Rare, Collectible, & Otherwise

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How close, the fame…

When the three young Dr Who fans squealed, I figured we were about to teleport through time and space.

That wasn’t it, exactly.

They had been browsing the store for some time. Exploring, one of them explained. Finally, they made their way back to the front of the shop. Their eyes went wide, all at once. Then, the squeals.

“Do you know who Kristin Chenoweth is?” one of them whispered. Loudly.

“Sure,” I answered, and was beginning to share my vast knowledge of the KC biography when one of the other young women interrupted.

“She is RIGHT outside your store!”

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Sure enough. Crossing in front of the plate glass was the Broadway star, heading down Main toward Broadway. Dangling in front of her was one of those giant fuzzy microphones at the end of a long pole carried by a fellow walking backwards. Another backward-walker had a camera on his shoulder recording the animated hand gestures of Ms Chenoweth.

Bam!

That was me thinking that I should take a picture to serve as physical evidence of her visit, and – of course – she was already well past the store when the idea finally hit me. That’s the reason I’ve been forced to include a red circle and arrow on the image. She has a big voice, but she is pretty small in the picture. In fact, you’ll have to click on it to enlarge it enough to spot her in the distance. (To spot her back, I mean. She’s in the purple dress.)

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Since she did not clear her itinerary with me, I have no idea what it was she was recording or promoting. But it’s nice to have a movie star in the Rose District walking amongst us mere mortals.

Reminded me of the time Alicia and I were introduced to Ron Howard, the movie director still best known to me as Opie on the Andy Griffith show. We were at the airport in New York City and a general hubbub arose around us. It wasn’t a formal introduction. More of a close encounter.

“It’s Opie!” someone whispered. Loudly.

I turned to the side and saw a rear end. It belonged to Ron Howard, who was bent over, waaaay over, attending to his suitcase. I wondered why he was in line with the common folk. It was just about that very moment that he began to straighten up and a uniformed airline employee began calling, “Mr. Howard! Mr. Howard!” As he turned, I recognized the rear end as being attached to Opie, although fully grown. (The man, not the rear end.)

She directed him toward the counter, away from the gawking, shuffling crowd that we were, to a place that was calm and serene and first class, no doubt. And thus ended our introduction to Mr Howard, movie director extraordinaire.

It is only now that I realize how the back sides of famous people are drawn to me. Go figure.

Maybe you’ll encounter a star yourself, when you

Come visit!

McHuston

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

White Linen Night and I was in Cotton.

High Cotton, and white linen undies.

You don’t really believe that, do you?

The white linen is under the belt. Sauntering the streets in August, Rose District style. We certainly had the warm evening for wearing linen, even if there were a lot of cotton tees on display. Comfort, first of all.

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It was a night for the extended McHuston clan to gather, from Great-grandmother to that happiest grand-daughter o’ mine – and everyone in between. Thanks to daughter Kristen and son Dustin for manning the lines, both on the sidewalk and in the kitchen.

The new beer dispenser got its first real workout and came through with flying colors. Boulevard Wheat on draft. It’s a tasty brew even when it isn’t a hot August night. Which it was.

For the first go-round, White Linen Night in the Rose District will be recorded as a success for McHuston Booksellers & Irish Bistro. Sampled some Bangers & Mash in an unorthodox fashion – on a whitebread roll. Sliced the bread, laid in the sausage link all hot dog fashion, then topped it with creamy, handmade mashed potatoes and a little of our special Irish Stew gravy. Maybe a tad messy, but delicious! A thanks to Rachel for the idea and to all who tried one Saturday evening.

After seeing the photograph that the Tulsa World selected to showcase our little operation, I am reassured that the decision to have Kristen at the cash register was a good one. I’d have rather had her picture on the TW website, but I’ll settle for the brother and sister image I’ve attached.

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Next year, we might make some posters. Maybe a few handbills to pass out in the shopping bags. Try to get an article or two in the news, before the event. (I know there were some, because I read a couple. But a couple more might have helped attendance.) As with any new project, there is a learning curve.

But – truth to tell, it was a success for us.

Anytime we can get together as a family and meet new friends wandering the Rose District – it’s a hit. Cotton, Linen, or Commando.

Here’s to bigger and better next year!

Come visit!

McHuston

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

White Linen Night.

Signs went up this morning. Main Street will be closed to traffic Saturday evening so we can waltz through the Rose District looking over artwork, crafts, food offerings, and beverages. White Linen Night.

You are invited to attend, regardless of whether you don your white linen wardrobe.

Our neighbors Greg (at Southern Magnolia) and Alisa (at Your Design) are the driving forces behind the Rose District’s 1st annual ‘White Linen Night.’

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If you’ve lived in New Orleans or Houston you may have experienced the festival’s origins, a summertime fashion funfest that mixes arts, shops, vendors, and musicians. Ours won’t be a tuxedo-event, so you needn’t worry about the high-fashion aspect so much as the simply-fun venture Saturday evening.

Along the sidewalks you’ll find local artists and their latest original creations. Between the curbs, you’ll encounter food trucks offering tasty and unique creations. And, of course, there will be music. Local, live musicians. (All the dead, zombie musicians were previously engaged.)

In front of the bookshop you’ll have a chance to taste our Bangers & Mash – at least, the street festival version. Instead of mashed potatoes and stew gravy, we’ll be serving up the spicy link sausages on a bun, proving that old Irish adage, “A banger in hand is worth two in the bushes.” Particularly when available with draft-style Boulevard Wheat.

You can see this afternoon’s project in the image – a little flyer to describe to folks what our menu item is. I’ve discovered that not everyone is familiar with Bangers and Mash. Of course, mash is just short for mashed potatoes. Bangers are sausage links. Why are they called bangers? I’m glad you asked.

During the wartime shortages, Europeans mixed a little cereal with the sausage meat to make a small portion into something a little more. Unfortunately, those cereal-extended sausages didn’t fry up in the skillet quite the same as they had in the past. In fact, the popping and banging noises were almost enough to set off the air-raid sirens, and those sausages came to be called Bangers.

We’ve kept the name but left out the infused cereal content. Just delicious hot links over mashed potatoes and covered in brown gravy and stew vegetables. That’s our twist on an old favorite. You can try it Saturday with the banger nestled in a bun, ballpark style.

It ought to be some fun.

Look for us Saturday. Ought to be easy to spot us. We’ll be in white.

Come visit!

McHuston

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

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