Hello Tuesday!  What a wonderful three-day weekend for those lucky enough to have a holiday.  It was perfect weather to make a road trip to nearby Brushy Mountain, North Wilkesboro or Taylorsville for some apples and cider.  The temperatures were unseasonably warm but the smell of apples cooking made thoughts of fall very real.

Today Around Davidson brings three “book reports.”  Before you groan that you cannot read another item concerning a book, take heart:  These are three very different reports.  And if you wade through all three and get to Noteworthy Notes, you will find a favorite Apple Crisp recipe sure to please your family and become a staple to your fall dessert line-up.

LEMONADE AND BRICKS

Hats off to a wonderful group of young ladies who gathered on our Village Green a few weekends ago and sold lemonade.  The proceeds from their sale benefitted our Davidson Public Library.  Hats off to Claire Brule who spear headed the effort and to her helpers:  Camille Brule, Emma Hewson, Cati Hewson, Georgia Kratt, Mills Kratt and Mikalia Thomason.  Their goal was to raise $100 and they were able to make $100.05!  This allowed the group to purchase a brick.  No word yet on the inscription they chose for their brick but bet it was as creative as their lemonade stand.

As we have said before in this column, scout troops, book clubs, writing groups, and Sunday school classes – you can certainly match what these ladies have done and buy a brick with your organization’s name inscribed on it.  Just stop by the Davidson Public Library and pick up a form.  The task force raising the $175,000 is within $20,000 of its goal and needs your help for this final push to call the campaign a success.  What fun it will be next spring to walk on the patio and find your very own brick!

“COME WITH ME TO DAVIDSON”

We like the sound of that:  “Come with me to Davidson.” So did creative artists and good friends, Alice Garbrick and Kathy Feezor.  Back in 2007 they introduced their first product, a hand-drawn map of the town with watercolor painting of 12 Davidson town buildings.  Then they produced note cards featuring eight of the historic downtown buildings.  Now they have a book which is receiving rave reviews from customers.

This past January an Ohio friend of Alice’s asked if she remembered the children’s book from growing up in their small town.  Another idea was born and now is a reality.  Finished just last month, self published with help from the printer on the layout, Kathy and Alice “birthed” this delightful children’s book called “Come with Me to Davidson.”

The book follows Percy the cat as he goes on an adventure visiting in Davidson and hopes to learn to purr.  His journey takes him to buildings on Main Street and of course, being a cat, he ends up at Davidson College.  (In addition to the story, each page includes an interesting note about the building Percy is visiting.)

The book is selling for $12.  You will see Kathy and Alice during Christmas in Davidson but if you need a copy before December, go to www.davidsonwatercolor.com and download an order sheet.  Get the sheet to Alice and she will deliver a book to your home.  These ladies will even personally sign the books if requested.  What a nice Christmas gift for children of all ages.

An additional source of “Come with Me to Davidson” would be to visit these ladies on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 22-23, from 9-noon, at Alice’s home in River Run (18801 Maplecroft Lake Lane).  At that time there will be a 2^nd Annual Fine Arts Show and Sale featuring artists and authors including Alice and Kathy as well as Ginger Bowman, Charlotte Lundy, Brenda Forouzad, and Brooke Powell.  Drop in for coffee and some early holiday shopping.

“BEAUTIFUL YOU”

Rosie Molinary is no stranger to residents of Davidson.  Married to Mike Kessler, mother of Abe, Rosie is a Davidson College graduate, a frequent contributor to the Lake Norman magazine, a lecturer at UNC-Charlotte and a well respected author (www.rosiemolinary.com).  Her successful first book, “Hijas Americanas:  Beauty, Body Image, and Growing up Latina” was published in 2007.  Now she has a new volume called “Beautiful You:  A Daily guide to Radical Self-Acceptance.” This past Saturday evening was the book release party with a large crowd enjoying beautiful weather and wonderful fellowship at Summit Coffee on Main Street in Davidson while having a chance to see Rosie’s new publication.

In this book, Rosie focuses on how women can regain their inner brilliance, one day at a time.  It is a year-long guide for women of all ages.  Rosie provides 365 ways for women to shore up confidence, encourage self-awareness while providing instruction they need to regain self-esteem and change their lives.  Published by Seal Press, the book retails for $16.95.  For more information, go to rosiemolinary.com. Congratulations, Rosie, on your newest book.

NOTEWORTHY NOTES

Fall is made for pumpkins, harvest decorations, witches, goblins and … apples!  Growing up in New England, there was only one kind of apples worth mentioning:  Macintosh!  Nothing else would be worthy of eating or cooking.  This family recipe was never made without using the New England apple of choice but over the years, Southern living has made me appreciate Rome, Stayman, Winesap, Fuji and many other apples which seem to stand up pretty well in comparison testing.  Print this easy recipe, try it a time or two, and bet you will tuck it into a favorite cookbook for those crisp fall evenings when the family begins their post dinner chant:  “What’s for dessert?”

APPLE CRISP

4 cups peeled, sliced tart apples

½ cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

¾ cup flour

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ cup butter (one stick)

Mound apples in a buttered 9 inch pie plate.  Sprinkle with orange juice.  Combine remaining ingredients and scatter over apples.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serve with cream or ice cream.  Serves 6.

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Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbarger@bellsouth.net.