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American History, books, booksigning, historical taverns, Memoir

Book reading/signing at the Vance Co. Genealogy Society, Henderson NC

Author Arlene Bice in Colonial garb.
Author Arlene Bice in Colonial garb.

Come out to hear the unprinted, inside story of The Afternoon Crowd at the American House Tavern program, written by Arlene S. Bice dressed in colonial garb. The program is hosted by the Vance County Genealogy Society during their monthly meeting on Monday, October 12, 2015 at 6:30 P.M. in the Farm Bureau room of the Perry Memorial Library in Henderson, NC.

This is a fun book as well as recording the history of the 70s, set in the middle of horse country. Bring in your book to be signed or purchase one there for $10. Please plan to attend this informative meeting. All VCGS meetings are open to the public.

American History, Bordentown, historical taverns, Poetry

AMERICAN HOUSE TAVERN PICTURES

The_Afternoon_Crowd_Cover_for_Kindlejpgam hs pic

Bill-the owner, Roger the hoagie man, Mike-former owner, and The Candy Man Bill

Scenes from the American House Tavern-the subject for The Afternoon Crowd. Bill-the owner is a basic who threads in and out of the stories. Roger, the hoagie man-who made the best hoagies ever, ever, ever, will appear in another volume. Mike will appear in the next volume, too. Bill- the candy man has his bit of story in the book.

Every town and every house has its own stories to tell. Taverns are the best places for learning about human nature, how people think, and sometimes why they think the way they do. It was a job between careers and I loved it!

Signed copies of The Afternoon Crowd can be found at Randy Now’s ManCave at 134 Farnsworth Ave. or at the Old Bookshop at 200 Farnsworth Ave. in Bordentown, NJ. Or, you may order it from me if you want an inscription, or from Amazon.com. $10 wherever you buy it. Enjoy!

First Friday Poetry Night, Poetry, Warren FoodWorks

AN EXCEPTIONAL FIRST FRIDAY POETRY NIGHT

2015-9-4 FFP
The September First Friday continues to exceed my expectations! I thought that the holiday weekend would bring us a small group dedicated to our efforts of bringing poetry and oral expression to Warren County. Instead, the Warren Food Works (WFW) was packed with a diverse crowd from 18 to 80 mingling, enjoying each other while eating, drinking, and soaking up the words cast out into the atmosphere.

A wide range of poetic subjects seeping from the hearts of writers-Warren County writers, and Virginia writers, too, silenced the room with absorption. The always-welcome songs sung so beautifully by Shavon Russell Jones and afterwards, her sister, (forgive me I didn’t get her name.) A big surprise to everyone when volunteer from behind the bar, Cris Hunter ended the evening with the most beautiful rendition of Nature Boy. It brought some tears for the beauty of it. Their voices were like melted chocolate, velvety smooth and mesmerizing to everyone.

Miranda Medlin offered a stirring presentation, taking all into her realm. Devonte, a poet from our last year anthology Sitting with a Drunken Sorceress gave us his words and Travis Bullock continues to bring people in just to hear what he has to tell us.

So many others came to read, to share thoughts, feelings, and to merely listen. It was a very full night; a night to show Thomas Park what his dream has wrought; a night to make him proud for all his efforts.

American History, historical taverns, Memoir, New Jersey history, Poetry

READY FOR YOU TO READ!

am house 70slynn, bernadette, me, kathyparty timeroger-dodger, bill

Shown in these pics are Lynn, Bernadette, Me, Kathy.  Mike Walsh & others. roger-dodger & Bill. Stories from my younger days about the people I met tending bar. Meet Alabama Bob, Rodger-dodger, Johnnie Reb, the French-Canadians, the Horsey Set and more. These are stories of one person’s visions from the other side of the bar. The Afternoon Crowd is based at the American House Tavern in the rural, historical, New Egypt, New Jersey.

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PIRATES ON THE LAKE

Moon full Linda bestMoon full boat ride 8 29 2016 water and cloudsIt was a magical, mystical night on Lake Gaston
the first full supermoon of the year promising to
revive enchantment, serendipitous messages of
nature, a culmination of the summer of 2015 before
the Virgo harvest of planting in the earth began in reality.

On this evening when the world gazed at the same
full supermoon at the same time; our moon would
follow the path of the late winter sun and the sun’s
path for six months; a supermoon indeed.

All water vehicles had gone home, hooting as they
passed, not knowing the sacredness of our laden boat
or the independent meditations and ceremonies
planned with great care and anticipation.

Wanting to free my soul of entanglements
ethereal currents ran through me as surely
as passing water crafts created currents to
rock our boat, a way to gain our attention.

Yet it was the moon teasing us by peeking
in and out of the mournfully colored clouds
that caught our thoughts and held them until
we pulled up anchor, quietly, and slowly made
our way home.

Arlene Sandra Bice (C) 8/31/2015
Photos by Lisa Hagan

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The Afternoon Crowd of the American House Tavern

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While tending bar is a lot of work, although good bartenders don’t appear to be working hard, if you like the study of people, it is grand. I love people; our differences, our sameness, and our stories. For as many as we are on this earth, we each have a personal story that is unique. We have reasons, whys, and wherefores that mold us into who we are today.

While Stanley Dancer was a great horseman with a good reputation as an individual, I had met him, but did not know him on a personal level. I did come to know many of the people who worked for him and for other horse trainers in the Plumsted Township area. They were teachers about their professions to me. Working with and around horses was a daily chore; no taking off sick days, or Christmas. The animals must be fed and tended to and these people chose a life style that did not afford them luxuries. I admired them greatly; came to love them for who they were, what they were willing to sacrifice to be where they were, and what jobs they did.

Please enjoy an excerpt from THE HORSEY SET

they came with bruised, calloused hands
coarser than sandpaper
to lift a shot of whiskey chased by a
cold mug of beer,
a reward
for hard work done out in the elements,
thanks not given
except
what they gave themselves;

not a lot of time
to linger; even on
Christmas Day
horses had regular schedules
to keep
and these
workers were there
to keep ‘em

American History, booksigning, Memoir, poetic narrative, Poetry

The Afternoon Crowd at the American House Tavern *new book out

The_Afternoon_Crowd_Cover_for_Kindlejpg    A bolt of lightning came out of the sky and struck me in the spring of this year. This book is the result of that moment. I have no idea which of my deceased ancestors dredged up these old memories and sent them to me or why it came, but it lifted me out of a gloomy week, filling me with so much laughter while I wrote it and again, when I re-wrote it.

This easy-to-read poetic narrative is of my few years tending bar at the American House Tavern, in the middle of the horse country of New Egypt, New Jersey, in the 70s. I share my take on the people who came into my life at that time, in that place. This is my interpretation of those sitting across the bar from me while I scooted around, pouring beers, mixing cocktails, and playing amateur psychologist, sometimes matchmaker.

The books are being printed up now and available on Amazon in hardcopy and e-mode. If you would like a signed copy, or one inscribed to your best friend, lover, relative, etc. please send $12 (includes shipping) using Paypal or a check in snail mail.

If you enjoy it, please write a review.

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THE SALE GOES ON . . . .

THE SALE GOES ON. . .Aug. 22, Saturday 7 a.m. items shown will be sold. Brian Baker & Shelia’s, too, Sorting out has been a journey. Grown. Groan is more like it. The horrors of moving include sorting, tossing out what hasn’t been used in 10 years-even 5 years, re-reading cards & letters-do I continue to save them-donating, I won’t be saying ciao to my friends. Thankfully.
Please spread the word. 434 S. Holiday Dr. Lake Gaston Estates, Macon NC 252-257-4838.DSCF3905DSCF3903DSCF3897DSCF3907

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MOVING, MOVING, MOVING

MOVING, MOVING, MOVING. Aug. 22, Saturday 7 a.m. items shown will be sold. Now I know why people stay in houses that they have long ago outgrown. Grown. Groan is more like it. The horrors of moving include sorting, tossing out what hasn’t been used in 10 years-even 5 years, re-reading cards & letters-do I continue to save them-donating, eating what is in the fridge & pantry-less to move, and saying adieu to this lovely house that has welcomed me into its nooks n’ crannies. I won’t be saying ciao to my friends ‘cause I’m only moving a short distance away. Thankfully.
Please spread the word. The ad and address is in the Warren Record.DSCF3897DSCF3903DSCF3905 DSCF3900

book review, books, First Friday Poetry Night

more on WRITING DOWN YOUR SOUL by Janet Conner

writ soul

If you have been awake at all, you must have heard that writing is healing. You don’t have to be a writer, or English teacher, or a good speller, you just have to put your pen/pencil in hand and put it to the paper. No PC or Mac or word processor for this one. Paper & pen. That’s all. No one else is going to read or critique it. You can throw it away when you are finished if you like.

Why write? Because it works. More than the writing, being healing; Conner leads us to do the writing we need. She leads us to emotions even if we don’t know how to get into them, she does. Writing is visual-we see it on the page and what we are writing is pictured in our mind; auditory-we hear what we are saying as we write; and sensory-we feel the pen, the paper, the physical act of writing.

Writing is a mystical experience. Conner takes us into forgiving those who have cut us deeply. You know, the ones that left us scarred for life. The scars may be hidden from the public, but we know they are there. Plus, she shows us why we must forgive, how we benefit by this act as well as the person who hurt you. Conner is extremely honest in her writing, allowing her anguish to fall onto the pages. She holds nothing back. Compassion comes out of that.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, I may do another post on this book. That’s how important I believe it is, to spread the word. It’s my way of helping someone as I have been helped. I uncovered events that I had thought I’d forgotten-thought I’d healed. Surprise! I had just buried them. There is a big difference.

I have had miracles to prove it.