Evince Magazine April 2019

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Page 6

Throw Out the Mess & Organize the Rest Page 9

Brittany Francis & Ashley Forbis

Photo Finish Page 12

Cheering for Healthy Women See Page 5

Page  2 April 2019

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Editor’s Note

If you want to know what hope looks like, turn back to the cover picture. Brittany Francis and Ashley Forbis have confidence and faith that whatever comes your way---you can handle it! Read page 5.

Do you think your home is a hopeless mess? It’s not. Read “Throw Out the Mess and Organize the Rest” on page 9 to learn about the 360 Project.

“High Hopes” is the subject of Linda Lemery’s article on page 10.

At its conclusion, there is an invitation for you.

Slow down for a “Meditation Moment” on page 11. It may help you readjust your thoughts for a day filled with promise.

Dave Slayton believes that with hope and wine anything is possible. Read page 10 and see if you agree. “Book Clubbing” on page 11 offers three books that are guaranteed to inspire.

Just for laughs, look at the pigs in Photo Finish on page 12.

Yes, pigs. On another note--do you like cream puffs? Why not make some using the recipe on page 14? Don’t forget our regular features: “Renovation Reality,” “Second Thoughts,” Telisha Leigg’s fiction, and the April calendar of events.

Spring is the season of hope. If cute caterpillars can be wormy creatures one day and beautiful butterflies the next, anything is possible. Remember: you can’t spell impossible without also spelling I’m possible.

Sincerely,

April Contents

3 Editor’s Note

5 Brittany Francis & Ashley Forbis

Cheering for Healthy Women

by Joyce Wilburn

The

oice of Hope

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com

6 Renovation Reality / Part 32

by Carla Minosh

Associate Editors Jeanette Taylor • Larry Wilburn

Ol’ Rutina’s Wake Part Two Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Courtney Dodson

Contributing Writers

Diane Adkins, Anonymous, Kim Clifton, Courtney Dodson, Denise Hudson, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, CB Maddox, Carla Minosh, Casey Molloy, Karen Myers, Carrie Petrick, April Simms, Dave Slayton, Danielle Staub, Ann Sylves, Melanie Vaughan, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Cynthia Wright

7 Second Thoughts / After ‘While Crocodile

by Kim Clifton

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

8 Calendar

Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349)

9 Throw Out the Mess & Organize the Rest

The 360 De-cluttering Project

by Anonymous 10 Reflecting Forward / High Hopes

by Linda Lemery

11 Book Clubbing / Becoming by Michelle Obama

The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler

Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny

reviews by Diane Adkins

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

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evince magazine.com

The Wine Spot Wine and Hope: An Unbeatable Pairing

by Dave Slayton

Meditation Moment / The Voice of Hope

by Casey Molloy

Kim Demont (434.792.0612) demontdesign @verizon.net evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW

12 Photo Finish

14 Around the Table

Easter Cream Puffs

by Annelle Williams

Deadline for submission of May stories, articles, and ads is Friday, April 19, at 5:00 p.m.

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

Editorial Policies:

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.

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Page 6

© 2019 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Throw Out the Mess & Organize the Rest Page 9

Black Dog Restorations

Brittany Francis & Ashley Forbis

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.

Evince Magazine Page 3

Photo Finish Page 12

Cheering for Healthy Women See Page 5

On the Cover:

Photo of Brittany Francis & Ashley Forbis taken on the deck of Cotton at Riverside Mill by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Don’t Forget to Pick Up the April Edition of

Showcase Magazine

Page  4 April 2019

Evince Magazine Page 5

I

n May 2018, Brittany Francis found herself in a very unhappy place. “I’d lost myself and needed to get back on track,” remembers the Danville native and mother of two young children. Thinking about her family, work as a nurse at the local hospital, and a job teaching at Meredith Gravely School of Dance, she elaborates, “I took care of my family, my patients, the students, but not myself.” That self neglect resulted in sixty-five pounds of unwanted weight.

Unsure of how to relieve the physical fatigue and depression that came from being overweight, Brittany looked for inspiration and found it in longtime friend, Ashley Forbis.

In hindsight, it was a logical choice. Even as a teenager, Ashley had been a role model for nutrition and exercise when the two cheered together at Tunstall High School. She also had experience as co-owner of two Crossfit gyms in Charlotte and as a personal trainer for six years. Life wasn’t perfect, however. Adding to the stress of having a thriving career, there were personal challenges: a divorce while pregnant that precipitated a move to Danville with two toddlers. Fortunately, Ashley’s passion for fitness pulled her out of the ensuing depression. “I was able to come out of my shell and find the person I’d been ten years earlier,” she says with a bright smile.

That’s why Ashley knew she could help when Brittany bared her soul and confessed in a text message, “I’m mentally ready to change.” Ashley picks up the story, “It was such an outpouring of honesty, I knew she was ready and it would work.” Brittany’s journey to physical fitness, highlighted by the loss of sixty-five pounds, began with text messages from Ashley about increasingly difficult workouts every morning. “Most importantly, she held me accountable,” says Brittany. “Every Friday, I sent her my weight. I’d get excited during the week knowing the report would be good.” It was also fun comparing notes on finding healthy food, talking about the emotional attachment to food, and recognizing the

Brittany and Ashley prepare for a live feed. Photos by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Brittany Francis & Ashley Forbis Cheering for Healthy Women

by Joyce Wilburn triggers for wanting to eat. Over the summer months Brittany lost fifty pounds. That became another turning point for both women.

“On September 24, I wrote a story on Facebook about my transformation,” Brittany recalls.

“I wanted to give Ashley a shoutout, but also I wanted to inspire other women to do what I had done.” Both were astonished by the response to that post and describe it as a Facebook storm.

“There were 281 comments!” exclaims Brittany still with a little amazement in her voice. Four days later, River City Belles, an online community of women, was born. Brittany explains the choice of names: “Ashley’s daughter is named Fiona Belle and I affectionately call my daughter, Ella, Ellie Belles. Of course, belle is also a beautiful woman.”

Ashley interjects, “And we love the River District.” Combining those ideas, River City Belles was a logical choice. “It’s not just about exercising and eating,” says Ashley. “It’s a mind, body, spirit approach to fitness.” “Yes, we women are very complex,” Brittany quickly joins in while laughing.

Before leaving, Ashley sums up the goals for River City Belles, “We hope to inspire, to help, to be a launch pad for women who want to start something like running, practicing yoga, walking, losing weight.” They are spreading the word about all the opportunities in the area for becoming involved, connecting with others, and having healthy lifestyles. “We are a megaphone for the great things that are happening so people are more aware and want to

participate,” comments Ashley with her trademark enthusiasm.

Brittany and Ashley, former basketball cheerleaders, are still cheering, but now it’s a cheer for healthy women.

• Follow River City Belles on Facebook and Instagram.

For more information, email fitness.abf@gmail.com.

• View a River City Belles live feed on Facebook on Friday mornings at 10:30ish.

River City Belles enjoy running on the Riverwalk.

Page 6 April 2019 Unlike HGTV shows where home renovations are completed within thirty to sixty minutes, the Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for eighteen years. This series explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that.

If you missed any of the articles, visit www. evincemagazine.com.

Renovation Reality Part 32

by Carla Minosh

A

s we began to put the parlors back together,

we encountered a few challenges. The bricks in the fire box were soft and crumbling after years of use, so we re-bricked it.

The cast iron fireplace insert was removed during the process and re-installed without incident.

The original mantel was brought up from the basement and sent off to a local paint stripper with strict instructions not to put it in the hot-dip tank. We paid extra to have it hand-stripped. In the meantime, we searched eBay for an appropriate tile surround that would be sympathetic with the one in the rear parlor. The

Before

original front parlor tiles had been lost when the marble mantel was installed.

We waited months for the mantel to be completed at the stripping shop. Our calls to him went unanswered. Finally, we sent our carpenter to investigate, and he came back with the sad news that despite our agreement and the extra cost, the stripper had thrown the delicate piece into a

Ol’ Rutina’s Wake Part Two fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg Dear Kwon, It wasn’t technically a wake yet; no one was dead. It was just some old friends in and around an old clapboard house on a rutted back road country street, with people smoking, not smoking, some drinking, some not. Won’t no children there, and nobody recognized me as I went inside.

Manhattan took me to the back room where Ol’ Rutina was in an old iron bed. The woman who birthed me won’t dead yet, but Ol’ Rutina was going to be dead, and soon.

And I was here to see it.

I saw her, Kwon, slack in the bed, a towel under her head to catch drool. Only her black-brown eyes moved; that was her only control.

Those eyes didn’t flare when I came in ‘cause she didn’t know me, barely knew anyone. Yes, I had the fire in my throat to tell her about my life, my rage, and raggedy hurts because of her smack and needles, the shot-up life she led, but I didn’t say nothing. “Go on, talk!” Manhattan said and pushed me closer in the dim room. I turned, glared at him

but he pushed me again, harder.

Finally, I had found her when I didn’t know I was looking. And I didn’t say nothing. Ol’ Rutina’s eyes floated in the room until they rested on me like a hummingbird, then off again to a world behind me. Manhattan says out real loud, “Yesssss,” like he was a part of the conversation, like some sad prayer he was leading. “Hey Ma,” I said, but her eyes couldn’t live in mine for another moment. I touched the tip of the blue-and-brown striped comforter folks put over her.

I went outside the clapboard house with some of her friends who were old now: some still smoking, some not, some still drinking, some not.

An old woman next door in a purple, flowered housedress was sweeping her porch, asked in a whisper, “She gone?” And folks nodded like it was true. Hell, it pretty much was.

Manhattan drove me back to Sustain, Virginia. We came again the next day, but it was too late, won’t no people outside. I turned away before we got too close, so I didn’t see if there was a wreath on the door. There was no funeral, too poor, and anyway I wouldn’t have gone.

After

hot dipping tank and ruined it.

He tried to blame the destruction on the fact that the piece was a cheap Indonesian knockoff until we showed him the 1880s photo of it in the front parlor along with its twin. However, he wouldn’t allow us to pick up the carcass until we had paid the agreedupon price. We did with the full knowledge that Karma would be the one to determine the ultimate price.

The mantel had been constructed of cherry-wood slabs glued together to form big blocks, which were then set on a lathe to be shaped, with the hand-carved details artfully chiseled-in for the finished decoration.

The glue between each of the cherry slabs had separated and each slab had warped beyond recognition. It was a pile of warped wood and broken bits. We ultimately had to have a restoration expert fully rinse and neutralize the paint stripper still saturating the wood, steam each piece back into its original shape, hold it flat to cool and dry and seamlessly re-glue each straightened piece, each broken-off detail, back into place piece by piece. In the end, we put the pieces together.

It’s such a shame that this entire process had to be done.

However, Karma has since extracted her fee. That’s a story for another day.

(to be continued)

I would like to nominate Cheryl Sutherland, owner of Main Street Art Collective, 326 Main Street, Danville, for the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award.

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

During the holidays, I was able to do the majority of my Christmas shopping in the River

by Courtney District. On a wet Dodson Thursday afternoon, photo by I fueled up on good, Michelle Dalton strong coffee at Links, Photography and then moved on to shop at A la Carte Home Décor for my mom, Lizzy Lou Boutique for my daughter, Vintages by the Dan for my sister, The Brick Running and Tri Store for - well - me, River District Artisans for my stepmom, and finally Main Street Art Collective for additional treats for extended family and friends.

As I walked into Main Street Art Collective I was greeted by a buoyant Cheryl Sutherland, the owner. Cheryl told me about the different local vendors who are represented in the store and gave me many good suggestions. She is happy in her store and has created a nice environment for her patrons. Several weeks later, I went back to the store and Cheryl went the extra mile in figuring out a slight transaction issue while juggling other customers and staff. I was impressed with her true spirit of customer service on both of my visits to her store.

Main Street Art Collective offers specialty classes, hosts book signings and represents primarily local artisans. They also carry items from Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit fair trade organization that markets handcrafted products made by disadvantaged artisans from around the world. Thank you Cheryl.

Evince and the Danville Pittsylvania Co. 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. It’s a nice way to show appreciation for a job well done. We look forward to hearing from you.

Evince Magazine Page 7

Second Thoughts

by Kim Clifton ©2019

After ‘While Crocodile Know when to say when.

Back in the 1980s, AnheuserBusch coined this phrase to promote responsible drinking. Even if you don’t imbibe, it is still good advice. Know when to push back the plate. Know when to call it a night. Know when to stop talking. And for me, know when to stop writing.

Well, not to stop so much as to take a little break. For more than twenty-two years, Evince has graciously reserved a key spot for me to ramble about whatever topic is on my mind.

While I don’t call myself a writer, I definitely don’t call myself a mathematician when I add up what this means. Let’s say you take twelve months and multiply it by twenty-two years at a rate of 600 words per column. What you come up with is a lot of words. It’s possible, then, that some of you may have endured as many as 158,400 of them from me.

Regardless if you read my work monthly or occasionally, I’m grateful for the time we’ve had over the years. You’ve been with me through thick and thin, especially during my repeated efforts to diet. You’ve been there for family celebrations when my nephews grew up, when they graduated and even when they married. You’ve held my hand during some tough goodbyes. You’ve comforted me when I lost my dad and you understood how it felt to close the door forever on my childhood home. You’ve laughed with me through my wardrobe and fashion malfunctions and mishaps. Basically, you’ve seen me through broken hearts and broken zippers.

My journeys have always been shared ones.

What has made this experience so special for me are your kind comments, notes, letters and calls.

When a piece has touched you, it touched me. It’s your kindred spirit that motivates me. It assures me that we travel similar paths even though ours may never have crossed.

Everyone has a dream. In the late 1990s mine came true with a telephone call. I was invited to create this column in the then “new” magazine created

by Rick Barker, Larry Oldham and Dan Vaden. To them I’m sure it was just a routine solicitation for writers. To me it was an answered prayer. From that day, this monthly feature became my focus. It became my identity. It became my baby. Just like with a child, I wanted to give this piece a special name, which is how it became “Second Thoughts.” It was intended to be reflective and I hope it has been. My goal was to take everyday experiences and rethink them through the eyes of someone whose take on life was often a bit off-centered and always clumsy.

Know when to say when. This is not goodbye. It’s simply a chance for me to take a little break. It’s a chance to collect more experiences, a chance certainly to make more mistakes, and definitely a chance to gather more laughs to share with you later. Look for me again. This is not our last visit. I am taking this month’s column to explain why my offerings will not be as frequent as they have been over the last

two decades. Thank you for reading Evince and know that if you pick one up and I’m not inside…enjoy the rest of the features, but please don’t give my absence a second thought.

Editor’s Note: “Second Thoughts” has always been one of our most popular columns and Kim is one of our best writers. We appreciate her hard work and humor and look forward to her return. Relax.

Refresh. Return.

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.holleyandgibsonrealty.com

Page 8 April 2019

April Calendar Abbreviation Key

• 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 • DPL=Danville Public Library 511 Patton St. 434.799.5195 www.readdanvilleva.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 • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com

Ongoing

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

434.770.1974.

DMFAH self-guided audio-visual tours. 434.793.5644.

The Children of Langhorne House: 117 Broad St. Danville; a retrospective exhibit; free admission Saturdays 2-5pm Brosville Library: 11948 Martinsville Highway www.pcplib.org 434.685.1285 Danville Public Library: 511 Patton St. www.readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5195 DPL Westover Branch: 94 Clifton St. www.readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5152 Gretna Library: 207 A Coffey Street, www.pcplib.org 434.656.2579 Gunn Memorial, Caswell County Public Library: 118 Main St, Yanceyville, NC www.caswellcounty.gov/ library 336.694.6241 Halifax County Public Library: 177 South Main St. www.halifaxcountylibrary. org 434.476.3357 History Research Center and Library: 340 Whitehead Street, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.8931 Mt. Hermon Library: 4058 Franklin Turnpike www.pcplib.org 434.835.0326 Pittsylvania County Public Main Library: 24 Military Drive, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.3271 South Boston Public Library: 509 Broad St. 434.5575.4228 www.halifaxcountylibrary.org Zula Patrol: Under the Weather: After inadvertently hurting Gorga’s feelings, the stalwart heroes of the Zula Patrol must rescue their beloved pet from being used by interplanetary villain Dark Truder to steal weather from planets.

Learn about weather on Earth and other planets. DSC Wed/Fri 2pm; Sat/Sun 3pm

April 1 (through May 6)

Forms in Clay: DMFAH Mondays 6:30-9pm $95/$105; 434.792.5355 to register. Payment & registration required.

April 3

April 9

Customs & Cultures of Taiwan by Dr. Michelle Liu: AU Student Center multipurpose room, 351 Townes St. 7pm Spring Book Talk: review by Katie Whitehead of White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo DPL 5:30pm

Miss Augusta and The Wednesday Club: a dramatic presentation in celebration of The Wednesday Club’s 125th year anniversary free 1006 Main St. 3:45pm www.TheWedClubDanvilleVA. org

AU Cougar Band Spring Concert: Pritchett Auditorium 150 Mountain View Ave. 7pm free

April 4

April 12 & 13

Speaker Series: Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis author Dr. Robert Putnam will speak at the IALR, 150 Slayton Ave. Danville 7:30-9am. free Registration required 434.836.6990

April 4 (through 7)

First Date: The Musical: AU Pritchett Auditorium 150 Mountain View Ave. Thursday-Saturday 7pm; Sunday 2pm $10 adults, $8 students/senior citizens (60+)

April 5

Science after Dark: digital dome planetarium show & telescope viewing DSC 5:30-9pm free for members and college students with ID; $5 discount for others Dirt Road Scholars Concert: Danville Community Market, 629 Craghead St. 8-11pm ages 18+ tickets $15 door

April 6

DMFAH Attic Sale: 9am-1pm Houdini Magic: starring Celebrity Magician Wayne Alan HNT 7:30pm $10-15

April 7

Opening Art Exhibit Reception: artist Wayne Johnson; Robert Cage Gallery in the Prizery 3pm Exhibit runs through May. 12 Angry Men: performed by 12 impassioned women of the Dan River Region; This reading of Reginald Rose’s drama will be presented in 1,000 different venues across the U.S. this weekend.

DMFAH 6pm www.TheSmokestack.org www.12000voices.com

April 8

IALR Inspiration Lab: STEM activities; Halifax County Public Library 4-5:45pm Register at 434.476.3357.

April 8 (through May 1)

A Matter of Balance: Southern Area Agency on Aging preventing falls workshop on Mondays & Wednesdays College Park Baptist Church, 1104 South Main St. Danville free Register at 434.793.2365.

The deadline for submitting information for the May calendar is Friday, April 19, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

April 12

Danville Art League Call to Artists: submission by amateurs and professionals for “A New Look at Familiar Things.” The theme spotlights the artist’s ability to take ordinary objects, scenes or impressions and give them new meaning.

4-6pm on Friday; 9:30-11am on Saturday at American National Bank, 628 Main St. Danville. jennings64@gmail.com 434.489.1179.

April 13

Bridge to Bridge: 5K run/walk, 10K run, kid’s fun run, 49-mile bike ride www.Bridge2BridgeDanville.com Butterfly Hello: opening of Butterfly Station DSC 10am-3pm free Beatles Tribute Band: Wonderwall HNT 7:30pm $15-20

April 13 & 14

DMFAH: free admission

April 14

Danville Art League Reception: American National Bank, 628 Main St. Danville 2-4pm winners announced 434.489.1179 Averett Singers Concert: Pritchett Auditorium 150 Mountain View Ave. free 2:30pm

April 16

Spring Book Talk: Morgan Epstein reviews A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult Ballad Brewing, 600 Craghead St. 5:30pm www.readdanvilleva.org

April 19

Greenberg/Overcash/Heard Memorial Golf Tournament: a benefit for Danville Speech & Hearing Center; Goodyear Golf Club. $350 for the captain’s choice, four-person team tournament; cash prizes, door prizes, complementary beverages; lunch served at 11:30am; shotgun start at 1pm.

Register at 434.793.8255.

Racin’ & Tastin’: Danville Community Market 5:30-10:30pm ages 21+ advance tickets $30 434.793.4636

April 20

Dan River Spring Clean-Up: Register

by April 15 if possible. free DSC 9:30am-noon 434.799.5150 Stand Up Comedy Night: HNT 7:30pm $15-20

April 2019

S M T 1 2 7 8 9 14 15 16 21 22 23 28 29 30

W T F S 3 4 5 6 10 11 12 13 17 18 19 20 24 25 26 27

April 23

Summer Book Talk: Rachel Holden reviews An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

by Hank Green at Di’lishi 309 Main St. Danville 5:30pm www.readdanvilleva.org

April 25

Project Literacy JeopardBee – a spelling bee fundraiser in a Jeopardy format Cheer on your favorite teams and players. free entry; open to the public. raffle, silent auction, Nana Karen’s food truck, entertainment by Smokestack Theater; 2 Witches Winery & Brewery, 209 Trade Street, Danville.

5-9pm Competition begins at 6pm. danvilleliteracy.org 434.483.7994

April 27

Barn Quilt Trail Day: 70 barn quilts on display throughout Halifax County.

Starting at 9am visitors to the Town of Halifax Farmers Market, 209 South Main St. or the SoBo-Halifax Visitors Center, 1180 Bill Tuck Highway, can purchase a barn quilt piece, pick up a trail map, itineraries, and info on special events.

Paint the community barn quilt piece at historic Elmo Grocery, tour Oak Grove Plantation Bed and Breakfast, paint a barn quilt piece at Pecan Hill, purchase a barn quilt piece. www.facebook.com/Halifaxva or www.gohalifaxva.com.

April 30

Spring Book Talk: a review by David Worrell of The Which Way Tree

by Elizabeth Crook; Crema & Vine 1009 Main St. Danville 5:30pm www.readdanvilleva.org

Plan Ahead May 3

Historic Garden Week Tour: selfdriving tour of three areas straddling the VA-NC border: VIR villa, two historic private homes, several churches, the Milton Renaissance Museum, and a home in a gated community on nearby Hyco Lake. 10am-5pm $20 advance at Reid St. Gallery (Chatham) DMFAH $30; on tour day at VIR and 431 Estate Road, Semora, NC on Hyco Lake

May 4

Derby Day: DMFAH lawn 4-8pm live music by Norm and Sarah; photo booth photography by Von Wellington; Southern BBQ with all the fixin’s, cash bar: wine, beer, mint juleps, non-alcoholic options; Derby race “betting” based on a 50/50 raffle; caricature drawings; hat contest with prizes, live broadcast of the 145th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs $40 advance/$45 door includes food and a drink ticket. 434.793.5644

May 11

SoBo Brew Fest: Downtown South Boston 2-8pm

Evince Magazine Page 9

Throw Out the Mess & Organize the Rest

The 360 De-Cluttering Project

by Anonymous

The Goal: Every day for 360 days, spend fifteen minutes organizing one small space.

E

ven if you hate de-cluttering,

this is one project that should

be fun. Do you have a stash of board games that hasn’t been touched in years? I did but not anymore.

The shelves at one end of the basement storage area were filled with board games and playing cards. Some were relatively new, others antiques.

How did I decide what to keep, donate, or throw away? Each day I selected a board game, wiped the dust off the box, inventoried the contents, read the instructions, and placed it on the island in the kitchen.

(If the instructions had been lost, a quick search on the internet produced directions and maybe a how-to video.)

It became the game for the day. Whenever fifteen minutes became available, I grabbed an unsuspecting friend or relative and played. At the game’s conclusion, a question was asked and a decision was made: is it destined to bring joy to a new family or is the game returned to the shelf for future use? If it was stored in a place with high humidity, a friend suggested putting a dryer sheet

in the box to keep it smelling fresh.

How did I find the time? We played games after a meal, while dinner was cooking, before bed, instead of watching TV. It was only fifteen minutes.

Even if we didn’t finish, playing an abbreviated version of the game was a reminder that it’s on the shelf.

Some say that board games are the new go-to social activity because they allow for interaction without becoming too serious. If you have games that haven’t been enjoyed since the kids were in school or younger, select one now and start playing. You’ll have fifteen minutes of worry-free time and you’ve taken another tiny step in organizing your home.

Send Evince your organizing success story. Email 300350 words and a picture to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Include your name. It you want to remain anonymous because everyone thinks your house is perfect and it’s not, your name will not be published.

Page 10 April 2019

Reflecting Forward High Hopes

O

by Linda Lemery

ne of the strongest testimonies to the power of hope that I’ve read recently is Our Towns by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows.

They were brought to Danville by the forward-thinking Danville Regional Foundation to speak at a community breakfast.

Although I could not attend, I heard about their identification of 10 1/2 commonalities among geographically-distant communities in various stages of downtown and economic revitalization. I was so intrigued that I read their book.

This is a must-read for Danvillians because our city is on that same revitalization track.

The narrative is a result of the Fallows’ visits to more than forty cities over a period of more than four years. Their small plane was piloted by James, a writer for The Atlantic accompanied

by Deborah, a linguistics specialist.

They were interested in what sparked the economic revitalization in cities that had experienced reduced use of downtown areas.

That curiosity led to a series of “on the road” articles and culminated in the Fallows’ extracting and distilling the 10 ½ signs of civic energy and economic revitalization.

quotation from Ray O’Connell of Allentown about an effort to help Allentown that seems to encapsulate a strong theme in this book as well as here in Danville: “What this means to Allentown is hope … hope for a better Allentown … hope for the families of Allentown … hope for the children of the families of Allentown … without hope, you have nothing.”

And that’s what it means to me too.

I have high hopes for Danville. I care about Danville and tend to apply general themes I read about to our specific locality. I’m proud of Danville’s revitalization efforts in the River District, how it’s courting new businesses and new small-business owners in innovative ways, how it cares about its community college

and its four-year university, how it added the Regional Governor’s School and Galileo High School to its K-12 options, how it has microbreweries and a distillery.

None of this happened without a great deal of planning and support, and for that I thank our forward-thinking city leaders and the organizations for their vision, planning, and sheer grit. Reading this book may give you ideas about what kind of Danville you want to live in and what you can do to help achieve that goal.

About the Author: When she’s not reading to better understand life, Linda Lemery llemery@averett.edu works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.

Allentown, Pennsylvania, is one of the places the Fallows visited as they crisscrossed the nation. There is a

Photo by Dave Slayton

The Wine Spot

Wine and Hope: An Unbeatable Pairing

by Dave Slayton

W

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

ith wine and hope anything is possible according to a Spanish proverb. Reflecting on the Napa Valley/Sonoma 2017 wild fires, Esther Mobley of the San Francisco Chronicle might have been thinking of that when she wrote “Right now, even though impacts may not be truly seen on wine shelves for years, vintners are reckoning with the future of their businesses and their overwhelming sentiment is one of hope.” Ten Napa County wineries suffered significant damage (wineries or estate homes destroyed, equipment lost, inventory or vineyards lost). No wineries, however, reported a total loss of property or inventory. The grape harvest was ending when the fires started and there is optimism about the quality of the 2017 vintage.

Psychology Today tells us that to achieve an outcome it is necessary to have a talent, skill or knowledge and

a psychological vehicle to reach that outcome. That vehicle may be called grit, optimism, passion, or inspiration.

According to author Scott Kaufman, “One vehicle, however, is particularly undervalued and underappreciated in psychology and society. That’s hope.”

If you want to see what hope looks like, visit CrossKeys Winery near Massanutten Mountain, Harrisonburg.

Enjoy the view and a glass of their delicious pinot noir, chardonnay, or other varietal and reflect on a statement the owners made, “…many years of hard work, passion, hope, and most importantly, perseverance, breathed life into our dream. In 2008 we opened the doors to the tasting room and offered the first vintage of 2006--100% estate-grown Virginia wine.”

Raise a glass of wine to Hope. With her, all things are possible. Cheers!

Evince Magazine Page 11

Book Clubbing a review by Diane Adkins

In honor of this month’s theme, The Voice of Hope, here are quick takes on three books that have inspired me.

Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, was released last fall. There are plenty of reviews to read and no reason to recount the book’s highlights, other than to say that the hopefulness I felt after reading it was grounded in a sense of the goodness of what we have in common. I do not mean to underplay the hardships, the insults, and the enduring racism African Americans face in our country. I only want to highlight how hard her family worked, their devotion to their children, their sacrifice to provide something better for the next generation—qualities I saw in my own parents and many of you have seen in yours. As she says, “I grew up with a disabled dad in a toosmall house with not much money in a starting-to-fail neighborhood, and I also grew up surrounded by love and music in a diverse city in a country where an education can take you far. I had nothing or I had everything. It depends on which way you want to tell it.”

My second selection this month is The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler. We know that families are under pressure. This isn’t another self-help book for parents with seven points to remember. Instead, Feiler looked for ways that families turned modern-day chaos into happy homes; he interviewed and observed, and then wrote about what he learned. The book extolls the virtues of flexibility and constant willingness to keep adapting.

On the way, Feiler debunks some of the usual wisdom we hear. His point?

Tolstoy noted long ago that happy families have some things in common; maybe those building blocks are worth emulating.

My favorite hope-filled novel this month is Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. Another in her Chief Inspector Gamache series, this is a book that was almost not written. After Penny’s husband died, she didn’t think she would ever write again. Thankfully, she found herself with another story to tell. The usual cast of characters are here, most of the book takes place in and around Three Pines, and Penny returns to the opioid crisis for part of the plot. But it’s the moral compass of Gamache, his struggle to do what is right, that is the center of every one of these books--and the love of the characters for their little village and for each other.

Reading Penny, you know that the world is a frightening, dangerous place, and also that love will prevail.

Diane S. Adkins is a retired library director.

Meditation Moment The Voice of Hope

by Casey Molloy, RYT

H

ope is the essence of optimism. Hope motivates and inspires us to continue our pursuits along our path.

Hopes and dreams drive us to be better humans for ourselves as well as for those around us.

Even in times of complacency, hope has the ability to gently drag us out of our shell or to jolt us out of our deepest ruts. When the sense of utter hopelessness consumes us, there is still the unspoken, underlying layer of hope, supporting us when we need it most.

Occasionally, there are things we hope for that may never transpire. This is a subtle

The poses and breathing practiced in yoga are intended to prepare the body to sit comfortably for extended periods of time in meditation. Photo by Clark Davis.

signal from the universe that there are bigger plans for us, beyond our hopes, and beyond our comprehension of the immediate future. So, if there is something specific you have been hoping for, just know that when the timing is right it will happen, or perhaps, something even more wonderful will come your way.

FREE

EXTERIOR HOME REPAIRS! Community Partners:

WHO: Elderly, veteran, disabled or low-income Danville City homeowners WHAT: Wheelchair ramps, painting, gutter repairs, power-washing, porch improvements, yard work & other exterior work

WHY: The Danville Neighborhood Development Corp. & Union Church are nonprofit organizations partnering to help homeowners make needed repairs & to improve Danville’s neighborhoods.

For more information & an application, call 434-799-5099 or email Repair@DanvilleNDC.org.

Page 12 April 2019

Photo Finish When Debra Frank, Visitor Center Manager in Smithfield, Virginia, visited Danville last year, she issued an invitation to Danvillians to visit her hometown.

I accepted the invitation and took these pictures of their Porcine Parade-- eight life-size statues of market hogs painted by artists to reflect the town’s history, culture and recreation. They combined a public art project with the best known symbol of the “Ham Capital of the World” in a fun way. Installed in June 2012, the statues were the result of a contest judged by an art league and are permanent installations. More can be seen at genuinesmithfieldva.com.

Wearing a turn-of-the-century captain’s uniform, Steamboat Swillie represents the memory of Captain O.G. Delk, one of Smithfield’s first steamboat captains during the era when the town was a major shipping port.

Decorating Swine and Roses are images of ham biscuits, vineyards, row crops and flowers.

This version of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, The Birth of Ham pays homage to Smithfield’s hams.

Flanked by porcine angels, Venus has been replaced by the famous pork product. The landscape and seascape reflect Smithfield and the Pagan River.

Suppose Danville had life-size animal statues painted by local artists and displayed on a trail around the city. What would they be? Let me know what you think at joycewilburn@ gmail.com. If you see this type of art in other cities, send me a picture. In the meantime, enjoy our inspiring outdoor art trail. More information is at www.playdanvilleva.com.

Porcine Parade Photos by Joyce Wilburn Danville Art Trail Photos by Danville Parks & Recreation Spiraling Away depicts motion in nature. The circular form represents space and the Milky Way. The horizontal and vertical lines symbolize comets, gases, and heavenly bodies.

(Union Street Bridge)

In 1905, the Shakespeare Class of Smithfield first met to celebrate William Shakespeare. The group continues to meet and study the works of the “Sweet Swine of Avon.” The Sweet Swine of Avon wears a period costume accented with the family crest, the Globe Theater and imagery from the Bard’s plays.

Cultural Pig celebrates the arts. Sporting a beret and smock, he works at an easel creating a flying pig creation.

Magnolia, named for the tree with the beautiful flowers and dressed as a scrapbook, displays her beauty through photographs showing the community’s history.

Koi Bench, facing the JTI Fountain, has interactive whisper tubes.

Triad is a reminder of a Celtic knot. (661 Craghead Street)

Evince Magazine Page  13 In Corps de Ballet, two couples represent the company of dancers who form the background for the soloist. (311 Memorial Drive)

In Moonshine, three moonshaped crescents rotate around each other. (Main Street Plaza near the Riverwalk)

Ordinary Person sits, relaxes, and enjoys the view at 500 Main Street.

Furious Angel is mad because her wings have been clipped. (near the Riverwalk at the Community Market, 629 Craghead Street) Portal VIII explores the use of carving through the stone. It is a visual contrast of an opening being held closed. (975 Main Street) Not Pictured: A Question of Balance is a commentary on our excessive use of cellphones. (111 Main Street)

Page 14 April 2019

Easter Cream Puffs

by Annelle Williams

Welcome, Spring! We’ve been looking forward to seeing you again with fond memories of all the beauty and warmth you bring. A late Easter on April 21 gives us a chance to get our ducks in a row and plan a great meal that can all be prepared beforehand. Mine will include a strawberry Jello salad with a pretzel crust, deviled eggs, potato salad, green beans with hazelnuts, chicken in a lemon-butter caper sauce, and these delicious Easter cream puffs.

Easter Cream Puffs (Preparation time 20 minutes. Filling and decorating 30 minutes.

Makes 30. They freeze well. Thaw about 30 minutes before serving.)

Filling 1 small box chocolate instant pudding 1 cup milk

8 oz. whipping cream 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Combine pudding and milk until well mixed. Place in refrigerator until firm about 5 minutes. Beat whipping cream until beginning to thicken. Add sugar and beat until it holds its shape. Stir whipping cream into pudding, cover and refrigerate.

Pastry

1 stick butter 1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup flour

6 eggs

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray sheet pan with butter-flavored baking spray. Top with parchment paper; spray the top side of the parchment.

Using a wooden spoon, add butter, milk and salt to medium sauce pan. Cook over low heat until butter is melted and little bubbles form around edge of milk. Don’t boil. Add all the flour at once. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball. Continue stirring for about two minutes to let flour “cook”. Remove from heat and let dough cool for a few minutes.

Add eggs one at a time until each egg is thoroughly combined. I press with the back of a spoon and stir. Spoon cooled pastry mixture into a piping bag or a zip-lock bag with a hole cut in a corner large enough to pipe pastry in 2-inch rounds onto sheet pans. With wet finger press down the peaks of each pastry round. Add a little water around pastries, just drops here and there, to make a little steam to help them rise. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn oven off and let them sit in oven for another 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. When cool, make a small hole in side of each pastry and fit the end of piping bag into hole. Pipe the filling into each pastry.

Icing I like Betty Crocker Cookie Icing. It is prepared and ready-to-use with a decorating tip. It comes in all colors and hardens quickly. Chocolate is my favorite. Pipe your decoration onto top of cream puffs. Add sprinkles for color.

Questions or comments?

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

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