Since Rachel’s school doesn’t start until January, last week she and I spent the week on Joy Mountain. Nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks, Joy Mountain is the beautiful community where I grew up. Most of the people I know from my adult life don’t know that my true hometown is Joy. They think I am from Rose Bud. I tell people I am from Rose Bud because that is where I graduated high school and that Joy, a suburb of Rose Bud, didn’t have a school or post office. Can’t make up this stuff! We spent the majority of the week with my parents, Rachel’s MawMaw and Popie, and other family. We also visited some nearby friends including my former 4-H leaders, Mae Ann and Wayne, who gave Rachel this pink house.
It is from Mae Ann’s Christmas village and you can be certain that it is a treasure to Rachel and me!
Daddy wanted to review the Razorback’s football schedule …… five times. Yes, five times we reviewed the schedule and discussed if they would be better than the experts predicted and who we thought we could realistically beat. We had already had that discussion twice by phone. That was okay though because one of my favorite things is college football with my daddy. We also discussed our enthusiasm and high hopes for our new Coach, Chad Morris. I also watched part of four Cardinal baseball games. They are back on the upswing and daddy is very serious about Cardinal baseball. Mom cooked what she calls a country dinner with ham, purple hull peas, fried okra, fried potatoes, coleslaw, fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, and buttermilk cornbread. All of that tastes better when she cooks it, and I love it. Oh and of course, we had an ample supply of Yarnell’s Woo Pig Chewy Ice Cream.
One of the highlights of the week for me was visiting the newest Rose Bud business, the Honeysuckle Mercantile.
The Honeysuckle Mercantile is an amazing little bakery that had opened only the week before in Rose Bud. I was especially excited because the business owner, Cendie Fry Daley, was one of my little brother’s best friends. I realized I had not seen her since he passed away 31 years ago. We all grew up together. Our dads had grown up together and then played fast pitch softball together. I don’t really remember a time when we didn’t now their family. It was fun to see Cendie in her role as a business owner, mom, grandma with her two daughters and precious grandson. She recently lost her mom to ovarian cancer. As we talked about Kenny and her mom and caught up, my eyes welled with tears. Took me back in time and the tears were unexpected. Then, I went and saw her sister Debbie who was one of my dear friends growing up. It was great to see her and again, made my eyes tear as memories flooded my heart.
Cendie and her daughters, Heather and Amanda, opened the bakery in the old post office building in Rose Bud. The baked goods and pastries were outstanding. I learned both of her daughters have degrees in family and consumer sciences, and they use a lot of family recipes. I don’t remember the last time I ate a homemade cinnamon roll, but the one I purchased there was outstanding. I took my mom a blueberry lemon scone. She let me taste it, and it was pretty yummy. I took Rachel a friend chocolate pie. She loves all things chocolate. The fried pie was actually a baked fried pie and it didn’t last long. Rachel tried a sugar cookie later in the week and I tried a cream cheese Danish. Everything was beautifully displayed and what I would describe as kind of vintage look. I had planned to buy a loaf of homemade bread, but when I stopped back by, they were sold out!
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In addition to the baked goods, they have some Arkansas products for sale. Candles, scarves, some artwork, grain-fed beef, souvenirs and the particular week I was there, some fresh peaches.
They have a few tables and chairs scattered, but my favorite area was the corner with chairs and a sofa. It was very cozy and would be a great place to have pastries and coffee with a friend, or read a book. My only complaint was they need WIFI so my husband or I can come there and do our work when we visit my family. Our phone provider and my family’s home are not friends.
I love small town and home town businesses and I am very proud of Cendie and her daughters for opening the Honeysuckle Mercantile and that Rose Bud has such a cute little venue. So if you are heading to Greers Ferry Lake or find yourself near Rose Bud, Arkansas, make a point of stopping in at amazing Honesuckle Mercantile. You will not be disappointed unless of course you are late in the day and everything is gone when you arrive!
