Evince Magazine December 2017

Evince Magazine Page  1

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Jerdean Luck

Page 6

Second Thoughts

Good Things Happen to Those Who Wait Page 9

Adam Hurt & Beth Williams Hartness Playing Music and Loving Old Homes See Page 3

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Page 2 December 2017

Editor’s Note

Adam Hurt and Beth Williams Hartness know about resilience firsthand because of the house they inhabit. Their Danville home has seen 138 years of ups and downs on Green Street and it still shines. Read “Playing Music and Loving Old Homes” on page 3 and then visit their residence during the Danville Historical Society Holiday Tour.

Another inspiring story, Kim Clifton’s “Good Things Happen to Those Who Wait,” on page 9 tells of the determination of a tenacious grandmother.

Laugh with Mack Williams when you read “Singing O Holy Night with Old Mr. Boston” (page 26). He will tell you that bouncing back from a problematic situation might require extraordinary measures.

“Meditation Moment” (page 19) and “Reflecting Forward” (page 28) give guidelines on being more resilient. Save those columns and read again on difficult days.

Read Diane Adkins’ review of a book that’s perfect for cold December nights at home (page 20) and the review of After the Fall How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again (page 21).

Mr. Dumpty is the epitome of resilience. This is an enlightening book for children and the adults who read it to them.

During this darkest of months, find new ways to become more positive and resilient. Save this Evince as a guide. Your new year will be happier.

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. Clothing and jewelry: Lizzy Lou Boutique, 310 Main Street, Danville, lizzylouboutique.com

December Contents

2 Editor’s Note

3 Adam Hurt & Beth Williams Hartness

Playing Music and Loving Old Homes

by Lanie Davis

Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com

6 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Laura L. Lewis

Associate Editors Jeanette Taylor Larry Wilburn Lanie Davis, Intern

9 Second Thoughts

Good Things Happen to Those Who Wait

by Kim Clifton

Contributing Writers

Diane Adkins, Wayne Alan, Kim Clifton, Lanie Davis, Leslie Dobbins, Mary Franklin, Adam Goebel, Barbara Hopkins, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Laura L. Lewis, Erica Lowdermilk, Casey Malloy, Melissa H. Moorefield, Rachel Shaw, Dave Slayton, Lisa Tuite, Joyce Wilburn, Larry Wilburn, Isla Wiles, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams

10 Bookmark

Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 13 What’s Happening in the Public Libraries

Business Manager Paul Seiple (1.434.709.7349) paul@evincemagazine.com

14 Calendar Clips 16 Calendar

Marketing Consultants Kim Demont (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net

20 Book Clubbing

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir: A Novel by Jennifer Ryan

a review by Diane Adkins 21 Book Clubbing for Kids

After the Fall How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again

by Dan Santat

a review by Joyce Wilburn 22 Where Can I Find Evince DIY Yarn Wall Décor

by Kristi Hall

24 Wine Spot / Wine Dispensers Replace Gas Dispensers

by Dave Slayton

Editorial Policies:

28 Reflecting Forward

Ride Resilience on the Road to Success

by Linda Lemery

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com

29 Around the Table / Like Grilled Chicken?

by Annelle Williams

Photo of Adam Hurt and Beth Hartness by Martin Tucker

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

eVince is a monthly news magazine covering the arts, entertainment, education, economic development, and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding areas. We print and distribute eVince free of charge due entirely to the generosity of our advertisers. In our pages appear views from across the social spectrum.

They do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. We reserve the right to accept, reject, and edit all submissions and advertisements.

26 Singing O Holy Night with Old Mr. Boston

by Mack Williams

On the Cover:

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

For ad information contact a marketing consultant or the Director of Sales & Marketing listed above.

25 How Do I Buy Wine from a Dispenser?

by Joyce Wilburn

Don’t Forget to Pick Up the December Edition of Showcase Magazine

Lee Vogler (434.548.5335) lee@showcasemagazine.com

Deadline for submission of January stories, articles, and ads is Monday, December 18, at 5:00 p.m.

Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

23 Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy

30 Photo Finish

oice of Resilience

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks

5 The Voice of Readers

The

© 2017 All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Community Strong PEOPLE OF THE YEAR

www.showcasemagazine.com

| DECEMBER 2017 | SHOWCASE Magazine 1

Meet Some of Our Contributors

Laura Lewis is an associate broker for ERA Holley & Gibson Realty Company. See page 6.

Melissa H. Moorefield is Park Manager at Person-Caswell Lake Authority, Hyco Lake in Leasburg, NC. See page 15.

Adam Goebel is the Director of the Danville Science Center. See page 14.

Dave Slayton is a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers.

See The Wine Spot on page 24.

We now accept Visa, MC, and Discover for ad payments

For subscriptions to Evince, email cindy@showcasemagazine.com

Evince Magazine Page 3

M

usicians and old-home

enthusiasts, Adam Hurt

and Beth Williams Hartness, were renting the historic McKaughan house in Kernersville, North Carolina, when Adam decided it was time to become a homeowner.

Knowing that he wanted an old house with charm, he looked for one in the Greensboro area so they could stay close to Beth’s part-time job as an administrative assistant for a grant program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Adam’s job teaching old-time banjo and fiddle via Skype to fifty-five students around the country and overseas could follow him wherever they went.

With that in mind, he extended the search for homes a little farther north and across the border in Virginia.

“I realized that Danville is a great place to buy a very cool old house for a reasonable price,” he says and then adds, “and interesting things are happening here.” Beth, who grew up on her grandfather’s tobacco farm in Pelham, North Carolina, lived in Danville when she was three and again as a teenager. After mutual friends introduced the two and they became partners, Beth showed Adam neighborhoods of beautiful old homes in Danville’s historic district.

There was one special house on Green Street built in 1879 with a two-story porch, however, that became etched in Adam’s memory. In fact, the awardwinning banjo player admired it so much that years after first noticing the house, he instantly spotted it in a for-rent ad on Craigslist.

“I recognized it immediately,” he confirms. “There were some interior photographs that looked tantalizing, so I emailed the person with the listing, who happened to be Steve Wilson,” he says, referring to the local preservationist and board member of the Friends of the Old West End. The house was built by an independent tobacco merchant, Felix McKinney,

not on Millionaires Row but in a more middle-class section of the neighborhood.”

When Adam, a Minnesota native who moved south fifteen years ago lured by the traditional music of the region, spoke to his friends about moving to Danville, he often received negative reactions. He says bluntly that they were wrong and thinks the city is reinventing itself in a good way. “In the first six months that we lived in Danville, we met more interesting and friendly people and were invited to more functions than in six years living in Kernersville,” he comments.

“Unlike so many places in this part of the world, I love that Danville has not torn down its history. I love that these beautiful buildings are still here and haven’t been paved over in the name of progress.

I think there’s a way of moving forward without destroying the beauty that has always been here. I think Danville strikes a great balance between the two,” adds the well-known musician, perhaps comparing Danville to the numerous domestic and foreign cities on his concert schedule.

e y Jo to b Pho

tt

Sco

Photo by Rocky Wall

Adam Hurt & Beth Williams Hartness Playing Music and Loving Old Homes

by Lanie Davis and had been vacant for thirty years before it was bought and renovated by Susan and Steve Wilson. After a few conversations with the Wilsons, Adam purchased the home and the two relocated in 2015.

“I grew up in an old farmhouse so it feels natural to me to be in a house of this vintage,” Beth says looking around the dining room

with its original architectural details. Adam comments that the exterior of the house can be a bit misleading: “It looks very large and grand from the front but it’s not all that big once you come inside. The ceilings are tall which makes the rooms feel big, but the footprint is not huge. The more I’ve gotten to know the house, the more I think it was meant to look more expensive than it was, being

Adam is in demand for concerts and workshops because of an innovative clawhammer banjo style he created. In fact, he and Beth, a singer and guitarist with an unique fingerpicking style, spent most of November performing and teaching at venues on the East Coast and their January calendar is filling up quickly. Despite the exhilarating experiences of performing and traveling, their vintage home is always a welcome sight and now they want to share it with the community. It will be on Danville Historical Society’s 2017 Holiday Tour. He explains why, “In forty-five years, this house has never been on the Tour. We wanted to give people in the community, who may have been curious about it, an opportunity to see inside.” He and Beth hope tour participants will see the charm of living in an old house and, with luck, they might even hear a little banjo and guitar music.

• For more information, visit www.adamhurt.com and see ad on page 29.

Page  4 December 2017

Page

ine

agaz

ce M

Evin

Evince Magazine Page 5

1

e 1 azine Pag

Evince Mag

Evince Mag

azine Pag e 1

Evin

ce M

agaz

ine

Pag

e 1

She

Said

Page

id

He Sa

t chwartz er Distric DianpaenS in the Riv

4

p

Rusty LovhyellAddiction

Ha ing It

Barr

iversary

HNT 70th Ann Celebration

roe Marilyn Mon Contest Look-Alike

Healt Enjoying a e3

Mak

See Pag

Page 12

Writ

Faye K

ing

The

See

!

lle anvi

ve D We Lo 16

Page

3

ushner

Tim

Pag e

3

e to

Hal Kushner

Veterans Day

Page 12

November

Page

11

Genealogy

Danielle Pritchett

Detective Bri ngs Family Together See Page 3

Run

The Voice of Readers To the editor: I just wanted to give you a big thanks and thumbs up for the great write-up you did on the Southside Area Tennis Association (SATA) event in “Photo Finish” (August 2017 page 2223) and Rusty Lovell “Enjoying a Healthy Addiction” (August 2017 page 3). Hopefully, this helps us gain further traction on what will be a fun and rewarding pursuit for youth and adults in the area.

Scott Ehrhardt, VP SATA

See

yK

op Clubb len ing 17

Book

Page

to everyone on Main Street in West Jefferson. They were thrilled!

Thanks for a fun vacation tip.

Jeanette Taylor Thank you for taking the time to distribute Evince in Ashe County, North Carolina, while on vacation!

To the editor: Thank you for taking the time to stop by my booth at the Summer Bazaar in the Danville Community Market and for the September

Evince “Photo Finish” page 2223. I am grateful for the time you, Von, and Lanie Davis spent on the feature. I especially appreciate the opportunity to share my couture bridal collection with Evince readers. Again, thank you so much for the opportunity. The feature was amazing.

Sincerely, Jocelyn Coles Owner and Designer 434.251.1097 www.jocelyncoles.com We were very impressed with the beautiful dresses you were showing. I know your brides must feel like royalty.

Thanks for helping us spotlight SATA. We wish you the best.

Joyce: I just got our copies of the October Evince. I have tears in my eyes! Thank you so very much for the opportunity to be in your publication (“Diana Schwartz Making It Happen in the River District” page 3). This is a day for the books, literally!

Diana Schwartz Executive Director River District Association I’m glad there was time in your busy schedule for us. We look forward to seeing lots of exciting news from the RDA. To the editor: I want to thank you for the article “Spotting Exceptional Customer Service” (November, page 8). The Human Resource Department has put it on the Pittsylvania County website www. pittsylvaniacountyva.gov with a link to Evince magazine. Thank you so much for recognizing my hard work.

Joey Earp Mt. Hermon Compactor Site Manager We are always happy to report the positive news about our residents. Thanks for writing.

To the editor: I enjoyed reading Mack Williams column “See Cheese Made and/ or Eaten” (September 2017, page 18). In fact, it’s because of his story, I visited downtown West Jefferson in Ashe County, North Carolina. Here is a picture of me standing next to the same mouse that was in Mack’s picture. Of course, I took a handful of Evince

To the editor: Every month my son brings me the Evince magazine. I am retired and 89 years of age. I just want to thank you for all the features and articles that you have in the magazine monthly. I read Evince from cover to cover and enjoy the variety of subject matter. Keep up the good work.

Dorothy C. Oldham Thank you, Mrs. Oldham, for the kind words and the picture you sent of yourself with son Larry, grandson Lance, and great-grandson Toby.

Congratulations on the birth of your great-grandson (She Said He Said, October 2017 page 4)

Letters must contain the writer’s name, address and phone number.

Letters may be edited for space or style. Submission constitutes permission to use.

Tell us what you think.

Email your comments to joycewilburn@gmail.com or send mail to Evince Editor, 753 Main Sreet, Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541.

If you missed any of the stories mentioned, they are still available at www.evincemagazine.com.

Page  6 December 2017

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Laura L. Lewis I would like to recognize Jerdean Luck, a sales associate at Belk Department Store in Danville Mall, for outstanding customer service in her department and other departments where she is able to assist. Ms. Luck greets everyone with a friendly smile and always remembers the names of her frequent customers.

She will assist in finding exactly the right piece of jewelry for an occasion but gives shoppers time to browse and make their own decisions.

I was recently in the store and Jeredean was assisting another customer who was searching for jewelry to match a dress and shoes that were being purchased for a special occasion.

Jeredean was extremely helpful with questions about the type of occasion and the time of day the special event would occur.

The items I was buying were from another department, but as usual, she called me by name and asked if she could assist me with my purchases. I appreciate Ms. Luck assisting me when I shop in the Danville Belk store. I believe she deserves recognition for her outstanding service.

Evince and the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce want 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 or chamber@ dpchamber.org.

Evince Magazine Page  7

Page  8 December 2017

The Best Gifts Don’t Require Ribbons.

A close friend. A delicious meal. A meaningful conversation.

These are the gifts our residents enjoy every day.

We have a gift waiting for you.

Call today for details!

434-688-0882

www.CommonwealthSL.com

Our Sweet MemoriesTM Memory Care Neighborhood is Now Open!

Evince Magazine Page 9 everything she needed from head-to-toe. “I just want to be there to see all my babies happy and married,” we’d heard her say ever since her grandchildren were born…with Andrew’s marking the final ceremony to attend. However, the closer the date came …the more unlikely it seemed it would happen.

Challenge after challenge had presented itself that she had to overcome. Realistically, being able to go to both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding was too much, especially when a fierce bout with vertigo kicked in. I had begged her to choose only one, but she wouldn’t hear of it. I was so afraid that her mind was writing checks that her body couldn’t cash, bringing me back to my story.

“She made it, thank God!” a man whispered in the pew behind me. Of course she did, I thought to myself. I brought her. For those of you confused by that statement, let me connect the dots.

It was an afternoon of suspense played out in parallel scenarios. Up front, an uneasy groom peeped through a cracked door waiting for the signal to enter. An anxious pianist pulled out a song book to begin an impromptu medley of filler tunes. A puzzled soloist seated in the choir loft repeatedly flashed nervous smiles to the congregation.

Ordinarily, twenty minutes is nothing. Twenty minutes of watching waves crash to the shore is more like twenty seconds when you’re clinging to that last bit of a summer vacation. Twenty minutes, however, feels like an eternity when everyone’s been seated and there’s no bride in sight.

“Don’t turn around,” my sister, the mother of the groom, hissed over her shoulder to me. “Act like everything’s fine,” she instructed. Even with today’s technology, there was no way to know if it was or if it wasn’t. Our cell phones had been left in the car out of fear of interrupting the service. As it turned out, the bride and her bridesmaids were unavoidably delayed and were headed to the church as fast as they could in a speeding trolley.

From our view, we only saw a panicked wedding director and a sanctuary full of guests, some of whom were good naturedly placing bets. Even so, this wasn’t the scenario that had upset me; it was the precursor to it. So unlike the others, getting the bride to the church hadn’t caused my distress.

Getting my mother there had.

This event had been planned for over a year with my sister and me praying daily that our mother could be there. We’d given so much effort to making sure it happened, trying to keep her spirits up when she felt like she couldn’t. She had brand new outfits, jewelry and shoes for both the rehearsal and the wedding. Weeks in advance, like a firefighter oncall, she’d carefully laid out

(LtoR) Groom, Andrew Gardner, and Best Man and twin brother, Phillip Gardner, escort their 87 year old grandmother, Ella Ryan, to her seat.

Second Thoughts

by Kim Clifton ©2017

Good Things Happen to Those Who Wait

Later, a proud grandma and a happy groom.

It was the day of the wedding and we were supposed to be at the church forty-five minutes before the service, but instead we were in her bathroom.

Sobbing, “I can’t make it. I just can’t make it,” she stood in her robe while her freshly pressed pink suit was still hanging untouched in its dry-cleaning bag. She was devastated and overwhelmed. Honestly, we both were. “Tell you what.

Let’s just try the ceremony,” I answered, hoping to sound encouraging as I slipped her top over her head. “We can see about the reception after that,” I lied, knowing it was never going to happen. Turns out I was wrong. Not only did she go to the wedding, she stayed to light the sparklers as the couple left the building. To their credit, the newlyweds have been really good sports about all the teasing, but truth be told, once the wine was uncorked and the prime rib carved, none of that mattered. It was a party. There was music. There was dancing.

They were married and were happy. Most of all, grandma had been there to see it.

Lots of lists are being made to Santa this year, but none from our family. The Lord answered the fervent prayer of this tiny, feeble Christian woman.

There’s nothing in Old St. Nick’s sack that can top that. “She made it, thank God!” the guest behind me had whispered in my ear. Yes, she did, I thought, as I bowed my head and did just that.

Page 10 December 2017

I

f my father’s stories were the tomes of the gods, my mother’s utterings were the common binding twine of the unwritten, just her voice, passing down folk tales seemingly of no particular glory. Yet, I had nursed this knowledge down, long before I could walk to or want from a man, and no matter how I failed her, no matter how much I cut my teeth at the tit, she didn’t push me away until I had some understanding, through her blood, bone, and heaving heart, that injustice against women is both complex and complicit, and how we are all sweet river oppression rising up to feed the thirsty land.

To most, Mother was no revolution. In reality, my mother was a homemaker and she worked a flower garden.

But in her heart, she was a revolutionary, both cultivator and curator of the next gentle flower of feminine dissent. A crook of a finger and a raised eyebrow were her effective mutiny. I was to learn this power; she would have taught me this candied insurrection of her garden, because she tended to one flower in this cause, one. I was that one.

I almost never knew it. I almost never understood her, how I had breathed her in long before I knew her. Of course, by the time I really saw her, she was moving where I could not go.

Doctor Martinez, salt-andpepper-headed, dark, quick-eyed didn’t seem a bad man, but he had no patience for me. His blunt hands and words said, “Tell her to bear down! Now!” I looked in crazed pain to Mother. I didn’t know how.

When I was almost nineteen, almost six months from my oneyear anniversary of my marriage to Michael, Papa sent me a copy of The Iliad from Rome. When it came. I was panting like a dog, alternately screaming and begging my father’s gods for less pain in labor squatting in a beige birthing room in Peace Vincent Memorial Hospital, deadcenter in Boris, North Carolina. I barely heard Mother tell me that Harold, her husband and my stepfather, had put the brownpaper package on the mantle because Papa didn’t have my married address. But she now had the package. I could get it later, she soothed. And yes, I should have been thinking about more pressing matters, like the

fragile clay-and-blood-colored fist pounded air.

Bookmark

“Let go now,” Mother said calmly.

She turned to a nearby nurse, waived airily with her left hand toward her broken right digits, and said sweetly, nonchalantly, “When you have a moment.”

fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

bloody and crowning head trying to rip from between my thighs, but for a split second as I was splitting, I looked raggedly into my mother’s eyes and yelled, “What?” full of spit and rage. “Why would Papa send me something now? Why would Harold tell Mother to tell me, now?” Mother shook her head at Michael in the corner chair wideeyed at my pagan prayers. Harold paced outside. Maybe Mother shook her head in general at men, including the male doctor and my absent father. She said, “You’ll get it later, dear.” She wasn’t talking about the damn book or she was.

With Mother, you never knew. I labored on.

My Papa was in Rome. Of course, he was in Rome. That figures.

Of course, the book was old, leathered, gilt-edged, a collector’s piece. Of course, it was in Greek.

No, I couldn’t read it. But I’m not going to talk about Papa. He’s gone. I understand that things die or can’t change.

No matter what the nurses said to me, no matter what the doctor yelled, no matter what the machine that monitored the cords attached to my arms beeped in alarm, all I could do was scream my agony. This is how life comes for some. I told myself I was greater than this pain; I was going to bring a life, bring something pure and noble. But it wasn’t like that for me because then Mother spoke.

“Poop,” Mother said, “that’s what he means, Anna-Margaret. Push down like that.” And for a second there

was some relief. So I humbled down and followed her voice like a beacon and grabbed her hand like a cat claws the first thing it can reach in water, yowling, hissing and pushing down, ripping like a crab peeling off the shell that housed it; this is also how life comes for some. And still I labored on.

Yes, I knew Homer’s story of war and beauty coveted and anger to die for. Yes, Papa, a classics professor, had read parts of it to me over and over as a child’s bedtime story, pinning me in a history I could barely understand while I sat secure on his lap at seven or nine. But there was no security he provided just now because he’s wasn’t there. So no, I didn’t give a damn why he gave me the book. Papa’s gifts were the last bubbles of a drowning man.

Besides, I knew my Papa. Nothing is ever simple.

Mother grew gardenias, lots of them. In the front yard along the porch, on the side patio, in the flower case of the brick mailbox holder, everywhere. She even brought them inside when they were sick. She loved gardenias.

Papa had hated them, said they were the flowers of death and mourning. Harold just stepped over them to get the morning paper.

I squeezed and broke two fingers in Mother’s right hand as I literally tore the sheet clawing for the side rail with my other one. Mother said nothing until the first yowling shriek of my daughter, until that

When I was little, Mother told me outside gardenias prefer the shade, but still need light. They just can’t take it directly. Mother told me there was something hard in the book Papa sent, but I refused to ask her about it or Papa, and I told her so full of my newfound motherhood, my vast three minutes of experience. I worried about her fingers. I worried that Isabelle, I named her Isabelle, wouldn’t latch right, that it hurt when she tried. Michael held her now looking at Isabelle in wonder, but quickly gave her to me, to call his parents. And after they sewed, and cleaned, and patched me like a broken ragdoll, Harold came in and said, “Atta girl.” I didn’t know if he was talking to me or the baby.

But Mother told me, while they set her fingers with what looked like a splint, not to water gardenias too much, that too much water could kill them, like I would be taking care of them. I frowned, juggling my baby, the pain, the loss of afterbirth. I admit I didn’t understand. She had brought the book and it turned out the it inside was a bookmark, small, slender, 18k gold, with a red hanging silk tassel. There was a flower like a gardenia with a tiny bug on it.

Mother told me the bug was not a bug per se but a dung beetle. I turned away unimpressed. Mother sighed, “Oh, Anna-Margaret, you’ve got to humor them.” If my father raced miles straight into the sun, then Mother lumbered on by night, oriented by the very moonlight Papa thought was too weak to navigate by. She was gathering and rolling and pulling the earth and dung together to make a nest, to make something worthy to grow. “You’ll get it later, dear.” She wasn’t talking about the damn bug or she was. With Mother, you never knew. Now I know you have to get under the root of a gardenia to move it. I never thought I would know that, as I grow my own gardenias on a windowsill in my kitchen, as I labor on. You know Mother died just five years later: Breast cancer.

Long angry fight, dignity a ragged flag of no continent.

Evince Magazine Page  11

Hello, Healthy Heart Maintaining a strong heart means getting to know your heart and staying on top of factors that play into its health, like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, family history and exercise. And when you act early to check your heart health, we’re in a better position to catch any potential issues and work with you to keep you healthy for the long run.

Say hello to a healthy heart. Say hello to Sovah Health.

How healthy is your heart?

Visit SovahHeart.com to take our free heart health assessment and learn about any risk you may have for heart-related conditions.

To find a doctor to take care of your heart, call 844.GO.SOVAH

Page  12 December 2017

Evince Magazine Page 13

Pittsylvania County

What’s Happening in the Pittsylvania County and Danville Public Libraries

Submitted by Lisa Tuite

The library will close at noon on Friday, December 22 and reopen on Wednesday, December 27.

The library will be closed on Monday, January 1 and Tuesday, January 2.

Brosville/Cascade • Wednesdays for Wees: 10am stories and more for ages 0-5 and their caregivers • Wednesdays and Fridays (through December 15): Activate 9am very easy exercise to motivate and energize • December 5: Needlework 10am Crochet angels or work on your own projects.

• December 7: Craft Night 6pm.

Make a plastic canvas star ornament.

• December 12: Needlework 10am Crochet miniature stockings or work on your own projects.

• December 14: Book Bingo 6-7:30pm Play bingo to win books and other prizes.

• December 28: Quilting Fun 5:30pm Learn basic quilt making.

Chatham • Mondays: Mother Goose on the Loose 11am (through December 11) • Wednesdays: Preschool Story Time 10am (through December 12); Computer One on One Help 6-7pm.

• December 1: Crochet 3-4:30pm Learn or get help with your projects.

Danville Public Library

Submitted by Rachel Shaw

• Mondays: Storytime: ages 0-18 months 11-11:30am Afterschool Computer Lab: 3-5pm • Tuesdays: Story time for preschoolers: 11-11:30am Genealogy Open Lab: 11am-1pm Afterschool Computer Lab: 3-5pm Crafter’s Club: 4-6pm • Wednesdays: Family Storytime @ Westover: 11-11:30am Afterschool Computer Lab: 3-5pm • Fridays: Large Group Story time: 11-11:30am Game Geeks: grades 5-12; 2:30-4:30pm Afterschool Computer Lab: 3-5pm • December 4: Monday Matinee: Read It, See it. Wonder Woman (PG-13) 11am • December 5: Ugly Sweater Party 5:30pm • December 5: Walt Disney Celebration 5:30pm • December 7: It’s Elementary STEAM activities; grades 1-5; 6pm

• December 7: AncestryDNA Results Roundtable 6pm • December 11: African American Voices Author Talk: Beverly Jones Hairston 4pm • December 11: Healthy Relationships, Healthy Life 4:30pm • December 11: Maker Mondays 5pm • December 12: Book Club @ Westover 11am • December 14: Star Wars Movie Release Party 5:30pm • December 20: Crafternoon @ Westover 4pm • December 28: PJ Storytime: ages 2-6; 5:30pm All programs are free but require registration at ww.playdanvilleva. com. For more information visit DPL, 511 Patton Street, www.readdanvilleva.org or call 434.799.5195. For the Westover Branch, visit 94 Clifton Street or 434.799.5152.

Gunn Memorial, Caswell County

Submitted by Erica Lowdermilk

• Tuesdays: Bookbaggers ages 6-12 3:30pm • Wednesdays: Lambs and Lions ages 0-5 10am • Thursdays: ages 12-18; 3:30-4:30pm

For more information, visit 161 Main Street East, Yanceyville, NC or www.caswellcounty.gov/library or call 336.694.6241. The library will be closed until December 9 and reopen at a temporary location, 118 West Main Street, in Yanceyville.

• December 4: Christmas Games 3:30-5pm all ages.

• December 5: New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker 1pm Watch a holiday classic.

• December 7: Friends of the Library quarterly meeting 4-5pm • December 12: Pinecone Christmas Tree Craft 4-5:30pm all ages; Virginia Cooperative Extension Nutrition Program 10-11am. Start eating healthy!

• December 14: 2nd Thursday Discussion Group 4-5:45pm adults • December 15: Ugly Christmas Sweater Day; crochet 3-4:30pm.

Learn or get help with your projects.

• December 18: Coloring Program 4-5pm De-stress with colored pencils. all ages • December 20: Virginia Cooperative Extension Nutrition Program 10-11am • December 21: Christmas Bingo 3-4:30pm all ages Gretna • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: Group Fitness 10am Be fit using DVDs from the library’s collection. adults • Wednesdays: Preschool Read & Rhyme 10am stories, songs, crafts ages 0-5 • Thursdays: Learn to Crochet 5pm All skill levels welcome.

Learn or work on your own.

• December 4-9: Giving Back Book Giveaway; Pick out free books and take them home.

• December 5: DIY Last Minute Gift Ideas 4pm Learn to make five gifts and the perfect bow.

• December 11: Pajama Story Time 6pm. Wear your pajamas to this story-and-craft event.

• December 12: Homeschool Connection 2pm Continue on a virtual world tour with stories and crafts; 2nd Tuesday Recipe Club Holiday Party and Cookie Exchange 5:30pm Registration required for the Cookie Exchange to prevent duplicates.

Mt. Hermon • Wednesdays: Mother Goose on the Loose 10am (through December 13).

• Fridays: Preschool Pals 10am (through December 15).

• December 2: Cinnamon Stick Ornaments 11am All skill levels welcome, but children should be accompanied by an adult.

• December 4: knitting 6:30-8pm All skill levels are welcome. adults • December 16: Gingerbread Story Time 11am Come in your pajamas for a fun story and gingerbread-themed craft.

• December 18: knitting 6:308pm All skill levels are welcome. adults Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free. For more information, contact Gretna Library, 207 A Coffey Street, 434.656.2579; Mt. Hermon Library, 2725 Franklin Turnpike, 434.835.0326; History Research Center and Library, 340 Whitehead Street, Chatham; 434.432.8931; PCP Main Library, 24 Military Drive, Chatham, 434.432.3271; Brosville Library, 11948 Martinsville Highway 434.685.1285 or www.pcplib.org.

We’re

on Danville!

Janet Donna • Holley Gibson Owner Owner

HOLLEY & GIBSON REALTY COMPANY

339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540

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

www.eraholleyandgibson.com WE’RE SELLING HOUSESSM

Page  14 December 2017

Decorators from Goodyear stand in front of their award-winning tree.

Evince Magazine Page  15

Page 16 December 2017

December Calendar Abbreviation Key

• AU=Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • CRRC=Cancer Resource Center 434.421.3060 • 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 • HNT=Historic North Theatre, 629 North Main St. Danville 434.793.7469 www.TheNorthTheatre.com • PA=Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org • RSG=Reid Street Gallery, 24 Reid St. Chatham 434.203.8062 reidstreetgallery.com • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com

Ongoing

DSC Exhibit – From Here to There! explores how things move by land, sea, air.

Guided Walking Tours – Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District. Danville Historical Society. www.danvillehistory.org.

434.770.1974.

DMFAH self-guided audiovisual tours. 434.793.5644.

Public Library Events.

See page 13.

Pickleball. River Oak gym 120 River Oak Dr Danville MWF 9am, Mon & Tues 5pm $2 434.793.9648 Pickleball. Chatham Rec Center 115 S Main St. Wed 9am, Thurs 6pm $3 434.793.9648.

Nature’s Palette. Exhibit at DMFAH. 2:30-4:30pm Exhibit closes December 22.

Tai Chi with Wyona – A slowmoving exercise to enhance breathing, calm the mind, relieve stress $6. Ballou Rec. Center Mondays 11:15am-12:15pm & 5:45-6:45 p.m. Wednesdays 3:30pm-4:30pm 434.799.5216.

Let’s Dance – Learn new dances, make new friends. Donna Robbins teaches a variety of dances in a fun atmosphere. A partner is not necessary. Adults 18+. Tues 7-8.30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Art with Judie – Learn how to paint with acrylic, oil, or water color. M/TU – Times vary. Ballou

Annex. 434.799.5216.

Kuumba African Dance – a great workout with live drumming and energetic dancing. Kids M/W 5.30pm; Adults M 6-7.30pm.

434.799.5150.

Prime Time Fitness – Lowimpact aerobics workout with a mix of various dance steps. Tu/Th 9.30-11am. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

Zumba Classes – Hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves create a one-of-a-kind interval training fitness program with fun routines that tone and sculpt the body while burning fat.

434.797.8848.

Art with Flo – Wet-on-wet technique of oil painting.

Ages 18+. W 9.30-11.30am.

Glenwood Community Center; 6-8pm, Ballou Annex.

434.799.5216.

African Rhythms by Nguzo Saba – West African dance to live drumming. W 6-7pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

Ballou Jammers – Acoustic musical jamboree. Bring a stringed instrument or listen.

TH 3-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

Friday Night Fun and Dance – Live music provided by the City Limits Band on the first, third, and fifth Friday. The Country Pride Band plays on the second and fourth Friday. Ages 50+.

F 7.30-10.30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

December 1

Science After Dark: DSC 5:309pm $5 free for college students

December 2

Christmas in Milton, NC: 1-6pm music, singing, tours, shopping Holiday Market: craft show with 100 vendors. Danville Community Market 629 Craghead St 8am-2pm Christmas on the Plaza: official lighting of the plaza, refreshments, and music. JTI Fountain 209 Main St Danville 4-6pm Luminaria Trail Walk: walk from the Main Street Plaza to the Crossing along luminaries.

6-8pm free 434.799.5150

December 2 & 9

The Polar Express at DSC: Families are invited on a magical journey. Limited space. 10am & 4pm $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers

December 2 (thru January 2)

River District on Ice: Enjoy Danville’s seasonal ice skating rink. Danville Community Market 629 Craghead St Mon-Fri 5-9pm Sat & Sun 12-9pm $2/20 minute session, cash only 434.799.5200

December 3

Ugly Sweater/Jingle Bell Fun Run: Run in front of the parade in your ugly sweater and jingle bells. Run will start at Main and Broad Streets prior to the 3pm race and follow the parade route.

Free 434.793.4636 Riverview Rotary Christmas Parade: “Peace on Earth” Main St 3pm

December 7

Bark the Halls: Walk through the Community Holiday Light Show with your pet. Ballou Park 750 W Main St Danville 6-8pm free (dog food or product donation preferred) 434.799.5150

December 8

December 2017

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

December 9 & 10

Murder at Cafe Noir auditions: The Little Theatre of Danville DMFAH 3-5pm

December 9 (thru 25)

Community Holiday Light Show: Ballou Park 760 W Main St Sun-Thurs 6-9pm, Fri-Sat 6-10pm Closed on Dec. 24 $7 per vehicle; $15 per 15 passenger van/buses

December 10

A Williamsburg Christmas: Join the South Boston Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History for their Holiday Open House. 1540 Wilborn Ave 2-4pm 434.572.9200 info@ sbhcmuseum.org Danville Historical Society 45th Annual Holiday Tour: See how old houses and buildings have been renovated and repurposed. 1-5pm $20 advance tickets 434.209.8398 www.danvillehistory.org See stories on page 3 and 25.

Council on Aging Youthfully Christmas Ball: Ballou Recreation Center 760 W Main St Danville 7-10pm $7 434.799.5216 Calls from the North Pole Registration Deadline: Santa will call children ages 3-8 on Dec 12 from 5:30-8pm. 434.799.5150 to register.

December 12

December 8 & 9

Holiday Bingo: Ballou Recreation Center 760 W Main St Danville 1-3pm free 434.799.5216

Alice @ Wonderland: Gretna Center for the Arts 101 Main St Fri 7:30pm Sat family show 2pm & 7:30pm $10.50 family show $8 434.656.2458 Hyco Lake Live Nativity: William H. Barker Community Building 205 Kelly Brewer Rd Leasburg, NC 6-8pm See page 15.

December 9

Janie’s Christmas: Free 90-minute tours of the DMFAH start at 1pm. Final tour at 3pm.

Must register. Space is limited.

Middle Border Bash: celebrate Vision 2035. Danville Community Market 629 Craghead St Danville 12-5pm free Danville Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert: Reindeer, Elves, and All Santa’s Helpers.

See page 15.

The Dr. Betty Heard Christmas Readings: Communicating with Children (ages 4-9): Linda Lemery will be the guest reader. Student Center Multipurpose Room Averett University Woodland Dr. Danville 7pm

December 13

December 15

Canvas & Cabernet: a social painting class, pre-registration & payment required. Cash bar/ concession DMFAH 6:30-9pm

December 16

Christmastime Story Time: holiday activities and hot chocolate. Brewed Awakening 610 Craghead St Danville 10-1pm free

December 31

Coalition of Aging Youthfully New Year’s Eve Party: featuring two live bands. Doors open at 7pm. Ballou Recreation Center 760 W Main St Danville 8-12:30pm $25 4343.799.5216.

For more events see Calendar Clips on pages 14.

The deadline for submitting information for the January calendar is Monday, December 18, at 5:00 p.m.

Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Evince Magazine Page  17

Page  18 December 2017

Evince Magazine Page  19

Page 20 December 2017

Book Clubbing A Review by Diane Adkins

The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir: A Novel

by Jennifer Ryan

Jennifer Ryan, who has spent her career as a book editor, has written her first novel about the resilience of women and especially how they evolve to claim their own power during a time of war.

Set in rural England during World War II, the book is constructed as a series of journal entries and letters written mostly by women to others who are offstage. The characters span different ages and classes.

There is Mrs. Tilling, a widowed nurse, who is in many ways the central character. Venetia Winthrop is a young woman, daughter of the Brigadier who puts class and social standing above all. Venetia’s exploits as a privileged and flirtatious tease, playing all the young eligible men against each other, provide a key part of the plot.

Circling around these two are Kitty, Venetia’s younger sister who is thirteen and wants to be a singer; a young Jewish refugee named Silvie, who lives at Chilbury Manor with the Winthrops; and Mrs. Edwina Paltrey, the local midwife who provides comic relief.

The Chilbury Ladies Choir is established when the local vicar disbands the regular church choir because no men are available to sing. A choral director, Prim, moves to town and draws the women together, convincing them that men are not necessary to make beautiful music. Her positive philosophy seems to infect the others.

She counsels young Kitty to “live your own life. Don’t let anyone hold you back.” The transformative effect of music is acknowledged

by Mrs. Tilling: “Funny how a bit of singing brings us together. There we were in our own little worlds, with our own problems, and then suddenly they seemed to dissolve, and we realized that it’s us here now, living through this, supporting each other.”

The novel has two strong love stories, babies switched at birth, an exciting choir competition, as well as darker stories of the war; these are woven together into a novel that makes it a page-turner.

Ryan researched stories of ordinary individuals in diaries written during World War II to provide insights into the lives of women during that time. Gender roles shifted necessarily during the war, but those shifts led to real change in the ways women understood their lives going forward. As Kitty says, “Mrs. Tilling has been so different lately. It’s as if she’s discovered there’s more inside her.” The backdrop of war and the realization that death could be imminent gives the characters the ability to make choices, to live the life each wants rather than the one everyone else expects her to live. For a book whose central theme is women finding their voices, a choir is a most fitting vehicle. Or, as Venetia points out, “It’s us women in charge now. The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir will rule the world.”

Diane S. Adkins is a retired library director. She recommends the audiobook version of this book, which features several excellent readers.

Evince Magazine Page 21

Book Clubbing

for s d i K

A Review by Joyce Wilburn

After the Fall How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again

by Dan Santat

Finally, the accurate story of Humpty Dumpty is being told. For over 200 years, fans of the egg who is known internationally for falling off a wall have believed the fake news that all the king’s men couldn’t put him together again. In this book, the truth is told in thirty-six colorful pages.

It turns out that Humpty was patched together again but “there were some parts that couldn’t be healed with bandages and glue.”

Worry and a fear of heights kept Humpty from doing the things he loved. But he doesn’t want to be remembered as “the egg who was famous for falling,” so he struggles to climb the wall one more time and retrieve a paper plane that he has created. In a surprise twist, Santat gives readers a wonderful ending that even adults might need a minute to comprehend. After that a-ha moment, this tale of resilience will be the inspiration for the next time you experience a stumble in life. Humpty Dumpty would probably tell you, “Life begins when you get back up.” Like Humpty, you too could soar to new heights.

Page 22 December 2017 Evince

e Page

Magazin

1

Evince Mag

azine Page 1

DIY: Do or Don’t?

DIY Yarn Wall Décor

by Kristi Hall

eptional Spotting ExcService r Custome k an Luc Jerde Page

6

Second Thoughts

ess iams Hartn es & BetanhdWLoillving Old Hom t ur H m Ada Music ge 3 g

Playin

See Pa

Good it Who Wa Things Those en to Happ

Hal Kushner

Veterans Day

Page 12

e9

Pag

November

11

Genealogy

Danielle Pritchett

Detective Bri ngs Family Together See Page 3

Where Can I Find an Evince?

Ten thousand copies of Evince are distributed each month at over 100 locations. Find your copy at:

Riverside Drive/Piedmont Drive/Marketplace Area Buffalo Wild Wings Checkered Pig Danview Restaurant El Vallarta Goodwill on Westover Drive Joe & Mimma’s Karen’s Hallmark Los Tres Magueyes Ruben’s 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co. URW Community Credit Union Western Sizzlin YMCA

Main & West Main Street River District Area A La Carte Home Decor American National Bank Brewed Awakening Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History Danville Public Library Danville Regional Medical Center Danville Science Center Dell’ Anno’s Pizza Kitchen Food Lion @ Ballou Park Main Street Coffee Emporium Midtown Market Rippe’s

Piney Forest Road Area

ERA Holley & Gibson Realty Co. Mary’s Diner Piedmont Credit Union

Memorial Drive

Frank’s Pizza Ginger Bread House

Other

Danville Welcome Center Food Lion Southwyck Plaza

Franklin Turnpike Area Food Lion Medo’s PCP Library @ Mt. Hermon Ruben’s Too Village Pizza

In Chatham Area

Community Center Chatham Health Center Chatham Public House Frank’s Pizza PCP Library on Military Drive In Tightsqueeze Food Lion Frank’s American National Bank URW Community Credit Union

In Gretna

American National Bank Carter Bank & Trust Food Lion Hickerbilly’s Kitchen

In South Boston

Bistro 1888 Halifax County Public Library O’ Sole Mio South Boston Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts & History Southern Virginia Higher Education The Prizery Toots Creek Antiques Mall

In Martinsville

El Ranchito Elizabeth’s Pizza Martinsville Visitor Center The Pacifica Bay Restaurant

In Yanceyville, NC

Gunn Memorial Public Library The Drug Store

Need something to brighten up a blank wall? I love this DIY project because it can be customized easily and requires minimum supplies. You can switch up your décor every holiday at a reasonable price.

Supplies: • yarn/string of your choiceeither one color or multiple • 8-inch silver hoop • scissors • wooden beads (optional) Directions: 1. Cut a piece of yarn/string 1520 inches long. I like when some of the pieces are longer than others. Have fun with it.

You can always trim it later.

2. Fold the yarn and put the closed end behind the hoop.

Tie a larks head knot at the top and a double half hitch knot at the bottom

of the hoop. (These are basic macramé knots. For instructions, search YouTube. com.) Make sure the yarn is pulled tightly at the top before you make the bottom knot.

The yarn should hang below the hoop.

3. Continue to add yarn and knot. I added about 20 pieces of yarn – all in the middle of the hoop. Once you are happy with the amount of yarn, add beads in the yarn below the hoop. Tie two knots under each bead so they won’t slip off.

I liked this project so much, I started making and selling them. If DIYing isn’t your thing, purchase a completed project at www.Etsy.com/shop/LunaBranch.

Email comments to: kristi@funtionalmovement.com.

Evince Magazine Page 23

O

ne of the best lessons we learn as children is to pick ourselves up when we fall down. Our initial response is to cry, reach out for help, and look to others to see their reaction. From most of those stumbles we realize that everything is okay, so we are dusted off and move on. At that age, the reaction from other people dictates the emotions and events that follow. After a while, we start to make our own determinations on the level of severity in each situation.

As adults, our falls and stumbles come more in the form of difficult situations, relationships, and opinions along the bumpy road of life. We have all had experiences that brought us to a place in our lives where we never thought we would be. At those times we wonder, “How did I get here?” or “Why is this happening to me?” There is a theory that the obstacles we encounter have been placed upon our path to educate us about our strength. In these instances

Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy, RYT

The poses and breathing practiced in yoga were created to prepare the body and mind to sit for extended periods of time in meditation. Photo by Clark Davis

we have two choices: flee from the situation and live in fear of its inevitable recurrence, or muster up the courage to face it head on

and emerge stronger on the other side.

The first option may seem easier

at first, but if you trust the theory, you understand that the obstacle will not simply dissolve. When we overcome issues or challenges, we bear witness to the immense amount of strength we possess.

This strength empowers us to cultivate the confidence necessary to handle hard times more aptly in the future. Humans are incredibly tenacious creatures, and underlying that desire to survive is optimism.

Pessimists beware: whether you are willing to admit it or not, optimism is the key to our endurance. We have hope that everything will work out as it should and we have faith in the beauty of life. These are undoubted fundamentals that help keep us grounded and resilient. Everything has worked out in one way or another to this point. Things may not have played out the way you had planned, predicted, or imagined, but here you are, stronger than you were before.

Page 24 December 2017

C

an a city and its buildings be resilient? When returning to Danville in 2000, I noticed that Danville seemed like a shell of what it had once been in the seventies. But even then, there were businesses that kept the faith, stuck it out and are now having their visions of rebirth realized. One of the recent signs of Danville’s resilience is Crema & Vine Coffee and Wine Bar at the corner of Main Street and Holbrook Avenue.

Growing up in Danville, I remember the Exxon full-service gas station on that corner with its attractive red brick exterior and black slate roof. It reminded me of the buildings in Colonial Williamsburg, maybe because it was across the street from The Wednesday Club’s cupolatopped building that looks like the Wren Building at the College of William and Mary.

Today, instead of gasoline dispensers outside in the front lot, Crema & Vine has wine dispensers inside on the back wall of the former service station. Thanks to Steve

The Wine Spot Wine Dispensers Replace Gas Dispensers

by Dave Slayton a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

DelGiorno and Rick Barker, visitors can have either a one-ounce, twoand-a-half ounce or five-ounce serving of any of the sixteen wines on display. The bottles are changed regularly, giving customers the opportunity to taste wines that they might otherwise miss. The next time you’re at Crema & Vine having a

meal with a bit of wine, craft beer, coffee, or tea, lift your glass or cup, and give a toast to the latest example of Danville’s resilience. Cheers!

• Crema & Vine Coffee and Wine Bar, 1009 Main Street, is on the 45th Annual DHS Holiday Tour.

See ad on page 29.

• See page 25 for another story.

• For more information, follow on Facebook, call 434.835.4304, or visit Monday through Thursday between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Evince Magazine Page 25

How Do I Buy Wine from a Dispenser?

by Joyce Wilburn If you want to taste wine from a dispenser at Crema & Vine, here is what you do: • Pick up a wine card at the register and tell the cashier how much money you want to spend. Admit you are a novice and ask for help. Everyone is friendly and willing to assist or…

• Proceed to the wine dispensers.

Read the bottle labels and prices, choose the one you want to taste.

• Insert prepaid wine card into the dispenser.

• Put the wine glass under the nozzle. Be sure to do this before pushing the button to select the wine. Otherwise, your wine will be on the floor instead of in your glass!

• Select the serving size: 1 oz.

2 1/2 oz. 5 oz.

Wine will flow into your glass.

Each time a wine and volume are chosen, the prepaid money is deducted from the card. A display will show the balance.

How Does a Wine Dispenser Work?

When a bottle of wine is uncorked, air comes in contact with the wine. Initially, this process called breathing is a good thing, but after a few days the opened bottle of wine loses flavor because oxygen is reacting with the wine. When a dispenser is used, a nozzle fits into the neck of the bottle and is connected with tubing to an argon canister that’s hidden behind the display.

A layer of non-reactive argon rests on the wine’s surface. It’s like recorking the bottle and the wine is preserved for sixty days.

Page 26 December 2017

Singing O Holy Night with Old Mr. Boston

by Mack Williams

A

fter beginning

private voice

lessons at Appalachian State University, I asked my voice professor, W. Hoyt Safrit, if I could learn and practice “O Holy Night” to sing at my church, Saint Paul’s Lutheran, in Salisbury, North Carolina. He agreed.

A few days before my singing debut at church, I developed a nagging, dry cough. Because there was no fever, the family doctor prescribed a time-honored remedy, Old Mr. Boston’s Rock & Rye, (rye whiskey liqueur, rock candy, and lemon peel) that could be found at the drug-of-choice store bearing the acronym ABC. Not being twentyone years of age, I drove my mother to the ABC store so she could make the purchase.

College undergraduates often ask a more-senior student to buy their liquor, but in this case, I was aided by my much more senior mother.

Photo by Jessica Waddell.

Desiring discretion on that memorable Christmas Eve in the choir loft, I poured some Old Mr. Boston in an empty, glass, prescription bottle and brought it to church in my pocket. A few pre-solo sips did the trick--no tickle in my throat while singing the hymn. Then, just before the choir’s anthem, the minister joined us and sat beside me. Unfortunately, he began to cough. To this day, I regret not offering a sip of my special medicine and seeing his reaction. The angel on my right shoulder wanted to help him, while the devil on the left shoulder wanted to see his reaction to the bottle’s contents. The timid in me won, however, and my medicine

never reached the minister’s lips.

My voice professor, Mr. Safrit, has been dead for some time now. Another of his former students, Russell Scruggs, lives in Danville. When Russell and I run into each other at the grocery store or Main Street Coffee Emporium, our conversation sometimes gives life to our former voice teacher; when we speak the name of the dead, it’s as if they live again and when we sing as our departed teacher taught us, he sings too. It’s at those times, I smile and sometimes wonder how he’d feel about singing “O Holy Night” with Old Mr. Boston.

Evince Magazine Page  27

Page 28 December 2017

Reflecting Forward Ride Resilience on the Road to Success

by Linda Lemery

A

framed picture next to

my writing desk shows

someone marching up the left-most path past a sign that says, “Your life.”

The sign to the right says, “No longer an option.” At the top of the picture are the banner words, “Don’t look back.” We select our travel paths in hope of achieving success, but what character traits does it take for people to become successful? According to The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People by David Niven, there are things successful people do and have in common. Let’s look at a few.

Resilience means not giving up. Asking for help is not a sign of failure. Rather, asking for help is being smart because doing so leads to success. AU’s Quality Enhancement Plan focuses on improving resilience in the student population. When faced with a poor test score, students are encouraged to dig in, persist, and do what it takes to grow toward mastering the material. Faculty and staff have been trained to find ways to encourage a growth mindset (resilient, willing to persist in the face of adversity) rather than a fixed mindset (giving up). The book Mindset by researcher Carol Dweck provided background. I am proud to be a part of this growth mindset effort, because I’ve seen in the class I teach how much a person with a growth mindset can achieve.

Learn From Losses. The author emphasizes that setbacks are wonderful opportunities to learn and to ask questions. What went wrong? What led to the choices made? Is the goal worth pursuing? Is it something the person is suited for? What can be gained from the experience?

The section closes with an interesting analysis of what was different the second time around with students who quit college and returned to try again.

Notice Patterns. Although Niven talks about the importance of identifying patterns as a general way to recognizing new business opportunities, readers could study their own patterns to determine their effectiveness and modify their efforts.

For example, I notice that I accomplish far more routine work in the morning than in the afternoon. I can use that knowledge to shift my work around if I have a pressing deadline to meet.

Success Is Formula, Not Fantasy. Niven says that people who approach goals with “order, common sense, consistency, and persistence will ultimately succeed.”

All of the items above seem to relate to resilience, the theme of this month’s Evince. Resilience means that when faced with barriers, a person works hard to persist. For example, if the person is struggling in college, is the problem time management? Devoting too little time to the coursework? Or is the student poorly prepared for the coursework? Is it an inability to move past the emotional barrier associated with not succeeding at something? Do students think they should learn it all by absorbing whatever is said in the classroom and not putting in time on the topic away from class? Resilience means keeping at whatever it is until the student understands it and can

In this season of expressing gratitude, I am grateful for having had so many opportunities to learn from family, friends, colleagues, and especially students, and for the growth I’ve experienced as a result. The sense of growth and my little sign remind me to brace myself and to embrace the new opportunities that are coming.

Happy holidays.

demonstrate comprehension in a tangible way: homework, quiz, test, paper, presentation, project, and discussion.

About the Author: When she’s not learning again and again from her many mistakes, Linda Lemery is Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.

Evince Magazine Page 29

Like Grilled Chicken?

How About Grilling a Christmas Turkey?

by Annelle Williams

The best chicken I’ve ever cooked was a spatchcocked grilled chicken. Spatchcock poultry or game is prepared for roasting or grilling by removing the backbone, and sometimes the sternum of the bird and flattening it before cooking. It’s moist and tender with the grilled flavor blending with herbs and spices. I thought if grilled chicken was good, why not try a turkey cooked the same way. I also thought about freeing up the oven for the better part of the cooking day and letting my superior-grilling husband join in preparing the Christmas feast. Good news! It works beautifully. The turkey is truly delicious, moist and very flavorful. I think you’ll be happy if you try this new way to bring your turkey to the Christmas table.

May your Christmas be filled with patience and love. Remember, it’s not the amount of ingredients you put in the pot, but the love that comes from your heart that really matters. Merry Christmas!

Spatchcocked Christmas Turkey (Adapted from an Epicurious recipe.

You can change the dry rub, but always use salt as the base.)

(1) 12-15 lb. raw, thawed turkey, or larger if your grill will accommodate

Dry Rub Mix salt (2/3 tsp. salt per pound of turkey) 1 1/3 T mustard powder 1 1/3 T smoked paprika 1 T dried thyme

1 T black pepper 1 T garlic powder 1 T onion powder 1 T light brown sugar

Combine Dry Rub Mix ingredients and set aside. Rinse thawed turkey. With garden shears or heavy kitchen shears, cut both sides of backbone, remove and discard. Cut away any excess skin and discard. Dry turkey with paper towels. With hammer and large flat screwdriver, make cracks in breastbone.

Turn turkey over, skin side up, place both hands on top of breastbone and press down firmly to break breastbone and flatten turkey. Place turkey on rack in sheet pan. Rub turkey with Dry Rub. Place in refrigerator uncovered or lightly covered for one, two or three days. Remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Pre-heat grill to medium.

Brush heated grill grates with vegetable oil. Brush vegetable oil on grill bricks or heavy objects wrapped in foil to press turkey down on grill for even cooking.

I used my iron skillets stacked inside each other and wrapped in foil.

Place turkey skin side down on grill and add weights. Close grill. Cook only until skin is nicely browned about 10-15 minutes. Check every 5 minutes.

(You can see in the picture that some of the skin burned.) Flip turkey, replace weights, close grill top and cook until internal turkey temperature reaches 165°. This took about 45 minutes for a twelve-pound turkey; cooking time depends on weight of turkey. Remove from grill and tent with foil for 15 minutes before slicing.

Questions or comments?

Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!

Page 30 December 2017

Photo Finish

A Danville by Choice open mic event last spring included performances of the spoken word and live music. Participants were later featured in a series of postcards pictured here, highlighting the creative spirit of the region. They are available at Middle Border Forward (MBF), 326 Main Street, Suite 102. The project was sponsored by MBF’s Community 500 initiative that provided financial and technical support to small groups and individuals seeking to make a positive impact in the community. The mission of MBF is to cultivate inclusive leadership, inspire community engagement and create equitable access to opportunities in the Middle Border region—Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County. www.middleborderforward.org. Photos by Von Wellington Photography. For more info call 434.770.3553 or visit www.vonwellington photography.com. See more pictures on Facebook.

Leave a lasting impression.

Von Wellington, photographer

Oh, to have thee wrapped around my finger/But forever resting in possibilities thou shall linger.

Jonathon DeMott, poet

Make the world beautiful, CREATE. Claire Daniel, artist with dog Frannie

We can find just about anything we need, if we look for it.

Stuart Smith, writer

Maybe this is where we’re supposed to be.

Corey Williams, writer & photographer

“Don’t wait around for other people to be happy for you. Any happiness you get you’ve got to make yourself.”

Alice Walker Christy Harper, performer

If you remember nothing else, remember that you were loved once.

Juan Carlos Rey, poet

“Where words fail, music speaks.”

Hans Christian Andersen Rachel Timm, musician

Lay your broken heart on the line, it may be bent, but it beats just fine.

Matt Crowder, musician

Evince Magazine Page  31

Page  32 December 2017