No'Ala Huntsville March/April 2014

Big, Bold Prints | Courageous Photography’s Loving Lens | Bringing Live Theatre to Deserving Kids

OUR RECIPE FOR SPRING noalapress.com

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 | noalapress.com | march/april 

Reflecting half a century of excellence in neurosurgery.

A lot has changed since we started in 1964, but our commitment as the regional leader is stronger than ever. From the latest minimally-invasive neck and back treatments to 24/7 trauma care, Spine & Neuro Center combines confident care with a convenient, patient-focused facility. Fifty years is more than a nice round number — it’s experience you can feel good about.

NeuroSpine Surgeons:

Rhett B. Murray, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Joel D. Pickett, M.D., F.A.C.S.

John D. Johnson, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.

Jason T. Banks, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Cheng W. Tao, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Bryan A. Gaspard, M.D.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation:

Keith C. Anderson, D.O.

Hayley Campbell, M.D.

Ryan C. Aaron, M.D.

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Huntsville • Decatur | 201 Governors Drive • Huntsville, AL 35801 Toll Free: 1-888-736-1762 • 256-533-1600 • www.spineandneuro.com

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March/April

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44

SIX DAYS OF HEALTHY MEALS

IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

From soup to nuts, everything you need for a week’s worth of budget-friendly, healthy eating.

“Is it still safe for Mom to drive?” Karen can tell you.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSON PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

BY AMY COLLINS AND SARAH GAEDE PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

76 MIX IT UP Big and bold or small and soft, you can’t go wrong with prints this spring.

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD PRODUCED BY CLAIRE STEWART

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50

OLD ROLES, NEW RULES

NOT JUST CHILD’S PLAY

Six Valley residents choose careers that make new “rules.”

BY CLAIRE STEWART PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

Broadway Theatre League brings live performance to kids in the Valley.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSON PHOTOS BY AMY JONES AND PATRICK HOOD

38 THEIR LOVING LENS Photographers document lives in an emotional and moving way.

BY AMY COLLINS PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD & COURAGEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY

56 WORDS & PICTURES 2 No’Ala’s second installment of the Valley’s best photography, poetry, and prose.

editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson

After the winter we just had—polar vortexes and double-barrel snowstorms and all the rest—it’s time to put all of that behind us and do what we Alabamians do best: cook. Problem is, we don’t really have time for that, since we are entering the season when the weather gently urges us outside and away from the stove. We have a solution! Our own food and wine divas Sarah Gaede and Amy Collins have put together a week’s (well actually six days) worth of menus that are easy to prepare and delicious to eat—and they’ve even included a shopping list for you. As it gets warmer outside, remember that a lot of the ingredients in these recipes could be planted in your back yard and delivered as fresh as possible to the table. A garden could be a great project for the spring!

We have quite a few people to introduce you to in this issue. Karen Hislop helps your family determine whether Mom or Dad is still able to drive—a seemingly simple question with tons of implications and life-changing results. Courageous Photography started photographing patients several years ago, and their lives have been changed in the process; and the Broadway Theatre League’s Children’s Outreach program gives young students their first taste of live performance, which can be life-changing as well. These people have been inspiring to us; we hope they will be to you, too. And pay special attention to the writing, poetry, photography, and artwork from some very talented North Alabama residents. While some of us were suffering from cabin fever as we watched the snow pile up outside, these folks were creating things of beauty.

One of the things we’re passionate about, as a North Alabama publication, is shopping locally. The local business owners in the upper region of this state have an amazing selection of products, foods, and services, and when we travel we are constantly told that we are the envy of the rest of the region because of our thriving retail shops and restaurants. It must have made an impression on outsiders, too, judging from the new industries coming to town! A dear friend of ours used to compare shopping locally to watering your garden—the more you do it, the better things you’ll get from it. The best way to make sure that our local shops continue to provide us with everything we want and need is to patronize them. The next time you need something, take a minute and ask yourself if it can be purchased locally.

Shop North Alabama,, yy’all—and the “Retail Renaissance” will continue!

PS: For those of you who complain that there’s nothing to do around here, take a look at this issue’s calendar. It’s full of even more things to keep us out of the kitchen—and the garden. Have fun, and enjoy the spring!

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contents March/April 2014 Volume 3: Issue 2 ••• C. Allen Tomlinson Editor-In-Chief David Sims Creative Director Contributing Writers Peggy Brosious East, Tracy Cobbs, Amy Collins, Sarah Gaede, Roy Hall, Marilyn Lewis-Alim, Carey Link, Harry Moore, Ginger K. Nelson, Jimmy Robinson, Cheryl Robinson-Stewart, Monita Soni, Claire Stewart, Leslie Nicole Thomas, Allen Tomlinson, Margaret J. Vann

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Contributing Photographers Leslie Adair, Sarah Brewer, Kerry Brooks, Amanda Chapman, Patrick Hood, Luke Johnson, Amy Jones, Danny Mitchell, Abraham Rowe, Lauren Tomasella Advertising Director Heidi King Advertising Sales Myra Sawyer, Heidi King Features Manager Claire Stewart Business Manager Roy Hall

everything else 8

Calendar Events for March-April 2014

84

Market

BY SARAH GAEDE

88

Lowe Down “What Piece of Literature Has Had the Most Impact On You?”

Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan

no’ala huntsville advisory board Jennifer Doss Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Leslie Ecklund Burritt on the Mountain Dan Halcomb Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Ginger Penney Liles

BY CLAIRE STEWART

92

The Vine “Chill Your Reds”

BY AMY COLLINS

94

Food for Thought “My Favorite Kitchen Tools”

BY SARAH GAEDE

96

Bless Their Hearts “The Do-Little Life”

BY ROY HALL

98

Parting Shot

BY PATRICK HOOD

Matthew Liles AIDS Action Coalition Patrick Robbins Alabama Pain Center

Intern Chandler Richey ••• No’Ala Huntsville is published six times annually

by No’Ala Press PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: 800-779-4222 | Fax: 256-766-4106 Web: www.noalapress.com Standard postage paid at Huntsville, AL. A one-year subscription is $19.95 for delivery in the United States.

Signed articles reflect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors.

Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their advertisements. © 2008-2014 No’Ala Press, All rights reserved.

Send all correspondence to Allen Tomlinson, Editor, at the postal address above, or by e-mail to allen@noalapress.com.

Letters may be edited for space and style.

Charles Vaughn Vaughn Lumber Company

To advertise, contact us at: 256-766-4222, or sales@noalapress.com.

Anna Baker Warren Anna Baker Warren Interiors

The editor will provide writer’s guidelines upon request.

Prospective authors should not submit unsolicited manuscripts; please query the editor first.

No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inks.

Please recycle.

Connect with us on Facebook: No’Ala Huntsville and Twitter: @NoAla_Magazine

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calendar

Now – Monday, March 31 Wade Wharton Exhibit Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm, Sun noon-5:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue; 256-830-4447; hsvbg.org Now - Sunday, April 20 Icons in Transformation Tues – Fri 11:00am-3:00pm, Sat 1:00pm-3:00pm; Free; Church of the Nativity, 208 Eustis Street; 256-533-2455; www.nativity.dioala.org Now – Wednesday, April 30 Harmony Park Animal Preserve 10:00am-sundown; Admission charged; Harmony Park Safari, 431 Cloud’s Cove Road; (877) 726-4625 Now – Sunday, May 4 Adrian Villeta Romantic Portraitist Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; $10 adults, $8 military, students, and teachers, and $5 children 6-11; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Encounters: Cal Breed Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; $10 adults, $8 military, students, and teachers, and $5 children 6-11; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Now – Sunday, May 18 Encounters: Rocío Rodríguez Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; $10 adults, $8 military, students, and teachers, and $5 children 6-11; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Now – Sunday, August 3 Huntsville Photographic Society 2014 Members’ Showcase Tues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; $10 adults, $8 military, students, and teachers, and $5 children 6-11; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Saturday, March 1 - Sunday, March 2 HSO and Painted Violin Society presents Peter and the Wolf Saturday: 11:00am; Free; Davidson Center for Space Exploration, US Space and Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base; (256) 539-4818; hso.org; 5:00pm; Free; Asbury Methodist Church, 980 Hughes Rd, Madison; (256) 539-4818; hso.org. Sunday: 2:00pm; Free; First United Methodist Church Beasley Center, 208 Hobbs St. W., Athens; (256) 539-4818; hso.org Saturday, March 1 Huntsville Museum of Art Gala Cocktail Party & Art Auction 7:00pm; $150; Huntsville Museum of Art, Church St.; (256) 535-4359 x214; hsvmuseum.org

Meet the Author: Tim Dorsey 2:00pm; Free; Main Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St.; (256) 532-2362; hmcpl.org Ricky Nelson Remembered 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Admission charged; Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center, 3320 Triana Boulevard; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com Thursday, March 6 Noon Time Concert Series 12:10pm–12:50pm; Free; United Methodist Church, 607 Governors Drive; (256) 348-5236 Friday, March 7 – Saturday, March 8 Trinity Market Place Fri 9:00am–6:00pm, Sat 9:00am–4:00pm; Free; Trinity United Methodist Church, 607 Airport Road; (256) 883-3200 Friday, March 7 – Sunday March 9 Building Home and Remodeling Show Fri noon–8:00pm, Sat 9:00am–7:00pm, and Sun 11:00am–5:00pm; Admission Charged; Von Braun Center South Hall, 700 Monroe Street; (256) 533-1953; buildersassn.org Friday, March 7 Pianist Emanuel Ax in concert 7:30pm; Admission charged; Trinity United Methodist Church, 607 Airport Road; (256) 489-7415 Thursday, March 13 Noon Time Concert Series 12:10pm–12:50pm; Free; United Methodist Church, 607 Governors Drive; (256) 348-5236 Friday, March 14 – Sunday, March 16 Twelve Angry Men Fri–Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2:00pm; $18 students, $15 students, seniors, active military; Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe Street; (256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org Saturday, March 15 St. Patrick’s Day Parade 11:30am; Free; Downtown Huntsville; (256) 468-5612 Symphony Classical Series: Mozart’s Requiem 7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 539-4818; hso.org Author Event: Lutishia Lovely 2:00pm; $10; Main Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St.; (256) 851-7492; hmcpl.org Drop-in and CREATE Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm; Free; Stender Family Interactive Education Galleries, Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Sunday, March 16 Disney Live 1:00pm and 5:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; ticketmaster.com

April 15 San Jose Taiko

Saturday, March 22 Spring Into Summer Activities Fair 9:00am-3:00pm; Free; US Space and Rocket Center’s Davidson Center for Space Exploration, One Tranquility Base; (256) 519-2787; artshuntsville.org Sunday, March 23 Hertha Heller Forum: Max Rosenthal and The Amazing Hubble Telescope 2:00-4:30pm; Free; Main Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe St.; (256) 532-5986; hmcpl.org Thursday, March 27 Noon Time Concert Series 12:10pm–12:50pm; Free; United Methodist Church, 607 Governors Drive; (256) 348-5236 Saturday, March 29 Heirloom Plant Sale 9:00am-2:00pm; Free; Pond Spring, the General Joe Wheeler Home, 12280 Alabama Highway 20, Hillsboro; (256) 637-8513; preserveala.org Sunday, March 30

Photos provided by San Jose Taiko

Tuesday, March 18 Alabama Kidney Association’s painting class fundraiser 6:00pm; $35; Cyn Shea’s, 415 Church Street NW #5; (256) 882-2837 Wednesday, March 19 – Sunday, March 23 Jersey Boys Wed 7:30pm, Thurs and Sun 2:00pm and 7:30pm, Fri 8:00pm, and Sat 2:00pm and 8:00pm; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 518-6155; broadwaytheatreleague.org Thursday, March 20 – Saturday, March 22 Twelve Angry Men Thurs-Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2:00pm; $18 students, $15 students, seniors, active military; Van Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org Thursday, March 20 Noon Time Concert Series 12:10pm–12:50pm; Free; United Methodist Church, 607 Governors Drive; (256) 348-5236 Friday, March 21 – Sunday, March 23 NEACA Spring Crafts Show Fri-Sat 9:00am–7:00pm, Sun noon-5:00pm; Free; Von Braun Center South Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; neaca.org Saturday, March 22 – Saturday, March 29 SAND-Tastic Work of Wonder 1:00pm-3:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Casual Classics Series: Bach in Tahiti 3:30pm; Admission charged; Flying Monkey Theatre, Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr.; (256) 539-4818; hso.org The Ten Tenors 3:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 518-6155; broadwaytheatreleague.org Tuesday, April 1 – Wednesday, April 30 Wade Wharton Exhibit Mon–Wed and Fri 9:00am–6:00pm, Thurs 9:00am–8:00pm, and Sun noon-6:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue; 256-830-4447; hsvbg.org Spring Festival of Flowers Mon-Sat 9:00am–6:00pm and Sun noon-6:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave.; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org Wednesday, April 2 – Sunday, April 6 Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus Wed 7:00pm, Thurs-Fri 10:45am and 7:00pm, Sat-Sun 11:00am, 3:00pm & 7:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Arena, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; ticketmaster.com Wednesday, April 2 Dino Light! A Glow in the Dark Adventure 7:30pm; Admission charged; Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center, 3320 Triana Blvd.; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com Thursday, April 3 Noon Time Concert Series 12:10pm–12:50pm; Free; United Methodist Church, 607 Governors Drive; (256) 348-5236

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calendar

Friday, April 4 – Sunday, April 6

leries, Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St.; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org Free Walking Tour of Historic Huntsville 10:00am; Free; Depart from Alabama Constitution Village on Gates Ave.; (256) 533-5723

Snow White Ballet Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2:00pm and 7:30pm, Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 881-5930; aybtheatre.org

Fourth Annual Walk-A-Thon 8:00am; Richard Showers Center, 4600 Blue Spring Road; (256) 851-7492; hmcpl.org

2014 Crescen-Dough Auction presents The Magic of Music 6:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center North Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 665-5337; crescendoughauction.org

Cinderella 1:45pm and 7:15pm; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 539-0961; ticketmaster.com

Saturday, April 5

Superheroes 5k/1M & Fun Run 8:00am-noon; Admission charged; Marshall Space Flight Center, One Tranquility Base; (256) 533-5437; nationalcac.org

Art 4 Paws 10:00am-3:00pm; Free; Downtown Madison; artsmadison.org Free Walking Tour of Historic Huntsville 10:00am; Free; Depart from Alabama Constitution Village on Gates Ave.; (256) 533-5723 Huntsville Symphony Classical Series: Two Fifths on the Fifth 7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 539-4818; hso.org

Thursday, April 17 American Idiot 7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 518-6155; broadwaytheatreleague.com Friday, April 18 – Sunday, April 20

Under the Covers with Victoria Shaw 7:30pm; Admission charged; Merrimack Hall, 3320 Triana Blvd.; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

The Three Fairy Godmothers Fri 7:00pm, Sat and Sun 1:30 and 5:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org

Monday, April 7 – Wednesday, April 9

Saturday, April 19

Men are from Mars – Women are from Venus Mon-Wed 7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; ticketmaster.com

Madison Walking Tour 10:00am; Free; Depot Roundhouse, Madison; (256) 533-5723

Thursday, April 10 – Sunday, April 13 Spring Plant Sale Thurs-Sat 9:00am-6:00pm, Sun noon-5:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Garden, 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue; (256) 8304447; hsvbg.org Thursday, April 10 Noon Time Concert Series 12:10pm–12:50pm; Free; United Methodist Church, 607 Governors Drive; (256) 348-5236 Friday, April 11 – Saturday, April 12 California Dreaming Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Admission charged; Merrimack Hall, 3320 Triana Blvd.; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com Friday, April 11 Center City Brass Quintet 7:30pm; Admission charged; Trinity United Methodist Church, 607 Airport Rd.; (256) 489-7415 Jim Parker’s Songwriters Showcase 6:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 533-1953; vonbraun.com Saturday, April 12 Drop-in and CREATE Saturday 11:00am-1:00pm; Free; Stender Family Interactive Education Gal-

Tuesday, April 22 Alabama Kidney Foundation presents: Kidney Fundraising Art painting class 6:00pm; $35; Cyn Shea’s, 415 Church Street NW #5; (256) 882-2837 Friday, April 25 – Sunday, April 27 Panoply Arts Festival Fri 5:00-9:00pm, Sat 10:00am–9:00pm, Sun noon-8:00pm; Admission charged; Big Spring Park, Downtown; (256) 519-2787; artshuntsville.org The Three Fairy Godmothers Fri 7:00pm, Sat and Sun 1:30 and 5:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St.; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org Saturday, April 26 Greengate School’s Spring Swing Fundraiser 7:00pm; $75; Outdoor Courtyard at Lincoln Mill, 1300 Meridian St.; (256) 551-4439; greengateschool.org Madison Walking Tour 10:00am; Free; Depot Roundhouse, Madison; (256) 533-5723 An Evening with Roger McGuinn 7:30pm; Admission charged; Merrimack Hall, 3320 Triana Blvd.; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com King David 7:30pm; Admission charged; Trinity United Methodist Church, 607 Airport Rd.; (256) 533-6606

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scene

Rachel Quinn,Steve Metz, and Liss Stertiny Jim, Lois, and Elenor Harper, and Chip Patterson Allen Noble and Andre Terry Cynthia Hart and Leslie Bruton

Dave, Amanda, and Karen Cunefare

Wesley Henderson and Heather Lloyd

Above: Cyn Shea’s Wedding Showcase february ,  · cyn shea’s, huntsville

Calandra Terry, Marjorie Campbell, and Demeka Campbell

Ashley Ramirez, Kris Clark, and Erica Thimsen

Below: Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild Silver Tea december ,  · home of michael and melissa timberlake

Gabriel Abrantes, Dane Rich, Anna Taylor, and Anna South Leeann Satterfield, Donna Miller, Dawn Perry, and Cynthia Shepard Jean Marie Chappell, Jeanne McGehee, and Linda Akenhead Dianne Reynolds, and Marie Newberry

Suzanne O’Connor, Carol Booher, and Lee Ann Smith Dana Town and Joyce Griffin * Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Melissa Timberlake, Brenda Milberger, Donna Rush, Deborah Brown, and Joe Lee

Louise Heidish, Margaret Vann, and Ruth von Saurma

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6 DAYS OF HEALTHY MEALS photos by danny mitchell » text by amy collins & sarah gaede

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MONDAY

Three Bean Vegetarian Chili Not just vegetarian, but vegan! If chili is on your menu, why not make a lot? It’s comforting and convenient to have meals stashed in the freezer. Tip: If you don’t like your chili spicy, replace Ro-tel with plain diced tomatoes.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 tablespoon olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar 1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3 (10-ounce) cans Ro-tel original mild, undrained 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Garnish as you please. Some of our favorite toppers are thinly sliced radishes, chopped red or green onions, toasted pumpkin seeds, pickled jalapeños, cubed avocado, grated pepper Jack or cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

Arugula, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad • 1 red grapefruit • 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice • 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 1/2 tablespoon honey • Salt and pepper to taste Vegan vs. Veggie vs. Paleo • 2 big handfuls baby arugula Vegan: One who does not eat or use any • 1 avocado, sliced Peel and segment grapefruit.

Squeeze juice from remaining pulp, reserve 1 tablespoon juice.

Whisk together juice, vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper. Toss grapefruit segments in dressing; let stand for 5 minutes. Lay arugula out on salad plates, top with sliced avocado, and spoon on grapefruit and dressing.

animal products—for many, this rules out certain types of clothing, cosmetics, and even honey.

Vegetarian: One who does not eat animal meat. Variations of vegetarianism exist, like pescatarians (who will not eat meat, but will eat fish) and ovo-vegetarians (who will not eat meat, but will eat eggs).

Paleo: A diet based on the principle that, for optimal health, humans should go back to eating whole, unprocessed foods—basically, anything our caveman ancestors could have hunted or gathered for themselves.

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TUESDAY

Beef Eye Round Roast This healthy and delicious take on a usual roast will be well received by the whole family--and you can probably get the kids to eat these Brussels sprouts!

• • • • • • • •

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed Kosher salt Ground black pepper 3-4 pounds Beef eye round

Combine the first five ingredients in a plastic zipper bag, seal, and shake to mix well. Add beef roast and marinate for one hour or overnight.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Remove roast from marinade, pat dry, and salt and pepper all over. Place in roasting pan. Cook for 20 minutes and check in several spots with a meat thermometer. When roast is 130⁰ in a couple of the spots, it will be a nice medium-rare.

Remove the roast and let sit for five minutes. Slice thin and serve.

Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts • • • • •

1 pound Brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese Kosher salt Ground black pepper

Prepare Brussels sprouts by slicing off the ends and removing any brown spots or loose leaves. Slicing top to bottom, quarter the sprouts. Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in a skillet. Once hot, add sprouts and toss until well-coated. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss sprouts periodically until browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan.

Sprout-o-pedia Though early versions of this vegetable are said to date back to ancient Rome, Brussels sprouts were widely cultivated, named, and accepted into common palates in 16th century Belgium, as their name suggests.

Despite their longevity, Brussels sprouts are still disliked by many. According to a 2008 survey, Brussels sprouts are the most-hated vegetable in America.

Some ascribe the Brussels sprouts’ unpopularity to the sulfuric smell they emanate while they are being cooked. But, this smell should only arise when they are overcooked. So, never boil Brussels sprouts—save your home and your family members from the smelly consequences.

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WEDNESD

Oven-fried Dijon-Buttermilk Chicken Only one baking pan to clean up! Tip: Publix will skin bone-in chicken thighs for you if you don’t want to do it yourself.

• • • • • • • • •

1/4 cup buttermilk (or plain yogurt) 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary 1/4 cup dry plain breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese 4 (6-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a small microwavesafe bowl. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the mixture into a shallow bowl or pie plate; reserve remaining mixture.

Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a separate pie plate, or on a sheet of wax paper. Dip chicken in liquid; dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Chill at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425⁰. Lightly coat a large baking sheet (with sides) with cooking spray and place in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Toss the potatoes (ingredients below) with oil, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken on one side of the baking sheet and the potatoes on the other. Bake for 25 minutes, turning chicken and stirring potatoes after 12 minutes. Microwave reserved sauce mixture on high for 20 seconds, or until warm.

Drizzle over chicken. Add a little green to your plate and heat up a bag of frozen green beans for a nice complement.

Roasted Potatoes • 10 ounces small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in quarters • 1 tablespoon olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste

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THURSDAY

Linguine with White Clam Sauce A great “pantry” recipe—one in which all the ingredients are commonly on hand.

• • • • • • • • • •

2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian) 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 (6-1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, drained, juice reserved 1/4 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons dry white wine or vermouth 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes 6 ounces dried linguine, freshly cooked al dente in salted water

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add parsley and garlic and sauté until garlic just begins to color, about 45 seconds. Add reserved clam juice, whipping cream, dry white wine, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until mixture is reduced to thin sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Add chopped clams and freshly cooked linguine to pot and toss over low heat until sauce coats pasta thickly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: If doubling the recipe, use no more than 3 cans of clam juice.

Easy Side Salad • • • • • • •

Baby arugula or salad greens Grape or cherry Tomatoes (halved) Sliced radishes Peeled sliced cucumber 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 tablespoon good olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatoes, radishes, and cucumber in a salad bowl. Add 2 cups (1 big handful) arugula per person. Toss with vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Love Oysters? Dig Clams?

Ever wonder about the origin of the old adage, “Only eat shellfish in months with an ‘r’?” Turns out, that was pretty sound advice, back in the day. Prior to the electric ice box, the warmest months of the year (the “r-less” May through August) were the ones most likely to turn Oysters Rockefeller into a terrible night of stomach sickness. And it was that threat of food poisoning, along with high levels of red tide and algae blooms during warm months, that caused folks to question whether or not they should crack open a clam or an oyster on a warm summer’s day. Thankfully, these days, you can enjoy shellfish anytime during the year.

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FRIDAY

Leftover Beef Roast Sautéed with Mushrooms and Rice Take the roast from Tuesday and create a completely new, delicious dish—we bet they will never know its leftovers.

• Medium-rare roast beef round, sliced thin and cut in single-bite pieces.

• 1 pound white or baby bella mushrooms, sliced • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced or pressed • 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped • 1/4 cup chicken stock • 1 cup cooked rice • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese • Kosher salt Heat a cast iron or other skillet on medium heat on the stove. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add mushrooms and a sprinkle of Kosher salt, and cook for 5 minutes. Add sliced beef, chicken stock, cooked rice, and parsley. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until the stock cooks out but the pan is not dry. Add more stock or water if needed. The mushrooms should be tender and the meat moist. Salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.

How Long to Keep Leftovers: » Meats, cooked seafood, vegetables, pizza, soups, and casseroles should be eaten within three to four days.

» Potatoes or pasta salads should be eaten within three to five days.

» Rice, pasta, and hard-cooked eggs should be eaten within seven days.

» For desserts: Cream pies and fruit pies should be eaten within three to four days; cake and cheesecake should stay safe for up to seven days. Note: Desserts should be refrigerated.

Source: homefoodsafety.org

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6  | noalapress.com | march/april 

SATURDAY

Roasted Carrot Soup with Cumin and Balsamic If you have an enamel-coated cast iron Dutch oven, or something like it, this can be a one-pot meal.

Otherwise, roast carrots and garlic on a baking sheet and transfer to soup pot afterward.

• • • • • • • •

1 pound baby carrots 4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Kosher salt Black pepper

Heat oven to 425⁰. Toss carrots and garlic with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast uncovered for about 25 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking, until carrots are browned and tender.

If using a Dutch oven, move pot to stove top on medium-low heat and add chicken stock. Using an immersion blender, purée vegetables until no solids remain. Alternately, transfer in batches to blender and purée very carefully, allowing steam to escape every 30 seconds. Transfer back to soup pot. Add cumin and balsamic vinegar. Blend well and taste. Add more vinegar one teaspoon at a time if the soup is too tart.

Oil and Vinegar Spinach Salad • • • • •

2 cups loosely packed spinach leaves (per person) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk salt into vinegar until dissolved. Whisk mustard into vinegar until fully blended. Whisk in olive oil and mix until fully blended. Dressing will keep one week or so in the fridge.

SHOPPING LIST On Hand Items Onions (white and yellow) Garlic Extra-virgin olive oil Red wine vinegar Balsamic vinegar Cider vinegar Dijon mustard Dry white wine or vermouth Brown sugar Honey Worcestershire sauce Chili powder Cumin Oregano Crushed rosemary Red pepper flakes Kosher Salt Ground Black Pepper Chicken Stock Brown Rice Thyme To Buy Grape tomatoes Green bell pepper 10 ounces small new potatoes, atoes, es es, red or Yukon Gold Red grapefruit Avocado Baby arugula 2 6-1/2-ounce cans chopped clams 3 10-ounce cans Ro-tel original mild 2 cans black beans 1 can kidney beans 1 can pinto beans 4 bone-in chicken thighss 1 package green beans 1 pound linguine Bread crumbs 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream Buttermilk or plain yogurt Parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the green can) 3-4 lb. Beef eye round roast 2 Bunches fresh parsley 1 lb. Brussels sprouts 1 lb. Mushrooms, baby bellas or shiitakes 1 lb. Baby carrots Fresh spinach 32 oz. chicken stock or broth

Did you know food portions have almost tripled in the last 20 years?

1960 DINNER PLATE

9”

TODAY’S DINNER PLATE

11.5”

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A Sweet Strangeness Thrills My Heart: The World of Sallie Independence Foster, 1861-1887 FEATURING Storyteller and Actress Dolores Hydock and Musician Bobby Horton

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014 at 7:00 p.m.

NORTON AUDITORIUM UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA CAMPUS FLORENCE, ALABAMA FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC U NO TICKETS REQUIRED

For more information, call 256.765.4208, or visit our website at w w w. u n a . e d u / d i s t i n g u i s h e d - e v e n t s

Sallie Independence Foster was 12 years old and living in what is now Rogers Hall on the UNA campus when the War Between the States began.

She kept a journal at the time, which continues through the war and for another 22 years, as Sallie grows to be a young woman and begins a family of her own. Storyteller Dolores Hydock and nationally known music historian and musician Bobby Horton interweave Sallie’s journals, letters, historical photographs, and music of the time to create a uniquely personal glimpse at a radically changing world.

Bobby Horto

n and Dolores

Hydock

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text by claire stewart » photos by patrick hood

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Thirty years ago, the idea of a woman doing a “man’s” job, or vice versa, was pretty novel, and an indicator of how progressive we were becoming in breaking down gender barriers. Today, we hardly blink when we hear about female engineers or male nurses, but there are still a few occupations where the majority of participants are predominately male or female. We took a look at a few occupations in North Alabama where new rules apply to old roles, and found one thing in common: these are dedicated people who love what they do. You might want to keep this issue as a reference—thirty years from now, who knows what the new rules will be?

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LOU GALIPEAU Mary Kay Consultant Less than 1% of Mary Kay consultants are men.

What has been your biggest obstacle in your job thus far?

“My biggest obstacle was working with women who knew more about make up than I did. Heck, I didn’t even know what went on first, mascara or eye liner! I had to learn to tell women how to apply their makeup when I didn’t even know how to put it on myself. I was like Mel Gibson in the movie What Women Want—I had to try it on myself, under my director’s supervision and instructions. It was very uncomfortable for this footballcrazed, athletic male to do…put on makeup like a girl. But, I learned.”

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JAN DAVIS Former Astronaut Mission Specialist at NASA, Current Vice President, Deputy General Manager at Jacobs Technology In the technology field, women are outnumbered by eight men to every two women. When Jan was in school for engineering, it was 97 men to every two women.

Did you have a mentor in this field that encouraged you along the way?

“I have had many mentors along the way in my career but my all-time best mentor was my mother. She always said, “Aim high and you will never hit low.” She made me believe that with enough hard work and education, I could do anything I wanted to. She inspired me by her own actions—advancing her degree while working and raising a family.”

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ANA FRANKLIN Morgan County Sheriff In the U.S., there are currently 40 female sheriffs out of a total 3,700—around 1% women.

What would you say to other women interested in pursuing a job as a sheriff?

“This job is extremely difficult, no matter if you’re a man or a woman.

Someone must be at a point in their life in which their personal life can be put on hold and they can almost solely devote themselves to the job in order to succeed. Be prepared for scrutiny, hatefulness, challenges to your authority, and resistance to change. Be very thick skinned, be confident in your ability, make sure that you are doing this for the right reasons, and remember—this job is not self-serving, but for the service of others. Be committed to doing what is right and not wavering in that, but also be willing to adapt and be flexible in the right situations. Know your limitations and your weaknesses and be willing to accept help.”

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BETH BAHAR Rabbi, Temple B’nai Sholom 16% of Rabbis in all denominations are female, but tides seem to be turning. Currently, between 40% and 68% of the rabbinic students at the major non-Orthodox rabbinical seminaries are women.

What have been your biggest obstacles thus far in your job?

“The biggest obstacle I have faced is something that I believe every professional woman faces—the question of work/life balance. I want to be the perfect mother and the perfect wife, while at the same time being the perfect rabbi. I have come to learn to stop expecting perfection, but instead focus on the best I can do and find enjoyment with what I do have.”

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SARA BETH O’STEEN Assistant Project Manager at Brasfield and Gorrie Only 9% of those in the construction industry are females.

What made you want to pursue this job?

“Beginning at a young age, I was interested in construction and architecture.

I originally went to Auburn University to pursue a degree in Architecture.

I was cut from the program the summer after my first year and my architecture professors suggested interior design, which at the time was not appealing to me. I spoke with my uncle who had previously taught Building Science at Auburn and tried it out starting fall of my sophomore year.

I immediately knew I had found my niche. It was so interesting to me to learn how a building came together— I loved the process.”

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PATRICK HOOD Stay-at-Home Dad Just 3.5% of “stay-at-home” parents are fathers The decision to work inside the home has many benefits and compromises. What compromises and benefits have you found in your situation?

“The benefits are obvious. I can set my own schedule. We can go on vacation during the uncrowded times and I get to spend as much time with my children as I want, which is a lot.

The compromises are that I have to plan around my wife’s schedule, I am not a very good cook, and it’s very hard to get work done when I’m under the gun. Too many unexpected coffee breaks and personal errands get in the way sometimes.”

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36 »

scene

Scott Newsom

Kerry Coker, Vonda Truitt, Jordan Smith, LeAnn Newsom, Kendra Krell, JoAnn Pegues, Fran Fluhler, and Cynthia Hart

Tina Edwards LeAnn Newsom and Claudia Coker Rachel Jackson

LeAnn Newsom, Vonda Truitt, and Carolyn Jackson

David Coker and Kerry Coker

Above: Sponsorship Drive for Life Ministries and One Love february ,  · cyn shea’s

Cynthia Hart

© David Coker

Below: The Painted Violin Society Unveiling february ,  · servisfirst bank

Mabry Miller and Janet Phillips Will Heaps, DeLynn Gower, and Paula Renfroe Nancy Van Valkenburgh, and Pat Ammons Dan Halcomb, and Dianne Reynolds

Nancy Colin, John Malone, and Donna Rush

Jennifer Doss, and Frances Huffman

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Andy Kattos, Foster McDonald, and Richard Van Valkenburgh

Dr. Ben Washburn, Debbie Washburn, and Ginney McDonald

INTENSE CLIENT FOCUS

Warren Averett Asset Management Members Keith Rogers and Kelly Clary

TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT To us, intense client focus starts with the notion that we’re in the relationship business. Yes, it’s personal. Let us get to know you and you’ll experience a difference that works to your advantage. Count on independence – advisors operating free from quotas, fund restrictions and proprietary products. Count on discipline – a datadriven approach with in-depth research. Count on a better return on relationships – advisors whose passionate commitment to your success matches your own. Let’s thrive together.

Keith Rogers: 256.713.2662 | Kelly Clary: 256.713.2669 801 Clinton Avenue, Huntsville, AL | www.WAasset.com

Alabama l Florida march/april  | noalapress.com | 

Amy McMullen and Charles Ballard Photo by Patrick Hood

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Looking at Life Through Their Loving Lens text by amy collins » photos by patrick hood and courageous photography

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© Courageous Photography

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When Amy McMullen generously offered to photograph ph a stranger’s family, whose husband had been diagnosed with stage four mantle cell lymphoma, she had no idea she’d soon be running a non-profit organization that would touch h the lives of so many families fighting life-threatening illnesses, es, or that the majority of the diagnosed would be young children. ren. © Courageous Photography

That was June, 2012, and McMullen’s empathy for the family amily cut deep. Her own husband died suddenly when she was only 28 years old, leaving her with two daughters under the age ge of 10, a mortgage, and a car payment. “I wish I’d had that forr my girls,” McMullen said. “I wish there were more photographs of them with their heir father before he died.” The gentleman man she photographed that June is a survivor, vor, though the sentiment remains present ent with every family she helps.

It was McMullen’s fiancé Charles es Ballard’s idea to organize Amy’s ’s generosity into a foundation. They workk as a team on Courageous Photography; y; every decision they make, and all travell and photo shoots are a combined d effort. They donate their time, driving as far as North Carolina and Florida from their Madison, Alabama, studio to meet and photograph their subjects. All expenses are covered by donations, and many of the contributors sponsor a family they know. It was happenstance that Courageous Photography began to make portraits of young children with a cancer diagnosis. “Our second family was a child hild associated with St. Jude, and the word spread,” Charles Ballard said.

The foundation has operated largely by word of mouth, though McMullen and Ballard were on an episode of the “Today” show, along with one of their families, which brought welcome

What Courageous Photography does for these families is more than capture intimate moments in lasting images.

They help people escape for a day and forget about the disease for a few hours.

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attention to their work. McMullen and Ballard refer to every Courageous family as their family. The connections made are far more lasting than an afternoon of snapping photos.

“It’s not a regular photo shoot,” McMullen said. She also runs her two independent businesses, Amy’s Custom Photography, a professional portrait, commercial, and fashion studio, and D’Arte, her fine art photography enterprise. “We love on them as soon as we arrive,” McMullen said. “We take them to dinner, to talk with them, let them vent and talk about what’s going on so they know they have friends, that someone cares.

We want it to be a happy experience. We want to celebrate the child.”

Images of the children and teenagers fill the online gallery of the foundation’s website and Facebook page. Many of them have lost their hair after chemotherapy treatments. One boy shows us his distended belly and tubes attached to his torso, and they each wear a broad, easy smile for McMullen’s camera.

McMullen says her camera never stops, that many of the images she takes on the day-long photo sessions are seemingly benign moments between parent and child, but become comforting keepsakes for all who might be left behind. Staples office supply in Madison, Alabama, donated a 16 by 20 inch canvas portrait to each family, until late 2013, when the store learned they would no longer be carrying that product.

© Courageous Photography  | noalapress.com | march/april 

Courageous Photography also collects funds for care packages for every member of the family, each one tailored to the interests of the individual. Five-year-old Jonathon loved Spiderman, 14-year-old Autumn received nail polish and jewelry, eight-year-old Ryan, nicknamed “Bama,” adored quarterback AJ McCarron and received a package of all things Crimson Tide. Three-year-old Kayden loved bubbles. “It was C the only way Charles could get him to look up for the camera,” th McMullen said. “But everyone loves bubbles, so everyone gets M bubbles.” b Parents receive sundries like lotion, shampoo, bubble bath, and P ccoffee packets in their care packages; a mix of indulgent articles aand items needed when one spends significant time in and out of the hospital with a sick child. Many of these families are pushed into cash-strapped situations as medical bills pile up and jobs are sacrificed for time for doctor visits and hospital stays. McMullen and Ballard hope to grow the foundation and accept grant money and private donations to help families pay utilities, mortgages, and to buy food when resources are stretched thin. Hospice organizations in Huntsville and the Shoals area have begun working with Courageous Photography, and the foundation is currently undergoing the process of becoming a 501(c)3 NonProfit organization.

© Courageous Photography

What McMullen and Ballard do for these families is more than capture intimate moments in lasting images.

They help people escape for a day and forget about the disease for a few hours.

They become friends, confidants, and extended family. “We’ve been invited to and attended three funerals,” McMullen said. “I’ve watched three mothers fix their baby’s shoe or suit in the casket. But when they see us arrive, their faces light up.”

Ballard also lost loved ones early in life.

His father, a brother, and a best friend passed before he was 20. Still, he says, the experience of befriending an ailing child is life changing. “I’ve learned more about life and how to live from these kids,” Ballard said. “It makes me ask, how am I growing as a person?” It seems Ballard and McMullen, who had her own brush with mortality, surviving intracerebral blood clots after her third child was born, are uniquely equipped to empathize with the Courageous families. “I feel called to do this.

It’s bigger than us,” McMullen said. “Cancer hits everybody, the poor, the rich, the middle class. And it’ll take everything from you.” McMullen and Ballard find peace and comfort in the time they spend with these families, and deliver in exchange, peace and comfort to them.

McMullen and Ballard hope to grow the foundation and accept grant money and private donations to help families pay utilities, mortgages, and to buy food when resources are stretched thin.

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In the Driver’s Seat text by allen tomlinson » photos by danny mitchell

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Is it safe for Mom to continue to drive?

Karen Hislop understands what a loaded question that can be. If you ask Mom (or Dad), chances are they are hanging on to their ability to drive because it represents independence. If you ask the adult children, sometimes the answers aren’t as cut and dried. So how do you know whether it really is safe for Mom to drive?

“It’s even more complicated than that, sometimes,” said Karen. “Many times, we see patients who have had some type of medical incident or diagnosis, like a stroke or possibly the loss of a limb. We realized several years ago that there was a need to provide an objective analysis of that person’s ability to drive, so we could make a determination about whether or not it’s safe.”

Karen is an occupational therapist and the owner of Therapy Achievements in Huntsville, and she is accustomed to seeing people who are recovering from strokes, brain or spinal cord injuries, or diseases such as Parkinson’s or Multiple Sclerosis. “Our entire focus is helping people regain or retain their independence,” she said, “and we saw a real need to help people evaluate their driving skills. Many times, these patients have suffered loss because of their illness, and they don’t want to give up their last hold on independence. My goal is to see if there is a way they can continue to drive.”

Karen has undergone extensive training and certification, and has offered a driving evaluation program since 2008. The tests start with a medical referral—families who are simply arguing over whether or not to take away the keys can’t use Therapy Achievements as a moderator, but once a doctor makes the referral, the program can begin. The first step is an office visit, where Karen uses computer programs and special hand and foot pads to evaluate the patient’s memory skills, vision, range of motion, and reaction times. “We want to see if your brain is able to react quickly to what you see,” she said. On the screen, the patient reacts to first one object and then two or more, because, as Karen notes, “when you are behind the wheel of a car, there are multiple things happening at the same time.” Computer literacy is not required, and the tests are simple to do.

Once the patient has satisfactorily completed this series of tests, it’s time to move outside and behind the wheel of the car. Karen has a specially equipped Mercury that she can adapt to the patient’s condition; it even has hand and foot controls for those patients who have lost a limb and are learning how to drive using a different set of controls. “We start by going to the parking lot at the stadium,” she said, “and then we progress until we move into traffic. While we are undergoing all of these

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“It’s important that people know that I do not have the authority to take away a person’s driver’s license. Many times we can structure a program for the patient that allows them to continue to drive, with adaptive equipment or with carefully planned routes. My goal is to find a way they can continue to drive, if that’s possible.” —KAREN HISLOP

tests, I am asking questions to determine the goals for the patient. It might be that she only wants to drive to church or the beauty parlor, and we discuss ways that she might do that without using high-speed and high-traffic routes.”

When the tests are finished, the evaluation is completed and Karen is able to make recommendations about the patient’s ability to drive. A report is sent to the patient and to the patient’s physician.

“It’s important that people know that I do not have the authority to take away a person’s driver’s license,” said Karen. “And this is not a pass/fail test; many times we can structure a program for the patient that allows them to continue to drive, with adaptive equipment or with carefully planned routes. My goal is to find a way they can continue to drive, if that’s possible.”

Karen’s advice to the patient and to the family is to get tested sooner, rather than later. “Some families have long-standing arguments about whether or not a parent is able to continue to drive,” she said, “and rather than fight about it, there is a way to get evidence and find out.”

That Mercury isn’t just used to determine whether a patient is still able to drive; it is also equipped to help teach people who need to learn to drive differently. “We’ve done a lot of work with veterans who have lost a limb and need to learn how to drive with hand controls or with other special equipment,” Karen said. It requires practice, too, especially if you have learned to drive using your feet and you now have to apply the brake or use the accelerator with hand controls.

(Opposite): The testing process begins with a vision screening to determine if the patient is able to see well enough to drive. (Above): Karen teaches people how to drive using hand control and left-foot accelerator pedals, depending upon their needs.

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“Our entire focus is helping people regain or retain their independence, and we saw a real need to help people evaluate their driving skills. Many times, these patients have suffered loss because of their illness, and they don’t want to give up their last hold on independence. My goal is to see if there is a way they can continue to drive.”

—KAREN HISLOP

(Above): Before getting behind the wheel of the speciallyequipped car, Karen tests reaction times to see how quickly the patient processes information.

“One of our patients had neuropathy, and had lost the feeling in her feet,” Karen said. “She had an accident and completely stopped driving, but that became very inconvenient for her. She decided to try it again, with hand controls, and we trained her to use them. Now she’s able to get herself where she needs to go.”

The car is equipped with hand controls, a left-foot gas pedal, steering knobs, and other adaptive equipment. Karen helps the patient select the correct equipment, trains in its use, and then generates a report that states that the patient is competent to use it. She can also work with vendors who install adaptive equipment to discuss the patients’ particular needs.

Is it ever scary to ride with someone in the training car? “If a patient passes the office tests and I am sure that their reaction skills are good, I don’t get too nervous,” she says with a smile, and starting the training or evaluation in the stadium parking lot helps as well.

The rewards are worth any nervousness. After all, Karen started Therapy Achievements as a way to help people who were suffering from debilitating accidents or illness, to restore as much quality of life as possible. Helping them retain independence by restoring their ability to drive, or bringing peace of mind to a family by providing an objective evaluation of driving skills, are all just part of a day’s work. Is it still safe for Mom or Dad to drive? Karen will let you know.

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“One of the reasons that we all love Randolph so much—even decades later—is because it did not just teach us to be good students.

It taught us to be good people.”Brandon Robinson ’98, Ĵ ¢

“Our teachers are like superheroes. I think that supporting kids so they JDLQ FRQ´GHQFH DQG strength is fantastic.”

- Sydney, 11th grade

Extraordinary relationships change lives.

Are you ready for a change?

Contact admissions@randolphschool.net, 256-799-6103.

randolphschool.net/apply Randolph School does not discriminate in violation of the law on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge, nation of origin, gender, or any other characteristic.

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

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text by allen tomlinson photos by patrick hood and amy jones

© Amy Jones march/april  | noalapress.com | 

© Patrick Hood  | noalapress.com | march/april 

“

As they were crossing the river on that big bridge from Decatur to the causeway, Jake asked his teacher if that was the ocean. That alone let us know that this experience was likely to be life-changing for this young man.” —Andrew Willmon, BTL Executive Director

ou can feel the excitement as the children get ready to board the big yellow school buses for their trip to Huntsville. They are trying so hard to restrain themselves, but this is a big adventure; they are going to the Von Braun Center to attend a Broadway Theatre League special show, just for them.

“Broadway Theatre League has been around since 1959,” said Andrew Willmon, the Executive Director, “but we started the children’s educational program in 2005. In the beginning, we had to charge a small admission, but today, thanks to corporate sponsorships, over 7,000 school kids every year will get to see a show at absolutely no cost to them.”

Exactly the mission of the BTL program. For most in the audience, it will be their first exposure to live performance, and the show has been specifically designed with them in mind. The majority of students who attend go to Title I schools, and the hope is that the lives of these children will be enriched by a whole new world of possibilities and an appreciation for arts and culture.

For many, it’s much more profound. Like Jake. (Jake’s name has been changed for this story.) Jake is a student at Walter Jackson School in Decatur and is being raised by his grandmother. He’d been on a bus before, but even though he lived in Decatur he had never seen the Tennessee River. “As they were crossing the river on that big bridge from Decatur to the causeway, Jake asked his teacher if that was the ocean,” said Andrew. “That alone let us know that this experience was likely to be lifechanging for this young man.”

The experience actually begins a month or so before the kids board the bus for the Von Braun Center. BTL Education Director Pennie Wood travels to the schools to talk to the students and teach them about what to expect. They discuss the story line and take time to talk about theater manners; Pennie takes time to tell them about all of the details, including what it means when the lights dim and the show begins, how large the auditorium really is, how to keep from kicking the seat in front of you, and when to applaud and when to remain quiet.

The shows themselves are wonderful, aimed perfectly at this age group. Velveteen Rabbit, Arthur, Peking Acrobats, and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales are just a few of the titles of performances that BTL has presented for this program. This past November, Dinosaur Train, a life-sized puppet show, was the featured event. “We aim for two shows every year, one in the spring and one in the fall,” said Andrew.

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“

Thanks to corporate sponsorships, over 7,000 school kids every year will get to see a show at absolutely no cost to them.”

© Amy Jones

On April 15, BTL brings San Jose Taiko, an exploration of Japanese-American heritage told through the powerful, spellbinding and propulsive sounds of the Taiko drums. Inspired by traditional Japanese drumming and founded in 1973, San Jose Taiko became one of the first American Taiko ensembles invited to tour Japan. Audience members will be drawn to the empowering sounds of the Taiko and inspired by the continued possibilities, renewal, and transformation that the rhythm and beat invokes. BTL’s Student Outreach Program is sponsored by Lockheed Martin (Title Sponsor) with grant support from The Alabama State Council on the Arts, Arts & Cultural Grant Program from the City of Huntsville and The Arts Council, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and many BTL individual contributors.

The theater experience doesn’t end when the curtain closes. “When the show is over, the class that presents the best class project based on what they learned at the show gets a pizza party and celebration,” he said. It’s a way to continue the experience and make it fun, long after the actual event is over.

Area schools, pre-schools, and home-schooled students are invited to attend.

School slots are still available for San Jose Taiko on April 15th at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.; for information, please contact Pennie Wood at 256-518-6155 or pennie@ broadwaytheatreleague.org.

© Patrick Hood

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Works by Leslie Adair Sarah Brewer Kerry Brooks Peggy Brosious East Tracy Cobbs Patrick Hood Luke Johnson Marilyn Lewis-Alim Carey Link Danny Mitchell Harry Moore Ginger K. Nelson Jimmy Robinson Cheryl Robinson-Stewart Abraham Rowe Monita Soni Leslie Nicole Thomas Lauren Tomasella Margaret J. Vann

The Geology of Me Tracy Cobbs I Fault lines crack the crust of my life.

Tectonic plates of conflicting interests, values, desires slide and smash crash and slip send temblors through my soul.

I can feel The Big One coming.

II Under the stony surface fiery magma surges bursts forth occasionally from volcanic vents beneath the oceans of my eyes sending the salty water in hot rivers across the terrain of my face.

III I drill and drill but the core remains out of reach.

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Photo by Kerry

Brooks Photography

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Essence Margaret J. Vann Spring always raises the senses fills the world with urges to procreate trees posture themselves pine & oak hickory & maple shower the earth with pollen golden pollen drifting past the street lights casting a golden glow rising on warm spring currents hazing the air in gilded tones So the trees conspire with the breezes release their essence to drift, float, fly over us in a rapture of leaving clouds of pollen drifting past the street lights casting a golden glow rising on warm spring currents hazing the air in gilded tones We are all breathing in, making our own the essence of trees Does the pollen create in me a germ of thought an embryo of verse an acorn of heart?

Photo by Sarah

Brewer

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Photo by Lauren

Tomasella

Registering, 1963 Jimmy Robinson At the top of the broad steps At all six entrances of East Clinton School They stood at attention. The curbs Of East Clinton Avenue and White street Were lined with state trooper cars.

Not understanding what was going on, A few neighborhood classmates and I Climbed past the stone-still troopers Who stood as fixed as Buckingham guards And never flinched while we Slipped in to register for sixth grade As cameramen, reporters, and a curious crowd Witnessed history refusing to take place.

 | noalapress.com | march/april 

Photo by Danny

Mitchell

My Alabama Home Carey Link

Microwave Art Harry Moore

I left a monotonous cacophony of honked horns, ringing phones, suburban town homes with sound proof barriers for backyards, 55 Mph speed limits, smoke rising from fuel plants to turn air brown for the seeds of furrowed fields that grow beneath open sky.

Long trips down back roads.

To climb into the hollow of a high tree.

To feel warm breeze on my cheeks.

To sit at Sunday suppers of fried chicken, potatoes, collard greens, black-eyed peas, peach pie, and sweet tea.

To dry clothes on a line.

To find and keep treasures cool, dark, deep.

To watch a yellow and black spider weave the initials of her last breath-a geometric code of where she has been and will go on my window.

To listen to stories of the past and present whispered on the porch swing as sun melts behind clouds in the shadow of evergreen.

Laying pre-cooked strips of bacon on a paper towel, I punch in nine seconds each at power nine, a narrow window for crisp but not scorched.

We shot hogs on our farm, with a .22 between the eyes, then slit their throats to bleed them dry, hoisted the weighty carcass by its heels to a high black walnut limb, plunging the body into a barrel of scalding water, once, twice, three times, like some baptismal rite, till wirelike hair was soft for scraping.

With knives honed to sharpest edge, we shaved each surface clean, leaving smooth the white and flabby skin.

From throat to scrotum, we sliced the carcass open, catching organs in a tub: liver, lights, and heart for haslet stew, intestines to be washed for chitlins or for curing peppered sausage.

On the cutting table, the head came off, jowl for seasoning turnip greens, the rest for souse. Hooves and feet were tossed, shoulders, hams, loins, and middlings packed in salt inside a wooden box, to be sliced and fried on winter mornings.

Slabs of fat were diced and dumped into a blackened iron pot above a popping fire, chunks melting into their own hot grease till they floated stiff and brown, scooped by strainers onto flattened paper bags to drain: porkskins and cracklings filling the cold November air with their warm fragrance.

Hot grease cooled in silver cans, whitening slowly into lard for baking and for frying in the coming year.

No one knew cholesterol, since chopping wood and plowing kept us lean, and no one thought it cruel that these creatures we had penned and fed corn, watermelons, overripe tomatoes from the garden, table scraps and broth from the slopping can should now become our food. As we sat to a supper of thick fried tenderloin, a jar of peas from summer’s garden, biscuits, rice, and thickened gravy, it was as if a tree had shed its fruit onto our table.

On my plate, beside a buttered English muffin and some grapes, lie two strips of bacon, crisp, brown, thin as wafers for communion.

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“Truck and Tree” by Abraham

Rowe

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One Day When I Was Ten Ginger K. Nelson Daddy wasn’t a big man except in my eyes. I admired him for teaching himself to play the piano. I rejoiced when he played the organ in church. I bragged that he ice skated in Madison Square Garden.

My hero worship accompanied his accomplishments until I was ten years old.

On that spring day, Daddy tumbled from a ladder while removing our second story storm windows. On that day, he fell from his place as my idol when I discovered the cause for his slip was his excessive drinking. He plummeted to the still-sleeping earth of my mother’s flower garden, its brick border etching his bald head with a pattern of blood like rusty clouds.

Earlier that morning I slid the pink nylon bedspread with daisies winking at the wrinkled floral sheets over my single bed, then maneuvered the blinds to allow stripes of light to creep into my room.

The open window allowed scents of forsythia and lilacs to wrinkle my nose.

As I struggled to cover my pencil-thin hips with ill-fitting dungarees, I listened to the Electrolux herald spring cleaning. With one last peek at my halfway-neat room, I ambled toward soggy cereal and a day of waxing floors and dislodging dust bunnies.

Scurrying to fetch lemony polish, I heard Daddy’s muffled humming as he dragged a ladder across the freshly-swept earth which surrounded the rock garden under the ammonia-streaked window.

“Don’t climb that rickety old thing.” Mom‘s worry sliced through the air. “The storm windows can wait until I buy a sturdier ladder.”

“I’d better get them off now; it’s supposed to rain the rest of the week.”

I didn’t detect the sound of his feet sliding from the rungs; I did hear my mother’s screams strident following the thud which shattered my peaceful fifth grade world.

With a fierceness borne of fear, I continued brushing furniture with the whisk broom until no evidence of winter woolies remained until I heard sirens drowning out my father’s moans and my mother’s piercing howls.

As the ambulance drove away, I watched my aunt rake up bloody dirt, dislodge overturned bricks and drag the offensive ladder away. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she covered up signs of the accident.

Tears streamed down mine as I struggled with unanswered questions.

What happened to the man with the Daddy Warbucks’ voice—my father whose large blue-veined hand encompassed my small one when we crossed streets, my Daddy who insisted on removing winter windows so that gentle spring breezes could blow through our compact rooms? I only knew that white vehicle with its blinking red lights whisked him from my home with its rolled-up straw rugs lining the unpolished floor of the living room and out of my safe, unblemished life.

When he returned, life resumed at its normal pace for a few months until Daddy tumbled once more as a result of a major stroke. Gone were the visits to his big city company with its clickety-clacking typewriters and ponderous adding machines. Now he lay in a white hospital bed, wore a white gown and stared at empty white walls of the county hospital.

Calendar pages flipped to Christmas. I tied a red satin bow on his unfamiliar wheelchair. The solarium at the end of the sterile hall bore  | noalapress.com | march/april 

meager holiday decorations. As patients sat alone or with family members, the longing to return to their former selves blazed like gaudy billboards across their blank faces. While my aunt led the caroling of “O Holy Night,” some of us reached across dreariness and pain to the heavens with off-key voices; others cowered in joyless silence.

One day my father arrived home. But not my Daddy. Like Humpty Dumpty, he never again was that jovial man perched on the wall of my memories. He never picked Mom a bouquet of fragrant lilies of the valley from the garden. He never sang “di dee di” as he picked out

melodies on our Wurlitzer. And he never did Daddy things like telling fairy tales or playing Parcheesi with me anymore.

Even our home changed its appearance. An adjustable hospital bed occupied a corner of the dining room where we no longer ate rare roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and creamed carrots.

of my friends dropped by on Saturdays to pop corn or make fudge.

In July he left us. His death didn’t bring relief from the guilt cascading down the crenulated tunnels of my mind. I buried myself in memories of unkind words I wished I could stuff in the shredder, moments of pleasant times and gentle touches I wished I could revisit. And I was only ten when it began and ended with a tipsy ladder and a tipsy father and sharp bricks that still pierce my heart.

The stroke paralyzed my father’s left side and left him dependent on a cane to guide him around the first floor. His once soulful blue eyes filled with tears of frustration at all he could no longer do. Only a few

Photo by Patrick

Hood

Now Marilyn Lewis-Alim Let me get my soul up off this floor. I know this pain’s been carried. Somebody has cried this grief before.

Let me be with the power of now. I’ve got nothing but now. Not yesterday nor tomorrow, just now.

My spirit moves with the sun and it never sets. Smiles at stars, has no regrets. Rolls past nebulae; dances through black holes.

Pulls at constellations colliding and just grows.

Strong is my spirit now.

My soul feels the powerful power of now.

Dragonfly on a Rosebush in Florida in the Fall Leslie Nicole Thomas Tricked into shape shifting into an insect— a dragon that could not then change back, sent to earth by Satan on indefatigable wings, he sings in chaos to cause confusion.

Cacophonous swirl of silence— the adder’s servant slips in stitching shut the mouths of bad children in their sleep.

The master of illusion, iridescent wings, body of neon yellow racing stripes, the devil’s sewing needle moves and sees in six directions, traveling between dimensions like breath—the master of mutability—except for the changing back part. He clutches the stem of the rosebush right next to the thorn.

Fearful symmetry of its stripes marks it a harbinger of death to some, or something slightly less, serendipitously more harmonious—the end of one’s self created illusions, the mind’s vision uninhibited as its wings, transparent as lace and as frail.

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Photo by Amanda

Chapman

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

Not of the Same Feather Monita Soni

Women’s History Month Cheryl Robinson-Stewart

They don’t get me Most women married to their men

We are the warriors of prayer Oh, daughters, sisters, wives, friends everywhere Mothers, mentors, ministers of truth Enthusiastically trying to encourage our youth Nurturers of the seeds that we plant Survivors of abuse, cancer, rape, war, and I can’t

When they look at me They seem to flinch in their guts…

Perhaps they don’t like what they see Did I overdo my henna rinse?

Or did I come to the wrong house?

Or is it just my inimitable audacity?

I shrug off their cool reception and walk into the room They eyeball me…

Some overtly others covertly Their vacant minds spinning Oh no! If they like my ensemble What must their men be thinking?

One or two nod tightly and then pointedly turn their backs and engage aggressively into mindless banter A few preen and unfurl on their escorts’ arms It’s comedic Their lack of bonhomie To my detached air of stability I am content and at peace in my wholeness Whether alone or in a gathering I never miss Lack of male or female company I shirk senseless social soirees Where unhappy people gather to make plans For another unhappy affair So that they can talk to other unhappy people About their unhappy lives But I don’t judge them…

I leave them be with or without their married men Give me any day a walk in the woods A play-date with a child or colors A welcome evening with a friend A phone call with parents A good book that invites contemplation Always time spent in gratitude and prayer I don’t conform I am perhaps of different feathers I am the bluebird My resolve is to fly higher!

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Humanitarians of numerous worthy causes Inspirers, inventors deserving applauses Servants serving everyone Tireless teachers, our work is never done Oratorical griots of our history Revolutionary women, so it is not a mystery Yes, we have come a long, long way Making history every single day Obstacles, hurdles, trials, tribulations and fights Nothing has kept us from our liberties and rights The contributions are immeasurable that women have made Honor can be given, but we can never be repaid So it is quite evident and very clear Women’s history month is every day of the year!!!

Styling: Kate Cole; Makeup: Babette Shedd

Adair

Photo by Leslie

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The Other Shoe Peggy Brosious East The Cinderella summer was decked out in banquet finery an insect orchestra played the long days and hot nights.

Grandiose watermelons perfumed cantaloupes luminous honeydews voluptuous peaches kept company while lush tomatoes and cucumbers too cool to care lounged around the dance floor.

But they have left the ball; gone south for the winter.

Summer has turned into a pumpkin.

Photo by Luke

Johnson march/april  | noalapress.com | 

Maxi Skirt ($45) Black Top ($20) Clutch ($27) Shoefly Pierre Dumas Naomi Shoe ($34.95) Austin’s Shoes Background fabric

by Thread

 | noalapress.com | march/april 

photos by patrick hood » produced by claire stewart hair and makeup by nancy finnegan

For some, prints can be intimidating—we aren’t sure if they are too loud, we don’t know if they are flattering, or we don’t know what to pair them with.

But this spring, prints are the way to go for everyone. In the next few pages, find some daring fashion choices from local retailers that are sure to shake up your closet.

Throw your inhibitions out the window because when it comes to prints, go big and go bold.

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

Bell-Sleeved Dress ($49.95) Earrings ($15) Market House Background fabric

by Thread

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Welcome

at Huntsville Botanical Garden.

March 22 – 29 M

It’s Spring Break and the Ga Garden’s 2014 exhibit, Alice’s Garden of Wonders, will begin to take shape on a W gr grand scale at the hands of sand sculptor Te Ted Siebert of the Sand Sculpting Company.

A Al Also l happening Spring Break week - fun ac activities c for the kids each day between 1 & 3 pm.

Open daily beginning

22, 2014.

The Garden’s Spring Festival of Flowers has blossomed into a celebration of all things spring and has evolved into Huntsville Blooms.Visit the Garden and witness the explosion of color all month long.

Plant Sale April 11-13

Friday & Saturday 9am - 6pm Sunday Noon - 5pm

www.hsvbg.org • 256.830.4447 march/april  | noalapress.com | 

Peach Dress ($46) Green Purse ($29) J. Whitener Pierre Dumas Wedges ($34.95) Austin’s Shoes Background fabric

by Thread

 | noalapress.com | march/april 

Striped Dress ($44) Clutch ($38) Francesca’s Background fabric

by Thread

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

Paisley Pants ($69.50) Navy Top ($10) Bracelet Set ($24) Altar’d State Pierre Dumas Wedges ($34.95) Austin’s Shoes Background fabric

by Thread

 | noalapress.com | march/april 

Watch your mouth!

Many oral health issues show no symptoms XQWLO WKHLU DGYDQFHG VWDJHV 'RQ¡W ZDLW %H SURDFWLYH DERXW \RXU KHDOWK ,I LW¡V EHHQ D ZKLOH VLQFH \RX¡YH YLVLWHG D GHQWLVW FDOO WKH friendly staff at Complete Dental today to schedule a check-up. Mention this ad for FREE bleach trays for new patients with Xrays & exam. Some restrictions may apply.

t NZDPNQMFUFEFOUBM DPN Four convenient locations: Decatur, Athens, Madison, & Huntsville Convenient appointment times from 7am - 7pm & on Saturdays

march/april ď™…ď™ƒď™„ď™‡ | noalapress.com | 

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market » Claire Stewart » Photos by Danny Mitchell

Spring Things “Wave Pacific” Glass Sculpture ($250) The Little Green Store (256) 539-9699

OPI Polishes ($9 each) Neo Mode Salon (256) 881-2364

Grey-Free Hair Colors ($14 each) Neo Mode Salon (256) 881-2364

Perfect root color between hair appointments!

M. Axelrod Coastal Village Scene ($300) The Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181

Ananda Khalsa Tanzanite and Green Sapphire Earrings ($1,900) The Little Green Store (256) 539-9699

Easy Gardens for the South

by Harvey Cotton, Pamela Crawford, & Barbara Pleasant ($29.95) and Fresh From the Garden

by Sarah Raven ($47) Shoppe at the Garden at Huntsville Botanical Gardens (256) 830-4447

Old Try Alabama Prints ($40 each) Huntsville Museum of Art (256) 535-4350

Thirty One Bits Purse ($159) Huntsville Museum of Art (256) 535-4350

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

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market » Claire Stewart » Photos by Danny Mitchell Farm Animal Plates ($10.99 each) Josie’s at Burritt on the Mountain (256) 536-2882

Ludvig Jacobsen Oil Painting ($220) The Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181

Annabelle Shelley Fragrance Collection ($37-$40 per item) Shoppe at the Garden at Huntsville Botanical Gardens (256) 830-4447

Artisanal Soaps ($8.99 each) Josie’s at Burritt on the Mountain (256) 536-2882

Fairy Garden Accessories ($9-36 per piece) Shoppe at the Garden at Huntsville Botanical Gardens (256) 830-4447

Thomas Mann Ladybug Pin ($180) The Little Green Store (256) 539-9699

Lemon, tiger butter, chocolate, and red velvet!

“Graters Gonna Grate” Hand Towel by Green Pea Press ($15) Huntsville Museum of Art (256) 535-4350

1 lb. Fresh Fudge ($13) Whistle Stop Sweet Shop (256) 325-8838

Norma Ishak Handmade Cardigan in Vintage Cotton and Rabbit Wool ($510) Finery (256) 429-3429 march/april  | noalapress.com | 

88 »

lowe down » Claire Stewart

“What piece of literature has had the most impact on you, and why?”

“I think I liked To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee so much because of Atticus Finch. He is such a hero in the story and someone you want to root for.”

—Justin Norris Justin Norris

“The Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. It is a great story of a runaway traveling from England to America.”

—Jessica Staton

Jessica Staton

“The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg will challenge your imagination every time you read it.”

—Jordan Staton

Jordan Staton

“Sofie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. It allowed me to challenge my thinking and not just accept what others told me.”

—Shannon Kish Shannon Kish

“The Books of 5 Rings by Miyamoto Musashi entertained the idea of living a multifaceted life as a poet, warrior, scholar, and teacher.”

—Geoff McElroy

Geoff McElroy

“‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost helped me make many decisions in my life” —Lisa Church

Lisa Church

“Anything by Nicholas Sparks. His books give me hope!”

—Jessica Kline

Jessica Kline

“I love Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice!

I read it at least once a year. Her style of writing is something you don’t see anymore.”

—Courtney Harper Courtney Harper

“Beau Geste by P.C. Wren. It is an awesome adventure story of military loyalty and justice.”

—Bradley Fitzsimons Bradley Fitzsimons

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

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lowe down » “What piece of literature has had the most impact on you, and why?”

“I am always challenged in my thinking when I read anything by Ayn Rand.”

—Joanne Grashot

Joanne Grashot

“The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn really opened my eyes to the terrible side of communism. It was a very heavy book.”

—Richard Grashot

Richard Grashot

“The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell really opened my eyes to the relationship between God and pain and how they can effect one’s faith.

—Beth Allen Beth Allen

“The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis explained to me why bad things happen to good people.”

—Lizzie Allen

Lizzie Allen

“As a piece of art, the lyrics and music to “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones were life-changing for me. It introduced a new sound, that to me, made everyone stop and listen.”

—Chris Gray Chris Gray  | noalapress.com | march/april 

“‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost.

Some times in our lives we need to take the road less traveled. This was a good read I was able to share with my nieces.”

—Bethany Oliver

Bethany Oliver

“Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer.

It changed my thinking patterns by helping me to think positively.”

—Adrienne James Adrienne James

“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba. The teen in this story created a windmill out of scraps to get money. It reminds us to make the best of what we have. “ —Christina Dorough Christina Dorough

“Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins.

I read it in high school and am about to reread it this month.”

—Bridges Crawford Bridges Crawford

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

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the vine » Amy Collins

CHILL YOUR REDS This is the time of year when the weather in North Alabama gets extra crazy. We might expect snow flurries one day and 80 degrees with full sun two days later. Figuring out how to dress for these fluctuations is pain enough, there is also the dire concern about what to drink. The new vintage rosés will not arrive for another four to six weeks, and it’s not yet hot enough to indulge in a cold white. But when the weather gods shower us with perfect 72 degree love, the big structured reds that kept us warm against the bitter cold all winter (and didn’t we have plenty of that this year?) are way too heavy. My solution: keep some lighter reds on hand, serve them near room temperature on the cooler days, and chill them when it gets warm enough to move the party outside.

Most of us have a general idea that white wines should be served cold and red wines at room temperature. That’s a very broad and simplified standard, and if you want to get into the science of aromatics, you’ll discover the particulars are indeed a bit more particular. The serving temperature of a wine is probably the most important factor in how it tastes. The colder it is, the more subtle, often hidden, the flavors. The warmer a wine, the more showy the aromas, alcohol, and flaws, if any. When a red wine is cooled, tannins become more obvious, dry and bitter, the acidity accentuated. Lighter reds that aren’t super dry can benefit from a cooler temperature without becoming overly astringent.

THE SERVING TEMPERATURE OF A WINE IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN HOW IT TASTES. THE COLDER IT IS, THE MORE SUBTLE, OFTEN HIDDEN, THE FLAVORS. THE WARMER A WINE, THE MORE SHOWY THE AROMAS, ALCOHOL, AND FLAWS, IF ANY.

One of my favorite red wines to chill is Beaujolais. Made from the Gamay grape, these wines are typically light bodied without a lot of tannin, often bursting with ripe strawberry and even bubblegum flavors, especially the Beaujolais Nouveau. When the wine is chilled down to around 64 degrees, the super fruity flavors calm down and the acidity becomes more apparent, making the wine more refreshing. They also tend to be versatile food pairing wines, from grilled meats to pasta to burgers to sipping on the back deck in the first days of spring.

Another great red to chill is from the Bierzo region in Spain. The grape here is Mencía and is mostly planted in red clay soils on low rolling hills. The wines tend to be lighter bodied with soft tannins, though in recent years, a few producers are making more concentrated, structured wines.

Still, cooling this one in the refrigerator for 20 minutes will make it more approachable and enjoyable in warm weather. It’s a good picnic wine, matches with a variety of foods and, like Beaujolais, is often an inexpensive buy.

Austria’s most popular red wine grape, the Zweigelt, is also a good candidate for a chill.

 | noalapress.com | march/april 

Widely planted throughout the country, most Zweigelts are simple, easy drinking reds meant to be drunk young. It’s common to see them bottled in the customary Austrian liter instead of the 750ml bottle, making them all the more shareable.

A red wine that should always be served cold is Italy’s sparkling Lambrusco from the Emilio-Romagna region, which stretches across Northern Central Italy. Many Lambruscos are off-dry or sweet, and match well with high-fat cured meats, like dry salami, prosciutto, olives, and firm salty cheese like Parmesan, and tangy firm goat or sheep milk cheese. It’s quite festive with a dark chocolate dessert, too. There are also dry versions of the wine which can be intensely interesting and unusual.

The traditional cuisine of the region is hearty, with lots of egg pastas topped with rich meat sauces (think bolognese).

The bubbles in the sparkling Lambrusco complement the heaviness of the food and, traditionally speaking, are believed to aid digestion.

In general, any light red wine that’s not too dry and has decent acidity will benefit from a cooler temperature. Big, tannic red wines are not the best choice, as a too cool temperature will make them even drier and chewier while masking the more developed and nuanced flavors. Try one of the wines below with a slight chill, all of which are available in North Alabama.

Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais 2011, France Sweet cherry and strawberry fruit, elegant, almost closer in structure and fruit to a Pinot Noir than a Gamay, with a hint of black pepper and nice long finish. $15.99 J. Palacios Bierzo 2011, Spain Red berry fruit, sour cherry, a little wild and more concentrated than a lot of Bierzos but still drinks well with a chill. $24.99 Berger Zweiglet 2011, Austria Dark berry fruits, super soft tannins, light and easy drinking. Good producer of classic Zweigelt. 1 liter bottle $14.99 Bertolani Lambrusco Rosso All’Attica Asciutto & Corposo, Italy Don’t let the long name dissuade you. Very dry, sparkling with raspberry fruit, black pepper and earth notes. Perfect match for bolognese sauce. $14.99

Follow Amy at www.pigandvine.com for more stories and wine suggestions.

News, classical music and more 88.7 FM Muscle Shoals • 100.7 FM Huntsville www.apr.org march/april  | noalapress.com | 

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food for thought » Sarah Gaede

MY FAVORITE KITCHEN TOOLS I am fond of strudel and noodles and kittens, bewhiskered and otherwise, but I would not trade my sturdy oven mitts for the warmest woolen mittens. While I’ve been cooking seriously for almost 40 years, my quest for the perfect kitchen equipment is ongoing. I’m always open to being surprised by something new. I was an early adopter of the Cuisinart food processor, back in the 70s, when they weren’t loaded with safety features and were much easier to use. Although I never cut the tip of my finger off, my first one had to go back to the factory twice due to my unfortunate habit of fusing the steel blade onto the driveshaft while making dough. I don’t use it much any more, except for pizza dough, because I have discovered immersion blenders and mini-preps. Just stick the blender stick in a pot of soup or sauce and watch the magic happen. No more ladling hot liquid into the blender or food processor. A deal at under $40. The mini-

“PERHAPS EVEN MORE THAN MY ALLCLAD, I LOVE MY BIG LE CREUSET ENAMELED CAST IRON POT. IT WEIGHS A TON, AND COST A LOT. BUT ONE WILL LAST A LIFETIME.”

 | noalapress.com | march/april 

prep is far more useful on a day to day basis than a big food processor. It makes bread crumbs, grinds nuts, chops herbs, and emulsifies salad dressing in a snap. You can find them for under $50.

My friend Zac’s highest expression of affection is, “Love you more than my luggage.” Mine is, “Love you more than my All-Clad.” My first pan, pictured, was a promotional item at Bloomingdale’s, and cost a mere $15. Just like heroin, the first one is (almost) free. Thirteen years later, I think I’m done collecting. Nothing cooks better, it cleans like a dream, and lasts forever. I’m up to three saucepans, one regular and one non-stick 12-inch skillet, a sauté pan, and an odd pot that Henry’s boss gave us for Christmas last year. This is a gracious plenty, considering that a 3-quart saucepan with lid will run you around $170, although I’ve found lower prices on eBay and at TJMaxx. I would forego the copper-bottomed ones, unless you like to polish. Which I don’t.

Perhaps even more than my All-Clad, I love my big Le Creuset enameled cast iron pot. It weighs a ton, and cost a lot. But one will last a lifetime. You can get by with a smaller one—they are often found at TJ Maxx at a good price. Lodge makes a perfectly good version for a lot less.

I loved my $45 Henckels 8” stainless chef ’s knife for 39 years, until I was seduced by a trophy knife—the Miyabi 5000S by Zwilling J.A. Henkels, which my daughter, who received one for Christmas, describes as thrillingly sharp. Now my poor old knife is relegated to smashing garlic cloves. Three basic knives—chef ’s, paring, and serrated—are really all you need, and two of them are inexpensive. A good plastic-handled paring knife is less than $10, and the highly rated Victorinox serrated knife, which you can also use to slice tomatoes, runs around $30. Do not put any knives in the dishwasher, ever.

And keep them sharpened—my husband does this for me, bless his heart.

My current favorite kitchen gadgets are a Microplane for zesting citrus and grating Parmigiano Reggiano (the only kind to use), a little OXO whisk with a cushioned handle, and stainless steel measuring spoons that fit in jars of spices and run the gamut from 1/8 teaspoon to one tablespoon. But I’m also very fond of my well-seasoned wooden spoons. And my vintage T.G. Green Ltd. pudding bowls. And—well, you see where in my home my heart is.

march/april  | noalapress.com | 

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bless their hearts » Roy Hall

And while I’m hardly deaf to the usual objections to the do-little lifestyle—I’d point out that without the do-littles of the world, the leaders would have no opportunity to exercise their leadership skills.

THE DOLITTLE LIFE Last year’s “Heart and Soul” issue was a special time in our publishing calendar here at No’Ala Huntsville. From the time we called for nominations until the deadline for submissions, we were inundated with the names and accomplishments of people who make the Tennessee Valley the best place in the world to live. People who have asked themselves not what the Valley can do for them, but what they can do for the Valley.

And that kind of leadership is a wonderful thing, to be sure. The world turns on the axis of inspired, forward-thinking leadership. So it’s an honor and a privilege to recognize their hard work—a civic necessity, really—because where would our community be without these people?

But while the inspired and inspiring work of our leaders is well worth our praise and attention, there is another group of people without whom the ideas, hard work, and vision of our leaders couldn’t flourish; that’s the volunteer, of course. People for whom, perhaps, public speaking doesn’t come naturally. Folks who are temperamentally more inclined to help implement a plan or program rather than to devise one. But when there’s a fundraiser, there they are, addressing the invitations or gathering tickets at the door. Or when the needy line up at a soup kitchen for a hot meal on a cold day, the volunteers are there, at dawn, ladle in hand, ready to serve without pomp, circumstance or fanfare.

Leaders and volunteers: the yen and yang of community-building. But there’s still one more group out there, a sub-section of the population, one whose contributions we don’t hear nearly enough about: the underachievers.

People like me!

You don’t hear a lot about us under-achievers. We’re not a proud, strutting lot.

We don’t go around trumpeting how much we haven’t accomplished (mostly because trumpeting and strutting require effort, something we’ve mostly foresworn).

If there’s a magazine or an awards gala that features our lack of work or our willingness to avail ourselves of other people’s ingenuity, I haven’t come across it. Which is not to say that those magazines and galas don’t exist; they may. But actively seeking them out violates the integrity of doing nothing.

And while I’m hardly deaf to the usual objections to the do-little lifestyle—that sloth and torpor corrupt the soul and turn the mind into a barren wasteland—I’d point out that without the do-littles of the world, the leaders would have no opportunity

to exercise their leadership skills. It’s the ideas the do-littles haven’t thought that the leaders of the world are free to think.

It’s the soup the do-littles will never, ever get up off their futons to serve that sits steaming in pots offering volunteers the opportunity to rightly feel noble. (You’re all welcome, by the way.)

Some might point to the spiritual atrophy of doing nothing.

I’d counter that objection by noting that adherents of doing nothing appear in some of the world’s most respected faiths.

Why, the Buddha himself advocated the state of nothing-ness as a prerequisite for attaining Nirvana. At least that’s my impression. I haven’t actually studied Buddhism. Studying Buddhism requires, well, studying, which is pretty obviously a violation of the very principle of doing nothing, or so it seems to me. But once, years ago, before dozing off, I managed to watch half a Tom Cruise movie called The Last Samurai, a film I’m almost certain had Buddhists in it, and that was my take away.

But don’t quote me.

And it’s not that studying is a violation all do-littles hold dear.

I’m a do-little, and I’m also a proud graduate of the University of Alabama. I earned my degree in theatre, by acting, which is as close to doing nothing as a sentient human could possibly hope for, as well as providing ample practice for a lifetime of doing nothing for a living. Even collecting the degree required no effort on my part. After four and a half of the best, nothing-doing years of my life, I came home to my Tuscaloosa apartment to find a FedEx letter waiting for me. Inside: one red leather-bound diploma! I had accumulated, it seemed, all the necessary credit hours in my major—a major which I could have sworn I’d declared some years earlier as English.

But apparently not, as The University of Alabama had conferred upon me a Bachelors of Arts in Theatre, and I saw no reason to object. Nor did I see a reason to continue to attend any more classes that semester, a fact I can’t help but imagine did nothing to improve my GPA, which, let’s be honest, was probably not all that stratospheric anyway.

But, sadly, the realities of post-collegiate life intervened and in the years following my accidental matriculation, I’ve learned that the do-little lifestyle isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Rewards for doing little aren’t exactly overflowing. The under-achiever’s life isn’t fabled in story and song. Our granite heads will never peer down earnestly and wisely (and groggily) from Mount Rushmore. We don’t get a lot of keys to cities—not even Detroit. And despite the ample opportunity our lack of initiative offers the leaders of the world, there are no banquets to acknowledge all we under-achievers haven’t achieved.

But perhaps the most unfortunate consequence of society’s refusal to acknowledge the non-work of do-littles is this: upand-coming do-littles have so few mentors, so few people to model themselves after.

Well, besides Congress, of course. march/april  | noalapress.com | 

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parting shot » Patrick Hood

A Chance of Snow

 | noalapress.com | march/april 

The HSO season ends with three powerful performances!

• Mozart’s Requiem Saturday, March 15, 2014, 7:30 p.m.

Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, VBC • Bach in Tahiti Sunday, March 30, 2014, 3:30 p.m.

Flying Monkey Theatre Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment • Two Fifths on the Fifth Saturday, April 5, 2014, 7:30 p.m.

Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, VBC

For tickets or information, visit hso.org or call 256-539-4818

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