December 2012 PineStraw by PineStraw Magazine

The Ryder Cup Lounge D r i n k I n Th e G a me

iscover a whole new dining experience at the

Ryder Cup Lounge located just off the porch of the historic Carolina Hotel. From the BBQ Pork Two Ways to the Pretzel Panini, our menu is as unique as Pinehurst itself.

We d n e s d a y S p e c i a l

Li v e Mu s i c

Get complimentary Deconstructed Nachos –

Bob Redding

tortilla chips, pulled pork

Friday & Saturday nights

BBQ, queso sauce, hoop cheese, refried beans, cilantro cream, salsa and guacamole – with the purchase of one entrée. *

The Carolina Hotel • Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 910.235.8415 • pinehurst.com

* Limit one appetizer per table.

www.prudentialpinehurst.com

Stonegate

Truly remarkable home! Beautiful golf course and water views! Renovated in 2004. Text T529422 to 85377

Jim Saunders 910.315.1000

Heart of Hunt Country

Elegant home bordering Walthour Moss Foundation. 8-Stall Barn, 4-Paddocks & more. Text T443907 to 85377

Debbie Darby 910.783.5193

Blackjack Cottage

An Old Town Pinehurst beauty with nearly 5,000 sq.ft. Visit: www.40Culdee.com for details. Text T588314 to 85377

Beverly Ann Valutis 910.916.1313

Lake Pinehurst Views

Lake views from almost every room! Private setting. Den, Sunroom, Screened Porch. $549,000 Text T390841 to 85377

Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

Liscombe Lodge

A home with a lot of history! Owned by Generals Marshall & Heaton! Totally Renovated! Guest Cottage. Text T577918 to 85377

Emily Hewson 910.315.3324

Edgewood Cottage

Vintage Dutch Colonial laden with character and charm in Old Town Pinehurst. Pool & Cabana. Text T11599 to 85377

Eva 910.638.0972 / Emily 910.315.3324

CCNC

Exquisite golf front home overlooking the 12th hole on Dogwood. Elegant, comfortable living! Text T443822 to 85377

Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

Elegant Living

Gracious living areas, beautiful master suite, hardwood flooring, & much more! $445,000 Text T816445 to 85377

Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

Log on to www.prudentialpinehurst.com FOR OUR Easy Search or Snap & Search with our FREE APP on your Smart Phone 910.295.5504 Pinehurst | 910.692.2635 Southern Pines

Wisteria Cottage

Historic Old Town Pinehurst cottage with comfortable elegance. Over 3500sf. 4BR/5BA. Text T336953 to 85377

Eva Toney 910.638.0972

Grand Enchantment

Charming CCNC home on over 5 acres of lovely grounds. Formal & Informal areas, over 4,000 sf. Text T325823 to 85377

Carolyn Hallett 910.986.2319

Fairwoods on 7

Stunning golf front home on 18th fairway! Details at: www.190Hearthstone.com $599,995 Test T11613 to 85377

Beverly Ann Valutis 910.916.1313

Southern Pines

Calling all downtown aficionadoes! Spacious & gracious interior. See: www.LuvPines.com $339,000 Text T443850 to 85377

Mav Hankey 910.603.3589

Get the free mobile app at http://gettag. mobi

ÂŠ2012 BRER Affiliates Inc. An independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates, Inc. Prudential, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are registered service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Used under license with no other affiliation with Prudential. Equal Housing Opportunity.

December 2012 Volume 7, No . 12

FEATURES

55 Winter Solstice DEPARTMENTS

7 12 17 19 21 25 29 31 35 37 39 41 45 47 51 98 115 127 128

Sweet Tea Jim Dodson

PinePitch PinePoll Cos and Effect Cos Barnes The Omnivorous Reader Stephen E. Smith Bookshelf Hitting Home Dale Nixon The Kitchen Garden Jan Leitschuh Food for Thought Department Deborah Salomon Vine Wisdom Robyn James Life of Jane Jane Borden Pleasures of Life Tom Allen Birdwatch Susan Campbell The Sporting Life Tom Bryant Golftown Journal Lee Pace Calendar SandhillSeen PineNeedler Mart Dickerson SouthWords Jan Buchanan

Poetry by Barbara Boyd

56 Our NYC Kids By Cassie Butler

Six from the Sandhills on the trials and triumphs of making a life in the Big Apple

69 City Girls

Three takes on big city life

76 O Tannenbaum By Laura Gingerich

A family search for the perfect Christmas tree in the hills of Western North Carolina

82 Twinkle Town By Cassie Butler

Linda Hamwi invites you to Santa’s Village. If you’re good, she’ll make you a bundt cake, too

85 Living Large By Deborah Salomon

How an ugly duckling barn became a swan

94 December Almanac By Noah Salt

A brief strange history of Christmas

COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM SAYER PHOTOGRAPH THIS PAGE BY LAURA GINGERICH 2

December 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Bed

Bath

Table

Sleepwear

Fragrances

Florals

Gifts

Eyebobs

PineStraw M A G A Z I N E Jim Dodson, Editor

910.693.2506 • jim@pinestrawmag.com

Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director 910.693.2467 • andie@pinestrawmag.com

Cassie Butler, Photographer, Graphic Designer, Writer 910.693.2464 • cassie@pinestrawmag.com

Kira Schoenfelder, Graphic Designer 910.693.2508 • kira@pinestrawmag.com

Editorial

Deborah Salomon, Staff Writer Stephen E. Smith, Staff Writer Ashley Wahl, Associate Editor Sara King, Proofreader Mary Novitsky, Proofreader Contributing Photographers

John Gessner, Laura Gingerich, Tim Sayer Contributors

Tom Allen, Cos Barnes, Julie Barnes, Jane Borden, Barbara Boyd, Jan Buchanan, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Geoff Cutler, Al Daniels, Annette Daniels, Mart Dickerson, Maggie Dodson, Courtney Hayes, Robyn James, Pamela Powers January, Jan Leitschuh, Meridith Martens, Dale Nixon, Lee Pace, Jeanne Paine, Noah Salt

PS David Woronoff, Publisher Advertising Sales

Michelle Palladino, Sales Representative 910.691.9657 • mpalladino@pinestrawmag.com Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513 Kerry Hooper, 910.693.2508 Perry Loflin, 910.693.2514 Peggy Marsh, 910.693.2516 Darlene McNeil-Smith, 910.693.2519 Johnsie Tipton, 910.693.2515 Karen Triplett, 910.693.2510 Pat Taylor, Advertising Director Advertising Graphic Design

Stacey Yongue, 910.693.2509 Mechelle Butler, Clay Culberson, Scott Yancey Circulation & Subscriptions

Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488

PineStraw Magazine

910.693.2467 173 W. Pennsylvania Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 pinestraw@thepilot.com • www.pinestrawmag.com ©Copyright 2012. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. PineStraw magazine is published by The Pilot LLC

December 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SweeT TeA chronicleS

The Spirit of Fezziwig BY JIM DODSON

it was getting dark and I

was cold, standing outside the music shop where I’d just taken my last guitar lesson for the year, waiting for my dad to pick me up after his office Christmas party.

At age 13, the world I aspired to was a narrowly defined place. I had a dog named Hoss, never missed a broadcast of Carolina basketball, and was in love from afar with the music of George Harrison and a girl in my church youth group named Kristin, who was a year older and at least a head taller and didn’t appear to know I even existed. Mr. Weinstein asked me if I wished to wait inside and I thanked him and said no, my dad would be there any moment. He smiled, said goodnight, locked the door and pulled down the shade, switching off the shop’s interior lights, leaving only the blinking Christmas lights in the window, undoubtedly anxious to be on his way home. Hanukkah had begun and Christmas Eve was less than a week away, and I stood in the dim foxfire gloaming provided by the twinkling lights, holding my secondhand Gibson and wondering why the blazes my old man was so late. His office was only a short distance away and I considered walking that way. Suddenly there he was, his Buick easing up. “Sorry I’m a bit late, Sport,” he said cheerfully as I got in. “We ran a bit longer than I expected and I stopped to speak to Santa Claus.” The car was warm and smelled pleasantly of something faintly spicy that turned out to be my mom’s leftover Christmas cookies on the front seat. My father made no apologies for his undisguised admiration for Christmas. Years later, when I read Charles Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol for the first time, I instantly recognized a kindred spirit in the character of old Fezziwig, the generous employer to whom a young and impressionable Ebenezer Scrooge is apprenticed, a jolly and kind man who symbolizes the milk of human kindness and the communal values of an age under assault from an emerging Industrial Age that emphasizes profits over people. As much as Scrooge admires his wonderful old employer, he later adopts the corporate greed and indifference of the new era. “So you really met Santa, huh?” I gently needled my dad because, well, he was such an easy mark and often so unaccountably upbeat my brother Dickie and I sometimes called him Opti the Mystic. He nodded. “I did indeed. Unfortunately he was sitting on a bench, rather down on his luck.” I could see he was serious about this. “What do you mean he was down on his luck?” I asked. He smiled, though not with anything resembling amusement. “I’ll show you.” Instead of turning right on Friendly Avenue to go home where the

Christmas lights burned and a warm meal awaited, he turned left on Market to go back downtown where the streets were dark and deserted. We pulled up to an empty park near the old Confederate hospital and there on a bench — true to his word — sat a disheveled man in a Santa Claus suit. “I’ll only be a minute. You stay here.” He left the car running, got out and walked over to where the man was sitting. I saw a bottle of something in his hand. Santa’s snowy beard was missing. The two men conversed. I could see Santa waving his other hand animatedly, his angry voice fogging the frosty air. There was something in that hand, too. As the man got to his feet and started toward the car with my dad, I was alarmed to see he was holding a pistol. “Hey, Bo,” my dad said, opening my door. “Why don’t you jump in back. We’re going to

give Santa a ride home.” Santa placed his empty bottle down on the curb and leered at me as I climbed out and he climbed in, still holding the pistol. In 1966 there wasn’t much public awareness of homeless people — at least in the safe world I inhabited. Before I could make sense of what was going on, Santa was rambling on about how he’d lost his job at local department store simply for taking a holiday snort of Old Crow at lunch and now wouldn’t have a paycheck to buy his “old lady and her kid” something for Christmas. In the stream of profanities and proclamations that tumbled out, he mentioned that his girlfriend was pregnant and he just might have to hit the road if he couldn’t find a job and a decent place to live. Santa, who smelled like an old crow and faintly resembled one, suddenly jerked around and eyed me and my secondhand Gibson, silent in the back seat. “What can you play on that damn thing?” he demanded. I replied that I knew almost every song on Rubber Soul, the Beatles’ sixth album. “The Beatles!” snarled Santa. “They ain’t worth shit. How about some Hank Williams?” We pulled up to the Irving Park Delicatessen and stopped. My dad got out and motioned me to follow. The three of us marched in and took a booth. The bar was decorated with evergreen and colored lights and the waitress recognized my old man, a frequent lunch patron. “Looks like Santa had a rough night,” she playfully observed. “Worse than you can guess, Sugar,” brayed Bad Santa, winking at her. “But I can still give you a good one!” Santa ordered an omelet and plate of spaghetti and apple pie a la mode. My dad just had coffee. I was half‑starved and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. We watched Santa wolf down his eggs and dive into the spaghetti like there was no tomorrow. He ranted on about a dozen different things and finally calmed

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

sweet tea chronicles

down about the time his pie a la mode arrived. After this we drove him to a neighborhood of tiny box houses on the city’s Northeast side. The house where we dropped him off was dark, but a porch light was on. My dad got out, asked me to stay put, and walked the man up to the door. In the half light, I saw him shake the man’s hand and give him something. The man walked him back down the driveway and came over to my side of the car. I’d reclaimed the front seat and discovered the gun on the floor where he’d forgotten it. He motioned me to roll down the window. Reluctantly I did so. He grabbed my coat’s collar with his bony fingers. My blood jumped. “Listen, kid. You got a helluva old man,” he wheezed. “He’s a real Southern gentleman. Hope the hell you know that.” I nodded dumbly. “Good. Don’t forget it, Junior.” He let go of my jacket and gave me a skeletal grin. “Feel free to keep that gun at your feet. I had planned to shoot myself with it. But it’s only a toy.” He let loose a howl of laughter I can still hear and ambled on up the yard to the dark‑ ened house. I never asked my father what he gave Bad Santa, though I suspect it was money for his lost wages. To this day, I’m not sure that was even Bad Santa’s home. But a year later when Greensboro’s Urban Ministry started up, I wasn’t the least bit surprised that my old man was one of its early enthusiastic sup‑ porters, marshaling volunteers and donations of clothing, food and money

from his golf buddies and the Sunday School class he moderated at First Lutheran Church for more than two decades. Not long before he passed away in 1995, as we sat together in my childhood bedroom where he was under care from Greensboro Hospice, I asked Opti if he remembered the night we took Bad Santa to supper at IPD. He smiled at me. “How could I forget it? He hated the Beatles. And your mother wasn’t very happy about us missing dinner.” “Did you know that wasn’t a real gun?” “No. But it seemed like the thing to do at the time. Everything is connected, you know.” “Only my father would try to cheer up a suicidal Santa Cluas,” I needled him. Opti just smiled again. One year ago, my friend, the artist Bill Mangum, a son of Pinehurst born to a single Mom, invited me to drive up to Hickory to a special celebration service at the Exodus Missionary Church. Days before, I’d attended a luncheon at Christ Methodist Church kick‑ ing off the 24th year of Mangum’s innovative Honor Card that has raised more than $4 million to battle homelessness, poverty and addiction in a dozen communities across North Carolina. Mangum got the idea for the Honor Card after buying lunch for a homeless man in Greensboro and developing a friendship and unexpected ministry from the relationship. There was no Bad Santa at the luncheon but there were dozens of people from the Triad who spoke movingly about their lost lives and the various local agencies that helped them regain equilibrium and dignity, in some cases a job, sobriety, and a caring home.

“I could see Santa waving his other hand animatedly, his angry voice fogging the frosty air.”

by P 20 D u 12 a e c t 1 m nd e m 0 % on lo b e d t h ck r ow ly in 31 n se t h , 2 r v e 01 2 ic e fe e.

You may have slowed down, but your life sure hasn’t. You’ve always been active, but you’ve reached the point in life where you want to spend less time doing yard work and more time doing the things you love. The beautiful communities of Belle Meade and Pine Knoll offer a healthy, engaged lifestyle with the added security of the St. Joseph of the Pines continuum of care should you ever need it. Don’t waste another second.

Call 910.246.1008. Schedule a visit today.

Where life just keeps getting better.

Southern Pines, North Carolina

•

www.sjp.org

•

910.246.1008

A member of the St. Joseph of the Pines Aging Services Network sponsored by the Sisters of Providence.

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December 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

sweet tea chronicles

Up at Exodus Church, which does the Lord’s work providing homeless and addicted folks with a community of healing and the chance to put their lives back together, I sat with a man who had been reunited with his daughter after 20 years of drug addiction and alcoholism and sleeping rough on the streets from Charlotte to Cleveland, Ohio. They’d recently talked for two hours on the phone. “When I heard about this place from a man I just happened to meet while panhandling a few dollars,” he told me, “something told me I needed to come here. I realized that this might be my last chance at life. It took several weeks for me to get here but they took me in. That was fifteen months ago and I’ve been sober ever since and just found work at a local furniture factory.” As I looked at him — clean shaven, wearing a nicely pressed white shirt and leather jacket, a man who’d been lost but now was found — I realized I was looking at Bad Santa and the face of any of us who might fall between the cracks of life, a story as relevant today as it was in Charles Dickens’ day. As Exodus Church’s rocking choir — made up largely of former addicts and other souls who came in from the cold streets of a homeless nation — began a beautiful version of “Amazing Grace,” the man leaned over to me and whispered with an un‑ mistakable tremor in his voice, “You know the best thing? Guess what I’m getting for Christmas this year? My daughter is coming here all the way from San Diego and bringing her baby daughter with her. I’m finally going to meet my granddaughter!” His brown eyes wobbled with emotion. It took me a moment to find my voice. “I’m getting to be with my granddaughter for the holidays.” That evening up in Hickory, in an old refur‑ bished brick church beneath a full Christmas moon, a packed house with stunning gospel songs and personal testimonies, spoke powerfully to the transformative ‑power of one human being caring for another — and reminded me of the cold winter night long ago when a modern day Fezziwig and his son took Bad Santa to supper and I discovered not everyone had a warm home and loving family. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Honor Card, which last year provided $240,000 of funding to Greensboro Urban Ministry. The cards (costing $5 apiece) will be on sale at various places around Greensboro through the holiday season including Fleet-Plummer, Brown-Gardiner Drug Store, William Mangum Fine Art, Greensboro Urban Ministry and many area congregations. For a complete list and more information call Crystal Mercer, card coordinator, at (336) 553 2638 Wouldn’t it be lovely if next year the Sandhills participated in the extraordinary Honor Card pro‑ gram begun by its own native son? Wherever they are this Christmas, I’m sure Fezziwig and Opti the Mystic would enthusiastically agree. PS PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

Good old-Fashioned Fun

The “World Famous” Carthage Christmas Parade will be held on Tuesday, December 4, at 6:15 p.m., right after the Moore County Christmas Tree lighting at the courthouse. Expect horses and firetrucks and — believe it — a jolly old soul with rosy cheeks and a great, white, fluffy beard. Route runs along Monroe Street. Information: (910) 947‑2331 or www.townofcarthage.org.

hometown holiday Tradition

Four days after Santa’s grand appearance in the Carthage Christmas Parade, he’ll be at the Aberdeen Christmas Parade, which happens downtown on Saturday, December 8, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Information: (910) 944‑7275 or www.townofaberdeen.net.

Born Again

Lee Pace, who writes PineStraw magazine’s monthly golf column, will be at The Country Bookshop on Wednesday, December 5, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to discuss and sign copies of his new book, The Golden Age of Pinehurst, which tells the story of the recent restoration — reincarnation, rather — of beloved Pinehurst No. 2. The Country Bookshop, 140 Northwest Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692‑3211 or www.thecountrybookshop.biz.

Gather ’Round, Y’all

Good news for Glee fans: you don’t have to miss an episode to catch the O’Neal High School Glee Club perform at Gathering at Given on Thursday, December 6, at 3:30 p.m. The students don’t have Broadway star Matthew Morrison to guide them, but they’ve got Baxter Clement, who’s no stranger to the spot‑ light himself. Show is free and open to the public. Go and see if you don’t start singing along. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Information: (910) 295-6022.

Drop the Ball

Raleigh drops an acorn. A pickle falls in Mount Olive. Eastover lowers a thirty-pound wooden flea. Come to downtown Southern Pines — aka Times Square — for First Eve on December 31 and celebrate New Year’s Eve with an extravaganza that culminates with a countdown to the coveted pine cone drop at 8 p.m. Live music and fun begins at 6 p.m. Information: (910) 692-7376.

Get the Party Started

What better way to bring in 2013 than to boogie woogie the night away? Friends of the Moore Free Care Clinic are hosting a New Year’s Eve Bash to raise funds to help provide no cost medical care for low income, uninsured residents of Moore County. Enter raffles, win door prizes, and enjoy live music and the DJ. Tickets are $40 (includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and champagne toast). Arrive at 7:30 p.m. and stay to see the clock strike midnight. Pine Needles Conference Center. Information: www.moorefreecare.org. Tickets: Hilary at (267) 614-1620.

Is There Sugar in Syrup?

The Arc of Moore County’s first “Christmas Movie Spectacular . . . Sing, Show, Snow!” is scheduled to be held on Sunday, December 16, at 1 p.m. Children and adults are invited to wear their most festive holiday garb for a Christmas carol sing-a-long, followed by a showing of the laugh-out-loud comedy Elf (rated PG). Snow activities in the notso-grassy knoll adjacent to the theater will take place after the show. Be good. Santa says he’ll be there. Admission: any dollar donation to The Arc of Moore County, which provides services and support to children and adults living with developmental disabilities. Sunrise Theater, 250 Northwest Broad Street, Southern Pines. Information: (910) 692-8272; arcmooresh@embarqmail.com; www.thearcofmoore.org.

PINEHURST

This lovely home in Old Town is a short walk to the Carolina Hotel! The oversized living room and spacious formal dining room make this the perfect home for entertaining. The gourmet kitchen has new appliances and granite countertops. 3 BR / 2 BA $395,000 www.110McLeanRoad.com

This beautiful home was built by Masters Properties and is located in a quiet, wooded cul-de-sac in Pinewild. The truly open floor plan features hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, unbelievable moldings and accents throughout. Super screened porch with vaulted ceiling, gourmet kitchen with large island that opens to the family room. 4 BR / 3 BA $464,900 www.16AirdrieCourt.com

This is one beautiful house with tons of elegant upgrades! Located on the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, this home offers a bright and open interior with hardwood floors, plantation shutters, completely updated kitchen and baths and new carpet in the bedrooms. The roof is new with 30 year architectural shingles and an individual well for the irrigation system. 3 BR / 2.5 BA $274,900 www.30IdlewildRoad.com

SEVEN LAKES WEST

FOXFIRE

SEVEN LAKES WEST

This is a great home in Seven Lakes West. A lovely covered gazebo offsets the spacious front porch perfectly. The open floor plan provides lots of light and there is plenty of room for a growing family!

Lovely brick home in golf course community in immaculate condition! A great location on a quiet, wooded lot with easy access to private walking trails. Outstanding, easy access, walk-up storage space, separate workshop/golf cart garage.

Stroll across your back yard to Beacon Ridge Country Club and enjoy a drink with friends! Living is easy in this immaculate golf front home with open floor plan, split bedrooms, upstairs bedroom/bonus with bath, hardwood floors and a great golf view of the 9th green on Beacon Ridge.

3 BR / 3.5 BA $339,000 www.128OwensCircle.com

3 BR / 2 BA $225,000 www.18ShamrockDrive.com

4 BR / 3 BA $299,000 www.244LongleafDrive.com

PINEHURST

SEVEN LAKES NORTH

PINEHURST

This is a very special waterfront home on Lake Longleaf! It sits on a beautiful point lot with wide water views! It boasts an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, and a huge screened in porch. This is a great house! 3 BR / 2 BA $205,900 www.112BarberryCourt.com

This one story brick home is in immaculate condition and sits on two lots. The owners have done many great updates including the addition of an office off the master bedroom and a beautiful, full-sized in ground pool with an adjoining hot tub, decorative iron fencing, great landscaping for privacy, and an enclosed sun porch. Lots of room and light - open floor plan - super house! 3 BR / 2 BA $349,000 www.355DiamondheadDrive.com

PINEHURST

Elegant and luxurious townhome with Pinehurst membership available for transfer with buyer to pay prevailing transfer fee. There is a green area directly behind this lovely home that adds wonderful privacy!

Adorable home on cul-de-sac in Village Acres. The vaulted ceiling in the living room and the open floor plan is what everyone is looking for! The wonderfully sodded front and rear yard have an irrigation system and the fenced back yard is great for kids or pets! 3 BR / 2 BA $159,800 www.60VixenLane.com

Sweet Spot Cottage - This beautiful, custom home, built by Billy Breeden, overlooks the 4th fairway of the #5 course. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, the lane leading to this home feels like a cart path! The 5th tee box of the #5 course is across the street giving you fabulous golf views from both the front and the back of this very special property. The floor plan is bright and open w/split bedroom plan. 3 BR / 2.5 BA $389,000 www.3ForestHillsLane.com

4 BR / 3 BA $375,000 www.10StantonCircle.com

3 BR / 2 BA $159,800 www.60VixenLane.com

View Floor Plans and Virtual Tours of Our Listings and See ALL Moore County Listings and Community Information at 14

WWW.MARTHAGENTRY.COM

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Baby, it’s cold outside

Sign up, lace up, and bundle up for Carthage Elementary School’s Frosty Paws 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, December 15. The Puppy Paws one‑mile Fun Run for all ages starts at 9 a.m.; race gun fires half an hour later for the Frosty Paws 5K. And you’ll want to stick around for Winterfest — think reindeer games, chili cook‑offs and hot cocoa — which happens after the race from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sign up before December 6 and save $5 off entry fees, which are $30 for the 5K and $20 for the Fun Run if you miss the early registration. Proceeds from the race benefit Carthage Elementary School students. Carthage Elementary School, 312 Rockingham Street, Carthage. Info: (910) 947‑2781. Register: www.queencitytiming.com.

Bells on Bobtails ring

If you’ve never seen the Moore County Driving Club’s annual Christmas Carriage Parade, mark you calendar for Saturday, December 8. You’ll see horses dressed as reindeer, Victorian‑era carriages, elves on poop‑scoop duty . . . Heaven knows what else. Parade makes its way from Youngs Road and drives straight through the historic district of downtown Southern Pines. The show starts at 1 p.m., but come early to snag a good spot. Information: www.moore‑ countydrivingclub.com.

hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Although it was originally an Easter offering, George Frideric Handel’s Baroque‑era oratorio, Messiah, is now a Christmas fixture. According to Smithsonian magazine, the 1742 Dublin debut of Messiah drew such a crowd that the ladies were asked to wear dresses “without hoops” in order to “make room for more company.” The Sanctuary Choir of The First Baptist Church of Southern Pines will offer two performances of Handel’s beloved oratorio — Saturday, December 15, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 16, at 4 p.m. Call (910) 692‑8750 for a complimentary admission ticket. But, please, no hoops!

T h I S y E A R , A d d S E C u R I T y, PEACE of mINd ANd INdEPENdENCE To youR g I f T- g I v I N g l I S T. This holiday season, give your loved ones, and yourself, one of the greatest gifts of all. Peace of mind. At our continuing care retirement community, you’ll find plenty of it. Along with a caring neighborhood full of new friends and abundant social, recreational and cultural opportunities. Please join us for our upcoming luncheon at 10:30 am on december 10 to learn more about us, our living options, and amenities. for more information and to RSvP, call (910) 692-0386 or (910) 692-0382. visit us at www.penickvillage.org.

PENICK

VILLAGE A Continuing Care Retirement Community

500 East Rhode Island Avenue | Southern Pines, NC 28387 | (866) 545-1018 toll-free PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

Floor Plans to FitAny Lifestyle New Construction homes by

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Pine Poll national lampoon’s christmas Vacation 23 votes A christmas Story 18 votes

not-So-Silent nights

Forget milk and cookies. Indulge in sweet music this holiday season. The Rooster’s Wife concert series brings live music to Poplar Knight Spot (114 Knight Street, Aberdeen) four out of five Sundays in December. Doors open at 6 p.m.; shows start promptly at 6:46 p.m., with an exception for the Gibson Brothers show on December 30. They’ll throw down twice that day.

The lineup:

December 2 – The Waymores, a Nashville‑ based trio of renowned singer‑songwriters Tom Kimmel, Sally Barris and Don Henry. Tickets: $13. December 9 – Bluegrass goddess Claire Lynch, who Emmylou Harris says has “the voice of an angel.” Tickets: $12. December 16 – Jazz musician Matt Munisteri, formidable lyricist and wicked guitarist all in one. Tickets: $19. December 30 – The Gibson Brothers — Eric and Leigh Gibson plus their impeccable bluegrass band. Show times: 12:46 p.m.; 6:46 p.m. Tickets: $25. For tickets and more information, call the “concert hotline” at (910) 944‑7502 or visit www.theroosterswife.org.

A charlie Brown christmas 16 votes rudolph, the rednosed reindeer 13 votes love Actually 10 votes Santa claus conquers the Martians 3 votes

Great Smiles Are Always In Style! • Smile Makeovers • Porcelain Veneers & Bonding • Cosmetic Fillings (Front and Back Teeth) • Non-Mercury Fillings • Crowns & Fixed Bridges • Bleaching (Whitening) • Root Canal Therapy • General Cleanings & Preventative Care • Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy • Digital Imaging (90% less Radiation) • Partials and Dentures • Cerec Single Visit Onlays & Crowns

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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

00 ,5 12 $3

00 ,0 90 $8

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Best Wishes to All for a Happy Holiday Season.

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,0 00 Anita Emery

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Each Firm Independently Owned & Operated A Top producing Network of Firms Serving the Moore County Area of NC Sharing Ideas, Techonology, Marketing and Sales Support

COS AnD eFFeCT

Angels and Wise men They’re all part of Christmas memories

BY COS BARNES

As i carefully unwrapped

PHOTOGRAPH BY CASSIE BUTLER

each figurine, memories ﬂooded over me. My husband made the stable for our creche the first year we were married. We glued straw to the ﬂoor and roof and placed it on a piece of rustic burlap. It was the centerpiece in our small three-room apartment, Christmas, 1954.

Although the figurines were purchased at a dime store — it was all we could afford — I would not trade them for the finest ceramic. One lamb is now missing a leg, so he leans against a post; one shepherd’s face is marred by the passage of time. Although the years have tarnished their crowns, the three Wise Men still kneel majestically at the baby’s feet. Sometime over the years, a toy wolf was added to the manger scene by an innovative youngster. It has remained there ever since. I set each member of the Nativity in place, remembering the little hands that have played with them when they were brought out each Christmas. My children and grandchildren loved to arrange and rearrange them. At Christmas I remember Christmases past. Growing up, I had a friend named Linda. She was always the Christmas angel in plays and pageants at school. She had long, wavy blonde hair. Daily she wore it in pigtails tied

with ribbons. But for the grammar school pageants, her mother combed it out into waves for her role as an angel. Although we could all repeat her lines, we were not envious of Linda’s selection as the angel. She fit the part. She has been dead for many years, but each Christmas, I remember. The Magi have always intrigued me, perhaps because I remember three of my classmates, wearing crowns and dressed in brocade and silk, singing “We Three Kings of Orient Are,” in our school programs. Perhaps it’s because I once directed a church pageant in which I cast my husband as a Wise Man named Balthasar. Years ago while Christmas shopping with a friend, I spied beautiful brass renditions of the Magi. I wanted them for my mantel but could not afford them. “Get just one,” my friend said. “One Wise Man?” I asked incredulously, refusing to settle for only one. I did not buy them; however, the next Christmas when I chanced upon the same figurines, I purchased them, paying twice more than last year’s price. I have the Christmas ornaments my mother crocheted, the ones my children made in school, the ones that designate trips we have taken. How I hope some of my children or grandchildren will want some of my Christmas treasures.PS Cos Barnes is a longtime contributor to PineStraw magazine. She can be contacted at cosbarnes@nc.rr.com.

The OmnivOrOuS reADer

Sister, my Sister

A brave memoir of family loss explores the familiar terrain of grief with fresh eyes

BY STEPHEN E. SMITH

When Thomas Wolfe’s

Look Homeward, Angel was published, a North Carolina reviewer wrote that the novel was the work of a “cowardly” young man who hated his family, an observation which should have disqualified the reviewer from writing further literary criticism. Anyone who has read Wolfe’s great autobiographical novel understands that he loved his family with an unshakable commitment and that they were the source of his inspiration. By revealing them honestly, he wrote fiction that told the truth, and in the process he proved himself one of America’s bravest writers.

North Carolina novelist, poet and memoirist Judy Goldman is as brave — maybe braver — than Wolfe. Her memoir Losing My Sister is a candid, forthright and often painful examination of the complex emotions surrounding the death of her parents and older sibling — daunting experiences that she confronts without the protective cloak of fiction and the shielding use of a third person narrator. Writing such a memoir is never easy. It requires courage, especially when the telling of the story forces the writer to expose his or her most intimate emotions and glaring inadequacies. As in Wolfe’s case, family, as well

as the general reading public, will scrutinize every word of the narrative, weighing carefully their perceptions against those of the writer. One wrong utterance or faulty interpretation and the notion that the writer is telling the truth vanishes and can’t be recaptured. Moreover, readers have come to expect a degree of authorial insight from such autobiographical writing. The exposition of grief, as mundane as it may be, implies that the writer has emerged from an intense emotional experience with a wisdom that’s transmittable to the reader and that the reader’s life will be lived more successfully thereafter. But all writing is an internalized reaction to a world over which we have little control, and if the reader’s expectations are high, if he’s seeking an easy formula for coping with grief, his reaction to the writer’s story is likely to be one of disappointment. No doubt Goldman understood this before she wrote the first sentence of her memoir, and yet she had the courage and commitment to produce what is a compelling story of loss, guilt and forgiveness, even if it doesn’t offer a painless panacea for an afﬂiction that will eventually ail us all. Goldman is a native of Greenville, South Carolina, and her childhood was, by any measure, ordinary. The daughter of loving, middle-class parents, she is the second of three children. She graduated from college, married, moved to Charlotte, and began raising her children while becoming a writer. During this period she lived near her older sister, Brenda, and when their mother began to suffer the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease and her father fell desperately ill with cancer, the two sisters intervened to care for their dying parents. As is often the case, care giving occasioned more stress than their relationship could endure, and a riff developed between the sisters over what can only be described as a petty slight — who had spent more time and energy caring for their father. The estrangement had

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T h e O m n i v o r o u s R e ad e r

its roots in differences in temperament and family history, and was only complicated by the attempts of other well-meaning family members to heal the wounds suffered by the sisters. There was no mechanism in this seemingly normal American family that prepared them for even the mildest dysfunction. As sisters they were expected to have and maintain a family bond, and although Goldman and her sister worked at repairing the breach, the one true note they produced as children began to resonate with unfamiliar and annoying undertones. The sisters wrote letters and talked on the phone only to discover that they were far too sensitive to effect a true reconciliation. With the publication of her first novel, The Slow Way Back, Goldman was apprehensive about her sister’s reaction to the story of adult siblings who discover lumps in their breasts. One sister lives, the other dies. But Brenda’s response was positive and supportive. It was her reaction to the manuscript of Goldman’s second novel, Early Leaving, that occasioned bitter feelings. Brenda, who was ill with cancer of the bile duct at the time, was not effusive in her praise. So Goldman wrote her a letter: “. . . when you didn’t seem excited, I was disappointed and hurt. Maybe you didn’t mean it that way — and maybe my wishing for that felt to you like an expectation you couldn’t meet. I also want to add that Chuck’s [Brenda’s husband] response was a part of what I reacted to. When he returned the manuscript to me, he said, ‘Thanks. Good luck.’ I couldn’t tell if he’d read it or not.” Brenda responded: “With all my heart, I wish for you huge sales and literary awards! Good luck!” The response of a family member to a writer’s work is, despite the writer’s protestations to the contrary, a moment of intense sensitivity, and Goldman found her sister’s faint praise demoralizing and rationalized that she was being purposely spiteful. From there the chasm deepened and the range of emotions grew more complex. But Brenda’s cancer was terminal, and Goldman stepped in as a caregiver. Perhaps, as some critics maintain, autobiography is an attempt to triumph over death, preparing oneself for the moment when all that survives is the printed word. At the very least, it presents an opportunity for the writer to give himself all the best lines. Happily, that’s not the case in Losing My Sister. Goldman writes with objectivity and compassion and there’s no attempt at shade-tree philosophy, only the writer’s brave and honest response to human experience. PS Stephen Smith’s most recent book of poetry is A Short Report on the Fire at Woolworths. He can be reached at travisses@hotmail.com.

APPAREL CoolSweats Gentlemen’s Corner The Faded Rose The Village Fox Boutique

BOUTIQUES Eye Max Optical Boutique Green Gate Gourmet Green Gate Olive Oils The Potpourri Old Sport & Gallery Tesoro Home Decor & Gifts

SALONS & SPAS Elaine’s Hairdressers Glam Salon & Boutique

RESTAURANTS & INNS Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour & Gift Shoppe Tenya Japanese Cuisine and Sushi

SERVICES Village of Pinehurst Rentals & Golf

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

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A typical treatment at The Spa at Pinehurst usually lasts 50-75 minutes. But with spacious lounge areas, saunas, whirlpools, a swimming pool plus healthy snacks and smoothies, you can relax all day. So call the Spa to schedule an appointment that will benefit you long after your treatment ends.

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Located next to The Carolina Hotel • Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 888.435.6957 • pinehurst.com December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

BOOKSheLF

new releases for December BY KIMBERLY DANIELS AND ANGIE TALLY

FICTION Eagle Scouts: A Centennial History by Robert Birkby. A beautifully illustrated compilation of one hundred years of Eagle Scout history, plus stories from past and present Eagle Scouts. A great gift for Eagle Scouts of any age! Sunflower Houses: Inspiration from the Garden, A Book for Children and Their Grown-Ups by Sharon Lovejoy. Pick up an autographed copy of this whimsical garden classic. Filled with watercolors and garden suggestions such as vines, a flower clock, the best plants to make dolls out of, gourds, and secret places like sunflower houses, which are living gazebos. Also pick up an autographed copy of Lovejoy’s Trowel and Error: Over 700 Tips, Shortcuts and Remedies for the Gardener. The book is small, which makes it a great stocking stuffer for Mom! Dennis Hopper: The Lost Album compiled by Petra Giloy-Hirtz. Hardcover coffee table book of vintage Hopper photographs from the 60s. The Lonely Planet Book of Everything: A Visual Guide to Travel and the World by Nigel Holmes. This is a bright, fun book for anyone who has traveled or dreams of doing so. In this handy and still guide, one can learn how to roll a burrito, open a coconut, or burglarproof a hotel room. Also, the book will tell you how to recognize animal tracks, and how to survive and prevent and animal attack. There is a guide to the world’s electrical outlets and instructions on how to say cheers and how to count in multiple languages.

To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion by Philip Greene. This book is filled with pictures, cocktail recipes and the stories of how these cocktails linked to books and their authors. This is a fine gift for any Hemingway fan or drinking man (or woman!). Hello Nature by William Wegman. This is a fun coffee table book for the nature lover, artist and especially anyone who loves Weimaraners, outdoors, photography or art. Expect anything in this book, from a recipe for cinnamon duck cake to rock pictures and philosophy by artist William Wegman. The artistic sense is very similar to the recent movie, Moonrise Kingdom. Day Trips The Carolinas: Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler by James Hoffman. Ask for this excellent guidebook for Christmas this year and spend Christmas Day thumbing through it and planning all the trips you will take in the year to come! Franklin and Winston: A Christmas That Changed The World by Douglas Wood and Illustrated by Barry Moser. This book may be in the children’s section but any adult would LOVE it. Stunning painted illustrations and plenty of text tells the story of that fated Christmas during World War II. The paintings include World War II planes, ships at sea, and Churchill taking a bath. The artist has work in museums such as the National Gallery of Art, the Metropolitan Museum, and The Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as many others. Think of it as the new Polar Express! My Ideal Bookshelf with Art by Jane Mount and edited by Thessaly La Force. This hardcover book has lists from writers, musicians, politicians, movie people and more of their favorite books, plus stunning paintings of the book spines.

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December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

BOOKSheLF

How do you want to retire?

CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT Fantastic gifts for the young readers on your Holiday list: A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel. “Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city, not a creature was stirring . . . Except for BAD KITTY.” Hilarity ensues when Bad Kitty doesn’t get what he wants for Christmas. A-B-CDisastrous holiday fun. Safari by Dan Kainen. Classify this in the “You have to see it to believe it” category. Safari will be the coolest thing under the Christmas tree this year. Readers take an adventure with eight Safari animals that come alive through amazing photicular technology that creates a virtual 3D movie on each page. Accompanied by interesting facts about each animal, the pages of this unbelievable book will fascinate readers age 3 to 103. Beautiful Redemption by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia. The Beautiful Creatures novels, set in the mythical small southern town of Gatlin, are a mix of Gothic, mythic and magical elements. In this fourth and final installment, Ethan Wate, forced by chilling circumstance to leave Gatlin, struggles against strange and haunting forces to find a way back home and back to Lena, his beloved, while Lena makes her own bargains for Ethan’s return, vowing to do whatever it takes. Fairy Tales From the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman. Many children know Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty only in their Disney incarnations. Now, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of this first volume of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s Children’s and Household Tales, New York Times bestselling author Pullman presents his translation of 50 fairy tales including “BriarRose”, “Thousandfurs”, “The Girl with No Hands”, and other lesser-known tales. All ages.

When you choose a maintenance-free lifestyle at The Village at Brookwood, you can spend less time working around the house and more time building memories. Rejoice in the holidays without worrying about meal preparation, setting the table or doing the dishes afterward. Instead, you’ll have time to relax and celebrate with family and friends.

The Village at Brookwood — This is how we do retirement.

STOCKING STUFFERS Leather journal and iPad case with Boomer. Pick up this handmade leather case for your friend who loves their iPad, but loves to have a notebook handy as well. The rustic look of these soft leather covers is timeless, and the journal has a special pocket to hold your iPad. Great for meetings, and it smells fantastic. Plus, The Country Bookshop’s iconic book hound logo, Boomer, adds a charming touch to the leather. PS Compiled by The Country Book Shop

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December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

h i tt i n g h o m e

Let’s Hear it for Mama Claus The real power behind the suit

By Dale Nixon

I believe in the statement “Behind every great

man is a great woman.”

And that prompts me to say, “Let’s hear it for Mrs. Santa Claus.” I, for one, think it’s time we applaud the woman behind the man who makes Christmas so special. Why do you think Santa is so jolly? Happy wife; happy life. Who do you think feeds and waters the reindeer? Who do you think takes them to the vet for their regular checkups and shots? Who do you suppose shines Rudolph’s nose so bright? And we all know who hand-washes the red-and-white Santa suit so the color doesn’t fade and bleed. Then, after Christmas, who do you think uses a Clorox Bleach Pen to scrub the soot from Santa’s white, fur-trimmed suit after his slides down the chimneys? Mrs. Santa Claus, of course. Who puts up Santa’s saw and drill after he uses them to make toys? Who sweeps the shavings from the floor? Who do you think prepared all the meals to get Santa to the size he is today? And just how many dishes and pots and pans did she have to wash before and after the preparation of these meals? Who do you think polishes Santa’s boots and belt buckles until his reflection is mirrored in them? When the sleigh bells lose their jingle, who takes them to the repair shop to restore the sound?

Mrs. Santa Claus, clear and simple. Who do you suppose packs the toys for Santa’s ride? Mrs. Santa Claus. (Have you ever known a man to pack for himself?) And all of those elves! Who do you think they go to with their problems and concerns? Who feeds and clothes them? Who does their laundry? And who boosts their confidence every day, telling them that it is OK to be short — excuse me, height challenged? And that they are just as important as anyone else in the Claus Corporation? Mrs. Santa Claus. Mama Claus, as they probably call her. Who do you think handles all of the correspondence from the children and keeps up with the lists of toys for the elves to make? I am also sure that Mrs. Santa Claus is the one who checks the lists twice and keeps the address book up-to-date. Who do you think has to take care of Santa when he gets the sniffles after riding in an open sleigh all night in the dead of winter? Who fixes the warm toddies to soothe his sore throat? And, last but not least, who do you think had to give up warm climates and sandy beaches for the chill and snow of the North Pole? Do you see what I mean? The woman needs a pat on the back, a handshake, a hand-pump, a thumps-up sign or a cheer. So, let’s hear it for Mrs. Santa Claus — a great woman behind a great man. Merry Christmas. PS Columnist Dale Nixon may be contacted at dalenixon@carolina.rr.com.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The KiTChen gArDen

What The fig? Luscious and versatile, they may be the perfect holiday fruit

By JaN leitsChuh

Oh bring us some figgy pudding Oh bring us some figgy pudding Oh bring us some figgy pudding And bring it right here!

— Traditional English Christmas carol

Sung to the tune of “We wish you a Merry Christmas,” this traditional English Christmas carol always seemed a bit bratty. “Make you own!” I’m always tempted to reply. Figgy pudding is just a dark, steamed holiday plum pudding, with figs substituted for plums. Many cooks hoard their favorite family recipe for a Christmas supper, the flaming brandy stealing the show. But we need not wait until Christmas day and the whims of a favorite cook to savor the honeyed summer flavor of figs. You can “make your own” pre-holiday treats. Figs fit in superbly with that most beloved of holiday traditions — eating well. Though December is not the season for fresh garden figs, dried figs are available — and your friendly neighborhood gardener may well have a jar of fig preserves or frozen tubs of pear-fig sauce awaiting in his or her larder. Local markets might also carry fig preserves; the Sandhills area is kind to certain fig varieties. A scan through Moore County reveals plenty of fig bushes — which, if not shortened by simple pruning, can grow into househigh, tropical-looking fig trees. How to deploy figs during the holidays? Let us count the ways. Figs have a love affair with good cheeses. A smear of melting brie on a crust or cracker, topped with a dab of fig preserves, is a snack worthy of paradise. Some kitchen gardeners concoct a type of “fig pizza”by broiling grated fontina cheese and fig slices on a slab of focaccia. The salt-cured, Italian meats pancetta and prosciutto marry very well with figs also, the sweet setting off the salt and savory. Speaking of savory, a fresh or soaked fig wrapped in bacon and broiled as a tasty appetizer is cause for a stampede at parties. Alternatively, bake phyllo dough mini-cups, and fill with local goat cheese topped with a dot of fig preserves. Or stuff dried figs with either a pecan or with liqueur-sweetened cream cheese — or both; it’s the holiday season, after all. Dust with sugar to gild the lily. Tiny bits of candied ginger chopped into the cream cheese filling add further holiday sizzle to your personal sugar plums.

If you prefer baking, there’s fig cake: Ocracoke Island on the North Carolina Outer Banks is famous for it. Fig cakes are simple baking soda recipes, and recipes abound online and in books. The kids can have homemade Fig Newtons or fig bars; Google around for recipes. For breakfast, fresh biscuits topped with fig preserves. Cucidati are traditional Italian fig cookies baked at Christmas, the filling a delicious mix of ground figs, walnuts, dates, orange marmalade, honey and cinnamon. Another Italian Christmas cookie, the Sicilian cosi di ficus, is a sweet dough filled with figs, almonds and chocolate. A fig salad with fresh spicy greens like arugula, a few slices of fresh mozzarella and a little Serrano ham will get the job done; dress it in olive oil, lemon juice and a drizzle of honey, and you’re transported to the Mediterranean despite the day’s chill. Or grill lamb-and-fig kebabs on a rosemary skewer to evoke the Italian coast. Aren’t you feeling sorry right about now that you don’t have a backyard fig bush for a little tropical-seeming “edible landscape”? This is a problem easily rectified. Give yourself one for Christmas. Or get one for a gardening friend. It’s not yet too late to plant one here in the Sandhills. If you don’t care for the figs themselves (gasp!), plant one for the wildlife. This temperate-climate ficus is a terrific food source, and a grand shelter for birds with its lush, gorgeous foliage. Area nurseries generally carry fig bushes. Your best bets for a first-time bush are the easy-to-grow “Brown Turkey” variety, or my personal favorite, “Celeste,” the sugar fig. Less common but suitable are “Magnolia,” “Chicago,” “LSU Purple” and “Brunswick.” (There are many delicious figs in catalogs, but the California-type figs like Calimyrna and Mission require a special wasp for pollination and fruit, and we don’t have that wasp here.) The very best gift, of course, is a pass-along plant from a friend. Figs are easy to propagate if you play the numbers game, started from tip wood prunings taken in late February. I wrap the dormant 4-inch pieces in damp paper towel and insert in a Ziploc bag, then toss on the top of the fridge or another warm place. In about six to eight weeks, the edges of the cut end will begin to swell; in a few more weeks, roots appear. I then pot these in simple potting soil, four cuttings to a one-gallon pot, and set in the shade, watering well. Generally one out of four cuttings grows, although they all might leaf out from stored energy. In late summer, I discard the dud cuttings, and fertilize the remainder. Some folks grow their figs in pot culture; while I have no experience with this, what the fig? Why not? Brooklyn

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � December 2012

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The KiTChen gArDen

is filled with children of Italian immigrants and their treasured “Old Country” potted fig bushes. As with most garden plants, figs crave well-drained but evenly moist soil. Choose a sunny site, protected from icy winds if possible; figs do die back, but in my experience often regenerate from a strong root system in the ground (pot culture might be a different story). My husband likes the fact that our largest fig acts as a helpful sun screen on the south side of our house, cooling the structure, while dying back in winter to allow the southern sun into the windows. Choose a spacious site where your fig can stretch out — horizontal branches encourage more fruit than upward branches, and are easier to pick. You probably don’t want one planted near your front walk or car, though — while fig bushes are generally neat, bird do love figs, and leave their calling cards. Setting new plants a little deeper than they grew in the nursery pot, say four inches deeper, helps them to branch rather than shoot skyward. I like to bend some limbs horizontally for greater fruiting. If a few limbs get away from you and grow skyward, they can always be cut back strongly above evidence of new shoots. The bushes do appreciate regular watering, at least for their first few years. I have two figs out in areas that I don’t hit with the hose very often; the one by the house is by far largest, filling our freezers with luscious fruit — and it gets watered more often. As always, I make sure the pH is in the 6.0 to 6.6 range by adding lime to our acidic sandy soils. Amending the soil with lots of organic matter may or may not deter soil nematodes, but this is our practice and so far all figs tell us they are happy by throwing out fat fruits due to the phosphorus content. Be careful if using synthetic fertilizers, as too much nitrogen can stimulate leaves, reducing yield and causing winter kill. Fig leaves are nice, but fig fruits are divine.

Speaking of fig leaves, they are large and thus handy. The beautiful leaves add drama in table and floral arrangements, and according to the Internet, fig leaf tea is also healthful for diabetics. A fig leaf cast in plaster was used to cover the genitals of nude statues during the reign of Queen Victoria, who was easily shocked. The museum kept a plaster fig leaf in readiness lest the Queen stop by for a peek; the fig leaf was hung on the figures using a pair of hooks. This famous fig leaf is no longer used today, but remains on display in a case. According to the USDA, figs are one of the highest sources of fiber and calcium — and we’re talking fiber on the order of prunes; an excess of figs will have a laxative effect on the body. They also contain antioxidants. Figs package magnesium, copper, manganese, calcium and vitamins A, B, C and K in their sweet skins. Figs also contain folic acid, sodium and zinc. Sometimes we get two crops, if the season is long and mild “at the shoulders,” early spring and late fall. Even before the leaves appear, tiny green figs shape up on the old wood — this is called the breba crop. While very few of these ripen before dropping off, sometimes they do, and that is a special treat. The main harvest is in August, about the time the local pears ripen, and we gladly brave the wasps and Japanese beetles to pick every other day. Ripe figs can go into a bag in the fridge, to accumulate enough volume for a few jars of preserves in lemon, or to be stewed with pears and lemon, then frozen for the most delectable pear-fig sauce you ever served with meats or atop a sweet potato. If not eaten fresh in salads, use on pasta or on fig pizza. So bring us some figgy pudding, already. PS Jan Leitschuh is a local gardener, avid eater of fresh produce and cofounder of the Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative.

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Let There Be Light hanukkah latkes even Bubbie would love

By DeBorah saloMoN

observe the re-

PhotograPh by Cassie butler

action when a gathering of Jewish people hear he word “latkes.” Some will roll their eyes heavenward. Others might drift into a trance. The first spoken words will definitely be “my grandmother . . .”

Or, given current socioeconomics, “my great-grandmother . . .” since Granny still sells houses, removes gall bladders and arbitrages. Latkes — pancakes made from shredded potatoes, onions, eggs and other stuff — are Hanukkah’s food icon, although anything fried in oil would do, since oil is the symbol. In Biblical times, Hebrew warrior Judah Maccabee recaptured the Temple from infidels. Enough oil remained to illuminate the holy light for only one day. Miracle of miracles — it lasted eight. Therefore, during the eight days of Hanukkah, Jewish people light candles and eat foods fried in oil Fat-reduced latkes browned in PAM, in a nonstick skillet — pure blasphemy. Besides, PAM doesn’t soak the upholstery with that once-a-year scent that lingers till Passover. Nobody knows how latkes came to be. Surely, credit falls to Eastern European potato-eaters who never heard of zucchini, a popular modern addition only slightly less blasphemous than PAM. But latkes have a downside — a greasy, gray, leaden underbelly that our great-grannies could not conquer. Hockey pucks, they were called, but not too loudly because great-grandchildren get very defensive; in Jewish culinary culture, everybody’s Bubbie (Granny) makes the world’s greatest latkes. Not so. I do. Cuisinart forever changed latke-making. Bubbie no longer grated potatoes by hand — a process taking hours, often resulting in bloody knuckles. Potatoes discolored while waiting to become pancakes. She bound them with flour, creating the texture of a manhole cover. They were thick. They oozed oil. Judah Maccabee himself couldn’t brag on these. Mine are small, light, crisp, lacy and yummy enough to make Martha Stewart wish she were Jewish. They are also ecumenical, since the Hanukkah story took place in Biblical times. Hanukkah runs from December 8 —16,- but I can see them at Christmas brunch, with scrambled eggs, or on New Year’s Eve with sour cream and caviar.

Here’s how: You will need Yukon Gold potatoes, a Spanish onion, eggs, two lemons, matzo meal (in the tiny kosher food section of most supermarkets) — or, in a pinch, use pulverized saltine crackers, salt, pepper, canola oil and a food processor with a grating disc. Amounts aren’t graven in stone. Squeeze a whole lemon into a big basin of salted water. Toss in the lemon halves. Peel (or not, I don’t) about three pounds of potatoes. Cut them into chunks and submerge in lemon water for several hours or overnight. When ready to proceed, drain potatoes and squeeze the chunks in a terrycloth towel to dry completely. Peel and cut up a Spanish onion. Pour about �1/4 inch oil in two or three large skillets. Keeping three going at a time takes practice. Grate potatoes and onions quickly, in batches, scraping them from processor work bowl into another large bowl. When all are grated, add three beaten eggs, about 3/4 cup matzo meal, juice of the second lemon, generous salt and a little pepper. While doing this, heat oil to medium-hot and turn on exhaust fan. Spoon potato mixture into sizzling oil. Flatten latkes with a spoon; edges should be ragged. A 10-inch skillet holds about seven 3-inch latkes without crowding. Turn heat to high until they really sizzle, then back to medium. Cook until very brown, turning once. Add more oil to skillets as needed. Lift latkes out of skillet onto brown paper grocery bags to drain. If the potato mixture gets watery while you’re frying, stir in a little more matzo meal. The secret, of course, is the lemon, which keeps potatoes from graying while cutting the greasy afterbite. The frying can be tricky, I admit; worst scenario, you burn a few. Eat them immediately. Keep latkes warm in the oven until all are made. Sour cream and plain applesauce may be traditional condiments but I love salsa — or tart cranberry-ginger applesauce, homemade of course. Stir a spoonful of horseradish into the sour cream. For practical purposes, most cooks make a batch ahead and reheat. Sorry . . . reheated latkes don’t pack the same punch. If this sounds like hot, messy work, it is. But your name will be blessed by generations of progeny who will blacken the eye of persons claiming their Bubbie’s latkes are better than yours. They aren’t. Only mine are. PS Deborah Salomon is a staff writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com.

Vine WiSDom

Christmas, european Style foie gras, mince pies, and suckling pig deserve their own regional specialty wines

By roByN JaMes

everything about the history

of wine is so steeped in European culture, it occurred to me that it would be interesting to investigate different Christmas wine customs carried out on that continent.

As we all know, in most recent years in the U.S. there has been a huge movement in the food industry to buy and consume local agricultural products. In France, this movement has been under way for centuries. It is extremely important to consume regional and local artisanal foods and wines on Christmas Eve. Relatives from across the country gather together to break bread with each one bringing a dish indicative of their particular region. A Christmas Eve midnight dinner after services is common, beginning with French Champagne sabres (Champagne bottles sliced open at the neck with sabers). I have seen this and it is impressive. However, I do not suggest you try it at home! Foie gras is a favorite appetizer, accompanied by a semi-sweet white wine such as vouvray. Usually roasted meat of some sort is the main course, with robust red wines from Cotes du Rhone. Mince pies are the first sign of Christmas in the UK. These tiny tartlets, often served with mulled wine, start popping up everywhere, from workplace canteens and coffee corners to the local Starbucks. It’s supposed to be good luck to eat a mince pie every day of December and most people don’t turn them down when offered. So, by the time the holiday season is over, most people are well fed up with mince pies. Mulled wine is actually a common thread of holiday popularity across all of Europe, but Brits do love it with their mince pies. You can make it yourself by warming up a smooth red wine and infusing it with typical spices of nutmeg and cinnamon, or you can buy it already mixed and bottled by Christkindle. Brits consume an enormous percentage of all French red Bordeaux, calling it claret. There

is always a bottle or two on the table to accompany their goose and chipolatas (sausages wrapped in bacon). According to legend, on Christmas Eve in Germany, rivers turn to wine, animals speak to each other, tree blossoms bear fruit, mountains open up to reveal precious gems, and church bells can be heard ringing from the bottom of the sea. Of course, only the pure of heart can witness this magic. The Christmas tree, as we know it, originated in Germany. Children are not allowed to see the tree before Christmas Eve. It’s traditional to have a huge feast Christmas Eve post-tree decorating and on Christmas Day as well. Suckling pig, macaroni and cheese and long loaves of bread with nuts and raisins are typical fare. Germans call their mulled wine gluhwein (glow wine), and it is traditionally combined with different spices and honey and served hot. Sometimes schnapps is added to it to give a little extra kick. In Spain, shellfish is the most preferred holiday dish, but prices can triple or quadruple in December, turning customers to more affordable fare. Goose and turkey are extremely popular, but turkey is rarely roasted, and instead made into a stew. The Spanish love their sherries, dry and sweet and the holidays are the perfect time to show them off. Drier sherry, such as Amontillado or Manzanilla, served extremely cold, is a perfect aperitif to the meal. The Manzanilla imparts a slight saline taste that complements shellfish. Oloroso and cream sherries are wonderful accompaniments to the traditional Spanish dessert of turron, a nougat-like dish. Don’t forget the Spaniards are very proud of their cavas, the extremely affordable alternative to French Champagne. A toast to European wine Holidays. PS Robyn James is proprietor of The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in Southern Pines. Contact her at winecellar@pinehurst.net.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

life of jane

Spike, Interrupted

Who was that girl in long white gloves, leading the procession to adulthood?

By Jane Borden

I’m trying to

remember if I had any notion, at the time, that my appearance was comical. But self-awareness is largely, and blessedly, undeveloped in 9-yearolds. And so it struck me not as odd to don long white gloves.

I’d spend the afternoon in wet Tretorns crawling through the underground pipe systems in Old Irving Park, entering, for example, at the corner of Sunset and Carlisle and popping back out at Briarcliff and Woodland, always with one of my father’s open umbrellas, in case of spider webs, leading the procession. And then I’d pull on long white gloves. Like this was a natural thing. As if it made perfect sense that my long white gloves and I — along with an unruly haircut that birthed the nickname Spike and thick opaque tights that sausage-cased my still unshaven legs — would be driven to the Greensboro Country Club to learn how to ballroom dance. And, of course, it was normal. To me, at least. Most of my friends were in cotillion. My sisters and their friends had been too. We looked forward to class, each an opportunity to socialize and awkwardly engage with boys who were suddenly a half-foot shorter than us, and whose nervously sweaty palms made us prize the thin barrier of long white gloves. I recall that they taught girls to cross our ankles when we sat, and boys to unbutton their jackets. I have an image of our teacher demonstrating a move, her arms up and out in position. And I remember recognizing, if dimly, that the current pop R&B tunes used in class were all thinly veiled homages to sex, and further recognizing that the idea of a group of preadolescent WASPs fox-trotting to it was very, very funny. So, I guess there was some degree of self-awareness at 9, albeit still as undeveloped as a half-foot shorter boy. Thinking back on these details, I find the experience remarkable, but

that doesn’t make it abnormal. So why then, when I try to recall this child, does she seem so strange? It’s a tricky business, aging. I’m growing now beyond nostalgia, that longing for the past that occurs precisely because it’s fuzzy, the way one finds an Impressionist painting more romantic than a photograph. This new phase is different. I’ve now regenerated cells so wholly that parts of me are simply disappeared. If I had an inventory, I’d be alarmed. Instead, I’m unaware of what’s lost. Many images are now unrecognizable, have morphed from a rosy Impressionist rendering into some strange abstract art I never got the training to appreciate. I don’t know this child in the gloves. And I never will again. With which boy did she most wish to dance? The information is gone. That it previously existed is at best an assumption. There is a small section of the picture still clear, though, one memory that continues to regenerate itself: I hated not being able to pick out my own cookie. During the refreshment break, the girls waited in the circle of chairs, while their momentary dates journeyed en masse to retrieve two cups of soda and two chocolate-chip cookies each from a corner table, like some gaggle of sperm fighting its way politely to the baked-goods egg. I don’t like chocolate chips, so I always wished for a cookie with few in it. To ask as much from a boy I hardly knew, however, seemed unfair, the kind of request that gets one deemed spastic. And so, during each break, I silently wished I could retrieve my own, could open an umbrella, push through the boy blockade, and choose it myself. But I never did. Anyway, like the tunnel, it wouldn’t have been a new path, merely one I’d yet to traverse. I find myself wishing that lives themselves were less unique paths, because then they’d be well tread, and we could turn when we wanted to walk them in reverse. Instead, I approach this 9-year-old as a stranger, guessing not only at the details in her photograph, but also the shape and size of the frame, imagining her quietly fiddling with the extra material at the tip of the one gloved finger that was too long. Which one was it? Or perhaps it was too short. PS Jane Borden is a native of Greensboro and the author of the highly acclaimed memoir I Totally Meant To Do That. Illustration by Meridith Martens

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

P l e as u r e s o f L i f e

The Big Cheese

Nothing says Christmas eating like a wedge of hoop cheese

By Tom Allen

Photograph by Cassie Butler

Oh, how I love cheese, any

kind of cheese. I can eat it plain or paired with some other food, for breakfast or a midnight snack. I’ll take a bite out of a wedge of Parmesan and down it with a sip of Pepsi, or pinch off a piece of Stilton and chase it with a swig of ginger ale. I’ve had pecorino with prosciutto and havarti with pears, but Lord, I do love a slab of hoop cheese on a saltine cracker, especially at Christmastime.

When I was a child, my dad ran a country store. Every December, Dad would bring home a big wedge of hoop cheese, still covered in its red wax packaging, sliced from a fresh wheel. Mom would make the best grilled cheese sandwiches with that cheese. Sometimes she’d scramble it with eggs or melt some on a piece of toast for breakfast, but most of the time, we’d just top a saltine cracker with a sharp, salty slice. Hoop cheese isn’t as easy to find today as it was in my childhood days. The closest thing I’ve found to Dad’s hoop cheese and those warm

Christmas memories is at Jackson Brothers’ Produce, an open air market a few miles up the road off Highway 1, just inside the Lee County line. Men, supposedly, are notorious last-minute Christmas shoppers. Not me. Some morning soon, well before Christmas Eve, I’ll head to The Country Bookshop, Burney’s Hardware and The Fresh Market to browse for stocking stuffers and gifts for my family. The afternoon is reserved for the drive north, to Jackson Brothers’ Produce, a step back in time. Started in 1979, Jackson Brothers is owned and operated by Danny Jackson, an easygoing guy with a slow, Southern drawl. You’ll be hard pressed to meet a nicer, more helpful fellow. Mitchell, one of Danny’s brothers, died in September. Danny keeps the shelves stocked with his brother’s recipe for salsa, barbecue sauce and chow-chow, jars and jugs that bear Mitchell’s name. According to Danny, they always will. Near the entrance to the market, Mitchell’s recipes greet you alongside jars of pickled okra, fig preserves and blackstrap molasses. Jackson Brothers is a friendly throwback, an old-timey country store with dirt floors covered in wood shavings. Those floors can present a challenge, so several times a week someone wets down the dust. Danny considered a concrete floor but decided Jackson’s wouldn’t be the same. The floor, along with seasonal items like dried apples, pecan logs and their own house-cured country ham, has made the brothers a household name in Lee County. Their barbecue hut’s a stone’s throw away and just down the road, off Highway 15-501, and down a country road aptly named

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

P l e as u r e s o f L i f e

Christmas Lane, you’ll find their annual light display, a mile of holiday cheer open to the public at no cost. The business has a little bit of everything: baskets of assorted dried beans, farm-fresh milk in glass bottles, and locally grown sunflower seed for the birds. There’s horse hay and topsoil, fertilizer and mulch, storage sheds and pig cookers. Need side meat or fatback for those green beans you canned this summer? Stop by Jackson Brothers. Want some links of country sausage for a Christmas morning breakfast? Danny has it. And if you get a hankering to hook a bream this winter, they carry live minnows and crickets year-round, one of the few places that does. Like better farm stands and all open-air markets, the Jackson carries fresh seasonal produce. Danny and his employees make and sell hundreds of fruit baskets every holiday season. They’ll roast a ham or turkey for your holiday table, flock a Christmas tree from the North Carolina mountains or sell you a jar of local honey, harvested from their own beehives. Oranges and grapefruit arrive from Florida, but collards and sweet potatoes, turnips and salad greens are grown on the Jackson farm. Stop by in December and you’ll find coconut bars, Red Bird Peppermint Sticks, mixed hard Christmas candy and Claxton fruitcakes. While I’m there, I’ll pick up some candy for the kids’ stockings, some coconut bars for my dad, and some green peanuts for my Georgiaborn wife. But the hoop cheese is what brings me back to Jackson Brothers each year — Ashe County hoop cheese, a salty cheddar produced by North Carolina’s oldest cheese plant. You’ll find wedges of mild, medium and sharp, sliced and refrigerated when you arrive, or just ask. The good folks who work for Danny can slice a hunk, as big as you’d like it, off a red waxed hoop wheel. Don’t forget to ask for a cold bottle of Blenheim Ginger Ale, a Palmetto State classic, a vestige from my South Carolina college days. Blenheim is a great way to wash down that piece of cheese you pinch off and eat, just before crossing the Moore County line, headed home. Christmas morning at our house begins with opening gifts from under the tree, then noshing on goodies from members of our church family — Moravian sugar cake from Miss Jeannie, cheese Danish from Aunt Martha, and biscuits smeared with Cos Barnes’ apple butter. All well and good, they are. I’d miss them. But Lord, I do love a good slab of hoop cheese on a saltine cracker. Merry Christmas, y’all. PS

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Tom Allen is minister of education at First Baptist Church, Southern Pines, and a frequent contributor to PineStraw magazine. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

B IR D WA T C H

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

As winter returns to the Sandhills, so does this animated songbird

By Susan Campbell

Every few winters, here in the

Southeast, there is an irruption of wintering finches. This is definitely shaping up to be one of those years. Thousands of songbirds, native to the far North, such as pine siskins and purple finches, are pouring in, looking for food all over North Carolina already. The first were observed in late September, signaling a dearth of red spruce, balsam fir, Eastern hemlock and other small, oily, protein-rich native seeds across the northern tier of states. These birds will move farther and farther south in search of Southern equivalents over a period of months. Some, such as the red-breasted nuthatch, may cease their quest when they happen upon a well-stocked birdfeeder. There, they may take up residence for the duration of the season. And are they ever entertaining for the lucky hosts!

The red-breasted nuthatch is closely related to our resident brownheaded and white-breasted nuthatches many of us are so familiar with. The species breeds way up into the boreal forests of Canada. Pairs can also be found in northwestern North Carolina at altitudes of 3,000 feet or more year-round. They defend their nest cavity fiercely from other birds as well as climbing predators. Also, they have been documented as not only using resin around the nest entrance for protection, but using pieces of bark to do

so. Such tool usage is very remarkable. As a result, red-breasted nuthatches can be very successful breeders. However, if the weather is good and food is abundant in summer, they can easily outstrip the local mast crop by late summer. Red-breasteds, not surprisingly, are therefore the first of the irruptive species to migrate to Southerly locations when resources are depleted. These animated little birds have a gray back, a prominent eye stripe and rusty flanks as well as a reddish breast, as their name implies. Redbreasteds are quite vocal, calling repeatedly a distinctive, nasal â&#x20AC;&#x153;yank yankâ&#x20AC;? that has a tinny quality: like a tiny tin horn being blown from the treetops. Both sexes will call, with unmated males the most vocal. They give a very definite warning of their presence, even to larger birds that they are not afraid to challenge for food. Red-breasted nuthatches spend their time crawling over the branches of pine trees looking for the seeds in cones as well as insects active in the needles and outer bark. And they also love sunflower seeds. Their long, wedge-shaped bills can readily shell a black-oil sunflower seed or perhaps store it in a crevice for later. These little birds can also be attracted to peanuts as well as suet. Individuals can be quite aggressive, driving other nuthatches away with strong body language and harsh vocalizations. In the Sandhills, where we have such good nuthatch habitat, these little birds can be found anywhere in a good winter. The best way to locate a redbreasted is to slowly walk through a pine stand and listen. They may simply give themselves away. But, in the absence of repeated, nasal calls, scan nearby chickadee or titmouse flocks. These Northern visitors are known to frequently associate with other small-bodied seed eaters. If you spend just a little time in the woods over the coming weeks, you likely will spot some of these wonderful little winter visitors! PS Susan would love to hear from you. Send wildlife sightings and photos to susan@ncaves.com or call (910) 949-3207.

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December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The SPorTing Life

The road home

An adventure in an Airstream is unforgettable, but home is where the heart and friendships lie

By toM BryaNt

Twenty years from now you will be more

PhotograPhs by toM bryaNt

disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. — Mark Twain

Several years before I retired from my day job, my bride, Linda, and I decided that when I did leave the work force and had more discretionary time and hopefully financial reserves, we would hit the road and explore this great country of ours. My grandfather had owned a couple of small Airstream travel trailers that he would randomly park at some out-of-the-way sporting area and stay for weeks of fishing, hunting and exploring. I was lucky as a youngster to be able to visit him from time to time in those remote parts of the country; and at that young age, the desire to see what was over the next hill became foremost in my mind. I read constantly. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, Lewis and Clark, and the great mountain men, Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, became my heroes. I would often dream of them and of exciting adventures in faraway places such as the great Mississippi River and the wild tundra of the Yukon Territory and Alaska. Sometimes dreams do come true; and in the fall of 2006, I took off my official sales hat as advertising director of The Pilot newspaper and put on my favorite Foscoe Fishing Co. cap and looked toward the West. We purchased a small 19-foot Bambi Airstream travel trailer and a

Toyota FJ Cruiser tow vehicle; and in the summer of 2007, we pointed our little caravan toward Alaska. It was the trip of a lifetime; and after two months and 11,034 miles, we returned to what we now call home base, Southern Pines, ready to rest, re-supply and hit the adventure trail again. We’ve also enjoyed trips to the Grand Canyon and parts of Florida, but since that first epic camp across our country and Canada, we have determined that long Airstream trips are fun but not always practical, considering the price of gas nowadays. So we decided to find places closer to home where we could still enjoy the camping experience in the little ’Stream, as we’ve started calling her, and not break the bank buying petrol. Ironically, the first state park we visited, Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, has become what we jokingly refer to as the site of our beach house. Of course, we tow our house behind us and have a different location in the park every visit, but last spring, summer and fall, we stayed at Huntington just about one week out of every month. And the beauty of this is when we head back home, we bring our house with us, out of the reach of harm and hurricanes. Located just below Murrell’s Inlet and right across from Brookgreen Gardens, the park is not only our favorite, but that of a lot of other campers as well. During the summer season, camping sites can be scarce as visitors make reservations well in advance. The park is over 2,500 acres and has three miles of pristine beach with no buildings on it whatsoever. This stretch of natural coastline has been recognized as one of the finest in South Carolina. There is also a seawater marsh area and a fresh water lagoon, resting areas to hundreds of waterfowl and even a few alligators. Live oaks and myrtle bushes remind us how life used to be in the Low Country in the early days before development and so-called “progress” reared their ugly heads.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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

Another big plus for Huntington Beach is its location. If a lot of restaurants, shopping and glitter appeals to you, Myrtle Beach is just twenty miles to the north. To the south, less than twenty miles, is Georgetown — South Carolina’s third oldest port city and a more laid-back type of town that Linda and I prefer to visit. The small antebellum village reminds me a great deal of Beaufort, South Carolina, and exudes the history of the Southern grander time that Margaret Mitchell captured so vividly in her epic novel, Gone With the Wind. During our last visit and before we decided to park our beach house for the winter months, we took in the Wooden Boat Show in Georgetown. The event is perfect for the locale. With five rivers dumping into Winyah Bay offering hundreds of miles of salt marshes, freshwater lagoons and cypress swamps, what could be more apropos than a big gathering of craftsmen dedicated to the art of building wooden boats? The mid-October day was perfect for the occasion with a Carolina blue sky and mild breezes wafting down Broad Street, Georgetown’s main thoroughfare and the site where numerous wooden boats were displayed from sidewalk to sidewalk. Much larger ones were docked on Sampit River right off Broad. Planning to make a full day of it, we arrived early, parked on Queen Street and began taking in the sights. The boats were unbelievable, from lapstrake canoes to cypress strip runabouts. Broad Street was wall to wall with boats that would qualify more as works of art than utilitarian modes of water transportation. After a morning of talking to the locals and getting the scoop on the boats, Linda and I decided to head to Ye Old Fish House, better known as

the Big Tuna, for lunch. We got there just before the crowd and were able to get a table overlooking the harbor. Our waitress served us our favorite of the house, a grouper fish sandwich. That alone was worth the trip. During lunch we shared our observations of the day and were not surprised to come to the same conclusion: The event was only bested by the cordiality of the people who participated. Folks were dressed in comfortable Southern, country attire. Most of the guys were in khakis, oxford cloth shirts and topsiders. The ladies were also comfortably dressed for the occasion. Dogs, from big old black Labs to feisty Jack Russells, were having as much fun as their owners and added a little more variety and color to the occasion. As we were finishing lunch, hurrying so we could relinquish our table to others who were waiting, I said to Linda, “You know with this many people here I bet we’ll run into someone we know.” She laughed and said, “Not in this crowd. We can’t even find Andie and Bennett, who we know are coming down.” Andie and Bennett Rose are friends from Southern Pines, and we had tentatively planned to meet at the event. I laughed and agreed with Linda, and we decided to look around a little bit more and then head back to Huntington for a late day nap on the beach. As we were heading out the door, though, my prediction came true when we ran into Billy Powell and Wade Williamson, old friends from Burlington, whom we hadn’t seen in years. The world is indeed a small place, and the road always brings you home. PS Tom Bryant, a Southern Pines resident, is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.

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G o l f t o w n J o u r n al

Polishing a Gem

Venerable Mid Pines gets a thoughtful update

By Lee Pace

The Bell family of Southern Pines has

been the proud proprietor and caretaker of two of the most pristine Donald Ross golf courses anywhere for some time now — Pine Needles for going on six decades, and Mid Pines for eighteen years.

Pine Needles opened in 1928 as a resort-residential venture headed by the Tufts family of Pinehurst. The original hotel was the current St. Joseph’s retirement facility that looms above the second tee of the golf course. The venture was gut-punched one year in by the Depression and spent a quarter of a century bouncing between various owners until newlyweds Warren and Peggy Bell first bought one-third of the course in 1953. They became sole owners two years later and began expanding the resort infrastructure, Warren running the resort day-to-day and Peggy promoting it while traveling the fledgling LPGA Tour. As Pine Needles developed its niche as a comfortable resort and bastion of golf instruction (particularly for the fairer sex), the family looked in the late 1980s to use its surrounding land for a second course. Longtime family friends Pete and Alice Dye routed a course on ground to the east of the existing course, but those plans were waylaid by the Gulf War and attendant recession. When the opportunity presented itself in 1994, the Bells and a team of investment partners bought Mid Pines — including the 1921 Ross

course and the grand Georgian-style hotel. With Pine Needles the site of three U.S. Women’s Opens over the last two decades, that course has gotten the bulk of any capital improvements between the two layouts, including a five-month shutdown in 2004 to rebuild greens, tees and bunkers under the direction of architect John Fought. Now it’s time for a major project across Midland Road at Mid Pines, which sits today 91 years after its opening with every hole in the same location and configuration as it was originally. “Mid Pines has always been a gem; it’s time we polished it up,” says former PGA Tour player Pat McGowan, one of Peggy Bell’s sons-in-law. “We’re as excited about this project as we were the Pine Needles restoration eight years ago.” The project involves restoring the greens to their original dimensions and replanting them with MiniVerde Bermuda grass; rebuilding all the bunkers and adding several new ones to accommodate longer ball flights; and widening fairways and returning some fairway perimeters to their original state of hardpan sand, wire grass and random plant material. The bunker project will begin in December 2012 and continue through the winter and into the spring, though the course will not be closed until the serious work of rebuilding the greens begins in late May 2013. At that point the course will close for approximately ten weeks, the greens being sprigged in early June and the course scheduled to reopen in early August. The greens resurfacing speaks to the broader issue facing golf courses in the Mid-Atlantic and South with bent grass greens that wilt and suffer in the intense heat and humidity of July and August. Newer strains of Bermuda are better able to remain healthy in the hot weather without

G o l f t o w n J o u r n al

getting bumpy and having to be maintained at slower speeds unacceptable to today’s golfer. The same aerial photos from 1939, 1950 and 1966 that helped frame the Pine Needles restoration will provide a similar template for expanding the Mid Pines greens in spots where they have shrunk over decades because of mowing patterns and sand displaced from bunkers. “The project started with the need to redo the greens,” says Kelly Miller, also a Peggy Bell son-in-law and CEO of the company that owns and operates both resorts. “It’s been getting harder and harder to get through the summer. We cut back on play as the greens get stressed out in the heat. Sometimes it takes until midOctober to get them all the way back. “The stigma about Bermuda greens is pretty much gone now with the new dwarf grasses. People worried about the grain; they said you couldn’t get them quick. But the firmness of the new Bermuda greens is unbelievable. Plus, you don’t get the ball marks on Bermuda you get on bent. You’re seeing more and more conversions in this area.” The project then evolved into a broader scope when Miller was approached by Kyle Franz, a freelance golf architect and construction worker who spent much of 2010-11 in the area working for Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw on the restoration of No. 2. Franz is a 30-year-old native of Oregon who has worked on projects for a myriad of architects on a variety of landscapes — from Tom Doak to Gil Hanse to Kyle Phillips, from Australia to Scotland to Oregon. He’s a self-described “golf architecture geek” who moves from site to site, diving into his work from dawn to dusk and immersing himself in the golf ambience of his destination the rest of the time. During his spare time in Pinehurst two years ago, Franz scoped out the old work of Ross in the Sandhills and found Mid Pines of particular interest. “What an amazing set of Ross greens,” Franz says. “The concept of those greens is every bit as innovative and thoughtful as the greens on Pinehurst No. 2. It’s a great putting golf course. All the thought required on No. 2 of where to run the ball on, where to miss it, where to not miss, it’s all there at Mid Pines. You’ve got a complete, unvarnished set of Ross greens, hardly tinkered with.” Franz proposed to Miller that they tweak Mid Pines in a similar but more modest fashion to the restoration project on No. 2 — remove some rough, inject a more natural and rugged look, scruff up the smooth dimensions of the bunkers, adjust some traps so they are more applicable to the modern ball flight, open up the fairways to provide some strategic latitude. Franz prepared some hole diagrams and used Photoshop to tweak “before and after” images of each hole. Miller liked the idea and retained Franz to coordinate the hand and machine labor

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

G o l f t o w n J o u r n al

on the bunkers and fairway perimeters. “We’ll get some vibrancy back in the landscape with the sandy wire grass areas,” Franz says. “We’ll look at some bunkers and get them to actually apply to modern golf. Some are so short they don’t come into play for the better player. We’ll get them to play more as Ross intended them. We’ll bring back some of the width that was part of the original design, re-establish the angles that were there at the beginning. You combine these elements, and it very quickly becomes an incredibly good golf course on top of what is already an incredibly good golf course.” Mid Pines has a special and unique ambience within the Sandhills golf portfolio. It’s compact, built on only 91 acres, and some tees are just a

“Mid Pines has always been a gem; it’s time we polished it up...”

Lee Pace’s new book, The Golden Age of Pinehurst, is available in bookstores and at the Pinehurst Resort.

This winter’s most amazing colors are on display at The Cupola.

dozen steps or so from the previous green. Most of the holes are bordered by mature hardwoods and pines, and the few homes located along the golf corridors are in keeping with the classic feel of the club. The topography ebbs and flows — a gulch between tee and green of the par-3 second, uphill into the narrow fourth green, downhill off the 16th tee — and throws out side-hill lies of every variety. The course is imminently playable on foot. Mid Pines was the venue for frequent professional exhibitions in the 1950s, and tour player Skip Alexander was briefly the resident pro. Julius Boros used to play and practice there in the late 1940s before marrying into the Cosgrove family, the owners in the mid 1900s, and he returned in the 1970s to fish in the ponds dotting the course while competing in the Greater Greensboro Open. In recent times, Webb Simpson escaped to the Sandhills for some R&R before winning the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club, playing two of his favorite area courses — the Dogwood Course at the Country Club of North Carolina and Mid Pines. He’ll not have access to Mid Pines in June 2013, should he want another respite prior to the Open at Merion. But the wait will be worth it. PS

The Carolina Hotel Village of Pinehurst 910. 235.8474 pinehurst.com •

13PNH009PinestrawDecCupola.indd 1

11/9/12 2:13 PM

December 2012

Winter Solstice Into darkness fades this day swallowed by the night; time suspended, wrongs amended cradled in forgiving Light. Mother Earth tilts, balancing in rhythm with the sun; as moon and stars renew their vows ordaining they are One. Finality bows center stage with wisdom; deeply certain that all must perish in the wake of death’s descending curtain. Daylight settles, shawdows rise and linger long, ’til fate in reverence to the hallowed Plan replenished, recreates. Ancient promises abide, Divinity yet faithful; through veils of grace is born once more, Life’s sacred endless cycle. Barbara Boyd

James DeMolet, 27, is the son of Larry and Meg DeMolet of Pinehurst. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lived in New York for eight years and currently works as editor in chief and creative director of The Block magazine and as a freelance fashion stylist.

Our NYC Kids Story and Photographs by Cassie Butler

It’s slightly more than 500 miles from the heart of Moore County to New York City, but as any young person from the heartland aiming to make a splash in the “city that never sleeps” quickly discovers, the cultural and psychological distance can feel like a journey to another world. Not surprisingly, undaunted by the challenge, thousands of young Americans head for The City after college looking to find a career and measure themselves against the busiest city on Earth — including the sons and daughters of the Carolina Sandhills.

James DeMolet’s first trip to

New York City was in middle school to see The Rosie O’Donnell Show. He fell instantly in love with the city, and he put New York’s tag line into effect. “I couldn’t sleep the whole time I was here. We stayed in Times Square, I think, so I just kept looking out the window.” After graduating from Pinecrest High School in 2004, DeMolet attended NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology for fashion merchandising knowing he wanted to work with fashion magazines. “I picked FIT because it was the cheapest school and I felt like from the degree program, I would have a lot of free time to start work immediately.” And that’s exactly what he did: DeMolet worked full-time at magazines at which he credits the majority of his education was acquired. His first two years at FIT, DeMolet worked five days a week at NYLON magazine. Then he held internships at GQ, Q, Italian Vogue, i-D and Lula. Now he’s the editor in chief and creative director of an independent fashion and celebrity magazine called The Block. He oversees all the content, commissions artists and develops overall themes for each issue. He interviews celebrities to gear their personal stories and experiences around the magazine’s theme to focus on things like political importance or social inequity. DeMolet really describes himself as a storyteller. “I get the different celebrities to be able to play a character that’s within them.” And by “play a character,” he means wear clothes for a photo shoot. “I try to keep our stories very tangible so they are easy to understand. Instead of having it be focused on trends or different items of clothing, it focuses more on different character ideas. The point is to tell stories.” The current issue is about teen bullying. “I think that, as someone who experienced it, I was curious to see how other people’s teen experiences shaped them as artists.” To find celebrities that fit into DeMolet’s themes, he

has to do a lot of research and be in constant conversation. “I’m obsessed with celebrities. I think that helps. I think getting on set with celebrities and to already be able to anticipate what the personality will be like is a gift. If you do not know what their personality is going to be like, it can be a very tough day. I’ve been on set before as an assistant where the celebrity will leave set because they didn’t like the clothes. To me it’s always, ‘How can I give this celebrity an experience they’ve never had before that is an extension of themselves?’” DeMolet has styled and worked with countless celebrities: Alanis Morissette, Cat Power, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Shirley Manson, Isabella Rossellini, Nicole Richie, and Courtney Love. He says the most challenging and rewarding job was working with Madonna. “We’d go into Dolce and Gabbana and we would say, ‘We want the body of this shirt but maybe the sleeve of this, and we’re just at the store and they’re cutting things apart to see how it would look for her. I’ve never seen designers give so much support for a celebrity and be so negotiable about what they’d create. But in that, it is challenging if an artist knows they can really have anything under the moon, because in order to fill that expectation, it is a lot of work.” Another rewarding point in DeMolet’s career was after he shot Lenny Kravitz. “I’ve always wanted to work with him― and afterward, he purchased all the outfits that I put him in, which is sort of unheard of because a lot of celebrities would like things for free. So, that was amazing to work with someone like that, who styles himself so thoroughly, and to be impressed by my work at that level. Then I saw that movie he was in, The Hunger Games, and he was wearing the jewelry that I had picked out for him. So that was amazing to me.” DeMolet credits his on-staff position at Teen Vogue as a “game-changer” for his career. “I never would have

Helen Kenworthy, 27, is the daughter of Jake and Janet Kenworthy of Aberdeen. She’s lived in New York for four and one-half years as an ad sales planner for a television network. been able to have those connections otherwise because Teen Vogue is a wellrespected magazine in the fashion industry. It has its finger on the pulse on terms of up-and-coming celebrities.” Though DeMolet works full-time with The Block magazine, he also finds time to be a freelance stylist working with other magazines. In the Spring, he starts filming a reality show with the executive producer of The Rachel Zoe Project and What Not to Wear, which will follow DeMolet and four other freelance stylists. He also consults with designers to help them shape their line and work on their “look books.” DeMolet finds inspiration for characters, looks and themes everywhere in the city, but when it comes to really brainstorming and trying to shape ideas, he has to leave the city completely. “I find it difficult to find peace here. Especially as a freelance artist, there’s never a point where I’m not working because I could always be working and researching and developing.” So where does he go? You guessed it, North Carolina. Hendersonville, to be specific. “There is an artistic community in Asheville that I really like, and it’s a different idea of what an artist looks like. The artists just produce art and there isn’t that idea of grooming.” He finds peace in the North Carolina mountains about every other month, and he finds distractions in New York the rest of the time, like hanging out with his longtime friend, Helen Kenworthy.

Helen Kenworthy

is from the quaint town of L.A., as in “lower Aberdeen.” She graduated from Pinecrest in 2004 and then went to Tulane University in New Orleans to study English and art history. Her sophomore year, the deadly and destructive Hurricane Katrina hit. With the semester lost, she traveled abroad and spent some time in New York. “I didn’t really like it, I didn’t understand it.” But Kenworthy’s perspective of New York changed during her junior year when she studied in the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, Buenos Aires. Despite

living in a sprawling city with a language barrier, she “mastered” getting around. Kenworthy figured, “If I could handle Buenos Aires, I could handle any other American city, obviously.” After college, Kenworthy wanted to stay in New Orleans, but there weren’t many job opportunities and a lot of her friends were moving to New York. “I decided that it would be good to move on and go somewhere else and get a new experience. Both my parents lived in New York and encouraged me to try something new. I think a lot of it was that my friends moved here and it was an obvious place to go.” Kenworthy’s theme song could be “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” “I just sort of assumed that I’d be able to get a job and it would be great, and, it was! I didn’t really consider any alternative, I just expected it to work out. I didn’t know that I was going to move here in the largest recession the United States has ever known, and in that respect, too, I was really lucky.” Immediately, she got a six-month internship at The Met while also baby-sitting and working at a restaurant to keep herself afloat. Then through a Pinehurst friend, Kenworthy made the switch into ad sales for MTV. “I didn’t know a lot about it, to be quite honest, I just was ready to find a full-time job. It was just an entry level job that you’re just put into and expected to figure it out.” After a year with MTV, Kenworthy took a job with a small national arts network, Ovation, where she’s currently been for a year and a half. “I really enjoy sales; there’s a lot of positive things about it. You get to meet with your clients, there’s a lot of social aspects about it that I really enjoy, you get to go out and entertain. You foster a lot of relationships in order to make better sales, which I think is a really interesting science. I also chose this path because it’s pretty straightforward — i― t’s a straight shot to the top if you want to be the VP, president or CEO. I like that structure about the job, but I also like that you interact with marketing and PR and you get a lot of media experience.” Kenworthy has lived in the city for five years now, and she calls it home. She even says she’s living her dream. “I don’t really see myself anywhere else now. I’m getting married soon.― Ken’s job is here, and my career path is here.” She

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

loves where she lives, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The area is dense with restaurants, bars and live music venues, so she doesn’t have to go far to enjoy herself. New galleries are popping up around her neighborhood too, but her favorite place is the MoMA. She also enjoys jogging along the East River, where she’s been running almost every day since she moved to New York. “You have to have an open mind in this city; it can be really big and mean if you let it push you down. I’ve always tried to keep my chin up and think of creative ways to make it work for me, and I’ve made a lot of friends because of it.”

Sarah Younger

is as Southern as it gets, that is, if you can call someone who doesn’t like fried chicken Southern. After graduating from Union Pines High School in 2006 and UNC-Chapel Hill in 2010, Younger spent a year searching for opportunities in North Carolina. She had internships and a job that paid the bills while also finding time to muck horse manure at her family farm in Whispering Pines. Then she decided to complete a three-month graduate certificate course in publishing at the University of Denver. After that, “it seemed like all signs were pointing North or . . . Northeast,” Younger says, after mentioning that she feels like she ended up in New York through “divine orchestration.” Her first impression of New York was that it was hot and smelly. “I showed up in August and, getting off the subway, I was inundated with the smell of ammonia. Now it’s definitely grown on me.” Younger found affirmation shortly after her move to New York when she stumbled upon Central Park’s “Literary Walk,” which is now her favorite place in the city. The Literary Walk, found at the southern end of the Mall, contains statues of well-known literary figures such as William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns. Younger’s life is overflowing with all things literary. Younger now works as a literary agent, which she describes as a talent agent for writers, at Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

“I get writers connected with publishing companies, so I am the middleman.” Younger hadn’t actually heard of Nancy Yost before she started working there since agenting is a behind the scenes aspect of publishing. You hear of the author and publishing company but not necessarily who the agent is. Before her first interview with her future employer, Younger looked up some of Yost’s clients and was pleased to see some of her favorite writers. “I went in to interview, not thinking that I’d get the job, but thinking that I’d just really get to meet somebody that I very much respected in the industry. During the interview, it went from a great conversation and good questions to, “Let me see your Kindle, who are you reading?” and over half the authors on my Kindle w ― ere people she represented. And next thing I know, I got the job.” That is, she got her dream job. “The dream could get bigger,” Younger says with a smile. “I’ll just add on lots of New York Times best-selling clients, and perhaps relocate to some place a little bit quieter.” Among the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city, Younger finds peace and rejuvenation at church on Sunday mornings at The Journey, in Central Park when it’s a little bit crisp out, and in her bedroom with a good book. “I’ve learned what I want to get out of life, and the things I need to work on to get to my goals.” Though Younger loves her job and especially her boss, her home will always be where her family and horses are: Moore County. Younger’s mother, Beth, recently visited the city. “[My mom] said you couldn’t pay her enough money to ride the subway every day,” says Younger. “For me I’m not being paid a whole ton of money at this point in my career, but I definitely think it’s worth it. I’m doing what I love.” And a decade from now? “I’m leaving the ten-year plan up to God. Every time I try to plan something, plans change.” Eventually she hopes to settle down with a family somewhere outside the city. “I don’t think I’d be comfortable doing that in New York considering where I grew up.” In the end, she’ll always be a horse girl, and a Southerner.

Sarah Younger, 24, is the daughter of Chuck and Beth Younger of Whispering Pines. She’s lived in New York for one year and four months as a literary agent.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Tyler Lea

Sarah Younger and , of Carthage, are the best of friends. They go way back — a― ll the way from Sandhills Farm Life Elementary School to high school drama classes at Union Pines. Younger lived on Lea’s couch in Brooklyn for four weeks before she found a place of her own in Manhattan. Lea went to North Carolina School of the Arts and got his BFA in acting. “For actors, the choice is slim: it’s LA or New York,” says Lea. After his end of the year showcase at college, he got a bigger response in New York than LA, so he made the move to Park Slope, Brooklyn, with some of his college friends, now his roommates. “It was the best decision for me since I had a network of people here,” Lea recalls. To pay the bills, Lea works with a catering company, Creative Edge Parties. The catering jobs are flexible and since he doesn’t have a set schedule with acting opportunities, he is able to work if he’s available, and if he has an audition or call back, he doesn’t. He works a lot of nights and on weekends. Meanwhile, Lea seeks out theater and commercial work, and he has an agent and a manager doing the same for him. “My background is in theater, but I audition and am comfortable auditioning for everything.” Not long ago, Lea allowed PineStraw to tag along for an audition call back. The room was filled with ten people waiting on benches for their names to be called. A young lad sat close by mouthing his lines with a script on his lap and a headshot on top. A girl in a short ’70sstyle go-go dress and white suede boots was warming her vocals in the open room while three women sat conversing amongst themselves — gestures, laughter, smirks. Lea sat quietly in a bright red-painted metal chair. His head was down, his back arched. “ROSEMARY?!” a girl screeched from a nearby room marked 17A, the room where the auditions were happening. “If I’m prepared with my work, in the room I feel confident,” Lea admitted. “I get nervous, I do get really nervous, and I just have to remind myself to breathe. Because sometimes, I just forget to breathe.” Commercial auditions, he notes, are easier because they don’t require as much preparation. “A commercial audition is more impromptu. You don’t really know what they’re going to ask you to do. It could be improv, it could be read from a slide that you see for five seconds.” Still sounds nerve-racking to me. One thing Lea hasn’t gotten used to is riding the trains. “I don’t like riding the subways. I hate it. I like getting in my car and doing my own thing because sometimes you just don’t want to be around people.” He’s used to the city, but he can’t call it home. “I like it enough and it’s fun, but I’m here because I’m chasing a dream and it’s where I have to be. I can’t do what I want to do in North Carolina.” Being in a big city can sometimes make Lea feel lonesome. “You feel secluded because there’s so many different cultures in New York that there might be five languages spoken on a train and not one of them is English. It’s a big city and there’s so many people here, but you do get feelings of being alone sometimes. But it’s good because I have my roommates and friends and stuff.”

Tyler Lea, 24, is the son of Billy Lea and Edna Lea-Overman of Carthage. He’s lived in New York for one and one-half years as an actor.

Chelsea Scott, 26, is the daughter of Jonathan and Gail Scott of Southern Pines. She’s lived in New York for four years as an Assistant Knits and Sweaters Designer at Tommy Hillfiger.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Chelsea Scott

Nolan McKew and attended Pinecrest High School. They both took choir and were the tallest in their class, which ultimately meant that they were always paired as dance partners. This is where their relationship began, in class and on the stage, and they became instant friends. Long-lasting friends. Now, they both live in New York and see each other about once a month, which is quite regular considering their busy New York schedules. Scott first experienced New York as a summer intern for Tommy Hilfiger. Her friends were trying to woo her into falling in love with the city, but Scott wasn’t impressed. “When I lived here over the summer, the majority of the city —― if you’re not walking by a fruit stand or a laundromat — ― smells like trash, like HOT trash. My first impression of the city was everyone goes on and on about how amazing it is, but the city does smell like trash.” Then it happened: “I was quickly overtaken by the overwhelming amount of things there are to do and people there are to meet and so many things that can enrich your life and things you can experience that you never thought about being interested in.” At the end of her internship, Scott received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in consumer apparel retail studies from UNC-Greensboro. She graduated early, in December 2008, and her timing couldn’t have been worse. Facing a tanking economy and a deflated job market, she got a scholarship that paid for a flight to New York City and she beat the pavement looking for any opportunity out there. “I went on all the informational interviews that I could. Everyone was telling me, ‘Sorry, we just laid off a bunch of people, we can’t hire anyone new.’” But through a strange family connection, one short opportunity led to another opportunity with a private label design company for nine months, and then in September 2009, Tommy Hilfiger called and said they had a position. She hasn’t looked back since. Scott is an assistant designer at Tommy Hilfiger’s wholesale division. She works in the aspect of the brand that sells to Macy’s and Hudson Bay. “Being the assistant you do a lot of hands-on work, which I actually really like.” She picks out trims, buttons, zippers and follows up on color commenting on knits and sweaters. “Every print, every single color in a print is picked out, and― usually I do the pitching, then I have to say ‘this color is too red’ or ‘this color is too blue’ and give feedback to the factories. I also do a lot of basic things like sketching concepts.” They work a year in advance, and when it’s sweater weather, hours can get more intense. “It’s hard to think about spring and T-shirts and lightweight jackets when you’re wading through knee-deep snow in the dead of winter,” Scott says, but one of her favorite parts about working late is the view of the Hudson River from the office. “We get this gorgeous sunset over the water and it’s just so beautiful — the clouds and the sky burst into a million different colors. It’s an absolutely phenomenal sight and it’s something that’s rare in New York —― to have THAT much natural sunlight in your day-to-day office.” After four years of hard work, we wondered, how does she regard her Manhattan life and career now? “It unsuspectingly ingrains itself in you,” she says. “I think that New York is really good at making you addicted to it in the fact that there are so many amazing things to do. There are so many cultural events and just fun games and television shows that you can be in the audience of, you just run the gambit of fascinating things that are cheap or free or very spontaneous. The people that walk in and out of your lives is its own experience about New York. There’s something about that that becomes so endearing and something that you want to be part of, too. “But then there’s also the fact that it’s exhausting and tiring and life becomes very hard to keep up with, but you’re kind of caught in between these two worlds where you want to take a nap but you’re having too much fun staying up all night.” The bottom line? “Yeah, I like New York, but I LOVE Brooklyn. I come from a small town and Brooklyn is just a hodgepodge of small towns. There’s more sky, the buildings are lower and there’s more of a community feel.” In quiet moments, Scott goes to the Museum of Natural History and spends afternoons with the dinosaurs on the top floor. “Being among these things that have been around for SO LONG,” she adds, “puts your little crazy life here into a whole new perspective.”

Nolan McKew

Scott’s tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed high school dance partner, , on the other hand, finds peace among chaos at his favorite place in New York: the George Washington Bridge. McKew used to live right by the bridge in Washington Heights but now enjoys an incredible view of the Empire State Building in Manhattan. McKew is from Pinehurst and went to college at Appalachian State in Boone for music industry studies. He too completed a summer internship in New York during college, but with American Lyric Theater in 2009. McKew wears many hats in New York. He is a dancer with Roschman Dance, a modern dance company near NYU, and will be performing in The Westchester Ballet’s The Nutcracker this winter season. He does aerial trapeze at fancy events and instructs flying trapeze to beginners. He’s also a production assistant/personal assistant to several people: a director of ballet production, a screenwriter and an actress in the 2013 film After the Fall, which is based on a true story. “I pick gigs up here and there,” McKew says. He did a lot of things for Fashion Week as far as setting up lights for different runway shows in September and he was the Tin Man at the annual Autumn at Oz party in Banner Elk, North Carolina, last October. One thing New York has taught McKew is to be an efficient scheduler. “I can pack so many things into my schedule and make it work. There’s so much to do here, some part of me feels like I didn’t finish the day if I don’t do as many things as I possibly wanted to.” But there are compromises to city life. “You have to accept that there are all these amazing things and then accept, at the same time, there are all these crappy, crappy things. I came here thinking this is going to be great, but it’s going to be awful. More often than not, I have a really good day or a really bad day and there’s not many days that are really just level.” A good day in McKew’s city life would be getting a call that he’s been offered a part in a dance company and the same day finding out he’s going to get another month of free rent because “the landlords of your building are sketchbags and have been upping your rent even though it’s a rentstabilized building.” A bad day would be getting yelled at by a deli clerk for not meeting the credit card minimum when buying breakfast, getting shoved out of the subway by an old lady with a cane and thus missing the train on your first day of work, almost getting hit by a taxi and being told by a homeless man who looks like Santa that he’s going to break your arm. This bad-day example was McKew’s first day in New York. “I wanted to cry. It was not fun,” he recalls. But McKew takes the bad with the good. “The good days you’re like, ‘This is cool, I’m glad this is working out,’ and there are the other days you’re like, ‘This SUCKS. I’m going to go home and go to bed now.’ But yeah, I like being here. I don’t think I would have even had half of the experiences I’ve had in the three years of being here had I been in North Carolina or really anywhere else. This is just a good place for me to be for my career goals and where I am in my life right now.” But he doesn’t see himself in the city in ten years. He’d rather be in some city abroad, like London, running his own performance venue. At the end of the day, one thing will never change for our determined band of young Southerners in the city: their roots will always be in the Land of the Pines, no matter who they grow to become or where they venture in the world. This December, when it’s all said and done, they’ll even be “home” for Christmas. PS

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Nolan McKew, 26, is the son of David and Angie McKew of Foxfire Village. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lived in New York for three and one-half years as a professional freelancer in artistic, performance, production and administrative work.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

C i ty g i r l , T a k e 1

New York Christmas For a little girl, it was as magical as the movies

By Deborah Salomon

Please un-

derstand, I have the deepest respect for the true meaning of Christmas. In no way am I diminishing the account of what shepherds and wise men found in Bethlehem. But the secular extension of the Christmas spirit which flourished in New York City in the post-War 1940s was real and kind and good. This spirit lives in my memory, forever.

Macy’s Santa Claus, Rockefeller Center skating rink, Radio City Music Hall, B.Altman shopping bags, lunch at Schrafft’s or Lord & Taylor Bird Cage, “Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates” at the Brooklyn Academy; if every person who tears up over these images sent me a dollar, I could fill all the Salvation Army pots attended by stern lady soldiers in dark bonnets, tied on the side. That’s because Christmas in New York was the most special time and place in the entire world — at least from a child’s perspective. Except this child’s perspective was skewed. Mine was not an especially happy home — older parents, no siblings, illness, cousins and grandparents far away in North Carolina. My father was the non-observant son of an ultra-orthodox Jewish family who fled Russian pogroms in the 1880s. He adored Hanukkah latkes (potato pancakes) no more than fruit-studded stollen or Christmas cookies Oh, those butter cookies from the bakery on the corner, every corner, that literally melted in your mouth. Hot chocolate at the Automat. Roasted chestnuts from a street vendor who warmed his hands on the fire. Did you think that only happened in a song? My mother, on the other hand, was Southern Baptist morphed Presbyterian. Like many part-Jewish and non-affiliated families of the era, we participated in the secular Manhattan Christmas. This included purchasing a fragrant balsam from a New Hampshire mountain man bundled to the beard with knit mufflers. He set up his trailer in a vacant lot after Thanksgiving and stayed until December 24, when he gave away the remaining ugly ducklings to Manhattan’s Bob Crachits. Where did he shower? I wondered. Did he miss home? Was he Santa in disguise? The balsam scent seemed stronger, fresher back then. It perfumed our small apartment for weeks. Christmas vacation meant bundling up in a wool coat with velvet collar and

scratchy leggings to walk Fifth Avenue after dark, marveling at the animated department store windows which seem positively Dickensian by today’s electronic standards. The figures moved stiffly, like the Nutcracker. Wellbehaved little girls were taken to see Nutcracker come alive at the New York City Ballet. I wore a black velvet dress with a white lace collar and patent leather Mary Janes. Winters seemed colder then, standing four deep for tickets to Radio City Music Hall, where the Christmas movie never starred Tim Allen or screeching chipmunks. Just imagine — real donkeys in the Nativity pageant. Where did they sleep? What did they eat? Why were they so docile? The long subway ride, waiting in line, the glorious movie and stage show exhausted a frail child recovering from rheumatic fever. When we got home, my mother made me tea with maraschino cherry juice, orange slices and three drops of Southern Comfort. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor never tasted so special. Christmas music meant carols and cantatas sung in a concert setting or on the radio which did not play Christmas jingles exclusively, annoyingly, beginning mid-November. Bing Crosby and Perry Como, maybe, but nobody cared if Mommy got caught kissing Santa Claus. What must a 6-year-old believer think of that scenario? Gifts were few, but nice. I don’t remember a single must-have toy. All I ever wanted was the new Mary Poppins book. I would ration the chapters, extending the pleasure. By New Year’s I had it memorized. No need for a bicycle on city streets, although I remember ball-bearing skates and a Flexible Flyer sled, which I dragged up the hill in a nearby city park. And pajamas — I always got flannel pajamas along with a card from my grandparents containing a crisp dollar bill. Emerging is a secular Christmas quite different from today’s commercialism. New York Christmases had, beyond religious significance, a certain poignancy. Films celebrated it. People flocked there just for these very sights and sounds. They arrived at Penn Station, stayed at the Statler, or The New Yorker, or the Sherry-Netherland. They shopped at stores decorated with taste and glamour. The more affluent rode through Central Park in horse-drawn carriages, at five dollars per outing. Today, drivers sneer at a five dollar tip. In retrospect, I see those Christmases as colored lights circling a happy oasis — of dressing up and thrilling to events that could only happen once a year, here. Maybe not. Maybe Atlanta and Houston and Chicago claim singular traditions. But a New York Christmas embraced outsiders in a special way. I was an outsider. This was my Christmas — a kind, beautiful spirit transcending faith, never forgotten. PS

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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Redemption at the Crisis Café It takes time for a small-town girl to love the big city, but hard weather makes good timber, as they say

By Maggie Dodson

Surprisingly enough, there are

Photograph by David Lindsay

perks to walking around New York City at 3 o’clock in the morning. For some, these perks come in the form of nightclubs and strong drinks; for others it’s the celebrity sightings. But for me, a small café in Greenwich Village turned out to be not only an end to a fine evening, but a metaphor for my first year in New York City.

Tired, cold and with a hole in my shoe, I begrudgingly followed my boyfriend, Dave, and our friend Sam around Greenwich Village looking for a place to get a drink at 2:30 in the morning. Dave was visiting from Vermont and we had just spent the evening watching Sam perform standup in a club on the Lower East Side. Pizza places, dimly lit bars, empty restaurants; everything seemed to be closed and our options for alcohol were scarce. It was only when our desire to go home began overtaking our desire to find an open bar that we saw it: a large red and white sign, just down the street from where we stood, brightly lit, seedy, but welcoming. Marie’s Crisis Café, open for business. Walking through the rusted red doors, we were hushed immediately by the bouncer and ushered inside. After we had checked our coats and bags, the unmistakable sound of musical harmony greeted us from below, where men and women were gathered around a man and his piano. Uneasy about what we’d stepped into, I ran through the possibilities: a religious cult? A bizarre commu-

nity meeting? An audition for Glee? And then I heard, “Try to remember the kind of September when life was slow and oh, so mellow. Try to remember the kind of September, when grass was green and grain was yellow.” I knew these lyrics — my father sang them to me on long road trips from Maine to North Carolina, in the kitchen making dinner for my brother Jack and me, and from his favorite leather chair, old and weathered with deep creases. These women and men, friends and lovers, were belting out show tunes. Weaving our way through the crowd, past A sharps and B flats, melody, gusto, and beautiful harmonies, Dave, Sam and I found a place in the back among the white Christmas lights and bar stools where we could watch the evening unfold and hear the assorted cast of characters sing. Standing in the middle of Marie’s, squished between my boyfriend and an aging man with an impressive vibrato and vibrant eye makeup, I smiled, and praised myself for sticking it out. Over the course of these past nine months, I’ve had my fair share of hysterical reactions to this fabled city: It’s overcrowded, overheated, and overstimulating. I’ve threatened to quit, to go home, to move in with my grandmother. And yet, like that night, I never managed to let myself run away, skip town. But for a rookie resident of New York City, a Manhattan lifestyle can be difficult to sustain. There are a number of insurmountable pressures that lurk just below the surface: pressures to have expensive clothes, a luxurious apartment, driven by an obsession with power, money and success. Listening to these demands can lead to a lackluster existence, one that amounts to chasing a fantasy that can’t, and won’t, be caught. Coming to the realization that you’d always be one silk blouse behind, one paycheck short of the salary you’d always dreamed of making, is refreshing and healthy. You can’t have it all, and you shouldn’t want to.

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C i T Y g i r l , TA k e 2

It took time for me to fall in love with New York City. Or, maybe it was just time spent waiting for the arrival of fall, a season that always makes me think of home. I find it easy to be smitten with the crisp weather and shorter days that drive people inside to good books and comforting food and kindred souls. It is also moments like these that bring my childhood back in force, the small town I still regard as home, and the values I still cling to, the smell of my mother’s kitchen and and the sound of my father chopping wood out in the winter dusk of late autumn. These memories

i know i won’t live here forever, that my heart belongs to the forest and the ocean and the charms of small-town living, but for now, it beats loudly . . . remind me of a Maine saying — “Rough weather makes good timber.” The words strung together make me excited for empty trees and to batten down the hatches, to stay inside and to dream of summers to come. If you say it a few times over, I think you’ll start to feel better about the onset of winter and anything else, for that matter. Including a new life. And, maybe that’s just it — maybe that’s how I ended up at Marie’s, cheerful and singing along to Rent’s “Seasons of Love,” never wanting the evening to end. Among the tallest buildings, some of the dirtiest streets, in a lonesome crowded city, I had to realize that the rough patches I was going through, struggling with, were somehow, someway going to make good timber, make for a good story. Be it friends, music, or stumbled-upon joy. I know I won’t live here forever, that my heart belongs to the forest and the ocean and the charms of small-town living, but for now, it beats loudly for this city that never sleeps, that never fails to surprise — a city of history, mystery and wonder. PS Maggie Dodson is the daughter of Editor Jim Dodson and lives in New York City.

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December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

C i ty g i r l , T a k e 3

Coming Home

When the holidays arrive, so does the city gal

By Courtney Hayes

Photograph By Lauren Dunning

I spend an hour

choosing the right thing to wear, hoping not to be overdressed for the occasion. Twenty more minutes go toward applying makeup to get that au naturel look that’s all the rage. Drying, straightening and then curling my hair takes another thirty minutes. Finally, a layer of hairspray goes on top as I grab my coat and head out the door, glancing in the mirror one more time. I’m not going to the Academy Awards or even the prom, just out to enjoy a night with old friends in our hometown over the holidays.

The thing about coming home to Moore County is that I always feel pressure to look successful, even on the way to the grocery store to grab a last-minute stick of butter for Christmas dessert. There’s a nervous excitement that buzzes through my head as I begin to think of all the things I want to do while I’m home and the people I’ll run into while doing them. It’s inevitable that I’ll encounter somebody from high school — maybe the guy who hijacked the intercom system to sing Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” one afternoon, or the friend who kept me from dying of boredom every Saturday night while all of our friends were out exercising their right to drive after 9 p.m., or the annoying girl who had the terrible

habit of being smarter than everyone else in school. If our math teacher asked a question, she knew the answer faster than the calculator did. Another big part of coming home for the holidays is figuring out how to make my life seem as exciting as Donald Trump’s. There’s a science to making my entry-level job in the city sound glamorous and fulfilling. Getting coffee for the boss becomes reinforcing sustainability efforts. Making copies is referred to as managing provisions. But most of all, coming home means getting to enjoy all the things that I once took for granted — or maybe even despised — when I was a teenager. There’s a charm that small towns have that big cities will never be able to achieve. Where else can you see a family ride their golf cart to get lunch at The Villager? And there’s a simplicity that comes from having less than a handful of places that are open past 10 p.m. Finally, there’s nothing like going to The Bell Tree on a Saturday night when it’s almost Christmas time and running into scads of people I previously thought I had nothing in common with. What we now have in common is this small town — and the fact that no matter how far away we move, this is where we came from. Since I moved away, my hometown has grown. There are a lot of faces that I don’t recognize, several new stores I’ve yet to visit, and several restaurants that I can’t wait to enjoy. Truth be told, I may not make it into many of the new establishments because my old favorites are top priority. The one thing I can guarantee is that I’ll be taking full advantage of having some of my oldest friends nearby. PS Courtney Hayes lives in the big city of Raleigh but enjoys coming home to Carthage for the holidays.

O Tannenbaum Photo Essay by L aura L. Gingerich

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

There’s nothing

like a detour to Christmas tree country on the way home to serve as a healthy transition back to the real world. I had just finished an intense week leading a photography workshop at the John C. Campbell Folk School, which is a slice of heaven in the far southwest corner of North Carolina. I took up the invitation to the Christmas tree harvest on the McElreath’s land in Sugar Grove and drove across the state from south to north. Over the Appalachian hills I sang the few words I remember of “O Tannenbaum”, the German version of “Oh Christmas Tree,” which my mother and aunt sang in my youth.

Shortly after I arrived, I found myself in the back of a Gator in search of this year’s tree. The sweet scent of fir in cool misty pockets soothed my soul, and I exhaled.

Now ready for harvest, six years ago the trees became the aisle for Sean and Lynnea’s wedding.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Daughter of Pam and Jimmy McElreath, Lynnea grew up in Moore County but knew at a young age that she wanted to live on the family land and in the home where her grandmother was born. Thirty miles from the hospital in Boone, I felt my maternal concerns kick in as Lynnea and Iris (due very soon) took the first swing.

Fourth generation Sylas leads the way . . . and makes a confident selection. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

There are over 1,600 North Carolina growers providing Christmas trees to every state in the nation as well as the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico and Japan.

And with that I head home with a Christmas tree attached to the roof of my car, singing the songs of the season.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Twinkle Town Story and Photographs by Cassie Butler

When Linda Hamwi and her husband, John, moved from Aspen, Colorado to Pinehurst in 2001, their moving van was filled with two things: kitchen necessities and Christmas decorations. Eleven months out of the year, thirty plastic bins are full of decorations, which Linda has been collecting for more than forty years. “When we have the decorations down and put away, the house looks totally empty. The Christmas decorations fill it up.” But the weekend before Thanksgiving, Linda begins bringing the bins down from the attic, and the ten days following Thanksgiving, she works full time: dancing to Christmas music, setting up her forever expanding North Pole Village, and sprinkling glitter all around the house. “I always say every year I’m not going to buy anything new, because I don’t have room, but then I see a new little village piece, a house or whatever, and I have to have it. A lot of times I’ll buy the little elves. Or trees. You can’t have too many trees or elves.” In reality, all Christmas decorations are Linda’s weakness. Her license plate is right: She is a born shopper. The Hamwis were in the restaurant business in Aspen. They owned a place called Little Annie’s, famous for their burgers and Linda’s world-famous rum bundt cake. Linda was the bartender, and on Christmas Eve she’d dress up as an elf to cheer up the lonely folks at the bar. “In the restaurant business, there are no holidays,” says Linda. That’s why her husband isn’t particularly fond of the holiday. “My bah humbug is falling on deaf ears. I have one of Santa’s original elves here,” John says. Linda, on the other hand, was born with an enthusiasm for Christmas, and she loves sharing her excitement. Last year Linda gave away 52 rum bundt cakes. “It’s an easy cake to make. I could make it in my sleep because I’ve literally made thousands of them, I truly have.” She bakes for eight days straight and then delivers the cakes — in an elf outfit — to the garbage guys, landscapers, postal workers, Pinehurst Country Club staff, all the service industry people who do things for them year-round. When her North Pole Village takes over her home, she has an open door policy. “Friends, friends of friends, whoever wants to see the decorations and get in the Christmas spirit can come. Just give me a call and I can turn on all the lights and get the smoke coming out of the chimney. “My niece is going to get my Christmas decorations when I go,” Linda adds. Let’s just hope she acquires the room to fit the entire North Pole inside.

Linda Hamwi with her world-famous rum bundt cake. Last Christmas season, Hamwi gave away 52 cakes to service industry workers as a token of her gratitude.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

“I enjoy all the parts of the village because each one is different.”

“I never get up all the glitter. There’s always glitter in my house.”

The Brasket piano, from 1865, came with Joanne Mace’s floral-gift business location.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Imposing entrance belies the barn outline.

Living Large An ugly duckling barn becomes a spacious swan By Deborah Salomon Photographs By John Gessner

ed barns turned magazine homes dot rural New England. North Carolina developers convert brick tobacco warehouses and textile mills into condos. The twain meet at Pete and Joanne Maceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pine Barrens residence, a former 16-stall horse barn built of dreary factory concrete, now hidden by wood trim and stucco veneer. Three stalls remain at one end. The two-story caretakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apartment has been absorbed into the floor plan. Otherwise The Barn, as Pete Mace affectionately calls his house, is of castle proportions: 9,000 square feet on two levels, the topmost a loft overlooking a great room that lives up to its name. The soaring foyer with columns, marble floor, hall table and glass breakfront smacks of Downton Abbey while the massive, ornate dining table suits an Elizabethan Yuletide feast.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

One-of-a-kind hand carved Christmas figurines, from a local artisan.

“That was first on my wish list — a large dining room and large table,” where family and friends could gather on holidays, Joanne recalls. Hers seats twelve, easily. Other furniture and lighting fixtures are of a scale that, when seen in a showroom, beg the question “What place, other than a hotel lobby, has room for this?” A stone barbecue sized for a Texas steakhouse anchors the patio overlooking the Mace sons’ soccer field. Beyond is an incline which Pete considered turning into a sledding hill, with a snowmaking machine drawing water from their pond. The only petite detail is Mia, a Yorkie, who disappears for hours in the expanse. Five Christmas trees present no problem. Pete remembers the year when they set up one suitable for the White House lawn, minus guy wires, near the great room window wall. “It came crashing down,” Pete admits, sheepishly. Since then, only lesser skyscrapers have made the cut.

ow now, this space odyssey? Eleven years ago the Maces lived in a 2,800-square-foot all-wood cabin in Seven Lakes built by Pete and his father. With an eye to development, Pete bought a 165-acre parcel, formerly Lanson Farm South, owned by legendary horse trainer Dave Kelly under the patronage of mining heiress Elaine Boylan.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Eventually, they will downsize. But for now, full speed ahead, readying their Cinderella barn for yet another really big Christmas.

The concrete barn, built in the early 1970s, was Kelly’s equestrian headquarters. “It wasn’t beautiful,” Pete remembers thinking. “I’ll make it into a house.” He intended to sell the luxurious spec home, perhaps to horse people from elsewhere. Along the way Pete realized that his sons needed to be closer to soccer, baseball and Episcopal Day School. Joanne operated a floral and gift business in Southern Pines. “We were wearing out Route 211, going back and forth sometimes twice a day,” Pete says. As construction progressed, Pete found himself customizing the house to the needs of his family. Pete cut dormers for upstairs bedrooms and opened up an impressive entrance. The barn outline faded. The Maces decided on fewer large rooms rather than many small. The main-floor master suite with sitting area is triple most living rooms, and the combination kitchen-breakfast-family dining area accommodates several dozen guests with spillover into that greatest great room. Here, a double-sided slate fireplace divides informal from more formal reception space. Strangely, the massive fireplace tops off chimneyless. Pete had envisioned burning huge logs on their only indoor hearth; a chimney meant destroying the view from the loft. So he settled for gas, leaving stalls aplenty for Rudolph but no entry for Santa. That loft, built for storing hay, begins with a pool room that extends back to the boys’ suite, a guest bed-sitting room and office/utility room measuring 50-by-18 feet. In addition, Joanne got her lavender craft room. Pete included upstairs laundry facilities and roughed in a kitchen bay, just in case. He is also finishing a main-floor office for his real estate business.

December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The concrete walls provide insulation and bomb-shelter stability but had to be framed and faced with Sheetrock to cover wiring. Similarly, window seats and soffits hide pipes and ducts for the four-zone climate control system.

n a word, BIG, especially for Pete, an only child who grew up in an average 1960s ranch in Sanford. “After ten years it doesn’t seem that big to me,” says Joanne, raised in a comfortable five-bedroom home in Detroit. “I love to have kids here — you know where everybody is, without them being on top of each other.” Her favorite place is the kitchen, with its coffee-hot chocolate station, baking area and walk-in pantry. Her favorite holiday is Christmas. Decorating begins before Thanksgiving. Each boy has a tree: sports and scouting for Justin, 18. Ten-year-old Sterling likes his collection of Christmas books, one added each year. The guest room is done in Joanne’s favorite hot pink and pearls. The kitchen tree jingles with cookie cutters; the bed-sitting room, birds and ceramic figures, while the primary Christmas tree (this one real) groans under family ornaments representing Yules of yore. A tabletop assortment of Santas carved by a local artisan, multiple flower arrangements, a crèche and boughs of greenery complete the seasonal splash. So far, so traditional. However Christmas dinner, chez Mace, departs from turkey, rib roast and plum pudding. “I cook,” Pete states proudly. Steaks on that monster patio grill, baked potatoes and salad make a simple, no-mess meal. If Christmas is warm maybe they will drift outside. Joanne loves the idea of bringing the outside in, even in December. The tall Christmas tree stands in a north-facing window catching the sunrise on one side, sunset on the other. Their field allows for outdoor sports, year-round. The views mesmerize, any season. “When you look out it feels like you’re on one hundred and thirty acres, not eleven,” Joanne says. “What started out as a project turned into a house,” Pete adds. Eventually, they will downsize. But for now, full speed ahead, readying their Cinderella barn for yet another really big Christmas. PS

Justin and Sterling Mace beside the mammoth outdoor grill. Each room has its individualized tree — Sterling’s, below. Plus his collection of Christmas books. PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

TVOEOPinestrawDec12_Layout 1 10/25/12 9:34 PM Page 1

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December 2012 P��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

A Brief Strange History Of Chistmas

By Noah Salt

Where did Christmas come from? A close read of history suggests it’s only improved with age. The New Testament gives no specific date or year for Jesus’ birth, and the earliest Gospel — St. Mark’s, dating from 65 C.E. — only begins with the baptism of the adult Jesus, suggesting early Christians had no awareness of an actual birthdate. One early influential church figure, Bishop Clement of Alexandria (215 C.E.), determined Jesus’ birthdate to be November 18, prompting disputes that exist to this day. Based on existing historical evidence, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, professor emeritus at Catholic University and a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association, places Jesus’ birth on September 11. Whatever the truth of the matter, our traditional celebration of modern Christmas seems to evolve in part from a strange and violent Roman midwinter rite called Saturnalia, a weeklong period of lawlessness during which citizens were exempt from existing laws and encouraged drunken debauchery, designating a “Lord of Misrule” who was made to indulge in. On December 25, the birthday of the Roman sun god Mithra and the festival’s conclusion, each community executed its designated “Lord” as a symbol of purging the darkness of human nature. This human sacrifice ceased, more or less, in the 4th century when Christianity overspread Rome and convinced pagans they could still celebrate certain aspects of Saturnalia in exchange for accepting the divinity of Christ, hoping to seal the deal by assigning Jesus’ birthdate to December 25. This did little to abate certain popular Roman practices, however, including rampant sexual indulgence, feasting and nude singing in the streets — the origins, many scholars contend, of modern caroling. Kindler, gentler Christmas traditions developed when pagans — known for their love of the forests — were encouraged by Roman authorities to bring evergreens into the city and decorate their homes. The practice was adopted by Christian fathers. The tradition of kissing beneath mistletoe — a poisonous plant once used by the Druids in their ceremony of human sacrifices — subsequently evolved from the sexual license of Saturnalia and the Druidic sacrifice cults into a far more innocent practice. In Colonial America, wreaths were hung on doors as a sign of fellowship and welcome, often using fruits of the recent harvest as ornamentation. In 1809, novelist Washington Irving wrote a satire of Dutch culture in which he lampooned a bearded Saint Nicholas flying through the skies, calling him “Santa Claus” for the first time. It was left to Bavarian political cartoonist Thomas Nast to give us our modern picture of Santa Claus. Drawing on descriptions in Dr. Clement Moore’s popular 1822 poem “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Nast produced more than 2,200 images of Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly, missing only the red suit to complete the modern image of commercial Christmas. The final touch — fittingly — came in 1931 when the CocaCola Corporation hired a Swedish commercial artist named Haddon Sundblom to create a Coke-drinking Santa, insisting that his garb be the familiar “Coca-Cola” red. The artist used a chubby-faced friend as a model and Santa was born — ancient gift-giver turned commercial icon.

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The garden report This is the month to relax and enjoy the bones of your garden, as painter Andrew Wyeth referred to the somber landscape of the season: “Something waits beneath it, the whole story does not show.” While most plants sleep, witch hazel, amaryllis, clyamen and poinsettia provide flowering color. This is the time to slow down and take stock, begin a garden plan for 2013, and perform a few custodial basics. •Regularly check to see that bird feeders are full. Harsh winter weather can empty them surprisingly fast. •Conduct an inventory of your tool shed, sharpening tools and reorganizing as you go. An efficient shed can mean more time in the dirt, come spring. •Prune very discriminately, removing only dead and diseased limbs from shrubs and plants. Never cut down hydrangea and other woody stemmed plants as new growth typically returns on old wood. •Clear lawn of decomposing leaves, which can kill grass and invite future root problems. One good place to put those leaves is around the base of your roses, an extra inch of insulation as the coldest days of winter approach.

The December Sky With clear, cold nights spreading gloriously above us, there might be no better time for looking at the planets. Mercury shines nicely in the evening twilight, and only the moon will appear more luminous than Venus — the “Evening Star” — shining in the Southwest quadrant just after sunset. Jupiter also dominates, rising in the Southeast around midevening. Mars, glowing red and blue, puts in its appearance around 11 p.m, in the constellation of Leo, diminishing as the month proceeds. For the best view of the planets, a 4 a.m. showing can’t be topped. The Pleiades may also be seen nicely in the constellation of Taurus the Bull, a group of stars commonly called the Seven Sisters, figuring heavily into Greek mythology, the daughters of Atlas.

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Sunday DISCOVER OUR STATE WEEKEND. CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES. 1 — 6 p.m. CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE AT THE BRYANT HOUSE. 1 – 4 p.m. MOORE CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT. 4 – 6 p.m. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

NATIVITY PREVIEW PARTY. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Be the first to see this year’s Nativity Collection. Belle Meade Clubhouse. CARTHAGE CHRISTMAS PARADE. 6:15 p.m. Town of Carthage.

NATIVITY LUNCHEON. 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. LUNCH AND LEARN. 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION HOLIDAY PARTY. SLY FOX CHARITY EVENT.

PIZZA WITH PIZZAZZ. 5 – 6 p.m. Kids grades 6-8 are invited to this snowman-themed pizza program. Southern Pines Public Library.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. BEER DINNER. 6:30 p.m. Featuring three beers from Avery brewery paived with traditional Colorado cuisine. The Sly Fox Pub.

Thursday CHRISTMAS FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. GATHERING AT GIVEN. 3:30 p.m. HOLIDAY AT THE LIBRARY. 6 – 7 p.m.

JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 p.m. Live jazz music by Mike Wallace Quartert. Cypress Bend Vineyards. SHAW HOUSE HOLIDAY GATHERING. 1 – 4 p.m.

OLDIES & GOODIES FILM. 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. A wellknown 1961 romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Southern Pines Public Library.

CANDY CANE HUNT. 5 p.m. Memorial Park and SP Recreation Center. DINNER & A FREE MOVIE. 7 p.m. A Christmas Story (1983). The Fair Barn. SOUNDS OF THE SEASONS. 7 – 8:30 p.m. Aberdeen Lake Park Recreation Station. MUSICAL AT LUTHERAN CHURCH. 7:30 p.m. HOLIDAY LIGHTS IN THE GARDEN. December 14—29. Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Fayetteville.

2 3 4 5 6 9 10 11 12 13 16 17 18 19 20 23 24 25 26 27 30 31 PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ. 5:30 – 9 p.m. Silent and live auctions, with adoptable black and white cats and dogs. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst.

SHAW HOUSE HOLIDAY GATHERING. 1 – 4 p.m. DOCUMENTARY AT THE LIBRARY. 2:30 p.m. Southern Pines Public Library. MOORE PHILHARMONIC HOLIDAY CONCERT. 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from Claire Lynch. MESSIAH. 4 p.m. The Sanctuary Choir of The First Baptist Church of Southern Pines. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from Matt Munisteri. Poplar Knight Spot.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Stories, songs, and fun, and then stay for playtime! Southern Pines Public Library. ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Craver, Hicks, Watson and Newberry. Then Jim Watson. The Poplar Knight Spot.

SANTA AT SLY FOX. 2 – 5 p.m. Santa will be in town to hand out gifts to all children. The Sly Fox Pub.

PARENT-CHILD GOLF INVITATIONAL. This 16th annual tournament invites parents and children of any age to experience the thrill of tournament golf on the Donald Ross courses. Pine Needles.

FIRST EVE. 6 – 8 p.m. This year’s extravaganza features: live music, carnival games, singing contests, face painting and much more. Downtown Southern Pines. CHICKEN, WAFFLES & BEER. A new Fox New Years Eve Tradition. The Sly Fox Pub. NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH. 7:30 p.m. Pine Needles Conference Center.

Friday

DONALD ROSS JR. CHAMPIONSHIP. 64th annual golf tournament for boys ages 17 and under. Held at Pinehurst Resort on courses No.’s 1, 4 and 5.

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JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Live jazz music by Mike Wallace Quartert. Cypress Bend Vineyards. SHOW AT SUNRISE THEATER. 7:30 p.m.

DINNER & A MOVIE. 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a classic movie at The Sunrise Theater and a fourcourse wine dinner presented by Rue Thirty Two. PARENT-CHILD GOLF INVITATIONAL. This 16th annual tournament invites parents and children of any age to experience the thrill of tournament golf on the Donald Ross courses. Pine Needles.

Saturday REINDEER FUN RUN. 8 – 11 a.m. SOUTHERN PINES HOIDAY PARADE. 10 a.m. THOMAS POTTERY OPEN HOUSE. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. FREE COOKING DEMO &WINE TASTING. SUNRISE OPERA EVENT. 12:55 – 4 p.m. Clemenza. CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE AT THE WINERY. SANTA’S WORKSHOP. 1 – 3 p.m. DISCOVER OUR STATE WEEKEND.

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SHAW HOUSE HOLIDAY GATHERING. 1 – 4 p.m. OPEN HOUSE AT WESTMOORE POTTERY. CHRISTMAS AT MALCOLM BLUE FARM. CHRISTMAS AT HOUSE IN THE HORSESHOE. FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. SUNRISE OPERA EVENT. 12:55 – 4 p.m. FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. CHRISTMAS HORSE CARRIAGE PARADE. ABERDEEN CHRISTMAS PARADE. 3 – 4:30 p.m. MOORE COUNTY SCRAMBLE. 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. FROSTY PAWS 5K FUN RUN & WINTERFEST. 7:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. JUNIOR FLEA MARKET. 9 – 11 a.m. FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. Holiday desserts. SUNRISE OPERA EVENT. 12:55 – 4 p.m. FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. White bordeaux. MESSIAH. 7 p.m.

FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Rose. This beautiful, dry rose dresses up any dinner table. Elliott’s on Linden.

Arts entertainment

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December 1

• • REINDEER FUN RUN. 8 – 11 a.m. The 6th annual run showcases

the best of Aberdeen, Pinehurst and Southern Pines. Includes a 5k and 12k race, as well as a reindeer run and egg-nog jog. For everyone from serious runners to recreational walkers, families, and pets. Cost: $8-$28. Start is in downtown Aberdeen. Info/registration: (910) 6933045 or www.reindeerfunrun.com.

• SOUTHERN PINES HOLIDAY PARADE. 10 a.m. Listen to high school and college bands, watch dance teams, floats, fire trucks, antique cars, political representatives, and, of course, Santa Claus. Historic District along Broad St. Southern Pines. Info: (910) 315-6508 or www.southernpines.biz.

•

THOMAS POTTERY OPEN HOUSE. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season with a large selection of snow scene dinnerware, and many more unique home goods. Enjoy demonstrations and refreshments with a tour of the studio. Thomas Pottery, 1295 S. NC 705, Seagrove. Info: (336) 879-4145 or www. thomaspottery.com.

•

FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. “Warm seasonal drinks.” When it’s cold outside, a good cup of hot chocolate or Wassail hits the spot to warm you up. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

•

SUNRISE OPERA EVENT. 12:55 – 4 p.m. Clemenza. Tickets: $25. Sunrise

FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. “Cocktail time.” Elliott’s on Linden. FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Sparkling wines. Rediscover the truth about those tiny bubbles. Elliott’s on Linden. PARENT-CHILD GOLF INVITATIONAL. This 16th annual tournament invites parents and children of any age to experience the thrill of tournament golf on the Donald Ross courses. Pine Needles.

i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i December 2012

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NC Writers Hall of Fame, Old Bethesda Church, and Tufts Archives. Reservations: (855) 265-9091; info: Todd Simons, (800) 948-1409 or www. ourstate.com.

Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8501 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

•

FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Sparkling rose. Start the Holiday Season with a festive, dry sparkling rose from Limoux. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

December 2

•

CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES. 1 — 6 p.m. 35th annual tour features five homes from the Pinehurst area, all decorated for the holidays. Tickets may be purchased ahead of time at The Country Bookshop, Gulley’s Garden Center, Cool Sweats, Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlor, Nature’s Own, One Eleven Main. Cost: $15/advance; $20/door. Episcopal Day School, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-3492.

•

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE AT THE WINERY. 12 – 6 p.m. Featuring live music. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or www.cypressbendvineyards.com.

•

SANTA’S WORKSHOP. 1 – 3 p.m. Make ornaments, stocking stuffers, and many more gifts to share. Songs and dances to follow. Ages 5-12. Cost: $20/resident; $50/non-resident. Train House, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

• • CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE AT THE BRYANT HOUSE. 1 – 4 p.m. Enjoy live holiday

music, see demonstrations, get free tours and take in the homemade decorations and refreshments typical of those made by early settlers. Free and open to the public. Bryant House & McClendon Cabin, 3361 Mount Carmel Church Road, Carthage. Info: (910) 692-2051 or www.moorehistory.com.

•

SANDHILLS WOMAN’S EXCHANGE FUNDRAISER. Purchase a glass Christmas ornament from either Woman’s Exchange, Given Memorial Library, Potpourri, or Glam and support the Exchange’s 90th Anniversary. 15 Azalea Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-4677.

•

MOORE COUNTY CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT. 4 – 6 p.m. 38th Annual holiday concert includes Z. Randall Stroope’s “Hodie,” “Three American Carols” by Mack Wilberg, and an array of holiday harmonies. Moore Brass will accompany the 130+ voice chorus. Tickets: $15; $7.50/stu-

December 1—2

•

DISCOVER OUR STATE WEEKEND. A weekend filled with exploring Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and Aberdeen. Activities include Friday and Saturday night concerts, and private tours of the Key:

• • Art

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

dents. Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College. Info: (910) 215-0730 or www.moorecountychoralsociety.org.

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from The Waymores. Seating is by general admission. Tickets available at the door and online. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

December 3

•

PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ. 5:30 – 9 p.m. Silent and live auctions, with adoptable black and white cats and dogs. Tickets: $50; available from Faded Rose, Cared for Canine and The Country Bookshop. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 673-2918.

December 4

•

NATIVITY PREVIEW PARTY. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Be the first to see this year’s Nativity Collection. Heavy hors d’ oeuvres, wine and special guest speaker, Dr. Lauren Winner from Duke University Divinity School. Tickets: $50; $75/for two. Belle Meade Clubhouse, 100 Waters Drive, Southern Pines. Reservations: (910) 246-3125.

•

CARTHAGE CHRISTMAS PARADE. 6:15 p.m. Annual event following the Moore County Christmas Tree lighting at the Courthouse.

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December 2012 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Church Worship — Directory — Brownson Memorial Presbyterian Church 330 South May St. • Southern Pines, NC 28387 (910) 692-6252 www.brownsonchurch.org

Advent and Christmas Services: Advent Fair ~ Dec. 2, 10:00AM Kirkin O’the Tartans ~ Dec. 2, 11:10AM Silent Night Service of Healing and Hope ~ Dec. 12, 5:30 PM Special Music Service ~ Dec. 16, 8:45 & 11:10AM Christmas Eve – 3 Services: 4 PMAngels & Shepherds Family Service 6 PM Communion & Candlelight Service 9 PM Lessons, Carols & Candlelight Service Brownson welcomes you to join our vibrant, growing community of faith!

EMMANUEL EPISCOPAL CHURCH 350 East Massachusetts Avenue Southern Pines, NC 28387 (910) 692-3171 • www.emmanuel-parish.org Christmas Eve: 4:00pm Children’s Service 6:30pm Family Service 10:30pm Midnight Service Christmas Day: 10:00am Holy Eucharist

e First Baptist Church of Southern Pines invites you to celebrate Christmas with us

Wednesday, December 12, at 6:30pm One Voice and JuBELLation “Christmas Tidings” Saturday, December 15, at 7pm and Sunday, December 16, at 4pm G.F. Handel’s “Messiah” (Complimentary admission ticket is required. Call 692-8750) Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 5:00pm Christmas Eve Communion at 7:00pm 200 East New York Ave • (910) 692-8750 • www.fbcsp.org

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i December 2012

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Featuring music, Santa Claus and entertainment. Route is along Monroe Street. Town of Carthage. Info: (910) 947-2331 or www.townofcarthage.org.

December 5

•

NATIVITY LUNCHEON. 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 6th annual benefit to The Sandhills/ Moore Coalition for Human Care. Stroll through the Nativity Collection, Christmas Cookie Jar Collection and our special auction item, a Nativity Scene created by Seagrove artist Crystal King of Crystal King Pottery. Carolers, and special guest Dr. John Dempsey. Tickets: $50. St. Joseph of the Pines, 100 Waters Drive, Southern Pines. Reservations: (910) 246-3125.

•

LUNCH AND LEARN. 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Topic: “A Perfect Match – Makeup Class.” Includes lunch, gift bags and specials. The Laser Institute of Pinehurst, 80 Aviemore Court, Suite A, Pinehurst. Info/RSVP: (910) 295-1130.

•

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME. 3:30 – 4 p.m. Infants and toddlers (ages birth through 5 years). Stories, songs, and fun, and then stay for playtime! Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Info: www.sppl.net or (910) 692-8235.

•

ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION HOLIDAY PARTY. 6 p.m. Dinner at 7 p.m., following cocktails. An evening filled with dinner, dancing, auction and a raffle. Music provided by Paul and Anna Murphy. Santa is coming to collect gifts for charity. Cost: $65. Country Club of North Carolina. Info: Hope Price, (910) 692-7727.

•

“Petey and Bubba” Jack Russell mix

colored pencil on Bristol board

SLY FOX CHARITY EVENT. Rebecca Listrom will be the guest bartender for the evening. Support a local charity, “Meals on Wheels,” at one of your favorite local restaurants. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.

December 6

•

CHRISTMAS FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP. 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Maggie Smith will conduct a workshop for the Sandhills Horticultural Society. Participants will create a floral arrangement to take home for the Christmas holiday. All material provided. Cost: $20/society members; $25/nonmembers. Space is limited. Ball Visitors Center at the Horticultural Gardens of Sandhills Community College. Info: (910) 695-3882 or sandhillshorticulturalgardens.com.

•

GATHERING AT GIVEN. 3:30 p.m. The O’Neal High School Glee Club, led by Baxter Clement, will be performing music of the holiday season. Free and open to the public. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-6022.

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• HOLIDAY AT THE LIBRARY. 6 – 7 p.m. ••• • • • • • Key: Art Music/Concerts Film Literature/Speakers Sports

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December 2012 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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Children of all ages and families are invited to come celebrate the season with stories, songs and ornament making. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Info: www.sppl.net or (910) 692-8235.

December 7

•

December 7—9

• • SHAW HOUSE HOLIDAY GATHERING. 1 – 4 p.m. See how early Southern Pines residents

celebrated the holiday season. With old time decorations, warm apple cider and homemade cookies. Free and open to the public. Shaw House, 110 West Morganton Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 6922051 or www.moorehistory.com.

December 8

•

OPEN HOUSE AT WESTMOORE POTTERY. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Celebrate the holiday season with Westmoore Pottery, enjoy the shop’s decorations for the holidays, and see a fresh kiln of pottery offering special seasonal pieces. Westmore Pottery, 4622 Busbee Road, Seagrove. Info: (910) 464-3700.

• • CHRISTMAS AT MALCOLM BLUE FARM. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Celebrate the way those of the early Sandhills area did. The farmhouse will be decorated with greenery, and the Junior Historians and Friends will perform Christmas carols. Refreshments provided. Malcolm Blue Farm, 1177 Bethesda Road, Aberdeen Info: (910) 944-7558 or www.malcolmbluefarm.com.

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CHRISTMAS AT HOUSE IN THE HORSESHOE. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Open House will feature seasonal decorations, music, refreshments and re-enactor demonstrations. Free and open to the public. House in the Horseshoe, 288 Alston House Road, Sanford. Info: (910) 947-2051 or www. nchistoricsites.org.

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FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. “Gift baskets and hostess gifts.” Whether it be coffee, tea or cheese and wine, everyone enjoys receiving a basketful of goodies. Learn how to create this joyful gift. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

• SUNRISE OPERA EVENT. 12:55 – 4 p.m. Verdi’s Un Ballo In Maschera. Tickets: $25. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8501 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

• FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Pinot noir. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road,

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CHRISTMAS HORSE CARRIAGE PARADE. 1– 3 p.m. The Moore County Driving Club decorates their horses and carriages for Christmas and drives them through the historic district of downtown Southern Pines. Info: www. moorecountydrivingclub.com.

•

ABERDEEN CHRISTMAS PARADE. 3 – 4:30 p.m. The parade is part of “Christmas in Aberdeen: A Hometown Holiday Tradition.” Local merchants decorate their stores, there’s live entertainment, and visits with Santa. Town of Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7275 or www.townofaberdeen.net.

December 9

•

DOCUMENTARY AT THE LIBRARY. 2:30 p.m. Historical documentary, Jim Town a black history documentary of West Southern Pines as part of the on-going series “Home Grown in Southern Pines.” Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Info: www.sppl.net or (910) 692-8235.

•

MOORE PHILHARMONIC HOLIDAY CONCERT. 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. A free concert featuring holiday favorites. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 944-3452 or www.mporchestra.com.

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from Claire Lynch. Seating is by general admission. Tickets available at the door and online. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

Personalized assisted living

MoM always took such good care of Me. Now I caN take eveN better care of her.

Call or stop by today and take home a complimentary copy of the “Parent Care Conversation”

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December 11

•

PIZZA WITH PIZZAZZ. 5 – 6 p.m. Kids grades 6-8 are invited to this snowman-themed pizza program. Join us for free pizza and beat the chill of winter. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Info: www.sppl.net or (910) 692-8235.

December 12

•

BEER DINNER. 6:30 p.m. Featuring three beers from Avery brewery and pairing them with traditional Colorado cuisine. Cost: $39+. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.

December 13

•

OLDIES & GOODIES FILM. 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. A well-known 1961 romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. A New York socialite becomes interested in a young writer

••• • •

Key: Art Music/Concerts Film Literature/Speakers Sports

• • •

Dance/Theater Fun History

December 2012 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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who has just moved into her apartment building. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave. Info: www.sppl.net or (910) 692-8235.

December 14

•

CANDY CANE HUNT. 5 p.m. Bring the whole family for some outdoor holiday fun. Activities include cookie decorating, crafts, games, photos with Santa, and of course the hunt for candy canes complete with prizes. Free. Memorial Park and SP Recreation Center. Info: www.southernpines.net.

•

DINNER & A FREE MOVIE. 7 p.m. A Christmas Story (1983). Food and beverages will be available for purchase. The Fair Barn, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-0166.

•

SOUNDS OF THE SEASONS. 7 – 8:30 p.m. Aberdeen Parks and Recreation will be featuring Moore Philharmonic Orchestra’s Holiday ensemble for a special night of Christmas music for the whole family. Aberdeen Lake Park Recreation Station, 301 Lake Park Crossing, Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7275 or www.townofaberdeen.net.

•

MUSICAL AT LUTHERAN CHURCH. 7:30 p.m. Gian Carol Menotti’s Christmas favorite, “Amahl and the Night Visitors”, presented by the Opera Co. of Troy Music Academy. Tickets: $15/ adults; $5/13-17; Free/12 & under/active military. Our Saviour Lutheran Church, 1517 Luther Way, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2662 or www. oslcsp.org.

December 14–29

•

HOLIDAY LIGHTS IN THE GARDEN. Thousands of lights will transform the garden into a sparkling wonderland offering visitors of all ages the occasion to embrace the outdoors during the holiday season. On select evenings, choral and instrumental groups will perform. Refreshments available. Cape Fear Botanical Garden, 536 North Eastern Blvd., Fayetteville. Info: (910) 486-0221 or www.capefearbg.org.

December 15

•

MOORE COUNTY SCRAMBLE. 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. This wrestling tournament features a five match guarantee for all 8-man and 16-man brackets. Cost: $15/members; $20/non-members. 1981 Union Church Road, Cameron. Info/registration: (910) 824-0024 or teamrhinollc.rhinowrestling.org.

• • FROSTY PAWS 5K FUN RUN & WINTERFEST. 7:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. Carthage

Elementary wishes to build community involvement and promote physical fitness while raising funds to support the safety of our students. Registration: $25/5k; $15/Fun Run. Carthage Elementary School, 312 Rockingham St., Carthage. Info: (910) 947-2781 or www.queencitytiming.com.

••• • •

Key: Art Music/Concerts Film Literature/Speakers Sports

• • •

Dance/Theater Fun History

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 2012

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JUNIOR FLEA MARKET. 9 – 11 a.m. Start your holiday shopping (or selling). Young business people can put their bargaining skills to the test as they sell their wares. Sellers must pre-register. Booth fees: $2-$4/with own table; $5-$10/table included. Recreation Center and parking lot, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Info: www.southernpines.net.

•

FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. “Holiday desserts.” Desserts can be daunting to prepare, but they can be as much fun to make as they are to eat when using a creative, delicious recipe. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

•

SUNRISE OPERA EVENT. 12:55 – 4 p.m. Verdi’s Aida. Tickets: $25. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 6928501 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

•

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Live music from Matt Munisteri. Seating is by general admission. Tickets available at the door and online. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

•

Art

•

MESSIAH. 4 p.m. The Sanctuary Choir of The First Baptist Church of Southern Pines will offer two performances of G.F. Handel’s oratorio, “Messiah.” A complimentary admission ticket is required. First Baptist Church, 200 E. New York Ave., Southern Pines. Tickets: (910) 692-8750.

MESSIAH. 7 p.m. The Sanctuary Choir of The First Baptist Church of Southern Pines will

• •

December 16

December 19

FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. White bordeaux. Celebrate the winter solstice with this crisp, dry white wine. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

Key:

offer two performances of G.F. Handel’s oratorio, “Messiah.” A complimentary admission ticket is required. First Baptist Church, 200 E. New York Ave., Southern Pines. Tickets: (910) 692-8750.

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

•

ROOSTER’S WIFE CONCERT. 6:46 p.m. Craver, Hicks, Watson and Newberry bring their new cd. The second half of the show will be led by Jim Watson, the Aberdeen edition of his famous Cave holiday shows. Seating is by general admission. Tickets available at the door and online. The Poplar Knight Spot, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.

December 21

•

JAZZY FRIDAYS. 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. Event held rain or shine. Live jazz music by Mike Wallace Quartet. Admission: $10. Cypress Bend Vineyards, 21904 Riverton Road, Wagram. Info: (910) 369-0411 or www.cypressbendvineyards.com. SHOW AT THE SUNRISE THEATER. 7:30 • p.m. Paul Murphy and his family will be perfmoring jazz. Tickets: $15. Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8501 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

December 22

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FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Rose. This beautiful, dry rose dresses up any dinner table. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

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December 24

• SANTA AT SLY FOX. 2 – 5 p.m. Santa will be in town to hand out gifts to all children. Parents, stay or come back for dinner and receive twenty percent off the food portion of your bill. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.

December 27

• DONALD ROSS JR. CHAMPIONSHIP. 64th annual golf tournament for boys ages 17 and under. Held at Pinehurst Resort on courses No.’s 1, 4 and 5. Call the Tournament Office for more information. Info/registration: (910) 235-8140 or www. pinehurst.com.

December 28

•

DINNER & A MOVIE. 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a classic movie at The Sunrise Theater and a four-course wine dinner presented by Rue Thirty Two. With two-courses, a glass of wine and dessert to-go. Cost: $34. Rue 32, 290 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1910.

December 29

•

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FREE COOKING DEMO. 12 & 2 p.m. “Cocktail time.” Get ready to rock in the New Year with a few new cocktail recipes. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

•

FREE WINE TASTING. 12 – 4 p.m. Sparkling wines. Rediscover the truth about those tiny bubbles. Sparkling wines are great to celebrate the New Year or any special occasion. Elliott’s on Linden, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 215-0775.

December 28—30

•

PARENT-CHILD GOLF INVITATIONAL. This 16th annual tournament invites parents and children of any age to experience the thrill of tournament golf on the Donald Ross courses. Pine Needles, 1005 Midland Road, Southern Pines. Info: www.pineneedles-midpines.com.

December 31

FIRST EVE. 6 – 8 p.m. This year’s extravagan• za features: live music, carnival games, singing contests, face painting and much more. The highlight of the evening is the countdown to the pinecone drop at 8 p.m. Downtown Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

•

CHICKEN, WAFFLES & BEER. A new Fox New Years Eve Tradition. A two-course menu featuring chicken and waffles paired with a choice of selected microbrews. The Sly Fox Pub, 795 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1621.

•

NEW YEAR’S EVE BASH. 7:30 p.m. Benefit to the Moore Free Care Clinic. Live music and DJ, heavy hors d’oeuvres, champagne toast. Tickets:

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Key: Art Music/Concerts Film Literature/Speakers Sports

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LIVE JAZZ MUSIC

November 9th & 23rd Starting at 6 PM

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December 2012 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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award winning artists, Phyllis Andrews, Betty DiBartolomeo, Equine Sculptor Morgen Kilbourn, Diane Kraudelt, Carol Rotter and artist/owner, Jane Casnellie. Monday-Saturday 10:30 am to 9:30 pm. Fine oil paintings, commissions and instruction. Meet the Artists on Saturdays, 12 - 3 p.m. (910) 2550665, www.hollyhocksartgallery.com.

$40. Pine Needles Conference Center, 1005 Midland Road, Southern Pines. Info/tickets: Hilary, (267) 614-1620.

WEEKLY HAPPENINGS Fridays

•

COOKING DEMO. 5–6 p.m. The Flavor Exchange. 115 E New Hampshire, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 725-1345 or theflavorexchange.com.

Lady Bedford’s Tea Parlour, 25 Chinquapin Rd., Pinehurst. Features local artist Nancy Campbell’s original oil and watercolor paintings. Tuesday Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910) 255-0100, www. ladybedfords.com.

Art Galleries ABOUT ART GALLERY inside The Market Place Midland Bistro Building, 2160 Midland Road, Pinehurst. The gallery features local artists. Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m. — 2 p.m. (910) 215-596.

The Old Silk Route, 113 West Main St., Aberdeen. Specializes in Asian original art, including silk paintings, tapestries, Buddhist Thangkas and Indian paper miniatures. Monday, ThursdaySaturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (910) 295-2055.

ART NUTZ AND RAVEN POTTERY, 125 SW Broad St., Southern Pines. Come see the potter at work. Features art, pottery from local potters, handmade jewelry, glass and more. MondaySaturday 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. (910) 695-1555, www. ravenpottery.com.

Seagrove Candle Company, 116 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Showcases art of the Sandhills and Seagrove area. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., (910) 695-0029.

Artist GAlleRy OF SOUTHERN PINES, 167 E. New Hampshire Ave., Southern Pines. Features art and fine crafts from more than 60 North Carolina artists. 10 a.m. — 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 692-6077.

SKY Art Gallery, 602 Magnolia Drive, Aberdeen. Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (910) 944-9440, www.skyartgallery.com.

Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St. in historic Aberdeen. Exhibit hours are noon — 3 p.m., Monday-Saturday. (910) 944-3979. Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Road, 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 available. TuesdayFriday, 11 a.m. — 5 p.m., Saturday, 1—4 p.m. (910) 295-4817, www.broadhurstgallery.com. The Campbell House Galleries, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and every third weekend of the month from 2-4 p.m. (910) 692-4356, www.mooreart.org. The Downtown Gallery inside Flynne’s Coffee Bar, 115 NE Broad St., Southern Pines. Ever-changing array of local and regional art, pottery and other handmade items. (910) 693-1999.

Music/Concerts

•

Dance/Theater

Sandhills Horticultural Gardens (32 acres of gardens). The Sandhills Horticultural Gardens are handicapped-accessible. Daylight hours year-round. (910) 695-3882. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (898 acres). 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. (910) 692-2167.

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.

HOLLYHOCKS ART GALLERY, 905 Linden Road, Pinehurst. Features artwork by local Art

Nature Centers

Historical Sites

Hastings Gallery in the Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Pinehurst. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday 7:45 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday 7:45 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• •

White Hill Gallery, 407 U.S. 15-501, Carthage, offers a variety of pottery. (910) 947-6100.

VILLAGE ABORETUM. 35 acres of land adjoining the Village Hall on Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. (910) 295-1900.

The Gallery at Seven Lakes at the St. Mary Magdalene building, 1145 Seven Lakes Drive. Just nine miles from the Pinehurst Traffic Circle up 211, this gallery is dedicated to local artists. WednesdayThursday 1 — 4 p.m.

Key:

Studio 590 by the pond in Dowd Cabin, 590 Dowd Circle, Pinehurst. This historic log cabin is the working studio and gallery of artists Betty DiBartolomeo and Harry Neely. Fine oil paintings, commissions and instruction. (910) 639-9404.

House in the Horseshoe. Open year-round. Hours vary. 288 Alston House Road (10 miles north of

• • Film

Literature/Speakers

• • Fun

History

•

Sports

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Carthage), Sanford. (910) 947-2051. Malcolm Blue Farm and Museum. 1-4 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. 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. TuesdayFriday. (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, email us at pinestraw@thepilot. com by the first of the month prior to the event.

PineNeedler Answers From page 127

C H R I S T P U N C H L A A C E L E B R A T E D T I H O L Y V A C I T I D Y S P N O W M W A S N C H I M N U V P Y I R E D

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9 8 2 5 7 4 1 3 6

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December 2012 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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The Pinehurst Shops are full of shirts, shoes, jackets, spa products, bags, gifts and accessories from brands like Vera Bradley, Adidas, Nike, Peter Millar and Cole Haan. So come in and find your favorites. Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina • 910. 235.8154 • pinehurst.com

114 December 2012 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

SandhillSeen Man and Woman of the Year Honoring Cos Barnes & Norris Hodgkins Thursday, October 18, 2012 Photographs by Julie Barnes

Mary Gozzi, Joyce White, Cleon Hayes, Cos Barnes, Norris Hodgkins, Bruce Warlick, Tom Howe Joyce White, Betsy Hyde, Mary Gozzi

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Bill Gozzi, Mary Jo Worth, Tom Worth, Jane Clark

Kimberly Daniels, Cos Barnes, Norris Hodgkins, Andie Rose

115

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MCC Pottery students created and assembled this 11-foot totem pole.

116 December 2012 i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i iPineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Mike Paget, Bill Long, Tom Gallagher

SandhillSeen

Dr. Jock Tate, Diane Tate

An Evening with the Stars, to honor equestrian legends Saturday, October 27, 2012 Photographs by Jeanne Paine

Christine & David Raley, Effie Ellis, Dick & Anne Webb

Charlie & Audrey Colgan, Phoebe Robertson, Chrissie & Peter Doubleday

Patty Heuckeroth, Lefreda Williams, Julie Petrini, Wendy Beaver

Cameron & Lincoln Sadler Dr. Don Warren, Mike Plumb, Sue Buckley, Judy Kelly, Leslie Baldwin

Rhonda Dretel, Katie Walsh, Landon Nesser

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118 December 2012 i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i iPineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

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Wade Young, Janie Boland, David Carler, Linda Gibbs, Dominick Pagnotta

Wade, Ceci, & Kate Liner

Wayne Moore, Jayna Jones

Tommy Doonan, Tia Chick

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9.5x11.5

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Soup for Art A benefit for the Arts Council of Moore County Sunday, November 4, 2012 Photographs by Al and Annette Daniels

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Mary Ann McCrary, Barbara Mattern Guests getting ready to choose their own â&#x20AC;&#x153;souvenir soup bowls.â&#x20AC;?

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Nancy & John Linda Long, KellyBouldry Valdes,with Abby Gail Gittleson, Thomas & Antoine Lorenzo

Joe & Nancy Kling with Molly

Mary Jo Morris with MoJo

PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i December 2012

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Nancy & John Bouldry with Abby Joe & Nancy Kling with Molly Ashley Van Camp, Charlie Coulter

Mary Jo Morris with MoJo

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PineNeedler

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's 6 Snow rider 23 Tired and spent fall???? PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 39 � � � � � �The � � � � � � season � � � � � December of2012 127 7 Social gathering 26 Cold lawn Christmas, as in ed potato

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The Well-Traveled Christmas Pins How iron heart strings brought them home for the holidays

By Jan Buchanan

My husband, the philosophy

professor, frequently admonished, “Listen to those iron heart strings. They will not lead you wrong.” I was never quite so sure exactly what he meant: one’s intuition, conscience, ESP, or some power greater than one’s self? At any rate, after a long and eventful life, I am ready to admit that the advice has not failed me.

One recent case in point began in the fall of 2008. My daughter, a resident of Pinehurst, came for a visit to my home in Smithfield, Virginia. After dinner one evening she gave me a present: a charming Christmas tree pin of some age. This one, she told me, was one of hundreds being unpacked while she was in a local Pinehurst jewelry store. The store owner said the pins were part of a deceased local resident’s collection. The deceased’s husband had decided to sell some of his wife’s collection and donate the proceeds to the Cancer Society to honor his wife’s memory. After my daughter returned to Pinehurst, I called her to inquire if she could get me a few more pins. I owned a small antique shop on Main Street in Smithfield and thought I could make a profit from selling the pins. She chose ten, she told me later, but they were all so incredible, she had a hard time making a decision. Soon in ensuing phone conversations, ten became twenty-five, then fifty, then . . . oh well . . . get a hundred or so. The money was for a good cause. After all, I am a cancer survivor myself, so I justified the hundred plus. My shop was located in the center of Smithfield, Virginia’s business district (all five blocks). The shop was small with a large window facing Main Street. I took great pride and pleasure decorating that window. In fact, the season before, I had won a prize, a “Best in Tidewater” Christmas window decorating contest. There were four nearly life-sized papier-mâché reindeer prancing with sparkling antique jewelry — rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings adorning their necks, heads, ears and legs. This year I had no inspiration for my window. How could I beat the reindeer? To disappoint my lovely Smithfield patrons with a shabby uninteresting window would be a disaster since many made it a point to view and comment on my window. Idea! . . . or was it those heart strings? One hundred plus Christmas tree pins in the window made it a great hit. People stood, for what seemed like hours, pointing out the ones they favored. They talked about them to friends, and brought others to town to see them. People wanted to buy then and there. One man insisted he had to have five for his granddaughters, but since they were my Christmas

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window, I refused to sell even one. So people wrote their phone numbers, asking me to call when I dismantled the window. As I began to take them out of the window after the holidays, I had misgivings. (Heart strings?) I knew I couldn’t sell them. I had to call all those people back on the list and apologetically explain. One woman in Texas, after hearing I couldn’t break up the collection, urged me to sell all of them to her for double . . . triple . . . what I had paid. Carefully I began to wrap each pin, studying its design, marveling at such detail and creativity. I found it amazing how different each was. Some sparkled with fake gem stones, others brightly enameled, some were marked, some even had moving parts. Though not valuable masterpieces, they were a wonderful and diverse representation of a beloved Christmas symbol. I asked myself, what was it about this collection that made it seem so necessary for these pieces to stay together? I had bought many other collections: a Hummel group of thirty-five figurines, a fifty-six piece collection of antique stick pins, a collection of tea pots. All of them equally desirable and interesting. I sold these items individually without any recrimination. Why did I find it so important to keep the pins together? Apparently it was the heart strings. I told myself selling even one would diminish the whole. It was the diversity that made them so fascinating. Thus I resolved that I would keep them together. The following year, because of an injury, I was forced to close the shop and sell the contents . . . all but the Christmas tree pins. I kept those. As I began to recover, it became evident that I could no longer live alone. I chose to become a resident of Gracious Living here in Southern Pines. The pins came with me. Last year at Christmastime, as I unpacked my pins to display them in a glass topped coffee table, a friend happened by. Seeing what I was doing, she began marveling at each one. She expressed amazement at the number of pins I was putting out. Later that day in a casual conversation she mentioned what and how many she had seen to Susan, out activity director here at Gracious Living. “Oh,” said Susan, “That’s nothing! My husband’s first wife had thousands in her Christmas tree pin collection. He took some of them after she passed away to a jewelry store to sell for him. The proceeds went to the Cancer Society in her honor!” Those same pins had traveled from Pinehurst to me in Virginia and back. They had stayed together and are together still. Apparently the heart strings told me I could not sell even one, and when the time came, and I was to bring them back here, I listened. P.S. My grandson’s girlfriend, who knew nothing of this story, presented me with a new beautiful Christmas tree pin last year, which I happily added to the collection. PS Jan Buchanan is a resident at Southern Pines Gracious Living. Illustration by Pamela Powers January

December 2012 i��PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills