Vol.

2 . . . Autumn 2012 . . . No. 10

The new EIC, (editor-in-chief, sounds good, eh?) Nancy Pfau, is known to all Chatterists as The Her-storian. She has been a steadfast supporter and contributor of this little paper since it started in July of 2011. Her articles are always informative, interesting and . . . submitted on time. [New editors note: She therefore gets a little worried when others are not attuned to deadlines!] Who better to take on this task of publishing The Chatter? The adage, ask the busiest person you know . . . is certainly applicable. I am excited to see the new paper! I know that it is, indeed, in good hands. Leila Durkin, former EIC MUSINGS ON THE HARVEST FEST Ah! Fall! My favorite time of the year how did it ever get so busy? The Village is slowly recovering from Harvest Fest 2012, each year this celebration grows exponentially a guestimate of 10,000 visitors with 125 vendors, 3 Harvest Feasts at The American, the Harvest Hop, Josh & Brent shaking thousands of hands and posing for even more photos, gorgeous weather, smiling faces. One of our newest fans, whose entire chronicle of her first time at Sharon can be found at glittermoonvintagexmas.com, describes the event best: It was as though everyone had partaken of a magic potion because something akin to joy emanated from every single person. I have never seen anything like it.

THE HISTORIANS CAME The weekend following our Festival, 33 historians convened to discuss all things historical at a meeting of APHNYS District 7. It does take a Village to put on a successful meeting and I could never have managed this without the help of the school, the library, my husband, the Black Cat, Sandra Manko, Dorcas Comrie, and all our wonderful merchants who provided gifts and a proper Sharon Springs welcome! GARDEN CREATIONS MOVES Garden Creations Boutique will be moving the first week of October! We are relocating to the Emporium building right behind The Finishing Touch at 197 Main Street. Entrance will be possible through the patio/dining area shared with the Black Cat, or through the main front entrance. Hours will be Thurs- Sat 10-5 and Sun 10-4 throughout the fall & winter holiday shopping season. Many new things will be available in the home decor department as well as handmade wreaths and centerpieces starting the week of Thanksgiving. Custom decorating services also available.
A NEW COUP FOR MITCHELL

On September 15, Mitchell Owens of Sharon Springs and Cooperstown was the opening speaker at "Chic It Up!" Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library's annual conference on high style. His lecture topic was the great costume balls of the 20th century, from an Orientalist event given in the early 1900s by fashion designer Paul Poiret to the Surrealist ball given by Baron and Baroness Guy de Rothschild in the 1970s. Be sure to get your tickets for Mitchells talk during Victorian Stroll at the fabulous Stone House. Check Beekman1802 for details.

NEWSY BITS AND PIECES Austin Jetton writes: I am proud to have finished Moving Mountains!! Stay tuned for the release!! This is a wonderful true story. I think it will ring a bell with all! Austin is now busily making his famous Austintacious Chocolates! And, what about the Baths???? Apparently the current owners have paid their back taxes. The next step will be for them to fix up the properties! Stay tuned, we hope for progress but havent seen much yet. BUT, theres lots of goings on at Chalybeate Park as the new foundation is under construction lots of earth-moving machinery. Lets hope we can unveil a new and ever-more glorious park at next Mays Garden Festival. TWO NEW BOOKS BY LOCAL AUTHORS Our own David Wood, of Edgefield B&B, has written the definitive textbook on upholstery: The Pattern Book of Upholstery, with illustrations by Anara Mambetova-Finkelstein; William S. Hooper, editor. The text provided essential information on upholstery and the design choices in choosing a model, the filler material and the fabric. Pattern Weaving Basics for the Handloom, a new book out by our own Rabbit Goody of Thistle Hill Weavers. Available for purchase on the Thistle Hill website.

UPCOMING EVENTS October 6 7 Garlic Festival at Sunnycrest Orchards Old Stone Fort History Faire Meet Gil and Lana Martin from: Drums Along the Mohawk outdoor drama! Sunday, October 7th, www.datmod.com October 14 Show and Tell and Taste Stamford, NY, Robinson Terrace. Bring a mystery artifact to show & tell The Historians welcome the public to bring Dishes made from historic recipes. http://catskillmtns.org/show-and-tell-and-taste/ The Sharon Historical Society presents: Tricia Shaw from Schoharie Crossings to speak: Mohawk Archeology and Update on 2011 Flood 7 PM, The Community Room ZOMBIE NIGHT in Sharon Springs Contact Heidi Meka at the American Hotel

October 15

October 26

Sharon Springs is hosting its first ever Zombie walk! Zombies report at 7:30. Lantern Ghost Tour 8pm $10 tickets Begins at the American Hotel. Tour the Village by lantern light and maybe a chance meeting with some of the infamous characters of Sharon Springs past. Call 518.284.2105 to reserve your spot! Screening of I Drink Your Blood a 1970s horror movie filmed right here in Sharon Springs...see how many locals you recognize while enjoying hot apple cider and fresh doughnuts! Event hosted By The New York Guesthouse 518.284.6027 to reserve your seats. Shops open late!

Harvest Moon Now that the September 22nd Autumnal Equinox is with us, the celestial excitement continues to build in anticipation of the Harvest Moon. This year, this spectacularly huge, orange moon will be full on Saturday, September 29th at 11:19 PM, EDT. It is especially awe-inspiring as it rises above the horizon for several evenings before and after fullness. To astronomers, the Harvest Moon refers to the full moon that appears closest to the equinox. To most of us, it is a further reminder of the last days of harvest, the pumpkins and other squashes ripened in golden fields, and the brilliance of changing colors all around us from the angle of the sun and the leaves on the trees. In the spirit of eating with the seasons, here are two of my favorite autumn recipes that Ill be enjoying in the coming months. From: The Healthy Kitchen, Andrew Weil & Rosie Daley Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup 1 large winter squash (about 2.5 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch cubes 2 medium onions 3 cloves of garlic 2 tart, firm apples, peeled, cored, and quartered 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Salt and red chili powder to taste 4-5 cups vegetable stock Preheat oven to 4000F. In large roasting pan, toss squash, onions, garlic and apples with the oil to coat them. Season mixture with salt and chili powder. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes for about 40 minutes, until veggies are fork-tender and lightly browned. Put half of the veggies and 2 cups of broth into a processor to puree, and repeat with remaining veggies and broth. Correct the seasoning and heat to simmer. Serve in warm bowls with a dollop of your favorite pesto or full-fat organic sour cream and a sprinkle of toasted nuts. YUM!

From my kitchen: 2 large Acorn Squash 4 Tbsp butter Salt and pepper cup of water Optional: brown sugar or maple syrup, cinnamon Preheat oven to 400oF. Wash squash, slice lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place water in a roasting pan. Place squash into pan, upside-down, and roast for 30-40 minutes. Turn squash right side up and add 1 Tbsp of butter to each half. Sprinkle each half with salt & pepper to taste and return to oven. Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes until squash is fork-soft and slightly browned. Remove from oven and added sugar, syrup and/or cinnamon, as desired. Serve hot! YUM, YUM! Shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky (Song by Nora Bayes & Jack Norworth, 1903) Linda H. Keller, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Nutrition Educator and Counselor
EDITORS NOTE: Our next issue will be The Victorian Stroll Chatter, so

have your submissions to me by November 20th highlighting all the delightful events and plans for the Christmas season! Meanwhile, VOTE this November 6th, keep watching The Amazing Race, Sundays at 8 on CBS and The Fabulous Beekman Boys Thursdays 10 PM, The Cooking Channel! HAPPY HAUNTINGS!

CONGRATULATIONS IN ORDER
The Chatter congratulates Jim Konish and Elizabeth Wolfe on your September 29th Wedding. Elizabeth is the daughter of our own Mary Ellen Wolfe, Sharons Librarian, whose poem to the newlyweds is printed below: You
Open my eyes to a different view colors unseen til now faces in shadow. You Open my ears to a strange melody arpeggios ascending lyrics enlightening. You Open my voice to a simple expression of lifes sweet surprises in joyful uprising. You Open my mind to new thought dawning through intense conversation and ideas reflecting. You Open my heart to growing affection beyond the familiar and welcome you in.

You Open my soul to beauty surrounding a world still expanding and were not finished yet.


Happy Halloween to one and all the Editor and Friends This Just In from Kate Miller:

" The Sharon Springs Farmers Market is getting ready to close the door on another season. It is amazing how quickly time passes- It seems like just yesterday we were gearing up for spring planting! We can not express how thankful we are to all of our local friends and customers who come to see us every week and help keep our little venture going. We hope to be open through the month of October, weather depending. This has been a rough season for some of us, Kate lost the majority of her winter squash first to dratted squash bugs, then the second planting to the drought in July that wreaked so much havoc. However, we are working with another local farmer, the wonderful Kenyon Parsons, who has helped us through the lean spots by letting us sell his corn at market and Kate is planning improved irrigation systems for next year. Thanks to everyone for your understanding and patience! That being said, we are investigating the idea of a few "pop up" winter markets; Carrie will have lots of chickens, eggs, and rabbits, Lucas will be continuing to make his wonderful cheeses, hummus, baked goods and bread, Colleen will have Jams and baked goods, and Kate is growing lots of winter greens in the greenhouse. We are trying to check interest, so please let us know either by facebook or by emailing sharonspringsfarmersmarket@yahoo.com if you think you would like to join us maybe once or twice a month for a short market somewhere in town."