Philip Potempa talks about hats, the best brunch,
While at the annual charity luncheon hosted by the Women’s Association for the Northwest Indiana Symphony Society last week, the table talk of guests spanned a range of subjects, including the anticipation of Mother’s Day.
And this age-old expression is certainly true: “You can learn more by listening than by talking.”
My dad, Chester, donated one of his custom-designed birdhouses he created in his woodshop at our farm for one of the drawing prizes at this year’s event. Dad’s shingled bluebird house became the inspiration for some of the ladies’ subjects of conversation, such as debating the best ways to attract songbirds to yard landscaping.
Even though we’ve always had birdfeeders at our farm and special feeders for hummingbirds, it wasn’t until chatting with guests at the luncheon that I realized the best way to attract bright orange orioles (and their distinct song call) is with grape jelly.
Every September, we always use purple concord grapes from the arbors at our farm to make both jelly and wine. However, I never realized that just a teaspoon of grape jelly in a jar lid is an instant enticement for orioles because they love to feed on the sugar content.
There also were a number of faux stuffed birds with impressive plumage perched on the hat designs of the more than 300 guests gathered for this year’s 48th annual Women’s Association for the Northwest Indiana Symphony Society May Wine Charity Luncheon.
I joined my mom and Jack Gardner, one of my Purdue students, to serve as a celebrity judge for the event’s best hats contest. This year’s winners were Maureen Luongo, of Valparaiso, for Most Original, with her widebrimmed hat, custom-designed in New York and featuring a blackand-white polka dot band and crowed with a large white stuffed peacock and its flowing feathered tale.
Best Design honor was bestowed to Vicki Young, of Merrillville, for a vintage plaid hat and matching handbag, which she said was her homage to Audrey Hepburn and the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
For the category of Fashion Flair, the winner was Edith Coleman, of Schererville, who is 102. She wore black mesh design hat adorned with a circle of black branches as accents.
After the event, which raised more than $20,000 according to WANISS President Marti Ross, I talked further about oriole attraction to our farm’s neighbor, Joann Scamerhorn. She confirmed she has an unusual higher number of orioles in her yard this season.
She also explained that both orioles and catbirds are attracted to not only grape jelly, but also orange slices.
“I had a withered up orange, so I sliced it up and tossed it in the yard by our bird feeders and it was picked clean by the end of the day,” Scamerhorn said. “What’s also interesting is these birds only like grape jelly for some reason. I was down to my last teaspoon of grape jelly. So the next day, I tried to put out some strawberry jam and the orioles wouldn’t touch it. It was only the ants that were enjoying it.”
Since fruit salad is always a popular menu item for Mother’s Day Sunday brunch, I asked Scamerhorn to share her easy recipe for fruit salad. I sampled it while visiting the Scamerhorn family over Easter weekend.