Front Porch Fredericksburg - April 2016 by Virginia Grogan

YOUR GUIDE TO THE LOCAL GOOD LIFE

front porch T H E R E G I O N ' S free C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E

L o c a l G o o d N e w s S i n c e 1 9 97 YEAR 19 • ISSUE 225 • APRIL 2016

Frontporchfredericksburg.com

contents

closeups 8

Suzy Woollam

history’s stories.: stafford civil war park our heritage: estray

garden week, garden party

Retta robbins ...gifted artist & teacher

companions: the siberian cat

mind your mind: are you stressed? renew: eat more, lose weight

zen Farm ... liz eitt

Senior Care: hope

wellness: truth about type 2 diabetes emancipated patients: why aren’t patients sexy?

art in the ‘burg: april Showers & flowers, carol waite

stories of fredericksburg: marcus salley

fxbg music scene: sleeping bees

new book by carolyn o’neil poetryman: cityscape

then & now Flashback: goolricks 1914

fredericksburg sketches

from my porch: my 4 year old professor

motoworks ...big dreams for small shop

porch talk 3

Suzy Wollham....THe Scenter of town

on the porch...life in fredericksburg Messages

on the trails:: mimi & motts

“IN bloom” : collection of spring-inspired work

downtown buzz: tlc for downtown

community give...let’s make a million!

Vino: sanglovese wine

Cooking with Kyle...candied pecans

what’s csa?...fresh, local produce!

16-17

Calendar of events

the scenter of town

...And more! 10

fxbgers: annette & charlie ahart

11 “ That’s Just Crazy”: art of elsie king-lynch

new works, new directions: tim snyder

Cover By Donna Hopkins

By A. J. Wright Among all of the wonderful purveyors in downtown Fredericksburg is a special woman. Suzy Woollam (owner of The Scenter of Town) has brought her journey of self-healing to those in the community with loving care. She began her own journey by suffering from panic attacks and was heavily medicated. Her doctors prescribed her on traditional medicines that prevented her to drive or operate machinery. (We have all heard of the potential side effects on pharmaceutical commercials so prevalent on television today.) Frustrated by this path, she began to learn about the healing benefits of aromatherapy. Through the power of essential oils, such as patchouli, she was able to overcome her illness over twentyfive years ago. Suzy is not a physician. Her mission is to provide people with the tools to help themselves. She works with “a wonderful” group of practitioners and knows just when to source out issues to her larger network of medical professionals.

Another of her special qualities is that she looks at everyone individually. For example, with my situation, I suffer from hypothyroidism (low thyroid) and rheumatoid arthritis. This time of year is particularly challenging because of the cold and damp in the air. There are days when I cannot lift the top sheet with my hands: they are too sore. My knees hurt, my feet hurt, etc. I recently visited the shop, and she suggested magnesium salt flakes for the bath, and mixed a custom aromatherapy oil mix to help lower the inflammation in my hands and feet. Suzy freely admits that she does not care about what’s wrong with anyone of her clients rather, what is the solution! The baths have been tremendously helpful. Suzy is such a passionate caregiver, such a vibrant spirit. She always has a solution whether it is in her shop or at one of her contacts. In fact, she dispels frightening terms such as inflammation by saying that is manageable with proper care. Most importantly, she brings a true interest in your current issues.

She displays enthusiasm every time we visit with family. She brings out a box of toys for the baby to play with so that we can focus on our what we need. She loves children and freely welcomes her to the shop while we look for solutions. Best of all, besides visiting her store for various ailments, she offers a wonderful array of scented candles facemasks and healthy skin care products. The Scenter of Town also offers a variety of Reiki, Massage, and other therapies in the store. These treatments, combined with traditional medicine, are particularly beneficial for those like me who are suffering with pain. Suzy holds a Doctorate in Naturopathy and is certified in Clinical Aromatherapy. She is a certified Reiki/Master teacher, as well as a certified Massage Therapist. Please make a trip to this wonderful woman and shop! Be well!

Visit the The Scenter of Town at 907 Charles Street, Downtown, or call (540) 372-4145; contact her at suzy@thescenteroftown.com www.thescenteroftown.com

A.J. Wright is a health enthusiast, private curator, and an event planner based in Chicago. She loves the charm and hospitality that Fredericksburg offers.

Spring on Down

Our Joe is Blooming!

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

contents

closeups 8

Suzy Woollam

history’s stories.: stafford civil war park our heritage: estray

garden week, garden party

Retta robbins ...gifted artist & teacher

companions: the siberian cat

mind your mind: are you stressed? renew: eat more, lose weight

zen Farm ... liz eitt

Senior Care: hope

wellness: truth about type 2 diabetes emancipated patients: why aren’t patients sexy?

art in the ‘burg: april Showers & flowers, carol waite

stories of fredericksburg: marcus salley

fxbg music scene: sleeping bees

new book by carolyn o’neil poetryman: cityscape

then & now Flashback: goolricks 1914

fredericksburg sketches

from my porch: my 4 year old professor

motoworks ...big dreams for small shop

porch talk 3

Suzy Wollham....THe Scenter of town

on the porch...life in fredericksburg Messages

on the trails:: mimi & motts

“IN bloom” : collection of spring-inspired work

downtown buzz: tlc for downtown

community give...let’s make a million!

Vino: sanglovese wine

Cooking with Kyle...candied pecans

what’s csa?...fresh, local produce!

16-17

Calendar of events

the scenter of town

...And more! 10

fxbgers: annette & charlie ahart

11 “ That’s Just Crazy”: art of elsie king-lynch

new works, new directions: tim snyder

Cover By Donna Hopkins

Visit the The Scenter of Town at 907 Charles Street, Downtown, or call (540) 372-4145; contact her at suzy@thescenteroftown.com www.thescenteroftown.com

A.J. Wright is a health enthusiast, private curator, and an event planner based in Chicago. She loves the charm and hospitality that Fredericksburg offers.

Spring on Down

Our Joe is Blooming!

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Collette Caprara

ON THE PORCH Guest Porch Editorial

Contributing Writers & Artists

A.E.Bayne Kevin Brown Collette Caprara Tom Conway Dan Czajka Barbara Deal Christina Ferber Frank Fratoe Joan M. Geisler Ann Glave Lou Gramann Alexis Grogan Ralph “Tuffy”Hicks Barbara Brown Hill Donna Hopkins Emily Hollinsworth Karl Karch Jo Loving Vanessa Moncure Patrick Neustatter Gabe Pons Ryan Poe Chris Repp Scott Richards Suzanne Scherr Casey Alan Shaw Meg Sneed Georgia Strentz James Kyle Synder Christine Thompson Dawn Whitmore Kathryn Willis A.J. Wright

Front Porch Fredericksburg is a free circulation magazine published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co. Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher. The mission of Front Porch Fredericksburg is to connect the diverse citizenry of Fredericksburg with lively features and informative columns of interest to our community’s greatest resource, its people. Messages from our readers are welcome. All submissions must be received by e-mail by the 19th of the month preceding publication. Writers are welcome to request Writer’s Guidelines and query the Editor by e-mail. Front Porch Fredericksburg PO Box 9203 Fredericksburg, VA 22403 Ad Sales: E-Mail: frntprch@aol.com Web Site: www.frontporchfredericksburg.com The opinions expressed in Front Porch Fredericksburg are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Front Porch Fredericksburg or its advertisers. Copyright 2016 Olde Towne Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

April 2016

On the Trails

Dreaming of Owning Downtown? Let’s Make it Happen!

community treasures

Mimi & Motts By Kevin Brown

BY collette caprara It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since our family moved to Fredericksburg—just before our son was about to enter kindergarten! Within those two decades, I have had the privilege of coming to know and love the unique quality of the Burg from a number of different perspectives, each revealing a different aspect of this vibrant, accessible and supportive community. I have been a member of the Brush Strokes Gallery since its early days and, from the vantage point of a local artist, in addition to the inspiring talent and creativity of the arts community, I have continually been struck by the generosity and mutual support that its hallmarks. The most moving testament to this spirit was the overwhelmingly gracious response from local artists to a call for artworks for a silent auction that was held last June to benefit the victims of earthquakes in Nepal that claimed more than 9,000 lives. Yet, even in more subtle, day-day-to-day experiences with local artists, I have continually witnessed their authentic celebration of peers’ accomplishments, creations, and awards and a willingness to boost those who may be facing a challenging time in their lives. In addition, as a member of the Fredericksburg Arts Commission I have been impressed by innovative initiatives that have emerged from the grassroots to promote arts in the Burg, such as the annual Art Attack in which more than 100 artists simultaneously take to the streets to treat residents and visitors with an opportunity to see their works in the process of creation. I have been pleased that support from the commission has

messages To Virginia, Lexi, et al at Front Porch, After 10 years as a Personal Chef, I'm now ramping down my business into semi-retirement, so it's time to end my long run of advertising in Front Porch. You've all been wonderful, and Front Porch has been THE place for my print advertising, targeting the exact demographic for my business. Thank you so very much for your support through the years! It's been a pleasure, and I particularly treasure the memories of our fabulous birthday dinner for Rob. What a wonderful night! Fondly and with best wishes for the future, Chef Drema Apperson

Front porch fredericksburg

Springtime blossoms in our beloved city, and fresh opportunities arise to appreciate and learn more about our natural environment. To help inform and guide us along this path of knowledge, we turn our focus this month towards a Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation nature educator, Mimi Dempsey. We asked Mimi to share more with us about Fredericksburg’s inspiring nature programs and her passion for our local trails.

enabled these and other creative ventures and artists’ projects to come to fruition. From the vantage point of a local writer who has written weekly articles for nearly ten years on activities and events for children, I have been amazed at the offerings for this age cohort that are available in the city or just a short drive away. Virtually every person I have interviewed was fully committed and personally excited about engaging children in events ranging from live theater, craft sessions, and an introduction to history, to an exploration of the natural world and the wonders of science. Finally, as many others who seek out opportunities for leaning and have an appreciation of the unique quality of community-based entertainment, we are never at a loss for engaging options in Fredericksburg. Among the treasures we’ve encountered are free public concerts hosted by the library and museum, performances by community theater companies, and tours and lectures offered by organizations such as the National Park Service the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Belmont, the Washington Heritage museums, Ferry Farm/ Kenmore and the James Monroe Museum, as well as the wildly popular Great Lives lectures hosted by the University of Mary Washington.

SUZY STONE 540.847.0630 suzystone22@gmail.com C21redwood.com

In addition to this spectrum of offerings (which seem to multiply as April ushers in the Spring) are the many informal bonds forged among residents— be they regulars at a coffee shop, hikers on the Heritage Trails, or neighbors connecting with one another.

Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated

“After moving to Fredericksburg in 1998, I began looking for extracurricular activities for my girls and found that Fredericksburg Parks and Recreation had a lot to offer. Our family fell in love with Linda Bailey’s amazing city-sponsored nature programs, and I became every bit as fascinated with the instruction as my children. This eventually led to a job working alongside Linda as a nature educator. Prior to the ongoing City/Fredericksburg Area Trail

I have long admired the unique capacity of the Front Porch and its local writers to reveal the people and personalities that are woven into this rich tapestry of the Fredericksburg community. Each issue holds new treasures and unique perspectives and, in the words of my eternal role model and celebrator of community, Rob Grogan, I invite you to read this issue of Front Porch cover-to –cover.

Dear Mrs. Grogan and Front Porch, What a beautiful, beautiful issue --- especially nice for Black History Month. (February, 2016) Sincerely, Sandra Manigault

Front Porch Thank you for the great article by Chistina Ferber (March, 2016, “A Paranormal Porch Investigation”) Stan Miles, Paranormal Porch

Front Porch and Sue Henderson Great article on Johnny Johnson (February, 2016 “Still Trying New Things”). I am a former student of his. Lisa Catizone Heslop

Hello Virginia! Did i mention how great i think the front porch is looking! the printing is beautiful!. You and Front Porch are the best Byron Glazer

We love Front Porch! The Fredericksburg Jazz Collective

Every year, over 2,500 children visit and hike the trails at Motts during springtime field trips. Each summer, we have about 150 kids at Motts during summer camp, with an additional 60 preschoolers at Alum Spring Park. For some city kids, it might be their first time out in the woods on a trail. I notice how excited they get after stepping off the parking lot and into the woods. It sets a wonderful tone for a great day for them. Every single time I go out on a trail I have an adventure. I tell the kids to open their “nature eyes” and they will see what is hiding in plain view. We’ve seen a water snake drag a catfish ashore to kill it and then eat it. We’ve seen turtles mating and laying eggs. We’ve found skulls, animal remnants, fur, feathers, scat and tracks, all signs of the creatures that share the trails with us. We’ve seen birds build their nests and then fledge, with the unfortunate ones being eaten by snakes or snapping turtles. Nature does not rehearse and we cannot plan these things, but they happen all the time. I am thrilled each time I see a child’s face light up the first time they handle a tiny red eft, or proudly hold a toad. It is my life’s calling to do what I do, and the trails are literally the path I walk to do that.

~ Collette Caprara

Virginia and Collette Thank you for using my photo for the cover (March, 2016) and for the wonderful article on me. I appreciate the work you both do. Norma Woodward

Maintenance & User Group (FATMUG)-led effort to build mountain bike trails at Motts, Linda painstakingly built the original Motts Run trail system by hand, with no power tools. Linda Bailey is an amazing trailblazer in many ways!

PUT IT TOGETHER ALL IN YOUR ORBIT

In my opinion, one of the best improvements our city has made was to create the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail, with riverside views that are truly breathtaking with seductive and deceptive calmness amongst rapidly flowing waters, where bald eagles, herons and osprey abound. What excitement to walk or bike on a summer night alongside our city’s beautiful river full of kayakers and tubers. Connected to the Heritage Trail in a 3.1

mile loop, our tree-lined Canal Path is full of wildlife from snakes and turtles to muskrat to the fantastically gorgeous wood duck. I really do love our wonderful Fredericksburg trails, what a vibrant focal point of our city!” Thank you Mimi for sharing your boundless enthusiasm about nature and our local trails. We hope to see you at the Motts Run Trails and Nature Center soon!

Kevin Brown shares up-to-date local trail news and photos as administrator of the "On the Fredericksburg Va Trails" Facebook Group

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Collette Caprara

ON THE PORCH Guest Porch Editorial

Contributing Writers & Artists

April 2016

On the Trails

Dreaming of Owning Downtown? Let’s Make it Happen!

community treasures

Mimi & Motts By Kevin Brown

Front porch fredericksburg

SUZY STONE 540.847.0630 suzystone22@gmail.com C21redwood.com

Each Office Is Independently Owned & Operated

Dear Mrs. Grogan and Front Porch, What a beautiful, beautiful issue --- especially nice for Black History Month. (February, 2016) Sincerely, Sandra Manigault

Front Porch Thank you for the great article by Chistina Ferber (March, 2016, “A Paranormal Porch Investigation”) Stan Miles, Paranormal Porch

Front Porch and Sue Henderson Great article on Johnny Johnson (February, 2016 “Still Trying New Things”). I am a former student of his. Lisa Catizone Heslop

Hello Virginia! Did i mention how great i think the front porch is looking! the printing is beautiful!. You and Front Porch are the best Byron Glazer

We love Front Porch! The Fredericksburg Jazz Collective

~ Collette Caprara

Virginia and Collette Thank you for using my photo for the cover (March, 2016) and for the wonderful article on me. I appreciate the work you both do. Norma Woodward

PUT IT TOGETHER ALL IN YOUR ORBIT

Kevin Brown shares up-to-date local trail news and photos as administrator of the "On the Fredericksburg Va Trails" Facebook Group

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

“IN BLOOM”

Downtown Buzz

A collection of spring-inspired work

Upcoming TLC for downtown

By Gabe Pons PONSHOP Studio and Gallery is pleased to announce their April First Friday opening reception of “In Bloom”, a collection spring-inspired work featuring oil paintings by Fredericksburg painter, Jenna Anderson. Jenna Anderson paints who she is and what she loves. Her paintings incorporate lush floral colors and patterns contrasted with dramatic lighting against bright skin tones creating an intimate and engaging narrative. Like visual diary entries, she often pulls a female figure into the scene, using cascading flowers, dresses, jewelry, props and other beautiful visual aspects to convey her message.

paintings elevate the everyday and familiar to the painterly and picturesque. Her pieces are snapshots of life: quaint vignettes or narrative portraits that celebrate light, color and a sense of joy, often with an undercurrent of nostalgia and optimism. Her s t r e e t s c a p e

By Ann Glave A Large Selection Available

Front Porch Fredericksburg

“Littkle Rose” Jenna Anderson watercolor, “Visit Downtown Fredericksburg” is the promotional image for Fredericksburg in this year’s Garden Week Catalog. Zach Barbieto recently relocated to Fredericksburg after a coast-tocoast road trip with his family. His paintings are inspired by nature, dramatic landscapes, the material subtleties of reclaimed wood and iconic vintage Volkswagens. April’s exhibit corresponds to the annual Historic Garden Week in Virginia, running from April 23-30. On Tuesday, April 26 from 3-7pm, PONSHOP is one of the participating locations offering a tour of their garden space tucked behind the shop. The gallery will be offering refreshments and a live painting “Visit Downtown Fredericksburg” demonstration by Jenna Anderson. Laura Craig “In Bloom” Opening Reception, The gallery will also include Friday, April 1, 6-10pm. Exhibition runs works by local artists Laura Craig and through May 1. Zach Barbieto. Laura Craig’s watercolor

Your Hometown Jeweler Since 1940

On-Premise Jewelry Repair Large Selection of ESTATE JEWELRY

Gabe Pons along his wife Scarlett, own PONSHOP, a multifaceted storefront: an artist studio, gallery, retail store, and classroom at 712 Caroline Street Downtown www.ponshopstudio.com

200 William Street Downtown ,Fredericksburg 540.373.4421 Mon-Fri: 9:30-6 Sat: 9:30-5 CrownJewelersFredericksburg.com

The Frenchman’s Corner is a premier Chocolate Shop in Fredericksburg. Serving only the best Belgian chocolates available, The Frenchman’s Corner is located on Caroline Street in the heart of downtown Fredericksburg. After you step in, the scent of chocolate immediately hits you and you feel as if you are in a whole other world. We have something for everyone; enjoy handmade chocolates, truffles, fudge, coffee, hot chocolate, and we even have sugar-ffree and gluten-ffree chocolates! Come in for great chocolates we are positive you will come back for the amazing service. We don’t just sell chocolate, we sell an experience. Come see us! 817 Caroline Street 540.899.7655

Highlighting Local People, Places & Events Since 1997

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

ROXBURY F

ARM

MAIN: (540) 373-9124 NURSERY: (540) 371-8802

Old Town Fredericksburg celebrates the new and the old, with historic buildings and cutting-edge eateries. But some parts, especially those underground, need some TLC. For that reason, the City will be updating the main water lines on Caroline Street, along with the connections to businesses and residents. It’s going to be a lengthy process however everyone involved is working to make sure it moves forward with the least amount of inconvenience to those that live, work and shop Downtown. The project is expected to start mid-April on 1000 block of Caroline Street. Each block is expected to take 6 weeks to complete. Work is expected to be done one block and a time and will stop during the Holiday season. It will be picked up again at the first of the year. The final section – 100 block of Caroline – should be completed in the Summer of 2017. Here are some questions and answers that Fredericksburg VA Main Street and the Department of Public Works that will provide helpful information on the major project. 1. Will Caroline Street be closed for this project? There are no plans to close Caroline Street at this time. Traffic will be limited to one lane in the block where work is being done. More than likely, a merge lane will start in the prior block. The block in progress will lose one travel lane and parking on that same side of the street. Drivers and pedestrians need to watch for signage related to the work zones. 2.

How will businesses receive deliveries during this project? Delivery trucks will be permitted to park in the travel lane that has been closed to general traffic during the

construction. This is the system that worked well during the William Street Sanitary Sewer project. W.C. Spratt (the contractor) personnel are much attuned to the need to accommodate deliveries and to keep an eye out for delivery trucks while they are working. Not only will delivery trucks be permitted to use the closed travel lane, shoppers who have bought a large item or large order at one of the businesses will be permitted to load the parcels into their vehicle while stopped in that lane.

How can one stay current with the updates? Main Street is creating a group email for this project. Weekly updates are planned as the project moves forward. Please make sure you sign up for this information by sending an email to info@fredericksburgmainstreet.org or call 540-479-1595. Doug Fawcett, Director of Public Works is available to answer any questions. He can be reached at 540-3721023 (office) or by email at dfawcett@fredericksburgva.gov.

Will the businesses/residents be without water? There are no planned outages for water until the final connection is being made from the main line to the business line. Notice will be given ahead of time when that happens. Efforts will be made to minimize outages during the hours businesses are open. 4. What’s the time line for the entire project? The project is scheduled to start in mid-April with a completion date of mid-November for the 1000 to the 600 blocks of Caroline Street. Starting in January 2017, the remainder of Caroline Street (500 block to the 100 block) is scheduled for work. The entire project should be completed by Summer 2017. The timetable could change, depending on encountering unforeseen circumstances. There are already many underground utility lines, valves, manholes, etc. on Caroline Street and the contractor must work around these fixtures. Also, connecting the many individual water lines is the most time consuming piece of this project.

What’s the daily time schedule for work? Work is scheduled to be from 7am to 5pm Monday to Friday. 7.

Will the lane closure be enforced over the weekends? There will be no lane closures over the weekends except occasional Sunday night into Monday lane closures for major tie-ins. Parking will be impacted as little as possible during the weekends. Only where equipment and some materials are staged will parking be affected. Main Street and the Department of Economic Development (EDT) are working together to create a positive promotional campaign while we improve our water lines. An upcoming social media campaign will invite you to share a receipt from a downtown business for entry in a monthly $50 gift card drawing, Other promotional plans center around sharing historical and educational fun facts. Check both websites for details in mid-April. Replacing the main water line is one of the necessary projects to insure the quality of our historic Downtown. Let’s do this together and let’s do it well!

& GARDEN CENTER

Since 1929

601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

roxburyfarmgarden.com

We have all your gardening needs! Come Shop With Us

212 William Street,Fredericksburg 540-373-5513 Mon-Fri 9:30-6; Sat 9:30-5 jewelboxfredericksburgva.webs.com jewelbox14k@yahoo.com

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

#lovefxbg front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

“IN BLOOM”

Downtown Buzz

A collection of spring-inspired work

Upcoming TLC for downtown

By Ann Glave A Large Selection Available

Front Porch Fredericksburg

Your Hometown Jeweler Since 1940

On-Premise Jewelry Repair Large Selection of ESTATE JEWELRY

Gabe Pons along his wife Scarlett, own PONSHOP, a multifaceted storefront: an artist studio, gallery, retail store, and classroom at 712 Caroline Street Downtown www.ponshopstudio.com

200 William Street Downtown ,Fredericksburg 540.373.4421 Mon-Fri: 9:30-6 Sat: 9:30-5 CrownJewelersFredericksburg.com

Highlighting Local People, Places & Events Since 1997

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

ROXBURY F

ARM

MAIN: (540) 373-9124 NURSERY: (540) 371-8802

How will businesses receive deliveries during this project? Delivery trucks will be permitted to park in the travel lane that has been closed to general traffic during the

What’s the daily time schedule for work? Work is scheduled to be from 7am to 5pm Monday to Friday. 7.

& GARDEN CENTER

Since 1929

601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

roxburyfarmgarden.com

We have all your gardening needs! Come Shop With Us

212 William Street,Fredericksburg 540-373-5513 Mon-Fri 9:30-6; Sat 9:30-5 jewelboxfredericksburgva.webs.com jewelbox14k@yahoo.com

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

#lovefxbg front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Retta Robbins

Zen Farm

gifted artist & teacher

helping us find our happy place

By dawn whitmore

By christina ferber

Retta Robbins and her art have a lifelong partnership. Her love of Art is immediately seen upon entering her home. One is greeted by pieces from former students, artist friends, and sculptures from around the world. Her plan, upon graduating from high school in the mid 1950’s, was to teach Art. However, upon arrival in Texas after graduation, the timing of her travel hindered her applying for a teaching position. A friend asked Robbins to accompany her to Neiman Marcus to be a model. Robbins figured why not? It would be a day of pay. A day of pay led to a season of modeling for Neiman Marcus, which eventually led to traveling through Europe with friends. Youth hostels, hitchhiking, and a grand lifetime experience is Robbins narrative of her time in Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Morocco, and Tangiers. Even with the fun and enjoyment, as a Neiman Marcus model and voyage with friends through Europe; Robbins realized the necessity of planting roots in a career. Therefore, she taught briefly in Texas. However, ultimately Fredericksburg and Stafford received the good fortune of the majority of Robbins’ teaching vocation. Her illustrious Art teaching profession included: Teaching Art at all levels in both Fredericksburg and Stafford Chairperson of Stafford High School of Arts Department 1987 Chair of Stafford County School’s Fine Art Department Introduction of discipline-based art curriculum and integration of the arts into other subjects (math, history, geography and foreign languages) Directing a summer humanitarian program for gifted high school students at Mary Washington College, which is currently UMW.

April 2016

“Painting is something you deal with,” Retta explained to her students, “it grows, it is alive.” Full-time artist became Robbins career after retirement, yet only after some coaxing. Robbins thought of herself as a ‘closet artist’. A studio downtown, studio space at Liberty Towne Arts, and serving as President at Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts have all been a part of her full-time artist occupation. Today, she claims her studio is in a section of her home. I would propose Robbins’ home is her own private art gallery and studio in one. A space housing numerous creative, imaginative, and even resourceful art pieces, each with a story to tell. One ingenious piece is in her bathroom. After running out of wallpaper given to her by a friend, Robbins painted a mural of the wallpaper’s design on the remaining wall. Another piece is her drawing of a former student…drawn on a piece of the brown paper towel. Talking about art, teaching art and her day of travel through Europe flow from Robbins effortlessly. She freely admits not all art is for everyone but all art is for someone. “Don’t judge (Art) even if you don’t like it,” Robbins states, “think about what the artist is trying to convey.” Fine words from a once proclaimed, “closet artist”…Fine words indeed. You can see Robbins’ work at the upcoming 30th anniversary of Exposure Unlimited, along with Exposure Unlimited members, at Fredericksburg Center of the Creative Arts during the month of June. Dawn Whitmore is a landscape photographer and writer who lives in Spotsylvania. Learn more by visiting her own FB: facebook.com/dewphotographypage or her website at www.dewphotographyva.com.

Front porch fredericksburg

Do you need to improve your creativity? Maybe you need a place to heal an emotional or physical pain. What about finding a solution to a family problem? Zen Farm was created to resolve all of those issues and more by providing tools that help clients create positive changes in their lives and live a more balanced life. Through natural options such as Breathwork, Mindfulness, Polarity Therapy, and Neurofeedback, Zen Farm’s practitioners not only offer relief for the individual, but also for couples and families. “Everything we do is family oriented,” says Liz Eitt, Zen Farm’s founder and director. “I have a background in biopsychology and spent a lot of time at Georgetown Family Center. The family dynamic pervades all of our therapies.” Eitt says that Zen Farm became what it is today after she helped start FAHASS (Fredericksburg Area HIV/AIDS Support Services) in 1991. She received a grant from the Ryan White Foundation to work with clients using polarity therapy and relaxation techniques, and realized the need to share these tools with others. Now with Dominick Eitt and professional counselor Regina Carrick, Zen Farm offers a wide range of techniques that help individuals find wellness. Some of the methods that Zen Farm uses include Bio-Energy, a way of balancing the body by balancing its energies (similar to the Chinese practice of QiGong) and Mindfulness, a meditative

practice which increases selfawareness. The center also utilizes Polarity Therapy, a complex system of body work based on a combination of acupressure and Ayurvedic principles, and Polarity Yoga, which trains the energies of the body to move in the best way possible through a series of poses. Breathwork and Neurofeedback are also part of the offerings. “ B r e a t h w o r k permeates all that we do here,” says Eitt. “If you learn how to breathe, especially when you’re upset, then you are on your way toward health and well being. Neurofeedback repatterns your brain so that your mental and physical performances improve.” Zen Farm uses the Zengar NeurOptimal machine as a way to train your brain to become more efficient. It has been credited with improving user’s sleep, as well as making them more focused and calm. “I love how the machine makes me feel, and how alive and alert I feel afterward,” says Eitt. While the NeurOptimal machine works on the whole brain, Alpha-Theta neurofeedback is also offered, which works on specific brain wave patterns. It encourages deep relaxation, and according to Eitt, is like meditation without the work. Family therapies, as well as family retreats are also offered. Four and eight hour retreats give families and couples a time and space to get to the root of a problem and work toward change. While most activities are by appointment only, Zen Farm does offer some classes for the general public. Polarity Yoga takes place on Wednesdays at 11 am and Fridays at noon, and a Mindfulness meeting takes place on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm. “People come to train to a new way of thinking and being, and to learn how to relax the central nervous system,” says Eitt. “What we offer is all about selfawareness and relaxation and how to manage yourself outside of our door.” Zen Farm is located off of Caledon Road in King George County, about 20 minutes outside of downtown. You can find out more at www.thezenfarm.com.

Christina Ferber writes about all facets of the FXBG community each month for Front Porch

Helping You Heal Naturally

The Way Your Body Was Meant To Dr. Jason Sneed, D.O. 540-322-5040 www.odomedicine.com Where Customer Service and Title Insurance Become One

Jewell Wolterman 1320 Central Park Blvd, Ste 200, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-907-0574 www.elitetitleva.com jwolterman@elitetitleva.com front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Retta Robbins

Zen Farm

gifted artist & teacher

helping us find our happy place

By dawn whitmore

By christina ferber

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

Christina Ferber writes about all facets of the FXBG community each month for Front Porch

Helping You Heal Naturally

The Way Your Body Was Meant To Dr. Jason Sneed, D.O. 540-322-5040 www.odomedicine.com Where Customer Service and Title Insurance Become One

Jewell Wolterman 1320 Central Park Blvd, Ste 200, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-907-0574 www.elitetitleva.com jwolterman@elitetitleva.com front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

The Community Give Gears up to “make it a million” By Chris Repp $100,000 in cash prizes that will be awarded throughout the 24-hour event. This year, the SPCA hopes to win at least one cash prize and stimulate more donations. “We aim to have a challenge grant from a donor, matching our fundraising efforts for the GIVE. We will also have an Open House on May 3rd

The Community Foundation and over 150 local nonprofits hope to raise $1 million for charity on a single day in May. The third “The Community Give” will be held from midnight to 11:59 pm on Tues., May 3. Last year, 155 nonprofits participated. In just one day, 8,013 gifts totaling $822,000 were donated. For 2016, the foundation is setting its sights even higher. And so are the participating nonprofits. This will be the Fredericksburg Regional SPCA’s third year participating in The Community Give. They hope to double their donations this year. “This year’s SPCA strategy will once again focus heavily on social media, but with a more sophisticated approach to what and how we post. We will use more messaging via video. Our emails will be more visual and we will unveil our new website (www.fredspca.org) in advance, said SPCA Director of Development, Erica Levin. Participating nonprofits can earn cash prizes in addition to the donations given online by individual donors. Generous individuals, companies and The Community Foundation are donating

when donors can stop by with their checks if they prefer not to give online,” Levin said. “Whether it is through video or getting people out to the shelter the day of the GIVE, we want to ensure that the real reason one gives—the well being of the animals in our care—is at the forefront of our messaging.” Donors to any participating nonprofit can choose among three way to give during The Community Give. Go online to www.TheCommunityGive.org. Drop a check off at The Community Foundation, 725 Jackson St. in Fredericksburg. Or stop by any Union Bank branch in the region to deliver a check or for assistance in making an online donation. “Based upon the enthusiastic response from the nonprofit community, we are confident that The Community Give will be even bigger than last year. The charities now understand that the future of fund development is tied to online giving and we are equipping each of the participating nonprofits with all the tools they need to be successful. These are tools that can benefit the nonprofits throughout the year,” said Lisa Biever, Community Foundation Director of Donor Services. The Community Foundation does not charge donors or nonprofits to participate. The company processing the online donations charges an industry standard transaction fee to the nonprofits. The Community Foundation ensures that all donors will receive an immediate thank you and a receipt for 100% of their donation. .”The Fredericksburg SPCA has been in this community since 1943 and has thrived since then because people believe in the work we do. We receive very little to no support from state or federal sources. We must raise the vast majority of our budget from individual supporters,” Levin said. “The Community Give helps us expand our circle of support, enabling people from every sector of society to become philanthropists. Every dollar counts; every dollar is tremendously appreciated!”

FXBG’ERS

“That’s Just Crazy”

ten is not enough

the art of elise king-lynch

by georgia Lee Strentz

By suzanne scherr

The program Habitat for Humanity, serves lowincome families who own their own homes but who, due to various circumstances, are unable to afford necessary work and materials. An adjunct program, "A Brush of Kindness," involves smaller jobs, such as painting, cleaning gutters, or doing yard work for disabled seniors and community members. Habitat volunteers,along with individuals,religious organizations and corporations with tax deductible donations,plus the income from the ReStore, all provide the funds that keep Habitat operational. I met with Annette and Charlie Ahart at Habitat for Humanity's huge, wonderful, interesting, chock full of home goods and building supplies ReStore, next to Golds gym on Plank Rd. We started off our meeting with my amazed reaction that Annette and Charlie have a family of 10 grown children and just welcomed their 22nd grandchild with the 23rd on the way.They have spent hrs and hrs, years and years volunteering at Habitat, just to help others. If there were awards for having hearts filled with love and compassion, it would certainly go to this awesome couple. Over fifty years ago Annette moved from Coburn, Virgina, to Washington D.C. and worked with the Joint Chief's of Staff, then met Charlie, who was a young F.B.I. agent from New Jersey. They just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in May. As with the many moves connected with Federal employment, they have lived in Northern Va.,Richmond, Miami,and New York. Their last move was to Fredericksburg in 1994, where they have raised most of their

centuries old traditions, such as etching on brown eggs, as well as the current rage for “zendoodling”. With her unique and painstaking approach, she evolves traditional crafts to highly personal art forms. “As I work on each creation I make discoveries and develop new ideas for the next. I believe that every art piece is an adventure. I am very much looking forward to my next ride.”

“Me Moose” Photo of Elsie King-L Lynch

children in Spotsylvania. Most of their children still live in Fredericksburg. They have seen Habitat grow from a small operation, when Charlie collected aluminum cans to turn in for budget money for Habitat, to the huge operation you see today.(visit the store you will be surprised believe me), They began volunteering many years ago when Bruce Seger was director and Annette ran the tiny Habitat store with Judy Hammond. When ask to describe what motivates them, Annette said ,"I get such personal gratification for helping here at Habitat." Charlie said ,"It is so wonderful to see a family move into their nice,clean, repaired home and see the happiness on their faces." Annette still works at the new store, Charlie moves from project to project. Over these last few months I have had the privilege to observe the huge amount of truly wonderful people and organizations here in our town, existing only to help others.

The intricacy and precision Lynch’s chosen demanded by Elise King-L artistic media have caused more than one observer to exclaim: “That’s just crazy!” In acknowledgement, Elise chose that title for the body of work she will show at Art First Gallery throughout the month of April. Originaly from Buffalo, Elsie and her husband has lived in the Fredericksburg area for 18 years. “I adore the geometric symmetry of both of my artistic endeavors. While at first glance they may seem completely different, the precision and accuracy inherent in both Pyzanki and Origami Architecture is what drives my passion for these arts.”

“Betelgeuse”

“Rooster Bliss”

“My father first introduced me to origami architecture. It was a sort of holiday tradition to create the twelve pointed paper stars.” Her Pysanky eggs will be displayed with detailed origami stars, constructed, unbelievably, of paper. Pysanka originated in the Ukraine – using simple tools to create complex designs. Elise draws from this and several other

Opening Reception: Art First Gallery, 824 Caroline St. First Friday, April 1, 6 pm to 9 pm Exhibit on View: through Monday, May 2 from 11 am to 5 pm www.artfirstgallery.com 540-371-7107.

Suzanne Scherr is an artist and member of Art First

Georgia Lee loves living in an old cottage in the "Burg" near her grandchildren and their mom.

Chris Repp is the Evet Chair for The Community Give

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

FXBG’ERS

“That’s Just Crazy”

ten is not enough

the art of elise king-lynch

by georgia Lee Strentz

By suzanne scherr

“Me Moose” Photo of Elsie King-L Lynch

“Betelgeuse”

“Rooster Bliss”

Opening Reception: Art First Gallery, 824 Caroline St. First Friday, April 1, 6 pm to 9 pm Exhibit on View: through Monday, May 2 from 11 am to 5 pm www.artfirstgallery.com 540-371-7107.

Suzanne Scherr is an artist and member of Art First

Georgia Lee loves living in an old cottage in the "Burg" near her grandchildren and their mom.

Chris Repp is the Evet Chair for The Community Give

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Vino The Renowned Northern Italian Restaurant once in Stafford on Garrisonville Rd moves to downtown Fredericksburg’s “Historic Chimney’s Building” on Caroline Street adding Internationality to their Cuisine

Open 7 days a week Monday to Saturday 11 am to 10pm International Sunday Brunch 9am to 3pm Dinner from 3pm to 9pm Private Dining Rooms for Your Holiday parties or any occasion!!! 623 Caroline Street Fredericksburg VA 22401 Tel (540) 368-1 1107 Fax (540) 368-1 1108

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

Sangiovese By Scott Richards There was not much of a winter this year, and what winter we did have went by fast. Maybe I am getting older, some say time goes by quicker then. But spring is here and all that goes along with it. April brings us the crunch time for the preparation to file taxes that many of us have been putting off. On a more positive note, with the warmer weather comes plants budding and flowers starting to bloom with the promise of more. This is the time of year when people think about Earth Day, and all that entails. In the vineyard, most of the pruning should have been done by this time and spraying is in full cycle. April is when the nurseries send out their vines for those who have purchased them, so planting time is here. This year with the mild winter and early spring, vineyard activity is likely to be accelerated. This happens occasionally and when it does, harvest usually comes early, sometimes being finalized by the end of September. With things coming fast and furious this year, it is my hope that at Loch Haven Vineyards, we will stay on top of things as they come, instead of allowing the work to pile up. But such resolutions are made every year. We will see. One of the advantages of keeping up with work is that it allows down time free of some of the worry that goes with agriculture (there is always something to worry about however). I still have in my cellar a few bottles of our 2013 vintage Sangiovese wine, which will be a great encouragement for me to get things done so Diane and I can sit on our back deck and enjoy, if not with dinner, then solo. I began growing Sangiovese in 2011 because I saw the Italian influence in the wine industry in Virginia. Barboursville, in Orange County, comes to mind when speaking of the Italian heritage of the Old Dominion's wine. Gianni and Silvana Zonin established the winery there in 1976 and have been producing prize winners ever since. My introduction to Sangiovese did not come from Barboursville, however. I was interviewing the winemaker at Ingleside, who at the time was Bill Swain, when he offered what he said was a dry red wine. It was Sangiovese and I was hooked. Sangiovese is the wine in Chianti, one of the best known of the Tuscan wines. The bouquet gives a lovely fruitiness. As far as color goes, this wine is

in the middle of the reds, with a lighter ruby hue. Its high acids and strong tannins paired with the flavors of dark cherries make this an international favorite. With the Sangiovese I made, I added about 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, which gave it a much darker color, but it did not affect the flavor of the wine drastically. This wine, pairs well with pastas with red sauce. Be sure to add the wine to the red sauce, even if using the bottled varieties, and do not measure, just pour. With all that said, I have to go and work in the vineyard so it does not get ahead of me. Enjoy this spring, and take time out for a glass of wine. Cheers! Scott Richards is owner of Loch Haven Vineyards, and a free lance writer Contact him at bgmeadowswine@yahoo.com

Cooking With Kyle Candied pecans by james kyle snyder Sometimes you just want something sweet. I am no confectioner, for sure, but when we had a chance to make a dinner for our friends The Bell’s, Stephanie asked if I would make one of Hal’s favorites; crème brûlée and candied pecans, I chuckled and said “of course.” I have been a longstanding fan of candied nuts – spicy walnuts – peanut brittle – chocolate covered almond pralines to name a few favorites. Of all of them, the candied pecans is probably the easiest. The grocery list is short: 1 c white sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp of salt, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp white pepper, 1 egg white (good thing I was making the crème brûlée – plenty of egg whites left over from that), 1 TBS water, and 1-pound pecan halves. Make sure you get good fresh pecan halves and not stale broken pieces. It makes a difference. The process is simple – so simple this is a good one to do with the kids: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. If you are cooking more in the oven that day, these are a good way to open the kitchen. You heat the oven and get a tasty treat to snack on for the rest of the session. Blend the sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Hal likes a little heat so I added the peppers. If you are not a heat fan, leave them out. Whisk the egg white and water together until frothy. I use a whisk, and not a fork, for this step. It is important to get them FROTHY. As the water goes away in the oven, the egg white acts as the binder to hold the sugar to the nuts. Carefully toss the pecans in the egg white mixture until all parts are completely coated. Don’t break the pecans. This usually takes a minute to ensure all the crevasses are thoroughly coated. Move the pecans to the bowl with the sugar mixture. With a clean spoon or spatula, gently fold the pecans through the sweet goodness until they are completely entrenched. Spread them evenly on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven. Every 15 minutes, pull them out and stir gently, rotating them so that all sides can toast ever-so slightly until one hour is reached or they are toasted enough for your taste. Cool and eat! When the guests arrived, Hal had no idea he was getting a treat. I warmed some of the pecans and put them on a

Olde Towne BUTCHER Corner of William & Charles Streets Downtown Fredericksburg 540.370.4105 www.oldetownebutcher.com Hours Monday - Saturday, 9am to 9pm; Sunday, 11am to 6pm Keith Lebor Proprietor

Serving Up Local “Good” News Since 1997

The General Store

Restaurant

Since 1978

Italian/American Food Monday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm

371-4075 Front Porch Fredericksburg

2018 College Ave. Fredericksburg

S ammy T’ s DOWNTOWN FREDERICKSBURG’S

fancy plate near where we were preparing the rest of the feast. It was a night for cheese crack (roasted garlic infused crème cheese on toast points); roasted bone marrow with shallot, parsley, lemon salt, on my – very first successful – homemade sourdough bread (Thanks Phillip for the tip on starting the mother!!); butternut squash curry with chicken, peas, carrots, green beans, and corn served over black rice; and finally the crème brûlée with candied pecans tucked in the edges of the bowl cradling the crème. The pecans served three purposes that night: appetizer, desert, and doing something nice for a great guy! These are so easy, I doubled the recipe so I could send Hal with some and still have a quart left over. When you need an easy gift for a foodie with a sweet tooth, this recipe can easily fill the bill. Maybe next time we can talk about the roasted bone marrow? Who knows … As always, simple, easy, and delicious. Be well!

Kyle treats us to simple, easy & delicious recipes each month in this space. Photo by Kyle Snyder

Serving Great Food Since 1981

Home of the “Camper Special” & the Best Burger in Town 801 Caroline Street

(540) 371-2008

Try Our Self-Serve Yogurt open 11:30 am Daily Still Owned by the Emory Family

Open Daily 11am - 4pm 540.371.2233 www.thevirginiadeli.com 826 Caroline at the corner of Caroline & George Streets Master Card ~ Visa ~ Discover front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

Olde Towne BUTCHER Corner of William & Charles Streets Downtown Fredericksburg 540.370.4105 www.oldetownebutcher.com Hours Monday - Saturday, 9am to 9pm; Sunday, 11am to 6pm Keith Lebor Proprietor

Serving Up Local “Good” News Since 1997

The General Store

Restaurant

Since 1978

Italian/American Food Monday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm

371-4075 Front Porch Fredericksburg

2018 College Ave. Fredericksburg

S ammy T’ s DOWNTOWN FREDERICKSBURG’S

Kyle treats us to simple, easy & delicious recipes each month in this space. Photo by Kyle Snyder

Serving Great Food Since 1981

Home of the “Camper Special” & the Best Burger in Town 801 Caroline Street

(540) 371-2008

Try Our Self-Serve Yogurt open 11:30 am Daily Still Owned by the Emory Family

Open Daily 11am - 4pm 540.371.2233 www.thevirginiadeli.com 826 Caroline at the corner of Caroline & George Streets Master Card ~ Visa ~ Discover front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

WELCOME TO OUR GREAT OUTDOORS It’s Beautiful ~ Night and Day!

The Soup & Taco, Etc.

The Snead’s Farm CSA aims to provide the highest variety and biggest value of any area CSA. In addition to a bountiful supply of fruits and vegetables, you’ll also have exclusive opportunities, like the chance to pick your own berries here at the farm, discounts at the farm stand on CSA pickup days, see our animals close-up, and much more.

Mexican, Tex-Mex Food

MEMBERSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE! BUT NOT FOR LONG!

Tuesday to Saturday

JOIN THE GROWING COMMUNITY OF FAMILIES WHO EAT LOCAL!

11am-9pm

Serving Traditional and Something More!!

Sunday 11am-6pm

You can join right up through the first pickup day, May 1. Phone: 540-899-0969 E-mail: soupntaco@yahoo.com

www.sneadsfarm.com/csa

The Sunken Well Tavern

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911 Eat Well Drink Well Live Well

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

local, Fresh produce each week

813 Caroline St. Fredericksburg, VA

For Snead’s Farm CSA Information, Benefits, Tips & Application:

WHAT IS CSA? By meg sneed April showers don’t just bring May flowers – they also bring the beginning of CSA season! What is a CSA? It Community stands for Supported Agriculture, and it’s one of the easiest ways to get fresh, local produce from May – October! Broadly speaking, a CSA is a program in which members pay a predetermined fee to the farmer(s) in advance of the season in exchange for a share of the produce as it is harvested. This gives the farmers some much needed cash before the harvest in order to cover their growing costs, and in return members are guaranteed a share of fresh, local produce each week of the CSA season. And, naturally, Fredericksburg is bountiful when it comes to CSA programs. We have at least 5 different CSAs to choose from this year that span the budget ($550 - $872 for a full season), and range from conventionally grown produce to certified organic. The only thing you have to decide is which one is right for you? Fredericksburg Area CSA Program (FACSAP) – At 20 years old, FACSAP is Fredericksburg’s first CSA, and is a cooperative of local farmers whose produce is certified either organic or Naturally Grown (a similar certification to organic, but peer-regulated rather than by the government). Their season runs from May 26-October 6, 2016 at a cost of $700 share. Average share size is 1.5-2 Wegman’s-sized bags of produce, and they feature a Harvest Bar-style of delivery at their drop in Downtown Fredericksburg which allows you to pick the produce you like and leave what you don’t for others to enjoy instead. You can get more information at www.fredericksburgcsa.com. Blenheim Organic Gardens – Blenheim is a single-farm certified Organic CSA. They have a bi-weekly share which runs MayNovember, for a total of between 11-13 weeks (depending upon your drop location). They have a drop location in Downtown Fredericksburg, Falls Church, and on their farm in Washington’s Birthplace. You can get more information by emailing them at lwlatane@sylvaninfo.net. C&T Produce – C&T is one of the largest CSA’s in town, with multiple drop locations throughout the region. Their primary farm is located in Stafford, VA, but produce for their CSA shares can come from any of the farms they own along the East Coast. Their shares are

conventionally grown, utilizing fertilizer and “the least amount of chemicals to grow our crops”, and are LARGE. Their season begins in late April or early May and runs for 20 weeks at a cost of $630 per share. You can get more information at www.candtproduce.com. Miller Farms Market – Miller Farms offers two different CSA options – a traditional share program as well as a “pick your own” CSA option. Their season runs for 11-33 weeks, depending upon your share choice, and picks ups are available Tuesday – Saturday at their farm in Locust Grove. The majority of their produce is grown on their farm, with the exception of their mushrooms and orchard produce which comes from other local farmers, and use “Inegrated Pest Management” practices to minimize the need to spray crops. You can get more information at www.millerfarmsmarket.com. Snead’s Asparagus Farm – Snead’s Farm currently has three pick up locations between their Caroline County farm, Braehead Farm in downtown Fredericksburg, and a North Stafford drop as well. Their shares are rather large, and include produce from their own farms as well as several others throughout the area. They also include a possibility for some pick-your-own harvests, depending upon crop conditions during the season. Their shares range from $800 - $872 depending upon pick up location, with their CSA season running from early May – late August. You can get more information at www.sneadsfarm.com/csa. All CSAs are signing up members now, and with some having a limited number of shares, they go fast! Meg is the practice manager at Old Dominion Osteopathic Medicine, community outreach coordinator for Fredericksburg Area CSA Program, a mom of 3 kids, and an ardent lover of all foods local, natural, and un-messed-with.

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

WELCOME TO OUR GREAT OUTDOORS It’s Beautiful ~ Night and Day!

The Soup & Taco, Etc.

Mexican, Tex-Mex Food

MEMBERSHIPS STILL AVAILABLE! BUT NOT FOR LONG!

Tuesday to Saturday

JOIN THE GROWING COMMUNITY OF FAMILIES WHO EAT LOCAL!

11am-9pm

Serving Traditional and Something More!!

Sunday 11am-6pm

You can join right up through the first pickup day, May 1. Phone: 540-899-0969 E-mail: soupntaco@yahoo.com

www.sneadsfarm.com/csa

The Sunken Well Tavern

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911 Eat Well Drink Well Live Well

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

local, Fresh produce each week

813 Caroline St. Fredericksburg, VA

For Snead’s Farm CSA Information, Benefits, Tips & Application:

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

CALENDAR of events

april 2016…April Fool’s Day, Earth Day, National Poetry Month, Friday, April 1

810 Weekend Gallery will celebrate First Friday 68:30 pm. Stop by to see new works by Beverley Coates (watercolors), Penny A Parrish (photography) and Lynn Abbott (acrylics and oils). The Gallery is located at 810 Caroline Street and open from 10-5 daily. An artist is on site every Saturday. "That's Just Crazy" Art Show Opening Featuring the Work of Elise King-Lynch @ Art First Gallery, 69pm, 824 Caroline St. Opening Reception - In Bloom: Oil Paintings by Jenna Anderson @ PONSHOP Studio and Gallery, The gallery also includes fine art by local artists Laura Craig and Zach Barbieto., 712 Caroline St.

present its challenges, Viscosity is a narrowed, cohesive body of fourteen large acrylic works on paper, focused on Abstracted Ocean musings with some Neo-Pop Expressionistic tendencies

Monday, April 4

Artist's Opening Reception : Rachel Lynn Hicks @ Sunken Well Tavern @ 7:00 pm Artist's Opening Reception for Rachel Lynn Hicks Light Complimentary Hors d'Ourves and Cash Bar

Tuesday, April 5

Grateful Dead Night with The Brokedown Boys @ Sunken Well Tavern, 720 Littlepage, @ 7:00 pm 9:00pm Open Mic @ Bistro Bethem , 8pm,

Wednesday, April 6 April Showers & Flowers, by Carol Waite @Brush Strokes Gallery, 824 Carline St, opening reception 6-9pm Dimensional Expressions 3rd Annual regional exhibit at ArtFul Dimensions Gallery, 911 Charles St, Exhibition of fine craft and fiber art by regional artists including works in fiber, ceramics, wood, mixed media and glass, reception 6-9pm Art Mart , 1405 Princess Anne St, presents its 11th curated show since opening by welcoming local college professor and man about town Michael Dean, his prolific student painter Sharon Blancard and Lyric Soullay Photography's Sarah Jones for an abstract, nudes multimedia art Parents are strongly encouraged to leave the kids at home during the opening reception, which will include a live model body painting showcase by Uruguayan painter Yanina Angelini Arismendi

Saturday, April 2

WINGS 20TH ANNIVERSARY DAFFODIL LUNCHEON @ Seacobeck Hall, University of Mary Washington 's Faculty Staff Dining Hall @ 11:30 am - 2:30 pm .N.D. Jones - VISCOSITY Art Opening @ Central Rappahannock Regional Library (HQ) 6:00 pm 8:30 pm. Local artist N.D. is an unapologetic stylechameleon who swings wildly within styles, mediums, and subject matter. While this can

Annual Student Art Exhibit, UNW DuPont Gallery, Light Jazz @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. Light jazz and Latin piano guitar . Featuring Chris Phil Andy & Harry. No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St.

Thursday, April 7

Life & Films of Walt Disney This fascinating lecture, supported by highlight clips and revealing commentary, will examine the pioneering work of Walt Disney and his Disney Studios, CRRL Hdtrs, 6:30pm.Free

lives. And best of all, it's a chance to help our community and the AHA chase away heart disease for good. , MWH campus, 9-11:30am, http://heartchasefredericksburg.org

7th Annual Rites of Spring Wine Festival @ Celebrate Virginia 2150 Gordon Shelton Blvd., Fredericksburg, VA. @ 11:00 am - 11:00 am offering a wide selection of Virginia's award winning wines, unique artisans & crafters, food concessionaires, live entertainment, Will-Call service for purchases, and much more! $$ TELL Turns 6! Stories about Songs. Join us for an evening of true stories and music as TELL celebrates its sixth anniversary. Tellers will share a true story about a song and then sing that song karaoke style. Come to tell your story or be regaled by others, 8:00 pm at LibertyTown Arts Workshop, 916 Liberty Street, Fredericksburg. For information or to sign up to TELL contact: http://tellfredericksburg.com/ 26th Annual Multicultural Fair University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg Campus 10:00 am 5:00 pm Featuring: Ethnic food, craft vendors, cultural displays, live entertainment on four stages , and children's activities. Free of Charge! umw.edu/multicultural/fair 540 654-1044

Sunday, April 10

Trolley Winery Tour,visit local wineries: Eden Try Estate & Winery, Lake Anna Winery, Mattaponi Winery, Wilderness Run Vineyard, and enjoy a day of fun, wine & a little history. Reservations required @ Fredericksburg Trolley.com, or 800979-3370

Great Lives Lecture Series: Henrietta Lacks, Dodd Auditorioum, UMW 7:30pm

Gari Melcher Home & Studio Spring Open, 10am 5pm Enjoy the restored gardens in bloom, the art of Gari Melchers and the history of Belmont. This a great opportunity to share Belmont with family and friends.

Steve Jerrell Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Sunday Bluegrass Jam @ The Sunken Well Tavern, 720 Littlepage, @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Tuesday, April 12 Saturday, April 9

Heartchase Fredericksburg 2016, a good-cause community adventure game. It's a fun and frenzied pursuit of hidden rewards and healthy

Low Voltage, live music @Bistro Bethem, 8pm

Wednesday, April 13

Join us for April's SophistiChat Women's Networking Breakfast!, Products Equal Profits @ Mick's Restaurant, 2866 Jefferson Davis Hwy Stafford, VA 22554 Ari Squires, business strategist, owner, author, and authentic living lifestyle coach, will be sharing success strategies to create, automate and launch products and programs that sell. Contact Latrice Claibourne, 540-659-8480

Hunter's Island Hike @ Friends of the Rappahannock. Explore the legacy of Hunter's Island with its owner, local architect and history enthusiast Mary Ellen Wheeler. 10am -3pm. Bring a bag lunch for a picnic. Minimum age is 8 years. For more information visit riverfriends.org

Sunday, April 17

Join us for the 13th Annual Earth Day Festival at Old Mill Park, 11am - 4pm, live music, kids activities, vendors and more! earthdayfred.com.Fred. Parks &Rec. Everything But The Garage Sale - Fredericksburg's Largest Indoor Garage Sale is the newest event coming to the Fredericksburg Expo Center on April 23-24.

UMW Guiness World Record Attempt, UMW In honor of the retirement of President Richard V. Hurley, "the high-fiving president," the University of Mary Washington will attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for the most people performing a jumping high-five simultaneously The event is free and open to the public and will attempt to beat the current record of 432 pairs. A Guinness World Records judge will be on-site to determine whether UMW is "officially amazing." Join UMW in honoring its president by registering for the event. Registration is required and is available at www.umw.edu/highfivehurley.

Trolley Winery Tour,visit local wineries Eden Try Estate & Winery, Lake Anna Winery, Mattaponi Winery, Wilderness Run Vineyard, and enjoy a day of fun, wine & a little history. Reservations required @ Fredericksburg Trolley.com, or 800979-3370

Touring Poet Wil Gibson Features at CommonWealth Slam @ Art Mart 1405 Princess Anne St @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Join us as we celebrate National Poetry Month.

Light Jazz @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. Light jazz and Latin piano guitar . Featuring Chris Phil Andy & Harry. No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St.

Sunday, April 24

Thursday, April 21

Historic Garden Week private garden tour at PONSHOP Studio and Gallery, 712 Caroline St., 37pm. As part of the day-long Garden Tour of Fredericksburg hosted by the Rappahannock Valley Garden Club, PONSHOP is one of the participating locations offering a tour of their garden space tucked behind the shop. The gallery will be offering refreshments and a live painting demonstration by Jenna Anderson.

Light Jazz @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. Light jazz and Latin piano guitar . Featuring Chris Phil Andy & Harry. No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com

Thursday, April 14

Open Bluegrass Jam @Sunken Well, 720 Littlepage, 7-9pm

Tuesday, April 19

Three Act Showcase, live music @Bistro Bethem

Wednesday, April 20

Studio Jam Session @ Catalyst Media, 8pm. musicians and spectators alike to enjoy the sweet local sounds of FXBG. All are welcome! 3451 Jefferson Davis Hwy Fredericksburg,540-300-2786

East of Monros, Acoustic Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Hillbilly Sons, classic rock & bluegrass, Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Saturday, April 16

Saturday, April 23

FCCA Mosaic Art Stepping Stone Workshop with instructor Cathy Ambrose (Two Day workshop) @ Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.$$

Celebrate Earth Day with Carolyn O'Neil, author of "Kingsley", Agora Coffeehouse, 520 Caroline ST, 8:30am. Book signing and more. Portion of the proceeds go to the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Program, a great program dedicated to restoring oyster reefs to Virginia waterways.

Father-Daughter Dance @ Renato's Restaurant, 311 William St., 6-9pm. The Blue Star Mothers of Fredericksburg Chapter VA4 cordially for a special evening to be enjoyed with dinner, dancing and photographs. Portion of ticket price supports the Blue Star Mothers care package supplies to pack our care packages for our military service members deployed overseas. Contact Teri Reece, trreece@yahoo.com Sleeping Bee with Special Guest Bruce Middle at Music & Spirits Live music concert at A.Smith Bowman Distillery, 1 Bowman Dr, 7:3010pm,Sleeping Bee's music has been referred to as "Transcendent Acoustic" and exists where folk, jazz, Celtic song forms, melodic improvisation, and original ideas all happily co exist. Local artist, Bruce Middle, will play an opening set.

Open Blue Grass Jam at Sunken Well Tavern, 720 Littlepage, 7-9pm

Tuesday, April 26

Integrative Medicine Fair, Mary Washington Hospital Atrium, Integrative Medicine is a complementary approach to healthcare with focus of achieving balance in your life. Fair provides an opportunity to experience various therapies available to cancer patients

Clay Mottley live music @Bistro Bethem 8pm

Wednesday, April 27

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St. Light Jazz @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. Light jazz and Latin piano guitar . Featuring Chris Phil Andy & Harry. No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com

Thursday, April 28

Dangerous Kitchen, be-bep & jazz Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Friday, April 29

Fredericksburg Songwriters' Dhowcase atPicker's Supply Concert Hall, above 902 Caroline St (enter around back though alley), 8-10:30pm. Todd Burge, Eric Bannan and Chris Tichner with original acoustic music in a relaxed coffeehouse atmosphere, run by volunteers since 1993. Each of these award-winning songwriters will bring smiles and insights, and good music, to the stage.

Saturday, April 30

Rappahannock- Fredericksburg's Beach Music Blast @ Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 11 am - 8 pm A full day of beach music, shag dancing, games, food, libations, a car show, and even a moon bounce for the kids. Come spend the day listening to beach music from legendary artists The Tams, Charlie Thomas and The Drifters, Ammon Tharp and Ammon's All Stars, and Fredericksburg's favorite son Steve Jarrell.

If you are reading this 225th issue of FPF, thank an advertiser as we celebrate our 19th year of continuous publication! If you are an advertiser, list your events. Deadline for May 2016 issue is April 20th. To submit events go to frontporchfredericksburg.com/submit

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service

2839 Fans (& Growing) Want You to Join

“Your pet becomes my pet while in my care, and I care a lot!”

540-8 899-6 6787 16

April 2016

fortemusicstudios.com Front porch fredericksburg

(540-903-0437; lexig0892@gmail.com) On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet sitting service”

Front Porch on

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April 2016

CALENDAR of events

april 2016…April Fool’s Day, Earth Day, National Poetry Month, Friday, April 1

present its challenges, Viscosity is a narrowed, cohesive body of fourteen large acrylic works on paper, focused on Abstracted Ocean musings with some Neo-Pop Expressionistic tendencies

Monday, April 4

Artist's Opening Reception : Rachel Lynn Hicks @ Sunken Well Tavern @ 7:00 pm Artist's Opening Reception for Rachel Lynn Hicks Light Complimentary Hors d'Ourves and Cash Bar

Tuesday, April 5

Grateful Dead Night with The Brokedown Boys @ Sunken Well Tavern, 720 Littlepage, @ 7:00 pm 9:00pm Open Mic @ Bistro Bethem , 8pm,

Saturday, April 2

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St.

Thursday, April 7

lives. And best of all, it's a chance to help our community and the AHA chase away heart disease for good. , MWH campus, 9-11:30am, http://heartchasefredericksburg.org

Sunday, April 10

Great Lives Lecture Series: Henrietta Lacks, Dodd Auditorioum, UMW 7:30pm

Steve Jerrell Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Sunday Bluegrass Jam @ The Sunken Well Tavern, 720 Littlepage, @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Tuesday, April 12 Saturday, April 9

Heartchase Fredericksburg 2016, a good-cause community adventure game. It's a fun and frenzied pursuit of hidden rewards and healthy

Low Voltage, live music @Bistro Bethem, 8pm

Wednesday, April 13

Sunday, April 17

Touring Poet Wil Gibson Features at CommonWealth Slam @ Art Mart 1405 Princess Anne St @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Join us as we celebrate National Poetry Month.

Light Jazz @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. Light jazz and Latin piano guitar . Featuring Chris Phil Andy & Harry. No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St.

Sunday, April 24

Thursday, April 21

Light Jazz @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. Light jazz and Latin piano guitar . Featuring Chris Phil Andy & Harry. No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com

Thursday, April 14

Open Bluegrass Jam @Sunken Well, 720 Littlepage, 7-9pm

Tuesday, April 19

Three Act Showcase, live music @Bistro Bethem

Wednesday, April 20

Studio Jam Session @ Catalyst Media, 8pm. musicians and spectators alike to enjoy the sweet local sounds of FXBG. All are welcome! 3451 Jefferson Davis Hwy Fredericksburg,540-300-2786

East of Monros, Acoustic Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Hillbilly Sons, classic rock & bluegrass, Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Saturday, April 16

Saturday, April 23

FCCA Mosaic Art Stepping Stone Workshop with instructor Cathy Ambrose (Two Day workshop) @ Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.$$

Open Blue Grass Jam at Sunken Well Tavern, 720 Littlepage, 7-9pm

Tuesday, April 26

Clay Mottley live music @Bistro Bethem 8pm

Wednesday, April 27

Thursday, April 28

Dangerous Kitchen, be-bep & jazz Live Music at 7:30 Kenmore Inn. featuring drink specials at the copper top bar

Friday, April 29

Saturday, April 30

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service

2839 Fans (& Growing) Want You to Join

“Your pet becomes my pet while in my care, and I care a lot!”

540-8 899-6 6787 16

April 2016

fortemusicstudios.com Front porch fredericksburg

(540-903-0437; lexig0892@gmail.com) On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet sitting service”

Front Porch on

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

history’s stories

STAFFORD CIVIL WAR PARK By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks I recently visited the Stafford Civil War Park at 400 Mt. Hope Church Road. After the Union Army of the Potomac’s crushing defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862 and the Mud March which followed in early 1863, 135,000 Union soldiers camped in and around Stafford County for the winter. This park is important because inside their Stafford camps and guarded by fortifications a Union Army that was suffering literally hundreds of desertions a day rebuilt itself under a new Commander and eventually left Stafford to win at Gettysburg. The encampment story made a critical difference to the outcome of the war and it is very well covered at both the White Oak Museum and the Stafford Civil War Park. You actually see physical remains of their hut sites, tent mounds, chimney’s, three large artillery fortifications, two block house foundations and two historic roads. The fortifications, larger than any in nearby National Parks, were designed to last the full winter and protect the encampments.

Elements of the 11th Corps, 1st and 3rd Divisions encamped and built roads and fortifications in this park, but these are also representative of 100s of others long ago lost to farming or development throughout Stafford. The fortifications in the park contain reproduction cannons on oak gun platforms constructed by Eagle Scouts and local citizens from trees cut down during construction of the park’s roads. Unlike many fortifications in nearby National Parks which were reworked by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, the ones here are worn only by the elements. Recently I met with Mr. D. P. Newton of the White Oak Museum and Colonel Glenn Trimmer, former Executive Director of the Friends of Stafford Civil War Sites (FSCWS) to discuss their collective efforts on the Civil War Park over the past ten years. Glenn and D.P.’s work with the park began with a book they both worked on for listing fortifications and encampments throughout Stafford that they hoped might be preserved. Information on the Civil War sites now preserved in the Park was provided to them by Mr. William (Billy) G. Shelton of Stafford, whose family once lived on land very near the park. They presented their findings to Stafford and Fredericksburg officials and specifically recommended that Stafford County build a park here and also asked Fredericksburg officials about donating their part of the jointly owned property. In 2008 the County told the FSCWS they simply could not afford to build this park. The FSCWS counter-proposed a plan by which, if the County would support an advance of $15,000 the Friends of Stafford Civil War Sites would contract for and complete an engineering feasibility study for a park here, develop a preliminary plan if it seemed possible then try independent of the County to raise the funds and/or find the labor, fuel materials and expertise at no cost to the County. In return if successful the County and Fredericksburg would commit to preserve the 41.2 acres that encompassed the proposed site and preserve the land in perpetuity in a public park. The Stafford BOS actually approved a $25,000 advance for the proposed studies and the effort began in earnest.

In early 2009 Mr. Ray Freeland and Colonel Trimmer provided a preliminary construction plan and schedule to local officials. Vulcan Materials of Stafford was their first major donor. Soon afterwards Col Trimmer found out about and pursued a joint project between Stafford County, FSCWS and the VA Army National Guard called an “Innovative Readiness Training Exercise”. In this exercise the 276th Combat Engineers as part of their annual training would come to Stafford, and utilize pipe, stone and other assets the FSCWS had found to build this park’s roads. The exercise had three phases over two summers, each 15 days in duration Soldiers/Airmen. The Guard brought equipment and operators. The first summer the Army Guard cleared the woods and rough graded the parks roads. In the second year the Army Guard fine graded the roads and hauled the 6000 tons of stone from Vulcan to the Park. Finally the Virginia Air National Guard’s 203rd “Red Horse Squadron brought paving equipment and manpower to the park to pave the roads. VA Paving provided asphalt at their cost. I suggest you first visit the White Oak Museum and from there travel on the short distance to the Stafford Civil War Park at 400 Mount Hope Road. Use your imagination and vision the boys in blue hard at work on their winter camp. Thank you Glen Trimmer and D. P. Newton and all the others involved in this wonderful project

Dedicated to the memory of Douglas Carter, Donna Cote, and Pete Meyers

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

OUR HERITAGE

A monthly look at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center collection

Estray By John Reifenberg Estray. In a sense, that was how the subject of this article came about. I, (a domesticate) was wondering the Center’s archives at large. The focus of my inquiry is lost to history. However, as is the beauty of the Center’s records, the Estray subject heading on a very thin archival box drew me to it. Most people are familiar with the word stray, an unfamiliar free roaming dog or cat, etc. An estray is not dissimilar, although in the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries, it carried a stronger legal ramification. An estray, as defined by Webster, is “a stray and unclaimed domestic animal”. Relatively mundane material. However, what elevated my interest was the examination of the individual documents. It was then, after being transported back to those times, that my focus rose to the point of wanting to share the experience. As recorded in each of these court documents, it was possible to request of the local Justice of the Peace an appraisement of the value for domestic animals that had wandered onto private property. This determination of worth was usually carried out by three “freeholders” appointed by the court. The appointees would visit the property in question and adjudge the monetary worth of the claimed animal(s). They were also warranted with providing a description of the animals as to size, height, color, and other markings. They returned to the court with the information, along with the valuation. The Center’s records for this subject begin January 6th, 1846. Three freeholders were asked to appraise “a small bull yearling”. They returned to the court with an assessment of $2, “certified

under

our

From another th document dated May 16 , 1852 comes this record; … “Charles R. Chewning (took) up an estray buffalo Cow”. Another record mentions the same animal type, although with a different spelling. The next few years exhibited the same general flavor describing various farm beasts “taken up”. Fast forward to May 6th, 1863. A certain landowner has “taken up two horses as Estrays (left by the Federal army)… branded U.S.” Another document states that on June 16th, 1864…”George D. Blackley…did take up an estray horse, left by the enemy (Sheridan’s raiders).” And another; on June 20, 1864, “…two estray horses abandoned by the Army of the United States during their recent ^cowardly^ raids through said County.” One document is a little different, from 1865; “we have this day…viewed and appraised an Ambulance Taken up by Jno H Clarke, on his land.” The assessed value was given as two hundred dollars. So, farm fields turned to bombarded battlefields, confusion, chaos, cessation, retreat, deprivation, estrays. This is but a small sample of the information uncovered in that small box. These documents are not poetic or rich in syntax, but the message and imagery are very powerful. The Heritage Center has many stories to tell. Are you willing to come in and listen? John Reifenberg is a CRHC Volunteer

HERITAGE CENTER Volunteers needed to process historical documents and aid researchers. Training provided. Phone 540-373-3704 or email crhc@verizon.net Open to the public for scholarly research

Maury Commons

a visual treat By kathryn Willis Faulkner wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” He may never have been to Chatham. But, as witness to his sense that our present is imbued with our heritage, Chatham Manor cannot be outshone. With heritage comes stewardship, and the Friends of Chatham are faithful to their charge. Enlisting local artists to express their visual moment of the extraordinary mansion and grounds seems a natural partnership—and one that began last October. On a perfect Saturday,

hands”.

Central Rappahannock

The Heritage Center

Garden Week & Garden Party

900 Barton St

Fredericksburg

“Chatham Front Door” Carol Josefiak twenty artists recorded their reflections of Chatham’s sense of place. The day-long fall plein air event resulted in several artworks that will be displayed at Federal Hill, the Hanover Street historic home of Charles and Stephanie Maurer. The artwork display is an added visual treat of Historic Virginia Garden Week, hosted in Fredericksburg by The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club. The Maurers have completely restored their noble residence, Federal Hill, and will welcome visitors to tour its gardens and interior on Tuesday, April 26. Ticketholders can not only visit the home, but also view the artists’ twenty-four paintings and photographs, which are hung on its walls. The acrylics, watercolors, and photographs, captured on that glorious October Saturday, all have Chatham Manor as their subject. During the Garden Week—April 26 tour, visitors are encouraged to note their favorites among the artworks, for on May 1, they will be given the opportunity to bid on and buy their selections. That Sunday, at 2 PM, a Garden Party at Federal Hill will begin with a preview of the artworks, and the art auction will follow at 3. Tickets for the Garden Party and Auction are $35, and must be purchased in advance. There is an ancient and meaningful tradition of provenance— establishing by verified interaction that an object is associated by direct connection to its source of origin. Both national

significance and local heritage i m b u e Chatham Manor with that sense. Perhaps that is the appeal of t h e s e regional artists’ works. For in such art, “Chatham Structures” Beverly Coates historical significance is reinterpreted through a contemporary discernment. With this artwork, provenance connects threefold: historical significance, contemporary appreciation, and philanthropic investment. A grand way to “play it forward.” Faulkner would smile. Tickets to Fredericksburg’s Historic Garden Week Tour, April 26 are available at www.eventbrite.com/e/83rd-h h istoricg a r d e n - w e e k - t i c k e t s 19688591106?ref=ebtnebtckt. Tickets for the Friends of Chatham May Day Garden Party and Art Auction, May 1 are available at the

“ Passages at Chatham” Jim Ramsbotham Fredericksburg Visitors Center; by mail to PO Box 3882, Fredericksburg VA 22402; and on the Friends of Chatham website, friendsofchatham.org. Once there, you can see the October plein air artists in action: http://friendsofchatham.org/pleinair-d d ay-a a t-cc hatham-m m anor-o o ctober-1 1 72015/ Garden Week in Fredericksburg, April 26 Chatham May Day Garden Party and Art Auction, May1 Kathryn Willis happily advocates for the region's arts and culture. front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

history’s stories

Dedicated to the memory of Douglas Carter, Donna Cote, and Pete Meyers

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

OUR HERITAGE

A monthly look at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center collection

under

our

HERITAGE CENTER Volunteers needed to process historical documents and aid researchers. Training provided. Phone 540-373-3704 or email crhc@verizon.net Open to the public for scholarly research

Maury Commons

hands”.

Central Rappahannock

The Heritage Center

Garden Week & Garden Party

900 Barton St

Fredericksburg

April 2016

Companions

ANIMAL RITES, USA Pet Cremation Service

The siberian cat pedigreed today in seven major cat fancier and breeder organizations. There are claims that this cat is hypoallergenic and produces less dander than other cat breeds. The Siberian is a very strong and agile cat, as most generally are, they have strong hindquarters and large, well rounded paws and an equally impressive large full tail. They have barreled chests and medium/ large sized ears, large eyes, broad foreheads, and stockier build as apposed to other cats, which are long and lean. Siberians have a slight arch to their back due to their hind legs being longer than the front legs. Hypoallergenic qualities of the Siberian coat have been noted and commented on for almost ten years. There is not much scientific evidence, although breeders and owners claim that the Siberian is a good choice for those who suffer from cat allergies. Breeders often recommend a female to those who have cat allergies since they produce less dander than a male would, this doesn’t just go for the Siberian, its natural for all cats. Siberians have three layers of hair, guard hairs, awn hairs, and down. These layers protect the cat from the harsh Russian winter and provide a hardy easy to care for coat; the fur is textured but glossy, which decreases matting. Siberian cats moult once or twice a year. The first moult is at the end of the winter, you would think this would happen because of the change in temperature, but that is not the case, it is caused by the change and day length. A second mild moult may

happen at the end of the summer, un like other cats that have a “heavy moult” more than twice a year. The Siberian is a fun-loving cat that is always ready to play a game with you, lets just hope you’re not a sore loser. This cats particularly loves water, so if you have seen videos on youtube of cats swimming in water, its most likely a Siberian. This cat is a caring and loving animal that never has anything bad to say about anyone, with them being a very patient breed they are a good choice for families with young children, and they also mix well with other animals and dogs. If you ever have a furry friend that needs a playmate while you are out of town or having a long day at work, give me a call. (540) 903-0437. Be sure to read the article on page 10, Community Give & and consider donating to the SPCA. at www.TheCommunityGive.org

Alexis Grogan is the owner of Lexi Grogan Pet Sitting Services. Contact her at Lexig0892@gmail.com, 540-903-0437, or on facebook

by Joan M. Geisler

When it’s time to say “Good-bye”

Private, Individual Cremation Personal Pick Up & Delivery Respect for all “Best Friends” Serving the Area since 2003 Visit Us at Our Website: www.animalritesusa.com Call Us At: 540-361-7487

Full Service Hospital featuring: Grooming Salon Canine & Feline Boarding Dog Training with Play Time Alternative Therapies: Therapy Laser: Helps with Pain Relief, Decreases Inflammation & Enhances Healing Chiropractic Adjustments: Provides Comfort & Restores Motion & Function to many patients

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings Fredericksburgtrolley.com 20

April 2016

are you stressed?

eat more, lose weight

By alexis grogan

Its always funny how cat breeds can come about, they can be mentioned in many different ways. The Siberian was mentioned in a book by Harrison Wier, it included information of the earliest cat shown in England in 1871. Siberians arrived in the United States in 1990, the expense of importing them kept the cat pretty rare outside of Europe. According to the Russian cat fancy each cat club has its own cat standards, this has led to a lot of confusion in the U.S and other countries as the Siberians were being imported yet looking very different from each other. The Siberian is a landrace variety of domestic cat present in Russia for centuries, they are the second largest cat next to the Maine coon. The longer name for this cat is the Siberian Forest Cat, another name is the Moscow SemiLonghair. This cat began which began as a landrace (A landrace is a domesticated, regional ecotype; a locally adapted, traditional variety of a domesticated species of animal that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and due to isolation from other populations of the species.), it is bred and

Renew

Mind Your Mind

540-898-0737

Front porch fredericksburg

Stacy L. Horner-Dunn, DVM Gary B. Dunn, DVM Melanie M. Bell, DVM Sandi L. Pepper, DVM Melissa A. DeLauter, DVM Jennifer V. Skarbek, DVM Sheree M. Corbin, DVM

540/374-0462 www.woahvets.com

10 Walsh Lane

This may seem like an oxymoron, or too good to be true, but there is science behind this fact. Studies show that eating 5-6 6 small meals a day or eating every 3-4 4 hours will actually help you lose weight. Eating one meal a day or skipping breakfast is self-sabotage. Here is why. God made our bodies to withstand famine. If there are no calories coming into the body, the body will essentially shutdown and hold on to every calorie in order to protect the vital organs. The body’s first line of defense is to save the heart, lungs and brain. This is the idea behind a life support machine. The machine is designed to keep the heart and lungs working, thus supplying the brain with oxygen. When the body realizes that these three organs are sufficiently taken care of, it can then go to work to heal the ailing part. So if we are drastically reducing our caloric intake in the name of losing weight, we are actually causing our bodies to hold on to the calories, and not burn them. BUT, if we eat regular, small, nutrition dense foods, our bodies will use them efficiently and therefore not be afraid to burn them for energy. One great way to begin to eat every 3-4 hours is to begin with breakfast. Eat a meal within the first 30 minutes upon waking. Make that breakfast protein, complex carbs and a piece of fruit. Do NOT cereal or bread. Those foods digest quickly and will raise your blood sugar and make you hungrier. This is called high glycemic foods. Instead, eat a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, wild rice, quinoa, eggs, and meats and anything BUT wheat. These are in the category of low glycemic foods. Wheat also causes

inflammation in our joints, tissues and even organs. 3-4 hours later, enjoy a small meal that is no bigger than your fist and is rich in color. If we eat the rainbow, we are sure to include all the nutrients our body craves. Lunch should be the biggest meal of your day so you have all afternoon to burn its calories. Mid afternoon is a very important time to have a small meal of protein and a healthy carbohydrate like yogurt and granola, hummus and veggies, apple/celery and peanut butter. Remember, vegetables are carbohydrates. Nutrition dense mid afternoon meal will ensure that you squelch the afternoon slump and not reach for caffeine and a sugary treat to make it to the end of the workday. Dinner should consists of small portions so it has time to digest and burn before we hit the hay. Speaking of hitting the hay, did 8 hours of sleep you know that getting 7-8 is the best way to lose weight with out dieting? If the size of your pants have you frustrated, try to eat more by eating less.

By Barbara Deal Tired of hearing about stress management? I suspect maybe even stressed about stress management. I remembered an old word this week, “flaneur”, one who looks for beauty. There can be a mindset. I am not so much talking about gratitude, but looking, at yourself, your reactions. Where are you looking for beauty? Not there? THEN: UNHOOK. That is the essence of stress management, really. What IS hooking you right now ? Round and round worrying. Not sleeping. Irritable. Impatient. Maybe worse. Not exactly. That is how you are trying to cope. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No time to care for yourself. Run to this, take care of that. Worry about something. Watch for something to happen. Dread something to happen. No time no time. Ok, so STOPPIT. Time for input instead of output. So 1-2-3:”stress management techniques”… You all have heard it all. Say no, delegate responsibility, take a vacation, get a sitter, change jobs, get a house, get a new car, get a divorce, get rid of a friend, find a boyfriend, hire a maid….I am sure you have heard it all. “Relax. Take a bubble bath. Take a walk. Go to the movies. Have a drink. Or 2. So if you KNOW these things, why aren’t you doing them? You don’t have time. You are too tired. It’s too late. But yeah, so how’s that working for you right now? Is all that running, running, running faster, pushing yourself and pushing. How IS that working? Are you getting more done? Are you even breaking even? . Listen to yourself. What really are you doing? What are you thinking? Are you rushing? Are you driving? Chances are, should you count those seconds in that local traffic jam, instead of getting hooked, you might be surprised at how short it really might be. Maybe your have thoughts of “why did s/he drive that way? Or “that was stupid” “I’ll be in this (issue, marriage, traffic, business meeting, staffing) forever and I”ll

never------.” How do those f r a n t i c thoughts help, anyway? . You think your answer is in the thinking it through while you are doing. Maybe “doing” is not your solution. Clearly you have no confidence in that ANYWAY. This seems just another time consuming demand. Yyou don’t have another thing on your to-do list. How about just dropping your speed a few notches. Try to find a slight second in the midst of it. Count the cars in the traffic jam while you are waiting. Imagine where they are going. Imagine they feel as bad as you do. Just wait. You have to wait anyway. Stop your mind long enough to notice the music in the doctor waiting room. Making your mouth smile is noted to change your emotions, never mind setting up reciprocal smiles from the rest of the world. My personal favorite is to scream in your car, endlessly, and loud (best when you are alone). THAT will make people smile. Plus, how free it is for a second to care nothing about what other people might imagine about your personal ties to reality! Look inside at your way of being in this world. Your answer is not in the doing. The answer-- just being and being different in your crazy life at this crazy time. Look for that beauty in your wonderful, expectant self. . Barbara Deal MA, LCSW is a psychotherapist at Mental Health Resources, ( 540 ) 899-9826

Here are 3 quick rules of thumb. ~ Eat nothing bigger than your fist at one meal. ~ Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper. ~ Don’t drink your calories. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces every day. Now ya gotta love a nutritionist that tells you to eat more! Joan M. Geisler is a ACE/AFAA Certified Personal trainer. Contact her at 540.903.5717 or joangeisler@gmail.com

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Companions

ANIMAL RITES, USA Pet Cremation Service

Alexis Grogan is the owner of Lexi Grogan Pet Sitting Services. Contact her at Lexig0892@gmail.com, 540-903-0437, or on facebook

by Joan M. Geisler

When it’s time to say “Good-bye”

Private, Individual Cremation Personal Pick Up & Delivery Respect for all “Best Friends” Serving the Area since 2003 Visit Us at Our Website: www.animalritesusa.com Call Us At: 540-361-7487

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings Fredericksburgtrolley.com 20

April 2016

are you stressed?

eat more, lose weight

By alexis grogan

Renew

Mind Your Mind

540-898-0737

Front porch fredericksburg

Stacy L. Horner-Dunn, DVM Gary B. Dunn, DVM Melanie M. Bell, DVM Sandi L. Pepper, DVM Melissa A. DeLauter, DVM Jennifer V. Skarbek, DVM Sheree M. Corbin, DVM

540/374-0462 www.woahvets.com

10 Walsh Lane

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Senior Care hope By Karl Karch

At some point in our lives we all have to deal with adversity. In the senior care industry adversity often takes the form of loss of independence, such as having to give up driving or moving out of a home into a facility, or facing a lifethreatening illness or terminal diagnosis. How we respond to adversity is critical to our physical and psychological well-being. Fear and/or pain are often the most significant hurdles to overcome. Courage and resilience are two often used adjectives to describe how positive people overcome fear and pain. However, when hope is combined with courage and resilience, it is so much more powerful. Hope keeps us going and gives us something to live for. Hope is a choice that is unique to each individual and it’s much more than a concept. For many faced with lifethreatening illness, it is a lifeline. I can’t help but think of one of Fredericksburg’s finest examples of hope, Rob Grogan. Against conventional wisdom, Rob and Virginia started Front Porch Fredericksburg with the hope and conviction that the Fredericksburg community would value a free news magazine and paid advertising would cover the costs and sustain his family. Throughout his lengthy battle with cancer, Rob never lost hope. The enormity of the struggles people like Rob face are overwhelming. Desmond Tutu once said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Hope helps a person overcome their fear of pain and death in order to live life on their own terms. As I think back on his struggles, Rob found glimmers of light by taking life in little “hope-lets”, on his own terms one step at a time. He would energize those around him with his love of life, courage, resilience, and hope.

April 2016

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service “Your pet becomes my pet while in my care, and I care a lot!” - Lexi (540-903-0437; lexig0892@gmail.com) On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet sitting service” Prices: Dogs - $15 per canine per visit Cats - $12 per feline per visit

In his book The Anatomy of Hope, Dr. Jerome Groopman wrote that to have hope is to “acquire a belief in your ability to have some control over your circumstances.” As long as there is uncertainty, there is hope. Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote “beware how you take away hope from another human being.” While I want the truth, I also want a glimmer of uncertainty that I can cling to and hope for the future, however long that may be. But there is a difference between “true” hope and “false” hope. False hope provides unrealistic expectations and doesn’t recognize risks and dangers. Dr. Groopman wrote that “true hope takes into account the real threats that exist and seeks to navigate the best path around them.” It is a powerful feeling that brings reality into sharp focus. While there are stories of people with tremendous hope being cured of lifethreatening or terminal illnesses, hope itself doesn’t cure. But, it does give us the courage and inner strength (resilience) to endure pain and in some cases take aggressive measures that may result in remission or even a cure. Carol Farran, an eldercare expert from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, described it best for me when she said: "The hopeful person looks at reality, and then arrives at solutions. If a hoped-for outcome became impossible, the hopeful person would find something else to hope for." This is another way of saying hope, courage, and resilience work hand-in-hand. So, when we or our loved ones are in despair, find some uncertainty that can bring hope into life. Karl Karch is a local franchise owner of Home Instead Senior Care, a licensed home care organization providing personal care, companionship and home helper services in the Fredericksburg and Culpeper region.

Front porch fredericksburg

Emancipated Patients why aren’t patiens’ sexy? by patrick neustatter, MD

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

A topic that has been discussed plenty of people we see who are just victim before came up again at the Moss Free of circumstance, or sick for no discernable Clinic executive committee meeting the reason. other evening. The guy I just saw who was on a “Why doesn’t the public find sick, trip home to El-Salvador, when he had a poor people, more sexy?” seizure and hurried back - to be told he “Sexy” is not the proper term of had a basically inoperable glioblastoma course when we’re meaning more multiforme of the brain. I can’t quite see attractive. “Charismatic” or “needy” how he brought this on himself. might be better terms – or whatever Then there are plenty of people characteristic it is that makes people feel caught up in that all-American catch-22 they want to donate their money. where you get sick; lose your job because This question is prompted by the you are unable to work - and with it goes rather sour grapes sounding observation your health insurance, just when you that in last years ‘Community Give’ (which really need it. is coming up again on this I always tell people the Remember May 3rd), Empowerhouse Moss Clinic is a “perfect Moss Free Clinic. raised $78,026. Moss storm” of dysfunction – Clinic raised $ 4,500 which may sound Make a donation to the N o w uncomplimentary, but so Community Give, Empowerhouse is famous many of the patients we see May 3rd for it’s skills in fund are train-wrecks; nearly all raising and public relations. And I am not the providers are volunteers, so never denigrating their worthy cause of quite become conversant with the logistics supporting survivors of domestic violence. of the place (like trying to keep up with But I, and my fellow committee members, what’s on our pharmacy’s formulary – are prompted to question why people which keeps changing as this or that seem to be more willing to give to generic drug maker gets a wild hair and survivors of domestic violence than the jacks up their price hundreds of percent). medically indigent. The third reason is something Is it the idea people should not you could do something about. have to get their healthcare through I’m sure your mail box and phone charity? I personally think having to do so are like mine and a constant barrage of sucks. But given that the stiffs in solicitation, but Moss never has enough funds Richmond refuse to expand Medicaid, any for people to get the exact right medicines; of those 400,000 left hanging, who cannot the ancillary services; the sleep apnea afford health insurance or to pay out of equipment; the surgical appliances they need. pocket either accept charity or just don’t The list goes on and on. get treated (no insurance, and an income Remember these unsexy people below 200% of federal poverty guidelines on May 3rd. – which means and income of $23,760 for a single person – are requirements for Moss Clinic eligibility) Patrick Neustatter is the Medical Director of the Moss Free Clinic. He is Or is it that the medically interested in stories of emancipated indigent have brought it on themselves in patients/people and would like to hear some way? There are certainly smokers, any stories of this kind from any readers. Contact him at drinkers and people who live a profligate pneustatter@aol.com life (as in any practice). But there are

Wellness the truth about type 2 diabetes By christine H. thompson, D.C.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) reports that, as of 2012, 29 million people have diabetes. Although diabetes is listed as the seventh leading cause of death in the US, diabetes actually contributes to many other devastating diseases such as heart disease and kidney disease and is actually rarely listed as the cause of death. The CDC reports that only 10-15% of people with diabetes have it listed as cause of death. The estimated direct medical costs associated with diabetes was $176 billion in 2012 (CDC). The frustrating thing about this is that type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes, is preventable with healthy lifestyle choices, and even reversible with natural therapies, dietary changes and exercise. So why is type 2 diabetes so prevalent today? This is actually a complicated question. It seems there is much confusion about what constitutes a healthy diet. We do know for certain which foods cause increased insulin in the blood and lead to insulin resistance or prediabetes. Foods that no longer resemble something coming from the earth, sometimes called refined carbohydrates, refined sugars (sugar without the whole food) and processed grains will cause excess glucose (sugar) in the blood as the foods are quickly digested. This causes the hormone insulin to be released from the pancreas, to attend to the vital job of getting the overload of sugar out of the blood and into the cells. If the cells start refusing to take in the glucose (insulin resistance), the extra will be stored as fat. To my surprise I found videos online featuring well-credentialed medical doctors, who regularly treat diabetics, extolling the virtues of eating a high carbohydrate diet to control diabetes. One doctor boldly announced that he didn’t mind if his patients had a blood sugar of 250 mg/dL or more. Other expert doctors specializing in diabetes will tell you that

you don’t need any carbohydrates and should be eating all protein and fat. They also claim great successes. With such drastically different recommendations, it is easy to understand the confusion. It turns out both views may have some merit. We know that protein and fat both stabilize blood sugar and slow the metabolism of carbohydrates to help reduce the spikes and troughs of blood sugar management. But we also have to take into account the role of the gut bacteria in metabolizing food in order to release the glucose into the blood. If we look at the research, epidemiological data and new discoveries emerging from the human biome project, the picture starts to become clearer. Scientists are discovering that people with unique and particular diets also develop a unique microbial environment in their gut which allows them to metabolize certain foods better than others who may have a far different diet. The good news is that microbes produce new generations every thirty minutes and react much faster to food than we do, so you may be able to develop the necessary enzymes and bacteria to digest new whole foods after a period of time. We are discovering what entails a healthy diet is much more individual than we once thought. One thing is very clear for diabetes and all lifestyle-m mediated diseases today: processed and refined foods are bad for everyone, no matter your ethnic heritage or the quality of your gut flora. As to whether you should eat more carbs, more protein or more fat, it depends on a number of factors: the nutrient density of your food, exposure to pesticides and hormones, chemical additives and preservatives, and, we now know, the variety of your gut microbes and digestive enzymes. Christine Thompson is the owner of Whole Health Solutions. Contact her at 540-899-9421

The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

~Nature’s Sunshine Products ~Quantitative Fluid Analysis ~VoiceBio Analysis ~ionSpa Foot Detox ~Zyto Bioscan Compass Natural Products for Health & Wellness

online: www.save7lives.org

Barbara Bergquist, CTN Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

891-6200

www.thenaturalpath.us

4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg

in person: Dept. of Motor Vehicles front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Senior Care hope By Karl Karch

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

Emancipated Patients why aren’t patiens’ sexy? by patrick neustatter, MD

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

Wellness the truth about type 2 diabetes By christine H. thompson, D.C.

The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

~Nature’s Sunshine Products ~Quantitative Fluid Analysis ~VoiceBio Analysis ~ionSpa Foot Detox ~Zyto Bioscan Compass Natural Products for Health & Wellness

online: www.save7lives.org

Barbara Bergquist, CTN Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

891-6200

www.thenaturalpath.us

4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg

in person: Dept. of Motor Vehicles front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Art in the Burg

Stories

of fredericksburg

April Showers and Flowers

by ryan poe

Bycollette caprara subtle shade gradations, peaceful clean lines, and graceful, fluid strokes of Japanese Sumi-e, Oriental-brush technique. What may come as a surprise is that the artist who created this Zen-like display is not a mysterious Asian master but an energetic, blonde, longtime aficionado of the style, local artist Carol B. Waite. Though Carol “Humingbird & Dew Drops” received her first Throughout April, the featured exhibit at the Brush Strokes gallery, training in Sumi-e in the States at Torpedo Factory, her (824 Caroline St.) “April Showers and Alexandria’s relationship with the East goes back to her girlhood years in Japan where her family lived until she was 17. This personal experience infuses her artwork with a depth of understanding and empathy that aptly conveys the heart of the simplicity, respect for nature, and serenity that are hallmarks of the Japanese culture. “Sumi-e’s incorporation of white space reflects the simplicity of the “Daffodils” culture,” said Waite “Think of the negative Flowers” will take visitors on a virtual space in a Zen rock garden, or the journey to a culture have the world away, with an array of paintings featuring the uncluttered room furnished only tatami mats, some cushions and maybe a small table.” The Sumi-e process dates back thousands of years and its earliest practitioners were Buddhist monks who engaged in the stages of preparing the medium with meditative contemplation. Carol explains that to create the special ink, she begins with wood that has been Open M-F at 6am burnt and pressed into a cake. By Open Sat & Sun at 7 am combining the cake with different amounts of water the artist can produce a Serve breakfast, lunch and variety of shades of grey and black; Mixing dinner it with Chinese watercolors can produce $5.00 Weekday lunch Specials colors ranging from pure yellow to indigoviolet. A brush can be loaded multiple times with ink of different intensities and hues so that one stroke can produce a

620 Caroline Street

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

graded, tri-colored image. Oriental brushes are made from a variety of animal hairs, ranging from the soft rabbit or fox—that are excellent for connoting the subtle texture of a blossom’s petals—to the stiffer quality of horse hair—which can convincingly convey bamboo or tree branches. Waite is a firm believer in the value of intercultural understanding and she devoted more than a decade of her career working with a program that gives American undergraduates an opportunity to study in Japan. “If we learn a little about different cultures, we can respect those traditions when we travel to different countries,” she said. The subjects of Waite’s “April Showers and Flowers” exhibit range

Magnolias, Daffodils, Tulips, and Cherry Blossoms to a dreamlike mountain scene with Wisteria and Willows. In a number of the paintings, the faint mist of a spring shower is deftly suggested with a few light strokes. “I wanted to celebrate spring and the magic of April, traditionally the rainy month, that brings us so many lovely flowers and bright blossoms of color elicited by the awakening warmth,” said Waite. “The exhibit is about enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of nature and respecting the earth.” Collette Caprara is a local writer and artist.

Read at: fredericksburgwriters.com

I heard about Cracked, the play Marcus Salley produced with Fred Franklin and the Rude Mechanicals, but hadn’t met him until recently at a planning session for a proposed performing arts center. A couple weeks later we caught up at Kybecca and he told me a story from his past. “It was the summer after we graduated. Every day we would go to Kat’s house, lounge in the pool all day, and then watch movies or sit on the back porch. Chris had just broken up with his girlfriend, who happened to be the best friend of my girlfriend-at-the-time. I was like, ‘We got to cheer Chris up. It's going to be great.’” “Kat's like, ‘Marcus, you drive.’ I said, ‘Uh, my car's going to put us on the side of the road.’ She's like, ‘Well, I don't feel like driving.’ So we made Chris drive. We get in the car and he drives to Truslow, where our other friend, Buddy, lived. Every time we went to his house, every single time, we would call him and be like, ‘Buddy, we're outside. Come on out.’ and he's like, ‘I have to put pants on.’ So we're in the car and we're like, ‘Buddy, we're about five minutes out. Put your pants on. We're going to go to cheer up Chris.’” “We pick him up and go to Carl’s and we told Chris, ‘Alright, tell us exactly what happened.’ He tells us about how he went to her house and she broke up with him the moment he got there. And her mom comes out and says, ‘Oh, Chris, I didn’t know you were going to be here. Want to stay for dinner?’ He’s like, ‘Sure.’ He’s sitting there trying to eat this… he described it as ‘very disgusting meatloaf” and the mom says, ‘I don’t understand

why he isn’t trying to hold your hand. You two must be in a bit of a fight.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, that must be it.’” “We’re like, ‘Oh Chris, we’re so sorry. You know what? Let us buy your milkshake.’ So everyone gets their milkshakes and we all get in the car and pull out of Carl’s. We had just gotten onto the main drag when lights went off. It was a cop car behind us. Chris is clenching the wheel like, ‘Guys! What do I do?’ Kat’s trying to get us to be quiet, ‘Guys! Stop laughing. Chris, where’s your ID?’ So he grabs his ID, ‘What else do I need? I’ve never been stopped before.’ ‘Where’s your registration? Is it in your glove compartment?’ She pulls it out, ‘Here. They’re going to ask for this. Just hand it to them and remain calm.’ Kat turns around, ‘Guys! Stop laughing. She’s going to think we’re high!’ Which only made us laugh harder.” “The cop shines her light in the car, and me and Buddy are sitting there with our milkshakes, just trying to remain calm and not look high. She comes up to Chris, ‘Do you know why I stopped you?’ ‘No ma'am.’ ‘Because your headlights weren’t on.’ ‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ ‘License and registration please.’ He hands it to her. She leaves and it’s dead quiet in the car. Chris shakes his head, ‘This is the worst day of my life.’ Everybody in the car, minus him, just dies laughing. I’m sitting there, I’m crying, I’m like, ‘Chris, I’m so sorry, and this is horrible, but I’m so glad this is not me right now. This is literally the worst day ever for you.’” “So he gets off with a warning and we get back to my friend’s house and we’re all sitting around and we’re laughing and we’re telling jokes about what’s happened. Then Chris says, ‘Well, I’m not the only one who’s going to have a bad night.’ Everyone looks at him like, ‘What are you talking about? How could it get worse.’ Then he looks right at me, ‘Apparently they talked and my girlfriend decided to be the first one. Your girlfriend is going to break up with you as soon as she gets back from vacation.’ My whole face just dropped. I’m sitting there and Buddy is just like, ‘So, when does your girlfriend get back? Two weeks? Same time in two weeks we’ll do this again?” Have a Story of Fredericksburg ? email storyfburg@gmail.com. Ryan Poe is a father, husband, son, and brother living in Fredericksburg. He brings us "snippets" of real 'Burg folks each month in FP. Photo by Ryan Poe front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Art in the Burg

Stories

of fredericksburg

April Showers and Flowers

by ryan poe

620 Caroline Street

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

Read at: fredericksburgwriters.com

April 2016

N EW W ORKS ...NEW D IRECTION

FXBG Music Scene sleeping bees @ music & spirit concert

photographer tim snyder

by barbara brown hill

By A.E. Bayne

Local photographer Tim Snyder’s show, New Works, will open to the public at Bistro Bethem on April 3 rdbetween 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Primarily known for his photography in real estate, skateboarding, portraiture, and landscapes, Snyder’s new show will include works of abstraction and contrast, highlighting creative conceptual art that represents a different direction. Snyder’s new work speaks to a playful spirit captured through a design of trial and error, impulse-driven bursts of creativity, all inspired by a kind of shower logic. Snyder explains, “You know when you’re standing in the shower and all kinds of ideas come to you, but you ignore them. I stopped ignoring them. I made the point of following through with the ideas I was having. Now, if I think of something I can possibly try with my camera, I do it that day. The

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

shots have been more creative and allow an openness to interpretation instead of the documentation-style shots I’ve done in the past, and the contrast of colors and shapes inspire me to try new techniques.” To capture many of his abstract shots, Snyder’s enterprising energy leads him to experiment with unconventional materials. His dreamy, cloud-like photos are born of ingenuity with a fish tank and a turkey baster. He says, “I went to the Goodwill and bought a tank for ten bucks. I had two people pouring paint while one person shot white paint into it with the turkey baster as I was shooting the photo. It was a team effort and it took forever to get it all together, but once we finished and I snapped the first photo I was in awe. An iconic portrait of his friend Lauren was created using acrylic paints and Elmer’s glue. Snyder describes the shot: “We painted her entire face with acrylic paint. I thought about using milk, but it was too thin, so we poured Elmer’s glue over her head. I couldn’t believe she let me do it. She was in the shower for a long time getting it out of her hair!” Another photo invites us to

explains, “My friend Ethan and I pushed the cart behind a dollar store and took that shot. It was ridiculous. There we were, two grown men fumbling around with all these balloons. This lady ran over one of the balloons in her car and gave us the dirtiest look.” Like the shots described here, the body of photos in Snyder’s new show are the culmination of planning, collaboration, and a willingness to experiment with the unlimited resource of one’s imagination. Visit Bistro Bethem on Sunday April 3rd or anytime during the

Price Match Parking Garage Christian Collectibles Gift shop Jewelry Kitchen Ware Books Crafts Supplies Antiques 611 Caroline Street 540.371.1333 LordAndLillys@gmail.com facebook.com/lordlillys www.lordlilly.com

month of April to view this dynamic direction for Snyder’s photography. Snyder will be a featured artist in the spring edition of Fredericksburg Literary and Art Review. You may visit his website at www.timsnyderphoto.com to view his broad portfolio of work. He may also be reached for portrait and real estate photography at timsnyder13@yahoo.com.

imagine our own story and depicts an overturned shopping cart with balloons spilling out onto a parking lot. Snyder

A.E. Bayne is a writer, visual artist, and educator living in Fredericksburg. She is the publisher and editor for Fredericksburg Literary and Art Review.

rs avo g l F 30 untin o &C

Lem

ona

Mon-Sat: 10a-6p; Sun: 1-5p 810 Caroline Sr. #104 ~ 540.899.3714 www.juspopn.com

Sleeping Bee will make their Fredericksburg debut on April 23, performing in the Music and Spirits Concert Series at A. Smith Bowman Distillery. The band combines the talents of bassist Lindsey Horner of jazz and multi-genre renown, multi-instrumentalist Andy Goessling of Railroad Earth, guitarist and singer Timothy Hill and percussionist Randy Crafton. While labels fall short, their music has been referred to as “Transcendent Acoustic” and exists in that unique early 21st century area where folk, jazz, Celtic song forms, melodic improvisation, and original ideas all happily coexist and vitalize each other. If you were to name some of the projects that each of the members of the band Sleeping Bee were part of, and the musicians they backed up, it would sound like an all-star cast of some of music’s great legends featuring a broad crosssection of musical styles The band members have spent most of their careers backing other artists and making them sound good. Sleeping Bee is an opportunity for these seasoned musicians to shine. Their music is a unique blend of instrumentation that combines mandolin, guitar, dobro, bass, tin whistles, and percussion into a sound that spans genres, is both strikingly original and hauntingly familiar. The musicians with whom the members of Sleeping Bee have worked are impressive, and the musical styles diverse-Rick Danko, Garnet Rogers, Warren Haynes, Railroad Earth, Eileen Ivers, David Bromberg, Phil Lesh, Richie Havens, Bob Weir, Mingus Big Band, Jeff Buckley Pete Seeger, John Cage, Bill Frisell, and Andy Irvine to name a few. Band members Andy Goessling and Lindsey Horner have been friends since they were teens. Their musical careers took off in different directions. Andy became involved with bluegrass and

roots music while Lindsey became associated with jazz and improvised music. For years, they planned to pool their talents but those plans never came to fruition until they formed the Sleeping Bee. Sleeping Bee’s debut instrumental recording, Heyday Maker, is an amalgam of Folk, Jazz, Celtic song form, and melodic improvisation blended beautifully to include original pieces and compositions by Keith Jarrett, Bob Dylan, and a rethinking of two compositions by 18th century Irish bard Turlough O’Carolan. After Heyday Maker was released, singer/songwriter/guitarist Timothy Hill joined Horner, Goessling and Crafton and the band began working on new material. In addition to conventional vocals, Timothy specializes in harmonic singing, where two or more notes can be sung at once. This month’s concert will also feature award-winning guitarist and multiinstrumentalist, Bruce Middle, who will play a solo, instrumental opening set. Bruce’s unique sound has captured the ear of an ever-expanding local, national and international audience. Nicknamed the “Chameleon”, Bruce weaves a tapestry of sounds from Classical to Jazz, Blues to Country and Bluegrass to Funk. This month’s concert promises to be a spectacular showcase of incredible talent not to be missed! Tickets are $18 online and $20 at the door. Doors open at 5pm. The show starts at 7:30pm. Please visit: www.musicandspirits.com for more information and links to purchase tickets.

Writer Barbara Brown-Hill is also the manager of local duo The McTell Brothers.

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

N EW W ORKS ...NEW D IRECTION

FXBG Music Scene sleeping bees @ music & spirit concert

photographer tim snyder

by barbara brown hill

By A.E. Bayne

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

April 2016

Front porch fredericksburg

imagine our own story and depicts an overturned shopping cart with balloons spilling out onto a parking lot. Snyder

A.E. Bayne is a writer, visual artist, and educator living in Fredericksburg. She is the publisher and editor for Fredericksburg Literary and Art Review.

rs avo g l F 30 untin o &C

Lem

ona

Mon-Sat: 10a-6p; Sun: 1-5p 810 Caroline Sr. #104 ~ 540.899.3714 www.juspopn.com

Writer Barbara Brown-Hill is also the manager of local duo The McTell Brothers.

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Kingsley

THE POETRY MAN - By Frank Fratoe

new book by environmentalist Carolyn o’neil celebrates earth day @ agora coffeehouse For local author Carolyn O'Neal, it was her passion for her son, for the environment, and for the future that inspired her to write an "eco" novel entitled KINGSLEY. "I'm a recovering shopaholic," admits Carolyn O'Neal, a longtime resident of the Peacock Hill neighborhood in Ivy. "I used to spend hours at Sam's Club." But after Carolyn was hired to manage her neighborhood's water and sewer company, she learned about toxins in the environment, especially those affecting groundwater. "Our wells are only a few miles from the Ivy Landfill," Carolyn says, "So I began reading about the toxins in the products I bought, like paint and plastics. Stuff that's been dumped at the landfill for decades. I worried about my health but even more about my son's health." This led to the discovery of the research done at the Skinner Laboratory in Washington State University on epigenetics, transgenerational inheritance, and the relationship between environmental toxins and disease. "Transgenerational inheritance might sound like something wonderful, like inheriting your grandmother's wedding ring. But when it comes to disease, it means what we suffer today is due to what our ancestors ate, drank, and breathed." If gestating females are exposed to environmental toxicants at the time of fetal gonadal sex determination, a number of adult onset diseases develop. (Quote from the Skinner Laboratory, http://skinner.wsu.edu/research.html/) Scary, especially when you think about how long modern society has been exposed to carbon based toxins, from DDT in the 1950's to bisphenol A (BPA) in the lining of food containers today. In KINGSLEY, Carolyn O'Neal explores the frightening result of decades of toxins in the environment through the life of a fourteen year old boy named

Kingsley Smith. Kingsley is a sweet boy, but he's too fat to wear swim trunks and too poor to play golf. After colony collapse disorder finishes off the bees, a dangerous and mysterious pandemic emerges and attacks anyone and anything with a Y-Chromosome, both human and animal. Kingsley has more to lose than video games and the attention of the girl he loves. His mother believes millions of dollars in research can save her son, and she'll lie, steal and worse to get it. But not everyone mourns the loss of the men. Can an unscrupulous mother and a spirited girl save the last boy on earth? Fans of dystopian fiction and eco-thrillers (The Hunger Games, The MaddAddam Trilogy) will love KINGSLEY. KINGSLEY is also available online at Amazon.com.

We could walk eastward to encounter the sunrise or head westward later prizing an urban sundown.

By Tom Conway On December 13, 1862, during the Battle of Fredericksburg, Joshua Chamberlain of the 20th Maine had already had a bad day when he arrived at the corner of Kenmore Avenue and Hanover Street. He had come across the Rappahannock on a wobbly pontoon bridge, and then marched through town under fire from Confederate cannons. I have walked that route, myself, many hundreds of times. I've never been shot at, but I did get caught in a really bad thunderstorm once. Somehow, though, I imagine it wasn't the same.

Sunken Road at the base of Marye's Heights. Shells continually rained down upon him, and as he drew nearer to the wall, he faced Confederate soldiers who were lined up four deep, waiting to take a shot at the charging Union line. I often ran that route, winding through the quiet streets, passing the Innis House, where tourists stand with their faces pressed against the windows and marvel at the hundreds of bullet holes still permeating the woodwork. I ran right past the wall , unopposed, and up a path that leads to the top of the heights, where

The wind is always brisk touching a neighborhood here on this valley-edge where hills become city.

Carolyn O’Neil will be on hand at Agora Coffeehouse, 520 Caroline St, Downtown, April 23rd, 8:30am to 1pm to autograph her new book Kingsley. . A portion of the proceeds will go to the Virginia Oyster Shell Recycling Programs, a great environmental organization helping to restore oysters to Virginia waterways.

She can be reach at carolynoneal@comcast.net; http://authorcarolynoneal.com/

Think About Books, Games, Amusing Novelties

April 2016

A wooded slope emerges far across the waterway as our river rolls forth beyond the tops of roofs.

Carnage in My Own Backyard

flashback Goolrick’s Pharmacy, 1914, corner of Caroline & George Street Back in the day – the local pharmacy served up sweet treats. That's still the deal at Goolrick's Pharmacy, which has been serving up sodas in various flavors, from cherry to chocolate since 1912, making it the oldest soda fountain in the nation!

The Fredericksburg Battlefield. Marye's Heights is visible in the distance

The pharmacy was started by a Civil War veteran in 1867, the soda fountain was installed in 1912

Something to

We can rejoice the day. when mini-clouds fan out above a grid of streets aligned in iridescence.

Frank Fratoe lives & writes in the city. He wrote this poem as a tribute to the artists of Fredericksburg

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A Cityscape: From Snowden Hills

Then & Now

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Supporting Local Artists Since 1997

Approach to Marye’s Height, 2016.In 1862, only the Stratton House on the right would have stood between the 20th Maine and the Sunken Road There is a historical marker on that corner now, at the corner of the Maury School field, across the street from Union Bank. It shows open fields and a few scattered buildings where today the scene is packed with residential roads and houses. There was no Kenmore Avenue then, just a three-foot deep drainage ditch that Chamberlain and his men mostly likely had to wade through, past the bodies of men who hadn't made it. Just beyond there was a small rise that offered protection from the Confederate canons firing down from the surrounding hills. I lived happily for years in a house that sat atop that rise. It was a nice quiet place to call home, an idyllic patch of ground in a quaint American town. Chamberlain's brief time there, possibly on that precise spot, was spent crouching in terror among his screaming, bleeding colleagues as shells exploded all around him. But he didn't stay there long. It was 3/10th of a mile to the wall along the

Edward Porter Alexander's guns fired down on the field, blowing Joshua Chamberlain and his compatriots to bits. "A chicken could not live on that field when we open on it," Alexander told Robert E. Lee that day. He was wrong. Some 20,000 men attempted my jogging route that day. Eight thousand of them were killed or wounded trying. The rest survived the attack. Joshua Chamerlain, among the survivors, was stranded on that battlefield among the dead and wounded. He spent the frigid night trying to find warmth huddled between the bodies of two dead soldiers, using a third as a pillow. In the morning, the Union Army turned back in defeat. As far as I know, he never came back to Fredericksburg. I can't say that I blame him, but I wish he could see it now.

Wills and Trusts Provide for Incapacity Trusts for Minor Children Wealth Preservation Trusts Avoid Probate AhearnEstateLaw.com

540/371-9890

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Tom Conway is a local writer who teaches 7th grade English at Thornburg Middle School.

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Kingsley

THE POETRY MAN - By Frank Fratoe

We could walk eastward to encounter the sunrise or head westward later prizing an urban sundown.

The wind is always brisk touching a neighborhood here on this valley-edge where hills become city.

She can be reach at carolynoneal@comcast.net; http://authorcarolynoneal.com/

Think About Books, Games, Amusing Novelties

April 2016

A wooded slope emerges far across the waterway as our river rolls forth beyond the tops of roofs.

Carnage in My Own Backyard

The Fredericksburg Battlefield. Marye's Heights is visible in the distance

The pharmacy was started by a Civil War veteran in 1867, the soda fountain was installed in 1912

Something to

We can rejoice the day. when mini-clouds fan out above a grid of streets aligned in iridescence.

Frank Fratoe lives & writes in the city. He wrote this poem as a tribute to the artists of Fredericksburg

Give a Child

M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

A Cityscape: From Snowden Hills

Then & Now

810 Caroline Street (540) 371-5684

Front porch fredericksburg

Front Porch Fredericksburg

Supporting Local Artists Since 1997

Wills and Trusts Provide for Incapacity Trusts for Minor Children Wealth Preservation Trusts Avoid Probate AhearnEstateLaw.com

540/371-9890

vawineinmypocket.com

Tom Conway is a local writer who teaches 7th grade English at Thornburg Middle School.

front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Fredericksburg Sketches A visual Celebration of our community

By Casey Alan Shaw

SKETCH #18: Spring Garden at Belmont. When I sit down to sketch, I tend to be drawn to subjects like old buildings and street scenes. Luckily, in Fredericksburg, there is a never-ending abundance of historic sites to inspire new sketches. I usually leave the fawn and flora to my fellow artists who excel in those areas. But, every once in awhile, when the seasons change and the colors are abundant, I'll take a stab at attempting to record a fraction of the beauty that nature has put in front of me. This was one of those occasions. I was at the Gari Melchers' Belmont estate, just across the Rappahannock River bridge in Falmouth, fully intending to sketch the old home and art studio there. But, when the tulips are in full bloom, how can you resist? This started out as a simple pen & ink sketch, but of course, when the drawing took it's twist toward focusing on the flowers, it wasn't long before the brush and paint made their way out, too.

Remodeling Sale All items in the Rock and Shell Shop 50% OFF. Bring in this ad and receive a free gift with any purchase!

Casey Alan Shaw is a local artist and Realtor. He exhibits his original artwork and limited-edition prints at Art First Gallery in downtown Fredericksburg and at

606 Caroline Street Old Town Fredericksburg 373-7847 www.gemstonecreations.org Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Wednesdays until 6:30 and by appointment

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged 30

April 2016

www.caseyshaw.com.

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From My Porch

MotoWorks local motorcycle enthusiasts realize big dreams for small shop

my professor isn’t even Four years old!~

By A.E.Bayne

It’s a dream when you think about it. You’re hanging with your best buds, crackin’ brews, talkin’ shop and admiring your first restoration, when you realize that what you’ve got going is pretty damn good, maybe even genius. The group is growing, space is getting tight, and you’re all thinking that it might be time to take the whole show on the road, to move it into a larger space for the sake of your crew and your own sanity. This is the spot that Brooke Farquhar, Dave Cannon, Johnny Valencia, Donny Smooth, Brian McAleese, and Danilo Hebron found themselves in a little over a year ago when they decided to move what had become a twice-weekly group for Moto enthusiasts to a larger space at 1103 Lafayette Boulevard and dub it MotoWorks. With this expansion and limitless vision, the guys set forth to transform a defunct motorcycle shop into an oasis for riders seeking mentorship within a workshop environment free of ego and competition. Farquhar laughs, saying, “We found this space and it was a disaster. We ripped everything out and rewired the whole thing.” The ring of men around him mumble their assertions, with Smooth adding, “I really wish you could understand what this place looked like when we came in here. It was flooded; I mean it was a mess. Every bit of work that’s been done has been done by us.” Farquhar pipes in, “We have over two and half times the space that we did at the old garage and pieces of equipment that we didn’t have at our other shop, so our capabilities of what we can do here have increased quite a bit.” The guys describe their vision for MotoWorks with bonhomie, describing it as a space that offers a limited number of memberships, but one that holds an open door policy for enthusiasts who might want to stop by for conversations about the sport or for advice about their own builds. Farquhar explains, “That’s part of

the reason we’re going to be a private facility. We’re not open to the general public as a traditional repair shop. It’s not about ‘my bike’s doing this, or my bike needs this,’ and we fix it. We’re starting this first year with a dozen or so members, half of which are already in the books, but after the process has evolved and been streamlined we’ll probably have twice that many. It will be like a teaching hospital for motorcycles.” Valencia describes MotoWorks as a place for beginners and experienced riders alike, saying, “I’m probably the least experienced among these guys. I rode as a kid, but there was a long period where I didn’t ride, over 15 years, and I bought my first bike about four years ago. I’m on my third bike now.” Farquhar jumps in, saying, “Yeah, we’re here for younger riders or for riders who have pretty low experience levels, too. However, the other board members, they have varying levels of mechanical skill that are actually quite high in some instances.” He jokes, “Dave’s so good, he even teaches me new ways to break things.” Cannon laughs, “I’ve been tinkering around with motorcycles since I was 15, so about 35 years.” MotoWorks will be accessible to anyone with an enthusiasm for motorcycles, even nonmembers, and the guys encourage people to stop by to talk shop. Smooth emphasizes, “We’re not a posh motorcycle club or exclusive in any way. People know we’ve been working on the shop and that we’re here.” Farquhar breaks in, “Today’s the first day I put the helmet planters out and people are honking as they drive by on Lafayette.” Smooth resumes, “It’s a lot of love, and that keeps us going.” Future plans include weekly social hours for members and a monthly meetup in the parking lot, complete with food and “cheezy motorcycle films.” If you’re a motorcycle enthusiast living in the Fredericksburg region, stop by MotoWorks any Thursday, Friday, or every other Saturday and Sunday starting in May. Farquhar adds, “No appointment necessary; just drop by.” A.E. Bayne is a writer, visual artist, and educator living in Fredericksburg. She is the publisher and editor for Fredericksburg Literary and Art Review.

By Jo Loving

See the world as if for the first time; see it through the eyes of a child, and you will suddenly find that you are free. ~ Deepak Chopra I have often thought that I spent far too long working in D.C. Even now, nearly ten years after my retirement and move from the area, I sometimes feel that I am jaded, that the way I see the world and political events are colored by something of a cynicism caused by having seen first-hand too much – too much deceit, too much machination, too much gaming of the system. Sometimes, we just need to take a step back to gain perspective. This past week, my granddaughter, Ava, stayed with us. She is a very perceptive, friendly, loving, humorous, and happy child. On one of our walks, for example, she stopped and picked every weedy flower she saw, and presented it to me as a gift, because “They're so pretty, like you, GaGa.” I have never received a more beautiful bouquet – each flower was selected individually, and was lovely in its color composition of yellow, violet, blue-green, brown, and pink. More than that, though, this walk with Ava, and her simple gift, gave me a chance to pause and enjoy the beauty of the early weeds that have sprouted up in the yard, to savor the fresh, green scent of spring. That was but one of the lessons I learned from my little professor this week. A couple of days later, we were sitting outside, talking, she in her kiddie pool, me on our swing. She was noticing the cardinals, as they flew to the yard, picked up a stick or other debris, and flew back into the bushes. “Look, GaGa, they are making a nest! Soon, they will have

little baby birds, and they will grow up to be big birds like their Mommies and Daddies.” And this, friends, is where a moment of clarity so pure in its simplicity and timeliness, hit me. You see, my daughter and son-in-law, Ava’s Mom and Dad, told us a couple of weeks ago that they would be moving to South Florida on Easter weekend. I’ve been spoiled. Although two of my grandchildren live far away from us – one in Missouri with my youngest daughter and her family, and one in Virginia with my son and his family – I have been fortunate enough to have Ava and her baby brother, Jack, within a few minute’s reach. I love to spend time with all of my grandchildren, but with my local babies, proximity has allowed me to do frequent "grandmotherly” things – to drop by and just give a hug, to keep them when they are sick, to just “be” with them. The news of their impending departure had me dreading the empty nest that was approaching again. Of course, when I had small children, I, too, moved with them, to Virginia, far away from their grandparents. So, like Ava’s cardinals, we made a nest and raised baby birds that grew up to be big birds, who are now making their own nests…and on…and on… and on, it will go. Having viewed the world through Ava’s lens, I feel more at peace with their move, and, frankly, I’m not as concerned with the swirl of political upheaval we are experiencing in this country. Instead, I’m pausing to see what is here in front of me - the season is here for new life, and with it, new opportunities, new perspectives, and new outlooks. Thank you, Miss Ava, for teaching your GaGa this week. You are one of the best professors I have ever known. Jo Loving is at home in North Florida, enjoying the spring flowers and cardinals, and is looking forward to a round-robin trip to visit her little birds around the country in May.

Every Child Deserves A Family

Learn about our adoption opportunities Domestic & International

301-587-4400 Cradle of Hope Adoption Center front porch fredericksburg

April 2016

Fredericksburg Sketches A visual Celebration of our community

By Casey Alan Shaw

Remodeling Sale All items in the Rock and Shell Shop 50% OFF. Bring in this ad and receive a free gift with any purchase!

Casey Alan Shaw is a local artist and Realtor. He exhibits his original artwork and limited-edition prints at Art First Gallery in downtown Fredericksburg and at

606 Caroline Street Old Town Fredericksburg 373-7847 www.gemstonecreations.org Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Wednesdays until 6:30 and by appointment

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged 30

April 2016

www.caseyshaw.com.

Front porch fredericksburg

Frontporchfredericksburg.com FB@FrontPorch Magazine

From My Porch

MotoWorks local motorcycle enthusiasts realize big dreams for small shop

my professor isn’t even Four years old!~

By A.E.Bayne

By Jo Loving

Every Child Deserves A Family

Learn about our adoption opportunities Domestic & International

301-587-4400 Cradle of Hope Adoption Center front porch fredericksburg

April 2016