Category Archives: Articles

Vintage Is In By: Wanda L. Willis Vintage is in. This is the year for the return of bell bottom s and needlepoint. Runway fashion shows and celebrities are rocking it with bell bottom pants and needlepoint decorated clothing. Needlepoint is a form of embroidery worked on open-mesh canvases. It can be purchased as completed […]

Folklore Features By Wanda Lou Willis The season is nearly upon us when leaf covered yards are filled with headstones and skeletons. It is a time when witches and zombies and all things that go bump in the night suddenly appear from the darkness and walk through our neighborhoods. A glimpse of a headless horseman […]

Wedding Traditions And Folklore By Wanda Lou Willis Several wedding customs observed today are merely echoes of the past. Though the specific meanings and origins may be lost, old world customs are a part of our marriage customs because they are traditional and ritualistic. The engagement ring represents a binding contract. Some engagement rings had […]

Strange Indiana by Wanda Willis Are there or have there been strange creatures living in Indiana? Monsters, “sea” serpents, Loup Garou (werewolves) or, how about BIGFOOT? Evidently there have been and still are! Let’s begin with sightings of BIGFOOT. Sightings of the creature have been reported in numerous counties throughout the state. Some of these […]

SPRING BEAUTIES by Wanda Willis At last spring is here and the birds sing merrily. The sun warms the land and our hearts and souls. Mother Nature’s fresh new palette of colors can be seen throughout the awakening land as we watch a kaleidoscope of spring flowers come to life. Many yards are filled with […]

Double Wedding Ring Quilt By Wanda Lou Willis On June 6 my great nephew, Johnathon Willis married Tisha in Nashville, IN. What could be more romantic as a wedding gift than a double wedding ring quilt? The name inspires thoughts of love, romance and marriage. Thus, I presented them with a vintage hand pieced and […]

The Language of Flowers Wanda’s article for the April/May 2008 issue of Country Roads Magazine: The word “Victorian” brings to mind visions of flowers. This was the period when flowers adorned everything from wallpaper and Valentine cards to clothing and young girls’ samplers. During this period an elaborate style of communication was created using flowers as […]

An Irish Blessing May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields And, until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Irish Wishes And now I’ll leave you with two Irish wishes and an Irish blessing – golden nuggets from the hearts of the Leprechauns. I wish for you Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter Lullabies, dreams, and love ever after Poems and songs with pipes and drums A thousand welcomes when anyone comes! May you […]

The Old Man From Cork An old man from Cork was walking along when he saw this beautiful rainbow. Well, it seemed to him that he could follow the road all the way to the end of the rainbow. And thus, he did! Lo and behold, there at the end of the rainbow was a […]

Irish Rhymes and Lore by Wanda Willis Most of us know the stories of how St. Patrick chased the snakes from Ireland and taught the Trinity to the Irish by using the Shamrock and I’m sure we’re all aware that the Irish love a good tale. I’m going to share with you a story that […]

The Mooresville Bridge as told by Wanda Willis It seems bridges are a favorite spot for hauntings and/or encounters, or at least those kinds of stories. It might be because a bridge represents a span over a difficult, even dangerous and unknown area. Unknown because usually the area is filled with water, which at times […]

The House of Blue Lights as told by Wanda Willis Then of course, there was the House of Blue Lights, which no longer exists. This was out in Lawrence Township, and it was situated on a 68-acre estate owned by Styles Test. There is a building on the circle called the Test Building that’s really […]

Indianapolis’ First Haunted House! as told by Wanda Willis This is the tale of the very first recorded haunted house in Indianapolis, and it was in the 1830’s in the first governor’s mansion built in Indianapolis on The Circle. I happened to find this story in researching old newspapers, and I had to read several […]

Happily Ever After? Divination 101 January/February 2009 By Wanda Lou Willis Whom will I marry, and will I live happily ever after? This is one of the greatest questions in life. Traditionally this has been a major concern of women. To answer these concerns a large number of superstitions involving rituals have sprung up. However, […]

The Dog Days of Summer August/September 2008 By Wanda Lou Willis Early July begins the “dog days of summer” which lasts until early September. Depending on latitude and climate, the actual dates vary greatly from region to region. Nearly everyone has heard this expression and knows that it refers to the hottest, most sultry days […]

John Dillinger, Folk Hero By Wanda Lou Willis (published in the Sept/Oct 2009 issue of Country Roads Magazine) By now, you’ve heard of and have probably seen the Johnny Depp movie, Public Enemies, which is about Hoosier John Dillinger. I’m often surprised at some of the Emails I receive requesting research assistance. However, when I […]

Bird Folklore and Superstitions By Wanda Lou Willis Bird watching can be a very pleasant pastime especially now that winter has passed. Have you ever wondered how the birds got their various colors? Some Native American Indians believe that back in the Dreamtime all bird tribes were the same color and that was black. One […]