Letters to my Grandchildren Summer 1951

Joan and George. 

While I loved to pick cotton, I was not too fond of chopping cotton, de-weeding, and thinning out the plants.  However, in the summer of 1951 I was chopping cotton for a neighbor down towards Pink Lovelace's store.  Donnis Ashley and I were working in a field down there.  For lunch, I would always go back home where Mama would have a great lunch ready for me, and then I might rest awhile and go back and chop some more if it got cooler.

When I went home for lunch that one June day, Mama had lunch but she was also all a twitter regarding a letter that she had received from my Aunt Elsie who lived in Maryland.  Elsie's daughter, Joan, my first cousin was getting married, and she planned to have the wedding in August down at our grandmother's house.  She wanted me to be her maid of honor.  I was more excited about it than Mama was.  I'm not sure I had ever been to a wedding and I know for certain I had never BEEN in a wedding.

Beautiful Joan. 

Many of our purchases in those days were from the Sears Roebuck Catalog that arrived at our house in the mail every season.  That was the source of the evening dress that I would choose to wear in the wedding.  It was a lovely pink dress with a few rhinestones embedded around the front of the bodice and a sheer cape covering the shoulders. We told Aunt Elsie that I would wear pink so she could choose a picture hat as an accessory for me to wear.  She and Joan came down several days before the wedding day, and when I opened the hatbox from Hecht's in Baltimore that they brought there was this beautiful pink picture hat.  The prettiest hat I had ever seen.  It matched my dress perfectly.  That hat was a birthday gift for me too, my birthday was on the 23 of August, and the wedding was on August, 25.  I had just turned 14.  Joan was only 20.

Cheryl, the flower girl, and me. 

My Dad built an altar that was placed out in front of the beautiful Spirea bush ablaze with white blossoms in front of Grandma's porch.  The piano was pulled out on the porch.  I don't remember who played the piano, but our cousin Virginia Greene, who was an accomplished musician, sang. Our little cousin Cheryl was the flower girl also dressed in pink.  Chairs were placed out on the lawn facing the porch where a large number of aunts, uncles, and cousins who attended sat.

The wedding party in front of the altar in front of Grandma Greene's front porch.

I was happy to be in the wedding, but at the same time, I was sad that Joan was getting married.  She always came down to Grandma's in the summer for a long visit, and I knew she wouldn't; be doing that now.

After the wedding, there was a reception up the road at our Aunt Edith's house.  Joan knew I was sad because she wouldn't be coming in the summers to play, but she told me that I wouldn't be interested in playing for many more summers.  She was right.  It wasn't too many summers until I became interested in boys.

Hiding Painted Rocks in Shelby, NC

Lately painted rocks have been turning up in Shelby and other places in Cleveland County, NC.   When found these painted rocks can be kept or rehidden around town to provide joy for others to find.  Families and folks of all ages are enjoying this.

The beach at our summer place in Marble Mountain, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia has beautiful flat rocks.  Knowing that I would be visiting in Shelby upon my return from Marble Mountain, I collected six nicely shaped rocks and had my friend Iris paint them.

Now I have hidden these in Shelby on or in the block around the Court Square. I have included my email address and if the person who finds one will send me a photo along with their address, or you can post a photo of it on Cleveland Strong Rocks facebook page, I will mail them a Loonie (a Canadian $1) or maybe a Toonie (a Canadian $2.). * The one dollar is called a Loonie because it has a loon on it. And of course Toonie rhymes with Loonie.

I hope you have as much finding them as I had hiding them.  Post your pics on Cleveland Strong Rocks on Facebook.

*The Loonie and the Toonie have no monetary value in the US.

Gadding about at "Two Doors Down" In Shelby.

After Virginia and I had lunch at Ni Fin's Kitchen the other day, we popped into the ladies' clothing shop next door. Back in the 50s and 60s another ladies' clothing shop, McNeeleys,  was in this same location. Both the former shop and the current one, Two Doors Down, which is actually one door down from Ni Fen's, are known for their beautiful collection of ladies' wear.

I love the vivid colors. 

The beautiful bright colors convinced me that Spring and Summer aren't that far off.

It was not  my intention to buy anything, but I couldn't resist this colorful top that will be perfect for my planned summer travels.

The decor inside is in keeping with the "door" theme.  Colorful vintage doors are mounted above the clothing racks and add a nice touch.

Colorful vintage doors. 

I'm glad to have discovered this shop.  I'll check in again the next time I'm in Shelby.

Ni Fen Kitchen in Shelby

Ni Fen Kitchen in Shelby.

One of my favorite restaurants in Shelby is the Ni Fen Bistro,  and now there is a second Ni Fen Kitchen that has opened, and Peggy Jean and I had lunch there recently.  The Kitchen does not disappoint.  The decor is simple, sunny and inviting.

Simple decor in sunny yellow,

A simple arrangement of tulips in the window adds a nice touch. 

The food is just as delicious as the Bistro and what diners have come to expect. The Kitchen is more casual and is open for lunch Monday through Friday.

The white bean chili soup was just the thing for a cold day, and it had just enough Southwestern spices to make it spicy but not too.

For dessert we shared an apple cinnamon fritter with ice cream and caramel sauce.  Yum!

Apple cinnamon fritter. 

Outside seating at Ni Fen Kitchen. 

The food scene in Shelby has certainly improved since Jeanette opened her two restaurants!!  I'll revisit the Kitchen when I'm in Shelby next month.

A Visit From Shelby Friends

AMTRAK  arriving from Charlotte with my friends on board.

On Monday three of my long time friends (since first grade) Ann, Pat W. and Peggy along with two new friends (I met them last year while visiting Peggy) Gail and Sally boarded AMTRAK in Charlotte and came for a visit. 

Pat W. is first off the train. 

I met them at the Cary Station and Ann's son, Andy, who works in Cary surprised Ann by being there to greet the group too. 


Ann surprised by her son Andy as Sally and Peggy on left look on. 

After a brief rest at my house, we set off for an afternoon at the Raleigh Arboretum.  The weather was perfect and there were lots of pretty fall flowers in bloom there. 

At the Arboretum.  L to R: Gail, Pat W, Peggy, Ann, me, Sally

Ann admires "sculpture" at the Arboretum.

Pretty fall asters. 

We had a light and late lunch at the Neomonde Bakery where they were introduced to Mediterranean cuisine. 

Back home for a short rest, and then we took off for a short visit to Crabtree Valley Mall.  We were all pretty tired by then.








Supper of chili at my house finished off a fun day with these friends.  I had made a cranberry, apple cake for dessert. 

Cramberry Apple  cake for dessert. 

After much catching up and reliving old times we were "plum tuckered out" and ready for bed and rest to be ready for a full day of adventures on Tuesday. 

Lavender Bistro, Tryon, North Carolina

When Dan and I were in Cleveland County back in May we had planned to take my friend PJ to the Ni Fen restaurant in Shelby for her birthday, but our plan did not materialize.  In July we planned to celebrate her birthday belatedly, but Ni Fen was closed for the Fourth of July holiday.

Peggy the birthday lady.

Determined to find a fine restaurant to celebrate her birthday, I called around and the Lavender Bistro, up in Tryon was highly recommended as a likely place to have a special dinner.  Tryon is at the foot of the mountains up toward Asheville about 40 miles from Shelby.  Upon calling we were able to secure a reservation so we took off for the hills. 

The Lavender Bistro.

Tryon is a lovely little town where a lot of folks choose to retire.  The Lavender Bistro is a charming little place right on the main street. 

After perusing the menu we thought we had made a good choice with this Bistro.

We shared a starter of baked brie with a wonderful roasted fig marmalade in puff pastry.Yummy!!

For our entree we each chose the trout almondine.  It too was delicious.

Carolina trout almondine.

 We were pretty sated after the ample entree, but wanting to at least try one of their desserts we shared a serving of the tiramisu.  It was light and delicate and flavorful.  We made the right choice there.

Tiramisu, the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

I'm glad to know of this little Bistro that's not that far from Shelby.  I feel sure we will venture up there again on one of our future trips to Cleveland County. 

That Old Cotton Field Back Home

Logo from Walker Woodworking website. 

I've written about picking cotton in a blog a did a year or so ago, but this post is about a cotton field that has disappeared.  We were in Cleveland County last week, and I went over to visit my former next-door neighbor (Janet Walker).  Janet was just a little kid when I used to go down to her house to pick cotton with her mother, Selma Withrow*.  I loved that particular field because at the end of the field there was a wonderful honey locust tree that in the fall produced brown pods that had a sweet pulp.  One could squeeze out a bit of sugary treat which was nice after a day of picking cotton.  This was better than sucking on a lollipop.

I knew that Janet's son, Travis, had a woodworking shop, but I had no idea that what he really has is a 10,000 sq. ft. woodworking "factory"  that occupies most of that former cotton field.  In 1996 Travis was working as a paramedic when he began woodworking as a hobby.  He borrowed a few thousand dollars from his grandmother, hoping to turn his hobby into a small side business. From the little garage where he was the only woodworker, in eighteen years he has expanded and now has a successful business that employs 28 people.  Cleveland County must be very proud of this local entrepreneur.

Travis, founder and CEO of Walker Woodworking. 

Travis took Dan and me on a tour of the "factory".  Here are some of what we saw.  It was amazing.

3/4″ domestic plywood is the very best and most expensive material you can use for cabinet construction.

Wood is cut from a digital design. 

I love these beautiful dovetail joints in the drawers.

Part of the assembly room.

A large screen where the customer can see the proposed kitchen design.

Little did I know when I was picking cotton some 60+ years ago that one day a successful woodworking shop would occupy the space.  I know that Selma would be very proud to see what exists in that former cotton field where she and I spent many happy days picking cotton. Happy for me anyway, because I got paid and that's how I earned my spending money in those days. 

This blog post shows only a mere hint of what Walker Woodworking creates.  Check out their current website and a new website  that is under construction to see the wonderful cabinetry they have designed and constructed, the many awards they have won and meet the wonderful staff of the company.

* Not only did I spend many a day with Selma Withrow picking cotton, but she was also my piano teacher, the director of the youth choir in my church, and the glee director at my high school.