400 Edition March/April 2009

400 Edition W h a t ’s

u p

i n

N o r t h

MAR/APR 2009

G e o r g i a

Appalachian Mountains Waters Mill in Lumpkin County A Place for North Georgia Memories

FREE

March/April 2009 Volume 6, Issue 1

Contents

What is Appalachia? page 10

Appalachia

Columns

10 What is Appalachia?

12 Bear on the Square Mountain Festival 15 From the World of Antiques

continued

9 Your Vision Source 10 Bluegrass Notes

11 Leibel on the Law

16 Family, Church, & Farmin’

13 Real Estate Reality

18 Appalachia: A Unique Place, A Unique People

13 Common Cent$ Investing

20 Appalachian Heritage at Waters Mill

22 Fun by 400

21 Celebrate Clayton

23 Comma Momma

24 4 Bridges Arts Festival

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25 March Reading

26 First Annual Historic Moonshine Mile

26 Travel Talk with Jenny

34 John C. Campbell Folk School

27 Skin Deep

Columns

36 Gardening 37 Mind & Heart

5 Through a Woman’s Eyes

38 Knowing Wine

6 Reflections

38 Real Men Cook­—Pig Candy

8 To Your Health

39 Good Eating—Norman’s Landing

A list of major distribution points in North Georgia can be found online at www.400edition.com.

March/April 2009 Carole Lee, Founder/Creative Design Linda Merritt, Founder/Sales/Executive Editor Beth Snider, Founder/Sales/Creative Design Rhonda Bailey, Associate Editor/Sales Will Dunne, Sales/Distribution Sarah Mansfield, Sales/Distribution Bob Merritt, Sales/Distribution Brooke Morris, Creative Design Cindy Proctor, Sales/Distribution Sharon Waldrop, Sales/Distribution Nancy Wright, Proofing

Contributing Writers: Anne Amerson

Steven Leibel

Charles Cook

Dr. Joyce Nations

Clay Cunningham

Donald Pruitt

Dr. Mark Feinsilber

John Roberts

Nancy Forrest

O’Connell & Sanders

Robin Toms Grier

Linda Ragland

Bill Hutcheson

Dawn Rowley

Martha Hynson

Patrick Snider

Sharon Keating

Staff Writers: Rhonda Bailey

Bob Merritt

Carole Lee

Linda Merritt

Jim Leeds

Beth Snider

Nancy Wright

400 Edition is published monthly in Dahlonega, Georgia, with distribution in thirteen counties.

Viewpoints expressed by contributing writers are not necessarily those of the publishers, staff or advertisers.

400 Edition is not liable for inaccurate or erroneous information posted in advertising or event submissions.

Ads must be submitted by the 28th of every month, unless arrangements have been made in advance. Content and presentation of advertisements is subject to editorial review and modification. Ad dimensions and pricing may be obtained by calling 706-867-6455 or 866-867-7557.

These specs may also be viewed at www.400edition.com.

Writers may submit material to editor@400edition.com.

Submissions are subject to approval by the editor and may be edited for space, requirements, and style. The deadline for submissions is the 20th of each month.

Contents of this publication become the property of 400 Edition and the original author and cannot be reproduced without written consent of the publisher.

This publication is printed by Walton Press in Monroe, GA.

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From the Editor...

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his issue marks 400 Edition’s fifth anniversary.

It’s hard to believe we have published 60 magazines. Thanks to all the folks who have advertised with us over the past five years.

Thanks for believing in us. Thanks to faithful writers who provide us with excellent content that proves to be interesting, helpful, and informative.

Thanks to all the folks who pick up our magazine month after month. We appreciate all the wonderful feedback you give to us about how much you enjoy reading what we put together. Thanks to our sales force, distribution folks, and my partners who have shared good times and bad. Most of all, thank you to God for giving us this magazine and holding our hand every step of the way.

On May 11, 2009, the price for a 1-ounce First-Class Mail stamp will increase from 42¢ to 44¢. Customers can use their Forever Stamps, regardless of when purchased, to mail 1-ounce letters after the price change, without the need for additional postage. Forever Stamps are widely available through post offices, commercial retail outlets such as grocery stores, and online. Prices for most shipping services, including Express Mail and Priority Mail, were adjusted in January and will not change in May. See www.usps.com/prices/pricechanges.htm for complete information.

We will celebrate April Fools’ Day on (guess what) April 1. People play practical jokes and pranks on each other, crack jokes at the expense of victims, and give each other gag gifts; then when the victims are taken in, all the witnesses shout “April Fool” at once. The innocent pranks, such as telling somebody that their shoelaces are undone or that they have something on their face, are quite common.

Children love to use the opportunity to prank their classmates and even their schoolteachers.

We loved this day as a child; but remember, only pull these pranks on April Fools’ Day. We used to say, “April Fools’ Day is past and you are the biggest fool at last” if someone tried to pull a prank on another day.

On March 17, we will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The St. Patrick’s Day custom came to America in 1737 and was publicly celebrated in Boston. Today, people celebrate the day with parades and wearing of the green. Traditionally, those of Irish ancestry who are caught not wearing green are pinched. As far as I know, they still dye the Chicago River green in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. One of my favorite holidays is Easter (April 12 this year). This is the day Jesus rose from the dead and fulfilled the prophecy recorded in the Bible. For Christians, this is our hope and a promise that He will come again. This holiday is filled with beautiful music, lilies, pretty dresses and hats, and Easter baskets filled with colored eggs waiting to be hidden and then found by happy children. It seems like the whole world is refreshed, with leaves coming out on the trees, yards filling with flowers, grass greening up again, and the dreary days of winter coming to an end. Make a point to refresh yourself. Keep your spirits high and don’t give up. God is going to get us through these times. Smiles are as contagious as frowns.

So until next month…stay happy.

On the Cover

The next time you’re down in the dumps, go take a drive down Highway 52 on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and meet a talented Appalachian band and some other really nice folk at Waters Mill for a photo shoot! Our cover sports Miss Irene having a great time listening to Greybeard’s rendition of Amazing Grace, framed by one of our favorite signs of spring—jonquils!

Miss Irene is not usually sitting around at Waters Mill—only one of her responsibilities being rolling out homemade dough on the big marble slab in the kitchen in preparation for some fresh baked goods.

Waters Mill is now an events facility just a short way from Amicalola Falls, but it is long on memories for owner Rhonda Sheppard. The homestead that was once owned by her grandparents is now the site of many happy new unions, as brides and grooms are married against a backdrop of the beautiful North Georgia mountains. Rhonda and Jim Sheppard have taken recycling to a whole new level with a loving restoration and expansion of the old home place. Learn more about Waters Mill on page 20 and on their web site, www.watersmill.com.

Those fellows on the porch are Greybeard—a fun-loving acoustic string band, mostly performing in the vibrant Dahlonega music scene. They perform everything from Gershwin, Elvis, and Johnny Cash to traditional Appalachian favorites. In the cover shot, from the bottom left, Greybeard is Rees Chapman, bass; Bob Christmas, fiddle; Patrick Chisholm, fiddle; Robert Jones, mandolin; Greg Jones, guitar; and Ray McCurdy, banjo. If you want to hear Greybeard, your best bet is to come to check them out at Bear on the Square Mountain Festival. See our back cover for more details.

This month’s issue highlights a beehive of activity around the beautiful Appalachian Mountains.

The spring festivals are in full bloom and some of the Appalachian arts and crafts described within our pages will be on full display.

Don’t hold back; tell us how you really feel about 400 Edition. We love receiving feedback from our readers and advertisers. Call us at 706-867-6455, toll free at 866-867-7557, or send an email to info@400edition.com.

Through a Woman’s Eyes

by Martha Hynson

Right Path/Right Pace

M

y 2-year-old grandson has a pretty straightforward way of letting people know when he doesn’t want to hear what they have to say. He pretends to be asleep. He may be standing or sitting straight up at the time and he usually doesn’t close his eyes, but you get the message loud and clear. He simply turns his head away and begins to snore.

I may not be that obvious in my avoidance tactics, but I definitely have other ways of not dealing with unpleasant situations. I’m not always in denial about things, however; I’m very versatile in my dysfunctions.

Sometimes, instead of doing nothing, I do too much.

Years ago, my husband and I decided we needed to sell our house and build another. We wanted to stay in the same area, but we felt the house we were in no longer met our needs. So we listed it with a realtor and began looking for land. To our disappointment, there was no interest in the house and we could find no suitable land for sale. As I was reading my Bible one day, Proverbs 37:34 seemed to jump off the page. It said, “Don’t be impatient waiting for the Lord to act! Travel steadily along His path and he will honor you, giving you the land.”

Wow! That could only mean one thing! God had some land just waiting for us. All we had to do was find it! I conveniently disregarded the beginning of the verse and searched for land with new conviction. At one point, we thought we had found a perfect solution. A friend’s parents owned a large parcel of land about a mile down the road and she said that although they couldn’t sell us any (something to do with a pesky little thing called taxes, as I recall) they could “give” us enough to build on. When I heard that, I

was certain this was what God had in mind. Didn’t the verse say he would give us the land? How wonderful! We were not only getting land, we were getting a bonus—a testimony to answered prayer! Perfect!…or not. This neat little scenario did not work out and we were back to square one. Out of ideas, I was forced to simply go on with my life, waiting for God to act.

Several years later, my husband’s work situation changed, resulting in a long commute for him. He began to talk about moving closer to his job. I, in effect, turned my head and began to snore. I wanted no part of it.

Finally, I agreed that we should put the house on the market and just see what happened. What could it hurt? We’d hardly even had anyone look at it the last time.

The difference, I soon found, was that this time we were on God’s time. Our house sold for our asking price before we even had a chance to begin getting it ready for sale. Other things began to fall into place as well, and eventually I had to admit that moving was the right thing to do.

We even found a house already built on some land that we loved.

By then, however, I realized that the land was just a bonus.

The gift was the wisdom gained through the experience. I’d tried galloping along my own path and I’d tried sitting down in the middle of the road and refusing to budge, but in the end, God had shown me that if I wait patiently for him to act, traveling steadily along His path, He will give me exactly what I need exactly when I need it.

Martha Hynson is a wife, mom, teacher, and freelance writer from Watkinsville, Georgia.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition

Appalachia, The Place We Call Home

by Bob Merritt

Life is a mirror. We look forward, that’s the future. We look back, remember and learn—that’s a reflection.

T

he thought of poverty strikes fear in the hearts and reasoning processes of most Americans. Maybe the last two generations have no concept of what the term Appalachia means. This issue will give them gap-filling lessons that many of us long-timers have lived. As a child I lived in poverty but never knew it. My roots in rural Arkansas run deep. My roots run so deep that they follow me wherever I transplant myself.

We were country, but not the country surrounded by big farms, fields, and houses of grandeur.

Our part of Appalachia was a small shack way in the back surrounded by woodlands so thick the rest of the world didn’t have to admit we existed as they passed by. The narrow road that shot off the county or state road was usually narrow, rutted, and well concealed. We remember that road for the rest of our lives, and the nameless byway opens memories to the clearing that exhibited home as we knew it.

For us, home was a mansion because we didn’t have the opportunity to compare it to the rest of the world.

The place we lived in was a rental and referred to by the local people as the “Lindsey place.” By any standards it was the grandest of shacks. I doubt it ever saw a coat of paint in its lifetime, but the boards that made up the siding were close together and it did have many rooms. The kitchen had a pump that brought water to the kitchen sink. The wife of Mr. Lindsey insisted on the pump. It was a luxury most rural homes could not afford.

If you have ever been through the spot in the road in Lumpkin County near Dahlonega called Auraria, you have no doubt seen the old wooden house on the west side of Auraria Road with unpainted siding and dilapidated metal roofing. In its sad state of ruin, it’s a strong reminder of

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what my memory tells me my “Appalachian home” was like.

Every day that I pass through Auraria, I see the home place as a two-part blessing.

First, we were lucky to have the “Lindsey place” as a starting place in our lives; and secondly, it’s part of God’s grace that we all can look back and admit that in a time of the Depression we were poor but never knew it.

A bit farther into the mountains of the Carolinas, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and other pockets of the poor and depressed, it was not so easy for the lifelong residents to escape their geographic location or their financial hardships. When our house burned down we simply moved. We moved into North Little Rock, where our lives opened up and poverty followed. Those hill folks had to salvage what they could and hang onto the only life they knew and perhaps would ever know. All the industries had the same pecking order, and at the bottom were the uneducated, hard-working grunts who kept these industries alive. One by one the kids moved into logging, coal mining, or the steel mills.

They sold their short lives to the dangerous forestry industry, the coal dust and cave-ins of mining, and the dangers that came from the steel mills. Only the rich got richer, while the poor were held captive by an invisible wall that kept the women ignorant, barefoot, and pregnant, and the boys and men chained to the idea that “they couldn’t do

any

better.”

My dad and uncle dabbled in logging for a while until they both got full-time jobs at the sawmill. Linda’s side of the family were coal miners.

The veins of rich coal deposits ran thick through the northern part of Arkansas. A few years back we made a pilgrimage to the Coal Miners Memorial Wall in Greenwood, Arkansas. Entire generations of sons lost their lives to the black dust called “black lung” and the perils of cave-ins and fires. By the time Linda’s dad and brothers were feeling the effects of mining, the union organized the miners in the area, and under John L. Lewis, standards of health, wealth, and safety were set up.

The Gibbs family name is well represented on the memorial wall in downtown Greenwood, Arkansas.

Today it is easier to turn off the TV whenever “Feed The Children” comes on, so we don’t have to admit that we have poverty right here in America, and that every night, kids are going to bed hungry right here in the land of plenty, the breadbasket of the world. As long as history is important, the term “Appalachian” will remind us that no matter

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how far we travel as a people we can be forced to return to an unpleasant time and place that we had rather not. The “Appalachian Trail” may reach from Georgia to Maine and serve as a point of achievement and a well traveled landmark, but as much as it reaches to Maine it also reaches to Georgia. As long as you can make the return trip under your own power, well and good; but if you don’t recognize the directional markers along the way you may get lost just as many of the Appalachian people did.

Recently I have noticed many businesses closing down and that bothers me. Many of these shopkeepers are true descendants of the Appalachian clan, and unbeknown to them, quitting is not part of their vocabulary. I had rather think of each one of these people as taking a vacation, and in their own psyche, promising to come back. These people are too important to lose and their dreams are our dreams.

The Bible promises help if we turn our eyes toward the hills. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 1:1-2. These hills are the same as our Appalachian kinfolks turned to. Many of us have paid too much attention to politics and the negative news media. Isn’t it time we raised our chin off the ground and once again focused our eyes unto the hills and ask for help from the God who promised it? Ask and it will come.

Northside Hospital

To Your Health

Trying Times May Leave You Tired—How To Sleep During A Crisis

T

oday’s day and age is one of stress and uncertainty. With a troubled economy, high unemployment rates, and mounting financial concerns, few Americans have been left untouched by the recent recession and even fewer have been able to sleep at night.

In trying times such as these, more than ever, it is important to get a good night’s sleep— seven to nine hours a night for adults. However, many people experience sleep deprivation and other sleep disorders, which, if left untreated, can have serious and long-term health effects.

Crisis and how it affects your sleep

Several types of sleep disorders are prevalent during a crisis. Insomnia is the most common and involves difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking earlier than normal. It can be caused by an over-stimulated mind, feelings of stress and anxiousness, or a change in daily routines, all of which go hand in hand with a crisis.

Insomnia can adversely affect a person’s energy levels and mental, professional, and social performance. Side effects include daytime fatigue, irritability, depression and memory impairment. Since insomnia can be so

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detrimental to all aspects of your well-being, long-term exposure can lead to serious health concerns.

Guidelines to a good night’s sleep

If the stress of the current times has you down, and sleep has become a nightly battle, Northside Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center recommends these tips to help you rest easier.

• Compartmentalize worries. If you’re concerned about something, make a list of the steps you’ll take to solve the problem well before bed, not at 3am.

• Reduce feelings of stress or anxiousness.

Don’t watch TV before bedtime, go over financial concerns, or discuss topics that may leave you uneasy.

• Avoid caffeine after 4pm, or earlier if you’re very sensitive to its effects.

• Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning.

• Don’t read or do work in bed. You want to associate getting into bed with going to sleep.

• Avoid strenuous exercise, meals, or emotional upset within three hours of bedtime.

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• Exercise during the day to help make your body feel relaxed and fatigued come nighttime.

• Avoid activities that are mentally and physically stimulating before bedtime.

• An occasional nap during the day can be refreshing, if taken before 4pm and lasting less than 20 minutes. Avoid naps late in the day.

• Make sure your sleep environment is dark, quiet, and comfortable.

Sleep your Worries Away!

With today’s economy and financial state, sleeping may seem to be the last of one’s worries, but in reality it should be one of the first. Get a good night’s sleep and you’ll have the peace of mind to see yourself through any crisis.

For more information about Northside Hospital’s Sleep Disorder Center—in Atlanta, Forsyth, and Cherokee—or about how you can get a better night’s sleep, visit www.northside. com.

Your Vision Source!

Presbyopia O

ur aging vision...If you are over 40 years of age, you have probably noticed changes in your vision. Difficulty seeing clearly for reading or close work is among the most common problems we experience with our vision in the early to mid-forties. Most adults in this age group will start to experience problems with their ability to see clearly at close ranges, such as reading and computer work. This normal aging change in the eye’s focusing ability is called presbyopia and continues to progress over time.

Presbyopia is a vision condition in which the lens in the eye loses its flexibility; this results in progressive difficulty in focusing on close objects. It is a natural part of the aging process. Initially you may find the need to hold reading materials farther out to see them. You will find it more difficult to see print in the newspaper, phone book, or a menu at a restaurant.

If you have been one of the lucky ones and have had great vision throughout your life, then the development of presbyopia can be very frustrating. Even though losing the ability to see up close seems to happen overnight, the changes have been occurring gradually since childhood. It’s just that around the age of 40, your eyes no longer have enough focusing power to see clearly and comfortably for near-vision tasks.

If you already wear prescription glasses or contact lenses to see clearly in the distance, the near vision changes caused by presbyopia can bring about the need to use bifocal or multifocal lenses. Nearsighted people will find that if they remove their glasses, then the near vision is better.

Many options are available to improve the ability to see well up close when you have presbyopia.

Your optometrist may prescribe reading glasses, bifocals, trifocals, or progressive (no-line) lenses.

Contact lenses can also be prescribed to correct presbyopia, such as monovision and bifocal ones. Laser surgery and other refractive surgery procedures are also available.

Along with the onset of presbyopia, people over the age of 40 will also see an increase in the incidence of eye health problems.

Dry Eye Syndrome is more likely to develop as we age. The tears that our eyes normally produce are necessary for overall eye health

by Dr. Joyce M. Nations

and clear vision. They lubricate the eye, protect it from infections, and wash away allergens. With Dry Eye Syndrome, the eyes produce too few tears, or tears of such poor quality that they don’t stay on the eye.

Individuals over 40, especially if they have a family history of glaucoma, are at a higher risk to develop glaucoma. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. It is the result of a build-up of pressure in the eye, resulting in damage to the nerve fibers, optic nerve, and blood vessels in the eye. The most common type of glaucoma develops without symptoms, gradually and painlessly.

The risk for macular degeneration increases as we get older and if we have a family history of the disease. It is another leading cause of blindness in the U.S. It is a deterioration of certain cells in the macula, the portion of the retina located at the back of the eye that is responsible for clear, sharp, central vision. The symptoms of macular degeneration include a painless and gradual loss of the ability to see objects clearly, distorted vision, and a dark or empty area appearing in the center of the vision.

Whether or not there is a need for eyeglasses, adults should be examined for signs of eye disease and vision problems, especially after the age of 40. Driver’s license vision tests or other vision screenings do not take the place of a comprehensive eye examination.

It is recommended that you have a comprehensive eye examination by your optometrist at least once a year.

Dr. Nations practices at Cherokee Eye Group at 591 East Main Street in Canton and at Dawson Eye Group at 5983 Hwy. 53 East, Suite 250, in Dawsonville.

She received her Doctor of Optometry degree and her Masters of Public Health degree in 1993 from the University of Alabama.

She is a member of the American Optometric Association, Georgia Optometric Association, and Vision Source.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition

Bluegrass Notes

by Kevin O’Connell & Julie Sanders

T

he word “Appalachia” is an old Native American word meaning “endless mountain range.” Whether you were born in those old green hills or have moved to the area, now you can learn more about the region covered by that “endless mountain range” and about the beautiful north Georgia region!

This spring, the Appalachian Studies Center (ASC) at North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU) will begin offering an Appalachian Community Studies Certificate covering information as diverse as the region itself.

To achieve certification, you must complete all four “core” classes: “Traditional Arts in Southern Appalachia;” “Appalachian Landscape;” “The History of Appalachia;” and, “Appalachia Today.”

You also need four “elective” classes from a curriculum containing such subjects as “Gardening Yesterday & Today,” “The Story of Bluegrass,” “Georgia’s Appalachian Trail,” and “Mountain Blacksmithing.” There are no tests or academic requirements to enroll in the program and courses are offered at convenient times and only last an average of six hours.

ASC Director Dr. Alice Sampson is passionate about the organization’s mission “to contribute to the quality of life of the Georgia Appalachian community through service, preservation, education, awareness, and collaboration.” Dr. Sampson says, “The course allows participants to journey through Appalachia past, present and future, and while they’re at it, earn a professional certificate that

What is Appalachia?

A ppalachia, as defined in the legislation from which the Appalachian Regional Commission derives its authority, is a 205,000square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

About 23.6 million people live in the 420 counties of the Appalachian Region; 42 percent of the Region’s population is rural, compared with 20 percent of the national population.

The Region’s economic fortunes were based in the past mostly on extraction of natural resources and manufacturing.

The modern economy of the Region is gradually diversifying, with a heavier emphasis on services and widespread development of tourism, especially in more remote areas where there is no other viable industry. Coal remains an important resource, but it is not a major provider of jobs. Manufacturing is still an economic mainstay but is no longer concentrated in a few major industries.

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signifies an extensive understanding of the subject.”

One might ask, “How does this all connect to bluegrass?” The answer is simple – bluegrass is the music of Appalachia! Many bluegrass songs describe life in the Appalachians and many bluegrass songwriters draw from their experiences, loves, and lives in the Appalachian region. We are particularly eager to participate in this program and in the class, “The Story of Bluegrass.” But you might find the course on “Appalachian Storytelling” or “Herbal Mountain Remedies” more in line with your interests. In short, there’s something for everyone!

ASC administers the Georgia Pick and Bow Traditional Music School program, which teaches youth from 4th - 12th grade about bluegrass music and how to play the instrument of their choice. The program is successfully working in Lumpkin County, serving 34 students who recently held their second recital in as many years.

ASC is housed in the historic Vickery House on the NGCSU campus, which is the new home of the Dahlonega Chapter of the SouthEastern Bluegrass Association (www.SEBAbluegrass.org) The move provided additional space for the chapter to grow and a higher visibility in the local area. The chapter meeting is the third Sunday of each month from 3-6 PM and the public is welcome. You need not be a player to attend – grinners are needed also!

In addition to their commitment to bluegrass, the ASC occasionally hosts an “Appalachian Dance.” Appalachian dancing encompasses both square dancing and contra dancing styles and is also one of the courses you can complete as part

of the certificate program. Anyone can learn it – if you can move your feet and smile – you’re able to participate!

To learn more, visit the ASC website at www. ngcsu.edu/resource/ASC/. Sign up for courses online, by phone, by mail, and there are other ways to get involved as well. This exciting new certificate program allows bluegrass lovers and others the chance to know more about, and be equipped to carry on, the traditions, lore, culture and music of this great “endless mountain range” we know as Appalachia.

Kevin O’Connell and Julie Sanders married in 2003 and live near Turner’s Corner, north of Dahlonega and Cleveland. Kevin is serving his second term as president of the Southeastern Bluegrass Association (SEBA) and is in his third year on the board of directors. Julie is in her second year on the board.

The couple entertains as emcees for bluegrass festivals and other events. Both have extensive radio experience. Kevin is a professional voiceover talent, providing audio services for radio and television commercials, narrations and phone messaging from his home recording studio. Julie is a radio sales account executive for Georgia 105 in Helen.

Counties in Appalachia

capita income in Appalachia to reach parity with the nation.

Georgia: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Dade, Dawson, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Heard, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield

North Carolina: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Cherokee, Clay, Davie, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, McDowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey

2. Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia to compete in the global economy.

3. Develop and improve Appalachia’s infrastructure to make the Region economically competitive.

4. Build the Appalachian Development Highway System to reduce Appalachia’s isolation.

About the ARC

The Appalachian Regional Commission’s Area Development Program and Highway Program address the four goals identified in the Commission’s strategic plan: 1. Increase job opportunities and per

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Each year ARC provides funding for several hundred projects throughout the Appalachian Region in support of these goals. These projects create thousands of new jobs, improve local water and sewer systems, increase school readiness, expand access to health care, assist local communities with strategic planning, and provide technical, managerial, and marketing assistance to emerging new businesses.

From www.arc.gov

Leibel on the Law Uninsured Motorist Coverage

by Steven K. Leibel

A

s a personal injury lawyer I am always concerned that clients faced with a serious automobile accident will most likely find that the party responsible for the accident will have inadequate insurance coverage.

Frequently my clients are faced with mounting medical bills and lost wages, and find it difficult to take care of themselves and their families.

I always recommended that each person makes sure that they have an adequate uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist policy. These policies are designed to help motorists and passengers who are hurt by those with inadequate insurance. These policies protect not only the driver of the car, but passengers who ride with them, as well as family members who are passengers or drivers in the cars of their friends.

Up until 2009, these uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist policies did not give the consumer what they paid for. The law provided that their own purchased coverage was reduced by the amount of insurance the party that hit them had.

For example, if a person was struck by another who had $25,000 in coverage, and they had $25,000 in coverage, then their own uninsured motorist policy would pay them nothing.

In 2009 new changes have come about under O.C.G.A. §337-11(b) to broaden the scope of protections available under the uninsured motorist statute. This new code section effectively creates two mandatory Uninsured Motorist Coverage options.

The first of these options makes the entire limit of Uninsured Motorist Coverage available in excess of any amounts payable under available bodily injury or property damage liability insurance coverage. People who purchase this option have the full amount available to them in the event of an accident, regardless of the underlying limits of the insurance held by the at-fault motorist. Thus, if a person has $25,000 worth of coverage, and the person who hit them had $100,000 worth of coverage, then the $25,000 could still be gotten if the injury was that severe. Thus, the insured can receive up to the full benefit of the selected uninsured motorist limit when damages equal or exceed the total

amount of liability provided by the at-fault motorist and the insured’s uninsured motorist coverage.

The second option in the coverage described permits the offsets, or deductions, from the responsible person’s own coverage. Under this option there is an offset. Under the new law, insurance companies had to send policyholders a notice at least 45 days before the first renewal for policies in effect on January 1, 2009. These notices did not have to go to those who rejected uninsured motorist protection. Thus, if you didn’t get a notice, you should call your agent to make sure you know what coverages you have in effect.

The new law makes it even more important for people to contact their agents concerning the type of policy coverage they have. Under the new law, policies may exclude coverage for damages where other insurance provided coverage for amounts the insured has been paid by automobile medical payments (med-pay) coverage or compensated by workers compensation laws. Deductions are not permissible for other life, health, or disability coverages.

As we move into the New Year, I urge all consumers to choose the non-deductible type of uninsured/ underinsured motorist protections, as they protect the consumers, their families, and their friends. I also advise that anyone without health insurance or disability get as much coverage as possible. Sometimes bad things can happen to you.

Steven Leibel is a Georgia personal injury Superlawyer with offices in Dawson County and in Dahlonega.

He currently serves a member of the Georgia Bar Board of Governors for the Enotah Circuit. He is a Commission member of the Georgia Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund Commission. He is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell for his legal ability and ethical conduct. He can be reached at 706-867-7575 or 404-892-0700. Questions about his column can be sent to his email at steven@leibel.com. Nothing in this column can be construed as the giving of legal advice. Legal advice can only be made through an attorney-client relationship. The statements made in this column are for general education purposes only.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition

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Bear on the Square Mountain Festival

by Kevin O’Connell and Julie Sanders

T

he focus of Dahlonega’s Bear on The Square Mountain Festival on April 17-19 is bluegrass and old-time string band music, but there’s more to enjoy besides the music. The 13th edition of this popular spring festival features no less than fifteen performers under the huge white tent in Hancock Park. There will also be jamming on the historic public square beginning at 1:30 Friday afternoon. Music will fill the air on and around the square until Sunday evening.

Bluegrass singersongwriter and twicenominated Grammy artist Claire Lynch and her band headline this year’s Bear, along with legendary old-time band The Freighthoppers.

Other nationally known acts on the main stage include the old-time duo Carl Smith and Beverly Jones, Atlanta’s Dappled Grays, Athens alt-bluegrass group The Packway Handle Band, and local guitar virtuoso Curtis Jones.

As usual, the Bear offers exposure for local and regional artists, with performances scheduled by The Solstice Sisters from Athens, along with Atlanta’s contra-dance band, Peavine Creek. There are five Dahlonega groups on the bill: Goldrush with Neel Pender, The Buzzard Mountain Boys, Barefoot Creek, Greybeard, and Family Honor.

Local native Barry Bailey, of Irish and Cherokee descent, offers a mix of country,

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juried Mountain Marketplace opens Saturday morning, offering one-of-a-kind handcrafted Appalachian works of art directly from the mountain region’s most respected artists. This year’s Marketplace once again features North Georgia folk artist Billy Roper, who creates masks and totems in stone and wood, and paints subjects ranging from stylistic florals to intricate scenes filled with animals, figures, and plants.

The prestigious John C. Campbell Folk School will be represented by artwork, performances, and demonstrations from some of the folk school’s dancers, musicians, and artists.

Other festival highlights are the old-fashioned mountain street dances with music by The Tune Dogs, and the Sunday morning gospel sing. Start getting ready now for Bear On the Square by resting your ears, tuning up your instrument, and limbering up your ankles for lots of toe tapping.

alternative rock, old Celtic, and Native American songs. The festival’s “Rockin’ The Roots” slot will be filled by Charlottesville, Virginia’s “Mountain Rock ’N’ Roll” band, 6 Day Bender. To preview the talent of the future, festival organizers have invited the Georgia Pick And Bow Traditional Music School band, made up of 4th-12th grade Lumpkin County school students.

Friday evening, the Live Country Auction features donated works of art and other items, sold by a professional auctioneer. The

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

For full festival inforamation, see www.BearOnTheSquare.org.

Pictures by Jeff Franks

Real Estate Reality

by Amber Lincoln, Team DNA

Five Tips To Sell Your Home Faster

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.here is no question that in many parts of the country (Georgia included), houses are currently on the market longer. To you as a seller, this slowdown means there is more competition for a limited pool of potential buyers. Consider the following five tips to place your home on the fast track to sale.

Price It Right

The first 45 days are the most critical. If your home is priced too high, interested buyers may never even tour your listing.

The longer the property is on the market, the fewer the prospects.

Deciding the value of a home isn’t an exact science. Yet there are data to help you determine a fair asking price that is right on target. You may want to hire a real estate appraiser for an objective, unbiased estimate.

The appraiser will consider all activity in your area, including foreclosure properties. Then consult with a real estate professional who can help you determine true market value based on a comparable market analysis, which will include recent home sale transactions as well as homes currently on the market.

From your analysis, you may want to price your home conservatively to give it a competitive edge.

Make Your Home Irresistible

Unless they are looking for a fixer-upper, most home buyers are more likely to make a bid on a home that they can enjoy immediately. Therefore, you need to create an environment the buyer can’t resist. In other words, do everything you can to make the home so attractive, charming, cozy, inviting, comfortable, and exciting that a buyer will want to buy that lifestyle for himself.

Evaluate the home from a buyer’s point of view. An experienced real estate professional will be able to offer an objective view and will also know what buyers are asking for. Get your home in tip-top shape by making repairs and cosmetic improvements, and removing clutter. This may mean investing in a few upgrades to modernize your home’s look, such as installing newer carpet and light fixtures, and painting the walls a neutral shade.

include ways to reach buyers online and offline—such as word of mouth, the Internet, yard signs, direct mail, and extensive networking. In today’s market you must “think outside the box” in your marketing approach.

Go with a Professional

Selling a home is more than just putting a sign in your yard and having a listing on the Internet. In this highly competitive market, you don’t really want to take the chance of making novice mistakes that can slow the selling of your home. By hiring a real estate professional, you get the benefit of an experienced marketer and negotiator who is familiar with real estate issues and contracts. Once you have a contract on your home, the next hurdle is getting through the closing.

This is where your real estate agent becomes invaluable in protecting your interest. A real estate professional can also offer worthwhile advice on pricing and staging your home, based on their vast experience.

Plus, there’s the added value of the peer-to-peer networking among real estate professionals, which can bring buyers and sellers together—sometimes even before the property goes on the market.

Offer Incentives

Offering incentives can be just the impetus a potential buyer needs to select your property over others. You may want to consider offering a carpet or paint allowance. Or pay for a professional home inspection or a home warranty—and, depending on your market and budget, offer to pay some of the closing costs.

Don’t be discouraged if there are competing homes for sale in your neighborhood. With just a few smart moves, you can turn what is now a buyer’s market to your favor.

The Economics of Borrowing from Your 401(k)

by Robin Toms Grier, Registered Investment Advisor Representative When times are tough, that pool of dollars sitting in your 401(k) plan account may start to look attractive.

But before you decide to take a plan loan, be sure you understand the financial impact. It’s not as simple as you think.

The basics of borrowing

A 401(k) plan will usually let you borrow as much as 50% of your vested account balance, up to $50,000. (Plans aren’t required to let you borrow, and may impose various restrictions, so check with your plan administrator.) You pay the loan back, with interest, from your paycheck. Most plan loans carry a favorable interest rate, usually prime plus one or two percentage points. Generally, you have up to five years to repay your loan, longer if you use the loan to purchase your principal residence.

You pay the interest to yourself, but …

When you make payments of principal and interest on the loan, the plan deposits those payments back into your individual plan account. This means that you’re not only receiving back your loan principal, you’re also paying the loan interest to yourself instead of to a financial institution. But the benefits of paying interest to yourself are somewhat illusory.

Here’s why. To pay interest on a plan loan, you first need to earn money and pay income tax on those earnings. With what’s left over after taxes, you pay the interest on your loan.

When you later withdraw those dollars from the plan (at retirement, for example), they’re taxed again because plan distributions are treated as taxable income. In effect, you’re paying income tax twice on the funds you use to pay interest on the loan. (Note: Special tax rules apply to Roth 401(k) contributions.)

The opportunity cost

Create Traffic

If you want buyers to see your home, you must first find the buyers. Work with your real estate professional to design a marketing plan that is flexible and capitalizes on your property’s most desirable features. Your strategy should

Common Cent$ Investing:

Amber Lincoln, Realtor for Team DNA. Dave Cohen, Marketing Director for Team DNA. Contact Amber at 404-502-3242, Prudential Georgia Realty 706-344-6700. View website at DNASELLS.com

When you take a loan from your 401(k) plan, the funds you borrow are removed from your plan account until you repay the loan.

While removed from your account, the funds aren’t continuing to grow

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

tax deferred within the plan. So the economics of a plan loan depend in part on how much those borrowed funds would have earned if they were still inside the plan, compared to the amount of interest you’re paying yourself. This is known as the opportunity cost of a plan loan, because you miss out on the opportunity for more tax deferred investment earnings.

Other considerations

There are other factors to think about before borrowing from your 401(k) plan. If you take a loan, will you be able to afford to pay it back and continue to contribute to the plan at the same time? If not, borrowing may be a very bad idea in the long run, especially if you’ll wind up losing your employer’s matching contribution. Also, if you terminate employment, your plan may require that your loan become immediately payable. If so, and you don’t have the funds to pay it off, the outstanding balance will be treated as a taxable distribution to you, and if you’re not yet 59½, a 10% early distribution penalty may also apply to your taxable balance.

Still, plan loans may make sense in certain cases (for example, to pay off high-interest credit card debt, or to purchase a home). But make sure you compare the cost of borrowing from your plan with other financing options, including loans from banks, credit unions, friends, and family. To do an adequate comparison, you should consider: • Interest rates with each alternative • Whether the interest will be tax deductible (for example, interest paid on home equity loans is usually deductible, but interest on plan loans usually isn’t) • The amount of investment earnings you may miss out on by removing funds from your 401(k) plan.

For more information contact Robin at 770-8872772, or by email at rgrier@ harborfs.com.

400 Edition 13

Antiques

North Georgia 3

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Fred’s Beds & Furniture With a great mix of new, used, and consignment furniture, Fred’s Beds & Furniture offers bargain hunters amazing deals on just about anything you can think of! Fred’s also offers many choices of Simmons, Golden and RestMaster bed sets at well below suggested retail prices and backs up its claim to have “The Best Mattress Prices!” It’s worth the trip!

Open Monday thru Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm and Saturdays 10:00am to 5:00pm. Closed Sundays.

Located in the Old Matt Schoolhouse at Hwy 369 & Bannister Road in North Forsyth County – 5 miles West of Hwy 400. 5710 Namon Wallace Road, Cumming, GA 30040 Phone – 678-455-1190 FAX – 678-455-1191 www.freds-beds.com *See our ad on page 5.

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Cottonwood Village Antiques 10,000 square feet of merchandise: collectible firearms and militaria, fine art, period estate furniture, glassware, china, tools, pottery and linens. Visit the Country Store for handmade herbal soaps and lotions, soy candles, homemade jams, jellies and vegetables, Nora Mill whole grains and fresh local produce.

Buy-Sell-Trade.

4300 Dawsonville Highway

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(Highway 53) 770-205-7800 www.cottonwoodvillage.net *See our ad on facing page.

Fran-Tiques Located less than 2 hours from Atlanta, in scenic Union County.

Something for everyone—fabulous, unique finds in every nook and cranny. True antiques to collectibles, including furniture, glassware, silver, china, books, vintage clothing, jewelry, linens, and lace.

Open 7 days a week.

505 Cleveland Street, Blairsville, GA 1/2 mile from the Square on Highway 129.

706-745-1705

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Yonah Mountain Treasures One of North Georgia’s most unique stores, Yonah Mountain Treasures features the work of more than 75 area artists, potters, woodworkers, and others. This store is a museum, art gallery, book nook, and country store all in one. In addition, Yonah Mountain Treasures has wonderfully unique items that will add to the décor of any mountain home or cabin.

Here, you’ll find original paintings

by Judy Bynum George, Susan Hage, Cornbread, Jack DeLoney, and John Kollock. They have wooden creations, custom picture framing,

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March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

imported jewelry, and even old photo restoration. And at Yonah Mountain Treasures, candy is always “A Dollar A Dip!” Highway 75, two miles north of Cleveland, GA, next to the Yonah Burger. 706-348-8236. *See our ad on this page.

Iron Accents Owner Valerie Kirves & designer Terri Winans (previously of Endless Treasures) have merged the worlds of iron, architecturals, antiques & design to create a wonderfully eclectic mix of old and new. Shoppers are sure to enjoy browsing the various vignettes throughout the store that feature unique handcrafted pieces including new & vintage furniture, home décor, garden accessories, architecturals, seasonal florals, and gift items.

Located in Clermont, Georgia, on the corner of highway 129 and Oxford Road just 8 miles south of Cleveland and north of Gainesville.

6415 Cleveland Highway Open Monday - Saturday 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sunday 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

770-539-9093 www.ironaccents.com *See our ad on page 23.

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From the World of Antiques W

h en I was attending college at North Georgia College and State University a few years ago, one of my professors, Dr. Ray Rensi, was my favorite teacher. There were a number of reasons, mostly having to do with his help in my rediscovery of Dahlonega, its history, and how it fit into the Appalachian culture.

I graduated Lumpkin County High School in 1988 and joined the U.S. Navy in the fall of the same year. At the time I couldn’t wait to get out of the small out-of-the-way town I grew up in. When I came back to Dahlonega after six years, I remember thinking “I just want some grass to cut again and some biscuits and gravy for breakfast.” I had both at home, even though I had to make the biscuits and gravy myself. Still being young, I cared nothing for the area and culture except that it was familiar and my parents and oldest sister were still there. I passed a few years in gainful employment, buying, selling, and trading. Then, gradually, some changes came over me. The mountains started seeping back into my blood. I started being more interested in the history of the town I grew up in. Instead of being bored with nothing but some hills, a college, a small town, and some woods, I started to understand the significance of my history and of objects that told the story of our area. (We’ll be getting around to the antiques eventually…)

I then got married to the love of my life and my life really changed.

Having much more energy and drive than I did, and also being very supportive of education, she convinced me that I should pursue a college degree. To be only the second in my family with a degree and having already spent six years of my youth in the Navy, I was resistant; but my wife insisted I go. My horizons truly expanded then. I was a history major so I was immediately introduced to the then department head of History at NGCSU, Dr. Ray Rensi. Dr. Rensi is a longtime resident of Dahlonega and a huge supporter of local and regional historical awareness in and out of the classroom. The thing that really got me interested in antiques specific to this Southern Appalachian area was Dr. Rensi’s teaching methods.

Each day he would enter the classroom with some esoteric object from the past. He would give it to the first student to pass around without any explanation. He expected each student to come up with the use of the object. While this was happening, he would read quotes from a relevant book for the

day’s lesson. The objects ranged from a churn dasher to a bee shipping box to butter molds. The items were not unknown because they were uncommon; they were unknown (generally) because they were primitive. Their technological heyday had passed long ago. He made a point of acquiring all of his teaching aids locally. All these items were not necessarily unique to the Appalachian culture but each showed part of it by its nature.

Handmade items that were constructed by a non-professional for their own personal use or trade are generally called primitives.

Primitives are a category of antiques that are particularly sought today.

Furniture is the most common of the primitives. Everybody needed a cabinet or a table or a bench. Many times they would make it themselves or have someone else local make it and trade for it.

There are several signs that a piece of furniture is primitive and not factory made. Look for saw marks still on the boards. On the sides that would not normally be seen, saw marks were not generally taken off by sanding. Circular saw marks generally indicate an item was made after 1850. The steam-powered circular saw was introduced around 1820 and was in widespread use about 1850. Up and down saw marks are from a pit saw team and would be before this period.

The type of nails used are also an indication of general age. Before about 1800, all nails were essentially hand made. The tops were in a leaf shape. During the 1800s most nails were of the cut variety. These are generally known as square nails. Wire nail machines were made toward the end of the 1800s and they are the most prevalent nails used today. If the piece of furniture has very large boards in it, that is also a good indication of age. During the 1700s and 1800s large trees were plentiful and boards up to 18” wide were fairly common.

Many other things are considered primitives. Any sort of cast iron that was made at the local blacksmith is usually primitive. Wood items like churns, bowls, pidgens, tools, spoons, ox yokes, and even crossbows that were made in the past during a time when these items were necessities are considered primitives. Primitive pottery used to abound before the widespread use of glass. Churns and jugs are especially collectible and are specific to different regions. Washboards carved from wood, buttermolds, and

by Shawn Littleton

box rabbit traps all fall under primitives, as do meat troughs, dough bowls, wooden water pipe, mill rocks...and the list goes on.

Primitives are not only a muchin-demand class of antiques, they also present a picture of life back in simpler (not easier) times. Many of them are unique to the Appalachian region. It took me many years to appreciate the craftsmanship of necessity that all primitives share.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Hopefully, it won’t take you as long.

Shawn Littleton is owner of Cottonwood Village Antiques and Country Store on Hwy 53 between Dawsonville and Gainesville.

770-205-7800.

Photos by Heavenly Littleton

400 Edition 15

Family, Church, & Farmin’: Living off the Land in Lumpkin County W

here do you even try to begin to understand what life was like in Southern Appalachia in the early 1900s, or even in the 1950s?

What was daily existence like in a small farming community only 60 miles north of Atlanta but a whole world away in progress? Luckily there are still people in Lumpkin County here to tell the tale.

Over the past year, Family, Church and Farmin’: Living off the Land in Lumpkin County, an oral history project by award-winning documentarian and oral historian Heavenly Littleton, has collected oral histories from locals from every walk of life. Several of the stories are from people who have lived here their whole lives, and others are from those who moved here because they fell in love with Dahlonega and its community. What they all have in common is stories to tell about family and food traditions.

The Sullens family has lived in Lumpkin County since the 1800s.

They date one of the homes that the family of eleven was raised in back to their great-grandparents, James and Jane Sullens, at the turn of the century. Robbie Sullens Wehunt recounts to Debra Capponi, a local oral historian, how her father purchased the land in the 1940s: “He’d buy a piece of it. He’d work the farm evenings and night and, of course, everybody else worked, too.

But he worked daytime for Ode Parks’ lumber company for a dollar a day. [laugh] That’s how he made the payments on the property.”

Together at the annual Sullens family reunion, her brother, Jerrell, thinks back to the long days: “Dad was sittin’ there waitin’ on us to get in from school. We had to shuck the corn. We had to cut the wood. We had to feed the hogs, and we Ann Chafin and Debra Powell

16 400 Edition

had to milk the cows. And any other time we had, Daddy would have us something lined up. He always had something saved up all the time.”

Their sister, Eulene Poore, chimes in: “Can you comprehend how frustrated I get sometimes when these young people, they’re bored. They don’t have anything to do. You know.

Don’t have anything to do. Got to go get a movie to watch, or got to go do something else...It’s just nothing.”

Robbie never saw her mother, Myrtle Ledford Sullens, bored. “I think the one thing that really stands out to me is Mama’s diligence in preparing or preserving food to make sure that we had enough. We came from a— there was nine of us children. And, she had—well, of course, having children during the Depression and after the Depression, she always had an extra year’s food saved back, put back for . . . just in case there was a drought or something like that.”

At the Mother’s Day BBQ on Camp Wahsega Road the community gets together in a yearly homecoming and brings out their best recipes and exchanges stories.

Charlie Jackson, Jr., and now his son, Doug, have been in charge of cooking the BBQ with Hayward Beck and friends for over 40 years; “I can’t say it’s any better. I put my whole heart and soul into it. Know what I mean. I don’t know if it is any better or not but I hope it is.” Charlie recounts stories of growing up, son of a sharecropper, in Dahlonega: “Well, I walked to school, four miles there and four back. Never been on a bus in my life until I grew up, you know. And I walked to school for eight years, back and forth.

Rain or shine, sleet or snow.

We had to go.”

He talks

of the segregated South: “When I went in the service, I left out of Lumpkin County. I was riding in the back seat. When I returned I was in the back seat. Went overseas and everywhere. That was what crippled me most, you know what I mean.

Here I am, been all in the service all over everywhere. Fight for your country. And you couldn’t ride where you wanted to. But I still didn’t hold no grudge about that, because I let the Lord take care of stuff like that. “ Charlie Jones is in charge of the ham, “Everybody thinks I ought to bring one every time we have a BBQ.” He is a lifelong resident.

“Everybody was about the same.

Everybody wasn’t not this one had more than the other. Everyone had about the same. Wasn’t like it was a big town or nothing. If something had to be done. If it was an emergency, somebody come help you. They didn’t wait. They didn’t wait to be asked, they would just come.”

Ann Chafin brought her peanut butter cornflake recipe that she learned 50 years ago during the time when commodities were given out at the school, “Everybody in Dahlonega likes them, so I take them everywhere I go.” She and her late husband, Earl, have been the keepers of the heirloom Cane Creek 1,001 bean seed, which has been passed around the community and beyond in lots of 25 beans. Ann has passed on a lot of her recipes to her daughter, Debra Powell, who learned how to cook growing up watching and helping her mother, but even she is having to wait on the reading of her mom’s will to get the secret

by Heavenly Littleton

Porcupine Balls.

Old recipes to be devoured; new recipes to be tested; all recipes to be shared with stories of a life a lot different in this farming community slowly being replaced by encroaching subdivisions.

Alice Adkins brought her favorite Hershey’s Chocolate Cake. “It is on the Hershey’s cocoa can and has been for as long as I can remember.

And it’s just the best cake ever. Just put one in my coffin when I die… ”[laughs]. Alice, now in her 70’s, remembers long hours working on the farm in neighboring Cherry Log; “My daddy would say we have work here to do. You do your schoolwork at school. There is no homework here. Said we had to work in the field, in the garden. We carried wood. We didn’t have running water. There was work every day. We was not idle.”

She stops for a moment to ponder.

“We look at it now as a rough life, but I think we can say that it was a good life. Probably better than what the kids have today.”

At Christmas, in conjunction with LCHS’ production of A Christmas Carol, Lumpkin Family Connection held a dessert contest featuring traditional family recipes. Each dessert was required to have a story of the family history of the dessert. Bill Grier, a 15-year resident of Dahlonega, won with his Grier Family Fruitcake. “My mother would make four or five of ’em every year. She would start the process before Thanksgiving, about two weeks.

We would all get in the kitchen and we all had our particular part in doing the

recipe for Ann’s famous Eulene Poore

Hayward Beck

fruitcakes. We would just make a day of it. It’s something that has stuck with me all these years. It’s a real joyous time in our life.”

Anita Middleton and her granddaughter brought chocolate éclairs. The recipe came from a combination of recipes from different cookbooks that Anita pored through trying to find the perfect chocolate éclair to satiate a craving when she was pregnant with her first child. “I messed up every pot I own to make them. Since then, it’s been my favorite dessert to make.

All my three daughters can make chocolate éclairs and this year I wanted teach Karyn, my 15-year old granddaughter, to do it. We did it together yesterday and still messed up all the pots and pans in the house…” [laughs].

Sarah Ellen McDonald, baker of a delicious 8-day coconut cake, reminisces about times spent in the kitchen with her mother and sister. “It’s not so much particular foods, but to me the most important things happen in the kitchen. In the preparation, there is a lot of talk that goes on amongst the women.” And not just the cooking but the cleaning up time afterwards. “You’re more comfortable standing there with your hands in the dishwater, talking about anything and everything. Just good memories from the kitchen.”

Heavenly Littleton says that it is always rewarding to work on Appalachian history projects.

“Working on documentaries on Appalachia and most recently on the Family, Church and Farmin’ project makes you realize how easy my generation, now in their 40’s, has it. And what a fantasy world the 20-somethings have had. In Southern Appalachia, as recently as two generations ago they grew up not having electricity or indoor toilets, and waking up to no heat during freezing winters,” says Heavenly. “Most of Lumpkin County did not have electricity until almost 1950. That meant no refrigeration, no washing, no lights, and no heat.”

“Stories that you think, wow, they worked so hard and their life was so tough, are just memories to them of doing what had to be done. They appreciated everything that they had because they had to physically toil to get it.” Heavenly says that the community has been very excited about the project and been so generous with their time and their Sarah Ellen McDonald

stories. “What strikes me is that the happiest people, and the healthiest, are the ones that worked the hardest.

Not work hard like people today work 10-12-hour days in high stress jobs, multitasking every hour of the day; but instead 16-18-hour days of simple hard manual labor for a purpose that kept the body and the mind busy on the important things in life. They have seen so many changes in their lifetime and I think that they appreciate what they have, each other, and the community that shared the common goal of survival.”

Family, Church and Farmin’: Living off the Land in Lumpkin County is an interactive oral history exhibit that allows you to hear stories from locals about family and food traditions and then allows the visitor to respond with their own stories.

There are many more stories to be heard in the oral history listening rooms at the NGCSU library, including making kraut in a churn, the origins of the local restaurants Danny’s and the Wagon Wheel, how to make squirrel dumplings, and making banana nut bread in tin cans.

Bard Wrisley, a Dahlonega-based national photographer, captured the character of each subject as they recounted story after story. These photos are displayed with each individual story in the exhibit. The exhibit runs February 28 through April 11, 2009, at the NGCSU Library and Technology Center in conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibit Key Ingredient: American By Food. As a companion, a collection of Bard Wrisley’s captivating photos will be exhibited at the Kryder Gallery on the square from March 1 through April 26. For more information, see www.ngcsu.edu/asc/ for a current listing of events or call 706-864-1918.

Key Ingredient: American By Food and Family, Church and Farmin’: Living off the Land in Lumpkin County are locally sponsored by the Appalachian Studies Center, Georgia Humanities Council, the Smith House, Bard Wrisley Corporation, and Cottonwood Village Antiques and Country Store.

Photos

by Bard Wrisley.

400 Edition 17

Appalachia: A Unique Place, a Unique People

I

’ve recently read a lot about Appalachia, some of it conflicting, some frustrating, but all of it interesting. Appalachia is a 205,000-square-mile area encompassing the Appalachian Mountain range and split into three subregions: Northern, Central, and Southern. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other eastern U.S. states. Within so large a land mass, there are bound to be differences, not only within subregions, but within even smaller areas. However, there are constants that seem to be found throughout Appalachia, mainly a strong, independent people and a unique variation of the English language.

It’s well-known that Appalachia is an area rich in natural resources.

What isn’t as well-known is that it is also rich in human resources. The people of Appalachia have been influencing America for a long time.

Inhabitants of Appalachia played a pivotal role in the American Revolutionary War at Kings Mountain. The people of Appalachia penned the first “rules” that would govern their community after drafting a document proclaiming their independence from England— four years before Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence. It was on the back roads of Appalachia that the ingenuity of Whiskey Trippers’ souped-up cars became the beginning of NASCAR, now a multi-billion-dollar industry and a spectator sport enjoyed nationwide by over 100 million television viewers. And it was the people of Appalachia who started the country music movement, so popular that it draws 45 million listeners each week and sells 77 million albums a year.

All in all, Appalachia has produced poets, revolutionaries, musicians, writers, politicians, rebels, and patriots.

Originally the Appalachian people were a mixture of Native Americans, Scots, Irish, English, Germans, and Poles who lived in the expansive sheltered mountain range. Together they created a very rich culture. The Appalachian people are independent and generally have a strong belief in God, are close to nature, friendly, and helpful to one another. The Appalachian Regional Ministries, http://www.

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by Carole Lee

arministry.org/appalachianculture. asp, writes: “…Appalachians expect others to respect their freedom.

Independence and self-sufficiency are very important characteristics of the people in the region. The friendly greetings and helping hands offered to strangers by the majority of Appalachians will impress the short-term visitor. One should not be misled by their friendliness.

Mountain people as a whole are resistant to change, slow to accept outsiders, and are very reluctant to accept authority.” I believe it was this distrust of outsiders that helped keep the culture intact for over 200 years. When new people moved into the area they took up the Appalachian way. That is not the case today; now people who are new to Appalachia expect the Appalachian people to change their ways to accommodate them instead of the other way around.

There’s no doubt that improved roads, the wide availability of television, both cable and satellite, Internet access, the War on Poverty, and a recent influx of people have made, and are making, an impact on the people of Appalachia. No longer are the small communities insulated from outside information and influences. Though you’ll still find some keeping the old ways, recent generations are being influenced more by the new ways and new people than by their Appalachian heritage. This is only to be expected, because culture and language change and adapt according to circumstances. The important thing is that in the adjustment they not lose their own unique history, and that they continue the tradition of passing from generation to generation the knowledge, wisdom, and lore of the old Appalachian ways of life. Understanding the strong, independent nature of their ancestry is their heritage—and carrying those characteristics into the future is their birthright.

Even if the customs, lore, and knowledge of Appalachia continue to be passed to the next generation in the traditional oral way, the unique Appalachian dialect is in danger of eventually becoming all but extinct.

The language spoken in Appalachia is a unique mixture of the different languages of the

people who settled there. Dr. Michael Montgomery, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Linguistics at the University of South Carolina in Columbia before retiring in 1999, said: It’s commonly thought that mountain speech was (and maybe still is) very oldfashioned—that it is akin to ‘Elizabethan English.’ This romantic idea has some truth to it, but it is certainly far from the whole or even the main story.

Like Shakespeare, mountaineers traditionally pronounced service as sarvice and said afeard and holp for afraid and helped. But for many reasons their speech could never be mistaken for that of the Stratford bard. For one thing, they inherited many terms from Scotland, such as residenter ‘resident, old-timer,’ skiff ‘thin layer of snow,’ and you’uns ‘you all.’

Actually, the main story is that mountain speech is more innovative than conservative...

Mountaineers have been coiners par excellence of new words and expressions. Some of these, quite predictably, involved items that early settlers found unfamiliar to their Old World background.

(The Mountains were Alive, with the Sounds of English [Revision of a story that originally appeared in Smokies Guide (Winter 2002), 19.] www.cas. sc.edu/engl/dictionary/articles.html)

Perhaps it would be good for Appalachian youths to consider what my mother taught to her 7th grade English classes in North Georgia.

She used to tell her students that they need to develop two dialects: one to help them communicate effectively and professionally both in writing and speaking with outsiders, and one to preserve their unique Appalachian dialect.

There are many sources online and at your local library for learning about specific Appalachian words and their origins. Just remember that for many, Appalachia means the coal mine areas of Kentucky and West Virginia—and those folks might use different words from those used by the Appalachian folk just up from Atlanta. Reading Dr. Montgomery’s piece might lead you to believe you’uns is always a two-syllable word, or at least has a long “U” in it; but in North Georgia it’s actually pronounced yuns, one syllable, short “U.” It’s interesting to see the subtle differences in pronunciation from different parts of a particular region.

The dialects are fascinating.

Unfortunately, the culture is changing beyond recognition, but people are not letting it pass silently into the dark of night. The old knowledge of mountain medicine, agriculture, music, dancing, socializing, and writing, as well as forging, weaving, hewing, and whittling hand-made items are being remembered, learned, documented, and preserved. Numerous local authors who document various aspects of growing up in Southern Appalachia are also making sure that the past does not completely disappear.

If you are interested in learning more about Appalachian ways, many places are eager to help you. North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU) in Dahlonega, Georgia, offers many classes on all things Appalachian. To find more about what they offer, including their Appalachian Community Studies Certificate, visit www.ngcsu.edu/ asc/index.html. If you’d like a more hands-on experience outside of the classroom, the John C. Campbell Folk School offers classes that fill the bill. Not sure there’s anything in Appalachia you like? Try the dancing. Square dancing and contra dancing use many similar moves and are great fun! Whereas the square dance has people arranged in a large circle, the contra dance arranges folks into two facing lines.

There’s a Contra Dance Weekend at John C. on April 17-19, 2009, where you can learn both dances as well as a waltz—and hear some great music (see www.folkschool.org/ event.php?event_type_id=2&event_ id=115 for more information).

“Ever since they first arrived in the southern mountains 300 years ago, hill folk have been seen as a group apart, often mocked and misunderstood. Such attitudes didn’t stop the hill folk who busied themselves with the building of America. Their qualities of toughness, self reliance, and willingness to fight and die for freedom turned out to be the very qualities that symbolized America. By sticking to their guns, their core values, and their way of life, the people of the southern mountains are no longer the other America. They, we, are America, plain and simple.”

Hillbilly: The Real Story, narrated by Billy Ray Cyrus, The History Channel.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition 19

Cover story— Appalachian Heritage at Waters Mill

by Rhonda Sheppard

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On September 12, 2009, s a little girl, my sister and I played on the are many. Sunday afternoon Waters Mill is vibrant as she front steps of our grandparents’ farmhouse meant going to Mama Waters provides the perfect setting for Waters Mill will team located in the rural community of Nimblewill and Daddy Guy’s after weddings and special events. up with musicians from outside Dahlonega, pretending to get married. That church for Sunday dinner.

The house is equipped with all over to raise money was some 35 years ago and at this same house I Lunch was sandwiches, and a state-of-the-art commercial now host weddings and special events. since my grandparents were kitchen where we prepare all for the children in the My grandparents’ farm was always special farmers, they always had Appalachian Mountains— our meals. We strive to be a to us. Not only was it my escape route from my dinner at noon. I remember farm-to-table establishment, particularly the children parents’ home (it backed up to their property), but that all the men would eat with all our dishes using the in Eastern Kentucky and there was also something magical about the place. first, and then the ladies and freshest ingredients. We are I can remember going into the house from the children. All of us kids hoped very serious about our food and Western West Virginia. back porch and making the screen door pop. That the preacher didn’t come, its presentation. Food has been After watching the 20/20 door led directly into the kitchen, where I could since he always got the good used as comfort in the South episode Children of the find the day’s culinary treats of teacakes with a piece of fried chicken. It was for years and at Waters Mill, we Mountains about the hint of orange flavoring; homemade chicken and a different time then…life understand the importance of not dumplings, and cucumbers, vinegar, salt, and really was simple. just good food, but great food. forgotten children in the pepper, when cucumbers where in season. It just Now, I’m all grown up We specialize in southern cuisine, Appalachian Mountains, didn’t get much better than that. with only my memories. with a goal of taking you back we at Waters Mill were Life was simple at my grandparents’—no frills, Now, I create memories for to Mama Waters’ dinner table. no fuss. It was home and it was safe. As a child, we others at Daddy Guy and We have four locations in which so moved that we knew played for hours riding our bikes on the roughly Mama Waters’ house. My our brides can get married. Each we had to do something. graveled roads and in the husband area is unique and beautiful.

This event will be an pine thickets, not allowed and I took Waters Mill hosts not only evening of good music, to watch TV because Mama my beloved weddings, rehearsal dinners, and Waters would watch her Mama bridesmaid luncheons, but also good food, and good stories in the afternoon.

Waters’ special events, from socials, to drinks for all to enjoy— Instead, we rode our bikes home and seminars, to concerts. Most of but serving the purpose and made up adventures. remodeled our clients are wowed by the of helping others.

It is from the farm I the cracker warmth that Waters Mill extends learned the ways of the style house to her guests. The natural setting Appalachian Mountains— built during the Great Depression. provides a perfectly serene backdrop that most ways that are foreign to my The farm was in need of much folks just no longer experience. At Waters Mill, we generation but a thread in love after 32 years of only pay special attention to details and make sure your the tapestry of my life. I can my grandmother living there. guests are greeted with true southern hospitality. remember my grandmother Blackberry vines Waters Mill is an extension of our getting up every morning at were as tall as me, home and we want people to feel Mama Waters 4:00am to milk the Jersey and the buildings as though they have come home. cow. She would fetch had a special lean.

In our difficult economic times, her old, dull (not shiny) milk bucket that bore With the encouragement, sweat, we understand and deliver the several dents caused by kicks from cows when and my mom’s tears, my husband safe, homey feeling that everyone grandfather, Daddy Guy, did not hold the cow’s and I began the journey of creating desires. The Waters Mill family tail very well. My grandmother would squirt milk Waters Mill. has always entertained others, into the mouths of the school of cats and kittens Waters Mill is the memories of from preachers, friends, and family, whose assignment was to make sure no mice my childhood personified. Now, to very tired Camp Glisson staffers stayed long in the barn. After finishing her milking worn out by a chore, she carried the treasures gathered by her summer of overly arthritic hands and headed back to the still dark energetic kids. house. I can remember the sound of her coming We invite you to in the back door and the same creak in the floor come out sometime, that warned me that Mama Waters was finished whether it be for a and that I better stop my “plundering” so Mama wedding celebration, would not know I was awake. You see, it was a big a concert on the honor to stay at Mama Waters and Daddy Guy’s lawn, or to just rock house. Mama Waters would take out an old, dingy, on our expansive very thin and worn-out piece of cloth to strain the rocking-chair porch. cream from the top of the milk. That cream was We invite you to gold—and was it ever gold. The cream made the “come home” and best homemade ice cream. I was 16 years old see what all the fuss before I realized that milk could be purchased is about. at Big Star (this was before Walmart) and didn’t come from your grandparents’ Frigidaire.

Life was much simpler then and my memories 20 400 Edition

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Celebrate Clayton

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wo hundred years ago the Cherokee called this area Dividings—we call it Clayton, Georgia. The mountains surrounding us are still beautiful, and the natives are still friendly! Come celebrate Clayton with us and see for yourself.

Celebrate Clayton, Rabun County’s 10th annual music and art fest on April 25-26, promises to be the biggest and best yet. It runs from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday and from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday.

More than a hundred artists in all media will vie for prizes in this juried show. Of course our mountains are filled with artists, and you’ll see a lot of their work; but we also have artists coming from Marietta, Alpharetta, Hartwell, and Savannah, Georgia, and from West Union, South Carolina, and Bristol, Virginia, just to name a few.

The artist booths are back to back down the center of Main Street, leaving the sidewalks open for you to enjoy our great variety of unique shops. You’ll find

by Katheryn Granberg galleries, gift shops, antiques, book shop, furniture, a wine tasting room and a super Christmas shop. You know you’re in a small town when the bridal registry is in the local hardware store… yep, that’s us. Most of the shops are owner operated and they love to welcome visitors.

Moby of Moby in the Morning will once again be on stage to entertain and to introduce the terrific line-up of performers throughout both days. You can enjoy a wonderfully eclectic mix of music and dance with Caledonia Swing; Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys; Dance on the Mountain; Zydeco T; Madison Horns and PePe Lopez Mariachi.

You’ll never hear the end of it if you leave the kids at home. In addition to Quite a Catch Jugglers, Sparkle Magic, Mr. Whistles and Teenie Belle, Butterfly the Clown, you’ll look fantastic after your session with Fancy Doo’s! Then from 10:00am to 4:00pm, your youngsters can add their personal touch to our giant group mural; have their faces painted; and

help to create a forest community using the amazing IncredibleFoam. In one-hour segments they can participate in creating Slithering Snakes, Beautiful Buggyflies, Radical Rainbows, Lovely Leaves, Origami Animals, and Magical Mobiles.

Delectable aromas wafting on the breeze are sure to lure you to our Food Court for a wonderful assortment of edibles. From mouthwatering Tomlin’s Barbeque to the delicious Thai Cuisine everyone raved about last year, you’ll find something to please any appetite. Of course, we’ll have hamburgers, hot dogs, and funnel cakes, too.

In these, or any, economic times, it’s wonderful to find beautiful art and terrific entertainment for young and old alike in a breathtaking setting, all for FREE. That’s right: There is NO admission charge. Come Celebrate Clayton with us; you’ll be glad you did.

Check out our web site at celebrateclayton.com for more information and great photos from prior years.

God’s Plan Enabled Me To Write My First Novel

by Tracey Sutton

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ave you ever heard the expression “God never closes one door without opening another”? My recent novel, The Assignment, is the result of walking through that open door. Back in 2004, my husband and I traveled to Russia to finalize our adoption process. Like any other parents-to-be, we were anxious and excited about what the future would hold for us. We had hopes and dreams of going on family vacations, attending Little League games, and many other exciting events. For parents who have teenagers, I know you will probably think I’m crazy when I say that I was especially looking forward to the teenage years. I was an active member of the Literary Volunteers of America for several years and I thoroughly enjoyed working with young adults. Needless to say, our adoption fell through and it was the worst, heart-wrenching experience we have ever gone through. To compound the heartache we felt, it happened during the Christmas holidays. The expression that time heals all wounds is true, but the pain will always be there.

I really struggled with the devastation of losing our child for a long time and the one thing I couldn’t erase from my mind was why it happened to us. I remember thinking that we could have really made a difference in a child’s life. We prayed for the courage and strength to go on with life. Soon the days turned into weeks, then the weeks turned into months. It was about five months later, while commuting to work, that I had an epiphany to write a book. I didn’t understand it at that time and I dismissed the idea several times.

Each day that I drove to work, the urge became more prevalent. I remember wondering why I was being told to write a book, and more importantly, what would I possibly write about.

As you have probably gathered, I

develop most of my thoughts during my long, one-hour commute to work. This is my time to pray and reflect on various aspects of my life. As I reflected on this new challenge that was being forced upon me, it became clear to me that God was going to use me to make a difference in young adults’ lives. For the longest time, I didn’t see the writing on the wall, so to speak, but as the story and plot developed in my mind, his mission for my life became evident. I think as Christians, we all have jobs to perform and I feel so humble and blessed that God has given me a talent to reach young people.

With the inordinate amount of challenges that young adults face, I think it’s important to guide them and serve as an example of how to overcome and deal with the peer pressure they are faced with in today’s time. I remember when I was a teenager; video games had just begun to make their debut.

Everyone wanted to be the Pac-Man champion. It’s sad to say that these games have transformed from chasing dots across a board and escaping ghosts, to the virtual reality of violence and killing. I’m not saying that all games are bad. We own a Wii and I thoroughly enjoy the sports package, and we have added other fun games to our collection. My point is that although the games have a rating system, it’s sad that the world has come to this. In addition to the games, our television programs have been plagued with racy reality shows that would have never been allowed to air when I was growing up.

My point is pure and simple. With society’s acceptance of some of these changes, it is even more important to instill values and morals into young adults. This is the time when they are impressionable and rely on us as adults to teach them right from wrong. We

need to lead by example.

Although I don’t have children, I am utilizing my writing as a way to interact with young adults and relate to their problems by creating stories with real-life problems and challenges they may face.

After three years of working on my novel, I am very proud of the amount of support I have received from parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I have spoken to several people who have read my book and appreciated the clean content. I have been immensely humbled that people have enjoyed my work. The book was published by Xulon Press, a Christian publisher. My passion is to write Christian-based stories, with real-life issues.

The Assignment is a heart-warming story about two college students who are forced to work together on a Sociology assignment. Their mutual attraction soon develops into a love that leaves the heroine of the story feeling overwhelmed. The story has enough twists to keep readers wanting more.

Following is the synopsis from the back cover.

In small town Dahlonega, Georgia, Annie Carver, a sophomore at Dahlonega University, is finally putting the shattered pieces of her life back together, four years after her mother’s death.

A shy girl, who never allowed herself to get serious about anyone, suddenly finds herself captivated by the mysterious guy, Dan Wilson, who walked into her Sociology class on

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

that rainy spring morning. His good looks and unapproachable demeanor pique her curiosity and she soon finds herself thinking about him relentlessly.

A sudden twist of fate forces them to work together on an assignment that brings them closer than they ever imagined. Their mutual attraction develops into a love that leaves Annie feeling nervous and overwhelmed. Dan is determined to win her over, but his hidden secret pushes her farther away.

Can he trust her enough to open his heart or will he sacrifice their love and the assignment?

My book signings will be updated on the authorsden.com web site. If you are unable to come to one of my book signings, you may order the book from one of the following web sites.

• www.xulonpress.com. Visit the bookstore and type the title of my book, The Assignment, or my name.

• Barnes & Noble (www. barnesandnoble.com), Amazon. com, and Target.com. You may also request my book through any Christian bookstore and they can order the book.

Life has challenges and things don’t always turn out how we would like, but I’m just thankful that God gave me the perseverance and determination to walk through that open door.

400 Edition 21

Fun 400 by

Courtesy of ActivityConnection.com. Answers on page 32.

Easter

Across

4. Peter Cottontail 7. Ronald Reagan’s favorite candy 11. Sweet cocoa 12. Long-eared animal 13. How a bunny gets around 16. _____ to find eggs 17. 2 days after Good Friday 18. Decorated for Easter

22 400 Edition

Down

1. Girl’s hat 2. Sweets 3. Used to decorate eggs 4. Used to collect eggs 5. Spring month 6. Mary had a little _____ 8. Popular Easter flower 9. To make eggs pretty 10. Goes in bottom of the basket 14. Before summer 15. Little yellow birds

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Comma Momma Not One of Us

by Nancy Wright

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mong the many complicated intertribal conflicts recorded in the Book of Judges is one involving an interesting word test at the Jordan River. In an effort to distinguish between friend and foe, the guys who controlled the crossing at the time (the Gileadites) would ask anyone wanting to cross the river to say the word shibboleth. If you wanted to go across, and you didn’t pronounce shibboleth the way the Gileadites pronounced it, they’d know you were not one of their crowd, and bingo, off with your head.

The word shibboleth has come down to us today unchanged, and means “a word or pronunciation that distinguishes people of one group or class from those of another.”

Whether or not we admit it, we sort people into classes based on their speech. When we hear someone say “She’s went to the store” or “I ain’t got no pencil,” we mentally place the speaker in a certain class or social level, based on that atrocious grammar.

That kind of class marker is a fairly obvious one. But sometimes the shibboleths we use to classify people, while deep-seated, are far more trivial.

Over the years I’ve accumulated a whole slew of shibboleths I use to classify you.

“NOOK-yuh-lur” is high on that list. Yes, this mispronunciation should not be a death-penalty offense; after all, the meaning of the word nuclear is still communicated.

But in the minds of those of us who care about acceptable language, it instantly marks the speaker as “not one of us.”

Likewise, when you use enormity to mean large size—and even though that usage is slowly becoming acceptable, and even though President Obama uses it that way repeatedly—it tells me that you’re not one of us.

When you pronounce quasi “KWAHZ-ee” instead of “KWAYZYE,” it tells me that you’re not one of us.

When you use tenant when you mean tenet, or tact when you mean tack, it tells me that you’re not one of us. Sorry.

However, the bad thing about

shibboleths is that we’re often so busy classifying people based on their pronunciations, and quibbling over their word choices, that we fail to hear what they’re saying.

We stand poised to leap with a triumphant “ah-HAH!” on some supposed error, primarily so that we can feel superior.

A commenter on a language blog entry about the common misuse of the word enormity declared that the word “is my one-word usage test.”

To which John McIntyre, chief of the copy desk at the Baltimore Sun, responded: “There, in a single sentence, you can see encapsulated what people dislike about purists and the mavenry. Someone is listening to you, not paying attention to the substance of what you say, but waiting for you to make a mistake.

And it might not even be a mistake; it could be some arbitrary and idiosyncratic ‘rule’ of which you are unaware, and about which there is dispute among the professionals. The purist is impatiently waiting to give a thumbs-up-thumbs-down judgment, and he is a hanging judge in a court from which there is no appeal.

Precision in the use of language is important. [But] so is a sense of proportion.”

Have I been sufficiently chastened by McIntyre’s scolding that I’ll abandon my silly shibboleths and not pounce and gibber and point when I hear someone get something “wrong”? Don’t count on it. I was born an annoying twit, and I’ll die an annoying twit.

What are your shibboleths? And don’t stand there and tell me you don’t have any.

Nancy Wright does occasional editing and proofreading, and formats technical books for a specialty publishing house in California. She and her husband live in White County; you can contact her at adairmill@ windstream.net.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition 23

4 Bridges Arts Festival™ - Arts Festival Initiates Cultural Community

by Christa J. Mannarino, Executive Director of Association for Visual Arts (AVA)

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hattanooga’s 4 Bridges Arts Festival™ is about to celebrate its ninth year. With plenty of community support, this event has proven not only to have staying power, but also to serve as a catalyst for Chattanooga’s cultural explosion.

In 2001, AVA decided to reincarnate an urban arts festival in Coolidge Park, between the four bridges that cross it.

The centerpiece of the festival, then and today, is a marketplace for artists whose works are jury selected. This concept proved to be popular, and the festival immediately began to develop a following.

Fast forward to 2008, when the 4 Bridges Arts Festival hosted 150 visual artists and 25,000 attendees at its new home in the First Tennessee Pavilion, and made a $1.5-million impact on the economy of Hamilton County. For the second consecutive year, the event is ranked among the top 100 fine art festivals in the U.S. and continues to create national buzz among

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AVA has produced the festival ever since its new beginnings in 2001 and is proud to say its ninth festival will happen April 18-19, 2009.

Proceeds from the festival enable AVA to provide a wide range of visual arts programming and educational services throughout the year.

festival artists across the country.

Today the festival also supports and develops arts leadership in the community; expands cultural tourism for Chattanooga; educates the community about the arts; and, most importantly, celebrates the importance of the community’s cultural life and sense of place.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

March Reading

For Fun and Learning

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he windy month of March brings Saint Patrick’s Day and spring, along with National Women’s History Month, designated by the U.S. Congress in 1987. March 20 is the vernal equinox, or the first day of spring, when day and night are most nearly equal in length (www.infoplease.com/spot/riteofspring1. html ).

Women’s History continues to unfold in 2009 with Michelle Obama, the African-American wife of President Barack Obama, as First Lady. Her projects support the military, families, and national service. Investigate The National First Ladies Library at www. firstladies.org.

Stop by your local library and find most of the following resources. Always supervise children’s Internet time.

Happy reading!

Going with the wind

www.kitehistory.com (2002, Meg Albers).

Freedman, Russell. (1991).

Photographers, Orville and Wilbur Wright. The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane. NY: Holiday House. Newbery Honor Series. Juvenile children’s non-fiction.

Mayer, Cassie. (2007). Wind. Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library. Easy children’s non-fiction.

McKissack, Patricia C. (1988). Illustrator, Jerry Pinkney. Mirandy and Brother Wind.

NY: Knopf. Caldecott Honor Book. Easy children’s fiction.

Stevenson, Robert Louis. (First published, 1885). 1999, Illustrator, Tasha Tudor. A Child’s Garden of Verses. NY: Simon & Schuster. Poetry: “The Wind” and other classics.

Saint Patrick’s Day

www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/spring/ patricks (British Broadcasting Company) http://gosoutheast.about.com, Celebrations in Georgia and the southeast (2009, About.Com, New York Times Co.) Freeman, Dorothy Rhodes. (2008). St. Patrick’s Day. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary. Juvenile children’s non-fiction.

by Lynda Holmes, Ed.D.

Spring

www.infoplease.com/spot/riteofspring1. html (2000-2008 Pearson Education, “The Rite of Spring” 3-20-2008 by AnnMarie Imbornoni and Elissa Haney).

Latta, Sara L. (2006). What Happens in Spring? Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary. Easy children’s non-fiction.

Pfeffer, Wendy. (2008). Illustrator, Linda Bleck. A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox. NY: Dutton Children’s Books. Juvenile children’s non-fiction.

Serio, John N., Ed. (2005). Illustrator, Robert Crockett. The Seasons. Poetry, juvenile children’s non-fiction.

Women’s History

www.britannica.com/women. Click on Women’s Topics for information on National Women’s History Month (2009 Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc). www.firstladies.org (The National First Ladies Library).

Pastan, Amy, in association with the Smithsonian Institution. (2009). First Ladies. NY: DK Publishing. Bonus CD. Biography, Juvenile children’s nonfiction.

Freedman, Russell. (1995). Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery. NY: Clarion Books. Newbery Honor Book.

Biography, juvenile children’s nonfiction.

Roberts, Cokie. (2008). Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation. NY: William Morrow. Adults, non-fiction.

On the Horizon: April Fools’ Day

www.about.com (2009 About.com, New York Times Co.). Type April Fools Day in the search box and click Go.

Easter

The Holy Bible. Matthew, Chapter 28. www.history.com/minisites/easter (The History Channel web site, 1996-2008, A&E Television Networks). www.MarthaStewart.com (2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.)

The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for children (http://www.ala.org, American Library Association).

Lynda Holmes, Ed.D. (GAWriter1@yahoo.com), is an author and educator in Flowery Branch, GA. She is a member of the Northeast Georgia Writers and the NGCSU Stonepile Writers, www.stonepilewriters.edublogs.org.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition 25

First Annual Historic Moonshine Mile

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nce a wild and reckless thoroughfare, and the dirt road dragway for the delivery of illegal corn liquor, Highway 197—from Lake Burton to Clarkesville—now teems with galleries, restaurants, studios, and antique stores. But the legacy of these North Georgia hills still echoes like a big-block V8 engine rumbling in the distance on a moonlit night.

Join the merchants of the Scenic Highway 197 Association in a nod to the area’s past at the First Annual Historic Moonshine Mile, April 10 through May 2. Purchase $10 or more at any participating business and receive an

equivalent amount in “distillery dollars” that may be redeemed at the Revenuer’s Auction on Saturday, May 2, at LaPrade’s Marina, or online at www.scenic197.com.

Shoppers can earn their “still bills” at Soque Art Works, Once Upon A Time Antiques, Mark of the Potter, Serendipity Stained Glass, Batesville Restaurant, Hickory Flat Pottery, Cottage Garden Furniture, North 40 Lodge, Burton Gallery & Emporium, Lake Burton Bottle Shop, Paradise Properties, LaPrade’s Marina, Lakeside Grille, and Water’s Edge Restaurant.

No need for speed, and no limits on your

Travel Talk with Jenny

spending.

Bring your accumulated moonshine money to LaPrade’s on May 2 to enjoy light food and wine and bid on the outstanding gift items provided by the Scenic 197 merchants. You’ll make out like a bandit—legally. Food and wine will be served beginning at 4:00pm, with the auction at 5:00. Auction items may also be viewed online.

For directions and further information, call 706-947-1351 or log on to www.scenic197. com.

by Jenny Reed

It’s Not Just The Love Boat Anymore!

I

f you grew up in the age of The Love Boat, the

Pacific Princess sailed across your television screen every Saturday night, chock full of secondhoneymooning couples clad in matching warmup suits bound (always) for the exotic shores of Puerto Vallarta. Romantic events ensued among the shuffleboard courts, passengers strolled the decks, and on days at sea activities were limited to lounge chairs, frosty cocktails, witty banter with the crew—and more shuffleboard.

Puerto Vallarta is still a popular port of call, and the Pacific Princess still plies the oceans, but in other respects cruising has come a long way.

Today’s floating resorts offer more than ever before.

Action-Packed Activities State-of-the-art fitness facilities are the norm these days, so exercise isn’t limited to promenading around the Promenade deck. The usual gym suspects—stationary bicycles, stair climbing machines, treadmills, and weight training equipment—keep fitness-inclined passengers at the top of their game. In addition, many ships offer unique fitness innovations, like swim-againstthe-current lap pools, rock climbing walls that tower above the ocean, and inline and ice skating rinks. Basketball courts, jogging tracks, and putting greens are also common on many of today’s ocean liners. And for passengers eager to earn their scuba stripes en route to the next diving destination, several cruise lines offer scuba diving certification at sea.

Pampering Pleasures All of that onboard exercise is bound to produce an ache or pain or two, and luckily most ships have a space devoted exclusively to pampering, soaking, wrapping, and otherwise working out the kinks. SpaCarnival, AquaSpa, Lotus Spa, Ocean Spa, Vista Spa & Salon are just a few names. What matters most are the extensive menus of soul-soothing body treatments. Indulge is the operative word at these onboard temples to tranquility, which offer everything from heavenly massages to invigorating facials and detoxifying scrubs.

26 400 Edition

Intellectual Pursuits Working out and recovering from too much of a good thing aren’t the only activities available while sailing the ocean blue. Many cruise lines host an impressive roster of guest lecturers, renowned chefs, and experts in fields as diverse as finance, yoga, and astronomy. The word on Alaska’s flora and fauna comes straight from a naturalist’s mouth aboard many of the cruise lines sailing the famed Inside Passage. Many cruise lines help to fill the days with wine tastings, art auctions, dutyfree shopping, feature films, and theme parties, or you can curl up with a good book in the onboard library. One thing’s for certain—boredom is a thing of cruises past.

Family Affair Grown-ups and grandparents aren’t the only ones taking to the seas today, and cruise lines have stepped up to the plate to make cruising a family affair. Parents will find dedicated areas for children and teenagers, along with supervised, agespecific activities. Disney Cruise Line® takes things one step further with Studio Sea, a nightclub for families, as well as an adult-exclusive area of the ship for parents who need a vacation from their family vacation.

Dream Destinations For some people, the journey is the best part, while for others the dream destinations are the reason for booking a cruise in the first place.

Today’s cruises whisk passengers to places worthy of their wildest travel fantasies in every imaginable corner of the world, from the cultural capitals of Europe to the fjord-flanked coasts of South America and Scandinavia. Cruises still call in at tropical vacation places, such as the Caribbean, Mexico, and Hawaii, but you’ll also find itineraries that take you to destinations in Africa, the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand. In some cases, a cruise is the best way to experience a travel milestone, such as seeing (and hearing) a calving glacier up close in Alaska, or oceanhopping and continent-crossing via the Panama Canal.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Other Helpful Information - Less Is More If you think you need deep pockets to take a vacation on the high seas, think again. Sailing in style used to be a privilege reserved exclusively for those who could afford it, but thanks to a proliferation of cruise lines, ships, and itineraries, cruising is more affordable than you think. Now 2009 is shaping up to be a wonderful time to cruise, and promotions abound.

• Groovy inclusions. Cruise prices include most on-board meals, entertainment, and daily activities. Compare the cost of a seven-night cruise to a seven-night hotel stay, and don’t forget to add three meals a day. A cruise can cost the same, or less!

• Kiss the rental car goodbye. The cruise ship is your mode of transportation, so forget costly insurance fees and high gas prices. The best news of all? No traffic jams.

• The port next door Cruises depart from cities on both coasts, and from several ports on the Gulf of Mexico, including New Orleans, Tampa, and Galveston; so chances are you can sail away without flying away first.

From a 3-night short getaway to a 10-night Panama Canal cruise or something even longer, the possibilities are endless. Cruising is an integral part of the travel industry and is becoming the fastest growing sector for families seeking a costeffective way to spend time together. The Love Boat started a trend that is flourishing today!

With over 16 years of travel experience, Jenny Reed plans cruises and land vacations worldwide. Her agency does not charge a service fee. She can be reached at 678-9475115, via email at jenny@ OurCruisePlanner.com, or via her website at www.OurCruisePlanner.com.

Travel article suggestions always welcomed!

Skin Deep

by Sharon Keating, BSN, NCMES

Believe

A carpenter from Galilee With skillful gentle hands; The One who calmed the stormy sea By speaking His commands.

The roads were lined with cheering crowds— “Hosanna” was their cry; But only Jesus knew his fate— They soon cried, “Crucify!”

When eventide befell the streets, They dined in Upper Room; A saddened silence filled the halls With rumors of His doom.

With humble faith He took the bread And blessed it with a prayer; “This is my body,” Jesus said, “Remember me with care.”

He raised the cup and gave His thanks As twelve drank silently; “This is my blood—drink all of it, Always remembering me.”

Then Jesus spoke to Judas there, To do what he must do; Betrayal was his destiny— A plan the Master knew.

Upon a cross between two thieves With sword thrust in His side; “Forgive them, Father,” was His plea, And He was crucified.

The third day changed their hearts and minds When Jesus rose again; The sting of death was overcome To save the souls of men.

He gave to us a sacred hope, A gift we may receive; His promise we shall always live, If we will just believe.

Charles W. Cook 2008

Your Plan for Skin Care Revival

I

t is wintertime and it is cold outside. The wind blows and we are reluctant to venture out, or at the very least, we complain about it. (We are southerners, after all.) But, still, springtime stirs within us and we know a new day is coming and we want to look good for it!

“Maybe I should do something about my skin,” she thinks. “Maybe I should make a change...”

The following is a guide for analyzing your current plan, your thought processes, and your future plan.

Do you have a plan?

Whether you do or whether you don’t, the next few questions will help you understand the critical elements of sound skin care or skin nutrition that heals, repairs, maintains, and fights the good fight against aging and skin damage.

Do you cleanse your skin daily? A.m. or p.m.? With What?

Basic hygiene, skin health, and maintenance of skin integrity begin with daily cleansing.

The most important time to cleanse for ALL skin types is at night, to remove makeup, perspiration, dead skin cells, oil, and environmental toxins. It is important to use a cleanser that is appropriate for your skin type.

Dove and Ivory soap do not count. Sorry.

Do you provide topical nutrition to your skin every day?

Moisturizers are fine, and they make the skin feel good and plump up the epidermis, which is dead skin cells. But unless the moisturizer you are using is infused with specific ingredients for skin nutrition, building collagen, lightening, exfoliating, and regulating sebum, you will not see long-term benefits.

What kind of nutrition does my skin need?

All skin, young and old, benefits from antioxidants, which fight the free radicals that we are exposed to every day, i.e., environmental toxins including UVA and UVB rays. Oily or acne-prone skin needs ingredients specific to treating those conditions. This would include lactic acid, salicylic acid, and vitamins A and C, to name a few. These conditions can be difficult to treat without professional guidance. Normal, dry, or aging skin benefits from antioxidants, copper peptides, vitamins A and C, lighteners, DMAE, phytoestrogens, and marine minerals, to name a few.

How do I know what is best for me?

The body chemistry varies from person to person, which means you can’t really know what will work until you try different things.

This can be a costly venture and frustrating March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

for some. It is always a good idea to seek the advice and guidance of a skilled skin care professional. This can save you time, money, frustration, and guesswork. A plan of action can be simple to follow and take minutes a day.

The benefits will look back at you in the mirror every day for encouragement and satisfaction.

What kind of results can I expect to see?

This is a very important point. Expectations must be realistic. How good or not so good do you look today? Have you abused yourself with sun and cigarettes? Do you get enough sleep?

Do you drink water? Or do you drink soda, alcohol, tea, coffee, and very little or no water?

Sun and smoke damage are very difficult to repair, and are impossible to improve upon if you continue to engage in those activities.

So lifestyle changes are sometimes required.

Overall general nutrition is also a contributing factor to skin health and how a person ages.

How much fast food and prepared food do you consume? If you are willing to address these issues and take a hard look at yourself and lifestyle, you are ready to engage in a serious skin care regime that will reward you with results.

What is a realistic time frame to begin to see improvement?

The entire body is on a 28-day cycle. Skin cells also turn over (die and regenerate) every 28 days. This means that the goal is to feed the dermis so that when it comes to the surface to replace the epidermis, it is improved. Therefore, it is rare to see dramatic results in less than one month. However, if you have neglected yourself for years, you may be pleasantly surprised to see visible results in a week or so.

Your skin is so happy for the attention that it responds immediately! Ironically, if your skin is in relatively good condition, but you want to step up the program a notch, it may take a couple of months to really see a difference, for two reasons. One, you are truly working on the deepest levels of tissue; and two, you tend to be more critical about your appearance. While everyone else may see the change and even comment, you may be the last to acknowledge the improvement.

In any event, there is no downside to a sound skin care program based on the solid science that is available today. Serious skin care is our business. The Medical Spa (formerly Serenity Medical Health & Beauty Spa) is located in the office of Dawsonville Family Medicine on Hwy 53 in the High Tower Complex near GA 400. Call 706-265-6467 for a personal consultation. Love the skin you are in; you will be glad you did!

400 Edition 27

Events, Events,

Tip: Keep in mind that 400 Edition is released on or about the 15th of each month.

That means your event needs to be submitted via our web site 30-45 days prior to your event date, and no later than the 1st of the month. We have to have all the information requested on the submission form, so be sure your form is complete.

Just go to 400edition.com and click “Submit an Event” on the home page.

programs and purchase books and capital improvements. See website to donate books! Call 770-475-9214 or email statham@mindspring.com for information.

March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day

Atlanta

March 20 – 1st Day of Spring April 12 – Easter

Alpharetta

Mammogram Screenings

March 5 and April 7at Kroger, Hwy 9 at Windward Pkwy. ScreenAtlanta, a community service of Northside Hospital, offers convenient screenings and breast health education on a year-round basis.

For more information, or to make an appointment, call 404-851-6070.

The Power of Forgiveness

March 23 from 2:00pm-3:30pm at Northside Hospital, 5775 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Suite C-225. Research has shown that there is better overall

mental and physical health for those who can forgive. Diane Malpass, Psy.D., LMFT presents. No charge. Refreshments provided. RSVP 404-843-1880.

Entrepreneur Certificate Program

April 1-May 20 at 6:00pm at Northpoint Executive Suites, 11175 Cicero Drive. Join us for a certificate program that combines practical, hands-on experiences and guest presenters. For more information, visit ngcsu.edu/ce/entrepreneur or call 706-864-1918.

Friends of the Library Book Sale First Saturday of every month, beginning at 10:00am at 138 Canton Street. This is the Friends principal source of income to support library

Drumming for Wellness for Cancer Patients

March 16 from 12:30pm-2:00pm at Northside Hospital, 5775 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Suite C-225. Research has shown the many benefits of in-themoment drum circles, including stress reduction, social connections, and immune system support. Bring your own drums and percussion, or play those provided. No charge. Refreshments provided. RSVP 404-843-1880.

Give The Gift of Blood

March 25 from 7:00am-5:00pm at Northside Hospital, 980 Johnson Ferry Road NE, Classroom B. As long as you are healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds and are 17 or older, you can give blood every 56 days. For more information, call Debbie Lucca, 404-845-5185 or email debbie.lucca@northside.com

Blairsville

13th Annual Writers’ Conference

March 27-28 beginning at 6:00pm at North Georgia Technical College. The conference will begin with a reception at the Arts Center. This years keynote speaker will be Sharyn McCrumb whose novel, St. Dale, won the Appalachian Writers’ Association Book of the Year. For more information, contact Sarah Verner at 706-632-2144 or email brmaa@etcmail.com.

Cruise-Ins at the Square

First Saturdays from April-October, 4:00pm until dark. Cruisers invite any classic vehicle owner to participate, registration is free. All free to the public.

Vendors welcomed, and so are volunteers.

See us on-line at blairsvillecruisers.com for more information and contacts.

Blue Ridge

Southeastern Pastel Society Exhibit

March 28-April 14 at 6:00pm at Blue Ridge Arts Association. More than thirty artists will exhibit two to three pieces.. For more information, contact Sarah Verner at 706-632-2144 or email brmaa@etcmail.com.

Canton

The Cherokee Chorale

March 22 at 3:00pm at the First United Methodist Church, 930 Lower Scott Mill Road. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students and are available at the door and from Chorale members and the Arts Council and Chamber House, Three Sisters Gift Shop, Betsy’s and Jasper Drug. For more information or tickets, call Carolyn Jones at 770-345-7320 or visit cherokeecommunitychorale.org.

Mammogram Screenings

March 30 at Kroger, 4045 Marietta Hwy at Prominence Point Pkwy. ScreenAtlanta, a community service of Northside Hospital, offers convenient screenings and breast health education on a yearround basis. For more information, or to make an appointment, call 404-851-6070.

Easter Eggstravaganza

April 11 from 1:00pm-3:00pm at Northside Hospital-Cherokee. Bring your Easter basket and join us for the egg hunt. No charge to attend, however, Easter Bunny photos and souvenir t-shirts will be available for a small fee. All proceeds benefit Special the Care Nursery. In case of rain, the event will move to the YMCA, 151 Waleska Street. For more information call 770-720-5474.

Drop-in Breast Cancer Support Group

First Thursday of each month from 10:00am-Noon at Northside Hospital, Diabetes Classroom, Educational Center.

Meet with other people who have or have had breast cancer and together examine the emotional and psychological effects and changes, in addition to sharing ideas and information. There is no charge.

Call 404-843-1880 for information.

Clarkesville

1st Annual Historic Moonshine Mile

April 10-30, Scenic Highway 197, purchase $10.00 or more at any participating business and receive an equivalent amount in “distillery dollars” that may be redeemed at the Revenuer’s Auction on May 2 at LaPrade’s Marina with the auction at 5:00pm. Auction items may also be viewed on line. For directions and further information call 706-947-1351 or log on to scenic197.com

Cumming

Summer Technology Camp

March 9-May 23 registration, June 8-11 and 15-18 from 9:00am-1:00pm

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March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Events!

at Piney Grove Middle School. Ever wanted to design your own website, program a video game or become a digital storyteller? The camp is open to any public, private and home schooled 2nd-8th grade students who reside in Forsyth County. Cost is $95 per student per course. Payment must be received

by May 23. To access the registration form and other information visit forsyth.k12.ga.us/techcamp or email mevans@forsyth.k12.ga.us.

Education Luncheon at Tam’s Backstage

March 18 at 11:30am at Tam’s Backstage.

Making informed decisions now can preserve your autonomy later. Learn about the importance of having a living will, an identified health care power of attorney, and other important documents.

Bryan Miller, LCSW of Atlanta Cancer Care. For more information and to RSVP, call Eleanor Smith at 404-843-1880 or email eleanor@twc-atlanta.org.

“A Company of Wayward Saints”

Through March 21 at The Cumming Playhouse, 101 School Street. ThursdaySaturday at 8:00pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. A story about a group of weary actors that have been traveling for a long time and want to go home. They find a benefactor that will help them if they perform a piece he chooses to his satisfaction. For tickets call 770-781-9178 or go to playhousecumming.com.

Ping Pong Tournament

March 24-25 at Norman’s Landing, 365 Peachtree Pkwy, exit 13. Proceeds benefit March of Dimes. Call 770-886-0100 or email normanslanding@bellsouth.net.

Give The Gift of Blood

March 27 from 11:00am-4:00pm at Northside Hospital, Bennett Education Center 1400 Northside Forsyth Drive. As long as you are healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds and are 17 or older, you can give blood every 56 days. For more information, call Glenda Cronan, 770-844-3400 or email glenda.cronan@northside.com.

Georgia Senior Follies

March 27, 28, April 2-4 at 8:00pm and March 29 and April 5 at 3:00pm at Cumming Playhouse, 101 School Street. Broadway production numbers, comedians, impersonators, dancers, showgirls and the entire cast is 55 years of age or more. Tickets $25.00. Go to playhousecumming.com or call 770-781-9178 for information.

Harlem Wizards

March 27 at 7:00pm at West Forsyth High School, 4155 Drew Road. Playing against a team of local faculty, staff and community members. Tickets are $10.00 for students and senior citizens; $12.00 for adults; children under 4 are free. For more information, call 678-807-7618 or email harlemwizardsWFband@comcast.net.

Give Just One Day

March 28 beginning at 7:45am at Cumming United Methodist Church, 770 Canton Highway, 8th annual One Great Day of Service. Go to volunteers. cummingfirstmethodist.com/ for details, call Janet Walden at 770-887-2900, ext 236 or email jwalden@cfumcga.com.

Sawnee Arts Festival

March 28 from 10:00am-6:00pm at the Central Park Recreation Center located at 2300 Keith Bridge Road in Cumming, Georgia. Admission is free.

To receive exhibitor information and application forms, please call Laura Pate or Paula Chambers at 678-455-8540 or email lbpate@forsythco.com or pwchambers@forsythco.com.

Join Us at the Senior Follies

March 29 at 3:00pm at Cumming Playhouse. Cancer Survivors and their loved ones are invited to join the Wellness Community for the “World Premier of Georgia Senior Follies.” For more information, contact Eleanor Smith at 404-843-1880 or email eleanor@twc-atlanta.org.

NGCSU Symphonic Band and Jazz Orchestra March 29 at 3:00pm at North Forsyth High School. NGCSU performs an afternoon concert for the wind band and jazz orchestra. For more information, contact Marilyn McKinnon at 706-864-1423 or email mamckinnon@ngcsu.edu.

Mammogram Screenings

April 1at Kroger, 540 Lakeland Plaza.

ScreenAtlanta, a community service of Northside Hospital, offers convenient screenings and breast health education on a year-round basis. For more information, or to make an appointment, call 404-851-6070.

Easter

At Cumming United Methodist Church, 770 Canton Highway, Palm Sunday-April 5 at 8:45am and 11:00am; CommunionApril 8 at Noon; Maundy Thursday/ Tenebrae-April 9 at 7:30pm; Good Friday Service-April 10 at Noon; Easter April 12-Sunrise Service 7:00am, Pancake

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition 29

Events,

Breakfast from 8:00am-10:00am and Celebration Worship at 8:45am and 11:00am. Go to cfumcga.com for more information.

Mammogram Screenings

April 6 at Kroger, 2655 Freedom Pkwy at Hwy 306 and April 10 at Kroger, 2325 Bethelview Road at Hwy 20.

ScreenAtlanta, a community service of Northside Hospital, offers convenient screenings and breast health education on a year-round basis. For more information, or to make an appointment, call 404-851-6070.

Newcomers Luncheon

April 16 at 11:15am at Windermere Golf Club. Explore the world with Elderhostel.

Discover behind-the-scenes learning opportunities in all 50 states and more than 90 countries from cultural tours and study cruises to walking, biking and more.

Cost is $20.00. Deadline for reservations is April 6. For more information, and where to mail your check, visit forsythcountynewcomersclub.org.

Autism Support

Meets the first Saturday of every month from 10:00am-Noon. Ascend-ER, Autism Support Community Efforts and New Directions Exceptional at Parkway Presbyterian Church, 5830 Bethelview Road. Please check our web-site at ascend-er.com for monthly meeting details.

Barbershop Singers

Tuesday evenings from 7:30pm-9:30pm at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1125 Bettis Tribble Gap Road. Forsyth County Barbershop Singers invite men ages 18-105 to visit our rehearsals. Men, if you like to sing, this is for you. No experience required. For information call Jerry Frank at 770-886-8670 or email Jerry_frank@bellsouth.net.

Counseling for Senior Adults

Monthly, second and fourth Wednesday from 9:00am-12:30pm, free individual counseling, by a qualified therapist, at the Forsyth County Senior Center, 595 Dahlonega Highway. Please call Mary Johnson to schedule an appointment at 770-781-2178.

Take An Alaskan Cruise

Forsyth County Senior Services is planning a trip from May 15-25. For more information call Sonya Camarillo at 770-781-2178.

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March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Dahlonega

Bye Bye Birdie—Live on Stage March 19-April 5 at 8:00pm at The Historic Holly Theatre. The plot revolves around rock and roll superstar Conrad Birdie and the complications that arise when his agent stages a publicity stunt on The Ed Sullivan Show in which he will kiss one lucky girl from Sweet Apple, Ohio before being drafted into the army. Contact Nicholas DeMoré at 706-864-3759 or nick@hollytheater.com for more information.

Wine Highway Weekend

March 21-22 beginning at 10:00am. This is a great way to see and experience the views and wonderful wines of Northeast Georgia. Hours vary from location to location and travelers should check individual websites for current hours and directions. Additional information and website listings are available at georgiawine.com. For information, call 813-503-0550 or email GAwinegrsmb@aol.com.

Can We Talk?

Beginning March 26 at 9:30am and 7:00pm at the home of Carol Dyer.

Soul-stirring Conversations with God

by Priscilla Shirer delivers familiar spiritual disciplines through a fresh, new method of teaching. The study includes an introduction, followed by 6 weeks of study, 5 days a week. Workbooks available from Carol for $12.00. Call 706-864-3676 or 706-867-7647 for information.

Taste of the Mountains

March 26 at 6:00pm at Lumpkin County High School. Experience an evening of great food and fun, savoring delicious samples from old favorites as well as new restaurants. Proceeds benefit Family Connection. Adults $15.00, Children 5-12 $5.00. For information, contact Brenda Cronan at 706-265-8389 or email bcronan@lumpkin.k12.ga.us.

NGCSU Symphonic Band

March 26 at 8:00pm at Hoag Auditorium, premier instrumental ensemble presents works for the wind band. Cost is $5.00 adults, $2.00 students, NGCSU students free. For more information, contact Marilyn McKinnon at 706-864-1423 or email mamckinnon@ngcsu.edu.

Garage Sale

March 27-28 from 8:00am-4:00pm at 140 Moore’s Drive.

Events!

Celtic Festival

March 27-29 in Hancock Park. Go to dahlonegacelticmusicfestival.com for details.

NOA’s Derby Gala

March 28 beginning at 6:00pm at Cottrell Ranch. Join us in the Race to End Domestic Violence. Wear your best hat and be prepared for a night of fun including music, entertainment, dinner, and a silent and live auction to raise funds to help support local domestic violence victims. For more information, contact Nicole Ryder at 706-864-1306 or email nicoler@noonealone.org.

The New Crown Mountain Boys

April 3 at 8:00pm at Hoag Auditorium.

NGCSU’s own Bluegrass group performs.

For more information, contact Marilyn McKinnon at 706-864-1423 or email mamckinnon@ngcsu.edu.

Chris Potter, Saxophone with the Davis Brothers Super Big Band

April 10 at 8:00pm at Hoag Auditorium.

For more information, contact Marilyn McKinnon at 706-864-1423 or email mamckinnon@ngcsu.edu.

Key Ingredients: America By Food

Through April 11 at NGCSU. The Smithsonian traveling exhibit explores the connections between Americans and the foods they produce, prepare, preserve, and present at the table. For information, visit the Georgia Appalachian Studies Center website at ngcsu.edu/asc or call 706-864-1540.

NGCSU Patriot Choir with the LCHS Choir

April 13 at 8:00pm at Lumpkin County High School Auditorium. This is a spring concert with the Patriot Choir from NGCSU with the Choir from LCHS. For more information, contact Marilyn McKinnon at 706-864-1423 or email mamckinnon@ngcsu.edu.

Book Discussion

April 14 at 1:00pm at the Lumpkin County Senior Center. The book, “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch is available from the library. Email rhonda@3By400.com for information or call 706-864-2358 for directions to the center.

Affordable Travel

If you are interested in traveling to New York City, Pennsylvania, or Branson, Missouri, please contact Gail Monroe at 706-864-2358 for information.

Dawsonville

North GA High School All Star Game

March 18 at 7:00pm at Dawson County High School, Perimeter Road.

Cost is $5.00 entry fee. For more information, call Raymond Porredon at 706-525-9546 and 706-864-6807 or email mporredon@windstream.net.

Spring is in the Air

March 19 from 2:00pm–5:00pm.

Chocolate Moose Interiors at 4055 Hwy 53 East will be hosting the following speakers: Avis Averett and Cathie Waddell. Call 706-265-1990 for information.

8th Annual Paddle Expo

March 27-29 at The Outside World, 471 Quill Drive. See kayak demonstrations and paddle in the indoor pool. Sales up to 40% off. Call 706-265-4500 for information.

Spring Wildflower Fest

April 11-12 at Amicalola Falls State Park, enjoy a wildflower identification hike and learn more about edible and medicinal plants. Come and enjoy a variety of activities as we celebrate the arrival of spring at the park. Programs are free. $3.00 park pass required. For more information call 706-265-1969.

Ellijay

Coffeehouse Music

March 21 at 7:00pm at GAHA Coffeehouse. Come enjoy the music of E.B. Reece. Free at the Gilmer Arts and Heritage Association, 207 Dalton Street.

For more information, call 706-635-5605 or email gaha@ellijay.com.

Friends of the Library Bookshelf

April 1-30 at 10:30am-5:00pm at Gilmer County Library. Find a great book, gently used, at a low price. Every month. For more information, contact Linda Kotula at 706-636-3562 or lkot@ellijay.com.

Gainesville

American Business Women’s Association March 24 at 6:00pm at Ryan’s Family Steak House, Browns Bridge Road.

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Events, Events!

Lake Lanier Charter Chapter is part of a national network of business women that emphasizes and encourages the development of personal skills, leadership qualities, and educational opportunities necessary for a successful career. For more information, contact Annette Walden at 770-887-6792 or annette@paintedladyenterprises.com.

NGCSU Singers and Le Belle Voci Homecoming Concert

March 31 at 8:00pm at Gainesville First Baptist Church. Adults $5, Students $2 and NGCSU students free. For more information, contact Marilyn McKinnon at 706-864-1423 or email mamckinnon@ngcsu.edu.

Voices of North Georgia

April 17 at 7:30pm and April 19 at 3:00pm at St. Paul Methodist Church, 404 Washington Street, celebrating 40 years. Tickets may be purchased at The Arts Council, the door or by calling 678-943-7255. Cost is $15.00 general admission, $12.00 for seniors and students and $5.00 for children 11 and under.

18th Annual Stray Pet Strut/5K Run

April 19, registration and booths open at 12:30pm, 1 mile dog walk starts at 2:00pm and 5K run starts at 2:30pm at Presentation Point at Lake Lanier Islands. Pets must be current on vaccinations and be leashed and be in proper physical condition. Fee is $20.00 before April 13 and $25.00 for same day registration. For information call 770-532-6617. Entry forms available at humanesocietyhallcounty.com

ABWA Annual Luncheon

April 22 at 11:30am at First Baptist Church, Green Street. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Mary Lou Frank. For additional information and tickets contact Annette Walden at 770887-6792. Corporate sponsorships available. For more information, contact Annette Walden at 770-887-6792 or annette@paintedladyenterprises.com.

by

Fun 400 Answers from page 22.

Easter Courtesy of ActivityConnection.com.

32 400 Edition

Across

4. BUNNY 7. JELLYBEANS 11. CHOCOLATE 12. RABBIT 13. HOPS

16. HUNT 17. EASTER 18. EGGS

Down

1. BONNET

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

8.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

CANDY DYE BASKET MARCH LAMB LILY

Hiawassee

Stars Shine for Cancer Relay for Life

March 28 at 6:00pm at Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. Life entertainment, impressionist performances, live auction, concessions. Admission is $5.00 per person. For more information, call 706-896-4191 or email gamtfair@windstream.net.

Jasper Storytime

March 18, Family at 10:00am and Preschool at 2:00pm at Pickens County Library. How Do Dinosaurs…?. For more information, call 706-692-5411 or visit us at sequoyahregionallibrary.org.

Introduction to Birding

March 19 beginning at 5:00pm at Pendley Creek Stables. Theresa Hartz Rasmussen, experienced birder for over 25 years, will present an “Introduction to Birding” class. Theresa will lead the group on a bird walk in the Dawson Forest, Atlanta Tract on March 28 at 8:00am. For more information, contact Patricia Muesse at 706-253-4077 or email patricia@mctga.org.

Friends of the Library

March 19 at 7:00pm at Pickens County Library. Pearl McHaney, Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University will speak on Eudora Welty.

For more information, call 706-692-5411 or visit sequoyahregionallibrary.org.

Eve of Spring Photography Show

March 20 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at 35 North Main Street. New work by North Georgia photographer Lisa Schnellinger.

For more information, call 706-268-3138 or email barakaphotos@gmail.com.

CARES Mile Long Yard Sale

March 28 beginning at 9:00am at Pickens County Chamber of Commerce.

Visit our website for more information on participating as a seller or as a buyer. For more information, contact Larry Starr at 706-253-4777 or email larry.starr@pickenscares.org.

9. DECORATE 10. GRASS 14. SPRING 15. CHICKS

Events!

Genealogy Explorers

March 28 at 10:00am at Pickens County Library. Will discuss membership, topics for future meetings, possible field trips, and the general use of professional genealogists. For more information, call 706-692-5411 or visit sequoyahregionallibrary.org.

Makeovers for All

April 13 at 6:30pm at Pickens County Library. Learn basic skin care and try fabulous new looks. Makeup and hair consultants will let you experiment with new styles. Please register for this program (Grades 7-12) as space is limited. . For more information, call 706-692-5411 or visit sequoyahregionallibrary.org.

Community Blood Drive

April 23 from Noon-6:00pm at Bent Tree Club Tamarack. For information or appointment, contact John Ellison at 770 894-4747 or email ising4u@bellsouth.net.

Roswell

27th Annual Great American Cover-Up Quilt Show

March 21-29, Monday-Saturday from 10:00am-4:00pm and Sundays from 1:00pm-4:00pm at Bulloch Hall, 180 Bulloch Avenue. 200 quilts displayed throughout this historical museum. Cost is adults $8.00 and children, 6-12 $6.00.

Call 770-992-1731 or visit our website at bullochhallquiltguild.com.

Exploration Stations

March 25 from 1:30pm-3:00pm at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road. Visit the Classification, Conservation, Observation, Sensation, and Pollination Stations. Ages 4-12.

General admission: $5.00 adults, $4.00 seniors, $2.00 children 3-12, FREE for members and children 2 and under.

Go to chattnaturecenter.org for more information.

Woodstock

Mammogram Screenings

March 16 at Kroger, 12050 Hwy 92 at Trickum Rd. ScreenAtlanta, a community service of Northside Hospital, offers convenient screenings and breast health education on a year-round basis. For more information, or to make an appointment, call 404-851-6070.

Art Exhibits

March 24-29 at The Chattahoochie Technical College and the Arts Alliance of Georgia, Inc. are sponsoring a student art exhibit at the college, located on

Main Street. The opening reception will be from 6:00pm-8:00pm on March 24.

Additional open hours will be 1:00pm5:00pm. Exhibit is open to middle and high school students from private schools and home schools as well as all other students. Please call Regina Hines at 770 479 1262 or Madeline Hall at 404 509 8792.

Diabetes Prevention Class

Second Tuesday of the month from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Northside-Cherokee Medical Office Building (Towne Lake), 1st Floor conference room, 100 Stone Forest Drive. Participants will learn how to count carbohydrates, learn the difference between insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, learn about blood glucose levels and obtain nutrition and healthy meal tips. The cost is $35.00. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please call 404-845-5555 and press “0.”

Young Harris

Juried Art Exhibition

April 3-June 1, opening reception April 3 from 5:30pm-7:30pm, located at the Brasstown Valley Resort’s new art gallery, 6321 U.S.Hwy 76. For further information, visit themountainartsassociation.org .

Brasstown, NC

Empty Bowls

March 21 from 5:00pm-7:00pm at John C. Campbell Folk School, One Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC. Tickets are $25.00. First, select a handcrafted bowl from a collection donated by area potters. Next, fill your bowl with a hearty meal of soup, salad, bread and dessert. Take your bowl home with you to keep as a reminder of hunger in our local and global communities. For more information, call 800-FOLK-SCH or email info@folkschool.org.

Learn to Contra Dance Weekend

April 17 – 19 in the Community Room, Keith House, at John C. Campbell Folk School. Tuition is $170. Contra dancing involves groups of couples dancing together in two long lines. Learn a dozen or so basic moves and in the process you’ll also learn square dances, which utilize many of the same basics as contras.

Includes a basic waltz workshop. Live music all weekend. For more information see www.folkschool.org/event.php?event_ type_id=2&event_id=115 or email Bob Dalsemer at bob@folkschool.org.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

400 Edition 33

The John C. Campbell Folk School Question: Do you know where you can learn how to make and play a dulcimer? How about a place where you can learn how to bake artisan bread in a wood-fired oven, throw a clay pot, or weave a rag rug?

to participate in weeklong and weekend classes in a variety of subjects: traditional craft, music, dance, writing, cooking, gardening, storytelling, and photography.

•

Hint #1: It’s located just a stone’s throw north of the North Carolina/ Georgia border.

Hint #2: People from all 50 states and abroad travel there year-round

Answer: The John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina

Not your typical school

Featured in the recently published National Geographic book 100 Best Vacations to Enrich Your Life by Pam Grout, the Folk School is a retreat for those who want to get away to a beautiful part of the world, learn a new craft (many attendees are beginners), eat really good food (wholesome meals are served family-style three times a day), and enjoy an abundance of activities (concerts, contra dances, storytelling, artist’s demonstrations)—all in the spirit of fun and in the company of friends. There are no grades and no credits at this school. It is handson learning and strictly noncompetitive. Students work in the studios during the day and have time scheduled for other activities, like watching a craft demonstration or walking the Rivercane Walk, a trail near the Little Brasstown Creek featuring sculptures that celebrate the Cherokee heritage of the area. In the evenings, after supper, students can go back to their studios or enjoy some of the nightlife—contra dances, concerts, art discussions, occasional dance performances by the Brasstown dance teams, or a trip to visit nearby Clay’s Corner. Situated on 300 beautiful acres, the Folk School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The studios and houses that make up the campus are a mixture of quaint old European-style buildings that date back to the early 1930s and the more contemporary farmhouse buildings that include the dining hall, craft shop, and music and cooking studios. Most people prefer to stay on campus, in student housing that ranges from rustic dormitory-style rooms in the historic Mill House to modern private rooms in the newly constructed Field House.

A school rooted in mountain crafts and music Folk School founder Olive Dame Campbell

come to the school to learn more about old-time music and to learn how to play the banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, mandolin, and guitar.

Olive also studied the handicrafts of the region, and after noticing that many men and boys were “whittling” on their porches, she encouraged them to make carvings of the things they saw in their everyday life—ducks, rabbits, and other animals.

By the 1940s, there were close to 100 Brasstown Carvers within 10 miles of the school and most were making more money from the sale of their carvings than from their farms. Today, you can see many of those carvings on display in the History Center or Dining Hall. You can shop for Brasstown carvings by 2nd and 3rd generation carvers at the school’s Craft Shop. You can also pick up a knife and a block of wood and learn to carve in one of the many classes offered at the school.

Celebrate Appalachian heritage at Bear on the Square

Co-founders Olive Dame Campbell and Marguerite Butler, with the help of the residents of Brasstown, NC, opened the John C. Campbell Folk School in 1925. was one of the first collectors of Appalachian ballads and songs. She visited families living in remote coves and hollers of southern Appalachia and wrote down note-for-note the songs that were passed on through families. In 1917, she co-authored English Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians with Cecil Sharp, the English folklorist who is credited with preserving traditional English songs and dance. Today, Folk School visitors can hear some of those same songs being sung by musicians at a Friday night concert or at the school’s Fall Festival. Many students

The Folk School will be a sponsor of the Marketplace at this year’s Bear on the Square Festival in Dahlonega, April 17-19. Folk School artisans will demonstrate blacksmithing, pottery, basketry, chair caning, and woodcarving. The Folk School’s Craft Shop will sell carvings, ironwork, baskets, pottery, and much more. Brasstown dance teams including the Campbell Folk School Cloggers, Rural Felicity Garland, Sticks in the Mud Border Morris, Black Socks Rapper Sword, and Dames Rocket Northwest Clog Morris will also be performing throughout the day.

To learn more about the Folk School and browse hundreds of courses offered this year, or to register for a class, go to www.folkschool.org.

You can also request a free catalog by calling 800-365-5724 or 828-837-2775 or email info@ folkschool.org.

Left to right: A student attaches the final string to his mountain dulcimer; mastering the craft of artisan-bread baking; a beginning student’s collection of traditional baskets made during the week, on display at the end-of-the-week exhibit.

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March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Rustic Decorating with Wrought Iron Charm

by Valerie Kirves, Iron Accents owner

W

hen we’re asked to describe our mountain homes, words that quickly come to mind are natural, rustic, and retreat. The crisp morning air in the North Georgia mountains, the quiet stillness of the wooded surroundings, and the utterly breathtaking views, all come together to create a kind of retreat. A home in the mountains provides a safe haven, a hideaway from the stresses of daily life, a warm and welcome respite.

And whether your refuge is a cabin in the woods or a lodge perched on the mountain side, you want its interior to feel warm, relaxed, and inviting.

Unpretentious natural materials create the basis of relaxed rustic décor. Leather is used to cover overstuffed chairs, horns are worked into light fixtures, tables sport massive log legs, and wool is woven into beautiful rugs. Iron can also play a vital role in this style. And chances are quite good that your rustic retreat can be beautifully enhanced by the addition of handcrafted wrought iron furniture, hardware, and decor.

Wrought Iron Furniture for your Cabin or Lodge

When it comes to a lodge or cabin, natural materials create the basic foundation in their design, and the use of wood furniture is almost essential to blend with the ambience of the woodland surroundings.

But the furnishings in a mountain getaway do not have to be exclusively wood. Another material used for centuries in rustic furniture is wrought iron. The beauty, strength, and elegance of hand-forged iron lends itself to many different designs.

Whether it is something as bold as a hand-crafted wood and iron bed, or as subtle as a barstool embellished with twigs, the key is to add it in small amounts. Since rustic furniture is extremely textural, an entire roomful may be too much to take in; limiting it to a few pieces allows each item to stand out.

Rustic Wrought Iron Accents

Next, you need the right accessories to help give your retreat a personal touch. Here again the rustic appeal of wrought iron makes it a popular choice. In fact, wrought iron is such a popular choice in home accents that there is something available for every room in your home. Consider using rustic iron mirrors and coat trees in your entrance. Adorn your dining table with a wrought iron basket filled with evergreens, or hang a plate rack to display a special dish.

A wrought iron fire screen makes a beautiful accent for your living room fireplace, while a matching tool set can be used to stoke those crackling flames. And for the kitchen, an iron wine rack filled with your favorite vintage, or an acorn-topped paper towel holder, is perfect for the counter. Rustic iron is great for outdoor spaces as well.

Arbors, trellis pieces, and benches look terrific surrounded by plants and trees.

But why stop there? Handcrafted wooden walls provide a ready-made backdrop for the rustic appeal of iron.

Wrought iron towel bars look right at home on rough-hewn bathroom walls, and hand-forged iron curtain rods can add the final touch to a log home kitchen. Because of its natural texture and sturdy character, wrought iron hardware is an excellent choice for a lodge or cabin’s rustic style.

Now, you don’t have to live in a cabin or lodge to enjoy rustic decor.

This style can bring warmth, charm, and appeal to city apartments and country homes alike. No matter where you live or what style you prefer, whether it’s the rustic elegance of a wood and iron bed, or the nature-inspired styling of a wrought iron towel bar, the timeless quality of this natural material is sure to play a pleasing role in your home’s decor.

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

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Gardening

by Linda Ragland, Master Gardener

Neighborhood Gardens

M

y garden club, The Garden Club of Ellijay, is very active in the community and particularly looks for programs that endorse National Garden Clubs and The Garden Club of Georgia’s emphasis on promoting the love of gardening. Virginia Keese, affectionately known as the Fort Mountain Plant Nazi (Heaven help you if she catches you digging or picking woodland plants), suggested the club sponsor a Community Garden like those in Atlanta, where people have a small plot of land that they can call their own for a vegetable garden. We decided we are too rural and too small to embrace the liability risks that come with such a thing, but actually, Virginia could be on the right track. Why not share garden space with our neighbors?

Several of us combined resources to share a vegetable garden on my property a couple of years ago. It went very well until one of the group decided to fertilize everything with un-composted horse manure, causing an unbelievable and uncontainable growth of weeds. This, compounded with the worst heat wave and drought I have ever seen, turned a fun and profitable project into a nightmare.

Some things can’t be foreseen or prevented, but a few ground rules (pun intended) might have helped.

These were our mistakes: 1. Two of us got together and drew the design for our vegetable garden. We then staked off each section and began planting. When we weren’t present, the third person, toting fresh horse manure, started planting everything he had, willy-nilly, with no regard for our carefully planned spacing. By the time we discovered what had happened, it was much too late for damage control.

Lesson learned: Unless you divide the garden into your own personal space, EVERYONE must design and plant the garden together as a team.

2. We had no real system of fertilizing the garden.

Lesson learned: The TEAM must decide and agree on the fertilizer and schedule.

3. We did not work together tending the garden, especially after the weeds took over.

Lesson learned: Again, the TEAM must initially decide on a work schedule for everyone to work together.

This struggling garden was practically

36 400 Edition

abandoned when the temperature stayed above 95 degrees and there was no rain. Somehow we did manage to harvest a few beans, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, and squash.

If you have friendly neighbors with whom you can work, start planning now: 1. Test the soil by scooping some up from several sections of the area and placing it in a bag provided by your county’s Extension Office.

2. Prepare the garden site by killing any existing green plant material.

3. Amend the soil based on the results of the soil tests and till the soil as deeply as possible. Late freezes will help break up the dirt clods.

4. Plan your garden as a team by deciding what and how much of each you want to plant, and then measure and stake off the minimum space required for each vegetable bed. Keep in mind the angle of the sun and height of the mature plants, so you don’t place them where one will shade another.

5. Order your seeds and plants, beginning with cool weather vegetables such as onions, peas, leeks, parsnips, cabbage, brussel sprouts, greens, etc.

6. Make a list of the tools and supplies you will need to tend and maintain your garden.

Don’t forget stakes, strings, and climbing structures for rambling plants.

7. Agree as a team on the maintenance, work schedules, and materials to be used.

8. Have a backup plan to irrigate the garden if the drought continues.

Enjoy a wonderful harvest and a growing friendship with your team. Most of all, learn from your mistakes and threaten great bodily harm to anyone who brings in anything not on the approved list—especially fresh manure.

Writers appreciate other writers— especially very good writers. A unique turn of a phrase or rhapsodic description of plants and gardens in particular make me catch my breath.

We only hope there is the occasion when our own prose can affect or impress a reader as well. With that, I’ll close this article with a beautiful poem written by my good friend and fellow master gardener, Ruth West, also of Fort Mountain. Ruth’s poem was chosen as the state winner in Georgia by The Garden Club of Georgia. Enjoy!

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Seasons of the Wind I am the wind and I have seasons.

In the Spring I’m a warm and gentle breeze Wafting among the awakening leaves.

The iris sway and the daffodils dance As playfully through the garden I prance.

Pansies smile and crocus laugh, lilies sigh; Lilacs bow as gently I whisper by.

Softly I embrace a violet or two, And kiss a primrose making its spring debut.

I am the wind and I have seasons.

In Summer I’m hot and often warn Of a sudden and impetuous storm Roses delight from my dewy kiss; Zinnias and marigolds I’ll not miss.

Larkspur and lavender are all aflutter When I drift by the flowers sweetly mutter.

The gardens fear my willful temper at times As I can explode without reason or rhyme.

I am the wind and I have seasons.

In the Fall I am cool and never at rest; I roam the gardens with impatient zest.

Hastily I sweep across the chilly way As if everything has to be done today.

In mosaic patterns the colored leaves I scatter beneath the now barren trees.

I go hither and yon and to and fro, Wherever, whenever I want to go.

I am the wind and I have seasons.

In the Winter I am bitter cold and harsh; Venting my fury across the landscape sparse.

Icy breath over the sleeping beds I blow, Daring a single courageous bud to show.

Camellias just laugh at all my bluster And bloom in spite of all I can muster.

Hellebore and holly defy my might As I roar oer the land with great delight.

I am God’s creation; I am the wind and I have seasons.

Ruth West

Teen Rescue Fantasies: When Helping Becomes Unhealthy

Mind and heart mind & heart

I

f you are the parent of a teenager negotiating his or her way through a first major “love” relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend, then what follows may be of some relevance to you. Most of us can wistfully recall from our own pasts what intense, all-encompassing feelings these early first loves aroused within us, in some cases to the point where much of the rest of our lives at the time became almost totally eclipsed by the relationship. The teens of today are very similar in their vulnerability to become over-involved in early romantic relationships, although the communication tools of modern technology (cell phones, texting, e-mail, Facebook, etc.) seem to enable their feelings and emotional commitments to move along at a dizzying pace. In essence, emotions that may have taken months or years to develop and share in earlier times now may be processed within days or weeks.

The faster developmental rates of teen relationships can often obscure for teens important details and dynamics regarding their partners that may need to be considered before becoming emotionally involved, granted of course that forethought and restraint are not part of the orientation of the typical adolescent. There is perhaps no venue where this issue can be played out more destructively than that of the “rescue fantasy”: that situation wherein one adolescent essentially evolves into a “caretaker” role regarding the feelings of the other in the hope (usually mistaken) that his or her efforts will somehow save the victim from some terrible physical or emotional fate. Interestingly enough, it was no less a psychological luminary than Sigmund Freud who wrote as early as 1910 about the tendencies of some men to repeatedly fall in love with women of “bad repute,” pointing out that what is striking in such men is “the urge they show to ‘rescue’ the woman they love.”

The daily drama of teenage relationships, in both friendship and romantic forums, provides a

perfect “Petri dish” within which a rescue fantasy can form and develop. Intimate feelings of adolescent despair and hopelessness, sometimes accompanied by threats of self-harm (“cutting,” etc.), shared with a friend in an unbridled way over a series of rapid-fire text messages, can trigger the recipient into an anxious, at times compulsive, state of help-giving readiness. What is happening dynamically here is nothing short of the transfer of emotional responsibility for one teenager’s wellbeing to another person. In the often prototypical male boyfriend-rescuing- girlfriend scenario, the vulnerable and unsuspecting “hero” may suddenly find himself in the process putting aside his own life’s responsibilities (schoolwork, family, peer friendships, etc.) to fulfill the demands of the “mission.” In one recent case example that I was witness to, a 15year-old young man chose to violate the restrictions and curfews of both his own household and that of his girlfriend to rush to her aid following her threats of imminent self-harm (cutting) made during a cell phone conversation. Granted that threats of self-harm should always be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly, this young man’s choice of intervention method, although heartfelt and wellintended, only served to complicate the relationship and increase the parental restrictions placed on it by both sets of parents. Perhaps even more importantly, it opened up a theater of emotional control and manipulation between the young man and his girlfriend that promised to put him into compromising positions going forward.

Given the prevalence of this level of emotional drama and intensity among contemporary teenagers, it is important to coach one’s own son or daughter about healthy ways to offer help and guidance to close friends or to girlfriends and boyfriends. In the example above, one way that the boyfriend could have helped his distraught girlfriend more appropriately would have been to notify her parents or, in their absence or unavailability, to call other

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

Mark P. Feinsilber, Ph.D.

adult family members or the police to investigate. In this way, those most legally responsible for her might have been able to get her access to the professional help that she obviously needed in a much more rapid and direct fashion. In the process, the boyfriend would have been able to maintain enough detachment from the situation to avoid remaining part of the problem. While many teens might at least initially regard this alternative choice as a “betrayal” of sorts and a breach of confidence, the profession of psychology’s own ethical standards state the following: “…confidentiality ends where the public peril begins.”

Teaching teenagers to establish healthy and appropriate boundaries surrounding their helpgiving behaviors with peers is critically important, and has far-reaching implications for the adult relationships that they will have later on. In essence, the teenage rescue fantasy is a powerful but misleading seduction, imparting a false and dangerous sense of importance and influence to those caught up in it on either side.

Mark P. Feinsilber, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years’ experience treating adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families; and is a founding member of the Behavioral Health Association of Forsyth (BHAF). His practice is located at 6030 Bethelview Road, Suite 401, in Cumming. Appointments or other consultations can be arranged by calling the administrative office at 770-205-5760, and more detailed information can be found at www.APSDoc.com.

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400 Edition Wining & Dining

Knowing Wine

by Nancy Forrest

North Georgia Wine Tasting

Recently I had a North Georgia wine tasting at my house. The thirteen bottles served were generous donations from all the wonderful vineyards located along the Georgia Wine Highway. Some of the attendees were new to Georgia wines and it was definitely an experience for them to taste the “terroir” of a different region of the United States. Again, many thanks to all of the North Georgia wine contributors.

The wine contributions served from the vineyards are as follows:

Sangiovese.

• Crane Creek–Mountain Harvest Red. Semi sweet red. Very fruity. Easy to drink.

Three Sisters Vineyard Wine Offer

• Pinot Blanc. Floral. Pear and melon. Fruity.

Mild finish. Dry. • Cynthiana (Norton). American varietal grape. Black cherry flavors. Full mouth feel.

Hints of spice. Pair with dark chocolate and lamb chops.

BlackStock Vineyards Wine Offer

Tiger Mountains Wine Offer

(available at the remote Naturally Georgia Tasting Room, Clayton, GA) • Tiger Mountain–Viognier. Dry white wine with apricot, and grapefruit. Crisp, fruity with some floral. Slight mineral on the nose.

• Tiger Mountain–Cabernet Franc. Mediumbodied with deep fruit, low tannins, and a smooth finish. Decant.

• Tiger Mountain–TNT. Tiger Mountain’s feature blend. Very fruity and most interesting.

Crane Creek Vineyards Wine Offer

(available at the remote Naturally Georgia Tasting Room, Clayton, GA) • Crane Creek–Enotah White. Oaky and off dry.

• Crane Creek–Brasstown Mountain Claret.

Light-bodied blend of Cabernet Franc and

• ACE. Named for their children Austin, Chandler, and Eliza. Blend of reds. Dark berry and cherry and spice. Earthy.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards Wine Offer

• Sunset Rosé. Rhone-style dry rosé. Fruity and refreshing.

Wine of the Month

Bastianich Friulano 2007, Italy Medium-bodied, ripe pear and mineral flavors. Great with food.

Available at: The Wine Store

Sharp Mountain Vineyard Offer

• Pinot Noir. Red cherry, strawberry.

• Collage. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Black cherry, raspberry, vanilla, and chocolate.

Persimmon Creek Vineyards Wine Offer

• Persimmon Creek Seyval Blanc. Lightbodied with pear and citrus/lemon. Crisp, fruity.

8455 Holcomb Bridge Road Alpharetta, GA 30022 (770) 641-1900 http://www.thewinestoreinc.com Visit BIN 75, The Wine Store’s own tasting room next door. Store Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm

“A waltz and a glass of wine invite an encore.”

Johann Strauss

Pig Candy

Real Men Cook—Pig Candy 1/4 pound regular breakfast bacon 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger 1 tablespoon crushed pecans (optional) Preheat oven to 300ºF.

by Patrick Snider

Line the bottom of a rimmed cookie sheet (aka jelly roll pan) with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on the cookie sheet (make sure it fits inside the cookie sheet).

Mix sugar, cayenne pepper, and ginger in small bowl. Cut bacon slices into fourths and dredge each piece in the brown sugar mixture. Place on cooling rack. You can place them close together

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

since they will shrink while cooking. Sprinkle top with pecans if desired.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is thoroughly cooked and sugar is caramelized.

Watch carefully, because it will burn. Remove from oven, being careful of bacon fat and excess sugar beneath the cooling rack. Cool until the sugar hardens.

by Patrick Snider

Restaurant Reviews for the GA 400 Corridor Norman’s Landing

365 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, GA 30041 770-886-0100 | www.NormansLanding.com Fare: Southern | Price: Moderate | Atmosphere: Fishing Camp/Rustic Editor’s note: Although we don’t generally repeat our Good Eating columns, in order to celebrate 400 Edition’s 5th year in print, we revisited one of our all-time favorites—Norman’s Landing.

I am going to let you in on a well-kept secret in the Cumming, Georgia, area. Good food at Norman’s Landing is not the secret—hopefully everyone in North Georgia knows that by now.

What is a secret is how to get “Bones”—the best beef ribs you’ll ever eat. Hopefully, Norman’s Landing owner Bill Norman won’t get mad at me for telling the secret.

Thursday night is Prime Rib Night at Norman’s Landing. When those servings are cut, the result is a happy customer with one delicious prime rib and a hand-cut beef rib leftover. So on Friday, those beef ribs are loaded with a sweet, tangy barbecue sauce and offered up as the lunch special.

Now, the trick is to remember that Bones are only available on Friday, and to get there early, or you will be flat out of luck. Bill opens at 11:15 and it’s not unknown for there to be a line at the door.

Additionally, there are only as many Bones orders as there were Prime Rib orders the night before. Maybe the best insurance you could have would be to go to Norman’s Landing on Thursday night, order Prime Rib, and then see if you can reserve your order of Bones for the next day! If you do get there too late for an order of Bones, don’t despair, because you can still order the baby back ribs.

The second tip I can give you is to come hungry.

Bones come with a side order. I chose the loaded baked potato and, along with their basket of rolls and cornbread, I had all I could possibly eat. I would recommend dessert, but you probably won’t have room after the Bones and your side. If you do have room, I recommend the blackberry or apple cobbler. If you have a dog, don’t forget to recycle your Bones bones as a treat for them.

On this trip, I took two of the fellows who work with me, and good friend Mike Kinsey. In addition to being a great guy, Mike is also a food aficionado. According to Mike, these were the “best beef ribs I’ve ever had anywhere,” which is

March/April 2009 • www.400edition.com

saying a lot.

Even if you are not a beef rib fan, the other menu items, including seafood, chicken, steaks, burgers, and specialty salads, provide enough variety for everyone. The only thing better than their menu is the exceptional service offered there. In the past 15 years, I have been to Norman’s Landing many times and I have never been disappointed.

Also, on March 24 and 25, Norman’s Landing will sponsor a ping pong tournament benefiting the March of Dimes. Be sure to check their web site for details.

Next Friday, when you’re making lunch plans, don’t forget about getting your Bones at Norman’s Landing. When you get there, be sure to tell your server that you read about them in 400 Edition!

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