Volume 8 Issue 1 Kitchen Drawer Illustrated by Kitchen Drawer Illustrated

We’ve made a few changes

upgrades

Welcome to Kitchen Drawer Illustrated! 2016 will usher in a few upgrades for Kitchen Drawer, and we wanted to make sure all of our readers know what changes and improvements to expect in the coming issues.

Don’t worry, we’re still a little different.

QUARTERLY

CLEANER

MORE DIGITAL

MORE COPIES

We’re releasing the magazine on a quarterly schedule.

We’re cleaning up the look.

We’re discontinuing the (print) community calendar.

We’re printing 33% more copies of every issue.

WINTER: January release SPRING: April release SUMMER: July release FALL: October release

We’re eliminating small ads. Large ads mean less visual clutter throughout the magazine, and that means a more enjoyable reading experience for you.

The digital calendar at kitchendrawer.net is still a great place to find out about goings-on around town, and you can even add your own community events.

We’re increasing circulation, which means more people can get their hands on the latest issue. Tell your friends!

Dogs available for adoption will still be featured in every issue; find them on page 58.

Got comments on the changes? Questions? We want to hear it all. Email us at stuff@kitchendrawer.net or call 770-412-0441. b

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Meet the team/about the cover (4) Entrepreneur Focus (5) outdoors: recycling on the farm (8) Health focus (10) an evening at the williamson music barn (16) artist profile: samantha turner (22) paparazzi (26, 54) movie review: 99 homes (28) restaurant review; barnstormers (31) Meeting the challenges of autism (35) kitchen table (41) Sports: Boxer Homer Gibbins (45) book review: Postmark Bayou Chene (49) the agape princess house (57) calendar dogs (58) vent (59) Fiction Winner: Swinging (61)

When it’s urgent care, you can still get Children’s care.

Minor illnesses and injuries can happen anytime. When they do, you don’t have to settle for anything less than our doctors and nurses, who are specially trained to care for your child. And with our online scheduling, you can get in line for check-in before you leave home. Learn more at choa.org/urgentcare.

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MEET THE TEAM

ABOUT THE COVER

Our 2016 type piece cover was created by Atlanta-based graphic design artist Tyler Merritt. Tyler is an Atlanta-based designer with a passion for creative illustration and clean typography. With a background in drawing and painting, he loves to incorporate traditional media into his process. A graduate of Georgia State University’s BFA design program, Tyler is constantly seeking to expand his creative skill set and learn new processes and techniques. When he’s not designing, Tyler can usually be found outdoors. Whether it be hiking or rock climbing, he’s constantly exploring and seeking new adventures to fuel his creative endeavors..

ALLISON

ASHLEY

BEN

JAKE

JOSH

MICHELLE

NICOLE

EXTENDED FAMILY ASHLEY

CLARK

WRITER

DREW

PETE

RACHEL

WRITER

RONNIE

STAN

TAYLOR

OUTDOORS WRITER

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HISTORY WRITER

SPORTS WRITER

Entrepreneur FOCUS E-FOCUS The office at Fred and Brenda McGhin’s Southern Pit Bar-B-Que is exactly what the office of a family business should be. A comfortable couch, a television, and wooden chairs furnish a room occupied by family members making calls to catering clients and completing paperwork. The heady aroma of barbecue and smoking meat is a constant reminder that on the other side of the door are hundreds of pounds of delicious food and dozens of hungry customers. The McGhins started selling their barbecue out of a house in Sunny Side in 1984. They were very successful, and with the help of friends and neighbors the McGhins financed, bought land, and built the Griffin location in 1990. The McGhins credit much of their success to their faith, family, and friends. The restaurant is mostly family operated, and through both good and lean times, their regular customers never waver in their patronage. The location, too, plays a part in the business’s success. From the start, the McGhins worked with the fire marshal, building inspectors, and other experts to plan a site that would meet their needs for years to come. “We were going to put the pit inside,” says Fred, “but insurance was so high that we put up a separate building for the pit instead.” That decision allowed them to use space in the main building for much-needed storage, and their external pit can cook more than 3,000 pounds of meat at a time. December is the busiest month at McGhin’s Southern Pit, with orders coming in for whole smoked turkeys, hams, and other meats in family portions. Christmas Eve is the busiest day, as families scramble to get the freshest meat possible at the very last minute. The take-out selection is wide and the portions generous. Even a large family could order a meal from Southern Pit and still have leftovers. Southern Pit also has a catering service. The McGhins frequently cater events with 300-plus guests, and they have served groups as large as 800 people. Businesses, family reunions, weddings, and more have called upon the McGhins for catering. Fred says they’ve even taken their barbecue as far as North Carolina. The McGhins also “cater” in. Fred and Brenda own McGhin’s Place,

the banquet hall up the hill from Southern Pit, an event center for casual get-togethers and formal celebrations alike, awardwinning barbecue optional.

The décor is a key part of the Southern Pit experience. Fred’s lifetime of antique collecting has provided unique decorations throughout the restaurant. The hats in his evergrowing hat collection adorn the walls, and the model train is always a highlight. When the McGhins were snowed in for two days in 1992, Fred took the time to install a model train. Originally the train ran continuously, but now it’s on a button system, which saves on repairs. Kids can run up, push the button, and watch the train run around the restaurant three times. You’ll notice the engine, a high-quality German model, pulling cars sponsored by various local businesses. There’s a permanent car for Fred and Brenda’s church, Rock Springs, where the couple is very active. The McGhins give to the community. They cook often for events at Rock Springs Church. The church members support Southern Pit, and the McGhins support their church however and whenever they can. They also cook for local good causes such as the Christian Women’s Center and Impact Christian Ministries and have helped with fundraisers of all kinds. The McGhins’ support of local businesses and charities has produced a community devoted to bringing friends and family to Southern Pit. Fred and Brenda are humbled by the blessing they have in Southern Pit. They haven’t needed to change much over the years. They’ve added a few items to the menu here and there, and they now offer larger portions for family meals, but their business model is essentially the same one they had in the beginning—the right ideas at the right time in the right location. It’s a combination resulting in a family business that the McGhins plan to continue as long as there is family to run it.

Southern Pit Bar-B-Que 2964 North Expressway • Griffin, GA 30223

770.229.5887 southernpitbbq.com

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The law firm of Cramer & Peavy has served residents of Spalding and surrounding counties for over 30 years. The law is constantly evolving and can change both suddenly and dramatically. By focusing their practice on the area of personal injury law, the attorneys and professional staff members at Cramer & Peavy can effectively guide their clients through the complex and ever-changing legal world. Handling a wide variety of legal issues involving individuals injured in automobile collisions and tractor-trailer wrecks, including insurance matters and wrongful death claims, they take the time to keep up to date on all the legal nuances and to identify the specific laws and regulations that apply. In addition to having a thorough understanding of personal injury law, the legal team members at Cramer & Peavy know Spalding and surrounding counties very well. This enables them to have first-hand knowledge of the available resources in place for individuals who are hurt through no fault of their own. When the unexpected happens and someone is injured, choosing a law firm that is based miles away puts a client at a distinct disadvantage. Tim Cramer and James Peavy are both longtime residents of Spalding County and have unique knowledge of the best resources in your local area. Just the other day, for example, a young woman with no health insurance needed an operation after being hurt in

The thought of considering homecare immediately creates tension, and unfamiliar concerns surface when a family is comparing care providers for a loved one. It’s overwhelming, and family members often don’t know where to turn to find all the resources they need to receive excellent care locally. Reliance Health & Homecare answers these questions for local families navigating the full range of homecare services. Stephanie Collier saw a need in the community for more modern, comprehensive homecare services. She began her career in healthcare in 1998, when, after graduating from nursing school, she worked in oncology. She provided chemotherapy treatments, but saw many patients who needed additional care after chemo. Stephanie decided to meet these needs by opening Reliance Health & Homecare. She began by providing palliative care in patients’ homes. This improved the quality of life for many locals who were in need of additional care and who had limited mobility. Offering inhome care brought to light other issues, such as the need to provide care for those who were completely homebound and unable to visit medical offices. Stephanie responded by offering home-based physician services that provide primary care in the home with the goal of improving the quality of life for homebound patients. Services which may be provided in the home include physical therapy, occupational therapy, home

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a bad automobile collision. After hiring Cramer & Peavy, she received excellent medical care and her claim was resolved promptly and professionally. Unlike other law firms that represent corporations or insurance companies, Cramer & Peavy has dedicated its efforts solely toward helping individuals who have been injured through no fault of their own. Tim Cramer and James Peavy are an effective team with a single purpose: to serve the best interests of their clients. Tim’s time as a State Court judge not only made him a well-known figure in the legal community, it also gave him the experience necessary to provide prompt service and achieve the best possible results. James’ previous experience as an insurance attorney granted him a rare perspective of exactly how the system works, granting him the ability to leverage his insider’s knowledge and experience to his clients’ advantage. Regardless of who takes your case at Cramer & Peavy, rest assured that they will be dedicated to getting you the best results possible.

Cramer & Peavy 436 South Hill Street • Griffin, GA 30224

770.227.4955 cramerpeavy.com

care aides, ultrasounds, echocardiograms, pacemaker checks, 24-hour Holter monitors, PT & INR, EKG, X-rays, blood work, Dopplers, and private homecare and hospice services. Reliance is always trying to find ways to better provide quality care for patients. They refuse to say, “We can’t,” and leave a patient and their family without hope. Reliance puts families in touch with available local resources and works with physicians and local providers to serve patient needs. Care is provided by medical physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, chaplains, social workers, and more. When care providers spend as much time with a family as the folks at Reliance do, they become part of the family. When a provider comes to a home and eases some of the stress, they form a bond with patients and their families, and that’s what Reliance Healthcare looks to provide—a feeling of being with family, and the knowledge that loved ones are getting the care they deserve.

Reliance Health & Homecare 625 Carver Road • Griffin, GA, 30224

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OUTDOORS

RECYCLING on the farm By Ronnie Garrison

s I was putting away my Christmas decorations, I came across the deer tail tacked to my office door with the sign “Don’t look for Rudolph this year.” This recycled deer tail reminded me of how growing up on a farm taught me to use everything available. We recycled before it became popular. The claim “we used everything about the pig except the squeal” was pretty accurate. We had the usual pork chops and ham, but also souse, tripe, head cheese, and pickled pigs’ feet. Nothing went to waste, including all parts of the wildlife we killed while hunting. If we shot it, we cleaned it, cooked it, and ate it—all of it. Shoot a squirrel, clean it, and put the meat in squirrel and dumplings. And don’t forget to add the heart and liver! Take out the brains to scramble with eggs for breakfast.

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Fried doves are fantastic, and giblet gravy made with their tiny hearts, livers, and gizzards adds to the flavor. Folks who just pop the breast out and throw the rest of the bird away miss a lot of good eating. Shooting a deer is something of a dilemma for me. A shoulder shot, one of the most efficient for putting the deer down fast, wastes way too much good meat. My 7 mm Mag would destroy both shoulders with that shot, and I am not a good enough shot to shoot the deer in the neck or head except in a few cases. So I try to shoot the deer just behind the shoulder, hitting the lungs. The only danger with that shot is I often hit the heart and liver, two parts I want to save. I love to slice the heart and liver and fry them. They make great gravy and are one of my favorite meals. While growing up I tried to tan hides from squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, and other critters I killed. My tanning method was to scrape all the meat off the hide and salt it down. I was never able to get anything useful from the tanned hides, but I kept one fox hide I salted for almost 20 years before I finally got rid of it. I still have the hide of the second deer I shot. I sent it off to a commercial tanner, and that hide, with hair on it, still covers a chest in my office. I shot that deer in 1968 and the hide makes a good memory of that day. Our recycling didn’t stop at food. If we pulled a nail out of a board, it was not thrown away. Instead, the bent nail was put in a coffee can—another recycled item—and saved for later use. I got real good at using a hammer to straighten out bent nails on a concrete block. I was allowed to use those old nails for my projects, like rabbit boxes, tree houses, and huts. I don’t think I ever got to drive a new nail until I was out of college! Old boards were stacked carefully for future use. That sticks with me today. When I bought my house in 1981, there was a big tree house in the back yard, and I tore it down and used the wood and tin for my first woodshed.

After a fire last March I had to rebuild the woodshed, and I used fire-damaged boards from the house as much as possible. And to rebuild my doghouse I used a big wooden packing crate given to me by a fishing buddy, but also some wood that goes way back. Daddy worked as a summer ranger for the Corps of Engineers on Clarks Hill Lake for several years before he retired as a school principal, then he went to work for the Corps full time for a few years. One year the Corps built new bath houses in all the campgrounds, and they were planning to burn the old outhouses. If you camped at Clarks Hill back in the 1970s and ‘80s, you remember those outhouses. They were about four feet square and eight feet tall, with wood shingle roofs. That size was just right to be constructed from four sheets of plywood. Rather than burn all those outhouses, Daddy got permission to dismantle them and haul them off after his work hours. He tore down about 20 of them, getting four sheets of plywood from each. All that plywood and the two-by-fours framing them were stacked under the trailer at Raysville Boat Club for future use—and he used a good bit of it, for everything from skirting the trailer to building a small shed. A couple of years after he died I realized termites were getting into the wood, so I took it all out. I had to burn about half of what was there but brought home about a dozen sheets of plywood. I just used some of that plywood that Daddy recycled over 30 years ago to finish building my doghouse! My wife says if I don’t stop recycling things I will soon be a hoarder, but it is a great feeling having what you need and not having to run to the store every time you need something!

Read more from Ronnie at fishing-about.com

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Health

brought to you by:

Focus

SpaldingRegional.com

Spalding Regional Is Proud To Be Awarded

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION GOLD PLUS AWARD – 2015

IN THIS ISSUE: • A New Year, A Healthier You • Don’t Give Exercise the Cold Shoulder • Spalding Regional’s Resources for You • Events

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.

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A NEW YEAR,

A Healthier You

of weight, 10 pounds, can result in an improved lipid panel (cholesterol and triglycerides) and decreased blood pressure. This means you are reducing your risk for cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, congestive heart failure, diabetes and stroke. Losing 10% of your current weight can decrease your blood sugar levels and improve your ability to regulate sugar and insulin levels. This will lower that risk for diabetes. It also significantly decreases your risk of developing several forms of cancer.

Congratulations. You survived another “holiday season.” But now you’re left with the remnants, which probably include a little extra weight and a lot of excess stress. Excess weight and stress are not a good combination. So you probably made some great New Year’s resolutions – losing weight is near the top, right? And we all know how well we keep those resolutions. Add to this that over 68% of adults in this country were already overweight going into the holidays, and worse, 36% of those adults were considered obese. This is bad news. Too much weight raises your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Being overweight raises your blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL (the good cholesterol). Being obese puts a huge strain on your heart, increasing the work it has to do. Obese adults can also develop obstructive sleep apnea that could lead to pulmonary hypertension (which is high blood pressure in the lungs). Certain types of cancer, including gallbladder, prostate, kidney, breast and colon are strongly correlated with being overweight or obese. And if you’re carrying around just 10 to 20 extra pounds, you are at a significantly greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, more than 80% of diabetics are overweight or obese.

BUT HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS

Losing weight isn’t hopeless. For the most part, your weight is in your control. According to Renee Gallman, Spalding Regional Registered Dietitian, “In a lot of instances, weight gain is a result of excessive caloric intake and a sedentary lifestyle. The good news is you can take small, achievable steps to lose weight, thus reducing your risk of developing such weight-related health problems.” Just losing a small amount

And losing 10% of your weight is a great boost to you mentally, giving you the energy, motivation and confidence to continue. Keep losing weight and you’ll probably experience fewer joint and muscle pains, regulate your blood pressure and even sleep better. And if you include regular exercise in your new weight loss program, you’ll “super size” your weight loss and all of its effects.

START WITH THE NUMBERS

Your first step is to determine if you are overweight and by how much. A good way to do this is to estimate your body mass index (BMI). This is a calculation of your body weight relative to your height. Multiply your weight in pounds by 703 and then divide the result by your height in inches two times. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is considered healthy; 25 to 30 is overweight; 30 or higher is obese. Now don’t stress out over how to lose weight. There is no shortage of books, magazines, websites and programs touting the latest and greatest cure for losing weight. It can seem overwhelming. So just start small, take easily achievable steps to lose weight. Fad diets may help you lose weight at first, but they rarely have a lasting effect. According to Renee Gallman, “A successful weight loss plan should include some lifestyle changes, not just a diet.” She suggests, “Begin with some easy steps that fit into your lifestyle, and start with a weight loss goal of onehalf to two pounds per week. And remember that you can work toward this goal by reducing your calorie intake or increasing your level of physical activity. Ideally, you will eventually want to do both to achieve your ideal weight and keep it maintained.” Renee further suggests four common eating behaviors you can slowly build into your daily eating plan that can help ensure the success of your weight loss program:

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• Start decreasing how many calories you currently eat – read food labels and pay attention to serving sizes. Don’t be fooled by small packages that look like one serving, but may actually be two (or more). • Cut out soft drinks. Our body is 80% water, so drinking plenty of water is essential to good health. You would be surprised that just by cutting out excess sugar and soft drinks some people can decrease their daily caloric load by 500 or more calories per day. Remember calories in must be less than calories out to lose weight. • Start including foods from a healthy assortment of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fiber provided by fresh fruits, vegetable and whole grains is extremely beneficial in lowering cholesterol. •

Don’t skip meals (including breakfast).

DON’T GIVE EXERCISE THE COLD SHOULDER

Once you have improved your diet (or even better, while you are doing so) start to move more. In addition to increasing your weight loss it makes you feel so much better. And don’t let the weather ruin your workout plans. You don’t have to sweat to get a good workout. Short exercise sessions throughout the day can be just as effective at burning calories as an extended session. A total of 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity is recommended daily to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. A great way to start is by going for short walks, before breakfast, after dinner, or both. Start with 5-10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes a day. While walking, pick up the pace from leisurely to brisk. If you have any chronic health issues, such as a heart or vascular conditions, high blood pressure, or a history of heart attack or stroke, you should talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise routine. Then, always start slow and don’t push yourself.

DRESS FOR THE SEASON Before you head outside, dress for the weather. Layering clothing allows you to remove outer layers when you start to sweat and add them back when needed. Look for fabrics that wick moisture away from your body to use for your innermost layer. Cotton is usually not a good choice since it stays wet. Lightweight fleece adds warmth without bulk and can be followed by a waterproof, breathable top layer. If you have asthma, you may find that wearing a long scarf draped across your mouth and nose will help

you avoid problems. Everyone should wear some type of head covering such as a knit cap or hat to prevent heat from escaping through your head. Gloves and thermal socks will keep your hands and feet warm while you’re outside. Don’t forget that you still can get sunburned, even in the winter. Use a sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays and has a sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Your lip balm should contain sunscreen as well. You also should protect your eyes from the sun’s glare with sunglasses or appropriately tinted goggles.

THE GREAT INDOORS

Can’t talk yourself into getting bundled up and heading outside for some physical activity? You can still get busy indoors! Here are a few ideas:

• Use the gym for racquetball or yoga. • Vacuum or scrub floors (yes, you can burn calories)! • Go mall walking. A brisk 30-minute walk around the mall before you begin your shopping can meet your daily exercise goal. • Clean out closets or your garage. • Find a great new exercise video or DVD to get you moving. • Play some music and get dancing. It doesn’t matter if you have no sense of rhythm or don’t know the latest dance steps. Just move your body and have some fun. Whatever your activity, don’t let winter cold become an excuse to keep your energy down and weight up. Get up and go!

We’d love to hear about your successes, and so would others. Share your best weight loss tip on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/SpaldingRegional.

SPALDING REGIONAL THERE WHEN YOU NEED US

Learn about our Registered Dietician and Center for Rehabilitation Services

A dietician is a health care professional with specific educational qualifications and training necessary to translate the science of nutrition into everyday information about food for patients and the public. A dietician is usually also involved in the dietary treatment of many diseases, such as food allergies, kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and others. At Spalding Regional, Renee Gallman is the Registered Dietician. She and the food and nutrition staff work with patients within the hospital who have special dietary needs, supporting their treatment and promoting their well-being, as well as helping prevent nutrition-related problems.

Renee has been with both Spalding Regional Hospital and Sylvan Grove hospital for 15 years. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Immaculata College in Malvern, PA. Her current position within the field of Nutrition and Dietetics is primarily in the hospital health care setting; however, Renee also assists with community events and outpatient nutrition counseling.

Spalding Regional’s Registered Dietician is available outside of our hospital for nutrition related counseling for specific health needs, with a physician’s referral. If interested, contact your physician for the referral necessary to schedule an appointment. If you need help, Spalding Regional’s Center for Rehabilitation Services offers the assistance of licensed physical therapists on an outpatient basis. Our therapists can promote healing and help you restore function, prevent further injury, reduce pain and improve your activities of daily living. There are locations in Griffin, Barnesville and Jackson to better serve you. Learn more at SpaldingRegional.com/Rehabilitation or call 770.229.6498.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS Affordable Care Act, Open Enrollment Assistance, Enrollment ends January 31

Learn more or get help with enrollment: Tues/Wed/Thurs in January, through Jan 28 9am – 3pm at Spalding Regional’s Outpatient Center Or call Diane Pass (770-228-2721, ext 1147) for an appointment

Classes for moms-to-be and the entire family; all classes are free, but registration is required. For more information on any of the classes below, or to register, call 770.467.6136 or visit us online at www.SpaldingRegional.com/WomansServices. OB TOURS: First and Third Tuesdays of each month, 6:30pm WEEKEND CHILDBIRTH CLASSES: Jan 8 & 9, Feb 19 & 20. Friday 6:30 - 8:30 pm and Saturday, 8:30 am - 12:30 pm.

We are always adding new events. Be sure to check online at SPALDINGREGIONAL.COM/COMMUNITYEVENTS for a complete listing of our upcoming programs during the year. 13

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Article and Photos by Jake Gentry It was a perfect country winter evening. On the Williamson Music Barn’s gravel parking lot, the unseasonable December heat we had been experiencing had given way to a gentle cool. The sun was just going down, but already the soft plink of banjo strings being tuned was streaming from the small pickin’ shed adjacent to the Music Barn.

In Volume 1, Issue 4, Kitchen Drawer introduced our readers to local music venues, including the Williamson Music Barn. Now, almost seven years later, writer Jake Gentry shares his personal experience of the Music Barn’s enduring appeal. Read “Music Barns” and other articles in our online archive at www.kitchendrawer.net.

I walked around the lot, taking in the various buildings that always seem to accumulate around old structures in Georgia. The Music Barn was originally a garage, but John Williams got together with a few friends and cleared it out in 1986. These friends gathered there to play, and eventually it grew into a full bluegrass, gospel, and country music venue. John Williams passed away in September of 2011, but his wife, Sandra Williams Corley, carries on operating the Williamson landmark. “When we opened, the Music Barn was the only venue of its kind south of Atlanta,” says Sandra. It’s no surprise, then, that a community of dedicated musicians sprouted up around it and has continued to support it for so long. They’ll gladly regale you with stories about how the Music Barn has hosted Atlanta

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Country Music Hall of Fame inductees and even helped establish acts that have since gone professional. The Music Barn itself was inducted in November 2015, and they proudly display that accolade in their sitting area. As the sun sank, I made my way through the front door and immediately noticed that the Music Barn displays a lot of signs. Some of them are vintage, advertising some long-defunct alarm company or medicines that nobody seems to remember ever having existed. A surprising number, though, are custom-made for the Music Barn. Engraved plastic placards, painted tin squares, and beautifully lettered signs all remind patrons of how this small musical sanctuary stays open: donations. There’s even a donation tracker in the shape of a guitar with the frets marking progress toward goals.

In a time when meaningful community gathering places are growing scarce, it’s no surprise that the Williamson Music Barn has such tenacious supporters... there’s a new generation creating experiences around local country music which will keep places like the Williamson Music Barn warm, bright, and full of sound.

The Music Barn closed for a few months in 2013 when it became clear that there weren’t nearly enough donations coming in. Sandra started reminding folks of how important their donations were, learned to ask for help in the Barn’s times of need, and put up more signs. With the community’s support, the Music Barn was able to reopen in August of 2013. This place is full of the kind of history that takes up residence in old Southern buildings that have been occupied for years. Collectibles old and new provide a cozy backdrop for friends catching up after a long week. There’s an almost hallowed feel to the Music Barn. It’s a community hub that’s open once a week and runs on donations, and there’s no alcohol. For many of its patrons, the Music Barn is like a second church. The Music Barn no longer has a snack bar as they did before the temporary closure, but I was fortunate to visit on the Friday before Christmas, when the Barn traditionally provides a meal as a thank you to the community and a gesture of goodwill. By the front door was a table loaded with main dishes like roast and potatoes, and near the entrance to the auditorium were treats and baked goods.

As the first band started their performance, Sandra didn’t sit down—she doesn’t usually have time to, as she flits from task to task with incredible efficiency. First she’s washing some of the dishes that have accumulated from the meal, then she’s coordinating with band members who have arrived late, then she’s talking to the MC about a possible change in schedule. She frequently touches base with everyone involved in operating the Music Barn, confidently keeping tabs on everything that’s going on. Sandra’s confidence in her crew reflects her confidence in the Music Barn as a whole. Local talent, professional artists, and music enthusiasts all find the Music Barn too special to let it slip away again. Sandra says, “I don’t think it’ll ever go away. Someone else would pick it up.” Her confidence is bolstered by the dedicated community of volunteers supporting the Music Barn. Zebulon roofer and loyal Music Barn friend Les Bragg put the roof on the pickin’ shed, a small building just outside the barn itself where groups can practice, freestyle, or warm up for the big stage. Other community members volunteer services such as cooking, cleaning, laying bricks and more. continued on p. 20

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Gather friends, family or social groups to celebrate cozy feelings of nostalgia with the relaxing scents of tea, fresh cakes, and dainty sandwiches.

Office: 470.204.7063 Cell: 404.886.3096 teresahurt@comcast.net TeresaHurtandAssociates.com

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continued from pg. 17

In a time when meaningful community gathering places are growing scarce, it’s no surprise that the Williamson Music Barn has such tenacious supporters. Every audience member has a unique relationship to the venue and its performers. Much has changed since the Music Barn’s opening, but it has remained a locus of attention for the local country, bluegrass, and gospel music community. Some of the regulars lament that people don’t like country, bluegrass, and gospel music so much anymore, but I believe that the Music Barn phenomenon itself is proof that there’s a new generation creating experiences around local country music which will keep places like the Williamson Music Barn warm, bright, and full of sound. It’s difficult, even for the people who love these places, to imagine them remaining open for decades more. It’s not hard, though, if you really listen.

The Music Barn is open Friday evenings beginning at 6 p.m. and usually closes about 9. w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

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ARTIST PROFILE SAMANTHA TURNER BY RACHEL SCOGGINS Samantha Turner, the talent behind Art by Sammie Jean, is a self-taught artist based out of Thomaston. Growing up, she always had an appreciation for art and creating things with her hands. While in elementary school, she would come home from school, watch The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, and paint along with him. As she grew up, she started creating her own art. In her 20s, Sammie Jean got interested in tattoo art. She was an apprentice at a tattoo shop for two years, and then worked as a tattoo artist for two more years. During this time, she learned a great deal about art and technique and really grew as an artist. From there, Sammie Jean expanded into other art forms, like painting with watercolors and acrylics. She has a vast love for learning about different art forms, and enjoys creating art any way she can. “I love any medium,” she said. “Art is everywhere. You can look at the trees in autumn, or graffiti on the wall, or someone’s face and see something interesting.” This love of creating led Sammie Jean to her current, and most unique, medium: woodburned art. Woodburning, also known as

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pyrography, is an art form in which the artist burns an image into wood with pyrography tools, such as woodburning pens. Using different types of wood and varying tip sizes, temperatures, and techniques creates different artistic effects. Just about any type of wood can be used for woodburning, and this technique can also be done on paper or leather. Sammie Jean was first introduced to woodburning in a school art class, where she made a woodburned art piece featuring a heart with the word “Mom” on it. This art project stayed in her mother’s kitchen, and years later, Sammie Jean saw it and got the idea to try something different. “I like to challenge myself to try new media, so I went to the store and bought a basic woodburning kit,” she said. She drew a sketch and burned it onto the wood, and from that first attempt, she was hooked. Woodburning was the hardest medium for her to pick up because she didn’t know anyone who did it, so she read books and just practiced and practiced. She said, “It’s not a mainstream art form, but more people do woodburning than I realized. I started following them, seeing what they did, and kept working to get better.”

WOODBURNED ART

TATTOO ARTIST

PYROGRAPHY

“It’s so neat to create a portrait on wood that looks like a person. Portraits allow me to challenge myself to be better.”

THE WALKING DEAD

SAMMIE JEAN

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She bought a more sophisticated pyrography setup so she could continue to improve her technique. She burned tattoo art, animals, and various scenes onto wood. Recently, she started creating woodburned portraits. “It’s so neat to create a portrait on wood that looks like a person,” she said. “Portraits allow me to challenge myself to be better.” To create woodburned art, Sammie Jean first sands and preps the wood. Then, she draws a sketch on the wood with a pencil, or, for more detailed images, she may draw a basic outline of the shape and use graphite paper to transfer the image onto the wood, essentially laying a foundation or blueprint for the burning. For a traditional image, she starts the woodburning process with the shading. If she is doing tattoo-style art on the wood, she burns the outline first and then does the shading. The way she finishes depends on the piece. Sometimes she stains them, and if the artwork is going to be in the sun, she adds a matte sealant. Some of the more intricate woodburned art pieces can take more than 15 hours to complete. Sammie Jean mostly uses country round-cut basswood, which she purchases at hobby or art stores, but she also uses any wood she can get her hands on. She sometimes orders wood online. For one commission for a wedding, she even cut a log herself and burned the wedding date and the initials of the couple into it. The log was used as a cake stand at the wedding. “You can get wood that you can burn art onto anywhere. I collect wood from scrap yards and cut trees, or just use any decent piece of wood I find lying around,” Sammie Jean said. Currently, Sammie Jean is creating a series of wood burns based around The Walking Dead. “I wanted more practice, so I chose The Walking Dead as the subject because I’m a fan of the show and what they bring to Georgia. After my first project, I got a lot of positive feedback and decided to do a whole series.” As of now, she has completed four art pieces featuring the popular show’s characters: Rick and Daryl, Daryl, Glenn and Maggie, and Michonne. “I kept those for art shows, and burn new ones for customers using characters they want.”

In addition to creating her own art, Sammie Jean accepts a variety of commissions. Some are for traditional paintings using watercolors, acrylics, and other media; others are for woodburning projects. She can burn just about any subject on almost any type of wood, from guitars to wood plaques to crates and wooden boxes. Though Sammie Jean stays busy with her commissioned work, she also takes occasional appointments for tattooing and hopes to get back to working as a tattoo artist more frequently. “I love tattooing,” she said. “I’m so passionate about it.” Sammie Jean takes commissions through Facebook, Instagram, and via email. She also has pieces at the Flint Rose Studio in Thomaston and sells through Etsy. She participates in various community events like Art in the Park and art shows in Upson, Pike, and Spalding counties. Commissions are priced according to the medium and size. Wood burnings are more expensive because they take longer. “It’s a slow process,” she said. “If you burn too fast, you’re gonna mess it up.” For paintings, she requires a week for completion, and for wood burnings, two weeks. “I love honing my skills and pushing myself every day to be a better version of myself,” Sammie Jean said. “I love creating art that people enjoy. I don’t always have a story to tell or a deeper meaning; I just want to create things that make people happy.” She plans to continue with pyrography and painting and eventually get back into tattooing more. “I want to keep creating things, and every day create something that’s better than the day before.”

To check out Sammie Jean’s art, visit her Facebook page, Art by Sammie Jean, or see her work on Instagram at instagram.com/Sammie_Jean_Art. To contact her about commissions, email her at artbysammiejean@gmail.com.

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Liberty technology rents out an entire theatre for customers to enjoy an early showing of star wars

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the georgia historical records advisory council presents award for legislative advocacy

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MOVIE REVIEW:

HOMES BY CLARK DOUGLAS

WHEN MY WIFE AND I WERE IN THE MARKET FOR OUR FIRST HOME, THE SUBPRIME MORTGAGE CRISIS WAS IN FULL EFFECT. Many of the houses we looked at had recently been foreclosed on, and on many occasions, it was clear that the previous homeowners had departed in a fit of anger. Things were broken and holes were smashed in walls—the evidence of a final, helpless parting shot at the heartless banks that had evicted them. When I told people about this, the most common response I heard was one of disgust: “Ugh, how can people be so selfish? They should have paid their bills on time.” Ramin Bahrani’s 99 HOMES is filled with disgust, too, but all of it is aimed at a system that reduces real, struggling people to numbers on a page.

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From the very beginning of his career, Bahrani has devoted himself to highlighting the struggles of people movies often ignore: the hard-working immigrants of MAN PUSH CART and GOODBYE SOLO, and the neglected children of CHOP SHOP. As his profile has grown and he’s started working with well-known actors, he’s expanded his focus to include the powerful individuals responsible for the suffering of others. 99 HOMES gives us a long, hard look into the eyes of a cold-blooded real estate operator...and into the eyes of his many victims. The real estate operator is Rick Carver (Michael Shannon, TAKE SHELTER), who used to help people buy homes and

now specializes in removing people from their homes. He projects such stern authority that the police officers assisting him with evictions refer to him as “Boss,” and his pitilessness is an essential part of his ability to get people out of their homes in an efficient manner. One of his latest targets is Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN), a recently unemployed construction worker who has been unable to scrape together enough money for his recent mortgage payments. A judge had told Dennis that he had 30 days to file an appeal, but he doesn’t have any documentation to back that up, and Rick refuses to grant him time to get it. Dennis, his mother (Laura Dern, JURASSIC PARK), and his son Connor (Noah Lomax, THE WALKING DEAD) are given two minutes to gather their valuables before Rick and the police shove them out the front door. In the days that follow, Dennis ends up finding an unlikely employment opportunity: he gets a job working for Rick. He dislikes the notion of working for the serpent that evicted him, but the pay is good and the work is steady. He starts with simple grunt work like moving furniture, but quickly reveals talents that inspire Rick to give him a promotion. It seems that Rick has a system of exploiting loopholes in government regulations to take advantage of struggling homeowners, and he could use Dennis’ help in setting up these schemes and evicting the unsuspecting homeowners. The legality of this is questionable at best, but Dennis’ paychecks keep getting bigger, so he doesn’t ask too many questions. Alas, as he spends one day after another ruining people’s lives, it grows increasingly difficult for Dennis to live with himself. There are echoes of Bahrani’s exceptional AT ANY PRICE in this tale of a man being eaten alive by his guilty conscience—by the end of both stories, it doesn’t really matter what happens, because a person’s soul has already been infected. Like that movie, 99 HOMES isn’t always as elegant as it could be. The dialogue can be a little clunky at times, and certain scenes feel closer to sermons than actual conversations. However, there’s a moral conviction here that tends to overwhelm those problems—a righteous anger at the way we treat people who need our compassion the most, and at our government’s tendency to

crack down on the helpless and forgive the powerful. Shannon is a consistently intense actor, but there’s an air of cavalier amorality in this performance that makes his work here feel a little different from everything else he’s done. As his targets are dragged away kicking and screaming, he stands there calmly, casually enjoying his e-cigarette with the quiet confidence of an oldschool movie gangster. He’s cool and collected...right up until his bottom line is threatened, anyway. On the flip side, Garfield’s performance is all raw-nerve emotion and open-faced sincerity: he can’t look people in the eyes when he evicts them, because he knows they would recognize the shame he feels. Laura Dern has far less to do than an actor of her caliber deserves, but nobody plays deeply felt concern as well as she does.

AS I WATCHED THE FILM, I KEPT THINKING OF ALL OF THOSE BUSTED WALLS AND HALF-WRECKED HOMES...AND OF ALL THOSE DISGUSTED, DISMISSIVE REMARKS PEOPLE MADE. BAHRANI RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING US LOOK INTO THE EYES OF THOSE PEOPLE SO WE CAN SEE THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE: ORDINARY, STRUGGLING HUMAN BEINGS WITH THE SORT OF PROBLEMS THAT COULD AFFECT ANY OF US AT ANY TIME. Any of us could lose a job or suffer a health problem or make a bad investment that prevents us from being able to meet our obligations. No one deserves to be treated the way these people are treated. 99 HOMES seems cynical about the possibility of change, but its bottomless humanity is the sort of thing that will be required if we ever hope to create a system that offers some semblance of compassion.

READ A MOVIE REVIEW A DAY FROM CLARK AT 365MOVIEGUY.COM.

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RESTAURANT REVIEW

BARNSTORMER’S GRILL

By Laurie Cochrane and the KD Crowd • Photos by Michelle Cobb "Now I know why people drive all the way out here to eat," said Michelle, as she slid another succulent rib off the rack. And it's not even that far. In under 30 minutes, the KD crew was at historic Candler Field, right off 362, putting away a lunch that could hold its own against any place around. Barnstormer’s uses few fancy names on its menu. For the most part, what you see is what you get: no-nonsense American fare – beef, chicken, pork, fish, burgers and sandwiches – but at very high quality and a fair price. Frankly, Barnstormer’s delighted and exceeded the expectations of our entire group. The restaurant, banquet, and conference rooms fill a large airplane hangar. You enter the restaurant through a lobby that chronicles the history of Candler Field – the first Atlanta airport, founded by Asa Candler (of Coca-Cola fame) and William Hartsfield. Our party was warmly welcomed and seated in the sunny, 1920s-themed dining room. Since the restaurant is attached to the Candler Field Museum, you can enjoy watching small planes take off and land on the grassy runway just outside. We started with Loaded Potato Skins and Fried Pickles. “Loaded” means loaded - no Bac-O's here. Just the real deal. Personally, I’ve never been impressed with a fried pickle until this day. Josh agreed, “These are classic 31

appetizers that you can get at a lot of places. And there are a lot of ways you can do them. Barnstormer’s does them right. The loaded potato skins in particular were amazing. So bacony and cheesy and delicious! They were on the specials menu the day we were there. Hopefully they’re on it frequently.” Our group sort of fought over the succulent Coconut Shrimp, fried in a light, crispy batter and served with orange marmalade. They are outstanding. Likewise, the Filet Mignon with garlic/bleu cheese butter (Barnstormer’s most popular item) was cooked perfectly to order and delicious. Be sure to order your beef accurately, because that’s how it will be prepared. The Hand-Pattied Steak Burgers come in a variety of ways. We sampled the Fried Jalapeno Burger, and the quality of both the beef and the toppings definitely shines through. Barnstormer’s brags on its ribs, which can be dangerous, but these fall-offthe-bone Slow-Cooked Baby Back Ribs stand up to scrutiny. The portion

is generous – so is the flavor. And for you chicken lovers, a popular item is the Kickin’ Chicken, char-grilled and topped with bacon, cheddar, and BBQ sauce. Mmmmm!! Now the sides. Wow. Too often, ordering a side of broccoli means being confronted by a small dish of mushy, yellowish vegetable that tastes like old dishwater. Barnstormer’s Sautéed Broccoli was bright green and included red onion and feta cheese. The “vegetable of the day” was Green Beans – also bright green and sautéed with bacon. The Onion Rings are fresh-cut and feature the same light, crispy batter that we enjoyed on the other fried items. We continued to be utterly impressed with the desserts, which are all prepared on site. As we sampled all of the homemade desserts on the menu, “Grandma” was the word that came up most frequently. As someone who never orders dessert after dinner, I was surprised at my ability to enjoy sampling each of these confectionary delights after a very satisfying meal. The Strawberry Cake, Key Lime Cake, and Pecan Cake were all moist and flavorful, ( 7 7 0) 412 - 0 4 41

with perfectly proportioned icing. And the towering slices of Lemon Meringue and Coconut Cream pies inspired the most “Grandma” comments of all.

fries, who needs it? Their homemade desserts are incredible too. Their strawberry cake reminds me of something my grandma would make.

JOSH his was my first visit to Barnstormer s Grill, and I was very impressed with the atmosphere and with everything we had the opportunity to try.

Barnstormer’s is a perfect setting for everything from a dinner date to a business lunch and can accommodate 500 people for an event (300 for a served meal) in the accompanying banquet rooms. You might even spot a celebrity. According to owner Ron Alexander, Harrison Ford has dined there three times, and the site has been used in several films, including a couple still to be released: Clint Eastwood’s Sully, starring Tom Hanks, and Tom Cruise’s Mena. Hunky Christopher Meloni from Law & Order has also been identified at Barnstormer’s.

JAKE VEGETARIAN ! Barnstormer’s is a unique restaurant. When you think of restaurants attached to museums you might imagine a cafe in an art gallery, the kind of place that shells out unsatisfying ham sandwiches, inedible biscotti, and stale coffee. Barnstormer’s Grill is its own destination, and the food alone is well worth the visit. Their onion rings are the perfect example. They’re cut at just the right width and fried in a flaky, light batter until they get tender like meat. When I picked up my first one and bit into it, was alarmed. I thought someone had ordered calamari somehow. Calamari’s not on the menu, but with sides like loaded potato skins, salty-delicious fried pickles, and pastry-like sweet potato

had the grilled filet mignon with garlic and bleu cheese butter. The steak was grilled to perfection – just as I ordered it, medium-rare. The garlic and bleu cheese butter was the perfect complement to the steak, and was unique – not your average bleu cheese steak topping. My favorite side, by far, was the green beans. I had never had green beans with bacon like this in them before, and…It. Was. Awesome. The bacon was cooked and then added to the fresh beans (as they were sautéed?). Not the way my Southern family normally does it – throwing uncooked bacon into a pot of canned beans and heating them up. These green beans were an unexpected and welcome twist to a traditional Southern side dish.

STAFF FAVS TOP TWO PICKS

The Grilled Salmon with sweet and spicy glaze was my second-favorite after the filet. he gla e was li uid heaven, and the salmon was cooked just right. For dessert, I’m pretty sure we tried everything they have. It was all amazing and “home cooked, even down to the crust,” as our server Brittany informed us. My favorites were the coconut cream pie and the lemon meringue pie. They tasted exactly the way my grandmother used to make them, and that’s something ll definitely go back for.

ALLISON Everything I sampled was quite tasty, but my favorite entrée was the coconut shrimp. Its light, crispy batter was w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

excellent, and the accompanying orange marmalade was a refreshing change from the expected cocktail sauce. The ribs were meaty and extremely tender. The green beans were my favorite side, because they had bacon on them. Barnstormer’s sweet tea gets high marks from me as well. We had the pleasure of sampling a wide variety of Barnstormer’s reasonably priced homemade desserts, and I couldn’t select just one favorite; I had to declare a tie between the lemon meringue pie and the key lime cake. The restaurant’s vintage aviation theme and being able to watch planes taxiing while we dined made the whole experience extra special. "

Michelle • ribs, fried pickles Laurie filet, broccoli Allison • shrimp, salmon Jake • onion rings, fried pickles Josh salmon, filet FAVORITE DESSERT Michelle • lemon meringue (LM) Laurie • coconut cream Allison • LM / key lime cake Jake • strawberry cake Josh • LM / coconut cream

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KITCHEN TABLE

Catherine Jarret, the culinary and creative force behind Butter + Brie, has

been fascinated with creating recipes, cooking, and photographing food for over 10 years. She loves taking traditional comfort foods and kicking them up a notch to impress both the eye and the palate. To see more of her recipes, visit her blog at ButterAndBrie.com.

AND CHICKEN VERSIONS) Pad See Ew (VEGETARIAN

! Serves two

" 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces rice noodles, dried • 1 block extra-firm tofu (or two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes) • Vegetable oil • 3 cloves garlic • 2 eggs • 1 cup broccolini

SAUCE • • • • •

1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce 2 Tbsp oyster sauce 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp rice wine vinegar 2 tsp sugar

DIRECTIONS Place dried rice noodles in a bowl and cover with VERY hot, but not boiling, water. Soak noodles for 30 minutes; drain and set aside. If using tofu, prepare (below) while noodles are soaking. Remove tofu from package, place on several layers of paper towel and fold more paper towels on top; then place something heavy on top of the pile. (I use a plate and my sugar container.) Let it sit for 15 minutes to squeeze out extra moisture. (This will make the tofu a bit firmer, and it will hold together beautifully when you cook it.) After 15 minutes, cut the tofu into ½″ X 1″ pieces. If you're using chicken, simply season the cut, raw chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. While tofu is pressing, add all sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Put your wok (or large sauté pan) over high heat and add two tablespoons oil. Once it’s good and hot, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds—it’ll brown pretty fast. Add the protein (tofu or chicken) and cook until browned and crispy all over (about 10 minutes). Remove protein and garlic to a bowl and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and pour in eggs. Scramble until cooked, then slide eggs to the side of the wok; add the soaked noodles and sauce. Cook the noodles until browned and the sauce is mostly gone. Make sure you let the noodles sit for a bit in the pan so they get slightly charred; it’s the secret to the signature smoky flavor of the dish. Add the broccolini to the pan and toss to cook for one minute. Add the protein back in and cook for another three minutes, stirring occasionally. Place into a bowl and serve immediately. ⚫

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KITCHEN TABLE

Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs ! Serves four

" 30-45 minutes

INGREDIENTS • ½ pound ground beef (80% lean) • 1 tsp basil • 1 tsp oregano • 1 tsp parsley • ½ tsp rosemary • 1 tsp pink Himalayan salt, finely ground • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

• 1 large egg • ¼ cup bread crumbs (or almond flour if watching sugar intake) • 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream • 1 Tbsp butter • 8 ciliegine (1" mozzarella balls, found locally on the “olive bar” at Kroger and Ingles) • 1 cup tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS In a medium bowl, combine beef, spices, salt, Parmesan cheese, egg, bread crumbs, and heavy whipping cream. Using your hands, gently mix until well combined. Divide mixture into eight equal portions. If ciliegine balls were marinated in oil, blot them with a paper towel so the meat mixture will stick to the cheese. Take one portion of the meat mixture and flatten slightly in your palm. Place one mozzarella ball in the middle and gently wrap the meat mixture up and around to cover the cheese. Roll the ball in your palms until the cheese ball is evenly and consistently covered to avoid leaks. Repeat with remaining ciliegine.

Zuppa Toscana ! Serves four

Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over. While meatballs are browning, heat tomato sauce over medium-low heat until just simmering. Once meatballs are browned, place into tomato sauce and simmer, GENTLY stirring occasionally, for eight to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve immediately. ⚫

(GLUTEN FREE AND LOW CARB)

" 45 minutes OR 8 hours (stove top or crock pot method)

INGREDIENTS • • • • • •

4 slices bacon 1 pound sweet Italian sausage 1 Tbsp garlic 4 cups chicken broth 2 cups water 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 2 cups kale, julienned (or finely chopped) • 1 small head cauliflower, finely chopped • 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream • Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS In a heavy pan, cook bacon over medium heat until fat has been rendered and bacon is brown and crispy; set slices aside and leave bacon fat in pan. Add sausage and garlic to pan and cook until sausage is cooked through. Stir in chicken broth, water, and red pepper; salt and pepper to taste if desired. If using stove method, gently simmer this broth for 30 minutes and then continue with the next step. If using the crock pot

(my preferred method), pour the soup in the pot and simmer all day on low before continuing. (I make mine the night before, put the crock of the crock pot into the fridge overnight, and then put it into the crock pot, on low heat, in the morning.) Fifteen minutes before you’re ready to eat, add chopped kale and cauliflower. Cook this in your soup for 15–20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and the kale is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon soup into four serving bowls (1-1½ cups soup in each bowl). Add one tablespoon heavy whipping cream to each bowl and gently stir to combine. Crumble one slice of bacon into each bowl. Finish by grating some fresh Parmesan on top. Serve immediately and prepare to lick your bowl. ⚫

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–BOXER–

ur small to wn of Griffi n, Georgia to many n , has been otable fig home profession ures, inclu al athlete d in g Olympia s . M any of the ed for a life ns and se are com time of ac memorathievemen Athletic H t in the Gri all of Fam ffin-Spald e. In 2016 be added ing , another alongside n a m e will these hon Gibbins. H ored few: e spent ye Homer ars makin self betwe g a name en the rop fo r himes as a pro racking u fessional p 226 win boxer, s as an am ateur and another

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Q&A

Q: What first drew you to boxing, as opposed to another organized sport? Every Friday, my grandfather and I would go and watch pro wrestling. And of course, when I got home, I’d want to try everything I’d seen! When my father got home from work and was lying on the floor, I saw my opportunity to try out the “brain-buster” head-butt. I flew across the living room and BAM! After that, he took me to the boxing gym, hoping that I would get my butt kicked and lay off the stuff that I was doing.

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So he was hoping that you might harness that energy in a different direction? Yeah, but the problem was that after I went to the gym and had my first fight in 1976, I liked it. I liked hearing people cheer my name, even though I lost the fight. My dad asked me if I wanted to do it again and all I could say was, “Yeah, of course!” That’s when I started my amateur career, from 1976 to 1990.

Q: That would mean that your career really began when you were six years old. What are some of the things that impress you now when you think back to your days as a younger fighter? I wish that people would embrace what boxing does for young people. It teaches responsibility, respect. We can be different colors, ages, or sizes, but when we get in the ring, we’re all the same. And afterward, you walk away 45

SPORTS respecting the other person because you know they put in the hard work. I had 250 amateur fights with 225 of those being wins, many of which happened in national tournaments. I got to fight all over the world and enjoyed my time, but I never thought about it as a career.

Q: So even as a successful amateur, you never saw boxing as your future career? No, I was mainly doing construction to make money. It started when I boxed a guy I used to go to school with. He kept talking about how he was going to tear me up in the ring, even though we were very evenly matched the gym. We finally fought after our first year out of high school, and I tore his head off, nearly beat him to death. Evander Holyfield, who we had both met several times, was sparring in the same gym. His trainer saw the fight and invited me to train with Pernell Whitaker, one of the most talented fighters in the world. At first, I just went back to construction, but I kept thinking about the card in my pocket. Finally, I called the number, flew up to Virginia, and with Evander’s help, started my career.

Q: In previous interviews, you’ve mentioned some of the problems plaguing the sport of boxing. Would you share an example? In boxing, you have certain guys with great talent and skills. You have some guys with no talent, but who are very marketable—people love to watch them fight. I almost got the opportunity to fight Arturo Gatti in 1999, but after they found out that I had beaten Carlos Martinez with a broken right hand,

• BOXER

HOMER GIBBINS

they wouldn’t let the fight go through. Gatti had a contract to fight Oscar De La Hoya for $1 million and they wanted to protect him. They offered me $10,000 to back out of the fight; I refused. It was worth $1 million to me because if I had won, I would have been next in line to fight De La Hoya. Eventually, they told me that everyone but Arturo had signed the contract, so it was either take the buy-out or get nothing.

that the referee couldn’t see them. He told me after our fight that if you can make the other guy mad enough, he can’t think and he can’t fight. I’d heard that before, but it made more sense coming from him because I just wanted to punch his face in! He was one of the greatest fighters of all time and I’m probably gonna make the trip up to see him inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Q: After doing some research, I learned that you are missing something in your spine called the “odontoid process,” which helps support the neck and prevent serious spinal injury. How did you make it so far in your career with such a major health risk?

Q: Were you just exasperated at that point? Yeah, I was training like crazy and in really good shape. My right hand was still recovering, but I didn’t care. I wanted to fight regardless, but it just never happened. Even after I won my second world championship, I had to go on Judge Joe Brown to win my belt back after the promoter refused to give it to me. It all comes down to the politics of boxing.

Q: Throughout your career, which boxer was most impressive to you? Most impressive would have to be Hector “Macho” Camacho, just so talented and amazing to watch. It was an honor to be in the ring with him when we fought in 1995. He was masterful, and he did dirty things, but in such a way

It was nothing short of the grace of God. After the Camacho fight in ’95, I came away with some numbness in my legs. I didn’t think about it and just started preparing for my next fight, which was a title bout. I was having issues with my balance, and my dad, without knowing what the problem was, encouraged me to push through it. In my next fight, I started off well, but I slowly starting losing my reflexes as the fight went on. I went to throw a punch and my legs just buckled out from under me. I couldn’t get back to my feet, and they initially thought I was paralyzed. After I was examined, the boxing commission put me into forced retirement due to my condition. During those two years out of boxing, I dealt with a lot of anger, and I was

determined to get back into the sport. I was 26 years old and I wasn’t going to let anybody tell me that I couldn’t fight. So I found some doctors who I knew would say the right things and I lied through every examination.

Q: Was it desperation to get back into fighting or was it a financial decision, knowing that you had to provide for your family? It wasn’t as much a financial concern because I’ve always worked a job and boxed. I felt that I needed to do something with all that anger. Some guys go to the bar to drink and brawl, but I find that ignorant. I wanted to get back into the ring and prove that they couldn’t tell me that I couldn’t do something. And that’s what I did, which eventually ended in a couple of world titles. It can be difficult to go through pain and trials, but when you finally get to the end, you would gladly go through them again to get where you are today.

Q: Recently, concussions have become a really big issue, especially pertaining to youth sports. Do you think that this problem should be addressed more directly? I think education is very important. If you look back in history, improper weight loss techniques have played a

role in some boxers dying in the ring. When you dehydrate the body in an attempt to lose weight, your brain loses the water that suspends your brain. If you take a direct hit, it’s almost always an instant concussion. Too much swelling of the brain and the next thing you know, you’re gone. Educating coaches and fighters is key, especially kids who are not sure how to cut weight. Boxing is known as the “poor man’s sport” because rich people don’t do it! In my case, I lied, so there were certain things that were out of the boxing commission’s control. At 20 years old, you aren’t thinking about what happens at 30. Guys like Muhammad Ali, who paved the way for a lot of people, didn’t have the knowledge we have today and you can see the results. You see a lot more when you’re older, but how can you correct a lack of maturity other than by maturing?

Q: After boxing, you’ve gotten involved in various forms of expression, including comedy, poetry, and drama with a local church’s youth organization. What draws you to those different activities? I’ve actually always been an actor of some sort. In boxing, you’re acting— acting like you’re tough when you’re really not! We use drama as a form of ministry and we work with kids from all types of backgrounds in order to reach

people. I also loved to make people laugh in the ring to get in their head, and I still like doing that today. One guy I was fighting was making fun of me because I always wore pink shorts to the ring. As soon as we were face to face in the ring, I gave him a wink and blew him a kiss, and the fight was over in a minute and a half! Comedy has always been something that I’ve done, much like poetry. Every poet is a singer who can’t sing. I pour the struggles I’ve had throughout my life and things that pique my imagination into my lyrics.

Q: Ultimately, what it does it mean for you to be inducted into the Griffin-Spalding Hall of Fame? First of all, I’m carrying on my Dad’s name, which is an honor. To be thought about in the same category as those who paved the way is also an honor. When you leave your dressing room and step out in front of thousands of people, they are all expecting you to go out there and perform. I have a lot of respect for everyone I’ve been with in the ring, because it takes real courage to step into that ring. ●

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Vol. 8 Iss. 1

BOOK REVIEW De b u t no v e l b y Gw e n Ro land

Postmark Bayou Chene

Reviewed by Karen Lacey

Gwen Roland’s debut novel, Postmark Bayou Chene, is set in 1907 in the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin. Published in November 2015, it follows young adults Loyce Snellgrove, Lafayette “Fate” Landry, and Valzine Broussard as they navigate between revelations about the past and tensions in the present. Gwen Roland is the author of Atchafalaya Houseboat: My Years in the Louisiana Swamp. She continues to write about agriculture and self-sufficient lifestyles from her homestead in Pike County, Georgia.

wen Roland trolled the channels of her childhood bayou and landed us a whopper of a novel in Postmark Bayou Chene. She seduces her reader through every human sense. I wanted to rush forward to follow the strands of the story, yet simultaneously slow down to allow Roland’s lush language its due, a struggle that represents the best of all possible reading worlds. My job here is to review it, a luxury I have elected to enjoy by applying to the narrative a figure that emerges early and persists throughout: the braid. It appears both in Loyce’s repeated

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act of hair braiding and as a structural device, the narrative braid. Primarily visual, we must yet allow this pattern its other sensual properties. For just as a braid is worked through separating and joining together strands of material, relying upon the relationship between material and hints of spatial absence for its pattern, so music relies on sound and silence. The characters at the heart of Postmark—Fate, Loyce, and Val—all friends from childhood, make music for their community. Like a Baroque fugue (a musical braid), the novel opens by picking up each strand of voice

and intertwining the music of their monologues. Eventually these three independent lines invite other voices, other stories, as each character’s perspective enlarges and builds upon others’. The narrative braid begins in springtime at dawn, as the first voice, Fate, invites us to relive a significant moment: an unmoored boat floats into view with, tied to it, a nearly dead dog. Soon a second character, Loyce, and a third, Val, introduce themselves, but not, as we might expect, to continue the story; rather, they narrate their versions of

the same event. What, the reader may ask, is so significant about this event that we must learn about it three times? No error or unsteady hand at work here: From its inception, Roland establishes the narrative braid, separating the strands and weaving the work together, the treatment of its seminal moment emphasizing that structure by its repetitions. These voices represent an initiating braid of monologues preparing the reader for the artistry that follows. Not only do we learn through the trio’s speech about the novel’s opening event, the dog Drifter’s advent into the community (with its backstory, now an absence, the beginning of a mystery, to be revealed later); but we hear the rich varietal tones of Bayou speech flowing forth with the rich history of that time and space.

THE COLOR AND TONES OF THESE VOICES, THESE INSTRUMENTS OF STORYTELLING, IMMERSE US IN THE UNMISTAKABLE AUTHENTICITY OF LIVED LINGUISTIC EXPERIENCE: ROLAND’S SURE AND PRACTICED EAR LEADS US. Having captured dialect, she must also help us differentiate among the voices. Important for any writer of stories, this capacity too bespeaks her mastery; for while each character is unmistak-

ably Louisianan, each bears the quirks that signify difference. Fate diverges from his story even by the second paragraph, the storyline about the unmoored skiff becoming itself unmoored, almost allowing it to eddy off. He catches himself, calling us back abruptly with, “Back to that empty skiff…here it comes looking like an alligator gone blind.” Val‘s speech, more “Frenchified,” bespeaks a wider world: “More and more water come pouring in from that Red River, yas, and the Mississippi already too. Mon père, he can tell about that.” Val’s speech gathers from upriver and downriver, and vaunts his wandering ways. The two male voices embrace that of the woman, Loyce. Readers follow their gaze as they hover over Loyce, who is blind, concerned lest she misstep or require assistance. We are already immersed in the act of narrative braiding in the opening chapter when Loyce says, “Oh, I knew something was up when I heard Fate’s bailing change tunes when I was at the top of the stairs. I’d stopped to hitch up the knot at the end of my braid.” Here the figural braid emerges for the first time as image. We might think of the three voices that constitute the opening chapter as playing riffs or variations on a theme, observing a rhythm true both to their telling and their manner of speech. But however we think of it, the work is engaged in braiding. The narrative braid develops more heft as it gathers its colorful array of secondary characters, additional strands for its weave.

Loyce’s father, Adam, picks up the narration in the second chapter. After him, a line of successive narrators follows, each

The a utho r w ith he r de b ut n ovel

picking up bigger, longer chunks of story—first Roseanne Barclay, whom Adam takes in and hires, and whose husband may or may not be coming for her; then my personal favorite, Cairo Beauty, a woman pregnant and dogged by a somewhat checkered past, who settles down with her husband, Sam; and MaryAnn, whose penchant for retaliating against her husband, York, fosters high and explosive drama. And the line continues as the community is populated. Loyce’s repeated braiding signifies well beyond its apparent innocence. The braid continues to pick up all these strands of relation and gather them into its weave— until it is severed. That a visual image, Loyce’s braid, helps launch the story smacks of irony; for this narrative finally reveals its mysteries only in the unraveling and finally the cutting of its braid. Roland’s use of silences, separations, lapses, distances, absences, and moments of inattention is integral to continued on pg. 53

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continued from pg. 50 the rhythm and pattern of her braid, blindness being the most prominent example. Most readers take sight for granted, but Loyce, having never known sight, takes her blindness so; and that feisty attitude masks a lack of vision not merely physical: The beloved character is as flawed as her ability to braid, although she might slap her thigh to hear it! For tucked within the story of Drifter the dog’s arrival, Loyce’s initial monologue notes her ability to identify the item Val drops as the mailbag. Her other heightened senses recognize its scent, redolent of old leather, and its heft, as it thuds heavily. That mailbag signifies because it contains a letter whose import, even when read aloud to her, Loyce does not comprehend. Her blindness to the import of that letter contributes to her misreading and to ours. The novel purports to deliver the letter, but then releases it into the stream of conscious activity. The reader’s eye otherwise engaged, the novel simply allows it to eddy off into the whorl of the unconscious, and we readers are complicit in this release. In a post office bustling with activity, one mail delivery pales and fades out as merely one occurrence among many—a mention, a query, soon lost in a flood of voices and emotion. The moment is easily missed. But the mysterious letter that arrives in the text’s first moments from so long ago will finally restore valuable familial knowledge after a long silence. In the immediate aftermath of its arrival, when Loyce and we are blind to its import, Fate disappears upriver. A source of consternation, his absence represents a gap that Val and Loyce feel particularly, yet cannot understand.

uninhabited. We get a sense of bayou as bridge, rather than separation between land and water, and of what it takes for communities to wrest a living from such spaces. Loyce braids repeatedly because her braids keep unraveling and require tucking, weaving, and care, and just so the narrative; but it, like Loyce, finds fulfillment when the braid is released. For the braid’s severing recalls Fate cutting the drowning dog’s tether to the runaway skiff, an act that tethers us to the early narrative; similarly, it anticipates the ending, when two of the central characters depart from Bayou Chene, dog in tow. Gwen Roland here delivers a narrative that shivers with energy, a rollicking story, deeply Southern, whose telling is superb. Read it and be enthralled!

A co-owner/partner in A Novel Experience, Bookstore on the Square in Zebulon, Karen Lacey recently retired as Associate Professor of English from Penfield College of Mercer University. She lives in Williamson with her husband, Tom, and assorted dogs, cats, donkeys, and cows.

Cairo Beauty saves Loyce from the necessary repetition of hair braiding by cutting Loyce’s braid midway through the narrative. That braid’s heft rivals the mailbag’s, for in the space thereby created, CB unwittingly celebrates a general melee unleashed as the narrative moves toward closure. In the process, we must negotiate the deeper, muddier waters of explosions, accidents, kidnapping, birth, and other epiphanies. We explore an uncharted part of the bayou the community believes to be w w w. k it chendr aw er.net

The Walking dead crew getting their weekly oink joint fix

Dr. leiv takle, jr. is awarded top performer with h&P compliance from spalding regional hospital

Randle rivers gets a surprise attack from the liberty sloth

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Agape Princess House By Rachel Conort Photo by Blair Toombs Photography There are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the United States, all trying to better their community or some part of the world. One of these is the Agape Princess House in Griffin. Founded in 2012, it is a Christian transitional program for women who have graduated from a firststep addiction or abuse recovery program. The Agape Princess House is more than a transitional step. It is a time for women to grow spiritually, mentally, and physically. It is an opportunity for them to be inspired to a fresh start and to learn the significance of hard work as they prepare for a life flooded with coworkers, bills, family, and community involvement. It is different from traditional first-step programs, in which women are typically more isolated as they detox. Agape Princess House participants spend roughly nine to 18 months on their own, but if they happen to fall, someone at the Agape Princess House is

there to catch them and show them grace as they assist them in getting back up. Each woman who enters the program is expected to follow the rules, attend weekly meetings, complete Proverbs 31 classes, abstain from alcohol and drugs, and maintain a job. Lynette Alt, founder and director, saw the struggle women often had upon graduation from first-step programs, and so she started the Agape Princess House to meet the needs of these women. “Agape” is a Greek word meaning selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love, and it is the highest of the four types of love mentioned in the Bible. Ms. Alt understood that many women recovering from addiction or abuse were seeking the wrong kind of love in various ways, which ended up damaging their lives. She wanted to be able to show these women the love they deserve—the same love that Jesus continually shows to us on a daily basis.

The Agape Princess House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is funded solely through donations from individuals who have a connection to this program or who are inspired by how it is impacting women’s lives for the better in our local area. If you would like to help through financial or other means, contact Lynette Alt at (404)909-9519 or visit the website, www.agapeprincesshouse.com.

Our print calender may be discontinued, but these pups still need good homes! The dogs on this page are available for adoption through Dolly Goodpuppy Society out of Barnesville, GA. For more information visit dollygoodpuppy. org or email dollygoodpuppy@gmail.com. Photos by Jessica Cobb

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meredith jane yan I work at Bath tis: & Body work s and there a re two things that ne ed to cease: 1. Questions like, “is the m assage oil ed ible?” 2. Bo ob mon ey.

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erin king: to rip open the top, go When I’m trying to use my Lysol wipes, but they don’t tear in sync. Then I have through them, find the end of it and start all over! Ridiculous.

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2016 Fiction Contest Winner - 1st Place

In July, we announced our second fiction contest. Out of dozens of entries, we selected the following winners. Read the winning stories in Kitchen Drawer throughout 2016.

FIRST PLACE: “SWINGING” BY KAYLEE TUGGLE MATHENY SECOND PLACE: “PATCHWORK HEART” BY TIFFANI LONG THIRD PLACE: “ZERO VISIBILITY” BY MICHAEL DOWNING FOURTH PLACE: “THE LAST HUNT” BY LEWIS BREWER

SWINGING Y

BY KAYLEE TUGGLE MATHENY

ou have to start somewhere. That’s what Marco told himself, over and over again, hoping that the following iteration would carry more hope than the former. It never did. Still, he had submitted his résumé to every business that might possibly want the help of a 16-year-old boy who looked about as useful as a newborn fawn: all lanky arms and legs, unsure of himself, with only a crooked smile as his recommendation. Surely nobody would have any openings for someone like that. But, “You have to start somewhere,” his mother had told him. So that was what he’d do. Marco had already run out of the 10 résumés he’d printed at

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the local library, and he didn’t see himself getting any more copies until the “nicer” (less watchful) librarian went in the next day. His hunt was over today, then. Still–somewhat to delay the inevitable disaster of English homework, but more so to check on his sister–he took the long way home, walking an extra five blocks to make sure he passed the park his little sister had recently begun playing in. It wasn’t much of a park, honestly. Its two tennis courts with weed-sprouting cracks in the concrete, its rusting monkey bars, and its creaking swing set were more ominous than inviting, but at least his sister had somewhere to go after school. Their mom didn’t get out of work until later in the evening,

and Marco couldn’t always come home right away. Today, for example. He had to get past the tennis courts before reaching the playground, but he heard her long before he saw her. Her spirit was like that, so much larger than that of any other third-grader he knew, her voice persistently high and bubbly. “Where are we going?” she asked someone. He heard a little girl respond, but he couldn’t make out the words. Walking along the towering fence, he kept listening for his sister, but she was quiet. Before she said anything else, the other girl spoke again: “You and your stupid ponytail…and your stupid glitter shoes, you can’t come.”

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She couldn’t have been any older than his sister, but the girl’s little voice, sharp and biting, made his stomach twist. He rounded the corner of the tennis courts and saw a group of little girls, two uncertainly stationed behind a third, who must have been the speaker. Her dark brown curls seemed like natural extensions of her pout, and her lashes surrounded dark, narrowed eyes. His sister looked similar, with her thin brown hair pulled up out of her face, her warm brown eyes–she was facing away from him, but he knew them by heart. Even their coats were similar. Both pink, though his sister’s was a little puffier and a little less bright. The girls could have been sisters, really, were it not for a few minor details. But they weren’t sisters. From the looks of it, they weren’t even friends. Marco glanced around for Anna, the girl who always watched the neighborhood kids in the park on weekday afternoons, but she was sitting on a bench some distance away, texting. His sister’s voice brought his attention back to the scene in front of him. She dug the toe of her brand new Disney princess sneakers, shoes she’d wanted for months, into the soft dirt. “I thought you liked glitter shoes.” “We only liked them when I wore them.” The girl flipped a

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curl over her shoulder. “Sorry. Maybe another day.” The girl then motioned for the two other third-graders to follow her, and Marco’s sister remained, staring at the imprints the girls’ shoes had left. After a few painful, weighted seconds, she dragged her feet to the closest piece of playground equipment and pulled herself into a swing.

MARCO WAITED FOR HER TO START SWINGING. HE WAITED FOR HER SWINGING INSTINCTS TO TAKE OVER, FOR HER TO FORGET EVERYTHING THAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. SHE SWUNG HER LEGS A BIT, INSPIRING A LITTLE MOVEMENT, BUT NOTHING WITH ENOUGH KICK TO REALLY SWING. MOSTLY, SHE JUST SAT THERE. He could not watch anymore. Instead, he broke into a run, trying to put as much distance between himself and the park as possible. He was at his home and up the sagging steps in what felt like seconds, and he hoped that he, at least, might be able to forget, even if she couldn’t. English homework was as much of a disaster as he’d expected. He tried reading Great Expectations, he really did,

but getting through three lines of a book and promptly falling asleep was a pattern he’d developed many nights ago. Before he knew it, his mom was home, and it was time to set the table for dinner. The kitchen felt like a warm, wounded place. Marco was never in it unless his mother was cooking or the three of them were eating dinner. The light fixture could have held three bulbs, but it had only one dim one. There was a sallow glow on everything. “Marco,” his mother said, grabbing a towel from the kitchen counter, “poke your head out the door and see if your sister—” The front steps creaked, and his sister appeared at the threshold, looking no happier than she had on the swings. She kicked off her shoes and left them lying in the doorway. “Haley, those don’t go there,” their mother said, raising an eyebrow as she placed a dish on the wobbly wooden table. It was an heirloom from her mother’s mother, which basically meant most of the finish had come off and the screws holding it together seemed fewer in number every day. For as long as his memory served, Marco could remember eating dinner on nothing else. Haley seemed not to hear her, choosing instead to go straight to her room. Marco saw then

how his mother wilted, how her eyes glazed with something more broken than sadness, and he realized it was the first time he had looked at her all night. The first time he had looked at her in a long time. He knew what her smile looked like, how the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth softened and seemed to smile, too, but he could not remember the last time he’d seen it happen. The wrinkles had to have been shallower, then. Now they looked as deep as cracks in the sidewalk, the curves dark and unyielding, strained from setting. Marco did not know if he had a right to look at his mother like that and turned away, ashamed. She did not notice, though. She placed a hand on the kitchen table and breathed, appearing unsure of whether to pursue her daughter or to ignore her. Then she sank into a matching antique chair.

which he’d already applied. If it was within walking distance, he’d apply there. It was that simple. He would not bully third-grade girls. He could not make the other girls play with his sister. But he could make sure she had the right clothes, the right shoes, even the right hairstyle. He could make sure those girls had every reason to like her. Tomorrow, then, when he went to the library, he would print out 30 copies of his résumé. He’d knock on the door of every business until someone gave him the answer he wanted. Even if they didn’t, he would find some way to convince them. He’d do whatever he had to so Haley could feel as big as her spirit, so that when she climbed into a swing, she’d feel like she could kick.

He once again felt out of place without knowing what to do about it. He wanted to comfort his sister, to reassure his mother, to give space to himself. He wanted so many things that his wants exhausted him, and he excused himself and went to his room. You have to start somewhere. Indeed he did. Marco grabbed a piece of notebook paper from his binder and began drawing a crude map of his hometown, placing X’s over places at

( 7 7 0) 412 - 0 4 41

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