Christmas memories. Strange, how some things stick in your mind through all the years. A Christmas memory I vividly recall happened in 1956. It was a few days before Christmas and Uncle Jim, my Aunt Jodi and Mama Ida had come from North Carolina to spend Christmas at our house in Lewisburg, WV. With an hour or two of sunlight remaining, I asked my uncle if he wanted to take the dogs out and … [Read more...]
Born This Day
(The final in a 4-part short story, While Shepherds Watched) Amos was now alone, a sole shepherd guarding the sheep, as the others departed hastily towards Bethlehem in search of the newborn King. The Angels had come and gone, leaving the shepherds with amazement and joy. The Messiah, promised from the beginning of time, had been born that night in Bethlehem. But someone had … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas, Mr. Cactus
We have a Christmas Cactus, several actually. Nancy has combined three smaller plants - given to us as previous holiday presents - into one, large Christmas Cactus pot. Except, our plants do not pay attention to the calendar. It (they) usually blooms at Thanksgiving. Like small children, they just can’t wait for Christmas Day. Native to Brazil, there are several varieties of Holiday … [Read more...]
Creating a Quail-Friendly Wildlife Corridor
(Quail populations are down by over 80% since the 1960s. Some have given up all hope of their return, but others are taking action, as described below.) By Marie Majarov Landowners and neighbors in rural western Frederick County dearly missed the once-frequent “bob-WHITE” whistle and coveys of northern bobwhite, our native Virginia quail scurrying across their … [Read more...]
Holidays: So Much to Enjoy
By Nancy B Merry Christmas! There is so much to do during the holidays that often it’s hard to take time to enjoy. Decorating, cleaning, baking, sending Christmas cards, shopping, and wrapping seems to take precedence. That being said, I have made time to enjoy the Winter Wander at the Boar’s Head Inn, “Elvis” at the Paramount, read two Christmas books that have been ignored on my … [Read more...]
Parker Barbeque: East vs West
The state of North Carolina is clearly divided between East and West. A boundary as distinct as the Berlin Wall separates the two. The Tarheel State population is split – those who prefer Eastern North Carolina BBQ and those who think the Western style is the real deal. The dividing line is somewhere near Raleigh and the battle for bragging rights as to which is best has been raging for … [Read more...]
Ground Turkey Soup
I love a bowl of turkey soup on a chilly winter day. I just pop a couple of fresh turkey wings into a crock pot or Dutch oven with some chicken broth and cook until it falls off the bone, add some rice and enjoy. But I haven’t been able to find any turkey wings recently. This week I was determined to do a pot of turkey soup of some description and looked in Food Lion, Wal-Mart and … [Read more...]
Going, Going, Gone
That’s the Virginia rockfish season, and it’s almost gone. Virginia’s striper season ends next Friday, New Year’s Eve. December 31st. After that, it’s all catch and release. The Bay water temp at the CBBT is now 50 degrees and most of the large rockfish are being caught on the east side of the Bay. Some are coming from areas near the mouths of the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, and … [Read more...]
Reflecting on Reflectors
We put up our Christmas tree exactly one week before Christmas, and we took it down one week after. Never earlier, never later. It was tradition in our family when we lived in Lewisburg in the 1950’s. Selecting the tree was another tradition. On the appointed day, everyone piled in our car, a fifty-something Pontiac and headed for Bud Simm’s Esso Station, one of only a … [Read more...]
While Shepherds Watched, Part III
The Glory of the Lord Amos, a young shepherd from Judaea was guarding the gate of the sheepfold while his father, Benjamin, and Shimron, his uncle, were asleep. The three shepherds had 98 sheep in their flock, intended to be sold as sacrificial lambs to the worshippers in the temple in Jerusalem at Passover. There were two other smaller flocks in the fold with their shepherds nearby. … [Read more...]
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