September PineStraw 2010 by PineStraw Magazine

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September 2010 Volume 5, No. 9 DEPARTMENTS

5 9 13 15 18 21 23 27 29 31 35 52 64 71 73 75 76

Sweet Tea Chronicles

Jim Dodson

PinePitch PineBuzz

Jack Dodson

The Omnivorous Reader

Stephen E. Smith

Bookshelf Hitting Home

Dale Nixon

The Kitchen Garden Vine Wisdom Birdwatch

Jan Leitschuh

Robyn James

Susan Campbell

The Sporting Life

Tom Bryant

Golftown Journal

Lee Pace

Calendar SandhillSeen Thoughts from the Man Shed The Accidental Astrologer PineNeedler

Mart Dickerson

SouthWords

Lori Pry

Geoff Cutler

Astrid Stellanova

FEATURES

40 Lunch with the Larson Brothers

Stephen E. Smith

August and Carl Larson’s vintage guitars are finger-picking good.

43 A Perfect Fit

Maggie Dodson

New short fiction.

46 An Artful Life

Jim Dodson

50 Blue Devil Waltz

Jonathan Agronsky

Sometimes a game lost makes for a winning life. Cover photograph by Tim Sayer.

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

Photograph by Tim Sayer

Artist Meridith Martens’ adventerous journey to the Sandhills.

PineStraw M A G A Z I N E Jim Dodson, Editor Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director Kathryn Galloway, Graphic Designer Megan Shore, Graphic Designer Ashley Wahl, Editorial Assistant Christina Klug, Magazine Intern 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

Jonathan Agronsky, Cos Barnes, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Geoff Cutler, Mart Dickerson, Jack Dodson, Maggie Dodson, Kay Grismer, Robyn James, Pamela Powers January, Jan Leitschuh, Cathy Marion, Dale Nixon, Lee Pace, Lori Pry, Vickie Rounds, Astrid Stellanova, Angie Tally

David Woronoff, Publisher ADVERTISING SALES

910.693.2505 Pat Taylor, Advertising Director Ginny Kelly Bill Downey Terry Hartsell Marty Hefner Peggy Marsh Darlene McNeil-Smith Johnsie Tipton Karen Triplett ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN

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

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

SWEET TEA CHRONICLES

Summer’s End

BY JIM DODSON

My late Southern grandmoth-

er used to say it was a sin against God and nature to wish away time and rail against the weather. But please permit me to get this off my chest:

Goodbye and good riddance summer of 2010. I’ll miss your murderous heat waves and cloaking humidity about as much as a Louisiana shrimp boat captain will miss the sight of a BP chief executive promising to make good on the worst man-made disaster in American history. During a normal summer along the Gulf coast, fishermen and local towns typically generate a full year’s worth of income in the space of two or three summer months. This year, owing to the extended nightmare of BP’s leaking oil well, it’s estimated that more than half of the businesses that rely on tourism and seafood may go belly-up, a summer that dwarfs Hurricane Katrina in terms of long-term effects. On a happier note, I would like to add: Oh, welcome sweet September. I’ve been waiting for you to get here. I know what you’ll say — it will be as bloody hot this Labor Day as it was last week in the blast furnace of August. You’re probably correct, of course, but the arrival of September heralds not only the eventual coming of cooler afternoons and evenings by month’s end, but also the revival of life and return to a normal family routine that always seems, to me at least, unnaturally disrupted by three months of heat and social idleness, an outdated cultural relic from America’s agrarian past. If I were a kid today, I’d beg my parents to enroll me in a year-round school. When I was a kid, on the other hand, summers seemed such tediously long affairs. On endless summer mornings, I read books or played with my toy armies and painted Roman soldiers in the cool dirt beneath my parents’ house. In the broiling

afternoons, I either went to baseball practice practic or rode my bike to h swimming pool.l I swam on the h swim team, though I really the couldn’t have cared less. I played shortstop and outfield on two different teams and truly loved baseball, but it was September I was secretly pining for, the resumption of school, the renewal of life; even after I grew interested in golf, playing in summer was really no fun. Life in summer felt oddly suspended, empty as the lonesome sound of the cicadas. Luckily our family vacation frequently fell at the end of August, sometimes ending over the Labor Day weekend itself. My favorite times were when we finished the summer at the Hanover Seaside Club in Wrightsville Beach, a rambling threestory shingled affair near the Lumina pier and pavilion where members reserved very basic rooms for a week or two and their kid pretty much roamed free and wild for the duration. Every evening after supper in the common dining room, the grownups played cards or drank cocktails and watched the rollers from rocking chairs scattered along on the broad porch of the club. One Labor Day stands out above the rest, 1966. I was thirteen and had my first vacation crush on a girl named Candice from Ohio. She was fourteen, a cheerleader, several inches taller than me. Her daddy was a foot doctor. She and I went to the roller skating rink at the Lumina pavilion with several other teenagers the night after she arrived with her family for the final week of the summer. By week’s end we’d graduated at dizzying velocity to holding hands on the pier and Candy, as she called herself, promised to show me the way French people preferred to kiss. This was more exciting than the three-pound flounder I gigged in the shallows of an island near the mouth of the Cape Fear River that week. Back at the Seaside Club there was a man who played the piano every night after supper, loud, gin-fueled Hoagy Carmichael numbers, a dandy who wore a madras jacket every evening during cocktails, somebody’s Yankee uncle who claimed he’d been on Broadway. He informed a pack of us barefoot teens that a major hurricane was steaming toward the Carolina coast and just might tear apart the island. I asked my

SWEET TEA CHRONICLES

dad if this was true, and he more or less confirmed it, though assured me the adults were keeping an eye on the storm’s progress and said not to worry. Next thing I heard, people were talking about throwing a “hurricane party.” On Labor Day itself there was big cookout. All day the surf was gray, churning and violent. Some people along the beach were boarding up windows, closing up their beach homes early. After the cookout, the Seaside staff was even allowed to go home. Yellow flags flew from the lifeguard poles warning swimmers to stay out of the water due to the undertow. I remember the beach patrol telling us swimming was out of the question. We kids hung out at an eerily empty pavilion plugging quarters in the juke box all day — Candy liked a song called “Poison Ivy” by the Coasters — and then, as darkness gathered, went down to watch a fisherman reel in a large sand shark from the surf. We watched him hang up the

Back at the Seaside Club, the man in the madras jacket was plunking out show tunes and the highballs were flowing... shark from the pier and were holding hands when her little brother jogged up and announced Candy had to go. Her family was going home early. I was crushed, but she gave me a quick peck on the cheek and said goodbye, promising to leave her address at the Seaside Club’s main desk. She called out, “Write me!” over her shoulder and I yelled back, “I will,” and that was the end of that. Back at the Seaside Club, the man in the madras jacket was plunking out show tunes and the highballs were flowing at yellow flag level. I found my parents and another couple sitting together out on the porch in rockers, wearing sweaters and watching the riotous surf. “What happened to Candy?” asked my mom. “Her family just left,” I explained glumly, showing her the scribbled address Candy had left at the front desk. “Maybe you can write each other,” she attempted to cheer me, inviting me to sit beside her in an empty rocker.

SWEET TEA CHRONICLES

My first summer romance wasn’t the only thing that fizzled out before it even got started that long holiday weekend. Hurricane Faith crossed the entire Atlantic from the Azores but suddenly veered north and barely grazed the Carolina coast. An hour before we headed home to Greensboro the next afternoon, I walked down to Newell’s Drugstore and bought a postcard to write to Candy. I don’t remember if I ever sent it or not. That would be the last summer we stayed at the Hanover Seaside Club. Lumina pavilion was soon torn down, though the pier remains to this day. During the 20 years we lived on the coast of Maine, I never failed to have a nice sense of meteorological déjà vu that was probably the result of those summer endings at the Seaside Club, a heightened sense of relief and expectation that came — even in a far northern place — with the official end of vacation and the resumption of life, new school assignments and afternoon field hockey practice. In Maine, Labor Day marks the last hurrah for the summer tourists and most will vanish by midday on Monday, turning the southbound lane of I-95 into a 20-mile parking lot by dusk. For many years when our kids were still small we began a ritual of going out to eat at our favorite seaside restaurant which only days before had been impossible to get into for the crowds, not to mention ridiculous prices. Within hours of the crowd’s departures, the price of a classic Maine shore dinner would drop by a third, and the air would develop an unmistakable coolness, and the light would turn especially beautiful in the cove where we went to dine by the sea — always taking along sweaters and jackets. I used to tell my little ones about going to the Seaside Club in North Carolina when I was a kid and how I once met a pretty girl from Ohio named Candy and saw a man catch a shark and nearly got to be in the midst of a major hurricane as it came ashore. “Did that really happen, Daddy — or are you just making that up?” my wise daughter Maggie was prone to ask after she’d heard the tale a few times. “Every word, I swear, is almost true. She was my first summer romance. The moral of the story, Mugs, is this: Summer always ends but something exciting comes in September.” “Did you ever write Candy?” “I did. But she never wrote back.” “That’s sad.” “No,” I would always say, pulling her up onto my lap to watch a beautiful September evening over the ocean. “That’s just the way summer should end.” PS

PRESENTING AN EVENT FOR FOODIES

“RAW”

Wednesday, September 22nd Five Courses $34 per person Sample Menu: Gazpacho, Assorted Seaweed, Truffles, Beef w/ Black Garlic, Strawberry w/ Cracked Pepper (See full menu online)

Call (910) 215-0775 to make your reservation Mon-Sat-Lunch 11:30am to 2:30pm Dinner 6pm to 9:30pm • Sun Dinner 6pm to 9:30pm

Stay in touch for up coming events at:

www.elliottsonlinden.com

Cooking School | September Events ADULT COOKING CAMP Monday, September 13-Thurday 16 $50/day or $175 for all four days • 9:00 – Noon

KIDS CLASS – SNACK ATTACK First class begins on Wednesday, September 15, 2010. 3:00 – 4:30 • Ages 7 – 13 • $20/child

Call 910.255.0665 or visit www.kitchenessence.com for more upcoming events

FEATURED WINE OF SEPTEMBER Underwood Cellars, Pinot Noir, Oregon - $15

Events and Wine Dinners: Wine Dinner Villa San Juliette Wine Dinner Sept 1st | $49 per

Uncorked: Northern Rhone versus Southern Rhone Sept 17th | $20 per

Call 910.295.3663 for more information and for upcoming events All businesses located at 905 Linden Road • Pinehurst

TGIFirstFriday The Sept. 3 running of First Friday begins at 5 p.m. on the grassy knoll adjacent to the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines. Featured at this family-friendly event: the Josh Phillips Folk Festival. Admission free. Food and beverages for sale — or bring a picnic. Information: www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com.

A Case of the Blues The 41st Annual Malcolm Blue Historical Craft & Farm Skills Festival Sept. 24-26 at Malcolm Blue Farm, N.C. 5, Aberdeen, goes full speed ahead with crafts, gas and steam engine demos, petting farm, folk and country music, dancing, Civil War camp and other historic goodies. Admission: $5 adults, $3 children 12 and under. Preschoolers free. Times and information: (910) 692-1313.

Twilight Cruise A twilight cruise around Lake Pinehurst at 6 p.m. on Sept. 27 from the home of Mike and Susan Sanders will include a history of the lake along with how natives kept cool preAC. Wine, other beverages, cheese and summer goodies included in the $40 tab, with proceeds benefiting Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives. Information and limited tickets: (910) 295-3642.

Pots Full of Caring Tea Dance The Dance Fusion Ensemble of Carolina Performing Arts Center in Southern Pines will hold a Grandparents’ Tea at 2 p.m. on Sept. 18. A tea reception follows the performance. Admission free, but reservations required. Information and reservations: (910) 695-7898.

The annual FirstHealth Hospice & Palliative Care fundraiser, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, will feature a vibrant green pot created by Sally Larson and Mo McKenzie of Fireshadow Pottery in Eagle Springs. Other original pottery pieces and objects will be sold during silent and live auctions. The evening includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Proceeds benefit construction of Hospice Chapel on the new FirstHealth Hospice House campus, slated to open next summer in Pinehurst. Tickets: $65. Information: (910) 695-7510.

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

Written in the Sand Archaeologist Dr. Linda Carnes-McNaughton will discuss “From the Thistle to the Great Lost Sea” concerning the nautical and cultural history of the Sandhills from 12,000 B.C. (when the region was the shore of an ancient sea) to 1739, when Scots landed on a vessel named The Thistle, at 3 p.m. on Sept. 12. The history will backdrop a discussion of blended communities: Highland Scots, Native Americans and African-Americans. Reception follows the lecture. Admission free at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities. Information: (910) 692-6261.

Motor Mummies Your jalopy’s a spring chicken beside the cars at the Antique Car Show, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Pinehurst Harness Track on N.C. 5. Food vendors, handicap parking. Presented by the Sandhills Chapter AACA and the village of Pinehurst. Free admission. To show a car call (910) 949-2420.

Wine, Dine and More Wine For Labor Day weekend, Pinehurst Resort gathers food and wine producers, experts and lovers from the U.S. and abroad to eat, drink, learn and, of course, make merry during dozens of seminars, classes, tastings and banquets. Participants may choose package deals or individually priced events, starting at about $30. Wine Fest corks pop Sept. 2-6. Information and registration: www.pinehurst. com or (910) 235-8708.

Hop To It Shakori Hills Community Arts Center presents the 4th Hoppin’ John Old-Time & Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention Sept. 17-19 in Silk Hope. The convention helps keep traditional music alive and exposes newcomers to the genre. So much to take in: dance and band contests, square dances, a cook-off, kids’ workshop with instruments provided, food and musical instrument vendors and Sunday morning gospel. Admission: $8-$10. Camping: $10-$15 per night. Day parking free. Information: www.hoppinjohn.org

Pedal Pushers The Tour de Moore, sponsored by the Sandhills Cycle Club, begins at 9 a.m. on Sept. 6 at the Campbell House in Southern Pines and offers routes 100 miles and less. Registration at 8 a.m. or in advance: $35-$42, includes one free Fat Tire beer at the beer tent. Information: www.sandhillscyclingclub.org or (910) 692-4494.

Perfect Pitch “Lend Me a Tenor,” an operatic musical comedy concerning somnolent soloists, mistaken identity and the ensuing mayhem comes to the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines Sept. 8-12 via Moore OnStage. Definitely more laughs than a matinee at the Met. Information and tickets: www.moreonstage.com or (910) 692-7118.

A Stitch in Time Quilting in the Pines IV show and exhibit takes over the Fair Barn at Pinehurst Harness Track 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sept.24 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 25. presented by the Sandhills Quilters Guild. Admission: $5. Information: www. sandhillsquilters.org

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

PineBuzzz Brilliance and Suburban Ennui BY JACK DODSON

ith the release of Arcade Fire’s newest album, “The Suburbs,” came a tsunami of industry praise, which is not always the case given the high expectations of a wildly popular band. After just one listen to the singles — “The Suburbs,” “Ready To Start” and “Month of May” — it’s pretty clear why the album works so brilliantly on so many levels. In its first week following an August 2 release, the album reached the top spot on Billboard Charts, selling more than 150,000 copies in the U.S. alone. Here are five good reasons why “The Suburbs” will someday be regarded as an indie Classic: 1. Though long-awaited and heavily anticipated, it exceeds expectations. With just two albums in two years, Arcade Fire did something within their genre many musicians hope to do in a lifetime. As one of the most influential and well-known bands in the independent music scene, the Montreal-based septet became the voice of a subculture. With high energy and multi-layered tracks early on like “Wake Up,” “Keep the Car Running” and “Rebellion (Lies),” Arcade Fire produced music that defines the modern alternative rock sound. A critic in The New York Times suggests their broad success negates their indie roots. Time will tell. 2. The album offers one big, dark, beautiful story. The idea of thematic songwriting isn’t new for Arcade Fire — both “Funeral” and “Neon Bible” were focused around narratives, dealing with questions of life and death and religion, respectively. Neither of those albums shied away from making its points, but “The Suburbs” may even be a little more forward-thrusting in its arguments. With this latest album, the band produces one fluid, 16-track deposition on life in suburbia. It explores a sense of loneliness and isolation, a feeling of losing former friends and the emptiness that seems to haunt suburban Amrican life. The current work even references the national mortgage and credit crises, giving the “story” a timely reference point. The hour-long story, which plays out almost like a protracted song of confession, begins with a desire to have a house, a normal life. Frontman Win Butler sings about wanting a daughter before he’s too old in the opening song, which is the title track. From there, the album plunges straight into the aptly-named second track, “Ready to Start,” which underscores the idealistic, hopeful beginning of the album. But these hopes don’t last too long. The story soon dissolves into the mundane troubles and personal issues that bedevil modern suburban life, taking on a much more serious feel. The life of the singer — who could at any point be either Butler or his wife, multi-instrumentalist Régine Chassagne — seems to unravel between tracks five and eight, leading to an ultimate breakdown during the ninth track, “Suburban War.” This track, probably the best one on the album, is a little slower, with brooding, consistent drum work and ringing electric guitars — and finally seems to collapse on its own weight midway through the exegesis. “We started a war/ that we can’t win,” pines Butler, “so we’ll keep racing on the streets/ we grew up in./ The music divides us into tribes/ so choose your side,/ I’ll choose my side.” It’s around this point where the song dissolves and begins to pick itself back up again, regrouping in a new way, perhaps symbolic

of a metaphysical rebirth of sorts, louder and more powerful than before. Finally, the album takes a more conventional and even accepting tone of life in the modern suburbs. Butler and Chassagne sing about “the sprawl,” which is the endless array of suburbia, spreading itself out like “mountains beyond mountains.” And as the two come to this realization, they seem to simply aspire to some form of peace within, and this seems to be mostly what the album is asking from its listeners — to find some comfort in the moment and midst of the silent spiritual war within the suburbs. 3. The music has a modernized-retro feel. There’s something slightly mid-twentieth century about this album. We’re not talking Elvis Presley, though — more like the Beach Boys. Or, at times, some 1950s’ slick-haired rebel rock band on the run, classic American background anthems to ice cream parlors and drive-ins theaters. Many of the songs root themselves in hooks right out of classic American music, occasionally sounding like greaser blues with an unexpectd touch of “Leave It To Beaver.” If the work is not quite the Arcade Fire of “Funeral” here — though that driving and melodramatic feel lives on — the band’s dedication to classic American rock and the offbeat, alternative feel we’ve come to expect from Arcade Fire gives birth to a brilliant new hybrid of sound. 4. The music carries over to the concert arena. I can’t say this from direct experience. What I can say is that I watched them on YouTube and the streaming, Terry Gilliam-directed live event was one of the best things I’ve ever seen on the Internet — that’s right, even better than AddictingGames.com. And the best thing about it was that having not listened to the album before watching the live streamed concert, I got to hear the music as it happened. The band has always been known for its wonderful concerts, but the live version makes you feel as if you’re right there. 5. It’s the perfect follow-up to “Funeral.” Maybe what is most interesting about the album is how it continues some of the original ideas presented on “Funeral,” providing a musical continuity. For instance, four consecutive early tracks on that album, all titled “Neighborhood,” present an idealistic and even sentimental vision of living in the suburbs. But now, seemingly as both the band and the songwriting have matured, the view of suburbia has soured, owing to the effects of over-maxed credit cards and the general ennui of middle-class life. About Arcade Fire: Label: Durham-based independent label Merge Records Band members: Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, William Butler (Win’s brother), Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingbury, Sarah Neufeld and Jeremy Gara Latest post on their website: “Holy Crap! A million thanks to everyone who bought our record this week. Our minds are truly blown. Lots of love, Win.” Next time they’ll be in the South: Not any time soon, unfortunately. Jack Dodson is music critic for PineStraw and the news editor of The Pendulum, the student newspaper at Elon University.

THE OMNIVOROUS READER

The Artful Contrarian Christopher Hitchens’ new memoir, no doubt as planned, will tantalize and infuriate.

BY STEPHEN E. SMITH

No sooner had I

read the final sentence in Christopher Hitchens’ memoir Hitch-22 than the author appeared, as if by design, on “Anderson Cooper 360,” intellectualizing his struggle with esophageal cancer. In the interview, Hitchens assures Cooper, “I’m not fatalistic; I’m not resigned. But I’m realistic too. The statistics in my case are very poor. Not many people come through esophageal cancer and live to talk about it — or not for long.” I wondered if Hitchens’ condition might elicit a degree of sympathy from reviewers. Most of us — or at least those of us who look upon our fellow humans with a degree of compassion — cannot objectively observe human suffering that might someday be ours to bear. But Hitchens will have none of this sympathy stuff: “Millions die every day. Everyone has to go sometime,” he says. “I came by this particular tumor honestly. I mean, if you smoke, which I did for many years, very heavily with the occasional interruption, and if you use alcohol, you make yourself a candidate for it in your 60s.” If Hitchens were reviewing a book by a dying author, he wouldn’t stray from the truth. Not for one second. Honesty has always been the hallmark of Hitchens’ public persona, and when writing about his life, he can be objective to the point of severity. He admits his faults, lays claim to his mistakes, and generally allows the reader a grudging peek into his psyche. His views on religion and radical fundamentalism, the subjects most likely to anger his audience, are obvious throughout. (For a bone-jarring glimpse into Hitchens’ secular humanism, read his bestselling God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.)

As a political gadfly and inveterate contrarian, he espouses opinions which are often contradictory — and which, without fail, enrage dogmatists whose “little minds” are tormented by Emerson’s hobgoblins. He’s been labeled a socialist, a communist, a neoconservative, a Trotskyite, none of which seem to uniformly fit his shifting political and philosophical leanings. But then Hitchens’ mercurial nature has always been part of his acerbic charm. When attacking Gore Vidal, for whom he maintains a particular loathing, he chides the author of The Decline and Fall of the American Empire for his belief that the Bush administration had anticipated the assault on the Trade Towers and the vaporization of 3,000 innocent human beings. In explaining his hypothesis, Vidal implied that the Bush administration had “…not actually instigated the assault, it had (as with Roosevelt at Pearl Harbor!) seen it coming and welcomed it as a pretext for engorging the defense budget….” To which Hitchens responds sarcastically: “President Bush had evidently forewarned himself of the air piracy in order that he should seize the chance to look like a craven, whey-faced ignoramus on worldwide TV.” While denouncing Vidal as a crackpot, he supports Bush’s invasion of Iraq and the concept of interventionism. Although Hitch-22 offers the reader an opportunity to consider how experience has informed and coalesced the author’s political and religious opinions, the memoir less often grants insights into Hitchens’ personal life. An exception is the death of his mother, Yvonne, who died in a suicide pact with her lover after she was unable to reach her son by phone. The usually detached Hitchens breathes a sigh of regret: “Who knows what might have changed if Yvonne could have heard my voice even in her extremity? I might have said something to cheer or even tease her: something to set against her despair and perhaps given her a momentary purchase against the death wish.” As a prose stylist, Hitchens is first-rate, and his memoir is chockfull of memorable passages. In expressing his admiration for the ordinary New

THE OMNIVOROUS READER

Yorkers who tackled the aftermath of 9/11, he writes sparingly: “I saw the awakening of a new respect for the almost-eclipsed figure of the American proletarian, who was busting his sinews in the rubble and carnage of the downtown while the more refined elements wrung their hands.” Readers might find themselves a trifled annoyed with Hitchens’ proclivity for namedropping, W.H. Auden being foremost among the names dropped. But he’s rubbed up against many of the cads and characters of our time — he is, after all, one of them — and he’s obliged to mention anyone who’s influenced him. (He met Bill Clinton early on and claims to have been present when the future President of

He met Bill Clinton early on and claims to have been present when the future President of the United States didn’t inhale. the United States didn’t inhale. He’s been an adamant Clinton detractor ever since.) Despite the inclusion of extensive endnotes — which, if consulted, interrupt the narrative — there are political and literary luminaries who are likely to be unknown to most Americans. Will Hitchens “make peace with his maker” as he approaches the end? “If that comes,” he says in the Anderson Cooper interview, “it will be when I’m very ill, when I’m half-demented either by drugs or by pain, and I won’t have control over what I say. I mention this in case you hear a rumor later on. These things happen and the faithful love to spread these rumors: ‘On his deathbed he finally awoke …’ …not while I’m lucid, no. I can be quite sure of that.” Readers of Hitch-22 will be likewise convinced. PS Stephen Smith’s most recent book of poetry, “A Short Report on the Fire at Woolworths,” is available at www.mainstreetrag.com/S_ Smith_Woolworths.html. He can be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.

BOOKSHELF

New Releases for September BY KAY GRISMER AND ANGIE TALLY FOR THE COUNTRY BOOKSHOP FICTION – HARDCOVER AND THEREBY HANGS A TALE by Jeffrey Archer. The British author presents his 6th collection of new short stories, most based on true incidents from around the world. APE HOUSE by Sara Gruen. The author of Water For Elephants returns with the story of a family of Bonobo apes kidnapped from a language laboratory and moved to New Mexico, where they become a media sensation as stars of a reality TV show. BURY YOUR DEAD by Louise Penny. Penny’s “tour de force of storytelling,” in which Quebec Chief Inspector Gamache tries to right a case gone wrong in Brutal Telling, is “one of the most elaborately constructed mysteries in years.” FALL OF GIANTS by Ken Follett. The first novel in The Century Trilogy follows the fates of five interrelated families as they move through the world-shaking dramas of WWI, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women’s suffrage. GENDARME by Mark T. Mustian. After 70 years of amnesia caused by WWI injuries, a man’s past returns with a vengeance when he dreams of his involvement in the Armenian death march from Turkey to Syria. RUSSIAN WINTER by Daphene Kalotay. A Soviet-era prima ballerina, now retired and living in Boston, confronts her past as she puts up for auction the jewelry she took with her when she left her husband and defected. WICKED APPETITE by Janet Evanovich. In the first of Evanovich’s new “Unmentionable Diesel and Tucker” series, Boston pastry chef Lizzie Tucker joins Diesel in the hunt for the Seven Stones of Power, each representing one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

THE WIDOWER’S TALE by Julia Glass. A widower’s solitary life is transformed when he allows his daughter to open a progressive preschool in the barn near his farmhouse outside of Boston. FICTION – PAPERBACK THE EDEN HUNTER by Skip Horack. Horack’s first novel tracks the adventures of a pygmy and runaway slave in early 19th century Florida. IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS by Terrence Holt. The Chapel Hill author’s acclaimed debut collection of short stories takes its “rightful place beside those works of genius — fiction, philosophy, theology — unafraid of axing into our iced hearts” (New York Times). THE LOST ART OF GRATITUDE by Alexander McCall Smith. Isabel Dalhousie encounters an old adversary, now a high-flying financier, and crosses swords with her nemesis, Professor Dove, in an argument over plagiarism. NON-FICTION – HARDCOVER BLOODY CRIMES by James L. Swanson. The author of Manhunt brings to life two epic events of the Civil War: the chase to apprehend Jefferson Davis in the wake of the Lincoln assassination and the momentous two-day funeral that took Lincoln’s body home to Springfield. STALLING FOR TIME by Gary Noesner. Noesner, who designed the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Course and managed hundreds of cases of kidnapping, hijacking, and other kinds of hostage crises, chronicles his career though a series of minuteby-minute accounts of the most challenging cases. THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS by Isabel Wilkerson. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist tells the story of the long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities from 1915 to 1970.

BOOKSHELF

NON-FICTION PAPERBACK DANCING IN THE DARK by Morris Dickstein. In this timely cultural history of the 1930s, Dickstein explores the anxiety and hope, the despair and surprising optimism of distressed Americans at a time of dire economic dislocation. EATING ANIMALS by Jonathan Safran Foer. Unable to explain to his children why people eat some animals and not others, Foer explores the origins of many eating traditions and the fictions involved with creating them. THE MONUMENTS MEN by Robert M. Edsel. Edsel chronicles the story of a special force of American and British museum directors and curators who risked their lives to save the world’s great art from the Nazis. TRAVELING WITH POMEGRANATES by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor. This dual memoir by the 50-something author of The Secret Life Of Bees and her 20-something daughter offers distinct perspectives as they attempt to redefine themselves and rediscover each other.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS ADVENTURE ANNIE GOES TO KINDERGARTEN by Toni Buzzeo. The first day of school is always an adventure, and Adventure Annie, decked out in her superhero cape and red boots, is ready to take on any challenge. However, she is surprised when her new adventure is peppered with more rules than she expects. But when two snack helpers go missing, Annie has the chance to show off her true explorer talents. Fun for ages 4-7. LOTS OF SPOTS by Lois Ehlert. Budding naturalists, poets and art lovers will delight in this new picture-poetry book from the creator of Leaf Man. Featuring fun poems about all types of animals whose spots, stripes and markings either

distinguish or camouflage them and illustrated with Ehlert’s trademark layered textured handmade paper, the critters virtually jump off the page. Ages 4-10. Penguin Books plans to publish five HOT new titles this fall. These fabulous titles by five different talented writers will leave young adult readers on the edge of their seats begging for more. The title for September is: THE ETERNAL ONES by Kristen Miller. What if your whole life you knew things you shouldn’t know, remembered things that happened before you were born, and could describe in vivid detail places you had never been? What if you had always spoken lovingly of someone you had never met, and what if, one day while watching a gossipy news show, you saw the face of your beloved? What if you discovered you just might be one of the Eternal Ones? McKayla, age 13, calls The Eternal Ones “suspenseful, romantic, exciting, and mysterious. A real thriller that had me on the edge of my seat!” Ages 13 and up. PS

HITTING HOME

Reed Street Grocery A small store with a great big heart

BY DALE NIXON

By today’s standards, Reed Street Grocery was smaller than small.

It had only two checkout counters, several bins of produce, a single meat counter, and four narrow aisles of canned goods and staples. The popular grocery store was owned and operated by Jack Mills. A robust man who knew and appreciated good food, he took up a large portion of the store space himself. Reed Street Grocery wasn’t a pretty sight. It was a squat, dingy building with a dirt parking lot. The only adornments to the façade were hand-lettered signs in the windows, advertising its wares. The inside was dimly lit, perhaps to camouflage the faded linoleum floor. The wooden checkout counters were crudely constructed, and the store clerk’s hand guided the groceries along the counter top instead of an electronic belt. Yet, at one time, this grocer and his store were the most popular grocer and store in our town. Perhaps it was because he was a generous man. Very little cash ever changed hands. Mills let the regulars keep running tabs, empathized with every hard-luck story and repeated over and over, “Just pay me when you can.” He also offered quality. Long before the farmers market was introduced to our county, local farms would peddle their produce to him. People would come from miles around (both those toting cash and those signing tabs) to select half-runner green beans, flat white squash, yellow crookneck squash, okra, peppers, new potatoes, and perfect summer tomatoes that had been picked only yesterday. Customers would stand in line to vie for the fresh fish caught in the lakes and streams by Mills and his friends. Some people would even show up at dawn to witness him wrestle the flopping fish out of a bucket and dress them before he placed them on ice. Then there was the camaraderie.

Reed Street Grocery was more of a gathering place for the men than it was a grocery store. Most of the men who entered through the front doors headed straight to a big red icebox filled with small, bottled Coca-Colas. They pried off the metal bottle caps with an opener attached to the side of the icebox. Before they took their first swig from the cold drink, they passed around packages of salted peanuts to drop into the bottles for an added treat. Then the menfolk would jockey for their favorite ladder-back chairs and commence to do a little belching and a lot of something they referred to as “chewing the fat.” (What we womenfolk refer to as “gossip.”) Young children were given sticks of Teaberry gum to keep them pacified while their mothers shopped. The older children were given a Black Cow or a Sugar Daddy that kept them occupied all day. Mills also took care of the elderly, sick, and disabled. He offered home deliveries to anyone who called in an order, and most of the time he delivered the groceries himself. How do I know so much about a grocery store that closed some 30 years ago? Jack Mills was my uncle — my favorite uncle. When I was only 14, he gave me my first job. He hired me to bag groceries and then carry the bags to the customers’ cars. It wasn’t a back-breaking job, because most of his customers could afford to pay or sign for only a few items. And he knew that. He gave a lot of kids like me — those who needed a job and a little spending money — a break. When Uncle Jack was pushing 80, the big-box stores took over, forcing him to retire. He closed Reed Street Grocery, a store that was smaller than small… but with a heart that was bigger than big. 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.

THE KITCHEN GARDEN

Magical Muscadine

The legendary Carolina grape is as good as money in the bank BY JAN LEITSCHUH

Though friends from

more manicured Moore County landscapes may shudder coming up our drive, I’ve long loved the long curtain of wild muscadine grape vines thriving on our edge-of-town property. Snaggling through the wild edge of cherry laurel, pine, post oak, and persimmon marking the line between our place and the neighbors’, the muscadines stitch this little strip of woods into a slender forest.

Long streamers of green, heart-shaped leaves flow down in summer and sway in the slightest breeze, offering a verdant sense of privacy. Summer’s setting sun beams through the curtain, its blast furnace rays tamed and softened — until fall, when the grape leaves turn golden high in the trees and join the season’s color riot before drifting down to feed the next generation of grapes. But what might you expect of the muscadine grape, a vigorous native Tar Heel fruit that boasts kinship with a “mother vine,” still thriving on Roanoke Island? That ginormous, gnarled matriarch is believed to be the nation’s oldest cultivated grape vine and has survived 400-plus years of fierce storms, withering drought and an accidental May 2010 spritz of deadly herbicide from a Dominion Power company worker. The Croatan natives reportedly made raisins and wine from the white grapes of this ancient vitis rotundifolia, and the sweet bronze fruit also provided sustenance for the early settlers of the Lost Colony. Cuttings from the mother vine established North Carolina’s wine industry a hundred years before that of California. Prior to Prohibition, muscadine wine was the best-selling wine in the United States, winning international awards, with one prominent winery located right in Aberdeen. North Carolina’s official state toast heralds a land “where the scuppernong perfumes the breeze at night,” an agrarian metaphor from a slower time, saluting an abundant land. The first recognized cultivar was a bronze selection, eventually named “Scuppernong” after the area in which it was found. In time, the name “scuppernong” became a generic catchword for all bronze muscadine varieties, though all white grapes are also muscadines. “Bullis” or “bull grape” are very old names for the dark-fruited varieties of muscadines. It’s not your grandfather’s fruit anymore, though newer varieties are larger and sweeter than most of the older vines. While I have planted some of the larger, more modern cultivars of muscadine out back on an arbor over a picnic table, it is my early-bearing wild darlings that lift the heart, promising cooler temps before long. While I might water, train, and prune my large black Supremes, Summits and Sugargates, my delicious bronze Darlenes and Late Frys, it’s my native wild grapes that demand — and receive — nothing. Yet they thrive, just as they have for unknown decades previously, providing shelter

and food for birds, wasps, squirrels, bees, ants, us and more. The blue jays, in particular, seem to congregate in “the curtain” in grape season. Being native, muscadines have seen most of what North Carolina can throw at them, and thus are unfussy and relatively disease free, easy to cultivate organically. They especially love our fast-draining Sandhills soil. They might prefer a little extra magnesium with their compost mulch, and a trace of boron (just a trace, as an excess is quickly toxic), along with a decent liming with magnesium-rich dolomitic limestone now and again. A free soil test from the cooperative extension office can deliver specifics. Though a young vine will need water and fertilizer its first few years, once established muscadine vines are very drought-hardy. A number of Moore County backyards and farmsteads still sport old, cultivated muscadines on strong posts, planted when fruit in the backyard was a prized thing — as good as money in the bank. Look for these old survivors. While older trellises consisted of stout, chest-high, four-square posts with the vine in the middle, newer systems train on a horizontal wire or two. Vigorous muscadines need a lot of room — figure 20 feet per vine to run out. Muscadines are easy to train on an arbor or pergola, and create a quick and romantic shade. Nothing softens a rusty chain link fence like a muscadine vine. But unless you’re willing to climb up there and prune each February, grape production may decline over time, as muscadines fruit on newer wood. Cooperative extension often offers pruning clinics in late winter. Planting season is best in late fall and early winter, so start preparing a site now by digging in compost, minerals, and lime. When the fruit comes in at summer’s end, life feels very Tuscan for a time. Fruit of the vine! Abundance! The birds like them too, so be quick. Some locals like to gather muscadine grapes for homemade wine or juice. They’re delicious right off the vine, of course. We have also made a grape preserve, a grape sauce for fall (muscadine-glazed pork chops, anyone?), added them to mixed-fruit cobblers, frozen them whole like blueberries for winter treats or tossed them fresh (or frozen) into a powerful blender that can grind them up for smoothies — seeds, tough skin and all. Yes, skin and seeds, for both contain wildly beneficial antioxidants that promote better heart and brain function, reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, protect the liver, and fight cancer. As a plant, a muscadine is a veritable medicine chest of healthy eating. Dr. Vine, right in the backyard. Who hasn’t heard of resveratrol, the powerful cardio-protective antioxidant found in purple grape skins that reduces the buildup of plaque in the arteries and promotes heart and brain function? Well, muscadines have that in spades, far outdistancing the better-known European grapes (ever hear of “the French paradox?”). With an extra set of chromosomes, muscadines sport a list of bioactive compounds (ellagic acid, quercetin, anthocyanidins, oligomeric procyanidins, and many, many more) as long as one of their vigorous viney arms. In layman’s terms, that means muscadines are loaded with more healthful components than such touted superfoods as blueberries, red wine,

THE KITCHEN GARDEN

cranberries, goji berries, pomegranate and yes (sob!), even dark chocolate. Those watching their dietary sugars may want to limit themselves to ten or so raw grapes in a five-hour period. Though we tend not to eat them, the seeds might be the healthiest part of all. Grape seed extract is incredibly rich in flavinoids well known for remarkable anti-inflammatory and antiaging properties, for stimulating circulation and treating venous disorders. Waste seeds from our state’s muscadine wineries are dried, powdered and sold as expensive supplements. And you were spitting them out? Even the leaves have benefit, beyond dolmades for stuffing or adding to pickle jars to ensure crispness. Made into a tea, grape leaves have been taken to reduce inflammation, to help control bleeding, to improve circulation, to remove and reduce toxins, to clear urinary infections, and to reduce hypertension. To prepare muscadines for cooking, look for the stem scar, and pop that tough skin right off the slippery grape by squeezing from the opposite end. Put the skins in one bowl, cook the pulp for a bit to loosen its grip on the seeds. Strain through a medium strainer, anything that will let the juicy pulp pass and the seeds remain. Add back to the skins and cook. And there you have it. The doctor is in! MUSCADINE PIE Ingredients: Pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie 2 quarts ripe muscadines 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 1/2 cups sugar, or sugar substitute 1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces Line pie plate with half of the rolled out pastry. Refrigerate pie shell and remaining pastry until ready to fill pie. Mash muscadines. Separate hulls from pulp. Strain to get juice and pulp, leaving seed. Cook hulls in juice until tender, adding a little water if needed. Let cool, then add lemon juice, flour, and sugar. Put fruit mixture in prepared bottom crust. Dot with butter. Carefully arrange top crust over fruit, lattice style, if desired. Flute edge. Cut several slits in top if top crust is left whole. Bake in a 400° oven for approximately 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375° and bake 30 minutes longer. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. From Southernfood.about.com

Exclusively Carrying… RUGS & CARPETS

Located in Pinehurst, 585 Hwy 5 | 295-2293

Jan Leitschuh is a local gardener, avid eater of fresh produce and co-founder of the new Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative. Visit at http://www.SandhillsFarm2Table. com

MID SOUTH CLUB

4 North South Court – 4 BR / 3.5 BA / Golf Front

Just Gorgeous! This all brick custom built home is beautiful inside and out. Outside you’ll find beautiful landscaping and a spacious deck with peaceful golf views. Inside you’ll find a great floor plan with formal and casual living areas, a great kitchen, master bedroom with a spa like bath and a lower walk-out level with a rec room for fun and games! $555,000 Code 604

www.4NorthSouthCourt.com

SEVEN LAKES SOUTH

135 Lancashire Lane – 3 BR / 2 BA / Gated Community

WHISPERING PINES

111 Pine Lake Drive – 3 BR / 2.5 / Golf & Water View

LONGLEAF CC

225 Hunter Trail – 3 BR / 2 BA / Split Plan

Friends and family will want to take in the tranquil setting while sitting on the large deck. Inside you’ll find lots of room. The master bedroom with it’s private bath are secluded for privacy while the family room is spacious enough for everyone. Many appealing features can be found through out – crown molding, chair railing, tile flooring, fireplace, accent columns, bayed windows and chandelier lighting! $299,000 Code 598

Elegant home in golf community. Features this home offers include a gourmet kitchen with granite counters and custom cabinetry, spacious master bedroom with a private bath, bright and open living areas, tile and hardwood flooring, Plantation blinds, beautifully landscaped and private yard and plenty of storage. This home is ready for you to move in! $300,000 Code 560

www.111PineLakeDrive.com

www.225HunterTrail.com

COTSWOLD

SEVEN LAKES NORTH

10 Stanton Circle – 4 BR / 3 BA / Cul-De-Sac

107 Cobblestone Court – 2 BR / 2.5 BA / Water Front

This terrific home has a bright and open floor plan and has lots to offer. The kitchen has lots of cabinets and work space for the cook. The living room features a vaulted ceiling and fireplace. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and private bath. Additional features include: 2 sunrooms, 2 guest bedrooms, a second full bath, 2 car garage & large deck! $195,000 Code 680

This elegant & luxurious town home includes a Pinehurst membership. The interior of the home features special touches like beautiful hardwood floors, crown molding, decorative trim, built-ins in the living room, tile flooring, chandelier lighting, granite counters in the kitchen and much more! Outside you’ll find beautiful landscaping and lots of privacy! $399,000 Code 657

This charming cottage is tucked away on almost an acre of lakefront property. The living room features a vaulted ceiling, fireplace and built-in shelving. The kitchen features wood cabinetry, tile flooring, built-in display shelving and opens to the dining area. The secluded master suite includes an oversized walk-in closet, private bath, direct access to the laundry facility which doubles as a hobby room. This home is a must see! $272,000 Code 683

www.135LancashireLane.com

www.10StantonCircle.com

www.107CobblestoneCourt.com

ABERDEEN

FOXIFRE

DORAL WOODS

111 Robinhood Circle – 3 BR / 1 BA / Cul-De-Sac

Great house for the money! This home has been completely redone inside and out. The dining room features laminate wood flooring and opens to the living room. The kitchen offers granite counters and lots of cabinet space. The home also features three bedrooms, a full bath, fenced backyard, a security system and a covered front porch! $ 119,900 Code 670

www.111RobinhoodCircle.com

SEVEN LAKES NORTH

113 Cardinal Drive – 3 BR / 2 BA / Water Front

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

30 Doral Drive – 3 BR / 2.5 BA / All Brick

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

This home features an open floor plan with lots of light. The living room has a vaulted ceiling, corner fireplace, wall of windows and opens to the dining room. The cook of the family will love the spacious kitchen with its oversized island, pantry, built-in desk, dry bar and eating area. Additional features of this home include three bedrooms, two car garage with golf cart storage or workshop area and a screened porch! $259,900 Code 671

www.42WoodlandCir.com

www.30DoralDrive.com

NATIONAL

WHISPERING PINES

205 National Drive – 3 BR / 2 BA / Golf Front

16 Fairway Drive – 3 BR / 2 BA / Golf Front

Beautiful custom built home with fabulous water views of Lake Sequoia. The open floor plan offers lots of space. You’ll find a Carolina room with breathtaking views, two guest bedrooms and a master suite. The home also features a living room with a fireplace and built in bookshelf. The kichen has great space for cooking family recipes. The backyard is nicely landscaped for enjoying the outdoors and the lake! $299,000 Code 685

Lovely all brick custom home with wonderful long views of the 7th green. Decorative touches include: wainscoting, crown molding, trey ceiling, fireplace with built-in bookcases, tile flooring and granite counters in the gourmet kitchen just to name a few. The master suite is open and bright and features a spa like bath. Take your pick, sit with guests in the screened porch or on the patio to watch the golfers! $509,000 Code 672

This affordable all brick golf front home is located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. It features wonderful privacy with beautiful mature landscaping. The well designed floor plan includes both formal and casual areas. You’ll enjoy the Carolina room with its wall of windows, the spacious kitchen, the master suite, the office with built-in cabinetry and the slate patio! $229,000 Code 682

www.113CardinalDrive.com

www.205NationalDrive.com

www.16FairwayDrive.com

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

www.MarthaGentry.com

VINE WISDOM

Wine Country Architectural Gems

Domaine Carneros

Artesa Winery

BY ROBYN JAMES

The movie and rock stars of Hollywood

caught the attention of California neighbors Napa and Sonoma about fifteen years ago. Seems the same thing that sells movies and music videos works for wine too: plenty of glitz and glamour. These two once quaint, country valleys have become major tourist destinations in the last couple of decades. And they have learned that there are big profits in selling wine out of their own tasting rooms, bypassing the tiers of distributor and retailer. But what is the magnet drawing the hoards of BMW’s and Mercedeses cruising down the Silverado Trail? What makes them pull into your driveway instead of the next? Really cool, breathtaking architecture. It’s tough to narrow the list down to even ten, but for the sake of space, I give you my favorite three. Domaine Carneros. I couldn’t believe my eyes the first time I sat in my rental car and gazed at this winery. I felt as though I had landed in the middle of the palace of Versailles outside of Paris, France. You have to be in really good shape to bound up the two huge sets of outdoor double staircases to reach the front door and head up another indoor staircase to the massive stone terrace with the amazing views of the vineyards. Owned by the famous Taittinger family from France, they have spared no expense on the winery and they know how to work it. They only offer sit-down tastings, so you have the opportunity to simply sit and take in your surroundings. The winery is modeled almost identically after Château de la Marquetterie, in Champagne, also owned by the Taittinger family for a century. They produce top shelf California sparkling wines as well as a still Pinot Noir. Their demeanor and décor are decidedly French, from the massive wrought iron gates and columns to the tree-sized sconces. It will cost you $25 to take their basic tour, and they prefer you make a reservation. This is not the winery to bring along your toddler, grandma or Labrador retriever. Before you get your feathers ruffled over the ostentatiousness of the structure, just know that they are the #1 winery fueled by solar energy and produce the ONLY vegan sparkling wine. We tip our hats to Europe again with winery #2, Artesa Estate. Owned by the Raventos family of Spain, whose winemaking history dates to the

Dominus Winery mid-sixteenth century, the winery takes its name from the Catalan word for “handcrafted.” I’ve always liked the exceptional wines from Artesa; they are great values in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet and Merlot. Like their sparkling neighbor, they are also located in the Carneros district of California. Artesa Winery is a study in the harmony of natural and manmade spaces. Designed by renowned Barcelona architect Domingo Triay and built in the early 1990s, the avant-garde structure was conceived to blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. The naturally insulated winery is actually set inside the highest hill of its 350-acre estate, with a protective covering of reserved earth and native grasses. It has the appearance of a stunning man-made cave. A sweeping staircase set between twin cascades of water and fountains leads to the winery entrance. An expansive terrace offers 360 degree vistas of the surrounding countryside, and on clear days, a view of the San Francisco skyline. Once inside, the visitor’s center is enveloped in a light-filled, gallerylike interior. Modern and sophisticated with soaring columns, wide glass expanses and contemporary furniture groupings of a Mediterranean theme, it’s a casual, bustling, popular venue for visitors. Third and final winery: Dominus. Completed in 1997, the winery was designed by Swiss architects for Christian Moueix, French winemaker and owner of (bow your head) Chateau Petrus, perhaps the finest, and definitely the most expensive Bordeaux Chateau. It’s impossible to pay too much for a bottle of Chateau Petrus. Obviously a powerful, dramatic piece of pure Modernist minimalism, on close inspection the Dominus Winery turns out to also be a richly integrated building. To start, the pure, hard, abstract silhouette is grounded in rough local stone, stacked via the surprising informality of the gabions (rectangular baskets of heavy wire mesh, filled with rock, which are typically used in retaining earthworks). From a distance, the gabion structure dissolves into the landscape and it has been dubbed by the locals “the stealth winery.” Known for their innovative architectural design, their approach was to integrate the winery into the landscape, echoing our belief that the vineyard is of utmost importance. Architects, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron speak reverentially of Andy Warhol, who taught them about repetitive pattern. Three amazing pieces of architecture, all housing quality wines and different facades: Old World Sophistication, Fun & Green Cave Dweller, Brooding & Serious Secrecy. PS Robyn James is proprietor of The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in Southern Pines. Contact her at winecellar@pinehurst.net.

APPAREL

SALONS & SPAS

BOUTIQUES

SERVICES

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

FINE JEWELRY

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Brenner Real Estate

RESTAURANTS & INNS 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 Theo’s Taverna & Tapas Bar

B I R D WA T C H

Sandhills Conservation Partnership

Photographs left - right: USF&WS, Michael McCloy, Michael McCloy, Weymouth Woods SNP

A unique coalition has served the longleaf ecosystem very well for over a decade

Red-cockadeds being pulled out for banding

Chuck-willâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-widow

BY SUSAN CAMPBELL

We in the Sandhills are fortunate

enough to have a rich avifauna. Many of us appreciate this wonderful diversity but may not know that it is the variety of habitats of the longleaf pine ecosystem that makes it possible. Not surprisingly, as the popularity of the Sandhills has grown, the increasing changes in land use are threatening this ecosystem, causing habitat loss and fragmentation. But thanks to a group of organizations who joined forces back in 2000, large sections of the longleaf pine ecosystem are now permanently conserved. As a result of the hard work of the North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership, we can be confident that the wonderful variety of birds and other animals that depend on this unique ecosystem for their survival will be with us for generations to come.

The North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership (NCSCP) is holding a public event to celebrate its 10th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve. There will be educational displays, including equipment used to conduct prescribed fires, presentations on the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, bat ecology, and the longleaf pine ecosystem as well as guided nature walks. This partnership was formed in 2000 to promote a collaborative approach to conservation among federal, state and nonprofit conservation

Sandhills lily

American kestrel chick (after banding)

groups. The core partners include the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, N.C. Division of Forest Services, N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Sandhills Area Land Trust, Sandhills Ecological Institute, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Army Fort Bragg, U.S. Army Environmental Command, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its mission is to work with public and private landowners to conserve and manage the plants and animals of the vanishing longleaf pine ecosystem and to recover the red-cockaded woodpecker in the North Carolina Sandhills. Over the past decade this innovative, cooperative venture has yielded significant contributions to the conservation and management of these unique natural resources, including the recovery of two endangered red-cockaded woodpecker populations, the conservation of over 15,000 acres, and the creation of the Carvers Creek State Park in Cumberland County. The majority of these conservation lands are available to the public for outdoor recreational uses such as hiking, bird watching, hunting, and fishing. There is ongoing research and survey work on partnership lands. Not only is there continuing monitoring of red-cockaded woodpeckers (this is year 30!), but tagged endangered pine snakes are being followed on the Sandhills Game Land to understand their movements and habitat requirements. Migration banding occurs each spring and fall at Weymouth Woods to learn more about the birds that use James Creek as a migratory corridor. And the population of ruby-throated hummingbirds at Weymouth is studied each summer in order to study individual variation and monitor breeding success. These and other projects conducted by NCSCP partners provide important information to ensure informed local land use decisions and enhance life for all Sandhills residents. For more information visit ncscp.org. PS Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by e-mail at susan@ncaves.com, by phone at (910) 949-3207 or by mail at 144 Pine Ridge Drive, Whispering Pines, NC 28327.

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THE SPORTING LIFE

The “Soule” of a Good Hunt

Watercolor By Linda Bryant

A little Miracle Glue and a lot of memories keep a master’s decoy ready for another day

BY TOM BRYANT

Good night nurse, it was hot! If

you’re in the Sandhills in the summer, you know it’s gonna be warm; but the spell we were having was one of those scorching, fry an-egg-on-the-sidewalk summer days that had the dogs digging in the shrubbery looking for something cool. I was out in my garage where I keep a lot of hunting and fishing paraphernalia, determined to put it in some semblance of order. The old saying that empty space will fill itself is doubly true in my case. There were duck decoys all over my workbench. I had left them there at the close of hunting season in January with the idea that if I left out the ones that needed repainting, I would get to it before the next season rolled around. Like a lot of good intentions, this one was not realized. I backed the old Bronco out in the driveway to give me some working room and set up a portable table, seeing as how my workbench was loaded down. Before I could get to work, though, I plugged in a couple fans. It didn’t help a lot, but the moving air made my workspace bearable. Linda, my bride of 40-plus years, was in France for a spell, with an old friend, taking watercolor painting classes at a historic chateau south of Normandy. I had been on my own for a little over a week, and this garage clean-up was high on the list for me to do before she came home. I could hear thunder rumbling down close to Aberdeen. Hopefully, I thought, we’d get some rain. My decoy paint was not usable, having dried as hard as a dirt clod, so I began to put my old Bean decoys that needed painting on a shelf out

of the way to take care of later. I really need to re-rig my green-head decoys with weights anyway, I thought. A lot of ’em lost theirs in the final days of hunting last year. But you know that can wait too; this old goose decoy has got to have some help. Sometime during the winter my elk horn mount, a gift from a good neighbor, had fallen and broken the head slap off the decoy, and it was one of my favorites. That’s what I get for leaving it on the workbench. A Bean decoy by George Soule is a work of art, and the ones I had acquired in my early days of duck hunting had increased in value. I still insist on hunting over them, though. What’s a working decoy for? Not to sit on a shelf and gather dust, or get busted by an errant elk horn. Thunder was becoming more evident now, and I could smell rain in the air. I dragged a chair closer to the open garage door and turned the fan more in my direction. I had found a tube of glue in one of my cabinets. On its side, it said Miracle Glue. Can glue anything. I put a dab on the goose decoy neck and another dab on the body; and holding them together, I grabbed a cold beer from my little garage refrigerator and kicked back in the camp chair. Who says I can’t multi-task. My garage door faces west, and I could see tall cumulous clouds building gray and dark and moving in my direction. Every now and then, a thunderclap would rock the windows and I would count to six to see how far away the storm was. Somewhere in my brain’s bank of useless information, I remembered that every six seconds counted after a thunder rumble equates to a mile that the storm is from your location. A cool breeze blew in from the driveway, and I propped the goose up next to the door to help the glue dry and thought back to the last time I used the decoy. Many, many years ago, when Paddle, my yellow Lab, was in her prime, Tom Bobo and Bob Rudolph, my good hunting buddies, and I were duck hunting the brand new Falls of the Neuse Lake. This lake was built to provide flood control for the folks downstream on the

THE SPORTING LIFE

Neuse River. This wasn’t a first hunt on the lake for us; you might say we were charter members, having hunted the lake in canoes while the Neuse slowly spread out above the dam, providing great habitat for migrating waterfowl and super hunting for enterprising duck hunters. On this trip, however, we were on a new tack. The lake was partially full, and we had heard that Canada geese were using the area on their migration south. In those days before Canadas figured out that they really didn’t have to migrate, that they could come down here and stay, sort of like some of our favorite Yankee friends, a Canada goose this far west was unheard of. So that frosty, cold, overcast morning found us hunkered down in a makeshift blind on a small island on the northwest side of the lake. The morning had been uneventful thus far and like most duck hunters, we were determined to give the day enough time. If nothing else, a duck hunter is ever the optimist. It never fails. As I was pouring a cup of hot coffee from my thermos and just before I offered Tom a cup, Bob motioned for me to be quiet. I also noticed Paddle was on full alert, and I knew something was up, but I couldn’t see a thing in the sky. Then I heard them. A group of five Canadas came around the northern tree line and were zeroed in on the pair of goose decoys we had placed on the outside of our duck spread. They came in high, circled around out of range, a time or two and sat down about a hundred yards from the decoys. From then on, it was a waiting game. They would swim up almost in range then drift back, swim up, drift back. This went on for about thirty minutes or so before they finally committed, and then we lowered the boom on them. In those days, the limit for migratory geese was one per hunter, and we had three on the water. Paddle was long gone on the farthest retrieve after the goose I had winged, and I knew it wouldn’t be easy. She finally caught the bird after a hard swim of more than a hundred yards and turned back into the wind toward the island. She was making absolutely no headway, and Bob and I jumped into the boat to help her. I was in the stern running the kicker and Bob was in the bow. When we reached Paddle, she was hanging on for dear life. Her grip on the goose was actually keeping her from going under. Bob grabbed the bird and I grabbed Paddle, hoisted her into the boat and headed back to the island to pick up the other two geese. Thunder was booming more ominously now, and I moved farther back into the garage, enjoying the breath of cool air. I carried the old goose decoy with me and held it in my lap while I watched the storm approach. The memory of that hunt on the Falls of the Neuse brought the decoy into better perspective. It was beat up and scratched, a lot of the paint was peeled off, and I could see where some shot from a stray duck load had hit it a time or two. But Paddle and I had watched beautiful sunrises over this Soule piece of art; and if the good Lord lets me, I hope to see a few more. It looks as if my Miracle Glue is holding. PS

It was beat up and scratched, a lot of the paint was peeled off, and I could see where some shot from a stray duck load had hit it a time or two.

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

Kids At Play

Photograph By Partick Love

U.S. Kids come from all over Planet Golf

BY LEE PACE

For one week every August, traditional

and staid Pinehurst is flipped on its ear. Seven-yearolds are putting golf balls and running down the halls of the venerable Carolina Hotel. Nod at someone and say, “Morning,” and there’s no telling what accent will come back at you. A lunch buffet is set up at the resort clubhouse with pigs-in-a-blanket as one offering, and the kitchen staff knows an onslaught’s coming every morning for the French toast on the breakfast buffet.

The esteemed golf writer Dick Taylor once mused that if you listen hard enough at night in Pinehurst, “you can hear the arteries hardening.” Perhaps, but for one week a year now the collective age of the Sandhills golf community drops precipitously. Instead of Tommy Armour and Babe Zaharias cracking balls on the practice range during the old North and South Open and Women’s Amateur, today you have teeny tots with perfect grips and on-plane swings. Captain Kangaroo could serve as starter. “Honey, they’ve shrunk the PGA Tour” is how John Bryan, an administrator with U.S. Kids Golf, likes to catalog the annual conclave of more than a thousand young golfers on nine courses throughout the Sandhills. “Their attire, their mannerisms, their fundamentals — they look like tour players in miniature.” Lifelong Pinehurst resident Marty McKenzie has seen everything

from the 1951 Ryder Cup to the 2005 U.S. Open on Pinehurst No. 2, and the attendant Hall of Fame golfers that events of that ilk import to the community. “But I have never seen anything like these kids,” he says. “These are the highest quality of youth on the planet participating in the greatest sport on the planet, and it all takes place in our beloved Pinehurst.” On the afternoon before the first round of the 2010 championship, the clubhouse is teeming with activity as the last of 1,234 contestants from three dozen countries registers. Every inch on the practice tee is taken. The putting green is a swarm of kids and parents. The retail shop is slammed with traffic. Out behind the 18th green, one family after another stops in front of the Payne Stewart statue, with parents snapping photos of their kids assuming the requisite “Payne Pose.” “Coming to Pinehurst is awesome,” says Russ Jones, who has brought 11-year-old daughter Aubree from their home in Memphis to compete for the fourth straight year. “Our year revolves around this trip. It’s the culmination of the year.” Jones is standing behind his daughter as she rips beautiful drives down the practice range. Next to her is Cade Jones, six years old and proudly sporting a black golf shirt with the Putter Boy mark. One assumes the size is quadruple small. “Cade’s been playing a lot of T-ball, but I want him to play more golf next year,” Jones says as the tyke launches a clean strike with a miniature five-iron 50 yards down range and then wheels around with a smile to make sure Pop saw the shot. “I hope next year, both kids will play here.” A couple of stations down the line are the Smiths from Rockville, Ill. — dad Marcus and son Marcus James. Young Marcus is nattily attired in navy shorts with a white belt, white shirt, white visor and white shoes. His

G O L F T OW N J O U R NA L

wardrobe is set for the week, but his dad can’t understand the boy’s plans to wear long pants in 90-degree-plus-heat. “They wear pants on the pro tour,” Smith says. “I guess that’s it.” This is the Smiths’ third trip to the U.S. Kids World Championship, and the eight-year-old is feeling loose and confident for his next day’s round set for Mid Pines. “Team Smith” has evolved exponentially over two years. “The first time, I was a mess,” Marcus Sr. admits. “I was too tight and it rubbed off on him. I mean, it was the world championships! But I’ve learned to let go. We do our preparation before we come to Pinehurst. Then when we get here, we relax and play golf.” “I shot 51 that time,” the boy chips in, nodding at his dad, “and it was your fault.” “You’re exactly right, it was my fault.” Smith now has five rules for his son and himself: Have fun, have a good attitude, try your best, never give up, and, finally, play to win. Young Marcus has a good swing and hits

“They wear pants on the pro tour,” Smith says. “I guess that’s it.” consistent draws with his driver. His dad says a nine-hole score around even par the next day would be good — but at least something in the 30s to keep him in contention. “I tell him, ‘One shot at a time, one hole at a time,’” Smith says. “I tell him he can’t control anyone else, so just worry about his own game. But he likes to look at the leaderboard. He likes pressure, and the more people around, the better he plays.” This cacophony of adolescent golf revelry comes compliments of an Atlanta engineercum-entrepreneur named Dan Van Horn. The father of three noticed in the mid-1990s that Little League baseball players had lighter bats but young golfers had nothing but crude sawed-off golf clubs, so he launched a company to manufacture quality junior golf clubs — with proper swing weights and shaft flexes. One thing led to another and in 2000 he staged a tournament for kids aged 6 to 12 at Jekyll Island, Ga., in part to promote his clubs but also to foster the idea of golf as the consummate family activity. He had the vision to name it a “world championship,” and some 250 players and their families attended. Van Horn tweaked his version of junior competition by grouping players into narrow age

G O L F T OW N J O U R NA L

brackets, allowing eight-year-olds to compete only against other eight-year-olds, for example, to set hole yardages according to age and to allow parents to caddie for their children. And lest the urge to become an overbearing parent afflict someone during the course of play, a strict code of conduct for parents was instituted. One violation and they’re given a “yellow card,” disallowed from caddying and forced to pass an on-line behavioral course before regaining their caddie privileges. Van Horn says the launching of Tiger Woods onto the golf landscape in 1996 and the attendant views of his appearance as a two-year-old on “The Mike Douglas Show” with a picture book swing certainly were serendipitous for his new venture. Money, fame and golf were suddenly the holy trinity and lured many to the game. But as the last year has proven with Woods and his infamy of infidelity, the core values and fun and family prevail in the end. “Some of the parents here really think their kid is the next Tiger Woods,” Van Horn says. “But to most people, that doesn’t matter. They’re here because their kids are having fun, and it’s a sport the family can enjoy together.” “As a parent, to have your child play in international competition at age 12 and you participate as caddie, that’s big,” adds Bryan, former director of the Georgia section of the PGA of America. “How does it get any better than that? You can go to the Little League World Series, but you’re in the bleachers. You’re not out there with your kid.” The 2010 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship included 1,234 players, 550 volunteers, 21 rules officials, 47 U.S. Kids Golf staff members and an estimated 4,000 parents and family members. The event was held in Pinehurst for the sixth straight year after two years in Jekyll Island and three in Williamsburg. “Where else for a world championship in golf would you want to be, other than Pinehurst?” Bryan asks. On an idyllic summer evening at the Pinehurst Harness Track the night before the competition began, hundreds of golfers, family members, volunteers and Pinehurst folk turned out for the opening ceremonies, highlighted by the spectacle of the Golden Knights parachute team of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. U.S. Kids Golf Foundation chairman Dewey Crim welcomed the masses and offered an invocation, among his requests of Our Maker that everyone “make memories that last a lifetime.” Enough said, play away kids. PS Lee Pace, author of “Pinehurst Stories,” is an award-winning sportswriter and a longtime resident of Chapel Hill. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2010

September 2010

Summer Skin Farewell to freedom and baseball and swimming, And to summer, long before it’s gone. While the hot month lingers on, Children lace up new shoes to scuff up old floors And start their days at dawn. Hello to old friends with new hair and gossip, And to searching for rightful places. Katie got glasses and Danny got braces. Teachers call roll, list rules, and break ice with their classes While the gym swells with sounds of relay races. And the classrooms, long abandoned, Are graced by children once again, With freckles and sunburns and summer skin. The swimming pool collects bugs; its water grows stagnant — And baseball gloves lie in back yards while the children are in. — Ashley Wahl PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2010

Larson Brothers Lunch with the

Stephen Smith with his 1916 Larson brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; guitar.

PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM SAYER 40

BY STEPHEN E. SMITH reg Hanson and David Crawford, the Triangle’s premier luthiers (craftsmen who make or repair stringed instruments), Craig Fuller of Pure Prairie League and Little Feat fame (who better to evaluate the playability of a vintage guitar?), and yours truly (junior shade-tree picker that I am) have gathered at the Hibernian Pub on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh to have lunch with the Larson brothers, although we’re reasonably certain the brothers aren’t going to show up. They’ve been dead for more than 55 years. And even in their halcyon days — the four decades during which the Swedish-born August and Carl Larson crafted guitars, harp guitars, mandolins, tiples, harp mandolins, mandocellos, mandolas, ukuleles, and ukulele harps — they weren’t, by many accounts, particularly good company. But my 1916 Larson brothers’ guitar, sold under the Maurer brand name, is alive and well and very much in attendance, representing its enigmatic creators. The approximately 2,500 acoustic instruments the Larson brothers produced while working together in a paint-bare barn at 536 Elm St. in Chicago are considered — dare I say it? — the Stradivarius of American guitars and are much sought after by musicians and collectors. A Larson high-end Euphonon guitar recently sold on eBay for $60,000. (If you want the inside skinny on the Larson brothers, pick up a copy of Robert Carl Hartman’s Larson Creations, and if you aren’t up to speed on your guitar terminology, go to mediawebsource.com/guitar/glossary.htm.) “Your guitar is a beautiful instrument, and it really didn’t need any major restoration,” says Greg Hanson, who four months earlier had given me an estimate for the repair work on my Larson. “We just brought it back to its original playability. The guitar was in remarkably good shape to begin with.” PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2010

Carl Larson, 1945

If you’d like to hear guitarist Danny Infantino finger-picking my 1916 Larson guitar refreshed with Thomastik-Infeld SB11 bronze strings, go to http://www. dannyinfantino.com/. Stephen Smith is a staff writer for PineStraw. His latest book of poetry, “A Short Report on the Fire at Woolworths,” is available at www.mainstreetrag. com/S_Smith_Woolworths.html.

Historic Photographs from Coldstream Publishing

August Larson, 1917

Any guitar aficionado can tell you that Martin and Gibson produced the most valuable vintage guitars, but few of them — a lucky few — have experienced the beauty and distinctive sound of a Larson brothers’ guitar. The resonance is nicely balanced between bass and treble with a gentle sustain that any guitar player experienced enough to discern the instrument’s intimacies will appreciate. There’s also a sweet cushiony, unmuddled softness in the midrange that tends to drift into the upper notes. Ah, such sweet resonance. Nothing sounds like a Larson. So what produces that distinctive Larson sound? The brothers used only the finest materials — quarter-sawn Brazilian rosewood, close-grained spruce, top-quality mahogany, and ebony. And of course there’s the meticulous construction of the instrument. Larson guitars are built under tension: The back and soundboard are bowed outward, deepening, balancing and projecting the sound. High-end Larsons have delicately scalloped interior laminated braces which are often constructed with strips of hardwood, usually ebony or rosewood, sandwiched between strips of spruce. In some instances, a steel tone bar patented by the Larsons runs from the neck block to the tailpiece. And Larson guitars were the first to be X-braced — long before Martin — so they would hold up to the tension of steel strings. “An old center-seam repair on your guitar had failed,” Crawford says, “but we began by taking care of that and a few minor problems. The top and back braces were loose. They all had to be reglued. We used a small turnbuckle to glue the braces one at a time.” “We fashioned and slotted a new bone nut and saddle to improve intonation,” Hanson adds. “The bridge was removed and reglued, the neck was reset to improve the action and intonation, and the fingerboard was refretted with banjo frets that closely approximate the fret wire used by the Larsons.” The original finish on my Larson was in “very good + condition,” and Hanson and Crawford’s work was so exacting that there’s no evidence the “flattened pyramid” bridge had been reattached. The fingerboard had a slight distortion so it was gently planed, being careful to retain the inlays. “The adjustments were minimal,” Hanson points out again, “considering the guitar is almost 95 years old. And the skilled workmanship on the neck was really nice, clearly hand done and much better fitted than most modern high-end guitars, including Martins, Taylors, Gibsons and other factory-made instruments.” What every acoustic guitar player is searching for is a sonic identity, the nuanced articulation of the subtlest human touch — and, of course, the knowledge of how the Larsons achieved such purity of tone. The total cost for my Larson rehab, including a later adjustment to the bridge, came to $1,545, a somewhat princely sum for a magazine scribbler. But, hey, this is a Larson instrument, and I’m just its most recent custodian. Back at Hanson and Crawford’s Raleigh shop, we take turns finger-picking my reborn Larson. “This is a hell of a guitar,” says Craig, after noodling around for a couple of minutes. Hanson chuckles. “I hate to see the guitar leave. I was having a good time playing it.” PS

NEW FICTION

A Perfect Fit BY MAGGIE DODSON

When Beau Bishop’s wife left him for another woman, his father called

to console him on the telephone. “She wasn’t much to look at anyway,” Joe Bishop said to his son. “She always seemed so angry.” And indeed Alice had. In her letter to Beau, which she had published in the St. Simon’s Inquirer, Alice Bishop had left nothing to the imagination of the townspeople — she expounded upon their problems in the bedroom, their waning checking account and Beau’s penchant for whiskey — all of these personal details described in three rambling, excruciating paragraphs of print. The news of Alice’s sexuality wasn’t any surprise to Beau. She had flinched at his touch for years now and had either forgotten or hadn’t cared that Beau paid the phone bill, the lengthy calls to a private number indicative of her love affair. Alice’s library receipt was the most impressive form of evidence: The Price of Salt, Orlando: A Biography, The Well of Loneliness. Beau had scanned the jacket of each book, nodding to himself solemnly as he began to realize that his wife was a lesbian. Of everyone on St. Simon’s Island, Mary-Louise Dixon was most shocked by Alice’s transformation and could usually be found outside Tom’s Baked Goods or guarding the homemade refreshments in the lobby of St. Paul’s speaking her mind to whoever would listen — midwives, children, Pastor Frank. It wasn’t the concept of homosexuality that confused the townspeople; it was the idea that anyone would leave Beau Bishop. Albeit a drinker, Beau was a college graduate who happened to be good with his hands, and the women of St. Simon’s found him tantalizing. “Imagine that,” said Mary-Louise, stuffing a donut hole into her mouth after the Sunday service, “leaving Beau for another woman. Now, I know I don’t know many lesbians — and I don’t really care to — but it seems to me that once you’ve got the prince, you don’t give him up, especially for some loud mouth, non-shaving gardener from Virginia.” Everyone in the town knew of Mary-Louise’s love for Beau, as she confessed to it after too many glasses of wine — a habit she indulged often. Alice Bishop left Beau promptly after the letter was printed in the paper, leaving nearly all of her belongings behind: Her shoes lined the wall by the front door; the closets still smelled like freesia. During their relationship Beau had felt indifferent to the scent, but now that his bed sheets were cool, his marriage ending, he savored the pervasive, peppery smell, for it smelled like a woman, something he longed to be around. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2010

NEW FICTION

It was fall in Georgia. The leaves once firm were now crumbling into a dust, a residue of their former selves. Even the ocean had changed with the season: whitecaps frothed at the sand dunes, the foghorns called from a distance — a veritable sound of despair, an ode to the loss of summer. The reality of his situation had begun to nag at Beau, as Alice had been gone for days now, their dog Butch Cassidy his only companion. The house was dusty, the trash can full of bottles, and Butch Cassidy whined with hunger. The man and the dog appeared forgotten, tired. Butch Cassidy moved with age, panting slowly, moving to lie in the shifting sunspots about the floor as if the warmth kept him alive; Beau sat on the porch, drinking bourbon and humming old gospel songs, some his mother had sung to him when he was a child. Alice’s departure left the man and old dog in complete disarray: The sink was piled with dirty dishes, the smell alone an indication of loneliness. The pantry was barren, the only contents lining the shelves dust and a box of baking soda. Beau had phoned Dixie Bluegrass, asking them to discontinue the delivery of the magazine, a favorite of Alice’s, but other mail piled up everywhere, unopened. His wife’s absence seemed to seep through the old walls, settling into the house’s structure, weaving itself through old photo albums and kitchen cabinets as if preparing for a long stay. Beau sighed more audibly now that he was alone, the sound making clear his utter distaste for the new and unwanted solitude. Beau had lived on St. Simon’s Island for his entire life. He had grown up attending services at St. Paul’s, his adolescent sins feeling regretful on his shoulders during Mass. He had attended Brunswick High School, a baseball star throughout his youth. The scar on his right knee was the perfect prop for any story but was particularly well suited for anything related to baseball, as he had acquired it sliding into home base in a game against Coastal Academy. The healed scar in his skin was long, blurred and messy, as if the surgeon had used glue to adhere the pieces of the man back together — the massive imperfection a promise for a good story. Children had the most animated response — whenever he got to the detail about the ripping of the skin, the rivulets of blood running down his sweat- and mud-streaked legs, the screams and groans of the youngsters would begin, a cacophony of small voices, a mixture of pleasure and horror resounding throughout the room. Now when he looked at the mark, he was reminded of Alice. The night they first slept together, Alice had been intrigued by the history cut into Beau’s leg — she had moved her fingers along the bumpy skin, kissing it, running her tongue over the injury, covering his past with her lips. Alice’s mouth was so lovely and small, open and moving around his leg. He rubbed his knee with his hand as he remembered their first night together, smiling to himself a little. In a house where the word of God was used as leverage and family dinners were not to be missed, Beau’s childhood was indicative of his life: strict, devotional, common. The constant pressure from his mother and father had Beau attending the University of Georgia, the aspirations of a business major projected proudly by his parents at the loading dock, the fish market, the town fair. Sophomore year had provided a much-needed outlet for Beau as he took solace in the warm body of Joan, a cheerleader from Atlanta. Before college, he had never kissed a girl, never cupped a girl’s breast in his hands. After an extensive introduction from Joan, one that covered the basics and then some, his appetite was insatiable — the bodies of the young women became a fantastic substitute for class and required readings. Yet here he was, two decades later, with nothing to grab onto.

Pearl Thibideau had the hands of a farmer. Dirt

and scrapes coated her knuckles, her palms wrinkled and gray with use. During the past few summers she had acquired many cuts — some of them jagged, most of them clean. Pearl liked to think of her hands as evidence of her landscaping business and of her character: hard-working, exceptionally dirty, but durable. Her most recent job was on 66 Ward Road, the home of Mrs. Bennie, a sharp-tongued widow with a crippling case of arthritis. Mrs. Bennie had wanted her hydrangeas moved, her yard trimmed and spruced. The yard of 66 Ward Road was nothing but a tangled mess. Though a fervent gardener throughout her marriage, Mrs. Bennie had stopped creating life in the yard after Andrew had passed; she found that her hands had begun to ache, and her heart felt weak without the quiet humming of her husband shearing the bushes alongside her. Now, the weeds were thick and twisted around the house, gripping it tightly as if holding it together. Pearl cursed more than most women she knew and didn’t care for the people who found it insulting. It’s a goddamn free country, she’d whisper to the unforgiving looks of the passersby, I’ll say what I damn well please. Upon hearing the screw yous and the son of a bitches through the cracked kitchen window, the elderly woman would rap on the glass, wagging her finger from side to side, shouting at Pearl to watch her language around her plants. Every evening at 5 o’clock, however, Mrs. Bennie would walk out to the back patio, a bottle of Scotch in hand, two tumblers hanging loosely in the other. While the last of the summer mosquitoes flitted above their heads, bellies filled with blood, Pearl and Mrs. Bennie drank. They were years apart in age, Pearl twenty-five, Mrs. Bennie seventy-three, their lives completely and distinctly different. But here they were: two women creating a bond, a powerful connection in a garden, life’s disappointment a thread tying them together. They didn’t have much to say to each other; most of the time they just sipped their drinks and looked into the expanse of the yard. Mrs. Bennie usually thought of Andrew while Pearl thought of Alice Bishop. Pearl had met Beau Bishop’s wife in the wine and beer aisle of the town’s Piggly Wiggly. Their fingers had brushed reaching for a bottle of wine. Alice had faltered and been taken aback at the warmth of the woman’s rugged hands — knocking the glass bottle to the tiled floor, the distinct sound of glass breaking, resounding throughout the store. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” Pearl said as she wiped at droplets of wine on her jeans. She smiled at Alice, their chemistry palpable. “No, please, it was my fault — I wasn’t paying attention. Should we get someone to clean this up, or go tell someone?” Alice began brushing the pieces of glass with her shoes, collecting them into a little pile, figuring it would be easier for the store clerk to clean. Pearl looked at Alice. She appeared hardened by something, sad even. “Or we can just leave it here and get a drink somewhere else,” suggested Pearl. “Won’t someone come after us? Isn’t it basically stealing?” “Not if we run fast enough,” said Pearl. The two women smiled at each other, and Pearl motioned toward the door with her head. Let’s go, she mouthed. OK, Alice mouthed back. Alice and Pearl broke into a run after exiting through the main door. Past discarded grocery carts, a woman giving away samples of salsa, they stretched their legs — both of them in need of something new, something fresh, running, running. The camaraderie that Alice felt with Pearl was enlivening, and she found she was enjoying herself, the sorrow of her marriage left in aisle five among the spilled wine.

NEW FICTION

They didn’t quit running until they reached Pearl’s truck, which had been conveniently parked at the very rear of the lot. “Now, how about that drink?” Pearl asked, as she opened the passenger door to the Ford.

“Sarah, I’d like to speak to you in my office, please.” Mr. Roeford

sounded agitated, and Sarah guessed that it had something to do with the letter she had printed in the paper. “I’ll be right there,” she said. Sarah Kessler loathed walking in front of her co-workers; her large frame felt even larger with the twenty-some eyes watching her as she made her way to her boss’s office. The pantsuit she was wearing had seemed fine when she’d put it on earlier that morning, but now as she waddled to the back of the building the fabric bunched near her stomach, causing her to sweat with embarrassment as she attempted to tug it down. “Close the door behind you, please,” Mr. Roeford said as she entered the office. “Have a seat, Sarah,” he said. And then, noticing her hesitation at which seat to select, he pointed to the wooden chair. She sat, shifting her weight from side to side. “Sarah, as you know, we have a strict policy here at the St. Simon’s Inquirer. You’ve worked here for seven years, and I’m sure you are aware of our policy that all articles must go through an editor before they go into the paper. I’ve called you in today to talk about the Bishop letter. Do you remember the letter I’m talking about?” “I do.” Sarah nodded. “Good. I hired you to write obituaries, a simple task that requires nothing but the facts. You’ve always been diligent and cooperative, so you can imagine my surprise when I got my Monday morning paper with no obits at all but a personal letter from Mrs. Bishop to Mr. Bishop! What would possess you to do such a thing? Did you ever consider how Mr. Bishop might feel about this? ” Mr. Roeford was looking at Sarah’s stomach, the heaving nature of it. “I … I, well … I wanted the woman to be heard. I felt that she had a valid point, and she was very difficult to say ‘no’ to. She was very passionate and forceful, and I just couldn’t let her down, you know?” “I don’t understand.,” said Mr. Roeford. “I thought it was quite clever of Mrs. Bishop to leave Beau like that, in the obit section of the paper.” Mr. Roeford didn’t care for Sarah’s answer, and he shook his head. He was a strange and effeminate man, and it was difficult for most of the employees to respond to him in a respectful manner. His hair sloped down behind his ears, mashed against his skull with visible globs of hair oil. He wore rings on his fingers: not only his wedding ring but mood rings, rings he’d found at yard sales, inside candy machines. They were piled high on his fingers and caught Sarah’s eye as he waved his hands about. “Sarah,” he said “in a situation like this, you have to understand that I can’t just dismiss this as a response to the forceful nature of Mrs. Bishop. As I mentioned earlier, we have a strict policy regarding what goes into the paper. We are liable for what we print. Mr. Bishop could sue, and that makes me nervous, makes the board nervous — and I have no choice but to let you go. I hope you understand.” At this, Mr. Roeford waved his hand at Sarah, a dismissive gesture that made Sarah shudder with shame. He smirked at her dismissal, and Sarah’s hatred and disrespect for the man grew greater by the moment. Exiting the office, Sarah thought about her act: Mrs. Bishop had come to her visibly upset, asking for help, explaining a deep sexual insecurity that had enveloped her life and marriage. The anxiousness of the

woman, the indelible feeling of not being good enough, had touched something in Sarah, causing her to take the letter and find a way to get it in the paper, in spite of Mr. Roeford, his policy, the board, and everything else. Walking among her co-workers, it seemed as if the conversation in Mr. Roeford’s office had been broadcast throughout the workroom: People stared at her as she made her way back to her desk, some whispering to one another, sniggering behind their closed cubicles, others looking directly at her, their melancholy glances supposedly passing for sympathy. No one spoke. Stop looking at me, Sarah thought. Haven’t you ever seen a fat woman before? Sarah reached her desk and sat down with a soft oomph. Now safely inside of her own cubicle, Sarah thought about how she would tell Neil, her sweet, caring husband who relied on her income from the paper. When working at the loading dock this past summer, he had sustained an injury to his back that disabled him from doing anything rigorous — and without a high school diploma there weren’t many options on an island other than physical labor for a man of fifty five. Sarah had been working at the paper for seven years, writing the obituaries. Although many had seen it as a morbid task, Sarah took pride in her work, in honoring the deceased. She knew from the phone calls of local townspeople that her work had meant something: Recently Annette Bennie had called to thank her for her kind words about Annette’s husband Andrew, who’d died of a heart attack in their beloved garden. The reality of the situation began to sink in the longer Sarah sat in the cubicle, her knees pressing firmly against the underside of the desk. She had been fired. Never in her life had she imagined that she would suffer such a fate. She had always been a careful and reliable worker, the kind who never attracted any attention. Her work at the paper not only provided income for her small family but it gave her balance; it made her feel important to see her byline printed among the pages of black ink. Where would she go? What would she do? Besieged with anxiety, Sarah stood to leave the office, the eyes of the other workers burning into her as she made her way down the aisle. Hot tears blurred her vision, and she stumbled a few times, heightening her embarrassment that much more. Her face was glistening as she reached the entrance, where Carol Tufts caught her by the arm as she opened the door to leave. “Sorry to hear about what happened, Sally. I hope everything turns out all right.” Sarah gripped the door handle angrily; the woman didn’t even know her name. After seven years of work and countless little conversations, Sarah felt as if she deserved more from the people she shared an office with. She turned to face Carol, her words careful and loud: “Did you ever think to invite me out for a drink? To ask me to attend one of the many Christmas parties you host each year? At lunch, you all sit together, eating your salads and yogurts — never once did you ask me to join you. How do you think that made me feel? Do you think I enjoy being overweight? That I don’t realize I’m unhealthy? Of course I do. Of course I do! And my name is Sarah.” And with that Sarah Kessler left the Inquirer. PS We invite you to read the balance of “A Perfect Fit” online at PineStrawmag.com. Maggie Dodson is a senior English and Italian major at the University of Vermont.

An Artful Life Pearl Natilus, oil Commissioned by Trowbridge Gallery

Artist’s Daughter, Ryan

outhern Pines artist Meridith Martens is a beguiling contradiction — a homebody who has made a life of roving and painting in the world’s glamour spots, a successful commercial artist whose stunning eye for realism is perhaps only matched by her restless taste for change and a personal exploration of the abstract. “I’m always looking for what’s new,” she allows while showing a visitor to her basement gallery a beautiful study of tulips, a commission for a distinguished gallery. Nearby, however, stand several stark black and white abstracts produced from a contraption she playfully calls her “spin machine.” “Any new environment or direction gets me charged up and full of creative energy. I call myself an experimental artist. Everything I do is trying out something new, whether it’s a group of puppies, or a study of sea shells,” Martens says. Painting courses the bloodline of this diminutive daughter of a Navy man and Annapolis (Md.) marina owner, who began sketching and painting horses at age 13 and not terribly long afterward thumbed her way to California just to see another coast. She studied formal drawing and design at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington as well as at the San Francisco Art Institute. “I never graduated,” she allows with a girlish laugh. “I hopped around, true beatnik style, seeing the world. That would be professional suicide today.” Barely out of her teens, she took herself off to live in Paris on no more than her first credit card and visited the race-

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLENN DICKERSON

BY JIM DODSON

Mother of Pearl, oil 18” x 26” PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2010

Sunset Trees, oil, 24” x 30”

track whenever she needed to pick up a commission. This caprice carried her to exotic stops in Morocco and Spain and finally landed her in horsey American spas like Saratoga and Louisville, where she was befriended by thoroughbred royalty and wound up in a photograph of the legendary Secretariat winning the Derby. “That’s me in the sunglasses, just behind the photographer,” she explains with an impish grin beneath her oversized tortoiseshell specs, pointing to a framed photograph of the legend that hangs in her delightfully cluttered basement office. With marriage to an actor, she suddenly found herself with a baby daughter and a loft in the Bowery, working as a stage manager and doing art commissions on the side. When the marriage ended, she and daughter, Ryan, relocated lock, stock and easel to Southern Pines, where she painted the local equine set and was soon running art workshops for more established artists and broadening her own eye on the world. A professional relationship with celebrated artist Wolf Khan and time spent at the Vermont Studio Center opened her eyes even further. “I realized I wasn’t happy just being a pet painter,” she explains of the evolution. “The doors suddenly flew open in my mind and I discovered there was a world full of amazing things to look at, to study, to paint.” In November 1999, she dropped into The Wine Cellar on East Broad and met Howard Shubert, a retired IBM engineer. They married and gave up his dream house in favor of a beautifully rambling traditional home (see PineStraw Home & Garden, page 56) that once belonged to Lt. General William P. Yarborough. These days, with her daughter now married and working for a PR firm in her old New York stomping ground, Martens’ artful life is still informed by both home and horizon. “It fascinates me how life works out, where the journey unexpectedly leads you. This is home, the place that grounds me, but my art is forever just beginning.” PS

Spin Art Series

Bassett Puppies, oil, 12” x 24”

Earthquake-Layers in Stone, oil, 48” x 60” PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2010

Blue Devil Waltz Jonathan Agronsky advances in this 1963 co-championship game against IAC archrival Landon.

Tony

called my number in the huddle. Cue the adrenaline. Would this sophomore halfback choose to fight or flee? As I lined up for the count, I quickly surveilled the adversary. A few yards away crouched seven hulking young men in scarlet helmets and gray practice jerseys. All looked well over two hundred pounds — a lot more than I weighed back then. Some were missing teeth. A few were talking trash behind their cages, waiting to see which blue-helmeted sucker got handed the ball. Not wanting to keep them in suspense, I took the handoff from our quarterback and lunged toward the hole our left guard and tackle were supposed to open up for me on our first offensive play. A second later, I hit an unyielding wall of helmets and shoulder pads. Despite my best efforts to advance, I was driven backward and finally toppled under the combined weight of literally half a ton of pumped-up defenders. Just getting up again after the play, still conscious and with no apparent fractures, was an exhilarating experience. Like it or not, my backfield mates and I would get many more chances to savor such thrills on that day, back in September 1961, when we scrimmaged the varsity football team of St. John’s College High School, a Catholic Church-affiliated military academy (an “unholy” alliance, if you ask me) in Washington, D.C. I was part of the squad fielded by St. Albans, a much smaller, Episcopal Church-affiliated boys’ prep, also in the nation’s capital. Our coach, Glenn Wild, who had played tailback and quarterback for the Duke University Blue Devils from 1948 through 1951, had set up the pre-season scrimmage in the apparent belief that, by pitting us against a team that dominated its Catholic League rivals and perennially was ranked among the city’s top five high school football powers, we would gain confidence — ideally, enough to lick the presumably less formidable opponents on our own game schedule. The coach’s theory was sound, but during the scrimmage the St. John’s Cadets scored 16 touchdowns to our one; what we Saints gained instead on that seemingly endless, late-summer afternoon on St. Albans’ Satterlee-Henderson Field was a great deal of humility.

Years after banging heads with two future Duke football greats, a Pinehurst boomer muses on what he learned, in retrospect, from a pint-sized teammate. BY JONATHAN AGRONSKY

What made our trouncing sting even more was that, when taking on merely mortal foes, we had generally fared well. During the three years I played on the varsity, for example — from 1961 to 1963 — St. Albans would post winning seasons; in my senior year, we would play for the cochampionship of the Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC), made up of prep teams from Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. The Cadets, on the other hand, had fared extremely well. Between 1952 and 1961, they had reigned as city champions half a dozen times. Just three months after we scrimmaged them, they would play for the title once again, this time against undefeated D.C. Interhigh Champion Eastern High School. Though they would lose to the mighty Ramblers that year, St. John’s would regain its crown in 1962 in a rematch with Eastern, played at D.C. Stadium before a record 50,000 spectators — more than had ever attended a Redskins game there. Back in the early 1960s, schoolboy football was a very big deal in my hometown Looking back on my team’s showdown with St. John’s, it seems to me that “losing” so decisively to the Cadets — technically, nobody wins or loses a scrimmage, or practice game — was nothing to be ashamed of. Based on their lopsided victories over top-ranked opponents and the opinions expressed by local sportswriters, the boys we banged heads with that day may well have comprised the greatest high school gridiron eleven ever to take the field in the nation’s capital. I still remember their standout players and the extraordinary performances they turned in that day. The Cadets’ quarterback, for example, was a tall, goodlooking kid with a whipsaw arm who would be named that year to the 1st-Team All-Metropolitan football squad compiled by Washington Post sportswriters. St. John’s senior Edward “Scotty” Glacken would go on to play, ironically, not only for the same college, but also at the very same position as Coach Wild had. During his three years as the Blue Devils’ starting signal-caller (1963 through 1965), Glacken would pass for more than 3,100 yards, breaking Duke’s record for most touchdown passes in a single season (twelve), and he would be named to both the First-Team

All-Atlantic Coast Conference and honorable-mention College Football All-America teams. He would go on to play two seasons for the Denver Broncos before hanging up his cleats to accept a job as head football coach at Georgetown University. Glacken would hold that post for 23 years, steering the “Hoyas” to more wins than any other coach in the school’s history. The Cadets’ fullback, Jay Calabrese, affectionately dubbed “Rhino” by his teammates, tipped the scales at 225 pounds and anchored a heavy backfield. Calabrese, a junior at St. John’s, also would make the Post’s All-Met squad that year. And he would follow Glacken to Duke, where, more than forty years later, he still holds that school’s record for leading the varsity football team in scoring for three straight seasons (1965 through 1967). St. John’s flanker Jimmy Francis could run 100 yards in under ten seconds. I had to cover him. Twice, he got past me and scored after catching one of Glacken’s perfectly thrown spirals. I was both impressed and humiliated. Even the Cadets’ backup players were formidable. Freshman qquarterback Coley O’ Brien, for example, sa action that day, would lead the who also saw Cadets to an undefeated season and a city championship ttitle the following year. He would go on to play for Notre Dame, stepping in for injured Te Hanratty in the next-to-last game of starter Terry the 1966 season to earn a tie with second-ranked Michigan State. The following week, the Notre Dame so sophomore would lead his undefeated team to a 51-to-0 spanking of the University South of Southern California Trojans, clinching the Fighting Irish’s number one national ranking and sec securing a place for himself in the pantheco on of college football greats. s an lb A t. S 4 6 Meanw Meanwhile, as improbable as it might have From the 19 b seemed, based on the lopsided tally of our scrimk oo rb Yea mage, we Saints had a few guns of our own on field day Five foot ten the fi eld that day. Five-foot, ten-inch, 168-pound junior quarterback Tony Rubino, for example, who had entered St. Albans on a choir scholarship and whose dad owned a suburban beauty salon, was a gifted allaround athlete who would earn all-league honors in football, basketball, and baseball — a feat that eluded even the most gifted St. John’s gridironisto. Two other teammates, Bob Brooks and Eugene “Skip” Jacobsen, both burly linemen, would become starters for the varsity football squads at Harvard and Washington & Lee University, respectively. As the afternoon wore on, Coach Wild remained amazingly calm. Still, he looked as if he might welcome a chance to run a double-reverse play back to his office in the school’s athletic building, where he could lose himself among the play books, game films, and other paraphernalia of his profession, while rethinking the wisdom of setting up this debacle. But I knew he would never abandon us — anymore than he would have abandoned his own improbable dream of playing major college football. At five feet eight inches tall and 161 pounds, this former standout player at Western Pennsylvania’s Kiski prep school was considered small for a college football player — especially for a tailback, who ran Duke’s single-wing offense and had to be adept at both passing and running. But what Glenn Wild had lacked in size he had more than made up for in both talent and drive. According to a Duke Athletic Department press brochure, our future coach had a “sensational” freshman year. When he moved on to the varsity, the department described him as nothing more or less than the Blue Devils’ “best passing find in years.” He went on to earn three varsity letters, throwing four touchdown passes and running for another score. An unusually versatile athlete, he also filled in as a punter and kick returner. Most important, Glenn Wild was a scrapper

and he expected the boys he coached to be as tough and resourceful as he was during his playing days. “Do it as iff your life depended on it!” he once had admonished a player who repeatedly had screwed up his blocking assignment during a practice. Those of us who craved the coach’s approval did as advised. Toward the end of the St. John’s scrimmage, however, when Coach Wild probably thought things couldn’t get any worse for us, thirdCoach Wild with pl string St. Albans defensive back ayers giving a halftime pep talk. Rogers Howard — in a scrimmage, everyone gets to play — seemed to h’ credo. d make a point of not following the coach’s On one particular play, Calabrese had bulled his way through our left defensive line, then crashed headlong into our left linebacker. Though my other teammate had not stopped the powerful fullback, he had knocked him off balance, slowing him down enough for Howard, who was positioned directly behind the linebacker, to have a clear shot at the St. John’s runner. However, the D.C. restaurateur’s son did not take it. Instead, he stood there and watched as the Rhino regained his footing, then galloped past him, close enough to spit in his eye. Playing on the opposite side of the field, I had taken up pursuit but could only trail helplessly after the surprisingly fast and agile fullback as he rolled into the end zone, some forty yards downfield from my gutless teammate. Moments later, after catching my breath, I jumped in Howard’s face. “Why didn’t you tackle him!?” I yelled. “Are you blind!?” Howard, about my height (5’ 9 ½”) but at 125 pounds nearly 30 pounds lighter, shot back: “Are you kidding? I could get killed!” Howard’s logic was unassailable. After all, Calabrese topped him by 100 pounds and, like his Cadet teammates, the big fullback was playing with an intensity that seemed to border on abandon. Still, there was the matter of team pride — what little was left of it. “If you’re not here to play,” I shouted, “then get off the goddamn field!” I was already embarrassed enough without having this joker purposely make us look like a bunch of wimps, afraid to mix it up with the big, bad boys of St. John’s. This time, my teammate merely looked at me and smiled, revealing a silver-capped tooth in the upper front row — a souvenir, perhaps, from an earlier gridiron skirmish? His expression quickly changed, however, when he saw St. Albans’ defensive coach and team trainer Bill Reames, his face suddenly as red as his hair, trotting his way. After some hard jawboning, however, the crew-cut coach, who later would quit his job to join the Marines and fight in Vietnam, withdrew, shaking his head and grimacing. Howard, amazingly, had stood his ground. Like Shakespeare’s Falstaff, English literature’s most famous coward, he obviously believed discretion to be “the better part of valor.” In retrospect, despite my reaction at the time, I believe the little man had made a valid decision. If the coach, for whatever reason, commits you to a fray you’re ill-equipped to handle and might not survive, perhaps the best remedy to his folly is in fact to just stand there and grin. Let someone else hunt the dangerous and elusive two-legged rhino, take the hit and earn the glory if he can. PS Jonatha Agronsky (shown here from his 1964 yearbook) is a Jonathan D.C. native na who now lives in Pinehurst. He played briefly for the Dartmouth Dar Indians before a shoulder injury ended his college foot football dreams in 1964. He can be reached at jagronsky@ aol.com aol.com.

MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. (910) 255-0665. CHESS. 1 – 3 p.m. Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department. (910) 692-7376. COOKING CLASS: Kitchen Essence (910) 295-3663. KITCHENS... SANDHILLS WOMAN’S EXCHANGE AND MOORE TOUR. REOPENING. Pinehurst. (910) 947-3188. (910) 295-4677. MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. PRESCHOOL (910) 255-0665. STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Southern Pines Public OLDIES & GOODIES Library. (910) 692-8235. FILM SERIES. Southern Pines Public Library. (910) LIBRARY’S 692-8235. TEEN ADVISORY MEETING. 5:30 p.m. GATHERING AT Southern Pines Public GIVEN. Given Memorial Library. (910) 692-8235. Library. (910) 295-6022.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. The Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235 or visit www. sppl.net.

TOUR DE MOORE CENTURY RIDE. Registration at 8 a.m. Ride begins at 9 a.m. (910) 692-4494 or www. sandhillscyclingclub.org.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE. Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235. LECTURE: From the Thistle to the Great Lost Sea. Weymouth Center (910) 692-6261. BIG BAND FROM CHICAGO. VFW Post, Southern Pines. (910) 692-3772.

LUNCHEON: Moore Republican Women’s Club. (910) 315-1650. SANDHILLS PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB. 7 – 9 p.m. Southern Pines. www. sandhillsphotoclub.org.

CAROLINA POLOCROSSE CLUB. (910) 875-4814. HORSE SHOW: Fall Classic. NCHJA “C” Hunter/Jumper. Carolina Horse Park. (919) 637-2958 or www. carolinahorsepark.com.

TWILIGHT PINEHURST CRUISE ON LAKE FALL DRESSAGE SHOW. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PINEHURST. 6 p.m. Cruise around Lake Pinehurst Harness Track, Pinehurst. (910) Pinehurst, funds received will supports the 693-1769. Given Memorial Library MALCOLM BLUE and Tufts Archives. Historical Craft And (910) 295-3642. Farm Skills Festival. Malcolm Blue Farm. (910) 944-7558.

COOKING CLASS: Easy Does It Series. 5:30 p.m. $25. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 295-3663.

TEA PARTY. 2:30 p.m. Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlor. (910) 255-0100. PIZZA WITH PIZZAZZ. Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235. COOKING CLASS. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 295-3663.

COOKING CLASS: Easy Does It Series. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 295-3663.

TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS. Pinehurst. (910) 2358557. COOKING CLASS. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 2953663.

COOKING CLASS. Elliott’s on Linden, Pinehurst. (910) 295-3663.

SENIOR ACTIVITY: Chess. Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department. (910) 692-7376. OPEN HOUSE AND EXHIBIT. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. (910) 255-0665 or hollyhocksartgallery. com.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235. COOKING CLASS. Elliott’s on Linden, (910) 295-3663.

PINEHURST CROQUET INVITATIONAL. Pinehurst Lawn & Tennis Club. (800) ITS-GOLF. SANDBOX PLAYERS: “Social Security.” (910) 692-8501. Show runs through Sept. 26

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. Southern Pines Public Library. (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net. COOKING CLASS: Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 295-3663.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. (910) 2550665. FALL HARVEST PROGRESSIVE DINNER IN THE GARDEN. 5:30pm. Sandhills Community College. Seating is limited. 695-3882.

LABOR DAY WINE FESTIVAL. Pinehurst Resort. (910) 235-8708. ART EXHIBIT RECEPTION. 6 – 8 p.m. Campbell House Galleries. (910) 6922787. FIRST FRIDAY. 5 – 8 p.m. Southern Pines. www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com.

MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. (910) 255-0665. COOKING DEMONSTRATION. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 295-3663. WINE TASTING: Versatile Wines. Elliott’s on Linden. (910) 295-3663.

UNTAPPED: MEET THE Double IPAs. Elliott’s on ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Linden. (910) 295-3663. Gallery. (910) 255-0665. LIBRARY DOG SHOWS & DEDICATION DAY. OBEDIENCE TRIALS. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Moore County Kennel Southern Pines Public Club. www.moorecokc. Library. (910) 692-8235. org. SENIOR ACTIVITY: CAROLINA Bridge. 1 – 4 p.m. PHILHARMONIC’S Craft Club. 2 – 3 p.m. INAUGURAL GALA. (910) 692-7376. (910) 687-4746 or www. carolinaphil.org JAZZY FRIDAYS. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery. (910) 369-0411. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Bridge. 1 – 4 p.m. Craft Club. 2 – 3 p.m. Douglas Community Center. (910) 692-7376.

SENIOR ACTIVITY: Bridge. 1 – 4 p.m. Craft Club. 2 – 3 p.m. (910) 692-7376. QUILTING IN THE PINES. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst Harness Track. MALCOLM BLUE Historical Craft And Farm Skills Festival. Malcolm Blue Farm. (910) 944-7558.

MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. (910) 255-0665. TOWN CREEK HERITAGE FESTIVAL. Town Creek Indian Mound. (910) 439-6802. BEER TASTING: Elliott’s on Linden, (910) 295-3663. ANTIQUE CAR SHOW. Pinehurst. (910) 949-2420. MEET THE ARTIST. Hollyhocks Art Gallery. (910) 255-0665. QUILTING IN THE PINES. The Fair Barn. MALCOLM BLUE FESTIVAL. (910) 944-7558.

September Arts & Entertainment Calendar Key: Art

Music/Concerts

Dance/Theater

September 1

September 4

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers for stories, songs, playtime and fun. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net.

MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Carol Rotter at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com. COOKING DEMONSTRATION: The 20 Minute Gourmet. 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Event is free. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663. WINE TASTING: Versatile Wines. Reds and Whites that can be paired with almost anything. Free. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 2 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Diane Kraudelt at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Chess. 1 – 3 p.m. Don Hammerman instructs all levels of participants. Bring a board and enjoy the challenge. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. COOKING CLASS: Spice. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. From curries to horseradish, spice is a hot commodity. Technique will demonstrate how to add heat without shedding a tear. Vegetarian options available upon request. Paired with two wines. Kitchen Essence Cooking Class. $55. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For menu and details, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 2-6 LABOR DAY WINE FESTIVAL. 22nd annual celebration of fine wine, gourmet food and southern hospitality. Pinehurst Resort, Village of Pinehurst. For more information, please call Pinehurst’s Wine Fest hotline at (910) 235-8708 or visit www.pinehurst.com.

September 3 SENIOR ACTIVITY: Bridge. 1 – 4 p.m. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Craft Club. 2 – 3 p.m. Make jewelry, decorations and more, meet new people and have fun. Free. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. ART EXHIBIT & OPENING RECEPTION. 6 – 8 p.m. Campbell House Galleries features the Sandhills Photography Club. Artwork will be on display for the entire month. Campbell House Galleries, 482 Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-2787. FIRST FRIDAY. 5 – 8 p.m. Live music from Josh Phillips Folk Festival at this family friendly community event. Free admission. The grassy knoll adjacent to the Sunrise Theater, Broad Street, Southern Pines. For more information, visit www.firstfridaysouthernpines.com. JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 – 10 p.m. Live jazz music and hors d’oeuvres, rain or shine. Admission: $6/person. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road, Wagram. For more information, please call (910) 369-0411. UNCORKED: Zinfandel. Sonoma versus Lodi. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 3-5 FIVE POINTS HORSE TRIALS. Horses and riders compete in a three-phase competition including dressage, cross-country and show jumping. Free for spectators. Carolina Horse Park, just off Hwy 211, between Aberdeen and Raeford. For more information, please call (910) 8752074 or visit www.carolinahorsepark.com.

September 4-5 PSJ HUNTER & JUMPER SHOW. All day. Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Pinehurst. For more information, please call Rick Cram at (803) 649-3505.

September 6 TOUR DE MOORE CENTURY RIDE. The Sandhills Cycle Club invites you to participate in a bike ride featuring a variety of routes up to 100 miles. Registration at 8 a.m. Ride begins at 9 a.m. Start is at the Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Avenue, Southern Pines. For more information, call the Sandhills Cycle Club at (910) 692-4494 or visit www.sandhillscyclingclub.org.

September 7 COOKING CLASS: Easy Does It Series. 5:30 p.m. Class 1 of 4 features chicken pot pie, broccoli salad and berry cobbler. Kitchen Essence Cooking Class. $25. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 8 LUNCHEON AND FABULOUS FASHIONS BY BELK. 11:30 a.m. Event presented by Whispers at the Country Club of Whispering Pines. Lunch served at noon. Cost: $15. Reservation check made out to “Whispers.” Send check to Marcia Osborne before September 3 at 34 Sandpiper Drive, Whispering Pines, 28327. For more information, please call (910) 949-2201. SANDHILLS WOMAN’S EXCHANGE REOPENING. Sales Room 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Lunch Room 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Open Tuesday through Saturday, features unique hand-crafted items, freshly baked Lemon Meringue Pie, Pecan Pie, cookies and the Mayor George Lane Chili Dog and freshly made sandwiches and salads. Located in the heart of the Village of Pinehurst, across from the Village Chapel. For more information, please call (910) 295-4677. PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers for stories, songs, playtime and fun. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net. LIBRARY’S TEEN ADVISORY BOARD MEETING. 5:30 p.m. First meeting of the school year. New members (grades 9-12) are welcome. Students who need service hours or just want to meet other teens and have fun are invited to join the Southern Pines Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net.

September 8-12 MOORE ON STAGE: “Lend Me a Tenor”. 7:30 p.m. (September 8, 9, 10, 11) ; 2 p.m. (September 12). A hilari-

Film

Literature/Speakers

Fun

History

Sports

ous series of mishaps make this one of the funniest plays ever written. Sunrise Theater, Broad Street, Southern Pines. For tickets and additional information please call (910) 692-7118 or visit www.mooreonstage.com.

September 9 KITCHENS...AND MOORE TOUR. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tour 6 kitchens in the Sandhills. Area chefs will be onsite at the homes preparing and serving favorite recipes. Tickets: $20 (the day of the tour). Advance tickets: $15 (can be purchased at The Faded Rose, Daphne’s Hallmark, Seagrove Candle Company, Phoenix Fashions, and the Cooperative Extension Office). For more information, please call the Moore County Cooperative Extension Office at (910) 947-3188. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sandy Scott at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Chess. 1 – 3 p.m. Don Hammerman instructs all levels of participants. Bring a board and enjoy the challenge. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. OLDIES & GOODIES FILM SERIES. 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Presenting a 1942 romance starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Ronald Colman. 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 visit www.sppl.net. GATHERING AT GIVEN. 3:30 p.m. Brenda Lyne of Lyne’s Furniture Gallery in Pinehurst, along with Mary Taylor from The Lyne’s Den in Southern Pines, and Aldena Frye of Floral Design in Aberdeen, will be demonstrating table settings and floral designs for the holidays. Free event. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 2956022.

September 10 HISTORIC WALKING TOUR AND TEA. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Discover the stories of Pinehurst’s history and enjoy the traditions of classic high tea at one of America’s Historic Landmarks. $25/person. Space is limited. For reservations, please call (910) 235-8415. UNTAPPED: Double IPAs. The flavor profile of each hoppy beer is different. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663. LIBRARY DEDICATION DAY. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Have coffee and donuts as you learn about all your library has to offer. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Bridge. 1 – 4 p.m. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Craft Club. 2 – 3 p.m. Make jewelry, decorations and more, meet new people and have fun. Free. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376.

September 11 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Jane Casnellie at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com.

CA L E N DA R FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL. 12 – 6 p.m. 6th annual event includes music, vendors, wine tastings and a popular Grape Stomp. Free Admission. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. For more information please call (910) 369-0411. COOKING DEMONSTRATION: Hiding the Veggies. 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Event is free. Elliott’s on Linden, Pinehurst. For information, please call (910) 295-3663. WINE TASTING: Spanish Reds. Free. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663. CAROLINA PHILHARMONIC’S INAUGURAL GALA. 5:30 p.m. An evening filled with musical bonbons from around the globe, exquisite dining, and silent and live auctions. Valet parking. Tickets: $75/person. For tickets and more information, please call (910) 687-4746 or visit www.carolinaphil.org.

September 11-12 DOG SHOWS & OBEDIENCE TRIALS. 8 a.m. Moore County Kennel Club AKC All-Breed. $3 parking fee. Pinehurst Harness Track, Hwy 5, Pinehurst. For more information, contact Steve Watson at (919) 776-4688 or visit www.moorecokc.org.

September 12

Resurfacing For Existing Concrete Specializing In Garage Floors

rs o l o C w e N tu res & Tex able! Avail

SUNDAY AFTERNOON MOVIE. 2:30 p.m. Based on the bestselling book by Jeff Kinney, the film concerns possible “wimp” Greg Heffley and his hilarious middle school adventures. Refreshments will be served at this free family event. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net. FREE YOGA CLASS. 2 – 3:30 p.m. Beginners welcome. Pre-register at www.anjalistudio.com or by calling (910) 692-3988. Anjali Yoga Studio, 271 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. LECTURE: From the Thistle to the Great Lost Sea. 3 p.m. Dr. Linda Carnes-McNaughton, professional archaeologist, will discuss the natural and cultural history of the Sandhills, once the shore of an ancient sea. Covering 12,000 B.C. to the 1739 arrival of Highland Scots on a boat named “The Thistle”. First of a series of three lectures at Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-6261 or visit www.weymouthcenter.org. BIG BAND FROM CHICAGO. 4 – 6:30 p.m. Eddie Barrett and the Goodman Legacy Orchestra will perform at the VFW Post, 615 S. Page Street, Southern Pines. For more information, please call (910) 692-3772.

September 13 LUNCHEON: Moore Republican Women’s Club. 11:30 a.m. Speakers include the Republican Judges running for office this November 2nd. Cost: $16. For more information, please call (910) 315-1650. SANDHILLS PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB. 7 – 9 p.m. Dr. Molly Gwinn will discuss some of the contributions to American photography by pioneers in medium including Mathew Brady, Timothy O’Sullivan and Lewis Hine. Christ Fellowship Church, Midland and Pee Dee Roads, Southern Pines. www.sandhillsphotoclub.org.

September 13 Ð 15 Garage Floors • Walkways • Patios • Driveways • Showrooms • Warehouses • And more

3 years Residential Warranty - Skid Resistant - Resists Black Tire Marks, Oils, Gasoline, All Household Chemicals & Most Corrosives

Phone/Fax 910-295-3821 • Cell 910-315-4901 54

ADULT COOKING CAMP. 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Monday: sauces, rouxs, cream soups & puddings. Tuesday: pastries, pies, tarts & crisps. Wednesday: pot roasts to roasted turkey. Thursday: cakes, muffins & quick breads. Cost: $50/ day or $175 for all four days. Elliott’s on Linden, Pinehurst. For more information, (910) 295-3663. Key: Art Music/Concerts Dance/Theater Literature/Speakers Fun History Sports

Film

CA L E N DA R

September 14 GOLF TOURNAMENT. One-day tournament sponsored through the Carolinas Golf Association. Pinehurst No. 6. For more information, please call (910) 673-1000. TEA PARTY. 2:30 p.m. Raleigh-based writer and speaker Susan Ely will speak on “Hospitality-Living in a State of Readiness” and will share practical tips for preparing your heart and home to “receive strangers.” Cost: $25. Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlor, 21 Chinquapin Road, Pinehurst. For reservations and more information, please call (910) 255-0100. PIZZA WITH PIZZAZZ: Minute to Win It. 5 – 6 p.m. Kids in grades 6-8 are invited to race against the clock (and their friends) with wacky 60-second challenges involving everyday objects. Free pizza. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net. COOKING CLASS: Easy Does It Series. 5:30 p.m. Class 2 of 4 features shepherd’s pie, jalapeño cornbread and jam cookies. Kitchen Essence Cooking Class. $25. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 15 COOKING CLASS: Snack Attack. 3:20 – 4:30 p.m. Kids ages 7 through 13 are invited to learn how to make sweet potato chips in the oven and pack their own lunches for school. Reservations required for this After School Workshop. Cost: $20. Elliott’s on Linden, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 16 SENIOR ACTIVITY: Chess. 1 – 3 p.m. Don Hammerman instructs all levels of participants. Bring a board and enjoy the challenge. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. OPEN HOUSE AND EXHIBIT: Catch Autumn Before It Leaves. 5 – 7 p.m. Jane Casnellie and Diane Kraudelt welcome four new artists, Beverly Brookshire, Carol Rotter, Sandy Scott and Doris Smith. Wine courtesy Elliotts on Linden and refreshments. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For information, call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com.

“Fruma” English Springer Spaniel Graphite on Canson Paper

September 17 JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 – 10 p.m. Live jazz music and hors d’oeuvres, rain or shine. Admission: $6/person. Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery, Riverton Road, Wagram. (910) 369-0411. UNCORKED: Northern Rhone versus Southern Rhone. Taste which region fits you best. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Bridge. 1 – 4 p.m. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Craft Club. 2 – 3 p.m. Make jewelry, decorations and more, meet new people and have fun. Free. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376.

September 17 Ð 19 FIDDLERS’ CONVENTION. Shakori Hills Community Arts Center present the 4th annual Hoppin’ John Old-Time & Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention. ThreeKey: Art Music/Concerts Dance/Theater Literature/Speakers Fun History Sports

Pamela Powers January FINE

ART

PORTRAITS

PETS

www.pamelapowersjanuary.com • 910.692.0505

Film

CA L E N DA R day event features dance, instrument and band contests, square dances, and a cook-off, and offers a place for musicians, dancers and music lovers to celebrate the traditions of bluegrass and old-time music. Tickets and Admission purchased at the gate only. For more information, please visit www.hoppinjohn.org.

September 18 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sandy Scott at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com. TEA DANCE. 2 p.m. The Dance Fusion Ensemble of Carolina Performing Arts Center (CPAC) will hold a Grandparent’s Tea performance followed by a reception. Free admission, but reservations required. CPAC, 670 SW Broad Street, Southern Pines. For reservations and more information, please call (910) 695-7898. TOWN CREEK HERITAGE FESTIVAL. 12 – 5 p.m. Annual event with ‘Pow Wow’ atmosphere. Includes singing, dancing, drumming and craft & food vendors. Cost: $4/adult, $1/children 4-12. Children 3 and under are free. Town Creek Indian Mound, 509 Town Creek Mound Road, Mt. Gilead. For more information, please call (910) 439-6802. BEER TASTING: Lagers from around the world. Give your taste buds a break from the Domestic. Join us to taste four unique lagers, each from a different region. Free. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663. COOKING DEMONSTRATION: Brown Bagging Saves Calories. 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Event is free. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 18-19 CAROLINA POLOCROSSE CLUB. All Day. Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 875-4814. HORSE SHOW: Fall Classic. NCHJA “C” Hunter/ Jumper. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Rd., Raeford. For more information, please call (919) 637-2958 or visit www.carolinahorsepark.com.

September 21 COOKING CLASS: Easy Does It Series. 5:30 p.m. Class 3 of 4 features chicken enchiladas, fiesta salad and Mexican s’mores. Kitchen Essence Cooking Class. $25. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 22 PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers for stories, songs, playtime and fun. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net. COOKING CLASS: Snack Attack. 3:20 – 4:30 p.m. Kids ages 7 through 13 are invited to learn how to make game night Sloppy Joes and pack their own lunches for school. Reservations required for this After School Workshop. Cost: $20. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 22-26 PINEHURST CROQUET INVITATIONAL. Free for spectators. Pinehurst Lawn & Tennis Club, 2 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (800) ITS-GOLF. Key: Art Music/Concerts Dance/Theater Literature/Speakers Fun History Sports

Film

HOMESTYLES

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”

State Farm Agent:

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www.jimleachagency.com

“Call me when you refinance your home for a great rate.”

CA L E N DA R SANDBOX PLAYERS: “Social Security”. Shows all day. Sunrise Theater, Broad Street, Southern Pines. For tickets and additional information please call (910) 692-8501.

September 23 MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Beverly Brookshire at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 2550665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Chess. 1 – 3 p.m. Don Hammerman instructs all levels of participants. Bring a board and enjoy the challenge. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376.

September 24 SENIOR ACTIVITY: Bridge. 1 – 4 p.m. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Craft Club. 2 – 3 p.m. Make jewelry, decorations and more, meet new people and have fun. Free. Douglas Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376.

September 24-25 QUILTING IN THE PINES IV. Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Quilt Show and Exhibit. Admission: $5. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst Harness Track, NC 5, Pinehurst. For more information, please visit www. sandhillsquilters.org.

September 24-26 MALCOLM BLUE HISTORICAL CRAFT AND FARM SKILLS FESTIVAL. Friday (School Children’s Day) from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Sunday from 12 - 5 p.m. The 41st annual event features craft demonstrations, gas & steam engine demos, petting farm, food, folk and country music, dancing, and a Civil War Camp. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under, preschoolers are free. Malcolm Blue Farm, Hwy 5 South (Bethesda Rd.), Aberdeen. For more information, please call (910) 944-7558 or visit www. malcolmbluefarm.com. FAST TRACK HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING SCHOOL. 3-Day Basic Oval Course. Rockingham Speedway, 2152 North US Highway 1, Rockingham. For more information, please call (704) 455-1700 or visit www. fasttrackracing.com.

September 25 ANTIQUE CAR SHOW. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Free admission, food vendors and handicap parking. Sandhills Chapter AACA and Village of Pinehurst Parks and Recreation. Pinehurst Harness Track, NC 5, Pinehurst. For application to show a car, please call (910) 949-2420 or (910) 692-1313. MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Diane Kraudelt at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com. COOKING DEMONSTRATION: Sunny Side Up. 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Event is free. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663. WINE TASTING: Pinot Noir. From four different regions, all $20 or less. Free. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663. Key: Art Music/Concerts Dance/Theater Literature/Speakers Fun History Sports

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CA L E N DA R

September 25-26 PINEHURST FALL DRESSAGE SHOW. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pinehurst Harness Track, Route 5, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 693-1769.

September 27 GOLF CLASSIC. 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Moore County Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic held at Pinehurst No.8. Registration is limited to 120 golfers. For more information, please call (910) 692-3926. TWILIGHT CRUISE ON LAKE PINEHURST. 6 p.m. Cruise around Lake Pinehurst, enjoy spectacular views and a brief history of the Lake. Cool beverages, wine, cheese and other special treats will be served. Funds received will supports the Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives. Cost: $40. For tickets and more information, please contact the Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives at (910) 295-3642. GOLF TOURNAMENT: MANNA! On the Links. Registration at 11:30 a.m., start at 1 p.m. Event held at National Golf Club features a Scramble “Captain Choice” format with three divisions: men, ladies and mixed. Cost: $100 (includes green and cart fees, snacks, box lunch, post-play refreshments, awards and prizes). To sign up to play or serve as a sponsor, please call Sandi Mardigan at (910) 235-0969.

September 27 - October 3 TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. USTA National Men’s 70s, 85s & 90s Clay Court Championships. Pinehurst Tennis Club, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 235-8557.

September 28 COOKING CLASS: Easy Does It Series. 5:30 p.m. Class 4 of 4 features macaroni & cheese, wilted spinach & cranberry salad, autumn squash muffin. Kitchen Essence Cooking Class. $25. Elliott’s on Linden, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 29 PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Bring infants and toddlers for stories, songs, playtime and fun. The Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. For more information, please call (910) 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net. COOKING CLASS: Snack Attack. 3:20 – 4:30 p.m. Kids ages 7 through 13 are invited to learn how to make mac & cheese (without a box) and pack their own lunches for school. Reservations required for this After School Workshop. Cost: $20. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 295-3663.

September 30 FALL HARVEST PROGRESSIVE DINNER IN THE GARDEN. 5:30pm. Dinner, music and wine in the gardens of Sandhills Community College. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Landscape Gardening, Culinary, Music and Art departments of SCC. Seating is limited. Contact Tricia Mabe for a reservation at 695-3882.

MEET THE ARTIST. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Carol Rotter at Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. For more information, please call (910) 255-0665 or visit hollyhocksartgallery.com. SENIOR ACTIVITY: Chess. 1 – 3 p.m. Don Hammerman instructs all levels of participants. Bring a board and enjoy the challenge. Douglas Community Key: Art Music/Concerts Dance/Theater Literature/Speakers Fun History Sports

Film

CA L E N DA R Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave. For more details, call the Southern Pines Recreation and Parks Department at (910) 692-7376.

Art Galleries

Resale Retail Retail Resale

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. Hollyhocks Art Gallery, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst, features original artwork by local artists Diane Kraudelt, Carol Rotter, Doris Smith Beverly Brookshire, Sandy Scott and artist/owner Jane Casnellie. Daily 10:30am to 9:30pm and Sunday evenings 6pm-9:30pm. (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 am until 4 pm. (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, WednesdaySaturday, (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 handicapped-accessible. Daylight hours year-round. (910)695-3882. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September 2010

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692-2825 410 Bradford Village Southern Pines Located behind Sandhills Real Estate Team & Town Center Pharmacy

CA L E N DA R Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (898 acres). 1024 Ft. Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910) 692-2167.

Shop Sanford

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.

PineNeedler Answers From page 75 B A R M

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SandhillSeen

Nancy Husey

Harold & Ethan Jones

Peggy Thompson

Southern Pines Farmers Market Photographs by Jeanne Paine

Carol Wadon and “The Bear”

Wilma Tolar

James Marshall & Ted Smith

Isabel & Havner Parish Olivia Dowdy Brown & Hinton Brown

Daniel & Nancy Harman

Nicholas & Katherine Arnold

Harry & Sara Webster Lee Cloninger, Amy Davis & Robert Vandervoort

Mary Anne Winkelman & Pam Lee

Lucille Buck

Fred Brush

SandhillSeen

Caroline Bond, Nelle & Lille Kester

Moon Pies for the Well Begotten at the Home of Jim & Lucille Buck Photographs by Jeanne Paine

Diana & Charlie Meyer

Lucille & Jim Buck

Dick & Katie Walsh

Marsha Slane, Dixie & Pidgie Chapman

Sarah & Mark Twilla, Cecilia Harding

Jack & Tara Kester Lib Palmer & Paul Bride

Nancy & Len Caple, Ben & Ellen Jordan

Howard Schubert & Meridith Martens

Rick Roeder & Christie Cameron

SandhillSeen

Patty Odey, Al Barbero, & Pattu Odey

Mel & Barbara Keiffers

Sandhills Community College Jazz Band Concert Photographs by Cathy Marion Andrew, Rob, Carie, Nathan, & Landon Hill

Annie & Katie Spaller

Janis & James Tartolio, & Helen Simms

Cathy Fletcher & Audrey Curlee

Brantly Roberson, John Paul & Catherine Dargenil, & Blain Robertson

Carol & Gary Broadwell Dale & Bob Saen

Barbara & Ed Lewis

Aziz Ahmad & Carol Henderson Mary Ellen Lawson & Mary-Stewart Regensburg

Jo & Ralph Gilbert Christy & Ruth Straka Ellen Mabe, Kathy Kinney, & Evelyn Petker

SandhillSeen First Friday - Downtown Southern Pines Photographs by Cathy Marion

Ellison May & Maia Ciccarello Hanna & Jenna Burns

Alicia, Amelia,Tasman, & John Brinton

Amy May, Joanna Ciccarello, & Aless Ciccarello

David & Audrey Lord Heather AlersHankey, Carolyn, Macy & Donna Cheek, & Nicole Dunsten

Phyllis McMillan, Jeffrey & Valerie Barns, and Sunny

Jeannie Carpenter, Shannon Ewing, & John Whalon

Ember

Lisa & Cruze Clavenger

Shonita Wilson, Jessica Tilden, & Erin Davison

Beth Dannenhauer & Abby

Charlotte, Opie, and Brianna Hagen

Experience Seven Lakes

I N I N G

I D E

MOORE COUNTY

FARMERS MARKET Watermelons, Cantaloupes,Tomatoes, Corn, Blueberries & Peaches Fruits, Veggies, Jams, Meats, Flowers & Plants

Mondays- FirstHealth (Fitness Center)

170 Memorial Dr â&#x20AC;¢ Pinehurst 2pm-6pm

Will be open through October 25th

Thursdays- Morganton Rd (Armory Sports Complex) Southern Pines 9am-1pm

Saturdays - Downtown Southern Pines Broad St & New York Ave 8am-Noon Will be open through October 30th

Call 947-3752 or 690-9520 for more information. On the web: Google Moore County Farmers Market Local Harvest Visit us on facebook! Operated and Managed by members of the MCFM, INC

I N I N G

I D E

THOUGHTS FROM THE MAN SHED

A Sad Day on the Horizon? Can’t imagine a world without books and bookstores

BY GEOFF CUTLER

There was an old

gnarled and crooked cherry tree out in the orchard at our place. I used to climb it, and in a surprisingly comfortable crotch, sit and read. Back then, we didn’t have video games or mobile phones vying for our attention. We did have television, and watched plenty of it, but somehow, reading and discovering the worlds that could be visited in books was still plenty exciting. I’m one who still feels that way about books, and worry that there’s the potential for the Kindle and iPad to one day do away with bookstores and the age of Gutenberg. I understand that Amazon does a wonderful job sending out books ordered online, but they are apparently fully prepared to move solely to cyber-books, and won’t feel any profit pinch not selling paperbacks and hardcovers. I cannot imagine our town without The Country Bookshop, or for that matter, bookstores like it throughout the world. They are places of wonder, exploration and the human exchange of ideas. Some are dark and dusty, with nooks and crannies and overstuffed shelves. Some are bright and cheery, well lit and smelling of new paper. Before she decided on The Country Bookshop, Joan Scott was thinking about buying The Francis Scott Key Bookshop on the corner of 28th and “O” streets in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The proprietors back then were a couple of sweet older ladies who had apartments above the shop. It was marked by a colonial sign out front and books crammed behind the paned and stained glass windows, and when you came in off the street, it was like going back in time and finding yourself in something out of a Charles Dickens novel. The Old Curiosity Shop comes to mind. The ladies might peer up at you over the top of their spectacles; perhaps one was reading and the other poring over the store’s ledgers with a sharp pencil. There was a musty smell and dust hung thick over everything. Books spilled out of their shelves or were piled about the floor. Some were stacked on top of the bookcases. Alphabetical shelving by author or category wasn’t a priority with these gals, either. Controlled chaos is what it was, but all the better for exploration and discovery of something new or out of the way. I would pull a book down off a shelf. I liked the cover. I have always judged books by their cover. Some are attractive, some… not so much. I love reading the inside of dust jackets too, and further confirming whether I’ll select the book or not. “Have you tried Stegner?” One of the ladies asked.

“I haven’t.” “Oh, you really should! His latest is over there…or maybe it’s in the window. I can’t remember, but I just finished it and it’s wonderful. It’s called Crossing To Safety.” I didn’t care for the cover, but I bought it on her recommendation and Wallace Stegner became one of my favorite authors. Joan Scott, having settled on The Country Bookshop, kept a list of my favorite authors, and when one came out with something new, she’d call me to say that so-and-so had a new one, and did I want her to hold a copy for me? I always said yes. It’s not just the stores or the reading material. It’s the books themselves. What are they made of, how are they bound, and what do they smell like? Are they cut from leather or cardboard? Are they sewn or glued? Is the paper thin or thick? Are the edges cut smooth with added gilding, or are they rough cut? I love sticking my nose into a new book and then riffling the pages for the clean aroma as I listen to the snap of the paper. Beth gave me my love of books. She couldn’t fly an umbrella or magically spit-spot a room full of strewn toys like Mary Poppins, but she could sure teach a tot how to read. Before nap everyday, this was what she did with me. The Dick and Jane series was on my earliest curriculum and I had them mastered by age 3. Then it was onto Dr. Seuss, (my favorite is still Green Eggs and Ham), then the Boxcar Children’s stories, The Hardy Boys and The Counterpane Fairy. By age 8 or so, with Beth long since returned to England, I was reading Wind In The Willows, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, Trumpet of The Swan, A Day No Pigs Would Die, To Kill a Mockingbird, and my favorite, which I read sitting in that old and gnarly black cherry tree, Animal Farm. The Godfather, read in its entirety in the thirteen hours it took us to drive from Boston to Southern Pines, introduced me to adult reading. The saga of the Corleone family, the associated sex and violence had me completely mesmerized. After that book, I never looked back and have been reading something at all times and building a library ever since. I like the look of books on a wall. I like pulling them down, perhaps rereading them, or just blowing the dust off. I have no idea whether the Kindle or the iPad will really do away with bound books. It’s hard not to imagine the possibility when you consider what has occurred since the advent of the home computer and how quickly it consumed our lives. I hope the book will be printed regardless of these new machines. If one day they do expire, it is going to be a tragic loss. 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.

Pinelawn Memorial Park Family Owned & Operated Since 1984

Expires 9/30/10. Can not be Facsimile

West Morganton Road, Southern Pines, NC • 910.692.6801

• Our professionally maintained gardens and distinctive mausoleums provide families with multiple burial options for every need...

• Above-ground burial in crypts and niches within the mausoleums

• Traditional ground burial with bronze memorials

• Families take advantage of our advance planning programs where they receive attractive discounts and no-interest payment plans

• Various cremation niches throughout the Park

• A licensed Perpetual Care Park, the only one of its kind in Moore County.

BY ASTRID STELLANOVA

Virgo

(Aug. 24 – Sept. 23) For the love of lunchmeat Sugar Plum, stop trying to make chicken salad out of chicken dung, would you? Ignore that which you cannot change — like the birdbrained actions of others — and focus on bettering your own life, particularly in the beginning of the month when Mercury has you feeling more self-conscious than a hairless Persian in a pet salon. With Venus and Pluto to help boost your confidence like a Victoria’s Secret garment on the 12th, feel free to take a strut on the wild side for once. If you weasel your way into a situation too hairy to comb through, don’t sweat it — the autumnal equinox on the 22nd will ease the pressure like a popped zit.

Libra (Sept. 24 – Oct. 23) A ship in the harbor is out of harm’s way — but that ain’t what ships were built for, Sweetie. Sweep your logic under the rug once in a belly-scratching while and listen to that thing that’s a-thumping inside your chest instead. When mystical Neptune mingles with tangible Mars on the 9th, your love life will be more complex than carbohydrates. Indulging will get you nowhere, so take the high road this time, Sweetheart. Keep an open mind on the 18th when you feel as though you’ve lost your grip. Trust me, Sug’ums, your horizons are expanding like a wet sponge. Scorpio (Oct. 24 – Nov. 22) Sticking your nose in a book or two may help you sift through some mind-boggling gobbledygook this month, Sweetie — sliced bread ain’t a new invention, after all. When Uranus and Venus form a bond as awkward as a drunken kiss on the 7th, you’ll feel more disconnected than a telemarketer at suppertime. I suggest finding something to focus your wits on in the middle of the month to keep from gabbing like a momma goose — balance will come with the autumnal equinox on the 22nd, but not without a little cotton-picking effort on your part, Hon. Sagittarius (Nov. 23 – Dec. 21) When it comes to humanity, you have as much faith as a blind nun in shark-infested waters (bless your heart). That kind of naiveté is likely to crush you like black pepper over chicken fettuccine. On the 9th, you may be more interested in soul searching than material matters — dig deep Deary, you’ll find yourself eventually. After the 22nd, the future will begin opening up like the seam of your favorite childhood toy. Don’t let anything — or anyone — get in your way, especially on the 25th when a certain force is as bothersome as a hangnail on a hairdresser. Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 20) Well, bless my blueberry rhubarb pie! You can’t get to the top by sitting on your bottom, Sweet Pea. The new moon on the 8th will present an adventure that could inspire you to snorkel down into a lake of knowledge — be gung-ho and go! Although a certain relationship may dampen your quills on the 12th, be quick to make friends rather than foes. When trouble surfaces like an arrowhead after a heavy rain in the coming weeks, you’ll be thankful for a little extra support. Trust me, Pumpkin. The proof is in the pudding. Aquarius (Jan. 21 – Feb. 19) That’s not rotten tomato you smell, Sugar. It’s change, and it’s coming your way faster than joe-pye weed through a woodchuck! Mercury will have you feeling like a kitty’s whiskers on the 4th when your ideas are as brilliant as a peacock’s plume after a spit bath. Although the new moon may bring a little drama into your heart department on the 8th, that turmoil will be as gone as the golden days before you know it. Focus your energies elsewhere midmonth, like pursuing an opportunity that arises as unexpectedly as the symptoms of puberty. Bon voyage, Buttercup.

Feel free to contact Astrid for insights on your personal stars or hair advice for any occasion at astridstellanova@rocketmail.com.

Pisces (Feb. 20 – March 20) Look out, little fishy. Someone’s likely to catch your eye like a freshwater treble hook against the wind on the 3rd. Don’t allow a conversation with him or her to blow you off course — grab life by the horns and ride out more ups and downs than a season of “The Young and the Restless.” As my Aunty Pearl used to say, ye who never makes

mistakes never makes discoveries. Scratch that notion, Cake Face. When temptation as welcome as a skunk at a lawn party appears on the 30th, you’d be wise to avoid it like the doggone plague! Aries (March 21 – April 20) Well tan my hide. This month looks more colorful than dialogue during a rugby match! Mercury will leave you more tongue-tied than two teenagers under the football bleachers on the 3rd, so find a way to articulate or you’ll be as stressed as Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief at Daytona. With a head as hard as a boiled egg, it may be difficult to resist the urge to act upon impulse on the 9th and 25th, especially when you’re feeling as bold as a Sharpie on a scorecard. Patience is key — and could bring more magic into your life than control-top undergarments bring to mine. Taurus (April 21 – May 21) If you don’t like the cake, don’t eat it, Sweetie. (You know what I’m talking about.) Even if your sense of humor and fashion are drier than a burnt bush, you don’t have to settle for anything lower than your own shallow standards. Whether it’s a birdsong or a night sky that causes you to fall in love with life again on the 4th, don’t lose the fervor — you’ll need it for when the full moon on the 23rd tries to ruffle your feathers. Oh, and as my Aunty Pearl used to say, by the looks of your passport picture, you could probably use a trip. Gemini (May 22 – June 21) Well dill my pickle chips. When an idea as sharp as a splinter in the keister hits you this month, it’ll erase some of those negative thoughts that have been fogging up your brain like car windows at a drive-in movie. Life doesn’t have to be as hard as your own head, Pumpkin — you’ll realize that on the 14th when you finally spill your deepest fears to the person who can help you conquer them. Oh, and be careful not to over-indulge on the 23rd — karma can be as harsh as backwash for breakfast. As a wise man from China once said, “Muddy water, let stand — becomes clear.” Cancer (June 22 – July 23) You can’t sip miso soup with a fork, Sug’ums — you’re savvy enough to know that! I suggest lining up your bananas at the beginning of the month. Trust me, you’ll appreciate some downtime around the 9th to let to imagination race like the champion frog at the county fair. When Mercury makes its shift on the 12th, try and resist the urge to act too impulsively. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a situation as smelly as grandpa’s bargain-basement aftershave. Oh, and you know that thing where your tummy used to be. Your gut? Listen to it at the end of the month, Sweets. Leo (July 23- Aug. 23) Flank steak, pulled pork, shish kabobs. Venus and Neptune will have your tripping over your tongue like a hippie through a mud hole on the 4th. (Flowery language will be as useful as a wart remover on a mole, Dear — say what you mean and nothing more.) When you feel as open as a boiled oyster on the 12th, be careful not to expose too much to someone you know too little. A rose cut from the bush will surely wither. Although you’re luckier than a house-fed duck on the 21st, the month’s end may provide unwelcome obstacles. Such is life — and it’ll keep getting sucher and sucher, Hun. PS

Elegant or Casual Dining Where Past & Future Legends Meet Experience our fabulous food

Bar Open: Sun & Mon at 4:30pm, Tues - Sat at 11:30am Pub Menu available until 9pm • Lunch: Tues-Sat 11:30am-2pm Breakfast: 6:30-10am daily • Sunday Brunch: 10:30am-1pm (910) 295 6121 • 50 Dogwood Road • Pinehurst NC

September Pine Needler Teacher’s Pet ACROSS 1. Gift for teacher (or New York City nickname) 4. Thread holder 9. Toast topper for teacher 12. “Too bad!” 14. Forbidden 15. Break, on Young’s Rd., perhaps 16. Anger, with “up” 17. “Walking on Thin Ice” singer 18. Pertaining to a young insect stage 20. Alaskan sled dog 22. Poke fun at 23. “Can’t Help Lovin’ ___ Man” 24. German author 25. Greyhound, e.g. 28. Teacher’s favorite 31. The Pine Crest, ie. 32. Tropical fruit for teacher 33. Burgle 36. Tokyo, formerly 37. “Home ___” 39. Not well 40. Move the boat 41. “Thanks ___!” 42. August zodiac 43. Follower 44. Throw another on the fire

45. Blotch 50. “I” problem 53. Gift for teacher from the fair 54. Victorian ceramic 59. Property maintenance 61. Absorbed, as a cost 62. Perfect tennis server 63. Lugosi 64. Charged, in a chemical way 66. Had a hunch 67. Living 68. Build 69. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms DOWN 1. Foam, froth from beer 2. Hip bones 3. Guts 4. Ale featured at the new Sly Fox Restaurant 5. Breathe heavily 6. Wind instrument 7. First two numbers of James Bond’s ID 8. “Ha, Ha!” initials on the Web 9. Offerings at Frankie’s 10. Accumulate 11. Donnybrook 13. Johnny planted one for his teacher, maybe 15. Place to pick for teacher 19. Sportsman, abbrev. 21. 32 Down’s mate

25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 32. 33. 34. 35. 38. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.

54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 60. 65.

Belgian ale Annul, as a marriage Falling flakes Seasoned rice “Waterworld” girl, or Hiroshima bomber 1st name Join securely, as a wood joint 21 Down’s mate Small stream Blue Bonnet, e.g. Online journal Alien, abbrev. A real dive, in the Caribbean Narrow down, sharpen Bracelet site “What’s the big____?” “The Steve Allen Show” regular Leave the plane suddenly Leave Count played by Jim Carrey in “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” It’s braided , along Young’s Rd. Suffix with symptom Decorated, as a cake Gael ___Council of Moore County All-American dessert for teacher Either ___

4 13

28 32

50 54

4 3 9

23 25

66 69

2 9 8

4 7 1 6

3 8 6 4 5 8 7

4 1 2 9

Sudoku: Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1-9. Puzzle answers on page 63

SOUTHWORDS

BY LORI PRY

f there is one thing every woman loves, it’s a good compliment. We like to be noticed if we look nice, get a new haircut, flash cool sandals, a pretty dress; you get the idea. The other day, though, someone gave me one I won’t soon forget. That’s because I can’t recall enjoying one more. “Hey, Lori,” this guy asked. “Were you a catcher when you were growing up?” I just grinned because what I hoped was coming next, in fact, did. “Wow, I saw you at the field the other night and you’re really good!” he said. The truth is, he’s not the first dad to notice and offer comment on my catching prowess. Sometimes it comes in the form of, “Gee, Lori, you never even flinch,” or “Hey, you look like you’ve done that before.” This time, however, the guy asking the question was a certain Mr. Embler, a somewhat legendary Sandhills baseball coach and father of several boys who play some really fine ball. Naturally, coming from such a source, I took this as a major compliment and one I will tuck away forever. Golly, Barry Embler thinks I am a good catcher! I’m also a regular mom. I cook dinner, I run the daily seasonal shuttle to baseball practice and soccer practice, raise funds for local athletic teams, help with homework, the whole nine yards. But, in the male-dominated world of baseball, being held in high regard as a regular mom who can catch a 60 m.p.h. fast ball without flinching, well, that makes me feel pretty good. Naturally, by the time we finished our conversation my head was slightly too big for the Morganton Road field where we happened to be standing. And in all fairness, most important, he did go on to compliment the athletic ability of my ten-year-old son, Nik, our household’s live-in star athlete, who has more to do with this than anyone. For the moment, at least, I got to bask in the unique glory of being both a good mom and a decent warm-up catcher. Nik has been wild about baseball since he was three or four and playing t-ball at Campbell Field. At six, it was machine pitch ball, and at nine live pitching from kids with gunslinger ambitions. Now he’s ten and quickly picking up the fine art of pitching himself. As a result, I have spent hours on end catching him. Nearly every day finds us in our backyard or over at the Morganton field where his sister has soccer practice, or even at a ballpark playing pitch and catch. We take it seriously and do it all the time. On game days our routine is to arrive at least a half hour early so I can warm him up before the other team arrives. Once in a while another player will arrive early too and offer to relieve me in my catcher’s classic crouch. That’s when I appear to go deaf as an unpopular umpire behind the plate. See, pal, I like catching! Correction, I love catching!! I’ve been doing this since last March, and no other kid is going to take this warm-up mama’s place. Believe me, they’ve tried. But I won’t give up the plate easily, even to the toughest peer pressure. One evening I heard a kid laugh and yell out, “Hey, Nik! What’s your mom doing catching?”

Bring it on, I thought. And I’m happy to say my son heard this taunt but didn’t even pause or glance over; he just kept popping my mitt with his rapidly improving fastball. I, on the other hand, was sorely tempted to yell back to the kid, “Hey, buddy, warm-up catcher is my job!” You see, I’ve always loved baseball. It’s a sport with so much to offer, but this year the game surprised even me. This year it taught me a really valuable lesson — namely that we moms are never too old or too busy to learn something new. Some say you need to do all kinds of mental exercises as you age to keep your brain sharp. I say, if you can maintain the catcher’s position and keep your eyes on a fast ball hurtling at your face, instead of worrying about what you’ll be making for dinner, you can extend your life by at least ten years. It’s pretty simple. You focus your mind, sharpen your vision or risk losing teeth. It’s the law of unintended consequences. Seriously though, I’ve listened carefully to my son’s coaches, who have taught him how to correctly throw and catch a baseball. Unbeknownst to any of them, I’ve practiced right along with Nik, soaking things up like a sponge, learning as I go, and halfway through the season last year it clicked! I thought, “Hey, I can do this! It’s a whole lot more fun than cleaning house or making dinner!” Like a dutiful player, I paid close attention when they explained the “goalpost position”; I concentrated on throwing “over the top.” I learned the proper technique for the classic two-finger fastball, and that my four-seamer’s pitch is not half bad, though I definitely need work on my cutter, and forget the knuckleball altogether. If Nik can’t throw a super curve until he’s fourteen, well then, neither will I. We don’t need elbow trouble at our ages. As the baseball season winds down, I made my son a promise I would continue to catch his pitches all winter, but my official stint as a warm-up catcher ended with the start of the All Star Season and Tournament play. For me, a proud catcher-mom, this meant it was time to step aside and let these boys do what they love. They are serious about the game. Besides, they need their moms to make sure they didn’t forget their water bottles, cleats, gloves, bat bags — and, hey, did they remember to wear the right color uniform today? Most of all, they need us to cheer for them as loud and long as possible. Summer fades quickly. So does childhood. One day about the time my catching services were no longer required, I accidentally left my husband’s beloved catcher’s mitt behind at the field. It had been his in high school and was beautifully broken in. After looking in vain for it all over the field, my husband gritted his teeth and managed to crack a smile and told me, ‘It’s OK, it was just a mitt.” I know different because I got to use that great old mitt all season long with our son. It’s nice to know you can fall in love again with something as simple as an old catcher’s mitt — wherever it has gone. PS Lori Pry is a Pinehurst resident.

Illustration by Pamela Powers January

My Life as a Warm-Up Catcher

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M A G A Z I N E

P.O. BOX 58 Southern Pines, NC 28388

5 9 13 14 17 21 23 30

Autumn 2010 Volume 1, No. 1

pg 23

Our House Hunt & Gather Inspired Creations Market Report The Artisan’s Touch Practical Moves Four Kitchens Autumn’s Paradox

By Robert Hayter

pg 35

35 The Manhattan By Frank Daniels III

36 Caretaker of a Grand Legacy By Ashley Wahl 44 The Genius of Aymar Embury

pg 14

By Ray Owen

56 What Lies Beneath

By Deborah Salomon

65 Bungalows in the Pines

By Jim Dodson

76 Paradise Found

By Noah Salt

87 The PHG Registry 96 A Room of My Own

pg 36

By Eddie Meacham

PHG Editorial

Jim Dodson, Editor Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director Megan Shore, Ashley Wahl, Christina Klug Deborah Salomon, Stephen E. Smith, Glenn Dickerson, Tim Sayer, Hannah Sharpe

pg 44

pg 56 pg 76

Contributors

Jennifer Kirby, Ray Owen, Frank Pierce, Noah Salt, Jenna Woronoff David Woronoff, Publisher Advertising 910.693.2505 Pat Taylor, Ginny Kelly, Bill Downey, Terry Hartsell, Marty Hefner, Peggy Marsh Darlene McNeil-Smith, Johnsie Tipton Kathryn Galloway, B.J. Hill, Mechelle Wood, Scott Yancey

Darlene Stark, Circulation Director PineStraw Home & Garden 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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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

LL CA

EW RN FO

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A Weymouth Gem. 230 Highland Rd., Southern Pines. 45BR/5BA. Home on over an acre. Beautifully Landscaped with Pool! Call Janice 910-315-9577

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Golf front Views! 42 Cardinal Whispering Pines. Gorgeous 3 BR/3BA Home. Fabulous ﬂoor plan. Beautiful lot. Call Debbie 910-783-5193.

“Old town” Pinehurst. 135 Blue Rd. Elegant ﬂoor plan. 3BR/3BA All brick custom built Home. Exquisite detailing. Private grounds. Call Janice 910-315-9577

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760 NW Broad St., Southern Pines Visit all our listings at www.janicestorrs.com NEW LISITING! 228 Heather Lane, Southern Pines. Well maintained 3 BR 2.5 BA all brick home on large lot with private back yard on a quiet street. Call Janice 910-315-9577

Janice Storrs 910.315.9577

MEMBER FIRM

Debbie Darby 910.783.5193

Turn-key, Furnished Condo. Updated! 119 Sugar Gum Pinehurst. Transferrable PCC membership available. Convenient main level unit. Call Debbie 910-783-5193

Photograph By Jack Dodson

O u r

H o u s e

Home Sweet Home BY JIM DODSON

live in an elderly and eccentric house. As near as we’ve been able to ascertain, it was built in the late Twenties by a wealthy New Yorker for one of his two unmarried daughters — to be used as a winter and springtime retreat from the miseries of the Yankee influenza season. The lines of our house are distinctly Old World, reminding me as much of Provence or even the beloved Madeline books that my daughter Maggie grew up worshipping. Not unlike the fabled “old house in Paris all covered with vines,” ours is a tidy white-washed manse with walls made of foot-thick masonry. It’s original black iron casement windows ooze charm but leak ridiculous amounts of cold air and probably should have been replaced sometime around the Jerry Ford administration. The old place’s uneven hardwood floors and clanking cast iron radiators bespeak another time and lifestyle. On our first day in the house, I went down to have a look around the basement and was startled to find original iron plumbing and a network of heating pipes and a main boiler that looked like something you’d find in the bowels of a Gilded Age steamship. When the ancient furnace finally exhaled its last breath of warmth during the first winter of occupation, it took workmen almost two weeks to disassemble this monster and find a replacement furnace that would fit.

PineStraw Home

Above it, the kitchen remains an immense artifact of Jazz Age affluence, described by huge, plain, old-fashioned white cabinetry and a vast counter that seems peculiarly at odds with the narrow entry doors — until you remember this was a room built to be where cook and maid spent much of their days in service to madam and her wintering house guests. Indeed, a stairway just off the kitchen leads up to a narrow hall and a pair of cell-like bedrooms and a small bathroom, the proverbial servant quarters belonging to a soon-to-vanish Upstairs-Downstairs world. Two of our boys and one of our dogs laid enthusiastic claim to this portion of the house. They use it as kind of their own clubhouse. The dining room, meanwhile, possesses a simple but elegant charm all its own, with a bewitching little feature set into the wall facing the house’s main stairway: a small arched door. When we first moved in nearly three years ago, we had a delightful time trying to guess what the tiny door in the wall was intended to do. Finally my clever wife, who thinks she might actually have been a French cook in another life, opened the beautifully rendered little door and placed her coffee mug on the sill. “Viola. It’s perfectly obvious, mon Cherie,” she trilled. “It’s clearly meant for madam to receive her coffee in the morning without having to face the maid!” In short, we’ve had fun living in this old place, trying to puzzle out

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 5

A lasting gift… a beautiful garden.

e chose Vince because of his sensitive translation of our vision into a beautiful landscape that will provide lasting enjoyment. ~ Dr. Dan Messner & Eleisabeth Miller, Southern Pines

Restorative Gardens • Landscaped retreats to escape • Butterfly gardens to attract wildlife • Cottage gardens to lift the spirit • Edible gardens to nourish the body • Outdoor kitchens to entertain • Therapy gardens to heal the soul • Zen gardens to gain peace • Memorial gardens to seek solace

Beautiful gardens for three decades VINCE ZUCCHINO ASSOCIATES L a n d s c a p e

A rc h i t e c t s

910.695.1077 * vza@mindspring.com * Southern Pines Landscape Architect Landscape Architect

Landscape Architect Landscape Architect Landscape Architect Landscape Architect Landscape Architect Landscape Architect Landscape Architect Landscape Architect

Landscape Architect

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Landscape Architect Landscape Architect

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Landscape Architect

O u r

H o u s e

its charming quirks and original parts, though I must say I was the last of the tribe to actually warm up to the house, which in fact we rent from a lovely elderly couple up in Pennsylvania. My initial reservation perhaps stemmed from the fact that I dearly missed the house we sold prior to moving household to Southern Pines, a beautiful and rugged post-and-beam house I spent years building and fussing over on a forested hilltop near the coast of mid Maine. That particular house, the first one I ever owned, spanned two marriages and nearly 15 years of my life and taught me everything I know about the challenges of owning and improving a home. Letting it go was one of the toughest things I ever had to do — and one of the most timeless lessons in life’s sweet impermanence. My wife found the venerable old manse we now call home upon the recommendation of a neighbor who believed a “good family” ought to live in it — since dozens already had over the decades. Initially intended to be a mere year-long rental to give us time to properly assimilate and figure out whether we wished to buy a small place or perhaps build a second home on the eve of being empty-nesters, we’re in fact entering our third year of residence and — with two in very expensive private colleges at present — are in no rush to go elsewhere for the moment. For what it’s worth, the part of the house that won me over was the classical rear portico and a simple stone terrace out back where a pair of mammoth trained Savannah hollies provide deep shade on the hottest summer days, a refuge for several varieties of songbirds — where you can often find me pottering in the dirt among the giant blue hostas and hellebores I brought with me from my extensive gardens in Maine, or simply drowsing over a good book and a glass of iced tea on a warm Sunday afternoon. It’s peaceful and perfect and sometimes makes me feel we’re living a very French provincial life. The point, I guess, is that home really is what you choose to make it, whether you rent, buy, build, or simply dream about finding your way home. That, by the way, is why we created PineStraw Home & Garden — to inspire your dreams of making your house a richer expression of you and yours, to give you good ideas and excellent resources (see our innovative Registry on page 87) and to help the garden of your family life flourish. Someday, sooner or later, we’ll leave this old place behind and go find a more permanent place to restore or build from scratch. But like the twelve little girls in two straight lines, and spunky little Madeline of the beloved 1939 Ludwig Bemelman classic, for the moment at least, we’re delighted to call our old house in Southern Pines home sweet home. PHG

Direct Line

Rick Phillips

910-695-5795

Associate Broker

Email: rphillips@pinehurst.net

Serving the Pinehurst Area for 35 Years Homes-Condominiums-Land-Investments Golf Course Communities Tax Deferred Exchanges

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Lake Pinehurst, 1900+ SF 2 BR, 2 ½ BA $339,000

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BARTLETT. BECAUSE DOGWOOD POWDERY MILDEW IS A GROWING PROBLEM. We’re Bartlett Tree Experts and with over 100 years of experience, there isn’t a plant disease we haven’t seen, researched, or managed. No matter the size or scope of your needs, our experts can identify and treat most any disease or pest that threatens the livelihood of your trees and shrubs. And every step of the way, we bring a rare mix of local service, global resources and the latest practices to make your landscape thrive. Trees add value to our homes and our lives. And Bartlett adds value to your trees.

For the life of your trees. PRUNING FERTILIZATION REMOVAL PEST & DISEASE MANAGEMENT CALL 877 BARTLETT 877.227.8538 OR VISIT BARTLETT.COM

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Young Mother

Hunt & Gather

BY JENNIFER KIRBY

H o m e W o r k s

1. Feminine Mystique This intriguing painting of a faceless woman exemplifies art that won’t get old. Prop it on a fireplace mantel and ponder away. Lyne’s Furniture Gallery, $899 2. Total Package A local best seller, this Bella Notte throw is as pretty as it is practical. One side is a patchwork blanket, the other is solid satin. It’s lightweight yet warm, perfectly countering the autumnal nip in the air. Cottage Chic, $326 3. Pen to Paper The speed and convenience of e-mail can’t compete with the pleasure of a handwritten note. Recycled stationery sets by Mudlark provide a whimsical backdrop for your words. When no cards remain, repurpose the box for photos or mementos. Mockingbird, $25 4. It’s Electric As the days grow shorter, enlist lamps to help compensate for the dwindling natural light. With plentiful beading and glass, this lamp manages elegance without ostentation and lends an eclectic touch to any room of the house. Southern Chic, $225 5. Instant Atmosphere Among the greatest pleasures of fall are those first few fires — the sight, the smell, the warmth, and the effortless ambience they create. This set of intricately detailed fireplace utensils has all the tools you need to keep the home fires burning. The Lyne’s Den, $359

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6. Stay Awhile This beauty of a bed offers a compelling argument for just a few more minutes under the covers. Cozy, classy and decked out in eye-catching green velvet, it looks as good as it feels. Holly Carter, price depends upon finish and fabric 7. Form and Function As summer’s backyard barbecues give way to fall’s indoor gatherings, Chinet yields to the real thing. This antique distressed cupboard, circa 1930, provides a lovely place to store and display it. One Eleven Main, $1,400 8. Roses are Pink One look at these roses and it’s no wonder why they’re called knockouts. They’re gorgeous, they’re low-maintenance, and they bloom in abundance through October. Gulley’s Garden Center, $24.95 Jennifer Kirby is an editor and writer, a new contributor to PineStraw magazine and mother of adorable Claire.

PineStraw Home

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 9

A PLACE WHERE TOOLS & KNOWLEDGE MAKE ANY RECIPE POSSIBLE. Cookware & Small Appliances Free Workshops & Events Every Month Culinary Tools Table DÃ©cor Artisian Dishes Specialty Foods Cooking Classes

910.255.0665 905 Linden Rd Pinehurst or visit: www.kitchenessence.com

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

College Girl

1. The Light of Italy

Hunt & Gather

H o m e W o r k s

BY CHRISTINA KLUG

As a very Tuscan summer comes to a close, you can still enjoy bright corals at home in this gorgeous Italian porcelain lamp. Framer’s Cottage, $375 2. Pillow Talk These fun and unusual decorative pillows look great anywhere you place them, particularly on crisp white bedding. One Eleven Main, $100 3. Monkey Business This ceramic monkey gives the right whimsical touch to any bookshelf, even one piled-high with boring textbooks. The Lyne’s Den, $26 4. Please be Seated To study, which I really need to do more of, one must sit in a desk chair. The brown wicker complements any fun print and color and looks great paired with wicker baskets for organizing. Mockingbird, $220.

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5. Packed to Go For out of town football games and weekends away, great make-up bags are a necessity for any traveling girl. This print also comes in a larger size bag. At Home, $15 6. Rugged and Recycled In addition to this made-from-recycledplastic rug, Green Goods also offers rugs made from old T-shirts as well as laundry bags, perfect for my ever-growing dirtyclothes pile. Green Goods, $42 7. Tray Me on for Size I am always on a hunt for cool trays. A tray is the perfect place to gather the build-up of accessories on any dresser or nightstand. At Home, $58 8. So Veddy English A lovely wooden box filled with seasonal ﬂowers from Gulley’s, this three-part “English-looking basket” is also perfect for school supplies and other college keepsakes. A Wild Hare, $98

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9. Strike the Mood Last year, I illegally lit my Victivo candle every day while living in my sorority house, one day even setting off the fire alarm. Oh, well. The divine smell made it worth it. Denkers, $28 10. Movable Art This giclée, by Catherine Elizabeth Morris, is almost too beautiful for words, and a piece that would last through many moves and stages of life. Cottage Chic, $750

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Christina Klug, PineStraw’s indispensible summer intern, is a rising junior studying journalism and magazine design at the University of Georgia.

PineStraw Home

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 11

Photograph By Jack Dodson

Inspired Creations

H o m e W o r k s

A Bird’s Best Friend A Champion Kickboxer makes Birdhouses to Die For

Jerry Stanback is a most interesting cat — a champion

kickboxer with a soft spot for birds, or at least their residences. The 1978 graduate of Pinecrest High made his first birdhouse for his mother, Nellie, five years ago, two years after he began collecting “Tough Man” titles all over the region. “She just loves the birds, and she loved the house I made her so much that she said I should make more of them.” The gifted carpenter took his mama’s advice and made two dozen distinctly unique birdhouses and sold them out in roughly one afternoon. Since then he’s had buyers from Raleigh swoop down to the Sandhills on a fairly regular basis and snap up his unique creations 20 or 30 at a time. Jerry’s innovative designs have found their way into several local gardens, and he plans to increase his production for the holidays. “I love to build them before a big fight,” he recently told PineStraw Home & Garden while showing off a particular impressive bird domicile roomy enough for a family of 36. It was, if we may say, a complete knockout. Prices range from $45-$120. For more info call Jerry at (910) 603-3628.

PineStraw Home

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 13

H o m e W o r k s

Market Report

Color Makes a Comeback BY DEE DEE PHILPOTT

To Market, to Market

To Buy A Fat Pig… Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-jig!

“

Mother Goose didn’t have the International Home Furnishings Markets in mind as she sang her familiar child’s jingle. There is so much standing, walking, greeting, and decision-making involved that rather than jiggety-jig, both buyers and exhibitors wearily drag themselves home to a welcome foot bath or two. After all, the body can only take so much of 12-to-14-hour-day weeks in light-drenched, well-appointed showrooms, short nights in hotel rooms, and food on the run. Nevertheless, all come away filled with the confidence in newly purchased products, in motivating promotions that initiate sales, and in creative ideas “stolen” from some of the best minds in the fields of design, staging, and retail. These products and ideas begin to show up in shops and stores all over the world, even in our own Southern Pines, Pinehurst, and Aberdeen. So what is new in the world of markets? Color! Color is reappearing. Times have been tough for the entire country the last two years, and we are slowly coming out of our sullen and gloomy moods. Consumers are looking for the cheerful, the bright, but not the garish. Secondary colors such as orange, but more toward a peachy hue, to soothe the weary psyche of the consumer are prominent. The same is true with greens and blues. It isn’t bright apple that we are seeing but softer, more sophisticated colors all done in good taste. Traditional tastes continue to be strong with sophisticated neutrals in shades of grays and tans all adorned with splashes of color. Lavender in all its hues is predicted to be a front-runner in 2011. When asked about style, one might use the phrase, “There is nothing new under the sun.” In many ways that is true, but fortunately there are an inordinate number of designers out there who select a tried and true design and make it new again. The classics are always the classics. Now, however, to appeal to a changing demographic of consumer — the young, the up-

Lavendar in all its hues is predicted to be a front runner in 2011

”

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

H o m e W o r k s

wardly mobile and the baby boomers who are downsizing, we are being shown the classics with a twist! The chaise longue that might not ordinarily appeal to the “30 somethings” when covered in grandmother’s maroon velvet, calls to them in a chic, contemporary, mindblowing robin’s egg blue linen! In textiles and in furniture, one can see evidence of one of the oldest civilizations in the world, the Egyptians. Fabrics for throws, upholstery, pillows, and drapery treatments in a variety of textures are woven with ancient motifs seen in Egyptian art in museums throughout the world. This particular cultural inﬂuence is also exhibited in accessories and furniture. After all, the Egyptians like to boast, they’ve been building furniture longer than anyone. The New Classics balance elements of the past with just the right touch of modernity. Furniture makers are borrowing designs and lines from highly decorative eras and applying glamorous updates in finishes and lush fabrics. What was old is now new again. The consumer is being offered both style and sophistication with a new look that translates into timeless beauty. The world of shows is not over. It’s never over! The granddaddy of shows, the October International Home Furnishings Market in our own High Point, North Carolina, will bring another round of styles, designs, and trends that titillate retailers and consumers with the latest in interior inspirations soon to be found in area shops for your buying pleasure. We’ll be there. PHG Dee Dee Philpott is a Southern Pines resident and the national sales manager for Bailey Street Furniture. PineStraw Home

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 15

Land for Sale!

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Carolina Horse Park Area • 4 to 30+ Acres

7+ Acres with private 1+ acre pond!

190 Pine Ridge, Whispering Pines

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Double Lakefront 4 br, 3.5 ba

Charming Cottage on almost half an acre 5 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, fenced in garden

Binky Albright Properties LLC 910-315-2622 • www.binkyalbright.com

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M E M B E R

F I R M

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

The Artisan’s Touch

H o m e W o r k s

Photograph By Hannah Sharpe

A (Handy) Man for the Ages BY DEBORAH SALOMON

Internet

dating sites are all about sensitive, caring men who love dogs, fine wine, roaring fires, and sunset strolls. Get serious. Al Dunham is the perfect catch. Can your sensitive guy solder a burst pipe at 2 a.m.? Build a dollhouse for the kids? Lay a hardwood ﬂoor, paint a ceiling, construct a corner cupboard, install a dishwasher, wire a lamp, unclog a drain? Al Dunham can, and so much more. Al is the uber-handyhusband. He needs no honey-do list, gentle reminders or bribes. Between family projects he pokes around looking for action. “We were married at 18. I had no idea how clever he was,” says Polly Dunham, his wife and assistant for 67 years. “Women have always said I’m lucky.” Now 85, Al may have hung up his ladder, but he still handcrafts meticulous scale models of every one of their houses, as well as historic buildings and landmarks. If a photograph or painting of an interesting structure catches his eye, Al sketches and reproduces it. His well-researched model of the Fair Barn in Pinehurst was used for fundraising, and in the restoration design. These instant heirlooms display machine-made perfection. But Al whittles, carves, paints, polishes, and pegs together each component. His grand finale was renovating/personalizing daughter Sherry Samkus’ home (PineStraw, July 2010) when she moved to Southern Pines in 2000. Al, Polly, and Sherry discussed ideas. Then, while PineStraw Home

Sherry was at work, Al went to work. He built a deck, an entertainment center and assorted furniture, hung doors, refinished ﬂoors, put up shelves and paneling, executed the décor touches for which Samkus is famous. CSI could lift his fingerprints from every surface in the house. Only a cranky toilet stumped him into calling a plumber. Otherwise, Polly says, her husband has enough sense not to tackle what he can’t handle. Neither of them recalls a single do-over. Like every conscientious carpenter, Al grooms his tools and cleans up the mess. His only serious accident was a sliced finger. Al’s skills illustrate a nature-nurture conﬂuence. His father was a mason but not terribly house-handy. His mother created with needle and fabric. Of the five children Al alone showed talent — early. “I had a workbench in the cellar. I made this when I was 12,” Al says, touching the base of a wooden table lamp with a gizmo to raise and lower the arm. “That got me going.” By 17 he and a friend partnered a kitchen cabinet business called, grandly, Dunham & Lowe. Their first (and only) customer — Al’s mother. Drafted at 18, Al was sent to work in a shipyard building tugboats and mine sweepers. He loved the smell of wood. “If it’s wood I can do anything with it,” Al says. After the war, the Dunhams lived in a series of apartments and houses — their progression documented by Al’s handiwork: “Remember the desk in Sherry’s room…? “The cart on wheels for baby bottles that we should have patented…?

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H o m e W o r k s makes cradles for his great-grandchildren and turns out birdhouses by the “The built-in drawers…? dozen for table centerpieces. Crossword puzzles are OK, but the Dunhams “The porch that we built and then enclosed...? do not own a computer. “The screened sandbox with a roof for (our son) Tom…? Neither did daVinci. “The kitchen banquettes with lids…?” As for the acorn/tree proverb, Al’s son Tom DunThose banquettes worked so well that soon Al ham, who lives in Wyoming, appreciated his father’s was building them for neighbors when his day job as handiwork but chose music for a profession. However, a salesman for a bottle manufacturer permitted. he acknowledges that Al’s expertise either wore off Polly helped. “I’ve spent my life at the other He Dumpster-dives on him or lay dormant until stimulated by need. end of a board,” she says. “When I saw Sherry’s house I thought, ‘I can do Some boards were new, others reclaimed. Al and pokes that,’” Tom says. And he picked up a hammer. “Now, recalls seeing an old barn being demolished. my father predicts I’ll work in a hardware store when “Throwing those away?” he asked the forearound building I retire.” man. Al hired a truck to haul the beams, Lest the world remember Al Dunham as a nutswhich he trimmed and mortised for ceilings sites for old tin roofs and-bolts only fellow, Polly removes a locket-sized throughout his house. “Best part — I got them heart made of a distressed clear material from a showfor nothing.” to use in models. case (crafted by Al) of tiny treasures. The attached Like most avocationists, Al can’t bear to discard, from decades ago, reads: “To my Valentine, card a piece of lumber. Give him a scrap and from he who loves and worships her!” he’ll make a table worthy of a fine furniture showroom. He Dumpster-dives The material, Al says, is a hunk of plastic from a B-24 windshield. He and pokes around building sites for old tin roofs to use in models. shaped it with a nail file, attached a loop, and inserted a chain. More “That got to be a joke in our house,” Polly says. recently he made Polly a jewelry box with drawers lined in velvet. From The last laugh has to be tens of thousands of dollars saved, one job at scratch. By hand. a time. And, just for the record, he’s affectionate, has a great sense of humor, These days, moving around can be difficult, but Al’s fingers are still loves kids, tennis, golf, and hot dogs. PHG nimble and his mind creative. He frames pictures for the Tufts Archives,

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FEATURED HOME

465 E. INDIANA | SOUTHERN PINES Renovated in 2010 while maintaining the charm & style of a 1920 cottage, this house has all the amenities you want in a home today. The custom built kitchen cabinetry is enhanced by the granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The new master suite has a walk-in closet, stunningly beautiful bathroom and is located on the main level. Two large bedrooms, bathroom and a sitting area can be found upstairs. The cottage is located on a .63 acre lot in Olde Town Southern Pines. Call today for your personal tour of this lovely home. MLS #139499. $389,000.

106 Atwater Court, Seven Lakes

Looking for a home on the water? Located on Echo Lake, this spacious 3 bedroom home boasts a commanding view of the lake from the living areas and master bedroom. The dock is a perfect spot to launch your boat. Now is the time to buy a waterfront home! MLS # 137888. $295,000.

95 Deerwood Lane, Pinehurst

Don’t miss this 4 bedroom all brick home with many recent upgrades including a new gourmet cook’s dream kitchen. Huge master suite, new ﬂoor coverings, freshly painted interior, and a transferable PCC membership. Lush landscaping and a privacy fenced backyard complete this picture. MLS #139079. $325,000.

1009 Glendale Drive, Aberdeen

Now is the time to buy! Trade your apartment for a place to call your own. This all brick home can accommodate 3 or 4 bedrooms, has a family room with a ﬁreplace and a large living room/ dining room. The yard is just under an acre. Located in Brownwood Estates, an easy commute to Ft. Bragg. MLS #139083. $155,000.

119 Morris Drive, Seven Lakes West

All brick home with three separate master bedrooms, the ultimate split bedroom plan. The open living areas…Great Room, Kitchen, Sunroom… and two level decks are ideal for entertaining and comfortable living. Enjoy the amenities, including Lake Auman, as a homeowner in this beautiful community. MLS # 139670. $379,000.

781 Booth Pond Road, Raeford

Looking for a small horse farm? Commuting to Ft. Bragg? Need a spacious home? Want some room to roam? Check! This 5 bedroom home is located on 8 acres, has a paddock, detached carport/storage bldg, a huge 4 stall barn with a tack room. MLS #139529. $400,000.

604 Sun Road, Aberdeen

Southern living at its best! One owner 3 bedroom all brick home in desirable Forest Hills. This property has everything you could want in a home including a split bedroom plan downstairs, access to the patio from the living room, kitchen, master & guest bedroom, plus a huge ofﬁce, family room & bathroom upstairs. $319,000.

100 Camberly, Aberdeen

Get some growing room! Located in Glen Laurel, close to shopping & walking distance to Southern Middle School, with over 2800’, this spacious home has three bedrooms downstairs, an office, bathroom and enormous family room upstairs. The back yard is privacy fenced and ready for pets/ a play yard or a pool. MLS #134471. $264,500.

32 Beryl Circle, Pinehurst

A home designed with you in mind. Desirable split floor plan offering over 2500’ of living space. The large living room flows into the sunroom & the kitchen which has an abundance of cabinetry, solid surface countertops, and a raised breakfast bar. Truly a house for the times with excellent spaces for indoor and outdoor living. MLS # 138422. $264,900.

CALL SARAH O’BRIEN, 692-8686 OR THEYL TURNER, 528-2321

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Practical Moves

H o m e W o r k s

“Getting To Know You...

Home Sweet Home BY DEBORAH SALOMON

The retraining process takes about a year. Some changes are pleasant: I can see the TV while reclining on the couch. My to know about you. Getting parking space is closer to the front door. I’ve made friends with live in an elderly andall eccentric house. As near as we’ve to like you, getting to hope youlate Twenties the oven been able to ascertain, it was built in the by a— a huge hurdle for a baker. Slowly, the birds are findlike me.” my sunflower seeds. wealthy New Yorker for one of his two unmarried ing daughters Hammerstein have lived in as many apartments, But I’m still not home, wherever that was. I keep a night light – toOscar be used as a wintermust and springtime retreat from the miseries of the Yankee condos, and houses as I have. burning so I won’t bump against furniture or bang into a door influenza season. Moving is traumatic. Sometimes the impetus is joyful, other during nocturnal rambles. I keep hoping daffodils will bloom by The lines of our house are distinctly Old World, reminding me as much of times, sad. Either way, making the acquaintance of new digs jars the door, come spring, like the ones I left behind. Province or even the beloved Madeline books that my daughter Maggie grew up the neural pathways that tell me which hand reaches for the toiFamiliarity breeds familiarity. I used to pity military families worshipping. Not unlike the fabled “old house in Paris all covered with vines,” let paper roll. On which side of the doorway lies the light switch. whoIt’s moved from house to house, never living anywhere long ours is a tidy white-washed manse with walls made of foot-thick masonry. How longblack the water takes to warm up and where, did I enough to original iron casement windows oozewhere, charmohbut leak ridiculous amounts of become familiar. That’s different. You don’t miss what shelveairthe wine glasses? hardly cold and probably should have been replaced sometimes around theyou Jerry Ford had. For the first six months in a new house the real estate mantra It’s not that I’m pining, exactly. There’s that saying about administration. “location, location, location” simply means where shall I hang a known The old place’s uneven hardwood wooden floors and clanking cast iron radia-evil. But I do long for the day when my living space the thetime 100-year-old Egyptian scarab mythe house, Ifeels tors Chagall bespeakposter, another and lifestyle. On our first quilt day in wentas comfortable as an old sweatshirt with a hood to hide my mother’s boyfriend brought her from a tour paid for by his parents rumpled down to have a look around the basement and was startled to find original iron hair and a pouch to hold little things — the things that — to end and the romance? plumbing a network of heating pipes and a main boiler that lookedbelong like in the junk drawer, if I had one. Then I will recognize I hear from people who can actually defi ne the word that every click, every drip, every rafter groan and chimney belch. something you’d find in the bowels of a Gilded Age steam ship. When the ancient living spaces possess karma. Yours should match theirs —the or first winter of Maybe furnace finally exhaled its last breath of warmth during oc- then this house will feel like home. PHG the floorboards forever squeak protest the area rug cupation, it tookwill workmen almost in two weeksunder to disassemble this monster and that doesn’t fi t. I interpret karma more practically: The kitchen hollies provide find a replacement furnre a pair of mammoth trained Savannah counters mustn’t behottest too high or too days, low —a nor must ther-varieties of songbirds deep shade on the summer refuge forthe several mostat be installed by a basketball player. Electric outlets must – where you can often find me pottering in the dirt among the giant blue hostas be plentiful and well-placed. No Dumpster, messy porch, ragged and hellbores I brought with me from my extensive gardens in Maine, or simply shrub, traffi c light or alley My on karma suffers drowsing over a good bookshould and amar glassmy ofview. iced tea a warm Sunday afternoon. few fl at surfaces. I need paned windows, paneled doors, grooved It’s peaceful and perfect and sometimes makes me feel we’re living a very French moldings but provincial life.not stucco ceilings. Stucco ceilings just mean that their underside doesn’t. The point, I should guess, islook thatbetter, homebut really is what you choose to make it, whether The fi rst few days in a new house feel likefiliving a messy you rent, buy, build, or simply dream about ndinginyour way home. That, by the motel without maid service. Boxes sealed with duct tape and way, is why we created PineStraw Home & Garden – to inspire your dreams of labeled with home but of once making yourmarkers house a promise richer expression youunpacked, and yours,their to give you good ideas contents look uncomfortable — the way a vegetarian feels un-167) and to help the and excellent resources (see our innovative Registry on page comfortable in afamily steakhouse. garden of your life flourish. I’ve been there, Someday, soonertoo. or later, we’ll leave this old place behind and go find a more For weeksplace my hand fumbles for drawers where none exist.the The permanent to restore or build from scratch. But like twelve little girls in showerhead’s at the wrong end of the tub. The refrigerator opens two straight lines, and Spunky little Madeline of the beloved 1939 Ludwig Befrom rightclassic, to left.for I wake up at dawn and look a window not our old house in melman the moment at least, we’reout delighted to call facing the sunrise. Where is the clock when time is short? One Southern Pines home sweet home. doorsill trips me up and the stair risers are an inch too high. My muscles, not my eyes, notice. The agony of unpacking temporarily blunts discomfort. I must decide which cupboard will hold which pots, trying to replicate the pattern of my old kitchen. Yet I reach and reach for items that are elsewhere. But where?

“…getting

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Four Kitchens By Ashley Wahl • Photographs By Glenn Dickerson These distinctive Sandhills kitchens support the timeless notion that home is where the heart is — and the family always gathers.

details Designer, Doug Bryant Cabinets, Design Studio for Cabinetry Appliances, Sears, Kees Appliance Center Teapot and toaster, Bed, Bath & Beyond Granite, Blarney Stoneworks, Inc.

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Horse Country Kitchen Joanie Bowden knew exactly what she wanted her kitchen to look like when she decided to build her cottage in horse country in September 2009. With blueprints hand-drawn by a friend to guide her, she turned to Design Studio for Cabinetry for assistance with her rustic dream kitchen. Beadboard maple cabinets painted in toffee create a warm, homey atmosphere in the kitchen, and with an open floor plan, are unified by the slight cathedral beadboard ceiling in the conjoined dining area, bar, and living room. Pre-finished hardwood flooring harmonizes the rooms throughout the house, while earth-toned granite used on the countertops and island contrast with the wood floor and cabinets. A custom-built range hood above the stove — in red — is a sweet and modest focal point, complemented with matching teapot, toaster and subtle detail in the wallpaper. In compliance with the bucolic nature of the kitchen, appliances are stylishly concealed to reduce their visual presence. A black French-door refrigerator is disguised as beadboard cabinetry, while the island functions as both a place to sit and a hiding spot for the built-in microwave. Joanie requested kitty-cornered open shelving and ornamental cutouts in the cabinets above the refrigerator for aesthetic appeal and a lighter feel. Seeded glass paneled cabinet doors light up heirloom china and assorted trinkets. “It was too heavy a look to have all cabinets,” she says. Skylights brighten the kitchen and unified rooms, supplemented by various ceiling lights. A delicate stained-glass light fixture hangs above the sink where Joanie can gaze out of her window and admire the horses in the nearby pastures. Although she used to be a gourmet cook, Joanie admits she doesn’t do nearly as much cooking anymore, but keeps the refrigerator stocked with plenty of carrots and apples. “All of my kitchens have been different,” she says. “For this season of my life, this kitchen is exactly what I need.”

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details Designer, Terry Burrow Cabinets, L.A. Cabinets Appliances, Kitchen Aid from Lowes Tile, Meadow Creek Contractor, Jim Jones, Granite, Schneider Stone Incorporated

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The Perfect Twosome Sometimes one cracked tile can trigger a wondrous renovation. Such was true for this Pinehurst kitchen. Dennis and Mary Green moved from Syracuse, New York, in 2003 to spend their retirement days golfing in the pines. When they noticed that the (golfer’s) green and white tiles on their kitchen floor were beginning to crack — and that there was no cement foundation beneath them — things snowballed. “We re-did everything,” says Mary. “We lightened it, we brightened it, we took doors off — and boy, am I glad we did.” Although the kitchen has limited natural light, the lightly toned walls, backsplashes, granite countertops and tile floors instantly brightened the room, supplemented by the installation of several ceiling lights, mini-pendant lights and under-cabinet counter lighting. To counterbalance the luminosity, rich mahogany-colored cabinetry flows through the kitchen like a measure of music — only it’s not mahogany. It’s lyptus wood. “Lyptus is fast-growing,” Dennis says of the South American product. “It’s economically and environmentally friendly. You don’t have to take the old-growth forest.” In harmony with the movement of the cabinetry, the granite countertops were cut with the grain in a way that conveys optimal organic motion across the kitchen. The central island was narrowed from its original size, broadening footpaths and serving as a crafty place to install a wine cooler — a space-saving alternative to the wine rack that once took up so much of the Greens’ cabinet space. In the wine rack’s former place, Mary showcases her mother’s crystal in lighted, glass-paneled cabinets. Separated from the oven, the flat-top stove features a custom-fit range hood and, since the sink is on the other side of the island, an innovative pot filler. L.A. Cabinets also cut a functional drawer beneath the stove. Backsplashes with an Old World aura complement both sides of the kitchen. Mary recalls her concern with picking out black appliances. “People kept telling me I would regret black,” she says. “You can’t imagine the anxiety I had.” Now she has no regrets. “Stainless steel would take away from the cabinets,” says Dennis. “Your eyes would have gone straight to the stainless steel. The black adds beauty and depth.” We agree.

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Take The “Indoors” Out!

Relaxation has taken on a new meaning with carefree indoor/outdoor fabrics Life is a beach afterall. From foundation to finished home, from whole home to one room, The Design Studio can fulfill all your design needs… Come visit our showroom… you will feel right at home.

Fabrics shown are from JAB

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138 S. Steele St. • Uptowne Center • Sanford, NC 27330 • 9:30 to 5 • 774-7575

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

details Designer, Christine DiMarco Cabinets, Heritage Cabinet Company Renovation, Rhetson Companies Appliances, Kees Appliance Center Granite, Blarney Stoneworks, Inc.

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Something Old, Something New Being able to watch the sun dance and set over sparkling Lake Auman from the sink is enough for Todd and Sara Turner to love their kitchen, but it’s not the only reason they do. Having undergone a remodeling project that creatively integrates new and old cabinetry, this kitchen surely has a story to tell — and with an entertainment bar that comfortably seats six, it offers plenty of space for hungry listeners to hear it. “It’s not a kitchen, it’s a gathering spot,” says Todd, who explains the measures taken to expand the room so very central to this Seven Lakes home. With walls that once confined now gone (in addition to an unnecessary guestroom closet), open space allowed for the extension of an entertainment bar, the rearrangement of cabinetry and appliances, and plenty of natural light to flood through a large lake-facing window. Rather than installing all new cabinetry, the Turners took apart the kitchen’s original cherry-stained cabinets and rearranged them in a new layout. “Pieces were even saved to build our island,” Todd says. But that’s one side of the kitchen. The other side features new maple painted cabinets. The rich cranberry brown granite found on the countertops and bar, and the tiled walls and backsplashes are the ties that bind the two tones. (The Turners had no desire to salvage the 90s’ wallpaper.) A subtle trim on the new cabinets also picks up the cherry color found in the original cabinetry, while the cherry range hood above the stove intermingles with the lighter color as well. “We picked a light color [cabinet] just to brighten the room,” says Sara of her blended yet fluent kitchen. Sara raves about their all-new appliances while the automatic closing drawers on the new cabinetry is one of Todd’s favorite features. With four grown children who love to cook, the Turners are happy to provide such a spacious and welcome place for them to come home to. “This is really a great gathering spot,” Todd gestures toward the entertainment bar. Sara laughs and adds that Todd “supposedly” does his computer work downstairs. Basement office or lake office? Todd responds: “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out which room is the better place to be.”

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details Designer, Amber Jensen Cabinets, Artistic Kitchen and Bath Contractor, Eric Payne Appliances, Kees Appliance Center

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Simply Zen When Tammy and David Lord purchased this vintage 1961 home last year, the kitchen was one of the first rooms to undergo a complete transformation. Out with the wood paneling and avocado-colored appliances, in with modern chic. “It felt like a dark hole,” Tammy says of the kitchen prior to remodeling. “I would have spent more time in here regardless,” she says of her kitchen, “but now I’m really happy to be here.” To create a larger, more fluid space, the wall connecting a small living area was torn down, the ceiling was lifted, and two skylights were put in to let in natural light. Energy efficient, stainless steel appliances replaced outdated equipment, and two silver pendant lights were installed above a floating island, which often doubles as a dining area for the family, highlighting Tammy’s beloved Wolf stove. Symmetrical open shelving on either side of the deep stainless steel sink hosts everyday dishware, combining visual interest with simple convenience for the Lords and their guests. In white, the shelves and cabinetry help create a fresh, clean essence and are a perfect complement to the turquoise accent wall. “I let my husband pick out the color,” Tammy says of the radiant backsplash, admitting that David was only given two turquoise options to choose from. The Lords are both pleased with the subtle effect produced by the integration of matte and frosted tiles — Tammy is pleased to see her favorite color every day. For the countertops and island, the couple chose light grey cambria, a non-porous quartz product. The solid-colored, easy-to-clean surface adds to the simplicity of the kitchen, harmonizing with the white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The island’s surface features a thicker edge, giving it a funky contemporary appeal, and is parallel with the cambria countertops. In order to enhance the horizontal flow of the kitchen, backless barstools were selected for the island. As a yoga instructor and mother of two, Tammy says she needs a simple, orderly place to come home to. “My mind is chaotic enough,” she says. “This kitchen is perfection.” PHG

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WhyThey trees? are the

structure of our

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Autumn’s Paradox Makes Me Think of Our Best Garden Plants By Robert Hayter

ith 36 years of designing, installing and nurturing Sandhills landscapes, I have learned when many garden plants get off to a great start. It’s autumn. How can that be? Autumn seems like the time of year when plants are slowing down in preparation for winter. I call that Autumn’s Paradox. Autumn conveys a period when plants appear to be growing less than in the spring. We observe shorter days, cooler temperatures, waning summer flowers and colorful fall leaves, all signs that the growing season is coming to an end. But autumn’s message is misleading when it comes to planting most trees and shrubs in your garden. It is true that the above-ground parts of your garden plants are less active. But not so for their roots…in fact, our moderate soil temperatures and the natural processes of plant growth cause significant root growth throughout autumn and early winter. The growth activities underground are increasing at a rate similar to the decline in activities we see above ground. So don’t be misled by autumn’s message. The best results for transplanting most trees and shrubs is fall planting. That leads me to thoughts of our area’s best trees and shrubs. Autumn makes me not only think differently about the preferred transplanting time, but also the selection of plants for our gardens. What are the best plants for Sandhills gardens? Of the thousands of trees, shrubs, perennials or annuals to choose from, what defines best? Are they natives? Are they evergreen? Do they have season-long flowers? How many are on the best list? The questions can seem endless. This is a bit of a challenge, but here goes. I rely on years of observation and proven performance as my first filter. For this article let’s limit our discussion to ten trees, five large trees and five small trees. (Perhaps I will do a follow-up story about shrubs.) Why trees? They are the structure of our gardens. They occupy their stations for long periods and contribute significantly to both natural and human environment. Best trees have desirable qualities. They are relatively trouble free, tolerate our environment well, and have year-round or strong seasonal interest. There is no perfect tree, whatever perfect means. But there are many proven performers for our gardens. The 10 trees on my best list are not for all gardens for many reasons.

gardens. PineStraw Home

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But if you have adequate space, light conditions, and a well defined function, one or more of these trees can be a great choice.

Five Best Large Trees

Five Best Small Trees Trident Maple, Acer buergerianum. Other than our area’s invasive scrub oaks, there aren’t many fall colored trees in the Sandhills. Trident maple changes that. Near your patio, along your garden edge, this small tree can be your best choice for interesting form, umbrella canopy, and brilliant red fall color. It is tolerant of our sandy soils, grows relatively slowly and fits into tight locations. It truly stands up to our conditions.

Longleaf Pine, Pinus palustris. No best list would be complete for Sandhills gardens without the Longleaf Pine. It is iconic and defines our region. Its majestic form, long needles and large cones are unique among pines. There is no better large evergreen tree for Sandhills gardens than the Longleaf Pine. Eastern Dogwood, Cornus florida. Like the Longleaf Pine How about successfully transplanting it into your garden? Many years and Southern Magnolia, no Sandhills garden best list would be ago, when I first came to the Sandhills, I was told, “You can’t transplant complete without our native Dogwood. There are many varieties to Longleaf Pines.” More die than survive the process. For years I found select from; all of them seem well suited for our gardens. Its spring that to be true. I tried a variety of techniques and most of flowers and fall fruit make it seasonally interesting. It grows them did not improve transplant success. Small seedlings well beneath pine shade and performs equally well on sunny can be transplanted successfully, but that falls short woodland edges. of many landscape goals. Fast forward, one of the methods I tried American Holly, Ilex opaca. Two selections of this back in 1974 worked! Longleaf Pines can Autumn’s great native evergreen are almost effortless to grow. Miss be transplanted using a mechanical tree Helen and Greenleaf are garden gems. They provide paradox spade. However, even this must be year-round beauty as individual plants, as screens or done between November and March among other plants. The reason I have offered two and great garden for best results. choices is Miss Helen requires a male (fruitless) Laurel Oak, Quercus hemispeaerica. Handsome, strong, semi-evergreen. There is no better hardwood tree for your garden than Laurel Oak. The ones at Cannon Park in Pinehurst were planted in 1956 and show their qualities well. They grow relatively slowly and are trouble free. Be sure you allow adequate space and full sunlight for this Sandhills champion.

plants are partners for Sandhills gardens.

Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandifolia. Nothing says Southern garden better than Southern Magnolia. Other than its litter, no tree offers more for our gardens. Dark green evergreen leaves, beautiful and fragrant large creamy flowers, almost opaque in full sun and no less obvious among other trees, it’s a garden classic. To limit dealing with its litter allow its lower limbs to touch the ground. It’s another trouble-free tree very tolerant of our sandy soils and seasonal conditions. Green Giant Arborvitae, Thuja plicata. This is not the arborvitae you know from up north or in your childhood garden. This one comes to us from the Pacific Northwest. Green Giant is one of the most adaptive, versatile “trees” for your garden. Commonly used for screening, it is superior to Leyland Cypress, native Red Cedar, and other needled evergreen plants for screening. It grows relatively fast, retains its emerald green color year round. There is no better garden background or visual screening plant for your garden. It is listed as a tree because of its ultimate size. Be sure you allow enough space, particularly height. Lace-Bark Elm, Ulmus parvifolia. Here is the most elegant, sturdy, maintenance-free shade tree you can have in your garden. A welcome import from China, its spectacular bark pattern, branches and winter silhouette are matched. It grows a bit slower than the other shade trees, but not too slowly.

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partner to bear her brilliant red berries. Greenleaf is self fertile and bears fruit without a nearby male plant. Often there are male American hollies in nearby woodlands or a neighboring yard, but to ensure Miss Helen has those striking red berries from fall to early spring, be sure there is a healthy male around. This will contribute to the behavior of many birds drunk on ripe berries in mid-February.

National Arboretum Hybrid Crape Myrtles, Lagerstromia indica x. Other than the butchery they undergo from so-called pruning, this group says summer like no other tree. Its flower display starts in mid-June and continues into September. If flowering all summer isn’t enough, their modeled muscular barkless trunks provide winter interest. Flower colors range from white, pink, orchid, to dark red among the National Arboretum Hybrids. Each is named for a native American Indian tribe. My favorite for Sandhills gardens are Natchez (white), Muskogee (lavender pink), and Cherokee (red). They do have one characteristic which runs counter to the theme of this story. They do not always transplant well in autumn. They prefer spring time planting for best results. Japanese Stewartia, Stewartia pseudocamelia. The nicest patio tree you can plant, Stewartia is a true year-round specimen. Modeled bark like crape myrtles and white camellia-like flowers in mid-summer are magnificent. The dark green leaves turn yellow then red to reddish purple from October into November. It easily meets the qualities for being trouble free and no home garden is complete without one in a special sunny spot. So as autumn approaches, think of all that’s going on in the ground that often helps our woody garden plants wake up ready for spring and flourish through the summer. Autumn’s paradox and great garden plants are partners for outstanding Sandhills gardens. PHG

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Sustainable can be

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Build Green. with

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146 NW BROAD ST. SOUTHERN PINES NC 28387 9 1 0. 8 9 4 . 0 8 3 1 | 9 1 0. 3 3 4 .1 3 3 0

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The Manhattan

T h e

S p i r i t

o f

H o m e

By FrAnk DAniels iii

One

of the best memories I have of my grandfather is stopping by his house in the evening, sitting in his library, and listening to him talk with my father. I came to realize after he passed away how those conversations forged a solid foundation of knowledge of our family and our business. Those evenings always started with the two of them fixing a cocktail. I remember the cocktails generally starting with a base of good Kentucky whiskey. When I started work, my post workday traditions were not so genteel, and I forgot about my grandfather’s traditions and conversations. But two summers ago, my wife and I started our own tradition of trying a new cocktail each evening during our annual vacation at the beach. We enjoyed our evening libation ritual and made it a year ’round tradition when we returned home to Nashville, Tennessee. We now enjoy discovering new spirits, mixers and cocktails, and enjoy a quiet drink in the garden, or library, or with friends before dinner. What makes cocktails fun for us is that we get to determine the taste, the texture and match it to the time of year, who’s on the guest list, and the mood we want to set. I love straight whiskey, wine and beer, but with these fine drinks the distiller, the vineyard or the brewer makes the choices that determine taste and texture, so that as host you are showcasing their art, not yours. Making cocktails is all about reveling in the details. The end result, the cocktail, comes from the process of making the cocktail a fun expression of the ingredients, and learning what pleases your palate. You can get caught up in making the “perfect” cocktail, but the perfect cocktail is the one that you create to your taste. Experiment with recipes until you get “your” cocktail right, then make it part of your repertoire, so that it tastes “perfect” every time you make it. Many cocktails were invented to disguise the taste of sub-par liquor, primarily during wartime and during the American Prohibition. Thank goodness distillers have moved well beyond those days, and now frequently emulate winemakers and brewers in their quest for the best expression of their art. Cocktails come in great variety with every conceivable ingredient and spirit, but I have found that the classic cocktails became classic because they hold up, year after year. Classic cocktails should have a good back story, and the Manhattan lives up to its billing. The story goes that the Manhattan was created in 1874 for Winston Churchill’s mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, at the Manhattan Club in New York City where she was attending a dinner for New York Governor Samuel J. Tilden. Like many 19th century American cocktails, the original used rye whiskey. Many now prefer the sweeter note of Kentucky Straight Bourbon, often using small batch bourbons to give the drink complexity. As we head into fall, the Manhattan cocktail stands as a perfect way to begin an evening, or to end a long working day. The proper Manhattan has a wonderful translucence that evokes thoughts of foliage and football, of cooling evenings and quiet conversation; of my grandfather. To achieve this translucence, never shake a Manhattan; combine the ingredients in a mixing glass or pitcher with ice and stir gently until the glass is cold to the touch. Stir too vigorously and the vermouth will become cloudy. Enjoy. Frank Daniels is an editor and writer living in Nashville, Tenn. His new book, Frank’s Little Black Bar Book, Wakestone Press, will be available in October. Contact him at frank3@mac.com

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Manhattan

I prefer a taut Manhattan where the sweetness comes from the excellent small batch bourbons that we are getting from Kentucky. Since this is a cocktail, you should experiment until you find your taste. 2 ½ oz. Kentucky Straight Bourbon (Woodford Reserve) ¾ oz. sweet (Italian) vermouth (Vya makes an excellent one) Dash Angostura bitters Maraschino cherry Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir gently until well chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with cherry.

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Caretaker of a Grand Legacy With the Slow Restoration of Historic Fownes Cottage, Came the Perfect Family Home

By Ashley Wahl * Photographs By Glenn Dickerson

wrought iron sign amidst ivy tells all: this is the Fownes Cottage — Mike and Kelly McCrann, as the couple will flatly tell you, simply live in it. It’s no mystery why Henry C. Fownes, founder of Pittsburgh’s mighty Oakmont Country Club, chose to build his golfing retreat on Pinehurst turf. One of the most notorious courses to have ever graced American golf, Oakmont is renowned for its narrow fairways, profane bunkers, and greens so slick that legend Sam Snead once claimed to have watched a dime used as his ball marker slide away. Indeed, the course remains a lasting monument to Fownes’ life and ingenuity. So, too, does his 6,900-square-foot manor in the pines. “I feel like I’m a custodian here,” Mike says of the 1913 house he and his wife have called home for the past 25 years. “It’s a treasure, and I just don’t think you could ever claim to own something like this.” Downstairs comprises a quintet of rooms. Complemented with Victorian décor, the rambling living room and dining area exude the semblance of an earlier time, while the vibrantly painted kitchen, den and laundry room provide hints of modern flavor. A central staircase features cozy upper and lower level reading nooks. Portraits, paintings and historic documents hang on the walls and hallways. There are seven bedrooms upstairs, and a functioning elevator to get there. Although everything in the house (plus the kitchen sink) was — cosmetically speaking — eventually refurbished, the couple claims they have never had a vision for their home. “We’re just honoring it,” the man of the house insists. Mike was taken by the place from day one. Kelly, on the other hand, was what her husband calls a “convert.” At the time, neither knew of the house’s unique past. They would later discover that they were the only other family — besides Fownes’ progeny — to live there.

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Mike and Kelly McCrann relax on their front porch with their dog, Beaumont.

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This historic Pinehurst home was built by Henry Fownes in 1913. New cedar shingles and shutters beautify the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s present day exterior.

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With two young children and a third to follow, the McCranns began searching for a house that would accommodate the needs of their growing family. After flipping through the real estate listings, “a big gray battleship” grabbed Mike’s attentions. “I said, ‘Geez, we’ve got to look at this,’” he recalls of their current home. And so they did. Standing inside its grand entrance hall for the first time, their oneyear-old daughter “tossed her cookies” in the foyer. Kelly took it as a bad omen. Mike thought otherwise. “The house spoke to me…it was like I heard a hello,” he remembers, unable to pinpoint exactly why he was so intrigued. After all, it wasn’t particularly easy on the eyes. Once a friend deemed it structurally sound — and Mike was able to convince Kelly to give the old place a chance — the pair got to work. The house was never gutted, nor did the McCranns desire to restore everything in one concentrated effort. Instead, they “fixed things as necessary,” says

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Above: With its grand piano, fireplace and ample seating, the spacious living room makes for an ideal place to entertain guests. Above right: Architectural quirks, such as the arched walkway into the den, are found throughout the house. Right: Staircase and cozy reading nook.

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Kelly, beginning with sandblasting the chipping gray and white paint from the cedar shingled exterior of the house and four-car garage. Pine and oak floors were sanded next, then interior walls stripped and repainted. The kitchen underwent the first of three restorations, and 85 brittle glass windows were replaced with vinyl. Three windows were refurbished — from fixed to bay — to allow more natural light. Although Kelly admits that the excessive windows have posed quite a challenge to decorating, she concedes. They possess a functional brilliance that might be lost in this age of air-conditioned interiors. “At the time,” she says, “the design was such a genius form of cross ventilation.” For this old house, temperature control is not an issue. Its original boiler system still works wonders during wintertime, and although an air conditioning unit cools the kitchen, den and upstairs, its absence goes virtually unnoticed in the house’s two largest rooms. “It’s triple insulated,” Mike says of the house, explaining the order of shakes, lathing, air and plaster. “That air, apparently, is a big deal.” According to Kelly, one of the challenges of refurbishing an old house is, well, everything. “You can’t just replace old parts with new parts. Everything must be custom made,” she says, pointing out the oversized baseboards and doors. Alas, remodeled upstairs baths are proof that not everything can be replaced.

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Mike spent two years stripping and sanding the wainscoting in the dining room, now stunning with its rich décor. The comfortable kitchen, in bright yellow, is where the McCranns spend the majority of their time at home.

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Above left: This serene upstairs guest room is one of seven bedrooms in the house. Below left: Kelly claims the spacious secondstory master bedroom has the romantic view of a tree house. Above: The four-car garage features a vibrant mural inspired by a family barge trip down the Rhone River in France. The garage also features a 1,200-square-foot guesthouse.

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Several years ago, the McCranns noticed a leak above the dining room during a Thanksgiving dinner. Unable to find it, the plumber had to tear out three oversized tile showers, including the copper foundations beneath them. Unsurprisingly, they were irreplaceable. “We called them horse showers because they were so big you could wash a horse in them,” Mike says with a chuckle. Two baths were renovated from the original three. Despite the vastness of the house, it’s the little things that the McCranns have grown so fond of: coved ceilings, ornamental detail on the staircase railing and the arched walkway into the den, to name a few. But the house is teeming with all sorts of quirks, structural or otherwise. The laundry room once served as dining quarters for the servants; the second staircase leads to two segregated bedrooms. A golf bag that once belonged to Henry (or his son William) Fownes was found in the house’s secret room. Cleat marks from the golden age of golf are still visible on the wooden floors. The upstairs hallway is as long as a bowling lane. A gangly pine in the lawn bears the scar of a sap tap. It’s also been said that the 1,200-square-foot guesthouse above the garage is inhabited by a friendly ghost of a woman. Typical oddities, one might expect, for a house of such history. Most recently, the house’s exterior was redone, including a synthetic roof, new cedar shingles and shutters. When the McCranns’ eldest daughter requested to have her wedding ceremony at home, Kelly jumped on the opportunity for a major renovation downstairs. Eventually, their youngest would like to be married there, too. “It was in such transition all of the time,” says Kelly, relieved that things have settled, at least for the moment, in the house she’s grown to love. Although Mike and Kelly enjoy different aspects of their home, both can agree on their favorite. “The fact that we’ve raised three children here,” says Kelly. “It has all those memories — and the children have never known another home.” PHG

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Building Harmony The Works of Architect Aymar Embury II in the Sandhills By R ay Owen

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harming is a word often used in describing downtown Southern Pines and neighboring Pinehurst. Among the storefronts rise a number of very beautiful buildings, classically inspired structures designed by architect Aymar Embury II, built during the construction boom in the first half of the twentieth century. Faithfully rendered Colonial details distinguish the creations of Embury in the Sandhills, treating residents and visitors alike to their warmth and light, alive with Southern hospitality. Conceived as model cornerstones for civic and residential development nearly a hundred years ago, they

have been defining features of our towns â&#x20AC;&#x201D; enduring expressions of the architect and the spirit of the time in which he lived. In all, Aymar Embury, who was brought to the Sandhills by the Boyd family of Southern Pines, planned, supervised, and designed more than thirty projects in the region from 1912 to 1940. Present day Southern Pines is an Embury showcase, where his handiwork provides the backdrop for daily life, including the post office and other public buildings, a restaurant and stores, a grand hotel and a number of houses. Columned porticos, arching latticeglazed windows, and beautifully executed details charac-

Built in 1911 on eight acres, the elegant Highland Pines Inn had one hundred bedrooms and sixty baths, and was self-sustaining with an electric and steam plant. The structure is no longer standing. The Boyd Estate in Southern Pines is now home to the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities.

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terize this picturesque collection of Colonial-inspired buildings that gives our community a distinctive look, setting it apart from most others in North Carolina. Embury’s impact cannot be overestimated in regard to the development of the area’s resort atmosphere. His structures represent a conscious effort at creating a regionally distinctive style that would be on par with the country’s best places. With clarity of purpose he set about designing buildings worthy of a great society, set under a classical arch. The public face Embury created would reflect the individuality of the residents, who saw good architecture as essential — and understood what great buildings would build for us.

Market Square, in downtown Pinehurst, is an Embury classic: long, narrow buildings and abundant windows for ample light.

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mbury was a trend-setting New York architect responsible for the plans of hundreds of country homes and estates, many of which were constructed in the suburbs outside the city. In addition to residential commissions, he is recognized for defining much of the architectural style of the public realm of New York City from the 1930s through the 1950s, noteworthy examples being the Triborough, Henry Hudson and Bronx-Whitestone bridges, the Central Park Zoo, and numerous public buildings, swimming pools, and playgrounds. Ironically, Embury’s creative experience in the Sandhills was brought about by a series of catastrophic fires. The first blow came in 1910 when the Piney Woods Inn — the grand hotel of Southern Pines — burned to the ground in less than an hour’s time. This was followed by another great fire that swept through downtown Southern Pines in 1921, nearly destroying the entire commercial district. With so much hanging in the balance, Embury had an opportunity seldom afforded to city planners and architects — the founding of a new architectural heritage. With the district’s native architecture being that of a rural forest society, Embury looked beyond the vernacular for more suitable examples for the growth of our budding resort. He brought to the task a working knowledge of historic architecture developed over years of study, which included trips to early Carolina towns. Embury reached back into our Southern past to achieve a consolidated reinvention, picking from history those parts that fit best. Most of the designs he brought forth were in the Colonial Revival style, with some plans inspired, at least in part, by period Federal buildings found in New Bern, N.C. Rather than directly copy existing historic buildings, Embury felt it important to use Colonial precedents as points of departure, adapted to suit present needs. Therefore, his buildings represent a series of compromises. He sketched many variations, ever mindful of practical considerations while rendering a layout in harmony with his artistic vision. Embury treated space as an alive thing, seeing himself as crafting a sort of stage on which people would live their lives. An important aspect of his buildings is their openness. Rather than thrust forward as some museum relic labeled “Do Not Touch,” it is a place where you want to be. Entering an Embury room you clearly see him aiming for the light, mindful of the play between shadow and illumination. He skillfully planned long and narrow buildings to accommodate windows on as many walls as possible, essentially creating art that you can walk through.

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The Theater Building, Pinehurst.

Embury treated space as an alive thing, seeing himself as crafting a sort of stage on which people would live their lives.

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Nowhere is Embury’s artistic skill more apparent than at Weymouth, the estate he designed for writer James Boyd, whose family was his patron throughout his decades of work in the Sandhills. Weymouth was his tour-de-fource, the largest of the architect’s residential designs in Southern Pines. Embury’s design centered around a great room for entertaining with beautifully paneled walls, fine moldings and tall doorways finished with fluted pilasters on either side. A focal point of the room is an old carved mantel, salvaged from a neighboring antebellum home, complemented by matching plaster work around the windows in the same reeded motif.

T Mudgett Building, downtown Southern Pines. This quaint building in downtown Southern Pines remains virtually unchanged.

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he story of the making of this place can only be understood against the backdrop of the era’s progressive ideals. In the early twentieth century, new fortunes made it possible for many Northerners to commission country estates. Thanks to new rail and road systems, the wealthy could escape deteriorating urban centers to enjoy clean air and outdoor life. During the winter months, entire households were relocated to country places in the Sandhills. The combination of money, cheap land and clients gave rise to the ambitious undertakings of Aymar Embury. Theirs was a romantic enthusiasm for the natural world and a nostalgia for the civilizing qualities of country life. They believed that the ideal life combined something of the social and intellectual advantages of the city with the inspiration and peaceful freedom of the country. The movement exalted rural populations, particularly Southerners, whose way of life was seen as exotic. The sparsely populated Sandhills, with its distinct Scottish and African-American culture, was seen as fertile ground for establishing a country place. Writing in culturally persuasive magazines such as Country Life in America, Atlantic Monthly, and Century, Aymar Embury extolled the virtues of the Colonial Revival style as the architecture of patriotism and longevity. Weymouth’s James Boyd was an editor and contributor for Country Life in America, and the developer for substantial parts of Southern Pines. Boyd, along with his family, determined much of the style of civic and residential architecture as a leading community investor.

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Southern Pines School on May Street, Southern Pines

Most of the designs he brought forth were in the Colonial Revival style, with some plans inspired, at least in part, by period Federal buildings

The original Southern Pines Library on Broad Street, now houses the Southern Pines Utilities offices. Just next door, the Southern Pines Post Office serves as the focal point of civic life.

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Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club graces the northern end of Midland Road â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Rodeo Drive of of golf.

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Entering an Embury room you clearly see him aiming for the light, mindful of the play between shadow and illumination.

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An important milestone for Embury occurred in 1911 when the Boyds selected him as the architect of the Highland Pines Inn in Southern Pines. Situated on eight acres of land on a ridge at the south end of Massachusetts Avenue, the elegant Colonial Revival inn was a long symmetrical construction with the three main entrances featuring tall columned porches. The massive structure contained one hundred bedrooms and sixty baths, in addition to an array of public rooms. The hotel was self-sustaining, complete with an electric and steam plant, a laundry and servants quarters. The staff traveled from Northern resorts for the season, and the food was imported. Amenities included world class golf, riding, fox hunting, and tennis.

t is hard for many modern day residents to wrap their mind around the fact that the social hub of the Sandhills was once located in what is now a quiet residential section of Weymouth Heights. There were frequent dances and parties often featuring leading musicians. The guest book read like Who’s Who and the society pages of The New York Times. Visitors also included the literary friends of James Boyd such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, Paul Green and Sherwood Anderson. Aymar Embury was very familiar with this world he was helping to create. No stranger to wealth and privilege, he maintained residences in Manhattan and East Hampton. Embury was active in society, coming from a patrician family background. The architect was often dealing with friends with his design projects for the wealthy, and if not his friends before, they probably would be by the time the work was completed. Embury was a pleasant, outgoing man of complex and amusing character. Aristocratic with well defined-features, he was tall and graceful with a commanding presence. Always in a tailored suit and a tie, Embury was forever looking like the guy in charge. He enjoyed people, and with a twinkle in his eye was quick to tell a joke and was good at making others laugh. A man who enjoyed the married state, Embury made the trip down the aisle a total of four times. He was always smoking a cigarette, which was part of his persona, and he seemed to know a lot about everything. He was born in New York in 1880, and his interest in architecture began after a chance encounter while playing on a beach when he was ten years old. Embury was busy trying to build a sandcastle when a man offered to help. The stranger impressed young Aymar with his knowledge of castle building and suggested that the boy should consider studying more. It was at that moment that he made up his mind to be an architect. Educated at Franklin College in Germany, he developed an interest in classical architecture on European tours, entering Princeton University at age 15 to train in engineering. Embury, however, found college to be four years of miscellaneous distractions. Suffering through troubles at home — the divorce of his parents and the reversal of his father’s financial circumstances — Embury ran away from Princeton to enlist in the Spanish American War but he was forcibly returned to college. Not being welcomed into the social cliques of Eastern prep school boys, combined with his laziness, resulted in his failing in all subjects.

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The Southern Pines Country Club, destroyed by a fire, once stood on the property that now belongs to the Elks Club.

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However, he was permitted to take a reexamination and finally passed. He found his stride after befriending a professor who enabled him to enter the field of architecture, and he went on to receive his Master’s degree before he was 21. Following graduate studies, Embury taught architecture at Princeton while working for various firms in New York. Armed with two degrees, he found himself in a position only slightly higher than an office boy. Nearly starving as an apprentice, he was fired from his first job for asking for a raise. In that period he was always hungry. Beautifully thin, he still had enough clothes left from better times to keep looking welldressed, and he began his ascent up the corporate ladder. From the late 1800s through WWI, architects’ offices operated on the atelier, or studio, system. It was a highly competitive world with a design philosophy that was academic, based on scholarly study. Classical Greek designs were analyzed first, and gradually students would study all styles. The atmosphere was tempered by entrepreneurial control, and architects understood the need to succeed financially. Embury flourished in this environment, developing the discipline that would mark his success as an architect.

Working constantly for twelve years after college graduation, Aymar Embury never took a single day off — including weekends. Busy with pencils, he began drawing plans of small country houses. His designs were popular, and the homes increased in size and importance, earning him a reputation as a society architect who crafted country retreats for the wealthy. During this time, he began working on a book about country houses, ultimately publishing several books and pamphlets on architecture. Embury’s titles were circulated nationally, and his country houses were reproduced nationwide due to the availability of plans through publications such as the Architectural Record. Embury’s study of New Bern, N.C.’s architecture contained in the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs issued between 1914 and 1940 remains a pivotal work, and certainly influenced the architect’s buildings in Southern Pines. Embury served for fourteen months during WWI as a Captain in the Fortieth Engineers, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he helped establish a unit of eight professional artists to document the activities of the American Expeditionary Force in France. During this time, he designed the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal.

Loblolly

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Drawn from French and English sources, Loblolly exhibits a combination of loosely connected rooms oriented horizontally and only one room deep. Multi-pane casement windows light the interior. Gable projections and dormers accentuate the house, which is adorned with a variety of evocative details such as stuccoed clay tile, and brick checkerboard patterns.

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

One of the more interesting Embury houses in Weymouth Heights, Loblolly, was built in 1918 for James Boydâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aunt, Mrs. A.P.L. Dull. The home is still standing and is now a private residence.

Loblolly would have a profound affect on new residences built in Southern Pines.

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

A y m a r Back in the Sandhills, the Highland Pines Inn served as the springboard for launching Embury’s career. The Boyd family subdivided 500 acres east and south of the Inn, forming the Weymouth Heights section of Southern Pines. Embury began designing residences in the subdivision for people who wanted to use the hotel’s resort facilities, but have private homes. House and grounds were planned in closely designed units, carefully governed to create a picturesque, forested landscape. Before Embury’s arrival, most the carpenters had never seen a blueprint, or built from plans. The Sandhills was a back-waters place, struggling hard to keep its head above water. But the “saw and hammer” men were keen to learn, and Embury taught the craftsmen skills to carry out his designs. He also imported contractors for the more exacting commissions in the district. Some of the contractors stayed on, contributing to the unprecedented building renaissance that occurred in the Sandhills during the 1920-1930 decade. One of the most interesting Embury houses in Weymouth Heights was Loblolly, built in 1918 for James Boyd’s aunt, Mrs. A.P.L. Dull. Drawn from French and English sources, the structure exhibits an irregular profile with a combination of loosely connected rooms oriented horizontally and only one room deep. Multi-pane casement windows light the interior, in addition to a three-sided oriel window. Gable projections and dormers accentuate the house, which is adorned with a variety of evocative details such as stuccoed clay tile, and brick checkerboard patterns. The setting was well planned with gardens, tennis courts, swimming pool and gazebo in complementing positions. Loblolly would have a profound effect on new residences built in Southern Pines. Old buildings held great beauty for Aymar Embury, who felt that architecture, like as wine, improved with age. This improvement was due to the resulting patina, and softening of rigid lines. Striving to achieve the impression of age and permanence, Embury varied exterior surfaces to capture the layered appearance of a place that had evolved over time. At Weymouth, he relieved the stiffness of new construction by using wood shingles, white

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stucco and red brick, creating the effect of a place that was built in 1780 as opposed to its actual construction date in the early 1920s. In regard to detail, Embury felt most of it got lost at the distance of one hundred feet. Seeing the general proportion of a building as being the deciding factor in its beauty, he was most concerned with a structure’s outlines and large shadows. This observation led him to the use of decorative treatments on the outside of some of his buildings that emphasized the lines of tensions within the structure, almost suggesting bones of a building under skin. Many of Aymar Embury’s houses went on to become prototypes for residential designers throughout the area. In 1925, Embury designed an “ideal house” in Pinehurst, specifically built to showcase the type and quality of work locally available for potential home builders. Various trade vendors constructed the house in a cooperative venture, and the model remained open for public view during the 1925-1926 seasons. As for public buildings, Embury equated the classical with public virtue. Generally speaking, Embury’s designs were characteristically symmetrical with a scholarly yet imaginative use of Colonial detail. The architect set a high standard, taking pains to express pleasing proportions. While residents appreciated the beauty of Embury’s work, its usefulness in increasing the value of community property values was quickly felt with the wave of new residents. The mayor of Southern Pines even suggested, not completely in jest, that the town allow no buildings except those designed or approved by the architect. It is impossible to know what the Sandhills would have been were it not for the influence of Aymar Embury. His distinctive talents have left an enduring mark, creating the buildings that have shaped us as a people. Embury continued in practice throughout the 1950s, remaining active as a consulting architect, and serving on numerous architectural advisory committees. By the time of his death in 1966, he was considered one of the foremost architects in the nation. Inscribed on his polished gravestone are the words “After me cometh a Builder. Tell him, I too have known!” PHG

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What Lies Beneath A Gifted Sandhills Artist and Versatile Engineer Reshape a Fine Old House into a Work of Art By Deborah Salomon * Photographs By Glenn Dickerson

eridith Martens lives over the store, by choice. Upstairs, the Southern Pines artist and her husband, Howard Schubert, eat, sleep, relax and entertain in a gracious ranch of the affluent 1950s genre to which they have added a turn-of-the-(21st)-century great room. Furnishings appear more traditional than contemporary: Oriental rugs, gilt-framed portraits, antiques and reproductions, muted hues. But a flight down the stairwell muralized a la Peter Maxx psychedelic ’70s lies another universe. Think Alice tumbling through the rabbit hole into a studio/office/supply room where Meridith creates fine and commercial art sold worldwide. “It’s my job,” she says modestly, quick to add that some

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critics believe commercial art garners less respect. Her job produces bowlers reminiscent of Norman Rockwell; a portrait of legendary horsewoman Ginny Moss in advanced age; a series of tulips for reproduction, framing and sale at the High Point furniture mart; commissioned equine portraits; and abstract renderings of post-9/11 debris. But from the outside the faintly Spanish white stucco house with wrought-iron accents and brick courtyard is similar to architectural styles that succeeded stately Southern colonials during the post-World War II building boom. Unlike homes of social and literary pedigree built in James Boyd’s Weymouth, this residence marched to a military beat. Lt. General William Yarborough, credited with forming the

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

Just a stuccoed ranch with gardens? Hardly, when approached by an artist and an engineer. Lt. Gen. William Yarborough entertained military brass in the stately dining room. Floral arrangement by the Southern Pines Garden Club.

A formal living room is one factor in a varied dĂŠcor pattern chosen by artist Meridith Martens.

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The library, Howard Schubert’s man cave, is painted his favorite green.

“When you walk into a house, you feel some sort of karma,” which the Yarborough house possessed, Meridith says. 58 *

“It had good bones,”

Howard, the engineer, noticed.

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

Never underestimate the power of Pennysaver, where Martens found this massive Italianate bed carved with cherubs. Green Berets and tapped for the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame, lived here with his wife, a well-connected Ponds Cold Cream model, from the 1970s until his death in 2005. Military brass paid visits, walked the wooded paths, sat by the reflecting pool. But time marches on. “It was a total wreck,” Meridith recalls, citing sheet paneling, baby-blue shag carpet and green Astroturf on the lower level. Besides, they were looking for a turnkey property on a small lot. However, the energy to create a new living space is not uncommon in second marriages. The children are gone; neither partner wants to be smothered by the other’s stuff. Out with his and hers. In with theirs. This “hers” has lived an interesting life, even for an artist. Meridith’s father was a Navy man stationed on both PineStraw Home

coasts. Everyone in the family painted or sculpted. After studying at several American schools, Meridith took a year in Paris. She lived in a small artist’s atelier on Left Bank Boulevard Montparnasse, the very quartier which nurtured Manet, Degas and Picasso. “It had two-story windows, like a movie set,” she says. “The experience gave a silly girl a chance to grow up.” Back in the States, Meridith married an actor, lived in Manhattan and bred Morgan horses from their second home in Connecticut. After a divorce the artist, her daughter, a horse and several cats relocated to Southern Pines, where they lived in a series of houses, from petite to substantial. Ten years ago she met Howard Schubert, a widower and retired IBM engineer from New Jersey, at a wine bar. “Howard proposed 28 days later,” Meridith says.

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The kitchen flows seamlessly into the family room â&#x20AC;&#x201D; same neutral colors, same comfort and practicality in the addition built by Martens-Schubert. Wing chairs and Pembroke table are from the Yarborough estate.

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A screened porch overlooks gardens and reflecting pool.

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

Howard Schubert and Meridith Martens in their library in front of a Martens original: “Sir Howard.

oward was living in Pinewild surrounded by a mix of furnishings, including a few tweedy K-mart originals. Meridith tried Pinewild but, she says, something didn’t fit. They shopped around. All Meridith really required was space — enough, at least, for a studio and three bedrooms, each with a bathroom, so their daughters could visit. “When you walk into a house, you feel some sort of karma,” which the Yarborough house possessed, Meridith says. “It had good bones,” Howard, the engineer, noticed. The above-ground walk-out basement filled the studio requirement with enough space remaining for a guest apartment with kitchenette. Howard’s man cave — a library and office — off the front hall satisfied his work requirements. But the kitchen was antiquated, the master bathroom inadequate, and the basement was still a rec room. “It’s just a house — it can be fixed,” the couple decided. They consulted a builder and drew up plans for the inevitable money pit. At this point Meridith learned that not only does her husband cook — he builds. “I didn’t know I was getting the complete package,” she says. “I thought he was just great at computers and taxes.” The kitchen/great room became their main project. A tacky Carolina room was demolished and in its place rose a 900-square-foot addition with a 12-foot cathedral ceiling, entertainment center, conversation grouping, and woodsy view. Kitchen and living space meld by color and design. Meridith prefers earth tones that camouflage dirt; she chose countertops in a brown speckle, “the color of food.” Handsome copper vessels sit atop the cabinets. One sink is deep and metal-lined, with a statuesque faucet. A glass door opens onto a tiny sculpture garden which Meridith calls the squirrel grotto, or “TV for the cats.” “Except for the bathroom I could close off the rest of the house and live here,” Howard says. Once the renovation was underway possessions were purged in the least PineStraw Home

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C o m f o r t a b l e

L i v i n g

painful manner: Howard mounted a garage sale while Meridith was gone. She waited until he left town to repaint a room. When it came to purchasing replacements to add to their pooled antiques. Howard says with a smile, “I felt Meridith was discarding my things and making me into her.” But when Howard wanted the library walls green rather than Meridith’s preferred neutrals she agreed but chose the right green — a deep, rich hunter’s shade. They concurred on a more formal, Old Masters look for the public rooms. Some pieces, like a pair of wing chairs and a Pembroke table, were purchased from the Yarborough estate. They found the English manor dining room table on eBay but had to drive it home tied to a Jeep, in a snowstorm. If a wall looked blank, Meridith would execute a painting, therefore injecting modernity — sometimes whimsy. The medieval knight in shining armor astride a white steed in the library wears Howard’s face. She duplicated her daughter’s favorite ducky lamp in a painting, which hangs above it in a guest room. Bedrooms and a bathroom-laundry room suite renovated by Howard (formerly that awful kitchen) occupy a separate wing. No piece in the house commands more attention than the 100-year-old master bedroom bed of Italian origin, with massive oak and walnut head and footboards carved with curlicues and cherubs, suitable for a castle. Meridith found the bed (brought back from Europe after World War II) in a Fayetteville Pennysaver. Howard adjusted its rails to fit a queen mattress.

his is a house that has grown with the times. Meridith and Howard attended a dinner party given by Yarborough for visiting government officials in the same space where they entertain an eclectic group of friends. The footprint has been altered only to accommodate the great room and master bathroom. Stunning hardwood floors, long protected by carpet, provide a patina not found in newer prefinished products. And, although Howard describes the layout as “a warren of rooms,” this very warren offers separate spaces for different purposes plus the great room — a universal space for joint ventures: a quiet dinner of sea bass which Howard has prepared for Meridith or an arts event for many patrons. Whatever its design, period or pedigree, the primary purpose of any house is comfortable living. Mission accomplished — again. “It lives well. We’re happy here,” Meridith says. PHG

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PineStraw Home

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Exclusively Carryingâ&#x20AC;¦ RUGS & CARPETS

Located in Pinehurst, 585 Hwy 5 | 295-2293

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

125 S. Ashe Street By Jim Dodson * Photographs By Frank Pierce and Jenna Woronoff

Over the last year or so I’ve walked to

work many mornings past an adorable little cottage sitting empty and somewhat forlornly on Ashe Street. Fascinated by its elegant curved front porch facade and tidy charm, I snooped around the place peeking in windows at what appeared to be a vintage bungalow from a vanished age. A weathered sign hanging from the left portion of the porch announced it to be the home and apparent workplace of “Dr. Bush, Osteopath.” Longtime resort towns like Southern Pines are often full of charming cottages and bungalows like the Bush bungalow, as it’s called, tidy residences that speak volumes about the Gilded Age they hail from. The word “bungalow” itself is an Anglicized adaptation of a term that originated in India, bangla, meaning a “house in the Bengal style,” small houses or cottages that typically had a single dormer and veranda or porch.

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In America at large — particularly around resort towns like ours — many classic bungalows were built in the early days of the 20th century at the height of the so-called American Craftsman arts movement and intended to serve as either temporary residences for well-heeled railroad travelers or the middle class workers who catered to their needs, as in the case of Dr. Bush. Bush came to the Pines as a traveling physician and purchased the bungalow from the Buchan family in 1920, the year the town connected its residents to water and gas lines. According to Jeffrey Sheer, Bush raised two children and lived a long and happy life at 39 Ashe Street. “Among other things,” says Scheer, who began a restoration of the historic property some time ago, “he had one of the first compost heaps in town and was the last surviving member of the Southern Pines Men’s Club. He served as the hotel doctor to the Hollywood Hotel, which was right next door, and loved to throw a good party.” Bush passed on in 1975 and the bungalow sat empty for the

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235 N. Ridge Strreet next quarter century until Sheer and his wife acquired it from the family estate. It’s these kinds of poignant human details that help make owning and preserving a classic American bungalow, notes Sheer, who recently put the Bush bungalow up for sale in order to concentrate on finishing another historic property, and is asking $250,00. “We’ve taken it this far,” Sheer says, “and we’d love to see someone take it to completion. These kinds of houses are very special. They deserve to be

240 S. Ashe Street 66 *

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255 N. may Street saved and made beautiful again.â&#x20AC;? The chances are good someone will do just that â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for the surrounding blocks of Southern Pines just happen to be home to probably upwards of 30 or so classic cottages and bungalows that hail from the early days of the last century, most if not all lovingly restored by the folks who call them home. Hipped-roofs and wrap-around porches are

275 N. May Street PineStraw Home

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S.E. Broad Street common place, and updated kitchens and period-sensitive additions make these architectural gems as distinctive as the folks who call them home. Jim and Celeste Fields certainly feel that way about their classic bungalow on East Connecticut between Ashe and May, which they bought from Moore County Archivist Sue Pockmire eight years ago, a jewel hailing from 1914.

305 E. new hampshire Avenue 68 *

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

240 E. Connecticutt Avenue “The bungalow was the longtime home of a well-known artist who passed away in the house,” says Jim, “which explains why there were nails in almost every wall. The first thing we did was start pulling out nails, and then something funny happened. Our hammers began to disappear. We decided it was perhaps the artist who wanted the nails left alone.” After living in the bungalow and continuing its

205 E. Illinois Avenue PineStraw Home

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 69

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

665 S. May Street restoration, Jim reports, the hammers began showing up again in unlikely places. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We decided this meant she approved of what we have done to the place,â&#x20AC;? he says with a laugh. Scott Fletcher and his wife, Cathy, learned their yellow-shingled jewel on May Street near Morganton Road may have come to Southern Pines via train, as a Sears and Roebuck house in 1926. They moved in six years ago and began a

205 E. New Hampshire Avenue PineStraw Home

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 71

GOLF & WATER VIEWS!

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

170 E. Connecticutt Avenue thoughtful renovation that opened up rooms and updated wiring and appliances but retained romantic elements like the original floor vents with their charming original chains. Meanwhile, back on Ashe Street, artist Sherry Sampkus transformed her 1920s bungalow to a living gallery for her work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The beauty of a small place like this is that it challenges your imagination in such a nice way. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re learning to live with

445 S. Ashe Street PineStraw Home

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465 E. Indiana Avenue less in this world — but hopefully live better.” If indeed living small is the new big, it seems only fitting that local photographer and artist Frank Pierce spent several days this past summer photographing some of his favorite bungalows in the Pines with the assistance of his summer intern, Jenna Woronoff. We’re pleased to show you some of the gems his camera captured. PHG

240 N. Ashe Street PineStraw Home

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aradise Found In the Heart of Weymouth,

By Noah Salt Photographs By Glenn Dickerson

A Secret Garden and A Mountain Retreat Take Shape

ne afternoon not long ago, as another Sandhills summer began to wind down and the first hint of autumn was in the air, landscape architect Vince Zucchino provided an interested visitor with the first glimpse of a very special garden project that has absorbed his days and nights for more than two years. “The start of any project this large is always exciting

Brook and falls provides oxygen for clean water and fish.

but also a little daunting — if only for the element of the unknown,” explained the veteran Sandhills landscape architect. Even if I didn’t happen to be a mad gardener in my own right, I would have been eager to see what Zucchino and his colleagues had been up to at the home of Dr. Daniel Messner and his wife, Eleisabeth Miller, whose handsome neo-Georgian house resides on two acres near the

A naturalistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lantern.

The terrace is designed to accommodate a screened cabin incorporating the fireplace.

Rose garden 78 *

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

edges of Weymouth Woods and the ancestral estate of James and Katharine Boyd. From the sound of things, they’d taken Paradise apart and put it back together again. Dan and Eleisabeth purchased the then five-year-old home in 1986, believing it to be their dream home, hoping someday to do something in a big way with the steeply sloped terrain out back that rolled down to the still-visible traces of the original Morganton Road that first brought settlers into the Sandhills 200 years ago. “I’d always wanted to create a special kind of garden where birds and animals of all sorts would feel welcome and safe and people would love to spend time,” says Eleisabeth, a strong animal advocate who grew up in just such an expansive garden in Indiana. “I wanted it to be a refuge and retreat, if you will. When I was a little girl, my favorite book was The Secret Garden. I suppose that inspired some of my thinking in a romantic sort of way, but I also wanted our garden to be both functional and whimsical — a place that would invite people and animals to feel at home, to find rest.” “The problem was,” Daniel picks up the tale, “for many years our patio area was the focal point of the back yard, leaving the forest to

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do pretty much whatever it wanted to, growing thicker every year. It was beautiful but increasingly wild out there, to say the least. We had lots of beautiful old trees and native shrubs and wildflowers. Unfortunately, it was difficult to see anything but the forest.” Dan Messner had his own hopes for the garden. “We have a place in the North Carolina mountains that we love to get away to,” he explains. “One of the things I love most about that is the sounds of the outdoors at night, including running water. One of the things I really wanted was some kind of water feature at the center of things, something that would want to make you spend time in the garden. We just had to find the right landscape architect to help us bring all these ideas together in one place.” Three years ago, while on a tour of solar homes in the area, Eleisabeth and Dan met Vince Zucchino, a 1973 graduate of the landscape architecture program at N. C. State School of Design whose public and private design vita includes the entrance landscaping at Longleaf and a spectacular Oriental water garden for interior designer Denis McCullough. “When Eleisabeth and Dan explained to me what they had in mind, I was eager to get involved with the project because they had a good general idea

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 79

P a r a d i s e what they wanted, but were also open-minded enough to let nature and design imagination fill in the details. She wanted a garden that would give her solitude and remind her of elements of her childhood. Dan wanted a mountain retreat here in the Sandhills.” When work finally began on the site about a year ago, following a detailed inventory of the property’s existing horticultural assets and the development of a master plan for the front, sides and steep rear portion of the property, the first order was to begin removing vegetation and clearing a number of unwanted trees in order to identify and preserve better plant specimens for the “bones” of the new garden. The result, in time, will be the effect of a cathedral of trees. The relatively flat front yard area, shaded by towering longleaf pines and framed by boxwoods and azaleas, became a tidy, environmentally-friendly “meadow” of sedum and clover grasses mixed with zoysia grass that won’t require much watering in a drought. In addition to a “saddle stone” like the one Eleisabeth and her sister enjoyed in their childhood garden, the inviting front garden area is highlighted by Viburnum, peonies, Star Magnolia, and a mature gardenia. A patch of lady ferns grows a few yards away beneath a weeping cherry, along with hostas from Eleisabeth’s mother’s home. Sheltered just behind an impressive bank of rhododendron is a small, elegantly maintained burying spot for beloved family pets. “A lot of memory things,” as Eleisabeth calls it. An ancient bluebird house nearby hatched a pair of bluebirds this summer. Befitting the romance of a secret garden, a beautiful serpentine brick walk leads a visitor past a restored walled rose garden where Ladybank roses crown a trellis and discreetly hide a garden utility shed. The new formal side garden itself is planted with pink and peach teas and floribunda roses selected by garden consultant Mary Francis Tate, creatively offset by strategic patches of English lavender. Whimsy awaits just beyond the low wall and through scrolled custom-made gate with its fleur-de-lis design (another Eleisabeth touch) where a beloved antique French bench, mounted gourd, and a beautiful little handmade birdhouse perch innovatively atop a three-legged cedar stump twined with flowering pea. Mere yards away, just up a set of stone steps, is one of the garden’s key focal points — a magnificent spreading magnolia floribunda with an old fashioned wooden circular bench done in soothing Williamburg hues. “This spot is designed to take advantage of the shade and the breeze, even on the hottest of summer days,” explains Zucchino. “It’s a prime example

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P a r a d i s e of Eleisabeth’s contribution to the garden as it evolved. She not only has a great eye for color but wanted a bench like the one she knew as a child. Her touch is visible almost everywhere in the garden.” A rustic arbor made of cedar and crape myrtle wood heralds the head of several woodland “trails” that wind down the forest slope and give the general effect of a mountain trail to somewhere. A mulch pathway leads to a small arched footbridge that spans a rock-bound “spring” shaded by plumes of a lovely Carolina cherry laurel. Among other things, the hidden water source feeds a dramatic verdigris millstone and a series of stone terraces that ultimately tumble down to a spectacular pond area a dozen feet below. The visual effect and music of tumbling water are a stunning combination. Further down the winding main path, past another whimsical side garden created from an old iron balcony, set off by native honeysuckle and autumn clematis, stand a pair of European trellises — Concord grapes to the left, Catawba and table grapes to the right — cleverly planted with wisteria and Ladybank roses that will be knock-outs in the not-toodistant future. Beyond them one encounters the garden’s main focal point, a private lower terrace and outdoor fireplace made from Pennsylvania bluestone presiding over a small, tranquil pond that looks as if it were lifted from the Blue Ridge Mountains. “Dan originally thought perhaps a lap pool would be great in the lower part of the garden,” Zucchino explains, “but the construction and maintenance cost just didn’t make that realistic. So we switched to the idea of a natural pond, terrace and outdoor fireplace.” Here as in several other strategic areas of the garden, the stones, many lichen-covered and impressively old looking, were hand picked by Zucchino on expeditions to the Uwharrie hills. “Because we had to essentially create a road into this part of the garden from the rear of the property, off the historic remains of the Morganton Road, I made up a tale in my head about the origin of this area — that it was a settler’s cabin by a small spring-fed pond. It sort of fit the romance of the land and the project.” The dramatic fireplace and terrace area, the handiwork of Steve Martin of Martin Masonry, the designer is quick to point out, can eventually be incorporated into a finished structure on the site if the owners decide to

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add one — anything from a covered patio to a full scale cabin on the site. The pond area, meanwhile, fairly teems with aquatic life — demure pitcher plants, lush Arrowood and Lotus plants, and at least two types of water lily. Beneath the surface swim koi fish from Denis McCullough’s Japanese-themed retreat. A weeping bald cypress presides over a path that completes a loop and begins a woodland ascent through classic plantings of sedum and anemone, Verbena and cinnamon fern and native high bush blueberries that managed to survive local landscape contractor Ronnie William’s artful bulldozer work quite nicely. “We really didn’t have to move a lot of earth,” Zucchino provides. “The main objective was to carve out the waterfall and pond in a way that made them look as natural as possible to the setting.” It took time to work with the stones, like working one great big jigsaw puzzle. There was also the necessity of integrating water and electrical lines beneath the tableau, artfully accomplished by Steve Billeau of Pineview Electric. “All gardens take time to achieve their greatest effect,” the designer explained on the afternoon he and Eleisabeth Miller provided us a glimpse of the new secret garden with its innovatively incorporated mountain elements, “and this one will take some time to grow fully into its glory. The maintenance and tweaking phase will now begin, which is what you are forever doing in such a living space. “Having said this,” Vince Zucchino adds, “I almost feel guilty for having had so much fun on this project. From beginning to end I was able to use almost all of my ideas on the project, and Dan and Eleisabeth were just such great people to work for — full of enthusiasm and great ideas of their own. A great collaboration like that made this a little piece of paradise.” “We’re thrilled with how it came out,” agrees Eleisabeth Miller, who finds her newly created secret garden a perfect place to retreat and write or just “sit and observe nature.” “Since Vince finished the garden,” reports Dan, “we’ve had lots of new animals and birds find their way to our place. And the frogs down in the pond at night are singing so loudly,” he adds with a laugh, “you almost can’t leave the windows open and hope to get a good night’s rest.” What a paradise it seems. And is. PHG

Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

T h e

B u i l d e r ’ s

C o d e

Small Company, Big value

lex Bowness grew up in Black Mountain, North Carolina, the son of a custom home builder who specialized in premium second homes. Following graduate studies at Chapel Hill and working for his father for several years, Bowness relocated to the Sandhills in 1978 and launched his own firm, Bowness Custom Homes, specializing in fine home construction and custom structures. A former Builder of the Year, president of the Moore County Homebuilders Association, and founding member of the Moore Green Council, Bowness recently dropped into PineStraw Home & Garden to chat about the state of home-building. PHG: Well, how is the state of home-building in Moore County these days? AB: It’s no surprise, given the state of the economy, that new home construction has declined significantly in places. Builders have had to become leaner and more creative, taking on renovation projects and projects of shorter duration. We see signs of things improving, however, and believe this is really a confidence factor. When people feel more secure about their jobs, they become more comfortable building houses again. And once the banks loosen up a bit more, I think you’ll see area home construction activity really increase. We think value means more than ever to people, as a result of what we’ve all been through. They’re very careful about spending their money. Right now builders are offering some great pricing; it’s a good time to build if you can. PHG: Every builder is different. How does Bowness Custom Homes work? AB: To begin with, we’re a small company that focuses on just five to seven projects at one time. With just three full-time employees, including myself, David Morgan, our superintendent of 22 years, and Sandy Rudolph, our customer coordinator, the idea is to make sure the customer has our constant attention from beginning to end of the project, regardless of its size. PHG: What trends do you see in home-building right now? AB: The green trend is here to stay. Several local builders banded together to create the Moore Green Council to encourage sustainable practices and more environmentally suitable materials. There’s a trend toward smaller houses and cottages, I think, partially due to the cost factor but also to a growing awareness of natural resources. Artificial siding and decking have evolved tremendously, insulation factors have improved, and the Internet has made interior design something everyone pays close attention to. Versatile kitchens are very big and so are master baths. PHG: Do you have a personal building philosophy — a Builder’s Code you live and work by, so to speak? AB: We sure do. It comes from my father, who believed the job had to be right the first time or made right to the customer’s satisfaction. Years ago we began offering potential customers our last ten customers as references. Building can intimidate some people, and our mantra is that a builder’s experience and the value make the difference. Ultimately, a home is where a family will live, perhaps for a long time. We never stop thinking about that. PHG PineStraw Home

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The PHG

egistry

Your Buying Source for the Best in Home and Garden Products and Services

Mark Lally Construction (910) 638-8236 McCaskill Construction Co Seven Lakes (910) 673-8111 Michael Construction Seven Lakes (910) 695-5593

Architects

Blue Sky Custom Homes Seven Lakes (910) 673-1252

Elite Roofing LLC (910) 783-4800

Bolton Builders Seven Lakes (910) 673-3603

Eric Payne Builders (910) 603-2093

Bonville Construction Co Inc Pinehurst (910) 295-0462

Estate Builders of Pinehurst (910) 295-6498

Bowness Custom Homes Pinehurst (910) 692-3782

Goneau-Bryant, LLC (910) 585-1114

Brown & Son Construction Vass (910) 245-3346

Harris & Son Construction Co Inc West End (910) 673-3387

Bundy Construction Inc (910) 692-9004

Hickman Construction Co Pinehurst (910) 215-0497

Burns Building Co West End (910) 673-5504

Husk Home Builders (910) 315-1975

Camina Design & Construction Inc. Pinehurst (910) 695-4271

Integrity Builders of the Sandhills, LLC (910) 725-1239

Anderson Nichols Design LLC (910) 215-9901

Carter & Co Construction and Design (910) 783-7775

JP Builders (910) 691-2940

Building Contractors

Cavalier Series of Homes Robbins (910) 948-4400

Jusco (910) 944-2211

A W Builders Inc. Pinebluff (910) 281-4180

Chandler Co LLC Pinehurst (910) 692-9205

Justin White Inc (910) 783-6205

Anderson Construction & Development Co LLC Southern Pines (910) 692-7316

Daniel Adams Construction Pinehurst (910) 295-1504

KP Quality Builders LLC (910) 673-5772

Danley Construction Company Carthage (910) 695-8738

Kanoy Builders Inc West End (910) 215-5884

Jarrett Deerwester (910) 528-5025

Kirby Construction Group LLC Southern Pines (910) 692-2731

Anderson Architects PLLC Southern Pines (910) 692-7316 C. Yates Tilson Architect Southern Pines (910) 695-0300 Robert E Clark AIA Architect Pinehurst (910) 295-4683 Matthew R Mills AIA Architect Pinehurst (910) 246-2787 Stagaard & Chao Architects PLLC Pinehurst (910) 295-4800 Seven Sails Architects (910) 400-5309 James C Thomson Architect Southern Pines (910) 246-9909

Home Design

Architexz Builders West End (910) 603-2141 Bartlett Construction Co LLC West End (910) 673-1511 Baxley Construction Company Pinehurst (910) 692-8100 Bennett Building Co Lakeview (910) 949-2692 Big Sky Construction, LLC (910) 673-2106 Blackman Builders Inc Aberdeen (910) 944-5658

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Demyan James Roofing Company Southern Pines (910) 692-8599 Dimension Design & Construction (910) 315-2453 Dooley’s Contractors LLC Whispering Pines (910) 215-6996 Dream Developers Inc Pinehurst (910) 295-5926

Terry L Michael Construction Pinehurst (910) 295-9538 Mingin Enterprises Construction West End (910) 673-0909 Moore Co. Home Builder’s Association (910) 944-2992 Myrick Construction Inc (910) 428-2106 Norris & Norris Builders Inc Aberdeen (910) 783-7977 O’Connor Company Pinehurst (910) 944-0600 Old Virginia Log Homes, Inc Robbins (800) 327-5647 Pattan Construction Inc (910) 692-9116 Payne Construction (910) 692-9429 Pinehurst Homes Inc Pinehurst (910) 295-5400 Precision Builders & Real Estate Inc (910) 295-2800 Premier Properties of the Sandhills LLC (910) 725-1540

Landmark Homes West End (910) 673-2567 Longstreet Construction LLC Southern Pines (910) 692-0855

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 87

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Registry

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Primax Construction Inc Pinehurst (910) 295-1846

Reaves Bill Construction Co Inc West End (910) 673-0004 Dennis Regan Construction Southern Pines (910) 693-1530 Sandhills Building & Contracting LLC (910) 916-5227 Sandhills Refuse Southern Pines (910) 695-7299 Seldomridge Construction Services (910) 673-2590 J Brent Smith Construction Inc. (910) 295-1976 Stewart Construction West End (910) 673-1929 Joe Ussery Builders Aberdeen (910) 944-2211 WG Construction & Renovation Inc Southern Pines (910) 693-1455

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Home Improvement A Affordable Home Improvement (910) 783-6205 A-1 Quality Home (910) 315-6011 Andy On Call (910) 695-9988 Architexz Builders West End (910) 603-2141 C & G Home Repair (910) 690-6049 Carpenter’s Construction Inc (910) 639-4627 Carrington Engineered Waterproofing (910) 692-8857 Coyle Construction LLC (910) 281-4928 Creed & Garner Roofing (910) 944-0520 Despain’s Home Improvements (910) 783-5524 Doug Smith’s Plumbing & Repair (910) 944-8129

Gary’s Home Improvement (910) 692-4144

Mark’s Painting & Remodeling (910) 944-0496

Handwerk Shop (910) 638-8370

Meares Construction (910) 639-0693

Hill Construction Aberdeen (910) 295-0055

Nail Down Construction (910) 639-0756

Home Remedies Carthage (910) 783-6040

Pinehurst Rehomes (910) 295-5400

Home RX LLC Pinehurst (910) 215-8023

Sandhills Siding Co Aberdeen (910) 944-7300

House & Home Improvement Robbins (910) 948-3103

Sandhills Building & Contracting (910) 916-5227

J & L Home Services (910) 673-3927

Sandhills Seamless Gutter Southern Pines (910) 693-3790

L & J Renovations Vass (910) 245-3169

Sylantech Construction (910) 992-6105

Le Claire Construction Inc Pinehust (910) 949-2358 Seven Lakes (910) 673-3917

Tunstall Builders LLC Carthage (910) 949-3386

Lowe’s Southern Pines (910) 693-1010 Make A Deal Handy-Man Service (910) 528-2978

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 89

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

Registry

The PHG

Interior Designers APH Interiors (910) 692-3788 Vickie Auman Interiors Pinehurst (910) 295-6590 Carter & Co Construction & Design Pinehurst (910) 603-1943 Closets and So Much More Vicki Brown, Designer (910) 603-7123

Carolina Interiors Pinehurst (910) 295-5222 The Corral Southern Pines (910) 692-7279

Locklear Cabinets Aberdeen (866) 962-5532

Fashionable Finishes (910) 639-7303

Living Spaces Cabinetry Design Studio Southern Pines (910) 692-8569

Holly Carter By Appointment Southern Pines (910) 692-9980

Cottage Chic & Co Aberdeen (910) 944-0501

Leader Design Group Pinehurst (910) 215-0300

The Design Studio Sanford (919) 774-7575

Lyneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Furniture Gallery Pinehurst (910) 295-1888 Southern Pines (910) 692-1888

Designs With Style West End (910) 315-4612 Inside Out Interiors (910) 295-4012 Interior Peace Design, LLC (910) 585-2585 Joan Nelson Designs Pinehurst (910) 692-7575 Johnsye White Interior Design Inc (910) 255-3005 Lapato id Aberdeen (910) 783-7383 Denis Coll McCullough, ASID Southern Pines (910) 692-9121 Sandhills Staging & Design LLC (910) 603-5770

R S S Total Home Solutions, LLC Southern Pines (910) 692-4556 Sandhills Staging & Design LLC (910) 603-5770

Travis Alfrey Wood Working (910) 639-3553

Plumbing & Electrical

HD Supply Pinehurst (910) 295-5541

Fax 910-295-1549 P.O. Box 3090, Pinehurst, NC 28374

Blarney Stoneworks (910) 944-1380 Barron Tile (910)-673-3884 Brock Cabinets West End (910) 215-8724

Cabinets, etc. Aberdeen (910) 235-5233

Sparrows Southern Pines (910) 692-1088

Creative Edge Inc Southern Pines (910) 692-4178

Total Design Solutions, Inc Southern Pines (910) 246-8046

Creative Kitchens Pinehurst (910) 295-1712

Village Design Group Southern Pines (910) 692-1000

Design Studio for Cabinetry Southern Pines (910) 693-0777

Interior Decorators

Heritage Cabinet Co. of Pinehurst Pinehurst (910) 420-2559

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Set in Stone (910) 944-3062

Artistic Kitchen & Baths Southern Pines (910) 692-4000

Southern Fox Southern Pines (910) 695-0286

C & H Interiors Pinebluff (910) 692-2671

S & D Granite and Marble Inc Aberdeen (910) 944-3270

Ben Franklin Plumbing (910) 246-0442

Southern Chic Pinehurst (910) 255-0455

Brick Market Square Interiors Southern Pines (910) 692-8454

Providing Custom Homes & Remodeling

Quality Custom Cabinetry (910) 692-0770

Kitchen Design & Cabinetry

Builder Products, Inc Pinehurst (910) 215-0091

Alice Fenner Decorator Pinehurst (910) 295-6859

L A Cabinets Seven Lakes (910) 673-2768

Kitchen & Bath Galleries Southern Pines (910) 692-3984 Kitchen Spaces Inc Aberdeen (910) 944-1333

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 91

CUTLER TREE Tree Pruning • Removal Plant Site Consulting • Stump Grinding Shrub Care Tree Conservation for New Home Sites

Free Estimates Geoffrey Cutler 910-692-7769 • 910-690-7657 Fully Insured

$ 5(6,'(17,$/ ',9,6,21 2)

ŽŽůŝŶŐ Žƌ ,ĞĂƚŝŶŐ WƌŽďůĞŵƐ͍ ŽŽůŝŶŐ Žƌ ,ĞĂƚŝŶŐ WƌŽďůĞŵƐ͍ KE͛d W E/ ͊ KŶĞ ,ŽƵƌ ,ĞĂƚŝŶŐ Θ ŝƌ ŽŶĚŝƚŝŽŶŝŶŐΡ ,ĂƐ ^ŽůƵƚŝŽŶƐ͊

,ĞƌĞ ŝƐ ǁŚĂƚ ǇŽƵ ĐĂŶ ĞǆƉĞĐƚ ĨƌŽŵ KŶĞ ,ŽƵƌ͗ x ϭϬϬй ƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ^ĂƚŝƐĨĂĐƚŝŽŶ 'ƵĂƌĂŶƚĞĞĚ x ůů ƚĞĐŚŶŝĐŝĂŶƐ ĂƌĞ ĚƌƵŐ ƚĞƐƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƌĞĐĞŝǀĞ ĂŶ ĞǆƚĞŶƐŝǀĞ ďĂĐŬŐƌŽƵŶĚ ĐŚĞĐŬ x &ƵůůǇ ƐƚŽĐŬĞĚ ƚƌƵĐŬƐ ƐŽ ǁĞ ĐĂŶ Ĩŝǆ ǇŽƵƌ ƉƌŽďůĞŵ ƚŚĞ ĨŝƌƐƚ ƚŝŵĞ x EŽ ^ƵƌƉƌŝƐĞ Ͳ ^ƚƌĂŝŐŚƚ &ŽƌǁĂƌĚ WƌŝĐŝŶŐΠ ^ƉĞĐŝĨŝĐ ƌĞƉĂŝƌƐ ĂƌĞ ŐƵĂƌĂŶƚĞĞĚ ĨŽƌ Ϯ ǇĞĂƌƐ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ŝŶƋƵŝƌĞ Ăůů EŽǁ ƚŽ ^ĐŚĞĚƵůĞ zŽƵƌ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ Žƌ ZĞƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚ ƉƉŽŝŶƚŵĞŶƚ

ϵϭϬͲϰϮϬͲϬϵϬϬ dŽ ůĞĂƌŶ ŵŽƌĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ŽƵƌ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƐĂǀĞ ǁŝƚŚ ƐƉĞĐŝĂů ŽĨĨĞƌƐ ůŽŐ ŽŶ ƚŽ ǁǁǁ͘ŽŶĞŚŽƵƌĂŝƌ͘ĐŽŵ 2$13)$(

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

Registry

The PHG

Hubbard Pipe & Supply Southern Pines (910) 692-2210 David McDaniel Electrical (910) 693-2955 Premier Plumbing (910) 673-5291 Ray’s Plumbing Service Inc (910) 944-7076 Stackhouse Plumbing (910) 673-6732

Heating & Air Conditioning Air Specialties Aberdeen (910) 944-2526 Advanced Mechanical Systems Carthage (910) 949-2114 AirRich Heating & Cooling Inc Cameron (910) 245-3301

Carolina Air, Inc. Carthage (910) 947-7707 Carolina Climate Control Carthage (910) 947-2823 Comfort Heating & Air (910) 695-0200 Comfort Services, Inc. Aberdeen (910) 695-2665 Curtis Hart Heating & Air Vass (910) 245-1583 Fields Plumbing & Heating Co Inc (910) 949-3232

Scott’s Mechanical Aberdeen (910) 281-3628 Southmoore Heating & Cooling Pinebluff (910) 281-4567 Southern Air & Refrigeration (910) 692-7519 Stancil & Son Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC Aberdeen (910) 944-1940

Floor and Carpeting Aberdeen Carpet & Textiles Aberdeen (910) 944-6204 Flooring America of Pinehurst Pinehurst (910) 295-2293 G.T.J. Installations Pinehurst (910) 528-5365

Sunbelt Mechanical, LLC Aberdeen (910) 944-2044

House of Carpets & Oriental Rugs Vass (910) 693-3343

Temperature Control Pinehurst (910) 295-8367

JB Short Carpet One Southern Pines (910) 692-6411

Household Appliances

Moore Floors Southern Pines (910) 692-7744

Buie’s Heating & Air Conditioning Cameron (910) 245-4958

Four Seasons Heating & Air Conditioning West End (910) 235-0606

Cameron Heating & Air Conditioning Cameron (910) 245-2865

Grimm Heating & Air Conditioning Carthage (910) 947-2948

Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership Aberdeen (910) 944-2543

Hinesley’s Heating & Air Conditioning Carthage (910) 947-58823

Badcock Home Furniture and More Aberdeen (910) 944-9500

Sandhills Heating & Refrigeration (910) 944-1086

Kees Appliance Center Aberdeen (910) 944-8887

Seven Lakes Heating & Air Seven Lakes (910) 295-1441

Keith Home Appliances Aberdeen (910) 944-9200

72 Degrees Heating & Air Conditioning (910) 944-9777

Lowe’s Southern Pines (910) 693-1010

PineStraw Home

Sears Hometown Store Aberdeen (910) 944-2313

Prime Time Flooring (910) 949-4281 Southern Floorcovering & Interiors Inc. Aberdeen (910) 944-3240 Tracy’s Carpets Seven Lakes Village (910) 673-5888 Village Design Group Southern Pines (910) 692-1000

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 93

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden

Registry

The PHG

Paint

Aberdeen Paint & Wallpaper, Inc Southern Pines (910) 692-4451

Sandhills Designer Glass LLC (910) 783-6442 Stained Glass Originals (910) 673-5590

NSP Specialty Products West End (910) 235-0468

Windows

Sandhills Paint Center Southern Pines (910) 692-7000

CA Screens (910) 603-1636

Superlative Stenciling (910) 992-1989

Classic Sun Control (910) 603-0048

Richardson’s Wallpapering Service (910) 281-4264

Pella Window Store Southern Pines (910) 692-3399

Sherwin-William Co Southern Pines (910) 692-6450

Vinyl Windows & Doors Corp Aberdeen (910) 944-2100

Fabric Shops

Win-King (910) 295-6094

Linderella’s Quilt Works Pinehurst (910) 215-5981

Blinds

Not Just Linens Vass (910) 695-1803

AAA Colony Shade, Inc. Aberdeen (910) 944-0880

Lighting

Aberdeen Paint & Wallpaper Southern Pines (910) 692-4451

A Light Source Aberdeen (910) 944-9100 Living In Lighting (910) 949-2458

Comfort Made Blinds Southern Pines (910) 692-5500

Premier Lighting Pinehurst (910) 295-5602

Glass Artistic Impressions Aberdeen (910) 944-1930

PineStraw Home

Aberdeen Window Works Aberdeen (910) 944-3443

Larry’s Window Designs, Inc. (910) 949-2077 Les’s Blinds & Shutters Etc. (910) 281-4884

On-Site Drapery Cleaning & Installation (910) 673-3639 The Windowbox Southern Pines (910) 692-7330

Landscape Architects

Longleaf Design (336) 379-9375 Mark W. Parson (910) 692-8550 Sequoia Design & Build (910) 639-1671

The Hayter Firm Pinehurst (910) 295-2232

Stilworks LLC (910) 986-0609

Land Design Inc Southern Pines (910) 692-2788

The Southern Landscape Group Aberdeen (910) 944-2361

Vince Zucchino Associates Southern Pines (910) 695-1077

Landscape Lighting

Landscape Designers

Chisholm Electrical Contractors Inc (910) 673-5646

American Landscapes (910) 295-1252

Clark Electrical Contractors, Inc (910) 295-3415

Cedar Pines Lawn and Landscape Service (910) 673-3405

Design Company Landscaping (910) 215-9303

Scotts Lawn Service (910) 944-1322 Gardens By Design Southern Pines (910) 692-9558 Joe’s Landscaping & Irrigation (910) 295-1251 Landscape Design & Consultant Southern Pines (910) 692-8550

Dramatic Garden Lighting (910) 690-9997 Rainbow Irrigation & Lighting (910) 949-3889 If you would like to have your product or service listed for the Spring PHG Registry, or are interested in advertising in this section, please contact us at (910) 693-2481.

&Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn 2010 * 95

R o o m

O f

M y

O w n to love it almost as much as I do. My daughter, Capel, loves to come up here when she’s home from college and play classical music and read. And I’m always pleased when I come up and find our boys, Rook and Jesse, sprawled out on the couch reading a book. It’s not your classic formal library, I suppose, but it’s perfect for me and my favorite place. The ideal afternoon for me is sitting up here on the couch with a guitar, a Peter Beard book, and a glass of Domaine Tempier Rosé. — Eddie Meacham, Attorney/Book Lover

Photograph By Glenn Dickerson

When my wife, Kea, and I were building our house, she knew I wanted a library and a workout room, so she designed a very special place for me up on the second floor — a library with a large hole in the floor. It’s the perfect getaway spot for my personal things — my favorite books on three walls, my favorite photos, family stuff, and things we’ve collected in our travels, not to mention a great place to keep my guitars. I keep a couple vintage Gibson guitars and a Fender Stratocaster within reach, but it’s my Kay electric from the 1950s that I love the most. I’m in this room every day reading or playing the guitar. Our kids have come

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Autumn 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw Home &Garden