In Alleghany County, music is not something we dust off once a year and place on a stage. It is woven into everyday life here. Around these mountains, bluegrass, old-time, gospel, country, folk, Americana, and mountain music still drift through the air as naturally as creek water over rock. I have often thought one of the reasons music feels different here is because so much … [Read more...] about Where the Music Still Feels Real
Larry VanHoose
Inside of Today
I used to think strength looked like staying ahead, in control, strong, fast, and capable. Staying busy. Staying productive. Staying in motion so nothing could catch up to me: stress, fear, failure, or that version of myself I did not want to become. So I ran. Literally. Five, six, sometimes seven days a week. It was my reset button. My therapy. My way of staying in … [Read more...] about Inside of Today
Discovering the Annual, Blue Ridge Fiber Fest in Sparta, North Carolina
When I first heard about the Blue Ridge Fiber Fest coming to Alleghany County several years ago, I will admit something right up front. I was confused. You see, Alleghany County was one of the first rural counties in North Carolina to get high speed fiber internet. It was a big deal. Suddenly, folks could live in the mountains, work remotely, run businesses online, and still … [Read more...] about Discovering the Annual, Blue Ridge Fiber Fest in Sparta, North Carolina
Warning: The Mountains Will Smell Like Fried Apples- Again
If you happen to be within a 50-mile radius of Sparta and suddenly catch the scent of hot apples wrapped in golden crust, do not panic. It is simply the Annual N.C. Fried Apple Pie Festival doing what it does best. Every spring, on the first weekend in May, this year May 1 and 2, the small mountain town of Sparta becomes the unofficial capital of crispy, cinnamon-kissed … [Read more...] about Warning: The Mountains Will Smell Like Fried Apples- Again
Why Write to Men About Grit, Growth and Grace
I did not set out to write a book. I set out to survive a season of my life that felt heavier than I expected and harder than I wanted to admit. Somewhere along the way, words started forming. Not polished ones. Honest ones. The kind you write when you are tired of pretending you have it all together. Surry Living Magazine became an outlet for me that I did not know I … [Read more...] about Why Write to Men About Grit, Growth and Grace
