Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September 2016 i Country

Every year my dreams of fall begin in mid-August. Summer is still in its prime, my kids are outside having a ball (right), and I’m in the midst of harvesting the bounty from my garden. It’s all wonderful, but at this point I’m ready for a taste of crisper air, fall flavors and brilliant foliage. So in this issue we have a mix of summer and fall to share with you. Our ode to summer begins on page 20 with Robin Sizemore’s playhouse. Her dad built one for her one summer in the late 1970s. It was a place where she indulged her imagination and made lasting memories. Thirty years later, Robin and her dad enlisted her kids to build a new modern playhouse. It’s a space Robin and…

“We live on a dairy farm in western Chester County. Our son, Dustin, age 3, loves to run and play all over the farm, and the kittens are his favorite playmates,” says Andrea Smoker of Parkesburg, Pennsylvania. “He chased this one up onto a tractor tire.” It looks like this tiny furball could use a break, or maybe a nice catnap. CARE TO SHARE? Show us the glory in your neck of the woods. Learn how to share a photo and caption in our guidelines on page 66!…

After my husband, Jim, lost his longtime job, we pooled all our resources and started a trucking company together. I handled the billing and taxes and kept the books, while Jim dispatched the trucks and arranged the loads. Our profit depended upon keeping the trucks running around the clock. The winter of 2013-‘14 was brutal. Temperatures fell to 17 below zero during the daytime, and snowfall was measured in feet. After a short period of success, our tender start-up began to fail. We continued to pour our time and money into it, but after fuel, taxes and driver’s wages, we had nothing left for ourselves. A failing business is easy to spot: Our drivers saw that we were struggling to pay for fuel, friends and relatives saw that we didn’t…

STEP 1: PLAN IT OUT Think about what you might want to do in it, and make a list: Will you want a desk or a couch? Will you want chairs or just cushions on the floor? Will you want a place to store or hide stuff, or a secret exit? Write these things down. Then think about how many people you might want to invite inside and how much space you'll need for them. STEP 2: BIG OR SMALL? Check the site to see if your clubhouse will fit. With a tape measure, check the actual size on the ground if you need to. You might have to make the clubhouse square-shaped or maybe 4 feet wide and 12 feet long to fit a tight space. STEP 3: DOORS…

Fancy Moo-neuvering When my son was about 4 years old we stopped at a drive-through dairy to buy some milk. I ordered a bottle, and while we were waiting Chad asked where milk comes from. I explained that milk comes from cows. He thought about that for a minute, looking at the small bottles of cream, and then asked, “Mama, how do the cows sit on those little bottles?” Darlene McFadden HIGHLAND, CALIFORNIA A High-Tech Lil’ Tike My granddaughter Taylor, 3, is up-to-date on technology. This was evident in the way she asked her mother if she could visit me. “Mommy, please text Grandma and ask if her friend Taylor can come over to play.” Marianne Fosnow FORT MILL, SOUTH CAROLINA Thunder Boomers Last spring, I was in the backyard…

It’s an…ox yoke fastener! Part of it looks like calipers, part looks like a screwdriver. But the whole thing turns out to be a pin from an ox yoke. In a traditional yoke, a wooden beam is placed across the necks of two animals. Next, starting with one ox, a U-shaped piece is brought up from underneath its neck. The two “legs” of this piece come up through holes in the beam. If you were to get that far and then let go, the U-shaped piece would fall on the ground. But if an ox yoke fastener is clipped through and around one of the “legs,” the pieces are held in place. David said to thank all the folks from near and far who responded. “It was great to find…

I asked my 77-year-old mother, Lois, to accompany me last summer on a road trip through northern New England, where quaint, narrow back roads weave in and out of secluded historic small towns, and towering green giants and rolling grassy hillsides frame long stretches of highway. We would be traveling to see my daughter, Caitlin, who was working in New Hampshire for the summer. The trip would take us from western Massachusetts through the peaceful countryside of Vermont and on to the glorious mountain ranges of Franconia, New Hampshire. Our excursion would include dining out, shopping, light hiking and, we hoped, a few laughs. Once we hit the road, our discussions touched on family eccentricities, childhood memories and current events. Every so often our conversation slowed as we took in…

Grandma loved movies, but her Baptist parents forbade them. Every Saturday, her family went to town for provisions that they couldn’t grow on the farm. The children were supposed to eat lunch at Lutz’s drugstore while their parents shopped. But instead, Grandma and her sister Nellie took their quarters and sneaked away to a show. “Our stomachs grumbled, but oh, was it worth it,” she recalled. In 1934, Grandma spent the summer with her cousin, Cat Johnson. On Friday nights, the two teenagers would pretend to go to bed and then sneak out when everyone was asleep. They caught a ride to the movies with the young couple next door. On one such evening they were desperate to see the new Clark Gable movie It Happened One Night. Unknown to…

“She jumped up with the energy of a woman half her age, letting all the letters drop to the porch.” One of my childhood delights was visiting Granny at her home in rural Georgia. She was a long-legged Irish woman who loved everything about the country—the land, her chickens, the cows, you name it. There was one thing, though, that she could not abide, and that was a spider. Years earlier, a family member had been bitten by a black widow, and the panic that ensued left its mark in her mind. My grandmother was, as they say, getting along in years, so when I was there, I helped out by fetching the mail. One day she was relaxing, rocking in her chair on the porch, when I plopped an…

Jeanne Lundeen comes from a long line of great Southern cooks. Though she lives in Minnesota today, you’ll find black-eyed peas and ham hocks on her New Year’s Day table. Her daughter, Katie, lives close by and often shares the fun of cooking big holiday meals using cast-iron pans. Jeanne didn’t love those pans the first time she used them—read why on page 52. Julia Barber volunteers at the Lincoln Memorial Garden & Nature Center in Springfield, Illinois. She helps children explore acres of natural habitat, identifying flowers, trees and animals. Nature lessons continue at home with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who happily accompany Julia on adventures in the woods, as you’ll see on page 44. Get organized in 2017 with the American Landscapes Planner. The beautiful hardbound book features…

Centered between beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee and picturesque Mount Chocorua is the charming little town of Tamworth, New Hampshire, which celebrates its 250th birthday in 2016. This area is bursting with spectacular mountains and valleys, fields and forests, twinkling lakes and rivers, and old New England architecture with friendly local residents. It's a destination where you can enjoy life at a relaxing slower pace by taking a drive to see fall foliage or gearing up for a hike through the countryside. Tamworth is a haven for all ages and in all seasons. By accident, my husband, Clayton, and I discovered the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm while passing through town. We learned that Edwin Remick and son Edwin “Doc” Crafts Remick, both physicians, provided the townspeople with medical care from…

Apple-Almond Bake TAKES: 90 min. • MAKES: 12 servings 1/ 4 cup maple syrup 3/ 4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2/3 cup cold water 2 tablespoons butter 13/ 4 cups quick-cooking oats 11/ 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/ 2 cup almond flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/ 4 cup cold butter, cubed 5 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 5 medium) 1/ 2 cup coarsely chopped salted roasted almonds DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, bring syrup to a boil; cook 3-5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. 2. In a small bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch; whisk in water until smooth. Whisk into syrup. Return to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.…

Ants. Watch an ant for an entire 15 minutes. While watching, write up an ant diary. You can even write your own story of the ant’s adventures. Fireflies. If you’ve never spent an evening catching fireflies, then now is the time. Get a clear jar and punch holes in the top. Watch their different flashing patterns, and be sure to release them after a short while. Moths. Want to attract moths? Make a paste of mashed banana and brown sugar or molasses, then just smear it on a tree and wait for them to come. Turtles. You can often find turtles lined up on a log near the water, sunning themselves. Head out on a bright sunny day and see how many turtles you can count. You might see more…

Centre Presbyterian Church celebrates its 250th anniversary in August. It’s one of the oldest congregations in Perry County, Pennsylvania. When my husband and I chose to attend Centre Church 25 years ago, we had no idea how lucky we were. The people who worship here are devoted to Centre. They give hours volunteering, teaching Sunday school, leading youth groups, doing mission work and maintaining the building and grounds. Indeed, the history of this church is more about the people than the building (and there have been three). In 1755, Scotch-Irish settlers came across the Blue Mountain in Shermans Valley, bringing with them their expertise in farming and their Presbyterian faith. They were people of great determination who endured many hardships, including battles with the Indians. George Robinson and his sons…

Nappin’ Little Nipper “Evan, my grandson, ‘helps’ Aunt Michelle in her garden,” says Carolyn Di Mambro of Pine Hill, New Jersey. Happy Harvester “My granddaughter Mya loves picking vegetables and zinnias,” writes Becky McClure of Decatur, Indiana. Mmm, Puckery! “I was so surprised my grandson Philip liked munching raw rhubarb,” says Shelli Panning of Hooper, Nebraska.…

My wife, Glenna, and I love lighthouses so much that we spend two weeks each year “keeping” Big Sable Point Lighthouse in Ludington State Park along Lake Michigan. We tend the light, work in the gift store, give tours and help maintain the structures through painting and restoration work. The camaraderie that we’ve developed with the other keepers is a highlight of our visits. Big Sable Point has been lighting the way for mariners along Lake Michigan since it was built in 1867. We affectionately call the light the “Big Stick” when we are sailing or fishing off the Point, and it is one of the most photographed lights. More than 120 shipwrecks were recorded between Big Sable Point and Little Sable Point lighthouses, all happening before or around the…

CAN I KEEP IT, MOM? “Our granddaughter Nia Grace, at 18 months old, already loves her chickens,” says Carole Harms of Woodruff, Wisconsin. IT’S JUST MY SIZE “My son, Cody, admires his great-grandpappy’s tractor,” says Katrina Drew of Yemassee, South Carolina. YOU TASTE LIKE HAY “Scarlett the calf shows my daughter Haily how much she loves her,” says Stacy Green of Comfrey, Minnesota. “They are best buds.” HAND IN HAND “Our sons, Titus (left) and Levi, tote buckets of hay up the dirt lane behind the barn,” says Betsy Moser of Loganville, Wisconsin.…

My great-grandmother Frances Bruschka (pictured above with her second husband, John Hentz) left Germany or Poland about 1895 at age 15. With just a few friends, she left her family to come to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She married Sigmund Adamczyk and had one child, my grandfather John Albert. I can’t find any information on Sigmund or on Frances, except for her certificate of marriage to John Hentz. Even my grandfather’s records are unattainable because of a fire at the church where he was baptized. I’ve tried searching nearby counties’ register of deeds offices and genealogy websites such as familysearch.org and ancestry.com (library edition). Online databases for Ellis Island and the Library of Congress have no information. I’ve tried variations of their last names, such as Adamszyk, Adamsik and Bruska, but…

A house can be a house or a house can be a home. A house is made of wood, brick or stone; a home is made of memories and love. Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Hike worked every day to make their house a home. I spent lots of time at that home in Polk County, Missouri, which is just south of Bolivar. On weekends I traveled there from Arkansas along with my mother and sisters. And my cousin, Lee, brought his family from Kansas City. Aunt Lizzie was mom, grandma, great-grandma, great-aunt and aunt to many. Hers was the place to go for Easter, the Fourth of July, Memorial Day or any ordinary day. No need for notice to drop in. The house was 6 miles off the highway on…

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