In honor of spring and more light and the urge to get going earlier, we're changing our hours.  Starting on Monday (March 21) we'll be open at 8am again.

 

Come on in for muffins, scones, omelets, burritos, quiche, granola, and locally-raised delicious eggs and breakfast meats of all kinds.

 

What a delight is is to live in a community that honors storytelling and real books and authors.  We have Malaprops, a fabulous Independent bookstore (if they don't have it you can order it and the author will get more money than they would if you bought it through Amazon, by the way.)

 

This week we were graced by Frances Mayes who is the author of Under the Tuscan Sun.  We got to make some Tuscan snacks for the occasion, and I, oh glory, got to to the introduction.  Tra la!

 

And then, best of all, I got to sit so close to her, got to sink into her voice and her words and her stories and her. It was a transforming evening for me.  The next day she came and had a muffin and some coffee here and got a glimpse of my life. 

 

I've been collecting bottles for some time, tucking them on branches of trees around my yard.  But in summer, the foliage covers up the glass.  I've been wanting a bottle tree, a real one, and stumbled into this one the other day.

 

They the protective spirits in bottle trees trap evil spirits and protect those who live near.  I don't particularly feel I need protection, but my bees sure do.  In my way of thinking, placing this protecting sculpture near their hives is just one more thing I can do to try to help. 

 

Here are our dinners for this coming week.

 

Monday, March 21

Asian Chicken and Broccoli 7.95

 

Tuesday, March 22

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Mole Sauce 6.25

 

Wednesday, March 23

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and Parmesan Potatoes 8.95

 

Thursday, March 24

Chicken Gyro with Greek Salad 7.95

 

Friday, March 25

Pan-fried Tilapia with Dill Remoulade, Rice, and Slaw 9.25

 

Order by noon and we'll have your dinner ready to pick up by 3. Our new winter hours are in effect so we're now closing at 7.

 

Salad and bread are now a la carte (not included.) Let us know if you'd like to add them. Salad is 3.25 and bread is 1.25 per person.

 

We make a special casserole and a special lasagna each week.

 

Order by noon or so. Order a half if you have around 4 folks. If you have a bigger group, or you just like leftovers, order a full-sized one.

 

Then come pick up between 3:00 and 7:00.

 

The casserole this week is for Wednesday, March 23:

Beef Stroganoff

Full: 54 Half: 27

 

The lasagna is for Friday, March 25:

Chicken Lasagna with Spring Vegetables

Full: 48 Half: 24

 

 

I am speaking more and more about bees and honey these days.  The audiences cross a broad spectrum, from kindergartners to senior citizens.  It keeps me on my toes: imagining the audience, adapting my chats to the group.

 

Chef Steve Pope from the Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch is here this morning along with about 40 heritage poultry breeders.  He's teaching adn the rest are learning about heritage poultry.  In a little while they'll be tasting his handiwork (and I'll get to too).

 

The group is nestled here in our Garden Room.  Makes me appreciate how nice this space is for this sort of thing.  If you have a workshop to do and are looking for a spot, keep us in mind. 

 

Hive # 1, the one on the left in this photo, is chugging along.  The others, as I mentioned, have no living bees in them right now.  BUT I have bees on order and as soon as they are ready I'll go get them and move them into these homes.

 

March 19, 2011

 

Hiha hiya.

 

It’s a warm, grey day here in Asheville. I slept with my windows open last night and woke up to birds and a little breeze and the promise, the promise of spring. Here it comes.

 

For the past week I've been noticing the increasing greens, the developing yellows, the wash, the spread of color on the hills, along the roads, in my yard. The willow branches are turning from sticks to fronds of swaying with a pale hint of moss. By next week we’ll have small leaves and then, soon, full on green. My lawn, small as it is, is filling in. My garden beds, almost all cleaned out, are filling in too. And though it seems slow, time-lapse photography would show a blast of growth. As it is, just in my own vision, each morning reveals more shoots, more buds, more blossoms.

 

At the same time, longer days and more light keep me away from home longer and Tye, my pup, notices. When I come home she leaps, whines, begs me for a walk. I, tired, let in her pleas and let her hop into the car for a spin to our favorite woodsy spot. She hangs her head out the window, filling her face with the breeze.

 

If I come home too tired I get a snack and sink onto my couch for a rest before shifting into the night. I take off my shoes, tuck my feet up and do nothing for a bit. On those days when I am gone too long, I sometimes come home to find a slipper missing from its spot next to my bed. Tye, lonely, has taken it out onto the porch, hoping, I guess, that it’ll make me come home sooner.

 

The other day I realized that ALL of my shoes were in a pile in the den. Yikes! I also noticed that BOTH of my slippers were missing, as were one blue clog and one red clog from the pile. I padded around my house, looking for my shoes, wondering if I’d inadvertently left them in my office. Nope, Tye had taken them all out onto the deck. There, tucked under my Christmas tree (I can’t bring myself to compost it yet) were my two slippers and my missing clogs. Clearly I've been away too much.

 

It has been a full time lately. We hosted Diane Daniel, the author of Farm Fresh (a book about fresh food in NC). Then Frances Mayes came, telling stories about Tuscany. I spoke to two different groups about bees and honey, and also met with a number of prospective brides and party folks. I had dinner with a couple of different friends and spent one night at a Zumba class: a full and good week, to be sure.

 

The doors are open, the air is flowing and spring is ALMOST here. I, for one, am going to try to sneak out early so I can go home, collect my pup, and take a gander at the woods. As we know, it’s good for both of us.

 

Periodically someone comes along and asks me to do an interview for something or other.  I am going to be in my college alumni magazine soon (go UNH!)