Frontiers

Rain fell softly over the Rockfish Valley that morning in May, and fog hovered over the Blue Ridge Mountains. The weather forecast called for a break in the rain from mid-morning to early afternoon, enough time for our guests and us to visit The Frontier Culture...

Models, Mentors, and Mercy

Mothers Day. Fathers Day. Mothers and Fathers, models and mentors. Model: example, replica, ideal Mentor: adviser, guide, coach   Although I wrote here about my mother as one of my mentors, I think by definition she was more of a model to me. In some ways, I...

Our Town

Yesterday morning dawned overcast and chilly. While sipping coffee, I checked my newsfeed on Facebook. A dear friend had commented on a post from the daughter of a former neighbor of ours. The post began, “It is with heavy heart that I pay tribute to my dad, who...

Mawwiage

  “Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam. And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah… So tweasuwe youw wove…” -The...

High Winds

Last Wednesday afternoon, a storm packing high wind gusts blew in, downing trees and deck furniture. Our dogs sought comfort from Keith—I was in Charlottesville—and hid in the basement. On my drive home that day, and upon arrival, I found evidence of the storm’s...