Indholdsfortegnelse for February - March 2016 i Country

Free land for those with the courage to claim it: that promise brought hundreds to Slana, Alaska, in the 1980s. It was the last land grab of the Homestead Act, and it’s the backdrop for our cover story. Starting on page 28, photographer Michael Quinton shares his family’s Alaska story. They bought a place staked when the Bureau of Land Management opened 10,000 acres in the area around Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. He moved his family there in 1995, when the electrical grid was a faraway dream and running water was available in a nearby creek. They weren’t the original homesteaders, but they lived the difficult life of a homesteader in Alaska. Michael was looking for a simpler, though not necessarily easier, life in a spectacular setting where…

Chocolate Dream Whoopie Pies Prep: 40 min. • Cook: 15 min./batch • Makes: about 1 dozen 1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size) 3 large eggs 1/2 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract FILLING: 2/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup 2% milk 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 2/3 cup shortening 1/3 cup butter, softened 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract GARNISH: 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips DIRECTIONS 1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and vanilla; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes (mixture will be sticky). Drop by 2 tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until edges are set. Cool for 2 minutes before…

Speaker of the House My grandson has always been a talker—still is at 20-plus years old. When he was 4, I said to him one day, “Evan, could you please stop talking for a little while?” He immediately answered, “I would, Grandma, but the words just keep coming out.” Geraldine Meyer LINCOLN, NEBRASKA Don’t Touch the Do, Dude Our 7-year-old granddaughter, Georgianna, has an amazingly thick, curly head of hair. One day, as her mother was getting ready to fix it for her, I said, “Georgianna, why don’t you let Papa do your hair today?” She thought for just a moment and replied, “Uh, why don’t you do Grandma’s first and then we’ll see.” Ernest Lynn LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA Hole-y Sockaroni On a Sunday morning, our 4-year-old daughter, Lori, and our…

If you want to lose weight and keep it off -- hate dieting and are tired of taking pills, buying costly diet foods or gimmick “fast loss” plans that don’t work-- you’ll love the easy Vinegar way to lose all the pounds you want to lose. And keep them off! Today, the natural Vinegar weight loss plan is a reality. Written by noted vinegar authority Emily Thacker. Her just published book “Vinegar Anniversary” will help you attain your ideal weight the healthiest and most enjoyable way ever. You’ll never again have to count calories. Or go hungry. Or go to expensive diet salons. Or buy pills, drugs. You’ll eat foods you like and get a trimmer, slimmer figure-- free of fat and flab-- as the pounds fade away. To prove…

Country is written for readers by readers. Here are a couple of the folks who shared their stories and photos in this issue: Lawn Griffiths grew up on a farm homesteaded in 1855 in Grundy County, Iowa, that he and his sister still own. Its creeks, critters, corn and clover—and the expectation that children learn early to do chores and pitch in—show up in many of his stories, including the one on page 56. Cookie Miller fell in love with trees when she moved to the Northwest. Read her story on page 52. She and her husband, Eldon, married 44 years, live in a small log house on 6 acres. A skills trainer, she is grateful at age 73 to be helping people with disabilities learn job skills.…

MY GRANDMA VERA KRAMER was the best grandma a girl could have. She was kind, caring, thoughtful and never said a bad word about anyone. She always found good in a person. When I was young, Grandma worked hard all spring and summer to buy a new coat for the winter. She sold eggs, berries and anything her garden produced to earn enough money. Her old coat had seen better days, and she had patched it quite a few times. When she finally had enough money saved up, off to town we went. Grandma looked so pretty in her new coat, and I was proud of the hard work she did to earn it. That winter, in the small town of Harwood, Missouri, where she lived, a family with three…

“As you approach the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve near Lancaster in spring, the hills look like they’re on fire,” says Rich Warren of Victorville. “I spent several early morning hours soaking in the brilliant color. By the time I left, cars were lining up to get in. Everyone wanted a closer look at this glowing beauty.” CARE TO SHARE? Show us the glory in your neck of the woods. Learn how to share a photo and caption in our guidelines on page 68!…

The small, white-framed country church overlooking the Blue Grass Valley in pastoral Highland County, Virginia, has been a place of worship for several generations. My mother used to say she attended Union Chapel since before she was born. Farmland surrounds the church, and some of it has been in my mother’s family for at least 100 years. It’s not uncommon to see cows or sheep grazing in the pastures. There’s a cemetery behind the church, which is where my parents, grandparents and some of my great-grandparents were laid to rest. Union Chapel’s history began in the 1800s, when an indenture dated Feb. 4, 1843, provided that the church “shall at all times be open for the preaching of the gospel by minister [sic] of every Christian denomination.” In 1852, what…

Visiting Uncle Johnny was a grand adventure with one drawback: his modern facilities amounted to an outhouse in the pasture. The field was fenced to keep the cows inside. A hefty bull lived with them, and he had an equally large complex about people visiting his domain. On one family visit, I had to go to the bathroom, so I went to the fence and carefully surveyed the area. The bull and the cows were off in another corner, so I scampered through the gate and sprinted to the outhouse. After taking care of business, I tried to open the wooden door, but it wouldn’t budge more than a couple of inches. All I could see through the small opening was a nice side of beef. A cow had come…

EMILY THACKER Author JAMES VICTOR Publisher Jane King Editor/Research Dear Emily: I’m allergic to perfumes, chemical smells plus many other things. Cleaning has gotten to be a problem as manufactures seem to think everything has to have a fragrance in their product. Can you recommend to me a natural way to freshen my room and air? – B.A., Newport, PA Dear B.A.: Vinegar is the cleaner of choice for those with allergies, asthma or a sensitivity to harsh chemicals. Cleaners you make yourself cost pennies, instead of the dollars supermarket cleaners cost. And, what is much more significant, the compounds you put together are safe, natural and easy on the environment. I will give you my natural Fresh Air freshener from page 108 of my latest book The Vinegar Anniversary…

Dentist Recommends Vinegar I have some useful advice that others may be interested in. When I got my Dentures several years ago, the Dentist told me use vinegar to get the plaque off them. So - about once a week I soak them in the wonder liquid and Presto - they sparkle. I have since gotten implants - Since I am not fond of the hygienist scraping the posts for cleaning - I clean them with Vinegar before going for my check-up. On my last visit to her, she couldn’t believe how clean they were and praised me for it! I then asked the Dentist that put the implants in if the vinegar would harm the metal posts and he informed me it is OK to use it. - D.…

In 1999, I took a trip out of the country with my girlfriends. After a long flight home, I was very tired. The next morning my husband, Tony, told me to put on some old clothes because he wanted to show me something. We got in the car, pulling a trailer with a four-wheeler behind us, and drove 15 miles from our house in the city. Just south of Birmingham, we arrived at a cute brick farmhouse. Tony explained that he bought the place while I was on my trip. I thought I must have been dreaming. “What happened to buying a condo with no upkeep?” I asked. He just smiled and said, “You are going to love it here on the farm.” We rode all over the 23 acres…

In each issue we hide a needle like this one (though it may be a different size, black or white). If you find it, enter online at country-magazine.com by clicking the Contests link at the top of the page. Or send a postcard with the page number to NEEDLE CONTEST, COUNTRY, 1610 N 2ND ST STE 102, MILWAUKEE WI 53212-3906. We’ll draw 24 winners from all the correct entries. Winners receive a one-year subscription to Country Extra. In the last issue, the needle was hidden on page 39. You’ll find a list of last issue’s winners at country-magazine.com. No purchase necessary to enter to win. Purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents age 18 years or older of the U.S., its territories and…

Dear Country… We live in Whitefish, Montana, so when we tell people we are going for an afternoon picnic in the park, we mean Glacier National Park. I love to read your magazine and especially enjoy the great photos. The article on Yosemite in the October/November issue (page 42, “My Yosemite Story”) makes me want to visit there. Imagine my surprise when I turned to page 46 and read, “So, who was this Elmer anyway?” There he is in the photo, jumping off a rock, a boy about 10 times larger than anyone else! Was this an “oopsie,” or are you starting a new feature called “Find the Hidden Elmer?” If so, I want to be the first to enter. Allen Wolf Whitefish, Montana Editor’s Note: Allen, I’m in awe…

Few things say “country” more than a tree-lined lane, houses set back from the road, and a mailbox out front. Some country folks have taken to decorating their mailboxes to look like cows, barns or trout. My cousin Phillip Glashoff, from Suisun, California, has taken customization to another level! Phillip has been creating sculptures from scrap metal at his ranch in Northern California since 1985. Life-sized pigs, herons and hippos made of rusty gears and ancient tools line the pathways and overflow into the orchard where they graze alongside his sheep, horses and Scottish Highland cattle. The sculptures represent recycling at its best. Phillip especially likes saving old farm equipment; he is proud that 90 percent of his sculptures are welded from discarded junk gleaned from scrapyards. Repurposing old tools…

MYSTERY TOOL I was wondering what these are, then remembered your “Can You Help Me?” section and thought I would give that a try. These are made of bronze and each one is inscribed with the words “DESCO Milwaukee, Wis.” ANNA BONESS 135 Ball Lane Chicora PA 16025 keep2thetempo@hotmail.com We think it’s a…strap cutter! Jake tells us it was something used in making leather straps. First, you’d take a piece of tanned leather with a straight edge. By keeping the leather’s edge against the vertical handle of this tool and poking a very sharp blade through one of the holes, you could drag the cutter down the length, making a strip of uniform width. Thanks, Jake, and everyone who gave him a hand! Help Us Help You! Whether you’re hunting…

Thousands of years ago ancient healers trusted apple cider vinegar, and modern research shows - vinegar just might be a wonder cure! In fact, apple cider vinegar’s biggest fans believe this golden liquid can help solve the most troublesome of human afflictions. Since even the earliest of times a daily vinegar cocktail was used to help control appetite to lose weight and continue good health. And now after years of continued research all across the globe, over 1000 new vinegar super-remedies and tonics are available in the brand new 168-page Vinegar Anniversary Book by famed natural health author, Emily Thacker. From the Bible to Cleopatra to the fierce Samurai warriors of Japan, vinegar has been documented as a powerful tonic to ensure strength, power and long life. Today’s research studies…

Simple Vinegar used to reduce cervical cancer deaths by 31% The latest study about vinegar, shows it will prevent an estimated 72,600 deaths from cervical cancer each year. This according to a study released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago, IL. The results were based over a 12 year period tracking 150,000 women in Mumbai, India, between the ages of 35-64 years. The conclusion, a simple vinegar test significantly reduces cervical cancer deaths. Immediate plans are to implement this simple and successful screening test in developing countries. The study had been planned for 16 years, but after the results were analyzed and found to be conclusive it was stopped at 12 years. Vinegar has always been used for its versatility in home remedies, cooking and…

WHAT WE NEED Include your name, daytime phone number, email address and mailing address with each submission, including emailed submissions. WHAT YOU’LL GET We pay $250 for story submissions that run a page or more when published. Contributors whose jokes and stories are published in Country Chuckles get $25. Items published in Mailbox and Little Humor earn a gift certificate for a one-year subscription to Country Extra. Most other contributors will receive a dinner triangle upon publication. SAVE YOUR STAMPS We do not return unsolicited materials. Send good-quality copies of photos (keep the original!), or email high-resolution JPEG files. Our small staff can’t acknowledge receipt of submissions, but we’ll let you know if they’re published. WHERE TO FIND US Send submissions to COUNTRY, 1610 N 2ND ST STE 102, MILWAUKEE…