Evince Magazine November 2021

Wobbling & Gobbling p4

We Honor the Dedication of

Veterans p6

Page 2 November 2021

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Evince Magazine Page 3

Editor’s Note Celebrating Dedication

I

t takes dedication to

run a 5K. Double or

triple the commitment if you’re in a turkey costume and raising awareness for a good cause. The women on the cover meet those criteria. Read more on page 4 and then join them!

This month we honor the veterans who were dedicated to making the world a better place. See page 6 and remember to attend the Veterans Parade. Details are in the Calendar on page 10.

Also, Dave Slayton offers “A Toast to Veterans” on page 19.

We are grateful for the individuals who are determined to do an exceptional job—like Kennedy Pritchett. See page 13. Want to make your house a more pleasant place to live? Read “Dedicated to Decluttering Through Yard Sales” on page 12.

We at Evince are especially grateful for the dedication of our volunteer writers and for our

loyal advertisers. Because of their commitment, readers have received this magazine free every month for twenty-five years. Read Rick Barker’s comments on this topic (page8).

We can accomplish a lot with dedication to a good cause.

Thanks to all who are doing just that.

Sincerely, Credits: Amber Wilson: hair; Catherine Saunders: skin care and makeup; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville. Janelle Gammon: nails; Salon One 11, 111 Sandy Court, Danville.

On the Cover: Photo of Sandy Ramsey, Lauren Bunn and Jessica Waller by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Content

10 to 12 Dedicated Decluttering

by Linda Lemery

13 Exceptional Customer Spotting

Bunn & 4 Lauren Jessica Waller

Service

by Isla Wiles

Wobbling & Gobbling

by Joyce Wilburn

6 Veterans

We Honor the Dedication of

8 A Look Back

From Rick Barker, a co-founder of Evince

14 Making Light of Heavy Work

by Carla Minosh

16 Unlocked Doors

Loose Gowns, and a Hardback Chair Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

Copy Editors Jeanette Taylor, Larry Wilburn Contributing Writers Diane Adkins, Rick Barker, Lewis Dumont, Helen Earle, Barbara Hopkins, Scott Jones, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Carla Minosh, Bernadette Moore, Dave Slayton, Cheryl Sutherland, Joyce Wilburn, Isla Wiles, Annelle Williams Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349)

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evincemagazine.com Kenny Thornton Jr, Account Executive (434.250.3581) kenny@showcasemagazine.com

Calendar

Through Yard Sales

Editor / Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com

Marketing Consultants For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

November 2021

3 Editor’s Note

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks

Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net

18

Book Clubbing The Man Who Died Twice

by Richard Osman review by Diane Adkins

evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly; reveal syn see SHOW

Wine, War & the Pursuit of Happiness

Deadline for submission of December stories, articles, and ads is Friday, November 19, at 5:00 p.m. Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Veterans

Editorial Policies

19 A Toast to

by Dave Slayton

a 21 Making Thanksgiving Treat Poached Pears in Puffed Pastry

by Annelle Williams

22 Trivia Night submitted by Scott Jones

Evince is a free monthly magazine with news about entertainment and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com For subscriptions to Evince, email info@evincemagazine.com.

Cost is $24 a year. © 2021 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Page 4 November 2021

Lauren Bunn & Jessica Waller

Wobbling & Gobbling

by Joyce Wilburn

S

organizing the 5K, they have donated over $44,000 to the DSC.

The two young professionals, who are officers in the Junior Wednesday Club, are committed to supporting autisminclusive programming at the Danville Science Center (DSC).

That means raising funds twelve days before Thanksgiving so that children with special needs can enjoy special nights at the DSC. In the four years that the Junior Wednesday Club has been

“All proceeds from Wobble & Gobble sponsorships and registrations go to the DSC. Some of the money is used for sensory-friendly nights for children with autism,” explains Lauren, the Junior Wednesday Club President and co-organizer of the 5K. “PreCOVID, the DSC saw over 1,000 kids and adults participate in these special nights each year,” she says. In the past, the DSC hosted six events annually with support from the staff at Hughes Center, a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) for youth with neurodevelopmental disorders.

ometimes when your

Club’s mission is to help

women and children, you have to put on a turkey outfit and run. That’s exactly what organizers of the Wobble & Gobble Autism Awareness 5K, Lauren Bunn and Jessica Waller, would say.

Dedicated to helping you maintain a

lifestyle

Evince Magazine Page 5

“Some of the money we donated was also used to purchase sensory-friendly backpacks. These bags are free at DSC’s Guest Services Desk and the children can keep them,” says Lauren. For example, if a child is affected by loud noises, earplugs might be in the pack. “If bright lights bother a child, the backpack includes sunglasses for them to wear,” adds Jessica, the Special Education Coordinator for Pittsylvania County Schools, Recording Secretary for the Junior Wednesday Club, and co-organizer of the 5K. She continues, “DSC consulted with The Center for Pediatric Therapies to identify items that would be best suited for the sensory backpacks.”

Jessica explains why these accommodations are needed, “Autism is a medical diagnosis.

Children with autism can become overstimulated by loud noises, bright lights, smells, and textures among other things.”

Lauren, an eighth-grade English teacher at Dan River Middle School elaborates, “It is sensory overload for them.” Jessica picks up the story, “There are many different triggers for children with autism and they vary greatly from child to child. DSC is doing a great job accommodating children with autism to meet their sensory needs so that they can experience the Science Center like others do.”

Although the two women are organizing this event, it takes all thirty-three Junior Wednesday Club members ages twenty-two to forty-four to make it happen.

“Every member participates in this rain-or-shine event in some capacity,” remarks Lauren. “If it rains, just wear your poncho,” she advises and then laughs while looking at her inflated turkey costume. “I’m sure he’s waterproof,” she says with a twinkle in her eye as she wobbles back to her car.

• The Junior Wednesday Club’s Wobble & Gobble Autism Awareness 5K will be held on Saturday, November 13. It will include a fun run for children starting at 8:30 a.m. ($20), a

Sandy Ramsey, left, and Jessica Waller, right, help Lauren Bunn dress for the Wobble & Gobble 5K. Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography.

5K walk and a 5K run starting at 9:00 a.m. ($30).

• To register, visit www. wobblegobbleautism5K.com.

Participants can also register the day of the race at the table in front of the DSC, 629 Craghead Street.

• Awards will be given for first, second, third places in each age group and an overall first, second, third in male and female categories.

• A longer explanation of the Junior Wednesday Club mission is: The Club has enjoyed a reputation of providing important volunteer service and financial assistance to deserving individuals and programs in Danville and Pittsylvania County.

• Coincidentally, the Bright Leaf Brewfest will be held on the same day in the nearby Carrington Pavilion beginning at 11 a.m., making it a full day of activity at the Crossing at the Dan.

Page 6 November 2021

We Honor the Dedication of

Veterans

M

ake time during

November and especially

on Veterans Day, November 11, to visit the Veterans Memorial in Dan Daniel Park on River Point Drive. Among the 6,500 veterans who are honored there with an individual brick on the 312-foot circular Memorial Walkway is a bench and a plaque with the name Archer Gammon. He was the first and only person in Danville and Pittsylvania County to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the most prestigious military decoration awarded for valor in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. To read his story, visit www.evincemagazine.com,

November 2018, page 5.

The bridge that connects the Welcome Center and Dan Daniel Park is named for him.

For more information about the Veterans Memorial Walkway, visit the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region, www.CFDRR.org, 434.793.0884, 541 Loyal Street, Danville.

Don’t miss the annual Veterans Day Parade beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 7, starting at the intersection of Main & Broad Streets. The Danville Area Veterans Council is the organizer.

Call 434.836.0745 for more information.

Archer T. Gammon (September 11, 1918 – January 11, 1945) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military’s highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Veterans Memorial in Dan Daniel Park, Danville. Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Evince Magazine Page 7

Thank you

VETERANS For Serving our Country and Protecting our Freedom

Danville 434-792-3220 South Boston 434-572-7914

Chatham 434-432-2441 Martinsville 276-632-9871

Page 8 November 2021

A Look Back From: Rick Barker, a co-founder of Evince magazine To: Evince Readers

I

was shocked recently

when Joyce Wilburn,

editor of Evince, called to tell me that Evince was celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. Shocked because of how quickly those years have gone by. I reflected on the origins of Evince when a dozen or so communityminded citizens met at Danny Vaden’s office on Main Street to consider establishing an arts & entertainment tabloid. We had one simple goal in mind: How can we better promote arts and culture in Danville? Ultimately, four people, Dan Vaden, Larry Oldham, Linda Thompson and I stepped up to fund the first issue of Evince, with the idea that if it broke even financially, we would continue. It all came together with Meg and Whitt Clement agreeing to be our cover models (see below), advertisers stepping forward, and many volunteers writing content without compensation.

Consider the state of our city twenty-five years ago, in 1995.

NAFTA legislation had been passed only one year earlier and I’m not sure we all realized the devastating effects it would bring. Textile job losses mounted into the thousands each year.

1998 brought the national tobacco settlement that began the regional decline in tobacco.

If that’s not enough to depress one, add the Great Recession in 2007-2009. Ultimately, these and other factors led to the region’s decline, which left Danville with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. As a city, some

Rick Barker, Larry Oldham, and Danny Vaden review past issues of Evince. Picture is from the March 2011 Evince. Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography. publications declared that we were a failure, and unfortunately, too many believed it.

Consider the state of our city today. The region is booming beyond all expectations. Our economic engine is firing on all cylinders. Danville and Pittsylvania County are leading the state with announcements for new employers and job creation. The goals of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research are being

realized. The industrial parks are filling up. The Southern Virginia Megasite at Berry Hill is open for business. Averett University is expanding again! A revitalized River District continues to attract investment, residents, and new, exciting business concepts. The White Mill will soon be under development. My and many other dreams are coming true, as Danville has become a place of opportunity. Expectations and ambitions are higher than ever.

Left: the first issue of EVINCE (a bi-monthly at the time) was released during July and August 1996. Right: March 2011 Evince featuring the original owners of Evince Magazine.

Together, we are creating a city of prosperity.

Joyce asked me to comment on Evince’s twenty-fifth anniversary, not the region’s economy. So let me get back on message and then connect a few dots.

To the original idea of better promoting the arts throughout our region, with all of Danville’s recent momentum, I remain disappointed. We can do better.

We do not have an arts district, an arts center, not even an arts council. Over the years, the pages of Evince have chronicled many interesting, important, and seemingly impossible achievements of our neighbors.

I trust that future pages will report that we “got it right” with regards to celebrating our unique culture.

I trust that our local talent will be exploited. I trust that we will become a community that attracts the creative class and that we participate in the creative economy. The connections between the arts, our quality of life, and our economy cannot be underestimated.

All the best to the current guardians of Evince, Rick Barker

Evince Magazine Page 9

Page 10 November 2021

November

Calendar of Evince

Abbreviation Key

November 1

• AU = Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • DMFAH = Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • DSC = Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org • PA = Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave., Martinsville 276.632.3221 PiedmontArts.org • The Prizery = 700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339 www.prizery.com • LHM = Langhorne House Museum, 117 Broad St. Danville, open by appointment for fully vaccinated visitors 434.793.6472 • Wed Club = The Wednesday Club, 1002 Main Street 434.792.7921 www.TheWedClubDanvilleVa.org

Trivia Night: See page 22.

Ongoing Guided Walking Tours: Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District. 434.770.1974 www.danvillehistory.org DMFAH: self-guided audio tours Camilla Williams Exhibit: Exhibit features her opera costumes including Madame Butterfly. DMFAH Danville Civil Rights Exhibition: The Movement on permanent display.

DMFAH Sale Donation Drop Off: DMFAH Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm; Sat-125pm; Sun 2pm-5pm no clothes, no electronics furniture welcome with appointment davidc522@comcast. net 305.766.2979.

Yoga on the Lawn: Saturdays DMFAH Call to reserve a spot

November 2 Election Day: Time to vote!

November 3 Raising Three Sons in Times Such as These: Felicia Edmunds will speak about her three sons, NFL players. free Wed Club 3:15pm

November 6

Smithsonian’s Crossroads Exhibit. Crossroads: Change in Rural America, an exhibit presented by the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, is located at 24 Reid Street, Chatham VA through November 21.

Ornament Painting: Make three. 326 Main Street Art Collective, Danville, $20 Mainstreetartcollective.com 434.602.2017 Carson Davenport Historic Home: owner of the home on North Main St. in Danville will discuss his Davenport collection and the artist’s home 24 Reid St. Chatham, 2-3:30pm

November 12, 13 & 14

November 7

Caswell Arts Juried Art Show: Lee Fowlkes Gallery and Co-Square Space, 125 Main St., Yanceyville, NC. www.caswellarts.org 336.694.4474

Yoga for a Cause: fundraiser to benefit autism awareness, Wobble and Gobble 5K, 2pm DMFAH freesuggested donation of $10-30 per household Veterans Day Parade: 2:30pm at the intersection of Broad & Main Streets, Danville, organized by the Danville Area Veterans Council

All Together Now: This fundraiser features hit songs from Broadway’s greatest musicals. 7pm each night + 2pm on Sunday AU Pritchett Auditorium, 150 Mountain View Ave. $10 adults/$8 students/senior citizens 60+

Mommy + Me Pour Paint Ornaments: Make three. 11am 326 Main Street Art Collective, Danville $30 mainstreetartcollective.com 434.602.2017

November 13 (thru Dec. 11)

November 13 Fiber Arts Guild Meeting: Diana McManus will present. Share ideas, skills, talents. DMFAH 10:30am-noon free 814.218.9775 Reading of Bertie & Charlie: author Bill Guerrant will discuss, read, and answer questions. 24 Reid St. Chatham 11am-1pm free Wobble & Gobble Autism Awareness 5K: See page 4.

Bright Leaf Brew Fest: Carrington Pavilion 629 Craghead St.11am-5pm www.playdanvilleva.com Caswell Arts Juried Art Show Opening Reception: Lee Fowlkes Gallery and Co-Square Space, 125 Main St., Yanceyville, NC 11am-1pm Awards will be presented at noon.

336.694.4474

November 10

November 1 thru 21 Smithsonian’s Crossroads: Change in Rural America and Carson Davenport paintings 24 Reid Street, Chatham Exhibit open from 11am2pm Mondays-Saturdays and 2-4pm on Sundays. presented by DMFAH

Transformations: Milbre Burch, internationally known storyteller, will explain how she uses storytelling to address social injustice Wed Club free 3:15pm

November 11 Veterans Day: See page 6.

Brown v. Board of Education: Over 50 Years Later: a one-man play; reception 6:30pm; play 7pm $20/10 PA

November 13 Tobacco History Tour: Artifacts from the former National Tobacco Textile Museum will be viewed. Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex, 19783 US29 North, Chatham Following the tour will be a panel featuring Gary Grant and Gale Allen. 2-4pm

Evince Magazine Page 11

November 19 AU Cougar Band POPS Concert: AU Pritchett Auditorium, 150 Mountain View Ave. 7pm free

Professional Comedy Club Show The Tommy Lama Comedy Experience is a spoof on the getrich quick, self-help life coach gurus in America. The show will have a featured performer and an opening act. The Historic North Theatre, 629 North Main Street 7:30pm Tickets $20 434.793.SHOW (7469)

November 14 The African-American Migration & Its Effects on the Rural Dan River Region: AU Economics Professor, Dr. Ernest Pegram, addresses urbanization and the shift from an agricultural-based economy to industrial. 24 Reid St. Chatham free 3-4pm

November 15 Trivia Night: See page 22.

November 16 Rosenwald Schools: Sonja Ingram of Preservation Virginia will speak about rural African-American schools built in Virginia during segregation. 24 Reid St. Chatham free 7-9pm

December 4

Carson Davenport: Annie Chappell & Elsabe Dixon present stories behind the Davenport collection free 24 Reid St. Chatham 3-4pm

November 20 Cars & Coffee: hosted by Old Dominion Classic Sports Car Club See classic cars, sports cars, muscle cars, and more in the parking lot at Crema & Vine, 1009 Main St. Danville 9-10:30am 434.548.9862 Pour Paint Ornaments: Make three. $30 326 Main Street Art Collective, Danville 11am mainstreetartcollective.com 434.602.2017

November 25 Thanksgiving Day

November 17 A World of Words: Charles Davenport, Jr., columnist and novelist, will discuss the cultural relevance of the written word and the horrors that inspired his first novel. 3:15pm free Wed Club Nurturing a Local Arts Community: a panel discussion DMFAH 7pm free Documentation of Union Hill: Anita Royston, President of the Pittsylvania Chapter NAACP, speaks about the recording and mitigation of potential destruction of historical or archaeological resources at the site. 24 Reid St. Chatham free 6-8pm

November 18 Works of Literature-Rural Communities and Migration: Dr. Jennifer Hughes, AU English professor, comments on literature containing depictions of rural communities and migration.

24 Reid St. Chatham 3-4pm free

November 26 HOME for the Holidays: weekly 20-30 minute segments featuring music, greetings, and merchant interviews.

Community members can send ten-seconds of holiday greetings to home@riverdistrictassociation.com and be a part of the production. www.rdahomefortheholidays.com

November 27 Small Business Saturday Vendor Event: free 10am-5pm 326 Main Street Art Collective, Danville mainstreetartcollective.com 434.602.2017

Upcoming December 2 Averett Celebrates Christmas: AU Pritchett Auditorium, 150 Mountain View Ave. 7pm free Christmas tree lighting: 5pm PA Gravely-Lester Art Garden

Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk: Danville Public Schools Education Foundation, in partnership with the Danville Running & Fitness Club and the Danville Otterbots. All proceeds go toward programs, initiatives, and scholarships for students.

American Legion Field, Dan Daniel Park. Children’s Fun Run 8:30am, 5K Race/Walk 9:00am. To pre-register, visit https://bit.ly/DPSTurkeyTrot2021.

Bright Lights & Holiday Nights Parade: hosted by Danville Riverview Rotary 5pm begins at Main & Broad Streets Weave a Bread Basket: 11am-3pm $40 326 Main Street Art Collective, Danville, Mainstreetartcollective. com 434.602.2017

December 5 Christmas Concert: Rainier Trio and soprano Leslie Mabe 3:30pm donations accepted Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 North Main Street, Chatham www.

ClassicStringsDuo.com

December 11

December 3 Christmas on the Plaza JTI Fountain Main St. Danville 5-9pm hot chocolate, cookies, entertainment, and a tree lighting ceremony.

48th Danville Historical Society Holiday Tour: 11am-5pm Schoolfield Rising $20/25 eventbrite.com, www.danvillehistory. org 434.709.8398 See ad page 7.

Page 12 November 2021

Dedicated to Decluttering Through Yard Sales

by Linda Lemery

T

hat’s what I love to see--the “

ultimate in decluttering,”

said a visiting friend on the first of our two-morning neighborhood yard sale.

Having yard sales constitutes one way to declutter, but my husband, Steve, hates hosting them because of the preparatory and cleanup work involved. I view yard sales, especially neighborhood yard sales, as creating better lives for ourselves and others. I’ve been organizing neighborhood yard sales every few years for decades and have noticed the following positive outcomes: Outcome #1: After weeding through our possessions, we’re more prepared and organized for sale days.

Outcome #2: At the end of the yard sale, we’ve thinned our possessions so that we’re not constantly moving them around in search of more effective storage solutions. If we keep just the stuff we use, we won’t have as many things to store, wash, dry, organize, dust, shelve, vacuum around, or agonize over. This year, I didn’t have to haul the leftovers to a resale store! A charitable organization picked up the unsold items.

Outcome #3: By having less, we expand our choices about how to spend time. If we conserve our energies for the activities that really matter, maybe we’ll live more satisfying lives. Example: We want an outdoor space for entertaining. If we’re not constantly organizing things, we’ll have more time to create the outdoor space.

Outcome #4: Somebody can use our excess. When things I value find a new home, I am thrilled they will be used by others. I don’t miss the items.

They are satisfying someone else’s needs and creating more empty space for us.

Outcome #5: I enjoy building relationships. In today’s busy world, we are less likely to know those who live close by. Having a neighborhood yard sale promotes neighbors slowing down to sit on their front porches and converse with others on sale days. I’ve refreshed relationships with several people as a result of our most recent sale.

Outcome #6: Simplifying our lives is important. For most of my life, I only had time to focus on storage solutions because life was whirling along so fast. Now I want to do other things. Thinning my possessions promotes having more discretionary time This year’s new practice: Steve organized breakfast orders.

After he helped me set up the sale each morning, he visited participating neighbors, took their orders, collected money, and delivered the food. Steve was happier about dedicating time to the cleanup because he was well-fed. I, too, was happy with eating, creating more empty space with greater organization, and building

relationships with neighbors.

Maybe next time I’ll bribe Steve with food to motivate him to help with yard sale preparation.

Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

About the Author: Linda Lemery (llemery@gmail.com) continues to read, write, and declutter in Danville. She wishes readers a happy Thanksgiving and a happy Veterans Day. She thanks veterans for their dedicated service to our country and for fighting for democracy.

Evince Magazine Page 13

Kennedy Pritchett. Photo by Way-Syde Studios.

Spotting

Exceptional Customer Service

by Isla Wiles

R

ecently, we attempted to

install a set of windshield

wipers that had been purchased from O’Reilly Auto Parts at 602 Piney Forest Road in Danville. We experienced no success and much frustration. After many attempts, we gave up. I returned to the store where a personable employee named Kennedy Pritchett helped me find the correct wipers with the correct adapter for the vehicle, handled the return of the first wipers I had purchased, and installed the new wipers.

I drove away happy, ready for rain (even though we have had so little this fall) and very pleased with the customer service. For these reasons, I nominate Kennedy Pritchett, Parts Professional, for the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award.

Editor’s Note: Ironically, it rained on the day Kennedy Pritchett was told of his nomination. Isla Wiles wrote that the wipers worked great without any unwiped areas, scraping, or screeching!

We’re

on Danville!

Donna Gibson Owner

HOLLEY & GIBSON REALTY COMPANY

339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540

Evince wants to encourage and recognize exceptional customer service. When someone gives you exceptional service, please let us know. In 300 words or less, tell us what happened. Email your story to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Office: (434) 791-2400 Fax: (434) 791-2122 Visit our website at

www.holleyandgibsonrealty.com

Page 14 November 2021

Making Light

of Heavy Work

by Carla Minosh

A happy brightness pulls together all the decorative elements while hiding the incredible weight of the house behind it.

U

pon entering the double

parlors of our Victorian

home on Main Street, one is struck by the height of the ceilings, the bright ten-foot tall windows that almost touch the floor and the light reflecting in the huge mirrors topping each of the two fireplaces.

The gilded highlights in the wallpaper and the metallic paints in the ceiling borders add their own reflectivity. Natural and artificial light simply dance around this room. Light is thrown through the multifaceted crystals that adorn the brass chandelier and then sparkles in the room’s darkest corners.

Also, the plaster corbels flanking the opening that separates the two parlors are painted in colorful metallic

reflective paints. The electric sconces that light the room are numerous-- two for each fireplace and another two flanking the front bay. They highlight the four-and-sixlight chandeliers and the spotlights that illuminate the art on the walls. Twice we removed, crated, un-crated and re-installed these original chandeliers. Each time we struggled to heft the bare metal frame to the ceiling and spin it counter-clockwise onto the threads of its mooring.

The effect of all the paint, mirrors, windows and chandeliers is one of lightness.

That’s ironic considering how many metric tons of heavy materials went into making it happen. For example, the

cast-iron radiator has twenty fins. It was wire-wheeled down to the bare gun-metal grey of natural antique cast iron and given a coat of clear engine lacquer to make it glow with light. It weighs almost 500 pounds.

Years ago as new home owners, we were greeted with crumbling plaster. Bucket after bucket of plaster came out of these rooms, when the pieces of fallen ceiling and the wall that once stood between the parlors made their way to the dumpster. (Plaster peppered liberally with horsehair weighs a ton.) After the bones of the building were stripped bare of the plaster, 2”x16” joists were revealed, each neatly nestled into notches in brick

walls two courses thick. The pile of termite-eaten hardwood floors that was hauled out, even hollowed-out as they were, provided truckload after truckload of material pulled out and picked up by hand, one by one. A workout provided by demolition is still a true quality workout. The marvel of this house is the muscle that went into its construction in 1874. It was all done by hand. The work that goes into its restoration today is also carefully completed by hand.

The overall effect of our restoration is a dancing lightness, a happy brightness that pulls together all of the decorative elements while hiding the incredible weight of the house behind it.

Evince Magazine Page 15

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Page 16 November 2021

Unlocked Door Loose Gowns, and a Hardback Chair fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

A

llan,

I know now you sent her, Bitty, your mother, to that hospital room, after the...after my rape. I was a sieve leaking. Our girls and Mandy Blue, crazy Mean Keisha and Kwon...your father, Martin, and you...yes you, Allan, I know you were all hurting for me. But I was not hurting. I was raging and bitter. I thought about you and even though there was only a life-rope of grief-giving in your eyes, I couldn’t reach it. Did you know I was leaving you for real this time? I had had enough of the quiet sadness of our marriage, the drudgery of your mother’s hate, and then this--raped on a ride home by a coworker/ manager who was just supposed to take me home ‘cause it was pouring down raining and my car wouldn’t start. Fate is a callous thing.

All I had to do was call you when the car wouldn’t turn over and this never would have happened.

But, Fallen-Miss-Big-Britches took a chance and look where it got me. The hospital had apathetic decor and a room with a heavy door but no lock, so I could not sleep. Three days later, I would not speak to a nurse or doctor except to screech should anyone come near me.

Did you know that to do a rape kit, you have to undress again? Someone has to touch you, scrape for evidence, bag your humiliation. There are immortalized pictures somewhere for trial. So, yes, I yelled, and

screamed, and more. But I never formed a word. After the nurse finished with me, I just sat there glaring. Allan, I was….so….angry.

The hospital would not release me and brought me to this room.

Said I was a danger. Did you know I could hear you as you waited outside my door with no lock? I knew you stood there hour after hour in case I would allow you in, but I never did, did I? You could not see me like this, and so you came back tomorrow and tomorrow and again. I listened for you, Allan. Our divorce wasn’t final yet, but I wished it were. Especially when Bitty showed up wearing dark sunglasses, a grey silk scarf on her sleek, blue-tinted hair. She had that large tan leather bag she always carried.

Bitty told them she was kin; I guess she was, still being my mother-inlaw and all. Her cheeks were in a high blush. She never wanted you to date a black girl, mixed or not, let alone marry one. Said that it was a shame for people like us to bring up children. This same Bitty, she blew in like a storm and she jerked all the clothes that Mandy Blue had brought out of the drawers in that hospital room.

Mandy Blue had folded them for me with trembling hands, with all her myths that seemed so sad.

Even Mean Keisha treated me like china, but not Bitty. Bitty shoved those clothes like used rags in her big purse, my shoes too. I sat there in my hospital faded gown, the back straps lightly tied over scratches and bruises, ready to slap her if she said anything wrong. Inside, I wanted her to say

something wrong.

“Come on, Fallen,” she said and moved toward me when the nurse was in the room, her voice soft, moderate, like she cared.

When the nurse left, Bitty’s voice hardened. “Your girls are waiting.”

I flinched at my dereliction of my young daughters, but I did not move. I looked out the window with a view only of another part of another hospital building. We were on the third floor; I thought of flying. The nurse left glancing back at us, at the window, and said she would be back real soon. I guess she had to go to someone sicker. I could not think of anyone sicker, dirtier, worse off, but I would not beg her to stay.

I edged my black eye with my left hand, the fingernails broken below the quick. I had begged him to stop, and he didn’t. I would not beg again. Ever.

Allan, there is a child inside that will hope for mercy even when they know they are not going to get it. I know this child. She looked at Bitty as she stood in front of me.

“It’s done now. Get up, and go be a mother and wife. You’re not the first; won’t be the last.” I stood to hit her, to at least start screaming, but I felt the air on my back and backside from that loosely tied gown, and went to sit back down.

The only reason I let her touch me was because of my mother. Allan, my mother, you never met her.

You know I hated Bitty, right? And she hated me, right? You never met my mother before she died from cancer in this very hospital when I was about 14, almost 15.

You never knew my mother, her blonde curls, how she told me lullabies in a homeless shelter, how she couldn’t ever get her happy ever after.

Just then, Bitty grabbed me and jerked me to her arms, rough and firm. I screamed at the touch. The nurse came running in the room but Bitty held on while I struggled.

At that moment, I thought my mother and Bitty favored a little, those high brows, pragmatism in pain. And I’m screaming, my arms straight down like arrows, all fingers jabbing down toward hell, but I let her hold me. I did not fight because fighting doesn’t really work does it, Allan? Doesn’t do a damn thing. Bitty didn’t hold me long, just long enough. She walked me out of that hospital in my hospital gown. They let her. She drove me home to you, gave me back to you, and put me on the Downy-washed cotton sheets of our double bed. And I have stayed there, haven’t I? You slept in the den you still sleep in sometimes when I dream wrong and sad. I know some nights when I cannot bear the thought of a touch, the weight of possible harm, you who are innocent, you still don’t leave, how you pull the hardback chair from the kitchen to the threshold of our bedroom door, watching over me. I never thanked you for sending her, Bitty. I do now. Because tonight it’s raining and I’m thinking of the tough touch of rain, blind fate uncaring on whom it lands.

Fallen

Evince Magazine Page 17

Page 18 November 2021

Book Clubbing

The Man Who Died Twice

rabble-rouser in years past and exemplifies kindness as well as swagger. Rounding out the quartet is Joyce, who seems to be a sweet, oblivious older woman, but who reveals herself to be not only compassionate and empathetic, but also a keen observer. Her journal entries, sprinkled throughout the book, tie everything together while interjecting humor into the narrative. Her musings reveal just how much the four care about each other and for the victims of the crimes.

by Richard Osman review by Diane Adkins

T

he Thursday Murder

Club—Elizabeth, Ron,

Ibrahim, and Joyce— are four septuagenarians who live at Coopers Chase, a retirement community. They spend their Thursdays together in the Jigsaw Room looking at cold case files, trying to solve old crimes the police have failed to crack. Until, that is, a real crime happens in their midst.

Author Richard Osman, a British TV executive who hosts a popular game show in England, debuted as a novelist in 2020 with The Thursday Murder Club. The Man Who Died Twice is the second in the series.

The plot lines of this story are so cleverly intertwined they are reminiscent of the masters of the mystery genre. A letter, apparently from a dead man but actually from Elizabeth’s exhusband, Douglas, starts a case that will involve the Mafia, MI6, a teen thug and a local drug dealer. Douglas is involved in a situation with stolen diamonds and a middleman who holds valuable collateral for crooks.

Because the club members appear to be harmless elderly people dabbling in what is clearly not their business, they are consistently underestimated as they unravel the many

threads that tie several crimes together.

Long after you forget who killed whom, you will remember the characters.

These four are not what normally comes to mind when we think of the residents of a retirement community, illustrating that believing generalizations about older adults can be problematic.

Elizabeth is clearly the leader of the team, a former spy. But the other three bring their own brilliant skills to the case as well. Ibrahim is a psychiatrist, methodical and careful. Ron was a political

Despite the serious plot, this is a book full of wit and humor with an irresistible cast of characters. It’s a great story with just enough of the plot left untidied to guarantee there’s another book on the way.

What could be better?

Diane S. Adkins is a retired Director of Pittsylvania County Library System.

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Evince Magazine Page 19

The U.S. military branches of service include: the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force (not pictured). Photo by Dave Slayton.

Wine, War, and the Pursuit of Happiness

A Toast to Veterans

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

D

escribing veteran-owned

wineries for Food & Wine

magazine in 2017, Ray Isle stated, “We don’t usually think of wine and the U.S. military as going hand in hand.” I agree, but I do think of veterans when I read the phrase life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Wine & War: the French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France’s Greatest Treasure by Don Kladstrup and Petie Kladstrup tells the story of the French wine industry’s activities during World War II that prevented their wine from being taken away from France. Here’s a passage: “(Winemaker Jean-Michel) Chevreau and others throughout the country were engaged in a special kind of resistance--not the Resistance but one that journalist Janet Flanner called “hiding, fibbing and fobbing off.” Not

only were enormous quantities of wine hidden from the Germans, but the French, according to Flanner, also “patriotically lied about the quality of the stuff they delivered to the enemy who ordered vintage Burgundies and ignorantly accepted piquette (thin, tart wine unfit for sale).”

They also fobbed off watereddown wines and brandy to their conquerors, selling them diluted grand crus, watery champagne and “60-proof eau-de-vie in place of 80-proof cognac they had paid for.”

My understanding of some of these terms: • vintage Burgundies are wines (chardonnay or pinot noir) that were produced after a particularly good growing season in the French region of Burgundy.

• Grand cru is often a regional

wine classification that designates a vineyard known for its favorable reputation in producing wine.

• Eau-de-vie refers to a kind of brandy that is not aged and distilled from any fruit other than grapes.

• Fobbed off comes from our English cousins who originated it when in 1381 a king’s tax collector was sent packing by the villagers of Fobbing for trying to collect a poll tax. Ah trivia!

Veterans of different nationalities saved France and its wine in 1945. Veterans have always protected our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I propose a toast to all veterans and a sincere thank you for your service!

Cheers!

The U.S. Armed Forces • As the oldest branch of the U.S. Military, the Army protects the security of the United States and its resources.

• The Navy delivers combatready Naval forces while maintaining security in the air and at sea.

• The Coast Guard is a maritime force offering military, law enforcement, humanitarian, regulatory and diplomatic capabilities.

• The Marine Corps is often first on the ground in combat situations.

• The Air Force protects American interests at home and abroad with a focus on air power.

• The Space Force defends U.S. interests on land, in the air, and from orbit with a range of advanced training and technology.

Information gathered from www.todaysmilitary.com.

Page 20 November 2021

Evince Magazine Page 21

Making a Thanksgiving Treat Poached Pears in Puffed Pastry

by Annelle Williams winner of the national 2002 Sutter Home Recipe Contest

A

long with my traditional

persimmon pudding for

Thanksgiving, I’m adding a new dessert to the menu. It’s pears poached in a honey-cinnamon-vanilla mixture, then wrapped in

puff pastry strips and baked.

It’s delicious and results in a beautiful presentation. The added bonus is the aroma that will fill your home while the pears are poaching.

Poached Pears in Puff Pastry 4 servings

4 pears with stems 3 cups water 2 cups sugar 2/3 cup honey 1 lemon, halved 3 sticks of cinnamon

8 cloves 1 T real vanilla 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed 1 egg, slightly beaten

Peel the pears, leaving stems. Slice a bit from each bottom to make it stand level.

Bring water, honey, sugar, lemon halves, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat, add pears, and simmer 18-20 minutes turning the pears after 10 minutes.

Remove pears with a slotted spoon to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cool for 5 minutes. Strain syrup and pour back into saucepan. Simmer 15-20 minutes over low heat until thick and syrupy.

Preheat oven to 400°. On floured surface, unfold pastry sheet. Slice into 1/2 inch wide strips. Brush strips lightly with beaten egg. Starting at the bottom, wrap each pear in the strips, egg-washed side out. When one strip ends, add another until pear is completely wrapped in pastry. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and puffed. Serve warm, drizzled with syrup. I don’t think anyone would complain about a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Page 22 November 2021

Trivia Night submitted by Scott Jones

1. What famous magician and escapologist died of peritonitis secondary to a ruptured appendix on October 31, 1926?

2. Because the budget was so low, producers of the 1978 film Halloween secured the cheapest mask it could find for its lead villain, Michael Myers, and spray painted it white.

Who was the face on the mask?

3. What film, based on a novel

by Stephen King, is the highest grossing horror film of all time?

4. The defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s was given what moniker?

5. Who wrote the short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?

6. What 1993 Disney film about a trio of resurrected witches was originally titled Halloween House?

7. In Edgar Allan Poe’s narrative poem The Raven, what is the only word spoken by the titular bird?

8. A deluxe reissue of Lady Gaga’s 2008 debut studio album The Fame was given what new title?

9. What actor is best known for

The Name Is the Same 1. a car rental agency at a Texas landmark 2. a soaring song about a local brewery 3. a Joni Mitchell song about Joaquin’s brother 4. a Mariah Carey song about a sandwich 5. an agreement about a Honda 6. a corned beef sandwich and an American Idol runner-up 7. a humorist who “don’t impress me much” 8. a woodland grass ecosystem in the Hostess City of the South 9. a young TV chef 10.a band with more than a feelin’ about a northern city

Answers to The Name Is the Same 1. Alamo 2. Ballad 3. River 4. Hero 5. Accord 6. Reuben 7. Twain 8. Savannah 9. Child 10. Boston

Halloween Themes

playing Freddie Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series?

10.Danny Elfman wrote great music as part of his decadeslong creative partnership with director Tim Burton.

What band is Elfman most closely associated with? They disbanded after a farewell concert on October 31, 1995.

Answers to Halloween Themes 1. Harry Houdini 2. William Shatner 3. It 4. Purple People Eaters 5. Washington Irving 6. Hocus Pocus 7. Nevermore 8. The Fame Monster 9. Robert Englund 10. Oingo Boingo

z

oom in to Trivia Night on

the first and third Mondays

of the month at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, email scott. jones@richmond.edu. These were the questions from the October Trivia Night.

Evince Magazine Page 23

Page 24 November 2021