Several photos and stories are waiting for me so that’s today. Years ago, in the mid to late ‘80’s we began to write a quarterly newspaper called the Goat Gazette. We printed 10,000 at a time and sent nearly half to paid subscribers.
Today the Goat Gazette has changed its name to Chicken Scratch online – the concept is the same with news from the farm, quilts from customers, personal news, recipes, patterns for sale – just like this blog! I’ve changed the “vehicle” but the content remains the same.
One of our good friends, Moe Baly, recently went through 40 years of Goat Gazettes and painstakingly cut out articles for both Connie and me.
It was such a trip down memory lane for us and even though we have a single copy of every issue, we haven’t bothered to read them in a long time. Moe was cleaning her basement and the Goat Gazettes had to GO. As she reread each issue, she cut out those articles she wanted to send to us, and then fed the remainder into the fire pit, reliving 40 years of friendship. Thank you, Moe – we really loved our packed envelopes of articles! I might reprint some as time permits.
How many of you got the Goat Gazette in your mailbox? If you did, you’ve followed Country Threads for many years. We thought our journey was over when we retired in 2014 but those old patterns don’t go away! We are putting all patterns online – eventually. Please don’t mail money to me for patterns – download them online, please! If we’ve gone to the trouble of putting them online as a pdf download, please don’t ask me to handle your order. I’m going to start returning them instead of spending time mailing them.
So it’s a busy day for Connie and me, Amy and Anita – setting up the garage sale! Kind of exciting really! And yes, I will post pictures here on the blog!
I must have missed information about the garage sale. Can you tell where and when it is and what kinds of things you will have? Thanks
i still have some of my goat gazette newspapers!!! fun to reread.
I subscribed. Loved it and love this format too.
I did subscribe to the Goat Gazette, cut out articles and recipes and have saved them.
The article that comes to mind is about an elderly couple that adopts a stray cat. The recipe that comes to mind is the funeral cake.
Thanks for all of it.
What a fun, nice thing Moe did! I truly wish I had subscribed back then, I’m sure I would have loved it. I do have quite a few of your old patterns though but I had never heard of the newsletter. So glad I found your blog so many years ago. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your yard sale, wish I could come! Jan in MA
I have years of the goat gazette. When I got them in the mail I sat down and read them cover to cover. When I cleaned my sewing room in January I just couldn’t throw them away.
I read the Goat Gazette from cover to cover, several times!!! I loved it and I now love Chicken Scratch and your patterns!!
I received the Goat Gazette in the mail and could not wait for each issue! My daughter was very little at the time and enjoyed looking at the pictures. I also enjoyed the food comments.
I love the blog now and once again, can’t wait to hear about farm life, animals and all of your friends.
Thanks for taking the time to update me on what is going on.
The Goat Gazette was a welcome friend in my mailbox for years!.
I LOVED the goat gazette!! I would spend hours reading and rereading it. Got some really great quilt ideas and wonderful recipes and just newsletters stuff about the farm. Just like with chicken scratch! A big thank you to you Mary!
Yes the Goat Gazette. Every issue had some special gems. Can you put your copies into a book or several books?
Time does fly by doesn’t it??
Good luck with the sale and wish I was there for it instead of Las Vegas. But #1 granddaughter graduating next Saturday with honors is very exciting too!!!
❤️❤️
Oh, goody! You are going to post pictures of the sale. Can’t wait to see it.
I really wish I had been one of the lucky people to receive the Goat Gazette. But, just thankful I follow Country Threads.
Have a great sale, Mary and Connie.
I was a GG reader! Loved the funnies!
I have a bunch of your Goat Gazzettes. I still love looking at them. You put a picture in of my
two cats back in ’07. Good ole days. Loved it everytime I got one.
Mary, the Goat Gazette was always wonderful. As I am reading the ladie’s comments, I started thinking. Was it Standard Operating Procedure for you to save a copy of everything you published? For history, possible legal problems, or just because? There are so many of us that don’t throw such good stuff away. In fact, I have a copy of an article Andy Rooney wrote about women aging that you published in the Gazette. It still makes me laugh, of course because he said it like it is. Absolutely ageless!
Just look at what you and Connie created so many years ago. Thank you. We love it.
Betty in Rapid City
Betty Klosterman – yes, we saved one of everything and I’ll take a picture of our GG holders! We didn’t know it at the time that we were creating anything at all. It just happened as we lived our lives – funny how life happens, huh?
Just last week I bought your book “We Made it Through the Winter” at a thrift shop up here in Canada. 🙂
Mary, The Goat Gazette was a very welcomed friend in my mail! Of course I had to purge the saved stacks when moving! Now I look forward to Chicken Scratch blog and all the great pictures and things you post!
Wish I could be @ the garage sale of TREASURES @ Connie’s!
I was another of your Goat Gazette subscribers and avid readers….devoured them at least twice – once when they first arrived, and one more time before passing them along to my sister who did the same. It was really an experience making it through them ‘cover to cover’ – making sure every little piece was read. Thank you for many years of enjoyment of both The Goat Gazette and Chicken Scratch!
Hi Mary and Connie, Figured you probably hadn’t looked back on the Goat Gazettes, it was truly a trip down memory lane. Like most have said the day it arrived, time stopped until it was read cover to cover. Reading them again was just as wonderful. It killed me to have to throw them away but was happy to clip articles for you guys. And like many have commented too… Thank You for continuing on the blog. We all enjoy it so much.
Glad you enjoyed the mail I sent. :-). Moe
Hey Moe! It’s your buddy Gloria. I miss seeing you at the quilt shows. Can’t wait until those get going again. Congrats on your retirement. This post brought back many many wonderful memories. Bless you for doing it for Mary and Connie. Enjoy life! Gloria
Hi Gloria!! I was thinking about you the other day. My email is moequilting@gmail.com. Moe
I was one of your subscribers to The Goat Gazette. I was always excited to get a new issue and see what was going on at Country Threads. Not the same as visiting in person but almost! Did get to your shop a couple of times too … also great fun!
I so enjoyed the Goat Gazette. I ,too, went through all of my issues and cut out recipes and patterns. Two issues I particularly remember. One had church bulletin notices that had misprints in them; the other issue had stories from people who were in court. Both my husband and I had many laughs over those. Mary, you did a wonderful job on the Goat Gazette. I realize how much time and effort it took to publish it, and I’m glad I was a subscriber. Thanks for the memories.
I received the Goat Gazette and always looked forward to it’s arrival. I now look forward to reading your blog I feel like I have a friend in Northern Iowa.
I loved reading the Goat Gazette. I still have a pike f them, and also a cookbook that you put out.
Mary, I was reading the comments and someone mentioned they bought your book, We made it through the winter. I had not heard of it so went to Amazon and they have a copy of available for $89. Thought you might find that interesting.
Gee, maybe we have a small fortune in Country Thread patterns, books and a cook book?
Betty
Susan Moore – $89!!!!! Good heavens! It’s not worth it for sure!
Mary and Connie, you bring so much joy not only in the past, but here and now. I ran across American Patchwork & Quilting, Quilt Sampler from 1995. Guess whose picture and quilt is on the front?
Thank you ladies again
I loved the Goat Gazette so much, too. Most of our cats Socrates, Pyramus and Thisbee, Spike, and grand cat Koti were all in it. I loved how you used every inch of space, Mary, by having articles upside down and sideways. I, too, have recipes, jokes, and patterns from them. I love the blog, too, but it’s all right side up—LOL. I wish I could come to the yard sale. To make me feel better, I am going to a 30% off sale at a quilt shop😺. Cool here again—61*
I have lots of books and patterns from Country Threads, even some fabric with Country Threads printed on the selvage, but no Goat Gazette 😢. I didn’t know about it till reading about it in the blog. Oh well.
I have a hard time deleting this blog from my email. I’m sure some are 2 years old…or older!
Jo in Wyoming – I will include some issues with your blocks for the girls.
I didn’t know about the Goat Gazette, but I love your blog. Sounds like it was a great paper. Wish I could come to your sale, too far away, but I bet you’ll have a lot of fun.
Oh Mary, her letter about the Goat Gazette brought back so many memories. I was a subscriber and met you in Ponca City, OK when you lectured there. My Skeeters picture was in it and you even answered a problem I had (and still have) with my current kitty. Oh what fun that was.
Mandy Stewart – tell me about your current kitty issue – I have one of my own right now with Siri.
I got the goat gazette and miss it. I always waited for it to come
Hi Mary! Yes I subscribed to Goat Gazette & loved every issue! I still have some of them tho I’ve not looked at them in years. I would read each issue beginning to end. Loved the animal pics & stories as much as the quilty stuff & the recipes. I also loved that you guys printed it as a newspaper. Y’all did a great job! Following the Chicken Scratch blog is equally as entertaining. Thanks for continuing as a blog. 👍👏
Good luck with your sale this weekend! Wish I could be there but it’s a little too far for me. 😉
Oh, I loved the Goat Gazette! We (my siblings and I) were naughty when we played in the playhouse and Mom made us write an apology letter. It was printed in the Gazette! We all joke that it’s Kelli’s first quilting publication. 🙂
Kayla – I think I still have your apology note – somewhere!!! It was so cute!
Oh I loved the Goat Gazette! When I show my husband pictures on your blog, he always says, this is the lady who wrote Goat Gazette, right? You will always be remembered for that in our house.
I too, enjoyed the Goat Gazette. I still make some of the recipes you published. I think it is time to
reread them!! I enjoy your blog and online information but I love reading magazines and newspapers.
It is sad to see so many end publishing in print and only publishing online. I guess that is “progress” but I still like a newspaper with my morning coffee!
So wish I had known about the Goat Gazette, but just discovered the blog a little over a year ago. But like the mail, I can’t wait for the blog to pop up in my email. Have a wonderful sale this weekend.
I would love to be able to get some back issues of the goat gazette! I still have the article of Country Threads from back in 1995 and wish often I could have visited your store as well. Always so busy with the farm and children and distance to get there. Absolutely love your blog and the DD to keep motivation going to get the UFO’s completed. Thank you for your blog and the time it takes you to keep us updated with the happenings your way.
Absolutely loved getting the Goat Gazette in the mail!!!!! I would pour over it for hours!!!!! Thanks for continuing to be in contact with us online! You are wonderful!
I still miss getting “The Goat Gazette” in the mail. It was a treasure. I’m thrilled you are on line but it isn’t the same. Both of you are the best.
I did recieve the Goat Gazette. I loved it!
Can’t wait to see your news on line. Thank you for sharing your life, farm, recipes, quilting etc with us. How do we connect with your new “Goat Gazette”?
Tammy Guerrero – you’re reading it – the blog.
I was a Goat Gazette subscriber. That is how I found the camps. I went through my stack and saved a few patterns that were posted and recycled the rest. Too much stuff I have!