I am not one to be snagged by most tourist traps. We passed Wall Drug. We would pass the World's Largest Ball of Twine. I thought about passing the World's Largest Wooden Spoon Store in East Glacier, Montana (also known as The Spiral Spoon - http://www.thespiralspoon.com/), but something drew we inside the tiny shop. Thank goodness.We were met by an incredible artist named Jo whose beautifully-crafted spoons hung all around us. Though she obviously works hours to shape the many-hued spoons, she was quick to tell stories, and we were happy to listen. She told of how she does not know just how many hours one spoon takes her to create because she stops to talk or trades one spoon project for something else. She told of her days as an English teacher (no wonder she is a good storyteller). She told of some of the more interesting woods she likes to use. She told us the supposed history of the surrounding buildings.
I departed with a black walnut spoon and the adoption papers for it (which are entertaining to read!), and my son purchased a wand crafted from purple heart. The latter led to a wand ceremony during which she gave him the information about when it was completed, told him about the wood's properties, and relayed things he might like to know about what magic the wand could impart.
Go there if you ever visit the area. I went twice, just to hear more stories.
A wand ceremony? How cool is that!
ReplyDeleteLove these - and also the agates you mentioned on my blog!
ReplyDeleteeven here in vermont i get a sense of the magic she wove around you and your loved ones.
ReplyDeleteTHIS is the type of souvenir store that is worth visiting! Think of all the great memories (and stories) that will be evoked every time you use that black walnut spoon. That's REAL magic!
ReplyDeleteAs a former English teacher, I could have used the wand spoon. I used to own a magic wand (with a star at the end holding blinking lights), for recalcitrant students. If I touched one of them, they would magically disappear and wind up in the Dean's office. Funniest thing...often it would disappear and have to be replaced.
ReplyDeleteWhere is this magical spoon place located?
Love your template...very appropriate for an ex-librarian.
The wand ceremony was cool, Joyce. She keeps a large book with the notes about the wands she has made. The previous night, a young boy sat atop the stool in the wand room and demanded a rather expensive wand. Jo tried to persuade him otherwise and then told him about the wand being used only for good...and that if he ever used it to hurt someone else, his mom was to break it in half and send the pieces back to Montana! Powerful.
ReplyDeleteYour magic wand, Kate, was powerful indeed. I can imagine it deterring some behaviors. Most certainly it disappeared because they were enchanted with it.
The Spiral Spoon is located in East Glacier, Montana, and they ship for free to anywhere in the U.S. Going there, though, is magical.
"The Spiral Spoon" has a magical pull as you drive past the little shack. I use my spiral spatula/spoon regularly. Originally it was going to be a wall decoration, but I just love the feel of it, and the memories as I use it. Jo is darling, personable and yes, a great storyteller. She had us fully convinced that her " special snake oil" was the key to the spoon's long life... then ended with, "But mineral oil will save you a few bucks," and winked. Your posts about Glacier have brought back so many of my fondest memories. You too are a great storyteller!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad someone else witnessed Jo's incredible stories, Tja. I love what she wrote about her special snake oil in my spoon's adoption papers. I thought about just hanging my spoon in the kitchen, but I want to bring her magic to my baking :)
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