No’Ala Shoals, November/December 2015

ROOM IN THE INN | ARTISTS ROSS LEBLANC & KATHRYN RICE | HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

C E L E B R AT E T H E S E A S O N

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER $4.95

noalastudios.com

Help us exceed our 2014 total donation of 3,570 toys!

5TH ANNUAL

TOY part of

SHARE Helping Hands

Drop off a new unwrapped toy at any Bank Independent location

NOVEMBER 16 – DECEMBER 19 Donations in the Shoals go to:

Safeplace of the Shoals and

William Porter Foundation for distribution to local families

Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook For every Toy Share post you retweet or share

WE’LL DONATE $1 to our Toy Share partners

Member FDIC | 877-865-5050 | bibank.com

Holiday Luncheons | Catering | Shopping + Holiday Gifts Monday – Wednesday: 10am – 5pm · Thursday + Friday: 10am – 7pm · Saturday: 10am – 4pm Weekday Lunch: 11am – 2pm · Saturday Brunch: 10am – 2pm 462 Lane Drive · Florence, AL 35630 · 256.760.1090 · www.alabamachanin.com

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

8Âť

November/December

18

features

The Perfect Holiday Dinner Area foodies make entertaining easy! by sarah gaede photos by abraham and susan rowe

A Life Well Designed Artist Kathryn Rice lives a beautifully curated life by doing the unexpected‌ and has done so for over 90 years. by sarah gaede photos by tera wages

56 To China and Back

30 Walking the Walk

Blessings come in small packages. by sara wright covington photos by patrick hood

Room in the Inn warms our hearts. by allen tomlinson photos by danny mitchell

64

#shoptilyuledrop

110

And shop local!

Wool, Wood, & Wright

100

48 Carving a Niche Artist Ross LeBlanc makes a career from carving. by allen tomlinson photos by patrick hood Photo by Tera Wages

Every rug has a history; every tree has a story. by allen tomlinson photos by abraham rowe

9»

no’ala advisory board Jeremy Britten

editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson

Shop ‘Til Yule Drop!

Wait, what? It’s that time already? If you’re like us, the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems almost unbelievable. Where has this year gone? We need more time—we’re not ready yet!

Anne Bernauer Vicki Goldston Leslie Keys Tera Wages Ashley Winkle

But ready or not, here they come. So, to help you find gifts for all of the people on your holiday list, we’ve compiled our annual Shop ‘Til Yule Drop Buying Guide. Our secret shoppers went all over town, finding the most wonderful, unique, and appealing gifts for every person on the list, and we’ve neatly organized them so you can easily find just what you’re looking for. One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in the Shoals—we honestly can’t think of a single thing we would need to go online to get.

Another thing we learned? There’s no way we can put all of the neat things in the Shoals in one magazine—you’ll just have to go shopping for yourself. Have fun!

Every other year, we pay tribute to five people in the Shoals who have quietly made a contribution to the quality of life here. It’s our Renaissance Awards, and we already have an impressive list of nominations. There is still time to let us know about that person you’d like to honor, so please email your nomination, with a brief reason why this person should be considered, to allen@noalastudios.com. Past Renaissance Award winners and the No’Ala staff make the final determination—but we won’t know who to consider unless you let us know. You have until December 1!

As hectic as this time of year can be, remember to take some time to relax and enjoy it. This is truly a special season, full of family and friends, food and gifts, camaraderie and reverence. Sometimes the most memorable events are small, not elaborate; sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones, not the most expensive. Be safe, stay warm, and enjoy—and remember to shop the Shoals, y’all. Merry Christmas!

10 »

contents

The Perfect Holiday Dinner

18

© Abraham Rowe

everything else 12 14

Calendar Selected Events for November/December 2015

No’Ala is published six times annually by No’Ala Studios PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: (256) 766-4222 | Fax: (256) 766-4106 Toll-free: (800) 779-4222 Web: noalastudios.com

Cryin’ Out Loud “Home” by sara wright covington

18

Standard postage paid at Florence, 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.

Food for Thought “The Perfect Holiday Dinner” by sarah gaede photos and styling by abraham and susan rowe

92

A Favor for Eleanor

122

Kudos by roy hall

126

The Vine “Bordeaux Power” by amy c. collins

132

Back Talk with rick hall

134

Parting Shot by rachel neal

© 2008-2015 No’Ala Studios, All rights reserved.

Xx

Chapter Three: Douglas by david sims Illustrations by Rowan Finnegan

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 Volume 8: Issue 6 ••• Editor-in-Chief C. Allen Tomlinson Chief Operating Officer Matthew Liles Creative Director David Sims Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles Features Manager Roy Hall Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan Web Designer Justin Hall Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington Proofreader Carole Maynard Distribution Isaac Ray Norris ••• Contributing Writers Amy C. Collins, Sara Wright Covington, Sarah Gaede, Roy Hall, David Sims, Allen Tomlinson ••• Contributing Photographers Patrick Hood, Danny Mitchell, Rachel Neal, Robert Rausch, Abraham Rowe, Susan Rowe, Tera Wages ••• Contributing Illustrator Rowan Finnegan •••

© Patrick Hood

38 The Art of Making Art Go behind-the-scenes with the Zodiac Players and their daring production of the Sondheim classic Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. by roy hall photos by patrick hood

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

Letters may be edited for space and style.

To advertise, contact us at (256) 766-4222 or sales@noalastudios.com.

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 Mag Twitter: @NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest: NoAlaStudios

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

12 »

calendar

Downtown Florence Christmas Open House Saturday, November 14 Florence Main Street and downtown businesses invite you to the Downtown Christmas Open House. Stores will offer special sales, beverages, and snacks. This is a great opportunity to cross gifts off your list and enjoy a stroll for the holidays! 10:00am6:00pm; Free; Downtown Florence; florencemainstreet.org Shoals Symphony at UNA presents Fairytales and Fables Sunday, November 15 The Shoals Symphony at UNA presents a seasonal concert for the whole family, followed by an instrument “petting zoo,” where children will have the chance to try out different instruments. 3:00pm; Admission charged; Florence High School Auditorium; shoals-symphony.una.edu.

On Design: Harvest Talk with Rinne Allen Thursday, November 19 For the last five years, Athens, GA-based photographer, artist, and writer Rinne Allen has documented various harvests in the Southern United States, examining the different ways nature sustains us. Join Rinne at Alabama Chanin’s On Design Lecture Series as she shares the stories behind the harvests she chronicles. 5:00pm-7:00pm; Free (Snacks and drinks for purchase); The Factory at Alabama Chanin, 462 Lane Dr; (256) 760-1090 Sugarplum Marketplace Friday, December 4 – Sunday, December 6 Shoppers from across the Southeast will enjoy more than 90 merchants from throughout the United States offering unique gifts and holiday trends in a festive, family-friendly atmosphere. Presented by Junior League of the Shoals. Times TBD; $5; Alabama State Fairgrounds, Muscle Shoals; jltheshoals.org Shoals Symphony presents Holiday Traditions Saturday, December 6 The Shoals Symphony at UNA, joined by UNA choirs, presents an afternoon of holiday favorites. 3:00pm; admission charged; Norton Auditorium, UNA; shoalssymphony.una.edu.

Holly and Ivy Luncheons and Dinner Monday, December 7 – Friday, December, 11 Get in the Christmas spirit by joining the Kennedy-Douglass volunteers for their annual Holly and Ivy fundraiser luncheons and dinner. Tickets available for KD members beginning October 1 and to non-members November 1. Mon-Fri 11:30am1:00pm, Thurs 6:30pm; Lunch $35, Dinner $50; Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, 217 E Tuscaloosa St; (256) 760-6379; hollyandivy.org Florence Camerata presents Christmas in the Shoals Tuesday, December 8 and Thursday, December 10 The Florence Camerata celebrates the season in song. 7:30pm; Admission charged; Grace Episcopal Church, 103 Darby Dr, Sheffield; florencecamerata.com Christmas at Ivy Green Saturday, December 12 Beautiful live holiday decorations adorn the historic birthplace and home of America’s First Lady of Courage, Helen Keller.

Sponsored by the Council of Local Garden Clubs. 8:30am-4:00pm; Admission charged; Ivy Green, 300 N Commons St W, Tuscumbia; (256) 383-4066

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

14 »

cryin’ out loud » Sara Wright Covington So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place, carving out a new niche for them wherever we find ourselves. And I find that long after I have left a place, that place has not left me.

HOME According to a government survey conducted in , the average person moves around 11 times in a lifetime. My husband, never one to conform to the norm, had moved nine times by the time he was 18. He, just like his father and his father’s father, is a builder, and that’s just what builders do.

They build and they move, and then they build and they move again. I knew when I married him that he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving.

Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville, a super transient place, full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families from spot to spot. But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18, it was still hard for me to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of years. Now on our third move together, I’ve started taking inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them into boxes, and I’ve definitely begun to see a trend—most everything I own has been in my life for a very long time. I’ve carried my grandmother’s hat boxes, full of fur and feathered millinery, from place to place with me since I was 22. I still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a child. My many bookshelves are filled with every book I have likely ever owned—from the Norton Anthology of English Literature to Frommer’s Las Vegas guide book. There are even a few items of clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old, including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore at some point during college, although I hope that I’m wrong.

It has been scientifically proven that most people fear change, as the outcome of that change is often unknown. With each and every move that we make, it has become increasingly evident that I am no different. We find faith in the familiar, which for me seems to include everything from my footwear to my friends. So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place, carving out a new niche for them wherever we find ourselves. And I find that long after I have left a place, that place has not left me. I recently went to visit the house where I grew up, which

is sadly empty now. The front door was exactly the same, and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child are still there, as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30 years later. I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same, an unpainted knotty wood with brass knobs, and the pocket door adjacent to the stove was still there also, half open to the sitting room. I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches of my height chart, an expanse of inches that widened over the years as I grew, each notch labeled in pen with a date. I strained my eyes to look, but could not see.

The seasons are changing now and once again we are moving. The boxes are being collected now, and I’ve already begun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until actually beginning to pack them. This summer in particular has been one of many changes for us—ups and downs, joys and sorrows—and the walls of this house have witnessed them all. And I have to admit that it does seem right that as the seasons change, we, too, should also move on. As someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the unknown, we have to learn to just manage and adjust—having faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to be full of beauty and fun, love and loss. We are not forced to edge any one of these out to make room for the other, but rather we must learn to make room for them all.

There is no doubt that this house will stick with me, as all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind.

But this time around, I know that home will always be where my family and friends are, and the walls around us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our lives. I choose to believe that old habits are not necessarily bad habits, but traditions we choose to bring with us into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the fear of the future. My husband and I have celebrated one of those old traditions in this house, as we have made our own growth chart for our children here, carving and marking their tiny heights onto one of our downstairs doors. And although I will likely fret and shed some tears through this entire moving process as I attempt to detach myself from these walls, a little compromise can be comforting, and being married to a builder does have its perks—we are unhinging that door and taking it with us when we go.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

16 »

scene

Mickey Haddock and Josephine Redd Lynn, Kent, and Grady Kimberlin, Barbara Broach, Trevor and Jessica Kimberlin

Teresa Lucas Barbara Broach and Mayor Mickey Haddock

Emily Olsen, Kitty and Chuck Edwards

Mary Nicely, Marie Tally, and Margaret Young

Martha Shoal, Andy and Sandra Betterton

Above: Retirement Celebration for Barbara Broach september ,  · kennedy-douglass center for the arts

John Edens © Christi Britten

Below: Healing Place Charity Championship Pairings Party and Auction may ,  · turtle point yacht and country club

Katherine Anderson, Laura Jane Self, and Martha Truitt Kay Parker and Stewart Cink

Stewart and Rodney Soto Chad Parker and Karen Parker Grisham

Brynn and Mike Albretsen Lisa and Paul Wallace * Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

Jeremy Grigsby

Leigh Haugseth, Ashley Anderson, Kristen Anderson, and Liza Jane Richey Photos courtesy of Kay Parker

Between now and the end of the year, take advantage of cost reductions on three popular procedures—and begin 2016 with new confidence!

• SAVE BIG on breast augmentation!

Our saline price is $700 off, and our silicone price is $900 off; cash price only. Schedule your initial consultation by December 31, 2015, to lock in your price, and the procedure must take place by March 31, 2016.

• FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1,500.

Cash price only. Initial consultation must occur before December 31, 2015, and the procedure must be done by March 31, 2016.

Dr. Russell Jennings 203 Avalon Ave, Suite 300 Muscle Shoals, AL 35661 Phone:(256) 386-1450 jenningsplasticsurgery.com

• WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy Three/Get One Free!

Save $400 on our regular $1,600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31, 2015.

Look better - feel better - and save money.

It’s time to get more for less!

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

18 »

food for thought

Walnut Crusted Goat Cheese Balls with Holiday Spritzer The Wild Lilly

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

text by sarah gaede » photographed and styled by abraham and susan rowe

We all have our own idea of the perfect holiday dinner. In the South, it’s often influenced by the iconic Norman Rockwell painting “Freedom from Want,” with the whole family gathered around the table beaming at a huge roast turkey. It wouldn’t be a true Southern Christmas without hordes of family, young and old, feasting on deviled eggs, relish trays, baked ham, and ambrosia; or turkey and cornbread dressing, collards, and sweet potato pie. Or a standing rib roast equal in cost to a car payment, twiced-baked potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and coconut cake. Is it any wonder the average person gains five pounds over the holidays?

In this multi-ethnic country of ours, there are other Christmas food traditions as well. At midnight on Christmas Eve, Latin-Americans celebrate the end of Las Pasadas, nine days of festivities in remembrance of Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter.

Gathered around an elaborate manger scene, they feast on tamales, rice, chiles rellenos, menuda (tripe stew) or roast pig or turkey, rice pudding, and buñelos. ItalianAmericans celebrate Christ’s birth after midnight mass with La Vigilia di Natale, featuring at least seven different seafood dishes and, of course, lasagna.

It’s a standing joke that Jewish-Americans in the northeast gather at Chinese restaurants on Christmas. But Jews all over the country also celebrate the eight-day Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, with brisket, noodle kugel, and lots of fried food, including potato latkes and doughnuts.

Although I’m a Thanksgiving traditionalist, my idea of perfect Christmas food has evolved over the years, especially since I’m usually just cooking for two. We splurge on smoked salmon, oysters, or caviar rather than a big hunk of beef. Duck breasts, Cornish hens, and rack of lamb, all of which cook quickly, are some of our favorites. With soup and dessert made the day before, there is plenty of time to recover from the Christmas Eve midnight service, open stockings, and watch a favorite Christmas movie before hitting the kitchen.

For No’Ala’s perfect meal, we asked some of our favorite local chefs to come up with recipes that can be prepared in advance, are out of the ordinary, offer options (appetizer or soup or salad, not all three!), and are relatively heart-healthy. Many are appropriate for vegetarian and gluten-free diets. None will make you feel like a stuffed turkey at the end of the meal.

Disclaimer: While I have tasted, scrutinized, and re-written these recipes carefully, I have not tested them.

Recipes begin on page 128.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Crostini with Fried Sage Leaves The Wild Lilly

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Ahi Tuna Pok with Green Tea Martini Yumm Thai Sushi and Beyond

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup The Red Clay Epicurean

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

These photos are of our Sandhill Mountain listing, near Tuscumbia and fewer than 10 minutes from the new Publix in Muscle Shoals. All 282 acres are for sale, but tracts ranging from 33 to 99 acres may be purchased individually.

We are licensed, experienced, real estate and forestry professionals who specialize in the purchase, sale, and management of forest properties in the three-state area. Let us help you realize your property investment goals.

Natural Resources Group, Inc. 112 S Main Street Suite 201, Tuscumbia, AL 35674 Phone: (256) 383-8990 Email: info@naturalrg.com www.naturalrg.com

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Holiday Salad with Heart Healthy Orange Vinaigrette Sweet Basil Café

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

TRUST Our Reputation, Our Promise, Our Name.

Ryan Moore, First Vice President

Chip Hibbett, City President

1131 Wills Avenue, Florence • (256) 766.6300 • peoplestrustbk.com

for information visit www.athens.edu/athenianplayers november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Braised Short Ribs with Polenta Odette

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Apple-Caramel and Peppermint-Nutella Tarts Woodpecker Café

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Access your live video or recordings from your smartphone

Protect

What Matters Most with Digital Video Security

TEC Home Surveillance It’s the security you want at the price you need

19” Flat Panel Monitor

Wiring, Installation

4 Outdoor Bullet Cameras (Standard Resolution Day/Night)

800.832.2515

DVR with 500GB of Storage

MS License# 15012173 MS License# 15019373 AL License# 15-1260 AL License# 15-1261

Regular monthly service rates required for 36-month Support Agreement. When applying Smartphone apps, carrier data rates may apply and you should contact your carrier for information about your cellular data plan rates. Prices are subject to change. Regulatory fees, taxes, and surcharges apply. TEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Thanks to some area churches and organizations, winters are a lot warmer for Florence’s homeless

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

TEXT BY

ALLEN TOMLINSON » PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

Beth Howard went outside to walk her dog, and it was cold. Bitterly cold, in fact; she shivered while she waited for the dog to finish sniffing and find the perfect spot to do what needed to be done. Returning to the warm house, she thought for a moment about how lucky she was to have a warm place to shelter her family, especially since it was only December, and there were lots of cold days and nights ahead.

And then, she was struck by a thought: what about people who didn’t have a warm place to lay their heads?

That night, after the children were tucked into their warm beds, she sat down and wrote a long Facebook post. The 2014 Polar Vortex was coming, according to the weather forecasts, and her post asked the question: what about people who don’t have a warm place to sleep?

Within days, a group of about 45 Shoals citizens who had seen her post got together for a brainstorming session to try to answer that question. The group met at Trinity Episcopal Church, and included many people who had seen evidence of homelessness in the Shoals: people sleeping in their cars around Wilson Park, or on benches or in doorways. Some were even seeking shelter in dumpsters or makeshift tents. The need was obvious.

One of the attendees that night was Krista Manchester. Krista had personal experience with homelessness; as a young teenager, she had spent 16 months depending upon friends for shelter, and she understood that much of the time homelessness is thrust upon people because their options become limited. Krista was there because she was concerned; she had no idea, then, just what her role would be in providing some help to the homeless people of the Shoals.

But at that moment, there was a pressing issue: The Polar Vortex. Temperatures were predicted to dip into the single digits, and people who were on the streets were in danger.

Tom Frith, of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Florence, stepped up. The Elting Center at First Presbyterian could serve as a temporary “Warming Center”

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

to feed and house the homeless during the nights when the temperatures dipped below freezing. For 39 nights in January, February, and March of 2014, the group housed an average of 11 people each night and fed an average of 35. It was truly a group effort, and was truly interdenominational, with volunteers from a variety of churches and walks of life pitching in to help those who were unable to help themselves. The group became known as “The Warming Center.”

There’s something wonderful about life in Alabama: the temperatures outside are comfortable more than not. At the end of March, the pressing need for the Warming Center was gone…but Beth and Krista knew the need would be there once again, after the summer ended and the nights became cold again. Krista and Beth began to research what other communities were doing, and discovered a program that originated in East Nashville called “Room in the Inn.” “Not only was Room in the Inn serving its homeless population with respect, it was an organization that had been doing it for 26 years,” said Krista. “The group was started by a Catholic priest, Father Charles Strobel, who passed out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to homeless people who were sleeping in his church’s parking lot. On really cold nights, he would sneak them in to the basement of his church and allow them to sleep there, to keep them from freezing to death.”

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

From those humble beginnings, Room in the Inn grew to 18 different organizations across the country who house needy people each winter.

In September of 2014, a leadership team was formed to create a Room in the Inn organization in the Shoals. In January of 2015, the Winter Shelter Season began, and by June of this year, the organization had created an intake center on Poplar Street in downtown Florence. There are currently 17 participating churches, and scores of volunteers, all focused on providing a critical service to people who are in need.

Krista Manchester is the organization’s Executive Director.

“We do not, and cannot, fix homelessness,” she said, “and we can’t fix the reasons people are homeless. What we find, instead, is that by offering radical hospitality, congregations can get to know the people of their community. All of a sudden, ‘those people’ become real people with real stories and real names. And the homeless people in our community find out that there really are people here who care and who live out their faith.”

Since its beginning, things have changed a little. Room in the Inn plans to offer help from November 1 through the end of March this year; everything starts at the Intake Center.

Homeless people seeking shelter present themselves at the

“WE CAN’T SOLVE THEIR ISSUES. WE CAN’T CHANGE OR FIX THEIR HOMELESSNESS. BUT WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A HOT MEAL AND A PLACE TO SLEEP EACH NIGHT. WE CAN SHOW THEM KINDNESS. AND KINDNESS IS THE BEGINNING OF CHANGE.” —KRISTA MANCHESTER

Intake Center where they are given the seven rules and sign a guest agreement.

The seven rules are • I will respect other people while I am staying in a Room in the Inn Shoals congregation by acting in a kind and agreeable fashion toward others.

• I will refrain from using profanity.

• I will respect the right of others to their property by leaving it alone.

• I will respect the facilities of the Room in the Inn Shoals and the Room in the Inn Shoals host congregations by doing my part to keep them clean and orderly.

• If I must smoke, I will do so outdoors in the area designated by each host congregation.

• I will follow the instructions of my hosts.

• If I cannot abide by these rules, I will leave the Room in the Inn host congregation.

At Room in the Inn, there is zero tolerance for physical, verbal, racial, or sexual abuse, and there are absolutely no drugs, alcohol, weapons, or violence permitted.

Another change has to do with where those in need are sheltered. Instead of solely relying on First Presbyterian Church, the seventeen partner churches take turns hosting, picking up those they serve at the Intake Center and returning them

Above: Beth Howard and Krista Manchester stand in front of the Intake Center on Poplar Street in Florence.

Facing page: A few of the people served

by Room in the Inn.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Supplies are stored, waiting for use when the weather gets cold. It is estimated that there are more than 200 people in the greater Shoals area who are homeless, and the number is growing.

Participating Churches and Organizations

there the next morning. An evening meal and breakfast are always provided; those churches that are so equipped can also offer the opportunity to shower.

(Crosspoint Church of Christ hosts at least once a week, and they have facilities that those served can rely on for a shower, and other facilities have the ability to provide sponge baths—“bird baths,” as Krista calls them.)

At this point, Room in the Inn is able to serve up to 32 people a night. “That’s a great start,” said Krista, “but we estimate that there are over 245 homeless people in Lauderdale, Colbert, Franklin, and surrounding counties. The number is growing.” The largest growth is among younger people, especially LGBT youth who have been kicked out of their parents’ homes when they have come out. Others become homeless because of illness, because disability or other benefits run out and they are unable to pay their rent, or because of other issues.

“We can’t solve their issues,” said Krista. “We can’t change or fix their homelessness. We’re just a group of volunteers who couldn’t sleep at night worrying that others were sleeping behind dumpsters when it was ten degrees outside. But we can make sure they have a hot meal and a place to sleep each night. We can show them kindness. And kindness is the beginning of change.”

“When people believe they matter, then they believe in themselves,” Krista said. “The rest is up to God.”

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Room in the Inn Board of Directors: Krista Manchester, Executive Director Beth Howard, Co-Director Lance Howard, Treasurer Tom Frith Dr. Callie Plunket-Brewton Denise Willingham Mike Davidson Kim Williams Burt Rieff Joe Massey

Trinity Episcopal Church Florence Boulevard Church of Christ Crosspoint Church of Christ Cornerstone Church Magnolia Church of Christ Sherrod Avenue Church of Christ North Wood United Methodist Edgemont Methodist Redeemer Presbyterian Stoney Point Church of Christ First Baptist of Lexington Killen Church of Christ Woodlawn Church of Christ Parkway Methodist First Presbyterian Florence Living Spirit Church Heritage Christian University

There are other organizations that are currently in talks with Room In The Inn about ways to support their work, including: St. Joseph’s Church Faith Church Highland Park Church of Christ St. James United Methodist Church First Presbyterian Sheffield First Baptist Sheffield Cliffhaven Church St. Michaels Church Underwood Baptist Church UNA Student Group Shoals Atheists Highland Baptist Church, Muscle Shoals Grace Episcopal Church

ONE COMPANY.

ONE AGENT. MANY WAYS TO SAVE.

Let me help you save time and money.

Protecting more of your world with Allstate makes your life easier. And it can put more money in your pocket.

Bundle your policies and you can save even more. Why wait? Call me today.

Teresa Rogers 256-389-8970

Subject to terms, conditions and availability. Savings vary. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co., Allstate Vehicle and Property Insurance Co., Allstate Insurance Co., Northbrook Indemnity Co. Northbrook, Illinois © 2011 Allstate Insurance Co.

154580

101 E. Hollywood Avenue Muscle Shoals teresarogers@allstate.com

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

• • • PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND NONPROFITS! • • •

Your BizHub Watchdog

If you’re interested in controlling costs with office equipment solutions for almost any business challenge, call me. We’re the specialists, because we’re the watchdogs.

—J.T. Ray

(256) 464-0010

450 Production Avenue, Madison, AL 35758

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

THE ART OF MAKING ART text by roy hall » photoss by patrick hood

 | noalastudios.com | november/december r/december 

With their November staging of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the Zodiac Players, and their parent organization, the Shoals Theatre, have set two audacious goals for themselves: to transport audiences to the sinister world of a Victorian-era serial killer, and themselves to a new level of artistic excellence.

“I didn’t choose Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd chose me.” For anyone familiar with the show and its title character’s murderous, musical rampage, director Steifon Passmore’s declaration may sound more like famous last words than theatrical kismet. But for the Zodiac Players veteran, being chosen by Sweeney is the opposite of a curse—it’s the creative opportunity of a lifetime. And an unlikely opportunity at that.

“I’m a 30 year veteran of the stage, both as an actor and a director,” Passmore says, “and in all that time, I’ve only been in one musical.” Bucking that well-established trend, last year Passmore approached the Shoals Theatre board with a proposal to helm his very first musical production. Budget concerns throttled that first show idea, but Passmore’s pitch set wheels turning in the mind of then-Shoals Theatre board member Mark Wells, who for some time had harbored a secret hope that Passmore might one day break his non-musical streak. When that day arrived, Wells had just the show in mind, one Wells believed could become the jewel in the crown of the Shoals Theatre’s season: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. To the delight of Wells and the entire Shoals board, Passmore jumped at the chance.

“I’ve loved Stephen Sondheim since Sally Field told Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit that Sondheim revolutionized American musical theatre,” Passmore says, confessing to an unorthodox introduction to the composer whose body of work, both as composer and lyricist, includes some of the 20th century’s most enduring masterpieces, among them West Side Story, Into the Woods, Gypsy, and Sunday in the Park with George.

Sally Field’s line so intrigued the then-UNA Theatre major he sought out a VHS copy of Sweeney’s original Broadway cast. “It’s stayed with me ever since,” Passmore says of the lasting impression the show made, an impression all the more remarkable given Passmore’s general lack of affection for musicals. “I don’t enjoy people bursting into song for no reason,” Passmore admits. “Besides, most musicals are way too airy and happy.”

While undeniably true for many musicals, “airy” and “happy” are adjectives rarely associated with Stephen Sondheim, and never, ever with Sweeney Todd.

Various versions of a Victorian-era barber’s throat-slitting frenzy haunted the imaginations of Londoners for over a century before Stephen Sondheim set the folktale to music. In Sondheim’s version, we meet Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, as he returns to London following his wrongful exile to Australia, sentenced there by an evil judge, who had eyes for Sweeney’s wife and daughter. Upon his re-

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

citement… … “more artistic, creative personality and plain excitement… than in a dozen average musicals.”

That review was written opening night, 1979. Thirty-six years, eight Tony awards, multiple revivals, and a 2006 film version later, Sondheim’s masterpiece retains all its sinister majesty, as well as its reputation as the premier work of a bona fide genius.

Such a grand reputation brings with it lofty expectations, and staging such a production is not for the faint of heart.

“Choosing me to direct Sweeney Todd either speaks volumes for your belief in me, or you’re insane,” Passmore says with a laugh, recalling his reaction to the news that the Shoals Theatre board chose him to helm such a demanding show.

As the saying goes, “boldness has genius, power, and magic in it,” and girding Passmore’s decision to helm this great behemoth of a show lies a firm foundation of craft, technique, and perseverance honed over the course of three decades in the theatre.

Left to right: Actors Austin Parsons (Adolfo Pirelli), Anna Gibson (Mrs. Lovett), and Tim Ownby (Sweeney Todd) at Sweeney’s first read-through.

turn, and unable to find his family, a broken, bitter Sweeney sets his vengeful gaze first on his nemesis, and later, on all of London’s elite. Aiding barber Sweeney in his barbarousness is an unscrupulous baker named Mrs. Lovett, who spies in Sweeney’s victims a conveniently free—and surprisingly tasty—secret ingredient for her meat pies.

Homicidal barbers. Amoral bakers. Accidental cannibals.

This is definitely not My Fair Lady, and these blood-stained cobble stoned alleys are not “On The Street Where You Live.”

The streets Sweeney Todd inhabit are fiendish and sinister, with some mercifully hilarious stops along the way—and at least one serenade sweet enough to melt even the most fiendish of hearts. Despite the macabre subject matter, Sondheim’s legendarily intricate word play and complex, evocative score coalesce into something haunting and beautiful, a work of art described by The New York Times as containing,

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

“I approach the shows I do pragmatically,” Passmore says of his directing process. “I’m meticulous, and I won’t do a show I’m not entirely committed to doing.” Passmore’s commitment to the piece, and to the actors who will bring it to life, is evident on the September evening when cast and crew gathered for their initial read-through. Addressing his actors and crew for the first time in his booming, actorly baritone, Passmore offers a brief manifesto describing his directing method. “I don’t do this work for glory or money,” Passmore explains. “I do it because I respect this space. We are all donating our time, whether you’re cast or crew. I will not waste your time; please do not waste mine, or each other’s.” This director runs a tight ship, one he acknowledges is about to set sail in new creative waters. “I’ve never had to consider musical talent in a production before,” Passmore says.

The first item on the director’s agenda: locate a musical director. Theatre is a collaborative venture, so Passmore reached out to UNA Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Terrance Brown for recommendations. Brown suggested choral conducting graduate student Nick Murphy.

“Orchestral conducting is what I want to do with my life, and Sweeney is an opportunity to do that. So I said yes,” Murphy says of his decision to accept the position of musical director.

While conducting his first show is a means to a career end, this particular piece is its own reward. “Sondheim is a genius

““II S SAW AW [[S SW WEENEY EEN NEY TODD] ON BR ROADWAY DURING A HIGH SCHOOL TRIP. IT’S AB BEAUTIFUL EAUTIFUL A ACTING CT TIN NG P PIECE IECE. TH HESE CHARACTERS ARE NOT YOUR TYPICAL PEOPLE PE EOPLE; T THEY HEY E EXIST XIST ON THE F FRINGES OF SOCIETY.” TIM OWNBY

at painting a musical picture of what the actors are expressing,” Murphy says of the music he’s been asked to translate.

“The score can move seamlessly, from intensity to the sonorous harmony of a love song. It lays a brilliant foundation for the drama.”

Telling the story through song requires an orchestra pit full of local talent. To fill those chairs, Murphy put out a call for musicians—fellow UNA students, mostly—willing to spare evenings and weekends for two months, in the service of community theatre. “I had people in mind,” Murphy says of his process. “Once I knew the orchestration, I immediately started making phone calls.”

“There are moments when the orchestra is the only thing making music,” Murphy says of his orchestra, “so our role can be more artistic, with grand and glorious tempo chang-

es. Otherwise, we’re backups.” The ultimate backup is conductor Murphy, who must simultaneously lead his musicians while keeping a close eye on the actors above him, providing, in Murphy’s words, a “conduit between orchestra and performer.” Pulling all that off requires calm and trust in the system, traits Murphy identifies as his biggest challenge “Musicals rely on so many things coming together,” Murphy says. Fortunately, by his own admission, Murphy is a “control freak; that’s why I’m a conductor,” he admits with a laugh.

The nature of musical theatre also requires that the director and musical director work in tandem to share responsibility for the actors’ performances. “The emotion is in the words, and they’re singing the words. So it’s my responsibility,” Murphy says. At the same time, Murphy says, “It’s Steifon’s responsibility, too, because he’s the director.”

Left to right: Actors Anna Gibson, Austin Parsons, Mark Wells (Anthony), Javarice Moody, and pianist Barbara Johnson work their way through a complex lyric. november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

formed with the Zodiac Players in so many shows he’s lost count—somewhere around 25, he supposes. Throughout the years and all the shows, Ownby has dreamed of playing Sweeney.

“It’s a beautiful acting piece,” Ownby says, requiring an actor to access his deepest reservoirs of imagination and empathy.

“These characters are not your typical people; they exist on the fringes of society,” Ownby observes of a role every bit as demanding for the singer as the actor. “I haven’t sung a score with this magnitude, requiring this much vocal stamina,” Ownby says, despite appearing in two other Sondheim shows, Into the Woods and Merrily We Roll Along. “The music is so much more complicated. The time signatures change so much. The keys, too.”

Director Steifon Passmore

Meanwhile, Passmore, who defines the director’s role as serving as “the audience before there is an audience,” conducts his own orchestra of a sort, as he coaxes performances out of his actors. On the subject of actors, Passmore is adamant about his process for choosing the ones who help him tell the tale of Sweeney Todd. Passmore acknowledges the belief that “sometimes a company only wants to work with certain actors. I don’t do that.” Instead, Passmore looks for talent, not necessarily familiarity, and in the Shoals, there is never a lack of talent.

Like his director, Tim Ownby, the actor who plays Sweeney, has been a fan of the show since his youth. “I saw it on Broadway during a high school trip,” Ownby says of his first exposure to the show that has remained a bit of an obsession ever since. The Shoals native went on to a career as an actor, director, and choreographer, in New York and Washington, D.C. Since returning to the Shoals in 1996, Ownby has per-

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Actor Mark Wells, another Shoals native, who plays Anthony, the valiant, good-hearted love-interest of Sweeney’s daughter, echoes Ownby’s take on the score. “Sondheim composes for emotion, rather than just writing pretty songs.”

Those emotions are deep and more complex, which makes them not always easily accessible. “Sondheim has stretched me further than what I thought I was capable of,” says the experienced actor with a degree in theatre from UAB. Like his director, this is Well’s first experience as an actor in a musical, and the experience has been creatively transformative formative ve ve for the actor. “The emotion behind Sondheim’s notes help otes he h lp p me hit notes I didn’t think I could,” Wells reveals.. “This is not something I’d ever thought I was capable of, even two o weeks ago.”

The evil Judge Thurpin agrees, or at least the actor who porh por otrays him does. UNA Vocal Performance major Michael Miich chae ael Thaxton says he’s approaching his work as if it were opera. re o peeera p r .

“Start strong with vocals first,” Thaxton says. “Then, work on acting.” As complex as the musical requirements are, eemmbodying the villainous Judge Turpin is no less intimidating midating a proposition. “Thurpin thinks he’s a good guy,” Thaxton xton says of the character whose monstrous injustice sets the he play in motion. “But he’s ruining lives as he goes along.”

Getting into characters as complex, and sometimes es despicable, as these requires much inner work on the partt off th the actors. The outer work—the creation of the world of Sweeney Todd—falls to an all-volunteer troupe of talented local artisans, headed by Costume Designer Victoria McCoy and Set Builder Wesley Thompson.

Clockwise from top left: An actress auditions at the Zodiac Theatre; Passmore and Austin Parsons confer; Mark Wells and a cast member discuss a scene; Heather Simmers (JoAnna) in rehearsal; Audition night in September; Barbara Johnson plays Sondheim; Musical Director Nick Murphy (far right) helps principals locate breathing points in a rapid-fire lyric exchange; Center: Costume Designer Victoria McCoy assembles one of the pieces in her 50+ costume collection.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

McCoy’s case, that modest budget is $500, to outfit 15 principals (most of whom have at least one costume change) and an ensemble of up to 20 additional players. Fortunately, McCoy is a master at making a little go a long way. “I use commercial patterns for some of the costumes,” McCoy explains.

For the rest, she shops thrift stores, dyes garments with tea and coffee, even utilizes a cheese grater, to mimic the wearand-tear of a beggar woman’s tattered dress.

Ingenuity and creativity are your friend on a tight budget, and with friends like set designer Wesley Thompson, director Passmore doesn’t need a huge budget. “The great thing about Wes’s sets are how actor-friendly they are,” Passmore says. As a director and actor himself, Thompson understands the needs of actors, as well as the audience’s expectation that the set vividly conjure the world of the play.

According to Thompson, “A well-built set is a lot like a duck,: smooth on top of the water, all moving parts below.” That image has never been more apt than when describing Sweeney’s world, which includes a second floor barber shop— complete with a chair that has to pivot and flatten before

McCoy, a seamstress for a local boutique, volunteered her services the moment she heard about the Zodiac’s plans to produce Sweeney. McCoy set out with a goal for the production, one she shares with director Passmore: authenticity. “Steifon and I are both purists when it comes to costume design,” McCoy says. Where some others have re-imagined the play in different settings, McCoy and her director both agree the Zodiac production should remain as true as possible to the intent of the show’s creators, without copying their look. Since landing the gig, McCoy has spent her free time “searching high and low for nice, but cheap, fabric,” McCoy says. “You start with what you want, then pair it down as you go along,” always with the goal of making it look good, within the means dictated by the modest community theatre costume budget. In

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

extending into a chute, depositing Sweeney’s victims into the bakery below. “Some days you arrive at seven a.m., and your wife calls you at suppertime to tell you it’s time to come home,” Thompson says of the long days that precede opening night. “But it’s a labor of love.” And after the curtain comes down, and all that lumber has served its purpose, does it get tossed into the garbage? “If it’s over a foot long, we keep it,” Thompson says of the theatre’s internal recycling campaign.

“Everything is stored backstage and under the stage, where it

The road to recovery now has a fast lane.

We know you’re eager to get back home to the daily activities and routines you enjoy. Our ShortStay services focus on your speedy recovery. They will identify and meet your unique needs to get you back home as quickly as possible.

Cottage of Shoals Tuscumbia, AL | 256-383-4541 Keller Landing Tuscumbia, AL | 256-383-1535 Cypress Cove Center Muscle Shoals, AL | 256-381-4330 Glenwood Center Florence, AL | 256-766-8963 Hilltop at Glenwood I and II Senior Living Facility Florence, AL | 256-767-2510

®

www.genesishcc.com EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

EEO/AA

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Visual Art Designer Cezan Mauter’s detailed set rendering (left) begins to take life with Set Designer Wesley Thompson’s construction of a chest (above) that will serve as the almost-final resting place of Sweeney Todd’s first victim.

waits in the theatre’s old coal room to be torn apart, and put back together for the next production. And since 1971, there has always been a next production at the Shoals Theatre.”

As its executive board looks forward to its 45th season of live theatre, concerts, and cinema, board member Frances Cohenour reflects on the theatre’s past, its future, and the role it played in her own life. “I grew up doing theatre with Gingerbread,” Cohenour fondly recalls of the children’s theatre company that also calls the Shoals Theatre home. “I never went to summer camp; I always stayed home and did shows.”

Today, Cohenour sits on the executive board along with 10 other volunteer members, all of whom share a common goal of shepherding the institution into a bold new future. Priority one is a much needed renovation to the venerable theatre.

The rehabilitation of the Shoals Theatre will allow both the Gingerbread Players and the Zodiac to continue to produce quality work to engage, involve, and entertain this uncommonly creative place we call home.

“The Shoals is an artistic place,” says SK Purvis, head of the Zodiac Players. “We should be known for our great community theatre as well as our great musicians.” To help make that dream a reality, the Zodiac Players have bold plans of their own—some in place, some still on the drawing board.

In addition to their regular season, next year the company

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

will stage an immersive, groundbreaking theatre program for blind patrons. There’s talk, too, of diversifying future seasons with some edgier fare, possibly staged at the Zodiac’s old home on Hermitage Drive.

Whatever the seasons deliver, they’ll always be delivered by volunteers, and they invite you, regardless of the form your talent takes, to come play. “We want anyone who has interest whatsoever to feel at home,” Purvis says.

“The stage is our home, in a way,” Passmore echoes. “What I do with Sweeney Todd, I could never do alone. Every bit of credit goes to the people who participate, the people who donate their time and talent to tell this tale.” People who, come November 19, will astonish you with their craft, dedication, and ability to transport you from your comfortable seat in 21st century Florence to a mad barber’s chair in Victorian London, and to a whole new appreciation of the power of theatre.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street premiers November 19 at the Shoals Theatre and runs until the 22nd. For tickets, call the theatre box office at (256) 764-1700, or visit shoalstheatre.org.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

CARVING A NICHE ARTIST ROSS LEBLANC’S ARTISTRY IN WOOD REVIVES A FORGOTTEN ART text by allen tomlinson » photos by patrick hood

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

R

Ross LeBlanc is a fascinating man. His parents were French Canadians who moved to Florida to escape the long winters, and Ross and his brothers grew up in the sunshine of Daytona Beach. His brothers, Lenny and Allen, are musicians; Ross is an artist. After high school, he set out to find himself and explore the country, ending up in California for awhile. When brother Lenny settled in the Muscle Shoals area to pursue his musical career, Ross made his way to North Alabama to settle here too.

All along the journey, Ross expressed himself through art. He painted, he sculpted, and he learned to work with wood.

“I have always loved Picasso and abstract expressionism,” he said, “and when I was much younger I discovered an artist named Nicolai Fechin, a Russian artist who lived in Taos, New Mexico. Fechin combined Russian folk carvings with Southwestern art to create a unique and beautiful style, and he made a tremendous impression on me.”

Although Ross started painting when he was 14, and started carving when he was around 18, he has spent the last 15 years combining his woodworking and artistic skills to create “functional art that sells.” And his prolific career can be seen all over this region; he has designed everything from furniture to front doors, and cabinetry and armoires to elaborately carved porch swings. He is responsible for the beautiful carved doors at the entrance to Court Street Market; he worked extensively with Harvey and Joyce Anne Robbins when they were designing and building their lakefront home in Muscle Shoals; and his work can be seen in homes all over the southeast. His carvings are intricate, exquisitely detailed—and all done by hand.

That’s the amazing part of the story. Ross begins with a pencil and a piece of paper, sketching and refining his designs to create the perfect sculptural pattern. Then, he selects his woods and begins carving; the actual physical act of woodcarving can take a lot of time, but it’s interesting to watch the designs take shape under his careful eye and steady hand. He works with a variety of woods, but walnut lends itself to beautiful pieces, and alder “is prime carving wood,” he said. “Alder is semihard, sustainable, and farmed.”

Hard maple is the most difficult wood to work with, and the most challenging wood he’s carved has been African mahogany.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

“WHEN I WAS MUCH YOUNGER I DISCOVERED AN ARTIST NAMED NICOLAI FECHIN, A RUSSIAN ARTIST WHO LIVED IN TAOS, NEW MEXICO. FECHIN COMBINED RUSSIAN FOLK CARVINGS WITH SOUTHWESTERN ART TO CREATE A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL STYLE, AND HE MADE A TREMENDOUS IMPRESSION ON ME.” LEBLANC

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Once the carving is completed, Ross finishes the wood with beeswax, which “creates a luster that can’t even be described.” Some of his creations are painted, some are stained, but those finished with the melted beeswax have a sheen that makes them unique.

If you have a chance, watch Ross work. There is nothing high-tech about this process; Ross uses well-worn tools, carving knives, and mallets, and although he works quickly, it’s still a time-consuming process. He knows just where to place a carving tool, just how hard to hit the handle, when to stop and sharpen a tool. Under his hand, a flower takes place, or filigree that will surround an archway or a front door. It’s hard for non-artists to look at a large piece of wood and imagine that it could be an elaborate front door or the side of an armoire, but Ross sees things in his materials that we can’t—and then has the skill to make them a reality.

The majority of Ross’s work in wood tends to be a fusion of Southwestern and Spanish classical styles. When he paints— and he still loves to paint—his acrylic works are more an abstract expressionist style. But whether he’s painting or sculpting, he’s always thinking, considering new designs and new styles, and taking the opportunity to express himself creatively by using his hands.

The LeBlanc family is a creative one. Ross’s grandfather was a painter, and his father played the trumpet. His brothers are musicians, most notably Lenny, who is well known to Muscle Shoals music devotees. Unlike the musical relatives, Ross’s creations are a little more solid, and a little more permanent; he has spent his career perfecting the lost art of hand-carved embellishments. Ross has truly carved himself a niche.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

• • • PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND NONPROFITS! • • •

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

the magic of comes to life

featuring

Nov. 20, 2015 - Jan. 2, 2016 • More than 2 million lights and 9 acres of stunning décor • ICE! featuring The Nutcracker - 2 million pounds of colorful, hand-carved ice sculptures and slides • NEW - Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical • NEW - Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Christmas Dinner Show • NEW - The Elf on the Shelf® Scavenger Hunt • Gingerbread Decorating Corner sponsored by PEEPS® • Carriage rides, snow tubing, outdoor ice skating and more

ChristmasAtGaylordOpryland.com

| (888) 677-9872

Pepsi and Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo, Inc. TM & © 1957, 2015 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. The Elf on the Shelf® and © 2015 CCA and B, LLC. All Rights Reserved. PEEPS ® trademark Just Born, Inc. © 2015. All rights reserved.

The Holiday Tradition

NASHVILLE, TN

ICE! PRESENTED BY

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

text by sara wright covington » photos by patrick hood

Sitting in the living room of Dr. Jonathan Frederick and his wife Julie’s home while their children play and chatter in the floor at our feet is a bit surreal for me. I have been friends with Jonathan for literally my entire life, and some of my very first childhood memories happened at his house—including a bee sting in his family’s garden and being terrified of his giant dogs that were bigger than I was. Mainly, I remember Jonathan, aged five, beheading my Barbie dolls and throwing their little blond heads in the toilet, while I screamed and cried and told on him to his mother. So to see Jonathan now, all grown up as a nurturing father and husband with a successful career as an oral and facial surgeon, is a wonderful treat for me, and I relish getting to tell his children the stories of how their father terrorized me as a child. Jonathan and Julie have very recently gone from being a family of four to a family of five, and acquiring that very special fifth member has been a long journey that has taken them to China and back again. Their newest addition, a baby girl named Ella Grace, already fits in perfectly with her new family as she plays with her siblings at our feet. And for Jonathan and Julie, it seems impossible to imagine their lives before she came along, the sweet reward for a very long and obstacle filled journey.

When Jonathan and Julie got married nearly 14 years ago, they always knew they wanted to have at least two children.

“Adopting from China is something we had always talked about doing even before we had kids,” says Julie. After having daughter Mary Margaret, who is now 11, and a son, Lawson, who is now eight, they began to think very seriously about moving forward with a third baby from China. “So after Mary Margaret and Lawson were both born, we started the process of adoption in March of 2011.” That process would be long and complicated and, they would soon learn, would take them years to complete. “First we had to fill out

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

all the paperwork,” says Julie. “We started that process and each step was very difficult to get done.” With an estimated 10,000 babies abandoned every year in China, it would seem that adopting a baby from this region would be a fairly fast and straightforward process, but Jonathan and Julie would face months of obtaining medical certificates, fingerprinting, background checks, and more. “Part of the reason for the lengthy process is when a child is given away, they can’t do anything with them for six months in case the family changes their mind,” explains Jonathan. “And then you have to get a background check from every city and state you have lived in throughout your entire life. There are just many different steps you have to go through for them to make sure you aren’t a child abuser.”

China has long been known for its strict one child policy, and like so many other cultures around the world, male children are more highly valued. For many years orphanages were brimming with mostly unwanted baby girls, but as the Chinese economy has begun to improve, orphanages are seeing less of an influx of girls, and an overwhelming influx of babies of both sexes born with disabilities. For a family without the necessary means to support a child born with a disability, whether it is Down’s Syndrome, a cleft palate, or a heart defect, giving up a baby born with a medical defect is very sadly many times the only chance the child may have to survive. “One of our guides in China told us ‘you have to remember medical care here is not like it is in America,’” says Jonathan. “And in the cases of some of those children born out in the poorer provinces, there is a stigma of having a child where something is wrong.” The high number of abandoned children throughout China has even led to the creation of “baby hatches,” a term used to describe a safe drop-off point for babies, which are often small detached rooms next to orphanages that have incubators, cribs, and air conditioning

Left to right: Julie, Ella Grace, Lawson, Jonathan, and Mary Margaret Frederick

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

“We have a lot of people say to us ‘y’all have been such a huge blessing to her,’ but it’s the other way around.

She has blessed us.”

—Julie Frederick

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

to protect the babies from the elements until a designated worker can come by to retrieve the child. Typically there is a bell or button to push to alert someone from the orphanage that a baby is there.

Once the Fredericks completed the application process, which took them about a year, they now faced a waiting game that lead to them living on pins and needles. “The way the process works is that there are all these children in orphanages, and they release a big list one day a month to the agencies,” says Julie. “From the list, you get one or two pictures and a list of their medical issues. Sometimes the list is in Chinese and sometimes it’s in English. Our adoption agency, Villa Hope, is the one who gets the list first and if they see a baby that matches the criteria for one of their families, they try to lock that child down for them. But it’s really hard, because all of the other agencies are doing the exact same thing. Usually they will call you and say ‘we have a referral for you.’ The majority of the kids have some type of issue, even if it’s minor. But when you put a baby on hold, you only have 48 hours to make a decision or the child goes back on the list.” Children with medical issues ranging from spina bifida to congenital heart defects commonly fill the lists, and adoption applicants are asked to list the medical conditions they are willing to accept. Because of Jonathan’s career as an oral surgeon, the Fredericks specifically requested a child with a cleft lip and palate when they began the process.

Month after month, the Fredericks suffered through the stressful process of waiting on “the list” to no avail. “We would get so nervous around the time the list was released each month,” says Jonathan. “For all the time and money we had invested, it was so frustrating to get nothing out of it. It got to the point that we looked at each other and said, ‘We need to pray and find out if this isn’t meant to be because if it isn’t, then it needs to stop.’” The Fredericks would get their answer to that prayer exactly one week later when the entire process did come to a devastating halt. After a year of preparation and living on edge in the anticipation of a new baby, the Fredericks learned that Julie had breast cancer in April of 2012. They were immediately told by their adoption agency that Julie’s cancer diagnosis now made them ineligible to adopt. “It was almost like losing a child,” says Jonathan.

With especially heavy hearts, Jonathan and Julie now forced themselves to put a year’s worth of efforts behind them and focus on getting Julie well. After a lumpectomy revealed Julie’s breast cancer was stage 1, she went for surgery in July of 2012 where she received a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The Fredericks knew they were lucky, as

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

further treatment for Julie wasn’t necessary, but they still deeply grieved the loss of an adoptive child they would never get the chance to bring home.

“I feel like I immediately loved her. You look at that picture every day because that’s all you’ve got. You kind of fall in love with those pictures. There is definitely a bonding process. We wanted to go and get her for so long.”

—Julie Frederick

As Julie recovered and over the next two years, the Fredericks’ hearts began to heal as they accepted that adoption wasn’t meant to be for them and moved on with their lives. And just when they least expected it, fate intervened once again when out of nowhere they received a certified letter from the post office. “In March of 2014, we got a notice from the post office that turned out to be a letter from Villa Hope, our adoption agency in Birmingham,” says Julie. “It basically asked us if we were still interested in adopting because all of our paperwork was still there. They somehow just didn’t pull us out of the process, and China thought we were still able to adopt.” Through some loophole in the system, Jonathan and Julie learned that after two years of thinking they no longer had the option to adopt, the door had once again opened for them. “We had completely put it behind us and moved on,” says Julie. “We were totally not expecting that this would ever happen.” After talking it over and praying about it for a week, Jonathan and Julie decided to give it one more shot. And this time around, they would find that the once difficult path to adoption would be much easier to navigate.

After obtaining letters of good health from Julie’s oncologist and updating the needed paperwork from their first go-round, Jonathan and Julie were once again thrown back into a game of waiting. Only this time the waiting would prove to

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

be much more rewarding. Just five months after beginning the process again for the second time, they got the phone call that changed their lives. “I was sitting at the office one day and just happened to be between cases,” says Jonathan. “It was about 9:30 in the morning, and I got a call from Villa Hope. I answered it and it was our social worker who immediately asked me if I was sitting down. She said, ‘Well, the list came out and there is a little girl with a bilateral cleft in the palate who fits your criteria and we claimed her for you.’ She told us we had 24 hours to decide. When I looked at her picture for the first time, I said, ‘this is it.’” After talking it over for just 15 minutes, Jonathan and Julie called the agency back to say the words they had been waiting years to say—“we will take her.”

Overwhelmed at the news they would be parents again, Jonathan and Julie began the final paperwork to bring their new daughter, an almost two year-old baby girl named Ming Zi, home from China. “Her nickname was ‘Mimi’ although we didn’t know that at first,” says Jonathan. “As far as we know, she was just dropped off at the gate of the orphanage when she was six weeks old.”

Although it would be many months filled with more paperwork and making arrangements before the Fredericks would actually get to meet their new addition, they spent that time learning everything about her that they could, memorizing every detail of her pictures and gathering all the information they could about her past. “I feel like I immediately loved her,” says Julie. “You look at that picture every day because that’s all you’ve got. You kind of fall in love with those pictures. There is definitely a bonding process. We wanted to go and get her for so long.”

Facing page: Big sister Mary Margaret and Ella Grace. Above: Jonathan Frederick and Ella Grace.

On February 27 of this year, seven months after first seeing the picture of baby Ming Zi—who they now call Ella Grace—Jonathan, Julie, Maggie, Lawson, and Julie’s mother Kathy traveled to China to bring their newest member home. Three days after arriving in China, they finally got to meet their new daughter on “Got-

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

cha Day.” Gathered in a room with 18 other families, they patiently waited as children were brought out one by one to meet their new families. “We were all together in this huge room,” says Jonathan, “and we watched her walk in with her two nannies. They put each baby behind a curtain and the family comes up to meet them.” Ella Grace quickly bonded with her new family, even though she had never heard English before the day she met them. “The miraculous thing with Ella Grace is that she understood everything we said, even though she had never heard English,” says Jonathan.

“We learned very quickly that she knew everything we were saying.” The Fredericks were in China for a total of 16 days before they would leave to come back home. Within the first two weeks of her arrival in Alabama, Ella Grace had already had two surgeries—the first was to put tubes in her ears for her frequent ear infections and the second, one week later, to correct her cleft lip. Three months later, she would have the surgery to correct her palate. And aside from adjusting to a few sleepless nights as Jonathan and Julie once again became accustomed to life with a new baby, Ella Grace’s arrival has been the perfect ending to a very long journey.

“She loves to play. She loves carrying her baby dolls around and dressing them, and anything else girly. She is very independent, which probably comes from having to learn to do a lot of things for herself.” —Julie Frederick

Ella Grace Frederick, still sometimes affectionately called “Mimi” or “EG” by her new family, had been at home in her new life for six months when I came to visit in September. As I watched her play, squeal, and roll around on the floor with her adoring brother and sister, it was hard for me to imagine that she hadn’t always been there—an essential puzzle piece in this family of five. When I asked to see her room, Ella Grace sweetly grinned and took my hand to lead me to a bedroom full of books, baby dolls, and tea sets—not to mention a closet brimming with little girl bows, dresses, and shoes.

Watching this precious girl, who spent the first two years of her life in a sixth floor orphanage crowded with hundreds of other children, it’s impossible not to feel pure joy as she laughs and plays with her things in her very own cozy space. And to Jonathan and Julie’s relief, they report she is now sleeping soundly through the night in her very own big girl bed. “She loves to play,” says Julie. “She loves carrying her baby dolls around and dressing them, and anything else girly. She is very independent, which probably comes from having to learn to do a lot of things for herself.” The Frederick family has certainly waited for a long time for the privilege of being able to call this little girl their own, and they know now that all of that waiting was simply fate’s way of making certain that this child, and no other, was specifically waiting just for them too. “Julie’s last surgery was in late July of 2012,” says Jonathan, “and Ella Grace was born in August of 2012.”

As we wrap up our visit and our photographer Patrick and I prepare to leave, Ella Grace sits herself at Patrick’s feet and works to tie and untie his shoes, all the while smiling charmingly at him, her sweet brown eyes sparkling with delight. “She has just adjusted so well to life with us,” says Julie. “We have a lot of people say to us ‘y’all have been such a huge blessing to her,’ but it’s the other way around. She has blessed us.”

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

DO YOU SUFFER FROM:

• Shortness of breath • Numbness • Chest pain or tightness • Burning or tingling in your legs • Weakness or coldness in your legs or arms • Pain in the neck • Headaches • Heart burn, indigestion, or burping If so, these could be signs of cardiovascular disease. If you are suffering from any of these symptoms, Dr. Ajit Naidu and Dr. Brian Cole, Board Certified Cardiologists at the Cardiovascular Institute of the Shoals can help determine if these are serious.

We give second opinions, too!

Please call 256-766-2310 for an appointment.

2415 Helton Drive, Suite A, Florence , AL 35630 • Phone 256-766-2310

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

produced by tara bullington with heidi king fashion photos by patrick hood  days of christmas photos by danny mitchell clothing modeled by dylan andrews, shelly spidel, and kaitlin wallace special thanks to cindy liles

It’s tempting, for sure, to visit your favorite online retail sites and shop from the privacy of your living room, but it’s not as much fun. The Christmas decorations, the fellow shoppers and shopkeepers, the smell of cedar and cider in the air, and the lights in every window add to the festive feeling and help get you in the mood for the holidays to come. You just can’t do that by staring at a computer screen, and you surely won’t find some of the treats our area retailers have to show you. Best of all, by purchasing just a few of the gifts on your list locally, you can make a world of difference to your local economy.

But don’t take our word for it: we’ll prove it. In the pages that follow, our secret shoppers have gathered some of the most wonderful things you’ll see all season, all from area stores.

Grab your shopping list, take a look at our recommendations for the 12 days of Christmas, and check your list twice. There’s something here for everyone—so Shop ‘Til Yule Drop!

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

SANTA GAVE TO ME

[A]

[B]

[C] [D] [E]

STOCKING STUFFERS

[F] [G]

[A] Swarovski Glass Nail Files ($14.95/ea) ANN ALDRIDGE (256) 284-7308; [B] Three Keys Necklace ($8) MISS PRISS (205) 759-9798; [C] YETI Can Cooler ($29.99) ALABAMA OUTDOORS (256) 764-1809; [D] Home Leather Cuff ($34) ANN ALDRIDGE (256) 284-7308; [E] Peppermint Frost Soap ($3.95) ANDY’S (256) 767-2800; [F] Love Ornament ($20.95) CHERRY TREE LANE (256) 767-4262; [G] PPLA Belt Purse ($30) GRL (256) 349-9293

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

[K]

[H]

[L] [I]

[J]

[H] Tourmaline Finial ($29.95) SOUTHERN SHADES (256) 757-0045; [I] Claire Burke Room Spray ($10) THE SURPRISE STORE (256) 766-6810; [J] Wet Brush ($10.95) ANDY’S (256) 767-2800; [K] Mark-Mat ($26) ODETTE (256) 349-5219; [L] Russian Santa Dolls ($45) KENNEDY-DOUGLAS CENTER FOR THE ARTS (256) 760-6379

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

CANDLES GLOWING

MY NEIGHBORS GAVE TO ME

[A] [C]

[B]

[D]

[G] [F]

[I] [L] [J]

[E]

[H]

[K]

[A] TOCCA “Stella” ($38) THE FRENCH BASKET (256) 764-1237; [B] Votivo “Persimmon Poppy” ($26) MARIGAIL MATHIS (256) 764-9444; [C] Baaii “Signature Scent” ($39.50) AUDIE MESCAL (256) 314-6684; [D] Great Bear “Campfire” Candle ($30) ALABAMA OUTDOORS (256) 764-1809; [E] Seda “Malaysian Bamboo” and [F] Nest “Bamboo” LOLA’S GIFTS AND FLOWERS (256) 383-2299; [G] Peppermint Frost ($7.50) ANDY’S (256) 767-2800; [H] Voluspa “Pomegranate Blood Orange” ($16) THE VILLAGE SHOPPE (256) 383-1133; [I] Archipelago “Currant” ($24.99) DAVID CHRISTOPHER’S (256) 383-2274; [J] VELA Non-Scented ($9.99) THE SURPRISE STORE (256) 766-6810; [K] Rewined Matches ($2) and [L] Rewined “Sauvignon Blanc” ($28) ODETTE (256) 349-5219  | noalastudios.com | november/december 

ZOA Dress ($118), Antelope Booties ($208) MARIGAIL MATHIS (256) 764-9444

Little Book of Lettering ($28.95), PANTONE ($40) MAPLE (256) 349-5465; Kate Spade Agenda ($36), Leather To Kill a Mockingbird ($78), Bar Companion($96), Hollywood Dogs ($130) PSI (256) 764-8061; Rosenbaum House ($20) KENNEDY-DOUGLAS CENTER FOR THE ARTS (256) 760-6379; Aero ($50), Interior Wisdom ($24.95), In Detail ($35) THE FRENCH BASKET (256) 764-1237; Tory Burch Glasses ($195) VISION ASSOCIATES (256) 766-2120

PAGES TURNING

MY BESTIE GAVE TO ME  | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Enro Shirt ($59), Pronto Moda Cashmere and Wool Jacket ($125), Enro Slacks ($75), Florsheim Shoes ($115) COATS CLOTHING (256) 760-0033 Yoana Baraschi Dress ($295), My Tribe Suede Jacket ($388) LILLY’S SPORTSWEAR (256) 767-0071 Rubber Duckie Red Dress ($98), Three Tier Necklace ($36), Bangles ($14/ea) JEWELL’S (256) 712-5988

MY AUNTIE GAVE TO ME PAIRS TO PAMPER

From top to bottom: Snoop Dog for Happy Socks ($12) PSI (256) 764-8061; Swiftwick Cycling Sock ($16.99) THE SPINNING SPOKE (256) 349-5302; Snoozies Slippers ($14.99) THE VILLAGE SHOPPE (256) 383-1133; Hearts Happy Socks ($12) PSI (256) 764-8061; Heather Blue Zip It Boot Sock ($16.99), ZOEY BELLE’S (256) 320-5117; Green and Tan Layering Boot Socks ($9.99) DAVID CHRISTOPHER’S (256) 383-2274; Smartwool Men’s Sock, ($23.95) ALABAMA OUTDOORS (256) 764-1809; Living Royal EYE Socks ($16.50) GRL (256) 349-9293; Pumpkin Knubbly Knit Sock ($18.99) ZOEY BELLE’S (256) 320-5117

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

18kt gold Diamond Hoop Earrings ($1,540), Earring Charms ($1,390), Earring Charm Frames ($990), Necklace ($1,270), Ring ($1,740), Bracelet ($1,410) by Jude Frances PARKER BINGHAM JEWELRY (256) 764-2032 Lilly Pulitzer Dusk Dress ($298) PSI (256) 764-8061

MY COLLEAGUES GAVE TO ME

Lyons Coffee ($14), Chocolate Covered Almonds ($18), Vanilla Bean Paste ($20.75) SWEET BASIL CAFÉ (256) 764-5991; Spiced Cherry Bitters ($17.15), Reed’s Brew ($1.75/ea), Organic Lollipops ($5.39) OSA’S GARDEN (256) 764-7663; Mexican Chocolate Bar ($7.50) MAPLE (256) 349-5465; Organic Waffle ($ 1.99) THE SPINNING SPOKE (256) 349-5302

TREATS A TEMPTING

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Join us for this wonderful family-oriented event — a benefit for the St. Francis Project!

It’s Christmas Eve in 1945, and only a handful of WVL Radio’s actors have braved a blizzard to perform that evening’s broadcast of It’s a Wonderful Life and keep the station afloat. This clever stage adaptation—a 1940s “live broadcast” of Frank Capra’s beloved film—takes us back to the Golden Age of Radio. Due to the blizzard, the professional voice actors are unable to get through, but the show must go on—so a small but intrepid band of employees manage to create the dozens of movie characters and scenes using just their voices and a sound effects table.

This will be fun for the entire family. Make your plans to join us—and leave with a smile!

December 20, 2015, Shoals Theatre, Florence Performances at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Orchestra: $20; Balcony: $15 An adaptation by WRV Ripoley and produced by the Immediate Theatre Project.

Tickets available at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts (256-760-6379), Trinity Episcopal Church (256-764-6149), and at the door

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

MY GIRLFRIEND GAVE TO ME SCARVES A BLOWING  | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Left to right: PPLA Grey Scarf ($36) GRL (256) 349-9293; Striped Tie ($125) BILLY REID (256) 767-4692; Fisherman’s Scarf ($46) ANN ALDRIDGE (256) 284-7308; Asian Eye Scarf ($58) MARIGAIL MATHIS (256) 764-9444; Alabama Chanin Scarf ($45) MAPLE (256) 349-5465; Dylan Scarf ($42) AUDIE MESCAL (256) 314-6684; Swoop Scarf ($295) BILLY REID (256) 767-4692

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

MY GRANDMA GAVE TO ME HATS A TOPPING Scala Top Hat ($89.95) YE OLE GENERAL STORE (256) 764-0601; Mad Hatter Hat ($6) ZOEY BELLE’S (256) 320-5117; Beaded Deer Cap ($44) GRL (256) 349-9293; Janessa Leone Hat ($195) LILLY’S SPORTSWEAR (256) 767-0071; Bontragger Cycling Helmet ($69.99) THE SPINNING SPOKE (256) 349-5302; Wine Felt Hat ($46) ANN ALDRIDGE (256) 284-7308

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Scotch R’Belle Plaid Coat ($230), White Crow Denim Jacket ($86), Chaser Tee ($54), Dex Jeans ($70) GRL (256) 349-9293 Uncle Frank Tweed Coat ($214), Level 99 Jeans ($119) AUDIE MESCAL (256) 314-6684 Tassel Necklaces ($12/ea) MISS PRISS (205) 759-9798 Aspire Ultra Lightweight Glasses ($180) VISION ASSOCIATES (256) 766-2120

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

MY BOYFRIEND GAVE TO ME

[A]

[E]

[B]

[D]

GOLDEN RINGS

[C]

[A] Monogrammed Moon & Lola Cuff ($60), [B] L George Ring ($75), [C] Stacker Bracelets ($65/ea) SIDE LINES JEWELRY (256) 767-0925; [D] Stacker 1ct. Yellow Sapphire Bands ($1,045/ea) and 2ct. Diamond Band ($4,395), [E] Black Druzy Nirvana Ring ($395) MEFFORD JEWELERS (256) 764-2632

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Yeti Hopper ($299) True Grit 1/2 Zip ($145) Patagonia Los Gatos Vest ($119), Woolrich Pemberton Shirt ($54), Woolrich Motif Mohair Sweater ($89), Indigenous Black Legging ($52), Sorel Slimpack Tall Riding Boot ($210) (See also page 64) Patagonia Better Sweater Coat ($179), prAna Multicolored Scarf ($55), Indigenous Striped Tee ($64), Indigenous Graphite Legging ($52), Frye Veronica Boot ($298) Filson Wildwood Shirt ($98), Barbour Danby Tweed Sweater ($299), Coastal Cotton Jeans ($79.50), Filson Watch ($650), Filson 72 Hour Briefcase ($355), Sorel Cheyenne Boot ($130) ALABAMA OUTDOORS (256) 764-1809

MY MOTHER GAVE TO ME

Left to right: Filson 72 Hour Briefcase ($355) ALABAMA OUTDOORS (256)764-1809; Red Olivia+Joy Bag ($98) ZOEY BELLE’S (256) 320-5117; Dop Kit ($195) BILLY REID (256) 767-4692; Green Hobo Purse ($228) MARIGAIL MATHIS (256) 764-9444

LEATHER BAGS  | noalastudios.com | november/december 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

MY HUSBAND GAVE TO ME

Left to right: Antique Tripod Floor Lamp ($695.95) SOUTHERN SHADES (256) 757-0045; Antique Mid-Century Lamp ($500) THE FRENCH BASKET (256) 764-1237; The Morgan Chandelier ($548) SBS ELECTRIC (256) 764-8481

WARM LIGHTS (THAT I PICKED OUT)  | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Mitchie’s Magenta Fur and Plaid Vest ($668), NikiBiki Black Cami ($18.99), Lysse Legging ($70), Metallic Hobo Wallet ($110), Sunglasses ($90), and Brighton Leather Cuffs ($78/ea) THE VILLAGE SHOPPE (256) 383-1133 Black Swan Biker Jacket ($102), Hazel Dress ($115) AUDIE MESCAL (256) 314-6684 White Opera Beads ($45/ea) SIDE LINES JEWELRY (256) 767-0925

MY PARENTS GAVE TO ME TAILORED CHAIRS Stella Dining Chairs ($515/ea) THE FRENCH BASKET (256) 764-1237

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Simon Sebbag Earrings ($125), Ring ($109), Necklace ($315) and Bracelet ($165), all by Und De 50 SIDE LINES JEWELRY (256)767-0925 Rubber Duckie Dress ($76) JEWELL’S (256) 712-5988

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME PRINCESS CUT IN A PEAR TREE

3.83ct (1.87 E S12 Princess Cut Center Diamond) 14k Gold Ring ($24,900) JAMIE HOOD JEWELERS (256) 381-6889

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Resort White Top ($118), Iris Blue Vest ($178), Navy Skinny Jeans ($158) and Freshwater Pearl Bangles ($32/ea), all by Lilly Pulitzer Color Dune Shopper ($70), Plaid Shirt ($99.50) and Pullover Sweater ($175) by Southern Tide, Duck Head Orange Cords ($140) PSI (256) 764-8061 Frye James Chukka ($298) ALABAMA OUTDOORS (256) 764-1809 Tory Burch Glasses (on her) ($195) VISION ASSOCIATES (256) 766-2120

90 »

scene

Bernie and Beth Borosky and Frank Vetters Peggy Leggett, Sandra Vetters, and Aubrey and Ann Taylor Wilson Kathryn Boyd Rice and Felice Green

Elizabeth and Billy Don Anderson and Verna Brennan

Peggy McCloy

Stephanie Qualls and Donna Gosney

Frank Porter, Dave and Margaret deWolfe

Floyd and Libba Sherrod © Mary Carton

Contributed to the Tennessee Valley Art Association by Kathryn B. Rice

Below: Lions under the Lights, a Farm-to-Table Dinner with Celebrity Chef Jack White

september ,  · tennessee valley museum of art

september ,  · the university of north alabama

Above: Form and Substance: An Exhibition of Art

Pat Slusher and Nancy Sanford

Vince and Callie Brewton

Michelle Eubanks and Carol Lyles

Jack White and Nancy Trowbridge

A UNA culinary student fills a batch of mushrooms

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

Claudia Vance and Tom Ross

Jack White works with UNA students to prepare the dinner. © Shannon Wells

I want to be your doctor for life.

I’m Dr. Ty Ashley, and family is very important to me. So is caring for my patients, whether they are infants, older people, or anyone in between. My approach is to treat each patient as a whole person, paying attention to all of the factors that go in to your good health.

I recently joined Family Practice Associates in Florence. If you’re looking for a family doctor for the whole family, with an approach that manages the whole person, please give me a call.

I’d like to be your doctor . . . for life.

Ty Ashley, MD Family Practice Associates 727 Cox Creek Parkway Florence, AL 35630 For more information or to make an appointment, please call (256) 764-9613

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

This past summer, No’Ala began a serial story about Eleanor, the woman who murdered her husband and asked her hairdresser and his partner to help her bury him the backyard. In our last issue, Lily Herbert, a neighbor and lifelong friend, was called to the witness stand to testify in Eleanor’s defense— and might or might not have told everything she knew. Through the words of 12 Shoals-area writers, we’ll continue to see this tale unfold, one chapter per issue, until you know these Southern characters very well. If you missed the first two installments, well, bless your heart—but they can be read online at www.noalastudios.com.

In this chapter, David Sims introduces us to a young boy who lives in the neighborhood, with a connection to Eleanor…and to food. Please remember that this is a work of fiction and does not represent actual people living or dead (although truth can be stranger than fiction). Grab yourself a nice little snack and prepare to dive in to Douglas’s story. Bon appétit!

a Favor for Eleanor Chapter Three: Douglas by david sims » illustrations by rowan finnegan

Douglas Charles Glover was fat. Not big boned. Not pleasantly plump. Just fat.

At 4’ 3” tall and 180 pounds, Douglas was nearly double the weight of any of his third grade classmates at Valley View Christian Academy, the small, private school which was part of Valley View Baptist Church—the church his family had attended since way before he was born. Ever since he could remember, Douglas had a problem with his weight, and an even bigger problem controlling his appetite. Douglas liked to eat. Eating seemed to make him feel calmer, safer, almost superhuman. And although he couldn’t quite put words to his feelings, he was mostly a happy child.

Especially when food was involved, which it almost always was.

There were things that made him unhappy, of course. Annual back-to-school clothes shopping in the “husky” boys section was a particularly hard time for Douglas, even though his grandmother tried to put a positive spin on it. “You’re just putting on weight because you’re fixin’ to go through a growth spurt,” she would say. Later, as even the husky sizes became too small, and she had to buy men’s slacks and remove a foot of length, she stopped making those comments and just smiled. That same kind of smile she reserved for people she felt sorry for. The other thing that upset Douglas was Billy Weaver—or, as Douglas liked to call him, “Bully Weaver.”

Billy sat in the back of the class. He was the most popular boy in Valley View, and he knew how to push just the right buttons with Douglas. Whether it was in the lunch line, whispered from the back of the classroom, or even yelled on the short walk to the small city park across the street from school, it seemed Billy wouldn’t

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

A Favor for Eleanor Chapter Three: Douglas

was something about being teased in front of an audience that was especially hurtful and embarrassing. “Hey, Glover,” Billy said. “I need you on my tug-of-war team,” he said, laughing.

Of course Douglas knew what was coming next. Billy wasn’t exactly clever or original, but he was loud and had the power to capture the attention of those around him. “We can just tie the rope around your fat ass, and you can just sit there. The other team won’t even budge! We’ll be unbeatable!” he yelled, throwing his head back in an artificial howl but all the while keeping an eye on his adoring fans.

Douglas could feel the blood rush to his face, like always, but today he also noticed his meaty fingers curl into tight fists. This was a new and confusing feeling for him, but he kind of liked it. What happened next happened very quickly, and before Billy had even stopped his laughing, Douglas ran through the group of kids surrounding Billy, punching Billy in his stomach and knocking him off his feet and backwards into a dry pile of sand under the swing set. When the dust settled, Douglas was lying on top of Billy and both of the boys were madly attempting to untangle. Billy, certainly more humiliated than hurt, was even crying. And Douglas, who had expended the most energy he had ever expended, was smiling. “Get the hell off me,” Billy screamed, pushing Douglas to the side. stop poking at him until he had ruined Douglas’s life. “Hey, fat ass,” Billy would whisper when their teacher, Miss Duncan, was out of earshot. “Try to keep up with the rest of us.” Come to think of it, recess also made Douglas unhappy.

Although it appeared Douglas ignored Billy’s taunts, he actually absorbed every word. And each word hurt just as much as the sting of the paddle Douglas got just once when he was caught passing a note in class for Mary Claire Grier. He often thought about bad things he could do to Billy—daydreaming of clever comebacks and elaborate revenge scenarios— though he never seriously considered the idea of retribution.

Douglas didn’t have a chance against the taller, athletic Billy.

Then one autumn day something clicked in Douglas’s head, as most of the class was preparing to participate in the school’s annual “Field Day.” Field Day was a day of athletic competitions—broad jump, running relays, tug-of-war—and, not surprisingly, Douglas dreaded every sweaty, embarrassing moment. For four years he had to put up with Billy and his taunts, and he just didn’t have the patience to go through it again. He could usually take a harsh word or two, but there

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

“Um, I’m really sorry,” Douglas said instinctively—even though, truthfully, Douglas was NOT sorry in any way, but that’s all he could think of to say. And Douglas was always taught to be polite.

As Billy struggled to his feet and tried to brush off the dirt from his white T-shirt, the crowd of kids that had formed erupted in laughter. To Billy it was like someone kept turning up the volume on the worse song ever. To Douglas, it sounded like sweet victory. Billy ran across the street and through the front door, passing Marjorie Walker in the process. Mrs. Walker was the principal and she was scarier than Billy any day. “Douglas, come with me,” she said, sternly.

“Yes, ma’am,” Douglas started. “I didn’t mean….”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Mrs. Walker interrupted with her hand up in the air. “We’re going to my office and we’re calling your parents. You’ll have plenty of time to tell your story when they get here. This is not the way we conduct ourselves at Valley View. You are not behaving like the good Christian

boy I know you can be. Jesus would be so disappointed in you!” For a moment Douglas felt like he was going to throw up, but then he remembered the part in the Bible where Jesus was so mad at the people selling at the temple that he kicked over all of the tables. Even Jesus had his limits.

By the time Doreen Glover arrived at the school to pick up Douglas and speak with Mrs. Walker, Douglas wasn’t nervous anymore. He knew his mother wouldn’t really care that he hit Billy. In fact, his mom didn’t seem to care much about anything lately. Lately, she had seemed upset or worried about something, and this made Douglas upset. And when Douglas was upset, all he wanted to do was eat.

After his mother and Mrs. Walker spoke in private, Douglas and his mom got into the car and started home. Because he had missed lunch, Douglas thought about asking his mom to take him through a drive-thru, but he figured that would upset her even more. Plus, he could just make himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when he got home. Peanut butter was his favorite.

“Douglas, we’ll talk about what happened today when your dad gets home,” his mom said, breaking the awkward silence of the long drive home across town. “But I have something to tell you. It’s good news. You’re going to have a new baby sister!

You’re going to be a big brother!”

Everything his mom said after that sounded like the teacher from the Charlie Brown specials. Something about January, something about painting his dad’s home office pink, something about temporarily sharing a room, blah, blah, blah. Her voice sounded different than normal. She didn’t seem happy at all.

Douglas started to feel nauseous again. And hungry, which seemed weird to him. In any case, this was not good news— not good news at all. He knew, from hearing the other kids at school talk about their younger brothers and sisters, that this would not go well. His parents already ignored him enough as it was.

All he could think about was how hungry he was, so when they got home he went straight to the kitchen, grabbed the peanut butter and a spoon, went to his room, closed the door, and ate the entire jar.

Douglas must have fallen asleep, because the sound of his dad shutting the front door made him bolt straight up out of bed, his heart pounding out of his chest. He was still clutching the spoon, which was partially covered with sticky peanut butter, and he knew he would need to quickly hide the evidence before his dad walked into his room. He had just shoved everything under his pillow when his dad knocked at his door, walking in before Douglas even had a chance to grant him permission to enter.

“Douglas, do we need to talk about what happened today?” his dad asked, his brows furrowed.

“I guess so,” said Douglas. “I didn’t mean to hurt Billy, but he was making fun of me. He always makes fun of me.” Douglas looked down and saw that his right hand was caked with peanut butter. He briefly thought about licking it off, but he decided to subtly slide his hand in his pants pocket instead.

“Well, I think Billy had it coming,” his dad said, taking Douglas by surprise. “It’s not right to hurt other people, but it’s also not right to make fun of people. Both of you learned a good lesson today. Do you understand what I’m saying to you, son?”

“Yes, sir, I think so,” said Douglas. “I promise not to fight anymore.”

“Good. That’s the right answer,” his dad said. “So, I hear your mom told you about the good news.”

Douglas couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but even though his parents kept calling this “good news,” they didn’t seem to really mean it. They seemed kind of sad about it, actually. In any case, if the good news meant that he wouldn’t be punished for the fight, then he was all for it.

“Yeah, mom told me,” Douglas said, sheepishly.

“Well, you’ll be a great older brother. When your sister is your age, you’ll be able to earn extra money babysitting her,” his dad said, with an artificial grin on his face.

Douglas liked the idea of making money by just sitting with his sister. It wouldn’t be very hard work, and he could probably listen to music or watch television while she did her homework. After all, that’s what Miss Eleanor did when she used to watch Douglas. Miss Eleanor lived across the street

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

A Favor for Eleanor Chapter Three: Douglas

and one house over from the Glovers. She loved Douglas, and she loved Wheel of Fortune.

“Anyway, we can talk more about it all at supper,” his dad said.

“Good news, huh?”

Douglas just smiled, awkwardly. He could feel the gooey, oily peanut butter between his fingers. He just wanted his dad to leave the room, so he put on his headphones to listen to music.

His dad walked across the room, but just before he left, he turned to Douglas and said, “Your mom and I have decided to take away your CD player for a week for fighting. It’s the only fair thing to do.”

Wait, what? Douglas was devastated. This was not fair at all.

He had endured what seemed like a lifetime of cruelty at the hands of Billy Weaver and he was being punished? Billy was lucky Douglas didn’t kill him, because that’s what Douglas wanted to do.

Later, at dinner, Douglas was given a stern warning and asked to turn over his headphones to his dad. His parents didn’t take his CD player or his CDs, but it didn’t matter. The only thing Douglas loved to do more than anything except eating was to lip-synch to his favorite songs, and headphones were an absolutely necessity. In fact, Douglas felt being without his headphones for an entire week would cripple his chances to be the best lip-synch star the world had ever seen. Of course there wasn’t a worldwide contest for lip-synching, but if there were he would surely be there. Douglas had always dreamt about the moment when he would win such a prestigious event—usually daydreaming at night before bed, during math class, or in his special hiding place in the boxwood hedge next to Miss Eleanor’s house.

Douglas began hiding in the boxwood about six months ago.

It was a place for him to think and to sneak food without his parents bothering him. He felt safe there, and it was fun to pretend the boxwood was more than just a hedge. Sometimes Douglas imagined he was deep under the earth, in a secret bunker, being hidden from communist spies. Sometimes he imagined the boxwood was his new Hollywood mansion—part of his prize winnings from the international lip-synch contest. Of course he listened to his portable CD player there. But, he also kept things hidden there in a tin his aunt had brought last Christmas, which was originally filled with gingerbread cookies (which he hated). Douglas liked to hide snacks in the tin—candy bars in the colder months (they would melt too fast when it was warm) and cookies of all kinds he would steal from home and hide in his pockets.

Because the boxwood was located just beneath Miss Eleanor’s living room window, he could sometimes hear her talk on the phone, or to her houseguests—at least when the windows were open. Other times, the sounds were muffled and he would pretend that the spies were speaking an exotic foreign language and it was his job to decode their sinister plans to destroy America.

On more than one occasion he would also hear Miss Eleanor’s new husband talking, or yelling. They seemed to fight a lot, but because the window was closed during those times, he couldn’t really hear what they were arguing about. Douglas couldn’t figure out why they argued so much because they really hadn’t been married that long, and newlyweds were supposed to always be nice to one another. He really didn’t know Mr. Jimmy that well anyway. But he loved Miss Eleanor.

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

A Favor for Eleanor Chapter Three: Douglas

To Douglas, Miss Eleanor seemed fancy and eccentric.

Plus, she really listened to him, and told him many times that he could be whatever he wanted to be.

Miss Eleanor made him feel special.

When she sat with Douglas, Miss Eleanor would bring him pie, and she would tell him stories about the past—the “old days” she liked to call them. She would talk about her family or her childhood pets, or the various trips she took with her family when she was his age. To Douglas, she seemed fancy and eccentric. Plus, she really listened to him, and told him many times that he could be whatever he wanted to be. He even had the courage to tell her about his plans to be a star, which made her chuckle. But he didn’t think she was making fun of him, because she put her hand on his head and ruffled his hair when she did it. Douglas liked it when she did that.

Miss Eleanor made him feel special.

Douglas was almost positive Miss Eleanor didn’t know about his special hiding place because she never mentioned it, and Miss Eleanor usually had something to say about just about everything. She was always talking about things she saw on television and about politics, but she especially liked to talk about the neighbors. Douglas’s mom said Miss Eleanor was a gossip, and the way she said it, he didn’t think that was a good thing. Miss Eleanor didn’t like old lady Martin up the street—she said Miss Martin thought she was too good for everyone. She didn’t like the younger couple, the Darnells, because she thought they weren’t raising their kids right.

She called Mr. and Mrs. Darnell “lazy” and their kids “ne’erdo-wells,” which made Douglas laugh. And she seemed particularly jealous of Miss Lily Herbert’s rose bushes. But she didn’t hate everyone. She loved those men who owned that hair salon, and she said she loved Douglas’s mom and dad, although he thought she was just being polite. And, even though Douglas couldn’t wait to grow up, lose his baby fat, and become famous, he kind of dreaded the day when Miss Eleanor wouldn’t come around anymore.

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Later, after dinner, Douglas went back to his room and just stared at his CD player. His dad had disconnected the speakers, so he couldn’t even listen to it without the headphones.

He was bored, and he was hungry for something sweet. He knew his portable CD player was hidden in that boxwood hedge, along with a full Christmas tin of miniature Snickers bars. He wished he could just go to Miss Eleanor’s and tell her about his fight, or about the “good news,” but he was afraid of Mr. Jimmy. So, after telling his mom he needed to go outside and collect leaves for a science project, he sneaked across the street and headed for the boxwood hedge.

When he got there, he heard Miss Eleanor and Mr. Jimmy arguing again. The window was barely open and he couldn’t make out anything they were saying, no matter how hard he tried. For a second, he thought he could peek in the window, but they were too high off the ground, and he was too short.

The batteries on his portable CD player were dead, so he decided to have a few candy bars. It was getting dark, so he had to fish around with his hand to find the tin, but he finally found it and quietly started to pry the lid off, when suddenly he heard a slap coming from above. Or maybe it was a pop?

It kind of sounded like his old cap gun, and it startled him so much he dropped the Snickers bar in the dirt. Then there was silence. Dead silence.

And, for the second time that day, Douglas thought his heart was going to explode.

Coming in January: writer Sarah Gaede tells us a little more about Eleanor’s early days, growing up in a small Southern town as a child of privilege. We’ll learn all about her first marriage, and gain a little insight into the events that shaped her fifth one. Stay tuned!

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

KATHRYN BOYD RICE A LIFE WELL DESIGNED text by sarah gaede » photos by tera wages

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

If Kathryn Boyd Rice were an ordinary woman, she might have found herself immeshed, like many women of her generation, in the lifestyle glorified by 1950s sitcoms like Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver. In this scenario, Father left his tastefully appointed suburban home for the office after a hot breakfast, and returned just in time for supper at six. Mother stayed at home, kept house, raised the children, supported her husband in his career, and wrestled with what feminist Betty Friedan called “the problem that has no name”—afraid to ask herself the question: “Is this all?”

After World War II, during which women began to experience real autonomy, society seemed to move backwards. Men returning from the war got back to business. Women who had worked to support the war effort were confined to the suburbs with their burgeoning Baby Boom families. Even collegeeducated women bought into the “feminine mystique”—the concept promulgated by Freudians and refuted by Friedan that women were only completely fulfilled by devoting their lives to being housewives and mothers. It took a strong, confident woman to resist the peer pressure of the 1950s. Kathryn Rice managed very well, maybe because her mother worked all her life, but mostly because she has a very strong sense of self. She has been asking “Is this all?” her entire life. And she has always found something new to learn and experience.

Kathryn, known to her friends as Kaki, is an extraordinary woman who has always lived life on her own terms. Her story is like a serial novel with a “you are there” eye witness immediacy, in which our plucky heroine follows her dreams through the ups and downs of the 20th century, often boldly going where few women have gone before. The following account of a well-lived life was gleaned from a long and lively conversation at Kathryn’s dining room table, where I marveled anew at how young in spirit she is, and how liberal, in the broadest and best sense of the word.

Kathryn Boyd was born on Christmas Day 1921 at old St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, to the unceasing sound of Silent Night playing on the carillon at the Baptist church nearby (much to her mother’s annoyance). When Kathryn was in first grade, her father moved the family to West Palm Beach to make his fortune in the Florida land rush, just in time for the real estate bubble to burst.

Within a year they were back in Birmingham, living with her maternal grandparents, who graciously took them in. Kathryn’s father left to find work in California, where he died before making it back to Alabama, leaving a widow and three young children, of whom Kathryn was the eldest.

Below: Margaret Boyd with her three children, Kathryn (far left), Baxter, and Mary (West Palm Beach, Florida, 1926)

When her grandfather, who worked for Southern Railroad, was transferred to Sheffield to become the train master, they all moved to a house on North Montgomery Avenue. On January 21, 1933, right after his inauguration, President Roosevelt came to Muscle Shoals on his private train to announce the TVA project. Eleven-year-old Kathryn viewed the proceedings from the window of her grandfather’s office at the station. She recalls looking out on a sea of men’s hats, and hearing Roosevelt tell those assembled that he was going to put Muscle Shoals

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

on the map. Kathryn graduated from Sheffield High School in 1939. The ceremony was held in a church, because the new high school had nearly burned to the ground in April 1938.

Fortunately, all the students emerged unscathed. Although the Isaac Harris School of Advertising and Design in Nashville tried to recruit Kathryn her junior year, she chose to attend Huntingdon College in Montgomery, where she had lots of fun, but no art classes. After a year, with the encouragement of her mother, she transferred to the art school in Nashville.

With only 30 students and plenty of personalized attention, the school provided a much better foundation for a career in the applied arts. Kathryn especially appreciated learning how to think and problem-solve, skills that have served her in good stead throughout her life.

In Nashville, Kathryn met her first husband, Bill Huckaba, a Navy veteran and graduate of Vanderbilt. When Bill went off to dental school, Kathryn decided to postpone marriage and go to New York City with three of her girlfriends, as she said, to get it out of the way. She flew to NYC, her first flight ever, because she wanted to see the skyline of Manhattan at night. Armed with $100 and her portfolio, she took up residence with her friends in an apartment on the east side of Washington Square and began job hunting. Following the advice of a woman at a large ad agency where she interviewed, Kathryn chose to work at a small agency. Rather than being limited to one account, she had the opportunity to do layouts, design, and photoengraving for all sorts of products, and worked with the top models of the day styling shoots at the big photography studios.

Still strong in her memory is the foggy morning of July 28, 1945. Kathryn had stopped to have her shoes repaired on her way to her office on the seventh floor of the Empire State Building. A B-52 Mitchell bomber, rerouted for landing from LaGuardia to Newark because of the fog, came in slow and low over Manhattan. It swerved to avoid the Chrysler Building and flew straight into the north side of the Empire State Building, near the 79th floor. Thirteen people were killed, including the crew of the plane, but the building stood.

According to Kathryn, New York City was a wonderful place to be in 1945, especially if you were young and filled with energy and enthusiasm. VE Day was celebrated in May, and VJ Day in September. There were big parades every week, with ticker tape, army tanks, returning troops, and once, Charles de Gaulle; theatre openings (standing room was cheap); parties, dances, casual suppers at home; guests from out of town; art museums, fashion, and culture. The city was only quiet on Sunday mornings, when the girls caught up on their sleep.

After two years in New York, Kathryn married Bill and moved with him to Memphis, Bill’s hometown, to set up his dental practice. Kathryn declined to help him in his practice, and instead began working at Merrill Kremer Advertising.

In 1953, she decided she needed to study art history in Europe, and, with Bill’s

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

Kathryn on Wilson Lake, 1940

Kathryn (Boyd) (left) and Aleene Mueller in New York City, boarding the 5th Avenue bus in 1946. These friends would later marry the same man (John Rice). (See photo below.)

Kathryn in New York City (with the Empire State Building in background), when she lived in Greenwich Village, at 14 Washington Place, 1945

One of Kathryn’s favorite photos of herself and John Rice, Mt. Lemon, Arizona, 1998

blessing, signed up for a two-month educational tour of European art, beginning in Pompeii. She counts it as one of the most wonderful experiences of her life. It was the perfect time to visit Europe since the entire continent, not just Great Britain, had been spruced up for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and much of the war damage had been repaired.

Her immersion began on the sail over on the Andrea Doria, a brand-new luxury Italian ocean liner. Kathryn describes the ship as a floating art gallery, with works by such artists as Picasso and Miro, and remembers the food as sublime.

(Three years later, on her 100th crossing, the Andrea Doria sank off the coast of Nantucket because of a fatal design flaw, after being rammed by a Swedish passenger ship in thick fog.)

Her sure eye for cutting-edge design led Kathryn to purchase one of only 300 original 1953 Corvettes, all of which featured a Polo White fiberglass exterior and red leather upholstery.

She loved the car and kept it until 1972. (There is one listed on the Internet right now for $660,000.) In 1954, Kathryn, John Boatright, and Ed Bailey opened one of Memphis’s first design studios, Boatright, Bailey & Huckaba, which operated as the leading studio in Memphis until 1971, and served as a training ground for many young art directors. The office was located on the corner of Main and Madison in Memphis.

From their windows they could observe the Memphis Sanitation strike of 1968, the involvement in which led to Martin Luther King, Jr’s assassination later that year.

Kathryn also counts as one of the great experiences of her life her membership in Memphis’ Wolf River Society for the Prevention of Taking Oneself Too Seriously, an integrated (both race and gender) lunch club founded by Lucius Burch, Jr. Burch, an attorney often described as the most liberal conscience in Memphis, was an avid conservationist and supporter of civil rights. Through him, Kathryn met many key people in the civil rights movement, a cause still dear to her heart.

In 1960, Kathryn and her first husband divorced. As she tells it, they ran out of things to talk about. She wished Bill well, and says he remarried the wife he needed—one more interested in his career than her own.

Kathryn married her second husband, Dimitri Georgiadis, in 1967. Dimitri was head of the international division of Plough Incorporated, a Memphis-based pharmaceutical company. When Plough merged with Schering, they moved to Montclair, New Jersey, where Kathryn found the only contemporary house in a sea of Colonials, much to the envy of her friends. After 25 years of design work in Memphis, Kathryn took the opportunity to study sculpture at Montclair

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Kathryn in her brand new Chevrolet Corvette, purchased in Memphis. She drove the car until 1970, when she sold it to a UT medical student. (1953)

A newspaper featuring fashions Kathryn (Huckaba) designed using awning canvas. (1952)

A photo of the officers of the art directors club (Memphis).

Kathryn (seated) was the only female member. (1957)

Kathryn and featured speaker Paul Rand Dixon (FTC chairman) after the Advertising Club of Memphis lunch meeting, where she was awarded Advertising Woman of the Year. (1961)

Kathryn (Memphis, 1962)

Kathryn (far right) with members of Wolf River Society, September 1968, Memphis.

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

IT TOOK A STRONG, CONFIDENT WOMAN TO RESIST THE PEER PRESSURE OF THE 1950S.

State—she says she wanted to work in three dimensions after all those years of print work. Her instructor, who happened to be from Memphis, introduced her to many of the top New York artists, much to her delight.

After two years in New Jersey, Dimitri was transferred to Toronto. Kathryn was invited to share a sculpture studio with some friends, but realized she didn’t want to schlep all the heavy sculpting materials up the stairs. So she took up jewelry making—sculpture on a small scale—at George Brown College of Applied Art, where she studied chemistry, metallurgy, enameling, and design, all of which are evident in her jewelry.

Five years later, Dimitri was offered a position in Mexico City, heading up a pharmaceutical plant owned by Vicks.

He and Kathryn weren’t sure about moving to Mexico, but they checked it out, and it looked like fun, so they went.

That seems to have been her modus operandi throughout her life—it looks like it could be fun, so why not? Kathryn says she learned a lot about people in Mexico, including the sense of entitlement and bad manners prevalent in the upper classes there. Her time there only increased her passion for justice and dignity for all people, which is often reflected in her art.

During her time in Mexico, Kathryn spent a good amount of time in San Miguel de Allende, a colonial city three hours from Mexico City full of foreign retirees, writers, tourists, and, most important, artists. She continued her studies in sculpture and painting, and worked on perfecting her Spanish. She didn’t think it was polite to expect the natives to interpret her broken attempts at their language.

In 1983, Kathryn and Dimitri decided they needed to find a place to settle in the United States. Kathryn went on a reconnaissance tour of the Southwest for possible locations, and settled on Tucson for its geography, climate, diversity, and art scene. While she supervised the construction of their house, Dimitri stayed in Mexico. As sometimes happens in a long-distance relationship, they ended up parting ways, so

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

that Dimitri never made it to Arizona. But they remained friends, and Kathryn is grateful for all the adventures she had with him.

At that point, going back to work at a design agency would have meant learning to do everything on computers rather than by hand, so Kathryn kept on with her studies in fine art, including designing a commemorative pin to mark the 1986 apparition of Halley’s Comet for the Tucson planetarium gift shop. Always eager to learn something new, she took courses in history and literature at the University of Arizona. She also busied herself with volunteer work in the arts, and with social justice causes.

After her divorce, Kathryn determined not to remarry anyone she didn’t already know, as she felt she was too old to learn a new person’s entire life history. She had known John Rice, a physician in Florence, since high school in Sheffield. He had married one of her best friends, Aleene Mueller, who was with her on the New York adventure. As Aleene was dying, she told John, “I think you should get married again, and I think you should marry Kaki.” The friends had kept in touch over the years, so Kathryn invited John to visit her in Tucson.

They hit it off so well they decided to heed Aleene’s advice.

Kathryn moved back to Florence in 1994, and began to take painting classes from Elizabeth Walters. John built a studio on the end of their mid-century modern house, where she continues to create art, still trying new things to see how they turn out. Because she believes art should be shared, and because she is at the age when most people begin to divest themselves of possessions, she recently donated many of her pieces to the Tennessee Valley Art Association. They are featured in the museum’s current special exhibition, Form and Substance. The exhibit includes her stunning jewelry and small sculptures, and works from other artists she has collected over many years. The exhibit is a visual testimony to a remarkable woman who has never settled for the status quo, but has always looked forward, with anticipation, to the next adventure.

“To Better Serve Your Lending Needs, First Federal Welcomes Susan Beckett, Branch Manager And Cyndee Oliver, Loan Officer”

Susan

Cyndee

760-3570 www.1stfedmortgage.com “Not Pictured”

Somer Phillips

FIRST FEDERAL MORTGAGE

Lending Assistant

Natalie Cochran

Florence, l Alabama l b

Loan Officer

MEMBER

FDIC

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

text by allen tomlinson » photos by abraham rowe additional photos by robert rausch

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

Neal Wright knows a little something about rugs. The son of Bill and Millie Wright, and the fourth generation of a family whose hand-knotted Oriental rug business included “The Flying Carpet,” Neal grew up surrounded by beautiful rugs and learned about their history, their artistry, and their care. It was natural that he would follow his family into the rug business, eventually beginning his own business cleaning and repairing them, even becoming a member of a Textile Professional Network and an expert in wool rugs.

What people might not know is that Neal also knows a little something about wooden canoes and kayaks. Neal has always had a fascination for wood, and the beauty and nature of wood hold a fascination for him. “Milling a tree is like unwrapping a Christmas present,” he said. “Each one is a joy to unwrap.”

In 1999, on his honeymoon in Victoria, British Columbia, Neal saw a stripwood canoe for the very first time…and he was smitten. “It was heartbreakingly beautiful,” he said, “so I eventually enrolled in a course in Brooklin, Maine, at the Wooden Boat School, to learn how to make them for myself.” The course, taught by some of the world’s foremost experts on boat building, equipped Neal with the knowledge of how to work wood and sculpt beautiful watercraft that are both functional and works of art.

Neal’s first canoe took about 200 hours to complete. The canoe, made of spruce pine, black walnut, and western cedar strips, is sealed in epoxy and fiberglass to make it float without leaking. The core of the canoe is a wooden beam, made of white oak for strength, and almost 20 feet long. Cleats are attached to the beam to make a form, and Neal uses the form as a base to place the quarter inch strips before sanding the wood to get it ready for the stain and epoxy. The wood is stained, and then sealed. After the wood has been sealed, there is more sanding involved to create the final project.

The final piece is stunningly beautiful. The wooden strips give the canoe an interesting pattern of color, and the attention to detail is evident. “The more attention you pay to the little details on the front end, the less finishing you have to do at the back end,” said Neal. “And this process allows for lots of customization possibilities. We can seal in leaves, handprints, and other pieces that make the boat very personal to the owner.”

You might worry that a piece of art this beautiful might not actually be for use in the water—but that is definitely NOT the case. “These are meant to be used,”

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

“Milling a tree is like unwrapping a Christmas present.

Each one is a joy to unwrap.”

said Neal, “and the more you use them, the better they get.

It’s best to keep them under cover when they are out of the water, and you may need to re-varnish them occasionally, but there is no reason why these canoes can’t last a lifetime.”

Neals’ goal is to make about a dozen of these a year, and he wants to concentrate on making them out of native woods.

Walnut, eastern cedar, sweetgum, and white oak are his preferred woods, and his property in Petersville is devoted to rug cleaning in the front and wood storage and curing in the back. He even has planing equipment, so he can take the trees and logs and create his own strips, so that everything is produced in-house. He’s not just interested in creating canoes; kayaks are part of the plan, as well.

What in the world do rugs and stripΔ122wood boats have in common? Craftsmanship, according to Neal, and history.

“Every tree has a story, and every rug has a history,” he said.

The idea that he can take a tree that has stood for a hundred or more years and craft that wood into a family heirloom that can be enjoyed for a hundred more appeals to him. It’s

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

© Robert Rausch

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

“Every tree has a story, and every rug has a history.”

even better that these works of art are meant to be used, just as rugs are meant to be walked on (and actually become more beautiful with use).

Neal’s eventual plan is to make Wood and Wool, his business on Cloverdale Road, into a gathering place for people who appreciate the craft of creating beautiful things from wood.

The front will become a showroom for rugs and wooden objects, with the rug cleaning area behind, and woodworking in the back. He also hopes to offer seminars and gathering spaces for those who want to gather to compare notes and learn from one another about the creative process. It will be a maker’s space for anyone who wants to share ideas and share their love of things made of wood and things made of wool.

In the meantime, you are likely to find Neal in the back of this shop, adding strips to a canoe or kayak, or carefully selecting the wood that will become his next boat. “Boat making has a long history,” he said, “starting with the old dugout canoes that were hand carved out of a single log.” Some of those dugouts have lasted for centuries; Neal is working to create something just as timeless.

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

• • • PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND NONPROFITS! • • •

News, classical music and more 88.7 FM Muscle Shoals • 100.7 FM Huntsville www.apr.org november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

kudos

If you want to share some good news about a friend, neighbor, or colleague—or even toot your own horn—send your kudos to roy@noalastudios.com.

122 »

by roy hall

Shoals Hospital CEO

© Southeast Tourism Society

Lef to right: Suzie Shoemaker, Alison Stanfield, Debbie Wilson, Georgia Turner, and Chuck Bonelli

Shining a Light on the Shoals It’s been a fall full of honors and milestones for Florence/Lauderdale Tourism. On September 9, the department was recognized as Office of the Year for organizations with a budget under $2 million by The Southeast Tourism Society, which represents tourism associations across 12 member states.

One week later, Alabama Mountain Lakes, representing the travel industry across 16 northernmost counties, named Florence/Lauderdale Tourism Assistant Director Alison Stanfield its Tourism Professional of the Year.

And in the final week of the month, Tourism welcomed a new director, Rob Carnegie.

Carnegie comes to Florence from Kingston, Ontario, where he served as Director of Tourism Kingston for 10 years. As Director of Tourism Kingston, Carnegie oversaw the coordination and execution in multiple Rob Carnegie tourism industry segments including Leisure/Consumer, Meetings & Conferences, Travel Trade, Sport Tourism, Travel Media, Tourism Attraction, and Visitor Services.

“We conducted a national search for the new hospital leader and are confident that Kidada is the right person to lead Shoals going forward,” according to Rob Jay, COO for RegionalCare Hospital Partners. “He has had great success in recruiting physicians and developing service lines to allow the hospital to best meet the needs of the community.”

Southern Eating Southern Living convened a panel of top chefs and asked them to name their very favorite restaurants from across the South. Included in the Top 30 eateries from Texas to Maryland and Florida to Missouri, our very own Odette.

Editors credit Chef Josh Quick’s “fresh, forward thinking” menu, and “a creative craft cocktail menu that rivals any in the South” for the Court Street landmark’s high placement.

© Patrick Hood

“It’s a great privilege to be part of this vibrant community in the Shoals area and join the team that is doing such great work in this destination”, says Carnegie. “There is so much happening right now and so many opportunities ahead as well.”

Shoals Hospital has a new CEO. Kidada Hawkins comes to Shoals Hospital from Birmingham, where he served as Administrator of Rural Health Operations for St. Vincent’s Health System.

A graduate of Atlanta’s Morehouse College with a bachelor’s Kidada Hawkins in Biology and UAB’s masters program in Healthcare Administration and Business, Hawkins is uniquely positioned to lead Shoals Hospital into its exciting new future.

And the Beats Goes On Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, the birthplace of some of the most influential music in popular music history, has been given a new lease on life. Thanks to a grant from audio giant Beats, the former home of the Swampers will close to visitors through the summer while the iconic studio is returned to its former glory. The Sheffield studio will re-open in late 2015 for recording sessions and tours, resuming its rightful place as incubator of a whole new generation of musicians.

In a press release, Muscle Shoals Music Foundation Chairperson Judy Hood says the foundation has also purchased land behind the studio to be developed later as museum space or as a performance venue.

© Patrick Hood

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

• • • PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND NONPROFITS! • • •

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

• • • PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND NONPROFITS! • • •

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

126 »

the vine » Amy C. Collins Where Burgundy’s vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts, Bordeaux’s vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine.

BORDEAUX POWER The city of Bordeaux is France’s primary port town on the Atlantic ocean, a harbor that has for centuries served as the country’s most important dock. The region’s history is long and storied, with the first written reference to the area dated 379 A.D. by the Latin poet Ausonius, who was also a wine-grower. Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married England’s soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet, and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English, a connection that remains strong even today.

Bordeaux produces the world’s most expensive and sought after collector wines, the top tier of which make up less than five percent of the region’s total production. These names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression: Chateau Haut-Brion, Lafite, Latour and Margaux, for example. Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea level—in contrast, vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 meters—these wines are some of the most powerful, austere, and pawed over. When young, the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag, and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars. These are wines built to live for decades. Personally, I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged, when the tannins have had ample time to calm d down, and mellow out, and more nuanced flavors come forward. Sounds fancy, and it is. Only in some ve very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Ém Saint-Émilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion. About once every 10 years I’ve had the good fortune to taste a wine older than myself. Nice work if you can get it.

Where Burgundy’s vineyards (France’s other classified, sought-after region) were established

by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts, es Bordeaux’s vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine. This underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans, more often American males, are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux. There’s an a inherent capitalist connection, something in the soil. That the wines are so unmistakable, so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifies the first half un of m my theory: we Americans are not known for our subtlety. (To be fair, the Chinese are significant Bordeaux collectors as well.)

Philosophy aside, Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare finds out of the populace’s price range. Here’s the skinny: Blending is the game; single varietal wines are rare. White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon, and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle, ugni blanc, or colombard. Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot, malbec, and carmenère occasionally in the mix. The region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened sémillon, sauvignon blanc, and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot, a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside, leaving behind rich, sweet grapes without moldy flavors. Chateau d’Yquem is the most famous of these unfortified dessert wines, though there are better bargains from the region.

Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river, which divides the region into three general areas. The left bank, also known as the Haut-Médoc, is where the classified top growths are situated. These prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855, a decision nearly unchanged since.

Today, serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures, theoretically locking down lower prices of top

growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar. It’s the wine trade’s equivalent to the NASDAQ. On the right bank, Saint-Émilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuvées. To the south west we find Graves, where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings. Entre-Deux-Mers, which translates to “between two seas,” sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites.

Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values.

Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014, Graves 75% sémillon, 20% sauvignon blanc, and 5% muscadelle make up this beauty that’s consistently delicious every vintage. Crisp and refreshing, great with seafood.

Chateau Mirambeau 2014, Graves Another classic blend of 40% sauvignon blanc, 40% sémillon, and 20% muscadelle, this lovely white is a bit more floral than the Graville-Lacoste. Easy drinking and great value.

Chateau de Parenchère Bordeaux Rouge 2011 55% merlot, 30% cabernet sauvignon, and 15% cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils, similar to the right bank of the region. Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit.

Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supérieur 2011 Supérieur on a Bordeaux label isn’t egotistical marketing— by law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren. What it really means is one more degree of body, structure, and, in this case, quality. Approachable, delicious, and easy on the wallet.

Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Médoc 2005 The 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks. Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac, one of the more choice growing areas in the region, this is an incredible value, a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost.

Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011 Ripe cantaloupe, apricot, and honey, and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity. A dessert wine that won’t overpower the dessert.

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

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

128 »

food for thought » Recipes

Ahi Tuna Pokē

Butternut Squash and Ricotta Crostini

Yumm Thai Sushi and Beyond—Paul Visuthikosol

The Wild Lilly—Jenifer Rogers

• • • • • • • •

• 1 medium butternut squash, unpeeled, halved

• • • •

1/2 package wonton skins—about 24 1 tablespoon canola oil, or as much as needed 16 ounces ahi tuna 6 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon Japanese chili powder (buy on Amazon) 1 teaspoon sesame oil 3 scallions, divided into green and white sections and sliced 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 red onion, julienned 1/2 ripe avocado, diced 3 large mint leaves, chopped

To turn wontons into chips the easy, low-fat way: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 20 wonton wrappers with 1/2 tablespoon canola oil; flip and repeat. Cut diagonally in half and spread on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees until golden, about 10 minutes.

Let cool until crisp. Can be done a day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

To sear tuna: Remove tuna from refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking. Dry with paper towels. Heat a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat until smoking. Spray surface lightly with cooking spray if you think it’s necessary. Sear tuna 1 minute per side, or until just browned. You just want to sear the outside, not cook the inside. Remove from heat and cool. Cut into 1/4-inch dice.

• • • • • • • • •

lengthwise, seeds removed 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese (part-skim is an acceptable substitute) Zest of one lemon Salt and pepper One long baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter—don’t feel compelled to use it all Fried sage leaves (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place squash cut-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until brown spots appear and flesh is soft, about 30-45 minutes. Cool. Scrape squash from skins and place in a food processor with brown sugar and spices, and purée until smooth. You may have to add 1-2 tablespoons water to make a spreadable consistency.

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet over low heat. Dip the bread slices in the butter and place on a baking sheet.

Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees until crisp and golden brown, about five minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Combine soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, sesame oil, sliced white bottoms of scallions, garlic, and red onion in a non-reactive mixing bowl. Fold diced tuna into sauce.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Before serving, pile tuna on wontons and garnish with diced avocado, mint leaves, and sliced green scallion tops.

To assemble, spread crostini with cheese mixture, spread a small spoonful of squash purée on top, and top with a fried sage leaf.

Walnut Crusted Goat Cheese Balls

Fried Sage Leaves

The Wild Lilly—Jenifer Rogers

The Wild Lilly—Jenifer Rogers

• • • • •

• 1/2 cup canola oil, to make 1/2-inch depth in pan • 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves separated from stems

8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped 2 tablespoons honey, divided Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped

In a bowl, combine goat cheese, rosemary, and 1 tablespoon honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. With your hands, roll into bite-size balls; roll each ball in chopped walnuts. Place on a parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheet or tray. Chill until ready to serve. To serve, place balls on platter and drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon honey over. Garnish with rosemary if desired.

Heart healthy: Use reduced-fat ricotta. Brush crostini lightly with olive oil rather than dipping in butter.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough that drops of water sizzle when sprinkled into the oil, add the sage leaves. Fry about 15 seconds, turning with tongs or slotted spoon. (Do not brown; they will become bitter.) Transfer to a paper towellined plate. Leaves will crisp as they cool. Fried sage will keep up to 2 days in a tightly closed container at room temperature.

Holiday Spritzer The Wild Lilly—Jenifer Rogers • One 750-milliliter bottle sauvignon blanc (Wild Lilly uses New Harbor) • 1 1/2 cups St. Germain elderflower liqueur • 1/4 cup Grand Marnier • 4 ounces club soda

• Fresh raspberries, halved orange slices, and rosemary sprigs for garnish Mix together in a pitcher right before serving; serve in rocks glasses over ice. Garnish each glass with a raspberry, orange slice, and rosemary sprig. Serves at least 6. Enjoy cautiously!

Green Tea Martini Yumm Thai Sushi and Beyond—Paul Visuthikosol • • • • •

2 ounces Hendricks gin 1 ounce Grand Marnier 4 ounces freshly brewed Japanese green tea, chilled 1 ounce simple syrup (Google the simple recipe) European cucumber spears

Shake gin, Grand Marnier, green tea and simple syrup over ice. Strain into a cold martini glass. Garnish with a cucumber spear.

Makes 1 large or 2 small drinks

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup Red Clay Epicurian—Alan Phillips • 1 large or 2 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds) • 1 tablespoon oil (olive, coconut, canola, etc.)

• 2 medium Vidalia or other sweet onions, peeled and chopped • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed • 2 quarts (8 cups) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock • Salt and freshly ground white pepper or cayenne pepper to taste • 1 tablespoon butter, optional • 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk, optional • Sour cream, crème fraîche, grated nutmeg, roasted pumpkin seeds, or whatever you like as a garnish Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut unpeeled squash in half lengthwise; scrape out seeds. Place cut-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until brown spots appear and flesh is soft, about 30-45 minutes.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Sauté onions, carrots, and ginger over medium heat until onions are translucent and carrots are soft, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add cinnamon and coriander and cook 1 minute. Add stock and bring to a boil; turn heat to a simmer. Scrape out the flesh of the roasted squash and add it carefully to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from heat, cool 5 minutes, and purée with an immersion blender or in small batches in a food processor or regular blender. Add salt and pepper to taste; add stock or water if consistency is too thick. Soup may be made ahead and refrigerated at this point. To finish, heat soup to a simmer, add optional butter and cream or coconut milk, and mix well. Garnish as desired. Serves 6-8

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

130 »

food for thought » Recipes

Holiday Salad Sweet Basil Café—Katrina Hudson • • • •

5 ounces baby spinach or any mixed salad greens 1 cup pomegranate seeds (Publix) 1/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped 1 or 2 navel oranges, peeled and sectioned, or 4 clementines, peeled and sliced • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese, blue cheese, or feta

Heart Healthy Orange Vinaigrette Sweet Basil Café—Katrina Hudson • • • • • •

1/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange or clementine juice 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine orange or clementine juice, salt, pepper, lemon juice, oil, and mustard in a small jar. Shake vigorously to combine.

Pour over salad mixture and toss. Serves 4.

Braised Short Ribs Odette—Josh Quick • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

4 8-ounce boneless beef short ribs 1 tablespoon flour 1/4 cup canola or olive oil 2 cups large-diced yellow onions 2 stalks celery, sliced 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal 1/2 cup large-diced fennel root 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup hardy red wine, such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 6 bay leaves Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup roughly chopped Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim excess fat from short ribs; season meat liberally with salt and pepper; sprinkle evenly with flour. In a cast-iron Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat until it just starts to smoke. Brown beef, turning until evenly browned on all sides. Remove meat from pot; pour all but 1 tablespoon oil into a heatproof bowl, and discard. Return pot to heat; add vegetables and sauté until lightly browned. Add chicken stock and wine, scraping bottom of pot to get up browned bits.

Add tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce; whisk until smooth. Return meat to pot; add herbs. Cover pot and cook in oven for 2 to 3 hours, until meat is fork tender.

Check halfway through to make sure there is still enough liquid; if not, add enough stock or water.

For more depth of flavor and less fat, prepare a day in advance. Remove pot from oven and cool. Place covered

pot in refrigerator overnight; fat will rise to the top and can be easily removed. To serve, remove hardened fat and bay leaves, reheat gently, and check seasoning.

Garnish with parsley. Serve with polenta. Serves 4.

Polenta Odette—Josh Quick • 2 cups whole milk (2% is okay; don’t use skim milk) • 2 cups water • 1 cup fine polenta or yellow grits (not instant)— Bob’s Red Mill is good • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened Bring milk and water to a simmer in a large, heavy pot.

Whisk in polenta, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until creamy and tender. Whisk in parmesan and butter and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Note: According to Food Network, polenta can be made a couple of hours ahead and reheated. Pour into a microwave-proof dish while still hot and cover with plastic wrap. Right before serving, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, re-cover dish, and reheat in the microwave over low heat. Whisk well before serving.

Apple-Caramel and Peppermint-Nutella Tarts Woodpecker Café—Tashina Southard Moon Tart Dough • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature • 1/2 cup sugar • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 large egg yolk • 1 1/2 cups cake flour, plus extra for dusting • Dash of salt, optional Cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and light in color. Add egg yolk and blend until smooth (1-2 minutes). Add flour all at once, and mix on low speed or by hand with a wooden spoon. Dough should be crumbly. Press dough together, divide into four equal-sized balls, flatten into disks, wrap individually with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes To roll out dough: Remove 1 ball of dough from the refrigerator, place on a lightly floured surface, and dust lightly with flour to keep rolling pin from sticking. Roll into a circle roughly 6 inches in diameter. Gently lift dough and press lightly into pan. Trim edges by rolling the pin over the edges. Patch any holes or thin spots with extra dough. Repeat with remaining dough and tart pans.

Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Caramel-Apple Tarts • • • •

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon flour 2 Gala or Braeburn apples, cored, thinly sliced (no need to peel); slices cut in half crosswise • Caramel Sauce • 4 prepared tart shells • Chopped toasted walnuts or almonds, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine sugars and flour. Toss apple slices in mixture. Spread 1 tablespoon Caramel Sauce in the bottom of each unbaked tart shell. Arrange apple slices artistically on top. Drizzle a small amount of caramel sauce on the top of each tart. Place filled tart shells on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges of tarts are golden.

Garnish with almonds or walnuts. To gild the lily, drizzle the dessert plate with caramel sauce before placing the tart on top, and add a small scoop of Talenti Caramel Apple Pie gelato.

Caramel Sauce • • • • •

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar 2/3 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt

In a heavy saucepan melt butter and sugar together and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 2 minutes, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Add cream and cook, stirring constantly, for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt.

Cool completely before using.

Peppermint-Nutella Tarts • • • •

1 cup Nutella 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup crushed peppermints, plus extra for garnish 4 prepared tart shells

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Note: Crush peppermints in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or wine bottle.) Mix together Nutella and cream. Fold in 1/4 cup crushed peppermint. Divide filling equally among tarts. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until edges of tarts are golden. Garnish with crushed peppermint. A pouf of freshly whipped cream on the side couldn’t hurt.

Wine Pairings Wine Seller—Jennifer Highfield With Butternut Squash Soup Vivanco Viura-Malvasía Tempranillo Blanco Rioja With Braised Short Ribs Bourgogne Pinot Noir Louis Latour With Apple Tarts Lions de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

132 »

back talk

Rick Hall answers a few.

Back Talk is our way of catching up with local notables.

We ask them about their likes and dislikes; their fondest memories and biggest regrets; what makes them tick, and what ticks them off.

Talking back in this issue: music legend and Fame Records impresario, Rick Hall What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Being in good health and with my family What is your proudest achievement?

My three sons Were you ever star struck?

No. I always thought I was the star! :-) What is your greatest fear?

Returning to poverty Which living person do you most admire?

Dr. Bob Pittman and my lifelong friend Karl Engemann If you could assemble the perfect dream team of writers, producers, singers, and musicians, living or dead, who would it be?

Lots of songwriters!! Mac Davis, Paul Anka, Mac McAnally, Walt Aldridge, and I’d probably let Elvis sing. :-) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

My temper What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Tolerance, especially of mediocrity When and where were you happiest?

On the beach with my wife Linda If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

To lose weight What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Becoming a Christian Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Superman Who are your heroes in real life?

Bear Bryant, George Patton

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

november/december  | noalastudios.com | 

134 »

parting shot » Rachel Neal

MOONSHINE

 | noalastudios.com | november/december 

The only thing better than being home for the holidays is being in your own home. First Southern Bank has been helping Shoals area families finance their own homes for more than eight decades. Can we help you?

Our recently updated Mortgage Section on our website (www.firstsouthern.com) allows you to check rates, apply online, and even become pre-qualified!

Visit www.firstsouthern.com and get started on home ownership. When it comes to the holidays - or any other time - there’s no place like a home of your own!

Muscle Shoals: (256) 718-4242 • Ford City: (256) 718-4255 • Florence: (256) 718-4200 • Killen: (256) 718-4273 • St. Florian: (256) 718-4282 MEMBER FDIC www.firstsouthern.com november/december | noalastudios.com | 

The Joy of Christmas It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

As you and your family make your plans for this special time, call on us for any of your pharmaceutical needs. Our wish, from the Milner Rushing Family to yours, is for a joyous celebration this Christmas, and for

happiness and good health in the coming year.

Merry Christmas from the people you know and trust. Familiar Faces, Expert Care — Milner-Rushing!

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: 869 Florence Blvd. , Florence: (256) 764-4700 202 West Avalon Ave., Muscle Shoals: (256) 386-5220 2602 Hough Road , Florence: (256) 740-5515 www.mrdrugs.com  | noalastudios.com | november/december 