>>September doings in Pecan Springs

Here it is, just what you've been waiting for--a calendar of September doings in the great little town of Pecan Springs, Texas, sister city to Lake Woebegon. We know you won't want to miss a single one of all these interesting happenings!

The Craft Emporium (located in the big old Victorian house next door to our shops on Crockett Street, and owned and operated by Constance Letterman) is having a big celebration. Gretel Schumaker is demonstrating handcrafted candles in the front parlor. Ruth Ann Gilman is holding free introductory quilting classes at her new shop, PatchWorks, which takes up the front half of the second floor.  Delia's Bead Boutique has lots of new items, Annie Walters has picked up some nice old (new to her) kitchen antiques, and Ivy has a new exhibit in her Wild, Wonderful Weeds, in Ivy's gallery in the dining room. (If you haven't met these folks yet, you can read about some of them in the story "Ivy's Wild, Wonderful Weeds" in An Unthymely Death.)

The Myra Merryweather Herb Guild has announced their annual Grand Jamboree Jam and Jelly Trading Spree, according to President Pansy Pride. Original jams and jellies only, please--nothing copied from Martha Stewart. Oh, and if you put something hot into your jam pot, please make a note of it on the label. (Pansy says that there was a regrettable incident last year involving Mrs. Shandigan, who wasn't expecting chile peppers in strawberry jam and had to receive emergency first aid). First prize is one of Harold Thompson's famous tumbleweeds, crafted of metal coathangers. Second prize: Harold's coat-hanger chile pepper.

The Hill Country Rose Rustlers Club is sponsoring their Annual Rose Rustlers Fall Safari to several local cemeteries, and they're inviting YOU. Please bring clippers, plastic bags, wet paper towels, and plenty of insect repellent. If you forget the repellent, Lyle Beppert (a charter Rose Rustler), says that he will be glad to let you have some of his Surefire Bug-Bee-Gone, although it's not guaranteed to protect you against killer bees. Lyle found this out the hard way not long ago, when he was rustling a few roses out at Black Rock Cemetery and encountered a swarm of paranoid, passionate killer bees. Bug-Bee-Gone did not faze 'em, unfortunately. If you are not worried about killer bees and want to stir up some of Lyle's brew for yourself, you'll find the recipe in the Book of Days for August 28. Oh, and Lyle says that if you know of an herb that will keep killer bees away, please let him know. You'll find him at home, recovering.

Homer Mayo and Pete Hitchens are pleased as punch to announce that they've gone into business together, making mustard! This may come as a surprise to those of you who have watched these two old geezers flexing their competitive mustard muscles in the annual Mad for Mustard competition at the Pecan Springs Fair. But if you read "Mustard Madness," in An Unthymely Death, you may remember that at the end, Homer and Pete buried the hatchet. Now that they're in the mustard business, we can look forward to some fine, fierce fire-power--but only if they can settle their differences. Homer tells me that they're quarreling over the name of their business. He wants to call it Homer Mayo's Marvelous Mustard Factory, while Pete wants to call it Hitchens' Too-Hot-To-Handle Mustards. If you can help them out with a few suggestions, we'll be glad to pass them along.

That's it for now, folks. Check back next month to see what's going on in October!

--China Bayles and Ruby Wilcox

Comments

[sue carroll]

How about Homer Hitchens Hotter than Hot Homemade Mustard?

To many H's?

Sue

[Dani G.]

It all sounds great except for the missing yarn shop.... what's a fiber fanatic supposed to do? Drive to the big city to get her wool fix? Really, I think Blackie should open a shop .... Blackie's Sheep. Why not? He's man enough to do it, don't you think? ;)

[Diana Fahy]

Dear Ms Albert (China),

I have read almost all your books in this series and want to write and tell you how much, I have enjoyed them. Your characters and storyline have kept me glued to each book. I now feel that these have become friends and that I do enjoy visting Pecan Springs with each book. Thank you for something new and am looking forward to reading the next after Bleeding Hearts. I wanted to write and tell you since I realize that even writers as successful as you should hear the compliments from their fans.

Sincerely,

Diana Fahy (bearzwitch)

[Janet Favoro]

Hey Homer and Pete, how about HomePeteHome Mustard. Share the name.....Take care!