Best of the North Georgia Mountains 14 by The Best Of Ellijay, Blue Ridge & Jasper

Bingo! Monday nights At Shanes at 6:30, Ellijay

Check Out Roccoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NEW Acoustic Music & Art Night Every Tuesday

Man oh man! Give me a break! I did this cover (right) of people tubing. I thought it would be interesting to caricature them a bit, make it a little funny. Thia says “I don’t like it...They look scary! The kid looks evil”... So I said, ok find me a cuter face and I’ll swap it out. Evidently she went on FaceBook and asked for cute faces. We got so many she says “Why don’t you use them all?” WHAT?!!! You mean like do ANOTHER cover?!!!!! Well I don’t think the kid looked “evil” but I do agree all the kids submitted on FaceBook are a whole lot cuter. Unfortunately I couldn’t use them all, there’s only so much room and many were too small or were cut off etc. I DO know “Evil”...it’s Thia, my boss!

Taste Of Ellijay Thursday May 21 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM www.tasteofellijay.com

Wonderful events all over town for Relay for Life, http://relay.acsevents.org, put in zip code for details.

Sweet April showers do spring May flowers. - Thomas Tusser

he 1980’s gave our culture many things but, without a doubt, few things epitomized the 80’s Photos courtesy of The Italian Road Bike Festival more than spandex. Yes, If you’re a cyclist, this is must do event. spandex. That stretchy, clingy material worn Trust me; put it on your calendar for April by all my favorite rock bands of the era – as 2016…you won’t regret it. For me, this is my well as by Olivia Newton John in the video of second year riding the “Marco Pantani” – the her 80’s hit “Let’s Get Physical”. And, if you’ve seen that music video of her little span- 70 mile route. To put it in Goldilocks terms, this is my bowl of porridge that’s just right, dex worshipping ditty, it featured all shapes not too hot and not too cold. There are two and sizes of folks stretching, bending, moving other options –the “Gianni Bugno” which is 43 around – essentially testing the maximum vemiles and the “Giro de Ellijay”, a 104 mile suflocity so to speak of this scientifically engifer fest. Some clearly like their porridge hot neered miracle fabric. with this one…I’ll stick to mine being just Being a teenager of the 80’s, I have fond right. memories of spandex. OK, not really. ActuFor many years, I rode mountain bikes only. ally, there’s some sort of emotional trauma Then, in 2012, the good folks at Cartecay River deeply ingrained in the very core of my soul Bike shop hooked me up with my first road from seeing folks with far more self-confibike – and I’ve been riding the roads of NW dence than I could ever muster strutting around, wrapped up by this synthetic polymer Georgia ever since. And, I must tell you, it wasn’t an easy transition from mountain bikes looking like a busted roll of Pillsbury Biscuits. to road bikes – and it has nothing to do with Now, throughout the 80’s, although I idolized many of the rock bands that filled 80,000 the differences in bikes, riding trails versus roads, nothing technically cycling related at seat stadiums while screaming, jumping all. It was purely fashion – specifically spanaround onstage wearing this polyurethane dex. Yep, that fashion statement that so emobased fabric, I never stuck as much as a toe tionally damaged my psyche that I can’t even into the stuff. My life was, you could say, watch a Bon Jovi video without feeling a sharp spandex free. pain shoot from the depths of my skull into With the 80’s ending, I was happy to enter the frontal lobe of my brain before causing the 1990’s and my twenty-something’s. At that point, I promised myself to never think of one eye to twitch uncontrollably. I was told that, to be a good road biker, I spandex again. And, for nearly a decade, I couldn’t wear the baggy clothes I did while was able to uphold that promise until “IT” mountain biking or I would be slowed by happened. With “IT”, I mean I became a cywind resistance. Wind resistance? Really? I clist. could look like a busted roll of Pillsbury bisJump forward to April 4th, 2015 and “The cuits and be fast or keep my dignity intact Italian Road Bike Festival” in Ellijay, Georgia. and be slow. The great event includes a road ride that At first, I did side with dignity and slow but takes cyclists on a tour of the beautiful, and did immediately notice the impact of wind rechallenging, countryside of Gilmer and sursistance. Eventually, and never wanting to rounding counties. This is the event’s 18th ever eat can rolled biscuits again, I bought year and is hosted by Cartecay River Bike my first spandex cycling gear. Thusly, I’m Shop – located in downtown Ellijay and aerodynamically wind resistant – at least as EMBA, (Ellijay Mountain Bike Association), much as a 6’4” 235 lb. grown man can be. with proceeds going towards the care, mainBack to “The Italian Road Bike Festival”. tenance and promotion of cycling related iniEven for those uncomfortable with wearing tiatives throughout the area – which is crucial brightly colored spandex cycling clothes, given Ellijay was designated in 2008 by the being at an organized road ride event such as Georgia Legislature as the “Mountain Bike this is great because everyone is wrapped Capital of Georgia”.

PLEASE! Make sure you tell our advertisers, the sponsors of this publication "I Saw You In The "FUNpaper"!!! - Thanks!

head to toe in various types and sizes of the stretchy stuff. The ride begins and the procession of spandex is on full display through downtown Ellijay. One of the many awesome things about this event - and, again, it is an absolutely beautiful ride through NW Georgia, but one of the most awesomest of things is that –throughout the course, there are fully stocked, road-side stops providing hydration, bananas, cookies, figs and, best of all, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to fatigued riders in need of nourishment. Oh, and a great deal of moral support from the volunteers working each station as well. And, I must say, no value can be placed on that moral support when that final turn is made and you see Fort Mountain in front of you and you know that for the next 8-9 miles you’ll be painfully pedaling up to the summit. Though, I do wonder -and I’m speaking of the rest stops again with this thought being a direct derivative of my physiological spandex trauma again, but is it

strange to passer-bys, (non-cyclists), that groups of people are gathered on the side of the road, eating PB&Js, talking and wrapped head to toe in colorful spandex? Perhaps, they think a Bon Jovi tribute band’s tour bus has broken down somewhere and they’re taking a break – eating sandwiches, and waiting on a ride. Ouch, here come’s that deeply imbedded cerebral pain again, eye twitching soon to follow. Dang 80’s rock music and fashion! OK, pain subsiding now and vision restored, I’ll conclude with saying this year’s “Italian Road Bike Festival” was – once again, an amazing event and something I’m already looking forward to again next April. Over the last couple years, my spandex-phobia has somewhat subsided, Bon Jovi songs and any picture of Olive Newton John aside. In short, busted roll of Pillsbury biscuits fashion is OK…that is as long as you’re cycling. And, if you enjoy cycling, there’s certainly no better place to cycle – road or mountain, than Ellijay.

What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. - Margaret Atwood

The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis and Clark expedition. - Dave Barry

I’m not big on trying new things, I’m one of those people that orders the same thing I like out of fear I won’t like this new thing. I generally order the standard variety Deep Fried, Mild or Medium Buffalo Chicken Wings. Then Thia and I tried the Smoked Wings with Mild Buffalo Sauce at Shane’s Rib Shack. WE’RE HOOKED! They’re great! Now I order those all the time… I’m so boring... -Robb

Is that weird, taking my Louis Vuitton bag camping? - Jessica Simpson

My camping days are over, but I might consider glamping. - Christine Feehan

obb & I usually go on these adventures alone, but this time we were accompanied by Nancy and her husband Erik. It’s Nancy’s birthday, and no better place to celebrate then 1907! Wayne Sloop, the owner of 1907 is a very warm friendly guy. He was nice enough to give us a tour of the whole place, starting with the new big beautiful bar downstairs. This evening’s bartender was Andrew Bacon. Ya gotta love someone named Bacon! Then Wayne took us upstairs to see the new banquet room. It’s not quite finished yet, but there was already an impromptu wedding there! A couple got rained out of their outdoor wedding and were in 1907 trying to figure out what to do when Wayne heard of their dilemma. He and his staff sprang into action, and less than an hour later, the couple was having an amazing wedding reception in the quickly, but gorgeously decorated upstairs ballroom! The couple did their wedding dance on the balcony and made wonderful memories thanks to Wayne and the 1907 staff. We were seated downstairs in the cozy main dining room. The menu is upscale and interesting. Wayne describes it as "New South" cuisine. “We take traditional southern recipes and reinterpret them into a modern contemporary fare, he says.” There have been a couple of restaurants in this space previously, but 1907 really doesn’t resemble them. It is a new place, looks different and feels different than those before it. With an all new reasonably priced menu, a creative chef,

top notch service and and remodeling up and downstairs, it is down right beautiful and unique. Many people are interested in pricing at 1907, and you’ll find it affordable with lunch sandwiches in the 8-9 dollar range. Dinners run $13-18, gourmet salads around $10, and they have small plates for tasting or sharing for $8-12. I’ve never had duck before and I thought I would give the Pork Belly Cassoulet with duck confit and white beans a try. So what does duck taste like? You know what I’m going to say don’t you…. Tastes like chicken! Rich dark meat chicken with crispy skin! It was served on a bed of white beans with chunks of pork belly mixed in and a few shreds of carrots. The front end manager Stefanie told me I made the right choice, as this is her favorite dish on the whole menu! It was really good. The white bean “stew” that’s underneath was so good, I think they should serve it all by itself, as a small plate. Fried green tomatoes in general are not on the list of appetizers we order often, but it was Nancy’s birthday, so of course she got to pick ! And she picked well. While Robb and I might not usually order fried green tomatoes, we will be ordering them again at 1907! Besides the crispy breading and tomatoes, stuffed inside was goat cheese! And they were topped off with must, which is literally the thick stuff in the bottom of a wine barrel. These two changes sent this app over the top to great app status, and we definitely recommend this one if you want

Relay for Life May 15, Fannin County = Blue Ridge Kiwanis Club starts at 6pm

something delicious, but a little bit different. We tried some fried chicken. If you are going to make fried chicken around here, it better be good! And it was. Not greasy at all. Light and fluffy coating, and juicy tasty white meat chicken inside. We have to talk about the Meatloaf. Because this isn’t made with your everyday ground beef. 1907’s meatloaf is made from very happy cows! It is called Wagyu beef, the American version of Kobe Beef. Wagyu is made from cows that are pampered, massaged, feed beer and listen to classical music. Because of their laid back lifestyle, the cows that make Wagyu beef have a higher marbled fat content and it’s more tender. And that makes the meatloaf at 1907 very tasty! For my veggie head friends, (please let your server know), 1907 will make any of their salads without the bacon for you. There is a scrumptious Smoked local trout dish, and my roasted beets and fried green tomatoes small plates are yummy for your green loving tummy. Our server, Jessica said they would also be happy to let you pick three side dishes as your dinner, and they have great ones including Red Quinoi, cajun sweet potatoes, sautéed kale, four cheese mac, cream corn, and garlic red smashed potatoes. We had so many things on the menu, we don’t have room to talk about them all, including the smashed potatoes, roasted beets with goat cheese, garlic green beans, pork chops, and smoky chicken wings. We were very full after all that food, but being that we have to do this for our readers, we forced ourselves to order dessert! We let Wayne pick and he brought us Damn Good Chocolate Cake and an Irish cream cheese cake. Both were outstanding! If you don’t have room for one of these amazing desserts, we highly recommend you end your meal with a sweet shot of handmade on premises Irish Cream liquor. Better than Bailey’s, this is creamy, smooth, deliciousness with the slight warmness of alcohol. Reminded me of melted ice cream with a kick! You can also get this at the bar, if you stop in after work for a little relaxation. They also have full liquor, beer and wine, including local brands available. To wrap this up, Nancy had a great birthday at 1907! She says, “My favorite was the fried green tomatoes and the Damn Good chocolate cake, which I have to agree was named right, "It was Damn Good Chocolate Cake" And it was a darn good evening all around! If you haven’t tried the new restaurant on River St, you have to stop by!

Great Happenings at the Ellijay American Legion! https://americanlegionellijay.wordpress.com

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"One thing about living in a small town, I knew everybody and everybody knew me." - Anna Nicole Smith

e recently enjoyed a great evening of Art, both musically and visually, when we attended the first in a series of performances at Rocco’s Pub in Jasper, Georgia. Tuesdays, starting at seven o’clock, is now Acoustic Night. We talked to musician Andrew Black. Andrew is a Blues musician from Alpharetta, Georgia. He first received recognition with the Blues scene in Atlanta in 1999. He earned instant recognition with his release of the Luther Allison song “Cherry Red Wine” Local radio station WRFG played the song regularly and it soon became the #1 requested song, and remained there for 16 weeks. Andrew is a third generation musician and performer. His grandfather, as well as his father were musicians before him. He is the first in his family to perform on the guitar. Andrew states “Blues is necessary because people want to feel deep down in their hearts. These elements are present in the Blues. It is odd when you talk to someone about the blues, people refer to being sad, as in having the blues and relate in this manner to the music. If you were ever to have the privilege of seeing say, Buddy Guy live in concert, I guarantee you are not going to be sad, the man is a Blues Legend.” We took photos of Andrew, then sat down to enjoy his music. He is a fantastic blues musician! Andrew will be returning to Rocco’s for another performance on May 19. So if you love the blues as we do, or simply want to check out some great music, do not miss this wonderful performer. The other big treat of the evening was meeting tonight’s visual artist, Angela Shepheard. She is a (retired) Army Sergeant from Woodstock, who has carried a passion for art from the first time she found finger-paints in elementary school. Her passion has grown and blossomed into the beautiful and expressive paintings she showed. It is obvious she is very talented. During the course of the evening she sold three of her pieces! Her sweet daughter, Lucy, also has creative talent and was there to help her mom. While we were at Rocco’s we ran into a couple of our friends we hadn’t seen in a while. It was nice to catch up. We ate too much good food! And we also had a lot of fun! This format of live music and displayed art, will continue every Tuesday evening at Rocco’s all spring and summer with different artists. So if you have not been to Rocco’s lately this is a great day of the week to visit. If you have never been to Rocco’s, you don’t know what you are missing. Come check out wonderful burgers (I love the Bison Burger), award winning chili, friendly staff, as well as some of the best music (and art) in north Georgia. See you there! Rocco and Matt Youngblood from WYYZ Radio

Story and Photos by Charlie & Jennie Stackpole

"For me, summer hasn't really started until tomatoes reappear in local farmers' markets." - Jose Andres Puerta

Butternut Creek Festival, July 18, 201, Meeks Park, Blairsville, 16th annual 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

s spring arrives in the mountains of North Georgia, my mind races back to growing up as a kid in the fifties. I realize now I was lucky to have been raised on a small farm located midway between McCaysville and Blue Ridge. Like all the other kids in the area, when school let out our shoes came off and didn’t go back on until school began again on the day after Labor Day. Living on a farm came with some unwritten rules. Dogs, cats and kids stayed outside all day long. My buddies and I knew when breakfast was over and all our chores were done, we were expected to go outside and play until supper-time. We learned at an early age to never tell your mother you were bored. On a farm there was always a ditch to be dug, weeds to be cut and beans to be staked or picked. I won’t even bring up the other stuff like cleaning up after the cows and horses. Letting your mom know you were bored was not in your best interest and let’s leave it at that. My buddies and I had learned to meet at the old June apple tree located at the end of our meadow. There were five of us and when we got together one of us would always suggest activities for the day. Playing ball or pitching horseshoes got to be boring. Some days we’d catch spring lizards if we knew fishing might happen over the weekend. Corn cob fighting was fun for a while. Another way to kill time was jumping from the barn loft to a nearby haystack. And we loved to lasso the young calves, but it only lasted until the cows learned to lay down. Then one day we were in the woods and Gerald came up with the brilliant game called Squirrel. We were all intrigued as he explained how simple the rules were. We were to just climb a tree and see how far we could go without touching the ground – just like squirrels do! At first we’d climb one of the more mature trees and go out on the limb as far as we could before jumping to the next tree. The best limbs were at least fifteen to twenty feet off the ground. As I remember, James could always beat us. He was nothing but skin and bones, but boy could he jump! He always went fifty feet or more while the best I ever did was twenty-five feet. The more we played this game, the more it changed. As soon as we learned we could get farther by climbing the younger trees at the edge of the woods or fields, the distance and our ambition grew. A perfect squirrel tree was a young maple, about a foot in diameter at the base and at least twenty feet tall with no limbs. As we climbed them, we could bend them over more than ten feet. We were amazed we could move longer distances at a much faster pace. Climbing all these trees didn’t come without its hazards. We always had skinned legs and arms and mother would always ask, “Raland, what on earth did you do to your arm?” I’d always come up with some flimsy explanation and it would put her at ease. The more we played Squirrel, the more we loved it. One day James came up with a new challenge. We were to start at the edge of the meadow and squirrel all the way to the creek, which was almost a mile. We couldn’t find a tree quickly enough to climb. The young trees, or saplings

as Daddy called them, were just volunteer plants that had grown where seeds had fallen. In these areas there would be small holes where nothing but short brush grew. As we were moving along the woods, Gerald decided to cut across one of these openings. If he made it, he’d be in the lead by at least fifty yards. He climbed the tallest sapling near the edge and we all just stopped climbing, held our breath and watched. We knew if he made it, we’d just have to follow him if we had any hope of winning the race. He climbed as high as he could and began to lean towards the opening. We were surprised to see he was all the way across the opening when he caught hold of another sapling on the other side. I could hear my buddies gasping as we watched him grab the young tree. Unfortunately time stopped as we realized he had successfully taken hold of the new tree, but had forgotten to let go of the old one. When the forward momentum stopped from the first tree, it began to spring back from its upright position. In the blink of an eye Gerald was hanging spread-eagled over the opening holding one tree in each hand and hanging more than fifteen feet in the air! There’s no way I can even describe the noise that came out of his mouth at that time. What did we do you ask? The normal thing all young mountain boys did. We laughed, hard! It went on for a few minutes and I’m sure to Gerald it seemed like hours. No, he didn’t fall or kill himself – the more we laughed, the madder he got. He finally let go of the first tree and climbed down the second. I guess the bad news was Gerald won the race and the good news was he didn’t kill himself. And I guess the best news was our parents never found out about it!

Fireworks July 04, Lake Blue Ridge Marina music, barbeque, and special events beginning at 3 p.m

Pickin' in Horseshoe Bend Park - every Thurs 6:00 to dusk, May through September. McCaysville, GA 706-632-7696

Photos & Story by Jim Harmon â&#x20AC;˘ Special Thanks to Leo Baker

orth Georgia is a place full of history. One of the activities I personally have found interesting to see in North Georgia are Civil War Reenactments. This is the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. There are several battles that were fought in North Georgia that are depicted by Civil War Reenactors If you have never been to one and enjoy history, this is your opportunity to see one. They will take you back in time and let you see firsthand how the soldiers lived and how the battles were fought. The reenactors like to become a part of the era and stay true to everything from the Civil War time period. The battle of Resaca reenactment is coming up May 16th and 17th in North Georgia. It is a big event and you can learn more with a visit their website. Georgiadivision.org. There are other reenactments planned this summer and fall, make sure you get to one of them. This is your opportunity to watch, enjoy and learn a piece of North Georgia history. Be sure you take your camera. A long lens will help a lot when you want to shoot close ups of the battles. There will be canons and muzzle loaders being fired. The sepia toned pictures are ones I took when I attended a reenactment. Besides Reenactments, you might want to visit the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Parks.

Both are sites of major battles of the American Civil War. Chickamauga has a driving tour where you can stop and view different memorials and sites plus a museum. There are 1,400 monuments and markers. Lots to do here at different times of the year. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with a local gentleman, Leo Baker, who is a reenactor. He was nice enough to let me take some pictures of him and his gear. Leo is a member of Georgia 34th Regiment Confederate Infantry and the Sons of Confederates. Back around 2000 Leo started reenacting a little with loaned equipment and uniforms. He said he has been doing it regularly for about ten years now. and does it about five times a year. He started buying all his own uniforms and equipment back in 2005. It was an eye opener for me, as to how dedicated reenactors like Leo are in preserving the Civil War history. I could see that Leo had a lot of knowledge of the Civil War and a good collection of books on the Civil War. He reminded me of my dad that also studied a lot about Civil War History. A reenactor supplies all his or her own uniforms and equipment that are true to the Civil War time period. I had a chance to see some beautiful paintings of Leo in different Civil War uniforms that were done by his Mother-in-law.

"Always do your best, what you plant now, you will harvest later." - Og Mandino

One of the first things I noticed was that Leo had a wide variety of uniforms and clothing for the time period. These included Northern and Confederate uniforms. Some were for the Home Guard. Some were home spun uniforms like those used during the Civil War. All were true to the time period including wood buttons. He had two types of hats, the caps or Kepis that many think of when they think of the uniforms. The other was the felt cap called a slouch hat or floppy hat. Western armies wore the slouch hat mostly. It also provided more protection from the weather. According to Leo, the shoes were really not left and right. You started wearing them and they eventually formed to your feet. There are many styles of uniforms depending on the person you want to portray in a reenactment. All of this can be found on line from a Civil War Sutler or if you are at a Reenactment, you will also find Sutler vendors. Besides his uniforms, Leo had a complete kit to be able to camp out in a way that was done during the Civil War. This kit was kept in a wood box and included a blanket, sewing kit, canteen, tin cups and other food containers. His lantern was an old style holding a candle. According to Leo, some reenactors are what he called hard core. When they camped out they carried very little and roughed it as they did during the war. They might carry just one blanket and very little food. Leo is what they call a mainstream reenactor. They carry some modern comforts, but try to keep them out of sight when spectators are around. He also said they have some reenactments where they give you the name of someone and whatever happened to them is what you have to do. Some dedicated reenactors might do this activity as a family and plan their vacations around the event. Besides the soldiers, woman and younger kids can also become Civil War reenactors. And of course Civil War reenactors will need weapons from the time period. Leo uses an Enfield 1853 rifled muzzle loader. He also has a bayonet for his rifle. His was capable of firing a round but it is only used

without bullets. I talked to Leo about how to join and become a reenactor. The Hardee's Guard Battalion is a Civil War reenacting organization based in the Southeastern United States. Members from Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee make up the units within the battalion. They can also supply loaner equipment for you to try it out before buying your own uniforms and equipment. You can find out more here- Hardeesguard.wikispaces.com There are several smaller unites that make up the Battalion. Leo is part of the GA 34th. The first thing you will need to do is choose the side you will fight for, or if a civilian impression might be what you want to do. It is highly recommend that you actually find the unit you wish to join before buying anything. Most units will have a person in charge, or at least a list, to instruct new recruits on what to purchase and where to purchase it. You will want to be as authentic as possible. There are many styles of uniforms. You might need a frock jacket or a shell jacket depending on if you are Calvary or infantry. Or maybe you will reenact an officer. According to Leo, the shorter shell jacket was used later in the war to save cost for material. Especially on the confederate side as the war got towards the end. There are so many variations that it is best to get with a group, and learn from their experience before purchasing anything. One of the interesting things I wondered about when watching reenactments was the lines of Confederates and Union soldiers facing each other in the open. I asked Leo if this was how they did it and he said yes. They matched their men in a line out in the open and did face to face shooting. Later some did start using cover. I hope I have peaked your interest in being a Civil War Reenactor or got you interested in going to see a Civil War Reenactment. I know I really enjoyed them. Other Civil War activities can be found on this website gacivilwar.org/events.

Leo Baker

Blue Ridge Mountains Wine and Jazz Festival May 16, 12-9pm facebook.com/blueridgewineandjazzfestival

e are so lucky to have two multi-book authors write for our paper. Kathi Hill and Raland Patterson each write their own columns for The Best Of. They also have published almost twenty books between them! Kathi Hill was raised in the North Georgia Mountains and worked in the mental health field. She writes about southern life. So far my favorite book of hers is “Out on a Limb of the Family Tree”, which made me both laugh and cry. She has a new one now called “The Year of Nine: Where the Rain Begins.” Kathi also writes an almost daily blog called Everything But the Kitchen Sink. Raland Patterson comes from Blue Ridge, Georgia where he has wonderful memories of growing up with his friends and family. He is a decorated veteran, who was a helicopter pilot in the military. He has books written on both, life in the mountains, and the challenges of the Vietnam war. My favorite book of his is Sugar Creek, although I have read and liked them all! He is also the host of the ETC TV show, “Those Who Served.” On a recent Saturday afternoon, we made ourselves comfortable in the “living room” at the Martyn House in downtown Ellijay. Robb sat down on the couch and pulled out his guitar and serenaded us with 70’s songs including James Taylor and the Beatles. Kathi, her husband David, and their daughter Anna Kate, along with Raland and his wife Ann, set up for the authors to do a book signing! In between chatting with guests that stopped by to buy books and get autographs, we had smoothies and veggie paninis and collected some names to do a prize drawing, and gave away some gift certificates! A very pleasant way to spend a cloudy afternoon! If you missed this one, watch our paper and FaceBook to find out when they will be signing again. Or you can get their books on Amazon.

www.kathi-harper-hill.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/pages/Raland-JPatterson/166858266741304 Also search Amazon for their author pages

"Comfort is key for a BBQ" - Ashley Madekwe

"All kids need is a little help, a little hope, and somebody to believe in them" - Magic Johnson

Gary, the owner of Wolf Creek Canyon BBQ asked us “Would you like to try some fresh pork rinds?” Thia and I said Sure! We never had anything but the packaged store bought variety before. You will never be satisfied with those things in the plastic bags again, once you try these REAL pork rinds. They are fluffy, crispy, spicy and everyone in the room loved them (we shared ) You MUST try ‘em! - Robb

"In school, you are taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you are given a test that teaches you a lesson" -Tom Bodett

"If the rain spoils our picnic, but saves a farmers crop, who are we to say it shouldnt rain?" - Tom Barrett

lease understand that I in no way condone or condemn the activities I participated in growing up. They may or may not have taken place in or around the summer of the ‘73. Things were a lot different back then. As kids, we didn’t have all the newfangled gadgets to distract us like the kids now a days have. We had to go out and make our own fun. Looking back on it, I guess some of our activities weren’t that smart. But, we survived, somehow. Now don’t judge me for the things I’m about to tell you. What can I say? I was young and I didn’t have a care in the world or a worry in my head. And now for the disclaimer. Please do not try this at home. These are things young boys tend to do on hot summer days when nobody is watching. With that said, here we go. Now, in the mind of a 10 year old boy, it made perfect sense to use BB guns to play war. We simply divided the guns up between teams, got on opposite sides of the yard and yelled GO! Yes it stung when you were hit but we kept on playing. That is until one of the kids, who happened to own three of the BB guns, got tired of being shot and decided to take his toys and go home. He was mad for a couple of days but before long, he was back with us, doing some other not so smart stuff. King of the mountain was just about as rough as a bunch of young kids could get. There were times we drew blood or someone ran home crying but you know what? We were right back at it the next day. Everybody got their chance to be the king and they also got the chance to climb back up the hill for another shot. I can remember going home with torn and muddy clothes and mom just pitching a fit. She would tell me not to do that again but it wasn’t

long before I was right there on the side of that hill fighting to be the king, even if it was only for a few minutes. Growing up, Evel Knievel was one of our heroes. Of course we were going to try and do almost everything he did. We didn’t want to recreate any of his not so perfect landings but the freedom as we took flight was just too much of a temptation. We built rickety ramps out of whatever we could find and would jump our bicycles over all kinds of stuff, from teddy bears to our best friend. I remember actually breaking my bike after one of the most historic jumps ever! Dad didn’t by my story but he did let me get another bike. We raced down some of the steepest hills you have ever seen at breakneck speeds. The wind blowing through my hair. Yes, back then, I did have hair. There were days I went home with scrapes and bruises but that never did stop me from trying to go faster than my friends. I remember one day, trying to think of something new and different, we got my mom’s umbrella and used it as a parachute as we jumped off the roof! I know I had seen it work just fine on a cartoon. We survived, the umbrella, not so much. Oh, and my britches got a dusting when mom found out we broke her umbrella. Life was so much easier then. Everyone knew each other and really seemed concerned about their neighbors. Very seldom did we lock our doors and all the kids just made themselves at home, no matter whose house they were at. I long for those days before this whole adulthood thing took over. We had our whole lives in front of us and nothing but time on our hands. Little did we know, those carefree days we spent goofing off would end up being some of the best memories we’ll ever have.

Relay for Life May 15, Fannin County at Blue Ridge Kiwanis Club starts at 6pm

Taste of Ellijay Thursday May 21, 2015 - TONS of great food LOTS to taste. LOTS of FUN!

rom the delicious smells when we walked in the door, until the friendly goodbyes as we left; going to Cider House Cafe was a wonderful experience. Yep, Robb & I loved our first visit, and plan many more! How would I describe Cider House to someone that had never been there? Friendly, southern, homey, feels like family and delicious! We were there for dinner. There is no menu. It’s a traditional meat and three. You get a slip of paper with that day’s specials on it and a pencil. You check off what you want and add any special instructions. That way the food is always exactly what you ordered! Our main course choices were: Fried Chicken Breast, Fried Chicken Tenders, Chicken & Dumplings, Country Fried Steak or Meatloaf. Then pick three side dishes from green beans, creamed corn, mixed beans, cinnamon apples, homemade Coleslaw, and Joe’s peeled fresh so Mary Jo can make ‘em mashed potatoes. You also get rolls and fresh made corn bread bites and desert. Here’s what we ordered, Homemade fried chicken, tender and juicy on the inside, crispy and crunchy on the outside. Chunks and shreds of chicken in a tasty white gravy with homemade dumplings. Flavorful sweet and sour meatloaf made with a secret recipe shared from the chef at the Blue Goose. (The Blue Goose is gone now, it was the executive dining restaurant at the Copper Mine) Have I made you hungry yet? Just looking at the pictures while I write this makes me wish I was there right now, eating this food all over again. It was just soooo good!

Robb here: Some of you may remember my “Search For The Best Fried Chicken” a few issues back (SEE http://issuu.com/tboebrj/docs/the_best_of_ebrj_7/51? e=8740931/6980000 )well, unfortunately, at that time, I didn’t know this great place existed. I may be the only person in this tri-county area that has had fried chicken in every place that makes it and I can tell you the fried chicken here is right up there, one of the best. The chicken tenders are fantastic! Back to Thia... Of course, the food tops the list of great reasons to visit Cider House Cafe, it is a restaurant after all. But the atmosphere is also wonderful. We sat on the sunny enclosed porch when we visited. It was cozy and comfortable, decorated in a charming southern style. Roomy, spotless and casual, what a great place for a nice lunch with friends or a big dinner with the family. You certainly feel right at home there, and you can look out the big windows at the beautiful Mountain View Apple Orchard also owned by Joe & Mary Jo. There is another reason visiting the Cider House Cafe is so special, the family that runs it. Joe (Dickey) met Mary Jo when they were very young, grade school age. They got married as young teenagers. And now in their senior years ( although they look much younger) they are hands on running the cafe and the orchard. These hard-working folks are warm and caring and have many wonderful stories to share. Mary Jo does most of the restaurant running along with some help that includes her grand daughter. Joe does most of the work with the apples. Al-

"This life is like a swimming pool. You dive into the water, but you can't see how deep it is." - Dennis Rodman

though Mary Jo recruits him to peel the potatoes. Pounds and pounds of potatoes! What do they do with all those? Make real mashed potatoes, that are buttery and creamy just like grandma used to make, with brown gravy so good I ordered extra! Ask Joe about his love story, it’s one of many wonderful ones he tells. Joe and Mary Jo have been married for over fifty years now! Also ask Joe about all the money he made shining shoes when he was young! Not just the food, the atmosphere and the company brings people to CHC. You can also buy apples from their orchard, and fresh made apple pies, and local produce when it is available. The apples have been described as the best you’ll find anywhere! I think that’s because they are grown with experience and the secret ingredient, love! CHC is about 3 miles from downtown McCaysville. It is a beautiful drive and not hard to find. But directions are needed because the GPS doesn’t always take you there. So here they are…from Blue Ridge, you go up Blue Ridge Drive, past Mercier Orchards and head to McCaysville when you get into McCaysville turn left at the United Community Bank, that’s Mobile Road. Head up that about three and a half miles and it’s right there on the right, you can’t miss it. Thanks to our friend Nancy for finding this place and telling us about it. She says, “They are off the beaten path, But well worth the trip!” She is so right. When you want to take a nice drive on a beautiful day for some delicious southern home cooking, find your way to Cider House Cafe, and tell Mary Jo & Joe we said “Hey!” Southern Comfort food at it’s finest! We will be back real soon! Two Forks Up!

"The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it." - Woodrow Wilson

Hiking is the best workout!... You can hike for three hours and not even realize you're working out." - Jamie Luner

"Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game." - Michael Jordan

Tiffany Camp WatsonMe.. "Jake, pick your mess up off the floor." Jake.. "Sorry mom I can't. I have back issues." Me.."You're 4 years old how do you have back issues?".. Jake "because for 4 years you have been making me clean messes off the floor!! Sue Taylor’s little doll looks like she’s preaching!

Mistie Hughes -Well I’m in my closet getting my River Street Tavern shirt out for work well I got it on and realized hey this medium shirt is really looking good on me its a lot bigger on me. So naturally I think yay I’m losing weight! Only to get to work and brag and look at the tag and the darn thing is a Large!…whatever Drew-Tionna Pursley’s William says, “Mom, can I borrow the car?"

Kennedy Morgan got her Driver’s License!

Nicole LaBonte Crowe -Getting some steps in with my girl Mabel. She's a fitness animal.

Drew-Heather Earley - This child! Leave him in the kitchen for 2 seconds to run his bath water and this is what I come back to. Pulled the chair out, climbed on the table, and stole my sweet tea! Julie Pritchett - Taking three kids to the grocery store.. Needless to say, we have our ups and downs but the kids are pretty amazing. Anyway, seems like every person that sees us says "you have your hands full" Today Grayson finally says "mommy why does everyone always say your hands are full? Everything is in the cart with us" lol Sherry Jordan Garland & Kimberly Voyles Looking Just like his Daddy!

Kelly Hensler- Mr. Hank says-I’m going to the pound to pick up a few ladies and some Scooby snacks. I'll be back. Joshua Timothy Pritchett “What kind of fish did I catch daddy?" "That is a horny head Lawson" "Ha ha ha ha" and Lawson just thought that was the funniest name ever! Heather Magallanes’ new born French Lop Chinchilla Baby dreams of growing up to be the easter bunny! Her name is Foxy. Heather breeds them and has lots more of all kinds on the way!

Diana Hays - So I told the family I'd make cole slaw for the cookout today at moms. When I asked her for a grater for the cabbage...this is what she handed me .....lol... It just don't work!!!

Ashley Guffey Bramlett, Kristi Brock Titus - First Tball game for these cousins!

Anna Taylor Tripp’s first game of the season!

If you see or post something adorable or funny on Facebook, please tag us in it, and maybe you’ll see it here!

"If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is nature's way." - ARISTOTLE

Want To Reach Over 30,000 Readers - Advertise In The Best Of The North Georgia Mountains www.TheBestOfEBRJ.com/Advertise 35

t takes a brave person, not to mention one with an asbestos-lined mouth and digestive tract, to attempt The Pourhouse’s “Dragon’s Breath Wing Challenge”. We know if you’re looking for bravery you have only to go as far as the local American Legion groups to find some very brave folks that are up for just about any challenge but, how well can their mouth and digestive tract stand up to an insanely hot sauce? This stuff is near toxic! It’s a proprietary mixture of ingredients that includes Ghost Peppers! How hot is it? It’s so hot that chef Diana has to wear rubber gloves, not just for sanitation’s sake, but to keep the corrosive mixture from peeling the skin off her hands! Tim, Steve and James were up for the challenge. It was all Tim’s idea. He

saw it in our paper and called Pourhouse to set it up. “What a great way to get the post together and do something crazy!”, he said.Tim did like the wings though. He rubbed them in the sauce on the bottom before he chowed down! After a few bites, Tim said, “I already can’t feel my tongue!” James took it slow and savored the burning hot flavor. “I’m the smarter one, we have twenty minutes to finish. Why should I eat them quickly?“ said James. Steve’s friend told me, “He’s a professional! He puts hot sauce on everything. He even grows ghost peppers at home and keeps them in his freezer!” Steve has eaten wings all over the state. And he says, “These are some of the hottest wings ever!” Are you up for the challenge? Call The Pourhouse for details!

Community Quilt and Fiber Arts Exhibit Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association until July 25th

Jasper Cruise In Home Depot 3-7 Every fourth Saturday Starting May 23rd

ell summer is on its way and that’s the time for all men and women to start getting rid of all those negative thoughts that winter brought upon us and start thinking about good happy times like going on a picnic or going fishing or barbecuing or having a colonoscopy. That’s always a fun time. Although I must admit given a choice, I would most likely go with the picnic or barbecuing or maybe some mild form of medieval torture. A colonoscopy should be your very last choice. If you’ve never had a colonoscopy, then you might want to pay attention to my experience so you will be at least mentally prepared for yours. The hardest part is what they referred to as the “prep.” My Doctor gave me a prescription for the “prep” that would get me prepared for the colonoscopy itself. He said I had to be on a clear liquid diet the day before and I had to start the “prep” the night before. I brought the prescription to my local CVS. My first red flag was when I was told to go around back to the loading dock to pick up my prescription. The loading dock! Really! When I got to the loading dock, there was a 55 gallon drum waiting for me filled with some sort of liquid with instructions printed on the side just above a spigot. It seems that I was supposed to drink half of this entire drum the night before the colonoscopy, and the other half the morning of the colonoscopy. This was the “prep” part. My wife thought the drum was cute and wants to use it as a planter. I doubt anything would grow in there. Here’s some very important advice. Rule # 1 After drinking this liquid, do not. I repeat. Do not go more than three feet away from the bathroom at any given time. For some reason Mt. Vesuvius comes to mind. The whole purpose of this phase is to clean you out so there will be no obstruction for the Doctor when he performs the exam. This “liquid” for lack of a better word, definitely does that job. If you asked me what it tasted like, I would have to say somewhat like low grade motor oil with just a hint of pineapple. Did I mention the cleaning out and the Mt. Vesuvius reference? Boy did I get cleaned out. I think I got rid of a burrito that I ate in the spring of 1972. I don’t remember how many times I used the bathroom, but let’s just say it was well into the thousands. This process had to be repeated the next

morning five hours before the colonoscopy which was scheduled for 7:30 AM. Do the math and you will see it started at 2:30 AM. Getting any sleep was hard because of Rule # 1. Bathroom tiles are not conducive for a good night’s sleep. I don’t know why I had to do it a second time. There could not have been anything left after the first time. Tired, grumpy, hungry and thinner, I arrived at the out-patient facility where I was told to go to a small room with just a desk and a person sitting behind it. She reminded me of Nurse Ratchet from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” I was told I had to sign a “few” papers. I had to sign so many receipts that I think that at one point, I actually signed a receipt for a receipt. And I may have signed for a loan for a small house in Brazil. I’ll have to check my receipts. Finally finished, I was escorted to pre-op, a small screened area right off a hall where I was told to put on a large lovely very flattering mint green paper towel they call a gown. The nurse asked me if I needed to use the bathroom. Was she serious? I said I wouldn’t be using one for the next two weeks at least. At last it was time for the actual colonoscopy. I never had been under anesthesia so I was looking forward to what it would be like. Would I dream? If so, what would I dream? Would I get a brilliant idea for my next column? Probably not. I couldn’t wait to experience this. They stuck a needle in my hand to open up a line for a drip solution that would put me out. I was ready. The nurse said she was going to start the drip and I should start counting backward from ten. With great anticipation, I said quietly to myself, ten, nine, just as I was about to say eight, I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a voice that seemed very far away. It was the nurse, saying, “Jack you are all done and everything went well.” Wow. How could they do a colonoscopy so quick? I looked at the clock on the wall. One hour and twenty minutes had gone by. No dreams that I can recall. I felt really good, and very relaxed to say the least. The nurse asked if there was anything that she could do for me. I said I wanted a six pack of whatever it was they gave me. She smiled and said, “Don’t we all.” She told me it was a Michael Jackson cocktail. Wow does that stuff put you out. Best sleep ever. So if you ask me how are colonoscopies? I would say they are no problem. The “prep” is the problem. The good news is you will lose weight. The bad news is, it’s the “worst diet ever!”

PLEASE! Make sure you tell our advertisers, the sponsors of this publication "I Saw You In The "FUNpaper"!!! - Thanks!

"A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road." - Henry Ward Beecher 39

Corner Market-- Morgantown 10480 Lakewood Hwy (Jerry is a huge fan of the paper, thinks it is fun and has funny stuff in it) Thanks Jerry! Location: Hwy 515 north, intersection of 76/515 at the red light take right, immediately on your right. across from Dunkin Donuts. 706.258.7873 In Charge: Jerry Wilson and Denise Moore Open: 7-6 Mon-Sat 1-6 Sunday or when customers quit coming. Year round Do you grow all that you have here for sell? Jerry: Grow most of what you see, the rest is from local farms. What are you best known for/best seller? Jerry: Well, Boiled Peanuts, regular and Cajun best in 10 counties. Peaches, strawberries and local honey with the honey comb. Jerry: We also make furniture! Make sure to get a picture of that.

Blackberry, elderberry, what I call bear jam and toe jam. I am sold out of toe jam that goes quick! And I have frog jam. Do you grow everything you offer yourself? Ron: I wish I had the time to do it, but no. June1st-October I get most from the Amish in Tennessee. During the summer months and depending on availability, I get it from local farms and gardens. But you have to be careful, some folks use pesticides etc. I don't sell those. Most is organic, but not all the time. Just ask. I have free range organic eggs always and some of the best sweet corn you have ever eaten. Where do you see your business in the future? Ron: Oh the end of the rainbow, ready to go get my pot of gold (chuckles). We are in a good place, have repeat customers so I see us expanding. Things are going very well.

(Robb: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to save that for a story on furniture makers Jerry!) __________________________________

Patâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Produce (formerly L&M Produce) Blue Ridge/McCaysville border Location: Left at McDonalds in Blue Ridge, 11 miles out Hwy 5, on the left. The first business before you get to the city of McCaysville. 706.492.5477 (Pat's Kitchen) In Charge: Pat Long Open: 7 days a week, 9-6 April-October, and after hours I have the honor system. The only one in the county that does that. Do you grow everything you offer? Pat: With the restaurant I sadly do not have the time to grow my own vegetables. But I do buy local produce as available. And whatever is in season. What is your best seller? Pat: Tomatoes Where do you see your business in the future? Pat: As the economy grows, business will grow. People want to get back to the basics. Eat what comes from the earth as God intended. God Bless America and may the economy grow and pick up. That is what we need. We are living in a recessed area. Bless you and we will lay our hands on the box of The Best of North Georgia Mountains outside of my restaurant and may god bless your business. (Thank you Miss Pat!)

Phil Simmons -Ellijay across from 98 Howard Simmons Rd Location: between 5 and 515 the crossover is by Walmart plaza at CVS Number: 706.273.0690 Phil has a honor system, you call the number on his sign and tell him you are coming and what you are interested in buying. Phil can tell you if it is still out there so you do not waste a trip. He will then go put a jar down at a little stand. You go out and pick what you want and leave your money in the jar. ____________________________________ Mountain Fresh Farm Market - Talking Rock Location: Corner of Antioch Church Rd and Hwy 136, 1 block off of 515 706.669.0006 In Charge: Ron Towns Open: Year round 7 days a week, 10am6pm Mon-Sat and 12pm-6pm Sunday What are you best known for? or your best seller? Ron: Mississippi Sweet Potatoes, Boiled Peanuts and I have vine ripe tomatoes year round. I also have all kinds of jam:

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Relay for Life Pickens May 16th - 11a - 11p - Lee Newton Park

FARMERS MARKETS Ellijay (Gilmer County) Farmers Market NOW OPEN! Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 12 Noon - Now through the first Saturday in October. Location:The courthouse parking lot, off the round-about in downtown Ellijay Ellijay/Gilmer County Farmer’s Market provides a seasonal marketplace for local producers of agricultural products and handmade items. Gilmer County Master Gardeners manage the Market and are availble each Saturday to answer questions concerning care and maintenance of plants, gardening, landscape, etc. For vendor or general Market information, email Paula Lineback, c.lineback@hotmail.com, or Bonnie Waldron, bnordlaw@etc.com. Jasper Farmers Market-NOW OPEN! Location: Located in the Jasper's Park & Ride lot just off of Hwy 53, next to the Chamber of Commerce & Newton Park Contact: June McKenzie Number: 706.253.8840 Every Saturday from March 29th until Oct 25th, 7:30 am - 12:00 pm, Also Wednesdays June 18th thru Aug 27th from 7:30 am - 12:00 pm. July 5th Market will be at Sacketts on Highway 515 Winter Market dates: November 8th and 22nd. December 6th and 20th. from 8 am to noon Blue Ridge Farmers Market Location: Downtown Blue Ridge City Park Number: 706.258.4552 Saturday mornings 8am-1pm opens May 30th EXTRA INFO North Georgia Farm Trail FaceBook page The Facebook page and website gives you updates on when any agriculture festival is taking place. Updates on what produce is available at different markets. Beekeeping meetings and how to become a beekeeper. Lots of interesting information about fresh food in and around our area. **** A wonderful website run by Herbalist Crystal Merrill filled with info on where you can buy and eat the freshest local produce. https://localeatingnorthga.wordpress.com/lo cal-resources/ ***** Your local Chamber of Commerce & The UGA Extension Office http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/gilmer/ **** If you want to pick your own fresh stuff there are lots of places to do that also, like Mercier Orchards, but hey, that’s a whole ‘nother article!

Classic Cars Cruise In Dairy Queen Parking Lot Blue Ridge Highway 4th Friday starting May 29, 2015

everal years ago, when the mental health field was booming, and I was frantically trying to hire therapists to fill new positions, I got a call from a woman in California who was moving here. They'd vacationed in the mountains and fell in love with the countryside. I returned the call and had to leave a message. She did get the job, and we are still very good friends, some twenty years later. But she confessed that she replayed my message over and over, so she and her husband could laugh at my heavy southern accent. I hired another woman who was raised in Kentucky, but not the hills of, apparently. She took to the city life of Atlanta until she met one of "us" and fell in love. She was a prissy little thing and made fun of the "I reckons" and "cain't, ain't, and ya'll". (I remember, after a couple of years of living here, she slipped and said reckon. She slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, and screamed.) I worked with a nurse from South Georgia and it irritated her to no end that everyone was "fixin'" to do something, as in, "I'm fixin' to go to town, does Big Granny need any more snuff?" Of course, much of the world doesn't understand that one southern accent is different from another southern accent. North Georgia people don't talk like Atlanta people and neither population talks like South Georgia. And that's just one state! Those Yankees I speak of from time to time either think we sound 'cute' or 'stupid' or 'amusing'. I really don't care anymore. In fact, if I'm speaking to someone of that mind set, I'm afraid I pour it on as heavily as I dare without them catching on that they are being toyed with. When I was younger and my place of employment worked with northern folks a lot, via the telephone, I loved becoming Scarlett O'Hara. These fellas actually thought we all lived in antebellum mansions and wore hoop skirts to dinner parties. I didn't tell them any different, even though I don't think I'd ever seen an antebellum mansion. Ah, but revenge is sweet. The California girl? She reckons and ya'll's all the time. And Miss Kentucky? (who is also still a dear friend) The same. And she raises chickens. Give us half a chance, and ya’ll will never be the same.

Cuss Words, Southern Style I swan. I ain't never been so all fired mad in all my life. That dad gum, fool ridden, jar head of a son-in-law has done riled up all the devilment in me today. That was a fine example, wasn't it? I used son-in-law because I don't have one, and figured no one would start to wonder who I was mad at. When my grandfather would be doing something "tedjus" and his fingers would slip, you could hear him mutter, "Sh-tucks."My grandmother on the other side just came right out and said it. Other Appalachian cuss words I can recall: Carnsarned, dad blamed, gosh darn, backass-eards, I swany, tarnation, and thunderation. I could sure use a few more of those cuss words after today: There was a spider biggern all git out on the fireplace. Thought Daughter was gonna have to be hospitalized. Husband put the garbage out in the truck (again) and the bear emptied the truck (again). Why does Husband keep doing this.... The fox come 'round the front of the house and then went trottin up the road! Don't he know he's gonna git his fool self kilt? Daughter picked up a flower pot off the sidewalk and two scorpions fell at her feet. Hospitalization # 2. I jammed my ring finger into the chair, ripping the nail way below the white, into the nail bed.

That right there is worth at least four of them Appalachian cuss words.

For Southern, Press Four One of the complaints I have about voice mail kind of stuff ( and they are legion - my complaints and voice mail), is the garbage "If you speak English, press one. If you speak Cantonese, press two. If you speak The Gaelic, press three." And once you actually talk to a person, dang if they are speaking any language known to man. At least in a speed recognizable to human ears. There should be an option that says: "If you speak Southern, press four.” "Hey, kin I hep ye?" "I reckon. How's yore Aint Nel Sue?" "Wahl, she's doin a right smart better. I 'preciate you a'askin me. How's yore mama?" "That's what Ahm callin fer. She's ailin agin. I know we's 'posed to be 'spectin it, when they git up in yars, but, dang, it's hard." (sniff) "Now, honey, don't you cry on me. I know it's a hard thang. But we'll get old Doc Adams to see her right quick like. She'll be right as rain in no time." "Thank ye, Bertha. You always was a angel." And then there is the software where you talk into your computer instead of type. Not if you speak southern, you don't. Husband purchased one of these several years ago. The directions said there shouldn't be a lot of unnecessary background noise that the mic might pick up while dictating. So, Husband banished Daughter and me from speech. Nay, not just speech, but any noise at all. No sneezing, no coughing, no blowing of nose, and certainly no laughter. Husband was on the other side of the wall. Daughter and I were sitting side by side reading quietly. Husband in his very southern Appalachian voice, would drawl into the computer a sentence: "The large tiger jumped off the rocks with power and attacked the man. The computer: "The large Tie Jerk jumped off the rods with pear and untacked the man." Husband: "Scratch that." (this is what he said when misunderstood or had a change of mind.) Every sentence he said was misunderstood, and then we would hear "Scratch that." Did you know you can laugh so hard tears roll down your face, you can be holding your belly because you are laughing so hard, and you don't have to make a sound? It's true. Wasn't long before Husband scratched the whole idea and went back to his two finger typing, which serves him well unto this day. He's up to five words a minute.

Spell Check As all ya'll know, I am a southern girl, born and bred. And speaking of ya'll, I am simply appalled, appalled I say, at the sudden new way to spell ya'll. Suddenly the correct way to spell this word, which isn't even really a word, is y'all. Sacrilege! I noticed when reading a fairly well known person's tweet the other day, they, too, had caved. He is a true southerner, and has always spelled ya'll correctly. Now, all of a sudden, he's spelling it y'all.

Sprang Brangs Flares, Don’t It? When Husband and I first built our house and started planting stuff in the yard, we knew that yeller bell is really Forsythia. Hydrangies are hydrangeas. And so on. But we looked for two seasons for Cannies until we stumbled across them at a hardware store. They are really Cannas. But with our deeply rooted Appalachian language, who knew? And to make things really clear, it is not pee-AH-neez it is pee-ON-es. Please, people. Get it right!

Wine And chocolate tasting every Friday at 6 RSVP by Thursday The Vine

Engelheim Vineyards Live Music with Tommy Joe Conner May 16 • Rick Snyder May 23• Dr.Paul June 13 • Tommy Joe Conner June 27 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM 45

o, funny thing about gratitude, no matter how much you give, it’s nearly impossible to run out once you start. It’s a simple process, but sometimes if one gets stuck mired down with the complexities of a technological, warring world, it can be difficult to remember how. We have created many devices to “simplify” life, and in the process we have forgotten how to live. Some of us spend the entire workday inside, barely even looking out the window. When’s the last time you experienced joy like a child? Stomp in the puddle, play fetch with a dog, play in the yard, go for a swing, skip a rock, watch a bird, take a walk in the woods…all without an agenda or time limit. I recently was blessed to witness a friend do something that seems to be a lost art for us busy folks, sit and just earnestly listen to another friend. No agenda, no gossip, just a sharing of ideas and ponderings. It was perhaps the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time. Simple, yet rare, time spent with another, for another. Sometimes people just need to know they are heard, by someone who isn’t busy thinking of what they are going to say back, but really heard by someone who cares for them. So my friends, take a long walk, and earnestly listen, have some fun, remember the simple pleasures, and you’ll find gratitude and joy abound all around you, just waiting for you to slow down enough to see. If your blessed enough to have a friend to spend some uncluttered simple time with, do so, and if not, be that friend for someone else. Being truly present for another is an amazing gift for both! “The best gift you could ever give someone is your time, because you’re giving a portion of your life you can never get back.” Here is hoping you are able to find something everyday to be thankful for. I’m grateful for you! Enjoy your day!

“Don't ever forget where you came from--especially if you don't even know where you are going.” ― Sara Marie Hogg

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." - A. A. Milne

ast summer, when we did a review of the Last Catch Restaurant, they were located in a back corner of Jasper’s Piggly Wiggly shopping center. Kim and Jim Ryan did an amazing job of scratching our itch for the freshest seafood. My dad Griz was with us, and he is a charter boat captain and fisherman, so he is our expert on fish dishes. This is his quote from that first story, “It was a fillet, with no skin. It was excellent. The problem with getting fish at a restaurant is that it is often overcooked. This was cooked perfectly. I’ve eaten a lot of catfish, and this was the best catfish I’ve ever had.” That’s quite a compliment coming from someone who is a fisherman and eats fish all the time! Robb and I also loved everything about the place and the people who worked there. Robb said, “I’ll be baaack!” ( In his best Arnold Swarzenegger voice) Big news came to us shortly after that, The Ryan’s had purchased a building and were going to move their restaurant to a (close by) brand new location! It would be all the good stuff from the old location, but now, even better! It took some time to get the new spot ready to open. As a matter of fact, Robb and I stopped by several times to see the progress and every time it looked more beautiful then before. We couldn’t wait until they opened the doors so we could do another review! Kim and Jim (or Jim & Kim… ladies first I guess) are two of the nicest people around and care so much about their customers, the quality of the food they put out, and work so hard at it, it’s just feels good telling people about them. How much they care, their passion is evident, not only by tasting the

food but also now by looking at their brand new location. Talk about attention to detail! The minute we saw this new place and tried to imagine all the work that went into it we decided that if any restaurant deserved a second look (review) surely this was it. And so “we went baaaack” (mimicking Arnold Swarzenegger again) But guess what… our reviewing meal was scheduled when we got hit with the last huge snowfall of winter! So we had to put it off until this issue! When we finally arrived, it was wonderful to see the inside of this amazing place, and talk to Kim and Jim again in person. Kim has a real talent for decorating and creating. Creating, as in the new Pickens Beach! Never heard of it? Well you haven’t visited Last Catch yet! Their slogan has always been “Seaside dining… in the mountains!” now at the new location they fleshed out that image, by creating a beach right there in their back yard! It’s a little beach-side town that you can gaze out on while enjoying your dinner and drinks out on their spacious outside deck. Ok, the “ocean” is really a small creek that runs out back but, use your imagination! Hear the waves? Smell that salt in the air? Robb wants to talk. Here’s his part- “The short, sound-bite review is simply, “This place is fantastic, you MUST go!” The longer version is, “This new building is a feast for the eyes. Beautifully done, similar to the seaside, beachcomber decor of the old location only much better! And the food? First I had the BIG peel and eat shrimp, they were so good! Then I had the Fried Shrimp Basket. A

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bunch of golden fried shrimp, a baked potato, hushpuppies and cole slaw. I was stuffed when I was done. No skimpy servings here. And every bite was fresh, hot and delicious!” My turn- To start, for our appetizer, we got the homemade onion rings. Now the onions rings are above outstanding. How is that you want to know? Well because the sauce that you dip them in is the best sauce I’ve ever tasted and I think I could put it on everything I eat for the rest of my life and it would make it taste better. It’s called Remoulade sauce, it has a touch of sweet, a touch of spicy and I want the recipe! Okay, not being a fish eater per say, usually I get shell fish like snow crab or lobster or shrimp, I wanted to go for it and be adventurous and eat fish! So I ordered the fish sandwich. It was outstanding! I’m guessing you can tell, “We will be back” again and again to Last Catch. Our servers Brooke and Lance, and all the staff and the owners, just make this such a friendly, relaxing, delicious experience. Who would have thought you could have an amazing “seaside dining” experience in Jasper, Georgia. NEW ADDRESS: 487 East Church Street, Jasper 706-692-0032 lastcatchseafood.com

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eing “born and raised” in North Georgia, I have quite a bit of pride when it comes to our people and the history of these mountains. Sometimes though, you forget. You forget when you are driving past the chain restaurants, the box stores, and the strip malls. You forget when you rush from one moment to the next, always moving forward toward the next thing you have to get done. If you are lucky enough to be in the North Georgia mountains, you will occasionally slow down and find yourself traveling down a dirt road on a spring day, driving past old wood barns, watching farmers working a garden to get it ready for planting, and seeing green fields that are so green it makes you take a deep breath to taste the fresh air. It heals you. Just the sight of all this heals you and helps you remember why you are here in the first place. Spring and Summer time in the mountains is a time to harvest all that nature provides for food, tools, and for health. Poke salat, creasy greens, redbud tree blossoms are a few of the first fresh foods after the winter. These ‘weeds’ are free and readily available to anyone who cared to look for them. But they aren’t only food, they are also a benefit for health! Redbud blossoms (Cerciscanadensis) contain a high amount of Vitamin C. Pokesalat (Phytolacca americana) and creasy greens (Barbarea verna) would ‘clear your liver’ after the richness of winter meats. The people of North Georgia used the plants available, like these), to treat themselves, their families, and neighbors for many different types of illness. As a modern herbalist, I have studied many historical texts and references about plant use in many areas of the world. Now, what I want to know is how did the people of my mountains use the plants around them? I created a survey to gather local information and to give credit where due to the healers around here, whether it be a parent helping their children or a community healer. These are a few of the treasures I’ve received in my survey answers so farHickory sap (Carya sp.) as an earache remedy “The hickory sap was gathered from the hickory firewood that was warmed by the wood heater. The sap would look like little drops of honey on the cambium layer of the bark at the ends of the firewood. My Daddy told me that his father, Clyde Low, would use this for the small children with an earache in the family.” Donnie (Pickens/Gilmer/Towns) Calamus root (Acorus calamus) for upset stomach “My mother and grandmother used what they called Calamus root for stomach upsets. I remember seeing roots in some sort of suspension in grandmother's cupboard.” Rhonda (Pick-

ens) Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima) for mouth sores “Daddy always gathered yellow root for mouth sores or sore throat. Tastes nasty but works great. He would gather it from near the creeks above our house. Bring home a few sprigs, put in a kettle to boil for a tea to rinse our mouth out.” Cathy (Pickens) Apple (Malus domestica) for injury “When my grandfather was a small boy, his brother hit him in the eye with a stone. His father mashed up an apple and put it in his eye for two weeks and wrapped it up. When he became an adult and went to an eye doctor, the doc said he should be blind and couldn't believe how his dad saved his vision.” Phillip (Cherokee) Kerosene and Pine (Pinus sp.) for cuts “Pulpwood cutters, Dad included, would keep a coke bottle full of kerosene with a wad of green pine needles doubled and stuffed down in the bottle. The pine needles would let them turn the bottle up and shake the kerosene out onto their saw blades. It served a dual purpose though, as they also used it on cuts, which were inevitable in that sort of work. Kerosene, or coal oil as it was also called, was often used to put on cuts and scrapes, to keep infection and soreness away (sped up healing)” Ronnie (Pickens) Tobacco (Nicotianatabacum) for bee-stings “My grandmother, Mrs. Minnie Johnson, taught me. She used chewing a little tobacco from a cigarette and putting it on a bee sting to draw the poison out. Also, there was red oak bark boiled in water and gargled for sore throat, WD 40 for arthritis pain, heating green pine needles and breathing the smoke for asthma and on and on. She was born in Alabama in 1903 and moved to Pickens in about 1913 with her family in a covered wagon.” Roger (Pickens) These wonderful quotes from people, are just memories and can not be considered completely accurate or safe. If you are interested in trying folk remedies, I encourage you to research, research, and research. Most people have stepped away from them, and although folk remedies are just as useful now as they were then, many people now don’t have the skills or knowledge to properly use them. Our ancestors knew how to properly identify the species of plant they needed, lived closer to nature and were continually using the remedies. It is exciting and very rewarding to learn more about plant identification and use. Please consider doing so! Got your own Folk Medicine stories? Please share them with me and I will in turn share them with others in future articles. Visit my website crystaldawnherbs.com and click the link for Survey. Or send me a note at crystaldawnherbs@gmail.com

I changed my password everywhere to 'incorrect.' That way when I forget it, it always reminds me, 'Your password is incorrect.'

Don't worry if plan A fails, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet.

only went to sleep away camp once when I was growing up. But it was such a wonderful experience that I still have great memories of it today, almost forty years later. I went to a FHA/FFA camp in upstate New York. We slept in rough cabins on army cots with sleeping bags and cooked over an open fire. We hiked in the woods and played in the lake. I learned a lot about nature and myself and made life long friends. The one thing I didn’t like about my camp was that we had to take indoor classes with reading assignments and homework. I wanted to spend all my time outside experiencing the woods and learning about what roughing it really meant! It was summer, I didn’t want book learning, I wanted adventure learning! That is the reason I was so intrigued when I heard about a camp experience we have around here called Mountain Wisdom. MW is run by a man named Hawkeye Jay Zipperman who loves kids and animals and his community. He’s done wildlife educational programs for years, including lots of visits at the schools. He’s been a volunteer at Family Connection for eighteen years. And he’s been running his camp for over ten years now. Something wonderful about this camp is no cel phones, iPads, iPods and those kind of solo connections are allowed! “There are no electronics.” Jay says, “The teens will get away from the everyday distractions and really have a chance to get to know themselves.” MW is a fun experience for teens, but also a huge time of learning and growing. You will be communing with nature and meeting new friends. You will be mentored along the way by adult outdoors adventurers who know how to work with teens and keep them headed in the right direction. “We do various forms of ceremony, challenge, cooperative, team building and competitive games. We have all types of activities. We teach primitive skills like several ways of fire starting,

water purification, shelter building, wild edibles, leave no trace camping, respect for the environment. We have creek hikes, and do a ropes course.” Through this togetherness, kids will connect with nature, themselves, their peers and the staff. The girl’s camp takes place at Kaluna, and is run by Susan Miller McGowan. Susan has a Ph.D. in psychology, years of experience and loves teenagers. I asked Susan, what she found was the most special thing that girls learn at MW? “In the Rites of Passage Experience: Girls to Women, we offer many different types of activities that challenge these young women, physically and mentally, but without the competitiveness of the boys. When a young woman graduates from the camp she has come to know and accept, through these exercises, her awesomeness, and her not so awesomeness. Coming to know who you are, in a supportive group gives the young women more courage to face the challenges in their lives.” Boys will experience a more primitive camping outdoor wilderness experience. They will build camps and and sleep in tents. They will bath in the creek and experience the National Forest in all it’s beauty. “We help our young people move intentionally from adolescence to young adulthood. I have an hour by hour agenda, but it is very organic. It is flexible. Whatever the group needs for their experience and transformation, we work with that.” Safety and respect for all are of the upmost importance. What starts out being a group of people that don’t know each other, ends up a tight knit group that doesn’t want camp to end. Hawkeye says,“Each teen will come away feeling better about themselves. It will raise their self esteem for things they have done and accomplished. Primitive skills and survival skills they have learned will make them feel more self-reliant. We want them to have a great experience in the woods so they will want to do

““Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” — Oprah Winfrey

more of it, and they’ll want to take care of the environment. They can use the skills they have learned to take care of themselves in the real world. When they go back home they are more confident that they can truly take care of themselves.” All teens have issues, here is a safe place to help with those. It’s a life changing, healing, confidence building experience for all kids. I have to ask Jay about food, because after all this work having fun, people are going to be hungry. “We serve three meals a day. We eat really good. Our main cook is very important and very honored. We have meat and vegetables and fruit. Very natural, healthy and hearty. Ratio is three campers to one mentor. Each group is from 15-24 kids. The boys camp is $500 and is six days. The girls camp is four days and costs $300. Okay, maybe I’m not quite the right age or physical shape to rough it like this anymore, but I bet you certainly know some teenagers who would love it, and benefit from it. You can call Jay to find out how to register at 706.276.2595. And when you send your kid, please tell them to call me when they get home. I want to hear all about it! This is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. Partial scholarships may be available. Check out their website www.mountainwisdominc.org

"Smartness runs in my family. When I went to school I was so smart my teacher was in my class for five years." - George Burns 53

hat do you call a crate of ducks? A box of quackers! And, we definitely have a lot of quackers on our farm. Ducks are amazing birds. I find them to be entertaining, independent and addicting! Let me start out telling you about our first duck purchase. I lied to my child immediately, with a straight face, and the “I am confident and know everything voice” that a parent has when they really don't have a clue what they are talking about. Admit it, you have done this too. Maybe not about ducks but I'm sure there is a topic that fits here. Standing in Tractor Supply during chick month, which is my favorite time of year, my daughter asks if we can get a duck. They have these adorable fuzzy little baby ducks in a big bucket and the price is right, so I say sure, you can get a duck. You have to get two so they aren't alone. “Okay mom,” she says with excitement. “They are going to be my best friends!” she says adoringly, looking at them in the box and petting the ducks with the tip of her finger. I, of course, agree telling her how they will imprint on her and she will be their mom and will follow her around and be her best friends. This is the insert lie part here. I knew absolutely nothing about ducks, and only what I had read in children's books or had seen on television. Television and books make ducks look so loving and sweet and like the perfect companion for a kid, as it dances in meadows of wild flowers and life is perfect. (Cue the Sound of Music Soundtrack here.) We brought our ducks home and put them in a cage near the newly hatched chicks. They weren't happy like that, so we put the cage in my daughters room, you know, so she could bond with them. They peeped and paced and carried on so much she couldn't sleep. They were messy and smelly and so much more nasty than baby chicks. She lost interest in her best friends in less than 24 hours. Now I have two ducks and a bunch of baby chicks that I need to care for until I can put them outside. My hopes were that maybe they would imprint on me and be my best friends. Ducks are very suspicious creatures and they really don't like to be bothered by giant humans talking baby talk to them. Still pacing and peeping and looking worried I figured out they wanted to be in the same cage as the chicks. So, that is where they ended up and caused me much more daily clean up and work caring for them all together. But, I didn't mind, I had fallen in love with my ducks. Over time, I became more addicted to my ducks and had to get more of them. They never imprinted on me and thought I was their mom, but they did realize I had the key to the food so they tolerated me. I researched and decided that I wanted

to get ducks that were good egg layers. We set up a couple of kiddy swimming pools in an area for our ducks to play, and they love to get in and swim and play together. We have added several different breeds that are good for the farm. We have had Khaki Campbell and Indian Runners and a few Muscovy ducks and some Pekins were added to our original Tractor Supply Mallards. Only a few have names, we have Eli and Gulliver our drakes and BooBoo our first Mallard female and the rest I just call brown duck because they all look the same. These birds are so independent and they don't really need a lot of care which I love about ducks. I love that they are wonderful pest control for our yard. I love that I can put them in my garden to forage and they don't bother the vegetation or flowers. My chickens would eat every bloom on the flowers and peck all the vegetables and then look at me like they were saying “What? Did you want those?” I watched the ducks one day in total chaos, chasing each other and realized they were fighting over a frog. I never thought a duck could eat an entire frog, but they can and they don't even chew it. I wouldn't brag about their dining manners, but I will brag about their “it's all about me” attitude to fight off all the others and hang onto what is theirs and eat it all by themselves. Ducks don't require a lot of feed nor do they need elaborate housing. They forage for most of their food and they really only need a small shelter to get out of the wind or extreme cold and, of course, protection from predators. I house my ducks and chickens together, so the ducks take over the floor of the house and the chickens roost up high, so they seem to like their arrangement. My ducks take off in the morning when I open their door and they spend their day waddling up and down the driveway, all in a row which I find adorable. They forage for insects and eat grass and play in mud puddles and swim in their pools. They are messy creatures, and they will spread their duck made fertilizer everywhere, but that is a good thing. I have the greenest grass every spring and summer. I don't have issues with fleas, ticks, and other nuisance insects and I get amazing eggs that are bigger than chicken eggs, and have a higher fat content and more nutrition and are perfect for baking. My ducks lay eggs year round so the weather doesn't affect them and when the chickens have slowed down egg production, the ducks never let me down. Ducks don't have a lot of medical issues and are fairly disease resistant overall. However, they can get bumble foot, an infection from a cut that can lead to their death if untreated We had one of our Indian Runners that had gotten bumble foot. Her name was brown duck, of course. We had to medically care for the bumble foot and keep her foot

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clean and indoors. She was frantic and miserable, so I decided with my crafting skills that I could make her a shoe so she could go outside. After half an hour of intense engineering and design I taped a hot pink flip flop turned duck shoe onto her foot. She hobbled around on that shoe for a week before she figured out how to get rid of it. Every time I saw her waddling in the group, hopping and hobbling I would laugh out loud. She never gave in and kept up with the group. I think she was thankful, although she didn't let me know it. The cure was quite entertaining but most importantly it saved her life. I could go on and on about the entertainment quality of keeping ducks on my farm, they are so much fun to watch every day. Do they follow me around and love me like I'm their mom? No, apparently, I lied to myself too. But I don't mind that they are a bit standoffish. I'd rather them be themselves and in their own element. I think they call me mom when they see me coming with treats, but I could just be hearing things. They clean up all the bugs in my yards and they lay a lot of eggs and are better than television for a good laugh and they fertilize my grass. What else could I ask for from an amazing bird that doesn't cost me much to keep? If you are thinking about ducks for your farm, go for it, you will be very happy with you decision, even if they don't think you are their best friend.

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aseball is king in our family. I played, my father played. And my father in law, my other dad, played until he was 45. My son played for Andrew college and then the Columbus State University Division II World Series champion team. I coached him all through his little league and high school years and watched him excel at it in college. What a fantastic time it is for us when we are playing, coaching, or just watching baseball. We even played softball together. I played third base, my son Dash played short stop, his grandfather Joe played second base, and my brother Dave played first base. A family infield - what great times indeed! My son now coaches at the college level and so my days of coaching were over, or so I thought. My nine year old (at the time) granddaughter asked me if I was going to coach her softball team. “You coached Uncle Dash.” I immediately agreed, "Sure Kaylee, I'll look into it." She was happy I agreed. I volunteered to coach when she signed up, and the organizers asked me if I had any experience with Fastpitch Softball. “Nope, but I played and coached baseball for years. I’m still certified for that.” I figured I could handle it and so did they. They provided me with a roster and the first thing I did was pin down a “Team Mom.” I knew this would keep me pretty much out of the fund-raising and team snack coordination. My daughter Kellee was my “bench coach” and helped me sort through many issues I could never have dealt with. I set up the first practice down at the field on old highway 5 across

from the Gilmer Middle School entrance. I looked at all the wide-eyed 9 year old girls and they were all happy. I told them to form a line a few feet apart and told them I was going to see if any of them could field a ground ball. “You mean catch it, right Coach?” said a girl with a wad of gum in her mouth so big it poked her cheek out like a big leaguer. “Yes. I’m going to roll the ball to you, and I want you to, uh, catch it and throw it right back to me in the air. You got that ?” Loudly they all screeched “Yes Coach!” Hmmm. Maybe this won’t be so ugly after all. I rolled the ball on the ground to the first one and when it got to her she slapped her glove down on top of it like she was swatting a bug. I made sure I showed them all the proper technique and Kaylee helped us break the ice. She was a good player by nature and was always around the game. “OK, one more time.” I rolled it to her again and she assumed the fielding position as taught. The ball rolled into her glove and then over the top of it and past her. “OK, stay with it now.” She ran after the ball, again swatted it to stop it. “OK, pick it up and throw it back to me.” She picked up the ball and began the most elaborate wind-up I’ve seen since Fernando Valenzuela. Then she reached back and threw it as hard as she could.

The ball went about 2 feet. The rest of the girls were about the same or a little better. Then one of them, Kristen, scooped up the ball very well and fired it right back to me. I whispered to my father in law, Joe, who was helping me, “There’s our stud, or whatever you call the female version.” He looked at me puzzled. “Stud-ettes?” I shrugged. “Let’s see if we can find our pitcher.” The season started a couple of weeks later and our team was getting a little better. I gave them a quick pep talk about having fun and playing hard, then yelled out, Who's the best? "We are!" They all listened and really tried to do things they way they were taught. Just before the first game I showed them all our signs. “Take”, meaning do not swing, (touch cap brim), and “steal” (touch chin), along with the indicator (touch nose). We were visitors and our first batter was walked, thanks to our brilliant coaching, giving four “take” signs in a row. I gave the runner a nose and chin sign. She nodded that she got the sign and then suddenly yelled “You want me to steal, right coach?” Before I could shake that sign off she bolted on the pitch and made it easily because the pitch was wild and went all the way to the back stop. The catcher got up after every single pitch and walked casually back to pick it up, then throw it back. And every time the other coach yelled “Run after it!” alas, to no avail. It was then that I realized there were going to be a load of walks at this level. Our next batter went up to the plate and the umpire said

"No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar." - Abraham Lincoln

Kaylee

something to her. She started crying. I ran over to them asking what was going on. “The umpire wants me to take off my earrings.” I looked at the umpire, a woman in her twenties who looked like she knew what she was doing. She said to me “No jewelry allowed, coach. If she removes them now I’ll let her hit – otherwise it’s an out.” I was torn between a baffling jewelry rule and my urge to tell my player “There’s no crying in baseball.” Yes. Like the movie. “Calm down, now, just take off the earrings and I’ll hold them for you.” She cried louder, “But my Grandma gave me these for my birthday yesterday!” I looked desperately at the umpire. “C’mon blue, her earrings are covered by the batting helmet. It’s not like a necklace or something flopping all over.” The umpire just gave me “the look”. I turned to my player and said, “Look, it’s take ‘em off or sit down with an out. I’ll support whatever you want to do.” She stopped crying instantly and smiled, then turned and literally danced back toward the dugout. I took one more look at the umpire who simply clenched her fist “Out.” She was out four more times that evening. I asked for “time out” and followed my player to the dugout. All the girls suddenly stood up and started yelling at the top of their lungs, “Firecracker, Firecracker, Boom! Boom! Boom!” It actually startled me. I shushed them and motioned to the team mom. “Girls, you have to remove

all of your jewelry to play.” I leaned over to the team mom and coach Kellee, “Your new task before each game is to shake ‘em down for any jewelry.” The game ended in the sixth inning. We won the game because the other team walked more players than us. There were zero actual base hits, but there was some put into play and subsequent errors helped the runners advance. There was one squibbler that was thrown around the field to no one in particular, a comedy of errors creating a “home run” of sorts. The girls then ate their snacks and I took them to our fantastic Ellijay Dairy Queen for ice cream afterwards. There were other chants as well and although I was initially horrified at hearing them, they began to grow on me, so by the end of the season I was chanting right along with them. “I stole a base on you! I stole a base on you! While you were doing your hair, I was already there!” That one was my favorite. And thanks to Kaylee and a few others making a case for needing to keep earrings on if they were recently pierced, the league finally relented and allowed earrings if band-aids were put over them. It was a fun experience and I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it for a couple of years. From that day forward, anytime we saw a big leaguer sporting a huge necklace, we would point to him and say, “That should be an out!”

"Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else." - Margaret Mead

hen we have the opportunity to visit our home in Ellijay, we love entertaining and cooking wonderful hearty meals for all our neighborhood friends. My husband, Chef Marty, never disappoints our foodie friends. As I stood by the sink washing all the dishes, I found myself drifting off in thought. Perhaps, I had wee bit too much to eat and drink. I am definitely experiencing the first signs of a food coma. All I wanted to do is wrap myself up in a soft, comfy blanket and lay on the couch and watch the beautiful fire burning in our fireplace. I could hardly keep my eyes open. No sheep counting for this girl tonight! I began dreaming of the springtime and my beautiful spring garden that I had recently planted. When all of a sudden my dream was abruptly interrupted by a strange crunching noise. I jumped up off the couch and was quite disoriented since I was not in my own bed. There I stood by the fireplace in a cold sweat and my heart racing. I grabbed the fire poker and quietly tip toed toward our cabin’s front window. As I gazed out the window, I was sure that I’d spot my first bear sighting. However, that was not the case. In the midst of darkness I saw what looked like a herd of deer munching on my beautiful plants! My Hostas! How could this be? In horror, I rushed to my drawer where I kept my gardening notes that my neighbor Kathy shared with me. As I continued to review Kathy’s explicit gardening instructions, I found her notations regarding Hosta flowers. Although, quite pretty “ NEVER" plant these flowers where deer are present. “ Hosta flowers are like candy to deer” OH DEAR! How could I have gotten that backwards? We live in such a beautiful community where the deer roam freely. Don’t get me wrong, I love deer but I was really looking forward to having a beautiful flower garden this year. The next morning, I went outdoors to survey the situation. My beautiful purple and white Hosta plants were all damaged. And now I noticed that my sunflowers attracted all the neighborhood crows! From what I can see, all that is left of my Sunflower beds are a few yellow petals scattered on the ground and a handful of half eaten seeds. The crows destroyed my Sunflowers and the deer have done a number on my hosts. I quickly ran to my back porch to checkout my container garden that Kathy had suggested I use for my herb garden. Thank goodness all my containers were still intact. My herb garden is in perfect condition. In fact, I was able to snip some fresh herbs to use in tonight’s meal prep. Walking back over to my front yard, I found myself staring at my flower beds in utter disbelief, I quickly started to reconsider my future as a gardener. What did I do wrong? What could I do to fix this situation? First, I realized I should probably find my reading glasses! Marty, says I am in denial about my eyesight. I guess I should start wearing my reading glasses more often. That way, I can clearly read the master gardener’s notes correctly! Also, I could opt to take a soil sample to the Extension Center where I would happily pay for a soil evaluation and their knowledge and try my hand at gardening one more time. Or better yet, I can ditch my gardening gloves all together and stroll over to my neighbor Kathy’s garden. There I can admire her beautiful gardens and her hard work without having to do any myself! I will always be greeted with a cold drink, a warm smile and wonderful conversation. That sounds like a lot more fun!

“Be the reason someone smiles today.” - Unknown

"Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes." - Jim Carrey

his craft was full of fun and imagination. Summer is coming soon and many people in Georgia will be looking for some cool bodies of water to enjoy. We looked at some different types of water that Georgia has to offer. The two popular ones were oceans and lakes. Three handsome little boys participated in this craft and they are Tristan my 8 year old son, Draven my 4 year old nephew and Payton who is a close family friend and 8 years old. We decided to paint underwater scenes of Georgia waters. Tristan and Draven chose ocean waters and Payton chose lake waters. This craft was done on canvas with acrylic paints. Once everyone knew what waters they wanted to paint we talked about paint colors for the waters and what creatures and plants live in the various waters. I used google to pull up pictures of the ones they thought of to let them get a better idea of what each one looked like. The supplies for this craft are simple and easy to find at any craft store or retail store. We used raised fabric canvas, small bottle acrylic paints, paint brushes, and paint trays. I used an old flat sheet to cover my table with because painting with young children always seems to get messy. If the truth be told I don’t mind the mess at all but in fact prefer it because it seems that the messier a craft is the more fun we have! The next step was to mix up some paint colors and get our brushes ready. The two who are painting the ocean chose teals and turquoises to paint their background as the water. Payton who decided on the lake scene used a mix of a sage green and a canary yellow for the lake water background. All of these guys are developing a real eye for art after participating in so many arts and crafts projects. It makes me smile to know that they are learning so much and able to express themselves and bring their imagination out in their art work. Without any surprise to me the boys chose scary creatures to paint as well as common beautiful ones. Tristan decided he wanted to paint the bottom of the ocean floor with sand and bright colored coral rising out of it. The creatures he chose were a shark, a clown fish and a dolphin. As he painted he described the scene he was setting up. The shark was chasing the clown fish trying to have him for dinner and the nice dolphin swims in to the rescue saving the little clown fish from the shark. All the while giggling and having a lot of fun. He and Payton are sharing a paint tray and it’s amazing to hear them talking about the different paint colors and what each one of those colors can be used to create in their art work. They are learning and growing in so many areas through these projects. Draven decided he wanted to paint the bottom of his ocean in a sand color to represent the ocean floor. He then decided he needed a scary

shark with big teeth. The list went on to include a clown fish mostly because Tristan chose a clown fish and Draven looks up to and wants to be like Tristan and last but not least he wanted a sea turtle. I asked him questions as he painted about what the scene was showing. He kept it very simple saying they are all just friends that are swimming and playing in the ocean together. It is so sweet to see the innocence and pure heart of a child. He wanted me to help him with his project this time so his painting became a group project with him and his Aunt Lora. He was so very proud of it when he finished and couldn’t wait to show his parents and take it home to hang in his house. Payton was working hard on his lake scene carefully choosing and mixing the right colors to show realism in his art work. He chose fish, tadpoles and a crocodile for his creatures to appear in his lake. Payton works with such concentration that it is a joy to watch him when he is creating his vision. He did not offer much of a story line for his painting but rather seemed more eager to talk about and describe the detail in which he put into each part of the painting. The fish stayed low in the water swimming close to the plant life he had painted on the lake floor. Above the fish swam the tiny tadpoles in groups. The big scary crocodile swims close to the surface skimming the waters. The boys continue painting and talking about their water scenes while adding in all the activities they love about visiting the lakes and oceans in the summer. They are all very excited to show off their painting when they are finished and continue to talk about the details and story lines that came to life during this craft. It’s always impressive to me how some cheap paint and blank canvas or paper can turn into not only beautiful and imaginative art work but so much fun and quality time spent with family and friends. You never know what seeds you are sowing when you expose your children to knowledge and creativity. One day you can be painting in the kitchen and the next day gazing upon their building or clothing designs, watching their internet graphics designs or even attending their very own art showing. If we think about it, art is in so many parts of our lives and can be created in so many different ways. I enjoy sharing these projects with your families and hope that you all get as much out of them as we do. Remember add your own ideas and imagination to your projects and don’t be afraid to veer off of the rules and think outside of the box. It could be the best creation and most fun you have ever chosen to do! I know this Krafty Kids water paintings was one of my favorites so far!

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A wonderful musical duo that plays around our area is Barefoot Boone. I was lucky enough to see them several times, most recently at Engelheim Vineyards. It was such great music in a friendly atmosphere, that they had me backup dancing! It was fun to learn all about them in our interview with Joy & Dannie, aka Barefoot Boone. How old were you when you found out you were musically inclined? And how did you find out? Joy: I remember sitting in front of the television when I was almost 3 and watching the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. My older brother had all of their 45s and we would play them and dance and sing. I absolutely loved the Beatles and I knew all the words to all their songs even at that age. I learned to sing harmony from my mom while sitting next to her at church and I sang in the children’s choir. When I learned to play the guitar I would sit in my room for hours playing and singing. Dannie: On my 12th birthday , my mom bought me a little guitar from the Lays five and dime store in Ellijay. A guy named Perry Dale and my dad showed me some chords. I just started learning songs on my own. I couldn’t do too much on my guitar because I couldn’t keep it in tune, but Larry Davis , who owned a Suzuki shop next to my dad’s Amoco station, let me play his Gibson that was sitting in the corner of his shop. Larry was always good to me and I learned a lot from him . What was your first public performance?

Joy: My first public performance was in the Blue Ridge elementary gym performing a piano recital. I took piano lessons from Evelyn Land. I learned a lot from her even though I really didn’t enjoy practicing the piano. My first band public performance was wit “Breaking Point” when I was a sophomore in high school. Dannie: My brother Gary, Gary Young , Dennis McFarland and myself had a band called the Philtrons (which meant “love potion”) when I was 13. We played at South Eastern Elementary School for an assembly of 1st and 2nd graders. Tell us about your musical growth, from child until now. Joy: I used to take piano lessons (against my will, but I thank my parents for making me stick with it!) When I was in 6th grade my grandfather bought me my first guitar. I practiced every day and finally my parents let me quit piano lessons and start taking guitar. (Actually my piano teacher strongly suggested that I stop taking piano lessons and concentrate on the guitar) I practiced the guitar for hours and would listen to a song until I figured out how to play it. (I would have loved to have had the internet back then!). In high school I had a band called “Breaking Point”. We did a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Linda Ronstadt, Heart and Fleetwood Mac songs. I was the lead singer and played rhythm guitar. Of course at that age I wanted to be a rock star. My parents didn’t think that was such a good idea so I went to college just in case the music business didn’t work out. In college I was in a band called “Shadow Fax” (named after Gandalf’s horse in The Hobbit.)We won

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a talent show. We played “On the Hunt”, a Lynyrd Skynyrd song, and won out over all the cloggers, yodelers and baton twirlers. We played parties, the county fair and even once at the University of Georgia on the Brumby Rotunda as an opening act to Ruckus. After college I played music every once in a while but with a full time job and grad school, marriage and having kids I didn’t have much time to devote to music. Several years ago after a divorce, with time on my hands, I got back into playing music around town at “Pickin’ on the Square, the Senior Citizen Center and at the Blue Door. That’s where I started playing and singing with Dannie. I’ve really grown as singer and a musician (thanks to Dannie). Dannie: When I first started playing the guitar, I picked Blue Grass and gospel songs sitting around with some of my kinfolk or with my dad , Arvil. In the early 90’s I played with a local band for about 3 years. We just played parties and gatherings. I started playing with the local musicians at the Blue Door Cafe. That’s where Joy and I started playing together. Where were you born? And how did you end up in this area? Joy: I was born in Atlanta and lived in Fairburn, Georgia until I was 4. My family moved to Blue Ridge. I lived there until 1986. I moved to Ellijay when I got a job at Gilmer High School teaching Spanish. Dannie: I was born in Canton while my parents were visiting my grandparents. Both of my parents were raised here. I’ve been here most of my life except for about 10 years when I lived in Dalton. Where did the name Barefoot Boone come from? Dannie: I came up with the idea since Joy likes to play barefooted and my dad’s nick-name for me was “Boone”. I had been using “Boone “ for my store name when I was selling art in town. Our friends thought that was a cool name. Are you married/single? Do people think the two of you are married to each other? Joy: We’re are a couple and have been together for about two and a half years. People will ask us if we’re married or refer to me as Mrs. Boone but I quickly tell them that he is Mr. Barefoot. What are your future plans for Barefoot Boone? Joy and Dannie: Right now we don’t have any plans except to continue playing around Ellijay and Blue Ridge. We would love to have a big Nashville producer discover us but we’re not holding our breath. We’ve talked about trying to record a CD but neither of us have had the time to make that happen. So right now we are just going to continue having fun playing at the vineyards and hopefully get the opportunity to play at a few new places. What is the funniest thing that ever happened involving one of your performances? Joy: I can’t really think of anything specific. However, there are times that both Dannie and I have trouble with the words. When

this happens there is a really, really long, introduction or break! I think they call that condition CMS…LOL! I know that on American Idol or the Voice they would never tolerate such incompetence, so we won’t be auditioning for that anytime soon! Dannie: One time a dog came on stage with us ( I think he smelled our sandwiches we had in the cooler) while we were playing. I made him get off the stage and he turned around and started howling at us like he was mad at me for making him leave. It was so funny! Everyone died laughing! Joy: I remember that! Tell us about the music you play and how you choose it. Joy and Dannie: We play the songs that we grew up with mainly. We like to play the songs that you don’t hear played out very often. We will think of an artist and try and think of what songs that they did that maybe never made it on the charts or maybe were only popular for a couple of weeks. We like to get songs that we know people will remember and that will give them that nostalgic feeling, taking them back to their younger days. We don’t play too many songs that are out on the radio now, but the younger members of the audience seem to love the old music. There are a few of the newer artists that we’d love to do, but we have a list a mile long of songs that want to learn but that we haven’t gotten to learn yet. We both have a few that we’ve written but we’re waiting for the right time to introduce them. We also play music at our church, Fruit of the Vine (located on New Hope Club House Road). We love to play the old gospel and some of the newer Christian songs. Gospel music has played a big part in both of our lives and sharing our faith is important. What do you love about performing in the North Georgia Mountains? Joy and Dannie: We like the fact that most of the venues that we play have outside stages so that we can play outside and enjoy the mountains and fresh air. Also, since we get a lot of tourists here, we get to meet people from all over the country. We both like to talk to the people in the crowd when we take breaks between sets and find out where the people are from and how they found out about Ellijay or Blue Ridge. We’re proud of where we live and blessed to have the opportunity to play our music in our own area. Where can we find your playing schedule? Joy: Right now we don’t have a playing schedule out but we do post when we are going to be playing on Facebook . My personal page “Joy Milam Hice “, Dannie’s page ( Boone’s Art and Antiques), and the Barefoot Boone page will have where we will be playing that week. Also if someone receives emails from Acoustic Blends, they send out emails weekly about local music (You can get subscribed for the emails on the Gilmer Arts/ Acoustic Blends website).

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone."- Anthony Burgess

A Visit With The Tater Patch Players Story and Photography by Sueanda Hosier

ommunity theater in Jasper? Who knew, right? Well it turns out there is one and has been for some thirty odd years! Before they found their permanent home they moved around from place to place. "We were gypsies for awhile,” says Nan Nawrocki. Nan is involved in most everything concerning “Tater Patch Players” Everywhere they could put on a show they did, including the local high school’s stage. The show must go on after all! The Tater Patch Players were founded in 1977 and put on there first show, “Li'l Abner” in 1979. The location they use now, at 95 Old Philadelphia Lane, is where they have been since 2011. This morning I tried to find my way over there. I am very direction dysfunctional as my family would put it. I can turn the simplest direction into a maze. So I stopped in at the local BP and they helped me get on the right path. Sure enough it was so easy to find I was just over thinking it. I finally arrived. I pull myself together, gather my gear, and walk to the door. From the outside, the building is what appears to be a warehouse, a small one from the looks of it. Once inside I was greeted by Audrey KirstenLewis, the vice president of the theatre. After we exchanged greeting and names she began giving me the tour. First she showed me the box office where you buy your tickets, then the Constantine when can get a glass of wine to enjoy while watching the play. Than I noticed a wall with all the framed playbills on it, signed by all the actors. We proceed to the stage area. When we walked through the doors, the building just opened up! Remember what I said earlier about the building being small? Well you can just strike that from the record. This place was huge! With it’s full size stage, it can seat 114 people! The excitement hit me like a pile of bricks to see such a great theater in this small town. I walked on stage and looked out into the seats. For a moment I thought of all the plays that have been on this stage, and how did I not even know that it was here? How could I not know this! Audrey introduced me to some of the volunteers that were building sets for the next play. Everything done here is done by volunteers. While I was there someone just walked in and volunteered. They welcomed him with open arms! The Tater Patch Players rely on their volunteers and donations to keep them going. The set they where building was for the play “Sylvia.” Sylvia is about a dog and the couple that adopts her. It is a comedy by A.R Gurney. The scene is set in the couple's Manhattan apartment. Husband Greg is a middle-aged upper class man that finds the dog, Sylvia in the park. (Sylvia is played by a human. Greg brings her back to his

empty nest that he shares with his wife Kate. Kate comes home and reacts very negatively and wants the dog to go. But they decide to let her stay for a few day till they can find her a new home. The more time Greg spends with Sylvia the less he goes to work. Sylvia and Greg take long walks and talk, as they grow closer and it starts to come between Greg and his wife Kate. So when Kate gives him the choice to get rid of the dog or her, he must make a hard decision. The Tater Patch Players puts on five plays in a season. The next play after Sylvia will be “Nunsense.” It opens on July 17. I’m very excited to see it! The play starts when the convent cook, Julie, accidentally poisons the covent. The few that are left now have to come up with funds for burials. They decide to put a variety show. If you are laughing like I am of the thought of nuns putting on a show then you can not miss this play. Now I don't know how many of you have read Dr Jekyll and Hyde, but let me tell you I love this book, the play and anything else that goes along with it. This is the next show, but this is not your normal Jekyll and Hyde. It is set up very interestingly, with the main prop being a door. Have I peaked your curiosity yet? Well mine is. Dr Jekyll and Hyde, I have marked on my calendar. It opens on September 18. It's a wonderful life: The Radio show play, opens November 27, this is a story that I'm sure you all are familiar with. it is about George Bailey's second chance at life, and the Christmas angel that gives it to him. This play is very different from the movie as it will be played out as if you were at home listening in on your radio with the kids all laid out on the floor and the parents whispering to themselves. It will take you back in time. So since you now know there is a very nice theater in Jasper, with wonderful plays, get your tickets for the next show or volunteer to help! You can build sets, be an actor, or make a donation. They also take donations of clothing, furniture, anything they can use for props. These people all have day jobs and families. They are everyday people bringing a little culture, art, and laughter to us all. That is what they love to do. Community means a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. This is what they are doing at the Tater Patch Players theatre in Jasper, Georgia. Bringing people together on common ground and entertaining them. I hope that everyone takes the time to visit them whether it be to see a play or to volunteer. I want to thank the Tater Patch Players for inviting me to visit them. I enjoyed it so much, I loved listening to their stories, and they made me feel right at home. I cannot wait to see their next play and spend more time there. I will be seeing you all soon!

“I came from a real tough neighborhood. Once a guy pulled a knife on me. I knew he wasn't a professional, the knife had butter on it.” ― Rodney Dangerfield

ave you ever had one of those DUH moments? The ones that make you blush because of how silly you feel when you realize what you’ve just said or done? My life seems to be filled with them! I’m so blessed to have good friends that understand my “lack of brainpan activity” when they happen. At least my moments can be entertaining for my friends! Sometimes I try to hide them, but my red-faced reactions have given me away more than once. That’s when Becca thinks I’ve “done gone and bumped my head”! At least the embarrassment seems to fade away with the laughter, but there are some moments that still stick with me. I had the best dad in the whole world! He was so patient with me. I remember often getting blank looks from him as he tried to keep up with what I was saying. I am severely left-handed, and he tried to change that when I was little, to no avail. So he ended up explaining how to do things to me a great deal. I still say “lefty-loosey, righty-tighty” a lot. A LOT! When I was about 11 (ok, probably more like 15, but that would be way too embarrassing to admit) I remember dad was building a woodshed out in the back of the house. I am a curious soul, and love to learn new things. Dad knew this, and asked me if I wanted to help him put some tin on the side of the shed. It was a very simple building, made of a minimal frame covered in tin, just enough to keep the wood dry. So he asked me to hold a board to the wall on the inside as he nailed the tin to it on the outside. He thought it would be best if I held the ax against the board to help it hold firm and to avoid injuries. The board was about four feet tall, and went vertical from the ground, so I held it with my foot and the ax. I promise his EXACT words were “hold the ax on the top of the board so I can nail the tin to it”. Did you see that? Hold the ax ON THE TOP of the board, not TO THE TOP or NEAR THE TOP. Nope, he said ON the top. So that’s what I did. I put the board in place and put the ax on the top and held it very firmly so he could nail the sheet of tin to it. Sure

enough, when he came inside the shed to make sure all was well, there was the ax, at a perfect 90* angle to the board, sticking straight out and nailed precisely to the wall. He looked at the ax then at me, and that was a true DUH look on his face! I think he worried about me sometimes. My dad was a true Cajun, from Long Beach, Mississippi. He was a quiet man most of the time, but I noticed that he said two words kinda different: mayonnaise and daughter, but how I enjoyed hearing him say them! I drank in his voice as he told stories from his upbringing and telling about something called the “bayou.” I didn’t have a clue what that was, but I know they had mud bugs there. I hadn’t ventured far from Gilmer County as a youngster, and his stories made my imagination whirl! Apparently my mom had never been far away from this area either, as she was also unfamiliar when I would ask her. I have to give her credit, her stubbornness more than made up for her lack of worldly knowledge. She would never admit she was wrong (bless her heart)! When I was a bit older, I remember daddy talking about a young man I had dated, and asked if he was from the north because he talked funny. Mom loved the young man, and quickly jumped to his defense. She made the statement very loudly that dad couldn’t say anything about where this boy was from because dad’s own “nationality” was Cajun. I tried to calm her and say that Cajun wasn’t a nationality. She went and got dad’s paperwork from the Army. She pointed to the line that had dad’s race listed as CAUC and declared loudly, “THERE! I told you! It states right there CAUC, that means he’s a CAJUN”! She pointed that out many times after that, even though I tried to explain that wasn’t quite what it meant. Did I mention bless her heart? I eventually met a man that didn’t talk too funny, and we got married. He was pretty patient with me and my curiosity. We were at my mom’s house and decided to remove a wall.

That was the norm when we visited her; take out a wall, build a room on the back, take out the chimney, little things like that. We were diligently working to get this done on a short visit. He was using her drill, which was an older model. He made the comment that the reverse was not working. That intrigued me, a drill with reverse? I mean, I had never used a drill, I used screwdrivers, and you just turned them backwards to back a screw out. So his comment really made me think, and I asked why he needed reverse? Couldn’t he just turn the drill upside down to take it out the screw? I was so convinced that it would work that I think he actually wanted to try it! (I bet he secretly did try it.) Even though I understand now, I still think it should work my way. As I remember some of my DUH moments, I think the one that really stands out the most to me really accentuates my sheltered youth. When I was a teen, near the age when the ax was nailed to the wall, I remember my best friend, Melissa, asked me to go to the mall with her and her family. I had never been so far from my parents before, and was so excited! My FIRST trip to the mall. It was a magical wonderland of lights and sound. The smells were tickling my nose and they had a staircase that MOVED! It carried me up and down several times, after I figured out how to step on it! We had found a short-lived freedom, since we had to meet her parents at 4:30 sharp in front of Sears. I got so caught up in the experience of the mall that we forgot to keep up with where we were. So when it was getting close to time, I remember us walking up to a marquee that had the map of the mall. In bold letters, I read “You are here”, and, y’all, I promise I wondered secretly for years how they knew where I was! I know…DUH! I have learned to keep my questions to myself as long as I can and really mull them over in my mind before I dare ask out loud, but thank God for patient friends!

“Never miss a good chance to shut up.” -― Will Rogers

wenty seconds seems like such a short amount of time, doesn’t it? Imagine washing your hands before leaving the bathroom, easily twenty seconds. Water, soap up, scrub, rinse. But you know what? I timed my quick normal hand wash and it’s only 15 seconds! You don’t count the drying part. So in order to do a good job washing your hands you have to wash them for at least twenty seconds. And I didn’t ! But I do now. That is just one small thing I learned from Andrea Rich Martin, a local Health Inspector. Her official title is Gilmer County Environmental Health County Manager, Gilmer County Board of Health -Environmental Health Section. Robb and I spent almost three hours talking, questioning and learning while hanging out with Andrea. (While eating delicious food at Johnny’s Pizza in Pickens County) Of course we found her restaurant inspector job fascinating, but that is just one part of her job. She wears many hats, from inspecting restaurants, to dealing with possible rabid animals, to figuring out the best place to put your septic tank. We touch on it all! Any restaurants we talk about in this article are not named, and they are also not in our readership area. The stories Andrea tells are all from her work in other parts of Georgia.

Thia: What did you go to college for to learn all this? Andrea: I got the basics in college and then went out and trained. I went to University of Georgia and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelors in Environmental Health. Robb: What percentage of your job is dealing with the restaurants? A: About 50% T: So your job is to cover every restaurant in Gilmer County. A: Yes they all know us. T: How long have you worked as a Environmental Health Specialist? A:- In Gilmer, ten years. But I’ve been doing this for thirteen. R: So those grades we see in restaurants by the door, you did those. A: Yes I did or I have one other health inspector in my office, E.B. Fuller. He’s been with Gilmer for eighteen years. I’m the supervisor there, and we have a clerk that covers the office. T: How often do you visit the restaurants? A: There are three categories that restaurants fall into, a one, two or three. Most

all of them here are a two. Johnny’s is a two. A one is like one of the little Herbalife places that does the shakes and stuff. There’s not really a cook step. It’s usually water and powder. A three is like Olive Garden, where they have complex food processes, so category three establishments have to be overseen more often. In Gilmer, we don’t have any threes, so we visit each restaurant twice a year. T: Here’s a question for you. My grandmother made spaghetti sauce and stored it on the back porch in the winter. It was just out there for the weekend and we would reheat it and then put it back out there. I mean it was cold outside, but how did we not die? A: Spaghetti sauce is almost always acidic and bacteria would grow more slowly. T: And then when you make Thanksgiving dinner, you just leave it sit out for the whole day… A: Typically it’s an eight hour day. People come in around noon and the food is put out and cools and sits at room temperature. They eat at one o’clock. Then they go for second helpings at five o’clock. Here’s how that works. There are two ways you can leave things out safely: first, using time, you can have it out for four hours at room temperature, and second you can use holding temperature at 135 degrees or more. At Grandma’s house, she’s using time. Four hours is what the FDA says. You can go eight hours, but we cut it in half to make sure we are in a safe window. So at home, you could technically leave it out for eight hours immediately after cooking and the food will be safe. But that depends on the food being cooked thoroughly to begin with. That’s why we never got sick. Also our immune systems are much different. We grew up on well water, and food that was a little more abused and our guts were used to it. It’s not like that for kids growing up now, it’s gonna be harder on them. It’s just different, it’s just how it’s evolved. T: So after eight hours, can you put it in the refrigerator? A: No, after eight hours it’s done. T: As in throw it in the garbage done. So you can’t put Thanksgiving dinner back in the fridge and serve it again tomorrow if you left it out for eight hours. A: Exactly. Restaurants that use time as a safety control, have to throw it out after four hours. Doesn’t matter how much is left. T: Robb and I took a health certification class when we used to own a diner, and it changed me. They showed you bacteria

“I live in my own little world. But its ok, they know me here.” ― Lauren Myracle

growing in a petri dish from a piece of your clean hair. If we leave something out for two hours now, I just throw it out. It’s not worth the risk. Does this job make you paranoid ? A: I’ll tell you what makes me paranoid is sandwiches and salads. those are the things that are most dangerous, besides getting raw meat. But as far as handling goes, those are the most abused. So in Georgia we don’t allow bare hand contact. The preparer can’t touch any food that is ready to eat with their bare hands. So these french fries we just got, they would pick those up with tongs because they are hot. If you can handle it, you use gloves. T: The one time I got food poisoning was years ago, I was a vegetarian at the time. I didn’t understand how I got food poisoning when I didn’t eat meat. I went to the doctor and told him what I had eaten. He guessed that what made me sick was a salad from a fast food restaurant. A: It is the worst, because there is no cook step. There is no kill step. You get things like pathogenic E. coli and viruses. R: So if you are off duty and out to eat and you see someone not washing their hands or not wearing gloves, do you jump over the counter and hand cuff them? A: Yes! That is what I do! (laughs) No, I would ask who is in charge and talk to them. If I’m out of town I still feel like they should know, so I’ll tell them who I am and what I saw. T: So you are like a policeman, always on duty, 24/7. (Pizza comes) T: That looks great! Thanks for letting me get veggies Andrea. A: That will make a nice picture. And it’s very pretty. T: I never get to have mushrooms, because Robb hates them. A: You’re welcome. That’s my husband’s favorite.

T: I bet you have lots of interesting stories. A: Yes. This one time I walked in, and everybody scattered like ants. I thought to myself this is a good time to be here. I can always tell if they are doing stuff they aren’t supposed to do. So I go and wash my hands and then go over to the cook station, and this guy is shaking. He as very very nervous. He grabs a can of what he thought was Pan Off, which is like the Pam you spray on the grill to help keep it from sticking. He sprayed it all over the entire grill and was getting ready to put a hamburger on there. It was not Pan off. It was insecticide, I screamed bloody murder, which I’ve never done before. I thought this is going to ruin his equipment! I knew the food would be fine because I’m there, and I’m not going to let any food go out. So he jumped probably three foot into the air and was totally freaking out. T: You must have scared the crap out of him! R: Do you ever wear disguises or anything like that? A: I do. I have a fake mustache and everything! R: How about those secret hidden cameras you can stick on things where you can watch ‘em from the car. A: Oh that would be wonderful! But I will say in Gilmer County we are very fortunate. I’ve worked in other counties in Georgia. And we are very fortunate. So I went through school and got the basics, and interviewed and started off in Public Health in NorthWest Georgia Health District. I trained for a while. I was so excited to do my very first health inspection by myself. So this facility, they did okay, I wasn’t super pleased, but I couldn’t find anything major wrong. But I had one of those feelings. I had put my jacket in the back on a rack. I finished and was telling everybody goodbye. So I went to go grab my jacket and out comes a rat. I screamed! It was hanging out in my jacket! So I figured out where they were coming in and we got some steel wool to plug it. So that’s one of

my crazy stories. Trying to think of another one. Walked into a facility one time and there was a live chicken. R: What’s wrong with that? (Laughs) A: What is wrong with that? It’s fresh meat isn’t it? (Laughs) I was with another Health Inspector and we just busted out laughing. That’s all we could do. We looked at each other like, is this really happening? They had to be closed that day. R: Maybe they wanted to have a chicken potpie special that day! A: That brings me to the point that all food has to come from an approved source. You can’t just go kill a deer and serve venison stew for dinner that night in a restaurant. R: So a restaurant couldn’t have a live chicken to kill for dinner. Wait a minute, what about live lobsters? A: That comes from an approved source. There are only certain things that can come in alive, like oysters. Another story, I had a facility that had a koi pond in the middle of their dining room, with a water feature and everything. I went over to look at it, and a frog jumped out of the koi pond. T: They might have served frog’s legs! A: I said to the lady, you can not have things that hop around in your dining room! There’s a law that things must be contained. We don’t want any pet birds flying around either. R- So no frogs in a restaurant? A: Not unless you plan on eating them and they come from an approved source or they are in a covered aquarium. But they can’t just have some random koi pond with Freddy the Frog. T: Did you ever find some shenanigans going on in the cooler or anything? A: One time I walked into a facility and found something potentially illegal. I thought, this smells like I am at an Allman Brothers concert! I get back to that office and the manager is underneath the desk. So I reported it when I left.

“How is it possible to have a civil war?” ― - George Carlin

R: Did you ever find a dead body in a freezer or anything like that? A: Not yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I don’t get shocked by a whole lot. T: Anything really awful ever happen? A: On the inspection report, it is a one point violation, “Adequate ventilation and Lighting” People want to know why we care about lighting. It has to be covered or encased in tubing. If the light were to shatter it goes in everything. Well one day I get a call from a lady in a panic, she was on the way to the emergency room because her husband swallowed glass at such and such restaurant. I went to the restaurant and one of the lightbulbs in their cooler wasn’t covered, it had busted and fell into the food below it that also wasn’t covered and it cost these people an ER visit. That’s why all these things are important. R: How does the Health Department feel about the five second rule? If a steak should happen to fall on the floor and you pick it up within five seconds does that count? A: If you are home and it’s your steak, that’s your call. But if you are in a restaurant, no five second rule. I had a guy trying to be cool and he had the hamburger flying up in the air and he’s trying to catch it and put it back on the grill. Then I heard, boom, he took his spatula and picked it right up off the floor. I said NO! And that was two violations. And of course he had to throw that one away. T: I have a question for you about sushi. A: Sushi can be scary. T: You cannot buy raw fish at the grocery store and eat it like sushi, right? A: Right. For restaurants, they have to get it from an approved source with a parasite destruction form. T: It has to be deep frozen to a certain temperature to kill them, right? A: Right. The approved source will show me that it did go through the proper freezing process before it

came. They are usually individually packaged, and come in frozen. I checked one facility and it smelled fishy. I checked the sushi bar cooler and it was 74 degrees. Every bit of that had to go in the garbage. They were not happy with me at all. T: I’m glad that every place we talk about is not around here. I think we have great restaurants in our area. What are some of your other jobs? A: We are also the rabies control officers, we have Animal Control, but if you get bit by a raccoon, I’m the one you will be talking to.There are times when I have to get the animal and ship it to the lab. In most cases we don’t ship the whole animal. Just the head. So I have to cut the head off. T: You personally have to cut the head off? A: Yes. Unless it’s a bat. They are small so we send the whole thing. R-So what do you do? Take the animal to the UPS store? This is reality TV show material! The poor UPS guy! Doesn’t it smell? A: Well it’s triple boxed with ice, so no it doesn’t. To ship off bats, we used to just freeze ‘em to kill them. So we get a phone call from the lab. They opened the box and the bat flew out. R: A really mad bat flew out. A really mad bat that might have rabies! A: So we don’t freeze bats anymore. T: I can just picture you all dressed nice to go do your restaurant inspection, then you have to go pick up a dead rabid animal, then you have to climb up a hill to check a perk test. A: And then maybe I have to go check a swimming pool. We check the county pool and hotel pools. We check for safety and record keeping and check chlorine. R: And floaters. (Laughs) A: And floaters. They are supposed to report fecal accidents to us and they do. T: You can’t tell if someone peed in the pool. A: My kids are scared to death. I told them if you pee in the pool it turns bright orange. (T: While we are talking about rabies and fecal matter, Andrea is eating her pizza. She says none of this stuff bothers her anymore. I stopped eating awhile ago!)

Remember! Don’t forget! Wash your hands for 20 seconds!

Waitress: Do you want a to-go box? T: Yes please. R: So this was your first time eating at Johnny’s. How did you like the food? A: I enjoyed it very much. I liked the flavor. The sauce had a kind of a pop to it, a little bit tart. The crust was awesome. R: So you also check hotels? A: We do tourist accommodations. We look for clean linens, proper sanitation, pools, floors, walls, ceiling being taken care of, continental breakfast or kitchen. At campgrounds we check septic systems, water supply. And one more thing I want to mention, I’m also big on outreach and public education, I’m really involved with the Boys & Girls Club. There’s a lot of great things happening there. T: I think I covered most of your jobs, except, what do you have to do with Septic Tanks? A: We have an Onsite Septic System Program. If you came to me today and said Andrea I bought a piece of property and I want to build a house on it. I want a Perk test. I would tell you to get a consultant that is licensed by the state, ( and I would give you a list) to get your Level 3 soil test. That would give me some of the information I need, then I would come out and see your property and from there, if everything is good, decide where to put your septic system. The size of your septic system is based on how many bedrooms you have, not on bathrooms. If you have only one bedroom and ten bathrooms, your bedroom can only hold, what, logically, a couple people in that house. But if you had ten bedrooms and one bathroom somebody is going to be standing in line all the time so there will be a lot more water usage. T: That makes so much sense! A: We also check whales. T: There aren’t any whales around here. A: There are lots of whales here. T: Oh, you are saying WELLS! Well, we’ll end this with a laugh. Thanks so much for all your time and the interesting and fun education Andrea. And I promise to always wash my hands for at least twenty seconds. A: Thank YOU guys for doing this story!

“If at first you don't succeed then skydiving definitely isn't for you.” ― Steven Wright

he greatest thing is to love, and be loved in return.' Family is forever, whether you have had disagreements in the past, are as close as two peas in a pod or even fight over who reads “The Best of North Ga..” first! Over the winter our family has been ‘forced’ by Mother Nature to be around one another 24/7 with no breaks! We had to split our girls up on various occasions, coming up with activities to occupy their time; so we could keep our sanity intact! This time was also utilized to clean out closets, toys and organize our home. They say if your home is cluttered, your life in general feels cluttered and astray…. We made cards for my brother Robbie who is in the Navy, listened to baby Emma coo and giggle for the first time, added more creative touches to projects that were due for school; as well as playing some board games and our favorite cards. Once the weather calmed down and gave us a much needed break, we were more than anxious to get out and stretch our legs and introduce the world to Emma Gail! Where did we go? Bowling! In college I needed one more class to make my schedule full and to my surprise and amazement, they offered bowling. Needless to say, it is a family favorite pastime. We pulled into Fannin Lanes, where they offer during the spring time $ .99 games on Sunday! You pay shoe rental ($2.25) and then bowl to your heart’s content. I thought to myself, how many readers of ‘The Best of North Ga...” know about this great frugal family fun? I knew I must pass this information along. In the summer (starting around May and into August) it changes from Sunday to Mondays. Not only are the games $ .99, but they also offer after 6pm the red pin special. If you get a red pin in the front when they are set up, and you then bowl a strike…you win a free game! Imagine if you are a pro, how many games you can rack up. The lanes are pristine, they have a kitchen that offers all kinds of delicious food including but not limited to: hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, strips, wings nachos and of course PIZZA! They have an arcade too. Which is where Lacey and Natalie like to spend a lot of their time. Then just when you think that is all, down a few steps is a room for adults only, where you can play the dingding machines, as we call them. Something for everyone! Our family of 4-1/2 can bowl 34 games for under $30! What a steal! Go check out Fannin Lanes and take a picture with your copy of ‘The Best of The North Ga... and send it to me. tnelson0321@gmail.com Tell me who won! You can look at what Fannin Lanes offer on their website too at:

www.bowlfanninlanes.com. Our day to day life went back to normal; school, work, dinner, baths and bed. School projects turned in, luncheons and meetings. One of the meetings was talking about children and manners, teaching them responsibilities and respect for others. I shared with the other parents that last summer I had tried several approaches to get Natalie and Lacey to help out around the house. (remember I was very pregnant) No Cinderella cleaning, just general help..the response? Not so good. I finally found something that works. A point system chore chart. It lists the basics; cleaning their room, cleaning and maintaining their bathroom, laundry put away, and helping with the dishes, as well as setting the table. We started this back after a short break just recently. If they complete their daily chores and reach the correct total of points, they are rewarded for their hard work. They get to choose what we do or where we go; most of the time it is for ice cream or a toy. A few weeks ago they chose the local park that is down the road from us, off hwy 5 in between McCaysville and Blue Ridge- Tom Boyd Fannin County Park. It has 107 acres completely devoted to recreation, with six ball fields, two soccer fields, a large pond, two pavilions, a walking trail, a fitness center and of course restrooms. We went to every playground until we finally settled at the one on top of the hill. They ran wild getting all of their energy out; when suddenly Lacey’s imagination kicked in and the fort became a pirate ship! Natalie and I joined in while Emma slept in her seat. Lacey was Hook, Natalie became Smee and I? The crocodile-tick tock, tick tock, trying to capture some pirates for lunch! We played for over an hour until the wind picked up and put an end to our fun-at least for that day. While driving out I saw a small sign pointing to a recreation center up the road. We went exploring and drove over a one car bridge and up a huge hill, until we reached a massive building. There we stumbled upon the recreation complex, which has basketball and tennis courts (they provide the equipment), an indoor track upstairs and come to find out is open year round…why didn’t I stumble across this over the summer last year? At least now I know. We end our evenings with hugs and kisses, and I read the girls a story from a Precious Moments bible for children. Afterward “goodnight” rings through the house much like the ending to ‘The Walton’s. I wouldn’t have it any other way. “The greatest thing is to love, and be loved in return.” Exactly how I want to live each and every day.

“You gotta be careful: don't say a word to nobody about nothing anytime ever.” ― Johnny Depp

Thia Says, “This is the stuff that Jerry puts on his FaceBook page, and it cracks me up!” I told my buddy, I could have any woman I pleased. Just too bad I don't please any of them. THOUGHT OF TODAY: Everybody has a story. Don't make fun of the pages until you have read the book. THOUGHT OF TODAY : fear and faith can't occupy the same space. OMG ouch ouch.. never play leapfrog with a unicorn. Got me some new deodorant at the big creek Wal-mart last night. It said pop the top and push up bottom. The house smells great, but my butt sure does hurt. Don't let your problems get you down... remember Moses started out as a basket case.. lol Life is short. So play hard, and jump on the trampoline naked in the rain at least once. My neighbors got a big kick out of it.. I hate housework. Wash the dishes, make the bed, clean the floors, then six month later you have to do it again! Everybody have a great night, and remember if you see an onion ring, answer it. I'm just here for an alibi. Remember if anyone asks, I was with you last night.. This world would be boring if it wasn't for crazy people. I'm doing my best to help out. I’ve decided that everything in my generation started going down hill when they quit putting the good toys in the Cracker Jack boxes… just saying. Well another holiday weekend is coming up. Remember to set your scales back ten pounds. Can somebody kidnap me? I need a few days away. I promise not too eat much. Yes people I know the voices in my head aren't real, but sometimes they crack me up.. Just keep on smiling: it's the safest way to spread your cheeks.. I started out with nothing years ago, I still have most of it..

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s soon as the first warm, summer-scented breeze wafts its way through my window, my toes start to wiggle at the thought of long walks in grassy fields, the feel of sand between my toes and long summer evenings under the stars. When I think of summer I think of spending time in the great outdoors. As a kid growing up in the city, summer meant time off from school and long leisurely days playing outside with the neighbor kids until the street lights came on. Sometimes when the lights came on, the Moms and Dads would come out and sit on the stoops, patios and porches and we would get to continue playing long into the evening hours. There was something about being out under the street lights that made it magical. It was like an extra scoop on an ice cream cone, or extra whip cream on top of a piece of chocolate cake. Who wouldn’t want to spend more time outside on a warm, beautiful summer’s night? The project I’m making for this issue is an outdoor, solar powered chandelier to shed some light and ambiance on your summer nights. You may not have the materials on hand for this project, but the cost is fairly minimal at about $25-$30.00, and what price would you put on a few extra hours added on to a balmy summer night? I chose to paint the hanging basket in a bright watermelon hue to add a splash of color to my outdoor oasis, but you can leave it black, green or white as desired to fit your theme or décor style. When choosing the jars, I decided to go with jelly jars because I thought the textured / quilted surface would act as prisms to refract the lights and send them off shining in many directions. I was originally going to use wire to hang the jars from the basket but decided to go with chains for ease of assembly and a more fluid affect. I also chose to hang my “lanterns” at different levels for added interest, but feel free to change my design ideas to suit your own style, after all that is what D.I.Y. is all about; doing it yourself in a way that is pleasing to you. Use your imagination! You can also dress up your chandelier with beads, crystals or any array of decorative accessories. I contemplated many different decorative embellishments, but in the end opted to just hang a few crystals to add to the overall reflective quality. When contemplating the design elements of my chandelier I knew I wanted it to be long lasting, safe and easy to use. Solar lights fit all of those requirements; it just doesn’t get any easier. I took the bottom stakes off of the lights and cut off the “neck” that they fit into. This gave me just the right size to sit nicely into my jars. Keep in mind when hanging your chandelier to be sure you hang it somewhere it will receive lots of light during the daytime in order for the lights to charge. This summer, after the hot sun has faded into the west, after the last orange and red hues have faded into shadows and after the last firefly has drifted out of sight, I hope you will enjoy a few more hours under the warm glow of your very own, hand-made solar chandelier and when your friends ask you were you got such a Great Light, you can tell them you D.id I.t Y.ourself! Are you looking for some ideas for a party, gathering or special event? Have you tried any of my D.I.Y. designs? Why not share your comments and ideas on my D.I.Y. group on Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/626700227473678/ See you there!

Time to make: Just a few hours but if painting, let paint dry overnight. Cost: $25.00 - $30.00 if you purchase all of your supplies new Supplies: 1 Metal Hanging Basket 1 can of metal/outdoor spray paint in your color choice (optional) 10 to 11 feet of small link- sturdy chain (6 pieces cut to fit around jars, and 6 pieces cut to hang jar from chandelier) 6 jelly jars 6 solar lights (I used the small ones that are only .98 cents) 12 small split rings (a.k.a. key chain rings) 6 large jump rings / super glue (optional) 1- Remove chains from your wire basket, Turn basket over and reattach the chains to the now top of the chandelier so it hangs evenly. Skip below step if you want it to be the original color. 2- Spray paint color as desired (you can lightly sand the chandelier and wipe clean before spraying so the paint will adhere better) I like a chippy/weathered effect so I just sprayed it on, let dry overnight. 3- Measure a piece of chain to fit tightly under the lip of the jelly jar. 4- Cut six pieces of chain to desired length. 5- Open a link on one end and attach it to the other end of the chain to form a circle. 6- Slide up from bottom to fit snuggly under the rim. 7- Slide on 2 split rings/key chain rings, one on each side of the jar directly across from each other for balance. (I used the seam of the jar as a guide) 8- Hold jar under chandelier to establish the desired distance you would like them to hang. Measure that distance and cut your hanging chain two times that number. I chose to use two different lengths to stagger the effect. Cut accordingly. 9- Attach one end of the chain to a split ring on the jar. Hold jar under chandelier where you wish it to hang from, slide other end of chain over the chandelier and back down to the jar. Connect to the split ring on the other side of jar. 10- Continue step 9 until you have attached all of the jars. 11- (Optional) I decided to add a jump ring at the top of the hanging chain, just under the attachment point to keep the jar from blowing around in the wind. I also decided to put a drop of super glue at the point where the chain meets the chandelier. 12- Add embellishments... I wired on some crystals. You can add crystals, beads, ribbon, flowers, old jewelry... Let your imagination be your guide. 13- Take solar lights of off stakes and CAREFULLY remove the (Neck part) on the bottom. I tried to score with an Exacto knife but it DID NOT work well and I Do Not recommend this! I ended up using a Dremel with a cutting blade. You can skip this part, but the lights fit so much nicer into the jars without this stem part. 14- Activate your solar lights and drop into the jars. 15- Hang outdoors... Hang your chandelier where it will get plenty of day time light. Be sure to attach firmly and somewhere the jars won’t bang into something on a windy day. 16- Wait until dusk... Enjoy! (Empty out jars after rain)

“My point is, life is about balance. The good and the bad. The highs and the lows. The pina and the colada.” ― Ellen DeGeneres

“A boo is a lot louder than a cheer.” ― Lance Armstrong

hen was the last time you spent some fun time in McCaysville? You’ve driven through a few times you say, but not really stopped? You haven’t been there in years? If it’s been a while, you are missing out. Robb and I are just getting familiar with this wonderful area and last month we took a drive there just to spend the day exploring. It’s a short trip up, just ten miles north of Blue Ridge. You will know you are almost there when you see “Abernathy’s Furniture Store.” Abernathy’s is a wonderful family owned and operated store where you’ll find great prices and a relaxing shopping atmosphere. Right before you get into McCaysville, you will pass a cool wooden building on the right that houses “The Rum Cake Lady”’s delicious creations along with other merchants. Then on the left you will pass “Pat’s Kountry Kitchen” and “Pat’s Produce.” Miss Pat is nice enough to have our red funpaper box out in front of her busy restaurant. Once in town you’ll see a tiny “Papa’s Pizza To Go”, that has sat in that spot for almost thirty years! It’s pretty obvious the pizza is good to have that kind of staying power. We drive another minute and hit downtown proper. Of course I should mention, this isn’t just McCaysville, Georgia we are visiting, it is also Cop-

per Hill, Tennesee. These towns are so close together you can actually stand with one foot in each at the same time. They also share a downtown full of friendly stores, unique shops, and restaurants to visit. There is a lot of interesting history in this area. I am far from an expert, but after talking to many locals I feel qualified to give you the tiniest three sentence bit of it, if you don’t mind. McCaysville and Copperhill along with the surrounding small towns are called the Copper Basin. The area’s rich copper mines drove jobs and the economy starting in the 1850’s well into the 1950’s. Between the 1950’s and 1970’s mining slowed and eventually died out. You can learn a lot about the history of the mines by visiting The Ducktown Basin Museum. (Which is on our To-Do list!) Mini history lesson over! We parked the jeep and were surprised at the large number of people walking around on a grey, cool, school day. Then we realized the train was in town! You can jump on the Scenic Railroad in downtown Blue Ridge and take a one hour leisurely ride by woods, pastures, rivers and streams to arrive in McCaysville for a two hour stopover, then back on the train to

Blue Ridge. Robb and I did some window shopping and took pictures. So many interesting places to see; some have been there for years, and I’m happy to see lots of new ones too! What is a hand poured lotion candle? I wondered that myself. But if you stop in at “A Touch of Love” Kat will tell you all about it. After you burn the candle for a while you can pour the “melted wax” onto your skin and rub it in, because it is actually great smelling lotion that softens your skin! Are you someone that wishes it was Christmas all year long? It is, at “Christmas is Here,” where there are always beautiful Christmas items available. But even better, artists Tammi and Rip fill their store with beautiful handcrafted items, perfect for gifts! At Dream Angels, let Jeannie be your guide to meet your need for spiritual books, incense, and crystals. You can pick up some souvenirs at the General Store, or have some ice cream on a hot day. Guess what they have at My Tea Cup? Of course tea of all sorts including loose leaves to make your own mix, but also sandwiches and arts and crafts. There’s also McCaysville Auction. Auctions are held in the backroom the first and

"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue."- David Brent

third Saturdays of every month. When you stop by Serenity Cafe,(Read their review from our last issue here: tinyurl.com/SerenityGarden) make sure you ask to sit on the outside deck so you can feed the ducks. After our walk all around town we stopped in at the Woodland Express Mini Mall to see Dave Nelson. Besides all the wonderful treasures you can find at his store ( I love the craft supply section), Dave knows everything about the area. After a nice chat including asking Dave where to get the nicest view of the mountains we were back on the road. We drove out into the country to Crestlawn Cemetery. Yep, that’s the best view all right, just gorgeous!

Next stop was Horseshoe Bend Park to say hi to the fisherman and check out the bandstand where the free concerts will be going on all spring and summer. Every Thursday night at six is “Pickin' in Horseshoe Bend Park.” (Another thing on our to do list!) To finish our very pleasant visit to McCaysville, we headed off to catch supper at The Cider House Cafe……(See page 30 for that story) After reading this, I’m betting you are planning to take a nice drive up to McCaysville yourself. It’s been way too long since you’ve visited! In McCaysville/Copperhill get our paper at our red boxes at Papa’s Pizza, Nature’s Collectables/General Store, Pat’s Kountry Kitchen, Serenity Garden Cafe and inside the Conoco station.

"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."- Mark Twain

"Children really brighten up a household - they never turn the lights off." - Ralph Bus

It's Springtime in the mountains. One of my favorite desserts is a key lime pie. It's light and refreshing. This time I used a shortbread pre-made crust. You can make your own graham cracker crust but the store bought one is just as good. Another suggestion would be to use cupcake papers and make small individual pies for an outing or party. In the grocery store you need to buy Nellie & Joe’s famous Key West lime juice. I use the recipe on the back of the bottle-

9 inch graham cracker pie shell 14 oz. can sweeten condensed milk 3 egg yokes (whites aren’t used) 1/2 cup Nellie & Joe’s key lime juice Ready whip or fresh made whipped cream Combine milk, egg yokes and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie shell and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Just before serving top with whipped cream and garnish with limes. This can be done in less than thirty minutes and ready for refrigerating. Allow a couple hours to chill before serving. Enjoy your spring! Until next edition! Nan

"Don't look now, but there's one too many in this room and I think it's you." - Groucho Marx