Tag Archive

There’s a sweater farm in my car

There’s a sweater farm in my car That’s what our former reporter Julianna Doerzaph said her dad used to call it, when she left her sweaters in the family vehicle. Actually, there’s a jacket farm in my car. If this weather would ever make up its mind if it’s winter, spring or summer, I... »

Catawba Murder Hole cave is subject of new book

CATAWBA – A noted cave, which some say wants to tell its own story, now has the opportunity in a recently released book. “Murder Hole” is about the Catawba-area cave of the same name in Botetourt County that author, landowner and caver Marian McConnell describes as “a unique place of danger and beauty.” McConnell,... »

The man who carved Santa Claus

I guess it was fitting that Johnny Starkey carved some of his last Santa Claus figures at Catawba Community Center on Saturday, during the Catawba Holiday Market. The community center was the former Catawba School where Johnny went to elementary school. He loved the Catawba community and never wanted to live anywhere else. Johnny,... »

Santa Claus carver dies

CATAWBA – Santa Claus carver John Starkey is being remembered this week, after the Catawba wood carver died Sunday from an apparent heart attack while working on his Roanoke County farm near where he was born. Starkey’s work is in private collections across the Roanoke Valley, Virginia, many states and a number of other... »

Snuggling on the sofa

I remember when my husband and I used to snuggle on the sofa when we were first married. Just the two of us. We still do, frequently late at night, matching snores much of the time. About seven years after we were married we were joined on a yellow brocade sofa by infant son... »

Pickup sticks?

Remember pickup sticks? Our two pups evidently do. When I turned on the light in the kitchen the other morning, I was greeted with the sight of a torn-up box that had held 350 wooden toothpicks, and toothpicks spread all over the first floor of the house.   I’m still finding them: under my... »

Putting the boys on the ‘bus’

It was like putting our children on the school bus for the first day of school. Only instead of a bus, the vehicle was a box truck, and the kids were our puppies, Skippy and Catawba. They were on the “Hip-to-Snip Trip” to the Mountain View Humane Clinic in Christiansburg to get neutered. Or,... »

The great adventure

The other evening I was blissfully working away, finishing articles for that week’s issue of the Salem Times-Register when I got a call from my husband. “I’m late leaving for the Salem Lions Club meeting because I had a situation here at home.” Uh-oh. “The dogs got out of the fence and wound up... »

Santas all through the house, all year long

CATAWBA – It’s Christmas all year long at Brenda and John Starkey’s home in Catawba. They live with hundreds of his hand-carved Santas who stand on shelves, perch over doorways, on mantels and, of course, hang on the family’s Christmas tree. And then there is John Starkey’s workshop. In The Woodshed Carving Shop that... »

Challenges of life with giant puppy

I remember the days B.C. – before Catawba, aka “Giant Puppy.” On mornings like Monday when I found only a few crushed egg shells as ghosts of the 14 fresh eggs he ate – yes, more than a dozen! – I look back in my mind at the cute, little blonde teddy bear we... »