September 3, 2018

Ridge Spring News

Harriet Householder

Ridge Spring Sidewalk Sale on September 8, 9:30 AM

Bargains For All

The Ridge Spring Farmers' Market is still going well.  We had 6 venders again Saturday and will probably have six this coming Saturday. We had Tupperware, watermelon, okra, boiled peanuts, honey and lip balm from Dry Creek Honey Bee Farm, and sweet potatoes.  Peas and butterbeans were available too.  I must admit though I ended the summer with the worst peanuts I ever purchased, boiled, and then sold at a bargain basement price.  Sorry!!!  Get those vouchers turned in for fresh produce.  The deadline is coming.  The deadline is printed on the vouchers.  The market will continue until the end of December with greens for New Year's Day.

Hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend!!!

The Farmer's Almanac is  predicting a teeth-chattering, cold, snowy winter.  Hard to believe with the nice heat wave summer is going out with. 

Sept 22 Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Festival.

All vendors returning and looking forward to a fall event.

Mark your calendars and preparing for the ninth annual antiques and art gathering at Magnolia Ridge located at 2136 Mt. Calvary Rd in Ridge Spring SC.  Google is the best way to get directions if needed.   The Farm is located at the intersection of Rd 23 and Rd 39 and Mt. Calvary Rd, in Ridge Spring.  Feel free to call for directions.  This event will be Saturday September 22 beginning at 9:00 AM.  A day filled with antiques, art, breakfast and lunch, Italian ice, baked goods, Plants, The Palmetto Tractor club and so much more. We host an incredible setting and enjoy wonderful energy for all. 23 of our vendors have returned since the first show and we have added some new ones along the way!! This is a family affair offering a great venue for seller or buyer or collector. Contact Wendy with any questions 803 617-8751

The Saluda County Farm to Table and Honey Tasting: September 29 at 6:00 PM at Ward, the Dinner is a fundraiser held annually in Ward, SC to raise money for scholarships for area youth interested in careers in agriculture. Partners in this valuable fundraiser include the Saluda County Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Ward, the Gables Inn and Gardens, and the Clemson Extension Service. Two scholarships were awarded to area youth this year. Tickets may be purchased on line.

2018 Ridge Spring Harvest Festival and BBQ Contest October 11-13The Ridge Spring Harvest Festival began in 1982 with the theme of 100 years of progress.  Each year there was a different theme.  In 1983 it was "Farming on the Ridge", then "A time to Gather"," Something to Cackle About", "Reunion of the Ridge",  "Community on the Moo-ve", "The Pride of the Ridge", "Timber on the Ridge", "A Salute to American Veterans", "Let's Go Nuts", "Fiesta on the Ridge" just to name a few.   That brings us to this year's theme.  It goes a bit farther with the Bar-BE-Que theme for there is competition.  This year the Ridge Spring Harvest Festival  will be hosting the BBQ Battle for the Ridge.  You will have the opportunity to sample 18-20 competitors who are tops in the field of cooking BBQ using their own recipes.

Art Center in Ridge Spring by Joanne Crouch

Pottery

       Kim Ruff, instructor  A small casserole class will be held on Monday, Sept 10^th from 6:30-8:30.  Cost is $35 and includes glazing and firing.  On October 15, a clay Christmas tree class will be held on Monday, Oct15^th from 6:30-8:30.  Cost is $35 and includes all firing and glazing.   Kim’s class will allow the students to make additional small pieces to use all the clay that is allotted for the class.  Contact Kim Ruff at makerart@aol.com or Joanne Crouch at joanne.crouch26@gmail.com to register.

.Gourd Art

       Sept 11th @ 6:00- Create a pumpkin (gourd) that will be part of your fall décor for many years to come.  This is for ages 10 & up.  Costs will be $30 which includes all supplies.  Contact Joanne Crouch at joanne.crouch26@gmail.com to register

      Hours of operation at the Art Center are Fridays and Saturdays from 10-2. There is no admission fee.   Join us for our membership meetings on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30.  Check out our facebook page at Art Association of Ridge Spring & Gallery

Jeffrey Clamp:  The RS-M True Blue Marching Band kicks off it's competition season on Saturday, September 15th in the "Blue Machine Invitational" at Edisto High School in Cordova, SC.  The schedule for the competition has not been released at this time.  Here is a complete schedule of marching band competitions for the 2018 True Blue Marching Band:

Saturday, September 15:  "Blue Machine Invitational" at Edisto High School

Saturday, September 22:  "Mustang Classic" at Midland Valley High School

Saturday, October 6:  "Fin Fest Tournament of Bands" at St. James High School

Saturday, October 13:  "Garden City  Classic" at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School

Saturday, October 20:  Class A Lower-State Championships at Hartsville High School

Saturday, October 27:  Class A State Finals at Batesburg-Leesville High School

Review from David Marshall James:  "Pieces of Her" by Karin Slaughter

   Karin Slaughter grabs readers, submerging them in her thriller-ama like some "mega" predator in a made-for-SyFy-Channel movie.

   In her latest novel, the Georgia author commences with a regularly scheduled mother/daughter lunch at a Savannah mall cafe.  Mom (Laura) has done well for herself as a speech therapist and as the ex-wife of an attorney who's still in love with her (Gordon), who's stepfather to Laura's only child, Andrea, 31.

   Andrea has returned home after a less-than-stellar stab at making a career in New York City off her unfinished degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design.  She has helped Laura through breast-cancer surgery and treatments, but, since Laura's recovery, Andrea has been retreating into her "she shed" above Mom's garage, not giving much thought to what's next on her life's agenda.

   Meanwhile, back at the mall cafe, Laura is chatting up the daughter of a former patient.  This woman and her daughter, a rising freshman at the University of Georgia, are standing by Laura's table when they are gunned down by a teenager dressed up like Howard Keel as Frank Butler in "Annie Get Your Gun."

   Which is weird and wild enough, yet nothing compared to Laura's "Dirty Harriet" reaction, which is soon looping on CNN and Fox News, thanks to a looky-loo with a camera phone in the cafe.

   The entire country is rendered "what the hey?" by this piece of "un-fake news," not the least of which are Andrea and Gordon, who have no previous frame of reference that Laura could be such a Big Bad Bad-A.

   Then, something almost as weird happens that night, back at Chez Laura, and Andrea finds herself fleeing her she-shed like a bunch of beach bunnies surprised by the "mega" creature in one of the aforementioned SyFy Channel flicks.

   At this juncture in her story, it's incumbent upon Slaughter to begin responding to Andrea's-- and readers'-- burning question, "Whaddup with Laura?"

   Cue a flashback to the mid 1980s, when Laura was someone else entirely, on the cusp of her own thriller-ama.  It's a scenario that comes alive largely thanks to a character named Paula, who's nuttier than a Planter's factory, with language just as salty.

   Paula pans out as pure gold in Slaughter's narrative, and the author expands her role until she steals the novel from Andrea and Laura.  Indeed, Slaughter seems to have a thing for hard-edged comedy, which she handles like a pro.  Her reference to Charles Dickens's "Miss Havisham" in an unexpected comparison to some cheap-motel soap is a howling-with-laughter keeper.

   Slaughter ought to re-envision Paula as a P.I. or some such, living on the outskirts of Bonkersville, starring in her own series.  She's a cultural zeitgeist awaiting her close-up.

Harriet's Garden Tips:  Have you started dreaming about all those beautiful spring blooming bulbs? Have you seen the catalogs?  Daffodils, jonquils, tulips and so many more need to be planted in the late fall in the South.  Tulips are beautiful but the moles love to munch on them. Try to protect them when planting such as in cages.  For future reference you fertilize the bulbs after they bloom when they are storing up nutrition for next year.  If you want to transfer some bulbs such as ones that were planted  years ago, if you know where they are, dig them up, and transfer them to that new spot.  Sometimes when the bulbs stop blooming, just dig them up and you will realize that they had worked their way down to a deeper depth and therefore did not or could not bloom.

I know we need the rain and the are forecasting some rough weather this coming two weeks.  When this weather settles down it will be a good time to dig up those trees and weeds for the roots will be looser. If it is in the wrong place in your garden then it is a weed.By the way when you talk to truck farmers and they discuss going to the bank, it can be the bank of sweet potatoes they are saving for fall and winter.

Herbs: Plant cilantro now.  Cut and freeze chives.  Dry basil, oregano, sage and tarragon.  Gardening can be 12 month job. It is also great therapy.

REMINDERS

June-August: Ridge Spring Farmers Market

Sept. 8: Ridge Spring Sidewalk Sale

Sept. 20: FORS meeting at Town Hall

Sept. 22: Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering

                 Harvest Festival Beauty Pageant

Ridge Spring Library hours: Mon. Tues. 9:00 - 12:00; Wed. Thurs. Closed;

            Fri. 10:00 - 4:00; Sat. 10:00 - 1:00.

Ridge Spring Post Office hours:  Mon-Fri. 7:30 am – 11:30 am; Sat 9 – 10 am

Recycling Center Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri 1-7; Sat 7-7; Sun 3-7; Tues/Thurs closed

Saluda Library Hours:  Mon/Wed 8:30 am-5 pm; Tues/Thurs 8:30 am – 6 pm; Fri 8:30 am – 5 pm; Sat closed

Every Friday & Saturday:  AARS hours 10 – 4 or by appt, free admission

Every first Tuesday of the Month:  AARS meets at 6:30, 685-5783

Every 1^st Thursday:  Audibel Hearing Center in the back room of Bank

Every Friday:  Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings 7-8 pm at The Ridge Spring Library

Every 4^th Saturday:  The Helpful Hands Food/Clothing Bank