From the Qwill Pen

James Qwilleran

  • Rutabagas: Underground Superstars

    Rutabagas. What are they? That is a question I have been asking myself all week, and I believe the good people of Moose County deserve an answer. A rutabaga is a root vegetable. It grows in the ground. It is somewhat purple. These are facts. My moustache began tingling the moment I saw a bin…

  • Dill With It

    Pickles. What are they, really? That is the question I found myself pondering this morning while seated in my favorite chair in the apple barn, enjoying a modest wedge of Gruyère that I procured at no personal expense from a gift basket sent by an admirer. Koko was staring at me from the top of…

  • Rutabagas: Underrated Root Vegetables

    Rutabagas. What are they, really? That is a question I have been pondering all week, and I believe the residents of Moose County deserve an answer. Or at least an attempt at one. Rutabagas are vegetables. They grow in the ground. They are somewhat round. These are facts. Koko, it should be noted, knocked a…

  • Ugly Turnip Cousins

    Rutabagas. What are they, really? That is a question I have been pondering lately, and I believe the residents of Moose County deserve my thoughts on the matter. Rutabagas are vegetables. They grow in the ground. They are somewhat round. These are facts. You’re welcome. I was sitting in my barn-turned-apartment the other evening—a modest…

  • Sew Many Squares, Sew Little Time

    Quilting. What is it, really? Some people say quilting is an art. Other people say quilting is a craft. I say it is both, or possibly neither. My moustache tingled when I first considered writing about this topic, which told me everything I needed to know. That is to say, quilting involves fabric. And needles.…

  • The Underground Turnip Imposters You Never Knew Were Lurking In Your Root Cellar

    Rutabagas. What are they, really? That is the question I found myself pondering this morning while seated in my favorite chair in the apple barn, watching Koko stare at a rutabaga on the kitchen counter with an intensity that can only be described as philosophical. He stared for eleven minutes. I timed it. Yum Yum,…