HOME & GARDEN – Clutch MOV

The Victory Garden Makes a Comeback

Joe Stephens — Wed, 08 Apr 2020 16:59:32 +0000

I grew up in a gardening family. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but this was a family tradition and also simply a way to put food on the table. Early spring was filled with anticipation as my dad worked on his tiller and bought seeds to plant in old cottage cheese containers and waxed cardboard milk cartons with the tops cut off. Every sunny window in the house had a stash of seedlings just waiting for May 12, that magical day in the Mid-Ohio-Valley that is known to all farmers and home gardeners, the day when the last frost has likely passed.

I didn’t fully appreciate the sociological ramifications of my father’s garden as a pre-teen. All I saw was a reason to spend warm summer days cutting down weeds with a hoe or tying and suckering tomatoes or picking and stringing green beans when I would rather be playing baseball or swimming or, ironically enough, lying inside watching one of my favorite TV shows, The Victory Garden on PBS. I was curious about the title, so, this being the dark days before Google, I asked my dad. He told me briefly of how folks grew gardens during World War II in order to support the war effort. I thought that was a neat idea, but I wasn’t interested enough to pursue the research any further. I just knew that we weren’t in a war and I had no intention of ever growing a garden when I grew up.

Fast forward a couple decades to when I finally had a nice house of my own with a nice back yard. Almost without any conscious choice on my part, suddenly I found myself planting a garden. And I still enjoyed watching The Victory Garden on TV. But the title meant more to me. It’s about culture. It’s about heritage. It’s about holding on to the rich tradition that goes back in my family for decades and generations. Before I knew consciously I was doing it, I was participating in a ritual that dates back not to World War II, but, according to Teresa Cartensen in her article on the website ohiohistory.org, “Victory Gardens in the United States”, all the way back to World War I, when a man named Charles Lathrop Pack started an organization to promote home gardening for two reasons: ease the burden on the food supply and allow the folks at home to feel they were making a meaningful contribution to the war effort.

Fast forward to today. We have mega-farms that produce food by the ton and mega-stores where we can get giant, spotless, lush produce and perfect cuts of meat and a thousand kinds of cheese for cheap. But then the unthinkable happens. A virus hits and we’re all told to stay home. People all over the country are getting sick and many are even dying. Businesses, schools, restaurants are shutting down. What if grocery stores shut down? For the first time in decades in our country, average folks are starting to think about where their food comes from.

Which is sprouting, pardon the pun, an interesting phenomenon. The return of the victory garden. Now we aren’t at war with an enemy we can see like they were in World Wars I and II. Today, we’re fighting an enemy we can’t see directly and our entire contribution to the war effort is to stay home and do nothing. For some, that’s something they’ve been hoping to hear all their lives. For others, it’s a frustration. Many want to feel they’re somehow making things better. Easing a burden. Making a meaningful contribution. And one way we can make a difference and maintain social distance at the same time is to grow some of our own food. Even folks like me, who live on tiny lots in downtown Marietta, can do it. Rather than planting flowers behind my garage, this year I’m growing tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow summer squash, herbs, and even bush-type pumpkins. And some of my neighbors are joining in. A gentleman just a few doors down is in process of building a raised-bed garden frame. It doesn’t take a huge tract of land to grow more than enough produce to enjoy all summer and even preserve for fall and winter. And every bit of food you grow is one you won’t have to buy from the store.

Why don’t you consider doing the same? Maybe it’s just a few cherry tomatoes in pots on your back porch. Or do you have a small flower garden you can convert to grow comestibles? Perhaps you even have a yard big enough to convert to a nice, large plot that will produce enough food to eat, can, freeze, and share with grateful neighbors. If this all sounds like too much work or it just feels too mysterious, there are lots of businesses and organizations out there who can help the novice gardener. Your local garden store, for instance, will have all the supplies you need and can give you guidance. Yes, we need to keep close contact to a minimum, but it is possible to maintain social distance and still shop for seeds, plants, and tools and also ask questions.

If you’d like help from an expert from the comfort of your own home, both West Virginia and Ohio have wonderful extension agencies with master gardeners at the ready to answer your gardening questions and give suggestions for everything from what to grow to how to go about it to what to do about pests that threaten to ruin all your hard work. West Virginia’s extension agency has a remarkably thorough website where you’ll find many helpful tools, such as gardening calendars; information about weeds, pests, and fertilizers; and information on every conceivable crop that will grow in our area. Ohio’s extension agency has a slightly different kind of helpful tool in that you can ask a master gardener all the questions you want by filling out the quick, simple form. Between these two terrific sites, you’ll be an expert gardener in short order.

Even if you don’t buy into all the heritage and tradition and helping-with-the-war-effort stuff, gardening is a fun way to get outside and keep yourself busy during the who knows how many weeks we have left before this virus quarantine is lifted. And the added bonus is you get to eat the results of your work. I can tell you there’s nothing quite like tasting that first tomato out of your own garden every year. It tastes like summer on a plate. And we all need some summer to look forward to right now.

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How to Sew a Cloth Face Mask

Loni Jakubowski — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 20:48:28 +0000

Camden Clark Medical Center announced on March 25th that they are accepting donations of cloth masks. Their site has more information about homemade cloth masks, including frequently asked questions, their preferred face mask pattern, a video detailing the construction, and the drop off locations for completed masks.

On March 30th, Memorial Health System announced they are approved to accept PPE, including N-95 masks and handmade cloth masks with elastic or ties. The coordinator for MMH’s Volunteer Services, Cindy Hall, was happy to speak with me about mask donations (N95s and homemade cloth masks). She reported to have been consulting with the Infection Control department for guidance. The homemade cloth masks being accepted should be 2 layers of fabric with either elastic loops (if available) or fabric ties; no specific pattern was suggested. Cindy also shared that she has volunteers making masks from surgical-grade materials. As of the morning of Tuesday, March 31st, the donated masks were approved for use by the pharmacy department.

I sewed one of these masks following the pattern shared by Camden Clark Medical Center and created a photo tutorial for the assembly.

Materials

Woven cotton fabric, such as quilting cotton
Narrow elastic, rope or flat, up to 1/4 inch wide (if unavailable, substitutions may include hair ties or fabric ties)

Prepare Fabric and Elastic

For adults, cut to 9 inches wide by 6 inches high, 2 per mask. For children, 7.5 inches wide by 5 inches high, 2 per mask. Cut elastic 7 inches long, 2 per mask.

Assembly

Place one fabric rectangle right side up on work surface. Place elastic over the fabric, aligning cut ends of each elastic at the corners of the short ends. The elastic loops will face the center of the fabric. Pin or clip in place. Place second fabric rectangle right sides together over this assembly, maintaining the positioning of the elastic loops.

Sew around the perimeter of the fabric, leaving about 2 inches unsewn. The stitching line is shown as a dotted line below.

Turn the mask right side out through the opening.

Form 2 or 3 pleats along both short ends of the mask. The pleats should fold in the same direction.

Stitch around the entire edge of the mask, closing the opening the mask was turned through and fastening the pleats in place, red dotted line below.

The mask is complete!

Please note:

We cannot make any guarantees as to the efficacy of these masks. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that homemade masks be used for patient source containment, and only as a last resort for healthcare providers when approved personal protective equipment is unavailable. You can read more about the author’s thoughts on the subject, here. We encourage you to only make masks if you have the necessary supplies on hand. We do not encourage or condone leaving your home for non-essential travel or to purchase additional supplies, as this would be contradictory to Ohio and West Virginia’s Stay at Home orders.

That said, Loni will have donated, precut fabric available for those interested in taking on the task of sewing masks available for pickup at the Original Pizza Place on Second Street in Marietta, OH starting Friday, March 27th. If you are in town to pick up a pizza for dinner, you can also take home fabric to make a mask to donate. The Original Pizza Place is following all mandated and recommended safety and sanitary precautions and offering carryout and delivery service.

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DIY for a Cause

Angela O'Curran Lopez — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 16:47:12 +0000

Upcycling, defined by the Oxford dictionary, is “to reuse in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original,” has been something of a buzzword in the last few years. Upcycling is a way to create unique items, such as furniture, to resell or to decorate your own home for a fraction of the price of the same type of designer goods.

Here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, upcycling is making a difference in the lives of the people who live right here. Hosted by Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a nonprofit shop whose proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley, and sponsored by Woodcraft, ReStore’s ReDesign contest gives residents of the MOV the opportunity to create a piece that will either end up being offered at the Habitat’s Destination Design auction or for sale in ReStore after the event concludes.

A semi-finalist entry in this year’s ReStore ReDesign Challenge.

Destination Design is in its seventh year and includes offerings from many local businesses to be bid on, including four of the submissions for the ReDesign Contest. The ReDesign contest, now in its third year as part of the fundraiser, received eight entries from local participants. Of those eight pieces, two were chosen by a panel of judges made up of members of the local art community to continue to the Destination Design event.

The third pick goes to the auction courtesy of the judging panel designated by the contest sponsor, Woodcraft. The fourth redesigned item is the people’s choice. That means that until close of business on Thursday, October 17th, any patron has the opportunity to vote for their favorite redesign. By donating cash in the corresponding tubes, visitors to ReStore can choose which item they would like to see go on to the Destination Design event to be auctioned off. The three pieces with the highest bid will receive prizes as well. Those pieces not chosen for the event will be available for purchase at the Restore in the days following Destination Design.

Ben Bradley, ReStore Director, could not pick a favorite piece from this year’s submissions; however, he did say that each year the quality of the designs has gone up and up. Though the original pieces do not have to be bought from ReStore to be redesigned, any item donated back for the contest is eligible to have the cost reimbursed to the buyer under certain criteria.

Robin Stewart, one of the guiding forces behind the entire Destination Design event, offered a little background on the history of the auction and how the ReDesign submissions go right back into the community. Habitat for Humanity is currently working on three houses in the Mid-Ohio Valley that they hope to have finished by winter. The proceeds from the event, in addition to cash donations from patrons who vote in-store go toward much-needed supplies to construct those homes. The support for the homeowners does not stop when the house is built either. To be part of the program, Habitat for Humanity also offers continuing education to the new homeowners on budgeting, financial management, and basic home repair.

A semi-finalist entry, going to the Destination Design Auction.

Both Robin and Ben talked animatedly about the pieces and the wonderful contribution the contest and auction make to the Habitat for Humanity mission, and Ben summed up the entire ReDesign Contest idea perfectly saying “I love to see these items that no longer serve their original function brought back to life in a new way to meet today’s needs.”

A cupcake stand made from upcycled picture frames and woodwork.

An upcycling dining table with inlaid candle holders.

Community members can view all of the entries at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore shop in Vienna through Thursday evening!

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Going, Going, Gone

Laura Pytlik — Tue, 08 Oct 2019 14:05:23 +0000

I have a problem – a mild addiction if you will – that doesn’t have a medical term or support group. My name is Laura, and I’m addicted to estate auctions, and there’s nothing like a crisp autumn day coupled with an intriguing auction notice to break down my defenses. I can get sucked in much like a gambler unable to resist the sound of a roulette wheel.

If you’ve never been to an estate auction, the idea might seem like a strange ritual – putting the personal possessions of people out for public viewing and for purchase to the highest bidder. If the person is deceased, the items can range from intensely personal to valuable and collectible to nearly worthless. Auctioneers usually list their upcoming auctions on the site AuctionZip.com, where you can search for auctions by location and date. There you can click on the details and photo galleries and browse the highlighted items to decide if there is anything of interest to you.

I love the anticipation of knowing what items will be up for auction while hoping to find unadvertised goodies. Pulling my vehicle into the lot and approaching the cluttered maze of potential purchases gives me a rush. The veteran auction goers arrive early, giving themselves time to stake out their seat location and inspect all the items that will be on the auction block that day. People jostle for position, hoping to discover hidden treasures without expressing too much interest. I am fairly social and I tend to make jokes about strange items or strike up conversations with strangers. Often I’ll get a friendly response, but sometimes I get a chilly look because bidders don’t want to fraternize with the “competition.”

At most auctions, you’ll find tables of “box lots” – boxes full of related (or totally random) objects that aren’t valuable enough to sell separately. It always saddens me to see the things that someone felt were worth saving and collecting, jumbled together in a cardboard box. Bedding, kitchen wares and linens all take on a dreary appearance in the harsh light, no matter how clean or well kept they may be. On a few lucky occasions I’ve discovered valuable items buried among the worthless – antique lingerie under some ugly hats, or an unopened bottle of expensive perfume among cheap Avon bottles. And it’s that type of victory that keeps me going, always hoping to find something unique and worth a bit more than I pay for it.

One of my weaknesses is vintage Christmas ornaments. I love thinking about all the years they were proudly hung, all the hands that carefully unpacked them. I have found them carefully labeled or wrapped in bathroom tissue, pipe cleaners instead of hooks, because people of an earlier era wasted nothing. Sometimes the untold or imagined stories fascinate me as much as the object itself.

Sadly, some estate auctions are conducted because family members are feuding, and everything was ordered to be sold rather than shared. I’ve watched sisters sitting at opposite corners, bidding against each other to buy their mother’s recipe box or photo album. But more often the family is merely disposing of leftover items, or the owner is downsizing to a smaller home or retirement village. They may be selling nice art, quality furniture and valuable collectibles because they no longer have the need or space. That’s when you can go home with some fine treasures!

If you are curious and would like to see what an auction is all about, here are a few tips to make the experience easier:

Check your local paper or visit AuctionZip.com. Enter your zip code and choose a mile radius to search – the resulting calendar will show you how many auctions are scheduled for each day. Some are online-only, but many are on site. There are several auction houses in the MOV and most have sales on a regular schedule.

Once you’ve found the auction that interests you, check the time and location. Many auctioneers have their own facilities, which usually include seats and a restroom. But if the auction is on private property, you’ll likely need to bring your own chair. Usually there is a concession stand; call to ask about restroom availability if you have an aversion to porta-johns.

Arrive early! I usually give myself an hour to register, find a good seat, and look over the items. If it’s advertised to be a really big sale, you may want to be there even earlier.

Bring your ID. You’ll need to register to get a bidder number, so have your ID ready.

Make sure you know whether the auctioneer charges a “Buyer Premium.” That charge, anywhere from 5-20%, will be added to your total. I look for auctions that say “No Buyer Premium” and if they charge extra for using credit cards I take my checkbook.

Come prepared. I always take a couple of totes or boxes and some light packing material. If you win some fragile items, the assistants will bring the items to your seat and you’ll need to wrap it for protection. It’s not unusual to see the active bidders with boxes and piles of items as the day goes on.

Examine the items that interest you carefully! Everything is sold “As Is”, so if you bid on a glass vase, only to find it’s cracked afterward, there are no returns. Usually the auctioneer will note any obvious flaws when he presents the item, but he may not and each buyer is responsible for examining it beforehand.

Don’t be afraid or intimidated! If you’ve seen fancy auctions on TV, where just a nod or wink equals a bid, don’t worry. Country auctions assign every bidder a number, and the auctioneer will watch for those numbers to wave in the air. Sometimes people will yell out, if he doesn’t see their hand up.

Pay attention. If an item is being sold as “Choice”, you are bidding on the opportunity to pick your favorite from a lot. For instance, there may be a table of vintage watches. If the high bid is $20, the winner can pick as many watches as he wants for $20 each. Then the remaining watches will go back up for bidding, until they are all sold.

Listen closely. If the auctioneer says something like “One price times 3” you are bidding to buy all three items for the same price each. If the winning bid is $5, you will pay $15.

Bring a friend or family member! Not only does it make the day more fun, but if the auctioneer announces they will be using “Two Rings” there will actually be bidding in two parts of the site. Sometimes one auctioneer will handle the outdoor items while another sells the indoor items. I’ve gone to one “ring” while my husband stays at the other with my wish list.

Stick to your budget! It’s so easy to get caught up in the bidding, and I’ve gone home with things that I didn’t even intend to buy. Nothing makes an object desirable more than someone else wanting it. You can be flexible if you really, really want that cool thing, but don’t buy something you’ll regret just to be the high bidder.

Stay to the end if you can. When many of the buyers have gone, the remaining items will start to go for very low bids. Some of my favorite purchases happened when there were only a handful of bidders left.

Remember your spot. I know this seems obvious, but keep in mind what vehicle you drove. I once bid on so many totes full of items, I had to make another trip back to the auction site. That is not helpful if the auction is nearly 50 miles from home!

Since opening my shop, I’ve sadly missed out on many Saturday auctions. But I do manage to make it to a few Sunday afternoon sales, and one of my favorite buys is a taxidermy squirrel riding a pheasant. Weird? Totally. Unique? Yep. And that’s what keeps me going back! So find an auction, put on some comfy clothes and grab your bags. I bet you’ll find it’s hard to stop at just one.

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5 Traditions to Start this Season

Cristie Thomas — Thu, 29 Nov 2018 22:19:31 +0000

The holiday season has, in many ways, become bogged down with the hustle and bustle of to-do lists, shopping sprees, tight schedules, and gatherings of all kinds for all reasons. ‘Tis the season to be jolly and draw close to those you love in your family, your friend groups, and your community, but it can be hard to be jolly with the added stress of financial constraints, weekly itineraries, and expectations of gift giving.

Instead of focusing on presents this year, why not consider focusing on presence with those we love? Instead of carrying stress like a badge of honor, let’s shift our priorities to carrying each other through relationship building, extensions of gratitude, and contributions to community. And, instead of wrestling with our bank accounts to purchase expensive gifts this season, let’s wrestle with our minds to think creatively about how our gifts can reflect meaning and care.

Check out this list of five traditions you can start this season.

Chop Down Your Own Tree

Plan a family trip to a local Christmas tree farm and experience the natural therapy of the great outdoors by chopping down your own tree. Explore the landscape with your loved ones and choose together the tree to welcome into your home this season. Not only does this offer a fun adventure for the family, but since tree farms are often located in more rural, remote areas, it also separates the experience of selecting a Christmas tree from the expectation of shopping.

Create a Gratitude Wall

Interpretations of the holiday season often focus heavily on what we can purchase for others instead of what we can do for others. In lieu of a Christmas List, reserve space on a primary wall in your house to decorate with garlands and ribbons as you prepare for a Gratitude Wall. With a Christmas List, you’d normally jot down a list of things you want to receive from others but a Gratitude Wall allows you to post a series of things you’d like to do for others this season. Grab some markets and post-it notes and, in a grid, stick your ideas on the wall. Some of our fave ideas include surprising a friend with hot chocolate, donating to a local shelter, sending a thank you card to a colleague, and cooking a friend’s favorite meal for dinner from scratch.

Plan Next Year’s Giving Calendar

It’s no surprise to anyone that the holiday season is full of events and gatherings of all kinds, be it family get-togethers or work parties. In addition to filling your holiday calendar, schedule an evening with your family to prepare next year’s giving calendar. Each month, select a theme (like gratitude or kindness) or a local nonprofit (perhaps a local community pantry or housing agency) to plan around. For example, if February’s theme is love, decide as a family how you’d like that theme to come to life. Or, if you choose a local nonprofit, select a day to volunteer together to support the nonprofit you chose.

Host a Friendsmaking Dinner Party

Do you have acquaintances you want to turn into friends? Or colleague you get along with and want to get to know better? How about a neighbor you say hello to on the street but never really have a conversation with? Make it an annual tradition to gather together your acquaintances for a Friendsmaking Dinner Party! This potluck version of a dinner party doesn’t have to break the bank; if your dining table can squeeze 10 people around it, invite just enough to fill it! Personally reach out to folks you haven’t had the chance to get to know yet, and build new relationships with those around you as you enter into a brand new year. All of our best friends start out as strangers anyway, right?

Theme Your Gift Giving

When purchasing presents for loved ones this season, it can be easy to purchase items simply because they’re on sale or to just check their name off your list. This season, why not theme your gift giving? A simple rule to help out is to give gifts in one of four categories: something they want, someone they need, something to wear, and something to read. Whether your gifts are handmade or store-bought, your friends and family will be sure to love them!

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7 Offbeat Tree Toppers

Cristie Thomas — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 15:24:01 +0000

For those that celebrate Christmas, the spirited decorations of the holiday season all hinge on one very important component: the Christmas tree. Decorated with garlands and tinsel and ornaments both handcrafted and store-bought, the Christmas tree is a focal point of the holiday season. Not only does Santa Claus himself expect a Christmas tree to place his gifts beneath but families across the U.S. join together to beautify their evergreens in holiday splendor.

Whether you have a pine tree or a fir tree, the tree topper – typically an angel or a star – is the pièce de résistance; the final decoration to be placed atop, sealing the tree’s fate for the season.

This year, make a statement with one of these twists on the traditional tree topper.

By Michael Partenio

Santa Hat

Welcome Santa Claus into your home by paying homage to his personal sense of style with a Santa Hat topping the ol’ Tannenbaum. Big or small, the Santa Hat adds an adorable detail to the top of any tree. Pro Tip: Add extra Santa-inspired flare by wrapping red and white garland around the tree and hang ornaments vertically down the front to mimic the buttons on Santa’s big red coat!

Disco Ball

If the holiday season is one big celebration in your home, adding a disco ball to the top of your tree ensures all guests know that it’s party time at any time. The shiny surface of the disco ball will reflect the lights strung on your tree and brighten the room. Put a 70s spin on your tree with brightly colored ornaments and handcrafted tie-dye garland made from old tee shirts.

By Fox Hollow Cottage

Top Hat

Add a touch of class to your tree with a top hat. Placed atop any Christmas Tree, the top hat immediately refines the aesthetic of your tree and can be jazzed up to either be reminiscent of Frosty the Snowman or Frank Sinatra himself. Consider hanging snowflake ornaments with blue tinsel garland or handcraft music note ornaments to place on your tree to bring either theme to life!

The Sweetest Donut

Donuts make me go nuts, so instead of fighting your sweet tooth this season, why not celebrate it with a sugar-inspired Christmas tree topped with a donut? Feature pictures of your favorite desserts as ornaments and string your tree with white lights adorned with brightly-colored pink, yellow, and blue garland to amplify the candy shop theme.

By Brooklyn Limestone

A Monogram

Decorate your tree with a personal touch this season by adding a monogram to the top. Either wooden blocks, embroidered ornaments, or even a crocheted scarf with your letters on it will give your tree an extra touch of home. Choose a color scheme and match your garlands and lights to the color of your monogram, and adorn your tree with homemade and sentimental ornaments.

Piece of Framed Art

Do you have a favorite artist? Why not uplift the arts this holiday season by infusing your love of art with your love of Christmas? Select a framed piece of art to install on the top of your tree and treat your tree like an art gallery, hanging mini-paintings, photos, sculptures, and other pieces all around.

By Sparkle Crafts

A Bright Yellow Sun

For a Christmas tree that’s out of this world, install a bright yellow Sun atop your tree! Create the sun with paper mache, DIY a big pom pom from yellow yarn, or use a decorative paper ball to make sure your Sun is big and bright. Stay in theme with yellow and orange garland hanging down from the top to imitate sunbeams or put an intergalactic twist on your tree with planet-inspired ornaments.

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Christmas Can Wait

Laura Pytlik — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 20:16:10 +0000

Judging from the store displays, you would assume Halloween rolls right into Christmas, with nothing special in between. But one of our most humble and beloved holidays shows up on the same Thursday every year, just as it has since the Civil War. Even before it was proclaimed a federal holiday by Lincoln, Thanksgiving was an annual tradition of some sort since this nation was just a babe.

This is a holiday with no gifts, no costumes (unless you’re a child playing a pilgrim in the class play) and no major decorating. And yet for many people, Thanksgiving makes the top three on their list of favorite holidays. How could such a modest holiday, on a weekday no less, be so popular? And what causes people to board planes, trains and automobiles to make the mass exodus for basically a huge feeding frenzy?

I won’t bore you with the origin of Thanksgiving, we are all familiar with the early Pilgrims and their gratitude to God and their Native American friends for helping them not only survive but thrive in their new land. The holiday familiar to most of us involves spending time with loved ones, expressing gratitude for blessings great and small, and eating. Always the eating. Maybe some football. But absolutely the eating.

For many families, the menu is all about tradition. Grandma’s oyster stuffing that only one person can choke down? Has to be made, it’s a tradition. That greenish jello mold, with mysterious food items embalmed in its jiggly shape? Tradition. I mean, who’s going to tell Aunt Emma that we don’t like it? My own menu has little variation, usually just the decision of whether the soup should be clam chowder or crab soup. If we travel, I usually contribute my spiced carrots and a dessert. How many of us have made the car trip, balancing a casserole or carrot cake on our laps for three hours?

I only know Thanksgiving in the northeast and Ohio. So for me, the memory is of traveling through cool weather, rain or snow to arrive at the hosting house. The windows glow from within, and when the front door opens the warmth and laughter are the first things to greet us. We nibble on amazing appetizers while the multiple cooks fuss over the stove and share recipes. It’s a time of catching up, trying to squeeze months’ worth of news into a few hours.

For me it’s all about that oversized bird, roasting until the skin is a dark golden and the warm moist aroma fills every space of the house.

I can’t imagine having ham for Thanksgiving, although I know some people do. For me it’s all about that oversized bird, roasting until the skin is a dark golden and the warm moist aroma fills every space of the house. When that big boy gets pulled out and the carving begins, I’m willing to risk losing a finger to get the first piece of crispy skin.

In large families, the card tables get pulled out, and hopefully we can gather enough mismatched chairs to seat everyone. Some of us are lucky enough to have long tables where everyone can sit together, but most homes get stretched to capacity for the day. The kids may be seated in the next room, and pity the poor “tweener” who gets the embarrassing seat assignment at the kids’ table. This is your chance to catch up with long distance cousins, laughing over stories that only cousins understand. The liberal might be sitting next to a conservative, and the vegan may be across from the deer hunter…but for a few hours the differences are forgotten while we share the common bond of family and history. Between bites of creamy mashed potatoes and sausage stuffing (my husband makes the best) we hear about new babies, new jobs, and new journeys, and sometimes share a tear over those missing from the table.

Traditionally, the post-dinner time was for lolling about in a tryptophan induced daze, jostling for couch space to nap or watch the game. Some folks work off a few of the million calories they just consumed with a bit of touch football or a family hike. Then after all the dishes are cleared and the last pan is put away, it’s time for Round Two and some dessert that you couldn’t possibly eat two hours earlier.

And maybe that’s what makes Thanksgiving so special—the little actions and traditions that inspire us to drive or fly long distances just to spend some time with the people who know us the most and still want to be with us. I’ve learned why my own parents get so worked up about their kids going home for the holiday, because now I’m excited about hosting my own. Sadly, owning a business means that my own Thanksgiving travel is curtailed for a few years. But the memories of past holidays and knowing that we’re missed will have to do for now, until we can once again drive three hours with a carrot cake on my lap.

So back off, Santa Clause, and quit crowding Thanksgiving. Let us have this holiday to celebrate our blessings, our families and the traditions we share.

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Tree of Heaven, a Not So Heavenly Problem

Tiffany Harvey — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 01:33:44 +0000

The invasive species, Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altissima, is native to South China and Australia. It is a rapidly growing deciduous tree that can be found nearly everywhere in North America where it is prolific, and Luke Chute Conservation Area is no exception. First introduced in Philadelphia in 1784, it was frequently used as an urban tree in Washington DC and Baltimore and it has since spread.

Tree of Heaven can grow up to 80 to 100 feet tall, with bark that is smooth and green when young, eventually turning light brown to gray, resembling the skin of a cantaloupe. Its leaves are pinnately compound, with leaves coming from a central stem with lance shaped leaflets on either side. Seeds can be found on female trees only, with samara or wings that are usually 1 to 4 inches long.

Tree of Heaven can be male or female. One female tree can seed up to 300,000 clones.
It produces allelopathic chemicals to prevent other plants from growing near it.
Tree of Heaven will grow anywhere that isn’t shaded. Not typically found where canopy is dense.
Can look like: Walnut, Sumac, or Hickory

Invasive plants easily grow in our native environment because our environment lacks the predators and pests that control the invasive plant in its natural environment; thereby, causing major disruption in our native ecosystem. Native plants lose ever diminishing real estate leading to a lack of biodiversity and habitat degradation. Invasive species also threaten endangered species. Around 42% of current endangered species are endangered due to invasive species.

Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth. A healthy biodiversity provides several natural services for everyone, including ecosystem services, such as: protection of water resources, soils formation and protection, nutrient storage and recycling, pollution breakdown and absorption, contribution to climate stability, maintenance of ecosystems, and recovery from unpredictable events. A healthy biodiversity also provides biological resources like food, medicinal resources, wood products, ornamental plants, breeding stocks, population reservoirs, future resources, diversity in genes, species and ecosystems. Social benefits include research, education and monitoring, recreation and tourism, and cultural values.

This fall, Friends of the Lower Muskingum River have been hosting Pollinator Habitat Workdays at the Luke Chute Conservation Area located five miles from the SR 266 and Route 60 junction, which is five miles before Stockport, OH. The FLMR will be removing Tree of Heaven from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Oct. 27th.

“We will mostly be dealing with small saplings in sandy soil, so we will mainly be pulling or digging them out. On larger trees we cut them down and paint the stump with an herbicide. We prefer not using herbicides, but tree of heaven will often send up multiple roots sprouts for years if you don’t kill the root system. It’s possible to eventually kill the root system by continually cutting the root sprouts until you exhaust the reserves in the roots, but this isn’t always practical as it takes much more work and won’t be successful unless you are diligent”, Katy Lustofin, FLMR President and Professor of Biology at Marietta College.

The post Tree of Heaven, a Not So Heavenly Problem appeared first on Clutch MOV.

Helping the Honey Bees

Tiffany Harvey — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 09:33:56 +0000

In 1989, September was dedicated as Honeybee Month to promote beekeeping and honey as a natural sweetener. As bees become more threatened we should remind ourselves of the important role that honeybees and other pollinators play in the environment and what we can do to conserve and protect them.

Protection and conservation of honeybees and other pollinators is important because they play a vital role in our ecosystem. One in every three crops rely on pollination. Fruits (including vegetables such as squash, cucumber, tomato and eggplant), nuts, seeds, fiber (such as cotton), and hay (alfalfa grown to feed livestock), require pollination by insects. Losing pollinator bees would result in the loss of a third of our food supply which would further diminish our already depleting food supply as our population grows exponentially.

Things you can do to help our honeybees and other pollinators:

Plant pollinator-friendly native plants around your house and/or in your garden. This will provide nutrient rich nectar to fuel healthy pollinator populations. Cluster these plants closely together to provide protection from predators and shelter for pollinators.

Leave standing dead trees, fallen branches, and patches of sandy soil for solitary native bees.

Avoid spraying pesticides. If you must use pesticides, use garlic, soap, or chili pepper and spray at night. Use products that target specific pests rather than broad-spectrum ones. Avoid anything labeled as toxic to bees or that kills the “weedy” flowers pollinators visit. Specifically avoid garden products that include neonicotinoids. If you must use a spray, make sure you follow the directions on the container and use sparingly.

Fill a bird bath or a muddy hole for pollinator to drink.

Donate or sell land to land trusts like Friends of the Lower Muskingum River (FLMR) who establish diverse native plant pollinator habitats which provide pollinators with the nutritious nectar they need to grow healthy thriving colonies.

This summer the Luke Chute Conservation Pollinator Habitat was alive with pollinator activity including honeybees. Hundreds of pollinators could be heard and seen gathering nectar from beautiful native wildflowers: Spider Wart, Bee Bomb, Purple Cone Flower, Wing Stem, Partridge Pea, Red Clover, White Clover, Brown-eyed Susan, and Black-eyed Susan. This native flowering plant diversity promotes a more nutritional diet for pollinators and combats monoculture, while also being very pleasing to the eye.

In 2017, FLMR worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners, Pheasants Forever, and Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative to create an 8.5 acre pollinator habitat on the Luke Chute Conservation Area, a 31 acre property owned by FLMR. FLMR, FLMR partners, and our volunteers spent many hours over several months getting the fields ready for planting. This property was designed to mitigate pollinator habitat loss which is one of the factors causing bee mortality. Other factors include parasites, pathogens, pesticides, and poor nutrition .

This project provides much-needed habitat for honey bees and native pollinators which are so important for our ecosystem and our food system. It is also a great place for visitors and school groups to learn about pollinators.

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MOVCA Hosts PSA Contest for Local Students

Sarah Arnold — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 00:03:44 +0000

In an effort to raise awareness of the danger and urgency of climate change and inspire young activists, the Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action (MOVCA) group is hosting a PSA contest. Local high school and college students are invited to get creative to compete for $2,000 in cash prizes.

“We received funding last year to run local public service announcements to raise awareness of the danger and urgency of climate change and thought there would be plenty in the public domain to choose from, and found out there was virtually nothing, and certainly nothing that reflected our region,” said Jean Ambrose, a member of MOVCA. “We created our own, but thought we wanted more messages that reflected our Appalachian region.”

When the organization received funding again this year, they decided to enlist the help of area students. “We thought we could get a lot more by reaching out to young people for their creativity and concern, and might get a number of products that we could use,” said Ambrose. “It would also educate people on the issue. As a fossil fuel state, West Virginians have a special stake in this conversation because we have a lot to lose if we ignore the direction both the economy and the science are taking.”

High school and college students are invited to participate by submitting PSAs. “PSAs are short audio/image messages that communicate ideas about subjects a community needs to engage with, think through, and act upon. They are not commercials; ideas and actions are the focus,” reads the contest instructions.

MOVCA is looking for both video and audio PSAs of 25 seconds or less. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams; in fact, collaboration is encouraged. While at least half of a team must be comprised of students, teams may also include staff or faculty.

“Our energy future is not a partisan issue, but concerns all of us, everyone around the world,” said Ambrose. CO2 levels are higher than at any time in human history, and are continuing on an upward trajectory,” Ambrose said. “If we continue at current levels of increase, in just 40 years, CO2 could hit 600 parts per million, which hasn’t occurred for millions of years. The last time those levels existed, there was very little ice left on our whole planet.”

40 years is within the life spans of today’s teens and young adults. “It’s the defining issue of our time,” Ambrose continued. “The baby boomer generation (and earlier generations, who had less information than we do) allowed this to happen on our watch: it is the youth of today who will need to address this problem together with others their age around the world. There is a critical need for an alliance across the generations to preserve a livable planet for all people, and animals and plants, too, that humans depend upon.”

All PSA entries and required forms must be submitted by email on or before October 15th to movcapsa@gmail.com. You can find the full guidelines as well as links to all application forms on the MOVCA website.

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