The Country Register of Vermont`s

SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 2
From the Publishers
Thank you for picking up the September-October issue of The Country
Register of Vermont! We’re so excited about the positive response our first
issue received and hope to make these next issues leading up to the winter
holidays (and skiing season!) just as good!
Kelly and Chris Kennedy
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New Market, MD 21774
(443) 243-1118 • vermont@countryregister.com
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Send $3 to any publisher below to receive a paper from that area.
The Country Register Founder: Barbara Floyd, 602-237-6008,
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USA
• Indicates the State has a web-viewable version of The Country Register.
• Arizona: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P.O. Box 84345, Phoenix, AZ, 85071, 602-942-8950
• Arkansas: Lenda Williams, P.O. Bo 32581, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, 405-470-2597
• California and N. Nevada: Betty Fassett, 26941 Cabot Rd., Suite 132, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653, 800-349-1858
Colorado: Jan & John Keller, 16755 Oak Brush Loop, Peyton, CO, 80831, 719-749-9797
• Connecticut: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-661-1760
• Delaware: Merle and Gail Taylor, P.O. Box 594, New Market, MD, 21774, 888-616-8319
• Florida: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
• Georgia: Linda Parish, P.O. Box 389, Lexington, GA, 30648, 706-340-1049, 678-641-7728
• Idaho (N): Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
• Idaho (S) WA & E. OR:Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P. O. Box 84345, Phoenix, AZ, 602-942-8950
• Illinois: Lenda Williams, P.O. Bo 32581, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, 405-470-2597
• Indiana: Gail & Merle Taylor, P.O. Box 594, New Market, MD, 21774, 888-616-8319
Iowa: Linda Glendy, P.O. Box 6, Tama, IA, 52339, 641-751-2619
• Kansas: Cindy Baldwin, 988 9th Ave., McPherson, KS 67460, 866-966-9815
• Kentucky: Christi Moore, P.O. Box 366, North Lewisberg, OH 43060, 937-747-2886
Maine: Gail Hageman, 221 Winslow Rd, Albion, ME 04910, 207-437-2663
• Maryland: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
• Massachusetts-RI: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-661-1760
Michigan: Bill and Marlene Howell, 3790 Manistee, Saginaw, MI, 48603-3143, 989-793-4211
• Minnesota: Kim and Mickey Keller, 12835 Kiska St. NE, Blaine, MN, 55449, 763-754-1661
• Missouri: Lenda Williams, P.O. Bo 32581, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, 405-470-2597
• Montana: Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
• Nebraska: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P. O. Box 84345, Phoenix, AZ 85071, 602-942-8950
Nevada (N): Betty Fassett, 26941 Cabot Rd., Suite 132, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653, 800-349-1858
• Nevada (S): Glena Dunn, 4568 Carol Circle, Las Vegas, NV, 89120, 702-523-1803
New Hampshire: Kathleen Graham, 330 North Road, Deerfield, NH, 03037, 603-463-3703
• New Jersey: Merle and Gail Taylor, P.O. Box 594, New Market, MD, 21774, 888-616-8319
New Mexico: Jan & John Keller, 16755 Oak Brush Loop, Peyton, CO, 80831, 719-749-9797
• New York: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
• N. Carolina: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-661-1760
• North Dakota: Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
• Ohio: Barb Moore, P. O. Box 37, Cable, OH, 43009 ,937-652-1157
• Oklahoma: Lenda Williams, P.O. Bo 32581, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, 405-470-2597
• Oregon: Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P.O. Box 84345, Phoenix, AZ, 85071, 602-942-8950
• Pennsylvania: Dave & Amy Carter, PO Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
• Rhode Island: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-661-1760
• S. Carolina: Michael Dempsey, 10213 Fanny Brown Road, Raleigh, NC 27603, 919-661-1760
• South Dakota:Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
• Tennessee: Christi Moore, P.O. Box 366, North Lewisberg, OH 43060, 937-747-2886
• Texas: Lenda Williams, P.O. Bo 32581, Oklahoma City, OK 73123, 405-470-2597
• Utah: Daniel & Stacy Tueller, 153 S 2050 W, Provo UT 84601, 801-592-8498
Vermont: Chris & Kelly Kennedy, 5804 Whiterose Way, New Market, MD 21774 443-243-1118
• Virginia: Dave & Amy Carter, P.O. Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
• Washington & E. OR & S. ID : Barbara Stillman and Lolly Konecky, P. O. Box 84345, Phoenix, AZ, 602-942-8950
• West Virginia: Dave & Amy Carter, PO Box 365, New Market, MD, 21774, 866-825-9217
• Wisconsin: Scott & Jennifer Hughes, P. O. Box 276, Altoona, WI, 54720, 715-838-9426
• Wyoming: Dee Sleep, 10563 Chicken Creek Road, Spearfish, SD 57783, 605-722-7028
CANADA
• Alberta: Ruth Burke, P.O. Box 97, Heisler, AB, T0B2A0,780-889-3776
British Columbia: Bryan Stonehill, Box 1338, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0, 1-800-784-6711
• Manitoba & Saskatchewan: Scott & Marj Kearns, Box 850, Kipling, SK, S0G 2S0, 306-736-2441
Ontario: Laurie Holcombe, 166-B Craig Henry Drive, Nepean, Ontario K2G 4M7 613-864-8667
The Country Register of Vermont Sept-Oct, 2012 Vol. 1, No. 2
The Country Register is published every other month. Copyright © 2012.
Reproduction or use without written permission of editorial or graphic
content in any manner is prohibited.
Subscription price for 1 year (6 issues) is $18. Single issues can be
purchased for $3.
Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it: the sights, the
colors, the smells, and especially the food. It’s the perfect time of year to
take a road trip, the roads are still clear of Vermont’s famous snow and the
trees are changing colors and dropping their leaves making for a beautiful
drive.
And what better to do on your road trip then stop at fall festivals, farmer’s markets, and local shops carrying fall décor, beautiful antiques, and
new fall and winter fabrics. Think about getting those Christmas projects
together early so you’ll have more time to enjoy the season later with your
friends and loved ones!
Wherever you end up on your travels, make sure you thank our advertisers for making this paper possible!
SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 3
Bennington
Fall Events
September
All Month..........................Take 10% off at Garden of Stitches in Bethel (p. 5)
All Month.....................Take 10% off at The Wooden Needle in Stowe (p. 10)
1-2.......................Vermont Festival of the Arts in the Mad River Valley (p. 6)
15-16...............................................Bennington Quiltfest in Bennington (p. 7)
October
All Month..........................Take 10% off at Garden of Stitches in Bethel (p. 5)
All Month.....................Take 10% off at The Wooden Needle in Stowe (p. 10)
11-14....................Quilt Retreat hosted by Patti’s Quilting and Fabrics (p. 14)
November
15-18....................Quilt Retreat hosted by Patti’s Quilting and Fabrics (p. 14)
Deadline for
November-December
Ads is
October 1st!
Disclaimer
Articles published in this newspaper, which are contributed from an
outside source, 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 the purchase or
use of products advertised herein.
The Winter
Tourist Season
will be here before
you know it!
Call today to get your
Bed & Breakfast or Inn
into our lodging listing!
Empty Your Wallet!
No, I’m not trying to sell you something – I want to save you from
identity theft! According to Kiplinger’s, there are a few things you
should never keep in your wallet. Unfortunately, there were several
of these things in mine, but no more! Checkbook – blank checks
are a thief magnet. Only take the number you will need when heading out to go shopping. Passport – best kept in a safe place at home
unless you are traveling. Password cheat sheet – again, best kept at
home in a safe place. Social security card or Medicare card with social security number on it – thieves can wreak havoc with your identity if they can get your social security number. Spare keys, birth certificates, and old receipts were also on the list. Save yourself as much
aggravation as possible – don’t carry anything with you that you don’t
need. It will save you in the long run! © Susan Tipsord 2012
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SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 4
Brownsville
Parris Hill Farm
Selectively Breeding Exceptional Alpacas
~
The AlpacArt Studio
Fine Alpaca Accessories, Yarn, Toys & Home Furnishings
Linda & Bill Ley
P.O. Box 313 ~ 637 Brownsville Hartland Road
Brownsville, VT 05037
802-484-3200 ~ 802-299-9057 (cell)
alpacas@ParrisHillFarm.com ~ www.ParrisHillFarm.com
Old Shipmates
Are Old Shipmates
Sometimes you need friends so you see the forest for the trees. Though,
perhaps I mean the trees for the traffic.
Eleven years ago my mother and I called our friends, Joachim and Liesel, in
Germany to tell them that my dad had passed away. In a voice thick with sadness, Joachim asked, “will you put him in the earth?”
We answered that he would be buried, Joachim responded, “Good, then I
can go to see him when I come.”
Thus it was that when Joachim and Liesel came to visit last September, the
first place we went together was the cemetery. There a retired ship’s captain
and a dear man whose life’s work was to dispatch ships around the world
were, at least for a moment, reunited upon a sea of green grass dotted with
vessels bearing witness to lives once lived.
As another dear friend once said to me, “Old shipmates are old shipmates.”
While driving along the roads on the way, we shared with Joachim and
Liesel how our city had changed since they had last visited in 1998. What we
heard from them reads like a poem.
“You live in a park.” “Everywhere all is green.” “All the trees, it is like a
forest.” This stanza of praise as we drove down a major thoroughfare during a
hectic time of day.
Our friends live at the tip of northern Germany, and they are surrounded
by water with a historic canal in their town. They are regularly immersed in
beauty. Yet, here they found beauty where we often don’t remember to look.
For the time Joachim and Liesel were here with us, we saw our city and
county through their eyes. It reopened ours to the natural beauty that remains
even with the substantial development in our area.
The night they arrived, Liesel and I were in the kitchen. With gentle relief
she sighed, and then whispered, “all is the same.”
It isn’t, of course, not without my dad, nor in a city and world that is ever
shifting.
But the love is the same.
We reminisced about times together while we sat on the porch and talked.
Joachim and Liesel had just traveled on a cruise through the Great Lakes,
areas where my parents and I had also visited and enjoyed.
One day as my mother, Joachim, and Liesel were downstairs; I was in
the kitchen preparing a batch of cornbread muffins. Their words floated up
through the window. I thought of the tears we’d shed at the cemetery and how
necessary they had been. Just as vital as the joy that also breathed throughout
the house.
I placed the muffin pan in the oven, and I turned to gaze around the kitchen.
The beauty of the past and present melded together.
I set the timer and smiled as it tapped to the laughter dancing upward.
From the Recipe Box:
Wedding Soup
By Lydia E. Harris
1 large can (48 oz) chicken broth
1 envelope chicken noodle soup (prepared as directed)
8 oz. escarole, washed and chopped
1/2 lb. ground meat, uncooked
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup orzo
1 egg
1 T parmesan cheese
Parmesan cheese for topping
Bring the
broth, chicken noodle soup and escarole to
PAGE
5
a boil in a large pot. Form ground meat into tiny balls.
Add tiny uncooked meatballs to soup. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Boil 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add orzo; simmer 30 minutes, or until orzo is tender.
Whisk egg and cheese in a bowl to blend. Gradually
drizzle the egg mixture into the soup, stirring gently
with a fork to form thin stands of egg, cooking about
1 minute. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.
It’s that time again! Time to support our favorite fall sports teams
and pull out all the stop for a tailgate feast. Everything seems to taste
better when enjoyed in the company of family and friends; cheering on your favorite team is just the icing on the cake. Speaking of
cake, why not put cupcakes on your tailgate menu this year? Frosting
flavors and colors can easily be adapted to team colors or the theme
of a party. Easy to transport and enjoyed by adults and kids alike,
cupcakes are a natural addition to any get-together. Cupcakes also
keep well so they can be made the day before if necessary. Try some
different additions and combinations as well. The Ravens fans in my
neck of the woods would love dark chocolate cupcakes with purple
icing! © Susan Tipsord 2012
Tea for Two
Tea With a Two-Year-Old
Tea for two took on new meaning when my husband and I took our twoyear-oldgranddaughter to tea for her second birthday.
“Where’s my tea?” Anna Joy asked from her high chair between us.
“It’s coming,” I said. “It takes a while to make tea.”
Anna turned toward the others coming for tea, smiling at a young couple at
the next table. “Who are those people?”
“People here for tea,” I replied. She seemed to think it was like home,
where you should know everyone and talk to them. Tearooms give that impression with their friendly, homey atmosphere.
Before long, our tea plates arrived. Anna nibbled sandwiches, scones, and
sweets and sipped her tea. She loved it all. While I finished my tea, Anna
hopped on Grandpa’s lap, and he read her a story.
When we got
up to leave, Anna
stopped to smile
and say hi to three
young women
at another table.
“Doesn’t she make
you want to have
kids?” I overheard
one woman say as
we walked past.
for two
Wed-Fri 9 to with
5 Oura tea
two-year-old
Sat 9 to 3 brought joy to others, too.
JULY-AUGUST 2012
Bethel
Holiday Helpers
Servings:
Many
of the 6quilters and crafters I know are busy working on holiday projects right now. It’s hot and summery almost everywhere in
Courtesy of Janice Tosadori, Maryland.
the
country, but it’s Christmas in a lot of workrooms! Now is a great
time to sign up for a class to learn a new skill or improve upon the
skills you may already have, but here is another thought. Do you
have a skill that you can share with others? Perhaps you are a terrific
baker? A master knitter? A skilled jewelry maker? No doubt there
are people that would love to learn from you! Organize a class of your
updates
own. Determine what youLike
wouldus
likefor
to offer,
makeon
yourspecial
own schedlooksenior
at our
covers,
ule, advertise and enjoy! events,
If you areasofirst
inclined,
centers
and
after-school programs are oftenand
looking
for peoplerecipes!
to teach classes.
exclusive
Having a hobby you enjoy is a gift; sharing your hobby or talents with
www.facebook.com/CountryRegisterVT
others can be priceless. © Susan Tipsord 2012
We’re on Facebook!
Garden of Stitches
VT Route 107, 768 South Main St., Bethel, VT
802-234-9965 • www.gardenofstitches.com
Fabrics, Books, Patterns, Kits, Gifts,
Rug Hooking, Cross Stitch and
A Little History
Embroidery Supplies & “Seed Packs”
The term tea for
has been
around
long time. In the eighteenth century,
ourtwo
signature
pre-cut
fabrica bundles
it meant you could buy tea for tuppence (two pence). Since then, Tea for Two
became a movie title and also the lyrics of a song: “Tea for two, and two for
tea. Me for you and you for me, alone!” Today, the expression usually means
sharing a relaxing cuppa’ tea with another person.
Take Two: Tea at Home
Although tea outings are delightful, I also enjoy serving tea in my home.
This week it won’t be tea for two but tea for ten, as we welcome rela-friends
from Virginia, who call me Aunt-TEA Lydia.
Anna Joy will join us and meet second cousins she doesn’t yet know. And
although I hope to prepare the food ahead so no one needs to wait long, I
imagine Anna will again ask, “Where’s my tea?”
After the tea is brewed, sugar cubes will make it sweet. But mostly, it’s the
people who sweeten teatimes.
Whether you enjoy tea for two at home or in a tearoom, I hope you’ll share
a cuppa’ tea with someone soon. I certainly plan to. Won’t you join me?
Do you want to:
• Find out when the newest
issue is being shipped to your
favorite shops?
• Get recipes not printed in
the paper?
• Be reminded of statewide
shows and events?
Lydia E. Harris, M.A., is the author of Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting. Copyright 2012, Lydia E. Harris. No reprint without author’s permission.
Partofofaa quilt ororcraft
guild?
Part
craft
guild?
Contact
out
Contact ususto to
findfind
out how
howyou can get free
you can
get free
of the paper
copies
of copies
the paper
deliveredto
to your
delivered
yourgroup!
group!
SEPT-OCT 2012
Bethel
A Cup of Tea with Lydia
Kerri Habben is a writer, photographer, and local historian in Raleigh, NC.
Tailgate Time
PAGE 5
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Wed-Fri 9 to 5
Sat 9 to 3
VT Route 107, 768 South Main St., Bethel, VT Bring in
802-234-9965 • www.gardenofstitches.com this ad for
10% off your
Fabrics, Books, Patterns, Kits, Gifts,
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From Lydia’s Recipe File:
Shiberecky (Meat Turnovers)
This favorite childhood food that my mother made has become one of our
grandkids’ favorites, too. Although not a traditional tea food, it’s fun to add
something different to the tea menu.
Meat Filling
Combine:
1/2 pound hamburger
2 tablespoons minced
onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup hot water
Dough
Combine:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Cut in:
1/3 cup shortening
Combine and add:
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
Roll dough thin. Put a tablespoon of meat on dough and fold over to cover
meat. Seal edges well. Mom used a glass to cut the dough, which made halfcircle turnovers. I use a large cookie cutter. Fry in skillet at medium temperature. Add oil to prevent sticking. Fry until golden brown and meat is cooked.
Keep warm until ready to serve. Makes approximately 25 to 30 meat turnovers. Serve with catsup if desired.
Do you want to:
• Find out when the newest
issue is being shipped to
your favorite shops?
• Get recipes not printed in
the paper?
• Be reminded of statewide
shows and events?
Join our mailing list!
Sign up on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/CountryRegisterVT
SEPT-OCT 2012
Mad River Valley, Waitsfield
PAGE 6
SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 7
Countrywide
Cooking with the Oldies
Meet the Cover Artist:
Aquaponic Farming: New Twist on Fresh Produce
Laurie Korsgaden
by Barbara Floyd
I am in the land of
abundant fresh fruits and
vegetables this summer with the best yet to
come. Farmer’s markets
and roadside stands will
beckon and offer up a
large variety of enticements. Neighbors and
family beg to have their
cherry trees picked along
with raspberries, blueberries, apricots, etc.
Gardens are growing like
Jack and the Beanstalk.
On my daughter’s
kitchen counter rests a batch of raspberry and a batch of apricot frozen jam,
which goes into the freezer 24 hours after it is made. The next time I make jam I
will add some minced up fresh, hot chili peppers and serve it with cream cheese
and crackers.
The Walla Walla Sweet Onions, in a field just around the corner from where I
am staying in rural Walla Walla, were harvested in a day of backbreaking manual
labor. It is tempting to go glean all that were scattered and left behind. A visit in late May to tour an aquaponic nursery was a new experience for me
in how food can be produced. I found it most fascinating and the end results
amazing. On my summer journey through Oregon and Washington, I paid a visit
to personal friends, Kreg and Angie Boudro in rural Medford, OR, who are into
aquaponics. They are a great example of entrepreneurial and hard working young
adults. The nursery is just one of their many talents and jobs.
What they raise they personally sell
at local farmers markets such as the
Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters
market every Saturday on the Northwest corner of Third Street and Central
Avenue in Medford. They also sell at
the Friday night Hillcrest/Roxy Ann
Winery market and online at roguevalleylocalfoods.com. Kreg, who works
in construction, and Angie, district
conservationist for Jackson Soil and
Water Conservation District, installed
an aquaponic system about a year ago
after seeing it in action in Hawaii.
Four “troughs” between 80 and 100
feet long and 4 feet wide provide the
habitat for about 5,800 plants to grow
under coverings of clear, greenhouse
plastic or shade cloth. There are no
weeds to contend with. Nourishing
the plants are a few hundred sterile,
male tilapia, which munch fish food
and produce solid waste. Oregon law keeps the fish from being sold for food. The
fertilizer settles in a separate trough and gets munched some more by thousands
of red wiggler worms, commonly used in composting. The decomposed, nutrientrich waste flows through a recirculating water system that feeds the plant troughs.
The operation isn’t certified organic, but no chemical pesticides or herbicides
can be applied because they would kill the fish. Simply put, the fish do the certification. Kreg and Angie also grow 7 varieties of strawberries on 8 towers holding almost 800 plants. Their most popular product at farmers market is a custom
round container with holes in it to hold small pots of ready to eat produce. This
concept allows customers to pick leaves from up to nine plants for a couple of
weeks before replenishing them. A freshly filled container looks like a handsome
edible flower arrangement. Now, support your own locale
farmers markets or drive somewhere
to a new market in or out of your
area. Eat tomatoes that taste like the
ones your mother used to raise! Buy
some green tomatoes, slice them
and dip them in beaten egg and
crushed soda crackers and fry until
tender.
Bring back the tastes of your
childhood. Make a rhubarb custard
pie or a berry cobbler. Experiment
with all the fresh herbs. Flavor your
Vermont Adventures with Olive
Destination: Bennington
drinking water with some of the flavored mint herbs. You need never buy premade salad dressings again. My favorite is about half red wine vinegar, half olive
oil, a little salt and pepper and finely minced fresh herbs—basil, oregano, thyme,
some crushed garlic, and the juice of half a lemon. Mix well and toss on your
fresh salads sparingly.
Keep a variety of fresh produce on hand and you can always create a meal. A
hot thin crust pizza cut up into bite sized pieces can be casually laid on top of a
good tangy salad and you have a complete meal.
You can receive more information on where to buy products produced by Rock
Field Farm in Medford or on how to become involved in Aquaponic Farming by
emailing kreg@rockfieldfarms.net or calling Angie at 541-890-4014. Barbara Floyd, Founder of The Country Register, has added a new title of roaming
reporter since retiring from active publishing. This summer finds her in the Northwest
visiting family. At the first sign of chilly weather she will return to the Arizona desert.
barbara@countryregister.com
Have a recipe
you’d like to share?
Send it to
The Country Register at
vermont@countryregister.com
and we’ll use it in
a future issue!
Wow, summer is already over and went by way too fast! The
last few remnants of the hot weather are just starting to dissipate, and the local farmer’s markets are starting to change out
their summer fruits for hearty autumn produce. It was a beautiful summer, but now it’s fall, which is a beautiful season here in
Vermont. The leaves changing color on the trees, the abundance
of hot cider and maple syrup, and the wonderful smells of the
harvest: is there a better time of year? (You’d agree too if you
had a furry coat, summer is just way too hot, and although I like
a good ski trip I can’t stay out in the cold too long without a
break beside the fire!)
This issue, my owners brought me to Bennington, where we
planned to take some pictures of Vermont’s breathtaking fall
foliage. Like our last stop, Bennington offers great areas for
camping, access to state parks, and some great outdoor activities. Biking, hiking, boating and canoeing are all great fall possibilities! I love canoeing: it’s great riding along and looking at
the local wildlife while my owners paddle along (and they can’t
complain that I’m not helping, no opposable thumbs)! I let them
go horseback riding without me though, I don’t care for the idea
of getting thrown by a horse that doesn’t like dogs! If you want
something more historical, Bennington offers a variety of tours,
including walking tours and a driving tour of Bennington’s covered bridges. Personally, I always enjoy a good walk! And don’t
worry if you happen to visit on a rainy day: You can always
spend the afternoon wandering around the Bennington Museum.
After your activities, spend some time in one of Bennington’s
many great restaurants and eateries and do a little shopping.
Local maple products make great gifts for friends and family
back home! And don’t forget: like many of Vermont’s cities and
towns, Bennington has a ton of great autumn events planned,
including Quiltfest!
Laurie was born in Redlands California and enjoyed doing artwork
throughout her childhood. She graduated from Long Beach State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and also minored in medical
illustration.
From 1993 to 2003, she painted and published open edition watercolor images for the wholesale framing industry. She then licensed her
artwork to various manufacturers of gift, textile, and apparel products.
Laurie’s county, folk, seasonal, Americana and gardening products
can be found in retail outlets throughout the world.
In addition to painting, Laurie also enjoys her three children who are
all now in college.
She lives on the Central Coast enjoying the ocean while she creates.
“Painting is my Passion”
Laurie is represented for Licensing by
Linda McDonald Inc., International Licensing Agency, 5200
Park Road, Suite 104, Charlotte, NC 28209 (704)370-0057,
lindam@lindamcdonald.com
Time to Make the Donuts!
Fall is a big time for crafters and craft shows. This
season lends itself so well to decorating and really
gets us in the mood to deck our halls for the holidays. One thing I really enjoy about fall decorating
is using new things every year. Picking up a new
scarecrow at the craft show, traipsing through the
pumpkin patch for just the right pumpkins, picking up apples at the cider mill – these are all things I
look forward to each autumn. A friendly jack-o-lantern or two on the front porch serves as a welcome
to friends and family, and a big bowl of fresh apples
on the counter looks good AND smells good. Check
your Country Register for events in your area. There
are different events for every taste. Speaking of taste,
the donuts at the cider mill are a big draw, too! ©Susan Tipsord 2012
Know a shop that should advertise
in The Country Register?
Let us know! Email us at
vermont@countryregister.com or
message us on facebook
at www.facebook.com/CountryRegisterVT
Or better yet! Let them know about us
and show them a copy of the paper!
SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 8
South Burlington
PAGE 9
Burlington
SEPT-OCT 2012
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Is Found at County Museum
by René Groom
Decorating with Pat
How Not to Decorate
Fall is one of the easiest seasons of the year to decorate your home. It is so
much fun to use Mother Nature to brighten up a room, mantle, shelf, entry way
or door. There is something so warm and cozy about the Fall. After living in
New England for 20 years I looked forward to Fall each year. I looked forward
to changing things in my home for each season and Fall just seemed to come
Naturally. Gourds, Pumpkins, Leaves, vines, wreaths and candles; there are so
many ways to make a room come in line with Fall.
I am sure you probably have some favorite things you use each fall. The
minute the air becomes crisp, we are ready to jump right in. As I was thinking
about writing this article for the Fall, I thought since the Fall is such a fun and
easy time to decorate our homes, lets think about the things that we could be
doing wrong when we decorate. Take a look at the list below that I was able to
compile as I thought about what was NOT GOOD to do when decorating.
DON’Tforget the details
DON’Tuse short curtains
DON’Tcreate a theme room
DON’Tallow ugly anywhere
DON’Thang artwork too high
DON’Tuse tiny accent pillows
DON’Trely on overhead lighting
DON’Topt for style over comfort
DON’Thang chandeliers too high
DON’Tchoose the paint color first
DON’Tuse too many throw pillows
DON’Tsettle for blah if you love bold
DON’Tgroup things in even numbers
DON’Tuse an area rug that is too small
DON’Tchoose furniture that doesn’t fit
DON’Tuse too many patterns and prints
DON’Tlet someone make choices for you
DON’Tignore the focal point of your room
DON’Tpush all the furniture against the walls
DON’Tmake your favorite color the main color
DON’Tput out all your collectibles - less is more
DON’Tkeep things because you think you should
DON’Tbuild barriers (like a chair in front of a door)
DON’Tdecorate with family heirlooms whether you like them or not
If you could use some help while decorating your home this fall, be sure
and visit some of the great shops that advertise in The Country Register. They
will be glad to give you some great ideas for that mantle or entryway. You can
also browse the pages of our new Fall/Winter Catalog at www.athome.com/
patdempsey and while you are there, don’t forget to shop the ATTIC for some
great deals.
Pat Dempsey, Sr. Executive Director, AtHome America
County Museums are among the most unsung “heroes” in today’s tourism economy.
Almost forgotten in some cases, they still remind us of our roots and help us reconnect
with those who came before, who settled the area, named our communities, and often
times, established the traits for which we, as communities, are “known.” All too often,
County Museums are under-financed and under-staffed, operated by local, caring citizens,
who volunteer their time and know the importance of keeping the connection with our
roots.
These little gems hold many of the answers to questions about the counties that we
choose to call home—things like, “How did we get our name?” and, “Why here?”
Many County Museums are associated with local Historic Societies whose members
add Art and Culture to the community. They are not only historians, but also authors,
photographers, artists and decorated community members and each can be a wealth
of information for anyone who chooses to ask the questions. Often times they are also
instrumental in supporting local activities that remind us of all those heirloom skills, such
as quilting, canning and even plowing.
With the resurgence of Junking and Antiquing and finding new uses for old vintage
items, County Museums can be a good place to start understanding the original use and
history of items, such as feed sacks and milk glass, for example.
If you are looking to understand an area better, to understand its people more, or if you
are thinking about jumping into the vintage world, may I suggest that you first become
familiar with your area’s Historical Society and County Museums. Visiting the County
Museum is an activity that is fun and interesting to all age groups and you will find the
volunteers friendly, knowledgeable and dare I say, in some cases, colorful.
In a recent trip to Grant County, Washington, where I grew up, I did exactly. I was surprised at the things I did not know—things that gave me a new perspective into this place
that I thought I knew so well. Just a few blocks from where I live is the Benton County,
WA, Museum. It’s funny how sometimes we can get so used to seeing something that we
forget to stop in to take a moment to reconnect or to learn something new, or for that matter, to volunteer.
To me it seems that we cannot totally understand the present without understanding our
past. So, while we all take in the many Junking activities that are sprouting up all around
us, I would challenge each of us to visit our local County Museums and take just a moment to reconnect.
René Groom is a freelance writer and public speaker who loves to share her adventures, misadventures and the amazing people she meets down life’s dusty trails. She and her husband, Tom,
make their home in Prosser. She is the mom of four amazing men. Some of her stories can be found
at www.adventureswithdusty.blogspot.com.
www.vintageinspired.net
From the Recipe Box:
Mom’s Award Winning Sauce
6 T light butter or margarine
¼ lb. diced ham
6 T flour
½ lb. lean ground meat
2 cups milk
½ can peas
1 c light cream
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 t. salt
½ cup parmesan cheese
3 ½ cups (your favorite red) spaghetti sauce
Melt butter on low heat. Stir in flour. Remove from heat.
Add milk and cream. Beat until smooth. Cook on high
heat, stirring constantly. Boil. Reduce heat and simmer
2 – 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add salt, nutmeg,
spaghetti sauce, parmesan cheese, ham, ground meat and
peas. Heat through. Serve over linguine.
SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 10
Stowe
Quilting With Barbara
...Read Any Good Books Lately?
by Barbara Conquest
The Country Register of Vermont’s
Moose Sighting
Photo Contest
I got dolphins off the coast of Key West. Bear in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and on a trip through Yellowstone. A whole herd of buffalo, countless
deer and fox, and the crowning jewel, a pair of huge sea turtles off the
coast of Hawaii.
I have yet to photograph a moose in the wild. I’m almost convinced
that they’re one of those stories that locals tell the tourists and I just never
got clued in. The amount of back roads I travel, many through beautiful
landscapes, should have promised me a moose sighting by now, but no
such luck.
It’s become a joke between Chris and I, mainly because he does most of
the long-distance driving in our house while I sleep like a rock in the passenger seat. A typical occurrence sounds like this:
Him: Wake up! Wake up, there’s a moose!
Me (groggily): Where!?!
Him: Oops, that was just a tree, but since you’re up do you mind taking
a turn behind the wheel?
I still fall for it every time, in part because I know with my luck one of
these days he’ll probably see one while driving along and I’ll completely
miss it.
Unless, of course, they really are a tourist myth.
Readers, that’s where you come in. See, I’m not completely convinced.
Therefore, we’re holding a photo contest: send us your best moose photo
from anywhere in Vermont, for a chance to win a free subscription for
2013 as well as having your photo included in our Jan-Feb issue.
Please send entries via email to Vermont@countryregister.com or in
the mail to 5804 Whiterose Way, New Market, MD 21774 (Attn: Moose
Photo Contest).
Entries must be received by November 1st, 2012 will be judged by the publishers and also posted on our Facebook page for readers favorite.
Have you noticed? Days are beginning later and ending earlier. The alwayslate willows are turning colour. There’s a crispness in the air and thoughts of
even the diehard gardeners among us are turning to indoor pursuits – in many
cases, quilting. But not necessarily the same-old, same-old. Quilters looking for
new projects and techniques might want to investigate a growing trend – “modern” piecing and quilting.
It may appear obvious that any quilt made recently using a rotary cutter, a sewing machine, and possibly a longarm is modern, but the phrase “modern quilting”
refers to quite a different process and product. “Modern” quilters emphasize
colour, line and texture. What’s modern about that? All quilts employ colour,
line and texture, don’t they?
However, modern quilt projects differ in their interpretation of these. The quilters use graphic designs. Colours are bright, and appear in unexpected combinations. Solids predominate; in fact the majority of modern quilts are completely
comprised of solids. Shapes are irregular and seem to be placed randomly,
although that’s not always the case. These quilts are unpredictable, and no two
are the same, meaning there are no “patterns of the month.” They are usually
designs original to the piecer. Precision piecing may or may not be part of the
process. The quilting still enhances the top, but its main function is to provide
texture. Dense quilting is the norm, and parallel lines – straight or otherwise –
predominate. Many could be described as art quilts without the bling.
And now we come to the books...if you wish to investigate modern quilting
further, look at some new publications. We Love Color; Iconic Quilt Designers Create With Kona Solids compiled by Susanne Woods (Stash Books, C&T
Publishing, 2012) would be a good first choice. The text is informative, and
colour illustrations are plentiful and easily understood. Free-Motion Quilting;
Choose and Use Quilting Designs for Modern Quilts by Angela Walters (Stash
Books, C&T Publishing, 2012) is a gem, again with clear text and illustrations. A
new magazine, “Quilty” (summer 2012 issue No. 1) has a light-hearted approach
which will appeal especially to younger readers, and even the venerable “Quilters
Newsletter” (August-September 2012 issue) features five modern quilters. Sliver
Quilts by Lisa O’Neill (C&T Publishing, 2012) presents other aspects of making modern quilts. All these publications are worth more than a second glance,
and if they whet your interest consider attending the inaugural conference of the
Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon, in Austin TX in February. (Well, we can dream,
can’t we?)
On our summer travels I was pleased to find two books by favourite authors.
Jane Hardy Miller has done it again with a third “braid” book, French Braid
Transformation (C&T Publishing, 2012), just as innovative as her previous two,
French Braid Quilts and French Braid Obsession. Karla Anderson has taken her
shuffle-the-deck technique to a new level in Color Shuffle (Martingale, 2009)
Some of the quilts therein, notably “Shaken Not Stirred,” tend toward the modern; others are more traditional in appearance. Lerlene Nevaril (Hidden Block
Quilts, 2002 and Crowning Glories, 2001) considers and illustrates the use of
dark backgrounds in Midnight Quilts (C&T Publishing, 2012) with stunning
results. The Gallery of Quilts at the back of the book is inspirational, and the
eleven projects in the book are sensational. Try one – or more!
All the publications above are worth your perusal, or perhaps a home in your
quilting library. Have a look at them, be inspired, and give yourself permission
to start a new and different project this fall.
Barbara Conquest is owner of BlueSky Quilting in Tofield, Alberta, Canada.
Ancient Chinese Secret
Need a good idea for leftovers? How about some fried
rice? My family loves rice so when we have it for dinner,
I always make extra to make fried rice later in the week.
It’s so easy and a great way to use up leftover meat and
vegetables. Sauté some diced onion and red or green pepper in butter. When sautéed to your liking, add leftover
rice and stir-fry on low. Add chopped leftover vegetables,
such as zucchini, peas, carrots, or broccoli, as well as
diced cooked chicken, pork or beef. Season to taste with
soy sauce, salt & pepper. Just before ready to serve, make
a space in the skillet and add an egg or two. Scramble the
egg and mix into the fried rice mixture. Warm, filling,
economical and a great way to use up what’s in the refrigerator!
© Susan Tipsord 2012
PAGE 11
Shelburne
SEPT-OCT 2012
Become Inspired!
Decorating, Entertaining and Living
in the Early American Style with Milltown
Primitives, LLC
My father tells me that when I was a baby I was rocked in an early 18th century cradle
by noted antiques dealer, John Walton. That could have done it. When I was little I
can remember my parents would often cook hearthside in our keeping room dressed in
colonial attire. Maybe that did it. As a teen I preferred decorating my bedroom with an
antique spinning wheel and lamps I would make myself using stoneware jugs I found at
Brimfield. Yes, it’s official. Antiques are in my blood.
I absolutely love antiques and I guess I always have. From the age of fifteen I have
been buying and selling them and the journey to the ever-changing world of antiques
has provided me with the ongoing joy of
learning and discovery. My parents were
the source of my early inspiration. They
lovingly restored a 1703 saltbox house in
northeastern Connecticut to its original form
and they collected early antiques to create
a home setting of comfort and simplicity
while honoring the history behind each
piece.
My father, a captivating storyteller, would
often weave tales about their latest finds and
without even knowing it, my brother and I
were being schooled in colonial history, and
we loved every minute of it.
When I was in high school my mother
began displaying some of her antiques and
herbal wreaths in a local antiques shop. I can
recall that time as being the “spark” that ignited my entrepreneurial spirit. I was thrilled
to be her partner as we decorated with and learned about our found pieces of the past.
Since that time I have continued to delight in the quest for antiques and have become
even more enamored with early pieces. One day my enthusiasm for primitives brought
me to one particular shop that has been inspiring me ever since, Milltown Primitives. I
was on a day trip with my family and I am not sure how it even began, but my conversation with owner, Robin Rock, quickly turned to the realization that we shared a love of
all things primitive as well as an interest in preserving the past. Robin’s shop is unique in
that it features antiques and quality reproductions artfully displayed in room settings that
truly bring you back in time and offers a full shopping experience that genuinely inspires!
From the aged walls and simple sophistication of the vignettes, to the ambiance of the
early lighting and colonial music, Milltown Primitives captivated me and it was shortly
after this visit that I began selling my primitive wares in this early colonial setting.
It felt like I was coming full circle. I was returning to those precious early days of my
childhood when I would look upon an early basket and wonder what stories it had to
tell. It brought back the excitement of my teen years when I found the “perfect piece”
to complement my mother’s colonial display. Milltown Primitives is like coming home.
The shop’s emphasis on early American antiques and accessories does exactly what a
great antique shop should do, it gives one’s soul a glimpse into the past while igniting an
enthusiasm for creating a similar oasis of one’s very own.
Whether you want to enhance your own home or build more simplicity into your daily
life, we want to invite you to join us in our new column. We look forward to giving you,
the country shopper, a fresh perspective on early American decorating, entertaining and
living. Come along with us in future issues as we share the joys of time-tested traditions,
early American style and decorating with history. We hope to inspire you to deepen your
own experience with antiques, all while preserving history, one treasured piece at a time.
For further information and inspirational photos Facebook us at Milltown Primitives,
LLC.
Annice Bradley Rockwell is an educator and owner of Pomfret Antiques. She is currently working on her book, New England Girl. NewEnglandGirl2012@hotmail.com
Robin Rock is the owner of Milltown Primitives. www.milltownprimitvesshop.com
Fall
into some
amazing
shops!
SEPT-OCT 2012
Building Harmony
The Monsters of Harmony
By Jeff Cappis
It was nighttime and a coldish autumn
wind blew into Harmony Acres. I was
making my way up the hill from the
house to the woodshed. A full moon
shawn behind the twisted and grotesque,
leafless trees of the forest, but it did
light my way. I’m always nervous about
going out at night, (for some reason
especially that night), but the house was
cooling and the fireplace always adds a
nice secure warmth. So, my wife Cathy
sent me out.
I could hear bare branches clacking
together. Off in the distance (in almost
all directions), I could hear coyotes
howling. This kind of unhinged me.
As I listened some more, I could hear a
crunch - crunch - crunch, as if something large was slowly walking around
out there, over the dead brush. It was
a ways away, but I decide not to waste
any time so up the hill to the wood
shed I began. The frosting, dead grass
cracked under my feet. I could see my
breath.
I convinced myself that it wasn’t for any fear that I should move things along, but only
to get back in from the cold, so I ran up the hill. When a single cloud passed before the
moon, everything went dark just long enough for me to trip over a log and fall into the
wood pile. I screamed, then the moonlight returned.
For a moment I sat there and nervously laughing at my involuntary outburst. “Just get
the wood, go back to the house,” I began thinking to myself. As I loaded up my right arm
with wood, I heard a new sound. A hiss. I stopped and nervously looked around. Nothing.
I began grabbing more wood. The hiss returned, but louder this time. I tried to reassure
myself that it was just the wind. “ Just get the wood... just get the wood.” It returned
again and this time with a low growl.
Just as I was thinking “just get the wood,” the moon went dark again. Something
jumped on my head and dug it’s claws into my scalp! I dropped the wood. It hissed, I
screamed. I tried to knock it off with a piece of wood I had in my left hand. It jumped. I
hit myself in the forehead.
When the moonlight returned, I was on the ground with the firewood all around me. I
looked just in time to see a small cat running off into the darkness.
“Just get the wood,” I said to myself and I began feverishly picking it all up. Then I
heard it again. Crunch - crunch - crunch. It was getting closer. I stopped. I looked. To add
to the sound, there was an orb of light floating around - and coming towards me!
“Screw the wood!” I ran down the hill towards the house. The crunch - crunch - crunch
and the light were getting closer! I reached for the door knob. Crunch - crunch - crunch. It
was locked! Crunch - crunch - crunch. I banged on the door. The orb was getting brighter.
I wrench at the knob. Crunch - crunch - crunch. I put my back to the door in terror and
prepared for what ever ungodly creature I was about to meet. Then it said“Hello. Have you seen my cat?”
It was Renee. My six-foot-six neighbor. He had a flashlight. I was never so relieved in
my life! I slid down the door laughing (almost hysterically) to myself. Renee didn’t seem
to understand what was going on, so I told him about all that had just happened.
“My gosh,” he said, “you’re a wreck. I’m sorry if I scared you. I know these forests
at night can be kind of spooky, but I assure you there is nothing whatsoever to be scared
about. He put his big hand on my shoulder. “Look at me. Steady as a rock.” We both had
a good laugh.
Then suddenly, his flashlight went dead. The moon went dark.Renee screamed. The
coyotes began to howl again. After that, all I heard was lot of crunching back into the
forrest with a six-foot-six shadowy figure running back to his house.
PAGE 12
PAGE 13
Political Terms Word Scramble
Unscramble the words. Key is below.
01.
sbsolmaiut
the principle or the exercise of complete and unrestricted power
in government
02.
asfmics
a totalitarian governmental system that emphasizes nationalism
and racism and is led by a dictator
03.
narhiasct
one who seeks to overturn, by violence, society and
government, with no intention of establishing another orderly
system
04.
reinspcosh suppressing books, plays, music, newspapers, speech, etc.
because they are considered morally or politically objectionable
05.
rtsvneocaeiv represented by the political right
06.
alsicmitpa
an economic system in which investment in and ownership of
the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is
made and maintained by private individuals.
07.
deugbt
an itemized estimate of expected income and expense and a
plan of operation based on such an estimate
08.
syisudb
aid given by a government to a private commercial enterprise, a
charity organization, etc.
09.
otryhe
a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation
10.
citnaemehpm a formal accusation in Congress or state legislature against a
public official and the resulting trial
11.
ismimenf
12.
onoitimlsias a policy of national isolation by abstention from alliances and
other international political and economic relations
13.
kdneub
to expose a sham or falseness by presenting a truthful
explanation
14.
iecfdti
the amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required
amount
15.
ibnlaerirat
promotes tolerance, free will, and small government
16.
abinect
a council advising a sovereign, president, etc.
17.
amrsmix
the basis for the theoretical principles of communism
18.
aratgivs
high seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of
a subject)
19.
bilreal
represented by the political left
20.
urbaraeucyc officials using fixed rules and a hierarchy of authority
characterized by red tape, delay or inaction
the doctrine of advocating social and political rights for women
equal to those of men
1. absolutism, 2. fascism, 3. anarchist, 4. censorship, 5. conservative, 6. capitalism, 7. budget, 8. subsidy,
9. theory, 10. impeachment, 11. feminism, 12. isolationism, 13. debunk, 14. deficit, 15. libertarian,
16. cabinet, 17. marxism, 18. gravitas, 19. liberal, 20. bureaucracy
Send Me Your Sides
One of my favorite holidays is just around the corner – I love Thanksgiving! For me, it’s really all about family and the shopping, but I
digress. I also LOVE side dishes. Turkey is all right and pumpkin pie
is passable, but the sides are where you’ll find me. Potatoes, cranberries, vegetables – I love them all! If you have a fantastic side dish that
your family would not sit down to Thanksgiving dinner without, I
want to hear about it. Please send me your recipe and its story, if it
has one, to Susan@countryregisteronline.com. Not only will I make
it and love it, you may see it in a future edition of The Country Register! © Susan Tipsord 2012
Countrywide
SEPT-OCT 2012
From the Recipe Box:
Grandma’s Stuffed Cabbage
1 head cabbage
1 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked rice (should equal amount
of beef)
Onion
Salt & pepper
Ketchup
2 can tomato soup
1 can water
Cut out cabbage core. Boil in water until soft. Cut
thick vein off each piece of cabbage. Mix together
beef, rice, onion, salt, pepper and ketchup. Fill each
cabbage leaf with beef mixture and roll, heavy side
first. Place rolls in roaster. Mix tomato soup and water, and pour over rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for
1 – 1 1/2 hours.
Servings: 4
Random Acts
Seasoned to Perfection
by Maranda K. Jones
In my perfect season, I need a jacket and socks. A soft, comfortable, hooded sweatshirt
would be just right, but my down coat would be too warm. In my perfect season, the sky is blue, the air is crisp, and the sun is filtered by clouds. Only a
few flurries are swirling around my stocking hat, which I’m wearing more for
looks than for warmth. Evenings are chilly, and the crackling fire is sweet music to my ears. Warming my toes near the blaze’s glow, hot chocolate warms
my soul while my tongue is equally sweetened by cocoa and marshmallows.
In my perfect season, spices of pumpkin pie and cinnamon are the scent of
pure happiness.
In my perfect season, a palette of mustard, green, and a hint of purple set
the autumnal scene. In my perfect season, leaves are golden and cheerily
falling to the ground below. Threatening snow hangs overhead while we rake
up leaves to play football in our yard. Bright orange trash bags with faces
of crooked toothed smiles and triangular eyes house those piles and invite
haunts or less menacing visitors celebrating the harvest. In my perfect season,
pumpkins, corn, squash, and scarecrows abound amidst the football games of
plenty.
In my perfect season, my family sits on hay bales in a horse drawn wagon.
We are led down a dirt road by two strong horses, Peach and Fool ‘er. Their
driver, an older man in a painter’s cap whose name escapes me, smells of
whiskey yet confidently takes the reins. We listen to the hooves beat a rhythm
for the stories my dad and uncles share with their wives and daughters. The
pastures pass along, as many stories as blades of grass, and we make our
rounds over our grandfather’s old stomping grounds.
There’s the hill where my dad was thrown from a horse, not once, but twice,
because dusting off and getting back on the horse is not optional. Our afternoon ride ended when the dusting off turned into plucking cactus needles out
of Dad’s back. And there’s the steep downhill road where I learned to drive
the old green and white Ford even though I had yet to master the stick shift.
We ride past my great grandmother’s house, where my parents played
cards just yesterday, or so it seems. Thirty years later, the place is now sitting desolate on the prairie, still standing enough to support the aged wood.
The steps that we ran in and out on are now worn and sagging and splintered
and rotting. The mountains to the west hold up the sun that shines through
the nonexistent windows, an eerie glow into what once partook there in its
livelier days. One might mistake it for a haunted house.
We ride past the field where my aunt and uncle were married, riding to their
nuptials on horseback, following us with our feet hanging over the edge of
that straw covered flatbed trailer. I remember my aunt’s wedding dress settled
a top the saddle and my uncle’s cowboy hat and bolo tie. My cousins and I
filled our jean pockets with rocks, and all five of us girls gathered in the small
bathroom to compare collections. Soon after, my uncle knocked needing to
use the facilities, frightening us to pieces, and our rocks went tumbling and
the groom went grumbling.
After, we gathered at the local legion hall for a dance, where I two-stepped
with all the men in my life, my dad, my uncles, and my grandpa. We visited
in velvet red chairs that still sit under the mural of the American and Colorado
flags. Even at ten years old, I took it all in. I sat there knowing this was a moment to remember, an important place to our family. Little did I know I would
have more important moments in this very same building. My grandpa’s funeral. My wedding reception. An ending and a beginning. My train of thought
derailed as moments of my life continue to circle.
All of a sudden, my grandma smacked my cheek. Hard. I did not remember
saying anything smart, but know for certain I did after. “What’d you do that
for?!” She then showed me her hand covered in mosquito glory.
In my perfect season, there are no mosquitoes, just swarms of tradition to
buzz in my ears.
SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 14
Classifieds
Piecing Life Together
by Barbara Polston
I Need a Mulligan!
Although not a golfer, I am familiar with the
term “mulligan” - a “do over.” According to the
rules of golf, mulligans are not legal; they are
“agreed upon” by tournament sponsors or players
shooting a friendly round. I find myself in need of
a mulligan...or two.
I’ve conceived of a new quilting class that I’m
anxious to add to my offerings. The class builds
on another and has been requested by a number
of students. While the class outline is ready, a
class sample needs to be made. Rightfully so; it’s
difficult for students to be excited about taking a
class when that can’t visualize what they will be
making.
The new class is based on my painted appliqué.
All my painted and fabric elements are done and
ready to be stitched. The background fabric is at
the ready. With these preparations, my first step
was to stitch down a lovely vintage linen piece
to the background fabric. Painted roses, stems and leaves would be appliquéd over the
top of that. The sewing wouldn’t take long and then, with a photo of the top, I hoped to
convince a partner to design and execute the quilting.
It took me an hour to stitch down the vintage linen...and two hours to rip out all the
stitches! When I finished stitching, the linen didn’t lay flat against the background fabric,
but puckered up. Quite unattractive! Who would want to make a project with a sample
like that? Mulligan!
Some mistakes can be fixed by taking a mulligan. Rather than take the penalty strokes
for your shot landing in the water, if all the players agree, a mulligan can set your game
back on the right course. Ripping out the stitches and sewing again results in a nice flat
fabric surface and a lovely finished project.
Sadly, some mistakes can’t be fixed by taking a mulligan. In writing and editing work,
if a mistake slips through - meaning it’s in print and delivered to readers - there’s no mulligan to be had. Yes, an apology can be made and a correction printed, but that’s hardly
what any editor wants to have happen. We’re detail oriented folks and, because we know
our product so well, we call upon others to verify everything before we tell the printer to
go ahead. I’ve needed a mulligan in my editing life this week. I’m dismayed that I, and
all my proof readers, missed this mistake. No mulligan!
I’m heartened by the words of Mary Pickford. “If you have made mistakes,” she said,
‘even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the
falling down but the staying down.”
So, I’m back up on my feet, taking another chance, and using this as a learning experience. I’m happy though that, sometimes, you can take a mulligan!
Classifieds
Looking for Artisans or
Crafters for your event?
Place a classified ad here in the
Country Register & Get two
months of advertising for $30!
Call 443-243-1118 or email
vermont@countryregister.com
for more information.
Deadline for the Sept-Oct issue
is August 1st
Have A
Website?
Your ad could be here!
Call 443-243-1118 or email
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for more information.
Deadline for the Sept-Oct
issue is August 1st
©Barbara Polston, Phoenix, AZ, August 2012
Barbara Polston is a writer by vocation and a quilter by avocation. You can see Barbara’s quilts,
join her on facebook, or book her class and lecture offerings at www.barbarapolston.com. She is
the Editor of The Quilting Quarterly, the Journal of The National Quilting Association, Inc., and
serves on the Board of the Association of Pacific West Quilters. Barbara, who has lived in Phoenix,
Arizona for over 20 years, is calmly quilting in Studio Narnia.
The Costume Conundrum
I think I may be the most disastrous costume mom
ever. Some people look forward to creating their
children’s Halloween costumes each year, but I am
NOT that mom! Fortunately, I have a teenager who
WILL be that mom some day and she has hooked me
up with a new website, www.Pinterest.com. I’m sure
many of you are familiar with this somewhat new
website, but if you’re not, check it out. Not only will
you find great costume ideas this time of year, but
you’ll also find new recipes, home organization ideas
and fashion statements. Pinterest is an on-line pin
board for you to organize all of the things you want
to do or try and it is completely customizable. Best of
all, you won’t want to crawl into the closet when your
child looks to you for costume creation! © Susan
Tipsord 2012
PAGE 15
SEPT-OCT 2012
Directory
Confessions Of A Fabric Junkie
The Japanese Quilt
by Rose Estes
Two years ago I began an exhibition
and sale of vintage Japanese kimonos at
my gallery in the tiny oceanfront town of
Seal Rock, Oregon, innocently enough.
Although my son thought the idea insane, it
has always been my belief that beauty does
not need a major city in order to exist and
that people who are drawn to it will find it,
wherever it is. Even in Seal Rock. And that
proved to be the case.
The original plan had been to simply
showcase the incredible kimonos, haoris
(kimono jackets) and obi (wide sashes)
and move on to something else once they
were sold. But that didn’t happen. Instead,
I found myself addicted to the amazing
diversity created by long dead artisans. Research told me that some methods of dying
and weaving are still not fully understood.
While I have been able to resist buying more kimonos (except for the occasional
piece that demands to be acquired and will not leave my brain until I’ve done so), I’ve
contented myself with purchasing the panels of kimonos that have found their way to
market. Here one can find examples of the beauty of the whole kimono in a more workable form. All panels are woven in 14-inch widths and are various lengths—whatever can
be salvaged from a kimono that has reached the end of its useful life. Little to nothing is
wasted.
But even here, danger lurks, and it has been hard to resist even these smaller pieces,
which is how I came to have more than 800 panels. Though, thankfully, others are also
unable to resist their beauty and they sell daily through the website (www.hausergallery.
com).
At times, I gather a color related group together and cut them into quilt packs and one
day a quilter asked me if the Japanese made quilts. I didn’t know the answer nor could
I find anything in any of my books other than modern quilts made outside of Japan. So
I went to my old standby, eBay. I’ve learned that if something exists sooner or later one
will find it on eBay. I found nothing but left a search in place and one day an item appeared in my e-mail. The listing was for a Japanese quilt but the seller admitted that she
had bought it at an estate sale and for all she knew, it could be Chinese or even Indian. I
couldn’t tell either and decided not to enter a bid. But the image lodged in my head and
refused to be ignored so in the end, I entered a bid (the only one) and won the auction for
the asking price of $100.00.
When it arrived, I was deeply disappointed. It was joined by crude stitches and the
heavy green gold silk was fragile and shattered at
the touch. The only part of it that I found of interest
was nine squares of a heavier, rougher material in
a shade of dusty rose. There were images stenciled
on each square, a figure on some, an unknown
script on others, several had a combinations of
both. I could not tell what I was looking at. I didn’t
think it was Chinese but Indian seemed as likely as
Japanese. And then the eBay search kicked out another possibility. This piece was similar but much
newer and here for the first time, I learned the word
“kesa.”
Further research told me that the kesa was a simple, rectangular toga-like garment that is the most
typical and significant part of a Buddhist priest’s
dress and has essentially remained unchanged since
its beginnings in the early centuries of Japanese
Buddhism dating from the sixth century. Kesa
were classified into general categories according
to the number of columns that were created by
placing vertical dividing strips of cloth extending
from the upper to the lower borders. Each column
was internally divided by one or more horizontal
strips, depending on the total number of columns
in the kesa, thus creating a patchwork effect. A border and four decorative corner pieces
complete the robe, which was worn over the left shoulder and wrapped around the body.
The open front of the robe is held close to the body by the monk’s thumb, which is placed
into a loop in the inside of the robe. The seven-column kesa is the one most widely worn
by members of all sects for formal ceremonies, including worship of the deity, reading of
sutras, and attendance at lectures on texts.
In Japan, it was believed that the donation of robes to the clergy was a meritorious act,
and from an early date, monks favored robes made of the most sumptuous brocades. The
patchwork construction was maintained as a reminder of its more humble origins, when
kesa were made from discarded pieces of old cloth.
The kesa itself can be considered as a mandala, a Sanskrit term for a symbolic rendering of the universe. The four corner squares represent the four cardinal directions, the
center column symbolizes the Buddha, and the two flanking squares are his attendants.
While kesa are unfamiliar to those not a part of the Buddhist community, they are in the
collections of many museums outside of Japan. Five U.S. museums have holdings of
100 kesa or more (MFA Boston, RISD, Metropolitan Museum, Yale University and the
Nelson-Atkins Museum).
The kesa I possess was definitely sumptuous brocade at one time and probably dates
to the end of the 18th century according to textile experts whom I’ve consulted. It is
extremely rare and worth far more than the price I paid for it. In recent auctions, newer,
less impressive kesa quilts have sold for around $600.00. But for me, the value isn’t in
its rarity, but in the thought of its history, imagining the tiny monk who once wore it, the
long vanished scent of incense and the whispered echo of chanting.
Rose Estes owns The Hauser Gallery in Seal Rock on the Central Oregon coast. For information,
go to www.hausergallery.com, email info@hauser.com or call 541-563-5232.
Directory
1. Bennington...............................pg 3
2. Bethel.........................................pg 5
3. Brownsville...............................pg 4
4. Burlington.................................pg 9
5. Mad River Valley......................pg 6
6. Shelburne.................................pg 11
7. South Burlington.....................pg 8
8. Stowe........................................pg 10
9. Waitsfield..................................pg 6
Countrywide......................pgs 7 & 13
Classifieds....................................pg 14
4
6
8
7
9
2
3
1
SEPT-OCT 2012
PAGE 16
Football Filler-Upper!
It’s football season! Whether you tailgate at the stadium
or celebrate at home, one important aspect of supporting
your favorite team is feeding the fans! Crisp cool autumn
nights call for warm and filling football food so it’s a good
time to pull out the slow cooker. You can put this dip
together in under 10 minutes, and in 2 hours you’ll have a
hot cheesy dip that disappears with adults and kids alike.
Adjust the heat to your liking by adjusting the amount of
jalapeno peppers. Enjoy! ©Susan Tipsord 2012
Crock Pot Chicken Nachos
16 oz. light Velveeta, cubed
1 14 oz. can Ro*Tel (diced tomatoes with green chile peppers), drained
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. diced onion
2 T. taco seasoning mix
2 c. chopped cooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T. chopped jalapeno peppers (opt.)
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low,
stirring occasionally, about 1 ½ -2 hrs. or until completely
melted and heated through. Serve over tortilla chips or as
a dip.
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