Evince Magazine November 2017

Evince Magazine Page  1

Hal Kushner

Veterans Day November 11 Page 12

Danielle Pritchett

Genealogy Detective Brings Family Together See Page 3

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Page 2 November 2017

Editor’s Note

Giving Tuesday is November 28, but in this area we don’t limit generosity to one day. It’s a way of life. Those happy people pictured on the cover can testify to that. Read page 3 to learn how Danielle Pritchett gave Austin Jones the family he had been searching fifty years to meet. For forty-three years, the Danville Museum has been giving the community art and history experiences. “Admission Is Free” on page 16 tells of an international opportunity that it also offers. Giving exceptional customer service is becoming routine for Danville and Pittsylvania County businesses.

Read page 8 about this month’s award winner, Joey Earp.

There are lots of ideas on how to become a more giving person in “What Does Giving Really Mean?” on page 4 and “The Season of Giving” on page 20. Give honor to our veterans by visiting the Memorial in Dan Daniel Park on November 11. Ten years ago, Hal Kushner, pictured on the front cover and on page 12, spoke at its groundbreaking. Of course, give thanks on November 23 with a feast that includes Annelle’s delicious recipe on page 21. If Kim Clifton invites you for dinner, however, read “Let’s Talk Turkey” (page 9) before you accept.

Every month, volunteers work to create Evince as a gift to you.

Then, our advertisers give their financial support to publish it. For these gifts, we are very thankful.

November Contents

2 Editor’s Note

3 Danielle Pritchett

Genealogy Detective Brings Family Together

by Karen Williamson

President Director of Sales & Marketing Larry Oldham (434.728.3713) larry@evincemagazine.com Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com

6 Renovation Reality / Part 19

by Carla Minosh 8 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by H. Nelson Rich

Associate Editors Jeanette Taylor Larry Wilburn Lanie Davis, Intern

9 Second Thoughts / Let’s Talk Turkey

by Kim Clifton

Contributing Writers

Diane Adkins, Hosanna Blanchard, Kim Clifton, Cathy Cole, Lanie Davis, Debra L. Dodson, Adam Goebel, Mimi Grubb, Karen Harris, Dena Hill, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Erica Lowdermilk, Casey Malloy, Carla Minosh, Larry Oldham, John Parris, Carollyn Lee Peerman, H. Nelson Rich, Rachel Shaw, Dave Slayton, Danielle Staub, Donna Strange, Lisa Tuite, Melanie Vaughan, Joyce Wilburn, Isla Wiles, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams, Karen Williamson

10 Altar

Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 11 What’s Happening in the Public Libraries 12 Calendar Clips 14 Calendar 16 Admission Is Free / McCord Museum in Montreal, Canada

by Joyce Wilburn

Book Clubbing / Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz a review by Diane Adkins

18 Wine Spot / Make a Life by What You Give

by Dave Slayton

The Great Schlotzsky’s Eclipse of 2017

by Mack Williams

Reflecting Forward / In This Season of Giving Thanks

by Linda Lemery

On the Cover:

Photo of Austin Bond and Danielle Pritchett by Michelle Dalton Photography

Don’t Forget to Pick Up the November Edition of Showcase Magazine

evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW

For ad information contact a marketing consultant or the Director of Sales & Marketing listed above.

21 Around the Table / A New Beginning for Thanksgiving

by Annelle Williams 22 Crossing the Border

Expanding Knowledge

by Isla Wiles

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

Deadline for submission of December stories, articles, and ads is Monday, November 20, at 5:00 p.m.

Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

20 Genuine Friends Keep You Young

by Carollyn Lee Peerman

Business Manager Paul Seiple (1.434.709.7349) paul@evincemagazine.com Marketing Consultants Kim Demont (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net Lee Vogler (434.548.5335) lee@showcasemagazine.com

Admission Is Free / Viewing Wearable Art in Montreal

by Lanie Davis

17 Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy

OICE OF GIVING

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks

4 She Said He Said / What Does Giving Really Mean?

by Dena Hill & Larry Oldham

THE

#WhyNCI

NEW COLLEGE INSTITUTE IS PAVING THE WAY FOR EDUCATION AND CAREERS. www.showcasemagazine.com

| NOVEMBER 2017 | SHOWCASE Magazine 1

Meet Some of Our Contributors

Editorial Policies:

eVince is a monthly news magazine covering the arts, entertainment, education, economic development, and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding areas. We print and distribute eVince free of charge due entirely to the generosity of our advertisers. In our pages appear views from across the social spectrum.

They do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. 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 © 2017 All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Credits: Amber Wilson: hair; Catherine Saunders: skin care and makeup; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville.

Janelle Gammon: nails; Salon One 11, 111 Sandy Court, Danville. Clothing and jewelry: Lizzy Lou Boutique, 310 Main Street, Danville, lizzylouboutique.com

Karen Williamson is a founding member of the Danville Chapter of the African American Historical & Genealogical Society.

See page 3.

H. Nelson Rich is Operations Manager at Rippe’s Apparel, Fur and Shoes, Danville.

See page 8.

John Parris is a member of First Presbyterian Church and serves on the Stewardship Committee. See page 12.

Debra Dodson is the Executive Director of the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region.

See page 12.

We now accept Visa, MC, and Discover for ad payments

For subscriptions to Evince, email cindy@showcasemagazine.com

Evince Magazine Page 3

I

t was an ordinary Wednesday in May that quickly became extraordinary when the paths of a librarian and a balloon artist serendipitously crossed and the artist was reunited with his biological family. On that fateful day last spring, Danielle Pritchett, the Adult Library Services Specialist at the Danville Public Library, was helping someone research family history when Austin Bond, owner of Party Palooza, arrived in the Genealogy Room to set up an animal-balloon display for the Summer Reading Kick-Off Party.

Danielle Pritchett Genealogy Detective, Brings Family Together

by Karen Williamson

“A fluke,” is how Austin describes the event. “I was creating balloon animals for the kids while making small talk with Danielle and was surprised to learn that the library offered genealogy services. That’s when I said to her that I bet she hadn’t heard a story like mine before.”

To which Danielle, a genealogy specialist, smiled and replied, “I’ve seen and heard it all.”

He told her details about the previous fifty-years of trying to locate his biological mother and asked if she could help him.

Danielle, who loves a challenge, immediately replied, “Sure, I’ll see what I can find.”

Austin knew he had been adopted because his birth father had given him copies of the adoption papers and his birth certificate. The Danville resident also knew his birth date and place, the name he was given at birth, and his birth-mother’s name. Over the past few years, Austin had used this information on various internet searches in hopes of finding his birth mother but to no avail. When that same data was placed in Danielle’s hands, it gave her a head start in the search for Austin’s mother.

After only a few hours, the genealogy detective struck gold.

Danielle looked for information about Austin’s birth mother in the public records of the town where he was born and quickly found it. Sadly, it was the birth mother’s 2008 obituary. But that’s not the end of the story.

The death notice revealed other important clues: the names of Austin’s siblings and their offspring. Then, another obituary was found for a brother.

Danielle also discovered mailing addresses for a sister, Tina, and another brother, Mark. To keep things from going “sideways,” as Austin puts it, and as a protective measure for him and his new-found family, it was

Austin and Danielle chat outside the Genealogy Department at the Danville Public Library. Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Right: Mark, Tina, and Austin prose for a family picture.

mutually agreed that Danielle would be the one to send a letter to his siblings and she would be the initial point of contact should they choose to communicate with him.

A few days after mailing the introductory letter to Austin’s sister, Tina, Danielle received a phone call from her. Danielle explained how she knew Austin and asked if Tina wanted to talk to him. Without hesitation, the new-found sibling replied, “Yes!” According to both Austin and Tina, their initial conversation flowed as if they had known each other their entire lives. While chatting with her, Austin learned the names of his other siblings and a little about them: Ronnie (deceased) was an entrepreneur like Austin.

Tina runs a senior center and has a grandson named Austin. Mark

works at a major university. Doug (deceased) looked a lot like Austin and Renee is a free spirit much like Austin was in his younger days.

Reflecting back over the last six months, Austin comments, “This was all a fluke. Everything that happened to me was by chance— being hired by the library for the party, being in the genealogy room, striking up a conversation with Danielle. If it hadn’t been for her, none of this would have happened.” Thinking about others who might want to take this same journey, he cautions, “Go to a genealogist. Get a middleman involved just in case things go sideways. This technology stuff can give you a swift turnaround.”

Austin is grateful that he bumped into a genealogy detective just a few short months ago, one who could make a family reunion happen so quickly.

His new extended family visited Danville in October and attended a NASCAR race in Martinsville. It was a day of fellowship and family fun…and there were probably a few balloons thrown in as a reminder of how this journey began.

• To learn more about programs at the Danville Public Library, see page 11.

Page 4 November 2017

SHE SAID

Give yourself a challenge.

by Dena Hill Change What Does your vision for yourself Giving and let it Really spread to Mean? those around It’s November, you. Make a so of course, difference in I’m thinking someone’s about life today.

Thanksgiving.

Give This year, of yourself especially, we more often should all focus in various on the giving gentle aspect. You ways. Make know I am life easier not politically for those minded. I try around you.

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography to look at all Put yourself sides in every in their shoes situation. I and consider might share my that they thoughts with you on a subject at may be suffering. Just one any given time but I always tell you personal gesture of kindness or that what I’m saying is my opinion sympathy could change their world only. It might not fit anyone else’s and maybe make a difference in agenda. This brings to mind the someone with whom they come current situation in the world and in contact. Hopefully, they will I feel compelled to share it. It has pass it on and sooner or later our been weighing on my mind for kindness, gentleness, and being months and I want you to think less combative or judgmental may about it and share your feelings help all to feel more compassion for with me. one another. Try smiling and saying a cheerful good morning to at We are all in this world together least one person each day and rest and there’s a good chance that assured it will be appreciated. when we pass on we’re not coming back. There is no red, Don’t take this as a negative yellow, black or white after we because I’m happy with my life, die. There are no Democrats or happy with you, happy for our Republicans. None of that matters. children and my family. I’m looking What does matter is how we at the big picture. The world is treated each other while we were killing itself over absolutely nothing. still breathing. After 9-11 we Yes, there are evil people. Some came together as a nation. There are sick but others are bullies or was also a closeness last month just mean individuals. They seem to during the massacre in Las Vegas. be fussing, fighting, accusing, and We felt sorry for people who lost cursing each other constantly. We their loved ones. We felt pity and only have a certain amount of time at the same time compassion for to live on this earth. Like the song all the people who helped each says “We Are the World” and people other. No one chose a Democrat in all walks of life make up this or Republican to rescue that day. wonderful place called Earth. Make No one looked at someone’s a vow to live happily ever after from skin color and passed them by. this day forward. Love one another.

I certainly don’t wish for a mass Take care of one another. One shooting or a deadly force to people, undivided, working together happen each week to bring people in one world. It all starts with you together again. All lives matter. and me. This is what giving really Everyone should forgive more means. easily, feel compassion for others, give to those who don’t have as HE SAID much as we do, feed the poor, and

by Larry Oldham help the sick. If enough people That was well said. I couldn’t have make a change in themselves said it better myself. Giving more by paying it forward, then we of ourselves all year long is a goal could see a difference in attitude we can both set. Now what do you globally. Isn’t that really what think about giving me dinner? giving means?

She said He Said

He Said / She Said can be found in Showcase Magazine.

Evince Magazine Page  5

Page 6 November 2017

Renovation Reality Part 19

by Carla Minosh The Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for 16 years.

This series that began in April 2016 explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that. If you missed any of the installments, visit www. evincemagazine.com.

W

e headed to the basement

and the chandelier jungle

to pick out a piece of lighting for the bedroom.

We had spent years scouring auctions for period lighting. A curious thing about lighting in the early days of gas-light fixtures is that they were considered to be decorative elements and often moved with the family when a house was re-sold. As a result, you would often find Victorian homes with chandeliers pre-dating the home by twenty years or more, along with later-installed fixtures that the family would purchase as they gave rooms a new look.

Although two chandeliers in our home were converted gas fixtures and were likely original to the house’s 1880s upgrade, the rest of the lighting dated anywhere from the 1920s to the 1970s. None was appropriate for the period of the house or the dimensions of the rooms-- tiny inverted glass domes ringed with crystals, set flush with twelvefoot ceilings. Frankly, they looked ridiculous.

Most of our gasolier (a chandelier lit with gas) finds happened in 2000, before the internet ruined it for astute auction hounds. We would page through our weekly auction guides looking at tiny grainy black-and-white photos and make phone calls to inquire about condition and request additional photos to be sent by mail. This was also before cellphones became ubiquitous, so phone bids were difficult to arrange, because most auctions were at the estate being sold. We would attend

the auctions in person, waiting hours for the lot we were interested in to be presented.

Back then, we didn’t have to compete with every lighting dealer or collector in the country on the internet like we do today.

In addition, the auction house usually didn’t research the value of the item because there was no internet available to make it easy.

Now information can be found in minutes with a few clicks. When the auctioneer had no idea what treasures he had, he often sold them for significantly below their true value.

We began a feeding frenzy, picking off chandelier after chandelier at out-of-the-way auctions, old estates, and even found some hidden gems at more wellknown auction houses. As a result, a section of our basement became the repository of these fixtures, and they hung from the rafters, one after the other, collecting dust and cobwebs. It was a confused jumble of metal, figures, and decorative elements hanging from the low ceiling in the dim light. One-by-one we brought them up, disassembled, cleaned, and re-wired them. Rewiring was a special challenge, not an activity for those with a low frustration tolerance.

Silicone spray became an instant favorite. Inserting a guide wire through narrow gas lines and past gas keys was a process that involved many four-letter words, scraped knuckles and shredded fingertips. For the master bedroom, we chose one of a pair manufactured by an unknown maker with a trio of hunters holding shotguns at their sides each with a retriever seated at the hunters’ feet looking up hopefully. Above them, palm fronds splayed outwards, and in addition to foliage designs, each arm featured a sheep head with a bell around its neck. We chose this one because we had a matching pair of sconces we hoped to install on each side of the fireplace.

(to be continued)

Evince Magazine Page  7

Page 8 November 2017

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by H. Nelson Rich

I’d like to nominate Joey Earp for the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award. Joey is the Mt. Hermon Compactor Site Manager for the Solid Waste Department of Pittsylvania County on Franklin Turnpike.

Handling and working around other people’s trash and garbage can be a distasteful job at times I’m sure. Yet, Joey keeps the area immaculately clean and is quick to help people with any assistance they might need. The first thing that caught my eye months ago was how Joey continually sweeps the area with a broom. One day, complimenting him on how clean the site was, I realized what an amazing, positive attitude Joey exhibits, an attitude that rubs off on all whom he meets. It’s amazing to me to go to a dump site and observe an employee taking care of that area with a pride that is reflected in his actions as well as his words. How refreshing to leave an area like that actually uplifted and a testimony to the fact that true diamonds can be found in the least likely places. I am happy to nominate such a deserving young man as Joey Earp for outstanding customer service.

Evince and the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce want to encourage and recognize exceptional customer service. When someone gives you exceptional service, please let us know. In 300 words or less, tell us what happened. Email your story to joycewilburn@ gmail.com or chamber@dpchamber.org.

Evince Magazine Page 9

Second Thoughts

by Kim Clifton ©2017

Let’s Talk Turkey It’s one thing to gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing. It’s another to serve a meal that takes you to His doorstep.

Which is what I came real close to doing a few years back.

Well, shoot. I already had Pam. Odd that one has a red top and the other is yellow, I thought as I grabbed cans of Le Sueur® baby peas from the kitchen cabinet and turned toward the stove. I’d closed the door but my mind was still reading the labels that I could no longer see. “Pam…America’s Favorite Cooking Spray,” said one. “Easy Off…Heavy Duty Original” said the other. It was right then that I fully understood the meaning of stopping dead in your tracks.

I was going to be so smart. It wasn’t officially Thanksgiving, but I wanted a full dress rehearsal to see if I could put together a buffet by myself. Besides, I needed to try out my turkey recipe before the big day. It was so simple that it was devoid of both thawing the bird and using the stove. All I had to do was plop everything into a CrockPot, crank the knob to high, and come back six hours later.

But first, I needed to spray the surface with Pam. Which brings me back to my cupboard. Having a turkey ready for lunch had been the only challenge…or so I had thought. Because I needed time for the thing to cook, it meant setting an alarm for dark-thirty.

I didn’t want to be too awake so I tried to work quickly with my only light being from the moon shining through the window.

I was so groggy after going back to bed that everything that had happened hours earlier was a fog. I tried to retrace my steps as best as I could. I did remember pulling out a stick of butter, and

pre-chopped onions and celery from the fridge. I did remember taking the turkey out of the freezer and pouring a carton of chicken broth around it. I did remember putting everything into the pot and spinning the dial.

Moreover, I did remember first spraying the inside to avoid a messy clean-up. What I didn’t remember was if the top had been red or yellow.

I’ve never grieved for an appliance like I did that moment. If only we’d moved our other stove when we bought this house, I wouldn’t have been in this fix. All I had to do was slide the handle to the right and the self-cleaning oven would glow for hours like Three Mile Island, leaving only a handful of ashes to wipe away. Now I had this one which required getting on your hands and knees with a bucket, a sponge and an aerosol can of deadly chemicals….which may or may not be floating around my bird.

I lifted the lid but I couldn’t trust my nose to be right. I also knew if I dipped my fingers in the juice, salmonella would get me if the Easy Off didn’t. That only left one choice...to toss it out and head back to the freezer for Plan B. With company coming in an hour, I had to trust Betty Crocker’s promise of a complete pot roast meal. I regretted that my freshly chopped ingredients were being replaced by envelopes of potatoes, carrots and other freeze-dried vegetables that could have easily survived a nuclear holocaust. The meal was fine; it just wasn’t the one I had wanted.

I guess I should be thankful that no one got sick. I guess I should be thankful that no one met Jesus. Nothing can ruin your holidays faster than accidentally poisoning your entire family or being investigated for fowl play.

Page 10 November 2017 sadly, before handing it over.

Altar fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

T

he gift Papa sent arrived on the Tuesday before my wedding.

When I was nineteen, I married Michael Ragslin in my stepfather, Harold, and Mother’s Williamsburgblue and soft-cream living room on a Saturday at about 2:00 p.m.

I lightly gripped the banister down the stairway. I wore pink flowers with baby’s breath in my hair; I combed my long, blonde hair like a veil. There were eight people at the ceremony: Mother, Harold, Michael, his sourfaced parents, Judge Jules, and the judge’s wife, Marva, who was Mother’s best friend. Marva came all the way from Georgia, and I was there too, mostly. My father sent a present, from Paris this time, and a postcard that sat sentinel on the mantle.

Harold, my stepfather, puzzled as he put Papa’s gift together from a sepia-colored 3 x 5 card that gave instructions for its assembly but did not tell what it was.

Mother was tight-lipped even though

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I wasn’t showing when Michael and I married. Michael was a secondyear graduate student from a midsized conservative North Carolina university. He was respectable, quiet, tall, not poor. He was going to be a professor and his major was English, which to Michael’s accountant father meant that he paid significant money for Michael to know all the stories written by the gripe-grouse losers of history.

No one liked Mr. Ragslin, probably including Mrs. Ragslin, but Mother didn’t like Michael. She said he wasn’t open, whatever that meant. Harold didn’t like Michael either because he hid to smoke cigarettes on the back patio and lied about it. Harold said cleaning the butts out of the geraniums, “Smoke or don’t smoke, but be a damn man about it.” And Harold never swore. Truth told, I didn’t like Michael much either, but I had to have him because of his level of commitment to things, to me. He told me, when I was eighteen and he first held me that he would never leave me, no matter what. Never. And that I would never leave him. And isn’t that love? I wanted to be wanted so bad by someone that wouldn’t leave.

Looking back I still don’t know what made me think that at seventeen or eighteen I could successfully choose that person.

It was dark-wood, smooth, and slightly bowed in the middle, little incense packets were taped to the cardboard box.

When I told him about the baby, eighteen, wringing hands, scared outside a Hardee’s parking lot, he didn’t flinch. He went into his pocket, opened his flip cellphone and called his mother. His mother cried on the phone. He could do better, she whispered but I heard. We both went that day at dusk to tell mine. He stayed with me, a man, in that same living room holding my hand. My mother sat there poised and listening and watching me. She didn’t cry. I didn’t cry either.

The postcard arrived on a Wednesday, open air for anyone to see. “Maybe it’s a bench,” Harold said, turning it over and over. Mother did not reply. She just read the postcard first, looked at me

The first time with Michael was my first time and it was messy, painful, and forever, but I stroked his back and told him kind words. We were in his dorm room, he hopefully nearing some completion that would signal that this would finally be over, when the dorm-room door knob rattled. His roommate didn’t enter, just shouted for his rugby shirt. Michael went to the door and threw it from the room. He came back to me. I didn’t say not to. So he began again. I just tipped my eyes back to the ceiling, so I didn’t cry then either.

But I knew my Papa, his clever anger despite his absence being his own abdication. And I knew even from the beginning, even as Harold was putting it together, that it was something to pray at.

After my wedding, Michael carried me down from my stepfather’s and mother’s porch to take me to our small apartment. I took Papa’s gift in my arms as we got into Michael’s old but respectable black Volvo. I heard this song about “setting my feet upon the road,” that Kyrie song again, the one I heard in the cab on to the way to the airport where my Papa left me never to return. Michael asked me if I knew what it meant with a little condescending smile, so I pretended he meant the lyrics, not the meaning of the song title. I could have told him that and much more, all that my papa had taught me, but I didn’t. I looked out the window. He leaned over to me and proudly, twenty-two, secondyear graduate school smart, said it means, “Lord, have mercy.”

The postcard said: “Mercy is love, Anna-Margaret. Sacred love is also sacred grief and all grief needs its altar.”

Years later, I would realize these words about mercy did not help me.

I could not know our truth then, could not see our marriage broken like the doors of some temple. I could not know our children would die, that even then in that yellow cab already I was the wild widow of sorrow. On my wedding day, I remember crying as I cradled my papa’s gift. It took two arms to hold it, how I had no room for anything else. When Michael asked me why I was crying, I could not tell him.

Papa, sometimes I think about him. Sometimes, but never without thinking about that cab ride, his irreverent gifts, those last moments of his airport terminal departure.

When I say I died so young, people will tell me that I am still alive. I don’t correct them. I don’t say all deaths are figurative, relevant, a bowl of poison, with the sickness sticking to the pestle.

Evince Magazine Page 11

Pittsylvania County Submitted by Lisa Tuite

This is National Novel Writing Month!

Write 50,000 words in 30 days.

Library space is always available See www.nanowrimo.org for details.

Support local food pantries and pay off up to $10 in fines by donating canned goods during the Food for Fines program November 27 through December 22.

Brosville/Cascade • Tuesdays: Needlework 10am Learn or just have fun.

• Wednesdays: Wednesdays 4 Wees 10am Stories and more for ages 0-5 • Wednesdays and Fridays: Activate 9am easy exercises • November 1: Nutrition Program @ noon. Learn about healthy eating.

• November 2: Game Night 6pm board and Wii games for family fun • November 7: Movie 2pm • November 8: Craft Night 5:30pm • November 15: Nutrition Program @ noon Learn about healthy eating.

• November 16: Book Bingo 6-7:30pm family fun to win books • November 28: Youth Crochet 4:30pm Learn basic crochet stitches or get help on projects.

• November 29: Nutrition Program @ noon. Learn about healthy eating.

• November 30: Quilting Fun 5:30pm. Learn the basics of quilt making. Call for supply list.

What’s Happening in the Public Libraries Chatham • Mondays: Mother Goose on the Loose 11am stories and more for ages 0-3 and their caregivers.

• Tuesdays: Computer 1-on-1 Help 11am • Wednesdays: Preschool Story Time 10am stories and fun for ages 3-5 and their caregivers Computer 1-on-1 Help 6pm.

• November 3: Crochet 3-4:30pm Learn how; get help.

• November 7: Mini Book Jewelry Craft 4-5pm. Make a book charm.

• November 9: 2nd Thursday Discussion Group 4-5:45pm for adults.

• November 16: Bingo 4-5:30pm.

Family fun. Win prizes.

• November 17: Crochet 3-4:30pm Learn how, get help.

• November 28: Critique Group 4-5pm Read and discuss advance copies of books.

• November 30: DIY Christmas Cards 4-5:30pm for all ages Gretna • Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: Group Fitness 10am. Get fit together using DVDs from the library’s collection.

Danville Public Library

Submitted by Rachel Shaw

• Mondays: Storytime for ages 0-5: 1111:30am Maker Lab Open Hours: 3-6pm • Tuesdays: Crafter’s Club: 4-6pm • Wednesdays: Storytime for ages 0-5: 11am-11:30am; Mother Goose on the Loose @ Westover: 11-11:30am; Maker Lab Open Hours: 3-6pm • Fridays: Storytime for ages 0-5: 1111:30am • November 2: NaNoWriMo writing workshop with Fred Motley: 5:30pm • November 6: Monday Matinee: Read It, See it. The Shack (PG-13) 11am • November 9: Save Big During the Holidays: Couponing Class with Jaime 6:30pm • November 14: Book Club @ Westover Branch 11am.

• November 13: African American Voices Author Talk: Lakesha ReedCurtis 4pm • November 13: Essential Oils, Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and more 5:30pm • November 15: Children’s Program @ Westover Branch: 4:00pm.

• November 30: Paternity Establishment: A Father’s Legal Rights to His Child: 5:30pm All programs are free but require registration at ww.playdanvilleva.com.

For more information visit DPL, 511 Patton Street, www.readdanvilleva.org or call 434.799.5195. For the Westover Branch, visit 94 Clifton Street or 434.799.5152.

Gunn Memorial, Caswell County

Submitted by Erica Lowdermilk

Children • Tuesdays: Bookbaggers 3:30pm ages 6-12 • Wednesdays: Lambs and Lions 10am ages 0-5 • Thursdays: Learn basic Microsoft Word skills. 3:30-4:30 ages 12-18.

Snacks provided.

• November 13: Book Club for adults 6pm For more information, visit 161 Main Street East, Yanceyville, NC or www. caswellcounty.gov/library or call 336.694.6241.

• Wednesdays: Preschool Read & Rhyme 10am Stories, songs, rhymes and crafts for ages 0-5 and their caregivers.

• Thursdays: Virginia Cooperative Extension Family Nutrition Program 11am free 6-session healthy living program. Call 434.432.7770 to register. Learn to Crochet, 5pm. All levels welcome.

• November 1-3: Fall Book Sale On Friday, books sell for $2/bag.

• November 7: SOVAH Blood Drive, 1-5pm. Eat a good meal before donating. Picture ID required; each donor receives a t-shirt or umbrella.

Call 434.656.2579 to reserve a spot.

DIY Craft at 5pm Learn to make bath bombs. $2/person payable at sign-up.

• November 14: Homeschool Connection, 2pm. Continue a virtual round-the-world trip through stories and crafts.

2nd Tuesday Recipe Club: 5:30pm.

The theme is “Thanksgiving.” Bring a dish and recipe to share.

• November 28: Homeschool

Connection 2pm. Continue a virtual round-the-world trip through stories and crafts.

Mt. Hermon • Wednesdays: Mother Goose on the Loose 10am. Interactive story fun for ages 0-3 and their caregivers.

• Fridays: Preschool Pals 10am.

Stories and more for ages 3-5 and their caregivers.

• November 2: Game Day 4-7pm.

Celebrate International Games Week by playing board games.

• November 6: knitting 6:30-8pm. All skill levels welcome. adults • November 18: Saturday Family Movie 10:30am Cars, Cars, Cars • November 20: knitting 6:30-8pm All skill levels welcome. adults • November 21: SOVAH Blood Drive 2-6pm. Picture ID required, walkins welcome. Each donor receives a free T-shirt or umbrella.

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free. For more information, contact Gretna Library, 207 A Coffey Street, 434.656.2579; Mt. Hermon Library, 2725 Franklin Turnpike, 434.835.0326; History Research Center and Library, 340 Whitehead Street, Chatham; 434.432.8931; PCP Main Library, 24 Military Drive, Chatham, 434.432.3271; Brosville Library, 11948 Martinsville Highway 434.685.1285 or www.pcplib.org.

Page 12 November 2017

Calendar Clips Clip it. Post it. Do it.

For more activities, see the calendar on page 14.

Saturday, November 4 Linda McKenchnie Concert

First Presbyterian Church, 937 Main Street, Danville, is sponsoring a free concert featuring Linda McKechnie at 5:00 p.m.

Linda’s many talents as a pianist, arranger, and recording artist have inspired thousands of people around the world through her instrumental recordings and personal appearances. The New Jersey native succeeds in rejuvenating the traditional Christian hymns, praise-and-worship choruses, and Christmas carols by blending them with the powerful themes of the master composers Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. The public is invited. Child care will be provided. (submitted by John David Parris)

Saturday, November 4 Jeanette Williams Concert

This benefit for the Bachelors Hall Volunteer Fire Department, 1301 Berry Hill Road, begins at 5:00 p.m. with a $7 meal of pinto beans, fixings, cornbread, dessert, tea or lemonade. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. There is no admission charge, but donations for the Fire Department are appreciated. The performance is inside; there are a limited number of chairs so bring a lawn chair. Since her debut solo release in 1994, Jeanette has quietly become one of the most successful and celebrated women in bluegrass music. For more information, call 434.489.8080 or visit www.jeanettewilliams.com.

Sunday, November 5 Opening Reception for Art Exhibit at Prizery

A two-month art exhibit featuring beautiful award-winning oils, acrylics and pastels by Linda Garden is being presented by the Parsons-Bruce Art Association in the Robert F. Cage Gallery at the Prizery, 700 Bruce Street, in South Boston. The public is invited to the opening from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The exhibit will run through mid-December and will be available for viewing and purchasing during The Prizery’s regular operating hours. Visit www.prizery.com for more information. (submitted by Cathy Cole)

Wednesday, November 8 Ted Jones and the Tarheel Boys

Join Ted Jones and the Tarheel Boys, 7 p.m. at historic St. John’s Episcopal Church,197 Mountain Road, Halifax, for traditional bluegrass and gospel music with mandolin, rhythm guitar, banjo and upright bass. The group has released two albums, “A Place in Time” and a bluegrass gospel album, “Back to the Cross.” Tickets are $10 at the door. For more information, call 434.476.6696. (submitted by Donna Strange)

Thursday, November 9 Low & Lower Concert

Cellist Brooks Whitehouse and Bassist Paul Sharpe, America’s number-one selling cellobass duo, will present this concert in Averett University’s Blount Chapel, Frith Hall, 160 Mountain View Avenue. The ensemble’s performances are a mash-up of artistry, virtuosity and satire. With MacGyver-like determination they create, inspire and commission works using only the limited materials at hand – a cello, a bass, two voices, a sense of humor, a touch of theater and a willingness to do almost anything. Tickets are $5. (submitted by Danielle Staub)

Friday-Sunday, November 10-12 & 17-19 Xanadu Jr.

This hilarious musical adventure about following your dreams in the face of obstacles follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980. She is on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time... the first roller disco! (Remember, it’s 1980.) When Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds. The musical comedy, directed by Mimi Johnson Grubb, features thirty-four area youth, ages eight to eighteen. Show times at the Historic North Theatre, 629 North Main Street are November 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 7:30 p.m. November 12 and 19 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15/adults and $10/students. Call 434.793.7469 or visit www.TheNorthTheatre.com for more info. (submitted by Mimi Grubb)

Saturday, November 11 Veterans Day 10th Anniversary of Danville/Pittsylvania County Veterans Memorial Visit the Memorial in Dan Daniel Memorial Park, 302 River Park Drive, Danville.

Although no activities are scheduled, this is an opportunity to pay homage to the veterans whose names are inscribed there.

Ground was broken for the Memorial on Veterans Day 2005 when guest speaker and Danville native, Col. F. Harold Kushner, told of his experiences as a Vietnam prisoner of war for fiveand-a-half years. Kushner was featured recently in the ten-part, eighteen-hour, Ken Burns The Vietnam War series on PBS that debuted September 17. Kushner is now an ophthalmologist in Daytona Beach. Two years after the groundbreaking, more than 2,200 attended Dedication Day on November 10, 2007, to view the 158-foot, semi-circular, black granite wall inscribed with the names of 1,649 local veterans who died in all of our nation’s wars from the American Revolution to Afghanistan. The central focus of the wall is the slogan “Freedom is not Free.” The circular brick walkway is made of bricks engraved with the names of veterans, living or dead, from any place. Bricks are still available for engraving. To purchase a brick or to donate to the Veterans Memorial Fund, visit www.cfdrr.org or call 434.793.0884. (submitted by Debra L. Dodson)

Saturday, November 11 Breakfast with Santa

God’s Storehouse welcomes Santa and all who want to share a meal with him at Kickback Jack’s, 140 Crown Drive, in Danville. There will be a seating at 8:15 a.m. and another at 9:15 a.m.

Tickets are $10 and will be sold only in advance at God’s Storehouse, 750 Memorial Drive, Karen’s Hallmark in Danville Mall, Woodforest National Bank in

Evince Magazine Page 13 Wal-Mart and Commonwealth Home Health Center, 479 Piney Forest Road.

Bring a camera to take pictures when letters are hand-delivered to Santa.

Tickets are nonrefundable and all proceeds benefit God’s Storehouse. For more information, call 434.793.3663. (submitted by Karen Harris)

Wednesday, November 15 The Evolution of Photography

Matt Bell, award winning photographer, will present this program at the Wednesday Club, 1002 Main Street, Danville. Doors open to the public at 3:15 p.m.

Matt is a photographer for the Danville Register & Bee and has won numerous Virginia Press Association awards. Passionate about photography, he has also created the Living in Danville/Pittsylvania County Facebook page to “Showcase the beauty of Southside Virginia, and show the world that we love where we live.” Matt will discuss photography’s past while connecting today’s methods with tomorrow’s technology. This is also the day of The Wednesday Club’s annual bake sale starting at 2:00 p.m. (submitted by Melanie Vaughan)

Thursday, November 16 Saturday, November 18 Doubt: A Parable

Averett University Theatre Department will perform the stage version of this Oscar-nominated film in Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet Frith Fine Arts Center, 150 Mountain View Avenue, starting at 7:00 p.m. The play is set in the fictional St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx during the fall of 1964.

Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn are put into direct conflict when she learns the priest met one-on-one with the school’s first African-American student.

Mysterious circumstances lead her to believe that sexual misconduct occurred. Sister openly confronts Flynn with her suspicions. He angrily denies wrongdoing. She is left with great doubt in herself and her faith.

The audience is left with its own doubt. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students/senior citizens 60+. (submitted by Danielle Staub)

Upcoming

Saturday, December 2 Christmas in Milton, NC

Catch the holiday spirit at this event from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. featuring cloggers, music, singing, Santa in his workshop, food, giveaways and drawings. The Thomas Day House and the Museum of Milton will be open for tours and special activities. Artists will demonstrate wood carving and basket weaving at the Milton Studio Art Gallery. Shop at Milton’s charming shops: antiques, handmade soaps, local art, handmade jewelry and gifts, tie dyes and more. The Christmas tree lighting will be at 5:54 p.m. (submitted by Hosanna Blanchard)

Saturday, December 2 & 9 The Polar Express

Children are invited to dress in their favorite pajamas and bring the family to enjoy The Polar Express in the Danville Science Center Digital Dome Theater, 677 Craghead Street, at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Have a picture taken before or after the movie. First picture is free. Each additional one is $4. Tickets are $15 per person (DSC members $12) and can be purchased at the DSC in advance or through eventbrite.com. Space is limited.

Concessions will be available for purchase. For more information, call 434.791.5160 x 0 or visit www.dsc.smv.org. (submitted by Adam Goebel)

Page 14 November 2017

November Calendar Abbreviation Key

• AU=Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • CRRC=Cancer Resource Center 434.421.3060 • 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 • HNT=Historic North Theatre, 629 North Main St. Danville 434.793.7469 www.TheNorthTheatre.com • PA=Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org • RSG=Reid Street Gallery, 24 Reid St. Chatham 434.203.8062 reidstreetgallery.com • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com

Ongoing

DSC Exhibit – From Here to There! explores how things move by land, sea, air.

Guided Walking Tours – Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District. Danville Historical Society. www.danvillehistory.org.

434.770.1974.

DMFAH self-guided audiovisual tours. 434.793.5644.

Public Library Events. See page 11.

Pickleball. River Oak gym 120 River Oak Dr Danville MWF 9am, Mon & Tues 5pm $2 434.793.9648 Pickleball. Chatham Rec Center 115 S Main St. Wed 9am, Thurs 6pm $3 434.793.9648.

Nature’s Palette. Exhibit at DMFAH opening reception 2:30-4:30pm Exhibit closes December 22.

Tai Chi with Wyona – A slowmoving exercise to enhance breathing, calm the mind, relieve stress $6. Ballou Rec. Center Mondays 11:15am-12:15pm & 5:45-6:45 p.m. Wednesdays 3:30pm-4:30pm 434.799.5216.

Let’s Dance – Learn new dances, make new friends. Donna Robbins teaches a variety of dances in a fun atmosphere. A partner is not necessary. Adults 18+. Tues 7-8.30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Art with Judie – Learn how to paint with acrylic, oil, or water

color. M/TU – Times vary. Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216.

Kuumba African Dance – a great workout with live drumming and energetic dancing. Kids M/W 5.30pm; Adults M 6-7.30pm.

434.799.5150.

Prime Time Fitness – Lowimpact aerobics workout with a mix of various dance steps. Tu/Th 9.30-11am. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

Zumba Classes – Hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves create a one-of-a-kind interval training fitness program with fun routines that tone and sculpt the body while burning fat.

434.797.8848.

Art with Flo – Wet-on-wet technique of oil painting. Ages 18+. W 9.30-11.30am. Glenwood Community Center; 6-8pm, Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216.

African Rhythms by Nguzo Saba – West African dance to live drumming. W 6-7pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

Ballou Jammers – Acoustic musical jamboree. Bring a stringed instrument or listen.

TH 3-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

Friday Night Fun and Dance – Live music provided by the City Limits Band on the first, third, and fifth Friday. The Country Pride Band plays on the second and fourth Friday. Ages 50+. F 7.3010.30pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

November 1

public 2pm The Evolution of Photography: See page 13.

November 5

Throw Paint at Cancer: Peer-to-peer support group for cancer survivors and caregivers.

8-week session. Spanishspeaking participants welcome.

No previous art experience necessary. All supplies provided.

3-5pm Registration required. free DMFAH/CRRCSV 434.421.3060

Veterans Parade: begins at 2:30pm at the intersection of Broad and Main Streets and ends at the intersection of Main and Craghead Streets 434.836.0745 Art Exhibit Opening: See page 12.

November 7

Book Signing: Faye Kushner, author of The Time to Run, will sell and sign her book.

Gingerbread House 1799 Memorial Drive Danville 11am2pm www.thetimetorun.com VA/NC Piedmont Genealogical Society Meeting: Danville Circuit Court Office, 401 Patton St Danville. (Note: Due to security reasons with the courthouse and the available space, this meeting will be for society members only.)

Meet no later than 5:25pm in the parking lot behind the municipal building and use the side entrance. Persons arriving late will not have access to the meeting.

November 8

Ted Jones & the Tarheel Boys: See page 12

November 9

Low & Lower: America’s #1-selling cello bass duo. AU Blount Chapel Frith Hall 160 Mountain View Ave Danville 7pm $5

November 10-12

Glass Menagerie: Little Theater of Danville: DMFAH

November 3

November 11

November 4

Danville-Pittsylvania County Out of the Darkness Walk: Ballou Park 760 West Main St 11-3:30pm register at www.asfp.org/Danville Fall Bridge Street Food Truck Rodeo: Bridge Street Danville 12-6pm

W T F S 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 15 16 17 18 22 23 24 25 29 30

Linda McKenchnie Concert: See page 12.

Jeanette Williams Concert: See page 12.

DMFAH Tour: A special extended tour for anyone interested in becoming a docent. registration required 2-5pm Networking Session: Planned Giving with Debbie Flinn. Dan River Nonprofit Network 308 Craghead St Suite 104 Danville 9-10am free Science After Dark: DSC 5:309pm $5 free for college students AU Cougar Band POPS Concert: Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center 150 Mountain View Ave Danville 7pm free

November 2017 S M T

5 6 7 12 13 14 19 20 21 26 27 28

November 10-12 & 17-19

Xanadu Jr. See page 12.

Breakfast with Santa: See page 12.

Bright Leaf Brew Fest: Danville Community Market 629 Craghead St 3-8:30pm brightleafbrewfest.com Best Friend Bash: Benefit for the Pittsylvania Pet Center 5-10pm Tickets: $75pp/$30 per pet.

BFB@pittsylvaniapetcenter.org

November 15

Bake Sale Wednesday Club: 1002 Main Street open to the

November 16 & 30

November 16-18

Doubt: AU See page 13.

November 17-19, 24-26

Miracle on 34th Street: Halifax County Little Theater Friday & Saturday 7:30pm Sunday 3pm Tickets at prizery.com

November 18

Holiday Bazaar: features 100+ vendors selling handmade items.

Community Market 629 Craghead St Danville 8am-2pm

November 19

The Buddy Holly Story: Danville Concert Association George Washington HS 701 Broad St 7pm $30 adult, $15 student www.danvilleconcert.org

November 30

Averett Celebrates Christmas: Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center 150 Mountain View Ave Danville 7pm free

Upcoming December 2 & 9

The Polar Express: See page 13.

December 2 Christmas on the Plaza: Main Street Plaza 4-6pm 434.791.0210 Christmas in Milton: See page 13.

December 3

Riverview Rotary Christmas Parade: “Peace on Earth” Main St 3pm

December 5

VA/NC Piedmont Genealogical Society Christmas Social: Danville Public Library Auditorium, 511 Patton St Danville. Bring finger foods.

Beverages provided. 5:30-7pm

For more events see Calendar Clips on pages 12.

The deadline for submitting information for the December calendar is Monday, November 20, at 5:00 p.m.

Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Evince Magazine Page  15

Page 16 November 2017

“The Sun” is a blown-glass and steel sculpture that is part of the series Chandeliers & Towers

by Dale Chihuly.

Faithful readers will remember I received a brochure from the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History (DMFAH) with my membership card that promised free admission to over 880 arts, cultural, and historical institutions in North America. Always skeptical that nothing is really free, I decided to test that pledge by visiting a few of the museums listed in the North

Urban Forest outside the McCord Museum in Montreal welcomes visitors off President-Kennedy Avenue.

Admission Is Free

McCord Museum in Montreal, Canada

by Joyce Wilburn American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) brochure. Here is what happened in Montreal, Canada.

Viewing Wearable Art in Montreal

by Lanie Davis, Evince intern

surrounding it, Lanie Davis is an visitors know they Averett University are in the right student majoring place. The exhibits in communication inside celebrate studies/journalism Montreal life with a minor in including its history French. and the people

and culture of the For three weeks present and past. during the The permanent summer, I left exhibit Wearing Our my hometown Identity –The First of Danville to Peoples Collection study abroad in shows how Montreal, Canada, important clothing and be immersed and tattoos were to in the French The First Nations women wore the First Nations, language. Montreal dresses made from the deer skins the Inuit and Metis, is a gorgeous of female deer hoping to absorb in displaying their bilingual city that the good qualities of the doe.

The intricate beadwork made it accomplishments, feels like New wearable art and gave honor to the status, and more.

York City with old animal that sacrificed its life for the The exhibit included European charm. comfort of the wearer. dresses, coats, While studying moccasins, and tools. The detail there, I visited the McCord Museum, in the exhibit was phenomenal, a member of the North American especially the descriptions for each Reciprocal Museum (NARM) garment or object and included program. Members of the Danville numerous quotations and comments Museum of Fine Arts and History from the First People. My classmates (DMFAH) are given free admission and I spent a good two hours to any NARM museum. Also, on looking at every inch of two exhibits, Wednesday nights the McCord, one permanent and one temporary. located downtown near McGill University, stays open late and If you are traveling to Montreal, offers free admission to all (a $14 make this one of your stops. It’s free value for students). if you are a member of the DMFAH or visiting on a Wednesday evening.

The façade of the McCord Museum is plain, but with bright banners

While preparing for the Averett University Alumni and Friends Tour of Canada in September, I packed my NARM card along with my passport.

I wondered if the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History membership card from a small city in Southern Virginia would be accepted at the McCord Museum in Montreal, Canada, a cosmopolitan city of four million in a foreign country. It’s was a $40 question—the price of admission for two at the McCord. The answer? Yes! First stop at the McCord was a temporary exhibit Fashioning Expo 67: clothing, photos, and stories from people who worked at the world’s fair held in Montreal fifty years ago. The hostesses from each country wore unique uniforms representing the colors and traditions of their homelands. It was fun to see 1960’s fashions and hairstyles and read about an educational event that taught visitors about other countries decades before the internet connected them.

Next stop was Illusions-The Art of Magic, the most comprehensive retrospective of magic posters ever assembled for public display. The seventy-one chromolithographs and original woodcuts, several which were very large, illustrated the most popular entertainers between 18801930 including Houdini. Tours were offered in English and in French because Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city after Paris.

In contrast to the 1960’s fashions we found on the second level of the museum, the permanent exhibition on the first level, Wearing Our Identity: The First Peoples Collection, explores the importance of clothing to the First Nations of Quebec Province, the Inuit and Metis. (See companion story left.)

Red-white-and-blue hostess uniforms were worn by the guides from the USA, France, and England.

Leaving the museum wasn’t the end of the tour. A red carpet ushered us outside to an Urban Forest that sheltered crimson picnic tables.

The welcoming spot was bordered by fake trees flying brilliant red streamers that caught the fleeting rays of Montreal sunshine and encourage passersby to stop and enjoy the moment with friends and food.

Walking back to the hotel, we passed The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. To my surprise, there was a glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly on the front steps! I immediately thought of the sixteen-foot, 2,500 pound Chihuly Chandelier hanging in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach where a room was built around it and a guard was stationed nearby. The fragile Montreal Chihuly embraces the rain, sun, and crowds and is moved inside only during the harsh winter months.

Vandalism isn’t a concern in this city that loves art. In fact, a portion of every new developer’s budget within the historic district must go toward outdoor art.

• My NARM card paid off again— another fantastic visit courtesy of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History. If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one.

• To join the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main Street, and have free access to other NARM museums, visit www.danvillemuseum.org or call 434.793.5644.

• Other museums that I have visited and written about in “Admission Is Free” are: George C. Marshall Museum in Lexington, Virginia (May 2015); Wilton House Museum in Richmond (November 2015); Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach (January 2016); Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina (February 2016); Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art in Greensboro (May 2016) and the Andrew Low House in Savannah, Georgia (August 2017).

To read these stories, visit www.evincemagazine.com.

Evince Magazine Page 17

T

he word yoga means union, or unity of the mind, body, and spirit. It includes an extensive variety of exercises, from meditation and breath work to body movement, with the overall intention to calm and quiet the mind.

Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy, RYT

Our world today is one of instant gratification. We want something, so we get it. If it takes too long then we just move on to the next best thing. Why is there this relentless sense of urgency? What has happened to the revered virtue of patience? Some may blame it on the convenience of technology or the evolution of our generations, but in reality we all share the blame. Without a doubt we all enjoy fast Wi-Fi, green traffic lights, and prompt service at restaurants. However, my invitation to you today is to slow things down a bit.

I frequently discuss being

The poses and breathing practiced in yoga were created to prepare the body and mind to sit for extended periods of time in meditation. Photo by Clark Davis

Book Clubbing A Review by Diane Adkins

Magpie Murders

by Anthony Horowitz

Magpie Murders is a mystery within a mystery, a nested set of stories. One takes place in the 1950s; the other is contemporary. The story is introduced by Susan Ryeland, a book editor at Cloverleaf Books, as she remembers reading the latest whodunit in the Atticus Pünd series by author Alan Conway, the publishing house’s mainstay author. Then we are inside the inner of these nested books, which bears a very conscious resemblance to the works of Agatha Christie. In fact, Atticus Pünd is in many ways the spitting image of Hercule Poirot, a character I grew to love by watching Mystery!

Absorbed in the typical twists and turns that a Christie novel would take, the reader discovers, annoyingly, that the final chapter is missing.

It’s at this point that Ryeland enters again and takes us on the outer, contemporary tale’s search for answers. Where’s the ending? Who committed the murder? And then we discover that, along with his fictional creations, author Conway is also dead. At that point, Ryeland, rather than Pünd, becomes the detective.

Full of characters, plot twists, puzzles, anagrams, and word plays, this book is a mystery reader’s delight. Horowitz noted in an interview with NPR, “A whodunit is one of the few types of fiction that dot every i and cross every t, for all fiction is in a way a search for truth. Whodunits give you truth. The final chapter always nails it, closes it down, and you come away with a sense of satisfaction, which I don’t think you get in any other sort of book.” In the anxious world we live in, that type of certainty is a gift worth receiving.

Diane S. Adkins is especially fond of mysteries read as audiobooks.

present and honoring each moment (the only moment in which we are alive), but it can be quite a challenge to put that intention into practice. If we are

rushing from place to place, person to person, then our experience of life itself will be lost in the shuffle. This holiday season perhaps we can consider the significance of giving and taking time. Give yourself time to discover your passions and what it is that you are truly meant to do with your life. Give yourself space to grow as you expand beyond the confines of your opinions and assumptions. Give someone time to say I’m sorry or I love you. Give someone a hug or a shoulder to cry on.

Life is all about timing. When we stop forcing results and cease our efforts to control conversations, events, and others, we will find that things move more smoothly and the journey becomes sweeter. Where you are now is exactly where you should be. Let go of your judgment, competition, and expectations, even if only for a few minutes each day. When we no longer push to get what we want, we will find that we get exactly what we need.

Page 18 November 2017

T

he Two Sisters wine company in New Zealand has a page on their website dedicated to the topic of giving. They believe being generous is a mental health principle. It makes us human and keeps life going, promoting social connection and improving relationships. A generous person is happier and healthier.

I’d like to taste The Two Sisters Sauvignon Blanc, but unfortunately, I don’t believe their wine is distributed outside New Zealand. However, the sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Marlborough area on the South Island gets top billing. What is it that gives this white wine such a worldwide following? Sauvignon blanc grapes are known for being extremely terroir (soil, climate, sun exposure, etc.) or place driven, meaning they reflect the area from which they come.

It has been said that the area’s combination of a cool yet sunny, climate, low rainfall and freedraining, moderately fertile soil is perfect for making this popular wine. With a longer and

O

n August 21, son

Jeremy, daughter-in-law

Rose, ninety-year-old mother-in-law Doris, and I left before dawn to our total-solareclipse destination, Greer, South Carolina. We took along hard-boiled eggs for breakfast on the way--our morning sustenance appropriately derived from orbs.

We passed little South Carolina shops selling peaches and fireworks. Other businesses sold them too, except for one, a big red building named Adult Fantasy World; its sign advertising adult toys, no mention of peaches or fireworks, but I guess there was no need. Radio stations played appropriate music: Walking on the Moon, Slippin’ Into Darkness, Total Eclipse of the Heart. Upon reaching Greer, we saw people with telescopes and eclipse glasses, the height of fashion. In front of a pizza restaurant, one man seemed to be looking straight through a pizza box directly at the sun.

The Wine Spot Make a Life

by What You Give

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

cooler growing season, the South Island produces more pungent, acidic, and crisper sauvignon blancs. The often-used phrase “fruit forward” applies here where one immediately tastes the lush, abundant fruit flavors. In the case of Marlborough’s sauvignon, some of those abundant flavors include

tropical fruit flavors like grapefruit, kiwi, pineapple, and lime.

get. We make a life by what we give.” Cheers!

I encourage you to be generous and give that abundance of aromas and flavors found in wine to friends, family and even strangers.

Remember what Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we

• For more information, visit www.thesisterswine.co.nz.

• The most famous sauvignon blanc comes from the French towns of Sancerre and PouillyFumé in the Loire Valley.

The Great Schlotzsky’s Eclipse of 2017

the blackness of space flowing into an ever-increasing “notch” gradually deleting the solar disc. At totality, the sun’s corona appeared unevenly spiked, not even, like Lady Liberty’s.

When it was over, I reflected on the immense time between total solar eclipses in a specific location. That brought to mind an article I’d read about how starlight fell through an ancient pyramid shaft upon a mummified pharaoh’s empty eye sockets. I was glad this total solar eclipse’s image had fallen upon me while the eyes in my sockets could still see.

All ages viewed the partial solar eclipse at the Danville Science Center.

by Mack Williams, Natural History Educator Danville Science Center We decided on Schlotzsky’s Bakery Café for stomach-fueling and its parking lot for eclipse eye-fueling. The Café manager

gave us Moon Pies: one chocolate and one vanilla, both necessary for illustrating a solar eclipse.

After lunch we viewed the eclipse,

• View other celestial events at Science after Dark on the first Friday of each month from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead Street. This event includes a movie in the Digital Dome Theatre, creative hands-on activities, and telescope viewing at 8:00 p.m. On November 3, the wonderful features of the moon will be explored.

Evince Magazine Page  19

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Page 20 November 2017

Reflecting Forward In This Season of Giving Thanks

by Linda Lemery

W

e all

have

something to give.

Three things I enjoy giving are books, time, and acts of kindness.

Genuine Friends Keep You Young

by Carollyn Lee Peerman A true friend will tell it to you like it is and you’ll have complete freedom to be yourself. You can confide in a true friend without fear of reprisal. There is no time like the present to celebrate life with your friend. Here’s how: Mend a quarrel. Seek out an estranged friend and replace your misgivings with trust. Write a love letter; share a treasure; give a gentle answer; show your loyalty in word and deed; keep a promise.

Forego a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Listen. Apologize if you are wrong and try to understand.

Flout envy.

Examine your demands on others and think of them first.

Appreciate. Be kind, be gentle.

Laugh a little, laugh a little more.

Fight malice. Deserve confidence. Decry complacency.

Express your gratitude. Go to church. Welcome a stranger.

Gladden the heart of a child.

Take pleasure in the beauty and the wonder of the earth. Speak your love. Speak it again. Speak it still once again. Life is a celebration.

Not only is a genuine friend a source of continual encouragement, but also a sincere friend can keep you

young throughout life. After all, “Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind. It is a temper of the will; a quality of the imagination; a vigor of the emotions; it is a freshness of the deep springs of life. Youth means a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over a life of ease,” noted German-American poet, Samuel Ullman.

“Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years; people grow old by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. Worry, doubt, self-distrust, fear and despair, these are the long, long years that bow the head and turn the growing spirit back to dust.

Whether seventy or sixteen, there is in every being’s heart a love of wonder; the sweet amazement at the stars and star-like things and thoughts; the undaunted challenge of events, the unfailing childlike appetite for what comes next, and the joy in the game of life. In the central place of your heart, there is a wireless station.

So long as your heart receives messages of beauty, cheer, grandeur, courage, and power from men and from God, you are young,” added Ullman. Hopefully, those messages will be sent and received by you today. It will keep your spirit young.

I love books.

Because of that I have too many so I donate them to the Little Free Libraries (LFL).

The six LFLs in Danville look like wooden bird houses that have room inside to store books. “Bring one – take one” is often mounted on the unit. The theory is that having free access to books promotes reading and creates community as the books take flight from one home to another.

A colleague at work knows I stock LFLs with my excess books and brings me his leftovers. With LFLs, reading material is readily available for anyone. I think this giving movement is pure genius.

Giving time to others makes a difference in their lives. None of us have enough time and we must choose how to spend it. We can aid others in organizing and moving projects forward, but it’s not always fun. For example, sitting down with college students and filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not my favorite leisure activity, but it’s important because colleges look at the FAFSA as one factor in awarding student aid. Help is an especially important gift to students who don’t have families to assist them with this yearly task. Also, many of my students are so overbooked during the day that the only time they can meet is in the evening at the library. Spending half an hour with a teacher can dispel a lot of confusion, and I’ve found that my students are grateful and are more willing to apply themselves to learning when they know that extra times for help are available.

A third way I give time is by taking people to community events like concerts and plays. I drop them off at the entrance to the venue.

They don’t have to drive at night and we have great conversations on the way.

Acts of kindness present another way we can give to others.

Sending greeting cards and letters through the mail to distant friends for birthdays or special events is welcomed in an age when so much communication is brief and digital. My older friends particularly enjoy receiving a piece of postal mail that is not a bill. Another way I help is by lending medical equipment.

My mother passed away a few years ago and I loan her medical equipment to others who need it. Then it comes back and again goes out on loan. Mom would be happy that it’s being used by others. I’m just happy to help.

In this month of giving thanks, I am grateful for many blessings and enjoy giving back in small ways. I would love to hear readers’ stories of how they make a difference for others. Happy Thanksgiving!

• The LFLs in Danville are located at: Ballou Park, Coates Recreation Center, Dan Daniel Memorial Park, Danville Science Center, the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research, and the Bridge & Wilson Streets intersection.

About the Author: Linda Lemery (llemery@ averett.edu) works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.

Evince Magazine Page 21

A New Beginning for Thanksgiving

by Annelle Williams

Make your Thanksgiving feast a soup-to-nuts meal.

Soup has become a main course at our house, so sometimes I forget that it’s also one of the introductory courses to a formal meal. I don’t think anyone would say our Thanksgiving is formal, so this is about as close as we’ll ever get. Because there’s a full meal coming with tasty desserts, the soup course should be light and small, maybe a cup rather than a bowl. This soup is a perfect starter to wake the taste buds and prepare them to savor every bite of the coming attractions.

During a recent family meal we had a conversation about how you never know the adversities someone else might be experiencing. I came home irritated when I felt I had been treated badly while shopping and they were reminding me to be more understanding. This led to talking about the opposite situation--how we affect other people, and how giving an extra smile or moment of our attention can make a big difference, even though we may never know. So during this season of giving thanks, I’m going to make an effort to be more present and more pleasant, giving more smiles and less advice.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup With Tortellini (8 servings) 6 large red peppers cut in half and seeded 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup diced carrots 4 cloves garlic chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste 1 cup heavy cream or half & half or milk (the richer the product, the creamier the soup) 1 package fresh cheese tortellini, prepared as directed on package Manchego cheese, garnish

Flatten pepper halves skin side up with palm of hand and place on baking sheet lined with foil for easy clean up. Place under broiler until skins are becoming uniformly scorched. Remove from pan with tongs; place in plastic bag; close tightly. Keep in the bag for at least 15 minutes or longer. Remove from bag; peel away skin and discard. Roughly chop peppers.

Heat olive oil to medium high in soup pot. Add onions and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and thyme, briefly sauté. Add chopped peppers and chicken broth. Reduce heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes. With hand-held blender, puree until smooth. Add cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls, add a few tortellini to each and garnish with a small grating of Manchego cheese.

Questions or comments?

Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!

Page 22 November 2017

Duck made of flowers in Montmorency Falls Park near Quebec City.

Crossing the Border Expanding Knowledge

by Isla M. Wiles, Danville Master Gardener Travel broadens one’s horizons and for this Master Gardener, it also added to my knowledge of flora, both man-made and natural. On September 6-14, I traveled with Averett alumni and friends to Canada’s major eastern cities: Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Niagara Falls.

Viewing their magnificent urban gardens, one traveler commented, “These flowers are on steroids!” I agree. Here is what we saw.

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Topiaried lantana and fuchsias, tall canna lilies, (both red and yellow, some with variegated foliage), impatiens, dragon winged begonias, marigolds, and blackeyed Susans were used effectively en mass in beds, planters, and hanging baskets. Canada’s national color, red, was a favorite choice, but other hues played supporting roles. Hydrangeas, especially the popular Pinky Winky variety, were used extensively in plantings; some were stand-alone accents, some in multiples, and others in large beds where they were the only plants. Occasionally, there were topiaries six to seven feet tall. All seemed to grow and bloom prolifically.

Annuals still had masses of blooms and deep green foliage.

Their longevity may be the result of this year’s lower typical temperatures and Canada’s mostly cool and rainy spring and summer. Evergreen conifers, many in the favorite Christmas tree shape, were plentiful in natural settings and in beds. In higher elevations, some deciduous trees showed promise of fall colors, including Canada’s symbol, the maple. In Canada, as in areas of the Northern United States, maple syrup is a major industry.

I learned that it’s so expensive because it takes forty gallons of sugar water to make one gallon of maple syrup. In the Joan of Arc Gardens in Quebec, every flower native to Canada is represented.

When questioned

about the presence of a tender species, the local guide explained that Canada has an extensive range of temperatures and microclimates, including a desert in British Columbia.

In addition to the focus on blooming annuals, shrubs and plants, trees were a topic of conversation. Canada is conservation minded; companies that harvest trees are required to replace three seedlings per cut tree. Replanting is a job that enables college students to make money during the summer and assist in reforestation. They earn and save simultaneously because they live for long periods of time in the wilderness with no opportunity to spend their earnings. College students also contribute to the beauty of the landscape in the Niagara Falls area. Niagara Parks School of Horticulture students maintain the Niagara Falls botanical gardens as part of their tuition; their paid tuition is $1800 per year. The small school accepts only twelve students per year and they must maintain a 95 average or be dismissed. Upon graduation, jobs are plentiful as are advancement opportunities. Each year, the graduating class designs the Niagara Parks Floral Clock. The 2017 design reflects the 150th anniversary of Canada’s founding.

Although crossing the border into another country might not be in your plans, you can expand your knowledge of plants and gardening here at home by attending the local 2018 Spring to Green event.

See you there!

• Spring to Green, presented

by Danville Master Gardeners and Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE), is on February 3, 2018, at The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. Registration forms and information are available at www.danvillemastergardeners. org or call 336.340.1981.

Evince Magazine Page  23

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Page  24 November 2017