Asparagus + Strawberries = Good Local Fun

If you missed the Strawberry/Asparagus Supper at the First Congregational Church of Hadley last weekend, you missed your chance to participate in a multi-generational community dinner, a long-runnning local tradition, celebrating one of Hadley's most famous crops -- asparagus.  (Did you know the Queen of England used to order in Hadley's asparagus?)  But you didn't miss your only chance ever -- get ready for it to return next year -- the First Congregational Church's Strawberry/Asparagus Supper has been going on for more than 80 years, and it's not looking to end anytime soon.

You don't have to be a church-goer or even of the older generation to go and enjoy the food and the friendly community spirit.  Mr Madley and I went for the first time this year after Mr Madley heard  Monte's spot on The River, and we're awfully glad we did.  There's something comfortingly and uniquely New England about sitting down to a dinner in a 200-year-old church and eating and sharing stories with community members who have been attending the annual dinner for more than half a century.  (Ninety-year-old Marge Barstow has been participating since the very beginning.  She says that in earlier days, the serving men would wear formal white jackets; now they wear jeans.)  Reverend Sarah Buteux calls it a "retro-cool" experience, and she's not wrong.

For only $12/adult and $6/child ($1 discount with early payment), we were able to enjoy a menu featuring ham, rolls, potato salad, and, of course, asparagus (picked that very morning).  There's even coffee from Rao's, for those so inclined.  And for dessert: strawberry shortcake, with vanilla ice cream from Cook Farm and sweet shortcake from Barstow's (that was super delicious shortcake).  There are two seatings for supper, to make sure everyone who wants to attend can.

The supper is definitely a new family tradition for the Madleys.  I can't wait until it's back next year.  I hope that maybe we can meet you there. Bring your family and friends and enjoy local food and local community.

The official online invitation.

Books @ the East Street Studios

A few weeks ago Mr. Madley and I finally made our way to the East Street Studios one afternoon to check out the used bookstore Grey Matter Books.  What we discovered while we were there was much more than just a store with used books.
Two bookstores inhabit adjoining space at the back of the East Street Studios buildings; their names don't show up on the main signs for the space (we'll explore those later), but they do have their own signs pointing the way.
An unassuming sign for a wonderful little used book & record store.

Mountains and hills and valleys of books (and records), waiting to be picked up, paged through, and possibly even read on one of those chairs or couches just begging to be sat in.

In the space adjoining, through a naturally open doorway, is Troubadour Books.  (I hear tell that there is another Troubadour Books in Hatfield -- a branch or the main -- but I have not gone out of my way to verify its current existence.)

Two bookstores, one basement, about a million books -- fiction, classic, science fiction, first edition, children's, academic, foreign language, vintage, philosophic, bestseller, obscure, art, comic, and more.  One who likes books, or any subject written of in the pages of books, could easily wile away an afternoon (or even a day) roaming the stacks and getting lost in the pages.

Looking for even more in used books?  If you're willing to take a little drive, you can also visit The Bookmill.

The Essentials

The other night, on our way to see The King's Speech at the Amherst Cinema, we walked by the small essentials store that's next door to Tabellas.  We thought maybe we'd stop in for a quick look around -- I've always loved the store and we had plenty of time to spare.
But a note on the door said something to the effect of: Sorry, we're not here anymore.  Because of the current economic situation, a desire to focus more on our special order business, and a need to spend more time with family, we are closing the Amherst location and consolidating to our Northampton location.
I had a mix of feelings about this -- sorrow, because they had to close; happiness, because the Northampton store is staying open (really, I love this store); and respect, because I'm a big fan of people spending more time with their families.

To cut this post short, essentials is a super-cool store, full of funky things for the home, for the baby, for the adult, for the child, for a friend, for the kitchen, for the bathroom....  Stationery, furniture, dishes, baby clothes, stuffed animals, t-shirts, wrapping paper, jewelry, trinkets, bags, books, soaps, perfumes, things with a Euro flair, things with a Korean touch; they even do wedding stuff.  They play music from old records and have a friendly, helpful staff.
Stop in sometime and see what they've got.  It changes regularly -- I discover something new every time I'm there (which isn't nearly as often as I'd like!

The New Old Black Dress

Another fabulous find from Roz's Place, Northampton.
No tears, no stains, no holes, no spots; near-perfect condition, near-perfect dress.



(Photo credits: Mr. Madley.)

Vintage, Retro, Thrifty: Great Old Clothes

I used to love my vintage clothing stores in Salt Lake City and in Boston.  It was Grunts and Postures in SLC that finally reduced my dependence on my mother's closet and encouraged me to expand my vintage clothing collecting to stores beyond the Salvation Army and Deseret Industries.  Funky, cool, vintage, retro, new -- it had it all, and even though I didn't have much money, I loved what I found and could afford.
Later I moved to Massachusetts, and I found and was directed by other vintage clothing wearers to a number of second-hand stores and vintage clothing stores (included the ever-famous Garment District) to fuel my love of the classic and off-beat looks.  When I relocated to Western MA, however, I had a harder time tracking down the right shops.  Until last Friday.

Roz's Place was perhaps the easiest to find.  Right on Bridge Street in Northampton (where all of these stores are located), it's someplace I walk by monthly, at least.  It has a funky collection for men and women with some new and some old.  The collection rotates seasonally, and right now there is a whole rack of plaid flannel and wool shirts and another whole rack of leather coats.  Of course, there is also a large selection of skirts and dresses and men's and women's shirts and pants and shoes.

But just around the corner on Market Street, nearly hidden behind some other stores, is Uncle Margaret's, a good place for dressy and casual (I found a lovely 50s dress for a wedding I'm attending).  Jewelry, slips, skirts, dresses, men's & women's shirts and pants, clutches and purses, hats, shoes, and even some books. 
No pictures inside the store (that's almost what the sign says).

A couple of storefronts further down Market Street is Retro Genie, recommended to me by the owner of Uncle Margaret's.  Larger than UM's, it carries clothes and accessories, as well as home decor, small furniture, and interesting items.  Unfortunately, most of the clothing of interest hangs from the ceiling, requiring the help of a sales assistant for looking, sizing, browsing, and definitely trying.  However, there were some fabulous pieces hanging up there, if you're willing to ask about them.
Pretty sure this place is dog-friendly, since one of the employees had her adorable young dog (wheaten terrier, I believe) and a customer also brought in a dog.

Sid Vintage I did not have the opportunity to visit.  The store has just relocated from Crafts Avenue onto Main Street and anticipates its grand reopening this month.  Looks like fun, though, and I'm looking forward to getting there.

Just remember -- most vintage & used clothing stores do not accept returns -- so be sure to study your clothing carefully before deciding to purchase.  Look for stains, holes, tears, broken buttons & zippers; smell the underarms for lingering odors; check seams and hems.  Some shops may be willing to bargain down a price if you find a problem they weren't aware of when pricing the item.

If you have another favourite vintage clothing store in the area that I didn't mention here, please leave a comment!  (I'd love to have another store to check out!)