Anne and I spent a delightful Sunday afternoon at the historic Rex Theater in Galax attending a performance of the musical comedy Nunsense, a Galax Theater Guild Production presented by the Arts Council of the Twin Counties, directed by our sister-in-law Stephannie Dees. The premise of the play is that the Little Sisters of Hoboken [...]

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One of the major pluses of having your wedding anniversary on July 1 is that the anniversary celebration effortlessly transitions into the 4th of July holiday. Our anniversary is a re-commitment to family; the 4th is a re-commitment to nation.
Anne and I have celebrated some memorable 4ths. We grooved to the Good Vibrations of the [...]

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My brother Michael is one of less than a hundred people left in this country who still hand-cane chairs. Caning is both a skill and an art form, and my brother is a master. Michael will be giving a caning demonstration Saturday, June 25, at the Farmers Market. Bring your chairs and questions to the [...]

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Saturday’s opening of the Wytheville Farmers Market was its best day ever. Not just the best opening day, the best day period. Market director Suzie Richert reports that not only did they have the most vendors (21), but the largest number of visitors and the highest sales gross. This year’s opening was also the earliest [...]

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Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “postmodernism” as either “of, relating to, or being an era after a modern one,” or “of, relating to, or being any of various movements in reaction to modernism that are typically characterized by a return to traditional materials and forms (as in architecture) or by ironic self-reference and absurdity (as in literature),” [...]

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One of the best free shows east of the Mississippi opened this morning in Hillsville. The 43rd annual Labor Day Gun Show and Flea Market is off to one of its best starts in years. Over 500,000 visitors are expected to flood the tiny town in Carroll County over the next four days. Several thousand [...]

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I’ve been getting a lot of hits from folks looking for information on the Hillsville Labor Day Gun Show and Flea Market, the largest flea market east of the Mississippi. I did a little checking and realized there is no central information site for a show that is expected to draw over 500,000 people this [...]

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The Chautauqua Festival, a week long celebration of life in the Blue Ridge, is underway in Wytheville. Sponsored by the Wythe Arts Council, the main festival is taking place in Elizabeth Brown Memorial Park off 4th Street in downtown Wytheville. Chock full of fun, food, and entertainment for the whole family, the festival began June [...]

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If it’s Memorial Day, then it’s flea market time in Hillsville. Twice each year, Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, the entire town of Hillsville turns into a huge flea market. Upwards of 500,000 people are expected for this year’s unofficial kick-off to summer.

Vendors from the professional circuit, collectors, and local crafters join together for [...]

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Forgive me for the picture. Part of the wreath was in shadow, and part of it was in sun. However, my lousy picture should not take away from Anne’s excellent wreath. She collected the cones from this tree in the front yard, (said tree soon to be swathed in red chili pepper lights)

attached them to [...]

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