Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

Tag: bookstores (Page 16 of 107)

Outside the rain begins…

Holiday Road Trip!

And the drive back to Broken Arrow made me long for something soothing – like a Stephen King novel. Talk about a white-knuckle ride… our weather forecasters hit the mark and the deluge came as predicted, creating highway visibilities of about two car-lengths.

But, it was a great holiday break! And I hope your own celebrations were filled with as much happiness and camaraderie as ours was.

aSparkleBook

I love seeing so many traditions being carried on, and the beginning of new family customs to be associated with the holiday season. It can sometimes be a time when stress slips in amongst all the good feelings, and I hope as you look back on the season you’ll recall nothing but good times.

On to the New Year!

We’re having a rare break from the day-to-day, but we’ll be serving at lunchtime on Monday, so – come visit!

McHuston

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

The Main thing.

It’s clear that Broken Arrow wasn’t just a one-horse town. I can see five or six in the picture, pulling wagons through the heart of the Rose District. We don’t see those except on special occasions, these days.

Main Street has changed a lot over the ten years we’ve been selling books here, but some things are pretty much as they were back in the horse and buggy days.

baVintageTavern

If you look closely at the image (click on it for a larger view, courtesy of the BA Historical Society by way of the Ledger newspaper) you can recognize the Main Street Tavern’s brick building centered in the background. I once mentioned to the building’s owner that he had lost the pointy-thing on the roof. He assured me that it wasn’t lost at all, but was simply in storage. He said he was worried it might fall off and land on someone.

He was kidding, I think.

The building was constructed to house a bank, but these days it is home to some upscale dining with an interior and menu of the sort you might find in Dallas or Kansas City. It has been an anchor for the developing Rose District with its continued popularity, but there were plenty of evenings when The Tavern was the only establishment with the lights still on.

The north corner of the intersection – on the other hand – bears no resemblance at all these days to the structures in the picture. I’m sure it’s more readily visible in the photo down at the museum, but I can only make out the words “Meat Market” on the sign where the book shop’s awning and signage are today. By 1930, the market was known as Bynum’s Mercantile.

Books and lunchtime fare have replaced the mercantile offerings and butcher shops, but we still love our parades down Main Street. Horsepower has replaced the actual horses for the most part.

And – thank goodness – we’ve got a little pavement down Main Street these days. (Can’t imagine trying to keep the floors clean when it rained back then.)

Lori Lewis is in charge of the town’s history, and has just been elected to the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma Museums Association. Her articles about the “good ol’ days” of BA are a regular feature in the Broken Arrow Ledger and help us to appreciate how far the little town has come along since statehood.

Broken Arrow is already one of the larger cities in the state, with what has to be the largest high school enrollment in Oklahoma. The Rose District is making its own history, and – I’m happy to point out – our Main Street is home to the only bookstore and Irish Bistro in the Midwest.

So, saddle up quick and – come visit!

McHuston

Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main Street, Broken Arrow OK!

Thank Goodness! Thanksgiving!

Dustin bailed me out again. Thanksgiving meal in the works and I haven’t made gravy in such a long time that I’m trying to remember the steps, and then – Dustin walks in.

Thank Goodness!

Except, I really shouldn’t be thanking “Goodness.” It’s better said as “Thanks, Dustin!” Easy to take the expertise and help of others for granted, and – if for no other reason – Thanksgiving is a time for reflecting on such things.

happy-thanksgiving

The newspaper reporter popped in and asked what I was thankful for this year. I didn’t want to create an entire laundry list, but truthfully, there are enough things that I could write a week’s worth of these articles.

As retailers, our family can’t travel over the holiday because the shops must be opened on Friday and Saturday. We never have a long weekend at Thanksgiving like others. But, like I told the reporter – I’m thankful that we can get together and share a meal and some conversation even if it’s our small gathering.

Instead of going out to eat this year, we turned the lights on in the Bistro kitchen this morning and cooked up what amounted to a feast – complete with stuffing and sweet potatoes and pie. Dustin bailed me out on the gravy for my mashed potatoes.

All is well in the world. At least, our small corner of it.

And I’m thankful for that.

Sometimes the small gatherings can be better appreciated than the crowded and boisterous reunions. Our family has had all kinds, but I’m especially thankful this year for the intimate meal and get-together. We decided that – separately – we don’t do much cooking just for ourselves and things like green beans and cornbread stuffing don’t wind up on the dinner table regularly.

Even though we were informal, I mentally reflected on the Thanksgiving idea.

I’m happy to say publicly how thankful I am for the many guests who allow us to serve them at lunchtime, and those who come in to find a book. I know there are other options out there and it means a lot to have people choose us. There are a number of guests who are known by name by now, and I wish we could have offered them a place at our table.

But people have their own traditions and holiday expressions. So, I’ll just pass along that – during our own little Thanksgiving get-together – so many of you are in our thoughts and our hopes for your own Happy Thanksgiving!

Come visit!

McHuston

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

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