Cobb Life October 2014

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Cobb Life

October 2014

Volume 10, Issue 7

EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER

Otis Brumby IIl

GENERAL MANAGER Lee B. Garrett

V.P. ADVERTISING Wade Stephens

EDITORIAL STAFF DIRECTOR OF MAGAZINES Mark Wallace Maguire

LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Stacey L. Evans, Mark Wallace Maguire

CONTRIBUTORS

Joan Durbin, Stacey L. Evans, Therra C. Gwyn, Katy Ruth Camp, Tammy DeMel, Michael Venezia

PHOTOGRAPHER Sam Bennett

PHOTOGRAPHY

Joshua Campbell, Kelly Huff, C.B. Smeltzer

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT Marti Sacks

PROOFREADER

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Acorn 56 Aqua Guard Basements 70 Atlanta Communities 14 Atlanta Fine Homes - Jim Glover 20 Blackwell’s Jewelers 57 Brawner Hall 56 Brumby Chair 70 Carmen Research 37 Chicken Salad Chick 16 Children’s Health Care of Atlanta 75 COBB EMC 33 Cobb Hardware 72 Compassionate Care Ministries 68 Cornerstone Prep 69 Cumberland Diamond Exchange 43 Debbie Redford - All Around Atlanta Realty 71 Dermatology Consultants 24 Diamonds R Forever 30 Dogwood Forest 10 E. Smith Heating & Air 26 Edward Jones - Udel Richardson 15 Fleming Carpet 35 Fresh n Fit 17 Gaines Park Senior Living 42 Geico 73 Georgia Cancer Specialist 59 Giovanni’s 66 Happy Trails Pet Center 14 Harry Norman - Cobb Marietta 26 Henry’s Louisiana Grill 20 Indy Style Salon 50 Jeweled Destiny 15 Johnson Ferry Baptist 12 Julep’s Home Décor 46 Keller Williams - Sue Hilton 42

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Life Grocery 6 Manders Dental 62 Marietta Antique Mall 10 Marietta Plastic Surgery 3 Marietta Podiatry 73 Market Place 120 46 Marlow’s Tavern 21 Mayes Ward - Dobbins Funeral Home 47 Medford - Peden Funeral Home 62 Milestones 64 Miracle Method 71 Mt. Bethel Christian School 51 Mt. Paran Christian School 31 North Cobb Spine & Nerve 27 Northside Hospital 5 Northside Sleep Center 13 Northstar Church 68 Parc @ Piedmont 4 Pediatric Dental School 54 Pinnacle Orthopaedics 9 Plastic Surgery Center of the South 63 Presbyterian Village 67 Roswell Street Baptist 34 Salon Spa Vanessa 16 Shiloh Hills Christian School 50 Skin Cancer Specialists 55 Sterling Senior Living 40 Superior Plumbing 2 & 66 The Bottoms Group 7 The Framery 63 The Ivory Company 41 Wellstar 76 West Cobb Funeral Home 25 White Rabbit 65 Winnwood Retirement 11

Whitney Betts

ADVERTISING STAFF ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tara Guest

COBB ADVERTISING MANAGER Becky Opitz

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Stephanie deJarnette, Dawne Edge, Paula Milton, Charlene Kay, Liz Ridley, Jordan Emerson, Amber Harris, Kim Fowler, Katelyn Ledford, Audra Pagano

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Beth Poirier, Jennifer Hall

PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Leigh Hall

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Dave Gossett

INFORMATION Cobb Life is published 10 times a year by the Marietta Daily Journal and distributed to more than 30,000 homes and businesses.

To subscribe, email circulation@ cobblifemagazine.com or call 770.795.5001 To advertise, contact Wade Stephens at 770.795.4001 Please send all editorial correspondence to mmaguire@cobblifemagazine.com

Cobb Life October 2014

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WHAT’S INSIDE

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features 22 BY A WHISKER Behind the scenes of ‘Cats’ with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre 28 MAGICIANS OF THE MICROPHONE Meet the voices of Friday night lights 38 LEGENDS OF THE FALL Meet the residents behind some of Cobb’s most interesting Halloween costumes 44 BOURBON BOOM Inside the industry’s growth and our growing taste 52 GHOSTS AND GHOULS? We check out haunted Marietta ON THE COVER: Marietta residents Jeremy and Kristin Moffett with children Maggie and Sam.

departments 18 SPICE Inside one of Kennesaw’s new dining spots 48 HEALTH & FITNESS Wearable tech gadgets to monitor your health 58 TRAVEL Fall into West Virginia 60 WINE North by Northwest and a taste of some of the best

in every issue FROM THE DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTORS TALK OF THE TOWN NEWS & NOTEWORTHY HIGHLIGHTS SCENE REFLECTIONS

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FROM THE DIRECTOR

Falling into another bucket list It would seem vainglorious, egocentric or just plain lazy to write a fall bucket list column, just months after writing a column about my summer bucket list.

At least that’s what I told myself after someone recommended I do so. Then someone else mentioned it, I received a few emails urging me to and then I received a phone call from George M. Scheer with the Peachtree-Atlanta Kiwanis Club. George said he loved the summer bucket list column and asked me to give a speech to his organization with a similar type theme. We bounced around the idea and decided to go with a fall bucket list.

So, I surrendered my reservations and plunged full ahead.

Fall is my second favorite season, just behind spring. I imagine for many of us it is similar to spring: A sublimely transitional period. As we in the South know, our weather tends to fluctuate between the extremities of cold and darkness and blazing heat and burying humidity so when we get a true fall and spring, we really savor it. There is something that simply lifts the soul with our two seasons of close-to-perfection weather, low humidity, shifting light, breezes and the ever-changing colors of the landscape. Everyone talks about ‘the perfect day’ and fall and spring is when those perfect days often occur.

Fall, of course, has its other advantages.

When I was a kid, it was about Halloween, donning long sleeve shirts and watching Georgia football with my dad or grandaddy. As an adult, it is about watching Georgia football, enjoying my boys dress up in their costumes, savoring the cool weather and watching more college football.

So here is what I am aiming to accomplish the next few months.

1.Make homemade Brunswick Stew: I’ve mastered making homemade chili and

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smoking a whole chicken. I don’t say that with great bragging, because I have not mastered much else culinary-related. And I have never tackled the great savory Southern icon of Brunswick stew. I mean a dish that has been argued about from Virginia to Georgia and back again is truly a daunting task to tackle. But I think it is about time. I am eyeing a Saturday in late October or early November for this adventure. If done right, it could make for a perfect pre-game dinner. If done wrong, well, I have a Hardee’s up the road and can forget my failure in a monstrosity of meat and cheese.

for decades until a few years ago. Then my wife reminded me that we needed one for the front porch for our sons to enjoy. I agreed and, of course, did the rather manly thing i.e. found the biggest knife I could and dug right in with no stencil, no drawing and no real plan.

The attempt ended rather badly with the pumpkin resembling a drunk pirate who had seen too many fights and late nights.

I relinquished the duty to my wife who has done an excellent job since. This year, though, I’m going to go for the gold. I want to create something otherworldly. I want to summon my inner Michelangelo and create a real work of art for the vegetable kingdom.

2. Take my oldest son to a football game: Am I ready to take my oldest son to a college football game?

Yes I am and frankly have been looking forward to that day since before he was born. I can envision him and I driving to Athens and us soaking in the experience of Sanford Stadium, the tailgating, the pageantry, the band and the game itself. Sounds great, doesn’t it? There is just one problem: He is eight. And, as much as he likes some sports, I know he couldn’t sit through a whole game and I know I would not leave a UGA game early. So where does that leave us? One option is Friday night football at a local high school. Tickets are relatively inexpensive and I can buy a popcorn and a hotdog for him and a Coke for me.What if he is ready to go after the first quarter?

No big deal, I’m only out $20 and we’ve got a ten-minute ride home. If a high school football game is not in the works, we can always give a Georgia State game a try and I can chalk it up as a test run for a future game in Athens.

4. Make homemade barbecue sauce: This is another culinary challenge I’ve tried to tackle. The key is on ‘homemade.’ My longtime friend Adam Chesney and I have concocted some outstanding barbecue sauces through the years by marrying roughly ten or so sauces and half a dozen spices. But, I want to make real homemade sauce from scratch. This past summer I tried to make Carolina vinegar-based sauce.

One bite was all it took. All it took for it to be used as drain cleaner. This summer, I had a bottle of sauce from my co-worker Kenneth ‘Kool’ Turner. It was delicious. It lacked the over-ketchupiness of store-bought sauce, but still had a savory and sweet flavor. I don’t know how he did it, but I am hoping with a few of his tips and some more research, I can give it a go.

3. Make a Jack O’ lantern … interesting: I had not carved a Jack O’ Lantern or even entertained the idea

I hope you find some time this fall to make a bucket list of all things autumnrelated and create some small, but special memories.

Best, Mark Wallace Maguire

Cobb Life October 2014

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MEET SOME OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS Tammy DeMel’s 30-year career in public relations

has allowed her to live out some of her childhood dreams. She has worn the Miss America crown, walked the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and spent two days with a former president.

Now, this working mom, wife and mother of a teenage boy is trying her hand at another childhood dream, writing. She has started a blog and can be found sharing her stories at www.coveringthegray.com. Though she’s only been blogging for a few months, her posts have been featured in the blogosphere on such sites as BlogHer, Blunt Moms, Midlife Boulevard, and Better After 50.

Michael A. Venezia is the Corporate Director of Education for United Distributors Inc. He is also Adjunct Professor of Hospitality Administration at Georgia State University. He lives in East Cobb with his wife Patti, who recently retired as an ESL teacher at Wheeler High School. His hobbies include collecting wine corks which currently number more than 5,000, and traveling to food and wine destinations in search of those “gastronomic marriages made in heaven.”

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Stacey L. Evans was born with a fervent curiosity streak, which triggered her interest in journalism and eventually drove her from a small South Georgia town to the ‘big city’ of Atlanta. With a journalism degree in tow, she jetted off for an escapade in London—which she believes gives her the right to use words such as ‘bloody,’ and ‘knackered’ with authority—and then wandered around the retail and restaurant world until finding a home at Neighbor Newspapers and Cobb Life.

Now she spends her days writing, designing, brainstorming and assisting with photo shoots. She also serves as editor of Cobb Life’s Brides edition. An avid nature lover, she spends countless hours trekking or cycling through the wilderness, stretching out on river rocks to read, marveling at whatever creature crosses her path, contemplating the clouds and staring up at the stars.

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Atlanta native and long-time contributor Meredith Pruden is a ravenous technophile, social media fanatic, word nerd, finicky foodie, landlocked surfer and scuba diver, and an avid traveler raising a cheeky, soccer playing teenage son. When she’s not busy acquiescing to her wanderlust, chauffeuring her son to games or appeasing her gluttonous appetite (for food and for life), Meredith enjoys getting paid for being herself—a rebel raconteur. She has been an integral member of the editorial launch teams for several magazine startups and has been published hundreds of times as a feature journalist with specific expertise in lifestyle and popular culture. Her styling and writing work has appeared in “Cover Magazine,” “Rolling Stone” and on “Sweetjack.com,” among others. She has been a part of numerous award-winning publishing and marketing teams and, in 2011, was named one of “Atlanta’s Top Creatives” by “CommonCreativ Magazine.”

Food has been on Joan Durbin’s mind for as long as she can remember.

In high school, faced with taking either French or Spanish for a language credit, she opted for French because she thought it would come in handy later for reading menus.

Growing up in a Midwestern family in which garlic, herbs and spices other than salt, pepper and the occasional onion rarely made an appearance in the womenfolk’s cooking, Joan was flabbergasted and delighted to discover a whole spectrum of new flavors once she went away to college.

She more than made up for lost time by embracing exotic ingredients and foodstuffs that gave her grandmother and mother the vapors.

In her 20s, Joan adopted the kitchen as her favorite room in the house and spent ensuing decades attempting and often succeeding in creating edible meals. In the early years, she was the only one of her friends who preferred to throw a dinner party than a kegger.

Moving from Ohio to South Florida to metro Atlanta, and traveling up and down the East Coast, Joan has picked up a passing familiarity with a wide variety of cuisines, regional specialties and cooking procedures. She lives quietly in East Cobb with a passel of dogs and cats and one sometimes exasperating but well-meaning man who retired and took up cooking as a hobby.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Sam Bennett started photography in high school and continued at the University of South Carolina, where he majored in Visual Communications. His work has previously appeared in several publications including the Marietta Daily Journal, Dawg Post, Score Atlanta, and Johns Creek Herald. He also owns Cutting Edge Images, Inc. that specializes in portraits, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Weddings and Event photography. He has served as a coach and umpire, acquired a black belt in Taekwondo, and possesses a deep passion when rooting on his USC Gamecocks.

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TALK OF THE TOWN CELEBRATIONS

their son and wife, Tim and Kathy Darnell, who were celebrating their 30th anniversary.

Brian and Cassandra Buckalew, owners The family honored Mom and Dad each day with of the Marietta Trolley and the Marietta special events that included anniversary cake, flowers, Tours and the Marietta Pedicabs, celebrated massages, breakfast in bed, photographs and special Cassandra’s Big 4-0, fortieth birthday with a designed jewelry. packed fourth floor at the Earl Smith Strand The Darnells have five grandchildren, Leah Parry, Theatre in mid-August. After dinner with Lauren Davis, Audrey Hastings, Paul Adams and the cast of the Strand’s production of “Steel David Darnell. They have five great grandchildren, Magnolias” and ladies from Cassandra’s D.C. Jayden and Jax Davis, Levi and Noelle Parry, and trip for the First Ladies Luncheon, Cassandra Olivia Hastings. was shocked to walk into the theatre to John is retired from Cobb County Board of Education screams of “Happy Birthday” from more than where he taught math at McEachern High School. Jo is 80 of her closest friends. retired from Cobb EMC. Catered by Susan Niemeyer, some of the guests included Robyn and Alan Bishop, new By Sally Litchfield Strand General Manager Cassi Costoulas, PARTIES Claire and Jason Cyr, Theresa and Terry DeWitt, Faye On Aug. 15, more than 430 people squeezed into the DiMassimo, Bill Dunaway, Cassy Ferrell, Kim Gresh, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art for Martinis & Music. Patrons Connie and Dempsey Kirk, Judy and Bob Ott, Tricia and enjoyed the latest exhibit “Metro Montage XIV” along with Mike Pridemore, Terri and Earl Reece, Bert Reeves, Beth “Duncan and Walkowitz: Modernists of Movement and Line” Sessoms, and Carol Thompson. while sipping martinis to the tunes of Keltic Kudzu, a Celtic Southern fusion band. The next M&M is Nov. 14 when Marietta vvv favorite Douglas Cameron will perform.

Packing the house were Vicki and Greg Aghajanian, Mark Jo and John Darnell of Powder Springs celebrated their Adams, Mary Claire Andres, Holly Bass, Susan and Wade 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 14 on a cruise in Hawaii Beebe, Barbara Boone, Edith Boy, Cathy and Chris Brown, touring five of the islands. Traveling with them were their Tyler Browning, Steve Byrne, Brian Cadle, Larry Ceminsky, daughter and husband, Kathy and Craig Adams along with

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Pat Chilton, Terri and Steve Cole, Dot and Bill Dunaway, Tammy Galvis, Jackie and Bill Garvin, Barbara Giullome, Jim Glover, Philip Goldstein, Nancy Grant, Melinda Heidt, Clark Hungerford, Valerie and Tim Kelly, Joe Kirby, Judson Langley, Adrianne Larson, Claire and Hugh Macaulay, Mike Miller, Kay Morgan, Susie and Frank Moore, Kelsey Morin, Julianne and Boozer McClure, Jani McGee, Phyllis Nichols, Shelley and Roger Nordlinger, Mike Quinlan, Karen Reardon, Stephanie and Mark Shamblin, Alice Summerour, Bobby Tharpe, Trapp and Peter Tishner, Steve Waldrip, Dave Wendel, Robert Westbrook, LeighAnn and Ray Worden, Mary Yang, and Judy Young.

In 1978, they moved to Cobb County from Atlanta.

The Greshams have two daughters Lynn and Rhonda and five granddaughters, Ashlyn Johns, Morgan Johns, Camryn Johns, Jaclyn Johns and Kaye Lynn Gresham. They reside on the same street as their daughters and their families. They are active in their lives and rarely miss a sporting event or activity.

Johnny who works in commercial real estate development served in the State House of Representatives and was chairman of the Georgia DOT. Lynda was the first PTA president at Mt. Bethel Elementary in east Cobb, where all her grandchildren attended. She also served on Georgia State PTA.

vvv On Aug. 16, Johnny and Lynda Gresham of east Cobb celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They marked the occasion with a three-week trip to Australia and New Zealand — a trip they have always wanted to make.

Johnny and Lynda are both Georgia natives and grew up together in Washington, Ga. They graduated together from Washington Wilkes High School in 1961, where they had perfect attendance so that they could see each other everyday.

Johnny played on the 1961 State Championship football team and was the Georgia State Back of the Year. He went on to play for Coach Bobby Dodd at Georgia Tech. Lynda was a majorette and went University of Georgia and earned an education degree.

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EVENTS

Mark your calendars for the Junior League of Cobb-Marietta’s 24th Annual Mistletoe Market. The three-day shopping event is Oct. 9 to 11 at the Cobb County Civic Center. It will host merchants from the greater Atlanta area and beyond. Jumpstart your holiday shopping by checking out the latest trends in apparel, accessories, children’s clothing and toys, holiday gifts, home and garden décor and more.

Premiere Night is Oct. 8, when you can enjoy exclusive shopping, swag bag, delicious food, silent auction and more. All net proceeds promote the JLCM’s mission of improving the lives of women, children and families in Cobb County.

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news & noteworthy [food and dining]

Cold-pressed juice a thumbs up

J. Christopher’s provides veteran discount

Might we recommend?

Red Jacket Orchards’ juice line uses fresh fruit straight from their farm. Located in Geneva, New York the family-run orchard’s products are now available locally at Kroger.

Cold-pressed and unfiltered, these extracts are loaded with fiber, antioxidants and taste. Smooth to the palate, with just a bit of pulp, these juices are very fresh; they taste like they’ve just been picked and blended.

The crisp, full flavor is such a delight to the taste buds — after sipping on one of these it will be difficult to return to any juice of lesser quality. Flavors available locally are Fuji Apple, Raspberry Apple and Strawberry Apple.

Our staff tried it and it got a resounding thumbs up.

J. Christopher’s, which has four Cobb County locations, will in honor of veterans give a 50 percent discount on the 11th of every month to veteran’s and one guest showing a valid ID. “We are avid supporters of our military troops, active and veterans, and we do our very best to honor those who have served, and are serving our country,” said Jeff McCann, co-owner of J. Christopher’s.

Military, fire/police personnel and a guest can also receive 50-percent off of their meal when they show valid ID. The Cobb County locations are 2700 Town Center Drive in Kennesaw; and 2100 Roswell Road, 1275 Powers Ferry Road and 1205 Johnson Ferry Road, all in Marietta. For more information, visit www.jchristophers.com.

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Ransom’s Santas on the move

[art and culture]

Marietta’s own Ron Ransom has recently branched out selling his hand-carved Santas. In addition to his longtime spot on the Marietta Square, Ransom’s unique works are also available in the Marietta Antique Mall and in One of A Kind in west Cobb, off of Whitlock Avenue.

A longtime Cobb resident, Ransom has been featured in dozens of magazines across the nation including Cobb Life and Better Homes and Gardens.

He is also a noted author and has taught workshops on hand carving throughout the Southeast.

October 2014 Cobb Life

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news & noteworthy

FUN FACTS • The show has 46 artists from 17 different countries

[arts & entertainment]

Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna soars into Atlanta with dazzling acts The Big Tent is back, and while you can still expect the same dazzling set, heart-stopping acrobatic acts, mind-blowing contortionists and stunning costumed characters, there are a few things that make Amaluna different from past Cirque du Soleil shows.

Based loosely on Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ and other mythologies, the story is set on an island filled with powerful goddesses, tribal female warriors and one half-human, half-lizard being. A group of young men shipwreck on the island and the tale unfolds.

“It’s a story of love at first sight, classic boy meets girl, but it’s also about the girl and her mother and a very tight-knit community,” said spokesperson Rowenna Dunn. “It’s about love and support; about girls maintaining beauty and grace but also showing strength. It’s a bit more gutsy [than previous Cirque shows.] It’s still family-friendly, but more of a date night or girls night out.”

What’s new: >> A 70% female cast. All other Cirque shows are about 70% male. >> Cirque’s first uneven bars performance. And instead of

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• Over 1,000 costume pieces including about 40 wigs

the typical one person performance, Amaluna upped the ante.

“It’s a different apparatus, with seven girls spinning at one time,” said Dunn. >> Live music from an all-female band. “It is very rock with a techno edge. People say it’s a little Coldplayesque. It is very fitting with the theme of show and acts,” said Dunn. >> Acts involving a 5’5” tall, 6,000 pound water bowl set in center stage. >> The most breathtaking act, in Dunn’s opinion, is an unexpected balancing feat. “It will have people on the edge of their seats,” she said.

“It’s incredible.”

Amaluna runs now through Nov. 2 at Atlantic Center Station. For tickets, www.cirquedusoleil.com.

• All performers do their own makeup. When they join the show, artists are given a 40 to 60 page book with a step-by-step guide for every single stroke of makeup. It takes about 60 to 90 minutes to apply. There are two levels of makeup, a cream based underneath and then an oil-based on top.

• Amaluna has a kitchen onsite, preparing between 250 to 300 meals per day • Staff consumes about 370kg of protein, 100 lt of milk, 60 dozen eggs, 10 kg of coffee and 3 to 4 kg of Oreos per week • The site of the Big Top takes 8 days to completely set up and 3 days to tear down.

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[art and culture]

Do you have an item for news and noteworthy?

Email us at cobblife magazine@ cobblife magazine. com

Cobb Life’s Maguire unveils new band, album Cobb Life Director Mark Wallace Maguire recently released an album with his new band, “Red Clay Country.”

The music is a compendium of Southern Americana including country, folk and blues.

Maguire collaborated with three fellow songwriters and singers on the project including Nashville singer Adam Chesney and Fayette County singer-songwriter Jami Maguire.

The music was recorded between June 2013 and September 2014 at various locations in middle and north Georgia and north Alabama with a defined purpose of

capturing a sense of place.

The album features eight songs. It is available on itunes, amazon, google play and at the band’s home website www.markwallacemaguire.bandcamp. com.

Maguire is a guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer. He also served as producer and arranger of the project. His work has been featured during live performances throughout the South and Midwest, in independent film and on the instrumental CD, “in green seas, under copper skies: Music inspired

by C.S. Lewis’s ‘Perelandra’”

October 2014 Cobb Life

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A savory

secret inside a shopping center?

By Joan Durbin Photography by Sam Bennett

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The Rotisserie Shop began life as a spot to pick up chicken to go when husband and wife chef/partners Carla Geniso and Chris Malfitano decided to bring the rotisserie experience, a trend that is strong at upscale New York City haunts, to Kennesaw.

But they soon discovered their patrons wanted even more.

“Our customers wanted the dine-in experience. They were looking for that neighborhood bistro where they could bring their family or go out for a date night. We really wanted to be that place,” Carla said.

The cozy little take-out morphed into a comfortable café with a menu blending the traditional with the unexpected.

“We took the idea of the rotisserie and made off shoots. A good majority of the menu makes use of the rotisserie but elevates the dishes beyond that,” she said. “Simple is better.

We try to stay with two primary ingredients and build from that, always keeping in mind what flavors and textures will be the most harmonious.”

Of course there is chicken straight from the spit rotisserie, and you can’t go wrong with just a plate of it with two sides. Brined for 24 to 48 hours and dusted with the house seasoning before roasting, this is moist, flavorful meat emblematic of exactly what wellcooked chicken is meant to be. Choose from five homemade sauces or the house gravy to go with it.

Like everything here, sides are made in house. The lightly pickled cucumber salad is one I particularly enjoy.

Both Chris and Carla have Italian heritage, but the years Carla spent in Mexico and Chile have also heavily influenced her culinary style to the point that she believes Latin-style cooking is her strength. And I could probably eat several of her chicken quesadillas at one sitting. Roasted mushrooms and Swiss cheese blended with sour cream and caramelized onions make a very tasty filling. Black bean and avocado salsa with cilantro shares space on the plate.

A salad of rotisserie chicken, apple slices, tomatoes and greens is as uncomplicated as it gets. Yet crumbled candied pecans and glorious white balsamic vinaigrette with Creole mustard and honey in it add enough pow to make the dish interesting and satisfying.

Chicken salad BLTs on sourdough bread and a Mediterranean wrap with chicken, hummus, spinach and tomatoes with lemon parsley dressing are just two of the sandwiches to try.

And please don’t pass up the chicken soup. It is, in a word, terrific. Big chunks of meat, carrots, onions, celery, potatoes and parsnips swim in an exceptional broth seasoned with 10 herbs and spices.

For heartier appetites, there are entrees like crispy chicken and waffles. As a meatloaf fanatic, I can say that the Black Angus meatloaf Chris makes has catapulted into my top five all-time favorites. Again, it’s starting with the best quality ingredient and then riffing on the theme by adding complimentary flavors – in this case, it’s a bit of Italian sausage. Dunk it in some of the Marsala gravy and it’s just pure savory delight.

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Above, Black Angus Meatloaf, which comes with black angus meatloaf, organic wild mushroom marsala sauce, smashed potatoes and broccoli with toasted garlic.

Right, Crispy Risotto Balls, which are arancini balls filled with pulled pork and fresh mozzarella, served with San Marzano tomato sauce.

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If you want to step up your tailgate, this is the place to go. The Rotisserie Shop has a variety of different options

to choose from, including the Taco Tailgate, which includes three types of salsa, tortillas, toppings and pulled chicken and pork. The second option is called the Italian Family Style Picnic, and includes Rotisserie Chicken Marsala, roasted parsnips and carrots, broccoli with toasted garlic and herb crusted potato gratin. The third option offered is the Backyard BBQ Family Picnic, which includes BBQ pulled pork, cole slaw, potato salad, Quinoa salad, slider rolls and brownies.

Jim Glover Group, Inc. If you are selling your home, I am dedicated to using every possible marketing tool needed to get your home sold. My goal is to provide my clients with a superior level of service and resources to make informed decisions with your real estate purchases.

As a Cobb native, my network and knowledge of the metro Atlanta area proves beneficial in purchase and sales transactions. As a member of The Luxury Home Marketing Institute, I am constantly networking with area agents and affiliates.

• Fifteen Years Experience • Coauthor, Marietta 1833-2000 • Sixth-generation Mariettan • Cofounder, Marietta Pilgrimage Christmas Home Tour

Office: 404.974.4420 | www.atlantafinehomes.com 3290 Northside Parkway NW | Suite 200 | 404.835.9600 © MMX Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Street in Saintes-Maries, Van Gogh, used with permission. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

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TRS also offers non-poultry items such as shrimp and grits, a French onion rib eye sandwich and a couple of vegetarian options.

Pork also is a staple on the menu, in several forms.

To begin, Chris rubs boneless pork butts with house seasoning that includes paprika, cumin and a little brown sugar, then roasts them at a low temp for 12 hours.

You’ll find the result in arancini, fried rice balls which are generally Italian, but here have a Southern touch. Risotto, pulled pork, fresh mozzarella and pecan pesto with basil and parsley are lightly crusted with panko and fried, then paired with a hearty marinara made with imported San Marzano tomatoes, the gold standard for any serious cook.

The pork also stars in other dishes, including a decadent dish of house made French fries covered in cheese curds, meat and gravy. It’s a Canadian national dish tweaked for Southerners.

Having two trained chefs as owners is a decided plus for TRS diners. Carla studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and Chris attended Manhattan’s New York Restaurant School.

They met while interning in the kitchen at Westchester Country Club, where they honed skills and acquired extensive catering knowledge.

After traveling, working in several restaurants in the Big Apple and owning a small catering company there, the couple had their first child and eight years ago, moved south to Marietta, where Chris had family in east Cobb and they now have their own home.

For a few years, Chris worked at Marietta Country Club, running the grill and serving as a banquet chef before moving on to the exclusive Governors Towne Club in Acworth. Carla was head chef for a very high end Roswell retirement community, where food quality was of utmost importance.

But after their second child arrived, “and when we approached 30, we both got the itch to go into business for ourselves, as most chefs do,” Carla said.

“We opened the Rotisserie Shop in hopes of bringing Kennesaw a non-franchise restaurant, a family friendly eatery with a seasonal menu and daily specials. We thought that being close to Town Center, we would offer families another option to ‘mall food’ and be able to do meals to go as well, which we call family picnics.”

Word is getting around, and on some days diners are already pushing the TRS space to the max, so Chris and Karla have really ramped up their catering efforts.

TRS offers everything from an ultimate tailgate, a backyard BBQ, holiday parties and corporate and private events for 10 to 250 people. They even offer full-scale, sit down weddings.

Menus aren’t limited to the rotisserie only, as the couple has a wealth of experience in every facet of event planning and catering.

“As that is our strength, we are able to create several different dishes and cuisines,” Carla said.

The Rotisserie Shop 2615 George Busbee Parkway, Kennesaw (678) 540-8244. www.therotisserieshop.com www.facebook.com/TheRotisserieShop

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Husband and wife dynamic chef duo Carla Geniso and Chris Malfitano of Marietta show off one of their restaurant’s top sellers, The Rotisserie Marsala Chicken, which is part of the Italian Family Style Picnic option on their menu.

October 2014 Cobb Life

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9/23/2014 2:05:14 PM

conjuring

CATS

for a transfurming experience Behind the scenes of Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s majestic production

BY STACEY L. EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNIFER CARTER

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9/22/2014 12:46:19 AM

Opposite page: Top, Brian Dixon as Plato. Bottom, Alison Wilhoit, as Jellylorum, poses with fans. Clockwise, from top left: Ansley Van Epps as Demeter.

Rex Glover as Skimbleshanks. Bonnie Harris as Victoria. Jennifer Arnold, as Rumpleteazer, adjusts her wig.

October 2014 Cobb Life

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9/22/2014 12:49:54 AM

Ansley Van Epps finishes her makeup. Right, Jen MacQueen (Bombalurina) adjusts her wig.

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Cobb Life October 2014

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A

lison Wilhoit sits in front of a long mirror, delicately painting wide yellow streaks from her brow to the edge of her forehead. Though she gazes at her reflection with intense concentration, the energy she exudes is light and playful. All around her, others are dabbing splotches of various color on their cheeks, drawing triangular patterns along their cheekbones, creating whiskers with one swift stroke of a brush. Chins are lifted and faces stretched as little black noses are carefully constructed. Wigs are fluffed, pointy ears adjusted.

It’s an hour before showtime, and Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s cast are slowly transforming to cats, and not just in makeup alone. Feline attributes can be seen throughout the room as the performers transition into their furry characters.

There are the curious ones, peeking over to inspect another one’s design. The frisky ones are eager to show off their fancy patterns, strutting to the upbeat pop blasting from a radio. The practical ones are quietly absorbed in their work while the gregarious ones cozy up together and engage in animated chatter.

It’s the night of their fifth performance of CATS at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre in midAugust, and after several weeks of rehearsal, they’ve gotten the makeup down pat.

“The set is colorful and big, so the makeup had to be exaggerated to match,” said Mary Nye Bennett, director of education and development for the Lyric and a makeup artist. She helped create the feline designs and taught the cast how

9/23/2014 2:10:14 PM

Far left, Pablina Lopez (Sillabub) laughs while stretching onstage.

Left, Rex Glover, Natalie Goodwin (Etcetera) and Pablina Lopez warm up before showtime.

to apply their makeup.

Wilhoit can bring life to her character Jellylorum in twenty minutes, but the process generally takes longer because of the camaraderie among cast members. “We talk and joke a lot,” she said. “Before the show, everybody is pumped up.”

The energy spent applying makeup before a performance is just the beginning of a physically taxing show. The full cast is on stage for most of the performance, continually dancing and singing.

“This is one of the hardest shows I’ve done vocally and physically ... it gets your brain in shape as well as your body. There’s no downtime; you have to be present all the time,” said Wilhoit. The Powder Springs resident has been in several Lyric productions, including delivering a knockout performance of Elle Woods in the company’s spectacular rendition of Legally Blonde. CATS marked her return after taking a two-year hiatus while having a child.

Though the musical is demanding, it was the perfect one to welcome her back into theatre.

“We’re all laid-back and chill. The whole process is a positive one,” she said. lll

Half an hour before the show, every cast member is taking their turn at mic check. A few fully-costumed cats are stretching on stage.

Artistic Director and General Manager Brandt Blocker huddles everyone together for a pep talk. “Cats takes 150%,” he says. “You have to keep the energy up high.”

“I’ve had a Red Bull,” someone exclaims, and the stage erupts in laughter. lll

Just minutes before curtain call, the air gets electric. A few cats dash outside to take photos with patrons, while others run back stage to finish dressing and warming up.

When the curtain rises, the performers light up the stage with the same playful, vibrant energy they had backstage — it feels like a fun gathering of old friends.

And when they take their bows at the end of the night, a thundering applause from the audience of the sold-out show matches the exuberance shown onstage.

CLOCT2014_(25) 25

At West Cobb Funeral Home, we have been committed to serving the families of our community for the past 18 years. Recently, we have renovated and added a tranquil pavilion which adjoins our spacious family reception room.

See why more families are choosing our home, our services and our facilities.

October 2014 Cobb Life

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9/23/2014 2:20:50 PM

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Atlanta Lyric Theatre has an exciting lineup for the rest of their 2014-15 season, including the rousing tale of murder, corruption and greed set in a 1920s nightclub, Chicago, starting October 24. Shows are at The Jennie T. Anderson Theatre at Cobb Civic Center.

COMING UP: Chicago: October 24 to November 9, 2014

Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer murders her on-theside lover in this thrilling production. Roxie hires Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to dupe the public and transform her crime into a barrage of sensational headlines. The musical has been honored with six Tony Awards, six Academy Awards and a Grammy. *Not suitable for children.

Catch Me If You Can: February 13 to March 1, 2015

Based on the hit film, and the incredible true story that inspired it, this musical tells the story of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., a teenager who forges millions of dollars in checks, and then successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. He’s living the high life until he catches the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty. Carl chases Frank to the end…and finds something he never expected. Nominated for four Tony Awards, Catch Me If You Can will make its regional premiere at The Lyric.

Damn Yankees!: April 10 to 26, 2015

Based on Douglas Wallop’s “The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant,” Damn Yankees gives a new twist to the legend of Faust. Middle-aged baseball fan Joe Boyd trades his soul for the chance to take his beloved Washington Senators to victory over the “damn Yankees.” But as the Senators’ stats soar, Joe realizes he’s losing his wife and misses his old life. He looks for a loophole to get out of the deal with the devil, despite the advances of the ‘whatever Lola wants, Lola gets’ temptress put in his path. Winner of eleven Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Choreography.

Barnum: June 12 to 28, 2015

Expect jugglers, trapeze artists and other circus acts in this exhilarating musical about the life of Phineas T. Barnum. The production follows the legendary showman’s life under the big top as he teamed up with J. A. Bailey to create Barnum and Bailey’s Circus – the Greatest Show on Earth!

A smash hit when it opened on Broadway in 1980, it won three Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award.

And a special performance of Sanders Family Christmas at First United Methodist Church of Marietta’s Family Life Hall (56 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta) December 5 to 14.

Purchase tickets at http://atlantalyrictheatre.com

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9/23/2014 2:22:17 PM

Which Of These Neuropathy Symptoms Do You Suffer From?

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• • • • •

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PA I D A DV E R T I S I N G

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9/22/2014 12:54:10 AM

By Katy Ruth Camp Photography by Sam Bennett

Meet Friday nights’

M

AGICIANS behind the

microphone Right, Frank Wigington, the voice of the Sprayberry High School Yellow Jackets

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9/22/2014 12:52:52 AM

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9/22/2014 12:53:23 AM

In many Southerners’ minds, Autumn means one thing: football. But while the

nation is swept up by college football on Saturdays, cities across the South know Autumn marks the beginning of Friday night football and a new season of high school sports.

Most people filling the stands of a high school football game face toward the field, watching what happens underneath the big stadium lights and diligently checking the scoreboard. Behind them, however — behind those lights, chatter in the stands, band playing spirited songs, players moving the ball down the field and coaches yelling at them with rolled-up papers full of plays in one hand — sit the voices of those moments.

The stadium announcers drive and follow the energy of the crowd. They make the mamas proud by announcing (or angry by mispronouncing) their babies’ names after they make a big play. They let the crowd know about the special on hot dogs going on at the concession stand and recognize sponsors for their support of the program.

Although all eyes are glued on the field, the ears of those in the stands are filled with one, hidden voice, a voice that isn’t being paid to be there but rather volunteers his time for the love of the game — and the kids playing in it.

Cobb County is home to many of those voices but three in particular have dedicated a combined 60 years of service to their respective schools and have formed a friendship along the way.

Frank Wigington

Voice of the Sprayberry High School Yellow Jackets Announcing for: 11 years Sports: Football, Basketball (men’s and women’s), Baseball, County Invitational Wrestling Tournament Occupation: Landscape Contractor and Owner of Frank Wigington Landscape Company Family: Wife, Lynn; Sons, Jon and Robert, both Sprayberry graduates

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Cobb Life October 2014

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Although Frank Wigington calls himself the “newbie” of the three featured announcers, his dedication to five sports at Sprayberry High School for more than a decade hardly qualifies him for rookie status.

“When my younger son, Jon, started playing football for Sprayberry, I joined the touchdown club and a teacher’s husband announced the first game and didn’t like it. So everyone was asking if anyone else would do it. I spoke up and said I would, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I wasn’t afraid of the microphone but it’s still taking me a while to figure it all out,” Wigington said, with a laugh.

9/23/2014 2:22:53 PM

That football season was followed by a series of asks by the basketball and baseball coaches, all of which Wigington accepted. But while he loves all three sports, the duties of the announcer and the degrees of difficulty to announce each of them can vary greatly.

“Announcing a football game can be stressful because you have to constantly watch individuals and people are always calling up to the press box or handing you things to announce,” Wigington said. “Baseball is much slower, just announcing the batter, homeruns, strikes, sponsors, things like that. And basketball is fast-paced, but you’re sitting right on top of the action so that’s fun and there’s no weather affecting the game or your view of it. After football games, I’m exhausted and me and my wife always eat at the Waffle House.

That’s our Friday night dinner, at 11:30 at night. But there are always a bunch of Sprayberry kids in there and it’s a good energy so it’s a fitting end, I’d say.”

And like any good announcer will tell you, the hardest part of the job is getting the pronunciation of the players’ names correct. Before one baseball game in particular, about four years ago when Sprayberry was playing Campbell, Wigington said he followed his usual routine of going to the visiting team’s dugout.

“I looked at this young man’s name and it looked like an eye chart gone wrong. So when I asked the coach how to pronounce it, he said, ‘Just call him Bubba. That’s what everyone calls him.’ But I wanted to be sure I did it right so I went to the stands and found his mother and she phonetically spelled it out for me,” Wigington explained. “I went to the booth and worked on it for about 10 minutes, scared to death I’d get it wrong. But the first time I announced his full name, the visiting stands started cheering and gave me a standing ovation.

That was pretty fun.”

For Wigington, being an announcer means connecting to his community, staying relevant and just being involved in the fervor and heart that can only be found in high school sports.

He even likes to have a bit of fun in the press box, announcing things like “Sprayberry ball on the visitors’ 53-yard-line,” just to hear a few laughs from those in the stands who know him well by now.

“I’m still learning and I know Stan and Hap (Smith from Marietta High School) and they’re both really good guys and great announcers,” Wigington said. “I’m sure I’ve stolen something from both of them, and I probably will again before it’s all over.”

October 2014 Cobb Life

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9/22/2014 1:08:09 AM

Stan Meek. The Voice of the North Cobb High School Warriors

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9/23/2014 2:24:01 PM

Stan Meek

Voice of the North Cobb High School Warriors Announcing for: 25 years Sports: Football, Basketball (men’s and women’s) and Baseball Occupation: Systems Engineer for Shaw Industries Family: Wife, Anne; two sons, Tommy and Jason, both NCHS graduates

And although Meek announces the action on both sides of the ball, he is still one of the biggest North Cobb fans there is and even lost his voice last year while announcing the exciting North Cobb – McEachern game. He has seen attendance grow, players succeed, changing staffs and more hard-to-pronounce names than he could count.

“The community, the attendance, the people in Acworth have all really stepped it up in terms of supporting North Cobb and it is exciting to see how many people are at the games now,” Meek said. “I really enjoy the pride everyone shares in the school. People ask me, ‘When are you going to stop?’ and I say, ‘As long as I can do it and they want me, I’ll do it.’”

North Cobb High School might as well reserve a school office with a bed in it for Stan Meek.

For 25 years, Stan Meek has been the announcer for nearly every single one of NCHS’s home football, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball games. By Meek’s count of home games, the season averages around five football games, ten baseball games and ten basketball games for each of the two programs while all of the games average around two hours in play time. That means that, leading into this year, Meek has attended and announced some 840 games at North Cobb High School for a combined 1,680 hours of service – not counting playoff games or all of the time spent in the press boxes before and after the games.

“Anne has just accepted it now as part of our lives,” Meek said of his wife of 40 years. “I think we both know I’d get bored if I didn’t stay involved. I had a heart attack this past New Year’s Eve, so that was on a Tuesday and I told the doctor, ‘I have to get out of here. I have a basketball game Friday night.’ That didn’t go over too well with him, but I did get to make it to baseball season.”

Meek has, understandably, become somewhat of a legend at North Cobb. He was inducted into the North Cobb High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 and has men’s and women’s basketball scholarships in his name. He is also the long-standing president of the North Cobb basketball booster club, the Tipoff Club.

“It’s really something special to get to know these players and their families and then see them come back and say hello when they’re home from college or getting involved in the school,” Meek said. “High school is a turning point in their lives and is a defining moment. Many players today feel like they have to specialize in one sport to advance, but I encourage them to play any sport they can because that helps them develop as a person.”

October 2014 Cobb Life

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9/22/2014 1:05:42 AM

Photo by Kelly Huff

Hap Smith

Voice of the Marietta High School Blue Devils Announcing for: 26 years Sports: Football, Track (formerly) Occupation: Founding partner and attorney at Smith, Tumlin, McCurley & Patrick, P.C. Family: Wife, Donna; three children, Whit, Erin and Natalie, all three Marietta graduates

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Cobb Life October 2014

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9/22/2014 1:04:24 AM

Since 1989, Hap Smith’s

voice has filled the historic stadium of Marietta High School, his alma mater, and his name has become synonymous with its fall Friday nights. Smith said that long before he became the Blue Devils’ announcer, he attended many of the home football games and was involved in the program but never thought of being its voice.

officiating crew but Smith and everyone else in the stands had no clue what was happening. So Smith got on his mic and said, “Well, 30,000 people across the South probably know what’s going on but we don’t,” which prompted most people to laugh. Most, but not all.

“That same official who got so mad at me my first year came running over to me in the press box and was so fired up mad and said that I was embarrassing those refs. He was still mad at me, after 24 years! So yes, I’m still learning,” Smith joked.

“There is just this pure joy you get being around young people. The whole community rallies around them and helps them succeed,” Smith said. “And I enjoy going to the games when we play Sprayberry and North Cobb and I get to hear Frank and Stan announce. We kid each other but they do a great job and are very loyal to their schools. Being an announcer is a great thing; it really is.”

“Dexter Wood was the coach and athletic director at the time and it was an exciting time because we had a lot of good players, including Eric Zeier,” Smith said. “Coach Wood just called me one summer and said, ‘How would you like to be the announcer?’ I said, ‘You’re kidding, right? Yeah! I’d love to do that.’”

And he’s been doing it ever since. But, after 26 years of announcing, Smith said he has learned a great deal about the art of announcing and is still learning.

“I’ve certainly learned a lot about what not to say to certain referees when they’re on the field,” Smith said, with a laugh.

During his first year, for example, Smith said he and the Marietta fans were growing frustrated because Marietta was winning by a large margin and the referees were calling MHS’s touchdowns back, one after another, usually based on a holding penalty. Unaware that there was a flag thrown on the field for an illegal block and caught up in the excitement of another touchdown, Smith announced loudly, ‘What a great block!’ The head official immediately ran over to Coach Wood on the sidelines.

“He got angry and told Coach Wood to call up to the press box and tell me that if I said one more word after any penalty, he was going to eject me from the game and penalize the team 15 yards. I was mortified! I definitely kept my mouth shut after that,” Smith said.

But, the story wasn’t over then. Twenty-four years later, Smith said the same official had retired but was still serving as an evaluator, watching over the crew on the field from the Northcutt Stadium press box. This particular game was huge for the Blue Devils, as it was being broadcast live all over the South on Comcast Sports South. At one point during the game, the referees stopped the game and went into a huddled discussion that Smith said seemed to last forever. Those watching at home could hear the discussion from the cameras placed near the October 2014 Cobb Life

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9/23/2014 2:25:27 PM

By Katy Ruth Camp

A Fall Not Forgotten...

Most people know Loran Smith as “the voice.” For decades, his distinct, melodic, Southern cadence has lit up radio airwaves. His books and columns have given life to the history of Athens and its people and he is easily included in the definition of Georgia football nostalgia.

But for one, never-to-be-forgotten year, a bubbly, naive college senior learning to transition from writing to becoming a writer found a lifelong friend, mentor and the greatest storyteller to ever live in the man behind the voice.

When I first met Loran, I could hear him coming from two rooms past our tiny student worker office at Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, the home of UGA athletics. I didn’t have to see him to know it was the infamous Loran Smith approaching. I grew up on that voice, paired with Larry Munson’s, and to this day, just two of their spoken words bring me back to my grandparents’ house on Lake Weiss, running barefoot with my cousins through the grass and listening to the Dawgs play through their tiny black radio. As he entered the room, he had a few jokes for the sports information employees he knew and reached his hand out to those of us he didn’t. He was jovial, charming and everything you would expect Loran Smith to be.

As my job as a student writer and media coordinator for the UGA Athletic Association progressed, I found myself entering his office door more and more. Upon my request, he often would critique my next article for the Red and Black or my next sports piece for the university. I knew he was a busy man and I knew he didn’t have much time to spend on a college student’s article when his own columns and books were being read by thousands each week, so a part of me was always pleasantly surprised and appreciative when he would hand me back my printed words, now covered in Loran’s red ink.

I was underpaid and overworked but I so loved that job, and Loran was a great part of that. If I ever needed a pick-me-up or just a little dose of sunshine for the day, a visit to Loran’s office – with his big smile, hearty laugh and crazy stories – would always do the trick.

He is the keeper of so many tales, legends and memories that it is equally heartbreaking and perfect that many of those will probably never be told, except perhaps to his many friends in Heaven. I often tried to test the keeper and his memory of steel, but it would usually only result in his sharing another wildly entertaining story I had never heard before and a long laugh.

One day in particular, I decided to take a break from my research on the history of UGA baseball. I was working on a long feature piece about the program and was digging deep into names and games that people probably hadn’t thought of in years. I randomly picked a baseball player from a 1970s team of no real stardom or importance – so much so that I forgot the name a week later - and marched into Loran’s office. I was sure I would finally have him stumped and playfully demanded, “Alright, Loran. Tell me: who is –” and read out the name. Immediately, Loran spun around in his chair and said, “Oh, don’t you know, his Daddy was a longtime superintendent in south Georgia,” and he went on to tell about the player, the position he played and all of the great things this baseball player had done in the

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business community since he graduated. “Do you need to reach him?

I think I have his phone number, or I can at least find it for you,” he said with a big smile. I simply laughed, spun on my heel and jokingly yelled as I walked back to my office, “One of these days, Loran!”

I also learned that, for a man who has spent almost his entire life in the spotlight, Loran is not always one to seek it. During the 2007 signing day, Butts-Mehre was a madhouse and was filled with local and national journalists, football players, coaches and fans wanting to get a peek at the next class of Bulldogs. I shuffled through the crowd between my office and his with some work I had done for him in hand.

When I reached his door, I thought it was odd that it was closed, as it was almost always open and I knew he was there. I knocked and he yelled, “Who is it?” “It’s me, Loran.” “Oh, Miss America. Come in.”

When I opened the door, he was in his usual routine, talking to someone on speakerphone, motioning to me as he spoke and his computer screen filled with his next article, half-written. Once he got off the phone, I handed him the papers. “There are all kinds of people out there, Loran. Don’t you want to be out there?” “No, I don’t want to talk to those people. I have work to do. Hopefully once lunchtime comes around, they’ll be gone so I can go, too.” It would have been easy and understandable for Loran to put himself out there, soak in adoration from fans and fellow journalists, maybe get some screen time and his name in ink, but he wanted no part of it.

Loran, does, however, wish the spotlight upon those he loves and has always been the first to offer support and help if it is needed. When I told him upon graduation that I was applying for an internship in Governor Sonny Perdue’s Press Office, he was excited for me and wished me luck. On my second day of the job, Governor Perdue walked up to my desk, smiled and placed a letter in front of me. Immediately, I noticed Loran’s handwriting and signature. He had written the Governor a letter, telling him shining things about me and encouraging him to give me the job. It was just an internship and I was probably dead last on the Governor’s list of personnel priorities, but I almost cried, right then and there. I never asked him to do that and he never told me he was going to, but that’s Loran.

I still make it a point to hug his neck at the radio booth before each home game, to call him and Myrna to catch up and to have lunch with him when he’s in town. Every time, it’s like that bit of sunshine in my day, all over again. I know I am not the first person nor certainly the last to have her life changed simply by knowing him but, for one, wonderful year, and for many years since, I can say, “whatcha got, Loran,” and know I will hear the man behind the voice in return.

Katy Ruth Camp is a long-time contributor for Cobb Life Magazine and has written for multiple University of Georgia publications, the Marietta Daily Journal, Cherokee Life Magazine and various other publications. She is also co-founder and director of Cocktails Against Cancer, an annual fundraiser benefitting local women in need of breast cancer tests and treatments in memory of her late mother, Valari Camp.

She is the development director for The Georgia Ballet.

Cobb Life October 2014

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9/22/2014 1:02:03 AM

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9/23/2014 12:22:16 PM

A GRANDE IDEA:

Jeremy and Kristin Moffett, with kids Maggie and Sam, made their own costumes for Halloween. They are tall, grande and venti coffees and a Starbucks barista.

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9/22/2014 12:59:33 AM

HOMEMADE

HALLOWEEN Family tradition of creating costumes makes lasting memories

by Stacey L. Evans Photography by Sam Bennett

October 2014 Cobb Life

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9/23/2014 2:29:56 PM

Throughout the years, the Moffetts have been La Parilla, an iPhone and s’mores ingredients.

As ghosts, witches, fairies, princesses, pirates, cartoon characters and superheroes gather in search of treats, they all

look to a select few Marietta families when the costume contest begins at First United Methodist Church of Marietta’s Tailgate Treats the Sunday before Halloween.

One family, the Moffetts, dazzle the crowds every year with their unique, homemade costumes. Kristin Moffett, the lower

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school counselor at The Walker School, is the creative mastermind behind the outfits.

Husband Jeremy, an architect with SBCH Architects, supplies the manpower and artistic talent to bring life to her visions.

“We are quite competitive. We like the spirit of it,” said Kristin. “But the most fun is seeing people’s reactions and knowing that we put a lot of work into it.”

For Kristin, making Halloween costumes is about family tradition.

“When I was a kid, my mom made my outfits. She made my Smurfette; she made the yarn hair and I put on blue paint and with a sewing machine, she made my little Smurfette dress. Many families have gotten away from that. You can easily buy a costume, but the fun of it is making something out of nothing and it being fabulous,” Kristin said. “There is a little bit of pride that goes into the costume when you spend time on it. That’s part of the tradition we

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HAVING A LATTE FUN:

The Moffetts joke around with their Halloween costumes.

are trying to hold on to.”

The Moffets began the family tradition when their son Sam, now 7, was born.

When making the costumes, their living room may be covered with bits of foam board, tape, fabric and markers, but that’s part of the fun. Sam and daughter Maggie, 4, get to help spray paint, tape and measure.

“It reminds them that there is more to Halloween than candy,” said Kristin. “These will be very visual memories; it’s something they will always remember we did as a family.”

The family’s most popular ensemble so far was their representation of La Parilla, a local Mexican restaurant the family frequents.

Kristin was a mosaic tile table complete with a glass, half-eaten plate of food and silverware, with a napkin tucked into her shirt. Jeremy was a server, Sam a taco and Maggie a basket of chips.

The costume won the Tailgate Treats competition that year, in 2012.

Sam said being the La Parilla taco was the most fun so far. But this year’s creation, a Starbucks coffee cup, may just top it. During our photo shoot he’s getting a kick out of wobbling around, and the fact that he can dunk his head inside to hide, then pop back up.

Getting the kids on board with the idea is an important part of making the costume-creating fun and successful, Kristin said.

This year’s choice is an homage to one of the family’s favorite treats.

“I’m tempted every morning to drive through for either a grande iced coffee with vanilla and extra cream or a grande blonde with two splenda and extra cream, depending on my mood,” said Kristin, a self-proclaimed Starbucks addict. “Sometimes I can deny my October 2014 Cobb Life

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The Graus family

LOCAL LEGENDS: Last year the Graus family dressed up as Marietta. Erica was The Strand, Ashton was Scarlett O’Hara and Avery was the Big Chicken. Mike dressed up as Mayor Thunder Tumlin, who loaned him his name tag for the day (far right photo).

temptation ... other days, not so much. There is just something about having a Starbucks in the morning that makes me feel better about my day. My kids love the hot chocolate — with extra cream — during the winter and they beg for cake pops no matter the season. Jeremy is a big fan of the grande latte.”

Food is a recurring theme in their costumes. In addition to La Parilla, they’ve been s’mores ingredients and a hotdog with condiments.

Last year Jeremy was Steve Jobs, Kristin an iPhone and the children were earbuds.

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Neighbors and friends remember the Moffetts’ creative costumes long after trick or treating is over.

“It doesn’t end on Halloween; people talk about it throughout the year,” said Kristin. “Everyone asks what we are going to be the next year. I get an adrenaline rush after it’s all over and immediately start thinking about next year.”

What’s her advice for families ready to start their own costume-making tradition?

“Measure twice, cut once; the ability to walk in a costume is important; duct tape and spray glue work wonders, and so does a creative husband.”

The Graus family The Graus family also takes the tradition of making their own Halloween costumes — and the competition — seriously.

Erica has produced many standouts throughout the years, and several have won the contest at First United Methodist Church of Marietta’s Tailgate Treats.

Last year’s ‘City of Marietta’ ensemble was clever and creative. Erica was The Strand Theatre, complete with a battery-powered marquee that lit up.

Husband Mike was Mayor Thunder Tumlin. Their youngest daughter Avery was the Big Chicken while Ashton was Scarlett O’Hara.

“Last year was by far the best,” said Erica.

“During the family competition at Tailgate Treats, we were standing on the hill being judged, when Thunder came running up with his official nametag.

Everyone got a real kick out of that! Then during the Maple Avenue Parade on Halloween, Mike walked up to the judges, one being the mayor himself. It was pretty funny to see them greet each other!”

The Maple Avenue Parade is an annual tradition in their Marietta neighborhood.

“Sarah and John Bullington started this parade several years ago,” said Erica. “They have ‘celebrity’ judges, including the mayor and Jennifer Brett of the AJC. It started small, but has grown to several hundred people. Everyone brings something to eat and drink and we have a great big party!”

In past years the Graus family dressed up as the Muppets, the Charlie Brown gang, characters from the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. And one year they decided to impersonate a crew closer to home.

“In 2009, we were our friends, Sarah and John Bullington and their daughters Charlotte and Mae,” said Erica. “We decided to be the Bullington family because they kept winning the grand prize at Marietta First United Methodist Church’s Tailgate Treats.

We figured, ‘If you can’t beat them, join them!’”

Halloween is Erica’s favorite holiday, and she has always loved dressing up for it, especially when she creates her own costume. She will devote hours to every little detail.

“It gives me a sense of pride knowing I have put some blood, sweat and tears into them. And also, being able to be someone for a day is fulfilling a fun fantasy!”

As winners of last year’s Maple Avenue Parade contest, the Graus family will be leading this year, and keeping their costume under wraps until then.

“It is always a surprise,” said Erica.

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BY BRUCE SCHREINER

Behold, the

bourbon

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In a business where patience is part

of the process, Kentucky bourbon makers are making a big bet by stashing away their largest stockpiles in more than a generation.

To put it in bartenders’ lingo: Distillers are putting up the tab for millions of rounds of bourbon years before they are even ordered. The production poses an inherent risk, but hitting the moment right — a big supply meshing with big demand — could mean a serious payday for companies big and small.

Missing the target would leave bourbon makers awash with supply and leave future production in question, particularly for craft distilleries that have seen a surge in popularity.

“People keep asking us, ‘When will the bubble burst?’” said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.

For most in the business, the answer is not anytime soon.

Large companies are banking on continued international demand from places such as China and a culture in the U.S. that currently has a taste for bourbon, which has to be aged at least two years in new charred oak barrels.

“We are busier than I ever could have imagined,” said Chris Morris, master distiller at Brown-Forman Corp., producer of Woodford Reserve and Old Forester bourbons.

Last year, Kentucky distilleries filled 1.2 million barrels of bourbon — the most since 1970, according to the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Inventory has topped 5 million barrels for the first time since 1977, the group said.

Production has surged by more than 150 percent in the past 15 years in Kentucky — home to 95 percent of the world’s bourbon production.

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“For many, many years, bourbon was considered a Southern gentleman’s drink,” said Jimmy Russell, the longtime master distiller at Wild Turkey. “Now bourbon’s become a worldwide drink.”

The last time the industry spiked production in the 1970s, distillers ended up with a glut when demand went in a tailspin.

Back then, the industry had grown stale and many consumers switched allegiance to vodka, Scotch and other spirits.

“You had the same old brands, you were pretty much on autopilot,” Morris said.

Now, distillers are constantly dabbling with premium small-batch offerings or putting new twists on recipes and flavors and companies are looking to real-time data from the digital world.

Sales trends and developments are tracked in markets worldwide. The numbers are crunched to make the best educated estimate of future consumer demand for a product that takes years to mature.

Straight bourbon whiskey ages a minimum of two years, though the average maturity is four years or older. Many popular super-premium brands age six years or longer, which are the toughest to stock in bars, restaurants and liquor stores.

“Bourbon as a category is on fire,” said Bill Thomas, a Washington, D.C., bar owner whose establishments include Jack Rose Dining Saloon. “Every week, there’s stuff that’s out of stock.”

Expansions have occurred at Jim Beam, Evan Williams, Wild Turkey, Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve. Global liquor giant Diageo PLC recently announced plans to build a new distillery in Kentucky. Microdistilleries are getting a foothold in the state.

Every drop of bourbon is precious for producers trying to keep up with demand.

“If they had more, they could sell it right now,” said Fred Noe, Jim Beam’s master distiller and descendant of Jacob Beam, who set up his first Kentucky still in 1795.

The disparity between supply and demand has put extra pressure on the distilleries.

9/22/2014 1:12:53 AM

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Wearable

TECH Luxury fashion takes on fitness technology

By LEANNE ITALIE >>

Luxury fashion is making inroads in wearable tech as more designers try their hands at developing smart, stylish accessories and clothing aimed at tracking performance and health, or simply making connected lives easier to manage.

“We actually think the fashion industry should be in the driver’s seat,” Ayse Ildeniz, vice president of business development and strategy for Intel’s new devices group, said at an event in Las Vegas.

Designers are listening.

Luxury brand Ralph Lauren plans to unveiled its high-performance smart compression shirt, the Polo Tech, at the start of the U.S. Open.

The company took in feedback from players and ball boys during practice sessions and plans to begin selling the shirt this spring, said David Lauren, an executive vice president of his father’s namesake company.

Hewlett-Packard Co. called on designer Michael Bastian and online

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retailer Gilt to develop a high-design smart watch that is Android and iOS compatible, allowing a user to take in notifications for email, text and calls, and to manage music and apps. It reportedly, could hit the market this fall.

And Tory Burch partnered with Fitbit for accessories she designed exclusively for use with the fitness brand’s Flex, including a brass pendant and bracelet, and patterned silicone wristbands.

Does the geek side of the equation need the luxury fashion side?

It’s the hope of Lauren that Polo Tech, featuring sensors knitted in to read heartbeat, respiration and other biometrics, will resonate with the fit and the trying-to-get-fit.

Data collected by the shirt is stored by a “black box,” which also is enabled with ways to capture movement and direction. The black box transmits data, including stress levels and energy output, into the cloud for display on a tablet or smartphones.

“What Ralph Lauren is hoping to do is take the technology and to look at opportunities that we believe, and that our customers believe, would help them to live happier and healthier lives,” Lauren said in an interview ahead of the Open, where the company is the official outfitter.

The tennis tournament, he said, is a great testing ground as sports technology has improved in the last year. Football helmets can measure impact and tennis rackets can tell how hard you — or Roger Federer — hit the ball, and how good his — and your — backhand are

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This product image released by Ralph Lauren shows the new Polo Tech compression shirt. The garment offers smart technology to send heartbeat, respiration, stress levels and other data to tablets and smartphones. (AP Photo/Ralph Lauren)

in real time.

“We’re going to take our time with it now, and we’re going to learn,” Lauren said. “Our goal is to introduce this technology into a variety of different kinds of shirts over the next year.”

Fashion also has Intel’s ear.

Ildeniz said at the winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that the chip company is collaborating with the design cooperative Opening Ceremony, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and luxury retailer Barneys to find new ways for technology developers and fashion designers to work more closely on wearables.

The first item up is a luxury smart bracelet to be sold at Barneys New York. The idea is to draw other designers in as well. An update on the bracelet will come in the next few weeks, said Humberto Leon, who founded Opening Ceremony.

“Through this relationship, we have truly pushed boundaries of wearable technology by converging fashion and tech,” he said in an email.

According to the NPD Group, the digital fitness category has grown to more than $330 million, a market large enough to accommodate consumers ranging from serious athletes to hobbyists, NPD analyst Ben Arnold said in a statement. A recent NPD study showed that 52 percent of consumers say they’ve heard of wearable technology devices, including smart glasses, bracelets, watches and fitness tracking devices, and one-in-three say they’re likely to buy one.

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Misfit’s Shine, a waterproof aluminum orb that comes in nine colors, has been on the market for a year. It sells in big-box stores that include Best Buy and Target, in Apple stores and on Amazon, along with numerous other outlets around the world, said spokeswoman Amy Puliafito.

It retails for $99, with accessories that include a more formal necklace that costs an additional $79.

In September, the device made an appearance on the New York Fashion Week runway of Chromat and its designer Becca McCharen.

She’s a former urban planner known for structural exoskeletons worn

by Beyonce, Nicki Minaj and Madonna.

“Knowing your pulse, your wellness level and your activity level should be something that isn’t a burden, isn’t something that people don’t look forward to, so having something beautiful makes it way more fun and way more enjoyable for the consumer,” Puliafito said.

Adam Roth, the CFDA’s director of strategic partnerships, is the fashion trade group’s point person on the Intel collaboration. He also helped with a recent roundtable where Intel designers sat down with about 70 fashion designers to exchange ideas.

“There are so many wearable products coming out,” Roth said.

“Not every one is useful but may look beautiful. Not every one is beautiful but is really useful. We’re getting to the sweet spot, where it’s both.”

9/22/2014 1:42:47 AM

honey-do

Whole grains and honey make for healthy snack cake

MELISSA D’ARABIAN, Associated Press

My grandma

Ursula relied on honey to solve nearly any culinary or health problem. Have a nagging nighttime cough? Swallow a spoonful of honey. Chocolate sauce not smooth enough? A dab of honey will do it.

My mom loved honey, too, favoring the creamy spun variety, which she smeared on toasted hunks of white bread slathered with butter. And her go-to dessert was a sweet apple-honey Rosh Hashana-style torte she learned to make during a short period in my childhood when we celebrated both Christian and Jewish holidays.

Now in my own home, I add a dollop of honey to sweeten smoothies or iced tea, steep it with rosemary and brush it on salmon, or drizzle it on top of ricotta or Greek yogurt with roasted fruit for a quick dessert.

And with school back in session, I’m back in the business of baking up one of my kids’ favorites — a simple snack cake inspired by the apple-honey torte my mom used to make. Because it’s technically a quick bread, the whole thing takes just 10 minutes

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to assemble (mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then together) and about 30 minutes to bake. The hardest part of this recipe is getting the ingredients out of the cupboard.

If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll make a bright citrusy glaze, which is a nice counterpoint to the warm notes of autumn spices and honey.

It’s a perfect not-too-sweet dessert, a great dunking companion for afternoon tea or espresso, and an ideal afterschool snack with a tall glass of milk.

I use whole-wheat pastry flour for a little extra fiber and nutrition, and with the beautiful spices, the slightly darker color seems right at home in this cake. Most of the oil has been pulled in favor of applesauce. To keep it easy, I use pumpkin pie spice, but you could easily substitute a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice.

The resulting cake captures all the floral goodness and nostalgia of honey in one tender bite. But if you prefer, feel free to replace half of the honey with brown sugar.

Cobb Life October 2014

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9/22/2014 1:33:54 AM

RECIPE: HONEY APPLESAUCE SNACK CAKE WITH ORANGE GLAZE Start to finish: 40 minutes (10 minutes active) Servings: 10

Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, honey, butter, vanilla, orange zest and 1 tablespoon of the orange juice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk using a gentle folding motion until the batter is uniform.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the top is golden and the cake springs back under light pressure, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, to make the glaze, in a small bowl whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the powdered sugar. Once the cake is cooled, drizzle with the glaze.

Ingredients 1 cup white whole-wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 egg 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons butter, melted (or vegetable oil) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 3 tablespoons orange juice, divided 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Nutrition information per serving: 160 calories; 25 calories from fat (16 percent of total calories); 3 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 25 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 21 g sugar; 2 g protein; 190 mg sodium.

Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the upcoming cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.” http:// www.melissadarabian.net

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October 2014 Cobb Life

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By Meredith Pruden Photography by Sam Bennett

Haunted Marietta?

We asked paranormal specialist and local historian Rhetta Akamatsu about some of the area’s spookiest spots.

You read. You decide.

Then explore at your own risk.

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Marietta author Rhetta Akamatsu stands in front of the Kennesaw House in downtown Marietta, one of the haunted subjects in her book.

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9/22/2014 1:27:10 AM

There is no better time of year than October to embark on a spooky, spine-tingling, hair-raising adventure. It’s harvest season, the fall equinox is upon us and All Hallow’s Eve looms just over the evening horizon. If your days of Halloween trick or treating are gone, why not take in a bit of local history (and possibly some paranormal activity) on the day of the year ancient Druids believed the veil between worlds is thinnest?

Marietta author and historian Rhetta Akamatsu shared some of her favorite local haunts, attributing the high levels of paranormal activity to the area’s long, and sometimes sordid, past. “I think just about every inch of Marietta has a story attached to it because there’s so much Civil War history here and was occupied

by Union forces after,” Akamatsu said. “That set the tone for it, but there are other more contemporary stories here too. Some that are more chilling than anything I put in the book.”

So, what are some of her favorite haunted places?

Kennesaw House

Located on The Square, the old Kennesaw House is the current site of the Marietta uuFor a guided tour Museum of Hisof some of the haunted tory. According to places mentioned, sign up Akamatsu, it gives for a Marietta ghost tour every indication at www.ghostsofmarietta. of being a very com or, for a limited time, haunted location take a ride with the Historic and even attracted a Marietta Trolley Company visit from the Hisduring its Scary-etta tours. tory Channel who Sign up at www.mariettasurmised, given trolley.com/scary-etta.html. its previous status as a war hospital, there are possibly hundreds of ghosts in residence here.

Kennesaw Battlefield

The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain was one the Civil War’s bloodiest, with more than 3,000 Union soldiers alone lost in only three hours.

So, it’s no surprise there might be evidence of paranormal activity here. “A lot of re-enactors have gotten much closer to history than they thought they were going to,” Akamatsu said.

“When I was writing the book, a man and his son saw a phantom rider cross their path.”

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Kolb Creek Farm

The stories here, according to Akamatsu, are not related to the family who once worked these lands. Instead, they are linked to Civil War traumas, including the skirmish fought here and the unfortunate reports of escaped slaves caught and lynched on the grounds. Reports of otherworldly screaming and crying, cold spots and apparitions have plagued this area for decades and possibly longer.

The Witch’s Graveyard

The Witch’s Graveyard is something of an urban legend to local teens, but there is no evidence an actual witch was ever buried there, according to Akamatsu. “It’s just called that because it’s such a strange place,” she said. How strange? Hordes of frogs, a noticeable drop in temperature (some say as much as 15 degrees), fog only within the boundaries of the cemetery, orbs caught on camera, batteries draining and much, much more.

The William Root House

William Root was Marietta’s first druggist and his home, built in 1845 and now operating as a museum, is one of the oldest and most well-preserved in the area. No one associated with the Root House acknowledges any supernatural presence in the home, but they do give tours and local lore says otherwise, so be sure to keep a look out for the ghost of Mrs. Root in the upstairs windows.

Rhetta Akamatsu is a certified paranormal specialist and member of Ghost Hounds Paranormal Investigation Team. She also is the author of several books, including Haunted Marietta, Ghost to Coast Tours and Haunted Places, as well as a number of history books on subjects such as women in the Blues and Irish slaves. She is a mother and grandmother and lives near Marietta Square with her husband, Ken. Her books are available on Amazon.

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9/22/2014 1:50:41 AM

Want to add some spooky (and fun) to your dwelling?

MAKE A HALLOWEEN-INSPIRED PIÑATA Unlike store-bought piñatas, which are generally made of cardboard and can be difficult to break, papier-mache piñatas are the real thing.

And you can fill them with goodies far more creative than the candies usually found in store-bought piñatas. How about black and orange confetti and plastic snakes and spiders for Halloween?

You need: A form around which to wrap a few layers of flour and water-soaked newsprint, some string, glue, and crepe paper or paint.

1. The first step is to create the form around which you’ll wrap the papier-mache, which starts out wet and soft and dries one layer at a time to form a hard shell.

The standard method is to use a balloon, then add cardboard tubing from toilet paper or paper towel rolls to form the desired shape.

More geometrical forms can be

made using wire or a frame cut from cardboard.

2. Although there are numerous variations, the classic papier-mache recipe is about 2 parts water to 1 part flour, blended until it forms a smooth watery paste. A mix of water and glue can also be used.

Strips of torn newsprint or magazine pages (rough edges stick better than neatly cut edges) are dipped in the papier-mâché mixture until they are soaked but not dripping, and then are stuck one by one onto the frame or balloon until the shape is completely covered, leaving a small hole where goodies can be inserted later.

3. Once the paper layer is completely dry — each layer can take a day to dry indoors, sometimes less if left in the sun — it’s time for another layer, and time to pop the balloon inside. It’s important that each layer dry completely, otherwise the papier-mache can become

— or a simple layer of paint.

Eyes and other accessories are available at craft stores.

5. Attach a string to hang the piñata by punching two small holes at the top and threading it through. Fill the piñata with small and relatively lightweight goodies of any kind.

moldy. At least three layers of papier-mâché are generally needed for a piñata . If colored paper is used for the final layer (like black for a bat or orange for a pumpkin), no painting or tissue paper covering is even needed.

4. Next comes the decorating.

Get creative: You can cover the piñata with layers of glued-on crepe or tissue paper, strips of shiny or sparkly paper, paper cupcake liners or colored Post-Its

For a Halloween bat, for instance, Martha Stewart Living suggests using one large and one small balloon as forms for the papier-mache pinata, with the final layer of paper on each balloon done in black crepe paper. The big balloon is then filled with goodies and the two sections are attached, with the larger sphere becoming the bat’s body and the smaller sphere the head. Cut large, black, wingshaped pieces out of posterboard and attach them with black duct tape. Make a scary face by drawing or using cutouts.

Katherine Roth, Associated Press

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9/23/2014 12:28:49 PM

Fall into West Virginia Five free things to do this Autumn Autumn’s arrival in West Virginia means the leaves and the weather will be changing — and the fun is just getting started.

Celebrations of the legend of Mothman, parachute-jumping, roadkill and leaf-peeping highlight a fall full of free events in the Mountain State. All that’s required is a map to get there.

Some things to consider: FOLIAGE FIX Great photo opportunities await as West Virginia’s diverse forests burst in red, orange and gold. The change begins in higher elevations in late September, and runs from mid-to late October in most other sections of the state. A weekly fall foliage map can be found at http://www.wvforestry.com.

Recommended drives in late September are from Harman to Spruce Knob, from Webster Springs to Valley Head, the Highland Scenic Highway in Pocahontas County, and in the Monongahela

National Forest along state Routes 28-55 to the Dolly Sods Wilderness.

FESTIVALS GALORE From apples to wine, there are numerous festivals around the state from September until the end of November.

Admission to these types of events is usually free, though of course you’ll pay for food, merchandise, and guided tours or special activities.

One of the most unique events is in Point Pleasant, where nearly a half-century ago locals first reported sighting of a mysterious creature with glowing red eyes. The Mothman soon became a local legend. There’s even a statue and a museum about him in the Ohio River town that has seen its profile rise ever since the 2002 film “The Mothman Prophecies.”

Find more events at www.wvcommerce.org.

BY JOHN RABY, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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9/23/2014 2:42:13 PM

BRIDGE DAY Get an up-front view on Oct. 18 as hundreds of parachutists leap off the 876foot (267-meter) New River Gorge Bridge to the riverbank below.

The event in Fayetteville attracts BASE (Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth) jumpers from around the world and more than 100,000 tourists every third Saturday of October. It’s the only day of the year that pedestrian traffic is allowed on the thirdhighest bridge in the United States.

For the jumpers, timing is key: The average fall lasts only a nail-biting six seconds before a parachute must be opened.

HELLOOoo DOWN THERE If exploring scenic vistas on foot is an option, then take a hike! West Virginia offers thousands of miles of trails for walking.

Popular landmarks include the sandstone peaks of Seneca Rocks, located about 160 miles (260 kilometers) southwest of Washington, D.C. The 1.3-mile (2-kilometer) trail to the top is steep but manageable by anyone who’s reasonably fit. Other more challenging routes up attract adventurous hikers and rock climbers.

Less than an hour away are both the five-story tall Blackwater Falls and Spruce Knob, where an observation towers lets visitors enjoy views from the highest peak in the Allegheny Mountains at

4,863 feet (1,482 meters).

Visitors to the southern part of the state can soak in Grandview with aptly named overlooks of the New River below. The area has 6 miles (10 kilometers) of hiking trails, and there are eight campgrounds without hookups within the New River Gorge national park system that are free on a firstcome, first-served basis.

A short drive from Grandview along Interstate 64-77 in Beckley is Tamarack, a retail center that showcases West Virginia handmade crafts, arts and specialty foods.

The state also has more than 375 miles (600 kilometers) of train tracks that have been converted into trails for walking, biking and horseback riding.

Among the more popular are the 77-mile (124-kilometer) Greenbrier River Trail, the 72-mile (116-kilometer) North Bend Rail Trail and the 24-mile (39-kilometer) Allegheny Highlands Trail.

FACTORY TOURS Free tours are offered at the Blenko glass factory in Milton and the Homer Laughlin China Co. factory in Newell. Blenko has been making hand-blown products since 1893, including glass for the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Homer Laughlin, makers of Fiestaware, gives one-hour tours that are scheduled in advance.

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e on th

E WIN D ROA

The fantastic voyage. Left, our wine writer on board the ship as it cruises toward Alaska. Top, the ship itself — which featured a wide and impressive array of wines — off the coast of the Pacific Northwest.

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By Michael Venezia Photography by Michael Venezia and Sam Bennett

Thirty-five vintages ago, after returning from working the harvest of 1980 in the village of St. Emilion in Bordeaux, I answered an ad in the New York Times for a sales position at the prestigious New York-based wine and spirit marketing firm of Kobrand Corporation. After three interviews and a “psychological” exam I was hired and thus began my career in this marvelous industry.

Traveling to destinations which are known for the production of fine wines is one of the great perks of the trade.

I am rarely tempted to not include wineries in my planned vacation agenda unless the geographical destination is not hospitable to vineyards and wine making.

During the last week in August, my wife, Patti and I, cruised from Seattle on Holland America’s ms. Westerdam with Captain John Scott on the bridge. The seven-day experience included ports of call in Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan Alaska, as well as the Canadian city of Victoria in British Columbia. We marveled as the ice blue glaciers thundered and crashed through the rough-hewn Alaskan coastline.

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We observed whales

breaking the surface of Glacier Bay, sea lions lumbering onto bobbing ice floes, mountain goats high on ridges and bears feasting on spawning salmon. In addition we visited a rapture bird sanctuary in Sitka where injured bald eagles are nursed back to health and eventually returned to the wild. It was fascinating to see the intricately carved 40 foot high totem poles created by the native Alaskan Tlingit in the 19th century.

As our magnificent floating city cruised along the pristine waterways of the inner passage, each meal was complemented by a selection of fine wines offered by the on board cellar master. There is something surreal about traveling at 21 knots per hour sipping Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte in Riedel crystal flutes, enjoying the freshest salmon and halibut served on Villeroy & Boch china and ending the day tranquilized in our stateroom gently embraced by the texture of soft Frette linens. The food and beverage options were numerous and offered us round the clock opportunities. Buffet service in the Lido Dining Room was abundant and varied. Continuous service from dawn until late night was skillfully managed by the Filipino and Malaysian staff dedicated to superb standards of excellence.

With daily menu revisions, a featured cocktail of the day, Alaskan micro brewed ales and a selection of wines from Pacific Nowthwest’s finest vineyards you were always able to satisfy your hunger or thirst. Recognized brands such as Cha-

teau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Crest shared value driven options along with Australia’s Rosemont Estates.

The Vista Dining Room highlighted a la carte table service with an extensive wine list featuring fine French selections such Champagne Veuve Cliquot, and Maison Louis Jadot Burgundy. One evening we enjoyed a bottle of 2009 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Karia Chardonnay from the Napa Valley.

It was a steal at $39 for the bottle.

We dined at the Canaletto Restaurant, where classic Italian cuisine was presented along with Tuscan wine selections from Marchese Piero Antinori. Favorite dishes included prime beef carpaccio and handmade fresh three cheese ravioli filled with Ricotta, Reggiano-Parmesano and Asiago.

The luxury of The Pinnacle Grill, a fine dining room aboard the Westerdam set the bar high for cruise culinary standards.

Ganeesh the maitre d,’ a charming gentleman from India, always escorted us to our table which was waiting with chilled glasses of Champagne and amuse bouche of blini, caviar, and the finest smoked salmon. The signature dishes of Cedar Planked Halibut with Alaskan King Crab and Bernaise Sauce was my personal favorite.

Our AAA travel consultant Shelby Edwards, based at the East Cobb location on Johnson Ferry Road, assured us that we would not be disappointed with the food and beverage options. She was spot on with her enthusiastic endorsement of the Holland America’s dedication to excellence. In fact the

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ms Westerdam exceeded our wine and expectations. Food and Wine Magazine conducts cooking classes with wine pairings during the cruise activity program schedule.

The week progressed in a wonderfully slow and tranquil fashion. After seven magnificent days and nights we returned to Seattle with many unforgettable memories.

In an effort to combat (PCDS) or Post Cruise Depression Syndrome, we enjoyed an outstanding meal at Aqua on Pier 90 overlooking Elliott Bay. Our menu included Taylor Shellfish Farms Oysters, Plancha Seared Scallops Stewed with Arugula, Fennel, Grapefruit, Mint and Blood Orange Beurre Blanc and Jumbo Sea of Cortez Prawns overstuffed with Dungenees Crab, Shrimp, Basil and Fontina over a roasted Piquiello pepper coulis. A crisp and Austere unoaked 2012 Chablis from the Domaine de la Mueliere was a worthy wine companion.

Midway through this culinary tour de Fore an attractive lady approached our table and greeted us with a “How y’all doin tonight”? She introduced herself as Kelly Williams, a native of Powder Springs, Georgia and a graduate of McEachern High School. Her southern charm and skilled dining room management prowess was evident. Additional talents were exhibited during dessert as she presented her signature Flaming Baked Alaskan Volcano. It literally illuminated the Aqua Dining Room.

As the days pass, I don’t know who I will meet on the wine road but I hope the road goes on for many years to come.

Perhaps I will meet you.

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H

ighlights

A closer look at events happening in Cobb during October

Do you have an event? Just email Therra C. Gwyn at WhatsHappeningGa@gmail.com

GINO VANNELLI >> Grammy-nominated Canadian vocalist Vannelli, who released his debut album in 1973, is still going strong. He will appear with a full band. Expect to hear hits, “I Just Wanna Stop,” “People Gotta Move” and more. When and where: Oct. 4; 8 p.m. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Tickets: $63.75 - $101.75 plus fees at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone or online. Also available at Cobb Energy box office Mon. - Sat. More info: 770.916.2800 or www.cobbenergycentre.com S. COBB ARTS ALLIANCE CANDLELITE CONCERT: TOMMY TALTON BAND >> Veteran Southern performer Talton was a studio musician during much of the 1970s, recording with Gregg Allman, The Allman Brothers Band, Bonnie Bramlett, Martin Mull, Corky Lang, Mountain, Dickey Betts, Clarence Carter, Kitty Wells, Alex and Livingston Taylor and others. When and where: Oct. 4; 8 p.m. Rain or shine. Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre, Mableton. Tickets: FREE event. Free parking.

Table sales available for six people, $55. No lawn chairs. More info: 770.819.3285 or www.mablehouse.org

Milestones

SHAQUILLE O’NEAL’S ALL STAR COMEDY JAM >> Laugh-fest featuring guest hostess (and Academy Award winter) Mo’ Nique and a fleet of funny folks including comics Deray Davis, Corey Holcomb, Gary Owen, Bill Bellamy, Tony Roberts, Michael Blackson and Tommy Davidson. Music by DJ Spinderella and radio personality, Big Tigga. What about Shaq?

Yep, he’ll be there too. When and where: Oct.10; 8 p.m. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets: $53 - $125 plus fees at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone or online. Also available at Cobb Energy box office Mon. to Sat. More info: 770.916.2800 or www.cobbenergycentre.com SOUTH COBB BBQ & BLUES FEST >> Georgia Barbecue Association sanctioned barbecue cook-off and competition, with blues artists providing the soundtrack. There’s $11,000 in prizes up for grabs. When and where: Oct.10 and 11; 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Riverside EpiCenter, 212 Riverside Pkwy., Austell.

Tickets: $5 adults: $3 children under 12 years More info: www. southcobbbbq.com

Engagements ~ Weddings ~ Anniversaries TUMLIN~GRIZZLE Mayor and Mrs. R. Steve Tumlin, Jr. of Marietta, Georgia announce the engagement of their son, Christopher Sigman “Sig” Tumlin to Audrey Beth Grizzle, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Grizzle of Flowery Branch, Georgia.

The Bride-Elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Connie Grizzle of Gainesville, Georgia and the late Mr. Howard Grizzle and also the late George and Mary Hoffman of Gainesville, Georgia.

Miss Grizzle is a 2003 graduate of Columbus High School of Columbus, Georgia. She is also a 2007 graduate of Mercer University where she received a BSN degree and a 2012 graduate of The University of Georgia where she received a Masters of Public Health Degree. She is employed by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as a clinical research nurse for blood and marrow transplant team.

Mr. Tumlin is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. R. Steve Tumlin, Sr. of Marietta, Georgia and the late Mr. and Mrs. L. Y. James also of Marietta, Georgia. He is the brother of Mrs. Ryan (Jamie) Patrick and Ty Tumlin also of Marietta, Georgia.

Mr. Tumlin is a 2002 Graduate of Marietta High School and a 2007 graduate of The University of Georgia. While attending UGA, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Masters in Accounting and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Mr. Tumlin is employed as a manager in tax with KPMG in Atlanta, Georgia.

The wedding is planned for Saturday, November 22, 2014 at The First United Methodist Church of Marietta in Marietta, Georgia.

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MARIETTA CHALKFEST >> Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art presents its annual two-day ChalkFest, a chalk art festival featuring more than 40 nationally known, professional chalk artists who will create art in public all weekend. On Satuday artists of all ages are invited to participate in juried chalk competition in either the youth or adult division. Prizes total more than $250 in cash prizes and gift cards. The festival includes a concert in the park featuring live music performed by Prime.

When and where: Oct. 11 and 12; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Marietta Square and Atlanta Street in front of Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art. Tickets: FREE but suggested donation of $5 to support museum.

Admission to Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art free during fest. More info: 770.528.1444 x16 or www. mariettachalkfest.com COBB COUNTY NIGHT AT SIX FLAGS >> When and where: Oct. 17; 6 p.m. – midnight. Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell. Tickets: $25 plus taxes.

Cannot be purchased at gate. Go to www.sixflags. com/overgeorgia2 and use promo code COBB. Tickets can be printed at home. More info: www. sixflags.com BRIAN CUTHBERTSON AND NORMAN BROWN >> Jazz funk musician and instrumentalist Brian Cuthbertson appears with Grammy-winning guitarist Norman Brown as part of Atlanta Jazz station WCLK’s ongoing 40th anniversary celebration. The performance is a fundraiser for the nonprofit radio station. When and where: Oct.17; 7:30 p.m. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets: $55 - $85 plus fees at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone or online. Also available at Cobb Energy box office Mon. - Sat. More info: 770.916.2800 or www. cobbenergycentre.com

The Harvest Square Festival in Marietta includes an artist market, Halloween costume competition for kids and animals and the annual Zombie Walk benefiting MUST Ministries. Here, Acworth resident Julie Landers gets zombiefied by Phillip Duke, owner of Lucky Draw Tattoo.

HARVEST SQUARE ARTS/CRAFTS FEST & ZOMBIE WALK >> Popular annual fest featuring a wide variety of arts and crafts vendors plus Halloween Happenings for kids featuring games and activities, a costume contest for children under 12 years and a pet costume contest. Stick around for the night fright of the Marietta Zombie Walk starting at 5 p.m. to benefit MUST ministries. The request is to “bring canned goods for the local living. No brains.”

When and where: Oct. 18; Arts Festival - 9 a.m. 5 p.m. Halloween Happenings - 1- 5 p.m. Zombie Walk – 5 - 10 p.m.; Historic Marietta Square.

Tickets: FREE event.

BOXERSTOCK MUSIC FESTIVAL >> Atlanta Boxer Rescue presents the popular fest for people, pets and kids for the seventh year in a row. Music all day, pet portraits, human food and food for human’s best friends. The Kids Village feature art contests, face painting, inflatables. Also: dog costume contest, “Ask The Vet” booth and vendors galore. Visit Rescue Row and be a hero to a homeless pet. When and where: Oct. 19; noon – 6 p.m. Jim Miller Park (formerly N. Ga. State Fairgrounds) Marietta. Tickets: Adults, $10, $5 kids five to 10 years. Discounts for group, military, students. More info: www.boxerstock.org

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CHICAGO AT THE ATLANTA LYRIC THEATRE >> The razzle-dazzle dance and tunes plus criminal and comic intrigue make this musical a favorite with audiences.

“Chicago” has been awarded six Tony Awards, six Academy Awards, and a Grammy. Not suitable for young children. When and where: Oct. 24 - Nov. 9; Thurs., Fri., Sat., 8 p.m..; Sun. 2 p.m. Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, Marietta. Tickets: $35 - $55 More info: 404.377.9948 or www. atlantalyrictheatre.com

ARTSBRIDGE – IMAGINOCEAN >> Field trip performance for grades K – 8th is a musical black-light puppet show

by Tony-Award nominee John Tartaglia, who starred in the acclaimed musical Avenue Q, appeared on Broadway in Shrek The Musical and created and starred in The Playhouse Disney series ”Johnny and the Sprites.” When and where: Oct. 30; 10:15 a.m. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets: $9 More info: 770.916.2805 or email education @cobbenergycentre.com

JIM GAFFIGAN >> Affable everydad comic Gaffigan is an author, actor and stand up comedian. His memoir “Dad Is Fat” (2013) met with great success. His upcoming book is entitled “Food: A Love Story.” When and where: Oct. 24; 8 and 10:15 p.m. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Tickets: $47 - $73 plus fees at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone or online. Also available at Cobb Energy box office Mon. - Sat. More info: 770.916.2800 or www. cobbenergycentre.com

YACHT ROCK SCHOONER >> Smooth eight-piece party band plays the best of the 1970s and 80s music from artists like Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, and Michael McDonald. When and where: Oct. 31; 8 p.m. The Earl Strand Theatre on the Square, Marietta. Tickets: $15 advance; $18 at door. More info: 770.293.0080 or www. earlsmithstrand.org

OWL-O-WEEN HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL >> Fun on the ground and in the air. Balloon Glows, trick-or-treating, tethered balloon rides, artist market, sports bar, beer tents and food trucks, plus roving entertainers. Also: interactive kids area and a concert stage. When and where: Oct. 25 and 26; 4-10 p.m. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, 3300 George Busbee Parkway N.W., Kennesaw. More info: 770.423.

6957

CHEROKEE HEIGHTS ARTS FESTIVAL >> Annual family-friendly arts festival in historic Marietta neighborhood features local artisans adept in a number of disciplines.

Also crafts, live music, baked goods, even local authors autographing their work. When and where: Nov. 9; 9 a.m.

– 4 p.m. Etowah between Freyer and Seminole Drives, one block off Cherokee St. Cherokee Heights. Tickets: FREE event. More info: 770.293.0080 or www.earlsmithstrand. org

Our menu offers enticing and scrumptious appetizers, salads, a variety of seafood, meat and chicken entrees, vegetarian dishes, a wide selection of pasta dishes and specialty desserts from family recipes. We are open for Lunch and Dinner.

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Martinis & Music

SCENE

The Martinis & Music nights at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is a popular event. Patrons enjoy live music, light refreshments, great art and drinks.

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1. From left, Tammy Galvis of Kennesaw, Rhonda King of Dallas, Leigh Ann Worden of Marietta and Ray Worden of Marietta. 2.

Judy Skeal of Marietta and Holly Bass of Smyrna. 3. Ted and Mary Kate Delnegri of Marietta. 4. Charlie and Sharon Griffith of Marietta.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSHUA CAMPBELL

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Martinis & Music

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8 5. Stephanie and Mark Shamblin of Kennesaw. 6. From left, Holly Bass of Smyrna, Mike Quinlan of Smyrna, MaryAnne Cherry of Kennesaw, Vinnie Dolan of Kennesaw and Edith Boy of Marietta. 7. Franky and Mary Williams of Powder Springs. 8. Jay and Shannon Marsh of Roswell. 9. From left, Michael Leidel of Marietta, Tammy Galvis of Kennesaw, Mark Sander of Marietta and Rhonda King of Dallas. 10.

Cristina Beechum of Atlanta and Matthew Cain of Marietta.

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WellStar Golf Tourney

SCENE

1 PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM BENNETT

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4 The WellStar Foundation 21st annual golf classic took place in September at the Marietta Country Club. Funds raised from the event support the foundation. 1. From left, Liz Lustgraf, Chris Fox, Jackie Larson and Kris Betts.

2. From left, Steve Lisenby with Donnie and Laura Brown. 3. From left, Mark Haney, Jobe West and Steve Fowler. 4. Chris Burr and Dirk Watkins.

October 2014 Cobb Life

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SCENE

WellStar Golf Tourney

5 6 5. Chuck Dorsey and Roderick Taggueg.

6. David Anderson and Andrew Chastain.

7. Joe Thomas, Marietta and Chad Kuhlman, Kennesaw.

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Swordsman’s Ball

SCENE

The American Cancer Society held its 41st Swordsman’s Ball at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel in September.

1. Allan and Robin

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Bishop. 2. Alice and Rebecca Summerour.

3. Adriane Larson and Ryan O’Meara.

4. Vic and Holly Reynolds.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY C.B. SCHMELTER

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Swordsman’s Ball

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6 5. Jay and Maddie Cunningham. 6. Co-chairs Wendy Bunch-Heyer and her husband Tom Heyer. 7. Jeff Darnell and Alyssa Barnes. 8. Co-chairs Jenni and Justin O’Dell.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY C.B. SCHMELTER

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Cobb Chamber breakfast

SCENE

1

Do you have an event for SCENE? Just email us at cobblifemagazine@ cobblifemagazine.com

2 The Cobb Chamber of Commerce held its monthly first Monday breakfast in September. A few ‘zombies’ attended to boost awareness of the upcoming 4th Annual October Haunt After Hours event on Oct. 21, sponsored by the Cobb, Douglas and Paulding Chambers. The event takes place at Six Flags. 1. Six Flags Over Georgia zombie actor Adair Lawrence Jr.

started hobbling towards the dais much to the chuckles of Mike Dewitt and Tony Britton 2. Beth Shiroishi, president of AT&T Georgia and her coworker Don Barbour regional director - External Affairs AT&T Georgia, chat with Mack Henderson of Marietta.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY J. HUFF

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REFLECTIONS

By Tammy DeMel

Mother’s Magic Spell When a child is born one of the first things people like to do is play the game “Whose side of the family.” It starts with “Who does he look like?” And then it moves into dissecting each body part to see who can take credit for the adorable features of the new bundle of joy.

“Oh he has your eyes,” people coo. “Look, she has grandma’s smile,” they squeal. And later on the we-dodged-a-bullet-observation, “thank goodness she’s not as hairy as aunt Blanche.”

After my son was born, one of the first things my mom and I noticed was that he had her dimples.

Actually my husband’s mom and brother had dimples too, so they could’ve come from either side, but who’s going to argue with grandma?

The game continued for the first few months as we all delighted in recognizing parts of ourselves in this tiny little man.

And as he grew, my husband and I found even more features to claim — my eyes, his upper body and my hair. It seemed that he had taken the best of both of us.

And then his personality began to develop and the finger-pointing began.

At first, we focused on the positive. We noticed that he was really good at sharing. As an only child myself, I was thrilled because I knew that other moms, especially those with more than one child, would be judging. I had already received the backhanded compliment, “oh he’s such a good sharer, especially for an only.” (I always smiled but inside I had another gesture in mind).

As he got a little older, we noticed that, much like my husband, he’s pretty laid-back and easy to get along with.

And, like me, you can only push him so far.

One time we had a particularly bossy three-year-old over for a play date. My mom and I watched as this child (coincidentally a first born - just sayin) kept telling my son what, when and how to do something. To his credit, my son tried to accommodate his guest but when the kid

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ripped a toy out of my son’s hand, he had enough. He didn’t yell or scream and didn’t try to take the toy back.

Instead, he got up, left the room and walked away, basically letting the kid know that the play date was officially over.

And then, the spell cast by mothers everywhere to help ease the frustration that comes with parenting came for a visit. I can still hear the words, “I hope someday you have children just like you.”

And poof, we did.

It was just around the age of four when our little darling gave my husband a run for his money in the stubborn department. (Okay if I’m being honest, he also goes toe-to-toe with me in the martyr department - honestly this kid didn’t have a chance).

We knew we were in trouble the day he and my husband were having a particularly spirited standoff. (Despite my best efforts, my husband believed that he could out stubborn a four-year old - of course only a stubborn person would try). I can’t remember what the issue was but the little bugger never backed down. Frustrated, my husband finally stopped. He punished him and sent him to his room to “think about it.”

On his way up the long staircase to his room, my sweet dimple-faced little boy turned to grandma and grandpa, who were over for a visit, and said, “It was worth it.”

Ever since that day, father and son have gone head-tohead with each other. (Though now my son has the height advantage). And of course, at 15, we also have the added fun of the teenage years.

But they are the best of friends and on the positive side we expect his stubborn streak will come in handy down the road.

And in the end, it won’t matter because chances are as they say, what goes around, comes around, and I’m sure “he will have children just like him.”

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