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Welcome
from the Publisher
H
ome, Sweet Home. We are some of the luckiest and blessed people in the entire world. These mountains that we affectionately call home are some of the most beautiful anywhere. In spring they evolve into 800+ shades of green and as summer continues all of the shades combine to become a lovely forest green. As October arrives everyone anticipates the first signs of autumn. I am a leaf-looker, I always have been. God’s art is never wasted on me I am going to search the mountainsides and valleys for signs of gold, red and orange. I find joy in every shade from the most muted to the vibrant reds. I could sit and watch water move over rocks for hours on end and am reminded to praise God for the relaxing sound it makes. Waterfalls, what an incredible gift! We have clouds that beg to be noticed and lakes that shimmer under the mid day sun. I could go on and on but the jist is that natural beauty is everywhere you look. A hidden treasure you’ll find here is our people. From the folk artist in overalls to the fine art painter and the country cook to the award-winning chef, you will find it all here. There’s the banker who’ll ask about your Mama and the shopkeeper who knows the needs and donates to help the community. There are teachers here who give 120% because they care deeply about their students. The Pastor who rolls up his sleeves to build a deck or deliver a box of food, then there’s the motorcycle guy with the cool tattoos working alongside the Pastor. We are a community of people who were raised to show kindness, often a “hickory tea lesson” learned the hard way from an apron wearing granny who loved us enough. We do our best to feed the hungry, care for the sick and help anyone who needs it. Home, sweet home. It’s not about a house, it’s about the land it sits on, the people we share it with, the old tree and the porch swing. It’s about the tree frogs and the lightning bugs. It’s about your pets and your worn out easy chair. Home is where we lay out head. A home is something everyone needs and deserves. It might be a mansion, a mobile home or a sleeping bag, it’s where you feel content and at peace. I hope you have a home and it’s oh so sweet!
laurel of
Enjoy August, it’s summer’s last kiss... Tracy
Northeast Georgia
August 2022 • Volume Nineteen • Issue Eight
Laurel of Northeast Georgia Mailing: PO Box 2218 - Clayton, Georgia 30525 Office: 2511 Highway 441 Mountain City, Georgia 30562 706-782-1600 • www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com Contributing Writers: Emory Jones, Jan Timms, Dick Cinquina, Tori Carver, Liz Alley,Kendall R. Rumsey, Mark Holloway, Ed Nichols, Tricia Moore, Sean Deitrich
STAFF Publisher/Editor - Marketing - Tracy McCoy Art Director - Dianne VanderHorst Graphics - Lucas McCoy Marketing & Office Manager - Cindi Freeman Assistant Office Manager - D’Anna Coleman Sales Associate / Writer - Michael Detrick Writer - John Shivers Photographer / Writer - Peter McIntosh
Copyright 2022 by Rabun’s Laurel Inc. All rights reserved. The Laurel of Northeast Georgia Magazine is published twelve times per year. Reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publishers and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to the Laurel of Northeast Georgia magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs and drawings. Every effort has been made to assure that all information presented in this issue is accurate, and neither Laurel magazine or any of its staff is responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. The Laurel of Northeast Gorgia maintains a Christian focus throughout their magazine. Rabun’s Laurel, Inc. reserves the right to refuse content or advertising for any reason without explanation.
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Contents
Contents Mountain Homes 12 18 24 28 32 33 34
Why The Mountains On Our Cover - Angel Oak Home A Little Piece of France with a Rabun Address Take This Birthday Girl into Its Next Century Realtor Dane Smith Joins Keller Williams Meet Teresa Bentley - Realtor® Rabun Flooring has New Owners and a New Location!
Around Town 36 40 41 42 43
Michael on the Map 5th Annual Mountain Ride Veteran Spotlight - Major Jon Jones Folk Pottery & Arts Festival The Best Kept Secret - His Last Days
Arts & Entertainment 46 47 50 52
An Artist Shaped by Life and Experience: Poané Main Street Gallery NGAG - Silke Cliatt`s Painting With Fabric New Children`s ABCs Book
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Faith in Christ 56
Sean of the South - “Robbie”
Outdoors 60 62 64
Adventure Out Firmly Rooted Explore Rabun - Our Phenominal Fishing
Southern Fare 68 70 74
Cooking From the Garden Bon Appétit Clarkesville Welcomes the Old Towne Pub
Live Healthy and Be Well 76
August is Gastroparesis Awareness Month
Looking Back 82 84
Foxfire Rabun County Historical Society
Just Thinking 86 88 89 90
Lovin’ The Journey - Place of Hope Ole Blue Of These Mountains By the Way
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Mountain Living
Why the Mountains
W
hen I began thinking about how to best describe the joy of calling the mountains home, I thought that there should be a place where you can find reviews from residents on their town or county or even part of the state. We are review driven consumers. It is the digital version of the oldest form of advertising, word of mouth. So I decided to ask for reviews from natives, almost locals, new comers, part timers, and visitors. I asked a simple question on Facebook and the response was amazing. I’ll go first and will include my review here: “I love these mountains for their views, the kindness of the people, clean water and air, waterfalls that take your breath away, local art, old stories, country stores, thriving downtowns, great locally owned restaurants, festivals and fairs, generosity, one finger waves and head nods, it means a lot knowing if I need a helping hand I’ll find one and I love dirt roads that take me to mountain tops.” There is much to love about the northeast Georgia mountains, if you don’t want to take my word for it, take theirs, my question was... What do you enjoy most about living or visiting in the mountains? “It’s home in my heart, I was raised here and thankful that I was. I’ve called it home almost 60 years. It is beautiful, and it never gets old. I never want to take the beauty around us for granted. I can see the stars at night, I can hear and watch the birds each morning while drinking my coffee; watch a deer and a fawn. I love our community and at any moment everyone is ready to be there for each other and rally around them. I love the compassion that is shown in prayer for matters in our lives. God planted me here and I’ll try to bloom here!” - Teresa Coalley
“No matter what jam you’re in, people will ALWAYS stop to help you. Living here epitomizes “love thy neighbor.” - Monica Collier “My first 18 years of life at the VERY end of Warwoman Road in Rabun County had me so anxious to move away with no thoughts of returning. Fast forward 20 years, I had a family and a career that knew how important it was to me that I get back to these mountains. Back to the rhododendrons, back to the cool temps, back to the breathtaking views, back to the colorful autumns, back to the sound of whippoorwills, and most importantly, back to family!” - Stephanie Harden Branch “The peaceful, safe feeling of home, you know when you see the mountains in the distance on your return from travel. The Mountains, they are beautiful, they protect us, they sing to us, they smell like home. The people in those mountains, they love and protect fiercely. We have our own ways, but we are there for each other. We are Rabun! When you’re in Rabun, you are home.” - Colette Lovell 12 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
“I have lived here all my life (62 years) and why I choose to live here is that it is home. Nothing feels better than simply home. Plus all the beauty, and love that God put in one awesome place on earth.” - Audrey Penland “I’ve been here for 40 years…. so many things have kept me here but the one I love the most is waking up early and listening to all the sounds of nature. My favorite is my neighbors donkey!! I just love it! It makes me smile.” - Rabun Martin “I love the beautiful nature around us, from the rolling clouds on early morning drives, the beautiful sunrises dropping the kids off at school, glorious sunsets, and the wonderful people and community that live here.” - Brittany Ragsdale “I’m just a regular ol’ boy and I know right now that if I needed anything and didn’t have it, I could call up a buddy and say ‘I need this or that’ and if they had it, I could go get it from them or they would bring it to me. That’s what I love about good old Rabun County and I have lived here all my life” - Charley Beck
“I feel the same as Charley but we have only been here 22 years. We have lived or visited all over the world and we have never been anywhere where folks actually care for each other more and it shows. I also love the beauty all around us. As you know, I share a morning sunrise picture on Facebook that goes around the world. (Ray is retired Army so we have friends everywhere)” - Paula Kreiner
“I feel grounded - like the world may be crazy but what is good is right under my feet.” - Joy Knight “Been here 37 years. It’s so peaceful and refreshing and there is so much to thank God for. I hope I always live where I can open my door and see a mountain.” - Sue Conner
“I have lived here all my life. I love the fresh sweet air, amazing views, kind people, and the deep settled peace I feel in my soul every time I look at these mountains. There is no place like home, whether you have been here forever or just got here. We are truly blessed!” - Kaye Collins
“I love the wild blooming foliage, the smell of the woods, finding streams coming right out of the ground, the tiny waterfalls all along winding rivers and trees so determined to live that their roots go right over the boulders. If you sit quietly anywhere in the woods she will speak to your soul and you will walk away better having listened.” - Tametha Blume
“Aside from the obvious beauty, the people. I’m hooked. The people here are my family now.” - Nadine Bramlett
“Not only the beauty of the mountains but the simplistic way of life. The sense of family.” - Ken Owens
“We bought our first home here 22 years ago. It reminds me of “home,” which is small town in Nebraska. We love the peace, fresh air and good clean water. The beauty is a bonus - it just makes one feel good.” - Barb Van Dyke
“Years ago, before we moved up full time from Gwinnett County, I was able to really exhale and fell in love every time I saw the mountains as we were driving up to our weekend cabin! The beautiful lush greenery, the mountains in the background, the rivers and lakes, and the gorgeous seasons we have are hard to beat!! We have loved living up here full time for a few years now. It’s just so peaceful.” - Penny Kerlin
“Moved to the mountains, Otto, North Carolina, five years ago. Not only do we love God’s beauty up here but mostly the people. Can’t explain it exactly, but there is something special about living here in ‘God’s Country’. We love it and the people.” - Cindy Langer “Been here all my life. Can’t imagine living anywhere else. This is my home where all my ancestors were born and raised. HOME, more than a word, it’s a feeling from the heart…” - Dorothy Carnes “The wonder of the green mountains. The streams, rivers and lakes. The people. Our Church. We moved full time from Sarasota in June 2010 and have never considered living anywhere else. Unless or until our health declines and we need assistance, we are here.” Tom Randle “I grew up in Habersham and then moved to Rabun when I married. I have always been in love with the mountains and I feel truly blessed that this is where I get to live my life. There is a peace here like nowhere else.” - Teresa Dyer “Moving from the fast pace of Atlanta, I immediately learned how the mountain life calms your soul. I feel I gained back the 20 years I spent in traffic. I finally found true friends in our small community and have time to share the joy of the beautiful surroundings. I feel very blessed.” - Kathy Winkler “I have been a part time resident since 2006. I love the beauty of the mountains, the flowers, the trees, the weather and mostly the people. Some of the warmest, kindest, friendliest people I have ever met. I love Osage and the fresh veggies, and fruits. I love Andy’s wonderful meats. It is my happy place and my husband loved it so much that his ashes are scattered here and there in Rabun County.” - Wanda Sleeth “My dad’s family goes back to the 1800’s in Rabun! Love the small town life.” - April Allgary Phillips “The people! You never meet a stranger here! Everyone is so inviting and we all take care of each other. The school system is amazing, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School included. It’s a great place to raise a family, it’s safe. - Nina Crump
“The first time I crossed into the county in 1975, I felt like I was coming home. I finally was able to move here in 1987 and the only way I plan to leave is when God calls. Such beauty as found in our mountains has nourished my spirit and grounded me in a way only possible here. I am grateful.” - Elaine English “I moved here after seeing nearly the entire country from childhood through early adulthood. In truth, the beauty of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and people grow the longer you’re here. You see more. You know more. I’d not raise a family anywhere else. Rabun County is a piece of our country that still has ties to its heritage of slow living, joy in hard work, and conservative family values.” Sarah Ruth Owens “Born and raised here - 66 yrs. We are in God’s country. No matter what season, you can always find beauty. I love to travel but can’t wait to get back to Rabun County.” - Sue Wilkerson “Lived here all my life. I love those high mountains, we are so blessed to have. Thankful to see God’s beautiful creation and take a big deep breath of God’s fresh mountain air.” - Debra Coalley “The people! I am not a native, I moved here 12 years ago. The beautiful people and this place has became our home. We were welcomed with open arms. Angie Dickerson and Alice Woods were the first two friends I made here. I have made so many more and I love you all so much” - Tina Johnson Barnes
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Mountain Living
On Our Cover: Angel Oak Home By Tracy McCoy
T
erri Goethe epitomizes the soft and peaceful interiors she creates. You see the threads of her kindness and beauty in the homes she touches, it’s easy to see why she is chosen by homeowners from Atlanta to Linville and many points in between. This native of Stephens County has deep roots in Toccoa and has a passion for the north Georgia mountains. Terri met her husband Chris while living in Atlanta and the couple married in 2006. Her resume is quite impressive with names such as Habersham Furniture and design firms around the Atlanta area. She enjoyed working and learning from others but longed to delve deeper into home interior design. Terri wanted to understand the effects plumbing and electrical planning had on planning design and finishes. Comprehending codes and making certain those were met was crucial to good planning. With her new husband’s encouragement and support, she enrolled in a program to learn kitchen and bath design and became a certified kitchen and bath designer in 2008. She felt that her past experience and newfound certification put her in a position to venture out on her own. So in 2008 Terri began her business, working directly with homeowners to plan their new or renovated kitchen and bath designs. 18 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
Chris Goethe was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. On a trip with his bride he took her to see the Angel Oak tree. This is a live oak that easily canopies 1700 square feet. It is the oldest of its kind east of the Mississippi and named the most beautiful tree in the world. It is a live oak tree on John’s Island in Angel Oak Park. Any visit to that area should include a visit. It’s age is debated with estimates between 500 and 1500 years old. Terri described it as a piece of God’s art and said when they returned home she asked Chris what he thought about officially naming their design firm Angel Oak Design. He loved it! Her business in Atlanta was thriving and she absolutely adored being part of the planning of new homes and working with clients on renovations. Chris says “Terri has a gift for interior design” and I tend to agree. The couple made the decision to buy a lake house in Terri’s hometown of Toccoa in 2015. Two years later they made a move from Atlanta to Toccoa to reside there full time. Terri planned to continue working with her clients in the Northwest corridor of The City but found in renovating the home she and Chris had purchased that her ability to buy the items she needed in the area was almost non-existent. She was having to travel back to Atlanta or to Greenville to find the items she wanted in her home. She wanted to provide those things for the families in Stephens and surrounding counties. She
and Chris also loved the idea of investing in Toccoa’s downtown. There were wonderful shops there and they decided to join them. Terri has many clients now on Lake Hartwell, Lake Burton, Rabun and Seed as well. The homes featured on our cover include two homes in Toccoa, one being the model home at The Currahee Club.
right direction. Her title of Director of Operations means she keeps the team in line! Then there are two degreed designers, Bree Tuttle (UGA Graduate with 20+ years of experience) and Jessi Herrin (recent graduate of the University of Georgia with degrees in Interior Design). In the showroom you’ll meet the rest of the team - Yenny Martinez, Casandra Dalton and Sarah Steele.
As business continued to grow Terri saw the need to add more designers and someone to manage operations for the business. Enter into this story, Nancy Boger who keeps everyone going in the
Terri found that when she took on kitchens and baths it often led to other opportunities to help with the home design. She truly enjoys working with the homeowners to help accomplish their goals for the new construction or renovation.
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Mountain Living
Our homes are an extension of ourselves and coming home should be something we look forward to - a peaceful place to unwind from the day and to entertain friends and gather with family. Terri loves being involved in creating that space for her clients. Recently Terri was contracted after meeting a couple at a dinner she attended to handle the interior design on their 10,000+ sq foot new home in Linville, North Carolina. Of course it took months from start to finish but the home is a showplace like no other. The views from the home begged to be adored from easy chairs and porch furnishings and even the bedrooms. The Goethes have developed a friendship with these clients, as they do with so many of them. They find that if you take the time to get to know the homeowners, it gives a much clearer picture of what the unique design plan needs to be for their unique home. Angel Oak Design no doubt has many more spectacular homes on the books, but always welcomes new clients. Angel Oak Home is inviting and inspiring from custom window coverings, upholstery, rugs and home furnishings and décor to the perfect gift for a wedding or shower you will love everything you see. Upon meeting and talking with Terri I can see her kindness and style woven throughout her business. She is quick to give God the glory for everything she’s been given, especially her family. Together she and Chris have four grown sons, two daughter-in-laws and two grandchildren. Angel Oak Home is located at 46 Doyle Street in Toccoa, Georgia 30577. Their website is easy to navigate and offers an abundance of good information as well as a link to their blog. You’ll find it at www. angeloakdesign.com and you can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram @angeloakhome.
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Mountain Living
A Little Piece of France with a Rabun Address By John Shivers
P
roperty anywhere on or around Lake Rabun is a hot commodity any time it’s available. But when the three acres, more or less, that the property sits on includes a truly one-of-a-kind 8,400± square foot chateau that proudly proclaims its European French roots, it just doesn’t get much better. Three acres near the lake and six bedrooms plus a ball room size great room makes the property at 4741 Murray Cove Road in Tiger one of the best buys out there today. Oh, and did we mention that this is a fee simple property, and that you’ll get all of this for less than one million dollars?
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This home is a true host’s delight with all of the amenities the Lake Burton area and nearby Clayton have to offer… with plenty of room for everyone to spend the night, besides! And YOU get to decide how all that entertaining happens. Even to the point of making this property into a Bed & Breakfast! Nestled among mature foliage, accessed by a long, winding driveway off the highly sought-after Murray Cove Road location, you’ll think you’ve stumbled upon an oasis of lush greenery, crowned by a two-story manor house. But as breathtaking as the exterior is, with its soaring columns, many windows and covered
grand portico, just wait until you see inside. What a feast for the eyes! And speaking of feasts, when the lord and lady of this grand home decide to entertain, my oh my the options that await. From the soaring ceilings of the two-story great room with tall, quintessential arched windows and a mirrored fireplace, the entire space is large enough for several seating areas, or even dancing, so reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles in Paris. Dark hardwood floors act as the perfect foil for Oriental carpets, perhaps, and give the rooms a warm and comfortable ambience. But all that dancing is bound to work up an appetite, and the adjacent formal dining room large enough to seat twenty or more guests – and even more at a stand-up buffet – completes the hospitality potential. Whether your resident chef prepares all the banquet fare for these memorable entertainments, or you employ the services of a caterer, the updated chef’s kitchen features generous cabinet and workspace, solid surface countertops, both a range and a built-in cook top in the center island, a stone backsplash, and an oversize walk-in pantry. A butler’s kitchen/wet bar connects the kitchen-living room to the dining room. Everything is set up to make fine dining, or even casual family night suppers so easy and convenient. With six bedrooms, four full baths and two half baths, this home practically screams hospitality central. The master suite is on the main level, complete with trey ceilings and his-and-her closets, dual sinks, a deluxe shower, and oversize luxury everywhere you look. There’s also a home office in this area. Upstairs, the remainder of the bedrooms, game rooms and hobby rooms round out the home’s hosting factor. You just have to experience the soaring ceilings, spacious hallways, abundant storage, and versatile entertainment areas, as you encounter inviting nooks begging you to stop and enjoy a lazy lake day. Four fireplaces, several balconies, easy access to the outside, and sweeping lawns expand the entertainment possibilities, and the Murray Cove public boat ramp just a half mile down the road makes lake access so easy. The home’s three-car garage offers storage for your vehicles and an abundance of watercraft. Harry Norman, REALTORS® Luxury Lake and Mountain agent Evelyn Heald represents GAMLS#20044866. Contact her at (cell) 404-372-5698 or (office) 706-212-0228, for an opportunity to envision yourself as the owner of this little piece of France Lake Rabun style!
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Mountain Living
Take This Birthday Girl Into Its Next Century By John Shivers
“I
t’s a dream,” one observer said of the country home at 1443 Warwoman Road so near Downtown Clayton, and yet so very rural in setting and livability. This grand old dame of a home is celebrating her 100th birthday this year. How much better could it be for her to begin her second century in the loving hands of a new owner? Someone to carry on the long-established traditions and make new ones besides. In addition to the 3,426± square foot, four bedroom home, there are 16.8± acres of wooded and rolling lawns that are included in the offering. Just think of the fun; just think of the opportunities. Just think about being “king or queen of the hill!”
Restoration, preservation, and authentic upgrades have been the buzzwords of the current owner, who has made this home very much 21st Century. Toward that end, the labors of love that guided every decision and resulting action can be glimpsed in the authentic preserved fireplaces, the bead board ceilings, a period front door complete with mail slot. Numerous small but decorative architectural elements are found throughout the house. How do you reach this virtual Shang-ri-la? Just turn at the stone gateposts and follow the paved driveway that winds its way to the top of the hill. An extra-wide covered, rocking chair front porch with the requisite southern robin’s egg blue ceiling greets you. And take note of the comfortable swing in the nearby pergola. You’ll just have to take a couple of minutes to sit and gaze out at some of Rabun’s prettiest landscape. Landscape that will be yours when your name is on the deed. Then take another minute to enjoy the fabulous open vista called Screamer Mountain across the road. It’s all a part of the package. There’s also an open deck above the front porch, and a covered deck and outdoor living area in the back, as well as an established garden spot. An in-ground swimming pool only makes the already great fantastic. You think it can’t get any better, but it can. You’ve still got to experience the inside. Original pine floors greet you upon entry into the main floor living room, and pay special attention to the many restored doors throughout. To your right, an oversize formal dining room with custom hand-stenciled walls and seating for twelve or more lends itself to several different uses. All of the rooms feature high ceilings, and much of the home has been preserved and repurposed for today’s living. The spacious kitchen, with solid surface counter tops and generous pantry space, is a home chef’s dream. While this 28 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
kitchen checks all the modern day boxes with stainless appliances including a gas range and oven, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, and trash compactor and an apron-front farmhouse sink, the integrity of the house is preserved. A laundry area, bonus room, sun room and office are also on the main level. You’ll love the stone floors throughout this area. One bedroom is also on this level, along with a full bathroom and a half bath. Make this your master, or choose from one of the three other bedrooms and baths on the second level. Talk about flexibility. Talk about being able to sleep family or friends. Your home is guaranteed to be a people magnet. And if all this space isn’t adequate, check out the unfinished bonus room over the two-car carport. The exciting options for this lovingly restored and maintained home are many. Check out MLS #20052240 by contacting Poss Realty Agent / property owner Myra Chapman at 706-982-0364 or at the office at 706-782-2121.
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Why The Mountains...
“I have spent a lifetime loving the beauty and nature of Rabun County, and I am so thankful God placed me here! I was inspired to write a poem in high school, called “As Twilight Falls”…. Inspired by beauty and nature in the Persimmon Community.” - Dolores Crane
As Twilight Falls by Dolores Crane
As twilight begins to fall, the sky is pallid and serene Oh! How I love the peacefulness a time like this can bring. The beautiful song of the nightingale is the perfect music for the setting; The rhythmic cry of the whippoorwill is yet beyond forgetting. The last chatter of the birds as they start their rest for the night; the lonely cry of the sad hoot-owl, means everything’s all right. Oh! How I love the evening, when the end of day is nigh; when night time soon is nearing and all will be quiet – for awhile!
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Mountain Living
REALTOR® Dane Smith Joins Keller Williams
R
ealtor Dane Smith has joined the Keller Williams Realty team. He is working out of the Keller Williams Greater Athens office but is successfully maintaining his well established business in the mountains as well. Dane has made a name for himself as a Realtor dedicated to both his buyers and sellers and is committed to excellence. His clients agree that working with him is a pleasure, they are pleased with seamless transactions, his attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile. Whether you are in the market to buy or sell, give Dane a call at 706-949-3792 or visit his website at www. danesmithrealtor.com
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Meet Teresa Bentley – Realtor®
T
eresa Bentley was born in Rabun to Freddy and Vickie Webb. She grew up watching her parents treat customers like family. Offering excellent customer service was a cornerstone of the family’s business Webb’s Heating and Cooling. Once she was old enough Teresa joined her parents in running that business. She definitely learned from the best. After her parents retired, Teresa decided to pursue a career in Real Estate, she is perfect for this industry. Teresa and husband David have one son Weston and they have made their home in Habersham. This friendly and knowledgable agent joined the Real Broker, LLC firm through The Stewart Team. The affiliation offers her many tools that other agents outside of this network may not have. That is why she chose this company. She is dedicated to showcasing North Georgia with a special focus on our corner of the state. If you are looking for a home or thinking about selling your home or property give Teresa Bentley a call she’d love to hear from you. She can be reached by calling 706-982-0573 or visit www.joinreal.com/teresa-bentley for listing information.
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Around Town
Rabun Flooring has New Owners and a New Location! By Tracy McCoy
Y
ou’ve heard the term, “partners in crime”. Well this describes the new owners of Rabun Flooring. Joey and Kristina Haban met while working in uniform at a neighboring Sheriff’s office. In addition to their combined 30 years of service, Joey served on the Sheriff’s Office Elite Dive Team for over 15 years, recovering evidence in criminal cases and providing closure to families, by recovering the bodies of drowning victims. Kristina was a training supervisor teaching at the Police Academy and Georgia Public Training Center, she was also the first female firearms instructor in Hall County. Together Joey and Kristina were dedicated to serving their communities and getting drunk drivers and illegal drugs off the street. She smiles and says, “we actually really met in jail, just on the other side of the bars.” They began dating, married and started their family. Their daughter, Katie Jo was born at 28 weeks, weighing only 15 ounces which came with a lot of health issues. So after a decade of service, Kristina walked away from her law enforcement career to be there for her. Katie Jo was in the NICU for the first year of her life and continued in and out of the hospital and ER a dozen times the next year. Infectious disease could not find the cause of this baby’s infection. Finally, a doctor suggested tonsillitis and that was it, tonsils were removed at 18 month old and Katie Jo began to get well. Kristina decided to pursue a career in nursing after her experiences with her daughter, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Piedmont College; then went to work at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, where she worked the last two years exclusively as a Covid nurse in a specialized unit. Joey jokes, “Being a cop paid so well, that I took a side gig laying flooring.” His roots run deep in Rabun County, he is the grandson of nurse Jo Dotson well known for her work in the Rabun County Health Department. He and Kristina decided that Rabun was where they wanted to raise Katie Jo so they moved to the mountains. Both were still commuting back and forth to Hall County to work and that was taking its toll. Joey had offered sand and finish as well as installation services to Mike and Sandy Hyer at Rabun Flooring for years. He became one of their installers and a friendship and professional relationship was the result. Joey had expressed an interest in buying Rabun Flooring if they ever decided to sell it. It’s easy to see that when the Hyers began thinking about retirement, Joey and Kristina were a natural fit to take over. That day arrived and that brings us up to date… Rabun Flooring’s new owners are Joey and Kristina Haban. The location on West Savannah was great for many years but parking and space were limited. Joey reached out to Jeff Reeves and rented the old Reeves Feed and Seed just south of the main store on Mill Street. The new location is roomy, parking is ample and they’ve been able to add some new lines of flooring. Kristina has always loved decorating and has quite the eye for it, so she decided to take a break
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from Covid nursing and left her job at the hospital and joined Joey to run the store. If the transformation of the new store is an indicator you will be in good hands with this husband/ wife team. Joey had this to say about his new store, “We are a full-service flooring center now, offering the exceptional lines that Rabun Flooring has been known for and some new and exciting brands as well. Installation is now in-house and the store is stocked with samples from most major manufacturers. We also repair flooring and carpets.” I learned in talking with the Habans that what a flooring store has on the floor in the way of samples is what can be ordered. They updated each brand and brought in the full Stanton line of carpets, a luxury line known for dynamic patterns and fibers. In fact, they have the largest selection from Asheville to Gainesville. The Stanton line as well as any of the others they offer can be custom made into an area rugs which Rabun Flooring can also offer in-house. “If you are replacing your flooring but you have carpet that is still in good shape you can bring it in and we’ll make a rug for you.” Kristina said. The store has the new trend in washable rugs that are so convenient and popular. Indoor/Outdoor rugs for every style can be found, and they will soon have in stock area rugs ranging in materials and styles to meet every need. Rabun Flooring also offers a huge collection of Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVT) flooring which is a line perfect for kitchens and bathrooms, it is vinyl over plank so you can get the natural look of wood flooring but it stands up to life, including: water, scratches, pets and moisture. Traditional wood flooring, laminate, vinyl and carpet are all options as well. They are already seeing new customers coming from surrounding counties and even out of state for the lines they have in stock. The Habans have improved on what was already an excellent source for quality flooring in the mountains. Stop in today at 149 Mill Street in Clayton or call 706-782-4706. A new website is in the works and coming soon!
Around Town
Michael on the Map By Michael Detrick
Take 8: Long Creek, South Carolina In this series I will be traveling to the towns of northeastern Georgia and western North and South Carolina, sharing my adventures and discoveries as I meet the locals who make up the area. Hop in my Jeep and let’s hit the road!
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etween last month’s and this month’s travels, the rhododendron had said their seasonal hello, briefly flecking the forests with a floral summer snow of brilliant white blossoms. The lush wildwood canopy had never been greener, and summer rains came and went, leaving everything vivid and dewy. And the bees. Sometime also between then and now I nursed a wicked bee sting to the face, which made me look like a post-plastic surgery Mickey Rourke if he sat and drank in the sun all day and then got into a fistfight. Really nice. An ER visit, steroids shot, and a few pills later, and my face finally deflated. I was stung as well last summer and enjoyed a good amount of time – quite literally – as “the bee’s knees”. (Careful out there, folks! This is nature’s world, and we just live in it.) OK, back on the map! It was a gorgeous day when I set out for Long Creek, and I was excited to take a trip to the river, out of state. Queue up some Kinks “Sunny Afternoon” and off we go! Straddling Georgia and South Carolina – thus forming the state line – the Chattooga River finds its headwaters just southwest of Cashiers, North Carolina, and travels 57 miles south to its convergence with the Tallulah River, forming the Tugaloo. Designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1974, the Chattooga was the first river east of the Mississippi to be granted such distinction and is the only one today that is commercially rafted. The ”Crown Jewel of the Southeast”, the Chattooga is a free-flowing river that quickly responds to rainfall and drought conditions, as
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nature intended. A drop-pool style river, vigorous rapids are followed by calmer pools, which can be enjoyed for swimming. But it is the rapids that make this river famous. It is here that you will find the best whitewater rafting in the southeast. Headed east on US Highway 76 from Clayton, I crossed over the Chattooga; behind me the Chattahoochee and before me the Sumter National Forest. Not far into the Palmetto State but far away from any palmettos, you come upon the Bull Sluice access point. A benchmark Class IV+ rapid, Bull Sluice is the largest and final cataract of Section III of the Chattooga. Famously featured in 1972’s Deliverance, the trail to Bull Sluice is a short 0.2mile oft-traveled path. I made the quick trek and joined other spectators perched on the rocks and wading in the pool towards the top of the drop. After witnessing some successful rafting and kayaking runs and checking out the sandy beach just downstream (a fantastic place to take a picnic), I got back on the road to Long Creek.
Located in South Carolina’s northwesternmost Oconee County – known as “The Land of the Waterfalls” – Long Creek is a recreational wonderland for those who love the outdoors. Camping and wilderness lodging options abound, so off I was to check out Chattooga Lodge and Campground.
Mat Nelson had a dream: He wanted to own a campground. It took him 15 years to find one, but when he did, he and his wife Teresa pounced. Googling “campgrounds for sale”, Mat came across this special place and thought, “Wait a minute. It’s got a creek and 17 campsites on the creek, and 8 RV sites, and 9 guest rooms, and this 4500 square foot post and beam lodge with a commercial kitchen and bar? Honey, get in the car. We’re going right now.” And so, cutting short a tour of the Northeast with their dog, Willie Nelson, they did just that. Still amidst many changes and improvements, Mat’s first mission was to take the existing lodge that was previously used a wedding venue and turn it into a bar. “I’m really good at going to bars. I know by now what makes a good bar. And who doesn’t want to go to a campground with a bar? So simple.” Thus, (named after their dog) Willie’s was born.
While I sipped a Freehouse Lager and enjoyed a delicious perfectly crusted Mediterranean pizza, Trey explained his and Cricket’s realized goal. “We wanted to create a space where people could experience community on a really deep level, and nothing does that quite as well as food, and coffee. And being on the river with each other.” Mission accomplished. After talking with Trey more about river life and sharing some of my own creekside stories, I was off to visit Cricket at Wildwater. Growing up playing on the river, Cricket – herself also a raft guide – explained, “Long Creek holds something for everyone in the family. The river has great spots to swim with our kids along with
Offering some 100 beers, spirits, and wine, Willie’s also delivers on great food, specializing in such classic bar staples as wings and burgers. Make sure to catch live music on both their indoor and outdoor stages. “It’s been really neat becoming the gathering place of Long Creek,” Mat said. I took a tour of the campground before heading over to another local gathering place, Humble Pie (anyone know the 70s hard rock group?) and adjacent Gauge Coffee House (Humble Pie had a hit with “Black Coffee” in 1973). Coincidental. I sat down with owner Trey Barnett, who grew up nearby. Following in his father’s footsteps, Trey spent many years as a raft guide around the corner at Wildwater Chattooga, where his wife Cricket is Operations Manager.
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Around Town
Michael on the Map continued
advanced whitewater for Trey and I. There are short hikes and long hikes to waterfalls and scenic areas. Our community is friendly, fun, and caring. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.” And why would she? Founded in 1971 by Cricket’s grandparents – the pioneers of whitewater rafting in the Southeast – Wildwater is today housed in the historic campus of an old boarding school, Long Creek Academy. (In a fun twist of fate, Gauge Coffee House is housed in the original Wildwater building, which was itself originally a schoolhouse.) Wildwater Chattooga offers rafting trips, ziplining tours, kayaking, and stand up paddleboarding on Lake Tugaloo, as well as various team-building activities. Named by Southern Living “The #1 thing every Southerner must do”, rafting the Chattooga is a no-brainer for those with an adventurous heart who welcome an adrenaline rush. I told Cricket I would be back to take a trip down the mighty Chattooga. (Who’s coming with me?) Local legend doesn’t stop with the river. Once the country’s largest apple-producing area east of the Mississippi, Long Creek is today still home to many orchards, and thus I next set forth for beautiful Chattooga Belle Farm. Upon arriving to this 198-acre working farm, distillery, bistro, and event barn that boasts a 270-degree view of the surrounding mountain ridges, I sat down with Office Manager Cat Doolittle. Over a glass of the Farm’s magenta Frozé (frozen Rosé), she shared, “It always surprises me how many people have never been here, but once they have, they continue to come back over and over. That view brings them back.” Cheers to that. Like the rest of Long Creek’s residents, Cat loves the hometown feel of the area and calls it her “small-town family”. The farm remains open to the public after hours, and many people enjoy the sunset from their large stone deck. You can purchase farm fresh fruit and other items such as jams, jellies, syrups, and even fruit wine (Oh, hi, Moira Rose!) from their general store. I tried the apple wine and quite enjoyed it. But now it was time for a hike.
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Having begun my day “wild and scenic”, I opted to end it on a similar note. Recommended by Cricket as the “must-see” of the 22 waterfalls of Oconee County, I set out to end my day in Long Creek at the stunning Brasstown Falls. Brasstown Falls is actually a series of three waterfalls, the first and last of which you can get to the base of. You travel past the second of the set as you wind down the trail alongside Brasstown Creek. I lingered here for a bit, enjoying the fresh, earthen smell of the damp forest air, and taking in the negative ions. This is a heavily visited falls, but I found myself able to gain some moments of solitude. Bring your swimsuit and wade in the cool pools at the bases of these falls. Bring the Tarzan in you and enjoy the rope swing just before the upper falls on the right. Another great spot to check out if you are in Long Creek at the right time is Brasstown Creek Gathering Place BBQ. They may keep lean hours, “But they kill it”, Mat from the Lodge stated earlier. I’ll be back to check it out. This brings me to the end of one of my favorite entries in the canon thus far. Everyone I met in Long Creek was warm, welcoming, and eager to share why they love where they live so much. And as I depart, until next time, my friends, I will leave with you some mostfitting Willie Nelson: “On the road again. Goin’ places that I’ve never been. Seein’ things that I may never see again. And I can’t wait to get on the road again.”
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Around Town
5th Annual Mountain Ride By Craig Everson
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t’s that time of year again! The Military, Fire Fighter, and Cops (MFC) Motorcycle Club’s Smoky Mountain Chapter is hosting its 5th Annual Charity Fundraiser event located at the Copperhead Lodge in Blairsville, Georgia on September 17, 2022. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go directly to the North East Georgia Homeless Veteran’s Shelter (NEGHVS). Not only will MFC host a beautiful mountain ride starting and finishing at the Copperhead Lodge, but there will also be food, fun, music, motorcycle related vendors, and of course a charity auction! Even if you don’t ride, please come out and support our Veterans and enjoy the family friendly festivities! This event will be held rain or shine! Last year, the Smoky Mountain Chapter was able to raise in excess of $18,000 in monetary contributions, food and household products. The goal for this year is to raise even more! Paramount to the event’s success is the continued support and participation by so many incredible local patrons and gracious businesses and donors. We promise your efforts are making a direct and positive impact on many Veterans here in Georgia.
You may have also noticed MFC MC at Currahee Brewing in Clayton on the first Sunday of the month from 2-6 pm. MFC has teamed up with Currahee to help raise both awareness and support for the NEGHVS. If you’re in town, stop by and grab a burger or a beer and enjoy the weather and fellowship. Thank you for your continued support, MFC could not do this without YOU! That’s why we love being a part of this glorious smalltown community and living local! Please reach out to Smoky Mountain Chapter President Steve Wentworth at 321-377-4386 to support this event or if you have any questions. All auction related or monetary donations will be gladly accepted! As always, please be mindful of your two wheeled friends and take that extra look before turning!
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Rabun County Veteran Spotlight By Col. Roger Glenn, U.S. Army (retired)
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his month’s spotlight features retired United States Army Major Jon Jones, a resident of Kingwood. Major Jones began his career in the early 1980s after being inspired by the election of President Ronald Reagan and what he recounts as a strong desire to serve. He began his career in the Georgia Army National Guard and in 1982 obtained his commission through the Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning. By 1986 at the ripe old age of 31, Jones decided to transition to active duty where he continued his career until he retired in 2006. Shortly after retiring he took a position as a Department of Army Civilian (DAC) and remained at Fort Bragg, North Carolina until he retired from civil service in 2018. Jones then moved to Rabun County, given his strong connection to it based on a cabin that his family owned on Lake Burton and the many wonderful memories he had of this region. However, in his retirement he is anything but idle as he has engaged in a number of
causes and continues his legacy of service, presently serving as the Quartermaster of VFW Post 4570 in Clayton, and also volunteers with the American Legion (Post 220 in Mountain City), and Northeast Georgia Mountains DAV (Disabled American Veterans) Chapter 15. Jones began his career in the Field Artillery branch, but later transferred to Special Operations. He completed his Special Forces qualification in 1990 and attended Ranger School at the age of 38. His 25 years of combined military service included assignments in Germany, Bosnia, Thailand, and Hawaii. He completed four different command assignments and earned three Meritorious Service Medals among his many decorations. He is a proud parent of two adult sons, one of whom was recently commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force. In spite of the demands of his military and civilian careers, Jones found time to serve as a Scout Leader for the Cub & Boy Scouts of America for over 12 years and fondly recalls them as the most rewarding personal experience of his life. While at Fort Bragg, he worked with sons of many service members, including two that had lost their fathers during our nation’s operations in Afghanistan. Both of his sons attained the rank of Eagle Scouts. Jones remains proud of his nation and service, but modest regarding his own contributions and is quick to point out that he’s led a ‘blessed life’. I would say that the rest of us have been equally blessed to have the benefit of his service, and now the honor to call him neighbor. If you get a chance to meet this great patriot, you’ll get a firm handshake and a warm smile from a big-hearted American Hero.
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Around Town
T
he Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia presents the 14th annual Folk Pottery Show & Arts Festival Saturday, September 3. It will be held on the grounds of the Sautee Nacoochee Center (SNC) from 9am-4pm, where the museum is located. Admission is free for visitors, children, and families to the festival, the Folk Pottery Museum and other areas. Northeast Georgia folk potters will be setup in the historic gym where festival goers may talk with them and enjoy the fascinating pottery that will be on display and for sale. Visitors will be able to cast their vote for their favorite piece made by a local folk potter. Heritage art vendors will display and sell their wares across the lawn of the SNC campus. Also, visitors can participate in the festival’s fundraising raffle to win pieces created by festival artists. Live potting demonstrations will take place in the museum throughout the day. An assortment of pottery-related videos, including interviews and footage of potters working, will be shown in the Center Theatre. Additionally, the African American Heritage Site and the Cultural Center, located on the SNC campus, will welcome visitors. The Heritage Site features a restored slave cabin from the northeast Georgia mountains and a blacksmith shop built on site. Both will be staffed, with a blacksmith demonstrating on an open forge. In the Cultural Center, festival goers may visit the local history museum and two gallery shops, which feature the work of artists in a variety of media who live within fifty miles. The gallery shops will present more pottery for sale in the Miracles of Mud show. Paintings by Gainesville’s Laura Nagel, the hallway invitational artist, will be on display and available for sale. On the outdoor stage, musicians will gather for an old-time music jam in the morning. Food vendors will be on campus with concessions available for purchase Ensuring the safety of visitors and vendors is an important element of the festival. Social distancing is recommended, and masks are encouraged indoors. Hand sanitizer stations will be located across the grounds. The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia is located at 283 Highway 255 North, ¼ mile north of the intersection with Georgia Highway 17, and four miles southeast of Alpine Helen. For more information visit www.folkpotterymuseum.com or call 706-878-3300. The Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia is a property of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Events at the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia are supported, in part, by the Swanson Family Foundation. To learn more, visit www.snca.org. 42 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
THE BEST KEPT SECRET
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ne of the most common comments we hear about HIS LAST DAYS is that it is North Georgia’s best kept secret. Presented yearly by volunteers since 1984, our passion drama will happen again during this upcoming Labor Day weekend - 7:00pm Saturday and Sunday, September 3rd & 4th. The scene of Jesus washing his disciples feet is just one of many from his life reenacted in our outdoor musical drama in Tallulah Falls. There is no charge, though donations to meet expenses are gratefully received. AN ONSITE COOKOUT offers a meal or soft drinks and snacks.
Much more information and pictures of this worshipful event are available at www.hislastdaysdrama.com or 706-476-7939.
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The Arts
An Artist Shaped by Life and Experience: Poané By John Shivers
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indsight is an interesting phenomenon. Thanks to the failsafe perspective it provides, it’s easy to chart the experiences of an artist named Poané, who’s been shaped by all that he’s encountered. Now he’s found his niche and his element alongside Sanderstown Road in Franklin, North Carolina. Look for the new sign – Poané Art Gallery – that proclaims his presence. His name is simply Poané, pronounced like Monet’, another artist of another century and some renown besides. Growing up in New Jersey and New York, as a teenager Poané first discovered he could create images with pen and pencil and brush. But life sometimes includes detours. It was in the midst of varied and sundried experiences in places like New York and Atlanta, where he was a celebrity photographer such as Emmy awards, Trumpet awards, red carpet, concerts and many more, that his artistic presence was shaped and honed with over-the-top creativity and magical inspiration. He’s come full-circle, all the better for the path that brought him to this juncture. Customer feedback has convinced him that he’s where he’s supposed to be, doing what he’s supposed to do. It was portraiture that brought him back to his original creative roots, and his commissioned images of such notables as Charlie Daniels established him. He’s also a master at recreating the works of Old Masters, most particularly those of Michelangelo Caravaggio. Many of his faithful following have discovered, if you can name it, Poané can paint it! He’s always available for custom commissions. Several years ago he substituted wood for traditional canvas, and the result has been phenomenal. His wood art has developed a definite following, especially his dog portraits that make you believe you’ll feel real fur when you run your hands over the image. Another item that has emerged from his creative imagination is a line of charcuterie boards that you simply have to see to appreciate. If he’s not in the gallery, check the nearby Cowee Mountain Clay studio, and be prepared to be wowed there as well. Jennifer, his significant other, complements the Poané gallery offerings with her line of all natural soy and palm wax hand-poured candles. Poané Art Gallery is located at 52 Sanderstown Road in Franklin, open seven days a week. Poané is available by phone at 678-508-3421. His email address is poanepoanepoane@gmail.com. Check him out on Instagram at poane@artofpoane and on Facebook at Art of Poane.
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Main Street Gallery
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eatured in many publications nationwide – including The New York Times – and housed in a historic building in downtown Clayton, Georgia, Main Street Gallery was established in 1985. Representing artists primarily from the Southeastern United States, the gallery is nestled in a region fertile in folk art, as well as fine art, crafts, jewelry, and other artful expressions, all showcased in its three beautifully curated floors of historic, renovated space that are ready for you to explore. This must-see gallery specializes in contemporary folk art, which is also known as self-taught or outsider art. The most honest and interesting things can come from the most raw and vulnerable places. While specializing in self-taught/folk art– and enjoying the relationships the gallery has curated with these unique artists for many years – Main Street Gallery also features fine contemporary art (paintings and sculpture), Southern
folk pottery (both-built and wheel thrown), and hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind furniture. This is the kind of place where many have stopped in for a few minutes, only to lose themselves in their carefully curated collections, emerging a few hours later with something utterly surprising. Feeling today that the lines that connect art and artists are far more important than the ones that divide them, Main Street Gallery is now presenting their curated collection of all represented expressions together online for the first time. Through their website, you can enjoy browsing each featured artist’s page, or do a more specialized search by category, should you be interested in a certain type of art. While nothing can replace seeing art in person, everything is there online to get a virtual view of what this incredible gallery has to offer.
A destination all its own, the onsite gift gallery offers handmade jewelry, unusual accessories, and other unique items. Visit Main Street Gallery in person at 51 N Main St, Clayton, GA, 30525, or on their website: www.mainstreetgallery.net
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The Arts
North Georgia Arts Guild
Silke Cliatt’s Painting With Fabric By Tricia Moore
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he thing that most people notice first about Silke Cliatt’s beautiful quilted designs is the color. The vivid hues of the materials she chooses to create her quilted artwork draw the eyes of the viewer into the piece, where they discover much more than the vibrancy of the color. Intricate beadwork and embroidered embellishments add depth and interest, and the imagery portrayed often creates a unique narrative. Silke is a retired art teacher and textile artist whose love of fiber has its roots in her childhood. She states that, “In the absence of TV during my childhood, I knitted, crocheted and embroidered.” She goes on to say that when she was growing up in Germany after WW2, her mother sewed all of her clothes for her, so as an adult she, following her mother’s example, sewed her own clothes. She collected many fabrics in the process, some of which she never used but “always loved touching and looking at them.” As a teacher of art grades 1-6 at Pace Academy in Atlanta for 30 years, Silke “dabbled in different media.” Her favorite was working with glass seed beads from which she created jewelry and 3-D vessels. It has only been since she has retired, though, that she began quilting. She states that she “stumbled upon quilting when upon retirement I wanted a quilt for the space above my fireplace in the cabin I bought near Clayton. I cut too many strips for the border, so I felt I needed to make another quilt, and the rest is history.” When asked where she finds her inspiration for her pieces, she explained that it comes from many sources such as a greeting card, a photograph or her own imagination. One can also see the influence of Islamic art in her work. While teaching, she was awarded “Teacher of the Year,” which included a travel stipend. She chose to use it to visit Istanbul because she had “always loved Islamic art and history.” Silke’s work has a sense of spontaneity and playfulness about it. Even though the work is skillfully executed, Silke’s goal is not to be meticulous. “I am not good at precision piecing,” she states. “I am more of an improviser. I feel there is more energy and vitality in in-precision.” Drawn to bright colors because “they uplift,” her favorites are red and magenta. The driving forces behind Silke’s productivity is her life-long interest in learning and the challenge that creating presents. The challenge begins when she knows that there is something new she wants to do and she asks herself, “I wonder if I am capable of this.” When she feels she has met the challenge and learned something new, she moves on to the next challenge. Among Silke’s most recent successful challenges, are her guardian-themed quilted wall hangings and her unique “negative painting” fabric cards. Another factor is that Silke loves to share her work. She often gives pieces of her work to people she knows will appreciate and enjoy them. Examples of this are the lap quilts that she donates to the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta and the 17 patriotic lap quilts she donated for local veterans. “Most recently,” she said, “a total stranger told me about a friend who was getting ready for a major operation, and I immediately gifted her a lap quilt.” Kindness and generosity mark Silke’s life. In addition to gifting pieces of her work, she also gives of her time and energy. As an active member of NGAG, she has contributed much to the organization, including chairing the Tricia Moore is a retired teacher, having taught both English and Art in public and private school settings. She is currently an active member of the NGAG and has held several positions on the board. With her background in both art and writing, she feels that writing the NGAG featured artist article in the Laurel of Northeast Georgia is a good fit and something that she will greatly enjoy doing.
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Scholarship Committee. Pre-pandemic, she spent several weeks working with local high school students, donating supplies and providing instruction for each student to make a quilt block, which she pieced into two large quilts. Marketing her work has not been a primary concern for Silke. She states that, “I am very happy when my quilts are purchased by someone who can appreciate the work and is willing to make the investment, but I do not spend much time or effort on selling.” She does, however, have a website - silkecliatt.com, and shows her work at the Rock House during the art tours in June and November. And you can sometimes find her at the Rabun County Market at the Pavilion on a Saturday morning. She is also a member of the Mountain Laurel Quilter’s Guild and has juried into many quilting competitions.
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The Arts
New Children’s ABCs Book by Local Author Julie Riggs
“H
oney bees are amazing creatures created by an awesome Creator, and very, very important,” says Julie Riggs, local author of the newly published children’s book, Honey Bees ABC’s. While homeschooling her three daughters, Lori, Lisa and Leah, children’s ABC books became Julie’s fun thing to collect and she always had hopes that one day she would write one of her very own. After recently retiring from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at Tallulah Gorge State Park, she disciplined herself to finally finish the book she had envisioned and started several years ago. Even though Riggs no longer keeps honey bees, due to developing a serious allergy to them, she is thankful that she can contribute through writing from her years of experience and knowledge as a certified beekeeper. “It’s been fun seeing the book come alive, especially seeing my two grandchildren, Cora and Reggie on the pages of the book,” says Riggs. “This educational book introduces children to some simple facts about honey bees and beekeeping. Real photographs and realistic illustrations are used on each page, with the intent to excite wonder and captivate the mind of a child, all the while teaching letters to the very young reader. Even the young at heart will benefit from the educational content of this children’s book about honey bees and beekeeping.” Honey Bees ABC’s can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ReaderHouse and iTunes and to check out in local libraries.
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“I’m just a living witness that you can be an imperfect soldier and still be in the army fighting for God Almighty. Don’t you think you got to be perfect ’cause I ain’t.” – Steve Harvey
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Faith
Robbie By Sean of the South
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remember when I first met Robbie. I was nine years old. We were approximately the same age. We met at church.
My very first memory of him is one of laughter. Because that’s what we did when we first met. We laughed. We laughed hard. We laughed in the middle of a church service. It was the kind of crippling laughter that makes you lose control of all muscular function. The kind of laughter that causes drool to leak from the corners of your mouth. It was nuclear laughter. We laughed so hard we could not breath. Couldn’t speak.
On the Sunday following my father’s end, my mother took me to church. I didn’t want to go. I was prepared to be blackballed by my church friends, too. I was ready to be ignored. But that didn’t happen. I wasn’t invisible. Robbie Conrad marched right up to me. He was unafraid. There was nothing awkward in his gait. Nothing uncomfortable in him. He removed something shiny from his pocket. “I got you something,” he said. I was shellshocked.
The adults in the pews kept telling us to “Hush,” or “Show some respect,” or “Would you two shut up?”
“You got ME something?” I said.
But you know how it works. The more they told us to stop, the harder we laughed. We laughed until we nearly peed our little church trousers.
He gave it to me. It was as keychain. One of those personalized fobs, with my name printed on it.
To this day, I cannot remember laughing any harder than I did with Robbie Conrad. He came from a good family. His parents ran the prison ministry. They were meek people. I remember Robbie and his dad liked professional wrestling. They knew all the wrestlers’ names. They knew all the moves. I also remember that Robbie and his dad seemed to have a pretty good relationship, something I never had with my old man. He and his dad seemed to actually like each other. Whereas, sometimes I wasn’t sure how my father felt about me. A little over a year after we first met, my father died. My father died by suicide, and my father tried to kill my mother, too. So it made for juicy gossip. My family made the newspaper. We became a walking stigma. When your father dies the way mine did, your boyhood friends don’t know how to deal with it. So they don’t. Your friends just cut you off. You become a nonentity. My Little League team dropped off the planet. The kids at school scooted away from me in the cafeteria like I had small pox. Children on the bus whispered among themselves when I was nearby, then suppressed giggles. Even my close friends disappeared. The week after my father died, I called my friend Gary; his mother said he wasn’t home. So I called my buddy Brent; “He’s busy at the moment,” his mother said. I dialed Chadley’s number; “Sorry,” said his mother, “Chadley just stepped out.”
He nodded.
I held that keychain like I was holding the Cup of Christ itself. In that moment, the tin trinket was the most precious thing I had ever held. It meant that someone was thinking of me. Someone cared about me. Someone remembered me. Then Robbie embraced me. “I’m here for you,” he said. “Anything you need. I’m your friend. I’m not going anywhere.” He brought laughter into my life during the darkest period of my existence. I remember his cheerful voice. I remember sleepovers at his house, and singing with the radio. I remember watching professional wrestling until the wee hours. I remember spying on his sister and her friends during our moments of boyhood curiosity. I remember too much. We lost touch over the years. I emailed him a few times. But not as often as I should have. Today, Robbie’s sister told me that he passed away. He had been struggling with cancer for eight years, and he finally came to the end of his earthly battle. And as I write this, there is a keychain lying on my desk. I’ve had this thing since I was a child. When I look at it, somehow I know something. I know something within the pit of my soul. The same way I know that tomorrow the sun will come up. The same way I know that God looks out for orphans and fools like me. I know, without doubt, that the angels have never laughed as hard as they are laughing now.
Sean Dietrich is a columnist, novelist, and podcast host, known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Southern Living, Garden and Gun, The Tallahassee Democrat, Good Grit, South Magazine, Alabama Living, the Birmingham News, Thom Magazine, The Mobile Press Register, Laurel of Northeast Georgia and he has authored thirteen books, and is the creator of the Sean of the South Podcast. 56 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
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Outdoors
Adventure Out King Creek Falls
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By Peter McIntosh
n this adventure we’re hiking a nice cool waterfall, just over the border in South Carolina. Our destination is King Creek Falls, a beautiful cascade located just on the other side of the Chattooga River near Burrells Ford. King Creek Falls is a big and energetic waterfall, tumbling about 80 feet to a nice clear pool at the base. There are a couple of ways to access this waterfall but my pick is from the trailhead beginning at the intersection of Burrells Ford Road and the entrance to the Burrells Ford Campground, this is part of the Foothills Trail. (the Foothills Trail is marked by white blazes) This is the best way to go since there are numerous and sometimes confusing trails all along the Chattooga’s riverside.. This hike is just over a half mile in length and is easy to moderate. The foot path begins by gently descending on the north side of a cove. There are a few well constructed switchbacks before the trail turns and continues along the south side of the cove. Turning 60 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
back once more, you’ll soon come to a small footbridge crossing over King Creek. (At this point there is also the intersection with a trail leading up along the creek from the campground near the Chattooga River. This other trail intersects the falls trail just before a long footbridge crossing the stream.) After crossing the bridge, the trail ascends following the creek upstream before the Foothills Trail bears off to the right and the waterfall trail continues upward, mostly straight along. (Pay attention here as there is a nice wooden sign here indicating the direction to the falls.) Now the trail gets a bit steeper, sometimes rocky and often slippery. After crossing over a notched log, the falls can soon be seen off in the distance. A minute or two more and there you are, the stunning King Creek Falls. Since this waterfall is adjacent to a campground, I imagine it’s quite popular on weekends, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a solitary experience. The pool at the bottom looks perfect for wading and cooling your heels. And there are lots of nice rocks to relax on, catch some rays and have a snack. Happy hiking!
And now a poem from Pete to help with the summer heat: To beat the summer swelter, I have just the thing, A cool waterfall that’s fit for a king! And at the end of the trail you won’t be able to resist, Recharging your body in the cool water’s mist. Getting there: From US 441 in Clayton, go east on Warwoman Road until it dead ends into Hwy 28. (about 13.5 miles) Turn right on Hwy. 28, going south, and proceed 2.3 miles, looking for Burrells Ford Road on the left. Follow Burrells Ford Road (gravel, forest service) 7.5 miles to the Chattooga River. Cross over the river and continue for 4/10 mile to the Burrells Ford Campground on the right. The trailhead is right behind the information board at the entrance.
Peter McIntosh is an accomplished professional photographer. His photography is displayed in collections across the country. His passion for nature and the outdoors is what fuels his column. His work is available as fine art prints. Peter offers one on one and small group instruction on camera operation and photography. To see more of Peter’s photos, or if you have a question or comment, visit Peter’s website: www.mcintoshmountains.com
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Outdoors
Firmly Rooted
For the love of Dahlias by Tori Carver
lease don’t tell the tulips, but dahlias are my favorite flower. Prior to becoming a flower farmer, though, I wouldn’t have given them a second thought. I had heard of them, and seen a few, but I was never particularly drawn to them. Looking back, I suppose the only dahlias I was familiar with were the exhibition varieties with their giant blooms or brightly, multi-colored petals. Exhibition dahlias are different than garden dahlias and especially different than the garden type grown for cut flowers.
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way to an abundance of blooms from mid-summer to the first frost of Autumn and multiply underground during the growing season. What’s not to love?!?
I was hesitant to grow them as a new flower farmer but decided after much research they were a must-have. I was intrigued and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I purchased about eighty tubers (go big or go home, right?) and planted those potato look alikes as soon as the ground warmed. I waited. And waited. And fretted. And fretted. And I can assure you there has never been another flower that was more highly anticipated than those firstseason dahlias. Almost as much as the Corpse Lily made famous by the Dennis the Menace movie. The moment that first bloom unfolded, I was hooked. I was bitten by the dahlia bug for which there is no cure.
I could talk for pages and pages (and days and days) about my love of dahlias so I’m finding it difficult to keep this short and sweet. Perhaps I can get into the weeds later and talk about growing tips, digging and dividing, and maybe even hybridizing.
Nowadays, I can’t get enough of them. I’m in constant awe of their stunning array of colors and the perfect symmetry of their petals. Each plant gives
Unfortunately, I think dahlias have been given a bad rap along the way and I honestly cannot figure out why. I’ve heard comments about them being finicky and difficult to grow or complaints about having to be dug up and stored each winter, etc. While this may (or may not) be true, I find the reward of their blooms far outweighs the effort.
In the meantime, I’ll share with you that in addition to my desire to bring joy to people through flowers, my secondary flower mission is to encourage each person I meet to fall in love with dahlias too. Dahlia season is upon us, so I encourage you to follow me on Instagram or Facebook because I plan to share photographs of every dahlia on the farm. Of course, photographs rarely do the real thing justice so farm fresh dahlias will be included in each mixed bouquet. I will also offer straight bunches of dahlias so you can decorate your favorite vase at home. Happy Dahlia season, friends!! I hope you enjoy it to the fullest!
Victoria (Tori) Carver is a flower farmer. From the thousand bulbs and plants that she puts in the ground each year she creates lovely bouquets. Many enjoy her flowers in their home each week. She has established a subscription program for her customers or a honor-system bouquet sales for random purchases. Tori and her husband and children make their home in Clayton, where they are a treasured part of the community. If you are interested in Firmly Rooted Flower Farm please reach out by email to firmlyrootedflowerfarm@gmail.com or phone 706-4900041. You will also enjoy their website at www.firmlyrootedflowerfarm.com
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“A dream does not become reality through magic; it takes sweat determination, and hard work.” ~ Colin Powell
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Outdoors
Y
ou won’t have to tell a fish story after you’ve spent the day angling on one of our many lakes, rivers or streams here in Rabun County. The only whopper you’ll need to impress your friends will be on the end of your line! Rabun County is an angler’s paradise. Our beautiful mountain waters provide some of the best sport around and our area is vital to Georgia’s recreational fishing industry in many ways.
It’s always a great day on the water with the guys from Hightrout Guides
Our Phenomenal Fishing
A young angler lands a beauty with a little help from the guide at Hatch Camp & Art Farm 64 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
Take the newly renovated Lake Burton Trout Hatchery for example. One of only four trout hatcheries in the state, the Burton hatchery is home to more than 300,000 trout each year and provides stocking support for north Georgia trout streams and public waters. According to John Lee Thomson, Hatchery Manager & Trout Stocking Coordinator for the Georgia DNR at the Burton Fish Hatchery, “We have a lot of really nice trout water here in Georgia, but the fertility of our streams is fairly low. There’s not a lot of bugs for the wild trout to eat. So if we want people to come to Georgia and buy a fishing license, we need to supplement the wild population with some larger fish that people would be happy to catch.” Fish spend about two years at the Burton Fish Hatchery. They go from fingerlings to about 10 inches long in that time. Rainbow and brown trout fill most of the hatchery’s raceways. Once the fish reach 10 inches, they are loaded onto trucks and released into streams across north Georgia. “Rabun is a great fishing destination,” Thomson said. “Every stream in Rabun County is classified as a trout stream and Rabun County receives over 100,000 stocked trout each year. So, it’s a great place. We have a lot of streams that are weekly stockings and those are the ones you want to target if you’re not an experienced angler because high stock rate equals high catch rates.” Visitors can tour the hatchery’s facilities seven days a week. To try your own hand at trout fishing, experts and novices alike of any age can “hook” up with one of our many local guide services to have a world-class experience. Shady Creek Expeditions, Hightrout Guides, Blackhawk Fly Fishing, Hatch Camp & Art Farm and Andy’s Trout Farm are all great places to start. Beyond trout fishing, Rabun County even has our own special species of bass, the Bartram’s Bass. Often mistaken for Redeye, Bartram’s bass is distinct to the Chattooga River area of Georgia. People come from all around just to try to catch our little fish. In fact, the Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division sponsors a program known as the Georgia Bass Slam which recognizes anglers with the knowledge and skill to catch at least five different species of black bass in a variety of habitats across the state, and encourages interest in the conservation and
Abby Jackson of Blackhawk Fly Fishing shows how it’s done
Raceways at the Lake Burton Trout Hatchery
The Bartram’s Bass
Aquaculture tanks at the Lake Burton Trout Hatchery
Ryan Cowart of Dunwoody, Georgia lands a 6lbs 6oz record breaker up at Andy’s Trout Farm in Dillard!”
Shady Creek Expeditions in Downtown Clayton can get you outfitted and on the water in one stop.
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Tallulah River Fishing Rodeo management of black bass and their habitats. Anglers that successfully catch and document five eligible species receive a variety of prizes and recognition. Species include Largemouth, Spotted, Smallmouth, Shoal, Suwannee, Redeye, Chattahoochee, Tallapoosa, Altamaha and our very own, Bartram’s Bass. For more information on the Georgia Bass Slam as well as anything “fishy” in Georgia, visit georgiawildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources/. Our many lakes are home to not only bass but also walleye, bream, yellow perch, crappie, and of course …catfish! In Rabun County we have the most beautiful mountain waters and naturally the most beautiful fish that inhabit them. So spend the day, weekend or however long you can manage to get away, casting your line. We’re sure you’ll catch not only a spectacular fish but also land an amazing story.
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Scott Low of Hatch Camp and Art Farm shows off a spectacular Rainbow
Lake Burton Trout Hatchery – 706-947-3112 Shady Creek Expeditions – 678-986-5167 Hightrout Guides – 828-547-0231 Blackhawk Fly Fishing – 706-947-3474 Hatch Camp & Art Farm – 706-782-3747 Andy’s Trout Farm – 706-746-2550
Southern Cuisine
From Our Neighbor’s Kitchen by Tracy and friends!
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ince the gardens will begin bearing the “fruits” of our labor this month, I contacted some local ladies to share their recipes for garden goodies this month. The best corn I have even eaten is my mother-in-law Mary Jane McCoy’s cream corn. She would say that it’s just like everyone else does it, but it’s not. It starts with the seed she and my father-in-law choose to plant. It’s called Candy Corn and it is sweeett! She cuts it off the cob half kernel and then scrapes the cob to get the “milk” out of it. She adds salt and butter and it is THE BEST! If there is a reunion or family gathering, deep in our hearts, we hope Mary Jane brings some corn! I am convinced it’s the love that goes into the planting, hoeing, picking, shucking and silking (done by Jim) and cutting it off using her favorite knife, and cooking it. The same love that these ladies put into the food they prepare for their families and in their jobs. So, I am pleased to share with you some great veggie recipes. Thanks so these ladies for allowing us to print their recipes.
Becky Cannon is Sonny’s sidekick and has been for many moons. She is “mama” to Johnny (and Kim) and Tammy (and Benson) and has five incredibly handsome grandsons. She and Sonny have been blessed with two great-grands too top it all off. If anyone loves their family it’s Becky! She and Sonny worked side by side for dozens of years in their family owned furniture store, Cannon Furniture that was a staple on Main Street. I imagine after long hours working in the store that she still prepared a home-cooked meal for her family and these beans were probably on that table. She learned to cook from her mom, Ruth Darnell. She said she rarely measures anything because she learned to add a dash and a pinch and that a quick bite’ll let you know what else it needs. I bet you’ll love these skillet beans this summer with a pone of cornbread, sliced tomato and a green onion!
Skillet Beans from Becky Cannon 2 lb. Beans strung and broke 1 cup water 2 tablespoons bacon grease Kosher salt Coarse ground black pepper Heat water, add beans, cover and cook almost dry. Add bacon grease! Salt and pepper to your taste! Simple but so good!
Mexican Potato Casserole from Rosalba Martinez
“I am Mexican and in love with food and I think that cooking is an act of love!” Rosalba Martinez discovered her passion 33 years ago cooking in her restaurant in Mexico. The Clayton Cafe opened the doors for her for the first time in Rabun County to cook Southern Food. She worked there for 7 years after working at LaPrades (Lake Burton) for 2 years, she was in the kitchen 7 years at Rumor Hazit and 2 years at Fortify Pi. The school nutrition system at RCHS opened the doors for Rosalba for 7 years. She also worked parttime at Life Teen for 12 years. Currently she is a food service coordinator at Life Teen at Covecrest. “I continue to feed my passion for food on the weekends by preparing authentic Mexican food.”
4 poblano peppers 4 potatoes cooked and cut into pieces 2 cups of corn kernels 2 Tbs of olive oil 3 tablespoons of butter 1 teaspoon oregano salt and pepper 2 slice onions julienne 4 cup Manchego or mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/2 cup sour cream 3 tablespoons minced garlic
In a skillet over medium heat, place the olive oil, the garlic, the onion, the corn and the sliced julienne poblano pepper, salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are transparent. Place in a glass baking dish, the butter 1/3 of cooked and chopped potatoes, salt pepper and sprinkle oregano. Add a layer of 1/3 of the onions and chilies sautéed and the corn. Place a layer of cheese manchego or mozzarella, 1/4 cup of sour cream and place another layer of potatoes and continue with onions, cream cheese and repeat this until you have used all of your ingredients. Finish with a cup of cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 min at 350 degrees. Uncover and let gratin (get golden brown) for 5 minutes and sprinkle chopped Cilantro. 68 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
Sarah Matheson grew up in Rabun County. She and husband Noel live in the Persimmon community. They have one son named Noel Jr, a daughter-in-law Carla and two fine grandkids, Trey and Tessa. Sarah has been cooking most of her life and she cans the goodies from the garden for eating when winter comes. She learned to cook from her mother and helped in the kitchen growing up like most girls did. When Sarah isn’t working around the house or in the kitchen she enjoys camping and keeping up with friends on Facebook. This Okra Cakes recipe is a new one she is adding to her recipe collection because they turned out really good. Hope you enjoy them!
Ginger Bleckley and her husband Doug raised three boys, Scott, Brian and Travis, and I imagine she did a lot of cooking. When the boys grew into men and married, she added three daughter-in-laws and then grand babies began to arrive. Today she has six grandchildren, and now six great grandchildren. Along the way she babysat for many of our children (including mine) and fed our kids good and healthy food. Like any great cook when I asked for a recipe she said “Well I don’t usually follow a recipe and don’t know exact measurements, I just cook.” She agreed to “guesstimate” for us and sent a couple potato recipes, I chose to share her Mashed Potato Casserole recipe, wherever Ginger takes this dish, the bowl comes back empty!
Okra Patties
Mashed Potato Casserole
3 cups vegetable oil for frying 1 pound okra, finely chopped I cup finely chopped onion I teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup water I egg ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ cup cornmeal
6 large baking potatoes peeled and cubed 1- 8 oz cream cheese softened 1- 8 oz sour cream 1 stick softened margarine 1 (2. Oz) package slivered almonds toasted 1/2 tsp. Black pepper 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
from Sarah Matheson
Heat your oil in a large skillet. In a large bowl, mix together the okra, onion, salt, pepper, water and egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and cornmeal; and stir that into the okra mixture. Carefully drop spoonfuls of the okra batter into the hot oil and fry on each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.
from Ginger Bleckley
Cook potatoes in boiler filled with salt water until tender, drain well and mash. Combine potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, almonds and pepper mixing well. Spoon the mixture into a 12x8x2 baking dish, cover and bake at 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and paprika on top and bake additional 5 minutes.
Sue Wykle is a native of Rabun County. She graduated Rabun County High School in 1974 as Sue Lovell. Growing up part of a large family (6 brothers and 2 sisters), Sue says they had to help and that is how she learned to cook. She and husband Eddie Wykle have two children, Lora Burrell (Levi) and Brent Wykle (Lauren) and one grandson, Jacob, that they adore. Sue loves to cook with her sisters and they all agree she is the best. Everybody loves her Tomato Pie, so she decided to share it with you for this issue. Sue is retired from the Rabun County School System where she worked many years as a Parapro. She loves spending time with her family and friends.
Deep Dish Tomato Pie from Sue Wykle
½ lb ground beef 1 medium tomato, peeled and thinly sliced ½ cup chopped green pepper 1 cup shredded, sharp cheddar cheese ¼ cup water Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches. Brown ground beef and drain. Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, onion and ½ cup of cheese; reserve. Mix bisquick mix with ¼ cup of water until soft dough forms. Pat in pan, pressing dough ½ inch up the sides. Layer beef, salt and pepper tomato, green pepper and ½ cup of cheese in pan; spoon sour cream mixture over top. Sprinkle with paprika if desired. Bake until edges of dough are light brown, 25 to 30 minutes. August 2022 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - 69
Southern Cuisine
Bon Appétit The Last Days of Summer Are Here Scarlett Cook
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022 is flying by and it seems like only yesterday that we were celebrating the new year. The first half of this year has seen changes in our everyday lives; some permanent others not. But one thing is certain, you must feed your family. Try these recipes (Yes one does have zucchini in it so another recipe to use up your bounty.) and don’t think about that Christmas shopping just yet.
Chicken Thighs with Chunky Tomato Sauce Serves 4 – 6 1 22-Ounce package frozen mashed potatoes 2 Pounds skinned and boneless chicken thighs 1 Tablespoon Greek seasoning 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Medium zucchini, chopped 1/2 Cup diced onion 1 14.5-Ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, undrained 2 Tablespoons butter, cubed 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/2 Teaspoon salt 1/4 Teaspoon pepper Prepare mashed potatoes according to package directions; keep warm. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet over medium high heat 7– 8 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Reduce heat to medium; add zucchini and onion to skillet and sauté 2–3 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes and cook stirring often 7–10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vinegar, salt and pepper. Serve chicken over potatoes. Spoon sauce over chicken and potatoes.
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Roasted Cauliflower Serves 4 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Head of cauliflower 1/2 Teaspoon salt 1/4 Teaspoon pepper Preheat oven to 425°. Drizzle a cookie sheet with sides with the 1 tablespoon oil. Cut cauliflower vertically in 1/4” slices. Arrange in a single layer on pan. Drizzle remaining oil over cauliflower and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 25 – 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Lemon Slaw Serves 6 1 Cup mayonnaise 1 Teaspoon lemon zest 1 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar 2 Teaspoons sugar 1 Teaspoon salt 1 Teaspoon paprika 1/2 Teaspoon black pepper 1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 16-Ounce packages shredded coleslaw mix Stir first 9 ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Add coleslaw mix and stir. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Cherry Fudge Cake Serves 10 – 12 1 Box devil’s food cake mix 1 21-Ounce can cherry pie filling 2 Large eggs 1 Teaspoon almond extract 1 Cup sugar 1/3 Cup whole milk 5 Tablespoons butter 1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 13”x9” pan. Beat cake mix, pie filling, eggs and extract at low speed for 20 seconds; increase speed to medium and beat 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 27–30 minutes or until pick inserted in medium comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Bring sugar, milk and butter to a boil in a heavy saucepan stirring occasionally; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chips until mixture is melted and smooth. Quickly pour and spread on warm cake. Let cool 1 hour before serving.
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Southern Cuisine
Clarkesville Welcomes the Old Towne Pub by Ed Nichols
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new business has opened its doors on the square in Clarkesville, Georgia. It is unlike any previous or current business in the history of this quaint town. The Old Towne Pub opened its doors February 23, 2022 and became an instant success. The pub exists today due to the dream of one man and it is thriving because of the hard work of him, his family and tremendous staff. They have created a friendly pub where when you enter you are greeted like a long-lost friend. Greg Guthrie, a native of Clarkesville and successful entrepreneur had a dream of opening a pub on the square for many years. He grew up walking the streets and side roads of this small town and as a man has invested his life in the town. Greg has owned several businesses in Clarkesville, most recently the Century 21 franchise, which he just sold before opening the pub. Last year after semi-retiring he made the decision to make his dream a reality. He already owned the historic building so he began remodeling the center section, previously a thrift store. The building dates back to the 1890s and was built by E.P. West and Company and began as an all-purpose general store. Through the years it has housed businesses owned by successive family members: the Asburys, the Stewarts and the Careys. In the early 50s it became a grocery store and later it was known as Carey’s, a clothing store for men and women. In the 1990s Carey’s closed and Greg purchased the building, renting the spaces. In June 2021, with the help of family members, Greg began tearing out the interior walls and stripping the exterior walls down to the original 1890s bricks. Several years ago Greg bought a very unique 21 ft countertop with shelves and cabinets that came out of an old country store in south Georgia. He stored them in anticipation of someday installing them in his pub. A north Georgia Sheriff gave him an authentic moonshine still and he collected other artifacts, keeping them all in storage. After many weeks of laboring, Greg with his wife Angie, their son Scott, daughter Samantha Gore and her husband Tommie and sub-contractor Wendall Wade, the pub became a reality. The name Old Towne Pub was selected for this new venture. The name implies a historic interconnection to may of
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the businesses and buildings in downtown Clarkesville. Upon entering the front room of The Old Towne Pub you’ll find booths and tables that give the appearance of an intimate cafe. Further in you’ll be find the bar area where you’ll be amazed by the antique bar and ornate shelving and cabinetry. Stools line up facing the bar with hightop tables and chairs across the way. A true pub doesn’t have televisions, rather it is a place to gather and “talk” politics, sports, business, the economy and solve the world’s problems. Greg has however installed televisions, necessary for his customers to enjoy major sporting events. The Old Towne Pub has quickly become a favorite dining and gathering spot for the locals and has welcomed many tourists and visitors who have walked through their doors. Their diverse menu offers diners short dishes or full meals, has a large assortment of draft beers, wines and liquors and a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere. I recently asked Greg how it feels to have his dream come true. He smiled and said, “Some days I am amazed how the pub came together. From the design, layout and construction to finally opening the doors to the public. I now know that Clarkesville was ready for this pub.” Greg’s dream has proven to be a great addition to this little historic town, a friendly setting to enjoy a meal and/or have a drink with friends. It’s a friendly pub that welcomes you like a long-lost friend. You’ll find the Old Towne Pub located at 102 Water Street in downtown Clarkesville. Their website offers visitors a look at the menu as well as other information and you’ll find it at www. oldtownepub.com, you may also call 706-949-4669 and be sure to follow them on Facebook. Ed Nichols is a writer and author of several fiction books. He is a resident of Clarkesville and his love for the town is apparent when you meet him. He has enjoyed watching the pub evolve and has his seat at the bar, with his wife Judy, to chat with friends and enjoy a meal as well. You can find Ed’s books at Amazon Books.com and in local bookstores. For information on his books, book signings, or speaking engagements on fiction writing, contact him at ednichols@myemc.net.
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Healthy and Well
August is
GASTROPARESIS
Awareness Month
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n attempt to explain or understand Gastoparesis (GP) is like trying to sum up the human race in one sentence. The variables are much like the characteristics of each individual. While Diabetes is the primary cause of this formerly “rare” disorder, the second largest cause is unknown. Often referred to as idiopathic, which is code for “We just don’t know.” It seems that Gastroparesis affects females more than males, with studies showing that among young women the numbers are doubling each year. One cause that has been noted is autoimmune disease, while another is abdominal surgeries. So what is Gastroparesis? When you eat, you swallow your food and it makes it way down into the stomach where the acid begins to break it down. The muscles and nerves around your stomach are integral to the digestive process; stimulating the stomach to empty its contents into the small intestine where nutrients are absorbed providing proper nutrition. Gastroparesis literally means “paralyzed stomach”. Another more accurate term is delayed stomach emptying. Regardless of what you call it, the issue is that the stomach is not doing its job and the food is not being emptied in a normal manner, thus it stays in the stomach too long. How long? Well it depends on the severity of the disease. Some stomachs still work, just very slowly. Others don’t work much at all. The food begins to ferment, causing gas, bloating, pain, vomiting, and extreme nausea. One patient said it best, “I never imagined I’d wake up one day sick and never get better.” Gastroparesis is a mystery to most healthcare professionals I’ve met. They either have never heard about it or they have knowledge, but have little to no answers. Why? Up until the past few years it was considered a rare occurrence that generally happened in patients with uncontrolled blood sugars. GP is a
disorder typically caused by another illness or injury. Something causes it and finding the culprit is the key and often much harder than it would seem. The cause is important for proper treatment. The saddest part is that the treatment options are few and the chance of successfully treating it is low. There is speculation that the increase in cases could be due to Covid-19 because Gastroparesis can be caused by a virus. There is evidence that GP caused by a virus will likely improve over the course of a year. That’s good news. Stomach surgeries, such as gallbladder removal can be the cause of GP. The Vagus Nerve, also known as the vagal nerves, are the main nerves of your parasympathetic nervous system. This system works on “autopilot”, meaning it works when you aren’t even thinking about it. Your stomach digests your food, your heart beats at a steady pace and your immune system keeps you well, all happening automatically. When the vagal nerves are damaged by disease, surgery, or are affected by viral infections or autoimmune disease the process is interrupted. Nausea and vomiting cause weight loss, weakness, dehydration, and malnutrition. Pain and sickness causes depression and one failed treatment after another leads to a sense of hopelessness. There is one drug marketed in the United States of America for Gastroparesis and its side effects often lead patients to stop taking it. Reglan is the drug name and it is available in pill form and under trade name Gitmoti as a nasal spray. The nose spray form of the drug appears to have fewer side effects, which is always good. Domperidone is effective for many patients but it is not approved in the US. Patients, with their doctors help can get approval from the government, to get the medication from neighboring Canada. Erythomycin, an antibiotic we have all taken at one point or another in our lives sometimes helps with motility (the movement of food through the stomach) but it is not effective for all. Nortriptyline and Amitriptyline both tricyclic antidepressants from the 1970s can be prescribed in low doses to help with digestion. No one medication works for all the patients all the time. Many report that it helps early on in treatment and then stops working for them. Is Gastroparesis progressive? It doesn’t appear to be, but the health damage it does can lead to other illnesses and a failure to thrive, which can be life threatening. There are procedures that show promise for some. Botulinum toxin type A, otherwise known as Botox appears to be effective for more than wrinkles and bodacious lips. The product can be injected into the pylorus which is the muscular valve that empties the stomach contents into the small intestine. When the stomach becomes paralyzed, the pylorus is “stuck”. An injection can relieve pressure and improve tone of the pylorus which can improve GP symptoms like nausea and vomiting because it allows
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the stomach to empty more effectively. For many patients this allows them to eat more and function well in their daily life, for others it makes little to no improvement. A gastric stimulator that works like a “pacemaker” for the stomach is an option for some. It is more effective for Diabetic patients affected by GP. The device is placed by a surgeon and it works by stimulating the stomach to empty. Again, for some it’s the answer, for others another disappointment. Keeping in mind that insurance dictates much of the options for patients or lack of insurance leaves them sick day after day. When one treatment is tried, ample time has to be allowed to see if it offers enough relief before another is tried. Meanwhile, the scale keeps dropping and the patient feels like they’ll never get better. Surgical options are considered the last resort in the care of Gastroparesis. The GPOEM (gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy) procedure is a less invasive alternatives to pylorplasty which is a surgery to widen the pyloric sphincter. In POP or GPOEM the pyloric muscle is cut to enable the stomach to empty. Some say that these procedures provide long-term relief for Gastroparesis, unfortunately some patients did not find that to be the case. Gastroparesis is difficult to treat and often accompanied by other illnesses that often leave patients unable to function in everyday life. The GPOEM procedure is the best option at this point it seems. Research for better treatmentts are in process as more diagnoseses are given. A test called a stomach emptying test is the typical way that GP is identified, often after many other possibilities are eliminated. The test is simple. A meal of eggs, oatmeal and toast containing a radioactive material is served. Then images of the stomach are taken over the course of 2-4 hours to gauge emptying speeds. Typically at the end of 4 hours there should be less than 10% of food remaining. While it may seem extreme, a total gastrectomy is sometimes considered. This is a medical procedure where all or part of the stomach is surgically removed. A radical option that has saved some lives and has provided no relief for others. Gastroparesis is incurable. The best patients and their physicians can hope for at is, that together, they find something that offers relief. This might mean a combination of medicine and pacemaker or surgery and medicine. Diet is crucial. We are taught to eat veggies, fruits and lean meats, but none of these are good for the stomachs of GP patients. They must stick to a diet low in fat and fiber, both are too much for their ailing stomachs to handle. That leaves them eating carbs and drinking protein shakes with many taking in 800 calories or less per day. While a double cheeseburger loaded up may never be on their menu again, hopefully the day will come when they can eat a meal and not regret it. This article is in honor of all of the patients who feel misunderstood, who struggle to even tolerate water. Those who are too weak to care for themselves. Those who fight each day to live. It is in memory of all who could no longer do it. This information is in no way intended to replace the guidance of your doctor, You should talk with your doctor about any health concerns you have. A great website to visit is www.aboutgastroparesis.org, there is good information there.
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Our History
Land and Change in Rabun County: A Close Look at Community in 1975 Adapted from Foxfire, vol. 9 no. 1, Spring 1975
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n 1975, Foxfire released a special edition of the magazine that focused on change in their community. This was created as part of a larger project funded by a grant from the Office of Environmental Education. Three recent Foxfire graduates at the time, Mary Thomas, Barbara Taylor, and Laurie Brunson, spearheaded this project, and focused in on Betty’s Creek. Laurie Brunson wrote of the experience: “What had started out as a topic of local interest was now, we felt, an important subject relevant all over in its comment on the effects of the seemingly never ending changes we all face in the already incredible and ever increasing pace of life we endure.” Their work looks at the way in which a small, isolated, close-knit community evolved and how increases in the pace of life changed such a community. They studied how relationships with the landscape altered as younger generations started to sell off family land. The following is an excerpt from their interview with long-time Rabun County resident Margaret Norton.
Margaret Norton cards wool for spinning, 1972
“My grandfather was named Doc Burrell and he come here from South Carolina or somewhere over in there. His wife was a Carter, Sally Carter, and he used to own this land that’s right here (the Rock House at the Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Georgia). Before Carroll Latimer owned it, Grandpa Burrell owned it. That was on my daddy’s side. My daddy’s name was Rom Burrell. Rom owned some land up the road from here (he didn’t own this up here because his daddy sold it before he was big enough to own land). You know that old house that’s up on the left hand side of the road as you go down? Well, that’s ours. That’s where we was born and raised. Now the way he got a hold of that is he married, well, my mother was born there. He married Love Beavert and he inherited half of the land and him and her bought the other half. There was just two heirs in to it, which was Love and Faye. Faye was my mother’s niece. And my daddy bought her part of the land so therefore it all belonged to him. Now Rom Sr., my daddy, was brother to Decatur and he owned what is now Moon Valley. Now my Grandmother Burrell had a sister by the name of Lou Lindsay and he took care of Lou Lindsay and she gave him what she had. She had that land up there and she was a Carter before she married Mr. Lindsay and he didn’t live very long. She was Sally’s sister and they come from Towns County, Georgia. I’ve lived here on Betty’s Creek all my life. I was borned in that house on the left hand side of the road as you go down. The only place I’ve ever moved was from down there up to where Richard, my husband, is. I’ve seen all the changes as they come along up here on Betty’s Creek.
Margaret Norton during an interview with a Foxfire student, 1967
Before the pavin’ of the road, this was just a small settlement and all the families and the farmers owned their land. Now lots of the land has been sold out and now they have new families moved in here, or they are in the process of movin’. They have bought land up here and are building houses. If people sell their land, the mountains might get overcrowded. They don’t sell it for the money. They sell it because the tax is so high that they are not able to pay it. So many people are wanting land; I don’t know why now. You know, Rabun County was established on land at fifty cents an acre and back in them days, people didn’t have no problem over lines. They would say, “Your land is here,
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Margaret Norton during the filming of a JFG Coffee commercial,1975 and my land is here.” You didn’t hear no fussin’ and fightin’ over lines like they do now. People are selling out their land even to where their children wouldn’t have anywhere to live. But now, not so up on Betty’s Creek. People on Betty’s Creek won’t sell their land. Somebody comes nearly every day to buy land. But we got four children and seven grandchildren. They all got to have a place to live. Richard won’t sell an acre of land for $2,000. He’s been offered $2,500 for one acre. But what would he do with his $2,500 and his land gone? Well, it would soon be gone and you wouldn’t have nothin’. Sometimes people that are gettin’ old and their grandchildren have inherited [the land]; maybe the grandchildren haven’t lived here, lived somewhere off from here, and they decide to sell their land. That is the only kind of land that has been sold. They have moved off to the city or something and they say, “Well, we had rather have the money as to have the land.” They sell ten acres of land for $10,000. That’s all the land that has been sold here on Betty’s Creek. People are gettin’ so crowded now, everybody needs land, everybody needs somewhere to live. Well, we haven’t got nay but good people that come in the last few years. They come up here from Atlanta and Florida, and they say their idea is to bring money into a section, not to come to take it away. There’s people works for ‘em that wouldn’t have those jobs. They could have got a job, but they’d a’ left Betty’s Creek. They’d a’ had to went somewhere else,
backwards and forwards each day. Course, when I grew up, there wasn’t no place to work. There wasn’t no factories or no place to work. We always felt like we was the backwoods people and we didn’t have the chance the city people had. So the city people tells us now that we’s the best off. You know how the city people used to look at the country people? They thought they had to get up and go to work without a cup of coffee for breakfast. That’s what they called “mountain people”; didn’t even have coffee for breakfast. So when they got up here and found out what the mountain people had—their own hams and their own meat and everything—they changed their mind. The city people bring in new ideas and new ways of doing things. Some say they disturb the togetherness of the community. But they are not here to take advantage, they are here to build up. If I was in charge of the mountains, I’d just let ‘em be natural. I think, once in a while, the timber should be cut off of ‘em, because when it gets big it just falls down and knocks the other over. But so far as to puttin’ houses on top of the mountains and big highways on top of ‘em, I don’t agree with that. Of course, it don’t look fair for some people to own everything and some people not to have anything. But you could start out and divided everything equally with everybody, and how long would it be before somebody would be out? That is what the people here say.” Read more from Margaret in the Foxfire books!
Foxfire is a not-for-profit, educational and literary organization based in Rabun County, Georgia. Founded in 1966, Foxfire’s learnercentered, community-based educational approach is advocated through both a regional demonstration site (The Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center) grounded in the Southern Appalachian culture that gave rise to Foxfire, and a national program of teacher training and support (The Foxfire Approach to Teaching and Learning) that promotes a sense of place and appreciation of local people, community, and culture as essential educational tools. For information about Foxfire, foxfire.org, or call 706-746-5828. August 2022 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - 83
Our History
Rabun County Historical Society Aunt Fannie: Hostess of Sinking Mountain
Buttermilk for Female Guests, Stronger Stuff for the Men
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By Dick Cinquina
inking Mountain is located about seven miles northwest of Tallulah Falls. The mountain was so named because some claimed it was sinking a few inches every year. People swore you could feel the mountain moving under your feet. But we are getting ahead of our story about the Hostess of Sinking Mountain.
Fannie Picklesimer was born across the Georgia state line in North Carolina in 1825. In 1841 at the age of 16, she married William Rufus Kerby and moved to Rabun County. Four years and four children later, Fannie’s husband died shortly after completing the family’s log home at the foot of Sinking Mountain. She remarried in 1852 to Ambrose J. Smith, who became one of the most prosperous farmers (relatively speaking) in the Camp Creek settlement around Sinking Mountain. He also had time for siring seven more children. A railroad that later became the Tallulah Falls Railroad was extended to Tallulah Falls from Cornelia in 1882, ushering in an age of tourism and grand hotels at the village. Traveling by train, thousands of tourists flocked to the village to view the thundering falls, called the Niagara of the South, in the 1000-foot-deep Tallulah Gorge. For several decades, Tallulah Falls was one of the most popular resorts in the Southeast.
Serving Fried Chicken to Tourists Growing numbers of these tourists made the difficult trip by horse and buggy to visit Sinking Mountain to see if it was, in fact, slowly disappearing into the ground. Fannie Picklesimer Kerby Smith, by this time known simply as Aunt Fannie, took notice of the tourists passing by her home at the foot of the mountain. Known as a good cook, the enterprising woman decided to capitalize upon this situation by serving meals to the tourists. Visitors came with the idea of enjoying a meal of Aunt Fannie’s fried chicken, home-grown vegetables and hot biscuits, but some decided to stay at her home for a few days or even weeks. Aunt Fannie is seated in the center foreground at her cabin, surrounded by a group of her guests
Aunt Fannie’s guestbook was filled with gastronomical praise. One visitor exclaimed, “Fried Chicken! And buttermilk ain’t even in it.” Reflecting the tourist magnet that Tallulah Falls became, her guestbook contained laudatory comments in French, Italian, German and Spanish. One scholarly guest praised Fannie’s cooking in classical Greek. During the week of August 1, 1892, Aunt Fannie’s guests came from Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Toronto, Kansas City, New Orleans and New York.
Moonshine for the Gentlemen However, there was another, more colorful side to Aunt Fannie’s homey hospitality. Andrew Gennett, head of Gennett Brothers Lumber Company that clear-cut thousands of acres of Rabun County forestland, once boarded at Aunt Fannie’s home. He characterized her as “a notorious old woman who had dealt all her life in liquor, but was also a competent and successful housewife.” Aunt Fannie standing in front of her homeplace in the Camp Creek community
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The 1891 the Clayton Tribune carried an article from the Vernon Courier (Lamar County, Alabama) that reported,
“Aunt Fannie Smith, a peculiar character who lives at the foot of Sinking Mountain near Tallulah Falls, has been raided by the revenue men, who destroyed 300 gallons of illicit liquor…Her husband was an illicit distiller and, since his death, she has continued the business. Her cabin is a favorite resort for all the visitors to the falls. She treats the women to buttermilk, while the gentlemen always get the illicit article.”
Cherokee Chief Who Went to Church The few remaining Cherokee in the area knew a good thing when they saw it, and we are not talking about whiskey. During the summer months, Indians sold blankets, pottery and jewelry to tourists passing the Smith property. In winter, Fannie provided food to the Cherokee camping on the farm. According to one of her daughters, Fannie persuaded Chief Gray Eagle, leader of the small band of Cherokee in Rabun County, to attend her Wolf Creek Baptist Church. It did not go well. The minister, gesticulating wildly, delivered a leather-lunged fire and brimstone sermon to his congregation, condemning sinners in the audience to a one-way trip to the fiery pits of hell. Unaccustomed to such shouting and gyrations, Gray Eagle stood up, stared at the minister and said, “Whiskey too much. Whiskey too much.” He left the church and never returned. Undeterred, the minister completed his stem-winder.
Poking Around Hell for a Nickel
Fannie Picklesimer Kerby Smith
Aunt Fannie also was known to be a frugal businesswoman. A granddaughter recalled, “It’s been said she was quite stingy. One local saying about her was that she wouldn’t actually go to hell for a nickel, but she’d poke around the edges trying to get at it until she fell in.” In addition to feeding her many guests and plying men with moonshine, politics was Aunt Fannie’s other great interest. On the day of an election, she would station family members and friends at polling places around Rabun County to prevent people from voting more than once. (Apparently, the practice of voting multiple times did not originate in Chicago). Even in her later years, Aunt Fannie would ride throughout Rabun County to campaign for her favored candidates. Aunt Fannie continued serving fried chicken, buttermilk and corn whiskey to her guests until the day she passed away at 89 in 1914. Her home no longer exists, and Sinking Mountain cannot be found on today’s maps. Perhaps it actually sank. Aunt Fannie’s cabin was still standing in this 1996 photo Learn more about our history by becoming a member of the Rabun County Historical Society. Membership and complete information about the Society’s museum are available at www.rabunhistory.org. The newly renovated museum at 81 N. Church St. in downtown Clayton, which houses the Southeast’s largest collection of Tallulah Falls Railroad artifacts, is open Thursday-Saturday from 11 to 3. The Society is a not-for-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, making membership dues and donations tax deductible. Visit us on Facebook. Dick Cinquina holds graduate degrees in history and journalism, making his work for the Rabun County Historical Society a natural fit for his interests. He is the retired president of Equity Market Partners, a national financial consulting firm he founded in 1981. In addition to writing monthly articles for the Georgia Mountain Laurel, Dick helped produce the Society’s new web site and is involved with the renovation of the group’s museum. After vacationing in this area for many years, he and his wife Anne moved to Rabun County in 2018 from Amelia Island, Florida.
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Just Thinking
Lovin’ The Journey Place of Hope
You can rescue a local child By Mark Holloway
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aylyn’s father crammed 10 pounds of meth into his daughter’s diaper bag when deputies showed up...
This actually happened in this area. If you have ever wanted to make a difference, now is your chance. There’s a small gap in time that can be brutally painful, disruptive, and even worse... emotionally devastating. This gap is now getting filled with hope. When parents make poor life choices, children pay a very high price. The process of rescuing children out of extremely dangerous and unhealthy environments is complicated and delicate. The amazing group of folks charged with rescue and placement of victims into safe settings have so many challenges. The most immediate need, often in the middle of the night, is finding a safe, warm, welcoming and hope-filled temporary home. This is that critical gap. Rabun county is blessed with a lot of innovation. Joey Thompson had a vision to make a huge difference in the lives of little boys and girls. Although he doesn’t serve on the Place of Hope Board of Directors, he quickly saw an historic home next to Clayton Baptist as the future setting to take in desperate children. His vision set into motion a thriving organization, complete with 501(c)3 status. This month, Place of Hope will go live, offering our unsung heroes, DFCS case workers, a 48 hour window to locate foster care for our
rescued children. Until now, children arrived to a foster home with medical and hygiene needs and few possessions. Sometimes they’ve spent their first night of rescue sleeping at the DFCS office. Elizabeth Adams guides the Place of Hope as Executive Director. She’s been on the frontlines and gave me a tour. “The children leave here feeling tended to and loved on, the foster family feels like they’re being helped and loved on and the case worker feels like they have space to work and they feel loved on. And we get to share Jesus with them.” The children will be bathed, served home cooked meals, sleep in clean beds, and tenderly cared for by the Impact Team of trained and screened volunteers who answer the call to rush to the Place of Hope. “This is a new approach. We’re minimizing trauma and loving on the child and minimizing trauma on the foster parents,” says board member Van Fletcher. Under the old system, a foster mom “puts the child in a buggy at Walmart and desperately shops for the child’s needs...and has to figure out daycare and school. Now there will be a 48 hour window where we can assess the child’s triggers, health needs, and physical needs,” Elizabeth explains. This just could be the first home of its kind in Georgia. Pastor Joey, you may be onto something. Joey’s parents adopted their first child and his mom then had Joey. Their home would also foster children too. So he gets it.
The 6 Gap Century (out of Dahlonega) showing the elevation terrain for the race I will be on doing Sept 25th.
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Everything is new about Place of Hope, but “we’re flying the plane as we build it.” Elizabeth’s heart is in this. You can just feel her compassion when you visit with her. She’s perfect for her calling. She’s also surrounded by a board of leaders who actually volunteer instead of meet monthly and just drink coffee. Then there’s Joey, the Place of Hope’s very own Obi-Wan Kenobi, the advisor - visionary leader from the shadows - Jedi master. Well done, Joey. So... I’m glad you just asked, “What can I do to help?” I’ve been riding for months on my road bike, ascending our high mountains, training for an epic and historic race, Six Gap...where athletes and their bikes climb six of Georgia’s highest peaks. The grueling 104 mile race is later next month. When I do endurance events, I often go looking for a charity to support. Please sponsor me. Please donate directly at www.placeofhopenga.com and put “Mark/6Gap” in the comment box. I’ll carry your name in my cycling jersey and pray as I pedal for nearly eight hours. Thank you for giving. See you on the trail. Mark and Carol Holloway are outdoor adventurers and love the thrills of rock climbing and hikes to waterfalls and exploring all of God’s creation. They own PropertyStewards.com and are passionate about delivering excellent care to the homes and property of their clients. For more information call 706-949-5937
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Ole Blue By Liz Alley
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hese hot days of summer have me thinking about Ole Blue, our Bluetick hound dog we had when I was a girl in Tiger. I am told, by my sister Lisa, that Ole Blue was not really our dog, that he became ours by default. Blue was Dexter Coalley’s dog who also lived in Tiger, but when Blue kept coming to our house and Dexter got tired of coming to get him, he finally let him stay for good. Ole Blue was a good dog but he had a bad reputation, mostly for biting folks he perceived as a threat to one of us. He did not have the best discernment though, as he tried to bite my Granny Garland one time and everybody knew she was the sweetest person that ever lived. After that, she wouldn’t get out of the car at our house until one of us kids took Ole Blue around back and tied him up. Ole Blue certainly did not look like a threat with his droopy bloodshot eyes and hanging jowls. Honestly his face made him look dumb but also eloquent in ways that only hound dogs can pull off. He didn’t have much giddy up and go and did a lot of sleeping in the front yard under the maple tree, but he morphed into a fighting dog if anyone came near one of us kids. Ole Blue accompanied me and my siblings all over Tiger back in the 1970s. He would walk with me to the Bookmobile to checkout “The Bernstein Bear“ books I loved so much, back when “big doings” was the Summer Reading Program. As I recall, I got a sticker for every book I read. There was no ceremony or awards program at the end of summer and certainly nobody was getting a trophy just for participating. It didn’t matter though, because the prize for me was the pure pleasure I found in reading. My sister Lisa got into a fight with another girl that lived in Tiger. It had been brewing for a while and one morning, while waiting on the bus, the girl said one thing too many and Lisa jumped on her like white on rice. The two of them were slapping and pulling
hair while my sister Lynn and I screamed. Well the truth is, I screamed, my sister Lynn was silent and in shock. Just when the girl’s brothers were about to get involved, Ole Blue stopped the nonsense when he bit the offending girl on the bottom. All fighting ceased and all kids scattered, all be it one of them was limping. Lisa warned me not to tell Mama but there was no need. Sherriff York came down to our house (again) to tell us to tie Blue up because of his bad behavior. One of us kids would take Blue over to the tree in the side yard and loosely tie him up. Within five minutes, he’d be free and back in his spot under the maple tree. When I was at Tiger Elementary, Ole Blue would be waiting for me at the edge of the playground when school got out in the afternoon. We’d go over to Roane’s Store and get a Reese and a RC cola. Then he would trot beside me as I walked home, his tongue hanging out like he was thirsting to death. One time, my oldest brother, Chip, was going to give me a ride on his bike. Chip was my more cautious brother, unlike my brother David, who threw caution to the wind. Chip explained in great detail, how if he let me ride, I would need to keep my feet away from the wheel and the spokes. I listened carefully, fully intending to do what he said. Chip was standing, peddling hard up Blair Street with me on the seat of his bike when I got lazy and let my feet down. My right foot got caught in the spokes and over into the ditch we went. Chip, never one to lose his cool, tried to calm his wailing, snot nosed, dramatic sister who was sure her foot would need to be amputated. Chip told me to stay put while he went to get Mama. Ole Blue, who’d been halfheartedly attempting to keep up with us, plopped down beside me, put his head in my lap and sighed, as if the whole ordeal had made him very tired. We sat and watched the spinning bike wheel glitter in the sun until it stopped. It turned out no amputation was needed, but I do have a scar that runs from my big toe all the way down my foot which I must say, looks pretty impressive. I find it odd that I can’t remember how Ole Blue died, even though it would have been a traumatic time in my life. It seems like I remember he went off somewhere and never came back, probably to die and save us from having to watch. It’s something Ole Blue would do because he was not only our friend, he was our protector and he would want to protect us right up to the last beat of his heart. When I ride by the old homeplace in Tiger now, sometimes I swear I can hear the sound of five Alley children playing in the yard and see the shadows of us running with Ole Blue on our heels. So, here’s to you Ole Blue, you were more than a hound dog, you were the best of friends.
Liz Alley was born and raised in Rabun County in the city of Tiger. She loves to write. She is an interior designer specializing in repurposing the broken, tarnished, chipped, faded, worn and weathered into pieces that are precious again. She is the mother of two daughters and has two grandchildren. She divides her time between her home in Newnan and Rabun County. 88 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
Of These Mountains 1 - 12 By Kendall R. Rumsey
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y the time you read this, there is a good chance that the 2022 – 2023 school year will be in full swing. Many of your kids and grandkids will be in the throes of a 12-year adventure that will shape who they are and be the cornerstone for memories that will last a lifetime. Those school years aren’t always easy. Some kids find themselves on the outside, not quite fitting in with the crowd. Others will excel, become the stars of the campus, and idolized by many. Then there are the kids who just move through school as one of the crowd, it’s all part of the journey, one that is individual to each kid but commonplace in every class that graduates. While each kid has a unique experience, there is one common denominator. The lifelong relationships, memories, newfound ways of excelling and the first steps of finding themselves will travel through their lives much longer than those 12 years of growth. One of the amazing things about those school years is realizing many of those faces you entered first grade with will be the ones you eventually toss your cap with to signify an ending. But more than that, those same faces, while not with you each day, and sometimes missing for years, will be with you through all the stages of life. This past summer, that realization hit me hard when my classmates and I celebrated our 40th Class Reunion, the Class of 1982 was all grown up. This wasn’t our first reunion, but it was mine. During all the other reunions I had lived away and not made the effort to attend. The older I got the more I realized that was a mistake. When I heard about our 40th reunion, I marked my calendar immediately, I was not going to miss it. Anticipation grew over the months, and I got more and more excited, hearing the names of the people who would be attending. I couldn’t wait.
Then the day of the event came, old childhood insecurities hit, and I was nervous. Those nerves melted quickly as I got out of my car and saw some friends walking in at the same time. Once in the room, I saw those childhood faces, gathered, talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. Our faces were a bit more creased, hair thinner, and many of us wouldn’t fit into those jeans we wore in High School, but those faces, and personalities were still there. Our reunion was special, we had people travel from all parts of the country. We even had an exchange student travel from Germany. Old cliques melted away. The football players and the nerds and the brainiacs and the band kids and each and every other group all sat together and laughed and remembered what united us all those years ago and still sat with us 40 years later. It was a magical night, being with this group of people who helped shape my life, people I shared a common experience with and who still fill a huge place in my heart. It’s funny how those people we shared 12 years with really do make a huge impact on our lives. I wish I would have realized that earlier. My hope is the kids going through the journey now will realize it and embrace that the gift of classmates will be with you always.
Kendall Rumsey is a resident of Clayton, Ga. He is owner of the lifestyle brand Of These Mountains. www. ofthesemountains.com August 2022 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - 89
Just Thinking
By the Way
Flying Pig Causes Commotion Over Clayton By Emory Jones
I
f you keep up with the news, you’ve undoubtedly heard about last week’s mysterious sighting of a pig flying over downtown Clayton.
used pig parachute on eBay. The brand name was Maxwell House, and it came with the company’s guarantee of “Good to the Last Drop,” embroidered across the canopy.
It caused quite a commotion, really.
After weeks of rigorous training by jumping off the back porch steps, the big day finally came. The three of us piled in the truck and drove to the airport. I don’t know who was more excited, Cunningham or me.
I feel I must clarify that flying pig matter since the whole affair was inadvertently my fault. First, my pet pig, Cunningham, wasn’t actually flying—he was simply parachuting. Here’s the backstory: I’d been bragging about having jumped out of an airplane once, back in my younger days. Twice, actually, but the second time wasn’t on purpose. It wouldn’t have happened at all if my check for the first jump hadn’t bounced. Anyway, I suppose all that skydiving talk caused Cunningham to want to emulate me in that regard. So, I wasn’t surprised when he trotted up to my hammock carrying a little skydiving brochure. Reading the document out loud to him only increased Cunningham’s desire to jump out of a perfectly fine airplane. “Are you sure?” I asked, thinking he might not understand the gravity of skydiving. But Cunningham grunted enthusiastically. I was pleasantly surprised that my wife, Judy, was all for seeing Cunningham jump out of an airplane. In fact, she even offered to pay for the entire enterprise. I think that woman likes Cunningham a lot more than she lets on. When the folks at the airport didn’t have the right-size parachute for a pig, Judy pointed out that skydiving without a parachute is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She’s always making little jokes like that about my pig. Determined not to let the pig down, within a week, Judy found a
Judy must have called ahead because the man flying the plane was already sitting on the tarmac with the door off and the motor running. I strapped on Cunningham’s little parachute, and off we took. All was going well until the pilot indicated it was time to prepare the pig. There was no problem with that except that Cunningham now seemed a tad reluctant. I suspect it was all that wind noise. “I THINK HE’S CHANGED HIS MIND,” I shouted to Judy. “NO, HE HASN’T,” Judy shouted, moving behind the pig. “HE JUST NEEDS A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT! HERE. HELP ME ENCOURAGE HIM!” Judy loves that pig so much that she couldn’t stand seeing him fail in this new undertaking. Cunningham appreciated her efforts because he started squealing with excitement. Looking back on it, I think he was yelling “Geronimo!” in pig talk. Then he backed up as far as possible to get a good jump at the door. It took both of Judy’s legs to make it happen, but finally, the swine flew out the door and into skydiving history. Thankfully, I pulled his little ripcord at the last minute. As luck would have it, my cousin, Wayne, was driving by when Cunningham landed over by the edge of Tallulah Falls. Wayne had the pig home in time for supper. We’re all proud of Cunningham, especially Judy. In fact, when she saw Wayne driving up with him, she got all misty-eyed. Bless her heart.
Emory Jones grew up in Northeast Georgia’s White County. After a stint in the Air Force, he joined Gold Kist as publications manager. He was the Southeastern editor for Farm Journal Magazine and executive vice president at Freebarin & Company, an Atlanta-based advertising agency. He has written seven books. Emory is known for his humor, love of history and all things Southern. He and his wife, Judy, live on Yonah Mountain near Cleveland, Georgia. 90 - www.laurelofnortheastgeorgia.com - August 2022
