Artists Visit Rugby
Several hardy artists enjoyed a brisk but sunny Sunday in Rugby to picnic and paint some of the Rugby buildings. In this photo, Lisa Wallace of Nashville shows progress in her wonderful interpretation of Percy Cottage. Lisa’s hands were so cold from the winter painting “en plein air” that she struggled to write her website address for Rugby Week. To see her work go to paintinganddrawingjournal.blogspot.com . She said the painting from Rugby will be available for purchase. She can be contacted through the email address on her website.
Photos and Poem of the Week
Jessica Neary sent this amazing photo of ice-covered moss taken on a hike to the Meeting of the Waters a couple of weeks ago. Superimposed on the photo is Jessica’s haiku inspired by the scene. In case you are unfamiliar with this form of Japanese poetry, here is a link to an explanation of haiku: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku
Benita Howell provided this striking photo of a wintry sky over Christ Church with the Thomas Hughes Library in the background.
English Country Dancing Series Scheduled
Everyone is invited to our upcoming English Country Dancing. Here are the next four dates we will be dancing – so please put them on your calendars. The exact time and locations will be announced before each dance.
- Friday, February 4
- Saturday, February 19
- Friday, March 4,
- Saturday, March 19
We had a good group last Sunday and look forward to getting more dancers up and dancing.
Book Club Discusses Jackson
By Rick Murphy
The Rugby Book Group journeyed across the river to Kit and Candy Howes’ beautiful home near Armathwaite Saturday night. The group discussed John Meacham’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Andrew Jackson, “American Lion.” Kit led an interesting discussion which included a wide range of issues about Jackson and his times, including how government and politics were influenced by Jackson, and how we view Jackson and his policies today.
It was decided that the next book the group would read is Jonathan Franzen’s best selling novel “Freedom.” Here is a link to a Wall Street Journal review of the book. http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/08/16/jonathan-franzens-freedom-review-revue/
A date and time have not been set for the next meeting, but at least you can find the book now and start reading.
Indications of work starting on the Rugby Bypass appeared last week as a backhoe and legally required postings were both put in place on western White Oak Circle and some very initial clearing was noticed. Photos by George Zepp
Rugby in the Blogosphere
A Minneapolis real estate executive was impressed enough about Rugby to write a little synopsis of its ongoing history on her blog this Saturday. Rebecca Law even included a promotion for Spring Festival. So thanks, Rebecca! http://www.rebeccalaw.net/2011/rugby-utopia/
By Jessie Gully
Well it is day 23 and I have lost 9.4 pounds, and it is time to deal with toxins. My daughter Beth, now a massage therapist, came this weekend to give me a birthday present of detoxing energy work. It almost makes the green tea worth it.
The body takes care of the normal amount of toxins through breath, pores, urine and bowel elimination. But it seems when a person diets there is extra, so exercise and more water becomes a must. Not that I do either.
There lives in me a two year old that won't grow up and will not go away. That pest asks, "Why doesn't my body stop eating when it should? Why isn't just living enough exercise? Why do I have to do more? And if I should drink eight glasses of water a day, then why am I not thirsty eight times a day?"
Thank goodness the pest has had a massage and gone to sleep.
Superintendent Named for BSF
Rugby’s northern neighbor, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, has named Niki Stephanie Nicholas as its new superintendent, according to the Independent Herald in Oneida. Nicholas has most recently been chief of resources management at California’s Yosemite National Park. Before joining the National Park Service, she had worked for TVA as senior manager for Environmental Impact Reduction Technologies. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a doctorate in forestry.
BIRTHDAYS
Jan. 26 - Benita Howell
Jan. 27 - Jessica EricksonJan. 28 - Peter Keese
Jan. 31 - Mary Ann Lovett and Jessie Gully
CALENDAR
Fri. and Sat., January 28 and 29 – Dinner at Grey Gables, 6 to 10 p.m. Eastern
Wednesday, February 2 – Presidential Theme afternoon tea at Grey Gables from 1 to 3 p.m. Eastern time
Friday, February 4 – English Country Dancing
Saturday, February 5 – Community Potluck 7 p.m.
Friday, February 11 – History Night 7:30 p.m. at the Friendly House behind Christ Church. All are welcome.
Saturday, February 12 - Valentine Dinner at Grey Gables, "Ain't Love Grand." Mark you calendars for a fun evening of comedic entertainment and good food.
Saturday, February 19 – English Country Dancing
Tuesday, March 1 – Commissary will reopen – post office services will resume.
Friday, March 4, English Country Dancing
Saturday March 19 - English Country Dancing
Fri. and Sat., April 8 and 9 – Rugby Quilts Exhibition
Friday, April 15 – History Night Annual Dinner at Grey Gables – Willie Beatty, President of the Fentress County Historical Society, will talk about Buck’s Mill
January and February 2011 – Historic Rugby Winter Hours: The Schoolhouse Museum will be open Monday – Friday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (weather permitting). Weekday and weekend historic building tours can be arranged by advance reservation by calling our toll-free number, 1-888-214-3400. Lodging will be offered throughout winter on a self-catering basis. The Café, Visitor Centre and Commissary (including the Post Office) will be closed for repairs and rearrangement. Normal operations will resume in March.
January and February 2011 – Grey Gables will be open for meals Friday and Saturday nights in January and the first Friday and Saturday night in February. A limited menu selection will be offered, but they hope it will give you a choice for food service during the time that the Harrow Road Cafe is closed for rejuvenation. Reservations are not required, but appreciated.
Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2-4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House
NATURE NOTESBy Linda Konig
Last Sunday afternoon, I drove to Allardt to gather dried flowerheads from the White Crownbeard by the roadside. Why would I do that? For the seeds. White Crownbeard, also known as Frostweed or Verbesina Virginica, is one of the wildflower species that form ice flowers at the base of their stalks in fall and winter. I've written about these before, but I still haven't actually SEEN any of those fabulous ice formations except in pictures.
Last year, a couple of people told me that Ironweeds would sometimes produce ice flowers, so I kept haunting the Ironweed patches around the corner at Brooks Circle on cold mornings. I never saw any. I've since learned that other species will sometimes produce ice flowers --Dittany, Indian Hemp and some of the Vervains. But I've decided now to go for a wildflower that is more certain to make them. Hence, the White Crownbeard -- which is famous for them. For a website with great photos of ice flowers, ice ribbons, ice leaves, frost beards, etc., try www.naturealmanac.com/archive/frost_flowers/frost_flowers.html .
One website I've found told of the adventures of a young man who had been in many states looking for ice flowers in order to study them and make photos. While he found them here and there, he finally decided it would certainly be more handy to grow his own. So he planted White Crownbeard seeds in buckets near his house. Now it's really easy for him to step outside his house on frosty mornings to observe them. So I plan to do likewise. I've learned that the best ice flowers are formed in fall, but each plant stalk will continue to form those curlicues and sheets of ice for several weeks. As time goes on, however, the forms are smaller as the available sap from the plant's roots is used up. As the sap freezes underground on cold nights, the sap naturally expands upward and is extruded like toothpaste from cracks in the lowest part of the stalk.
For someone who is pretty famous for having black thumbs, I'm fairly confident about planting and growing White Crownbeard. It grows in either acid or calcareous soil, and the seeds can be used as is, without having to go first through an animal's gut. These Crownbeards grow up to about 6 feet tall and live for 2 years. Butterflies and bees love them, but deer don't. They grow in partial to full shade and somewhat dry soil. The late-summer to early-fall flowers themselves are handsome.
You can find them in Jack Carman's book Wildflowers of Tennessee. Thanks to Ladybird Johnson's interest in wildflowers, I found out a lot about growing them from the University of Texas, Austin's, website.
This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp
