Ask a Country Church

Virginia is known for its deep American history.  Having lived here nearly four years, I have come to fully embrace my status as a Virginian and have learned to appreciate the stories of the past that define my "Old Dominion" state.  Recently, a good friend and I were lamenting how little we knew about some of the farms and homesteads that surround us.  "Somebody needs to write a book," she said.  And while an undertaking of that enormity is not exactly in my near future, I set out this weekend to get some pictures and learn a little bit about some of the country churches just minutes from my home.  

Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church, circa 1874, is located in Rapidan, Virginia.  Built in a Carpenter's Gothic style, the church was named in honor of Rev. James Waddell, a local blind preacher who became a key player in the battle for religious tolerance during the Colonial times.

 One of my favorite little country churches, Emmanuel Episcopal was also built in 1874 in Rapidan.  In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt attended Sunday services here with his wife.  The church has flooded twice, most recently in 1996, whereafter the building was moved from its original foundation next to the Rapidan River, to the location you see today.

 This dilapidated church is located in Culpeper County.  Although it no longer has an associated name, the 1908 structure was called the Winston Family Chapel.  In perfect Romeo and Juliet fashion, a Winston daughter married a member of the dueling Somerville family.  Over the generations, the Winston family has died off, and the remaining Somerville heir no longer claims the chapel.  A local historical society hopes to restore this beautiful stone structure.

South Plains Presbyterian Church is located in Keswick, VA.  Built in 1819, this small church of only forty members still has original oil lamps hanging on the walls.  

 Grace Episcopal Church is by far my favorite little church on the drive from my house heading into Charlottesville.  Also located in Keswick, Grace was one of only six colonial churches in Virginia when it was constructed in 1745.  The foundational stones of the 32x24 structure can still be seen by the large oak trees in front of the present day church, built in 1855.  Its first rector, Rev. James Maury, educated Thomas Jefferson in the mid-1700's out of the classical school he ran in his home.  In the earliest years, congregants were asked to financially support the ministry with cash or by a levy of tobacco.  Today, Grace Episcopal Church hosts an annual Blessing of the Hounds ceremony held on Thanksgiving Day.  Fox hunters, horses and hounds, and local parishioners gather to offer prayers and thanksgiving in the front lawn.

So, next time you drive an all-too familiar route in your own hometown, take note of the places you'd like to learn a bit more about and then do your research.  The history is there for the taking and best of all, it's free.    

Getting into Character

Anyone who knows my family understands that we are gaga over Halloween.  I truly believe we start talking about next year's costumes around New Year's Day.  And when the Wishcraft catalog arrives in our mailbox in August, you can just forget it.  Due to a very persistent big sister, even Henry and Harper are feeling the heightened pressure to decide "what we're going to be" for the big day.  By using clever mommy tactics, I have always convinced my children to steer away from the most popular costumes as well as the heinous polyester messes and, of course, the scary disguises.  And thanks to a mother-in-law who's made more than a few costumes in her day, most of our wares are of the homemade sort.

So yesterday on the playground, my three little pumpkins made their final selections- a rose garden for my Harper Rose, a super sleuth for Maddox, and a red "twain" for young Henry.  Guess I'd better be off to the craft store to start gathering supplies.  Good thing I've got six weeks to prepare!
     

A Fresh First

My first grade teacher's name was Mrs. Gray.  She was a kind, grandmotherly figure who taught me the love of reading, how to tell time, and how to add and subtract.  I still remember the felt apples she kept on the bulletin board that we used to learn our math facts.  So how is it possible when I can vividly remember Mrs. Gray, my classroom, and some fellow classmates, that I now have a first grader of my own?

In a moving article written last year for the Huffington Post, Jennifer Rowe Walters describes this age perfectly.

"We know what six looks like. We know six's gap-toothed smile and its gangly arms and legs. We see how it jumps and dances. How it twirls and runs. We know how funny six is. How absolutely charming it can be. We know six's terrible jokes. We know its crooked "S" and its backwards "3." We see how it teeters on the cusp of the world of books and all the joys of reading, but how it's not quite ready to fall in yet. We see how six can't decide if it wants us to stand beside it or not. We watch it take two steps towards independence and one step back towards us every day. We know how sturdy and strong six is... and yet how frail and fragile.

We know what six looks like. How beautiful it is. How precious. How brightly it shines with promise. How much it looks towards the future... toward 7,8,9... How much it looks like forever."

So with a gap in her front tooth, a backpack still too big for her shoulders, and a confidence in her step, Maddox jumped on the bus today, ready for another year of school.  And all we could do was smile.

 

The Maine Event

My mother will tell you that I have been talking about Maine now for decades.  She reminds me that as a grade schooler, I vowed I would live there someday.  Well, apparently the eight year-old version of me was onto something.  Graham and I just came back from the most amazing weekend in the Polar Star state and it was everything you would expect it to be--quaint towns speckled with old sea captains' homes, rocky beaches, sea glass rolling in at high tide, vibrant flora and fauna, sailboats at sunset, lighthouses, and lobster rolls.  On the flight home, instead of choosing what location or experience of our trip we loved the most, both Graham and I agreed that it was a particular time of day- the mornings- that held us most captive to Maine's beauty.  Our early beach walks, collecting smooth black stones, sipping coffee to keep us warm in lifting fog, practicing yoga on the lawn of our inn or going on a beach run, were our best moments.  So, here's a look at Maine in pictures!  Fully worth your consideration for a summer vacation spot or a fall foliage destination.  Heck, I bet even the winter is gorgeous.     

 

 

A Bountiful Fest

This weekend, my family braved the rain to attend the 2nd annual Edible Food Fest in Orange.  All from central Virginia, these earth to table vendors showcased their most delicious produce, offering tastings, demonstrations, and tips for preparation.  There were also lectures from sustainable living experts, but with three children in tow, we stuck a little closer to the kids zone- planting seeds, enjoying face painting, and sampling fresh fruit pops.  We were all soaked by a big rainstorm that blew through around noon and missed some good-looking gyros we hoped to have for lunch, but we still came home with some yummy foods, using a basil pesto and veggies we picked up as a base and toppings for the homemade pizza we devoured for dinner.  

The Market at Grelen and The Garden Patch are local and delicious and worthy of a visit to their markets, open from spring to fall.

We made a connection with the owner of the Hudson Henry Baking Co.  Her granola is wholesome and amazing and she has a little Henry just like us.

We couldn't pass up a dozen of these goodies, just off the doughnut truck from The Market at Grelen.

You wouldn't believe how tasty these fresh fruit pops are; lemon ginger and strawberry coconut milk are my faves.  From Pantheon Pops in Charlottesville.

Had to pick up a bottle of the Chambourcin grape juice from Oakencroft Farms after the company rep rattled off this sangria recipe to me:

Chambourcin Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of chilled Chambourcin grape juice
• ½ cup pitted and quartered fresh cherries
• 1 sliced fresh peach
• 1 sliced lemon, remove seeds
• 2 sliced oranges, remove seeds
• ½ cup brandy optional

Directions:

• Place all in pitcher and allow to chill 4 hours

Our thanks to the Orange Downtown Alliance for another wonderful Fest!

Make it Meaningful

Next Friday, Graham and I will be heading up the coastline of southern Maine for a long weekend of lobster eating, lighthouse spotting, and beach combing.  As a girl who has never been north of New York, I gotta tell ya', I'm pretty thrilled to be going to such an iconic location.  One of the things I simply cannot wait to do is peruse around little New England towns like Bath, Wiscasset, and Rockland for a day.  I will be on the lookout for a new piece for my summer beach collection that I use to decorate my living room with between May and Labor Day.  I am of the mindset that good decorating takes time, and pieces should be meaningful and accumulated slowly.  Nate Berkus explains it well in this article.

"I always want objects in my home that have a connection to me or something I've loved," he says.  "It's still stuff, but it's stuff that has meaning."

 This spring, my husband's parents gifted us with the picture that his Grandmother Crouch painted of little Graham at the beach in 1982.  It works perfectly in my living room.

 I got this interesting backdrop at a paper store in New Orleans and bought it without really knowing what I was going to do with it.  It works well as a frame for these starfish, collected on a family vacation to Cape May, New Jersey.

 I saw this screen printed pillow at my favorite local store, Shabby Love, and had to have it.  A quirky little addition to my summer pillow collection. 

"Everywhere your eye travels in your home, it should land on something that resonates with you," says Berkus.  At a sisters weekend a few years ago, we all signed seashells for our nieces/nephews.  I keep Maddy's in this jar with our other ocean finds.

What meaningful treasures do you have in your home?

Yard Sale Ya Ya's

It's amazing what you can accumulate after a decade of being on your own.  One would think that with all the times Graham and I have moved post-college, our "stuff" would be pretty well purged, but my yard sale this past weekend proved that to be false.  I wouldn't have even considered such a daunting task except for the nudging of my eldest daughter.  Maddox has been saving her pennies up all summer for a trip to the American Girl store in D.C., and somewhere along the way, she caught on to the idea that a yard sale could be a lucrative venture.  So, after much prodding and begging, I agreed.  My name is Molly, I am 32 year old, and I lost my yard sale virginity on August 3rd, 2013.

In typical trial-and-error fashion, I learned a few things from my little event on Saturday.  My sales background told me to merchandise well and create displays.  I made the entrance welcoming and put bigger items toward the front where they could be easily accessed.

Though my husband thought I was crazy, I picked up plastic tablecloths at the dollar store and put them on the tables.  I wanted my sale to look cheery and well-organized so people would have a positive experience.

I organized my jewelry on a framed chalkboard/cork board I've had for ages and priced it to sell.  I also grouped similar items together (like the picture frames below) and I tied window panels, pillowcases, and quilts with pretty ribbon to keep them from ending up in a big, messy pile.

I made Maddox's nook look festive with bright colors and artwork and we sold breakfast items and water bottles to keep it simple.  She made $30!  Not bad for a morning's work.

 We made our guests feel welcome and at home so they'd stick around awhile and told personal stories about the items we were selling, like this BOB stroller that I jogged with practically every day with Maddy when we lived in Dupont, WA.  I love that it is going to a great family!

I enjoyed my pals and met some new neighbors!

My friend Marlene also joined me to sell on Saturday.  We spaced our items out so as not to get mixed up (mine were in the yard, hers were on the driveway).  I advertised for us in the newspaper and with neon signs around town, while Marlene took care of all the online promotion.  We made a good team and had a great day!  Just call us the Yard Sale Ya Ya's from now on.