west georgia living nov.-dec. 2014

West Georgia

V Li ing Nov./Dec. 2014 Life . Art . Music . People

Cooking,decorating and entertaining

A CountryHoliday!

Being Santa

Recipes galore

... And much more!

Decorate like the pros

Plus ...

$3.95 Vol. 4/Issue 6

3 West Georgia Living September/October 2014

At Southwire, we believe education is the key to success. Through partnerships with the University of West Georgia (Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program), West Georgia Technical College (Southwire Center for Manufacturing Excellence), Carroll County Schools (12 for Life) and Carrollton High School (Southwire Engineering Academy), we are helping students build brighter futures. It’s another way we deliver power...responsibly.

4 West Georgia Living November/December 2014

PublisherMarvin Enderle

[email protected]

EditorKen Denney

[email protected]

AdvertisingMelissa Wilson

[email protected]

PhotographerRicky Stilley

[email protected]

DesignRichard Swihart

[email protected]

Contributors

Robert Covel, Colleen Donnelly, Rob Duvé, Joe Garrett, Rebecca Leftwich, Shelly Murphy,Josh Sewell, Gail Woody

To advertise in West Georgia Living, call Melissa Wilson at 770-834-6631.

West Georgia Living is a bi-monthly publication of the Times-Georgian.

Submissions, photography and ideas may be submitted to Ken Denney

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West Georgia Living reserves the right to edit any submission.

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Copyright 2014 by the Times-Georgian

West Georgia

V Li ingVolume 4 . Issue 6

November/December 2014

F rom the Editor

Marvin Enderle is Publisher of West Georgia Living, the Times-Georgian and the Douglas County Sentinel.

Ricky Stilley is the Photographer for West Georgia Living and IT Director for the Times-Georgian.

Melissa Wilson is the Advertising Director for West Georgia Living, the Times-Georgian and the Douglas County Sentinel.

Dear Readers:

It’s hard to believe that this is our 25th issue! It seems like only yesterday that we sat down and decided to make a living magazine for the west Georgia area. When we started laying down the framework for this publication, we had a lot of decisions to make. We were in the dark on a lot of things – including how the magazine would grow exponentially in our first two years. But the one thing we knew already was that our area deserved a great product, and that is what we have tried to achieve over these past four years.

It was my honor to get this magazine off the ground and running, and I’m glad to see Ken take up the torch and continue a publication that I am very attached to and which has proved well loved by our readers. I’m so grateful that west Georgia still looks forward to each issue as much as I do.

So, in honor of our 25th publication, we have packed this issue full of great recipes and tips for holiday entertaining. After all, nothing else will do for a holiday issue.

Rob Duvé knows that Thanksgiving and Christmas meals are rich in family tradition, but he also knows a thing or two about jazzing up dinners that everyone expects to give them an extra oomph. And, if you are planning on carrying those meals by car to a big family dinner, we have some terrific ideas for dishes you can carry over the river and through the woods without sloshing food all over the back seat.

Our readers have also supplied us with several of their favorite recipes, and Rebecca Leftwich tells us how we can make sure everyone at our table enjoys a good meal even if they have special dietary needs.

When it comes to home decorating, we asked a professional decorator for tips on trimming your Christmas tree so that it will become a spectacular centerpiece for your holiday parties. And speaking of centerpieces, Gail Woody has some ideas for creating a perfect cornucopia for your dining room table, while Shelly Murphy

teaches us how to avoid natural home decorations to which some of our guests may be allergic.

And for those of us who believe in Santa (and who doesn’t?), we have a terrific profile of Lance Hardin, who helps out the Jolly Old Elf each year with his uncanny portrayal of Santa Claus.

Finally, for everyone who becomes a little kid again at this time of year, we look at some grown men who have turned their childhood love for model trains into an adult hobby.

We hope you continue to be loyal readers of West Georgia Living, and I look forward to reminiscing in other four years in our 50th issue! Happy Holidays everyone!

Sincerely,

Amy K. Lavender-Buice

Editor Emerita

Ken Denney is editor of West Georgia Living.


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D epartments

F eatures

15 Lance Hardin welcomes the Christmas season by becoming a very unique and special person.

25 Struggle yearly to decorate the Christmas tree? A pro provides tips to produce an eye-catcher.

35 Don't allow those seasonal plants to turn your Christmas holiday into a toxic nightmare.

41 Have difficulty deciding where to place the silver-ware on the dinner table? We have the answers.

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Photos and Cover Art by Ricky Stilley. On the Cover: Agnes Steed's barn, Roopville, Georgia

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Food Recipes and ideas for meals 40-55

Books “A Call to Action" 65

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He stood tall.

And no matter what the older kids said, he wasn’t a doll; he was an action figure. All 12 inches of him.

Dressed in a red jumpsuit, he beat up all the bad guys. And he once kissed a neighbor’s Barbie doll. Ken didn’t stand a chance when Steve Austin, the bionic Six Million Dollar Man, was around.

Just a few weeks before the bionic action figure arrived on Christmas morning, I sat on Santa’s knee at the old downtown Rich’s Department Store in Atlanta.

“I really want a Six Million Dollar Man action figure and a Stretch Armstrong,” I told Santa. “Will you please think about bringing them to me? And if you can’t fit them both in your bag, I’d rather have the Six Million Dollar Man.”

“Have you been a good boy and nice to your parents, brothers, teachers and friends?,” Santa asked.

I half-way nodded and Santa smiled. I didn’t have the courage to tell him how I bit my friend, Joe Murrah, during a backyard wrestling match the previous week.

But Santa delivered the Six Million Dollar Man anyway – and even included Stretch Armstrong. I was grateful Santa brought gifts – despite my shortcomings of mischief, biting and mimicking professional wrestlers on Saturday nights.

“Do you really think Santa looked into a

snowball and saw me bite you and watched you put me in a headlock?” I asked Joe Murrah afterward. “If he knows when we’ve been bad or good, how come he never mentioned it to me when I sat in his lap at Rich’s? He brought us presents anyway.”

“Santa didn’t ask me either,” said Joe Murrah. “But I asked for a Stretch Armstrong, too. And he didn’t bring me one.”

“I wonder if he thinks headlocks are really bad,” I said. “Maybe we should just stick to biting.”

Of course, as we grew older we began to question Santa even more. Eventually, just like the characters in the children’s book “The Polar Express,” we stopped hearing the jingle of Santa’s sleigh bells.

But it was only for a few years. After my oldest son was born, the magic was back.

Maybe the Oak Ridge Boys say it best when they sing:

If it wasn’t for kids, have you ever thought

There wouldn’t be a Santa Claus?

Or look, what the stork just brought

Thank God for kids.

We’d all live in a quiet house,

Without Big Bird or a Mickey Mouse,

And Kool-Aid on the couch

Thank God for kids

There’s another Christmas story that remains engrained in my mind. As a child I learned about the pregnant Mary and her husband Joseph searching for a place of rest, only to find shelter in a rustic stable. As an adult, I’m learning Mary and Joseph’s boy changed the world’s consciousness filled with an often violent, tribal mentality to one of courage and love.

“Dare to be different,” my friend Joyce Alford once encouraged a group of my friends when we were teenagers.

And the little boy born in a manger was truly different. His message to love, support and surround ourselves with others in a complex world still resonates more than 2,000 years later.

There’s an exciting spirit one can see in a child’s eyes on Christmas morning — an abundance of energy that fills a room. Even as my Six Million Dollar Man collects dust in a closet, I still love the holiday season. I still love the sounds of carols, a Salvation Army bell ringing and a fireplace cracklin’ in the evening hours. I even enjoy the taste of a homemade fruit cake.

But it’s the laughter and excitement of children that make Christmas so special. There’s no doubt, as the Oak Ridge Boys sing:

"The nearest thing to Heaven is a child." WGL

The Best Christmas Gift

JOE GARRETT

CINEMA

"It's A Wonderful Life" is available on DVD/Blu-ray from Paramount.

November/December 2014 West Georgia Living 9

’Tis the Season h, the holiday season – when we gather together with loved ones to celebrate family, faith,

tradition – and gorge ourselves on amaz-ing food that will keep us working over-time in the gym until March. But we can only spend so much time catching up on our families’ recent births, marriages and other momentous news. After that, it’s time to for another holiday tradition: sit-ting in front of the television, transfixed by holiday video treats. While Thanksgiving has primarily become the domain of football, there are still a

handful of movies that we associate with that holiday. Christmas, on the other hand, has so many films tied to it that families are usually forced to narrow down count-less titles to a more manageable list of favorites. If your brain is fried from all that cook-ing, conversation and togetherness, here are a few suggestions. I’ve tried to vary my selections to fit a wide range of ages and tastes.

The Rare Thanksgiving Movie:

“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987)Perhaps the most famous Thanksgiving film of all time (admittedly, that’s a short list), this John Hughes classic stars Steve Martin and John Candy as mismatched travelers trying to get home to their families for the holiday. The two actors are at their comedic peak (especially Martin’s unprintable rant at the rental car counter), but the devastating reveal near the end gives them a chance to demonstrate their dramatic chops.JOSH SEWELL

for holiday movies

A


“Home for the Holidays” (1995)Jodie Foster directs this tale of a woman (Holly Hunter) forced to spend Thanks-giving with her family just as her person-al life falls apart. We’ve seen the dysfunc-tional family dinner a thousand times, but rarely with a supporting cast this strong: Robert Downey Jr., Anne Ban-croft, Charles Durning, David Strathairn and several others.

“Pieces of April” (2003)This underrated drama boasts a career-best performance from Katie Holmes, playing a wayward daughter desperately trying to prove she’s got her act together. She insists on hosting Thanksgiving din-ner in her run-down apartment, but things go wrong even before her family (Oliver Platt, Patricia Clarkson, Alison Pill, John Gallagher Jr. and Alice Drummond) ar-rives. Her supportive boyfriend (Derek Luke) tries to help, but he runs into issues of his own.

“Free Birds” (2013)This kid-friendly animated feature stars Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as turkeys who travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving in an effort to keep their spe-cies off the menu.

Traditional Christmas Classics

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)One of the most popular Christmas mov-ies of all time needs no explanation. For most of the narrative, it’s an exercise in how much Frank Capra can depress viewers (consider Phoebe Buffay’s reaction to the film in that great episode of “Friends.”) But those final moments – and iconic perfor-mances from Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore – make the heartache worth it.

“Miracle on 34th Street” (1947)While the 1994 John Hughes-connected remake has its strengths (mainly the late Richard Attenborough’s take on Kris Kringle), you can’t top the original’s charm, endearing performances –particularly from Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood – and its remarkable images from a bygone era of New York City.

“White Christmas” (1954)Honestly, I thought about including “Meet Me in St. Louis” here, simply because it’s the debut of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” my favorite song of the season. But that would be cheating since it’s not really a Christmas movie. Instead, we’ll go with a film that popularized another hit of the era. True, the song “White Christmas”

was introduced in 1942’s “Holiday Inn,” but it’s most associated with the film of the same name starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

More Recent Fare

“A Christmas Story” (1983)The story of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his quest for a Red Ryder BB gun remains as wonderful as ever, thanks to author Jean Shepherd’s masterful narration. It’s like lis-tening to a story your grandfather has told you a million times. Yeah, you know what’s

going to happen; but the joy is in hearing the excitement in his voice.

“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989)

I laugh just as hard at Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his crazy family no matter how many times I watch this. The film perfectly captures the weird mixture of insanity and love that the Christmas season brings out in people. Who among us hasn’t had a Griswold-style meltdown at some point in December? “Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas! No, no! We’re all in this together!”

“Scrooged” (1988)For me, this modern take on “A Christmas Carol” tops them all because of Frank Cross’ genuinely moving speech at the end. Bill Murray sells the character’s transforma-tion in a way that I never really bought in other versions of Dickens’ tale. Cynicism is almost impossible to overcome, so watching Murray shatter through it with such force is wonderful to behold.

“Home Alone” (1990)Not the most critically-adored holiday flick, but families still love it, thanks to the performance that made Macaulay Culkin a superstar and that third act sequence pitting him against Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern’s bumbling burglars. The era of internet and iPhones has made the plot obsolete, but it’s a fun look back at different time.

"White Christmas," above and below, features the songs of Irving Berlin, including the title song, "White Christmas." It is availabel on DVD/Blu-Ray from Paramount.


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“Elf” (2003)Here’s another seasonal staple that works because of a go-for-broke cen-tral performance. Will Ferrell totally sells Buddy the Elf’s childlike wonder at everything around him, and it breaks through the jaded worldview of char-acters like Jovie (Zooey Deschanel) and Walter (James Caan). The ador-able Claymation sequences and Bob Newhart’s deadpan elf alone make this worth rewatching every year.

“Love Actually” (2003)A bit more risqué than your typical Christ-mas flick, but I love its unabashed senti-mentality, the interconnected storylines and Olivia Olson’s killer rendition of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” And since it’s over a decade old, it’s fun to spot all the actors who are now much more famous, like Andrew Lincoln (“The Walking Dead”), Keira Knightley, Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”) and Martin Freeman (“The Hob-bit.”)

Not Technically Movies, But Still Beloved

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965)This classic television special nails the mel-ancholy feeling that permeates the holiday season for many people. No matter how

many times I watch it, I still get chills when

Linus recites Luke 2:8-14. It’s a powerful reminder that we often lose focus on what matters when we get bogged down with presents and decorations.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966)No matter where I’m watching this TV adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ cherished tale, I have to find an excuse to dab at my eye when the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes.

It’s My List, So These Count

“Gremlins” (1984)Yes, it’s about a bunch of green monsters terrorizing a small town. But it all begins

with a cute, cuddly Christmas present. Just don’t watch it with small kids. If the grem-lins don’t scar them for life, Phoebe Cates’ monologue about Santa Claus will.

“Die Hard” (1988)Is this a real Christmas movie? Exhibit A: the action classic opens and closes with Christmas songs. Exhibit B: it takes place during a company Christmas party. Exhibit C: John McClane (Bruce Willis) kills a ter-rorist, puts a Santa hat on his head, and writes the following message on his sweat-shirt: “NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN. HO-HO-HO.” The defense rests.

“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005)One of my all-time favorite movies contin-ues screenwriter Shane Black’s tradition of setting his films during the Christmas season (see also “Lethal Weapon,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” “Iron Man 3”). This movie paved the way for Robert Downey Jr.’s giant comeback; gave Michelle Monaghan one of her best roles; and serves as one of the final times Val Kilmer was properly utilized in a movie. Honestly, it’s on the list so more people will know it exists. I’m still baffled this thing didn’t make $100 million and spawn a handful of sequels. WGL

"Scrooged" is available on Digital from Paramount.

12 West Georgia Living November/December2014

ChristmasAtticin

the

PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY


David and Beth Warner of Tallapoosa live in a fine old house, and in the attic, it's Christmas year 'round. They have a charming collection of trees, lights, toys, and other Christmas decorations they use when it's time to adorn their house for the holiday season.

Papa Smurf catches a ride with the teddy bear in a vin-tage Texaco toy car, above, while the Nutcracker shows his patriotism at right. The tree below is trimmed by old-style tinsel icicles.


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There's also a section devoted to Coca-Cola™ themed toys and decorations in David and Beth Warner's attic, and this Santa decided to go country with his cowboy hat.

Being

Santa



If you happened to

be driving on the

main highway in

Buchanan mid-November,

2008, and spotted a man

costumed as Santa Claus,

jovially waving at you

from a lawn chair in his

driveway, then you’ve

seen Lance Hardin.

Throughout December, Hardin is often in full Santa attire. He poses for professional photographers in a white shirt with puffed sleeves, silk white gloves, and a vest fastened with gold buttons. A suede work apron covers his torso. The iconic hat drapes over his left shoulder and a tassel hangs like an ornament over his fluffy white beard. When he slips on the scarlet coat – made of smooth velvet and lined with snow-white fur – you really question whether you could find a better Santa.

Hardin is a school teacher who has three young children of his own, so he understands how to talk to kids. He has always loved Christmas, and says settling into the Santa role each year is effortless.

“I guess because I love that time of year, it’s easy for me to get into it. It’s so simple.

It’s easy to just turn that switch on and off. I don’t look at Santa Claus as a character. I look at him as – I wouldn’t say a way of life - but as everything that Santa Claus represents. We, as humans, can reflect that on a day-to-day basis.”

Hardin makes appearances all over west Georgia, visiting various schools or universities. He sets up shop outside of grocery stores to greet children, visits nursing homes and works with the public as much as he can.

“I guess because I love that time of year, it’s easy for me to get into it. It’s so simple. It’s easy to just turn that switch on and off. I don’t look at Santa Claus as a character. I look at him as – I wouldn’t say a way of life – but as everything that Santa Claus represents. ”

— Lance Hardin

STORY BY COLLEEN DONNELLYPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

Lance Hardin with his wife Tiffany, and children, left to right, Eliza, Ella and Hyrum.

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Hardin was 27 when he decided to become Santa Claus. It was the first year of his marriage, and his mother had asked him to sneak into her house late on Christmas Eve to play Santa for his little sister. Next Christmas, he decided to buy a suit and a wig.

“I started doing it for fun. I always had a love for Christmas. I just love the whole season in general: the religious aspect; the secular aspect. It’s a happy time for me.”

**

Christmas season arrives with anxieties of the coming cold weather and isolation. The bustle and heat of summer fades and the sky dims a little earlier each evening. The horizon yellows and the air chills. Early evening brings with it a deep violet sky. The insects of summer disappear, and the silence of night is intensified by the rustling of branches in the wind, and the crackling of dry leaves along the curb. And people hole up in their homes and hibernate, seeking comfort from the society of those closest to them.

But Hardin spends the season booking visits around the community. Santa is his entrée to people when they might otherwise be their most reserved, and a chance for him to deliver “those concepts of being good to your neighbor. Treating others how you want to be treated.”

Those concepts, Hardin explains, define Santa Claus, whose duty it is to promote the humanity in others: “It’s a part of our human fabric. It’s a part of our make-up. It’s natural. So becoming Santa Claus is not just putting

on the beard. It’s a way I want to live my life.”

**

In bustling malls across America, the same scene is replayed from Thanksgiving through mid-December: bored parents stand at the end of a long, winding line with a child’s hand gripped in theirs. Fidgety toddlers are twirling in circles, jumping up and down. Up ahead, a Santa in a velvet red suit grabs one child after another. What do you want for Christmas? The camera flashes and a teenaged elf yells, “Next.” The line moves forward five inches, and the cycle repeats every two minutes.

“I call it a factory—where people are rushed in. ‘Tell me what you want for Christmas,’ take a picture, and leave.”

Hardin works against that storyline. Santa Claus isn’t just a job for him. He strives to embody “the spirit of the real Saint Nicholas.”

To Hardin, that means “you have to be charitable.” Part of the spirit of Saint Nicholas includes a dedication to empathy. Santa impersonation, if done correctly, requires skill in human interaction. And not only with children. Hardin might not have the resources to deliver every Christmas wish to thousands of children, but he gives as much as he knows how.

“Anybody you meet, you always try to make some type of connection. I think that’s important. If you’re acting, that’s something that you really can’t do. It makes you more genuine when you make a connection with a family and have a child say ‘mom and dad, that’s the real Santa.’”

To be a good Santa impersonator, you can’t merely impersonate, he says. “It’s almost like I have become Santa Claus,” he says.

For Hardin, “That’s kindness. Joy. Being non-judgmental. That’s what Santa is about. I try to live my life that way, even when I’m not portraying Santa Claus.”

Each year, he volunteers at the nursing home where his mother works. It turns out those residents need Santa as much as any child. Taking each resident in turn, he will occasionally hear a request for children or grandchildren to come visit, or a desire to become healthy.

“Those are the most humble moments,” Hardin says. “Reality sets back in and lets me know for a brief moment that I was able to bring these people some joy. Santa Claus is a symbol of their desires, what they truly want.”

Joy is a recurring word in Hardin’s vocabulary.

Santa symbolizes charity, yet the ghost of materialism often muddies the idea of Santa and of Christmas too. ”It’s very easy to say: ‘Oh, I’m a part of this.’ And. ‘OK, I’ll accept that.’ But what I try to do is reflect what I feel. So people understand: this isn’t just another guy that’s just out here in a Santa costume. This is someone who enjoys doing it.”

Santa Claus deals in human wants. In the quiet of winter, we each have Saint Nicholas to remind us that there is a kind of warmth that exists through the cold weeks ahead. WGL



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STORY BY REBECCA LEFTWICH PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY


Jay Cain , above, uses a remote control to drive trains through his highly detailed layout.

For many, a favorite

Christmas Gift becomes a lifelong pursuit

A young boy stands in the snow at Christmastime, Jack Frost-nipped nose pressed against the glass of a

brightly lit shop window, staring longingly at the model train he hopes to receive from Santa.

It’s an iconic visual, pure Americana. Such a scene can instantly transport us back in time to those days of delicious anticipation just before childhood Christmases, when we hoped (oh, how we hoped!) our name was on the jolly old elf’s “nice” list.

For most of us, the Christmas gifts of childhood have passed into memory. Sure, there’s a box or two gathering dust in the attic that still contain treasured toys once left under our tinsel-trimmed trees, but those gifts belong to the young versions of ourselves. We’ve each exchanged bittersweet

goodbyes to that inner child on the way toward adulthood.

However, many a boy who dreamed of Christmas trains has grown into a man who never lost his fascination with the mechanics, history and romance of steel rails. Model railroading clubs are blossoming; populated with generations of current and former children, each eager to share their stories and experiences with a broad spectrum of fellow scale model railroad enthusiasts.

A Shay engine, used for logging and coal transportation.


For Joe Maiuro of Douglasville, trains are a love affair that started one Christmas morning and has continued through his 47-year marriage to his wife Dottie. The 70-year-old has always managed to make room in his life for trains – even when he couldn’t make room in his home for trains.

“As with many boys of my age, I was fortunate enough to receive an electric train for Christmas when I was about 6 or 7 years old,” Maiuro (pronounced My-EUR-ro) said. “By the time I was 14, it had become much more than a toy that came out once a year to run under the Christmas tree.”

As a student, Maiuro joined the National Model Railroad Association, a non-profit hobby group formed in 1935 that now has 18,000 members.

“It became a passionate hobby as I continually added onto my trains until they filled an entire 14x16-foot spare bedroom,” Maiuro said.

His layout included realistic scenery with a waterfall, and Maiuro operated a brisk and bustling route, with a passenger train picking up and dropping off both mail and people at stations according to a simulated schedule, and a freight train operating in and out of different sidings, changing cars.

When his family moved in 1958 to a smaller home near his father’s workplace, Maiuro had to

downsize as well.

“At that time, I changed to a smaller scale of trains and only had a 4x8-foot platform until I finished my schooling,” Maiuro said.

After graduation, Maiuro set aside his trains temporarily to fly reconnaissance missions for the Navy. “There is no place for trains aboard ship,” he said. But he returned to the hobby following military service and married Dottie, who not only encouraged him to explore his interest in model trains, but joined him in his pursuit. As a young married couple with limited funds, the collecting and displaying was a slow and steady process.

In 1977, the couple settled into a home in Lithia Springs, where a 1,600-square-foot basement provided enough room for a full train layout 23 years in the making. Now semi-retired, Maiuro is calling on the skills he used while building convention displays to create a new model railroad layout which, when

finished, will occupy half of his two-car garage, a 12x24-foot space. The new railroad, to be called the Pennsylvania F&I Division, is a nod to the railroad-employee grandfather who inspired Maiuro’s initial love of trains.

“My grandfather retired from the Pennsylvania Railroad and the F&I stands for ‘fictitious and imaginary,’ because it is not a prototypical portrayal of any portion of the Pennsylvania Railroad,” he said.

Maiuro’s planned setup will be a “much reduced” version of his Lithia Springs layout. As is the case with most hobbyists, he has no end date in sight.

“I don’t know of anyone who has ever considered theirs as finished, because we always look for ways to improve or expand them,” he said.

**

Improving and expanding are always on Jay Cain’s radar. Also in his 60’s, Cain was another young boy whose life whose life was greatly

Maiuro with his two favor-ite engines: K4 Pacific rail-road engines - the one on the left is a pre-World War II model, while the one on the right is a post-war model. Maiuro rode in the cab of a pre-war engine when he was 8 years old.

At right, other engines in Maiuro's collection.


shaped by a toy train Santa left under the tree one chilly Christmas.

Cain, a Christmas Eve baby, now operates a model train design company out of his home in Carrollton. His background in industrial engineering, combined with his career as a toy designer for Fisher-Price and his passion for trains, have yielded a custom-built setup that is well-known among a wide circle of collectors.

Above the home’s three-car garage in a quiet cul-de-sac is a climate-controlled, 12x30-foot room which houses Cain’s masterpiece: a railroad-centered, intricately modeled town that is perfectly crafted to O gauge scale. Set in an era covering the mid-1940s to the 1970s, the town is in a perpetual state of spring/early summer.

Cain’s display room includes lighted cabinets for the trains not being displayed, railroad memorabilia, his original childhood toy trains and wooden prototypes of Fisher Price toys, among other items.

The setup is even carefully wired to make it compatible with any number of trains, even those manufactured decades apart by different companies..

“We can run the old, we can run the new,” Cain said.

A designer and master builder of model railroads for more than 20 years, Cain has included many personal touches in his layout. On a hill above his town is the Cain Coal Company, for instance, in honor of his grandfather’s career in the coal industry. Freshly cut timber heading to the sawmill actually was harvested from Cain’s yard, cut from a crepe myrtle and hand-whittled.

The die cast vehicles, all period pieces imported from England, are a collection unto themselves, but it’s the tiny touches that lend the town its personality. At the local service station, two men play a lively game of checkers while a young boy amuses himself with a remote-controlled car and dogs rest in the shade.

Doo-wop music emanates from the busy Broadway diner and the brightly lit Palace Theater, whose marquee advertises “The Cain Mutiny.” Hidden away on the other side of town is a hobo camp complete with cooking fire, where a group wishes a silent good luck to two brother

hoboes hitching a ride on top of a couple of boxcars down the track.

Tiny turtles keep kayakers, waders and swimmers company, while raccoons, black bears, wildcats and other animals also can be found in their natural habitats surrounding the populated areas of his town.

Cain says he is particularly proud of his harbor display, a project which took 18 months of the eight years he has spent designing and building his layout. The “water” is actually 30 gallons of resin Cain worked with a chemist to formulate; the ripples and wake required timing, spun glass and tweezers to create.

“Kobie Naval Base” includes WWII-era ships and a slightly menacing German U-boat, tanks and other indicators of a fortified area, including a tight formation of military planes flying overhead.

The setup – which has been featured in hobby magazines around the world – serves as a mini museum of sorts for the hundreds of train enthusiasts Cain has invited to personally experience the project by exploring his town.

“No matter what the age, to see the smile on their faces when they watch the trains run – it’s a lot of fun watching it,” Cain said.

Sharing ideas and layouts is typical of train enthusiasts, many of whom are affiliated with local chapters of national model train groups. Cain’s company, Cain Design, Inc., is a supporter of the North Atlanta O-Gauge Railroad Club, while both Maiuro and his wife are active members of the Piedmont Division of the NMRA, which hosts the Model Train Show annually at the Cobb Galleria Center.

Nearly 800 Boy Scouts have earned merit badges in yearly camps sponsored by the Piedmont Division. In addition, more than 80 metro Atlanta members invite members of the public each weekend in November to view their layouts for the admission-free Piedmont Pilgrimage.

And, perhaps, a way of guaranteeing that another group of young boys and girls falls asleep on Christmas Eve this year, dreaming of a toy train under the tree. WGL

Joseph Maiuro and a small part of his collection.


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Countryhristmas


KEN DENNEY

I once spent Thanksgiving on the Caribbean island of St. Croix, and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

But I learned two things. First, there’s a fine line between madness and day after day of turkey leftovers. Second, no matter how balmy and beautiful a Cruzan beach can be, it really is no place for a country boy to spend a major holiday.

Thanksgiving and Christmas come at the end of the year for a reason. They are milestones; destinations that you reach after a passage of time. You feel them approach with the cool snap of changing seasons, which doesn’t happen near the Equator. Yes, you can have a turkey leg at an outdoor table on the beach, and you can put Christmas lights on a palm tree – but what’s the point? If you were raised out in the country, these feel out of place.

I was raised in west Georgia, and although I have moved from place to place, all my memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas are wrapped up in this one place. From boyhood to manhood, these holidays have annually crossed into my life like two giant planets, pulling into their orbits a jumble of recollections triggered by burning leaves, or a wind rising in the woods.

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City dwellers, I am told, also celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, but for the life of me I cannot understand how. There is too much noise in the city, and city noises are designed to break reverie and disrupt nostalgia. New York City at Christmas time can be heart-achingly beautiful, but skaters at Rockefeller Center are no substitute for leaves skittering across a driveway. Decorations put up by a municipal department for streets and roads cannot match the conscious tackiness of giant snowmen on brown lawns.

The line that separates “rural” from “urban” isn’t as distinct as it once was. Street lights that block out the stars now extend far past the city limits. Kids walk along country paths with their eyes glued to their smartphones, just like city kids treading pavement. This hasn’t happened everywhere, despite the sprawl of strip malls from major cities. I hope it never does.

**

Where I grew up, out in south Carroll County, holidays were full of tradition and ritual. All the families would gather from the diverse compass points to which they had spread, back to the one house that was home to all. The cars would arrive and the uncles, aunts and cousins would climb out. Food covered in tin foil would go into the house while we kids would run around, scaring the cows and annoying the dogs.

Thanksgiving was spent with my father’s side of the family – and a very large family it was. We convened on the farm that my grandfather, father and uncles had carved out of the pine woods, picking cotton and walking behind a mule to pay for it all with Depression money.

There were two factions within that homecoming house: the adults and the kids. The grown-ups would sit around the potbellied stove and talk about the past. The kids would romp through the woods and not talk at all – shrieking and yelling instead. When it was

time for dinner, the adults all sat down at the big family table; we kids were sent out to our own smaller table, where the older cousins were in charge.

Thanksgiving dinners, I remember, were noisy and deep fried – beans simmered in fatback; cornbread pried out of a cast-iron skillet. I know it sounds impossibly ancient, but I swear it wasn’t really that long ago.

Christmas was a different kind of holiday. We usually spent the big day alone, but on Christmas Eve we had dinner with my mother’s parents. She was their only surviving child.

The Christmas Eve dinner was quiet, and when it was over, the adults would sit and talk and my brother and I would be in the other room watching TV. There were some really good Christmas shows back then: Charlie Brown, and Rudolf and the Grinch – I mean the real Grinch, not that awful Jim Carrey movie.

And after it was over, my parents, my brother and I all went to see the Christmas lights in the big city, Carrollton. We drove out to the subdivisions where the rich people lived, or those people we imagined were rich because they did not live in the country, like we did.

You sure look at life differently, when you are small.

**

I’ve since spent Thanksgivings and Christmas in different places: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Texas – and the Caribbean. For all those holidays, I felt out of place because they were not spent back here, back in Carroll County; back where I am from.

From my perspective, we in west Georgia are lucky that there is still so much of the rural about our community. Yes, we have shopping malls and traffic and a lot of problems that we

didn’t have back in the day. But we haven’t forgotten how to say hello to each other when we see each other in the supermarket. We haven’t forgotten to toot the car horn when we pass friends on the road. We haven’t forgotten to drop in on folks at the hospital. We burn leaves without getting a permit; we let kids run through the woods unsupervised; we feel pretty sure we handle whatever comes our way, good or bad.

It’s not as quiet here as it once was, but it’s quiet enough to draw in the memories when the holidays come back around every year.

**

There are scrapbooks of photographs in my parents’ home, and most of the pictures were taken at Christmas or Thanksgiving. They are not particularly well organized: snapshots from 1959 followed by those of 1972; mixed images from 1965 and 1978. And there is one or two from 1990, the last year any photo was taken. Most of the people in the pictures are long gone, including the woman who took them.

I am all that is left of them, the survivor of their past and the future they did not have. The same is true for all of us. We take up their traditions, add our own, and pass the heritage off to new generations. If we are lucky, there is a place out in the country that ties everything together.

When Christmas arrives this year, I plan to step outside the warm house one night. I will feel the sting of the cold air and hopefully look up to see constellations of stars scattered across the sky.

I will be standing outside the house I grew up in, near the two now-vacant houses of my grandparents, on the farm I have always known, deep in the dark woods.

And I will be at home. WGL

STORY BY KEN DENNEY PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

Do you envy other people’s Christmas trees? Do you dread going over to your in-laws’ houses because their

tree is always a vision of Martha Stewart perfection? Do you avoid having guests over for Christmas because you’re ashamed of your Charlie Brown tree?

Believe it or not you, too, can have a Christmas tree beautiful enough to be the centerpiece of all your holiday entertaining.

We at West Georgia Living traveled out to Marietta to consult with Acorn Home and Garden, which annually decorates dozens of tony, upscale homes for the elite households of metro Atlanta. There, owners Loriann Thibodeaux and Tony Whitlock showed us a thing or two about decking the halls and making the season bright.

We’re not talking trees trimmed with strings of popcorn, aluminum icicles and blinking lights. Whitlock and his staff create annual Christmas miracles: towers of ornaments, ribbons and floral majesty. While many people have a “family tree,” decorated with kid-made crafts and treasured heirloom baubles, these “decorator trees,” as Whitlock calls them, become the focal point of large party gatherings. These trees help create an elegant atmosphere so that guests may enjoy a happy holiday, with tasteful glitter and graceful elegance.

Whitlock – who has over 28 years’ experience in lighting and decorating trees of all sizes – says there are a few things you should think of first when planning such a tree for your home:

First, start with a theme or a color and go from there. Perhaps your theme could be a country Christmas, or a forest, or the Nativity. Choose your ornaments with that theme in mind, with colors that complement

How the pros decorate a Christmas tree

"Tree-mendous"Trimming


Tony Whitlock, of Acorn Home and Garden in Marietta.


each other, or the rest of the décor in the room.

Second, don’t treat each ornamental element as if it must be preserved for future Christmases. Fearlessly take those plastic pieces of garland and bend and twist them so that they both look natural and suit the tree.

Third, the overall idea is to fill up the tree – even an artificial one – with many different patterns, textures and colors, to make the whole ensemble visually interesting. Whitlock prefers to use ornaments of many different styles, but usually makes sure there are never more than a few of each specific style

Fourth, and finally, know when to stop decorating. It can be easy to get carried away and cross over that unmarked line from stylish to tacky. Whitlock recommends using “the squint test” to see where you need to fill in gaps. When you find yourself thinking too hard about what else you can add to the tree, you have finished decorating, Whitlock says.

Here are some more specific suggests for trimming your tree:

Choosing the Tree

Although you have a multitude of choices of trees – anything from Douglas fir, to Norway spruce to good-old fashioned

country cedar – there are really only two types of trees: fresh trees, or artificial trees. Each has their advantages and disadvantages. Artificial trees may be ideal if you need them to stand around for several weeks; a fresh tree can always be recycled into compost. Another plus for artificial trees is that many come pre-lit – even with a little remote control to switch the lights on or off. But choose a tree with white lights, and incandescent bulbs over LED bulbs (we’ll explain why later.) If you choose a fresh tree off the lot, keep in mind that a good lot will always put the price tag on the most attractive side of the tree.

Lights

Start with white lights on your tree; they are brighter than color lights, but color lights do not illuminate ornaments as well. White lights should be incandescent rather than LEDs because white LEDs produce a bluish cast. Color LED lights can, however, be added to the tree to help pick up the colors of the ornaments and to match the overall colors of the themed elements.

Avoid flashing lights, but lights that produce a twinkling effect is fine. Read the box to determine how many strings you can connect end to end; that way you will avoid blowing out your circuit breakers. When adding lights to a tree, start your way at the trunk and work out to the end of the branch. Don’t just drape the lights in. Finally,

decorate the tree with the lights switched on so that you can more easily see the gaps that need to be filled.

Floral Treatments

Whitlock uses many floral elements to help fill out a tree, even artificial ones. Decorative leaves and greenery also softens the look the tree. Many of the pieces Whitlock uses are artificial, but don’t use these items straight out of the box. Take the time to bend, fluff and shape these items so that they look natural. Don’t concern yourself about saving these items for next year’s tree; they can be recycled into wreaths, garlands or other holiday décor. Whitlock mixes artificial fir pieces in with items with red berries or mistletoe. The more variety of items makes the most realistic effect, he says. Space the items evenly to thicken out the tree and to fill in gaps between the branches. Whitlock especially likes to use floral items for the top of the tree (see below.)

Ribbons or Garlands

Many people use tinsel or other garlands to wrap around a tree, but Whitlock prefers to

use colored ribbons. He likes ribbon with a metallic finish because the surface picks up and distributes the light of the tree – plus they tend to hold their shape when bent and placed in the tree. The idea is to create a natural, draping effect, but one that will stay in place. Whitlock uses several different types, each for a specific effect. One type of ribbon creates a wavering, cascade pattern; the second goes in diagonally; the third is used to tie into bows. At least one of the ribbons has a distinctive pattern to add visual interest.

Ornaments

Hanging your ornaments on the lights or the wires is a dangerous thing to do. But you do want to hang them near the lights so as to illuminate them. One rookie mistake tree decorators make is hanging ornaments only on the outside branches. Whitlock says professionals always work from the inside, from the trunk to the end of the branch. This, he says, is the main reason why professionally decorated trees look so well. Another rookie mistake is using the string loops on ornaments to hang them on the branches. Such loops are meant to tie the ornament to the tree. “Layer” your ornaments by placing the larger ones first, again working out from the trunk of the tree. Colorful, dangly ornaments tied to the ends of the branches will twist in air currents, picking up lights and creating visual interest. Make sure something is on every branch; don’t leave the bottom branches bare. You can always lift the branches to place presents under the tree. Give your best and showiest ornaments the most prominent place on the tree, especially if they are the center of your theme. Also, be sure to balance all of your ornaments, weight-wise, to avoid the possibility of capsizing your tree.

Top of the Tree

Most people place a star on top of the tree, but this often causes problems. Often, the star doesn’t fit well so it leans off to an angle. This problem gets worse with natural trees because the branches tend to droop over time. To solve the problem, Whitlock recommends placing the star on a wooden stick so that it fits nicely, then tying the stick to the trunk of the tree. But Whitlock also suggests that a spray of different floral designs at the top of the tree may be used as well. Poinsettia is a natural, showy element that can be placed at the very top of the tree and then be surrounded by a spray of different floral elements that pick up the color and appear to be shooting from the top branches.

The proper way to hang an ornament

Many people still hang their ornaments with the metal clips of yesterday. But many newer ornaments come equipped with a loop of string at the top. But if you use these loops the same way as a clip, the ornament will not be secure. Instead, after putting the branch through the loop, twist the ornament around so that the ornament is drawn tight to the branch. Secure the ornament in place by pushing it up and around the branch. Ornaments that are held tight to the branch enhance the professional look of your tree. If you are using a natural tree, this method will also make taking the decorations off the tree a literal snap – all you do is break off the branches and release the loops.

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ARTIST'S CORNER

Jason PrigmoreWoodworker

Temple, Georgia

As a boy and a young man, he was inspired by the skills of his grandfather, who turned raw wood into toys and furniture using a venerable Shopsmith wood turning lathe. A couple of years ago, his grandfather gave the machine to Jason, and since then Jason’s heirloom baby rattles, pens, bottle stoppers – and Christmas ornaments – have become big sellers on social media and e-commerce

By day, Jason Prigmore is a chemical worker who lives with his wife

and two sons in Temple. But on nights and weekends, he crafts elegant designs from wood.


STORY BY KEN DENNEYPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

sites like Etsy, not to mention select brick-and-mortar storefronts. Jason and his wife, Hollé lived several years in Tallapoosa before re-locating to Temple in 2010, where they live with their sons Denver and Eli. We asked him about his work and how he produces such wonderful things.

Tell us how you began in woodworking and how long

ago that was.

While I’ve been around wood-working my whole life and have built many things over the years, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago when my grandfather gave me his old Shopsmith that I began creating crafts. My wife has been a great support. Thanks to her marketing, my work has garnered interest very quickly. All of my family seems to think I was born with an innate ability for woodturn-

ing, and while it does feel very natural to me, I still have a lot to learn. I very much enjoy attend-ing workshops and classes run by seasoned turners and appre-ciate how they so willingly offer their expertise. I look forward to sharing my experiences in that way one day as well.

What kind of tools and expertise do you have?

I enjoy using woodworking tools of all kinds, but I’m particularly most fond of the lathe, and in a very short time have mastered several techniques and cre-ated many original designs. My signature heirloom baby rattles have become quite collectable.

Take us through the process - how do you decide what to

craft, and how do you go about it?

Following in my grandfather’s

footsteps, my passion is to cre-ate heirloom quality toys, furni-ture and gifts for children. My first designs of 2013 began from a desire to make something special for my niece Emma. She received my first creations and is our quality control special-ist. She is a constant source of inspiration as are my nephews and two sons. Since most of the items I create are intended for children, I take great care in selecting safe woods and finishes and following all safety product guidelines. I also have fun creating bottle stop-pers, handles fro pizza cutters and ice cream scoops, as well as bowls, vessels and holiday ornaments. I enjoy selecting unique American hardwoods as well as funky exotics to use for these creations. Salvaging scrap wood is also very important to the process. Most of my decora-tive accents are created with cut off pieces from other projects


Prigmore scored the wood cylinder where he plans to make his cuts.

or downed trees. We've become quite the favorite drop off place for wood logs from our friends and family!

What are some of the most unusual things you have crafted?

While a bottle stopper isn’t really an “unusual thing”, I have to say that the col-laboration on a commemorative bottle stop-per for The Balvenie (a distiller of Scotch whiskies) was certainly extraordinary. The concept and shape, while simple, was accented with copper banding - which is not wood working - and took me quite a bit of trial and error! Ultimately the out-come was great, but what made the process unusual was that I managed to create over 700 of them all by hand! (The distillers’ subsequent) selection of my one-of-a-kind “For Sail” boat (a sculpture the distillery took across America on the Balvenie Rare Craft Collection Tour) was also unusual as it was crafted completely of scrap material and came about with no specific plan or process. Quite unusual of me at least! Very surreal.

What is it about wood that makes it a good media?

Wood is a completely natural gift offered

to us with so many colors and types to choose from. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather work with. I’m constantly amazed with every cut of all the beautiful grains, colors – even woods with worm holes. Each piece of wood is its own original design before I ever touch it.

Since this is Christmas, tell us about how and why you started ornament making?

When I first began practicing with the lathe, I would use different wood blank cut offs and work my way down the length of them trying to get the hang of different turning tools and working to perfect beads, balls, points etc. My sister thought many of them looked like icicles or ornaments. Her request for “a tree full of them” may very well have started my Christmas ornament making. I was also asked to participate in my mother in law’s church Christmas bazaar last year and needed holiday items to bring. My ornaments and angel figures were a bit hit.

Are these expensive?

I don’t think so. It’s always difficult pricing handcrafted works. Most handcrafted items take a lot of time, many of which I’ll start, put away, pick up again, etc. So, I try to just

consider cost of supplies and materials ver-sus time when pricing products. My orna-ments range from $5.00 - $50.00, depend-ing on size and composition.

What kind of honors or recognition have you received?

Since I’ve only been turning for a couple of years now I find great honor in being select-ed by The Balvenie for their Rare Craft Col-lection and for being given the opportunity to create a commemorative bottle stopper for them. Watching the excitement unfold on Twitter and Facebook of folks trying to receive one of these stoppers was really fun and surreal at the same time. My works have sold both in the US and abroad and my heirloom rattles are in stores from Atlanta to L.A. My greatest honor however, is hav-ing my 89-year-old grandfather and mentor, still alive and well, be able to see some of the success I’ve had. Making him proud is my greatest accomplishment.

What challenges have you set for yourself in the future?

I look forward to continuing to create heir-loom products for children and starting a new company division devoted to it entirely. I have many wonderful designs in the works


Prigmore uses his grandfather's vintage Shopsmith lathe to create his carvings.

as well as several of my grandfa-ther’s original patterns which I plan to incorporate into our next line. Since I work a regular full time job, my woodworking is cur-rently limited to evenings and weekends filling custom orders. I hope to find some additional time to devote to increasing my inven-tory and participating in more local shows in 2015 as well.

Why do you do this?

It’s evidently in my blood. I love it. I love creating and being able to offer one of kind handmade pieces for others to give to their loved ones and of an heirloom quality so it can be passed down through generations just like so many of the toys and keepsakes I still have from my grandfa-ther. I’d love to do it full time and hope one day that I can. WGL


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With sharp tools and a practiced hand, a simple piece of wood becomes a work of art.

hristmas gatherings in our home are chaotic, unplanned and mostly consist of finger foods, movies and gift giving.

But Thanksgiving is different. It may because of the change in seasons, or because our planting, hoeing and gathering have brought an abundant harvest, but Thanksgiving brings a somber, yet welcoming mood about our house. I am reminded just how blessed my family is, and how thankful we should be.

Ever since my children’s great-grandmother,

Lilly Godwin (affectionately known as “Big Mama,”) gave me my first cornucopia basket long ago, the fall season and related celebrations has evoked more nostalgia than any other season. Each year, as the holiday approaches, the cornucopia comes out of the closet and is placed in the center of the table. Nothing but the best china and silver will do for the Thanksgiving meal; cornbread dressing, with just the right amount of sage from my herb garden - and plenty of cranberry sauce – are more anticipated than the turkey. This somber sense of ceremony continues as we gather around this table to give thanks. But soon as the “amen” is said, all formality ends.

Through the centuries, the cornucopia has

STORY BY GAIL WOODYPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY


The Cornucopia

CA traditional symbol of thankfulness


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been a symbol of fertility, fortune and abundance. Greek mythology holds that the great Zeus hid in a cornucopia as a child, and nursed from the horn. The Roman gods for peace and prosperity were depicted holding a cornucopia. This summer, our family was once again able to view the magnificent Sistine Chapel, where one of the ceiling panels shows an angel pouring out a cornucopia filled with food. The Great Seal of North Carolina depicts a cornucopia; so does the state flag and seal of Idaho. And in the movie “The Hunger Games,” a cornucopia is a powerful symbol.

Cornucopias are typically in the shape of a horn. So, to make one for your own Thanksgiving centerpiece, you can either purchase basket woven into a horn, or choose a wire-shaped form at an arts and craft store. Whichever, the horn can be decorated with anything imaginable: from silk flowers to artificial fruits and vegetables.

But what should fill your horn of plenty? There are many choices, each evoking a different mood.

Nothing says fall more than the harvest from our own gardens. Whether it is a harvest of fruit and vegetables,

or simply a bouquet from the flower garden, a cornucopia can symbolize a thankful heart. Adding nuts from the pecan or oak tree to the fruits and vegetables make an especially nice arrangement. And adding a few colored leaves from a favorite tree, or fading hydrangea blossoms and chrysanthemums, serves as a reminder that a new season is upon us. Curly willow limbs or dried daylily stalks make a nice addition as well.

The cornucopia makes a beautiful centerpiece not only for the Thanksgiving meal but the entire harvest season as well. Instead of a wreath for the fall season, why not decorate a horn for the front door?

Perhaps this could be the year to begin the cornucopia tradition in your own home. Whether your cornucopia is the centerpiece of a table laid with fine china, or paper plates, this decorate and beautiful tradition is a symbol of the many blessings we have to be thankful for each and every day regardless of sickness and loss. Change is inevitable but a thankful heart demonstrates peace and joy daily. WGL

Gail Woody is a Carroll County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer

A cornucopia can fill a woven basket, or a wire frame purchased at a crafts store.

A cornucopia asa decorative door hanging.


Hosting friends and family for the holidays can be stressful, but

accommodating any allergies makes it worse. In my own family, at least one relative reacts adversely to shellfish, peanuts, lactose, red and yellow dyes, monosodium glutamate, nitrates and sulfites. Add a diabetic, several vegetarians and some finicky eaters to the mix, and the thought of feeding everyone for several days tempts me to text my kids: "We’re coming to your house for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year."

But deciding what to serve is just one element of home

entertaining. Many people are also allergic to plants used in decorations.

Symptoms of exposure to these noxious plants may include respiratory ailments, worsening asthma, dermatitis, headaches, nausea and dizziness. Each year, several of my fellow Master Gardeners are unable to help with our wreath and potpourri fundraiser due to sensitivities to Frasier fir. Some experts think mold spores, pollen and dust that collect on evergreens are perhaps bigger offenders than the plants

themselves. Boxwood, holly, and magnolia are thought to cause fewer problems than cedar, fir, and pine. Hosing down greenery prior to use can wash off pollutants, while soaking helps keep it fresh.

Before age made me wiser, I decked my home inside and out with evergreens, cones and berries from my yard. When I found out my new son-in-law was allergic to Christmas trees, I invested in an artificial one and assorted greenery – but I realized too late that his allergies were triggered by the Yuletide cedars from his home in Mississippi; not the Frazier firs that I typically SHELLY MURPHY

DON’TTRIGGERALLERGIES

let your décor

your guests'

bought.

But even artificial greenery isn’t the answer, unless it is properly stored in a dry, dust-free environment. I learned this the hard way. After wrestling my fake behemoth into its original box proved impossible, I stood it in a corner of my basement and threw a plastic drop cloth over the top. Through the year, the tree acquired a coat of mold and dust. By the time I hung those lights and baubles next season, I was overcome with sniffles and had a nauseating migraine headache.

I am fond of baby’s breath, lotus pods, wheat straw, eucalyptus, yarrow and other dried plant materials in wreaths or baskets in my family room. However, dust mites and bunnies, which cause allergic reactions in some, are obviously just as fond of them.

Some holiday favorites are also poisonous while others simply get a bad rap. Poinsettias (a member of the rubber tree family) are not as toxic as some believe. But they still can cause respiratory problems – especially for people allergic to latex – and stomach upset if ingested. And

they must certainly be kept out of

the reach of pets and toddlers.

Goldenrod is another fall beauty that can normally

be used in a Thanksgiving centerpiece. Ragweed is the real culprit, since it is often found growing alongside goldenrod and blooms at the same time.

That innocent-looking sprig of mistletoe hung over doorways to invoke kissing has the reputation of being lethal if eaten. Though not deadly, it can be hazardous, so use a plastic one if kids and pets are present. Natural red berries, which resemble candy to youngsters, must also be used with caution, if at all. Poisonous plants are abundant outdoors, including all parts of the potato except for the tuber that we eat. Children should be taught early on to never eat any plants or berries other than those served on their plates.

Surprisingly, I am not allergic to poison oak or ivy - yet. But I do have a healthy respect for it when out collecting greenery to adorn my house. It should also not be on any wood used for burning in a fireplace or most everyone in range will be commiserating rather than celebrating.

Millions of Americans are adversely affected by fragrances in candles,

potpourri, room

deodorizers, personal care products,

cleaning and laundry

products, etc. Chlorine and petroleum-based products are also problematic. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, breathing difficulties, respiratory irritations, worsening asthma, dermatitis, hyperactivity and insomnia.

In surveys done by S.M. Caress and A.C. Steinemann at the University of West Georgia (March, 2009, Journal of Environmental Health), 30.5% of respondents found scented products on others irritating, 19% reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and 10.9% reported irritation by scented laundry products vented outside.

Chemical fragrances have forever been the bane of my existence. I used to hold my breath and sprint past a mall candle store in order to reach the shoe department. There are local shops that I would patronize, except for

the overwhelming potpourri that so sickens me, I cannot linger long in the store. A former colleague must have surely thought I disliked her when in truth, the offensive perfume she wore made me avoid her. The most miserable night I ever spent was when a hostess took the guest linens straight out of mothballs and put them on my bed. Taken ahead of time, antihistamines offer some relief from such an assault.

To assure plenty of Ho, Ho, Ho in your upcoming celebrations, inquire about allergies in advance. When in doubt, use unscented cleaning and laundry products. Skip the potpourri, air freshener, scented candles and live greenery. With decorating, sometimes less is more. A simple nativity scene or a centerpiece made of fruit or small gourds, and fresh wreaths only on outside doors may suffice. Otherwise-Achoo! Please pass the tissues. WGL

Shelly Murphy is a Carroll County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer and author of “Compost Happens: Confessions of a Plantaholic.”

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How to set a tableFor most dinners, you can get by with

a paper plate, napkin and the most useful tool ever invented by mankind:

a spork. But there are some entertainment occasions for which even the finest imported plastic just won’t do.

But how do you make sense of that bewildering array of china and flatware that your grandmother left you, or which your mom seemed to understand the same way rocket scientists understand physics? We at West Georgia Living can help you with whether that salad fork is supposed to go on the left or the right.

Emily Post’s recommended way to set a table is to just remember the acronym FORKS. Going from left to right, the basic place setting is F for fork, O for plate, K for knives and S for spoon (never mind about the “R”; it messes with the mnemonic.) Next, hold your hands in front of you and touch your forefingers to your thumbs. On

your left hand, you’ll see a “b” and on your left hand there will be a “d.” That reminds you that “bread and butter” go on the left, and drinks go on the right. It’s helpful if your guests remember this rule, too, so they don’t go grabbing your biscuit.

The guide on this page is meant to help you with the placement of your dinnerware but don’t be alarmed. You don’t have to put out all that dishware; not even for a formal service. The dishes and utensils you place on the table always depend on what you are serving, and the chart will tell you where - and in what order - the dinnerware should go.

The general rule for all place settings, formal or informal, is that the utensils are placed in “outside in” order. If the first thing you serve is an appetizer, then the utensil for

that particular dish will be on the furthest outside. The utensil for your last course will be the furthest in to the plate.

The one rule Emily has for a formal place setting is that everything has to be geometrically spaced. The centerpiece of the table has to be in the center, and the place settings put at equal distances with the utensils balanced. Beyond that, you can do whatever you want.

Also remember that knife blades always face the plate, and napkins go either left of the fork, or on top of the plate.

Fear of using your heirloom china and silverware is no excuse for making your guests sit on folding chairs balancing a loaded paper plate on their knee. Use these tips and treat your guests to an elegant meal at the dining table as civilized folks. WGL

KEN DENNEY

Illustration by Ken Denney


or people who love to cook, one of the great things about the holidays is that we rarely hear the words, “No, thank you; I’m

on a diet.”

We all look forward to family, friends, the cooler temperatures, and football – but it’s those elaborate holiday meals that we long to create and enjoy. Still, there is one perennial problem: figuring out what to prepare without going through the same old recipes and put-ting the same dishes on the table, year after year.

Don’t get me wrong, traditions are great and there are always going to be those recipes that must be served due to popular demand and family expectations. However, there is always room for something new. And guests love surprises, whether it’s something unexpected or, even better, something completely new, prepared with your own special flair.

Add some

to yourtraditional

dinner

PIZAZZ F


Brines

Right from the start, I’m going to avoid giving instructions on how to roast any form of fowl, ham or beef. It’s not that I haven’t an opinion on the sub-ject; it’s because there are a thousand different resources, all with different ways to get the job done – including how to roast a stuffed or unstuffed bird, how to deep fry one, etc.

Instead, I would like to dis-cuss how any cooked meat can emerge from the oven with a bit more success and flavor.

When it comes to getting the most out of anything roasted – including pork and beef roasts – it’s very hard to beat a good brine. Why is that important? Because brining removes any flavors added during process-ing. Unfortunately, too many

birds are shipped to your grocer after first being in-jected with broth and/or other flavors to help novice cooks produce a “ foolproof bird.” A good brine removes those off- putting flavors so that you can replace them with as many as your imagination can create.

The first requirement in brining is a container large enough to accommodate a

Rob Duvé

Cornbread shrimp stuffing, mango cherry chutney and traditional turkey


large bird. That cooler that you have left over from the summer is just the ticket. I use a large sports drink cooler; the kind you see in a dugout or on the sidelines. It holds five gal-lons, which allows for easy calculation of the amounts needed. The base recipe for brine is as follows:

2-2 ½ gallons warm water1 ½ cups kosher or sea salt1 ½ cups organic cane sugar¼ cup ground black pepper¼ cup granulated garlic15 pound bag of ice

Combine ingredients in the drink cooler and mix thoroughly to combine. The use of kosher or sea salt is important, since both dissolve very easily in cool or lukewarm water. Slowly submerge the bird in the brine and cover with as much ice as the container will hold. Cover tightly and let stand for at least 12 hours – but no more than 24 hours.

This basic recipe will add seasonings, flavor and, most importantly, mois-ture to the bird, drastically reducing the chance it will become too dry. But this is just a basic recipe. It’s entirely up to you to add your own ingredients and create something unique. For some examples, here are a few brine recipes that I have enjoyed over the years.

Traditional Holiday BrineBasic brine from above¼ cup fresh lemon juice3 tablespoon dry oregano3 tablespoon dry thyme1 tablespoon rubbed sage

1 teaspoon dried ginger

Add all ingredients to 2 cups of the basic brine and bring to a low simmer for about 3 minutes. Pour into to the brine vessel, submerge bird, and cover with ice.

Citrus Roast BrineBasic brine from above½ can frozen orange juice concentrate½ can frozen limeade concen-trate½ cup lemon juice¼ cup Louisiana style hot sauce

Mix all ingredients to combine, submerge bird, and cover with ice.

These are just for starters. It’s up to you to find those flavors for brines that will please your guests. But please keep a couple of things in mind:

First, the longer the meat sits in a citrus brine or marinade, the more of the citrus flavors it will take on. If you like a stronger or less tangy citrus flavor, adjust the brining time ac-cordingly.

Also, if you plan on deep frying a bird, never use any brine with a high sugar content. Once immersed in hot oil, those sugars im-mediately burn and impart a very unpleasant taste to the bird. Even if you roast the bird in an oven, the sugars can still burn, so watch to see if the bird needs to be tented to keep the top – or any other part – from becoming overly brown.

Side Dishes

As a joke, I sometimes like to open a can of jellied cranberry sauce and place it on the table, sitting upright in the shape of the can in which it was packed. That’s the way cranberry sauce was served when I was grow-ing up, but, let’s face it, that method is called tak-ing “The Easy Way Out.” Sure, everyone expects cranberry sauce, and it is a holiday staple, but there are a few alternatives that you might consider to get people’s attention.

Mango Cherry Chutney

This slightly sweet, slightly tart dish works very well

with just about any poultry, no matter how its prepared, but it goes especially well with either roasted or grilled poultry.

4 mangos, peeled and diced½ cup dried tart cherries1 tablespoon brown sugar1-2 tablespoon cider vinegar (add more to taste)½ tsp sriracha hot sauceSea salt to taste

Add about half the diced mango and remaining ingredients to a medium sauce pan and simmer over medium/low heat until the mangos are just tender. Turn off heat and mash until the cherries begin to break down. Add remaining mango, stir, and let stand in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours for flavors to combine.

Mango cherry chutney


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Seafood Cornbread Stuffing with ArtichokesCornbread stuffing is a genu-ine Southern staple that can be found on most tables at the holidays. But in the Low Country - along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts – there is an-other Southern staple. It was in the Low Country region that a great deal of Southern food began before it migrated inland. Unfortunately, the further these foods traveled from the ocean, the more ingredients were left out simply because they weren’t local. For something truly different, the fresh seafood and the herbs of the Old Coun-try make this dish a return to old-style Southern cooking.

6 cups cornbread crumbles½ cup white onions, finely diced½ cup celery, finely diced½ cup green peppers, finely diced1 cup artichoke hearts (not marinated) 2 eggs1 pound medium Gulf or Atlantic shrimp, peeled (save the peels and heads)½ pound blue crab meat½ pound small scallops1 cup shrimp broth (recipe follows)½ teaspoon oregano

½ tea-spoon thyme½ teaspoon sweet basilSea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sauté onions, celery, and peppers in a small amount of bacon fat until translucent and the edges just begin to turn brown. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté scallops over medium high heat until they begin to brown. Again, remove from the pan and set aside.

Finally, I’d like to take a moment to re-mind readers there are wonderful local wines,

available in increasing quantities and quality, which can accompany all you holiday meals. This past year has seen a new wineries and grape variet-ies come into the mainstream, and wine production is becoming a pivotal part of local cuisines and our local economy. Also, whenever possible, make sure to use as many locally grown and produced ingredi-ents to both give yourself a bit of a treat and to share local flavors with guests from out of town, creating memories for years to come.

Take in the happiness of this holiday season with your family and friends and, as always,

Enjoy!

Cornbread shrimp stuffing

Meal-centered gatherings are a treasured holiday tradition for many Americans, but if one or more of our guests are on

special diets, how can we ensure everyone has a memorable dinner?

It can be tough, because there are a lot of people who can’t have what everyone else is having. For some, their diet represents a lifestyle choice; for others, eating some foods and avoiding others is vital to their health.

A recent study published by Vegetarian Times says more than 7 million American adults now follow a vegetarian diet. Of those, approximately one million are vegans who consume no animal products at all.

That’s a lifestyle choice. But more than 29 million Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though an estimated 1 in 4 diabetics are as yet unaware they have the disease.

Add in the alarming spike in food allergies and a growing awareness of celiac disease, and that holiday dinner has the potential to become a holiday disaster.

Perhaps you’ve already invited family and

friends for Christmas and your menu includes roast turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, shoepeg corn, iced tea, coffee, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and pound cake.

So what should you do if you suddenly discover that, among your guests, there are diabetics, vegetarians, people with celiac disease and those

with food allergies? Be of good cheer: A little education and a few easy substitutions can be all it takes to accommodate all of your guests’ dietary restrictions.

Connie Crawley, nutrition and health specialist for the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service and a registered dietitian says adjusting for diabetes actually is one of the easiest tasks.

STORY BY REBECCA LEFTWICHPHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

How to ensure everyone at your holiday feast has something to eat

SpecialDiets


Cooking for

Devyn Wittmeyer enjoys the cooking of her mother , Rebecca Leftwich

“The real issue would be portion sizes,” Crawley said.

While turkey is fine, Crawley said, the issue for a diabetic would be the remaining carbohydrates. A diabetic man typically is allowed 60-75 grams of carbohydrates per meal.

“That adds up pretty fast for the dressing, corn, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, corn, pie and cake,” Crawley said.

Simple substitutions would be green beans seasoned with broth, spices and herbs instead of a casserole and homemade, low-carb cranberry relish instead of the canned type. A small piece of pumpkin pie – perhaps made from a reduced-sugar recipe – and tea or coffee sweetened with a sugar substitute would round out a reasonable feast for a diabetic, Crawley said.

For vegetarian Jennifer Fountain, a soy allergy further complicates her holiday feasts. Soy makes up the bulk of pre-made meat

substitutes, so Fountain has had to look beyond quick fixes.

“My diet consists of hearty vegetable dishes,” said Fountain, who embarked on her vegetarian journey three years ago. “My current favorite is Shepherd’s Pie, which is a great holiday-time dish.”

Fountain says her partner makes a delicious vegetarian take on the historically meat-heavy pie.

“She fills a casserole dish with baked beans, sautéed onions, carrots, corn, etc. and covers the mix with homemade mashed potatoes,” Fountain said. “Of course, the seasoning really lends it the flavor. Onion powder, garlic powder, fresh herbs and nutritional yeast are staples in our house.”

Her family is well accustomed to these dietary requests.

“For Thanksgiving, (my mom) always makes up two versions of whatever dish she makes,”

American Diabetes Associationwww.diabetes.org

Diabetic Gourmet Magazinediabeticgourmet.com

Celiac Disease Foundationwww.celiac.org

Playing With Our Food: Gluten-Free Girl and the Chefwww.glutenfreegirl.com

Gluten-Free Goddess Recipeswww.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Nourishing Mealswww.nourishingmeals.com

West Ga Area Vegans/Vegetarianswww.facebook.com/WestGaAreaVV

The Vegan Enthusiastwww.facebook.com/groups/100963363316044/


Emory Leftwich, left, and Asher Leftwich

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“Helping Families and Friends Honor Their Loved One”

Fountain said. “The best part is that the whole family has to fight over a single tray of her delicious dressing – made with chicken stock – while my girlfriend and I get a whole tray – made with vegetable stock – to ourselves.”

Fountain said it’s a huge misconception that a dish has to contain meat to be flavorful. “Most dishes that people point to when defending this claim could be made just as easily without meat,” she said.

Some easy fixes include substituting cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken soup in gravy; following her mom’s lead and skipping the chicken stock in favor of vegetable stock; and leaving the bacon out of traditional vegetables like collard greens.

“It’s so easy to be vegetarian-friendly, it’s kind of sad that more people aren’t,” Fountain said.

Martha Martin, who has followed a vegetarian diet for more than half her life, is transitioning to vegan foods.

“At a big gathering, there will usually be plenty that I can eat as a vegetarian,” she said. “As a vegan, this is considerably more challenging.”

Martin said a little conversation usually clears up any uncertainty about her choices.

“A lot of times, the cook will share what’s in a new dish so I’ll know,” said Martin, who also battles some food allergies. “They always clue me in on the menu beforehand, but I like to take one or two things for myself and to share, just to be on the safe side.”

Because she grew up eating meat, Martin said she consumes meat substitute out of tradition more than nutritional necessity.

“Many plant sources have more protein than meat,” she said.

Still, it’s easy to find high-protein meat substitutes at

the local supermarket. Martin recommends Quorn brand “turkey” roast, “chicken” patties and breakfast sausages, Boca Burgers™ and Gardein™ “chicken” cutlets with gravy. In addition to such vegetarian/vegan staples as quinoa, lentils, kidney beans and peanut butter – especially with the guidance of a plethora of recipe-rich informational websites and Facebook pages – a host has virtually unlimited options in accommodating guests who choose a meat-free lifestyle.

Even if accommodating vegetarians and diabetics at your table is relatively simple, planning around milk and gluten allergies may be less so. Dietitian Crawley said a good rule is to remember plainer is better. Turkey, cranberry sauce and corn are fine for a person allergic to milk, but not the cornbread dressing and green bean casserole made from Grandma’s treasured recipes.

“You could make bread stuffing instead with French or Italian bread, which usually have no milk,” Crawley said, adding that diabetic-friendly green beans would, again, work as a substitute for casserole. “The pecan pie would generally be safe as long as you use margarine and not butter. Depends how sensitive he or she is.”

Crawley said fresh, additive-free turkey fits easily into a gluten-free diet, as would

cornbread from a gluten-free recipe – as long as no wheat flour is included. Plain green beans instead of a casserole, and perhaps quinoa mixed with vegetables, would round out a safe gluten-free meal. But rolls and dessert could pose a problem.

“Pie crust is out unless you find an acceptable gluten-free one online,” said Crawley, who advises trying any new crust out in advance. Substituting a gluten-free pumpkin dessert may be a better option.

“There are pumpkin custard recipes that are like pie filling without the crust, but they would have to be thickened with cornstarch, not flour,” Crawley said.

Gluten-free breads and mixes can be found in local stores and many gluten-free websites feature recipes, so serving two

kinds of rolls would not be difficult if a host is so inclined.

“The challenge is finding recipes that taste good,” Crawley said.

Once you’ve made a reasonable attempt at accommodating your guests through research, preparation and adjustments, you can relax and enjoy yourself. Crawley said most people who have food restrictions know how to police themselves.

“Often they will offer to bring a dish they can eat, or they learn to eat what they can,” she said. “I know from having had a milk allergy as a child myself, I just wanted people to let me alone and let me eat. Often I just asked for a baked potato or sweet potato, some plain green beans, and fruit for dessert along with the turkey, corn and rolls. I never went hungry.” WGL


Left to right - C.J. Gipson, Savannah Leftwich, Devyn Wittmeyer, Emory Leftwich and Asher Leftwich

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10 PERFECTTake-Along

FoodsGet over the river and

through the woods without sloshing food all over the backseat


Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

It’s that time of year again; time to cook yourself into exhaustion so that you can

take a gleaming jewel of culinary perfection to the family holiday get-together.

However, sometimes in our zeal to impress, we fail to think ahead. We are so focused on making the perfect dish that we forget we have to transport it in one piece. There’s nothing more disappointing than getting to the in-laws and finding half of your wonderful dish has spilled out in the back seat.

With that in mind, I’ve compiled some of my favorite, “less-likely to spill-break-and-crumble” take-along recipes. Hopefully, they’ll keep you singing “Holly Jolly Christmas” all the way, over river and through the woods, to grandma’s house.

First a few words on the recipes, starting with Oreo Balls. When I was a kid, peanut butter balls were all the rage. They were fun to make and even more fun to eat. Kids looked forward to making them, but it was hard to resist sticking your finger in your mouth every once in a while – a move that got you sent straight to the sink to wash your hands. But, judging from the plates of peanut butter balls on the tables of dozens of baby showers or birthday parties seen back in the day, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one getting repeatedly sent to the sink. These days, Oreo Balls are the latest, kid-friendly fad, so in memory of my peanut butter-filled childhood, I had to include my own take on this new tasty treat.

When planning to travel with food, one of the easiest things to make is macaroni and cheese. However, you don’t want it to slide all over the place or for all the cheese sauce to settle to the bottom. The solution? Macaroni casserole, of course! Everyone loves it; you can’t go wrong; ‘nuff said. Casseroles are a given for the holidays, but that doesn’t mean you have to overload on sugar. If you want an easy, healthy casserole option, use the

sweet potato recipe below.I love crock pots. I think they were just about the greatest cooking appliance ever invented, and they make traveling with food super easy. Use a crock pot with a locking lid, and you can’t lose. Check out the roasted apples recipe below for a sure-fire winner.

I couldn’t leave out some family favorites, so I included my husband’s favorite bread pudding and my favorite chocolate pie and peanut butter fudge – and yes, both of these were my grandmothers’ recipes. They have served the family well for years. You may have to be a little careful transporting the pie, but the fudge can be thrown into a tin and tossed around the car like a hot potato and come out of the ordeal just fine.

I also included two new favorite recipes: pear-almond cookies and cheesecake squares. It goes without saying: cookies travel well, and I just had to share this recipe with you. I use my homemade pear preserves, but store-bought works just fine.

And while we’re talking about easy, you can’t get much easier to transport than bread. Just wrap it in some plastic wrap and tuck it under your arm. The recipe below adds a cinnamon swirl just for fun.

Then there’s cheesecake.

Cheesecake is like a very delicious blank slate to which I like to add lots of flavors. I have a habit of adding and adding and adding, so I may have went a little overboard on this one, so if you’re not wild about mint, you can leave it out. However, the pre-cut square technique takes a notoriously difficult dessert to transport and makes it a cinch to carry with you.

Hope you enjoy!

Oreo Balls1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese36 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (preferably in a food processor),

plus 10 cookies (also finely crushed)16 oz. white chocolate bark

Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended. (This will be really sticky.) Shape the mix into 48 (1 inch) balls. Place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and freeze for 10 min. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium to medium-high heat.

Remove the balls from the freezer and quickly roll them in the melted chocolate (it helps to use a fork or slotted spoon) and place them back on the cold, wax-lined baking sheet. Before the chocolate cools completely, sprinkle your reserved cookies on top of the white chocolate balls. (Alternative option: Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top instead of crushed cookies.)

Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight if you want to make them ahead of time.

Baked Macaroni with Bacon8 ounces elbow macaroni, about 2 cups dry3 tablespoons butterDash garlic powder1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour2 ½ cups milkSalt and freshly ground black pep-per, to taste8 slices bacon, cooked, drained, chopped2 cups (8 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese, dividedTopping:1 cup Italian bread crumbs11⁄2 to 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cook macaroni until al dente. Drain in a colander, rinse with hot water, and set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 21⁄2-quart baking dish.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add the garlic powder and the flour and stir until well blended and smooth. This mix will be thick, like a roux. Add the milk and cook, stirring, until thickened (much in the same way you cook gravy). Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Remove 1⁄2 cup of the cheese and set aside.

Stir the remaining 1½ cups of cheese into the sauce and continue cooking until cheese is melted. Combine the cheese sauce with the drained macaroni and spoon into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle bacon evenly over the casserole and top with the reserved half cup of cheese.

Toss bread crumbs with ½ to 2 tablespoons of melted butter and

sprinkle over the casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Healthier Sweet Potato Casserole5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed3 bananas, unpeeled1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature1⁄4 cup of honeyKosher salt½ cup all-purpose flour¾ cup dark brown sugar1½ cups pecans, chopped

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan and bake for 30 min. Put bananas in pan (with peel on) and continue to cook another 10 to 15 minutes. Both the bananas and the potatoes should be soft. Remove pan from oven.

Allow potatoes to cool enough to handle, then scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl with one stick of butter and the honey. Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined and the mix is fluffy. Spoon mix into an oven-proof serving bowl.

In a separate bowl, use your fingers or a fork to crumble together the remaining stick of butter with the flour, brown sugar and pecans. Sprinkle mix on top of the potato mix and return it to the oven for another 20 min. or until the crumbs are golden brown.

Roasted Apples3 gala apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped3 golden delicious, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped1 lemon, juiced1 tablespoon ground cinnamon1⁄2 cup sugar1⁄4 cup waterpinch salt2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Place apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, salt and butter in a baking dish at 350 degrees.

Bake in the oven, uncovered for 30 minutes or until the apples are soft and golden brown, but not falling apart. Gently transfer to a Crock Pot with a lock-in-place lid so they will transport more easily and you can warm them back up when you arrive at your destination.



Nanny’s Peanut Butter Fudge1 jar of marshmallow cream1 bag peanut butter chips1 small can of evaporated milk3 cups of sugar1½ sticks of butter1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat sugar, butter and milk over medium-high heat and bring to roiling boil while stirring constantly for 4 minutes. (You can cook this for an extra 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure firmness, but no longer! Otherwise the fudge will become grainy.)

Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallow cream and peanut butter chips until melted. Add vanilla and transfer to a buttered 9x9 inch pan to set and cool.

Yummy Bread Pudding2 cups granulated sugar4 large beaten eggs2 cups milk2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract3 cups cubed Italian bread (allow to stale over-night in a bowl)1 cup packed light brown sugar1⁄4 cup (half stick) butter, softened1 cup chopped pecansSauce:1 cup granulated sugarHalf cup (1 stick) butter, melted1 egg, beaten2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 pan. Place stale bread in baking dish. Mix together granulated sugar, eggs and milk in a bowl then add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let it sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter and pecans. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top of the bread mix and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the sauce:Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Pour over the bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

Pear-Almond Thumbprints2 cups butter, softened2⁄3 cup granulated sugar2⁄3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar1 teaspoon almond extract42⁄3 cups all-purpose flour1½ cups chopped, sliced almondsParchment paper3⁄4 cup pear preserves1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat first five ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 5 minutes or until creamy. Add flour and beat until blended.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon per ball), and roll in the almond pieces. Place 2

inches apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Press your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon into each ball, forming an indentation. Chill cookies for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 15 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes; transfer to wire racks; and cool 10 minutes. Spoon half teaspoon pear preserves into each indentation. Makes about 6 dozen.

Gran-Gran’s Chocolate PieAlmost 1⁄4 cup cocoa1⁄3 cup flour, plus a little1⁄4 teaspoon salt1 cup sugar3 eggs, separated2 cups of milk1 tsp vanilla2 tablespoons butter

Put cocoa, flour and sugar in boiler and stir, put yolks of eggs in with ingredients and stir and add milk a little at a time. Put butter in and cook. Take off heat when thick and add vanilla and stir. Pour mix into pre-cooked pie shell. Beat egg whites with 1⁄4 cup or so of granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Place egg whites on top of pie, sealing it to the edges.

Bake at 350 degrees F until the topping is light golden brown.

Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread4 cups flour2 cups granulated sugar2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon saltHalf teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon cinnamon2 cups buttermilk (or use 2 cups of milk and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice mixed together)2 eggs1 banana, mashed1 teaspoon vanilla1⁄4 cup vegetable oil1 large apple, choppedCinnamon swirl mixture:Half cup granulated sugar1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Blend together until well combined. Add the chopped apples and mix until they are evenly distributed and covered with flour.

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, banana, vanilla and oil. Gently fold together just until combined.

In a small bowl, combine 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Mix well. In two greased loaf pans (9x3x5), pour 1⁄4 of the batter. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon swirl mixture over batter in each pan. Cover both pans with remaining batter and swirl a butter knife

through to make the marbled appearance.

Bake for 1 hour (give or take 5 minutes), or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out nearly clean. (A little gooey is okay, but if loaves start getting too dark before they’re fully baked, cover with aluminum foil to reduce browning).

Mint Dark Chocolate Raspberry CheesecakeCrust:2 Sleeves of graham crackers1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 stick unsalted butter, melted 1⁄4 cup of Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa powderFilling:3 (8-ounce) packages of softened cream cheese4 eggs1½ cups sugarHalf cup sour cream1½ teaspoon vanilla extract1 tsp mint extractTopping:4 cups raspberries1 cup sugar1⁄4 cup water2 tablespoons ornstarch4 tablespoons waterA block of dark chocolate

For the crust:Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Add the graham crackers and pecans to a food processor. Pulse them until they’re fine crumbs. Drizzle in melted butter, pulsing until it’s all incorporated. Pulse in the vanilla. Pour the crumbs into the prepared pan and press the crumbs firmly into an even layer. Set aside.

For the filling:Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add sour cream and beat until incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth out the surface. Bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the door closed for an additional 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping (see below.) Finally, open the door halfway and leave it in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the cheesecake and let it cool completely.

For the topping:Add raspberries, sugar and 1⁄4 cup water to a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and cook until the juices thicken slightly (about 5 minutes). In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of water to make a slurry, then add it to the berries. Let it boil for another 1 to 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Pour the raspberries over the cheesecake and place the pan into the fridge to chill and set for at least 2 hours. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot


water. Wipe dry after each cut. Leave the squares in the dish while you are traveling. Lift the entire cheesecake out of the pan and transfer to a plate when you arrive. Before serving, grate some of the block of dark chocolate over the entire cheesecake.

Extra: For the Road Hot Chocolate in a Thermos4 packages of hot chocolate mix4 cups of milkChocolate syrup1 teaspoon of cinnamon1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 ThermosIf you plan to go strolling through the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights, make the occasion even sweeter by taking some hot chocolate with you. So, grab that hot chocolate mix and dress it up!

First, squeeze a generous amount of chocolate syrup into the bottom of the thermos. Heat your four cups of milk on the stove over medium heat, then add the hot chocolate mix, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

Pour the hot mix into the thermos, stick some mugs and marshmallows in your pocket, and you’re on your way. Shake the thermos before serving to make sure everyone gets a little syrup in their drink.

• Use your trunk rather than your backseat or floorboard. The trunk is usually flat, whereas your backseat isn’t and the floorboard is often too small to accommodate large platters or dishes.

• Place your dish inside a carrying tray or box with dish towels lining the bottom. A fruit crate or large, shallow cardboard box with handles both work nicely. This prevents your dish from sliding around freely, and prevents your up-holstery from getting too dirty if you do have a spill.

• Invest in a crock pot that has a lock-in-place lid

• It’s OK to pack a cooler. You can use coolers to keep food cold or hot on long trips, and it helps keep items from sliding around. Even if you only have one thing in it, you can pack towels around it to hold it steady and improve insulation.

• Making everything ahead of time, and having one finished product to get into and out of the car is always nice, but use sound judg-ment. If the dish as a whole will fair travel better (and look better) if you assemble it at your destination, go for that option whenev-er possible. After all, that’s why Tupperware was invented.

SPILLSTRAVEL TIPS without the

Photo by Ricky Stilley

WGL


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Mattress shopping made easyMattress shopping can be a world of confusion. Everyone is selling "the hottest new product."

How can you avoid the temptation of making a bad purchase? How can you narrow down allthe choices? How can you even tell you got a deal?

Everyone is selling the hottest new product. This tends to be a story we hear consistently in ourstore. Customers will say "so and so down the street says..." My Advice to that consumer is toask that sales associate questions. People who are trying to make a sale and not "looking out forthe consumer", do not like questions. Ask questions like "How does this company match up tothe S brands? S brands are Serta, Sealy, Simmons. These are big name companies who have been around a long time. Then ask the "Why is this better than...." Again, this takes a little efforton your part. I recommend visiting at least 3 stores to see how consistent the stories will be.How can you avoid the temptation of making a bad purchase?1. Visit at least 3 stores.2. You have to do some research.

-Tip... Do the research after you have talked to people in stores that sell mattress.This helps you narrow down all the information. If you just get on the computer to "research", you will be more frustrated than you started.How can you narrow down all the choices?1. Let them lay you on the "hottest new products". Then narrow down which one you like. If you can't afford that product, at least you know the "feel" you want.2. Never let price determine what you lay on. You need to know what is out there. They mayhave the "cheap stuff marked up" and you could've bought the "best on the market" down thestreet for a little more money.

How can you even tell you got a deal?1. Shop around. But give every store the benefit of the doubt. I always recommend shoppinglocal. These people know the market and are usually more genuine.

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HolidayRecipesfrom the readers of

West Georgia Living

For the past few months, we’ve been asking our readers for their favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes. They have been kind

enough to share with us those delicious holiday treats which their families and friends look forward to each year.


CHEYRA CAUSEY, BUCHANAN

Crockpot Holiday Pork Loin Rib-Eye Chops

I came up with this idea when I wanted a healthier potato and

sweet potatoes are healthier than the white potatoes. Then I

threw in the spices and herbs I liked. This recipe is a different

choice other than turkey or ham for the holidays.

1 small onion (sliced)

Baby Carrots (enough to make a layer in crockpot)

1 small sweet potato (peeled and sliced)

29 oz. sliced peaches w/juice (separate juice from peaches)

1/3 cup catsup

1/3 cup vinegar

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup brown sugar

2 Teaspoons garlic salt

2 Teaspoons ground ginger

Dash black pepper

1.8 - 2 pounds pork loin

rib-eye chops

Layer in 2 ½ quart crockpot:

Onion, baby carrots, sweet potatoes,

and sliced peaches

Layer on top: Pork loin rib-eye chops

Mix well in bowl:

Peach juice, catsup, vinegar, soy sauce,

brown sugar, garlic salt, ginger and

black pepper Pour over all ingredients in crockpot.

(Meat must be covered by liquid)

Cook on low 8 – 10 hours or until baby

carrots are done.

Serves 4 – 5 people

Crock Pot CandyJAMIE RUNNING, DOUGLASVILLE

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (two cups)

1 bar (4 ounces) German sweet chocolate

2 pounds white chocolate

24 ounces (about 5 cups) dry roasted salted pea-

nuts

Put in crock pot on low and cover (do not peek!)

After two hours, stir and drop by spoons onto wax

paper. Makes a lot.

Plum Cake

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar3 eggs1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups self-rising flour

2-4 ounce jar of strained

plum baby food, with tapioca

1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze1 cup confectioner’s sugar

Juice of one lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and

flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Mix oil,

sugar, eggs, cloves, cinnamon,

flour and plum baby food in a

large bowl with an electric mixer

set at minimum speed for three

to four minutes. Stir in pecans.

Pour into the prepared pan and

bake for one hour, 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to

cool for 10 minutes. Prepare

glaze and pour over cake.

MOZELLE BONNER BOWDON

This recipe was in my mother’s family in Bartow County. It was

passed to me by my mother during her lifetime. I have made this

fruitcake almost every Christmas for approximately 55 years. It

is served at family gatherings during the Christmas holiday with

my children and grandchildren.

Japanese Fruitcake SUE (BROCK) TURNER,

DOUGLASVILLE

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar4 eggs1 cup buttermilk

1 cup chopped raisins; 1 cup chopped

nutmeats, both floured

3 cups flour½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon soda

Cream butter and sugar

together. Add eggs one

at a time, beating well

after each addition. Sift

dry ingredients together

and combine the two

mixtures. Pour into layer

pans and bake at 300

degrees for about one

hour, or until case leaves

sides of pan. Ten servings

Fruitcake filling

2 boxes cocoanut

2 tablespoons flour

2 lemons, grated rinds

and juice1 ½ cups hot water

2 ½ cups sugar

Combine all ingredients

and cook until thick. Cool

slightly, then put

between layers of cake.

To store this fruitcake:

Wrap cake in cloth

soaked in juice. Wrap

in wax paper and

place in a tightly

covered container.

Store in a cool, dry

place. To keep the

cake moistened,

re-soak it two or three

times.


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Red Velvet Cookie Bars

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray

8-inch pan with baking spray and

lightly coat with flour. Using

fingers, break up cookie dough

into pan and press evenly in

bottom of pan. This will form a

crust. Bake 15 minutes, remove

and cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl

beat cake mix, melted butter and

eggs. Whisk until well combined.

Spread the batter over the

partially baked crust and return to

oven. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until

a toothpick comes out clean. Cool

completely, then cut into bars.

Sprinkle with powdered sugars.

Cream cheese cookies



1 cup butter, softened

1-3 ounces cream cheese

1 cup sugar2 egg yolks½ teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups plain flour

Mix butter and cream cheese with

a mixer. Add sugar and beat until

fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla.

Add flour, stirring in one half cup at

a time. Chill the dough for 30

minutes. Preheat oven to 350

degrees and grease a cookie sheet.

Roll dough out to one quarter inch

thick, then cut with cookie cutter.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for

10 to 12 minutes. Cool and serve.

1 roll Pillsbury ™

Chocolate Chip cookie

dough1 box red velvet cake

mix2⁄3 cup melted, unsalt-

ed butter2 eggs

WGL

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I was raised with four brothers, no sisters, an ex-Navy daddy and a red-headed, 5’2” mama whose form of meditation was splitting gigantic logs into toothpicks with a wedge and sledgeham-mer. We had the run of 36 glorious acres of Whitesburg woods in a time when people still drank unfiltered well water out of BPA-laden garden hoses; human bike ramps seemed like a good idea; and when very few boo-boos couldn’t be cured with Mer-curochrome, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

But we were expected to behave ourselves, to use good manners

because it separated us from the heathens. I was the girl who would someday marry Shaun Cassidy, so I practiced pretty man-ners as a matter of course. My brothers needed a little more intentional training.

Rules were few and rarely challenged, mostly applicable to family dinners. Our Daddy was both cre-ator and enforcer, and although he’s edging toward the big eight-oh, my brothers still

have a healthy enough respect for his Vulcan death pinch that they behave themselves at his table. Heaven help the Rowland boy who

A Beginner’s Guide for

Making Men BEHAVE

REBECCA LEFTWICH

It’s Christmas time, so everybody - and

by “everybody” I mean guys only -

need to learn how to behave at family

dinners. Miss Manners I am not, so let me

get that out of the way speedy quick. But I

was raised right and so were my siblings.

Your creator never intended for you to make music with your nose for the amusement of others, despite what you may have learned from watching SpongeBob Squarepants. In fact, very few body parts or functions make enjoy-able playlists for the rest of us.


uses poor manners, because he was raised better than that!

At the Rowland table, boys always wear shirts but never wear hats. We wait for everyone to be seated and bless the food before tasting anything – although if you’ve got the fidgets, it is perfectly acceptable to butter a roll, squirt a little ketchup, sip some sweet tea or dress a salad. Daddy taught us to pass the entire bread basket – never just one piece. (Nobody wants food after you’ve put your hands all over it.) When someone requests the salt, we hand over the pepper as well. Utilize utensils and napkins. A few exceptions allow for leav-ing the table before the meal is over, but thanking the cook and asking to be excused are mandatory.

Simple. Useful. Good manners.

My daughter and I are the minority in our house. Two 40-something men, three teenage boys, two dogs and a cat are perma-nent residents. Stray teenage boys usually can be found draped across my furniture, asleep in the middle of my living room floor, sliding Hendrix onto my turntable and rum-maging for food in my kitchen. It works, but only because we have a few rules, rarely challenged, to encourage good manners.

Even if you’re a man who wasn’t raised right, it’s not too late to hit the hot spots, man-manners wise.

In Public

• Graduation ceremonies are not shirt-optional events. Ever. Neither are weddings and funerals, unless otherwise indicated. Better to err on the side of cau-tion…and clothing.

• Facial hair is not food storage. If time and maturity has sprinkled your luxurious mountain-man beard with silver, fine. If you are so stoked about that double rainbow you witnessed that you must dye your beard to recreate the experience for everyone you meet, that’s also acceptable. But if it’s not nature or nurture, it’s neglect. And that’s nasty.

• Your creator never intended for you to make music with your nose for the amuse-ment of others, despite what you may have learned from watching SpongeBob Squarepants. In fact, very few body parts or functions make enjoyable playlists for the rest of us. Please limit yourself to song, rap, slam poetry, screamo and other appropriate voice exercises and the occa-

sional imaginary drum solo. Eliminate from your repertoire anything that has a rating system for duration, texture, timbre or scent.

• Church manners are especially impor-tant. If there is an appropriate time to raspberry your baby’s belly in public, the middle of the pastoral prayer is not that time. It is not OK to substitute the words to “Little Tommy Tinker,” any of his legion of ruder cousins, or hard rock lyrics for hymn lyrics, even if the melody sounds the same. Not even if it’s Black Sabbath. If you see Cherokee words to “Amazing Grace” in the Methodist hymnal – those are not for you.

In the neighborhood

• It’s not all right to name your puppy after the neighbor’s toddler just so you can crack yourself up by screeching nonsense like, “JER-e-my! You’d better not be going toot-toot in my hydrangeas again!” That isn’t going to make any more sense to the puppy than it does to the humans on your block, and it might just get your yard des-ignated the unofficial latrine for neighbor-hood pets.

• Avoid setting off fireworks, practicing your plugged-in garage band music with the volume cranked up to 11, trying out your new train horn and endlessly revving the engine of your pointlessly modified and annoyingly unmuffled Honda Civic between midnight and 8 a.m. While you’re busy sleeping off your foolishness the next day, your sleep-deprived neighbors are plotting against you.

At home

• When you hear the doorbell ring, you should move toward the door, not run away from it and hide in the back room. You may call out, “Who’s there?” if you wish, and you may invite your visitor inside or speak with them from the doorway or outside. Politely refuse to listen to a sales pitch or religious testimony. No need to reach back for your baseball bat or shotgun just yet; wait until you’re absolutely certain that the only way to rid yourself of that obnoxious wretch is threatening to send him on to paradise.

• Answer phone calls with “(Last name) residence, (first name) speaking” or simply “Hello?” Examples of inappropriate phone greetings include the following:

“S’up, punk?”

“What what?”

“Buddy the Elf. What’s your favorite color?”

“Yo.”

“We already got one, and it’s a-verry nice.”

“Borg Collective”

“Speak!”

• Asking aloud if there’s been an eclipse when your auntie walks in the door is the same as calling her fat. Same with “Are they showing a big screen movie in town tonight?” (Yes it is, and furthermore, she’s onto you. Don’t risk it.)

• Blasting ESPN and shouting “It’s time to clear the bases, Big Papi!” at the top of your lungs is not an appropriate way to say good night to your guests.

You may not have been raised right, but a little familiarity with and practice of any or all of the above and your heathen ways will soon be a distant memory.

Peace out, home skillets! WGL

West Georgia

V Li ing

Thanks to all our friends in west Georgia for 25 great issues!

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The Tanner Physician Musicians perform, led by Terry Lowry, conductor and music director for the Carroll Symphony Orchestra, and accompanied by the Carroll Community Wind Ensemble.

Babbie Mason belts out a song during her performance a the Choirs for Cancer concert in 2013 at the Mabry Center for the Arts on the Carrollton High campus. She is supported by the Choirs for Cancer Community Choir, led by Bryant Turner. Mason has received two Dove awards, being nominated for 11, and received nominations for the Grammy and Stellar awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Choirsfor

Cancer2013

PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY


The Georgia Spiritual Ensemble, directed by Dr. Oral Moses, performs at Choirs for Cancer. The ensemble was created to further the enduring legacy and tradition of the Negro Spiritual. The singers include Debra Crampton, Timothy Harper, Selina Madison, Oral Moses, Johnetta Tillman and Mazelle Webster.

Terry Lowry, conductor and music director for the Carroll Symphony orchestra, performs on piano at Choirs for Cancer. He has composed over 200 works and is a Stenway Artist, Grammy Award nominee and has released 18 albums. He is also the organist and music director at St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Decatur.

Choir participants and members of the audience hold up their Lights of Hope at the conclusion of this years Choirs for Cancer, affirming their support of those who have battled cancer, as they watch a slide show of can-cer survivors, with Babbie Mason playing piano.

Stacy Morin, a cancer survivor, shares her perspective on what it was like to confront and overcome cancer, and how she transformed her battle into a purpose to help others.

Jennifer SchelpSpaniSh Teacher

carrollTon Junior high School

The best book I have read this year is …

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.” I need all the help I can get as I have a teenage son already!

When I have 10 minutes to myself, I like to …

Close my eyes and pray. Because I have three boys, I have to divide those 10 minutes up wisely!

Near the top of my bucket list is …

To “backpack” through Europe with my husband.

I’ve always wanted to have dinner with …

Jaime Escalante. His teachings will forever be an inspira-tion in the education realm that all kids have the potential to achieve great success, even when they feel all odds are against them.

My hero is …

My abuelita (grandmother). She was a humble, spiritual, lov-ing and kind woman. When I was 8 years old, we moved back to Puerto Rico and stayed with her quite a bit while my mom worked. I still remember how she would make me fried eggs and white rice every day for dinner until I learned to express in Spanish what I wanted to eat. I learned very quickly how to say “pollo” ☺

My life would not be complete if it were not for …

ALL my experiences – good, bad and ugly – which have led me to where I am today.

My best friend is …

Carlos Ruiz, my husband. He is ALWAYS there for me, and I feel extremely blessed to have him on my side.

People probably don’t know I …

Didn’t go to school to become a Spanish teacher.

Favorite movie:

“The Goonies;” favorite cartoon: “ThunderCats.” I wanted to be just like Cheetara!

I never dreamed I’d …

Be teaching my native language to so many amazing students in Carrollton. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know so many extraordinary kids and their families in Carrollton, and they make me feel like I’m a native of this fantastic city!

TAKE 5



Jimmy Carter, "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power," NY: Simon & Schuster,

2014

Women around the world contend with numerous

challenges and threats that affect every aspect of their lives. In his recent book, Jimmy Carter (former President, statesman, and Nobel Laureate) exam-ines these gender-related issues and how women may lead more fulfilling and productive lives.

Carter’s book is filled with anecdotes from his personal and political life, as well as statistics and data from a num-ber of global studies on women’s issues. He considers religion, social and political equality; as well as healthcare, education, and violence, and describes how these complex global issues are of particular impor-tance to women. While these matters are obvi-ously interconnected, he examines them separately to give the reader a more in-depth point of view.

Perhaps his most in-depth examination is on the role of women in the context of reli-gion. While he mentions other religions, Carter focuses on the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and dis-cusses how the interpretations of the scriptures and beliefs of each religion affect women.

As a Christian, Carter uses per-sonal experiences to discuss women’s roles in Christianity. He and his wife Rosalynn ended their relationship with the South-ern Baptist Convention because it denies women the opportunity to serve as deacons or pastors. The Carters are still members of their church in Plains, Ga., which takes a more progressive stance on women’s roles. Carter looks at

vari-ous branches of Christianity and their gender-related issues, examining interpretations of bib-lical Scriptures that place women in subservient positions. He then offers a view of the teachings and actions of Jesus that suggests a more egalitarian view of women.

Because Carter has studied the Koran and Islamic culture, he

has useful insights into the roles of women in that belief system. Islamic sects that wish to impose Sharia laws restricting women’s roles often deny women an education, the freedom to choose a husband, or to appear alone in public. In extreme cases, women are the victims of execu-tions (or honor killings) when they challenge those restrictive teachings. As with Christianity, Carter offers a more moderate view of Islamic teachings, suggesting that women in those cultures should have more freedom. He points out that some Islamic cul-tures allow women more freedom, including the right to vote and to get an educa-tion.

Carter also examines wom-en’s roles in global politics, providing evidence of the lack of women’s influence on all levels. He points out that, in our country, women hold only 18 percent of the seats in the U. S. Congress and gives similar statistics for other nations. He also writes that women also lack authority in the workplace, due to salary inequalities and lack of opportunities to advance to corporate man-agement levels.

Regarding women’s health, Carter says many of women’s medical problems related to

childbirth, especially in under-developed countries, result from inadequate healthcare. In many places, women receive substan-dard prenatal care, poor food, and little or no professional healthcare during pregnancy.

Women are also exposed to diseases such as malaria, river blindness, and guinea worms;

Women: Mothers, Sisters, Wives, and VictimsBOOKS

ROBERT C. COVEL


A Great Place to Live, Learn, Work and Play...

315 Bradley Street • Carrollton, Georgia 30117770-830-2000 • (fax) 770-830-2026

www.carrollton-ga.govwww.keepcarrollbeautiful.org

Jacqueline DostExecutive Director

103 Professional PlazaCarrollton, GA 30117

(678) [email protected]

REVIEWER BIOGRAPHY:

Robert C. Covel is a retired university and high school English teacher, and received his doctorate in English from Georgia State University. He has published one book of poetry and has another coming out this year. He is also writing a novel. When not reading and writing, he enjoys playing trivia. He lives in west Georgia with his wife Deloris, and their dog Monet.

diseases which destroy women’s health, and even kills them. Women are exposed to these diseases because they live in environ-ments with contaminated water, polluted air, and insects and parasites that carry sickness. The book gives some graphic details about the effects of these diseases, highlighting the severity of the medical issues and their impact on women and their societies.

Perhaps the most disturbing of the gender-related issues that Carter discusses is violence against women. Because women are often placed in culturally subservient positions, they are considered easy targets by male predators. Carter examines a wide range of types of this violence: war, rape, prostitution, spousal abuse, selective abor-tion, and genital mutilation, in addition to random physical attacks.

While many of these violent acts are evi-dent in every culture, some of them are institutionalized within particular socie-ies, often as a result of religious teachings. Those include spousal abuse (because the wife is considered subject to the husband’s will), genital mutilation, and honor killings.

Carter’s book examines some of the global causes of violence against women and then suggests some solutions to give women more power to avoid attacks on themselves.

At the end of the book, he discusses the role of the Atlanta-based Carter Center to help women. He lists 23 actions that the Center supports to fight for women and to resolve the many problems that the book discusses.

Though only 224 pages long, Carter’s book is an interesting, if sometimes disturbing look at women’s issues around the world. Carter’s unique perspective as a person, a political figure, and a statesman allows him to use personal anecdotes that give the book a human touch. His political connections around the world give him access to facts and statistics that raise the book beyond the merely anecdotal and personal, to the global level.

The book may be controversial in some cir-cles because of Carter’s political and social stance, but it should certainly stimulate discussion on the global roles of women and gender-related issues in the 21st Century. WGL


SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Trail Work Day: 9 a.m., McIntosh Reserve Park, 1046 W. McIntosh Circle in Whitesburg. Information: 770-214-1507.

Rumpelstiltskin/The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Dallas Theater, 208 Main Street in Dallas, presents the Birmingham Children’s Theatre production of Rumpelstiltskin, at 1 p.m., and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at 5 p.m. Regular tickets are $8 for each show and discounts are available. Information: 770-445-5180.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6

MOMS Club of Villa Rica: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fullerville Baptist Church, 423 Old Town Road in Villa Rica.

Park play days, field trips, tours, crafts, book club and a monthly moms night out. Information: [email protected].

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7

Art Reception: 5-7 p.m. for Small Packages at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center’s Roush Gallery, 251 Alabama Street in Carrollton. Information: 770-838-1083.

Cruise-In: 5-9 p.m. at Bojangles, 750 Georgia Highway 61 in Villa Rica. Cars, trucks and motorcycles welcome. Information: 770-459-5624.


Extreme Family Field Day: 5K

and Fun Run, 10-event obstacle course for parent/child teams, carnival rides, concessions and entertainment. Taylor Farm Park, 1380 Pine Valley Road in Powder Springs. Information: www.pauldingeducationfoundation.com.

Sertoma Series – Rockin’ Jason D. Williams: 7 p.m., Copeland Hall, 103 Barr Avenue in Bowdon. Tickets: $25. Information: 770-258-8980.

Carroll For A Cause: 5:30-10 p.m., Oak Mountain Academy, 222 Cross Plains Road in Carrollton. Dance competition to benefit area non-profits. Tickets: $20 for adults, $10 for students ages 3-18 with ID. Includes entertainment, red carpet dinner and desserts. Information: 770-834-6651.

Beyond the Front Porch Booth Western Museum Trip: Join Beyond the Front Porch of Douglasville – an organization providing field trips to local youth – on a tour of the Smithsonian-affiliated Booth Western Museum. Fee is $25 for activity, transportation and lunch. Register online at www.beyondthefrontporch.org . Information: Kascia Lipford, 404-408-6448.

Veterans Freedom Ride/Parade: 10:30 a.m., downtown Tallapoosa. Information: 770-537-4708.

Bee-Keeping for Beginners: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Douglas County Extension Office, 6279 Fairburn Road in Douglasville. $35 and limited to 30 participants. Information: Kevin Livingston, 770-920-7224 or [email protected].

November/DecemberCalendar of Events

EvEnts

NOVEMBER


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

Government Contracting Seminar: 9 a.m. to noon at the Burson Center, 500 Old Bremen Road in Carrollton. Selling to the Military. Free. Advance registration recommended. Information: Jerry Shadinger, 678-890-2342.


Adult Actor Open Auditions: Ages 15-older for Cheaper by the Dozen play, 6-9 p.m. at Dallas Theater, 208 Main Street in Dallas. Bring resume and headshot or black and white photo from the neck up, size 4x6 or larger. Prepare 1-2 minute comedic or dramatic monologue; may be asked to read sides and read with other actors. Must call to schedule an audition time. Information: 770-445-5180.


Child Actor Open Auditions: Ages 7-14 for Cheaper by the Dozen play, 6-9 p.m. at Dallas Theater, 208 Main Street in Dallas. Bring resume and headshot or black and white photo from the neck up, size 4x6 or larger. Prepare 1-2 minute comedic or dramatic monologue; may be asked to read sides and read with other actors. Must call to schedule an audition time. Information: 770-445-5180.

Classic Car Cruise-In: 5 p.m., THE MILL, 106 Temple Street in Villa Rica. Free. Features 50/50 drawings, cakewalks and family fun. Cars, motorcycles, rat rods, customs, etc. welcome. All proceeds go to local charities. Information: www.goldencitycruisers.com .

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder: 7:30 p.m. at Mill Town Music Hall, 1031 Alabama Ave. in Bremen. Special guests Bullsboro. Tickets are $35-45 in advance, $40-50 at the door. Information: 770-537-6455.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17

Trail Work Day: 9 a.m., McIntosh Reserve Park, 1046 W. McIntosh Circle in Whitesburg. Information: 770-214-1507.

Chat With the Chairman: 6 - 7 p.m., Fire Station No. 11, Dallas Highway in Douglasville. Board of Commissioners Chairman Tom Worthan will hold one-on-one conversations with members of the public on the topics of their choice. Information: 770-920-7269 or [email protected] .

West GA Shutterbugs: 6:30-8 p.m., Neva Lomason Memorial Library, 710 Rome Street in Carrollton. Information: [email protected] .


Carrollton Empty Stocking Fundraiser: 5:30 p.m., Sunset Hills Country Club, 1 West Club Drive in Carrollton. Tickets: $35. Heavy hors d’oeuvres, entertainment, cash bar, door prizes and silent/live auction to benefit needy children. Information: 770-830-6600.

Lighting of Adamson Square: 6 p.m., downtown Carrollton. Photos with Santa, special holiday shopping until 8 p.m. Information: 770-832-6901.

Carroll County Tea Party: 7-9 p.m., Stallings Community Center, 118 S. White Street in Carrollton. Information: 770-668-4942.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21



The Isaacs: 7:30 p.m. at Mill Town Music Hall, 1031 Alabama Ave. in Bremen. Tickets are $20-25 in advance, $25-30 at the door. $5 per-ticket discount for groups of 10 or more. Information: 770-537-6455.


Christmas in Possum Snout: 2-11 p.m., downtown Tallapoosa. Shopping, food, festivities, grand carriage rides, caroling and Christmas specials. Information: 770-574-2482.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Sewell Mill Christmas Shop: Holiday shopping for unique Christmas items, homemade jams/jellies at Sewell Mill Events Center, 126 Hamilton Avenue in Bremen. Information: 770-537-1772.

DECEMBERMONDAY, DECEMBER 1

Winter Wonderland Train Ride: 6-9 p.m. each night through Dec. 31. Pine Mountain Gold Museum and Scenic Railroad, 1881 Stockmar Road in Villa Rica. Riders will enjoy free hot chocolate and cider as they tour a holiday light display around the mountain. Photo opportunities with Santa on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets: $10. Ages 2-under free. Information: 770-459-8455.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4

Holiday Wishes Christmas Parade: 5:30 p.m., downtown Carrollton. The annual procession featuring more than 50 holiday entries starts at Dairy Queen on Highway 27, follows Maple Street to Adamson Square, then continues down Newnan Street to S. White Street. Information: www.carrolltonmainstreet.com/holiday-wishes-parade.

MOMS Club of Villa Rica: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fullerville Baptist Church, 423 Old Town Road in Villa Rica. Park play days, field trips, tours, crafts, book club and a monthly moms night out. Information: [email protected].

A Christmas Carol: Carroll County Community Theatre will present the classic Charles Dickens tale Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center, 251 Alabama Street in Carrollton. Information: 770-838-1083.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5

Sweet Potato Pie’s Home Grown Christmas: Band with elements of country, classical, blues and bluegrass. 7:30 p.m. at Dallas

Theater, 208 Main Street in Dallas. Tickets range from $18-24. Information: 770-445-5180.

Santa Is Coming To Town: 6 p.m., downtown Bremen. Lighting of the tree, photos with Santa, holiday activities and refreshments. Information: 770-537-4222.


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6

Pine Mountain Gold Museum Old Fashioned Christmas: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Stockmar Park, 1881 Stockmar Road in Villa Rica. Will feature 1880s-styled character actors, vintage decorations and a magical ride on the new scenic railroad as well as photo opportunities with Santa. Information: 770-459-8455.

Coffee and Conversation with District 1 Commissioner Henry Mitchell III: 10 a.m., Bubba Mac’s Philly Cheesesteaks, Wings & BBQ, 8252 Dallas Highway in Douglasville. Mitchell will speak one-on-one with members of the public on the topics of their choice. Information: 770-920-7266.

Christmas Tree Lighting: 7:30-9:30 p.m., downtown Villa Rica. Information: www.villarica-mainstreet.com.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9

Lighted Christmas Parade: 7 p.m., downtown Tallapoosa. Information: 770-574-2482.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12

Christmas in Carroll County: Carroll County Community Chorus will present a holiday concert Friday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center, 251 Alabama Street in Carrollton. Tickets are $10. Information: 770-838-1083.


SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14

Jubilee Christmas Tour: Featuring Greater Vision, Legacy 5 and the Booth Brothers. 6 p.m., Mill Town Music Hall, 1031 Alabama Ave. in Bremen. Tickets are $25-30 in advance, $30-35 at the door. Information: 770-537-6455.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18

Carroll County Tea Party: 7-9 p.m., Stallings Community Center, 118 S. White Street in Carrollton. Information: 770-668-4942.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19


SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20

John Berry’s 18th Annual Christmas Tour: 7:30 p.m. at Mill Town Music Hall, 1031 Alabama Ave. in Bremen. Tickets are $30-35 in advance, $35-40 at the door. Information: 770-537-6455.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Eve Celebration with Billy Dean and the Steel Horses: 8 p.m. at Mill Town Music Hall, 1031 Alabama Ave. in Bremen. Tickets are $35-40 in advance, $40-45 at the door and include concert; post-concert dessert and coffee bar; dance party featuring 60s, 70s and 80s music; showing of Atlanta Peach Drop on the big screens; and sparkling cider toast at midnight. Information: 770-537-6455.

Possum Drop: 5 p.m., downtown Tallapoosa. Free event will feature live music by Beatles tribute band The Return, fireworks, crowning of the 2014 Possum King and Queen, and other family fun as “Spencer” the stuffed ’possum welcomes 2015 from atop one of the city’s oldest buildings on Head Avenue. Information: Danny Welch, 770-574-2345.

Gold Nugget Drop: 10 p.m.-12:30 a.m., THE MILL Amphitheater, 106 Temple Street in Villa Rica. Live entertainment and fireworks. Information: 678-840-1160. WGL

Start your subscription today. Call 770.214.2285

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Wishing You A Merry Christmas In This Glorious Season.

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Selling your home during the holidaysBritt Duffey/ Duffey Realty ..................72

Oak Mountain AcademyOak Mountain Academy .................. 73

Getting a MammogramTanner Health System ........................ 74

OrthodonticsLong Orthodontics ............................ 75

Funeral & Cremation SpecialistEllen Wynn McBrayer/ Jones Wynn Funeral Home. ................................... 76

Leasing an automobileWalker Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Inc. ....77

Periodontal Disease in children and adolescentsMy Kidz Dentist ................................... 78

Express OilExpress Oil Change and Service Center ...................................79

What every West Georgian should know about...

Britt DuffeyREALTOR ®Duffey Realty

Qualifi cationsBritt has been a Realtor® since 2002.As a life-long resident of Carroll County he knows the West Georgia market as well as anyone. Britt has been a recipient of Th e Top Producers Award for the past 11 years. In addition, he is a recipient of the Phoenix Award from the West Metro Board of Realtors in 2012 in recognition as a Top Producer for 11 consecutive years. Britt is a licensed Realtor® in Georgia and Alabama.


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What every west Georgian should know about...

Selling Your Home During the Holidays

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Is anyone really interested in buying a home during the holidays?

Th e Holiday Season is a busy time for everyone…Buyers included. Th ere are many things that could motivate a buyer to look at your home during the Holidays…A new job starting at the beginning of the New Year…Tax reasons…or maybe they’ve been looking for a while and are taking advantage of less competition from other buyers who have decided to take the Holidays off from their home search. More than likely if a buyer is looking at your home during the Holidays they are going to be a BUYER WITH A PURPOSE.

Shouldn’t I wait until after the holidays to put my house on the market?

Many homeowners consider taking their homes off of the market during the Holidays or waiting until after the Holidays to put their home on the market. As a seller this is an opportunity to market your home at a time when inventories are typically lower than at other times of the year. Reduced inventories mean more buyers are likely to look at your home. LESS INVENTORY MEANS LESS COMPETITION!!

What if I want to decorate my home for the holidays?

Many sellers are concerned that they will not be able to decorate their homes during the Holidays if their home is for sale. Take advantage of the season by making your home warm, inviting and cozy during showings. Decorate your home in a way to emphasize your homes most appealing features. Tastefully decorate and the potential buyer will be able to envision themselves and their family celebrating the Holidays in their new home the next Holiday Season.

While selling your home during the Holidays may seem like a hassle it is a great time to take advantage of the market and lower competition levels.

LEARN MORE:

[email protected] or 770.354.0120


Paula GillispieHead of School Oak Mountain Academy, Carroll County’s only independent, college-preparatory, faith-based, day schoolQualifi cationsEarning her graduate degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Th e George Washington University in Washington, DC, Paula is a lifetime educator in her fi fth year as Head of School at Oak Mountain Academy.

Is Oak Mountain Academy the school featured in Norman Rockwell’s painting of “A Country School” in the November 2, 1946, issue of The Saturday Evening Post?

Mr. Rockwell painted Oak Mountain School, located in Carroll County. Oak Mountain Academy was established in 1962; however, its “roots” date back to the North Avenue School, founded in 1909 by the North Avenue Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Th e vision and planning of the church pastor Dr. Richard Orme Flinn, Sr., as well as Ruling Elders, resulted in the formation of a summer camp at Sapelo Island which was underwritten by Mr. Richard J. Reynolds, a naval offi cer, businessman, and philanthropist.Mr. Reynolds, in concert with the Carroll Service Council, Inc., provided both the facilities and the fi nancial backing for Camp Sapelo, focusing on the language

arts, mathematics, physics, chemistry, electronics, and the environment.Th e Sapelo project ended in 1956, and the educational program was moved to Carroll County. Th e Basic Values Foundation, a non-profi t corporation, reinvented the program in the Oak Mountain School which is the one-room school painted by Norman Rockwell. In 1962, the Foundation then established the Children’s School located in the Carrrollton Presbyterian Church. Land in the Oak Mountain area was provided through the generosity of Mr. Emery Flinn, Jr. With the support of many and a grant from the Callaway Foundation Trustees, as well as the purchase of the Folds estate, the Children’s School became part of the Oak Mountain Academy we know today.

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Learn more at: www.oakmountain.us

[email protected]

5th Annual Now in it’s fifth year, Choirs for Cancer is a spectacular concert featuring performances by:

Donations and ticket purchases can be made at www.ChoirsForCancer.org, in person at Tanner Medical Foundation (109 College Street, Carrollton) or by calling 770.812.GIFT (4438).

Choirs for Cancer proceeds help local cancer patients with expenses related to their cancer care.

• Gospel great Babbie Mason

• 1632 Band

• The Sand Hill Patriot Chorus from Sand Hill Elementary School

• The Choirs for Cancer Community Chorus, directed by Jack Gantt

• The Georgia Spiritual Ensemble

• Humorist Kenn Kington

Join us for this amazing night!

Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, at 7 p.m.Joshua R. Mabry Center for the Arts at Carrollton High School

Tickets are just $20 each!

Raul Zunzunegui, MDBoard-certifi ed surgeonComprehensive Breast Care Center

Qualifi cations

Dr. Zunzunegui is a Susan G. Komen Fellowship-trained breast specialist who is board-certifi ed in surgery. He earned his medical degree from the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta and completed his surgical residency at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon. Dr. Zunzunegui received training in breast surgical oncology at Women and Infants’ Hospital/Brown University in Providence, R.I. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons.

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Getting a MammogramHow often should I receive a mammogram?

Th e American Cancer Society and Tanner Cancer Care recommend yearly mammograms for women starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as they are healthy. Women at higher risk for breast cancer should consult their physician regarding the optimal age to start getting yearly mammograms. Depending on their specifi c risk factors and family history, they might need to get yearly mammograms starting at age 30 or 35. In addition, some of them might benefi t from annual breast MRI testing in addition to the yearly mammograms.

How can I schedule a mammogram?

In west Georgia, screening mammograms are provided at Tanner Breast Health centers in Carrollton and Villa Rica and in the diagnostic imaging department at Higgins General Hospital in Bremen.

In addition, mammograms can be scheduled on Tanner’s “Mammography on the Move” mobile mammography unit. Th e unit makes scheduled stops throughout the region, including in Bowdon, Franklin, Tallapoosa and Temple. A complete schedule of upcoming Mammography on the Move locations — as well as addresses for other Tanner mammography services — is available at www.TannerBreastHealth.org.

A physician’s order is not necessary for a screening mammogram. It should’ve been at least 366 days since you received your last mammogram. A mammogram can be scheduled at any of Tanner’s mammography centers or at a Mammography on the Move stop by calling 770.812.9721.

What will happen during my screening mammogram?

You will need to undress above the waist for the mammogram. You will be provided with a wrap to wear during the screening. During a screening mammogram, a female technologist will typically take two X-ray images of each breast. Th e images are then reviewed by a radiologist — a physician who specializes in interpreting images like X-rays, CT scans and MRIs.

Tanner Health System utilizes digital mammography systems in its Tanner Breast Health centers in Carrollton and Villa Rica, as well as in the diagnostic imaging department at Higgins General Hospital and aboard the Mammography on the Move mobile mammography unit. During screening mammograms, digital mammography produces an instant image of the breast — as opposed to fi lm that must be processed in conventional, or analog, mammography. Th is allows the technologist to see the image instantly and ensure that she has a clear enough image for the radiologist to review.

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James Long, DMD

Orthodontics

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Qualifi cationsDr. Long received his DMD degree from the University Of Louisville, and was named Alpha Omega Honor for outstanding scholastic achieve-ment in Dentistry, graduating fi rst in his class. He graduated from Emory University in Orthodontics and Maxillo Facial Orthodontics in 1976. Dr. Long is a fellow in the National Academy of Dental Sci-ence, and a Diplomate in the World Federation of Orthodontics. He has practiced on the southside of Atlanta for over 30 years. Dr. Long has offi ces in Douglasville, Newnan and Peachtree City.

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What sets you apart from other orthodontists?

Dr. Long always takes the time to explain your treatment options and make sure that you are comfortable with the treatment you choose. Th ere are many diff erent factors that go into picking an orthodontic treatment, and we’ll make sure you understand which ones will meet your needs.

We understand that you and your family have busy lives. In order to make your orthodontic experience as hassle-free and convenient as possible, we keep our schedule running on-time.

Dr. Long will see you every time you come in for an appointment to give you the excellent, continuity of care you deserve. With his years of experience, you can trust that your smile is in good hands.

We let young children observe patients in the clinic area before starting treatment so they understand the process and will feel more comfortable with us. Our assistants will demonstrate and answer any questions to help you or your child feel at ease.

Your orthodontic experience should make you smile! We off er a point reward system in addition to monthly contests with awesome prizes!

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Ellen Wynn McBrayerJones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory and Meadowbrook Memory GardensAs always, we remain “A Family Serving Families®....Since 1950”

Qualifi cationsJones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory has served our community for over 64 years. We keep our funeral home synonymous with its name & reputation of serving & caring for families. We are three generations carrying on one tradition. We off er the highest quality service with the most aff ordable options.


So many people ask, “What do I say to someone when they have had a death?” They truly worry and agonize over “the perfect words” to comfort someone. But why do we need words to make an impossible situation better or to help a broken heart? Words alone can’t heal a broken heart.

I believe the vast majority of people say things in love and don’t even realize that statements could actually be hurtful. Finding the right words can be very challenging. Below are some examples of what not to say, followed by another way to express it: 1) “I know exactly how you feel.” Instead try, “I can’t imagine what you’re going through.” Even if your stories are “the same”, the brokeness and grief that a person is feeling is diff erent from anyone else. 2) “Th is Happened for a reason.” Instead try, “I’m sorry this happened.”3) “Let me know if you need anything.” Instead, try taking them dinner, calling, or texting them “thinking of you”. Rather lead with actions and just do things, instead of asking them to contact you. 4) “How are you doing?” Instead try, “I know you are hurting, but physically how are you feeling?”5) “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the service” or “I wish I had been there for you more, but I had so much going on with _______” Instead try to just be there, loving them, and allow them to tell their story in that moment. Grief continues for months and sometimes years after a death. Remember your friend/family will

need love and support for a long while after the service. 6) “God must have needed a new angel.” Instead try, “Th ey will truly be missed.”

Why is saying nothing so hard?

When someone is struggling to just hold it together emotionally, words alone are not the answer to making someone feel better. Challenge yourself to be ok with silence and understand that sometimes the best thing to say is...nothing at all. Allow them to “tell their story” and understand that sometimes the most healing occurs when you allow them to express their loss, in their own words, and in their own time.

How do you allow someone the opportunity to have a safe place in which they can grieve with any emotions they are feeling?

When you know someone has a broken heart, try to remember the 4 H’s: H: Hush, H: Hang Around, H: Hear, and H: Hug

Even if God himself could explain the reason for our loss, and why someone we love died, and even if we understood the reason “Why?” clearly, the hurt would remain the same.

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770-832-9602 Highway 27 N Park St (HWY 27) • Carrollton

Shannon CheatwoodFinance Manager Qualifi cations

Shannon, a local Carroll County native, has been in the automotive industry for 13 years and has also been a small business owner. He joined the team at Walker Cadillac Buick GMC, Inc in late 2013.


What is the #1 reason people lease?

With a lease you are only paying for the use of the vehicle while you have it. Sometimes you end up with a much lower monthly payment. Often, this allows people to buy more vehicle than they otherwise would be able to aff ord. Some people who want a new vehicle more often use leasing as a way to trade sooner.

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Q Can I buy my car at lease end?

Yes! On the lease contract, the lease end purchase price is printed so the lessee knows how much it will cost at end of lease. Th at amount can then be refi nanced if necessary.

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What every West Georgian should know about...

Leasing an Automobile

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LEARN MOREwww.walkergmauto.com• 770.832.9602

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Q Does a lease require a down payment?

It depends on the lessee’s residency and the terms of that specifi c lease. Many leases are available with nothing or just the fi rst month’s payment due at signing.

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Q How many miles can I drive per year?

As few or as much as you need. Low mileage leases start at 10,000 miles per year and a standard lease is 15,000 miles per year. Ally, our leasing company, allows customers to buy more miles up front if they know they will need more.


770-832-9602 1492 N Park St. • Carrollton

1741 Newnan Crossing Blvd.Newnan, GA 30265

P: 770.253.4488F: 770.253.4498

1109 South Park Suite 203Carollton, GA 30

P: 770.253.4488F: 770.253.4498

Two Locations To Serve

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Dr. Lona D. BibbsPediatric Dentist

Qualifi cationsDr. Bibbs earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Bibbs is a Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a member of the American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, Northern District Dental Society, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, Georgia Dental Society, and Delta Sigma Th eta Sorority. She is currently on staff at Piedmont Hospital--Newnan, Georgia. Dr. Bibbs has been in private practice since 2005 and has offi ces in Newnan and Carrollton, Georgia.


My child’s teeth often bleed, is this gum disease?

Yes, the signs include bleeding gums during brushing, fl ossing or any other activity; swollen and bright red gums; gums that have receded away from the teeth, (sometimes exposing the roots); and constant bad breath.

What types of gum disease occur in children and adolescents?

Generalized aggressive periodontitis may begin around puberty and involve the entire mouth. It is marked by infl ammation of the gums and heavy accumulations of plaque and calculus. Eventually, it can cause the teeth to become loose. Chronic gingivitis is common in children. It usually causes gum tissue to swell, turn red and bleed. However, left untreated, it can eventually advance to more serious forms of periodontal disease. Aggressive periodontitis is found in teenagers and young adults and mainly aff ects the fi rst molars and incisors. It is characterized by the severe loss of alveolar bone, and ironically, patients generally form very little dental plaque or calculus.

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What every west Georgian should know about...Periodontal (Gum) Disease in Children and Adolescents

LEARN MORE: www.mykidzdentistry.com | (770)253-4488

Hormonal changes related to puberty in adolescents can put teens at greater risk for getting periodontal disease. During puberty, an increased level of hormones, such as progesterone and possibly estrogen, cause increased blood circulation to the gums which may cause an increase in the gum’s sensitivity to food particles and plaque. During this time, the gums may become swollen, turn red and feel tender.

What is the most important preventive step against gum disease?

Establishing good dental hygiene habits early. When your child is 12 months old, you can begin using toothpaste when brushing his or her teeth. When the gaps between your child’s teeth close, it’s important to start fl ossing. Schedule regular dental visits for family checkups, periodontal evaluations and cleanings. Check your child’s mouth for signs of periodontal disease, including bleeding gums, swollen and bright red gums, gums that are receding away from the teeth and bad breath.

www.mykidzdentistry.com

Loving your child's smile, like

our very own!

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105 CENTRAL HIGH RDCARROLLTON, GA 30116

770-834-3339Next to Home Depot

YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE NEEDS!

$5OFF

$20OFF

FREE

FREE

+ 10% offFULL SERVICEOIL CHANGE

BRAKE JOB

A/C CHECK

ALIGNMENT CHECK

A/C REPAIRS (IF NEEDED)

$119INCLUDES

OIL CHANGE, FUEL SYSTEM CLEANING,ROTATE & BALANCE,BRAKE INSPECTION,ALIGNMENT CHECK,

& WIPER BLADES

S U M M E R S P E C I A L !

Most cars and light trucks. Valid only at Carrollton store. Not Valid with any other offer.

Coupon Code: CSS119 Expires 9.30.2014

Valid only at Carrollton store. Not Valid with any other Brake offer.

Coupon Code: CBR20 Expires 9.30.2014

Valid only at Carrollton store. Not Valid with any other Alignment offer.Coupon Code: CALFR Expires 9.30.2014

Valid only at Carrollton store. Not valid with any other A/C offer.

Coupon Code: CACFR Expires 9.30.2014

Valid only at Carrollton store. Not valid with any other Oil Change offer.

Coupon Code: COC5 Expires 9.30.2014

NOW SELLING TIRES!

Chris BrannamManager Express Oil Change and Service Center Carrollton

Qualifi cationsChris has been with Express Oil Change and Service Center for 12 years. Chris started as an Oil Bay Hood Tech, later was promoted to Service Manager. He was named Honor Roll Manager of the Year in 2012 for Express Oil Change and Service Center. Chris advanced through the ranks trained by Bro Billy Runels, the stores fi rst manager. My wife Janet and I have been together since 1986 and have two sons Blake and Justin. Blake also works for Express Oil Change. Chris and his wife are members of Holy Ground Baptist Church.

What should I check on my care before a long road trip?

Express Oil off ers a FREE Vehicle Trip Inspection that includes-All fl uid levels-Condition of all belts-tire depth and air pressure-air conditioning-exterior lights & signals-battery & brakes

When do I rotate my tires and why?

Its recommended to rotate every 6000 miles.

Why should I rotate that often?

Tires wear like our favorite pair of shoes. Th e weight distribution aff ects tread, front tires wear more rapidly. Tire rotation extends the life of your tires and makes your vehicle SAFER because brakes are even and eff ective. Traction is increased and accounts for a SMOOTHER ride and that helps increase gas mileage.

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GET HEALTHYLIVE WELL

west georgia living nov.-dec. 2014

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