Friday, May 1, 2015

Old American Art - Quilt Square


The revival of an old American folk art has taken the Flint Hills by storm over the past several years.

by Gail Parsons

Bright, colorful barn quilt patterns have been sprouting up on mailboxes, front porches, the side of buildings – and of course on barns where the original Barn Quilts were installed.
Tom and Char Grelk display three barn quilts on their front porch
In Geary County, Charlotte Grelk and her husband Tom have led the way and had the first barn quilts in the county, which were installed on the front porch of their 1908 home at 119 S. Jefferson St.; two others have since been added.

“Powercat,” “Kansas Dugout,” and “Cat’s Cradle,” are all done in K-State purple to depict her love for Kansas State University.

She made Kansas Dugout to represent the dugout homes early settlers lived in when they first arrived in Kansas, which was bare of materials to make homes from.

“Our home is our dugout,” she said. “As for the Cat’s Cradle – we’re K-State fans and put our children through K-State – this is the cradle from which they sprung.”

These three and the School House barn quilt, located in front of the old school house at the Spring Valley Historic Site, Hwy K-18 and Spring Valley Road are examples of one of the unique aspects of this art form.

Patterns on these large wooden panels represent some facet of life for the artist, the family or business. Many of the early ones were painted directly onto a structure as advertisements.

Helen Haynes with Iris Barn Quilt
Soon, another design “Iris,” which was made by Helen Haynes will go up at the Lutheran Church at Eisenhower Drive and McFarland Road. Charlotte said that one was made in memory of one of Helen’s friends. Helen also made one for the front of her shop, Hobby Haven depicting a basket, which is one of the crafts that she teaches.
Helen Haynes outside Hobby Haven shows off baskets barn quilt
Charlotte is known for having introduced Geary County to the growing interest in Barn Quilts. But, the folk art was not a novel idea for Charlotte, a native of Iowa she grew up with barn quilts simply being part of the landscape.

“I’m used to driving down the road and seeing them everywhere,” she said.

Charlotte has been offering classes to anyone interested in learning how to make one. It’s a project she says is easy and can make a fun family activity. When one is completed and installed, the owners can send information to the Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail and have it included on a Web site that includes a tour and map of the quilts on the trail.

In some places the quilts have become community and club projects with groups creating one large one or several in some places, the barn quilts have become community projects, such as in Abilene where 22 quilts were made by students enrolled in the High School Art Class.

The Kansas Flint Hills Quilt Trail, is part of the Kansas Flint Hills Tourism Coalition, and is partners with the American Quilt Trail, joining the art form nationwide.

When people install a barn quilt, they can have it put on the trail, but so far not too many of the ones in Geary County done so.

Two barn quilts with identical patterns adorn Munson’s Prime restaurant. The small one over the drive-through window was the sample before the larger 4-foot X 4-foot one was made for the front of the building. The design is based on an actual quilt the owner’s mother had made.

Two other barn quilts, which cannot be included on the tour, because they are not visible from the road, are inside Quilter’s Yard fabric store on North Washington St., and the Geary County Historical Society Museum.

Take a Road Trip               
People wishing to take a tour of these art pieces can visit www.ksflinthillsquilttrail.com, where quilts are listed by county and pinpointed on a Google map.

As you explore this time-honored piece of American heritage, remember to be respectful of private property. Just because someone has a barn quilt on their land, doesn’t mean they are inviting people to traipse over it, to get a closer look. All of the quilts however are visible from public roads.

Searching out these pieces of art is a great way to explore some of the quaint little towns, nestled in the rolling landscape of the Kansas Flint Hills.



Charlotte teaches people how to make barn quilts.  Classes are $35, which covers all the supplies.  The next class is at Hobby Haven, 716 N. Adams, Junction City, on June 13. People can call 223-1926 for more information or to register. Registrations can also be done at the Dorothy Bramlage Public Library.
Classes generally run 4 to 6 hours.

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RSVP Mother Day's Tea at the Eisenhower

Mother's Day Tea to be Held at Eisenhower Presidential Library Courtyard

The second annual Mother's Day Tea will be held at the Eisenhower Presidential Library indoor courtyard on Saturday, May 9 at 10 a.m. The tea will feature a program by Eileen Hadley Givens, granddaughter of Douglas McKay, Secretary of the Interior under President Eisenhower.

This year commemorates the 70th anniversary of Ida Stover Eisenhower's selection as Kansas Mother of the Year. The event is open to everyone and reservations are required by May 4. The tea is catered by AppleMint Catering.

Givens' program is based on her recently published book, I Baked a Cake for Ike and Mamie! It is an informal memoir of life in Washington D.C. during the 1950s. Based on her grandmother's letters to her friends and family, the book is an insider's look at the people and politics in the Eisenhower administration.

Givens graduated from Pomona College. She is a civic leader and served on the City Council in Glendale, California, from 1991-1999, including two years as Mayor. Eileen and her husband Jim have three sons and four grandchildren. 

Reservations are required by Monday, May 4. Send a $15 check payable to Eisenhower Presidential Library, Attn: Mother's Day Tea, P.O.Box 339, Abilene, Kansas 67410. 

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Monuments Men Founder To Speak At Eisenhower

Monuments Men Founder to Keynote VE-Day 70th

Anniversary at Eisenhower Presidential Library

Robert M. Edsel

Robert M. Edsel, Founder and Chairman of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art, will be the keynote speaker at the Victory in Europe (VE-Day) 70th Anniversary Commemoration marking the end of World War II in Europe. The program is set for May 8, 7 p.m. at the Eisenhower Presidential Library Visitors Center Auditorium.

"We are pleased to have Robert Edsel as the keynote speaker at our VE-Day 70th Anniversary commemoration," states Karl Weissenbach, Director. "The message he brings regarding the preservation of cultural treasures throughout the world is as relevant today as it was during World War II."

Edsel is the  #1 New York Times bestselling author of three non-fiction books, Saving Italy: the Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, and Rescuing Da Vinci. A film based on Edsel's book, The Monuments Men, directed by and starring Academy Award winner George Clooney, was released in February 2014.

In November 2014, Edsel was presented with the "Records of Achievement Award" from the Foundation for the National Archives. The award recognizes an individual whose work has fostered a broader national awareness of the history and identity of the United States through the use of original records. 
                                                                                                          
Edsel's remarks will provide perspective on the lessons learned about the preservation of cultural treasures during World War II under the leadership of Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. He will also discuss the challenges confronting us today as we bear witness to the destruction of cultural treasures in Syria and Iraq by the Islamic State (ISIS). 

In addition, Edsel will unveil a major initiative to engage the public in the hunt for some of the hundreds of thousands of works of art and other cultural treasures still missing since World War II.

Copies of Edsel's books, Saving Italy and The Monuments Men, as well as the DVD of The Monuments Men film will be available for purchase in the Presidential Gift Shop. Following the program, Edsel will be available to autograph the items.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, a nonpartisan federal institution, is part of the Presidential Libraries network operated by the National Archives and Records Administration. Presidential Libraries promote understanding of the presidency and the American experience. We preserve and provide access to historical materials, support research, and create interactive programs and exhibits that educate and inspire.

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Monday, April 27, 2015

A Traditional Farm Life - Kansas Dirty Pudding


A Traditional Farm Life

By Shasta Hamilton
Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends!  The heavenly aroma of overturned earth filled our nostrils this week as our garden patch was worked again in preparation for spring planting to begin in earnest.

Our dear friend Dean brought over his tractor and spring tooth harrow and smoothed out the garden, erasing—if only for a short time—the weed bloom after last week’s welcomed rain.

Now just what, you may be wondering, is it about the smell of dirt that’s so appealing?  The term “dirt” just doesn’t seem to evoke the noble majesty from which forms the basis of the farmer’s livelihood.  It sounds, well, dirty. 

Perhaps we should define our terms a bit.  I looked up “earth” in my children’s 1952 copy of the Thorndike Barnhart Elementary Dictionary.  Definition 2 referred to earth as “ground.  The earth in his garden is good soft soil.”  Now we’re talking! 

Just this morning I walked to the garden to admire the dark brown earthiness of the freshly worked soil.  I think I do this at the beginning of every garden season.  Perhaps what draws me out there again and again this time of the garden year is the fresh start represented by an unplanted garden.  In my mind’s eye I see the rows of green beans and cucumbers, the grid-like pattern of tomatoes and peppers green and lush, boughs hanging with ripe fruit ready for the picking.  There are no weeds, of course, in this perfect garden of my imagination. 

But friends, as you well know, life isn’t perfect and reality doesn’t always follow one’s expectations.  Weeds will come, and Lord willing, so will the harvest.  In the meantime, however, comes work.

My husband is fond of saying, “Life is work—best get to it.”  As Adam learned the hard way so many years ago, our sustenance will come by toil in the soil.  While Adam and Eve were the first to learn this lesson, growing our own food still does not come easily.  The thorns and thistles that plagued Adam causing him great sorrow still burst forth bright and green in fields and gardens this spring.  While many today may be completely disconnected from this, farmers are still intimately connected with this reality.

Whether it’s a small garden plot or a thousand acres, the blank slate of planting time is a reminder that has stirred contemplation in generations of farmers.  From time to time we all desire—even need--a fresh start.  The smell of overturned earth in the field, garden, or even the flower box outside the window draws us all together in anticipation of the future beauty a fresh start can give.  One need not be a farmer to experience this God-given reminder of a future filled with the hope of a bountiful harvest.

Friends, let’s not take for granted the fresh start we are given every spring.  Even if it’s just in a container on your patio, dig into the soil, inhale the heady earthy aroma, and enjoy the fresh start of spring planting time.  Like Adam, care for your little section of God’s creation, and Lord willing, enjoy a bountiful harvest.

As a collector of church and community cookbooks, I have been amused throughout the years at the occasional Oreo/pudding dessert combination often referred to as “Dirt Pudding.”  Saturday seemed like the perfect time to give it a try.  The children had a great time helping with the project, crushing the cookies in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. When tasting the finished product they agreed it was “the best dirt they ever ate.”

Kansas Dirt Pudding

1 pkg. (25 oz.) chocolate sandwich
crème cookies, crushed fine
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
2 pkgs. (3.9 oz.) instant chocolate
pudding
3-1/2 cups cold milk
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping,
thawed
gummy worms, optional

1.  Stir instant coffee granules into hot water until dissolved.  Prepare pudding using both coffee and milk, adding almond extract if desired.
2.  Beat cream cheese and butter with powdered sugar.  Add whipped topping and mix until smooth.  Blend in pudding.
3.  Beginning and ending with crushed cookies, alternate cookies and pudding mixture in a 9 x 13” baking dish, clear bowl, or even in a clean plastic planter.  Garnish with gummy worms and/or flowers with stems inserted in straws stuck into the pudding, if desired.

Copyright © 2015 by Shasta Hamilton

Shasta is a fifth generation rural Kansan now residing in Enterprise, Kansas.  She and her husband own and operate The Buggy Stop Home-Style Kitchen with their six home-schooled children.  You can reach The Buggy Stop by calling (785) 200-6385 or visit them on the web at www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com.


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Eisenhower Tree


Eisenhower Tree

by Lisa Eastman

Image by Lisa Eastman
Click Here To See The Unveiling Vudeo 

On Wednesday April 22nd, The Eisenhower Presidential Library unveiled a new display. The display is a cross-section of the tree mounted under glass in a beautiful wooden case. It is located in the lobby of the library.

The tree is an unusual addition to a presidential library collection but there is an interesting story behind it. Ike was an avid golfer and a member of the Augusta National Golf Club. The pine tree was an obstacle for Ike at the 17th hole. He repeatedly hit the tree and eventually petitioned the club to have the pine cut down. Ike was unsuccessful in his efforts and the tree continued standing until an ice storm downed the tree in 2014.

Image by Lisa Eastman
Curator of the Eisenhower Library and Presidential Museum, William Snyder commented, “In February of 2014, an ice storm did what a president couldn’t do and brought down the tree. We received hundreds of letters, phone calls and emails from people letting us know that the tree was down and wanting us to get a piece of it. We were fortunate enough to work with Augusta and get a piece. We are responding to what people want and that’s a good thing. But we’re also preserving a piece of Ike’s history. I think he’s probably enjoying a good laugh about now.”

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