Mottley Law Firm - October 2020

Mottley Law Firm - October 2020

10/20

THE MOTTLEY CREW REVIEW

www.MottleyLawFirm.com | (804) 823-2011

MY SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN SOUNDTRACK 5 BLUEGRASS AND COUNTRY SONGS GUARANTEED TO GI VE YOU CHI LLS

‘THE GHOST OF ELI RENFRO’ BY THE NASHVILLE BLUEGRASS BAND

As you might remember from past newsletters, one of my passions right now is learning to play the mandolin. I love to listen to bluegrass and country music, and it’s been great to be able to bring some of those classic tunes to life. I still can’t do justice to my favorites, but I’m getting there! One thing that a lot of people don’t realize about those genres is that there are a number of incredibly spooky bluegrass songs out there and a few creepy country ones, too. They really are the perfect soundtrack for Halloween if you want a break from listening to “Monster Mash” and “Thriller” on repeat. To get you started, I’ve put together a playlist of my top five scary bluegrass and country songs.

Bluegrass music seems to have a disproportionately high number of songs about men who’ve killed and buried their lovers. There must have been a real rash of this activity in the mountains of West Virginia back in the day! “The Ghost of Eli Renfro” is just one disturbing example. It tells the story of a small town haunted by the ghost of wife-killer Eli Renfro. The track was first released in 1973 by Rual Yarbrough and The Dixiemen, but I’m a fan of The Nashville Bluegrass Band’s cover, which came out in 1990.

parts sweet, sad, and spooky, this track always sends a shiver down my spine. ‘THE LEGEND OF WOOLEY SWAMP’ BY THE CHARLIE DANIELS BAND My list wouldn’t be complete without this 1980 song by the late, great country artist Charlie Daniels. “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” has everything — ghosts, alligators, quicksand, and more! Rolling Stone magazine describes it as the “tale of a greedy old hermit and a gruesome murder,” and Daniels based it on the real Wooley Swamp in North Carolina, where he hunted raccoons as a kid. I won’t give away the ending, but it’s a tale worth listening to. I hope this has convinced you to expand your Halloween music horizons! Don’t limit your playlist to the traditional stuff. There is a lot of brilliant, creepy music out there just waiting to be uncovered.

‘BROWN MOUNTAIN LIGHT’ BY TONY RICE

‘BRINGING MARY HOME’ BY THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN

This song, released in 1993 by legendary bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice, strays from the typical bluegrass fodder. In it, pioneers in covered wagons encounter the ghost of a former slave who is wandering the woods searching for his master. The slave’s lantern casts the famous “brown mountain light.” After you hear the song, I bet you’ll watch for it on your next camping trip! ‘WALLS OF TIME’ BY RICKY=SKAGGS & KENTUCKY THUNDER There’s no murder in this song, only a spooky love story. Written by Bill Monroe and Peter Rowan and first released in 1999, “Walls of Time” spins the tale of a brokenhearted widower who can hear his wife’s ghost calling through the veil. “I hear a voice out in the darkness / It moans and whispers through the pines / I know it’s my sweetheart a-calling / I hear her through the walls of time,” Ricky Skaggs sings. Equal

This classic bluegrass track was first released in 1966 on The Country Gentlemen’s album of the same name. It’s sung by John Duffy, one of my all-time- favorite mandolin players and vocalists. Bluegrass Today calls it, “Hands down, the greatest bluegrass ghost song of all time,” and I couldn’t agree more. “Bringing Mary Home” tells the story of a man driving through the night who picks up a young girl named Mary on the side of the road. At her direction, he drives her home, but when he goes to let her out of the back seat, she’s gone. Mary’s mother tells the man that every year on the anniversary of Mary’s death on that road, a kind stranger drives her ghost home. Creepy, right? I’ll never forget the way that song put goosebumps on my neck the first time I heard it.

Kevin Mottley

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HOW TO STOP PROCRASTINATING AT BEDTIME

AND GET A GOOD NIGHT ’ S SLEEP

I’m not one to let a good food holiday pass me by, so to celebrate National Pizza Month this October I put together a list of my top five local pizza joints for you to explore. We have so many good pizza places in Richmond that it was hard to choose just a few! Whether you opt for dine-in, takeout, or delivery, you can’t go wrong with these spots. PIZZA & BEER OF RICHMOND (PBRVA.COM) The name of this restaurant pretty much says it all, and it lives up to the hype. PBR tops the list because when my family went there to celebrate my son’s 21st birthday this summer, the Fatty Smokes pizza blew me away. It’s an off-the-wall spicy pie topped with barbecue sauce, colby jack cheese, brisket, red onions, and jalapeño peppers. I’m still talking about it months later! FRANK’S WEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT & PIZZERIA (FRANKSWEST.COM) If you’re looking for a traditional Italian pizza joint with a solid thin crust pie, Frank’s on Patterson Avenue is the place for you. You can order one of their Tony’s Favorite Pizzas or build your own with top-shelf toppings like prosciutto, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. BOTTOMS UP PIZZA (BOTTOMSUPPIZZA.COM) This Shockoe Bottom spot has something for everyone, including gluten- free and vegan options. I’m a sucker for the Hawaiian pizza with ham and pineapple, but they have other fun options like the Mexican, which is loaded up like a taco and the goat cheese and spinach topped pie called Goat in the Garden. TRIPLE CROSSING BEER (TRIPLECROSSING.COM) Triple Crossing is technically a brewery, but they do an amazing job with their Neapolitan-style pizzas. If you want a lot of selection options, go for the Fulton location over the downtown one. There, you’ll have seven pizzas to choose from, including the Hot Honey and Pepperoni, Diablo, and Farmers Pie, all of which have a nice spicy kick. SUPERSTARS PIZZA (SUPERSTARSPIZZA.COM) This Richmond mainstay is a take-and-bake spot, and I’ve discovered a method of cooking the pies to perfection: my Big Green Egg. I got the barbecue for Father’s Day, and it does a wonderful job of cooking up Superstars’ Luau pie, which comes topped with red sauce, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. 5 LOCAL PIZZERIAS YOU KNEAD TO VISIT KEV IN RANKS HI S FAVOR I TE P I ES FOR NAT IONAL P I ZZA MONTH

Though there are very real medical conditions, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, that deprive people of sleep, the reason most of us probably don’t get enough sleep is simply because we put off our bedtime. Instead of getting into bed, we opt to check off another item on our to-do list or watch another episode of our favorite show. This is sometimes called “bedtime procrastination.” We all know a good night’s sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, so how can we stop putting it off? A good place to start is by keeping track of your day. The human mind isn’t meant to internalize checklists and task reminders, so use your phone or journal as a scheduling assistant. However you decide to keep track, make sure to give yourself a set amount of time to accomplish your tasks, like letting yourself watch TV for just one hour or blocking out three hours to help your kids with their homework. It might even help to set alarms on your watch or on your phone to let you know when your time is up on any of your activities. Another big part is creating an environment that is conducive to a good night’s sleep, and that starts with turning your electronic devices off well before you get under the covers. Smartphone screens, computer screens, and even some energy-efficient lightbulbs emit blue light, which reduces the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to go to bed. Instead of looking at your phone, try reading a book before going to sleep. If your screens prove to be too big of a draw for you when bedtime comes, it might be a good idea to move your devices to another room so they’re out of sight and out of mind. Finally, don’t get discouraged if you don’t start getting better sleep right away. Setting up good bedtime routines takes time. But if you stick with it — and maybe have someone else in your house hold you accountable to your commitments — you’ll start to get better sleep and have more energy to take on the day in no time.

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F EA T URED L OCA L BUS I NE S S : COU T URE E Y EWEAR GA L L ER Y

One thing you should know about me is that I’m a loyal customer. Once I find a company or product I like, I tend to stick with it long term — and I’m talking really long term, like 20 years or more for some of my favorites. I also wear glasses, so it only follows that I have an eyewear company I just can’t quit: Couture Eyewear Gallery. When I first started law school, my eyesight used to be 20/20, but before long, I noticed that I was running over curbs when I drove my car at night, so I went to get my eyes checked. Lo and behold, I needed glasses! Because my student income at the time was rather limited, I bought my first pair at Walmart, but once I started practicing law, I could afford to treat myself to high-end eyewear. I started hunting for the perfect spot and finally found Couture Eyewear Gallery. It immediately became “my place,” and I haven’t bought glasses from anyone else since 2001.

Now, I’ve got to say right off the bat that Couture Eyewear Gallery is very fancy. It’s a high-end boutique, so their glasses are expensive, but they’re also unique and one-of-a-kind. Odds are you’ll never run into another person wearing the same frames. I love that, and I also appreciate that the owners, a married couple named Casey and Rebecca Phillips, are really hands-on with their customers. If anything goes wrong with your glasses or you need an adjustment, you can just pop into the shop, and they’ll take care of it right away. I’ve gotten to know Casey and Rebecca well over the years, and I’m really impressed by their passion for glasses. When there isn’t a pandemic going on, they travel the country visiting high-end eyewear shows to get their hands on the newest, funkiest frames for Couture. On top of that, they’re two of the nicest people around. During my last visit, not only did they help me pick out new eyeglasses, but they also designed a custom

pair of reading glasses for me. If you’re in the market for show-stopping frames, I can’t recommend Couture Eyewear Gallery enough! To learn more about them, visit CoutureEyewearGallery.com.

SUDOKU

CLASSIC PUMPKIN SOUP

Pumpkins aren’t just for pie — they make delicious soup, too! This fall, try your hand at this healthy soup recipe and warm up with a bowl.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

• • • •

1 tbsp olive oil 2 shallots, diced

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté olive oil, shallots, and garlic for 2–3 minutes.

3 cloves garlic, minced 2 1/4 cups pumpkin purée (homemade or canned) 2 cups vegetable broth

2. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.

• •

1 cup canned light coconut milk 2 tbsp honey 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp cinnamon

3. Transfer the soup to a blender and purée. Pour the blended soup back into the pan.

SOLUT ION

• • • • •

4. Cook over medium-low heat for 5–10 minutes. Taste and add additional seasoning as desired, then serve!

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Inspired by MinimalistBaker.com

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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

1700 Bayberry Court, Suite 203 Richmond, Virginia 23226

INS IDE THI S I SSUE

www.MottleyLawFirm.com | (804) 823-2011

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Kevin’s Spooktacular Halloween Soundtrack

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How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep 5 Local Pizzerias You Knead to Visit

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Need New Glasses? Check Out Couture Eyewear Gallery Classic Pumpkin Soup

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When ‘Star Wars’ Invaded Halloween

THE SPOOKY ‘STAR WARS’ SHORTAGE OF 1977

A long time ago … in October of 1977 to be exact, Halloween was fast approaching and many parents faced a major dilemma. That year, kids didn’t want to go trick-or- treating dressed as vampires, witches, or ghosts. The classic costumes simply wouldn’t do. That Halloween, almost every child in the United States wanted to dress as their favorite character from the new hit movie, “Star Wars.” Today, you can walk into a Halloween City on Oct. 30 and easily pick up a costume for Rey, Darth Vader, or Princess Leia. But in 1977, less than five months after the release of the first movie in the popular franchise, getting your hands on “Star Wars” merchandise was a bit more difficult. Ben Cooper, a costume company in Brooklyn, had the foresight to license

“Star Wars” for costumes right after the movie came out. Unfortunately, they didn’t foresee how great the demand for these costumes would be. Retailers across the country were selling out of “Star Wars” costumes as fast as they came in. Some stores reported selling more “Star Wars” costumes than pumpkins. Kids who got their hands on an authentic Han Solo or C-3PO costume were considered lucky. But kids who arrived at the store to find the costume shelves empty didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, they went and found some brown towels to make their own Chewbacca costumes. In the current age of cosplay, homemade costumes based on movie characters are commonplace, but in 1977, this was

uncharted territory. Kids searched for white dresses to be Princess Leia and bathrobes they could cut short to mimic Luke Skywalker. Moms everywhere broke out their sewing machines and created costumes using only action figures for reference. It was grueling work, but it showed how much kids wanted to spend Halloween in a galaxy far, far away. The “Star Wars” costume shortage marked a new era for Halloween — one where making your own costume was just as cool, if not better, than buying it.

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