Country Living articles from March 2002

Country Living archives from March 2002

The best. (Editor's Journal).(Editorial)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... What makes something "the best"? That's what we asked ourselves when we were planning this issue. And after months of gathering suggestions from staff members, contributing editors, and industry insiders, we were able to compile the first of...

Dear country living.
March 1, 2002... Shedding Some Light on Oil Lamps Memories from the late '50s came flooding back to me as I read "Oil Lamps," by Marie Proeller (Country Icons, January 2002). Remote, rural eastern Kentucky--where my grandmother lived--did not have electricity...

Home goods. (Country Classics).(Brief Article)(Directory)
March 1, 2002... Kitchen 1. Reproduction fruit labels color the face of Timeworks' clock (13" dia.; $70). Call (510) 883-0234. 2. KitchenAid's Ultra Power mixer ($290) brightens kitchens. Call (800) 541-6390. 3. Grandpa's workbench island (5'L x...

Give trees a change: it takes good genes good planning and good luck to grow a giant. (Save Our Countryside).(Champion Tree Project)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... What's the single-best investment we can make in the earth? Simple: Plant a tree for posterity. "But not just any tree," emphasizes David Milarch, a nurseryman in Traverse City, Mich. "You've got to plant the right tree, in the right place,...

Ticking & more. (Cross Country).(decorator Pam Robinson)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Though she designs everything from bathrooms to gar dens, Seattle decorator Pam Robinson is probably best known for her collection of rare and beautiful French fabrics. Her design business, Red Ticking, specializes in custom pillows,...

What's your opinion? (Cross Country).(www.countryliving.com survey on country style)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In a recent survey on our Web site, we asked readers to tell us what they love most about country style. * 53 percent are drawn to its comfortable charm * 18 percent love the eclectic mix of old and new * 11 percent find that it...

Take it to bed with you. (Cross Country).
March 1, 2002... Dig into Flora An Illustrated History of the Garden Flower (Firefly Books; $60), by Brent Elliott, librarian and archivist of the Royal Horticultural Society. The oversized volume is filled with spectacular reproductions of antique botanical...

Inn of the month. (Cross Country).
March 1, 2002... In 1988, Prince Hubertus Fugger of Bavaria purchased 1,300 forested acres in Adairsville, Ga. (an hour northwest of Atlanta), and created Barnsley Gardens--a resort village surrounding the ruins of Savannah cotton broker Godfrey Barnsley's 1842...

An American classic. (Cross Country).(American Felling Axe)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The smiths at Gransfors Bruks in central Sweden take pride in setting their craft back 100 years. At this small axe shop, where every axhead is hand forged and stamped with the satisfied smith's initials, the talk is as much about ethics--of...

Decorating idea. (Cross Country).(locker room baskets)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Organize prints, photographs, and other household items in vintage school locker room baskets that look good enough to display. The wire baskets, found at flea markets for $10 to $20 each, are great for stylish access to magazines, home-office...

The best wine seller. (Cross Country).(Best Cellars)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Thanks to Best Cellars, buying a bottle of wine need never again be an ordeal. The shop (with locations in Boston, Kirkland, Wash., New York City, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.) limits its stock to 100 great wines, each one reasonably priced at...

Great finds. (Cross Country).(designer Brook DeMerchant)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Readers always ask: "Where do your editors find all their story ideas?" Truth is, some of our best angles come from readers who are eager to share a glimpse of their homes with you. Brook DeMerchant--an interior architect who works at Leonards...

Blue & white spongeware: These humble and durable kitchen ceramics still hit the spot. (Country Icons).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Rural American households have always needed durable kitchen and table wares. Spongeware, widely produced in England and the United States in the 19th century, could withstand the daily grind subjected to it by large families and community...

Sewing birds: Interest in these 19th-century avian whimsies, fashioned from brass, steel, and cast iron, is soaring. (Collecting).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Collections of all kinds fill Jerry Grossman's New York City home-- wooden decoys, spatterware pitchers, and miniature portraits to name a few--but one common thread unites them all. Each is displayed as a group, drawing attention to subtle...

One super easy soup. (Under an Hour).(Brief Article)(Recipe)
March 1, 2002... Take the stockpot off the back burner: With its gingery aroma and earthy flavors, our Asian-inspired Chicken and Mushroom Noodle Soup is a meal in a bowl designed to bring warmth, comfort, and smiles to your dinner table in no time at all. ...

The bible of American homes.
March 1, 2002... Can't figure out whether that striking house on the corner is Greek Revival or Italianate? Consult a copy of Virginia and Lee McAlester's A Field Guide to American Houses (Knopf; 1984; $40 hardcover, $24.95 paperback). It provides a concise...

Keep on ticking.(ticking stripes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Ticking stripes number among our favorite fabrics for decorating the entire house. The versatile, sturdy textiles--used to upholster mattresses and cover pillows since the 1700s--add a fresh touch to sofas, cushions, curtains, tablecloths, and,...

Scrub-a-dub-dub made simpler.(OXO Good Grips dishwashing tool)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In 1990, OXO Good Grips introduced its very first ergonomically designed kitchen tool, the now-legendary Swivel Peeler. Our latest OXO favorite, the Soap Pump Palm Brush; fits neatly in your hand and squirts liquid soap from its reservoir out...

Quality in quantity.(Great Stuff by Paul antiques, Frederick, Md.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Enamelware Watering cans. English terra-cotta. Buy it by the dozen at Great Stuff by Paul, in Frederick, Md., where Paul and Joan Berkowitz have loaded an 1840s carriage house with antiques for the home and garden. (888-729-4548)

Five bottles of wine for under $15.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Vintners around the world perform a graceful balancing act, pointing one foot backward to age-old handcrafting techniques and training the other toward modern, scientific vineyard and cellar management. The result: Quality wines that are...

Still the one.(Toll House cookies)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... One day in the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield--proprietor of the Toll House Inn, in Whitman, Mass.--made a delicious mistake. She added chunks of a Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar to the batter of her Butter Drop Do cookies, assuming that the chunks...

The most antiquing humanly possible in one weekend.(visiting Litchfield County, Connecticut)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... For a can't-lose itinerary that honors some of our favorite country pastimes--including antiquing, visiting a comfortable inn, and good eating--head to LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT, in the state's northwestern corner. Spend Saturday prowling...

Wrap it up.(Advertising)
March 1, 2002... Whether used for a picnic in the park or a warm and wooly bedcover, L.L. Bean's Hudson's Bay Point Blankets have been a bestseller since 1925. The wind- and waterproof virgin-wool blankets were created by the Hudson's Bay Co. in 1779 for trade...

Sitting pretty.(the King Pacific Lodge floats on a barge off coast of Princess Royal Island, British Columbia)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2002... Henry David Thoreau once observed that some people fish all their lives, never knowing it's not fish they're after. We couldn't agree more--fish, smish! It's the view we crave. Which is why we find British Columbia's king Pacific Lodge so...

We gotta hand it to you.(gardening gloves)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Deciding what we like best about Foxgloves garden gloves is almost as hard as picking our favorite flower. Modeled on 1950s ladies' gloves, these colorful hardworking beauties were designed by landscape architect Harriet Zbikowski, who was...

Sturdy (and stylish) survival tools.(Advertising)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... If you were dropped into the middle of an unforgiving wilderness--or scarier, a cocktail party--what single tool would help you get home alive and happy? The Leatherman. Engineer Tim Leatherman created his multi-tool after a pocketknife proved...

The best item you don't haven in your country pantry.(Advertising)
March 1, 2002... Fluffy, pancakes, golden, flaky biscuits, even rich, low-cal ice cream: Buttermilk seems to make everything taste better. It also is often the one thing you don't have on hand when you want it. Solution? Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend--real...

Warm & Fuzzy.(flannel bedding from Garnet Hill)(Advertising)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Garnet Hill was born of the mid 1970 energy crisis, when its New Hampshire founders went to England in search of the perfect flannel sheets to help lower heating bills. More than 25 years later, the mail-order company's practically pill-proof...

It's in the bag.(Advertising)(Illustration)
March 1, 2002... While Brandy Herrin of Moonsail Canvas, in Jenkintown Pa., admits she didn't reinvent the wheel with her canvas tote, she can take credit for giving this sturdy classic a new lease on life by trimming it in colors like sky blue (above), lime...

Hardware heaven new & used.(antiques)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Searching for the perfect vintage Bakelite doorknob, Victorian hinge, Eastlake handle, or Art Deco medicine cabinet to accent your home? Liz's Antique Hardware, in Los Angeles, is the ultimate source for original and reproduction...

A vision in white.(vintage wedding gowns at Jana Starr Antiques, New York, New York)
March 1, 2002... For the bride-co-be who envisions walking down the aisle dressed in a 19th-century gown of handmade Belgian lace, an embroidered antique floor-length veil and train fluttering in her wake, Jana Starr is a vintage-wedding-gown fairy godmother....

Give me Shelter.(Advertising)
March 1, 2002... Compact, lightweight, and sturdy, L.L. Bean's Storm Shelter Travel Umbrella is the one thing we want over our heads during a downpour. Thanks to its unique articulated canopy, rogue gusts of wind won't make mincemeat of this dynamo if it's...

Making the world taste good.(Montana Candy Emporium)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Be it pure nostalgia or sweets you crave, the Montana Candy Emporlum, in Red Lodge, possesses it good and plenty. Stroll the aisles, where 22 kinds of fudge are made and country-store bushel baskets overflow with luscious old-fashioned candies,...

Every kitchen, every meal, every day.(dining room table)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... When it comes to setting your everyday table durability does not have to come at the sacrifice of style. The gentle curves of Wedgwood White (800 955-1500) dishes add a refreshing touch of the old fashioned. While pure-white bone china means...

Five for the road: Our favorite roadside eats.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Red Rabbit Drive-In's (Duncannon, Pa.; 717-834-4696) sign declares "Make the Red Rabbit a Habit"--and with thick milkshakes, "bunny burgers," and car-window service, who can resist? Stop at the Miss Florence Diner (Florence, Mass.;...

A cut above the rest.(cutlery)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Form meets function for cutting-edge results with J.A. Henckels Twin Select Series knives. No seams, no gaps, just an ergonomically curved stainless-steel handle and a forged-steel blade--and they'll last a life-time. At major department and...

Where to see a UFO & other weird stuff.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Best Place to Spot a UFO: Gulf Breeze, Fla., gained national notoriety in 1987 when local builder Ed Walters shot photo graphs of strange lights in the heavens. The best place to gaze at the night sky is shoreline Park South, where, rumor has...

A new breed.(magazine for dog owners)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... With illustrations reminiscent of The New Yorker biting wit, and articles by canine experts, The Bark is the thinking dog owner's quarterly. Insightful columns on behavior and profiles on rescue groups are punctuated with reprints of classic...

Top of the line; in the hunt for antiques, pro appraisers advise, always aim high: Whatever you buy, let it be the best. (Antiques).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... So many antiques shows, so many objects to admire. How does a collector decide what to snatch up, what to mull over, and what to leave behind? The choice, say the experts, is simple: When presented with a world of opportunity, always select the...

The handkercief: a small square of fabric brings back memories of days and customs long past. (Reader's Corner).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Tomorrow is my daughter's wedding day. I stand at my ironing board pressing two handkerchiefs--one with a blue butterfly embroidered on a corner, the other with blue flowerr--as I will need them tomorrow to dry the tears that are sure to come....

A professional appraiser identifies and evaluates your possessions. (What is it? What is it worth?).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... This chair had been in the family of a German friend for many years before he gave it to me about 15 years ago. I believe the frame is oak and there is an inset leather seat. Can you tell me the age and value of the chair? J.H., HAMPSTEAD,...

Drying flowers. (Gardener's Gazette).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... To preserve garden flowers such as peonies, roses, and lilacs, try silica gel, a nontoxic, sandy compound that draws moisture from fresh flowers while helping to maintain their color, shape, and beauty. To use silica gel, available in most...

Ask the experts. (Gardener's Gazette).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Q: I really want to maximize my vegetable garden's potential this summer. Can you give me any tips on planting crops in succession? A: Peas, lettuce, baby carrots, spinach, baby beets, and early bush beans are usually ripe by July if you...

Design tip from a pro. (Gardener's Gazette).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Sunshine and privacy top most lists of what makes a dream garden, says Ann Lovejoy, a garden writer and teacher who operates an organic garden school on Bainbridge Island, Wash. "One way to achieve this," says Lovejoy, "is to create a sunny...

Around the house: Building and remodeling questions answered by home-maintenance expert. (Care & Repair).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The cork floor in the dining room of our 65-year-old home has darkened where a braided rug once lay beneath the table. We can't locate anyone locally who knows how to dean and restore the darkened cork. Can you help? Robert McKee, vice...

Warm up to ginger: With a long history in the New World and the old, gingerroot is enmeshed in folklore, food, and healing. (Country Remedies).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Singly on the tongue, pungent to the nose, ginger is most familiar to Americans as the spice responsible for the distinctive flavor of Christmas cookies and many Asian dishes. But gingerroot--established in the New World as early as the 16th...

This spring, say spaaaaaah! Need a little rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation? Escape the everyday at one of our favorite spas. (On the Road).
March 1, 2002... GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT Now more than ever before, we need a chance to slow down, escape the nightly news, and forget about the PTA, the soccer games, the deadlines, and the bills piled on our desks. And where better to turn to than a spa--a...

Top dogs of Westminster: What's it like for dogs to compete for the big title? (You & Your Pet).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... When the Westminster Kennel Club sets up judging circles in New York City's Madison Square Garden for its annual dog show, a ripple of excitement runs through the dog world. For two days each February, 2,500 dogs--each having already earned the...

Here's a varied offering of properties from around the country. See the shopping guide for details. (Real-Estate Sampler).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... THOMPSON HOUSE INN Renovated in 1994, this 1887 Victorian B and B has 1887 guest rooms, each with a discrete historic theme and a private bath. A brand-new commercial kitchen and 3 period dining rooms add to its appeal. $750,000 (furnishings...

Taking the first steps: the hardest part is getting started. If you're properly prepared, you can move quickly through all your pending projects. (Special Advertising Section).(housekeeping tips)
March 1, 2002... Get the right gear Dress in comfortable clothing and shoes (consider kneepads if you have to get down and dirty, plus goggles and rubber gloves for working with products that may give off noxious fumes). * Then, make sure you're well...

Pay attention to details: Sometimes the little things that get overlooked can have a big impact on your home's appearance. (Special Advertising Section).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Why you must dust You want to demolish dust--not just release it into the air. Use a cotton cloth moistened with water or dusting spray. (Always spritz the cloth, not the item being dusted.) * Good options for dust rags include old...

Important cleaning inside and out: Some of the most-traveled places in your home--inside and out--now need your attention. (Special Advertising Section).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Put your vacuum to the test Never underestimate the power of the vacuum. * It can conquer hard-to-reach crevices as well as wicker furniture, upholstery, windows and windowsills, heating ducts, and air-conditioner filters. Throw on its...

Bring in spring: Assure weeks of color and fragrance by transporting the season's spectacular floral display indoors. (Your Garden).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Spring is far too fickle for my liking. After what seem like endless months of fighting with shovel and snowblower through head-high drifts of white, side stepping the deadly icicles that form over my back door, and shuddering as each new...

Country calendar.
March 1, 2002... March: Our monthly listing of antiques shows, crafts fairs, and festive events If you would like to see your antiques show, fair, or other country festivity in our free listing, please send us a note at least four months before the event...

Domestic bliss: With rich color and telling detail, a Santa Fe artist honors America's rural landscape.(Jean Jack)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... In artist Jean Jack's signature landscape paintings, clean-lined vernacular houses, barns, and sheds stand isolated in limitless yellow-green fields beneath cloudless periwinkle-blue skies. Spare in derail, yet saturated with color, the...

Starting over: in the light-filled rooms of his federal-period home, contributing editor Keith Keegan demonstrates the timeless utility and quiet restraint of early-21st-century country style.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2002... Less than a month after Keith Keegan and his wife, Monique, bought their brick Federal in Granville, Ohio, the couple found themselves camping in its basement: Winter was fast approaching, and a major renovation was already in the works. "The...

Country in the city: Peacefully nestled behind a 100-year-old brick house in the middle of inetropolitan Pittsburgh lies the sylvan hideaway of a talented gardener.(Camille Bondi)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The garden started with just a patch of grass. "Twenty-five years ago, when Dick and I moved here, there was nothing but a broken-down wall," owner Camille Bondi recalls. "We realized the landscape needed attention, but we didn't have a lot of...

The glory of age: Long concealed beneath layers of old plaster, paint, and aluminum siding, a mid-1800s log house is reclaimed by collectors with the spirit of adventure and a passion for object that bear witness to the craftsmanship of generations past.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2002... A HOMESTEADERS CABIN Eight years ago, Ron and Josie St. Louis received a surprising telephone call from a restorationist working in Wisconsin's historic Fond du Lac County. "He said he'd discovered an old log house in the town of Eden that...

The hidden kitchen: in a renovated Quaker farmhouse in southeastern Pennsylvania, only the 19th century is visible.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2002... In 1987, when Peter Deen hired architect Joan Fleckenstein to design a kitchen for the 1820 Quaker farmhouse he was restoring in Pennsylvania, he told her to build a kitchen that suited her own tastes--a good thing, it turns out, since they...

Green pastures: at California's Niman Ranch, raising livestock on a diet of natural grasses and whole grains results in meats a cut above the ordinary. (Country Cooking).(free-range farming)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
March 1, 2002... NIMAN RANCH Began as a hobby--just a few pigs, cows, and goat raised on 11 acres of land--and evloved into a formidable full time enterprise. Today this 27-year-old operation includes more than 200 acres of cartle pastute I Mario County....

Here's where you'll find the recipes featured in this issue of country living. We hope you'll enjoy them. (The Recipe File).(Recipe)
March 1, 2002... COUNTRY COOKING: GREEN PASTURES BEEF AND RED-WINE STEW This beef stew is slowly simmered in a hearty red wine until the meat is fork-tender and infused with flavor. Serve it over a bed of egg noodles or with a loaf of crusty French...

House plans: to order plans for either of these houses or special folios of designs featured in previous issues, use the toll-free number on the bottom of this page.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... THE STRATFORD Simple columns adorn the welcoming wraparound porch on Jack Mullen's airy retreat. Small panes of glass trim the front door, and a copper roof graces the window bay. In the living room, the fireplace shares a flue with the kitchen...