Spooner Advocate- Springbrook Column, January 30, 2014

Good afternoon neighbors- I am praying that all of you out there are staying warm. I know that everyone has heard by now of the propane issues and alot of people are in dire straits with their houses needing to be heated and the lack of money. I just want you to know that you are not alone. We are all feeling the crunch and there does not seem to be an end in sight with the weather being so bad. Please lower your heat when you can, dress in layers, block of rooms that your not using. If you have drafty windows put towels on the window sills, plastic on them if you can, also heavy curtains help alot. Also a quilt or blanket hung above the door on a rod can keep drafts out of the house as well. Remember to check on elderly, handicapped, or just someone you know doesn't go out of the house to often. Stay as warm as you can and please don't go out unless you have to....

Earl Church in Earl, WI would like everyone know that you are invited to the Third Annual Triple Treat Saturday. It will be held on February 8th, 2014 from 11:00-2:00 pm at the church. Homemade soup and rolls- all you can eat for $4.00 (until gone). Pies will be for sale (until gone), flea market, silent auction and more! All I can say is that Mikhaila and I went last year and got soup by the skin of our teeth! We also got one of the last pies that were there! I have to say that I know the pie was awesome only because I did not even get a piece! So come support this great event and all I can say is get there early, and get two pies that way you are sure to get some! Thanks Sherrine for letting me know the details.

I have started some seeds in the house! They are up! The seeds are up! Can I just say how happy I am to see something that is green and growing! Has anyone else out there started anything yet? I am going to take some seeds as well as chive plants and calendula plants to the Pow-Wow in February. So I hope they grow fast! I also started some rhubarb, this should get me through January! LOL My next project is to build some shelves to start more plants on, this year I will be starting ALL the plants for the gardens on the reservations here at my house! It seems alittle scary I have to say! But I will be able to pay closer attention to the plants if they are here instead of being at the College. So wish me luck... guess this means I need to invest in some grow lights too huh?

LCOOCC has their calendar of events out so here are the classes we are offering this month.  Jan 30 a- Homemade bread making from 5-8pm, held in the College kitchen from 5-8pm. The February Calendar will be out soon but there is always time to tell us what kind of class you are interested in taking. Give Amber a call with your class registration or with an idea for a class, 715-634-4790 X126. 

Happy Birthday to all the January birthdays out there! Hope the couple warmer days here in NW Wisconsin make your birthday extra special and bright!  Have a beautiful birthday spent with friends and family, doing something that makes YOU happy! We love you!

Is anyone else out there into barns? Whenever I take a road trip or even am going around our beautiful state I am looking for barns. There all kinds of barns, some are still standing and housing animals. Some need some TLC and would love to be given a couple animals to shelter. I dream of having the cool old barns with a big room to put hay in, stalls to put pregnant ewes in. Chickens running around hiding eggs and then coming out with chicks when they hatch. I also want to hang the quilt square painted on a piece of wood on the outside of my barn. I am just an old barn type of girl. So I came across some "barn people" in my travels and thought I would share them with you. The Kansas Barn Alliance- www.kansasbarnalliance.org and National Barn Alliance- www.barnalliance.org and Kansas State Historical Society -www.kshs.org. I am still going to look and see if WI has a chapter and see what is going on to preserve our barns. If you have any info and would like to share a ppicture of your barn let me know! 

Does anyone out there read the Country Today? I love to get this paper, I need to get a subscription instead of driving to Shell Lake to get it. Anyway there was a great article in the last paper dated Jan 20th about a Bed and Breakfast in Washington County. Sounds like it would be a great place to go and stay, I love that they keep animals on the farm, a wonderful greenhouse that I really need in my backyard, and a vineyard with the wine named after the animals! Seems like they have alot to offer... For more information on this you can checkout their website www.coldspringinn.com . Remember the Country Today also carries the LCO College calendar in their paper- just in case you miss it in the column.

Have a friend or family member that would be interested in the column? Maybe they live out of town? They can access the column on my blog on Thursdays, at www.twogirlsandagarden.blogspot.com .

 

More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Colorado Woman By Gayle C. Shirley

What a great book! I got this book on my travels to Colorado this fall. I have to say I just love Colorado and thought I would learn about some great woman from that area.
I have to say that it was a great read, easy to get into, hard to put down. I started reading it and was just fascinated by all the history. These woman were very strong, influential people during their time. If you want a book to read that really shows some real Girl Power I would highly recommend this book!

Here are just a couple of woman that are listed:

Chipeta, Indian Peacemaker
Frances Wisebart Jacobs, Mother of Charities
Aunt Clara Brown, Angel of the Rockies
Josephine Roche, Labor Advocate

I will definitely go check out some more of these books.
Happy Reading 

Native American books to put on your read list.

Hey everyone out there..... so today I am going to post some books that I have read for my Native American Literature class. Why you might ask me am I doing that? Well I look at it this way, none of us knows every book out there. Sometimes we get a good review of a book, sometimes we see a cover of a book and we feel we have to read it. Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone and try something new. I am here to push at your comfort zone.....

While The Locust Slept by Peter Razor.

This was a hard book to tell you the truth. It really ticks me off to read about the Indian Boarding Schools and what went on there in the dark as well as what went on during the day. I am sad that there have been many generations that have been affected by all the crimes that went on in these establishments. While this is not a big book to read, it is a challenge. It plays with your emotions, makes you mad one minute and want to punch someone the next. By far it is not the worse story I have heard about boarding schools. It is however every bit as inhumane as the others. We need to really put ourselves in Peter's shoes to get the full meaning of the memoir.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko

This is a great book but it is a little hard to get going in. It is about an Indian from the Laguna Pueblo Reservation and he has been a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II. He goes back to the Rez and has to deal with all the poverty, racism, family issues all while dealing with the horrors of being in a war and having what we would call PTSD nowadays. This is alittle harder to get into as it goes back and forth in time, however it is a great book so stick with it to the end!

Fools Crow by James Welch

Another great book that may be a challenge to stick with. I got lost sometimes with people's names and who they were related to, but I finally got it. I really liked this book and the descriptions, the heart of the people, the relationships- how everyone really is connected to others whether we like it or not. There is also sadness in it, I hate to say it but most of the history out there is tragic for the Indians.However there is alot of wisdom in this book- we are dependent on each other and our decisions good or bad can affect many.

Please give one of these books a read. Expand your reading list. Let me know what you think of them.
Happy Reading!

The Improbable Shepherd by Sylvia Jorrin

All I can say about this book is that I love it! I loved every minute of reading it!

I wish that her and I were neighbors! I could borrow a ram from her as there is none locally here for me.Since that is not an option I would like to go to Sylvia's Farm, meet all her barnyard friends, have tea, and sit by the fire with her and chat. I would ask her if she has figured out why we are crazy for animals, why do we put ourselves through this life that is filled with ups and downs? Why can't we live a life like normal people- whatever that is? Although I already know that we are just different people than the norm out there. We are throwbacks from a different era. We are someone that loves animals, sometimes more than other people or creature comforts!

This book was so touching, it made you feeling like you are living her dream with her. It gives you a true portrait of what she is feeling and that even though us farmers have to make some hard decisions they are not made easily. They do leave their mark on us!

I am going to go see if I can get ahold of her column that she writes as it would be nice to keep reading her writing..she has a great way with details and just making you know exactly what she is saying.

I do have here her next book The Improbable Shephard... I have not started it, but I am sure that it will be as great as the first!

So yourself a favor and go read these wonderful books! A big thank you to Hatherleigh for the free book! I told them that I would do a review for them as a thank you for the great book. If you want to see what other books Hatherleigh has published go to www.hatherleighpress.com

Book Review: Angels in the Fire by Dann Stradler

This was a fantastic book to read! It was hard to put down!
The book takes you through just a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was impressed with all the great help that they received and the people that were put in place to take care of the whole situation- it was definitely God taking control.
I was impressed with their belief in God, that they knew that He would take care of things and if they were meant to be than they would happen. I am also glad thoughthat they shared the struggles that they went through as well.
Very inspirational, very real. I am not sure that I would be so focused, positive, or focused on God. I had to take a hard look at my own faith, maybe one doesn't know until they are put in that position.
I would recommend this book to anyone. It is very moving so keep the kleenex near by.
I was given this book free of charge by Bethany House, I was asked to read and write a review about it. This is my honest review on the book.

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook Column, January 23, 2014

Good afternoon neighbors- Not to complain... but I really am needing some sun. I know it might be different if I had some fun toys to play in the snow with but I don't! So whoever keeps praying the snow in can you give us other people a chance too? I think it sure does look beautiful out there, I love to see the birds playing and talking. Does anyone else have birds out there? Just seems like they showed up on day. Was really glad to see them playing and dive bombing each other out there. Anyone see any other animals? I see deer prints but that is about all. 

I have started some seeds in the house! Has anyone else out there started anything yet? I am going to take some seeds as well as chive plants and calendula plants to the Pow-Wow in February. So I hope they grow fast! I also started some rhubarb, this should get me through January! LOL

Earl Church in Earl, WI would like everyone know that you are invited to the Third Annual Triple Treat Saturday. It will be held on February 8th, 2014 from 11:00-2:00 pm at the church. Homemade soup and rolls- all you can eat for $4.00 (until gone). Pies will be for sale (until gone), flea market, silent auction and more! All I can say is that Mikhaila and I went last year and got soup by the skin of our teeth! We also got one of the last pies that were there! I have to say that I know the pie was awesome only because I did not even get a piece! So come support this great event and all I can say is get there early, and get two pies that way you are sure to get some! Thanks Sherrine for letting me know the details.

I would like to say a BIG thank you to all those that came out to the 1st annual seed swap held at the LCO Farm! I was so happy to meet each and every one of you! I was so happy to receive such great feedback about hosting such an event. It is so exciting that there are others out there that are just as interested in seeds as I am! Big thanks go out to those that brought seeds to swap, and those that gave me seeds to share with the 5 different gardens that I have had the privilege to plant on the different reservations! I am glad everyone came, and we will all be in touch soon. As you are going about planning your gardens and realize that you still have to many seeds and don't need them please feel free to give me a call. I am willing to share the seeds that I have or that others give to me with others in the community as well as with the community gardens.

Just give me a call and let me know if you have something to share or if you need some seeds! Also we will be hosting a plant giveaway at the end of May, first part of June so please feel free to plant a couple extras to share! More details will be coming in the future.

If you came to the Prairie Farm Seed Swap this last weekend than you know that alot of people showed up and swapped seeds! Cris did a great job of supplying all kinds of yummy food for all of us that were hungry and trying to figure out what it was we still needed for our gardens. There was a great time had by all just talking about what grew, what we wanted to try this year in our gardens. Also just the sighs that go along with talking about certain plants such as mint, or day lilies that have taken over the gardens, what will be done to control them this year! It was a great time and I am so glad that my car was working and so we were able to get there and back without any mishap.

LCOOCC has their calendar of events out so here are the classes we are offering this month.  Jan 23- Making Soups from scratch held in the College kitchen from 5-8pm, Jan 25- Treaty Day, Jan 28- Beginning knitting, from 5-8 pm with Sherrine, dinner will be served.

Happy Birthday to all the January birthdays out there! Hope the couple warmer days here in NW Wisconsin make your birthday extra special and bright!  Have a beautiful birthday spent with friends and family, doing something that makes YOU happy! We love you!

Is anyone else out there into barns? Whenever I take a road trip or even am going around our beautiful state I am looking for barns. There all kinds of barns, some are still standing and housing animals. Some need some TLC and would love to be given a couple animals to shelter. I dream of having the cool old barns with a big room to put hay in, stalls to put pregnant ewes in. Chickens running around hiding eggs and then coming out with chicks when they hatch. I also want to hang the quilt square painted on a piece of wood on the outside of my barn. I am just an old barn type of girl. So I came across some "barn people" in my travels and thought I would share them with you. The Kansas Barn Alliance- www.kansasbarnalliance.org and National Barn Alliance- www.barnalliance.org and Kansas State Historical Society -www.kshs.org. I am still going to look and see if WI has a chapter and see what is going on to preserve our barns. If you have any info and would like to share a ppicture of your barn let me know! 

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook Column, January 16, 2014

Good afternoon neighbors- Are you out there enjoying the warmer weather? It is amazing when we go up to 30 degrees that we have been at 30- and even colder! Its just amazing! It feels like I should put on my shorts and really appreciate the warmer weather. 

I would like to say a BIG thank you to all those that came out to the 1st annual seed swap held at the LCO Farm! I was so happy to meet each and every one of you! I was so happy to receive such great feedback about hosting such an event. It is so exciting that there are others out there that are just as interested in seeds as I am! Big thanks go out to those that brought seeds to swap, and those that gave me seeds to share with the 5 different gardens that I have had the privilege to plant on the different reservations! I am glad everyone came, and we will all be in touch soon.

If you missed the seed swap for this area but still want to go to one...... Prairie Farm's 5th Annual Seed Swap is THIS weekend Jan 18, 2014 from 10- 1:30 at the Prairie Farm elementary school. Questions? call Cris 715-418-1886

LCOOCC has their calendar of events out so here are the classes we are offering this month. Jan. 20- Closed for Martin Luther King Day. Jan 21- Spring Semester starts at LCOOCC. Jan 22- Belly dancing 5:30-6:30 in the auditorium, Jan 23- Making Soups from scratch held in the College kitchen from 5-8pm. Jan 24- College closed in observance pf treaty day! Jan 25- Treaty Day.

Happy Birthday to all the January birthdays out there! Hope the couple warmer days here in NW Wisconsin make your birthday extra special and bright!  Have a beautiful birthday spent with friends and family, doing something that makes YOU happy! We love you!

Spooner Advocate- Springbrook Column, January 9, 2014

Good afternoon neighbors- Can you believe -50 degrees?  What a great New Year's gift!! Hope your holiday season was delightful.  Sorry I haven't been in touch, with car and health problems its been nuts but it's a New Year and hoping for good things from 2014. 

My prayers and thoughts go out to anyone who has recently lost a loved one due to various accidents in the area.  Please be safe, travel carefully, and be sure to let someone know your route in case of accidents!!

THIS WEEKEND!! Hey all you seed savers out there! I am hosting a local seed swap and I would like it if you came! It is Jan 11, 2014, from 10 am until 1:30 pm. It will be held at the LCO Farm, at 13457 Froemel Road, Hayward, WI. We will share seeds, if you are a seed saver bring some to share,if you have purchased seeds and have decided to not plant them, come swap them! If you a beginning gardener or would like to start seed saving please come and learn about this fun hobby! I will have coffee and tea, some treats,a light lunch. We also will be putting seed orders together from Fedco,etc. By putting our orders together we save money, a higher dollar amount means a bigger percent off! I would appreciate all those that may know someone that is interested in seeds to share this information and invite them to come. A friend and I are also planning a Seed Swap in Prairie Farm, WI on January 18, 2014 from 10-1:30 pm at the elementary school. I am also planning a plant swap for May! Any questions/ suggestions. Contact me at twogirlsandagarden@hotmail.com or call me 715-558-0335.

If you are looking for something to inspire you, the Denver Botanic Gardens has a great website and I have to say the whole place is wonderful! Very lovely gardens, here are a few of my favorite. The Victorian Secret Garden, the Orangery, Water gardens, the Herb Gardens- Gorgeous! I would like to invite you to go to their website and check the gardens out, the direct link is www.botanicgardens.org/our-gardens/york-street/individual-gardens. It is so nice to just go and look at the gardens while you are living in WI with lots of snow! LOL

A BIG thank you again to the gentlemen that plowed my driveway! You are a God send! I have had a challenging week with the snow, not being able to shovel! So I appreciate that you took the time and energy to help my daughter and I out!

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College would like to say thank you to everyone that has taught a class or come out to learn something new with us. Hope you had a Merry Christmas, and we look forward to seeing you again in the New Year!

   

Happy Birthday to all the January birthdays out there! You are sure getting some snow to make your birthday extra special and bright!  I hope you have a beautiful birthday spent with friends and family, doing something that makes YOU happy! We love you!

I would like to thank all my readers for taking time out of their busy schedule to read my column. I have had the pleasure of meeting lots of you while out and about in the neighborhood. I wish the best for you and your family during 2014. Whatever May it be filled with love, happiness and bountiful blessings.  Hugs!

   If you have a recipe to share send it my way as I am always looking to try something new.

1st Annual Seed Swap!

1st Annual Seed Swap Saturday January 11th 10:00 Am – 1:30 Pm Lac Courte Oreilles Community Farm, 13457 Froemel Road, Hayward, WI For more information: 715-558-0335 Bring your spare seeds & trade for new varieties! Make a donation of seeds you are no longer in need of. Share your favorite seed with people! Come make new garden friends! A Group Seed order will be coordinated! Free snacks & Coffee!