Keswick Life

Lifestyles in Keswick and its environs

Keswick Life

WHAT’S COOKING: Strawberry Shortcake

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BY SAM JOHNSON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CULLINARY | 1776

I love this recipe. I have played with this one using different extracts and have found that citrus really highlights the berries, and gives the short cakes a refreshing flavor. Although this is a classic dessert, it is often forgotten. Well let’s not forget about it this spring and summer and add this winner to your menus.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold salted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1 1/3 cups cold heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon pure orange extract 
  • 2 egg whites for brushing tops of shortcake
  • Sanding sugar for sprinkling on shortcakes

For the whipped cream:

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions: 

  1. Slice or quarter the strawberries and place them into a large bowl. Cover with granulated sugar and stir. Cover and refrigerate the strawberries while you make the shortcakes so they can get juicy.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix in the salt. Add the small pieces of cold butter and use a pastry blender, fork, or your clean hands to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Mix until you have pieces that are the size of peas.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the cold heavy cream and vanilla extract, orange extract. Pour the mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead the dough together to incorporate all of the crumbly dough pieces. Do not overmix.
  5. Press the dough into a circle, about 1-inch thick and cut into rounds, using a biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill the biscuits for 20 minutes before baking.
  6. Use a pastry brush to brush the chilled biscuit tops with egg whites. Sprinkle tops generously with sanding sugar.
  7. Bake the biscuits until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely. While the biscuits are cooling, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla & lemon extract, and a pinch of salt together until the cream reaches stiff peaks.
  8. To assemble the shortcakes, cut the biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon the strawberries over the bottom of the biscuit and add a dollop of whipped cream. Top with the other biscuit half. Add more strawberries and whipped cream on top, if desired. You can also break up the biscuits and top them with strawberries and whipped cream or leave them whole and add strawberries and whipped cream on top.

BOOKWORM: Discover New Books

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By Suzanne Nash

Sometimes you just hit on a few great finds in a row and this month I want to share some incredible new books that I have discovered. Occasionally I will review  books that were published years before but this month, these are new finds just out in 2018.

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock: A Novel by Imogen Hermes Gowar takes place in London in 1785.  Trading merchant Jonah Hancock is frustrated when the Captain of Jonah’s ship returns to tell him that he has traded everything for one object: the body of a mermaid. In a different part of London Angelica Neal is mourning the loss of her protector who has just died, leaving her at the mercy of her former madam, Mrs. Chappel. Angelica and her maid, Eliza Frost, must figure out a way to keep Angelica living in the manner to which she has grown accustomed. Jonah and Angelica’s paths cross even as Angelica falls under the spell of George, a rather tedious wastrel. This may seem like a trite little romance novel, but it is anything but. The prose draws you in and while the characters aren’t always likeable there is something about them that invests the reader. A magic thread runs throughout this story that balances the sordid nature of Angelica’s life.

Another story with a magical theme is What Should be Wild. This is Julia Fine’s debut novel and it is a complex tale which weaves back and forth through time.  Masie Cathay lives with her father, Peter, at their estate which is called Urizon.  Masie must stay far away from other people because she is afflicted with a curse that causes her touch to either kill or reanimate. She lives secluded from everyone except her father and the housekeeper until one day she comes into contact with Matthew and her world changes. Suddenly they are drawn to the forest where the past dwells…literally. The women of Urizon from years past gather there….waiting. Waiting for what? Well turn the pages and you will find out.

Elizabeth Crook has written a wonderful historical fiction that reads a bit like a tall tale.  The Which Way Tree takes place in Texas there is a demon panther, El Demonio de Dos Dedos, on the loose sometime during the Civil War. This panther has terrorized Benjamin’s family and in the first few pages the reader gets to hear Benjamin’s remarkable voice.  Benjamin is testifying to the story of his sister’s hunt for the panther that killed her mother and how that hunt got tangled up with the sorry life of Confederate soldier Clarence Hanlin.  I have to admit I fell in love with Benjamin’s voice.  We are introduced to him as he relays the beginning of his testimony to the judge in the case.  Later he is sent home to continue telling his tale through a series of letters and his perspective is told with such innocence and wonder that the truth of it, despite the tall tale nature of it all, seems incontrovertible. This author has breathed life into an old style of story and it’s so refreshing that I had to recommend it.

COVER STORY: Historic Clubhouse Saved Keswick Hunt Phase 1 Completed

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By Tony Vanderwarker

At 6 PM on February 23, a hundred and forty pairs of eyes blinked and went wide as Hunt Club members walked through the front door of the renovated club.  People were agog at the sight of the gleaming floor, the new porch dining room created from the former storage room and kitchen, the new curtains festooned with hunting scenes, and the 137 photos hanging on the walls which had been cleaned, reframed, captioned and hung in orderly groups on the walls. 

  • Amy Nunnaly with Paul Wilson and Scott Nunnally
  • Dolly Buswell. Liza Taylor
  • Kat Imhoff John Moore And Rosie Merle Smith
  • Taylor Son and guest
  • Polly Cooley with Mrs. King
  • Paul Manning and Mr. Don King

As people toured the renovation, they were delighted by the men’s and ladies rooms, fresh, clean and roomy with new lighting and handicap accessibility, the gleaming kitchen, new hallways painted a light cream color and finally the heating and air conditioning systems which brought the hundred and twenty-year-old club into the twenty-first century. 

The musty, tired interior had been given a facelift and makeover without losing any of its character. Everything felt familiar but refreshed, like an old friend showing up in a sparkling new outfit. 

Arnold and Ernest were back behind the bar that had been lowered and refinished and the faded green Naugahyde front removed and Judy and Marika were enjoying the spacious new kitchen. Earlier, when Judy first walked in, tears came to her eyes as she took in the sight. 

The renovation of the Hunt Club could not have happened without Paul Manning, Kenny Wheeler and many other generous contributors along with the constant and expert supervision of  Peter Taylor.  , the board who initiated the project, to Ceil Wheeler who helmed the decorating committee,  the team from the contractor, and the countless members who stepped up with donations of furniture and put in the time volunteering to assist in the renovation and in the previous week had swarmed over the club readying it for the opening. 

Still to be finished is the exterior. The Huntsman’s cottage has been removed and in its place are numerous bushes from  Keswick Hall that will figure in the landscaping plan along with a barn and huntsman’s cottage.

 Get ready for the next 100 years of fun. Keep checking Keswick LIfe’s Facebook page and reading Keswick Life for updates on this fabulous restoration of Keswick’s fine old clubhouse.

LIFE HAPPENS: Be Careful What You Wish For!

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By Bonnie B. Matheson

“Well, Bonnie, if my children had given me a present like THAT, I would have given it right BACK!” said my pretty friend, Anne, in her sweet Southern drawl.

What she was referring to was the birthday gift from my children, given to me without my prior knowledge– or consent. I should have known something was up when my daughter- in- law, Susie, said she wanted to bring her children to watch me open my presents. But it never crossed my mind that they had ​such​ a surprise planned for me.

I had planned a birthday dinner party to celebrate the day with my family and friends. All five of my children were invited with their spouses along with a few of my grandchildren. The party was held at the wonderful house, Barrsden, on Route 20 North, where I used to live.

My family arrived a little early and before the other guests. They told me to sit on the sofa in the living room, which I did. My old dog, Lord Byron, a Jack Russell, sat beside me, looking perplexed. Murdoch, my youngest son, handed me an old- fashioned wicker fishing tackle box. It had a big bow on it. He surprised me by setting the tackle box squarely in my lap.

“What am I supposed to do with this? Do you want me to take up fishing?” I asked, truly mystified; I do not know much about fishing. 

“Open it, Mom!” they all chimed in. Even then, I did not get it. I was completely in the dark.

I opened the wicker lid. Though the lighting in the room was somewhat dim, I saw two bright little eyes looking up at me out of a black furry face.

A PUPPY!!!! A real live puppy, and it was for me!

“Oh, My Goodness! It is a puppy. ​I have never been so shocked! Oh my God!!! I already have a dog! I do not need another one! This is unbelievable!​ ” I was totally amazed and nearly speechless. But also horrified! I had already begun going to spend long periods of time in Washington, D.C. with my aging mother. The very LAST thing I needed was another dog. And a puppy, of all things, not a trained dog, a PUPPY!!! What was I going to do with a tiny puppy that very weekend? I was supposed to be leaving the next day to go, first, to The Plains, Virginia, for a party, then on to D.C. for a week. 

My original reaction may not have been very gracious. I really thought it would be impossible to have a new puppy. My disbelief was real. But a puppy is hard to turn down.

My Jack Russell turned his back and ignored the tackle box and its contents. But, of course, I took that little fur ball out of the basket and into my arms. At eight weeks, he was still very small, and his fur was still smooth. They told me my present was a mid-sized (not miniature) long- haired dachshund from a local kennel near Ruckersville. He had brown markings in all the appropriate places and huge front paws, which surprised me. He had a truncated tail. I asked what happened to his tail and they said, “Oh, it will grow.” I have had dachshunds all my life, and I knew that tail was NOT going to grow. This puppy’s tail ended in a sort of hook.

I was still in shock and still holding the puppy as my other guests arrived. They were all surprised that my family had given me a” live” present. But my family knows me very well. We are a doggie bunch. And they knew I needed something else to love. I was spending so much time dealing with my mother. I held him close and cuddled him against me. I held him all through dinner, too. He sat in my lap quietly and peacefully and never made a sound. By the end of the meal it was pure and mutual love.

My five children were all “in on it.” Those wretched children thought I might need another dog. They realized the Jack Russell, Lord Byron, was aging. I had usually had at least two dogs at a time. They had all talked it over (behind my back). They felt it was time.

Well, I am not so sure my older dog, Byron, thought it ​was​ such a good idea. But, over time, he accepted that puppy and loved him, too. In fact, I believe the puppy helped extend Byron’s life.

My first son, Charley, lives near Earlysville with his wife, Andrea Matheson and their blended family of six children. They have the wonderful wine tasting and event venue, Chisholm Vineyard. My daughter, Helen, an artist, lives near Crozet with her husband, David Hilliard and occasionally, some of their three children. Helen hunts with Farmington Hunt. David owns the Lodge at Old Trail. My daughter, Lilla, a sculptor, lives in The Plains, Virginia with her husband, Christopher Ohrstrom; most of their four children have grown and gone. Lilla hunts with Orange County Hunt where my husband was President of the hunt for many years. 

My entrepreneur son, Robert, father to Jack Matheson-Bradley, has a house in Charlottesville, which is also a some-time Air B & B. Murdoch, my youngest son, is married to Susie and has three children. He is a broker with Frank Hardy Real Estate, and Susie started the Scout Guide with her partner, Christy Ford. They hunt with Keswick Hounds.

It was Susie who went to the breeder and bought the dog. She kept it for one night so that it could be presented to me exactly on my birthday. She is the culprit. She is also a loving, helpful and thoughtful daughter- in- law. And I thank her now all the time for understanding how important it was for me to have a new dog, and granting my unspoken wish. This puppy, who is now a mature four- year- old dog is the love of my life. Lord Byron died at 16, more than a year ago, giving up the place of the Alpha dog. Thank heavens, I had Magnus to console me. Everyone who can should have a dog (or two). There is simply nothing like them for companionship, unconditional love and in most cases, stress relief.

Magnus is a black- and- tan, long- hair– supposedly mid-size Dachshund- who should have been drowned at birth. His tail is only a half the length it should be and there is a pronounced hook at the end of this truncated appendage. It grows a great fluff of tail feathers where the long hair of his coat makes a multicolored plume, to make up for the lost length of tail. His coat is shiny and full, with King Charles curls at the back of his neck. The nose, which should be long and narrow, is way too short and rather wide, giving him more the face of a spaniel than a typical dachshund profile. His ears dangle appropriately and give him some gravitas. His front paws are huge, much larger than those on his rear legs. I have never seen this on another dog before. Normally, the front feet match those of the back feet.

Everyone feeds Magnus snacks. Once a sleek and agile puppy, by the time he was a little over one year old it was clear that he was gaining too much weight. I tried in vain to get people to cut back on the snacks. There are many caregivers here at my mother’s house in Washington, D.C. They all insist on feeding him treats. He is, you might say, tubby. As for his personality, there is none better. Magnus loves everybody. He enjoys other dogs, and other places, and other people. Above all, he loves me, best. He basically follows me everywhere when he is in the same house. If I am gone, he generally stays in our room. He must be enticed out of there to eat, and he is very shy about coming downstairs without me. Dandy Dude, who is mother’s small “intact” male dachshund, has taken the Alpha dog position from Magnus. Magnus has been neutered, you see. And he seems to recognize this lack. At least he is nowhere near as aggressive as young Dandy, who is two years younger.

Magnus has taken the place of Lord Byron, who left this world the day before Thanksgiving a year ago. I miss Lord Byron every day, but my love for Magnus grows exponentially. He is a dear boy and his devotion is touching. It is as if he knows he is solely responsible for my happiness now that he is the only dog and Lord Byron is no more.

The very first night when we went to bed, Byron slept at my head and Magnus curled up near my chest, but not touching me. Magnus is not a “touching” sleeper. He will allow me to put him next to me in bed and lie there for a while, but then he will quietly move away to his own space, normally closer to the foot of the bed. The nice thing is, most mornings when I wake, he is snuggled against my back on the outside of the covers. This pleases me immensely.

Magnus snores. Sometimes loudly. He has a strange black spot on the edge of his tongue towards the tip. I have no idea why. His nails are long and go clickety click on the hard wood floors and the black- and- white squares in the long marble hall leading to my end of the house. We live a strange existence here, now, in my old house with my elderly mother, who just turned 101 years old last Friday. Who would ever have thought this would happen? Because of her age and the fact that someone must come and run this house, I have upended my life and now Magnus and I stay here with Mother, full time. It is not the life I would have chosen, but I have determined to make the best of it. And I am happy here, now.

The year after the one when my children gave me the dog, I did not invite all of them for my birthday. It was not meant as an insult. I was just trying to make room for more guests. But the outcry from the children was tremendous. They thought it might be because I was afraid, they would give me another puppy. There may have been some truth in that. I don’t quite trust them, not to do it again.

ONLY IN KESWICK: Stranger Than Fiction

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By Tony Vanderwarker

Everyone’s had weird things happen to them, events or happenings that are so out of the ordinary that they stick in your mind in a way that normal occurrences don’t. 

Like the experience I had in Munich in the middle of my adolescence. I was an upper-middle class, preppy, suburban kid and at that time madras shorts were the rage. So naturally, when our parents decided to take the kids on a summertime trip to Europe, I packed my madras shorts thinking I’d sport them around England, France and Germany. 

All went well in the first two countries but when I put them on in Germany and took a walk around the hotel, I was in for a shock. At first it was two teenage German guys pointing at me from across the street. Not only were they pointing, but they were laughing uproariously. I looked around to see what they were laughing at, never imagining it was me they found so funny, until a couple other kids joined them and they formed a group, every single one of them pointing at me and howling hysterically. I distinctly remember looking down at my shorts and suddenly realizing it was my madras trunks they found so hilarious.

By this time, the group of kids had grown into a crowd, everyone motioning at me and guffawing loudly. I was totally embarrassed and turned beet red, almost the color of the plaid pattern on my shorts. How could the madras shorts that were so popular back home, be the object of ridicule in Germany? I couldn’t figure it out but hightailed back to our hotel totally humiliated. I hustled through the lobby and up to the room, took off the shorts, stuffed them into the bottom of my bag and didn’t put them on again until I got back to the States. 

To this day, when I spot an article of madras clothing, I can hear raucous giggling—in German.

Then there was the time when I was in Guinea, in West Africa, serving in the Peace Corps. A couple volunteers and I were visiting a small village out in the sticks and the villagers insisted that we stay and eat lunch with them. We had learned that the Africans were particularly welcoming to Americans and though none of us liked eating out of the communal pots with bare hands, we knew better than to refuse their kind gesture. 

Okay, so get this picture, the three of us sitting on our haunches with a bunch of village elders, around a large pot filled with some kind of murky-looking stew. One villager spoke French and he explained to us that the dish we were about to eat was poulet, chicken in French. Everyone gustily dug into the pot, I grabbed a handful of stew and brought it up to my mouth and just as I was about to take a bite, I realized that I was holding the head of a chicken and that its one eye was wide open, staring me right in the face. 

Needless to say, I dropped the head, eye, beak, cockscomb and all, back into the pot, much to the delight and amusement of my fellow diners. 

Later in my Peace Corps service, in the capital city, Conakry, I got on a large public bus to go somewhere and since the bus was packed with people and there were no available seats, I stood, holding onto one of the metal grab handles. As the bus got underway, I looked around at the other passengers and began to notice that everyone was staring at me. At first, I couldn’t figure it out. I wasn’t wearing madras shorts or anything out of the ordinary, but all the passengers were looking at me. Suddenly, looking at my arm holding the grab handle, I realized why they found me so interesting. All the other people on the bus were black, I was the only white person. That feeling of being singled out because of my skin color has stuck with me to this day. 

One more instance of being singled out—or almost singled out. This time much later when I was in the advertising business. I was down at the Anheuser-Busch headquarters in St. Louis to present a major ad campaign for one of its brands to the chairman, August Busch (Sallie Wheeler’s brother). I arrived early and decided to make a quick stop in the men’s room so I’d be all set for the presentation. Presenting ads to the chairman was a big deal, not only was he the top dog, but he was a tough customer, both demanding and dismissive. If he didn’t like something, you’d know it, quickly. So I was a bit preoccupied as a lot was riding on my presentation, like my career. I pushed open the door to the bathroom and not seeing any urinals, pushed open a stall and closed the door behind me. Just as I was about to pee, I heard people coming into the bathroom. What caused me to quickly clamber up on the toilet, carefully balancing myself on the seat, was the sound of their voices. They were female. 

I was in the Ladies Room. In my concentration on the upcoming presentation I had walked into the wrong bathroom. Praying they wouldn’t discover me and rush out screaming to alert the security guards about the weirdo in the Ladies Room, I stood stock still, hoping they’d go about their business and leave so I could scurry out undetected.

After what seemed like an eternity and as I watched my career flash before my eyes, imagining the headline in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reading, “Pervert ad exec arrested in Anheuser-Busch Ladies Room,” I heard the women opening the door and leaving. Whew! 

Though I don’t remember a thing about the presentation, I can remember every stinking detail about the five minutes I spent in a state of total terror standing on the toilet in the Ladies Room of our largest client. 

WHAT’S COOKING: Good Grits

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By Sam Johnson, Deputy Director of Cullinary | 1776

This recipe is very special to me. This is one my mother and I have worked on together to perfect and we have nailed it. This dish is sure to please at your next brunch, it hits all the southern notes and more. If you see Judy around town, be sure to ask her about this dish for your next brunch! 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant)
  • Jack cheese  3 cups
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions 
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into small pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 6 large eggs
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper to taste
  • ½ tsp garlic powder

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 2-quart soufflé dish or a deep baking dish with butter and set aside.S
  2. Place milk in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add grits and whisk to combine. Reduce heat to low and whisk until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and add cheese, scallions, butter, and salt, stirring until all ingredients are completely incorporated and butter is melted. Season with freshly ground black pepper and garlic cayenne. Add eggs and stir until thoroughly incorporated.S
  4. Pour into the prepared dish and bake until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes.

BOOKWORM: Winter Reading – Warmer Weather of the Horizon

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By Suzanne Nash

It is no coincidence that I chose to review the following books to coincide with me heading out of the country, as I know these involve controversial subject matters, but one of the best things about books is that they can spark conversations and thoughts about things that might otherwise be too difficult to approach.  Talking about an issue under the cover of book discussions rounds the edges somewhat and gives more room to engage in difficult topics.  That said, I am heading to London and leaving the Keswick crowd to mull over these things while I am away! I am joking a little here, and while I AM going away, I will be more than happy to talk to you about any of these books at any time upon my return.  There is nothing I love more than good conversation around interesting ideas and opinions, and I am sure these books will generate quite a bit of that! 

I happened to pick up two books at the library without realizing they were attacking the same subject from different angles.  One was a true crime story and the other a fictionalized version of the same story, both of which made reference to a classic American novel, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

Now many people have definite opinions about the novel, Lolita, but I find most people have never actually read it.  It is an American masterpiece and despite the difficult subject matter, the writing is phenomenal.  And this is what makes this book such a perfect subject in our present-day atmosphere. It will make the reader contemplate how often a well-spoken narrative can make one accept abhorrent behavior. 

I had read this novel a long time ago when I was younger, and I must admit it didn’t bother me as much as it does now.  This time I listened to it on audible and the benefit of listening to it is the narrative voice of Jeremy Irons, which gives an added creepy quality to the story.  He really has the perfect aristocratic arrogance to capture the character of Humber Humbert. This silver-tongued gentleman describes his infatuation for a young girl named Dolores, who he nicknames Lolita.  Lolita is HIS Lolita and that is very clear.  There is a possessiveness in this entire story that underlines the fact that we are hearing this tale strictly from his perspective. He tries to convince the reader that his feelings are beyond his control and that Lolita has lured him into a predicament. He marries Lolita’s mother to stay close to the child he lusts after and the story blossoms from there. What is fascinating is the result of this novel on the American and worldwide culture.  Rather than causing disgust and the realization that pretty words can’t hide a manipulative heart, people ran out and began to dress as school girls and the term Lolita began to have suggestive meanings.  It even eventually led to the wide-eyed Asian anime characters that are so popular today.  It had worldwide implication that we still feel to this day. This is further examined in the first book I came across at the library.

In The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World author Sarah Weinman investigates the story behind the Nabokov’s novel. In 1948 an eleven-year-old girl was abducted from her home in New Jersey and Weinman delves into the abduction through newspaper accounts, court documents and interviews.  This is the first time the whole story of Sally’s abduction has been made public and Weinman finds evidence regarding how much Nabokov knew of this case before he finished his masterpiece in 1955.  She investigates why he tried to hide his knowledge of the case and its influence on his story. Not only is Lolita’s effect on society and culture explored, but the author also looks at Nabokov’s life and how protective his wife was of his artistic legacy. It is a wonderfully revealing book and really opens another view of this important piece of literature.

Rust and Stardust is a novel by T. Greenwood that is another take on the Sally Horner kidnapping. Taken from Camden New Jersey and spirited across country Sally Horner faces a kidnapper who is a far cry from Lolita’s self-proclaimed gentleman narrator. It is a fictional retelling but carries many of the details form Weinman’s book. This looks at the sad reality of a young girl taken by a man who doesn’t have aristocratic bearing or honeyed words. It is darker and more gruesome along the lines of a true crime story and will make you ponder once more how each narrator lends a different perspective of the same issue. What is worth considering is how this tale told in 1955 did spark a scandal but it also sparked a craze and this book was a bestseller worldwide. Fashions changed and songs were written about Lolita, so this has created controversy and discussion since it’s publication. I found the comparisons between these books to be very revealing and think it is interesting that these new novels and books referencing Lolita and the background of the story are timely considering the Me-Too movement.

If you cannot bring yourself to tackle Lolita and the books around it, then perhaps try Anatomy of a Miracle by Jonathan Miles.  This is another book that will make you ponder your beliefs. In Biloxi, Mississippi a veteran paraplegic named Cameron suddenly rises from his wheelchair in the parking lot of the Biz-E-Bee convenience store and walks.  Is it a fluke, a scam or a miracle?  Cameron finds himself in a firestorm of media and religious focus. Suddenly his life is full of people asking him for prayers and asking hard questions. He becomes the symbol for something he is not quite sure he buys into and his doctor struggles with how to meld her scientific reasoning with what has happened. This book is a witty and poignant look at whether we believe that only certain individuals would be worthy of a miracle.  If you happen to be the recipient of a miracle does that mean you are required to live up to all of the expectation that might come with it?

Educated: A memoir by Tara Westover was a book club recommendation for me and I was completely hooked after the first few pages. Tara grew up in Idaho and her family was Mormon but not quite like the Mormons you might be used to.  They lived off the grid and they had all of their children at home so that there was no record of their births. While the older three children went to school for just a few years, by the time Tara came along they didn’t even pretend to homeschool, the children were left to roam the hills until they were old enough to start working in their Dad’s business of scrapping. There is so much that will disturb you, amaze you and confound you about this memoir.  It will leave you with questions and make you grateful for a relatively normal childhood.  School will never look so good!

I especially love the final few chapters because it explores faith in God and what we believe we know about him- which is slightly humorous, in that we presume to know anything at all. I hope you will grab these issues and play with them and discuss these books with your friends because nothing is more enlightening that lively conversations around books and ideas. 

Have a wonderful month and get ready for the warmer weather that is on the horizon!

COVER STORY: 2018 Looking Back

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By Winkie Motley and Colin Dougherty

As we begin the New Year we wanted to take a moment to look back, so we’ve pulled together the best from 2018 and put them all in one place. Keswick Life wishes you a 2019 that’s quite simply, the best!

January

As is the tradition, on the cover, was an excellent review of where we have been in 2018! As we began the New Year we wanted readers to take a moment to look back, so we’d pulled together the best from 2018 and put them all in one place. We wished everyone a new year that’s quite simply the best. Key parts of each month’s issue for 2018 were summarized with the highlights to bring it all back to the time or place that has gone too soon or perhaps not soon enough. Most importantly, we took the journey together, as Keswickians.

Keswickian Madison Fisk has a new show! She was born and raised on a horse farm in Keswick. She studied painting and video art at California Institute of the Arts and sculpture at Virginia Commonwealth University, now she has returned with a new exhibition. Tony Vanderwarker’s monthly column asks, “How Cold Isn’t It?” He continues, “Every winter Virginians moan and bitch about the cold. “Can you believe this weather? I’m really sick of it,” or, “I’ve had it up to here with this damn cold,” you hear from everyone. Check out the full artcile, grab a cup of coffee andget ready for a chuckle.

February

At Long Last. Keswick Hunt Club Plans for Renovations. A number of members concerned about the condition of the 100 year+ Keswick Hunt Club have stepped forward with a plan and initial funding for a major renovation of the club. The Board stressed that a major consideration of the renovation was to retain the history of the building, site and structures. 

Show stopper! Keswick Hunt Club’s 2018 Ball was one for the record books. Co-chairs Kinsey Marable and Susie Matheson wanted to do a “traditional” hunt club ball and they pulled it off elegantly. Pin lights spectacularly strung overhead set the scene. 

March

Garden Week In Full Bloom. Bucolic Keswick Hunt featured properties, this year’s tour takes us to the bucolic Keswick hunt country of Albemarle County. On Sunday, April 22nd the House and Garden Tour visit properties, includ- ing a 1,250-acre estate on the Virginia Landmark Register; an 18th century home with formal gardens and an extensive arboretum-never before on tour; a con- temporary, award-winning farmhouse; and historic Grace Episcopal Church. Visitors will travel historic roads amid scenic vistas! For the second time Coach Bennett has earned the honor of AP Coach of the Year, winning it in 2007 while at Washington State University and again this year! Did you catch a game?

April

Keswick Horse Show. This Annual Event is in its’ 114th year! The 114th Annual Keswick Horse Show presented by The Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund was again be held at the historic Keswick show grounds from Tuesday, May 15 through Sunday, May 20.  The Keswick Horse Show, the second oldest horse show in the United States, started and continues to be a community horse show that represents the best of Virginia horseman and our community. The 2018 Garden Week featured a few Keswick stops as featured in the March issue of Keswick Life. This month, we took a look at the events of the day in our photo journal. Thousands of visitors responded with genuine interest and appreciation, oohing and ahhing.

May  

How Lucky We Are. Reflections of Life in Keswick, Virginia. Tony Vanderwarker takes the cover this month, with his piece, “How Lucky We Are,” a tour of sorts of Keswick with its’ stunningly beauty, lush pastures bordered with three board white fences and divided by a twisty, roller coaster road running along the Southwest Mountains. See Jefferson’s  “America’s Eden,” Tony words are not to be forgotten. Whether it is the Dolley Madison Ladies Luncheon guests, the youngest competitor at the Keswick Horse Show or the Virginia Hound Show, Keswick Life’s May photo journal section, Keswick Scene, has all the hottest photos from the month’s events in the environs. Mary Morony’s column deals with the family – what is your definition? From tattoos to carping about taking out the garbage, nursing a sick child in the middle of the night, carpools, schedules, and money issues living with others no matter the relationship it can be messy work.

June  

Summer is Officially Here! The Ninth Annual Grace Church Historic Farm Tour and County Fair was held on Saturday, June 8. While it could have been a little cooler, the rains held off and visitors from as far away as California, Louisiana, and New York; and from throughout the Mid-Atlantic area enjoyed dressage, competitive horse jumping, superior antiques, 4-H kids and their animals, Keswick Club hounds and wonderful historic tours. The Annual Farm Fest, the precursor to the Farm Tour and Country Fair, was held at Grace’s Parrish Hall on Wednesday evening, June 6. Delicious food by Sandy Motley and her team and a fine assortment of wines presented by Erin Scala of In Vino Veritas, helped to insure a very successful silent auction and live auction. Tufton Farm Milton Farm, Glenmore Farm, Cadeaux Show Stables Keswick Hunt Club Cloverfield’s Farm Castalia Montanova Grace Historic Church One Hundred Percent of our Farm Tour proceeds spill back into the community; it’s our Grace community working with its Keswick neighbors all to benefit those less fortunate. Because of you we will have been able to give back over $400,000 in just the last 9 years. Save the date, June 8, 2019. Thank you to everyone involved!

July

The Road Update. Carefully Dealing with Inevitable Change. Tony Vanderwarker takes us on a three part article which deals with the proposed Eastern Bypass road system, to the recent wrecks in the road and then to the changes along the road you may have noticed. Read all the details, keep straight along the twists and turns, and be sure to write in to Keswick Life. 

If you’ve driven by the Keswick Hunt Club recently,  you’ve noticed the renovation work is well underway.  

The Devon Horse Show, since 1896, is both the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed horse competition in the United States. Keswickians not only participated but won in their classes.

August

Heavy Rains Rain Swollen Rivers, Storm Drains, Shops and Low-Lying Lands Flooded Rain-swollen rivers ran over roads and flooded low lying land this past month after nearly daily storms dropped as much as 5 inches of rain per hour in some areas of Keswick and its environs. Flooding forced closures of roads, trails, golf courses and shops in downtown Gordonsville. The National Weather Service warned of an additional rain and chances of thunderstorms and showers throughout the coming weeks.

September

“Tivoli” was a picture perfect setting for this year’s Keswick Hunt Club puppy show. While the puppies were exhibited in the ring, spectators gathered on the porch and lawn. The Puppy Show was established by Anne Coles in honor of her late husband, Eddie Coles. In the early years, the purpose of the event was to encourage club members and guests to be aware of the young hounds and to have a wonderful party. Anne’s efforts for 10 years developed into a major fundraiser to benefit the hounds while continuing the tradition of a fun event. The first few years the Puppy Show was held at Cloverfields. Kenny and Ceil Wheeler then hosted at their farm, East Belmont, followed by the Puppy Show moving to the Keswick Hunt Club . Last year, Winkie and Sheila Motley hosted the show at the Hunt Club in honor of Hugh C. Motley, MFH who placed great importance on the hounds during his tenure as Master. This year due to the ongoing renovation of the Clubhouse, Kennels, Barn and Huntsman’s cottage, the Puppy Show was hosted by Will Coleman, MFH at Tivoli. The Keswick Hunt Club Foxhounds are the major resource and their lineage can be traced back hundreds of years. Without them we would not enjoy the Hunting we have today. Excitement is building as Restaurant Rochambeau prepares to open its doors later this month, on Main Street in Gordonsville. Focused on authentic French cuisine, the restaurant is located in the space previously occupied by the Restaurant Pomme for over a dozen years. 

October

Power Tower Fight Are Keswick Scenic Roads and Farm Next? For the past few weeks, Dominion contractors have been constructing the foundations and erecting monopoles along Route 15 in Orange as part of the Remington-Gordonsville transmission upgrade. This is part of the first phase of the project and includes a 4.5-mile stretch from Orange to near the Macmillan Publishing Services facility on Route 15. Pictured are the monopoles and lines that are replacing the older and more modest wooden frame construction. A group of property owners and other concerned citizens have begun to gather to assess the threat to Keswick farms and lands.. The group plans to lead the fight to protect Keswick environs but pressuring Dominion Energy to bury the lines as to preserve the beautiful countryside in this historic area.  

Sunday, October 14th, the Keswick Foxhounds “Came Home” to their new kennel. A ribbon cutting followed by a Toast to the Hounds and Keswick Huntsman, Paul Wilson blew: ”Going Home” as he led the hounds into the kennel. The 8 week renovation of the Keswick Hunt Club Kennels began in mid August and was completed in mid October, 2018. The renovation design was a collaboration between Paul Wilson, KHC Huntsman and Uhler and Company, design build. The goal of the project was a complete renovation of the kennels to maximize the square footage within the existing building footprint as required by the county ordinance. The completed effort is a state of the art facility Drawing over 150 attendees, PEC held their Annual Meeting on October 21 at historic Castle Hill Farm in Keswick. First Lady of Virginia Pamela Northam was in attendance and spoke about the importance of conserving lands in the state. Land conservation has long been a priority of the commonwealth, and for good reason. Nicolette Margaret Merle-Smith was married to Joel Allan Scholz on October 6th, 2018 on her parents’, Grosvenor and Rosemarie Merle-Smith, Sunny View Plantation in Louisa, Virginia. Nicolette and Joel spent the month of August in Mongolia.

November

Blessing of the Hounds honors a timeless Keswick tradition on Thanksgiving Day Hundreds gathered for the 90th Annual Blessing of the Hounds in Keswick early Thanksgiving morning. Keswick Hunt Club member Kim Mitchell at Grace Episcopal Church featured on the cover. The tradition at Grace Episcopal Church dates back to 1929. Many people say they can’t imagine their holiday without the riders attired in their formal hunting attire, the hounds, and the horses. After the pageantry each year — the blessing, the horn call, the huntsmen and hounds set off across the countryside. The hounds follow the fox. The riders follow the houndsIt’s almost Christmas time! Tony, takes on his adventures of ordering and setting up on the most time honored Christmas Traditions – a tree! Read the calamity that only Tony can describe as if you were sitting right beside him with the box cutter in hand. When we began renovating the Hunt Club, all of us involved wondered what surprises we would find.. But our biggest surprise was that the club was in such a dilapidated state that a big wet snowfall could have collapsed the entire structure. Fixing these conditions required the novel approach of building a steel skeleton around and over the building, both built into the walls and erected on the roof to enable us to save the interior. enabling us to preserve its treasured and historic interior while we are adding a new kitchen, handicap accessible bathrooms and entrance—changes that will update the club and add to its rental appeal. Fortunately, the threatening structural conditions were discovered just in time as the option would have been to demolish the club and rebuild it, destroying over a hundred years of tradition and memories.

December

Packed full issue of Christmas Cheer, including baking, giving, preparing and recovering from the big holiday season! Plus two Keswickians are inducted into the VHSA Hall of Fame. A number of Keswick members and landowners were recognized at the ceremony. Hugh Wiley and Clay Camp, both former KHC members, were inducted into the VHSA Hall of Fame. WEDDINGS Jillian Grace DeVito and Pierce McCleary Derkac were married on the 3rd of November  COMMUNITY The 6th annual Shop to Stop Hunger for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank was held at the Barracks Road Kroger on December 6th. The 60 second supermarket  shopping spree to win the coveted Cart Away Hunger award, a reace of champtions included a team of Keswickians, Jeanne McCusker and Bob Powers.

ONLY IN KESWICK: Shoo Flu

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By Tony Vanderwarker

As if slogging through winter isn’t bad enough, when you add the threat of influenza, it turns into a really scary season. Social events are like running the gauntlet, with every hand you shake and every air-kiss you give, you’re wondering, is that the one that’s going to get me? Is it the air-kiss with Susie that’s going to bring me down, giving me hoarseness, eye and lip swelling, headaches, fever and nausea? Or the handshake with Gene that’s going to put me in bed coughing and groaning for ten days? These kind of worries can really wreck a party, leaving one wondering, did I get infected and am I going to wake up sick in the morning?

It’s enough to turn you into a germophobe, squirting endless dollops of sanitizer into your palm and washing your hands so often they begin to dry and crack. 

Supermarket carts really give me pause. I look at them and see millions of tiny microbes swarming over the plastic handle, I mean the bubonic plague could be lurking there so I furiously wipe them down with the sanitary wipe provided. No matter how silly I look standing at the entrance of the grocery store massaging the handle of my shopping cart with a moist cloth, I’m confident I’m killing millions of tiny critters with every swipe. 

Every winter, there are all kinds of flu triggers that appear. Like the commercials where someone coughs and a cloud of blue smoke billows out of their mouth? That visual sticks in your mind so when someone behind you in a movie theatre coughs, you see the blue cloud seeping down into your row. When this happens, my solution is to stop breathing, hoping that the blue cloud will pass me by. Needless to say, holding your breath in a movie is not the best way to enjoy the show. But if it keeps you from getting infected, who cares? You can always watch it again on Netflix.

Out in public, I have to resist the urge to hit the floor when someone emits blue smoke in front of me. Often, I’ll just quickly step aside to let the noxious blue stuff pass by. So going downtown can result in a lot of open field running, dodging this way and that, trying not to make a big thing of it so people will think you are nuts.

The friendly warnings from the CDC don’t help either. “People over 65 should be particularly cautious of situations where you can contact the flu as it can be life-threatening for older people.” I was sixty-five a long time ago, now I guess I’m a sitting duck for the flu, ready for some virus from Hong Kong or Vietnam to take me down. One little air-kiss and that’s all she wrote for Tony. 

So every winter is running the flu gauntlet again. Who cares about slipping on a frozen sidewalk or going off the road when you hit black ice? That’s preferable than ending up on the wrong side of the dirt just because you shook someone’s hand.

When you hear that Louise has the flu, you scan your memory to see if you’d had any recent encounters with her. Even when Louise is fully recovered, you still give her a wide berth, turning your cart around at the supermarket when you see her coming down the aisle, or staying on the far side of the cocktail party and watching her warily to make sure she doesn’t invade your space and infect you. I mean, this girl had the flu and remnants could still be lurking around in her smile lines. 

For me, traveling during flu season is a no-no. Getting on an airplane is like entering a flu tube and is at the bottom of my bucket list–for to me, the inside of an airplane is one dense blue cloud. Not to mention tray tables that make shopping cart handles seem harmless. Just think of all the germs lurking there. 

As much as I enjoy watching UVa basketball, during flu season, I turn down every invite, fearing that 18,000 people screaming and cheering will exude enough blue smoke to take down the whole crowd. Same thing goes for elementary schools, in the winter, I wouldn’t be caught dead in one. 

Not that I’m a hypochondriac, I just don’t want to die from going to a movie or air-kissing someone.

Fortunately, my wife has all kinds of preventative pills, chalky orange ones that supposedly boost your immune system, over-the-counter remedies that reduce flu’s effects, witch doctor potions like olive leaf extract and oregano oil. Normally I’m not much of a pill-popper, but during flu season, I chomp them down like candy. 

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Only In Keswick, continued from page 14 <<< 

Unfortunately, my preoccupation with the flu makes me a pretty boring person. When someone asks me how my winter’s been going, I don’t have much to say since all I’ve been doing is keeping my head down. I can’t say, “I’ve been doing everything I can to duck the flu,” so I say, “Not much, it’s been a quiet winter.”

If they persist and ask, “Done any traveling?” I have to answer, “No, not really.”

Around here, people are pretty sociable, so they continue, “So what have you been up to?”

I want to answer, “I’ve been wiping off shopping carts, holding my breath in the movies, imbibing oregano oil and staying away from JPJ,” but instead I say, “Life’s been pretty dull, how about you?”

Asking about the other person always gets you out of a hole, so I’m home free in this conversation and just happy as hell he didn’t ask me to shake hands.

WHAT’S COOKING: Kale & Yellow Pepper Fritatta

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By Sam Johnson, Deputy Director of Cullinary | 1776

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • olive oil, drizzle
  • 1/2 cup kale, chopped
  • 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup asiago cheese, shredded

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe pan over medium-low heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the kale, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Saute until the pepper is tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and sprinkle the asiago cheese on top. Continue to cook, pushing in the edges occasionally to make sure all the egg cooks evenly. Remove from the heat.
  3. Place the pan in the oven and broil on high until the top is lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
  4. Serve with chopped kale salad and balsamic dressing to a kitchen full of friends!