CAFÉ RESUMES FRIDAY-SATURDAY DINNERS
Cheryl Cribbet announced that the Harrow Road Café will be re-open Friday and Saturday nights until 9:00 p.m. Eastern starting this week, and Sundays 8:30 - 6:00 p.m. All the other hours will remain the same for the time being. Y’all come and bring your friends.
The Cafe had a trial run this last weekend with a volunteer appreciation reception for Historic Rugby Volunteers on Friday night which had a yummy buffet. On Saturday night was a special St. Patrick’s Day dinner. The food was great and the entire place was dripping in Irish green stuff, still there to see until after Wednesday’s official St. Pat’s Day.
Photos taken by Cheryl Hodgkins of the Volunteer Appreciation Reception
Photos taken by George Zepp of the St. Patrick's Day Dinner at the Harrow Road Cafe
HABITAT GROUNDBREAKING WEDNESDAY
The 52 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Tennessee will celebrate the 3,000th house built with host affiliate Appalachia Habitat for Humanity. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held this Wednesday, March 17, at noon Eastern at 249 Shirley Ford Road in Robbins, with a lunch to follow at Harrow Road Cafe in historic Rugby. (Café closes at noon for this private event.) Founded in 1978, Appalachia Habitat is not only the first affiliate in Tennessee, but the second Habitat affiliate in the world.
"We are extremely excited about this historic milestone," said Colleen Dudley, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee. "Building and selling these houses has had a positive impact on 3,000 families, and it has also added over $270 million to the tax base in Tennessee."
Wanda Brewster is very excited to have qualified and been selected as the 3,000th partner family. She is 60 years old and on disability. Wanda came to Appalachia Habitat for Humanity after being devastated when her mobile home of 25 years burned to the ground. She is very eager to begin her sweat equity and to own a new home.
"The Bible speaks of the importance of the body as a whole. The eyes need the ears – the hands need the feet – to be a whole body," said Sandy Spurling, executive director of Appalachia Habitat. "I relate the 3,000th Habitat build in Tennessee with this scripture. Without all 52 affiliates we could not have achieved this milestone. We are all stronger because of each other."
Appalachia Habitat for Humanity is a Christian partnership whose goal is to restore pride and stability into the community by building and financing quality, affordable housing for all low-income persons in Scott and Morgan Counties, Tennessee.
THIS BLOOMING WEEKEND
Rugby is poised for an action-packed schedule again this coming weekend, maybe amidst the blooming daffodils – already poised to burst forth.
Friday and Saturday Nights – Harrow Road Café is open until 9:00 p.m. And on Sunday it is open until 6:00 p.m.
Friday Night - History Club, 7:00 p.m. Eastern – Mike Harris will discuss the planned Cemetery Tour, reviving a few historical Rugby figures for today’s visitors and residents. We have gotten a sneak preview and found it VERY interesting. The dead do talk, and don’t hesitate to tell it all! A guaranteed eye-opener about Rugby.
Saturday Night - The Wild Thyme Players and The Silver Stage Players present an original production of “The Way the Story Goes,” a collection of true stories written and performed by artists ranging in age from 10 to 85. 7:30 p.m. Eastern, Historic Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre. Contact Historic Rugby for more information or reservations at 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Admission is free, but donations to Historic Rugby and the Players will be greatly appreciated.
Sunday - Open Auditions for New Rugby Play - “Emmy & Granny: The Hughes Women at Uffington House, 1881 – 1887,” written by Brandon Daughtry Slocum, from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern at the Rebecca Johnson Theater at Historic Rugby. No preparation, resumes or headshots are required. There will be cold readings from the script with 10-12 parts to be selected. Previous age guidelines for parts may prove to be quite flexible, so older potential players are being welcomed.
RUGBY WALKER’S HEART SURGERY
Many of you have seen and exchanged greetings with Freddy Morgan, the man who walks on a regular basis along the paved path through the village. Annie Patterson says that the reason we have not seen Freddy lately is that he recently had triple heart bypass surgery. She said that she had heard that he was doing well. We hope we see him out walking again soon.
ROBIN SEXTON’S BROTHER’S DEATH
We were sorry to hear that Robin Sexton’s brother passed away Thursday in Knoxville. A visitation will be today, March 15, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. in the chapel of Four Oaks Funeral Home in Huntsville. For the obituary and details about the funeral, which is planned for Sevierville, go to:
http://tmpcc3.go2the.net/cgi-bin/funeralhomes/CompanyInternal?stdout+115+fouroaksfuneralhome.com+1476+4+9103:Lcgi_html/
DANCING RECAP
By Mary Hemminger
The Rugby Country Dancers welcomed some of the Nashville Country Dancers Saturday night for a lovely evening of dancing Saturday night. Thanks to the teaching and dancing from Nashville folk, we danced four dances that most were familiar with. We learned two new dances that were beautiful, and which our Rugby group caught onto quickly. The opportunity to dance with experienced dancers increases confidence and enjoyment for all. Watch for future rare occasions of dancing with these kind folks! Thanks again to Tom Howell for music.
Photo by Mary Hemminger of dancers
STUDENT PRIZEWINNERS LEARN ART
By Mara Trumbo
BIRTHDAYS
March 17 - Eric Wilson
March 20 - Carrie Thornthwaite
CALENDAR
March 17 - Harrow Road Cafe will be closing at noon on Wednesday, March 17 due to the hosting of Appalachia Habitat for Humanity’s luncheon to celebrate the 3,000th Habitat House to be built in Tennessee. This house is to be built near Rugby.
March 19 (NEW DATE) – History Club, 7:00 p.m. Eastern – Mike Harris will discuss the planned Cemetery Tour, reviving select historical Rugby figures for today’s visitors and residents
March 20 - The Wild Thyme Players and The Silver Stage Players present an original production of “The Way the Story Goes,” a collection of true stories written and performed by artists ranging in age from 10 to 85. 7:30 p.m. Eastern, Historic Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre. Contact Historic Rugby for more information or reservations at 888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Admission is free, but donations to Historic Rugby and the Players will be appreciated.
March 21 – Open Auditions for New Rugby Play - “Emmy & Granny: The Hughes Women at Uffington House, 1881 – 1887,” written by Brandon Daughtry Slocum, from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Eastern at the Rebecca Johnson Theater at Historic Rugby. No preparation, resumes or headshots are required. There will be cold readings from the script with 10-12 parts to be selected.
March 27 - Barbecue Night at Harrow Road Cafe with live music by Rugby’s Gerald Hanwright
April 17 – Rugby Book Club at the home of Kit & Candy Howes in Armathwaite. Two popular books about Afghanistan: "A Thousand Spendid Suns" (2007) by Khaled Hosseini (who also wrote the popular "Kite Runner"), and "The Places in Between" (2006) by Rory Stewart. You can read either book or both. The Howes’ house is at 446 Big Creek Road in Armathwaite. Go west on Hwy. 52 approximately 3.5 miles from the Rugby bridge, look for Sam Smith Road and then Noah Buck Road. Scenic Bluff Road (on the left coming from Rugby – its Hwy. 52 gate will be open) is just west of Noah Buck. Take Scenic Bluff to Big Creek Road. Follow Big Creek Road to the end. Their wonderful fireplace will be lit and warming (if needed then).
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
WORKSHOP CALENDAR
For Workshop Registration contact Historic Rugby at 888-214-3400 - rugbylegacy@highland.net
Pastel Easter Basket - Saturday, March 27, 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. Instructor: Veronica Ludlow Fee: $54. A perfect workshop for beginning basket makers. This class makes basket making simple and you will create a colorful Easter basket to use year after year.
Spring Wildflower Walk & Image Show - Saturday, April 10, 10:00 a.m.– 5:00 p.m. Instructor: Jack Carmen Fee: $25. The Rugby region abounds with spring wildflowers, including several rare species. Jack Carman, whose book Wildflowers of Tennessee is a definitive guide, will lead us, by carpool and then hike, to a very special Cumberland Plateau location for wildflower viewing and photographing. Attendees will learn and see at least 30-35 species and attend an afternoon film presentation and book signing. Rugby's rare heirloom gladiolus bulbs will be for sale from Rugby’s Heirloom Nursery & Greenhouse.
Wet on Wet Iris Painting - Saturday, April 24, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Eastern. “Iris" oil painting class in the Jenkins wet-on-wet technique by certified art instructor Mara Trumbo. Step-by-step instructions will ensure you will complete the painting in one day. Cost of $60.00 includes the use of all studio materials and a 16"x20" stretched canvas. Please bring a packed lunch with drinks and a sunny disposition for a fun day!
By Linda Konig
Yay! Spring Peepers are taking over the ponds in and around Rugby, and they get a little louder every day and night. Bob and Mary Hemminger found a Spring Peeper on their door this past weekend and got a good picture that's included below. Not every frog is able to climb doors, trees, and such, but Spring Peepers can because they have special toe pads like suction cups.
I'm not usually too aware of the eggs the Peeper females lay because the eggs are attached to underwater vegetation, but our ponds will probably be half full of them soon! By the way, one of the best ways to recognize a Spring Peeper is by the "X" marking on its back. Nearly all of them have this, though with some the "X" is pretty faint. Peepers can be light brown or green.
The other frog we've started to hear this week is the Wood Frog. It's harder to hear, especially when it's in competition with the Spring Peepers. However, Wood Frogs like to gather at big puddles in the woods, and their mating call is quite different — like ducks softly quacking. I found two bundles of their eggs in the first big puddle on old Bella Vista Road yesterday behind Wil and Carrie Thornthwaites' house. Bob Hemminger said he'd seen some along the ridge trail (what I've been calling the old fire road) Saturday. This "road" is part of the Gentlemen's Swimming Hole loop trail. Every spring those puddles have oodles of Wood Frog eggs and salamander eggs.
These two species like to lay their eggs together in the same puddles. The hatching tadpoles (salamander young are called tadpoles, too) don't try to eat one another, though some species of frog and salamander tadpoles do. Believe it or not, most of these eggs will manage to hatch and the tadpoles metamorphose before the puddles dry up. At times the puddles will be pretty dry, but the gelatinous goop around the unhatched tadpole will hold moisture for a little while, perhaps a couple of days if it isn't too hot and sunny — hopefully till the next rainfall.
It's also about time to hear cricket frogs. I've only heard a couple of them in other years at Clear Fork Farm. They sound, believe it or not, like two marbles tapping together. I've recently learned that you can sometimes get them to start calling by clicking two marbles. I plan to try that. So if you see me by some pond, hunched down and tapping marbles, don't think I've "gone round the bend." Well, I have but. . .
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
