Cottage Curios in Salem
Each e-mail from Becky boosted the time up that we would meet at Wallie World this morning so I could leave my PT there & we'd take her PT over to Salem. First it was 9:15, then 9, then 8:30, 8:15, finally: 8 am!
Since we're both morning people, this was no problem but it seems Peggy Shifflett, owner of Cottage Curios, had a group of 40...honest, 40!...wives of pediatric surgeons coming to her shop around 9-9:30 & she wanted to get three of us writers set up in her Red Room, where she displays books by local writers on shelves surrounding Christmas displays. Peggy's shop is a consignment shop; i.e., weavers, knitters, painters, writers, and other creative people she knows display their works for sale, with 15% going to Peggy.
Her taste is exquisite...I wanted to buy things as soon as my books started selling. I DID find a very old gold-trimmed covered casserole dish identical to one my grandmother used to have. I also found a beautiful antique-looking bracelet, but someone else bought it before I could make my mind up.
When the doctors' wives arrived, it was great. Each wore a name tag complete with city they were from: Nashville, TN; Georgia, Kentucky, everywhere imaginable. They were delighted with Peggy's shop and laughed a lot when Becky read from her 2nd Peevish Advice book and as I read from my When Men Move to the Basement. Apparently, even doctors move to the basement...one woman laughed & said her husband takes up space all over the house & SHE is the one who needs to find her own space! Dick Raymond was there from Roanoke, reading some of his poetry and promoting his military book. The women had just come from touring the Bedford War Memorial and were very impressed with that site. Dick also played his ukulele & sang a bit.
Meanwhile, Peggy had set chairs outside under a big tree, giving a talk about her own books, Mom's Family Pie: Memories of Food, Traditions & Family in Appalachia and her first book, The Red Flannel Rag: Memories of an Appalachian Childhood. That way, about 20 women were inside the house/shop, going from room to room, while another 20 were outside listening to Peggy's presentation.
Oh, and there was food...Baked Apple Dumplings made from a recipe in Peggy's Family Pie book were steaming up the kitchen, along with fresh hot coffee.
Just before we left, about noon, in came Ibby Greer and an old friend of hers, Diane. They had already had lunch, but steered us to a newly opened tea room on West Main Street in Salem Called "Petticoats & Petit Fours Tea Room." Lace-covered tables, cloth napkins, lovely teacups, well...it was certainly elegant. I had a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant with halved grapes flavoring the chicken, a salad of mixed greens, a white chocolate scone with pineapple cream (yes, I really needed that after my 10 am apple dumpling, yes indeedy) and iced tea. Ida B., of course, in keeping with the elegance, had a pot of Earl Gray tea and a slice of spinach quiche with her salad & scone.
I wanted to waddle back to Rocky Mount behind Becky's PT but she talked me out of it ....
Since we're both morning people, this was no problem but it seems Peggy Shifflett, owner of Cottage Curios, had a group of 40...honest, 40!...wives of pediatric surgeons coming to her shop around 9-9:30 & she wanted to get three of us writers set up in her Red Room, where she displays books by local writers on shelves surrounding Christmas displays. Peggy's shop is a consignment shop; i.e., weavers, knitters, painters, writers, and other creative people she knows display their works for sale, with 15% going to Peggy.
Her taste is exquisite...I wanted to buy things as soon as my books started selling. I DID find a very old gold-trimmed covered casserole dish identical to one my grandmother used to have. I also found a beautiful antique-looking bracelet, but someone else bought it before I could make my mind up.
When the doctors' wives arrived, it was great. Each wore a name tag complete with city they were from: Nashville, TN; Georgia, Kentucky, everywhere imaginable. They were delighted with Peggy's shop and laughed a lot when Becky read from her 2nd Peevish Advice book and as I read from my When Men Move to the Basement. Apparently, even doctors move to the basement...one woman laughed & said her husband takes up space all over the house & SHE is the one who needs to find her own space! Dick Raymond was there from Roanoke, reading some of his poetry and promoting his military book. The women had just come from touring the Bedford War Memorial and were very impressed with that site. Dick also played his ukulele & sang a bit.
Meanwhile, Peggy had set chairs outside under a big tree, giving a talk about her own books, Mom's Family Pie: Memories of Food, Traditions & Family in Appalachia and her first book, The Red Flannel Rag: Memories of an Appalachian Childhood. That way, about 20 women were inside the house/shop, going from room to room, while another 20 were outside listening to Peggy's presentation.
Oh, and there was food...Baked Apple Dumplings made from a recipe in Peggy's Family Pie book were steaming up the kitchen, along with fresh hot coffee.
Just before we left, about noon, in came Ibby Greer and an old friend of hers, Diane. They had already had lunch, but steered us to a newly opened tea room on West Main Street in Salem Called "Petticoats & Petit Fours Tea Room." Lace-covered tables, cloth napkins, lovely teacups, well...it was certainly elegant. I had a chicken salad sandwich on a croissant with halved grapes flavoring the chicken, a salad of mixed greens, a white chocolate scone with pineapple cream (yes, I really needed that after my 10 am apple dumpling, yes indeedy) and iced tea. Ida B., of course, in keeping with the elegance, had a pot of Earl Gray tea and a slice of spinach quiche with her salad & scone.
I wanted to waddle back to Rocky Mount behind Becky's PT but she talked me out of it ....
Labels: tea room
posted by Marion | 6:52 PM
3 Comments:
Well, you ate ONE dumpling, but I bought 12 to have on hand for my husband's 86th birthday dinner next week!
I had so enjoyed reading Peggy's books and especially about her sister-in-law Hilda Ruth Shifflett! WOW--I got to meet her today in the kitchen, and tears actually came to my eyes and I choked up, I was so moved to be holding the hand of a woman who has lived the "Appalachian life" all her life and now shares her skills and treats with onlookers at Cottage Curios. That is the effect art and life, when combined in a cozy kitchen, have on me.
She and my pal Diane Kelly talked a mile a minute about lard, Crisco, cheesecloth, patting butter dry, pie dough, making butter...all a novelty for yours truly who grew up without really ever getting my hands in the pie dough, so to speak. My loss!
I brought the 12 dumplings home, ate one (yum) and froze the rest. It was such fun to see fellow writers and artisans working over there, especially Peggy's niece making baskets and Meridith Entingh weaving the most glorious scarves, etc. Great day. Thanks, Peggy.
Doggone it! You beat me to the blogpost again! Check my blog for my version:
http://peevishpen.blogspot.com/2007/09/interconnectedness.html
We did have fun, didn't we?
See, that's a problem selling your book and then turning around and buying antique bracelets and things. When Kurt and I used to have our tack shop, we'd go to trade shows and sell our stuff and then we'd take turns walking around and buying other stuff. I don't know if it was defeating the whole purpose or it was the point of it all!
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