Antique Doors as a Dressing Screen

When we finished our basement, I took a vow that I would not clutter up my living room with any electronics. But we did have a nice stereo system that would come in handy for entertaining or just background music while hanging out reading a book or cleaning. I came up with the idea to make a screen and hide it. I went to a surplus antique shop in Walnut, Iowa that is full of furniture and fixtures from old houses. I came across these doors for $35 a piece and couldn't be happier with them!

Antique Doors as a Dressing Screen

Blum Hand Planes - A Great Design

Continuing the theme started a few days ago of rave reviews for local businesses, I present this from Dennis Perkins at Woodworking Online:

As I was stepping out to do a seminar on hand planes and scrapers at the Woodsmith Store last week, I noticed a couple of new items on Randy’s desk. He had just received two new planes from the Blum Tool Company, a small firm in Walnut, Iowa.

I’ve seen good-looking wooden planes before and been a little disappointed.

After setting everything up for the seminar, I had a little time to spare. So I dug out the instructions on the Blum planes and gave them a quick glance. I wasn’t planning on doing an extensive setup or anything, but I wanted to at least see how they worked. After all, they had a different design from anything I’d ever tried before.

After five minutes of tweaking the smoother, I was taking whisper-thin shavings off a birdseye maple board. Okay, now they had my full attention. I already liked the way they felt in my hand (very light weight with a comfortable tote), and clearly they were serious tools—not just eye candy.

Link to Woodworking Online

One of the Best Sandwiches, Ever

Ontario writer James Bow blogs about [re]discovering a world-class sandwich at the Villager in Walnut, Iowa.

"The Villager is a locally owned restaurant outside of Walnut, Iowa — apparently a town specializing in antique shops — which is clearly popular with the locals.

...The local dish I tried was a beef brisket sandwich, which came as a third of a pound of juicy beef, chopped into hunks, smoked pink and served on a roll. It was an impressive sandwich, especially when combined with the barbecue sauce that was supplied.

...I urge anybody on I-80, heading for Omaha, to take a meal break at Walnut, Iowa

...I’m pleased that I can count some really special sandwiches among my life experience, that I can genuinely recommend to anybody looking for something to remember. These include the tongue sandwich at Moe Pancers’ Deli on Bathurst Street in Toronto (no, I’m serious, try the tongue!), the burnt-ends sandwich at Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City and now the beef briskit at the Villager in Walnut, Iowa."

We can forgive James the downtown snub, a trip from Lincoln to Ontario doesn't leave much time for antique shopping, after all. Plus, how can one really criticize a man with such an affection for the simple pleasure of a good sandwich?

One of the Best Sandwiches, Ever - Bow. James Bow.

Video Highlights from 2007 Walnut Warrior Football

Video highlights of Walnut Warriors' district championship season in Iowa eight-man football action have been posted on the Friends of Walnut Community School website.

Click Here for the Video

From : www.FriendsofWCS.com

Iowa Caucus frustration CNN Video

I-Reporter Kathy Barger describes her experience at a caucus in Walnut, Iowa in a call in to CNN during the Iowa caucuses.

Follow this link for to findinternettv.com then follow the link to the video on CNN.com (It seems that CNN has made it difficult to link directly to the story)

Click here for the CNN Video

A New Year - A New Blog

Its in with the new out with the old time again. As the beginning of a full site revamp I will be reorganizing many of the various and sundry blogs into a more logical structure. This is where you will find any interesting tidbits regarding Walnut, Iowa which can be found on the web (if you were inclined to search for hours.)