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| The Weekly Newsletter for March 17 - 21, 2014 |
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One month ago was the Valentine Moon: it rose at sunset, and set at sunrise, giving sweethearts the chance to have romantic moonlight the entire night long. We are now one moon away from Laurey's passing, and a swift passage it has been. (One of her best BEE friends tells us she is now one of the STAR people! We like that one!)
If you have visited Laurey's Cafe in the past weeks, you may have had an opportunity to view the notes of love posted on the walls outside her office. We have consolidated all the creations into one large RED (of course) binder, and invite you to sit and browse the terrific notes. I took a few snaps before they left the walls, and feature some colorful love here.
The City Council is issuing a special resolution of thanks for Laurey at a brief ceremony in the city building this TUESDAY, March 18th. (1 pm in the 1st floor north conference room). Join us if you're in the neighborhood!
There are so many NEW things happening at Laurey's shop, and I will share them with you as they appear - gorgeous new photographs, a marvelous mosaic is in creation, and always, always delicious food is served by cheerful marvelous people.
I have in mind to revisit Laurey's habit of introducing her staff to you - have the snaps shots, need the interviews - coming up, coming up!
- from Heather Masterton
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Laurey's notes (from a lifetime of writing)
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[So much has been written about Laurey and her life projects these past weeks, but of course the best spokesman is Laurey herself. In this column we present archival reprints of her messages. This is an early newsletter from her online records.]
March 22, 2004
I just got back from a jaunt to The British Virgin Islands. Zounds, it was nice! Warm, soft sea air; bathing in salt water; snorkeling; some pretty thrilling sailing; and, well, an all-around fun time with some friends from the northern lands. It was my second trip with them and we all had a good time.
On the way home, Sunday, I was happily settled into my seat on the plane, headed home in time to have a full day of recuperation before getting back to work. I was buried in a book, comfortable, happy enough to be heading home, when I heard a fuss going on across the aisle. A passenger was complaining about his seat and was demanding to be re-seated. Well, if you have ever come home from the Caribbean on a Sunday during Cruise Season, you know that there ARE no extra seats. An announcement came over the intercom, pleading for a volunteer to get off the plane. I heard the usual offer of a free plane ticket and didn't much pay attention to the rest. But, I thought to myself, what the heck? Why not? I had the day off on Monday anyway, right? I raised my hand, volunteering to get off.
The plane's passengers erupted into applause, I got off, the grump took my now-vacant seat, and the airline folks and I stood and watched the passenger walkway move away from the plane.
"You're going to have a GREAT time!" the airline representative chirped. "We're going to put you up in a First Class Hotel in the middle of the historic district of Old San Juan. You'll get dinner, breakfast, and lunch; taxis to and from the hotel; seating in the 1st Class section of the plane on your flight tomorrow AND a free ticket anywhere you want to go sometime in the next year."
I had imagined I would just go to the hotel and read but she was right! They did indeed put me up in a lovely, elegant small hotel in the midst of the old district. I put my boat bag in the room (no luggage as it had gone on to Asheville without me) and went out to explore. I wandered toward music, following cobblestoned alleys and narrow steps down to the water's edge where a show was getting ready to begin. I hiked myself up onto an old stone wall and sat, mesmerized by a troop of young dancers who danced the history of the island in bright colored dresses and spiffy looking white trousers. EVERYONE was dancing along. Grandfathers and grandmothers Rumbaed and Salsaed with unconscious pleasure. Mothers took babies out of strollers and swung them around to the beat. Vendors sold just-made pastries filled with creamy drizzles of sweetness. Lights, strung in trees, twinkled. I could not believe my good fortune!
I wandered back to the hotel and wandered into the cafe, sat on a bar stool, had a beer and ate some dazzlingly fresh Sushi before strolling back to my room where I took a shower, used up all the little bottles of all the stuff, put on their fancy robe and drifted off to a deep and lovely sleep.
Yesterday morning I got up, ate a fantastic breakfast of truly spectacular fresh fruit, had some excellent coffee and read the paper, catching up on all the Puerto Rican gossip. I then spent the next three hours wandering around the old city, following paths to the water, watching ships, surfers, cats, strollers, runners. I climbed up to the lawn of the fort and watched fathers and mothers teaching their children how to fly kites, which everyone was doing! Finally I went back to the hotel, washed my face, checked out, caught a cab, got my boarding pass, tucked myself into my first class seat, and read all the way home.
This, my friends, is the way to end a vacation!
(But I'm still glad to be home.)
Cheers,
Laurey
[source: Laurey's Cafe and Catering newsletter, March 22, 2004]
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Dinners to go for the week
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Here are dinners to go for this week. This, if you do not know, is a fabulous way to have dinner. It's easy - just call us by noon
and your dinner will be ready for you to pick up by 3 that very day.
You can stop by to pick yours up until we close at 8.
Add salad (3.25) or bread (1.25) if you like.
Monday, March 17
Irish Stew with Local Lamb & Red Potatoes 11.95
Tuesday, March 18
Spanakopita with Lemon Feta Tabouli 8.25
Wednesday, March 19
Herb Roasted Chicken Quarters with Walnut Cherry Cous-Cous 8.95
Thursday March 20
Spring Chicken with Peas & Asparagus 8.95
Friday, March 21
Tuscan Grilled Trout with Wild Rice Pilaf 12.95
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Casserole and Lasagnas to go
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The Casserole of the week:
March 19 Local Beef Shepherd's Pie Whole: 55 Half: 27.50
The Lasagna of the week:
March 21: Artichoke, Arugula & Chevre Whole: 39 Half: 19.50
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We LOVE Laurey! Play with your food!
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A couple of quick shots from our recent visit to The Littles in Kentucky: Jones enjoying the best and the biggest strawberry in the house!
Our friend Leslie told us she and her teen were reminiscing about his accidental visit to the TEDxAsheville talks a few years ago. (They meant to buy tickets for one night, but ended up on another - at that time he had clearly expressed his heartfelt grumpy desire to be somewhere ELSE!)
Anyway, they consequently accidentally caught Laurey's talk about BEES...which of course the whole family loved. The other day, reading the news over his Mom's shoulder, he found out she was gone.
"Oh, Mom!", he gasped, "the BEE Lady!?"
"I LOVED her", he sighed.
Yeahhhh..... Kids love Laurey, and we are so glad they are here to remind us of the importance of really being involved with your food, and where it comes from, and how to grow it. Maybe a garden for yours this summer?
- Jones' strawberry photo links to Laurey's TED talk about bees! or click here!
Laurey's TED Asheville talk, September 2010, fresh from her trip to the White House.
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 We approach the day of Laurey's Celebration of Life, as she passed away one moon ago.
**The Cafe will be closed this coming Saturday, March 22nd, ** so the staff can take a day to attend the 2 pm service, at the First Baptist Church in downtown Asheville.
The service will be joyfully conducted by Howard Hanger, leader extraordinaire of the Jubilee! Community, Laurey's church. The music provided by the Jubilee! singers and special guests, including our own Jenna Lindbo.
We know the sanctuary can hold almost 800 people, which may or may not be enough. The Baptist Church is graciously hosting us there, and loving chefs of Asheville are providing a little light refreshment to follow (in the church's atrium and overflowing into the gymnasium, which IS big enough!) We will be taking a video of the service, again courtesy of the staff and facilities of the church, and I will figure out how post a link to it here, if you are out of town or just can't fit into the building.
The bells and chimes of the Building of the City of Asheville will ring for 15 minutes before the service.
Wherever this note finds you next Saturday afternoon, perhaps you can pause in the sunshine, to send love to all of your own and all of our own; we will be holding this special girl in our hearts.
- special thanks to artist David Cohen for his portrait
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JOY Ride - Saturday, May 17, 2014 Ride or dream!
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So many of you ask what can you do to support us, and (other than coming HERE for breakfast, lunch and dinner), this is our favorite recommendation:
Here as usual, the link for Laurey Masterton's JOYRide, Saturday, May 17 at 1 pm, supporting the amazing work of the folks at LiveSTRONG at our local YMCA.
Kids! Fun! Games! Food! Watch people go off bicycling! (This is what I do!) Cheers as they come back! (Still me.) Eat more food! (Still me.) Have fun!
...and THANK YOU so much for your ongoing support for Adam Thome's May 31st 24-mike hike for Henry's Make-A-Wish. His project is coming along quite nicely! Go Adam!!
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