Cheesecake for Christmas
Thoughts of home, family, and sweethearts were never far from the minds of the men and women who served during World War II. Mail call was a much anticipated time of the day, and letters were read, re-read, and read once again. Soon after the United States entered the war, the volume and bulk of mail became problematic for the Post Office and the War and Navy Departments. Officials looked no farther than the British Airgraph Service for a solution. That solution was to microfilm correspondence going both to and from the home front, thus reducing both bulk and weight.
Tips for Hanging Decorations in Trees this Holiday Season
It’s that time of year again. Christmas lights are starting to shine, adding colorful scenes to yards, waiting to be admired by passersby’s. At Minnetrista, the grounds crew has already put lights on the trees of the Center Building parking lot and down the Minnetrista Boulevard, while others have been busy planning light displays elsewhere on campus.
Winter Activities at Minnetrista
You may have noticed the temperature dropping outside, and have started to go into hibernation mode, but maybe you wrote winter off a little too soon. Maybe there’s a place near you, in Muncie, that has 40-acres filled with fun activities every season. At Minnetrista, there are 40-acres of fun every season, and winter is no exception.
From Moustaches to Mutton Chops
The Ball brothers had a lot of distinguishing qualities. They were shrewd businessmen. They possessed inventive minds. Each had a sense of philanthropy that was felt around Muncie; the community they called home.
They also had great facial hair.
Teddy Roosevelt's Whistle-Stop in Muncie
In 1900 one of the most popular men in United States’ politics hit the presidential campaign trail. And no, it wasn’t the President. Up for re-election was Republican William McKinley. Enjoying popularity across the country, McKinley’s previous vice-president had passed away in office. When it was time to run for re-election he weighed his options for a new vice presidential candidate. Although there were plenty of options, he ultimately chose New York Governor Theodore Roosevelt.
Natural Needle Drop Is Nothing to Worry About
When we think of trees in our area, there are two basic categories they fall into: deciduous and evergreen. Deciduous trees give us those great fall colors we are now seeing in the leaves, and of course, eventually, those leaves will fall to the ground.
EXPLORE. PLAY. LEARN at Minnetrista
Create a chalk masterpiece in the Backyard Garden. Play dress up in Betty’s Doll House. Discover a new favorite board game in Betty’s Cabin. Find a quiet garden spot to read a book from the Little Free Library.
Crosleys' in the Navy
October 27 is Navy Day! Beginning in 1922, the day was selected by the New York Navy League in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday. Roosevelt was a naval strategist and scholar, and believed that a superior Navy was crucial to the United States becoming a powerful nation and having influence in foreign policy.
The Joys of Reading Yesterday's News
Several days ago I needed to find a Ball Stores advertisement celebrating Japan’s surrender, in the Muncie Evening Press on August 14, 1945. I knew that the advertisement was in that particular paper, and I knew exactly where the newspaper was located. Doesn’t seem like a problem, does it? Unfortunately, it was. There were about thirty newspapers in the box dating from the 1920s to the 1990s. The rest of the afternoon was shot. I can’t pass up old newspapers.
Adopting Trees Helps Muncie’s Urban Forest
If you have read any of my articles, or have heard me speak, you have probably found out that I love trees. For as long as I can remember, and long before I knew many of their names, I have loved trees. They are the giants of the forest and being among them is always a renewing experience for me.
Our Hidden Gem: The Nature Area at Minnetrista
Have you ever desired a place where you could relax and free your mind? A site to see stormwater management in the works? A place to enjoy nature without leaving Muncie? Did you know that we have that very spot, right here at Minnetrista? We like to call it our hidden gem, The Nature Area.
Out Of the Mold
In 1880 a small business was launched in Buffalo, NY. Making tin cans to hold kerosene and paint, the modest business soon redesigned their product and expanded into glass production. It wasn’t long before the company’s fruit jars were outselling their kerosene cans. Looking to capitalize on the area’s natural gas supply, the company opened a glass factory in Muncie. This move proved successful.
Colors of Glass
The next time that you’re in the Center Building at Minnetrista, stop in the Heritage Collection Gallery to see glass, and lots of it. There is the sublime—the beautiful paperweight made by St. Clair Glass Company—to the supremely useful—an insulator made by Hemingray Glass Company. What do these two very different pieces of glass have in common? Sand! Yep, sand. Plus a few other ingredients, such as limestone, and soda ash. So what determines the color of glass? Again, sand.
Wooly Aphids
A little over a month ago, I was looking around making notes about the needs of the gardens at Minnetrista, and I noticed what looked like little bits of cotton spread out on the ground below an oak tree. At first I thought a mower had hit a cigarette butt that someone littered, but after a closer look, that wasn’t what it was. This cottony looking substance was a sign we had a wooly aphid infestation.
The Living Lightly Fair 2016
Have you noticed that if you don't like spending a lot of money to have fun, it's a great time to be in Muncie?
The ever-growing list of free summer events makes this paragraph really long. Foodie Fridays at Canan Commons; First Thursday gallery openings; Arts Walk; Moonlight Movies; the Muncie Three Trails Music Series, After Hours Art Reels, America's Hometown Band concerts; hikes at the Red-Tail Land Conservancy; Charles W. Brown Planetarium programs on the BSU campus; food demos and samplings at the Farmers Market at Minnetrista, and so many more—all providing flavorful, colorful, and cultural experiences for exactly zero dollars.
This Quilt is Crazy
It’s beautiful and in absolutely lovely condition for its age. The quilt features multi-colored silk patches, delicate embroidery and a gray velvet border. Sarah Rogers of Buffalo, New York made this crazy quilt ca. 1890, about three years before she married oldest Ball brother, Lucius. Sarah brought it with her when she and Lucius moved to Muncie and established their home on Minnetrista Boulevard. The quilt was handed down to Sarah’s only child, Helen Ball Robinson, who donated it to the Minnetrista Heritage Collection.
A Stitch in Time
Working with the Minnetrista Heritage Collection I have the daily fun of interacting with “old stuff.” This stuff might be someone’s baby dress from the 1890s, a favorite cereal bowl (admit it, you have one in your own kitchen), or one of the first ball jars made in Muncie. Now, I realize this might not sound all that exciting to everyone. Imagine this, however. Each of these items is a portal to a different time and place. Just like a good book, that cereal bowl may have a unique story to tell. What if that bowl held one of the first pours of a new product in 1916—Kellogg’s All Bran.
Insect Repellent Can Harm Your Lawn
Doing yardwork this time of the year comes with its many challenges.
Working through heat and humidity, and dealing with insects such as mosquitoes and chiggers, are just some of the challenges the Minnetrista grounds crew and gardeners face each day.
Awesome Places to Instagram at Minnetrista Through Our Eyes and Yours
The best spot to Instagram on Minnetrista's campus is at the Catalyst sculpture. Catalyst is a focal point of Minnetrista, serving as a reminder to the community, of the devotion that the Ball family had for Muncie and the surrounding areas. We hope that Catalyst is an inspiration to this community, and to continually push all of us to achieve great things.
Ed Ball in the Army
We have thousands of letters in the Minnetrista Heritage Collection. Some are momentous, with news of births, marriages, deaths, or important business deals. Others are the stuff of everyday life—requests for money from students away at school, reports on the day’s mundane activities, or a little bit of gossip. One of my favorites hovers somewhere in between. It’s a letter from Edmund F. Ball to his uncles Frank and George, written in September 1942, while he served overseas in the U.S. Army.