November PineStraw 2025

AT LISI MARKET

Photograph by Matthew Gibson

Anyone with Osteopenia or Osteoporosis

Anyone resistant to pharmaceutical treatment

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am especially grateful for the opportunity to serve as Manager of OsteoStrong Pinehurst. Since our opening in May 2023, I have witnessed remarkable transformations—improved posture, restored balance, reduced joint pain, increased strength, and best of all, reversal of osteoporosis.

At OsteoStrong, we empower the body to heal naturally. It’s more than a career to me—it’s a calling. I am truly thankful for every member who has allowed me to share in their journey toward better health and vitality.

If you’re ready to build stronger bones naturally and improve your quality of life, call today to schedule your free assessment.

Deconditioned patients needing strength and balance training

Anyone with balance and fall risk

Individuals experiencing poor posture

Anyone in need of post-physical therapy strengthening

November 2025

DEPARTMENTS

November Saturday Events

1st 20% Off All C.O. Bigelow

8th Ponte Vedra Beach Anniversary Celebration

15th 20% Off All Thymes

22nd 20% Off All Molton Brown

29th Black Friday Weekend

Southern Pines, Raleigh, and Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

PINEHURST TOYOTA

Thanks to your support, we have won: Best of The Pines 2024 #1 Dealership Service Department. Schedule your appointment today to experience #1 Service

Volume 21, No. 11

David Woronoff, Publisher david@thepilot.com

Andie Stuart Rose, Creative Director andiesouthernpines@gmail.com

Jim Moriarty, Editor jjmpinestraw@gmail.com

Keith Borshak, Senior Designer

Miranda Glyder, Senior Designer miranda@pinestrawmag.com

Alyssa Kennedy, Digital Art Director alyssamagazines@gmail.com

Emilee Phillips, Digital Content emilee@pinestrawmag.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Jim Dodson, Stephen E. Smith

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Gessner, Laura L. Gingerich, Diane McKay, Tim Sayer

CONTRIBUTORS

Jenna Biter, Anne Blythe, Tom Bryant, Susan Campbell, Bill Case, Tony Cross, Brianna Rolfe Cunningham, Mart Dickerson, Bill Fields, Tom Maxwell, Mary Novitsky, Lee Pace, Todd Pusser, Joyce Reehling, Deborah Salomon, Scott Sheffield, Rose Shewey, Angie Tally, Kimberly Daniels Taws, Daniel Wallace, Ashley Walshe, Claudia Watson, Amberly Glitz Weber

ADVERTISING SALES

Samantha Cunningham, Advertising Director 910.693.2505

Kathy Desmond, 910.693.2515

Terry Hartsell, 910.693.2513

Erika Leap, 910.693.2514

Christy Phillips, 910.693.2498

Ginny Trigg, 910.693.2481

ADVERTISING GRAPHIC DESIGN

Mechelle Butler, Scott Yancy PS

Henry Hogan, Finance Director 910.693.2497

Darlene Stark, Circulation Director 910.693.2488

Tonnie Nester, Distribution Specialist

SUBSCRIPTIONS 910.693.2488

OWNERS

Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels III, David Woronoff In memoriam Frank Daniels Jr. 145 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Pines, NC 28387 www.pinestrawmag.com

PINEHURST • $385,000 5 PINE TREE ROAD, UNIT #120

Beautifully renovated 2 BR / 2 BA GOLF FRONT condo overlooking the 1st green and 2nd tee of Pinehurst No. Unit is being sold fully furnished and AS-IS. Has transferable Pinehurst membership!

3 BR / 2

SOUTHERN PINES • $450,000 46 HIGHLAND VIEW DRIVE

Charming 3 BR / 2 BA brick patio home on the first green at Talamore Golf Resort. Hardwood flooring in main living area, beautiful double-sided gas log fireplace and fantastic lower-level workshop!

WEST END • $345,000 6215 NC 211 HWY

Inviting 3 BR / 2 BA home in well-established Pinehurst location just off Linden Road. The floorplan is open with natural light-filled living spaces and hardwood flooring flowing through the living space. Primary suite is spacious and had a newly updated bath!

SEVEN LAKES WEST • $425,000

Amazing WATERFRONT lot on Lake Auman! This half-acre lot near the cul-de-sac on a quiet street recently perked for a 4-bedroom home. This is a great opportunity to build your dream lake front retreat!

Character filled 2 BR / 1.5 BA home on 2.5 beautiful, wooded acres. Home is set back off the road for added privacy. The layout is spacious with two inviting living areas, each with its own fireplace. Home is being sold AS-IS.

SEVEN LAKES NORTH • $417,500 106 FOX RUN COURT

Attractive 3 BR / 2 BA lakefront home on Lake Ramapo in 7LN! Situated nicely on a 0.36-acre lot, the interior has been thoughtfully updated and has an open concept layout with hardwood flooring throughout. Enjoy beautiful water views from the back deck!

Beautiful newly constructed 3 BR / 2.5 BA move-in ready two-story home. Layout is bright and open with nice finishes throughout. All 3 bedrooms and 2 baths on upper level.

IN MOORE COUNTY REAL ESTATE FOR OVER 20 YEARS!

PINEHURST • $1,880,000 50 CHERRY HILL DRIVE

bedrooms, privately situated for comfort and tranquility! Outside is a private oasis including a hot tub and charming vine covered pergola.

PINEHURST • $1,200,000 68 ABBOTTSFORD DRIVE

Fine 4 BR / 5.5 BA custom home in Pinewild! Home showcases superior craftsmanship throughout with tiled and rich hardwood floors. The lounge and billiards room is a showstopper as well as the fully equipped home theater with tiered theater seating! There is also a bright, skylit spa room perfect for a hobby space and a great inground saltwater pool in the back!

PINEHURST • $1,625,000 11 WHITHORN COURT

Exquisite 3 BR / 3.5 BA home perfectly positioned on an oversized 2-acre lot near the 7th hole of the Magnolia course in Pinewild CC. Built by highly regarded Brent smith, this home offers high end finishes and updates including Wolf appliances in the chef’s kitchen, custom wine cellar and gleaming hickory floors on the main level! Transferable Pinehurst CC membership!

PINEHURST • $695,000 2 PARSON ROAD

Attractive 3 BR / 3.5 BA home on wooded corner lot offering privacy, character and convenience. The interior is inviting with classic fireplace, spacious primary suite and enclosed porch spanning the back. Downstairs there is a finished lower level with large family room, fireplace and full bath perfect as an in-law-suite!

WHISPERING PINES • $575,000 3952 NIAGARA-CARTHAGE ROAD

Beautiful 4 BR / 3.5 BA GOLF FRONT home located on the 13th fairway of the Woods golf course. The home is spacious with thoughtful design throughout with a great open-concept kitchen complete with granite countertops, soft close drawers and farmhouse sink!

PINEHURST • $1,399,000 50 PRESTONFIELD DRIVE

Gorgeous 5 BR / 4 BA custom estate on the 16th fairway of the Pinehurst No. 9 golf course! The main level is spacious with expansive windows, double sided fireplace, gourmet kitchen and two bedrooms, including the primary suite. The upper level boasts additional bedrooms and space offering versatility for guests and family! This home is a must see!

PINEHURST • $875,000 18 HOBKIRK COURT

Attractive 3 BR / 3.5 BA GOLF FRONT home situated on the 4th tee of the Holly course in Pinewild CC. The meticulously designed living space is all on one level and offers breathtaking golf and pond views along the back.

Photograph by Matthew Gibson

The Pit and Fissure Crew

DRILLS OF

One of the most popular sports in The South is stock car racing, a sport born in The Carolinas. In order to perform well in racing, certain essentials are required…..Driving skills, the latest equipment honed with technology, and most importantly a pit crew whose expert training and talent puts them above all the rest! Often, the race winner is decided by how well the crew performs.

As with stock car racing, the Dental Office “Crew” is essential to the patient having a winning experience and excellent clinical outcome. At Allison and Associates Our “Crew” of dental assistants are experts in the tasks they perform for patients. They all have expertise with the latest technology, dental materials and techniques. It is our goal for every patient to celebrate with a victory lap after a pleasant and successful dental treatment experience.

If you are ready for an “Expert Dental Crew,” call Allison and Associates today and let us take the wheel!

P.S. Noise pollution in a dental office is a concern for patients, staff and dentists. As a result, we utilize the most eco-friendly dental equipment on the market.

Expanding What Retirement Living Should Be

Penick Village is growing. New residences, new amenities, new reasons to love where you live.

Our new independent living residences blend the style you appreciate with the comfort you deserve. The Village Pavilion brings state-of-the-art wellness under one roof, from pickleball courts to personal training. And our newly renovated Terrace health center means comprehensive care is always close by, delivered with the personal attention that makes all the difference.

The updated Welcome House greets every resident and visitor with warmth while keeping our community secure and connected.

This is retirement living that grows with you. Every day offers room to explore, connect, and simply enjoy being you.

Learn more about our community , where you have the freedom to focus on your wellness and relationships while living life to its fullest . Contact us today. Call (910) 692-0300 , email info@penickvillage1964.org , or scan the QR code to learn more.

I See the Birds

How I learned to look up and live more fully

By Jim DoDsoN

November is the month I take stock of the year’s happenings, the ordinary ups and downs as well as the unexpected challenges and graces that come with being alive and kicking in 2025. This year, however, I’m looking back a bit further.

followed by 24 months of a relatively new “super drug” my oncologist called “the Cadillac of prostate treatment.”

Two years ago, seemingly out of the blue as my oldest golf buddy, Patrick, and I were setting off on a golf adventure across Southern England, celebrating our mutual 70th birthdays and 60 years of friendship, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Talk about a trip buzz killer.

Naturally, I was surprised to discover that I was one of a quarter million American men who annually develop prostate cancer. But perhaps I shouldn’t have been.

My dad, you see, discovered his prostate cancer at age 70. He chose to have his prostate surgically removed and went on to live a productive and happy life for the next decade. My nickname for him was “Opti the Mystic,” owing to the extraordinary faith and unsinkable optimism that carried him to the very end.

A few years later, as I was completing work on my friend Arnold Palmer’s memoir, A Golfer’s Life, the King of Golf was also diagnosed with the disease. Likewise, Arnie had just turned 70. He went straight to the Mayo Clinic and had his prostate removed. He lived a full life, reaching 87 years.

Experts say that most prostate cancers occur in men without a family history, though they concede that there may well be a family gene factor involved. In retrospect, I like to think that I was simply destined to follow the leads of the two men I admired most — a unique medical case of “like father, like son, plus his favorite boyhood sports hero.”

Joking aside, I chose a different treatment path than my dad and Arnie because, as I learned, there have been tremendous medical advances in prostate cancer treatment since their dances with the disease, providing modern patients a much greater chance of living out their natural life expectancy.

Thus, under the direction of an outstanding urologist named Lester Borden and veteran Cone Health oncologist Gary Sherrill, I chose six weeks of targeted radiation therapy

During the discussions of options, I quipped to Lester (a fellow golfer) that I hoped to publish at least three more books on golf before I exited the fairways of life and someday shoot my age, the quest of every aging golfer. I also assumed that the golf trip to England was now out of the question.

Lester smiled. “You’ll have three books and maybe more,” he said. “Meanwhile, the best thing you can do now is to go play golf with your buddy in England and have a great time. That’s the best medicine.”

So, off we went. And though it turned out to be the statistically wettest week since the Magna Carta, Patrick and I had a wonderful journey from Southern England’s east coast to west, seeing old friends and playing 18 nine-hole matches through howling winds and sideways rain over seven of Britain’s most revered golf courses. Somehow, amazingly, our roving golf match wound up being tied — in retrospect, perhaps the perfect ending and just what the doctor ordered. My prostate problem hardly entered my mind.

During our last stop at a historic club called Westward Ho, where we were both overseas members for many years, we had a delightful lunch (probably for the last time) with our dear friend, Sir Charles Churchill, 90, a legend in British golf circles, who reveled in our soggy tales of a golf match nobody won. The real winner, Charles reminded us, was our enduring friendship.

As anyone who makes the cancer journey understands, or quickly discovers, optimism and faith are essential tools in the fight against this merciless disease.

Upon our return I resolved to spend the rest of my days with more optimism, good humor and a deeper gratitude for the life and work I’ve enjoyed — along with an awakened empathy for others who aren’t as fortunate.

The tools in my kit include a keen (if somewhat private) spiritual life that I exercise every morning when I chat with God under the stars. Plus, I often ask his (or her) advice throughout the day, especially when I’m watching birds at the feeders in

early morning or late afternoon.

One of the surprising gifts from this period was a song I heard by chance — or maybe not? — called “I See the Birds,” by a gifted songwriter named Jon Guerra.

I was stuck in heavy city traffic, late for a lunch date and stewing over the insane way people drive these days, when this incredible song from God-knows-where mysteriously popped up on my music feed.

I see the birds up in the air

I know you feed them

I know you care

So won't you teach me

How I mean more to you than them

In times of trouble

Be my help again

By the end of the song, I was fighting back tears. It’s from a beautiful album simply titled “Jesus” that’s based on the Book of Matthew.

That song became the theme of my two-year journey back to health. I still listen to it at least once a day.

I also turned to the timeless wisdom of the old friends who line my library bookshelves.

“Don’t waste your life in doubts and fears,” advised Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of my favorite non-golfing heroes. “Spend

yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.”

With that guidance, the work before me during my cancer journey included the pleasure of publishing my most rewarding book and finishing a landscape garden that I’ve worked on for a decade. I also received a new left knee that might someday improve the quality of my golf game.

Best of all, we learned that my daughter, Maggie, is pregnant with a baby girl, due Christmas Eve, finally making me a granddad. Talk about a gift from the universe.

The final touch came last week when oncologist Gary Sherrill provided the good news. “You’re doing great,” he said. So, I’m doubling down on the things I’ve learned from my unexpected journey.

To judge less and love more. To thank my maker and see the birds up in the air.

Who knows? Maybe someday this budding grandpa may even shoot his age. PS

Jim Dodson’s 17th book, The Road That Made America: A Modern Pilgrim Travels the Great Wagon Road, is available at The Country Bookshop.

45 CHESTERTOWN DRIVE - FOREST CREEK

Elegant home overlooking Tom Fazio’s South Course, featuring reclaimed heart pine, European stone, Rutt Cabinetry, Waterworks fixtures, wine cellar, and expansive stone patio with fireplace.

$2,950,000 - PENDING

41 SHAW ROAD SW – OLD TOWN

‘While-a-Way Cottage’ in Old Town Pinehurst offers over an acre of privacy, rich history, and a stunning 2020 full renovation.

$2,900,000 - SOLD

55 PALMETTO RD - OLD TOWN

Stunning views of Pinehurst No. 2 fairways, just 0.2 miles from Village shops and events. Features 5 bedrooms and 5 baths.

$2,295,000

1512 LINDEN ROAD – 5 ACRES

Secluded 5.5-acre estate with luxury pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, cedar pergola, fire pit, and exquisite longleaf pine surroundings.

$1,499,000 - PENDING

30 MEDLIN ROAD - OLD TOWN

New Old Town Pinehurst home with open floor plan, game room, main-level master, fenced yard, and walkable access to school, fields, and playground.

$1,395,000

535 DONALD ROSS DRIVE - PINEHURST

Custom brick home, large open sun filled rooms, hardwood floors, deck, Large full basement, private.

$915,000 - PENDING

127 SAKONNET TRAIL - PINEHURST NO. 6

Stunning one level home with private gardens. Pinehurst CC membership available for transfer.

$750,000

1335 MIDLAND ROAD – KNOLLWOOD HEIGHTS

Large lot with private pool, recently renovated kitchen and modern first floor Master Suite. Numerous renovations and upgrades. In-ground pool on two acres with private gardens.

$1,595,000

185 CHEROKEE ROAD – OLD TOWN

Historic ‘Concord Cottage,’ steps from Pinehurst Village, beautifully renovated with original millwork, heart pine floors, fireplaces, screened porch, garage, sauna, and timeless charm.

$1,420,000 - SOLD

240 DONALD ROSS DRIVE - PINEHURST

Pinehurst CC membership available for transfer. Custom built, new appliances, natural light throughout, salt water inground pool, large private lot.

$949,000

110 SHORT ROAD – OLD TOWN

OLD TOWN! Charming Historic Cottage circa 1927 in the Village of Pinehurst. Move-in ready with many updates including roof and windows Freshly painted throughout the main home and guest cottage

$859,000

3 PINE ORCHARD LANE - PINEHURST

Quiet cul-de-sec off Merion Circle, short golf cart ride to Village. Soaring ceilings, gleaming hardwood floors, updated kitchen with large island, bay window, gas range with stainless steel vent and sunny Carolina Room. $509,000 - PENDING

PinePitch

Swifties Unite

Get November off to a Swift start with “Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience” at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, in BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. A national touring Taylor Swift tribute band recreates the pop star’s Eras Tour complete with a live band, performances from every era, all the costume changes, multi-media and audience participation. Will Travis Kelce be there? (We don’t think so because the Chiefs are playing the Bills in Buffalo the next day.) For information or tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Open for Art

Meet the members of the Artists League of the Sandhills at the opening reception for its fall exhibit and sale on Friday, Nov. 7, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. The sale continues on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information go to www.artistleague.org. A few miles up U.S. 1, the Arts Council of Moore County will hold the opening reception for its show “Framing Form” at the Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., also on Friday, Nov. 7. Call (910) 692-2787 or go to www.mooreart.org for additional information. Both exhibits hang until deep into December.

Classical Concert Series

The Arts Council’s Classical Concert Series hosts pianist Miki Sawada, who has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Toronto Music Festival, the Banff Centre, and with the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and Portland Columbia Symphony. She founded the “Gather Hear Tour,” traveling with a piano in a rented van with a mission to connect with Americans across socioeconomic and political divides. “Gather Hear” has given over 90 free performances in seven states and is currently touring North Carolina. The concert, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, also features Christopher Thompson, a performer-composer who merges contemporary art music, jazz, percussion and notated rap. For information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Stand Up Straight and Salute

The annual Veterans Day Parade is Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Broad Street in Southern Pines. Bring the whole family, wave, applaud and be grateful. If you are a veteran, join the parade and let us honor you. For information call (910) 692-7376 or go to www.sandhillsveteransfestival.com.

The Last First

Shed a tear and party on at the last First Friday of the 2025 season when Joslyn & the Sweet Compression brings its magical mix of funk and soul to the greenspace beside the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, on Friday, Nov. 7. The free-for-all show begins at 5 p.m. and closes down at 9. Y’all know the drill by heart but, just in case, no pets larger than a palmetto bug — and it has to be on a leash — and no outside alcohol. If you need more info go to www.sunrisetheater.com.

Turkey Trot

Make room in advance for those Thanksgiving pounds with a run through the streets and neighborhoods of the village of Pinehurst on Saturday, Nov. 22. There will be a 5K run and a Little Gobbler 1-mile fun run. Races begin at the Village Arboretum, 375 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. For more information visit www.vopnc.org.

Let There Be Light

The Southern Pines tree lighting celebration begins at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29 in the downtown park. Lighted trees line the streets and Santa can’t be too far away. He’s even available for pics if you have your own camera. What’s a camera you ask? It’s an app on your cell phone. If you need more information about Christmas tree lights or Santa Claus, feel free to call (910) 692-7376.

Author, Author, Author, Author, Author

Lily King discusses her new novel, Heart the Lover, at the Country Club of North Carolina, 1600 Morganton Road, Pinehurst, beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9. On Monday, Nov. 10, there’s a book launch for Katrina Denza’s new short story collection, Burner and Other Stories, at 6 p.m., at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Libby Buck talks about her debut novel, Port Anna, at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Pace Yourself Run Company and The Country Bookshop will partner for a meet-the-author event with Jared Beasley discussing his new book, The Endurance Artist, on Friday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m. at the bookshop. Last but not least, Livia and Maya Benson will be at The Country Bookshop at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30, to talk about their cookbook Cookies Every Day. For more info on all go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Friday, December 5th • 7:30 PM

Saturday, December 6th • 3 PM Matinee Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, SCC

Maestro David Michael Wolff leads the Carolina Philharmonic orchestra in a festive holiday extravaganza of your favorites with featured performances by Broadway’s dynamic Michael Campayno and Joyce Reehling.

Reserve your seat today!

Scorpio

(October 23 –November 21)

There’s a fine — and in your case, blurred — line between passionate and possessive. When Venus struts into Scorpio on Nov. 6 (where she’ll glamp out until month’s end), that line is primed to become a short leash if left unchecked — and nobody wants to be on the other end of that. A word of advice: Don’t smother the fire. Tempted as you may be to cling fast and tight, a little space will keep the coals glowing red hot.

Tea leaf “fortunes” for the rest of you:

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

Stick to the recipe.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

Pack a lint roller.

Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Thaw before cooking.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Don’t overwork the potatoes.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

The shortcut won’t be worth it.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Go easy on the garlic.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Cling wrap, baby.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

The dishes are piling up again.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Shake the rug, darling.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Dare you to bust out the fine china.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Serve yourself an extra slice of grace. PS

Zora Stellanova has been divining with tea leaves since the Game of Thrones’ Starbucks cup mishap of 2019. While she’s not exactly a medium, she’s far from average. She lives in the N.C. foothills with her Sphynx cat, Lyla.

photography: Tori Bronston

From Poetry to Prose

Creating a finely crafted debut novel

By Stephen e . Smith

unseasonably cool August night in Charleston, South Carolina, I’m sitting in Kaminsky’s Dessert Café with Linda Annas Ferguson, What the Mirrors Knew, arrived that day in the form of 500 paperback and hardcover books. (The official release date was Sept. 21.) She’s glowing with that nervous anticipation felt by every author of a freshly published work — she’s proud, exuberant, anxious and pleasantly overwhelmed by her achievement. She’s seen the germ of an idea to completion, and the fruits of her labor are contained in a beautifully designed novel of almost 400 pages that pleads to be read

This isn’t Ferguson’s first book. She began her writing career as a poet and has successfully published and marketed five books of poetry. Her poem “On the Way Home” appeared in our

Still, I am keenly aware that writing poetry can, oddly enough, be an encumbrance. When a writer proficient in one genre tests his or her talent in a different form — a novelist writes poems, a playwright turns to poetry, etc. — we’re often skeptical, wondering how much professional skill will carry over. Who can recite one of the poems from Hemingway’s first book, Ten Poems? How The Marble Faun? So here’s the question: Will the accomplished poet become the clumsy appren-

Turns out that narrative poetry was Ferguson’s training ground, so she experienced a natural transition to prose. Upon reading her novel — having escaped the shadow of Kaminsky’s Tollhouse Bourbon Pecan Pie to delve into the haunting dark-

ness of What the Mirrors Knew — it’s apparent that her poetic skills are readily transferable.

“My writing life began with telling stories through poetry,” Ferguson says. “Unlike many writers who were influenced at a young age, I only started writing seriously when I was around 30 years old. I scribbled my family stories in journals which eventually became poems.”

Ferguson’s novel is a lyrical blend of spirituality and philosophy, featuring sharply drawn characters who emerge as wholly believable. Her use of dialogue is sharp and sparse, and the narrative is enriched by an energized prose style that propels the reader ever forward. Stir in a touch of philosophy, spirituality, mystery and romance, and you’ve got a first-class novel that reads like the work of a seasoned professional. More importantly, the narrative embodies a strong sense of resonance, a lingering afterglow that will leave the reader pondering the moment.

“In some ways my novel is similar to a long poem, with one particular chapter in it serving as a volta, a turning point, as in a sonnet. I haven’t written a great deal of sonnets, but many poems, even free verse and especially narrative ones, have a turning point about two-thirds of the way through.”

Ferguson is also influenced by film, conceiving her chapters as scenes from a movie. “I visualize it all in my mind as if I am present in each scene,” she says. “I’ve always enjoyed the transition from scene to scene in films. At the end of one chapter I have a bee beating its wings against a glass window, and the next chapter begins with a friend rapping on the back door glass. Because of what film has instilled in me, transitions seem to come without much conscious plotting.”

Leaving Charleston’s blessedly cool weather behind, the question that occurs to me in the moment is what strategy Ferguson has contrived to promote her novel. She’s had experience running a small bookstore and obviously has “a business head,” but the marketplace for books is highly competitive. Chain and local bookstores have partnered with major publishers to feature read-

OMNIVOROUS

ings by their new authors. The competition is keen for time and space to make appearances, often squeezing out small, independent presses. Moreover, online platforms featuring books can place another barrier between the writer and consumer. Unless you’re John Grisham, Stephen King or James Patterson, your books aren’t likely to fly off the shelves without some vigorous umph from a promotional entity.

But Ferguson has a plan. “Creating good content on social media is critical in this environment of cyberspace interaction,” she says. “My first step was to expand my presence to two Facebook accounts, two Instagram accounts (one personal and one professional), and one LinkedIn account. I have quite a few followers on Facebook, but I don’t just create posts. I build friendships as I congratulate other writers on their accomplishments, and they connect with what I am doing. I join groups where we can share our successes and issues and support each other.”

Initially, Ferguson vacillated about creating a video trailer for the book, but she’s glad she did. It includes a narrator, music, quotes from the novel and a beautiful video of Ireland. Besides posting it on social media, she can upload it to a personal YouTube platform.

“And one thing I would add, which readers will find prevalent in my writing, is that I take stock in how the universe seems to help those who have a dedication to their path, regardless of where they are on it. ‘Intention, attention, and commitment’ are good promises to make to yourself. Keep writing and publishing!”

Which is precisely what Linda Annas Ferguson has done. She’s liberated her imagination, pressed the power button on her computer and written a novel. She’s done something that anyone who’s determined to write a book can do — if they have the skill, nerve and determination to do it. The big job, the hard work of putting it in the hands of readers, lies ahead. PS

Stephen E. Smith’s most recent book, The Year We Danced: A Memoir, is the recipient of a 2025 Feathered Quill Book Award.

4 BED 4 BATH

$2,188,000

Extraordinary and exquisitely furnished golf front home located in the prestigious private gated community of the Mid South Club. A heated salt water pool is the focal point in the back yard, and a circle driveway that delivers guests to the front of 4,440 square feet home is a perfect “Welcome”. Unparalleled upgrades were meticulously chosen and the attention to detail begins when you step up on the front porch. Enter the front door to an open floor-plan with windows galore and abundant natural light thanks to the vaulted ceilings. A Transferable Mid-Tal Membership gives access to Mid South Club, Talamore Golf Club and Legacy Golf Club. See this home in person to truly appreciate the beauty, detail and quality. A true dream waiting to happen!

FICTION

Party Stories, by Ella Carr

November Books

can she break the pattern, avoiding the spiral that led Monife to her lonely death and liberating herself from all the family secrets and unspoken traumas?

Momentous parties have long provided dramatic scenes in fiction, from Natasha’s first ball in War and Peace to Darcy snubbing Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice to J. Edgar Hoover and Truman Capote rubbing shoulders in Don DeLillo’s “The Black-andWhite Ball.” Revelry can be revealing of character, as in Gatsby’s extravagant bash in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and the decadent partying of the jaded expats in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. More decorous affairs can also reveal profound depths, as in Katherine Mansfield’s “The Garden Party” and the parties at the center of those two modernist masterpieces, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and James Joyce’s “The Dead.” There is room on this dance floor for humor, as well, in Evelyn Waugh’s “Bella Fleace Gave a Party,” Dorothy Parker’s “Arrangement in Black & White,” and Saki’s “The Boar-Pig.” All sorts of literary greats mingle in this festive gathering, a perfectly entertaining gift for readers and partygoers alike.

Green Forest, Red Earth, Blue Sea, by Jim Gulledge

When Ebun gives birth to her daughter, Eniiyi, on the day they bury her cousin Monife, there is no denying the startling resemblance between the child and the dead woman. So begins the belief, fostered and fanned by the entire family, that Eniiyi is the reincarnation of Monife, fated to follow in her footsteps in all ways, including that tragic end. There is also the matter of the family curse handed down from generation to generation — No man will call your house his home. And if they try, they will not have peace. When Eniiyi falls in love with the handsome boy she saves from drowning, she can no longer run from her family’s history. As several women in her family have done before, she ill-advisedly seeks answers in older, darker spiritual corners of Lagos. Is she destined to live out the habitual story of love and heartbreak? Or

NONFICTION

Rules for Living to 100, by Dick Van Dyke

Dick Van Dyke danced his way into our hearts with iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and as the eponymous star of The Dick Van Dyke Show. Now, as he’s about to turn 100 years old, Van Dyke is still approaching life with the twinkle in his eye that we’ve come to know and love. Through pivotal stories of his childhood, moments on film sets, his expansive family, and finding love late in life, Van Dyke reflects on the joyful times and the challenges that shaped him. His indefatigable spirit and positive attitude will surely inspire readers to count the blessings in their own lives, persevere through the hard times, and appreciate the beauty and complexity of being human.

Eleanor Roosevelt’s Nightly Prayer: The Religious Life of the First Lady of the World, by Donn Mitchell

A great woman who was heavily involved in politics, Eleanor Roosevelt is considered one of the most important and beloved first ladies and female leaders. Her faith and beliefs are commonly dismissed as confines of the upbringing that she broke free from, though her dedication to the Episcopal Church and her reliance on Jesus’ teachings imply otherwise. Her nightly prayer, famously recorded in her writing, demonstrates her approach to serving her community and nation. Her inspiration and strength become apparent in the context of her religion and the fulfillment of her beliefs through her actions. In reviewing observations from family members, her own writing and her participation in the church, Mitchell examines the impact of Eleanor’s faith on her work, and by extension, its impact on the world.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Dog Man: Big Jim Believes, by Dav Pilkey

Our caped crusaders — Dog Man (aka Scarlet Shedder), Commander Cupcake and Sprinkles — along with Mecha Molly discover that the city has changed and nothing is how it should be. Can Big Jim’s positivity and innocence help our heroes? Will Dog Man, Big Jim, Grampa and Molly have the courage to trust each other and save the day? How does the past help shape the future? And who is the chosen one? Readers will want to hold onto their hero capes as they soar into a new thrilling Dog Man story. (Ages 7-9.)

The Humble Pie, by Jory John

The Humble Pie likes to give others the spotlight. Aw, shucks! They deserve it! But when he’s paired with his best friend, Jake the Cake, for a school project, he soon realizes that staying in the shadows isn’t always as sweet as pie. Readers of all ages will laugh along as their new pie pal discovers that letting your voice be heard can take the cake! (Ages 4-8.)

Goodnight, Crayons, by Drew Daywalt

The hilarious Crayons are ready to say good night . . . or are they? The Crayons are getting ready to go to bed, but each Crayon has something special they need to fall asleep. Blue Crayon needs a drink of water, Orange Crayon needs a blankie, Red Crayon needs a story or two or three. What do you need to fall asleep? A humorous, good night story from everyone’s favorite school supplies. (Ages 4-8.)

The Christmas Sweater, by Jan Brett

Yiayia is thrilled with the fantastically adorned Christmas sweater she made for her grandson’s dog, Ariadne. Her grandson Theo loves it too, but he can tell Ari doesn’t feel the same way. Luckily, Theo knows exactly what will show her just how cozy and warm the sweater is — a hike to Echo Lake. And he can wear his new snowshoes!

The woods are a winter wonderland and more snow swirls as they hike. Just when they reach the lake, Theo realizes Ari’s sweater has disappeared, along with their tracks and every familiar landmark. Could they have lost Yiayia’s gift and the way home? Luckily, Ari spots something in the snow that turns out to be a surprising solution to their predicament. (Ages 4-8.) PS

Compiled by Kimberly Daniels Taws, manager of The Country Bookshop.

November at Weymouth Center

« November 9 at 1:00 pm: Strike at the Wind

Also this month at Weymouth Center:

November 1:

November 10:

November 13:

November 17:

November 18:

November 18:

November 19:

November 25:

« November 16 at 2:00 pm: Chamber Sessions: Yu & I Duo

Open House and Self Guided Tour

Meet the Author: Katrina Denza

Meet the Author: Meagan Church

Women of Weymouth Meeting

Meet the Author, Dr. Matthew Harmody

James Boyd Book Club

Mildred Barya Poetry Reading

Song Circle Jam Session

Looking forward to the holidays? Weymouth Wonderland is on Saturday, December 6th from 10:00am - 4:00pm! Tour the Boyd House decorated for the holidays, buy vintage decor in the Holiday Shoppe, grab a treat and a warm drink from our Bake Shoppe, visit Santa, shop local vendors and artisans, enjoy popular area food trucks, watch live performances from local musicians and dancers! Fun for the whole family! Donations accepted at entry.

Scan the QR code for tickets and additional information!

555 East Connecticut Avenue, Southern Pines, North Carolina

Wonderful Wood

When the persimmon tree reigned supreme

By Bill FieldS

Every fall, at some point after the days began to cool, I could count on hearing a complaint from my father.

“Those damn persimmons,” he would say. “That tree needs to go.”

Our yard was mostly populated by longleaf pines, half a dozen of which loomed taller than the two-story house they surrounded. Their fellow evergreen was a bulky cedar, thickened over the years like a college freshman with a generous meal plan and little willpower. Several maples and sycamores gave our corner of the block a little color around Halloween.

Dad realized that having to clean up the needles and leaves after they drifted to the ground was the price of shade. But he was much less understanding about what dropped from our Diospyros virginiana each autumn.

About 40 feet tall, our American persimmon tree, with its dark, blocky squares of bark, stood next to the driveway. It was in just the right location for its fruit to fall on our cars and stain them. We were a (well) used-car family during my early childhood. But Dad kept the vehicles washed and waxed and didn’t appreciate the mess made by the fleshy persimmons, which were about the color of a basketball and the size of a ping pong ball.

Sometimes, we kids threw them like baseballs at each other, unaware that the sweet pulp of the ripe fruits could be — when mixed with the proper amount of milk, sugar, eggs, flour and butter — turned into a tasty persimmon pudding. (I only sampled an unripe persimmon once, so astringent was its flavor.)

One day, my father hired a man with a chain saw, and the persimmon tree was no more. Its remains were hauled to the curb to be hauled off by town workers. For decades a small stump marked its former presence and demanded a slight detour when mowing.

Dad was not a golfer at that point, and I was a mere fledgling in the game. Neither of us knew that the type of tree chopped into pieces and piled by the curb figured so prominently in golf. Beech, ash, dogwood and other species were utilized for wooden clubheads during the 18th and 19th centuries in Great Britain, but American persimmon (native to south central and eastern

parts of the U.S.) became the material of choice beginning in the early 20th century. Persimmon is dense and durable, ideal for golf clubs. I have wondered whether any clubheads could have been produced from the wood of the tree we had taken down because it was a nuisance.

I was a young teenager when I acquired my first persimmonheaded woods, lightly used MacGregor Tourneys manufactured in the late 1960s. Experiencing the “satisfying thwack” of a wellstruck shot was a revelation. The sensation was something golfers of all abilities, from duffers to legends, sought to feel. When a golfer found a certain persimmon club to his or her liking, it could be a magical and productive union.

Ben Hogan broke through for his first individual wins on tour in the spring of 1940 — in Pinehurst, Greensboro and Asheville — with a MacGregor driver just given to him by Byron Nelson. Sam Snead used an Izett model driver and Jack Nicklaus a MacGregor 3-wood for decades. Persimmon clubs crafted in the 1940s through the early 1960s were regarded as being of the highest quality because of the old-growth trees the wood came from. Johnny Miller won the 1973 U.S. Open with a MacGregor driver made in 1961 and 3- and 4-woods manufactured in the 1940s.

The development of metal-headed woods in the 1970s and 1980s spelled the end of persimmon’s prominence for clubheads. Bernhard Langer was the last to win a major championship with a persimmon driver, at the 1993 Masters. Most of the high-tech drivers on the market now have clubheads more than twice the size of the persimmon classics.

Not that the old beauties which were such a part of golf history aren’t used today. There is an enthusiastic subset of golfers who enjoy collecting and playing vintage persimmon-headed clubs in at least some of their rounds. I am proudly among them. You get some strange looks from playing partners. A kid I got paired with at my local muni asked, “Don’t you like technology?”

But on the occasions when your drive with a 65-year-old club finishes in the same vicinity as theirs struck with a current model, it can be very satisfying. Golf’s much different with the modern stuff, but I’m not sure it’s better. PS

Southern Pines native Bill Fields, who writes about golf and other things, moved north in 1986 but hasn’t lost his accent.

Kimberly Daniels will be in conversation with Lily King, the New York Times bestselling author of Euphoria and Writers & Lovers, to discuss her new novel, Heart the Lover

Books will be available for purchase. You will also have the opportunity to get books autographed by the author.

Libby Buck Port Anna

Katrina Denza Burner and Other Stories

November 21 at 6:00 PM November 9 at 2:00 PM

November 10 at 6:00 PM at The Weymouth Center

Wrestling with connections and disconnections, highs and lows, and the vagaries of modernity, Burner and Other Stories shows us how we live today.

Jared Beasley

The Endurance Artist

Kimberly Daniels Taws of The Country Bookshop will be in conversation with Libby Buck, author of Port Anna, an enchanting debut novel exploring second chances and blossoming romance in a charming port town in Maine.

You may purchase a ticket that includes a copy of book ($28.99) or attend without a book with a $5.00 ticket.

November 18 at 6:00 PM November 30 at 2:00 PM

Come to The Country Bookshop to meet Livia and Maya Benson. Creators of the popular baking blog Identical Recipes, Livia and Maya Benson. The event is free and the cook book will be for sale!

The Endurance Artist is an all-access pass to the world’s most grueling races and the mastermind behind them.

Author Jared Beasley uncovers the world of a recluse hell-bent on rewriting the rules to reveal a life reimagined and failure reinvented. Laz calls into question our obsession with winning and fairness, success and failure, and whether these ideas handicap potential.

Kettle to the Coil

Story and p hotograph By tony CroSS

Years ago, I was commissioned to create a cocktail for a local event celebrating the famed author Tom Wolfe, who was a frequent Sandhills visitor. The book being highlighted was The Right Stuff, and the committee that hired me thought Tang, the orange drink mix, would be a great ingredient to include as an homage to the earliest astronauts. After a little persuasion, I was able to change their minds. The resulting cocktail that I called Kettle to the Coil did indeed include orange, but not in a powdery form. Instead, I infused the fruit and its oils in a blended Scotch whisky. I also incorporated a syrup with a wine base — pinot noir. Everyone loved the drink, and it ended up on my bar’s menu that year.

A great cocktail to serve during the cooler months, the whisky is rounded out with the orange oils, and the spices added to the pinot noir syrup scream fall weather. You can try this syrup in other cocktails that include whisk(e)y and sugar. It’s also great on its own with sparkling water. Some people get excited for pumpkin lattes this time of the year. I get excited for whisky and red wine. PS

Tony Cross owns and operates Reverie Cocktails, a cocktail delivery service that delivers kegged cocktails for businesses to pour on tap — but once a bartender, always a bartender.

Specifications

1 1/2 ounces orange oil-infused blended whisky*

1/2 ounce Drambuie

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

1/2 ounce pinot noir syrup**

Execution

Combine all ingredients with ice in a shaking vessel. Shake hard until the tin becomes frosted. Double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. Express the oils of an orange coin over the cocktail. Lay orange coin on top.

*Orange

Oil-Infused Blended Whisky

Using two 16 ounce Mason jars, add the following: flesh and peel of one medium orange; 1/2 bottle blended Scotch whisky (I use The Famous Grouse). Tighten jar and let sit for three days (shake or swirl the jar for 15 seconds once each day). When ready, pour infusion through a mesh strainer and then again though a coffee filter. Rebottle in the same whisky bottle.

**Pinot Noir Syrup

1 bottle (750 milliliters) pinot noir (preferably a lighter pinot like Willamette Valley)

3 cups granulated sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1/2 apple (sliced)

1 tablespoon star anise pods

1 tablespoon whole cloves

1/2 tablespoon cardamom pods (crushed)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

Zest of 6 oranges

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat and bring to a simmer. Let simmer to the consistency of a rich syrup, 15-20 minutes.

Thanksgiving to Scale

Cornish game hens for two

Story and p hotograph By roSe Shewey

Far be it for me to suggest you have anything but turkey for Thanksgiving. Tradition is tradition. But for practical purposes, those big ol’ birds may not be the perfect solution for every household across the land — especially those who celebrate in a more intimate setting or by their lonesome.

Take my family, for instance: There’s Mom, Dad, and a 7-year-old picky eater. If just the three of us opted to celebrate at home, even the smallest gobbler would produce days’ and days’ worth of leftovers. And, quite frankly, we don’t love turkey enough to have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for an entire week.

Case in point: In 2024 my mom came to visit from Germany, where this very American holiday isn’t celebrated. To

give her the complete experience of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, we bagged the smallest turkey we could find and roasted it in the oven, along with all the usual fixings. The meal was spectacular but in the days that followed, we grew increasingly tired of coming up with ideas on how to use up the leftovers.

Passing on turkey does not mean you have to be content with ordinary, everyday fare on the last Thursday in November. Quite the opposite. While turkey is special, so are Cornish game hens — for the novelty of having a whole miniature bird on your plate, if nothing else. One bird makes about one portion of meat. Cornish game hens are extraordinarily tender and, contrary to their name, not “gamey” at all.

I’m in good company on Thanksgiving since my husband is as pragmatic about large stuffed birds as I am — as long as the substitute isn’t nut loaf. PS

German native Rose Shewey is a food stylist and food photographer. To see more of her work visit her website at suessholz.com.

Autumn Spiced Cornish Game Hens with Roasted Pears

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

2 Cornish game hens, fully thawed

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pears

Maple syrup, for drizzling

Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

(For autumn spice rub)

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon onion granules

1/2 tablespoon garlic granules

1/2 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Begin by making the spice rub. Combine all the spices in a small bowl and mix with a fork. Set the Cornish game hens in a roasting pan and remove giblets, if your birds have any inside. Brush a little olive oil on the hens, then massage the spice rub into the skin and all over the birds. Tuck the wings and tie the drums together using butcher’s twine. Bake in the oven on a lower rack at 425F for 50-60 minutes, or until the thickest

part of the breast reads 165F. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your hens. Wash, dry and halve the pears, scoop out cores and drizzle pears with a little maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Arrange them next to the hens in the roasting pan for the final 20 minutes of cooking. Serve roasted Cornish game hens and pears with roasted potatoes and/or vegetable or any of your favorite side dishes.

By tom m axwell

Sounds of a City

Music with a connection to place

Alex Maiolo is a creature of pure energy. It’s not that he talks fast or acts nervous — he’s simply an ongoing conversation about electronic music, geography and whatever else happens to capture his interest. He’s also a singular kind of globetrotter, one who doesn’t sound pretentious about it. He loves Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, so much he made music with the place, a 2021 conceptual performance he called Themes for Great Cities.

Conceived as one of his two main pandemic projects — the other was getting better at making pizza — the musical idea took on a life of its own even as the flatbread faded. He invited Danish musician Jonas Bjerre, Estonian guitarist and composer Erki Pärnoja and multi-instrumentalist Jonas Kaarnamets to collaborate. What resulted was something that felt improvised, unpredictable and exhilarating.

“Even though I was living in Chapel Hill, I was trying to think about, well, what do you miss when you miss a city?” he says.

The obvious things — favorite restaurants, familiar streets —

were only part of it. Beneath that, Maiolo sensed a deeper, subconscious connection to place that might be expressed musically. He seized upon the idea of treating the city itself as a collaborator. “I wanted to write a love letter to this incredible city by gathering elements of it and assembling them in a new way,” he says. Sounds and light readings became voltages; voltages became notes. “Every synthesizer is just based on the assemblage of voltages,” Maiolo says. “So, if you have voltages — particularly between negative five and plus five volts — you can make music.”

The group collected source material across Tallinn: gulls shrieking overhead, rainwater rushing down a gutter, chatter in a market, the squeak of trams, cafeteria trays clattering at ERR (Estonia’s equivalent of the BBC). A custom-built light meter called the Mõistatus Vooluringid — “mystery circuit” — captured flickering light and converted it into voltages. These inputs were then quantized, filtered and transformed into sound. Tallinn became what Maiolo called “our fifth band member. And just like with any band member, you can say, ‘Hey, that was a terrible idea’ or ‘way to go, city — that was a good one.’”

From the outset, the goal was to create something that felt alive. “We wanted happy accidents,” Maiolo says. “Quite frankly, I wanted to be in a situation where something could go wrong.”

Kenny Patterson, Owner/Operator

NC SURROUND SOUND

Unlike a pre-programmed, pre-recorded synthesizer session, Themes for Great Cities was designed to court risk through completely live and mostly improvised performance — to create the same adrenaline rush that test pilots might feel, only with much lower stakes. “No one was going to crash,” Maiolo says.

That philosophy made the project’s debut even more dramatic. Originally slated for a 250-seat guild hall built in the 1500s, the show was suddenly moved to Kultuurikatel, a former power plant that holds a thousand. Then came another surprise: The performance would be broadcast live on Estonian national television,

“Quite frankly, I wanted to be in a situation where something could go wrong.”

with the nation’s president in attendance. “It was far beyond anything I had imagined,” Maiolo admits. “I thought we were going to play to 30 people in a room.”

Visuals by Alyona Malcam Magdy, unseen by the musicians until the night of the show, added a surreal dimension. Estonian engineers captured the performance in pristine quality. “It all came together,” Maiolo says. “The guys I was doing this with are total pros.” The recording was later mixed and pressed to recycled vinyl at Citizen Vinyl in Asheville. Unable to afford astronomical mailing expenses, Maiolo split 150 LPs between Estonia and the United States, carrying them in his luggage.

Though imagined as a one-off, Themes for Great Cities continued to evolve. The group returned to Estonia in 2022 for a new performance in Narva, reworking parts of the score and staging it in a

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former Soviet theater. “We didn’t record that one because it was similar to the first. But when we do Reykjavik, we’ll record that one and hopefully release it,” he says. Yes, Iceland looks like the next destination. The plan is to work partly in the city and partly in the countryside, where light, landscape and weather can all feed into the music.

The ensemble has grown tighter, but Maiolo emphasizes the lineup will be flexible, with an eye toward incorporating local musicians. Vocals may be added in future versions, perhaps improvised or even converted into voltages to manipulate the electronics. “Anything is possible,” he says.

Though he now lives in San Francisco, Maiolo continues to think of North Carolina as part of his creative geography. He still has his house in Chapel Hill, stays connected to Asheville’s Citizen Vinyl, and carries his records home through RDU.

Maiolo and his partner of seven years, Charlotte, are to be married in SaintGermain-des-Prés in Paris. Her father, a German who came of age during World War II, once spent a year in San Francisco immersing himself in jazz. Even now, as he struggles with dementia, he plays clarinet and listens to Fats Waller and Oscar Peterson. The sense of music as a lifelong companion, capable of anchoring memory and identity, is yet another thread running through Maiolo’s work.

Ultimately, what began as an experiment has become an ongoing series of collaborations. Each city brings its own textures, rhythms and surprises. Each performance is both a portrait and a partnership. “At the end of the day, it just kind of sounds like music,” Maiolo says nonchalantly, as if jamming with an entire city is an everyday thing. PS

Tom Maxwell is an author and musician. A member of Squirrel Nut Zippers in the late 1990s, his most recent book, A Really Strange and Wonderful Time: The Chapel Hill Music Scene 1989-1999, was published in 2024.

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Dr. Brian Dial, a proud Robeson County native has spent over 20 years serving his community with grit and compassion. A graduate of UNC Pembroke and Life University of Chiropractic, he’s not only a seasoned chiropractor but a dedicated father of four who believes in helping others live pain-free, full lives. Known for his personal touch and innovative care, Dr. Dial now leads the charge with Laser Now therapy—a cutting-edge, drug-free solution that’s changing lives across the region. His mission is simple: restore freedom, movement, and vitality to the people he proudly calls neighbors.

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Love Letters Redux

Duffy and Purl star at BPAC

By Jim moriarty

When Linda Purl and her real life partner, Patrick Duffy, take to the stage to perform Love Letters, they can be forgiven if there is an occasional, if faint, sense of déjà vu, sharing in their own way both the distance and intimacy of the characters they portray.

Judson Theatre’s production of Love Letters, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama written by A. R. Gurney, takes the main stage at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center’s Owens Auditorium on Friday Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., with additional shows on Saturday Nov. 15, at 2 p.m. (with a “talkback” session with the actors following), and on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 3 p.m.

The play, first performed in 1988 and debuting both off Broadway and on the following year, is told in the epistolary form. The play’s sole characters, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, are side by side, seated at tables or standing, reading the notes and letters they have exchanged over five decades living their separate lives. In those intimate communications they tell each other about their dreams and ambitions, their hopes and disappointments. Coincidentally, Love Letters was Judson Theatre’s inaugural play in 2012, starring Tab Hunter and Joyce DeWitt.

Purl and Duffy became a couple via Zoom during the COVID pandemic, mimicking in their own way a shorter, more hi-tech version of Gurney’s characters though, as Purl says, “We’re so different from the characters we play. We first met when we were in our late 20s. We did a reading together. Literally 20 years later we bumped into each other again. And 20 years after that. We had these momentary, ‘Oh, hi. How are you doing? Nice to see you. Great. Great.’ And 20 years would pass and we’d have the same conversation.”

The lockdown changed all that. No one was working, the theater world was closed. Their relationship began in a group text and elevated to a standing date every evening. They even

dined together a thousand miles apart until one day Duffy got in his car and drove from Oregon to Colorado. They’ve rarely been apart since.

Love Letters is a bit player in that. They’ve performed it multiple times in a half a dozen or more locations including London, Belfast, Florence and now Pinehurst. This will be the third time Purl — best known for her roles in The Office, Happy Days and Matlock — performs in a Judson Theatre production, having appeared in Joan Didion’s emotional one-woman play The Year of Magical Thinking, and in Jeffrey Hatcher’s comedy Mrs. Mannerly, both in BPAC’s black box McPherson Theater. “It’s become a very special place for me because of the guys who run it, Morgan (Sills) and Dan (Haley),” says Purl.

Each time Duffy and Purl do Love Letters together, it reveals more nuance for them. “It’s really the mark of such a good play,” says Purl. “You think, oh, this time it’s not going to get me, it’s not going to zap me in the heart or stomach, but it does. It seems like a simple play, and it is — and it isn’t.”

Duffy, well-known for his roles as Bobby Ewing in the nighttime soap Dallas and as Frank Lambert in Step by Step, has the same reaction. “The beauty of it is that it takes place over 55-60 years of these peoples’ lives,” he says. “You discover things from when they were 12 that you might not have thought about in rehearsal or the first three or four times you did it. Every time there’s a nice little treat, I would say, in doing the show. It never gets old.”

Does their own experience inform their work in Love Letters? On the margin, perhaps. “When you’re out there, you use everything you can,” says Purl.

“In my mind there’s no specific correlation as I’m doing it,” says Duffy, “but we confess this all the time — every once in a while on stage I’ll look at Linda and she’ll give me one of those looks that cemented the deal over Zoom.” PS

Tickets for Love Letters are available at www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Fashionista Frocks

By deBorah Salomon

No, no. Say it isn’t so.

Bell bottoms are back, either solo or as the mean end of a neon pantsuit, maybe with a nipped-in jacket.

Who’s wearing them? Start with the fashion forward TV anchors not yet born in the ’70s, when a similar craze swept America. Of course then they were stretched across the lean, lithe body of John Travolta, gyrating in Saturday Night Fever

Have you seen him lately?

This second coming snuck back last spring, first as “relaxed” or “unstructured” pants that relieved decades of stovepipe straights and skin-tights. Trouble was, they just looked baggy. Pajama-bottom baggy, especially the jeans.

Jeans, I realize, are like martinis, not to be messed with. Boot cut? Maybe. But never baggy.

Bell bottoms, which flare below the knee, became part of the British Royal Navy uniform in the 1800s. They could be rolled up to prevent getting wet when wearers swabbed the decks. Sailors were even instructed to, in an overboard situation, remove their pants, fill the legs with air, tie them together and use it as a flotation device. I immediately pictured King Charles II thusly occupied and fell over laughing.

Bell bottoms have no place on cowboys, either. Flapping denim might become entangled with stirrups. Boot cuts were as wide as you needed to go to fit over, well, your boots.

Fashion has become a quixotic state of affairs, an art form that reveals much about its wearer. Amish apparel, for example, reflects the tenets of their faith and their extreme modesty. In the secular world our eyes become so accustomed to a fashion that a sudden variant provokes consternation. I remember when, after a decade of miniskirts, the maxi came into vogue, provoking gasps of horror until eyes and minds adjusted. Horror belongs on the same page as bell bottoms. These pants, as well as leisure suits and sideburns, opened the door to generations of severely repressed men, to whom wearing a pink

button-down was practically a federal offense. Ditto earrings and psychedelic prints. “Free at last,” the former preppies shouted as they boogied across the dance floor to “Stayin’ Alive.”

New for fall, ladies can puzzle over the baby doll dress with high waist and very short circular skirt worn over bare legs. In truth, fashion has been an issue since Eve wore fig leaves.

Giorgio Armani’s recent funeral turned into a glitterati fest. The clock missed a tick or a tock when Anna Wintour retired from Vogue. And Mona Lisa continues to smirk as she fills out a frumpy brown frock revealing an inch of cleavage. Now, like a fat bear approaching hibernation, I will cease my occasional fashion appraisal, pull on some sweats and take a nap. PS

Deborah Salomon is a contributing writer for PineStraw and The Pilot. She may be reached at debsalomon@nc.rr.com.

The Powerful Fox Sparrow

Large, handsome and hard to spot

Sparrows are a common sight throughout central North Carolina in winter. Historically, eight different species could be found in a day across the Sandhills and Piedmont. The gregarious, prolific and very adaptable house sparrow was added to the mix in the 1800s by early settlers who yearned for a familiar bird from the Western Hemisphere — as well as a means to control insect pests associated with human habitation.

At this time of year, the largest and most handsome of the sparrows is inarguably the fox sparrow. It’s also one of the hardest species to find. Perhaps because of its size and brighter

immediately adjacent to water. Although they eat mainly insects during the summer, in winter seeds and berries tend to make up much of their diet.

More often than not, fox sparrows can be found in expanses of bottomland forest, kicking vegetation and debris for food, though there are lucky backyard birdwatchers who regularly observe them taking advantage of millet and other small seeds under their feeders. During very cold and wet weather, they may move farther into drier areas in search of a meal. I don’t usually see them where I live unless it snows — our predominantly grassy yard is too open to appeal to them. However, we have wet woods with dense tangles of evergreen vegetation not too far away.

Because of their size, fox sparrows are quite strong and capable of uncovering food that is buried deep in the forest floor. They will actually use both feet together to scratch and

Moonstruck

Kicking back at Mattamuskeet

By tom Bryant

It was as if the good Lord heard we were going to get together for a weekend and decided to make it easy on a pair of outdoor geezers who sometimes, at the ripe old age they’re enduring, bite off a little more than they can chew. It was a duck hunting trip for early migrating teal that drew old friends together for the first time in a while.

We booked a hunt at our favorite waterfowl hunting spot, Mattamuskeet, where when the weather is right and the fall flight is at its peak, the blue wing teal will knock your hat off if you aren’t careful and are leaning just right.

We go back a ways, Bubba and me. We started hunting — duck hunting, that is — when we were still frisky and would climb over any obstacle rather than walk around it just to prove something. Neither of us can remember what we were trying to prove, and besides, who would even care? Experience and age educate, but sometimes they’re harsh teachers.

As usual, I got to the lodge first. Just as I was finishing up hauling groceries to the kitchen, my cellphone began its annoying chirping. It took me a bit to find it, as I had stored the blame thing in a bag between the crunchy bread and tonic water.

“Hey Bubba, where are you?”

“I’m just leaving Little Washington. Should be there a little past dark, if I can keep this thing on the road. I’ve got good news

and bad news. Whatcha wanna hear first?”

“Give me whatever first. Most of the time your good news is bad news anyway.”

“I threw my back out this morning hauling a blasted flooded canoe out of the pond. I had to take three or four Advil just so I could drive. There ain’t no way I’m gonna be able to hunt tomorrow. You need to call Willard and tell him. You can hunt. There’s nothing wrong with your back.”

Willard and his father had long been guides on the Pamlico, and we’ve been hunting and fishing with him for years.

“No, man. I’m not gonna hunt without you. Who would listen to my wonderful stories?”

“Yeah, I know. Last time Willard threatened to leave us in the blind after hearing your stories for the 97th time.”

“I’ll call him. You need to come on. I picked up some Rose Bay oysters. I’m gonna start steaming them as soon as I take care of Willard.”

“Hey, now, don’t you eat all of ’em. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Willard was his usual gracious self and said that he would just move our deposit to a later date in the season and not charge us extra. He wanted to go fishing anyway. The blues were running, and if there’s anything Willard likes better than duck hunting, it’s fishing.

We were supposed to have a full moon that evening. “Not good for duck hunting,” Willard would say. “The ducks will move and feed with the light of the moon. You might as well stay home.”

I finished unloading all the groceries and decided to fire up

The

Murphy Family Christmas

December 14 Good Shot Judy

December 16 Classical Carols by Candlelight

December 19

SPORTING

the grill to be ready when Bubba arrived. There’s a swing on the deck under the living area. That’s where the grill is located so everything’s handy. I turned on my battery-powered lantern, lit a couple of candles and put them on the table beside the grill. Then I got the oysters ready to steam when Bubba arrived.

The moon was just beginning to rise from the Pamlico. As usual, it was a spectacular sight. I turned off the lantern, blew out the candles and kicked back in the swing. I’ve never seen two moon rises exactly the same. Each one seems to have its own character. For whatever reason, the most memorable I’ve had the great good fortune to witness have occurred over water.

There was an evening nightfall show I witnessed on Hyco Lake after a day duck hunting. Paddle, my little yellow Lab, and I were in my minuscule duck skiff skimming across the lake at full throttle. We were in a hurry, hoping to get back to the landing before black dark. As I skittered out of the small opening where we had been hunting and turned west, I was staring right into a dazzling sunset. But even more breathtaking was a sensational full moon rising in the east right behind us. Paddle and I were caught between sunset and moonrise, a sight I’ve only witnessed once and may never see again.

I’ve noticed in all my travels across this great country of ours that the moon seems to be different in certain regions. On our first big camping trip, we pulled our compact 19-foot Airstream from Southern Pines to Fairbanks, Alaska. We were gone a little over two months and drove 11,000 miles taking in the scenery, and sunrises and moonrises, along the way. Since we were in Alaska during June and July, when it hardly even gets dark, the moon we saw was just a sliver of a waning moon a time or two, and that was it.

Just the opposite in Montana. They call it the Big Sky Country for a reason. Camped at a little parking lot of a campground right outside Shelby, preparing to enter Canada the next morning, we witnessed a brilliant golden, luminescent moonrise over the horizon. It was so big

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and seemed so close to the ground, it was as if it we could touch it. I had the strangest feeling that I was witnessing one of God’s great undertakings that was put there just for Linda and me.

I could see the headlights of Bubba’s truck as he wheeled in off the main road and headed down the long drive to the cabin. When he pulled up right behind the lodge, I walked out to help him unload. He was slow getting out of his truck.

“Hey Bubba, how you moving?”

“Slow, son. Mighty slow. My back is giving me a fit. But I plan on fixing it with a good slug of Scotch and some of those oysters you’ve got laid out on that table. Some moon, huh?”

“Yep, a real harvest moon. Come on, I’ll help you unload and we’ll have some libation.”

In no time, we stowed all of Bubba’s gear in the second bedroom, fixed ourselves drinks, and steamed a bunch of oysters, saving some for the second night. Bubba had brought along a couple of deer tenderloin steaks but, full of oysters, we were in no hurry to cook.

We relaxed on the deck under the cabin, Bubba in the swing and me kicked back in a cushioned Adirondack chair. As usual, when we get together, stories and remember-whens dominate the conversation. This night was no different.

“That mule deer hunt we had in Utah featured a moon about like this one, don’t you think?” Bubba pointed up to our bright rising moon that was well into the sky.

“You know, Tom,” he continued softly as if the bright moon discouraged loud noises, “sort of like when we’re duck hunting — you and I have really had some adventures.”

I paused in answering, looking up at the moon.

“Yeah Bubba, that’s the truth, for sure, and I hope we have a few more ahead of us.”

He laughed and said, “Let’s start by grilling those steaks.” PS

Tom Bryant, a Southern Pines resident, is a lifelong outdoorsman and PineStraw’s Sporting Life columnist.

Doctor of Sport

Mind games with Bob Rotella

By lee paCe

It’s not often you get an audience with a man who invented an entire industry.

But here on a June afternoon is Bob Rotella — 79 years old, sharp as a tack and fit as a fiddle — rummaging around his basement sports psychology laboratory outside Charlottesville, Virginia. There are three rooms in his home in the Club at Glenmore community east of town where he has welcomed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Tom Kite, Davis Love III and John Calipari for overnight visits to explore the art and science of the body and the mind in the field of competition. One room is a bedroom. Another is a workout facility. Then there is a “great room” of sorts with mirrors on the walls, a putting carpet and all manner of decorations, from a signed photo from Ben Hogan to a Claret Jug given to Rotella by Harrington after one of Harrington’s two Open Championship victories.

And of course, a couch. What shrink doesn’t have a couch?

“I love competing and playing,” says Rotella, a lifelong athlete and former college basketball and lacrosse player, “but I like helping people’s dreams come true more than anything. That’s pretty much what I do. I try to find something inside an athlete they never knew was there. I mean, I’ve had a lot of fun.”

My assignment to write and publish a coffee table book celebrating the impending centennial of Farmington Country Club (est. 1927) just west of Charlottesville has brought me to Rotella, who used his Farmington membership in the 1970s and ’80s as kind of a research lab to develop theory and practice on how the mind affects sports performance. Old-time members recall the sight of a young Rotella armed with pen and notebook interviewing golfers after matches to probe the depths of how their minds functioned with some hardware on the line.

Growing up in Rutland, Vermont, Rotella was a quarterback and safety in football, and played basketball and lacrosse at Castleton University. He wanted his life’s calling to be in teaching and coaching but over time began to ponder why it was, for example, he and his coaching mates would spend hours ruminating about how to get a player to take his sterling practice skills into the heat of competition and how to get a player to not let a mistake in

the first quarter infect his performance the rest of the game.

“The people who were doing psychology with athletes in the early ’70s were all psychiatrists working with drug problems or serious clinical problems,” Rotella says. “I started thinking about it from a coaching perspective and performance enhancement. Some of the stuff these psychiatrists were writing, I thought, ‘What in the hell are they talking about?’”

In 1976, he moved to Charlottesville and joined the faculty at the University of Virginia to teach sports psychology and coach lacrosse. Soon after he got an offer for a tenure-track position that would include starting masters and doctoral programs in sports psychology and working directly with Cavalier athletic teams. He did that for 20 years and in 1996 left to devote full time to his sports psychology practice.

As of mid-2025, he had clients in golf who have won more than 80 major championships and was pegged by Golf Digest among the top 10 golf instructors of the 20th century. He’s ventured off the golf course for relationships with Red Auerbach, Greg Maddux, Tom Brady and Serena Williams, among many others. His work in the 1970s and into the ’80s was the domino that fell and led to a landscape in 2025 that has nearly every professional sports team having a “sports performance” or “sports psychology” consultant on the payroll.

“I took a few things that worked for me in competition and recognized how important the mind is in all forms of competition,” he says. “I got lucky and made a career out of it.”

Rotella has authored a half-dozen books, including his bestseller Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect. The one with most relevance for many golfers in the Sandhills entering turn four of life (present

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shot well down the road but dismiss the time you executed a perfect bunker save to break 80.

“I talk a lot about getting people to have an instant amnesia of their mistakes but a long-term memory of their good shots and putts,” Rotella says. “Most people have a tendency to attach strong emotions to their bad stuff and have no emotion attached to the good stuff.”

Rotella’s wisdom applies to all golfers but makes most sense to the senior cabal. An hour to practice? Devote at least half that time, if not more, to the short game area. Take a lesson with your pro around the chipping green, not the full swing turf. Take that $600 you’d spend on a new driver and instead get a set of custom-fitted wedges.

“No matter what level a golfer plays at, the majority of his shots will be within 100 yards of the hole,” Rotella says. “The easiest way to take five to 15 shots off the average player’s handicap is by taking fewer shots around the green.”

Rotella offers the very same advice to a 15-handicapper playing in the club championship that he’d offer to McIlroy or Harrington on the final day of a major championship: Stay focused on your target, visualize the shot, commit to routine, and accept completely whatever happens to the golf ball.

“A lot of people have a dream, and then they’re scared to death they’re not going to get it,” he says. “I really want everyone to see the shot they want, so I want their eyes and their mind to be into where they want the ball to go rather than where they don’t want it to go. It’s really no different from a tour player to a 25-handicapper.”

I’m sold. No more signing up for demo days at the club in lustful pursuit of a driver that might add five yards. Let’s hit 25 pitch shots each from 20, 40 and 60 yards and then climb in the bunker. Do that, Rotella says, and you can evolve into the kind of golfer he pegs as “the silent assassin.”

That has a nice ring, for sure. PS

Write Lee Pace at leepace7@gmail.com and follow him @LeePaceTweet.

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Why I Bought the Economy Size

Because she was not pretty, her overbite designed to rip prey, canines sharp as javelins, slight lisp. Because she could stand to lose a few pounds, and wore a flowing flora, and a gray cardigan strained across her chest. Because she smiled when she talked, her voice soft as a mother soothing a fussy child; because she suggested the best bargain but did not insist, just gently opened the jar, offered it like a sacrament, invited me to dip my finger into the cool face cream, gently imploring, try it; because I needed moisturizer, and she needed that job, I bought the large size, thanked her for the free gift, samples wrapped in tissue paper and tucked inside a pink pouch, the color of her dress.

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Pat Riviere-Seel is the author of Because I Did Not Drown

How did his illustrations for Drums get here?

By Bill Case

the Art of

It was 1927 and, for Southern Pines author James Boyd, life was coming at him

fast — albeit in a good way. His first novel, Drums, published two years earlier, had flown off bookstore shelves. To meet the unanticipated demand, publisher Charles Scribner’s Sons had reprinted the novel three times in the first month following its release. Forty thousand copies of the surprise bestseller were sold in five months.

Boyd’s tale, set mostly in North Carolina, was also earning critical acclaim. A New York Post reviewer declared Drums “the best novel written about the American Revolution.” Fellow author (and Boyd confidante) Struthers Burt heaped more extravagant praise, calling his friend’s work, “by far the best . . . American historical novel ever written.”

Buoyed by his surprise hit, Boyd authored a second historical novel for Scribner’s — this one with a Civil War backdrop. The book, titled Marching On, released in the first quarter of 1927, was going gangbusters too. Early sales were bettering those of Drums. On the heels of this latest tour de force, Scribner’s inked a deal for a third novel.

While Boyd’s association with his publisher was financially profitable, it was proving more time-consuming than he preferred, expressing frustration when production demands precluded his engagement in his favored rural pastimes, like foxhunting. The author grumbled to an interviewer, “My brother looks after my money for me; my wife looks after my kids and the house; now if I could get you (the interviewer) to do my writing for me, I could look after my dogs myself and fox hunt during the winter. Seems to me that would be an ideal arrangement for everybody concerned.”

In the fall of 1927, Boyd’s renowned editor, Max Perkins, pitched a new project designed to create a fresh wave of sales — and the author would barely need to lift a finger! Scribner’s wanted to produce a new, lushly illustrated edition of Drums. Boyd would need to make some minor text changes, but the bulk of the creative work would involve the artistic depiction of passages from the novel.

This was not a new concept for Scribner’s. The publisher first featured color illustrations in children’s books in 1904. Well-received, Scribner’s began color illustrating full-length novels, aiming primarily at the juvenile trade. An early one was Treasure Island, published in 1911. A landmark hit, Robert Louis Stevenson’s swashbuckling yarn became the first in a series labeled “Scribner’s Illustrated Classics.”

Subsequent books in the series like Kidnapped, Rip Van Winkle and The Last of the Mohicans told stories of high adventure. The authors of those classics, Stevenson, Washington Irving and James

Fenimore Cooper, respectively, rank among the greatest American writers. The fact that Boyd was joining these legends underscored his arrival on the literary scene.

The choice of Drums for the series represented a departure for Scribner’s. While the book contains battle episodes and other dramatic moments, its subject matter was aimed at mature readers. In Drums, intractable political conflicts and social class barriers bedevil the young protagonist, Johnny Fraser. Editor Max Perkins minimized any perceived switch in Scribner’s targeted audience, writing, “Most of the best books in the world are read both by children and adults. This is a characteristic of a great book, that it is both juvenile and adult, and that is what assures it a long life.”

The primary conflict in Drums occurs in the lead-up to the war, when Johnny Fraser is coming of age in the backwoods of North Carolina, and Americans are bitterly divided on the issue of independence. Johnny’s father, Squire Fraser, sees both sides; while acknowledging that taxation without representation is antidemocratic, he is convinced no good will come from revolution. He remains a Loyalist, and Johnny follows his father’s lead.

Squire Fraser seeks to keep his son out of the growing tumult by sending him to Edenton to receive a gentleman’s education, but after war breaks out in Massachusetts, the revolt impacts Edenton, too. The British collector of the port there, Captain Tennant, is forced by a jeering mob to leave the colony. Johnny, a wavering Loyalist, receives his own share of harassment and also departs Edenton. Squire Fraser, still protecting his son, arranges for Johnny’s passage to England, where the young man obtains a clerical position at an import firm in London.

It’s then that Johnny crosses paths with American naval hero John Paul Jones, the “Father of the American Navy.” Jones persuades Johnny to join his ship’s crew. Whether his decision is premised on a newfound fervor for independence or the urging of the charismatic Jones is for the reader to discern.

Johnny is wounded in battle aboard Jones’ ship, the Bonhomme Richard. He returns to North Carolina and rejoins his parents in the backwoods of Little River. Fully invested now in the cause of independence, Johnny joins the militia and is wounded again. The book concludes with the battered Johnny

Fraser sitting on his front porch, watching Nathanael Greene’s victorious army march by. As the soldiers are nearly out of sight, he staggers down to the fence and raises his stiff arm in salute to the last man of Greene’s rear guard, far off in the distance.

Scribner’s assigned the artwork for the new edition of Drums to the man unquestionably regarded as the finest illustrator in America, Newell Convers Wyeth, age 45. N.C. Wyeth painted the bulk of the artwork contained in the Scribner’s classics series, beginning with Treasure Island. During his unparalleled career Wyeth also illustrated hundreds of scenes for magazine stories, especially those published by Scribner’s Magazine and the Saturday Evening Post.

Wyeth was raised in Needham, Massachusetts, where his father made a decent living dealing in hay, grain and straw. His mother, an immigrant from Switzerland, was chronically homesick for her place of birth, and her depressed state was an ongoing drain on the family. Nonetheless, N.C. maintained a close relationship with his mother, and after he left Needham, the two corresponded with one another almost daily.

Wyeth displayed immense artistic ability during his teenage years, attending the Howard Pyle School of Art in Wilmington, Delaware. Pyle was then the country’s leading illustrator and quickly recognized Wyeth’s talent, advising his prodigy to submit illustrations to magazines. One of his first compositions was for The Saturday Evening Post — a cowboy astride a bucking bronco that appeared on the Post’s cover the week of Feb. 21, 1903. It was a promising start, and with magazines catering to public thirst for Western-themed stories, Wyeth received multiple commissions.

Pyle believed Wyeth’s cowboy illustrations would gain authenticity if he experienced Western life for himself, so in October 1904, N.C. journeyed west and found employment at a ranch. On Oct. 6, he wrote his mother: “I did my first work of the cowpuncher . . . Elroy and I went out and rounded up about 300 head of cattle, including calves. We started at 7:30 a.m. and were in the saddle continually until 5:15 that afternoon.”

Wyeth remained out west until December. The sojourn led to an explosion in commissions, and Wyeth’s subsequent Western illustrations demonstrated an increased grit and realism gained from his personal experience. With his career off and running, he received offers from magazines at the rate of two or three a week, and demand for his illustrations never slowed. Yet, he often disparaged this genre of painting as unserious, purely com-

mercial and barely art. Though painting illustrations brought him fame and prosperity, Wyeth groused that it prevented him from being “able to paint a picture, and that is as far from the realms of illustration as black is from white.”

Churning out illustrations, however, earned enough to support a burgeoning family. He married Carol Bockius in 1906, and they had five children. Several of his offspring would become talented artists in their own right, most notably, celebrated midcentury painter Andrew Wyeth. In 1908, N.C. moved the family to bucolic Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, in the Brandywine Valley, 10 miles from Wilmington, Delaware. He had become smitten with the community’s horse-drawn surroundings during Pyle’s summer school sessions.

N.C. Wyeth at work on a early mural in 1930.

Wyeth relished life in Chadds Ford. Its warm meadows and rolling hills provided an idyllic environment for his work. Author David Michaelis described the painter’s peripatetic labors in his biography, N.C. Wyeth: “He had no time to waste. He divided his days, pushing himself to do more than one person could. In the mornings he made studies in the open fields around Chadds Ford. After lunch he cranked out pictures for Scribner’s and The Saturday Evening Post, then returned to the open air in the late afternoon. As the evenings lengthened in May, he remained in the fields and on the riverbanks, sketching, often through supper.”

The hard work paid off. Wyeth’s Scribner’s Illustrated Classics paintings received increasing acclaim. His depictions stood out because they appealed to all the senses. Michaelis wrote, “Wyeth’s illustrations make the viewer not only see and feel but also hear. We hear the clatter of dishes and goblets breaking during a fight, coins falling on heaps, sand squeaking under the feet of the stretcher bearers.”

Illustrator John Lechner added, “Unlike previous illustrators, who designed their compositions neatly on the page, Wyeth’s paintings leapt right out of the book, with a vibrancy and power that made you feel the passion and pain of their subjects.”

An assignment from Scribner’s to illustrate a classic novel required production of 17 individual paintings. Fourteen of them, each depicting a scene from the book, would be sprinkled throughout the text. The cover, title page and end page would also feature illustrations. Scribner’s art director, Joseph Chapin, allowed Wyeth carte blanche freedom in choosing scenes.

are only briefly mentioned, in order to enhance the story. The resulting illustrations are neither trivial nor superfluous but help develop the characters and advance the story.”

Wyeth used canvases for the classics series that were 47 inches tall and 38 inches wide. For final publication, Scribner’s engravers would reduce the size to 6 1/2 inches by 5 1/4 inches. Wyeth was billing Scribner’s approximately $5,000 for a set of paintings around the time the publisher retained him to illustrate Drums Wyeth always read the novel he was illustrating. We know he liked Drums because of a letter he wrote to his father, who apparently did not share his enthusiasm.

Lechner observed the subtlety within N.C.’s selections: “Wyeth was very sensitive to the author’s words, and his philosophy was to avoid depicting scenes that the author describes in detail (what was the point?) and instead illuminate smaller moments that

Recognizing his father was accustomed to stories involving the confrontation of a perfect hero with a perfect villain, N.C. asserted that real life was not like that, claiming modern literature, and Drums in particular, provided more realistic, and thus more interesting, portrayals of human nature. The imperfect Johnny Fraser, according to Wyeth, was “like most of us,” a “fundamentally worthy sensitive person,” yet “vacillating and a victim of influence and circumstances.”

His western trip taught Wyeth that the essence of a scene is best captured by exploring the area where the action occurs, so plans were made for him to visit Edenton. Who initiated the trip is unclear, but Boyd — who had previously visited Wyeth in Chadds Ford — did

send Wyeth a telegram inviting him to visit Weymouth on his way to Edenton.

Wyeth responded on Dec. 3, 1927. “I have carefully completed the next to last study of Drums and am now prepared to absorb the material I need from you, Little River Country, and Edenton.” Wyeth planned to arrive at Weymouth on Wednesday, presumably Dec. 7.

Captain Tennant, 1928.

The next recorded contact between the author and artist took place later in December when Wyeth wrote Boyd from Edenton extending his “warmest thanks to you and Mrs. Boyd for your kindnesses.” He expressed further gratitude to Boyd “for the use of your motor,” and the “careful but not dull driving of Calvin.” Wyeth’s word pictures were nearly as lush as his illustrations. “For the last two hours, lying by the open window, I have listened to the night sounds of this little town and have contrasted those Johnny Fraser heard so often, and by doing so have enjoyed revealments which, for moments of time, become very poignant and moving,” he wrote. “Dimly bulking against the glow of the moon on the water I can see the angular shapes of three warehouses. There they stand as Johnny Fraser saw them! This afternoon was spent wandering in and about these relics of 1770. My heart went out to them, because you, Boyd, have made them live for me.”

Wowed by N.C.’s eloquence, Boyd responds, “It is an injustice of nature that a man who can paint like you should also be able to write like that . . . I might be obliged to ask myself why I am in the business at all.” Boyd is also struck by the fact that Wyeth’s sentiments present a perfect echo of his own. “Two people are seldom so as one on anything in life,” Boyd writes. “And when that thing happens as with us to be a common enterprise, the coincidence is so far-fetched as to excite a wonder in my mystical Scots nature, only exceeded by my hard-headed Scotch-Irish nature that there must be a catch somewhere.”

There is no hint in their correspondence that James Boyd accompanied Wyeth on his coastal wanderings, but a humorous anecdote in the Jan. 10, 1931 Pinehurst Outlook suggests otherwise, claiming that Wyeth was seeking models for two boys in the story, and that he and Boyd toured the Cape Fear area together in search of suitable subjects. “Stopping at a country school near Wilmington, they looked through the windows and saw in a corner two boys who served Mr. Wyeth’s purpose very well. He and the author, to get a closer view, stooped down and looked through the keyhole. ‘Just the type,’ said the artist, and the author agreed. The schoolteacher, unfortunately, overheard the conversation and opened the door to investigate, and both Mr. Boyd and Mr. Wyeth fell in.”

After the new year, Wyeth began work on his Drums illustrations. In addition to the set of 17 paintings, he agreed to render a number of pen drawings for the new edition. On Jan. 5, 1928, he reported to Boyd on his progress or lack of same. “I am not taking easily to this medium for it is years since I have handled it,” he wrote. “Have done about twenty which I destroyed this morning and feel better for it.”

Wyeth’s message expressed agonized frustration concerning his work, startling when coming from the greatest illustrator alive. “How I do yearn for the technical ability to put down in color and pattern the things that are almost tearing my insides out,” he wrote.

The 17 illustrations for Drums included several of high drama like “The Fight at the Foretop” aboard the Bonhomme Richard; “The Horse Race” (which Johnny won); “Johnny’s Defeat at the Dock,” when he was treated roughly in Edenton; and “Captain Tennant,” where the British official cooly confronts the crowd

demanding his departure. Others like “The Fraser Family,” depicting young Johnny and his parents riding their old chaise to church; and “The Mother of John Paul Jones” lack drama, but help the reader visualize the characters. The Drums title page illustration includes a pastoral landscape, supposedly portraying the Little River Country, though it actually came from a Chadds Ford area view.

Though their effusive correspondence suggests an exceedingly collegial friendship, there is no record of further dealings between Boyd and Wyeth following the 1928 publication of the Illustrated Classics edition of Drums, which sold exceedingly well. It’s hard to imagine, however, that they didn’t see one another during the Yuletide stay of Wyeth and his wife, Carol, at Southern Pines’ Highland Pines Inn in 1931 (reported by The Outlook on Dec. 19 of that year). There is no mention there or elsewhere, that the Boyds and Wyeths saw one another. By contrast, Boyd’s hobnobs in Southern Pines with other revered men of the arts like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe and John Galsworthy were copiously reported. It’s puzzling.

Even if they did not meet during that visit, the two men presumably had further contact because Boyd wound up acquiring three of the 17 canvases Wyeth painted for Drums: the “Title Page” illustration; “The Fraser Family” painting; and “Captain Tennant.” Those canvases are currently on display at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities as part of its Celebration of Drums. This year marks the centennial of the novel’s initial publication. The Wyeth paintings are on loan from

The Fraser Family, 1928

the town of Southern Pines, which now owns them.

But what were the circumstances of Boyd’s acquisition of the illustrations? When did he take possession of them? Was it possible he got them from Scribner’s instead of Wyeth? Did Boyd purchase the paintings, or were they a gift?

The earliest mention referencing Boyd’s ownership of the illustrations came from a Dec. 7, 1939 Outlook blurb. It read: “Above the fireplace in the Southern Pines Library are two of the original N.C. Wyeth illustrations used in depicting scenes in Mr. James Boyd’s book, Drums. These interesting illustrations, on display through the courtesy of Mr. Boyd, add much color and charm to the reading room of the library.” (The library was then located on Connecticut Avenue and operated independently by the Southern Pines Library Association.)

Michaelis’ biography makes it clear that Boyd obtained the paintings from Wyeth. During N.C.’s early work for Scribner’s, he was squeamish about speaking up for himself, and the publisher kept most of his paintings. Over time, however, he became more forceful in negotiations with the publisher. By 1920, Scribner’s was returning all of Wyeth’s canvases to the artist. A check of Scribner’s archival records confirmed the company sent the Drums illustrations back to Wyeth.

Whether the artist sold or gifted the illustrations to Boyd is a more complicated issue. The fact that Wyeth had previously sent a picture of one illustration to Boyd “thinking it might interest you,” seemed the sort of thing a seller might say to kick off negotiations. But a scouring of Boyd’s personal papers at the University of North Carolina’s Wilson Library revealed no support for this theory. Carrie Hays, administrative coordinator for the town of Southern Pines, compiled background information concerning the paintings, but nothing relates to how Boyd obtained them from Wyeth.

N.C.’s great-granddaughter, Victoria Wyeth, speaks regularly concerning her legendary family’s legacy. (She was featured in Ray Owen’s October 2018 PineStraw article “America’s First Family of Art.”) While Victoria had no information concerning her greatgrandfather’s disposition of the paintings, she graciously put me in touch with folks who did at the Brandywine Museum of Art in Chadds Ford.

The museum includes Wyeth’s studio and holds a treasure trove of his paintings along with records of their provenance.

Amanda Burdan, the senior curator of the museum, provided valuable, though not conclusive, insight on the issue. “It is most likely that he (Wyeth) sold those three paintings to (Boyd) directly,” she said. “He did occasionally gift paintings, but it tended to be for special occasions like weddings of friends.” Burdan said that “several of the Drums illustrations stayed with the Wyeth family until well after N.C. died in 1945.”

Burdan and her assistant, Lillian Kinney, took a look at Wyeth’s tax records in hopes they might reveal income from sales of illustrations to third parties. There was some, but the records were inconclusive — another rabbit hole.

Sandy Gernhart is the archivist for the Weymouth Center, which houses many Boyd documents. She found a 2005

Weymouth inventory binder that indicates Wyeth gifted the illustrations to Boyd. According to Gernhart — and prior Weymouth Center historian Dotty Starling — it has through the years been “known” at Weymouth that the illustrations came to Boyd by way of a gift from Wyeth. Both women concede there is no documentation, aside from the non-contemporaneous inventory binder, that backs up this lore.

Nonetheless, the apparent closeness of the two kindred spirits during their time together and the generous hospitality exhibited by the Boyds to Wyeth provide strong circumstantial evidence supporting the likelihood of Wyeth’s tendering such a generous gift.

How did the town of Southern Pines eventually obtain ownership of the illustrations? After World War II, the town constructed a new edifice on Broad Street that would house the library — now the home of the town’s utilities office. Soon thereafter, the library came under the town’s umbrella. A wing was added to the structure in 1948 that was dedicated to the memory of James Boyd, who had passed away in 1944. Katharine Boyd contributed a number of historic artifacts to be displayed in the James Boyd Room, including a desk purportedly used by Lincoln while he was in Congress, an autograph collection, several pieces of early American furniture, and the Wyeth illustrations.

Katharine Boyd’s 1969 will (she died in 1974) mentions nothing about the paintings, so presumably she considered them already donated to the town, perhaps when the James Boyd Room was opened in ’48. But if so, the gift, like other dealings in this account, appears to have been accomplished without written record.

The town is permitting the Weymouth Center to display the illustrations throughout most of 2026. As of now, it’s unclear where Wyeth’s illustrations will be housed once they are returned to the town.

Wherever they wind up, security will be paramount. There is no hiding the fact the canvases are valuable. N.C. Wyeth illustrations frequently sell at six figures. The highest amount paid to date is $5.99 million for his Portrait of a Farmer at a Sotheby’s auction in 2018. Wyeth, who belittled the merits and value of his own illustrations, would undoubtedly be gobsmacked at such stupefying prices.

Wyeth died in 1945, one year after Boyd, at the age of 62. His demise was both tragic and mystifying. While driving near Chadds Ford, Wyeth’s car stopped on the track at a railroad crossing. An onrushing train crashed into his auto, killing him and his 3-year-old grandchild. Why Wyeth was stopped on the track remains an unknown.

While a bit of mystery lingers regarding the Wyeth-Boyd relationship and the three illustrations, there is none concerning Wyeth’s artistic greatness. Though in the grand sweep of time the regard given to the works of Boyd and Wyeth may have traveled in different directions, their association, while brief, made for a memorable collaboration. PS

Pinehurst resident Bill Case is PineStraw’s history man. He can be reached at Bill.Case@thompsonhine.com.

78 PineStraw The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

Pink Lady Slipper Orchids at night in Eagle Springs

In search of wonders in the dark

story and Photogra Phs By todd P usser

Nara City, nestled within Honshu, the largest of Japan’s four main islands, is renowned for its numerous historic temples and shrines. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city is perhaps most famous for its resident sika deer, a native Asian species that looks like a stouter, more heavily spotted version of North Carolina’s white-tailed deer.

In the Shinto religion, deer are viewed as messengers between mortals and gods. As such, the sika deer of Nara have been considered sacred for centuries and pretty much have the run of the town. They wander the crowded streets (where they always have the right of way) and frequently panhandle for rice crackers in front of local businesses. Tourists flock from all over the world to see and feed them.

Over the years, hungry deer have learned to bow to people, in customary Japanese tradition, in order to receive a cracker. When our family visited the city this past summer, my daughter spent the better part of two days roaming the streets and parks, constantly exchanging bows and crackers with every deer she encountered. My back ached just watching her.

While bowing deer are indeed charming, my primary reason for visiting Nara lay just outside of town, on a thickly canopied mountain slope that overlooked the city. There, in a forest with the rather foreboding name of Mt. Kasuga Primeval Forest, lives a very special squirrel. Not just any run-of-themill-backyard-birdfeeder-raiding gray squirrel, mind you, but one of the largest squirrels in the world — the aptly named Japanese giant flying squirrel. At nearly 3 feet long from the tip of its nose to the tip of its fluffy tail, the squirrel is larger than a house cat.

I first learned about Nara’s giant squirrels from my good friend Jon Hall. Jon, who originally hails from the United Kingdom but currently lives and works in New York City, has obsessively traveled the globe for the better part

of three decades in search of mammals. During that time, he has managed to see a third of the world’s mammals — over 2,300 species as of August 2025, an unrivaled number — and has established the internet’s premiere mammalwatching website, www.mammalwatching.com. Jon visited Nara several years ago and saw the squirrels firsthand. Before our family trip, he kindly offered a few tips on how to the find them in the forest that overlooks the town.

Strictly nocturnal, the Japanese flying squirrel emerges from its home tree cavity at dusk. Spreading its flying skin (a thin membrane that stretches between its front and hind legs) like a superhero’s cape, the arboreal rodent glides from tree to tree, throughout the nocturnal forest, in search of nuts, fruits and leaves to eat.

It was just after 10 p.m. when my partner, Jessica, and I first found the squirrels. We had spent the better part of the evening hiking up a steep dirt road through the old-growth forest without much to show for our efforts, other than sore legs and some mild dehydration from the humid, summer night air. It was Jessica who first heard their strange vocalizations, which sound remarkably like the guttural calls of American crows, high up in the canopy.

Clueing in to one particular vocal individual, Jessica spotted the squirrel’s distinctive eye shining among the leaves with her flashlight. “Here’s one,” she exclaimed. I rushed to her side with my camera in hand. There, on a branch 20 feet above our heads,

Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel

Opossum from Bertie County, NC

munching contently on a mouth full of leaves, sat the largest squirrel I’d ever seen. Though I have seen other types of flying squirrels — like Southern flying squirrels in the backyard of the home where I grew up in Eagle Springs — those diminutive, bigeyed critters paled in comparison to the size of the furry beast staring down at us.

As we watched in amazement, another giant flying squirrel called out from a nearby tree, and then another quickly responded, just down the slope. We were surrounded.

Eager to take a break from our strenuous hiking, we sat down on the dirt road beneath the squirrels and turned off our flashlights. For several minutes we sat in the dark listening to the grunts and growls of the squirrels as they foraged in the trees above. Fireflies flickered on and off along the edge of the road, and a Ural owl hooted in the distance. All was right in the world. Suddenly, Jessica jumped up and shouted, “What the hell is that!” Startled, I turned on my flashlight, thinking perhaps she had stepped on a mamushi, a local pit viper that closely resembles a cottonmouth, the venomous denizen of Sandhill swamps. “Get it off!” Jessica shouted. Shining my flashlight on her, she pointed down to her leg. “Hurry!” she said.

Scanning the length of her leg, I finally saw it. Just above the sock line, a leech had attached itself to Jessica’s skin and was sucking her blood like a rabid vampire. My flashlight soon revealed

four more leeches clustered on the side of her tennis shoe, each searching for a patch of bare skin. The slimy invertebrates evidently found her irresistible and were swarming her like sharks attacking a bleeding fish.

Now frantic and dancing a jig in the middle of the dirt road, Jessica was shaking her leg left-to-right and up-and-down, trying to dislodge the bloodthirsty vermin. It looked like a scene straight out of the movie Stand by Me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

That was a mistake.

“Todd, get these damn things off me! Now!” she demanded. I tried to explain that, unlike ticks, leeches don’t carry any known human diseases and are entirely harmless. This factoid failed to impress. And when I insisted on photographing the engorged leech attached to her leg before removing it, Jessica was neither pleased nor amused. The walk down the mountain and back to our hotel was a long one indeed.

The primeval forest had lived up to its name. I held out hope that our little squirrel-watching adventure left no lasting scars on Jessica, physically or emotionally. No doubt it served to reinforce preconceived notions that venturing into the wild at night can be perilous.

As kids, we are taught to fear the dark in countless fairytales. We learn that the night is filled with perils and dangers. For many, the apprehension of the dark is carried all the way into

Raccoon in Chesapeake, VA

adulthood. It is a primary reason why humans bathe their yards and city streets with bright lights. Perhaps this fear is innate, stemming from a time our distant ancestors roamed the nocturnal landscape when large predators, with better nighttime eyesight, were much more common.

Growing up, I was always curious about what lurked outside our rural Eagle Springs yard when the sun went down. I have fond memories of sitting outside by our pool, under a star-filled sky, listening to the distant hoots of owls and whip-poor-wills. Humid summer nights found me catching backyard fireflies and placing them in Mason jars. On more than one occasion, turning into our yard late in the evening after a school basketball game, the headlights of my parents’ car would reveal an opossum or raccoon skulking along the edge of the woods. Sometimes we would even see a gray fox.

I still venture out after dark, and many of my most memorable wildlife encounters have taken place long after the sun disappeared over the horizon. In Japan this past summer, I watched as the world’s largest owl, the Blakiston’s fish owl, swooped down to catch small fish out of a tiny creek in front of a makeshift blind. In the Yucatan Peninsula, I spotted the eyeshine of large crocodiles hiding among mangroves in a shallow coastal bay. On a hot August night in the Arizona desert, I once found over two dozen rattlesnakes crossing rural blacktop roads under the moon-cast shadows of giant saguaro cacti. Once, off the coast of Costa Rica, a few hundred Eastern spinner dolphins raced over to our ship to play in the bow wave for nearly half an hour under a bright

moonlit sky. Bioluminescent phytoplankton in the water caused the dolphins to glow in the dark. The up-and-down beats of their tails in the water, as they raced along with the ship, left spectacular trails of shimmering blue and green light in their wakes. The scene was otherworldly and jaw-dropping.

Today, I have many more high-tech “toys” available to me than I did as a kid to aid in my nocturnal wildlife observations. Camera traps with infrared beams allow me to capture spotted skunks on remote mountain sides or crafty raccoons foraging just outside our kitchen window, without me actually having to be physically there. Ultraviolet flashlights allow me to find caterpillars munching on the leaves of trees and shrubs throughout the nocturnal forest. Many caterpillars fluoresce under ultraviolet light, and shining one of these flashlights into a persimmon tree on a September night will cause them to light up like Christmas tree lights.

Perhaps the biggest gamechanger for locating wildlife at night has been the thermal imaging scope. Primarily used by law enforcement and the military, thermal imaging scopes were once prohibitively expensive. In recent years, these high-tech scopes have come down in price and are now commercially available in many brands. The scope, as the name suggests, picks up the body heat of animals (especially mammals and birds), making it possible to virtually see in the dark. A walk in the woods with a thermal scope after sunset will reveal creatures you never knew were around, everything from tiny golden mice scampering about in trees to deer foraging in a field several hundred yards away.

Having all this tech so easily available can be addictive for

Rustic Sphinx Moth Caterpillar flourescing under ultraviolet light

Yellow-fringed Orchid and moon, Sandhills Gamelands

Alligator eye shine, Lake Waccamaw, NC

the curious naturalist. A case in point is my current enthusiasm for North Carolina sphinx moths, derived after reading a story involving an unusual orchid from Madagascar and two of the godfathers of the Theory of Evolution, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. Sphinx moths (or hawkmoths, as they are also named) are spectacular insects with over 1,500 species found around the world. They are well known for hovering in front of flowers like hummingbirds, with many species rivaling the birds in size.

In 1862, Darwin received a spectacular orchid with a foot-long nectar tube from the island of Madagascar. He pondered what type of insect could possibly pollinate so unique a flower. In a letter to his botanist friend Wallace, Darwin exclaimed, “Good heavens, what can suck it!” He went on to speculate that only a moth with an exceptionally long tongue could reach the orchid’s nectar reserve.

Five years later, Wallace predicted such a moth would be similar to a sphinx moth from the nearby African continent that was known to possess a very long tongue. Wallace wrote, “That such a moth exists in Madagascar may safely be predicted, and naturalists who visit the island should search for it with as much confidence as astronomers search for the planet Neptune — and they will be equally successful.”

In 1903, the long-tongued moth was finally found and described, vindicating both Darwin’s and Wallace’s predictions. It was not until 2004 that a BBC film team finally filmed the moth, now called Wallace’s Sphinx Moth, pollinating the orchid for the first time.

Their saga led me straight down a deep rabbit hole. North Carolina has an abundance of native and non-native deep-tubed flowers, and numerous sphinx moths. According to the North Carolina Biodiversity Webpage (www.nc-biodiversity.com), 45 species of sphinx moths have been recorded in the state.

Faster than you can say “What can suck it?”, I ventured out to the closest patch of ginger lilies on a summer night. Ginger lilies, a species native to Asia, possess bright white flowers that open only at night and are incredibly fragrant, making them popular additions to backyard gardens. Their unique blooming strategy suggests the flowers are pollinated by nocturnal insects. With their deep nectar tubes, I reasoned our native sphinx moths would visit them for a sugar rush. Sure enough, my first night sitting out among the lilies in my friend’s yard, I saw numerous rustic sphinx moths hovering in front of the white blooms like nocturnal hummingbirds. I was hooked.

This past summer found me deploying camera traps around many of North Carolina’s native flowers to see what moths visit them at night. Using ultraviolet flashlights, I spent many evenings looking for glowing sphinx moth caterpillars on grapevines and low-growing shrubs. I even sat out in a large tobacco field near my home in Eagle Springs, watching dozens of sphinx moths hover in front of the white flowers under a bright full moon.

Thankfully, there wasn’t a leach in sight. PS

Naturalist and photographer Todd Pusser grew up in Eagle Springs. He works to document the extraordinary diversity of life both near and far. His images can be found at www.ToddPusser.com.

Tersa Sphinx Moth nectaring on flowers of a mimosa tree

Battling the clock for art

By Jim moriarty

P hotogra Phs By tim sayer

“I’m offcially bionic,” says Derek Hastings. “I have to charge myself once a week.”

In early August Hastings underwent deep brain stimulation (DBS) implantation at Duke Raleigh Hospital. The surgery required placing two electrodes in his brain, attached to wires that run under the skin to a battery roughly the size of a Zippo lighter installed subcutaneously on his chest not far from his heart.

Hastings has Parkinson’s disease, and the surgery is designed, in combination with medication, to minimize his uncontrollable movements (dyskinesia) and tremors.

Halfway through the operation his neurosurgeon brought him out of anesthesia to test whether or not the electrodes were in the right spot. They asked Hastings to extend his arm. His hand shook violently. The surgeon turned on the device and instantly his hand stopped moving. It was like going from Class V rapids to a tidal pool. Pleased with the results, they put him back under and finished the procedure.

Was he nervous before the surgery? Damn right. Who wants someone tap dancing through their skull? But deep brain stimulation was, perhaps, the only way Hastings, at 54, was going to be able to recapture a modicum of what passes for normalcy in a life that was decidedly not normal.

For the last decade and more, you could find Hastings and, as Elliott Gould says in Ocean’s Eleven, “a crew as nuts as you,” pulling all-nighters in a string of warehouses in Southern Pines creating backdrops for The NFL Today show on CBS. With apologies to The Jetsons, covering live sporting events requires something akin

to a steamer trunk full of Spacely sprockets and Cogswell cogs. If football is the ultimate team sport, televising it is the ultimate team undertaking. There are directors and audio engineers and replay operators and graphics coordinators and researchers and electrical engineers and camera operators and talking heads and on and on and on.

What Hastings, who’s had a hand in winning three Emmys (two at ABC, one at HBO), and his volunteer crew did was manufacture “feel.” The gritty artwork of their backgrounds gave the pre-game interviews a unifying and distinguishable look achieved because it was done by hand and not by computer. “It was like the glue sprinkled through the show, an aesthetic thread that would kind of tie it together,” says Hastings. “Subconsciously for most people.” It was also more expensive than a graphics app and, in a time when network TV doesn’t reign as supreme as it once did, something of a luxury.

Though “luxury” is hardly the word for the work. The deadline for the finished product was 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. Once Hastings got the subject matter and bullet points from New York, usually on a Wednesday, implementation was up to him. He had

a three-day turnaround, soup to nuts. The core group of Moore County helpers included Patrick Phillips, his wife, Jen, Matt Greiner and Karen Snyder. They worked construction, painted sets and backdrops, built a dolly system with — if you can believe it — roller blade wheels, made sunrise runs to Bojangles, helped with bookkeeping, picked up overnighted packages of photos, and pretty much did everything and anything to help a friend out.

“I figured I could come in and help Derek with whatever he might not be able to do physically,” says Patrick Phillips. “If I saw that his alarm was going off for medications, I’d let him know. If he was starting to feel uncomfortable, or get bad, I’d try to make sure he’d eaten. Anything he needed, really. My mentality was, I wanted to give him more longevity.”

Hastings grew up in Miami, the son of two artists who, though divorced, both ended up living in Pinehurst. His father, Lynn Courtlandt Hastings, who passed away in the fall of 2014, was an interior designer, but his printworks are in the collections of both the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. His mother, Sandra, who also suffers from Parkinson’s, has won prizes for her ceramics in Arts Council of Moore County

competitions at the Campbell House. “I really didn’t have a shot at doing a 9-to-5 banker’s job,” says Hastings.

In something of a misdirection, Hastings went north from south Florida to attend college at Michigan State University, where his major was a smorgasbord of theater, communications, English, film studies and art history. “Which meant unemployment,” he says. While he was at MSU, however, he latched onto half a dozen jobs with ABC as a runner for college football games. Post graduation, he did a stint as a lobbyist’s aide, then moved to L.A. to be an actor.

“I lived in a closet above Arnold Schwarzenegger’s restaurant,” he says, but quickly wound up back in Michigan, out of work and sleeping on a friend’s couch. He reached out to ABC and began going anywhere and everywhere they needed someone. Horse races in Kentucky. Time trials in Indianapolis. The odometer on his leased Mustang recorded miles from Maine to Miami.

“I found out that they had one position in New York that they hired every year from the pool of runners. At the time ABC sports was the global sports leader. They were everywhere. I’m like, I’m going to get that spot,” says Hastings. He did.

Bob Toms, an ABC exec, recognized Hastings’ artistic skills and took him under his wing. Hastings quickly achieved launch velocity. He got his first associate producer contract at 27, bumped up to producer in 1999 when he was honored for design and art direction for the opening graphics of the “Showdown at Sherwood” with David Duval and Tiger Woods, followed by more accolades for work on Super Bowl XXXIV between the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans in 2000. Hastings left ABC to work for Tupelo Honey Productions until the 9/11 terrorist attacks brought its business to a sudden halt, launching him into the freelance world.

Six years later Hastings won another Emmy as a field producer for HBO Sports’ 24/7 Mayweather/De La Hoya. “I spent six weeks in Puerto Rico with Oscar, planning the days, what we were going to shoot,” says Hastings. “That was kind of the pinnacle of me doing that stuff.”

Though Hastings didn’t receive formal credit on ESPN’s awardwinning 30 for 30 series production Run Ricky Run, he was instrumental in getting it made. The show’s writer and director, Sean Pamphilon, spent six years shooting the documentary on Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. Pamphilon and Hastings are something of kindred spirits. “It was like we were rainbow fish who saw each other in this sea of sameness,” says Pamphilon. “He helped me do the sizzle reel for Run Ricky Run. We were both broke. We edited it in a trailer park near Santa Cruz, California. It was like The Odd Couple.”

They put together 20 minutes that was so compelling ESPN

was hooked before it finished. Run Ricky Run remains the only one of the series shot in cinema verité. “I don’t get that deal if it’s not for Derek,” says Pamphilon.

After Lynn Hastings moved to Pinehurst from Miami in 1990, Derek was a regular visitor. He met and married Rachael Wirtz, who worked for his father. Now divorced, the couple have two daughters, Reade and Elizabeth. It was his daughters who took Hastings off the road in 2011.

“I told myself I wasn’t going to miss another Christmas with my kids,” says Hastings. “I bought this beat-up car and drove all the way back from California. Ended up living in Anthony Parks’ pool house for about nine months.”

There remained the minor hurdle of making a living in a small Southern town when your day job involved working on location with NFL athletes and franchises in 32 cities across the country. Like the players themselves, Hastings got there via the draft.

“We did stuff for NFL Network that kind of got my friend

at CBS interested,” says Hastings. The friend at CBS is Drew Kaliski, who was named the producer of The NFL Today (among many other credits) in 2013. “We did all these backgrounds for the NFL Combine. We called it ‘First Draft.’ It was a series of short features on the top 50 players. We’d create these sets, and the players would come up, and I would direct them.” Kaliski thought Hastings could bring a similar feel to their Sunday show interviews.

Hastings’ link at the NFL Network, where he contributed freelance jobs from 2013-20, was Brian Lockhart, another one-time up -and- comer at ABC, who today is ESPN’s senior vice-president in charge of all original content. “My first time getting a chance to work with Derek was around 1997-98,” Lockhart says. “I would see the things he was doing, and I would be like, how does that guy do that? I remember being on his heels, trying to soak up all the knowledge he had. Derek was the first person in this business who said to me, ‘Man, you could be really good at this.

Trust your instincts.’ He was so generous with his feedback and his encouragement. He was an inspiration then and remains an inspiration to this day.”

The first “studio” Hastings cobbled together in Southern Pines was an open space in a storage building. He worked by the headlights of his car. “I had to call AAA like three or four weeks in a row when my car battery died at 3:30 in the morning. Sometimes friends would come by and give me a jump,” says Hastings. “I think we did six or seven weeks in there.”

In the early going Hastings and members of the merry band built the backgrounds, broke them down, drove to the relevant city and put them back together again. Then, one week in season two, it snowed in Green Bay and a flight got canceled.

“I told my boss I thought I could get some camera gear quickly,” says Hastings, who now uses a broadcast-quality Canon C-300 and multiple lenses rented from a place in Cincinnati. “We built a couple of sets on the fly, shot them and got it up to New York, and they loved it.” No more trips to Green Bay, or anyplace else.

While the backgrounds were becoming more complex and the warehouse space more expansive, Hastings’ health was deteriorating. The tremors began nine years ago, and it was five years before his Parkinson’s was diagnosed. If not for the help of his crew, the work of the last few seasons would have been impossible. At the conclusion of last year’s Super Bowl, they shared a Champagne toast.

“This year felt a little different,” says Hastings. “It felt like closing time. We could just kind of see the writing on the wall.” CBS, recently acquired by Paramount Skydance, didn’t renew Hastings’ contract for a 12th season.

His mother’s Parkinson’s has descended into dementia, and Hastings is looking for a care facility for her near where he now lives in Wake Forest. In the meantime, he shuttles to and from Southern Pines to see her and his cohorts.

His brain surgery has no positive effect on the progression of his disease. It’s a quality-of-life issue and a lifeline, he hopes, tethered to the business he’s spent 26 years doing. He’s had the Super Bowl trophy in his hands at least 15 times. He’s had the run of the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, after dark. He brought his disc golf movie, Chains — along with some of the best disc golf players on the planet — to the Sunrise Theater. He was on the goal line at the Super Bowl in 2010, eye to eye with Anthony Hargrove, the subject of the NFL Network piece “Sinner to Saint” that he helped produce, as the defensive end celebrated. “I have so many things to be grateful for. This business has been amazing,” he says.

Field producing was always Hastings’ wheelhouse. “My kids are grown now. I can travel again,” he says. Deep brain stimula-

tion, he hopes, was the boarding pass. The great unknowable is whether his professional connections and resume will be enough to overcome the stark reality of his Parkinson’s.

“I don’t know what’s next. I really don’t,” says Hastings.

“Myself and Derek, you can never count us out,” says Pamphilon. “I hope the surgery gives him the dexterity and the comfort that he needs to be able to do his job at the highest level, not just because of his capacity to earn but because it feeds your soul. When you have the ability to do something you know no one else can do, that will keep you going. That will bring the sun up for you.” PS

Jim Moriarty is the Editor of PineStraw. He can be reached at jjmpinestraw@gmail.com.

A Creative Corner

The refurbishing of Lamont Cottage

By deBorah salomon

Photogra Phs By John gessner

Ahouse doesn’t have to be a home. It can evolve into an office, a store, a B&B, a museum. In can even be a serene hideaway for Writers in Residence at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities. Lamont Cottage, tucked behind the Boyd homestead and shielded by overgrowth, answers to this role. After decades as a rental property, it has been remodeled, adapted, refurbished and furnished in mid-20th century mode plus AC, Wi-Fi, washer/dryer and a patio.

So where’s the giant wall-mounted, stream-fed TV? Nowhere to be found.

Writers are there to write, not watch the Game of the Week. After days of solitary work, midnight confabs with other writers occupying the four bedrooms (two adapted for mobility issues) carries forth a tradition practiced by James Boyd, when Thomas Wolfe, Sherwood Anderson, F. Scott Fitzgerald and other literary giants of the 1920s Jazz Age stayed for a spell at Weymouth, the sprawling Boyd estate. According to legend, Wolfe arrived in Southern Pines by train late one summer night, walked up the hill to Weymouth, got in through an open window and crashed on a sofa. Whatever the actual details of his visit, Fitzgerald later felt compelled to send Boyd a letter of apology.

Katharine Lamont, barely out of her teens and from an equally wealthy/sporty clan, fell in love with James and built the cottage (originally called The Gatehouse because of its location) for herself, living there until their marriage in 1917. The couple occupied the cottage again in 1922 during the construction of the current Boyd house, and Katharine served as her husband’s secretary/acolyte while he wrote Drums, a hefty volume published in 1925 and touted in its day as the best historical novel of the Revolutionary War.

Katharine lived in the cottage one more time, moving back after James’ death, at 50, in 1944.

The literary coterie that flourished in and around Weymouth added glitter to Moore County’s reputation for mild winters, golf and horses. Its artistic dimension was greatly enhanced in 1979 when Sam Ragan, N.C. poet laureate, editor and publisher of The Pilot, and Weymouth board president, instituted the Writers in Residence program. Published North Carolina authors were invited to stay in the house for one or two weeks to work on their projects. Writers had to reside in

N.C. or have strong ties to the state.

As vast and charming as the Boyd house is, navigating its stairways presented an accessibility problem. A solution came from the writers themselves, says Glenda Kirby, current board chairman. Why not renovate Lamont Cottage? The possibility was discussed but derailed by COVID.

Tabled but not forgotten. When the subject was broached again in 2024 the entire board agreed. “It was part of our mission,” says Kirby. Funds came from donations and other sources, and the project came in under budget.

The Art & Soul of the Sandhills

The ground floor now has three bedrooms, one accessibility-friendly, with a ramp at the front entrance. Adjustments were made without harming handsome woodwork, heavy paneled doors, moldings, baseboards, mantelpiece and native knotty pine floors that were newly refinished.

Each of the four bedrooms bears the name of a female N.C. Literary Hall of Fame author. A terrace and several porches invite socializing on cool evenings.

Except for the pale yellow kitchen, walls throughout share a soft, calming green. “I selected it to create a sense of serenity,” says Kathryn Talton, one of the muses responsible for planning the cottage renovation, along with Kirby, Katrina Denza, Pat Riviere-Seel and a committee of dedicated volunteers.

Furnishing the house was a challenge, even for a muse. Word got round and donations trickled in, some from the recent renovation of the Carolina hotel lobby do-over. Volunteers scavenged through used furniture outlets in search of hidden gems. Wing chairs were reupholstered. A butter-soft leather settee speaks to

a quality lifestyle, as does an enormous sleigh bed and side table/ nightstands, some dainty, one with a thick, dark marble top. Quilts are made from flat, small-print fabric, nothing puffy. Donated lamps cop the blue ribbon, especially a classic “trumpet” and a stocky partporcelain Chinese specimen, one of several nods to Asian décor. The art is spectacular, from landscapes to prints and portraits. Writing niches, some looking out over treetops, have office-friendly tables to accommodate a laptop and source materials.

In Katharine Boyd’s time, kitchens leaned utilitarian. Here, the muses part ways, opting for black appliances (including a dishwasher and oversized fridge), a smooth-top electric stove and a pantry divided into four so each guest can stash his or her coffee and cereal. Pots, dishes, cutlery, of course, for DIY meals. Chatelaines of Katharine Lamont Boyd’s echelon didn’t use sporks and paper plates.

The word “cottage” underestimates this 2,000-plus-square-foot showplace, especially when it comes to its tall, multipaned windows in the sitting room, the shimmering sunlight revealing wavy original glass. No ghosts have as yet been spotted, but writers might watch for a slender lady with big round eyeglasses peering through the wavy panes watching over authors plying their craft.

“Sometimes you can feel Katharine’s presence here,” Riviere-Seel says. “She’s a good spirit.” PS

(Dallas, Step by Step)

Love LE PATRICK DUFFY LINDA PURL

(The Office, Happy Days)

ALMANAC November

By a shley Walshe

November is the mother of quiet wonders. Rainbows in spider silk. Wood ducks, migrating by moonlight. The slow-beating heart of a box turtle in brumation.

She gives and gives, offering her final mild days, her cool-season greens, the last of her berries, nuts and seeds.

But there is always a November space after the leaves have fallen when she felt it was almost indecent to intrude on the woods . . .

— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Windy Poplars

“Eat up,” she says to the wild ones. “There’s plenty here to go around.”

Bird and squirrel delight in her sweet and earthy fruit. Fox and deer, too. A feathery frost gilds mottled oak leaves on the first frigid morning.

When weary spider spins her silken sac, a cradle for a thousand eggs, the mother leans in close.

“Go now,” she whispers to the weaver. “Your work is done. Your babes shall know the tender kiss of spring.”

Wren song rings through chilly air. The last colored leaves gleam like stained glass in a light-filled cathedral. The altar remains blessed with beautyberries, acorns, persimmons and rosehips.

“Nourish yourself well,” the mother commands, folding moldy fruit and spoiled nuts into her wombdark soil, where even the dead leaves are precious.

“I can use this,” she murmurs of what’s gone to rot. “Nothing will be wasted.”

Deciduous trees drift toward dormancy. Black snakes seek out burrows. Wood frogs prepare to freeze solid.

By and by, the great mother readies herself for winter’s deep, long sleep.

Inner Peace Casserole

A no-fuss recipe you’ll return to again and again. Simple, nourishing and gentle on the system, this soothing side dish is an unexpected crowd-pleaser at the most dynamic of family gatherings — and a treat the day after, too.

Prep and cook time: n/a

Yield: immeasurable

Ingredients

6 bushels of gratitude

3 pecks of grace

1 heaping cup of humor

4 dollops of kindness

1 pinch of forgiveness

Directions

Surrendering her beauty back to the hard, damp earth, she strips away all she has to give: a humble banquet for the wild ones; what precious light remains; a bouquet of blessings in the name of quiet wonder.

1 dash of compassion

A dusting of birdsong

A breath of fresh air

Sunshine (if available)

Combine all ingredients. Stir and breathe slowly. Break for a kitchen dance party. Repeat.

Note: Modify ingredients to your taste. Sprinkle in some new ones. Leave out what doesn’t serve you. Make this recipe your own.

Do the Mashed Potato

If one plans to mash potatoes for the Thanksgiving masses, one knows they must double the batch. But does one have a plan for that whopping load of leftovers?

Three words: mashed potato pancakes.

If you haven’t tried them (there are several recipes available online), do yourself a favor and whip out the skillet. This isn’t a maple syrup-type situation. Think sour cream and chives. Think breakfast, lunch or dinner. Think no further.

You’ll thank yourself for mashing the extra mile. Especially if the fam is still visiting. PS

A s the holiday sea son approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how we can make a positive impact on our communit y. Many local organizations are working tirelessly to improve the qualit y of life in Moore Count y, and they depend on the generosit y of people like you.

In the following pages, you’ll find PineStraw Magazine’s Guide to Giving, which features a curated selection of charitable organizations in our area that rely on the generosit y of communit y members. We encourage you to get involved - whether through donation, volunteering or spreading the word. Ever y contribution, no matter the size, plays a role in advancing their important work and creating a stronger, more vibrant communit y for all of us.

• U.S. Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum

• Arts Council of Moore Count y

• Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills

• The CARE Group, Inc.

• Caring Hearts for Canines

• Companion Animal Clinic Foundation

• Drug Free Moore Count y

• Family Promise of Moore Count y

• Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra

• The Foundation of FirstHealth

• The Jeremiah Project

• Life Care Pregnancy Center

• Meals on W heels of the Sandhills

• Moore Count y Communit y Foundation

• Moore Free & Charitable Clinic

• Penick Village Foundation

• Prancing Horse

• Samaritan Colony

• Sandhills Adult & Teen Challenge

• Sandhills Children’s Center

• Sandhills Coalition

• Sandhills Communit y College Foundation

• Sunrise Theater

• Surgical Wings

• TambraPlace

• Three Rivers Land Trust

• United Way of Moore Count y

• Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities

Guide to Giving is made possible thank s to the generosit y of our local business sponsors, who are committed to supporting these vital causes.

A Special Advert ising Sect ion

The future of health care starts with you.

How it works: You give to The Foundation of FirstHealth. Others do the same. Our mystery donor matches every individual gift, up to $10,000 each, all the way to a million (yes, dollars!). When we join together to give what we can, every dollar doubles. Designating your gift to our FirstFutures Campaign supports recruiting and training health care workers in our community.

Sandhills Community College Foundation, Inc.

Our Mission

The mission of the Sandhills Community College Foundation is to support the excellence of the college’s programs and to guarantee that all Sandhills students are able to pursue their course of study regardless of financial circumstances.

Who We Serve

We serve the faculty, staff, and students of Sandhills Community College. The Foundation ensures that donated funds are invested wisely and used in ways that contribute to the ongoing excellence of Sandhills Community College and its students. MAKE A GIFT:

Did You Know?

• A graduating class of Sandhills students increases its lifetime earnings by $162.6 million.

• Sandhills Community College students see an average 41% increase in income two years after graduating, and entering the workforce with a two-year degree - the highest in NC.

• A graduating class of Sandhills students creates over $750 million in added income and societal savings in NC (such as reduced crime, lower unemployment, better public health).

• In every Sandhills graduating class, lives are changed forever, often for generations to come.

Sandhills Community College Foundation, Inc.

3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374 910.695.3712

Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities

Mission

The mission of Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities is to provide a place of inclusivity by offering literary and cultural experiences that inspire and enrich the lives of our community.

Vision

Weymouth will provide a facility and grounds to enrich our diverse community based upon its history while developing plans for sustainable sources of revenue. Values: Weymouth is… Inclusive, Inspiring, Creative, Bold, Respectful, Proactive, Courageous, Dynamic, Welcoming.

Who We Serve

Moore County Community, as well as greater North Carolina with the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame. Visit us online to find more information and sign up https://weymouthcenter.org/support-us/

Upcoming Events

Strike at the Wind: November 9th, 2025

Weymouth Wonderland: December 6th, 2025

Spring Into Reading: March 21st, 2026

Poetry Slam Jam: April 22nd, 2026

Horses Benefit Kids: May 3rd, 2026

Volunteer

There are plenty of ways to get involved at Weymouth Center! Join one of our volunteer groups — like the Dirt Gardeners, Weymouth Equestrians, or Women of Weymouth — or lend a hand at one of our many events. We’re always grateful for helping hands!

Programs

Weymouth Equestrians, Women of Weymouth, James Boyd Book Club, Writers-in-Residence, Come Sunday Jazz, Chamber Sessions, Lecture Series, Author events, Dirt Gardeners

555 E Connecticut Ave

Southern Pines, NC 28388

910.692.6261

weymouthcenter.org Mon. - Fri. 10:00am - 4:00pm

Moore County Community Foundation

Our Mission

The Moore County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the North Carolina Community Foundation. MCCF was founded in 1991 and is led by a local volunteer advisory board that helps build community assets through the creation of permanent endowments, makes grants and leverages leadership – all for the benefit of Moore County.

Our Grantmaking

Each year, MCCF’s advisory board uses dollars from its endowment funds to make grants to eligible local organizations, including nonprofits, local governments, schools and churches. In 2025, MCCF awarded $109,000 in grants to 30 organizations supporting the local community:

• The Arc of Moore County

• Arts Council of Moore County

• Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills

• The Care Group, Inc.

• Caring Hearts for Canines

• Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas

• Family Promise of Moore County

• Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina

• Friend to Friend

• Friends of the Aberdeen Library

• Made4Me, Inc.

• Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills

• Moore Buddies Mentoring

• Moore County Department of Aging

• Moore Free & Charitable Clinic

• North Carolina Symphony

• Our Saviour Lutheran Church of Southern Pines

• Partners for Children & Families

• Prancing Horse, Inc.

• Pretty in Pink Foundation

• Prevent Blindness North Carolina

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Triangle

• Sandhills Children’s Center

• Sandhills Machine, Inc.

• Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care

• Scouting America, Occoneechee Council

• Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Inc.

• Special Olympics North Carolina

• Team Workz

• Weymouth Center

About The North Carolina Community Foundation

The North Carolina Community Foundation brings together generous people and connects them to causes and organizations they care about, with a focus on inspiring lasting and meaningful philanthropy in the state’s rural communities.

With $460 million in in assets, NCCF sustains over 1,300 endowments and partners with a network of affiliates in 60 counties to strengthen our state. By stewarding and growing donors’ gifts, NCCF makes a powerful impact through a robust grants and scholarships program, awarding over $300 million since 1988.

Community Connection

info@nccommunityfoundation.org 919-828-4387; 800-532-1349 nccommunityfoundation.org/moore

Number of grants to Moore County organizations: 30 Grants in Moore County in 2025: $109,000

Family Promise of Moore County

Mission

To provide shelter, food, and opportunity to help families experiencing homelessness or financial insecurity achieve sustainable independence through a community-based response.

Who We Serve

Families experiencing homelessness or financial insecurity.

Shelter Program

For families experiencing homelessness. We can shelter 4 families at a time, that consists of a mother with minor children. Each family is provided with a bedroom with private bathroom for their family. The kitchen, dining, inside and outside play areas and TV room are common areas that the families share. Families will work with Case Manager for a plan to achieve sustainability including job searches, childcare and saving for their eventual move.

Stabilization Program

Continued case management services after a family exits shelter into their own place. The goal of stabilization is to help graduate families remain housed.

Prevention Program

Helping Families that are at imminent risk of homelessness and include case management to determine solutions.

Diversion Program

Helping Families that we are unable to bring into shelter. This program includes case management to determine solutions.

Upcoming Events

Our annual fundraiser, Harvest the Promise, is held on the second Thursday of October every year. The scheduled date of the next Harvest the Promise is October 8, 2026.

Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation

As the year draws to a close, we reflect on the extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and spirit of the Airborne and Special Operations community. From the paratroopers who jumped into Normandy to the modern-day Special Operators who continue their mission today, their unwavering dedication has shaped the course of history.

At the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Foundation, we are devoted to preserving their stories, protecting their artifacts, and passing on the values of honor, courage, and selfless service to future generations. For 25 years, our museum has stood as a beacon of remembrance and education, celebrating those who defend liberty so that others may live free.

This Giving Tuesday, your impact can soar twice as high.

Thanks to the Pritzker Military Foundation, all new donors and those who haven’t given in the past three years will have their Legacy Fund gift matched dollar-for-dollar—doubling the impact of your generosity. Your gift helps us:

• Preserve priceless artifacts and ensure the stories of valor and sacrifice endure.

• Support educational programs that inspire patriotism and understanding within our community.

• Expand our exhibits to bring the history of Airborne and Special Operations Soldiers to life for generations to come.

Together, we can ensure their stories inspire courage in the hearts of all who visit.

www.asomf.org

Arts Council of Moore County

Mission

Founded in 1973, the Arts Council of Moore County (ACMC) inspires and strengthens our community through the arts. ACMC is an official partner of the NC Arts Council and our county’s designated agency for regional arts.

Programs

Activities include programs for 15,000+ students, exhibits for 550+ local and national artists, concerts by world-class musicians, support for area artists, and scholarships for talented children. Other programs include Artours to destinations of cultural interest, Autumnfest in partnership with the Town of Southern Pines, support for area arts organizations with grants, and an online arts directory. Many of ACMC’s programs are free and open to the public.

Campbell House

Our art gallery and offices are at Campbell House, one of our region’s most significant landmarks, located in a picturesque 14-acre park in Southern Pines. For more than 100 years, Campbell House has been a beacon of culture, enhancing and influencing civic life.

Become a Member

ACMC would not exist without the support of its members. Membership benefits include early access and reduced pricing to ticketed events, subscription to the ACMC program guide and e-newsletter and free art receptions. Learn more: mooreart.org/join-now

Year End Gift

Help us reach thousands of children in Moore County schools, showcase regional artists, present amazing galleries and concerts and award scholarships through a charitable donation.

Donate by: Gifts of Cash

Gifts of Appreciated Stocks & Bonds

DAF

IRA Rollover Gifts

482 E. Connecticut Ave. Southern Pines, NC 910-692-2787

MooreArt.org

Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra

Mission

The mission of the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra is to educate, entertain, and inspire the citizens of the Fayetteville, North Carolina region as the leading musical resource.

Who We Serve

The FSO serves Fayetteville and surrounding cities in Cumberland County by providing highquality concerts and performance opportunities.

Upcoming Events

11/22: Bach’s Coffee Cantata

12/13: Messiah with Cumberland Choral Arts

1/17: The Road to America 250

Fundraising Goal

The 2025-2026 season is Stefan Sanders’ last as Music Director of the FSO. As we venture into a new era of the Orchestra, we are asking for your support to carry out a comprehensive search for our next music director and maintain our artistic

excellence through that transition. For more information, visit FayettevilleSymphony.org/New-Era

Volunteer

Visit fayettevillesymphony.org/volunteer to learn about volunteer opportunities and join our volunteer email list.

Contact

Find us online at FayettevilleSymphony.org and on Facebook and Instagram @faysymphony.

For questions and more information, please email info@fayettevillesymphony.org or call (910) 433-4690.

How to Give

The FSO accepts donations of all kinds and sizes. Visit our website or email edirector@fayettevillesymphony.org for more information about how your gift can support the future of live music in Fayetteville.

310 Green St Suite 101, Fayetteville, NC 28301 910.433.4690

fayettevillesymphony.org

Penick Village Foundation

Mission

As a faith-based nonprofit organization, Penick Village’s mission is to cultivate a friendly and safe community where residents have the freedom to focus on their wellness and relationships while living to life’s fullest potential. The Penick Village Foundation supports the ongoing care, programs, and services that make Penick Village a sanctuary of warmth and vitality for residents, staff, and the broader community.

Volunteer

Join a group of community and resident volunteers who support the “family” way of life unique to Penick Village. Bring entertainment, fellowship, small gifts, or homemade craft items to our residents, or help raise funds for worthy projects that benefit our residents campus-wide. Visit us online to find more information and sign up www.penickvillage.org/about-us/ volunteer-opportunities

Benevolent Assistance

At the Penick Village Foundation, we dedicate ourselves to cultivating connections and securing resources that ensure Penick Village continues to thrive as a place of compassion, vibrancy, and growth.

How to Give

Your secure online donation to the Penick Village Foundation helps provide care, support, and opportunities that transform lives. Give today and be a part of our mission to create a brighter future. To learn more about giving opportunities visit us online at www.penickvillage.org/foundation

Sunrise Theater

Our Mission

We serve the community through the three “E’s”: Entertainment, Education and Engagement. In Moore County, we keep the cultural scene kickin’ through an array of concerts, live shows, movies and art events. From gripping documentaries to lively free concerts on the green, the Sunrise is the cat’s pajamas at enhancing the cultural landscape of our community.

How to Give

Movie sponsorship, Sponsor the Theater, Season Sponsorship and Naming Rights Available.

Special Thanks To Sponsors

Realty World Properties of the Pines Carolina Summit Group Window World

Sponsorship requests can be sent to timrussell@sunrisetheater.com

Upcoming Events

Corey Comer, The Soulful Showman

November 8

Moms Unhinged Standup Comedy Show November 15

The Last Waltz Free Showing Thanksgiving Day

Southern Pines Fashion Show December 5

The Murphy Family Christmas! December 14

Good Shot Judy & the Satin Dollz December 16

Christmas Carols by Candlelight December 19

250

sunrisetheater.com

The Jeremiah Project

Mission Statement

The Jeremiah Project is a faith-based ministry offering compassion, hope and help for single, pregnant women and single moms with children facing homelessness.

We are able to provide families with a safe harbor in The Jeremiah 2911 House, where we can empower them with opportunities to have healthy, productive lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and give hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

How it Works

Being a single mom is sometimes difficult to manage. They need a supportive community of people to help them through the tough time of breaking the cycle of poverty. We can help by providing a safe, nurturing environment where moms and their children can thrive. We can give them a hand up and make independent living sustainable.

Our Services

Goal Setting/Peer Support Specialists

Job Readiness/Vocational Training

Financial Planning/Budgeting

Continuing Education Opportunities

Day Care Assistance

Spiritual Growth Opportunities

Make A Gift

God has richly blessed us this year by providing our first Jeremiah 2911 House that we bought in March 2025! Our goal is to be mortgage free by March 2026 so we can continue providing more help to single moms. We have paid $240,000 in 7 months with only $80,000 to go!

If you would like more information about the Jeremiah Project, please email at jeremiahprojectnc@gmail.com

Checks can be made out to The Jeremiah 2911 House and mailed to PO Box 3784, Pinehurst, NC 28374

To make a secure online gift go to Thejeremiahprojectsandhills.org and use the DONATE BUTTON

501©3 Non-Profit EIN: 93-1891865

P.O. Box 3784

Pinehurst, NC 28374

jeremiahprojectnc@gmail.com

thejeremiahprojectsandhills.org

Three Rivers Land Trust

Our Mission

For over 30 years, the mission of Three Rivers Land Trust has been to work thoughtfully and selectively with property owners to conserve natural areas, rural landscapes, family farms, scenic rivers, and historic places within North Carolina’s central Piedmont and Sandhills. To date, they’ve conserved over 50,000 acres of land in North Carolina.

Fundraising Goals

The End of Year Giving fundraising goal is $250,000. With these funds, TRLT will continue to expand public lands, save family farms, protects local waters and wildlife habitat, and conserve important national defense lands.

How To Volunteer

Subscribe to their newsletter at TRLT.org to receive updates on exciting volunteer opportunities! Whether it’s outdoor cleanups at Low Water Bridge, serving as a Trail Angel for the Uwharrie Trail Thru Hike, or helping out with the Uwharrie Archery Challenge, there are tons of ways to support local conservation while having a great time!

How To Give

An easy and fun way to give is to attend one of TRLT’s many annual events! All proceeds from events go directly back into funding local conservation projects. To see upcoming events, visit TRLT.org!

This page made possible by CoolSweats

Moore Free & Charitable Clinic

Mission Statement

Moore Free & Charitable Clinic’s mission is to provide a primary care medical home and oral health service for low income uninsured residents of Moore County, North Carolina, giving access to consistent health care, dental care and prescription medications for disabling chronic diseases.

Our organization’s goal is to provide access to compassionate, quality primary health care and other services to the nearly 14,000 uninsured adults in Moore County. By doing so, the overall health of our community will be improved at the population level. The burden on local hospital emergency departments is mitigated when uninsured residents have a better, more costeffective alternative for routine care. Communities benefit socially and economically when medical insecurity is reduced.

Moore Free & Charitable Clinic’s strategic priorities are to: 1) Increase community outreach and education about the services offered by Moore Free & Charitable Clinic, including its recently launched dental clinic for the uninsured,

2) Strengthen fundraising efforts to increase available resources to sustain its mission, and 3) Increase services to include expanded behavioral health counseling, physical therapy and optometry.

Events

Each year, Moore Free & Charitable Clinic hosts a fundraiser called the Hearts and Hands Brunch that falls near Valentine’s Day. In the fall, the major fundraising event is Dining in the Pines™, which features special dining experiences called Chef Tables, held at local fine dining restaurants.

Volunteer

Moore Free & Charitable Clinic can always use clinical volunteers, including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, mental health professionals, dentists, registered nurses, pharmacists and pharmacy techs. Opportunities are also available for clerical positions, such as reception, enrollment and eligibility, filing and other office jobs. Please contact Tony Price at 910-246-5333 Ext 207.

How to Give: MooreFreeCare.org • Moore Free & Charitable Clinic and mailed

211 Trimble Plant Rd., Suite C, Southern Pines, NC 28387

The CARE Group, Inc.

Our Mission Equip, empower, and encourage individuals through education, mentoring, and enrichment opportunities.

Our Vision: A community in which adults and youth are thriving and have promising futures.

Mentoring Programs

Our Mentoring Programs offer a positive, caring adult who works one-on-one with a child at risk of failing or dropping out of school helping them develop critical life skills, set goals and do better in school.

Citizenship Program

We provide a curriculum that focuses on the civics and language skills necessary for students to pass the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) Naturalization Test and Interview.

Digital Literacy Classes

We provide learn-at-your-own pace online or small-group, in-person sessions to master essential computer skills, from basic device usage to advanced software and internet literacy.

Tutoring for Low Literacy Adults

We improve the reading and writing skills of over 100 low literacy adults each year. We offer one-on-one tutoring for all levels in English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and Digital Literacy.

Volunteer With Us

We are always looking to match adult volunteers who are willing to give their time, energy, and compassion to a Moore County youth or adult learner for at least one year.

For Mentoring: contact Nancy Bryant - nancy@mcliteracy.orgm

For Tutoring: contact Judith Douglas - judith@mcliteracy.org

Your Locally Owned McDonald's

Caring Hearts for Canines

Our Mission

The mission of Caring Hearts for Canines is to rescue and rehome dogs at risk of being euthanized in high kill shelters and to educate the public in order to decrease the proliferation of these unwanted dogs and works to educate the public through community outreach about the issues of spaying and neutering, vaccinating, heartworm prevention and proper care and maintenance of their canine companions.

CHFC primarily serves the area of Moore County, founded in 2014 by Jennifer Chopping in an effort to save dogs from high kill shelters that would otherwise be euthanized.

Volunteer

• Kennel Care – feed, clean, and walk dogs

• Staffing Events – manning tables and dogs

• Transporting Dogs – picking up shelter dogs

and transporting them to out-of-state partners

• Running with Dogs: exercising high energy dogs a couple of times a week

• Fostering

For more information on fostering and volunteering, email caringheartscanine@gmail.com

How to Help

Check out our Amazon and Chewy Wishlists!

Use your Birthday to have a Facebook birthday fundraiser or Dog Food Drive to help the pups!

Donate on Social Media! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Threads!

Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills

Building Great Futures, One Child At A Time

For over 25 years the Boys & Girls Club of Sandhills’ mission has been to inspire, enable, and educate young people from all backgrounds and circumstances to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. We invite you to help us provide great futures for Moore County youth by sponsoring a child, donating, sponsoring events, or volunteering.

Your investment in the club provides lifechanging experiences for more than 1,200 children annually in Moore County. Boys & Girls Club provides year-round programming and access after school and in the summer to Academics & Career, Sports & Recreation, Life Skills & Wellness, Arts & Creativity, and Leadership & Service.

We are committed to increasing the number of children and youth that we serve, thus making a greater impact. With your support, this is not a possibility, but a certainty that will allow us to serve more kids, more often, and with a greater impact.

Services

A trained and caring staff implements proven youth development strategies and creates a stable, supportive environment for children and teens aged 5 to 18.

Specially designed programs concentrate on developing job readiness, study skills, leadership, selfesteem, good health, and social responsibility among the Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills members.

During the school year, all four units are open after school from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., when research has shown children to be most vulnerable. Our Sandhills Community College Unit is also open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for K through 5th-grade children of faculty members and students attending evening classes Tuesday and Thursday.

In addition, during the summer, all Moore County Units open their doors to young people from 7:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Come for a tour and learn how you can get involved through tutoring, mentoring, and providing needed supplies. Contact Catherine Niebauer at cniebauer@ sandshillsbgc.org or 910-692-7777 x2221

Samaritan Colony

Mission Statement

Samaritan Colony provides coordinated care and ongoing support to underserved people who suffer from addiction.

Services

For 50 years, Samaritan Colony has helped underserved men and their families who are struggling with the disease of addiction. At Samaritan Colony, no one is ever turned away due to a lack of funds. If someone is willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes to live a life of recovery, our team will work to make treatment available.

SECU Women’s Recovery Center

After two and a half years of construction, the SECU Women’s Recovery Center at Samaritan Colony is ready to open its doors and begin serving women. Construction of the facility is complete, and all that remains is the final licensure from the State of North Carolina. At any moment, we could be welcoming the very first women into treatment

Fundraising

Tax-deductible gifts are welcomed and appreciated for our general operating fund or to support the expansion of our recovery homes in Moore County. Treatment scholarships are a popular and unique way for individuals to donate. This type of gift is ideal for anyone looking to honor a special person in their life by establishing a scholarship in their name.

Volunteer Opportunities

We welcome volunteers looking to help with fundraising and events. We also welcome recovery community members to share their experiences, strengths, and hope. Contact Nikki Wells at 910-895-3243 or jwells@samaritiancolony.org

How to Donate

Gifts of stock or financial securities can be made through Charles Schwab, Southern Pines Branch, 10840 US 15-501 Hwy, Unit D, Southern Pines, NC 28387

Companion Animal Clinic Foundation

Mission

There is a pet overpopulation crisis in North Carolina. Since 1995, the Companion Animal Clinic Foundation has worked to reduce unwanted litters and eliminate the euthanasia of adoptable dogs and cats in central North Carolina. We do this by enabling affordable spay and neuter surgeries at the Sandhills Spay Neuter Veterinary Clinic (SNVC) on Route 1 in Vass.

Upcoming Events

Happy Tails Ball 2025 — the most “forgettable” fundraising event of the season. RSVP at companionanimalclinic.org/happytails

WHEN: Any day between now and the New Year PLACE: Wherever you are happiest TIME: Any time that suits you RSVP: By donation

Who We Serve

We serve low-income pet owners, animal welfare nonprofits, feral cat organizations, and county animal control facilities.

Fundraising Goals

We are an all-volunteer organization and receive no government support. Shelters and animal control in North Carolina euthanize more dogs and cats than any other state, with the exception of California and Texas. We believe the most effective and humane strategy for ending this crisis is high-volume, high-quality sterilization surgery. To date, over 3,000 individual donors have contributed to our mission.

Help us eliminate the euthanasia of local companion animals by enabling affordable spay and neuter surgeries with your donation.

Kate Holmes, Board President (910) 315-5459

info@companionanimalclinic.org companionanimalclinic.org

page made possible by Dreher Financial Partners

Drug Free Moore County

The mission of Drug Free Moore County is to help individuals who struggle with addiction and mental health disorders integrate back into society, through prevention, treatment and recovery support services.

Vision: Well-known, well-connected leader in Treatment and Recovery Support Services.

Services

Educational efforts through community presentations, resource guides, social media, and networking with Moore County Schools, FirstHealth of the Carolinas, treatment providers in Moore County and Moore County Detention Center. We also provide Harm Reduction supplies with persons in active addiction. We provide wrap around care support for persons seeking detox, treatment, transportation or transitional housing options. We offer Recovery Support Staff and Peer Support Specialists. Recovery Support Staff have various levels of experience providing care and support to persons who need it most. Peer Support Specialists have at

least two years of recovery and training in order to offer support to those in recovery.

Fundraising

The Run for Recovery is Drug Free Moore County’s annual 5K run/walk fundraiser held each fall. Participants will raise awareness about substance abuse, promote treatment, and celebrate those who are living in recovery.

All proceeds will benefit Drug Free Moore County and go toward providing recovery resources to individuals and families through the further development of the Community Recovery Center.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Event Staffing

• Community Recovery Centers

• People who have been in recovery for at least a year may be trained as a peer counselor. Email: info@re-createmoore.org or call 910.585.7614 and leave a message to volunteer.

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Lorenz & Creed

Prancing Horse

Mission Statement

The mission of Prancing Horse is to provide a safe environment for therapeutic horsemanship.

Services

Since 1984, Prancing Horse has been providing equine assisted activities and therapies to persons with disabilities in Moore and surrounding counties.

A sound, reliable herd of horses in their second careers, thoroughly trained volunteers, and credentialed therapeutic riding instructors have been transformative in the lives of our participants and their families.

Through adaptive riding and other equine assisted activities, riders with physical disabilities improve their gait, mobility, and core strength. Participants with emotional and intellectual disabilities find that time with horses improves their social skills, confidence, and ability to problem solve and make decisions.

Prancing Horse has the privilege of providing active duty and veterans a safe environment for

sessions in natural horsemanship that allow for peaceful and authentic emotional regulation.

Events

Key fundraising events include our Barn Dance in the Spring and the Prancing Horse Farm Tour in October. An end of session horse show is hosted for our program participants in December.

Fundraising

100% of Prancing Horse’s participants rely on scholarships. Your contributions are managed responsibly and ethically allocated to serve community members of the Sandhills.

When You Partner With Prancing Horse

• You may give a student their first steps.

• You nourish a horse in their second career.

• You provide a safe community for youth to volunteer. You create an environment where participants foster independence & emotional regulation.

Support Prancing Horse

children and adults with a wide range

cognitive,physical and emotional

for over 40 years.

This page made possible by Terry Riney Agency and Elliotts on Linden

How to Give:

Surgical Wings, Inc.

Mission

Reimburse travel costs for healthcare professionals who volunteer their time and expertise in underserved communities. Although Surgical Wings does not provide direct medical services to those in need, by removing financial barriers, and supported by the generosity of philanthropic donors, we enable care to reach those who need it most – no matter the distance.

Who We Serve

Surgical Wings provides travel reimbursement expenses for those healthcare professionals who take it upon themselves to utilize their skills in underserved communities. Your generous donations fund the mission to bring care to the patients most in need.

Goals

Surgical Wings hopes to be able to provide travel reimbursement expenses for 2-5 surgical team missions per year.

Volunteer

Surgical Wings can use volunteers to put together events, slide shows, Galas and golf tournaments.

How Your Support Helps

Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and decrease the surgical teams’ travel costs so that they can provide professional operating room personnel and give care to surgical patients most in need. Your generous donation will fund our mission to bring care to the patients in need.

This page made possible by Voss Aesthetics and Wellness

Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills

Mission Statement

Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills strives to address food insecurity and provide human connection for Moore County, NC residents as a result of being homebound and unable to secure a nutritious meal.

How It Works

Through our network of volunteer drivers, our organization delivers over 90 nutritious midday meals Monday through Friday, including weekday holidays to homebound residents of Central and Southern Moore County towns. We offer both self-pay and sponsorship programs so we can help all adult individuals in need, regardless of age or ability to pay.

Events

Founded by Ida Baker Scott in 1974, Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills has fed homebound residents of Moore County, NC for 51 years! On Friday, November 7, 2025 our organization will celebrate 51 years of service with a celebration to be held at James Creek Cider House. Please

join us to help raise $51,000 for 51 years! Tickets can be purchased online at www. mealsonwheelsofthesandhills.com/ or call 910-704-9810 for more information.

Fundraising Goals

Our organization has several people in need on a waiting list for sponsorships. As a 501(c)(3) organization not supported by government funding, we constantly search for donors and sponsors to help! Just $1500 will sponsor 1 person for an entire year of meals Monday-Friday, including weekday holidays! Please visit www.mealsonwheelsofthesandhills.com/donate or call 910-704-9810 for more information.

Volunteer Opportunities

Our organization is based on volunteerism to deliver meals, hope, and love each weekday, including holidays. We are always in need of volunteer meal drivers that have time to dedicate delivering meals from 11AM until 1 PM. Volunteers can select one day a month up to as often as they have available!

This page made possible by Autowerks

Sandhills Adult & Teen Challenge

Our Mission

Bringing wholeness to the hopeless. Adult & Teen Challenge Sandhills, NC is a residential faith-based, long-term rehabilitation program for men struggling with life-controlling addictions.

How it Works

An ideal place for recovery, Sandhills Teen Challenge is located on 31 tranquil acres in the heart of Moore County, and is a 12-month residential program. Sandhills Teen Challenge provides food, clothing, a warm bed, academic materials, etc., which are necessary to ensure the student receives the spiritual, emotional, vocational, and academic training required to help him overcome the problems which led to his addiction.

Upcoming Events

Dibianca Golf Classic: November 3

Christmas Banquet: December 11-13

Freedom Starts Here Charity Run: January 10

Learn more about these events and more at sandhillstc.org/events/

Sandhills Children’s Center

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide services of the highest quality for children with and without special developmental needs, ages birth through five.

Who We Serve

We work in partnership with families to serve typically developing children as well as children with special needs, ages birth through five.

How To Help

Our Dreammakers Program is a monthly donation that allows us to take a deliberate, long-term approach to making lasting improvements to children’s lives.

Events & Volunteering

Participation, sponsorship, and volunteer opportunities for our fundraisers are available and appreciated throughout the year: Kelly Cup Golf Championship (March), Backyard Bocce Bash (May), Clays for Kids (October), Festival of Trees (November)

Visit: www.sandhillschildrenscenter.org/ fundraising-events or call 910.692.3323.

29th Annual Festival Of Trees

The Carolina Hotel - Pinehurst • Nov., 19-22, 2025 Admission by Monetary Donation Open 10 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily • festivaloftrees.org

Did You Know?

• Sandhills Children’s Center is 1 out of less than 20 developmental day centers that are community-based in North Carolina.

• We are a 5-Star facility which is the highest rating that a day-care can receive

• L ower staff-to-child ratios that allow us to better meet the individual needs of all the children that we serve.

• Sandhills Children’s Center provides onsite therapies (physical, speech, occupational…) for children as needed.

• Preschool lead teachers are certified with NC Teaching Licensure

• All staff are certified in CPR and First Aid

This

How to Give:

Life Care Pregnancy Center

Our Mission

Life Care Pregnancy Center is a Christ-centered ministry that upholds the sanctity of human life by offering compassionate care, Christian direction, and practical support to individuals and families facing pregnancy decisions.

Our Services Free and Confidential

• Pregnancy testing & limited ultrasounds

• Coaching & education (English & Spanish)

• Men’s ministry & family support

• Community referrals & material resources

• Pregnancy options education

• Healing after abortion or pregnancy loss

• Adoption referrals

Get Involved

Join us in offering hope and a future:

• Pray for our clients and staff

• Volunteer to serve moms, dads, and babies

• Provide diapers, wipes, or baby clothing

• Give to sustain our mission using the QR code below and help launch Mobi, our upcoming mobile clinic bringing care directly into communities.

friendsoflcpc.org

United Way of Moore County

Mission Statement

United Way of Moore County’s mission is to advance the common good by focusing on the education, financial stability, and health of those living in our community. Supporting 17 local nonprofit programs, these are the building blocks for a good life. United Way strives to stop the cycle of poverty so our entire community can thrive. United Way also supports the community with 2-1-1 Information and Referral service, connecting our residents to local health and human service support when they need help. This year’s campaign reminds everyone to give where you live!

Partners

United Way of Moore County partners with and funds 17 local charitable organizations and 20 programs: American Red Cross, The Arc of Moore County, Bethany House, Bethesda, Inc., Boy Scouts of America, Friend to Friend, Meals on Wheels of the Sandhills, Moore County 4-H, Partners for Children & Families, Sandhills Moore Coalition for Human Care, Sandhills Student Assistance

Program, The C.A.R.E. Group, Weymouth Center For The Arts & Humanities (Weymouth Equestrians), Northern Moore Family Resource Center, Moore Montessori Community School Healthy Child Learning Trail, Sandhills Children’s Center.

Fundraising

The 2025 fundraising campaign brings an opportunity to purchase a limited number of raffle tickets for a 3 Day/2Night Package for two at Pinehurst Resort. Only 100 raffle tickets for $100 each are available for a chance to win. This 3 day/2 night stay includes: accommodations, breakfast and dinner daily and one round of golf per day, including play on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course! Raffle tickets will be available November 15th at TicketMeSandhills.com.

This page made possible by Duke Energy

TambraPlace

Mission

To provide a safe, nurturing, social learning environment of homeless and at risk youth.

Who We Serve

Homeless Youth and Youth Aging out of Foster Care 18-24

Upcoming Events

Adopt a Youth Christmas Sponsorship

Fundraising Goals

Homeless youth educational and personal needs. Raising funding for a 3rd Haven.

Programs

Kelly House, Stonehouse, Outreach

ywthmoore@gmail.com

tambraplace.org

This page made possible by WhitLauter

Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care

Our Mission

The mission of the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care is to “alleviate hunger and financial strains of struggling households in Moore County.”

Who We Serve

The Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care is a state chartered 501c(3) nonprofit corporation established in 1986 by eleven local churches. Today the Coalition is supported by over 35 area churches, the United Way of Moore County, individuals, businesses, and civic groups throughout the community. The Coalition serves the residents of Moore County, NC. Services are made possible through generous community backing, the support of dedicated volunteers, and sales at The Coalition Resale Shops.

Fundraising Goals

Without the tremendous support received from throughout Moore County, Sandhills/Moore Coalition would not be able to fulfill our mission. There are many different ways to support our cause. The Coalition welcomes direct monetary donations, donations of goods and services or sponsorship of an event to benefit the Coalition.

Annual Campaign starts November 1.

Checks mailed to:

Sandhills Coalition 1500 W. Indiana Ave. Southern Pines, NC 28387

Please write “Annual Campaign” in memo. Donations can be made on sandhillscoalition.org by clicking the annual campaign button.

How to Volunteer

Visit our website at https://sandhillscoalition.org/ or stop in the office.

Belinda Br yant, HIS

Brittany Brown Au.D., CCC-A, Doctor of Audiology, Owner

This page made possible by Hear Carolina

To add an event, email us at pinestraw.calendar@gmail.com

arts & entertainment

Although conscientious effort is made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, all events are subject to change and errors can occur! Please call to verify times, costs, status and location before planning or attending any events.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1

CRAFT FAIR. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The SEC Senior Arts & Crafts Fair is a free event with over 80 crafters. There will be concessions available for lunch. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

KID’S SATURDAY. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Families are invited to a monthly themed craft event to socialize and get creative. Geared toward ages 3 - 10. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642 or www.vopnc.org.

WORKSHOP. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Flameworking Workshop: Make Your Own Tiny Pumpkin. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www. StarworksNC.org.

STORYTIME. 10:15 a.m. Saturday Storytime is a once-a-month program for children ages birth to 5. Join in for stories, songs, rhymes and smiles where caregivers and young children can interact and explore the fun of language and early literacy. There are space constraints for this indoor story time. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.sppl.net.

GOAT YOGA. 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Enjoy a unique and joyful experience while practicing yoga with baby goats. Bring a yoga mat, towel and water. Ithika Acres Creamery, 4273 Gainey Road, Raeford. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

MUG MAKING. 1 - 3 p.m. Create your own custom mug with ceramic artists. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

TRIBUTE SERIES. 2 - 3:30 p.m. “Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience” is a nationally touring Taylor Swift tribute band recreating the Eras Tour. There will be a second performance at 7 p.m. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

MOVIE SHOWING. 4:30 - 6:10 p.m. Watch Monty Python and The Holy Grail. Cameo Art House Theatre, 225 Hay St., Fayetteville. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

PURSE BINGO. 5:30 - 10:30 p.m. There will be 20 rounds of bingo played for high end handbags filled with donations from the community. Fair Barn, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

LIVE MUSIC. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Tracy Bates per-

Fall Market

Sunday, November 2 Southern Pines Brewing Company

forms. Free of charge. Starworks Cafe, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2

FALL MARKET. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Pop Up in the Pines will have vendors, live music, food trucks and more. Southern Pines Brewing Company, 565 Air Tool Drive, Suite E, Southern Pines. Info: www.popupinthepines.com.

MUSICAL. 2 - 4 p.m. Come watch the frightfully funny musical, Beetlejuice Jr. Southern Pines Land and Housing Trust Auditorium, 1250 W. New York Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

WRITING GROUP. 3 p.m. Are you interested in creating fiction, nonfiction, poetry or comics? Come to the Sunday Afternoon Writing Group. Connect with other writers and artists, chat about your craft, and get feedback about your work. All levels welcome. Info: lholden@sppl.net.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3

QUILTS OF VALOR. 12 - 4 p.m. Quilts of Valor meets the first Monday of each month to create lap quilts made especially for veterans. If you sew, bring your machine; if you don’t sew, you can iron or cut out fabrics for new designs. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

CLASSICAL CONCERT. 7:30 - 9 p.m. The Arts Council’s classical concert series presents pianist Miki Sawanda. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4

BRAIN FITNESS. 10 - 11 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to enjoy short relaxation and brain enhancement exercises, ending with a mindfulness practice. Eve Gaskell will be the instructor. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6

EDUCATIONAL TRAINING. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older can come for educational training with a new topic each month. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7

SENIOR TRIP. 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Adults 55 and older can travel to Wilmington to see the battleship North Carolina. Cost is $38 for residents and $53 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HORSE EVENT. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. War Horse event series championships. The event continues through Nov. 9. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

SPARK STORYTIME. 10 a.m. Join a special, once a month story time at a fire station. Ages birth to 5 are welcome. Fire Station 82, 7850 NC-22, Carthage. Info: www.sppl.net.

SIP AND CHAT. 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Come for the coffee and stay for the conversation at the Senior Sip and Chat. This casual and open program offers a chance for older adults to socialize, make friends and share stories. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

LUNCH BUNCH. 11:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to dine on different cuisines each month at area restaurants. Carpool with friends or meet at the restaurant. Dining locations will be chosen the week before. Info: (910) 692-7376.

TEA IN THE SANDHILLS. 1 - 2 p.m. Presenter John Bowman will discuss how to grow, harvest and brew different types of teas. Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, 3245 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

OPENING RECEPTION. 5 - 7 p.m. Annual fall exhibit and sale. The opening weekend will continue on Nov. 8, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Meet

the artists as they paint in their studios. There will be cookies and punch. The sale will remain open through Dec. 18. Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. Info: www.artistleague.org.

FIRST FRIDAY. 5 - 9 p.m. Join the fun during this free concert series. Jocelyn and the Sweet Compression performs. The Green Space, Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

MOONLIGHT HIKE. 5:30 p.m. All ages are welcome to discover nature by moonlight. Listen to the sounds of the night as you walk the trail. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Don’t forget to bring a flashlight. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

OPENING RECEPTION. 6 - 8 p.m. The Arts Council of Moore County presents “Framing Form ” The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 20. Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2787 or www.mooreart.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8

COMMUNITY YARD SALE. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Enjoy shopping 30 - 40 individual outdoor booths offering handmade crafts, modern tools and electronics, vintage and antique collectibles and an assortment of everyday household items and clothes.

A food truck will be on-site. The Bee’s Knees, 125 N.C. 73, Pinehurst. Info: www.facebook.com/ BeesKneesPinehurst.

VETERANS PARADE. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. The annual Southern Pines Veterans Day Parade is a great opportunity for the whole family to support our troops and veterans. If you are a local veteran, let us honor you by being in the parade. Downtown Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376 or www.sandhillsveteransfestival.com.

WORKSHOP. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Make your own solid glass mini pumpkin. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

BOOK SWAP. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Bring a book, take a book. Readers of all ages are welcome. Please bring no more than 10 gently used books to trade and discover something new to you. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: mhoward@sppl.net.

MET OPERA. 1 p.m. La Boheme. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

TEA WORKSHOP. 4 - 7 p.m. Make your own tea lights and tea towels while sipping on tea made from herbs on the farm. LB’s Farm, 965 Pinewood Church Road, Cameron. Info: www. ticketmesandhills.com.

LIVE MUSIC. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Bad Penny performs. Free of charge. Starworks Cafe, 100 Russell

Christ Church

Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

CHORUS. 7 p.m. The Golf Capital Chorus, a men’s barbershop harmony group, will hold its 44th annual show. This year’s production is “Rock ’n’ Roll Classics.” The featured guest is Secret Best Friends, an award-winning barbershop quartet. BPAC, Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info and tickets: www.golfcapitalchorus.org or www.ticketmesandhills.com.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9

BOOK EVENT. 2 - 3:30 p.m. Kimberly Daniels Taws will be in conversation with Lily King to discuss her novel Heart the Lover. Country Club of North Carolina, 1600 Morganton Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

STEAM. 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Elementary-aged children and their caregivers are invited to learn about science, technology, engineering, art and math and to participate in STEAM projects and activities. This month you can learn to make butter in a jar. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10

BOOK EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Attend a book launch with local author Katrina Denza for her new short story collection, Burner and Other Stories. Weymouth Center, 555 E. Connecticut Ave.,

Your neighborhood butcher and more, including Certified Angus Beef, Homemade Prepared Entrees & Sides, Gourmet Grocery, Wines, and Desserts!

Located at 1010 Old US Hwy 1, Southern Pines, NC 28387 910-684-8454

southernpines@nybutcher net 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. - Sat. 5 p.m. Sun.

Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

CONCERT. 6:30 - 8 p.m. The Sandhills Community College Jazz Band presents “A Cavalcade of Big Bands!” The event is free but tickets are required. Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

PHOTO CLUB. 7 p.m. Sandhills Photo Club’s monthly meeting presents “Basics of Birding,” by Kate Silvia. Learn the art of birding as a way to connect with the environment and gain the technical skills needed. Guests are welcome. Sandhills Horticultural Center Ball Visitors Center, 3245 Airport Road, Southern Pines. Info: www.sandhillsphotoclub.org

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE. The Sandhills Woman’s Exchange is hosting its holiday open house through Nov. 14. Sandhills Woman’s Exchange, 15 Azalea Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-4677 or www.sandhillswe.org.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

SENIOR SHOPPING. 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Adults 55 and older can join Southern Pines Parks and Recreation to travel to Fayetteville for shopping at Hamrick’s, followed by lunch. Each month enjoy a new shopping location and restaurant in Fayetteville. Cost is $4 for residents and $6 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HATHA YOGA. 10 - 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older can increase flexibility, balance, stability and muscle

NOVEMBER CALENDAR

tone while learning the basic principles of alignment and breathing. Gain strength, improve circulation and reduce chronic pain practicing gentle yoga postures and mindfulness. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

AARP TALK. 12 - 12:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to join AARP for a fraud talk. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MOVIE SHOWING. 6 - 8 p.m. Join a special premier of Air Angels: Flight Helene. Cameo Art House Theatre, 225 Hay St., Fayetteville. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12

TECH TIME. 11 a.m. Attend a walk-in tech time to get hands-on help with tech questions. Whether you’re new to computers, want to learn more about your smartphone or want to learn how to use your eReader, staff will guide you. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: jmilford@sppl.net.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13

MONTHLY TOUR. 10 a.m. With the Sandhills Community College garden as the canvas, stroll along the paths to learn about the works of art that were purchased, donated or given to honor

someone. Ciao Bella and The Dog Ate My Homework are among the works on this tour. Free of charge. Limit 15 people. Info: www.sandhills.edu/ horticultural-gardens.

CORNHOLE. 12 - 1 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to work on that aim and have some fun with friends. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HOT GLASS, COLD BEER. 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Watch live glassblowing with guest artists plus enjoy craft brews. Entry fee is $5. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

LIVE MUSIC. 7 - 9 p.m. The Radio performs. Free of charge. Starworks Cafe, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15

HORSE EVENT. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Dressage at the Park and Junior Field Hunter Trials. The events continue through Nov. 16. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

WELDING WORKSHOP. 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Expand your welding skills during this intermediate welding workshop. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

STATE PARK VISIT. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Teens ages 13 - 17 can visit Raven Rock State Park in Harnett

County and enjoy trails and time in nature. Pack a picnic lunch to eat at the park. Buses depart from the Rec Center at Memorial Park, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Cost is $10 for residents and $14 for non-residents. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HOLIDAY MARKET PREVIEW. 5 - 7 p.m. Donors can preview the holiday market early. Shop handcrafted gifts in glass, ceramics and more. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

MOMS UNHINGED. 5:30 - 7 p.m. Moms Unhinged — Sweet and Spicy — the “Sweet Show.” The show begins at 8 p.m. Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.sunrisetheater.com.

DANCE. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Join the fun with Carolina Pines Dance Club for swing, shag, ballroom, Latin and line dances. Cost is $10 per person. Given Outpost, 95 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 331-9965.

TRIVIA NIGHT. 7 - 9 p.m. Compete for prizes in trivia games. Free of charge. Starworks Cafe, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16

SEMINAR. 2:30 p.m. Join local nonprofit cat rescue groups for a trap, neuter, release (TNR) seminar. This strategy helps mitigate the feral and stray cat population. The event is free to attend. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W.

Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18

BRAIN FITNESS. 10 - 11 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to enjoy short relaxation and brain enhancement exercises, ending with a mindfulness practice. Eve Gaskell will be the instructor. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BINGO. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to play 10 games of bingo. Cost is $4 for residents and $6 for non-residents. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CREATIVITY CLUB. 3:45 p.m. Creativity Club at the fire station is a new program meeting monthly. Project this month is gourd art. Activities are designed for kids in grades K-5 but are adaptable to other ages and abilities. Caregiver participation is required. Fire Station 82, 7850 N.C. 22, Carthage. Info: www. southernpines.net/FormCenter/Library-11/ Creativity-Club-Registration-117.

BOOK EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Kimberly Daniels Taws of The Country Bookshop will be in conversation with Libby Buck, author of Port Anna. The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19

LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN. 10 a.m. Sandhills Woman’s Exchange will present this month’s Lunch ‘n’ Learn program featuring “Founding Farmers: The Sandhills Board of Trade.” The $30 per person ticket includes a Chef Katrina lunch after the program. Info: (910) 295-4677 or www.sandhillswe.org.

SENIOR TALK. 10 - 10:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older can join Senior Care Authority each month for a different topic. This month’s topic will be “Brain Health and Aging: What You Can Do Today.” Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20

WOODPECKER PRESENTATION. 1 - 2 p.m. Join Gabriela Garrison, the Eastern Piedmont habitat conservation coordinator for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, discussing the species of woodpeckers that are found in the Sandhills. Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, 3245 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

HORSE EVENT. 6 - 7:30 p.m. N.C. Cooperative Extension educational event on equine law. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE. 6:30 p.m. This month’s speaker will be historian Jamie Amanda

The

Martinez with a presentation on “The Use of Slave Labor During the Civil War.” Meeting starts at 7 p.m. Open to the public. Civic Club, corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Ashe Street, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 246-0452 or mafarina@aol.com.

OPEN MIC NIGHT. 7 - 9 p.m. Share your talent or enjoy the show. Free of charge. Starworks Cafe, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21

BOOK EVENT. 6 - 7 p.m. Pace Yourself Run Company and The Country Bookshop are partnering for a meet-the-author event with Jared Beasley discussing his new book, The Endurance Artist. Pace Yourself Run Company, 205 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

BALLET. 7:30 p.m. Enjoy the enchanting tradition of The Nutcracker performed by Taylor Dance. There will be additional performances on Nov. 22 and 23 at 2 p.m. BPAC, Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.taylordance. org or www.ticketmesandhills.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22

CRAFT DAYS. Children and families can come by the library for a drop-in craft day to work on a fun, hands-on craft at their own pace. Crafts are designed for children in grades K-5 and their families. This is a self-guided activity, so caregivers should plan to assist as needed. (While

supplies last.) Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

TURKEY TROT. Runners can trek through the streets and neighborhoods of our beautiful village. The Village Arboretum, 375 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

HORSE EVENT. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sedgefield at the Park “C” rated hunter/jumper show. The event continues through Nov. 23. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www. carolinahorsepark.com.

HOLIDAY MARKET. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Starworks glass holiday market is open Nov. 22, 24, 25 and 26. Shop handcrafted gifts in glass, ceramics and more. Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

OPEN HOUSE. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Sandhills Central Railroad Club will be hosting an open house. The club has an operating HO scale model railroad display depicting the Aberdeen area. Free event. Aberdeen Union Station, 100 E. Main St., Aberdeen, NC. Info: (910) 736-7472.

TEDDY BEAR TEA. 12 - 2 p.m. Children ages 58 can bring their favorite stuffed animal to sip tea, eat snacks and do a make-and-take craft. Campbell House, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

MET OPERA. 1 p.m. Arabella. Sunrise Theater,

250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www. sunrisetheater.com.

LIVE MUSIC. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Rusted Luck performs. Free of charge. Starworks Cafe, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24

SHOP SMALL. The village of Pinehurst has designated the entire week “Shop Small This Season,” ending with small business Saturday on Nov. 29. Welcome Center, 90 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26

LIVE MUSIC. 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Soul Noises performs live jazz. Free of charge. Starworks Cafe, 100 Russell Drive, Star. Info: www.StarworksNC.org.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27

WELLNESS CLASSES. 10 - 11:30 a.m. Adults 18 and older are invited to learn about educational topics that can help improve the overall mind, body and spirit. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28

TROLLEY RIDE. 7:30 - 9 p.m. Hop aboard the Sandhills Trolley and journey to Highlanders Farm for lights, laughter and holiday cheer.

Whispering Pies, 334 Mill Creek Road E., Carthage. Info: www.sandhillstrolley.com.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29

HORSE EVENT. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Mounted games. The event continues through Nov. 30. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com.

TREE LIGHTING. 4:30 - 6 p.m. Ring in the holidays with a tree lighting celebration. Lighted trees that line the streets lend an extra sparkle. Keep an eye out for Santa Claus. He is available for pictures (bring your own camera). Complete the celebration at one of the great downtown restaurants. Downtown Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

HOLIDAY MARKET. Enjoy the Pinehurst PopUp Holiday Market. Fair Barn, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30

BOOK EVENT. 2 - 3 p.m. Meet Livia and Maya Benson, creators of a popular baking blog. The event is free and their cookbook will be for sale. The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5

TREE LIGHTING. 5 - 7:30 p.m. Bring family and

NOVEMBER

friends for music, holiday cheer and a visit from Santa. The tree lighting will be at 6:30 p.m. James W. Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road W., Pinehurst. Info: www.vopnc.org.

Unitarian Universalism

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7

COOKIE EXCHANGE. 4:30 - 7 p.m. The Carolina Cookie Exchange is for ages 8 and older. Bring four dozen cookies from a recipe of your choosing and take home three dozen from other bakers. Village Pine Venue, 1628 McCaskill Road, Carthage. Info: www.ticketmesandhills.com.

WEEKLY EVENTS

MONDAYS

(UU) is a liberal religion that welcomes people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds. It is a nondogmatic, non-creedal, and non-exclusive religion that encourages free inquiry, reason, and personal exploration in matters of faith and spirituality.

WORKSPACES. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Given Tufts Bookshop has a pop-in co-workspace open on Mondays and Thursdays in the upstairs conference room. Bookshop floor and private meeting room by reservation only. Info: www.giventuftsfoundation.com.

older. Help offset body aches encountered with desk work. This is an accessible yoga class for bodies not able to easily get up from and down to the floor. Do standing or sitting in a chair. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

The Unitarian Universalist

RESTORATIVE YOGA. 12 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Practice gentle movements that may help alleviate pain and improve circulation and general well-being. Bring your own mat. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

Congregation

WORKOUTS. 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to get their workout on. Open Monday through Friday. Cost for six months: $15/resident; $30/non-resident. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

of the Sandhills

meets every Sunday at 10 AM at 1320 Rays Bridge Road, Whispering Pines

1st Sunday of every month is pot -luck breakfast.

CHAIR YOGA. 9 - 10 a.m. For adults 55 and

GAME ON. 1 p.m. For adults 55 and older. You and your friends are invited to play games such as corn hole, badminton, table tennis, shuffleboard, trivia and more. Each week enjoy a different activity to keep moving and thinking. Compete with friends and make new ones all for free. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

TAI CHI. 1 - 2 p.m. This simplified form of tai chi, a short form of the Yang style 108 moves,

All are Wel come . www.uucsandhills.org www.facebook.com/uucsandhills

Unitarian Universalism

Living our faith by building just community, dismantling systemic inequities , honoring interdependence , and turning values into action.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Sandhills

meets every Sunday at 10 AM at 1320 Rays Bridge Road, Whispering Pines

1st Sunday of every month is pot -luck breakfast. All l are e Wel

www.uucsandhills.org www.facebook.com/uucsandhills

Unitarian is a religion emphasis service. dignity creating commitment justice congregations activism, The Unitarian Congregation meets Road, Whispering 1st Sunday www.uucsandhills.org

Unitarian In a Community, meets 1st Sunday www.uucsandhills.org

is composed of 24 postures or moves giving participants an introduction to the essential elements of tai chi. The program continues through Nov. 12. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

TUESDAYS

INTERVAL WALKING. 9:15 - 9:45 p.m. Adults 18 and older can do interval training, alternating between periods of brisk and slow walking. Free of charge. No class on the second Tuesday of the month. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

PLAYFUL LEARNING. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Come to a drop-in, open playtime for ages birth - 3 years to interact with other children and have educational playtime. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642.

BABY RHYMES. 10:15 a.m. Baby Rhymes is designed for the youngest learners (birth- 2) and their caregivers. Repetition and comforting movements make this story time perfect for early development and brain growth. There will be a duplicate session at 10:45 a.m. An active library card is required. Dates this month are Nov. 4, 18 and 25. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

GAME DAY. 12 p.m. Enjoy bid whist and other cool games all in the company of great friends. For adults 55 and older. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHESS. 1:30 - 5 p.m. Join a chess group, whether you have been playing for a while or have never played. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

PING PONG. 3 - 5 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to enjoy free games of table tennis while making new friends. The games scheduled for the second Tuesday of the month will be played on that Thursday. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LINE DANCE. 4:45 p.m. Put on your dancing shoes and line dance. This is for beginners and is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

WEDNESDAYS

INTERVAL WALKING. 9:15 - 9:45 p.m. Adults 18 and older can do interval training, alternating between periods of brisk and slow walking. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHAIR AEROBICS. 10 - 11 a.m. For adults 55 and older. Put on your boogie shoes and jam. Party up a sweat to great music through the ages. You can stand and chair dance to this energizing, low-impact workout. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRAIN BOOST. 10 - 11 a.m. Test your memory while creating new brain connections. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

KNITTING. 10 - 11 a.m. Learn how to knit or come to enjoy knitting with other people. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

BABY STORYTIME. 10 - 11 a.m. Have fun developing the foundation for your baby’s later reading with stories, songs and play. Open to parents and caregivers of infants from newborn to 24 months. Moore County Library, 101 W. Saunders St., Carthage. Info: (910) 947-5335.

LEARN AND PLAY. 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Attend an open play date with your toddler or preschooler. There will be developmental toys and puzzles as well as early literacy tips on display for parents and caregivers to incorporate into their daily activities. Dates this month are Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

NOVEMBER CALENDAR

SENIOR FITNESS. 11 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

PIANO. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Join Flint Long to play piano or just listen. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

LINE DANCING. 12 - 1 p.m. Looking for new ways to get your daily exercise in and care for yourself? Try line dancing. For adults 55 and older. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHAIR VOLLEYBALL. 1 - 2 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Get fit while having fun. Free to participate. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. All materials included. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

DANCE. 2 - 2:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Instructor Maria Amaya’s dance fitness class is designed for anyone who wants to gently and gradually increase cardio function, mobility,

balance and have fun at the same time. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LINE DANCING. 2 p.m. The town of Vass will host line dancing for seniors every other Wednesday. Cost is $5 per session. Vass Town Hall, 140 S. Alma St., Vass. Info: www. townofvassnc.gov.

TAI CHI. 2 - 3 p.m. This simplified form of tai chi, a short form of the Yang style 108 moves, is composed of 24 postures or moves giving participants an introduction to the essential elements of tai chi. This program continues through Nov. 12. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

LIBRARY PROGRAM. 3:30 p.m. At The Library After School (ATLAS) is an after-school program for kindergarten through second grade who enjoy activities, crafts, stories and meeting new friends. Dates this month are Nov. 5, 12 and 19. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

TAI CHI. 6:30 p.m. Learn tai chi. There is no age limit and the classes are open to the public. Cost is $10 per class. Seven Lakes West Community Center, 556 Longleaf Drive, Seven Lakes. Info: (910) 400-5646.

NOVEMBER CALENDAR

THURSDAYS

WORKSPACES. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Given Tufts Bookshop has a pop-in co-workspace open on Mondays and Thursdays in the upstairs conference room. Bookshop floor and private meeting room by reservation only. Info: www.giventuftsfoundation.com.

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 9

a.m. - 1 p.m. The year-round market features “producer only” vendors within a 50-mile radius providing fresh, local and seasonal produce, fruits, pasture meats, eggs, potting plants, cut flowers and local honey. Crafts, baked goods, jams and jellies are also available. Market is located at the Armory Sports Complex, 604 W. Morganton Road, Southern Pines.

GIVEN STORY TIME. 10 a.m. Bring your preschooler for stories, songs and activities. Given Memorial Library, 150 Cherokee Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-3642.

BALANCE AND FLEXIBILITY. 10 - 11 a.m.

Adults 55 and older are invited to enjoy a class to help reduce the risk of taking a tumble and increase their ability to recover if they do. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

MUSIC AND MOTION. 10:15 and 10:45 a.m. Does your toddler like to move and groove? Join Music and Motion to get those wiggles out and work on gross and fine motor skills. For ages 2 - 5. An active library card is required. Dates this month are Nov. 6, 13 and 20. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www. sppl.net.

GENTLE YOGA. 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to unwind, recharge and find peace in their week. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

CHESS AND MAHJONG. 1 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Bring a board and a friend. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

IMPROVERS LINE DANCE. 3 - 5:30 p.m. Put on your dancing shoes and line dance. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

LITTLE U. 3:45 p.m. Little U is Southern Pines Public Library’s preschool program for children ages 3 1/2 to 5. Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and activities that explore the world of books, language and literacy. Little U is a fun and interactive program designed to help preschoolers develop early literacy skills in preparation for kindergarten and beyond. Dates this month are Nov. 6, 13 and 20. Southern Pines Public Library, 170 W. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8235 or www.sppl.net.

TRIVIA NIGHT. 7 - 9 p.m. Enjoy a beer and some trivia. Hatchet Brewing Company, 490 S.W.

Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: www.hatchetbrewing.com.

FRIDAYS

AEROBIC DANCE. 9 - 10 a.m. This low-tomoderate impact class with energizing music for an overall cardio and strength workout is for adults 55 and older. Free of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

JAM SESSION. 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Do you like to play an instrument, sing or just listen to music? Join a music jam session. This is a free program. Moore County Senior Enrichment Center, 8040 U.S. 15-501, West End.

TAP CLASS. 10 - 11:30 a.m. For adults 55 and older. All levels welcome. Cost per class: $15/ resident; $30/non-resident. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SENIOR FITNESS. 11:30 a.m. Adults 55 and older are invited to a TruFit gym class to improve strength, mobility and flexibility. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

QIGONG. 1 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Classes will consist of chair and standing move ments to help soothe achy feet, tight hips, lower back pain and ease restriction in mobility. Free

of charge. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

BRIDGE. 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. For adults 55 and older. Enjoy games of bridge with friends. All materials included. Douglass Community Center, 1185 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

SATURDAYS

MOORE COUNTY FARMERS MARKET. 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. The market features “producer only” vendors within a 50-mile radius providing fresh, local and seasonal produce, fruits, pasture meats, eggs, potting plants, cut flowers and local honey. Crafts, baked goods, jams and jellies are also available. The market runs through the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Downtown Southern Pines, 156 S.E. Broad St., Southern Pines. PS

Suite 202 Aberdeen, NC • 910.447.2774 genuinehospitalitycatering.com Monday through Saturday from 8:00am to 5:00pm 476 Hwy 74 West, Rockingham, NC 28379 @honeybeebridalandboutique 910.387.9216

ARTISTS LEAGUE OF THE SANDHILLS 31ST ANNUAL EXHIBIT AND SALE

Opening Reception and Weekend

Friday, November 7 5:00-7:00

Saturday, November 8 11:00-3:00

Please join us for the public opening reception of the Artists League’s 31st Annual Art Exhibit and Sale. This is our biggest event of the year and there will be hundreds of paintings for you to view in our gallery and studios!

The opening weekend will continue on Saturday, November 8, from 11:00 to 3:00 p.m. Join us for cookies and punch and meet the artists as they paint in their studios throughout the weekend. The exhibit and sale will remain open through Thursday, December 18, with gallery hours from noon to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

This year our raffle will feature two large gift baskets (value $600 each), 1 smaller basket (value $125), 1 gift bag (value $125), and a cool golf photo of Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Bill Murray, & Chevy Chase (value $500)…5 chances to win!!! Each basket has a lovely painting by artist Harold Frontz, gifts and gift cards from local businesses, an Artists League gift certificate, and many great items that will be raffled at the culmination of the opening weekend. Tickets are 3/$10.00 and are for sale from League members or at the League. The raffle winners for the gift baskets will be announced on Saturday, November 8, before 3:00 p.m. You need not be present to win.

Ask Us About Becoming a Member Gallery Hours: Mon - Sat 12-3pm

Photo by Joseph Hill

RJ & Jared Gay

Larry Jackson, GI Joe Meckel

Tammy & Jim York, Andrea Lange

Maureen & Jason Baker

Cookie Pruitt, Laddie Moore

Jaden & Matt Coffin

Ashley & Wrenley Beacom

The Fleming Family

Schuyler & Nora Hamill, Kelly Rader

Jennifer Schmidt, Erika Brounlee, Bennett Schmidt

Come before & after the Tree Lighting! November 29 5pm-9pm Christmas Market

SandhillSeen Vision

4 Moore

Tribute to Jimmy Buffett

Cooper Ford, Carthage September 13, 2025

Photographs by Diane McKay

Shelby, Rebekah & Robin Peace, Carla Karstaed

Becky Rupel, Kathy Newcomb, Sue Wright Ro Kachel, Burt Ozment

Kevin & Karen Violette, Gail & J.J. Cunningham

Shelley & Aaron Cooper

Robin & Jim Mulrath

Forest Creek Friends

The McCaffity Family

Pat Hollingsworth, Judi Mann-Gagliardo, Louise Dorton-Shue, Lib Orr

Tom Fioretti, Pam Partis, Paula & Bob Johnson

Will Robinson, Robin O'Brien, Mary Button

SandhillSeen

Fair Barn, Pinehurst

September 20, 2025

Photographs by Diane McKay

Brandon Gifford, Michele Lynch

Susan Powers, Jamie Asmussen, Cindy Hall The Hoadley Family

Roy, Duncan, Heather & Beth Leviner

John & Jennifer Hawthorne, Christy Williams, Merideth & Brad Barbour

Lee, Aleacia & Elyon Lambert

Andrea Massey, Lynn Perkins, Donna Wondergem

Richard Chatham, Bonnie Archibald, Shaelin & Stefanie Shakespeare, Chopine & Guiro

Naan Rusk, Cassie Drexel

~Amy Natt

November PineNeedler Peter Piper

Sudoku:

Gee, I Really Love You

Car ride after car ride, song after song

By Jenna Biter

I peer into the rearview

while the Dixie Cups keep singing.

Goin’ to the chapel, and we’re, gonna get ma-a-a-rried. Goin’ to the chapel, and we’re, gonna get ma-a-a-rried. . .

I drop an octave.

Gee, I really love you, and we’re . . . I go back up.

. . . gonna get ma-a-a-rried. Goin’ to the chapel of love, oh, baby. She’s staring blankly into space. The 1,000-yard stare, I call it. And the song loops.

Goin’ to the chapel, and we’re, gonna get ma-a-a-rried

OK. I’m paying attention the whole time this time, all two minutes and 50 seconds. I reposition my hands on the steering wheel and focus on the double yellows.

Spring is here. The-uh-uh sky is blue. Whoah-oh-oh. I waggle my head back and forth.

Birds will sing, as if they knew, today’s the day, we’ll say, ‘I do,’ and we’ll never be lonely any more. Because we’re . . .

Hard stomp, jazz hands, move toward the camera. That’d be perfect, I think. Costuming would be, hmmm, I don’t know, hard shoes? For sure, to emphasize the “hard stomp.”

. . . goin’ to the chapel of love.

Ugh. I stopped listening again. I glance in the rearview; still awake.

Bells will ring. The-uh-uh sun will shine. Whoah-oh-oh. I’ll be his, and he’ll be . . .

I used to wonder why music apps have a repeat mode. Actually that’s not true. I didn’t wonder. I just never used it.

. . . goin’ to the chapel of love.

OK. Now I’m really going to listen.

Goin’ to the chapel, and we’re, gonna get ma-a-a-rried.

I drum my fingers on the leather.

Goin’ to the chapel, and we’re, gonna get ma-a-a-rried. Gee, I really love you, and we’re, gonna get ma-a-a-rried. Goin’ to the chapel . . .

I wonder, when the Dixie Cups recorded “Chapel of Love” in 1964, did they think anyone would loop the song for hours on end? Doubt it, though they might’ve dreamed it.

I take another look.

“Yes!” I exclaim — in my head, not out loud.

She’s “reading labels.” That’s what I’ve named it, when she turns her head to the side, middle through pinky fingers in her mouth, lolling eyes trained on the labels on the sidewall of her car seat.

To give proper credit, my dad was the first to ponder whether the Dixie Cups could have imagined the staying power of their pop love song. My parents originally sang the tune to my older brother 30-plus years ago. We don’t know why it puts babies to sleep; we just know it does. And you don’t mess with success.

I turn down the volume.

Goin’ to the chapel, and we’re . . .

I look in the mirror. Out like a light.

The Dixie Cups strike again. PS

Jenna Biter is a writer and military wife in the Sandhills. She can be reached at jennabiter@protonmail.com.