2021-01

By Phyliss Boatwright Almost four years ago, at the tender age of 60, I had ankle surgery that led to a major lifestyle change. A bad tendon and inflammation caused enough pain to make me seek help. When the doctor said I had a stability problem that could lead to a fall, I conceded to surgery. It was outpatient, so ...

By William Spivey Miniature artists play a hidden role in our daily lives and yet we are surrounded by their work. The money that we spend, postage stamps, book covers, jewelry, and product labels are all examples of miniature art in our everyday lives. (Can you find the spider on the one-dollar bill?) I don’t think that many people have ...

By Christine Whitt When I was growing up, the kitchen was a meeting place. Memories of grandma's apple cake, the smell of warm cookies, my sister swatting my hand away at a failed attempt to snatch some cookie dough have stayed with me. Sitting on the kitchen counter while my mom baked her famous chocolate chip cookies was a time ...

by phillip gillis I walked up to the counter and bought a bit of springtime for three dollars (and a quarter). Earnest money. It was a year ago when spring was spring summer was summery fall was yet to fall. winter before we winter’d. The season in front of us. now behind us. still around us. and in front of ...

Story and photos by Sam Seamster Greetings to all my fellow fishermen. I hope you all have had a chance to get out on the lake and do some fishing during the holidays. I certainly have had some good fishing trips over the past month or so, which brings me to the title of this article. Vertical jigging is a ...

Story and photos by Paul Liggitt “Go out and play” is what I heard growing up, what I have said many times to my kids, and is still a familiar phrase from moms and dads across the land. Maybe even more so this past year. In the age and culture of “screens,” it is a significant practice to simply go ...

By Cheryl Gosney Watts The Southern Virginia Botanical Gardens and Environmental Education Center (SVBG) is peacefully nestled on 15 acres in South Boston / Halifax County, Va. The Southside Master Gardeners first met in February of 2010 for discussions and planning, which led to an agreement with the county (which owns the land known as Edmunds Park) for a long-term ...

By Rich Zemonek In 1981, my parents fulfilled their dream of having a home on a lake by building on Hyco across from the old CP&L smokestacks (now Duke Energy Progress). The 20 years I spent coming to Hyco Lake as a teenager, a college student at NC State University and then into early married life were packed with great ...

Story by John Theo Jr Photos courtesy of the Library of Virginia When one thinks of northern transplants living in the south, word associations like retirement and Florida may come to mind. Other phrases like lower-cost-of-living or job-relocation sometimes correlate with North and South Carolina, but what brought a northerner like me to South Boston, Virginia of all places? In ...

By Marie Pridgen For 12 years, Milton Studio Art Gallery in Milton has featured art works, in many forms, by juried and regional artists. According to owner and artist Shirley Cadmus, visitors enjoy browsing through framed and unframed canvases and one-of-a-kind items such as carved wooden bowls made from pine, maple, or oak and handmade baskets crafted from staves, pine ...