Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Tag: booksellers (Page 24 of 92)

Surprises? Sometimes they’re good.

The fellow on the telephone said he’d read the article about us in the morning paper.

“The article?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered. “In that insert section of the Tulsa World.”

That was pretty much my clue to grab the paper and shake out the insert. Sure enough. Not too many pages past the front cover was an article by Mr. Scott Cherry that included the locations of five places to find Irish fare in the Tulsa area – and not just on St. Patrick’s Day.

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“Five to Find” is a weekly feature in the World’s “Weekend” section that comes out – ironically – in the midweek Wednesday edition. More time to plan your activities, maybe. This week’s focus ties in with the article on Tulsa’s St. Paddy’s celebrations and mentions five restaurants. Coming in at a solid number three?

McHuston Booksellers and Irish Bistro.

I’m really pleased to be mentioned on the same page as the big boys – Kilkenny’s Irish Pub and McNellie’s Pub – both of which I have visited and enjoyed. Baker Street Pub & Grill is new to me, as it Midleton’s Bar & Grill, so I’ll have to add them to the got-to-try-one-day list.

Thanks, Mr. Cherry, for remembering our lunch efforts in your article! And it makes for a good time to mention that we’ll be having some St. Paddy’s offerings this weekend, during the run of the Shamrock the Rose festival on Main Street. Surprisingly, the second annual event didn’t get their information to the World to be included in the weekend calendar.

We’ll have a limited menu in order to stretch our manpower (and womanpower, in the case of my daughter Kristen, who’ll be lending a hand for a second straight year). Of course, we’ll be offering Irish Stew as we did last year, and on Saturday you can try corned beef and cabbage served sandwich-style. I was able to corral a sample and wound up devouring the entire sandwich.

Green beer on tap, and there’s no surprise.

The Rose District will be full of entertainment and eats on Saturday, and the festival is schedule from 11am to 11pm. And as you would expect, we’ll be here and doing it at lunchtime on Tuesday – St. Patrick’s Day.

Plenty of time for you to get out and…

Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

Snow Dancers.

It’s a Snow Angel day, but they are pirouetting here in the bookshop.

Empty parking places in the Rose District at lunchtime…a rare sight. Attributed to the snow and the frigid wind, no doubt. They weren’t ALL empty though, and Chef Dustin and I were able to send out quite a few meals to lunch-time guests today.

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Here’s the switch: there is more snow on the ground now (late afternoon) and more cars are lining the street than before. Here in the bookshop, I’m having a little break and a chance to post some pictures of the new sculpture display.

Rose District artist David Nunneley visited the other day and mentioned he was having some floor repair done at his gallery, and as a result was required to move all the displayed artwork out of the way. He wondered if we’d be interested in hosting a few ladies for a week or so, until the work is completed.

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Yes, without a doubt!

So the ballet is afoot at the front column in the bookstore, bronze sculptures that were completed by Mr. Nunneley as studies done while undertaking a commission that now graces the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

It’s one of those times I wish I had some photography skills, but I’m sharing – as best I can – the dancers in their poses atop the wooden pedestals. One of the three has previously visited, and I mentioned in an earlier note how I regretted not taking a photo before she departed.

Well. Take advantage of second chances!

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Those of you who may have missed my earlier post and the link to the artist’s website can click HERE for a personal introduction courtesy of DavidNunneley.com. And you get a better look at any image on this page by clicking on it.

He has recently delivered another bronze monument out of state, this time to Colorado, and has a life-sized statute of a noted US Civil War figure in Arkansas, the story of which I hope to share in the near future.

In the meantime, you are invited to come down for lunch and a tour of the temporary bookstore gallery. It’s quick, tasty, and cultured.

In fact, if it gets any artsy-classier, they won’t let me in any more!

The snow is ending, so – Come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

From Glow to Snow

It IS Oklahoma, after all. That’s why we aren’t surprised when there is snow and ice on the ground two days after our short-sleeves stroll-the-sidewalks weather. But is unusual that the snow day coincides with a holiday – President’s Day, in this instance – in which the schools, the banks, the city offices, and past-presidents are all allowed a day off.

Neighborhood streets have that weird mix of snow and ice. The frozen part is underneath and makes for strange traction (or lack of) when driving. Here in Broken Arrow every car and truck is a snow-busting ice cruiser, and every driver knows it. Put the pedal to the metal.

Thanks to Mr. Steve of the City of Broken Arrow and his crews for getting the primary streets drivable. Here is the Rose District there were backhoes and graders whipping back and forth clearing the intersections and parking spaces. I was out for a time and didn’t hear or see any crashing cars.

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The bistro kitchen is taking a snow day. Unlike all-day restaurants, we have only a few hours to serve all the food we prepare for lunchtime. And it takes hours to prepare. Tomorrow’s forecast is for clearing streets and warm bowls of Irish Stew.

You can see in the image that a path has been beaten to the front door of the shop. (Actually, scraped with a shovel rather than actually being trampled by footsteps…) Thanks to our next-door neighbor John, who with his wife Kelly operate Glamour Gowns & More: he was out with an implement and some ice-melt.

In nine years on Main Street, there has only been one occasion that the store has been open for business and not a single book was sold. That was four years ago, during the big February blizzard. When I finally got the car out of the driveway and made it to the store, I high-centered on a snowdrift and had to abandon ship right there. After trudging to the door and warming myself inside, I sat at the desk for the better part of two hours doing some work but mostly worrying about the drive home.

I locked up and crept away through mounds of white, after finally working the car out of the snow-locked parking lot.

So by comparison, today is positively tropical. Even as we speak there are folks in the store browsing for books.

A little snow is no match for a genuine book emergency. In this morning’s case, C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia, just sent out to a new home. Mission accomplished!

When you are shoveled out, come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!

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