THE WOODRUFF’S CAFÉ AND PIE SHOP TEAM SHARES THEIR SECRETS TO SUCCESS

Photos by Ashlee Glen

Darnette Hill sits at a corner table folding boxes for what’s expected to be another bustling day at Woodruff’s Café and Pie Shop in Amherst County.

It’s Wednesday morning—since they’ve been closed since Saturday, they know customers will start rolling in right when the doors open at 10 a.m. The display case is full, and the shop’s ovens are working overtime, filling the tiny cinderblock building with mouthwatering scents of cranberry, sweet potato, and chocolate.

As she folds, Darnette and her twin sister, Darnelle Winston, laugh—with happy tears in their eyes—as they tell stories about “Mama,” who passed away in May of this year at 104 years old. Mary Woodruff, the matriarch of the family pie shop, used to fold boxes at the very same table and loved chatting with customers as they waited for their orders.

“She was here every day, no matter what,” said Winston, who works in the front part of the store and occasionally bakes.

“And Mama was negative about nothing. She was always positive,” added Hill. “We never thought about it until after she was gone just how positive she was.”

It was Mary’s positivity, along with the constant support of the whole family, that has kept Woodruff’s Café and Pie Shop going through the years, explained Angie Scott, owner of the shop and younger sister to Darnelle and Darnette: “‘Just have faith, Angie,’ Mama would always say.”

But it wasn’t always easy.

IN THE BEGINNING

Woodruff’s opened in January 1952 as a general store on land owned by Scott’s grandfather, selling gas and oil, chicken and hog feed, and grocery items. Her father built it with friends out of cinderblock.

“They did very well, the whole community stopped in,” Scott said. “A lot of people didn’t have cars so they would walk to the store.”

Woodruff’s was also home—Scott and her sisters lived with their parents upstairs, above the store. She recalled their unusual alarm clock.

“Mama would be so busy down here that she would take a broom and bang it into the ceiling that was right below our room,” Scott chuckled as she reenacted her mother’s morning ritual.

Thirty years later, the general store closed, unable to compete with big grocery chains. The building sat empty for a while before becoming an apartment and then a fish market for a couple of years.

In the ’90s, Scott’s wheels started turning as she attended a family reunion on her father’s side and learned more about the history of her family in the area near the shuttered store.

“I just really wanted to carry that history on,” she said.

A SLOW REVIVAL

With a 10-year background in the restaurant industry and a community college degree, Scott followed her heart and reopened Woodruff’s in 1998.

“It was small, I wanted it to be a little café,” she explained, adding that the dessert case didn’t come until later when she wanted to offer something sweet for lunchtime customers.

“I started going through cookbooks and finding recipes from family. Of course I used my mom’s sweet potato pie recipe,” Scott said.

By the early 2000s, she was branching out and baking other types of pies—but business was still slow. Scott even got a second job waiting tables to make ends meet. She was starting to feel like her faith in the business was running out.

“But the Lord kind of did some work in those 10 years and sent people that would help me,” said Scott.

One of those people arrived in 2012, a Southern Living writer who happened to be in the area for an assignment about apple orchards. Someone told the writer to stop by Woodruff’s for a slice of pie.

“I was making apple pie that day when she came in. She took a bite and said, ‘This is the best apple pie I’ve ever had’,” Scott said. “We were in their fall issue in 2013. Things started to turn around then.”

Things turned around so much that they had a hard time keeping up with demand, especially with just one oven at the time.

“I was turning people away because at 11 o’clock the pies were gone. So I had to bring in another oven,” she said.

More publicity came in 2015 when PBS produced a show called “A Few Good Pie Places.” Then in early 2020, the pinnacle of media coverage—the Today show came to Amherst County for a feel-good story about Mary and her role at the shop. It’s not uncommon now to have visitors from all over the country.

“We had a gentleman and his mother come from Ohio just this last weekend. They said [our shop] was on their bucket list. So we were able to give them a history and talk to them,” Scott said. “They bought five pies. People do that type of thing all the time.”

They now have five standard ovens, and recently added a dough press machine to save time making crusts. Scott’s next goal is to upgrade the space to a commercial kitchen.

MORE OR LESS

So what makes a Woodruff’s pie so irresistible that it’s worth a six-hour drive? Like many seasoned family cooks who have spent years creating the same recipes—it’s often kind of hard to explain.

“We don’t have many rules, I guess you would say,” Scott said. “Just trial and error.”

One of those trial-and-error experiences was finding the right flour.

“I had bought this expensive flour and it just didn’t work. We ended up using Walmart flour,” she said, adding that a customer offered to test it for them. Turns out, their favorite flour was low in gluten: “If the gluten [in your flour] is too high, you won’t get a good crust.”

The crust is the foundation of a good pie—and you might be surprised who is behind the Woodruff’s batter.

“Larry is the backbone of the kitchen,” explained Scott of her husband, an often unsung hero in all of the shop’s publicity through the years. “He is the best cook out of all of us. He makes all of the pie batter. He makes crumble, which is a big deal. He also makes our chicken salad and pimento cheese. We really couldn’t do this without him.”

Larry and Angie agree—it all comes down to timing. First, don’t overmix your dough when making pie crust. Next, according to Larry, how long you let the dough sit after mixing can affect how easy it is to work with if you are making a lattice top (his specialty).

“If she rolls this out and it sits for a few minutes, it seems to fall apart. If we use it right away, it doesn’t have to be quite as thick,” he explained.

They use a milk wash instead of an egg wash for the tops of their pies. Why? “Because we got tired of cracking so many eggs!” Scott laughed. “Milk does the same thing.”

When it comes to your fillings, follow your favorite recipe (and use fresh, local ingredients if possible) but don’t be afraid to experiment. For example, your family might like the taste of cinnamon a little more or less than a recipe calls for. You’ll actually see “more or less” several times in the pie recipes Scott shared with us on the following pages.

Finally, a little trial-and-error tip about fruit pies: “Put them on the lowest grate in your oven. I finally figured that out,” Scott said. “That will keep them from getting soggy.”

BEING MERRY WITHOUT MARY

Heading into the first holiday season without “Mama” will be an adjustment for this close-knit family. Partly because Mary Woodruff adored Christmas—from the caroling to the decorations—and equally loved a good snow.

But it may be her grateful spirit they remember—and try to emulate—this time of year.

“If someone gave her the smallest gift she would just love it and praise them for it. She was always so grateful for every single thing she received in her life,” said Hill.

Every single thing including that cozy corner table where Mary had the opportunity, every single day, to do what she loved the most—help the family business thrive.

“Even on her death bed and she only had weeks left, she was like, ‘I need to go over to Angie’s and fold some boxes’,” Scott recalled. “It’s been different without her and it always will be, but we are doing okay.”

TRY A PIE
Angie Scott shares a few of their top-selling recipes, but they are keeping their crust concoction under wraps. Use your own recipe or pour these fillings into a store-bought crust for an easy dessert option.

Cherry Pie

Ingredients
4 cups tart cherries
1 1/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
Butter
1/3 cup clear gel (a modified food starch found in baking aisle)
Dash of cinnamon or nutmeg

Instructions
Mix or toss ingredients lightly. Spoon into unbaked pie crust. Dot with butter. Top with lattice or regular crust. Brush crust with milk or egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for 40 min.

Apple Cranberry Pie

Ingredients
6 cups apples (your favorite)
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar (more or less)
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon orange extract (more or less, optional)
Butter

Instructions
Mix dry ingredients. Dot apples with orange extract or a little fresh zest. Toss all together with cranberries. Spoon into unbaked pie crust. Top with crust or use cookie cutters to decorate. Dot with butter.

Bake at 375 for 55 minutes. When cool drizzle with icing. (You can make your own with confectioner’s sugar and water.)

Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients
2 hand-sized sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), well cooked
1 1/2 stick butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup whole milk
4 well beaten eggs
1 pinch salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 teaspoons nutmeg

Instructions
Mix well. Pour into two large unbaked, 9-inch, deep dish pie crusts. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Pecan Pie

Ingredients
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
Layer pecans in pie crust. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Photos by Daryl Calfee

All Belinda Kelly wants for Christmas is power tools and vintage furniture.

Walking through the pink door of Belinda’s home explains why these are a few of her favorite things. The mid-mod furniture rehabber and decor DIY-er has managed to bring both a heaping handful of holiday magic and modern style to her once unassuming 1950s brick house in Campbell County. But the transformation couldn’t have happened without her trusty tools.

“We bought it from the original owners and builder, which was really fun,” she said. “They had maintained it really well but it visually still looked like it was 1959. Which is what we wanted actually, we wanted something that was well maintained but we could come in and make it exactly what we wanted. So we were super happy to find it.”

The home is the second fixer-upper for Belinda and her husband, Ian. Their first home was in truly rough shape when they bought it and, without much in the way of reno resources, Belinda decided to take matters into her own creative hands.

“My husband wasn’t super into building things when we first married but I was like, let’s get some power tools! We can totally do this! And he was totally down,” she recalled with a laugh. “When we bought our first home, I had just had a baby and I’m looking around this house and we didn’t have stuff to fill it and I thought, this feels sad. So I started picking pieces up and refinishing them or painting them, finding things that I liked and changing them to make them more of what I wanted, for less.”

Before long, Belinda’s talent for hunting down that perfect piece in imperfect shape led to not only lovely furnishings for her own home but also new opportunities as others began to take notice. She began selling her refurbished furniture on Facebook Marketplace, gained a following on Instagram (@belinda_fern), and started getting asked by followers and friends alike to help them design their spaces.

“It turned from selling to also people saying, ‘I like the style of your house, can you help me decorate? Can you come help me with my Airbnb? Can you help me design this space?’ So it’s turned slowly into me doing things for other people, from designing to decorating, redoing furniture to furnishing places, and things like that. It’s been a really fun creative outlet,” Belinda explained.

With more experience under their tool belt, the Kellys bought their current house and second fixer-upper. Dark wood walls, walled-up rooms, and centrally located stairs to the basement posed some unique challenges. Belinda focused on the positives she saw, like the original brass hardware and the mid-century style front door, and decided that—once again—it was power tools to the rescue.

“We took down a bunch of walls, took out a couple of doors,” she recalled. “We built the [stair] railings and installed those [around the newly opened stairwell] and built the cabinets on the other side. I love it now. It turned out to be one of my favorite things about the house.”

With the small footprint now much larger and brighter on the main floor, Belinda shifted her focus to the kitchen, where she painted the cabinets and backsplash, built a cabinet to surround the refrigerator, added new pulls, sewed curtains for the windows, and installed new IKEA countertops.

Unsurprisingly, Belinda’s hands-on approach to life has rubbed off on her son, who has been around the couple’s numerous projects since he was born.

“He has his own little hand tools and he will come and do things with us. He is definitely interested in building things, he is constantly creating things out of cardboard, and has shown interest in the projects we are working on,” she said.

As evidenced by the carefully curated pieces and the “where’s all your stuff?” vibe, Belinda has given thought and intention to each part of her home. Neither sparse nor superfluous, each room is warmly but precisely styled, with a place for everything and everything in its place.

“I like things a little more minimal than probably most people. I’m not a hard-core minimalist at heart but I like things to be pared down and feel like they can breathe and be uncluttered,” she explained. “This is also why I like the streamlined feel of mid-century pieces. They have a lot of clean edges, there aren’t a lot of extra curves and things like that going on. They just feel nice and modern, which appeals to me.”

This love for mid-mod style did pose a bit of a challenge for Belinda when it came to holiday decor. With a husband she describes as a “Clark Griswald Christmas lights” kind of guy and a son still young enough to appreciate the wonder of the season, Belinda has invested in discovering items and ornaments that she loves.

“I definitely lean a little Scandinavian anyway, so I started searching for Scandinavian Christmas decor, which is a lot of reds, which I don’t normally do, but I do like little touches of red at Christmas, and little ceramic houses and little trees. So I feel like I’m finally finding what I really like, which is kind of a mix of a bit traditional but also a bit more modern. I really like how it looks this year,” she said.

The one departure from her “less is more” mantra is the tree, which is strategically busting at the seams with ornaments that somehow appear both artfully placed and perfectly at home on each branch.

“It’s big, it’s got lots of stuff on it, [my son] loves to stand and look at the different ornaments and pull them off, and sometimes the dog pulls them off too!” Belinda said. “It’s different than I would normally lean if I were to go pick something, but I actually really love this tree. It has a lot of family ornaments. I really like that we have handmade ones that my husband’s grandmother made and stuff my son has made. It all gets thrown on there.”

Included among her favorite ornaments are those her son has created over the years and one that a friend made for them the year Belinda and Ian got engaged. Traditions in the Kelly household are simple but memorable: making Christmas crafts and an abundance of cookies, plus an annual voyage to Busch Gardens Christmastown. The presents under the tree are carefully chosen, reflecting their home as a whole.

With stockings hung by the chimney with care, no power tools in sight, and unfinished furniture projects tucked away in the basement (for now), Belinda enjoys pressing pause on all of the busywork so she can be present for her family during the memorable holiday season.

But when the New Year arrives, she already plans to add a new skill to her list: “I really want to learn to weld.”

Stealing the Show

After having to reschedule once due to heavy downpours and storms, we were more than ready to hit the ground running at our cover shoot at Woodruff’s Café and Pie Shop in late September.

The most memorable part of the shoot was a four-legged “extra” who really, really, really wanted to be in the spotlight. The local dog is known to spend some time around Woodruff’s, but they told us they had never seen him be quite this clingy before. (It probably didn’t help that shop owner Angie Wilson was holding a delicious pie in front of her while posing for a photo outside. What dog could resist that?!)

He was particularly fond of editor Shelley Basinger, partly because she spent most of the shoot petting him while holding him back as photographer Ashlee Glen took photos.
He even tried to get in Shelley’s SUV when she left!

Turn to page 133 to see our cover story about Woodruff’s in our Taste department!

Lynchburg’s Longest Weekly Consecutive Event Shows Support for Veterans, Active Military and Their Families

Vietnam War veteran Steve Bozeman didn’t realize what he had gotten himself into on Nov. 30, 2001 as he organized a peaceful gathering in downtown Lynchburg. Little did he know, that event would have massive influence on the greater Lynchburg veteran community and surrounding areas in the years to come.

Following the tragic events of 9/11, President George W. Bush deployed troops to Afghanistan. The world watched as the United States plunged into conflict with radical terrorist groups the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Meanwhile in Lynchburg, a protest opposing the war occurred on the steps of Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg, an iconic city location. In response to this protest, 80 veterans and patriots, led by Bozeman and several others, gathered on the other side of the street to peacefully counter the demonstration and show support for the war efforts in Afghanistan. At that point, there were no American casualties in what would become a near two-decade feud.

Following the counter-protest, World War II veteran James Hazelwood asked Bozeman, “Is everyone coming back next Friday to have a second rally?”

“Well, I didn’t plan on it myself,” Bozeman replied. It just so happened that the following week, Dec. 7, was the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, the infamous Japanese air strike in 1941 that claimed nearly 2,400 American lives. Upon this realization, Bozeman agreed: “Hell, yeah I’ll come back!”

Several others gathered at Monument Terrace on Dec. 7, 2001, to commemorate the lives lost at Pearl Harbor and to again show support for American troops in Afghanistan.

“Then we came back the third week, and people just showed up, and the momentum built up from there,” Bozeman said.

Since that first Nov. 30 gathering, the weekly Friday meeting known as the “Troops Rally” has taken place every consecutive Friday, totaling more than 1,040 weeks. Veterans, families of veterans, and members of the city and surrounding areas congregate to remember the sacrifices and celebrate American heroes.

“You can’t walk away from the Troops Rally without having inspiration in patriotism that’s displayed there every Friday,” Bozeman said. “To me, this is very fulfilling. My heart swells with all the things that we have done for two decades now. And it’s only starting.”

The weekly gatherings are as unique as their meeting place: Monument Terrace. This iconic downtown Lynchburg location honors the lives lost throughout America’s darkest conflicts, beginning from the Civil War.

The landmark has 132 steps and is decorated with several markers and monuments. Even since being renovated in 2002 and fully renovated in 2004, the Troops Rally has found ways to remain near the monument every Friday. There is even a designated “veterans’ room” 100 feet away from Monument Terrace that houses pictures, plaques, and posters, as well as other memorabilia.

“There’s always an obstacle,” Bozeman said. “Marines have a saying, ‘improvise, overcome, and adapt,’ so we’ve figured out how to get through all of that.”

Meetings always end with the singing of the National Anthem, followed by announcements and the toll of the bell eight times at one o’clock—signaling “ending the watch.”

The group has campaigned for different local veterans’ efforts, including holding fundraisers for Richmond’s Hunter Holmes McGuire Hospital and supporting the National Center for Healthy Veterans Valor Farm in Altavista.

“The mission statement has always been ‘support our troops’‚” Bozeman said. “We do that, and we also support each other. The word has gotten out there that this is going on every Friday. The media has helped get the word out.”

Between 50-80 participants, mostly Vietnam War veterans, attend the weekly gatherings on average. But thanks to heavy media coverage over the years, hundreds and even upwards of 1,000 have shown up depending on the occasion. On Sept. 10, the eve of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the entire street was blocked off for the event.

The impact of these simple Troops Rallies can be felt throughout the Lynchburg community. Many nonprofits that specialize in veterans’ issues have found roots in the community because of the activism and attention brought about by the Troops Rally. One of these initiatives is the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, a publicly supported 501c3 that for seven years has helped veterans avoid homelessness.

The Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, which started in the American Legion building on Greenview Drive, has received grants from Pacific Life and the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation. It also organized and executed two veterans’ parades, the first ever in Lynchburg since 1938.

“If we didn’t have the weekly Monument Terrace Troops Rallies going on for 20 years, I don’t think there would be a Lynchburg Area Veterans Council,” said Tom Current, a retired army Colonel in Special Forces, and the president of the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council.

Eighteen months ago, the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council purchased the birthplace and childhood home of Desmond T. Doss, a Lynchburg resident and a Medal of Honor recipient who saved 75 people during World War II. The Garfield Avenue property is being used to house previously homeless veterans. The City of Lynchburg even adopted a proclamation making Oct. 12 Desmond T. Doss Day in Lynchburg.

The National Center for Healthy Veterans at Valor Farm, a nonprofit that helps veterans avoid suicide and reintegrate into society, recognized the tremendous veteran support in Lynchburg and the surrounding area.

“Veterans share this bond, and I’ve tried to figure out what that is, and I think I have the answer,” Current said. “Veterans served different capacities, and we all put the mission ahead of our own desires. We put ourselves second. That takes character. That’s what binds all these different veterans, different ages, different services….”

“There are a lot of good Americans who have character and understand what it means to have a heart of a servant,” he added. “And that’s why I have hope.”

Bozeman, who has attended over 1,000 meetings, said that the purpose of the Troops Rallies has always been and will always be about supporting troops, veterans, and their families. He doesn’t see the weekly gatherings ending anytime soon.

“Everyone feels connected. Everyone is glad about what is going on in Lynchburg,” Bozeman said. “The future is unknown. We still have troops all around the world. So, I don’t see these Troops Rallies going away.”

PHOTOS BY ASHLEE GLEN

A stroll in Downtown Lynchburg is now a lot brighter with the installation of Art Alley, a vibrant public art display that includes an outdoor gallery, large-scale murals and a painted street.

“The vision for Art Alley came out of a desire to bring more life, color, and vibrancy to our growing Downtown,” said Ashley Kershner, executive director of the Downtown Lynchburg Association (DLA).

Art Alley, located at the end of 11th Street (between Commerce Street and the Bluffwalk), is described as a placemaking project. These projects focus on transforming public spaces and improving the quality of life in the area.

Susan Brown, program director of the DLA, led the way in the planning for Art Alley with her art-focused background.

“When it came time to get deep into planning for Art Alley,
I was thrilled,” said Brown. “I tapped into my inner museum nerd and it gave me a chance to use my art history degree.”

Brown and the DLA put out a call for artists to submit artwork centered around the theme of “sparking joy.”
They received so many incredible submissions, the Spark Joy Gallery now includes 11 pieces from local artists (see list below). The DLA had originally made room for eight.

The various murals seen in Art Alley took a lot of time, planning and elbow grease to complete. Lisa Jonas illustrated the street mural; DLA staff and 50 volunteers helped paint it. Local artist Christina Davis illustrated one of the featured murals, Tales from the Garden. Emily Herr, of Richmond, created another mural called The Secret Recipe on the garage door. The mural was inspired by her time visiting Lynchburg. Deidre Stone painted the two sets of doors located in the alleyway—inspired by the sun, moon and stars, they make great backdrops for photos.

As you shop local this holiday season, be sure to stop by and see this new, very joyful, addition to Downtown Lynchburg.

Featured Artists in Gallery

Morning Glory by Kate Mitchell

Winter’s Morning by Hanan Davis

Color Sorbet by Morgaine Godwin

I Can, Too by Russ Voelker

The Warm After Winter by Megan Davies

Peace Out by Meg Weston

Playful Clouds by Deliece Blanchard

Cosmic Kiss by Ella Morrison

The Cry of Jazz by Angus Carter

My World by Summer Raulersen

Escape by Emily Stilwell

We take part in many horticultural holiday traditions in the United States, but there’s only one that is beautiful, long-lasting and great for gifting: the Christmas cactus.

Your Christmas tree will eventually turn brown and end up on the curb along with your wreath. Your poinsettia will lose its eye-catching color. But this unique winter-flowering plant can live for literally hundreds of years. Also, cuttings are often given as gifts and passed down through generations, making them the perfect candidate for a special holiday tradition.

There are three popular holiday cacti: the Easter cactus, the Thanksgiving cactus, and the Christmas cactus. Though they can be difficult to tell apart, there are a few subtle differences. The “leaves” of the Christmas cactus will be softly scalloped or bluntly serrated, while the Thanksgiving cactus will be sharply serrated with a claw-like projection on its edges. The Easter variety has very rounded leaf edges.

Cultivating a Christmas Cactus

If you have an established plant, you can actually coax these holiday cacti into blooming with just a few tricks, but you need to get started on this well before your desired bloom date. About six to eight weeks before you want to see some color, you’ll want to make sure your plant is moved to a cool, dark location.

Though the Christmas cactus is native to the rainforests of Brazil, they are actually stimulated to bloom with low lighting and cool weather. Fifty-five degrees is ideal. You’ll also want to make sure they receive 12 to 14 hours of darkness a day. This seems counter-intuitive, but these conditions actually encourage the cactus to put on heavy buds, because the plant thinks it’s dying. In an effort to reproduce, the cactus will bloom.

During this period, water sparingly—only when the soil dries out. At every other watering or so, you might want to use a gentle fertilizer higher in phosphorous. You’ll notice a lot of little buds developing on your plant in no time.

Once your plant is heavy with buds and ready to bloom, put it on display and it will be sure to wow your guests and add a burst of natural color to your Christmas decor. These plants can be kept to bloom on their own time on a shady porch or in your house. Just be sure to maintain mild conditions, dappled sunlight and a humid but not overly wet environment.

A Green Gift to Others

Of course, if you plan to gift cuttings of your cactus, you’ll want to avoid taking the cuttings while the cactus is in bloom or heavy with buds. A few weeks before Christmas is a great time to take the cuttings and propagate individual plants. Better yet, if you get them repotted before Thanksgiving and gift them on turkey day, your friends just might get lucky and have their own blooms by Christmas

These cacti are “epiphytes,” like the very trendy air plant. In their natural environment, they grow on other plants. As such, they prefer a loamy potting mix over traditional soil. Prepare a pot with a moist (but not soaked) cactus or succulent blend soil. You can find this at most garden centers. You can also make it yourself by mixing your own blend of 50 percent peat moss and 50 percent perlite.

Look for healthy leaf segments on your mature Christmas cactus. Then, choose a piece with at least two or three healthy segments above the bottom. The more leaves, the better, as long as you don’t leave the parent plant with too few.

Carefully twist the lower leaf segment off of the plant, being sure to get the very bottom of the segment where it attaches to the top of the one below. You should pull out a small root with it. Then bury the cutting about half way up the bottom segment into the prepared pot, just deep enough so that it can hold itself up.

Some people elect to let the cutting “heal” overnight before repotting it. Your baby cacti will need to be watered or misted only when the top layer of soil is dry. Watch it closely though—this soil type dries out quickly. Once a good root system is established (after about two weeks) you can water more heavily—but remember these plants do not like wet feet.

This plant truly embodies the spirit of the season: offering up beautiful cold-season color, requiring virtually no work, and even doubling as a sentimental and lasting Christmas gift.

Author, All the Little Hopes (2021)

Although I hadn’t met Leah Weiss in person yet, once I walked up to the bright orange front door of her Lynchburg home, I had a preview of the personality I was about to encounter. Before I could even knock, Leah was welcoming me into her warm living room with unique artwork covering every wall. Many of the pieces were created by her son, local artist Paul Clements; Leah crafted many others herself through the years.

But I wasn’t there to talk about the visual arts—but rather the literary arts, Leah’s rising fame and how she became a bestselling author after retirement. Her first book, If the Creek Don’t Rise, has sold over 100,000 copies since it came out in 2017. Already following in its footsteps is All the Little Hopes, released last July and named a Best New Book for Fall by Country Living Magazine.

Shelley Basinger: I was so happy to learn from your bio that you are a fellow Tar Heel! North Carolina is the setting for All the Little Hopes.

Leah Weiss: We are Tar Heel sisters, aren’t we? I was born in eastern North Carolina, and that’s where my mother grew up as well. She was one of 15 children, born in 1926 on a tobacco farm, with no running water and no electricity. Back in 2004, when I was still working at Virginia Episcopal School as Assistant to the Headmaster, I hoped to write memoirs about her life. I recorded our afternoon conversations. I remember her saying, “I never thought anyone would be interested in my simple life.” We didn’t know at the time that she had lung cancer and would be gone in five months.

SB: I’m sure you treasure those conversations now. What did you learn from her that helped you lay the foundation for this book?

LW: One afternoon, she said German POWs helped with the tobacco market in 1944. I had never heard of Nazis in Carolina. I ended up talking to a historian in my birth town of Williamston, NC, that was home to one of the 18 NC camps utilizing 10,000 POWs working tobacco, peanuts and cotton. I visited Williamston’s museum and saw photos and read articles. And yes, 355 Germans had lived and worked in there for two years. I thought they would be the heart of the next book.

SB: What changed your mind?

LW: The memories that community told about the Germans were tender ones. While I knew I wanted to include them in the book, I needed a grittier plot with a darker underbelly. Enter Nancy Drew, my childhood idol. She was exactly the assistant I needed.

SB: Nancy Drew worked perfectly with your two main characters, who I instantly adored in different ways.

LW: After trial and error, I ended up choosing two 13-year-old girls as narrators of a war story that spanned three years. I named one Lucy for my mother and the other Allie Bert for her mother. They were different but united by their youth and their insatiable curiosity. Nancy Drew became a tool to get the girls into trouble as they solved a local mystery that in their mind grew into The Case of the Three Missing Men.

SB: What is your approach when determining a plot line? Do you plan it out or let it evolve?

LW: I’ve tried outlining (which is logical), but my characters never follow directions. My goal in both books—besides putting tension on every page—was to find interesting characters to tell the story. I look for a balance much like a delicious buffet: starchy, sweet, spicy, and some quirky characters thrown in for good measure. It takes a variety of unforgettable characters to create a cohesive community.

SB: What type of writing training or education do you have?

LW: I don’t have much formal training and always tell people I’m still learning the craft. I wrote some short stories beginning with my mama’s memoirs, then wrote a book that didn’t sell. I took my first writing class in 2014 at Wild Acres near Little Switzerland, NC. It’s a magical creative center with many different offerings besides writing. Ever since, I’ve returned for the two-week Writers Retreat and Workshop.

SB: What positive role do you think reading plays in our often chaotic world?

LW: Imagination is an amazing gift, something we are born with but it needs to be fed or it becomes stilted. Reading takes us everywhere. And I love reading out loud and encourage the practice. My background was in music, so I love the rhythm and poetry of language.

SB: And finally, my favorite question. What’s next for you? Will there be a book number three anytime soon?

LW: How I wish I had a clear vision today, Shelley, but the good news is that a premise is percolating. For now, I’m enjoying this wonderful ride with All the Little Hopes and hope it will have the staying power of If The Creek Don’t Rise.

You can find signed copies of Leah’s book, All the Little Hopes, at Givens Books on Lakeside Drive.
Visit her website, www.leahweiss.com, to learn more and also send her a message.

These six businesses prioritize giving back to the greater Lynchburg region, each in their own unique way. The Lynchburg Living team selected this group based on nominations from the community and recommendations from economic development leaders.

CVFP Medical Group

Founded: 1993
Located: 7 primary care locations within the greater Lynchburg area
Number of Employees: 320

How has your business recently impacted the community?
CVFP Medical Group hosted numerous, mass COVID-19 vaccine clinics from January through May, administering over 20,000 vaccines. We were also a top fundraiser for Lynchburg’s HeartWalk and sponsor for many local high schools, the Hillcats, Jefferson Choral Society, and youth sports leagues. We donated to numerous nonprofits including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Appomattox for Equality, Lynchburg Daily Bread, and the Agape Center. We hosted our 4th annual Give Back Week in November, collecting over 1,000 items for local area food banks and animal shelters. CVFP is also an active community medical education partner, providing for 50+ clinical rotations for local medical students.

Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Our culture of “EPIC Teamwork” is not just something we like to talk about, rather it’s something we like to put into action. Our core values are Excellence, Professionalism, Integrity, Compassion, and Teamwork. The very people who live by these core values as they care for patients on the inside of our organization are the same people volunteering at vaccine clinics, contributing food donations, fundraising for the American Heart Association, and providing coverage at local races and football games. Community impact is our opportunity to shine from the inside out!

– Information provided by Lauren Bennett, VP, Experience & Business Development

First National Bank

Founded: 1908
Located: Altavista
Number of Employees: 185

How has your business recently impacted the community?
First National Bank consistently provides support to the community based on our three pillars of giving: community outreach, educational support, and economic development. In addition to corporate giving, the First National Bank Community Impact Foundation is an employee-driven endowment that allows our people to give back to the causes most important to them and their communities.

Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Our vision is to be the premier banking organization in the markets we serve. Extraordinary customer service is only part of the journey towards actualizing that vision. The other component is to give back to the communities we serve, regardless of the stakeholders’ status as clients of our organization. First National Bank strongly believes in stewardship and growing opportunities for our employees to make an impact that is felt close to home.

-Information provided by Todd Hall, President/CEO

Framatome Inc.

Located: 3315 Old Forest Road, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 2,000 in the U.S.; 1,230 in Lynchburg

How has your business recently impacted the community?
We invest in education and STEM programs such as the Central Virginia Science Festival and the Susie G. Gibson Science & Technology Center. Beacon of Hope is another example. We’re honored to be part of this organization that has made college possible for so many. We also support human services programs, including Lynchburg Daily Bread and Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and arts and culture organizations, such as the Academy Center of the Arts. The economic health of our community is important too; we invest in the programs and strategy of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance and the Downtown Lynchburg Association.

Why does your business prioritize giving back?
We want to help build and sustain our community. We invest in a pipeline of employees in the region through education and STEM programs while contributing to the vitality of the community so that our region continues to be a great place to live and work. Our employee-led Contributions Committee is also committed to this mission and to helping meet some of the needs in the community. At the end of 2020, they recognized the areas in which our community suffered the most due to the pandemic and allocated additional donations for organizations providing food, shelter and basic needs for those who needed it.

-Information provided by Denise Woernle, VP, Communications

Moore & Giles

Founded: 1933
Located: 1081 Tannery Row, Forest
Number of Employees: 112

How has your business recently impacted the community?
Our big impact this year was stepping up to be the main sponsor of the Virginia Ten Miler. This was exciting because a majority of our employees grew up here and remember the race through the years. We continue to be a big supporter of the Academy and the restoration of the historic theater and will continue to support that organization as it makes it through the pandemic. We are also proud of our new “One” program, where we make a one-of-a-kind special item and raffle it off to the community. Whatever we raise, half of it goes to a selected nonprofit for that month. Also, every year at Christmas, we raffle off a high-dollar item for employees to win; whatever we raise the company matches and we donate all of that to Lynchburg Daily Bread.

Why does your business prioritize giving back?
We are a proud to call this community home. We feel it’s important as a locally owned company to do what we can to add to the incredible quality of life that this region already has. Part of our drive to be successful as a company is so we can do all of these things to help improve our community.

-Information provided by Sackett Wood, President/CEO

Schewels Home

Founded: 1897
Located: 7007 Timberlake Road, Lynchburg plus 50 locations in VA, WV and NC.
Number of Employees: 580

How has your business recently impacted the community?
Community engagement is one of our six core values, and the Schewel family has always been involved in the Lynchburg community. Since we launched our new Schewels Home brand in 2018, we’ve made it our goal to impact not only the Lynchburg area, but the other 49 communities we serve in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. I’m proud to say that in the past year we donated over $36,000 to the local Salvation Army chapters in our communities to help purchase diapers and other baby care products for those who are not able to afford them. We have also continued to support local charities and sports teams based on requests from our local stores.

Why does your business prioritize giving back?
Throughout the past 124 years, our ownership has always donated time and money to the community, both because they truly wanted to help the less fortunate and because they understood that this was a key part of the bargain for retailers: give back to the customers who have helped our business to prosper. For instance, my grandfather Bert Schewel and his father, Ben Schewel, were major supporters of the Salvation Army. I’m proud that today we are continuing their legacy.

-Information provided by Matt Schewel, Vice-President

Scott Insurance

Founded: 1864
Located: 1301 Old Graves Mill Road, Lynchburg
Number of Employees: 350

How has your business recently impacted the community?
Scott Insurance impacts the Lynchburg community by serving needs and creating opportunities through financial contributions and volunteerism, benefitting many local organizations. Scott’s community efforts focus on creating educational opportunities for local youth, addressing food insecurity, promoting community health and wellness, and supporting economic development. In October 2020, Scott hosted “Community Day 2020: Building a Better Lynchburg”—a free event promoting safety, well-being and community connections. Another impactful project was Scott’s partnership with Centra Health to brighten the holiday season at three Centra skilled- and long-term care facilities in December 2020.

Why does your business prioritize giving back?
At Scott, our day-to-day work and our community involvement is driven by a passion to improve the lives of individuals. We believe our local efforts help foster a stronger, healthier community comprised of individuals who are empowered to live well and do their best work. From our efforts with multiple organizations working with youth to food and resource donations fighting food insecurity, we are dedicated to making Lynchburg a better place to live and work.

-Information provided by Keith Mann, COO/CFO

By Christian Weaner

On a rainy evening in mid-May, Andrew Padilla gathered to brainstorm with a few of his friends in the empty building that would soon become the newest coffee shop in Lynchburg. As they sat together and talked, the ideas started to flow.

“We didn’t have a name, we didn’t have an aesthetic, we had no idea what we were going to do with the shop,” Padilla said. “And then, we all just sat down for a couple hours…came here one night when it was super rainy, we turned off all the lights except for the string lights, just kind of getting inspiration of what we want this place to be. That’s how La Vida was born.”

With the help of his team, Padilla opened La Vida Coffee + Market in July with a vision of becoming not only a successful coffee shop but also a safe haven that’s open to anyone, breathing life into the Lynchburg community.

Padilla, 21, is the co-owner of the business and a Sacramento, Calif., native who moved to Lynchburg in 2012 with his family. Many of Padilla’s ideas for La Vida are inspired by California-based coffee shops, which frequently host concerts, movie nights and other events.

The coffee shop is located inside a 4,000-square-foot building on the corner of Langhorne Road and Memorial Avenue. With the help of some friends, Padilla built all of the tables and sourced the other furniture.

He also ordered state-of-the-art coffee equipment that is unique to coffee shops in this area. They offer a fairly traditional coffee menu—from an Americano to a latte—but add in some seasonal favorites and offer Mexican sodas (Jarritos) as well.

Despite doing minimal marketing online and preparing for a soft launch to help get prepared for the return of college students, Padilla said he was blown away by the immediate turnout of customers when La Vida opened its doors July 17.

“All the tables, all the couches were filled,” Padilla said. “The line was going around the tables and out the door by 11 a.m. and we opened at 10 a.m.”

With large windows spanning the majority of the building, Padilla said he loves to let the natural light flood in, prop open the doors and create a welcoming environment for anyone who wants to stop by.

“Here at La Vida, anyone is welcome,” Padilla said. “No matter their age, no matter anything, we welcome everybody with open arms no matter what.”

At a Glance:

La Vida Coffee + Market
2704 Langhorne Rd., Lynchburg
(434) 215-3332
lavidacoffeemarket.com

Hours:
Sun., 12pm – 7pm
Mon.-Thurs., 6am – 6pm
Fri., Sat.: 6am – 7pm

Mark Your Calendars | November/December 2021

We compiled this Central Virginia Holiday Bucket List to help guide you through the region’s top events and activities. See how many you can check off this season!

Wave at a hometown parade.
After a very weird 2020, many of Central Virginia’s hometown parades are back with a bang this year in their traditional formats. The theme of the 2021 Lynchburg Christmas Parade is “A Stroll Down Gingerbread Lane” (Dec. 5). It will start at Bank of the James Stadium at 4 p.m. and end at E.C. Glass High School. Other local parades were still in planning stages as of mid-October but be on the lookout for confirmed dates!

Go on a tour of the best local lights.
It’s not officially Christmas until you’ve seen the spectacular light display at the Elks National Home in Bedford. Another easy drive-through option is Liberty University, where the campus trees are decked out with dazzling lights following Thanksgiving. Or, trade your car for a carriage as Lynchburg Parks and Rec hosts its Celebration of Lights event in the magically decorated Riverside Park
(Dec. 10-11, registration required).

Support local businesses at one-stop-shop events.
Step away from your Amazon cart! You’ll find diverse local businesses and makers at regional events such as the Holiday Maker’s Market on Commerce Street (Nov. 26-27), Mountain View Events’ CHRISTmas in the Country (Nov. 12-13), Christmas in Sedalia at the Sedalia Center (Dec. 11) and the Holiday Craft Fair at the Moose Lodge on Lakeside Drive (Nov. 13). Also, be sure to stop by the Lynchburg Community Market’s Mistletoe Markets on Saturdays leading up to Christmas (starting Nov. 27).

Create a Christmas craft with friends or family.
Check out the Academy Center of the Arts class offerings to make fun décor such as a Snowman Stocking Holder (Dec. 4) or Holiday Tea Towels and Sugar Scrubs (Dec. 18). If you’re stumped on what to get your friends, consider booking a painting session at Imagination Station, Board and Brush Forest, Blue Mountain Barn or AR Workshop. These local DIY studios offer holiday craft options every year!

Buy tickets to a festive show.
Returning in 2021 for its 50th anniversary is the Thomas Road Baptist Church Virginia Christmas Spectacular, a professional-level production that includes the iconic Living Christmas Tree (Dec. 10-12). Music lovers will cherish the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra’s Happy Holidays with the LSO show at the Historic Academy Theatre (Dec. 4). The Academy is also hosting the Sara Evans Blue Christmas Tour (Dec. 9).

Stay fitness-focused by signing up for a local race.
While it’s not the peak 5K season, there are still several race options during the holiday months. The Lynchburg Turkey Trot (Nov. 25), a fundraiser for HumanKind, is an invigorating way to start your Thanksgiving Day. Bring the whole family to the Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic (Dec. 2) in Bedford, which includes a 5K, one-mile run and kids’ run. Runners are encouraged to “dress for the season” at the Reindeer Run 2 Mile Trail Race at Hydaway Outdoor Center (Dec. 4).
<brBinge on your favorite holiday movies.
No need to dig out those old DVDs—the Historic Academy Theater has you covered with its all-day Holiday Movie Marathon (Nov. 27). You can also enjoy your favorite festive flicks on the big screen at Venue Cinemas during the month of December as they feature some of the top films with holiday vibes.

Take a trip back in time to Christmases past.
The Holiday Candlelight Tours at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest give you a one-of-a-kind experience of his villa that’s fully decorated for the holidays
(Dec. 2-17). Or take a trip to Brookneal for the annual Christmas Open House at Patrick Henry’s Red Hill, which includes docent-guided tours and more (Dec. 6).

Local Openings & Closings

Hello! to new owners of Goode Country Store in Goode.

Hello! to a new location of Rookie’s on Norfolk Avenue in Lynchburg.

Hello! to Beauty Bar on 9th Street in Lynchburg.

Hello! to La Vida Coffee + Market on Langhorne Road.

Goodbye to MMG Burger Bar on Wards Road.

Hello! to women’s boutique Cashe’ on Enterprise Drive in Wyndhurst.

Hello! to new boutique Mosaic Collective on 5th Street in Lynchburg.

Hello! to Annie’s Indian Kitchen on Forest Road near Graves Mill Road.

Hello! to Relevant Law’s new location on Enterprise Drive.

Goodbye to Crown Sterling restaurant on Fort Avenue, closing after five decades.

Hello! to three new places to eat at River Ridge Mall: Grounded, Stonefire Pizza and Mein Bowl.