All About Women July-August 2017 by Mountain Times Publications

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 7

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Dianne Davant Homemaker by Design

Take a Tour Four High Country Homes

The Queen Bee’s Smokin’ Hot Blues

Stars and Stripes "Tobacco Stake" Star- $35 Reclaimed wood Flag - $45 Linen Tablecloth - $32

Gear table from reclaimed tractor gear shaft - $272 Light Frame - $32

"Wilkesboro Lineberry" Cart - $325 Cast Iron Tractor Spacers - $32 Plow Disc - $24

Vintage Typewriter - $80 Double Stamp Holder - $24 Paper clips - $2/box Notecards printed with vintage image blocks and hand set type - $16

Flower Arrangement and pot - $45 Embroidered Tea Towels - $8 Antique Apothecary - $20 Vintage Tin - $16

(281) 734-6924 | 494 WEST KING ST SUITE ONE (across the street from Boone Saloon and next door to the Wild Craft Eatery)

editor’s

note

In June, two friends, A.J. and I pointed our Subarus in the direction of Lost Cove to explore the remnants of an abandoned community. This is not the Lost Cove area near Wilson Creek with which High Country denizens are most familiar; instead, this ghost town is located in Yancey County, N.C., near the Nolichucky River and the Tennessee border. After a steep two-mile hike down Flattop Mountain, we arrived in the small cove that was settled in the mid-1800s, but vacated in the 1950s due to physical isolation and loss of the timber industry. Not much is left of the old community, and only a few structures are still standing, including a small house by an old dogwood tree. As I gingerly stepped across the old hardwood floor that creaked beneath my weight, I spent a few moments imagining the family who lived there, what their lives were like, where they cooked and slept, how they stayed warm, and why they chose to make this area their home. I’ve lived in many different apartments and houses over the years, and yes, all of them were “home,” even if for only a short time. All were special places to me, because they were my spaces to arrange, my spaces to decorate, my spaces to snuggle with my cat, and my spaces to let my houseplants languish. I remember the excitement of the first space I could make my own: a small brick house on Oak Street in Boone, where I immediately set to painting my bedroom walls a dark, brooding red. My boyfriend said the color made him feel anxious, but I was rather pleased with it. More than 10 years later, my home in Meat Camp is still a mix-match of furniture and items from previous homes, thrift store finds, hand-me-downs, and new treasures. I have constantly evolving visions of what my home could look like, and it always seems to be a work in progress. I am certainly inspired, and I know you will be, by the women featured in our Home issue: the four women who graciously welcomed us for a photo tour of their homes, veteran designer Dianne Davant, newcomer Stephanie Hampton of Style by Epoch, and the thoughts and ideas from our contributors on what makes a house a home. I’m also inspired by the work of organizations like Watauga County Habitat for Humanity, which works with volunteers, local businesses, and donors to help families achieve the pride and accomplishment of owning their own homes. I encourage you to support this worthy High Country organization, as well as the Hospitality House, which provides a roof over the heads of those who have no other.

(From top) The trail terrain was steep and rocky down to the ghost town of Lost Cove in June. This house is one of the few structures remaining from the abandoned community of Lost Cove. Inset: Details on a metal headboard left in the home. A.J., my friend Jenn, and I hike through an overgrown field en route to the ghost town of Lost Cove. July-August 2017 | 3

What is your favorite room of the home? My favorite room is my “barely big enough for a large canvas” studio. It’s a quiet place where instead of words, I think in line, color, and light. - Bonnie Church

PUBLISHER Gene Fowler

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tom Mayer

Every time I visit Biltmore, I think how cool it would be to have a bowling alley in your home. But since I’m not a Vanderbilt, I’ll settle for the living room. Nothing beats the simple pleasure of lounging with my husband and cat — not even a basement bowling alley. - Kellen Short

I love my kitchen because it is filled with the ingredients that I turn into tasty meals. But, I love my closet because it is filled with my carefully curated wardrobe. How’s a girl to choose between food and shoes? - Heather Brandon

My favorite room of the house is the living room, because it is there that I unwind. I love cuddling up on the futon, catching up with my kids, listening to music, or watching a good movie. - Heather Jordan

My sunroom is a place of meditation and relaxation. The room is three walls of windows, filled with houseplants, a water feature, one big comfy chair, and yoga mat space. A warm snowglobe with greenery that lives indoors during winter and prime bird watching/listening in the summer months, this space is my go-to unwind space. - Melanie Davis Marshall

So it’s not technically a “room,” but for my money, the back porch is undoubtedly the best spot in the house. During the summer and fall, I spend hours a day there working, playing music, grilling out, talking, or just listening to the Watauga River roll quietly by. - David Brewer

EDITOR Anna Oakes editor@aawmag.com 828.278.3602

CONTRIBUTORS Heather Brandon David Brewer Bonnie Church Yogi Collins Marion Edwards Hollie Greene Kacey Howard Heather Jordan Caroline Lawson Melanie Davis Marshall Sue Spirit Ian Taylor

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Meleah Bryan Brandon Carini Kristin Obiso

ADVERTISING 828.264.6397 Detached from the main house is my favorite “room,” called Nunavut. It’s my tiny writing cabin, with a milelong desk, journals, writing books, notebooks of published articles, a jaunty coyote, Native American pillows, cozy chair, a barbed wire “Yahoo!” sign, and, most important of all, a bar of dark chocolate for inspiration. - Sue Spirit 4 | July-August 2017

I don’t have a favorite room as much as a favorite place to chill: my bed. There’s something cozy about climbing into my high bed with my laptop, a book or magazine, or even just the Netflix remote. Being surrounded by those luxuries of “down time” allows me to relax rather than multi-task. - Yogi Collins

COVER PHOTO by Anna Oakes

CONTENTS

FEATURES 18 20 22 24 26 30

Penny Zamagni Grand Boulevard Style by Epoch Sarah Grady Dianne Davant Featured Homes

HEALTH 08 10 12 48

Ruth Dotson Elena Sartori Living Well Beauty

RELATIONSHIPS 14

Mom’s World

HOMESTEAD 16

Hillbetty Revival

STYLE 46

Fashionista

LEISURE 54

IN EVERY ISSUE 03 06 50 52 56

Take a Tour

Travel

Four High Country Homes

Editor’s Note Women in the News Young at Heart By the Book All About Town

30-45

July-August 2017 | 5

Women in the News Shirley, Phillips Honored as Avery Principal, Teacher of Year

Jennifer Warren a 4 Under 40 Award Winner

Left: Newland Elementary School teacher Brittany Phillips (pictured left, with husband, Seth, and their daughter, Tenley) was named 2016-17 Avery County Schools Teacher of the Year during the ACS Employee of the Year Banquet on May 18. Photos by Jamie Shell Right: Ruth Shirley, from Crossnore Elementary School, was named 2016-17 Principal of the Year.

total of 69 employees of the county school system were recognized on May 18 at the Avery County Schools’ annual banquet. Avery County Schools named Crossnore Elementary School Principal Ruth Shirley as its 2016-17 Principal of the Year. Shirley recalled some of the numerous blessings she has experienced in her three-decade career as an educator. “One of the greatest experiences is seeing a child for the ﬁrst time do something he or she thought they’d never do,” Shirley explained. “Working here gave me a chance to make a difference in a child’s life. The best part of my job has been when kids get out of their cars or buses and want to give me a hug.” The ACS Teacher of the Year Award went to Newland Elementary School’s Brittany Phillips. - Jamie Shell

Jennifer Warren from the Western Youth Network receives the Nonprofit Business Professional Award from the Chamber of Commerce on May 17. Photo by Kayla Lasure

ennifer Warren was among four emerging leaders honored during the inaugural Boone Area Chamber of Commerce 4 Under 40 Awards luncheon on May 17. More than 30 nominations were submitted by local community members in the categories of nonprofit business, business owner, education, and rising star. Warren, who is serving her 11th year as the executive director and 15th year overall with Western Youth Network, was honored as a nonprofit business leader. During her tenure, WYN has expanded services to provide individualized support to over 200 area youth each year. Warren has worked to increase fundraising through grants, sponsorships and creative programming that enables WYN to invest resources in youth outreach during the pivotal fifth though 10th grade years. In addition to her time at WYN, Warren serves on numerous volunteer boards and recently helped organize the State of the Child event held in Boone in early May.

Eve Parsons Named Watauga Teacher of the Year

lowing Rock School students gathered in the gym the morning of May 8 to celebrate the presentation of the Watauga County Schools 2017 Teacher of the Year Award to Eve Parsons. Parsons splits her time as a sixth through eighth grade math teacher between three schools: Blowing Rock, Parkway and Green Valley. Serving in the county school system for 25 years, Parsons said she was very surprised to have been chosen as Teacher of the Year. “I am so fortunate to work in such a great school system with amazing students, excellent teachers and supportive leadership from our administrators and school board,” she said.

Watauga County Schools board member Jason Cornett, Eve Parsons, WCS board chair Ron Henries and Superintendent Scott Elliott gather to award Parsons the 2017 WCS Teacher of the Year Award. Photo by Kayla Lasure 6 | July-August 2017

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Women in the News Ashe County Schools Recognize Sibaja, Hipp

Ashe County High School Assistant Principal Amanda Hipp has been named Ashe County School’s first winner of the Support Staff/Supervisory Employee of the Year.

isa Sibaja was announced as the Ashe County Schools 2017 Teacher of the Year on May 10. Sibaja serves Mountain View Elementary as their teacher of English Language Learners. She came to Ashe County in August 2015. “This truly shows what a remarkable teacher, leader and person Sibaja is that her fellow teachers would select her as a teacher of the year after only being in the school for less than two years,” stated one of the interview committee members. Sibaja has taught in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her years of experience total to 19. She began her career as an art teacher. Amanda Hipp, assistant principal at Ashe County High School, was named the winner of the Support Staff/Supervisory Employee of the Year award. Hipp was surprised with the announcement on May 11.

Lisa Sibaja has been named Ashe County Schools 2017 Teacher of the Year. Photos submitted

Boone Area Cyclists to Host Cowbelle Classic Aug. 26

he Boone Area Cyclists will host the second annual Cowbelle Classic women’s bike ride on Aug. 26. The ride will start at 8 a.m. at Old Cove Creek School in Sugar Grove, and includes four route options of varying lengths and difficulty. The ride is designed to accommodate women riders who are relatively new to cycling, as well as more advanced riders who are interested in riding longer and more challenging routes. Last year’s ride was ﬁlled to capacity with 100 riders and a waiting list. This year, the ride is open to 150 participants. Proceeds from the ride will beneﬁt the Boone Area Cyclists, the Mountain Alliance LIFT program for girls and OASIS. Women can register for the ride at booneareacyclists.com.

July-August 2017 | 7

Health

Ruth Dotson Leads Hepatitis C Project in the High Country PHOTO BY CAROLINE LAWSON

Some often ﬁnd the road they were destined to follow years later after fully understanding their passion in life. Ruth Dotson found the road she was meant to follow after years of traveling, experimenting with new jobs, and experiencing some bumps along the way. Her road in the High Country has led her to take action with the Hepatitis C epidemic in Western North Carolina. Ruth’s interest with the virus sparked after her brother was diagnosed. From there, Ruth was invested in working with other health care professionals to initiate a free hepatitis C clinic in the High Country. With Watauga County being listed as 104 out of 220 vulnerable counties in the nation for hepatitis C, Ruth knew what needed to be done. Ruth ﬁrst approached Alice Salthouse, the CEO of High Country Community Health, with the idea. As soon as Salthouse was on board, Ruth’s goal was set to get as many people as possible tested for the widespread disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in every 30 people in the baby boomer generation has the hepatitis C virus. Ruth said she feels an urge to bring awareness of the disease because more than 50 percent of those who are affected by the virus do not know. Approximately 150,000 people in North Carolina alone are infected with the virus. Ruth noticed there were not enough providers for the virus that is increasingly growing in our area. “I felt like I was being led and now is the time to do it,” said Ruth. “I’ve never done anything like this, and I thought to myself, if they can start these projects, so can I.” Through her hepatitis C research and development, Ruth has become involved 8 | July-August 2017

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with the Carolinas Hepatitis Academic Mentorship Program, where she quickly developed a relationship with Dr. Andrew Muir from Duke University while finding advancements for patient treatment options. “If I ever have a question or need help, he is always backup,” said Ruth. Through the CHAMP program, Ruth has been involved with training local primary providers with the resources and knowledge to treat hepatitis C. The treatment for hepatitis C has come a long way, Ruth said. Newer treatments for the virus consists of an oral pill. Ninety-seven percent of those who take the medication are cured. With the help of Gilead Pharmaceutical, people of the High Country have access to free hepatitis C screenings and access to treatment. High Country Community Health has offices in Boone, Newland and Morganton. “That’s the goal, to get the hepatitis C screenings in all the clinics,” said Ruth. “We are trying to get the word out and educate people around the epidemic in this area.” “I get a warm, fuzzy feeling to see their relief and gratitude,” said Ruth. “We will see where this project goes.” Growing up in rural southwest Virginia with seven brothers and sisters, Ruth headed north to attend Bridgewater College. In college, Ruth ran cross-country and was a member of the lacrosse team. “It was my cross-country coach who encouraged me to go into the medical field,” said Ruth. After graduating from Bridgewater College with a degree in physical education, Ruth moved west to attend the University of Oregon for a master’s degree in exercise physiology. Only completing one year in graduate school, Ruth moved to Illinois to pursue an internship in a cardiac rehabilitation center. Ruth continued her journey around the country when she moved to New Orleans, working in exercise rehab and cardiac testing. Ruth has also worked as a painter in Georgia and for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department preforming exercise testing and training for police officers. Ruth then attended graduate school at Appalachian State University to pursue a degree in exercise science. “I wanted to finish the degree that I never finished,” said Ruth.

While in graduate school, Ruth ended up meeting her husband and getting married. Soon after, Ruth accepted a job at a cardiac rehabilitation center in Banner Elk. Once Ruth found her home in the High Country, she was ready to start a family. After a difficult journey visiting multiple fertility doctors, Ruth soon found out she would never be able to have children. “God knows what he was doing,” said Ruth. Challenged by this difficult bump in the road, Ruth decided to make a change and pursue a career helping others. Ruth decided to continue her education and attend PA school at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. “Before I graduated, I went door to door and started knocking on doors at doctor’s offices,” said Ruth. Shortly after graduation, Ruth worked her first PA job in Boone. After three years in the field, Ruth received an offer working in gastroenterology. Eight years later, Ruth took her practice to Mountain City, Tenn., to work in a rural health clinic providing primary care. For the past 30 years, Ruth and her husband Donald have also been involved with Compassion International, sponsoring children in other countries. Through this sponsorship, Ruth has developed a relationship with a young woman named Cherry Lyn, who is from the Philippines. Ruth and her husband have been sponsoring Lyn and her family from the time she was 10 years old. “She calls us mom and dad,” said Ruth. In addition to sponsoring children in other countries, Ruth traveled to Peru in 2015 on a medical mission trip. Ruth hopes to continue her medical work abroad in Haiti this fall. But while working outside the country, Ruth reminded herself, “I have a mission here, too.” Although Ruth found her passion in the medical field later in life, she is thankful for the life she lives and the people she gets to help. “You just never know what God has in store,” she said.

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Health

Elena Sartori Master Teacher of the Healing Arts Elena Sartori is a master teacher of the practices of yoga and Pilates. At Studio Elenas, she offers classes and individual sessions in several kinds of yoga, including Hatha yoga, which helps develop posture, vitality, strength, stability, stamina, and connection. She also teaches classical-style Pilates, a unique approach to exercise that develops body awareness, core strength, increased flexibility, and ease of movement. Elena’s warm, welcoming attitude is a balm to sometimes-anxious seekers. She is friendly, upbeat, enthusiastic, and encouraging. Most notable of all, she is nonjudgmental. Elena was born and grew up in Soviet-occupied Latvia. Her dedication to fitness started in early childhood as she trained as a solo figure skater. When she was 21, Elena made the decision to flee Latvia with her 3-year-old daughter Katarina. She ended up in Ottawa, Canada. The United Nations program for refugees in Canada provided Elena with an apartment, money to live on, and day care for Katarina. Neighbors brought her gifts, food, and furnishings. “I felt so loved,” Elena declares. She began to study English and computer science. Eventually she became a Canadian citizen. Before long, Elena began to suffer from radiation poisoning, caused by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which 10 | July-August 2017

had happened only four hours away from her Latvian home. She was seriously ill, with many health challenges. A friend introduced Elena to Sri Ravi Shankar, world-renowned humanitarian and yoga

vegetarian diet. “After a few months I felt all better,” she says. “I’ve been practicing daily ever since.” In 1995 she started an ayurvedic catering service in Ottawa. Ayurvedic cooking is a thousandsyear-old vegetarian method begun in India. Its premise is that by healing the stomach, one can heal the body. At its core is the use of seasonal organic ingredients, including healing spices. Eventually, in 2000, Elena moved to South Florida. There she began teaching yoga and ayurvedic cooking, and her second daughter Mary was born. “I fell in love with the mountains and moved to Boone in 2012 to ﬁnd a slower, more peaceful pace of life,” Elena continues. “It so happened that the Boone Art of Living Center was looking for a head chef, and I was offered a full-time job. At the same time I was teaching a few private Pilates and yoga classes at my home.” In 2014 Elena opened Studio Elenas, her own yoga, Pilates, and ayurvedic cooking center. Stressing the motto that “no matter what you do, you should listen to yourself ﬁrst,” Elena welcomes clients from Photos submitted all walks of life, with body ismaster, who invited her to the Canadian sues such as scoliosis, back pain, sciatica, Art of Living Center. Magical things rehabilitation after stroke and knee began to happen. Elena started a yoga replacement, balance problems, and neck program, took a healing course, and and shoulder pain. embarked on an ancient Indian ayurvedic Elena is fond of quoting Joseph aawmag.com

Pilates’ claim, “If at the age of 30 you are stiff and out of shape, you are old, and if at 60 you are supple and strong, then you are young.” Elena has made several trips to Bangalore, India, to work with a guru at the World Art of Living Center. There she practices yoga, eats a completely ayurvedic diet, consults with her mentor, and brings back to Boone many new ideas about the healing of the body. Elena dreams of writing two books: an ayurvedic cookbook and another about her life story. Elena Sartori has succeeded against all odds to create a life of enabling her yoga and Pilates students to be stronger and more fulﬁlled. What will be next for this remarkable woman?

sue spirit Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoffreedom@frontier.com

‘

I fell in love with the mountains and moved to Boone in 2012 to find a slower, more peaceful pace of life. -Elena Sartori

Cooling and Healing Cucumber Soup

’

2 C. English cucumber, peeled, salted, rinsed and towel-dried 1 small bunch fresh dill, well-washed, firm part of stem removed 1 C. plain coconut yogurt or regular organic yogurt with 1 T. agave Juice of ½ to 1 lime, to taste, with skin finely grated. Place half of juice in blender and add the rest to taste 1 T. apple cider vinegar Salt and black pepper to taste ½ C. chopped fresh cucumber ½ C. of grated Daikon radish or sliced red radishes 2 stalks of scallions, finely sliced Fresh dill to garnish Smoked paprika to sprinkle before serving Directions: Prepare all ingredients as described. In blender process first 6 ingredients. Place soup in bowls and add chopped cucumber, radishes, and scallions. Place in fridge to cool for one hour. Before serving garnish with dill and paprika. Serves 2.

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July-August 2017 | 11

Health

LIVING WELL

A Laughter-Filled Home “A lovely building without joy is merely a house and not a home.” - Unknown

The moods of those living in a home create a “weather system.” Everyone has experienced those days when someone in the house is in a dark mood. Yes, we all have them, at least occasionally. That bad mood affects the atmosphere of the home. It’s creates a dark, rainy day. Likewise, someone with a sunny disposition brings warmth and comfort. Home should be a place where one can be real, but limiting the gloomy days and encouraging joy and laughter can help to transform your house into a home. Laughter also helps keep the inhabitants healthier. According to laughter therapist Kathe Carrow, just laughing whether you feel like it or not offers some health beneﬁts. It boosts immunity: T-cells are specialized immune system cells that help your body ﬁght disease. When you laugh, you activate t-cells. It reduces pain: Endorphins are the 12 | July-August 2017

body’s natural painkillers. When you laugh you release endorphins, which can help ease chronic pain and make you feel good all over. It burns calories: One minute of a good belly laugh burns the same amount of calories as six to 10 minutes on the treadmill. It works your abs: When you are laughing, the muscles in your stomach expand and contract, similar to when you intentionally exercise your abs. It lowers blood sugar levels: For those battling diabetes or other metabolic issues, laughter might be a good addition to your medical/diet and lifestyle protocol. It lowers blood pressure: Lowering blood pressure can lower the risk of stroke and heart attack. It reduces stress and anxiety: The hormones of stress, cortisol and adrenaline, are lowered. You feel calmer and

more in control. It improves heart health: Laugh a lot. It gets your heart pumping. Michael Miller, MD, author of “Heal Your Heart,” says, “One of my favorite moments as a physician occurs when, with a very somber look, I inform my patients that there’s one thing they absolutely must do in order to make a successful recovery after a cardiac event — go home and laugh until you cry.” Laughter is contagious, too. Your laughter can trigger laughter in those around you. Just laughing together creates and strengthens connections. Even the most ordinary house can become a healthier and more welcome place when joy abounds. bonnie church Certiﬁed Life and Wellness Coach Author/columnist, motivational speaker Certiﬁed Trainer for TLS Weight Loss Solution

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July-August 2017 | 13

Relationships

MOM’S WORLD

Home “How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.” - William Faulkner I’ve lived a lot of places in my life. In fact, I’ve lived so many places that it is not uncommon for people to not be able to place my accent or to have the misconception that I was in a military family growing up. I was born in Ames, Iowa, when my dad was in graduate school, and my parents lived in “married student housing.” I have no recollections of that house whatsoever. Then, I lived in one house in Pennsylvania from roughly age 3-6. In our family, we refer to that house as “Olton 14 | July-August 2017

Drive” — don’t ask me if that’s the correct spelling; I could not say. I have vague recollections of riding my bike “Speedy” down the big hill, and one time actually getting hit by a car driving on our street while on my bike, an event that caused a big stir. I was ﬁne, but my parents were certainly distraught by the occurrence. Then there was what I consider my childhood home in the suburbs outside of Pittsburgh, where I met my childhood best friend (also named Heather), created an extensive imaginary land down our

back hill, wrote plays, participated in a neighborhood movie production, rode bikes, heard punk music for the first time, went on lots of adventures, and in my spare time attended elementary school. Next was Lynchburg, Virginia, where my parents still reside and where I attended middle and high school. On to college, a semester in India, a trip across the country, Seattle, Washington, for five years, and then back to North Carolina — first in Rowan County and then to the mountains where I live now. aawmag.com

One might think that living in so many places could give me some sort of identity crisis of not really being “from” one speciﬁc place; however, I feel that the experiences of being in all of these different towns, communities, and types of living situations have deepened my belief that, as cliché as it may sound, 1) home is where the heart is; and 2) there are good people everywhere. Home is our heart, our family, our friends, our animals, our connections and so, consequently, there is the dichotomy of the stability of home and the dynamic ﬂux of where our concept of home is and who is there. Two realities have rocked my world in sorting out where home is for me in the past one to two years. One is the nature of my workplace, which has shifted me much of the time to the Boone community which I love, but where my house is not, since I live in Avery County. Because of this change, I will oftentimes leave the hospital when on call and say “I’m going to go home for a little while” and then correct myself and say “go to the apartment,” knowing that this has become my “home away from home.” My husband and children do come to visit me at this alterna-

tive living space, making it feel much more like home, minus the excessive clutter and usual mess that is a byproduct of having three boys. Even so, being in a different space with people you love isn’t quite home since it lacks the true feeling of sanctuary that most of us get when returning to our hallowed ground. The other reality is that I have an adult child now. If you think that term is contradictory, it is, but it does accurately reﬂect the complex nature of my relationship with my eldest son, who has now completed his freshman year in college. In truth, as our children grow and ultimately leave our homes, it feels normal and strange for them to return home. Normal, because they are an intrinsic part of the family and the historical home experience, but strange because they return with a different outlook, independence, and expectation of life at home that requires adjustment. I have had to adapt to my own son’s forage into adulthood and acknowledge to myself that his plans and views may not always line up with mine. Even so, I pine for him to return home, the way I remember my mom did with me, as I was traveling around India,

driving across the country, and following my dreams. During those times, I found excitement and inspiration in listening to the rain hit the roof under which I rested in a different state, a different country, a different world than what had come before — with almost non-existent homesickness or nostalgia. Now, however, with as busy as life is, I crave the peace that comes with hearing it hit my roof, amidst my trees, and lulling my ever-vigilant mind back to sleep as the cat scratches at the living room window screen, my husband snores, and my two youngest sons sleep in their rooms down the hall. Meanwhile, my eldest son, having just gotten home from college, already longs to return to Raleigh, his new home — even just for several days — to re-visit his friends, build his connections, couch-surf, and claim his own adventures. And I can’t blame him.

heather jordan, CNM, MSN Comments or questions? 828.737.7711, ext. 253 landh@localnet.com

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Homestead

HILLBETTY REVIVAL

The Possum Chronicles

I have an aversion to killing animals I can’t eat. I enjoy hunting and ﬁshing, but regular old farm varmints garner a little sympathy from me, and I have an opossum, known in hillbetty speak as “possum,” that knows it. We have been in a battle for a couple months, and so far I am losing. I can’t just leave this possum hanging around. They will eat eggs and kill chickens. My courses of action thus far have proven my status as a new hillbetty on a learning curve. I started with a live trap, a little grape jam in on a cracker positioned by the coop to catch him/her going in. After a couple of days, I am walking out to the coop and see the trap has sprung. In my excitement, I run out right as daylight is breaking and get all the way to the trap 16 | July-August 2017

before I notice the telltale white stripes of a skunk. This little critter is angry, although not spraying, just stamping about in the trap looking adorable rather than threatening. I start my negotiations in a calming voice, bargaining release in exchange for spray-free escape. I start to open the trap, gradually blocking the exit with a block of ﬁrewood, continuing to make promises and wondering if I have enough cleaning supplies for this task. I get the trap locked open, kick the wood, and run across the yard as though I have just pulled the pin on a grenade. All is well, spray free. Fast forward a couple days, my coon dog was not as generous or gentle in her skunk encounter and I spend an evening washing two dogs repeatedly with the windows open and eyes burning. My

negotiations should have included relocation warnings. Possum – 1, Hillbetty – 0 A few weeks ago, I pull into the driveway just after dark, and my headlights catch all the chickens scattered in the yard, sleeping in various perches away from the coop. Knowing I was in for something bad, I peek in the coop. My possum is sitting there enjoying an egg. Thankfully, no chickens harmed. Now I am faced with a decision. I considered getting the riﬂe and handling the possum in the name of chicken safety, but this critter played to my sensitive side by immediately dropping the egg and laying down frozen, going so far as to hide its face among the hay bedding aawmag.com

while ignoring the rear end displayed out in the open. I make a barricade of sorts into a tunnel leading out of the coop, spread a trail of bread and go sit on my front porch a respectable distance away to watch. Thirty minutes, nothing. Forty-ﬁve minutes and too much Pinterest — still nothing. Time to call a friend for moral support and ideas. She barely gets out hello before I am asking, “So, really, how dangerous is a possum? Can I pick this thing up?” I arm myself with leather gloves, a towel, and ﬂashlight as it is as now well past my bedtime, and go in with the intentions of picking up this still animal and relocating it so I can gather up my chickens.

STEP OUT LOOKING

YOUR BEST!

Here is what I learned: 1. They stop playing dead when you pick them up. 2. They don’t want to cuddle. 3. It is impossible to hold a flashlight while maintaining a decent grip on a wild animal. 4. Possums poop when they panic. There is just no better way to say that. Now I am running through my yard in pitch black darkness, hoping there isn’t a stick that will trip me, imagining I land face first into this smelly, hissing, face of teeth. I get to the other side of the road, just drop towel, possum, and all and run back to the coop at full speed for the flashlight. The animal has fully recovered and is running away in the opposite direction; I have chickens to pick up one by one to put into the reclaimed coop; and I desperately need a change of clothes and shower. Possum – 2, Hillbetty – 0 It may be time to break out the grape jelly again for the live trap, but I am open to suggestions.

Melanie Davis Marshall Melanie is a born-again Hillbetty attempting to revive her Appalachian roots. She lives in Boone with her two dogs, two horses, 18 chickens and one really old cat.

Because of You...Celebrating 15 Years! July-August 2017 | 17

Feature

All Hail the Queen Penny Zamagni of The King Bees The Zamagni household in the small town of Putnam, Conn., was filled with music for as long as Penelope “Penny” Zamagni can remember. From her dad William’s record collection and affinity for radio, to watching her brothers host basement band practices, Penny — the youngest of four — began absorbing countless melodies and rhythms practically since birth. “My dad always loved music and sang in chorus in high school and that kind of thing, and was an avid record collector. So growing up, he had 78s of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong — mostly New Orleans jazz from the ‘20s and ’30s,” Penny says. “He was always ‘music, music.’ And if he wasn’t listening to his records, he had the radio on the jazz stations. “My brother Bill is an excellent, excellent guitar player. My brother Charlie is an excellent drummer and he’s an excellent pianist. I was always around them and their bands, and kind of felt comfortable and fascinated by their getting together. They would rehearse in our basement, and I thought, ‘You know, that’s really cool. Maybe one day I could do that.’” Penny’s mother Barbara was equally instrumental in encouraging her youngest child’s affinity for music, taking her to her very first live concert. On Aug. 15, 1965, mother and daughter stood alongside more than 55,000 screaming concertgoers at Shea Stadium in New York City to witness one of the most famous performances of all time by none other than The Beatles. Her first big taste of live blues came from a rock n’ roll variety show featuring her favorite Bo Diddley. “We went backstage to meet him, and as I approached his dressing room, he was there and he waved at me and I ran — I ran so fast. He was my idol,” Penny says. While the seeds were planted early for Penny’s life in music, it would be some time before they would begin to germinate. Finding her way to the High Country in the early 1980s after attending East Carolina University, Penny initially landed an internship, followed by a job at New River Mental Health in Ashe County. Despite the love of both her job and her 18 | July-August 2017

The Queen Bee in action at the Hambone Music Festival in Rochester, Minn. Photo by Gary Eckhard

co-workers, Penny began growing restless. After eight years in clinical psychology, she longed for a career that would take her beyond life in rural Appalachia. Penny soon began taking graduate courses at ASU, and while on campus, had a chance meeting with a talented musician named Rob Baskerville during a concert. At that time, Penny’s future husband and bandmate was a frustrated bass player in The Vibrasonics — the hottest blues band in town. She decided to approach him during a set break. “I was thinking of getting a teaching degree, and Rob’s band was playing, and we just started chatting. And it was like we were talking blues, and I said something about how I really liked Hammond B-3 in a band. And he said, ‘You’re the only woman I know who can say she likes Hammond B-3. I love you!’ “And so even though I’d had musical training since the ﬁfth grade, I didn’t think of a career really seriously until I met Rob,” Penny says. “I had a partner, someone who strongly endorsed me and encouraged me, and saw things in myself that I didn’t see.” With Rob, aka “Hound Dog,” switching to lead guitar, he convinced Penny to take on the bass and vocal duties. The King Bees were born, aawmag.com

and the band’s ﬁrst-ever show took place at a “notorious house party” on Pinnacle Drive in Boone in 1986. “We just haven’t been apart since then,” Penny says. “The music took us places.” Lovers of various strains of blues and roots music, the couple were drawn to the sounds emanating from the Deep South — juke joints in towns in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. But while most musicians are content to enjoy and absorb recordings, the newly minted bandmates wanted to actually jam with and learn from their heroes. And after a few phone calls, they jumped in the van and proceeded to do just that. “We went to the Deep South and met a lot of folks, most of whom are gone — the real blues elders — African American blues artists who were pivotal in forming that sound,” Penny says. “We started going there and meeting these guys, and they were like, ‘Yeah, let’s go to the juke joint and do a gig over there.’” Rounds of touring and recording followed, with the Queen Bee penning the band’s original material and acting as the front woman on stage. With her swinging bass and powerhouse vocals meshing nicely with Hound Dog’s stinging, soulful guitar work, The King Bees’ star began to rise in the blues world. The phone began ringing with offers to back blues greats like Jerry “Boogie” McCain, Chicago Bob Nelson and Carey Bell — harmonica legends who had shared stages with all the blues greats. For the young couple, the chance to learn on stage from their heroes proved invaluable. “People want to be entertained,” Penny says. “They’re not there to see how good I am at whatever I may do. They want to be entertained. That’s what we learned big time from Nappy Brown and Jerry McCain, who would play harmonica with his nose. It’s show business — meaning not about you, but about them. You play for the people who came, and don’t worry about the people who didn’t.”

The lessons clearly paid off, as The King Bees accrued numerous accolades and accomplishments, including appearances at New York’s Lincoln Center, several tours and festival appearances across Europe, award-winning albums, and a coveted slot on B.B. King’s 80th Birthday Tour. Penny even got a second chance to meet and also share the stage with the aforementioned Bo Diddley. In recent years, The Bees have frequently collaborated with the awe-inspiring Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, a 78-year-old blues woman whom Penny calls “her mentor.” 2017 is a year of milestones for Penny and Rob. On Sunday, Sept. 3, The New River Blues Fest — the band’s signature event and de facto homecoming — will turn 15 years old, as The King Bees celebrate their 30th anniversary (actually it’s 31, but who’s counting…) throughout the year. After millions of miles and thousands of shows, The King Bees show no signs of slowing down or desire to rest on their laurels.

“Being on stage is a big comfort for me,” says Penny. “[I’ve] been there many times when you felt like crap, or you felt anxious, or you felt some heartache in your life. And then you dedicate yourself to getting that music across, because that’s what you do. For me, that’s what happens. And I’ve got this gift that I want to share with people.”

David Brewer When he’s not performing on stage with one of his many musical projects, bartending at Boone Saloon, organizing a music festival, or hanging with his family, David Brewer is trying to sleep. Shhhhhhh.

Take Me to the River The New River Blues Fest Celebrates 15 Years For the last decade and a half, the New River Blues Fest has served up the most swinging Labor Day party in the High Country. Conceived by The King Bees, the event is a must for music lovers fond of blues, soul and R&B, and — most importantly — a good time. The 15th annual event will take place once again at the River House Inn, located on the north fork of the New River near West Jefferson on Sunday, Sept. 3. According to Penny, necessity and variety were the motivating factors in founding the event. “We had the idea that although there’s some great musical traditions in the High Country and Ashe County, which we call home, it’s mostly oldtime and bluegrass,” Penny says. “And there wasn’t a lot of diversity in terms of music and culture, so wouldn’t it be great to bring some of our friends up to Ashe County?” The festival has prided itself on bringing performers great distances to participate in the unique event: “Our whole goal and mission is to bring the real deal, authentic blues people out of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Chicago, Florida — people who’ve played in the blues tradition for generations,” Penny says. “So we brought the Chitlin Circuit to Ashe County and still do to this day. “The first couple of years, we brought Nappy Brown. We brought Etta Baker. We brought Jerry McCain out of Alabama. We bought Roy Roberts, Little Pink Anderson, Chick Willis,” she says. As proud as they are of the festival’s performers, Penny points to the event’s power to unite people across racial, social, and political backgrounds. “[The fest] has grown in its ability to bring people together like that beyond my ability to explain how that works,” Penny says. “It’s just the people themselves who come and bring that energy whether they know it or not. You’ve got Trump people dancing with Bernie people dancing with Hillary people, and nobody’s discussing politics, or race, or any of that. It’s a party!” July-August 2017 | 19

Feature

Life is

Downtown Neighborhood is One of Boone’s Oldest

This house was built in 1910 and remodeled in 1970. The attention to detail is one of the aspects that makes the Grand Boulevard neighborhood so quaint and beautiful.

The Grand Boulevard neighborhood, rising up behind the Jones House in downtown Boone, is not only the closest neighborhood to King Street — it’s also one of the oldest neighborhoods in Boone. In fact, Grand Boulevard is noted as being Boone’s ﬁrst planned neighborhood. Originally formed in 1923 by a group of men from Greensboro, the area was ﬁrst named Daniel Boone Park and had tiny, pie-shaped lots with the wide edge facing the street. The development consists of small stone or brick bungalow homes built in the 1920s and 1930s. Like Boone itself, the architecture of the Grand Boulevard neighborhood is a mix of styles and materials; however, red brick and native stone are prominently represented, with much of the stonework done by the same men doing stonework on the Blue Ridge Parkway. At best, the architectural style of the neighborhood is eclectic, and the sizes and styles of the original homes are consistent with the American Craftsman bungalow style. Although some of the houses have been dramatically altered over the years, many have retained their historic integrity, adding to the character of the street. In recent years, the town’s Historic Preservation Commission has suggested that the neighborhood be considered for designation as a historic district by the town and potentially by the National Register of Historic Places. Top right: Many of the stone houses were built in the late ‘20s or early ‘30s, and in many cases they were built by the people who were laying stonework on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Built in 1890, this is one of the oldest houses on the street. 20 | July-August 2017

aawmag.com

Because of its close proximity to downtown and Appalachian State University’s campus, Grand Boulevard was — and is — favored by a large contingent of university employees and downtown business owners, many of them well-known names of the area: Charlie Wilcox of Wilcox Drug Emporium; Appalachian State football coach Kidd Brewer; John Welborn, early manager of ASU’s Food Services, and his wife Vivian, a dietician and professor on campus; ASU football/wrestling/baseball coach Red Watkins; Catherine J. Smith of the Smith Gallery located in the Schaefer Center; and Buck Maddux, who owned the local Studebaker dealership. Patsy Maddux not only was born on the street in the 1940s, but, minus a handful of years, has lived there her entire life, remembering the nickname residents had for the area when she was younger, saying, “When you come up the hill, [the road] is in the shape of a ‘P,’ and we always called it Presbyterian Hill because most of us were Presbyterians, and the Presbyterian minister lived here as well.” John and Bettie Bond have been residents of Grand Boulevard since 1971 and enjoyed walking to their campus jobs. “It was great,” Bettie says, vivaciously. “We walked to school every day for 25 years. It was absolute perfection. Even now we walk everywhere, and for Appalachian Summer? We just walk down to the Schaefer Center and see what we want to see. I just think it’s perfect. I absolutely adore it.” Residents joke that calling the street “grand” is misleading, since the half-mile loop is actually quite quaint. In fact, the quaint setting of the street is one of the aspects residents love, allowing for a closeknit community that closes down the street each Fourth of July for its annual neighborhood block party. “When we moved here in 1971, there were absolutely no children in the neighborhood,” recalls Bettie. “It was just all a bunch of faculty and old people. But, now, it’s just so exciting. We have at least 20 kids under high school age. It’s so healthy! They ride bikes; they all play with each other. It’s just so wonderful.”

These two brick bungalows are indicative of the houses build on Grand Boulevard in the 1940s.

Built by Buck Maddux in 1935, daughter Patsy grew up in this house and lives there now. The house, on a double lot, boasts such a pristine, manicured yard that the neighborhood residents call it “the 19th hole.”

Yozette ‘Yogi’ Collins Mom, television producer/writer, and obsessive internet researcher. Though her name suggests otherwise, she is not (yet) an actual yogi.

Town telephone operators worked out of the wing on the right of this 1924 house. Part of their compensation was to live rent free in a house across the street. July-August 2017 | 21

Feature

The Art of Fabuless Stephanie Hampton’s Style by Epoch PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE HAMPTON

Left: In Stephanie’s own dining room, every piece of décor is secondhand – even the plant. She used old iron outdoor planters to fashion the light fixture and purchased the Costa Rican wall art from a neighbor who was moving. Middle: A muted bench coupled with bright pops of color helped Stephanie create a charming entryway with secondhand finds. Right: Stephanie’s favorite secondhand find is the large wicker basket she transformed into an occasional table for her living room. The piece, she learned, was once used for laundry services at a penitentiary.

Entrepreneur Stephanie Hampton is on a mission to show that secondhand doesn’t have to mean second-rate. Her business, Style by Epoch, offers decorating services, consultations and classes to show how integrating preowned pieces can put flawless design within reach of the most modest budgets. A self-described perfectionist who took linear algebra in college “for fun,” Stephanie says design gives her the chance to shed her analytical tendencies and embrace the fluid subjectivity of aesthetics. “I’ve learned that in design, for me, there’s no rules,” she says. “It’s very much what your heart tells you.” As with many ventures, Stephanie’s was born from necessity. As a new mom living in Charlotte with a tight budget and a home to furnish, she began frequenting yard sales and was astonished to find charming furniture, lighting, and accessories for bottom dollar. Over time, Stephanie assembled an 22 | July-August 2017

expansive collection of vintage items across a wide range of styles. She relished the opportunity to breathe new life into storied pieces from another epoch, like the wicker jailhouse laundry basket that became her living room table. Friends and family began pilfering her collection and commissioning her to ﬁnd pieces for them, too. She continued honing her style over the following decade and began styling homes as she welcomed three more kids and moved to Boone with her husband, Chris. When her children entered public school last fall after several years of homeschooling, Stephanie felt a tug that let her know the time was right to morph her hobby into a vocation. “The Lord said, ‘it’s time to start your business,’” she says. “He kind of just developed my passion and my knowledge.” Friend Amy Lowrey became one of Stephanie’s ﬁrst customers when she decided to rent rooms in her home through Airbnb. Stephanie’s airy design coupled

an industrial white bed frame and dark wood pieces with bright, whimsical prints to create a style that’s traditional yet youthful. “She is able to layer things in a way that I find very intriguing,” Amy says. “She takes my sort of simple vision and multiplies it, and I can’t even figure out how she’s come up with it. She elevated the space to a point that I’m actually making more per rental night than I anticipated.” Stephanie also shares her craft with others through one-on-one consultations and small group workshops she calls “The Art of Fabuless.” In these interactive sessions, held at the Not Half Bad consignment store in Boone, Stephanie offers tips for repurposing items participants already own and finding versatile secondhand gems to create memorable vignettes. After the presentation, participants practice styling their own spaces using items they find within the store. aawmag.com

Katherine Lile, owner of The Mountain Thread Company in Blowing Rock, attended the class as a professional development opportunity in hopes of drawing inspiration for her shop’s displays. She was so impressed that she hired Stephanie for additional work at the store. “She was really open to hearing my feedback, my ideas, and using that as the launch point, because my shop is different from a home, which is different from an office,” Katherine says. “I had some spaces that really needed some extra love, and she was able to bring in some speciﬁc ideas for drawing people’s eyes to that.” Learn more at stylebyepoch.com and on Facebook and Instagram. Kellen Short Kellen Short is a former Watauga Democrat reporter who last year traded the Appalachians for the Rockies. She now writes about engineering at CU Boulder and returns to the High Country as often as possible. Reach Kellen at kellen.m.short@gmail.com.

Combining a variety of textures and layers helps create a comfortable and cohesive look in the rooms Stephanie Hampton styles.

Tips for Decorating Your Space “Shop” your own house first. Look around your home and notice your décor with fresh eyes, Stephanie says. Is there a piece of furniture you could relocate or use in an unconventional way to meet your needs? “The key of everything I do is to try to work with what I have,” she says. When you do buy, look for versatility and quality. As you bargain-hunt, seek out items that could fit in two or three different places in your home, then switch things up if the décor feels stale. Neutral, well-made pieces can last a lifetime but offer endless possibilities when paired with fresh pillows or artwork. Use your camera. As you decorate, take a quick snap to remove distractions in your peripheral vision and examine the visual weight of your items. Do you need to add or remove something to create balance for the eye?

Before

Break the rules. Don’t get preoccupied with a piece’s original intent. A buffet table can serve as a TV stand, and doors can be wall art. Be patient. Cultivating the look and style you want using secondhand pieces won’t happen overnight. “That’s why it’s called a collection; it doesn’t just happen,” Stephanie says.

‘

I’ve learned that in design, for me, there’s no rules. It’s very much what your heart tells you. -Stephanie Hampton

After

’

July-August 2017 | 23

Feature

On the Job Site

Sarah Grady of Sunny Day Homes BY IAN TAYLOR

Photos submitted

When Sarah Grady walks through a house or a construction site, she doesn’t see what’s there, but what it can be. The project coordinator sees the potential for a home that can be good for the people inside of it, and the planet that it’s on. A Tennessee native, Sarah spent much of her life coming to the High Country on yearly vacations with her parents before getting a degree in geology from the University of Tennessee. After college, Sarah spent time working with AmeriCorps, where she discovered construction combining with her passion for the environment. “I’ve always been a nature person, I’ve always recycled, I’ve always been proenvironment,” Sarah said. “When I started doing AmeriCorps, one of the reasons I was really interested in the position that I did was that I knew that they were doing energy-efficient stuff. I had no building experience prior to that.” She decided to go to school at Appalachian State, where she received a master’s degree in building science. After graduating from App, Sarah got a job with Sam Zimmerman at Sunny Day Homes, who by that point had become a respected member of the High Country Home Builders Association, including a 24 | July-August 2017

stint as president. As project coordinator, Sarah is involved in every step of the process, making her a valuable member of the team. Sunny Day Homes had built a reputation on quality building with an eco-friendly take on the details, and working there led to Sarah joining the HCHBA herself. In the past, the representative from a company in the HCHBA has been the owner of the business, but not in the case of Sunny Day Homes. Zimmerman had done his time on the board, and in a rare case bestowed the honor to Sarah, who has taken the opportunity and ran with it. Since becoming a member of the HCHBA, Sarah was appointed to be one of the 10 board members. As a member of the board, Sarah is one of the people who is making the key decisions for the association. Chuck Perry of Perry Built has known Sarah Grady for years, and has worked with her through the HCHBA. Chuck met Sarah when she was doing her graduate studies at Appalachian. Both had been Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, with Chuck going from Maine to Georgia, and Sarah going from Georgia to Maine. Chuck described Sarah as a hardworking and very positive person who has brought a lot to the table since joining the

HCHBA board. “Sarah’s always got a good attitude; she’s always engaged,” Chuck said. “That has to be hard for someone that is young, and new to the leadership chain to bring that passion and energy day in and day out. It could be a challenge, but she brings it.” Sarah is one of four members of the HCHBA board that is a woman, a high number considering how maledominated the construction industry has traditionally been. In her career, Sarah has never felt that being a woman got in the way of her job, however. She focuses on herself as a person and never wants to have a victim’s attitude. “I never felt personally like I was being judged because I was a woman,” Sarah said. “I always felt like people respected me, and I think that if you go in thinking that people are going to respect you, then they are more likely to do that.” It’s not common to ﬁnd a woman in the construction ﬁeld, let alone one that is a project coordinator with a rapidly growing and positive reputation. Sarah Grady is not only moving up the ranks in the local home building industry, but is doing it her way with her attitude: one energyefficient house at a time. aawmag.com

Bob Meier - Owner

828.264.9111 C21MV.com 202 Southgate Drive Suite 19, Boone, NC 28607 Each ofﬁce independently owned and operated

585 West King Street • Suite D Boone, NC 28607 doeridgepottery.com 828.264.1127 Open daily from 10am - 6pm

Bouquet Florist and Gifts follow us on

at chick-fil-a of boone

186 Boone Heights Drive Boone, NC 28607 828-264-3313 bouquetﬂoristinboone.com

828-264-4660 • 2082 Blowing Rock Rd • Boone, NC • www.cfarestaurant.com/boone/home July-August 2017 | 25

Photo by Anna Oakes

Feature

Dianne Davant Homemaker by Design

Pairing casual elegance with an eclectic ﬂair, Dianne Davant has spent almost 40 years adorning homes in the High Country with both comfort and beauty. As she describes, “A home provides more than just shelter. It is where we make memories with friends and family. It is where we can relax and get comfy, regardless of the style. It is where we feel safe and warm surrounded by our most precious belongings.” Using nature, the lessons learned from her parents and mentors, and collaboration with her creative staff, Dianne’s designs continue to create such havens. Dianne Davant is in the business of making homes. Dianne grew up in Blowing Rock with a father who was a small town mountain doctor, a mother who was his “rock” and a brother who eventually took over the family practice. Dianne’s father, Charles Davant, did everything, including delivering babies. Dianne’s mother, Harriet, “worked hard making home a respite for him.” Now 94-years-old, Harriet spends the summers in their family home in Blowing Rock. From her mother, Dianne’s most important mentor, she learned “to be upbeat, to respect others — and manners are very important.” Dianne describes her childhood as “wonderful … I enjoyed riding my horse all over the Cone Estate. My parents allowed me to be very independent.” Dianne attended Salem Academy and

Salem College in Winston-Salem, where she studied interior design. She graduated with a degree in interior design from Appalachian State. Returning to the High Country after several years’ absence, Dianne opened her business in Blowing Rock in 1979. Later, she also opened an office in Florida — “a natural extension for my client base, as so many asked me to design their homes there.” The challenges of Dianne’s work include “directing and supervising a project so that it is completed on time. There are many factors out of my control, and I am a control freak.” However, she says, “the most rewarding is to see the happiness in my clients’ faces. That really makes all the hard work worth every moment. Seeing an installation finished with all in place — it is satisfying beyond description!” Dianne’s designs vary in motifs, patterns, and themes, yet the natural habitat of both locations plays a role in what she creates. “Local animal motifs are often used … bear, deer, squirrels, birds. Patterns with local flowers, vines are popular, but plaids and geometrics are always used and coordinate well with other patterns. In Florida, the same is true, using local motifs such as fish, shells, palm trees, etc.” Although often inspired by the surroundings, of her own homes and those of her clients, Dianne explains, “I try to keep the design more simple and classic, using lots of solids and neutrals with accents as a pop of color. I love both our Florida

home and our mountain home. Both have a very peaceful feeling, neutrals with accents of colors. Florida has a lighter palette of blues and aquas. North Carolina has more saturated colors as accents.” In addition to the careful manner used in the creation of her designs, Dianne attributes much of her sense of home to her husband and children. Lee Moffitt, founder of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., “is a wonderful, humble man who makes our house a home.” Together, Dianne and Lee have three daughters, Ashley Winkelman, Alyse Burke, and Jenny Moffitt. They also enjoy the blessing of four grandchildren. As for the secret to balancing two offices, raising a family, and staying motivated, Dianne shares this advice: “Keep your head down and charge ahead. Work of any kind is just that. It is not easy and will require your total commitment. But if it is your passion, you are lucky to have found it.” Often energized by new trends and innovative ideas, Dianne explains, “Travel is always a great inspiration for new design ideas. Also, going to design markets and seeing new products always helps me keep up with the latest happenings in the design world.” Dianne is also inspired by her staff, which includes Senior Designers Margaret Handley, Pamela McKay, and Priscilla Hyatt. “My staff is super talented and creative, and we enjoy tossing around ideas.

July-August 2017 | 27

We encourage each other. We really have fun together,” she says. Priscilla Hyatt, who grew up in Boone and now works in the Florida office, describes, “Having the opportunity to work with Dianne for nine years has taught me that anything is possible! She will always successfully achieve a client’s request. ANY request! She is a daily inspiration who I still learn from on a regular basis. Being a part of her team has taught me that all of these beautiful environments we create for clients to live and work in are done by team work. We wouldn’t be able to achieve all that we do without the role that everyone plays to make her ﬁrm

the empire it is today.” Dianne’s focus remains on the desires of her clients. “Eclectic design isn’t boring or predictable. It reﬂects my clients’ tastes and personalities.” Likewise, for aspiring designers, Dianne advises, “Listen to your clients and don’t try to impose your own taste on them. In the end, it is their home, not yours. Give them the best design that makes them comfortable.” About her own preferences, Dianne elaborates, “I truly love designing all rooms, but powder rooms are especially fun to design as they offer an opportunity to be more dramatic and funky. Our guests always see and comment on

them.” Much of the contentment of those living in the High Country can be attributed to Dianne Davant. “Dianne was born and raised here, which has made her a pillar of the community. Her creativity, imagination, love, and dedication have added unbelievable beauty and aesthetics to make the High Country what it is today,” adds Priscilla. Hollie Greene Hollie Greene is an English teacher who loves stories, words and the mountains of North Carolina.

Dianne’s home in Banner Elk’s Diamond Creek community features spectacular views inside and out. Photo submitted 28 | July-August 2017

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‘

Give them the best design that makes them comfortable. -Dianne Davant

’

Top: Geometrics factor heavily in this room of a Florida client’s home. Photos submitted Left: Natural light, neutrals and cool blues create a light, breezy atmosphere inside this Dianne Davant client’s waterfront home in Florida. Right: The waterfront view from inside Dianne Davant’s home in Florida. July-August 2017 | 29

Featured

HOMES

Four local women serve as our hosts on a tour of High Country homes. To view even more photos, visit aawmag.com.

30 | July-August 2017

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Featured Homes

Quintessential

FARMHOUSE Our Host Joyce Zellner

Location Blowing Rock

About the Owners We are retired living with three dogs and have great neighbors. I am a retired physical therapist, and my husband is retired from business in the orange juice industry. We bought this property four years ago seeing it from the roadside and falling in love with the Thomas Kinkade look. My husband and I like to camp. We now have the best campsite we can imagine right here at home, with both creekside and backyard campfires. July-August 2017 | 31

Joyceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inspiration We have a unique home overlooking a creek and pasture close to Trout Lake. The house is a two-story farmhouse modernized several times and the last two times by us. We have filled it with eclectic furnishings from family and auctions. My inspiration in decorating is to bring the outside into my home through light, wood grains, and warm colors. I also blend memories of people through furnishings from friends and family.

ADVICE:

Old homes are full of surprises. Renovation

requires the skills and knowledge of a good architect, contractor, and skilled workers. 32 | July-August 2017

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Greatest Challenge Maintaining the look and character of an old house while doing renovations and additions. The house was moved to its present location on the property in 1990. I have identified and restored many of the landscape features from the original location that dates to the early 1900s. It is truly a work in progress.

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Featured Homes

HEARTH & Heritage

Our Host Brenda T. Warren

Location Vilas

34 | July-August 2017

About the Owner Blessed to have been born and raised in the High Country and coming from a long line of artisans and craftspeople who protect and celebrate our mountain heritage, I have always appreciated the talent it takes to make a variety of goods, whether it be a broom, rug, quilt, and my favorite, pottery. I grew up around some very talented folks, in awe of their creative interpretation of the rural world around them. aawmag.com

Brendaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inspiration While decorating our home, nature is truly my main inspiration. The outside of our home is just as important and fun for me to decorate as the inside, as we live in both areas. I try to decorate our home by bringing the outdoors indoors and indoors outdoors. I also move to the future while remembering and preserving the past.

Decorating with Pottery I began collecting pottery just over 40 years ago, which was about the time that Bob Meier moved to Boone and helped start a craft cooperative, Hands Craft Gallery. My grandmother Elsie Trivette was also a member. I would watch Bob work the clay at the different craft shows. I became completely addicted to pottery at the young age of 8. Throughout the last 40-plus years, I have collected a lot of pottery, mostly Bobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pieces. It has been fun watching his pottery change through the years and watch his skills develop into the master of pottery that he is.

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Beautiful things donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to ask for attention. - Brenda T. Warren

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Antiques and Heirlooms Throughout my life, I have saved and preserved the things that matter most to me. I love to collect the items that have time and creativity behind them. My maternal grandmother Elsie Trivette was a legend in her field. She taught Goldie Hawn how to use a spinning wheel, and some of my grandmother’s arts and crafts can be found in the North Carolina Museum of Art and The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The old timey sewing machine in which my father’s mother, Mary Thomas, made all her families clothes on. I have a collection of my Grandmother Trivette’s brooms, all handmade, and I still use them. Our son’s handmade bedroom suite was made by his paternal great-grandfather. My parents, Frank and Evanell Thomas still carry on a strong family tradition of making burlap rugs. It’s a lengthy process; my father starts with a burlap sack, untwining each string from the bag, one at a time. He then dyes the string in a variety of colors. He balls the newly colored thread and my mother hooks it into a burlap sack. My mother uses her mother’s hook that is over a hundred years old.

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Featured Homes

Mountaintop

RETREAT Our Host Joanie Kilkelly

Location Bamboo

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About the Owners Gary and I have two sons and two daughters and thus far five wonderful grandchildren. For many years we came up to Boone to snow camp. We restored and lived on an old family farm outside of Raleigh. We really missed the beautiful winter wonderland! In 2000, we had an opportunity to relocate to Boone. We purchased this piece of property which we knew had great view potential. We spent three years remodeling and expanding the home and opening up the view. We built a private wing for family and friends. At this time, we had no idea that we would be sharing it with hundreds of people as we ended up building a rental cabin on the property as well. It has turned out to be a great blessing for us and visitors from literally around the world. aawmag.com

ADVICE: As you design your walls and rooms, scale and cut pieces of cardboard to lay out furniture arrangements before you complete your floor plans. Anticipate and visualize on paper moving about the house. We learned that form follows function.

July-August 2017 | 39

The Kilkellysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Inspiration Our inspiration comes from nature. The natural stone of the area, the beautiful hardwoods, and the sheer beauty of the great outdoors. Gary and I designed the house with pencil and paper. Our talented builders (Mark Ford Construction) once told us that they were going to start using Velcro because we altered design features almost daily. They made our vision a reality. The home is comfortable and inviting, with a central focus of Eucharisteo (thankfulness to God).

Greatest Challenge Staying within budget without overly restricting creativity.

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Featured Homes

EARLY

Miscellaneous Our Host LouAnn Morehouse

Location Banner Elk

About the Owners Although I wasn’t raised hereabouts, my father’s family has been in Avery County since the land was granted to them. From childhood, I loved coming up to visit my grandparents’ farm and experiencing the wonder and beauty of the mountains. My husband, who is from Nova Scotia, shares my feelings, and of course he loves the winters. Prior to moving to the High Country in 2006, we lived for twenty years in New Orleans. Our house was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and as we set about deciding what to do next, my father offered to give us land in Avery County should we decide to leave New Orleans. After the experience of Katrina, we decided it was time we pursued a dream.

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LouAnn’s Inspiration I grew up in a household where my dad could build practically anything my mom could design, so our home was always a place of comfort and beauty. My parents are my original inspiration for making a house a home. I’ll have to stick with what my mother, who has always been a very stylish and creative person, describes as her decorating style: “Early Miscellaneous.” I love good design regardless of the style. July-August 2017 | 43

Advice There always seems to be more to the process than you expect, so keep the long view. Even if they know their space needs fixing up, many people have trouble visualizing what the end result will look like. Visual aids such as Pinterest can be a good resource to give you lots of pictures of other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s projects. A consult with an interior designer is less expensive than you think, and can be money well spent to help you develop a solid plan, especially if you are not confident about color choices. Designers can spare you some costly mistakes.

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Proudest DIY Project Learning how to refinish furniture after it had sat in water for 16 days. Faced with a house full of water-damaged furniture, I was determined to salvage the pieces that I loved—such as the table made for my grandmother by “the boys from the orphanage.” Crafted of curly maple, it once again graces our entry hall. July-August 2017 | 45

Style

Fashionista PHOTOS BY CAROLINE LAWSON

From sassy to sophisticated, a local womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sense of style is highlighted by All About Women.

TIFFANY LEONARD is the leasing and marketing director for The Winkler Organization in Boone, N.C.

Style : I would say my style is fun, chic, and bold. I have enjoyed fashion since I was able to dress myself.

Favorite color to wear : Black is always a favorite because how can you look bad in black? Also a lover of any shade of green!

Tiffany sits outside Cha Da Thai Restaurant on Howard Street in Downtown Boone.

Worst-ever wardrobe malfunction : I was walking into a wedding and going down the side aisle. I was wearing some pretty high heels with a very skinny heel. I noticed my left foot felt a little heavy and realized I had stepped on the vent in the floor and my heel had gotten caught and I was carrying the vent â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a little embarrassing! aawmag.com

Favorite article of clothing : SHOES, SHOES, SHOES!! Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world! A shoe can take a plain outfit and make it just “POP.” It gives your outfit life.

Fashion inspiration :

My Aunt Francis influenced me the most in my life as far as fashion goes. She had a wonderful sense of style. She just passed recently at the age of 96 and up to the final two months of her life she was still shopping and still wearing heels!

Illustrating her love of accessorizing, Tiffany shows off her jewelry and purse.

Recent fashion trend you love : Well, I love all of them. Take a risk and give anything a try! I love the off-the-shoulder look, big florals, and the athlesiure look. Heels with sweatpants — love!

Recent fashion trend you hate : I don’t really hate any fashion trend. I am always open to try it but the ‘80s might not be my favorite if it means big hair is coming back!

Know a fashionista? Nominate yourself or someone you know at editor@aawmag.com.

July-August 2017 | 47

Health

BEAUTY

Summertime Skin Summer officially began on June 21, and we are so ready. We hear the call of the great outdoors—camping, hiking, canoeing, rafting and the sound of surf and beach beckoning. As we prepare to show more skin, let’s also prepare to face the summer sun, scorching heat, high humidity, pollutants, etc. Summer can take a toll on skin, so let’s get prepared to keep that skin radiating in spite of the above challenges. I have put together a few tips that will help guide you in taking care of your skin this summer season. Keep Skin Exfoliated. Exfoliation removes dead cells, dulling skin debris and improves hydration. Cell turnover is occurring every minute of the day. The result can be dull, dry-looking skin, and lotions and creams tend to not get absorbed. For below the neck, you may opt for a product that contains an exfoliant or use a glove, loofah, etc. Use circular movements from shoulders down. For the face the exfoliant can be in the face wash, can be an enzyme or an alpha hydroxy. Hydrate and Moisturize. Spritz the face with a pH normalizer toner after cleansing (carry with you to spritz throughout the day). Follow with a good moisturizing lotion or cream to seal in moisture while skin is still damp. You should be changing your products as the season changes. Normally you can lose the heavy creams and moisturizers used during the winter and switch to 48 | July-August 2017

the lighter side. Water, water, water is your best friend during the hot summer months. The amount you need depends on your health, level of activity, etc.; however, the 8X8 rule usually is pretty good — that is, eight ounces/eight glasses. If you drink caffeinated beverages, you need to increase your water. Sunscreen Alert. Sobering facts: 90 percent of skin cancer is attributed to sun exposure. In 2017 an estimated 87,110 will be diagnosed with melanoma. Good News: Regular, daily use of sunscreen SPF 15 or higher reduces the risk of melanoma by 50 percent. When you expose your skin to the sun, the UV rays cause photo aging that shows up as brown spots, coarse skin, wrinkles. You do not have to get burned for these things to occur. Unprotected sun exposure causes a cascade destructive effect on the lipid barrier as well as stimulation of enzymes that break down collagen—all bad news. Thus, every gorgeous tan you see has come at the expense of lots of damage to make it happen. Simply stated, a tan is the melanin in the lower layers of the skin rising to the surface to try and defend the body against the UV rays that it is deliberately being exposed to in an attempt to make the body look beautiful, which in the end will make look the body look not beautiful—ironic! Never scrimp when using sunscreen. Apply ample amounts — face one teaspoon, body one shot glass full. Apply

after moisturizer and before foundation. Reapply; once is not enough, as it lasts about two hours. So putting on a SPF 60 in the morning will not last the whole day. What does SPF (sun protection factor) mean? It tells you how long you can stay in the sun without burning: SPF of 15 means you can be in the sun for 15 times longer without burning. Minimum SPF of 30 is recommended every day year round. Remember sunscreen has an expiration date. Even though your makeup or moisturizer may contain sunscreen, it is recommended to use a standalone sunscreen, because then you know exactly what you’re getting. Sunscreen numbers do not add, so 15 in your makeup and 20 standalone does not equal 35, it will be 20. You always default to the highest number. If you get overexposed, unfortunately the damage is done. Cutting the discomfort level is the next step. Soothing botanicals and gels can help prevent peeling, reduce redness and inﬂammation. Remember, one bad sunburn can double your risk of melanoma. Habituate yourself into the habit of using sunscreen every day. Your body will thank you with sustained beauty and health. Stay Beautiful! Marion Edwards Marion Edwards is a Licensed Esthetician, Professional Makeup Artist and Certiﬁed Trainer for Motives Cosmetics. She can be contacted at 828.773.1500. aawmag.com

love THINGS WE

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YOUNG AT HEART

Home Is Where the Art Is PHOTOS BY HEATHER BRANDON

I like a clean house; my husband, Roger, likes an uncluttered house. Between the two of us, our house is very neat and tidy. Neither of us are collectors of stuff, and before bringing an item into our home, I ask myself, “Do I love this enough to dust it?” Therefore, items that we choose to hang on our walls or display on our shelves are meaningful. This is especially true of artwork — many of our works of art were gifts or commissions from artsy family and friends. Some of my favorite pieces in our collection are works from three, local female artists — my mother, Marion Cloaninger, my sister-in-law, Amy Schoenacher, and my good friend, Julie Davis.

Marion Cloaninger

This Mummy original hangs over our dining room table. It is one of her famous faceless paintings. It makes me think of exotic tropical destinations.

We are fortunate to have seven Marion Cloaninger originals and counting. Marion, or Mummy as I like to call her, is a self-taught artist who started painting in her 40s, ﬁrst with watercolors. “There is nothing more enjoyable than the creative process,” says Marion. “Your mind is in a different place, leaving behind all worries and concept of time.” Like the spirals and circles she incorporates into her work, Mummy’s creative process has taken twists and turns over the years. Early on, she dabbled in realism; today, her work is increasingly abstract. And, full of color and texture!

Mummy is represented by two galleries — Carlton Gallery in Foscoe and GG’s Art, Frames and Gifts in Statesville — and she now works mainly in mixed media collage. Her collages, which she hopes stimulate the senses, are full of complex layers, something she compares to indulging in good dark chocolate. She shares her passion for collage with her students — she teaches demos and classes at several High Country locations — demonstrating both her techniques and her enthusiasm for art making.

Amy Schoenacher

This Amy Schoenacher original, featuring her signature swirlys, hangs over our bar. The vibrant reds inspire us to incorporate red accents throughout surrounding rooms. 50 | July-August 2017

My sister-in-law, Amy, is both an artist and an art educator, inspiring the next generation of artists just as she was inspired by three art teachers during elementary and high school: Kent Oehm at Hardin Park Elementary as well as Lori Fowler and Shelton Wilder at Watauga High School. Amy reﬂected that the encouragement of these great teachers moved her to pursue art education as a career. After earning her degree in 1997, Amy began working as an art teacher, settling a few years later at Rosman High School in Brevard. Amy is still there today, and she has grown the art program from 20 students in her ﬁrst year to approximately 130 students each year currently. “Art is so important in our culture and all cultures,” says Amy. And, through art, Amy teaches her

students to think globally, to problem solve and to be agents of social change. Her goal is to “inspire kids to make a change in the world through their creative visions.” Speaking of creative visions, Amy loves to work with oil paints. Quoting a lyric from one of her favorite bands, Phish, Amy said that when painting with oils “time turns elastic.” Her ﬂow of consciousness style is characterized by wormholeish, ribbon-like, swirlies, or to use technical language, “non-objective imagery.” We have two Amy Schoenacher originals — one swirly piece and one portrait. The portrait is of the lead singer of the aforementioned band, Phish, and according to Amy was commissioned by Roger “for free!” aawmag.com

Julie Davis

This portrait was a wedding present. I find it amazingly beautiful and looking at it brings me great joy.

Julie is not only a longtime friend but also an amazing artist. We have two Julie Davis originals — one portrait and one abstract. Julie has been an artist for as long as she can remember, sharing that she get anxious when she is not actively engaged in art making. “I guess I just have something to say that doesn’t translate into words,” says Julie, “so I say what I am thinking with art.” Julie, who works as an art consultant for Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff in Boone and hosts their online 2 Minute Art Tips, has worked in every type of media: “I tend to vacillate wildly in terms of subject matter, technique, material…everything. I get

bored easily so I change things up all the time.” However, Julie most often creates representational pieces in colored pencil and abstracts in acrylics. Through her colored pencil pieces, Julie explores the concept of beauty, something she has been fascinated by her whole life. She aims to create art that emotionally captivates the viewer, making them question: What makes something beautiful? Why is beauty so subjective and speciﬁc to time and place? Why does beauty possess so much power? Julie creates abstracts, in contrast, that she hopes challenge the viewer. “I have long been perturbed by the concept of viewers feeling an entitlement that art should automatically make them feel comfortable.” Julie is not concerned with whether viewers understand her abstract work. In fact, she hopes that they do not, because that moment of asking, “What am I seeing?” engages the viewer in a way that realism never can. I feel fortunate to know these ladies and to hang their paintings on the walls of my home. Their artwork does more than ﬁll empty wall space; it adds color and texture as well as beauty and inspiration. And, love and friendship. After all, as someone wise once said, “Home is where the art is!”

There is nothing more enjoyable than the creative process. Your mind is in a different place, leaving behind all worries and concept of time.

’

- Marion Cloaninger

heather brandon Considers life to be one big anthropological ﬁeld experience. She observes and reports. She enjoys travel, food and wine and adventures with her husband, Roger.

Marion Cloaninger Marion’s favorite artist: Pablo Picasso Marion’s artspiration: Van Gogh’s Sunflowers Discover Marion’s art: www.marioncloaningerartist.com Amy Schoenacher Amy’s favorite artists: The Impressionists, especially Renoir and Monet Amy’s artspirations: Female ecological artists, Patricia Johanson and Suzi Gablik Discover Amy’s art: www.tcsnc.org/Page/1556 Julie Davis Julie’s favorite artist: Mark Rothko Julie’s artspiration: Beauty as well as the people and things she loves Discover Julie’s art: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNEkYDSasXyn-JXmNqDvTjOuMJkdjnyel July-August 2017 | 51

Hannah’s Faith Through the Storm By Linda Dickens Sturgill

About the Author Linda Dickens Sturgill lives in North Carolina with her husband of 29 years and their three children, two dogs, and a cat. She is a homemaker and a Sunday school teacher at Three Forks Missionary Baptist Church. She loves to ride her 4-wheeler, cook, and travel. She wants her first book to be an inspiration to all who read it.

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Some people are born into families who provide a stable and loving environment; they are born and brought home. Others are not as fortunate, and part of their lives is spent in search of a home — a haven and a refuge — from the troubles life inevitably carries. Much of Linda Dickens Sturgill’s early life was spent in search of a safe place in which to thrive. Although she treasures the time she spent with her mother and grandparents, much of her childhood was ﬁlled with abuse, neglect, and betrayal and left her longing for home. In her memoir, “Hannah’s Faith Through the Storm,” Linda recalls the brief time she lived with her grandparents. “Every morning I would wake up to the smell of gravy, biscuits, eggs, and sausage. The ﬁreplace was blazing in the living room with a rocking chair in front of it and Grandma and Grandpa’s bed over in the corner with a little black-and-white-colored TV in the other next to the couch and the front door. In the kitchen Grandma would be cooking eggs and backing biscuits in the cookstove and Grandpa frying sausage and making ‘red eye gravy.’ Nothing ever tasted so good.” A result of her father’s alcoholism, Linda’s family often moved in with relatives and friends only to be kicked out because of her father’s drunken tantrums. “One night he came in drunk and was cussing Mom, and Grandma said we had to leave, so again we gathered our things and left in our car. Back across Holston and shady mountains, but by God’s grace again and Dad drunk, we arrive back at Grandpa’s and Grandma’s house where I loved it.” Linda lost both her parents within a year’s time when she was 14 years old. She and her brother, Jacob, lived with their aunt, uncle, and cousins in what proved to be an even more unstable and abusive situation. During this period, Linda began to make choices to move her life in a different direction regardless of the consequences. “The next weekend was the prom. I asked my neighbor if she had a dress I could wear; she said yes and I walked to her house and got it. My borrowed dress was absolutely beautiful. It was the prettiest dress I had worn in my life. When I arrived back at Aunt Sadie’s and Uncle Milton’s they were again waiting for me, and again as soon as I stepped in the door, Aunt Sadie was behind the door with a switch and hit me with it everywhere, hard.” Once on her own, Linda continued to search for love and acceptance and was met with boyfriends whose words of adoration did not match their aawmag.com

actions. She began to understand that she was responsible for herself, her life and her happiness. She found a place to live and a job and began working toward these goals. Later, Linda shares, “I met another guy named David. We were really good friends. We would ride around, and he would listen while I would pour my heart out to him, telling him stories of my great quest for love — a love that had not ever existed for me. David and I had fun. Anything we did together, we had fun. I started falling in love. I was scared.” Linda describes their courtship, eventual marriage, and decision to become Christians with candor and sincerity. The wounds from her childhood began to heal as she learned to love herself, David, and the life they shared. However, there was one absent aspect in the home they were working to establish: children. From 1989 to 2003, Linda and David prayed for children to add to their family. Linda recalls the story of Hannah’s faithfulness in the Bible when asking for a child. “Hannah was very bitter in her spirit like myself, but Hannah went to the temple to pray. Hannah spoke from her heart as she prayed asking the Lord for a child.” Similarly, Linda’s prayers carried this same fervent plea, “I am of a broken spirit, but I want your will to be done in my life, and I am prepared to go through my life childless if that’s your will, but, Lord, you know my heart and my desire to be a mama, It’s up to you, Lord. It’s all in your hands.” Readers will be surprised to discover the various ways in which Linda’s prayers were answered. They will also admire the story of tenacity, grace, and love of a woman who suffered from several forms of abuse as a child and young adult; a woman who overcame her suffering and her heartache and who was brave enough to join hands with her husband and lay the groundwork necessary in making a home.

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Hollie Greene Hollie Greene is an English teacher who loves stories, words and the mountains of North Carolina.

July-August 2017 | 53

TRAVEL

Leisure

Home is Home, No Matter How Dark

Photo by Flickr user Sam Soneja

My childhood and even later years seemed dark and fear-filled, even horrifying, to me. Maybe I was just a dark little kid with limited opportunities. After all, in the 1940s, in our apartment we had only a couple of light bulbs to read under, plus I was told by the eye doctor that I could not read because my eyes were so bad I would surely go blind. At least my imagination still worked well. At our creaky rented house on Bunker Hill Road I fantasized creating a sleepaway summer camp for neighborhood children. While cleaning out an old concrete fish pond for our swimming pool I dropped a huge rock on my toe. Sweeping out a dank garage for the camp lodge, I found dozens of dead mice and several live ones. When we got evicted from that house because we couldn’t pay the rent, we had to camp out for a month in a cottage at Redbrook on Lake Erie. And I DO mean Eerie. It was October. We kicked around a deflated football, huddled by a dirty fireplace, raked leaves and set them on fire, ate canned beans, and found a few moth-eaten blankets to cover us. Finally we found a dark gray Gothicstyle rental that resembled the House of 54 | July-August 2017

the Seven Gables. It sat next to a bowling alley that sent balls booming far into the night. There, with mice skittering in the cellar, I had a recurring dream of a dead hand sifting wet sand. After college I spent a year in San Francisco in a miserable little cracker box in the Sunset (now they’re going for millions) looking after a girl whose parents had abandoned her to go up north to cut timber. Spooky fog rolled in from the ocean. Later I learned that the father had been arrested for murder. In my last year of seminary I was a sojourner on the near west side of Chicago at the Ecumenical Institute. This time it wasn’t mice, but rats and cockroaches. We were a dedicated cult-like cadre of clergy and laity occupying Fifth City, a collection of buildings offering transformation in the poverty-stricken neighborhood. We slept six hours a night and were up early and on the job after a breakfast of fried baloney and Tang. My ﬁrst job post-seminary was as a neighborhood street minister at Opportunity Parish Ecumenical Neighborhood Ministry in Akron, Ohio. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy had just been killed, and inner city riots were in full

swing. Our work was a full diet of hungry families, tumbledown housing, medical emergencies, and urban renewal wiping out whole neighborhoods. As an adjunct to inner city work, I took groups of inner city teens and adults on mission trips to Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In the squalid slum of La Saline we saw families eating grass and leaves, they were so hungry. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity traveled daily to Port au Prince’s main hospital to pick up the dying people who were dumped out the back door. Such were some of the homes and experiences of my formative years. As time passed, I mellowed and my prospects brightened, until I guess you could say my dark days were ﬁnally over. No more rats, no more mice, no more grays and fogs and tumble-down places. I emerged into the sunlight and stayed there.

sue spirit Writes poetry and essays about nature, spirituality, writing, and travel. She has a little cabin in the mountains. degreesoffreedom@frontier.com aawmag.com

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ALL ABOUT TOWN

Pretty in Pink Fashion Show & Luncheon The 13th annual Pretty in Pink Fashion Show & Luncheon was held at Linville Ridge Country Club in Linville on Friday, June 16, with approximately 180 in attendance. Belk of Boone provided fashions for the models. The featured speaker was Kristen Walls, a cancer survivor. Proceeds from the event will be used to provide free, first-time mammograms to uninsured women in Avery County. Photos by Anna Oakes

Left: The Pretty in Pink Fashion Show models pose for a group photo after the show. Pictured from left are (front row) Dave Smith, Kariana Sanchez, Lisa Townsend, Janet Streett and Rob Getty; (second row) Julie Getty and Marion Krege; (third row) Irene Sawyer and Roy Krege; and (back row) Trina McCoy, Tanion McCoy and Kim Krege Florio.

Bottom Left: Kristen Walls, a cancer survivor, is the featured speaker at the Pretty in Pink Fashion Show & Luncheon, which raised money for free, first-time mammograms for uninsured women in Avery County.

Bottom Right: Irene Sawyer, founder of the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation, walks the Linville Ridge Country Club floor while modelling in the Pretty in Pink Fashion show.

56 | July-August 2017

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ALL ABOUT TOWN

Women Build Week Watauga County Habitat for Humanity, the Women’s Group at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the women of High Country United Church of Christ in Vilas worked alongside Lowe’s volunteers and all-female construction crews for Habitat for Humanity’s 10th annual National Women Build Week May 6-14. Habitat’s National Women Build Week invites women to help make a difference and devote at least one day to help build decent and affordable housing in their local communities. The two church groups and volunteers from Boone Sunrise Rotary worked on the construction of a home for the Love family in the GreenWood community near Green Valley School. In addition, women from Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture planted edible landscaping in Harris Park in the GreenWood Community during the week. Photos by Anna Oakes

Top: Posing for a group photo at the Women Build Day are St. Luke’s Episcopal volunteers and others, from left: (front) Edith Mubanda, Kim Sherrill; (middle) Jacque Dunbar, Ham Wilson, Julie Gurganus, Cinda McGuinn, Lynne Mason, Judith Phoenix, Denica Joyce, Allison Jennings; (third row) Matt Schnable, Angela Kelly, Celeste Law, Jerry Cook, Lynne Getz, Pat Kohles, Joyce Mitchell, Samantha Bradshaw, Isabelle Love, James Love; and (back row) David Cook, Mary Cavanaugh, Cindi Banks and Eve Love.

Left: Julie Gurganus and Jerry Cook install a piece of flooring. July-August 2017 | 57

ALL ABOUT TOWN

Tea Party Benefit for the Carolina Snowbelles The Carolina Snowbelles performed at the Blowing Rock Country Club on June 4 during a special tea party hosted by Alice Roess. The event was designed as a fundraiser to support the Carolina Snowbelles — a precision line dance troupe led by former Rockette Cheryl Cutlip — and its scholarship program. Teenagers and Snowbelles members Emma Pinnix, Savannah Spencer and Katie Hannah will travel to New York, N.Y. in July for the Radio City Rockette Summer Intensive. Photos by Jeff Eason

Left: Alice Roess, left, and Cheryl Cutlip, right, pose with the Carolina Snowbelles precision line dancing troupe at the Blowing Rock Country Club June 4.

Bottom Left: From left, Carolina Snowbelles dancers Savannah Spencer, Emma Pinnix and Katie Hannah will be traveling to New York next month to participate in the Radio City Rockettes’ Summer Intensive. They will spend a week learning advanced precision line techniques with other young dancers and put on a performance.

Bottom Right: The Carolina Snowbelles show off their new vibrant green spring-summer dance outfits at the performance at the Blowing Rock Country Club.

58 | July-August 2017

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