Michiana House and Home - August 2023

PO Box 188 • 206 South Main St. Milford, IN 46542 800.733.4111/Fax 800.886.3796

Editorial ext. 2311 & Advertising ext. 2362 www.michianahouseandhome.com

PUBLISHER

Ron Baumgartner rbaumgartner@the-papers.com

PUBLICATION MANAGER

Bill Hays bhays@the-papers.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Deb Patterson dpatterson@the-papers.com

EDITOR

Lauren Zeugner lzeugner@the-papers.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Karen Johnson kjohnson@the-papers.com

BUSINESS MANAGER

Annette Weaver aweaver@the-papers.com

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Steve Meadows smeadows@the-papers.com

FEATURE WRITERS

BethAnne Brink-Cox, Dani Messick, Julie Young

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kimberly Zellers

MARKETING ASSISTANTS

Darlene Eichelberger darlene@the-papers.com

Taelynne Ousley tousley@the-papers.com

DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION

Jerry Long jlong@the-papers.com

Michiana House and Home (MHH) is a newsmagazine with emphasis on home decor, design and remodeling. MHH does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial content, nor does MHH or its staff assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial content appear in any publication.

MHH reserves the right to determine the suitability of all materials submitted for publication and to edit all submitted materials for clarity and space.

Michiana House and Home has not independently tested any services or products advertised herein and has verified no claims made by its advertisers regarding those services or products. MHH makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability for any claims regarding those services or products or claims made by advertisers regarding such products or services. Readers are advised to consult with the advertiser and/or other home repair and renovation professionals regarding any such claims and regarding the suitability of an advertiser’s products.

No reproduction of Michiana House and Home is allowed without express written permission.

Mailed subscriptions are available, prepaid with order at $47.00 for one year; and $79.00 for two years. Mail the order form, along with your check to Michiana House and Home, P.O. Box 188, Milford, IN 46542. Your cancelled check will serve as your receipt.

Copyright © Michiana House and Home All rights reserved, 2023

Where has the summer gone? As I write this, we’re at the end of July, literally on the eve of the start of the Elkhart County Fair. Tonight (Thursday, July 20) I’ll pack up my car and head to the Elkhart County Fairgrounds where the Elkhart County 4-H Media Club will set up to cover another fair and publish The Clover Chronicles during the next few days.

This year is the celebration of the 150th fair and my 20th anniversary as a 4-H Leader. What they say about time flying when you’re having fun has been true these past two decades.

Speaking of fun, I always know when we’re going to have a great issue of Michiana House and Home when after getting their assignments, the writers get back to me with “These look like fun.”

So what’s in this month’s issue? Julie Young explains the pros and cons of different styles of homes.

Dani Messick wrote an article discussing the different materials decks are made from these days.

BethAnne Brink-Cox wrote about what’s new in painting techniques and how to refurbish cher-

ished pieces of furniture.

Michiana Master Gardener Len Harms provided us with a tutorial in how those gorgeous quilt gardens in Elkhart county are created and planted.

And I included two recipes that are quick to pull together and don’t heat up the kitchen. One is a marinade for tomatoes, which are starting to come in, and a quick orzo recipe for an easy dinner.

Both recipes come from a cookbook my Aunt, Judy Ryan, and her friends put together years ago. The idea was to share favorite recipes since they were all tired of making the same thing. The project grew as more girlfriends wanted to participate. Women living along the Eastern Seaboard from Connecticut to Florida, as well as Oregon contributed recipes. The result was, “Curtain Call: A collection of favorite recipes.”

Be sure to find some time to check out this month’s edition of Michiana House and Home.

Lauren Zeugner, Editor Email: Lzeugner@ the-papers.com

Do you want an affordable deck, or do you want your patio to

LAST?

By Dani Messick House and Home Feature Writer

If you want affordability, go with wood material. If you want durability, go with composite. There are several kinds of composite materials with varying degrees of cost and durability. Made from combinations of wood particles, fiberglass, other fillers, and PVC, composite boards create a deck that is less susceptible to the weather and staining.

“The most common question is pricing between different companies,” said Big C Lumber Co. manager Ryan Beck. “As long as you stay good line to good line, best line to best line, the pricing is

going to be comparable. We really just lean to them to get the color they want and style… From one company to another it doesn’t matter pricing as long as you stay in the same quality.”

The amount of certain materials determines the grade of the board. Lower grades might fade early on in their lifetime, making for a grayer than wanted material, but higher grades increase the price point. Each manufacturer sells varying grades of quality at all price points ranging from $45 per board to $100.

That’s really the first question you need to answer when starting your journey to building a new patio or porch deck.

Wood patios are also a viable option, with several variations of those as well, but patio specialists generally push against it. “With wood, assuming the customer is taking care of it in the first place - staining it, clear coating it, they usually have to do that every year or every other year,” Beck said “You’ve got to strip off the old stain and put new stuff down. It’s not a fun job.”

Overall, composite materials function in construction and usage basically the same way as wood materials do. “A lot of the vinyl will cut like wood and they do what they call an ‘embossing’ to give it grip when it’s wet so it’s not slippery,” said Raber Patio Enclosures CEO Chris Schlabach. “Overall, cleanability, it cleans off nice because it doesn’t have open pores so your dirty water, dirty leaves, won’t soak and leave color in.”

The price of the materials is a major chunk of the project, and there’s no denying composite is more costly. “It’s a lot more expensive up front, anywhere from two to four times more expensive

up front,” Beck said. “If you’re just looking at money, time, and energy, (wood) saves money upfront, but aesthetically, you’re going to get a better look (with composite), and it’ll last 25 years to a lifetime.”

Still, Schlabach said, those who choose to hire an installation company like his, labor accounts for less than 25% of the cost of installation of composite decks. Whether you opt for the more expensive composite deck or the natural-based less costly wood deck, having a properly built understructure is important.

“That’s our job as an installer is to educate them on the benefits and why we do

RaberPatioEnclosures

things the way we do,” Schlabach said. “If you have a deck board that has a 25year warranty on it you want to build the infrastructure that lasts 25 years.” n

When it comes to painting the walls, what techniques are hot and which are not?

By BethAnne Brink-Cox House and Home Feature Writer

Who remembers popcorn ceilings?

According to The Spruce, popcorn ceilings, (also called acoustic or stipple ceilings) are textured ceilings that resemble popcorn, because they’re usually white or cream.

They started sometime between the 1920s and 1930s and their original purpose was to create a sound barrier. That look was created by mixing water to expand small chips of polystyrene; they sometimes included glitter, as well. It’s something to think about if you are considering an old house: they fell out of favor in the 80s, and some of the earlier incarnations were found to have contained asbestos.

But there was another good reason behind their origin: it was a great way to camouflage flaws in drywall and other finishes, which would show up more in smooth surfaces. Wallpaper did a lot to hide, and later, a faster and easier way to create the look of wallpaper was done with sponging or stencils.

Old theatrical buffs can remember building sets: stretched fabric flats held together with strips of fabric and wheat paste, and then textured with feather dusters dipped in paint. All of these things can give remarkable effects.

So what’s the trend now? Textured paint. If you’re experienced in home design and renovation, you can buy the materials to do this yourself. If not, be prepared to pay the experts, because, Kate Richards, manager of Sherwin Williams, said “You are essentially paying for the skilled ones to do it. It needs a very thick paint for the additions, and it’s more time-consuming to apply. There are also textured rollers you can buy.”

She’s right. There are some beautiful designs available on those rollers, and they can be

used on a number of different surfaces. Richards said Sherwin Williams “used to have a line of, I think, four different faux finishes that were really beautiful. We still get requests for that kind of thing.” Richards added,”Wallpaper is coming back in strong, and borders somewhat, but not as much as the old days of ‘ducks in a row!’ They’re being used more creatively than just around the top of the room.”

Tim Ellis, of Ellis Painting, is seeing a different line of requests in his business. “Flat ceilings seem to be the thing right now. I haven’t done a textured wall or ceiling in 10 years. Textured ceilings are easier to paint, but more difficult to fix. It’s hard to match the textures.”

It’s also true that they can grab dust and they’re not always easy to clean; some of us remember starting to scrub a dirty wall or ceiling and seeing all the texture melt down flat. Things are certainly improved since then!

Ellis continued, “Sponge painting, or faux painting, is something I’ve done more of recently. Overall, though, I’d say it’s less than 1% of my business.” For one thing, due to the longer period of time needed to apply, “Textures and faux finishes definitely cost more, yes. As far as what I get for requests? Mostly it’s just to repair ceilings and an occasional faux, so not very often.” Looks like maybe I should leave my faux-finished dining room alone for a while. n

Antiquing Color Washing Crackling

By BethAnne Brink-Cox House and Home Feature Writer

How many movies and TV shows have you seen that feature a set filled with old furniture, an eclectic blend that usually includes mismatched chairs around a table?

Have you ever shopped with an eye for treasures you could repaint to fit your vision? I remember watching my mom refinish old chairs built by my grandfather, and she wasn’t afraid to tackle reupholstering, either – including a couch (she is far braver than I am).

Furniture stores abound, and the prices range from very affordable to way out of my league, so it’s not uncommon to see something just set out in a yard sale because it’s no longer in fashion, or the owner is just tired of it.

There’s your chance to recreate something fun and funky and wonderful. There are end-

UPCYCLING FURNITURE

less videos and home shows that demonstrate this kind of DIY projects, and it’s not really all that scary to begin if you start small.

One person I spoke with said that they would occasionally work with clients to recover a piece of upholstered furniture, but that’s as far as they would go. The primary reason was to keep a family heirloom for sentimental sake; if the original upholstery was a nice piece of fabric, they would go in that direction to recreate.

If you are doing this kind of project yourself, you can go any direction you want, especially if the pieces of furniture are simple and basic–you could go with the frieze fabrics of the 40s and 50s, for example, or the earthtones of the 70s, even the florals of later decades.

If you are painting, you could stencil designs on your finished pieces, ending up with a look that harmonizes without being matchy matchy, in the same way mismatched china patterns are combined for a pleasing effect.

A once rescued (from the curb) chest of drawers had several facelifts during the years my daughter used it–white with bird transfers, pink

with flowers, blue with roses–depending on mood and decor of the moment.

There are businesses who will work with you to recreate your visions, too, if DIY is just not your thing. The Strip Shoppe has been in business for 44 years, and owner Tom Brunt said, “We don’t do painting on furniture, but we do strip and refinish and repair. We’re pretty busy. If we’re talking about a chair, it’ll normally be about a week to strip it. If we are refinishing it, that’ll be more like three weeks.” Brunt went on to say that it all depends on what people want. “I’m not an interior decorator!”

Brunt’s accurate observation brings it out clearly: if you are taking your furniture out to be redone, you’ll want to do some homework. In some cases, there could be three or four different pairs of hands to do the work–one to repair, one to remove old paint or finishes if needed, one to refinish it according to your wish, and still one more for upholstery. Nevertheless, you might find yourself eyeing yard sales with a bit more discernment, seeing raw material where previously it was just a battered and out of date piece of furniture! n

michiana

AUGUST 1-31 (SELECTED DATES) | SOUTH BEND FARMERS MARKET

Indoor market featuring home-grown produce, dairy products, meats, eggs, maple syrup, jams and jellies, handcrafts, artwork, jewelry, more.

7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday

Free admission

1105 Northside Blvd. (574) 282-1259 southbendfarmersmarket.com

AUGUST 6, 13, 20, 27 | NILES, MICH. NILES SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Visit the Riverfront Amphitheater to enjoy the sounds of the band and the St. Joseph River.

From 70s rock to smooth jazz, the Niles Summer Concert Series offers something for everyone’s listening pleasure.

6 p.m. Sunday

Free admission

Riverfront Amphitheather (269)683-4700 nilesmi.org

AUGUST 26 | MIDDLEBURY RIVERFEST

Riverbend Park, 511 E. Warren St., Middlebury, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Free admission (574)825-1499

MULTI-EVENT VENUES

GOSHEN THEATER | GOSHEN

• Aug. 6, The Wizard of Oz. 2-5 p.m. Tickets are $15-$25

• Aug. 11, Free Movie Night: We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story. 7-9 p.m. Admission is free.

• Aug. 20, Embrace the change, featuring Tom Rose, author of Balloon in a box, coping with grief. 4-6 p.m. Admission is free.

216 S. Main St. (574) 312-3701 goshentheater.com

POTAWATOMI ZOO

SOUTH BEND

|

• Aug. 13, Curious Conservationist Day Camp. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Day camp geared towards adults who love animals and conservation. Fee is $50. Zoo members receive a 10% discount.

• Aug. 21 Tiny Bookworms Story Series

9:30 -10 a.m. Class for children 0-2 and a caregiver. Children listen to a couple of stories and meet an ambassador animal. Cost $5. Zoo members get 10 % off www.potawatomizoo.org/edzoocation/ bookworms

500 S. Greenlawn Ave. (574) 235-9800 potawatomizoo.org.

LERNER THEATER | ELKHART

• Aug. 25 - Edith Márquez: Tour Mx-USA 2023. 8 p.m. Tickets are $42.50 to $102.50

• Aug. 26 - Hairball. 8 p.m. Tickets are $25-$49.50

• Aug. 30 -Lunchtime Live with Celia Weiss- Kimball Organ Concert. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free.

• Aug. 31 - Lerner on the Lawn - Mi Gente Live. 6 p.m. Admission is free.

410 S. Main St. (574) 293-4469

www.thelerner.com

MORRIS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER | SOUTH BEND

• Aug. 17 Buddy Guy in Concert - 7:30 p.m.

• Aug. 19 Community Foundation Performing Arts Series - 7 p.m. Chris Wilson Pavilion, Potawatomi Park, 2105 E. Mishawaka Ave. South Bend. Admission is free, bring a lawn chair. Look for updates at the Community Foundation’s Facebook page and at www.cfsjc.org.

• Aug. 26 Rock the Pink Concert benefitting the Susan G. Koman Foundation - 8 p.m.

• Aug. 26 Gift of Music Gala 2023- Four Winds Hotel. Evening includes cocktails, dinner, live performance. Black tie encouraged. For more information call the South Bend Symphony (574) 232-6343. 211 N. Michigan St. (574) 235-9190 morriscenter.org n

Modern Farmhouse:

One of the most popular styles on the market today that integrates rustic farmhouse architecture with modern elements to create something unique. They can also include features of other popular designs.

Pros:

Open spaces, natural light, neutral colors, and refurbished/ reclaimed materials.

Cons:

Usually found in suburban and rural areas away from local amenities. May take longer to clean and require a lot of upkeep – especially if it is a renovated home.

Tudor:

Known for its steep roof, decorative half-timbering and lack of symmetry, these homes are often full of history – especially when they appear on the resale market.

Spacious and easy to renovate or customize, Tudor homes are usually solid builds that do not need a lot of maintenance.

Pros: Cons:

Often more expensive than other homes due to their size, they are not for empty nest ers and can be prone to roof leaks.

Victorian:

With their unique design, colorful exteriors and fun architectural details, these homes are romantic showstoppers. However, they are not for everyone.

Asymmetrical design that feature towers, bay windows and gingerbread trim, these homes include several rooms and plenty of charm.

Pros: Cons:

Not as airy and open as other homes, vintage Victorian houses often lack accessibility for those with mobility issues. They are often constructed with outdated materials.

know your homes

The pros and cons of popular styles

Colonial:

These two-or-three-story homes are known for their symmetry with common areas on the main floor and the bedrooms on the upper levels.

Pros:

Cons:

Classic and timeless, these homes have greater appeal on the resale market.

Difficult spaces in which to agein-place. They are also considered to be bland and generic.

Cottage:

Usually a brick or stone structure with a steep, triangular roof, the cottage is known for its cozy aesthetic and offering all of the comforts associated with the word “home.”

Typically, a small home that is easy to maintain and regulate in terms of temperature. Often includes a porch or patio for outside enjoyment.

By Julie Young House and Home Feature Writer

Whether you are planning a custom build or looking for something with “charm” and “character” it’s important to find the architectural aesthetic that fits your lifestyle.

“It’s a very personal decision,” said Bob Hawley with Cressy & Everett Real Estate. “While builders tend to create spec homes that will appeal to the masses, sometimes a homebuyer is drawn to a particular style.”

Pros: Cons:

Not ideal for large gatherings and can feel cramped to those who prefer a more spacious dwelling.

Split-level Ranch:

Features a central level with a living room and kitchen with the family room and bedrooms on adjacent levels split by a half staircase. Offers the illusion of a multi-story house.

Very popular in the Michiana area, according to Hawley. Offers families a sense of separation and often come with an attached garage.

Pros: Cons:

Heat distribution can be a problem between the various levels. Cleaning and furniture moving can also be a hassle. n

paulsplayhouses.com paulsplayhouses.com

play’s the thing

PLAYHOUSES pr omo te the power of pretend

By Julie Young House and Home Feature Writer

They are the place where adventures come to life and pinkie promises are made. They may be located inside or outside of the home. They are made of fabric, cardboard, plastic or wood and come in any number of shapes and sizes.

GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY

The first thing any homeowner must consider when looking into a playhouse is the ages of their children. While there are a number of models geared for the “little tikes” as well as the early grades, others are designed with bigger kids in mind. It can be challenging to find one that suits everyone’s needs, by considering your child(ren)’s age, you can determine whether a ground level or “treehouse” model (often incorporated into a larger playset) is right for your family.

Experts agree a playhouse is an important part of a child’s mental and physical development. They not only encourage creativity and imagination, but they also strengthen cognitive skills and promote problem solving and social skills. Most importantly, they give children the chance to play away from the prying eyes of their parents and command a world all their own. But which kind of playhouse is right for your child/children? It depends on the age of your child and the available space you have.

The next step is to evaluate your yard to determine what size playhouse is required. Make sure to look into your HOA rules to make sure that you are allowed to have a playhouse on site and then consider your terrain to determine if you will need to build a foundation for the playhouse to sit on. (Most do not have a floor included.) Plastic playhouses are fairly durable, but you’ll want to do what you can to protect a costly wood model from rotting.

You’ll also want to consider the structure’s accoutrements. Today’s playhouses range from a basic shell to structures that include built in picnic tables, interior furnishings, and a host of other amenities to encourage play.

INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT

When it comes to indoor playhouse options, some parents encourage their kids to DIY their own space by creating a blanket fort or transforming a large cardboard box into their own creation. While these options do not last very long, they do inspire hours of play and may give you a sense of the type of playhouse your child needs before making an investment.

Because room is often at a premium inside the home, it’s important to look for things that are easy to set up and easy to take down such as pop up tents that can be set up in the corner of a room to create a reading nook or sturdy cardboard creations that resemble ships, castles or houses. Both of these options can be assembled and disassembled fairly easily when additional room is needed or when it’s time to put childhood things away.

For something a little more customized, parents can install a playhouse below a child’s bunk bed and incorporate it into the child’s bedroom décor. This option can easily transition when the child is older with minimum effort.

Play is a child’s business and having a space on one’s own is an important part of that work. A playhouse is more than a toy, it is an experience and one that no childhood should be without! n

Behind the Scenes of a Quilt Garden

By Len Harms Michiana Master Gardener

Here is the order for one garden: 70 flats of euphorbia, nine flats each of three kinds of begonias, 28 flats of two kinds of impatiens, three flats of parsley, and 18 flats of hypoestes. On a separate pickup is a cubic yard of mulch picked up locally to cover the paths which are essential for weeding.

There are no errors in any of the orders delivered from the grower in Michigan, so the members of the committee for each garden could load their orders on a transport vehicle from the carts and deliver them to their garden.

That day or soon after volunteers arrived to plant the flowers into the quilt design laid out ahead of time with stakes and string or painted on the soil. At the garden mentioned above nine volunteers are waiting to begin planting that day, which can often be accomplished in four to five hours depending on the number of helpers that show up.

A design is chosen on a first come first served basis, meaning some committees may not get their first or even their second, choice.

Once the design is selected and approved the garden committees create the design to fit the particular size and shape of their garden. These designs drawn to scale with square feet calculated for each section are submitted to the quilt design committee who check it for accuracy and the required ratio of at least 80 percent flowers to 20 percent paths.

The approved designs are returned to the individual committees to begin selecting the number and kinds of flowers that they wish to use to create their pattern. Though the list of accepted flowers and herbs is quite varied, the committee needs to consider their growing conditions, the height of plants in relationship to each other, the colors that will complete the design, and experience to know what has worked or not worked in the past.

A large box truck arrived at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds on May 19 loaded with four-level rolling carts of flats and flats of flowers for the quilt gardens. The carts labeled with the names of each quilt garden were lowered from the truck, and helpers from the quilt committee with flower lists in hand counted the flats to be sure each garden is receiving the number and kinds of flowers their garden has ordered.

Over the next 15 weeks volunteers tend the garden by weeding, pruning, trimming and watering to present a well-cared-for garden to the public and to satisfy the eyes of the garden inspectors.

All of this work is built on careful plans laid out during August, September, October and November of the previous fall. In August the various quilt committees receive colored drawings of the quilt designs that have been selected by the design committee.

A CAD design with the correct colors, a list of plants to be used and an estimated number of flowers needed for each section of the pattern are resubmitted for final approval or modifications. From that point on the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau takes over the ordering and planning for the expected date of delivery the next May.

With the gardens presently at their peak the viewer can appreciate the design with insight into the planning and work that has culminated in this unique county-wide project. n

Nutty Orzo

By Liz Rucker, Virginia

Curtain Call: A Collection of Favorite Recipes, Copyright 1996

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound orzo or very small pasta

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped red onion, very fine

1/4 pound spinach leaves, rinsed and chopped

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

In a 4 quart pan, cook orzo until al dente (about 5 minutes).

Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and drain again.

In a skillet, cook pine nuts over medium heat, stirring until golden (about 3 minutes) and remove.

Heat oil in the skillet, add onion, cook about 5 minutes

Add spinach and cook 2 minutes more or until wilted

In a large bowl, combine orzo, pine nuts and spinach mixture.

Toss well

Add tomatoes, feta and parsley

Season with pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature

Marinade for Sliced Tomatoes

By Chris Mallin

Call:

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced oregano

Directions:

Peel and slice tomatoes

Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over tomatoes. Cover and let sit one hour. n

Beautify

Did You Know? Fun facts about

By Dani Messick House and Home Writer

August is named after Roman emperor August Caesar but the month existed long before that. Around 700 BC, the astrologers of Julius Caesar impressed upon the Roman population the importance of having a 12-month calendar year in order to remain in line with the sky.

At the time, the Roman calendar had 10 months, each with 30 or 31 days, and Sextilis was the sixth month of the year. January and February were tacked on the back end of the Gregorian calendar to make up for the deficit.

A few centuries later, two of the months would be given honorary new names. Quintilis became Julius in 44 BC, later July, in honor of Julius Caesar. Sextilis became Augustus in 8 BC and later August in honor of his son Augustus. Both were changed not long after the royals’ deaths.

The number of days associated with the month also changed, several times in fact, through history. At first, the month had 30 days, and then 31, and at one point just 29. When the renaming occurred, both months received 31 days, a signifier of their royal namesakes’ importance, and they took those extra days from February, which got Leap Day in the trade-off.

A Time Of Change

Destruction, renewal, and generational change are the common themes for August, as it turns out. If you’re feeling like change is in the wings, don’t be alarmed, because a new world awaits.

“This August, Pluto is at the Anaretic Degree, the Greek word for ‘Destroyer’,” explained Autumn Astrochic of Cosmic Connection Center in Mishawaka. “The point in the cycle of Pluto denotes great change coming after the end of a certain way of life, on a generational scale.”

“Pluto will continue to square the Karmic Nodes through November, inviting a pressure of physical and soulful shifts. Venus in her retrograde cycle helps tweak our tastes and realign our value systems, which eases the coming changes,” she added.

Interestingly, a number of historic events happened during the month of August in similar astrological places.

The Berlin Wall was erected on Aug. 13, 1961, dividing communism in East Germany from the Federal Republic of Germany on the West side. When it fell in November 1989, it was the culmination of more than two decades of political and economic conflict.

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain on what he’d hoped would be a circumnavigation to India on Aug. 3, 1942, landing instead in the Bahamas in the first recorded voyage to the New World.

Mount Vesuvius erupted on Aug. 24, 79 AD, destroying the Greek city of Pompeii and engulfing its citizens in an ashy grave for all eternity.

The U.S. bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the first atomic bombs on Aug. 6, 1945, which all but ended World War II in the Pacific Theater.

John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, asked for two slices of bread with roast beef in the middle so he could eat it with his hands while playing cards on Aug. 6, 1762.

Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 28, 1963, and around 250,000 people attended the speech calling the end to racial discrimination and equal rights for all. n