PRICELESS Volume XXI Issue 8 August 2018 CHESAPEAKE

6August 2018Style Spotlight Thai Pot Local, Healthy Thai FoodWBy Kalin Benzahen you walk through thedoors of the Thai Pot you areinstantly taken on a culturaland visual trip to Thailand. Thedécor uses monochromatictones of reds and yellows with, well added, blueglasses on each table, eclectic figurines, andsome major cultural vibes making it seem as ifthe heart of Thailand can be found in the middleof Kilmarnock. “I was inspired by my own homeRappahannockConcertAssociationOctober 13THE FOUR FRESHMENIconic Sound!November17WASHINGTONSAXOPHONE QUARTETRenaissance to Modern WorksThis concert is supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts.March 16DUKE ELLINGTON TRIBUTE2018-2019SERIESBrooks Tegler’s “Capital Combinations”April 20SHTRYKOV & TANAKA DUORare Excellence: Piano and ClarinetAll Concertsare on Saturdayat 7:30 p.m.May 18CAPITAL FOCUS JAZZ BANDDixieland, JazzCONCERTS AT NHS THEATER201 Academic Lane, Heathsville, VASubscription for all 5 concerts - 100 general seating or 125 reserved seatsPick 3 of 5 concerts - 60 Single adult tickets - 25 Students always FREEGroup rates available, just call the box office: 1-888-210-8006Pay at the door or use your credit card to purchase tickets at:www.rappahannockconcerts.orgwhen creating the atmosphere,” says TanFerguson, the owner and chef, “I likewhat I had at home, so why go out andbuy something new?” And after nearly 13years of business, Tan still uses the samedécor from the first day she opened.Tan started the Thai Pot in a smallbuilding directly across the streetfrom the post office in Kilmarnock,accompanied by her husband anddaughter. A year goes by and herbusiness is flourishing, with customerscoming from near and far to taste herdelicate cuisine. However, becauseof better scholastic opportunities the areapossessed for her daughter, Tan moved theThai Pot to Williamsburg with her family.She remained there for a couple years beforemoving back to town in a larger space onMain Street where she has been ever since.When asked why she decided to opena restaurant of all business options, Tansaid, “I like what I’m doing—cooking,it has a familiar flow. I also really enjoypresenting my culinary ideas in a way thatis unique to the area I am located in atthe time, while providing healthy dietaryoptions for those who come eat my food.”Of course, we all know owning a restaurantwhile also the head chef, takes a lot of hardwork, time, sleep, and dedication, but Tanfinds the hustle worthwhile knowing that she isproviding high quality food for friends new andold. “It’s healthy, but it doesn’t taste healthy,”she says while bent over the stove, wrist twistingin stir fry. Which is the perfect descriptionof all the delicacies found at the Thai Pot.You can find all options of food rangingfrom subtle sweet noodles to mouthwatering spicy chicken. Within each dish isa unique twist of flavors and visual effectsthat gives the food a delicate appeal whilealso creating new visual trends—carrotflower is definitely the new edible flower.Seafood, rice, noodles, and curry are sustainable,and not to mention mouth watering, ingredientsfor ideal Thai cuisine. Tan has dedicated the ThaiPot to providing a healthier version of the popularThai cuisine. “It’s good to be aware of what youare eating,” she says, “when you work out, thatis only 30% of maintaining a healthy lifestylewhereas a good diet is a much larger 70%.”Tan believes that to maintain a healthylifestyle, people should consume foods thatare chemical free and as fresh as possiblenot once in a while but on a regular basis.Therefore, knowing that it can be rather hard ina society like the one we find ourselves in today,to find a restaurant that does not serve heavy andgreasy food is becoming increasingly difficult,Tan has dedicated most of her time to makingevery ingredient from scratch—either at homeor in the Thai Pot itself—prior to opening—sothat she can look her customers in the eyes andhonestly guarantee fresh ingredients in each dish.But the freshness does not stop there, not onlyare the ingredients made from scratch, but eachrecipe was specially crafted years ago by Tan andmembers of her family to fulfill the palates of loyalpatrons for years to come. I mean, what betterfood to bring to the family table than delicious,healthy and, not to forget, home style Thai cuisine?With its unique interior and delicious cuisine,the Thai Pot is a sublime spot that attracts newcustomers near and far. “The Thai Pot has thebest Thai food in town, I’ve been coming herefor two years and I have yet to get tired of herfood,” says local customer, Liz Acosta. Withcompetition on the rise, Tan does not fail to keepa smile on her face and customers in her door.It’s simply because the food at the Thai Pot is sounique and, let’s be honest, absolutely deliciousthat it’s impossible not to go back for more!Experience Thailand for yourself atthe Thai Pot located on 36 N Main Street,Kilmarnock, or call ahead at 804-436-8424.Find them on Facebook at Thai Pot.Jack Le photos.

7August 2018If Churches Could Talk Sanctuary MattersWBy Torrence Harmane sat at the endof my neighbor’sdock. Theevening was still.We had bathedourselves in bug spray and it seemedto hold the mosquitoes and no-seeum’s at bay, at least for a while.The river was like silk except forsome surface ruffling, signaling thata school of minnows was nearingthe surface. I was hoping that ourlocal heron, wing tips skimming thesurface, might make her eveningflyby while we were sitting there.My daughter and I were in deepreflection about such things asfamily, work, how I was doing,her recent month long trip to SriLanka, both as a volunteer medicalpresence and teacher there.What she found there and how ithad impacted her perspectives on life.The sun lowered itself to the horizon,streaking orange and gold, tracinga golden pathway across the river,leading right to us. Did that pathwaybeckon? Of course. We fellsilent as a kind of sacredspell held us in the glow ofa sinking sun and the flowof unseen river currents. Asilver fish broke the water’ssurface a few feet away.Did his eye catchmine? I thought, “Whentwo or three are gatheredtogether.” My heart andmind instantly knew thatthis evening glow in God’screation was as holy andsacred as the glow ofcandles on any altar inany church sanctuary asmy daughter and I and asilver fish were gatheredin a wordless moment ofevening awe as if in prayer.It’s moments like thesethat can remind us of anultimate Presence aroundand with us wheneverwe let ourselves open tothe reality of sanctuary whereverwe may be. Church sanctuaries areour human efforts to create spacesthat we respect and honor as placeswhere we meet the Holy God weseek, whatever our faith tradition.Over time these spaces seemto be special portals or thresholdsthat can open us to experience thesacred in special ways. Churches,synagogues, temples, and suchhuman constructed spaces aresimply our efforts to create sanctuarytimes and places where we seekcompanionship with the holy andeach other in hopeful abundant waysas we gather with such intention.While our human sanctuaries aredesigned to connect us with eachother and to help us connect with thatwhich brings us peace, these placesare spaces that remind us, encourageus, call us to seek such connectionwherever we are. And don’t we sodeeply need sanctuary times andholy, nurturing connection with ourCreator and all creation all throughour otherwise ordinary times of life?Somehow, summertime withits slowed down pace brings upmemories. I remember as an earlyteenager gathering each eveningat summer camp, shadowed bya mountain ridge as the sun set,singing, Now the day is over. Iremember an outdoor cathedral oftrees and wooden benches, an openair sanctuary with a stacked stonealtar at a place called Shrine Montin the western part of Virginia.I remember sitting on awraparound screen porch at afamily cottage years ago with myvery young children, watching asummer lightening storm travel upriver, in silent awe at the power ofcreation. I sit by myself or with othersin old weathered wooden chairson the river bank as an eveningbreeze freshens and lighteningbugs spark like little flickers ofcandlelight in the falling night.These are some of my memoriesof times when sanctuary andawe and peace and a sense of theholy settled around my heart andsoul. What are some of yours?Dr. Torre Hinnant photo.The Rev. Torrence Harman isthe Priest-in-charge of FarnhamEpiscopal Church and St. John’sEpiscopal Church in Warsaw.Allison’s Ace Service DepartmentOur Specialties include: SHARPEN, CLEAN, REPAIR:mower blades, chain saw chains, trimmers, blowers,power washers, garden tools, kerosene heaters CUT: keys, glass, pipe REPLACE: Screens & wiringLocally Owned and Operated Since 1971Route 360, Lottsburg804-529-7578allisonsacehardware.com

8August 2018Style Spotlight Finding their NicheVBy Katherine Bavusoictoria and GeorgeTuthill represent aclassic rags-to-richessuccess story with theirBride and Groom witha Broom Cleaning Services company.Several years ago, the young familydecided to move to the NorthernNeck. Victoria was familiar with thearea, having grown up here, andGeorge had extended family here.Unfortunately, just days beforethe big move, they awoke to findtheir only vehicle underwater inthe aftermath of a severe storm.The crippled Mustang survived thesix hour journey to Heathsville, butgave up the ghost just as they pulledinto the driveway of their rentalhome. Victoria quickly found a parttime job at Anna’s, where she hadworked as a teenager. George alsoobtained part time employment, butthe couple struggled to make endsmeet with their limited incomes.Then Victoria’s mother, who runsher own cleaning business, gotsick and needed help from thecouple to take care of a few of hercleaning jobs until she recovered.Victoria had been raised withstrict cleaningstandardsand the mosteffectivetechniques, sothis was easyfor her. Georgelearned quicklyand found hereally enjoyedworking sideby side withhis wife. Theextra moneythey earnedsignificantlyeased theirfinancialburdens,and a lightbulb went offin their heads.They decided to find their ownclients, working around the schedulesfor their part time jobs. One of thebiggest obstacles to starting theirnew business was their lack of avehicle. They had not replacedthe Mustang yet, so getting to andfrom work was a huge challenge.“We borrowed cars, caughtrides with friends, and even rentedcars.,” Victoria confided. “It wasreally hard, but we made it work.”“We didn’t even have a broomwhen we started,” George recalled.“Once word of mouth spread aboutthe excellent quality of our work,however, we were able to quit ourpart time jobs and make the cleaningbusiness our full time priority. Nowwe have four or five vacuums, twocars, and we just bought a piece ofland. I think that’s pretty good for onlybeing in business for three years.”During the summer, the couple’sson Ashton, age 10, occasionallyjoins them at their job sites, withthe clients’ consent. Sometimes hehelps out to earn pocket money,and sometimes he just keeps theclients company while his parentsare working. One couple particularlyenjoys having Ashton come fish withthem from their pier, a request he isabsolutely thrilled to grant every time.George’s older brother, Richard,has been so impressed with thesuccess of their business that herecently decided to moveup here from Florida.Richard is a sheetmetal engineerexperienced withventilation andHVAC systems, but isworking for Georgeand Victoria while heobtains the necessarycredentials to continuehis regular careerhere in Virginia. “Theywork so well together,”Richard shared. “A lotof couples wouldn’t beable to handle beingaround each other24/7, but these twoare even stronger because of it.”“It wasn’t easy at first,” Victoriaadmitted. “It was pretty stressful whenwe were teaching ourselves how tomake a website, create business cards,and find clients, but once we had abetter handle on the variousaspects of running our ownbusiness, we created a systemto set aside separate businesshours to ensure we had enoughpersonal time for our family.”The family owns three dogs,four chickens, and three ducks,which also require a lot ofattention. They also really enjoykayaking at local piers, such asVir Mar and Wicomico Bridge.Despite their obvious success,the Tuthills are not content to reston their laurels, continuing to setnew goals for their future. “I oftenperform odd jobs for our clients,”George explained. “I’ve beenworking on building my own oddjob business on the side, which Ihope will someday become my fulltime pursuit, while Victoria runsthe cleaning side with a crew.”“Supervising others who are doingthe basic cleaning tasks would freeme up to handle the more difficultorganizational tasks and to givespecial attention to details in a client’shome, which I really enjoy,” Victoriaagreed. “I’ve also discovered I have atalent for property management, suchas vacation rentals, so we’ve beenworking on developing that aspectof the business further as well.”For more information, checkout their website at www.bridegroomcleaning.comandFacebook, Bride and Groomwith a Broom Cleaning Service.Photos courtesy Victoria and GeorgeTuthill. Client’s dog watching cleaning,Tuthill family, Ashton at Vir Mar.

9August 2018Nothing Fishy About Summer SchoolEBy Ellen Duganven though it’s August and they’retired of swimming in the hot sun,dodging nets and fishhooks all day,most fish will stay in school thissummer. Particularly the small fry.Thanks to ancestors who embraced schoolingas a survival strategy, today’s fish understandthe abc’s that govern their universe: a.) Big fisheat little fish. b.) There is safety in numbers. c.)There are no hiding places in the open ocean.By joining together in schools, they instinctivelyplay a numbers game—you’re less likely to beeaten if there are more choices on the menu.And if you can keep moving and dazzle yourpredator by collectively shimmering in tightlyknit groups—employing what scientists callthe “predator confusion effect”—you alsoimprove your odds because you don’t looklike a single fish that is easy pickings.Open Monday byappointmentTues-Fri 10-5Sat 10-2Although protection is probablythe main reason why fish school,they may also benefit from themany eyes foraging for foodtheory. This is the belief that themore fish who are searching forfood, the greater the likelihoodthat someone will find it.Whether or not there is enoughfor everyone isn’t addressed.Another reason fish findschooling helpful is because thosein the back can slipstream intheir neighbor’s wake, reducingfriction and conserving theirenergy. This allows the weakerswimmers to enjoy a partially freeride while keeping up with thestronger swimmers up front.In addition to protection, foodforaging, and greater swimming efficiencies, fishmay like to school because it’s just easier to find amate. You can maximize your chance for successand improve your speed dating skills by going towhere the greatest opportunity for romantic actionis. This is a bit harder to prove but it makes sensefrom a psychologicalstandpoint even thoughfish brains are typicallypretty small relativeto their body size.Even if dating, fishin schools instinctivelyknow how to keep a lowprofile and avoid whatresearchers call the oddityeffect. No single fish wantsto show off or be the one804-333-6463804-761-3715 Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Draperies and Top Treatments Area Rugs and Decorative Accessories Design Consultations and Staging Furniture Consignments Cindy Lloyd Design5011 Richmond Road,Warsaw, Va.cindylloydfeatheryournest@gmail.comthat stands out, what’s known—perhaps briefly—asthe preferential target—the one that predators zeroin on. This means schooling fish will usually swimwith their own kind, shape, size and age group.To succeed in fish school you must obeythree rules: 1. Remain close together. 2. Movein the same direction. 3. Avoid collisions.This requires that you know where you are inrelationship to your neighbors and maintaina zone of repulsion, turning away to avoidbeing too close; and a zone of orientation,moving closer when you’re too far away.This isn’t easy. How can an intellectuallylimited fish do it? Partly by sound, smell, andsight—eyes on each side of their head. And partlybecause Nature designed a special schooling aid:a water vibrations detector, or lateral line. Thisis a row of highly specialized, pressure sensitivepores along their body that helps fish respondto fluctuations, changes in the water currents,and movement around them, something like anearly warning signal that the teacher is coming!Stay tuned for Part Two or Not AllSeats in Fish School Are Equal.

10August 2018Reedville's Got Talent!TBy Maureen Gillmerhe children of Reedvilleand surroundingareas of the NorthernNeck have wonderfulopportunities forfun at the Independence Dayfestivities sponsored by theReedville Fishermen's Museum!Among them has been the chanceto participate in the creation ofa large painting masterpiece bytaking their turn with a brush ona 30 x 40 pre-drawn canvas.Here's what happens—Over thelast several years, children—mostlybetween ages 5-12—select the partof the canvas they'd like to paint,and they have free reign in choosingtheir own colors. Each child's timeat the canvas is limited to about10-15 minutes, in order to makeway for others to have a turn.Four children can paint at the sametime, and over the two hour period,25-60 kids get to add their own flairto the piece. Their colors are notnecessarily expected and their linesaren't even, but that's all part of thecharm of the finished project. Whimsyemergesbecause ofthe children'sunrestrainedeye and hand,even thoughmany parts ofthe drawingsare detailedand realisticPainting#1 is entitled100 Years ofSomertimes andcommemoratesthe 100th birthday—in2011—of the Museum'shistoric skipjack, Claud W.Somers, still in operation forprivate and public cruises.Painting #2, Bright Iconsof the Bay, depicts SmithPoint Light, the Elva C—the Museum's own buyboat—and the Claud W. Somers.Painting #3, Chasing a Schoolis a delightful collaborationbetween the Museum and theChesapeake Academy in Irvington.Featured in this article is Painting#4: Tonging for Oysters, whichlike all the others, presents anopportunity for learning and fun.At the 2018 Independence Daycelebration, the same kind of projectwas offered. Yet untitled, it, too,done and many of the enchantingunderwater creatures in the area.Hours at the Reedville Fishermen'sMuseum, now through October 31,are Tuesday-Saturday 10:30-4:30 andSundays 1:00-4:00. Please call 804453-6529 for further information, orvisit the website, rfmuseum

Volume XXI Issue 8 August 2018 PRICELESS www.chesapeakestyle.com Serves and Celebrates the Chesapeake Bay Region and its People, Past, Present and Future