Onbei a farm -And o bazar Joyce B The soft whispering of wind through the uppermost branches of the old trees is a comforting sound on this steep hillside. High overhead, the greenery forms a sort of canopy, supported' by straight, thick, brownish trunks. At ragged intervals, dead limbs and stubs of former limbs mark the trunks, which jut 40, 50, maybe more, feet toward the clear blue sky. But beneath the canopy of soft green needles waving high above is the open, airy, cathedral-like atmosphere found only in a tower ing stand of mature evergreens. Decades of pine needle droppings mat into a dense, spongy carpet ing, cushioning to the sole and quiet to the step. The very softness underfoot seems planned, so as not to disturb the tranquility of this quiet haven of nature. A larger stand of pine, near the hunting camp, has long been one of my very favorite places. But the demands of a herd of milking cows - twice a day, EVERY day - prevents more than one, if lucky, perhaps two, visits to that pine stand in a year. This pine haven is closer, and though smaller, affords a similar feeling of peace and timelessness. Scattered across the thick mat of needles is the fruit of these trees and the object of the search on this sunny, but crisp, December afternoon. Pine cones. Hundreds of ’em, scattered at the feet of these old white pines. At the tip of every “petal” of each fresh cone is a dab of sticky, whitish sap. The gummy residue is wonderfully sweet smelling, the very essence of pine scent. For me, this piney aroma is the ultimate fragrance of the season. In just minutes we gather a large bag of the cones. Their sap coats our hands with dark, sticky patches exuding the distinctive, Christmas-sy scent. Piled high in a few favorite baskets, they quietly fill the warm house with their sig nature perfume. Soon, the sweet, sharp smell of cedar will blend with that of pine, from a tree always too large for the allotted spot. Together they blend into a fragrant holiday pot pourri not found in any shop, essence of fresh evergreen. Impossible to duplicate in any imitation form is a sort of seasonal aroma - that of citrus oil released by a freshly-peeled orange. When oranges were precious, rare taste treats, they were a holiday gift highly-prized by a less sophisti cated generation of children. The Farmer peeled our first of the season’s navel oranges while relaxing after milking one recent evening. Though he was in another room, the aroma of orange filled the air almost the instant he made the first tear into the fruit’s tough peel. How wonderful oranges must have smelled to children who only ever tasted them once a year - at Christmastime. Today - I know I’m guilty - we wheel past the ongoing, year-round display of citrus at die markets, forgetting how fortunate we are to have access to them year-round. Dauphin Co. Extension Focuses DAUPHIN (Dauphin Co.)— Penn State Cooperative Extension in Dauphin County held their 73rd annual meeting on Monday, December 3, at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resource Center. Guests were greeted by Tonya Scholl, the 1990 Dauphin County Dairy Princess, who served White Russian Milk Punch. This year’s theme was “Focus ing on Families.” Participants heard about the accomplishments and program focuses of the family living agents that serve Dauphin County, including the training of day care providers, training finan cial counselors, getting kids of all ages “fit,” and resources for the caring for older family members. The Expanded Food and Nutri tion Education Program (EFNEP) reported on working with young families to provide nutrition edu cation and help families budget Ginger is a favorite seasonal kitchen aroma, conjuring up vis ions of raisin-eyed gingerbread men and cookie-baking session with flour-splotched kids rolling out dough. A scratch-n-sniff book our kids enjoyed when they were little had a patch supposedly smelling of ginger - but mostly more like peppered cardboard. It was always a letdown, never com ing close to the real smell of Christmas gingerbread. And, the scented votive candles flickering above our TV screen in recent evenings are labeled with names like hollyberry, bayberry and mint. Disappointment again. The strongest aroma they give off is from the wick smoke when they’re extinguished. Christinas is both season for the soul and for the senses. But when it comes to the fragrances of the holiday, no imitation products can begin to touch Mother Nature’s own natural perfumes. But Eau de Pine Sap probably wouldn’t make it as a gift fragrance. On Family Programs for nutritious meals on a low income. A letter from one of the graduates of the EFNEP program was shared explaining how she had benefited from working with one of the nutrition advisors. She wrote that she is eating healthier and feeling better. In keeping with the theme of focusing on families, Michelle Rodgers, assistant to the regional director presented, “The Future, As If Families Really Mattered.” Michelle’s discussion included the multiple definitions of family and what may be thought of as “traditional” has changed and will continue to change in the future. In addressing the future of fami lies, Michelle’s consensus was that the family will continue but as the composition changes so must extension’s programming in order to meet the needs of families. In addition to focusing on prog rams for families, special recogni tion was given to individuals in \sam QAiomen * gL Societies 3? Farm Women Group #ll met at the home of Shirley Lentz for the December meeting. Election results from November are presi dent, Judy Swope; vice president, Doris Brown; secretary, Jean Erb; and treasurer, Rose Hibshman. The Program Committee are as follows: Shirley Lentz, Jean Erb, Doris Brown, and Fran Dubble. Family Christmas night for our group was finalized and to be held Free (Slot* Hour* UmoMtor fttminsr Satardatf DtewiMr t 5? IMO>B9 the “extension family.” Paul Wangsness, regional director, pre sented awards to Michelle Rod gers for 10 years of service to Penn State Cooperative Extension and to Patricia Powley for 20 years of service. Patricia was in Chicago for the National 4-H Conference representing Epsilon Sigma Phi, Extension’s Honor Society. Special recognition was given to several volunteers as well. Ellen Brubaker was commended for serving six years on the executive board. Receiving plaques for out standing leadership and support were: Dr. George Love from the 4-H program, Sue Loy from the family living program, and How ard Kopp from the agriculture program. Not only were these vol unteers commended for their sup port to the extension program but their families were also thanked for supporting the volunteer efforts of these people. Berks Society 11 at Kimmerlings Grange. A family style dinner will be served by the grange and followed by games in the upstairs hall. December 27th is the gift exchange night, to be held at Doris Brown’s. At 6:30 the celebration begins, followed by lots of food, fun, and laughter. The Program Committee will meet at the home of Fran Dubble, January 7, 1991. At Our r End Sale m
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