Jerry Apps: 2015

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve

Not oyster stew again? Someone in the family seems to ask the question every year. Others agree that it’s a tradition for our family to have oyster stew on Christmas Eve. My grandparents ate oyster stew on Christmas Eve. My parents ate oyster stew on Christmas Eve. My immediate family has “enjoyed” oyster stew on Christmas Eve for more than 50 years. And Ruth’s family, too, has a long history of oyster stew on Christmas Eve.

The oyster stew project has also become a ritual. It’s hard to believe, the awful cook that I am and have always been, but I am in charge of oyster stew. It begins when a couple days before the 24^th. I look for fresh oysters in the grocery store. Sometimes I have to go to more than one place as they are sold out—we are not the only family with this tradition. This year I had three choices—little oysters, big oysters, or oysters in the shell. I chose the little ones.

After church on Christmas Eve, with the family all gathered at our home for dinner, they are required to wait until I complete the ”making of the Oyster Stew. “ Into one pot go the oysters—not a pretty sight if you like your food to look pretty. Then in another pot goes the 2% milk, a goodly amount of butter, some pepper, and a little salt—notice how carefully I measure everything. I stir the oysters until they curl on the edges, and then dump them all into the milk mixture, stirring all the while.

By this time, Natasha takes the orders. “Who wants oyster stew this year? Four choices: Oyster stew with one oyster, oyster stew with several oysters, oyster stew with no oysters, and tomato soup. This year, a record for oyster stew acceptance in one form or another as five out of nine say “yes.” One wanted no soup at all and three ate tomato soup.

The tradition continues. But will it make it to generation number four? It looks promising based on this year’s acceptance rate.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Christmas Eve would not be the same without oyster stew.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 12, Noon, Wisconsin Certified Crops Advisory Board, Coliseum, Madison.

January 15, 6:45 p.m. Wisconsin Grazing Conference, Wisconsin Dells. Stories from the land.

January 25, 6:30 p.m. Mt. Horeb Library—History of Cheese making in Wisconsin.

February 2 and 3, Great Wisconsin Farm Expo 11:00 a.m. (Farm Memories). and 1:00 p.m. (History of Wis. Agriculture) each day. Central Wisconsin Convention and Expo Center, 10101 Market Street, Rothschild, WI.

February 13-14. Garden Expo. Alliant Center, Madison. February 13, 2:15:Wild Flowers, Butterflies, and Other Stories From the Land. February 14, 1:00 p.m. Film: The Land With Jerry Apps plus discussion.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Santa at the Country School

During this Christmas season, my mind goes back to the one-room country school that I attended, and the annual Christmas program that we all had a part in.

I especially recall Santa Claus, and remember how we so much looked forward to his visit each year at our school. When the Christmas program was completed, we listened for Santa’s sleigh bells, as Santa ran around the school house a couple of time ringing the bells. Then he would burst into the school room with a loud “Ho, Ho, Ho—Merry Christmas,” sometimes give the teacher a kiss and then proceed to distribute gifts to each student from the big gunny bag he carried over his shoulder.

When I wrote the book, One Room Country Schools, I interviewed several former country school teachers. One teacher remembered the Santas she knew over the years:

“One Santa came in his barn boots—the smell was so strong they could have walked by themselves. One Santa was so stricken with stage fright that he forgot his own kids’ names. One fortified himself with a bottle of whiskey under his belt. He fell off the stage, sprained his ankle, and as some men escorted him out to his car, he swore so loudly that it fairly shook the building. Another Santa came on stage, jingling the bells and shouting “Ho, Ho, Ho,” before the program was completed. The rest of the program was a shambles, much to the disappointment and anger of the children who had not yet performed and the loud-voiced anger of their parents.”

The former teacher told me that after that program, “I was numb for days.” One good reason for the Christmas vacation I suspect.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Merry Christmas.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Next week I will include some 2016 events.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including The Quiet Season (on which the DVD A Farm Winter is based), as well as Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm, (which are related to the DVD Jerry Apps a Farm Story). Also available is Jerry’s new novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County as well as Whispers and Shadows and his newest nonfiction book, Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Wish Book

Shortly after Thanksgiving my brothers and I began watching for the mailman to arrive at our farm mailbox. Clarence Corning was our mailman, and he drove a blue car. You could set your watch by his arrival, which was always at eleven o’clock.

We were patiently waiting for the arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog, the wish book as everyone called it. And when it arrived, we spent most of time when our chores were done and our homework finished poring over its pages. Page after page of toys—Tinker Toys, Lincoln logs, board games, dolls, BB guns, Yo-Yos, windup trains, teddy bears, and books, pages of books. And clothing, too, but we were more interested in the toys than the clothing. We each could pick out one toy and one piece of clothing—I usually selected a book, and often a sweater, or a plaid flannel shirt.

I especially remember 1946, for that fall we had been wired for electricity, but it didn’t come to our farm until the spring of 1947. For our 1946 Christmas, Mother ordered a metal erector set for the three of us to share. With the erector set we could build windmills, steam shovels, and cranes. The set included a little electric motor. But we had to wait until the following April to plug in the little motor and power the wonderful machines we had created.

Sears first published the Sears Christmas catalog in 1933 and continued to publish a print version until 1998. For us old timers a little bit of Christmas disappeared when we could no longer find the Sears “Wish Book” in our mailboxes a few days after Thanksgiving.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Wishing is still something we can do—even without the Sears “Wish Book.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

December 19, McFarlane’s, 780 Caroline St., Sauk City, Wisconsin. 1:00 p.m. Discussion and signing of Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Sunday, December 06, 2015

The Land

For those who watched my newest Public Television documentary, “The Land,” a big thank you. The show aired last Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m., and again on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. If you missed it, it will air once more on Monday, December 7 at 7:00 p.m. And for those of you beyond the reach of Wisconsin Public TV’s several stations, you can see the program on line by going to this link: http://video.wpt.org/video/2365600489/.

Several people who have watched the show asked where they can purchase DVDs and my books. I have made special arrangements with the Patterson Memorial Library in my home town of Wild Rose to sell DVDs and books as a fundraiser for them. Check the details at the bottom of this blog. The TV show is based on my new book “Whispers and Shadows.”

I was privileged to work with my grandsons, Josh and Ben Horman, on the show—they are a lot better looking than their old gray-haired grandpa. What fun it was to get the younger generation’s perspective.

In these hurry-up and troubled times, the message of “The Land” is to slow down, turn off your cell phone and take a walk in the woods, at a nearby park, anywhere away from the hustle and bustle--and follow the advice of my father who said: “Listen for the whispers and look in the shadows.”

Oh, don’t forget to take along your children and grandchildren—you’ll all gain from the experience.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Slow down. Listen to the land. It has a powerful message.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

December 7, 7:00 p.m. All Wisconsin Public TV stations. “The Land With Jerry Apps.” Hour-long documentary based on my book WHISPERS AND SHADOWS.

December 19, McFarlane’s, 780 Caroline St., Sauk City, Wisconsin. 1:00 p.m. Discussion and signing of Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Hunting for the Perfect Christmas Tree

After three days of clouds and rain, Saturday the skies cleared, the sun came out, and we went hunting for the perfect Christmas tree at our farm. Our intrepid tree hunting crew included son, Steve, Natasha, two boys that she cares for on occasion, daughter Sue, and me, the guide.

One would think it would be easy. At Roshara we have several thousand trees from which to choose. We prune none of them so finding the perfect tree always proves a bit of a challenge. Further, a tree in the wild is always taller than a tree in one’s living room. Outdoors, the tree is compared to those fifty feet tall standing around it. In your living room there is a ceiling to contend with.

So the crew runs through the trees, looking here and there: “This one’s too short. This one’s too tall. This one is too skinny. This one is too fat. This one has a bad side” and so on. I’ve long learned to stay quiet, letting the decision making evolve.

For me, and I think it would hold for everyone in the tree hunting crew, the hunt is as important as the results. Three generations outdoors on a sunny late fall day, enjoying the fun of it all, a quiet day in the out-of-doors, and a chance to be with each other.

For those wondering, we did find three decent looking Christmas trees. But it took a while.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Cut your own Christmas tree. And bring the family along.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

December 2, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Book Signing, Wisconsin Historical Society Headquarters building lobby. Books on sale.

December 2, 7:00 p.m. All Wisconsin Public TV stations. The Land With Jerry Apps. Hour-long documentary based on my book WHISPERS AND SHADOWS. See grandsons, Josh and Ben in action, and with a lot to say.

December 19, McFarlane’s, 780 Caroline St., Sauk City, Wisconsin. 1:00 p.m. Discussion and signing of Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Deer Season: Tradition and Family

Opening day of deer season. No snow at Roshara, but a cold damp wind digs through my many layers of clothing. No deer to be seen. A good time for thinking and relaxing, and a little shivering.

I’ve not missed deer hunting since I was 12 years old when I hunted with my dad in Adams County. In 1946 there were no deer in Waushara County. Now my son, Steve hunts with me and he has done so since he was 12, not missing a year.

Why do I do it? Why do I get up at 5:15 on a dark, dank cold November morning and sit under a tree at my farm and wait for daylight?

For two main reasons: Tradition and Family. Other reasons, such as being outdoors, watching wildlife—I saw two chickadees and a gray squirrel on Saturday morning—listening to the quiet, oh, and sometimes bagging a deer, come in second place.

This year Steve and I hunted with my brother, Don, and his sons, Marc, Eric and Matt, as we have for many years. It’s a family tradition with many stories, and catching up with jobs, and news of kids and grand kids.

And for more than 40 years, we all gather for a chili supper with more stories, kidding, and smart talk.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Tradition and Family define deer hunting.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

December 2, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Book Signing, Wisconsin Historical Society Headquarters building lobby. Books at reduced prices.

December 2, 7:00 p.m. All Wisconsin Public TV stations. The Land With Jerry Apps. Hour-long documentary based on my book WHISPERS AND SHADOWS.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Wood Piles and Piles of Wood

By this time in November, when I was growing up on the farm, the haymows were filled with hay, the silo was filled with silage, and the corn cribs ran over with cob corn.

One major task remained. Making wood. Well, we didn’t actually make it. Mother Nature took care of that for us. What we did was find a dead oak tree or two in the woodlot back of the farm house, cut it down, haul the limbs and trunks to the house, and hold a wood sawing bee.

A wood sawing bee was when the neighbors gathered to help each other saw wood (with a huge circle saw) into manageable pieces, most of which we still had to split. Oh, I should mention that in those days of the latter years of the Great Depression and into World War II, everyone in the neighborhood heated their farm houses with wood stoves.

Now as strange as this may sound today, one way we judged the quality of a neighbor’s work was the size of his woodpile and especially how well it was stacked. We all knew and knew well the difference between a mere pile of wood, and a wood pile. A wood pile had elegance, had a sense of art to it, was something to behold and even brag about, although it was not becoming of farmer to do much bragging. A pile of wood was just that, an unattractive pile. Awarded a zero on the elegance scale of 0 to 10.

We still make wood at my farm. For a few weeks we had a rather elegant wood pile. About an 8 on the wood pile elegance scale. Then it fell over. From an 8 to a pile of wood, and a zero. Thanks to my brother Don, the pile of wood has once become a woodpile, and right close to a 9 on the elegance scale as well.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Always remember the difference between a pile of wood and a wood pile.

UPCOMING EVENTS;

November 17, 7:00 p.m. Hotel Red (1501 Monroe Street- corner of Regent and Monroe, Madison.) A discussion with Doug Moe. Sponsored by Mystery to me Bookstore. Book signing to follow. (Whispers and Shadows and more.)

November 18, Preview of TV Documentary, “The Land With Jerry Apps” Wild Rose High School Auditorium. Whispers and Shadows book signing. 6:00 p.m. Refreshments. Presentation starting at 6:30.

December 2, 7:00 p.m. All Wisconsin Public TV stations. The Land With Jerry Apps. Hour-long documentary based on my book WHISPERS AND SHADOWS.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Sunday, November 08, 2015

The Demise of the School of the Arts

An old friend left us this past week. The more than 50-year old School of the Arts held each year in Rhinelander, WI and sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is no more. Robert E. Gard was largely responsible for starting the school. Bob’s philosophy was—the arts are for everyone. No matter what your income level, where you lived, or how much formal education you had.

I attended classes there in the 1960s when I had the opportunity to learn from Bob Gard. I participated in a fiction writing workshop with August Derleth, and learned basic skills about writing a novel that have proved invaluable. And much more.

Then in 1971, Bob Gard asked me to teach at the School of the Arts. I did this for 32 years. It was there that I met such national writing figures as Archibald McLeash (three Pulitzer prizes), Dale Wasserman, Henry Mark Petrakis, Studs Terkel, Robert Bly and Jesse Stuart, all writers of considerable note. All of whom taught workshops.

But now the School of the Arts is dead. Many of us are mourning.

Mark Lefebvre, longtime friend of Robert Gard, said this about the School’s passing:

Learning about the demise of the School of the Arts is hard. I broke down and cried. I thought of the many summers I spent with Bob at the School of the Arts. I think of all the people whose lives were awakened. I think of the extraordinary faculty who in that very special place made real magic happen. Bob taught me so much, most of all, how the unexpected can happen through simple belief. I am so disappointed these days with the University of Wisconsin. Belief is no longer part of its vocabulary. No greater writer than Archibald MacLeish came to Rhinelander one summer. A sophisticated guy. He could not believe the world he had entered. Imagine these "students" being exposed to this man who could not thank Robert E. Gard enough for putting him so close to the creative process. Long may the banner of SoA wave over the battlefields of ignorance!

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: The arts make a life worth living.

UPCOMING EVENTS;

November 10, 6:00 p.m. Wausau Public Library, Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

November 12, 7:00 p.m. Bellville High School Auditorium with Bellville Public Library. Wisconsin Agriculture: A History

November 14, 9:30 -11:30 a.m. Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

November 15, 9:15 Midvale Lutheran Church, 4329 Tokay Blvd., Madison, WI.The Land (TV documentary) plus discussion of Whispers and Shadows. The community is invited.

November 17, 7:00 p.m. Hotel Red (1501 Monroe Street- corner of Regent and Monroe, Madison.) “Wisconsin Agriculture: A History, a discussion with Doug Moe. Sponsored by Mystery to me Bookstore. Book signing to follow.

November 18, Preview of TV Documentary, “The Land With Jerry Apps” Wild Rose High School Auditorium. Whispers and Shadows book signing. 6:00 p.m. Refreshments. Presentation starting at 6:30.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Halloween From Yesterday

On this chilly, rainy Halloween, I’m reminded of how we celebrated the day back when I was a kid. First, here is what we did not do. There was no such thing as “Trick or Treat.” Nobody walked from house-to-house dressed up like a zombie, or a ghost or some other “scary” creature like a presidential candidate. The problem was that the farms were too far apart. Our nearest neighbors were a half-mile away.

What we did do was celebrate Halloween at our country school. Regular school activities were suspended that afternoon. The teacher arranged to have a big wash tub filled with water in the school’s entryway into which she dumped a bunch of ripe red apples. We all bobbed for apples, meaning we tried to grab hold of one with our teeth, no hands allowed. What happened was that we got a very wet head as we pushed the apple to the bottom of the tub in order to bite into it.

Then, blindfolded, one of the mothers—they were invited to the party—led us one at a time into the schoolroom and to the teacher’s desk where we were to identify scary objects: a ghost’s eyeballs (grapes), a witch’s brains (spaghetti), or a witch’s brew (vinegar). We didn’t tell those who followed what we had experienced.

I don’t recall that we made jack-o-lanterns—we all grew pumpkins in our farm gardens, but they were not wasted on a silly jack-o-lantern.

Some of the young men in the community saw Halloween as a time for mischief—tipping over outhouses was high on the list, and they were not difficult to find. Every farm had one and the school and the churches generally had two---one for the boys and one for the girls.

I remember one of the more creative pieces of mischief. Our closest neighbor to the north, Allen Davis, upon entering his barn to milk his cows the day after Halloween discovered that several of his cows were wearing horse harnesses.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Halloween, like so many things, is not like it once was.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

November 5, 7:00 p.m. Baraboo Library, Whispers and Shadows.

November 7, Edgerton Book Festival, The Land (TV documentary) and Whispers and Shadows

November 10, 6:00 p.m. Wausau Public Library, Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

November 12, 7:00 p.m. Bellville High School Auditorium (with Bellville Public Library). Wisconsin Agriculture: A History

November 14, 9:30 -11:30 a.m. Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

November 15, 9:15 Midvale Lutheran Church, The Land (TV documentary) plus discussion of Whispers and Shadows.

November 18, Preview of TV Documentary, “The Land With Jerry Apps” Wild Rose High School Auditorium. Whispers and Shadows book signing. (Time to be announced)

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fund raiser for them):

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs, Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps and Jerry Apps a Farm Story.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Making Wood

Saturday began cold and dreary with rain and wind. Several weeks ago we declared the day our annual wood cutting day. A little “ornery” weather, as my dad used to describe such a day, was not to interfere. And it didn’t. Steve and Natasha; Paul, Sue and Josh; plus Madison friends Halley and Andrew all gathered at Roshara to cut wood for our two wood burning stoves that heat our cabin.

Earlier I had selected a black oak tree that a spring windstorm had torn apart. It was less than a quarter mile or so from the cabin—which made hauling the cut wood a little easier. Unfortunately, or maybe the right words are “it usually happens,” the chainsaws—two of them recently “tuned up” and sharpened started hard and one of them, I’ll not reveal the brand, wasn’t up to cutting such a big tree.

Finally, after a little loss of religion and a sore arm from too many pulls on the chainsaw rope, the big oak was cut into blocks, which Natasha loaded onto the tractor’s frontend loader and I hauled to the shed. There Paul and Josh, using my electric block splitter, cut the blocks into firewood size pieces. Sue, Halley and Andrew piled freshly cut sticks against the side of the woodshed for the winter. We’ll let the wood cure for at least a year before I burn it.

At noon we feasted on corn and potato chowder (Ruth prepared it) freshly baked bread (thank you Andrew), cheese curds and chocolate cake. By afternoon the rain stopped, and by 3:00 p.m. the job was finished.

What a great day it was, the wonderful smell of freshly cut oak wood, the opportunity for family to gather, tell stories of earlier wood cutting days—we’ve done it every year for many years—and be outside on a cool, albeit a little wet, October Saturday.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Making wood is one more way to bring family together.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

October 29, 7:00 p.m. Brown County Library, 515 Pine Stree. Premier of TV Documentary,” The Land With Jerry Apps. “ Book signing, Whispers and Shadows.

November 1, 2:00 p.m. Gard Theater, Spring Green. Ag History and Wisconsin Place Names (a Robert Gard book).