Spooner Advocate Column- Aug 9, 2012

Good morning Neighbors- Have you been enjoying the cooler weather? I have to say it has been delightful to feel cold!  My body was so adjusted to it being so hot and humid that ewhen it finally cooled off I was actually cold. The animals are happy that it  is cooler thats for sure. Also it helps make it alot more enjoyable to can and freeze food when you aer not so hot and miserable. Have you been putting any food up? Do you have any recipes you would like to share? I know I have to apple sauce for sure this year, we are completely out. Also carmel apple jam and then I have a whole list of recipes that I want to try out. Just got some Beet pickles done yesterday- I do love a good beet!

Sawyer County Fair is right around the corner- August 16-19, 2012-Hayward, WI. Did you get all your registration paperwork in? How about volunteering at the fair this year? If you need questions answered or maybe you  would like to volunteer this year please  go to the website www.sawyercountyfair.org and let them know. I know they will get back to you and let you kjnow where you can help out at. Please remember to support your local county fair, take your family and please go to the animal  auction. These people work hard at get the exhibits together as well as showing some great animals!  Also a big thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers- you are all awesome!

Remember to go on over to the Springbrook VFW  on Aug 17th Stacey Hughes- Not All Jazz will be at the VFW to sing for all of you. Grab something to eat and drink and have a good time with your neighbors. Not from Springbrook? Thats ok go meet some new friends and have fun!!! Remember by going to these events the VFW is able to support our community through donations to places like the Washburn County Food Shelf. Please go and show support for all the great work that the Springbrook VFW has been able to do.


I saw in The Country Today that a wonderful business had been written about from our neck of the woods. Farmstead Creamery and Cafe, which is located at N11077 Fullington Road East, Hayward has opened their Cafe and I can tell you that the food there is awesome! We had a wonderful cup of coffee, a taste chicken enchilada, a fresh salad grown right there as well as a piece of blueberry that was delicious right down to the crust! My daughter had a brownie with ganache frosting that she oohed and ahhed over the entire time she at it! The Berlages- Ann, Kara, Laura run a wonderful farm- where alot of the food comes from that they use in their cafe food. The farm has  a CSA (Community Supported Ag) that people can buy a share of and have farm fresh food grown by someone you know and respect. They also sell in the cafe eggs, produce from the farm as well as some lovely hand made knitting items. Our own Springbrook Organic Dairy sells their milk, as well as their terrific drinkable yogurts at the Farmstead. I just heard from a friend that Log Cabin Soaps is also pairing up with the Farmstead so you can get some wonderful soaps for yourself as well as for gifts. It really is worth the trip over to have a great cup of coffee and a baked good treat and chat with the Berlage family. Soon they will be able to serve yiou uo a Gelato as well. If you need directions or would like to let them know you and your frinds are coming give them a call at 715-462-3453 or www.northstarhomestead.com.

Just a reminder that Aug 12th is the Family Range Day Camp held over at Indianhead Rifle and Pistol Club on Cty Highway A. THe hours are 11 am -3pm. Lunch will be served from Noon- 3 pm. The entire family can participate in shooting trap, 22-rifle and pistol, archery, black powder rifle with supervision stressing safety froim NRA instructors. Sounds like alot of fun!  Free ammunition as well as free use of guns and bows will be provided. This is put together by a bunch of volunteers and some wonderful sponsors- thanks too all of you! If you have any questions please give Bob Dembinski 715-635-9525 or Debbs Ohl 715-635-7340 or Gary Magnus 715-635-2369 a call. When you go out there make sure you tell all the volunteers thank you for investing in the future generation of hunters. Also I am sure that sponsors would appreciate a thank you card and your support as well.

Primary election will be held on August 14, 2012 , polls will be open from 7 a.m.  to  8 p.m. at the Springbrook Community center.  Due to elections  the regular board meeting for the Town of Springbrook  will be held on Tues. August 21st at 7 p.m. at the Springbrook Comm. center.


Thanks so much for reading the column. Let me know if there is something that you want the community to know about. 

Spooner Advocate Column- August 16,2012

Good morning neighbors! What a cool morning, we have been having alot of that lately haven't we? There are days that it sure feels like Autumn, does that mean we are going to have a cooler fall than normal? A winter that comes sooner than I want? I do have to say I love autumn, it is right up there with Spring for me. Although I am not super fond of winter, it seems to go far longer than I like. Are you busy putting food up? I hope all your gardens are growing and producing lots of goodies. I have been busy canning and freezing as much as I can lately- it will be tasty in the cold months!

Hey everyone come out to the fair!! Sawyer County Fair is this week!!!  August 16-19, 2012-Hayward, WI. If you need to see a schedule of what is going on please go to their website www.sawyercountyfair.org . Please remember to support your local county fair, take your family and please go to the animal  auction. These people work hard at getting the exhibits together as well as showing some great animals!  Also please remember to support all the businesses that donate and sponsor the Sawyer County Fair, without them it would be hard to put on such a great fair.  If you are a volunteer, thank you for donating your time! Good luck to all the exhibitors. Have a great time at the Sawyer County Fair!

Remember to go on over to the Springbrook VFW  on Aug 17th Stacey Hughes- Not All Jazz will be at the VFW to sing for all of you. Grab something to eat and drink and have a good time with your neighbors. Not from Springbrook? Thats ok go meet some new friends and have fun!!! Remember by going to these events the VFW is able to support our community through donations to places like the Washburn County Food Shelf. Please go and show support for all the great work that the Springbrook VFW has been able to do.

Are you looking to meet up with some great gals? Do you like to quilt or are looking to get into quilting? Maybe you have some items that need to be finished and just need to schedule some time to sit down and get it all done. Please come to the Hayward Piecemakers Quilt Guild on September 10th from 10:15 until 8 pm. They meet every second Monday at the Sherman and Ruth Weiss Library in Hayward. If you have any questions please drop an email to the Guild at haywardpiecemakers@hotmail.com. We would love to see all you quilters out there at the next meeting!

I have to say I have been enjoying seeing all the turkeys that are out walking around with their young. Seems like a great hatch rate over by us. We have seen two hens with about 17 chicks and one hen with about 9! I am sure that will make the hunters happy to hear. Please remember if you are a hunter to talk to the people that own/ live on the land. When we took hunter safety it was stressed to have a good relationship with the people that may come in contact with the dogs you are running or the animal you are hunting. I have to say it makes me nervous to have 5 pick-ups outside my door waiting for the dogs that are running in the woods behind my house. Lets all be safe, conscious of others and have a great hunt!

Please remember due to elections  the regular board meeting for the Town of Springbrook  will be held on Tues. August 21st at 7 p.m. at the Springbrook Community Center.

Spooner Advocate Column- August 9, 2012

Good morning Neighbors- Have you been enjoying the cooler weather? I have to say it has been delightful to feel cold!  My body was so adjusted to it being so hot and humid that ewhen it finally cooled off I was actually cold. The animals are happy that it  is cooler thats for sure. Also it helps make it alot more enjoyable to can and freeze food when you aer not so hot and miserable. Have you been putting any food up? Do you have any recipes you would like to share? I know I have to apple sauce for sure this year, we are completely out. Also carmel apple jam and then I have a whole list of recipes that I want to try out. Just got some Beet pickles done yesterday- I do love a good beet!

Sawyer County Fair is right around the corner- August 16-19, 2012-Hayward, WI. Did you get all your registration paperwork in? How about volunteering at the fair this year? If you need questions answered or maybe you  would like to volunteer this year please  go to the website www.sawyercountyfair.org and let them know. I know they will get back to you and let you kjnow where you can help out at. Please remember to support your local county fair, take your family and please go to the animal  auction. These people work hard at get the exhibits together as well as showing some great animals!  Also a big thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers- you are all awesome!

Remember to go on over to the Springbrook VFW  on Aug 17th Stacey Hughes- Not All Jazz will be at the VFW to sing for all of you. Grab something to eat and drink and have a good time with your neighbors. Not from Springbrook? Thats ok go meet some new friends and have fun!!! Remember by going to these events the VFW is able to support our community through donations to places like the Washburn County Food Shelf. Please go and show support for all the great work that the Springbrook VFW has been able to do.


I saw in The Country Today that a wonderful business had been written about from our neck of the woods. Farmstead Creamery and Cafe, which is located at N11077 Fullington Road East, Hayward has opened their Cafe and I can tell you that the food there is awesome! We had a wonderful cup of coffee, a taste chicken enchilada, a fresh salad grown right there as well as a piece of blueberry that was delicious right down to the crust! My daughter had a brownie with ganache frosting that she oohed and ahhed over the entire time she at it! The Berlages- Ann, Kara, Laura run a wonderful farm- where alot of the food comes from that they use in their cafe food. The farm has  a CSA (Community Supported Ag) that people can buy a share of and have farm fresh food grown by someone you know and respect. They also sell in the cafe eggs, produce from the farm as well as some lovely hand made knitting items. Our own Springbrook Organic Dairy sells their milk, as well as their terrific drinkable yogurts at the Farmstead. I just heard from a friend that Log Cabin Soaps is also pairing up with the Farmstead so you can get some wonderful soaps for yourself as well as for gifts. It really is worth the trip over to have a great cup of coffee and a baked good treat and chat with the Berlage family. Soon they will be able to serve yiou uo a Gelato as well. If you need directions or would like to let them know you and your frinds are coming give them a call at 715-462-3453 or www.northstarhomestead.com.

Just a reminder that Aug 12th is the Family Range Day Camp held over at Indianhead Rifle and Pistol Club on Cty Highway A. THe hours are 11 am -3pm. Lunch will be served from Noon- 3 pm. The entire family can participate in shooting trap, 22-rifle and pistol, archery, black powder rifle with supervision stressing safety froim NRA instructors. Sounds like alot of fun!  Free ammunition as well as free use of guns and bows will be provided. This is put together by a bunch of volunteers and some wonderful sponsors- thanks too all of you! If you have any questions please give Bob Dembinski 715-635-9525 or Debbs Ohl 715-635-7340 or Gary Magnus 715-635-2369 a call. When you go out there make sure you tell all the volunteers thank you for investing in the future generation of hunters. Also I am sure that sponsors would appreciate a thank you card and your support as well.

Thanks so much for reading the column. Let me know if there is something that you want the community to know about.  Have a wonderful week!

Spooner Advocate Column- August 2, 2012

Hello there neighbors!

Did you get to the Washburn County Fair? Did you have fun? Congrats to all the exhibitors and people that had animals to share with everyone! You guys are all winners just for taking the time to learn something new and to share that with people you don't even know. Just think you may have inspired someone to garden, sew, or paint. That is an awesome thing if you think of it! Have you started working on things for next year? How about trying something new to you? Go on get out of your comfort zone and try something new.... I double dog dare you. =)

Remember to get your entries in for the Sawyer County Fair- August 16-19,2012-Hayward, WI. All registrations need to be in by August 3rd- that is THIS friday!! Got questions, need registration paperwork? Go to the website www.sawyercountyfair.org Please remember to support your local county fair, take your family and please go to the animal  auction. These people work hard at get the exhibits together as well as showing some great animals!  Also a big thank you to all the sponsors and volunteers- you are all awesome!

Remember to go on over to the Springbrook VFW on Friday August 3rd. They are having Karoake with Les Mallard from 7 til at least 9, maybe 10. Go alittle early and have a cool drink and something to eat. Coming up on Aug 17th Stacey Hughes- Not All Jazz will be at the VFW to sing for all of you. Remember by going to these events the VFW is able to support our community through donations to places like the Washburn County Food Shelf. Please go and show support for all the great work that the Springbrook VFW has been able to do.

During my busy schedule I was able to go see the Piecemakers Quilt Show on Friday night. I met some lovely ladies that belong to the Piecemakers Quilt Guild. They were super sympathetic as I was having one of those days with work, a farm and a 15 year old daughter.... need I say more? So I was SO HAPPY that there was a quilt show as that is pretty cheap therapy! I got to see some of my favorite ladies Kathleen from Heartlight Quilt Shop in Ladysmith as well as Sandy from Bolts of Fun in Thorp! I have to say it was a great quilt show, lots of beautiful projects! I was very inspired by these beautiful hankie quilts a lady did in remembrance of a loved one.  I have some hankies from my grandma that I want to put into something, there is only acouple so this gave me an idea on how to maybe do a smaller project with them. Although I do want to do a butterfly quilt and that I will need alot of fancy old time hankies for..... Does anyone have any that they would like to share with me? Piecemakers meets at the wonderful library in Hayward on the second Monday at 10:15 until 8 at night. That means the 13th will be the next meeting, how about coming to meet with some other quilters? If you have something to share please bring it or if you are having a problem with a project I am sure you can get some help from these knowledgeable woman.  To become a member of the Piecemakers Quilt Guild all it takes is $15! If you need any questions answered please drop them an e-mail at haywardpiecemakers@hotmail.com. I hope to meet some new friends at the next Guild meeting! Thanks to all the volunteers that donated time, items to sell! Thanks to wall the vendors for coming up to supply our fabric habit! Thanks to all the quilters- you are all so talented!!

If you have events, news , announcements etc to share please drop me an e-mail twogirlsandagarden@hotmail.com
Have a wonderful week!

Try-It Tuesday.... Thangles

Well good morning.... I would invite you in for tea but I am out so I had coffee early this morning. I really needed the caffeine as I was dragging- it was cool in the mid 50's and foggy. I was under a quilt so what can I say I know how the bear feels when he is just coming out of hibernation!
Once again it is Try-It Tuesday, I have no idea where the week has gone except work!  I am still waiting on my bunnies to have the babies! They are due today, the one rabbit always goes 3 days over due date and the other two are first timers with the whole mommy thing! So you know what they say a  pot watched does not boil! Remember to go over to Jo's Country Junction and see what all the ladies are trying over there. Also when you care done visiting Jo's site go check out Tip Me Tuesday and see all the tips and home-made things folks are busy creating!
So today I am going to actually try sewing with Thangles. I know they have been around awhile, alot of people have used them or are using them.  I haven't tried them before, I am too cheap to purchase them especially when I don't know if I will like them or not. I lucked out at the Quilt show this last weekend and got a package that has size 1, 2, 2.5, 3 in there with a pattern to boot..... the price was only a dollar! Score me!!! I am working on graduation quilts and other gifts so I thought I would give them  a try.


This is the packet that I bought for a $1.00! Can you believe it! The picture is upside down but I want it at the beginning of the pictures so you can see what the Thangles look like! Computers! Or in this case humans! LOL I just don't want to download all the pictures again! 




So I ironed my fabric that I chose.




Then you put the like sides together. The directions say put the lighter fabric on the top and then the seam allowance will go
to the darker fabric.




Then you add the Thangle paper and pin it down. If you want your half square triangle to be finished at say a
2" than you cut your fabric 2 1/2 wide.




Here I am almost ready to sew. You will be sewing on the dotted lines, and cutting them apart on the solid lines!



As you can see my first attempt was wrong! Yes I sewed the solid line! Duh! Well lesson learned. =) I am also using my industrial sewing machine -Sushi is her name. She is fast! So I had to control her!



Here is a close-up to see how I got the needle right on the line and then actually put the needle through the paper before sewing with the foot peddle. Like I said Sushi is fast so I don't want to unthread the needle being I have it centered on the line so well! Remember you should have it centered on the dotted line!



So you are sewing on both of the dotted lines on each piece- which will give you 4 half square triangles. You will be cutting between the two lines that you sewed and between the two solid lines  that seperates the two Thangle pieces.

As you can see I was way better on sewing the one on the left! So yes, following a line will take some getting used too!



So I cut on the middle line- which I had sewn as you can see.




Here it is as I started ripping them apart. When you sew with the stitches so close together it rips easy. Also I realized after ripping them apart that you should wait til after you press them, then rip apart, that the seams don't stretch. Second lesson I learned!




I used the size 2.5 and I will get 4 of these cuties out of each Thangle paper.




This one needs to be cut down the middle solid line and then cut on the solid line at the top of the Thangle..




After ripping you have paper to recycle.




Before pressing open.





After pressing open. You will have to trim off the little point popping out of the bottom of the square.




Here are the finished project. I am excited that so far this morning I have added 4  half- square triangles to my bin. I have to say they seem alittle putsy, learning a new thing, trying to get the dotted lines sewn right and then cutting them apart. I think if all your fabric is put together, cut out and they are all put together with the paper it would go alot faster to just sew them up, put  them in a bin to rip later. Then what I would do is rip them apart while watching a movie.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Feel free to leave me a message. Let me know if you have ever made anything with Thangles. If you would like to buy Thangles I am sure your local quilt store might stock them or I am sure that they would love to order them for you!
Happy Sewing!



Hayward Piecemakers Quilt Show- July 27-28, 2012

This last weekend I was excited to be able to attend the Piecemakers Quilt Show in Hayward, WI. The ladies (or men) did a fabulous job of having wonderful displays, great giveaways, friendly folks and some great vendors. The quilters did some wonderful work, such vision on some of the pieces. What a great way to be inspired!

Beautiful work! Some day I will get to the point where I can quilt something like this.



Really like this quilt. These are my colors! Love the staggered rectangles. It gives this quilt movement and makes it almost look 3D. Very cool!




This is very simple, cute and yet very interesting. I love the pattern on the fabric. I really like butterflies and thought this was cool, its even stuffed to make it 3D. I thought this would be a great idea to show my daughter-spark some interest in quilting.
Love the colors!



If you know me  I am  a chicken freak! These are just so cute! I want them for my kitchen! Oh they are so funky, hip, and too cute!
Great job!!!



Want to make this! Its so alive, has movement! Love the colors!




Wool, Yes wool!! I was so excited! She had lots of fun patterns, great kits. I wish I would have had big money with as I would have like to buy a TON!!! I like the fact that her kits are so cute but that you get all the little pieces to make the item. She adds some very nice buttons, beads etc to her pieces.




Here is Darlene's website www.onewingwool.com go check her out. I still have to go check out her web-site but I am sure that whatever you are looking for she would be able to get for you. She is a MN but she has a cabin in WI. She is a great company to add to my list of fun business owners!




Bolts of Fun another one of my favorites was there. We find Sandy so bubbly and well just plain energetic. We of course are in love with her pug! Sandy can be reached at www.boltoffun.com. I want to go down there again real soon as she has a great store with lots of goodies, also a great cappachino machine!




This is the BOM club that Kathleen over at Heartlight Quilt Shop is offering starting in Sept. It is called "Woman of Courage"- it is really beautiful. I am planning on signing up for this one as I really want to do some of the Civil War Reproduction quilts- there are alot I have seen and want to do.  I love that they this one has a  story that goes with it. This will be my first and I really am excited. If you want all the info get ahold of Kathleen at www.heartlighthouse.com she is awesome and a joy to talk to!

Thanks to all the vendors- Bolts of Fun, Heartlight Quilt Shop, J&A Stitches, Northwoods Craft & Variety, One Wing Wool, Scarlett Poppe. Also the volunteers that participated in the show. You all did a wonderful job. I look forward to visiting all the new shops I learned about.

If you are in the Hayward area and would like to join Piecemakers they meet on the 2nd Monday of the month at 10:15 at the Hayward library. The next meeting is August 13. To become a member there is a $15 fee for dues. To contact them haywardpiecemakers@hotmail.com



Thanks for checking out the blog today! I love sharing with my readers fun places that I get to go too.

Happy Quilting!!!



Spooner Advocate Column- July 26,2012

Good morning neighbors!
Wow it is a hot one out there already, suppose to go up to 89! I hope everyone is being smart in the heat, drinking lots of water, stay cool- air is wonderful but even with a fan on and a wet towel around the shoulders will help! Keep your windows closed and curtains closed. Remember if you are feeling weird, sick, not the normal way you always feel call for help. Check on people as well as all those animals that are out there- they need shade and water! Be smart... stay safe.

Our prayers go out to Barb Atkinson's family, her brother passed away from the heat last week.

A big thank you goes out to Sandy and Len Sheehan of Whispering Oaks Equine Center, Hayward for hosting a horse pasture walk on July 21. The Sheehans have a wonderful set-up over there for boarding about 40 horses, large indoor arena, nice big pastures. We were very impressed how very professional, clean and inviting their set-up is. Makes you want to have a horse to board over there just so you can go ride the trails! Thanks again for having us all out to the farm!

On the weekend of July 14th the Springbrook VFW had a big event to raise money for the local Washburn Food Pantry. The Springbrook VFW, which is a chartered organization that is made up of volunteers who are Veterans  that were in combat zones, host different venues to raise money for various organizations. The organization has donated various monetary amounts to Scholarships for Seniors, Spooner Girl Soccer Team, Vetereans that need help just to name a few. They  have also volunteered hours cleaning the railroad tracks right there in Springbrook. This last fundraiser was for the Washburn County Food Shelf. They had 5 bands, 2 guitarist who entertained over 500 people. It seems like everyone had a good time listening to the wonderful music and  listen to Larry and the Drifters until the bugs drove them inside! We appreciate all the volunteers that make things like this possible, thanks to all the bands that come out to entertain everyone with their talent! Without all of you things like this would not be possible. Springbrook VFW were happy to donate a pickup truck full of food as well as $1500.00 to the food shelf, so far to date they have donated about $2500.00 to the pantry- way to keep it local guys!!! The Springbrook VFW is open M-F 3-9 Sat and Sun 12-9, weds evening (4:30-6:30pm )they do a burger for $2.50 that is delicious!!! August 3 come on out and listen to Les Mallard from 7-9pm, everyone enjoys Karoake right? If you have any questions please give them a call  at 715-766-2128. Thanks for supporting the Springbrook VFW!!

The Washburn County Fair starts this week in Spooner. Good luck to all the exhibitors! We appreciate all the hard work you put into your animals and exhibits! Please go and check out all the fun that will be going on at the fair, you can pick up a schedule of events a the Kwik-Trip in town. Enjoy the Washburn County Fair!!

If you have any news please let me know. Have a great week!