Along rural roads in the Shenandoah Valley, you’ll see low meandering rock walls, perhaps two feet high, flowing with the…
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The Hospital Piano and the Gift of Human Connection
The Hospital Atrium The last notes of Tiny Dancer echo and fade into the rafters of the Augusta Hospital atrium.…
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Hillbilly Cloudbursts: The Magic and Mayhem of Mountain Rain
Cloudbursts arrive without warning in the Virginia Appalachians, turning quiet sidewalks and mountain trails into rushing rivers within moments. For…
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The Pollenpocalypse
I’ve just filled my 15th Kleenex of the day. My eyes are burning again, and it’s only been four hours…
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Breathing Life Into the Pipes at Grace Lutheran Church
Tuning in the Loft Up in the loft, the pipes are separated from the choir space behind narrowly slatted walls…
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Finding Inspiration in the Rhythms of Mountain Life
Finding Inspiration in the Rhythms of Mountain Life The Rhythm of the Loom Helen sat at her loom on the…
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Unplug to Appreciate Our Beautiful Planet
An Eco-Conscious Calling My teenage daughter wants to be an environmental scientist and save the polar bears. She loves all…
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The Artist Never Disappoints: Sunsets in the Highlands
The Golden Hour Picnic It’s early summer, and we’ve finished our burgers, crumpling the greasy wrappers and depositing them into…
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Recreating the Magic of Frances’ Old Kitchen Wisdom
Frances’ Macaroni and Cheese “Frances!” I jog her down, catching her in the foyer of The Church of Jesus Christ.…
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The Sounds of an Appalachian Neighborhood on Ice
A Peaceful Foreboding It crackles. Have you ever heard the sound of a wintry mix falling in the Appalachians? It…
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