free! Summer 2017
Jessica Peachey:
A family-owned business creating custom-engraved wares
Weekend Road Trips– Gettysburg & Hershey, Pa. Shenandoah Spotlight on Salim Charles
Mason Qiu finds his forever family www.valleyliving.org
Over 25 years of positive encouragement for families
An innovative company … … for a changing environment
We are grateful to our advertisers who are a part of this publication. We could not do this without you!
Join our family of advertisers. Reserve prime space in the next issue! Reserve for a whole year (4 issues) for best rates.
Ivette Churney Sales Representative (540) 810-1044 ivette@valleyliving.org
houffs.com
97 Railside Drive, Weyers Cave, VA 24486 (540) 234-9246 or Toll Free (866) 224-9246
Kay Kibler Sales Representative (540) 820-2331 kay@valleyliving.org
Access your favorite PBS programs
anytime, anywhere, on any device!
PBS Passport
PBS Pa
ssp
Just $5ort
a Mo
wvpt.nnth! et
Over 1,000 episodes of popular programs like American Experience, Antiques Roadshow, Nature, NOVA, and Masterpiece – including all six seasons of Downton Abbey. Additionally, Passport is full of public television’s acclaimed arts, science, history, and lifestyle programs, and a revolving library of films from Ken Burns.
2 living • Summer 2017
Contents
4 Editorial 5 Community Connections 6 Mason Qiu finds his forever family 9 Not all problems in a marriage are marriage problems
10 Her niche: A family-owned business creating custom-engraved wares 12 Synergy: self-love, success and sisterhood 14 Car crazy 16 Gettysburg & Hershey, Pa. 18 The question asked most often 20 A tsunami of pain 21 Shenandoah Spotlight on Salim Charles 22 Gifting your family’s history 24 Bless this house 26 Little larks: solutions for entertaining your early-bird 27 Banana Crumb Muffins 28 It’s not easy being green 30 Reunion 31 Father’s Day remembered 32 Cheyenne’s little secret 35 Word Search
10 26
31
In Every Issue
Community Connections pg. 5
Family Forum pg. 9
Money Matters pg. 14
Weekend Road Trips Shenandoah Spotlight pg. 16 pg. 21
Cooking Corner pg. 27
Living can be found at these locations, and more, throughout the Valley: Harrisonburg DQ Grill & Chill, Carlton St. DQ Grill Harmony Square Finders Keepers Friendly City Food Coop Gift and Thrift Golden Corral Hardesty Higgins Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market Kate’s Natural Products Massanutten Regional Library
Mercy House Mr. J’s Harmony Square Red Front Supermarket Sentara RMH Clinic Sentara RMH Medical Center Rt. 11 North Exxon Salvation Army Store Sharp Shopper Shenandoah Heritage Farmers Market Styles Unlimited
Bridgewater/Dayton Dayton Farmer’s Market Bridgewater Foods Supermarket Broadway/Timberville Broadway Supermarket Crider’s Store Mac’s Superette Turner Ham
Elkton/Shenandoah Countryside Market/Exxon 340 Market & Deli/Liberty Elkton Grocery Mamma Mia Restaurant Linville Mac’s Market Luray Shoppers Value Foods
Mt. Crawford Joy Foodmart Exxon
Penn Laird 7-Eleven On The Run
Mt. Solon/Augusta Co. Zach’s Country Store North River Country Store
Singer’s Glen Grandle’s Glenview Market
New Market 7-Eleven
Weyers Cave Weyers Cave Super Save
Cover photo: Taken by 2016 Living anniversary photo contest grand prize winner, Summer Slacum, 14, of Stevensville, Maryland. Her photograph, “Grace” depicts her twin sister hiking in the mountains on a day with an amazingly clear atmosphere. Their aunt, Joyce Brown, lives in Warrenton, VA, and told Summer about the contest featuring Virginia scenery.
Summer 2017 • living 3
Interconnected Ties that bind
If spring is about new beginnings, summer is about connections. It is during summer we are most likely to grow our relationships with others. Summer is when we attend family reunions and spend hours speaking with the cousin we haven’t talked to in years. It is when we go on vacation with a college roommate and reconnect. It is when we stand around a grill with our neighbors, oversee playdates for our children, go for a walk with our spouse or plan a girl’s night out with friends. Summer is when we, consciously or not, step back from the busyness of our daily lives and work at connecting with others. Summer is also the time when many of us are fantasizing about “getting away” from it all. But if what we are searching for is connection, why do we look forward to leaving behind settings we are already connected to? What are we looking for in the mysterious “out there” we can’t find right here? What is missing from our hometowns that we look forward to fleeing them in the hottest months of the year? For some of us, what’s missing is the ability to focus on our connections. Life seems to get in the way of our awareness of those relationships when we are in the spaces we inhabit every day. When we are at home, it is easy to be distracted by dirty dishes, phone calls, barking dogs, whistling kettles and everything else we deal with on a daily basis. But when we are away? Removed from familiar surroundings, we focus on what we know and what’s important. We focus on our friends, our families, our loved ones. We also focus on ourselves. Summer is a popular time for people to try out a new hobby, reconnect spiritually or break a bad habit. Some start composting and Volume 26 No. 2 “going green” in an effort to connect with the earth. Others may connect with their Valley Living inspires hope, encourages faith roots by researching their family’s history. Still others may look for the subtler and builds positive relationships in the home, workplace and community. connections and wonder about the lives of those who lived in their house before them. Media for Living, Publisher Melodie Davis, Editor It is also during summer we may grieve lost connections with the recently Ivette Churney, Sales Representative departed. With summer being a major time for family vacations, those who are Peter Churney, Sales Representative helping a family member through loss or who are mourning a spouse themselves Kay Kibler, Sales Representative may think back to memories of time spent with the deceased. The two viewpoints Mary Jo Veurink, Layout & Design Lindsey Shantz, Production & Finance Manager are very different, as two of our writers can attest, but both deal with the sudden loss of the connection we once had with a living relative. Advertising But why summer? Why is it this season that we seem to be seeking connections? To reserve space in future editions contact: Ivette, (540) 810-1044, ivette@valleyliving.org That question I cannot answer for certain, but think on this: how many of your Kay, (540) 820-2331, kay@valleyliving.org most treasured memories took place during the summer? How many times did you play catch with your father? How many hours did you spend walking the beach To make a donation, please send checks payable to Valley Living or give online at www.valleyliving.org. with your friends? How many nights did you hear children’s laughter echoing from behind bushes or trees as they played hide-and-seek? Media for Living Board of Directors Beyond the memories we have of time spent with loved ones, the simple fact is Trisha M. Blosser, president Tracey Veney, vice president also that the very weather seems to push us to connect with others. After spending David Rohrer, secretary winter huddled inside and spring sheltering from wind and rain, the warm evenings Kevin Yoder, CPA, Treasurer of summer invite us to pause and talk with our neighbors in the driveway. Chirping Jonas Borntrager crickets call us to stay at a friend’s home just a little longer. Neon sunsets late in LaDawn Knicely Beth Driver the evening whisper to us to give in to our children’s request for a longer bed time Angela Rempel story. Whether we realize it or not, we tend to spend summer reconnecting with Art Borden those we have missed and growing our relationships with those we have near. We Michael Evans create memories under the stars and joy in the hot sun. We wake up to birdsong Amanda Miller Garber Aldine Musser with grateful hearts and take the extra time to give a kind smile to a neighbor. These are the things summer pushes us to do, the little actions that help us connect Opinions expressed in Valley Living are not necessarily those of Media for Living. with each other. Memories. Joy. Gratitude. Kindness. Love. These are what lasting Published cooperatively with connections are built on. These are the ties that bind. STEPHANIE HERTZENBERG, a year-long intern with Valley Living, served as editor for this issue of the magazine. She also works part-time for the Shine children’s Sunday school curriculum and interns at WMRA.
4 living • Summer 2017
Media for Living, a non-profit corporation, 1251 Virginia Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22802 (540) 433-5351 • info@valleyliving.org www.valleyliving.org Printed in the USA by Engle Printing, Mount Joy, Pa. © 2017 by Media for Living
Community Connections Letters, local events, news Letters from readers
I enjoyed this [puzzle], since I enjoy stargazing. Thank you for a great magazine. –Dorothy Ann Keener, Weyers Cave While I was reading the two stories ‘I came close to doing a color run’ and ‘Some days are like that,’ I could not stop laughing at the humor. My funny bone says THANK YOU. –Carolyn Freeman, Bridgewater We look forward to each new Living edition. It is such a positive and bright addition to our lives. May God bless you as you continue His work through this ministry. Also, we enjoy the puzzle! –Rich & Pat Armstrong, Harrisonburg
Cover photo is contest winner from last year Our cover photo for the summer issue was snapped by then-14-year-old Summer Slacum, who received the grand prize in last year’s 25th anniversary Summer Photo Contest. The theme was “Favorite Family Vacation Photos—Virginia” and Summer was hiking in the Shenandoah Valley when she grabbed this prize winning photo of her twin sister, Grace. Possible publication on the cover (with payment) was promised as one possible outcome for winners, and the judges commented on loving “the motion in the girl hiking, and the clouds, sky, mountains, rocks: it all speaks “Virginia.” Congratulations again, Ms. Slacum.
Kay Kibler joins sales team for Valley Living
Kay Kibler is a new ad sales representative for Valley Living Magazine as of this summer issue. A resident of the Broadway area, she graduated from Broadway High School in 1976. She has worked in positions for a variety of businesses related to home health, office work, food service and personnel. Most recently she has been a personal care assistant and caregiver for her grandson, great nieces and aging parents. She has also enjoyed community volunteer work, including through Grace Mennonite Fellowship in Lacey Spring. She is married to Sam Kibler and they have two adult daughters and two grandchildren. She also likes camping, journaling and crafting. Kibler says, “I have traveled up and down the Shenandoah Valley over the past few years, connecting with people
Word Search Notes
from many different walks of life. I am looking forward to my new position at Valley Living magazine so I can meet more of the wonderful people here in the valley!” She joins Ivette and Pete Churney in selling advertising and sponsorship opportunities for the magazine.
New book by LaDawn Knicely
Valley Living board member LaDawn Knicely has published her first book, “Beautiful One: Trust & Believe I Am With You.” The book is a daily devotional out of her personal daily journal entries during a life transforming journey toward God through pain, despair and depression. Knicely was also recently ordained in the Church of the Brethren for ministry and shares pastoral counseling to help others. The book is $21 and sold on Amazon and locally at Blessings Bookstore, or directly at Knicely’s office, Hometown Realty Group, a full service real estate brokerage firm at 7 Killdeer Lane, Dayton.
Responses from readers
Older gentleman and his granddaughter get top votes Readers completed word searches and sent in their votes for their favorite articles in the spring issue. In one of the highest “favorite” articles of recent times, they gave the cover story by Lauree Purcell “An older gentleman and his granddaughter: Stories of survival” 115 votes. The remaining top four vote getters were: “Keeping memories” – 67; “Some days are like that’ – 57; “No longer a stranger” – 46; and “When parenting roles reverse: The art of caregiving” – 40. In all, 230 readers sent their completed word search.
Letter policy: Valley Living prints letters from readers only when signed with a name and location, as space allows in this section of the paper. Names and locations may be withheld upon request or at the discretion of the editor. We read all letters but cannot print anonymous letters.
Summer 2017 • living 5
Mason Qiu finds his forever family by LAUREE PURCELL
I
n the summer of 2015, Ben and Krista Ham looked back on their seven-year marriage and knew they were ready for their child, but they needed help. After much prayer about whether to pursue fertility treatments or adoption, they started researching both international and domestic adoption options and eventually chose an agency in Seattle to help them adopt a child from China. Unlike some countries, the adoption process in China is stable with lesser risk of extortion or unreasonable delays. A social worker from Northern Virginia visited their home, reviewed their medical history and checked for criminal background. The adoption process was scary and expensive for Ben and Krista, but their parents, extended family and church community supported them emotionally and financially. Active members of Church Downtown, a contemporary Baptist church that meets in Staunton’s Visulite Theater, Ben and Krista formally announced their intent to adopt on Orphan
“He was always meant to be our son and this is just how it worked out for us to get to him.” Sunday in November 2015. Their pastors gave them a chance to share their story and kicked off a fund drive to help them cover $30 to $40,000 in adoption expenses. In the following months, Ben and Krista sold starfish charm bracelets, homemade wreaths and Christmas ornaments. In addition, they applied for 15 grants from non-profit organizations and received two. The adoption process was an eye-opening experience that changed Ben and Krista’s focus from their need for a child to an orphan’s need for a family. According to Krista, China’s international adoption program is a special needs program since about 2007. Special needs range from minor to more Mason enjoys bonding time with his parents in his bedroom in Staunton, Virginia. PHOTO BY LAUREE PURCELL
6 living • Summer 2017
Ben, Krista and Mason visited a Buddist Temple in Guangzhou, China, on a sightseeing day while waiting for adoption paperwork to finalize. PHOTO BY ELSIE CHEN
moderate or severe. All Chinese orphans become ineligible for adoption when they turn 14, and they are forced to leave the orphanage when they turn 18—often with little education and few skills to make it on their own. Chinese orphans are stigmatized and cast aside in the public schools, so it is difficult for them to get the educational opportunities they need. Their orphan status is often made clear by the last names the orphanages give them. The 2500 Chinese U.S. adoptions each year represent only about two percent of orphans in China. After a home study, the federal government approved their paperwork in January of 2016. They submitted their 99-page dossier to the Chinese government and became eligible to accept matches from China. There were lots of bumps along the way, and their church community lifted them up in prayer each time. Sometimes Ben and Krista became discouraged by negative conversations that cast a dark cloud, but “we prayed
through it, and God quenched those fires,” Ben explained. Of the Chinese children now eligible for U.S. adoption, about 72 percent are boys. The youngest are usually over two years old, and Mason was three when Ben and Krista first read his adoption file on the Rainbow Kids website and knew he was their son. The University of Virginia adoption clinic reviewed his medical file to offer insight about his special needs, any medical concerns and expected prognosis. Because of a brain bleed during premature birth, there are a few unknowns surrounding his brain and heart, but he is thriving. In September of 2016, Ben and Krista sent their letter of intent to adopt Mason. China approved the adoption in December 2016, and
meetings and stays in unfamiliar hotels, the trip was tough on Mason. He was just as happy as everyone else when the long plane ride to Virginia was over. With a great smile that lights up his face, Mason seems happy and well adjusted since coming to his new home. He and his parents are communicating well despite lacking a common language, and he’s quickly picking up English words and phrases such as “I love you.” He’s a little overwhelmed with all his toys and prefers helping Krista and Ben with housework and yard work over less structured play. He sticks with Ben as they mulch and weed the yard. Krista wants to encourage and nurture his strong work ethic and gift for hard work so he will always be a good citizen. When they give him something to eat or drink, Mason tries to give them some, too. In a process called cocooning, Ben and Krista are limiting the number of people Mason sees at first to help bonding. Mason will remain at home with his parents until near the end of this school year. The Augusta County school system, where Ben and Krista work, has allowed both parents to take six weeks of adoption leave to help him adjust to his new life. His grandparents will care for him for a few weeks before summer vacation, and then he will attend Cambridge Learning Center in Stuarts Draft in the fall. A truss engineer, Ben teaches manufacturing engineering at Stuarts Draft High School and is the faculty advisor for the Technology Student Association. They participate in competitions all over Virginia.
then, in February 2017, the U.S. government approved their request to bring him home as their child. Once China issued their final approval, the Hams bought their plane tickets. Everyone at Church Downtown sent them off with prayers before they flew to China in March. (Top left and bottom right) The family of three enjoyed a sightseeing The two-week day at Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park while waiting for paperwork processing. PHOTOS BY BEN AND KRISTA HAM. (Center) Mason wore trip in China was far from a vacation. his “Gotcha Day” shirt following their US consulate appointment in China which finalized his U.S. citizenship. PHOTO BY ELSIE CHEN. They arrived on a Saturday, and his primary caregiver dropped off Mason at their hotel room Krista teaches the next day. She cried as she slipped out. “We’re lucky his sixth grade orphanage was a really loving, supportive one,” said Krista. language “He cried for about 45 minutes, but he has not openly grieved arts at since.” By the next morning, the family had bonded, and they Stuarts Draft Middle School and is chair of the language arts felt as if they had always been Mason’s parents. He had been department. They have been married for nine years. abandoned when he was a week old, and no one knows the Their advice to those who are considering adoption but are identity of his birth parents. The orphanage had named him apprehensive is “Go for it!” Krista and Ben agree the blessings Qiu (pronounced “chew”). So now he goes by Mason Qiu. For of having Mason far outweigh the challenges they faced. They the next week and a half, they went with four other families to appointments and meetings to take full custody and obtain Continued on page 8. U.S. passports for the children. With long car rides, many Summer 2017 • living 7
Overhead Door Company of Shenandoah Valley 433-3903 • Toll Free 877-359-3667
www.overheaddoorsv.com • 1573 C F Pours Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 • Prompt & Courteous Service • Free Estimates • 24 Hour Emergency Repair • Doors & Operators in Stock • Residential • Commercial • Industrial
Bring Your Herd to Special Events All Year!
Continued from page 7. stress the importance of doing thorough research. They had worried about how they would afford the adoption costs, but that has worked out with time. In addition to the fundraisers, grants and help from their family, Ben got a call from a former engineering employer asking him to design trusses from home in his spare time. They consider that extra income to be an answer to prayer. Their faith has been strengthened as each roadblock was removed through prayer. “We surrendered our fears to God, and he intervened,” said Ben. “This child is such a perfect match for our family,” adds Krista. “He was always meant to be our son and this is just how it worked out for us to get to him.” LAUREE STROUD PURCELL serves as an editorial consultant for Living. She and her husband Steve have two daughters.
4808 South Valley Pike Harrionsburg, VA 22801 540-434-0005
www.rockinghamcountyfair.com
4808 S. Valley Pike, Harrisonburg, VA / 540-434-0005
Biblically Responsible Investing Investing that seeks to please and glorify God as an act of worship. Focusing on investments that promote: Life • Liberty • Purity • Sobriety Family • Longevity • Marriage • Stewardship
Is your portfolio of investments Biblically Responsible? Call today for our Complimentary Portfolio ‘Moral’ Review
Glenn Financial Services 3955 Singers Glen Road Harrisonburg, VA 22802 (540) 820-8633
www.biblicallyresponsibleinvestments.com
Todd Glenn,CEP, CFCA®
Member of: National Association of Christian Financial Consultants Advisory services are provided through Creative Financial Designs, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities are offered through cfd Investments, Inc., a Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC Glenn Financial Services is not associated with the CFD companies.
8 living • Summer 2017
Family Forum
Not all problems in a marriage are marriage problems by HARVEY YODER
W
hen ‘John’ and ‘Sara’ got into some serious verbal fights over John’s mistrust of some of Sara’s new friends, the couple wisely decided to get some marriage counseling. Sara was convinced her husband of three years was being overly jealous, and her occasionally going out to eat with some of her coworkers was completely justified. John was equally sure some of Sara’s new friends, a couple of them recently divorced, were a bad influence, and he resented the time it took away from their relationship. But who has the problem that needs fixing here, John or Sara? Or is this just a communication problem for which joint counseling is the solution? Most likely it’s all of the above. But to the extent John is too insecure and controlling, or Sara is too insensitive or irresponsible, those personal issues are not what couples’ counseling is designed for. Personal problems have to be acknowledged and overcome by the person who owns them, sometimes with the help of a trusted mentor or with some individual counseling.
Who has the problem that needs fixing here, John or Sara? Or is this just a communication problem? In other words, not all problems in a marriage are marriage problems, although personal problems can greatly distress a marriage. This means each partner should first take responsibility for their own contribution to the stress in their relationship, and not simply fix blame on the other person. After all, we have virtually zero ability, and therefore responsibility, to fix another person. Bottom line, only after we acknowledge and deal with our
©ADOBE STOCK
Strengthening family relationships
Find a time when you’re both in a good mood to ease into a difficult discussion; if both parties are committed and communicating, you may learn something new about the other.
own personal issues are we ready to work together on a winwin solutions to the marriage problems. For John and Sara, this could mean calmly and respectfully doing the following: First Discuss 1. Each states, by turn, why they are concerned. Thus each starts with their interests (what makes this important to them) rather than starting with their positions (what each sees as the right solution). Usually couples find many or most of their interests are similar if not the same. 2. Based on their overlapping interests, they then do some brainstorming of “what if” solutions they each put on the table. In this way they create options C, D, E or F rather than just focusing on options A or B (John’s or Sara’s). Then Decide 1. The couple then agrees on a plan they are willing to give a good try, one that provides quality together time while also allowing each reasonable time to be with friends, and under what circumstances. 2. They also agree on a period of time in which their winwin plan will be in effect before it is reviewed and renewed— or modified if needed. Agreements need not be set in stone for all time, but are always to be strictly kept until they are changed. None of this may seem easy, but isn’t it better than continuing to argue and fight? HARVEY YODER is a family counselor and teaches parenting and marriage classes at the Family Life Resource Center. Questions relating to family concerns can be addressed to FLRC, 273 Newman Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22801 or to Harvey@flrc.org. His blog can be followed at harvyoder.blogspot.com. Summer 2017 • living 9
Her niche:
A family-owned business creating custom-engraved wares by MELODIE DAVIS
S
he adores the feel of smooth wood, loves to sand, stain and make things. She custom designs and engraves special embellishments on objects others have made, including steel mugs, USB drives and equestrian grooming kits, to name a few. In May 2012, Jessica Peachey started an engraving business, Blue Ridge Engraving, because she wanted to be at home with her children when they weren’t in school. The old maxim with a new business is it takes about five years to be successful. If diversifying what you normally think of as products to engrave can help her business succeed, Jessica has innovated dozens of products. A partial list includes wedding cake toppers, wedding table decor, “Just Married” props (which wedding planners, photographers or caterers often purchase), phone cases, iPad covers, pens, hunting knives, ornaments, Lazy Susans, toolboxes, crayon caddies, personalized medallions for stuffed animals (new baby gift), coasters, rolling pins, cutting boards, promotional rulers, thumb drives, various leatherette products, keychains, hammers and teacher appreciation gifts. If she hasn’t made it yet, she probably would be willing to try if it can be engraved. Jessica’s first love, in terms of craft, is working with wood, which comes from her family’s background in furniture manufacturing. Her family owned a historic furniture factory in Hagerstown, Md., Statton Furniture, which created fine furniture since 1926. Her great grandparents had a vision and built the factory from the ground up. In its heyday they employed 250 workers and craftsmen. Over time, the building became an albatross with too much expense in upkeep, and PHOTOS BY MELODIE DAVIS
industry globalization chipped away at their bottom line. So the family closed its doors after the death of her father, Philip J. Statton, in 2008. Jessica worked for Statton Furniture in a sales and marketing capacity for seven years—so she was well acquainted with that aspect of her current business. Jessica also enjoys the production end and takes satisfaction in using woods from sustainable sources. At the point she became a mother, Jessica wanted to be able to supplement their income, but didn’t want to have to deal with the complications of childcare for son Philip and daughter Hazel Ann. Now that the children are older, they enjoy helping their mom with packaging things for shipment. Jessica’s husband, Elliott, has been a project manager for Partners Excavating in Harrisonburg, Va. for 20 years and has a line striping business, Precision Line Striping, on the side. Life is certainly busy for the Peacheys. Demand for Blue Ridge products is largely seasonal around typical gift-gifting times: Christmas, spring and summer weddings and showers, graduation, Mother’s and Father’s Day, end of school—and birthday and promotional products, of course, anytime. Her first key outlet online was selling on Etsy.com; Jessica sends products all over the world—including Guam to name one far-flung island. Online translation tabs help to make communication with customers abroad super easy. She is now fostering more local sales from her own website, (Above) Jessica Peachey with her main investment for her business, an Epilog Laser Engraver, with a 24 by 18 inch bed. She can work with items as big as those measurements. (Left) Jessica keeps many items in stock ready for personalized engraving.
10 living • Summer 2017
blueridgeengraving.com, and hopes to expand and establish a local clientele. One employee who works when the seasonal demand is higher, Caroline Kempfer, has helped develop and maintain Blue Ridge Engraving’s website, as well as make postal deliveries, stain product or help with other details. One of Jessica’s current fundraising projects is engraving commemorative bricks recognizing donors for a safer, lowmaintenance new playground at Mountain View Elementary School. Parents, grandparents, alumni and local businesses bought bricks to help raise money for this purpose. Each brick was personalized and a wall will soon be built on the new playground with these pavers. Jessica actually spun off part of her early efforts in business, a company called The Original Twig, by giving that business to a Laotian family that immigrated to the US. They welcomed the opportunity to become entrepreneurs as well, focusing on artful alphabet letters made from grapevine. Their twig toppers can be purchased on Etsy at: www.etsy.com/shop/ a2ztwigtoppers.
If diversifying what you normally think of as products to engrave can help her business succeed, Jessica has innovated dozens of products. When asked what she’s learned, having her own business in this specialized field, Jessica smiles and says “Everything! I’ve learned graphic design [she majored in Studio Art and Social Work at James Madison University in 1999], logo design, website design. I do many of my own graphics.” She’s had a bigger learning curve dealing with taxes and the financial end of having a business. Her main investment for this business was an Epilog Laser Engraver, with a 24 by 18 inch bed, which means she can work with items as big as those measurements. A devoutly Christian family, they are currently hunting for a church home after moving to a location too far to be actively involved in their former Mennonite congregation in Lacey Spring. Jessica is happy to be able to share her faith through her business as she includes inserts or stuffers in packages such as wedding blessings, and similar printed prayers and scripture. The tagline for Jessica’s company on Etsy underlines this low-key faith aspect, “Wonderfully and Beautifully Engraved,” echoing the classic verse in Psalm 139:14, “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Indeed! MELODIE DAVIS, editor of Valley Living, is the mother of three adult daughters, and lives with her husband near Harrisonburg, Va. She also blogs at www.FindingHarmonyBlog.com. At right: (Top) Blue Ridge engraving keeps a fake cake on hand to illustrate how a cake topper letter will look on a couple’s wedding cake; (Second) The organized chaos of Jessica’s work area; (Third) Jessica and Elliot’s son Philip, helps by assembling the boxes Jessica uses to ship most of her orders. Their younger daughter, Hazel Ann, a helper-intraining, loves to apply stickers to the packages; (Bottom) Philip and Hazel Ann working in the basement workroom of their home.
Summer 2017 • living 11
Synergy: self-love, success and sisterhood by STEPHANIE HERTZENBERG
D
o you feel like you don’t have enough time to yourself? Do you often find yourself saying yes when you’d like to say no? Do you feel like you need to work out but you never have time to exercise? You aren’t the only one agreeing with these questions from the Synergy Life and Wellness Coaching website’s “Overwhelm Quiz.” Those feelings of being frazzled, forever behind on important duties or just generally overwhelmed are familiar to an unfortunate number of women. In response to those same feelings, Christina Kunkle started the Synergy Success Circle in June 2009 with the intention of creating an environment where professional women could collaborate, share best practices, cultivate friendships and stay inspired. “Being an entrepreneur is very lonely,” Christina said. “I just hadn’t clicked with any of the other networking groups that were available at the time. I was looking to create something I felt like I needed.” She wasn’t the only one looking for something that didn’t exist. Beyond just networking and business relationships, Christina hoped Synergy would become an environment where women could be accepted unconditionally. “I wanted to create a place where they could come and get filled back up. We cannot give from an empty vessel,” Christina said. This was exactly what Cathy Leitner found she needed. “When I first started my business I was working a lot of hours. Seven days a week, around the clock and just not taking any time for self-care,” Cathy said. Then, she saw one of Christina’s flyers at Greenberry’s while she was getting her morning coffee. “It said ‘are you stressed out, overworked’ and I remember just nodding my head and going ‘yes, yes, yes’.” Cathy called Christina and she did some one-on-one coaching with Cathy. Cathy moved on to Synergy Success Circle and SOAR, a nine month program designed to help women manage burn-out, overcome caregiver fatigue and manage their work-life balance. “I did everything she told me
More information: Synergy Success Circle, 2nd Wednesdays from 11:301:00 p.m. and 2nd Thursdays from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at McAlister’s Deli 1645 Reservoir Street, Suite 185. First meeting is free. Synergy Life and Wellness Coaching website: http:// www.synergylifeandwellnesscoaching.com/ Synergy Success Circle Facebook page: https://www. facebook.com/groups/402243436638088/ 12 living • Summer 2017
to do,” Cathy said. “If she recommended it, I always did it. Always, always. And it’s always worked for me.” Cathy is far from Synergy’s only success story. Letitia Bates, owner of At the Wheel Coaching, can vouch for Christina’s methods. “In SOAR, I really connected and really crystalized the vision of what I wanted. It introduced us to tapping, [a self-practice technique related to acupressure and acupuncture], and I was completely enamored by it.” Letitia went on to become a tapping practitioner and regularly utilizes it in her own business. Similarly, entrepreneur Debbie Brown originally joined Synergy to help her promote her business, Hand to Hearts. “I felt like I didn’t have all the tools I needed to do it,” she said. She had joined several other business organizations in the area but hadn’t found a good fit, until she tried Synergy. “It was a connection. It was more intimate. It wasn’t just about business. It was about people.”
There is this idea that you have to be perfect. That ... you have to present and perform as if you are perfect and that’s not real. This sense of authenticity and intimacy came to create a community of extremely diverse women that now stretches across the entire Valley. Women of every age, background and ethnicity come together every month at Synergy, SOAR and Beyond SOAR meetings to encourage, inspire and push each other. But as much as anything, Synergy is about acceptance. “There is this idea,” said Letitia Bates, “That you have to be perfect. That you have to have everything together. You have to present and perform as if you are perfect and that’s not real. And to have a place where you can be authentically who you are and grow yourself from that space is very important.” While the diverse women in the group work to continue and preserve the tradition of unconditional support, the atmosphere of compassion started with Christina. “I remember that one of the first things she asked me,” recalls Cathy, was “‘So Cathy, what are some of the things you love about yourself?’ I couldn’t come up with anything except that I had a really good work ethic.” What did Christina say in response? “‘That’s okay, you can borrow all the things I love about you until you find the things you love about yourself.’ It was life-changing,” Cathy said.
Regardless of when they joined, everyone involved in Synergy recognizes the incredible sense of community Christina has created. “I think back to the [Synergy] Shine event in December,” Letitia said, “and I looked across the audience and saw this huge representation of women in the community, different ethnicities, different backgrounds, different professions, all coming together in a unified way to pour into each other and receive from each other. That is a huge testament to what Synergy has brought to Harrisonburg.” Christina herself says that Synergy SOAR participants pose with Siri Amrita after a Kundalini Yoga Class. PHOTO PROVIDED and SOAR’s culture of community and collaboration is what she is most proud of. trusting the rest of the group to accept them as they are. And “It feels likes sisterhood among women. if you are feeling burned out, fatigued or just looking for a The energy is always positive. We don’t candy coat struggle, strong sense of community, come join in. There is always but we give our best energy to things that are solutionroom for one more in Synergy. oriented.” That sisterhood is felt keenly by those who participate. “It’s STEPHANIE HERTZENBERG, a year-long intern with Valley Livthe way sisters should be, but the way real-life sisters aren’t ing, served as editor for this issue of the magazine. She also works always.” Cathy said. part-time for the Shine children’s Sunday school curriculum and Debbie Brown agreed. “We definitely have a group of interns at WMRA. connected ladies. And it’s encouraging to have someone walk beside you and push you at the same time.” With the sense of sisterhood going strong, Christina says it has exceeded all of her expectations. “I feel like it has brought extraordinary women together. And I mean extraordinary. People who may not have otherwise crossed paths.” And that group is constantly growing. “Come as you are,” Commercial & Residential Site Work Christina urged. “You will be welcomed no matter which Concrete Work Including group you come to. You will be welcomed with open arms and Footings, Slabs, Curb, & Sidewalk find like-minded women that you didn’t think existed.” So next time you walk into McAlister’s Deli and find the Call (540) 432-0584 doors to their back room closed, know the odds are good Wendell Maust, owner behind those doors is a group of women perhaps laughing, 140 A LeRay Circle, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 perhaps crying, but all willing to lay their soul bare and all Class A Contractor License #2705-028041A
Highland Retreat and Summer Camps Visit www.highlandretreat.org or call 540-705-0554 to learn more about scheduling a group, personal, or extended family retreat registering a child ages 5 to 16 for a summer camp experience Summer 2017 • living 13
Money Matters
Guidance on family finances
Car crazy by KEN GONYER
O
©ADOBE STOCK
n a visit to my hometown over Easter, we drove buying a more expensive vehicle. through a neighborhood I remembered well from This extreme example is echoed in milder ways in my local high school days. The decades had not been kind to community. Parking my car at the grocery store, the school or the houses on that road. Through overgrown shrubs, I could a restaurant, I’m often surprised at how many brand-new cars see peeling paint on a couple houses, a sun-faded tarp tied I see. At first I feel a little jealous—I wouldn’t mind driving down where some roof shingles used to be on another and at some of those handsome vehicles. My interest fades when I least two windows repaired with duct tape. The yards were think about the cost, though. I have no doubt behind each of unkempt; some these beauties is a littered with trash and loan with payments junk. that will stretch out The fact these 60, 72 or even 84 broken-down places months. Why do we were still inhabited do this, I wonder? made me sad. What Why would we spend I saw parked in the crazy amounts of gravel driveways money—borrowed beside many of these funds— to roll around homes, however, town in the newest made me mad. Pricey, and shiniest? All late-model cars… we really need is High-end sport-utility something to get us vehicles… Massive where we’re going, pick-up trucks but nothing is ever with huge chrome good enough. We grilles… all blazing want more. We have in the spring sunshine all the information we with shining, highly need to make good polished paint…. choices, but it seems Even though I really as if we’re more admired all the stylish Test driving a cooler or more expensive car than you can afford is a sure way to hook powerfully influenced yourself into payments that last 60-84 months. cars, this seemed by persuasive crazy! advertising and a gutI didn’t know the story behind these families’ choices, and level desire to have more and better than we currently have. I admit my flash of emotion wasn’t righteous anger so much It’s not really rational. Especially at times like right now, in as uninformed self-righteousness based on assumptions. early summer, we go car crazy. In early June many years ago, Looking back, I don’t feel as judgmental—just very curious. I stopped by a car lot to test drive an economical sedan I’d As a former loan officer and financial coach, I knew these seen in the newspaper. Before I reached the car I wanted, the automobiles ranged in cost from $30,000 to as much as salesman swept me over to a sportier, prettier vehicle—one I $60,000 for the decked-out trucks. I’m not sure how they certainly couldn’t afford—and urged me to take it for a drive. made it work financially. I still recognized some of the names I did so, and I knew within the first mile I needed that car. It on their roadside mailboxes; it wouldn’t be hard to imagine had power, it had a gorgeous interior and it was almost new. them arguing over the choice between fixing the roof and Parking it after the test-drive, it was almost physically painful
14 living • Summer 2017
to say goodbye to that glorious, foreign-built speedster. As fun as it was to drive, I’m really glad I didn’t get caught up in car euphoria and try to buy that vehicle. It would have been an emotional and financially damaging decision. It also would have severely hindered our pursuit of a goal to get out of debt and remain debt-free. Even now, vehicle needs remain a complicated aspect of our financial life as a family. As the family has grown, we’ve swapped little cars for bigger cars, graduated to a minivan, replaced that with a SUV, and now gone back to smaller economy vehicles. As our kids began driving, more cars were added to the fleet.
It’s not really rational. Especially at times like right now, in early summer, we go car crazy. As vehicles have come and gone, we’ve struggled with tough decisions such as how much money and time we should put into car repairs before giving up and replacing the car. With my current car, it made sense to invest in a major repair. The car had low mileage and the repair improved the car’s performance. In the case of our minivan, however, we replaced the transmission several times, sometimes under warranty and sometimes out-of-pocket. It was a terrible design that kept burning out. Looking back, it would have been much wiser to ditch the van and cut our losses. After all the troubles we had with it, I’d thought of a lot of violent, explosive ways to dispose of the beastly purple Plymouth. In the end, I made the sane choice and left it in a junkyard. When the time comes for car replacement, we’re not apt to go crazy and overspend. Part of the self-discipline arises out of the hope that once we’d paid off all our debt, we would be able to save for the next car and buy it with cash. Unfortunately for us, our recent needs for cars has outpaced our ability to save. The good news is that although we’ve had to take out small loans for our last two cars, my wife has made sure we’ve paid the loans off very quickly. And even though we haven’t managed to practice what we preach, we’re proud of our son who was able to pay cash for his vehicle. The car is five years older than its college-aged owner, but it’s his, free and clear! Out on the road this spring, I continue to admire the cars with sleek lines and flawless finishes. I can imagine the newcar smells and the fun feeling of punching the accelerator and surging forward with the power of a V-8. Even so, I putter along happily in one of our older, not-so-sporty cars. It’s not shiny or even particularly clean, but it’s paid for and it gets me where I’m going. That’s good enough for me. KEN AND KAREN GONYER live in Broadway, VA. Ken is the CEO of Choice Books, headquartered in Harrisonburg. Karen is a real estate agent with Kline May Realty in Harrisonburg. Email questions to ken.gonyer@gmail.com.
Largest locally based credit union helping you raise money-smart kids since 1969
Youth Accounts for ages 0-17
Deposit rewards Report card rewards for good grades Birthday gifts 540.434.6444 | www.pvfcu.org Federally insured by NCUA
Reading by Design
Summer Reading for All Ages
June 5 - August 12 Programs • Prizes Special Events
www.mrlib.org Seven Community Branches Central Library Harrisonburg
North River Library Bridgewater
Elkton Community Library
Page Public Library Luray
Grottoes Branch Library
Shenandoah Community Library
Village Library - Broadway Summer 2017 • living 15
Weekend Road Trips Local and nearby travel ideas
Gettysburg & Hershey, Pa. Editor’s note: Valley Living is launching a new feature, Weekend Road Trips, by frequent writer Jesse Neve, featuring short, family-oriented weekend getaways all within two to four hours of the Shenandoah Valley. Look for new getaways each issue with the above symbol. by JESSE NEVE
ball holes that are still visible in buildings around the town of Gettysburg. It demonstrated how close to home the whole battle was. The tour guide was serious at times (since the Civil War was of course a tragic time), but he also threw in humor. When we stopped to get out of the bus at an overlook, he told us, “if you aren’t back on the bus in fifteen minutes, you should just start walking toward that water tower over there—it’s only three and a half miles to your car!” He did a wonderful job of keeping everyone entertained and interested in the history. In addition to the bus tour, there are a number of other interesting and historic things to see in Gettysburg. Here are a few of them: • Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor’s Center has interactive exhibits and memorabilia that illustrate and explain the war. There is also a film narrated by Morgan Freeman and the recently renovated Gettysburg Cyclorama, one of the largest paintings in the country. It depicts the famous battle of Pickett’s Charge. • The Lincoln Train Museum displays America’s journey through the ages with exhibits and a neat interactive model train. The museum is nearby the actual site of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address at the close of the war. • Gettysburg Heritage Center has displays, videos and artifacts from the point of view of the Gettysburg civilians at the time of the war.
The first time I went to Gettysburg, I was fourteen years old. I went with my dad and my aunt, who were both intensely interested in the Civil War. My two cousins and I were driven from monument to monument and from battlefield to battlefield at Gettysburg. Every picture you see of us, we look like we had been dragged behind the car from place to place. That is because there are over 1,300 monuments at Gettysburg National Military Park and from my teenage memory, I am convinced we stopped and read every single one. I’m sure if you asked my cousins today, they would remember it as the longest day of our childhood. So, fast forward thirty years. I wanted my children to learn about history from Gettysburg, but I did NOT want them to come away with only bored, eye-rolling memories. Before going, we booked a tour online and reserved spots in the top of an open air bus tour, through Gettysburg Battlefield Tours. They gave us ear buds so we could all hear our fantastic, sports announcer turned licensed tour guide (who sported a handlebar mustache reminiscent of the times). “Look left! Now look right!” He talked continuously for the entire two hours as we rode around in the warm sun and pleasant breeze. He led us through all three days of the battle, making the stories come alive while describing things in a way that kept kids interested, such as showing us the cannon
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Gettysburg:
Cannon at Gettysburg
Gettysburg Attractions Gettysburg Battlefield Tours. 778 Baltimore Street. 717-334-6296. www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com. They offer a variety of tour options from National Park Service licensed guides including double decker buses, air conditioned coaches and evening ghost tours. Tour times vary throughout the year. Advance tickets available online (reserve your choice of the top or the bottom of the bus). Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center. 1195 Baltimore Street. 717-334-1124. www.nps.gov/gett. Entry to the park and visitor center is free. Fee for film, Cyclorama and museum exhibits. Lincoln Train Museum. 425 Steinwehr Ave. 717-334-5678. www.lincolntrain.com. Fee for museum entry. Gettysburg Heritage Center. 297 Steinwehr Ave. 717-334-6245.www.gettysburgmuseum.com. Tickets Available online. There are a number of online deals when you buy tickets for multiple attractions at once. A good place to start is the Gettysburg Battlefield Tours website. They offer Value Plans for three additional attractions purchased with a bus tour. 16 living • Summer 2017
We stayed at the Sleep Inn in Mountville, which is a little more than an hour northeast of Gettysburg. It’s a bit off the direct route between Gettysburg and Hershey, but in doing my research beforehand, I had discovered the hotels in the Mountville area were, on average, cheaper than their counterparts in either Gettysburg or Hershey. There was an indoor pool the kids made good use of and a fitness center my husband enjoyed. They have multiple hot breakfast items in the morning, included in the price of the room, which is always tops on my list—one less thing to think about.
Hershey:
Sure, Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell had some cool inventions. But, according to my daughter, Sarah, Milton Hershey is the most brilliant inventor of all time. When we arrived at Hershey’s Chocolate World, Sarah leaped out of the van and cheered, “Yes! These are my people!” The sweet smell of chocolate greeted us at the door as we started our chocolate adventure with the free 30-minute Chocolate Factory Tour. We were all eyes (and ears and noses) as we walked through, witnessing the conversion from cocoa beans to chocolate. And of course, the tour has a happy ending with free samples. There is no lack of chocolate at this place.
History and chocolate. And the history of chocolate. Something for everyone. We had purchased tickets ahead of time for the other attractions. Our next stop was the Chocolate Tasting Experience. Sarah could hardly stand the short wait until our experience began. Everyone sat in a big room with place mats that explained the different chocolates we would be sampling. We were taught the difference between milk and dark and really dark chocolate. And there were a couple flavors that could honestly be classified as “just strange.” The average person would be all “chocolated-out” after that adventure, but Sarah was ready for more. We headed over to the Trolley Works for our Chocolate & History Trolley tour. This trolley ride was FAR more than just a ride through the town of Hershey. We had costumed tour guides who sang and told the story of Milton Hershey and all he has done for the town. They told stories and performed a mystery play all during our 75-minute tour in an air-conditioned trolley. And Hershey Attractions: Hershey’s Chocolate World. 101 Chocolate World Way. 717-534-4900. www.hersheyschocolateworld. com. Chocolate factory tour is free. The other attractions have fees. When you buy advanced tickets online, there are a number of options for bundling different experiences together for a reduced price. Hersheypark. 100 Hersheypark Dr. 717-5343900. www.hersheypark.com Advance tickets or multiple-day tickets can be purchased online.
Jesse’s family at Hershey’s Chocolate World.
to make Sarah’s day even brighter, there were more free samples during and after the tour. There are also other chocolate attractions available at Hershey’s Chocolate World including the Create Your Own Candy Bar Adventure and the 4D Chocolate Interactive Mystery Show. And don’t even get me started on Hersheypark, the enormous 110-acre theme park across the street that was started by Milton Hershey back in 1906 so the Hershey employees would have a fun, leisurely place to hang out. It now includes family rides, water rides, kiddie rides, coasters for every level of courage, food and days-worth of fun for everyone. There is easily enough entertainment in the area for a family to spend a week, but by just picking a few of the adventures that would interest your family the most, Gettysburg and Hershey becomes a perfect weekend or long-weekend getaway. Family friendly places to Stay: Mountville: Sleep Inn and Suites of Lancaster County. 310 Primrose Ln. 717-285-0444.www.choicehotels.com. Free Morning Medley breakfast buffet, free Wi-Fi, indoor heated pool and hot tub, exercise room. MainStay Suites of Lancaster County. 314 Primrose Ln. 717-285-2500. www.choicehotels.com. Free breakfast, free Wi-Fi, fully-equipped kitchens. Gettysburg: 1863 Inn of Gettysburg. 516 Baltimore St. 717-3346211. www.1863innofgettsyburg.com. Complimentary breakfast, seasonal outdoor pool, exercise room, free Wi-Fi. Quality Inn and Suites. 871 York Rd. 717-3372400. www.choicehotels.com. Free continental breakfast, indoor heated pool, whirlpool, fitness center, free Wi-Fi. Hershey: Days Inn Hershey. 350 West Chocolate Ave. 717-5342162. www.daysinn.com Complementary hot breakfast, free shuttle to Hersheypark, indoor heated pool and hot tub, fitness center, free Wi-Fi. Closest hotel to Hersheypark. Howard Johnson Inn Hershey. 845 East Chocolate Ave. 717-533-9157.www.howardjohnson.com. Free Rise & Dine continental breakfast, seasonal heated outdoor pool, fitness center, free Wi-Fi. Summer 2017 • living 17
The question asked most often by ART BORDEN
E
PHOTO PROVIDED
ver since my wife passed last summer I have been asked unusual accident both spouses die at the same time. The “How are you doing?” Friends, acquaintances, former normal thing is for one spouse to die and for the other to be colleagues, neighbors and family members have all left behind. This fact is recognized in the marriage vows we asked it. take at the time of marriage. The one officiating says “… til Sometimes they say “How are things going?” or “How are death do you part.” Death will almost always happen to one you handling things?” Sometimes it is a statement- question, spouse before the other. “It is tough isn’t it.” Fifty percent of married people have their spouse die first; I know the however, all question is being married people asked out of have to face the concern and with question, what will good intentions. I do if my spouse The problem is, I dies. The loss of a am not sure how spouse is not the to answer the unusual, it is the question. I even normal. It is going wonder if I am to happen. It is not the right person a question of “if,” to answer the but “when.” Death question. It might is a fact of life. be better to ask This is not someone who something to fear, knows me well and for it is something Art Borden and his wife Alice enjoy a card game together at Virginia Mennonite Retirement say, “How is Art all married people Community’s Oak Lea residence not long before Alice died. doing?” should take into My usual account. The death response is “Things are going well. I feel fine. Thank you.” I of a spouse is not an accident, even if it occurs in an accident. believe that is an honest answer and it seems to satisfy most The death of a spouse is part of God’s plan for our lives. people. None of this is meant to say the death of spouse is not a time The experience has made me think about a number of for sadness. Just as marriage is a time of gain and rejoicing, things. It dawned on me the other day that for a married the death of a spouse is a time of loss and sorrow. It is a time person to lose a spouse is a normal thing. It is only in some for grieving. However, it is a normal part of life and we need to deal with it as such.
It dawned on me the other day that …the normal thing is for one spouse to die and for the other to be left behind.
McMULLEN FUNERAL HOME, INC. Serving Rockingham County for over 100 years • Family owned & operated since 1897 • Cremation services available • Pre-need planning • We invite comparison
Directors - William L. McMullen, Mgr., Andrea McMullen Strawderman www.mcmullenfh.com
833-2891
mcmullenfh@comcast.net 18 living • Summer 2017
Sadness and unpleasantness is not the same as evil or bad. The separation of a loved one through death does not mean God has turned His back on us. It does not mean it is not God’s will for that person or the surviving spouse. We are all going to die and we need to recognize that. Not everything that comes into one’s life is pleasant. Most of us grow, develop and mature more through our troubles and problems than through the easy joyous times in our life. Here are several questions to consider: If you are the remaining spouse, would you rather have died first and left your spouse alone? Would you rather your spouse be grieving for you than you for them? Be thankful your spouse died first and does not have to grieve as you do.
Are you better able to deal with life alone than the deceased spouse? Could your deceased spouse handle the matter of daily living as well as you can? What are you free to do now, that you could not do before? Is there opportunity for ministry and service that was not there before? Can you do things for others that you could not do before? How has the death of a spouse helped you grow, develop and mature so as to be a better person than before? Grieving is a part of living. Since we cannot avoid death, we cannot avoid grief, especially when we care for the one who died. Grieving is caring, remembering, healing and growing. And not all grief need be sad. When we got married, we developed new patterns in our life. We had to take into account our partner; their likes and
ATTENTION CAR WASHERS
dislikes, habits and mannerisms, personality, strengths and weaknesses. When we lose a partner, we are more mature and developed than when we married. We now have to adapt and fill in the gaps that show up without our partner. Over the years we have learned many things from living with our spouse. After the loss of our spouse we have the opportunity to take those things we have learned and put them into practice in our own lives and in our own way. So how am I doing? I am not always certain. Some days are better than others. One thing I know, though, is that this is life. This is normal life, life we need to deal with, and life all of us need to do our best to prepare for. It is God’s will for me at this time. ART BORDEN is on the board of Valley Living.
H. LEE STOVER RANDALL STOVER (540) 828-6763 Fax (540) 828-4426 3889 Dry River Road Bridgewater, VA 22812
Get your FREE Miracle Wash Card online and start earning FREE CAR WASHES! miraclecarwashonline.com 540-433-5800
www.millcabinetshop.com Old World Craftmanship and Quality Materials
Summer 2017 • living 19
A tsunami of pain by SUSAN ESTEP
PHOTO PRVIDED
O
n May 2, 2016, I was out shopping for a Mother’s Day gift with a friend. It was a beautiful sunny day and I looked forward to a fun day. Since I don’t drive anymore due to my macular degeneration, I rely on friends and our city’s para-transit system to get around. After shopping at a few stores, I purchased the Mother’s Day gift and suggested to my friend Sylvia we stop for ice cream on the way home; it would be my treat. Sylvia and I were enjoying our dessert when her cell phone rang. She didn’t Jim and Alice Scott, longtime residents of Harrisonburg, are the parents of the author, recognize the Susan Estep. Her father had a heart attack last number so did not summer. answer the call. About an hour later, we arrived at the retirement community where we both live. Sylvia’s phone rang again. This time it had a message with the number; whoever was calling was looking for me. The person calling was a friend of my mother’s. She told me my father was in the hospital and my mother needed me there right away. My mother’s friend picked me up a few minutes later and drove me to the emergency room at Sentara RMH in Harrisonburg. My father had been to the emergency room many times in the past few years due to his ongoing congestive heart failure condition. I thought this was likely another episode of CHF,
DAN’S BODY SERVICE, INC. 2591 Harpine Hwy. Harrisonburg, VA 22802 Phone (540) 434-8889
dansbodyservice.com 20 living • Summer 2017
and the ER staff were medicating Dad to clear out his lungs. When we arrived at the emergency room entrance, another church friend was waiting. I was puzzled she had a wheelchair to transport me back to my dad’s room. I had gone through total knee surgery nearly seven months before, but I was walking fairly well by then. However, my mother’s friend, Vicki, insisted I use the wheelchair. She said, “It’s quite a distance back to your dad’s room.” When we came closer to his room I noticed the curtain was pulled. Vicki stopped suddenly and stood directly in front of me. That was when she announced, “Susan, your father died.” I began crying and she wheeled me into the room. There was my father’s body, the color faded from his face. The room was still and unbelievably stifling. My mother was holding Dad’s hand, her head bowed in agony. My mother and I embraced and cried together. We spent an hour or so sitting by my father saying our goodbyes. Time stood still for us in that hour. When we left his room a part of us was left behind. I knew our lives would never be the same.
When we came closer to his room I noticed the curtain was pulled … That was when she announced, “Susan, your father died.” A long 87-year life had ended. Our loss was real; it is huge. My mother has now, in a way, become my child. Role reversal you might call it. This was a person who was dependent on my father during most of their 68 years of marriage. She is small and frail and has never lived alone. She is now faced with making decisions and being single again. I relate to her pain, for I became a young widow myself at the age of 38. My mother is now my priority. I relentlessly work to ensure her financial wellbeing. Look up “bone tired” in the dictionary and you may find my picture. The caregiver in me emerges. I comfort, support and bolster my mother’s courage. It brings back painful tinges of my own early widowhood. My mother is needy. She clings to me with fear in her eyes. These things are normal, especially in the immediate weeks and months following loss. At times, I become irritated when I am teaching her things she has never done. Then I feel extreme guilt when I look at her quivering mouth from her Parkinson’s condition. I reassure her saying, “Mom, it’s going to be ok.” I am a strong woman who has overcome many tragedies in my life. I can help my mother reach a higher plane of confidence and achieve a peaceful, comfortable life for herself. Confidence comes when it is nurtured. Courage
Young adults to watch
Salim Charles by LAUREE S. PURCELL
T
wenty-two year old Salim Charles grew up on Kelley Street near the Simms Center and Ralph Sampson Park in Harrisonburg. He and his sister attended the Boys and Girls Club there after school. He was an all-state defensive end for the Harrisonburg High School (HHS) football team where he graduated with an advanced diploma in 2012. He will continue his second year as a Centennial Scholar at James Madison University (JMU) this fall. Salim enjoys working with children and teenagers who face challenges due to unstable home lives and poverty. He has worked for the Harrisonburg Boys and Girls Club, the On The Road Collaborative and the Roberta Webb Day Care Center. This summer, he’ll be working full-time to help children at the Simms Center Boys and Girls Club and will continue there part-time while studying this fall. Salim’s mother is from Suriname, a Dutch colony in South America. She came to Tampa, Fla. when she was 17. She and Salim’s father, who is from Trinidad and Tobago, never married, and he left when Salim was just 5 to 6 years old. “My mom did great. I don’t know how she took care of me and my sister, but she did her best.” Mr. Futuroso, Salim’s 8th grade science teacher at Thomas Harrison Middle School, and Coach Madding of the North Recreational Football League, gave Salim a series of positive experiences that built up his confidence and set him on a
comes when the tight reins of control are released enough to share responsibility. My mother has now learned how to write checks, to make calls for doctor appointments, to call friends to set up times together for lunch or shopping. I also helped her apply for a credit card and set up direct deposits. She applied for para-transit and can now ride the para-transit system. I have gone with her several times, but I am sure she can do this on her own now. Mom moved to a new apartment two months after dad died and with the help of friends, we got her set up, and the new apartment decorated. She is enjoying her new apartment and becoming more comfortable living on her own. And I have learned to use a cell phone, better realizing my own need for one. Sitting here in my apartment and writing this story is still very painful. Dad’s death changed our lives forever, but my
successful path through high school. Salim considers his guidance counselor, Mr. Myers, to have been an important mentor who put him on a fast track for a great experience at HHS, and he especially liked his science teachers there who encouraged his interest in anatomy, chemistry and physics and helped him understand it. After studying and playing college football for a year at JMU, Salim became a team leader for Beyond the Bell, a series of grantfunded afterschool programs that served as the predecessor to On the Road Collaborative (OTRC). He enjoyed helping the children explore robotics and agriculture without the pressure of tests and grades. Salim believes attending the Boys and Girls Club, volunteering there and then mentoring children ages 5 to 17 as a member of the team, helped mold him into a more mature member of society. He hopes to earn a Masters in Education from JMU and continue giving back to the diverse and disadvantaged youth of the city of Harrisonburg for many years to come. “Salim has a contagiously positive personality and has a unique ability to connect with young people and make a difference in their lives,” said Brent Holsinger, founder and president of OTRC. “He has tremendous potential as an educator and leader, and I am excited to see Salim pursue a degree in education at James Madison University.” LAUREE STROUD PURCELL is an editorial consultant and writer for Living.
Know someone 30 or under to nominate for a future Shenandoah Spotlight? Requirements are: Valley resident or grew up here, outstanding for their job, community, or church work, and the model they provide. Contact us at info@ valleyliving.org.
mother and I have a strong faith. God has thrown us a life preserver with assurance He is there through this tsunami of pain. God brings us to the peaceful, calmer seas of living once again. SUSAN ESTEP was a social worker who enjoys writing and artwork; she now lives at VMRC in Harrisonburg.
FORDABLE AF
“People You Can Trust At A Price You Can Afford”
COMPLETE TERMITE & PEST CONTROL SERVICE Residential • Commercial
• FREE ESTIMATES •No Contract Necessary • One Time or Monthly Service Available
PEST CONTROL Over 35 Years Experience
432-9500
LICENSED & INSURED 3047 Shen Lake Dr. Locally Owned & Operated Harrisonburg, VA 22801 Affordablepestva.com
Summer 2017 • living 21
PHOTO PRVIDED
Shenandoah Spotlight
Gifting your family’s history by BART A. STUMP
Y
ou share many gifts with your family that make up your collective family history: births, weddings, family trips, holiday gatherings, recipes, stories and traditions. But have you thought of giving your children the actual gift of your family’s history? You can pass on your family’s legacy by researching your genealogy. It may seem daunting at first, but it’s quite simple. Start by recording your full name and the date and place of your birth on an ancestor chart or family group sheet. Both sheets are readily available on the internet or at a family research center. You can also use any of the numerous computer programs and apps available that will make recording your information a breeze.
Also, have them help identify people in old family photos. If not, you may be forever stuck wondering who that mystery person is staring back at you from the picture.
22 living • Summer 2017
©ADOBE STOCK
Next, record the information you know about your siblings and parents. Include the dates and places of marriages and deaths if necessary. Once that is completed, move on to your grandparents’ generation. Get as much information as you can from older, living relatives. Once these priceless resources are gone, researching becomes much more difficult. Ask these relatives about themselves, their spouses, parents, grandparents and other family members. You may be fascinated by some of the family stories you will hear so don’t hesitate to record the conversations. Also, have them help identify people in old family photos. If not, you may be forever stuck wondering who that mystery person is staring back at you from the picture. Once you have exhausted your living sources, it’s time to start researching. Vital records such as births, deaths and marriages are extremely helpful. You may also want to search for records of deeds, wills, baptisms, court cases, immigration/ emigration information and military service. Other good resources are local history books produced by communities
in the area. You might be surprised to find out what activities and organizations your family members were involved in once upon a time. Do not forget old newspapers, yearbooks and phone directories. You can also turn to census records. U.S. censuses are population counts that have been conducted every ten years, starting in 1790. Censuses from 1850 onward are especially useful in that they list all family members by name and age. Later censuses will be one of the most valuable resources available, as they also include occupations, language(s) spoken, nation of birth and other helpful information. Much of this information can be found by searching libraries, local historical societies, county courthouses/ archives, cemeteries, churches, genealogical societies, state and national archives and the internet. A word of caution about the internet: do not believe everything you find. Remember, anyone can put anything online. Mistakes can happen and false assumptions can be very misleading. There are, however, numerous websites you may find useful. Ancestry.com is a popular pay site, but much of the information provided on the site can be found from free sources as well. A great free starting point is FamilySearch. org. This easy-to-use site is a treasure trove of records and helpful hints. You also may want to try Genforum.com, a site that allows people to post information and ask questions about
Searching for family records and roots is easier than ever with access to good websites—and a “better-now-than-before-it’s-too-late” mindset needed to put information together.
specific family surnames. It is a great way to network with distant relatives. It is important you always record the source of your information as you do your research. If you ever need to go back and verify information, you will know exactly where to look. There is nothing more frustrating than finding a promising lead and then forgetting where you found it. Being organized and keeping good records are a must! Also, be aware some early records might not be written in English and the spelling of names may vary or change over time. Tracing your family history can be challenging. It can be a huge project and will benefit from breaking it into manageable chunks of time. False leads, dead-ends, lost or destroyed records are all part of the adventure. Also, be cautious of the “family legend.” Contrary to popular belief, not everyone had an ancestor that fought in the Civil War or had a relative that was part Native American. But researching your family history is also very rewarding. While not everyone’s ancestor was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, it is important to remember they lived during those amazing times. They had hopes and dreams just like you and through their hard work and effort, they helped create the world you know today. Now that you know the what, where and how of family genealogy, begin your own fascinating journey into the past so you can pass this amazing legacy on to future generations. BART A. STUMP is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania.
Shop Your Values. Support Fair Trade. Clothing, Jewelry, Coffee, Chocolate, and more
20% OFF One Item *Some restrictions apply
821 Mt. Clinton Pike
Harrisonburg, VA 22802
www.facebook.com/ArtisansHope
Summer 2017 • living 23
Bless this house by MILLIE BAKER RAGOSTA
24 living • Summer 2017
©ADOBE STOCK
V
ince and I, perpetually one jump ahead of the stork, have lived in a lot of houses during our marriage. Each of them was necessarily bigger than its predecessor until we bought a twelve-bedroom, fourbathroom Victorian with a two-story brick Carriage House on a quarter-acre lot. By then, several of the kids were already married, had become parents, or were in graduate school. However, we still needed that behemoth of a house if we wanted Homes are usually more than just four walls and a roof for a family: how a house builds memories and often takes on the kids and grandkids a life of its own in a family’s history. to visit us … which we certainly did. “No, Vince,” I said. “I like living in a house where other Inevitably, however, the “in residence” number of our kids people have lived. I feel them … the brides … the kids playing decreased to four. We realized at long last, we could look for cowboy in the yard. Vince, do you realize there are actually a house that didn’t require the attention of a staff to do the baby-teeth marks on the casement windows near the floor cleaning, cooking, weeding and mowing, most of which was on the first-floor landing of this house? Some little child me. Vince did help with the cooking, though, and Tony and once stood there watching for his daddy to come home from Bill did all the mowing. Nevertheless, maintaining the big, work—” beautiful mansion which had once been a summer home for Vince sighed. “You constantly let your writer’s imagination a wealthy Philadelphian, was wearing us both out. So, with run away with you.” only four still in residence, we began to plan our next (and “It is not my imagination. The grandkids love that spot; hopefully) last move. it’s their favorite in the whole house. I think they feel those other little kids’ spirits, too. There has been so much living “I like living in a house where other and loving in this house!” I told him. Jan Beatty (roughly my age), told me when they lived here, one of the boys “ran away” people have lived. I feel them … brides … to the carriage house when he was ten and stayed there for and kids playing cowboy in the yard.” a week. She said their mother knew very well where he was hanging out and that neighbor Jean Green up the street was A one-story house on a small lot, with enough bedrooms sneaking food to him. for overnight visitors was a must for me. As I told my friend “He finally got tired and ‘came home,’” I told my husband. and neighbor, Norma, “I couldn’t bear not having my kids and Her mother just smiled when he did. grandkids visit.” “I suppose you think she haunts the house, too.” She grinned and said, “Then you’d better buy a ranch-house “I’m sure she does. I get vibes all the time. The Beatty kids next to a motel.” used to lay wagers on the day the ginko tree behind the house That was not an option; motels sat on the edges of towns would drop all its leaves with one gigantic whoosh, too. And beside noisy highways. I liked living in a small town where I the Vonados who lived here subsequent to the Beattys used could walk to the library. to flood the really flat part of the yard in the winter for an ice“Maybe we ought to consider building a house,” Vince said.
skating rink. Vince, I tell you, when the house is quiet, I can actually feel them here … all those nice—” “Okay, okay, I get it. We’ll find a smaller, easier to care for house with history!” “I just hope there is such a place,” I sighed. We had nearly decided there wasn’t when we found it. It’s a one-story cross between an English country cottage from an Agatha Christie novel and a ranch house. It was built by Mr. Edy Kofman in 1940 spanning a fifty-foot lot between a stately brick Arts and Crafts house and a picturesque Victorian. Mr. Kofman wheedled the owner of the Victorian to sell him the 50 x 250-foot lot in Bellefonte’s loveliest neighborhood so he could build a house with all the wonderful materials he acquired when he won the contract to raze the ruins of the 1911 high school building two blocks away. This phoenix of a house reminds me of a brash teen-ager who’s invaded a retirement home; it measures almost 2000 square foot, stretching far back on the lot. The “country cottage” contains a spacious living room with a red-stone fire-place, built-in book-cases, enormous wood beams (also salvaged, but from an old Pennsylvania barn). Both the living room and the adjoining den, with its entire wall of built-in storage cabinets, are paneled with real knotty pine. There is also an eat-in kitchen, dining room, sun porch, three large bedrooms, and two baths. We’ve fenced in part of the yard for
New Beginnings Church 101 Pike Church Road Harrisonburg, VA
Worship Services Sundays at 8:45 & 10:30 a.m. Children’s Church, 8:45 & 10:30 a.m. — Dynamic, and exciting Bible teaching, using music, videos, games, & more. Adult Sunday School Classes — meet at 10:30 a.m.
Website: www.newbeginchurch.org Call 540-434-1555 for more information
Family Life Resource Center 273 Newman Avenue, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 434-8450 e-mail: services@flrc.org
“COUNSELING FOR HOPE, HEALTH AND HEALING” - Addressing marital, family, parenting and other relationship problems - Coping with losses, grief and major life adjustments - Dealing with depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges - Overcoming substance abuse and other addictions - Providing educational resources for congregations and other agencies Contact services@flrc.org or 434-8450.
the puppy we promised Rosie, and built a wall to divide the deep, dry basement room into a temporary bedroom for the boys who either live here or visit between school terms. The real-estate lady who showed it to us apologized because only a few of the house’s owners had children. “You indicated you were looking for a house with ‘history,’” she said. “None of the previous occupants were especially remarkable—” “Not remarkable!” I said, “Oh, my goodness; just think of Bellefonte’s young people getting crushes on each other when the house was a school … boys inviting girls to proms, buying them Valentines and--” Vince—who, I admit, is often embarrassed by my enthusiasms—interrupted. “Millie, you and the house will get along just fine,” he said. How could we not? MILLIE BAKER RAGOSTA and her husband have 11 children; she wrote romances for “Doubleday” and “Baker’s Dozen,” a weekly family humor column.
Affordable Style for Your Floors. Introducing a new concept in buying rugs.
No hassles. No haggling. Just a great selection of area rugs & accessories at everyday low prices. At Weaver’s Flooring America, you can find a beautiful rug to fit any budget. Stop in today and discover how easy it is to cover your floors with affordable style. BRING THIS AD WITH YOU AND RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF OUR ALREADY LOW PRICES!
Weaver’s
(Area Rugs only)
3245 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg, Virginia • (540) 433-1517 2530 W. Main Street, Waynesboro, Virginia • (540) 943-3231
Ad sponsored by: LD&B Insurance and Financial Services
Summer 2017 • living 25
Little larks:
solutions for entertaining your early-bird by HEATHER LEE LEAP
M
any families struggle to rouse sleepy children in the morning, but what if you have the opposite problem? If your preschooler is wide awake and chirpy with the dawn, you need rest and solutions to keep your early riser from waking the household. Adjusting your child’s bedtime is an obvious first step, but if that is not an option, or does not have the desired results, there is still hope. With creativity and a little preparation, you can sleep in and keep your little lark quietly entertained in the wee hours of the morning. Start by discussing the need to play quietly and be respectful of other people’s desire to sleep. Then, provide your child the tools to be successful.
If your preschooler is wide awake and chirpy with the dawn, you need rest and solutions to keep your early riser from waking the household.
What do you do when the littles want to crawl out of bed too early?
26 living • Summer 2017
HEATHER LEE LEAP is a freelance writer, yoga teacher and mother to an early riser. Find her at www.wellnessandwords.com/ ©ADOBE STOCK
Set a basket beside your child’s bed, or designate a special shelf or drawer for books and quiet toys. Emphasize these are special items, only to be used in the morning when others are sleeping. You know how your child plays with his or her toys. If small cars can only be rolled around the bed with loud sound effects, they may not be the best choice. Rotate the stock of toys periodically to retain your child’s interest. Provide mess-free drawing tools. An unsupervised preschooler may graffiti the walls, floor, furniture, and himself. Two options are the Magna Doodle and the combination of Crayola Color Wonder markers and paper. The Magna Doodle is a self-contained drawing board that uses a magnetic stylus. The stylus is attached to the board by a sturdy cord. Kids can draw, write and erase over and over again, as well as use other magnets to make shapes on the board. Crayola Color Wonder markers work only on the special Color Wonder paper, so there is no risk of damage to your home. Teach the basics of time. Once children have a basic grasp of time they are less likely to creep into your room to ask, in their best stage whisper, “Can I get up now?” If your child has access to a digital clock, explain which numbers represent
the hour and minutes. Then make a chart or poster showing an acceptable rising time and post this beside the clock. If there is an analog clock in your child’s room, draw a picture of a clock with the hands in the position for the correct time for getting up, then shade the time before it. For example, if 6 a.m. is acceptable to you, shade the right half of the clock. Point out the difference between the short and long hands and explain if the short hand is in the shaded area, it is too early to be up. Brainstorm areas of your home where your child can play without disturbing anyone. If your early riser shares a room with a sibling who is a light sleeper, any amount of quiet playing may be too disruptive. On dark mornings, there is sure to be wailing if the first one up turns on the lights. If your child has a walk-in closet, keep quiet-time toys there. It can become a special hideaway where your child can curl up with a blanket, close the door and turn on the light without waking a sibling. A hallway or a cozy chair in another room are other possibilities. If you’ve been grousing at your child for getting up too early, the switch to this new routine can take some getting used to. Be sure your child understands you are still available. Some children may fear they will lose the privilege if they get up to use the restroom or wake you when they are sick or scared. Be sure they know you will still be there for them when they really need you. Before you know it your little larks will be teenagers and you will need floodlights and a crane to roust them from bed in the morning. For now, best of luck getting a few more minutes of shut-eye in the morning.
Cooking Corner
Recipes and tips for cooking at home
Banana Crumb Muffins
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 bananas, mashed 3/4 cup white sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon butter
Maureen Witmer is the Director of Outreach and Engagement, as well as the Recipe Specialist for TakeThemAMeal.com. Her recipes and photographs can be found on the recipe section of TakeThemAMeal.com. She and her husband Andrew, a professor of history at James Madison University, live in Harrisonburg, Va. Maureen works from home where she cares for their young children.
LaDawn Knicely, MA, M.Div. REALTOR®, Broker/Owner
(540) 421-6941 | HometownRealtyGroup.com LaDawn.Knicely@HometownRealtyGroup.com 7 Killdeer Lane, Ste. A. Dayton, VA 22821
Let all that you do be done in LOVE. 1 Cor. 16:14
©TAKETHEMAMEAL.COM
Who doesn’t love muffins? They are the perfect on-the-go breakfast during a busy morning and are great for a quick snack during the day. Make these summery muffins over the weekend before a busy week so that you have them on hand. With their sweet banana flavor, they are perfect for a light breakfast or early summer indulgence. Add nuts for a richer taste and more filling muffin, or fruits like blueberries and raisins for a sweeter treat. This recipe serves 10 and was originally taken from allrecipes.com.
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. 2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together banans, sugar, egg, melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. 4. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Summer 2017 • living 27
It’s not easy being green ©ADOBE STOCK
by LISA A. BEACH
M
y favorite Muppet, Kermit, said it best: “It’s not easy being green.” Like any good mom, I try to lead my family down the do-the-right-thing path as we go about our suburban lives. This includes adopting environmentally friendly habits as I try to instill a leave-no-trace mentality in my family. Let’s just say they’re about ready to stuff me into the recycling bin with my attempts to “green up” our lives. “Listen, Mother Earth, you need to chill,” my husband Kevin says to me on a regular basis as I try to shove my savethe-planet philosophy down my family’s throat. I admit I sometimes go a little overboard in my efforts. I also admit I sometimes fail miserably at it. For example, I’ve drilled my kids on the importance of the three big “R’s” - reduce, reuse and recycle. Yet, despite my best efforts, we often fall short. Reduce: The Good: To cut down on all the harmful chemicals and reduce the influx of disposable containers in our home, I sometimes make my own non-toxic cleaning products with simple ingredients like water, vinegar and lemon juice. The Bad: While this DIY approach works as effectively as most cleaners, I’m banned from using them when my family is home because they claim it makes the house smell like pungent salad dressing. Which it does, but only for 10 minutes. The Ugly: With two teen boys in the house, I’m not against breaking out the Lysol as needed. I’m all for “going green,” but teen messes and smelly soccer cleats demand the toxic big guns, like bleach, alkyl, dimethyl benzyl and other ingredients I can’t pronounce. I’m trying to survive two teenagers.
Let’s just say [my family is] about ready to stuff me into the recycling bin with my attempts to “green up” our lives. Reuse: The Good: We own at least a dozen refillable water bottles, which we regularly take to school, work, soccer games, etc. One drink at a time, we’re not adding to the county landfill. Yay, us! 28 living • Summer 2017
Most children readily learn the three “R’s” of caring for our earth: reduce, reuse, recycle. But maybe all of us can use an update on putting the R’s into practice.
The Bad: While we’ve slowly upgraded most of our water bottles to stainless steel or BPA-free plastic over the years, a few “bad plastics” still lurk in our cupboards. For unknown reasons, we’re still holding onto a few toxic, BPA-laden freebies emblazoned with our local radio station’s logo. The Ugly: At this very moment, we’ve got a case of disposable water bottles sitting on our back porch. Despite our best efforts to bring reusable containers everywhere, we’ve just committed the pinnacle of atrocious eco-crimes. Not only did we buy disposable water bottles, but we bought them in bulk. What kind of monsters are we? At least we can recycle them by making sure we take off lids when we take them to a recycling center. Recycle: The Good: My family has dubbed me the Recycling Nazi for my zealot-level intensity of recycling. Each week, our recycling bins overflow with aluminum cans, plastic bottles, newspapers and empty cereal boxes. I’m thrilled we’ve reduced our carbon footprint. The Bad: Sometimes my overly aggressive efforts tick off my husband, like when he hasn’t yet read the Sunday newspaper, and I’ve already tossed it into the recycling bin
by 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon. (This is where he starts, “Listen, Mother Earth …”) The Ugly: Like George Costanza picking a Twinkie out of the trash in a classic Seinfeld episode, I’ve been known to pluck a perfectly good empty toilet paper roll out of the bathroom waste can and put it in the recycling bin. My husband thinks I’ve sunk to a new low. But do you know how many trees I’ve saved over the years? While I’ve got the best of intentions, I struggle with setting a good example and then living up to it consistently. For example, rather than waste gallons of water while brushing my teeth, I turn the faucet off until I’m ready to “rinse and spit.” Sometimes my husband or the boys will leave the faucet running full blast while brushing their teeth. “You can bathe a toddler with all that water you’re wasting!” I chastise. The problem? My hypocrisy comes back to haunt me when they point out I take longer showers than a construction worker after a long, hot day on the job. They’re right. Yet, despite my eco-fails, I keep trying to live the green life. In fact, I’ve seriously asked for a compost bin for Mother’s Day for the last five years. So far, no one’s running to Home Depot to fulfill my wish. Instead, I usually receive flowers on Mother’s Day. Of course, when they die, I could have tossed them into the compost bin IF I HAD ONE. I agree with Kermit. It’s not easy being green.
THE 25th YEAR
JUNE 11-18, 2017
LISA BEACH is a freelance journalist, copywriter and humor blogger. Check out her writer’s website at www.LisaBeachWrites.com and visit her humor blog at www.TweeniorMoments.com.
Roy M. Bergey, Financial Advisor
ADVENTURES IN TRAVEL
601 Parkwood Dr., Harrisonburg, VA 22802
574-361-6263
Roy@BergeyFinancial.com • www.BergeyFinancial.com Roy M. Bergey is a registered representative with and offers securities through Kovack Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. 6451 North Federal Highway Suite 1201, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308. Tel: 954-782-4771. Advisory Services offered through Kovack Advisors. Bergey Financial is not affiliated with Kovack Securities, Inc. or Kovack Advisors, Inc.
November 8-18, 2017
I
f you’re interested in knowing your next home better before you Roy M. Bergey purchase it, then having a pre-purchase Financial Advisor home inspection is what you 901the Parkwood want. From the top to bottomDrive and inside and out Shenandoah Harrisonburg, 22802 Home Inspection Service will help VA make your next home purchase a 574-361-6263 more knowledgeable experience. Each client Roy@BergeyFinancial.com will receive a combination www.BergeyFinancial.com checklist and written inspection report on the condition of each home Roy M. Bergey is a registered representative with and offers securities through Kovack Securities, Inc. Member when it was inspected. FINRA/SIPC. 6451 North Federal Highway Suite 1201, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308. Tel: 954-782-4771. Advisory Services offered through Kovack Advisors. Bergey Financial is not affiliated with Kovack Securities, Inc. or Water Testing and Septic Inspections also available. Kovack Advisors, Inc. —Insured—
Shenandoah Home Inspection Service 1911 Smithland Road, Harrisonburg, VA 22802 (540) 433-9844 • 1-888-594-6555
“The Best of Italy”
March 19-29, 2018
“Beautiful Ireland / Northern Ireland”
Venice, Pisa, Florence, Sorrento, Almafi Coastline, Pompeii, Dublin, Belfast, Nine Rome (Colosseum, Sistine Glens of Antrim, Donegal, Chapel, St. Peters, Trevi “Yeats Country”, Galway, Cliffs Fountain, etc.) Cost Only $3079 of Moher, Ring of Kerry, from D.C. (dbl occupancy). Blarney Castle, and more. Incl. overseas air from Terrific price - Only $2729! D.C., first-class hotels, Incl. overseas air from most meals, and more. D.C., First-class hotels, most meals.
For More Information contact Ed & Edie Bontrager 540-438-8304 (Office), 540-209-7457 (Cell) ~ Harrisonburg, VA www.travelventuretours.com ~ eebontrager@comcast.net Summer 2017 • living 29
Reunion by BARBARA WEDDLE
T
©ADOBE STOCK
his past summer I hosted a week-long family reunion at Was it all worth it, I wondered? Could I do our home in rural Wisconsin. My sons and their families it again? I was not a young woman any live in large metropolitan areas in other states, and, as I don’t see them as often as I’d like, I was quite excited about longer. everyone being under my roof at the same time. I also wanted to the nearby river, and one person or another, it seemed, was my citified grandchildren to experience a little of country life. always in the shower. My husband and I went to great lengths to prepare in the And the noise! Small children chased cats down the hall, months preceding the reunion. He got our huge backyard screaming to hold them, the kitchen door and the sliding door looking like a country-magazine photo, even building a new leading to the deck and backyard slammed open and shut fire pit. I cooked and baked for days preceding the event, constantly, loud music cleaned house until it shook the rafters, and adults sparkled, and scoured and children alike stayed yard sales for second-hand up until well after midnight toys and outdoor games playing, talking, laughing for the grandchildren. We downstairs or outside purchased air mattresses around a campfire. and set up extra living On the last day of the quarters in two spare reunion, utterly exhausted, I bedrooms, stocked the lay on the sofa gazing about freezer, arranged the garage the living room. The floor as an extra room to gather was covered with suitcases, in, and set up an extendable duffel bags, dirty clothes awning over the deck to and sneakers, blankets, shield everyone from rain laptops, and sleeping and the hot sun. bags. Was it all worth it, I During the week of wondered? Could I do it the reunion I took the again? I was not, after all, a grandchildren hiking, to Children find endless ways to entertain themselves given nature, some free young woman any longer. the zoo, to a reforestation time, and a bevy of inquisitive cousins. Then the soft murmur of camp and to a wildlife voices caught my attention. preserve. For the adult My three granddaughters, ages 5, 4 and 3, were seated in males, my husband planned a tour of Lambeau Field (home of front of the TV watching a children’s video, their small bodies the Packers). I shopped and took short sightseeing trips with swaying in time to the soundtrack. Now and then, Clara, the my daughters-in-law. The house, even with everyone pitching oldest, would stop swaying in order to explain to her younger in with housework, was in constant disarray. The washer cousins the sequence of events on the video. They would then and dryer were in constant use, the bathroom floor was often whisper back and forth excitedly, giggling softly. strewn with wet towels and children’s swimsuits after forays I felt my eyes moisten. Yes, I thought, it had all been worth it. And I would do it again. BARBARA WEDDLE is a freelance writer from Wisconsin.
Quality Vehicles
Reasonable Prices
Swope Auto Sales, L.C. 3986 Linville Edom Road Linville, VA 22834 Edwin Swope 540-833-5212 30 living • Summer 2017
On Route 721 1/2 mile East of Rt. 42
Father’s Day remembered
©ADOBE STOCK
by CAROLE CHRISTMAN KOCH
E
ach year, a special day is celebrated on the third Sunday of June—Father’s Day. My father, Herb Christman, worked hard as a farmer raising 10 children. Yet, I can’t recall honoring him on his special day as I did my mother on her special day. Surely, I’d have made a homemade card in Sunday School and given it to him. As an adult, I did honor him, and it was well-deserved. I’ve written quite a few stories about my own mother, as well as the history of Mother’s Day, but I never knew the history of Father’s Day. It was time to find out. Although Father’s Day is celebrated in numerous countries, some scholars’ opinion is the first recording of honoring a father comes from the Old Babylonian period, 4,000 years ago. A young lad, named Elmesu, carved a message of good health and a long and happy life to his beloved father.
The first Father’s Day church service was held on July 5, 1908, at what is now the Central United Methodist Church in Fairmont, West Virginia. Jumping ahead to the U.S., there have been numerous claims of being the first to celebrate Father’s Day. The first Father’s Day church service was July 5, 1908 at what is now the Central United Methodist Church in Fairmont, W.Va. It was there, Grace Clayton convinced her pastor to pay tribute to the 361 men killed, 250 being fathers, leaving 1,000 fatherless children, in the Monongah Mining Disaster in West Virginia. Clayton also wanted to honor her father, who died years earlier. With other events going on at the same time in Fairmont, the celebration wasn’t really promoted until 1985, when a historical marker was erected for holding the first Father’s Day observance in West Virginia. But scholars seem to agree it was Sonora Smart Dodd, of Spokane, Wash., who was the most persuasive in promoting a Father’s Day celebration in America. It all started after Sonora heard a sermon in 1909 about Anna Jarvis, who established Mother’s Day. Inspired, Sonora approached her pastor about honoring all fathers on a special day. Her own father was a Civil War Veteran and, as a widower, raised his six children. Thus, Father’s Day was celebrated on the third Sunday of June 1910 at churches throughout the city. In 1911, Jane Adams of the Hull House social settlement proposed a city-wide Father’s Day in Chicago, but it wasn’t accepted. Still another claim to Father’s Day was Harry Meek, the president of Chicago’s Lions’ Club. He organized a ceremony
The origins of celebrating a special day for Dads came from a number of interesting impetuses.
to honor the fathers of his organization the third Sunday of June 1915, which happened to be his birthday. Meek tried to make it an official holiday and the Lions’ Club named him the “Originator of Father’s Day.” Heading into the 1920s, Sonora Dodd stopped promoting Father’s Day while she was attending an art school in Chicago. After Sonora returned to Spokane in the 1930s, she started promoting Father’s Day at a national level. This time Sonora had help from trade businesses and a Father’s Day Council, founded by New York Associated Men’s Wear Retailers. At first, it was resented by the general public as another advertising stunt by merchants, but eventually, the organizations and states all wanted an annual Father’s Day. As such, a bill was introduced in Congress in 1913, but it took years for it to became a national holiday. President Wilson was the first president to observe Father’s Day, when he spoke at a Father’s Day celebration in Spokane; in 1924, President Coolidge recommended the day to be observed by our country. But it wasn’t until 1966 that President Johnson signed a presidential proclamation proclaiming the third Sunday of June was Father’s Day. It took six more years before President Nixon signed the day into law in 1972. In 1974, Sonora Dodd was honored for her contribution of establishing a Father’s Day at Spokane’s World Fair and, in my opinion, Clayton, Dodd, Adams, Pastor Berringer and Harry Meek, all contributed in some way in establishing the tradition of honoring all fathers. CAROLE CHRISTMAN KOCH is a freelance writer from Pennsylvania.
Black’s Paint & Floor Covering
625 W. Market St. • Harrisonburg, VA 22801 ht (540) 433-9207 Foresig Ab
be y Carpet CUSTOM FLOOR COVERINGS CERAMIC & HARDWOOD FLOORS WINDOW TREATMENTS • SIKKENS WOOD FINISHES MURALO AND PRATT & LAMBERT PAINTS
In g Floorin
Summer 2017 • living 31
©ADOBE STOCK
O
Cheyenne’s little secret
ne night my 14-year-old daughter, Cheyenne, went sleep walking, just as she had done numerous times since she was about 4 years old. But this time she did something she had never done before. Cheyenne took a pair of scissors out of the cabinet in the hall bathroom and ambled her way back to her bedroom where she sat on her bed in the dark and proceeded to cut her own hair. Snip by snip, clump by clump, her hair fell until she was finished. Then, she laid back down. When she awoke she found herself laying on a blanket of her own hair, scissors still in hand. She came to my bedroom at five in the morning and stood in the doorway and said “Mom, I think I cut my hair in my sleep.” I opened my eyes and looked at her. It was still dark and a little overly warm in our little home, but I could not really tell a difference in the length of her hair until I climbed out of bed and turned on the light. “Wow.” It was not a good “Wow.” Cheyenne’s blonde hair used to be long, all the way down to her bum. Every time I took her to the salon she would only have it trimmed one inch. You couldn’t even tell a difference but that’s how she wanted her hair. Cheyenne had been so proud of her hair, letting it grow as long as she had. But now it was gone. Her long hair was no more. It was now shoulder length. I must say my daughter did a pretty good job cutting her own hair in her sleep, in the dark and without a mirror. It was surely dangerous, but there were only a few strands I needed to trim. She went to school and hoped no one would notice what she had done to her hair in her sleep. She put her hair in a ponytail and braided it. Then she rode the bus to her high school. Even though her fellow classmates could tell her hair was much shorter now, they were still left wondering. What did it really look like out of the braided ponytail? “I’ll leave it down tomorrow,” she told them. Once she made it home from school, we headed straight to the salon. Cheyenne told her hairdresser, Maggie, what she had done 32 living • Summer 2017
by AMY BURDICK
to her hair. Maggie did not seem surprised. She said this was not the first time she had seen this and Cheyenne’s hair was not bad compared to others she had fixed. I had never heard of anyone sleep-cutting their own hair before. Aside from the obvious walking in your sleep, I’d heard of sleep eating, sleeping while using the bathroom, and even sleep driving, but never sleep hair cutting. But it was comforting to know we were not alone in this. When they were finished with Cheyenne’s hair, it was beautiful. She looked just like Julianne Hough from her role in the “Safe Haven” movie. “Safe Haven” was Cheyenne’s favorite movie and with her blond hair short, styled and parted to the side, she could have been Julianne’s twin. As we left the salon, Cheyenne was glowing with happiness. The sun shone on her hair and she wore a smile that went from ear to ear. She could not wait for school the following day to show off her new hair style.
I’d heard of sleep eating, sleeping while using the bathroom, and even sleep driving, but never sleep hair cutting. At 5 in the morning when Cheyenne’s alarm buzzed, she did not hit snooze, not even once. She jumped out of bed, fixed her hair and added a little make-up to enhance her beauty. I didn’t complain as long as she kept it simple. Then, she scarfed down her ketchup-covered scrambled eggs and buttered toast, guzzled down her tart orange juice and hurried to the bus stop. After the bus made it to the high school and Cheyenne strolled off, she said she felt like a movie star. Everyone complimented her on her new hair style. “Wow.” “Your hair looks great.” “Your hair looks amazing.” All of her friends, teachers, kids she didn’t even know and the boy she liked, loved her hair. Everyone noticed it. I’m not sure
if it was because it really did look great on her or because it was a drastic change. Either way she was happy and it gave Cheyenne a huge boost of self-confidence. It was a reminder that everything happens for a reason. After Cheyenne came home from school she told me all about everyone at school complimenting her on her hair and how happy she was it was cut. She told me she played it off like she had planned to cut her hair all along. No one at school needed to know the truth. It was Cheyenne’s little secret.
Specialists in Automotive Paint & Reconditioning Supplies
The family that prays together stays together.
AMY BURDICK is a freelance writer from Florida.
A Ministry of Peoples Baptist Church
Offering Preschool & Daycare ages 2
1/2
-4
Route 33 East Across from 7-11
Phone: (540) 434-6088
We hope you will patronize our advertisers and thank them for helping to publish this free, positive publication for your enjoyment!
Home Office: 2860 S. Main St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (540) 433-2471 www.emautosupply.com
Branch Offices: 24401 Fishersville • 540-885-1217 22901 Charlottesville • 434-979-6336 24502 Lynchburg • 434-473-6992
Need insurance? We can help.
The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce is beginning our second century of building our community. Through leadership, advocacy, networking and promotion the Chamber offers the tools to help your business succeed and grow.
Call or e-mail us. LD&B Insurance & Financial Services 205 South Liberty Street Harrisonburg, VA 22801-3638 www.LDBinsurance.com 540-433-2796
Contact us today to take advantage of these member benefits! www.hrchamber.org (540) 434-3862 · 800 Country Club Rd.
S1272G Not all companies are licensed or operate in all states. Not all products are offered in all states. Go to erieinsurance.com for company licensure and territory information.
Summer 2017 • living 33
Congratulations…
to those who successfully completed the word search from the spring issue of Living. Bergton Woody Brown Terry Dove Victoria Dove Dorothy Fitzwater Dana Hartman Johnny Hottinger Judy Hottinger Morgan Mongold Colin Whetzel Holly Whetzel
Doug Propst Sheila Reedy Doc Ritchie
Dayton Debbie Billhimer Christine Hill Donna Hoover Judith Kile Brenda Miller Norman Mongold Sue Ringgold Janet Whetzel
Bridgewater Opal Alt Hensel Armentrout Sandy Armstrong Nancy Dagen Sam Dagen Charlotte Fifer Carolyn Freeman Anna Keller Audrey, Jenna & Clint Koogler Christina Moyers Brenda Patterson Clooney Rodeffer Glen Thomas Margaret Ann Wheelbarger June White
Elkton Elizabeth Bailey Leon Bailey Brenda Dean Wayne Dean Julie Dearing Alison Galvanek Norawood Good Linda Gooden Martha Gooden Maxine Hines Vivian Hitt Joyce Lam Pam Lilly Buddy Merica Loretta Miller Joyce Sheets Yvonne Tincher
Broadway Martha Brady Helen Brunk Carolyn Cubbage Candace & Tyler Dove Robert & Nancy Hinkle Juanita Lantz Eldon & Bettie Layman Dottie Miller Amy Ours Darlene Runion Sammy Runion Kim, Paisley, Rilee & Sierra Showman Eleanor Showman Evelyn Shultz Sherwin Tusing
Fulks Run Anna Dove Becky Morris Hope Ritchie
Churchville Ethel Ernst Criders Carroll Coffman Bernice Keplinger
Grottoes Kenny Berry June Wise Harrisonburg Eleanor Armentrout Richard & Patricia Armstrong April Ausbrooks Dolores Barnett Norma Bowman Ruth Burkholder Alma Conley Hirut Dadebo Clarence Davis Wilma Davis Jeanie Diehl Janet Dixon Geraldine Eaton
Joyce Foltz Judy Lane Gentry Linda Hamilton Mildred Hensley Lucinda Howard Don Hunsberger Wilhelmina Johnson Julia Kauffman Lowell Kauffman Naomi Kniss Paul Kniss Charlotte Landes Virginia Martin W. H. McConnell Susanna McMurray Delores Merrick Audrey Metz Beverly Miller Sara Grace Miller Dena Moyers Erma Mummau Jerry Painter Iona Pennington Irene Rebholz Frances Ritchie Rawley Shank Juanelle Simmons Cindy Suter Herb Warble Aldeen Grace Wenger Billy Wright Hinton Vada Brooks Louise Rohrer Marion Thompson Patsy Thompson
Beatrice Horst Angela Shifflett
Mt. Crawford Charlotte Campbell Taysia Howard Mt. Jackson Betty Estep Carol Lutz Mt. Solon Dewitt Hosaflook Edna Hosaflook Vance & Pauline Knott Joyce Lough Thelma Michael Dianne Nelson Elizabeth Selkirk Patricia Wichael Edna Wine Betty Young New Market Rachel Derrow E. J. Laughlin Shirley Laughlin Irene Strickler Cliff Yarnell Penn Laird Geri Black Lana Hartman Burton Propst Port Republic Letha Knox
Keezletown Arlene Kirby
Quicksburg Peggy Neff
Lacey Spring Sarah Miller
Rileyville Catherine Mishler
Linville Lola Dove Sheila Fitzwater Minnie Kline Donnie Taylor
Rockingham Margaret Anderson Janet Barnes Loretta Blank Jonas Borntrager Lois Burkholder Nancy Callahan Mary Clark Anna Cline David Heatwole Doris Jacobs Glen Layman Carolyn Lincoln
Luray Katrina Buracker Alma Dyer Carol Griffin McGaheysville Walter Gerner
Dessil May Randy May Teresa May Brenda S. Rhodes Nancy Stultz Phyllis Vandevander William Wright Shenandoah Mertie Blakemore Rebecca Comer Trudy Comer Mary Dorraugh Catherine Good Sarah Haines Shelby Hartman Janice Jones Annie Olaker Annie Pierce Singers Glen Betty Demastus Ann Heatwole Lucy Helmick Frank Mundy Linda Mundy Stanley Mary Hunkley Staunton Helen Bartenslager
Timberville Jean Ankers Blanche Collins Chastity Ann Collins Pricilla Pence Deborah Porter Patsy Ryman Marie Stroop Vesuvius Becky Hite Waynesboro Peter Grimm
Woodstock Diana Crider Phenix City, AL Dick Hottinger Mount Airy, NC Linda Jackson Gaston, SC Judy Carper Richard Dean Antioch, TN Lisa Meyer Baker, WV Janet Dove Bartow, WV Julia Bauserman Franklin, WV Betty Smith Green Bank, WV Kent Leach Mathias, WV Merlin Delawder Helen May Gary Miller Jane Robinson Martinsburg, WV Edith Mills Ronceverte, WV Lorraine Dartt Sugar Grove, WV Naomi Mitchell Paula Mitchell Upper Tract, WV Karen Kimble
Weyers Cave Lucretia Carter Patricia Early Dorothy Ann Keener Melony Lambert Paul Luther Law Don & Karen Sellers
Yearly subscription to If you would like to receive this quarterly publication in your mailbox, it is available by subscription for $16 a year. To subscribe, return this form with your check or money order made payable to Valley Living, or go online to valleyliving.org. ❏ Payment of $16 is enclosed for 4 issues (or $32 for 8).
❏ I would like to make an additional donation of $ ___________.
Name: _________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________________ (include in case we have questions. We will not use for any other purpose.) Address: ________________________________________ City: ___________________ State: _____ Zip: ______________ 34 living • Summer 2017
Shakespearean characters
Shakespearean Characters
by JEANETTE BAER SHOWALTER
by Jeanette Baer Showalter
©ADOBE STOCK
In many places around the world summer is the time to enjoy a Shakespeare festival. Some famous ones are held in Stratford-upon-Avon, his English hometown, and at Prague Castle, in the Czech Republic. Here in the United States one can find a favorite Shakespeare play being held in many locations, such as The Virginia Shakespeare Festival in Williamsburg, the official Shakespeare festival of the Commonwealth of Virginia. You can plot with Lady Macbeth or swoon with Romeo and Juliet by finding various characters in the puzzle below, cavorting forwards, backwards, vertically, horizontally, and diagonally. L
O
R
L
A
N
D
O
A
E
T
E
I
L
U
J
K
P
AUDREY
KING RICHARD
M
B
F
E
A
E
N
F
S
A
D
M
W
Q
U
I
S
U
BRUTUS
LADY MACBETH
E
E
A
R
Q
D
F
R
U
U
A
N
R
L
N
A
K
C
CASSIUS
MACDUFF
R
R
L
U
I
U
Y
D
E
N
T
V
I
G
W
K
T
K
CORDELIA
MERCUTIO
C
O
S
X
D
A
R
M
O
T
D
U
H
L
A
Y
I
A
DESDEMONA
MIRANDA
U
N
T
C
Z
E
R
M
A
R
S
E
R
T
A
N
S
E
DUNCAN
OBERON
T
L
A
B
Y
T
E
L
A
C
N
N
H
B
G
S
N
D
FALSTAFF
OPHELIA
I
M
F
D
M
D
P
H
A
R
B
A
E
J
U
E
O
U
FRIAR LAWRENCE ORLANDO
O
X
F
Y
S
Z
C
E
Y
W
R
E
O
D
X
S
W
R
B
U
P
E
T
I
S
P
T
I
R
H
T
P
L
U
Q
T
J
A
D
O
R
A
R
F
N
M
N
E
R
H
L
I
D
R
O
N
I
G
R
O
S
E
N
C
R
A
N
T
Z
S
U
E
Q
T
N
L
S
T
Z
H
M
I
E
T
D
C
E
S
N
G
U
I
H
P
E
X
I
N
A
L
N
I
R
N
E
A
C
N
K
W
E
E
P
D
S
A
G
M
B
D
I
O
A
C
A
T
E
R
S
T
L
N
R
N
D
V
L
R
T
E
M
R
N
R
O
G
A
I
S
L
I
O
O
P
H
E
L
I
A
E
I
L
Y
O
R
I
C
K
O
W
C
I
H
P
T
H
V
W
O
M
Mail your completed puzzle and your name will be published in the next issue of Living. _________________________________________________ name/please print
_________________________________________________ address
OTHELLO
GUILDENSTERN
PERDITA
HAMLET
PORTIA
IAGO
PROSPERO
JULIET
PUCK
JULIUS CAESAR
ROMEO
KATHARINE
ROSALIND
KING HENRY
ROSENCRANTZ
KING JOHN
TYBALT
KING LEAR
YORICK
What stories did you find most interesting in this issue?
1. ______________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________
_________________________________________________ city
GERTRUDE
state
zip
Share comments or suggestions on separate sheet. Please advise if you do not want this to be published.
Print off additional copies of this puzzle at valleyliving.org. Mail by July 26, 2017, to Living, 1251 Virginia Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22802.
Summer 2017 • living 35
d o G all.
loves us
Your children will make new friends and learn new truths about the old, old story. Help them on their journey to faith when they attend the
Vacation Bible School of your choice this summer! Check out the many options in this fine community:
Asbury United Methodist Church
“Maker Fun Factory” June 19-23, free family dinner 5 pm, 5:30-7:30 VBS stations Register at AsburyUMC.cc or (540) 434-2836
New Beginnings Church
“Camp Out: Getting S’more of Jesus” July 13-14, 6-8:30 pm July 15, 11 am-1pm www.newbeginchurch.org (540) 434-1555
Glendon Blosser Art Borden Clark & Bradshaw
92 N. Liberty St. • Harrisonburg 540-433-2601
Aldine Musser
Lindale Mennonite Church
“David’s Giant Rock” June 19-23, 6-8 pm 6255 Jesse Bennett Way, Linville (540) 833-5171
Westside Baptist Church
“Faithful Heroes” July 11, 18, 25, Aug. 1, Grades K-5 westside-baptist.org (540) 434-9634 715 W. Wolfe St., Harrisonburg
Mt. Clinton & Weavers Mennonite Churches June 25-29, 6:30-8:30 pm Age 4 - Grade 6 regina@weaversmc.org (540) 434-7758 2501 Rawley Pike, Harrisonburg
“Maker Fun Factory” July 31-Aug. 4, 6:30-8:30 pm gracemennonite@comcast.net (540) 442-6235
Dusty Rhodes BotkinRose PLC
Doctor & Mrs. Byard S. Deputy
Amanda Garber
Angela Rempel
Jonas Borntrager
Trisha & Jeremy Blosser
Bernard & Joan Martin
Lindsey & Tim Shantz
David Rohrer
John & Mary Ann Heatwole 205 Dry River Rd. • Bridgewater 540-810-3239
“Back Under the Big Top” June 25-29, dinner 5:30, VBS 6-8:20 pm bridgewaterumc.com/vbs 219 N. Main St., Bridgewater
Grace Mennonite Fellowship
Melodie & Stewart Davis
Suter Engineering
Bridgewater United Methodist Church
Tracey Veney
Kevin Yoder
botkinrose.com
This message presented by Valley Living and the above churches & sponsors.