Historic Fincastle Festival

Historic Fincastle, Inc. (HFI), a local preservation organization, used to put on a festival in the Town of Fincastle annually. Then they stopped because the people who did it aged and young folks didn't care.

This would have been the 50th year of the festival if it had continued, so they had a little 50th anniversary festival to reminisce and give themselves a pat on the back.

Disclaimer: I am a lifelong member of HFI and was its president back in the late 1990s.

I went but I could not see as much as I wanted because Fincastle is a town of hills, and I can't walk up and down hills anymore.

The view from Roanoke Street looking north. These are artist booths.

A little music for atmosphere.

Looking back down Roanoke Street to the south.

Folks could buy homemade goodies.

Or look at corvettes.

Student art work.

Historic documents were on display in the courthouse.

That is a LOT of signs.

This is Rowan Miller who was touting books for sale.

These books.

This was another author selling her books. She was from Vinton.

More vendors down Main Street. I didn't go down to see these folks because I didn't think I could get back up the hill.

Volcanic Sunset

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. When was the last time you tried something new?

A. The last thing I tried that was new was a recipe for baked pork chops. They were okay.

2. Who do you sometimes compare yourself to?

A. The invisible perfect person.

3. What’s the most sensible thing you’ve ever heard someone say?

A. Be yourself.

4. What gets you excited about life?

A. Learning something new.

5. What life lesson did you learn the hard way?

A. Don't trust anyone. And I mean not one single person.

6. What do you wish you spent more time doing five years ago?

A. Writing long pieces (like books) and trying to lose weight.

7. Do you ask enough questions or do you settle for what you know?

A. I am always asking questions. My whole life has been one big question mark.

8. Who do you love and what are you doing about it?

A. I love my husband. I married him. I take care of his home and feed him dinner.

9. What’s a belief that you hold with which many people disagree?

A. There is no heaven or hell.

10. What can you do today that you were not capable of a year ago?

A. I can play the guitalele.

11. Do you think crying is a sign of weakness or strength?

A. I think it's a sign of being human.

12. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

A. Drive faster.

13. Do you celebrate the things you do have?

A. Yes. Well, I don't do dances around the TV or anything, but I am grateful I have one.

14. What is the difference between living and existing?

A. Living has purpose. Existing is just breathing.

15. If not now, then when?

A. In the next moment.

16. Have you done anything lately worth remembering?

A. I can't remember.

17. What does your joy look like today?

A. It looks like feet in slippers.

18. Is it possible to lie without saying a word?

A. Yes. If someone surmises something and it is incorrect and you don't correct them, then you are perpetuating a lie. A lie of omission is still a lie.

19. If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow this person to be your friend?

A. Not very long.

20. Which activities make you lose track of time?

A. Writing, reading, playing video games.

21. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?

A. Writing.

22. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?

A. I don't understand this question. What would I miss if I didn't have it? Is that what this is trying to say? I would miss my imagination.

23. Are you holding onto something that you need to let go of?

A. Everybody is.

24. When you are 80-years-old, what will matter to you the most?

A. Whether or not I have my mind.

25. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards and just do what you know is right?

A. When your gut says so.
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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.  (#250)

Saturday 9: Listen, People

Saturday 9: Listen, People (1966)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Basically Herman is telling us that we each both break hearts and have our hearts broken during our lifetime. Do you agree?

A. I can see where this might be true. Lots of people have secret loves and secret lives.

2) He implores us to take his advice. Have you more recently given or received advice?

A. Mostly I have taken advice lately on housing renovations. I have to listen to the carpenters and installers who know more than I do.

3) Herman's real name is Peter Noone. He was popular with girls because of his bright, toothy smile. How's your oral health? When are you due to go to the dentist?

A. My last check-up was great and I return in February.

4) Peter/Herman got married on his 21st birthday. That's one way to make sure you don't forget your anniversary. Do you have a good memory for anniversaries and birthdays?

A. I mark them on my calendar. Sometimes I am a day off.

5) Between 1965 and 1971, the Hermits worked very hard. They appeared on all the major TV shows of the day, recorded albums, made a movie and then crisscrossed the United States and the United Kingdom, performing live. After those six years, Peter decided he'd had enough and left the group. Have you ever felt burned out and ready for a change?

A. I have, yes. That was one reason why I finally took my doctor's advice and stopped writing for the newspaper. I didn't feel like I was doing the best job I could do because I was limited by money, time, and health.

6) In 1966, when this song was popular, the miniskirt took the fashion world by storm. What's the most recent piece of clothing you added to your wardrobe?

A. I bought a few tops.

7) In 1966, TVs were expensive pieces of furniture. A set with a 16" screen and a wood console sold for $250, which is $1,950 in today's dollars. Tell us about your TV. How big is it? Where did you buy it?

A. My TV is 55" I think. It's new. We bought it last spring when it was on sale because the new models were coming in. It is a smart TV except I don't have it all hooked up to be as smart as it could be. We bought it at a place called Lee Hartman's, which sells TVs and cameras.

8) David Schwimmer, aka Ross on Friends, was born in 1966. Who was your favorite Friend?

A. I didn't watch Friends. I think I might be the only person in the world who has never seen an episode of that show.

9) Random question -- Describe your dream car.

A. My dream car would be a white Toyota Avalon. I think they are pretty cars. Darn. Now I'm going to have to go to the Toyota Website and design one.

Here you go:

That price tag is why I drive a Toyota Camry instead.
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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.

Renovations, Exterior

The work continues today on replacing the windows and doors. The saw is singing its whining high-pitched screech even as I type this. However, they are in the garage now so I am a bit more insulated than I was when they were in the house proper.

It is very hard to concentrate in a construction site.

Here are exterior shots of the back side of the house. They still have to replace the front door.

This is what the exterior looked like prior to installation:



French door with shutters.



Kitchen window



Most of the back of the house showing the double windows.

Here are pictures of the exterior of the newly installed windows and back door:



We switched from a French door to a patio door. We think it will give us a little more room.
I put some window stickers on there because I am afraid the animals will become confused by the glass. We haven't decided what to do there as far as shutters or curtains or whatever.



New kitchen window. Different angle. The colors are similar but these Pella windows offer more glass space and less white area.

New double window.

The new door and the kitchen window.

This part of the renovation project should end next week. Hopefully it will cut down on drafts and heating. We also found several areas of rotten wood and concealed mold, which we cleaned up and sprayed down with mold elimination stuff. This should also help my allergies and sinus issues considerably in the long run. I sure hope so, anyway.

We still do not have install dates for flooring. That is aggravating and I am starting to question our choice of provider. We can't plan anything because we have no clue when the floor installation will begin.