Aldridge Gardens

Thank A Vet! Hoover’s 2020 Salute To Veterans

Hoover’s Veterans’ Week will begin Sunday, November 8, from 2-4pm, at the Aldridge Gardens’ Pavilion. This annual week-long event recognizes Hoover citizens’ military service for our country, and instills community-wide patriotism, appreciation, and respect for all branches of the U.S. Armed Services.

This year, we will recognize and honor the 2020 Hoover Chamber of Commerce Freedom Award recipient, Lt. Col Ginger Branson, U.S. Army (Ret) along with 5 deserving Hoover Veterans for their military service, sacrifice, and dedication, with a flag folding ceremony. These flags were flown over the State Capital in Montgomery and the Veterans will also receive a certificate signed by the Governor.

We as a Community, State, and Nation should always remember and honor our nation’s Veterans for their unselfish deeds and bravery, for protecting and securing our great nation and for ensuring our incredible way of life. Join us for activities honoring those who bravely served our country!

Every season I say this is my favorite at Aldridge Gardens, but Fall really is my favorite season anywhere, especially at our beautiful Gardens.

October historically brings perfect weather for all of our many outdoor events. If you are joining our early morning Birdwatching Club or our Nordic Walking Group or just meeting your coffee club under the trees by the lake, Aldridge Gardens in October is the place to be.

Aldridge Gardens is proud to announce that the Gardens is now part of the Appalachian Highlands Birding Trail section of the Alabama Birding Trail. There have been over 100 species of birds identified in the Gardens and the numbers continue to grow. Our members-only guided bird walks are offered on the third Saturday of each month from March through November and are under the guidance of Dr. Richard Ryel and his wife Patricia. Our Bird Walks are extremely popular and space is limited, so become an Aldridge Gardens member today and sign up for these exciting walks.

The annual Taste of Hoover is planned for the evening of October 8, from 5- 8 pm on the 31 acres of Aldridge Gardens. All activities are outside so we hope everyone will join us to experience our wonderful Hoover restaurants and caterers. Visit our website for ticket information www.aldridgegardens.com.

Holiday plans are on everyone’s minds, planning events, and shopping. Our outdoor Pavilion is the perfect venue for a winter wonderland Christmas party with ample space to spread out, and the Aldridge Home is also a beautiful venue to host your event in as well. And don’t forget our annual Gifts of Art, scheduled for December 3 from 10am to 6pm. Check our website regularly for artist and time updates!

Memberships, engraved pavers and gift certificates to our Roots Gift Shop all make excellent gifts for the Holiday season and also support beautiful Aldridge Gardens as well.

Thank you to everyone for your support throughout the year of Aldridge Gardens, we continue to grow and flourish because of you.

Happy Fall.

READ THIS BOOK

The Thrill of It All

Recommendations from Chandra Sparks Splond Editor, Speaker, Author & Blogger Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Fall festivals and Halloween activities abound, my family and I celebrate my daughter’s birthday, and the weather turns crisp, which makes it the perfect time to snuggle under the covers reading a great book or two. In celebration of the season, here are a few books sure to give you chills. To keep up with more of my book recommendations, read my blog at blackfictionaddiction.com, and to learn more about books I have written check out chandrasparkssplond.com/books/.

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Billed as Rear Window meets Get Out, Cole’s first thriller is one of the most anticipated releases for fall.

Brooklyn-born and raised Sydney Green is about to find out that gentrification is taking on a sinister new meaning. Suddenly, For Sale signs are popping up overnight, and lifelong neighbors are moving to the suburbs. Is it all a coincidence or some kind of conspiracy? Sydney finds an unlikely assistant, but can they trust each other—and themselves—long enough to see if they too will disappear?

Thunderland by Brandon Massey

Thunderland was Massey’s debut novel. Not only will it have you terrified to go to sleep, but it will also have you craving everything he’s written. Days after a devastating gale rips through his town, nearly taking his life, Jason Brooks wakes up to a whole new world, and then the nightmares start and strange things begin to happen. Cryptic messages are appearing on the bathroom mirror, clothing flies across the room, and there’s always thunder roaring in the distance. It seems someone—or something—is coming for Jason.

The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello

This “unputdownable psychological thriller” is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller for good reason.

It will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end with twists and turns you never see coming.

When Caroline Thompson Googles herself out of curiosity, she discovers she has a life—and a twin sister—of which she has no memory. Hurled into a state of paranoia that wrecks her family, Caroline is determined to prove the things she’s found out are false before someone discovers they’re actually true.

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

This classic thriller helped to make Patterson a household name. This is the first book of Patterson’s popular

Alex Cross series, which introduces homicide detective Alex Cross who is dealing with every parent’s worst nightmare: Gary Soneji. The serial killer who is at the top of his game has outsmarted the FBI, Secret Service and the police thanks to his determination to commit the crime of the century. He’s about to become Alex Cross’ worse nightmare, and by the end of the book, he’ll probably be yours too.

Anybody’s Daughter by Pamela Samuels Young

Young has several legal series that use her background as an attorney and anti-trafficking advocate to bring the stories to life. In Anybody’s Daughter, which is part of her Dre Thomas series, 13-year-old Brianna Walker has decided to sneak off to meet her first real boyfriend whom she met on Facebook. Imagine her surprise when she realizes he doesn’t exist. Imagine their surprise when her captives realize they’ve targeted the wrong girl. Dre Thomas, Brianna’s uncle, is determined to end this nightmare and bring his niece home before it’s too late.

SCHOOL & SPORTS

REGAINING CONTROL Hoover student Lauren Harding-Smith hasn’t let epilepsy get in the way of her running—or life in general.

BY EMILY SPARACINO PHOTOS BY KEITH MCCOY

HHoover High School junior Lauren Harding-Smith was going to breakfast on the last morning of her family’s spring break ski trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2019 with nothing more on her mind than the time she had logged on the slopes that week. Her father, Alistair, was feeling relieved everyone had made it through the trip uninjured. But as they checked in at the restaurant, he noticed Lauren didn’t respond to a question, an incident he initially dismissed as Lauren being absent-minded as a 15-year-old still on vacation. It had been a busy week. They sat at a table and started giving the waitress their orders. That’s when the confusion set in for Lauren. “I kept missing parts of her sentence,” she says. “I couldn’t hear it.” Lauren’s eyelids began to flutter, which her brother noticed and pointed out to 26 October/November 2020 their dad. “It became clearer that she was not fully there and responding,” Alistair says. “When the waitress noticed, I became concerned, but thought it was just oxygen.”

Oxygen. That had to be the issue. Oxygen levels are lower than normal at ski resorts like those in Salt Lake City, leading some people to experience symptoms of altitude sickness. Maybe that’s what had happened to Lauren, he thought, until one of the paramedics tending to Lauren mentioned his daughter’s experience with seizures and that he recognized similarities between hers and Lauren’s symptoms. All of a sudden, the gravity of the situation set in. Alistair took the paramedic’s advice and approved for Lauren to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. About 10 minutes before they arrived, Lauren had a grand mal seizure – a type of

Running has been a constant in Lauren Harding-Smith’s life since she was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2019.

“It’s easy to not be logical when you’re nervous. The what-ifs … that was the most difficult part.” - Lauren Harding-Smith

seizure involving loss of consciousness and muscle contractions.

Lauren’s memory of her hospital stay is foggy, but her diagnosis cut through the haze: juvenile absence epilepsy. When her family arrived home, they set up an appointment at Children’s of Alabama for further testing. Lauren had an electroencephalogram, or EEG, done to record her brain activity and determine what was triggering her seizures. She wasn’t sensitive to lights, but she did react to hyperventilation and oxygen changes. That explained her seizures in Salt Lake City.

“The event of her grand mal seizure was shocking and frightening to say the very least, but having a quick and accurate diagnosis for her condition was a real relief,” says Lauren’s mother Daphne HardingSmith. “Even though there are so many types of

A COMMUNITY OF SUPPORT

Since her diagnosis last year, Lauren has become involved with the Hooverbased Epilepsy Foundation of Alabama, a chapter of the national Epilepsy Foundation of America that develops and implements programs and services for people with epilepsy. She has been able to connect with others her age coping with epilepsy and learn about the Foundation’s efforts to promote research. “Also, one thing the Epilepsy Foundation is really pushing is for the ability of not just nurses to be able to administer the anti-seizure meds,” Alistair says. “It really does not need a nurse, but this limitation means some schools limit activities of kids with epilepsy when that would not be necessary.” For more information, visit EpilepsyAlabama.org.

epilepsy and it’s a very individualized experience, there are successful treatments for controlling the types of seizures Lauren experiences that can help her have as much of a normal life experience as possible.”

Lauren’s doctors started her on an anti-seizure medication and asked her to come back in for periodic testing. The long cycle of tests and medication adjustments continued, but the

ultimate goal remained the same: for Lauren to be seizure-free.

Throughout the daunting process, running remained a constant in Lauren’s life. She has traversed tracks and cross-country courses since middle school, relishing the longer distance races that require pacing and endurance. Her doctors told her she could continue running as long as she had emergency medication onsite with

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a school nurse, stuck to safe trails without cliffs and didn’t run alone.

What she had to adjust to was the mental aspect of her diagnosis; knowing she has epilepsy and that she could have a seizure while running. The chances are low but are there nonetheless. “I was a lot more nervous,” she says. “I was always thinking, ‘Did I take my medicine this morning? What if I get to the point where I start breathing too hard and I have a seizure?’ It’s easy to not be logical when you’re nervous.”

But Lauren draws comfort from knowing she’s not alone in being a runner who copes with a health issue at her school. “We have to make sure her teachers, coaches and friends are aware of what to look for—and she knows to listen to her body and be mindful,” Daphne says.

Alistair praised Lauren’s teammates and coaches for their support and encouragement, and adds, “Cross country and running have been so important to her through this. It has helped her have a focus and feel like the normal teenager that she is.” The “normal” part is what her parents want for her more than anything—even if her new normal looks different than it used to.

Lauren had to be seizure-free for at least six months to be cleared to drive a car and eventually get her driver’s license—an important rite of passage for any teenager. After more than a year of waiting, she finally got that much-anticipated plastic card this summer. “Now that it is controlled and she has had no seizure, I’m just delighted she can drive and live a normal high school life,” her dad says. “Her goal is to place top five in girls varsity at Hoover at a meet. My hope is that we can gradually reduce medicines and that it is something that she will grow out of over time.”

Daphne says Lauren embraces her uniqueness and views her condition as an opportunity instead of a setback. “She is very competitive, hard-working and determined,” Daphne adds. “I am certain that my daughter will have the greatest of success in her life, in whatever she chooses to do. I don’t see her as having limitations of any sort. And she doesn’t either. She will always make the best of any situation and will be stronger for it.”

ChildrensAL.org

It has always been our priority to ensure the safety and well-being of each child in our care — and that remains our commitment as we continue our mission during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Here’s how we have redesigned our operations to keep our patients and their families as safe as possible: q

All visitors are screened immediately for signs of illness and fever.

q We follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting our facilities.

q Our staff practices safe hand hygiene.

q

q We are wearing masks for your safety. Thank you for wearing your face covering.

All visitors to campus are required to wear masks.

q Waiting rooms have been reconfigured to accommodate social distancing guidelines.

5FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Yasmine Oliveira Spain Park High School Wrestler

PHOTO BY DAWN HARRISON

Yasmine Oliveira might be the only female on the Spain Park High School wrestling team this season, but that isn’t holding her back. She took her sophomore year off from the sport, but after reflecting on the experiences from her freshman year, she decided she is ready and determined to learn, practice and become a better athlete this season. Here’s what she told us heading into a new season with the Jaguars.

How did you get into wrestling?

I started wrestling when I was in the eighth grade. I wanted something to help my jiu jitsu game, and wrestling was the closest thing to it. There was another girl on the team who had been doing it since the sixth grade, but she stopped when we got to high school the next year. It was difficult at first being the only girl.

What challenges have you faced in wrestling?

It was challenging getting used to being with all the guys. I came into wrestling with a pretty strong mindset and was very confident. My eighth-grade year I did pretty well, but things changed in high school. The guys I was beating in eighth grade, I couldn’t beat in high school. That 30 October/November 2020 mentally messed with me. I kind of struggled that year. I tried changing my diet, I tried exercising more, I physically tried to change. A lot of that wasn’t helping. I got discouraged from that.

What have you learned the last few years?

My dad is one of my biggest supporters and is always telling me to try to improve from it. I learned I need to be more determined and to persevere and to be mentally strong, and I know what to expect now. Also, I have a younger sibling, a freshman, and he will be on the high school team. the ground and you see that you can get that pin. Before I get a pin, I know when it’s the right time. That’s the best feeling for me. Right when I feel the perfect time to take them down, that’s like a major high point for me. You get an adrenaline rush.

What do you hope to accomplish this season?

My goal this season is just to learn as many moves as I can in wrestling and hopefully win state. I didn’t put such a high expectation for myself. I just know that getting into this year, I won’t be beating them like I expected to. It will be tough, but I’m setting the bar for myself and hopefully gradually raising that bar for myself. I’m excited for this new year in the wrestling season.

FOOD & DRINK

DELICIOUS DETAILS Cherri Jones bakes whimsically elegant sweets that have a history as rich as their taste.

BY ALIZA BAKER PHOTOS BY LINDSEY DRENNAN

AAt first Cherri Jones didn’t quite know what to do with the perplexed looks that people kept giving her baked goods at a fall festival. It wasn’t until a shopper took a closer look at the intricately detailed teacakes and exclaimed, “Oh, you can eat these!” that Cherri knew she’d need to work on her marketing. “I had to make a sign that said they are teacakes,” Cherri reminisces with a laugh. “I was like, ‘You can eat them! They aren’t soap or candles or decorative pieces.’” It’s an easy mistake for the common eye. A glance at Cherri’s elegant artistic renderings of historical figures, architecture and flora carved with scrupulous detail might make you think their place is among the finest of china rather than for your taste buds. The irony of the confusion is that cultures from all over the world have been eating these teacakes for hundreds of years. The history of teacakes and springerle (a German anise-flavored cookie with an embossed design on top made with a special rolling pin) is akin to a familial secret, passed along as a symbol of heritage for generations to come. With her encyclopedic knowledge of the molds that give the teacakes their whimsical designs and customary baking techniques, Cherri didn’t want to keep it to herself. Her childhood was filled with “abstract, geometric springerle,” and as an adult she visited European markets with her husband. Now she’s fully qualified to write a book about the ancient significance of teacakes and springerle. Cherri’s a baker, though, not an author. So to better suit her talents, she opened Ginger Lily Southern Teacakes.

The ginger in the name symbolizes the traditional gingerbread used to create springerle. Lily is the name

Cherri Jones uses molds to create intricate teacakes from her commercial kitchen off Lorna Road.

of Cherri’s grandmother, a Russian immigrant who lovingly passed along her baking knowledge to her grandchildren.

A blend of history and personal flair is the essence of Ginger Lily. “A typical springerle baker will make 30 of the same designs and it will be a set, but I like to create a mood on the plate,” Cherri says. “I look at them outside of the box.”

This magic happens in a shared commercial kitchen off of Lorna Road, where Cherri ventures out of the conventional teacake flavors of anis, vanilla or lemon and experiments with ones she’s never seen anyone else attempt, like coconut, matcha, mulberry and an assortment of coffees and teas.

Though she cherishes collecting historical molds that date back to as early as the 18th century, Cherri likes creating molds that hold personal significance to her customers.

“When one of my client wants teacakes for their wedding—if their grandmother who maybe passed away had a broach or a necklace that she loved and everyone associated it with her—I try to make molds from that piece of jewelry, and they can incorporate it into the wedding so it’s like she is there with them,” she says.

Customers from all over the country are drawn to the nostalgia of a warm kitchen on Christmas Eve, a mother removing freshly baked springerle out of the oven and the pleasant scent of gingerbread swirling around the room. Cherri takes it a step further to recreate those special memories for her customers too. She’ll ask a multitude of questions: “Where was your mother from?” or “Were the ones she made hard, chewy or soft?”

This personal touch is not lost on her patrons for whom they unlock memories buried deeply. “One lady

CRACKING THE CODE

Certain teacake and springerle designs contain symbolism that dates back for centuries. uPomegranates or roses: Weddings uPipes: Wisdom (typically given to an older man or father figure) uMan riding rooster or wreath of flowers: Courtship uFlaming heart: Love uBiblical stories: During medieval times when most people were illiterate, they used teacakes to tell the stories.

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(whose) grandmother has Alzheimer’s, (said) though she couldn’t remember much, she remembered the cookies that I made,” Cherri recalls.

But teacakes and springerle aren’t an exclusive club only for those who find sentimental value in them. Her most popular items are the German folk heart shaped teacakes and, interestingly enough, the skeleton cameo teacakes. As Cherri puts it, the 20-somethings all buy the skeletons, and everyone else goes with the hearts. She treasures customers who think her treats look “cool” just as much as those with a deeper connection to them.

For Cherri, there’s a simplicity behind why she opened Ginger Lily Sweets, too. Despite her regular chats with teacake and springerle historians and her wealth of knowledge, her primary motivation behind her business is her love of baking. She cherishes letting her 6-year-old grandson, who she calls her “aficionado,” or her husband, who ironically enough doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, sample her work. Just like the mold designs, it’s the small details that make it worthwhile for her.

Despite her thoughts constantly swirling with traditions from the past, Cherri’s looking ahead at the future as well. Her primary goal for Ginger Lily is to eventually have her own retail space so that she can expand her menu to items that aren’t able to be shipped. Other than that she’s just proud of how far her business has come in the two years since it’s been open.

Although Cherri’s teacakes and springerle are full of historical nuance, what’s not subtle is their fairytale-like beauty. But for anyone who is hesitant to take a taste like at the fall market, take Cherri’s husband Reginald’s advice: “Just flip them over to the back side!”

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5FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Amber Tolbert East 59 Owner

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

There’s a new coffee shop in the Village at Lee Branch on Highway 280 with local roots. More than anything, the folks behind it want to connect with the people who walk in their doors. You can find East 59 across from Baumhowers by the AMC theatre in the shopping center and read more about its offerings at east59.net. To learn more about what it has to offer, we chatted with owner Amber Tolbert—who grew up in Hoover and graduated from Spain Park High School—as they were preparing to open in August.

The first East 59 took its name from its location in East Lake. Can you tell us the back story on that and how you ended up here in Lee Branch?

My husband and I were living in the East Lake neighborhood, and it was a family dream of ours to open a coffee shop. My parents, a few neighbors and us decided to do so there, and we ended up renovating an old building and opened in 2015. We ran it for several years and then launched the Hoover library location. We ended up not renewing our lease in East Lake, and when we moved our family to this side of town, we looked for a location for where we are now. For us it’s important to be fully present wherever we are.

Can you tell us more about why a coffee shop was and is your dream?

Food is so central to us connecting with each other. Any time we spend time together as a family we are in the kitchen whipping something up and love inviting people into that space. Friends become family when you can invite them into that kind of connection space around coffee 36 October/November 2020 and food. You get to know people and make those connections.

What about the coffee itself?

We will serve Counter Culture Coffee; the taste quality is incredible. They also have a commitment to direct trade resourcing; it’s a little different from fair trade, but I think it ends up more fairly paying the farmers. We offer all espressobased beverages, and we have smoothies and loose leaf tea options. My husband, Stephen, hates coffee, so we wanted a place where a family can all find something they enjoyed.

What’s on your food menu?

We keep it simple with family recipes. The things people talk about most are our homemade pimento cheese and chicken salad, and we’ll serve sandwiches, soups and salads. Our box lunches and catering were popular before. Our basic box lunch comes with a sandwich, chips and a cookie, and you can add fruit or potato salad. We also do a breakfast sandwich tray and sandwich trays, and we offer holiday and party trays with group sharable appetizers like a charcuterie board, buffalo dip, artichoke dip, baconwrapped dates and shrimp cocktail.

What will the interior of the new shop look like?

The inside has a lot of natural light and a lot of breathing space. We ended up using the wood from our old East Lake shop that came from an old house in Lincoln, Alabama and reinstalled it here. It feels very warm, and we hope it’s a place of welcome for anyone. That’s what people said about our East Lake shop, that it really felt welcome and at peace when they were there. That really meant a lot to me.

We will have a private meeting room that can be reserved online. In our East Lake shop, it was used for everything from business meetings to nonprofits to Bible study groups to friends working on a project together, so we doubled the size of it in this new shop. There will also be outdoor seating on a side patio and front patio.

HOME & STYLE

FARMHOUSE FLAIR

Neutral décor in this blogger’s Ross Bridge home acts as canvas for ever-evolving seasonal accents.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN WINTER

TThe Blanks home’s living spaces are in many ways like a gallery. With each new season comes a new exhibit, if you will, of décor to mark summer or fall or the holidays, set against a neutral backdrop of modern farmhouse décor. But it doesn’t just appear overnight. It’s Brendt Blanks’ labor of love, and her full-time job as a blogger with more than 132,000 Instagram followers. Each day she fills eight to 10 hours styling and producing photos around her Ross Bridge home, writing tips and tutorials, and communicating with companies that send her their décor items for her to showcase on @shegaveitago.

But before three years ago, her professional life looked completely different. Brendt had been a marriage and family therapist and was working on the cardiac floor at Children’s of Alabama. While she was passionate about her work, it was highly stressful especially after her father was diagnosed with cancer. Around the same time, she started to play with posting home décor photos on Instagram and found a strong community there. “This is really kind of fun,” she thought as companies started to offer to send her products for her to put in her home and share a photo of in her feed.

Then one day at Shades Mountain Baptist Church,

Entryway

Brendt’s husband Andy built this board and batten wall with a photo ledge, one of many DIY projects with instructions on her blog. Photos of their four children sit atop the ledge now.

Brendt recalls that a Photo by Magen Davis speaker kept saying the words “give it a go.” “Am I supposed to leave my job and go into a world where I’ve heard you can make a living but really don’t know much about?” she wondered. “Could I really work from home and be more available for my family?” Her husband, Andy, had confidence she could though. “If you think this is where God is calling you, we can do this,” he told her. A couple of months later, she turned in her notice at her job and took a leap of faith. And she hasn’t looked back since.

Today Brendt’s posts are filled with DIY tutorials on everything from woodworking to using drop cloths to create inexpensive curtains, and her followers keep her busy with questions about this accent wall or that set of pillows. Originally she had thought that she might need to makeover her house

completely to create new content, but she has since learned that people like to get to know her home and see the same space with smaller décor tweaks, like new wreaths and artwork. And with each change in season (that comes far before any change in the weather), she will either sell the outgoing décor items on a neighborhood trading site or give them to a nonprofit she likes to support, saving a few timeless pieces here and there for the future.

No matter the season, the Blanks’ home vibe stays the same—relaxed, casual and cozy with layered textures. And along the way, Brendt is encouraging others to give it a go just like she did too.

To find Brendt’s DIY tips as well as recipes and posts on décor, faith and family, read her blog at shegaveitago.com.

Living Room

To change out décor seasonally on a budget, Brendt suggests swapping out pillows, greenery and blankets like she does in her living room. The shiplap on their fireplace was another DIY project too. Brendt likes to support smaller shops that create word-filled art like this one from Lindsay Letters (TOP) in addition to posting about products from larger companies. Brendt found this console (ABOVE) at an antique store and has used it in different spots in her home. Andy and Brendt built this blanket ladder (RIGHT) and created a tutorial for how to do so.

Dining Room

True to a more classic farmhouse style, the dining room is home to a large collection of Rae Dunn pottery in its hutch.

Master Bedroom

One of the questions Brendt gets asked most is about her accent wall in this bedroom, which is actually a herringbone wallpaper by Rocky Mountain Decals. Like many elements of the house, she changes out her bedding with each season as new products arrive for her to showcase. Brendt likes to add greenery and signs with phrases (RIGHT) she likes to accent spaces. 42 October/November 2020

The Heart Knows There Is Only One Right Choice

Kitchen

To brighten up this space where their family spends so much time, Brendt and Andy painted the dark wood cabinets white. They also added a farmhouse sink with a curtain over the cabinet space below it for easy access as well as light fixtures that are more in keeping with their style.

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Boy’s Room

After decorating her three daughters’ rooms, Brendt had fun channeling a more masculine look for her baseball-loving son’s room. Its accent wall was made with a river wood peel and stick material by Timberchic. They had a custom sign made by Two Daughters Heirlooms for above his bed with a Bible verse they wanted him to know, and Brendt spay painted inexpensive natural wood cubbies from Rust-Oleum/JOANN to serve as side tables.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Front Door Wreath: Mercy Wreaths Black/White Framed Photos: Minted Candles: Antique Candle Co. Living Room Mantel Sign: Oh Sweet Skye Arched Mirror: Kirkland’s Faux Florals & Other Wreaths: JOANN Kitchen Sink: Sinkology Master Bedroom Bed, Bedding, & Nightstands: Bed Bath & Beyond Living Room and Dining Room Lighting: Kichler Lighting

AUTUMN TABLESCAPE

Gather your friends and family around a beautiful table to celebrate the arrival of fall! This year try an unexpected autumn palette of blues, greens and browns. Add some items that are new to your holiday decor such as feather accents and bird nests. Text and Styling by Laura Gossett of Laura Gossett Interior Design Photo by Lindsey Drennan

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1. Iron lanterns: Mercantile by Miller, $69. 2. Ceramic Platter: Greystone Marketplace, $75. 3. Pressed Tin Chargers: Sheylane’s Designs, $12. 4. Decorative Pumpkins: Greystone Marketplace, $11-$16. 5. Dinner & Salad Plates: Greystone Marketplace, $14 & $12. 6. Bird Nests: Mercantile by Miller, $18. 7. Beaded Pumpkin Napkin Rings: Greystone Marketplace, $12. 8. Acorn Salt and Pepper Shakers: Greystone Marketplace, $9.

Defining the Two Americas

These Bluff Park musicians aren’t shying away from talking about race on their new podcast—and there’s a healthy dose of humor in it too.

By Madoline Markham | Photos by Lauren Winter

“A black guy and a white guy walk into a bar. They play some music. They talk about race. They made a podcast. It’s no joke. But it is often funny.”

So reads the tag line of a 2 Americas, a podcast that came to life in Bluff Park a couple of months after COVID-19 settled in this year. The banter between its hosts Jesse Suttle (the black guy) and Corey Nolen (the white guy) first started when they began playing music together about five years ago, sometimes up at Moonlight on the Mountain, a listening room that operated in Bluff Park until recently. From there grew a friendship where conversations about race would come up.

“We were seeing things in similar ways but from different perspectives, and that added fuel to the conversation,” Corey recalls. “The way Jesse approaches people makes them feel comfortable. My heart and mind were changing in those years to be more activist-like, and a lot of the things I was saying were resonating with him.”

And from those conversations the podcast was birthed with the first episode going live in early June. By summer’s end eight were available for listening, covering current events, history, culture, religion and family stories, all book ended with banter that’s sure to make you laugh, and a new set of shorter episodes with the same basic formula was in the works. In all of it, Corey and Jesse will tell you they want to bring people from different cultures together to find answers to the difference between the white American experience and the black American experience.

To learn more about it all, we sat down with the duo at Wild Roast coffee shop—fittingly the same

Podcast hosts Corey Nolen and Jesse Suttle at Wild Roast Cafe in Bluff Park

space where they first played music back when it was Moonlight on the Mountain—to chat about their onair conversations.

Where did the idea for the podcast come from?

Corey: (Jesse and I) went to Mr. P’s for lunch a little over a year ago. I remember thinking this (issue) is still very present and the conversation is needed. I

felt like I had a responsibility to use whatever platform I have to have a conversation with the person I knew who could say it in ways that were easy for me to hear. The best thing we could do was not get into a heated debate. I would think about it every week or two for that year. Both of our lives were much busier, and then when the pandemic hit, it was time. I had also started freelancing for I Heart, and I had all the tricks (for podcasting).

Producing a podcast requires a lot of time. What makes it worth it for you?

Jesse: We are doing this for us and needed to get it out of our collective consciousness. If people dig it, that’s great, and if not, we haven’t lost anything… I am not going to go out and do protests and marches. For me this is me being an activist in a way that I can do it safely. I want people learn to communicate and see people as people no matter who they are or where

they are from.

Corey: If five people say this is worth it and it’s made a difference, that might be worth it, and hundreds and thousands have listened at this point.

Where did the music at the start of each episode come from?

Jesse: The intro music is a band I was in with guy named Shariff Simmons, an actor, poet and musician from New York. I did a record with him about 10 years ago called Modern Democracy, and a lot of these same topics (that are on the podcast) were coming up between he and I. A lot of the lyrics of that album lend themselves to these same conversations. That song is called “Testify.” It’s about how from an African American perspective the America we live in and the America that is touted as being the America for everyone (aren’t the same)—it’s what the podcast is about.

What roles do each of you play in the podcast?

Corey: My role is to get a sense of where the community is and what it’s saying and making assumptions about. Then Jesse brings the backbone and meat and historical and experiential perspective; that’s where the richness of this would come from. My bringing up these topics makes it inviting (for our listeners).

Jesse: It gave me an opportunity to express my ideas in a format that wasn’t so confrontational.

There’s a lot of humor in the podcasts too. Was that intentional?

Jesse: (These topics are) so heavy, and we don’t want people saying they can’t take it anymore. Having bits of levity give you a breather.

Corey: It’s like a Cohen Brothers approach. If you just walk in this room and start talking about (hard things), people can check out. If I wanted to build a bridge with someone I didn’t know, I wouldn’t start talking with politics. It’s the same idea for this. We like to have fun and laugh and talk about music too.

Jesse: There are moments of laughter and humor but also moments of pain.

Where did the name 2 Americas come from and how would you define it?

Corey: Martin Luther King Jr. had a speech about 2 Americas, and Obama made a speech about it in a hopeful way. The idea was already there, and it seemed to apply. It needed to be thought-provoking and make a statement that Corey and Jesse things are divided. I have learned if you are black both live in Bluff Park with their you have to learn two systems; I didn’t realize families. that until we started doing this podcast. Black people have to learn two Americas, and white What kind of feedback have you gotten on the people generally only have to learn one America. podcast? Jesse: For me America is essentially two

Jesse: I have gotten nothing but positive feedback. countries. It has been racially divided from the People in the neighborhood will stop me walking the inception. White America is the America that’s held dog and say, “I listened to the podcast. Keep doing up to the world. That’s not the America black people them.” People have been real supportive. I had a guy have lived in. Even though I live in this neighborhood, on Park Avenue say, “Man, I wanted to tell you that I still go back to the other America once a week. Here podcast has helped me and helped me see blind spots yards are all kept and the streets are repaved, but I didn’t know I had.” That’s encouraging that people most of the roads on the other side houses are can be introspective from something we have put out dilapidated. That’s part of why I am drawn to sci fi in the world. It helps me work on stuff too talking and Star Trek; they have figured out a way where about it because I still have blind spots too. everyone can live the same life. We all want share in

Corey: People who might not have the same the reward of society, and America that has not access to a relationship like (mine with Jesse) are become true yet.

Thank you! VOTED #1 IN HOOVER CUSTOMER SERVICE

Thank you, Hoover, for voting us #1 in customer service! We are A Relationship Company (ARC) and honored to be an essential member of the community we live in and love. Please stop in to see us at Stadium Trace Village and say hello.

GATES / ADMISSION

Head to the Hoover Met’s lower lot, which will be overflowing with white tents. The Gate will be prominent and easy to find.

Admission / Tickets

$15 Weekend Pass, $10 Adult Day Pass, $5 Student Day Pass, Kids 15 & under free!

Info Center

Sponsor: Joe Piper, Hoover’s Magazine Get answers, enter giveaways, plus grab a festival commemorative t-shirt. Located adjacent to the Festival Gate.

Photo Booth

Sponsor: Bham Now Located adjacent to the Info Center. Say cheese!

FESTIVAL PARKING

Sponsor: City of Hoover On site parking available at the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

PUBLIC HEALTH PROTOCOLS & POLICIES

Festival protocols are in place to meet current procedures for everyone’s safety attending in 2020. Highlights of items designed for your visit include provisions for: Expanded Festival footprint • Minimal contact Gate processing • One-way walking traffic for social distancing • Masks required by attendees and exhibitors • Social Distancing • Public Hand Sanitizing Stations • Designated Lounges engineered for safe dining • Wider pedestrian walking paths and spaces between exhibitor booths • and more

ART + DESIGN

At the forefront of the festival is distinctive artwork from 100+ exhibiting artists. At 2020’s Moss Magic, this is doubly true as Moss Rock Festival nature-inspired artists will be joined by a new roster of

MOSS ROCK FESTIVAL GIVEAWAYS Enter at the Festival Info Center November 7-8, 2020

Getaway to Pursell Beer Garden Trail

Farms Resort! tickets

Presented by Pursell Farms Commemorative Ts!

artists from the Magic City Art Connection spring contemporary art festival. Whether you are an art connoisseur, art newbie, or just art curious, there is something to find for every aesthetic and pocket book.

MOSS MAGIC FEATURED ARTIST

Kimberly Paige, Watercolor

ARTISTS & EXHIBITORS

Sponsors: USS Real Estate, Alabama State Council on the Arts & The NEA

November 7 8, 2020

Xander Booker, 2D MM Brio Bolso & Bag, Other (+) Jenny Cash, Painting CEMENT6, Fiber (+) William Colburn, Sculpture Sam Criswell, Wood (+) Leah Dodd, Jewelry Earth Creations, Fiber (+) Steven Fabres-Cordero, Wood (+) Landon Fraker, 2D MM Joseph Frye, Sculpture Teresa Hartley, Clay Jeff Hughes, Painting Michael Johnson, Jewelry Amanda Klein, Painting Jen-Yu Lai, Printmaking (+) Lemondrop Glass, Glass Deirdre Lewis Mason, 2D MM Manami Lingerfelt, Painting Live Oaks Pottery, Clay Kristie Macgregor, Jewelry Robert Martindale, Clay Mattox Knives, Metalwork (+) Vanessa Miller, Painting Royal Miree, Sculpture Kimberly Paige, Watercolor Steve Pitts, Drawing Lisa Pruitt, Painting RANGEMARK, Printmaking + Fiber (+) W. Calvin Ross, Drawing TimSpanjer, 2D MM Vaughan Spanjer, Painting Alan Sweet, Wood (+) Gracelynn Tamrak, Sculpture TandM Woodcraft, Wood The Reclaimed Life, 3D MM (+) Taylor Adams, 2D MM Eric Bagwell, Painting Kira Balan, Painting Michael Bastian, Sculpture Ryan Boase, 3D MM Dori Boyd, Photography Jerry Brem, Painting John Brown, Painting Ed Brownlee, Clay Carol Bryan, Jewelry Will Byers, Clay Ben Caldwell, Metalwork Jessica Carder, 2D MM Gerda Carmichael, Glass Jennifer Chaney, Watercolor Whitney Clanton, Metalwork Obie Clark, Clay Triny Cline & Mike Sherrer, Clay Geoffrey Coleman, Photography Beth Conklin, 2D Digital Claire Cormany, Painting Christy Daniel Cross, 2D MM William Dow, Photography George Elliott, Photography Garland Farwell, 2D MM Green Thumb Pottery, Clay Larry Hamilton, Glass Alice Hammell, Painting Mikayla Hammock, Drawing Olivia Hill, Fiber Canne Holladay, Clay Kristi Hyde, Jewelry Ty Kelly, Painting Sooro Kim, Painting Amanda Klein, Painting Richard Kolb, Sclupture Letitia Lee, Painting Tara Stallworth Lee, 2D MM Roxy Lentz, Jewelry Kevin Liang, Painting Ancizar Marin, Clay Sarah Mason, 2D MM Shadow May, Clay Emily Meisler, Sculpture Yvonne Miller, 2D MM Erin LeAnn Mitchell, 2D MM Micah Mullen, Painting Jeffrey Nelson & Clive Wright, Wood Mariella Owens, Clay Kimberly Paige, Watercolor Celeste Pfau, Printmaking Janna Phillips, Painting

Douglas Piper, Printmaking Deeann Rieves, 2D MM Chiharu Roach, Painting Craig Roderick, Photography Bryan Ross, Glass David Skinner, Painting Mike Sluder, Metalwork TimSpanjer, 2D MM TandM Woodcraft, Wood George Taylor, Painting Natalie Young, Glass Emre Tekeli, Jewelry Keith Thomson, Painting Jim Tucker, Painting Rushton Waltchack, 2D MM Jaime Weaver, Wood* Katie White, Watercolor Mary Jane Whitt, Glass John Lytle Wilson, Painting

SMART LIVING

Make your way to the Yellow Row to find interesting choices for every day living including fresh, organic, locally made, sustainable products and consumables in the areas of food, home, body, health, and tech.

THE SL MARKET + SWEETERY

Sponsor: Bare Naked Noodles, Starnes Media Angie & A Ginger Borth Beach Soapery

Buttnaked Candles

California Country Organics

Chicken & Sweets Southern Yard Bird Dayspring Dairy doTerra Essential Oils First Fruits Ministries Hoover Historical Society Empty Hamper Gatos & Beans Great Bear Wax Company Ivy Brook Apiary Naturally Rad Nothing Bundt Cakes Over the Top Toffee Walden Farms & FARMacy Fetch a Treat Truck for Dogs

▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ < << < <<< < < < < < < < < 2020 VENUE CHANGE. Join us @ the Hoover Met!

4

Shuttle Stop *Details TBA* ( 9:30am - 6:00pm Sat / 5:00pm Sun) Gates No entry Information Center + Photo Booth ▶ ▶ ▶ One Way Traffic < Crossways using Village Green Art + Design & Nature Smart Living Market + Sweetery WonderKid Studios Project 1

4

1 Restrooms Eats @ Cafe by the Woods Beverage Station + Bar Designated Lounges + Dining

Engineered for Social Distancing Crescent Curated Music Greenways/Pathways Expo Volunteer Check In Photo Booth Bike Parking Moss Rock Preserve

NATURE

Nature programming at MRF is aimed at getting you out in the great outdoors. Whether you’re looking to connect with a local enthusiast organization, interact with a rehabilitated owl, up your rock climbing skills, or take advantage of the great parks or trail systems in the area, these exhibitors will help you do that and more!

EXHIBITORS ORGANIZATIONS & GEAR

Sponsor: Pursell Farms, ExcursionsGO.com Alabama Partners for Clean Air Alabama Wildlife Center High Point Climbing and Fitness University of Montevallo E-Club

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Sponsor: Beyond the Rock Staggered outdoor events at The Preserve neighborhood (our home venue) and adjacent 350 acre Moss Rock Preserve are planned for the month of November. Check www. mossrockfestival.com and our blog for the schedule of activity times.

Activities include: Hikes to view the geology and plant life of the 350 acre nature preserve Nature Photography Birding Yoga

wonderkids

Where kids find wonder, creativity, inspiration, art skills, and eco-creativity

ART PROJECT FOR KIDS

Sponsors: Publix Super Markets Charities,

Babypalooza, Public Radio WBHM 90.3

FM Teaching Artists: Kristen Berry and Savannah Smith Collaborative Art Project: Small and large scale additive art projects for kids will use nature and recycling as a launching point for creativity.

TASTE+LISTEN

Curated ambient music is staged throughout the weekend as you explore the festival or take respite at one of the designated lounges and dining areas.

BEER GARDEN TRAIL (Oct 15 - Nov 30, 2020)

The 9th annual Craft Tasting Trail will be a month and a half long beer trail in 2020, taking visitors out to all of our wonderful local breweries to taste their latest & greatest craft brews on tap. A flight of three (3) Sample pours will be offered per brewery stop on the trail.

TICKETED

$30 Advance (by Oct 15) $35 (after Oct 15)

Avondale Brewing Company Back Forty Beer Company Birmingham District Brewing Company Cahaba Brewing Company Ferus Artisanal Ales Ghost Train Brewing Company Goat Island Brewing Good People Brewing Company Interstellar Ginger Beer & Exploration Company Siluria Brewing Company Slag Heap Brewing Company Tallulah Brewing Company Trim Tab Brewing Company Twisted Barley Brewing Company

CRESCENT STAGE

Sponsor: Birmingham Mountain Radio 107.3fm Ambient music will be playing throughout the festival all weekend, curated by Birmingham Mountain Radio 107.3fm.

CAFE BY THE WOODS

Sponsors:Coca Cola United, Event Rentals Unlimited, AL.com, This is Alabama Featuring: Bollywood Curry House Catering by Lanetta Coca Cola United Rae Rae’s Catering Rendezvous Kitchen Company Steel City Pops Tamale Queen Yarbrough Festival Food Service

VOLUNTEERS - You Moss Rock!

Sponsor: Royal Cup, Bell Media, B-Metro Moss Rock Festival would like to thank all the dedicated individuals & community organizations who give so generously of their time and support:

BBVA Volunteers • Hoover Ambassadors • Moss Rock Festival Board

2020 Sponsors - Thank you!

SPONSORS

USS Real Estate Alabama State Council on the Arts & the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency Joe Piper City of Hoover Publix Super Markets Charities Event Rentals Unlimited Pursell Farms Resort Coca Cola United Bare Naked Noodle Royal Cup Coffee

MEDIA

Bell Media AL.com Babypalooza Bell Media Beyond the Rock Bham Now Birmingham Mountain Radio 107.3fm B-Metro EXCURSIONSgo.com Hoover’s Magazine Over the Mountain Journal Starnes Media This is Alabama WBHM 90.3fm