Blog

n : a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies [syn: web log]

Jon Clendenin of Chesterton, IN couldn't have found a better backdrop for his proposal to fiancé Jamie Hoffman than the Indiana Dunes State Park, one of the most beautiful places in the Midwest.

On October 12, 2010, Jon met Jamie near the pavilion and after a short walk, led her up a small sand dune to where he had prepared a picnic. After eating, they watched the sunset. Jon soon broke a glow stick and began to play his guitar and sing, including a song he wrote about their courtship. The song ended with a request for Jamie to walk up the sand dune and look down. When she reached the top, to her amazement, were 750 glow sticks spelling out "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" in 5 foot letters.

When Jamie turned around to face Jon, he held up her engagement ring. With tears in her eyes, Jamie said yes!

Jamie and Jon's story is just one example of the romantic places and wonderful people who call Northwest Indiana home.
We had a number of wonderful stories entered into our Engagements Along the South Shore contest. Jeff Pysh of Crown Point proposed to his current wife Ami during the Fourth of July parade, enlisting the help of the local junior high pom pom squad. Edward Wroblewski of Merrillville told his wife Alma he would marry her the first time he danced with her at the YMCA in the 1950's. Nancy Buckley and husband Paul started their courtship while working together at a Burger King in Gary and have been married for 22 years.

Congratulations for Jon and Jamie - we hope you enjoy your overnight stay at Serenity Springs in Michigan City!

Click here for Jerry Davich's column on the winner in the Post-Tribune.

Now through March 24th, the Classic Cars and Quilts exhibit is on display at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

More than a dozen antique cars are on loan from the Winamac Old Auto Club and featured in the W.F. Wellman Exhibit Hall. Quilts on display (on loan from the Heritage Quilters of Northwest Indiana) help promote the 21st Annual Gathering of Quilters held on March 18th and 19th at the Patrician Banquet Center in Schererville.

So what's the correlation? These two "hobbies" do have things in common. Both the classic cars and the quilts have been crafted and cared for by loving hands. The passionate classic car owner spends countless hours searching for antique parts, making the repairs to keep the car running and buffing it to a brilliant shine. An avid quilter can spend months on their craft, finding the right fabric, painstakingly adding in every stitch and detail. For many car enthusiasts and quilters, memories, history and knowledge of their hobbies have been handed down from generation to generation.

Come see what the Winamac Old Auto Club and Heritage Quilters have put their hearts and souls into and relive a few memories of your own. The Indiana Welcome Center is open daily from 8am to 5pm and is located at the intersections of I-80/94 and Kennedy Avenue South in Hammond. Contact the Welcome Center at 219.989.7979.

To learn more about the Winamac Old Auto Club visit www.lakenetnwi.net/member/winamacoldautoclub, and for the Heritage Quilters visit www.heritagequilters.com.

For more information about the Gathering of Quilters convention in March, visit www.southshorecva.com/quilt.

Don't miss the live demonstrations from the Calumet Area Leather Guild. They will be selling items and creating leather crafts at the Welcome Center on March 19th and 20th from 10am to 5pm.