Discussions II: Virginia and Suburban D.C.

Jim Respess

October 31

A sculptor in Charlottesville.  Interviewed at Occupy Charlottesville.  He was very concerned with maintaining an open dialogue among the wide range of participating constituent interests... and with cleaning up the park's litter.

One of Jim's sculptures, part of a public arts program in Charlottesville, VA.

Jim's website

Christine Ray 

November 1

A second-year cadet at the Virginia Military Institute.  We talked with Christine following a tour she led, and were impressed by her dedication and forthright perspective.

Cadet's carry various things in their "tops" (uniform hat).  Christine has bible verses, family photos and letters, pens, and her debit card in hers.












Kelly Thomasson

November 7

Kelly is Projects Director for Senator Mark Warner of Virginia.  We met with her in the Senator's Richmond office, and discussed the challenges of "working across the aisle."

A Tie-Dyed Dog 
November 7

We didn't actually interview -- or even chat with -- this Richmond dog, but we thought you would like to see some local color.

Mrs. Norman T. (Amy) Howard

November 8

Amy is the research librarian for the United Daughters of the Confederacy.  She gave us a tour of the UDC's national headquarters, and answered our many questions about the organization.


Barb & Jon posed with one of many portraits of Robert. E Lee.             
                               

 

The imposing, highly-secure UDC building in Richmond, VA.

UDC website 

Ed and Louise White

November 8

Prior to retiring, Louise was head of the political science department at George Mason University in Virginia.

Ed is a minister.  In 1961 he was one of the original Freedom Riders.

In addition to politics, social justice and the Freedom Ride, our wonderful conversation ranged across all the topics Ed was coached to avoid as a newlywed by his South Carolina in-laws, "Race, labor unions, and whether or not the northern and southern branches of the Presbyterian Church would reunite."

Oprah show honoring Ed and other Freedom Riders

Discussions I: North Carolina

John Shelton Reed

November 2

"Anyone who writes on the South these days almost has to start with the work of John Shelton Reed, expert on all things Southern."  (Peter Applebome, in his excellent book Dixie Rising -- How the South is Shaping American Values, Politics and Culture. 

Not ones to ignore good advice (too often), we started our in-person research with John.

In addition to writing numerous books on the subject, John helped found the Center for the Study of the American South at UNC Chapel Hill, and the journal Southern Cultures.  We learned a lot about the South from John, including some fascinating ways to define who's Southern (it's more than just geography!).

John and his wife are currently researching Southern barbecue, and at John's suggestion, we met at a traditional North Carolina barbecue restaurant (serving the vinegar-type sauce, NOT the mustard-based kind of South Carolina or the tomato- based kind found in Texas).  After a highly-informative discussion and terrific lunch, John gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen.

Marcie Cohen Ferris

November 2

Marcie is an assistant professor in American Studies at the UNC at Chapel Hill, the Associate Director of the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies (center website), and a member of the board of the Southern Foodways Alliance.

We met with Marcie at 3CUPS, a wine, coffee and tea bar in Chapel Hill.  She shared her thoughts about growing up Jewish in the South, and the movement toward organic and sustainable ingredients in new-Southern cooking. 

Harry L. Watson

November 3

Harry is Professor of History at UNC and Director of the Center for the Study of the American South, where we met (center website).

Harry explained many of the surprises and contradictions of the South.  "We have more in common [with the rest of the U.S.] than might meet the eye."

Cindy Streett

November 3

Cindy grew up in a small city in South Carolina; raised two daughters in Columbia, SC; worked for a start-up in Silicon Valley for four years; and now works for a software company in Durham.  

We had dinner with Cindy at the Nantucket Grill in Durham, where by happenstance we met...

...Yahweh ben Yahweh ben Yahweh

November 3

Yahweh ben Yahweh ben Yahweh (left) greeted us warmly during a gathering of his local followers.  He was accompanied by Elder Boas (right).

It was explained to us that Yahweh ben Yahweh ben Yahweh (Hebrew for "God son of God son of God") is the Holy Ghost.

John Jennings

November 4

John is the executive director of Favar Ministries, which works with prison inmates and the homeless.  John started Favar after spending 11 years in prison for drug and bank robbery convictions.

John is a strong advocate of education for his grandchildren.  We met John, one of his daughters and five of his 22 grandchildren during a prospective-student tour of North Carolina Central University. 

John's bio from the Favar website

Kate Forlines

November 4

Kate is a waitress at the extraordinary Magnolia Grill in Durham, which was recommended by John Reed as representative of the best of nouveau Southern cuisine. The grits souffle (with wild mushrooms and foie gras) was amazing!

When we asked Kate what we should know about Durham, she polled the chefs, the bartenders and the entire wait staff, and returned with two pages of notes.  Her research report was amusing and informative.  Do YOU know the origin of the term "bull pen?"

Will & Ellen Bland

November 6

Will is a criminal defense lawyer in Goldsboro, NC.  Ellen plays an active role in her family's business dealing in commercial kitchen appliances.

Will and Ellen graciously invited us to their son's birthday party, then to their house for dinner.  Among other things, we discussed recent political changes in North Carolina, as documented in a must-read New Yorker article, State for Sale, documenting the legal-but-scary manipulation of elections.


While at Will and Ellen's we met...
Jamie

November 6

Jamie grew up on a tobacco farm in southern North Carolina, and works for a small company that  manufactures custom steel tanks. 

A major fan of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the Drudge Report, Jamie is opposed to government regulation, except those that require expensive tanks to reduce the risk of environmentally-hazardous chemical spills.

A Tale of Two Universities

The University of Virginia (UVA) and the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) are both part of the highly-regarded Virginia public university system.  Still, it would be hard to find two more different schools.

Jefferson designed UVA and founded it in 1819, when he was in his in his 70s. He counted it as one of his three greatest accomplishments, along with writing the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom (...serving as President of the US didn't make the cut). 

VMI was founded in 1839 as the "West Point of South."

The architecture is noticeably different.

<-- UVA







                                VMI -->

UVA's hero is clearly Jefferson, and it's classic architecture and liberal arts education reflects his values.  





VMI's hero is Stonewall Jackson, who was a professor from 1851 until the Civil War.  Its architecture resembles a fortress, and it's curriculum reflects its military roots.

Jefferson designed UVA around the library, a pantheon of knowledge, and chose not to have a church on the campus.

VMI has a prominent chapel and its first commandant gave each new cadet a bible.

 UVA traditions include streaking on the lawn (sorry, we didn't get a photo of that).  The best students are honored to live in the original Jefferson designed Lawn Rooms senior year.  Because the showers and toilets require walking a distance outside, all "Lawnees" as issued white bathrobes, which they wear with honor.  At VMI the dress standards are somewhat more formal.

 

Inspired by Mr. Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was such a remarkable person that a brief blog entry could never do him justice.  Monticello and the associated museum provide overwhelming evidence of his never ending curiosity, creativity, architectural skills, love of science and knowledge, and belief in democracy.

After five years in France Jefferson associated grandiose architecture with the aristocracy, which he found antithetical to the ideals of American democracy.  So, upon returning to Virginia he revised the design for Monticello to eliminate an imposing two-story portico.  Instead -- even as he expanded the house from eight rooms to twenty to accommodate his large and growing family -- he designed a three story house that appears to have only one story.

The gardens and surrounding farm were also sources of endless experimentation and improvement for Jefferson.

Given his love of knowledge, Jefferson provided places for the quiet enjoyment of books and nature. 

“I cannot live without books.”

During our time of endless presidential campaigning, congressional deadlock, denial of science and growing wealth disparity, it is easy to miss Thomas Jefferson:  A man who entertained his political friends and foes, he ended his Presidency personally indebted and died broke, but gave us the Declaration of Independence, the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, and the University of Virginia.  And, he loved good wine.

Some thoughts from Tom:

“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”  

“The end of democracy and the defeat of the American Revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporations.”  

“If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?”

Escape from Early-Onset Winter

On Friday (October 28), while Barb was returning from a quick trip to California, Jon was exploring Long Island.  It was a nice, fall day.  The plan was to pick up Barb at JFK and then spend the weekend with our friends Nancy and Larry in Connecticut. 

During the afternoon, Larry called twice to warn of an impending snow storm, possible power outages, and road closures.   Lacking snow tires, we decided to skip CT and drive far enough south to avoid the snow.  Stopping after midnight in southern New Jersey, we thought we were safe.


The top photo above is the view out our motel window the next morning.

We scraped 1-1/2" of snow off the car and quickly drove farther south, but the snow persisted. 

In the first two hours we saw seven accidents.













Our trusty GPS helped us navigate the highways, which continued to have snow along them until well into Virginia.






We finally stopped when we got to Culpeper, VA and found clear skies.  The next morning it was beautiful, and as a bonus, many of the trees were spectacular:

Meanwhile, Allie and Hartford got 20" of snow.  Trinity College lost perhaps a third of its beautiful trees.  Two students ended up at the hospital when tree branches fell on them (no kidding).

In Search of Fall Foliage and Political Candidates

The political hub of New Hampshire is the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester. No one was shaking hands or kissing babies the night we visited, but the cheese steak got Barb’s vote!


Lacking presidential candidate options, we went in search of leaves...those beautiful fall colors for which the northeast is famous this time of year. We found great hikes...but where are the flaming red leaves?

We went to great lengths (and heights) to find them...

and our persistence finally paid off high in the treetops.

 We also discovered this archeological tennis relic while hiking...

In the ongoing battle between tennis players and tree huggers, it is not clear who will win.  Right now, the back-to-nature people seem to have the "ad."

Serendipity in Keene, NH

Almost by accident, we found ourselves in Keene, New Hampshire just in time for the annual Pumpkin Fest.  The setting is very different than in Half Moon Bay, which we associate with such things, and the outcome is different as well.  

But, before reporting on the festival we must let you know that even though there were signs for Romney and Santorium, and field workers for Ron Paul, the only presidential candidate with the guts to show up in Keene was none other than:








Yes, Fred Karger himself!  We were quite excited.

 
Now, back to the Pumpkin Fest:  In 1991 Keene had its first festival, and set a world's record by having 600 lit jack-o-lanterns.  The rest is history, with Keene setting the world's record many times and peaking at over 30,000 jack-o-lanterns.  Unfortunately, Boston eclipsed Keene a few years back, and then an upstart town in Illinois passed Keene as well.  So, this year the town fathers (and mothers) went all out to regain the title as the most pumpkinest city in the world.  

The competition aside, the Pumpkin Fest was great.  The whole thing definitely had the feeling of Punxsutawney, PA as portrayed in the movie Groundhog Day.

There was the delightful game of Pumpkin Bowling, which given the shape of the projectiles was anything but predictable in outcome.

With thousands of pumpkins and pumpkin artists, there were seemingly endless examples of inspiring creativity.

 

This being New Hampshire, even the pumpkins get into the presidential primary campaigns.

When the sun went down, the jack-o-lanterns were lit and the thousands of folks at the fest enjoyed the scene and the wide variety of entertainment from musical performers.

Finally, even the pumpkins were tired and it was time to call it quits.  When the dust settled, Keene had assembled and lit 16,186 hand-carved jack-o-lanterns, well short of the world record but highly impressive nonetheless.