Innehållsförteckning för February/March 2019 från Country

It wasn’t a good running day, but my husband, Reuben, managed to collect some sap. Our 1-year-old son, Joseph, didn’t mind. He was just happy to be in the woods with his dad. Reuben and his older brother, Peter, were 12 and 14 when they first saw a maple tree tapped. Their uncle taught them to do it. The boys thought it was cool, so they built a campfire in their backyard and boiled away all day. The following year they built a trailer and took turns boiling the sap. The year after that they built a sugarhouse and bought an evaporator. The boys were in business. A decade later, we sell our syrup on the honor system at our store in New Ipswich (someromaplefarm.com). We tap trees at other…

CHERRY GELATIN SUPREME Janice Rathgeb Brighton, Illinois PREP: 20 min. + chilling MAKES: 12 servings 2 cups water, divided1 pkg. (3 oz.) cherry gelatin1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling1 pkg. (3 oz.) lemon gelatin3 oz. cream cheese, softened⅓ cup mayonnaise1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained1 cup miniature marshmallows½ cup heavy whipping cream, whipped2 Tbsp. chopped pecans 1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Stir in cherry gelatin until dissolved. Stir in pie filling. Pour into an 11x7-in. dish. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. 2. In a small saucepan, bring remaining water to a boil. Stir in lemon gelatin until dissolved. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Beat in lemon gelatin and pineapple. Cover and…

Back in 1899, my grandpa Bert Thompson was born on his parents’ farm. Later, he bought that land, and that’s where he and Grandma Hazel raised their nine children. Grandpa and Grandma didn’t have jobs off the farm but they still clothed and fed their family. Oh, the memories! I never saw Grandpa in anything but overalls. He called me Suzie Q, which was not even close to my name. On Saturdays, we took his old red truck to town, and it was an all-day affair. He only drove 30 miles per hour. If we saw a turtle on the road, he would stop and move it out of the way. The highlight of our trip was lunch at the Dairy Queen, where my aunt worked. Spring brought a yellow…

Keeping the Peace Ever alert to sirens, as his dad is a police officer, my 3-year-old grandson, Sawyer, heard the loud sounds approaching near our intersection. He shouted from the back seat, “MaMa, there’s the ambance!” Seconds later, the police car followed and I heard Sawyer say, “There goes the peace car!” I thought to myself, how right you are little one, it should be called a peace car! NANCY SMITH-JONES Plain City, Ohio Editor Needed A church minister was shaving in preparation for the Sunday service. While doing so, he cut himself and had to apply a bandage. “I will have to explain what happened,” he thought. “Well, folks,” he said to his congregation on Sunday, “I cut my face while thinking about my sermon for you.” After the service,…

1. BORN TO FLY I noticed an eagle’s nest on my bluff. When I quietly crept closer, I spotted the bright white head, and I zoomed in with my camera to see the chicks. BRAD AKERSON Oronoco, Minnesota 2. OUR OWN LITTLE WORLD I live down Memory Lane, the three-quarter-mile-long driveway that winds between two rows of trees and pasture through our 180 acres. MERCY CHIAPPARO Mena, Arkansas 3. LITTLE BOY BLOOM My 2-year-old son Blake loved running through the colorful flowers. He was delighted that spring has sprung! NADIA CARBERRY Germantown, Ohio 4. DREAMY DAWN The colors were amazing during this March sunrise on the farm in Linn County. I felt so blessed to have been outside at the right moment to capture it. NANCY MAST Central City, Iowa 1. WORKING THE SOIL…

If you should happen to be cruising along a stretch of U.S. Highway 20 a few miles east of Ridott, Illinois, a certain red barn can’t help but catch your eye. Green and white shingles on its roof spell out in bold letters: “TO GOD BE THE GLORY.” A friend asked me to look into the barn’s history to find out who had put those words on the roof. The barn was built in 1915, but our story began in June 1972. Owner Gilbert Crull’s sons—Steve, Jeff and Terry—were home for summer vacation from college and the barn was in dire need of new shingles. “I told the boys a new roof on our barn had the potential to become a huge witnessing billboard,” Gilbert said. “All they had to…

My wife, Carole, and I love to grow dahlias. Our acreage has many places for us to showcase these carefree, adaptable flowers. Dahlias flourish in beds, borders and containers. Varying in height and width, they bloom with vibrant hues nonstop from July to frost. Honeybees and butterflies visit them often. In October, after a cool, sunny stretch of weather, we collect seeds from our favorite plants. “Jennie will love this color,” Carole says, as she plucks a dried seed head from a wine-colored Figaro dahlia for our daughter. Jennie’s kids, Miles and Lara, are at the age when they’re fascinated by watching new life take root. Our son Jimmy’s kids, Nathan and Noelle, are a little younger, but just as eager to sow special seeds from Grandma and Grandpa’s gardens.…

Seattle Washington: A clinical study on a leading acid reflux pill shows that its key ingredient relieves digestive symptoms while suppressing the inflammation that contributes to premature aging in men and women. And, if consumer sales are any indication of a product’s effectiveness, this ‘acid reflux pill turned anti-aging phenomenon’ is nothing short of a miracle. Sold under the brand name AloeCure, it was already backed by clinical data documenting its ability to provide all day and night relief from heartburn, acid reflux, constipation, irritable bowel, gas, bloating, and more. But soon doctors started reporting some incredible results… “With AloeCure, my patients started reporting less joint pain, more energy, better sleep, stronger immune systems… even less stress and better skin, hair, and nails” explains Dr. Liza Leal; a leading integrative…

Daniel Ward, Sr. Associated Health Press AHP – It is not often that another country beats the US to a medical breakthrough. So when it happens, you know it’s something special. That’s why doctors and patients are so excited that Israel’s new memory pill is now available in America. Sold under the brand name Lipogen PS Plus, the new pill contains a key ingredient that redevelops cells in the part of the brain that stores memories, which improves memory, concentration, and thinking power. The phenomenon of growing new brain cells is known medically as neurogenesis. American scientists believed it can impossible to experience after a certain age. It may now be better achieved at any age with Lipogen PS Plus. “With daily use, Lipogen PS Plus will help replenish your…

Field EDITOR In early December 2017, my oldest son, Jake Rayborn, became very ill—to the point of respiratory failure—and he was placed on life support. As a mother, you never want to hear that one of your loved ones is fighting for their life. Dropping everything, I raced to be by his side at the hospital in Mississippi. For two months my son fought so hard just to stay alive, battling infections, fever and several episodes of collapsed lung. He was placed under heavy sedation and chemically paralyzed. At one point it was necessary to airlift him to a larger hospital for more intensive care. His medical team and the lead doctor said, “We might need to have the conversation to turn the ventilator off.” You want to talk about…

My girls love spring flowers, such as these sunny yellow daffodils. It’s our tradition every year to drive around and find some to pick. ALANNA FRENCH McLeansboro, Illinois Digging in the dirt, climbing rock piles or playing baseball—my grandson Gabe is all about being outside. He is always in on the action. BECKY FARRELL McCalla, Alabama With the wind blowing in her hair, my daughter Dru watches her daddy plant the corn crop. MAGGIE SHEFFIELD Webbers Falls, Oklahoma…

WHEN YOU HEAR about my small town, you probably think of Groundhog Day and the most popular weather forecaster in the world, Punxsutawney Phil. Each year, thousands of people gather at his home on Gobbler’s Knob to witness the groundhog make his prediction. As legend goes, if he sees his shadow we’ll have six more weeks of winter. On Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, the town rolls out the red carpet for visitors with fun and entertainment. Take a hayride or walking tour through town, and stop by Barclay Square and the Celebration Tent for goodies and family-friendly activities. No matter the time of year, all around town you’ll find groundhog statues, known as Phantastic Phils, decorated by local artists. During the first week of July we host the Groundhog Festival.…

It’s 5 o’clock in the morning. We’ve awoken to our internal clocks, as we have every morning for the past 10 years. Donning our work clothes, my husband, Jack, and I let our three dogs out the door as we head down the lane to the barn. We hear our roosters crowing on the other side of the woods. And though the barn is almost a quarter mile from our house, the donkeys begin to bray their rather hungry impatience at the sound of the garage door opening. The sun is just beginning rise. The pigs and sheep greet us at their fence, bleating and snorting, hoping for a treat. By the time we reach the barn, the cats have emerged, their purpose obvious. Moonbeam, our Haflinger horse and the…

It’s hard to imagine an ENTIRE MOUNTAIN RANGE CAN BE UNDERAPPRECIATED, but that’s the case for the BIGHORNS. Impossible to miss on a trip from the Black Hills to Yellowstone, the 100-mile-long and 60-mile-wide range is a prominent feature in north central Wyoming. Countless travelers think of the Bighorns as an obstacle, not a destination. Yet from the basins to the peaks, the range provides a cross section of natural history and outdoor recreation. Situated at the eastern base of the Bighorn Mountains, the town of Buffalo has been base camp for many of my adventures. As a native, I’ll always claim the town as my home. I go back to Wyoming every year to see my family—and my mountains. With exceptions during Longmire Days and fair week, the Johnson…

Brenda Metzger knows and relies on horses. As a former member of an equine search and rescue team in California, she and her trusty quarter horse, Cognac, helped save many lives. When someone is missing in the wild, riders are called in to find them after rescuers have tried ATVs, helicopters and sometimes dogs. “I have an avid interest in helping people, being with horses and enjoying nature,” she says. “One of the best ways of doing that was riding in some of our parks and helping people when they got in trouble.” Time is of the essence when people are lost outdoors. “We would have a trailer set up and be ready to go within 30 minutes,” Brenda says. “Cognac is extremely smart, and he has always taken good…

My dad, Roy F. Clendenen, was born in 1893, one of 15 children. Twelve lived to adulthood. His father and mother had homesteaded land in West Texas, and the children grew up there, ranching and farming. When he was in his teens, he and a younger brother went to work as cowboys on one of the large cattle ranches in West Texas, rounding up cattle. The ranch they worked on was contiguous with the state line, adjoining a large ranch in eastern New Mexico. As usually happens, the cattle had crossed the ranch’s boundaries, and some from the Texas ranch were mixed with those from the New Mexico ranch. The cowboys were told to round them up, separate them by brand and return them. One of the Texas cowboys riding…

Settled among beautiful live oaks and Spanish moss on a well-traveled corner in Myakka City, Florida, you will find a little white church with quite a story to tell. Known for its historic cemetery, Bethany Baptist Church was founded in 1888 to serve the spiritual needs of settlers in eastern Manatee County. Back then life was difficult because of tropical diseases, rough conditions and isolation. The members came on horseback and in horse-drawn buggies from 10 miles around. At first they met in a post office. Services were held once a month, as preachers were few and often traveled to a different church each weekend. In 1906 members built a chapel on the current grounds. Dinners and church gatherings were frequent, and members supported each other and their neighbors through…