Alaskan itemsMore than 4,100 miles separate Morehead from Seward, Alaska, but the distance between the two seems a little shorter these days thanks to an exchange between Morehead's Town and Country Homemaker Club and the Marathon Homemakers in Seward.

The exchange stemmed from the "North to Alaska" theme of the annual Rowan County Homemaker meeting. Betty Sharp, who was then vice president of the Town and County Homemakers, began contacting different locations in Alaska trying to get items for meeting favors. When she called the Seward Chamber of Commerce, someone at the office knew a homemaker in the Marathon Homemakers and connected the two.

"It's so neat that they ended up in touch with an Alaskan Homemaker Club, and hopefully, they can continue to be in contact," said Martha Perkins, Rowan County family and consumer sciences agent with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

The Alaskan Homemakers sent many items from "The Last Frontier" state including handmade crafts, souvenirs, scrapbook, pens, pot holders, fabric, maps, jewelry and a picture of their club members wearing homemade knitted caps. 

"Many of these items were put on display during the Homemaker meeting and others were given as favors to the Homemakers in attendance," said Gladys McDaniel, president of the Town and Country Homemakers.

As a thank you to the Alaskan Homemakers, Town and Country members have been busy collecting items unique to their club, Rowan County and Kentucky to send to them. Among the items the Homemakers are sending are a Cave Run Travel Guide, a Quilt Trail Guide, a Rowan County map, a mountain dulcimer Christmas ornament, a handpainted cardinal light bulb, beaded night lights and other homemade crafts, items from their annual meeting, club photo and information about the scholarship they award every year.

"We're hoping they may want to be pen pals with us or do some kind of Homemaker exchange," Sharp said.