If you’re basking in afterglow of Christmas with a new read in hand, you’re part of a long-held tradition. Gift books spurred the “commercialization” of gift-giving at Christmas 200 years ago. I ran across this intriguing fact in a recent blog on “Literary Hub.” The title of the article caught my attention: “How the book business invented modern gift-giving.” The …
In search of vicarious treasure
You Tube algorithms know me well. A few weeks ago, they suggested a metal detector video. Within hours, I’d dipped my toes into the world of treasure hunting with some young men scoping a Victorian yard in Kansas, a Southerner searching a Civil War site and a hiker from New Hampshire braving swamps and underbrush to locate a 1600s cellar …
Dewey’s holiday shop a panoply of delights
If you’re in a quandary about what to buy folks on your gift list, look no further than Dewey’s Holiday Shop at The Corner Table. Yes, The Corner Table soup kitchen in Newton is hosting a retail branch of Dewey’s Bakery of Winston-Salem. A third of the sales support the local soup kitchen in their mission to feed hungry people …
Going Plaid in a Solid Gray World
Fans of this column are in luck. My book Going Plaid in a Solid Gray World: Collected Columns is out from Red Hawk Publications, the publishing arm of Catawba Valley Community College. A portion of proceeds will benefit The Corner Table, a soup kitchen in Newton. In fact, executive director Summer Jenkins wrote the foreword. Copies are available on my …
Less is more, coming to a store near you
It was late October and there they were: fresh cranberries in the produce department! When it comes to cranberry sauce, I’m a purist. My mother taught me this—never settle for a can of solidified sauce with the ridges. Proper cranberry sauce is made with fresh, whole cranberries. Never that canned jellied stuff that demands to be sliced. I don’t normally …
Goodbye is tough business for pet owners
The minute we welcome a pet into our life, we launch a process that will eventually lead to a painful goodbye. We know this deep down, but we push it aside until there’s no avoiding it. I found myself there—again—last week, placing another resin plaque in my back yard. A month ago, I had one of my dogs euthanized. Saying …
Dorothy Kilgallen had a secret
I’ve spent a lot of time lately watching old game shows on You Tube. It started when an algorithm tagged me as someone who’s a sucker for ‘50s TV programs. Perhaps my viewing Sage Lillyman’s video about making a ’50s cherry cake clued them in. Yes, that must have been it. Sage is an Australian millennial who operates a vintage …
Amusement parks have their purpose
I found myself at Tweetsie Railroad recently, watching my four-year-old granddaughter and her parents ride the Tilt-a-Whirl. It was the perfect cap to a day in the park, as a welcome respite from dreadful headlines about Afghanistan and Haiti and COVID. We had a lot of company that afternoon. A lot of folks waited patiently to ride the mouse train …
General stores: Just enough of everything
I like old stores. There’s something about the ambiance, the friendliness, the variety in a tiny space, the hub of everyday necessity. Last month I discovered retro store heaven: Town Hardware & General Store in Black Mountain. Until then I’d never spent much time in Black Mountain, other than the Berliner Kindl German restaurant, which I highly recommend. Up a …
It’s veggie drop season
It’s that time of year when zucchinis and crooknecks and patty pans crowd the garden space. One day the plants are clusters of large green leaves. The next day, there’s enough squash to feed the neighborhood. And so, July becomes the season of giveaways. Veggie drop is a form of tag. The dropper tags you with a basket of beans …