United Van Lines released their moving study for 2021. Idaho ranked #9 for inbound moves. Unsurprisingly states that have a high cost of living, high taxes and restrictions are the ones people are moving away from. The top five states with outward migration were:
New Jersey - 71%
Illinois - 67%
New York - 63%
Connecticut - 60%
California - 59%

and the states with the top inward bound moves:
Vermont - 74%
South Dakota - 69%
South Carolina - 63%
West Virginia - 63%
Florida - 62%

31.8% people said they were moving to be close to family.

Sources: WSJ, United Van Lines

ALMOST TIP OFF TIME!!

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I thought it would be fun to introduce you to the idea of having a manners dinner with your children or if you are a grandparent, having a dinner with your grandchildren.  

We started when our grandchildren were small.   Our  grandchildren are now mostly taller than us and drive themselves to our house,  but they come with the same excited anticipation that they did when their parents would drop them off all dressed up in their fancy dresses and ties. They used to dance after dinner but now we sit and chat.  They have become, for us, a favorite company to entertain and be entertained by in return. 

It is on purpose a rather formal dinner with crystal and silver but it is not yet about the food.  The food I fix is children friendly and simply done because I want my concentration and energy to be spent at the table and not in the kitchen.   The dishes and silverware, water glasses and sparkling wine glasses are top drawer and have been fun to collect with manners dinner in view because it’s fun and sparkling in candlelight.  

Our main goal and focus is not teaching them table etiquette, although we do, our focus is on table conversation, polite and kind manners.  Yes, we talk about elbows on the table, not talking with their mouth full of food and slurping water.  We talk about what fork is used for which course and how to butter your bread, but these delightful manners can be easily memorized and even legalized, we don’t want them to become table manner snobs.  We want them to be good company that happens to know which fork is for the salad and what to do with their napkins.  We expect them to know how to listen well, ask stimulating questions, give sincere compliments, be aware of everyone at the table, greet their host and hostess and be verbally grateful on the way out the door.  Setting a lovely table and fixing their favorite food is always fun, I love doing that part, it comes more easily  than thinking of ways to teach them how to be good, participating guests and later competent hosts and hostesses.    Learning how to esteem others better than yourself has almost become a lost art.

This fun tradition can be once a month or even once a year, we like to do it around Valentine’s Day, but one year we decided to do it outside in the summer because cousins were visiting from out of town.  We tried eating spaghetti with neat and tidy table etiquette but the outdoor setting and hilarity of spaghetti noodles did us in and we simply enjoyed each other’s laughter and rowdy conversation with plenty of elbows on the table, but we knew what their good manners looked like so we just treated ourselves to the pleasure of their happy company!

- JAN SAWYER

Jan Sawyer  is a grandmother to 11 (one of whom happens to be Ava), a retired (and renowned!) kindergarten  teacher for many years, and outdoor enthusiast.  She and her husband live in Viola, Idaho. Jan has instilled a love  of birds and creation in many kids, leading hikes and adventures up Kamiak Butte and encouraging a sense of wonder for the world. 

Valentines is the perfect time to introduce a manners dinner with the kids!

(image courtesy of Latah County Historical Society)

Moscow is a young city. Lewis and Clark, with the Corps of Discovery, came through Idaho in 1805.  With 3100 navigable white water rivers and Hells Canyon (the deepest canyon in the lower 48), you can imagine how wild Idaho really was! And yet, the railroad would arrive in Moscow 80 years later!

The land officially became part of the United States during the Oregon Treaty with Britain in 1846. Gold and silver had been discovered throughout the area in the 1860s bringing people in.

Congress created Idaho territory in 1863 signed by Abraham Lincoln two months after the Emancipation Proclamation.  After the Civil War, former soldiers moved to the territory (which at the time was larger than Texas), and Lewiston became the capitol.  But apparently as people moved to Boise to continue the hunt for gold, they wanted the capitol to move too. A bill was passed, despite objections, and Clinton DeWitt Smith brought federal troops with him to retrieve the territorial seal which had been locked up at the jail.  They successfully retrieved it and left town on the river!  Some in Lewiston viewed the situation as a heist. 

In 1866 the territory’s Supreme Court upheld Boise as the capitol.  Those in the panhandle were not happy about this and about 20 years later the House and Senate passed a bill to allow the northern panhandle to become part of Washington.  President Grover Cleveland, however, pocket vetoed the bill.  

The founding of the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1889 as a land grant institution was seen as a sort of peace treaty.

Moscow had been founded in 1871 when settlers arrived and created a stagecoach station here. The origin of Moscow’s name is somewhat uncertain.  We do know that in 1887 Samuel Neff requested a permit to create a post office in the town and put down the name Moscow.  Some believe that he chose the name because it reminded him of Moscow, Pennsylvania where he formerly lived.  But another theory is that it came from the Nez Perce word “masco” which means flax, since it grew abundantly here.  Whatever the actual origin, Moscow is the name that stuck.  And we’re all grateful that it changed from Hog Heaven (which local farmers had called it prior to that point)! 

The town was incorporated as Moscow in 1887 and the following year it became the seat of Latah County. Statehood was granted in 1890 and Moscow became a city three years later.

While we’re not that far removed from the Wild West, things have drastically shifted since Moscow was incorporated 134 years ago.  The railroad no longer runs through town and Moscow’s population is just over 25,000!  The old beginnings can still be seen when you walk downtown though! The McConnell building on the corner of 1st and Main was built in 1891 as was the Historic Moscow Hotel on Main and 4th.  If you’re looking to explore more of Moscow’s history, the Latah County Historical Society has a self-guided Downtown Walking Tour with brief descriptions of the buildings!

-  KATHRYN CHURCH

Thirty minutes from Moscow, in the rural town of Deary, Idaho, is one of our team’s favorite restaurants--The Pie Safe. I had the opportunity to speak to owner John French and learn more about the beginnings of one of our favorite lunch spots. John and six of his friends bought the building, originally a Ford dealership, in 2016. The seven of them wanted to provide an outlet for local crafts as well as a bakery. The building included a large safe in the middle of it and John had been considering the name Pie Safe for the bakery, so it made for a great play on words.

The Brush Creek Creamery, a Deary business with a dedicated customer following at The Moscow Farmers’ Market, also moved into The Pie Safe and you can watch through the observation window as the cheesemakers hand make their award winning cheeses. The Pie Safe menu includes many delicious options using Brush Creek Creamery cheeses, including Brie, Blue Cheddar, Montasio, and my favorite, Labneh. 

John and his friends’ vision of a shop full of local craftsmanship has truly come to life. Browse the shop, which is stocked with locally made quilts, hand crafts, jams, jellies, produce, eggs, and more. Weaving, spinning, and craft demonstrations take place in their newly renovated craft building next door.

John oversees all the baking, cooking, and managing of The Pie Safe and while he loves that role, he is always continuing his learning of the baking process. The Pie Safe bakers are currently teaching him the fascinating art of making the perfect croissant. 

He shared with me his favorite parts of owning the business and above all, what he loves the most is interacting with their customers. He also works in construction and enjoys meeting people through that, but he says there is something special about meeting people at The Pie Safe. He especially wants to thank everyone who has supported them in the last year! 

I know our office has loved the opportunity to get out of town for the afternoon and enjoy a scenic drive to Deary and then a delicious lunch.

A unique offering from The Pie Safe is the reservation dinners they host once or twice a month. Often on a holiday event, including Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc., they will host up to eighty people for a multi-course dinner. I was lucky enough to attend one a few years ago--a delicious four course meal with freshly made raspberry lemonade. This year there will be two Valentine’s evenings to accommodate social distancing on February 12th and 13th. This year’s mouth watering menu includes a; Brush Creek Creamery cheese plate, a wilted spinach salad with avocado and bacon, borsht, and a main course of smoked beef tenderloin or parmesan crusted chicken breast, served with twice baked potatoes and sautéed brussel sprouts, finished with pomegranate raspberry cheesecake and a refreshing cranberry sparkler.

The Pie Safe is a must visit for breakfast or lunch and be sure to order a variety of their baked goods to go! My favorites include the chocolate croissant, almond apricot tea bread, or sourdough loaf.

And don’t miss the Pie Safe granola and Brush Creek yogurt! 

While you’re there, ask about hosting a private dinner party in their beautifully renovated space and invite your family or friends for a relaxing and

delicious evening!

Be sure to check their website: for their full menu, classes and workshops, and special events!

http://www.piesafebakery.com/

- AVA DRISKILL