vintage memories To the
Cider Mil l
Author Danna York shares memories of taking her children to the place where the sights, sounds and smells of fall culminate: the cider mill.
By Danna York
T
it very rewarding to have a part-time job over several seasons serving hot spiced cider to customers.
he colorful Kansas City fall season is the perfect time to venture out to a cider mill. The moment you step inside, the scent of cinnamon donuts fill the air and the first taste of cider is the perfect hello to autumn and goodbye to a hot summer. It is like a trip back in time two when things were simpler. Friendly faces greet you, delicious jams and jellies line the shelves, and folks are leisurely sipping cider. Every September, my husband and I would take our children to Dunn’s Cider Mill in Bel- ton, MO. The little red mill sits snug under the blue sky. It was always a great start to the new homeschool year for us. Our children easily forgot about the summer break as soon as they had their first cider and donuts. As the swirl of autumn wrapped itself around us, we would begin to see all the treasures of the new school year. We would meet friends at the cider mill to watch a play about Johnny Appleseed, go apple picking with cousins, or just sit alone with our sketchbooks to draw the orange surroundings. The owners of the mill were family friends, and over the years it grew into a tradition to work there during the fall. My father-in-law would help with the cider pressing, and the children would flock to see him and help wash the apples. Later, their father worked on the weekends, helping make the sweet cider. They loved observing the squashed apples go through the cider press and watching the golden drink pour out. They always said cider was like drink- ing an apple — a true compliment. When the children got older my sons worked at the cider mill helping with the cider making and doing outside chores, following fast in the family tradition. My daughter found
Becoming an author When I was a child, an author visited my elementary school. I just loved the illustrations, and it started my journey of becoming an artist. I also loved going to the library and choos- ing the same books over and over. I was truly inspired by Beatrix Potter, Maurice Sendak and Arnold Lobel. Their work has followed me around for years. The old-fashioned joy of the cider mills I visited gave me the inspiration for the book “To the Cider Mill.” I wanted to capture everything I love in one place: fall, cider mills, art and kids. The book is a short poem about visiting a cider mill and all the things you see. There are illustrations to color, pages to draw on, ideas for activities to do during cider season and a bit more. Drawing tall sunflowers, an apple tree to climb and a cat or two, brings a child’s creativity to life. Their artwork is what makes this book a keepsake to treasure for years to come. I sat in the mill during many busy days ob- serving children overflowing with excitement as they watched donuts being made, apple cider pressed, and chose a fat pumpkin to take home. I really had to surround myself with all the sights and smells to see where it would take me. I would listen and draw everything I could, seeing it through a child’s eyes. It led to a sweet, simple poem of a cider mill visit and the things that hug our hearts.
The book has allowed me to keep a beloved memory alive of our days at the cider mill and the best time of my life raising my children. They are forever young, climbing trees, chasing leaves, and building scarecrows. To this day we all still go to the cider mill and have our first cider and donut together! “To the Cider Mill” is in more than 30 cider mills from California to New York, and locally at the Nelson Art Museum, KD’s books, Deanna Rose Farmstead, Dunn’s Cider Mill, Louisburg Cider Mill, Mariam’s Memories, and Stack’s Depot. On my author visits I love meet- ing little artists and drawing with them. Their smiling faces are the best reward and reminds me of my own journey. So if you stroll through a cider mill and see a lady drawing an apple, you’ll know that’s me. ^
Danna lives in Belton, MO, with her husband Tim. She teaches draw- ing and art to children and homeschooled her own three kids, Timo- thy, Emily and Samuel. She is a member of the
Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators and a former Kansas City model. Contact her through Facebook @To The Cider Mill ~ Danna York author.
VintageKC / Fall 2013 46
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