From the Editor

ON THE COVER

Mobile Mission

Toni Vines is moving forward spearheading a vision for a bus that will act as a mobile grocery store that will visit food deserts in the Birmingham area as a part of Mercy Deliverance Ministries. Photo by Kathryn Bell Design by Connor Martin-Lively II was driving through Cahaba Heights today and noticing just how many businesses I was passing—and just how many people own and work inside them. That also got me thinking about how many houses are in the neighborhoods behind them, and how it’s just one subset of Vestavia Hills. Some days this city of ours feels very much like a small town, but others its population of 34,000-plus overwhelms me a bit by just how many people that really is. I find, though, with each issue of this magazine that number feels smaller and more intimate as I meet new people and get to share their stories. This go-round that meant connecting with Terry Wright about his family’s history in Cahaba Heights now seven generations deep, and later talking with his granddaughter Lily Von Kanel about what that history has come to mean to her going to the same school where her mom and grandfather did. It also meant sitting down to coffee outside with Toni Vines to hear the story of Mercy Deliverance Ministries and deep diving on the ministry’s website to learn about all they have done and been inspired to do in a short time. It meant a visit to the Varmas’ house and learning about how they ended up in Birmingham from Mumbai and New Dehli as their kids enthusiastically toured our photographer Lauren Ustad and me around their house. And it also meant that I’ve been craving cookies since I talked with the owners of the new Crumbl bakery opening in Vestavia City Center about their flavors and baking process. Although technically freelancer writer Katie Doyle wrote about Moon Taxi and their Vestavia Hills roots, I too feel a certain sort of kinship with them as I listen to songs like “Two High” and “Morroco” knowing most of their band spent their high school years in the areas that are so familiar to me. Likewise, after reading Christiana Roussel’s profile on Alexandra Stone Flowers, it was like I too had sat down with her to talk about her family’s farm and relationships with one another, and her tips and tricks for entertaining. I can’t even begin to list out all the people behind the businesses represented in our list of Vestavia Hills’ Best winners for 2021, but I hope as you look through them you make note of new local establishments you want to try and/or return to. Our community has a wealth of them we drive past every day—to bring this editor’s note full circle. Thanks for reading, and I always love to hear ideas from you of who and what we should feature in future issues!

madoline.markham@vestaviahillsmagazine.com