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Find out what's new and interesting in Garden Valley, with Marilyn Rich.

THE RED ROOSTER HAS HEART (and a whole lot more)

By Marilyn Rich

I recall a movie from several years ago entitled “Where the Heart Is.” The show was about a pregnant teenager who was abandoned by her loser boyfriend in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart in Oklahoma. Never underestimate the power of fear. The heroine ends up being resilient, resourceful, and a resident of Wal-Mart. If you didn’t see this movie, you missed a good show with an uplifting message. The viewer actually becomes convinced it is possible to reside in a retail store. Keep in mind, however, that was not a hard sale for me. I could easily slip into the Red Rooster on Market Street in Crouch, ID, and make it my home. The owner, Mariann Steen, has created a shop so charming I feel instant delight when I enter the store. Well wait a minute, let’s back up here…I am captivated even before I get into store, just by looking at the front porch!

The store has several large rooms, including a fully furnished bedroom with an amazing collection of quilts and fabric. The antique bed, all made up with beautiful pillows, sheets, and blankets, affects me the same way my Grandma’s feather bed did when I was a kid. I want to crawl in for an afternoon nap.

The Red Rooster has more than antiques. Check out the upstairs and you’ll discover a striking collection of women’s clothing along with plenty of shoes, hats, jewelry, and belts to accessorize.

Opie Taylor’s “Aunt B “would have a hard time making a living room and kitchen seem more hospitable than Mariann’s arrangement of tables and chairs, hutches, benches, dishes and linens. Mariann’s beautiful handmade rugs and quilts are abundant. Every wall, covered with unique décor, is a visual treat.

But everyone knows that material things alone do not create a warm and loving home. Believe me, I could live at the Red Rooster not just because of the things inside, but because the place has heart. And the source is Mariann. The woman is a nurturer. A giver.

Several years ago, when I was in her shop, Mariann, invited my friend and I to use one of her tables for sandwiches we bought from the Merc. Then she joined us for a fun and memorable lunch.

My neighbor, Carol, once bought me a small refrigerator magnet from the Red Rooster. Carol and I got a good laugh when I opened the gift, not because it was a joke gift, but because Mariann knowing it was a present had wrapped the tiny, inexpensive magnet in a whole lot of tissue paper and then placed it in a coordinating gift bag adorned with a profusion of ribbon. Mariann did not make a profit on that sale.

Often Mariann’s grandchildren and her yellow lab, Gracie, will help her in the shop. She has five adult children and fifteen grandchildren. Mariann says she has been married to the “right man,” Ken, for 25 years. Mariann is devoted to her family and country living. I think this comes from her lineage. Her ancestors, the Scanlens and Castles came to Garden Valley about 150 years ago (hence the origin of the name “Castle Mountain”). For a remarkable and interesting story, read about Mariann’s great uncle and renowned artist, James Castle. (http://www.jamescastle.com).

Maybe I’m publicly revealing my secret fishing hole by writing this article. I sure don’t want a whole bunch of people to move into the Red Rooster. But then again, if they did, I bet Mariann would smile and find a way to make up enough beds for everyone.

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