Inglath Cooper's Blog, page 25
June 15, 2012
Soda Fountains and Memories
When I was growing up in Rocky Mount, Virginia, one of our favorite treats was a Saturday stop at Kittinger’s Drugstore.
Kittinger’s occupied a corner spot next to Banker’s Trust in uptown Rocky Mount. Yes, that’s uptown as opposed to downtown, which had bragging rights to Rexall and Benjamin Franklin.
I remember Kittinger’s for their Cherry Cokes, ice cold and sweet. They had the old-fashioned snack bar counter that you don’t see too much anymore. Kittinger’s brings back good memories for me of my mom taking my sister, brother and me there for a treat.
Kittinger’s is long gone, except in my memories, and so it was nice to run across a place in Johns Island, South Carolina that reminded me so much of those long ago visits.
Vincent’s Drug Store and Soda Fountain is a new version of the real deal. Step through the front door, and it’s like stepping back in time. Pharmacy to the left, soda fountain to the right.
Order up!
The colors are warm and welcoming like a summer ocean. Sandy white and sea foam blue. Grab a barstool at the counter, or a booth by the window.
Order a Black Cow float made with root beer or a Brown Cow made with Coke. Or try the Vincent Sundae – two scoops of chocolate ice cream layered with chocolate and marshmallow sauce and topped off with whipped cream and a cherry.
The ice cream tastes like they just made it right there, rich and creamy fresh. Flavors include butter pecan, vanilla, mint chocolate chip and cookie dough. My cookie dough was served in a pretty purple petal cup!
Order here at Vincent's Drugstore and Soda Fountain!
Pull up a booth!
We live in the present, and we can’t go back to the past. But it’s nice to run across places that remind us of things we loved. To merge a new memory with an old. To live and relive a bit.
That’s when life is its richest.
__________
Check out Vincent’s Drugstore and Soda Fountain at:
http://www.vincentsdrugstore.com/
http://freshfieldsvillage.com/service/vincent-s-drugstore-soda-
http://freshfieldsvillage.com/shops-services
_______________
Inglath Cooper
I love books! From my earliest memories, I loved being read to and then reading practically every book in my elementary school library. There’s something about taking a little trip into a wonderful story that is its own unique pleasure. Over the years, my favorite authors have provided me with glimpses into worlds I would never have known had I not picked up their books. From Beverley Cleary to Lavyrle Spencer to Jodi Piccoult to Anita Shreve and so many others, I am grateful they chose to become storytellers. A great story has the power to move, change and shape its readers. To me, that’s an honorable calling and a task I aspire to.
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June 14, 2012
Never Met a Farmer’s Market. . .
I could pass by.
Maybe it’s the small town girl in me, but I love places like this farmer’s market in South Carolina on John’s Island, about thirty minutes from Charleston.
The number of cars parked in front left no question as to the popularity of the place, so I swung a u-turn and pulled in beside them.
The enormous old tree throwing shade on the big white tent was as much of an attraction as the splashes of color highlighting the tables beneath.
The tomatoes drew me in first. Big tables full of heirloom yellows and reds. One of my favorite foods in the world is a tomato sandwich, and these promised to fill up a slice of bread perfectly.
Woven baskets held yellow and red grape tomatoes that proved to be as sweet as they looked.
The peaches were plentiful, along with fresh corn and watermelons.
But the fresh cut flowers took the prize for sheer visual poetry. They alone were worth the stop.
The folks running the place were the same folks who had grown most of the beautiful produce and the gorgeous flowers. Something about that made buying from them all the more appealing.
Our world continues to get smaller in terms of connectivity and access to just about anything we can think of to order online. Our grocery stores grow larger with choice beyond reason. For the most part, I don’t know where any of it comes from. It’s nice to know.
June 11, 2012
On Bearing Fruit
We planted a plum tree in our yard about ten years ago. It’s never been a shining example of great gardening or looked like something that might have a place in a productive orchard where people know what they’re doing when it comes to this kind of thing.
It’s no more than eight or nine feet tall, and we haven’t done a great job of pruning the limbs to give it a more elegant shape. We haven’t fertilized it each year to hurry along its growth. We don’t use any kind of sprays to discourage bugs from snacking on its leaves. We’ve pretty much let the tree do its own thing. And every spring, it amazes me more than the last.
Our humble little plum tree outdid itself this year, its crooked, scrawny limbs loaded with the most beautiful purple red fruit I think I have ever seen.
Abundance
Today seemed to be the day for our major picking, the plums so ripe that many of them fell off the limb at the slightest touch. I quickly realized I would have to put my bowl under the branch before I touched the plum unless I wanted to pick it up off the ground.
My mom and my daughter and I filled bowl after bowl, and for a while, we were eating as many as we were picking. The sun was warm on our shoulders, a breeze kept the heat from feeling too heavy. And the fuller our bowls became, the more notable the heady scent of the plums, sweet and intoxicating, like something you might expect to smell in heaven one day.
Our little plum tree inspires me. It reminds me that here on this earth we don’t have to be perfect to do great things, to bear fruit in abundance. Our efforts, small though they may seem, in the grand scheme of things, matter, make a difference.
This one tree has given us food for many meals and an afternoon of enjoyment between grandmother, mother and daughter. Those are wonderful gifts.
I think I will freeze the plums this year. Plum cobbler in December will be a treat to remind us of the warm days of spring and, hopefully, another harvest to come.
May 23, 2012
Looking for a Quiet Place?
If your life is anything like mine, it’s hard to find a quiet place these days. The dogs are barking at a deer outside the window. The TV’s going in the living room, and music is blasting upstairs. In my house, there’s rarely any such thing as a quiet spot.
So I’m pretty excited about my new discovery. The Power Nap App!
I can’t even remember now why I first downloaded this app. But once I discovered the variety of sounds it included, I started using it for writing.
In college, I used to study to classical music with headphones because it helped me tune out the noise around me, and I was better able to concentrate on my studying. Over the years, I’ve used other types of distractions like a CD with white noise, but this is by far my favorite and the most convenient.
The app is on my phone, and with a pair of BOSE headphones which were a Christmas gift( I LOVE THEM!!) I can create a quiet zone even in the middle of a busy Starbucks.
One of my favorite sounds is ocean waves. It really is like being at the beach, peaceful, calm, and I find that I’m able to think about just what is in front of me. I also love the hard rain. What’s cozier than the sound of rain on a roof? Although I will warn you, this one tends to make me sleepy, which makes it excellent when you really want to take a nap.
The train sound is soothing and rhythmic like travelling through peaceful countryside in your own rail car. Forrest night includes the sound of frogs which always reminds me of summer nights in Virginia. The paradise track sounds like a gently cascading water fall and is also very calming.
I find myself using this app for more than just writing. Here are some other applications that might be useful:
Reading when you’re in a noisy place.
Airplane rides. Especially with a pair of good headphones. They tune out the noise of the plane, the sounds soothing especially if you’re a nervous flyer.
After a stressful day, tuning out those events that create anxious feelings has to be good for our emotional health. If I’ve had a particularly stressful day, I’ll pop on my headphones and do my evening chores – feeding the dogs, getting dinner together, while listening to ocean waves.
Can you think of other worthwhile uses for this great app? If so, post them here and let us know!
May 8, 2012
Side Roads
Main roads are made to get us where we’re going faster. But Interstates and major highways bypass a lot of the good stuff. The little country stores with the cooler on the front porch. The big sprawling oak throwing shade over a stop sign.
On my way to North Carolina, I recently followed a GPS suggestion that I thought might end up being a shortcut. I’ve lived in the same county most of my life and driven by that turnoff more times than I can remember, and yet I’d never taken it before.
The road curved like a repeating S with no center line or outside edge markings. It was more like an asphalt path than an actual road, and it didn’t end up saving me any time.
But along that small country byway, someone had begun to restore an old historic-looking two-story brick house. The fields beyond were long and flowing green with white fencing marking the perimeters. Content-looking cows lazed beside a low bottom creek. I wanted to stop and study it a bit, think about the succession of lives that might have played out there, whether this road had once had a horse and buggy version. It was like driving through a real life painting, one that played out each and every day, literally a few miles from my own house. And I had never known it existed.
There’s something to be said for slowing down a bit and simply drinking in a different view.
Sometimes that’s all it takes to put us on a new road altogether.
April 21, 2012
The Lucky One
The Lucky One - Beth and Logan
I saw The Lucky One today. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. I had seen the previews for this and wanted to see it, but didn’t realize it was out yet. When I saw it listed at my local theatre, I made a spur of the moment decision to go, and what a wonderful treat this movie was.
How could I not immediately fall for Logan Thibault(Zac Efron) who arrives home from a tour of duty to be greeted by his great big German Shepherd, Zeus. It is immediately clear that the dog adores him, and I soon did as well.
The Lucky One
Logan is this quiet soul kind of guy who speaks with his eyes as much as with words. He’s young, but he’s seen a lot, and believes he’s lucky to be alive, crediting that to a photo he found after a surprise attack leaves other soldiers around him dead. No one seems to know who the woman in the picture is, but when he arrives back in the States, he decides to try and find her.
The woman is Beth Green (Taylor Schilling). She lives in Louisiana with her grandmother(wonderfully played by Blythe Danner) and her son Ben. They run a boarding and kennel facility called Green Kennels, a dog lover’s dream. Again, how could I not love this movie?
The story is one of growth and healing. Beth’s threatening ex-husband is the main roadblock to the love developing between Logan and her, but we see Beth finally stand up to him and reach out for the love she wants with Logan.
The movie is beautifully made, the scenery lush and inviting. The story is filled with many emotional and touching moments, among them Logan’s role in helping Beth’s son to have confidence in his musical ability and Beth’s grief over the loss of her brother.
If you love dogs and a good love story, The Lucky One is a can’t miss.
April 4, 2012
Wanting What You Have
Most anything we have in our lives, we once wanted. Sometimes, a lot. So much so that we would have given anything for it to be ours.
A relationship. A new house. A career. And then we get it. It's kind of like that old adage about the dog who chases the car and finally catches it. Now what?
It's easy enough to go on to the next thing. Checked that box. And we're wanting the new, the different, the has-to-be-better.
Our culture is built on this philosophy in so many ways. The latest iPhone hasn't finished synching the contacts of its purchasers before rumors of the next version start to circulate – and it'll be so much better because it has this new feature and that new feature. And suddenly, the one we have doesn't seem so great anymore.
Or what about our work? We haven't fully appreciated the success of making it to our current rung before we're looking up at the next one and thinking how great it would be to get there. Wishing we could be like so and so who's already lounging around in the very spot we'd like to have.
We could easily live our lives chasing this loop of infinity. Never quite getting where we think we ought to be because there's another must-have just over the next horizon. But if we're bent on discontent, always wanting what we don't have instead of what we do have, happiness is going to be an elusive commodity.
Maybe then contentment isn't so much a destination as it is a commitment. To be happy with where we are while we're there. With what we have while we have it. Life is definitely made richer and fuller by setting goals and reaching for new milestones. But when it's all said and done, maybe the bigger accomplishment will come from continuing to want what we have while we have it.
March 15, 2012
5 Things You Can Learn From Roger Federer (Even If You Don’t Play Tennis)
I don’t play tennis. My husband does. And that’s how we ended up at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California this week as part of a West coast vacation.
This major tournament provides fans with a unique opportunity throughout a week’s worth of playoffs to walk from court to court and stand at the sidelines watching while the game’s top names practice and play – Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal – Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova. And Roger Federer, of course.
The competition at this level of tennis is fierce, players on the way up the ladder, others trying to maintain their position. But at this particular tournament, there has been another variable testing the mettle of some of the players: flu.
Word of the flu bug started to circulate on our second day at the tournament, and it became fact for our family when our fifteen-year old daughter woke up in the middle of the night with it.
Rumor had it that the flu had hit the Federer household as well, and anyone hoping to see Federer play couldn’t help but wonder if he would end up dropping out of the tournament as some nine other players already had.
But on Tuesday night, Roger Federer arrived at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to take on the 6’ 5” Canadian Milos Raonic who can fire off serves at 140 mph plus. If the flu rumors were true, it would be easy to surmise that the odds might not be in Federer’s favor for this match. But to watch him walk out on the court was to see a real professional in action, a guy there to bring his best game and get the job done.
And whether we’re talking about tennis or any endeavor we choose to take on, there’s some real wisdom to be learned from Roger Federer.
Show up with the tools in your toolbox. Whatever our chosen profession or passion, there’s no getting around doing the prep work, putting in the time it takes to really get good at something. It’s been said that anyone at the top of their field has spent at least 10,000 hours doing what they do. Playing the guitar. Writing songs or novels. When it comes to tennis, Roger Federer has clearly put in his 10,000 hours.
Ignore the hype regarding your opponent or competition. In Federer’s Indian Wells match against Milos Raonic, there was plenty of commentator attention paid to the fact that the up and coming Canadian player is a physical force. And at 6’5”, he no doubt appeared an intimidating opponent on the other side of the court. Not to mention that he’s also reputed to have a very high tennis IQ. But Federer’s composure and rock solid cool were never more apparent. And never more of an asset.
Focus while it matters. Whatever it is we hope to achieve, there are certain times when our focus matters. When it pays to laser in and give the effort everything we’ve got. Federer’s game is the perfect visual example of this. During the time he’s there on that court, he’s there 100 percent. That’s what it takes to win. When it matters, give it 100 percent.
Know what you do best and use it at every opportunity. We each have strengths and weaknesses. Federer knows his killer shots and has a gift for waiting for and knowing the moments to use them.
Don’t ever count yourself out. Facing a major tournament knowing you’ve been exposed to the flu would have to put a twig or two of doubt in the most confident person’s mind. As real life goes, we can usually find a reason to think we might not be up to our best. Worry is a wasted emotion. When it counts, go at your best game as if it’s right at your fingertips. If you believe it, others will, too.
5 Things You Can Learn From Roger Federer (Even If You Don't Play Tennis)
I don't play tennis. My husband does. And that's how we ended up at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California this week as part of a West coast vacation.
This major tournament provides fans with a unique opportunity throughout a week's worth of playoffs to walk from court to court and stand at the sidelines watching while the game's top names practice and play – Andy Roddick and Rafael Nadal – Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova. And Roger Federer, of course.
The competition at this level of tennis is fierce, players on the way up the ladder, others trying to maintain their position. But at this particular tournament, there has been another variable testing the mettle of some of the players: flu.
Word of the flu bug started to circulate on our second day at the tournament, and it became fact for our family when our fifteen-year old daughter woke up in the middle of the night with it.
Rumor had it that the flu had hit the Federer household as well, and anyone hoping to see Federer play couldn't help but wonder if he would end up dropping out of the tournament as some nine other players already had.
But on Tuesday night, Roger Federer arrived at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to take on the 6' 5" Canadian Milos Raonic who can fire off serves at 140 mph plus. If the flu rumors were true, it would be easy to surmise that the odds might not be in Federer's favor for this match. But to watch him walk out on the court was to see a real professional in action, a guy there to bring his best game and get the job done.
And whether we're talking about tennis or any endeavor we choose to take on, there's some real wisdom to be learned from Roger Federer.
Show up with the tools in your toolbox. Whatever our chosen profession or passion, there's no getting around doing the prep work, putting in the time it takes to really get good at something. It's been said that anyone at the top of their field has spent at least 10,000 hours doing what they do. Playing the guitar. Writing songs or novels. When it comes to tennis, Roger Federer has clearly put in his 10,000 hours.
Ignore the hype regarding your opponent or competition. In Federer's Indian Wells match against Milos Raonic, there was plenty of commentator attention paid to the fact that the up and coming Canadian player is a physical force. And at 6'5", he no doubt appeared an intimidating opponent on the other side of the court. Not to mention that he's also reputed to have a very high tennis IQ. But Federer's composure and rock solid cool were never more apparent. And never more of an asset.
Focus while it matters. Whatever it is we hope to achieve, there are certain times when our focus matters. When it pays to laser in and give the effort everything we've got. Federer's game is the perfect visual example of this. During the time he's there on that court, he's there 100 percent. That's what it takes to win. When it matters, give it 100 percent.
Know what you do best and use it at every opportunity. We each have strengths and weaknesses. Federer knows his killer shots and has a gift for waiting for and knowing the moments to use them.
Don't ever count yourself out. Facing a major tournament knowing you've been exposed to the flu would have to put a twig or two of doubt in the most confident person's mind. As real life goes, we can usually find a reason to think we might not be up to our best. Worry is a wasted emotion. When it counts, go at your best game as if it's right at your fingertips. If you believe it, others will, too.
March 11, 2012
8 Ways to Make Someone’s Day
1. Smile at them. For no reason. The lady in the drive through at McDonald’s. The older man bagging groceries at Kroger. Just smile.
2. Point out something you like in someone. Maybe it’s how they talk to their dog in a way we would all like to be talked to. Maybe it’s the way they send thank you notes that sound like they took time to write them.
3. Ask someone for advice on something you know they’re really good at and have worked hard to accomplish. Most people have something they’re knowledgeable about because they love it and have spent time developing it. They may be only too happy to share what they know and feel complimented that you sought them out.
4. If there’s an older person in your life, drop by for a visit just to talk. Ask them about something meaningful in their lives that interests you and give them a chance to talk about it. Older people have a wealth of experience and history to share with others, but it may seem to them that no one has time to listen.
5. If you have a dog that loves people, try getting him or her approved for visits to a local nursing home. Dogs can make people smile with the simple wag of their tails. Regular visits can bring joy to those who may not have many visitors.
6. Plant a small garden in the spring and share your vegetables with a food pantry, an older person who can no longer garden, or a family who could use the assistance. A few tomato and squash plants can yield an abundance of produce.
7. Maybe you have a neighbor who isn’t able to walk his or her dog as much as they would like to due to age or health issues. Volunteer to do so for them.
8. Offer to teach someone something you know how to do. Maybe you know a teenager who would like to learn to play guitar but can’t afford the lessons. Or someone who doesn’t have computer skills but would like to. It may seem like a little thing to us, but can be huge to someone who may not have had the same opportunities in life.
