|
|
I’ve heard arguments that fame and creativity lie within the streets of New York or Hollywood. However, what about Indianapolis?
One of my favorite authors and in my opinion a satirical genius was from the Midwest. Who you may ask? Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
 Photo from: http://www.luc.edu/law_library/books/images/breakfast Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1922. He is known for blending satire, dark humor and science fiction into a giant ball of craziness. Some of his best-known novels include “Slaughterhouse-Five” and “Cat’s Cradle." See full post
Tags: Historical figures, Art
|
|
|
There are many individuals that have helped to define the Midwest, through their own personal endeavors. One of these figures is former President Harry S. Truman, whom my school was named after in 1996.
Harry Truman was born in the great state of Missouri in 1884. Harry’s father, John, made a living as both a farmer and livestock dealer. When Harry was six, his family moved to Independence, Mo., right outside Kansas City. After Truman graduated high school, he would join the Missouri Army National Guard, where he would serve into World War I, where he would fight combat missions in Europe. After the war, Harry returned to Independence and formulated a string of unsuccessful businesses. He would later hear his calling in politics, by first becoming a county judge, and then followed that up by becoming a U.S. Senator for the state of Missouri.
 Photo from: http://baltimoresun.image2.trb.com/balnews/media/photo/2009-01/44496447 He would then be asked by then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to be on his ticket for the 1944 Presidential election. He, of course, accepted it, and after the untimely death of FDR in 1945, would become the President of the United States for the next eight years. See full post
Tags: Rural, Historical figures
|
|
|
The east coast is famous for seafood, and when I think of food from the south, fried chicken is where it’s at. However, the cuisine of the Midwest is much more diverse. With its strong German and Italian influences and its rich agriculture, food in the Midwest takes on many forms.
 Photo from: http://www.frontiersoups.com/images2/products/cincinnati-chili.jpg Head to Cincinnati, Oh. and taste their Skyline Chili. This is not your typical spicy Texas Chili though. Here it is made with ground beef and features different seasonings including cinnamon, and it is often served over spaghetti with cheese and onions. Skyline Chili was invented by a Greek immigrant in 1922.
Other Midwest favorites include sandwiches. In Indiana breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches are prized. They are served on a bun with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and mustard. The Midwestern state of Nebraska is also home to a treasured sandwich. The Runza sandwich, brought to Nebraska by German-speaking immigrants from Russia, is made from baked yeast dough that completely encases a filling of beef, cabbage or sauerkraut, with onions. A final famous sandwich in the Midwest is the Chicago style hotdog. These are usually beef based hotdogs that are never served with ketchup. They are often sold from stands around the city’s many streets. See full post
Tags: Urban, Food and Drink, Culture
|
|
|
Haven’t you always wanted to learn how to can your own food so you can have organic, locally grown tomatoes even in the middle of winter? How about how to build your own house out of adobe or cob? Fix your bike? Make cheese and sourdough bread?
 Photo submitted by: Michelle Martin I present to you the Possibility Alliance’s schedule for spring, summer, and autumn classes. If you haven’t heard of the Possibility Alliance, they call themselves “an educational center practicing simplicity, self-reliance, service and gratitude.” In a nutshell, it’s a homesteading experiment in La Plata that values sustainability and service to the community. The home runs on no electricity and they make almost everything they use, down to their candlewax. These people have hosted thousands of visitors at their home who wanted to learn from them. Their guiding statement is to live so that all life can thrive. Simple and powerful. If you haven’t visited, I’d highly recommend it. They are very down to earth and enthusiastic about their mission. But just a warning-your overall perception and values might shift a little!
In addition to these classes, which last just a few hours each, you can also head over for a tour on the second Saturday of each month starting in April and ending in November. And if you want to spend some time learning hands-on, come by on the last Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for a Volunteer Day. Remember to call the folks at the Alliance for registration and to pack a bagged lunch. See full post
Tags: Environment, Education
|
|
|
As the temperature changes and Kirksville, Mo. finally thaws out after the rough winter, all I have on my mind is getting out. I want to hop in the car, roll the windows down, crank up the radio and just go. It doesn’t matter where, I just want to feel the fresh air and see the trees blossom.
 Photo from:http://cewalter.tripod.com/id89.htm What better place to feel the warm spring air than a park? The Midwest is home to some beautiful state parks that provide the perfect afternoon getaway.
In Kirksville we have Thousand Hills State Park. It is home to the 573-acre Forest Lake, bike trails, campsites and a restaurant. Whether to relax and have a picnic or take a hike through the woods, Thousand Hills is the perfect place to spend a spring day. See full post
Tags: Nature, Environment
|
|
|
 Photo from: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2601/3923770163_6d054d3fdc.jpg I had never heard of the Villages of Van Buren County, in Iowa. However, a lot of culture is buried deep within these 12 small villages of Southeast Iowa. Visiting the villages, one would find that life moves at a slightly different pace. It is as if Van Buren has been untouched by time. There are no fast food restaurants and not a single stoplight is present. Locals and visitors enjoy taking walks through the beautiful woodland areas and picnicking in the many parks. The county prides itself on its tranquil ambience.
The Villages Folk School of Van Buren is one way this unique county keeps their time-honored traditions alive in such a technology-driven society. The school offers a variety of classes ranging from storytelling to woodcarving and pottery. These classes have an emphasis on either working with your hands, arts and crafts, or nature, which all relate back to the home. The folk school allows people to return to a much simpler relaxed way of living.
Classes range in price from $25 to $200 depending on the needed materials and the duration of the course. Some last for only a day while others are up to five sessions long. Anyone is eligible to register and there are no prerequisites needed. See full post
Tags: Environment, Shopping and Lodging, Nature
|
|
|
Il Spazio in Kirksville. Most of us know it as a small restaurant that acts as a venue for local bands. The music scene at Il Spazio is broadening its horizons though. No longer will they host just local bands.
Carusella, a heavy rock duo from Tel Aviv, Israel, will be playing at Il Spazio on March 29.
 Photo from: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kzIYVFMaGQ0/Sr65GGHr4tI/AAAAAAAAAio/dCUG1TNgcec/s400/Carusella+-+Carusella.jpg Tamar Aphek, guitar and vocals, and Guy Shechter, drums and vocals, are well known in the Israeli alternative music scene. They recorded and toured together for three years with the band ‘ED’ before Carusella was formed. See full post
|
|
|
The sixth annual Sock Monkey Madness Festival is this weekend in Rockford, IL.
 Photo from: http://photos.amazingsocks.com/500/6851-2-original-rockford-2-pr-pk-red-heel-monkey-socks-13335 This odd sounding event takes the people of Rockford back to the city’s roots by celebrating the once thriving knitting industry of Rockford.
The Nelson Knitting Company of Rockford produced and sold Rockford Red Heel work socks from 1932-1992. During the Great Depression, these socks were transformed into dolls, and the sock monkey was born. In fact, the company even began putting monkey patterns in with each pair of socks sold starting in the 1950s. This part of America’s pop culture has not died though. You can still find sock monkeys at department and specialty stores all over the world, or you can head to Rockford this weekend to enjoy all the wacky sock monkey festivities you can handle. See full post
Tags: Events, Clothing
|
|
|
Everything is green these days. From eco-friendly water bottles to high fashion purses that advertise recycling, the green movement is everywhere.
However, did you know though that Norman Borlaug, known as the father of the Green Revolution, is from the Midwest?
 Photo from: http://www.purseblog.com/images/juicy-couture-go-green-bag Borlaug was born in Cresco, Iowa in 1914. He studied plant pathology and genetics at the University of Minnesota before he began an agricultural research position in Mexico, which changed how we look at the environment. Borlaug led the development of a high-yield wheat variety that increased food production and security in Mexico, Pakistan, and India. Because of this work, Borlaug is often credited with saving over a billion people worldwide from starvation. He also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his contributions to world peace through increasing the food supply. See full post
|
|
|
The Western Farm Show, this weekend in Kansas City, Mo., will have all sorts of livestock, seeds and tractor exhibits, but it is my hope that people will see that the Midwest isn’t strictly farming.
Farming in the Midwest is a big part of the economy, but it isn’t everything.
I went to a conference in high school with thousands of other students from all over the country. See full post
Tags: Rural, Environment, Culture
|
- Page 1 of 2
- << Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
