Our State Fair is a Great State Fair

The 1960's musical about the Texas State Fair always comes to mind this time each summer when our Indiana State Fair opens to thousands of Hoosiers from the rural farms and urban communities across our state. Sure the fair goers enjoy the deep fried pickles and Oreo cookies, elephant ears and funnel cakes and the games on the midway but the Fair's so much more. It's a wonderful opportunity for our rural young people to get the recognition they deserve for carrying on their family's farming tradition, for exploring new crafts and hobbies and preparing themselves for their futures. I watched them today as they tended their livestock and painstakingly washed and curried their animals to prepare them for judging. Their pride was unmistakable. I'm sure they had a few laughs too as they watched the city dogs, lemon shakeups, the "world'd biggest hog" and the midway. It's a wonderful Hoosier tradition.

Breakfast Bisquits

The best bisquits in town aren't really here--they're in Nashville, Indiana, only about 16 miles away at the Artist Colony in the heart of Brown County. Its a wonderful bed and breakfast with a restaurant open to the public. Its an ideal getaway for Sunday breakfast, particularly for lovers of art and those familiar with the "Hoosier School" of impressionists such as T.C. Steele.

That aside, the subject is breakfast and more specifically bisquits. No where else do bisquits rise as high as these--sometimes as much as two inches. And no others are as light and fluffy inside as these palm-sized perfections. Having never tasted artery clogging bisquits and gravy, I can't attest to how these hold up to a slatthering of white gravy with big chunks of pork sausage. But let me tell you, these gems are perfect, served warm and split in half with a speading of real butter and maybe some strawberry jam. Yum. Yum. There's nothing better. They truly are a work of art.

The Balloon Trial

Everyone's heard that politicians repeatadly send up "trial balloons" to test public policy or public opinion. But here in Liberalville its the balloons that are on trial. Literally. Our lack-luster planning commission has cited a local businessman with a violation of our city zoning ordinance related to his use of common, plain, everyday balloons to draw attention to the signs for his rental property. Not a single word was printed on said balloons. No daunting message beckoning visitors or promoting the rental of his property. The balloons said NOTHING! Even more outragious the said fine for said wordless balloons was an outragious, whopping $95,000.

I guess the Liberalville signage gestapo thought that nailing the balloon perp was an ideal way to finance some of their other more important endeavors. Not sure what those might be, but I'm sure they'd come up with something. Maybe they were thinking the extra revenue would support their flock of investigators that travel the courthouse square measuring unsuspecting retailers' sidewalk sign boards.

Or maybe they're wanting to recruit extra investigators to measure the homemade bed sheet signage hanging from fraternity and sorority house windows throughout the college school year. I'm pretty sure those signs violate some kind of city signage ordinance. Or why don't they consider hiding behind bushes ready to trounce on graffiti artists and hall them into court. I have an even better idea. How about slapping the IU Alumni Association Homecoming Committee with the same fine. Look at those balloons=>.

It just isn't right

One of the highlights of summer in Bloomington is our farmer's market (see a previous post). But this season, it's so pricey that its comparable to shopping at Dean & Deluca or the food hall at Harrods. Now I know the farmers have suffered this spring. The continuous torrential rains and cool temperatures didn't make for ideal gardening or growing conditions. And I also realize the flooding all around Bloomington probably damaged many of the farmers' gardens and they have to pay upwards of $4 a gallon for the gas to get them here (if they use motorized vehicles). But charging us as much as $4 for a quart of green beans is ludicrous. Two dollars for six green onions is even worse. But $3 for a pint of small red skin potatoes is totally absurd.

Being the daughter of a home economist, I've been taught from a very early age to choose my fruits and vegetables wisely and with great care. I also know my way around the kitchen and appreciate locally grown, quality ingredients--yes, even those grown with pesticides and non-organic fertilizers. (Miracle Grow is the fertilizer of choice for my own garden.) But I will not pay those prices for any produce any where and I can't imagine I'm alone in my thinking. One can only hope that as the summer progresses, the law of supply and demand will return sanity to the farmers' marketing process.

Barak Obama in Bloomington

I've been a life-long Republican and an advance person for Presidents Reagan and the first President Bush (when he as vice president). I've been to three Republican National Conventions, and I've been around many charismatic candidates. But yesterday I had an epiphany. During his surprise visit to the Women's Little 500, I pushed my way to the fence line and Barak Obama shook my hand. Dare I say it--I might take the democrat ballot in the Indiana Primary, May 6.

The excitement Mr. Obama generated with the young people was electric. They were screaming and shouting "We Love You" by the thousands. Mr Obama held up the beginning of the race to shake hands and encourage all 32 teams of racers. Not one single boo was heard from the crowd as so often happens when politicians appear at sporting events.

My experience yesterday confirms the truth. The country needs a change--a total change--not eight years of reliving the embarrassment of one family's first eight years in the White House. They can't have and don't deserve"Do Overs." Equally, this nation doesn't need more of the same old Republican leadership with McCain.

Its time to clean house, sweep out the cobwebs and give a new, young guy a chance. That's what happened with John Kennedy and I think the nation's ready for it one more time. (I'm just having trouble coping with the idea of asking for a Democrat ballot. Maybe, just this once, I'll take one for the country.)

Easter in Tudor Style

Today's Easter Sunday and despite the cold gray sky and snow flakes, I indulged myself for an Easter treat...lunch at the Tudor Room in Indiana University's Memorial Union Building also known as the IMU. Since my first visit to the Union Building when I was only in 5th grade, the building has seemed like a castle with its fire place that's always burning, the leather club furniture and English Tudor style archways and beamed ceilings.


Situated in the heart of the campus, the Union's proud history dates back nearly 100 years t0 its founding in 1911 as a gathering place for students, faculty and visitors. While the smoke filled lounges and bridge games in the Commons have been replaced with franchise fast food, computer kiosks and bank machines, the Tudor Room remains today as I have always remembered it with its stained glass windows and two-story vaulted ceilings hung with tapestries and banners.


The Easter brunch buffet probably wasn't the tastiest holiday fare in the area and certainly less opulent than Easter buffets in larger cities, but it honestly reflected the tradition and tastes of the collegial community. Today was not a day to stick with the Weight Watchers point counting. It was time to enjoy ham and lamb, spring carrots and delicious desserts and to be reminded that spring will soon arrive. Once again Bloomington will shed the grays of winter and burst into pinks and greens with the Union Building proudly standing in the center of the colorful display.



One more important point about the IMU is its incredible art collection. The IUM's web site describes the art collection as follows:

"Indiana University and the Indiana Memorial Union have a rich history of commitment to the arts and creative expression. Started in 1923 when IU students purchased six paintings from artist-in-residence Theodore Clement Steele, the Union’s collection now boasts more than 1,200 two- and three-dimensional pieces including works by distinguished Indiana artists Wayman Adams, C. Curry Bohm, Marie Goth, William Forsyth and Rudy Pozzati."

Breakfast Down at the FARM

I took Mother to FARM this morning for breakfast. It's Bloomington's newest up-scale restaurant with a real twist. I've seen the Chef-owner, Daniel Orr, highlighted frequently in the Indianapolis Star and the Bloomington HT lately. A home-grown Indiana boy, Chef Daniel has a long and distinguished culinary petigree that includes stints in New York and Anguilla. I had been to FARM for lunch and wanted to try it again at a different time of day.

The Saturday brunch menu was really unique for the area. Usually brunch in town consists of various versions of omelets, eggs to order or as sandwichs, bisquits and gravy and French toast. Sometimes yogurt, granola and fruit are also available. The FARM menu had many of the same (no bisquits and gravy) but with combinations of ingredients that were truly unique. Mother chose the French toast made with locally baked bread soaked in a flavorful custard flavored with a combination of cinnamon and other spices and a liqueur (I think it was grand marnier, maybe not). The soaked bread was then baked and served with a very light butter carmel sauce rather than syrup. It was delicious--a little too crusty on top--but enjoyable just the same.

I selected the omelette of the day made with only two eggs (started Weight Watchers this week). It came filled with small slivers of ham, brie cheese and cranberrys. An unusual combination--but it too was tasty. I'm glad I asked to have it downsized (at least I think it was). The side house potatoes were too plentiful and a bit too dry. So the next time I'm there for brunch, I'm going with the French toast. (Note, photo left was copied from the Indpls Star website.)

Chef Daniel was there meeting guests even at such an early hour (10AM) on a Saturday. As it turned out he's from southern Indiana where my mother's family farmed. The Farm decor deserves a peak-see. It's eclectic, mid-century (1950's) farm design spotlights some of the area's finest antique farm tools and object d'art.

(As a side note, the FARM Bloomington web site is one of the finest I have ever seen. The photography and design is superb. The link to its web design firm goes to Anguilla, a Caribbean island. All that bright sun, blue water and white beaches have given them an extremely keen eye for color and visual appeal.)

Who's Watching the Children

Outrageous is a strong term. No word better describes the Monroe county prosecutor's decision not to press charges against parents who chose to leave their three-year old toddler unattended in their unlocked car while they went to a movie. I don't subscribe to the philosophy that it takes a village to raise a child, but I do believe it's the prosector's duty to protect the children. In a town like Bloomington, strange crimes are always occurring (many based on drugs). Any parent who thought for even a brief moment their child was safe in a parking lot needs to be shaken back to reality. Prosecutors usually can do that.

But back to the parents. Haven't they read about amber alerts, stolen children, kidnappings and the like?Are they so isolated that they've escaped the tons of mail and milk cartons with missing children's faces. Don't they see near-daily reports of children being mistreated as a result of parental neglect. If nothing more, the prosecutor should have at least brought some kind of charges. It's too bad that parental stupidity isn't an arrestable offense especially for the sake of the children. Maybe they all need to watch a few episodes of Law and Order.

Traffic Control: Liberalville Style

Liberalville takes pride in making life miserable for those of us who live inside its borders and traverse its streets in cars. Our city fathers would prefer (and truly believe it's feasable) that we rode camels, horses, bicycles, skateboards or any vehicle not requiring carbon- emitting fuels. If Liberalville was a utopia, that might be feasible. But it is not. People have to drive cars to work, to shop, to school and to the hospital. That is the reality. Driving cars is a necessity--not the luxury it might be perceived.

To combat their "carsaphobia," Liberalville neighborhood groups coerce city engineers to erect barriers, concrete planters, flapping plastic obstacles and any other device they can construct to prevent or encumber a person from driving from the east side to the west side of town. They literally dare anyone --emergency vehicles include-- to drive through their neighborhoods unscathed.

The elected Liberalville city council sit in its ivory tower and rubber stamps any random thoughts, ideas or outrageous concepts regarding traffic control brought before them. It pays little or no regard for public safety or convenience. The city constructs traffic barriers with total disregard for merchants, business owners or anyone else that might be relying on customers arriving in motorized vehicles.

Liberalville's scholarly lords and masters just turn their collective cheeks and choose to simply ignore the oublic safety and economic problems they've created. So we, as their constituent serfs, are forced to navigate our way through traffic purgatory while diligently watching for obstacles in our streets that could harm us, our passengers and our vehicles.