December / January 2014

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VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 5

The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 FREE

LEE

The Place to Find

Your Healthy Balance

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A division of Pickwick Papers Publishing Owners:

Beth Snipes Terri Petry Meg Callahan

Publisher: Editors:

Beth Snipes Mary Wood Littleton Katie Lamar Jackson

Director of Marketing:

Terri Petry

Assistant: Design and

Meg Callahan

Photography:

Beth Snipes

Consultants:

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Regina Lynn Duck Meg Callahan Misty Lackey Kolayah KeeVan Web Designer: Brock Burgess Distribution: John Snipes

Contributors Food: Health: Brawn: Garden: Home: Pets

Heida Olin Dr. Lee Sharma Lisa Gallagher Patti Householder Jacquelyn Dixon Dr. Glen Puckett

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contents November/December 2013

Happy Holidays!

Village Friends Village Values Brings Options Independent Senior Lifestyles for

Food Berry Good Holiday Recipes

10 Garden Fall Check-Up Tips for a Healthy Garden

By Katie Lamar Jackson

I

ndependence: It’s something we crave as teenagers, may well take for granted as adults and fear losing as we age. But a new group forming in the Lee County area hopes to help us all remain as independent as possible as the years go by.

This group, called Village Friends-Village Values (VFVV), is based on a national “village” concept, which was created by seniors for seniors.

A village organization allows senior adults to “age in place” in their own homes by providing one-call access to a wide range of services and assistance.

Modeled on similar groups that are springing up across the nation, VFVV board members have registered the organization as a not-forprofit corporation that offers a subscription service for area residents ages 60 and older. For a $250 per person/$350 per couple annual fee, subscribers will be able to call a single phone number to access a wide range of reputable service businesses that provide assistance with household chores, errands, doctor’s appointments and many other day-to-day needs. Some services can be provided free of charge by VFVV volunteers. Services provided by VFVV-referred vendors will be paid by the subscriber, though discounts may become available as the organization grows.

VFVV already has 65 subscribers, putting the organization well on the way to the 200 subscribers needed to become self-sustaining. VFVV has also received exceptional support from the East Alabama Medical Center Foundation, which is providing free office and meeting space.

The hope is to have VFVV fully operational in 2014.

As the VFVV slogan says: "Want to grow old in your own home and neighborhood, supported by a caring community? Then, help create a Village!" Learn more at an informational meeting planned for 2 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2014, at Auburn United Methodist Church, Epworth Center, Room A102. You can also visit the website (search for “village friends village values"), call 334-209-4641 or send an email to villagefriendsvv@ yahoo.com.

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12 Health Ward off Holiday Pounds Exercise!

14 Brawn Pickle Juice?

Tip to Ease Cramps

18 Home Holiday Projects Stylish Decor for Your Home

20 Pets Protect Your Pets Tips to Keep Them Healthy this Season

22 Cover Story Meet The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers

28 Calendar Plenty to Do in Lee County COVER PHOTO BY BETH SNIPES

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Connections.

They are so important to us all, making our lives richer and our community stronger. They provide us with invaluable support, both personal and professional. They also create opportunities for collaboration -- and that, I have found, leads to many wonderful things.

I have always appreciated my connections to this community, where I have spent most of my life and where four generations of my family reside. But lately I’ve felt especially grateful for those connections. After all, it is my connection with Mary Littleton, editor of Lee Magazine and one of my oldest and dearest friends, that led me to write for the magazine and introduced me to its amazing publisher, Beth Snipes.

Thanks to these two women, I have met and interviewed remarkable people who use their own connections and talents to make Lee County an exceptional place to live. And Beth and Mary are now giving me a chance to co-edit this magazine, an opportunity that I deeply appreciate and hope, through our collaboration, will enable this fine publication to further connect us all with one another and with our community.

However, I also know that I am not alone in my appreciation for connections. In fact connections are something of an accidental theme of this issue of Lee Magazine, an edition that celebrates the season by celebrating connections others have with their families, friends and community.

Take, for example, the cover story on The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers, a sextet of talented women writers and artists who, by collaborating and connecting with one another, created a delightful and productive “order” that showcases their talents, but also reminds us all of the remarkable creative human resources that grace our community.

Or consider the work of the newly forming Village Friends-Village Values organization, a group of area residents who are working to connect the dots in this community so that any or all of us can retain our independence as we mature.

And then there are the Lee Magazine columnists who connect us with information that helps keep our homes, bodies, pets, palates and gardens happy and healthy.

You’ll read more about these connections as you turn the pages of this issue, and I encourage you to immerse yourself in the stories. As you read the lines, and between the lines, I think you’ll appreciate the power of this community’s connectedness.

I also encourage you to connect with us here at Lee Magazine. Send us your comments and ideas. Let us know what you would like to see in future issues, and tell us how we can better connect with you!

Finally, I encourage you to use this holiday season to make or strengthen your own connections. ‘Tis the season for giving, so why not use this as a chance to give thanks and to give of yourself, which ultimately is what keeps us all connected. Attend events, volunteer your time and talents to community projects, make donations to worthy causes—a great way to honor of loved ones and friends on your holiday gift lists—and, perhaps most important of all, celebrate the season by connecting with friends and family.

LEE MAGAZINE 5

CranberryGOOD!

By Heida Olin

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start anticipating the Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year's holiday as soon as the temperatures drop below 60 degrees around our area.

Crisp morning air makes me think of the breakfast cake my Grandma made when she found the first cranberries of the season. She said that she’d never tasted cranberries until Granddad had taken her to Chicago shortly after they were married.

Cranberries were hard to come by in the country around 1918, and I believe she took a raisin cake recipe and converted it to cranberry. It’s a simple cake, and I boost the flavor in her recipe with a bit with almond extract and kirsch.

For me, cranberries, pumpkin, apples, pears and coconut are all hallmarks of the holiday baking season. It’s so nice to have a variety of apples available and I love to combine their different flavors and textures in baking. I hit on an idea for salsa made with apples and pears that is a family favorite. The idea came from a fruit salsa I make in the late spring when strawberries are in season. If I’m making my apple salsa for a crowd I add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for another flavor surprise.

I don’t know why I save pumpkin for the holidays, but I never think to use it any other time of the year. Adding pumpkin to a Blondie makes it rich, then I add some mini chocolate chips to make it a perfect complement to a cup of coffee.

Oma always started her holiday baking in October. She had a huge Le Creuset Dutch oven that she kept filled with

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Photo by Beth Snipes

cookies throughout the season. For some reason they never got stale, and we never tired of their buttery flavor.

Both of my grandmothers were prolific bakers, and I try to carry on the tradition and the enthusiasm for the holidays in the kitchen.

it, so when we get home from a holiday event we can have a snack before bed with a cup of tea. Grandma would never have permitted such a thing, but then she wouldn’t have put kirsch in it either!

Serves: 12 people Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 45-50 minutes

CRANBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE WITH PECAN STREUSEL Slow-Cooker 2 cups sugar Chicken Tortilla Soup I love to bake this cake in advance and freeze 3 eggs

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3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1 tablespoon kirsch (optional) 2 cups flour 2 1/2 cups cranberries 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 cup pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan. Cream the sugar and eggs together until very light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Add the softened butter and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes more. Stir in flour and fold in cranberries. Pour into greased pan. Melt the butter in another pan over medium heat and stir in the sugar. Add the toasted pecans and cook, stirring until the mixture is smooth and shiny; it won’t be very brown, but will smell like toasted nuts. Pour evenly onto the cake batter in the pan. Bake 45-50 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

APPLE SALSA If you’ve got a hungry crowd and the food isn’t quite ready for the table, this is a great precursor to a meal. Simple homemade cinnamon chips are perfect for dipping, but the cinnamon pita chips you find at the store make a good alternative.

Serves: 6-plus people Prep time: 20 minutes; 20 minutes chilling time 1 teaspoon salt 4 apples – they can be all the same but I like variety 3 pears – again, go for variety 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons white sugar 1/4 cup apricot preserves

Fill a large glass or stainless steel bowl three-fourths full of water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. As you chop your apples into small dice add them to the salt water (this process keeps apples from oxidizing). Drain in a colander and rinse. Dice pears. In a large bowl, combine apples, pears, cranberries, walnuts (if using), brown and white sugars and preserves. Chill completely before serving.

CINNAMON CHIPS These are fast and easy. I use leftover tortillas and keep them on hand just for noshing.

Serves: 6-plus people Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 8-10 minutes; 15 minutes to cool 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1/4 stick butter, melted 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside. Brush one side of each tortilla with butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Cut into wedges. Arrange in a single layer, cinnamon side up, on a large baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes and cool for at least 15 minutes. These will store well in a zip storage bag.

PUMPKIN BLONDIES WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS Over-baking cookies and bars is a common mistake. Blondies don’t look “done” in the center when they are finished, but don’t worry, they firm up and are much better than the dry over-baked version. It’s not necessary because these are great as-is, but I like to drizzle the cooled bar with a simple powdered sugar glaze, which makes it look festive. For a real treat, make these the day before. They get better with time!

Serves: 24 people Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice Pinch of ground cloves 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin 1 egg 2 sticks butter, melted 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups mini chocolate chips

Continued next page

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan, or line with foil or parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt and all spices. In another bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and egg; add the melted butter, sugar and vanilla.

Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and fold in the chocolate chips. Do not over mix. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCHIES Here’s a treat that I make sure to have the ingredients on hand just in case there are no sweets in the house and there’s a movie or football game ending on the TV and, whatever the result, my crew is craving sweets.

Whip it up in minutes and you don’t have to make a convenience store run for something fast and processed.

Serves: 20-plus people Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 2 minutes 1 (12-ounce) bag white chocolate chips 1 cup peanut butter 2 cups dry chow mein noodles 4 cups miniature marshmallows 1 cup chopped pecans

In a microwave-safe bowl place the white chocolate chips first, then dump the cup of peanut butter into the middle and microwave for 30 seconds. Shake the bowl briefly to spread out the peanut butter then microwave for 1 minute more. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth peanut butter mixture. Add all the rest of the ingredients and stir this very well.

Line a 15x11-inch (jelly roll) baking pan with parchment or foil and dip heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the foil to form a sort of cookie. Stick into the refrigerator for a few minutes to set and enjoy!

HOLIDAY BREAD PUDDING In holiday stories you hear about plum puddings, figgy puddings, Christmas puddings and steamed puddings, but here in the Deep South, we love our bread pudding! I don’t know a single Southern cook who doesn’t have his or her own favorite version. Here is mine!

Serves: 12 people Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes 5 large croissants, torn into half-inch pieces 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk 2 teaspoon vanilla

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1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the croissant pieces, apricots and cranberries into a 1½-quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Beat together the eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla. Pour over croissant mixture and sprinkle with pecans.

Heida Olin is a local caterer and educator. You can reach her at heida@lee-magazine.com.. Please visit her blog at www.leemagazine.com

Work From Home!

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f you love reading LEE Magazine, you will probably enjoy telling local businesses and professionals about the wonderful exposure of advertising to our loyal readers.

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Why Whydo dowe weknow know East Alabama so well ?

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By Patti Householder

W

e have had such a rainy summer that I would like to address an important aspect of keeping your landscape clean.

Viruses, bacteria, nematodes and fungi cause many diseases in our gardens and landscapes. Some disease will occur no matter what we do and some will make our plants look unsightly, but not kill them. Heat, rain, humidity and cooler night temperatures provide the perfect environment for the development of disease, especially fungal diseases, in our plants.

This past summer provided a wonderful amount of rain and cooler temperatures.

While it was nice not to have to water so much, this type of weather also promotes the spread of various diseases, which affected my plants. It was one of the worst years for my tomatoes. I got a few to eat, but many of them withered and died just as the they were becoming mature. A

Powdery mildew

Garden Check-Up

Viruses, Bacteria and Fungi, Oh My!

similar thing occurred with my cucumbers and summer squash. My figs suffered a similar malady as did many landscape plants—annual vinca, Gerber daisies, irises, daylilies, azaleas, oak leaf and other hydrangeas, camellias and certain types of roses, to name a few—as well as trees and grass.

A number of fungal diseases are common in our area.

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Powdery mildew forms a whitish fungal growth on leaf surfaces, flowers or stems.

Fungal leaf spot, which can survive on plant debris and is spread by spores carried through air or splashing water, produces spots ranging from small, tiny specs to large blotches.

Leaf and flower galls, which are swollen balls of tissue that do not cause significant plant damage but should be removed as

soon as you spot them, should be treated with a fungicide application applied at the time of bud break.

Leaf rusts appear as raised pustules that rupture and produce powdery, orange rust spores on the underside of leaves and yellow spots on the top of the leaf.

Botrytis blight may appear as spots, blight on leaves and flowers, stem cankers, rot and wilting and can cause flower bud

G A R D E N

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death and premature death of flowers. There may be large areas of fuzzy, grayish brown spores on plant leaves and tissue.

Treatment is essentially the same for all these fungal diseases.

Prior to purchasing plants, inspect them for any sign of root rot or mildew on leaves or stems. Leave them at the garden center even IF they are on the clearance rack! This is a “deal” you do not want in your garden and landscape.

Clean up and removing all diseased plant parts and leaves is a must. By now many of your plants have dropped their leaves.

Rake up all of this debris and discard it in the trash, not in your compost pile. Mulching after cleanup may help reduce soil splash up onto the plant during rain events, thus reducing future problems.

Overcrowding of plants due to lack of air circulation can contribute to fungal diseases. Selective pruning of stems and branches and providing more space between crowed plants will improve air circulation. If root rot is a problem, make sure your soil has good drainage; if not, add organic matter to improve its drainage.

While we can do nothing about the weather conditions, if we have to water it should be done in early morning, thus giving the plant time to dry. Avoid overhead watering, which can leave the plant wet and susceptible to fungal disease. Spraying with a fungicide before or at the first sign of disease can help reduce its presence.

For more detailed information go to www.aces.edu and search for “fungal disease” or “plant disease.” This will provide you with a list of publications specific to your plant and treatment plans.

Master Gardener Patti Householder is a member of the state Master Gardener Association board and a past president of the Lee County Master Gardener program. She lives in Waverly.

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H E A L T H

By Lee Sharma, M.D.

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xercise is a predictable subject at the beginning of each new year, as resolutions are being made, but it’s rarely a topic during the holidays.

The logistics of exercising during the holidays can also be a challenge. Yet it is during these hectic and calorie-filled days that we need physical activity even more, and for a variety of reasons.

The average weight gain during the holidays is around one pound per person, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. However, people who are already overweight may gain as many as five pounds. Because metabolism slows for most people by age 40, that one pound may become increasingly more difficult to lose.

But exercising for as little as 30 minutes a day with a high-intensity workout — such as running — can compensate for the extra calorie intake we all inevitably have over the holidays.

With the over-commercialization and added stress from logistics, financial strain and family drama during the holidays, many people experience anxiety and depression. Fortunately, doing as little as even 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week can reduce the symptoms of depression by half over a 12-week interval, according to a 2005 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center report.

If you are already a regular exerciser, stopping your workout schedule during the holidays can be a true setback.

In addition to the benefits listed above, maintaining your regular exercise schedule can provide structure to a very busy time while also helping you to maintain your

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Holiday Stress? Overeating?

CONQUER THIS SEASON'S PITFALLS fitness level. Stopping exercise for even a week can have detrimental consequences, which can take as many as six weeks to overcome. Continuing exercise makes it much easier to maintain.

Many people have visitors and family members staying with them during the holidays and don’t want to leave their guests to get a workout. Changing your routine to include activities that involve everyone, such as playing football or catch

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or going for walks as a group, can be a nice change of pace and prevent feeling guilty about leaving others out. Also, mixing up your exercise routine can be beneficial, because doing different things on different days keeps “the body guessing” and will promote more calories burned.

The holidays can also mean travel away from home. Staying with friends and relatives can make it difficult to maintain an exercise regimen. Exercise

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equipment that is easy to pack, such as jump ropes and resistance bands, can help facilitate a workout anywhere, even in a hotel room. Having a book, DVD or workout apps on your smartphone can also help ensure that you will complete a workout while away.

Exercise during the holiday months may sound like a difficult proposition, yet the benefits are definitely there. Preventing the holiday blues and the holiday pounds while maintaining fitness are definite motivators. Looking good in festive attire — well, that’s just one more reason to do that workout! -lm Lee Sharma, M.D. is a board-certified gynecologist in private practice.

Trained at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, she lives in Opelika with her husband Shash, children Sam and Rachel, and her puppy Ryker.

Holiday

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B R A W N

OUCH!

Steps to avoid painful cramps

By Lisa Gallagher

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ris jogged three miles then decided to take a swim at her fitness center. She pushed off the wall and her leg seized up. She had to stop right there and stretch due to debilitating pain in her right calf. It was frustrating, but it wasn’t anything new.

Another cramp. Great!

Kris is 50 and an admitted weekend 14 LEE MAGAZINE

warrior. She has a full time job but manages to jog 3 miles once or twice a week. She also plays tennis and sometimes travels for tournaments. She is plagued by cramps and by muscles that are so tight they feel like metal, not pliable tissue.

When she tries to be her previously athletic self, she knows she is seconds away from a painful cramp. She seems to be able to warm up her muscles to play, but if she sits out a match she has a very hard time getting limber again. She has tried all the cramp remedies she has come across including more water than she'd like to drink, electrolyte drinks, tonic water, milk and even pickle juice.

She is still “a threat to cramp.”

Muscle cramps are strong, involuntary and painful contractions that can last seconds or minutes. Most muscle cramps are in the gastrocnemius, or calf muscle, and occur during or just after exercise or, worse, when we’re sound asleep. Some unfortunate folk also experience cramps in their toes, quadriceps or hamstrings. Any of our muscles are capable of cramping and, in general, the larger the muscle, the more painful the cramp.

There are mechanisms within muscles to keep them from over-contracting or

misfiring and causing the dreaded cramp.

These mechanisms can be compromised due to an inadequate blood supply, nerve compression, mineral depletion or muscle loss that comes as we age (unless we strength train). Pregnancy, diabetes and liver or thyroid disorders can also predispose individuals to cramps.

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n a 2010 study at Brigham Young University in Utah, 10 healthy male college students submitted to electrically induced toe cramps. The students were asked to exercise to mild dehydration (3 percent body weight lost through sweat) and then were administered a shock to induce a cramp. They were offered 2.5 ounces of pickle juice, water or nothing as the duration of the cramp was measured. The pickle juice relieved the cramps 37 percent faster than the water and 45 percent faster than drinking nothing. The vinegar in the pickle juice did not have time to be digested and didn’t change their blood values. It did act like brakes on a car, and the theory is that this is a neurological phenomenon and not a metabolic one.

Pickle juice works when you are cramping as does stretching, isometrically contracting the opposing muscle and massage. If your doctor has ruled out a medical condition, such as deep vein thrombosis, then rolling the muscle with

Most muscle cramps are in the gastrocnemius, or calf muscle, and occur during or just after exercise or, worse, when we’re sound asleep.

The Stick or even a rolling pin can help the muscle “reset.” Pain and tenderness can persist for hours after the cramp has passed. A warm Epsom salt bath and some compression socks can help, as can icing the sore muscle. If your muscle is swollen or hot, you should check with your primary care practitioner immediately.

Strong, flexible muscles are much less likely to cramp. If you want to prevent this painful phenomenon, you might consider taking yoga and having a trainer put you on a balanced strengthening and stretching routine. utritional prevention involves eating a balanced diet. The goal is to ensure that the top four electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) don’t get out of balance and stay in the right proportions for healthy people eating a healthy diet. If you take medications, such as “water pills” your health care practitioner can refer you to a dietitian who can help ensure that you are getting the nutrients your muscles and your body need.

Kris is doing more strength training and eats bananas and drinks milk the day before a tournament. She does not love pickles and has opted for the unproven liniments and balms available to rub on her muscles to help with the pain of her now less-frequent cramping. Wintergreen and Tigerbalm are her favorites, but she’s not opposed to using Biofreeze or Icy Hot in a pinch. -lm

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Lisa Gallagher, director of the Fitness Center at the Opelika Sportsplex, is a wellness coach, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor. You can contact her at lisa@lee-magazine.com

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H O M E

Holiday Decor

Layer COLOR and texture for a Decorator's Touch

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By Jacquelyn Dixon

s we welcome the arrival of autumn’s warm and rich hues, we know the holiday season is fast approaching. This is the time when we spruce up the areas of our houses where guests gather.

As fall’s crisp weather spurs us to layer our wardrobes, we are also compelled to warm up our homes by tossing cozy wool throws over furniture, setting up the fireplace or using warmer accent colors. Combining burnt orange and cranberry colored pillows offers that decorator’s detailed touch. Decorate with colors and styles that match your existing décor, even if that means using unexpected colors, such as turquoise or yellow. Play off the tones of other accessories, like the coffee table or corner chair that is the unusual piece in the home.

For holiday décor, a great Thanksgiving tabletop idea is to decoupage leftover pumpkins from Halloween — a fashionforward makeover — by covering them with strips of fabric, wrapping paper or decorative napkins. It’s very simple and easy to do for such an unusual decoration.

Materials needed are: pumpkin(s), white (or your choice of color) acrylic spray paint, decorative covering (napkins, paper, etc.), Mod Podge, scissors and a paint brush.

STEP 1: Paint your pumpkin and let it dry. While it’s drying, cut the desired fabric strips or napkins. You will only use one layer.

STEP 2: Brush a layer of Mod Podge onto your pumpkin. Place the fabric strips or napkin pieces onto pumpkin and seal with another layer of Mod Podge.

. . .

Christmas transformations are also easy. Here are a few ideas.

Fill cylinders with ornaments. Use spray paint to add a glittery touch to pinecones, acorns or glass ornaments. When displayed in tall glass vases, these things become instant Christmas accents.

Hang a wreath without a hammer by suspending it from a curtain rod over a set of windows. Use long strands of ribbon, tie a bow at the top and add ornaments to the ends for a lovely colorful touch.

Wrap gifts in a natural-looking style by tying burlap and solid brown craft paper around them. Finish off the room’s accent color palette in ribbons.

16 LEE MAGAZINE

. . . . .

Put your tree in a large basket instead of a metal stand. (You will still need to support the tree with a stand, though.)

Whether your foyer or dining vignette stays up all year round or is seasonal, add mercury glass and silver accents. They work with all types of decor.

Cut appropriate lengths of boxwood, pine, magnolia and a variety of bush berries to fit vessels. Remember to keep the fluffing simple.

Create a gorgeous Christmas mantel for your home and brighten your holidays with simple displays paired with cheerful colors. An assortment of colored letters spelling out “Merry” or “Joyful” with a background of candles is a beautiful and easy option.

A dreamy white color scheme with natural and woodsy items is very popular this year.

Whatever your desire, make it your own. Add elements that touch the heart, such as old family photos from the past, to make a wonderful conversation piece. -lm Jacquelyn Dixon is a licensed contractor with 15 years of experience, who builds custom homes and reinvents existing ones in the Auburn/Opelika area. Jacquelyn can be reached at: reallifebuilders@gmail.com

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18 LEE MAGAZINE

LEE MAGAZINE 19

LLIatAUBURN

OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Thank You! WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR PARTNERS! Bernard L. Osher Foundation OLLI National Resource Center Alice M. Leahy Endowed Lecture AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Office of the President University Outreach Office of Professional and Continuing Education Office of Public Service Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art A Little Lunch Music Auburn Alumni Association Auburn University Retirees Association Department of Political Science Harrison School of Pharmacy Speech and Hearing Clinic Office of Accessibility Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Identity Management Office of Real Estate Ralph B. Draughon Library and Circulation Department Special Collections and Archives Women’s Philanthropy Board Auburn Athletic Department Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities Department of Theatre Department of Music Forest Ecology Preserve Littleton Franklin Lecture Series Tiger Transit Donald E. Davis Arboretum Ag Heritage Park, College of Agriculture Campus Planning and Space Management Division Parking Services Department of Communication Disorders Department of Aviation and Supply Chain Management Auburn Regional Airport AU Connects!

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Women’s Leadership Institute Department of Polymer and Fiber Auburn Farmer’s Market SLOT-C Database, English Department Department of Biological Sciences Tiger Fit Office of Information Technology Public Safety and Security Department COMMUNITY PARTNERS City of Auburn Clarion Inn & Suites Staff and Management Lee Magazine and Beth Snipes EAMC Health Resource Center HealthPlus Fitness Center Village Squares Earth Fare Lee County Historical Museum at Pioneer Park Gigi’s Cupcakes Opelika Public Library Lee-Russell Council of Governments, Area Agency on Aging Auburn Chamber of Commerce Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau AARP of Alabama Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation Kroger Grocery Store, Glenn/Dean Publix Grocery Store, Ogletree Village Opelika-Auburn News Opelika Observer Auburn Villager Troy Public Radio WANI Radio Opelika SportsPlex Lee County Sheriff’s Office Yellow Dot Program Alabama Arise Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church Auburn Public Library Saugahatchee Country Club Holy Trinity Episcopal Church EAMC Senior Plus EAMC Health Resource Center And our many wonderful OLLI volunteers whose vitality and commitment allow OLLI at Auburn to flourish!

Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.

P E T S

Keep Them Safe It Takes A Close Eye to Keep Pets Healthy This Season

By Glen Puckett, DVM

T

he holiday season is a time of joy, celebration and festivities to share with our family and friends. It’s also a season that can pose potential hazards for our four-legged family members, such as the shiny wrappings and decorations, seasonal houseplants and irresistible holiday treats.

Since the last thing any of us need to compound the whirlwind of the holiday season is a potential medical emergency with our furry friends, here are some easy tips that may help you avoid a trip to the doggy ER and serious health risks for your pets.

Holiday decorations are a wonderful part of the upcoming season, but they are often 20 LEE MAGAZINE

simply irresistible to animals. Ribbons, strings, tinsel and glass ornaments are far too tempting for some pets to resist, but they can be extremely dangerous when eaten because they cause intestinal blockage and severe problems for the pet.

Cats are especially fond of ingesting these “linear foreign bodies” and often require surgery to remove the items. These cases often start with gastrointestinal signs of vomiting, diarrhea and not eating. Avoid this by never leaving pets unattended in the areas of wrapped presents and decorated trees.

The next potential hazard needs no explanation for those who have watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

The charred outline of “Fluffy” the cat on the Griswold’s carpet is a Hollywood dramatization of what can happen when pets chew on electrical cords or strands of lights. Both dogs and cats are known to chew on electrical cords, often causing lifethreatening electrocution. Cords should be hidden or wrapped to help avoid tempting our pets. Some cats will even try to climb the tree to get to decorations and can knock the tree over, creating a fire hazard. Make sure your Christmas tree is stable and secure, or, better yet, keep unattended pets out of areas where trees and decorations are present during the holiday season.

We humans usually expect to put on a

few pounds during the holidays as we stuff our faces beginning at Thanksgiving and on through until we start our New Year’s resolution diets. The rich comfort food that accompanies the season is often high in fat and carbohydrates, which create the highest risks for pancreatitis and gastroenteritis (“garbage can gut”) when fed to our pets.

‘Tis the season of giving, but don’t give “Brutus” two pounds of leftover holiday ham! Stick to dog food in the bowl and leave the rest for the holiday spread.

C

hocolate is always a potential hazard for pets, but even more so during the holidays. The severities of clinical signs from chocolate consumption vary greatly depending on the type and amount of chocolate ingested.

Small amounts of milk chocolate may not cause any problems, but richer dark chocolate can lead to seizures and death.

If your pet eats chocolate, it’s a good idea to check with your veterinarian who, based on the amount and type of chocolate, can determine the appropriate measures to take.

Almost all of the seasonal plants that we use to decorate our homes are poisonous to our pets. Poinsettia, holly and mistletoe will all cause vomiting and diarrhea if consumed in significant quantities.

Simply placing the plants out of harm’s way or using artificial forms of these decorative plants helps avoid the risk of toxicosis. Also, avoid using water additives to the Christmas tree stand because they cause vomiting in most pets that drink from the tree stand.

Most of these problems can be simply avoided by—you got it—not leaving pets unattended in potentially hazardous areas.

So keep them out of harm’s way and have a safe and happy holiday season. -lm Glen Puckett, DVM earned his undergraduate degree in zoology at Auburn University graduated from Auburn's School of Veterinary Medicine in 2008, and has been in practice at Moores Mill Animal hospital ever since.

He lives in Auburn with his wife Heather, two children, and three dogs.

ExcEllEnt location

StRonG paRtnERSHipS

Solid BuSinESS SuccESS

w w w. a u b u rn a l a b a m a . o rg LEE MAGAZINE 21

The Mystics

Tight-Knit Sextet Reads (and Writes) Poetry and Prose, Not Palms

Queen Gail recently summoned the group to Blooming Colors for their portrait.

STORY BY MARY WOOD LITTLETON 22 LEE MAGAZINE

PHOTOS BY BETH SNIPES

T

break room at the now-defunct Bruno’s Supermarket in Auburn to encourage each other in the practice of wordcraft. They soon decided it would be more fun to gather at each other’s homes, where they could have dinner with wine and not risk sharing their secrets with eavesdropper grocery shoppers.

Coming from diverse backgrounds and social groups, the six women met one another through various personal connections and professional encounters. I had met all six of these women separately at various stations in my life in East Alabama, and I was drawn to my first Mystic reading just to see what these women could all possibly have in common. Their assorted experiences, settings, relations, flavors, styles, subjects and perspectives naturally meld into a magic brew from which rich stories, poems and images are conjured.

“It’s the varied abilities that have made

it was time to do something with them all.

She sent a package of the Mystics’ work off to New Plains Publishing, which initially turned them down. A little while later, however, the publisher called them back and said he’d like to publish their collection.

When Gail asked what had changed his mind, he simply said, “I read it.”

The collection, entitled Be the Flame, was published in 2011. Jim Buford, past president of the Alabama Writers’ Forum, touted the book: “The Mystics, a group of wise and lyrical women, are the flame, and come here not to consume us, but rather to enlighten us with their meditations on life… As both participants and observers, they explore the themes of place, culture and psyche. They take us over the river and through the woods with stops at a jailhouse, several churches, a country store, a Bourbon Street bar and the Courtesy Grille.”

One story in the book by Marian

Mystical aprons are just part of the charm, and magical attire, of this eclectic group.

the Mystics work,” Gail explained. “I think of the Little Red Hen who said, ‘Who will thresh the wheat?’ In the case of this group, some Mystic always replies, ' I will.'

After writing, editing and critiquing each other’s work for a decade or so, the group had yielded “a gracious plenty” of material — poems, short stories, memoirs, essays, etc. So by 2010 Queen Gail decided

Carcache was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, which is a literary award for stories published by small presses. The book was quite successful, enjoying a second and then a third printing. An expanded edition of Be the Flame will be released in December, just in time for the holidays.

In 2012 the Mystics released their second book, The Ploy of Cooking, an admittedly LEE MAGAZINE 23

Photo courtesy of The Mystics

he Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers — or The Mystics, as they are called by their familiars — are an undeniably extraordinary group of women. Mysterious, but not occult. A bit exotic, but not paranormal. They do readings, but they don’t use tarot cards. Their efforts yield literature and artwork, not levitations or secret potions.

If their name is a bit provocative, well, that’s no accident. Gail Langley, the Queen Mystic, explained, “When I was thinking of the name, I was looking for something enticing that would draw an audience to our fiction and poetry readings.” A mystic order might also imply an exclusive group that shares and guards transcendent secrets. That would aptly describe the Mystics, a tight-knit group of would-be sisters who aren’t looking to adopt any others into the sisterhood, but who do protect and disseminate the divine.

Curiosity may have drawn the first listeners to their readings, but it is the clever writing and the breadth of subjects and styles that has captivated and grown their following. And as the number of followers has grown, so, too, has their writing. After nearly 14 years of working together, and five years of public readings, the Mystics have published two books of their collected works and held an exhibition of their artwork.

The Mystics are an eclectic bunch — a former schoolteacher, two college professors, a journalist, a bureaucrat and a lawyer — who have formed their own East Alabama version of a Ladies Sewing Circle & Terrorist Society. Syndicated columnist Rheta Grimsley Johnson described the Mystics thus: “At an age when most women become invisible, these particular females decided to create an exotic persona worthy of their talents.”

Picture a clubhouse where Fanny Flagg, Jane Austen, Flannery O’Connor, Tina Fey, Georgia O’Keeffe and Mother Goose regularly meet in secret to share their work.

Initially, the six like-minded gals met in a

unusual interpretation of a cookbook with more pages devoted to spellbinding stories than recipes. Except for Judy Nunn, who for many decades cooked more than anyone I knew, the Mystics don’t do a lot of cooking. One Mystic even made her stove disappear several years ago. But they have served up some side-splitting main courses in this collection. This pastiche of piquant prose offers more variety than a Presbyterian post-funeral potluck. As Rheta aptly described, “They don their Mystic aprons and become two parts Mary Tyler Moore and one part Welcome Wagon.”

Not only are the Mystics gifted literati, but each Mystic enjoys an artistic pursuit as well. Truth be told, one Mystic, Margee Bright Ragland, is a professional artist and art professor who also happens to be a deft writer. Margee’s illustrations appear in both Mystic books, and I especially love the individual portraits she’s drawn of each Mystic, in the context of her mystical archetype. If Margee’s illustrations whet your appetite, her mesmerizing paintings are a feast.

The other Mystics, though not artists by profession, express themselves through visual oeuvres as well – crafting watercolor paintings, photographs, shadow-box assemblages and other visual creations.

Their works were featured in an August 2011 art exhibition, curated by Margaret Gluhman, in the Gallery of Jan Dempsey Arts Center. They also regularly exhibit their artwork at readings, book signings and festivals across the South.

Every Mystic has her niche. As the group’s chief intriguant, Joanne Camp is the master of East Alabama crime fiction, seeing hundreds of stranger-thanfiction stories each year at the various courthouses she frequents. Marian draws her characters and narratives from the hope chest of absurd accounts that she overheard from her Justice-of-the-Peace daddy. Mary Dansak, who taught school for many years, is always listening to the 24 LEE MAGAZINE

The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers : Mary Dansak , Gail Langley, Margee Ragland, Marian Carcache, Judith Nunn and Joanne Camp

tales of the octogenarians around her.

Margee, as an Atlanta native, applies a decidedly more northern disposition to her equally compelling stories. Judy is a craftsman of the Southern mannered allegory, but don’t be surprised to hear a racy term or sexy situation arise from this elegant woman in her characteristic sotto voce. And the Queen Mystic Gail has no limits (self-imposed or otherwise) in going after a laugh with her whip-smart wit.

As Rheta testifies in her Foreword to the forthcoming new edition of Be the Flame, “[T]hey are damn good. As a package, as individuals. You keep expecting to see an amateurish lick, a purple hue to overwrought prose. I keep watching for that. I see something else entirely.”

After so many years together, the group has become more of a family. They set out to offer each other support and inspiration, but they’ve enjoyed so much more. “The surprise byproduct was published works,” said Gail, “and more important, symbiotic

relationships. I now have a second family complete with the joys, troubles and responsibilities that a family brings. Often as I listen to my sister Mystics read to an audience, I find myself thinking, 'That’s really good.’ I find myself feeling a sense of family pride.”

These days, the clandestine Mystics are rumored to be working on a third book, though no one’s willing to share the topic.

The Mystics are, after all, mysterious. But I’m staying along for the ride, wherever they go; it is sure to be amusing and illuminative.

I’m reminded of Van Morrison’s song about a spiritual quest: I want to rock your gypsy soul Just like way back in the days of old Then magnificently, we will float into the mystic Mary Wood Littleton is a co-editor of LEE Magazine, director of the Red Cross of East Alabama and has been a professional writer and editor for 25 years.

The Mystic Order of East Alabama Fiction Writers:

Who in Tarnation Are These Women?

A

s you read about this group of women known as The Mystics, you’re probably wondering who these individuals are and what they do for their day jobs – at least until they hit the New York Times Best Seller list and have to head out on the talk show circuit. I can tell you that they are an eclectic bunch, each talented and interesting. And I have known all six women for decades, having met each one in a completely different context from the others.

?

Gail

?

Joanne

, the Defender Mystic – Joanne Alexander Camp is the second of 13 children born to Ed and Dorothy Alexander, of Opelika. She studied Spanish and

?

, the Queen Mystic – Indelibly stamped in Gail Smith Langley’s genetic code are a love of Auburn, a love of literature and writing and a truly wicked sense of humor. Gail was among the third generation in her family to graduate from Auburn University, and her grandfather was Alabama Polytechnic Institute’s first librarian and the editor of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Washington Irving’s Tales of a Traveler.

Before becoming the Queen of the Mystics, Gail was a schoolteacher for nearly four decades. A longtime purveyor of many fine and interesting things, Gail conducts estate sales and sells antiques and odd “junque.” Gail retired from school teaching after 38 years of molding children’s minds after claiming she’d developed an allergy to young children, though she has written a new book especially for them, The No Snake in the House Rule. This is Gail’s first solo publishing effort, after helming the Mystics’ first two compilations. Gail says that the five Mystics are like her sisters -- minus the pillow fights and stealing each other’s boyfriends. You’ll find them somewhere binding on the double helices of her DNA.

Russian at Auburn University and landed a position with the National Security Agency upon graduating. Seeking to create an excellent cover for her life of espionage, she moved back to Alabama and married Jimmy Camp, her college sweetheart.

Joanne took a vocational test, which indicated that she should become an actress, a librarian or a lawyer. She reasoned that, as a lawyer, she could be all three. She worked for Judge James T. Gullage during the day while attending law school at night, and she’s been winning law cases with her subtle arguments for nearly 30 years now. She’s been writing creatively since she was a girl developing plays for her cast of siblings to perform, but she only began writing in earnest about 10 years ago when she joined the Mystics. Joanne says she counts on the other women to encourage, prod and coerce her and to expand her talent beyond her comfort zone.

Judy, the Quiet Mystic – You

wouldn’t know it to look at the woman who seems to have just flown in from West Palm Beach, but Judith Nunn was a preacher’s kid who grew up to be a farmer’s wife. Growing up in parsonages all over South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, she had lived in more than two dozen places -- from Shady Grove and Opp to Pensacola, Montgomery, Mobile and Atlanta – by the time she came to Auburn University as a graduate teaching assistant.

“I still miss the soft rhythms of the coast,” she said, “the bayous and bays, but moving was a joy for me. Our family always landed in the lap of a warm congregation.” She studied English at Huntingdon, where she was the first recipient of the Thompson Award for Creative Writing. One day in 1960, when she was riding a bus to Tuskegee to research black short-story writers for her thesis, she agreed to marry a farmer and move to a 1850s farmhouse in Beehive and begin a family. Although Judy grew and cooked an abundance of fresh vegetables for three daily meals, she was no typical farmer’s wife. With her three children in school, Judy began writing for the Auburn Bulletin LEE MAGAZINE 25

and the Opelika-Auburn News. After working as a journalist, she stopped writing for many years until the Mystics organized.

“I wanted to try my hand at making something up,” she said.

“I had limited myself to the unbiased truth, or as close to it as I could get.” Now she is studying poetry writing. “Creative writing was not taught when I was in college,” she explained. “Students have much richer choices now. But these are great years to grow old, because you can go back to school.”

Judy is constantly learning, experiencing, growing and traveling. Maybe it’s the preacher’s kid in her.

?

Margee

?

Marian,

the Dog-Whisperer Mystic -- Marian Carcache grew up in Jernigan, a tiny community in rural Russell County, which instilled her with a sense of duty to save every stray dog. She spent much of her 26 LEE MAGAZINE

?

, the Illustrator Mystic – Margee Bright Ragland is a painter and a teacher, two professions that complement one another. As a professional painter, she works in many media exploring personal narratives that take shape while she’s working.

As a teacher, she is able to share her discoveries as a visual artist with her students, as well as learn from their creative explorations as they improve their skills and discover their own visions as artists.

After growing up in Atlanta, Margee came to Auburn University to study art, then returned to Atlanta and Georgia State University for her Master’s in Visual Arts. And though she has been a professor of art at Georgia Perimeter College for more than 30 years, she lives in Auburn, commutes to the Atlanta campus and teaches in study abroad programs every summer.

Margee has exhibited her artwork throughout the U.S. and Europe. And as a member of the Mystics, she has become a published author as well. She is a contributing writer to the groups two books -- Be the Flame and The Ploy of Cooking – which she also illustrated.

life in her family’s two country mercantile stores, where people bought their groceries and gathered to gossip. Her daddy was Justice of the Peace and often held court in the family’s kitchen on Saturday mornings. Instead of watching cartoons like other children, she eavesdropped on court, overhearing stories at an early age that piqued her interest in the human heart and mind.

Marian has taught English classes at Auburn University for more than 20 years, during which time she has published short stories in such journals as Shenandoah and Chattahoochee Review and anthologies including Due South, Belles Lettres and Chinaberries and Crows. Under the Arbor, an opera made from her short story and libretto, appeared on PBS stations nationwide and was nominated for a regional Emmy. She contributes regularly to Twisted South magazine and her weekly column appears in The Citizen of East Alabama.

Marian’s most recent book, The Moon and The Stars: New and Collected Stories by Marian Carcache, was released two weeks ago

by Solomon and George Publishers. She is currently writing a series of lyrics about southern prophets and preachers.

Mary, the Secretary Mystic -- Mary Mount Dansak has

been trying her whole life to make sense of the world through writing.

She is fascinated by everything, from the salamanders that slither about on the forest floor to the solar wind streaming through space. Mary’s writing borrows largely from her own experiences, tinged with her fascination of science and heavy editing due to her southern sense of dignity.

If she won the lottery, Mary would immediately buy a horse and mystically convince her husband Joe to move to a tiny house with a pasture. She would spend her days riding, reading and writing. As it is, she works as an education specialist for the State of Alabama, which demands long road trips through the back roads, where she sees lots of other people’s horses in pastures and considers that she might not actually be cut out for life in rural Alabama. She and Joe are adjusting to empty nest syndrome by eating well and going to concerts. Sadly, she has not owned a horse since her teens.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARGEE BRIGHT RAGLAND

calendar AUBURN CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY, 479 East

Thach Avenue, Auburn. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 2-6 p.m. Information: 501-3190.

"

WHEN

"

WHERE

"

"

November/December

NOVEMBER 22: Roman Street Live at

JAN DEMPSEY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER GALLERY, 222 East Drake Avenue, Auburn.

Piccolo. Roman Street is an internationally trained instrumental band from Mobile, Ala., that will be performing at Piccolo with no cover charge. 8p.m. to 11p.m. Located inside The Hotel at Auburn University. Call 821-8200 for information.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission: free. Information: 501-2963.

NOVEMBER 23: Out of the Box: An Out-

JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART,

901 South College Street, Auburn. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4:45 p .m. Saturday. Admission: free. Information: 844-1484.

LEWIS COOPER JUNIOR MEMORIAL LIBRARY,

200 South Sixth Street, Opelika. Hours: Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Information: 705-5380 LEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 6500

Stage Road (Highway 14), Loachapoka.

Hours: Second Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: 887-3007, webmaster@leecountyhistoricalsociety.org.

door Juried Sculpture Exhibition. features 10 works of contemporary sculpture to represent 10 years of service to Auburn University and community. Work will be displayed until next fall. Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. NOVEMBER 23: Crafty Christmas. BigHouse Foundation presents the Craft Show for a Cause. It will include 40 vendors – the perfect opportunity to shop for Christmas presents. 9a.m. to 4p.m. Old Johnson’s Galleries Building at 205 S. 10th Street in downtown Opelika.

NOVEMBER 23 – JANUARY 5: National Village Christmas Lights. National Village will host a Christmas Lights display at Grand National. For information please find the event on Facebook.

LOUISE KREHER FOREST ECOLOGY PRESERVE,

3100 Highway 147 North, Auburn. Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: free. Information: 707-6512.

AUBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

714 East Glenn Avenue; Auburn 334-887-7011 auburnchamber.com OPELIKA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

601 Avenue A, Opelika 334-745-4861 www.opelika.com

28 LEE MAGAZINE

NOVEMBER 29: Downtown Autumn Nights. Aubie, the AU band and cheerleaders will begin the celebration while live music will entertain the crowd into the evening. Everyone is invited to attend. Festival located in downtown Auburn.

NOVEMBER 29: Hudson Family Foundation Celebrity Home Run Derby. Annual Celebrity Home Run Derby is coming to Plainsman Park, presented by the Hud-

son Family Foundation. It will feature Major League players and Auburn legends. Visit www.hudsonfamilyfoundation.com for information. 6p.m. to 8p.m. Plainsman Park.

DECEMBER 2: Letters to Santa. Join the Community Writing Center staff to write letters, address envelopes and send them to the North Pole. 4p.m. to 5p.m. Auburn Public Library.

DECEMBER 2-14: Holiday Art Sale Preview Exhibition. Catch a sneak peek of items available at the 7th Annual Holiday Art Sale during the Holiday Art Sale Preview Exhibition. 8a.m. to 5p.m. Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center. Free and open to public. Guest tours are welcome.

DECEMBER 5, 6: Rocky Brook Rocket Reindeer Express. The Opelika’s Parks and Recreation staff creates an enchanting transformation of Opelika’s Municipal Park into a multitude of Christmas scenes. Entertainment, food, hot chocolate, pictures with Santa and a train ride. 5pm. to 8p.m. on Denson Drive.

DECEMBER 6: Auburn Christmas Parade. The community is invited to celebrate the season with the Auburn Chamber Christmas Parade. 5p.m. at downtown Auburn. Includes Aubie, Santa, Christmas characters, live music and other Christmas favorites.

DECEMBER 6: Unveiling the 2013 Au-

City of Auburn Parks and Recreation

burn Gingerbread Village. To be unveiled before Auburn Christmas Parade, with guests encouraged to come visit the village after the parade. 5p.m. to 9p.m. The Hotel at Auburn University.

DECEMBER 7: Opelika Chamber of Commerce Annual Christmas Parade. Includes 75 entries, such as festive floats, marching bands and Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. Begins at 10a.m. in historic downtown Opelika.

DECEMBER 7: Lee County 18th Annual Christmas Cookie Walk for Habitat.

Sponsored by Auburn area WeHelp Coalition of churches. Shoppers and newcomers walk down rows of tables spread with thousands of home-baked holiday goodies, select whatever they want and pay by the pound ($6/lb.).

Holiday entertainment, a beautiful quilt giveaway, photos with Santa and so much more to be featured. 8a.m. to 1p.m. Grace Methodist Church on Glenn Avenue behind Kroger.

DECEMBER 11-15: Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour. Sixty Victorian and historic homes near downtown Opelika will be transformed into colorful, nostalgic reminders of Christmas from a simpler era. Homes will be adorned with life-sized Santas, angels, toys, among other things. Admission is free.

DECEMBER 13: 19th Annual Christmas in a Railroad Town. Be transported back in time and take a wagon ride through the Victorian Front Porch Christmas Tour, take photos with Santa Claus, enjoy Victorian-era food and much more. 6p.m. to 9p.m. in downtown Opelika.

Find out what's going on this week ! auburnalabama.org/parks

DECEMBER 13: Cottonseed Studio and East Alabama Arts Present The Martha's Trouble & Friends Annual Christmas Concert! This is a community wide Christmas concert with criticallyacclaimed songwriters Martha's Trouble, Dave Potts and Muse. It will feature a wide range of Christmas favorites, original songs, stories and laughter. Doors open at 7p.m. All are invited!. FREE at The Cultural Arts Center, 1103 Glen St, Opelika.

For more information call (334) 663-5165 DECEMBER 14: Fitness Open House.

Auburn Parks and Recreation will host a free Fitness Open House. 9a.m. to noon, Frank Brown Recreation Center. Tour the newly-expanded facility, meet the instructors, learn more about classes offered and take part in fitness demonstrations. Open to all ages; minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

DECEMBER 14: Holiday Art Sale. Auburn Parks and Recreation and the Auburn Arts Association will host the 7th Annual Holiday Art Sale. 9a.m. to 4p.m.

Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center and Harris Center. 40 or more artists are represented with handmade items for purchase. Free and a portion of the proceeds from sales support the Auburn Arts Association’s programs at the Arts Center.

DECEMBER 14: Holiday Outdoor Movie. Join Auburn Parks and Recreation for a free outdoor movie featuring the children’s classic The Polar Express.

5:30 p.m. at Town Creek Park. Snuggle up and enjoy this new holiday tradition with friends and family.

DECEMBER 14: Ho! Ho! Ho! Hike. Hike around the Preserve looking for visitors in red, then go to amphitheater for hot cocoa at the fire pit. 10a.m. Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve. Free admission with a donation of canned goods for the East Alabama Food Bank.

DECEMBER 14-15: Loveliest Village Christmas Tour of Homes and Buildings. The Auburn Preservation League will host a tour to feature nine homes and buildings in the Auburn area. 10a.m. to 4p.m.

Saturday and 1p.m. to 4p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $20. Find out more at auburnpreservationleague.org.

DECEMBER 17: Collinwood Luminaries. A driving tour that features luminaries throughout the neighborhood, leading to a nativity scene. Follows a one-way route beginning on Collinwood Street in Opelika.

5p.m. to 9p.m.

DECEMBER 18 – 22: Teddy Bear Tea. Enjoy afternoon tea with a life-sized teddy bear. 3p.m. to 5p.m. The Hotel at Auburn University. $25 per person. Call 844-5140 for more information.

DECEMBER 28: KOB and Opelika Tree Commission Annual Christmas Tree Recycling. Recycle your Christmas tree with the Opelika Tree Commission and Keep Opelika Beautiful. Citizens will receive a tree seedling in exchange for the tree. 8a.m. to 12p.m. Opelika Chamber of Commerce.

LEE MAGAZINE 29

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December 5th and 6th 5:00-8:00 p.m.

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Enjoy food, hot chocolate, entertainment and pictures with Santa!

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