THIS, THAT, AND BLAISE

Done! It took me a while to find the time, but I finished the cushion covers for the porch wicker. I promised to share the end result. I'll post again once I deck out the space with rocker cushions and summer ferns later this spring.

Today’s post is a potpourri of topics.

Let’s start with spring.

It’s still March but the ornamental cherry tree in our back yard is rocking it out with blossoms. The white maple-tree leaves out front are red and healthy. Those can only mean that the wind and rain will knock the dickens out of them as they did last year! But then again, maybe not. Nature is rarely surprised by the calendar or weather.

The back-porch wicker sofa is now sporting its newly covered cushions. I promised I’d show a photo of the end result.  I stitched the covers by hand and they took an entire evening apiece. But they are done and I’m happy with them.

The good news is I took the wise counsel of a quilter in line at the fabric store who told me to buy the whole bolt of fabric and I wouldn’t be sorry. She’s on point because I have enough to stitch up a couple chair pads and maybe even cover a couple toss pillows for nap time on the wicker sofa.

Speaking of spring, last weekend I told Brian I’d like to throw out our old, worn grill. To my surprise, he agreed and it’s gone. It’s amazing how good it feels to eliminate something that needs to go.

I’m going to hold off for quite a while on buying the porch ferns. Kroger in New Castle has some huge, lush babies but no, if I get them too soon they will not remain lush. The  wind will beat them and the chills will damage them. So even if I have to bite my fingers, I’ll do it to keep from snagging a few of those before their time.

One of Liberty's finest

Photo provided by Henry County Historical Society -- Retired Voice of the Indy 500 and NASCAR, Bob Jenkins, will speak at the Henry County Historical Museum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6. Tickets are $15. Call the museum, 606 S. 14th St., New Castle, at 765-529-4028 to reserve a pole position.

On Thursday, April 6, one of the few “famous” people who came from my hometown of Liberty, Indiana is speaking in New Castle and I volunteered to cover his talk.

He’s Bob Jenkins, retired long-time voice of the Indy 500 and NASCAR. I’m looking forward to meeting him, as my brother knows him, and of course I've been proud of him for decades.

Others famous from Liberty include Susan Wright, mother of the Wright brothers, Civil War Gen. Ambrose Burnside and James Whitcomb Riley’s “Little Orphant Annie.” I know it’s a short list but hey, it’s a list!

Would love for you to join us at the museum, 606 S. 14th St., New Castle. To get your own seat on the pole, call the museum at 765-529-4028. Tickets are $15.

A visit with Blaise

Photo by Travis Weik -- Blaise uncovers his gift of Elvis Brownies for C-T newsroomies. Around the Glen Oaks Health Campus table are his mom, Darla, Grandma Deloris in pink, and their friend, Margaret. I'm next to Blaise and Travis Weik is behind the cellphone camera.

Well, it was a treat.

And that's not counting the Elvis Brownies.

Reporter Travis Weik and I paid a little visit to Glen Oaks Health Campus Tuesday afternoon for "tea time" with The Courier-Times' home-grown food columnist, Blaise Doubman, to my left, above, his mom Darla, Grandma Deloris, in pink, and their friend Margaret, to the right.

You heard it here. One day Blaise will be a star on the national food scene. A brilliant recipe developer, cook, and baker, he is already author of a published cookbook and several social media connections. His column appears in The Courier-Times every first and third Sundays.

Blaise created the Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie that appears in my second book. The crust is so easy and perfect that I've vowed to never again buy a pre-made version.

Connect with him on his blog at Blaise the Baker (http://blaisethebaker.com). And if you want to sample his baked goodness, he's donating sweets to the 5-7 p.m. Saturday, April 1 Chili Cook-off fundraiser at Memorial Wesleyan Church in New Castle.

Blaise brought Elvis Brownies for us to share back at the office. Suffice it to say there are none left. Thank you Blaise and family for the visit! We had a great time.

Meanwhile, tonight, tonight ...
It's been on the books for some time, and tonight is the night. A reported 27 writers are signed up for my workshop, "So You Want to Self-Publish a Book," at the Fishers Library, 6-8 p.m. We'll talk about aspects of self-publishing you may not have thought about such as taxes, marketing, and a variety of resources.

If you're signed up, I look forward to our time together. If you aren't but would like to see a program such as this at YOUR library, let me know or let your local librarian know and maybe it can happen.