Red Velvet Wisdom

If you have never seen the movie Steel Magnolias, well you’re missing out and been living under a rock, but I digress.  If you ever wanted to get the small town southern beauty shop experience that is pretty much an exact reflection of that movie, you need to make a stop by Peggy’s hair barn in Genoa.   My family has been going to see her for ages, and I love going in there with Mama when she’s getting her wash and set.  When we started this site, her shop was one of the first places that came to mind honestly.  You get your hair done, your brows waxed, and all the advice and gossip you can fit into a hair session.  Oh, and did I mention she can get you a good deal on a casket too?

The porch of Peggy's Hair Barn

Seriously, sometimes these posts write themselves!  Now I don’t know all of the particulars of how Peggy came to run a casket business on the side,  (as she says “I send you rest looking your best”) but I first became aware of it when my grandpa died a few years ago.  Mama was having some conversation with me about casket prices, and she just randomly said,” well Peggy can get me one for cheaper than the funeral home so I am going to look into that too.”  It took a minute for it to sink and I then asked her how on earth her hairdresser could get her a casket and she looked at me like I was idiot and said, “she SELLS caskets Joy.”  (she gives me that look a lot in case you haven’t guessed.)    We didn’t end up getting his casket there, but Mama was able to tell the funeral home that her hairdresser could get her a better deal, and after getting over the shock of that statement, they came down on the price.    And the thing I remember most about that whole incident is Peggy doing Mama’s hair for the funeral, crying right along side her, dabbing her eyes while she teased Mama’s hair.  In classic Steel Magnolias fashion, her clients are her family.

And speaking of her family, Peggy loves to tell a story about her own Mama, who has been gone for quite some time now.  Her mama, like many, came from the days when you dyed your hair jet black, teased it into a hellacious beehive and it stayed that way until you washed it again.  Forget Bumpits, those women had their hair 3 feet in the air with nothing but Aquanet and sheer determination.  Well apparently after Peggy became a hairdresser, her mother asked her if she did that particular style of hair, and when Peggy told her no, her mama said, “well if you can’t tease it up to last at least a week, you’re not much of a hairdresser.”  Oh the wisdom of Southern mothers!

Truvy, I mean Peggy giving a haircut.

In addition to being the resident hair banger in town, Peggy also has a past as a restaurant owner.  Once upon a time she owned Peggy Sue’s, and even though I never had the pleasure of eating there, Daddy was always saying how delicious her burgers were.  So of course I couldn’t leave there without getting one of her secret recipes from back in the day.  She swears this one is so easy even I can’t mess it up!

Three Hours of Heaven

• 1 large brisket
• 1 jar of chili sauce
• 1can of Coca Cola
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the brisket into a turkey bag, and cover with remaining ingredients.  Place the bag into a roasting pan (make sure the brisket is fat side down) and cook for 3 hours at 350.

Saturday, October 31st, 2009, 1:42 am   |   Uncategorized  |  RSS feed Comments and pings are currently closed.