grey cells laying at the base of my skull in a pool of sludge. This time I tried a new approach, which was to see what I can do on my own, and if it is too far above my skill level, to call in a pro (aka son-in-law Ben) to rescue me (as he has done many times in the past).
 
 
My new printer is not hooked up to the network, nor does it have a wireless connection to all computers and tablets. I have no idea how to print something on it when I am away from home.
 
So, how does it work? Simple. Remembering the "plug and print" philosophy of my old printer, I hooked up the new printer via USB. Sure, it only works with the computer it is plugged into, but that is enough for now. When techie pro Ben comes this way, I'll hire him to do all that other stuff for me. Meanwhile, I am a happy camper printing documents, brochures, business cards and the like. All have a professional look. And, best of all, I am saving my expensive photo ink for photos. YAY!
 
What is the point of this post, you may be asking.
 
My answer is, "bravery".  No matter what we desire to accomplish, we need to be brave enough to see it happen, or else it just sits. It could be facing down ever-changing technology, it could be deciding to plant a garden large enough to feed our families for a season or even a year, it could be inventing a new way to do something. What "is" is does not matter, the process is always the same, which is to follow Nike's advice and "just do it".
 
Much, much more than just printing had come from hooking up this wonderful machine. I am now encouraged to work on a picture book project that has been on the back burner for several years. I set up a three-ring binder to hold the project page by page, and the laser printer does such a good job of printing pics as well as text that I can hardly wait to add new pages to my "book".
 
Wolf? What wolf? It's long gone....until another appears, that is. Then I'll have to hone my ocular precision again. Hopefully, that won't happen for a long time, as my ocular devices are busy looking at words fly from my brain to my computer monitor via fingers. Who said that I am not multi-talented? LOL
 
Marcheta *braveheart

Lazy, Hazy Dayz of Winter ~or~ The Eagle Has Landed

Today we took an old-fashioned Sunday drive with our friend Denise. After lunch at the Big Plate Diner here in Galion, we headed to Marion and Wyandot counties to check out a few wildlife areas. We saw lots of hawks and Canada geese, which are nice but so common that they are not exactly a treat to see. Nearer the wildlife areas we began to see more and more Eagle nests, but no Eagles.

Soon after we crossed under this lovely covered bridge in Wyandot county we saw another Eagle's nest.

 

  

As we were looking at it we were rewarded with a real treat. The Eagle came home.

 

My pictures are not good because it was far away and the car was running (causing motion blur), but they serve as a reminder of our wonderful, lazy meandering day.

I love Sunday Nature Days, no matter what time of year, but in the heart of winter they are especially appreciated. At the very least, the hikes give me much needed exercise, at the very best, like today, an Eagle flies by, reminding me that wonderful things happen when we throw caution to the wind and soar (even if we are in a car).

Marcheta *soaring on wheels today

A Seedy Proposition

 

A blanket of snow has painted the landscape with a monochromatic pallet, making the outdoors appear calm and serene…a perfect winter scene. But step inside just about any store these days and you’ll find a riot of color at the seed displays that pop out between main aisles. Pictured on the packages are images of yummy vegetables, beautiful flowers, and aromatic herbs. It makes the senses reel with delight.

It’s a bit early for serious seed-starting for the average home gardener, but winter-weary people (and even winter lovers like me) find it hard to resist the temptation of buying ‘just a few’ packages for fun. Serious gardeners and market growers are already planning their 2013 season and many, like Mendy Sellman and Toni Norwood have told me that they’ve already ordered seeds. There’s something comforting in that fact, that farmers are planning another season of feeding the masses, that we’ll have locally grown fresh food available again come summer.

I don’t think on such a grand scale. For now, a bit of green growing in my kitchen window with a backdrop of snowy fields and woods is enough to satisfy my need for seed. I chose a few herb packs to have fresh to cook with and headed back home. For my big herb garden I rely on buying plants from NorthSide Farmers Market vendors like Toni and Brenda Kocher, but a few clay pots of leafy parsley on the kitchen windowsill in the heart of winter are the smile-makers that this gal needs.

Marcheta *smiley faced gal

Berried in Snow

This morning we had a fairly heavy snowfall. The storm did not last long, but the snow accumulated fast. We weren't exactly buried, but we did have some shoveling to do and while the snow was falling it made for some challenging driving conditions.

 

I braved the slush and ice and drove into town to meet Gladys (of oven stew fame) for lunch. Along the way a few cars were slipping and sliding but managed to stay out of ditches and avoided bumping into things. Whew!

 

Gladys and I both had errands to do in another town, and by the time we were ready to go the plow trucks had done their job of clearing and salting, making it safe for everyone to be out and about. Thank goodness for plow trucks! My husband has a small snow plowing business, so we know what it is like to have to be out early to clear out people's driveways and parking lots. And, lucky for us, Gladys' husband Ray did the driving, giving us the luxury of being chauffeured about. Sweet!

 

Winter is usually a paradox. It can be a time of dreariness and a time of beauty, a time of danger and a time of peacefulness. In Ohio, often all four, and more, in the same day :)

 

Next week when the rains come the landscape will swing back into the "dreary" category. For now, I appreciate how the painterly effect of crystal stardust on clusters of red berries represents the winter paradox; cold and hot, soft and bold. Add watching snow birds flitting about, and I am a happy camper.

 

And speaking of berries and snow in the same post, this type of weather is perfect for having a cheerful breakfast of homemade strawberry jam on French Toast. Stay tuned for that one, 'cause that's what I am planning for tomorrow's a.m. treat.

 

Marcheta *berries + snow = delicious fun

Daydream Believer

Snow feels magical to me and is one of the reasons that I love winter. Today we woke up to a light dusting of snow that sparkled like tiny bits of diamonds strewn about a crusty blanket on the ground and clung to tree branches, defining their skeletal-like branches that reached up to a blue sky. A few white, fluffy clouds drifted overhead, creating a dream-like setting. It is still very cold, but I must be adjusting because it did not feel intolerable so I headed out with my camera.

At the reservoir the only animals out and about were crows.  I heard a beautiful song from a distant bird, as clear and shrill as the blue sky and cold air, but I never did locate it. Instead, the harsh ‘caws’ of several crows took my attention. This one really had something to crow about as it found a tasty tidbit in the bark of the tree it was foraging on. As I stood outside my car to get its picture, a slight gust of wind shook small, featherweight clumps of snow from tree branches. The sky was made to look even bluer by the contrast of snow on the ground and large, fluffy flakes floating towards earth. Again, I felt as if I were in some sort of dreamland and wanted the moment to last a long, long time. But, as most dreams are, it was fleeting and became a memory almost as soon as it started. These experiences are what fire me up for the rest of the day.

Back home it was a different story as far as birds were concerned. We have many different species at the feeders. The orange-bowl suet cakes are still a big hit. The treat for me were two stunning female cardinals because I need a good picture of one for the nature story I am working on for the Galion Inquirer. Again, out with the camera for a relaxing photo-shoot.

 My viewing session ended with crows…as I was photographing the female cardinals, I heard a huge racket in a large tree at the edge of the woods. Three crows had flown to it and were making a commotion. In a split second, a hawk flew up from the branches and took off for yonder blue skies, with the crows tight on its tail feathers. How that story ended, I can only imagine. But that is what magical winter days are about, aren’t they?

And now I have the song “Daydream Believer” by John Steward and recorded by Ann Murray and the Monkees stuck in my head, which is not a bad thing…

” …our good times starts and end
Without dollar one to spend.
But how much, baby, do we really need?”

What are you dreaming about today?

Marcheta *oh, what can it mean?

 

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Winter weather can be brutal on our skin.  Cold temps and wind drying it out, chaffing, windburns, etc. combined with going in and out of heated buildings and vehicles can make our skin uncomfortable at best and serious conditions, like eczema or psoriasis at the worse. We moisturize with lotions, of course, and boost of exfoliation really helps. If you want to save money and avoid artificial ingredients and preservatives, this recipe for lemon sugar scrub fits the bill. The citrusy aroma of this sweet treat for your skin lifts the spirits, which is a big plus on these dreary cold days.

All you need is half a lemon and about a cup of sugar. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice into a bowl. Add sugar until it reaches the consistency that you like. How’s that for simplicity? When you bathe or shower, wet skin, apply sugar scrub in small sections, and massage using a light touch and circular motions. I do not recommend this for the face, especially during winter when facial skin is in a more delicate condition, but it is great for dry skin on arms and legs.

 

Why sugar? According to Mother Nature Network , “Alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, are the common ingredient found in exfoliating scrubs. The glycolic acid found in sugar cane is a naturally occurring AHA, and sugar scrubs have long been a popular and effective way to exfoliate and achieve beautiful, healthy skin.”

Many recipes for sugar scrub use oil, such as olive or coconut, and essential oil of choice along with the sugar. These are fine, too, but remember, an oily scrub will leave your tub or shower stall with a film of oil that you’ll need to clean. The glory of using only lemon juice and sugar is that you’ll avoid the extra work, and the lemon will also deodorize the drain. Win/win!

While you are giving yourself this spa-quality treatment, how about singing a happy tune? I’m thinking….since we are now in the Aquarius Zodiac, ‘Age of Aquarius’ by the 5^th Dimension is appropriate! Exercising your lungs in the moist environment of your bathroom can’t be bad. You’ll positively glow!

Marcheta *Let the sun shine, let the sun shine in!!!!!!!!!!!

The New Homestead in Winter

The engraving team Currier and Ives is famous for depicting everyday scenes from a bygone era. They are nostalgic and easy on the eyes as well as our emotions when we look at them. Which is nice.  We also have nice everyday modern scenes, too, which are being depicted by photographers and artists. With photo editing software we can even make our new vistas appear old. Or…simply use a throw-away camera, as my mom did when she took this picture of my brother’s house.

Ok, I admit, I did help this picture along a bit using Picasa software (from Google, and it is a free download). But I did not do much…I cropped it and deepened the contrast a bit before adding the borders.

I love my mom’s picture because it is easy on the eyes and brings to mind a sort-of nostalgic feeling of winter skating parties on frozen country ponds. All is peaceful in her winter scene.  Her composition is nearly perfect, the trees lead the eye to the house in the distance and the sharp contrast of the snow on the sides of the dark tree trunks  are examples of good composition. Great job, Mom!

When my kids were younger I only had inexpensive point and shoot cameras. They were not even 35mm; I mostly had cameras that took 110 film cartridges. Remember them? But it is what I had and what I used to record our special moments. Film and processing were expensive and not usually in the budget for everyday goings on. Now, with digital cameras, we take pictures constantly. Mostly they stay in our computers, which is sad, really. The happy part of this new technology is that we can instantly share our pictures via email, Facebook, and what-not.

The throw-away cameras that mom uses are not reliable for getting artistic shots, but that is Ok by her because she mostly likes to pose people at family gatherings.  Every now and again she gets a lovely shot like this one. Photography has been my favorite hobby since I got my first Brownie Camera as a Christmas gift when I was 10. I now own several high-end DSLRs as well as very good digital point-and-shoots. These cameras are like companions and I seldom without at least 1 camera. The lesson learned is that we do not need expensive cameras to have fun recording life around us, just use what we can afford and have fun with it.  

Marcheta *camera junkie

Tried and True Stew-pendous Meal!

Gladys Clark's

 Oven Stew

2# chuck roast

5 med. potatoes, cut in half

4 sm. onions, cut in half

1/2 of a 1# bag of mini carrots

2 celery sticks, cut in 1/2 " pcs

2 cans (14oz) diced tomatoes

w/garlic,basil,& oregano

Cut roast into serving size pieces. Put in bottom of roasting pan. ( I use blue granite)

Next add cut potatoes, onions, whole carrots & celery pieces.

Pour both cans of tomatoes over this, plus a can of water.

If your tomatoes don't have the spices in them, you can add your own spices.

Put in 325 degree oven for 3 hrs, or until beef is tender.You will have lots of broth.I serve this with corn bread, baked in an iron skillet of course, and a side of cole slaw.

 

                     It’s a cold, cold day, with gusts of wind and fits of snow. What better than a day like today to make a slow-baked oven stew? Not only will this delicious and hardy meal warm you tummies, it warms the kitchen while whetting your appetites with its mouth-watering aromas.

Gladys Clark shared this recipe with me years ago. Today she’s sharing it with you, complete with a picture. Gladys and her husband Ray live on the main drag of town, but have country in their blood. For many years they successfully owned and operated Clark’s Antiques, which specialized in every-day, no-fuss furniture, such as oak tables and chairs and bedroom sets. Today’s furniture cannot compare to the quality and workmanship of  that made in the first half of the 20^th century. Ray repaired each piece and Gladys lovingly restored the furniture making it ready to use. I have many pieces of the Clark’s handiwork, which fit perfectly in my old farmhouse.

As if running the antique store wasn’t enough, Gladys and Ray bought the property next-door and converted it into a bed and breakfast. Many hours of hard work by the Clarks returned the house to its former glory and became a showcase for the many dish sets that Gladys loves to collect, which she used for setting beautiful tables for her guests.

Now retired, the Clarks spend their time babysitting their great-granddaughter as well as keeping up their beautiful flower beds.

One of Gladys’s projects that truly impressed me was putting together a cookbook for her grandson and his wife. She named it “Tried and True”, as each recipe was from her own repertoire. Although Gladys could have taken the modern approach and typed out each recipe on her computer and made multiple copies of her book, she took the old-fashioned approach and hand wrote each recipe. This made the book more personal and reflects her personality.

I can honestly say that I am blessed to have Gladys and Ray as friends. They are a half-generation older than I am and I have benefited greatly from the experiences and advice they have shared over our quarter of a century friendship. G&R, to you’uns…it’s been great so far! Let’s keep it up J 

Marcheta *lucky gal

Columbus Day

Today we are heading to the city to spend time with the kids. Our plans are to meet up at the Ohio State Fairgrounds to attend a train show, and then have ‘make your own pizzas’ at Kerry and Ben’s house. This will be one of the last get-togethers at their Merion Village home (just outside of German Village) because they just took possession of the keys to their new home, in Reynoldsburg. With a 5 year old and 1 year old and new baby soon to arrive, their family had outgrown their first home.

 

Our family is especially interested in trains because we have a mile and half of large scale model train tracks in our woods, which is beside a regular, life-sized track on the north. In fact, our 14 acres of woods originally belonged to the railroad. When it was built there must have been plans for a large expansion to have such a huge right-of-way. When the railroad decided they were not expanding new lines, they offered to sell the right-of-ways for a song. Now, I am known to sing off-key most of the time, but was lucky enough to hit the right notes when I needed them. 

The Buckeye Rail Model Engineers were also eye-balling the parcel and approached us to let them build their track on part of the land. Many fun parties and events, such as birthday parties and Halloween Fun Days, are the result of their (and our) efforts. All pictures of our train events are on my laptop computer, will edit this post with a picture later today or tomorrow...promise!

 All in all, I think that today is going to be a great day!

 Marcheta *Boarding up and headin' out


**Note: No picture of the train club, I'll save that for a later date. Our plans changed when we got to Columbus and instead of going to the train show, we went to Blacklick Metro Park and Nature Center instead, which is a handy 5 minute drive from Kerry and Ben's new house. We saw lots of birds, squirrels, Canada geese and Mallard ducks as well as taking a (very) short hike in the frosty air.

Stitch, Stitch, Hooray!

Finished apron and chef hat set. The pink gingham bias tape was from my
sewing trims stash that has items from several genrations of full-time country women.

Apron in progress, using rick-rack from Ava's
great-aunt Kathleen's sewing stash

Today is sunny and we’re enjoying a brief warm spell before the bitter cold is scheduled to hit us in a few days. Ordinarily on such a day, I’d be out and about with my camera. But…gee…it feels so great to work in my second story sewing room because it has 2 south facing windows that I am in no hurry to leave it and venture out. I feel like a cat sunning myself when I am in there. The view is of the orchard, huge garden, pond, and fields beyond. The scene is made interesting by a fairly strong wind that is keeping things moving, especially the large fronds from the asparagus patch. I am not lacking for entertainment while in there, that’s for sure, so today (now that I have plenty of bobbins for thread color changes) I decided to stay focused on the sewing projects that I’ve wanted to do for a long time now.

Today’s project is aprons for Ava. Her birthday is coming up soon, and now that she is big enough to be a help to her mom and me in the kitchen, I thought she’d enjoy having cooking tools of her own. For Christmas I got her a cake-pop baker and for her birthday I plan to give her a waffle-stick baker. Both need adult supervision, of course, but these handy gadgets from Bella make more sense to me than the traditional Easy Bake Oven because they make real food that the whole family can enjoy.

What is fun for me is to personalize the basic pattern that I bought on sale for a buck at Jo~An Fabrics and Crafts last week. I have an eclectic array of ribbons, buttons and trims (like rick-rack) that cover several generations. When Ava’s mom, Kerry, was small, my grandmother gave me a HUGE sack of lace. More than 30 years later, I am still digging through that stash, but I do have it whittled down so that if fits in a small storage tub now. From Jim’s aunt Kathleen is a shoe-box of rick-racks and hem tapes as well as buttons. Most of my buttons, however, came from Jim’s mom’s sewing supplies. I inherited these supplies when Kathleen and Margie passed away, and it warms my heart to be able to use them in items that I am making for my grandchildren.

So here’s how the day is shaking out…apron pieces are cut and now I am digging through the treasure-troves given to me by Ava’s great-great grandmother, her great grandmother, and great aunt, all of whom were full-time country women.  We are blessed, indeed, to have this heritage.

Marcheta *sew busy

 

Could Chuck and Would Chuck Wood

 

Today is cold, but sunny. I needed to do an errand in Mt. Vernon and asked Jim to come along to have lunch at SouthSide Diner; a fun, 1950’s style eatery. He agreed because he wanted to stop at one of the Amish sawmills along the way to get a truckload of wood.

 

On the drive to Mt. Vernon we stopped at Owl Creek Auction, which is a huge auction started by The Ohio State Dept. of Agriculture and mostly has Amish and Mennonite vendors.  When I think of full-time country women, naturally Amish and Mennonite women come to my mind. It seems as if they do it all; from helping with farm chores, keeping large gardens to feed their large families, tending animals, hanging their wash to ‘freeze dry’ on cold days, sewing, cooking, and much more.  The auction was full of these women’s labors; homemade noodles, eggs, and baked goods. The men were there to sell their hay and straw. Even though it was wicked cold out, the auction had a festive atmosphere. But we did not need hay or straw or eggs or noodles. We needed sewing machine bobbins for my new Janome sewing machine that we bought from a dealership which was the reason for going to Mt. Vernon, and slab wood for our wood furnace, so after a quick look around, we headed out again.

 

An added bonus was that I found a few scenes along the way to photograph. I just love being out and about with a camera because it makes each day seem like a mini adventure. One just never knows what is waiting to be recorded in pixels :)
 

“They” say that an even more wicked cold front is coming our way, with temps predicted to go into single digits. Jim and I filled the back of our truck with enough wood to last about 2 weeks, all for $20.00. Not too shabby, but I have to tell you, chuckin’ wood is not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it got us outside in fresh air and was good exercise. I wouldn’t want to do it all day, though…just sayin’.

Now that we are home with wood and bobbins, I can stay in a cozy warm house during the cold snap and sew away to my heart’s content. Now that’s something that I could do all day….just sayin’. J

Marcheta *Chuckle, Chuckle

 

January is a Great Month to....Learn Something New!

 

It’s a brand-new year. Yeah, I know…it’s the 17^th and you already know that. But what are you doing about it? I love January because it is a slower time of year for me (I don’t have to work as hard as I do in other seasons). This makes it the perfect month to catch up on neglected projects and to learn something new. It can be as simple as attending a one-day workshop on an interesting subject or as complex as taking a college course. I have done both in the past, but usually a short course at an art center fits my needs perfectly.

This month I am studying Social Media for Artists at Mansfield Art Center. Last evening was the first class and I could not be happier. We lucked out by having Violeta Chinni lead the class. She is a wonderful instructor who presents the topics in a relaxed, fun way. The class is a good mix of artistic personalities. Because the class is very small it is great for interaction, discussion, and feedback.

And, the subject matter is something that I need help with, making learning something new a double plus. I am looking forward to learning the ways that I can improve this blog as well as other venues of communicating with people who may be interested in what I do, and of meeting people online who may have products or services that I can use. This may seem as a counter point to the goal of this blog, which is to connect local people, but, let’s face it, we live in a global community.  No one can make it in this world alone.  My personal preference is: local first, Ohio made or grown second, American made or grown third, and finally enjoying what other people and other cultures have to contribute to my wellbeing.

On the local scene, our public libraries are offering all sorts of one day workshops and lectures. Rachel Mendell, editor of the Galion Inquirer, will be leading writing workshops at Galion Public Library. For fun, the library is also having a tea-tasting party. I encourage you to learn something new this month…maybe pick up the paint brush that is staring you in the face since you bought it at the art store or learn how to edit and print your photographs at home using free software from Google (Picasa, which I highly recommend).

One thing that I am positive about, learning something new helps chase away the winter doldrums! So, why not go out and reach for the moon or stars? You'll never know what new people you'll meet or the opportunities it will lead to unless you reach. :)

Marcheta *attending Brand- New U, are you?