NO, WE ARE NOT TURNING AMISH

No, we are not turning Amish. Just don't let your husband go to an auction by himself. You never know what he'll bring home. I have to say this charming little Amish buggy is a "keeper." No horse, thank you very much. Just a conversation piece.  Tom and I always love going to Holmes County and taking in the buggies and thinking life would be much simpler in a less progressive community. However, I am partial to modern perks like electricity, indoor plumbing, washing machines, and getting in my car and driving to town in a matter of minutes, not hours. I do love the buggy though.

Mickey just walked through the flower bed to inspect the buggy

Check out my books on Amazon - Three Moons Over Sedona, Chasing Joe, and Island Passage

GARDEN CLUB AT THE WINERY - OH YEAH

Outside seating area at the winery

Our Four Seasons Garden Club met today at the Hocking Hills Winery ! The winery is relatively new to the Logan area and the Four Seasons Garden Club met there today for our October meeting. As you can see, there is a great outdoor area with a fireplace. The winery does not serve food; however, you are welcome to order a pizza or pack a lunch and eat on the winery grounds. So, if you happen to visit Hocking Hills, stop by the winery, relax and enjoy the scenery. Good selection of wines.

A great way to spend a Thursday afternoon with the "gals"

Beautiful lunch prepared by Bobbi Bishop and volunteers

Janet Bower - This lady knows her chocolate

Our guest speaker today's garden club meeting was local entrepreneur Janet Bower, owner of Wren Valley Truffles, Janet explained that each Wren Valley Truffle is a careful blend of rich chocolate, fragrant spices, nuts, florals, artisan extracts, liqueurs and many unique locally sourced ingredients. AND we were invited to sample a variety of the truffles she'd so graciously brought with her for our enjoyment. And enjoy, we did. Janet is very passionate about her truffles, and after you listen to her explain the process and preparation of these heavenly treats, you'll appreciate every bite.

Note: Janet's truffles are available at the winery.

YUM and Double YUM

Janet's presentation of her truffles was amazing!

10# bar of chocolate that Janet buys in bulk from Wilburs in Pennsylvania

Janet showing us a few tools of her trade

Nancy Rathburn and Evelyn -  Evelyn is a local, while Nancy and her husband, Larry, are from Fort Wayne, Indiana and annual guests at our cabins. Our group made her feel right at home. We think we'll keep her!

Evelyn and Mary

  

Sue Karshner and Donna McKnight - Growing up in Columbus, they were best friends, and then lost touch. Years later they met at a party while living in Hocking Hills -  It's a small world, isn't it. 

Libby, Jenny and Sarolin - We all have a GOOD time together! 

Debbie and Nina - Two of my favorite people

AND...THE LADIES OF THE CLUB

INN A CABIN
Sherry Hartzler

ANNUAL BARN PARTY IN THE HOCKING HILLS

The best thing about living in Hocking Hills is having friends who love getting together to chat and EAT! Last Saturday we all met at Donna McKnight's farm for her annual October barn party. Her great eclectic style could easily grace the cover of Country Living at its finest. Her recipe for a good time is to decorate her barn with gently used furniture of every kind and shape to provide an open gathering space for family and friends. Note the wide, rough floor boards and beams. I could easily live here, although with no central heat, it could get a bit nippy in the winter. BUT on this particular sunny autumn afternoon, the weather was perfect! 

Our hostess, Donna McKnight (right), and our Garden Club Prez, Nina Haning

A couple more angles of the cozy sitting area in the barn. So inviting. I arrived at the party early to take photos of the interior of the barn.  

Love the lamp and stand made from an old coffee grinder

And the bookcases in the background!

Inviting table and blue painted chairs

  

The primitive chandelier hanging from a beam sets a homey atmosphere to sit and enjoy a plate filled with yummy appetizers and a glass of wine.  

A better view of the old barn floor.

Missy McKnight, Donna's daughter-in-law, making a toast to the night's festivities

Buffet table filled with a pot luck assortment of meats, casseroles, venison chili, vegetables. For dessert, I picked out one of Missy McKnight's delicious spice cookies with orange icing. Other desserts included apple pie, raspberry cobbler, chocolate chip cookies, and other delectable treats.

Bobbie Bishop is well-known in the community for your hard work and dedication to volunteering for many charitable events. She and her late husband, Bruce, began the annual Lilyfest celebration on the second full weekend after the 4th of July. Bobbi's current project is overseeing a group of volunteers who hand-paint bowls for the annual Empty Bowls, this year Saturday, October 24th. EMPTY BOWLS

Bobbi Bishop. Her next charitable project on the calendar: Empty Bowls

Linda King is our Hocking Hills southern belle. She grew up in Atlanta, GA, and for many years owned a spiral ham company and deli in Savannah, GA. The stories this girl tells can keep you spellbound for hours. Her father, Charles Weaver, now deceased, flew with Chuck Yeager (the guy who first broke the sound barrier) in World War II. Linda and her husband own and operate the beautiful Georgian Manner B&B located on Lake Logan. THE GEORGIAN MANNER

Linda King, Southern Belle

Belinda McClain (a childhood friend of Linda King) was visiting from Savannah, GA. She is truly amazing in that she hand crafts frames for paintings. Not just any ole frame. Exquisite frames. She explained that during the fifties and sixties many of the old frames were taken off major works of art and replaced by minimalist frames. Now, these treasured paintings are being re-framed with historically correct frames. Belinda is a master in her field. She currently has two of her frames hanging in the White House  MASTER SOLUTIONS
 

Donna's granddaughter, Marie

The guys drinking a beer and bonding, talking up the latest Buck's victory

Nina and Libby BFFs since grade school

SHERRY HARTZLER - AUTHOR
INN A CABIN

JENNY BEARD - SECOND IN A SERIES OF AMAZING HOCKING HILLS WOMEN

This is my second Log Cabin Journal post featuring an amazing woman of Hocking Hills.

Today, I introduce clay artisan, Jenny Beard, who is a retired Marion County school administrator. Jenny and her husband, David, moved to Hocking Hills in 2005, and together they built a beautiful home in the natural wooded setting of the Hocking State Forest.

A few years ago, Jenny was given the opportunity to put her hands into the creative art of clay, mentored by experienced artisans, Mary Holl and Bobbi Bishop. Jenny’s creative side bloomed in her clay garden pieces. In addition to earning her Master Gardener certification, Jenny, through clay art, has taken her retirement to a new and challenging level, expanding her talent.

You might ask, why clay art? What is clay art? Why has Logan Clay Products, become a sort of mecca for artists who take a fancy to making beautiful garden art out of clay sewer pipes?  It’s all a matter of perspective, you see. 

In Jenny's home gardens, she displays beautiful clay accent pieces, i.e. tall pipes and sculpture. My own garden has several of “Jenny pieces” that I cherish, because I know how much passion and energy she puts into her clay art.

Meeting Jenny at Logan Clay Products on a chilly April morning, I followed her upstairs to the work loft, where many already completed clay pieces were waiting to be put into the kiln after several weeks of drying. 

On that April morning I interviewed Jenny, two workmen rolled new manufactured pipes into to the loft area on an old loading wagon that had been in use since the early 1900’s. I watched as Jenny soaked flannel blankets in a bucket of water, and then draped them around each pipe to moisten them overnight, rendering them pliable enough to work with her hands.

Jenny moved to another area of the loft, removing a blanket from a tile she’d left the night before, ready to go to work. I sat on a small wooden stool and watched, fascinated by the process, as Jenny transformed a clay sewer pipe into a work of garden art, as seen in the photographs. This piece took about an hour to prepare. I could not believe the amount of strength it took to work and mold the clay.  

Also featured in today’s blog is Bobbi Bishop, a retired art teacher in the Worthington City School System. Bobbi Bishop and her husband Bruce Bishop, twenty-three years ago, created Lilyfest, an annual event held on the second full weekend of July. Jenny Beard is one of over eighty vendors who exhibit and sell their art to the public.

There is no admission fee to get into Lilyfest. Instead, donation barrels are located on the property, all monies going to scholarships and programming. As you can see, this pay-it-forward kind of community action and reaction is a prime example of community service at its best.

The day I visited the art loft of Logan Clay to interview Jenny, Bobbi Bishop was painting several pieces of garden art before placement in the kiln to be fired.

The pieces are delicate and every attempt is made to protect them during the firing process. Even the tiniest of air bubbles left in the clay can cause the prepared piece to crack in the 2000 degree heat of the kiln. After firing, the clay pieces will be left in the kiln to cool down slowly before being removed.

Logan Clay Products Company had its beginnings way back in 1876, until fire destroyed the plant in 1920. In 1921, the plant was rebuilt on the original site in Logan, Ohio. In 1957, all kilns were converted from coal fired to natural gas, resulting in stronger pipe bodies, thus allowing Logan Clay to stop glazing their pipe products.

In 1958, Logan Clay built a 360 foot tunnel kiln where pipe moved through the kiln on rail cars with a gradually rising temperature, from 300 deg. F to 1550 deg. F, and then rapidly heated to 2000 deg. F. Wow! Now, that’s hot. In 1987, the tunnel kiln was computerized.

In 1979, Richard H. “Dick” Holl was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer. Dick, a beloved member of the Logan community passed away on October 13, 2005. Today, Dick’s support and love of community lives on through the Holl Foundation with Mary Holl, Dick’s widow, serving as a Board Member.

The support of artisans who gather in the Logan Clay art loft, in turn, give back to the community through donations of their clay art to charitable auctions such as Logan In Bloom, Hocking Valley Community Hospital, Washboard Festival, Hocking County Historical Society, and the Bowen House. As a side note, the Logan community was recognized twice in the National America In Bloom competition for community involvement.

Next month’s Amazing Women of Hocking Hills will feature Bobbi Bishop. Bobbi and her husband, Bruce, are the organizers of Lilyfest. Although Bruce passed away in 2002, his passion for art and nature is reflected in Bobbi’s continuation of the annual art and garden event in Hocking County.

During the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) July 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2014, come to Lilyfest and visit Jenny Beard’s exhibit of clay garden art available for purchase. There are over eighty other artisan vendors on the beautiful Lilyfest grounds. Take a leisurely walk through the many gardens maintained by volunteers and leave the hustle and bustle of the outside world behind. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s Amazing Woman, Jenny Beard. I am so proud and honored to call her my friend. 

Sherry Hartzler is the author of Three Moons Over Sedona, Island Passage and Chasing Joe, all available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/178-2706248-7813460?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sherry+hartzler