Most Read pop-we Headlines of 2015

Nebraska City Festival. Divecations. Book Reviews. The list of top stories for 2015 included its share of diverse subjects. But the story that perhaps struck our readers the most involved a Marian High School teacher who has catapulted herself to a world-renowned author and motivational speaker, MK Mueller. Here are the news stories of the year, as selected by population-we™(pop-we) readers.

1) Teacher Appreciation Week Post Honors Mary Kay Mueller
Worldwide this week May 4-8 is Teacher Appreciation Week. In honor of teachers past and present population-we™ (pop-we) dedicates this week's post to Marian High School teacher Ms. Mary Kay Mueller.

2) Nebraska City Welcomes AppleJack Festival and More
Harvest time in Nebraska City, NE is the time for the annual AppleJack Festival where apples will be on center stage from Sept. 18-20. The city where Arbor Day traces its history honors its heritage while providing all the elements for an old-fashioned family friendly celebration.

3) pop-we Reviews Works of Author Mitali Perkins
Culture is a way of life. I recall students parroting back this simple definition to my grade school teacher during Social Studies class. Though my young mind had limited understanding of the phrase, I have always enjoyed learning about different cultures.

4) Shark Week Footage of Shark Feed Dive
This spring, Brian and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary with a scuba diving divecation on a liveaboard in the Bahamas. Since our Blackbeard's shark feed dive, Shark Week is every day in our household. Why? Because we got to enjoy the majesty of these underwater creatures in their natural habitat.

5) pop-we Reviews Alyssa Auch's Inito
I am optimistic that imagination is alive and well in The Digital Age. I have seen it in the rising generations who have viewed computer screens and other media since they were babies. Of course, one of the most abundant sources of a vivid imagination is a fantasy writer. I am excited to share an interview with Alyssa Auch, a fantasy writer who majored in Marriage and Family Relations in college. She gives tips on tapping into our imaginations.

6) Giving Your Condolences via Social Media
With the advent of social media one would think it would be easier to give condolences. This was tested recently when I had two dear friends whose parents passed away. Unlike years passed it wasn't from a phone call that alerted me to the news but via a Facebook post and a text message. Therefore, I felt responding with my condolences in the same manner was appropriate.

7) Wedding Reception Missteps Worth Blogging About
Sitting with my grandfather at the back of our wedding reception I was apologizing for everything he witnessed at our reception. At the time he was 78, and he’d seen a lot of his grandkids get married. He announced to me with a grin, “This was probably the most memorable reception of a grandchild I’ve been too!” I was truly mortified.

8) pop-we Highlights 2015 Men's College World Series Lineup
The 2015 College World Series will be played in Omaha, NE at Ameritrade Park from June 13 through June 23 or 24 if necessary. There are numerous reasons to be especially excited this year. The field of eight that made it to Omaha is stacked with traditional powers that have been made the trip before. 2014 Champion Vanderbilt returns and will try to repeat. The talent level showcased will be high with four of the top ten players selected in the 2015 MLB draft including the top two. Finally the redesigned baseball has produced more home runs nationwide this season but the test will be to see how they play at Ameritrade Park which has kept hitters in check the previous two years.

9) It's Camping Divecation Time
Yes, you read the headline right--it’s time for a Camping Divecation! No problem you can pack your scuba gear in your sleep but what if you are planning a sleepover. In this case, it isn’t at a hotel but in the great outdoors. If you prepare well ahead of time--you can sit back and enjoy the great outdoors without any regrets. Because what goes better together than scuba diving and a camping trip? Read on for a list on what will make your next camping divecation a success.

10) Red Nose Day Comes to America
Red Nose Day has been a tradition in the UK that happens every two years where people do something funny at home, school or work for money. A telethon is held on BBC with comedy and entertainment to inspire watchers to give generously to the UK's number one fundraising event. After 30 years it is crossing the ocean as Red Nose Day USA when NBC will have a three hour special on May 21, 2015 at 8 p.m. Eastern\7 p.m. Central.

~From the pop-we archive and contributors Barb Bohan, Becky Bohan Brown and John Bohan.
© 2016 population-we, LLC 

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Nebraska City Welcomes AppleJack Festival and More

Harvest time in Nebraska City, NE is the time for the annual AppleJack Festival where apples will be on center stage from Sept. 18-20.

The city where Arbor Day traces its history honors its heritage while providing all the elements for an old-fashioned family friendly celebration. Union Orchard reports, “AppleJack is an amazing time. People come out to enjoy the country and get farm goodies. We have music and orchard tours. We are still working on the restoration, so things look different to our customers who come out once a year. We have added a large event pavilion and several picnic areas throughout the property.”

My friend Gwen Johnson had the opportunity to visit Union Orchard. She said, “It (is) really beautiful out there and it really nice to close to nature, picking apples, going into the little market seeing all the different ways you could use apples. Some were strange and some were quite interesting. It was fun and very enjoyable experiencing God's creation.”

Main AppleJack Festival attraction. ~Beverly Newsam

A labor of love is taking place at Union Orchard as the Wostrel family works to restore the orchard dating back to 1885. Since the family purchased the farm in 2011, they have planted over 6,000 trees and 2,000 vines. They have about 5,000 more trees to plant before we are through with the restoration. The type of trees they are planting start producing fruit in three years and are disease resistant.

In reply to my question about the varieties and the availability of the apples that they grow, Union Orchard said, “We have 19 varieties of desert apples. They are planted by maturity time. Zestar starts in mid-August and Arkansas Black matures around Halloween. Because of this, we always have something fresh and just off of the tree. Lots of common varieties like Gala, but some special ones like Honeycrisp and Candy Crisp too. We do have some heirlooms planted, but they are semi-dwarf and will start maturing in a few years. We are planting lots of apples to use in future hard cider. “

In addition to apples in their natural ready to sink your teeth into state, Union Orchard also has fresh pastries too including pies, donuts, turnovers, and apple cinnamon rolls--many of which are baked fresh on site. (Are you hungry yet?)

The orchard also grows grow strawberries, rhubarb, elderberries, pumpkins peaches, and cherries.

They are “working to make Union Orchard one of the finest fall entertainment venues around. It will take us a few more years, but we are committed and making it happen.”

My friend Beverly Newsam also filled me in on some of the festivities during AppleJack Festival. She visited Historic Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard and found it packed with people excited to purchase apples and goodies. The staff was very friendly and made people feel right at home according to her. She lists the produce and goodies that she stocked up on while there:” apples, apple pie, apple cinnamon syrup, and the famous (and delicious) apple doughnuts. We also bought cherry jubilee drink, peach salsa, boysenberry preserves, and blueberry jam. She said that the orchard staff worked hard to keep up with demand, which included a long line just for the doughnuts! She enjoyed the hayrack ride that took people to where they could pick their own apples. She added that there were vendors and children activities.

Popular apple doughnuts  ~Beverly Newsam

Beverly enjoyed the sensory pleasures of the day. She said, “My favorite season is fall, and it was such a beautiful, sunny day to walk through the orchard. Outside, vendors made and sold Kettle Corn, which smelled so delicious. Inside, it was easy to smell the apple doughnuts, which were made very regularly due to popularity.”

There are other important and must see stops in Nebraska City, NE. When I was in 8th grade, my class took a field trip to Nebraska City, NE to see some of the important historical sites. Nebraska’s first recognized nationally recognized Underground Railroad historical site was on our tour. We viewed the reenactment displays in John Brown’s cave.

Arbor Lodge was another highlight of the trip. Visiting John Brown’s Cabin and Arbor Lodge were also two of the tours on my mom’s field trip when she was in the 6th grade.

The sections of the 52 room mansion open to the public made quite an impression on me at age 13. I wish that I had a copy of my essay about the mansion that was chosen to be displayed in the room where I had English and Spelling that year.

Arbor Day Farm has 260 acres and is available for tours. There may be historical sites posers around the country, but this is this undeniable historical land. J. Sterling Morton started planting an orchard soon after arriving in Nebraska City, NE in 1855. He is the founder of Arbor Day and the tradition continues strong on the land that was donated to the state. Arbor Day, the day when people are encouraged to plant a tree, is always the last Friday of April, but can vary by state as to when it is observed.

I am impressed with the grass roots effort of concerned community leaders who now manage Arbor Day Foundation. From what I gather from a conversation with Susan Freshman, guest experience manager, Arbor Day Farm may have closed if it were not for the concerned citizens. The state still owns the land that was a gift from J. Morton Sterling in 1923. The Arbor Day Foundation, which is made up of concerned citizens, manages Arbor Day Farm. The state is funding the 1.5 million dollar renovation project underway at Arbor Lodge Farms.

For even more interactive history, there is still more to learn and explore at the Lewis and Clark Missouri River Visitors Center in Nebraska City.

As I am an aficionado of apples, I have rather enjoyed thinking about them often as I prepared to write about the AppleJack Festival and Nebraska City. Growing up, we purchased apples from a couple in Valley, NE who have since retired. Apple crisp and applesauce were two of my mom’s specialties. Can you smell the simmering or baking apples now? In recent years, I continued to eat apples but was so disappointed with store bought apples. They weren’t usually bad. They usually weren’t good either. Blandness from my first bite into the waxy peel to the last as I neared the core is what I found. I did a poll on social media asking people what their favorite varieties of apples were. Gala and Honeycrisp ranked high. When they were in season, I sampled my first Honeycrisp from an Nebraska orchard. Finally, I tasted an apple with flavor that I had been sorely missing. If there isn’t a word to describe the sound, taste, and sensation of biting into a crisp apple, there should be!

Nebraska City, NE is a great place to visit during Harvest Season or any season. Come for Yule celebrations during the holidays. Come in spring to see the trees lined with blossoms. Come enjoy the history of this part of the country.

-population-we™ blog post by Barb Bohan 

© 2015 population-we, LLC

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