Front Porch Fredericksburg - May 2014 by Virginia Grogan

YOUR GUIDE TO THE LOCAL GOOD LIFE

front porch T H E R E G I O N ' S free C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N E

L o c a l G o o d N e w s S i n c e 1 9 97 YEAR 17 • ISSUE 202 • MAY 2014

Frontporchfredericksburg.com

contents

closeups 6

Carol Hueber Educator Advocate

My Home Girl G ... Going Strong at 99

Missy Pixton ... Mental ealth advocate

porch talk 4

Our Heritage: religious revival of 1863 history’s stories.: jane howison & braehead manor

companions: is your dog’s back out of whack?

autoknown better: april shower’s brings what? hollyburg: oscars live among us

Senior Care: safe today, healthy tomorrow

wellness: weighty problems fxbg wellness wonderland

art in the burg: carol waite

scene & heard...in the ‘burg!

fxbg music scene

community link: community give

Renew Your Strength

protocols

on the porch...life in fredericksburg Messages

..5

Quiet Moments: what one person can do People & Cmmuity: Downtown Greens

Wearable art Summer Camps A Graced Eye....Poetry

mindful living: bill brooks

VA Wineries... Playgrounds for grownups

Vino: chardonnay, queen of summer Cooking with kyle

season’s bounty: may day

will power: all about beer

16-17

Calendar of events

Get your glove and meet me at the park By Kyle Snyder

...And more!

stafford 350: Land grab of’42 My own path

3 14 19

Community Catch: simson & kirklighter spotlight on kickshaw market Little Burg, Big World: Sister Cities

30 A gardener’s delight

Fredericksburg Community Catch

Cover photo Bob martin

Fredericksburg is a great place to live. We share a sense of community, family, and service. Richard Simpson, from King George and one of our greatest personalities, teamed up with Sean Kirklighter, originally from Stafford, to promote the newest of our community focused programs not sponsored by anyone but our own community; Fredericksburg Community Catch. Just out of the Army, Sean found himself at odds with civilian life. Permanently disabled, the less structure civilian world presented many opportunities for frustration. Sean’s bank moving their location left Sean driving around for hours talking to a customer service representative who suggested he drive to the branch in Richmond. “It made me angry. Their own people didn’t know where the new location was!” He visited his wife at her work. The end result was more frustration and a wife whom bore the brunt, for which he later apologized.

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Eventually, Sean found the new location. He recounted, “I was still upset, even at the bank. The adjustment period is hard.” On the way out of the bank, Richard called Sean where Sean shared his frustrations and personal transgression. “I can’t change (the way I feel). They are not being fast enough for me.” Richard keenly advised Sean to “get your glove and meet me at (the park).” Sean and Richard spent the next hour playing catch. The result was a transformation from the frustrations of the now, to the fond, familiar memories of yester year. Sean said, “(catch) was like sunshine and hotdogs; Even like riding my bike to every game.” Within minutes Richard noted Sean’s change. “It was like handing a man a coloring book without taking away his masculinity.” At the end of that day, they thought others could benefit. From December till the first “Community Catch” day on April 6, they have been collecting gear. “Matt Matter, Eli Poole, B.K., and others have really stood up,” smiled Richard. Sean added, “the goal is to get people outside and interacting with others in the community.” They have connected with Big Brothers and Big Sisters as well as other groups. “We will be playing catch all summer, as long as the weather is not horrible, every Sunday at Maury park next to Maury stadium on the corner of William street and Kenmore Avenue from 1-3p. Come join us!” As a recent participant, I second that motion! Come meet your neighbors and play catch.

Kyle Snyder is always on the lookout for community gatherings.

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service

Our Joe is Blooming!

“Your pet becomes my pet while in my care, and I care a lot!” - Lexi (540-903-0437; lexig0892@gmail.com) On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet sitting service” Prices: Dogs - $15 per canine per visit Cats - $12 per feline per visit

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

contents

closeups 6

Carol Hueber Educator Advocate

My Home Girl G ... Going Strong at 99

Missy Pixton ... Mental ealth advocate

porch talk 4

Our Heritage: religious revival of 1863 history’s stories.: jane howison & braehead manor

companions: is your dog’s back out of whack?

autoknown better: april shower’s brings what? hollyburg: oscars live among us

Senior Care: safe today, healthy tomorrow

wellness: weighty problems fxbg wellness wonderland

art in the burg: carol waite

scene & heard...in the ‘burg!

fxbg music scene

community link: community give

Renew Your Strength

protocols

on the porch...life in fredericksburg Messages

..5

Quiet Moments: what one person can do People & Cmmuity: Downtown Greens

Wearable art Summer Camps A Graced Eye....Poetry

mindful living: bill brooks

VA Wineries... Playgrounds for grownups

Vino: chardonnay, queen of summer Cooking with kyle

season’s bounty: may day

will power: all about beer

16-17

Calendar of events

Get your glove and meet me at the park By Kyle Snyder

...And more!

stafford 350: Land grab of’42 My own path

3 14 19

Community Catch: simson & kirklighter spotlight on kickshaw market Little Burg, Big World: Sister Cities

30 A gardener’s delight

Fredericksburg Community Catch

Cover photo Bob martin

Spring On Down Accounting Solutions ALL YEAR ROUND Quickbooks Pro Advisor Tax Services Payroll Business Start Ups Non Profits 540.226.9937

praacctgtaxes.com

Kyle Snyder is always on the lookout for community gatherings.

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service

Our Joe is Blooming!

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Guest Editor

Jeremy Sutton

Associate Editors Robin & Archer Di Peppe Contributing Writers & Artists Lynda Allen Kerri Barile Nancy Bauer A.E.Bayne Megan Byrnes Collette Caprara C.Ruth Cassell Ashleigh Chevalier Rick Collier Pamela Coopwood Arch Di Peppe Frank Fratoe Joan Geisler Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks Lori Izkowski Karl Karch David Kerr Wendy LaRue Bob Martin Kristin Morris Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy Vanessa Moncure Gary Olsen M.L.Powers Chris Repp Scott Richards Dru Sgarlato James Kyle Snyder Emily Taggart Scheicker john Sovitsky Jeremy Sutton Christine Thompson Rim Vining Peggy Wickham Julia Wolfe SuzyWoollam Front Porch Fredericksburg is a free circulation magazine published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co., Inc. Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher. The mission of Front Porch Fredericksburg is to connect the diverse citizenry of Fredericksburg with lively features and informative columns of interest to our community’s greatest resource, its people. Messages from our readers are welcome. All submissions must be received by e-mail by the 19th of the month preceding publication.

ON THE PORCH

With this current era of access there’s a feeling we’ve finally crossed a threshold where maybe we’ve conquered and it really is a small world after all. Humanity has been trying to shrink our planet since well before we even knew the general shape of the thing, it’s taken awhile but with each generation we feel a little more successful. In 1299 or so we first learned about the wonders of east Asia, in 1492 we shoved off and found 16 million square miles of land that nobody (at least no white body) knew were there.

Ad Sales: Stacy.Howell@gmail.com E-Mail: frntprch@aol.com Web Site: www.frontporchfredericksburg.com The opinions expressed in Front Porch Fredericksburg are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Front Porch Fredericksburg or its advertisers. Copyright 2014 Olde Towne Publishing Co., LLC All rights reserved.

one of us could conceivably get in touch with another one of us, the guest list has gotten a little too big. Irony is funny like that. This new batch of humans (and all of us who knock around our rock) will do well to remember this as they move on to the first initial steps of their own lives. It’s a blessing, in the right context. When viewed as so small, human travails and tragedies are also shrunk. Our relationships are pared down to those right next to us, often the only ones who really matter, anyway. Our physical world is often reduced to a few miles and a few minutes, and we’ve got pretty much all we really need. Reducing your world down to your current visibility is real shrink, good shrink. You’ll find there’s as much (and often more subustantial) communication and access right around the corner than at the other end of that @email. So slow it down in May, and consider shrinking your world to just your view. Spring is one of the most magical times of year here in Fredericksburg, and you won’t find a much better view in the world, or much better passers-by, than the ones from on your front porch.

Jeremy Sutton, this month’s guest editor is the proud father of two boys and a resident of Fredericksburg.

“Pillar of the Community Award”

Writers are welcome to request Writer’s Guidelines and query the Editor by e-mail. Front Porch Fredericksburg PO Box 9203 Fredericksburg, VA 22403

In 1926 we placed the first phone call across that same ocean, something that must have been truly stunning at the time. In 1971 we sent the first email, in 1977 we put a humanities greatest hits record into space, and in 2004 we birthed Facebook. That’s a few centuries worth of endeavour all wrapped up in bringing us all together. We feel like we have to virtually shrink this place because otherwise we’ll get lost in the actual enormity of our world. It’s part vanity. We need to feel like It All Matters, like we’re all pushing towards some Big Reveal where they pull the bus back and humanity’s answer is sitting there and the crowd says “So THAT’S why we’re here!” It’s part validation, the pale blue thumbs up of a lifetime’s worth of other people with whom you have at least some glancing blow of a relationship. It’s part denial of our own frailty, there’s strength in the concreteness of the past and now the internet’s documentation of that past, while the future only offers things you can’t know, can’t “like,” can’t share via. But it’s all been a little misguided. In our attempt to shrink it all down, we’ve included everyone, and it’s probably a few too many for your apartment to handle. For all the access, communication, technology, transportation and wherewithal, for all our ability to shrink humanity down to the point where any

The Historic Fredericksbug Foundation selected Rob Grogan as the 2014’s “Pillar of the Community”.. The award is in recognition of his efforts, as editor of Front Porch Magazine, to promote awareness, appreciation, and the preservation of the Fredericksburg commmunity’s colorful past and diverse historic places. Alexis Mary Grogan received the posthumous award on behalf of her father at the HFFI Preservation Award Ceremony in March. The Front Porch family of advertisers, writers, and readers are grateful for the selection of Rob Grogan for this honor. VBG

Blooming in Darbytown’s Backyard

With spring finally making serious inroads, it’s exciting to see so much growth in the gardens at Downtown Greens, our local Community Greenspace. Located at the intersection where Charles Street meets Dixon Street in downtown Fredericksburg, this local, non-profit organization, founded in the 90s states that their mission is “...to foster community involvement and growth by protecting and nurturing urban greenspace through collaborative environmental stewardship and experiential education.” Spring is a time for both renewal and new growth and at DTG there are many things sprouting. Led by Sarah Perry, who took over as Director last September and with a new Office Manager, Katya Hvizdos, the organization has a full program of activities and events germinating for community gardeners, volunteers, and staff. Newly introduced this year is their Youth Gardening Club, which meets every Tuesday from 4-5pm. Children return each week, from “seed to harvest” and share in the work, learning as they do to care for the flowers and produce they grow themselves. Downtown Greens hopes that by “..bringing them into the garden that is in their backyard...”, they will gain an appreciation for “what is theirs.” It takes both volunteers and other resources to keep this greenspace blooming, and fundraising is a necessary and fun part. Two great opportunities are coming in May. First, plan on making a pledge during the Community Give event, a day of online giving. Visit www.bit.ly/downtowngreensGIVE14 on May 6, 2014 and you can aid Downtown Greens and maximize your donation by giving them a chance to win cash prizes! Then make sure that you attend their 17th annual Fork-It-Over Festival on May 17th. This outdoor community event will include a garden rummage sale, a silent auction, a plant sale and more! Interactive exhibition booths, a wading pool, cool

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Quiet Moments What one person can do

By John Sovitsky

BY Jeremy Sutton Most of the young adults getting ready to graduate from our many institutues of higher learning in the Commonwealth this merry merry month were born in or around 1991. I know, I had to take an extra sip of bourbon when I did that math, too. They are the first batch of humans to grow up with BFF the internet by their side. Indeed, by the time they were 16 in 2007 (that’s another sip of bourbon, right there), they didn’t really know a time where it wasn’t in their pocket. The whole world, or at least it’s information, has been there for them every step of the way. They can communicate across time zones and languages and borders and oceans with only the slightest effort, and don’t really know what it would be like to have it any other way. But I don’t want to go full Andy Rooney, this is only the beginning of what I’m getting at.

PEOPLE & COMMUNITY crafts, juggling, make-your-own smoothies, food and snacks and, of course, great live music all day! This event has become a perennial favorite! Realizing that it takes more than plants and compost to grow a community Downtown Greens has been hard at work creating their own musical group. Members of the Marenje Marimba Youth Ensemble, which has been meeting for several years, are now working with Zimbabwean musicians and writing their own compositions. Reaping the benefits of their hard work, they’ve branched out with their ‘Kids Teaching Kids’ initiative, which has members of Marenje teaching players from the Boys and Girls Club and passing on their love for this music and their hard-earned skills. Keep an eye out for their next amazing performance. Another new program that has the gardeners buzzing is the Urban Beekeeping Club, which plans to establish hives in the garden, educating members of the community on the importance of these natural pollinators and how to care for them. Stay tuned for news of this and other projects. If you want to get your hands dirty and help, visit the garden at 206 Charles Street on Thursdays from 36pm and Saturdays from 9am-12 to assist with general gardening tasks and share in the beauty of this “urban oasis” that Downtown Greens has created in our community. For more information, visit them on the web at: www.downtowngreens.org, or like them on Facebook at Downtown Greens, Inc. Their email address is downtowngreens@gmail.com. Tending a garden is a relaxing and rewarding experience for young and old alike and builds a sense of connectedness often lacking in our world today. Come and join in the fun...you just might grow to like it... John Sovitsky is never afraid of getting his hands dirty.

By archer Dipeppe When Rob Grogan passed away, there was a universal feeling of helplessness. Time and time again his friends wanted to know what they could do to help. I have thought about it quite a bit, and I think I know the answer. Everyone was glad to see the April issue of Front Porch. Many people worried that the magazine would not continue. The April issue proved it could. In fact, the issue looked pretty much like all of its predecessors. It flew off the shelves and counters all over this area. The distributors had trouble keeping up with the demand for the magazines. We all want to make sure that Front Porch continues. Here is what you can do. Most of you are like me and read the magazine cover to cover. I read all the articles, and I like to look at all of the advertising. The advertising is what pays the bills. Here is what I hope you will do. At least once a month pick out one advertiser in Front Porch. If it is a restaurant, go eat a meal there. Better yet, get some friends to go with you. Here is the most important part. Before you leave, ask to speak with the owner or manager. Tell them how much you enjoy Front Porch magazine and that you know that they advertise with us. Take the paper with you and show the vendor his ad. Tell them you want them to know that their advertising dollars are working for them. Tell them that you are in there spending money in their establishment because they make Front Porch happen, and you are going to do everything you can to make sure the magazine keeps happening. Most of you probably eat out at least once a month, anyway. How hard would it be to pick out one of the restaurants that support us? Likewise, you certainly frequent many retail stores a month. Look through this magazine and find one that has the types of things you are likely to buy. Follow the same directions that I spoke about above. Tell these people how much

you appreciate the fact that they make Front Porch happen. There is an additional benefit. You just may visit stores you have not been in before. You might make a few new friends. If nothing else, you will be making sure that one of your favorite magazines has a future. You will also be shopping locally where your dollars stay in the community and turn over in the community time and time again. You will also be making sure that those local merchants have a future. It is all those local people and their businesses that make our area unique. You will also notice that many people advertise a variety of services in this magazine. Look at those ads. There are realtors, hair stylists, massage specialists, financial advisers, insurance agents, yoga instructors, and many more services represented here. Use them and recommend them to your friends and family. Tell them why you came to see them. I am asking you to join Rob’s Army. There is still so much we can all do to make sure there are many more years of Front Porch. When my father passed away many years ago, I was at a loss for the best way to honor his memory. I decided that the best way was to do the things he would have done if he were still here. He loved his grandchildren, so every time I do something for them, I am doing something for him. Rob Grogan did more to promote Front Porch than anyone else. Do you want to do something meaningful? Lift up the banner Rob carried so well and for so long. Will you do it? Pick out an advertiser, support their business, and get twice the bang for your buck because when you support them, you support us. Make sure you tell them why you are there. Thank you very much. Arch DiPeppe supports all that makes Fredericksburg great. He urges you to support Front Porch Advertisers.

& GARDEN CENTER

Since 1929

601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

roxburyfarmgarden.com

May is Spring Planning Month ! Come Shop With Us

Robgwrites 4

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Guest Editor

Jeremy Sutton

ON THE PORCH

Jeremy Sutton, this month’s guest editor is the proud father of two boys and a resident of Fredericksburg.

“Pillar of the Community Award”

Writers are welcome to request Writer’s Guidelines and query the Editor by e-mail. Front Porch Fredericksburg PO Box 9203 Fredericksburg, VA 22403

Blooming in Darbytown’s Backyard

ROXBURY F

ARM

MAIN: (540) 373-9124 NURSERY: (540) 371-8802

Quiet Moments What one person can do

By John Sovitsky

& GARDEN CENTER

Since 1929

601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

roxburyfarmgarden.com

May is Spring Planning Month ! Come Shop With Us

Robgwrites 4

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Wearable Art

Carol Huebner: Educator Advocate offers excellent perspective and helps people become more inclusive problem solvers.” Recently, H u e b n e r supported Virginia House Delegate Jennifer McClellan and other VEA members who were integral in passing HB 720, legislation that reinforced Carol Huebner (center), with Delegate Jennifer McClellan & one of the Governor Terry McAuliffe in honor of passage of HB 720 organization’s primary goals: Ever since her days as a student teacher advocacy. A teacher in the at West Virginia University, Carol Huebner has believed in the power of advocacy. Her Mountain View UniServ district was professors actively encouraged her to join refused the right to a safe and clean the National Education Association, and environment to pump breast milk during thereafter she knew she would always be school hours. The teacher contacted her representative, who then involved with the organization in some UniServ capacity. Today, Huebner is a math intervened with her county on her teacher, a site-based representative with behalf. The county notified the VEA that the Virginia Education Association for her there was no law on the books in support school in Stafford County, and a newly of breastfeeding, thus the school system elected board member for the Mountain was not willing to interfere with the View UniServ district. Of her experience administrator’s decision. The VEA acted working with VEA and NEA, Huebner says, and Delegate McClellan got involved, “Things have changed over the years, but inciting a variety of opinions. In response only because people chose to stand up and to negative press in a local Richmond Huebner and other VEA advocate for them. That’s why this paper, representatives acted by requesting organization needs to exist. I don’t know any other organization that is fighting so similar experiences from other teachers to that this was a hard for people’s pay and contracts, but reinforce Teachers from across the the struggle is not solely political and the problem. goals are not simply to get people elected; district and state came forward. Huebner the main goal is about fighting for our describes the scene at last year’s VEA convention when the topic was members and our students.” introduced, “The number of delegates, Huebner describes her time at VEA and NEA conventions as inspiring and both men and women, who got up at empowering. Picture 10,000 educators, convention and went to the microphone cafeteria workers, school nurses, speaking in favor of the legislation was administrative assistants, administrators, astonishing. For me, it was indicative of a and higher education professionals larger truth: teachers sacrifice time and coming together in one place to resources meant for their own families for collaborate and set the tone for future others’ needs because we chose a legislative support and education profession that requires it of us. People policy. Huebner says, “The NEA is the don’t understand how many things we largest labor union in the world, and what give up in support of our students simply I see when I attend is thousands of because education is our passion.” For Huebner, passage of HB 720 educators who truly care about public education and all that it means for their regarding lactation support in local school students. It’s powerful and districts is a perfect example of why the energizing. Sometimes teaching can be VEA and NEA exist. She says, “It was a very isolating. You’re in your room small thing, but it will impact a lot of teaching your kids not realizing the same people. I wish more people would get issues that you are experiencing are involved. Being educators, we don’t affecting many teachers and necessarily have a lot of money, we can’t students. When I’ve attended the VEA attend $800 per plate dinners with conventions here in Virginia, I’ve met politicians; however, we have our voices people from across the state. I’ve and our members and our votes, and witnessed rural educators talking with therein lies our power.”

May 2014

Lynda Allen

Summer Camps to explore art and history

By A.E. Bayne

urban school representatives and discovering that many of the challenges of teaching are universal. Such interaction

A Graced Eye

A.E. Bayne is a teacher, writer, artist, and VEA member living in Fredericksburg, VA.

Front porch fredericksburg

At The Courtyard By Marriott Brunch Buffet Service from 9 am - 2 pm Call for Reservations 620 CAROLINE STREET FREDERICKSBURG VA 22401

540.373.8300

By Anne Marie Paquette Spring is in the air and parents’ thoughts are turning to summer activities to keep kids engaged and learning during the holiday. For many families, this means camp! This year, the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center is offering four summer camps during the month of July aimed at helping your children understand the intersection of art and history in the Rappahannock River Region. As part of our continuing slate of programming accompanying our year-long exhibit Woman Adorned: Transcending Time, Transforming Culture the theme of this year’s four camps is Wearable Art. During each camp, children will explore how the clothing and jewelry we put on our bodies reflect and shape who we are while learning the techniques to create these items. During the Introductory Camp, campers will work with local artists to explore a different art form

each day. This camp will provide a broad overview of the theme and introductory art experiences. The Farm to Fashion camp will explore how clothes are made from natural fibers such as wool or cotton.. Campers will visit a local Alpaca farm and learn about raising fiber animals, spinning and weaving, and working with local artists, will create wearable art from natural fibers. Finally, during the Creating Couture Camp, campers will meet Woman Adorned curator Dr. Lauranett Lee and work with UMW Theater and Costume Design Professor Kevin J. McCluskey to design and build a small scale model garment of their own inspired by the exhibit Woman Adorned: Transcending Time, Transforming Culture. Participants will also have the chance to have their garments installed in the exhibit! Don’t miss this wonderful summer opportunity. Register for a camp today! Cost: $90 for members / $115 for non-members

Includes all supplies and a snack. Time: 10am – 2pm daily Dates: Introductory Camp - ages 8 to 10: July 7-9 Introductory Camp – ages 11 to 12: July 14-16 Farm to Fashion – ages 13 to 15: July 21-23 Creating Couture Camp – ages 16 to 18: July 28-30 Optional First Friday Reception to showcase student artwork: August 1 - 7-9pm Participants may register online at www.famcc.org and in The Museum Store. For more information about the Summer Art Camps, please contact the Anne Marie Paquette, at apaquette@famcc.org or 540-371-3037 x 141.

To look upon the world with John O’Donohue’s graced eye. To see the hidden beauty in everything. Surely this is the greatest gift I can give, the most lasting legacy I can leave. To look upon you with a graced eye. To see the beauty not just in your smile, or the tilt of your head, but in the lovely patterns created by the contrast of shadow and light within you. To find beauty in the lilt of your voice, or the way your heart sifts through your thoughts for grains of truth. To see with a graced eye your actions and choices, as part of the mysteriously beautiful pathway on your journey of remembering. To find the hidden beauty in each moment sent together, my birthright and my bequest. Lynda Allen, a local poet, has published several books of her work. She says that this poem, “reminds her o Rob’s (Grogan) beautiful spirit”.

Vera Bradley Spring & Summer patterns in our upstairs boutique! 606 Caroline Street Old Town Fredericksburg 373-7847 www.gemstonecreations.org Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Wednesday 10-6:30

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Wearable Art

May 2014

Lynda Allen

Summer Camps to explore art and history

By A.E. Bayne

urban school representatives and discovering that many of the challenges of teaching are universal. Such interaction

A Graced Eye

A.E. Bayne is a teacher, writer, artist, and VEA member living in Fredericksburg, VA.

Front porch fredericksburg

At The Courtyard By Marriott Brunch Buffet Service from 9 am - 2 pm Call for Reservations 620 CAROLINE STREET FREDERICKSBURG VA 22401

540.373.8300

Vera Bradley Spring & Summer patterns in our upstairs boutique! 606 Caroline Street Old Town Fredericksburg 373-7847 www.gemstonecreations.org Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Wednesday 10-6:30

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Mindful Living

VA. WINERIES

bill brooks

Playgrounds for Grownups!

By Lori Izkowski

by nancy bauer & rick Collier

Practicing mindfulness took on a very real meaning for Bill Brooks one October day in 2007. A knock on the door brought news that his daughter Samantha had been in a very serious car accident. As Bill drove north to Inova Fairfax Hospital, his mind was spinning stories, speculating what had happened, what he would find…and then he realized that the previous three and a half years of practice had truly prepared him for this moment. He managed to stop the stories and focus on what he knew: Sam was at the hospital and had been unconscious at the accident. He knew he needed to be present for her, and by the time he arrived at the hospital he was focused and could be fully supportive. Mindfulness is described as a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. Specifically, mindfulness means paying attention on purpose. The practice is gaining popularity as a method for

May 2014

managing stress, mental distress, and medical conditions. Bill’s mindfulness practice started with meditation, a more formal way of being mindful. “I had considered meditation previously. As a runner I would often use that time of solitude for reflection. The real catalyst, however, came with a marital crisis in 2004.” Along with other means of finding healing, Bill decided to finally explore formal meditation. As a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg, Bill had friends who practiced meditation and was aware also of a meditation group that took place within the fellowship. And that is how the evolution of his personal practice began: reading, discussing, meeting with the ‘sangha’ (spiritual community), and daily practice. “Over time, I developed a sharper awareness – deeper, richer – and connected more easily to my inner peace. And I learned to recognize conditioned patterns of behavior in myself, without judgment.” Life has a way of giving us opportunities to test what we learn. A few

Front porch fredericksburg

years into his practice, Bill went through a period of unemployment. He had developed the skills needed to be present with the situation, and used those skills to guide his decision on whether to continue in the corporate environment or take an independent path…something he had been considering. He had begun teacher training at the Meditation Teacher Training Institute in northern Virginia, but decided he wasn’t quite ready to severe corporate ties. When a second opportunity arose in 2012, however, Bill sensed the time was right, and he left the corporate world behind. Today, Bill’s life and his livelihood are centered round his passions: he teaches yoga, he works with the Spotsylvania Farmers’ Market, he is a coleader for the Insight Meditation Community of Fredericksburg, and most recently he has been teaching mindfulness courses. An introduction to mindfulness, the course is designed to provide participants “with the tools and experience to independently practice mindfulness.” The courses, begun in

January 2013, have been well-attended. Participants range in age from 17 to 70 and include students, parent-child, couples, and retirees. “Most have come due to stressors in life. It is my hope that by the end of the course they are able to continue their own individual practice and gain benefits as I have.” To learn more about the mindfulness courses, you can contact Bill at bemindful@verizon.net. The next course will begin May 6.

Lori works full-time at UMW, part-time for BIO, and is an occasional contributor to Front Porch Fredericksburg, which she has been reading cover-to-cover for over ten years.

Back in the dark ages, circa 1990, when Virginia had only a few dozen wineries, a day in wine country tended to be one-size-fits-all. You came, you sampled—usually for free—maybe splurging on a bottle to share on the lawn. And then, you left. If you wanted a yoga class, you found it at a yoga studio, not your local winery. Now, free tastings are harder to find at the state’s 250 tasting rooms, but yoga, and myriad other strategies to attract and retain visitors’ attention—and loyalty—are on the rise. The stakes are high, as many wineries rely almost exclusively on tasting room sales to pay the bills. Never leave home without your hound? Your Boxer can belly up to the bar (literally) at Barrel Oak Winery, Stinson Vineyards in Crozet, or Chateau Morrisette in Floyd, where puppy love colors everything from the winery’s website—www.thedogs.com—to the wine club (aka “Kennel Club”), to the wine itself (Frosty Dog, Star Dog, and the perennial favorite, Our Dog Blue, a RieslingTraminette blend). Can’t shake the kids? No problem: 130 wineries welcome young ones, including Potomac Point in Stafford, where a glass-walled “Little Buds” room lets parents keep an eye on kids and wine at the same time. DeVault Vineyards in Concord boasts not only a swing set and a playhouse, but also an indoor pool. Ready to party? Stop by Bluemont Vineyards or the Barns at Hamilton Station in Hamilton on a Saturday and odds are good you’ll collide with a bachelorette party. Down the road in Purcellville, the 400-acre Breaux Vineyards recently invested $1.5 million to expand their wedding and private event space by 17,000 square feet, featuring a

pavilion with crystal chandeliers, wood floors, a huge fireplace and panoramic views of the vineyards. If celebrities jazz you, head south: billionaires Steve and Jean Case, of AOL fame, recently purchased and revived Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, and Donald Trump’s son Eric heads up another rescued winery, now rebranded as—wait for it!—Trump Winery. Across the road, groupies glance nonchalantly around airy Blenheim Vineyards, secretly hoping for a glimpse of owner/musician Dave Matthews. Wine tourists can choose from 20 lodgings to soak up the vineyard lifestyle 24x7, ranging from rustic cabins at Belle Mount Vineyards on the Northern Neck to opulent suites at Barboursville Vineyards, north of Charlottesville, where antique oriental carpets cover hand-hewn wood floors. Barboursville’s white tablecloth restaurant, Palladio, is joined by Williamsburg Winery’s Café Provencal, while at the more relaxed Narmada Winery in Amissville, owners Pandit and Sudha Patil pair vegetable samosas and Butter Chicken with MOM, their semisweet Vidal Blanc/Chardonel blend. And then there’s this: Notaviva Vineyards in Purcellville even pairs wine with music (really). What are you looking for in a winery? Cigar bar? Kayaking? Star gazing? Sheep shearing? Yeah, Virginia’s got that.

Nancy Bauer and Rick Collier are the authors of VAWineInMyPocket.com, the wine country travel app and website. Rick’s photos asseen above, are at RickCollierCreative.com

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May 2014

Mindful Living

VA. WINERIES

bill brooks

Playgrounds for Grownups!

By Lori Izkowski

by nancy bauer & rick Collier

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

Lori works full-time at UMW, part-time for BIO, and is an occasional contributor to Front Porch Fredericksburg, which she has been reading cover-to-cover for over ten years.

Nancy Bauer and Rick Collier are the authors of VAWineInMyPocket.com, the wine country travel app and website. Rick’s photos asseen above, are at RickCollierCreative.com

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

My Own Path

Stafford 350 the great land grab of ‘42

By david s. kerr

Seventy years ago Stafford County’s population was approximately 10,000. While many people, particularly in south Stafford, worked at the various factories in Fredericksburg. The county’s economic base was still agricultural, and there were dozens of farms. Aquia Harbour, now home to more than 6,000 people was Woodstock Farm. The Stafford of 1942 had only a few paved roads. there was the only stop light, and it only flashed red to warn of a four-way stop was at the at the corner of U.S. 1 and Courthouse Road. Most people had never been in a traffic jam before. By the middle of 1942, the war that had begun unexpectedly in the Pacific the year before was now a world war. Many of Stafford’s young men had already volunteered for service. Others had waited to finish high school before joining. Many others would follow in the years to come. 1942 is noteworthy for another reason. The U.S. Marine Corps had occupied a base at Quantico since 1912, but with the start of the war felt it essential that the base be expanded. They needed room for individual training, small unit training, maneuvers, joint air and ground training, and ranges. And so in a sweeping move, the Navy (which handled the purchase for the Marines) announced that it was forcing the sale of 50,000 acres of land in Fauquier, Prince William and Stafford counties. 30,000 of that total

would come from Stafford. That’s nearly 47 square miles out of a county whose total was 270 square miles. The 350 families who lived in this far northerly part of Stafford were given six weeks to move out. In those days, and particularly during the war, there were no such things as public hearings, public comments, or any of the other niceties that are usually involved in a condemnation. For that matter there wasn’t any relocation assistance either. The government told the owners how much their land was worth and moving was their problem. There are still a few in Stafford who remember the event. Former County Supervisor Lindbergh Fritter was one. Surprisingly, they don’t seem that angry about what happened. After all, there was a war on but many still feel their families were roughly handled just the same. Some of the displaced families stayed in Stafford, while others left and never came back. Familiar locations, to include two churches, three stores and two post offices — places that had been on the map for a century or more — ceased to exist. Stafford Store, a functioning general store, which was also a voting precinct, was no more. All of the stores, homes, barns, and outbuildings, were demolished or left to decay. However, for years there was a remnant of a fence with a gate that still carried the name, “Stafford Store.” It would take years for the Navy to settle on the properties they had taken, but the move, and the relocation, were swift and complete. It was all accomplished on schedule and Stafford, now missing an entire segment of its community, would never be the same.

David Kerr regularly writes for two local papers and his writing and interest in our local history is a welcome addition to Front Porch.

415 10

May 2014

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First Be Patient with Yourself

My Home Girl, G helen widish sgarlato

By c. ruth cassell

Driving along with windows down, warm spring air rushes into our ears and lungs. From the back seat, “Where does wind come from?” The question stumps me. Incessant questions stream from the back seat while he and I are running errands, driving to preschool, and truth be told anytime we’re in the car and he’s not asleep. Let me tell you, it’s exhausting. I know you fellow parents understand. A child’s curiosity doesn’t automatically guarantee a parent’s patience to quench the thirst for information. Being a living encyclopedia while also mentally making a grocery list, (not so) happily playing block house for the umpteenth time, or carefully dodging cars in the pedestrian walkway in front of Target holding a squirming toddler’s hand does not come naturally. To meet a child’s needs, you must first meet your own needs. In the case of developing the patience to respond to a child coherently when all you really want to say is “uh huh” or “hmmmmm,” begins by living in the moment and being patient with yourself. No one has all the answers, even parents. If you act patiently with yourself throughout the day, as you complete one project before moving onto another or remain calm in a traffic jam making you late to after school pick up, then you will be more able to be patient with your child’s questions. Remember, the questions you get will be tougher and more important as the child grows older. You want him to know he can ask you anything. First, allow yourself to consider the inquiry. Rather than pushing aside a genuine request from your child to think about what’s for dinner, repeat the question and ask the child to answer. This gives you time to get in the moment and think of a reply. If the child is too young or isn’t likely to know the answer then follow up with an age-appropriate, rational explanation. I attempt to answer my son’s constant curiosity with vigilant and intelligent responses. “Because I said so” and “Because God made it that way” don’t seem like adequate replies to serious queries. Even before a child starts talking, everyday is a new chance to explore and

discover the people, places and things making up the world. For my son and I, the age of questions began right about three-years-old and picked up steam after his fifth birthday. My adherence to scientific explanations lasted several rounds. I handled “what makes a rainbow?” and “where does the sun go at night?” For some reason, the wind question took the wind out of my sails. I rigged up an answer somewhere between “I’ll have to look that up, buddy,” and “Let’s ask Popeye if he knows.” Luckily, granddad knows. We finished our drive that afternoon with my identity as the allknowing mommy intact. Honestly, it’s impossible to keep that façade going for long. By being patient with myself first, I realize I don’t have to, and that’s okay. C. Ruth Cassell intends to write My Own Path in 2014 as a way to share lessons in parenting with the many readers of The Front Porch who desire to raise welladjusted, respectful and respectable children, but who are also on a continual path of personal healing. Please share comments, suggestions and column ideas with Ruth at ruth3of5@gmail.com.

By dru-ann sgarlato You may see her shopping in Wegman’s, blinged out in funky jewelry and fashionably dressed, walking the mall, attending canasta and Knitty Bitties weekly, or zipping around in her sporty yellow Volkswagen Bug. What you won’t see is my Home Girl G sitting still. Who is she and why do I call her my Home Girl G? Her name is Helen Wildish Sgarlato, age 99, and she’s my grandmother. She doesn’t fit the mold of your stereotypical grandmother, and our kids call her GiGi (Great Grandmother) for short. I think it’s funny to give her a gangsta title and refer to her as my Home Girl G. So what makes GiGi so unique? She’s as colorful and full of movement as a kaleidoscope. Born in 1914, she was delivered at home by her physician father. The story goes that when Dr. Wildish bent to deliver GiGi, he heard her tiny voice say, “Get Away! I want to do this myself!” She described a loving childhood where her parents, “Let me find my own way my whole life.” Independence is the essence of GiGi. She began school at age four, earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s

degree. She taught first grade for twentytwo years. She went to the University of Iowa and was friends with Ronald Reagan, whom they called “Dutch”. She is quick to point out that she never voted for him. She moved to New York at the age of twenty-four, knowing no one. Her bus arrived at 5 pm, and she met my grandfather Charlie at 7 pm that evening at a social. Soul mates, and she described their symbiotic relationship as, “We were one person.” They were together until he passed away at age eighty-four. Together they explored every corner of the world, often hiking yearly in Gstaadt, Switzerland. GiGi has hiked most mountains and been from Mexico to Kathmandu. As a child, GiGi’s house was one of the most magical places for me to explore. She had an eclectic style of decorating, including a stuffed mallard sitting on a log, tribal masks on the wall, an enamel scarab beetle, fertility statues, and a political cartoon in a frame in the bathroom. What has always hung on the wall is a watercolor painting of my grandparents’ hiking in Switzerland. Having been “as one person”, I

imagined it was difficult to press on without my grandfather. A week after he passed, she went to Mexico with a friend. She just kept moving. She referenced something her seventy year old son with an intellectual disability once said, “If you live, you have to die!” GiGi shared her personal philosophies: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” and “Think positively. Most times things get better.” Blue eyes sparkling with merriment, she remarked, “Life is wonderful! Life is interesting! I am always inquiring.” She added, “Even now when I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I’m not depressed.” When asked how she would like to be remembered, she summed it up with a joke: Three friends go to a funeral. Standing by the casket, the first friend says, “He was a good husband”. The second says, “He was honest”. The third friend says, “Look, he’s moving!” And move she does! She doesn’t sit still waiting for life to happen but rushes to meet it! Recently her beloved dog ChiWa died. Though heartbroken, GiGi shared having a companion to rely on

her gives her purpose. She adopted Princess Foxy, a Chihuahua. Take a page from My Home Girl, G’s book: Life is beautiful. Don’t content yourself with small, measured sips of its nectar. Grab that manna and suck it dry!

Dru-Ann Sgarlato spends way too much time preparing for the zombie apocalypse, loves camping in her RV, and is perfecting her skills as an artificial pancreas. Her life philosophy is to find at least one thing to laugh at each day, and if it’s herself, that’s even better!

Jewel Box Since 1940 Your Hometown Jeweler On-Premise Jewelry Repair Watch Batteries Gold Buying Engraving 212 William Street,Fredericksburg 540-373-5513 Mon-Fri 9-5:30; Sat 9-5 front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

My Own Path

Stafford 350 the great land grab of ‘42

By david s. kerr

David Kerr regularly writes for two local papers and his writing and interest in our local history is a welcome addition to Front Porch.

415 10

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

First Be Patient with Yourself

My Home Girl, G helen widish sgarlato

By c. ruth cassell

May 2014

Cooking With Kyle Simple, easy, delicious

Vino Chardonnay, queen of summer By scott richards

by james kyle snyder

Continuing to cook by the season is fun! May gives us our first fresh harvest after the long winter. Preparing for the next season is not very hard once you get used to it. First is knowing when to plant what. There are blogs and web sites about this skill; most of the decisions revolve around the “average last frost” (ALF). Fredericksburg city sits squarely on the line between the Piedmont area (ALF April 20-30) and the Mountain area (ALF May 10-15). To further emphasize the point, Spotsylvania is firmly located in the Mountain area, while Stafford is snug in the Piedmont area. Remember, these dates are averages. There are no guarantees that you won’t experience a killing frost after your area’s ALF date. Be prepared to cover your plantings in the early spring if you try to get the plants in the ground early. Here are some general guidelines I follow: Start peppers and tomatoes inside on Valentines’ day. After they sprout, make sure they have plenty of sun or they will get “leggy.” Plant them late

May 2014

April. I gamble on no-frost most years. In late March, sew spring peas, lettuce and leafy greens, spinach, bitter greens, radishes, and cabbage directly in the garden. The rest of the direct sew plants, like corn, cucumbers, squashes, and most other garden vegetables, must wait until the ALF date has passed. Asparagus is great because once you have it in the ground; it will produce for you once a year for the next 25 years. Roxbury Mills, on Lafayette Blvd, has a great variety of asparagus root stocks available and instructions on how to plant. Experiment and have fun! Plant a few things early, and then more later. A few minutes of planting will produce fresh, available vegetables all season. May is salad season! Asparagus is up. Radishes are in. Rhubarb is full.The greens are thick like a carpet, and the first of the strawberries are on the vine. Having taken the time in late March to plant, it is time to start the harvest season that will extend late into October. We love simple salads. Take any or all of the garden’s gifts, add a quick vinaigrette, and you have lunch. Get slightly creative with a piece of fresh tuna and you will have a picture perfect meal that looks harder to make than it actually is. Many times, I will pick a couple ingredients, like tuna and radish, and search the internet. There are so many ideas out there that drive you in a different creative direction. This month’s recipe is an adaptation of a salad I saw in differing forms and presentation. Using those as a guideline, I came up with this month’s “simple, easy, and delicious.” In a small bowl, combine 3 TBS wasabi powder, 3 TBS silken tofu, 1 TBS rice vinegar, 1 TBS fresh lemon juice, 1 TBS mirin, and a pinch of S&P. Wisk until smooth and set aside in the refrigerator. Thinly slice 1 cup radishes (shred if you prefer). Add 2 TBS fresh chopped mint leaves, 2 TBS fresh chopped cilantro, 1 TBS of grated carrots, and 2 TBS of any spicy sprout, like radish. Dress these with 2 TBS lemon juice and TBS mirin then toss to mix well. Put all of the salad in a colander to drain in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Serve on chilled plates layering with the salad first then thinly sliced tuna. Finish with flake salt, or lemon flake salt if you have it. Use the wasabi dressing to decorate the plate. All done! Simple, easy and delicious. Be well.

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The weather has finally broken and despite a few scares with potential frosts we saw in April, hopefully we can put away our winter sweaters and coats and enjoy a glass of wine on the back deck. Although I am a year round red wine drinker, I do enjoy a nice white. In Virginia, Chardonnay still seems to be the white wine of choice. However, Virginians are starting to drink it with a new twist. Unoaked. It has been often stated that oaking can cover a plethora of mistakes despite the fact that it adds a mellowness to the wine. Aging in stainless steel, on the other hand, brings out the crisp fruit flavor of the Chardonnay grape, while still maintaining the body that so many appreciate. On the backend, just after the taste of citrus hits the palette, there is still a slight butteriness that surprises many, because we all thought it only had to do with the oak aging. Roger’s Ford Farm Winery in Summerduck has a lovely unoaked Chardonnay they Jacob Christopher Chardonnay, which displays aromatics as well as a touch of sweetness on the end. For those who enjoy the oak aging (and there are many), the Gray Ghost Winery in Amissville (above) offers their 2011 Reserve Chardonnay which is aged in French oak just the right amount so that the crisp taste of the fruit is maintained and the faintly sweet smokiness of the oak can be enjoyed without overpowering the wine. In Spotsylvania, Lake Anna Winery has always produced a lovely Reserve Chardonnay that is aged in oak for ten to twelve months. In the past, the wine,

because of this process, not to mention the care Lake Anna Winery uses in everything from the raising of the vines to the wine making itself, has presented the slightest English toffee and caramel flavor that tends to give the wine a certain warmth in addition to the depth of flavor and finish. An up and coming wine in Virginia is the Sauvignon Blanc. Although a white, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon along with Cabernet Franc. Somewhat lighter than Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc is a wine that is normally served unoaked unless it is used in a blend. The bright, fruity taste of this wine is very refreshing and is often thought of as a summer wine, but many are finding this wine is always refreshing in winters liked we just experienced along the Mid Atlantic Seaboard. While Sauvignon Blanc is growing in popularity, Chardonnay remains the top white wine, in particular, the unoaked Chardonnays. Oaked or unoaked, red or white, drink what you like and enjoy the warmer weather! Scott owns a vineyard in Sparta, Virginia and does free lance writing for the Front Porch and the Caroline Progress.

Season’s Bounty

may day, may pole, may queen

By vanessa moncure It’s been some years since I moved my parents to Virginia, but I’m still sorting through, trying to date and organise many old family photographs, albums, slides, genealogic papers - so many of them dry and dusty, unnamed Victorian photographs and autograph albums. Just in time for this May issue, in a lovely faded velvet-covered album, I found a grouping of late 19th century young girls, dressed in white gowns, floral and ivy crowning their flowing hair. Another photo of the same girls, same studio poses, this time holding long ribbons tied to a May pole last photo of the May Queen standing while the others were grouped around her. I haven’t identified the girls yet, but the fading penmanship on the reverse identifies the group date as May Day 96. Slightly before my grandmother’s time, but I remember her stories of celebrating May Day in the schoolyard, winding long strands of colored ribbon around a decorated pole - a celebration of youth, spring and Earth’s annual rebirth. When I think of spring foods, eggs first come to mind, probably because of their Easter symbolism. Also because I have to think of something to do with a bowl of lovingly (read messily) colored and decorated hard-boiled eggs. If you can purchase fresh eggs at the farmer’s market, make sure you use a large-graded egg for all baked recipes. Extra-large and jumbograded are larger and heavier and often have a double yolk. Most cookbook recipes call for large size in baking - size is not as critical in an omelet or frittata. BROILED BREAKFAST Preheat oven broiler and place top rack nearest to heat. Toast two English muffins and place on baking sheet. Heat four slices of Canadian bacon and place on muffin, then a slice of tomato, slices of hard-boiled egg, ¼ c. each prepared Bearnaise sauce, then slice of swiss cheese. Broil until cheese is browned and bubbly, turn off broiler and place baking sheet on bottom rack - close oven door and allow them to heat through about five minutes sprinkle with finely chopped chives and serve along with a fruit cup - great for a Mother’s Day breakfast tray! ANGEL FOOD CAKE Once you have made this delicious, light cake at home, I doubt that the grocery variety will ever taste as good. This is great to cut in layers, spreading each layer with strawberry ice cream, then keeping frozen until serving with a juicy spring strawberry sauce (swirl fresh strawberries in blender with a bit of frozen strawberry daiquiri mix (non-alcoholic) until smooth). Use

almond extract in place or in addition to the vanilla for a different flavor even coconut or lemon extracts are great if you are pairing with tropical fruit sauces. For the cake: Separate one dozen large eggs and let come to room temperature. HINT: even a tiny speck of fat(yolk) from the egg will prevent the whites from beating. Also, never try to beat egg whites in a plastic bowl. Must have glass or stainless steel or best, as any pastry chef will tell you, a copper bowl. Preheat the oven to 375F. Whip the egg whites (should be about one cup) in a mixer with whisk attachment or a hand-held whisk until foamy. Beat in 1 tsp. cream of tartar and ½ tsp. salt. Without stopping, gradually add 1 ½ c. sugar until soft peaks form - then sift 1 c. cake flour and fold into the egg mixture along with 1 tsp. flavoring. Lightly spoon the mixture into an ungreased 10” tube pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 50-55 minutes. Cool the cake by inverting over the top of a bottle.(This will help keep its height.) Don’t try to remove from pan until the cake comes to room temperature. Run a knife around the edges to loosen from the pan, then knock pan sharply on counter covered with wax paper. Turn over and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar if desired. You can freeze the yolks individually, tightly covered, for about a month. Great for sauces, some casseroles (like chicken a la king), or thickening homemade custard or cooked ice cream bases. LEMON CURD For this recipe you’ll need a double boiler - or make your own with a bottom saucepan and smaller top round mixing bowl. This is great with the angel food cake or traditionally with scones for tea. Whisk together in top mixing bowl 4 eggs and 1 c. sugar until very light. Whisk in ? c. lemon juice and 1 T. freshly grated lemon zest. Place the mixing bowl over bottom pan with about one inch of simmering water. Cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is custardy and will coat a spoon. Stir in ¼ c. butter (no substitute) until melted. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Beat 1 c. heavy cream and fold in the lemon mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Love to the oeuf! Vanessa treats us each month to wonderful recipes and downhome stories in this space.

Do Your Knives Make the Cut? Sharpening Services at

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~ Daily Specials ~ Mom’s Mondays: Free dessert for all moms Two For One Tuesdays: All beverages & appetizers are two-for-one. Washington Wednesdays: All food 50% off with Mary Washington University id Throwback Thursdays: Burgers any way $5.00. Dine in Only ~ Limited Time ~ Subject to Change

801 Caroline Street

(540) 371-2008

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May 2014

Cooking With Kyle Simple, easy, delicious

Vino Chardonnay, queen of summer By scott richards

by james kyle snyder

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

Season’s Bounty

may day, may pole, may queen

Do Your Knives Make the Cut? Sharpening Services at

374-0443 www.shopwhittingham.com 1021 Caroline Street

801 Caroline Street

(540) 371-2008

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Spotlight

WELCOME TO OUR GREAT OUTDOORS

on kickshaw downtown market By mary lynn powers

If you were wondering what type of shop would open in the Virginia Deli space at 101 William St, wonder no more. There is a new food market opening soon, Kathy Craddock and hopefully in May. Brandi Fishback are the proud owners of Kickshaw Downtown Market. They plan to specialize in organic and natural products, using as much locally produced goods as possible. The idea is to provide downtown with healthy, locally-sourced options that are also affordable, and can be obtained all under one roof. Their goals stretch further to include workshops to educate people on the differences in organic and natural foods, methods for preserving foods, the different levels of certification, and understanding ways diet can improve their lives. Kathy and Brandi have been friends for a while. They met at an Ugly Christmas Sweater benefit that Kathy was sponsoring. Both owners have interesting backgrounds, Brandi was a police officer,

and Kathy was a marine. Brandi worked in sales for eleven years, and Kathy ran a bakery. They have both done work in non-profits and plan to be involved in community efforts such as community gardens and children’s activities. Brandi told me that they have veggie costumes they use when entertaining and educating little ones. They want to make natural eating more understandable and down to earth. Their decision to open the shop came about when Kathy was driving home from the local farmer’s market, and thought how nice it would be to be able to pick up other essentials without having to travel to Richmond or Northern VA. Passing by the open storefront, the lightbulb came on, and she knew this was the next path in the road. She called Brandi who immediately agreed to the

Come on Over and See Us in our New Location at Eagle Village!

It’s Beautiful ~ Night and Day!

Soup & Taco, Etc.

Mary Lynn Powers gets the inside story on businessin Fredericksburg.

Quality over quantity

813 Caroline St.

By william loring

Fredericksburg, VA

GET 25% OFF ANY 6 BOTTLES OF WINE WITH THIS COUPON VALID IN STORE ONLY. ONE COUPON PER PERSON. EXPIRES 2/28/2014

To learn about our tastings and other special events: Join our email list at EJosephWines.com & Facebook.com/hop.wine

Mexican, Tex-Mex Food

540-373-8878

11am-9pm

Serving Traditional and Something More!! Tuesday to Saturday Sunday 11am-6pm

1223 Jefferson Davis Hwy Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Phone: 540-899-0969 E-mail: soupntaco@yahoo.com

idea. Prior to this though, Kathy had started working on her family’s nutrition and diet. She had serious medical issues which after overhauling her diet and that of her family, she made a nearly full recovery. Brandi had a big interest in nutrition and it’s effects on the body, especially after seeing Kathy’s recovery. Kathy also blogs about her experience, and is in the process of writing and critiquing some food related material. If all goes as planned, the market will have a soft opening, a kind of meet and greet on 1st Friday, and other festival events are in the works for the near future. For information about the opening and upcoming events, check out their Facebook or Twitter page at Kickshaw’s Downtown Market, or go to the website at kickshawsdowntownmarket.com.

Will Power

The

The Sunken Well Tavern

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911 Eat Well Drink Well Live Well

As many of you know (dozens?), the Craft Brewers Conference was held in Denver this past April the 8th through the 11th. To open the event, Paul Gatza, President of the Brewers Association talked about a problem facing many new breweries: Quality Control. “With so many brewery openings, the potential is there for things to start to degrade on the quality side, and we wouldn’t want that to color the willingness of the beer drinker to try new brands. If a beer drinker has a bad experience, they are just going to go back to companies they know and trust.” While at the higher end of the brewing spectrum (Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head, Victory, New Belgium), the quality and consistency of these beers has never been better, but there are plenty of new breweries opening every day with very little equipment to properly test their product to ensure a consistent uninfected brew. While the typical lay person may not be able to spot a DMS infection vs. oxidation, many will know that something is not quite right. Now, these infections are not always the fault of the brewer, and that should be noted, especially with plenty of new venues exploring the craft side of beer. Clean draft lines, proper storage, timely tappings, etc, can all affect the taste of a beer. Are you checking out a new beer/brewery at your local bottle shop/neighborhood bar? Do you know when the beer was bottled/kegged? Has it been exposed to numerous temperatures in transit from brewery to distributor to retailer? Are they using brown bottles or cans instead of clear or green glass to protect the beer from being light struck? For a very few beer styles, some of those conditions and changes will not affect the taste that much, but for most it will. The general rule of thumb is that beer starts to deteriorate from its intended flavor profile after 90 days from packaging. Some brewers insist on an even shorter

lifespan for especially hoppy beers. Stone Enjoy By Double IPA comes to mind. It is bottled with an “expiration” date printed on the front. 35 days from bottling is when it should be consumed. Buy the time you are reading this, there should not be any Enjoy By 4/20/14 still sitting on the shelves. Should. Ok, on to happier news, and a story I have been following for quite a while. Adventure Brewing Company, located just up Route 1 across from the Stafford Airport at 33 Perchwood Drive, will be opening their tasting room on May 15th! After months (years?) of slogging through red tape and bureaucratic mumbo jumbo, they will be the first brewery to open in Stafford county. While my previous paragraphs were about young upstarts keeping an eye on quality control, I have no fear of that happening with these guys. I have been tasting various batches and recipes of their beers for over a year and a half, and I am genuinely excited for them to open. While they will not be distributing at first, only selling what they can produce from their tasting room, they have plenty of space to expand as necessary. So, swing on by, try some Expedition IPA, Grapefruit Wheat or one of their experimental one off brews and say hi to Tim, Stan and John! William Loring is the resident beer nerd at The Olde Towne Butcher and constant lurker on BeerAdvocate.

The General Store

Restaurant

Serving Up Local “Good” News Since 1997 Since 1978

Italian/American Food Monday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm

371-4075 Front Porch Fredericksburg 14

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

2018 College Ave. Fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Spotlight

WELCOME TO OUR GREAT OUTDOORS

on kickshaw downtown market By mary lynn powers

Come on Over and See Us in our New Location at Eagle Village!

It’s Beautiful ~ Night and Day!

Soup & Taco, Etc.

Mary Lynn Powers gets the inside story on businessin Fredericksburg.

Quality over quantity

813 Caroline St.

By william loring

Fredericksburg, VA

GET 25% OFF ANY 6 BOTTLES OF WINE WITH THIS COUPON VALID IN STORE ONLY. ONE COUPON PER PERSON. EXPIRES 2/28/2014

To learn about our tastings and other special events: Join our email list at EJosephWines.com & Facebook.com/hop.wine

Mexican, Tex-Mex Food

540-373-8878

11am-9pm

Serving Traditional and Something More!! Tuesday to Saturday Sunday 11am-6pm

1223 Jefferson Davis Hwy Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Phone: 540-899-0969 E-mail: soupntaco@yahoo.com

Will Power

The

The Sunken Well Tavern

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911 Eat Well Drink Well Live Well

The General Store

Restaurant

Serving Up Local “Good” News Since 1997 Since 1978

Italian/American Food Monday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm

371-4075 Front Porch Fredericksburg 14

May 2014

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2018 College Ave. Fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

may 2014… in full bloom

CALENDAR of events

graceful, historic Civil War dancing and exciting appearances by Generals Grant and Lee — is being offered by Spotsylvania County beginning at 6:30 p.m., at Stevenson Ridge, Spotsylvania. Info www.150spotsylvania.com

plaing tunes from the ‘20’s, tours of the distillery, silent auction.

May 2

Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) and Rappahannock Adult Activities (RAAI) invite you to join them at the 28th Annual Mayfest

Please join us…for a special First Friday opening reception: May 2, 5-9pm. It’s LibertyTown’s popular annual Patrons’ Show. Come see a wonderful show of original art. LTAW 5-9pm. Women Adorned Workshop “The Local Paper” @ Fredericksburg Area Museum & Culture Center 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm This workshop will explore clothing and fashion from the local level. Where we come from is part of who we are, what we wear, and who we are as artists. History Triva Night at the James Monroe Museum 7-9pm Match wits with friends and family (or total strangers) in history trivia competitions while enjoying light refreshments and relaxing music. “Glissando” at Artful Dimensions 6:00 pm a unique 3-dimensional music experience. Come join us on 1st Friday and experience a completely new perspective of the violin family of instruments

photo by bob martin

May 1, 2014 The award-winning Stafford High School Fine Arts Department presents the Fredericksburg area premiere of Mel Brooks’ musical Young Frankenstein, based on his 1974 hit movie. @staffford high school auditorium @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm. May 2 7-9pm A unique “Evening with the Generals” — which incorporates great food, authentic period music,

Stage Door Presents “Willy Wonka”, 7pm Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to life in this stage adaptation. Massaponax High School May 3 at 2pm and 7pm. “She Stoops to Conquer”, The Rude Mechanicals will present this play in partnership with FFPA at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. It takes place under a pavilion. Picnic baskets are welcome. May 2, 3 shows at 7 pm, May 4 at 6 pm.

May 3 The Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault (RCASA) Roaring 20?s themed celebration at the Bowman’s Distillery! 6pm. Fredericksburg Big Band

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3rd Annual Spring Fling Dance. YMCA, Massad Family Branch,Falmouth. 7-9pm Contact the YMCA at 540/371-9622 or www.family-ymca.org

May 2014

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The Community Give Day….support your local non-profits

Celebration from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 750 Kings Highway, F r e d e r i c k s b u r g (approximately 3 miles East of the Chatham Bridge). a.family fun day with live entertainment, plant sales, raffle prizes, silent auction, barrel train, moon bounce, bake sale, food, .

May 11

Downtown Fredericksburg Spa and Wellness Week May 4th – 10th More than two dozen businesses and wellness practitioners in and around downtown Fredericksburg will offer deals priced at $25 and $50, giving customers an opportunity to sample everything from yoga and fitness classes, to various styles of massage, to beauty and nail treatments, to nutritional counseling, personal training and holistic practices such as Reiki and Feng Shui at reduced rates.

May 5 Art of Recovery Exhibit Opening, 5-9pm @Ponshop Studio & Gallery,Caroline St.Exhibit runs thru May 31

May 6 Zumba for Moms & Babies, 9:45 – 10:30, Zumbini

Annual Iris Show and Design Competition Fredericksburg Area Iris Society. 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm @ Chancellor Ruritan Club. See dozens of locally grown irises fill the room as Fredericksburg Area Iris Society holds its annual iris show and design competition. Members pick the best irises from their gardens to show in this competition that allows the general public to see the best of the best. A can't miss experience for flower lovers! Public is invited to this free event! Rappahannock Choral Society, Inc. Spring Concert present an array of great choral music and excepts from West Side Story.at 8:00 p.m. Chancellor HS.

May 4

May 8 North Stafford MOPS Moms Club @ Horizons Church, Flatford road, Stafford.10:30 pm . We are open to all moms of children birth – Kindergarten. Please join us for fellowship, food, friendship, and encouragement from other moms, mentors, and local speakers. We offer childcare during the meetings.

May 10 Fredericksburg Community Coffee House “Open Mic Night” @ Unity of Fredericksburg,U.S. 1 Business & Princess Anne Street 6-9pm. Join us for some food, fellowship and fun. Feel free to bring your piano, guitar, harmonica, drum, a short reading or whatever!

Rappahannock Choral Society, Inc. Spring Concert present an array of great choral music and excepts from West Side Story.at 8:00 p.m.. at 3:00 p.m. at Chancellor High School, located at 6300 Harrison Rd in Fredericksburg,VA. Visit our website at www.rappahannockchoral-society.org for more information and a map to the school.

May 13 Zumba for Moms & Babies, 9:45 – 10:30, Zumbini is a remarkable musical & movement experience for ages 0-3 with their parent/caregiver. Fredericksburg Parks & Recreation, Canal Street. Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center’s Breakfast with the Curator Series – Gen. Ron Christmas Former President/CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, will discuss the founding of the National Museum of the Marine Corps.9am For more information on additional programming information, please either contact the Museum at 540-371-3037 or famcc.org

May 16

Fredericksburg Greek Festival @ Nativity of Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church. All Day. Festival continues through May 18. Join us for food, dancing & fun…Greek Style.

May 17 Fork it Over Festival@Downtown Greens, 1-5pm. In our Gardens at the Corner of Charles and Dixon Streets a free garden fair for all ages! Attractions include a plant sale and garden rummage sale, environmental education stands and booths and live music! Lemonade and refreshments will be available. Roller Derby: Five 40 Roller Girls vs Southern Maryland Roller Derby. Golden Skate World 12220 5 Mile Road Fredericksburg, VA . 6-9pm This is a fast action family friendly sporting event.

for live music, fun on the inflatable moon bounce and obstacle course, barrel train rides, 911 education, ambulance and fire truck tours, and so much more!!! Info@ fxbgrescue.org Music and Spirits concert series will bring veteran blues and jazz guitarist Walter Parks to the stage for what promises to be an electrifying show..@A. Smith Bowman Distillery, 7:30. info If you are reading this 202 th issue of FP, thank an advertiser. If you are an advertiser, list your event. Deadline for our June 2014 issue is May 20. To submit events, follow link: http://frontporchfredericksburg.com/how-ttosubmit-o online/

Motherhood Celebrated @Porter Library, 2:304:30pm A Tribute: To the Nurturers, Caregivers, Advisors, Listeners, Correctors, Confindants and Virtuous Role Models. Featuring, Live Poetry, Live Performances, Light Fare, Variety of Teas, Dessert

May 20 Fredericksburg Festival for the Performing Arts 27th Annual Chamber Music Festival @Trinity Episcopal Church. Pm. Three Nights, May 20, 22,& 23. Each evening will feature unique programming with world class chamber musicians. Tickets available at fredfest.org, or at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center, or call 540374-5040 or e-mail us at thearts@fredfest.org for information.

May 24 The Whole Shebang! A Multi-craft event @Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church 9-3pm.

May 31 Fredericksburg Rescue Squdapalooza 8AM-NOON HURKAMP PARK, Join us

photo by bob martin

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service Companionship Meal Preparation Medication Reminders Laundry

Light Housekeeping Shopping/Errands Personal Care Flexible Hours

Call for a free, no-obligation appointment

540.899.1422 Each HomeInstead Franchise Office is Independently Owned & Operated

is a remarkable musical & movement experience for ages 0-3 with their parent/caregiver. Fredericksburg Parks & Recreation, Canal Street.

2155 Fans (& Growing) Want You to Join

“Your pet becomes my pet while in my care, and I care a lot!” (540-903-0437; lexig0892@gmail.com) On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet sitting service”

Front Porch on

homeinstead.com front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

may 2014… in full bloom

CALENDAR of events

plaing tunes from the ‘20’s, tours of the distillery, silent auction.

May 2

Rappahannock Area Community Services Board (RACSB) and Rappahannock Adult Activities (RAAI) invite you to join them at the 28th Annual Mayfest

photo by bob martin

May 3 The Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault (RCASA) Roaring 20?s themed celebration at the Bowman’s Distillery! 6pm. Fredericksburg Big Band

Accounting Solutions ALL YEAR ROUND

540.226.9937 praacctgtaxes.com

Quickbooks Pro Advisor Tax Services Business Start Ups Payroll Non Profits

3rd Annual Spring Fling Dance. YMCA, Massad Family Branch,Falmouth. 7-9pm Contact the YMCA at 540/371-9622 or www.family-ymca.org

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

The Community Give Day….support your local non-profits

May 11

May 5 Art of Recovery Exhibit Opening, 5-9pm @Ponshop Studio & Gallery,Caroline St.Exhibit runs thru May 31

May 6 Zumba for Moms & Babies, 9:45 – 10:30, Zumbini

May 4

May 16

Fredericksburg Greek Festival @ Nativity of Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church. All Day. Festival continues through May 18. Join us for food, dancing & fun…Greek Style.

May 24 The Whole Shebang! A Multi-craft event @Nativity of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church 9-3pm.

May 31 Fredericksburg Rescue Squdapalooza 8AM-NOON HURKAMP PARK, Join us

photo by bob martin

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service Companionship Meal Preparation Medication Reminders Laundry

Light Housekeeping Shopping/Errands Personal Care Flexible Hours

Call for a free, no-obligation appointment

540.899.1422 Each HomeInstead Franchise Office is Independently Owned & Operated

is a remarkable musical & movement experience for ages 0-3 with their parent/caregiver. Fredericksburg Parks & Recreation, Canal Street.

2155 Fans (& Growing) Want You to Join

“Your pet becomes my pet while in my care, and I care a lot!” (540-903-0437; lexig0892@gmail.com) On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet sitting service”

Front Porch on

homeinstead.com front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

history’s stories

Religious Revival 1863 By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

Many historians enjoy writing about unusual events that occurred during the Civil War. One of the most overlooked and memorable events that took place not only in the Town of Fredericksburg, but the entire nation during that period took place here beginning in April 1863. I cannot find any mention of the event in recent discussions as it would be an event that the local religious community could recognize and celebrate on a yearly basis. The Southern army had been in the area since January until the battle on December 13, 1862. After the battle several thousand Southern troops were quartered in the town and camped in the area west of Fredericksburg. Several chaplains who were members of the Mississippi brigade decided that they would have a revival within the town. Reverend William Owens who was a member of the Thirteenth Mississippi infantry was placed in charge of the revival. The meetings were to be held at the Southern Methodist Church, which at that time was on the corner of Charles and George Streets and had the capacity for less than two hundred people. The news of the meeting soon spread to the camps and the soldiers converged on the church in such large numbers that the services were moved to Saint George’s Church where the revivals were conducted. The meetings which were held weekly lasted until May 1863. Nearly all denominations of religious leaders conducted the meetings under the leadership of Reverend Owens. Many of the soldiers that attended the revival would be killed in the upcoming battles at Salem Church, Chancellorsville, Wilderness or Spotsylvania What was also unique about the revival was that according to the records over five hundred soldiers were converted to various Christian denominations. Most of these soldiers that were converted were not only from Virginia and Mississippi, but several southern states as far south as Louisiana and Texas. Many of these soldiers who would die in the surrounding battles are interred in the Confederate Cemetery on Washington Avenue. Dr. William Hoge wrote in the Southern Presbyterian Magazine: “We found our soldiers at Fredericksburg all alive with animation. As I was to stay but one night, Dr. Burrows insisted on my preaching. So we had a Presbyterian sermon introduced by Baptist services, under the direction of a Methodist chaplain, in an Episcopal Church. Was not that a beautiful solution of the vexed problem of Christian union?” Reverend William Owens of the 13th Mississippi brigade who was responsible for the revival returned to his home in Mississippi after the war and became a travelling minister. He drowned in a stream while trying to cross and reach a preaching destination. Dedicated to the memory of Judge Joseph Savage. Tuffy continues to amaze us with his knowledge of Fredericksburg History each month in this space

Central Rappahannock

HERITAGE CENTER Volunteers needed to process historical documents and aid researchers. Training provided. Phone 540-373-3704 or email crhc@verizon.net Open to the public for scholarly research

The Heritage Center 18

May 2014

Maury Commons

900 Barton St

Front porch fredericksburg

Fredericksburg

OUR HERITAGE

Jane Howison & Historic Braehead Manor

By kerri S. Barile Stately. Historic. Elegant. These are the words used today to describe Braehead, the only Civil War-era dwelling left in the southern segment of the Fredericksburg National Battlefield. Lost within our modern rhetoric is an understanding of this significant building as a family home and a haven full of love and memories. Built in 1858 Braehead was constructed for John Howison and his family. Named after the family’s ancestral home in Scotland, members of the Howison family occupied the dwelling for almost 150 years. Generations grew up in the building’s chambers and dined at the family table—the same table used by General Robert E. Lee when he had breakfast at Braehead before the Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862. Although Civil War historians have recounted the importance of this notable repast, this meal was but one in the annals of the dwelling’s history. Many of these seemingly mundane but very important events were recounted in the diary of John’s sister, Jane Howison Beale. Jane meticulously kept her diary through the 1850s and 1860s ending with a powerful and poetic narrative on her personal experiences during the 1862 Battle of Fredericksburg. In her diary, published by the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. (HFFI) in 2011, Jane reminds us that history is not only comprised of the monumental events but the everyday actions that made us who we are today. Jane’s words on Braehead reveal that visits to her brother’s home were cherished, and the beautiful house was full of love and laughter. On a trying day in the summer of 1862, Jane eloquently describes the joy she experienced upon arriving at the Howison home, “The situation of the house commands such a fine view that I was refreshed by the sight. The house is situated on a natural terrace the hill falling before it to an extensive and perfect level reaching to the river.”

This is the same home where Jane sent all of her family valuables in the fall of 1862 for their safe keeping, only to find the house and grounds in the center of the fighting. Despite the war-time trials, Jane often visited her brother John and his family after the war, and the Howison household was a visual symbol of the fortitude and fearlessness of Fredericksburg residents for many years. On May 31, 2014, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. is honored to celebrate the legacy of the Howison family by hosting a mid-day tea at Braehead. Tea was a significant part of the lives of John and his sister, Jane, as it represented comfort, warmth and family. As Jane herself describes in September of 1850, “Brother John arrived…to tea, wet & weary and I was busy for a time making him comfortable, and after tea my three brothers and myself sat down to a pleasant family chat.” HFFI is proud to rekindle this Howison family tradition. We invite you to join us for tea and a new generation of pleasant chats. The HFFI Jane Beale Tea is open to the public. Representations of Jane Beale herself, as well as other Civil War era ladies, will hostess the tea and be seated with guests. Admission includes a full tea, entertainment, which will include an oratory display of quotes from Jane Beale’s diary, and a tour of historic Braehead. There will be two seatings, 11am and 2pm. Tickets are on sale now and are $35/$40 (HFFI members/ nonmembers). Please contact office@hffi.org or 540-371-4504 for tickets. This event is being presented in collaboration with the Civil War Civilians of Spottsylvania.

Kerri Barile is a member of HFFI, author and UMW faculty member in the Historic Preservation Dept.

Little Burg, Big World fredericksburg & frÈjus By kristin morris

I could fill a bookshelf with the history of all the Fredericks that have traveled the world and set up Burgs for themselves- or had someone else claim one for them. We are naturally part of this larger network of peoples, but did you know that the ‘burg has formally made some far-off connections? That’s right, we’ve got three “sister cities.” Take a glimpse into the first of these towns with me and let your mind wander that way, while the farthest you wander is back up to the Hyperion counter for another cup of coffee. Fréjus (that’s “fray-zeus”), ictured above, is a sprawling, yet small, coastal town in France, along the Riviera. It was founded by Julius Caesar himself for strategic Roman use in the B.C. days, and the town gets attention for its existing Roman ruins of an aqueduct, theater, and ampitheater. Fodor’s describes it: “Don’t be turned off with a stroll along the over-commercialized FréjusPlage (Beach). Turn your back on modern times and head uphill to Fréjus-Centre, the maze of narrow streets lined with small shops. The (bi-weekly) farmers’ market is as real and lively as any in Provence, and the cafés encircling the fountains and squares nourish an easygoing social scene.” We’ve had a warm relationship Sister Cities with Fréjus since International made it official in 1980. We’ve exchanged products (Provencal wine with Virginia peanuts?), students, workers, and culture. And to celebrate our 30th anniversary in 2010, we adopted Frejus’s yearly tradition of making a giant omelette for the town. Over 5,000 eggs and 60 lbs. of vegetables and Virginia ham paraded through downtown and were then cooked on a specially-made outdoor grill.

Currently, the Fredericksburg Sister City Association is gearing up for the annual summer student exchange. It’s our turn to host, so come July, Fredericksburg families will be welcoming 15-20 French students for two weeks. The students spend time acquainting with the family, their lifestyle, D.C., Mount Vernon, Old Mill Park Bastille Day Picnic, and of course, Carl’s. Check their website for other local events, www.fredericksburgfrejus.org. We’re connected to so many different walks of life, in more ways than we realize. This is just a first peek at those connections that grace us with understanding, tolerance, and unforgettable experiences; they make our burg feel a little bigger, and the world feel a little smaller.

Kristin Morris grew up in Stafford, performing for 10 years at the Riverside Dinner Theater and working in Downtown Fredericksburg. A performer and writer with a love for travel and exploration, she graduated from Syracuse University and currently resides in Los Angeles. Email her your own international story, at kristin.aka.kmo@gmail.com.

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

history’s stories

Religious Revival 1863 By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

Central Rappahannock

HERITAGE CENTER Volunteers needed to process historical documents and aid researchers. Training provided. Phone 540-373-3704 or email crhc@verizon.net Open to the public for scholarly research

The Heritage Center 18

May 2014

Maury Commons

900 Barton St

Front porch fredericksburg

Fredericksburg

OUR HERITAGE

Jane Howison & Historic Braehead Manor

Kerri Barile is a member of HFFI, author and UMW faculty member in the Historic Preservation Dept.

Little Burg, Big World fredericksburg & frÈjus By kristin morris

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

AutoKnown Better

Companions is your pet’s back out of whack??? by Julia Wolfe, DVM, DABVP, certified AVCA

The joy of owning a pet is an emotionally fulfilling and fun experience. While we all may adopt or purchase a family pet for many different reasons, in the long run, they become a loving member of our family. As our pets grow and age, they can often develop musculoskeletal and orthopedic problems. It can be very hard to see your lifelong friend go from running a mile a day to having trouble getting up and down the stairs or even getting around the house. Not only can movement be difficult in our older pets, but even in younger animals that work hard, play hard, and exercise full throttle at all times. Younger animals can benefit from chiropractic therapy to help keep their bodies in proper alignment and delay or prevent problems in the long run that older pets face as they age. While chiropractic care is considered an additional therapy to compliment traditional medicine, there are still times when adjustments alone may be just what your dog needs. The goal for all pets is to keep them happy and healthy as long as we can. This includes keeping your pets moving freely without pain or discomfort. As they age or increase their exercise, this can become difficult to do without the help of medications such as anti-inflammatories, joint supplements, and even strong pain relievers. While we all want “Mr. Fluffy” to be comfortable, we also don’t want to have any side effects, such as liver or kidney problems, from the use of longterm medications. I know firsthand the struggles of the lame, stiff, old dog. My own “Mr. Fluffy”, yes, that is his nickname, has chronic arthritis. He fell out of a pickup truck, as a puppy, fracturing both front legs and his mandible. In vet school at the time, this is how I wound up adopting him. For years he has been on joint supplements, anti-inflammatories, and pain relievers. Sometimes it is a real challenge to find treats to hide all of that in!

May 2014

A f t e r finishing Animal Chiropractic School at Parker University, I began applying my new skills on my own pet. After 2-3 adjustments I saw a real difference. I now use chiropractic adjustments in conjunction with his medications to keep him comfortable. By keeping him well aligned I can reduce his pain-relievers and have even taken him off of his anti-inflammatory. It has been heartening to see such dramatic changes in him as well as so many of my other canine clients. In chiropractic medicine our motto is “Motion is the Lotion for Life”. Owners of pets that are mal-aligned most commonly notice reduced motion, reduced flexibility, and stiffness. Using chiropractic treatments we can help keep your pet’s body and joints in proper alignment and help your pet stay in motion. I have seen numerous patients that have drastically improved in comfort with chiropractic adjustments. In my practice, I see dogs recovering from orthopedic surgeries, show dogs, hunting/sporting dogs, younger animals with developmental problems, and older pets that have started to slow down. I also see horses with various jobs ranging from high-level jumping horses to the backyard horse that stays in the paddock. Across both large and small animal fields chiropractic care provides comfort and pain relief and restores motion and function. If you have a pet that is having difficulty getting around, seems sore or stiff, can’t walk up or down stairs, is not moving the way they used to, or just seems off, please consider having them evaluated by your veterinarian and a veterinarian licensed in animal chiropractic.

Dr. Julia Wolfe DVM, DABVP, certified AVCA is a veterinarian, owner of Willow Tree Veterinary Wellness providing chiropractic services at White Oak Animal Hospital. Contact Dr. Wolfe at , (540) 709-1151 ,willowtreevet@gmail.com, or White Oak Animal Hospital (540) 374-0462.

Front porch fredericksburg

Home of great Food & great Art!

April showers bring what?

720 Littlepage Sunkenwelltavern.com

Oscars Live Among Us By gary olsen

By Rim Vining You might as well transport Beverly Hills with all its famous stars to the Fredericksburg area as far as this year’s Academy Awards Best Pictures and the Nominations, 1980-1984, film lecture that I’ll give at the Rappahanock Regional Library’s Headquarters on May 8th goes,

EAT WELL DRINK WELL LIVE WELL

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Serving you & your companion animals for 16 years Stacy L. Horner, DVM; Gary B. Dunn, DVM; Melanie Bell, DVM; Sandi L. Pepper, DVM; Melissa A. DeLauter, DVM ; Arlene Evans, DVM; Jennnifer Skarbek, DVM

540/374-0462 www.woahvets.com

HollyBurg

10 Walsh Lane

Talk about a really slow starting spring car show season. Mother Nature is not playing fair this year. Cars are backing up at the starting gate like threeyear olds at Churchill Downs. They are raring to go but the track is wet and they do not want to get their hooves muddy. I do get it. Have you ever been to a car show and seen how perfectly some of the vehicles are detailed? There are 50 year old automobiles at cruise-ins that are cleaner than the new Surgi-Center. I work on these things for a living and don’t see how some of the owners find the time to clean their cars to the nth degree and still have a life. In reality most car lovers do have spouses and jobs and children yet they somehow manage to make the time to keep these rolling restorations on the road. Who wants to devote 40 hours to getting things just right and then take it out on a wet road covered with last winter’s salt and sand just to get in 20 miles of driving followed by another 40 hours of cleaning? Some of the car nuts I know do this as a ritual or penitence... anything to be able to drive them. There were a few patches of blue between the snow storms and monsoon rains in April and it definitely brought out the automotive spring pallet. I am now wondering what motorized madmen come out first? Like jonquils and crocus, what order do they follow after the first blossoms are spotted? Nature lays it out pretty well: jonquils & daffodils, pears & fruit trees, redbuds, crabapples, forsythia, dogwoods and maples. You have to wait for hydrangeas and roses. So..? If I were to equate mechanized displays of color to the laws of nature, spring on the highway looks something like this:

Jonquils and Daffodils – definitely motor cycles and MG’s. Bikes can be started up and driven at the drop of a hat whenever the sun comes out and temperatures get above 50 degrees. Likewise MG’s hit the road at the first sign of warmth. Their owner’s aren’t afraid of a little sand and salt; what’s a little more rust? Most don’t have tops that go up easily in cold weather so they are still down from last fall and now is the time to warm them, soften them, and put them up in time for the spring rains. Fruit trees and Redbuds – Mustangs and muscle. These things have been sitting too long. Their owners have bought all manner of new bling and performance parts over the winter and they are dying to try them out. There is a lot of, “Hey Mike, what do you think of this?” and “Check this out!” Car nuts who have been in hibernation too long get a little squirrely by spring. Hydrangeas and Roses – Packards and Jaguars, Rolls Royce and dual cowl phaetons… they come later. Those are the cars of summer; the big guns. People dote on their roses like owners dote on their Bentleys. Everything has to be just so. Too much of the wrong fertilizer for the roses and the flowers are ruined for another season. Neglect the junebug traps and they will eat your prize winners. Likewise, not enough zinc in the oil and the valve seats get soft on the Bentley. You don’t want the bill for the rebuild. It is May. Life is good and getting better and there is talk of actual warm weather before the first frost in the fall. Autoknown@aol.com

since several Oscar winners from that timeframe have called this region home. Robert Duvall, who lives on a 360-acre farm just north of Warrenton and whose career we have been highlighting for the past several lectures beginning with his screen debut in 1962’s To Kill A Mockingbird, earned his first of six Academy acting nominations in The Godfather (1972). Since then he has played prominent roles in MASH, Network and Apocalypse Now (“I love the smell of napalm.”). But it was his role as an excountry-western singer in 1983’s Tender Mercies that earned him his treasured Academy Award Oscar. He even did his own singing in the film. Duvall is still acting in movies well into his 80’s. But it’s his visibility in the area that triumphs his film persona, with his latest presence against Wal-Mart’s proposed building adjacent to the Wilderness Battlefield. Duvall is a familiar face in these parts with frequent visits to the Red Truck Rural Bakery in Warrenton. He’s quoted as saying “My wife says for her, Virginia is the last station before heaven.” Another iconic performer residing in this area won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter. Sissy Spacek, who lives just outside of Charlottesville in Keswick, has been nominated for six Academy Awards, but it’s her role as singer Lynn that is a career standout. Lynn picked Spacek for the role, and Spacek didn’t disappoint. Like Duvall, Spacek did her own singing and was nominated by the Grammies for the film’s soundtrack.

Spacek moved to Virginia in 1982 with her husband, Jack Fisk, from Hollywood after several visits confirmed their love for the region. Spacek, although keeping a low profile, still makes public appearances by lobbying the state to support the film-making industry here as well as giving occasional talks in the area about her life in movies. But it’s her farm that preoccupies her, that and raising two daughters, one of whom went to VCU in Richmond. Two other Academy notables, Jessica Lange, an Oscar winner in 1982’s Tootsie, and her boyfriend, Sam Shepard, nominated for his role as Chuck Yeager in 1983’s The Right Stuff, lived in the Charlottesville area for nine years from the mid-80’s before moving to her home state Minnesota. Lange had just played a grueling role in the film Frances and wanted to play something light: hence the role of Julie Nichols, a co-star to Tootsie, played by Dustin Hoffman. With the two roles, she became the first actress in 40 years to get two performance nominations in one year. She testified before the US Congress on agriculture alongside Spacek, whom she later befriended and became Virginian neighbors. Virginia gets an extra close-up in The Right Stuff. The seven selected astronauts for the Mercury program first trained at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, a short jaunt from Fredericksburg. The film shows their initial training at Langley undergoing strenuous simulator flight rigors, physical exercise and scuba-diving drills to duplicate weightlessness in outer space. Fredericksburg indeed took the spotlight during the early President Reagan years. This free film lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. on May 8th at the Headquarters Theatre. Gary Olsen presents film lectures to get to know the stars and starlets living around the Fredericksburg area.

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings

Rim embarks on life living moments each month in this spot.

Fredericksburgtrolley.com

540-898-0737

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May 2014

AutoKnown Better

Companions is your pet’s back out of whack??? by Julia Wolfe, DVM, DABVP, certified AVCA

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

Home of great Food & great Art!

April showers bring what?

720 Littlepage Sunkenwelltavern.com

Oscars Live Among Us By gary olsen

EAT WELL DRINK WELL LIVE WELL

540/374-0462 www.woahvets.com

HollyBurg

10 Walsh Lane

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings

Rim embarks on life living moments each month in this spot.

Fredericksburgtrolley.com

540-898-0737

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Senior Care safe today healthy tomorrow By Karl Karch

May is Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate those 65 and older. May was designated as Senior Citizens Month in 1963 by President Kennedy and subsequently renamed in 1980 by President Carter to Older Americans Month. This year’s theme is “Safe Today. Healthy Tomorrow.” The theme focuses on injury prevention and safety with a special emphasis on preventing falls among seniors. Falls are not a normal part of aging, yet they are the major reason for injury-related death and hospital admissions for seniors 65 and older. According to the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), more than 30,000 deaths result from unintentional injuries for those 65+, and 21,700 of those deaths are fall related. Every 15 seconds an older adult is seen in an Emergency Department for a fall-related injury. The direct medical cost of falls is currently estimated at $36 billion annually and is expected to grow to nearly $62 billion by 2020 (National Council on Aging). These numbers are staggering for something that can be prevented in large measure through a combination of interventions. Factors that contribute to falls include: balance and flexibility, vision problems, medications, chronic conditions, and the environment. The National Council on Aging identified “6 Steps to Prevent Falls” on their website www.ncoa.org/FallsPrevention: 1) Find a good balance and exercise program. 2) Talk to your health care provider about a fall risk assessment. 3) Regularly review you medications with your doctor or pharmacist and specifically review potential side effects like dizziness that

May 2014

can relate to falling. 4) Get your vision and hearing checked annually and update your eyeglasses. Your eyes and ears are key to keeping you on your feet. 5) Keep your h o m e safe. Remove tripping hazards, increase lighting (especially night lights in hallways), make stairs and railings safe, and install grab bars in key areas like showers and toilets. 6) Talk to your family members. Don’t fear the risk of losing independence by discussing concerns. Fall prevention will keep you independent longer. For an excellent room-by-room Home Fall Prevention Checklist for Older Adults as well as some additional tips, contact me or go to this website: http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreational Safety/pubs/English/booklet_Eng_desktopa.pdf If you are concerned about an elder loved one falling, take the initiative to start the conversation. Go to the listed websites for ideas. If you or your loved one are alone most of the time, consider wearing a medical alert button. I recommend the Auto Alert from Philips Lifeline that will automatically send an alert if you fall and are disoriented or unconscious. Call me at 540-8991422. One woman who lives alone recently fell, fractured her hip, was unable to reach the phone and waited over 24 hours until her daughter stopped by to visit. After her release from the hospital, she is now wearing an alert button. So, take the necessary steps to prevent falls and maintain your and your loved ones independence and quality of life. You will also help control healthcare costs, a win-win for everyone. And, for those mothers out there, have a wonder and SAFE Mother’s Day. Karl Karch is a local franchise owner of Home Instead Senior Care, a licensed home care organization providing personal care, companionship and home helper services. Please go to www.homeinstead.com/614.

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Wellness Wonderland Fredericksburg home to vast array of wellness practioners By Suzy Woollam Fredericksburg is such a unique and wonderful city. And the recent Wellness Expo helped to highlight the vast and talented array of wellness practitioners we have right here in our community. From Reiki Practitioners and Naturopaths to Massage therapists and Aromatherapists , Fredericksburg truly has a wellness wonderland right in our back yard! Events such as these also show how we are finally moving away from the “us or them” alternative/allopathic attitude and moving toward an attitude of adjunct therapy, where we all work together for the betterment of our community. In the past, therapies such as Reiki, Aromatherapy or Reflexology have been thought of as alternative medicine. But in recent years, treatments like Aromatherapy, Reiki and Hypnotherapy

have been adopted by many major medical institutions, including Johns Hopkins and our own Mary Washington Hospital, as adjunct therapy to assist those undergoing allopathic treatment for things like Cancer. More and more major medical is realizing the benefits of Holistic health, tying mind and body together to assist in the healing process. Of course, as natural health practitioners, we have realized this benefit for years, and I know we all stand together and applaud Doctors and Hospital systems that have begun to realize this as well. Reiki is a wonderful adjunct to cancer treatment, as well as work in physical therapy, talk therapy and treatment for conditions like manic depression, ADHD and bi-polar disorder. Massage Therapy is a well known adjunct to Chiropractic and Physical therapy, as well as a comforting for those undergoing Cancer treatment. Many recent studies have shown the benefits of Aromatherapy treatment not only for patients undergoing medical treatment, but also for health care workers such as nurses and emergency response personnel. This month, Fredericksburg is hosting the first Downtown Spa and Wellness week. Take the time to get to know some of the amazing therapists and therapies that our town has to offer, support a local business, and find your own adjunct therapy. Visit Suzy and learn about her Natural therapy at The Scenter of Town on Charles Street

The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

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Wellness Weighty Health problems By christine h. thompson, Obesity is a major health issue today and a risk factor in the majority of common health problems and degenerative diseases affecting the health and well-being of Americans. According to our government’s Centers for Disease Control (cdc.gov) statistics, the top eight leading causes of death in the US in 2011 were heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, accidents, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and kidney disease. The intimate connection of these statistics to obesity or poor dietary habits is tragically apparent to me. According to the World Health Organization (who.int), worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. Obesity is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of greater than 30. For a BMI chart (a height/weight chart) in US measurements go to: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/. Although height/weight charts are not my preferred way to determine ideal weight, once you get up near 30 BMI, it is nearly assured you are detrimentally affecting your health and well-being. Neurobiologist Stephan Guyenet, PhD has extensively researched the historical relationship of obesity and dietary habits over the past couple of centuries. Comparing data collected in 1892 for men over 40 to statistics for the year 2000, Guyenet found obesity rose from 4% to over 25% of the population (according to the current definition of obesity.) All this said, the point of my article is to disagree with conventional wisdom on the cause of this increase in obesity. The WHO web site lists two causes for the increase in obesity worldwide: A) Increased intake of energy-dense, high fat foods B) Decreased physical activity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanization Just so you know I’m not completely crazy, I absolutely agree decreased physical activity is a major factor in weight gain. However, I believe the first bullet is not only incorrect, but the perpetuation of this idea is one of the main causes of the increase in obesity since 1980, when saturated fat became the enemy. Dr. Guyenet’s illuminating research points out a conspicuous change in our consumption of fats over the past century. The amount of saturated animal fat in the diet has remained fairly steady,

but polyunsaturated oil consumption has increased by 200% in the past century. Even more alarming, and I believe a bigger contributor to our country’s weight gain, is the increase in refined sugar. Dr. Guyenet’s statistics reveal our refined sugar consumption is 17 times higher since 1820. Scanning the US Department of Agriculture’s (usda.gov) handy little Agriculture Fact Book revealed two startling facts: the use of corn sweeteners in the average American diet is eight times higher, and use of “salad and cooking oils” over three times higher from 1950 to 2000. I find it highly unlikely these significant dietary changes are not related to our current obesity crisis. I believe the five leading causes of weight gain today are: 1) Increased refined sugar intake 2.) Food alterations - processing, refinement, chemical additives and GMO’s 3) Stress and increased circulating stress hormones 4) Hormone imbalance due to medications, food and environmental hormone disruption 5) Decreased activity and sedentary lifestyle Increased caloric intake and decreased energy expenditure will lead to weight gain, yes. But that is not the whole picture, as many of you who have stepped up your exercise and decreased your caloric intake will attest. Many of my patients complain of not being able to lose weight despite real and determined effort. I believe them. There is more happening than meets the eye. In the next Front Porch issue I will explore this in more depth. Dr. Christine Thompson, is the owner of Whole Health Chiropractic, Inc., 434 Bridgewater Street (540) 899-9421 www.whole-health.net

Healthcare For the Whole Person SPECIALIZING IN: ` Gentle, Individualized Chiropractic Care ` Cranio-Sacral Balancing (Sacro Occipital Technique - SOT) ` Addressing Your Total Health Needs with Natural, Holistic Treatment Methods ` Detoxification/Weight Loss Nutritional Programs

4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg front porch fredericksburg

Dr. Christine Thompson May 2014

Senior Care safe today healthy tomorrow By Karl Karch

May 2014

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The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

891-6200

www.thenaturalpath.us

4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg front porch fredericksburg

Dr. Christine Thompson May 2014

Carol Waite

Bruce Day Fine Art by megan byrnes

a delicate balance of east and west By Peggy Wickham Sumi-e paintings by Ms. Waite have been shown in a one-person show at the Ramp Gallery in McLean, Virginia and are on display at several restaurants in Arlington and Fredericksburg. Her paintings have been accepted by the National Sumi-e Society at five juried shows in NY, FL, VA, MN, and Washington, DC. Ms. Waite chose to depict many of Virginia’s wildflowers with the strong strokes of ink and color, employing the use of white space as well as strokes that go off the page. Many of the wildflowers she painted were also used by our Native Americans for medical purposes. Her show will also celebrate the Year of the Horse with her unique horse paintings.

Carol Waite is Brush Strokes Gallery’s featured artist throughout May. Her exhibit will feature oriental brush paintings in the unique sumi medium—an ink-like substance made by mixing the soot obtained by burning such plants as bull rush, glue from deer horn, and water. The sumi is applied with special brushes, sometimes mixed with watercolor, to rice paper. Sumi-e is an artistic interpretation of various aspects of nature and life. After returning several years ago from a trip to Japan, Ms. Waite studied Sumi-e at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria, VA., winning plaudits at an Art League show there.

Scene:

One could say the Waite’s talent and attraction to oriental brush painting lies in her genes. Her grandparents served as missionaries in Japan in the late 1880s; her mother was born and raised there and met her husband there when he was working as an oil executive. California-born Carol spent her childhood in Kobe and Yokohama. Carol developed an interest in art during private lessons as a young woman. She majored in Fine Arts at the George Washington University and studied painting and drawing at the Corcoran Gallery. At the Corcoran she worked mostly in oils and pastels, as well as ink and pencil, and enjoyed painting figures and portraits. “I hope that those who view my work will experience the beauty and peacefulness of nature,” said Waite. “The native Virginia wildflowers depict our beautiful state, and the horses celebrate the year.”

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Ms. Waite also published a book, "Taken in Hong Kong, December 8, 1941," describing the ordeal of her father who was caught there during WWII as a civilian where he witnessed the Japanese invasion and was interned in Stanley Prison before being repatriated. You may contract Ms. Waite or order from Amazon.com. Peggy Wickham is a local artist and member of Brushstrokes Gallery

BISTRO BETHEM 309 William St. April1 - June 1

BETSYGLASSIE.COM BGLASSIE@AOL.COM

540-899-6556

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Fredericksburg is my favorite time of year. The downtown streets are overflowing with blooms, everyone is sitting outside of all the William Street restaurants and everyone just seems, you know, happy. Which brings me to the Happy video (nice segue there, huh?) that Melvin Brown (below) of VideoMann Productions put together last month with the help of Oddbox Studio, Fxbg.tv, CVTV and just about the entire population of downtown Fredericksburg. The video is set to Pharrell Williams’ hit, Happy, and is literally just a bunch of happy Fredericksburgers dancing in the streets. It’s basically the cutest. Roll call includes: Powell Sale, Dave Minkler, Brian Lam (in what may be the best cameo ever), Mike Skinner, Scarlett Pons, Ashleigh Chevalier, Melissa Okrasinski and Gaye Adegbalola. The list goes on, but my word count does not. If you haven’t seen the video, check it out on YouTube, Facebook or Fredericksburg.com. Melvin dedicated the film to Rob Grogan…watch the ENTIRE video to the end, great pic of Rob and dedication by Melvin.

Heard:

beloved hidden gem

Mason Dixon Café will be moving from its tucked away Bowman Center spot to center stage: right next to Carl’s Ice Cream. The café is active on Instagram and posts daily chalkboard specials that make me swoon (red velvet French toast, par exemple).

Pete Fields (below) will be serenading diners).

Falkenberg (below) at Kybecca Karen Jonas and Tim Bray breaking in the Vivify rooftop patio music season on a gloriously springy Thursday evening; Matt Paxson and Paul Quinn lunching at Cowboy Jack’s; Jen Rowe doing some multicultural fair shopping

Happy birthdays to

March

and

April

Elliot Currie, Rebecca

Klopp, Alex Capshaw-T Taylor, Joan Bellefield Davis, Kellie Walsh, Jeremiah Lazenby, Dawn Darby, Claire Ellinger, Adam Bray, Andrew Hellier, Bill Harris, Alicia Morgan, Ashley Carpenter and Sarah Lapp

Scene:

Brian

Lam

(above)

hosted artist Kelly Morgan Penick at his First Friday event at his new Skin + Touch Therapy space on Caroline Street (neighbs with Ponshop). The event also served as a Grand Opening with Kybecca co-hosting the soiree. Rebecca Thomas, Pam Kuper, Stephen Graham and Johnna Hetrick were just some of Brian’s well-wishers! PIC

Ryan

and Ashley Poe toting their little ones down William for a pit stop at Hyperion Espresso, Kenny Ellinger spending a Saturday evening with Heather friends Hagerman, Debby Girvan, Ross Girvan and Thomas

(food news edition):

Chef Peter Chang, of Peter Chang’s, getting mad props in the New York Times; Foode and the Barvarian Chef holding their own in the Virginia.org Culinary Madness online competition (they’re both still winners in our hearts, obvi); Kybecca’s Chef Wade Truong and Rachel Owens (below) on a gastronomic adventure down in Florida; Kenmore Inn is re-instituting its delish Sunday brunch menu in the warm months (where famed classical guitarist

NEW WORK

May 2014

Heard

Betsy Glassie

Springtime

Scene:

The actual humans

behind the famed eveningwear design label Badgley Mischka (Mark and James, respectively) dining at a corner table at Bistro Bethem while in town to pick up their newly adopted puppy. They rounded out their sehr-Fredericksburg trip by staying at the Richard Johnston Inn.

Congratulations Megan Mason on her new gig at Corridor Mortgage Group and on good friend Stephen Colbert’s new as Dave Letterman’s replacement the Late Show.

to the her gig for

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Carol Waite

Bruce Day Fine Art by megan byrnes

Scene:

Always From Life Original Oils brucedaystudio.com thefigureblog.blogspot.com

540 376-1676

BISTRO BETHEM 309 William St. April1 - June 1

BETSYGLASSIE.COM BGLASSIE@AOL.COM

540-899-6556

Front porch fredericksburg

Heard:

beloved hidden gem

Pete Fields (below) will be serenading diners).

Happy birthdays to

March

and

April

Elliot Currie, Rebecca

Scene:

Brian

Lam

(above)

Ryan

(food news edition):

NEW WORK

May 2014

Heard

Betsy Glassie

Springtime

Scene:

The actual humans

Congratulations Megan Mason on her new gig at Corridor Mortgage Group and on good friend Stephen Colbert’s new as Dave Letterman’s replacement the Late Show.

to the her gig for

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

COMMUNITY LINK

FXBG Music Scene

Courtesy of WFVA and Front Porch

The Community Give brings Local Charities Together

music & spirits @ A. Smith Bowmwn Distillery By Chris Repp by wendy Larue historical anchoring like Fredericksburg does,” Parks said. This show is a return visit for Parks, who likes to get to know towns where he plays and liked what he saw here. “I came upon Market Square behind Raven Hi-F Fi when I last played in town. The similarity to old Europe was inspiring and breathtaking,” Parks recalled. “I vowed to return; I’m honored to be back in ‘The Burg’.” P a r k s ’

After a sell-out inaugural concert featuring Joe Newberry of Prairie Home Companion fame, the Music & Spirits concert series will bring veteran blues and jazz guitarist Walter Parks (right) to the stage May 31 for what promises to be an electrifying show. With more than four decades of performance experience, Florida native Parks blends his southern roots, and bigcity NYC experience, into a unique style. Parks, compared to the likes of Jack White and Leonard Cohen, built an international career as lead guitarist for Woodstock legend Richie Havens. His solo tour offers a “re-presenting” of several musical heritages—jazz, blues, and Appalachian—in a classical fashion on electric and acoustic guitars. The venue, historic A. Smith Bowman Distillery, is a perfect backdrop for Parks, who said American music was born in the south. “There is a place in my heart for a town that maintains its

Key Board Classes ~ Ages 3-4: Tues. 1:30pm; Wed. 10am ages 4-6: Wed. 7pm; Teens & Adults: Tues. 7:30pm Schedule Posted on Website

FREE INTRODUCTORY LESSONS

207 William Street

www.ymsfred.com

Certified Experienced Staff YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL OF FREDERICKBURG Located in Downtown Fredericksburg for Over 40 Years 26

May 2014

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Residents enjoying a day in the Rappahannock River. Friends of the Rappahannock is one of the participating organizations

Advanced Dental Care of Fredericksburg 540-891-9911

Wendy LaRue, is a local free-lance writer and editor who has lived in the Fredericksburg area for over 25 years.

Come Play With Us !

540-371-4526

compositions present a soundtrack to his life, but have universal appeal. “Of course, we find emotions and path essentially interchangeable amongst all of us,” he observed. Ashleigh Chevalier and Bruce Middle (left) will open the show. Known for her soulful voice and sincere songwriting, Chevalier was recently nominated for a Washington Area Music Association (WAMMIE) award for her debut album “From the Soles.” Middle, is an 11-time WAMMIE nominee with over 25 years’ experience playing and composing music in classical, jazz, Latin American/Brazilian, rock to blues, bluegrass and country genres. Local husband and wife team Bryan Blakemore and Laura Cooper started the Music & Spirits concert series with the goal of creating a listening room for concert-goers to hear some of the country’s most talented bluegrass, blues, jazz, folk, and Americana artists. Those who want to play alongside Parks, can join him in a master class beginning at 11 a.m., May 31. Tuition is $50 (concert included). Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., are $18 online, $20 at the door. Find more information, purchase tickets, or sign up to receive email updates at musicandspirts.com. June 28, five-string banjo master Ryan Cavanaugh will take the stage. For q u e s t i o n s , email info@musicandspirits.com.

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Per Arch Full AcrylicDenture or Partial

With this Coupon only for non-insured patients. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer Expires 6/1/14 A $239 .00 Value

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Includes Exam, X-Rays and Cleaning

Because we care for you! 10524 Spotsylvania Ave. Ste #104 Fredericksburg, VA

The local nonprofit community is buzzing with excitement over the region’s first ever 24-hour giving marathon on Tuesday, May 6th., from 12:00 a.m. until midnight. The Community Give will enable local residents to donate thousands of dollars—the most raised in a single day— to support issues and charities they are passionate about. Gifts will be maximized through cash prizes to participating nonprofits. Every participating area nonprofit will be eligible for $100,000 in incentive prizes from The Community Foundation (cfrrr.org) and its sponsors. “Participating in The Community Give is a way for us to tell what we do to even more community members. The Rappahannock River is such an integral part of our community…the more people who know about us, the better,” said Rachel Poor, Development Director for Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR). “The fact that it all occurs on one day will really bring people together. We’re excited about it.” “Any nonprofit in the region is eligible to participate, from school PTAs to 501 c (3) charities. There has never been such an opportunity for the whole community to support the nonprofits that mean the most to them,” said Lisa Biever, who is coordinating nonprofits for the event. Participating nonprofits can earn cash prizes in addition to the donations given online by individual donors. Examples of the incentive prizes include the following: a $10,000 grand prize to the nonprofit with the highest amount of giving overall, five “No Place Like Home” prizes, award $5,000 to the nonprofit with the highest number of unique donors from Caroline, Fredericksburg, Stafford, King George, and Spotsylvania, and also

$1,000 each hour will be awarded at random to participating nonprofits. The Community Foundation does not charge donors or nonprofits to participate. The company processing the online donations charges an industry standard transaction fee. All participating nonprofits will receive free training and tools from The Community Foundation. Nonprofits should register as early as possible to take full advantage of training and technical support. “The online aspect of the giving is intriguing for us because we haven’t tapped into that very much,” FOR’s Poor said. “We’re looking forward to the special training that we’ll get as participants in The Community Give. Our online presence on Facebook is strong, and we hope the training and giving event will help us build our followers on Twitter.” Similar one-day events have been held in Richmond, Charlottesville, Warrenton, Newport News, and other cities across the country. Richmond’s 2013 Amazing Raise resulted in 18,107 gifts and $1.5 million dollars, inclusive of incentive prizes, which was a 25 percent increase over the prior year. The Community Foundation ensures that all donors will receive an immediate thank you and a receipt for 100% of their donation. “This is as exciting for us as it is for participating local nonprofit organizations! Nonprofit organizations keep our community thriving and our mission is to grow community philanthropy – connecting donors.” Chris Repp is the Chair of the Community Give

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

COMMUNITY LINK

FXBG Music Scene

Courtesy of WFVA and Front Porch

The Community Give brings Local Charities Together

Key Board Classes ~ Ages 3-4: Tues. 1:30pm; Wed. 10am ages 4-6: Wed. 7pm; Teens & Adults: Tues. 7:30pm Schedule Posted on Website

FREE INTRODUCTORY LESSONS

207 William Street

www.ymsfred.com

Certified Experienced Staff YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL OF FREDERICKBURG Located in Downtown Fredericksburg for Over 40 Years 26

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

Residents enjoying a day in the Rappahannock River. Friends of the Rappahannock is one of the participating organizations

Advanced Dental Care of Fredericksburg 540-891-9911

Wendy LaRue, is a local free-lance writer and editor who has lived in the Fredericksburg area for over 25 years.

Come Play With Us !

540-371-4526

$79

$650

New Patient Special

Per Arch Full AcrylicDenture or Partial

With this Coupon only for non-insured patients. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer Expires 6/1/14 A $239 .00 Value

With this Coupon only for non-insured patients. Not valid with other offers or prior services. Offer Expires 6/1/14 A $1100.00 Value

Includes Exam, X-Rays and Cleaning

Because we care for you! 10524 Spotsylvania Ave. Ste #104 Fredericksburg, VA

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Renew

Helen “Missy” Pixton Mental Health Advocate

Your Mind, Your Strength

By Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy Helen “Missy” Pixton, of Spotsylvania, is passionate about educating people about mental health. She became involved with Mental Health America of Fredericksburg (MHAF) when a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Spotsylvania and a MHAF Board member, who knew she had a daughter with schizophrenia, recruited her to serve on the Board in 2006. Pixton served as Board Secretary, but mainly worked to raise funds for MHAF. (www.mhafred.org) One in four Americans are affected by mental illness during their lifetime, according to the World Health Organization. Pixton dealt with it firsthand when her daughter, Kim, had a psychotic break as a college freshman in 1995. Hospitalized for nearly six weeks while she was being diagnosed and treated for the illness, Kim’s doctors determined the best medications for her, which was a lengthy ordeal. “We’re 19 years down a road I never expected to travel,” said Pixton. “The good news is that Kim has only been hospitalized once since her original diagnosis when she stopped taking her medicines. That meant another six-week stay to get her medications squared away.” Pixton said countless agencies affect and support the mental health/illness community, and it can be an overwhelming task to find help for a loved one. Mental illness is very important to discuss — the more it’s discussed, the stigma is diminished. “Certainly, no one asks for cancer, heart disease or mental illness, yet they’re looked upon in such different lights,” she said. “I’d like to see that changed.” Pixton said MHAF is important to

the community and, founded in 1955, is the oldest non-profit organization in the community that deals with mental health issues and provides information and services. In her quest to help with MHAF’s mission, Pixton devoted much of her time during the MHAF’s “Mile Run” and the first annual “Walk for Mental Wellness” in 2008. She is proud to have watched the annual Walk grow from a small number of walkers who raised $7,000 the first year to become a consistently expanding event that includes teams of walkers competing for prizes and individuals vying to raise the most money; live entertainment; a dogs-in-costume parade; a silent auction; and refreshments. “I’m proud to have raised the most money every year since 2008,” said Pixton. “Each year I try to beat my own record.” Pixton grew up in St. Louis, MO, and graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder She is currently a partner in Pixton Bridal pixtonbridal.com a couture bridal design business with her stepdaughter. A designated Master Gardener, Pixton is a member of the Chancellor Garden Club. She enjoys traveling, needlepoint, the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team and spoiling her Irish Water Spaniel, Cocoa. An important part of her life is volunteering, and Pixton has done so through Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, the Junior League, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation and church.

Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy is a freelance writer, pubic relations professional and a frequent contributor to Front Porch

By Joan Geisler

. Take a deep breath. Do you smell it? AHHH, spring is in the air! Another great time to re-access your health and fitness goals. Rethink your goals in terms of your strength and not just the number on the scale. Strength comes in CANS not CAN’TS! “I CAN be strong and not be ruled by my emotional eating . I CAN reduce/eliminate my medicines, I CAN have energy to last all day long.” Here are 5 simple tips that will start you on your way to your goals. 1 Drink water, drink water, drink water! Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces. Our bodies are 75% water. 2. Eat clean. If you cannot pronounce the ingredients… do not eat it. Eat natural foods not chemicals. If you eat butter, eat butter, not margarine. If you do cream and sugar, drink cream and sugar and not powder creamer and artificial sweetener. Our bodies do not know what to do with chemicals. I believe this is the beginning of some of our health issues. READ LABELS.

3 Limit your sugar intake. 4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon. That “healthy” protein bar might have 18 grams of sugar. That is 4 teaspoons of sugar!! 4 ELIMINATE wheat from your diet. Wheat causes inflammation in our bodies. Our joints, tissues, organs are all inflamed. This too, is the underlying cause of most of our health problems Check out http://glutenfreeeasily.com Begin to eliminate wheat and see a difference. 5. Eat as if you are a diabetic. Learn what is high glycemic and low glycemic foods. High glycemic are white, refined foods that digest quickly, spike your blood sugar. Low glycemic foods digest slowly, keep you feeling satiated (fuller) longer, keeps your blood sugars even. Pick 2 tips from the list and implement them START. TODAY. NOW. Joan Geisler has been a resident of Fredericksburg for 25 years and a personal trainer for 18. She is currently making women strong at Gold’s Gym Fredericksburg

Give a Child Something to Think About Books, Games, Amusing Novelties M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

810 Caroline Street (540) 371-5684 front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

Renew

Helen “Missy” Pixton Mental Health Advocate

Your Mind, Your Strength

Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy is a freelance writer, pubic relations professional and a frequent contributor to Front Porch

By Joan Geisler

Give a Child Something to Think About Books, Games, Amusing Novelties M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

810 Caroline Street (540) 371-5684 front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

A Gardener’s Delight A plant lover’s symposium May 17 All local gardeners are in for a special treat on Saturday, May 17, 2014 when the Second Annual “Living in our Gardens: A Plant Lover’s Symposium” will be presented by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardener Association of the Central Rappahannock Area. The symposium will be conducted from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Lee Hall at the University of Mary Washington, 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg, Virginia. Tickets are $40.00 and include a box lunch with pre-registration. The event is open to the public, but you must register by May10, 2014. Contact Guy Mussey, Extension Agent, ANR, Unit Coordinator, at the Stafford County Extension Office at 540/658-8000 or gmussey@vt.edu, or visit their website at www.offices.ext.vt.edu/stafford. The symposium will bring several noted speakers to our area. Nancy Ross Hugo, renowned author and lecturer, will give a talk on, “Seeing Trees: Discover the Extraordinary Secrets of Everyday Trees”. Nancy Hugo has written four books and hundreds of articles about nature and the outdoors. She has traveled

the world to study tree habitats. She was the former garden columnist for the Richmond Times Dispatch and the education manager at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. She is currently the director of Flower Camp an outdoor center in central Virginia. She travels throughout the country speaking about her two favorite passions: observing trees carefully and celebrating the seasons through simple flower arranging. She lives in Ashland, Virginia. Marion Lobstein, Professor Emeritus of Northern Virginia Community College where she taught general biology, microbiology and other courses will share the inside story behind the “Flora of Virginia” project and how modern DNA techniques are changing how we classify plants. For twenty-six years she conducted tours and taught classes for the Smithsonian Resident Associates Program. Marion serves on the Board of Directors Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project. She is coauthor of Finding Wildflowers in the WashingtonBaltimore Area. Did you know there are 4,000 Master Gardners in Virginia? Denise Palmer, Master Gardener and popular speaker, will share her knowledge and passion for gardening in her talk, “Revolution of the Kitchen Garden-Past to Present”. Denise was awarded the Above and Beyond Award in 2013 by The Virginia Cooperative Extension andMaster

Within any personal improvement plan is a list called the “I will or I will not” - or the self-improvement section. Each year, in review, I compare what should have been accomplished and what is a carry over for the next year. This year, my major carryovers all pertain to Professional Presence, a skill that is learned rather than intuited. Now that companies are recognizing that etiquette and protocol intelligence are a form of business intelligence, I made a conscious decision to outline five steps to the ideal professional me!

photo by bob martin

Gardener Association. She has extensive knowledge with sustainable kitchen gardening and techniques for gardening in small places. Whether you are an expert or a novice gardener, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear and meet gardeners and experts of this caliber. Mark your calenders today! -AD

May 2014

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I “Will power” by Pamela Coopwood

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service

Protocols

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

1. Dress appropriately every day. This entails a fresh look at my wardrobe and probably a trip to the store to update a few things. As my goal is not to just look nice, but appropriate, I think I may have to rid my professional wardrobe of any blouses with plunging necklines, that are too tight, too revealing and misrepresent who I am. Of course, anything that is just plain gaudy and torn, no matter how much I paid for it or what is the latest style, has to go. While I am in said closet, I will actually check the hemlines that match said blouses to deter any comments best referred to Human Resources. Shoes are next! What to do with the ten dozen or so 6-in stiletto heels in every shade and animal skin made? Well, maybe while I am at the store, I will pick up a few pairs of “sensible” heels in basis colors like black, navy, grey or red. I will still look nice, but more like a professional business person than an overzealous partygoer. I chuckle to think that even my male colleagues who abhor the thought of power dressing, have to do this dreaded but oh-so necessary task! Yes, appropriate this year will mean dressing with professionalism at all times because I may never get a chance to make a first impression. 2. Avoid hasty judgments. Does road rage count!? What if the person ahead actually is having an emergency? What if they just spilled the coffee into their lap or dropped their contact? What does it cost me to be a bit more courteous and become part of their solution by letting them in front, moving to the middle lane, or slowing down when they are attempting to pass. What if, this year, I change my behavior not only in my car, but on the job? I can act

differently if I choose, I can lower my voice in my cubicle, and I can avoid leaving my leftovers in the common fridge or using someone else’s coffee creamer, or check the table for crumbs before I depart. I can learn to remember names, be cheerful and smile! I can become a force for change by modeling Professional Presence as described by John Kuypers in his book, “Who’s The Driver Anyway?” when he states that professional presence is “self awareness and the foundation to growing your presence with others. It is the polish inside of a person.” I can shine by not only knowing the right thing, but doing it! 3. Be aware of bias or prejudice. Sad but true, that this has to be a part of a list! Intolerance is not just toward people, but ideas, cultures, foods, environments, social status, and even personal habits. When I continue to respond to others, situations and/or circumstances with pre-conceived notion, I limit my ability for growth. A narrow mind stunts my ability to interact with people and yields a poor professional presence. What I am will speak so loud, that no one will hear what I am saying! Instead, I will remember that assertive conversation may mean compromise. I will vow to listen carefully and communicate clearly while keeping an open mind and give credit where and when it is due. 4. Learn professionalism: Professional presence is not part of my job application, job title or function because, it was an assumed skill. It is not measured by my highest level of education or by tests of my intelligence or technical expertise. It is that invisible cloak that identifies me to everyone I meet; it is exuded in all my encounters – every time, everywhere. Professional presence is the very essence of who I am. Arming myself with this knowledge will enable me to facilitate a positive personal rapport and build the foundation for solid business and personal relationships.

Wills and Trusts Provide for Incapacity Trusts for Minor Children Wealth Preservation Trusts Avoid Probate AhearnEstateLaw.com

540/371-9890

FREDERICKSBURGCOLLABORATIVE

ARCHER DI PEPPE CAGA

CERTIFIED APPRAISER

Insurance Riders Estate Settlements Divorce Cases Damage Claims Oral or Written Appraisals SPECIALIZING IN ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

Certified Appraiser Certified Appraiser’s Guild of America

adipeppe@aol.com

(540) 373-9636

Pamela Coopwood is a Certified Trainer of professional Protocol and Etiquette. Her company, The Planned Event, LLC, offers seminars, classes and corporate trainings to enhance the soft skills to be successful in today’s business arena. www.theplannedevent.com 703-615-9525

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014

photo by bob martin

May 2014

Front porch fredericksburg

I “Will power” by Pamela Coopwood

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service

Protocols

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

Wills and Trusts Provide for Incapacity Trusts for Minor Children Wealth Preservation Trusts Avoid Probate AhearnEstateLaw.com

540/371-9890

FREDERICKSBURGCOLLABORATIVE

ARCHER DI PEPPE CAGA

CERTIFIED APPRAISER

Insurance Riders Estate Settlements Divorce Cases Damage Claims Oral or Written Appraisals SPECIALIZING IN ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

Certified Appraiser Certified Appraiser’s Guild of America

adipeppe@aol.com

(540) 373-9636

front porch fredericksburg

May 2014