John Crawford started playing music as soon as he was old enough to plunk on piano keys. Of course, a lot of toddlers plunk frenetically on piano keys, but few grow up past toy keyboards or even grade school band to become talented adult musicians, scholars of composition, active in community and professional orchestras and mentors to like-minded youth. “My grandmother noticed my early interest in the piano and immediately took it upon herself to give me lessons.” John Crawford …
Five years ago, Alan and Cindy Gensamer moved to the New River Valley from Houston, Texas. It fit their criteria for a place to retire: close to colleges and universities, airports, museums …
Our daughter happens to be a water baby. She loves splashing in anything – kicking her feet in the bath, slapping her hands under a running faucet, jumping in small puddles and …
The first time the temperate drops enough to freeze nearby ponds, the winter world truly becomes a wonderland. The fascinating feeling of ice underfoot brings out the kid in all of us, …
A billowy 40 degrees, the mountains a crisp blue in Blacksburg, the eve of the year 2017. People are prepping to celebrate the ringing in of a New Year. Party hats, black …
1 large orange 6 whole cloves 6 whole black peppercorns 1 bottle (3 cups) fruity red wine 2 cardamom pods 6 allspice berries 1 cinnamon stick (+ 4 for garnish) 1/2 cup …
In a home in the hills outside Blacksburg, Christmas decorations are tastefully displayed, traditions have been handed down and created anew, and the holiday spirit fills every space. This classy, contemporary family …
Hiding the surprise is a big part of gift giving and has been for years – even centuries. The use of wrapping paper is first documented in ancient China, where paper was …
So imagine as a college student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art, you drop into a bar for a beer one afternoon after painting away part of the day with friends at …
The year was 1892. The place was a stony bean field (or was it wheat?) at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, a swath of land that would become the Drillfield. The people …