FALL in NEPA

We are enjoying some absolutely beautiful weather here in Northeast Pennsylvania. The trees are changing colors and our small town is getting ready for the annual Halloween parade on the 28th of Oct. It is in the mid 70's temperature wise so I'm postponing bringing in the tender perrenials. I did move them onto the porch because we had frost a couple nights ago. I have made some neat autumn dolls and quilts where they are for sale in my ESTY shop. Just go to hennypennys.etsy.com to see more.

HARVEST GATHERINGS OPEN HOUSE

HENNY PENNY'S COUNTRY STORE

230 Main Street (out back)

Benton, PA 17814

570-925-5204

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HARVEST GATHERINGS

OPEN HOUSE

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SATURDAY...........OCTOBER 4, 2008........10 - 5

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TRICKS and TREATS

FALL DOLLS and DECORATIONS

PUMPKINS and GOURDS

DISCOUNTS THROUGHOUT THE STORE

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HENNY PENNY'S COUNTRY STORE is located in a small town in NE Pennsylvania. When you come to visit make a day of visiting the antique stores, shops and restaurants. SEE YOU SOON !

HANDWORK CLASS LIST

PUMPKIN PENNYRUG


This class is all about learning the basic stitch and working with wool. We will make the pumpkin panel and it is your choice as to how you finish it. I made this one into a pillow. Other options include making it into a tablerunner, tablemat, purse or small wallhanging. There are samples of other projects to inspire you in the shop.


I will have kits available or if you have wool, I will have a supply list when you pay. Payment assures you a seat in class.


Date: SEPT. 10, 08........... Time: 5-9


Class: $20.00 includes pattern.............. Kit cost: $10.00




CHRISTMAS TREE STITCHERY



If you have ever done any cross-stitching, this class will be a cinch. We will start with learning the basic stitches and getting your design on the cloth. We will make the tree panel and then you can decide how you would like to finish your project. I framed mine in a distressed black frame. Other options include mini wallhanging or pillow. I have other samples in the shop for inspiration.


I will have kits made up if you need one, or you will get a supply list when you pay. Payment assures you a seat in class.


Date: NOV. 5. 08.................. Time: 5-9


Class: $20.00........................ Kit cost: $6.00





LOCKERHOOKED CANDLE MAT


Lockerhooking is fun and fast. Once you know the shortcuts, it goes fast. And be cause you start with the finishing, there is no finishing! Does that make sense? Anyways, we will make a small mat using strips of fabric in one color family. This one is done in shades of red, they look too pink in the pic.

I will have kits for the basic supplies, which you will probably need, and I can put together a fabric kit if you need one. A supply list will be available with your payment. Payment assures you a seat in class.

Date: OCT. 15, 08.................. Time: 5-9



Class: $20.00.............................Basic kit cost: $10.00..... Fabric kit cost: $12.00

CLASS POLICY...........
Preregistration and payment is required to assure you a seat in class.
All classes are on WED. nights. Classes are small.
We will have tea and cookies.
Refunds will be given up to 7 days before a scheduled class.
You will learn everything in class, so if you don"t finish during class time, you will be able to finish at home. I am always available at the shop during the day for help.
Please NO children or non-participants.
Questions? call--570-925-5204 or email--hennypennyscountrystore@jlink.net

ANNUAL WATER BATTLE

Every summer our small town of Benton in NE Pennsylvania has a carnival and parade. There are firetrucks from surrounding communities lining the street as far as the eye can see. I didn't count but there must have been about 20 companies in the parade this year. With sirens blasting, the mayor goes by in a sports car throwing out candy for the kids along the sidewalks. Everyone comes out to bombard the firemen with water balloons and the firemen reciprocate with their water hoses from the trucks. It almost seems like an unfair fight, but you can't even believe the amount of water balloons hitting the firemen. The kids really have a lot of fun. This year the water battle was on Aug. 2nd.

Fire trucks lined up far down the street.

Some boys getting ready for battle

This guy probably spent days stockpiling his balloons, each of these bags are filled with water balloons

College hunks looking for unsuspecting targets

Broadcasting by the local radio station

The balloons are flying! ! !

The local police is the first target and nobody passed up this opportunity to bean the cop car

Watch out for the fire hoses! ! !

HERB JAR WALL

It seems that no matter how big my herb orders are, I'm constantly running out of stock. I made a Headache Relief Tea, but had to first order 3 herbs. After I finished making a large jar of the loose herbs, I ran out of 2 more different herbs ands wouldn't you know, someone came into the shop and bought the whole 10 oz. jar of herbs. So now, I'm out of headache tea and am out of 2 of the herbs that go into the tea.

I can not get everything I need from one company, so when I put in my herb orders I must have paid out $50 in shipping charges. That is absolutely outrageous. Maybe I should start growing my own, but then I'd have to spend all my time in the fields and I'd rather be sewing!!

Here's a picture of one of the herb walls in my shop. I must have about 160 medicinal herbs, about 90 culinary herbs, probably 60 or so herbal teas, and 20 (?) green and black teas. It really has to be seen to be believed.

GARDEN OF WEEDS

I started this herb garden 2 years ago and have been adding to it and last year it looked really good. I don't know what happened but the weeds have really taken over.
Some of the weeds are 7 feet tall.

My feverfew (which should only grow 2-3 feet) grew to 5 feet. It is very leggy though. I cut all the feverfew and am going to put it in a patch by itself where it will self-sow and can grow wild. It took over a good 8 foot patch of the garden.

There are 2 other very large bushes in this garden that have expanded. One filled in a good chunk of space by runners and crowded out my hyssop and licorice plants, so those are gone to the big herb patch in the sky. The other bush grew so tall and wide, it also over shadowed some herbs and they are gone. We had hooked a tow strap to these bushes in order to pull them up and transplant them, but the bushes didn't budge and the 4" wide strap broke.

It took a couple of days to weed the garden. Most of the weeds pulled right out of the mulch, root and all. I think the mulch was full of weed seeds. I decided to move the rest of the herbs into another harb garden for safe keeping and will rorotill this garden under and start over. Don't know yet if I should move the garden away from the two bushes or set fire to them.

THE FAMOUS "NECKTIE QUILT"

I spent the whole winter making this quilt. Patti brought in a bagful of neckties and asked for a cutom-made queen-sized quilt using the neckties. I dumped the ties on my workbench and looked at them, moved them around, looked at them some more......no idea what to do with them.

Took them home, counted them, moved them around, looked some more.......finally after about 2 months, hand appliqued the ties to background squares.

Had to buy fabrics, but didn't quite know how to match fabric to the ties because all the ties were different colors and styles. So I bought the fabrics to match each other and didn't worry about matching the ties. It is certainly a one of a kind quilt.

There will never be another quilt like this one....past, present or future...........

Its a very cold day here in PA. I saw this little girl sitting in a corner of the shop with her Kitty and had to snap her picture. Made a great Immune Boosting Tea for the cold days ahead. I'm going to take a bit home and let Husband try it first. Can't wait until spring...will be planting a small herb garden in front of the shop. Since I have an upstairs balcony I will plant nasturtiums in pots and let it trail over the edge. I'll put a picture in a future blog. TA-TA for now...........Susan