Friendly House Photo History Presented

 By Mike Harris

A very special surprise presentation was made to Christ Church last Sunday. Elizabeth Jones, widow of William Jones, former priest of Christ Church from 1988 to 1998, donated to the congregation a pictorial history detailing the construction of the present Friendly House. The framed history is displayed now inside the building. Jones and his wife lived in Jefferson City, Tenn., and drove each week to Rugby for about ten years. They often stayed with Polly Allen, who had much to do with the architecture and interior design work of the Friendly House. Jones, along with Polly Allen, Mike Alley, Irving Martin and several others, raised the $60,000 to pay for its construction without the church incurring any debt. Stop by and check out this bit of recent Rugby history. You will especially want to notice the photo of the structure (an outhouse) that is marked, in jest, "original" Friendly House.

 
Mike Harris, Senior Warden, (left) and Roland Caldwell (right), accept a pictorial history of the Friendly House construction from Elizabeth Jones - photo by Mara Trumbo. The current Friendly House in two photos by George Zepp.

The original Friendly House, to the left of Christ Church, in a 1948 photo by James N. Keen - courtesy of the Historic Rugby archives.

 

Community Volunteer Opportunity

By Donna Heffner

Rugby Road United MethodistChurch in Elgin has purchased a truckload of food from Second Harvest and will be doing a food distribution on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. We’re hoping some volunteers from the community will assist us that day. We hope some Rugby folks can plan to join us! More details in future Rugby Weeks.

 

2010 Michaelmas Festival

Michaelmas Festival Vendors

By Ron Jackson

Please put an announcement in Rugby Week regarding Craft vendors at the Michaelmas Festival at Christ Church. We want to be sure everyone interested is given opportunity to participate.

Date: Saturday, October 1
Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Eastern
There is NO CHARGE for having a booth.
Contact: Ron Jackson at 423-628-6250

British Car and Motorcycle Show

Grab the family and come to Historic Rugby for the free British Car and Motorcycle Show, Saturday, September 3, on Labor Day weekend. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern (9-4 Central). “People’s Choice Awards” will be presented along with prizes for both automobile and bike categories. Spectators will get a chance to vote on their favorite cars or motorcycles and to help Historic Rugby by voting for favorite vehicles at the donation boxes located at each vehicle. All proceeds will assist Historic Rugby to continue to sponsor and host public events.

Registration of show vehicles is $7 during August, with the price going up to $10 in September or on the day of the event. The show will also feature craft & food vendors. Vendor booths are also available for $20. Come join in the fun and enjoy the day viewing all of the fabulous vehicles, talking with their owners and helping by voting for your favorite vehicles.

BIRTHDAYS

27 - Polly Allen and Jessica Neary

CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely

Saturday, September 3 - British Cars and Bikes - Labor Day Weekend's Saturday will bring Historic Rugby's British Car and Motorbike Show. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern. IT'S FREE TO SPECTATORS. "People's Choice Awards" will be presented along with prizes for both automobile and bike categories. Registration of vehicles is just $7 during August or $10 starting Sept. 1. Vendor booth spaces will be available for $20. Call Historic Rugby (423-628-2441) to make arrangements or email   rugbylegacy@highland.net .

Saturday, September 3 – Community Potluck – 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 10 – Book Club Meeting - next selection, “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Reviews of the book, which is set in Barcelona in the 1940s-1950s, can be viewed at http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Wind-Carlos-Ruiz-Zafon/dp/1594200106. The meeting will be at the Beacon Hill home of Debbie Harris at 7 p.m. Eastern.

Saturday, October 1 – Michaelmas Festival, Christ Church Episcopal – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern. Free events including crafters in church yard, English Country Dancers, bake sale, children’s activities, tours of historic church. British Cream Tea, $10 per person – seatings at noon and 2 p.m. with reservations for tea recommended. Contact Dorcus McBrayer 423-628-1282 or grannymcbrayer@gmail.com

Quilters Group - Wed. and Sat. 2–4 p.m. Eastern at the Friendly House

Rugby Yoga – Wed. 8:30 a.m. Eastern at the Friendly House.

NATURE NOTES

Aphid Eaters

 By Linda Konig

You can find them right in your own yard if you're lucky because these aphid-eating insects called Carolina Leaf Rollers are native all over the southeastern U.S., though all their other many relatives live in Australia and other parts of the world. No, I'm not talking about Moth Leaf Rollers, which can do considerable damage to garden flowers.  These Carolina Leaf Rollers look very much like crickets and show up in late summer and fall.  Last year about this time, I said I was determined to find them.  Well, I didn't find any sign of them last year. This year, I'm hot on the trail.  Though I have yet to actually see a live C. Leaf Roller, I've found a good many of their old leaf beds at a couple of places within the last two weeks.  Unfortunately for me, they don't re-use yesterday's leaf bed, but make a new one each night just before dawn, then bed down there for the day.  At night they prowl around looking for aphids, so if you have an aphid problem, look for these cricket-like Leaf Rollers at night.  If you haven't sprayed poison on your plants, you may find a Leaf Roller at work.

Though they're commonly called crickets, they're unlike any actual crickets. For instance, they don't make typical sounds. They can’t jump or fly, having no wings. They're only about a half inch long when fully grown, and they're reddish-brownish. Their most amazing physical feature, though, is their antennae, about five times longer than their bodies.  The most unusual fact about them is that they can spin a line of silk from their lower lip and stitch a leaf edge together, thus making its hideaway bed to sleep in all the next day.  I haven't been able to find a good photo on the Web of one making its bed, but I have an excellent close-up photo of one in the process of sewing up its leaf in a book from Rugby’s old Community Center library, a Life Nature Library book.  I'm carrying the book around in my car and showing it to people.  Just ask.  Otherwise, just Google photos of Carolina Leaf Rollers.

It isn't easy to find a lot of information about the Carolina Leaf Roller.  There hasn't been much research done on them.  Their Australian cousins have been studied a great deal, however, and it's thought that our American Leaf Roller crickets may have some of the same characteristics, such as their extremely territorial instincts.   Entomologists who observe them in captivity have learned that they have to keep them in separate boxes or containers because otherwise they will fight each other to the death.

 I'm curious to know if our American Carolina Leaf Rollers engage in foot-stomping and abdominal drumming as their Australian cousins do.  Down there, both sexes engage in these performances to attract and appeal to the opposite sex.  Since none of the Leaf Rollers, world-wide, are able to hear, they must enjoy all this stomping and beating by feeling the beats through their feet, antennae, etc.  So if you hear stomping and drumming in the night, you might want to investigate.  It might be a wild insect orgy in your own backyard.

Historic Rugby’s Workshops

 
Saturday August 27 - Vegetable and Flower Gardening For The Fall ~ 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Bob Washburn. Fee $15. Planting a fall garden provides an opportunity to garden with fresh vegetables and flowers throughout the fall and early winter. The cool season enhances the flavor of vegetables. You will also learn the varieties and proper times to plant for the best fall garden ever. Bob will have a selection of vegetables and flowering plants from his 52-greenhouse nursery available for sale.

Saturday, August 27 - It’s All Done With Mirrors – “The Kaleidoscope” ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Sara Senft. Fee $65. The world of kaleidoscopes will be explored. This includes various mirror configurations, how object boxes are constructed, etc. Each student will complete a kaleidoscope to take home.

Saturday, September 10 - English Country Dancing For Beginners ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT (with a two-hour break). Instructor: Mary Hemminger. Fee $25. Come learn simple historic dances that were written and compiled in England in the 1600s and 1700s, the earliest being published in 1651. The dancing will be to recorded music. Individuals will use walking steps for most dances, as well as some slipping and skipping steps during the course of the day.

Saturday, September 17 - Victorian Decorations ~ 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. EDT. Instructors: Beth Hester, JoNell Hester and Joyce Lantz. Fee $25. Using fabric, lace, paper, ribbon and reed, create charming Victorian ornaments. At the end of the day, take home 6-8 ornaments plus many ideas and patterns.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 23, 24, and 25 - White Oak Basketry ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Bobby Edwards. Fee $130. This very popular 3-day workshop teaches the art of White Oak basketry from tree selection, splits, rims and handles to weaving a beautiful traditional basket. This is an experience not to be missed even if it does require “hand strength.”

Saturday, October 15 - Autumn Gathering and Arranging ~ 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT. Instructor: Linda Konig. Fee $24. Join us in the fields and roadsides to gather dried wildflowers, seed heads, berries and nuts to create your own fall arrangement. Learn the names of and interesting information about all your “autumn gatherings”.

To register for workshops, call toll-free 1-888-214-3400 or 423-628-2441. Lodging may be available at 1880 Newbury House and local cottages at a 10% discount to students. Food service is available at the Harrow Road Café.

Historic Rugby’s website at http://www.historicrugby.org/ lists all workshops for the year.


This Week’s Editors: Rick Murphy and George Zepp