Thoughts from the Shore
A New Chapter
Well, folks, Dad always said that if I ever found another new idea to chase, I ought to make sure it was worth the running. I believe this one is. I have taken on the work of creating mBoox™, and the more I think about it, the more it feels like a natural extension of everything I have always loved: stories, people, memories, and the little details that tell you who somebody really is.
A book can hold a great deal, but an mBoox™ can hold a voice, a song, a family photograph, a moving picture, or a recipe told in somebody's own words. It can preserve the way a parent laughed, the way an old family room looked at Christmas, or the way a grandfather explained how to bait a hook. Those are the things we all assume we will remember forever, until enough years pass to prove otherwise.
That is why the Legacy mBoox™ strikes me as such a fine idea. Families can build one together and give their parent something they can all enjoy, not just once, but again and again. I can also see why a small business might use one to introduce itself with more warmth and imagination than a flyer or postcard ever could.
Naturally, Kenzie has appointed herself quality-control inspector. She does not type much, but she keeps close watch over the process and believes every good idea should be accompanied by a biscuit. I cannot say she is wrong.
From the Morgue
The Ledger in the Drawer
What began as a simple cleanup at the old Carver Hardware building has turned into a matter of real interest for the Historical Society. Volunteers sorting shelves in the back room uncovered a locked drawer tucked behind a damaged cabinet, along with several loose photographs and a bundle of papers bound in cord.
Cornelius Cornpone reports that the papers appear to date from the 1920s and include a ledger with names, initials, and references to lake deliveries. At least one notation seems to correspond with a shoreline location still known to long-time residents. He cautions that nothing should be claimed too boldly until the documents have been compared with tax records, harbor logs, and the scattered clippings stored at the library.
The Society will continue its review next week. Readers with old family letters, photographs of the waterfront, or recollections handed down from that era are invited to contact the Journal or the Historical Society so that the record can be made more complete.
Special Feature
Bringing Memories to Life with mBoox™
A Book That Speaks, Moves, and Remembers
WHISKEY PINES — Local author Roxie Maxx is taking on a new line of work and bringing it right into the pages of the Journal. Along with her writing, she is now creating mBoox™, multimedia books that combine text, photographs, video, music, voice, and interactive elements so a story can be experienced rather than simply read.
At mboox.com, readers will find ways to use mBoox™ for family history, memory keeping, business promotion, and other storytelling projects. The Legacy mBoox™ is especially suited to families who want to honor a parent or grandparent together. Each child or grandchild can contribute photographs, memories, recipes, old letters, favorite stories, or recorded messages, turning the finished book into something the whole family can share.
Roxie says the beauty of a Legacy mBoox™ is that no one person has to carry the whole project alone. One relative can gather photographs, another can write captions, another can record stories, and another can help with family research. The result is a keepsake that preserves voices, personalities, humor, and family history in a way a printed album cannot.
mBoox™ also offers practical possibilities for the small businessman or entrepreneur. A company can create a short mBoox™ that introduces its story, products, or services and then offer that book as a free gift when potential customers sign up for the mailing list. Instead of handing out a plain brochure, a business can give something memorable, useful, and engaging.
Whether the goal is preserving family heritage or introducing a business in a more distinctive way, mBoox™ gives people room to tell a fuller story. Readers are invited to visit mboox.com and pay particular attention to the Legacy mBoox™ line, which may be one of the most meaningful gifts a family can create together.
Become a Resident!
More stories, more fun, more Whiskey Pines. Residents can enjoy the new website content free.
Become a ResidentmBoox™
Books That Do More. Legacy mBoox™ for families and Business mBoox™ for entrepreneurs.
Visit mboox.comTowns, Notices, and Letters
About the Pines
The Centennial Bazaar committee is seeking volunteers to help arrange tables Friday afternoon and to tidy up afterward on Saturday evening. Donations of handmade goods may be left with Hazel Pike at the church hall.
The harbor repair committee reminds residents that temporary barriers remain in place near the south pier. Children are asked not to climb them, and fishermen are asked to use the marked path around the work area.
The school social committee thanks the families who contributed to the summer reading shelves and reports that another donation box will be placed in the library vestibule next week.
Paw Prints and Pines
A Little Shade Goes a Long Way
Fall is a fine time to be a dog in Whiskey Pines. The air is cooler, the leaves are lively, and every walk brings a fresh list of scents to investigate. I take my responsibilities seriously, especially where porches, crumbs, and neighborhood greetings are concerned.
Roxie says autumn makes people reflective. I say it makes them likely to drop pie crust, which is also valuable. Either way, the season has its merits. My advice is to enjoy the crisp days, keep an eye on the squirrels, and make sure the humans do not forget the importance of regular snacks and kind words.
If you happen to see a small white columnist making her rounds, do say hello. A dog never objects to polite admiration.
Practical Advice for Real Life
Dear Lorna, I love my family, but I am forever expected to solve everyone's problems. How can I be supportive without being responsible for carrying every burden myself? — Overwhelmed in the Pines
Dear Overwhelmed, It is generous to care, but caring is not the same as becoming the engine that pulls everyone else's train. You may listen, encourage, and love people sincerely while still remembering that their decisions remain their own.
A good first step is to stop volunteering more than has been asked of you. Answer the question that was put to you rather than the seven that were merely implied. Offer sympathy before solutions. When advice is needed, keep it plain and brief. You are not neglecting anyone by declining to manage what is not yours to manage.
Boundaries are rarely dramatic at the start. They are made of small sentences spoken calmly and often repeated: “I can't take that on.” “I hope it works out, but I can't do it for you.” “I can talk for a few minutes, though I can't stay on the phone all evening.” A person who is accustomed to leaning on you may not like the change, but that does not make the change unkind.
Think of boundaries as a fence around a garden. They do not exist to keep love out; they exist so that what is growing inside does not get trampled. Protect your peace and you will have more genuine strength to offer the people you love. — Lorna
A Pines & Needles Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Quiet Treachery
A grandmother with a bootlegger's past. A crafting colony with a secret. And a telepathic dog who knows exactly where the bodies are buried.
Roxie Maxx came home to Whiskey Pines with a fresh divorce, a suitcase, and a small white dog who has opinions about everyone. Her grandmother Roxanne ran this little town on the Lake Michigan shore back when it ran on bootleg whiskey and speakeasy money, and the town has spent every year since trying to live it down. Roxie's father, Roxanne's son, chose the respectable path and bought the local newspaper. All Roxie wants is to be quiet for a while and put herself back together.
The Pines & Needles Crafting Colony should be exactly that. Cottages by the water. Needles clicking on every porch. Coffee always on. But when a beloved member passes and tries to say something she should no longer be able to say, when pages vanish from the Founders' binder, and when a smiling attorney turns up on the one afternoon nobody is supposed to be on the property, Roxie starts pulling a thread the whole town would rather she left alone.
Order the Paperback Read It on Kindle
Paperback and Kindle, both available now at Amazon. She writes Kenzie's Korner on the front page, and she is in every book of all three series.
From My Kitchen to Yours
Brown Sugar Apple Crumble
There is nothing quite like the smell of apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar drifting through the house on a cool fall afternoon. This crumble is simple, comforting, and just right for the season.
For the filling
- 6 cups peeled, cored, and sliced tart apples (about 6 medium apples)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
For the topping
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
How to bake the crumble
- Heat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or a deep 8-inch square dish.
- Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt. Spread evenly in the prepared dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts, if using.
- Scatter the topping evenly over the apples, covering the fruit from edge to edge.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the apples are bubbling and tender and the topping is richly browned.
- Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm, plain or with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a pour of cold heavy cream.
Make-ahead note. The topping may be mixed in advance and refrigerated. The apples may also be sliced ahead and held briefly with lemon juice, though the crumble is best when baked fresh the same day.
Serving note. If you are carrying the crumble to a church supper or Bazaar tea table, let it cool until just warm so the juices can settle. It travels better that way and spoons neatly into serving dishes.
Centennial Bazaar Craft Spotlight
The Four-Patch Pot Holder
This classic four-patch pot holder is quick to sew, sturdy enough for regular kitchen duty, and attractive enough for the Centennial Bazaar table.
Materials
- Four 5-inch fabric squares in coordinating prints
- One 10-inch square of cotton backing fabric
- One 10-inch square of cotton batting
- One 10-inch square of heat-resistant batting or insulated lining
- 2 1/2-inch-wide double-fold binding, about 36 inches long
- Coordinating thread
- Optional: 4-inch strip of fabric or ribbon for a hanging loop
Step-by-step directions
- Arrange the four 5-inch squares into a four-patch. Sew the top pair together and the bottom pair together with 1/4-inch seams, then join the two rows and press the seams flat.
- Press the pieced top well. If you want a truer square, trim the four-patch block to 9 1/2 inches.
- Layer the backing fabric wrong-side up, then the cotton batting, then the insulated lining, and finally the pieced top right-side up. Pin or baste the layers so they will not shift.
- Quilt as desired. The simplest method is to stitch in the ditch along each seam and then sew an X or diagonal lines through the square to hold the layers firmly.
- Trim the quilted piece to about 8 1/2 or 9 inches square. Attach the binding around the edges, mitering the corners as you go.
- If desired, tuck a folded fabric loop into one corner before closing the binding so the pot holder can hang from a hook.
- Press the finished pot holder and make a second one if you want a matching pair for the Bazaar.
Pattern note. A four-patch is simply four equal squares arranged two by two. For a Bazaar table, choose prints with enough contrast that the block can be seen clearly at a glance. Small florals, checks, and solids work especially well together.
Finishing note. Before selling or gifting the pot holder, press it well and check every corner seam. A neatly finished binding always makes handmade work look more polished and dependable.
Birthday Greetings
August 1 · Clara Jensen
August 2 · Wally Brooks
August 3 · Danny L.
August 4 · Marlene K.
August 5 · Coach Bender
August 6 · Eli Turner
August 7 · Ruth McCall
August 8 · Sam Peters
August 9 · Linda Harper
August 10 · George Wells
August 11 · Nancy Drew
Classified Advertisements
For Sale
Oak rocking chair in excellent condition; handmade quilted runner; bushel baskets and canning jars.
Wanted
Old Whiskey Pines photographs, especially Main Street, church socials, and harbor views before 1950.
Services
Typing, manuscript cleanup, ad copy help, and modest design assistance; quilting and mending by arrangement.
For Rent
Sunny studio apartment near Main Street. Walking distance to shops and church. References requested.
Free
Assorted fabric scraps and buttons for school craft projects. Ask at Pines & Needles.
Lost
Small silver locket near the gazebo. Sentimental value. If found, please leave it at the Journal office.
The Pines Pals
Roxie and Kenzie confer on the making of Issue No. 30. The whole town agrees that a newspaper is better when shared with a good dog.
Editor's Note. Readers with letters, recipes, birthday greetings, club notices, or classified advertising for the next issue may leave them at the Journal office no later than Monday afternoon. Clean copy is always appreciated, though a plate of cookies has also been known to win favor.
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The Whiskey Pines Journal · Vox Domo · Richard Maxx, Publisher · Roxie Maxx, Everything Else · Established 1888