Every fall just after the harvest, our friends John & Claudia host a wonderful event for antique tractors and plows -- even with horses -- come to plow up their harvested land. Ben & I went over to watch in November and I couldn't resist taking along some of my new Tractor Ribbons to give to the farmers in honor of their lovely machines. They were typically a bit bemused about what one might do with a scrap of ribbon, but their wives would snaffle it up and say they would add it to a quilt or some other sewing project. I wish this were more modern, in that the wives would drive the tractors (well, they do!) and the men would take the ribbons for the quilts they are working on. Anyway it was fun -- but Ben was amused by the fact that although they all recognized the tractors on my ribbon (John Deere, Massey Harris & Waterloo, which were drawn from the Antique Tractor Festival hosted by Keck Gonnerman, the same outfit behind this event), each said that he would prefer a ribbon featuring only his particular make of tractor and none of the others. Rather like trying to design a dog ribbon: no matter what dog is shown, someone would always ask for their "own" breed.
How fun! Please tell John and Claudia hello from me!!! They are always such a joy...
ReplyDeleteAnd, that was pretty funny about the tractors and ribbon. I can so relate with the dog comparison. My Dad, Grandfather and uncle took me to the Minnesota State Fair when I was a kid and we walked around looking at tools and machinery for what seemed like forever. I liked it, but then we also got to look at crafts and my Grandfather bought a couple of birds swinging off of a heart from a glass blower. (for my Grandmother...) How romantic!