Michaelmas Festival this Saturday

Rugby’s Christ Church Episcopal holds its annual Michaelmas Festival this Saturday, October 1. Enjoy activities on the church grounds, including English Country Dancers, crafters, a bake sale, children’s activities and interpretive tours of the historic Christ Church (built 1887). The Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time (10-3 Central).

The event will also include serving of British Cream Tea, which has been a tradition in the English village of Rugby from its beginnings in the 19^th Century. Christ Church continues this tradition with a Cream Tea celebrating the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels. This year’s tea will have seatings at noon and 2 p.m. Eastern Time (11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Central). Fare will include cream scones with jam, tea sandwiches, apple muffins, English biscuits (cookies), fruit, and a selection of teas. The donation is only $10 per person for this unique way to enjoy lunch. Reservations are recommended. Call Dorcus McBrayer at 423-628-1282. Those without reservations will be accommodated if seating remains available.

The photo above shows a bee on some of the Rugby Michaelmas Daisies that are blooming now throughout the village - photo by George Zepp.

Rugby Volunteers Earn Thanks

Historic Library Book Cleaning

 By Benita Howell

Book cleaning and inventory in Hughes Library were completed on Thursday, September 29! The project began June 28, 2010 and continued two days a week until now, except for November 2010 through March 2011. Many, many thanks once again to everyone who helped with this project.

Food Distribution

By Annie Patterson and Donna Heffner

We are so proud of the volunteer turnout for the food distribution that was held Sept. 14 at our church, Rugby Road UMC. Ten folks from Rugby were of tremendous help in unloading, bagging and distributing over 900 bags of food that were dispensed to more than 300 families in our area. It was hard work but satisfying beyond words. Fervent thanks to Julian and Carolyn Bankston, Lavonne and Charles Gibbs, Benita and Tom Howell, Jim Meadows, Dorcus McBrayer, Barbara Stagg, and Mara Trumbo for all their efforts. Also many thanks to Carrie and Wil Thornthwaite for arranging for volunteer parking at the Church of Christ in Elgin.

Photo of the Week

 Aubrie Ann is the new granddaughter of Mike and Debbie Harris born at 2:30 a.m. on Sept.18. Parents are Matt and Rachel Bullard of Smyrna, Tennessee.  This is Aubrie Ann Bullard on her way home from the hospital at two days old. She weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces. She is almost ready to hike to the river with PaPa!

Cemetery Lantern Tour

Reservations are still available for Historic Rugby’s upcoming Cemetery Lantern Tour. The tour will be held at Laurel Dale Cemetery on Saturday, October 8 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (4:30 Central).  Some of the many characters of Rugby's past will come alive for this event. Costumed players will bring you stories from nine of the most colorful residents of Rugby's graveyard. The words will be largely their own, thanks to the Historic Rugby Archive. Tour time is 5:30 p.m. Eastern (4:30 p.m. Central). The cost for the tour is $15 per person with advance reservations suggested since spaces are limited.   

 The Harrow Road Café will be open until 9 p.m. for your dining pleasure before or after the tour.

 Please call 1-888-214-3400 for tour reservations.

October History Topic Announced

 By Linda Konig

Which Rugbeian (he lived in Armathwaite but spent a lot of time in Rugby) wooed and won a beautiful East Indian bride in England, though it was a forbidden marriage? Why would Rugby residents want to take the train to Cincinnati to see him and his wife at work? Find out the details about this unusual young man who left a lasting impression on this area and whose life reads like a Victorian novel.  Linda Konig will be speaking about this fellow and his family at the next History Club meeting on Friday, Oct. 14, 7:30 Eastern (6:30 Central) at the Friendly House just behind Christ Church.  Everyone is welcome, and it’s free.

Victorian Decorations Workshop

By Jane Logan

A festive start to the holiday season began on Sept. 17, when a large group gathered together in the Community Building to participate in the Victorian Decorations Workshop. Instructors Beth Hester, Joyce Lantz and Jody Hester had everything ready for a big day of creating period-accurate decorations.

The holiday mood was set early on with mantle decorations and a small Christmas tree displaying ornaments similar to those we would be making along with a beautiful crazy quilt tree skirt . Hot wassail and sugar cookies were served. Linda Konig gave a reading of the First Christmas at Rugby while participants made cinnamon Christmas ornaments using a special dough and cookie cutters.

 As the “cookies” baked in the oven, permeating the room with the smell of cinnamon, the group made a variety of ornaments including woven hearts from Christmas cards, puffed fabric heart ornaments with fancy trimmings, party crackers filled with trinkets and candy, paper fan ornaments decorated with lace, and intricate ribbon stars.

Everyone had a great time and we all appreciate the hard work that Jody, Joyce and Beth put into making individual packets for all the participants. Some of these decorations will show up in Newbury House during Rugby's Holiday Home Tour on December 10.

BIRTHDAYS

Sept. 26 – Lisa Donegan.

CALENDAR

Rugby is in the Eastern Time zone, just barely

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. Eastern with reservations for tea recommended. Contact Dorcus McBrayer 423-628-1282 or grannymcbrayer@gmail.com

Saturday, October 1 – Community Potluck 7 p.m. Eastern

Saturday, October 8 – Cemetery Lantern Tour, 5:30 p.m. Eastern. Call Historic Rugby at 1-888-214-3400 for reservations.

Sunday, October 9 – Historic Rugby Board Meeting 1:30 p.m. Eastern at the Community Building

 Friday, October 14 – History Club meeting 7:30 Eastern at the Friendly House

Saturday, October 15 – Book Club Meeting – Selection: The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage http://www.amazon.com/Power-Dog-Don-Winslow/dp/0375405380 The site will be Barbara Stagg and John Gilliat's house, Roslyn, at 7 p.m. Eastern

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

September--Spider Month

By Linda Konig

I can't believe the number of spiders I've been seeing, and are they ever fun to watch at night.  Mostly they're just sitting there in the daytime, but they do come alive at dusk.  I've been fortunate to have four Cross spiders (Araneus diademata) on my front porch lately.  This means I have a front row seat to watch them re-spin their webs, wrap their prey, court and mate, and hopefully soon--lay their eggs.  Bear in mind, all of this happens at night, so I turn on the front porch light and wait.

 One of the things that impresses me the most about the Cross spider female is how fast she can make her beautiful orb web.  It only takes her about an hour.  Another thing I'm impressed with is how her venom acts at lightning speed on any hapless victim that blunders into her web.  The merest touch of her mouth on the victim which has been struggling frantically sends it into instant coma.  Then she revolves her prey round and round with her legs while spraying out a sheet of silk, wrapping her next meal.  She handles that sticky silk much more skillfully than I can handle a sheet of plastic wrap, I can tell you.

 The plot thickens.  Only three nights ago, I saw a different spider had approached the Cross spider that had her web against the glass of my front porch door.  It was a rainy night, and I thought maybe this spider was trying either to get out of the rain or trying to steal prey from the Cross spider that was already there.  Well, I was partially right.  The new spider did get something from the first Cross spider's web, since she had so much food wrapped up and couldn't guard it all adequately.  This new spider didn't look like the Cross spiders on my porch, but he kept hanging around on the edges of my successful female Cross spider for the next couple of nights.  Finally, the idea came to me--could he possibly be a male Cross spider even though they didn't look much alike?  Looked them up on the WEB, and, yes he was.

 Would they eventually mate?  The info I found stated that she might very well eat him after they mated.  Judging from things I'd read about other similar species, I thought she might not eat him if she had plenty of good meals before mating, so I made sure she had lots of juicy insects to eat by leaving the porch light on longer every night.  Not only was she getting plenty of tiny moths, but also she gets to eat lots of minute gnats, etc. who get caught on her sticky web.  She does this by eating the web every late afternoon just before re-spinning or repairing her old one.  Spider silk is precious and must be re-cycled.

 Last night was the big night.  I had an excellent view of their aerial courtship (playing footsie while dangling from silk lines), though the would-be groom seemed a bit wary of his chosen bride.  She was mostly on the defensive.  Tune in next week for more details and the answer to the questions: Would the bride eat the groom?  Or would he die a natural death?  Would she lay eggs?  Would she die immediately after laying her eggs?  Meanwhile, for more information and some nice photos, try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_garden_spider.

Historic Rugby’s Workshops

 
Photo provided by Cheryl Cribbet shows the recent White Oak Basket class.

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