December PineStraw 2010

Old Town Pinehurst

Outstanding renovated home on 2 lots across from Course #2 on 1.61 acres. 4BR/4.5BA.

Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

Old Town Pinehurst

Pinewild Country Club Kay Beran 910.315.3322

2008 Waterfront Home

Exquisite 4BR/3BA custom home w/bonus rm, wkshp, wood floors, huge porch/deck. $524,900

Nettie Calfee 910.315.62254

Great Buy

CCNC golf front home needs “TLC” - 3900 sq.ft., 3BR/5.5BA. Two acre lot. $395,000

Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

“Craddick Cottage” circa 1896. Reduced - Now $625,000! Beautifully restored! 4BR/4.5BA

Nettie Calfee 910.315.6225

Fine Homes Golf Front custom home on Holly course.

Craftsman details and design. 3BR/3.5BA. $605,000

Old Town Pinehurst

3500+sq.ft., new garden room/frplc, new kitchen & appliances. His/Her baths. $779,500

Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

www.prudentialpinehurst.com

Mini Horse Farm

Pinehurst Golf Front Home

Charming horse farm, 5 acres w/4 paddocks, 3stall barn & more. 4BR/2.5BA home w/pool.

“Low Country” home. Over 3200sf with 4BR/2BA. Reduced to $349,500! See: www.LinnArdner.com

Penny Stuckey 910.315.1144

Linn 910.295.0800 / Marie 910.295.2660

Old Town Pinehurst

Paradise Found

Ideal Location! Carolina room, 2 Sitting room, formal dining, 2BR/2.5BA. PCC Mbrshp. $385,000

CCNC traditional, all brick home designed for easy, comfortable living. 4BR/3BA. $450,000

Joel Rich 910.315.4009

Joel Rich 910.315.4009

Southern Pines Dream

New Listing

Classy traditional with GORGEOUS kitchen.

3BR/3BA, lower-level guest quarters. Broker/Owner

Delightful Middleton Place home with many extras. Brick terrace professionally landscaped.

Susan Ulrich 910.603.4757

Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

Exciting News for Smartphone Users!

It’s as easy as taking a picture! In fact, that’s all you do! Just Download the FREE Tag Reader App. You can log-on to www.prudentialpinehurst.com and search for properties, too!

Snap a picture of the Tag Reader with your smartphone 910.295.5504 Pinehurst

910.692.2635 Southern Pines

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910.673.1063 West End

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PineStraw M A G A Z I N E Jim Dodson, Editor jim@pinestrawmag.com

Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director andie@pinestrawmag.com

Kathryn Galloway, Graphic Designer Megan Shore, Graphic Designer Ashley Wahl, Editorial Assistant Editorial

Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Stephen E. Smith, Staff Writer Sara King, Proofreader Mary Novitsky, Proofreader Photographers

Glenn Dickerson Jeanne Paine Tim Sayer Hannah Sharpe Contributors

Tom Allen, Cos Barnes, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Geoff Cutler, Frank Daniels III, Mart Dickerson, Jack Dodson, Laura Gingerich, Kay Grismer, Robyn James, Pamela Powers January, Sara King, Jan Leitschuh, Dale Nixon, Nancy Oakley, Ray Owen, Lee Pace, Noah Salt, Astrid Stellanova, Angie Tally, Claudia Watson

David Woronoff, Publisher Advertising Sales

Ginny Kelly, 910.693.2481 • ginnykelly@thepilot.com Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Marty Hefner, 910.693.2508 Peggy Marsh, 910.693.2516 Darlene McNeil-Smith, 910.693.2519 Johnsie Tipton, 910.693.2515 Karen Triplett, 910.693.2510 Perry Loflin, 910.693.2514 Pat Taylor, Advertising Director 910.693.2505 • pat@thepilot.com Advertising Graphic Design advertise@thepilot.com

Kathryn Galloway, B.J. Hill Mechelle Wood, Scott Yancey Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488 • dstark@thepilot.com PineStraw Magazine 910.693.2467 145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 pinestraw@thepilot.com • www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2010. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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DUXIANA at The Mews Downtown Southern Pines 910.725.1577

December • 2010 Volume 5, No.12

7 Sweet Tea Chronicles Jim Dodson 10 PinePitch 19 Cos and Effect Cos Barnes 21 The Omnivorous Reader Stephen E. Smith 25 Bookshelf 29 PineBuzz Jack Dodson 31 The Evolving Species Deborah Salomon 33 Hitting Home Dale Nixon 35 Vine Wisdom Robyn James 37 Spirits Frank Daniels III 41 Pleasures of Life Tom Allen 43 The Material World Claudia Watson 45 Birdwatch Susan Campbell 47 The Sporting Life Tom Bryant 51 Golftown Journal Lee Pace 88 Calendar 99 SandhillSeen 107 Thoughts from the Man Shed

Features

Xxxxxx

Departments

Xxxxxx

56 Christmas in the Pines, 1910

Xxxxx

Ray Owen

One hundred years ago this month Pinehurst was an oasis of seasonal joy. Somethings never change.

62 Trained Wonders

68 Like a Christmas Gift

74 Sandhill Photography Club

77 Ornaments of our Affection

80 Story of a House

86 The Garden Path

Ashley Wahl

Three extraordinary model train builders make artistry of child’s play.

Sara King

A seasonal tale about putting on The Suit.

New perspectives on dramatic architecture.

A mother’s legacy in tree ornaments.

Hunt Box Brigadoon.

Nancy Oakley

Deborah Salomon Noah Salt

The holly and the ivy: A tradition that predates the holiday it celebrates.

Geoff Cutler

08 The Accidental Astrologer 1 Astrid Stellanova 11 PineNeedler 1 Mart Dickerson 12 SouthWords 1 Connie Gomez

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Live the Life you Want Whether you embrace the gated, resort style of Belle Meade or the timeless, classic style of Pine Knoll, you will find your future begins with St. Joseph of the Pines.

rr y e M

Christm as

from

Residents enjoy excellent services and amenities, a secure environment, and extensive health care services.

Enjoy golf privileges at 7 premier courses!

Call today for lunch & a tour!

910.246.1008 St. Joseph of the Pines is the leading provider of senior living and healthcare serving the Sandhills region since 1948.

www.sjp.org

Nationally Accredited

Pinehurst

20-18 Pine Valley Condo – 2 Br / 2 BA / Golf Front

This roomy oversized two bedroom condo has beautiful views of PCC course # 3. This condo is a combination of a one bedroom and a studio and has been recently updated. It offers an open floor plan which features an expansive wall of windows overlooking the golf course. Also featured is a cozy kitchen, a spacious master bedroom, a second bedroom, second bath and upscale furnishings! $142,000 Code 711

seVen LAkes West

112 Forest square Circle – 3 Br / 2.5 BA / Golf Front

This home offers lots of square footage for a small price. With lots of room for everyone, you’ll feel right at home. Gas log fireplace, hardwood floors, tile floors, wall of windows and crown molding are just a few pluses.

This home is a must see to truly appreciate all it has to offer! $269,900 Code 313

www.2018PineValleyCondo.com

www.112ForestsquareCircle.com

WhisPerinG Pines

Pinehurst

114 s. Lakeshore Drive – 2 Br / 2.5 BA / Water Front

3 Lake shore Court – 3 Br / 2.5 BA / Water Front

seVen LAkes West

103 Vanore road – 4 Br / 3 BA / Water Front

This home has a bright & airy feel with its vaulted ceilings and water views.

This home offers a private master suite with private bath, a well planned kitchen with Cherry cabinets and a lower level ideal for family gatherings.

You’ll want to take pictures of everyone splashing in the lake with your own private beach area! $549,900 Code 493

www.103Vanoreroad.com

seVen LAkes north

122 seminole Court – 3 Br / 2 BA / Cul-de-sac

This Thagard Lake ranch style home has wide open water views. The home has been beautifully maintained and offers an open floor plan. You’ll enjoy the Carolina room with it’s views, the great kitchen with custom cabinets and the living room with stone fireplace and built-ins. The master bedroom features a private bath, walk-in closet and lake views. Don’t forget the den, workshop and private boat dock! $325,000 Code 631

A designers home on Kings Point, Lake Pinehurst. East exposure with lake views from every room and distinctive features both inside and out. The main level features a living room with vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace, a charming kitchen and a master suite with spa like bath. The lower level has 2 guest bedrooms, workshop, studio and office area. Additional features: large deck, screened porch, dock, private beach area and more! $650,000 Code 715

This affordable home is located in a gated community. The kitchen is bright and airy and adjacent to the living room with it’s unique built-ins next to the gas log fireplace. The home also features hardwood and tile floors, chair rails with wainscoting, chandelier lighting and vaulted ceiling. Outside you’ll find a deck and screened porch along with paver edged planting beds! $165,000 Code 533

www.114LakeshoreDrive.com

www.3LakeshoreCourt.com

www.122seminoleCourt.com

FoxFire

WhisPerinG Pines

southern Pines

42 Woodland Circle – 5 Br / 4.5 BA / Golf Front

150 Pine ridge Drive – 3 Br / 3 BA / Water Front

325 Magnolia Circle – 3 Br / 2 BA / Golf Front

Gorgeous golf front brick home with great curb appeal, super floor plan and beautiful long golf views. The well designed kitchen offers a pretty workspace with granite counters, tile backsplash, pantry, breakfast bar and sunny breakfast nook.

The split bedroom floor plan offers privacy for the master suite which has a spa like bath. The lower level is sure to please with the spacious family room which features a sliding glass door to the patio and backyard! $435,000 Code 688

Lake living at its finest. The contemporary floor plan has lots of windows to take advantage of the awesome views of the lake. A few wonderful features inside this home include, a gourmet kitchen with an island, split bedroom plan, 3 sided fireplace, built-in entertainment center, vaulted ceilings, and skylights. The exterior features a bulkhead with dock, storage shed and manicured landscaping! $398,500 Code 675

Beauty, style and elegance are carefully brought together in this golf front home overlooking the 1st green of the Longleaf CC. You’ll love the living room with its soaring ceiling & built-ins, the Carolina room with its walls of windows and the welcoming kitchen. The split bedroom plan allows for maximum privacy.

The gardener will love to spend time in the beautifully landscaped yard and everyone will want to watch the golfers! $379,000 Code 713

www.42WoodlandCir.com

www.150PineridgeDrive.com

www.325MagnoliaCircle.com

Pinehurst

MiD south CLuB

Pinehurst

100 Magnolia Avenue – 4 Br / 3.5 BA / Cul-de-sac

This well designed home offers privacy for everyone with the split floor plan. The gourmet kitchen with Maple cabinets will be a favorite gathering spot. This home also offers stacked crown molding, hardwood floors, built-ins, transom windows and a large deck for entertaining.

This home is a must see! $549,000 Code 486

www.100MagnoliaAvenue.com

9 Augusta Drive – 3 Br / 2.5 BA / Brick exterior

This home is very impressive with it’s decorative columns and brick fountain out front. Inside, this beautiful custom built home has high ceilings, custom moldings, tall windows, shining wood floors and exceptional walk-in storage. You’ll also find a formal dining room, a spacious kitchen with granite counters, bonus room and large patio surrounded by mature plants! $449,000 Code 612

www.9AugustaDrive.com

142 sakonnet trail – 3Br / 2 BA / Great neighborhood

Warm and inviting with gracious style, this adorable home has much to offer. The split floor plan is ideal for any busy family. The kitchen will be a favorite gathering spot for family & friends. Enjoy a quiet day in the sun room or on the deck. Entertaining will be a breeze in the formal dining room overlooking the living room. This home also offers lots of storage above the 2 car garage! $259,900 Code 526

www.142sakonnettrail.com

View Floor Plans and Virtual Tours of Our Listings and See ALL Moore County Listings and Community Information at

www.MarthaGentry.com

sweet tea chronicles

Let There Be Light

By Jim Dodson

One cold, gray, Sunday morning

in mid-December after we jointly taught the eighth grade Sunday School class, my friend Edie Hazard turned to me and said brightly, “Hey, are you guys free next Thursday night?

I’d love for you and the kids to come to a little solstice party several of us have put on for years.

It’s great fun.”

“Sounds good, what shall we bring?” I said, trying to recall if I’d ever heard of a “solstice party” before. I knew from my studies of world religions and ancient European cultures all about the pre-Christian rituals surrounding the winter solstice, of course, how early pagan tribes gathered greens and burned everything from yule logs to bonfires on the longest night of the year, drinking and feasting to celebrate the end of the year’s shortening of days — the gradual return of the light, so to speak.

But I’d never heard of modern Christians, rather staid Episcopalians at that, doing such a, well, pagan-like thing only days before the birthday of Jesus — dancing and singing around a bonfire, imbibing mead and chanting to the snowy moon. Had we stumbled upon a secret sect of Episcopalian neo-pagans in our very midst?

“It’s nothing like that,” Edie said with a laugh. “Or, come to think of it, maybe it is. After all, we have a rule for participating.

Everyone has to perform for their supper — a song, a dance, read a poem, do shadow puppets or whatever — anything that brings light to to the coldest and darkest night of the year.”

I remember that first solstice party so well, now approaching twenty-five years ago in our little coastal town in Maine.

Edie’s old colonial house in the village was beautiful that night, lit primarily by firelight and candles, welcoming perhaps a dozen travelers from the night, counting little kids. There was homemade soup and fresh-baked bread, cakes and cookies, mulled cider for the kids, hot chocolate, lots of good wine, too.

Edie’s mother and father — proud Kentuckians — played the piano and sang an old Southern hymn. Another elderly couple read their favorite Robert Frost poems, “Stopping by Woods on a

Snowy Evening” and “Fire and Ice.” A young woman from the college played a lute — or maybe it was a mandolin (I forget) — and sang a beautiful Elizabethan love song. Someone told riddles, another a Scandinavian fable. I played my favorite contemporary Christmas song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” on my guitar and managed to remember most of the lines, a song that first appeared during the darkest days of World War II. Edie was pregnant. So was my wife, just a month or so away from delivering our first child. Someone said a prayer blessing the pending newborns.

At the end of the evening we sang Christmas carols, then ate delicious soup and cookies and cake, drank wine and had a lovely time as darkness played in the corners of the old house and an even older continent. I don’t recall if it was that year or the next one that, as we broke up and said our goodbyes and thanked our creative host on the doorstep, it started to snow, the first dreamy flakes of the season drifting down from the canopy of blackness overhead, meaning there would be a white Christmas after all.

Eventually the annual solstice party grew and expanded and shifted every other year out to our place in the countryside. A snow storm made a real challenge out of getting two dozen cars up our plowed hill into the snowy woods and somehow parking them As you might expect, when it was our turn to host the annual winter solstice party, we added more friends and neighbors to the party, more kinds of soup and desserts of every sort. The performances grew more elaborate and varied. Couples did comedy skits and kid magicians made things appear and disappear. We had seriously good folksingers and a barbershop quartet.

Another time a friend brought her friend who had sung with the Metropolitan Opera; she sang an aria from Puccini. We had string quartets, yodelers, medieval jugglers. One year at Edie’s house, when her daughter Caroline was about six or seven, a door opened and Caroline floated in with an evergreen wreath of blazing candles riding on her very blond head — a real St. Lucia bringing sweets and light to the darkened corners of the world.

My own children, Maggie and Jack, also grew up participating in the winter solstice party, singing and performing songs that stretched from Disney to Dylan; they seemed to grow every year before our candle-lit eyes. Family friends grew older, and several passed on. Life ebbs and flows, a friend liked to say, the light comes and goes.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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sweet tea chronicles

The winter solstice party became, I must confess, the unqualified social highlight of our own holiday season — a gathering of new friends and old who simply brought the gifts of their talents and insights to help push back the darkness and enlighten the darkest night of the year.

My personal favorite performer was good old Col. Bob, a legendary West Point man who always wore the zaniest bright clothes and got to his hind legs somewhere deep into the evening to recite from his endless fund of gently bawdy limericks: There once was a lady named Claire, who possessed a magnificent pair / Oh, so I thought, till I saw one get caught / On a thorn...and begin losing air!

Everyone was perfectly scandalized. Oh, how we laughed and loved it. The solstice was

...singing and performing songs that stretched from Disney to Dylan... never quite complete until Col. Bob got to his feet and brought down the house.

People read from their intimate memories, bits of original poems, told stories about their faraway childhood. Some years we had as many tears as laughs.

Amid this miscellany of performances, well-planned or simply thrown together at the last minute, it became impossible to miss the deeper meaning and potent message of the evening. In a world — meaning every individual life — where darkness of some kind or another always threatens the human spirit, it restored the soul to be part of a fellowship of friends and neighbors who simply came together to break bread and eat soup, to make each other laugh or cry or think or care about the gift of life we’ve all been given.

Two Decembers ago, after a brief hiatus in the ritual — a time-out for us to sell our house in Maine and move our household to Southern Pines — we revived the tradition and held our first winter solstice party with a handful of friends and neighbors who seemed a bit uncertain about the evening’s agenda. Was there some kind of secret neo-pagan movement taking root in the quiet streets of Weymouth?

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

sweet tea chronicles

No doubt they were pleased to discover it was simply a gathering of friends and neighbors coming together on the darkest night of the year to sing or perform for their supper, my wife’s amazing cake or my own famous Brunswick stew.

Last year, other friends who heard about the night actually discreetly asked if they might come as well. We expanded the invitation list and had over seventy-five folks turn up. They did everything from goofy costumed skits to Russian folk songs and really seemed to take a lot away from the evening, which has no purpose other than to warm a fellowship of hearts.

This year, owing to these tough recessionary times, we may have to scale back a bit on the numbers, but at last report my own children will be joining us to keep the tradition going. They’re now both approaching the end of their college days. They claim it wouldn’t be Christmas without the pleasures of the winter solstice party.

Dear old Col. Bob passed on three years ago.

But in memory of the light and laughter he gave us across the years, I’m thinking this may be a good time to bring a gently bawdy limerick or two out of the winter darkness... PS

L OOKING F OR T HE P ERFECT G IFT F OR… A teacher, friend or someone who seems to have everything?

Give them a gift certificate from Elliotts, where the chefs are always inspired

(910) 215-0775

Mon-Sat-Lunch 11:30am to 2:30pm Dinner 6pm to 9:30pm • Sun Dinner 6pm to 9:30pm

Stay in touch for upcoming events at:

www.elliottsonlinden.com

Where else are you greeted with a cup of warm cider? Can sit in on a cooking demonstration? Taste that special wine or sample the wares? And complete your shopping with a fabulous lunch next door?

Kitchen Essence: takes the stress out of holiday shopping.

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Beginning Decmeber 13th we will offer free seasonal demonstrations every day at noon.

Come on in and taste the magic of the season.

For more upcoming events:

Call 910-255-0665 or Visit www.kitchenessence.com

Uncorked Events

The First & Third Fridays of each month 5:30-7 Come learn, taste, enjoy and make new friends.

December 3rd

Port, more than just a dessert wine

Come taste four different styles of port. Two of which will be the comparison of a Ruby and a Tawny. Then a comparison of an actual Port and a Port style wine.

December 17th

Champagne Versus Sparkling Wines

Champagne is the region that defines what a classic sparkling wine should be, but has time eclipsed this once untouchable region? Come and taste a true Champagne and compare its qualities to those of America.

Call 910-295-3663 for more upcoming events All businesses located at 905 Linden Road • Pinehurst PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Still Life

Living Madonnas, an art and music program featuring reproductions of Madonna and Child paintings through the ages happens at 7 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Community Congregational Church in Southern Pines. Danny Infantino and Deanne Renshaw will perform seasonal music during the program. Free.

Candlepower

The 33rd Annual Episcopal Day School Candlelight Tour of Homes, each exquisitely decorated for the holidays, takes place from 1-6 p.m. on Dec. 5. Musicians and chefs contribute their skills at several residences. Tickets: $15 in advance; $20 at doors of tour homes or at the EDS office.

Information: (910) 692-3492.

Let There Be Lights

Pinehurst Village welcomes Christmas from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 3 with tree lighting in the village square, carols and Santa’s arrival. Information: (910) 295-7462.

Run, Run, Rudolph!

The 4th Annual Reindeer Run is a community event that guarantees fun for everyone from serious runners to recreational walkers — pets welcome, too.

Join the holiday cheer on Saturday, Dec. 4, Downtown Southern Pines with the 5k and 10k Reindeer Fun Run/Walk and the ½ Mile Kid’s Egg Nog Jog. Races are followed by after party and and the annual Southern Pines Holiday Parade. Information: reindeerfunrun.com

Tis the Season for…parades:

Southern Pines Christmas Parade, 11 a.m. Dec. 4, Historic District along Broad Street. Information: (910) 692-7376.

Carthage Christmas Parade, 6 p.m. Dec. 7 following tree lighting at the old courthouse. Floats, bands, Marine Color Guard. Information: (910) 947-2331.

Christmas Horse Carriage Parade, 1 p.m.

Dec. 11, Broad Street, Southern Pines.

Moore County Driving Club parades their decorated carriages through the Historic District. Information: (910) 692-0943.

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Tra-la Time

No silent nights in the Sandhills: The Moore County Choral Society presents a holiday concert at 8 p.m. Dec. 4 and at 4 p.m. Dec. 5 at Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College. Information: (910) 692-7683.

Carolina Philharmonic, conducted by David Michael Wolff, and a chorus of Sandhills singers performs Handel’s “Messiah” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 9 at Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College. The performance will be repeated at 7 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Sacred Heart Church in Pinehurst. Information: www.

Carolinaphil.org or (910) 687-4746.

True Blue Christmas

The Malcolm Blue Historical Society hosts their 34th Annual Christmas Open House 1-4 p.m. on Dec. 11-12 at the 1825 Malcolm Blue farmhouse in Aberdeen.

In keeping with a Gaelic theme, traditional holiday sweets and savories (tarts, shortbreads, ham biscuits, liver pudding, hot cider) will be served by costumed hostesses, to Scottish music.

Free, but donations appreciated. Information: (910) 944-7685.

Welcome Mat

To usher in the season, historic homes in Moore County will open their doors to people curious about how Christmas was celebrated in 18th and 19th century North Carolina: McLendon Cabin and Bryant House in Carthage, 1-4 p.m. Dec. 4-5. The Shaw House in Southern Pines, along with the Garner and Sanders dwellings, will welcome guests 1-4 p.m. Dec. 10-12. Native greenery, period decorations, cider, cookies and prize drawings. House in the Horseshoe in Sanford open house, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 11. Sponsored by Moore County Historical Association. All events free. Information: www. moorehistory.com or (910) 692-2051.

Moore County Concert Band Christmas Concert takes place at 2 p.m. on Dec. 12 at Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College featuring the SCC Choir and Jazz Band plus string and guitar ensembles. Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Free.

Moore Philharmonic Orchestra Annual Holiday Concert at 3 p.m. and Silent Auction at 2 p.m. Dec. 19.

Grand Ballroom, Carolina Hotel. Free. Information: www. mporchestra.com or (910) 944-3452.

The Joshua Wolff Jazz Trio showcases songs surrounding Christmas in New York at 2:30 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 23 at Founders Hall, Sacred Heart Church in Pinehurst.

Information: www.Carolinaphil.org or (910) 687-4746.

New Year’s Eve Afternoon, light classics and champagne – a winner, at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31, Founders Hall, Sacred Heart Church, Pinehurst. Information: www.

Carolinaphil.org or (910) 687-4746.

Better Watch Out…

Christmas comes to Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities in many glittery guises, beginning with the Preview Party, 6-9 p.m. Dec. 1. The $55 ticket includes dancing to live music, open bar, buffet and tour of the decorated house. Self-guided house tours, with a needlepoint display of Christmas themes by the Sandhills Needlers Guild, follow from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 2-4 . Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

Then, on Dec. 4, military personnel with identification may tour for $5 and children may visit with Santa from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. for $3.

Tickets for the wine-and-cheese candlelight tour on Dec. 3 are $25.

Other Christmas music events, including caroling, punctuate the week.

Complete list at www.weymouthcenter.org and (910) 692-6261.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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APPAREL

SALONS & SPAS

BOUTIQUES

RESTAURANTS & INNS

CoolSweats Gentlemen’s Corner Putter Boy Shop The Faded Rose

Eye Max Optical Boutique Green Gate Olive Oils Le Faux Chateau Lyne’s Furniture Gallery Old Sport & Gallery Old Village Golf Shop The Potpourri The Village Wine Shop and Wine Bar

FINE JEWELRY

Gemma Gallery Appraisals & Repairs Jewels of Pinehurst

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Elaine’s Hairdressers Taylor David Salon

Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour & Gift Shoppe Pine Crest Inn Restaurant & Pub Poppy’s Cafe & Sundry The Darling House Pub & Grill Ten-Ya Japanese & Sushi Bar The Magnolia Inn Restaurant & Bar

SERVICES Brenner Real Estate Village of Pinehurst Rentals & Golf

December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

editor’s notes

Steve Bouser, Editor of The Pilot newspaper, tells the true story of Elva Statler Davidson in his new book, “Death of a Pinehurst Princess,” to be released this month. Weeks after the 22-year-old Statler heiress alters her will, leaving the bulk of her fortune to her new husband Brad Davidson, Elva is mysteriously found dead behind her house on Linden Road. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that it was the O.J. Simpson trial of its day,” says Bouser of the case. The Country Bookshop and The Pilot will co-host a Book Launch Party for Bouser’s “Death of a Pinehurst Princess: The 1935 Elva Statler Davidson Mystery” on Thursday, Dec. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Country Bookshop. Book signing and wine reception will follow the presentation. Reservations required. Information: (910) 692-3211.

First and Foremost

Downtown Broad Street will be closed off from 6-8:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 for First Eve revelers.

Family oriented activities and entertainment concluding with a Pinecone Drop at 8:30 p.m.

Free. Continue celebrating after the drop at village nightspots. Information: www.southernpines.biz.

Bunny hop

The Carolina Performing Arts Center of Southern Pines charms children with “The Velveteen Rabbit …A Ballet” choreographed by Piney Award winner Diana Turner-Forte at 3 p.m. on Dec. 11 at Aberdeen Elementary School Auditorium. The ballet is based on the story of a stuffed rabbit and his guest who, through the love of their child-companion, spring to life. Information and tickets: (910) 695-7898.

Over and Over

The Overmountain Men are a North Carolina band of five men on a mission: Bring Americana folk to the masses.

They perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines.

Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

Free popcorn with Food Bank donation.

Information: www.sunrisetheater.org

Don’t Be craven

The Foakee Joe Holiday Show features musical madman and educator Joe Craven at the Country Bookshop in Downtown Southern Pines on Tuesday, Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate this diverse season — Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, the Winter Solstice and more — with Joe through storytelling, poetry, music and song. Hear and experience holiday favorites like never before. Information: (910) 692-3211.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Golf comes home for the holidays

Golf not only invades the psyche but players’ homes and lifestyles.

Proof: “Golf Style: Homes and Collections Inspired by the Course and the Clubhouse,” by Vicky Moon, with photographs of noted golfers’ residences and golf resorts by Pinehurst-based photographer John Gessner.

Moon and Gessner will speak on this (and sign books fit for a coffee table) from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 16 at Tufts Archives in Given Memorial Library in Pinehurst.

Information: (910) 295-6022.

ninety-two Years, One hundred Stories

John Derr, 92-year-old Pinehurst resident and renowned sports commentator, has collected his 100 best stories in “My Place at the Table,” with an introduction

by PineStraw editor and golf writer Jim Dodson. Derr will elaborate on his career and meet fans at 4 p.m. on Dec. 2 at The Country Bookshop in Southern Pines.

Information: (910) 692-3211.

ritz Backers

The 4th Annual Puttin’ on the Ritz Top Hat and Tails gala hosted by Animal Advocates of Moore County benefits spay/neuter clinics, emergency treatment, adoption events, foster care and the feral cat sanctuary. The gala, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the Pinehurst Fair Barn, features black and white adoptable animals parading down a red carpet, food and wine and a silent auction. Tickets: $40. Information and ticket sales locations: (910) 944-5098.

hot Diggity Dig it

At 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, Hot Club of Cowtown rolls into The Rooster’s Wife, Poplar Knight Spot in Aberdeen. The two guys and a gal have been described as a global phenomenon turning Western swing into a homegrown take on world music. Put that in your cud and chew it. Tickets: $22 in advance, $25 at the door. Information: www.theroosterswife.org or (910) 944-7502.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Daphne is a 6-year-old dappled dachshund.

She can be found at Solutions for Animals — (910) 315-8767

Champ is a 4-yearold yellow Lab. He is neutered, and very cool and will work for Milk Bones. Call the Moore Humane Society — (910) 947-2631

Freckles is a 5year-old beagle mix whose owner passed away.

You can find her at The Haven — (910) 875-6768

Chelsea is a black and white female terrier that loves people, especially little ones.

Adopt her from the Moore Humane Society — (910) 947-2631

Santa’s Best Friends

We at PineStraw can’t think of a more lively and lasting gift — and one that gives both ways — than giving a great dog a new home and loving family.

And as you can see, Santa’s best friends — Champ, Daphne, Freckles, Chelsea and Lily Rose — couldn’t agree more.

At a time when overcrowded shelters everywhere are in need of financial assistance, food, and basic supplies, you can bring a smile to a lot of faces, and warm more than a few homeless doggie hearts, by bringing your pooch to a special benefit for several area shelters on Saturday, December 4th.

The inaugural edition of “Santa Claus’ Pause for Paws” will take place in the parking lot of Neville’s Club behind the Ice Cream Parlor at Broad and W. New Hampshire Avenue beginning at 1 p.m. For a mere $10 donation, ace PineStraw contributing photographer Glen Dickerson will capture you and your favorite dog (or dogs) in holiday form, suitable for framing or dispatching in your seasonal greeting cards. The delightful dogs you see pictured here with Super Santa Bill Russell will be available for adoption — along with others from area participating shelters.

Best of all, all proceeds from the event will go directly to help participating area shelters make the new year a little brighter for our homeless four-legged friends, dogs and cats alike. Donations of food, blankets, and pet supplies will be evenly distributed among the shelter organizations. Donations can be dropped off at any time at Neville’s Club.

Remember, Santa will be watching — and his best friends won’t soon forget you.

For more information, please call our friends at Neville’s at (910) 692-1939.

Lily Rose is a 6-yearold black Lab, small and very friendly. Call Solutions For Animals, ask for Cindy — (910) 315-8767

C o s a n d E f f ect

December 4, 2010 Reindeer Fun Run / Walk

5k

10k

1/2 Mile Kid’s Egg Nog Jog NEW

Blitzen Bash

NEW

(12/2)

Christmas Olé

By Cos Barnes

S

everal years ago I compiled a Christmas book for my three children. It contained humorous anecdotes from all the Christmases we had spent together. I also added recipes of the favorite foods I make for the holiday season and included pertinent photographs from Christmases past.

One of the vignettes was about our son. When he was 16 months old, he loved to play with the Christmas decorations when I put them out. That Christmas his favorite was a grouping of four choir boys who each held a red candle. When placed in their proper order, they spelled “Noel.” When he wasn’t playing with them, he simply carried them around. A few days before Christmas, he fell, dropped the “N” and broke it, cutting his hand in the process. All the Christmas pictures that year depict him with a huge bandage on his arm.

Each Christmas after that the three choir boys were still a vital part of our décor, but they now spelled “Olé.” Nevertheless, they were placed annually in the bookcase for all to see.

When he married, I bequeathed “Olé” to him and his wife, and they have since displayed the choir boys prominently. I won them many years ago as a bridge prize and they probably cost a dollar, but how they added to our Christmas motifs and memories.

As my children scanned their memory books, they did not marvel at my cleverness, nor did they exclaim over my prose; rather, all three laughed hilariously at the pictures of our many Christmas trees. They were all scrawny and unattractive because, in the early years, their dad insisted on taking them to the woods and cutting down a tree. After that was no longer feasible, he was frugal when he had to purchase them so they were even more pitiful.

Year after year our offspring were depicted in front of the tree.

Whether it was pine, fir or spruce, the tree was puny and skinny. As the children grew bigger, the tree seemed to shrink in size.

They still ask me each year, “Are you going to have the same tacky tree?” I reply, “Yes, of course,” because I still put on ornaments they made when they were little and when I am through, I drape a gold garland around the whole thing.

But times have changed, they don’t come home anymore, and last year I resorted to a table tree. But I am planning for my grandchildren to be the recipients of all my glorious handmade decorations.

Happy Christmas to all. PS Cos Barnes, we’re thrilled to say, lives and writes in Southern Pines. She is a longtime contributor to PineStraw magazine.

Reindeer Fun Run

s pres m I ss to e Dre ostum C s e t t Con

Southern Pines | North Carolina The 4th Annual Reindeer Fun Run will be bigger & better than ever! Join the fun with the 5k or 10k Reindeer Fun Run/Walk, the Chick-fil-A Egg Nog Jog & After Party!

Thursday, December 2 7:00 pm – Blitzen Bash (Holiday kick-off party) Saturday, December 4 9:00 am – 5k Fun Run/Walk (USATF/Chip Timed) 9:00 am – 10k Run (USATF/Chip Timed) 10:15 am – 1/2 Mile Kid’s Egg Nog Jog 9:30 am to 12:00 pm – After Party Featuring live-music, food, drinks, awards, Chick-fil-A Kid’s Zone & Santa!

register volunteer sponsor

sponsored by

reindeerfunrun.com

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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ThE omnivorouS rEADEr

County lines With his gutsy venture into sacred Southern literary terrain, John grisham goes where few would dare traverse

By sTephen e. smiTh

The millions of readers

who have devoured John Grisham’s blockbuster novels are likely to find that Ford County, his first book of short stories, comes with a mildly unpleasant foretaste, especially if they’re inclined to compare his stories with the works of Southern writers whose place in the canon of American literature is unassailable.

Grisham no doubt understood this when he put together Ford County. If you’re from the South (he claims Oxford, Mississippi, as home) and have a hankering to write Southern fiction, especially in a literary form as demanding as the short story, you’re staring William Faulkner (Yoknapatawpka County), Eudora Welty, and Flannery O’Connor full in the face. What could be more intimidating?

Notwithstanding the extra credit granted Grisham for dabbling in a genre in which his betters have excelled, it’ll be obvious to most readers that none of the stories in Ford County quite measures up to the works of the masters. But if we put aside the comparisons, if we accept these stories as intriguing journeys into Grisham’s imagination, they reveal themselves, for the most part, as satisfying tales of the human condition. What more can we ask of a writer whose previous work has been largely diversional?

The strongest of the seven stories is “Blood Drive,” a redneck odyssey par excellence. Set in fictional Clanton, Mississippi, word reaches town that a local boy, Bailey (didn’t O’Connor write about Bailey Boy?), has been injured in a construction accident in Memphis and is in need of an immediate blood transfusion. Good Southern neighbors deliver the obligatory casseroles to the boy’s mother and gather at the house to mull over Bailey’s sad situation. “The entire community loved him more and more as the hours passed. He was a good boy, raised right, a much better person than his sorry father, a man no one had seen in years.”

Caught up in peer-driven righteousness, three locals, Roger, Aggie,

and Calvin, take it upon themselves to drive to Memphis to give blood. The trouble, as always, begins with a six-pack of cold beer. “‘Beer actually helps,’ Roger said as he smacked his lips. ‘It thins the blood and makes the whole thing go faster.’”

Having consumed their fair share of brewskies, they decide to stop at a strip club before making their blood donations, and thus begins their riotous descent into the trip from hell. One mishap leads to another until finally the “legend of the road trip and the brawl in the Memphis strip club would haunt them forever….”

In “Fetching Raymond” a family visits a Mississippi prison where their son and brother awaits execution for murdering a deputy sheriff. The day of his scheduled visit with the executioner has arrived, but Raymond yammers on incessantly about a new trial, postponements, better lawyers, and a judge who might overturn his conviction for lack of evidence. “‘We got these sumbitches on the run,’ he said, still smiling, the picture of confidence. ‘My lawyers are filin’ a truckload of habeas corpus petitions as we speak….’”

“Fish Files” is a flat-out lawyer story, Grisham’s forte. Mack Stafford, a small-town attorney who’s resigned himself to the endless monotony of petty divorce cases and tedious bankruptcies, receives word concerning an old class-action suit that will stuff a half million bucks in his empty pockets, enough money to start a new life sans his nagging wife, dismissive inlaws, and unappreciative children. Mack takes the bait, grabs the money, and flies to Panama. The “twenty-seater was stuffed with well-fed North Americans too wide for the narrow seats. But Mack didn’t mind. He gazed out the window, down to the brilliant aquamarine water three thousand feet below, warm salty water in which he would soon be swimming.”

“Casino” focuses on the wheeling and dealing that surrounds a gambling enterprise opened by a few theretofore unrecognized NativeAmericans, the Yazoos tribe, whose heritage is at best questionable. Chief Larry and a local businessman secure a federal charter and the rights to build a casino and the suckers come flooding in. Enter Stella and Sidney, a middle-aged husband and wife who’ve had enough of the quiet life and each other. They divorce, Stella loses weight and takes up with the

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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casino owner, and Sidney, a former accountant, becomes a card counter who grows rich bilking the casino out of millions and forcing the owners to burn the place for the insurance money.

“Michael’s Room” is also a tale of comeuppances. Attorney Stanley Wade is kidnapped by members of a family who’ve been struggling to care for a special needs child who was denied an insurance settlement when Wade represented the doctor whose blatant malpractice resulted in the child’s disabilities. Snatched from a grocery store parking lot, Wade is made to confront the diapered, slobbering child and the intense anguish he’s caused the family. “‘… your job stinks, Wade, because it includes lyin’, bullyin’, badgerin’, coverin’ up, and showin’ no compassion whatsoever to folks who get hurt.’”

“Quiet Haven” reveals the intricacies of an ongoing nursing-home scam perpetrated by Gilbert Griffin, a flimflammer who works with an out-of-town law firm that profits by settling with nursing homes accused of negligence.

Griffin takes a job at Quiet Haven and when a patient falls, he photographs the incident.

While he awaits the inevitable settlement, he ingratiates himself to an elderly patient who changes his will to include the Confederate Defense Fund, a front for Griffin’s scam.

“Funny Boy” is the weakest story in the collection. Adrian Keane, the homosexual son of local aristocracy, returns to town after a sojourn in San Francisco. It’s the ’80s and Adrian has contracted AIDS, so he’s sent to live in Lowtown with Miss Emporia, an elderly African-American woman. The sick rich boy and the old black caregiver become fast friends and are forced to confront the usual Southern clichés. Unfortunately, Grisham passes up the chance to write a meaningful story about the South in transition and relies instead on stilted dialogue and formulaic plot twists.

We cram our popular writers into convenient pigeonholes, and eclecticism is a vice that only encourages, among readers of popular fiction, hypercriticalism. Grisham has already carved out a comfortable niche for himself by writing novels in which lawyerly deficiencies are metaphors for our cultural shortcomings. His many fans love him for that, and that might be achievement enough. The stories in Ford County, entertaining as they are, will do little to enhance Grisham’s reputation among the Southern literati. PS Stephen Smith’s most recent book of poetry, “A Short Report on the Fire at Woolworths,” is available at the Country Bookshop. He can be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.

December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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Bookshelf

New Releases For December

By Kay Grismer and Angie Tally for the Country Bookshop FICTION – HARDCOVER A BLUE AND GRAY CHRISTMAS by Joan Medlicott. In this Christmasthemed novella, the ladies of Covington discover a box from the Civil War era and try to figure out the love story from the letters they find inside.

BUSY BODY by M. C. Beaton. The fiercely formidable private detective Agatha Raisin and her young protégé look into the stabbing murder of John “Grudge” Sunday, a Mircester health and safety board officer, outside a joint meeting of two Cotswolds ladies’ societies.

DEAD OR ALIVE by Tom Clancy. President Jack Ryan’s secret group, the Campus, led by his son, covert intelligence expert Jack Ryan Jr., is in a desperate search for the Emir, the mastermind of countless horrific attacks, who may be hiding in plain sight.

MISS DIMPLE DISAPPEARS by Mignon F. Ballard. In Ballard’s new cozy mystery series set in Elderberry, GA, during WWII, a young teacher and her best friend are determined to find out what’s going on when the town’s beloved first grade teacher disappears and the school’s janitor is found dead.

OF LOVE AND EVIL by Anne Rice. In the second novel in the “Songs of the Seraphim” series, Toby O’Dare, the former government assassin who started on the path to redemption in Angel Time, is summoned by the Angel Malchiah to 15th century Rome to solve a terrible crime and to uncover the secrets of a diabolical dybbuk.

PORT MORTUARY by Patricia Cornwell. Scarpetta, chief of the new Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts, a joint venture of the state and federal governments, MIT and Harvard, is confronted with a case that could shut down her facility and ruin her personally and professionally.

RESCUE by Anita Shreve. The author of The Pilot’s Wife returns with the story of a rookie paramedic who pulls a young woman alive from her totaled car — a first rescue that begins a lifelong tangle of love and wreckage.

FICTION – PAPERBACK 20 UNDER 40. Deborah Treisman (Ed). The New Yorker magazine’s collection of 20 stories by a stellar group of fiction writers under 40 stands as a testament to the vitality of fiction today.

MAJOR PETTIGREW’S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson. Wry, courtly, opinionated and thoroughly British Major Pettigrew (retired) leads a quiet life in the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary until his brother’s death sparks an unexpected — and controversial — friendship with Mrs. Ali, a widowed Pakistani shopkeeper.

POINT OMEGA by Don DeLillo. A filmmaker travels to the desert to meet a retired secret government war advisor and scholar to discuss doing a documentary about him. But their conversation gradually becomes a series of intellectual exchanges that only intensify when the scholar’s daughter arrives.

THE RED DOOR by Charles Todd. Scotland Yard Det. Rutledge faces a wall of silence when he is drawn into two cases — one involving the murder of a woman who has long been waiting for the return of her husband from WWI, and the other of a secret that nearly drove one man mad and turned his siblings against each other with unexpected savagery.

U IS FOR UNDERTOW by Sue Grafton. It’s 1988 and Kinsey Millhone agrees to help a young, unemployed college drop-out find the killer of a 6-year-old girl who was murdered twenty years before.

NON-FICTION – HARDCOVER KATHERINE THE QUEEN by Linda Porter. Porter offers a portrait of Katherine Parr who, at the age of 30, was twice widowed before becoming Henry VIII’s sixth and last wife. She was involved in the education of her step children, Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth, and after Henry’s death, secretly married her old flame and the king’s brother-in-law, Sir Thomas Seymour.

RONALD REAGAN: A Tribute to an American Hero by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation.

The official centennial publication of Ronald Reagan’s birth offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the 40th U.S. President, illustrated with more than 500 photographs.

SECRETS OF THE SOMMELIERS by Rajat Parr and Jordan Mackay. Parr, who holds the Wine Spectator’s coveted Grand Award, offers a fascinating exploration of the world of sommeliers, as well as an immersion course in tasting and serving wine like an expert.

A VOICE FROM OLD NEW YORK by Louis Auchincloss. Auchincloss, a member of the NY Social Register and NY Bar and author of nearly 70 books, died in 2010 at the age of 93. In his final work, a memoir, the “ideal chronicler of Gotham’s smart set” recalls his own life, drawing a curtain on the pre-modern “Whartonesque” way of life.

NON-FICTION – PAPERBACK DEFEND THE REALM: The Authorized History of MI5 by Christopher Andrew. Britain’s foremost scholar of military intelligence offers the definitive account of the agency’s history, from its founding in 1909, through two world wars, to its present roles in counterespionage and counterterrorism.

DO SPARROWS LIKE BACH? The Strange and Wonderful Things That Are Discovered When Scientists Break Free. New Scientist (Ed.) The Editors at New Scientist magazine celebrate the outrageous, outlandish, and brilliant discoveries on the fringes of scientific research THE LINEUP. Otto Penzler (Ed.) Some of the world’s greatest crime writers tell the inside story of the genesis of their greatest detectives — or, in some cases, let their creations do the talking.

YOU BETTER NOT CRY by Augusten Burroughs. The author of Running With Scissors shows how the holidays can bring out the worst in us and sometimes the very best.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Bookshelf

CHILDREN’S BOOKS HEADS by Matthew Van Fleet. From The New York Times bestselling author of Tails comes this adorable read-aloud, complete with enough sturdy pull-tabs and push-buttons, fuzzy, furry, and sticky touch-and-feel pages, and delightful watercolor illustrations of a myriad of adorable animals, to make it a wonderful gift for ages 2-4.

BEAUTIFUL OOPS by Barney Salzburg. The notion that “every mistake is a creative opportunity” is certainly a guiding force in this creative new board book where spilled paint reveals an elephant, a dog-eared page is transformed into a penguin’s beak, and even a crumpled piece of paper becomes sheep’s wool. Perfect for young artists age 3-6.

LET’S COUNT GOATS! by Mem Fox. “Here we see a mountain goat frisking in the sun…

Here we see a city goat going for a run.” Goats in airplanes, goats in cars, goats are everywhere in this boldly illustrated, fun counting story from the beloved Mem Fox. Ages 3-6.

TUMTUM & NUTMEG: ROSE COTTAGE TALES by Emily Bearn. Deep inside the broom closet of Rose Cottage live Tumtum and Nutmeg, two mice who secretly look after Lucy and Arthur, the human children who inhabit the rest of the cottage. In this delightful collection, the mice accompany their young charges to the seaside, a birthday party, and a Christmas celebration. Ages 8-10 STAR WARS LEGO BRICKMASTER by Vicki Taylor. With 240 bricks, 2 exclusive figures, and a fabulous full-color book that includes trivia and detailed instructions, young Legomaniacs will enjoy spending cold winter afternoons creating a number of Lego Star Wars models. Ages 6-12.

REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly. When Brooklyn teenager Andi Alpers is forced to spend winter break with her father in Paris, she discovers a diary in the archives of a French Revolution researcher’s library that leads her into the world of Alexandrine Paradis, an aspiring Parisian actress who lived two centuries earlier and who had a fateful encounter with the doomed king and his young son. Fabulous historical fiction for ages 14 to adult by the award winning author of Tea Rose, Winter Rose, and A Northern Light. PS PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

PinEBuZZ

The Best Albums of 2010

By JaCK dodson

it’s getting to be about that time of year when

the blogosphere is overloaded with discussion about the top albums from the last twelve months. Last year, among the Internet’s hoardes of music lovers, Animal Collective was almost unanimously crowned best of the year, followed closely by Phoenix, Passion Pit and Grizzly Bear.

This year looks tight between all the frontrunners, with a few obvious choices. It’s almost a guarantee that Arcade Fire will be in the top three of every list, if not No. 1. But there were also plenty of disappointments this year, as MGMT’s sophomore release “Congratulations” didn’t deliver, Interpol’s new self-titled album was hardly even noticed and Wolf Parade’s “Expo” failed to meet the high standards of the albums that came before it.

It may be a little early to see these lists, but soon enough they’ll be all over the place. And they’re a great reference for music you might have missed. But until then, these are some of the standout albums of 2010.

The Top 10: 10. Tame Impala—“Innerspeaker” This four-piece Australian band made its debut this year and is now starting to hit it big with the single “Lucidity.” It’s perfect background music for studying, hanging out or driving. And for those who love the ’60s, it sounds a bit like a revamped “Fly Like an Eagle.” Best track: “Desire Be Desire Go” 9. Midlake—“The Courage of Others” As perhaps one of the more distinct albums of the year, Texas-based Midlake put out its successful third album, “The Courage of Others.” It’s dark, almost spaghetti Western-sounding at times, with some elements of Celtic music — a combination that surprisingly works. Best track: “Rulers, Ruling All Things” 8. Matt and Kim—“Sidewalks” Brooklyn duo Matt and Kim’s follow-up to the out-of-nowhere 2009 hit “Grand” didn’t falter in any way, with strong reviews and lots of Internet play.

There’s something about the band that lacks depth, but in its purest essence, it’s fun. Best track: “Block After Block” 7. Deer Tick—“The Black Dirt Sessions” Deer Tick is one of a kind, and the band’s third release, “The Black Dirt Sessions,” proves that. They’re simple, but also hard to define. The low-key Rhode Island-natives fluctuate between bluegrass, country, rock, blues and acoustic sounds. In the end, the product is a fantastic mix of all those genres. Best track: “Piece by Piece and Frame by Frame”

6. Frightened Rabbit—“The Winter of Mixed Drinks” In a third release, “The Winter of Mixed Drinks,” UK-based Frightened Rabbit stands out above others in its Scottish indie-rock—towering above We Were Promised Jetpacks and Franz Ferdinand, both of which are highly respectable bands. Best track: “The Wrestle” 5. Two Door Cinema Club—“Tourist History” The Irish Two Door Cinema Club made its debut this year with “Tourist History,” and immediately made a name for themselves. They may not have had as much advertising or discussion as a similar debut band, The Drums, but their fast-paced, synth-rock songs stand out as some of the most interesting and effective music made in 2010. Best track: “This Is the Life” 4. The Tallest Man on Earth—“The Wild Hunt” Swedish musician Kristian Matsson, called The Tallest Man on Earth, combines masterful acoustic guitar with poetic lyrics, producing a powerful and well-received third album this year. It’s perfect for any downtime. But then again, it’s perfect for pretty much any time. Best track: “Kids on the Run” 3. Dr. Dog—“Shame, Shame” The quintet from Philadelphia’s most successful album blurred the lines between blues and rock, mixing in some indie-style sounds and a classic rock feel for an overall effective album. Not a single track on here brings this album down. Best track: “I Only Wear Blue” 2. The National—“High Violet” Perhaps one of the more exciting moments in music this year was when The National came out with its new album, “High Violet.” As the band’s fifth studio album, and most successful to date, it’s a powerful, meticulously executed album, filled with dark moments and a heavy, brooding tone that lasts from start to finish. Best track: “Lemonworld” 1. Arcade Fire—“The Suburbs” It was hard to imagine that anything could top “Funeral” and “Neon Bible.” But the Canadian-based Arcade Fire managed to live up to its own standards with its most recent album, with convoluted and varying music styles that keep the same old, classic indie feel of the band alive. Best track: “Suburban War” Honorable Mention LCD Soundsystem—“This Is Happening” Broken Bells—“Broken Bells” The New Pornographers — “Together”PS Jack Dodson can be reached at jdodson4@elon.edu.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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T h e E v o l v i n g spec i es

The Other Side of Christmas A cryptic thing when Dickens Conjured ghosts of Christmas past An image that, more likely, For Halloween is cast.

Beyond the wrapping paper Be it silver, be it gold.

Beyond the maxed-out Visa card Beyond what we are told:

Another of his goblins Made “Scrooge” a common noun Defined as parsimonious The meanest man around.

We must attend the party We must write greeting cards.

We must bake ginger cookies With no time, afterwards

He gave us Marley’s rattling chains, A crippled little boy, A hungry family – not a cent To buy the child a toy.

To sit down with a cup of tea Beside the rescued pup To brush aside the details And slowly take a sup

Indeed – why do we need a Grinch To sabotage the merries?

December is a happy time With lights and holly berries.

From a hallowed cup of kindness That Scrooge did learn to drink Which made him part of Christmas, Perhaps its strongest link.

And yet from every Christmas Will a tiny glitch emerge: The wayward son not coming home, No money left to splurge

Is this why Dickens’s still in vogue?

Will Rudolph last that long?

Will Alvin and his chipmunks squeal An everlasting song?

On just the perfect laptop The cashmere shawl, the ring Two tickets for the hockey game Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.

Perhaps the ghosts remind us Why nothing’s as it seems That sugarplums may dance and sing In other people’s dreams.

The biggest bugaboo of all Is tinsel-tainted stress The need for Yule perfection That we celebrants address.

There just may be a lesson here A tale we all could tell About surviving Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Noel.

The decorations must be chic The eggnog brandy-spiked Each toothpick spears two jumbo shrimp The guests are hyper-psyched

Chill out, ye merry gentlefolk Let pressure yield to reason Partake a bye on trappings And sit back….enjoy the season.

To squeeze out of this holiday What’s lacking in their lives The small but vital comforts, Like friendships that survive

— Deborah Salomon

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

h i tt i n g h o m e

Overboard At Christmas Yule love our holiday toilet paper

By Dale Nixon

No matter how many times I try, I still can’t get it right.

I go overboard at Christmas. I decorate too much. I buy too much. I spend too much. And I eat too much.

Each year I proclaim to my family, “This is going to be our best Christmas yet. I’m going to see to it.”

And then I go about seeing to it.

Each Christmas I find myself decorating a few days earlier than I did the Christmas before. My reasoning, of course, is that decorating is so much trouble that we need to have the chore done in time to sit back and enjoy it. But before long, decorating at my house will be synonymous with the Thanksgiving turkey.

And the tree trimming. Each year I promise myself to be patient with my family as they trim the tree. Each year I fail. I want perfection in tree trimming. They want fun. (You and I both know that perfection is not fun.)

I don’t think it’s funny when Bob lops off the top of the tree each year so he can get it in the house, and I almost become hysterical when we test the lights to find that half of them won’t work.

I can’t stop myself from rearranging the special ornaments that my family has lovingly placed on the cedar branches, and I dare anybody to touch the “perfect” tree when it is finished.

I set poinsettias in each room (color coordinated, of course), line the mantel with fresh greenery, pull out my handmade Christmas pillows and ceramics, and wash the Christmas china. I locate the Christmas notepad to set by the phone, the Christmas toilet paper (I told you I was talking overboard), the Christmas place mats, the Christmas cookie jar, the Christmas candy dish, the Christmas coffee mugs, the Christmas music box and the Christmas stockings.

After I have gone overboard on the decorating, then I go overboard on the shopping and buying. I buy gifts for everyone that I

know, and some that I don’t.

No matter how much I buy for my two girls, it is never enough.

Each time I say I’m through shopping for them, I run out and buy them one more gift. I buy gifts for them that they have never heard of or asked for. Last year they accused Santa of robbing a bank.

When the shopping and buying are done, I cook and bake. And you know when you bake 20 dozen sugar cookies, a red velvet cake, a pan of brownies, cheese straws, toast pecans, and fix five batches of party mix, that it is little excessive for a family of six.

I fill tins full of goodies and stack them all over the kitchen, but each time I offer a member of my family a snack, they ask me when I’m going to cook some “real” food (like pinto beans and cornbread or a pot of vegetable soup).

So I fix them some real food, and I eat the goodies. (Somebody’s got to do it.)

And the Christmas overboard list goes on and on. I buy red ties for the men in my family and red velvet for the girls. I pin jingle bells on winter coats and paint candy canes on sweatshirts.

By Christmas morning I’m so tired of preparing for Christmas that I barely remember the day.

My beautifully wrapped packages and handmade bows are destroyed within minutes. The house is a wreck. Pine needles drop from the tree each time someone walks by. The poinsettias have lost most of their leaves, and Santa has brought the wrong size.

But it was the best Christmas yet. I saw to it myself. Next year will be even better. I won’t go overboard. I’m not going to decorate as much, buy as much, spend as much, cook as much or eat as much.

Seriously, I really mean it. Almost. PS Columnist Dale Nixon resides in Concord but enjoys a slice of heaven (disguised as a condominium) in the village of Pinehurst. You may contact her by e-mail at dalenixon@carolina.rr.com.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

V i n e W i sd o m

Good Taste, Good Price

Your holiday wine selections can be elegant and impressive

By Robyn James

As we all try to cinch our belts in these

times, you really hate to sacrifice the neighborhood or office holiday party. We are social animals so don’t call it off; instead, look for the un-obvious ways to cut back that can be invisible to your guests.

Alcohol can definitely be one of or the largest expense of a party, so let’s take a close look at smart beverage planning.

Forgo the open liquor bar. I hear the groan; sorry, yes you can do this. Wine and beer are definitely the drink of choice these days, and an open bar is only going to make someone (usually you) unhappy. Here’s what will happen: You will run out of one type of liquor five minutes into the party, and have a lifetime supply of another left over. You will purchase 12 different kinds of mixers and fruits hoping to second guess your guests and you will be wrong. Oh, and you won’t have the right brand either.

You’ll end up putting tonic water, ginger ale and olives in your child’s lunch box for 6 months.

Forgoing the liquor bar can also give you a small leeway to step up your wine and beer selections just a tad, and that decision will be noticed and appreciated by your guests.

If you love your boxed wine and want to share the love with your friends, I say this, “DON’T DO IT, GIRL.” You can have $300 worth of foie gras on the table, but the box on the bar is all they are going to see, and they’ll snicker as they cautiously reach for a beer. I’d pass on the big bottles too; the savings are completely cancelled by the fact you will open three big bottles of wine at the end of the evening and it will all go to waste, the equivalent of six regular sized bottles down the drain.

They are awkward to handle, too.

A huge party is in the works and the whole town is invited, so here’s what you get: three white wines, two red wines and one sparkling.

You need a full-bodied, slightly toasty or buttery Chardonnay, a fruity, unoaked Pinot Grigio or dry, crisp Sauvignon Blanc and a sweeter selection, Riesling, Chenin Blanc or Moscato.

One of the reds should be fruity, plump and smooth like a Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Tempranillo or Grenache and the other, drier and more tannic, such as a Merlot, Cabernet or Sangiovese.

Don’t think you can pass up on the sparkling wine; it could be one of the most important choices of the evening. The sparkle of the flutes adds a touch of elegance to your gathering, and the natural carbonation is a great substitute for that someone who may be missing the liquor bar.

You can find an inexpensive but obscure brand of wine to serve.

Many wineries these days bottle what they call “on-premise only” brands and sell them exclusively to independent wine shops and restaurants. You don’t have to buy the big yellow kangaroo wine that is on display at the BP Station. These other brands can be had for

$5-$10 a bottle.

A smaller, more intimate party, say, under 30 people? I strongly urge you to go against your instincts, throw caution to the wine wind and put out all mixed cases for experimentation. The party will take on the casual, sophisticated air of a wine-tasting experience. Put the bottles out for the guests to see, handle and taste; people LOVE that. Have your wine merchant throw in some of the more eclectic wines, like a Torrontes from Argentina, Steen from South Africa or Mencia from Spain. It’s no more difficult or expensive to do this, but it lends an entirely new element of entertainment to the party.

Here are some of my favorite party selections and if you don’t have a party planned, these can also make great hostess gifts for the party you are attending!

ST. KILDA CHARDONNAY, AUSTRALIA, approx. $8 “Light and tangy, with real definition to the apple, lime and mineral flavors, persisting nicely on the juicy finish.”

ENTRADA SAUVIGNON BLANC, approx. $7 A nice, lively mix of lime and pink grapefruit, with a juicy, clean finish.

ASTICA TORRONTES, ARGENTINA, approx. $6 Nice creamy texture, with tangerine, nectarine, spice and lemon peel notes gliding through the firm finish.

OPERA PRIMA MOSCATO, SPAIN, approx. $8 Extravagantly perfumed wine, with beautiful scents of creamy white peaches, rose petals, and lichee fruit. These luscious peach and honeydew melon flavors are sweet and creamy, well-balanced with good acidity and a long, lingering finish.

SOMBRAS DEL SOL MERLOT, CHILÉ, approx. $6 Amped-up with quite a bit of toast; there’s also plenty of red and black currant and boysenberry fruit and an interesting Cabernetlike graphite edge. Nice focus and solid grip on the finish.

LA MANO MENCIA, SPAIN, approx. $8 Black cherry and cola flavors mingle in this medium-bodied red.

A round texture is backed by firm tannins. Straightforward and balanced.

MAN VINTNERS CABERNET SAUVIGNON, SOUTH AFRICA, approx. $9 Open-knit, with ripe black currant fruit and sweet toast on the finish.

LOUIS PERDRIER BRUT SPARKLING, FRANCE, approx. $8 Quite a find at this price. Styled like a Champagne, this sparkling wine has generous rich flavors of ripe apple, spice and butter, with an attractive doughy aroma and a lingering finish. It’s deep and complex, with a smooth texture. PS Robyn James is proprietor of The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in Southern Pines. Contact her at winecellar@ pinehurst.net.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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S p i r i ts

’Nog

However it evolved, eggnog is the taste of Christmas tradition

By Frank Daniels III

There are some drinks that are so good, and that generate so many specific memories, that you can only serve them once a year.

For us, it is eggnog. As you will see, preparing eggnog is a production, and in our house it takes three generations to get it right and on the table. We have a few new family members, so explaining the process and recounting the history this past Christmas was so much fun that we nearly didn’t get to the presents.

Like most alcoholic drinks, the origin and history of eggnog is mostly lore and hearsay. Originally the tavern punch was fortified by wine, and the name may be derived from the type of cup, the egg mixture was served in, a noggin, a small wooden cup as fresh eggs and milk would have been expensive ingredients and servings would have been much smaller than the traditional servings in tankards. The drink evolved in complexity when tavern owners beefed up their punches by adding brandy to the mix. The name could also have been derived from the American adaption of the punch that substituted rum (or “grog”) for the wine. Rum was plentiful in America because of the tripartite trade, eggs and milk were more affordable here as well, and “egg and grog” or “egg’n’grog” became a popular wintertime drink.

However the name originated, we’re happy that revelers continued to experiment and refine their punches, and that eggnog became a holiday tradition for many families.

For us, the eggnog tradition has been handed down, tweaked and thoroughly tested by our family for over 70 years. The recipe, as family lore goes, was originally adapted by my grandfather from the Four Roses Kentucky Bourbon eggnog recipe that he cut out of a magazine, but this version has been altered over the years to suit our tastes.

Four Roses is one of the oldest bourbon brands, and from the 1930s to the 1950s was probably the best selling bourbon. It was my grandfather’s bourbon of choice until the Seagram Company, the Canadian distilling company who had acquired the brand in 1943, decided to limit the sale of Four Roses to the European and Asian markets, where it became extremely popular for years.

The Four Roses brand did not return to the United States until 2002 when a Japanese brewery company, Kirin, acquired the rights to the brand and opened a new distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. They have brought back the original yellow label Four Roses and added higher quality small batch and single barrel bottles that are among some of Kentucky’s best bourbons.

So the most recent adaptation of our eggnog recipe was the re-introduction of Four Roses to the punch. I love that this punch can return to the roots my grandfather started. I also am amused by the small irony that it was a Canadian company that took it away (eastern Canadian, not the wonderful folks from western Canada like my wife and her family), and also that it took a Japanese company to bring it back, as I was made in Japan.

My sister, who works out religiously and is always in great shape, apparently thought our punch needed more calories, so she added the

touch of dropping in a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream to the bowl. “It keeps the eggnog cold,” was her rationalization. It was a brilliant idea and has become an essential piece of our traditional punch.

Also serving the punch in Jefferson cups is part of our tradition. We never pull them out except for Christmas morning for the eggnog (at least until recently when we began experimenting with another classic punch, Fish House Punch, but that is another story).

Enjoy. PS Frank Daniels is an editor and writer living Nashville, TN. His new book, Frank’s Little Black Bar Book, was recently published by Wakestone Press. fdanielsiii@mac.com

Eggnog The heft of this punch disguises its power, so be careful of the steps!

1 doz. eggs ¾ cup fine sugar 3 pints half and half 1 pint Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon 1 pint cognac ½ cup dark rum ½ gal. natural vanilla ice cream Whole nutmeg Separate yolks and whites of the 12 eggs. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar to yolks while beating. Add 1/4 cup remaining sugar to whites while beating and beat until very stiff. Mix the egg whites well with yolks.

Transfer the eggs into a large punch bowl. Stir in half and half.

Add Four Roses, cognac and rum.

Stir thoroughly. Add 1/2 gallon of high quality vanilla ice cream. Serve cold in chilled julep or Jefferson cups and grate nutmeg over surface.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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P l e as u r e s o f l i f e D e pt.

The Brittle Season Once again, it’s time to make the candy

By Tom Allen

Tradition holds

we give gifts at Christmas because the Magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child. I’m sure that’s what justified my childhood holiday requests for a go-cart, BB gun, and Rock’m, Sock’m Robots.

Gift-giving trends often wear as thin as a worn-out stocking.

Remember the Cabbage Patch Doll and Tickle Me Elmo? Food, however, continues to be a holiday favorite and the best eats come from the heart and hearth of someone’s kitchen.

Every year I look forward to steady offerings of treats friends deliver to our home or church folks leave in my office cubby — Christmas stollen, apple butter, creamy fudge, spicy cheese straws, and my favorite: a homemade version of Moravian sugar cake that’s as good as any that ever came out of an oven at Dewey’s Bakery.

Several years ago, I started my own holiday culinary tradition: homemade peanut brittle. It began when I made a batch for three couples with whom we shared an annual holiday meal. They liked it, and requests came in the following year. Other friends and family eventually became recipients, and now the list is up to about twenty batches, including the editor of the magazine you’re reading right now.

I know why. The stuff is good, real good, and it’s pretty easy to make.

The recipe comes in those burlap bags from Bertie County stamped “extra large shelled raw peanuts.” I use the microwave version. I’ve tried the stove-top recipe, where you mix the ingredients, then sing every verse of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” while you wait for a thermometer to reach 300 degrees. Honestly, I’d rather chase three French hens than wait for a candy thermometer to reach the hard crack stage.

I start with five-pound bags of raw, red-skinned goobers. A two-quart Pyrex measuring cup is my mixing bowl, just the right depth and diameter for making “Dixie Peanut Brittle,” as the good folks at Powell and Stokes, Inc. call it. I pour in one and a half cups of raw shelled peanuts, then stir in one cup of sugar. I’m pretty picky about my ingredients, but I’m not that persnickety about the sugar. My Southern upbringing pushes me toward Dixie Crystals, but a generic brand is fine. To that, I add half a cup of light corn syrup, and it’s gotta be Karo. I spray the measuring cup with cooking spray, a trick I learned from Paula Deen.

That way every drop of the sticky liquid gets added to the mixture.

An eighth of a teaspoon of salt is optional and I leave it out. Never know when someone might be watching their sodium intake.

Everything’s stirred well with a spatula and placed in the microwave on high power for four minutes.

After the initial four minutes, I take the syrupy contents out, stir, then place back in the microwave for three minutes. The folks at Powell and Stokes call for a cooking time of four minutes, but four additional minutes in our microwave makes for bitter brittle; three minutes is just right.

During those three minutes, I bring out the next two ingredients, vanilla extract and butter. I prefer unsalted Land O’Lakes, but I’ve used store brand butter with good results. Vanilla extract is another matter. No imitation here. A fresh eight-ounce bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla is purchased each year, but note that “bourbon” has nothing to do with Maker’s Mark or Jim Beam or any other brand for that matter. Nielsen-Massey’s beans are grown on the Bourbon Islands, of which Madagascar is one. How exotic for my peanut brittle!

When three minutes are up, I stir in a teaspoon of butter and one of vanilla, using measuring spoons passed down from my grandmother, savoring the aroma and sizzle both ingredients make when they hit the hot mixture; then it’s back in the microwave for the final two minutes.

The last ingredient is baking soda, and again while I’m partial to Arm and Hammer, store label brands are fine. Just purchase a fresh box each season.

At the end of two minutes, with oven-gloved hands, I quickly but carefully lift the bubbly mixture from the microwave, immediately stir in a teaspoon of baking soda, and watch the magic unfold – thermal decomposition that occurs when sodium bicarbonate releases carbon dioxide, leaving my brittle light and airy and better than anything I’ve ever bought.

I spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat, wait for the golden confection to harden, then break, bag, and deliver to friends and family.

The biblical record makes no mention of fruitcake, cookies or rum balls being laid before the Christ child, but ah, to be a fourth Wise Man. I know just what I’d bring, fittingly wrapped in a Bertie County burlap bag from whence its goodness came, with more than enough for a new, exuberant mom and dad to enjoy and share.

Mary wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes, a first-century version of today’s Snuggie. PS Tom Allen is a frequent contributer to PineStraw.

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T h e Mat e r i a l w o r l d

Shaking Things Up

How a search for the perfect martini let to a sterling business

By Claudia Watson

The martini arrived in the men’s locker

room perched on a silver tray carried by the valet. The tall glass was covered in a thin veil of frost.

It captivated young Jim Schneider while he was the shoe-shine boy at The Golf Club, an ultra-private club that opened in 1967 in Columbus, Ohio.

The image of that martini lingered and took root. Years later Schneider became so enthralled with the iconic American drink of speak-easies, playwrights, socialites, and presidents that he used it to shape a business, The Classic Shaker Company.

Schneider was a deal-making, international insurance businessman and his wife, LuAnn, worked as a buyer for Marshall Fields. “We worked like fools, and our days and nights just never seemed to meet up,” recalls Jim. “I wrote her a note, it said, ‘Quit your job, stop smoking, and come home so we can a have an occasional martini,” he recalls.

She quit her job and smoking in the same day and they made a pact; every Friday they’d spend the night at home — no partying, no dinner out, just the two of them and a cold, very cold, shaken, not stirred, martini.

“It became a way for us to slow down and reconnect, quietly, after a crazy week,” he says.

They’d have downtime on the weekends, and that’s when the shaker hunting madness began. “While LuAnn was shopping, I’d putter around antique shops. I must have collected thirty or forty old martini shakers, mostly from the Art Deco period of the 20s and 30s,” he says. “A lot of the shakers had handles and spouts so they could be placed on tea sets during Prohibition.”

Once home, the newly-acquired shaker would get “tested,” often, and to the accompaniment of a popular jazz musician of the era, Bix Beiderbecke.

LuAnn was not a fan of Bix; she felt his coronet “sounded like Laurel and Hardy music” and would leave the room — so much for connecting.

In time Schneider perfected the martini and the classic shaking ritual that enhances the cocktail’s taste. As for the setting the mood, he counsels that throughout the process, anyone talking is similar to those rude people who talk at the movies.

“You’re supposed to slow down and shut up for a few minutes; it’s all about relaxation and time together,” he explains. “It’s all about enjoying the moment and each other.”

When the shaking is done, the toast is offered, “Say something nice to her, but only if she’s been nice to you,” he laughs. “Play some music, prepare the martini — don’t rush it — and just kick back.”

And kicking back is what Schneider intended on doing when he retired from his corporate job in 1997. The couple traveled to Santa Fe for a long winter respite, giving him time to scour the city’s antique shops for more high-quality shakers. To his dismay he found the useful bar item had become trendy and was being snapped up by other collectors.

“It was becoming harder than ever to find high quality antique shakers,” he recalls. “The martini is an iconic American drink and it deserved

an American-made shaker. So I thought, why not create a high-quality, well-designed shaker for cocktail enthusiasts of the modern age?”

The next day he sat in front of a computer in a Santa Fe library researching U.S. silver and pewter manufacturers. “I called the few companies that were left in the country and got a call back from Burt Boardman, the president and CEO of Boardman Silversmiths, Inc. He became my source and later a business partner,” he says.

Schneider made rough sketches of the first shakers to be produced; then his father-in-law, a commercial artist, refined the drawings.

Occasionally, they’d enjoy a martini together. When his father-in-law died his mother insisted he “would be most comfortable in a martini shaker.” So the No. 209 shaker got a long-term resident.

The Classic Shaker Company uses Boardman Silversmiths as its single source for product.

Boardman’s artisans have been working since 1798 making it the oldest family-owned silver company in the world.

In addition to crafting the handmade, pewter, hand-blown glass, and sterling silver martini shakers, the company also makes some of the sporting world’s most famous hardware including gleaming trophies for the President’s Cup, Legends of Golf, hockey’s Calder Cup, and the Indy Racing League’s Championship Cup. Schneider says nearly half of Boardman’s business is items for sports events and awards, including the elegant jewel boxes awarded to each of the participants at the 2010 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship held at The Country Club of North Carolina.

He scoffs at goodie bags filled with mass-marketed items given to players today. “Why would you give a person an umbrella or towel to commemorate a remarkable achievement? In many cases, they’ve had to complete a lot of steps to qualify, so it [the memento] needs to be special.”

And it’s the exceptional craftsmanship of the 12 silver and pewter artisans at Boardman that makes these items so distinctive. “There are no assembly lines, just these craftsmen who take personal pride in the perfection of their work,” says Schneider.

“The guys at our shop are some of the last great silver and pewter craftsman in this country,” says Schneider. “Their work is a lost art. When they’re gone, we’ll lose part of our history.”

Schneider’s appreciation of history underscores all of his business planning and indeed, his life. “It’s one of the reasons I love what I am doing now; it’s about history, our personal history,” he explains. “Making something in a quality way and presenting it with elegance make a moment memorable. It’s important to make people feel special.”

And Schneider agrees that whether it’s a handmade, silver shaker pouring a martini for his wife on a quiet Friday evening or a simple pewter jewel box awarded to a teen golfer, the item reflects a mindful gratitude of their value and binds it with that moment, making it a keepsake for all time.

For martini preparation tips, toasts, and the “Shaking Ritual,” please visit The Classic Shaker Company at www.cocktailshaker.com.

Claudia Watson can be reached at cwatson87@nc.rr.com.

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SuRRouNd youRSElf w I t h C o m f o R t A N d j o y.

Peace. Goodwill. Comfort. joy. Not only are they so important to us and our families during the holiday season, they’re a way of life here—a Sandhills tradition that’s over 45 years strong. No wonder so many residents choose to move to our continuing care retirement community. to learn more about us, our upcoming events, and how you can become a Penick Village resident, call us at (910) 692-0386 or (910) 692-0382.

PENICK Visit us at www.penickvillage.org.

VILLAGE

500 East Rhode Island Avenue | Southern Pines, NC 28387 (910) 692-0382 | (866) 545-1018 toll-free

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B i r dwatc h

House Finch

This hardy winter feeder is perfectly at home among humans

By Susan Campbell

Chances are, if you feed birds here in

the Sandhills, you have attracted house finches to your seed feeders at least once. These cheery songsters are a common sight in the eastern United States but are not native to our area. They were first introduced on Long Island from the western part of the country in the 1940s. These were birds released by a local pet store that had been selling them illegally. From there they gradually spread across the East, and can now be found from north Florida up into parts of southern Canada. And they are a common sight westward, well into the Great Plains.

Male and female house finches are quite different in appearance.

The male is brightly colored, usually with rosy-red head, breast and rump. The lower breast and flanks will be streaked with brown. The female is cryptically colored, as is the case with most female birds; the body is heavily streaked with brown all over but with the same heavy bill as the male. If one studies males through the course of the year and across the region, it is readily apparent that their color varies. Whether they are orangey or dark red is directly related to the amount of carotinoids they consume. Immature males will sport the same drab plumage as females until late into their first winter.

Before house finches became common here, it was the purple finch that dominated winter feeders in the Southeast. Flocks of over a hundred birds were not uncommon. Purple finches still do make appearances, but they are generally scattered and nowhere as numer-

ous. Unfortunately, purple and house finches can be tricky to differentiate. Every winter I am carefully scrutinizing my finches here, hoping to find a purple or two mixed in come mid-winter. Purple finches have a heavier bill and longer wings. The male will have a raspberry-colored head, neck, and breast with white flanks. And the female will be covered with brown streaks like the house finch, but her streaks will be darker brown and she will have a bold face pattern with a distinct white eyebrow. Not only do purple finches have to compete with house finches at feeders these days, but they are losing breeding habitat in the boreal forests of Canada with changes in land use.

These little birds will not only feed close by but will take advantage of porch ledges, light fixtures, and hanging baskets as nesting substrate. They clearly do not mind human activity. And given they can raise up to three sets of young a summer, there are plenty of opportunities to be entertained by their large families. Young do not disperse far from the parents in the summer, so the adults may be seen feeding more than one set of young during the course of the season.

Unfortunately there is a bacterial infection that has caused population cycling in the East since the early 1990s. It is a respiratory disease that also causes conjunctivitis. In severe cases, the birds are blinded by this condition. Although some birds do recover, many die as a result of exposure, starvation or predation in their weakened condition. But given the density of individuals and their high breeding productivity, thankfully house finch numbers tend to quickly rebound in areas affected by this disease.

For more information on house finches or house finch eye disease, go to: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Finch/id PS Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by email at susan@ncaves.com, by phone (910) 949-3207 or by mail at 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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T h e sp o r t i n g l i f e

Merry Christmas, Slim Wherever you are

By Tom Bryant

Watercolor Illustration By Linda Bryant

It was one

of those loose-end Sundays. Thanksgiving was over, and it seemed like everybody in the country was in a full-court press, driving hard toward Christmas. Early duck season, not too impressive to say the least, was history. Another warm fall did a number on our hunts. The ducks were there but had just traded from the big water of the Pamlico to the safe haven of Lake Matamuskeet. Hopefully, the late season would bring some cold weather to help us in our duck hunting endeavors.

Linda, my bride, was visiting her sister, and I was on my own for the weekend and had decided to take the Bronco for a spin. I hadn’t driven the old truck in a while, and it needed to be on the road to keep the seals from drying out, or so said my son, Tommy, who is an amateur mechanic.

He does all the work on his trucks in his contracting business and professes that it’s his hobby.

It was the perfect day for a Sunday-after-church-ride in the country. So that’s what I decided to do, get away from the early crush of Christmas traffic and head to the back roads and slow speeds. The Bronco purred right along; and as I drove through the country, meandering from here to there with no real destination, I thought back to when I was a youngster and went for Sunday rides with my grandfather. In those days, though, he had the excuse of checking out his crops to justify burning a few gallons of fuel.

We would ride around for an hour or so looking at the tobacco and corn or whatever happened to be the crop of that season; and then before doubling back to the homestead, we’d stop at the country store for a Pepsi. The store was owned by my grandfather but was actually staffed and managed by my uncle and his family. The unique old place has since gone the way of mules and walk-behind plows, disappearing into the vague memories of those old enough to remember, but I can still taste that Pepsi. I would pull it out of the drink cooler, pop the top off, grab a bag of salted Planters peanuts, drink just enough of the Pepsi to give me room, and pour the peanuts into the drink.

A taste sensation, the salt and crunchiness of the peanuts with the sweetness and carbonation of the drink, was a treat, and one I’m gonna try again if I can find a real Pepsi in a glass bottle. Those plastic things they’re making

now just won’t work.

I don’t know how but the little truck seemed to have taken over this ride, and before I realized it, we were back to old haunts and another country store that played a big part in my outdoor career, known simply as Slim’s Place. This old store had a real history going back many years to Slim’s grandfather. When Slim took it over, more as a hobby than a moneymaker, it had been closed for several years and was in real disrepair. Slim had retired after making a fortune out West, riding high on the crazy real estate market. When he returned to North Carolina, he said he needed something to do so he restored the ancient place to its original grandeur and, as he put it, opened it so reprobates and ne’er-do-wells would have a place to go. And did we ever. Every Saturday would find the gravel parking lot full to the brim with pickup trucks and SUVs of all sizes, years, and makes. Slim said his was an equal opportunity rest stop for every kind of redneck.

Nothing remains the same and as the years hustled on by, Slim came down with a debilitating disease that would ultimately force him to give up the enterprise. He turned the place over to his cousin, Leroy, and a couple of years later died while on an impromptu visit to the store. It was said that he was sitting in his favorite rocking chair on the side porch with a cup of coffee when Leroy shouted out the side door to see if he wanted a honey bun, one of his favorite snacks. When he didn’t reply, Leroy came out to discover that he had peacefully passed away. Always the neat one, Slim didn’t spill a drop of his coffee and earlier visitors that morning had thought he was just dozing.

It was close to two o’clock when I pulled into the parking lot of the old place. It sat there dejectedly, like an old lady who had been ignored too long.

I shut down the Bronco and stared out the windshield. Paint peeled from the columns holding up the porch and one of the double screen doors hung crookedly from only one hinge. There was a big rip across the bottom. I got out of the Bronco and walked around toward the side porch. Rocking chairs were propped against the wall and cushions from the gliders were piled up in a corner with a chair resting on top so they wouldn’t blow away. I wondered why no one had put them inside. I was disappointed with Leroy. Slim’s store deserved better than this.

I went back to the front and tried to pull the hanging screen back in place. I used a brick from the driveway as a doorstop and thought that might hold it, at least for a while. A late fall sun was casting long shadows across the parking lot, and I realized I didn’t have much time before dark, so whatever investigation I was to do had better be quick. After all, I was technically a trespasser.

The back of the place was in no better repair, although from what I could see by peering through a window, everything inside looked okay. Back on the side porch, I dragged up a rocker to sit in and think about better times

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T h e sp o r t i n g l i f e

for the old place. Suddenly, a vintage Land Rover roared into the gravel lot and slid to a stop. I stood up grinning, knowing only one person in the state who drove a truck of that model, and walked down the stairs to greet him. “Well, Bubba, you old rascal, how in the world are you doing?”

“Cooter, if you ever want to hide, don’t drive that Bronco. I spotted it two miles away.”

Bubba had given me the nickname Cooter, and he and I go way back, having hunted and enjoyed the great outdoors together for more than thirty years. He was dressed as usual, a country gentleman with a khaki vest, denim shirt, worn blue jeans, and a pair of comfortable Browning boots. With his shock of white hair and mustache, he looked as if he had stepped out of a Larry McMurtry Western novel. He walked up the wide steps and grabbed another rocker.

He said, “Wait a minute.” And he went back to the Rover, reached in the back seat, and brought out his ever present gunning bag. “This is for later,” he said, smiling.

We sat and talked about Slim, his death, and the future, or lack thereof, of the old store.

“Yep, Tom. See that rocker on top of the cushions in the corner?” I nodded, as I looked that way. “That was the rocker Slim was sitting in when he met the Grim Reaper.”

Bubba got up and moved the rocker so it was in line with ours. “It needs to be moved over here.

Slim just might be in the neighborhood.”

I laughed, although it gave me a weird feeling. I was glad Bubba was sitting next to Slim’s chair.

“What do you think is gonna happen to the old place?” I asked “For sure, Leroy can’t make it work,” he replied.

“As a matter of fact, I’ve been thinking of buying it. That is, if Leroy wants to sell.” I wasn’t surprised; everything Bubba touches turns to gold.

“Here, let’s toast Slim, his old place and maybe its future.” He reached into his gunning bag and pulled out a flask and two pewter cups. “It’s single malt, Slim’s favorite.”

He poured a couple of fingers in each cup, handed me one and said, “To Slim and to us.

Let’s don’t join him too soon.”

We raised our cups to the empty chair and took a sip. About that time a single, solitary gust of wind blew around the corner and Slim’s rocker started to move.

Bubba looked over at me and said, “Merry Christmas, Cooter.”

I replied, “Merry Christmas, Bubba.”

Then we both said, almost in unison, “Merry Christmas, Slim.”

And Bubba added, while looking at Slim’s favorite rocker, “Wherever you are.” PS Tom Bryant is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.

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G o l f t ow n J o u r na l

A Little Ginger Ale and History Photograph from the Tufts Archives

Out from the shadows at last, splendid Pinehurst amateur Dick Chapman is well remembered

Chapman makes it sound like the ’90s were the days of balata balls and hickory shafts, but he’s correct that it wasn’t possible a mere two to decades ago to dance across the keyboard and a young writer back in the fall of in just a few strokes have a gigabyte of research on your screen.

1990 was to figure out how to tell For instance, a quick search in 2010 tells you the Pinehurst story on the printed that Chapman Sr. won the 1940 U.S. Amateur, page. Which words, stories, photoplayed on three winning Walker Cup teams, won the national amateur titles of France, Great graphs, paintings and etchings to Britain, Canada, Italy, and a host of titles along use to capture the singular personthe Eastern Seaboard — from Connecticut to Massachusetts to the Carolinas. ality and experience of the nation’s You can easily find Time magazine passages foremost golf village and resort? from 1940 describing Chapman as the “New The idea crystallized quickly when reading a York and Pinehurst socialite, whose nightclub Pinehurst Outlook account of Ben Hogan’s first warbling has been more lark than livelihood.” professional tournament victory, his 1940 win in You can find a New York Times reference to the North and South Open: Would Mr. Hogan “the dashing Dick Chapman.” And you can be open to an interview to discuss the occasion find Time chronicling his 1951 British Amateur and what it meant for his career? victory, won with a final match victory over In fact, could you visit with Jack Nicklaus to Charley Coe, 5 and 4.

Dick and Eloise Chapman talk about winning the 1959 North and South “I owe it all to Ben Hogan,” Chapman said.

Amateur? With Harvie Ward to relive his epic “He taught me to shift my right hand and cured battles with Frank Stranahan in the late ’40s? With Billy Joe Patton to me of hooking my irons. I changed my grip just before I came over here.” talk of his colorful caddies and rescue shots from the trees? With Tom Actually, Chapman was not completely ignored in that 1991 volume.

Watson and Hale Irwin to dissect their 62s on Pinehurst No. 2?

The very section that included the personal stories from the likes of Could you find 18 people — a nice, round golf number — with visible Sam Snead and Peggy Kirk Bell opened with a two-page spread photo of golf credentials to tell of their experiences in Pinehurst? Enough to anChapman launching a tee shot in the old North and South Open, the chor a coffee-table book commissioned by Pinehurst Resort & Country images of Hogan, Stranahan and Jimmy Demaret looking on in all of their Club as part of its quest to re-establish itself as a championship venue sepia-toned glory. Chapman’s long-coveted win in the North and South following the early 1980s’ financial woes of a previous owner?

Amateur finally came in the twilight of his career, and that 1958 milestone Indeed you could. All it took was popping the question. was noted in a five-paragraph sidebar toward the back of the book.

The result was Pinehurst Stories, which came off the presses in But I will admit that Chapman’s inestimable record and idiosyncratic October 1991, exactly one week before the Tour Championship on No. passion for golf didn’t really resonate until 2005 when I was in Camden, 2, with the 18 personal tales augmented by contributions from golf writS.C., attending the Carolinas Four-Ball to research a chapter for the ing heavyweights Herbert Warren Wind, Dick Taylor and Charles Price.

Carolinas Golf Association centennial book that was published in 2008.

I was merely the pipsqueak with the tape recorder who organized it all.

Camden Country Club has been the site of one of the liveliest and most The concept worked — but it wasn’t perfect. popular golf competitions in the region over the last six decades, and If you were not alive …

Chapman teamed with Bobby Knowles to win in the 1956 Carolinas If you were not a household name in late 20th-century golf circles …

Four-Ball and with Art Ruffin to win in 1959.

If you were not born-and-bred of the village or hands-on in the evoluAustin Brown, a long-time Camden Country Club member, told the tion of Pinehurst Country Club … story of receiving a phone call from Chapman one spring morning in Then you likely fell through the cracks. the 1950s, just before the Four-Ball was set to commence. Brown was Exhibit A: Richard D. “Dick” Chapman. club president at the time, and Chapman wanted to make sure the club “You didn’t have Google back in those days,” observes his son, Dick would have plenty of ginger ale on hand for the tournament. Brown Chapman Jr. assured him there would be plenty of ginger ale, but he wondered why

By Lee Pace

The challenge

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G o l f t ow n J o u r na l

Chapman wanted any.

“Ben Hogan says to putt well, your fingers need to ‘feel thin,’” Chapman said. “And ginger ale makes your fingers feel thin.”

I learned more about Chapman for that book and another one called The Creed of Amateur, a modest tome that tips its cap to the spirit of amateur golf written in time for the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst.

Chapman was a boy of 18 when his father, John, took him to the 1929 U.S. Open playoff at Winged Foot Golf Club, where Bob Jones beat Al Espinosa by 23 shots in a 36-hole playoff. Young Chapman remarked to his father that day that he wanted to become a championship golfer, and 11 years later his dream came true. The 1940 U.S. Amateur was played at Winged Foot, where Chapman was now a member, and he handily dusted W.B. McCullough Jr., 11-and-9.

The Chapmans lived in Greenwich, Conn., but John had a winter home in Pinehurst. Dick moved to Pinehurst after World War II. “My father loved golf and he said, ‘Pinehurst is the golf center, and I want to live in the center of the game,’” says Dick Chapman Jr., today a Pinehurst resident and financial planner.

“I remember how meticulous he was and how dedicated to the game of golf he was,” says Charles Smith, who defeated Chapman 4-and-3 en route to the 1960 North and South Amateur title. “He was the first ‘name’ player I’d ever competed against, and beating him in Pinehurst, on his home course, was quite a thrill.”

Chapman and wife Eloise were avid mixed foursome competitors at the club and developed a game that came to be known as the Chapman or Pinehurst System. It was spawned from a foursome that ranged from a scratch player to a hundred-shooter, so Chapman suggested a format where two-golfer teams played each other’s tee shots for their second shot, selected the best of those two balls and from there played alternate shot.

Chapman wrote about golf and was tireless in retooling his golf clubs and experimenting with the technical nuances of the game.

Chapman Jr. remembers the old pros like Hogan and Demaret visiting the Chapman home and the men putting for hours on a carpet stretched along an elongated hallway.

“Jimmy Demaret once said that after spending a weekend with my parents that he’d never been so over-golfed in his life,” Chapman Jr. says.

All of that and still Chapman’s memory has existed in the shadows of the exploits and accomplishments of others in the Pinehurst history vault. Chapman Jr. even went so far as to wonder several years ago if his father’s lack of a close friendship with Richard Tufts, of the founding

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G o l f t ow n J o u r na l

and owning family through the club’s sale in 1970, might have been working against his father years later when wall photos, book chapters and assorted other tributes were doled out.

“I thought maybe politics were involved,” Chapman Jr. says. “My father and Richard Tufts were two entirely different personalities.

Richard Tufts was kind of stuffy. My father was the opposite type, more A-type. It’s been hard for me to connect the dots. Richard Tufts loved amateur golf, and my father was the consummate amateur.”

No, there’s been nothing so Machiavellian, of that I am certain. Truth is that no one in charge the last 25 years, since the beginning of the Dedman family ownership of Pinehurst, knew enough about Dick Chapman to discriminate against him. The error has simply been one of omission. Indeed, if a man drinks ginger ale to sharpen his tactile senses and drain a couple or more 10-footers, his place in Pinehurst history is well secured. PS Lee Pace, author of “Pinehurst Stories,” is an award-winning sportswriter and a longtime resident of Chapel Hill.

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December 2010

The Christmas Party of the book club that doesn’t read books, the ladies introduce their men who with the ladies consume much wine and enjoy staccato bursts of conversation. The poet is baffled.

lodge tonight? Will they tell all to Herod? Who will there be to warn the children, to cry to the nursing mothers — pluck up your babes and leave before the soldiers rattle

He cannot make words in this festive scene. He moves from room to room spinning in his mind like a dervish.

Living room, dining room, kitchen, den, guest bedroom, and back again.

in with their copper armor and their thick heads. The poet wants to shout “Fire!” and watch them all disperse into the tumbling rain and fog out there.

But he keeps his peace. Instead he

He listens to the break neck talk, the roars of laughter at what must be something he has completely missed once more. He can make words from the turning leaves of the soul

knocks on God’s door three times to give thanks for the strange child who must have hammered nails himself before the nails hammered him and sent the world reeling into darkness.

but this he cannot fathom. What can they think of to say that brings such smirks, such grins, such open mouthed chewing? What news from Bethlehem? Where do the kings

— Tony Abbott Tony Abbott is the award-winning author of five volumes of poetry and two novels, the former Charles A. Dana Professor of English and Department Chairman of English at Davidson College.

Christmas in the Pines, 1910 In a world in transition, sparks of the Gilded Age still ill uminated the holiday season one hundred years ago in America’s winter playground

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By Ray Owen

t was a beautiful day in Pinehurst, Christmas 1910, sunrise like a fire through a glaze of honey, while all the bounties of heaven and earth flowed into our Eden in the pines. There was a great Yuletide show within the village, Tar Heels mingled with Yankees in the rough-cut jewel that was America’s winter playground, enjoying the holiday in a once forgotten place, and a Christmas dawning on a world in transition.

On or about December 25, 1910, the world had fundamentally changed. The Wright Brothers had flown at Kitty Hawk, Einstein had published his Theory of Relativity, Freud’s writings were gaining greater renown, and modernism was blossoming in Europe.

As an old world was rapidly giving way, relations between husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants suddenly shifted, and this season of contrasts brought as many worries as it did wonders.

Illuminated by its own spirit was Pinehurst, an island of stability in a changing world, with homelike inns filled with Yuletide guests, among kind and hospitable hosts. A fast train away from the business heart of the nation, or a pleasant journey made by sea, the great tide of humanity turned southward, toward a destination that had been unknown to New Englanders.

Established in 1895 by Boston soda fountain tycoon James Walker Tufts as a retreat for those of modest means, under the paternalistic rule of Tuft’s heirs the village became a playground for the rich and famous, with political figures and celebrities like John Phillip Sousa and Annie Oakley frequenting the resort. Finely appointed trains pulled into the station, six or more times each day, with new arrivals leaving behind the snow-clad hills and icebound shores of the North.

It is hard for anyone who was not there to realize the primitiveness of the Sandhills at that time. Beyond its fenced-in borders lay the ruins of the primeval longleaf forest, and the unbroken desolation left behind by the continuous sound of saws. Gracefully curvilinear streets roping its domain, amid sandy glades drifting like fields of snow, the hand of Tufts moved across this land, creating a quaint idealized Yankee village in the heart of the vast green pines believed to emit a magical scent that could cure almost any respiratory malady, and lift any ailing spirit.

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Among the stream of travelers were giants, men such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, who celebrated their wealth as it had never been seen before. Whatever they touched turned to gold, but this had so altered the quality of their lives as whole villages were swept away — overcome by the march of deteriorating urban centers. And like sparks flying from the Gilded Age they longed for their escape.

Such twist of fate was not without its omens, with the spectacle of Halley’s Comet and the apparition of the Great Daylight Comet of 1910.

The return of Halley’s Comet was met with great anticipation and fear. The first approach came

in late April, and on May 18th the earth passed through its tail. There were swarms of meteorites, along with a beautiful display of transcendent clouds. In an illuminated atmosphere, a portion of the tail appeared in the east and another part in the west. Stardust showered down on Earth as the planet’s magnetic field altered. At noon the sky filled with clouds that looked like a horizontal rainbow — shifting colors between red and green — with a ring around the sun like the ring around the moon.

Seeing the luminous specter swirling through black air, many people panicked, buying gas masks, anti-comet pills, and anti-comet umbrellas, with hotels and bars serving “Comet Cocktails.” Halley’s swing across the cosmos was distinct from the Great Daylight Comet.

Coming out of nowhere it surpassed Halley’s brilliance, being visible in broad daylight. It was the brightest comet of the 20th century, appearing four months before Halley’s.

Thus was the season, Christmas 1910, in the magical village that seemed to have dropped down from the sky into a sea of sand. With its abundance of evergreens and crimson-berried holly, Pinehurst was like living Christmas year round. Snow had fallen earlier in the month, dusting the world clean, as winter festivities came fast and thick. The little town made ready for the holiday weeks before the coming of the day.

The smell of greenery from the deep woods filled

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rooms, as stores shelves filled with confectioneries, fruits and fine cakes, along with turkeys fattened for the Yuletide feast.

Standing out among shop offerings of handcarved wooden toys, hammered silver and blown glass, were boxes of local greenery for sending to friends up north. Pine boughs and cones, holly, mistletoe, cotton and persimmons, were packed neatly into squares. This tradition began before the turn of the twentieth century when country folks around Pinehurst would gather cartloads of woodland greenery as gifts for shipping north, sending them to Yankees who had aided them in building several area churches.

The rural people welcomed resort guests to a holiday celebration held at a nearby church.

With a carriage ride from the village costing just one quarter, an audience twice the anticipated sized turned out, and couldn’t all fit within the building. A decorated Christmas tree, outside in the open air, seemed a wonder to the Northern guests. Adorned with small flags, along with ornaments and popcorn strings, it was a gift to everyone in attendance.

Back in the village, there were literary and musical treats, along with a special holiday section of “The Pinehurst Outlook” called “Pinecone,” produced by the village children. The Seventh Holiday Week Golf Tournament attracted many entrants, and the Holly Inn held an indoor putting contest, on a green made of red carpet with the holes being three rings each worth a different value. Richard Tufts came in first place, and a dance was held afterward.

Christmas at the Holly Inn was a spectacle to behold. There were twin Christmas trees decorated with crimson bells and tinsel, flanked by bright-berried holly. Running from the center of the hall were streamers of English ivy, and large crimson bells at four corners. A big cluster of mistletoe hung in the center of the room, and tables were decorated with holly, with stockings hung over the fireplaces. The orchestra played, while guests enjoyed fine dining, and everyone received a bag of Christmas sweets. Gifts under the tree included tin jewelry and small china dolls for the ladies, along with little tin guns for the men.

The Village Hall was made into a “bower of beauty” for resort workers and their families — transformed with holly and evergreen boughs, as well as painted pine cones. The Christmas tree dominated the room, and on its branches rested brightly colored paper flowers, gilt-edged paper trimmed with lace, illuminated by wax tapers supported by twisted pieces of tin. Over the tree was a large star of ground glass containing an electric light, casting a certain glow that was understood and shared by everyone.

They were right to be content, knowing presences so friendly and near, as pines climbed slowly into heaven, in this place that was the picture of their souls — making a merry Christmas in the wondrous, worrying year of 1910. PS PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Trained Wonders

Whether it is a desire to recreate a varnished childhood or celebrate one’s inner engineer, the miniature landscapes of local model train enthusiasts are pure magic.

By Ashley Wahl • Photographs By Laura Gingerich

Grand Trunk Railroad The wooden stairs that descend to Jim McNiff’s basement are a portal to his perfect world.

“This,” Jim says, gesturing to a miniature scene of Bear Lake, MI, “is ninety-nine percent done.”

With the flip of a few switches, the Grand Trunk Railroad chugs along an overpass as the Pere Marquette disappears into a tunnel below. Lights from the nearby fish house reflect off the lake.

“See, that’s the thing about model train scenes,” he says with a laugh. “They’re never done. I’ll probably keep adding little things here and there for the rest of my life.”

Jim wasn’t always a train man. Four years ago, something sparked the passion.

“My son came home looking for his childhood train,” Jim says, remembering now the thought of watching it wind around its track years before to light up the face of his son.

“For all I knew it could have ended up in a garage sale,” he admits.

When the old set turned up after a search through stor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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age, Jim laid down the small track, hooked up a transformer, and ran the long-forgotten train for his grandson, Clay.

“That was great and all, but I knew I could do better,” he says.

Hence came a six-month renovation of the McNiff’s previously unfinished basement. The rest, as they say, is history — specifically Jim’s.

“This is my hometown between 1900 and 1950,” he says of the section of his layout modeled after old postcards, pictures, and memories of Muskegon, MI. Jim’s grandfather owned A. Krautheim’s Jewelry Store, while US Highway 31 Barbecue remains a first stop on trips back home.

“Their barbecue is like no other,” he insists.

Familiar landmarks include the Lumberman’s Bank, Hardy Herpolsheimer’s Department Store, the old Courthouse, and Wally’s Weiner Wagon. Jim’s Repair Shop and a small theater are in the works.

Details breathe life into Jim’s creation. Pan in and you’ll see a violinist performing at the park, a graveside burial at the Episcopal church, lifelike flowering shrubs.

He points out the first scene wife Nancy bought him to feed his newly rekindled hobby: a little boy relieving himself on the roadside while his mother discreetly shields him with an outstretched skirt.

“Dad’s gotten into the trunk, has his beer cooler out, and is enjoying a cold one while the rest of the family takes care of business.”

Sand smuggled from the beach of Lake Michigan makes Bear Lake feel that much more authentic, while the activities that surround the lake — camping, fishing, Scouting and horseback riding — are steeped in deep family meaning to Jim and his grandkids.

“When I first started dating Nancy,” he explains of his wife of 48 years, “her mother never referred to me by name. I was always ‘that boy,’ as in, ‘are you going out with that boy again?’” he laughs.

Jim intended to name his first sailboat “That Boy’s Toy.” Although the sailboat never arrived, as the Grand Trunk makes its rounds, he seems pretty happy just dreaming about it on his very own Bear Lake.

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Ted’s Hometown Tribute Model trains became Ted Belfanti’s hobby nearly 35 years ago. Somewhere along the way it became his artistic passion.

Note the detail in his farm scene alone: the whimsical texture of the wheat field; the scarecrow in the corn yard; telephone wires made of string; chickens on the roof of their coop; a mother hanging laundry on the clothesline.

“The enjoyment is the creativity in building something like this,” Ted muses. “If you look at a real town, the tracks go through, but they’re only a small part of the big picture.”

Shannon’s Farm, named for Ted’s granddaughter in Connecticut, was his first completed scene. Beacon, NY, came next. That’s where Ted and wife Kathy met.

“I was working in the candy department at Schoonmakers when Ted’s friends brought him in,” Kathy remembers, pointing to the tiny replica on Main Street.

Al’s Jewelry Store is a few doors down. The couple kissing by its window, Ted reveals, represent him and his bride.

“That’s where he bought my engagement ring,” PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Kathy says, eyeing the miniature spot where their married life commenced.

In response to where else the duo hung out on Main Street, Ted playfully admits that there’s just no telling.

Many details in his scene have been carefully replicated — down to the angles of the parked cars. Ted references photographs snapped on trips back home.

“The church is there,” he says, comparing the picture to his interpretation of the town, “and the stores are lined along here....”

Streetlights and shrubbery are in place, too.

George’s grocery store is named for Ted’s father.

“It’s more meaningful to Kathy and me than to anyone else,” says Ted of his idealized home. “I’m doing it for our benefit. That means something, this means something; and so forth.”

Ted may take modeling things to scale seriously, but there’s no doubt that he has serious fun with his layout.

Try searching for the man who has left his tractor idle in the wheat field. Or the elephant behind the warehouse. Touches of whimsy abound.

Over one hundred trees can be found in Ted’s winter wonderland scene.

Glittering snow laces evergreens and lines the bare branches of deciduous trees.

Ice skaters float atop a frozen pond. The ski slope is a hot spot. A herd of deer gaze down from the mountaintop.

“Every time you look at Ted’s layout, you see something you didn’t notice before,” Kathy says.

She points to a chain-link fence on a hillside.

“This one he made from the netting of a dress,” she explains. Other fences are made of conventional window screen material. Ted sees potential in ordinary materials.

Although Kathy enjoys making occasional contributions — little things, she says, like weathering buildings, adding pine trees or painting things pink — this is Ted’s project “by all means.”

“A hobby is a hobby,” Ted says, humbly. “Mine is a good hobby. It’s just a fun thing to do.”

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All Aboard Granny Choo Choo’s Garden Train

Lois Wallace’s three-year-old grandson calls her “Granny Choo Choo.”

“I”ll tell you how it all got started,” Lois says with a laugh.

As her story begins, a squirrel jumps on the ledge of her kitchen window and begins working on the breakfast she just left him.

“My husband told his nurses that he never had a train as a little boy,” she says of the retired doctor. “One Christmas as a joke, they gave him an HO scale train.”

Lois wired the train above the refrigerator as soon as it came out of the box. Although it ran all season long, it was too small to stay on the circular track.

“I just thought it was fun to watch it run,” says Lois. “So I asked Don if we could have a train running around our kitchen cabinets all the time. Of course, it would have to be big enough not to fall on our heads.”

Don gave the okay. Three days later, Lois had a G scale train up and running.

After a few structural alterations to the walls

and cabinets, Lois’ train now loops around the kitchen, goes into and around the sitting room, and repeats the circuit. Picture cut-outs of seven smiling grandchildren are all aboard. The family loves Granny Choo Choo’s trains, too.

For Don and Lois’ fiftieth wedding anniversary, each grandchild donned blue and white striped train regalia for portraits. Their pictures hang in the Wallaces’ garage by a circus train Lois acquired a few years back.

“My children have a wonderful time here at Christmas,” Lois says, gesturing to trapeze artists, Arabian ponies, and a row of elephants.

“They buy toys for their mother.”

A circular track loops around a patio table in the backyard. That’s where Lois’ squirrels enter the picture.

“We have a DVD of the squirrels riding that train,” Lois explains. “One squirrel rode around five times before he was able to get the nut out of the hatch. He looks like he was just enjoying the ride.”

Although the squirrel train entertains,

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Lois’ Garden Train Railroad — visible from the kitchen window — takes the prize.

“It took an entire summer to build,” she says of the outdoor track that winds through tunnels and over the water that snakes through a large bed of creeping thyme.

Miniature shrubbery is trimmed by hand. The train activates whistling sounds as it passes over magnets on the track.

Although Lois admits that the houses, scenes and statues that decorate her garden railroad aren’t always to scale, that doesn’t faze her.

“I have a good time with this. It’s kind of like a giant doll house,” she explains. “You’re always adding something to it.

Like my husband says, our railroads will never be finished.”

PS

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11/10/10 1:39 PM

n e w f i ct i o n

Like a Christmas Gift

By Sara King

arland Garrett understood that life was built on change.

Without change, he’d still be in high school, elementary school even. Somehow, though, he thought the changes in his life would be on his terms, and always for the better, not worse, unless a person got sick and died, something extreme like that.

Only a few hours ago had he learned he was wrong. He’d been at Bellamy’s Big Men’s Shop, where he’d worked part time through high school and full time from 2007-2009 when the economy collapsed, which made it understandable when Mr. Bellamy told him his son could take his place when he was home for the Christmas holidays. But Garland was sorry.

Bellamy’s was a day job that allowed him to take his night acting classes.

Those classes could change his life.

“It’s hard to run a store like this in a calorie-conscious world,” Mr. Bellamy said. “This business used to have potential. Fat men enjoyed being fat men.

They enjoyed a couple of beers after work and a big meal when they got home. Now even beers are diet drinks. And wives don’t cook anymore.

They’re out working and jogging like their husbands. I tell you, Garland, thin people are going to put me out of business.”

Garland wasn’t too surprised. His boss said stuff like that all the time.

What did surprise him was that Mr. Bellamy still didn’t get it. If he wanted fat shoppers, he should’ve gained a few pounds himself. He obviously didn’t consider how difficult it was for his fat customers to waddle behind a pencilthin man. Garland knew he wasn’t that big either, but he wasn’t as skinny as Mr. Bellamy, whose only connection with fat men was their money. Bellamy’s Big Men’s Shop needed a big man to be its face — or stomach — a man who understood big men because he was one of them. That kind of salesman, not thin ones like Mr. Bellamy and his son, would bring in customers. Fat people followed fat people because they were easy to see.

Mr. Bellamy had been apologetic. “I’m sorry about this, Garland. I know this is last minute.” He narrowed his eyes. “I say go to the mall. That’s where the business is, and Garland,” he added, “if you happen to see a big man, send him to me.”

Garland had listened and followed his advice. At the mall, he went first to Johnson’s Department Store, but after he learned about the night hours, he followed an arrow to a room where a secretary gave him an application for the Santa Claus job, its hours 9:00-5:00 and perfect for his schedule. He glanced at the two men who sat across from him, each filling out an application. Mr. Bellamy, he thought, I’ve found some customers for you. Both men were large with chins that rolled onto their necks. The one with dark hair had a very heavy beard, which made him look almost menacing. He wouldn’t be serious competition for this job.

The other man might be. His round face was bright pink, and as he wrote, he laughed, or sort of giggled, stopping occasionally to take a breath. Garland thought he’d seen the man, maybe shopping at Bellamy’s.

He looked back at his application: Previous Employment: Bellamy’s Big Men’s Shop. It hadn’t been an awful job except in summer when fat men tried on various shorts or bathing suits and revealed their pale, blubbery legs — always a disgusting sight.

The application continued: Position Desired: Santa Claus. He felt a little numb at the thought. It was a replacement job, really, for the man who’d had angina and couldn’t continue working. He was certain the previous

G

Santa’s condition was a plus for him. The two men also applying looked as though they were heart attack bound; and although Garland knew he’d have only a couple of weeks as Santa, the money would tide him over until after Christmas. Then he would look for a real job, unless he’d made a contact for what he really wanted.

Glancing at the men, he rolled his pen between his palms. This was ludicrous. He looked as much like Santa Claus as these men looked like Jack Sprat. For a moment, he thought of leaving and going back to Johnson’s Department Store. He could get a job there. They still needed someone through the holidays, maybe after. But he would have to work at night and couldn’t attend his acting classes. He saw his name flash across a marquee, the Gs large, the way he always wrote them. He refused to give up those classes. He had to have them if he was going to be a star.

Garland looked at his completed application. Although a job as Santa Claus might be a long shot, he would give it a try. Besides, there was padding. He’d used plenty of it in high school. He studied the space where he could list any previous experience. Maybe he should include the time in high school when he was Santa in the Christmas play. Since that might look good, he added it fast.

When the door opened, a middle-aged woman dressed in a dark wool suit joined them, her red lips stretched into a too-bright smile. “Gentlemen, I’m Ms. Morris,” she said, the “Ms.” hissing. “If I may have your applications, we can get on with our interviews.” She picked up a paper from each man and sat down at the head of the table.

The dark-haired man scowled. “What else do we have to do?”

The woman looked at him, glanced away, and stared back. Her large smile had become a smirk. She can’t believe it either, Garland thought. She can’t fathom that a thug like him is applying for the Santa job.

“Sir, as part of our interview, we ask that each applicant dress in a Santa suit.” She smiled at Garland. “There’s padding available, of course. Then we ask that you do a little Santa impersonation. You’ll sit in a chair next to me and pretend you’re talking to a little girl. That’s the part I play. Show us what you could do if you become our day Santa.”

Ms. Morris emphasized each word as though she were an anchor on the nightly news. She’s trying not to laugh, Garland decided, and it must be hard as hell.

The pink-faced man grinned until his cheeks ballooned. Garland looked at the dark-haired man, who rolled his eyes. For a moment, he thought the man was going to leave, but he remained seated at the table, his hands clasped before him.

Ms. Morris smiled again in her perfunctory way. “I’ll look over your applications while you put on your Santa suits. You’ll find everything you need in the dressing rooms. Are there any questions?”

The pink-faced man giggled. “When do we find out who got the job?”

“As soon as we finish today,” she said. “Our new Santa will start work tomorrow. His chair will be where this table is now.”

“Why did you wait so long to hire someone?” the dark-haired man grumbled.

Ms. Morris looked at the applications in her hand. “Mr. Shuden, as you know from our advertisement, we are trying to fill a sudden vacancy we have open for our mall day Santa. Our night Santa is on board now, but we don’t hire until November anyway. When we select the Santas we need later, we are able to find men who are more committed to this kind of work.”

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Garland nodded. So “committed” was another word for desperate.

“Suppose you don’t get anybody,” Mr. Shuden said. “What will you do then?”

Ms. Morris sighed. “I think you’d be surprised, Mr. Shuden, at all the Santa hopefuls out there.”

The pink-faced man tried to laugh and breathe at the same time, creating a snort that sprayed saliva onto Shuden’s plaid jacket.

Glaring at him, Mr. Shuden stood and turned toward the dressing rooms.

Garland and the pink-faced man followed.

Garland went to the room on the end and began to remove his tie. He examined the red suit on the wooden hanger. It was large, but smaller than some of the clothes at Bellamy’s.

He finished undressing, and after placing some padding around his waist, he put on his Santa suit.

If he could tuck a little foam rubber away, he would take it to Mr. Bellamy. Padding could turn around his business, Garland was certain, but knowing how Mr. Bellamy could be sometimes, he might be insulted if he ever told him what to do. That would be his loss. Until Mr. Bellamy admitted that in the middle of huge men and huge clothes he was almost invisible, nothing could change. It was a stupid way to run a fat men’s store.

Garland slipped a band of elastic around his head and adjusted the beard as he looked in the mirror. Not bad. The pants were baggy, but he could get by. He needed a little color on his cheeks, though. He would have to remember to buy some blush if he got the job.

He took a final glance in the mirror before he walked back into the room where they’d left Ms. Morris. She was placing a chair beside hers at the table, and Mr. Shuden was already sitting where he’d been earlier. In a moment, the pink-faced man came toward them, puffing as he walked. Garland

coughed hard, trying to stifle a laugh.

Ms. Morris sat again at the head of the table, her entwined fingers revealing her red polished nails that had a white dot in the middle like a bit of snow, at least he guessed that’s what it was. Although Garland noticed she spent a lot of time clearing her throat, she seemed in control.

She looked at an application, and turned to the pink-faced man. “Mr. Jeffers,” she said, “I’ll let you begin. You look like you have lots of spirit.”

Jeffers, Garland thought. The name was familiar.

Jeffers shuffled to the chair beside Ms. Morris. “I don’t exactly know what to do,” he whined, his cheeks glowing above his beard.

“Remember what I told you,” Ms. Morris said. “Just pretend I’m a little girl who has come to see you with her Christmas list.” She looked beyond them, smoothing the side of her frosted hair. “You’ll have to really stretch your imagination, of course, but maybe that will help.”

Mr. Jeffers nodded. “Okay, little girl, what would . . ..”

He slid his tongue back and forth between his lips until Ms. Morris leaned toward him.

“What else?” she asked.

“Ho, Ho?” he asked back.

“Don’t ask it,” she snapped. “Say it.”

“Ho, Ho, Ho. Little girl, what do you want for Christmas?” He began to wheeze, spraying his red pants.

Ms. Morris’s voice became soft. “I would like a doll, Santa. A doll that can walk and talk.”

Mr. Jeffers’ head bobbed above his beard. He began to giggle and pull on his belt.

Ms. Morris put his application beside her. “You can have a seat, Mr. Jeffers. That was fine.” She looked at another application. “Mr. Shuden?”

“I think you’d be surprised, Mr. Shuden, at all the Santa hopefuls out there.”

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For a moment, Shuden ran his thumb along the edge of his beard before he walked to the chair beside her.

“Just pretend I’m a little girl,” Ms. Morris reminded him.

Shuden winced. “What would you like for Christmas?” he asked.

“A doll. A doll with blond hair and blinking blue eyes.”

Shuden shrugged and looked across the room. From his neck down, he had a chance.

His stubby legs filled the Santa pants, and his stomach swelled nicely against the red jacket without the about-to-burst look of Mr. Jeffers’.

But over the white beard, the shadow of his real beard appeared even darker. He looked like a mobster at a costume party.

Ms. Morris cleared her throat. “Remember, Mr. Shuden, you are Santa Claus. Show me some Christmas spirit.”

Still looking across the room, he forced a laugh. “Ha, Ha, Ha. What do you want for Christmas, Girlie?”

“Holy cow!” Jeffers shrieked. “ ‘Ha, Ha, Ha, Girlie’— who’s ever heard of a Santa talking like that?” He threw back his head and laughed until his laughter again became a snort.

“Hush up,” Ms. Morris told him. “I will not tolerate rudeness at the Santa table.”

She took a breath and looked at Mr. Shuden.

“Sir, would you like to continue?”

Shuden took off his beard and scratched the stubble on his cheeks. “I was trying to be informal,” he said. “I thought kids would like that.”

He pointed at Mr. Jeffers. “At least I don’t spit on people. You need to remember that.”

Ms. Morris nodded and cut her eyes at Jeffers.

“Thank you, Mr. Shuden. You’re next, Mr. Garrett.”

As he stood, Mr. Jeffers stood also. “I knew I’d seen you before,” he gushed. “You work at Bellamy’s, don’t you?”

Garland smiled. “I used to.”

Jeffers nodded, his eyes wide.

Ms. Morris raised her eyebrows.

Glancing at the people before him, Garland swallowed hard. What a pitiful group they were, all needing a few Christmas dollars. He had to think of something funny. That’s what Miss Gleason, his high school drama teacher, told him not that long ago. He looked at Mr. Shuden and then at Ms. Morris, who seemed to be on his side, not Jeffers’. He wondered what she would do if Mr. Shuden suddenly dropped his pants and chased her all over the room.

After he sat in the chair, he smiled wide.

“What would you like for Christmas, little girl?”

“A doll. A doll that eats and wets.”

Garland chuckled. “That sounds real nice. I bet you’d be a good mommy to a doll like that.”

“Oh, yes,” Ms. Morris agreed, ”I would be, Santa. I even have diapers.”

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Garland stroked his beard. “Have you been a good girl this year? Have you helped around the house and done your homework?”

“Most of the time,” she said. “Almost always.”

Mr. Jeffers began to clap.

Ms. Morris nodded. “That was very good.”

Mr. Shuden had already started toward his dressing room.

“Thank you, gentlemen,” she said. “I imagine it’s clear to everyone that Mr. Garrett will be the mall’s new day Santa this year. If you’re in agreement, Mr. Garrett, I’ll see you tomorrow about 8:30 to get set up.” As soon as Garland nodded, she picked up the applications and left the table.

Mr. Jeffers approached Garland, his round belly jiggling over his shiny belt. “Congratulations,” he said. “You really were the best. And I just knew I’d seen you before. Bellamy’s is a good place. It’s about the only store where I can find anything to wear. You know,” he whispered, “with my gland problem, I can’t seem to control my weight.”

Garland raised his brows and nodded.

“Another problem is price. I can’t afford anything right now.” Mr. Jeffers began to giggle, and Garland wondered if the annoying noise was a gland problem, too. But he knew that the big clothes were expensive. Mr. Bellamy said rich men were the only people who could afford them. Then he blamed rich men for going to spas and getting thin. Mr. Bellamy was like that.

“Listen,” Mr. Jeffers continued,” why don’t we go to Pizza Palace and celebrate your new job? They have a lunch buffet every day – all the spaghetti and pizza you can eat for less than five dollars.”

Maybe spaghetti and pizza contributed to his gland problem. “Thanks,” Garland said, “but I have to prepare for my class this evening.”

“You’re still in school?”

Shuden slammed the dressing room door. In a few minutes, he passed them, his face grim and his shoulders slumped beneath his spit-on jacket.

Mr. Jeffers shook his head. “It’s too bad about him. His wife got real sick after he lost his job. They don’t have much health insurance.”

“That is bad,” Garland said. “Real bad.” He wondered now why Jeffers hadn’t been more supportive of Shuden, but he figured his negative attitude was part of Santa Claus competition.

Mr. Jeffers turned to him. “What class are you taking?”

“Acting,” Garland said.

He shook his head. “You’re a great Santa Claus now. You don’t need a class.”

“It’s not a Santa Claus acting class. It’s just acting in general, you know, for stage, screen.”

Jeffers burst out laughing, slobbering onto his beard.

“That’s amazing,” he said. “Santa Claus today, movie star tomorrow.” He studied Garland’s face. “Blue eyes, nice nose, those will be a help to you.”

“Thank you,” Garland said. He’d already considered getting a loan for a nose job. He wanted to look handsome, and his nose wasn’t as straight as it could be.

“I’ll definitely follow your career,” Mr. Jeffers told him. “I’ll be a big fan; probably Mr. Bellamy will be, too.” He narrowed his eyes. “Will you use your real name, or change it like a lot of movie stars do? You know, John Wayne was really somebody else.”

Garland laughed. Being mentioned with John Wayne was unbelievable.

“I’m not sure what I’ll use.” He didn’t want to discuss it.

When Jeffers put his hands on his hips, he looked like a red hippo.

“So you want to be an actor. I was a music major,” he said, “and wanted

“...remember you can always play Santa somewhere.”

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to be a singer, but whenever I tried out for a part in a play, my dreams ended like the songs I sang. I never sang a note on stage, so I became a band director at the high school.

It’s a solid job, not something that will float away.” He touched Garland’s shoulder. “Maybe you’ll become a big actor some day, but in case things don’t turn out that way, remember you can always play Santa somewhere. You’ll be needed in places every Christmas, and there are Santa plays and movies.”

He eased the beard over his head and rubbed his fleshy jaws. “And remember,” he added, his eyes serious as though he were telling a secret, “an actor’s crying or screaming parts are nothing compared to what you have to do. Santa Claus can be one of the hardest roles to play. Maybe you’re in a bad mood as everybody is sometimes, had a fight with your wife, or had a flat tire, but you still have to play the role of a generous, jolly man. When you come down to it, Santa requires the perfect actor. If you’re a stingy, grumpy man, you have to convince everyone that you’re the complete opposite. Fooling people like that takes acting to the max.”

As Jeffers started toward the dressing room, Garland walked closer to the mall’s main corridor where he watched a throng of people pass, coats swirling about them. He needed to choose his professional name. It was great that he had a flip name, he thought. He could use Garland Garrett for screen, Garrett Garland for stage. It was something to think about. The right details mattered in a big actor’s life. In the meantime, he had to get through this Santa Claus gig, but from what Mr. Jeffers said, playing Santa was something bigger.

When he turned toward the dressing rooms, he heard Jeffers open his dressing room door.

“Merry Christmas, Mr. Jeffers,” Garland shouted.

“Thanks,” Jeffers called and came back to the room. “I’ll see you before that, though.

When you start being Santa Claus, I’m planning to sit on your lap.”

While Jeffers laughed, Garland groaned.

Santa Claus could be his hardest role if some big kids came by, but he didn’t have a choice. Being Santa instead of working somewhere else gave him a shot at actor greatness. Garland Garrett, or Garrett Garland, was counting on it. By next Christmas, he could be a star.

He took a slow, deep breath. But if that didn’t happen right away, he could be Santa again as Mr. Jeffers suggested — in a mall, on stage, maybe in a movie. Compared to working at a fat men’s store, that was pretty cool. Maybe being Santa was like a Christmas gift. Hey, even John Wayne had to get started somewhere. PS Sara King is a proofreader for PineStraw. She has had two novels published and short stories in Pembroke Magazine.

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Sandhills Photography Club Architectual Competition

Class A - 2nd Place

Dave Powers North Carolina Museum of Art

Class A - 1st Place Eric Kniager Rectangles

Class A - 3rd Place Len Barnard Taubman Museum of Art

Class A - Honorable Mention Eric Kniager Skyway

Class A - Honorable Mention Gisela Danielson Urban Honeycomb

Class A - Honorable Mention Dave Verchick Museum Series 74

December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Class B - 2nd Place

Suzanne Kirkman Clingman’s Dome, Tennessee

Class B - 1st Place Debra Regula Suspension

Class B - Honorable Mention John German Gaudi’s Chimney Caps

Class B - Honorable Mention Don Hiscott Pisgah Covered Bridge

The Sandhills Photography Club welcomes all who have an interest in their improving photography skills and gaining the technical knowledge that goes along with it. The club meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at Christ Fellowship Church on Midland Road at Pee Dee. Regardless of skill or background, any prospective member is invited to attend. Website: sandhillsphotoclub.org

Class B - 3rd Place Suzanne Kirkman Standing Tall

Class B - Honorable Mention Marti Derleth Museum Skylight

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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By Nancy Oakley

Ornaments of our Affection

n this season of good will toward men, I am, sorry to say, a Christmas tree critic. Oh, I’ll smile politely when I see an evergreen strewn with popcorn and children’s crayonand Popsicle stick decorations, or the oh-so-tasteful trees done entirely in white, or in burgundy and gold. Yes, I was impressed by a neighbor’s homemade creation, the trunk of which was constructed entirely of nutcrackers. I couldn’t help but laugh at a friend’s “man tree,” covered in beer-can tabs and baseball cards, or the fiber optic numbers that were popular about 10 years ago. And even though I delight in putting up an apartment-sized tree in my tiny abode, it too seems lacking. Why? Well, when it comes to decorating Christmas trees, no one, not Martha Stewart, the staff of Rockefeller Center, or the White House can equal my mother.

Her love of Christmas and passion for tree-trimming stems from her father’s enthusiasm for the holiday. She would tell us stories about his childhood Christmases, when trees were lit with candles, and how the help would stand by with buckets of water in case the candles’ flames set the trees ablaze. From him, she developed the notion that Christmas is supposed to be “jazzy”; that is, full of color and sparkle, almost to the point of being tacky. As a result, her collection of ornaments is beyond eclectic. Most of them are various figures made of colored German glass, and except for the plain balls bought at Woolworths, my sisters and I weren’t allowed to touch them when we were children in the 1960s. In fact, when my sisters were very small, they weren’t allowed to go near my mother’s tree. As a compromise, she would let them have a little one of their own, usually a small cedar, that they decorated with paper chains, and sycamore balls dipped in gold paint or sequins. When we all grew older, we were allowed to help decorate. After an agonizing wait to get a tree — always a Fraser fir — and listening to my father swear as he configured the lights, big, colored bulbs with foil reflectors strung on heavy, bound cords, which he attached to a cluster of extension cords behind the couch, the process began. My mother would bring out the dozens of Harry & David pear boxes from the attic and spread them across the living room floor. In those days, we didn’t label the boxes, so it was like opening several treasure chests revealing shimmering baubles and whimsical shapes. I loved putting anything on the tree, whether the plain glass balls of red, green, gold and silver, or the feathery birds that would sit on top of branches, filling in gaps and hard-to-decorate spaces. We had a box of nonbreakable ornaments — wooden angels that a cousin had picked up in West Germany; painted wooden birds from the Old Salem restoration in Winston-Salem down the road; a red yarn Santa that my mother had made as a child; a clothespin cassock with a white

coat and rickrack trim; little wooden “manger scenes” that we got at church; a gold-painted plastic angel standing on a sliver moon and blowing a horn. These were usually relegated to the lower branches, to withstand the wagging of the dog’s tail.

We also had several flat brass ornaments to add some shine and sparkle, or “jazziness.” The mix also included ornaments made of eggshells. These were among the most poignant, because my mother had made them when she and my father were first married and poor. “We didn’t have two pennies to rub together,” she’d recall. But poverty was no deterrent to keeping a good Christmas. With imagination — and a little help from Woolworths — my mother came up with some charming creations. Some were whole eggs (the result of her patiently blowing the yolk through pinholes on either end) painted with enamel and covered in strips of gold braid or velvet with a touch of glitter; others had a hole cut out of the side, revealing little dioramas inside, often cut-outs of angels or elves from old Christmas cards and cotton for snow. The scenes were covered with cellophane (from cigarette packs) and the ragged edges around the cutouts were covered in gold trim.

After most of the Harry & David boxes were emptied, the beautiful ornaments came out: the special, German glass ones. In the 1960s, that is, in the days before Christopher Radko and Merck’s Old World Christmas, these would have been uncommon. (Certainly it was uncommon to our neighbors across the street, who had an artificial white tree covered only in blue satin balls.) My mother would occasionally find an odd one here or there, or my father would find some in New York on business trips. In time my mother’s collection grew to include a pilgrim, a baby in a carriage, a rather serious-looking jester wearing a pointed hat, and a beautiful silver pine cone sprinkled with white glitter. There was a lady’s slipper, a lute, a horn, a yellow teddy bear in a blue vest, and several thin and weary-looking Santas with pointed beards holding Christmas trees. As we weren’t allowed to handle these, it was a thrill when my godmother presented me with my very own glass ornament: a cage covered with squiggly wires resembling bars, inside of which was a tiny glass canary. The very last ornaments to go on the tree were the most treasured of all: the two that had graced my grandfather’s trees during his childhood. One was a roly-poly clown wearing a pinkish suit, the other, a 19th-century cop complete with billy club and a wicked gleam in his eye. The paint had almost completely worn off of them so that they had a silvery cast. They occupied the highest branches near the spire (we never had a star or an angel atop the tree). Strangely, they were not my grandfather’s favorite, according to my mother. He adored

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instead, an abstract bauble, a kind of white arabesque with diagonal blue and gold stripes painted on it. The final decorative touches were a white felt tree skirt onto which my eldest sister had appliquéd various Christmas symbols — Santa Claus, reindeer, a candle, the Wise Men — and every family dog we’d ever had, and drippy strands of tinsel that looked like silver spaghetti. It was hard to manipulate, and in my awkward child’s hands, I tended to distribute it in unsightly clumps. I never much liked tinsel and wished we could’ve have beaded garlands, which seemed to exist only in book or Christmas card illustrations.

In time, I would get my wish. As Christmas became more of a business, decorating options increased. Leave it to my mom to find strands of little gold stars that replaced the tinsel. And thanks to the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Czech Republic and Poland introduced more glass ornaments into the marketplace — along with Christopher Radko, and of course, China. But it’s our gain. Accompanying the weary Santas and the clown and the cop are a robot, an astronaut, an Indian in a canoe, various fish, a sun, a moon, fruits and vegetables, a blue Volkswagen similar to the one we had in the ’60s, all of the characters from A Christmas Carol, a tortoise with an elaborate shell and white glittery golf balls for our links-crazy dad. The old wooden and cloth ornaments are permanently relegated to the Harry & David boxes in the attic. And though age and weariness have prompted my parents to put up an artificial tree equipped with small colored lights (no more swearing and wrestling with extension cords), it is no less beautiful. In fact, so covered is it in shimmering, sparkling glass, the faux branches are barely visible. When lit in the dim hours of midwinter dusk, it is its own star of Bethlehem, commanding any admirer’s endless gaze. Now you understand why I’m a Christmas tree critic; you’d become one, too, were you to see what I see. PS

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Hunt Box Brigadoon A Renaissance woman and her horses find happiness under one roof

Above: Cathy Maready’s English country home overlooks the green meadows of Southern Pines horse country.

Far right: Cathy Maready lives under the same roof as Shiraz (pictured) and Mariah.

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Story of a house

By Deborah Salomon

C

Photographs By Glenn Dickerson

athy Maready is a hunter/gatherer. She hunts through Europe and Asia for treasures to stock her business. Now, she has gathered the best at Mariah’s Glen, a Southern Pines home expressive of her tastes, loves, and ideals.

Besides being the owner of Elephant Ears Interiors, Cathy Maready is a cancer survivor, pilot, and horsewoman. The hunt box which she shares with Mariah and Shiraz glows among horse-country residences.

Its details alone, like gargoyles on a cathedral, merit a coffee-table book.

Look at the dog beds for Ellie, her elderly Yorkie, that match the furniture in fabric and style. Marvel at the free-standing kitchen armoire custom-built around a Sub-Zero. Gasp at the massive copper bathtub (shaped like a coal scuttle) which absorbs, then radiates heat from the water.

Housewise, one would expect no less from an interior designer whose palette blends golden sand with café au lait and mocha.

“I find it soothing,” Cathy says. “A monochromatic background allows the people to shine.”

Horsewise, few tack rooms boast an 18th century French cabinet for boot storage “That’s from a job I did in French wine country, converting an old silk factory into a home.” Or have trompe l’oeil vines and stereo speakers in the barn.

From a practical standpoint, Cathy has gone to great lengths for what is, PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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Mariah’s Glen is Cathy Maready’s Brigadoon.

Above: Sunny gold living room, showcasing equine art, carved panels, chandelier crafted from wine barel staves and Asian goddess, speaks of world travel.

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A kitchen designed to conserve space employs earth-friendly materials. basically, a one-bedroom apartment/office over the barn — luxurious yet minimalist — for a single businesswoman with another home in Wilmington.

“I’m a collector. I have a bounty of things. But as I grow older, the simpler I get,” Cathy says.

Mariah’s Glen is Cathy Maready’s Brigadoon. Finding it took a while.

“I’m also a commercial pilot,” she adds almost nonchalently.

This statement, coming from a youthful blonde dressed in skinny jeans, spike heels, and brocade jacket, might strike some as a bit incongruous, given her discerning designer eye. But the backstory is indeed a simple a stunner, a brave tale of swimming two miles to shore in 59-degree ocean water, at night, alone and without a flotation device, from her plane downed by engine failure.

C

athy grew up in Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem, daughter of an artist and aviation attorney. She attended flight school in Greensboro and once, while living at Hilton Head, owned a plane. The water landing that occurred in 1981 was reported world-wide.

All of Cathy’s careers oozed glamour. “I worked for a developer in Hawaii, doing his flight planning, also collecting beautiful things

from all over the world to put in hotel lobbies.” In 1980 Cathy gave up decorating on this grand scale and took design courses at a business school in Honolulu with the intent of combining her love of travel and the arts. But after 18 years in the import business Cathy, now divorced and free of malignant melanoma, was drawn home.

She settled in Wilmington to practice architectural design, a profession which combines spatial planning and decorating.

“I make spaces livable and comfortable for people and the environment,” Cathy explains. Spaces could be residential or commercial.

In a Maready-designed restaurant the tables will be neither too close nor too distant. Light will be distributed pleasingly.

Whimsy crept into her interior design for a bank.

“I used the colors from a dollar bill so you could throw one down on the floor and not see it.”

Cathy has ridden since high school. “I always wanted a horse farm,” she admits. Wilmington offered no riding trails. She looked from Chapel Hill to Carthage, settling on Southern Pines when she learned of Walthour Moss Foundation trails. “Southern Pines had what no other place did,” Cathy says. “I’m surrounded by animal lovers. I can ride over to my friends for lunch.”

She chose to build rather than buy an existing property. Land was scarce. Cathy found 15 undeveloped acres hidden from Young’s Road, which offered privacy, serenity and the opportunity to

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Cathy selected an English country motif using stone, slate and stucco with radius-cut doors inside and out to continue the stable atmosphere.

Top: Every room, including Maready’s bedroom, overlooks pasture. Note the dog bed (lower left) designed to match furnishings.

Above: Stunning copper soaking tub absorbs and radiates heat from water.

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construct an environmentally friendly house with geothermal heating and air conditioning, solar panels, low-e windows, reclaimed oak, foam insulation, and cement (rather than granite) countertops textured to resemble old leather. Fabric scraps from decorating jobs cover pillows and a settee.

Cathy selected an English country motif using stone, slate, and stucco with radius-cut doors inside and out to continue the stable atmosphere.

The house is sited so that every window frames a pasture.

“Horses are spiritual creatures. I wanted to live close to Mariah and Shiraz, to know them, hear them in the barn,” which, she concedes, can be noisy when they come and go from the open stalls beneath her living space.

Construction took nearly three years. Cathy was involved in every nail and every stud — “Too much so,” she says.

F

or a hunt box the interior is surprisingly formal in a casually ergonomic way. Radiant heat rises from cork floors in the tack room. “I’ve spent too much time getting ready to ride in a cold environment,” Cathy says. Drinks for the riders chill in refrigerated drawers; during warm weather she activates misting fans for the horses and rinses off trail dirt in an outdoor shower. Wine-barrel staves from that dream job in France have been crafted into a chandelier dominating the foyer.

Cathy calls herself a classicist, with a twist, as in covering traditional chairs in funky fabrics.

The sundrenched ground-floor living room — unusual for a hunt box — beckons trail-weary guests to sink into deep upholstery while focusing on photographs taken by Queen Elizabeth II’s horse photographer.

The sole book on the table made from an ancient board is, of course, Equus.

Cathy stresses that every inch of space has its purpose — evident nowhere better than upstairs: a small library/seating area with sofa beds for guests, dining nook, bedroom, satellite office, and stunning but understated (except the refrigerator) kitchen flow into each other, creating an illusion of space from modest square footage. Another bedroom would have been nice, she muses. Perhaps later.

And although most décor pieces reflect Cathy’s profession rather than family heirlooms, one painting recalls that near-death experience: a shrimp boat named the Jo Frances.

“That’s the boat that found my plane. It was tangled in the nets,” Cathy says.

Jo Frances is her mother’s name. Jo Frances Maready had never seen an exact duplication.

“When I was in the water, the time came when I couldn’t feel my body anymore. I looked up and saw my mother’s face looking down from the stars,” Cathy relates, as though reliving the experience. “I knew it was time to say goodbye. My mother was crying. Her tears landed in the water and warmed it. That gave me extra strength to swim on.”

Cathy commissioned the painting from a photograph of the boat. She never saw the boat or met the shrimper, now deceased.

On a brilliant autumn afternoon, looking out over the training ring, pastures, and distant pond Cathy Maready feels peace in the surroundings she has created. Their entirety is gorgeous without being pretentious. The house sits well on the land. The friendly blonde mare and chestnut gelding complete the panorama.

“Out here, I’m at one with the animals, in time with their worlds,” Cathy says. “That’s a good feeling.” PS

The tack room: Everything the horsewoman needs including deep sink and refurbished drawers, plus antique French armoire for boots.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

85

The Holly and The Ivy

By Noah Salt

D

uring my teenage years in Greensboro, a highlight of the Christmas season occurred every year on a Saturday early in December when my dad, brother and I, armed with shotguns and ham biscuits, set off through the bare woods of rural Orange County to find the remains of an old farmhouse that once belonged to my great-grandfather.

The old home place, long abandoned, sat a mile or so off Old Buckhorn Road near Chapel Hill and was surrounded by towering oak trees that had stood since Colonial times.

These forest patriarchs were thick with mistletoe, which we shot out of the upper limbs and collected, careful not to knock off the berries. We also gathered ropes of wild English ivy and holly boughs thick with red berries from a huge English holly tree that grew a few yards from the sagging side porch of the home place. My dad remembered the tree from when he was a boy.

My mother, who used this bounty to decorate our house for the holidays and provide greenery to her pals for their own holiday tables, dubbed our big day in woods of our forebears the “Holly and Ivy Hunt,” a ritual that lasted well into my college years. The first drink of bourbon I ever had with my father, fittingly enough, came one year while the three Great Holly Hunters sat together on the sagging porch of the home place, sharing a wee nip in homage to the wild abundance of a forgotten but sacred family ground.

Though we had no clue as to the overarching meaning of this family ritual, we were in fact simply enacting our own version of a sacred act of green-gathering that traced its roots back to pre-Christian pagan times in northern Europe, when Celtic and early Anglo tribes gathered pine boughs, mistletoe and ivy to grace their homes for the annual celebration of the winter solstice.

In a season where nothing bloomed, to enhance the winter solstice’s conquest of growing light over fading darkness, pagan belief held that evergreens hung on a door or above a hearth kept evil spirits at bay until the coming of spring — and may well have been the origin of our own modern wreath-hanging traditions. Ground ivy was sacred to the ancient Greek god Dionysus — the god of the grape harvest who inspired joy at public festivals — and the Romans associated common ivy with the Roman god Bacchus (you’ll often see wreaths of ivy circling the heads of Caesars and other civic luminaries). Holly, meanwhile, figured prominently into the public celebration of Saturnalia, early Rome’s pagan winter celebration upon which our modern Christmas was eventually directly grafted.

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According to an ancient apothecary’s manual from the early Middle Ages, the boiled leaves of common ivy and mistletoe were considered highly effective medicinal staples — excellent natural cures for anything from rheumatism to “maladies of the spirit.” The tradition of hanging mistletoe as a romantic inducement seems to have come down from the Druid tribes of Ireland, tree worshippers who believed that the number of berries contained on a stem of mistletoe — though highly toxic to consume — described the number of times a maiden might be kissed beneath it. But every kiss meant a berry was plucked, and once the berries were gone the kissing ceased. The Druids believed a tea made from mistletoe leaves was an antidote for any poison, and that ivy was a symbol of female divinity.

In medieval England, with the coming of Christianity, widespread Ilex aquifolium (a.k.a. common English Holly) replaced other evergreens as a dominant symbol of the Christmas season, symbolically linked to the observance of Jesus’ birth and death on the cross by its bright red berries that called to mind the drops of Christ’s blood, and glossy green pointed leaves that symbolized the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head. The 18th century Christmas carol “The Holly and the Ivy” strikingly employs the symbolism of both plants — though mostly holly — to convey the nativity message.

The holly and the ivy When they are both full grown Of all the trees that are in the wood The holly bears the crown O, the rising of the sun And the running of the deer The playing of the merry organ Sweet singing of the choir Among ordinary country folk who clung to the pagan beliefs, cheerful green holly boughs studded with bright red berries — mildly toxic to humans but an abundant and vital feed-source to birds and other wild animals in the fall and winter months — were believed to afford protec-

December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

tion against witchcraft and the evil eye, and were often tied in clumps to the bedposts of young women in order to prevent them from becoming witches.

According to an English almanac from the late 1700s, it was considered very good luck to have a healthy holly tree growing near your house, an extra layer of supernatural protection in an uncertain world. Holly was also regarded as a good luck charm for men — common ivy for women.

During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, however, when all Christmas decorations were banned from churches and public gathering places by order of the Crown, many continued gathering bunches of “holy boughs” in defiance of the Puritan edicts. By some accounts, this was the origin of Ilex’s common name — “holly.”

In heraldry, the symbol of holly is used as a sign for “truth.”

Ivy symbolizes “abundant friendship and kindness.”

Today, there are more than 400 varieties of Ilex growing throughout the world, a holly indigenous to every continent, extant in shrub, bush and tree confirmations, making holly one of the most versatile and preferred plants for gardening and landscaping. Its dioecious nature means its plants have either male or female flowers and thus work best when planted in close proximity. Only female hollies produce red berries.

Finally, one of the more powerful images of holly’s magical power comes down from those same tree-loving Druids, who viewed trees of any kind as sacred creatures who presided over the human struggle for life.

Every year at Yule — the celebration of light held upon the winter solstice on or around December 21 — the “Holly King” (ruler of the waning year) was said to be slain by the “Oak King” (ruler of the waxing year). For this reason, maidens gathered his limbs in tribute and celebration. The Oak King would reign then until midsummer, whereupon the battle would resume with the Holly King emerging triumphant, to reign until the cold, cold heart of winter. PS

...believed to afford protection against witchcraft and the evil eye...

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

87

Wednesday

December Sunday

5

Monday

6

Bryant House Christmas Open House. 1 4 p.m. (910)692-2051.

The Rooster’s Wife. 6:45 (910)944-7502.

EDS Candlelight Tour Of Homes. 1 - 6 p.m.

(910)692-3492.

Moore County Choral Society Holiday Concert.

4 p.m. (910)949-3619 or (910)692-7683.

Meet The Artist. About Art Gallery from 11 a.m.

- 2 p.m. n Top Hat and Tails. 5:30 - 9 p.m. at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst.

SunFlix Movie.

“Conviction” 7:30 pm.

(910)692-3611. n Free Wine Tasting.

(910)295-5100.

12

13

Shaw House Christmas Open House. 1 - 4 p.m.

(910)692-2051.

Moore County Concert Band. 2 p.m. Sandhills Community College.

Pinecrest Choral Concert. 4 p.m. Pinecrest High School. (910)6732768.

Meet the Artist. Karen Walker. About Art Gallery.

Food Demonstration.

11 a.m. Elliot’s on Linden.

(910)295-3663.

19

20

“Living Madonnas” Art and Music Program.

7 p.m. The Community Congregational Church of Southern Pines Holiday Concert. Moore Philharmonic Orchestra Annual Holiday Concert.

3 p.m. Grand Ballroom, Pinehurst Hotel.

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Food Demonstration.

11 a.m. Spices from afar….

The essence of Christmas, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves. Elliot’s on Linden.

(910)295-3663.

Meet The Artist. About Art Gallery from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Market Place Restaurant Building, Pinehurst.

27 Golf Tournament.

63rd Donald Ross Jr. Championship Golf Tournament. (through December 29). Boys only, Maximum age 17. Pinehurst Resort.

One Carolina Vista, Pinehurst. (910)2358140.

1

Storytime. 3:30 p.m.

Southern Pines Public Library. (910)692-8235.

Christmas At Weymouth Preview Party. 6 -9 p.m.

(910)692-6261.

Holiday Flower Arranging Workshop. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

(910)695-3882.

The Met Live In Hd. 1 - 4:30 p.m. (910)692-3611.

Tuesday

7

nn Holly & Ivy Dinner: A Guilded Age Evening in Pinehurst.

Holiday Program. The Southern Pines Public Library. (910)692-8235. n Carthage Christmas Parade. 6 p.m. (910)9472331. n Christmas Tree Lighting. 6:30 p.m. at The Depot in Aberdeen.

14

Holiday Show. The Foakee Joe Holiday Show features musical madman and educator Joe Craven.

6:30 p.m. The Country Bookshop. (910) 692-3211.

Food Demonstration.

11 a.m. What’s in Stock for Christmas? Elliot’s on Linden. (910)295-3663.

Christmas Tea. 2:30 p.m.

Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour.

8

Meet the Artist. About Art Gallery. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. n Jewelry Show. 3 - 7 p.m.

(910)725-1230 or (910)7251275.

15

Preschool Storytime. 3:30 - 4 p.m.

The Southern Pines Public Library. (910)692-8235.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Party. 6 - 7 p.m. The Southern Pines Public Library. (910)692-8235.

Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Slow Cooking Your Way through the Holidays.

Elliot’s on Linden.

(910)295-3663.

The Rooster’s 21 Wife. 7 p.m. Martha

22

28

29

Bassett Trio, Laurelyn Dossett, and Joe Newberry with Mike Collier.

(910)944-7502.

Food Demonstration.

11 a.m. Winter Salads.

Elliot’s on Linden.

(910)295-3663.

The National Theatre.

Live in HD - “Hamlet.”

2 - 5 p.m. The Sunrise Theater.

Birthday Party and Bingo. Bring a covered dish to share with others.

Town of Southern Pines Recreation & Parks Department. (910)692-7376.

Food Demonstration.

11 a.m. Fondue for supper. Elliot’s on Linden.

(910)295-3663.

The Met Live In HD Encore - Verdi’s Don Carlo. Hours: 12:30 p.m.

The Sunrise Theater.

MEET THE ARTIST. Local artist, Joan Williams, will be demonstrating painting a still life at the About Art Gallery.

(December 27 - 30). The gallery is located in the Market Place Restaurant Building at 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst.

Thursday

Friday

Meet The Author. 4 2p.m. The 3 n Weymouth Candlelight Tour. 7 – 9 p.m.

Country Bookshop.

(910) 692-3211.

Carols. 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Weymouth Center.

(910)692-6261.

Concert. 7 p.m. O’Neal School. (910)692-6920.

Gathering at Given. 4 p.m.

Given Memorial Library.

(910) 295-6022.

Robbins Christmas Parade. 6 p.m.

9

Carolina Philharmonic Handel’s Messiah, 7 p.m.

(910)687-4746.

Meet The Artist at Hollyhocks Art Gallery.

Sandy Scott. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

(910)255-0665.

The National Theatre.

Live in HD - “Hamlet.” 2 - 5 p.m. The Sunrise Theater.

Oldies & Goodies Film Series. 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

(910)692-8235.

(910)692-6261.

Village Of Pinehurst Festivities & Tree Lighting. 3-6 p.m. (910)295-7462.

Pinehurst Resort’s Tour And Tea. 10 a.m. (910)235-8415.

The Rooster’s Wife. 8:30 p.m.

(910)944-7502.

Sunevents. The Overmountain Men. 7:30 p.m. (910)692-3611.

10 n Pinehurst Resort’s Tour And Tea. 10 a.m. (910)235-8415.

Carolina Philharmonic. Handel’s Messiah, 7 p.m. (910)687- 4746.

Shaw House Christmas Open House. 1 4 p.m. (910)692-2051.

Holiday Ball. 5:30 - 11 p.m. (910)6957510.

Jazzy Fridays. 7 - 10 p.m. (910)369-0411.

Wine Tasting. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. (910)-2955100.

Book Signing.

16 “Golf Style: Homes and

17

23

24

Collections Inspired by the Course and the Clubhouse,” 3:30 p.m. at Tufts Archives in Given Memorial Library in Pinehurst. (910)295-6022 Meet The Author. 7 p.m.

Steve Bouser, “Death of a Pinehurst Princess.” The Country Bookshop. (910) 692-3211.

Food Demonstration.

11 a.m. Nuts the season’s wondrous ingredient. Elliot’s on Linden. (910)295-3663.

Meet The Artist.

Hollyhocks Art Gallery. 11 am - 2 p.m. (910)255-0665.

Concert. Carolina Philharmonic Christmas In New York, 2:30 p.m. & 7 p.m., Founders Hall, Sacred Heart Church, Pinehurst.

(910)687- 4746.

30 Golf Tournament. Father And Son Golf Tournament.

Held on No. 8, Pinehurst Resort. One Carolina Vista, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)235-8140.

Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Old fashioned confections. Elliot’s on Linden, (910)295-3663.

The Rooster’s Wife. 8:30 p.m. Joe Cowan Band. (910)944-7502.

Pinehurst Resort’s Tour And Tea. 10 a.m.

(910)235-8415.

Wine Tasting. Champagne Versus Sparkling Wines. Elliot’s on Linden. (910)295-3663.

Wine Tasting. 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Village Wine Shop. (910)295-5100.

Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. By Dickens it’s Christmas. The victorian’s gift of dressing the table; from delicacies to linens - a victorian table set with the menu from A Christmas Carol. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

31 Chamber Music Concert. Carolina Philharmonic Chamber Music - New Year’s Eve. 4 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, Pinehurst.

(910)687- 4746.

FIRST EVE. The downtown area along Broad Street in Southern Pines will be blocked off from 6 - 8:30 p.m. www.southernpines.biz/events/holiday-events/ Pinehurst Resort New Year’s Eve Celebration. Pinehurst Resort. Call (800)487-4653.

December

Saturday Children’s Tour & Visit With Santa. 8:30 – 10 a.m.

4 nWeymouth Center. (910) 692-6261. nn Reindeer Fun Run. 9 a.m. www.reindeerfunrun. com.

The Moore County Choral Society. 8 p.m.

(910)949-3619.

Meet The Artist at Hollyhocks Art Gallery.

(910)255-0665. n Southern Pines Christmas Parade. 11 a.m.

Southern Pines. (910)692-7376.

Bryant House Christmas Open House. 1 - 4 p.m.

(910)692-2051.

Annie Oakley Boom Days. 10 a.m. (910)687-0377.

Shaw House Christmas Open House.

11 1 - 4 p.m. (910)692-2051.

Ballet. “The Velveteen Ballet . . . A Ballet” 3 p.m.

(910)695-7898.

An Early American Christmas. Malcolm Blue Farm.

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (910)944-7558.

Choral Concert. 7 p.m. (910)673-2768.

Christmas Horse Carriage Parade. 1 p.m.

Downtown Southern Pines.

House In The Horseshoe Christmas Open House.

10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (910)947-2051.

The Met Live In HD - Verdi’s Don Carlo.

12:30 p.m. The Sunrise Theater.

18 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Grannies Chicken & Dumplings. Elliot’s on Linden. (910)295-3663.

Meet The Artist. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (910)255-0665.

Dinner Dance. Moore Area Shag Society (MASS) annual Christmas Dinner Dance will be held at the Southern Pines Elks Club, 8 p.m.

(910)692-4144.

25

Merry Christmas

Arts & Entertainment Calendar Key: Art

Music/Concerts

Dance/Theater

Film

December 1 Storytime. 3:30 to 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers (ages birth through 5 years) for stories, songs, and fun, and then stay for playtime. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910)692-8235 or go to www.sppl.net.

CHRISTMAS AT WEYMOUTH PREVIEW PARTY. 6 - 9 p.m. This festive evening features a tour of the beautifully decorated rooms of Boyd House, a grand buffet, open bar and dancing under a lovely tent. Tickets $55/person, reservations requested. Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Please call (910)692-6261 for more information.

Holiday Flower Arranging Workshop. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Sandhills Horticultural Society will host a flower arranging workshop in the Ball Visitors Center at the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens of SCC. Maggie Smith of Maggie’s Farm will demonstrate flower arranging. Each person will create a centerpiece to take home for the holidays. All the materials will be provided. Horticultural Society members $20.

Non-members $25. Cider and cookies will be served. Space is limited. For reservations call Tricia Mabe at 695-3882.

The Met Live in HD: Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (Encore). 1 - 4:30 p.m. Anna Netrebko revives her sensational turn in this sophisticated bel canto comedy, opposite Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecien, and John Del Carlo in the title role. Music Director James Levine conducts.

When Otto Schenk’s production premiered in 2006, the New York Times called it “brilliant” and “wonderful.”

Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Box Office: (910)692-3611. Informtaion: www.sunrisetheater.org

December 1 – 3; Meet the Artist. Nancy Yanchus, local artist, will be painting in the About Art Gallery from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gallery is located in the Market Place Restaurant Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. (910) 215-5963.

December 2 MEET THE AUTHOR. 4 p.m. John Derr, 92-year-old Pinehurst resident and renowned sports commentator has collected his 100 best stories into “My Place at the Table,” with an introduction by Jim Dodson. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910)692-3211 or visit www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. Beverly Brookshire. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m, 905 Linden Road next to Elliotts on Linden restaurant. Open daily 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sundays 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. (910)255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.

CAROLS AT WEYMOUTH. 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. This event is free to the public, but space is limited. The evening will be filled with music, poetry and song. Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. (910)692-6261.

Concert. 7 p.m. The O’Neal School present David LaMotte in concert, The O’Neal School Theater, Southern Pines. Tickets, $10 in advance/$15 at door. Information: (910)692-6920 or www.onealschool.org.

Gathering at Given. 4 p.m. Students from the chamber orchestra and choral groups attending Pinecrest High School will be performing Christmas music. This event is free and open to the public. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Rd, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-6022.

Literature/Speakers

Fun

History

Sports

Robbins Christmas Parade. 6 p.m. The Robbins Christmas Parade is organized by the Robbins Rescue Squad.

SunFlix Movie “Conviction” 7:30 p.m. Rated R for language and some violent images. 1 Hour 47 Minutes.

Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines.

(910)692-3611. www.sunrisetheater.org.

December 2-4 n CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Twentyfive rooms will be decorated for the holidays by local garden clubs, professional decorators, florists and individuals. The theme for this year is “Christmas Around the World.”

Refreshments, musical entertainment throughout the day. Admission: $10/advance; $12/at door. Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910)692-6261 or visit www. weymouthcenter.org.

December 2-5 DECEMBER HUNTER JUMPER CLASSIC. A new show at the Carolina Horse Park in Raeford, NC, recognized “A”

by USEF and also sanctioned by NCHJA, SCHJA, NAL, and WIHS leagues. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd., Raeford. For more information please contact Andrew Ellis at (919)637-2958 or visit www.carolinahorseparkcom.

December 3 n WEYMOUTH CANDLELIGHT TOUR. 7 – 9 p.m. This delightful Candlelight Evening Tour is followed by Wine and cheese. $25/person, reservations requested. Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910)692-6261 or visit www.weymouthcenter.org. n SUPPER WITH SANTA. 6 - 7:30 p.m. $8 Residents, $10 Non-Residents, $5 Children ages 3 and under. Join the Aberdeen Parks and Recreation Department for a spaghetti dinner, holiday crafts and the reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Each child will visit with Santa and have their picture taken. Please RSVP. Aberdeen Lake Park Recreation Station, US Hwy 1, Aberdeen. For more information call (910)944-7275.

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST FESTIVITIES & TREE LIGHTING. 3 - 6 p.m. Entertainment begins at 3 p.m. with Santa Claus, elves, Christmas Carols and more. The tree lighting is at 6 p.m. Village Square, Pinehurst. (910)295-7462.

PINEHURST RESORT’S TOUR AND TEA. 10 a.m.

Discover the stories of Pinehurst’s history and enjoy the traditions of classic high tea at one of America’s Historic Landmarks. Historic Walking Tour and Traditional High Tea every Friday in December. $25/person. Space is limited, please call for reservations. (910)235-8415.

THE ROOSTER’S WIFE. 8:30 p.m. Hot Club of Cowtown. Western swing meets hot jazz at Poplar Knight Spot in Aberdeen. $22 in advance, $25 day of show. 114 Knight St. For more information, please call (910)944-7502 or visit www.theroosterswife.org.

SUNEVENTS. The Overmountain Men. 7:30 p.m.

Tickets $10 in Advance, $15 at the door. The Overmountain Men are a North Carolina band whose time has come. Some call them Americana, others call them Folk, most call them a great band. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Box Office: (910)692-3611. www.sunrisetheater.org.

Anniversary Party. The Village Wine Shop Wine Tasting & One Year Party. 5 p.m. 80 Magnolia Rd. Pinehurst. (910)295-5100. villagewineshop.net.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

89

ca l e n da r

the

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December 4 n CHILDREN’S TOUR & VISIT WITH SANTA. 8:30 – 10 a.m. $3. Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910)692-6261 or visit www.weymouthcenter.org. nn REINDEER FUN RUN. 9 a.m. The Fourth Annual Southern Pines Reindeer Fun Run 5k Run/Walk is a FUN community event with a goal of 600 participants ranging from serious runners to recreational walkers, families, pets and local businesses. The goal is to generate holiday cheer while raising money for the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills, Inc. Visit www.reindeerfunrun.com to register or to volunteer.

Concert. The Moore County Choral Society presents a holiday concert at 8 p.m.

Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College. For more information, please call (910)692-7683.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. Diane Kraudelt. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 905 Linden Road next to Elliotts on Linden restaurant. (910)255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. n SOUTHERN PINES CHRISTMAS PARADE. 11 a.m. Holiday fun for all. Historic district along Broad Street in Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910)6927376. n CYPRESS BEND VINEYARDS CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. 12 - 6 p.m. Live music, Christmas treats and wine! Free Admission. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. For more information, please call (910)369-0411.

Kiln Opening. Jugtown Pottery. 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Jugtown Pottery’s annual holiday kiln open which includes select pieces from the years kiln firings, special pieces created for this event, new JLK Jewelry pieces. 30 Jugtown Road, Seagrove. For more information, please call (910)464-3266. www.jugtownware.com.

Holiday Open House. Westmoore Pottery. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The shop will be decorated for the holidays, and will unload a kiln of pottery, including special pieces made just for this day. Refreshments will be served. For more information, westmoore@rtmc.net.

SunFlix Movie. “Conviction” 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Rated R for language and some violent images. 1 Hour 47 Minutes Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines.

Box Office: (910)692-3611. www.sunrisetheater.org.

Annie Oakley Boom Days. The celebration in Pinehurst marks the year of Annie’s 150th birthday. Indoor expo begins at 10 a.m. Falcon and dog demonstrations begin at 1 p.m., followed by a performance by the 82nd Airborne Chorus, a sharp-shooting exhibition, and Tom Knapp at 4 p.m. For more information, call (910)687-0377.

December 4-5 BRYANT HOUSE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. 1 - 4 p.m. Free. Two historic houses decorated in traditional manner. Tours of the houses, crafters, musicians, and refreshments. Sponsored by the Moore County Historical Association. Bryant House and McLendon Cabin, 3361 Mount Carmel Road, Carthage. (910)692-2051.

December 5

Dr. Eric Fogleman, Doctor of Optometry • (910) 295-3220

THE MARKET PLACE RESTAURANT Where we’ve been serving mouth-watering sandwiches on warm crosissants for 30 years!

THE ROOSTER’S WIFE. 6:45 p.m. Mandolin Orange and special guest, Greg Humphreys. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Poplar Knight Spot in Aberdeen. 114 Knight St. Info: www.theroosterswife.org or (910)944-7502.

33rd ANNUAL EPISCOPAL DAY SCHOOL CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES. 1 - 6 p.m. This year’s tour features a variety of homes from across the Southern Pines and Pinehurst area, each uniquely decorated for the holidays. Tickets: $20 at the doors of each Key: Art Music/Concerts History Sports

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- Dine in, Take-out and Delivery upon approval.

- Available in the evenings for private dining...Business or FUN! Serving Lunch Mon.-Sat. 10:30-2:30 Inside the Marketplace Building

910.295.1160

www.themarketplaceonmidland.com Find us on Facebook

Host your Holiday parties here. Godiva Chocolates make great gifts.

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ca l e n da r tour home or from any Episcopal Day School Student, the EDS office, At Home, Nature’s Own, Cool Sweats, The Country Bookstore in Southern Pines. For more information, call the school at (910)692-3492. n Christmas Tree Lighting. 5 - 6 p.m. at the Foxfire Town Hall. n Christmas Tree Lighting. 5:30 p.m. at the Whispering Pines police department.

MOORE COUNTY CHORAL SOCIETY HOLIDAY CONCERT. 4 p.m. Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. For tickets and more information please call (910)692-7683.

SunFlix Movie. “Conviction” 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Rated R for language and some violent images.

1 Hour 47 Minutes Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Box Office: (910)692-3611. www. sunrisetheater.org.

December 6 Meet the Artist. Mike D’Andrea will be greeting visitors in the About Art Gallery from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The gallery is located in the Market Place Restaurant Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst.

(910) 215-5963. n TOP HAT AND TAILS. Benefit gala hosted by Animal Advocates of Moore County. 5:30 - 9 p.m. at the Fair Barn in Pinehurst. Top Hat and Tails features black and white adoptable animals, food and wine, a silent auction and the traditional red carpet pet parade.

Tickets are available at the Faded Rose in Pinehurst, The Country Bookshop, Cared for Canine and Moore Equine in Southern Pines, and the Animal Health Center in West End. SunFlix Movie. “Conviction” 7:30 p.m. Rated R for language and some violent images. 1 Hour 47 Minutes Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Box Office (910)692-3611. www.sunrisetheater.org. n free wine tasting. The Village Wine Shop. 80 Magnolia Rd., Pinehurst. (910)295-5100, villagewineshop.net.

December 7 nn HOLLY & IVY DINNER: A Guilded Age Evening in Pinehurst. Experience the recreation of a gourmet Christmas menu from 100 years ago in the Music Room of the Holly Inn, Pinehurst. Evening includes an elegant Key: Art

Music/Concerts

Dance/Theater

Film

eight-course meal, period music and visitations by spirits of Pinehurst past. Sponsored by PineStraw Magazine and The Resort. Benefits the Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives.

Holiday Program. Children PreK-grade 2 and their parents are invited to the Library’s annual Holiday Program. 7 p.m. Stories, crafts, and a special visit from Jingle Bell the Holiday Elf. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910)692-8235 or go to www.sppl.net. n CARTHAGE CHRISTMAS PARADE. 6 p.m. Tree lighting ceremony at the old courthouse, followed by the Christmas parade. Christmas parade with commercial and homemade floats, cars, bands, ROTC, Marine Color Guard and various other forms of entertainment.

Monroe Street to the Courthouse, downtown Carthage.

(910)947-2331. n Christmas Tree Lighting. A hometown holiday tradition. 6:30 p.m. at The Depot in historic downtown Aberdeen.

December 8 Meet the Artist. Mike D’Andrea will be greeting visitors in the About Art Gallery from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Market Place Restaurant Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. n Jewelry show. 3 - 7 p.m. at Le Faux Chateau of Pinehurst, 44 Chinquapin Rd., featuring jewelry design

by Fran Twisdale. For more information, please call (910)725-1230 or (910)725-1275.

December 9 Concert. Carolina Philharmonic Handel’s Messiah, 7 p.m. Sandhills Community College, Owens Auditorium. Maestro David Michael Wolff will conduct the Carolina Philharmonic, a Chorus of choristers from around Moore County and stellar guest soloists in Part I of Handel’s Messiah, concluding with the glorious Hallelujah Chorus. For more information please call (910)687-4746 or visit www.Carolinaphil.org.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. Sandy Scott. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 905 Linden Road next to Elliotts on Linden restaurant. (910)255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com. n Jewelry show. 3 - 7 p.m. at Le Faux Chateau of Pinehurst, 44 Chinquapin Rd., featuring jewelry design Literature/Speakers

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by Fran Twisdale. For more information, please call (910)725-1230 or (910)725-1275.

The National Theatre. Live in HD - “Hamlet.” 2 - 5 p.m. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” directed by Nicholas Hytner, will be broadcast from the National’s Olivier Theatre. Following his celebrated performances at the National in Burnt by the Sun, The Revenger’s Tragedy, Philistines and The Man of Mode, Rory Kinnear plays Hamlet; the cast also includes Clare Higgins (Gertrude), Patrick Malahide (Claudius), David Calder (Polonius), James Laurenson (Ghost/Player King) and Ruth Negga (Ophelia). Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, sees his father’s ghost. Tormented with loathing and consumed by grief, he must avenge his father’s murder. What he cannot foresee is the destruction that ensues. The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. www.sunrisetheater.com.

Oldies & Goodies film series. 1945 romantic comedy for the holiday season featuring Barbara Stanwyck, Sydney Greenstreet, and Dennis Morgan on 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Enjoy a classic film and a cup of tea!

The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910)692-8235 or go to www.sppl.net.

December 9 - 13 Movies at the Sunrise. “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest.” 7:30 p.m. (Sunday 2:30 & 7:30 p.m.) 1 Hour 47 Minutes. Rated R for strong violence, some sexual material, and brief language.

Third and final chance to see Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salandar in the acclaimed trilogy. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Box Office (910)6923611. www.sunrisetheater.org.

December 10 n Porter Tasting. There are many different styles of Porters and we will taste some of them tonight. A smoked porter, Baltic porter, oak aged, English, Robust and more. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst.

For more information, please call (910)295-3663. n PINEHURST RESORT’S TOUR AND TEA. 10 a.m. Discover the stories of Pinehurst’s history and enjoy the traditions of classic high tea at one of America’s Historic Landmarks. Historic Walking Tour and Traditional High Tea. $25/person. Space is limited, please call for reservations. (910)235-8415.

Sports

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ca l e n da r CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC. Handel’s Messiah, 7 p.m. Main sanctuary at Sacred Heart Church, Pinehurst. Maestro David Michael Wolff will conduct the Carolina Philharmonic, a Chorus of choristers from around Moore County and stellar guest soloists in Part I of Handel’s Messiah, concluding with the glorious Hallelujah Chorus. For more information please call (910)687- 4746 or visit www.Carolinaphil.org.

Holiday Ball. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Auxiliary Holiday Ball. 5:30 - 11 p.m. Ballroom, The Carolina Hotel Proceeds from this year’s annual holiday ball will support a dynamic initiative to assist Inpatient Rehabilitation patients at Moore Regional Hospital with their transition back home. For more information call (910)695-7510.

JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 - 10 p.m. Event held rain or shine. Live jazz music, hors d’oeuvres.

Admission is $8/person. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road in Wagram.

(910)369-0411.

Wine Tasting. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Live music. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Rd., Pinehurst. Information: 910-295-5100 or villagewineshop.net.

December 10-12 SHAW HOUSE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. 1 - 4 p.m. Historic Shaw House, Britt Sanders Cabin and Garner House. Celebrate the holidays with native greenery, 19th century decorations and refreshments by the Moore County Historical Association. Free event. Morganton Road & SW Broad Street, Southern Pines. (910)692-2051.

December 11 Wine Tasting. Australian Cabernet - Australia is best known for its work with another red varietal, Syrah. But over the last couple of years there have been some great cabernets produced from the region down under. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. Beverly Brookshire. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

905 Linden Road next to Elliotts on Linden restaurant. (910)255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Ballet. Carolina Performing Arts Center presents “The Velveteen Ballet . . . A Ballet” choreographed by Diana Turner-Forte. 3 p.m. at Aberdeen Elementary School Auditorium. Tickets available at Carolina Performing Arts Center, (910)695-7898 and The Country BookShop.

AN EARLY AMERICAN CHRISTMAS. Malcolm Blue Farm. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 1825 Farmhouse is decorated with greenery. Experience Christmas through an 18th century child’s eyes. Malcolm Blue Farm, Hwy. 5 South (Bethesda Rd.), Aberdeen. For more information call (910)944-7558.

Choral Concert. 7 p.m., Pinecrest Choral Department presents their annual Choral Concert & Silent Auction, R.E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, Southern Pines. Bidding ends Sunday after intermission. Tickets, $6 adults/$4 students/ senior citizens. For more information (910)673-2768 or lacabinets@gmail.com.

CHRISTMAS HORSE CARRIAGE PARADE. 1 p.m. The Moore County Driving Club decorates their horses and carriages for Christmas and drives them through the historic district in downtown Southern Pines. For more information call (910)692-0943.

HOUSE IN THE HORSESHOE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Free. The House in the Horseshoe will be decorated to celebrate the Christmas season.

Learn about how Christmas was celebrated in central North Carolina in the late 18th century. The House in the Horseshoe (north of Carthage), 324 Alston House Rd., Sanford. For more information call (910)947-2051.

THE MET LIVE IN HD: Verdi’s Don Carlo. 12:30 p.m. Director Nicholas Hytner makes his Met debut with this new production of Verdi’s profound, beautiful, and most ambitious opera. Roberto Alagna leads the cast, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, Marina Poplavskaya, Anna Smirnova, and Simon Keenlyside also star. The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. www.sunrisetheater.com.

December 12 Christmas Concert. Moore County Concert Band Christmas Concert. 2 p.m.

Free. Featuring the Sandhills Community College Choir and Jazz Band, plus the Guitar and String Ensembles. Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst.

Choral Concert. 4 p.m. Pinecrest Choral Department presents their annual Choral Concert & Silent Auction, R.E. Lee Auditorium, Pinecrest High School, Southern Pines. Doors will open and auction begins 1 hour prior to concerts. Bidding ends after intermission. Tickets, $6 adults/$4 students/senior citizens. For more information (910)673-2768 or lacabinets@gmail.com.

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December 16

Meet the Artist. Karen Walker, will be demonstrating in a new medium, alcohol based inks, and answer questions on how to get started and where to take her class. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the About Art Gallery located in the Market Place Restaurant Building 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. (910) 215-5963.

Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Ten minute suppers! Say is that really possible? With a few choice ingredients supper is on the table in 10 minutes flat.

Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. Carolyn Rotter. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 905 Linden Road next to Elliotts on Linden restaurant. For more information, please call (910)255-0665 or www.hollyhocksartgallery. com.

Meet the Artist. Karen Walker, Sanford Artist, will be demonstrating in a new medium, alcohol based inks, and answer questions on how to get started and where to take her class. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the About Art Gallery located in the Market Place Restaurant Building 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst.

(910) 215-5963.

Book Signing. “Golf Style: Homes and Collections Inspired by the Course and the Clubhouse,” by Vicky Moon, with photographs of noted golfers’ residences and golf resorts. Moon will speak on this from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Tufts Archives in Given Memorial Library in Pinehurst. (910)2956022.

MEET THE AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Steve Bouser, Editor of The Pilot newspaper, tells the true story of Elva Statler Davidson in his new book, “Death of a Pinehurst Princess,” to be released this month. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910)692-3211 or visit www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. I’m dreaming of a Green Christmas. Local collards, mustard greens, spinach & kale winter’s delicious roughage. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. (910)295-3663.

December 14 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. What’s in Stock for Christmas? The Magic Pantry! From appetizers to last minute gourmet meals everything you need is at hand. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst.

For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

Christmas Tea. 2:30 p.m. Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour hosts a literary and historical Victorian Christmas Tea. Wear your Christmas sweater or ­jewelry and help celebrate in the Victorian fashion.

Holiday Show. The Foakee Joe Holiday Show features musical madman and educator Joe Craven.

6:30 p.m. Celebrate this diverse season — Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, the Winter Solstice and more — with Joe through storytelling, poetry, music and song. Hear and experience holiday favorites like never before. The Country Bookshop, 140 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910)692-3211 or visit www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

December 15 Preschool Storytime. 3:30 - 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers (ages birth through 5 years) for stories, songs, and fun, and then stay for playtime. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910)692-8235 or go to www.sppl.net.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Party. 6 - 7 p.m.

High School students are invited to the 4th annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Party. Enjoy free pizza while making mini gingerbread houses and playing reindeer games.

The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910)692-8235 or go to www.sppl.net.

Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Slow Cooking Your Way through the Holidays. Lite and delicious crockpot recipes. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)2953663.

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December 16 - 20 SunFlix Movies. “It’s Kind Of A Funny Story’’ 7:30 p.m. - weekdays. 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. - weekends.

1 Hour 41 Minutes Rated PG-13 for mature thematic issues, sexual content, drug material and language.

Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines.

Box Office: (910)692-3611. www.sunrisetheater.org.

December 17 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Visions of Sugar Plums… Old fashioned confections from pralines to fudge. Elliot’s on Linden, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

THE ROOSTER’S WIFE. 8:30 p.m. The American Idol Tour hits the Knight Spot. The Joe Cowan Band brings holiday cheer to LA before the leader goes off to be a Doobie. Experience the voice of NewGrass up close with the Rooster’s Wife. $22. in advance, $25 day of show. Poplar Knight Spot in Aberdeen. 114 Knight St. www.theroosterswife.org (910)944-7502.

Literature/Speakers

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History

Sports

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ca l e n da r PINEHURST RESORT’S TOUR AND TEA. 10 a.m. Discover the stories of Pinehurst’s history and enjoy the traditions of classic high tea at one of America’s Historic Landmarks. Historic Walking Tour and Traditional High Tea every Friday in December. $25/ person. Reservations required. (910)235-8415.

Wine Tasting. Champagne Versus Sparkling Wines. Champagne is the region that defines what a classic sparkling wine should be, but has time eclipsed this once untouchable region? Come and taste a true Champagne and compare its qualities to those of America. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)2953663.

Wine Tasting. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Live Music. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Rd., Pinehurst. Info: (910)295-5100 or villagewineshop.net.

December 18 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Two Hens a Stewing. Granny’s Chicken & Dumplings, need I say more? Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst.

For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. Jane Casnellie. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 905 Linden Road next to Elliotts on Linden restaurant. (910)255-0665 or www. hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Dinner Dance. Moore Area Shag Society (MASS) annual Christmas Dinner Dance will be held at the Southern Pines Elks Club, 8 p.m. Admission is $10 & includes dinner, DJ Butch Adeimy, door prizes & 50/50 raffle. For more information contact Gary @ 692-4144, e-mail mooreshaggers@gmail.com or www. curbside.net/shagmoore. Must be 21 to attend.

Key: Art

Music/Concerts

Dance/Theater

Film

December 19 “Living Madonnas” Art and Music Program.

7 p.m. The Community Congregational Church of Southern Pines, 141 N. Bennett Street, Southern Pines.

The hour long program presents reproductions of Madonna and Child paintings by famous artists. Danny Infantino and Deanne Renshaw will perform seasonal and period music during the program. Admission is free.

HOLIDAY CONCERT. Moore Philharmonic Orchestra Annual Holiday Concert. 3 p.m. Moore Philharmonic Orchestra presents Holiday Concert and Silent Auction. Silent Auction starts at 2 p.m. Grand Ballroom, Pinehurst Hotel. Free. For more information please visit www.mporchestra.com.

December 20 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Spices from afar…. The essence of Christmas, cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst.

For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

MEET THE ARTIST. Pamela Swarbrick, award winning watercolorist, will be demonstrating watercolors at the About Art Gallery from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gallery is located in the Market Place Restaurant Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. (910) 215-5963.

December 21 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Winter Salads; A refreshing twist to the holiday season! Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

Morning Coffee Break. Join us beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Douglass Community Center lounge for you morning coffee break. We will sample a variety Literature/Speakers

Fun

History

of coffee flavors and creamers from a local coffee shop.

The cost is $2 residents, $4 non-residents. Please sign up and pay by December 14. Town of Southern Pines Recreation & Parks Department. (910)692-7376.

THE ROOSTER’S WIFE. 7 p.m. Celebrate the Winter Solstice. Potluck under a full moon with an eclipse for dessert, and amazing seasonal music from the Martha Bassett Trio, Laurelyn Dossett, and Joe Newberry with Mike Collier. $10. Poplar Knight Spot in Aberdeen. 114 Knight St. Info: www.theroosterswife.org or (910)944-7502.

The National Theatre. Live in HD “Hamlet.” 2 - 5 p.m. Directed by Nicholas Hytner, will be broadcast from the National’s Olivier Theatre.

The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. www.sunrisetheater.com.

Wine Tasting. Winter Solstice Wine Tasting 6 - 8:30 p.m. The Village Wine Shop, 80 Magnolia Rd., Pinehurst. (910)295-5100. villagewineshop.net

December 22 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. Cloaked in cheese. Fondue for supper. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

THE MET LIVE IN HD: Verdi’s Don Carlo (Encore).

12:30 p.m. The Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad Street, Southern Pines. www.sunrisetheater.com.

December 23 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. The Nut Cracker. Nuts are the season’s wondrous ingredient.

Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

Sports

Experience Seven Lakes

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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ca l e n da r MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery.

Doris Smith. 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 905 Linden Road next to Elliotts on Linden restaurant. (910)255-0665 or www. hollyhocksartgallery.com.

Concert. Carolina Philharmonic Christmas In New York, 2:30 p.m. & 7 p.m., Founders Hall, Sacred Heart Church, Pinehurst. Carolina Philharmonic invites you to treat yourself to a variety of the season’s most popular melodies preformed with flair by the exceptional Joshua Wolff Jazz Trio. For more information please call (910)687- 4746 or visit www.Carolinaphil.org.

December 24 Food Demonstration. 11 a.m. By Dickens it’s Christmas. The victorian’s gift of dressing the table; from delicacies to linens - a victorian table set with the menu from A Christmas Carol. Elliot’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)295-3663.

December 27-29 GOLF TOURNAMENT. 63rd Donald Ross Jr. Championship Golf Tournament. Boys only, Maximum age 17. Pinehurst Resort. One Carolina Vista, Pinehurst.

(910)235-8140.

December 27 – 30 MEET THE ARTIST. Local artist, Joan Williams, will be demonstrating painting a still life at the About Art Gallery. Williams welcomes visitors and questions.

The gallery is located in the Market Place Restaurant Building at 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. (910) 2155963.

Key: Art

Music/Concerts

Dance/Theater

Film

EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH 350 East Massachusetts Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 (910) 692-3171 • www.emmanuel-parish.org Christmas Eve: 4:00pm Children’s Service 6:30pm Family Service 10:30pm Midnight Service Christmas Day: 10:00am Holy Communion

December 28

Art Galleries

Birthday Party and Bingo. Bring a covered dish to share with others. Participants with birthdays that month will be honored. Anyone whose birthday is in September, October, November or December will receive a special gift. Please sign up by December 21. Town of Southern Pines Recreation & Parks Department. For more information please call (910)692-7376

Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Rd., Pinehurst, showcases works by nationally recognized artists such as Louis St. Lewis, Lula Smith, Shawn Morin, Rachel Clearfield, Judy Cox and Jason Craighead. Meet-the-artist opportunities are available. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, 1-4 p.m. (910)295-4817, www.broadhurstgallery.com.

Art Gallery at the Market Place, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst, features original art by local artists Joan Williams, Deane Billings, Jeanette Sheehan, Mike D’Andrea, Janet Burdick, Nancy Yanchus, and Cele Bryant. Meet one of the artists Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (910)215-5963.

Artist Alley features juried art and fine crafts from local and regional artists, 167 E. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

(910)692-6077.

Artists League of the Sandhills, located at 129 Exchange St. in historic Aberdeen. Exhibit hours are noon-3 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910)944-3979.

The Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines, is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and every third weekend of the month from 2-4 p.m.

(910)692-4356, www.mooreart.org.

The Gallery at Seven Lakes, a gallery dedicated to local artists. The Gallery is open on Wednesday and Thursday each week from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 1145 Seven Lakes Drive, The St. Mary Magdalen building. Just 9 miles from the Pinehurst Traffic Circle up 211.

Hastings Gallery is located in the Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst.

Gallery hours are 7:45 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 7:45 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday; and 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

December 30 GOLF TOURNAMENT. Father And Son Golf Tournament. Held on No. 8, Pinehurst Resort. One Carolina Vista, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910)235-8140.

December 31 CHAMBER MUSIC Concert. Carolina Philharmonic Chamber Music - New Year’s Eve. 4 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, Pinehurst. Begin New Year’s Eve festivities on the early side, light classics concert followed by champagne. (910)687-4746 or visit www.

Carolinaphil.org.

FIRST EVE. The downtown area along Broad Street in Southern Pines will be blocked off from 6 8:30 p.m. and a variety of activities and entertainment will be offered for the entire family. The “pinecone drop” will be at 8:30 p.m. Free. Historic downtown Southern Pines. www.southernpines.biz/events/holiday-events/ PINEHURST RESORT NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION. Celebrate the year that was and the year that will be with gourmet dining, live music by The Band of Oz and a champagne toast at midnight. Then kick off the new year with an overflowing breakfast buffet. Pinehurst Resort, Carolina Vista, Pinehurst. Call (800)487-4653 to book your reservation today.

Literature/Speakers

Fun

History

Sports

Worship Directory

Congregational Church of Pinehurst United Church of Christ Rev. Brent A. Bissette, Pastor

895 Linden Road, Pinehurst www.youarewelcomehere.org (910) 295-2243

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service - 5pm Joyful music & Holy Communion

Christmas Sunday - 10am Carol sing for all ages

Southern Pines United Methodist Church 175 Midland Road 692-3518 • www.southernpinesumc.org

Join us for worship Sundays

8:30 am Praise & Worship • 11:00 am Traditional Worship

(Nursery for all services & programs)

Celebrate Christmas with us!

Dec. 12th Cantata (with orchestra) 8:30 & 11:00 am Dec. 19th “Night at Bethlehem” 5:00 - 7:00 pm A Hands-on Holy Land Experience with live animals (reservations by Dec. 1st) Dec. 24th Christmas Eve Service 5:30 pm

THE COMMUNITY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC

141 N. Bennett St. Southern Pines, NC 28387

Sun., Dec. 19th, 11am - Christmas Sunday Worship Service Sun., Dec. 19th, 7pm - “Living Madonnas” A unique Advent program of art and music Music by Danny Infantino and Deanne Renshaw

Fri., Dec. 24th at 7pm - Christmas Eve Communion Service

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St. Anthony Catholic Church

175 E Connecticut Ave. • Southern Pines, NC 28387 • (910) 692-6613

CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE

CHRISTMAS EVE • Friday, December 24th

Family Mass 5:00pm • Mass (in Spanish) 7:30pm Mass 10pm, choir sings at 9:30pm (no Midnight Mass)

CHRISTMAS DAY • Saturday, December 25th Masses • 8:30am, 11:00am (no 5:00pm Mass or Confessions that day)

December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

ca l e n da r Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst, features original artwork by local artists Diane Kraudelt, Carol Rotter, Doris Smith, Jean Frost, Beverly Brookshire, Sandy Scott and artist/owner Jane Casnellie. Daily 10:30am to 9:30p.m. and Sunday evenings 6p.m.-9:30p.m. (910)255-0665, www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.

The Old Silk Route, 113 West Main St., Aberdeen specializes in Asian original art, including silk paintings, tapestries, Buddhist Thangkas and Indian paper miniatures. Open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. (910)295-2055.

Seagrove Candle Company, 116 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, showcases the arts and crafts of the Sandhills and Seagrove area. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, (910)695-0029.

SKY Art Gallery, 602 Magnolia Dr., Aberdeen, is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. (910)944-9440, www. skyartgallery.com.

White Hill Gallery, 407 U.S. 15-501, Carthage, offers a variety of pottery. (910)947-6100.

The Downtown Gallery (inside Flynne’s Coffee Bar) is located at 115 NE Broad St. in downtown Southern Pines. Ever-changing array of local and regional art, pottery and other handmade items. (910)693-1999.

Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour, located at 25 Chinquapin Road in Pinehurst, is featuring local artist Nancy Campbell. Original oil and watercolor paintings are on display inside the tea shop. Open Tuesday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910)255-0100, www.ladybedfords.com.

Nature Centers Sandhills Horticultural Gardens (32 acres of gardens).

The Sandhills Horticultural Gardens are handicappedaccessible. Daylight hours year-round. (910)695-3882.

Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (898 acres).

1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910)692-2167.

Historical Sites Bethesda Church and Cemetery. Guided tours for groups by appointment. 1020 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen.

(910)944-1319.

Bryant House and McLendon Cabin. Tours by appointment. (910)692-2051 or (910)673-0908.

Carthage Historical Museum. Sundays, 2-5 p.m. or by appointment. Located at Rockingham and Saunders streets, Carthage. (910)947-2331.

House in the Horseshoe. Open year-round. Hours vary.

288 Alston House Road (10 miles north of Carthage), Sanford. (910)947-2051.

Malcolm Blue Farm and Museum. 1-4 p.m. WednesdaySaturday. Group tours can be arranged by appointment.

(910)944-7558 or (910)603-2739.

North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Monday-Friday, at the Weymouth Center for Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines.

(910)692-6261.

Shaw House Property. Open 1-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.

(910)692-2051.

Tufts Archives. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. (910)295-3642.

Union Station. Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Located in downtown Aberdeen. (910)944-5902.

Sandhills Woman’s Exchange Log Cabin Open 10 a.m. 3 p.m. (910)295-4677 ——————————————————— To add an event, send us an e-mail at pinestraw@thepilot.com by the first of the month prior to the event.

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S E N E C A A V O W A L G E N E V A E M M A C A R O A G A I N H T A I L E R N E A I N S O F H I S T O E I N G T O E A R A L L R I W E E E M A D D D E

3 8 9 2 6 1 5 4 7

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U N E A R T H T O M E

1 3 8 7 4 2 9 6 5

W A G S E X I T D E A R D N A I T I L F N L O G E R O D E A D O G B S E C O S O S T A T A T O D I N

6 4 5 1 9 3 8 7 2

9 2 7 6 5 8 4 3 1

2 7 3 4 1 5 6 8 9

S H U C C K O S N M H O O L N D

R I P P L E

I S S U E D

A B E L

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5 9 4 8 2 6 7 1 3

8 1 6 3 7 9 2 5 4

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2010

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SandhillSeen Miles for MIRA 5 K Fun Run and Dog Walk Photographs by Jeanne Paine

Silvie Chartrand, Twiggy Abby Shultis, Sarah Coley

Jina Depasquale, Mary Lee Gilmore, Saylor, Annabelle, Lilly, Maggie

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Bob Baillie, Devon

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Bill Clement, Connie Lovell

Alice & Wayne Robbins

SandhillSeen

Taylor & Baxter Clement

Moore County Community Foundation Man & Woman of the Year Photographs by Jeanne Paine Hugh & Jean Rae Hinton

Kenneth, Jean & Felton Capel

Jackie Lina , Ruffles Clement

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December 2010

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Sassy & Kevin Riley

Tayloe Compton, Mike Paget

Hobby Field - Moore County Hounds Hunter Pace Photographs by Jeanne Paine Bailey Pritchet

Mary Cremmins

Jean Rae Hinton, Corine Longanbach

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December 2010

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SandhillSeen SandhillSeen Aberdeen Holiday Open House

Autumfest at Old Bethesda

Photographs by Ariel Kowalick

Photographs by Laura Gingerich Sally Noyes

Cloe as Scarlett O’Hara Bailey Pages Ashley Baker

Ann Lambeth The “Mad Hatters”

Tracey Call

Nimisha Brath Isaiah Stefanelli & Pepper

Catherine Clark Aldena Frye & Staff

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December 2010

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

T h o u g h ts f r o m T h e Ma n S h e d

The Best Christmas Ever Willy-nilly reckless abandon is what it was

By Geoff Cutler

I

f you haven’t tried this, I highly recommend it. Truth be told, it’s the best Christmas we’ve ever had.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there were some other stand-out Christmases. Like the year my brother and I were each given our own Flexible Flyers. For our younger readers, who may be wondering… what’s a Flexible Flyer? Well, it’s not a video game, or a rubber cell phone, that’s for sure!

Long before saucers and cheap slabs of plastic, there was the Flexible Flyer. Made out of good old-fashioned lacquered wood and American steel runners, with red logo and stripes, this was the sled that every kid absolutely, positively, without any question, had to have.

Christmas morning, 1966, it dawned cold. Like every Christmas for a kid, who could sleep? Tossing and turning all night long in agony that we’d have to wait even another second to go downstairs to find out what Santa had brought us, day finally came and we launched out of our beds as if shot from a cannon.

Rounding the stairs and sliding down the banister, we turned to the spot of bounty, and laid up against the wall next to the Christmas tree, there they were. Two shiny new Flexible Flyers. Not the little ones, mind you, but the larger ones, the sleds big enough for two riders.

There’d been snow a few days earlier, and cars had made enough trips over it to pack it down firm. If temperatures would just get high enough during the day to melt the snow pack, we knew it would turn the driveway into a sheet of ice by dark. Weather gods blessed us that Christmas night. We figured sure it was on account of they knew what Santa had brought us, and by nightfall, our driveway was like a hockey rink. Perfect for the steel runners we had waxed during the day.

That was a good Christmas, but times change, and we get older. When our kids were little, we were able to relive the excitement by watching them open their presents. What joy to help them pour a glass of milk and lay out some cookies for Santa, and then we’d tuck them into their beds and kiss them goodnight, and we knew and smiled that they wouldn’t sleep a wink in anticipation of the great day. In the morning, Brooke had moved Santa’s stockings to the ends of their beds so it was the first thing they saw when they opened their eyes. With a fire burning bright behind the hearth, we sat drinking our coffee while we watched them. We said to go slow so the day wouldn’t be over too fast. They didn’t listen, with wrap-

ping paper flying this way and that…and we didn’t really care. After all, they were just like us when we were small.

Now they’re in college, and while they’ll be home for Christmas, they’re in that phase where the transition occurs. A gift in itself, it’s that evolution when we all come to realize that the real joy of the day is about giving.

Which brings me round to the best Christmas we’ve ever had.

There was a boy, and his mother was very sick. At the beginning of the school year, he was one of my wife’s students at The Sandhills Children’s Center. When he first came to the school, he would not, or could not speak. Brooke and his other teachers worked with him throughout the year, and used all the skills they could muster from their years of experience with children like him, a child with special needs.

As Christmas drew near, the boy’s mom wasn’t able to shop or afford presents for her kids. So we decided to do it for her. We told our kids what we were up to, and how Christmas is more often about what we can do for others as opposed to ourselves. At the time, my guys were still at that age where none of this sounded all that appetizing, especially if taking care of someone else’s kids might jeopardize the volume of loot they expected to see under their own tree.

Just willing enough, they agreed, and the four of us proceeded down to the Walmart. Pushing a couple of shopping carts, we went berserk in the clothes, toys and games aisles. I never had so much fun shopping, not even on my annual pilgrimages to Burney’s Hardware on Christmas Eve. Willy-nilly reckless abandon is what it was, and in short order, we filled the rear end of our SUV with boxes and bundles.

Back at home, wrapping the presents, our kids felt the first spirital glimmer of our mission and had become as excited as we were to see the faces of the other children when we dropped the stuff off. We did that later in the afternoon.

She came out of the house, gaunt and gray with her three children in tow. We said we had something for them and popped the rear hatch on the SUV. The children’s eyes lit like stars and their mother put her hand up to her mouth in surprise, tears running down her face. And in that moment, we knew we had just celebrated the best Christmas ever.

Merry Christmas from The Man Shed!

An Addendum: I see I forgot to tell you what happened with the little boy. Sadly, his mother lost her battle with cancer. But the following spring, this little boy began to speak. For that, he was given the ARC Award, given to a child who had made the greatest progressive leaps in one school year.

We went to the award ceremony. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. PS Geoff Cutler is owner of Cutler Tree LLC in Southern Pines. He is a regular contributor to both The Pilot and PineStraw. He can be reached at geoffcutler@embarqmail.com.

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Resale Retail Retail Resale

Sagittarius (Nov. 23 – Dec. 21)

Hey diddle diddle, your tale’s an old fiddle, Child. When the new moon tickles your fancy on the 5th, get ready for a journey that’s as bold as Boston tea. Traveling faster than rabbit romance will make it difficult to dodge the open-end ratchet wrench the sun will pitch your way on the 21st.

(Heaven help your hard-boiled head. You’ve got to slow down and sniff the poinsettias every once in a while!) Shocking as it seems, there’s a lot I don’t know. But I can tell you this: The sun rises in the east, Sweetie. There’s no need to frolic to France to see it. That said, sayonara, Sugar Muffin. And for Pete’s sake, good riddance!

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 20)

You’ll be redder than Rudolph’s whiffer if you speak your mind too fast on the 5th. Do us all a favor and use your noodle, Dumpling. Although your goals are bigger than Sarah Palin’s following on Twitter, now’s high time to let some of your good ideas simmer like a day-old pot of seafood gumbo. (Ignoring the tasks at hand is as dangerous as Aunty Pearl’s spiked cider. Trust me.) When Mercury backs it up like a dirty dancer in an MTV music video on the 15th, look for a sign that’s as plain as day. No one wants to be the sitting duck.

Aquarius (Jan. 21 – Feb. 19)

For the love of sugarplums, Sweetie, your nuts are cracked! Although life is crazier than New York City at rush hour, Saturn will revive you with an idea that’s sweeter than the last sip of pumpkin spiced latte. Dancing ’round a reoccurring conflict on the 13th is about as wise as a sack of sand from South Beach. I say face your piddly problem before things turn cataclysmic! There’s no denying it, this year’s been rougher than bark scanties. Despite your efforts, some things are just up to the stars, Cakeface.

Pisces (Feb. 20 – March 20)

You’re hotter than grandma’s jambalaya one day, colder than lizard blood the next. Make up your mind, if not for your sake than for the sake of the saints who choose to stick around you! On the 13th, you’ll catch yourself picking at an old scab like it’s a doggone diddley bow. A word from the wise: Can it and screw the moose! By the 26th, you’ll be sweating like a sinner at the pearly gates if you don’t knuckle down. For better or worse, the buck stops here.

Aries (March 21 – April 20)

Somebody’s smitten as a kitten’s mitten (and it ain’t me, Honey). Though Mars will have you feeling like a shiny copper penny on the 3rd, hang on tighter than a sheet knot to the hitch of a doublewide, Darlin’ — things are ’bout to get bumpier than a spell of the goose pimples. On the 12th, Mercury will throw you for a spin that’s as foreign as Froot Loops to the queen of France; keep your composure to avoid chinking up the armor. The sky will be the limit on the 21st. For the love of Pete, don’t gum up the works, Sugar Lump.

Taurus (April 21 – May 21)

Holy cannoli! On the 3rd, Uranus will tempt you into a situation that’ll have you in more jeopardy than Alex Trebek’s bowels after a curried beef kebob.

Although you’re itchy as a night in a Motel 6 to ignore the threat, you’ll be sorry as a kid on St. Nick’s naughty list if you take things too lightly. Jupiter will have you gathering wool to keep up with the latest trends. Hang it up, Child.

Your case of the “gimmes!” is as appealing as the debut of Donald Trump’s new toupee. It’s high time to wake up and smell the java, Love.

Gemini (May 22 – June 21) You don’t have to belch smoke from seven orifices every time you eat crow, Sweet Cheeks. (In layman’s terms: It’s okay to be wrong every now and again.)

The new moon on the 5th will give your words more power than beatnik body

odor — abuse authority and you’ll find yourself facing a situation that’s stickier than okra in cornmeal. Keep your eye on the prize on the 16th when Jupiter tries to throw you in between the devil and the deep blue sea. If you can’t swim, I sure hope you can float.

Cancer (June 22 – July 23)

Try not to get your dander up in the beginning of the month, Honey. Codswallop too shall pass. (Think about it, Eddie Murphy’s music career was over in a New York minute!) When Mars stirs up your relationships on the 11th like a pot of Mama’s oxtail stew, cut to the quick and let it be! Oh, and don’t make excuses on the 24th when an opportunity presents itself. As my Aunty Pearl used to say, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas.

Be yourself, and good things will come…eventually.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 23)

Cat litter, scarf knitter, fried apple fritter. Visions of sugarplums may be dancing in your head on the 1st, but Mars will yank you down to Earth again in no time. (You’d be wise to stay there for a spell, too.) On the 13th, worrying about the gnat’s ass won’t do you a lick of good. Focus on the things you can control instead. Trust me, fixing your rotten diet is as easy as slipping Benadryl to the baby. Change as welcome as Mrs. Claus at Curves will lift your spirits on the 21st if you’ll let it. Just try not to poke the bear.

Virgo (Aug. 24 – Sept. 23)

Listen up, Pumpkin. Going nineteen to the dozen will have you dizzied as a dreidel this month — avoid porch gossip like it’s cousin Milton’s mayonnaise pie! When Mercury turns retrograde on the 10th, pucker up for a kiss that’s hotter than grandpa’s blackened snapper, but bite your tongue before you’re in a situation as slippery as snot on a doorknob. Mark my words, Darling. You’ll have devil to pay otherwise.

Libra (Sept. 24 – Oct. 23)

I’ll put it to you straight: This month has the potential of blowing more than Ebenezer’s sneezer. Stay flexible as a garden hose for a smooth ride; Lord willing and the creek don’t rise. Although the new moon on the 5th will have you crooning the blues, Pluto can help save your bacon…so long as you’re willing to reheat cabbage. With your mind running wilder than a red wolf on Molly on the 21st, resist the urge to hold a candle to the devil. If snakes wore vests, we’d all live hand to mouth.

Scorpio (Oct. 24 – Nov. 22)

Hot-ma-Gandhi! Those old ideas of yours are as useless as Vanilla Ice’s record contract. I say chuck them to the birds, Child. When Mercury skates backward on the 13th, your words will be more charged than Paris Hilton’s credit cards. Lock and load, Sweetie — sometimes spitting fire keeps danger at bay.

Don’t be ashamed to ask for help on the 21st when life has you feeling as pooped as a berry after the third frost. Oh, and just between you and me, I think it’s time you cut the mustard. Lord, love a duck. PS

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

December PineNeedler Why Do Dogs Make Better Friends Than People?

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52 ______the line (behaving) 54 Following firstly 56 Foot extension 57 Specialty at the Campbell House 59 Distress call 60 Brand of laundry detergent 61 Mob activity 63 Swear to 68 Little 69 Austin novel, or Ericka’s sweet baby 70 last word of quote 71 Total up 72 Accomplishment 73 Chant DOWN 1 Droop 2 First woman 3 French no 4 Female sheep 5 Cove 6 “Remember the __” 7 United at the altar 8 Chopped 9 Enormous 10 Squinted to see 11 Peels corn 12 Make small waves 13 Published 21 Dig up

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Droop First woman French no Female sheep Cove “Remember the __” United at the altar Chopped Enormous Squinted to see Peels corn Make small waves

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Cast Cain killed him Comfortable Roman 3 Greek diety of dawn, A Sweetie Canadian capital Suckered Followed, like a good d Capital of Massachuse Dirt Raccoon-like animal Big book or volume Just a little bit Explosive initials Self-esteem Heat giver Ball holder, at Highland

December 2010

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s o u t h w o r ds

By Connie Gomez

I

consider myself to be pretty computer savvy. After all, I’ve been using the Internet since its emergence over 20 years ago. I’ve been paying bills and shopping on line ever since the services became available. So, when my mom suggested that I help her de-clutter the house by selling a few things on line, I readily agreed.

Like many reared during the Depression-era, my parents have held on to just about everything they’ve ever owned, including items of clothing that were last worn at a swanky cocktail party back in 1940. The reasons are two-fold. The first is that the quality of goods back then was better than today and held up over a longer period of time. The second is that my parents’ generation was raised with an invaluable frugality which helped see them through tough times.

The benefit of this “save it for a rainy day” approach to life is that their household is a treasure trove of family history. Each item is affixed to memories and events that together form the rich tapestry of their lives. In the deep recesses of an antique mahogany dresser are my father’s love letters to my mother written when he was an Air Force pilot stationed on a Pacific island during World War II. In another drawer we once found my great-great aunt’s dance card elegantly scripted with a fountain pen tucked inside a beaded flapper purse. The drawback of this cumulative tendency is that their closet racks are sagging beneath the weight of clothing that hasn’t been worn for decades. And let’s face it, at 83, is my mother really going to wear that 60s’ psychedelic mini dress to a game of duplicate bridge?

It came as no surprise to me when one day my mother opened a dresser drawer full of cashmere sweaters that had once belonged to her and her mother. Accented with all the glamour of a 1930s movie siren, the sweaters were trimmed with mink collars, exquisite hand-sewn beading, seed pearls and rhinestones. This is going to be a snap, I thought.

I had purchased items on eBay before and as a result already had a buyer account. I had found the process to be both simple and straight-forward. According to eBay’s website, all I had to do was create a seller account and in moments I would join the ranks of millions of others who were discovering the power and convenience of e-commerce.

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What I found was that on line selling is more complex than buying. It requires patience and a lot of research, not just about the product, but also about creating the most effective listing. It took time to monitor the week-long auction and respond to inquiries. There were unexpected delays waiting for account and ID verifications. I researched prices, evaluated the differences between auction-style and fixed-price-selling formats, and decided upon a selling category. I calculated shipping costs, uploaded photographs, and finally posted my listings.

I made mistakes in two critical areas. First, I failed to set a reserve price, which is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept. As a result, I ended up shipping an expensive hand-made sweater to the other side of the country for only ninety-nine cents.

Second, I delayed and complicated the shipping process by transferring money from my PayPal account to my bank, a transaction which took 3-5 business days. As a result, there were no funds available in my PayPal account to purchase and print UPS shipping labels. This mistake cost me both time and money. A pre-printed label costs less than shipping from the store and makes it easier to match up with the order. In addition, printing labels from home automatically e-mails the tracking number to each buyer. This had to be done manually, adding yet another step to an already overwhelmingly complex process.

At the end of my foray into e-commerce I ended up with a whopping profit of $29.72. As a novice, I considered it a success, though, since at least I hadn’t ended up in the red — which brings us to Christmas. Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, Christmastime is when eBay sees its highest traffic of the year. Hard-to-find gift items can often be found on the site when retailers have run out of stock. eBay even keeps a “Hot List” of popular items which can be found on their site under seller information. Not surprisingly, nine out of ten are electronic. But if you haven’t got Xboxes or iPods to sell or buy, don’t let that deter you. This new world, as I discovered with my grandmother’s cashmere sweaters, is a virtual marketplace — as the woman in Hong Kong who purchased them illustrated. I hope she enjoys them.

As for me, no longer an eBay rookie, spring cleaning is not far off. I wonder if I’ll have better luck with the Barbie dolls that have been in the garage for the last forty years. PS

December 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Illustration by Pamela Powers January

And a Merry eBay To You