Pieces of the past: Old farmhouse retains touches of history

WOODSTOCK -- When the farmhouse at 2243 Fairview Road was built in 1897 it had the simple things: four rooms, an outhouse and 12 children running amok.

Tuscan treasures: Local entrepreneur builds online business by following dream

FRONT ROYAL -- Like many people, Mary Freeland has been concerned about her financial future. The Front Royal resident worried about whether she would be able to retire, and if she would struggle with money the way her mother, a stay-at-home mom, did as her retirement funding dwindled year after year.

Gutter guidance: Professionals offer advice on when, how to make roof repairs

FRONT ROYAL -- As temperatures begin to inch up and the snow begins to melt, David York is beginning to dig out from the remnants of the blizzard -- not with a shovel, but with a ladder.

Woman draws Massanutten Mountain every day from her home

WOODSTOCK -- These days, Woodstock resident Laurel Vaughan is spending her time looking out on Massanutten Mountain from a second-floor guest bedroom in her home, soaking up the grays, blues, greens, purples, even oranges, and getting the different effects of time and weather down on paper with her set of pastels.

Building on history: Couple live in replication of President Tyler's house

MIDDLETOWN -- One of the first things you will learn about Orville Deming upon meeting him is that he prefers talking while standing up.

Poinsettias: Popular holiday plant can last long past December

When Joel Roberts Poinsett brought a plant with an unusual burst of bright red and green across the border from Mexico to the United States in 1825, he probably didn't realize he was beginning a Christmas tradition that would continue more than a century later.

Outdoor oventures: Cooking in the backyard is increasing in popularity

WINCHESTER -- In keeping with an increasing demand for moving the indoors outside, a local company has added one of the area's first outdoor wood-burning brick ovens to its display.

Christmas of old: Strasburg glows in light of annual holiday home tour

STRASBURG -- The ghosts of Christmas past are alive and well in the Harmons' home. They lurk among the antique dime-store holiday boxes under the reproduction goose-feather Christmas trees; they are hiding within the old-fashioned candy tins. They even appear in the faces of the "old Christmas" Santas who peer down from atop cabinets and shelves and off the living room mantel.

Wallet-friendly winter: Keep home warm without breaking the bank

With daytime temperatures still climbing into the 70s, it's easy to forget that winter is just around the corner.

Cleaned out: Professional services struggling in down economy

As more and more homeowners struggle to keep a roof over their heads, fewer are using cleaning services.