WEDNESDAY MARCH 4 2026, BRANDY MARTINI $8 SPECIAL – Most folks think martinis are not their favorite since the heat of the alcohol is too intense. We welcome the Brandy Martini! With little alcohol heat and sooooo smooooth that it can become addictive! But, warning it is still all alcohol – no fruit juices! SALUTE
Thursday March 5 2026 – Honoring Baby Girl’s life Specials – (long but rewarding reading) Divisiveness,2 hatred, meanness, confliction,……..all this and more are penetrating our lives so we were thinking about the good of some folks, and our minds return to “Baby Girl.” Well, she was a survivor. As we later learned, we all had our pet names for her – Tiger, Baby Girl, Boo, etc. Mary Cervini, what a remarkable person, started one of the first animal rescue programs in the county and later realized that the solution may not be rescue but spay/neuter. So, she started setting up a program to catch, neuter, and release as many stray dogs and cats as she possibly could. Thank you Mary!! She took a particular interest in “Hendersonville’s Dog,” as did I. Mary contacted all animal shelters and possible collection points for strays and asked them to be on the look for what most thought of as “this mut.” If sited or caught Mary was to be notified and would take possession.
The Dog roamed freely from Hardees on South Main (now TD Bank) to the small mall on 25 North (Goodwill Store drop-off) about 3 miles. She would venture off the main drag into the adjoining streets – anywhere she could pick up some crumbs. Our story started with feeding the stray we named Boo in the summer of 2015, and although sporadic, she caught on quickly and was a regular at my feeding station, and so it would come to pass at many of her admirers’ stations. Bottom line, we all had compassion and a love for her!
Mary noted a very large growth on The Dog’s chest that was scary and needed attention so the search and capture for her became more intense. Mary heard of a sighting of The dog that had crawled beneath an abandoned shed belonging to the American Red Cross (across the street from the HC Courthouse) So, she sprang into action, taking a leash and husband (in that order) to the sighting of “The Dog” she proceeded to crawl underneath the broken-down shed with leash in hand. The dog cowered underneath the floor and Mary (she intuitively knew the dog was not a biter?) hooked the leash and dragged the poor animal out. The Dog began to hysterically jump in circles, yanking and pulling desperately to become free again. But Mary held on and took the hysterical animal to the local vet to be sedated and diagnosed. The growth on the chest was much larger than anticipated and needed immediate medical attention. So, how to raise enough money in a short time to get the surgery? We agreed to spend 4 hours asking for money. This quest to raise funds introduced us to our real community – those pockets of humanity lying there, waiting to be touched- and my “Boo”, the innocent, grabbed those souls. Setting out on 7th to raise salvation funds, we approached Underground Bakery who gave money, Kilpatrick Upholstery who had followed the dog for years, gave; as we strolled down King Street we encountered more of Boo’s devotees – AAA Bonds had established a special feeding station at the southeast corner of their building, filling the bowls daily, and across the street at Roper Insurance and Apple Country Realty, same MO. Then heading back north to Seventh, we passed Youngblood Oil Company, who placed food dishes under the back of the building, and across the street at Auto Werx – yes, they too put out food for “Tiger.” The underground Bakery told the story that one day they saw “the dog” dragging the leg of a deer down the middle of the street and assumed she had caught a deer (It was later revealed that the bones had been given to “Boo” from M & M Freezer Locker) We had to break the news since we did not want anyone thinking Boo was a dear killer.
Well, the community rallied and enough was collected to make a dent in the surgery that “Boo” would need. Marvelous Mary took “Boo” to the vet, where she received the surgery, and a 5-pound cancerous tumor was removed from her chest on July 23, 2015. Although her time would be limited, there was hope for some quality time left. In fact, she went to live with Mary, who had 4 other dogs and a very large backyard. Boo fit nicely in the family and passed away peacefully on Friday, March 18, 2016, at 1:30 PM in the compassionate arms of Mary. For The Dog she re-named “Baby Girl.” Mary had an open visitation sent to all those who had known her and given names and ..monies. Several went and were able to touch the friend they had cared for from afar. Baby Girl, Tiger, Boo – continue to be remembered with love. Baby Girl’s Traits Cocktails: Gentle – Courvoisier, Benedictine; Humble – Applejack, grenadine, lemon juice; Lucky – Courvoisier, lemon juice, simple syrup, topped with Champagne; Survivor- CB Frost, gin, dry vermouth; 1/2 price Worldly flight
PLACE ON YOUR CALENDARS – NC Writers Network and The Brandy Bar hosts “In the Company of Writers” featuring authors Alida Woods and Paige Gilchrist. For fuller details visit: https://www.facebook.com/events