my beautiful dead tree.

Posted on October 6, 2013 by junebug

I have at least a hundred trees in my yard, and while I’ll be cursing them loud enough for the neighbors to hear in a few weeks because I’m wading shin-deep in fallen leaves, right now I love them and the golden-orange glow they cast over the whole property.

The prettiest tree I have is a hickory nut tree that sits right outside my large living room window. Right now its leaves are the color of French’s mustard and Buffalo wing sauce, and against the bright blue sky, it’s almost too beautiful to look at.

What makes the tree even more special is that it should be dead. Woodpeckers attacked it long ago, and now squirrels make their home inside the trunk. I can literally see a squirrel enter the tree through a hole at the bottom and then reemerge from a hole twenty feet up. The tree is completely hollow. It should be dead. It could crash on the house any second. Yet, it’s teeming with life, inside and out. Year after year, it continues to leaf out and produce nuts and shower my living room with warmth.

I just wanted to share that.

Take some time this week to gaze at your favorite tree. And here’s the rest of what’s happyning in the burg this week!

wine lovers: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013.

Posted on October 3, 2013 by junebug

Copyright © 2012-13 · All Rights Reserved · ilovemyburg.com. Written content by Katie Mitchell. Photos by Brandy Somers. This material may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, or printed without express written consent. Thank you for respecting our intellectual property.

merci bouquet: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013.

Posted on October 1, 2013 by junebug

breathing lessons: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013.

Posted on September 30, 2013 by junebug

ch-ch-ch-ch-choices.

Posted on September 29, 2013 by junebug

Life is about choices. Do I take this path or that? Do I buy this car or that? Do I attend this college or that? Do I order beef tacos or chicken?
This week, you all have some tough choices to make. Unless you figure out a way to clone yourself so you can attend everything. If you do, please tell me how. However, I would prefer if the real you tells me, not your clone, because that would be creepy.

First Friday is upon us again (yay!!), but also these fine events: the 47th Annual Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale, Dayton Autumn Celebration, JMU’s Fall Bulb Sale, the Collins Center Disco Gala, a Rocktown Rollers bout, the Latino Film Festival at Court Square Theater, and a ton of live music.

So, mull this over, and choose wisely, people. You won’t get a do-over til next October. Happy Happynings, H’burg!

a wine-wine situation: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013. yow!

Posted on September 27, 2013 by junebug

Harrisonburg’s getting pretty good at this festival thing. Between film festivals, music festivals, beer festivals, various heritage and diversity festivals, and wine festivals, you can be festive every month of the year in this town. I LOVE IT. The key to any great festival is inclusivity. Variety. Public interaction. The spirit of welcome. Makes sense that you’d find such qualities in full force on a Saturday afternoon in Harrisonburg.

Because of the awesome collaboration of our local businesses and organizations like Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, Bluestone Vineyard, and Downtown Wine and Gourmet, plus a host of local restaurants, and our always-reliable army of cheerful volunteers, citizens of and visitors to our city were able to enjoy a day where people, wines, and foods of all types engaged in merry mingling.

If you were there, you know the weather was absolutely perfect. Brandy, Michael, and I arrived promptly at 2:30, moved swiftly through the entrance line, and in a flash, had our stemless glasses in hand. We threw our stuff under the big tree and headed for the Turner Pavilion. There would be time for sitting later!

We headed for the nearest table, which happened to be number 6. There we found Bluestone Vineyard’s 2011 Rose paired with ( I know it sounds strange) Local Chop and Grill‘s Duck Fat Laced Local Watermelon cubes filled with Feta-Olive Mousse. I was a little wary at first… but then I ate like three cubes. Yes, watermelon and feta sounds like some kind of accidental spill, but those people know how to put flavors together! See? Integration. IT WAS DELICIOUS. We were off to a great start.

We got excited when we got to table 4 and saw the word “sriracha.” It’s getting to the point where I need it every day. Billy Jack’s offered a house-made crab cake with sriracha mayonnaise, paired with Don Manuel Chardonnay from William Harrison Wines. The fruity tones of the wine with the spicy crab cake were, again, luscious, and I started feeling a bit fancy.

Table 2 featured two of our favorites: Crosskeys Vineyards and Beyond Restaurant and Lounge. And I’m pretty sure as I approached the table, I let loose with a “Where are the meatballs?!” Cy kindly informed me that they were at the table across the way. “Beyond has two tables? Ohmygolly.” So we gladly ate the Crispy Vegetable Dumplings with house-made garlic and ginger soy sauce, paired with Crosskeys’ super-crisp and summery Joy White.

Next we got to sample my favorite meatballs in the universe, Beyond’s Teriyaki and Pineapple meatballs. The Tinto Negro Mendoza Malbec from Vineyard Brands was a soft, mild wine that didn’t compete with the meatballs, but complemented them. Which was probably wise because those meatballs kick butt. I remember that we lingered at that table for some time… til a plate of cheeseburgers went by.

At table 3, burgers sizzled on Jack Brown’s flat top grill while volunteers poured Edgebaston “The Pepper Pot” Red from Southern Starz Wines. Talk about a seamless integration… succulent beef with spicy, peppery wine… it was warm as an electric Snuggie. I also liked their Nugan Third Generation Shiraz from Australia.

Table 5 should have sported a map of France. Albert Bichot Wines offered the Chateau Boussargues Cotes du Rhone Rouge (“house…sompn sompn sompn sompn… red”), which was tres délicieux, avec Cotes du Rhone Cured Duck Breast, Red Wine Salt, and Poached Local Apple-Fennel-Raisin Preserve from our Local Grill and Chop House. The combination was… how do you say? Sublime. Ah oui!

Continuing with the multi-cultural flair, because Harrisonburg is so good at integration, we left France and tried Union Station‘s Smoked Jamaican Jerk Chicken Breast with Pineapple Salsa, paired with the Cottonwood Creek Organic White from Bronco Wine Co. This wine was like line-dried linen; it was one of my favorites of the day. Clean and fresh and smooth and beachy. They also offered a Truck Red Blend, which of course we had to try.

Union Station also set up shop at table 8, where we tried their Smoked Pulled Pork Sliders and House BBQ Sauce. THOSE were excellent!! And they’re so cute and little, you can eat like six of them so fast there’s no time to feel guilty. We washed those suckers down with what I think wins the award for the most creatively described wine at the festival, the Senda 66 Tempranillo, offered by Frontier Imports. Here’s what the program said: “An exotic wine with aromas of graham cracker, blueberry, violet petal, and pastry. It feels lush, grabby, chewy, and slightly tannic with heavy flavors of clove, black licorice, savory berry, and baked plum.” Okay, they managed to get fruits, herbs, baked goods, flowers, and a touch of candy all in one bottle. I-N-T-E-G-R-A-T-I-O-N!

The final two tables were hosted by Blue Nile. At table 9, we tried their Whole Lentils, Green Peppers, Chopped Lentils, and Bits of Injera tossed in Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Mustard. This dish had quite a kick, complemented nicely by the fresh, lemony Domaine de Ballade Blanc offered by Bourgeouis Family Wines (love that name!). We finished up with Small Vineyard’s Palama Arcangelo Negroamaro, a spicy Italian wine served with Blue Nile’s Collard Green, Stewed Onions, Garlic, and Ginger. The combination was lovely, and I thought it was cool to drink an Italian wine with my Ethiopian food.

Suddenly, it was 5pm, and we were ready to head to the lawn to hear the jazzy musings of the Rick Olivarez Trio, a band out of Charlottesville influenced by eastern European and French musicians, among others. Once out there in the sunshine, we saw more evidence of inclusivity. Chefs Alex and Jon were conducting cooking demonstrations. Their two dishes were Charleston Style Shrimp served on a Pan-Seared Grit Cake with Watercress and a Pomegranate-Thyme BBQ Glaze; and, Grilled Poundcake with Balsamic Marinated Strawberries. Well, I wasn’t going to miss that! Dozens of people stood around watching the demo, asking questions, and then being treated to a generous sampling. AND, Grilled Cheese Mania was there, too, in case you had a serious craving!

Another new thing this year? A beer garden. What?? Yes, a beer garden at the Wine Festival, provided by Specialty Beverage. This was a nice gesture to the companions of wine lovers who wanted to enjoy the festival together. Inclusivity! I love the idea of a beer garden. As if you can plant seeds and little taps will sprout up in your yard. Someone please invent that. So… why not? It was warm, I was thirsty, and there was corn hole. Beer and corn hole go hand in hand. Since we were a party of three, I teamed up with a total stranger to take on Michael and Brandy. And that’s how we spent the rest of our evening: playing corn hole, listening to great music, and making friends with strangers. Just another day in our friendly city.

Thanks, Burg, for a beautiful day. Thanks to the volunteers, the vendors, the sponsors, and the organizers. You are very much appreciated, and very much a part of what makes our home special. A la vôtre!

for the birdies: the first tee of harrisonburg.

Posted on September 25, 2013 by junebug

kids’ clubs: the first tee of harrisonburg.

Posted on September 23, 2013 by junebug

When I was growing up, golf was a pretty big deal in my family. My dad, who was semi-to-mostly retired when I was seven years old, played golf two or three times a week. At home, all that was ever on the television was golf or CNN. Except Knight Rider, which I watched with Daddy on Friday nights, and The Cosby Show/Golden Girls, which Mom and I watched on Thursdays. And our weekly dose of Solid Gold, which we all watched in the family room with tray tables and Salisbury steak. But other than that, golf occupied a good deal of Daddy’s recreational life. And he was good. And he never rode the cart. Hardcore, he was.

Mom played with him, too, of course, and while they never forced any of us to play, it was hard to live in that house without eventually picking up a club. Sure enough, my older brother and sister started playing and still do. But my brother uses a golf cart. As the joke goes in my family, eighteen holes is a long way to lug a cooler of beer.

Yet somehow, I didn’t get the golf chromosome. I’m also a red-headed, left-handed synesthete; I’m used to being the weird embodiment of my ancestors’ recessive traits. Dad died several years ago, but today I’m happy to report that he’s sure to be smiling somewhere, knowing that I’ve finally embraced the game of golf through my son (and Dad’s namesake) and First Tee of Harrisonburg.

Cal’s loved golf since he got that brightly colored Little Tykes golf set… and then graduated to Wii golf… and then got another set of toy clubs. So when I found The First Tee’s web site and saw that he was old enough to sign up, we were very excited!

The First Tee is a non-profit organization that “promotes character-development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.” They serve about a thousand kids, ages 5 – 17, every year in the Shenandoah Valley. They offer several programs for different ages and ability levels. Cal started in Little Legends, which is for 5- and 6-year-old kids. He’s about to turn seven, so his next program will be PLAYer, which he can take any number of times until he turns nine and can advance to the next level.

A typical Little Legends lesson was like this. First the kids (about seven of them) and the coaches (two of them) warmed up doing moves like washing machine and toe touches. Then the kids practiced hitting different targets with drivers and giant, over-sized golf balls. After that they headed to the driving range, where they were given standard-size golf balls and allowed to whack as many as they wanted as far as they could. Bree was perfectly happy watching all this, but the program director was kind enough to ask her if she’d like to hit some balls, so she did. And she loved it! Sometimes the kids also practice on the 5- or 6-hole putting green.

The instructors are excellent — patient, attentive, and knowledgeable, making sure to help each and every child individually. The First Tee is located at the Heritage Oaks Golf Course, which is ridickers beautiful. I still didn’t really have a desire to play, but I could sit and look at that scenery for hours, surrounded by mountains and rolling hills, warm sun and a refreshing breeze.

Their fall season is underway, but it’s not too late to sign up. We’ll be out there again in October. Each level is conveniently offered at several different times, usually twice a week for an hour, and it’s only fifty bucks for six sessions. They even provide clubs if you need to borrow some. Check out their site today and get the family signed up!

fall into happy.

Posted on September 22, 2013 by junebug

Here we are at the edge of October, already! The weather’s cooling off, and before long, that gorgeous blue sky will stretch across the horizon, dotted by bright, crayon-box leaves. And then raking. Lots and lots of raking. But also football! And evenings around the fire pit! And the anticipation of the holidays :)

Hope you all have a lovely week as we welcome autumn to our fine city. Here’s what’s going on!

spin a good yarn: spitzer art center.

Posted on September 20, 2013 by junebug

easel come, easel go: spitzer art center.

Posted on September 19, 2013 by junebug

light up: spitzer art center.

Posted on September 17, 2013 by junebug

Recently Brandy and I went to Spitzer Art Center for Howard Zehr’s opening of Pickups: A Valley Love Story.” (If you missed that post, you can get caught up to speed with one quick click.) That evening we were treated to a lovely crowd, lively music by Shenandoah Alley, savory snacks, and refreshing bevs. Not to mention, a whole lot of creativity.

As I moved through that light-filled building, people danced and tapped their feet and rocked their chairs to the twangs and plunks of bluegrass. They sipped sweating glasses and threw their heads back in peals of laughter. They spilled out onto the wide porch and the plush yard and flopped on soft blankets under the big tree. And I thought, what a lovely place to spend some time.

My friend Jewel, who used to teach art at my school, volunteers at the center. Having recently started back to school, I was glad to see her there and have a chance to catch up. Upstairs from the gallery are several artist studios — seven, I think. In fact, two or three of them are currently available for rent. The Pinwheel Collective works out of a studio at Spitzer, as do Barb Gautcher and Pat Augsburger.

Jewel has a studio at the back of the house — a beautiful, bright space colored with sunlight and supplies. Why is it weird to walk through an artist’s studio? Is it just me? It feels like walking into someone’s bedroom… because really, it is a sacred, intimate space, but it’s also a place for working, and I’m always nervous I’ll touch something or knock something down and mess up someone’s work.

I carefully and gratefully explored Jewel’s living, breathing studio. All the furniture mismatched and scuffed. Tubes of paint that have been squeezed to their absolute limits. Brushes that she’s washed a thousand times. The sloped roof and the siding and a wall of windows. So much history, so much potential. Jewel never stopped smiling the whole time she was in there, like she was lit from within.

You can bask in the light there, too, on Saturdays from 10 – 2pm, and on the first Friday of every month starting at 5pm. Or you can rent one of those gorgeous studios and sit in beauty every day. Visit them soon!

rear view: pickups: a valley love story, at spitzer art center.

Posted on September 13, 2013 by junebug

When I arrived at Spitzer Art Center last Friday, I parked near an interesting-looking pickup truck. An old, classic Chevy — teal, or maybe sea foam green. Its hood was open, and when I peered underneath, I saw a bottle of Crown Royal somehow rigged to the engine.

I thought, “This is gonna be a fun art exhibit.” Yes, you’d expect an art exhibit on First Friday at Spitzer Art Center, but this one sorta changed my expectation of art itself. This was art about art. It was, like, meta art or something. A new level.

On this Friday, you could view photographs from Howard Zehr’s new book Pickups: A Valley Love Story. The photos show pickup trucks with their proud owners. And not only are Mr. Zehr’s photographs beautiful, but the trucks themselves stand as gorgeous, gleaming sculptures of time and memory and grit and spirit.

Mr. Zehr spent numberless hours interviewing truck owners, hearing their stories… of how they came to own their trucks, of harrowing and hilarious experiences with their trucks… of why their trucks mean so much to them, then published it all in his book. And so that sunny evening, the walls of Spitzer shone with images of much-loved trucks and the words of their adoring owners.

Some owners, like Lois Brown, appreciate practicality in a vehicle: “It’s not what I call pretty, but it sure is comfortable,” she says of her brown and beige Ford. Actually, I saw several of those two-tone trucks that night. I probably never noticed before, but they are pretty. I saw photos of trucks for hunting and hauling and just rolling over stuff. Even for selling coffee, like Tom Hayman of Grains of Sense. Some owners use their trucks as other vehicles, like Josh Bacon: “The kids like to pretend it’s a boat and fish off the back.” A practical solution for imaginative youngsters. And Corey Oomps — he loves his truck because “I like horsepower.” Fair enough.

Yes, trucks have lots of practical uses, but some owners even feel like their trucks make them better people. Like Matthew “Goosey” Dolemar, who says, “Without the truck, I’d probably just be mean!” And Shannon Pollock has realized that “each thing that’s wrong with it means it’s something else I get to learn.” A kinder, smarter nation… one truck at a time.

Some owners love their trucks for purely sentimental reasons. Richard Randolph’s truck is “a real joy, that it can be as old as it is and still be useful.” And some keep their trucks as a reminder of days long gone, like Bill Goldberg: “It’s one of the last links to my long hair, Grateful Dead, hippie days.”

However, the most touching element that seemed to pervade the entire exhibit was devotion. Everyone’s got that one true truck love. According to Eric Beck, any new truck is just a “rebound” truck — acquired to ease the pain of losing a former truck love. You can literally see the commitment people have for their trucks, some with mismatched parts… evidence of owners desperate to repair and preserve their trucks, whatever it takes. No matter what kind of patchwork quilt it ends up looking like, that truck you fell in love with is still in there, dang it. Nancy Slye possibly relocated here from New York just to use her truck more: “Running around in a pickup in New York — that was not a cool thing to do.” You know it’s serious when you actually move to another state for the one you love.

You can see the exhibit all month at Spitzer Art Center on 33 West just a block or two from downtown. Of course, you don’t get to see all of Mr. Zehr’s photos or read any of his stories (including the one about that Crown Royal truck!) unless you get the book itself. You can find it at Barnes and Noble, or from the publisher, or you can get a signed copy through his web site.

In our next post, we’ll tell you, and show you, a little more about Spitzer Art Center and our visit there. And, of course, several more megabytes of photos. Stay tuned!

cutting edge: ragtime fabrics.

Posted on September 10, 2013 by junebug

sew happy!: ragtime fabrics.

Posted on September 6, 2013 by junebug

material world: ragtime fabrics.

Posted on September 5, 2013 by junebug

When you live on a “fixed income” like I do (and I say “fixed” because as a teacher, you get paid the same exact amount every month, with no opportunity for a bonus or commission or that sort of thing), you have to look for creative ways to get stuff that you didn’t originally account for in your budget. Back-to-school supplies, for instance. It’s not that I forgot that school was starting and that we’d have to get those items… but I didn’t budget for it correctly and man, those things add up! We also had an unexpected bunny illness and a trip to the ER. Who includes “bunny illness” in their budget??

During summer break, I like to make little improvements to the house. This year I built lots and lots of cubbies and shelves and storage units. I painted the kitchen table and chairs. I decided I was tired of the colors in the family room, so I recovered all the big sofa pillows. Ready-made shelves and cubbies are pricey, and so are pillows. Have you shopped for pillows lately? You can blow thirty bucks on ONE decorative pillow. Screw that!

Yes, doing all this takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. And quite frankly, necessary. So recently, I tackled my final project of the summer: curtains. First, I priced ready-made curtains online. To dress the four windows in my family room would have cost about $225. Instead, I went to Ragtime Fabrics and bought plenty of fabric for about forty smacks! Cha-ching!

It was a good time for Brandy and me to go to Ragtime Fabrics because we were out of material — for curtains AND for this blog. My kids were along with us, and they quickly disappeared amid the rows and rows of colorful cloth. And all that fabric helped drown out whatever annoying noise they might have been making.

In talking to the ladies there, I learned that they’ve been in this location — on West Market adjacent to the Artful Dodger — for about 10 years, and as you can see from their Facebook photo albums, they’ve woven many memories. Some of those pictures will have you in stitches!

I vaguely remember thinking, as I pushed open the door, “I hope I find something I like in here…” But that thought quickly frayed and I had a new worry: how would I ever choose?? They have (literally, I’m sure) tons and tons of fabrics and material for any project you can conjure. You’ll find the usuals: cotton, twill, broadcloth, silk. They sell sturdy, hardy fabrics like corduroy and denim, canvas and burlap. Or maybe you’re after something gauzy and light and fluffier, like taffeta or lamé or muslin. And I spent a great deal of time petting the snuggly fabrics like wool, flannel, fleece, velvet, and thinking about snow days and Christmas. They even have leather and fur! Cal really liked that:

They also sell EVERYTHING else you need for your project, be it a machine or buttons, feathers or stuffing, thread or even a Muppets patch.

After far too long poring over hundreds of fabrics that I loved equally, my kids’ behavior was starting to unravel. Kids are great at forcing you to decide quickly. As they bolted hither and thither through the store, I gathered up two fabrics — one purple, one gray — and headed to the front. The employee gently cut several yards for me, I thanked her, and we left.

I left with more ideas than I have time for. Of course, you can’t be that close to the Dodger without stopping for a beverage. So we did. But fast, because I wanted to get home to my project!

Ragtime Fabrics also offers classes, lessons, and clubs, which you can find on their calendar. Whatever crafty idea you’ve got up your sleeve, even if it doesn’t involve sewing, you should swing by this place because, chances are, for a very reasonable price, they have that little rare craft item you’re looking for. And that’s no fabrication. Oh golly.

labor (day) of love.

Posted on September 2, 2013 by junebug

Happy Labor Day! A day that celebrates the achievements of the American worker… a day to (hopefully!) stay home from work… and a day to hurry up and wear all your white clothes because tomorrow it’ll be too late (fashionably, at least).

It’s also a day to rest up, because next weekend, you’re gonna be SLAMMED. The Burg is jam packed with awesome events, including First Friday, The Rocktown Wine and Dine Festival (I’m praying for lots of bacon that day), the 31st Annual Century Ride at Hillandale Park, and a Rocktown Rollers bout.

Here are all the details of our lovely city’s happynings! Love to you all, and have a great week!

oh, brother: three brothers brewing co.

Posted on August 27, 2013 by junebug

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welcome back!

Posted on August 25, 2013 by junebug

The students are here! The students are here! And once again, I FORGOT that when I went grocery shopping. However… I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get in and out of my local grocery store without a long wait and a big headache. So, welcome back, students! Hope you have a great semester and enjoy all that Harrisonburg has to offer! Here are this week’s Happynings!

unibro: three brothers brewing co.

Posted on August 23, 2013 by junebug

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i love my burg.

happiness is harrisonburg shaped.

my beautiful dead tree.

wine lovers: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013.

merci bouquet: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013.

breathing lessons: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013.

ch-ch-ch-ch-choices.

a wine-wine situation: rocktown wine and dine festival 2013. yow!

for the birdies: the first tee of harrisonburg.

kids’ clubs: the first tee of harrisonburg.

fall into happy.

spin a good yarn: spitzer art center.

easel come, easel go: spitzer art center.

light up: spitzer art center.

rear view: pickups: a valley love story, at spitzer art center.

cutting edge: ragtime fabrics.

sew happy!: ragtime fabrics.

material world: ragtime fabrics.

labor (day) of love.

oh, brother: three brothers brewing co.

welcome back!

unibro: three brothers brewing co.

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