Lexington & Jefferson

Take a journey with me to the end of the Rainbow.

I grew up at the end of Rainbow Road, a beautiful and magical place in a River Valley, just outside of a town called Spring Green. Following are stories and reflections of a simpler time.....

“Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump” annual literary journal, who knows.

We may also use this space for arts & culture news and submitted musings that don't quite fit within the bounds of a traditional column, profile or letter to the editor.

Get involved: If you're interested in submitting, curating or have ideas, please don not hesitate at all to submit them to us at: editor@valleysentinelnews.com

Those words I often remember my dad speaking during his lifetime. I believe the first time he closed his eyes and took a leap of faith was at eighth grade graduation when he saw a pretty little girl in ruffles walk across the stage.

The story we were always told, is that he leaned over and whispered in his best friend's ear, “I'm going to marry that girl someday”. Although he had never spoken to her and didn't even know her name, that girl, years later, would become the mother to his eleven children. They settled on the farm his family had worked for generations and began to build their life together.

Life, for a farmer, is hard and it proved difficult to make ends meet. Dad was forced to take a job at Oscar Mayers to provide for us. He would drive an hour into Madison, leaving at one in the morning, get home after a long shift, change, and go do the chores. There were cows to milk, animals to feed and crops to harvest, it was never ending.

There would be nights mom would hold dinner until 9 or 10:00 PM because dad was still in the fields. We all waited, as a family, we all ate together.

Dad would rise after just a handful of hours of sleep and start the grueling cycle all over again.

An opportunity presented itself to buy the local Drive-in. Mom and Dad, having never operated a restaurant, simply “Closed their eyes, and jumped”. Denied a loan, dad stood up, and firmly told the loan officer “I'm going to buy that place with or without your help”. He was actually able to convince the seller to take a $500 down payment and a handshake!

Most of the kids, by this time, had moved away. There was just one brother, running the farm, my sister, who was set to graduate and myself, a junior in high school.

Mom's life became the Drive-in. Dad still made the long trip into Madison and continued farming. Eventually, he retired. That's when he began going into the restaurant, in the early morning hours, well before opening.

He loved the peace and quiet of the morning hours. He would clean machines and do minor setup, always keeping a hot pot of coffee on and a box of donuts nearby just in case an early traveler would stop in. All he would ask in return was their company and some quiet conversation.

Numerous times, over the years mom would come home to find strangers in the house because if he heard someone couldn't find a motel room for the night dad would offer up one of the long since empty bedrooms.

Dad missed farming, so he planted a beautiful flower garden along the highway by the restaurant. Settling into his semi-retirement, sharing coffee with weary travelers and creating beauty for drivers to enjoy.

Over time the restaurant proved too much for mom and dad, as their bodies slowed with age, that's when it was my turn and I “Closed my eyes and jumped”, returning to run the place.

Dad, however, continued to tend to the flowers. One day, a few years after I'd taken over, he called me out and pointed to a little sprig of a tree that had dared to try to grow in his garden.

It was struggling to get through the flowers.

Its determined nature had touched a spot in my dad's heart and he declared that once it got sturdy he would dig it up and give it a home on the farm.

“This little tree just needs a chance to grow strong,” he said to me.

Daily, he would lovingly weed around it. He placed a small stake next to it so the heavy spring winds would not topple it during its young fragile state.

The little tree took hold growing to 4 foot tall, a few limbs sprouting from its trunk. It seemed to be stretching out its arms and breathing in life, preparing for its journey to its new home.

Unfortunately, my father fell ill, his weakened body, bedridden at home, with that pretty little girl he'd known instantly he'd married so many years before tending to his increasing needs.

The little tree he’d protected grew to 5, 6, even 7 feet, its branches stretching far and wide. Sadly though, never making it to its home on the farm.

It's been 20 years since my father passed and that tree has grown to 150 feet, towering above the drive-in, reaching far into the sky.

Over the years, time and time again, people have said to me, “You should cut that tree down; it's blocking your sign” “You’re losing business” or “Get rid of that tree!”. No one has or ever will convince me to cut that tree. That's my dad's tree, he meant for that tree to survive. It is strong and powerful, regal and majestic, just like my father was. It waves hello to travelers as they drive past, just as my dad once did. He loved it, he tended it, he nurtured it, he protected it, just as he did me.

Now, when I stand at the window of the Drive-in, I see that tree, watching over me, just like my father used to, and I know, that's dad, still with me, whispering in my ear, “Don't be afraid, Lanita, take a chance”. That's dad telling me: Close your eyes. Go ahead……

Just go ahead, Close your eyes and jump. I'll catch you.

— Mary Lanita Schulz

APT is accepting proposals for Art in the Woods - a series of art installations displayed throughout the APT property

Artists are invited to submit proposals for the Art in the Woods exhibit at American Players Theatre, a series of art installations to be displayed on the theater's 110 acres of woods and prairie.

Proposals must be submitted by March 31, and should include a concept fitting one of three themes: "What is a Classic," "Art is Nature is Art," or "Our Common Humanity."

The installations should be able to withstand Midwest summer weather and be safe for public audiences.

The budget for artist stipends is approximately $15,000 and will be divided among 6-10 pieces.

The exhibit will be open from July 23 to October 8, 2023, with viewing hours during the theater's box office hours.

Proposals should be submitted as a PDF to Hannah Jo Anderson, Marketing Associate, at handerson@americanplayers.org. Learn more by visiting americanplayers.org/events/art.

River Valley ARTS sets annual meeting, reminds community that grants are available

River Valley ARTS recently announced they are holding their Annual Meeting on Monday, February 20 at 6:30 pm at the Spring Green Community Center. The meeting is open to all members and the general public.

In addition, River Valley ARTS wants to remind the community that the deadline for Creative Community and Artistic Development Grant applications is February 27. The grants, which can be up to $2,500, are available for community groups, organizations, schools, professional artists, amateur artists, and students in the River Valley. The aim of the Creative Community Grant is to promote innovative arts programming, while the Artistic Development Grant aims to support individual artistic projects and development.

Proposed projects could include public exhibits, performances, publications, and educational activities in various disciplines such as dance, theater, music, folk arts, literary arts, visual arts, video, and film. Recipients will be chosen by a panel of community members, and those who don't have access to other funding sources will be given priority.

Application forms are available on the River Valley ARTS website, and recipients will be announced in late March. Applications are available at www.RiverValleyARTS.org. Questions? Message on social media or email contact@rivervalleyarts.org.