Josh Lucia Page 5
The Wine Spot
Stay Calm, Drink Wine and Carry On Page 9
Photo Finish
Sprite Core Page 14
Introducing Ghosts to the Community See Page 5
Page  2 October 2020
Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography
Editor’s Note
In this seventh month of COVID-19 restrictions, it’s time to review the meaning of stamina: the bodily or mental capacity to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity. Of course, Evince is here to help. Read the chart below for suggestions provided by the Virginia Department of Health and then check out the pages you are holding for ways to implement them. Want to eat healthy food? Find a recipe on page 13. Need an idea on how to spend time in nature? Read page 11 “Dust Storm Over Danville” and “Photo Finish” on page 14. Calm your mind by reading a good book as suggested in “Book Clubbing” on page 12 or by following the advice in “The Wine Spot” on page 9. After that, read “Reflecting Forward” on page 12. Appreciate time with family and friends by participating in the Ghosts & Gravestones tour pictured on the cover. Details are on page 5. Seek out reputable news sources...well, you’ve got that covered. For an update on local COVID numbers check out danvillepittsylvaniacovidtracker. com created by a former local resident, Justin Hendrix. This is going to be the best month ever. We’ve got the stamina. We can do this. Sincerely,
October Contents
3 Editor’s Note
5 Josh Lucia Introducing Ghosts to the Community by Joyce Wilburn 6 Renovation Reality by Carla Minosh 8 Grit Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 9 The Wine Spot Stay Calm, Drink Wine and Carry On by Dave Slayton 10 Calendar 11 Trivia Night Desert Dust Over Danville by Mack Williams 12 Book Clubbing / review by Diane Adkins Bright Precious Thing: A Memoir by Gail Caldwell Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age by Mary Pipher
Reflecting Forward Hiking Through Your Personal Wilderness by Linda Lemery
13 Around the Table Build Up Your Stamina by Annelle Williams 14 Photo Finish
Evince Magazine Page 3
THE
OICE OF STAMINA
CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com Copy Editors Jeanette Taylor Larry Wilburn Contributing Writers
Diane Adkins, Beth Bauman, Louis Dumont, Kim Eaton, Charlotte Garrett, Karen Johnston, Abby Karavanic, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, C.B. Maddox, Carla Minosh, Bobby Roach, Dave Slayton, Cheryl Sutherlin, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams
Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) Marketing Consultants For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.
Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evince magazine.com
Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (434.792.0612) demontdesign evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW
On the Cover: Ava Emerson (portraying Annie Lapham) and Ashlyn Rising
(portraying Flora Lapham) sit in the family burial space at Grove Street Cemetery. They will interpret the characters of Flora and Annie Lapham, sisters of Middleton Page Lapham, who died at the age of eighteen from wounds sustained at the Battle of Drewry’s Bluff in Chesterfield County, Virginia, in 1864. He used his first paycheck to purchase dolls for his sisters. Pictured in the background is Felice McWilliams, who will be performing Tribute to Enslaved People honoring the many unmarked graves of enslaved people buried in Grove Street Cemetery. Story on page 5. (photo by Michelle Dalton Photography)
Deadline for submission of November stories, articles, and ads is Wednesday, October 21, at 5:00 p.m. Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.
Editorial Policies
Evince is a free monthly magazine with news about entertainment and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.
EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com For subscriptions to Evince, email info@evincemagazine.com. Cost is $24 a year.
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Page 4 October 2020
“ We set out to create a different kind of collection company. One that strives for a culture of respect, collaboration and dignity towards our employees and our customers.”
Kevin Stevenson President & CEO
Evince Magazine Page 5
J
osh Lucia is haunted by history. As he unlatches and opens a creaky iron gate and strolls through Danville’s first burial ground early on an overcast morning in September, he sees ghosts, and they speak to him. Not to worry. These welcoming spirits have become such good friends, Josh is introducing twenty of them to the entire community. A little explanation is in order. Josh Lucia is one of the founders of Smokestack Theatre and the driving force behind this year’s Ghosts and Gravestones walking tour of Grove Street Cemetery cosponsored with the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History (DMFAH). Originally known as Historic Halloween, the name changed two years ago to reflect a new direction. “My main focus is equity and diversity,” says the long-time Danville resident who moved here from New Jersey at the age of three. Josh noticed that the only people of color buried in the 1833 cemetery were the unknown slaves. “We’ve been working on creating nine new roles that include ghosts of African Americans who aren’t buried here but will be on the lawn of the Museum,” he says while sitting in the shade of an old oak tree where Danville’s history is entombed. The stories of those characters will be developed over the next year and some will be included in the 2021 tour. Included in this year’s tour will be “A Tribute to Enslaved People” by Felice Williams and the character of Camilla Williams, a Danville native and the first African American to sing with a major American opera company. “Camilla Williams will be in her own exhibit inside the Museum,” Josh says, adding that visitors will start the tour at that spot and then follow costumed guides carrying lanterns to the burial ground a block away. “Each tour group will have twenty people in it. You can bring your own flashlight, but don’t shine it in the eyes of the ghosts. It will scare them away,” he warns with a chuckle, adding, “Essentially, this is a walking tour where we share the history of Danville.” Having grown up in the area, he enjoys seeing and hearing monologues from the ghosts of people whose
names match local street signs like Craghead, Cabell and Lanier. Even though this event happens in the month of Halloween, the thirty-minute tour is not meant to scare. “Obviously, there is a spooky factor to it because we’re in a cemetery,” he acknowledges, “but depending on the maturity of the child, anyone age eight and older should enjoy it.” His parental experience contributes to that informed opinion. Josh and his wife, Tamara, have an eleven-year-old son, Jude. For years, these tours were organized by historians. Josh and the 2020 volunteer cast are building on that legacy and hope the added drama will increase interest in the deceased and their connections to the present. “I want people to leave here and explore more,” he says elaborating with a story about two sisters whose brother gave them dolls before he went to fight in the Civil War. The sisters are buried in Grove Street Cemetery and the dolls are in two Richmond museums. “After taking the tour, I hope people will decide to go to the museums in Richmond and see those dolls,” he says. Felice McWilliams stands near the area where slaves were buried in the Grove Street Cemetery. Gravestones were not allowed because it was illegal for slaves to read and write. Often a tree was planted to mark a grave. Photo by Josh Lucia.
Josh Lucia
Introducing Ghosts to the Community by Joyce Wilburn
With that remark, Josh stands and walks toward the exit and the granite wall that surrounds the small cemetery. With a pleasant smile he says farewell, turns and departs. A keen observer senses a host of spirits responding with whispered good byes to their friend, until he comes again. • Ghosts and Gravestones will be presented Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 22-24. Four tours will be given each night every thirty minutes starting at 6:30 p.m. The last tour begins at 8:00 p.m. Cost is $15; $13 for children ages thirteen and younger and DMFAH members. Rain date is Sunday. Tour takers should wear comfortable walking shoes and expect bumpy terrain in places. Masks are required. • Advanced tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite or the Smokestack box office, 126 Sutherlin Avenue.
Josh Lucia is the organizer of the Ghosts and Gravestones Tour on October 22-24. Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography.
• For more information visit www.danvillemuseum.org or www.TheSmokeStack.org or call 434.793.5644.
Page 6 October 2020
Renovation Reality by Carla Minosh Unlike HGTV shows where home renovations are completed within thirty to sixty minutes, the Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for nineteen years. This series explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that. If you missed any of the articles, visit www. evincemagazine.com.
A
fter polychroming (applying multiple paint colors) and installing the interior shutters in the music room, we proceeded to the Turkish bathroom on the first floor and tested color scheme after color scheme, ultimately finding every one falling short of this amazing marble bathroom. With the floors, walls, woodwork, and every other painted surface done in marble or faux-painted to look like marble, the shutters stood out like a sore thumb when painted in any particular color. They lacked the dazzling dance of the veining and color shifts in the surrounding marble. In the end, we gave in to the demands of the room and sent the shutters off to our faux-paint artist to fauxmarble them to match the five different species of marble in that room. The result is a set of marbleized, louvered, interior shutters that enhance
the room and fulfill its design goals as a coherent whole, mimicking the theme. Now we knew what to do in the double parlors where the paint scheme in those rooms was metallic gold with highlights of silver, pink, and blue metallics. We purchased the shutters for the double parlors and our house became a workshop cluttered with shutters in various stages of paint application. The front parlor has a three-window bay with huge ten-foot tall windows, making it the largest surface of glass to cover with shutters than any other room. Fortunately, husband Tom now had the fitting process down to about an hour per window, and Shuttercraft had a fresh set of knives for us to ensure that the finished product was as clean as possible. We wouldn’t have to spend too much time sanding. Metallic paints are unforgiving and need the smoothest of surfaces in order to really glow. I could now look forward to many weeks of a kitchen full of loud music, paint drippings in the sink, lumpy drop cloths underfoot, and paint brushes everywhere. I couldn’t be more excited!
(to be continued)
Evince Magazine Page  7
Page 8 October 2020
Grit
fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg “Kwon, I need a rest,... just a moment, then I can go on.” (Old Man / Dr. Corinth to Kwon on the way south to Boris, North Carolina, where he probably wasn’t wanted.) Of course, there were as many reasons as stars not to pack an
eighty-something-year-old Dr. Corinth /Old Man up and bring him down to my hometown of Boris, North Carolina, to be a guest at a wedding he wasn’t invited to, to reunite with a daughter he abandoned almost three decades ago. Why would I dare to bring the ghost back and why should I? Everybody thinks he is dead or should be, leaving like he did for academic fortune and fame that he didn’t really find enough of to make such a leaving worth it. This trip was a bad idea all around, but I committed to it. We had to keep stopping. Old Man kept throwing up. During one of the first times we parked, this time at a rest stop just out of South Boston, it was raining hard, and we didn’t make it outside in time before he heaved, and it rained so hard after he threw up that we didn’t get out. We just sat with the stench of sickness between us. I drove to an old lot down the road called RW’s Car Wash and Laundromat, and there I bought the car-washing towelettes with quarters leftover in my cup holder. I pulled the towelettes from the crinkly plastic and wiped Old Man’s chin, chest, and hands where he had tried to hold it back. Old Man’s blue eyes met mine as he said, “Kwon, you don’t have to do this.” He looked defeated, but I kept wiping until he was clean.
We’re
on Danville! Donna Gibson Owner
HOLLEY & GIBSON REALTY COMPANY
339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540
Office: (434) 791-2400 Fax: (434) 791-2122 Visit our website at
www.holleyandgibsonrealty.com
First, my mother, Mean Keisha, is exactly like her name, and she is going to lose her absolute damn mind on me, throw a profound and proper freaking fit. And anyone who knows my mother, you know that her anger is a Viking reaping glory and should not be underestimated. I already clean up what I hear her saying, “You stupid boy, this old man playin’ you. Why does he find your soft ass? Why didn’t he come to her like a man? Huh? Huh? I don’t care what’s wrong with him now. Where was he then? What he want...no think, boy… what he really want?” And I would have no answers, but I wouldn’t have changed anything. That day, I kept driving down to Boris until we were twentythree miles out.
teethed on their disillusionment.
I am not alone although Old Man can’t help lead me down the highway. And why should he even though he knows the way. I’m a man and I can make it down roads I have often traveled. I glance to the passenger side. Old Man/Dr. Corinth is asleep, and his head rested on the passenger glass, his hands folded on his lap like gnarled loaves of bread. Maybe if I was raised by happy women, I could have turned back, but I wasn’t, you know. I was raised tracing their flinching and scars with my eyes, these sad-smiling women, these scared women, brittle-bitter women. I
We stopped again, Old Man and me. I ran into a CVS and got a seltzer, Pepto, a beach towel because that’s all they had, got some water to take some of his pills and to rinse the bad taste away. I was quick. Because…. no one should be alone. Because… peace is the stray cat that brings her kittens back to the step of some old lady that chased her away mostly, never really fed her, certainly didn’t keep her, that dumb cat hoping better for what she whelped than what she got. I think a lot of us live that way, so I don’t care what Mean Keisha says; he didn’t trick me. He asked. I answered. That’s a man’s way. Ten miles out, I stopped one last time for gas, and under the bright, fake lights and ethanol gas, Old Man’s breathing seemed low and shallow. But he was with me. I was going to make this reconciliation. I knew it.
My mama, Mean Keisha, you can taste the sadness. My Aunt Fallon? It’s my Aunt Fallon’s wedding we are going to. God. Did you know she’s remarrying Uncle Allen, not because she loves him but because it’s a little less sad and a little less scary to be with a man she doesn’t love than remembered as a raped divorcee with two young girls. And he can protect her and them from her memories. It’s a sad-barter-world where I’m from. My Mama Mandy Blue….I will bring Old Man back to her. And I know she’ll have kindness for him like she had for me and Mean Keisha, and Aunt Fallen when she took us in. That’s what I hope.
His coming was on me. He never asked me directly, and he couldn’t make himself make the journey. I just couldn’t stand watching anymore, you know, waiting for him to pass, him each day more frail as he peeled his usual potatoes sitting on a fivegallon bucket under the porch of the shelter’s back deck. When I said to come, his fingers trembled, and he just nodded once, said a colloquial, “Peace, Kwon.” What else could I have done? I’m not naïve. I know there is pain that can’t be fixed, only dulled. I know that, like I know for every Hunter’s Moon something is prey. Old Man/ Dr. Corinth, I see him biting down, see him grit his teeth against his suffering. He says to me that a man has to make the path he wants to travel, and I think of that on the drive down, almost out of Virginia, almost where I promised to take Old Man/ Dr. Corinth. We are both tired, but neither of us turns around. I propel my Explorer down the highway; for a while just me and Old Man glide on rain-slick, October-crisp roads, with the sun setting, and leaves looking like gold and burning flames.
Evince Magazine Page 9
U
the hard day. Having more close to bedtime might interfere with sleep.
nder house arrest with the kids? To say that 2020 has been stressful is like saying the Titanic had a slight floatation problem. Among the many who have worked and endured the strain caused by COVID-19, let us consider the parents. Please know that I am not a parent. Often I have said God must have known I was not strong enough for children. Based on what I have observed this year, I am now certain of it. So, what can I suggest that may help this situation? Wine? Perhaps. Keep in mind the objective is to have enough sleep so that your body and mind are ready for tomorrow. How about combining wine and dark chocolate with a warm bath and soothing music? Before you jump in, take precautions. Realtors say location, location, location. We say moderation, moderation, moderation. Limit the amount of wine to one glass. This is usually just enough to calm the nervous system so that you can disconnect from
The Wine Spot Stay Calm, Drink Wine and Carry On. by Dave Slayton
a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers
What about the chocolate? Again, moderation is important. Consider having dark chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa. Usually the higher the amount of cocoa the less sugar there is in the chocolate. Less sugar is beneficial because you don’t want a sugar high and all those extra calories, right? Most of the time dark chocolate is paired with red wine, but if you are strictly a white wine drinker, try a sweet white wine like a muscat or a sweet riesling. If you can arrange it, listen to some music while in the tub. I suggest the first movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Wine Spectator had a home video contest for those working through the lockdown and at the same time caring for kids. Watch one entitled “At Home With the Bronsons” at www.winespectator. com. It appears to be realistic. Stay calm, drink wine, and carry on. Cheers!
Page 10 October 2020
October Calendar
Abbreviation Key
• AU=Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • DMFAH=Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • DSC=Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org • PA=Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com
Ongoing
The Danville Farmers’ Market, 629 Craghead Street, Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until noon. 434.797.8961. The Caswell Farmers Market Yanceyville, North Carolina, 2246 Hwy 86 next to Goodwill. Danville Master Gardeners will answer inquiries about gardening, lawns and landscaping on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 434.799.6558 danvillemastergardeners@gmail.com. Guided Walking Tours: Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District. 434.770.1974 www.danvillehistory.org DMFAH: self-guided audio tours Camilla Williams Exhibit: Exhibit features her opera costumes including Madame Butterfly. DMFAH Danville Civil Rights Exhibition: The Movement on permanent display. DMFAH Virginia Living Well Research Registry: Researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center want to understand why some of Southern Virginia’s cancer rates are higher than the state and national averages. Men and women ages 18 to 84 years are needed. Cancer Research and Resource Center 434.421.3061.
October 1 (thru 31)
Bridge 2 Bridge Danville: a virtual event to benefit the DanvillePittsylvania Cancer Association; www.bridge2bridgedanville.com October Community Read: White Fragility by Robin Diangelo will be discussed. Sessions on Wednesday mornings from 10-11:30am. DMFAH Register at Eventbrite.
October 4
Crop Hunger Walk: a virtual event to fight poverty and extreme hunger around Danville and the world. 1/3
of the money raised benefits God’s Storehouse www.danvillecropwalk.org
October 5 & 19
Trivia Night: See page 11.
October 6 (thru 27)
A Stitch in Time: yarn art class, knitting & crocheting, a part of DMFAH Yarn Bombing project. Tuesdays 1011:30am $5
October 7
Danville City Council Candidate Forum: hosted by Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce on Zoom 5:30-6:30pm. Register at dpchamber.org by October 5.
October 10 & 11
Free Admission: DMFAH
October 17
Cars & Coffee: See classic cars, sports cars, muscle cars, and more in the parking lot at Crema & Vine, 1009 Main St. Danville 9-10:30am 434.548.9862
October 19
Second Chance fall classes: Danville Community College 8-week fall classes begin. If you were hesitant to enroll in August, here is another opportunity. Scholarships are available. www.danville.edu/2nd 434.688.4764
October 19 (thru Nov. 23)
Forms in Clay: pottery class Mondays 6:30-9pm $95 for DMFAH members/$105 for others. 434.792.5355 to register
October 22, 23 & 24
Ghosts & Gravestones Walking Tour: See page 5.
October 22
Puzzle Swap: Main Street Art Collective, 326 Main St. 1-2 pm 434.602.2017 Scavenger Hunt: DMFAH 4-6:30pm Printmaking: workshop DMFAH 6:30-9pm
October 24
Silent Auction: to benefit American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; Winning bids must be paid by cash, check or Venmo. Main St. Art Collective, 326 Main St. 10am-2pm 434.602.2017 2nd Anniversary Give-a-ways: Main St. Art Collective, 326 Main St. 10 am-5 pm 434.602.2017 Pumpkin Carving Contest: DMFAH 10am-6pm $10 includes a pumpkin. Registration required.
The deadline for submitting information for the November calendar is Wednesday, October 21, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.
October 29
Life Drawing Class: DMFAH 6:30-9 pm $20 Registration required.
October 2020
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Through November 29
Hearth and Home Tobacco Exhibition: DMFAH
Evince Magazine Page 11
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) 1. A few weeks ago week, McDonald’s UK announced they will be testing a new system for what disposable vessel that will be reusable and returnable? 2. What windy day kid’s toy served as the inspiration for a new type of airborne wind turbine? A startup in Germany is building one that uses ten times less material at half the cost of traditional options. 3. Purdue engineers announced the development of a simple printing process that can render what material into a
Answers to What’s It Called? 1. barrel; 2.pride; 3.murder; 4.flock; 5.trip or tribe; 6.parliament; 7.school; 8.colony; 9.swarm; 10.kindle
What’s It Called? Animal Groups Ex: A group of cattle is called a drove. 1. Monkeys 2. Lions 3. Crows 4. Sheep 5. Goats 6. Owls 7. Fish 8. Ants 9. Bees 10.Kittens
Answers to ICYMI 1.coffee cup; 2.kite; 3.a piece of paper or cardboard; 4.mountain bike; 5.Google Loom Project; 6.New Orleans; 7.Tiny Homes; 8. ROBOT cleaners, autonomous self-cleaning droids—2020 Rosie; 9. Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench; 10.They discovered ten that were thought to be extinct since the pioneer days.
Q
uizmaster Abby Karavanic created these thought provoking questions to test participants at the September Trivia Night at 2 Witches Winery & Brewery, 209 Trade Street, Danville. Teams of three or four people wrote answers to the oral questions. At the end of four rounds, the number of correct answers from each team was tallied and a winner announced. The honor system was used. The prize was bragging rights for a lifetime! No registration is necessary for the October 5 and October 19 competitions starting at 7:00 p.m. There is no charge. Just show up or Zoom in on Facebook. The only requirement is that everyone have fun.
keyboard, keypad, or other easy-to-use human machine? 4. Outdoor adventurist, Christian Bagg, created the Bowhead Reach, a three-wheeled, motorized version of what for people with physical limitations? 5. Which tech giant launched a fleet of giant balloons over remote parts of east Africa that will broadcast mobile internet to roughly 72% of that area’s population living without internet? 6. Unsurprisingly, which Southern city has a musician that is trading trumpets for guns with the city’s youth? 7. What architectural and social movement that advocates simple living led California based company, Mighty Buildings, to begin producing 3D printed versions that can be completed in just twenty-four hours? 8. Schools in Manchester began employing what kind of machine to sterilize rooms for returning humans? 9. In June, Dr. Kathy Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in outer space, became the first woman to see the deepestknown point on the ocean floor. What is the deepest part of the ocean known as? 10.Retirees E. J. Brandt & David Benscoter became amateur botanists for their Lost Apple Project and discovered forgotten genetic strains of apples. How many had they rediscovered as of April 2020?
Desert Dust Over Danville by Mack Williams While searching for new ways to entertain yourself or others, remember to look up. The sky always offers a fascinating show. Former science educator, Mack Williams, writes about his experience earlier this summer. On the day of the muchanticipated Saharan dust plume’s arrival in our area at the end of June, there were numerous weather warnings of particulates in the air of nearby localities. I skipped my Ballou Park exercise walk, fearing that pollen plus sand-dune dust might set off a particular kind of cytokine storm! I decided to find my binoculars, most often used for the moon, stars, and planet, and use them to look more closely for tell-tale signs, or the color of a plume of stratospheric desert dust, such dust having been separated
from its Saharan sand like the Biblical chaff being separated from its wheat. The day was mostly cloudy, but in the cloud breaks, the sky looked a much lighter shade of blue than I expected. While gazing for traces of the Saharan dust cloud, I sometimes imagined hearing the luscious strains of the “Lawrence of Arabia” soundtrack (1962). Even with those imaginary strains of desert music, my mind still wasn’t able to morph those highest clouds into riders crossing the sands. I did notice, however, that some of the highest, thinnest clouds seemed to be just as exactly wind-rippled as many of the Saharan dunes, or those of the Mohave Desert. But maybe they only seemed to be so. Perhaps it was just a mirage.
Page 12 October 2020
Book Clubbing
Reflecting Forward Hiking Through Your Personal Wilderness
reviews by Diane Adkins
Bright Precious Thing: A Memoir by Gail Caldwell
Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age by Mary Pipher
Sometimes you will hear a person speak of having a big birthday, also known as a milestone birthday. Those are commonly understood as the ones that end in a zero and especially the ones that occur after you have reached, say, fifty. But honestly, after a certain age, they are all big birthdays because we have endured. We have had the stamina (and the good fortune) to keep going through the inevitable toll life takes on us. This month’s books were written by women who have lived through some of those milestone birthdays and their reflections are important. In Bright Precious Thing, Caldwell reaches back to her Texas girlhood for inspiration when a precocious five-year-old, Tyler, finds her way into her life. Moving between her present situation in Cambridge, Massachusetts and the Texas years, she connects her personal dots, delineating her path to feminism. It is a deeply personal and unflinching story, and it took some courage to tell it all. Near the end, Caldwell describes her relationship with Tyler, “She is like a star that fell from the sky into my yard.” Their friendship is the best argument for making sure we include the very young in our lives as we age. While not a memoir, Women Rowing North is still anecdotal. Mary Pipher has collected many older women’s stories, the overarching theme of which is that we can learn the skills we need to adapt to anything life puts in our path. We can choose to let go of the past, embracing the present reality and making it our own. She points out that we will, eventually, say goodbye to everything and everyone we love. Many studies have shown that we are increasingly happy as we age, that as more is taken from us, the more deeply we appreciate what is in front of us. This is key, and we have all heard similar language during this pandemic. Forced to slow down, we have learned to see the beauty in the natural world that surrounds us, to delight in the simple pleasures of life. This can be taken too far, of course; many are struggling to have enough food or shelter. Nonetheless, the keys to building a good day include what Pipher proposes: good friendship, some intellectual challenge, the appreciation of beauty, and variety in our daily experiences. Often, older women are portrayed in a less than flattering light in our culture. These two books show how false that is. As May Sarton said, “Old age is not an illness, it is a timeless ascent. As power diminishes, we grow toward more light.” Celebrate this: we have stamina and we have endured. We have found new joys. We have, indeed, persisted. Diane S. Adkins is a retired Director of Pittsylvania County Library System.
by Linda Lemery
I
recently saw a listing for a PBS show about wilderness explorer Dick Griffith that I couldn’t watch, so I asked my husband Steve to record it. Not only did he do that, but he also bought me the book*. Dick Griffith grew up during the Depression. His years leading to adulthood taught him that he wanted to live his life as much as possible on his own terms. He loved exploring and pushing his limits in the wilderness. He infused that into his work and the way he lived with family and friends. A solitary man, he repeatedly trekked through the wilderness, walking or skiing hundreds of miles in remote parts of Alaska and Canada. He rafted parts of the Colorado River previously thought to be inaccessible. With companions, he hiked toward his goal of rafting in Mexico’s Urique River canyon using an Air Force map with so little detail that the travelers had to find the water on their own. He did this without the help of sponsors and not for fame or fortune, either. He used his stamina to learn. He based his reactions to threatening situations on what he’d read about previous explorers and his own experiences--like the time he scared off a polar bear by charging at it while whipping a branch and screaming. Gone for months at a time, his family never knew when he was coming home. After Dick and wife Isabelle had children, she stopped traveling. She understood that he needed these trips like he needed air. Their relationship depended on that understanding. It seems that this man trekked at first for an introduction to nature, but later to deepen his connections to the wilderness
around him and ultimately within him. When asked in his mid-80s why he continued to take these walkabouts, he said that he didn’t know, but his compulsion would tell him when to walk again. Reading about this man’s compelling connection to wilderness gave me the springboard to realize that while Dick Griffith’s life work was to deepen his understanding of nature and uncharted territory, we all have our “personal wildernesses” in which we’re constantly striving to learn more, to apply what we’ve learned, to find our way, to succeed, to move beyond the current problem and into solving the next one. Across our species, we are not so different. Within our personal spheres, we want to be more in touch with our worlds with their pockets of personal wilderness, whether they’re related to people, place, language, culture, connection, faith, or whatever our work may be or wherever our interests may lie. Perhaps my learning from reading this book is accelerated by living in this immensely disruptive pandemic period with which I have to find ways to cope in my professional and personal life. Or maybe I am just searching for a way to make a leap: from what I read, to how I live, to how others live, to what it all means regarding finding my way more effectively through the next personal wilderness. Please read the book. Not only is it about stamina, it’s also about character, as is so much of life. About the Author: When she’s not stretching her mind in so many directions that it feels like Silly Putty®, Linda Lemery llemery@ averett.edu serves as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.
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Build Up Your Stamina
by Annelle Williams
Pop Tarts and frozen waffles were go-tos when my kids were older. They could have that extra fifteen minutes of sleep and eat on the way to school. I’m not proud of providing such slim beginnings to their day, but I did better when they were younger. We ate oatmeal and fruit, eggs and bacon, milk and juice, all the good things. Kids are now having such different school experiences. Many are distance learning with either a Zoom class and teacher, or a parent or grandparent using information from the school and suddenly finding themselves in the teaching position. Either way, it requires more input from the teacher than ever before and more energy and stamina to keep up with the kids as they move through the day. The students may not need more energy, but we all know that a healthy breakfast gives our brains a kick start and our bodies the stamina to persevere. This is a quick, easy recipe that can feed a few or feed a crowd. I make it gluten-free to suit my family.
Spinach/Mushroom Frittata 3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 small bag of baby spinach 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 T butter
8 oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms 8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese 8 eggs 3/4 cup Half & Half
Cook spinach in 2 tsp. olive oil with salt and pepper flakes. Toss with tongs until wilted. Coat an 8 x 8 casserole dish with cooking spray. Put spinach into casserole dish. In the pan that was used for cooking the spinach, melt butter and add rest of olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, spreading out in single layer and sauté until they begin to brown. Turn mushrooms and cook for another few minutes. Spread the mushrooms evenly over the spinach in the casserole dish. Top mushrooms with cheese. Beat eggs and Half & Half until thoroughly combined. Pour over casserole. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 35 minutes or until frittata springs back in the middle. Questions or comments? Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!
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Photo Finish Evince is always looking for an easy way to explore Danville and we found it. Follow this guide to see the latest Danville Art Trail, an eighteen-month exhibit of outdoor sculptures in public places. The Danville Art Trail was developed in 2015 by a group of local art enthusiasts as a way to provide access to art and culture while creating conversation pieces for the community. Enjoy the tour without leaving your vehicle or step away from the car and view them up close. Either way, it’s a great excuse to be outside in the cool autumn air.
Arriving Home by Charlie Brouwer was created using locust wood. It represents the joy of arriving home. (500 Main Street)
Dragonfly by Pamela Reithmeier is a stainless steel insect that symbolizes transformation and adaptability. (Union Street Bridge overlook on the Riverwalk)
Turning Point by Wayne Vaughn is made of new and recycled steel. Its genesis was the lunar landscape. (Danville Science Center, 661 Craghead Street) Full Story by Jason Smith was created in steel to embrace one’s journey through life and show how circumstances can bring life full circle. ( Danville Public Library, 511 Patton Street)
Mesozoic Bench by Charles Pilkey is a functional work of art. It is made of river pebbles from the Msozoic Age that were collected near the Smokey Mountains. It’s OK to sit on it! (111 Main Street Plaza at the JTI Fountain)
Quarks VII by Guy J. Bellaver was made with painted fiberglass and steel rod. It is designed to explore shadow and light within energy mass. The fiberglass represents mass and the rod represents the mass leaving one area and exploding into another. (Riverwalk Trailhead at the Crossing, 677 Craghead Street)
Motion Light by Hanna Jubran depicts motion in nature. The circular form is interpreted as space and the Milky Way. The lines represent comets, clouds, and heavenly objects. Welded steel and paint were used. (Institute for Advanced Learning & Research, 150 Slayton Avenue)
Sprite Core by Adam Walls is part of a series that references imagery from sea life, life at a microscopic scale and any life that springs fourth or grows from its core. (600 Craghead Street across from Ballad Brewing)
Moonshine by Richard Whitehill shows three moon-shaped crescents rotating around each other. (Riverwalk Trailhead near the JTI Fountain on Main Street) Archaeopteryx by John Parker is a steel-plated form from nature inspired by armor-coated, hard-shelled bodies of insects that can instantly take flight. The large scale of the otherwise small creatures comes from reality and fantasy of the pre-historic world. (Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main Street)
Spiraling Away by Hanna Jubran depicts motion in nature. The circular form is interpreted as space and the Milky Way. The lines represent comets, clouds, and heavenly objects. Welded steel and paint were used. (Danville Public Library, 511 Patton Street, at the Children’s Department entrance)
Shooting Stars was created by Cathy Perry. She explains, “Exploring the woods and creek looking for wildflowers is a cherished memory that I have with my mother. As a gardener, she transplanted these into her gardens and created a wild and unpredictable haven for birds and insects. Shooting Stars represents this haven.” (inside Danville Regional Airport, 424 Airport Drive)
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Page Page 16 16October October 2020 2020
