Work on the metal roof of the Thomas Hughes library continued. In a clear sign of progress, the cupola was painted and a replica of the original finial was placed on top.
A beautiful fall day greeted lots of visitors who came out for Thanksgiving Market Place on Friday. Cheryl Cribbet thanks everyone who helped make it a success including the team that handled the Tea at Newbury and of course the blue Santa.
Top left photo of Thomas Hughes Library cupola by Rick Murphy. Photo on right of Kay Reed, tea assistant and Bethany Jackson, by Cheryl Cribbet. Photo of Fuzzy Orange and friend as Blue Santa by George Zepp.
CONDOLENCES
On Friday afternoon Rugby learned the very sad news that Sharon Jones’ daughter had died in a tragic car crash. Many of you know Sharon, who has worked off and on at Historic Rugby for many years – most recently at the Commissary. Sharon’s daughter, Sarah Delk of Jamestown died Friday as the result of an automobile accident in Jamestown. Jennings Funeral Home said that no other vehicles were involved in the accident.
Visitation was last night. Funeral services will be today at 11 a.m. Central (Noon Eastern), at Unity Missionary Baptist Church, Allardt, TN. Burial will be in Fentress Memorial Gardens.
The funeral home says that, in addition to her mother, Sarah is survived by her husband and three daughters.
POINSETTIAS ANYONE?
By Benita Howell
Tom and I are going to Wolf River Valley Growers on Friday, December 4, for poinsettias, and we'll be glad to pick them up for other Rugby residents, as long as you will be here in Rugby on Friday.
Bob Washburn is advertising the classic red, and also white, marble, jingle bells, burgundy, pink, silverstar red, and peppermint.
We can obtain two sizes: 6 1/2 inch pots with foil wrap, one stem with multiple blooms, for $7.99 (two for $15.00); 8 inch, three stems per pot, florist quality, for $15.00 each. No 4 inch plants.
Please call 628-5521 or e-mail bjhowell@highland.net by Wednesday with quantity, size, and color preferences. You can reimburse us when we deliver your plants on Friday.
PLANT REMOVAL VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
There are several more days left to RSVP for the Woodland Weeding at Rugby State Natural Area, slated for Saturday, December 12, beginning at 9 a.m. (EST). Volunteers will get a chance to see this beautiful area, while pulling Japanese spiraea from the natural area’s woodlands and helping preserve this important region. Plans are to continue downstream from a previous “pull” and checking on any of the plants missed. The project is expected to last approximately three hours. Participants are asked to meet at the Rugby Visitors Center in Historic Rugby and bring a pair of leather work gloves, water and food. Volunteers also should dress in layers and wear a sturdy pair of shoes.
Reservations are required and the deadline to reserve a spot for this outing is Friday, December 4. For more information or to RSVP, please call Lisa Huff at (865) 594-5601 or e-mail Lisa. Huff@tn.gov. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be canceled. For more information about the area, including descriptions, directions and maps, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/na/natareas/rugby/.
The Woodland Weeding at Rugby State Natural Area is part of a series of monthly, guided trips to Tennessee State Natural Areas offered by the department’s Resource Management Division. Tennessee has 80 designated natural areas throughout the state. More information about Tennessee’s natural areas program, including a complete list of all natural areas, maps and scheduled field trips, can be found at www.tn.gov/environment/na.
HIKERS
Carrie Thornthwaite led hikers on five and a half hour hike around Rugby last Monday. Below is a photo that Carrie sent of some of the hikers.
CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR THIS SATURDAY
The Rugby Christmas home tour will be held this Saturday, December 5, 2009. This is the first time private homes have been open at Christmas. A tour of 10 decorated homes and horse-drawn wagon rides in the lantern-lit village is included. A special holiday dinner will also be served at Harrow Road Café. Following dinner will be a concert by the Don Brakebill Singers at the Rebecca Johnson Theatre.
The home tour is 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Dinner seatings begin at 5:00 p.m. The last seating will be at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. The concert starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The event is $50 per person, which includes the home tour, dinner and concert. Reservations are required by calling 423-628-2441 or toll-free 888-214-3400.
BIRTHDAYS
December 8 - George Zepp
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
November 30 – No hike this Monday
December 5 – Christmas Tour of Homes – Tour of decorated Rugby homes, Christmas dinner at Harrow Road Café and concert at the Visitor’s Centre. Contact Historic Rugby at 423-628-2441 or Toll-Free 1-888-214-3400 for reservations.
December 6 - Casual Christmas open house at Gibbs’ 2:00 -5:00 p.m. Eastern. Learn to make Norwegian Christmas cookies or read Christmas stories and relax after work of Saturday's Christmas Fundraiser. Rugby friends all welcome.
December 12 – Invasive Plant Removal work day to pull Japanese spirea in the Rugby State Natural Area. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Harrow Road Café. People interested in that project are asked to register with State Naturalist Lisa Huff by calling 865-594-5601.
December 12 – Christmas at Rugby – Tour of decorated historic Rugby buildings and Christmas dinner at Harrow Road Café 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern. There is no Lessons and Carols at Christ Church during the December 12 Christmas at Rugby this year. The church will be shown, decorated for Christmas, and there will be some incidental music. EVENT TICKETS: (Includes all activities except dinner) $10 Adults; HS and Elementary Students $4.00, Historic Rugby Members $7.00 CHRISTMAS DINNER TICKETS By Advance Reservation two seatings – 5:45 and 8:00 p.m. Eastern $29.00 each, tax and gratuity Included. Contact Historic Rugby at 423-628-2441 or Toll-Free 1-888-214-3400 for reservations.
December 24 -- Christmas Eve Service at Christ Church 5:00 p.m. with the traditional potluck afterward.
December 25 - Christmas Day Hike - everyone is invited to meet at the Cafe at 2:00 p.m. to go to Colditz Cove for the traditional Christmas afternoon hike.
December 27 – Annual Meeting - Big South Fork Chapter of Tennessee Trails - 3:00 p.m. at the Harrow Road Cafe
December 29 - Christmas carol sing and open house at Tom and Benita Howell’s home, Ambleside, from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
January 2 – Community Potluck
January 16 – Book Club Meeting - The next selection is “The Known World,” by Edward P. Jones. This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel explores the moral complexities of slavery in antebellum Virginia through the experiences of free and enslaved blacks, black and white slave owners, and their interactions with one another and with whites in a society shaped by slavery. The book was published by Amistad, a division of HarperCollins, in 2003 (paperback edition 2004).
Exercise Group - Monday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
By Linda Konig
When we have a mild wet fall, sometimes bushes and flowers will briefly bloom again in a sort of "echo" of spring. Lately, I've seen common purple violets, wood sorrel, henbit, and buttercups blooming along roadsides and in yards. I've even seen a single purple iris blooming in the Mark Twain Park in Jamestown. Yesterday, someone said that the Mahonia bush in their yard had little yellow blooms again.
The Mahonia bushes (also called Hollyleaf Barberry, Grape Holly, Oregon Grape, Grape bush, etc.) around here aren't native but have probably been been bought from nurseries. They were originally discovered in the American Northwest and British Columbia, but they grow well in the acid soil here and in the Smokies. I first saw them on the campus of John C. Campbell Folk School and admired their lovely blue berries which reminded me of commercially grown blueberries with their "bloom" on the dark blue berries. They looked delicious, but I didn't dare try to eat them, thinking they might be poisonous. They aren't. People who have access to a lot of them make jam from them in autumn. They have to beat the birds and other wildlife to them, however. The berries are sweeter after a couple of frosts, but people cheat Mother Nature by picking the berries early and putting them in the freezer. 
