A DAY IN RANDOLPH COUNTY

Tom and Krista Sewell dish it out in their business, the Farmland General Store and Candy & Stuff.

If time allows when I'm giving a program somewhere, I enjoy nosing around the area. Saturday I helped kick off the children's and adult summer reading programs for the Farmland Public Library. It was a gorgeous day, the kind you dream about in Hoosierland all winter, and I had a little extra time.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into the Farmland General Store and found a candy store that would rival any, anywhere. Surely this is a tourist attraction. I asked the co-owner, Krista Sewell, if they get visitors from afar. The answer came from a couple wandering around the place. "We're from Detroit," they said. In fairness, they didn't drive from Michigan to Farmland, population 1,200 and change, just for the candy. They were in the area for a graduation.

Tom and Krista bought the established business, located downtown on the west side of Main Street,  (you can't miss it) as a retirement enterprise.

Old-time candies await your senses, and taste buds.

Such as jawbreakers, or these ...

There's also an impressive array of teas and coffee beans for your selection. Sweet place!

You may know of Farmland for its signature restaurant, The Chocolate Moose. Located on Main Street and hop and skip from Farmland General Store and Candy & Stuff, The Chocolate Moose is a booming place, serving meals with an emphasis on sandwiches and salads, oh, and ice cream, in a cheerful environment.

I had lunch there, a loaded taco salad. Of note: the sun-dried tomato crisps. Quite yummy.

Then it was on to my reason for being in the area -- the reading program kickoff. To have more space, Librarian Carrie Watson took the show on the road, County Road 1000, actually, to the Rehoboth United Methodist Church fellowship hall.

Have you ever heard that word before? Rehoboth? I thought it might be the name of a nearby village or maybe of a farm family that founded the church. But no. The name is in the Bible. Right there in Genesis, and right there next to Nineveh in Genesis 10:8-12.

Then in Genesis 26:19-22, we learn that Isaac named a well Rehoboth, saying, "Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land."

Flourish in the land ... what a great description for a county church in fertile Randolph County! And what a pretty one in the countryside.

Rehoboth United Methodist Church near Parker City in beautiful Randolph County.

Librarian Carrie had things under control as kids and adults registered for the summer reading program. How about a fun fact? Carrie is a banker, librarian, and more:  mom, drag racer, and quilter! She's the first female drag racer I've ever met. I bet she is the only combination librarian / drag racer / quilter in the country. I think she might even be Wonder Woman.

I presented the children's literacy program on "What's Your Clue?" about looking for clues in your life about who you are, how you are wired, and who you might become. The children were well behaved, attentive, eager to answer questions, and participate.

The second program was a little later,  "What's On Your Bucket List?" Attendees shared fun goals that include writing a book and visiting Paris.

One of the day's most special moments came when this little gal wanted to show me her rooster painting. Her family friend, Christy Daniels, who got permission from the artist's mom for me to put this photo here, (I decided not to print her name but I had permission for that too) says that they were looking at my blog and she saw the metal Rooster sculpture posted recently. That's why she wanted to show me! Isn't he a handsome rooster?

Just goes to show you never know who is reading this blog, or reading and creating and learning ... just as they do in Farmland, Indiana.

Thanks for hosting me, Carrie. Hope you win a lot of races this summer.