wilson woman, summer 2012

Summer 2012

Wilson

Outdoor living in Wilson

Out and about around town

One sweet local recipe

Jeremy Law and Kimberly Kulers find Southern Comfort on their Wilson County farm with a popular bed, breakfast and dining destination.

2 summer 2012 WILsON WOmAN

Jeremy Law and Kimberly Kulers sit at SoCo Farm and Food’s “community table.” The table was made from salvaged wood from one of the barns on their farm.

Photo by Gérard Lange

On the cover

4 TheGreatOutdoors HowoneWilsoncoupletransformedtheir backyardintoacomfylivingspace

10 SummerSurvialGiftGuide Seesomeofthelocalproductsavailableto youthissummerfromyourareareatailers.

12 Bed,BreakfastandGourmetDinner JeremyLawandKimberlyKulersfound Southerncomfortandadreambusinessontheir farminWilsonCounty

15 Summer recipe ChefLawdetailsanoriginalrecipeperfectfor theseason.

8, 18 “About Town” Seewhichofyourfriendsandneighbors havebeenoutandactivethiswinter.

21 Can It! Traditionalcanningoffruitsand vegetablesisreturninginpopularity.Get sometipsonhowyoucansave summer’sharvestforthewinter.

20 I Am Wilson Oneconsignmentstorethathasstoodthe testoftime.

22 I am Wilson PopularWilsonCountyteacherretires after33musicalyears.

Table of Contents

Flowers and rosemary plants are just a few of the options available at the Wilson Farmers Market. The above was taken on the opening day of the Downtown Farmers Market in April. Photo by Gray Whitley

WWW.WILSONTIMES.COM

2001 Downing Street, Wilson, NC 27893www.wilsontimes.com

Morgan Paul Dickerman, IIIPublisher

____________________

Shana HooverDirector of Sales and Marketing

(252) [email protected]

Bradley HearnSpecial Sections Editor

(252) [email protected]

Account Executives:

Sonja Hayes(252) 265-7826

[email protected]

Lisa Pearson(252) 265-7827

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Beth Robbins(252) 265-7849

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Contributors

Writers:Janelle Clevinger, Bradley Hearn

Art:

Gérard Lange | Graphic DesignJanelle Clevinger | Photography

Bradley Hearn | PhotographyGray Whitley | Photography

____________________

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One Wilson couple has turned their love of relaxing in the great outdoors into their own backyard oasis

TThe desire to have a place to rest and relax outside for Libby and Allan Daniell started 12 years ago during a trip to Charleston, South Carolina.

The couple stayed at Charleston’s Queen

Ann’s Inn during their fifth wedding anniver-sary trip and fell in love with an arbor covered in blooming roses.

“The very first thing we did after returning home from that trip was to buy that particular

rose bush that blooms in late March,” said Libby. “The rose bush started our whole outdoor living dream.”

Both Libby and Allan love the outdoors and knew they wanted to spend more and more

time outside at their home. And it’s been more than a cosmetic change for the Daniells.

“When I had knee re-placement surgery in 2009, this outdoor liv-ing area saved my life,” Allan said. “It gave me

Lumber from the Daniell’s original arbor was used in the ceiling of the new porch and painted red to continue the color theme from the inside of the house.

Story and photos by Janelle Clevinger

Outdoor Living

WWW.WILSONTIMES.COM SuMMEr 2012 5

a place during recovery where I could safely go outside, not worry about the weather, and relax.”

In 2008, the Daniells poured a patio behind the home they had purchased a couple years prior. Al-lan soon built an arbor to cover the patio. After purchasing some outdoor furniture, Libby quickly decided that her furniture was not going to sit out in the rain.

“After that first rain, I said ‘That’s it. We’re building a covered porch,’” laughed Libby.

Allan quickly designed the covered porch and the building process began in 2008.

“Although I didn’t do a lot of the porch build-ing myself, I did want to design it, “Allan said. “I

like to design things and see how they’re going to look.”

A brick and concrete elevated floor was added as the base of the porch, making it the same level as the house.

The Daniells made cer-tain that the wood from the arbor was recycled into the covered porch project, with nothing go-ing to waste.

“We used all of the wood from the original arbor except the four by fours,” Allan said. “But I even used those when I built the cover for my grill.”

Most of the arbor’s wood went into making the porch’s ceiling, which is painted a vibrant red. Red was chosen because it helps tie the porch’s color to the colors in the Dani-

Libby and Allan Daniell relax on the couch in their completely renovated outdoor living space. Molly, the family’s Chesapeake Bay Retriever, enjoys the backyard area even when the rest of the family is not there.

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ell’s house.The porch was modeled after

structures found in the Bahamas, with open ends near the ceiling for maximum flow of air, and extend-ed roof sides to help keep the rain from coming inside.

In another area of the backyard, not far from the porch, a new ar-bor sits on a half moon-shaped brick patio and is filled with art-work, chairs and a table.

“I always knew I wanted some-thing done in that part of the yard, so when the brick mason was out here working on another project, I had him build the half moon,” Libby said, “and last summer Al-lan built the new arbor.”

Allan added latticework to the back of this arbor in order to hide his grilling area.

“Libby got tired of seeing me cooking,” joked Allan.

When asked what they did with a second outdoor sitting area, Allen laughed and said, “We sit out there in it and look back at the covered porch.”

OutdOOr living need nOt be expensive

Other than the initial cost of the porch construction and the brick masonry, making your outdoors into a “room” does not need to cost an arm and a leg.

“I find great pieces of furniture at yard sales and some pieces are even given to me,” Libby said. “I paint the old furniture a bright color and it gives it new life.”

Allan found two leftover light fixtures from a Raleigh restaurant, and after paying one dollar each for them, mounted them on the porch rafters, one at the front and one at the back. They are run off dimmer switches which regulate the amount of light they want for night time relaxing or entertain-ing.



Gracie Evans, with Gracie Village Shop, says that simple accessories are the key to turning an outdoor area into an attractive sitting area.

The second arbor built by Allan Daniell sits across the yard from the porch, which was originally started as just an arbor. “We sit under the arbor and just look at the porch,” said Allan Daniell about their desire for a second sitting area in the backyard.

Gracie Evans, interior decora-tor with Gracie Village Shop in Wilson, says you can turn any outside area into an attractive sitting area with some simple accessories.

“If you already have a bench outside, get some bright color-ful throw pillows, some with solid colors and some with pat-terns,” Evans said. “And add some potted plants that have the same color scheme.”

Evans also suggests hanging a metal shelf and placing colorful plants or outdoor artwork on it.

Lamps which are sealed spe-cifically for outdoor use can be used, as long as they are cov-ered from the elements.

Evans says cooking areas outside are becoming more and more popular.

“Lots of people are doing out-door kitchens now,” she said. “It seems like we all love to grill out and have somewhere just to sit and be comfortable and be with the family. You could simply have a grill with burner on the side and a table, or you can go all the way with a sink, refrigerator and a gas stove en-cased in brick.”

Gracie’s Village Shops at 4833B NW Nash Street has a store section called “Garden Treasures” which is devoted en-tirely to garden art.

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8 summer 2012

Nicole Caviness, left, Ashley Stith and Lisa Stith take a moment to pose while socializing at ReCollections at Wilson Hardware.

RAbout Town

reCollections at Wilson Hardware, which opened its doors in November of last year, hosted its first ever spring art show in April. In addition to antiques and other collectibles, the store features an array of different art-work from local artists — four of which were on hand for the event. Owner Linda Dew said that they will be making spring and fall art shows annual events at the Nash street store.

Spring art show at ReCollections at Wilson Hardware contributed photography

Penny Womble and Chuck Kinsey have a discussion while perusing the wide variety of antiques and local art available at the store.

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ReCollections at Wilson HardwareWith a wide assortment of beautiful antiques, artwork and other unique gift items, reCollections at Wilson Hardware, an off-shoot of the downtown Wilson landmark, is your place to visit this summer and throughout the year. The store is filled with antiques, quilts, furniture, lamps, glassware, dolls, Amish jams and pickles, hand-thrown pottery and much more. Come downtown and see the newest go-to spot on Nash Street.ReCollections at Wilson Hardware, 252-243-3174

Gifts from The Nook The Nook has all your graduation gifts covered this summer. Featuring designs by Lilly Pulitzer, the store carries tons of coolers, organizational bins, tumblers, sunglass straps, koozies, frames, stationery and much more. You’ll also love their selection of Scout and Vera Bradley brand gifts as well. There’s truly something for everyone. The Nook, 252-243-2503

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Jeremy Law and Kimberly Kulers are finally at home on their 11-acre farm near Black Creek.

Jeremy Law and Kimberly Kulers stumbled into their dream venture -- a working farm and B&B

FFor the past year, guests traveling to soCo Farm and Food, located at 6538 slabtown road in southeast Wilson County, have had to make a roundabout detour around morningside road to find the place.

Likewise, the long road that led Jeremy Law and his wife Kimberly Kulers to open this bed and breakfast and dinner destina-tion in 2011 was an unexpected side turn — one which they both couldn’t be hap-pier came their way.

First and foremost, the beautiful 11-acre farm outside of Black Creek is Jeremy and Kimberly’s home: where they have lived for the past six years, where Kim-berly trains her horses and operates a marketing business, and where they have

learned to grow a variety of fruits and veg-etables together.

For the past year, however, the farm has also become an extremely popular dinner destination, called soCo Farm and Food, where guests can enjoy a multi-course gourmet meal prepared by Jeremy from ingredients either grown directly on the farm or procured fresh from nearby mar-kets and stores.

Jeremy describes the constantly evolv-ing menu as “southern comfort food with a twist.”

Groups can rent out the dining room, converted from one of the farm’s original barns, for private parties — with a mini-mum of eight people and a maximum of 14 — or customers can opt to join in one

of the many “community table” nights, where they eat alongside other new ac-quaintances at a single, large wooden ta-ble beautifully constructed from reclaimed wood from one of the farm’s old barns.

Lastly, soCo operates as a traditional bed and breakfast, with two overnight op-tions: a smaller bedroom directly off the dining room, or a larger two-bedroom suite upstairs with a kitchen area and small liv-ing space. soCo’s barn can even accom-modate horses for customers traveling to and from equestrian events along I-95.

While the bed and breakfast sees steady business, according to Jeremy, the dinners are really what have been drawing in the customers time and time again.

Jeremy prepares and serves meals

Story by Bradley HearnSouthern Comfortphotography by Gérard Lange

roughly four or five nights a week.Mostly, the groups are private parties who

reserve the table ahead of time. But the com-munity table option is also extremely popular, and Jeremy says that starting this summer, the first Friday of each month will be devoted to these community dinners.

A Growing Process

Jeremy’s culinary journey began while liv-ing in Boulder, Colorado, in the late 1990s. Given the opportunity to work at a Spanish restaurant run by a chef ranked as one of the “Top 10 Chefs in America” by Food and Wine magazine, Jeremy eventually worked his way up to became the restaurant’s sous chef.

“I always loved food and always loved cook-ing,” said Jeremy. “The more I did it, the more I loved it.”

It was during this period, in 2004, when he met Kimberly, a native of Mount Olive who was in Boulder for business.

As the child of a military family, Jeremy was used to moving quickly from place to place. And it wasn’t more than a month after he met Kimberly before he found himself in a moving van with all his belongings headed toward Eastern North Carolina.

“I wasn’t really even invited,” he said with a laugh. “I just sort of volunteered.”

While Jeremy started a new career in journalism and Kimberly continued to run her company, 360 Marketing Solutions, the two eventually settled onto the farm on Slabtown Road, originally with only four acres.

And it wasn’t until they had already lived on the farm for a while that the idea to start their own eatery began to form. They began to grow their own produce, each year seeing more variety in what they planted and what they prepared.

Jeremy loved to cook, but his years of restaurant experience had taught him the strenuous time commitments required to run a kitchen and what demands it would make on their current lifestyle on the farm.

They were inspired by one of their favorite spots, The Chef and the Farmer, the popular Kinston restaurant and its use of fresh ingredi-ents to make simple, elegant meals. Jeremy even took a job there for a time, where he rekindled his love for the culinary arts.

Ultimately, the formation of their own dining destination — where he could prepare small, intimate meals and connect directly to the cus-tomer and to the land — began to take shape.

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Today, one year after opening the doors to SoCo Farm and Food, the two couldn’t be happier with how it evolved.

“This arrangement works perfectly,” Jeremy said. “It has none of the potential conflict I foresaw.”

When a group calls to make a reser-vation, they may talk about basic ideas for the menu — and he’ll ask about any allergies or dietary restrictions — but, ul-timately, he doesn’t want to be tied down to a specific menu. He prefers to leave himself open to inspiration, whether that is discovering a fresh vegetable at the farmers market or an idea that hits him that afternoon.

“As with most chefs when they start out, you start finding your voice and your own style emerges,” he said. “It’s evolved this year, but it’s still recognizable.”

But in the end, he always tries to keep his meals as basic as possible, with respect given to each fresh ingredient.

“It’s very simple. I always want the ingredi-ents to be recognizable on the plate.”

It’s the same way that they liked to entertain

before in their home. Jeremy and Kimberly continue to grow a va-

riety of produce on the farm — already at over 70 different types of plants and vegetables — and are learning more each year. They have recently added honey bees and plan to add chickens soon.

While the road to this point had its twists and uncertain moments, one thing is certain: they

are only looking forward from here.“It’s one of the smartest things we’ve ever

done and one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” said Law.

“It certainly wasn’t easy, but we’re looking forward to a future that is as bright as the past year has been.”

For more information on Soco Farm and Food, visit their website at www.soconc.com.

14 Summer 2012 WILSON WOmAN

Shoppes at Brentwood • 237-7166www.churchwells.com

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SSpiced Sweet Potato Cheesecake

IngredientsFor the Crust:

1 Cup ground pecan short-bread cookies (about 8)1 Cup pecan pieces3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar¼ teaspoon cinnamon

For the Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature1 Cup sour cream½ Cup heavy cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper1 good pinch of kosher saltZest of 1 orange¼ Cup granulated sugar½ Cup dark brown sugar, packed2 Cups cooked sweet potato, measured after being riced or run through a food mill4 large eggs, beaten

An original recipe by Jeremy Law, chef and co-owner at SoCo Farm and Food

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PreparationPreheat oven to 325F. Assemble a 10-inch springform pan with the bot-tom covered by parchment paper, which will be held in place by the closed ring. Wrap the outside of the springform pan in a double layer of extra wide aluminum foil, taking care not to tear holes in the foil. In a food processor, combine all crust ingredients and pulse until the mix resembles wet sand. use your fingers to evenly press the crust mix into the bottom springform pan, and about ½ to ¾ of an inch up the sides. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. remove the crust from oven and allow to cool. Decrease the oven temperature to 300F. Wipe any crust mix out of the

processor bowl, and to the bowl add all the filling ingredients except the sweet potato and eggs. Pulse several times for about 10 seconds each until the mix is smooth. Then add the sweet potato, 1 cup at a time, pulsing a several times until the mixture is smooth again. Add the eggs, but pulse only as many times as it takes to fully incorporate them. Pour the filling into the crust, and place the cheesecake in a roasting pan—or other vessel—that allows you to pour preheated water about halfway up the side of the spring-form pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 75 minutes—the cake center should jiggle slightly as you remove it from the oven, but will firm up as it cools. Allow the cheesecake to cool in its water bath for 1 hour before placing it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.


6 ‘Family Friendly’ things to do this Summer

With the weather heating up and the kids getting out of school, it’s time to pack up the car and explore some of the rich culture and fun activities that Eastern North Carolina has to offer. Here are some easy, inexpensive and “family friendly” options for quick day trips from Wilson County.

Pirate Invasion in BeaufortPirates! The weekend of August 10-11, Beautiful

Beaufort, NC will be overrun by swashbuckling sea dogs. Watch the annual display of sword fighting,

blaring cannons, and pillaging from the waterfront. It’s fun and educational for the whole familly. http://www.beaufortpirateinvasion.com/

Zipline in Fayetteville Named as one of usA Today’s “10 Great Zip Lines,” the zip line canopy tour at ZipQuest in Fayetteville offers amazing views of pristine forest and a beautiful waterfall. (910) 488-8787http://www.zipquest.com/

Bentonville BattlefieldBrush up on your North Carolina history by visiting the site of the last full-scale battle of the Civil War. stop by Four Oaks on June 9th for a living history presentation on “camp life” and learn what the lives of soldiers were really like. Admission is free. (910) 594-0789http://www.nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi/bentonvi.HTm

USS North CarolinaNeed an excuse for a trip to Wilmington to do some shopping at the Cotton exchange? Take the kids to the battleship located directly across from downtown Wilmington. experience real history aboard a relic from the Greatest Generation.http://www.battleshipnc.com/

America’s Past Time — BaseballAt either the Wilson Tobs or the new team in Zebulon, you’ll find exciting, family friendly fun all summer long. A hot dog and a baseball game are as common in summer as a trip to the beach. And it’s right here in your backyard.www.wilsontobs.comhttp://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t249

Take a Ferry to the Outer Banksexperience the quaint beauty of Ocracoke Island by taking a ferry. Then, rent some bicycles and enjoy either the shopping or the rest of the island owned by the u.s. National Park service.http://www.outer-banks.com/ferry/


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Above, Lou Ann Cozart, left, and Harriet Glover spend some time chatting before the evening’s performance.


Barbara and Lennis Brinson take a moment away from the live music and refreshments to pose for a photo.

Britt Singer, left, Phil Singer and Barry Page, the executive director of the Arts Council of Wilson visit before the festival commences.

TAbout Town

The seventh season of the Theater of the American south kicked off with a wine and cheese cocktail hour in the lobby of the Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre at Barton College prior to the festival’s first per-formance of Backstage with Louis Armstrong. The annual series is a celebration of the culture of the south that spotlights fine southern plays and features food demonstrations and walking tours. The festival’s other theatrical production, A Streetcar Named Desire, ran at the Boykin Cultural Center on Nash street.

Theater of the American SouthOpening Night Wine and Cheese Toast

photography by Bradley Hearn


Jean Yelverton, left, Buck Yelverton, John Hin-nant and Emy Hinnant at the Opening Night Wine and Cheese Toast.

Kim Benton, left, and Connie Farris in the lobby of the Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell The-atre at Barton College.

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Sseveral decades ago, Carolyn speight held a series of various office jobs in Wilson, but it was her experience at one job in particu-lar — at the old Leder Brothers department store downtown — that made her realize that she wanted to make a career out of retail.

“I just enjoyed the contact with people,” she says. “I knew I wanted to get back into retail, and I particularly liked children’s clothes.”

This combination ultimately led her to open Annie em’s, the children’s clothing shop and local mainstay, 22 years ago. The store, which has become a Wilson brand in itself, derives its moniker from the names of her mother and mother-in-law. “I did it to honor two great women,” she said.

While Annie em’s is primarily a consign-ment shop, speight says that they also carry a great deal of brand new clothing as well.

“But our consignment items are hard to tell

from the new,” she says. The reason being, she added, is that they are very particular about what items they accept and are very meticulous about ironing each item of clothing in the store, both old and new. All of the new items are the same brand names — such as sarah Louise, Petit Ami, Carriage Boutique, Laura Ashley, etc. — that you would find at any other children’s store.

Though it’s not truly a “new” location by this point, speight successfully moved her op-eration two years ago from its original location at the corner of Ward Boulevard and Churchill Avenue to the North Nash Plaza shopping center on the corner of Nash street and Ward Boulevard (formerly known as rBC Century Village). since her old store was a free-stand-ing building, the new location allows her more walk-in customers. It has also allowed her room to expand quite a bit. she carries even

more brand names and higher-end items than before, she says, and now has room to display more of the merchandise.

But speight isn’t relying on the rich history of her store to keep business booming in the modern business climate. she recently launched a website, www.annieemschildrens-shop.com, featuring listings and photos of the store’s new and consigned items, which will rotate periodically with the seasons. so far, it’s been a success, and she hopes it will continue to grow.

With a continued love for what she sells and the service she provides — and the new website giving her the ability to reach even more customers than ever before — speight has no plans to slow down any time soon.

“I’m going to keep right on going. I really don’t foresee any retirement because I truly enjoy what I’m doing.”

Local LandmarkCarolyn Speight by Bradley Hearn

Carolyn Speight stands in front of Annie Em’s wide variety of children’s clothes — both new and old — at North Nash Plaza in Wilson.

WWW.WILSONTIMES.COM SUMMER 2012 21

Tips on HomeCanning

Growing fresh vegetables and canning them yourself is a rewarding way to provide a stash of food for the winter. Even if you don’t have a garden, the Wilson Farmers Market has fruits and vegetables in their peak growing seasons. If done properly, home canning is a safe way to preserve the harvest.

What You Need to Get Started

Canning Jars and Seals – use mason-style jars with sealed lids and rings, which can be found at most grocery stores Wide-Mouth Funnel – makes filling jars with sauces or jams easier and less messy Lid Wand – for easy removal of lids and rings from boiling water Ladle – for filling jars Large Pot – for boiling canned preserves and jams, fruits, tomatoes and pickled veg-etables Pressure Canner – used for canning veg-etables and meats because it has the ability to reach a higher temperature Tongs of Jar Lifters – rubberized lifters make removing cans from their water bath less slippery, but a good pair of tongs can work just as well Clean Cloths – used to wipe down jars, lids and rims of jars

1. Start by sterilizing your jars.Wash your lids and jars in hot soapy water. Then move them to a boiling water bath for ten minutes to sterilize. Remove jars from the water bath, but leave the lids in the hot water until you’re ready to use them to ensure they don’t come in contact with anything before you seal your jars.

2. Slice, dice, pickle and pour.It is best to can your fruits and vegetables im-mediately after you harvest them for the high-est vitamin and nutrient concentration. The longer a fresh piece of produce sits, the more vitamins it loses. Prepare fruits and vegetables by slicing and dicing, prepare your jams and preserves using your favorite recipes, and pickle vegetables before placing in the jars.

3. Fill your jars.There are a few things to remember when filling your jars. First, be sure not to fill them completely. Produce expands during the boil-ing process, so leaving adequate space at the top prevents the jar from leaking and making a mess. After filling your jar with produce, unless canning jams, jellies and preserves, you’ll be pouring liquid to submerge the fruit

or vegetables. Pour the boiling water, pickling solution or juice to cover up to the top of your produce. Make sure there are no air bubbles along the sides of the jar and that the produce is submerged in the liquid. Wipe the rims of the jars down with a clean cloth and cap with the flat sealing lids and rims.

4. Process your jars.Preheat water in your pot or pressure cooker. For hot produce, water should be preheated to 180º F, and for cold produce, it should be around 140º F. This will help prevent the jars from cracking when they are placed in the pot.Water should be an inch or two above the top of the canning jar when they are placed in the pot for a water boiling process. Use a pressure canner according to the manufacturer’s direc-tions to determine the amount of water needed in the bottom prior to adding the jars. Add the jars using your tongs or jar lifter, and place them

in the vessel so they are not touching. Place the lid on your pot or pressure canner. With water bath canning, bring the water to a slow boil and then start your timer to process for the length of time dictated by which vegetable you’re canning.

5. Remove your jars and let them cool.Place your jars on a flat wood or cloth-covered solid surface to let them cool. Let them sit for a day to completely cool. While cooling, your jars will start to pop, creating the vacuum seal. After they have cooled, press down on the center of your jars to ensure they have sealed completely.

6. Label and store your preserved food.Once you have them labeled and have wiped off any food pieces or water from the outside of the jar, store your food in a dark, dry place until you’re ready to enjoy.

info courtesy of www.simplebites.net


JJanet Johnson is truly a hometown girl. she is a lifelong resident of elm City, a

graduate of elm City High school and Atlan-tic Christian College, a former miss Wilson, and a devoted pianist at elm City Baptist Church.

And, this month, she’ll be retiring as the band and chorus teacher at elm City middle school after 33 years of teaching.

It’s a career that has been her dream since she sat in the very same classroom as a student at elm City High school.

“I always wanted to be a teacher. I was just in awe of them,” she said. “But after sit-ting in this room and watching (her teacher) Bill myers, I said, ‘that is what I want to do.’”

she wanted to instill the love and ap-preciation she has for music into the lives of her students. Not necessarily by becoming professional musicians — though some have certainly gone on to do just that — but to become well-rounded people who under-stand and appreciate the beauty in it.

“You don’t have to be a band director to love music. It’s a passion that can be used

throughout life.”For Johnson, music is a release; “an-

other language” that allows her to completely escape.

“music is my hobby, and I just happen to get paid to do my hobby,” she said.

Despite the love for her life’s work, she said that recently she just knew that it was time to step aside and let somebody else take over at elm City middle school.

“There’s more than my way of doing things,” she said. “I want these students to see it all and spread their wings.”

some of the things she’s looking forward to doing with her time are, naturally, music related. she’s excited to record and perform, as well as simply play music for the love of it.

“Instead of emptying my bucket by teach-ing every day, I want to start filling it back up. I would love to just sit and play,” she said.

she may possibly even go back to teach-ing private lessons.

The one thing she will not retire from is playing at elm City Baptist Church, where she has practiced, played and had the building’s

key since she was 13. It’s not even a paid position, but Johnson’s graciousness and devotion to her community wouldn’t let her even consider quitting.

“I’ll play there ‘til my fingers fall off,” she said.

In fact, some of the recording she hopes to do in her retirement would be used as fund-raisers for the church.

“There’s nothing wrong with staying home and giving back to the community that gave you everything,” she said.

After everything she’s done, and every-thing she will go on to do, those two things — music and love of community — are the common threads. After all, simply playing the piano at church gave her passion and inspiration early in life. They led to high school successes, and later, the title of miss Wilson, an opportunity that served as a catalyst for a college degree and ultimately a career.

music helped her escape, but it also led her right back home.

And it will no doubt be an integral part of whatever she decides to do next.

Music MakerJanet Johnson by Bradley Hearn

Johnson sits at the same piano she had her first piano recital on at 12 years old. She will retire this year after 33 years of teaching.


The Wilson Times Facebook friends share their summer memories...

Summer Memories

QQuestion

Jaime Cox WalshI let my kids spray me with a water bottle. They get a kick out of it and I get freshened up.

Earlean Kent Tabron

Eat ice cream and get into some water...

Jamie BrownDip in the pool and drink some lemonade!

Beth Shumate ChapmanGo to the beach with my family or go to the pool at the YMCA here in Wilson. ♥

Sue Bennis Olear

Zumba! Okay, so maybe it doesn’t cool me off, but I get so hot dancing that it actually feels cool outside when I leave! And the kids looooove to dance it up too.

Megan Elizabeth NicholsPatio at Quince!

Paula Letchworth CobbPoolside and happy hour at sonic or vanilla cone at mcd’s.

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