Evince Magazine August 2017

Evince Magazine Page 1

HNT 70th Anniversary Celebration Marilyn Monroe Look-Alike Contest Page 12

Rusty Lovell

Enjoying a Healthy Addiction See Page 3

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Page 2 August 2017

Editor’s Note

If you are hot and sweaty and it feels like 100 degrees outside, can you find the humor in that?

Rusty Lovell pictured on the cover would say,“Yes!” Read about his healthy addiction on page 3. Wayne Alan’s humor always leaves the North Theatre audiences smiling. See that Marilyn Monroe picture next to him on the cover? Could you look like her? It might bring a few laughs your way and a $100 prize. Read page 12 for details.

For more chuckles, go immediately to Kim Clifton’s “Season’s Greetings” on page 9; “Word of the Day: Left, Left, Left!” on page 19; “Did You Say Plungerhead?” on page 18 and “Finger and Frog” on page 6. As you can see, our writers have done their best to entertain you in this Voice of Humor. Don’t let the weather determine your mood. Turn your frown upside down. The benefits are numerous as Casey Molloy tells you on page 16. If nothing strikes you as funny, she encourages you to laugh at yourself. Good advice. Enjoy your day. Thanks for reading. Don’t forget the sunscreen. Stay cool.

Sincerely,

Credits: Amber Wilson: hair; Catherine Saunders: skin care and makeup; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville.

Janelle Gammon: nails; Salon One 11, 111 Sandy Court, Danville. Clothing and jewelry from Lizzy Lou Boutique, 310 Main Street, Danville, lizzylouboutique.com

August Contents

2

Editor’s Note

3

Rusty Lovell / Enjoying a Healthy Addiction

by Joyce Wilburn

4

She Said He Said / Unpacking Memories

by Dena Hill & Larry Oldham

6

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Janet Laughlin

THE

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks President Director of Sales & Marketing Larry Oldham (434.728.3713) larry@evincemagazine.com Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com

Finger & Frog

by Mack Williams

Associate Editors Jeanette Taylor Larry Wilburn Lanie Davis, Intern

Renovation Reality / Part 16

by Carla Minosh 9

OICE OF HUMOR

Second Thoughts / Season’s Greetings

by Kim Clifton

Contributing Writers

Diane Adkins, Wayne Alan, Kim Clifton, Lanie Davis, Adam Goebel, Kristi Hall, Dena Hill, Janet Laughlin, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Erica Lowdermilk, C. B. Maddox, Carla Minosh, Casey Molloy, Larry Oldham, Carollyn Lee Peerman, Rachel Shaw, Dave Slayton, Danielle Staub, Jay Stephens, Lisa Tuite, Melanie Vaughan, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams

10 Blood Letter Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 11 What’s Happening in the Public Libraries

14 Calendar

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

16 Meditation Moment / The Voice of Humor

by Casey Molloy

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

12 Calendar Clips

Lee Vogler (434.548.5335) lee@showcasemagazine.com

17 Book Clubbing The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson a review by Diane Adkins

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

DIY Do or Don’t/ Opinion Paddles

by Kristi Hall

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

18 Wine Spot / Did You Say Plungerhead?

by Dave Slayton

Deadline for submission of September stories, articles, and ads is Tuesday, August 22, at 5:00 p.m.

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

Free Lessons on Learning How to Live

by Carollyn Lee Peerman 19 Reflecting Forward Word of the Day: Left, Left, LEFT

by Linda Lemery

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

20 Low and Behold / Another NARM Museum

by Joyce Wilburn

Editorial Policies:

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.

21 Around the Table / Cooking Under Pressure

by Annelle Williams 22 Photo Finish

On the Cover:

Photo of Rusty Lovell by Michelle Dalton Photography Photo of Wayne Alan by Von Wellington Photography

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

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

PAGE 14

www.showcasemagazine.com

| AUGUST 2017 | SHOWCASE Magazine 1

Meet Some of Our Contributors

© 2017 All rights reserved.

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

We now accept Visa, MC, and Discover for ad payments Janet Laughlin is a retired college administrator and professor.

Michelle Dalton is the owner of Michelle Dalton Photography.

Carollyn Lee Peerman is a photo journatlist and an inspirational writer.

See page 18.

Danielle Staub is the Marketing and Communications Specialist at Averett University.

For subscriptions to Evince, email cindy@showcasemagazine.com

Evince Magazine Page 3

W

ith a hint of humor in his voice, Rusty Lovell admits he has an addiction—a compulsion that makes him run, sweat, and hit flying objects for hours in the summer heat. The explanation is simple. “I fell in love with tennis at the age of fourteen,” says the tennis pro at Stratford Tennis Club in Danville and founder of Southside Area Tennis Association (SATA), “and it saved me. While my friends were getting into trouble with drugs and other things, I was playing tennis. It was my safe haven. Tennis was very challenging both physically and mentally and it changed the direction of my life.” The Martinsville native, raised by a single mother, continues, “If I can help the kids in this area or even one person, I will feel that I’ve paid back what the sport gave to me.”

Rusty’s passion for tennis started when a friend of the family put a racket in his hand. “I immediately started watching the professionals on TV, taking lessons and playing,” he remembers. A move to Greensboro during his high school years provided the teenager with a supportive tennis community and a network of tennis athletics.

“Those connections created a clear path that got me into college,” Rusty remembers.

In the span of three years, he went from being a non-player to becoming a member of the Division I tennis team at Radford University. Receiving tennis scholarships during that time helped to pay the bills until he graduated in 2001 with a degree in Economics and English.

“Then I moved to Charleston where I worked as a loan officer at Bank of America for three years and taught tennis,” he says. Subsequent moves to Lake Tahoe and San Diego advanced his career as a loan officer and a commercial real estate appraiser, but his heart was in Virginia. Rusty continues, “It was always my goal to move back to my hometown area, build a life close to family and friends, and contribute to the area in some way.”

A little over a year ago, he did just that. The independent contractor was hired as the tennis pro/program director by the Stratford Tennis Club and simultaneously founded SATA. “With the help of the Association, I’m trying to expose as many kids as possible to the game

Xavier Ehrhardt takes a lesson from Rusty. Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Rusty Lovell Enjoying a Healthy Addiction

by Joyce Wilburn and raise the money so they can have the instruction they need to pursue their dreams,” he says remembering how the sport helped him to receive a college education. Knowing that the kids won’t just appear on the tennis courts, Rusty takes tennis to schools and summer camps to spark interest in it. Those events are always successful.

It’s the next logical step that is more difficult. “We need to make tennis affordable or free in the beginning until the light goes on in their heads that this is fun. The game is cheap, but advancing to the higher levels of play is not,” he cautions. That’s where SATA enters the picture. “Generous gifts, grants and volunteers are

what is needed right now,” he says, adding with a laugh, “until I get kids addicted to the sport.” At that point, he believes parents will realize that playing tennis can lead to something better in life for their children. Rusty hopes they will see the benefits of playing this team sport: learning to work together to reach individual goals, seeing competition as a way to improve rather than just winning or losing, creating a culture of excellence, focusing on improvement, building character and maintaining a strong work ethic. Because of the many positive outcomes, he issues an invitation, “We want diverse people from all walks of life to play the game.” Then his ultimate goal will be within reach: another

generation of youngsters will become addicted to something good.

• For more information about SATA, call 775.412.8772 or email rlovell6981@gmail. com. The SATA Board includes: President Karen Garrett; VP Scott Ehrhardt; Secretary Jennifer Bowles; Treasurer Bradford Bowles.

• Stratford Tennis Club is located at 182 Churchview Road, which intersects Piney Forest Road near Commonwealth Home Health Care. Membership is open to all. SATA uses this facility for Danville events.

• Stratford Tennis Club Board officers are: President Johnny Melton; Treasurer Lemma Hooks; Secretary Neda Haymore.

Board members are: Fred Ford, Susan Mier, Lanny Dietz and Jill Perez. For more information, visit www.stratfordtennis.com or call 434.799.9165.

• To see more pictures turn to page 22-23.

Page 4 August 2017

SHE SAID

by Dena Hill

Unpacking Memories All summer I have been cleaning, fixing, repairing and throwing away junk that I no longer need as I head down the road to retirement.

One of the problems I have encountered has become a major dilemma. How do I decide which memories to throw away?

I still have my children’s toys that aren’t made anymore. How do I throw them out for the trash collectors to pick up and haul to a landfill? All of my children’s books and little 45 rpm and 33 1/3 rpm records of turtles, pigs, Curious George, and Dr. Seuss are packed away neatly for the next generation.

Where can I put them so that I can relive those precious moments when the children were young and still needed me? I thought they would be children forever and never grow up. What about all of the items I saved from my mother’s house when she passed? How do I throw away her glasses or knitting or even some of her clothes that remind me of her?

I still have my old prom dresses and clothes I wore in school, coats that kept me warm in the winter and hats and mittens that don’t match. Cleaning out is not a happy time even though I know I must downsize and make room for newer and better things. No one ever told me it would be this depressing and I never thought I would have these sentimental feelings while taking out trash from the basement. Now I see it’s not trash; it’s my life down there--all packed away in boxes.

I knew these days were coming but I didn’t think it would be so soon. At least for a few moments this summer, I held my children in my arms again. I dusted off treasures, smoothed out wrinkles and touched my mother’s handkerchief one last time. My only consolation is that I will always live with my memories. I can’t ever throw them out.

She said He Said

HE SAID

by Larry Oldham I love you with all my heart. Thank you for sharing your memories with me.

He Said / She Said can be found in Showcase Magazine.

Evince Magazine Page  5

Page 6 August 2017

Renovation Reality Part 16

by Carla Minosh

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

Photo by Ralph Adams.

by Janet Laughlin

Occasionally, Vintages by the Dan, 312 Main Street in Danville, lures me in on a Saturday afternoon, and the best part of that experience is the knowledge and care Dave Slayton brings to each wine tasting.

He treats every customer as a friend, creating a warm atmosphere of community. And if the wine of the day isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, Dave will ask questions about your preferences and suggest other wines you might like. He’s an expert at food and wine pairings. Dave Slayton is a model of exceptional customer service!

Editor’s Note: Dave also volunteers to write a monthly column “The Wine Spot” that is very popular with Evince readers. See page 18.

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.

W

e all carry scars from earlier in our lives--some emotional and some involving flesh, blood, and bone. All scars have stories to tell. This is mine.

his new home.

I accidentally dropped the bowl in the sink and then saw red. My blood! A glass sliver had cut my little finger to the bone. I ran through the house screaming and A mummified frog shaking my hand, (naturally dried, splattering blood not Egyptian) was on the walls. A brought into the neighbor took my Danville Science mother and me Center one day, to the emergency leading to my room because reflex-like my father was

by Mack Williams, checking of the Natural History Educator at his third-shift feeling in the railroad work.

Danville Science Center pinkie finger on My high-school my left hand. It was still numb age brother, returning home later from a decades-old injury. If the from a date, saw the bloody, empty little toe’s “piggy” can cry: “Wee, house and thought murder had wee, wee all the way home,” my transpired. injured little finger should have been yelling something that night I came home a short while back in 1960. Any imagined noise later from the hospital and on its part, however, was drowned slept soundly, exhausted by the out by the screaming from my calisthenics of injury and fright. vocal chords.

I forgot about the frog.

It dried out during the night in I was nine years old at the time. the box, becoming a frog mummy, A little boy on the afternoon still sitting on its hind legs in school bus had given me a tiny death as in life. All scars have frog in a jar. Later that evening stories to tell. This one is a sad at home, I was cleaning a glass story about my little finger, but fish bowl while the frog patiently an even sadder one about a little waited in a cardboard box for frog.

Finger and Frog

Unlike HGTV shows where home renovations are completed within 30 to 60 minutes, the Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for 16 years. This series that began in April 2016 explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that. If you missed any of the installments, visit www. evincemagazine.com.

W

ith the bathroom finished, we turned our attention to the master bedroom.

The removal of the rear hallway addition had brought it back to its original proportions and the fireplace was now centered on the wall. Eliminating the handmade built-in bookcase further opened up the space.

We got rid of the eagle wallpaper and stabilized and repaired the plaster. To maintain the symmetry of the room, we removed the tall radiator to the right of the fireplace, rerouted the steam line, and installed a longer short radiator under the window. This meant tearing up a section of flooring across the entire length of the room. Unfortunately, there was a breakdown in communication and the flooring was sent to the dump instead of being reinstalled. We took some of the flooring that had been removed from the termite-eaten parlor in hopes that it would be a close match. We would have to wait until the floors were sanded to find out.

Because this was the smallest and least impressive bedroom, we were relying on the decorating scheme to carry the illusion that it was the most elegant of the four bedrooms upstairs. We had Anaglypta wall covering installed above the chair rail for a textured colorful feature. Anaglypta comes in

white and is designed to be painted in whatever color scheme you like. Many people paint a base color, roll over it in a secondary color to highlight the pattern, then paint in a third color for an accent. The pattern we chose had two different textures built into the material. With a single coat of paint, the textures would reflect light slightly differently giving the illusion of two colors.

After experimenting with colors, a silvery-grey base seemed to work the best. On top of that we chose to hand paint the remainder of the pattern with seven colors.

Yes, seven additional colors. As luck would have it, we found a local, experienced paperhanger to work with the material. She did an amazing job with no visible seams. Our handyman applied the first coat of silver grey paint while we were gone. When we returned the next weekend, however, instead of the two-toned paper we had expected, the paper was completely silver-grey. Perplexed, we experimented with another section of paper to figure out what went wrong. As it turns out, the paint went on too thick and completely obliterated the textures, eliminating the two-toned base that had been essential to the color scheme.

Frustrated, but left with no alternative, we tore down the newly hung paper, ordered more rolls from England, and paid for expedited delivery. Our paperhanger was more than happy to be paid to do the same job again. This time we painted the base coat, laying as little paint on the material as needed to cover the white. Tom then pulled out his seven-color palette and proceeded to paint the details one color at a time. It took weeks for the pattern to emerge as he painstakingly brushed each color on with a foam brush.

(to be continued)

Evince Magazine Page  7

Page  8 August 2017

Evince Magazine Page 9

Second Thoughts

by Kim Clifton ©2017

Season’s Greetings Christmas in August.

It’s not a misprint. It’s a summer project with a holiday name that supports the work of missionaries.

As a kid, my church yearly backed this effort and I was always excited to place my wrapped gift alongside the others. It was a great lesson about helping; it’s just that it felt funny to pretend it was Christmas when I knew it wasn’t.

These days, it doesn’t seem so odd.

“To everything there is a season,” Ecclesiastes says.

The Bible’s pretty clear on that. It’s the retailers who blur the distinctions. In June, a Facebook friend posted a picture of big red bows already for sale. That’s got to be a new record. The season was rushed enough when candy corn and candy canes were on the same aisles. This is too soon. Stuff from the North Pole shouldn’t be anywhere near a fishing pole.

I’m glad my sister and I grew up when we did. As children, we were lucky to live only in the moment with no confusion about the time of year. If marshmallow Peeps were out, it was Easter. If boxed costumes were stacked, it was Halloween. We knew we were on summer vacation because it was hot, just like we knew it was time for winter vacation because it was cold.

August meant playing games in the rain not playing reindeer games. Santa wasn’t even spotted until the last float in the Christmas parade went down Main Street. There was no need for a calendar or even a clock.

When the street lights came on, it was time to go home. When Walter Cronkite’s face was on TV, it was time to feed ours.

Summertime was simple.

We ran through the sprinkler, played croquet in the yard and caught lightning bugs in mayonnaise jars. The only thing that spoiled our fun was when the “back to school” signs were first spotted at Woolworth’s. Seeing one of those could ruin your day faster than blowing out the knee of your favorite jeans.

I used to think Christmas would never get here when I was little, but not so anymore. The holidays roll through faster than green grass through a goose.

I guess that’s why the overlaps are unavoidable. At my sister’s house you can bet that if Tom Turkey is on the table at lunch, there’s going to be an Elf on the Shelf by dinner. We’re in such a rush to get to Christmas that we barely make it through Thanksgiving. Seems on Thursday we count our blessings for all we have and on Friday we make a list of all we want.

As much as I dislike the heat, there’s something special about the dog days of summer. If nothing else, the food just tastes better, especially when you eat it outside. Nothing flavored with pumpkin spice can compete with a garden-fresh tomato sandwich.

That first bite tastes like heaven cracked the door to give you a peek. And while hot chocolate by the fire is nice, it doesn’t hold a candle to homemade peach ice cream by the pool. It was hard for me to wrap my mind around Christmas in August as a kid and still is as an adult. To everything there is a season or should be.

The holidays will be here soon enough. Until then, the only Frosty I want is in a cup, not one holding a broomstick in his hand.

Page 10 August 2017 “Deep-rooted blood through my dry tears, an empty all—that’s what I got. Ain’t no one else to tell it. Just me.”

Alice Maynen Corinth, wife of Arthur, mother of Robert, aunt of Anna-Margaret Corinth aka Mandy Blue Eyes

T

hree weeks before I was to leave with Papa on his sabbatical to a small university in Ireland, Mother cleaned my room and put on my dresser a time-worn letter she said fell out of Papa’s old red album. She put it unsealed and faded on my dresser.

That letter came from a red album that I never liked looking into. Still, I opened the letter and read it.

“Arthur said he was fixing that old thresher, but he wasn’t. And you outta know,” his narrow-mouthed wife, Alice, wrote in a warbled hand.

Aunt Alice from all accounts was plain and flat as a fresh-cut board; she was a woman who almost never smiled. But, still it was she who wrote in her bent and beaten-down English a one-page letter on typing paper to Mother those years ago letting my family know that Uncle Arthur was no more. Someone had to do it. That death was Papa’s younger and only brother, in fact, his only sibling. Uncle Arthur was the last of Papa’s direct family, those that shared his blood. Aunt Alice didn’t count—she wasn’t

Blood Letter fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

Let’s not pretend. I know why back then Cousin Robert couldn’t stay home, why at fifteen he was a runaway who never found home with his own flesh and blood. I think without my saying you know it too.

Tell Bart, I know my boy’s gone, has been gone, my boy. God will punish me for that night. That night I was awake, hiding. My last look at him and I was hiding behind the overalls from the wash, me hoping my boy would just go, wouldn’t shame me no more afore folks. It was so cold that night Bart drove him away in that old rusty Ford with the half-bent bumper. Him, my boy, looking back through the side car window for someone to come who never did.

I read the letter.

blood. Papa didn’t count Mother since the divorce and her remarriage. So there was just me. I was blood, but I had questions.

He’s gone now, making right with

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his Maker. Buried him on Sunday at the Way of the Cross Cemetery on Marient Lane by Old Man Leonard’s back field. Bart’ll know the place.

They played in that field near there as boys.

That Uncle Arthur’s death was violent and sad is not news. Many deaths are. I never saw when the letter originally came, but until Mother said it fell out, the letter slept in that red photo album of pictures and notes that Mother kept when Papa wouldn’t. I didn’t want to look into that album anymore, the dead people, the sad gone but not forgotten.

Now I can almost count the days until we leave with my collegeprofessor Papa to Ireland. I cannot prove it, but I suspect Mother knows I won’t be back. I’m fifteen, feeling fifty. Anyway, Mother says that album and all the pictures and letters in it are mine now, that it should be kept in the family, with blood kin.

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Alice wrote, and on that paper, I could see where erasure marks had been until final thoughts pressed themselves deep into the tearstained paper like folded prayer.

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“We only had the one child. I think you ‘member that. Do you ‘member my boy?” Aunt Alice wrote to Mother, a woman that Mother accounts never spoke more than fifteen words to her during her sixteen-year marriage to Papa. This woman was our taciturn Aunt Alice, who still couldn’t bear to write her own disowned son’s name, Robert, on that paper. And it is important to note, that here on the paper, here, was the first spat of tears, evidenced in wrinkle-dotted, pulled-place circles on the white sheet of paper.

“He was good, my son. I think there is always some grace left. Don’t you think God is still kind?” Aunt

We marked my boy’s grave years ago and this Sunday we put Arthur right beside him. Arthur said he was going to fix that old thresher, but he wasn’t. He walked right into it like kindling.

I reread the letter that Mother said fell out of the album’s binding. I don’t believe it fell. I felt Mother’s warning that I couldn’t heed.

And now there is only me left to grind out some gristle-truth. I hid when God never hid from me. I’m as alone as I deserve to be.

That night, I watched my mother as she ate the mushroom-smothered chicken she prepared. I watched her with new eyes. She never looked at me directly, but she wasn’t hiding.

The gangling lift of her fork, that tremulous smile, for her futile fight for her child who was too young to know the failings of a father, too young to know that failure will be the stumble-dark blinding of the child. Of course, looking back, Mother was telling me goodbye between helpings of hand-snapped string beans and the pudding she had sweetened through several tastings. Later that night, Mother came to my room to turn down the light. Already, I had gotten up from my bed and put that letter back where it came from … as close as I could. “Is Aunt Alice still alive?” I started as Mother turned down the light. “Ask your father,” she said. But I didn’t because Uncle Arthur was the last of Papa’s direct family, those that shared his blood. Aunt Alice didn’t count—she wasn’t blood. Papa didn’t count Mother since the divorce and her remarriage. So, there was just me.

I was like a ghost in a jar with that boy looking back. I was blood.

Evince Magazine Page 11

Pittsylvania County Submitted by Lisa Tuite

Brosville/Cascade • Tuesdays: Nedlework. Bring your own projects. Assistance is available. 10am • August 1-25: Book Sale. Friends of the Library; Proceeds support library programs.

• August 9: BOGO at the Book Sale • August 16: Tell a Joke Day: receive a free book.

• August 21: Solar Eclipse 2pm Bring a lawn chair and watch the eclipse. Glasses provided.

• August 30: Wednesdays for Wees 10am Stories and more for ages 0-5.

Chatham • Tuesdays: Computer 1 on 1. Get help on your computer issues.

11am-noon • Wednesdays: Computer 1 on 1.

Get help on your computer issues.

6-7pm • August 2: Coloring Book Day Materials provided.

• August 4: Crochet Learn or work on your own projects. 3-4:30pm • August 8: Wildlife Habitat Workshop 6-8pm Register at ext. vsu.edu • August 10: 2nd Thursday Discussion Group Discuss big ideas. adults • August 18: Crochet Learn or work on your own projects. 3-4:30pm

What’s Happening in the Public Libraries • August 21: Solar Eclipse Viewing Party 1pm Glasses provided.

• August 28: Mother Goose on the Loose 11am stories and more for ages 0-3 and caregivers.

Gretna • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 10-10:30am: Group Fitness. Exercise using DVDs from the library’s collection. age 18+ • Thursdays: crochet All ages and experience levels welcome. 5pm • August 8: 2nd Tuesday Recipe Club The theme is “Backyard BBQ.” Bring your dish and recipe to share.

5:30pm • August 11: Bingo for Books 5pm.

Family fun!

• August 15: DIY craft Make a jute placemat. 5pm Call 434.656.2579 to register.

• August 21: Solar Eclipse Viewing Party 2pm. Watch a NASA video and then the partial eclipse. Glasses provided.

• August 22: Bingo for Books 5pm family fun

South Boston Public Library Submitted by Jay Stephens

• Tuesdays Itsy Bitsy PALS: 12:301:30pm ages birth-2 years PALS: 2:30-4:30pm ages 2-8 Tweens and Teens: 4:30-5:30pm ages 8-17 • August 8: adult crafts 1pm • August 24: After-School Lego Club

5:30-6:30pm grades 3-6 Register at svhec.org/legoclub For more information, visit South Boston Public Library, 509 Broad Street, or www.halifaxlibrary.org, or call 434.575.4228

Halifax County Public Library Submitted by Jay Stephens

• Wednesdays: Itsy Bitsy PALS: 12:30-1:30pm ages birth-2 years PALS: 2:30-4:30pm ages 2-8 Tweens and Teens: 4:30-5:30pm • Thursdays: Art @ the Library: 4-5pm ages 5 -17 • August 9: adult crafts 1pm • August 15: Tea & Book Discussion Group 2:30-3:30pm

• August 17: Art for Adults 10amnoon ages 18+ • August 24: Author and artist Ron Miller discusses “Earth 2.0” 6pm For more information, visit Halifax Public Library, 177 South Main St. in Halifax or www.halifaxlibrary.org or call 434.476.3357.

Gunn Memorial, Caswell County

Submitted by Erica Lowdermilk

• August 3: Local author and recent Winston Salem State University graduate, Christy Johnson, will talk about her new book series, Breathe, and sign books. 4pm • August 14: Book Club will discuss The Marriage Bureau for Rich People

by Farahad Zama. 6pm adults

• August 21: Tom Millner, author of The Thriving Heart, from Providence, NC will speak/sign books. 5:30-7:30pm For more information, visit 161 Main Street East, Yanceyville, NC or www. caswellcounty.gov/library or call 336.694.6241.

Mt. Hermon • August 2: Back-to-School Craft: Make a school bus picture frame. 2pm • August 7: Learn to knit a “T” sweater.

Supply list available. 6:30-8pm • August 9: Make mini book pendants. 2pm ages 12+ • August 21: Knit a “T” sweater.

Supply list available.6:30-8pm • August 26: family movie 10:30am.

Super man? Nope, super dog!

• August 30: Mother Goose on the

Loose 10-10:30am. Stories and more for ages 0-3.

History Research Center & Library • August 29: Our Civil Rights: Race and Labor discussion series continues. Opens 6:30pm, program 7-8:30pm. See calendar on page xx 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.

Danville Public Library

Submitted by Rachel Shaw

• Mondays: Computer Basics: 11am-12:30pm Maker Lab open hours: 3-6pm Maker Mondays: 2nd and 4th Mondays 5-6pm • Tuesdays: Genealogy 101: Getting Started 11am-1pm Book Club @ Westover: Second Tuesday 11am-1pm Crafter’s Corner: 4-6pm • Wednesdays: Computer Basics: 11am-12:30pm Maker Lab open hours: 3-6pm Children’s Programs @ Westover: Third Wednesday 4-5pm • Thursdays: Intermediate Genealogy Classes: 11am-1pm Intermediate Computer Classes: 3:30pm-5pm • August 1: Finding Your Career: workshop sponsored by Educational Opportunity Center 1-3pm • August 8: How to Go for College: workshop sponsored by Educational Opportunity Center 1-3pm • August 14: African American Voices Author Talk: Sandra Harris 4-5pm • August 15: Money Matters: financial

literacy workshop sponsored by Educational Opportunity Center 1-3pm 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.

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 12 August 2017

Skunk, owned by Anne Moore Sparks, was a 2016 entry.

Photo by Von Wellington Photography

Evince Magazine Page 13

HELLO, HEALTH.

Danville Regional Medical Center and Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County are now Sovah Health.

It’s time to welcome health in new ways. Your local hospitals are now Sovah Health. Together we are stronger.

We’re more than two hospitals—we’re your neighbors, friends and family. We understand this region because we live here, and we’re uniting to serve your needs and nurture the health of our communities for generations to come.

From preventative care and specialty care to convenient walk-in clinics and emergency room visits, Sovah Health cares for you during every stage of life. Say hello to caring. Say hello to a healthier you. Say hello to Sovah Health.

Learn more at SovahHealth.com.

Page 14 August 2017

August 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 Eat Well, Play Well – DSC brings nutrition and fitness education together to encourage all-around healthy living for visitors of all ages. Learn the science of making healthy food choices while exploring fun and interesting ways to stay active and healthy.

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

434.770.1974.

The 1963 Danville Civil Rights Movement – The Protests, the People, the Stories. The Danvillian Gallery.

210 N. Union St. 434.466.7981.

DMFAH self-guided audio-visual tours. 434.793.5644.

Public Library Events. See page 11.

Tai Chi with Wyona – A slow-moving 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 3:30pm4:30pm 434.799.5216.

Tai Chi with Paul. Ballou Nature Center Wednesdays 3:30pm-4:30pm Thursdays 11:15am-12:45pm.

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 – Low-impact aerobics workout with a mix of various dance steps. Tu/Th 9.30-11am. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

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 9.3011.30am. 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.

August 1 (thru 17) Clarksville Artisan Guild Exhibit: The Prizery 9am-5pm

August 1 (thru 25) Healing Arts Exhibit: in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month featuring works created by participants in Horizons, an organization of Piedmont Community Services. It exemplifies the healing nature of the arts. PA Sutherlin Mansion in Mourning: In memory of its original owner, Major William T. Sutherlin, the house will be decorated according to the customs of Victorian mourning. DMFAH

August 5 Downtown Danville First Saturdays: food, art, dance, music Main & Union Streets 10am-2pm free

August 7 Meet Up Monday & Danville by Choice Quizzo: 2 Witches Winery & Brewery, 209 Trade St. 5-7pm free. www.dpchamber.org

August 8 History United Networking Meeting: Pittsylvania County History Research Center and Library 340 Whitehead Street Chatham. Learn about this unique center for genealogy and local history research. 5-6pm

August 10 Music on Main: Wampler Brothers Band: Americana, bluegrass and acoustic mayhem 111 Main Street Plaza 6:30-8pm 434.793.4636

August 11 Danville Comedy Club Show & Marilyn Monroe Look-a-Like Contest: HNT 7:30pm $15 to enter the contest and/or see the show. See page 12.

August 12 Midnight Marathon: Register at www.playDanvilleVA.com 434.799.5150 Kayak Main Street to Anglers Park: 2-4:30pm $12 434.799.5150

Fit Mobile: Fun, challenging workouts for the whole family Riverwalk Trail 434.799.5150. www.playdanvilleva.com free Summer Concert Series: Brothers Osborne; Carrington Pavilion 629 Craghead St. 6pm $25/35/40. www. harvestjubilee.org

August 13 (thru October 13) Exhibits at the DMFAH: Photography

by Jesse Andrews in the Jennings Gallery and in the Schoolfield Gallery items from the National Tobacco & Textile Museum’s collection featuring tobacco advertising from the second half of the 19th century. Opening reception on August 13; 2:30-4:30pm

August 19 6th Annual Summer Bazaar: a showcase of local retail vendors Farmers’ Market, 629 Craghead St. 7:30am-noon 434.797.8961 High Ropes Adventure: ages 8+ Register by August 14. 434.799.5150 $12. www.playdanvilleva.com Danville Little Theatre 70th Anniversary Celebration: Bring a dish to share at the picnic in Shelter 21 in Anglers Park, 350 Northside Drive. 5pmdusk 434.799.5521 Victorian Tea: Milton, NC Women’s Club High St. Baptist Church 10amnoon 336.234.7601

August 21 Danville Area Choral Arts Society: new singers are welcome for rehearsal; 7pm St. Luke’s UMC, 3090 North Main St. Performance on November 5

August 24 Bob Ross Painting Workshop: Master the art of oil painting. At the end of this workshop, you’ll have your own masterpiece. 9:30am-3:30pm Advanced registration required. $65/ $75 PA Kayaking for Beginners: Register

by August 20. 6-8pm $12. www. playdanvilleva.com 434.799.5150 Music on Main: West End Mambo, salsa 6:30-8pm 111 Main Street Plaza 434.793.4636

August 25 Trip to Dixie Caverns: 434.799.5216 Departs from Ballou Rec Center Zip Night Flight: on a 400 ft. zip line; ages 8+ Register by August 20.

434.799.5150. www.playdanville.com Community Market Yoga: yoga outdoors taught by Hot Asana Yoga free 9-10am 434.799.5150

August 25 Canvas & Chianti: a social painting class with guest artist &

August 2017 S

M

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

T 1 8 15 22 29

W 2 9 16 23 30

T 3 10 17 24 31

F 4 11 18 25

S 5 12 19 26

instructor Sally Sutton DMFAH 6:30-9pm pre-registration & payment required.

Refreshments provided. See page 12.

August 26 Tirrele Pintura al Cancer/Throw Paint at Cancer: a free family-friendly painting workshop in Spanish for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers DMFAH 10am-1pm registration requested CRRC

August 29 History United - Our Civil Rights - Race & Labor: Pittsylvania County History Research Center and Library 340 Whitehead Street Chatham 6:308:30pm Facilitated by Dr. Andrew Canady of the history faculty at Averett, this series of conversations explores the history of race as it influenced labor in the nation, the South and the local community. Explore the history of the Great Migration and the economic advancements for blacks during and after WWII. Refreshments begin at 6:30pm; program starts at 7pm. free Step by Step: Meet at Karen’s Hallmark, Danville Mall, for an indoor walk at 9:30am. At 10:30am meet at Nature’s Essentials, 413 Mount Cross Road, for “Preventing Skin Cancer All Year Round.” Free skin cancer prevention kits. CRRC 30pm

Upcoming September 2

River City 5K Run/Walk and Kid’s Fun Run: register at DanvilleRunner.org

September 6 Shrimp Fest: www.dpchamber.org

September 7 (thru October 26) Throw Paint at Cancer: free peerto-peer support group for cancer survivors and caregivers. DMFA&H 4-6pm Spanish speakers welcome. No previous art experience necessary. All supplies provided. Space is limited.

Registration required. CRRC

September 9 Ribs, Rhythm, and Blues Jazz Festival: Carrington Pavilion, 529 Craghead St. 5-10pm facebook.com

September 15 Dine on the Dan: MLK Bridge pedestrian walkway; fundraiser for The Free Clinic of Danville $50 5:30-8pm. www.danvillefreeclinic.com

September 23 Museum Meets Margaritaville: DMFAH

For more events see Calendar Clips on pages 12.

The deadline for submitting information for the September calendar is Tuesday, August 22 at 5:00 p.m.

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

Evince Magazine Page  15

Page 16 August 2017

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.

Meditation Moment The Voice of Humor

by Casey Molloy, RYT

L

aughter really is the best medicine. Starting with a curl in the corners of the mouth that inevitably broadens into an infectious smile, the benefits of laughter resonate far beyond its origin. If you ask my mom what her favorite thing to do is, she will say it is laughing until she cries. Crying conveys your deepest expression of emotion, so the simple fact that laughing or love can bring us to tears, proves that experiencing a heightened level of joy enriches our existence beyond measure. Other hilarious responses that laughter is able to elicit include snorting, squirting fluids out of our noses, and even peeing!

Laughter has been observed as a form of therapy used to promote healing. When we are feeling low, a smile from a stranger, a silly joke, or a good punchline on our favorite show has the power to provide us with moments free from worry, pain, and fear.

Sometimes, it is only when consumed by humor that we are able to live fully in the present moment. Our intention should be to embody this presence of

consciousness long after the laughter subsides.

In a world where upbringing, appearance, opinions, choices, lifestyle, and more are constantly scrutinized, it is imperative to take a step back from the whirlwind of judgment. Often this examination comes first from our own inner voice. The mind is a busy beast that constantly imposes expectations upon us, and usually those expectations far exceed any we would reasonably set for someone else. What matters most is being able to let the ego relax so that we can laugh at ourselves.

Be honest. Sometimes we are clumsy, make less than intelligent comments before thinking, and (hopefully more than occasionally) bust out into an embarrassing dance move when we can’t resist our favorite song any longer. Life is all about these moments of unbridled expression. There is no need to resist. Be unique and be you. Laugh when you think something is funny and try not to sensor yourself so much. It is something we can all work on and when we do, we will find that happiness knows no bounds.

Evince Magazine Page 17

Book Clubbing A Review by Diane Adkins

The Summer Before the War

by Helen Simonson

Helen Simonson, author of Mr. Pettigrew’s Last Stand, retains the humor of that debut novel in her second book. Sharply funny in places, the repartee recalls Maggie Smith playing the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey.

However, the plot grows in depth and seriousness just as the characters do.

The action begins just before England enters World War I and takes place in the small village of Rye. But, just as Louise Penny has shown how much goes on beneath the surface in her fictional village, Three Pines, Simonson reveals the interior life of Rye with both wit and admiration for the fortitude the inhabitants can summon in the face of impending conflict.

Beatrice Nash is central in a large cast of characters, having arrived in Rye to be the Latin teacher after the death of her father.

She has vowed never to marry but to work and support herself with the help of her inheritance. To her great annoyance, her father has put the money in the hands of bankers, who dole it out in teaspoons with a multitude of conditions attached. Possessed of a good mind and far more capable than many of the men in the village, Beatrice threads her way around those who would try to thwart her. The evolving role for women before and during this war that changed the world is one theme woven throughout.

The lead male character is Hugh Grange, a medical student. He is engaged to the daughter of his mentor, a renowned surgeon, but it’s obvious from the first pages that he and Beatrice are meant for each other. Their relationship develops slowly, but inexorably. In fact, the pacing of the story itself is slow; the reader is halfway through it before Beatrice sets foot in the school. Multiple story lines add to the plot’s gentle arc; there are Belgian refugees, a forbidden love relationship, and Beatrice’s Romany student who becomes a boy soldier. Add in a famous writer who is modeled after Henry James and it’s an expansive book.

Although the witty exchanges are just my cup of tea, the story becomes most engaging when England enters the war and the men start signing up to serve. What has been a historical novel of manners, albeit better than most, suddenly takes on weight and gravitas. The concluding hundred pages, capturing as they do the agony that is war, make it haunting and memorable.

DIY: Do or Don’t?

Opinion Paddles

by Kristi Hall I’m excited to be a maid of honor and go on my first wedding-dress shopping experience with the bride-tobe. I created these Opinion Paddles to help the bridesmaids guide the bride-to-be on her purchase. The paddles were super easy to make and could be used for other shopping experiences too.

Supplies: • large Popsicle sticks • craft glue • decorative designs: find a template online and print it or draw/paint your own • cardboard pieces the size of a dinner plate Directions: Decide on two positive comments and two not-sopositive remarks. Decorate the cardboard pieces and write a different comment in the middle of each. Make two paddles for each person with a different

When someone is breaking a rule during a meeting, raise a paddle with a frown for all to see. If someone is monopolizing the discussion, raise the “two minutes or less” paddle.

comment on each side. Glue a Popsicle stick on each piece of cardboard for the handle.

I definitely rate this DIY project 5 out of 5 stars. It cost less than $5 to make all of the paddles for four people. You could always use scrapbook paper, cardstock, or paper plates.

Email comments to: kristi@funtionalmovement.com.

Watch For it!

Exciting things are coming to the Center!

Academy | Gallery | Chef’s Palette

Featured Artist

Jane Carter

WEEKLY IN AUGUST

I started painting 30+ years ago while living in Connecticut and being a stay-at-home mom. But after three years I got discouraged and turned to an interior design career. Then, on moving to South Carolina in 1989, I itched to paint again and have been doing so for the past 25+ years.

Watercolors were my medium until a few years ago when I discovered that oils were so joyous. So now I produce my water media (watercolors, pastels and acrylics) and my oils in my beautiful Art Barn in North Carolina.

I’ve become more and more enamored with abstracts and find great joy in creating them. I also find the painting on Yupo paper allows my creative muses much freedom while bringing great success in national show entries.

Tai Chi with Wynona Witcher Tuesdays 10:00 - $10 per person

24 Reid Street Chatham, VA 434.203.8062 Sign-up for our email notifications

reidstreetgallery.com

Reid Street Gallery

Diane S. Adkins, a retired library director, lives in Henry County.

Follow us on Facebook and check out our website for more events and information…..www.ReidStreetGallery.com

Page 18 August 2017

E

ver buy a bottle of wine because of the label? Isn’t it easier to remember a wine’s brand if it’s funny?

If you agree, you are going to love Plungerhead Old Vine Zinfandel from Lodi, California.

The label looks like a Terry Gilliam cartoon!* The winery website tells the story behind the name: Who is that dude on the label? That’s Eddie … According to local legend, after giving the creative department a bit of grief during a wine brand creative process, a mysterious bottle of wine bearing a label that was eerily familiar and quite uncanny made its way to Eddie’s desk.

The character on the label had Eddie’s face, his signature facial hair and was wearing his favorite purple blazer. However, on the label he was also wearing a red toilet plunger hat, wine barrels for trousers and holding a sign that simply said, “Plungerhead.” Eddie, because he’s that kind of guy, took it in stride with a good laugh, and then proceeded to pour a glass of wine for anyone willing to

enjoy a glass along with him.

That’s just Eddie. Eddie’s last name is Plongerheid.

Are you grinning yet? No, then take a look at that label and have a taste of this Zinfandel. It opens with a big, fun aromatic nose of dark fruit and spice followed by flavors of strawberry jam, cinnamon, black pepper, dried cherry and toasted pumpernickel bread. Sounds like a party to me.

Note the color of the convenient plastic cap for which you don’t need a corkscrew. It’s the same color as the plunger. It’s a zork, not cork, and some say its gentle popping noise resembles the sound of a miniature plunger. I feel like I’ve stumbled upon a fun boys’ club. Here’s a toast to Eddie, the guy with a sense of humor, who doesn’t take himself too seriously. Cheers!

The Wine Spot

*Terry Gilliam cartoons appeared between Monty Python comedy sketches. His animations mixed odd, bulbous shapes, with backgrounds and moving cutouts from antique photographs, mostly from the Victorian Era.

Did You Say Plungerhead?

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

Free Lessons on

Learning How to Live

by Carollyn Lee Peerman

Are you learning how to live?

When you continue to learn, you are reinventing yourself. One way to do this is to read. Reading lifts you out of yourself and into conversations with superior minds.

In the best books, great people talk to you and give you their most precious thoughts. Books are the accumulated wisdom that leads you through life.

President Woodrow Wilson would have probably agreed and then added, “I use all the brains I have and borrow all I can from the classics and wise sayings.”

Are you using all the brains you have? Sharpen your mind with wise sayings and proverbs. “Fire your ambition and courage by studying the priceless advice in the proverbs and wise sayings.

They’re the shortest road to wisdom you’ll ever find,” wrote Alexander Graham Bell. Wise sayings contain the best parts of the best books, but don’t believe everything you read. “If you believe everything you read, better not

read” is a Japanese saying. Read with discernment. The world needs thinkers not parrots. Why spend your precious time on bad books?

Do the books you read make you think? Your chief vocation is to think. Moreover, your best thinking is done in solitude.

“Thinking is like living and dying. Each of us has to do it for himself,” noted the famous philosopher Josiah Royce. Listen to the words of a busy man like Henry Ford: “People who have no time, don’t think. The more you think, the more time you have.”

The Greeks believe that a library is a repository of medicine for the mind. What better time is there for you to use your library than during August when the living is easy? Books can be divided into two classes: the books of the hour and the books of all time. You can learn lessons on living from both of them and the best thing is library books are free!

Evince Magazine Page 19

Reflecting Forward Word of the Day: Left, Left, LEFT!

by Linda Lemery

I

reland is a small country with small roads, smaller cars, and lots of traffic. Because Irish petrol (gas) was the equivalent of about $6 per gallon when we were there, a small, fuel-efficient car made sense. American tourists, however, are not always sensible.

We like big cars and travel with major luggage. Being allotted two checked and one carry-on bag and a personal item by the airline means that’s what we’ll bring. If four people are traveling, they’ll probably have eight checked bags, four carry-ons, and four personal items. Our friends only checked three bags so that was fifteen items that had to fit in a vehicle plus us. After landing in Dublin, naïve travelers Linda, Steve, Pat, and Don opted for a cab. The first seven cabs drove away after looking at the mountain of luggage. The gentleman trying to help us find a cab moved us over by the buses thinking that with buses as the backdrop, the luggage mountain would look like a molehill.

One intrepid cabby took the bait.

He pried himself out of the car, popped open the trunk, and said skeptically, “Aye, we’ll try it,” and crammed the luggage and us into the vehicle. We fit, barely, with a mere three or four bags on our laps. “Got a warning light on,” said the cabby. “Don’s seatbelt isn’t buckled,” said his wife, Pat. “Sakes alive,* Don,” said the cabby, “get with the program.

I’m getting the honk. How are you getting around the country?”

“We’ll rent a car and drive,” said my husband, Steve. The cabby’s face turned white. “Sakes alive,* get to a petrol station and buy a set of L’s.” “L’s?” said Steve.

“L is for Learner. Put them on the inside of your upper-left windshield and the lower-right rear window; the other drivers will know you don’t know what you’re doing and they won’t give you the rude hand gesture* or the honk.”

“They use the rude hand gesture* here, too?” I asked. “Madam, it’s the universal language,” said the cabby.

“I’m going to stop so you can read

the plaque about grave-robbing,” continued the cabby. Traffic was flying past us. “There’s nowhere to park,” I said. “Read fast,” said the cabby. “They’re going to give me the honk.” “Graverobbing?” said Pat. “People called Resurrectionists used to dig up bodies and give them to hospitals for medical experimentation,” said the cabby. “Read faster. They’re giving me the honk.” “Sakes alive,” said Steve. Shaking his head, Don just hung onto the safety grip.

I haven’t mentioned that in Ireland, they drive on the left side of the road. The steering wheel is on the right side. So, the American driver sits on the wrong side, shifts with the wrong hand, drives on the wrong side, and looks the wrong way into mirrors that give an unnerving picture reversed from what American brains have been trained to expect. When we eventually left Dublin in our rental car, other drivers immediately bestowed on us the rude hand gesture* and the honk. As soon as he could, Steve screeched to a halt at a petrol station. “Get in there and find those L’s,” he snapped while trying to reduce his heart rate. I exited the back seat like I’d been shot from a cannon. Those L’s were slapped on the glass so fast the packaging vaporized. Don reminded us every time we got into the rental car, “What’s the word of the day?” The rest of us would chorus, “Left, left, LEFT!” His most frequently used phrase during any driving adventure ended up being, “Whoa, whoa, WHOA!” Lessons? Bring one bag. Rent an automatic transmission to avoid shifting. Rent the skinniest possible car. Fold in the mirrors.

Then you might fit in your lane.

Sakes alive.* *Language sanitized for publication About the Author: When she’s not walled in by luggage in the back seat of a car going down the wrong side of the road, Linda Lemery llemery@averett.edu works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.

Page 20 August 2017

Faithful readers will remember I received a brochure from the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History with my membership card that promised free admission to over 880 arts, cultural, and historical institutions nationwide. Always skeptical that nothing is really free, I decided to test that pledge by visiting a few of the museums listed in the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) brochure. Here is what happened in Savannah, Georgia.

With NARM card in hand and only an hour left before my ride would leave Savannah, I entered the restored Andrew Low House across from Lafayette Square to

Low & Behold

Admission Is Free

by Joyce Wilburn

see where Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low and husband William lived after their marriage in 1886.

I knew that Daisy had risen to greater fame in the history books than her husband because she founded the Girl Scouts of the USA in 1912. When she lived here, however, she felt like a failure.

Women were judged by whether or not they married and if they had children. Unfortunately, Daisy

and William were estranged when he died and they had no children.

Maybe living in this mansion with its stately well-proportioned rooms decorated with elaborate plaster cornices and carved woodwork took away some of the pain. I hope so.

Walking through the back door of the museum house, I received a warm Southern welcome and after a quick glance at my NARM card, the greeter told me the next tour would begin in 20 minutes. She suggested I walk across the street for a brief visit to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. I quickly accepted her idea and am glad I did. This is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Georgia, a Gothic masterpiece dedicated in 1876 with beautiful stained glass windows.

After a prayerful interlude, I returned to the elegant Andrew Low House completed in 1849 and redecorated by Daisy as a newlywed in 1886. The front door and garden are guarded by statues of lions that theoretically protected the family’s fortune. The garden with hourglass-shaped beds has been maintained for over 160 years according to its 19th-century plan. Today’s visitors, however, enter the house through the courtyard and back door, where the porch has been enclosed and cleverly transformed into a gift shop.

I browsed for souvenirs for a few minutes until the docent arrived and our 30-minute tour began.

She told us stories and pointed out objects and unique furniture in the ten-room house that could easily be overlooked—several pieces of Duncan Phyfe furniture, the table where Robert E. Lee dined, toys

from the 1850s, and the bed where Daisy died in 1926. Nearby was a very unusual room for a house built in 1848-1849-- a bathroom! Indoor plumbing was in its infancy and city water and sewage systems were rare.

To overcome those obstacles, the Low House was constructed with a system of gutters and downspouts to collect and carry rainwater to a large underground cistern in the rear garden. From there, water was manually pumped into a 500-gallon iron cistern in the attic directly above the hall ceiling. When water was needed, gravity pulled it into a wooden tub. A container for heating the water stood near the tub waiting to be used.

Thirty minutes passed quickly and I knew my ride was waiting so I hastily thanked the guide and left. Although brief, the Low House had been a highlight of my trip—and admission was free!

• For more information, visit www.andrewlowhouse.com. To join the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main Street, and have free access to other NARM museums, visit www.danvillemuseum.org or call 434.793.5644.

• Other museums that I have visited and written about in “Admission Is Free” are: George C. Marshall Museum in Lexington, Virginia (May 2015); Wilton House Museum in Richmond (November 2015); Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach (January 2016); Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina (February 2016); Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro (May 2016). To read these stories, visit www. evincemagazine.com.

• The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist with its towering steeples is listed in the top ten historic sites to see in the United States. Visit www.savannahcathedral.org.

Evince Magazine Page 21

Cooking Under Pressure

by Annelle Williams

I pulled out the old pressure cooker today. I wanted to try a recipe for Tomatillo Pork Soup and didn’t have the hours needed to cook the pork in the oven. You just can’t beat a pressure cooker when it comes to pork, beef, or even chicken stew. I’d never thought of making a summer pork soup, but this recipe sounded delicious with jalapenos, tomatillos, cilantro and the fresh taste of lime. In no time at all I was listening to the jiggle of the pressure weight and trying to estimate just how long it needed to cook. It was ready to eat in a little over an hour. If you’ve never used one, this might be a good time to think about a multifunctional cooker. It dramatically decreases cooking time and keeps you out of the kitchen.

Summer Tomatillo Pork Soup 6 tomatillos, halved 4 garlic cloves, halved 2 large sweet onions, cut into eighths 3 jalapeno peppers, remove seeds and ribs for less heat 1 ear of corn 2 T extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 2 cups chicken broth, divided (more if needed)

1 (3 lb.) pork roast, cut into 6 chunks 2 T seasoning salt 2 T extra virgin olive oil to brown meat (more if needed) 2 T cumin 1 bunch cilantro, divided 1 can seasoned black beans queso fresco, crumbled hot sauce limes, cut into eighths

Preheat oven to 425°. Coat all vegetables with olive oil. Salt and pepper. Place on sheet pan and roast for 15 minutes until vegetables begin to brown. While vegetables are roasting, rub pork with seasoning salt. Pour olive oil in frying pan. Brown meat on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove vegetables from oven. Set corn aside to cool. Put remaining vegetables in food processor with one cup of chicken broth. Blend leaving slightly chunky.

Put pureed vegetables, remaining chicken broth, browned pork, a handful of cilantro leaves and cumin into a pressure cooker. Cover and cook at 10 pounds pressure for about 50 minutes. After pot comes to pressure and begins to jiggle, cut heat to low so it jiggles about every 30 seconds. After 50 minutes, remove pot from heat, set in cold water and let pressure subside.

Open pot, shred pork with forks. Add beans and more warmed chicken broth if needed. Chop remaining cilantro. Cut corn from cob. Serve soup in bowls garnished with extra cilantro, corn, crumbled queso fresco, lime and hot sauce.

If cooking in the oven instead of a pressure cooker, preheat to 325°. Follow the same directions, adding enough chicken broth to cover nearly three quarters up on the pork. Cover. Cook for 3-4 hours until fork tender.

Questions or comments?

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

Page 22 August 2017

Photo Finish On June 23rd, the Southside Area Tennis Association (SATA) hosted 40-LOVE Friday for young adults at the Stratford Tennis Club, 182 Churchview Road, in Danville. SATA’s goal is to spread the love of the game in a fun, social atmosphere, rather than focusing on just skill level. Evince photographer, Von Wellington, mingled with the players and captured the fun. The public is invited to their next events: October 27 (with a spooky twist) in Danville and December 7 on the indoor courts at Chatmoss Country Club in Martinsville.

Read more on page 3.

Maureen Belko and Jonny Fairplay chat before hitting the tennis court.

Janet Davis and Jon Smith pose with Scott Ehrhardt (middle), SATA Vice President.

Captions by Lanie Davis.

Meg Stevens, Athletic Director at Averett University, attends the event sporting AU gear.

Bob McFarland, Sarah Moore and Jackie Wells take time for a picture.

All photos by Von Wellington.

For more info visit www.vonwellington photography.com or call 434.770.3553. See more pictures on Facebook.

Evelyn Riley signs in with Rachel Covington.

Bradford Aron and Jim Tung smile for a picture.

Jackie Wells, Kendall Ratliffe, Emily Holder, and Evelyn Riley have their racquets ready to play tennis.

Peggy McFarland pours a cold drink for Don Frady.

Evince Magazine Page 23 Danny Miller and Angela McNeely socialize before the playing begins.

Tia Yancey waits to sign in.

Matt Stolz and Annie Deloid enjoy drinks.

Tasher Xu chats with Steven Holley.

AU Athletic Trainer Brian Benitez looks forward to the next match.

Johnny Melton, President of the Stratford Tennis Club, poses on the tennis courts.

The Stratford Tennis Club deck is a shady spot to cool off after a game.

Stratford Tennis Club has the only clay tennis counts in Danville.

All skill levels compete for prizes on 40-LOVE Friday.

Page  24 August 2017