Book Talk with Rebecca Rivera

Hello, welcome to Book Talk. I'm going to chat about The Catcher in the Rye today and I don't promise to avoid spoilers. I like to discuss books with those who have already read them. Let's dig in there and hash out what we liked, what we didn't and talk about all the good stuff, INCLUDING spoilers. So if you are one of those "Uh, dun't spoil meh!" readers, then these book talks may not be for you. But if you have read the book and want to vent your frustrations or share the high of your favorite scene, by all means, read on and let's chat in the comments below. And now, for today's Book Talk: I feel as if everyone who claims themselves to be a reader must read this book. It's one of those titles that is thrown around as a good book or something. However, now that I've read it, I can't remember one thing I heard about the book before I opened its covers. So I'll just tell you what I thought of it. First of all, I want...

Thank you for joining me last week on our Small Town Businesses series. Today we're talking about the thing that fuels us all: food. And festivals. Every year my town holds a street fair and BBQ cook off. Companies and individuals begin the night before smoking their hogs, some even sleeping in the street beside their smokers. Last year by 10 am all but one vendor had sold out of pork ribs already. You gotta get there early. Here is a clip of me eating my prize, grateful to have found one person remaining who still had ribs available. I look forward to more of these sticky ribs. My husband and I will be hitting the square before 10 am this year to have our pick of the best ribs of the year. Last year we enjoyed wagon rides, music and dancing, and, of course, ribs! We also made a visit to the pre-game festivities on Friday night where we watched more dancing and music. Our excitement grew as vendors set up booths and those in the hog cooking competition got r...

I'd like to introduce you to our last featured small town shop. Twenty-three-year-old Dana Harn is the daughter of Deborah Harn, the owner of yesterday's featured shop, Vance Street Market Flower Shop. Dana will be opening Southern Roots Florist, Gifts and Event Rentals on Front Street in Warsaw this month. Like her mother, Dana, too, wanted to run her own business. Because of the help of dear friend and stellar designer, Stacey McNeil, Dana was able to quit her job in Maryland and return to North Carolina to begin work on opening a florist shop. Creativity: Though Stacey will be in charge of design at the new location, Dana is also discovering a talent for creating floral and decorative arrangements. Dana finds inspiration from the creativity of others and discovering new things. "It helps me expand my own creativity and develop my style. I end up loving things I would not have otherwise thought of." Dana is drawn to decorative items that lend themselves wel...

Meet Deborah Harn, owner of Vance Street Market Flower Shoppe on the square in Clinton. Deborah's shop is a full service florist shop, offering a unique style inspired by Deborah's love of nature. Deborah creates wreaths and arrangements for every occasion: birthdays, anniversaries and parties of every kind. She also serves local brides, creating bouquets, centerpieces and flower arrangements for their weddings. Deborah also offers unique home decor options. Creativity: Deborah opened Vance Street Market Flower Shoppe in October 2014. She had dreamed of owning her own florist shop all her life. For years she worked in a variety of jobs, including florist shops. Finally, four years ago she realized, "I'm not getting any younger. If I don't do it now, I'll never do it," and she finally opened her own shop. She fills her space with pieces that appeal to her, woodsy branches, greenery and figurines reflecting a woodland appeal. "I see...

Today I'd like to introduce you to Deborah Thompson. She owns a shop, also on the square in Clinton, called Simply NC. Each of her products have been made in North Carolina or feature North Carolina. Deborah's goal is to have at least one product from each of the 100 counties in North Carolina.  Deborah's shop is a gift store and a coffee shop. My favorite part of the store is the coffee shop. Comfortable seating surrounds a fireplace where customers can sip on coffee drinks made with beans roasted in North Carolina or indulge in unique ice cream flavors like Campfire Delight made in our city's capital, Raleigh. Deborah also sells made-to-order gift baskets that can be filled with a variety of items such as homemade jams and jellies, muscadine juice made from her own vineyard, Crooked Run Vineyards; and a variety of crackers, nuts, dip mixes, handmade soaps, pottery and novelty items like these cute tooth savers. Deborah opened Simp...