terminally harrisonburg no. 11: union station.

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Katie and Jen

You know how it is when winter starts to lift. You’ve finally taken down the Christmas decorations, just in time for St. Patty’s day; daylight streams into your house at a different slant and intensity; your kids have been bickering for weeks, having been cooped up with each other since October; and you’re going crazy. That’s how it was a couple of weeks ago for Brandy, Jen, Danielle, and me. When I drove away from the sitter’s house on that chilly but bright afternoon, I breathed a sigh of relief that stretched across the entire city. An evening with the girls–finally! Even if only til 7pm. Even better, it happened to be Harrisonburg’s Taste of Downtown week. This glorious event in Harrisonburg provides an opportunity to try local cuisine–lunch and/or dinner–for seven days in a row and snag some really good deals. Right now, while you’re thinking about it and before you read any further, mark your calendar for August 12 – 18–the next Taste of Downtown week.

We decided on Union Station. They were offering a specialty burger (a different one each night of the week) served on a frisbee plus four 4-ounce draft beers, all for $12.    $12!!!   (They offer this special every Monday, by the way, but I can’t guarantee which burger they’ll feature.) The specialty burger this night had Girls’ Night Out written all over it: a patty topped with spinach, feta, and tomato. And we got to choose which four beers we sampled. That evening they offered Stella Artois, Dogfish IPA, Hoegaarden, Weeping Radish, Jefferson Reserve, Brooklyn Lager, and Legend Lager.
The beers were served on cute wooden paddles, which took me back to my elementary school days. Ah, public school in South Carolina. My second grade teacher–yes, YOU, Mrs. Ross–paddled me one day for sharpening my pencil without asking permission. In my defense, it was my FIRST DAY of school in South Carolina, having recently moved from New Jersey, and I didn’t know the pencil sharpening policies. Nor had I ever seen a paddle in my life. You can imagine my surprise when she came up behind me and hit me with that thing–I scraped my forehead on the pencil sharpener, screamed “STOP KILLING ME!” and ran like some kind of wild animal up and down the hall, just trying to get OUT OF THAT CRAZY PLACE. My dad had to pick me up early… it was a mess. Years later, Mrs. Ross moved into my neighborhood. I bet there’s STILL toilet paper hanging from her trees. Nevertheless, I went back to school the day after that fiasco, and here I am today. Ta-da! Anyway, that memory faded as the beer glasses emptied and our conversation turned to other topics. Girl topics. Like that show The Biggest Loser. How much Jillian Michaels scares us, how no one liked that one blonde trainer (Kim Lyons), and how Bob is just awesome.
At this point my memory gets blurry and my notes sparse… apparently I said a few embarrassing things you won’t read here. That’s the advantage of being the writer, see? When I say something stupid, it doesn’t get recorded. I vaguely remember Brandy saying something like, “I wish I was writin’ this crap!” Sorry. Heh heh! But when I got home, I found spinach in my teeth. Ah, karma.

Then “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac came on, and I thought of my dad, and then there were some tears. And Jen nearly broke her glass. Finally Cassie Baker–owner of Union Station–came over and organized our conversation.

Katie, Danielle, Jen, and Cassie
(Brandy's behind the lens)

When Cassie bought the property, she spent some time researching its history and wanted to do all she could to preserve that history for her clientele. She certainly succeeded there. Not only is the building beautifully renovated with many architectural details of the 1930s and 40s, but the servers at the restaurant provide brief lessons about certain historical landmarks around the city. Union Station was the name of a train depot built by B&O in 1911. It was actually located where the jail now stands. The Wetsel Seed Company purchased the property in 1944 and retained ownership of it until eminent domain rendered it city property in 1991. If you’ve not been there, it’s truly a beautiful restaurant, with a large dining area, an ample bar, a cute backroom, and a new banquet room that can seat 65.

dining room

We couldn’t leave without asking about the big math error in that back room.

1991 - 1911 does not = 89.

Cassie told us it was just a joke left by the painters, long ago.

It was nearing seven o’clock and we all had to get back to our real lives. We were so silly that evening we knew we had tons of ridiculous photos to share with you all. That reminded us of the photo of Brandy and me at Beyond in which Brandy thinks she looks like a man (puh-lease!), and I feel I have too much flesh between my sternum and my chin. What is it with my excessive neck-y-ness?? Ugh! Jen sternly told me, “Oh, Katie, that’s just your throat!” Well, that doesn’t make it any better, friend. So, thanks for reading and not looking (click here and scroll all the way down). And for the rest of this week, we’ll feature more photos we wish didn’t exist.

Union Station is located on the corner of Liberty and Market Street (Rt. 33) in downtown Harrisonburg. See you there soon!

citizens’ upRISEing no. 10: RISE.

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When I saw the Slinkies outside the door, I was instantly reminded of that Jim Carrey movie Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and the scene where he lets the slinky travel down all those stairs, yelling “It’s gotta be some kind of record!” and singing the Slinky theme song. If you remember, the Slinky stops just before the last step. Ace throws his hands in the air and shouts, “Oh, man! Can you believe it?! It was RIGHT THERE!” Ugh… all that excitement and anticipation and then… a last minute fail. Little did I know how relevant that movie scene would be to the sermon that day at RISE.

RISE is a Methodist church housed in the Court Square Theater. What a super venue: comfy seats, great acoustics, all sorts of audio/visual capabilities, and CONCESSIONS. (!) If you haven’t been, here’s a glimpse of what to expect.

When we attended one Sunday last month, we were met with a large, friendly crowd. Worshipers of all ages, infant to elderly, mingled in the lobby like long-time friends; people casually chatted while sipping coffee and nibbling muffins… it smacked of a family reunion. Yet another thing I love about this town.
Upon entering the theater with a shameful amount of goodies clutched in my arms, we heard Brent Levy and a six-piece band warming up the crowd with music lively enough to raise the dead (uh-oh, I feel a whole bunch of church jokes coming on. I apologize.). They have their own arsenal of songs, but they also play popular favorites from bands like the Avett Brothers, U2, Journey, and even The Muppets. And above the stage hung several large signs that said things like, “You can do it!” and “Yep… even THAT guy” and “It’s all good.” Wow–signs from God, right here this whole time. (Yuk, yuk, there I go again. Sorry. Okay, no more.) The signs were all part of a continuing series called “That’s What God Said.”
Pastor Amanda is absolutely darling–a powerhouse of heart and spirit with a cute haircut and a humble yet captivating demeanor. I loved watching her retell well-known Biblical stories (David and Goliath, for example) with a new energy, peppered with funny and touching anecdotes from her own life.

The first thing she said to the congregation was, “You are a gift.” Well, I almost started crying right there. Instead I inserted another muffin and got a grip. The message of her sermon was that God gravitates toward ordinary people and says over and over, “You can do it!” She pointed out several instances in the Bible where this occurs. Sometimes people think God has forgotten them because they’re “small, ordinary” people. They forget they deserve grace just as much as anyone. And she asked this question: “Why do we expect ‘wow’ to be something we can’t reach?” God thinks we’re ‘wow’ just how we are. Perhaps we could try looking through a similar lens. She demonstrated this idea with a story about her Senior Prom. The theme was Carousel of Dreams, and it might have been the ugliest prom in history. It was one event in her life that had a great deal of build up, then turned out to be ordinary, followed by a nasty bout of disappointment. But, there’s beauty in ordinary, too. Sometimes we’re Slinkies that don’t make it all the way down the stairs.

Then I spaced out for a bit while I remembered my own prom. I realized I don’t remember much of it. I don’t remember a theme. Here’s what I do remember:
1. Instead of going out to eat, my parents cooked us dinner at my house and served it to us in courses. While wearing aprons. CUTE.
2. The DJ played the senior class song, “I’m Goin’ Straight to Hell” by Drivin’ and Cryin’.
3. My date and I didn’t stay long. (Sorry, Mom.)
Here are some things Amanda said that stayed with me:
~”When we say we’re not enough, we’re also saying God is not enough.” Think about that one.

~ “Life is messy. Stop saying you’re sorry for being human.”

~ “We focus on who we’re not”–because we live in a society that commodifies and measures everything, imho.

At one point Amanda projected a picture of Jesus and laughingly called Him the Swedish Jesus with Highlights. I audibly guffawed at that remark–I mean, we’ve all seen that portrait of Jesus, right? And it reminded me of a time when my daughter was three and she saw a similar picture and asked me, “Mom, was Jesus a surfer?” Because of His hair, not the whole walk-on-water thing. So thank you, Amanda, for reminding us that Jesus was not from Scandinavia. Or California.

You can attend RISE every Sunday at exactly 10-ish at the Court Square Theater. You can get a free cup, tee shirt, and yes–a Slinky. Receive love, give love, repeat.

facing off: art lotto 2012.

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participating artists

Esther King    April Sedeen    Mariza Dovis    Ashley McCoy
Billy (Boyd) Smith    Ben Fraits    Annie Hogan    Brian Diener
Nicole Martorana    Chris Whitmore    Ashley McCoy    Cora Cloud
Jeremy Cline    Denise Kanter    Teale Davies    Eddie Mason    Erin Kling
Elliott Downs    Pat Jarrett    Renee Somers    Luke Watson
Trip Madison    Jay Herr    Jason Alexander    Victoria Topor    Rhoda Miller
Kurt Rosenberger    Bruce Rosenwasser    Angus    Ashley Miller
Lauren Rogers    Brandy Somers    Lynda Bostrom    Todd Yoder
Matt Sedeen    Megan Good    Toviah Morris    Morgan Fink    Noah Jones
Rachel Herr    Sarah Murphy    Laura Gaines Waldo    Sara Landis

gettin’ lucky in the burg no. 9: art lotto 2012

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You gotta admit it–Harrisonburg is a great town for art. A hub, if you will. A hotbed. Perhaps even a mecca. And on the lucky evening of the thirteenth of March, forty-three local artists journeyed to the Blue Nile to uncover their collective destiny… controlled completely by an old Elks Lodge bingo cage.

photo by Sarah Murphy

Unfortunately, I didn’t attend on the 13th, but Brandy and I recently went back to the Nile to relive “Luck of the Draw” night for Harrisonburg’s first annual Art Lotto. It just so happens that one of the participating artists–Lynda Bostrom–was tending bar, so between Brandy and her, I think I got a pretty accurate picture of the evening. But before that, a bit of history.

It was summer of 2011. Brandy and her friend (another local artist) Denise Kanter Allen met at El Sol for dinner and to discuss their upcoming joint art show. Inspired by her own collaboration with Denise, Brandy came up with the idea of bringing that collaboration to a larger scale. Brandy likened her idea to Harrisonburg’s long-established Rock Lotto, in which bands are formed in a random drawing. Art Lotto is similar in that each artist randomly selects another artist whose portrait he or she must then create. Denise loved the idea and couldn’t wait to help make it a reality.

*Speaking of collaboration, and I’m not really sure where to insert this tidbit, but Lynda Bostrom and Denise currently have a joint show on display at the Nile. For the whole month of March. What a coininkydink!!

The ladies tried to name the event something other than “lotto” because they didn’t want to step on any toes. But “Art Lotto” just sounded right, so they asked permission from the Rock Lotto founder and, with his blessing, went for it. After three months of sign-ups and meetings, the March 1 deadline arrived, and Brandy and Denise prepared for “Luck of the Draw” night on March 13.

Denise and Brandy. Photo by Pat Jarrett.

Which brings us to the events of that evening. Let’s see… Brandy insists she was very nervous talking to a room full of artists, even though she speaks to large groups of teenagers every day. But Lynda says Brandy was “graceful and teacher-like,” what with her handouts, bulleted lists, and stern shushing. The method of selection was in keeping with the whole lucky/lotto/13 theme: each participant had to come to the bingo cage and crank the handle not once, not twice, but thrice, as the lotto balls quivered nervously against each other.
Then the artist chose a lotto ball, on which was written another artist’s name. Interestingly, only two artists actually selected each other. And there was some Rosenwasser/Rosenberger confusion. To add to that confusion is my probable misspelling of both names. Sorry!!

This went on for some time, and after 129 handle cranks, Brandy and Denise had their results:
The photo above shows who’s doing whom. (Now don’t go starting any rumors.) Brandy reminded the crowd that Art Lotto’s purpose is “to get people who live in the same town and coexist and do the same thing to collaborate.” And it’s also about branching out and meeting new artists. She continued, “If you get your roommate, or friend, or brother, you can do ’em, but come on, people… do you really wanna?” Hm.
She also gave a few guidelines on this handout:
and added, with enthusiastic gestures, “Unless your piece is long and skinny.” Hm.

Okay, now these artists are prolific people, and they need time to complete their portraits with care and craftsmanship. Stay tuned for details about their finished portraits, which will be displayed to the public on Friday, August 3, at The Artful Dodger.

Have fun gettin’ lucky! And remember, size matters.

starry city nights no. 8: john c. wells planetarium

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When I sat down with my notes to write this entry, I couldn’t read a dang thing. Why? Because I took notes in the dark. I wrote words on top of words and am now relying on my memory for most of the details. HA. And Brandy. She quietly held her camera in her lap and snapped away at the dome, wishing upon one of those zillion stars that even one picture would turn out. A writer and a photographer in the dark. Whose idea was this?? Brandy’s totally paranoid about the photos you see here, but, God bless her, I think she did pretty darn well, and I expect to see LOTS of complimentary comments about her work, thankyouverymuch.

The John C. Wells Planetarium at JMU has FREE shows on Saturdays at 2:30 and 3:30. (Click here for details.) The 2:30 show is geared more toward younger kids, so the six of us attended that one. The planetarium has theater seats and, obviously, a domed ceiling that acts as a huge screen. The first half of the show we saw was a cartoon about Orion. Sweet (ultra-violent), romantic (obsessive) Orion, who has to slay beasts for his love, Merope, who is the daughter of the king of Chios. The king (who, by the way, in the cartoon, looks just like Ben Stein) gets sick of Orion’s constant attempts to “win” Merope’s favor (thankfully the cartoon glosses over all the violent stuff he did) and poisons him, causing Orion to go blind. Then he drifts, lost at sea, for miles and miles until he lands on Lemnos and is ultimately healed by Helios.

From there he goes to Crete, meets Artemis, and totally forgets Merope ever existed. Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt and has no feet.

Does that sound strange?

I thought so, too, but none of the women in the cartoon have feet. Their legs just taper down to points. There’s gotta be symbolism somewhere in THAT.

Anyway, Orion and Artemis get along smashingly. The climax of the film occurs when Orion turns into a ninja. At least, that’s what I think my notes say. I also think I wrote the words “Matrix-style,” but I can’t be sure. And something about a scorpion. And Orion DIES!  Artemis memorializes him in the heavens as the constellation you see today.

Oh, yes. I TOTALLY see it.

After the cartoon, the second half of the show started and this massive stellar projector with more than a hundred lenses and mirrors called the “GOTO Cronus Star Ball” rose up like a monolith in the middle of the floor.

The host, Dr. Shanil Varani, demonstrated several cool things. He showed us what’s currently visible in the night sky from the good ‘ole Burg, which includes Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury (!), and even Saturn. Wow! If you want a better view of the heavens while there’s so much to see, you can attend one of the FREE Public Star Parties held on the last Friday of each month in the meadow behind the Physics/Chemistry building. The next one is March 30, and you can like them on Facebook to get updates and make sure it hasn’t been called off for bad weather.

*As a side note, I have to confess that my spelling skills don’t work in the dark and I wrote “Pubic Star Party” in my notes. BAH!

Getting back on track, Shanil talked a lot about light pollution, which not only hurts one’s ability to see the constellations, but all that light at night is just a waste of electricity. Definitely an important point. The most meaningful part for me, however, was when he displayed the planets and talked about their size. We all know the sun is gigantic compared to the planets (a million Earths can fit inside the sun), even though the sun is not a huge star. And a thousand Earths can fit inside Jupiter–the largest planet.

But what really moved me, I admit, is that as large and looming and impressive and popular as Jupiter is, it’s commonly referred to as a “failed star” because of its size. Even JUPITER is too small… it doesn’t have the mass necessary for stardom. And so when I think of the failures in my own teeny tiny human life that I think are SO massive and so… irrevocable, I remember Jupiter… the laughing stock of the solar system.

Now that’s an ego check.

healthy, happy h’burg no. 7: PULP

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You can judge the quality of food by the sounds my son makes when he eats it. He hums while he eats. He’s done it since the day he was born. And he doesn’t even know he does it, because when you say, “Hey! Quit humming!” he doesn’t even look up. He just keeps eating and humming. Focused. Oblivious. Oh, the unapologetic joy of a five year old.

He was quite noisy on our recent trip to PULP—the smoothie bar located inside Shenandoah Bicycle Company (which is downtown between Dave’s Taverna and Clementine). They feature four açai bowls ($6 each and two people could easily share), or you can build your own. It’s like a smoothie, but thicker, which is why it’s served in a bowl. Because we had not the patience to discuss with the children what they actually wanted, we ordered one of each. 6 people + 4 açai bowls = a chorus of whining about having to share… but soon it was a veritable spoon/smoothie free-for-all. “Gimme some!”  “Can I try yours?”  “Mom, he’s not sharing!”  Sheesh, people. Let’s calm down now. We’re all here for the same reason: YUMMY.
Brandy’s favorite was the O.G.—a sweet blueberry açai bowl. Bree got the Ruby (strawberry), but she soon migrated to Blake’s (The Braley’s—tangy raspberry), and Cal took over the Ruby. Ella got the Short Mountain, which I LOVED because it tasted just like ice cream. She shared with me, sweet girl.
Everyone was quiet for quite some time.
Except Cal, who was humming.

Pulp also serves tea, so when you’re freezing from having eaten an entire açai bowl yourself, you can warm up with one their nine varieties of hot tea. And while you sit there, feeling better by the second from all the powerful, superfood nutrients coursing through your veins, you can be inspired by your surroundings—bikes.

Brandy and I both got our bikes at Shenandoah Bicycle Company. In fact, we bought the same bike (different times—she got hers first). The only difference is color—hers is blue, and mine is… like a champagne color. Oh, and mine is bigger, because I am an unusually loooooong person.

Wow—I really strayed from the topic there. Obviously we need to do a piece on the bike shop itself. So, we’ll be back! And next time, I’m getting that Short Mountain.

And I’m not sharing, so you can just STEP BACK, friend.
Now that spring is here, we’re all excited to get back outside, get moving, and feel young again. Stroll on down to PULP, kill your winter sluggishness with a nutrient-packed treat, and maybe you’ll ride out of there on two wheels… and with a happy belly.

city noise no. 6: massanutten regional library with jmu steel drum band.

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“You don’t look like hell.” Those were Brandy’s words to me when we met at the library on a recent Saturday. Ha.

That’s okay—it’s compliment enough for me. I’ll take it. Then she made me search her bangs for the one strand of hair that had flopped over her part. I couldn’t find it. I didn’t have my glasses.

On this day, we were at the Massanutten Regional Library to (check out forty pounds of books and) see the James Madison University Steel Drum Band perform. The event was organized by MRL’s Clare Eakin, who serves as the Youth Services Coordinator and has an awesome haircut. Brandy and I took the kids (this time we both had our kids with us) into the meeting room and sat in some chairs that had been arranged in a semicircle. The kids plopped on the floor, and as other kids arrived, they started making cute conversation, such as “What are your guys’s names?” “I like your shirt,” and “Smell my hand.”

The JMU Steel Drum Band, comprised of six female and four male students, is led by Michael Overman, who before starting the concert, gave the kids some steel drum history. He asked the group, “Where do steel drums come from?” and one kid shouted, “Trash cans!” (Actually, he explained, they are oil barrels.) Alas, he was really asking a geographical question, so he tried again: “Where in the world were steel drums first made?” Another kid answered, “A factory!” Ha! I LOVE that kid. (Really, it’s Trinidad.) Anyway, then he talked about the hammers and pounding and dents required to make the instrument, and he explained that the steel drum is the only instrument which, when you hit it, vibrates as a whole—the entire drum contributes to the sound.

Then he went back further, before the steel drum, and talked about the primitive instruments of an oppressed culture—how they were not allowed to possess instruments, so they made what they could, usually bamboo sticks they’d beat against various surfaces… but that they also used the sticks for “nefarious purposes,” often sharpening the ends of their “instruments” (you have to picture Michael’s air-quotes here), like Roger in Lord of the Flies. It’s all fun and dancing until someone sharpens his bamboo stick….

Anyway, the bamboo sticks evolved into biscuit tins and then, at the end of WWII, oil barrels left behind at the base in Trinidad. Cool, huh?

So they played several numbers. The first was called “Steel Drum Paradise,” and this adorable kid in an orange shirt started breakdancing. I LOVE that kid. The kids kept on wiggling through “Zombie Jamboree”–they must have happy zombies in Trinidad because the tune was NOT scary at all. Next was “Island in the Sun,” which Michael said would sound familiar if we were Harry Belafonte fans. Well, I had to research that, and sure enough, click here.

Everyone loved it when they played “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”–the kids danced, the grown-ups sang…. Brandy asked her daughter, “Would it embarrass you if I got up and started dancing?” Ella shook her head “no,” but inside she was, “HELL, YES.” Brandy refrained. At this point I was longing for flip flops and a drink that’s served in a coconut, and I thought if I ever have another, ahem, “big event” in my life, I’d hire these people so they could play “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” all night.

The fifth number was “Everybody Loves a Saturday Night” (yes), which we all sang once we learned the lyrics, and you know? You have to sing really loudly to hear yourself over those drums.

Between songs, the instructor let the children walk through and touch the drums, except for the one kid who was asleep. Who falls asleep during a steel drum performance? That kid. I LOVE that kid. Anyway, the kids had a chance to play the drums and interact with the musicians, which they loved.

Kudos to Clare Eakin for another great kids’ event at the library (we’ve also attended events involving horses and llamas). Click here to see more about children’s activities at the library. And many thanks to Michael Overman and his steel drum band for their educational performance. You can find a schedule of performances by the JMU percussion ensemble here. Be sure to catch them before the semester ends!