Lehman’s Country Life

Let’s be realistic. No matter how eco-conscious we are there is no way around the season where it is better to give than receive. We may have all been taught that it is the thought that counts, but we are not immune to those cultural pressures that say that presentation is all that matters. There are ways though where we can beat the super consumers at their own game and get kudos for creativity.

There are lots of ways to minimize waste and still present gifts that show care, attention and a sense of occasion. It takes a bit of time and ingenuity but it is all fun stuff and very low tech. Here are some of my tried and tested eco-Christmas stratagems.
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As I have been working in the marketing area of Lehman’s, I have found one thing as a powerful selling point: word-of-mouth. People respond well when others who have used the product tell them their experience. A whole blog community has been started up on that concept. As a result, I have something I want to share.

This weekend at our store in Kidron, one of the artisans that is going to be there is Seat of my Pants. Jen Kindbom creates beautful and durable bags by the “seat of her pants.” She doesn’t use a pattern: they are original. The best part is you can customize them.  She has different websites that she orders fabric from and she can even do a custom design.

When my mom and I went to check out what she had, I was blown away. I have a friend that has one and I loved her bag. I asked her where she got it and she gave me Jen’s card. My mom wasn’t sure if she was going to get one, but she saw some fabric that she loved and a design she really appreciated and ordered one. I picked one from some that were already completed. It is big enough to hold my wallet, planner, a small digital camera, card reader, and a few other items and it still has space!

If you happen to be in Kidron this weekend, stop by Lehman’s and find Jen. If you are interested and won’t be around this weekend, you can find her at www.SeatOfMyPants.etsy.com.

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Amish Landscapes

Rug Hooking Demo

Fiber Art Demo

Beeswax Ornaments

On a typical Saturday at Lehman’s you can find an Ohio Arts and Crafts Guild member conducting educational and entertaining demos for visitors to the store. We’ve been fortunate to draw from local talent and offer a wide range of demos from fiber arts to woodturning to Amish landscape painting and lots in between! Tomorrow Holly Frantz of Two Sister’s Wool will be in to demonstrate wool rug hooking. Dennis Lipp treated us last week to winterscape Amish scenes in oil painting. Angela Seymour of Longehedges Fiber Farm shared the steps needed process raw alpaca wool into hand dyed and spun yarn. Theresa of Mind Our Beeswax used Lehman’s molds to make heirloom quality beeswax Christmas ornaments.

Still to come on the schedule is whimsical cat and dog art, working with pewter, ‘repurposing’ with vintage fabric and more. The Events Calendar link at the top of this page can be used to help plan your trip to Amish Country. Spend the day, enjoy the sights and be inspired!

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Lehman’s is proud to offer Simpson DuraBlack through our retail web site www.Lehmans.com. Our preferred chimney system for installation of our premium line of wood and coal stoves offers you excellent construction, ease of installation and a variety of options.

DuraBlack
For an economical, drip free, single-wall stovepipe, DuraBlack is an excellent choice. Built to Simpson Dura-Vent’s high standards, DuraBlack is constructed with die-formed end fittings. Adjustable lengths eliminate the need for cutting and crimping.

Lehman’s has carried Simpson Durablack stovepipe for years in our retail store in Kidron, Ohio. until now we have not sold this quality stovepipe on the web.

As with all of our heat/cook stoves, for your safety, Lehman’s highly recommends you have your stove and chimney professionally installed according to local ordinances and codes.

Lehman’s stove specialists are available to answer your questions. Call 888-438-5346 between the hours of 9:00AM and 4:30PM EST or Email stoves@lehmans.com

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Thanks to author Sherry Ellison, we have pictures with the article Making Old-Time Window Quilts

I do apologize for the delay in getting these pictures reposted.

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Our neighbor is 96 years old and she still goes for a walk several times each week. Very slowly she makes her way along the pasture fence between our properties. Then she turns around and goes home, carefully avoiding the ruts in the dirt road.  I have gone out to greet her only occasionally.

A simple hello always means a commitment to thirty minutes, or more, of conversation. I know that’s not much in the larger scheme of things. And, it means so much to older people when you give them the gift of time. But these days life seems to be all a rush and time is a precious commodity. Often my husband reminds me that I’m not keeping up with everything I have committed to do. I get stingy.

That’s why I’m pleased to share what I’ve learned about another gift we can give each other. It’s the gift of Story. Yes, it takes time. But it’s fun too and it fuels the imagination. Here’s how I learned about it.
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Whether you are a Christian, Jewish, a neo-pagan or celebrate Kwansa, all the ‘deep mid-winter’ festivals have one thing in common. At this darkest time in the Northern Hemisphere, we celebrate light.

Jesus is revered as the ‘Light of the World.’ In Hanukah Jews celebrate the ‘Festival of Lights.’ Pagans recount the tale of how the Corn King, having been cut down and sacrificed at Harvest, is reborn by the Great Mother; even though the winter solstice is the shortest day, it marks the return of the Light and lengthening days.

Interwoven with this theme of light is the urge to remind ourselves that the earth will wake up out of its long sleep with new growth.
Psychologically, it makes sense that many of us with European ancestors, drag indoors any bit of evergreen to remind ourselves that no matter how cold it is outside, life always renews.
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My morning routine is rather boring but that’s what routines are. They give comfort and a sense of “everything is ok” because they are predictable and routine. Get up and get the coffee started. If it’s cold outside, go downstairs and fire up the wood stove to get the house warm. Then upstairs to pack lunches for my wife and three children, read the paper and the Bible. About that time, my wife (a teacher) and son (a student) leave for their school and I wake up my two daughters. Then I go for my morning run with our dog, get the girls ready for school and myself ready for work, wait for the school bus at the end of the driveway, then head to work at Lehman’s.

This morning, the routine was going as planned through the get up, make coffee, pack lunches, read, and say good-bye to wife and son stages. But then the routine fell apart. The dog started barking. This is rather unusual (fortunately our dog doesn’t bark at every moving thing) so I went to the window to see what was going on. He was barking towards the woods at the back of our house so I looked that direction and through the darkness saw one of our Amish neighbor boys walking up through the yard toward our house. When he saw me at the window, he came toward the door.
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Lehman

It’s no surprise that retailers predict technology will be at the top of many holiday wish lists again this year. But if you’re not techno-savvy, or not comfortable with the expense of high-tech gifts, there is good news: low-tech and “no-tech” gifts can still fit every taste and budget.

“Simple, non technology gifts will always be in style,” predicts Glenda Lehman Ervin, a gift-giving expert with Lehman’s old-time general store. “Items, like food, linens, cookware, lotions and scents, and old-fashioned toys can be wonderful gifts – to give and receive – for people who are not necessarily plugged in to the high-tech trend. They can also be refreshing and fun alternatives for the ”tekkies” in your life.”

Lehman Ervin, whose family-run business has sold simple, technology-free gifts for over 50 years, offers the following tips for 10 low-tech gifts sure to enhance any holiday wish list:
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