Saturday, April 16, 2011
Hickory Hops Festival Today!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Bon Appetit

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Six Degrees of Separation

One of my recent guests came down to breakfast a little exasperated. She told me that she'd had to help her son who had been in an auto accident the day before. A deer hit his pickup truck, but thankfully, her son was OK. As we talked she said, "You won't believe what my son does for a living."
My curiosity beckoned a response, "What does your son do for a living?"
She said, "He's a professional fisherman."
I don't pretend to know much about fishing, but I was genuinely curious, so I asked the next question. Where does he do this?"
Her reply, "Lake Norman, but he used to have a TV show."
Now I was truly engaged. I said, "What's his name?"
She said, "Ty Mathis."
That name rang a bell. My brother, Andy, loves to fish and has a house on Lake Norman. Several years ago, as we were celebrating his 40th birthday at his lake house, a truck pulled into the driveway - one that Andy recognized. He turned to me and said, "Get your camera and come with me."
I saw my duty and I done it.
I had no idea what I was about to see, but Andy knew more than he was willing to reveal. That's his MO. He loves the element of surprise. As the excitement rose, out hopped this guy who was all excited about what he had in the back of his pickup truck. My brother knew what it was, but I didn't. Andy told me to get ready as he introduced his friend Ty. Not wanting to prolong the suspense, this guy, Ty, walked to the back of the truck and proceeded to pull out two HUGE fish, fish he'd caught in Lake Norman.
What a horrifying thought to know I'd been in the same water with these monsters! These fish were enormous! It wasn't natural.
Well, I got the picture to prove it, and I framed it. It now sits in one of my guest rooms - The Lodge, naturally.
So, I told my guest that she should go into the lodge to see the picture I had on display. Could it possibly be her son?
The answer, "YES!"
He's the one on the right.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Answer: The Joy of Cooking
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Don't Try This at Home!

But, if you're a hiker, there are some great trails around to explore. South Mountains State Park comes to mind. Now that the drought has abated, the waterfalls should be spectacular. Check out their website: www.ncparks.gov/visit/parks/somo/main.php. It's a 20 minute drive from the inn. Also, don't miss Redbone Willy's Trading Company on the way. You might need some supplies, i.e. water, walking sticks......but the clothing is what I go for. It's a destination in-and-of itself!
Catawba County has some awesome parks with miles of hiking trails. Only a 10 minute drive from here, Baker's Mountain can be a little on the rigorous side but also offers a more relaxing walk to the peak that overlooks the metropolis of Hickory. You choose. www.catawbacountync.gov/depts/parks/bakmain.asp.
Riverbend Park is a new addition to the Catawba County Parks system. It features trails along the Catawba River. Fishing and wildlife abound! www.catawbacountync.gov/depts/parks/rbndmain.asp
And you wonder where this photo came from? It was an accident. While shooting pictures of Mayfest in downtown Newton, I captured this on film. I just had to find a way to use it!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
It might've been one of Dad's last hunting expeditions. We were living in Newton then. When Daddy got home, he took his bucket of birds to the back porch and left them there - out in the open for any person, animal or thing to discover. Well our cat, Kitty Puss, found those birds before they even had a chance to get cold. Within minutes of his discovery, bird feathers littered our yard, and carcasses were strewn everywhere. We were horrified! Maybe that's why we haven't had Braised Partridge lately.
Braised Quail
6 small quail
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken stock or wine
1/4 cup flour
Salt
Pepper
In a large skillet, melt butter and add the birds. Saute until lightly browned. Remove the birds from the pan. Add the flour and stir until blended. Add chicken stock. Cook and stir until smooth. Add the birds back to the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Serves 3
The following recipe pares nicely with the Quail and gravy
Baked Rice
1 cup rice
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 can beef consomme
1 can french onion soup
Combine all ingredients in a baking dish. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes at 350.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
On the Market
It's a story about a series of bad dates. Now I've had my share of bad dates, but I can't say I had any experiences like the ones they created. One guy had herpes on his lip with an open lesion who was constantly trying to steal a kiss. Another guy had a thing about wearing pantyhose. Does that make him a cross-dresser? And, bad date number three was a self-absorbed doctor who was so preoccupied with the phone and his own importance, that he failed to see the rolling eyes that his actions provoked.
As I sat with the crew members who were feeding me these storyline details, one of them casually brought up a recent experience he'd had with a girl he'd met on e-Harmony. It seems that the girl of interest owns a funeral home in a city in the western part of the state, and this guy lives on the eastern side. Anyway, they were trying to figure out how they might meet.
She said that she had to pick up a body - yes, a dead human - in a nearby city, and the she could stop by his place. He assumed that she'd stop on the way, but much to his surprise and shock, she stopped on the way back. Now I KNOW that you KNOW what THAT meant. There was a dead body in the back of her van when she arrived. Was she going to go out with this guy and leave the dead body there for someone to steal, or were they going to drive the van to their dinner destination? Either way, it was a bad deal/date. We laughed so hard, I don't recall what choice he made, but I will tell you that when he asked her who would look after the dead guy, she replied, "Nobody, he's dead."
The production crew and actors filmed countless takes during the day of many different scenes involving what I thought were the worst/funniest dates imaginable. And this guy endured 10 hours of filming before he told anyone HIS story. As a matter-of-fact, I don't think he'd told anyone on this Earth about it until that moment. There were so many opportunities during the day to springboard into his tale, but did he? No, and I think I know why. To him, it wasn't funny, but the telling of it made it so.
Now, is truth stranger than fiction, or what?!