The onset of summer means there will be fresh, succulent peaches at Bobby’s Wholesale Produce Market beside the Lebanon post(on Highway Five near Sixes Road). They’re the kind of peaches that require a napkin when you’re in polite company. One of my favorite things to do in the world is to head to Bobby’s with five bucks and come back with enough fresh produce to last a week.

When I walk into my kitchen and I see Bobby’s produce on my family’s table, it fills me with a tremendous sense of abundance, well-being, and gratitude. No matter what kind of day I’m having, I need to walk no further than my kitchen to revive my sense of all my blessings. I have plenty of good food to eat, a little piece of earth to call my own, and a family to share all of it with. I also have someone in Bobby who I can trust to feed my family.

Al Dunn, the owner of Interior Illusions in Woodstock and one of my favorite downtown merchants, has unfortunately decided to close his doors. Originally from New York where he worked for a high end furniture retailer as their display manager and decorator, Al admits that he “fell in love with the people and climate” on a trip to Atlanta and decided to move. When he decided to open a place of his own in 2006, he found his “cute little building on Main Street” when he was on a design call at Bradshaw Farms. “It has a great vibe,” Al says of the store. “In fact the whole area has a great vibe and even more potential.”

Al has become well known for his total design services, specializing in custom window treatments faux finishing. Interior Illusions has also offered very unique items such as original paintings by the local artist Soraya, jewelry by local Sandra Lee, Sergio Gutierrez’s liquid metal jewelry (a favorite of Hollywood stars), and the highly collectible Parisian Lampe Berger lamps and home fragrances that, although beautiful, also have a practical purpose–they remove 68% of household odors and airborne bacteria.

A particular favorite of visitors of the “Friday Night Live” festivities, Al can be always be found passing out beverages (sometimes of his own making) and playing B-52′s for his loyal customers. “My store has kind of become a gathering place for a lot of local residents,” says Al. “Sometimes my clients just come to say hello, and that’s cool. ”

My personal favorite: The rich, chocolatey “Diva!”

For nutritional facts as well as catering information for your next event, visit http://www.screampuffs.com/

Jim Curtis and Kressa Peterson, owners of the Reuse Market.

Jim and Kressa love their customers! (Catherine Keppel, middle)

Engelbert and Jim Maltese, owners of E’s Barber Shop

They say that “you’re only as good as your last haircut,” and if that’s truly the case, the men of Cherokee County will be grateful that the father-and-son team Jim and Engelbert Maltese chose to set up E’s Barber Shop right here in downtown Woodstock. A master barber since 1978, Jim decided to move here not only to be closer to his grandchildren, but also because his son Engelbert professed his long-time interest in becoming a part of the family business. “My son came to me one day at the age of twenty nine and said, ‘Dad, I’d like to follow in your footsteps. I want to be a barber,’”remembers Jim. (Engelbert is currently finishing up his local schooling at barber college, from which he will graduate as a master barber in December of 2008.) And if all of this weren’t enough to lure Jim to Cherokee County, he also freely admits to a profound affinity for Woodstock life. “I knew from the time I visited the area that here was where we wanted to call home. We found it to have everything so close locally, for shopping and all our needs. And I wanted to open my barber shop here to serve all the wonderful people in the community.”

Jim describes E’s as a perfect culmination of nostalgia and innovation: “It’s a modern barber shop with the old-fashioned techniques that dad took you to as a child,” he says. This orchestration of both “old and new” is also readily apparent in what Jim and Engelbert deliver to their customers that others may not. Their impressive list of services includes a hot lather shave around the ears and neck area, along with a hot steamed towel and neck massage, full face straight razor shaves, beard and mustache trims, buzz cuts/kids cuts. And leaving out no detail of modern convenience, they’ve also installed two flat screen televisions, provided an array of sports magazines, and even an put in arcade game for the amusement of those waiting.

When asked what sets their shop apart from the rest around town, Jim proudly proclaims, “We provide services that are unique to men. We’re not like the others, in-and-out in five minutes and out of the chair. That’s something we’ve all experienced in other barber shops. At E’s Barber Shop, each client gets all the needed time to perform the best precision haircut.”

Jim Maltese, a master barber, father, and grandfather.

Clean, cool, and comfortable, E’s is the perfect place get a haircut and catch up on some TV.

E’s List of Services (Click to enlarge.)

Jim indulges his customers with a “precision cut, hot lather neck shave, and and a steamed neck towel,” all for a very reasonable $12.

E’s Barber Shop is conveniently located on Highway 92 and is open from 9-6 on Tuesday-Friday and 9-3 on Saturday. 

The brainchild of three ladies who met in a writers’ class at Kennesaw State University, FoxTale Book Shoppe was conceived when Ellen Ward and Karen Schwettman visited an independent book store in Colorado. By the time they were on the plane back to Georgia, they had already begun to devise a business plan for their very own shop. And when asked the origin of the name “FoxTale,” Karen still gets an excited and dreamy expression on her face as she tells the story: “We were walking in the woods in Colorado, and we came upon a fox trotting directly into our path. It just sat there for a long time, staring back at us.” Upon reading a book called Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, they discovered that such an encounter with a fox indeed reflects “a new world opening up, that the process of creation is beginning.” What’s more, the book adds, “The fox tail is a symbol of directly guiding the feminine creative forces.” Almost immediately after finding this out, Ellen and Karen, who jokingly call themselves “twins from a different mother,” simultaneously wrote down on separate pieces of paper “FoxTale Book Shoppe.” After inviting Jackie Tenase to join the business, it wasn’t long before the three ladies found themselves dressed in black suits and fedoras one morning, getting ready for a meeting with the loan officer. Ellen quipped to her husband on that morning, “This is either going to be really cool, or we’re going to make complete fools of ourselves.” Nowadays, of course, you can find them still wearing their trademark fedoras, tending shop, and greeting their regular customers by name.

This kind of authentic personality and an endearing audacity to be themselves is exactly what has forged their reputation in Cherokee County as a true “local flavor” that represents what our community has to offer. Naturally, that’s why it’s so imperative for us to support this store. When asked why customers should choose FoxTale rather than the larger (and consequently less personal) bookstores, Karen and Ellen pose this excellent question in return: “Do you love independent booksellers? The feeling of community, the chance to discuss good books with caring, knowledgeable booksellers? Then support them with your business, or risk losing the very part of your community that you value the most. Shop with big box stores and your money does nothing to support Woodstock. The money spent in your community stays in your community–one thing people don’t understand about big box stores is that eventually they will be all that is available as they continue to put independents out of business. A corporation will then determine what is available for you to purchase, leaving you with a cookie-cutter society, no freedom of choice, no room for individuality.”

The fedora-ed ladies of Foxtale Book Shoppe (from left to right: Karen Schwettman, Jackie Tanase, and Ellen Ward) enjoy a recent reading and book-signing with author Rick Bragg.

The children’s reading room features weekly story-times.

An expansive collection is the best invitation to browse…

The “homey” details make Foxtale Book Shoppe the perfect location to read, relax, and rejuvenate.

I’m glad to say that the fascination for libraries that my mother cultivated so long ago has only grown in me over the years, and I’ve sought refuge in them all over the world. (I’ve discovered that you can discover a lot about a culture by what kind of materials reside on on their library shelves.) And perhaps, even more resoundingly, I can say that I owe a lot of my own life story, in a roundabout way, to the libraries I’ve inhabited. When I moved to Athens to attend the University of Georgia, one of the first places I visited was the Athens Regional Library, where I later found a part-time job as a circulation clerk. It was there that I met the man who would become my husband. He came in looking only for a library card, but found more than he bargained for, to be sure. Three years later, we picked St. Mary’s Hospital across the street from that very same library to have our first child, and I could see  library from the hospital window.

Now, with a child of my own, I feel an acute responsibility to pass on this profound reverence I have, and I can think of no better place to start than the Woodstock Public Library. As a part of the Sequoyah Regional Library System, it is committed to constant growth and improvement. After moving to a newer, more spacious building located on Main Street in downtown Woodstock, the library was designed to be a true haven for both learning and leisure. From the rocking chair front porch, to the mission-style furniture complete with stained-glass Tiffany-style lamps atop every reading table, to the ”reading train” in the expansive upstairs children’s section, the library was charted for the enjoyment of both adults and children alike.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of the library, however, goes far beyond the books and the comfortable environment, it can only be honed and perfected by community involvement. I encourage everyone who may be interested to visit the library website, or even better yet, stop by in person to pick up a brochure or talk to a librarian about the multitude of programs and services offered to the public. Whether you’re moved to simply apply for a library card, get your child involved in the youth program, join an online bookclub, or even become one of the Friends of the Library, both your life and your community will be enriched by what I hope will become your own burgeoning love affair with the library.

Another Saturday night falling with nothing kid-friendly to do? Nothing brings a family together on a crisp autumn evening like the annual Cagle’s Corn Maize. Truly a Cherokee County gem, everyone should go out and get lost in the Cagle corn fields with loved ones at least once a year! For more information, directions, and valid dates and times, visit http://www.caglesdairy.com/maizeHickoryFlat.htm.

I can not pass through the doors of the Revive Consignment store without the William Carlos Williams poem “Burning the Christmas Greens” involuntarily springing to mind. On the surface, the poem describes a family gathering freshly-cut sprigs of holly, balsam, and hemlock to decorate their holiday home. They welcome the vitality of the greenery, deeming it “a solace, a promise of peace, a fort against the cold .” But very soon thereafter, they are just as relieved and anxious to see a “bare room” again as the greenery goes up in flames after the holidays have passed. The core of the poem evokes one of the most fundamental dualities of human nature–the need for us to create and then destroy, to amass and then purge, to gather in and then let go.

I’m, of course, delighted by this very same paradox upon every visit to Revive, which expertly caters to both sides of this human polarity. As a consignment store, it serves as a unique place where I can not only gather objects that make my house feel more like a home, I can also cleanse my home of the possessions for which I no longer have a fondness. They specialize in showcasing name-brand clothing, furniture, toys, and home decor in a stylish, friendly atmosphere that inspires both sellers and buyers to participate. (And if that weren’t incentive enough to pay them a visit, they’ve also had the insight to put a complimentary coffee bar in the rear of the store where you can choose from coffee, hot tea, and cookies. Free caffeine and sugar while shopping–I don’t think it gets more poetic than that.)

Interview with Trevor Atkins, Manager of Revive Consignment:

County was the place to open a business?

What has been the most challenging and most rewarding part of opening the store?

The most challenging part of running a consignment store is the pricing of every item. Every price is a decision. Target and Wal mart can stack a shelf full of items that are all the same price. For us every item is different in quality, age and condition and so every price has to be decided upon.

The most rewarding part has to be the opportunity to meet people. It has been so much fun to get to know our customers, some of them come in almost every day. An equally rewarding aspect to the business has been the opportunity to support local charities such as the North Georgia Angel House and Papas Pantry. We give clothes around two months on the shop floor to sell, after this time we are authorized by our consignors to donate the clothes. The great thing is that we only accept very good quality clothing therefore we have very good quality clothing to give away to local charities. It is great to be able to give and we want to thank all of our consignors for being involved with us in this way and giving us the opportunity to help others.

How did the idea arise to include a complimentary coffee bar into the business as an added amenity?

It really is our intention to get to know our customers and to serve the community around us. It is great to see people making use of the coffee bar and we would encourage people not to feel embarrassed about making use of the facilities just because they are free. You don’t even have to shop, just come in with your friends and enjoy some time together with free coffee, tea and cookies! You can even come in just to read or to work. We also intend running courses in the coffee bar area in the evenings. An Alpha course that allows people to explore Christianity and ask any question you like, an  environment started on the 25^th September and runs for 12 weeks on Tuesday evenings. In January we have plans to run an ESL (English as a Second Language) course and then in the future there is the possibility of courses regarding how to handle your finances, parenting and marriage.

Who is responsible for designing the modern and chic decor?

I have two very talented assistant mangers Virginia Herrington and my wonderful wife Tracy Atkins. They are the ones who managed to take a bright blue and yellow pet store and turn into the beautiful space it is now. I think that there is a dynamic combination of American and English style that has come together with very good results.