Gaston Alive January 2019 by David Hamrick

New Year-New Adventures!

Country Camping Cornerp8

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

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Embracing The New Year

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Abby

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date: Sunday, February 10th, 2019 3:30 p.m. venue: Belmont Abbey College, 100 Belmont Mt Holly Rd, Belmont, NC 28012 tickets: Donations. Please invite your friends and family. special guests: Carolina Pro Musica repertoire: Bach Cantata BWV 209 Telemann Recorder Concerto Mozart Symphony no. 39

this performance graciously sponsored by

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From the Publisher Probably not unlike many of you, I look forward to the holidays coming, but I also look forward to them going and getting back to the day to day. You know -all the sometimes mundane things we do week in and week out. But as it turns out, life is mostly the little things. Joyous as they are, life is not all weddings, birthdays and graduations. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finishing that project for work, going to the grocery store and the cleaners, and doing house and yard work. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also quiet talks with your love, walks with your children, or baby-sitting grand-kids.

So my recipe for 2019 is to enjoy all of the little everyday things, eat less and move more, to be more giving, and to spice things up with a little travel as much as possible. Oh, and fix the gate on the fence. My wife would really like that.

Wising you the best year ever!

featured this month

David

08 10 13

travel fun! Country Camping Corner

not all tHat Wander are lost

embraCing tHe neW year

New Year-New Adventures!

Country Camping Cornerp8

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

p10

Embracing The New Year

gastonalive.com

p13

MAGAzINe

gaston alive

Our friends Verena and Richie Keller invite you to come check out their large inventory new and preowned RV’s. Located off Oak Grove Road in Kings Mountain, they are this areas most awarded RV dealer. See related article page 8. Cover graphic design by David James.

To be part of our team, or to submit art, photo or story ideas, please email us at: info@gastonalive.com 128 Birchwood Court Mt. Holly NC 28120 www.gastonalive.com 704.650.8330

Advertising Info: 704.650.8330 info@gastonalive.com GA|01|19

www.gastonalive.com www.facebook.com/GastonAlive

Ready to beat cancer. Together. CaroMont Hematology and Oncology is proud to welcome Angel Yu, MD to our award-winning cancer program. A

Gaston Alive Magazine is published monthly in the Gaston County, NC area by Art FX Media. All editorial contained within is the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. The publisher accepts no liability for the accuracy of statements made by the writers or advertisers. ©2019 Art FX Media.

graduate of the Drexel University College of Medicine and fellowship-trained at George Washington University, Dr. Yu is board certified in both Hematology and Medical Oncology. Together with our nationally-recognized team,

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Travel Fun!

Country Camping Corner By David Hamrick

We are talking to day with Verena Keller, owner of Country Camping Corner in Kings Mountain. GA: Is it true that this Kings Mountain location was owned by Young RV for many years? And you started with a location in Matthews-is that correct?

Country Camping Corner staff, Owner Verena Keller top center.

Verena: Country Camping Corner was founded in Matthews NC in 1984. In 2013 we purchased the Kings Mountain location from Young RV. When an eminent domain action required our business property in Matthews, we consolidated the operations to the Kings Mountain location where we are able to service the public better.

GA: Your business is really a family affair isn’t it? Your son Richie, daughter Caroline work with you – and you have a “toddler in training” here some days as well? Verena: Yes. Country Camping Corner is truly a family affair so to speak. Many family members work in the business-even extended family.

GA: So what types of campers do you sell?

Verena: The dealership specializes in towable RVs. That means that we sell Travel Trailer, 5th Wheels and Pop-Up trailers primarily. Occasionally we have used Motor Homes for sale.

GA: Campers seem to be very popular now- why is that?

Verena: Camping is a lifestyle that has made a comeback especially in the last few years. With all the modern conveniences in the campers these days families can enjoy the outdoors without roughing it

GA: How are your customers using their campers?

Verena: Our customers enjoy short and long trips from weekend get-a-ways to full time RVing. Once they discover the lifestyle, they will not easily give it up. They enjoy having their own home away from home traveling to National Parks and local lakes and more.

GA: Do customers use campers any other way?

Verena: Sometimes customer purchase campers because their job is taking them out of town and they do not want to move the family, or their job is temporary. Also, sometimes customers purchase a camper for living quarters for a family member.

GA: What if I don’t know much about RV’s or camping- can you help me get started?

Verena: Then you are at the right place. Our sales team is trained to find out which camper would suit the customer best. Many times, we can show options the customer has not thought about. We also make sure that the customer learns how to operate the camper properly for years of enjoyment.

GA: Do you have a large inventory, and also, do you offer financing?

Verena: Country Camping Corner has one of the largest towable inventories in the southeast. We stock from very small to very large and all price ranges. Financing is available on all of our units for qualified buyers. Our financing team will find the right loan for the customer if required.

GA: Do you have a service department?

Verena: The service department is equipped to service any RV. Our RV technicians can make it so much easier for anybody to own an RV.

GA: Do you offer any other services?

Verena: Country Camping Corner also offers storage, long and short term.

GA: What’s the funniest thing that has happened to a customer on a camping trip?

Verena: One of our customers not long ago forgot to come home. They enjoyed camping so much they totally forgot to check out of the campground. 8 gastonalive.com | facebook.com/gastonalive

New Year-New Adventures!

The Original Sprayed On

RV Roof

Lifetime NO LEAK Guarantee, No Caulking

Country Camping Corner has a large parts department and services all brands of RVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

STORE HOURS

facebook.comCCCKingsMtn

Mon: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Tue: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Wed: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Thu: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sat: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sun: Closed

101 Oak Grove Road | Kings Mountain, NC 28086 | 704-734-0595 | www.countrycamping.com gastonalive.com | facebook.com/gastonalive 9

For No Particular reasoN

I DecIDeD To WanDer By BEN DuNGAN

My friend Scott Hirshman once told me that every time he hears the song “Running On Empty” by Jackson Browne, he can’t help but think about that time Forrest Gump decided to run across the country. And now, thanks to him telling me that, I can’t either. Forrest Gump tells us in the movie that one day- for no particular reason-he decided to go for a little run. What started out as just a little run, ended being more than just a little run. Forrest ran for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days and 16 hours. That’s no “little run”. The run itself is impressive enough, but I’m more fascinated by what drew him to run in the first place. He says he did it for “no particular reason”, but I don’t know if I buy that. He had every reason to go for a run that day. He had just lost his mother, who just so happened to also be his biggest cheerleader in life. Not only that, but Jenny, his childhood sweetheart, bailed on him once again in the middle night. We’ve all been there before - down, dejected, sad and unsure what to do next. We’ve all had our Forrest Gump moment where we just decided to do something “for no particular reason”. I had mine last year, but it didn’t involve running. And it wasn’t quite on the scale as to what Forrest Gump had to deal with, but just enough to rock my world. 10 gastonalive.com | facebook.com/gastonalive

In early March, I watched longtime neighbors finally pack up and leave the neighborhood for the last time. Sure, I knew it was coming, but you’re never really ready for it. Then two weeks later, I had to say a final goodbye to my first dog. I knew this too was coming at some point, but you’re never ready to say goodbye to a loyal companion that’s been with you for over ten years. And then, a few months after that, it was another goodbye. My sister and her family decided to move back to Australia, where they had lived previously. For the most part, I knew all of this was going to happen in 2018. However, the fact that it all happened in such a short span of time is what may have made it feel so jarring. But that’s how life works - nothing is permanent. We all should be reminded of that once in a while. And while it wasn’t fun to be living in the midst of all that change, I found myself bound and determined not to let it slow me down. I was determined, perhaps intentional, about enjoying the life I did have. So I decided to quit feeling sorry for myself and “for no particular reason”, I decided to wander.

And wander I did. I explored anything and everything. I visited cities and towns within an hour or two from my house. If the drive was longer, I’d stay overnight. If I had a travel partner, that was great. If I didn’t, no problem. I was going one way or the other. I traveled the back roads. I ate at little hole-in-the-wall joints along the way. I browsed every Mom & Pop retail shop I could find. I met great people along the way. Like Brandon Schell, who made it possible for me to take in my very first tiny house experience just outside of Chapel Hill. And then there was George MacKenzie, a military veteran that instantly made me feel

at home when I wandered into Richard’s Coffee Shop and Military Museum in Mooresville for the first time. I found white squirrels in Brevard, jumping horses at the International Equestrian Center in Tryon, and had the first ever meeting of Myrtle the Pink Elephant in Spartanburg. I went to thrift stores and antique malls. I ate homemade apple cider donuts from an apple orchard. I ate 3D pancakes in the shape of Harry Potter and “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski courtesy of a 3D Pancake Printer at a coffee shop in Asheville. 2018 may be over, but I’m not slowing down anytime soon. There’s more to go, see and do in 2019. Mama Gump told Forrest that “you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on.” I don’t know if my wandering was about putting the past behind me, but I do know I wasn’t going to let it get in the way of my future. What I did learn was that there’s no such thing as running on empty when you’re soul is alive. gastonalive.com | facebook.com/gastonalive 11

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Navigating the Holidays,

Embracing the New Year

By Heather McConnell Brown

Parting Thoughts

The joys and magic of Christmas disappear as quickly as they come. Each year seems to go by faster and faster for me as I age. The holidays always brought joy when I was young- gathering at loved ones homes, exchanging presents, playing games, seeing cousins that you only get to see during the holidays.

aughter among the adults, hearing the same old stories every year about their childhood- but each year some detail is more elaborate with their recollection. These traditions carry on for a lifetime, but with every passing year, some are not there. I guess it hit me the most when I visited the cemetery recently. When I started to visualize those family gettogethers and more of those people that sat at the “big table” were buried now than present. Yes, of course we have new traditions and new family members will join in, but it’s never the same. This is one reason I will always contend that holidays are magical and joyful in your youth, but as you age, some of that magic dissipates. It’s not because one doesn’t believe anymore, or due to a different casserole recipe, it’s just that it’s different. No one likes change and change during the holidays is even harder. Take a look around...there are little ones looking up to you. You are the older generation telling the same old stories and not letting them sit at the big table. This is why you must carry on. Life may feel like it stops when we lose loved ones, but we know that is just not true. So we also must carry on and make our home ready for the new year. The word “hearth” was on my mind a lot during December. What could I do to make my home and “hearth” more of a welcoming place for others and my family? As much as we want to make time slow down, we know this is impossible. When January rolls around we clean and de-clutter...in an essence we try to start fresh because the year before left us wanting for something. This year my wish for you is embrace the chaos, slow down and work a puzzle, invite people over even when your house is less than “perfect”. Because it’s the memories of the people and traditions that people remember anyway. I don’t think I have ever said to myself...oh remember that day when my baseboards were clean. This year, accept the dust, the chaos and make most of your time in the moment. Stop waiting on the clean house, the perfect way to take pictures, stop yearning for Fridays and live your best life every day. Although it’s a new year- YOU are all you need. Here’s to a New Year with the same you- you were perfect all along- now just go out there and share yourself with others. Seize the day, seize the moment and live BIG. So for the New Year, I leave you with the words of Jimmy Buffett. What will this year be for you? Will you be a pearl or an oyster? “Some never fade away, some crash and burn Some make the world go round, others watch it turn. Still it’s all a mystery This place we call the world. Most are fine as oysters While some become pearls.” Buffett, Jimmy. Mcanally, Mac. (1999) Oysters and Pearls [Recorded by Jimmy Buffett] On Beach House on the Moon [CD]. US: Margaritaville Records, Island Records.

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Wedding & Event Venue Now Booking for 2019!

Firefly House and Gardens-located on Main Street in the heart of charming Downtown Belmont. The Firefly House and Gardens historical surroundings offer the perfect setting for your wedding day celebration or other noteworthy events and occasions. This beautiful home dates back to 1898 and has recently been restored to enhance it’s original design and framework. The home sits on over an acre of land and is complimented by the graceful landscape, restored fountain, and historic courtyard which create a memorable backdrop for an unforgettable day! The grounds offer you ample room for your wedding ceremony, reception, and entertainment of your choice. While there is plenty of room for you and your guests to dance the day or evening away, you will also feel the comfort of the private surroundings that allow you to celebrate outside of public view. The staff at Firefly House and Gardens is excited to help you customize your wedding weekend or other memorable event based on your individual style and needs.

Please call us to set up an appointment 980-292-5632 or visit us at

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123 North Main Street • Belmont, NC 28012 • 980-292-5632