the february chatter

7/29/2019 The February Chatter

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February2013…….No.12…..Vol.2

SOMEAMAZINGNEWSINSHARON

SinceourlastissueinDecember,theVillagehasenjoyedsome

AMAZINGevents!Congratulationsaredefinitelyinordertoour

goodfriends,thoseFabulousBeekmanBoys,JoshKilmer-Purcell

andDr.BrentRidge,winnersoftheAmazingRace.Ifyou’recurious

abouttheiradventures[aren’tweall!]trytocometotheSharon

HistoricalSociety’smeetingonApril15th!

The First Ever Kept Secret in the History of Sharon Springs The number one question we've been asked since winning The Amazing Race is"How did you keep it a secret from everyone?" As many folks now realize, we ranthe Race from mid-May to mid-June. (The entire course takes only three and a



half weeks.) As hard as it is for us to fib, we were contractually obligated not toreveal that we were even on the Race until the cast announcements were made.So we asked Josh's parents to come and help John take care of the farm for amonth, and told everyone that we were going on a "International Cook BookTour." Naturally, no one believed us, and the typical Sharon Springs "chatter"came up with more plausible alibis. We were amused to hear upon our returnthat we had either disappeared to elope, get plastic surgery, adopt children or berehabilitated for one or another controlled substance. (Most of these rumors

were, of course, started by Doug just for fun.)When the cast was finally announced in late August, we were relieved notto have to lie about our absence any longer. Our friend and colleague Meganoffered to host a small pot-luck party at her house each Sunday night, for "aslong as we were still in the Race." At that point, since the competition was longover, we knew we'd still be in the Race for a long time...right up until the end. Butwe didn't want to tell a single person...not Megan, John, Maria, our parents...noone. Part of our reasoning was that we had a multi-million dollar "damagesclause" in our contract. We would've had to pay CBS far more than we'd won if any potential leak could be traced back to us.

But more influential than any contract was the fun we knew everyone in

Sharon Springs would have watching the race unfold just like we experienced it.Namely, thinking that we were going to be eliminated at any minute. In fact, evenbefore the show started airing folks didn't have much confidence in our ability tocompete against so many younger, more physically fit racers. Whenever someone came out and asked us if we'd won, we turned the question around andasked them how they thought we did. The answer was invariably a variation of:"Well...it's a very tough race. I'm sure you did your best."

The truth is...we never did think we would win the Race while we wererunning it. We applied because we thought we might be able to get a little morespotlight for our business and Sharon Springs. We've all seen the power of whata TV show can do for tourism around here. And since The Amazing Race has 12

million viewers each week, we just hoped we would stay in long enough to getsome new attention to the area. As most folks now know, as we were running theRace, leg after leg, we were barely hanging on. We were simply grateful to betaking part in such a...well...amazing experience. Even on the last leg of theRace, when it was down to the final three, I still didn't entertain the thought of winning. The other two teams had won different legs so many times. And wehadn't won once. I distinctly remember saying to the other two teams on the flightfrom France to New York (where the final leg would be run): "Isn't this great?One of you teams will be going home a millionaire tonight." I never thought itwould be us. And when it did turn out to be us who won, it was simply the mostincredibly exciting moment we'd ever felt.

So that's why we didn't let the secret slip. Because we hoped that our friends, family, and neighbors could feel even a fraction of that moment bywatching "in real time." That after weeks of thinking that we were certain to beeliminated, we hoped people would feel that same joyous relief and celebrationwe did. And we were so flattered that everyone gathered together and watchedeach week. But we weren't surprised that folks did. And maybe we shouldn'thave been so surprised that we won either. Because if we've learned anythingfrom our relatively few years in Sharon Springs, it's that by working together,trying our best, and not giving up...amazing things can happen. And they justkeep happening here, don't they? Thanks for letting us be a part of it.



OTHERNEWS-YBITSANDBITES

1. I’veheardfromMatthewZwisslerandMitchellOwensthatour

ownAdelphiPaperHangingshave2wallpapersfeaturedinthe

January2013WorldofInteriors.

2. ThistleHillWeaversiscurrentlymakingChanelinspiredfabrics

forBoutiquesinHongKong,Dubai,Brazil,TurkeyandEngland.ThisontopoftheirshawlfeaturedinthemovieLincoln!

3. AnewwebsiteEnjoySharonSpringsthankstoRogerandChris

Stout-Hazard.Docheckitout!

4. AfteryetanothersuccessfulVictorianDay onDecember1st ,we

werechosenasoneofthe5bestfestivalsinthefirsteverannual

“FestieAwards”atnewyorkstatefestivals.com!

5. The Farmers Market held our first winter pop-up market on SatJan 12th, and it was a great day for all! We were happy to see friends

that we missed and get the chance to snap out of those winter doldrums! Next pop-up market is Feb 2, from 10-12 in the communityroom at the library/village offices. Carrie will be there with eggs,rabbits and chickens, Colleen with her baked goods, Barb with garlicand shallots, and Kate will have salad greens and baby spinach. If youmiss us in Feb, make sure you mark your calendar for March 2nd for the next one!

6. Dance News: Studio North's Sr. Dance Company will perform at areaschools in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. They will present

"Dear Rosa" a dance which celebrates the life of both Rosa Parks and

Martin Luther King Jr. The program will conclude witha celebratory African Dance.The performances will be held at Sharon Springs Central School onMon. Feb. 4th and at Canajoharie Elementary School on Wed. Feb.6th.

7. Think Spring!Even on the coldest days of winter Garden Creations, now located atthe American Emporium bldg behind Joe Todd's Finishing Touch, has

plenty to look forward to. New spring lines of home & garden decor

and a number of educational workshops are a big part of it. Owner &Master Gardener Beth Gray will be sharing her knowledge andcreativity with the community on the subjects of growing &

using herbs at home, shade gardening, (focused on her extensivecollection of hostas) and miniature garden design, to name a few. Theworkshops will begin in mid-April, and last approx 60 minutes each,for the cost of $12.00 per person. Schedule to be announced soon.Any questions can be emailed to [email protected]



8. Black Cat news: Dinner Club starting February 16th 5:30 – 8:00 PM “Local Lamb Three Ways”

[email protected] Cooperstown Farmer's Market -- we arethere every Saturday 9-2 thru April at least.Still open 7 days a week!

A COMMUNITY ANGERED AND SADDENED BY ROBBERY

Last week the local bank was robbed. The thief took more thanmoney. He, also, robbed us of our sense of security. If it can happen here, it

can (and does and will) happen anywhere.

Thankfully, although he did show a gun - it was not used. But, in its ownway this was an act of violence. The terror and stress that the bank personnelexperienced will echo in their lives for long while. They are more than bank

personnel, they are vital parts of our community and they are our friends.We know their names, they know ours. They greet us on each visit to the

bank; we exchange pleasantries and leave with a quiet sense of security. The bank is a symbol for solidity and stability in our neighborhood. We rely onthem to be available, knowledgeable and trustworthy . . . and they are.

It was small town connectedness, at its best, I experienced that day asI talked to friends about what happened. In every discussion the primary

concern was about the wellbeing of the woman at the bank. Unsolicited byme, each person expressed gratitude and had a story to share about an act of

helpfulness they had experience over the years of banking there.My own story was from years ago (before we had cell phones.) My

husband had set out to do errands, first the bank then on to Cobleskill for probably hours. Shortly after he left the house our cat, Missy, began toconvulse. Panic stricken I knew she had to get to the Vets. Because of our small town nature, the most obvious thing to do was to call the bank and ask them to tell my husband to come home. He arrived within minutes; we were

able to get Missy to the Dr.’s in time. A small story, a small incident - butone that mattered a lot to us.

Editor’s note: Thanks, Leila Durkin, for this piece. We should all remember as well the SSCS students who were put on lock-down for 20 frighteningminutes. We all hope this crook is caught and put away!



HER-STORIAN’SCORNER**WINTER2013

Snow!

Historicallyspeaking,Sharonhasasnowyreputationandduring

January2013theweatherhasevokedimagesofpastwinterstorms–

teethchatter -ingcoldaswell.Askanyoneovertheageof60totellyou

aboutarealwhopperofastorm,andhewillprobablyrememberthe

blizzardthathitinJanuaryof1958withsnowdriftstoppingthe

telephonelinesinsomeplaces.Thestormhitwithsuchintensitythat

over400travelerswerestrandedinthevillage,mostwerehousedin

theschoolbutmanyvillageresidentsopenedtheirhomesaswell.DorcasComrietoldmethatfoodsuppliesranlowandAveryDeLuca,

principalofSSCSatthetime,borrowedfoodfromtheschool’ssupplyto

feedthestormrefugees.Helaterwaschastisedbythegovernment

agencythatsuppliedfoodtotheschoolbutaskedwhatheshouldhave

doneinthecircumstance!KeithMalloryhasvividmemoriesofthe

plowsworkingtocutapaththroughoncethestormhadpassed

through.



IrecallanotherstormthatblanketedourtowninJanuary1964just

whenmanycollegestudentswerereturningtoschool–includingmy

soon-to-behusband,Rick,whowasstrandedatmyhousewithtwoof

hisclassmateswhilethestormraged.MyUncleJimBowmakeroften

spokeofthemanystudentscampedoutontheflooroftheHollywood

Hotelduringthatstorm.

ThankstoSandyMankofortheimagesfrompastwinters.



TheDrunkenBulb

HowtoAchieveFloralEleganceThroughInebriation

Forcenturies,inautumn,gardenershavedugupflowerbulbsfromtheirgardens

andcarefullystoredthesebulbsintheirrootcellars,theirbasementsortheirbarns.

InDecemberorJanuary,theyhavetakenthesebulbsandplantedtheminpotsor

placedtheminbulbvasesandinabout6weeks,theirhomeshavebeenfilledwith

thefragrancesandstunningcolorsofspring.Theprocessbywhichyou“encourage”

aflowerbulbtoproduceitsblossominthemiddleofwinterisknownas“forcing”,

andinthe1500s,1600s,1700sand1800s,itservedaveryhealthfulpurpose.

Duringthosecenturies,peopledidnotbatheinthewintermonths.Some,infact,

wouldgoforaslongas6monthswithoutabath.Thestenchofhumanbodyodorswouldaccumulateinhomesduringthewintermonthsandliterallypollutetheairin

thehousehold.Thefragranceofspringbulbsmaskedtheunpleasantodorsand

freshenedthehouseholdair.Tulips,narcissus,hyacinthsandcrocuswerethemost

popularbulbstoforce,butadventuresomegardenersalsofoundthatrockgarden

irises,chionodoxa,hyacinthoides,muscari,anemones,scilla,ornithogalums,eranthisandpuschkiniascouldalsobeforced.

Bulbscanbeforcedbyplantinginpots.Narcissus,hyacinthsandcrocuscanalsobe

forcedinwater.Mostbulbsmustbegivenacoldtreatmentof35-48degreesFfora

periodof8-12weeksbeforetheycanbeforced.Yourrefrigerator’svegetable

draweroranunheatedattic,garageorbasementareidealplaces.

Ifforcingbulbsinpots,youwillgetbetterresultsifyouplantthebulbsfirstand

thencoldtreatthem.Beginbypottingthebulbsusingalightloamsoilwiththe

headsofthebulbsexposed.Plantthebulbsveryclosetogether,forexample,ina6

inchpot-6tulipsor4hyacinthsor6daffodilsor15crocus.Atthetimeofplanting,waterthoroughly.Ifplacedinarefrigerator,putthepottedbulbsinaplasticbag

withbreathingholespunchedintheside.

Whenthebulbshavecompletedtheircoldtreatment,placethebulbsinacool,

sunnylocationuntiltheshootsandleavesbegintoexpand.Thenmovethemtoawarmlocationoutofthedirectsunlight.Asthebulbsbegintobloom,keepthemin

acoolspottoprolongthebloomtime.

Hyacinths,crocusandnarcissuscanalsobeforcedinwater.Placethebulbssnugly

ontopofpebblesinabowlorinabulbvase.Placethevase/bowlinabrightwindow

whichreceivesnodirectsunlight.Oncetherootsystemhasemerged,onlythebaseofthebulbshouldtouchthewater.Astheblossomsbegintoopen,movethe

vase/bowltoacoolareatoprolongthebloom.

Forcedbulbsdonotrequiresunshineornaturallightinordertocompletetheir

bloomcycle.

Theproblemwithforcingisthatmostbulbsgrowtootallandastheirblossoms

emerge,theybecometopheavyandfalloutoftheirvases/bowls.Theyrequire

stakingwhichcompromisesthevisualeffectoftheplants.Thisproblem



discouragedmanypeoplefromtryingtoforcebulbsandseemedunsolvableuntil

someCornellhorticulturalstudentsaccidentallyfoundasolution.

AnnaPavordwhoisafamousBritishgardenerandanexpertwhenitcomesto

growingbulbswroteaclassicbookonbulbs,aptlyentitled,BULB,in2009.Inthat

book,inhercharmingBritishstyle,Ms.Pavordrelatedthestoryofthedrunken

bulbs.

“ AhorticulturalstudentatNewYork’sCornellUniversityaccidentallyspilledsomeofhisalcoholicbeverageintoapotofpaper-whitesthathadjustsprouted.Afewweekslater,hisfellowstudentsnoticedthattheplantsthathadimbibedwereshorterthan

theothers,eventhoughthebloomswerethesamesize.Fourmonthsandthreetrials

later,theirfindingswereannounced:afewdropsofalcoholresultinstalksthatare40 percentshorter,whichmeansthattheydonotflopover.”

Toachievethisresult,itisimportanttoallowthebulbtosprouttoaheightof2

inchesinpurewaterbeforeaddinganyalcohol.Whenthebulbshavereacheda

heightof2inches,carefullypouroutthewaterandreplacewithamixturewhichis

9partswaterto1partalcohol.

“Keepinmind,”Ms.Pavordwrites,“thatnarcissuspreferhardliquor:rum,gin,

tequila,andvodkahaveallprovedeffective.Wineorbeercandamagetheplants,so

chooseyourpotentpotableresponsibly!

Springbulbsforcedtosharetheirbloomsinmid-winterareajoyousspectacleanda

traditionthathasbeenpracticedbygardenersformanycenturies.Forcinginebriationonyourbulbstokeepthemtidyandelegantisabrandnewpractice,but

onethatissuretobequicklyadoptedandonethatwillgeneratelastingamusement.

BarbMelera

TheD.LandrethSeedCompany America’sOldestSeedhouse

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