Priscilla Richardson

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You've heard the legend of stone soup? A village had a visitor who promised he could make soup out of a stone. All he needed was the pot, water and a good fire. Then he'd put in the stone. By the time the village folks had helped him with all these steps toward soup, they started saying how much better it would be if only he had some meat, a few carrots, an onion and so on. Of course, before they knew it, there was enough fine soup to feed the entire village.

Those creative folks in Buchanan several years ago thought they'd use this concept to raise money for the projects the town supports. Each volunteer makes something -- a pot of soup, loaves of bread, desserts. Then when they bring them all together, they have enough to feed a mob. Result: funding for the flowering cherry trees in town, the bagpipe band for the Christmas parade, guidebooks for the annual Buchanan Elementary School Tour, the flowering barrels lining Main Street, the Civil War History Weekend in April and fall's Mountain Magic.

Cleverly, those Buchanan folks thought if they had their Souper Supper during winter, people would come. Because they have come for six years in a row, this year it's happening again, from 5 to 7 tonight, at the Community House. Everything is homemade -- two soups, bread and desserts, all you can eat for $6. One soup is chicken noodle, just like your grandmother used to make. The other is taco soup. No, I hadn't heard of that before, either. You make it out of ground beef, beans, tomatoes, chiles, the dry mix for Hidden Valley dressing and corn. The recipes and work are divided among Kim Bennett, Mike and Jessie Burton, Gloria Carter, Larry and Vicki Vines, Tricia Kidd, Peggy Ramsey, Elizabeth Provost, Katherine Brett and Barbara Stull.

Stull found the taco soup recipe in a magazine; she'll make one of the batches. "Mine will be on the mild side," she promised. "Others make theirs spicier." Born in a doctor's office in Fincastle, Stull is a native of Eagle Rock. As one of 13 kids, she landed "right in the middle."

After graduating from James River High School in 1973, Barbara Sloan went on to marry Billy Stull and move to his hometown, Buchanan. She worked before her two sons came along, and later on helped the late Leslie Kinion in the voter registrar's office in Fincastle. "I just loved the registrar's office, and loved Leslie Kinion." Then she helped run a preschool at Buchanan Presbyterian Church. Following "a temporary job at Groendyk that turned into a five-year one," she and her husband opened a hardware store that closed in 2005. In between jobs, she took care of her mother-in-law, and now cares for her granddaughter and a playmate during the day. "I don't know everybody in Buchanan, but I do know most everybody," she concluded.

What Stull didn't mention was her constant work for the community. She's pleased to have helped establish a year-round community events calendar. Maybe that gave her the idea to open a mini-mall inside their former hardware store premises, located between the theater and the Old Buchanan Family Restaurant. The Stulls call it Purgatory Emporium, after the name of the mountain that rises just behind town.

It will have booths offering crafts, collectibles, jewelry, antiques and so on. She emphasizes it's not for flea-market things, but nicer. For example, Jimmy Carter will offer some of his popular photographs for sale, and Sherry Crumley her straw handbags decorated with flowers. Stull said she still has booths left for rent. We all can come starting this weekend to poke around to find a treasure or two.

The countless hours given by Stull, and others like her, show the true community spirit that makes Botetourt one fine place.

Souper Supper, tonight, 5 to 7, Buchanan's Community House. $6 for all you can eat, or takeout available. For information, call 254-1212.