Honoring the Past, Building a Future
The Taste of a Summer Plum The taste of biting into a summer plum brings me home to a time of bare feet, buzzing cornfields, and moments that seemed small then but glow bright in memory now. I stood at the sink this morning, eating a plum, its sweet juice running down my chin. And … Continue reading Stepheny Checking In From My Fishing Hole On Monday
I'm having a wonderful time, spread out with books, research and my computer. I was thinking about the news I listen to each day at home. Here there is a stillness, an orchestra of birds, the lapping of water, room to form my own thoughts about the state of things, which has led to writing … Continue reading A Quick Note From Stepheny’s ‘Gone Fishing’ Spot
This week, the United States Army celebrates 250 years of service to our nation, a milestone steeped in honor, sacrifice, and steadfast duty. From the Continental Army of 1775 to today’s modern force, the Army has stood as a guardian of freedom and a symbol of resilience. Here on Main Street, Rocky Mount, we proudly … Continue reading Honoring Our Heroes: 250 Years of the U.S. Army
https://youtu.be/rMwKSdynmls?si=OedONtN3LceQZhU7 Experience the Charm for Yourself:Watch the opening animation from The Durrells of Corfu here. Here on Main Street, we often celebrate the ways beauty, craftsmanship, and storytelling shape our lives. Today, I want to share a small discovery that captured my imagination. It happened quietly A handful of hand-drawn hills, a sunlit sea, a … Continue reading The Art of Gentle Wonder — A Personal Encounter with Naïve Illustration
1800 Asbury Ave - Evanston, IL. Before I ever knew the word “preservation,”I knew how it felt to love a house.To love a neighborhood.To love a way of life shaped by streets, seasons, and sidewalks. I grew up in Evanston, Illinois, where winter blanketed the world in white silence.I’d sit on the radiator cover in … Continue reading The Memories That Led to Stepheny, the Preservationist
Two small moments—one in a movie theater, one on a London street, remind me that what we preserve aren't just buildings, but stories that happened in just the right place, at just the right time, and they become a kind of personal landmark. I’ve always loved the movie 84 Charing Cross Road, the quiet affection … Continue reading Why Main Street Memories Deserve a Place in Preservation
Main Street Rocky Mount 