NEWSLETTER

JULY, 2005

You probably think that this month in which we celebrate our country’s independence is the only celebration but there is also Coon Dog Day in Saluda (see below) to go along with this great line-up of performers for the month:

JULY 6 – JAZZ NIGHT FEATURING MARC YAXLEY TRIO.

JULY 7 – POLECAT CREEK. Original country roots music.

JULY 9 – COON DOG DAY. NO MUSIC. Come spend the day at one of the best local celebrations in the South..

JULY 13 – JAZZ NIGHT FEATURING MARC YAXLEY TRIO.

JULY 14 – JAMES RICHARDS & SARAH BECK. These Asheville-based singer/songwriters are making their debut at the café.

JULY 16 – JIM TAYLOR. An audience favorite from Asheville.

JULY 20 – JAZZ NIGHT FEATURING MARC YAXLEY TRIO.

JULY 21 – MAE ROBERTSON. This Birmingham singer sounds better each time she returns to the café.

JULY 23 – AARON BURDETT. This will be a CD-release performance by our local singer/songwriter.

JULY 27 – JAZZ NIGHT FEATURING MARC YAXLEY TRIO.

JULY 28 – BILL NOONAN. A solo performance by this gifted singer/songwriter.

JULY 30 – LITTLE COUNTRY GIANTS. From Georgia making their first appearance at the café.

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My wife and I recently went to New York City to do the “big city” thing. We had a wonderful time trying to cram as many things into five days that we could. We did find, however, that there is just too much of everything going on at the same time in a city that size just to keep it operating. People who live there, of course, are used to it and may actually need it to help them keep up with its frenetic pace. For us bucolic types, however, it was sensory overload and we were happy to leave.

When we were paying to get our car out of the garage at the Greenville airport, the cashier asked us if we had ever heard a turkey holler. Somewhat surprised at the question, we told her that we had not but that we were sure that she would want us to hear a demonstration. Putting her hands to her mouth and doing something inscrutable with her throat, she gave us an extended and convincing simulation of a turkey holler. We asked her if she hunted and she said that while she did not, hunters often asked her to go with them to attract the turkeys. I can report that none showed up at the airport, at least while we were there. Nevertheless, it was great to be “home” again where interesting and unexpected encounters like this are commonplace.

*

One of our good friends is a United Church of Christ minister. We were visiting her inner-city, integrated church on our last visit to Birmingham and she gave us a card published by the UCC that includes these comments:

“Never place a period where God
has placed a comma.
(Gracie Allen)
&
God is still speaking,”

Her congregation’s mission statement is “no matter who, no matter what, no matter where you are on life’s journey, you are invited and welcome.” It is nice to be reminded that in some places there is room in the tent for all of us. It is certainly useful for us to remember this in these strident times where culture, politics and faith issues are clashing so noisily and dangerously.

Porter Taylor, the new Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Western North Carolina, had this to say in a recent talk. “We will never live together so long as we think in terms of what divides us. We must stop defining ourselves by what we are against and instead define ourselves by what we base our lives on.”

We always have something to learn from others regardless of how certain we are about the way things are. Let’s stay alert to the possibilities of listening thoughtfully.

*

We also need to keep our eyes open for interesting and amusing license plates such as:

Y W Y
CO CRE 8
BALANCE
WHEREAS –
ICGHOSTS
MARK!TSO

And these bumper stickers:

Darwin loves you.
Goddess bless America.
Live larger, drive smaller.
When did my wild oats turn into all-bran?
Nothing breaks wind like a bulldog.
(This last one was seen on a Mack truck.)

It is going to be a wonderful summer here in the mountains. You can enhance your time here by visiting the Purple Onion often. We look forward to seeing you.

Robert Seiler
Purple Onion Café
www.purpleonionsaluda.com