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New River Valley November/December 2023
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NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2023
CONTENTS
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Past ure Ta lk
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Fund rai si ng on I ce 10
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Sto c k ings 14 House of Many Sto r ies 18 Cro oke d Fe nce Far m Tru c k 2 2
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A P l ace of Hop e 26 Toug h N u t to Cra c k 3 0
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S ce nts of t he S ea s on 3 4 B rave E noug h to Tr y 3 8 E nt re p re ne ur i al Spir it 42 Ad ve r t i se rs Index 47
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NEW RIVER VALLEY M
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P. O. Box 11816 Blacksburg, VA 24062 o: 540-961-2015 nrvmagazine@msn.com www.nrvmagazine.com
PUBLISHER Country Media, Inc. Phillip Vaught MANAGING EDITOR Joanne Anderson
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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Vickey Lloyd DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Dennis Shelor WRITERS Joanne Anderson Emily Alberts Jo Clark Becky Hepler Nancy Moseley Caitlyn Koser PHOTOGRAPHERS Tom Wallace Christy Wallace Kristie Lea Photography Kevin Riley Madison Underwood Jon Fleming
© 2023 Country Media, Inc. Country Media, Inc. will not knowingly publish any advertisement that is illegal or misleading to its readers. Neither the advertiser nor Country Media, Inc. will be responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, or typographical errors. The publisher assumes no financial liability for copy omissions by Country Media, Inc. other than the cost of the space occupied by the error. Corrections or cancellations to be made by an advertiser shall be received no later than 5 p.m. the 20th of each publishing month. No claim shall be allowed for errors not affecting the value of the advertisement. Paid advertising does not represent an endorsement by this publication. Content cannot be reproduced without written consent from Country Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Real Estate advertised in this publication is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968.
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It is difficult for me to let go of autumn, so I selected this photo taken by my long-time friend and trail riding buddy, Diane Coleman. We’ve done trail competitions in Lexington and in the New River Valley, plus rides on the New River Trail, parades and other events. Nowadays, we love Pandapas trails through the Jefferson National Forest, where she snapped this pic on my first ride since falling off (my fault; my horse Remington is nearly perfect). And once again, here’s a shout out to the bicycle groups and National Forest Service which maintain the trails. Thank you very much! “There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!” wrote British writer and famed romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley [1792-1822]. I have quoted George Eliot here previously, too: “If I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” Although one might even tire of autumn for a steady weather diet. The change of seasons is fascinating, and with the first snowfall, I will tuck autumn things away and revel anew in winter -the brilliant night skies, comfort foods, fresh air, firepits for the hardy, snowflakes and fluffy socks, slippers and throws. There are seasons of life as well, marked by changes for people, pets and businesses. We are thrilled to welcome Vickey Lloyd on board as our new account executive, which is the alternative title for ad rep. She brings decades of business, marketing and sales experience and has loved the New River Valley since childhood, visiting her family’s farm outside Christiansburg, which she now owns. One of Jon Fleming’s photos graced the cover for the SeptOct issue, along with several football photos inside. He is a seasoned professional, and we are especially pleased he is doing some work for our publications. Caitlyn Koser is a new writer in the freelance stable and the youngest to hold such a position. A homeschooled 8th grader, she is an avid reader, and
Pasture Talk
there’s an old adage that relates to be a good writer, you need to be a good reader. Her first contribution about The Blacksburg Rose and its founder/owner Emily Diggs will take you through this [also-young] entrepreneur’s current venture. Emily is in 10th grade at BHS. The meaning of “mindfulness” was sketchy in my mind until I came across this definition in Mary Jane’s Farm Magazine (a wonderful periodical). “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” [James Baraz] It is a realistic way to embrace each day. On that note, savor the New River Valley’s stunning version of autumn and its gradual transition to winter. On the other side of the coming holidays, a new year will slip in. And our seasons will predictably take their places.
Joanne Anderson ManagingEditor
jmawriter@aol.com
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Fundraising on Ice Text by Joanne M. Anderson Photos courtesy of Blue Ridge Christian Camp
Certainly it would be a professor of physics, in this case American physicist Michio Kaku, who said: “For relaxation, I like to figure skate. In particular, I feel very close to Newton’s laws of motion. On the ice, you can experience Newton’s laws of motion in their purest, most elegant form.” Retired ice dancer Tessa Virtue relates: “I love to move, I love to create, I love to express, and as soon as I figured out that I could do that on the ice, that’s what I wanted to pursue.” It’s uncertain how many people have Newton’s laws of motion at their fingertips, but who doesn’t love to move, create and express? And doing those things on an ice skating rink adds a large measure of grace, balance, amusement and camaraderie. For those of us lucky enough to have grown up in Vermont, ice skating is practically a rite of passage by the age of five. Every pond is frozen and someone shows up with a shovel to clear the snow. School night bed times can be overlooked when the word went out – via the party-line telephone or a knock on the door – that a pond surface was clear. Flashlights poked through the woods as families trudged through snow, skates draped over their shoulders. There’s no need to find a frozen pond in the New River NRVMAGAZINE.com
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Valley when there’s an Ice Pavilion outside Blacksburg which opens in early November through the end of February. The surface does not need to be shoveled, and it won’t melt. It is synthetic ice that replicates the real thing. It may not offer a block-long glide, and you have to wear hockey skates because the toe pick on the front edge of figure skates can damage the surface, but it’s ice skating with all the trimmings. Fire pits, hot chocolate, s’mores, lights, hot coffee, outdoor fresh air.
How it Started The concept was planted at a conference David Breeden and his wife, Jessica, attended which offered a session on creative fundraising events beyond selling chocolate bars and popcorn tins. When someone presented the idea of snow tubing without snow, Jessica leaned over and whispered “ice skating” to David. He knew how to build a skating rink, but hit a stumbling block with power. “I could rent a chiller to make ice for a couple thousand dollars ,” David recalls, “but the cost of running it non-stop might top $6,000 a month.” At first he thought synthetic ice was a joke, but then learned there’s such an ice rink at Walt Disney World® Resort and another one in Waco, Texas, at
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“All ages are welcome . . . We have skates for ages 5 to 85"
many folks are very pleasantly surprised with our facility.”
When someone thinks of attending a “fundraiser”, all kinds of visions come to mind. David, executive director of Blue Ridge Christian Camp and the Ice Pavilion, admits that “expectations might be low. A nice quality ice skating experience doesn’t even blip on their radar. However, many folks are very pleasantly surprised with our facility.”
The Ice Pavilion is not only lots of fun for groups of 20 (the minimum) and up, but it is also affordable at $10 per person. “All ages are welcome,” Jessica chimes in. “We have skates for ages 5 to 85. It’s like when you get bowling shoes, though anyone can bring their own hockey skates.” Keeping with the affordable part, hot chocolate is $1 and a ‘smore kit of two ‘smores is $4. “We wanted to offer a drink and treat for $5,” she adds. David had never ice skated, but he found it easy, having roller skated as a kid and skateboarded frequently. The Ice Pavilion is comfortable up to around 40 people, then it gets a little crowded, though they’ve had larger groups where many of the older folks or some kids did not skate. It’s a
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the Silos, a Chip and Joanna Gaines enterprise. A couple donors stepped in to buy a rink and ice skates, and Jessica’s idea came to fruition, just in time to sit on hold for a year because of covid, opening in the fall of 2021 (instead of 2020).
A Quality Experience
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fantastic winter social outlet. All are welcome to gather some friends, colleagues, family and neighbors and make a reservation for this 2-hour experience. It can serve as a corporate team-building adventure, family reunion, bachelorette party, class field trip, youth group event. And you definitely do not need to review or recite Newton’s laws of motion before taking to the “ice”. Reservations required Office@blueridgechristian.org www.blueridgechristian.org/rentals/ the-ice-pavilion-brcc
2023
There’s no place like H O M E
ALBIMINO & STENGER
DWIGHT ATKINSON
WHITNEY BECKETT
SAMANTHA CLARK
KELLY GRIFFIN
JEREMY HART
RACHEL HOGAN
TIM HUDSON
CYNTHIA ILEWICZ
LEAONA LUCAS
NANCY MASSEY
MICHAEL MCCOWN
JAMES NOLEN
STEVEN SCHAMBACH
SKIP SLOCUM & ASSOCIATES
KAREN TURNER
118 Country Club Drive SW, Blacksburg, VA 24060 540.443.6100 | HappinessNRV@NestRealty.com
NEW RIVER VALLEY
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Stockings
Hung by the Chimney with Care Text by Emily K. Alberts
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Who doesn’t love the thrill of stretching your arm deep down into the very tippy toe of your Christmas stocking and finding that last little surprise-maybe it’s a roll of lifesavers, ChapStick or the obligatory orange. Hopefully not a lump of coal or those chocolate gold coins in the red plastic netting. “Full stockings gave me the warmest, most excited feeling as a kid because it meant Santa had come, and the day was just getting started,” says Tanya Hockett, who still gets that feeling as an adult. Every family has its own traditions for holiday stockings. Not just how to stuff them, but what they’re made of, where to hang them, and when to dig in! My grandmother, Ellen Murray Callahan -- born in 1931 and known to us all as “Mima,” personally knit stockings for our giant Irish Catholic family: Her nine children and their spouses, their children, THEIR spouses, and their children (her great-grandchildren). By the time she passed away in 2017 (quite symbolically on St. Patrick’s Day), she had handknit nearly 100 stockings! Her busy hands left a legacy that lives on to this day, as my aunts keep her tradition going, knitting stockings for new grandbabies in her honor.
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Growing up in a family of seven, our time-honored tradition was racing downstairs to the living room, tearing open our gifts, and only remembering the stockings once we’d waded through mountains of wrapping paper left in our wake. “My family only hung stockings as decoration,” says Susan Bellamy, my brother’s old high school girlfriend. “We didn’t start stuffing them until I saw your mom do it.” In apartments or homes without a mantel or fireplace, the staircase banister makes a festive place to hang stockings -- homemade or storebought. You can order handmade stockings from places like Etsy, and stores sell cute stocking holders. Some savvy parents (ah hem, Santas) put the stockings on their children’s bedroom door handles so they can play with trinkets before romping downstairs. This buys parents extra time to sleep in on Christmas morning. People have all kinds of preferences for their stockings. As my two brothers got older, their stocking requests changed from Matchbox cars and M&Ms to men’s razors and Noxzema. My sisters and I traded our candy necklaces for real necklaces and earrings from Claire’s.
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Mima’s hand knit stockings, hung by the chimney with care
Now, with children of my own, the stocking selections have truly spanned the gauntlet. One particularly lean Christmas when I was feeling more “old school,” I stuffed their stockings with pistachios and oranges. Well that did NOT go over well. Another year I had a mysterious “owl” drop a hand-written letter on a parchment paper scroll down our chimney, inviting my daughter to go to Harry Potter World at the Universal theme park in Florida. She just shrugged and tossed it aside. “I wanted to go to actual Hogwarts,” she groaned. “Not Disney World.” Sigh. Being Santa is hard sometimes. Last year, as my mother went to put the muchcontested Boston Baked Beans candies, Burnt Peanuts, Circus Peanuts, and whatever other abnormal nuts my quirky father craves at Christmas, she gasped, “David! You stuffed your own stocking?!” “Welp, I know what I like,” he said with a smirk. So where did these delightful traditions come from? The origins of yesteryear are just as varied as the customs of today. The Christmas stocking itself may have pagan roots. As early as 2nd century B.C., one of the principal gods in Norse mythology, Odin, was fabled to have a flying horse named Sleipnir. Children would leave carrots, straw and sugar cubes in their boots, placed near the chimney, for Sleipnir to eat on his journey. In return, Odin would leave treats for the children. 16
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My grandmother, . . . born in 1931 . . . personally knit stockings for our giant Irish Catholic family: Her nine children and their spouses, their children, THEIR spouses, and their children
In 4th century A.D., Bishop Nicholas lived in modern-day Turkey and made it his life’s mission to help others. Nicholas came upon a single father struggling to raise three daughters who was unable to come up with dowries for marriage, which may have forced them into a life of prostitution. Preferring to do his good deeds anonymously, Nicholas dropped gold coins down their chimney, which happened to land right in their stockings that were laid by the fire to dry. Word spread of this magical benefactor, who eventually came to be known as Saint Nicholas. Of course, there is also the tradition of La Befana, the “Christmas witch” of Italy who would leave toys and candy for good children, and lumps of coal for bad ones. Though this tradition has faded, children will often find Carbone Dulce, a sweet-tasting imitation coal treat, at the bottom of their stockings as a fun gag gift. These days, the closest thing to finding actual gold coins in the foot of your stocking might be to find a lottery scratch-off ticket. I have seen my kids’ eyes SERIOUSLY widen when they’ve pulled out a scratcher, feverishly rubbing away with their pennies and beyond excited to win anything. It must be the magic of the holiday. How ever you like your stocking stuffed, or if you’re stuck stuffing your own (like my Dad!), just remember, it’s the little things. Emily Kathleen Alberts is a local freelance writer with a sweet tooth who always looked forward to the butter rum flavor of lifesavers that came in that special little holiday book. Nov/Dec
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The House of Many Stories
Text by Emily K. Alberts
Photos by Tom and Christy Wallace Though it’s only a modest 2,100 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths, this house has many stories. The charming 1904 estate has gone by many monikers over the past 120 years: The Willard House, Maple Spring Farm, The Olivio Ferrari House. Now it is the Mattingly House -- where Kelly and Susan Mattingly have added their own special touches (and green thumbs!). It is presumed to have been built by the Willard family. George Willard notably opened Hokie House back in the ‘60s, when they sold pinto beans and cornbread for a quarter. The house sits on five acres two miles from Virginia Tech, with impressive views of Brush Mountain. 18
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“And four minutes to Kroger!” Susan laughs. That was an important bargaining chip when the couple was weighing the pros and cons of buying the property in 2002. Once Susan took her first step through the front door, her husband knew it was “game over.” The parlor with its beautiful staircase and fir banister, oak baseboards, pine floors. The fragrance of original wood and the inviting warmth it creates were irresistible. Though originally from the city, “my husband and I are both Hokies,” Susan proudly states. “I studied nutrition and food chemistry while Kelly majored in civil engineering.”
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The couple has built a legacy in the area. Susan was the executive director at the Lyric Council for many years, ran a bed and breakfast on Clay Street, and has been active in the local political scene as a member of the town council. Kelly was director of public works for the Town of Blacksburg for 28 years and left an enduring legacy via his creation of the town’s environmental sustainability program. Though the couple originally started their careers in Washington, D.C., once their daughter was around 18 months old, they felt the urge to step away from the city. After a brief stint on Draper Road, they found their true “country mouse” lifestyle here.
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Kelly’s late mother’s doll collection comes out every Christmas “One thing we were sad to give up was being able to walk downtown and grab a beer, but lo and behold, they brought a brewery to us,” Susan relates. Rising Silo Brewery is a very short walk, along with Glade Road Growing for fresh produce Susan might not have growing in her aptly named “kitchen garden.” A self-taught gardener, Susan puts much love and creativity into a variety of landscapes around the property. Featured on the Annual New River Valley Garden Tour this year, the acreage boasts several gardens, ponds and hardscapes. The spring at the foot of a giant sugar maple (hence the former name Maple Spring Farm) feeds the main pond, where they established a peaceful path through the woods. The front lawn was replaced by a small cottage garden of abundant flowers and shrubs. The path that wraps around to the ancient concord grape vine arbor, where cherry tomatoes from the kitchen garden have meandered over the fence, is peppered with the smell of fresh mint and bergamot. “The deer have their own garden, so they tend to leave mine alone,” she 20
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explains. They are working on creating a wildflower meadow. The house itself runs on geothermal energy, and the recent addition of a solar array helps keep energy bills miniscule. The property has what they call “the Party Barn,” an adjacent unit which is where they stay while Airbnb guests occupy the main house. The Party Barn is adorned with large, red-trimmed windows that were original to the main house plus a wood stove. The extra-wide wood staircase leads up to a cozy hobby nook and an open bedroom. “It doesn’t have air conditioning,” Kelly states, “and we are hoping to install a split unit soon.” When they first moved in, every room in the main house was around 15 feet by 15 feet. While that’s a good size for a bedroom, it can feel like the walls are closing in during winter. Kelly knocked down a wall to make an open sitting room, allowing the fireplace to become the central focal point. Now the eyeline from the front parlor stretches from the living room to the kitchen. “At first there was just one large handicap accessible main bathroom,” Susan adds. They renovated the space into a charming powder room and spacious
Nov/Dec
master bath. Though Shelter Alternatives handled the kitchen remodel, Kelly helped open things up by moving a massive built-in china cabinet to the master bedroom, where it was repurposed for linen storage. This allowed them to bring in an expansive farmhouse style table for dinner parties. Large new patio doors to the deck brought more natural light into the space. “My husband has been spectacular,” Susan admits. “He has tackled much of the physical labor, bringing my ideas to life.” In this house of many stories, everything in it tells a story. Every Christmas, Susan brings out the beloved doll collection of her mother-in-law, Mary Lane Mattingly, who passed away in 1999. “It’s a nice way to keep her memory alive.” In a time when everyone seems to be seeking sleek and modern, Susan observes: “There just aren’t many houses like this left. It’s always a great place to come home to.” Freelance writer Emily Katheen Alberts, who try as she might, cannot think of a single “con” that would have been on their list for this property.
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NRV H OME
Crooked Fence Farm Truck ~ and lots of work!
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Text by Joanne M. Anderson Photos by Tom and Christy Wallace
It’s not often that a substandard fencing job spawns the name of an imaginary farm for the name of a real truck. “I was finishing up the restoration of this 1946 pick-up when I went to check on someone putting in a board fence for me,” Ron Butler recalls. “When I saw that it was not very straight, as fences should be, I thought: Now that’s a crooked fence.”
Getting Started Raised in a tiny enclave outside Peterstown, W.V., Ron Butler developed a passion for all kinds of vehicles at a young age. When he married Stephanie nearly 40 years ago, they moved to a small farm in Narrows and 22
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raised three boys. As the kids got more independent, he considered finding a restoration project. “I paid Ronnie Kitts $2,000 for this truck in Blacksburg in 2012,” he relates. “It was operational, and he was in the process of making it a rat rod, one vehicle assembled with parts from lots of others and left with a patina rust.” Butler took it home and parked it in a shed for almost four years. When he decided to begin working on it, finding parts took another two years. His local buddies Paul Cook and Bob Tolbert stepped up to help him. “The previous owner put the body on a Ford Ranger frame. I wanted a hot rod, so we installed a 302 Ford V-8 engine with a 4-barrel carburetor.” The headlights were on the Nov/Dec
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outside edge of the fender, and Ron moved them in and added fenders which are about three inches lower than normal. It has an automatic transmission and a tilt steering wheel.
Making It Fit The steering wheel and front seat have a lot to do with Butler’s stature. He is about 6’2” and tips the scales around 300 pounds. He couldn’t fit into the original seat, and this custom-made bomber seat rests right on the floor NRVMAGAZINE.com
board. The seat was custom made for someone else at a North Carolina shop, and when the customer saw the cup holders in the center, he didn’t want it. So Butler bought it. And he likes the cup holders just fine. Horne’s Upholstery in Roanoke put in the genuine cow hide interior.
Finishing the Look Butler wanted to leave the exterior in the patina rust common for this truck’s vintage. His wife thought it should be painted. He did not want it shiny, so they agreed Nov/Dec
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to this matte red, and Butler painted it himself. While it was still wet, he sprayed in some black paint where it might have had patina rust. Then Stephanie said it’s a lady bug truck. The oak barrel in the truck bed covers the gas tank, battery and electrical components. “I bought a Jack Daniels barrel and cut it in half for that purpose,” Butler explains. He also added a 5-trumpet train horn that gets attention and has plans for an American flag and the 2nd amendment to be painted on the open space on the tailgate.
Showing and More Restoring The Crooked Fence Farm truck was finished in 2021 and has taken several awards for Best Truck, People’s Choice and Club Choice. Butler loves going to car and truck shows around Virginia and West Virginia. Though still working full-time for Columbia Gas, Butler is enthusiastic about restoring another vehicle. Better make that vehicles in the plural. He is already working on another truck. And a station wagon. And a Chrysler. Maybe he’ll intentionally drive around his farm with an eye to finding names for each of them.
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The Dodge brothers made bicycles before their first car in 1914. They started producing trucks in 1917, and the ram’s head was added to the hood in 1933 to symbolize strength and ruggedness. Hood ornaments often replaced or disguised unattractive radiator caps. When radiator caps went under the hoods, many manufacturers no longer installed hood ornaments. The ram was abandoned in the 1950s, about the time Dodge and Ram became a 2-word phrase, the Dodge Ram. Its most memorable gig might be Chuck Norris driving one in the “Walker, Texas Ranger” television series. Hood ornaments have fallen out of favor for pedestrian safety regulations. In 2010, Dodge and Ram separated. Dodge sank its new identity into its car fleet including the Charger, Challenger and Dart. The RAM, now all caps, has continued on its merry way, selling more than half a million pick-up trucks a year in the U.S. The 2023 Traveller model is a retro truck complete with a ram hood ornament. You can own one in the neighborhood of $90,000, depending on the amenities. Nov/Dec
2023
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A Place of Hope Text by Nancy S. Moseley Photos courtesy of Agape and Nancy Moseley
Not to be confused with the definition - and pronunciation - that means "wide open," this biblical use and associated pronunciation of "agape" has Greek origins and is found in the New Testament. It means the unconditional love of God for all human beings and the reciprocal love of humans for God the Father. The dictionary definition also rings true. The Agape Center, in the Cambria neighborhood of Christiansburg, is wide open. "We're the only food pantry that serves the entire New River Valley," Agape Center's director, Kim Bowman, explains. At the beginning of our conversation, she was busy putting together backpacks for the area's homeless, each stuffed with 32 survival and food items. "They better all fit," she laughs, "I might need two backpacks!" The gesture is in response to a trending uptick in the area's homelessness. Bowman has a background in outreach ministry working with homeless populations, detention homes, soup kitchens, nursing homes and prisons for the last 25 years. "That is my heart," she relates, "to serve disenfranchised people and bring them hope. Because there is hope and a better future."
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According to the website, Agape is "a multi-church, mentorship-based outreach center focused on serving people in the New River Valley when they need a hand up."
In the Beginning The organization started with two women who offered food and clothing out of their garage, utilizing their local church for sponsorship. Eventually the service grew to include several church's financial support and volunteerism. The flagship center is in Moneta, outside Roanoke, after which the other three centers, in Vinton, Lynchburg and the New River Valley, are modeled. At all four locations, thanks to member businesses and member churches and a 100% un-paid staff, everything is given away free of charge. "We are a place of community and a place of neighborly love,” she adds. Agape purchased the former Montgomery County Public Schools property less than two years ago. While the main school building is under renovation, operations are run out of an adjacent warehouse. It's a locally iconic, historic property, centrally located on the bus line. Food donations are coordinated through Feeding Southwest Virginia, a derivative of Feeding America. There Nov/Dec
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want to create a ladder. We don't do this just to give a handout, but to lift people up from their situation." Karen has been an Agape mentor for two years. "I tell people: ‘When you leave, my goal is that you feel cared for. We want to be good neighbors.' We want everyone to know love and respect and non-judgement. We want to give them hope. There is a community that forms, and it really opens your eyes to what's happening in the New River Valley," Karen explains. Most clients are working poor, disabled or on a fixed income. Bowman tells the story of someone who came in once. Then he got a job. For Christmas that year, he delivered a car full of gifts and decorations back to the center. "Then a couple of months ago," Bowman continues, "he came back as a client ... it can get heavy if you let it, a Band-Aid on a gaping wound." Perhaps it's apropos to reference the wellknown Bible verse from 1 Corinthians, often read during matrimonial celebrations starting with, "faith, hope and love." While the greatest is love, perhaps to truly experience "agape," one needs to find a wide-open vulnerability to also hope; to find hope in the fact that love goes both ways and tomorrow does not have to be like today. The bottom line is: “You're welcome here,” Karen concludes, “we're glad you’ve come."
are 13-14 grocery store pick-ups per week providing clients with approximately $250 worth of food per visit. Warehouse shelves are stocked with non-perishable items, fresh fruits and vegetables and a section of decorated bakery cakes, cookies and cupcakes. The walls are lined with donated industrial-sized freezers and refrigerators full of meats and dairy products. There is a separate room full of diapers and a basement-level clothing store. Once renovation is complete, there will also be a furniture store, a tool room and the clothing room will expand to a boutique-like browsing experience. When guests celebrate a birthday, they get a specially assembled gift basket. The same happens when babies are born. During the holiday season there is an Angel Tree program that provides for 100s of area children and families. Agape also offers a 12-week program entitled "Getting Ahead" that helps people understand poverty and how to transcend out of poverty.
Mentors, Goals and Love First time visitors need only a valid ID and will be greeted by trained mentors to assess their needs and establish a relationship with Agape services. The food pantry alongside the mentoring component is the core of what the center is all about. Because sometimes the most meaningful service is simply conversation. "Mentors help with setting and celebrating goals. They hear the tender moments in peoples' lives. If spiritual support is wanted, they offer prayer," Bowman states. "I don't like to do things that leave people where they are. I 28
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Donate or Volunteer: www.agapecenternrv.org Open: Every Friday except a 5th Friday in a month, noon-4 p.m. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, noon-4 p.m. Call: 540-251-5646 to schedule an appointment
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A Tough Nut to Crack
w
Text and photos by Jo Clark
With over 20 kinds of nuts around the world,
By the 13th century, a new generation of nutcrackers
should squirrels and bears be the only ones enjoying them?
surfaced, using an iron lever as part of its design. Numerous
And alas, the nutcracker was born!
you placed a nut in the dog’s mouth and push down its tail
Surely with opposable thumbs, humans could figure it out.
Aawww, Nuts—About History Before creating tools for this purpose, early
civilizations simply smashed nuts with a rock. So, the nutting stones of the Archaic period were the nut-lover's first tool. The earliest known tools to crack nuts were made in the
3rd and 4th centuries B.C. Relatively primitive, they were designed in the shape of pliers and work the same way. Many were decorated or engraved.
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versions featured animals or animal heads. For example, to force the jaw upward to crack the nut.
In the 14th and 15th centuries, small plier-
style nutcrackers surfaced. Around this time, the term
“nutcracker” was also used to categorize these products.
Wooden nutcrackers caught on in Europe soon after.
Carvers sculpted small figurines out of local wood. The nut-cracking function was accomplished by fastening two pieces of wood with a leather strap.
Then came screw nutcrackers, which resemble a
pipe with a handle screwed into the “bowl” holding a nut.
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Another popular legend is that the nutcracker owes
its creation to the reward offered by a wealthy German who thought it took too much time to crack nuts. The winning design came from a village puppet maker who used a strong-jawed doll with a lever.
Many claim the nutcracker was initially crafted not
By twisting the screw, the nut was pushed against the side
to crack nut shells, but to mock incompetent politicians.
were metal styles modeled like crocodiles, skeletons and
to real people was said to be coincidental. Nutcrackers'
until it eventually cracked. Also popular in the 18th century the ever-popular ladies' legs nicknamed “Naughty Nellies.”
A Little Nutty? The beautiful handcrafted nutcrackers that evoke
the Christmas feeling were created in the 17th century by
The tops were in the shape of people, but any resemblance mouths were used to crack nuts utilizing a lever or screw action. The saying “a nut is hard to crack” refers to bad
politicians who never listened to the people they governed.
And commoners took delight in the ruling class having to “work for them,” cracking their “hard nuts of life.”
Nutty About Nutcrackers
miners in the Erzgebirge region of Germany. Carving the unique creations gave the men something to do during
long evenings to supplement their income. Children
“The Nutcracker” ballet is set on a magical Christmas
received nutcrackers as Christmas presents, and a German
Eve when a Soldier Nutcracker comes to life and battles
good luck to everyone there.
work based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s story “The Nutcracker
legend says that having a nutcracker in the home brings
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the King of the Mice. Peter Tchaikovsky created this famous
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and the Mouse King.” The ballet debuted in 1892, and the Christmas-themed production soon became a tradition. However, nutcrackers were part of the Halloween tradition in parts of Britain and Scotland. They dubbed it Halloween Nutcrack Night, so it is a fitting mascot. Interestingly, World War II boosted nutcracker popularity when American soldiers stationed in West Germany purchased nutcrackers to send home as Christmas gifts.
Nuts About Nutcrackers The largest nutcracker listed in the Guinness World Records Book was made in Germany in 2008 and stands 33 feet and one inch tall. The Leavenworth Washington Nutcracker Museum receives about 30,000 visitors each year. Visit the museum’s website for historical information and tips on collecting genuine antiques, as there are many reproductions. [nutcrackermuseum.com] Collectors seek a variety of nutcrackers, but some search only for the mechanical type used for pecans. Pecan trees are native only to America and found throughout the South. Inventors strived to create the perfect pecan cracker and have patented many variations since the first U.S. patents in 1836. According to the museum no other tool or collectible comes in as many designs and materials as the nutcracker. The museum displays more than 9,000 nutcrackers from over 50 countries. And, in Luverne, Minnesota, the town proudly proclaims they have more nutcrackers (5,012) than residents (4,946)! Rock County History Center visitors view nutcrackers from seven inches to seven feet tall. During the Depression of the 1930s, many families didn't have money to purchase gifts. Instead, children found a sweet orange and some nuts in their Christmas stocking. Once you’ve cracked a pile of nuts, you’re ready to prepare a favorite recipe, though most everyone buys nuts already out of the shells and even broken in small pieces. Nuts add a delectable flavor to many recipes, and nuts make wonderful [healthy] holiday gifts - plain, inside food or baked goods, or like one of these recipes.
Candied Pecans ½ cup confectioners’ sugar ¾ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. cayenne pepper 4 tsp. water 2 cups pecan halves Preheat oven to 350°; set oven rack in the middle. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk sugar, salt, pepper and water. Add pecans to coat them. Spread nuts on baking sheet in a single layer, separate so they do not clump. Drizzle any glaze left in the bowl over pecans. Bake 10-12 minutes, until caramel on baking sheet is rich brown and not burnt. Remove from oven and slide parchment onto the counter to halt the baking process. Once cool, store in airtight container for up to two weeks.
Merry Christmas!!
Blacksburg Ballet will be presenting its production of The Nutcracker on December 9, 1 p.m., at the Moss Arts Center. Tickets available online at artscenter.vt.edu.
Our nutty freelance writer Jo Clark is probably eating macadamia nuts in Hawaii right now. Follow her escapades on Instagram @JoGoesEverywhere and on Facebook on Have Glass, Will Travel.
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Scents of the Season
Crab Creek Country Store helps make 'home for the holidays'
Text by Nancy S. Moseley
Photos courtesy of Crab Creek Country Store It's hard not to think of Christiansburg as New River Valley's retail headquarters. Home to Uptown Christiansburg (or 'the mall'), the perpetually-under-renovation Marketplace, Target, Walmart and sundry flanking strip malls, we are thankful for the practical and impractical options alike. However, if you travel a wee bit off the beaten box store path, you end up at the intersection of 'historical' and 'quaint,' otherwise known as Cambria. It doesn't feel like anywhere else, and it certainly doesn't look like it. Until 1964, Cambria was its own town, anchored by a picturesque train depot building, one of only two depots in Virginia built during the Reconstruction Era that are still standing. But perhaps the most notable - and noticeable - business, with a façade of stone and wood and a plump carved welcoming bear, is the Crab Creek Country Store. Adjacent to the tracks and along Crab Creek itself, the country store evolved quite naturally from its origins as a heat source. 34
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A Family Business[es] "We've had a hearth shop that sells wood stoves, gas fireplaces, pellet stoves and the like since the early ‘90s. We would buy decorations for the fireplace mantles and showroom. Then we started having customers want to buy our decorations, and it snowballed from there," says Amber Smith, store manager, who started working at the store after high school graduation in 2009. The hearth shop is Blue Ridge Heating & Air and boasts the biggest sign out front. Started by Smith's grandparents, Bob and Brenda Martin in 1989, Blue Ridge now acts as the country store's parent company. Three generations and 12 family members currently work full time; truly family-owned and operated endeavors. Smith's grandmother was the original visionary for the country store and its wares. She is semi-retired, but still pops in to browse new products. Nov/Dec
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A stroll through the aisles will take you by garden flags and outdoor decor, candles and wax melts, floral stems, "scoop your own" potpourri, door mats, house number signs, framed art, greeting cards, body lotions and potions, handcrafted jewelry, local honey, sundry housewares and furniture, figurines, quilts, kitschy kitchen products, and an impressive selection of Poo-Pourri flavors. Go in for a new remote-controlled fireplace, come out with a garden flag that says, "There's No Place Like Gnome." Over the years the clientele has grown to include all ages. Smith declares: "It truly is a store that appeals to everyone. Men like to browse our hearth shop and watch episodes of Andy Griffith we have playing." While the foot traffic stays consistent year-round, the busiest season is, by far, the holidays. It is an entirely different experience than shopping at a big box store, Smith reveals. The shelves are lined with intentional, creative products all with unique gift-giving in mind, so the experience becomes special for both the giver and the receiver. "The holiday season is about family, and we have several families that come in to shop together. It's special to them and for us.”
Holiday Time! During the holidays, the store ramps up on seasonally-themed products like home décor, ornaments, trees, garlands, floral stems. Everything that offers a scent changes from light and floral to wintry and earthy. The yearround popular wax melts hail from Swan Creek Candle in North Carolina, are heavily scented and made entirely of 36
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soybean wax. Patrons come from all over southwest Virginia for the melts specifically. After all, it's the perfect time of year to have "Fresh Cut Christmas Tree" or "Peppermint Twist" wafting through your home. When decorating for the holidays, it can be overwhelming to consult the endless suggestions of social media. Trying to recreate something you've seen on Pinterest sets lofty expectations during a time that is already replete with handcraft overload. Smith offers a small bit of advice: “Keep it simple. I think the biggest tip I can give anyone is to decorate with what you love, not what social media tells you to love. It can be a helpful tool, full of ideas, but at the end of the day, decorate with what makes you happy." There is nothing like shopping in a store that reminds you of coming home from the sights and smells. It's not something you will find at the crossroads of Peppers Ferry Road and North Franklin Street. It takes a venture offgrid to find gifts on-point. Smith's favorite part of her job? "The atmosphere we've created and the way it makes our customers feel. I think it's reminiscent of their childhood or their grandmother’s house. We're a Christian company, and that translates into every aspect of our store, from the products we sell to the bluegrass gospel you hear while shopping here." She concludes: "Our homes are our safe haven, and they should be filled with the things and the people we love." Nancy S. Moseley is a freelance writer and when she mentioned the new remote-controlled fireplace and gnome flag, she may have been speaking from personal experience. And she may have excitedly picked up a couple of spray bottles of Poo-Pouri, too (it really is the best stuff around). Nov/Dec
2023
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Brave Enough to Try Mobilene, the Bus Boutique
boho chic with a splash of Western and some (ok a lot of) fringe
Text by Joanne M. Anderson Photos courtesy of Feathered Darlin’ Dolly Parton, the most honored female country performer of all time, has influenced and inspired people all over the world and here in the New River Valley. Tammy Osborne, owner and founder of Feathereddarlin. com and Mobilene, the boutique bus, believes that sometimes you have to ask yourself: “What would Dolly do?” and listen for the answer. “Well, she would dig her heels in and follow that dream in her heart,” Tammy relates. “Dolly would say [and has said]: ‘If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.’”
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Online Shop and Mobile Idea With the goal of a bricksand-mortar retail store, Tammy started Feathered Darlin’ online in 2020. To test the local market, she started popping up at vendor events and festivals, and the boost in sales was amazing. “I realized that going where the people are made more sense than investing in a commercial property and waiting for people to come to me,” she says. Weather was not always her friend with a pop-up tent for her clothing and accessories. She noticed other vendors using utility trailers for
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mobile sales and realized transporting everything without a lot of set up time and equipment was appealing. “I had seen a short bus converted to a mobile jewelry boutique and that stuck in my mind. When we came across a 35foot, 1985 school bus for sale, well, it seemed meant to be.”
Bus Renovation The story of the school bus renovation is really more interesting in the video [see sidebar] than here on the page, but suffice it to say, the first clue this might be challenging was the bus breaking down on its way home, the day after Christmas, 2022. “There
2023
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bachelorette parties, grand openings, customer appreciation days and just a fun get-together. Feathereddarlin’ offers a points-based rewards program, gift cards, referral bonus and you can gain points on your birthday or by following on Instagram or Facebook. Dolly may well be Tammy’s inspiration, and it’s highly likely that Tammy, now, is someone else’s inspiration for following a dream.
was no room in the budget to hire outside help, so my husband, Greg, and I researched how others renovated busses into tiny homes to get an idea of how to make it functional,” Tammy recalls. They figured out many tasks along the way, like how to remove and get rid of the old seats, fix leaky windows, install paneling and flooring, craft the lettering on the outside – all to create the shop Tammy envisioned. The couple never stopped working for 4 ½ months between Greg’s full-time position at Mountain 2 Island at Rock House Marina, Tammy’s full-time job at Nanosonic, and the bus renovation every weekend. “Greg has always been fully supportive of my business, and he’s just as excited about Mobilene as I am,” Tammy states, proudly adding: “He’s my driver and goes to every event with me.” It was her vision that motivated them all along the way. “From first look, I could see a dressing room in the back, a full check-out area and enough room for several racks of clothing plus accessories.” There were some simply overwhelming times, but she could still see that end result while thinking: “What would Dolly do?” She wouldn’t give up, that’s for sure. Dolly has said: “You’ll never do a whole lot unless you are brave enough to try.” 40
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Business Model The first event was the One Stop Spring Shoppe in Dublin on May 13, 2023. “We made this date our deadline and were still putting on the finishing touches the night before,” Tammy explains. This visionary lady, certainly of whom Dolly would be proud, built her website, curates and purchases products via wholesale vendors, enters them into inventory, manages orders, packages and ships, runs social media pages and narrates the videos. Tammy shoots all her photos and models most of the clothing, though her sister-inlaw, Cristi Carbaugh, occasionally steps into a new outfit for the camera. Of course, Tammy also cleans the bus and re-stocks for the next event. Akin to Tupperware home parties of the 1950s and today’s home parties like Scentsy, Mary Kay and Pampered Chef, Mobilene is a novel home party on wheels. The bus will come to your business or home, and for two hours, guests can shop, try on clothes and socialize. There’s no fee, just an 8-person minimum, replete with hostess incentives and discounts. Mobilene, the boutique bus, is ready to roll in for company events,
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I'm a wife, mother and simple God-fearing country girl born and raised in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. I love being outdoors, all things turquoise, and have a small (okay, big) obsession with fringe. tiktok - @feathereddarlinboutique
2023
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The Reward of an Industrious, Entrepreneurial Spirit Text by Caitlyn Koser Photos by Tom and Christy Wallace
When the pandemic hit, a lot of people started turning to different hobbies that they may not have normally chosen. YouTube, for many, was the teacher. For 15-year-old Emily Diggs, it sparked an interest in a creative soap making hobby that morphed into a growing business. Emily’s venture started during the pandemic when she was 12. Trial and error marked her first pursuit at what would become the Blacksburg-based soap business The Blacksburg Rose. “I went through lots of trial and error. When I finally got a bath bomb to hold its spherical shape, I was so excited,” her Etsy page explains. The inspiration for the name of the business is her town combined with her middle name, Rose, which is the same as her grandmother’s middle name, serving as a special connection for them. Emily’s soaps are sold on her Etsy page and downtown at Blacksburg Books and Fringe Benefit. So far. 42
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When Emily started, she began with four kinds of loaves of soap and soap scrubs. Three years later, she hand crafts and sells scrubs, lip balms, bath salts, bath bombs, and of course, bars of soap. Her varied flavors include iced tea, rainbow sherbet, black raspberry, lavender, pink grapefruit, vanilla and more.
The Process A workroom in the basement is her production and storage facility. “Emily’s dad’s work space was taken over,” her mom laughs. The modest-size room is an efficient place that she uses for her whole process – from scratch to shipping. A large stainless steel table provides a clean surface for mixing soap solutions with her recipe posted next to the window. The generous natural daylight is supplemented by a very Nov/Dec
2023
CONTACT US LET’S WORK TOGETHER
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Got an idea for an impactful design, or a dream of 540.553.8143 compelling communications for your brand? Let’s connect to see o &oba can elp
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large, bright, circular fluorescent light. One wall has supply
time. Each loaf is cut into eight bars after 18 to 24 hours in the
contain soaps drying or curing for 30 days, plus soaps
final bar of soap with shrink wrap and labels them by hand.
shelves and more workspace with a microwave. More shelves wrapped, labeled and ready for shipping.
mold, then rests for 30 days to solidify. Emily protects each
The most challenging part of her life is balancing
The multiple-step process begins when she melts
the business with school and competitive dance, which takes
lye solution with the oil mixture. Using a stick blender to mix
School and enjoys math, a helpful subject for dealing with
the oils that are the base of her soaps. Then she combines a
thoroughly, she pours the liquid product into bowls, where she adds colors and fragrance. The final step is pouring the
up a lot of time. Emily is a sophomore at Blacksburg High sales, pricing and business side of The Blacksburg Rose.
Another difficult aspect is buying enough ingredients
soap mixture into molds like plastic loaf pans. Some of the
to keep her inventory steady while still maintaining a profit.
which Emily pipes on after pouring into the rectangular
entrepreneurs. Emily relates how she took a marketing class
colorful bars of soap have decorative soap icing on them, molds.
Emily makes soap two or three times a week in
multiple batches. “My favorite part of the whole process is definitely dreaming up new flavors and designing the bars,” Emily relates. She says that one loaf of soap takes about an
hour to produce, and she usually makes eight loaves at a 44
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The business conundrum is probably familiar to most at Virginia Tech that transformed her business. “At Steppin’ Out, I sold as many bars as I did in half a year previously.”
She also had a booth at Sinkland Farms’ Pumpkin Festival.
Otherwise, The Blacksburg Rose sells the most products at Christmas to moms and college students. [Let’s change that!]
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2023
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Adver tisers Index 25
A1 Heating & Cooling
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Allure Spa
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Anne Collins Albimino
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Blacksburg Battles Cancer
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Blue Ridge Heating & Air
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Bonomo's Plaza
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Brown Insurance
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Built Right Construction
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Bull & Bones Brewhaus
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Celco Community Credit Union
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Corner Market
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Dehart Tile & Flooring Center
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Dwight Atkinson
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Energy Check
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First & Main Lifestyle Center
and running the logistical side of the business require a good
6
Freedom First
deal of effort. Any good entrepreneur knows that a business
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Giles County Tourism
venture does not succeed without hard work.
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Goldsmith Design, Build
Emily plans to continue and expand The Blacksburg
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Joba
Rose. “I definitely would like to have my soaps sold at more
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Kesler Contracting
shops in the New River Valley,” she says. Her ultimate dream
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Long & Foster Blacksburg
is to own a storefront once she’s out of college.
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Macado's
What started as a messy trial and error experiment
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Matrix Gallery
has blossomed into a growing business for one very
2
Member One FCU
ambitious teen. Emily’s persistence in learning, tweaking and
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refining her methods stands as a testament to the reward of
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Mitchell Law Firm
an industrious, entrepreneurial spirit.
3
Moss Arts Center
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Nest Realty NRV
Caitlyn Koser is a young fiction writer who has had many flopped
33
New Mountain Mercantile
business ideas and can testify to the faultiness of a rushed
35
New River Art & Fiber
entrepreneurial decision. She hopes one day to make a living as
15
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an author and write Christ-centered historical fiction.
27
P. Buckley Moss Gallery
15
Pearis Mercantile
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Progress Street Builders
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Rayne Stenger
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Shelter Alternatives
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Skyline National Bank
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Slaughters' Supermarket
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Sunshine Tours
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Trevor Gray - Edward Jones
The Future While Emily’s soap making business is successful, it’s
no easy task to run it. Balancing school, activities, family life
Sarah Broomell, a local Blacksburg soap maker across decades, has been using Emily’s soap for over a year. Experienced in the aspects of soap-making, Sarah has high praise for Emily’s soaps. “I use her soaps almost exclusively for their quality. I still make some soap for gifts, but I love that Emily’s bars are easy to handle, attractive, produce a nice lather and have a variety of scents.” 46
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2023
Happy Holidays! FROM
“Your home selling and buying goals throughout the New River Valley remain our top priority for the coming year. You’ll find us ready and willing to serve you from Nest Realty in Blacksburg. Here’s wishing you a joyous holiday season and new year filled with peace, health and happiness. With gratitude for your business and support in 2024" - Anne Collins Albimino & Rayne Stenger
nestrealty.com/albiminoandstenger Anne Collins Albimino, Realtor® | 540.239.3246 | ac.albimino@nestrealty.com Rayne Stenger, Realtor® | 540.641.4006 | rayne.stenger@nestrealty.com