Women stitch love into blankets
They’re three feet wide and three feet tall. They’re colorful. Most importantly, they’re warm. They’re “love blankets,” made by the loving hands of Wilma Bowman, 87, and Shirley Wiest, 92. The duo sews them for residents of Richmond Children’s Hospital, the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, several cancer centers, and some nursing homes in the Richmond area. The... READ MORE
Appreciate tree bark during winter’s bite
“Winter has beautiful stories left to tell.” — Angie Weiland-Crosby Each of us has a favorite season and a special reason for choosing it. Winter is not often named by gardeners, however. In November, a gardening friend of mine was already talking about what she would plant in spring — she just bypassed winter altogether. This winter, I encourage you (and her!) to take the... READ MORE
Local author draws on her own childhood
In Richmond author Meg Medina’s latest children’s book, Evelyn del Rey Is Moving Away, two best friends face the sadness of separation but vow an enduring friendship. Daniela is a light-skinned Cuban American; Evelyn is a darker Cuban African. Their story, their ethnicity and their skin color are at the core of Medina’s mission: to bring to life the experiences of under-represented ... READ MORE
Radio host gives voice to new audiobook
“Afternoon drive host” Nicole Lacroix recently brought Classical WETA listeners Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dance #1. She then spent time in a shoe closet, recording a pandemic mystery novel. All in a day’s work for D.C. native Lacroix, 67, who for the past 20+ years has helped air the classics over WETA, 90.9 FM. She has also just completed... READ MORE
When someone nears a precipice, help
When his wife was alive, he was a rock. Government executive. Nonprofit board member. Husband/father/grandfather. Always willing to donate an hour or a dollar to someone in need. But then cancer took her. They had been married for more than 40 years. For a few weeks, he remained a rock: No, thanks, don’t need anything. Yes, going to stay right here in the house. No, won’t change a ... READ MORE
Help is here to start 2021 with a smile
The Bibliophile Whether it’s an anthology of jokes, a humorous caper or a fun-filled calendar, start 2021 with a clean slate and a good laugh. Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld, 480 pages, Simon & Schuster hardcover, 2020 Comedian Jerry Seinfeld shares his 45-year compilation of routines arranged by decade and topic. No muddling through a memoir, no soul-searching prose. No... READ MORE
A spy reveals her life in disguise
“Don’t look back” — someone is definitely following you. “Use your gut” to choose your next move. Are you being bugged with microphones and cameras in the walls of your office or apartment? “Assume that you are.” As you drive to a crucial meeting with an asset, if you realize you’ll be boxed-in by other vehicles, scoot away. Then, before you duck out of the car,... READ MORE
Women’s Hall of Fame makes up for past
“Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin and Nobel laureate and Beloved author Toni Morrison were inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in December as part of a posthumous class of Black honorees that also includes Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were widely used in biomedical research; Barbara Hillary, the first Black woman to travel to both the North and South Poles, and civil rights... READ MORE
Bridging the generation gap
In 2016, the World Health Organization embarked on an ambitious campaign called the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism. The campaign was necessary, according to the WHO, since “unlike other forms of discrimination, including sexism and racism, [ageism] is socially accepted and usually unchallenged.” Recently, a team of researchers at Cornell University, working on behalf of the... READ MORE
Amateur artists honored by Fifty Plus
From wood sculptures to paintings, artwork from the Richmond area poured into this year’s Celebration of the Arts amateur art competition sponsored by Fifty Plus and its sister publication, the Beacon. Our seven judges, experts in their categories, selected several local artists for honorable mentions. Mixed Media Honorable Mention Cathe Hart Kervan, Mechanicsville, Va. As a child,... READ MORE
Arts 2024
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