WGL March-April 2016

West Georgia

LiVing March/April 2016

Life . Art . Music . People

MONEY Taking the mystery out of your financial decisions

Plus ...

The Willing Workers Clinton Nature Preserve Huckleberry Finn on Stage

$3.95

Vol.6/Issue 6/Issue22 Vol.

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March-April

Features 18

12

Photographer Ricky Stilley takes you into the beautiful heart of the Clinton Nature Preserve

PLUS Money doesn't really make the world turn - 8 Couponing doesn't have to be EXTREME - 30 Huckleberry Finn is coming to Carroll County - 40 Clear River Chorus - 49

4 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

23

Buying a house is a big investment; know some basic facts before you start.

Before you "splurge," do some research and some meditation

21

25

2016

It's never too early to start thinking about saving for college

Besides your home, your next car will be the most expensive thing you'll buy

readers’ choice winner

times-georgian I 2014

March has arrived and the official start of Spring is only weeks away. Sunday March 13th be sure to turn your clocks forward Daylight Savings time begins, Spring Ahead!

Easter is considered by many as the start date for successful planting. Easter is one week later this year, it is always good to wait for the soil to warm up before a full garden planting. Whether working in the garden, yard or on your lawn, know the PH level of your soil and the correct level for what you are planting or growing. This one step will have the greatest effect on saving you time, money overall results. Lime, fertilizer, compost, weed control and insect prevention are basics to enhancing a garden yields and the appearance of your yard and lawn. We have what you need to make the job easier and the results even better, WE CAN HELP!

When it comes to lawn care, here are 10 basic points to a healthy lawn: 1. Get a soil test or test on your own – the ideal PH for most grasses in Georgia is 6.5.

If the PH is low, add lime. This will enhance root growth and good worms. If PH is high, add sulfur.

2. Top dress with compost; most soils are lacking organic matter needed for cycling nutrients, and helping to hold moisture.

3. Over seed liberally – most lawns never get the chance to go to seed due to frequent mowing, lawns get old, tired and thin providing the perfect opportunity for weeds to take over.

4. Water responsibly – over watering can cause root rot, most grasses can survive on less water at one time, water more frequently, monitor the amount, ideally 1/2 inch each time, at least 1 inch per week.

5. Mow high – depending on your type of grass, set the mower higher than lower. Cutting low causes lots of problems.

6. Aerate – an annual aeration reduces compaction; increases air, water and nutrient infiltration in to the soil. Aerating, then seeding, then top dressing is the trifecta of having a great lawn. Don’t forget to water – small amounts frequently.

7. Weeds – take care of weeds early before they germinate. Pre-‐emergent herbicides, weed and feeds or organic-‐corn gluten meal are safe around children and pets.

8. Mulch lawn clippings and leaves – mulching has two benefits – adds organic matter back to the soil and saves time and money by not bagging or hauling away.

9. Seeding – know your soil, know the setting and select what will be best for your region.

10. Alternatives – if grass just won’t grow, consider ground cover plants – there are many more options to consider for tough growing areas.

We invite you to come by and visit our ever-expanding Lawn & Garden Center. Talk with our knowledgeable staff - Cathy - Janet anet - CarolNancy - Candace and Carl Brack. They are all eager to help you with your lawn and garden ideas and questions. Be sure to come by and check out our new Bonide Diagnostic Center for problem solving ideas and products. In addition we are your local Southern States Brand Dealer carrying a full line of lime, fertilizer, grass seeds, pest control, products and supplies for your home, farm or ranch. Come on by, new plants and products are arriving daily. The newness of Spring is happening here, hope to see you soon, your friends at Southern Home & Ranch Center.

Southern Home & Ranch Garden Center 1110 NORTH PARK STREET • CARROLLTON, GEORGIA • 770-832-0114 HOURS: MONDAY-SATURDAY 8AM-7PM • SUNDAY 12PM-5PM VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: WWW.SHRCENTER.COM

West Georgia

Li Ving Volume 6 . Issue 2 March/April 2016 Publisher Marvin Enderle publisher@times-georgian.com

Editor Ken Denney ken@times-georgian.com

Advertising Melissa Wilson melissa@times-georgian.com

Photographer Ricky Stilley rstilley@times-georgian.com

Design Richard Swihart rswihart@messenger-inquirer.com

Contributors Kitty Barr, Taylor Boltz, Bob Coval, Rob Duvé, Winston Jones, Josh Sewell, Molly Stassfort

ABOUT THIS ISSUE This issue is about that complex relationship we all have with money – saving it, spending it, making the best use of it. We’ll be looking first at that most expensive thing most of us will ever buy: a house.

Whether you are buying your first home – or your second or third – there are lots of pitfalls and unexpected expenses along the way.

Rob Duvè has some recipe tips for those times when you want to spend a little extra to make something special in the kitchen.

And Josh Sewell tells us how new technology helps us save money on entertainment.

But that’s not all. We’ll take a preview at a new musical show coming to west Georgia – an ambitious staging of the Huckleberry Finn story that’s sure to please the family.

Winston Jones brings us the story of the Next, we’ll take a look at what to look for Willing Workers, a Gospel troupe that has when you’re buying a car. New or used, a set of wheels can set us back a pretty penny, been popular across the region for decades.

And Bob Covel tells us of a new collection of so it only makes sense to spend wisely. poetry that celebrates the human condition, even in times of great adversity.

Taylor Boltz has two articles for us this time. The first gives some advice to wouldbe college students or their parents on how And Ricky Stilley takes his camera to the to save for college. The second gives us tips beautiful stillness of Clinton Nature Preserve in Douglas County. It’s a place you on how to best use those useful coupons should visit. that come with our newspaper. And Molly Stassfort advises us on how to make an So, sit back and enjoy all the advice we have occasionally splurge without breaking the to offer - unlike most things in life, it's free. bank.

Departments FOOD

A R T I S T' S C O R N E R 44

The Willing Workers — 60 34 years of gospel singing

Sometimes a meal just needs some extra pizazz

To advertise in West Georgia Living, call Melissa Wilson at 770-834-6631.

Submissions, photography and ideas may be submitted to Ken Denney c/o The Times-Georgian, 901 Hays Mill Rd., Carrollton, GA 30117.

52

Submissions will not be returned unless requested and accompanied with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

West Georgia Living reserves the right to edit any submission.

Direct mail subscriptions to West Georgia Living are available for $24 a year.

Copyright 2016 by the Times-Georgian

6 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

CINEMA

GARDEN

West Georgia Living is a bi-monthly publication of the Newspapers of West Georgia.

Simple purchases can save money long-term

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John Lemmings, pastor 58 of Corinth Baptist Church

Digital innovations have changed movie watching

BOOKS Triumph over Tragedy in "I Watched You Disappear"

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Money Does Not Actually Make the World Go ‘Round N

ot too long ago, people were lining up for a chance to win a lottery prize of an astonishing $1.5 billion. The odds of winning were astronomical of course: you’d stand a better chance of being hit by lightning – twice – than you had of getting hands on all that loot. But that didn’t stop folks.

It sometimes seems unfair that things we truly need, or which would improve our lives, are frequently priced beyond our means. We often gripe that something is too expensive, or even that a price has been arbitrarily set too high. According to the way the system is supposed to work, there should be someone else offering the same service or product at a comMoney is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it petitive price, but that’s not always true. Yet no one is the prize of an endless pursuit. For others, it is the has been able to come up with a better system, and I elusive dream at the end of the rainbow. You think you certainly don’t have the answers. can never get enough, and then you find that it can’t buy the things which matter.

But I think money is just another word for “freedom.” It allows us to purchase those things For all the importance money plays in our lives, few which free us from worry, or which increases of us understand it. Yes, we know it is a medium of the amount of time we have. We buy a exchange, something we give to others for products house to stop worrying about freezing in or services. But money exists in a universe of its own. the cold or getting soaked in the rain.

Passing to and fro among people or between nations, We buy cars to save us the time of it almost seems to come alive. It multiplies, pays walking from place to place. dividends and is put at risk. It sometimes disappears only to reappear. It seems to have rules that only a few It may seem that some people, then, people understand – or maybe rules that only a few are more free than others. I don’t people control. know about that. Maybe some people are just more ostentatious We live in a world in which there is a price tag for than others. everything. Our house, our car, our cellphone, and our clothes all have a price. We buy necessities and we A giant mansion serves the same buy some luxuries. We work for months to earn some purpose as a small house; a cash, then we spend that cash for time off from work. luxury car can go to the grocery store same as an economy sedan.

At some point, we pass beyond paying for the things Sometimes people acquire such we need and start buying things we want, and we things just to show off, or to feel never seem to question why we want them. Perhaps more important than those who we just believe having that thing that will make our life make do with a lot less. a little happier. Perhaps we want that thing just to set us apart from others.

Well, that’s on them. The same is true for those who make money All of our philosophers and our religious leaders have the most important things in a lot to say about morality and money. We’re told their lives, who chase dollars money is the root of all evil, that the wages of sin are at the expense of friendships, death. And yet many of us judge our neighbors accord- or anything else that makes life ing to how much money they have. Some may say the worthwhile. poor are poor because they are lazy; others say the rich are rich because they are greedy. Our own pursuit of One of my favorite songs is “Dust in the money, on the other hand, we say is for good reasons: Wind” by the group Kansas. Yes, I know they for the happiness of our children, or the just reward of were popular a long, long time ago, but that’s hard labor. not the point. There’s a line in that song that says: “Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips Money, of course, is just a thing. A dollar bill is a repaway. And all your money won’t another minute buy.” resentation of something of value, and is only worth, ultimately, what we want it to be worth. How we set In our culture, we celebrate the rich and successful. that value is a complex process, and often hard to But we know deep down that there is no price for understand. true wisdom, true love, a family, or the tranquility that comes from knowing that the acquisition of all these un-buyable things is what really enriches our KEN DENNEY lives. WGL 8 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

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CINEMA

The

RISE

of Digital Distribution Streaming and online services bring blockbuster shows into your home without movie theatre prices 10 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

A

s you might imagine, being a film writer means having a lot of nerdy, obsessive conversations. But that’s my favorite part of what I do; shooting the breeze is much easier than the writing process, which can often be frustrating and mentally exhausting. While a doctor or lawyer might get tired of dishing out free medical or legal advice, I could talk about movies all day long.

perspective on the art form.

When someone in a restaurant or a grocery store asks if I’m “the movie guy,” I get excited because a fun chat usually follows. In fact, it’s hard to shut me up.

People tend to ask interesting questions about my job, and offer their own opinions on film, which helps me gain a fresh

“Why put up with loudmouths and idiots checking Facebook, when I can watch the same movie on my couch a few months later?”

JOSH SEWELL

I’ve probably talked to hundreds of readers over the last 14 years and I can recite their most frequent remarks from memory: “I enjoy reading your reviews…” (thanks!) “…but I can’t remember the last movie I saw in a theater.”

“I stick to Redbox and On Demand. It’s cheaper, my snacks are better, and I can watch it on my own schedule.”

“We just wait and buy the Blu-ray. That

costs less than buying two tickets; plus we can watch it as many times as we want.”

can go straight to the website and start watching movies and TV series right now. But going with the premium option, around $12 a month, gives you thousands more choices, no ads and – here’s the kicker for my fellow film geeks – access to the Criterion collection, which offers some of the greatest movies ever made from all over the world.

“Theaters around here never get indie movies. Unless it has Tom Cruise or superheroes, they don’t show it.”

And you know what? They’re not wrong.

I don’t have a counterargument for any those points. Sure, I can keep pining for an enhanced moviegoing experience, like the one the Alamo Drafthouse chain offers: a firm 21-and-up policy, great food, killer beer selection, and they’re militant about kicking out texters and talkers. But I’m not holding my breath for something like that in our area any time soon.

Besides, that wouldn’t help with the complaints about prices.

Subscribing to everything I mentioned would cost around $330 a year; for many people, that’s about three months of cable or satellite.

Instead, I try to steer the conversation toward the recent explosion in digital distribution.

Honestly, the word “film” is misleading these days.

Practically all movies are shot digitally now. If you do bite the bullet and head to the theater, you’re almost certainly watching something pulled from a hard drive instead of a reel.

That’s a bummer for hardcore movie nerds like me, who miss the clack-clackclack of film threading through a projector and the occasional scratches and blips on the big screen. (At least the roadshow version of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight,” which he shot in oldschool 70 mm, was a fitting send-off until the next big event.) But I have to admit the surge in digital technology takes care of the complaints I hear most, particularly when it comes to cost and accessibility.

YouTube is getting in on the streaming game as well, offering plenty of movies and TV shows for free, as long as you’re willing to put up with a few ads and a lower resolution. But, again, those willing to spend a bit more – similar to the old pay-per-view model – will find thousands more options available to them.

Of course, Amazon Prime remains the best value; it just takes people who are bad at math (like the guy writing this article) longer to realize it. For $99 a year, subscribers gain access to thousands of movies and TV series – including, again, stuff you can only watch there – as well as some added perks.

Practically everyone knows about Redbox, which is essentially a cheaper, faster and more convenient version of the nowdefunct Blockbuster Video. But now you have access to more entertainment than you could watch in your lifetime without ever leaving your house. Heck, you can even get a solid film school education without all those pesky student loans. All you need is an internet connection, or an optional streaming device for your TV, like a Roku or a Chromecast.

The most commonly known streaming service is Netflix. For around $8 per month, you have access to tens of thousands of films and television shows – including fantastic original content.

Throw in a few extra bucks and you still wget access to their old-school “DVDs in the mail” version. Granted, there aren’t that many new releases to choose from, but it’s a great way to catch up on stuff you missed over the years, or those indie movies that never made it to local theaters.

Hulu is another streaming option, and it offers several levels depending on your budget. If you don’t mind a limited selection and commercial interruptions, you

Those include free, two-day shipping on almost anything you order from Amazon; unlimited photo storage; unlimited music streaming, which gives you access to millions of songs; a free Kindle book rental every month, with no due date; and early access to Amazon’s lightning deals (a great resource around the holidays). The website also has a great rental service with thousands of titles.

A subscription to Prime sounds steep at first, until you realize it breaks down to $8.25 a month. The only drawback is you have to pay for it in a lump sum, but that also tricks your brain into thinking it’s free 11 months out of the year.

When you take all of this into account (and I didn’t even get into single-network streaming services like HBO and CBS), it’s no wonder theater attendance is down and television providers are hemorrhaging money. Subscribing to everything I mentioned would cost around $330 a year; for many people, that’s about three months of cable or satellite. So weighing your streaming options not only broadens your cinematic and television horizons, it’ll also save you tons of money. WGL

E-mail: joshsewell81@gmail.com Twitter: @IAmJoshSewell Facebook: facebook.com/josh8199 West Georgia Living March/April 2016 11

Clinton Nature Preserve

The Clinton Nature Preserve is located at 8720 Ephesus Church Road one mile west of Post Road in Douglas County. The 200-acre park was donated to the county by Ms. Annie Mae Clinton. The park is required by Ms. Clinton's will to remain in its natural state as much as possible and contains nature trails, a lake, and open exploration areas.

PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY 14 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

Tanner Health System

Taking

C

Colorectal cancer is a tale of two age groups.

However, there are things you can do to lower your risk of developing colorectal cancer, as well as ways to reduce the risk of becoming another statistic of this dangerous disease.

“Among people older than 50, rates of this disease have been falling,” said Dr. Griffin. “This is largely due to increased screening rates, which can prevent some cases by finding and removing precancerous growths. But among those younger than 50, who aren’t routinely screened, colorectal cancer rates have risen since the early ’90s.”

ontrol of olorectal Cancer

C

olorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Up to 60 percent of colon cancer deaths could be prevented if every adult age 50 or older were screened regularly for the disease.

Get Screened Several routine tests can help detect colorectal cancer early, when it’s most treatable. If you are age 50 or older or have any other risk factors for colon cancer, talk with your doctor about getting screened.

There are several screening options. The fecal occult blood test, fecal immunochemical test and stool DNA tests examine a stool sample for signs of cancer. However, these noninvasive tests are less likely to find polyps.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy, double-contrast barium enema, CT colonography and colonoscopy examine the colon itself to find both precancerous growths and cancer. They use a viewing tool inserted into the rectum or a special X-ray test. These more involved methods can help prevent cancer by detecting polyps.

“Starting at age 50, it’s crucial to get screened periodically for this disease,” said David Griffin, MD, a board-certified surgeon with Carrollton Surgical Group, part of Tanner Medical Group.

“Screening helps detect cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. Screening tests also help find precancerous growths, called polyps, so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.

Prevention Can Be Key Efforts to control this disease have shown mixed results, though research suggests that diet can play a role.

16 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

What’s to blame? Researchers theorize that poor eating habits and obesity could be the culprits. If you’re a young adult, choosing a healthy diet and managing your weight may help. If you’re in the 50-plus age group, the same tactics complement regular screening.

Either way, it pays to take action.

Americans eat far more fast food than they did decades ago. Research has shown that a fast-foodheavy diet is generally high in meat, and eating lots of red meat has been linked to an increased risk for colorectal cancer. Meanwhile, some studies suggest that diets rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains might decrease the risk.

Besides consuming more fruits and veggies and less red meat, you can fine-tune your menu in other ways that may help lower your risk for colorectal cancer: • Limit your intake of processed meats.

• Avoid drinking alcohol in excess.

• Consider calcium and vitamin D supplements.

option of performing robotic-assisted surgery.

Robotic surgery has been a treatment option for colorectal cancer patients at Tanner since March 2013. The program began with women’s services, and has since expanded to general surgery applications and urology care. Surgeons using the system undergo an intensive certification program to ensure that they are well versed in the equipment and its capabilities.

Along with tiny, highly dexterous implements, the da Vinci Si HD high definition system at Tanner provides a higher level of visibility for surgeons, who can view a magnified, highresolution 3-D image of the surgical site from the da Vinci console.

“The ability to perform surgery laparoscopically, with tiny instruments through small incisions, has been available for some time,” said Dr. Griffin. “This minimally invasive approach is safer, because there’s less risk of infection, and it’s more comfortable for the patient because the incisions are smaller. But with robotic assistance, we’re able to see more clearly and move more freely during the procedure.”

The robot’s precise movements and 14-times magnification enable surgeons to operate with great precision and enhanced visibility, often leading to faster, less painful recoveries, according to Dr. Griffin. The minimally invasive approach with robotics allows for less pain, less blood loss and a faster return to everyday activities for the patient.

Balance the calories you get from food with the Learn More ones you burn through regular exercise, too. An inactive lifestyle and obesity are risk factors for Learn more about the innovative care available colorectal cancer. and the Tanner Cancer Care Promise: 3 Days from Diagnosis to Cancer Treatment, online at www.TannerCancerCare.org.

Innovative Treatment Tanner Cancer Care offers an innovative approach to treating colorectal cancer with the

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Buying a HOUSE

A

house is not a home. It is instead a building into which you put everything that makes your home: your family, your possessions, and on a deeper level, your sense of security and privacy.

But it is a building. And like any other building, it is composed of physical components: bricks and drywall, wires and switches, shingles and rafters, floors and ceilings. Plus, it has many major systems that make living in the house comfortable: air conditioning and heating, water management, waste management, technology systems and others too numerous to mention.

When you buy a house, you are buying all these components and systems and it is 18 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

expensive. Very expensive. As the most significant purchase you are ever likely to make, it needs to be done with a lot of preparation and foresight. You will not only be buying a house, but also the property it sits on – and that involves taxes, government entities and what not. And it is a major financial commitment that will be with you for decades to come; years in which your life may change in ways that cannot be predicted.

will buy an existing structure, one which has been previously lived in, or one that is newly built and waiting for its first owner.

While some people choose to build a new house from the ground up, many people – including most couples just starting out –

Step One: Get Your Financials in Order

KEN DENNEY

There’s lots of advice out there on how to buy a house, so this shouldn’t be considered the ultimate guide. But we hope to give you at least some insight on the things you should be thinking about as you start the process.

It may sound odd, but before you ever shop for a house you need to shop for a mortgage.

CNN Money recommends that you aim for a home that costs about 2 ½ times your

annual salary, so if you have a lot of debt, or other financial obligations, you should consider how that will impact your chances of obtaining a loan.

Start out knowing exactly how much you can borrow before you buy a home, or even before you contact a real estate agent. You might not think there’s much difference between an interest mortgage of 4.5 percent and one of 5 percent, but it can be thousands of dollars over the life of a loan. So anything you can do to improve your FICO score (a measure of consumer credit risk) is vital.

Before you even think of applying for a loan, get a copy of your credit report and get a preview of what lenders will see when you apply. In general, scores between 650 and 700 will get an average rate; better scores will get a better rate, but a poor score could cause an increase in your interest rate. Pay off credit cards and resolve any credit disputes or delinquencies to raise your score.

And then there’s the matter of a down payment and closing costs. CNN Money says lenders like to see 20 percent of the home’s price as a down payment. If it’s under that amount, you may need to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI). The banks will want this as protection for themselves if you

ever fail to make payments, but it also adds about 0.5 percent of the loan amount to your yearly mortgage payments.

Getting your financials in order is a lot more complicated than can be explained here. It’s also a safe bet that financing a house is more complicated than you can even imagine, especially if you haven’t done anything like this before. So please do lots of research.

The bottom line is this: It’s best to know how much of a house you can afford before you shop for a house. Too many people fall in love with a house first, discover they can’t really afford it, then struggle to keep up the payments.

Step Two: Shop for a House There’s no part of buying a house that’s not stressful, but this may be the least traumatic step. It’s actually fun to go from house to house, dreaming and imagining what you can do with each to make it a home. With your finances in order, it’s even more fun to walk into a house knowing you can actually buy it.

But before you go off measuring drapes and figuring out paint schemes, you and your spouse or partner need to be in exact

agreement as to what you are looking for in a house – down to, and including, number of bedrooms, location, yard space for kids (even kids not yet born) and anything else you can think of. Do not expect that you will both agree on everything, so try to keep the deal-busters to a minimum and leave lots of room for compromise.

You will need a good real estate agent to help you. You will want to “audition” a few, looking for someone who is interested, relaxed, confident and qualified. Going with someone recommended by a friend or relative is a good idea, but remember to always trust your instincts.

But your agent will only be as good as the information he or she has. When you first meet, go into exhaustive detail what you want in a house, especially the amount of money you have to spend. The more information the agent has, the faster the shopping process will go.

When you are shown houses, picture what it would really be like to live there. Is the laundry room in the basement, while the bedrooms are on the third floor? Is the kitchen really big enough? Are there good views from the windows? A place for the Christmas tree? Is it big enough to hold a wedding reception or the kinds of parties

Illustration by Ken Denney West Georgia Living March/April 2016 19

you enjoy? Imagine yourself living in the space, moving through the rooms on a daily basis, doing the kinds of chores and living the life you enjoy within the walls of that building.

And you won’t just be inhabiting the house, but also the neighborhood. Ask yourself questions about living in that area. What kind of parking is there? What would traffic be like on your commute? How close are schools, markets, etc.? Visit the area at different times of the day and on the weekends to get a true impression of what living in that neighborhood would be like.

Step Three: Make an Offer

Be aware that any house you buy will have hidden costs, not the least of which is annual property taxes and insurance costs. Do some research to find out the assessed value of the home and the history of tax rates in the neighborhood.

The proximity of fire and police stations may impact the insurance premium you will pay. And there may be other fees, such is neighborhood association fees.

Now things are serious. You know how much money you have to spend, but you certainly want to get a deal on the house you want.

Many experts recommend tailoring your bid for a home on the seller’s circumstances. Do they need cash? Has the house been on the market a long while? If the sellers were the former owners, have they already bought another house? Knowing any or all of this information will help you gauge how much they want your money, or if they will settle for a little less than their asking price.

All that said, sometimes the economics of supply and the demand may force your hand.

If you absolutely love the house – and you can see that it is a really great buy – chances are other buyers out there are seeing what you are seeing. If that’s the case, you may have to forgo a deal and make a higher offer.

This is a risky decision, of course, but it’s what you may have to do if you really, really want that house.

When you are ready to make an offer, talk to your agent to ensure the proper procedure is followed, because the process is different from state to state.

Once you sign an offer, you are officially in escrow. That means you are committed to buy the house or lose your deposit, unless you do not get final mortgage approval, or some issue comes up during inspection (Step Four). During escrow, which can take up to 90 days, your lender will arrange for purchase financing and finalizing your mortgage.

Be aware that any house you buy will have hidden costs, not the least of which is annual property taxes and insurance costs. Do some research to find out the assessed value of the home and the history of tax rates in the neighborhood. The proximity of fire and police stations may impact the insurance premium you will pay. And there may be other fees, such is neighborhood association fees.

And of course there’s always the cost of mowing the grass and keeping the house in good repair.

Step Four: Finalizing the deal All home buying deals should be contingent

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on a home inspection. That means more than making sure there’s no termite damage, sinking corner foundations and poorly wired outlets. You need to ensure there are no hazardous materials in the home (especially if it’s an older structure), and no history in the area of flooding, sinkholes or anything like that. And you will want to check out the crime statistics in the area.

This is another “hidden cost” in the home buying process. A thorough inspection could cost beyond $500, but it can save you from many thousands of dollars. Your mortgage lender may do their own inspection, but you should always hire your own inspector.

Assuming everything is all right, the last step is to take a great big breath and close escrow. You will be signing a lot of papers relating to the property and your mortgage arrangements. If any issues remain, money might be set aside in escrow until they are resolved, thus providing the seller an initiative in remedying them.

It would be advisable to have a real estate lawyer to assist you in this process because it is definitely a complex issue involving a long-term legal and financial obligation on your part. As you might expect, the legal fee will be another "hidden expense,” but well worth it in the end.

••• Buying a home is an intimidating, complex and frankly scary undertaking. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. After all, what you are buying is a piece of property and a building – but you are investing in a home for your family and for the future you are building together. A house becomes the repository of people’s hopes, dreams and eventually their memories. Buying a home is a landmark event in anyone’s life, and if such events involve some stress and worry, then the achievement of accomplishment is all the sweeter. WGL

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The Vacation Issue!

$aving for COLLEGE

It’s never too early to start the process of paying for a higher education

A

college degree is practically mandatory for many careers. So, if you – or your college-bound child – is interested in a high-paying job, the cost of a college education has probably already started keeping you awake at night.

That’s understandable. The price tag for a four-year public college remains quite hefty and shocking. At the University of Georgia in Athens, for example, the average cost of attending the school is more than $25,000 – including tuition, meals, books and supplies.

And that’s just for an in-state student; folks from outside the state can expect to pay about twice that amount.

If the student is fortunate enough, he or she may have applied for scholarships and grants. But what happens if the student is not so fortunate? What happens if the task of paying for college is solely up to the family, or student?

Though not ideal, this happens to so many people every year. Students unable to receive financial aid are left to fend for themselves.

So, what are the options?

If parents are thinking about paying for college early enough, a 529 savings plan is a solid choice. This is an “education savings plan operated by a state or educational institution.” There are seven major benefits from this plan, varying from income tax breaks, staying in control of the account the entire time, making sure saving for college is “hands-off,” to not having to be reported on tax returns, being very flexible, and even being eligible for everyone.

Parents or students should do some serious research into 529s if they go this route.

There are personal advantages and disadvantages to this account that have to be considered before opening one. The website, savingforcollege.com, contains copious

TAYLOR BOLTZ

information regarding every aspect of the account, and everything that a parent might want to know logistically.

keep up with tuition. It also might require students or parents to be a resident of the state in which the plan is being offered.

Sometimes there is also an age or grade Another option for paying for college: prelimit, so you should look into whether the paid tuition. This is also part of the 529 college or university in question is eligible umbrella, but allows people to prepay tuition for the plan. And should your student at today’s rates – thus helping them manage choose not to attend the college or university future tuition costs – in one lump sum, or planned for, check to make sure that the through installment payments. plan allows you to use the money at another school, as it should. Or, even transfer the This option guarantees that the funds will money to a sibling, should that occur. More West Georgia Living March/April 2016 21

information can be found at finra.org.

A third option, scholarships and grants. Many schools offer them: Zell Miller and Pell Grants, HOPE and National Merit Scholarships, are just a few of the options for in-state funds. GAcollege411.org is the best website for details regarding the process for applying for money in a scholarship or grant form.

Financial Aid Many people believe that their parents make too much money or they don't have good enough grades for financial aid. This is untrue. Many financial authorities advise students or families to always apply for financial aid. For Georgia students, government aid (such as FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid) can help, even in the smallest amount.

The office of Federal Student Aid (studentaid. ed.gov) is a great resource. It’s part of the federal Department of Education and serves as the largest provider of student financial aid in the nation, managing those programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The office “ensure(s) students and their families can benefit from these programs” by giving information on aid availability, “accurately disbursing, reconciling, and accounting for all federal student aid funds,” managing student aid portfolios, offering assistance throughout college, and continuing to monitor every program participant to maintain compliance with all necessary rules.

The website says “there is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid … eligibility is determined by a mathematical formula,” not just the size of the family or parental age.

When applying for aid like FAFSA, the application “automatically (applies) for funds from (the) state, and possibly from (the) school,” so it’s immensely important to fill all the forms out online, as to not miss any potential money.

••• US News & World Report notes four mistakes made when saving for college: not saving early enough, taking a loan on 401(k)s to pay, failing to qualify for tax credits because of 529 distributions, and stopping the 529 deposits once the student enrolls in college. So, keep these in mind when deciding what to do for your student and their college education. WGL

Tips for Saving for College For more information, visit and search for articles related to saving for college:

Savingforcollege.com Usnews.com Finra.org Boston.com Finaid.org Gocollege.com Gacollege411 Studentaid.ed.gov Fafsa.ed.gov

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22 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

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How to SPLURGE (Responsibly)

I

t’s the most wonderful time of the year!

The check comes; the deposit hits the bank. Tax refunds are here!

But just as quickly, your windfall is gone – spent on a jacket you bought on an impulse.

That happy feeling of being flush with cash has also evaporated. That spiffy new jacket that looked so great on the mannequin now hangs off your shoulders like a big load of guilt.

Once again, you have fallen prey to an impulse to splurge at entirely the wrong time. Is there ever a right time for a splurge, though? It turns out that there’s really such a thing as “splurging responsibly.”

What is a “splurge?”

So, when you think of the word “splurge,” what comes to mind? The dictionary says the word is verb meaning a costly indulgence in some luxury or pleasure. It also means spending money ostentatiously or extravagantly.

Ostentaitious. Extravagant. Luxury. But there’s another word that’s not part of the definition, and it probably should be: infrequent.

MOLLY STASSFORT

A frequent splurge is no longer a splurge; it’s just part of an extravagant lifestyle (and an expensive one at that). It’s probably also an irresponsible way to spend the dollars for which you worked 160 hours that month.

Well that brings the question: If a splurge is something irresponsible, how can you do it responsibly? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Research/Compare Splurging should be done rarely - if ever – on an impulse, like that time you bought that top-of-the line juicer because it was going to help you keep your New Year’s resolution to be healthy. Irresponsible splurging will be the downfall of any person’s bank account.

When tempted by an impulse buy, step back a minute and take a harder look at what you’re thinking about purchasing. For some, a splurge may be a fancy dinner; for others,

a new car or a tropical vacation. No matter what you are splurging on, it should satisfy one main requirement: giving you a sense of reward once you purchase it.

If you’re purchasing any kind of clothing that is more expensive than your usual wardrobe, consider whether you will still be wearing it a year from now. The more timeless your wardrobe pieces, the more wear you’ll get out of them.

Another way to keep your splurging on the responsible side is looking up cheaper alternatives, or lookalikes. While this might seem like a “duh” tip, most people don’t take the time to actually look. Are you buying for the piece itself or for the name stitched inside of it? There’s no shame in buying a designer piece simply for the name of it, but if the name means nothing to you, chances are you can find a knockoff alternative to those $600 West Georgia Living March/April 2016 23

Jimmy Choo heels.

For a lot of people, a weekend getaway is the perfect splurge. Dropping the kids with the grandparents for the weekend and getting a flight to the beach or finding a quaint, cabin in the mountain. There are plenty of ways of getting away from it all without burning through your savings.

There are many websites for comparing flight prices; taking the time to look at them can save you a chunk of money. Are you okay with a lengthy layover? Or having a flight with multiple stops? Such flights can cut your price in half. Calling the hotel to make a reservation will usually lead to paying maximum price for a minimum space. Websites like Kayak or Hotels.com, usually have rooms for a fraction of what the person at the front desk told you over the phone.

Planning on going on a gambling weekend?

You don’t have to gamble with your vacation money. Many casinos double as hotels. If you call and ask for a complimentary room for a couple nights, they can make it happen, if they have the space. They’re hoping to get your money from the slots, so they’re happy to give you a free couple of nights.

Double-check Before pulling any money out of the wallet or sliding your card, take five seconds to actually look at your finances. While for many this can be a terrifying moment, it is without a doubt the most important step in the buying process. Most banks have online banking, allowing you to check your checking and savings at a moment’s notice; same with most major credit cards.

A splurge should not be made if you have not paid off your previous expenses. If your credit card balance is sitting there unpaid, even though it’s not maxed out, do not try to justify your next purchase. Your money should go directly to paying that card again. Stressing yourself out with more debt is not going

to allow you to enjoy that new purse. Every time you see it, you’re going to be reminded that you really haven’t paid for it yet; it’s just accruing interest.

If your credit card’s clear, you’re halfway there. The next step is to look at your haveto’s; these include rent, bills, gas, groceries, and all the other obligatory, monthly moneyeaters. Once you’ve paid those off for the month, look at how much money you have left. Will there be a buffer once you splurge? A buffer is a safety net of sorts, for that moment when your car decides to break down, or your roof starts leaking. You don’t want your “fun” purchases to get in the way of necessary expenses.

The best way to expand your safety net is to cut unnecessary spending. How many times do you go to the drive-thru because you didn’t feel like cooking the food you already bought?

Most people don’t even realize how much they’re actually spending on things like coffee, or that top that was on sale for $10.

Thankfully technology can come to your rescue. Finance apps are the best way to see how much you’re spending on things. Apps like Min – one of the most widely used finance apps – is a real-time look at all of your finances, including your bank accounts, credit cards, and loans. You can set caps on how much you want to spend on food, coffee, clothing, and more. It also gives you graphs of your spending, and how much over or under-budget you are for the month. Visually seeing where your money is going can be a really good wakeup call to slow down the spending so you can buy the things you “really” want.

Knowing where you stand financially is almost as satisfying as making the actual purchase. Almost.

Meditate The hardest part in the buying process (for me at least) is actually letting go of the money. Once it’s gone, it’s not coming back.

Just because you have the money to spend, and you’ve found exactly what you want, you don’t have to buy it that instant. The money might be burning a hole in your pocket, but calm down a second and meditate on whatever it is you’re about to spend.

In a week’s time are you going to feel the same? A month? A year? If you can go a week and still burn with the same passion, challenge yourself to go a whole month.

If at the end of a month, you still feel the same about that fancy waffle iron, go for it.

If you have doubts on your ability to use or feel good about your purchase, put the cash back in your piggy bank; stick that card back in your wallet. Doubts grow over time and something you spent beaucoup bucks on six months ago – and which is now gathering dust in your garage – is not going to give you any bragging rights.

Buy After all the time and energy you put into researching your reward, comparing options, double checking your finances – and spending time meditating on how this purchase will fit into your daily life – it’s finally time to buy.

Bask in the glory that is a new back massager; strut those new heels at the office. Once the purchase is made, especially if you took the time and followed the above steps, you should revel in it. Your cruise to Cancun is going to be more fun than you can imagine, especially since you compared ship companies and got a steal for you and your spouse.

If you know you’ve made the right purchase, tell everyone. Who cares if they get annoyed?

TREAT YOURSELF! No one knows more than you how much you earned that day at the spa. If you spend responsibly throughout the year, you will see how many more benefits and splurges you will be able give yourself. You can prove that impulses don't control you. Plus, no one can brag about debt. WGL

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Buying a CAR

Ernest Head, left, and his wife Sue, accept the keys to their new Cadillac from salesman Tim Fordham, of Walker Cadillac in Carrollton.

I

t’s often said that, after buying a house, buying a car is the single biggest purchase anyone will ever make. That’s true, of course, but it’s also a giant expense that most of us can expect to make again and again and again.

Cars wear out, and after a certain point, it makes better economic sense to replace instead of repair. Also, our needs for a car change during our lives. That sporty car we had in college inevitably gives way to larger, more practical vehicles when we take on families. We may even need to buy more cars when those kids become a little older, or so we can have an extra vehicle to meet some other need.

Atlanta-area consumer guru Clark Howard advises us to go to our credit union or bank and pre-qualify for a car loan. On his website, clarkhoward.com, he notes that dealers will sometimes mark up a loan, so it makes sense to secure our own financing.

KEN DENNEY

Buying a car is a major deal – it involves contracts, financing and titles and taxes.

Since it is also a major purchase that we are likely to make several times, we should learn how to do it right.

Step One: Get Money To buy a car, you need a lot of money. Not as much as for a house, but a respectable amount. You can, of course, just walk into a dealership and write out a check for the full amount – if you have that kind of scratch.

Most of us, however, will need to make payments, and that means having enough for a down payment and an assurance that we will West Georgia Living March/April 2016 25

continue earning enough to afford monthly payments.

So, the first step is to get some money. Sure, you say, I’ll just go out to the backyard and pick some off the money tree. It’s not as easy as that, of course, but the amount of money you are able to gather will determine what kind of car – make, model, year, etc.

– you can afford. Instead of the nice, leather-seated Mercedes of your dreams, you may just have to settle for something else.

Atlanta-area consumer guru Clark Howard advises us to go to our credit union or bank and pre-qualify for a car loan. On his website, clarkhoward.com, he notes that dealers will sometimes mark up a loan, so it makes sense to secure our own financing.

Also, having a specific amount in hand when you go into a dealership means you’ll know exactly how much you can afford for your new car.

Other than that, you should save enough for a respectable down payment, even if your current vehicle has a good trade-in value. The more cash you have on hand, the less your monthly expense and the faster you will get the title.

Clark Howard suggests starting the research process with at least two vehicles in mind, then check out the features, price and reliability of each one.

Step Two: Do Your Research This is the most complex, and longest part of the car-buying process.

Along with knowing exactly how much cash you have, you must also know exactly what you will need your car for – and which of the many, many types of vehicles will best meet that need. New car or used car? Sedan or SUV? It can be a very daunting prospect.

Clark Howard suggests starting the research process with at least two vehicles in mind, then check out the features, price and reliability of each one. He says the April issue of Consumer Reports – in which the magazine does a multi-layer comparison of virtually all new cars – is a good starting point for this research.

Then, you should go online. The internet is a vast treasure trove of information for car buyers, through which you can meet real people who have had real experiences with the car models you are considering.

But even more important, you can get an idea as to what price you should expect to pay for your car. Howard says sources like Edmunds.com, KBB.com (Kelley Blue Book) and NADA.com are all great places to find what the dealer cost – the true cost of the car, not the MSRP – should be. Knowing what other people are paying will be a great tool for when you are getting the best deal for your car.

You can buy a car online, but even if you don’t, online price quotes will still be a great guideline for you as you shop. It’s far faster than going from one dealership to the next to check out prices in person.

26 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

Illustration by Ken Denney

win-win for everyone involved.

And if you do decide to visit a car lot, Howard suggests you do it when the dealership is closed so you can walk around and kick the tires without a salesman at your shoulder.

A few things to watch out for: Some of the upcharges a dealer may ask you to buy may be worthwhile, others may not suit.

Yes, it would be nice to have the supernice wheel covers, but a lower-level trim package will do just as well. The same holds true for extended warranties; they could be a good deal, but only if the terms are right.

Step Three: Keep to Your Decision Once you’ve made a decision on what car to buy and how much you are going to spend, stick with it. That might not be so easy to do when you actually go to the place where they sell the cars.

When you are at a dealership, you are surrounded by shiny, new vehicles that are loaded with features that seem really cool – but which you don’t really need.

Buying a different car from the one you have in mind simply because it has more cup holders doesn’t make sense.

Worst still is going to a dealership and being betrayed by your own desires. Who hasn’t imagined themselves cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway in an open-top convertible, with the wind blowing through what’s left of their hair? Save the daydreams for the office where they belong: you’re trying to buy a car for your real life, not your fantasies.

Remember, you have a finite amount of money to spend and owning a car – any car – means that there are monthly expenses that are over and beyond your payments.

That jazzy sports car comes with a heftier insurance premium, not to mention costs for performance tires, fuel and finicky internal parts.

Buying a car on impulse is an easy temptation to fall into, but all the experts advise that you make your decision and stick with it.

Besides, you can always fly out to California and rent a convertible.

Step Four: Get the Best Deal Negotiating with a car dealer is, for most

When you’re considering a new car, you may feel torn between a decision to lease or to buy.

There are pros and cons to be weighed, depending on your circumstances. Clark Illustration by Ken Denney Howard is famous for his criticism of leasing, because he feels it would be cheaper just to go ahead and buy the car.

Remember, you have a finite amount of money to spend and owning a car – any car – means that there are monthly expenses that are over and beyond your payments. That jazzy sports car comes with a heftier insurance premium, not to mention costs for performance tires, fuel and finicky internal parts.

people, the most intimidating part of the car-buying process. Car dealers have the reputation of being overbearing, but that’s really uncalled for.

Just remember that while you are trying to make the best deal for yourself, the salesman is trying to make the best deal for his dealership. There’s nothing wrong with that; it’s the American way. And if you go into the negotiating process forearmed with knowledge, the result can be a

But he also says that leasing can be a good deal for some luxury cars – as well as electric or alternative fuel vehicles – if those cars come with a factory-subsidized lease.

Also, if being seen tooling around town in a brand new car every couple of years is important to you, then go for it.

The best way to get the best deal is if you walk into the dealership knowing how much you can afford, what the car you are interested in really costs, and which extra features really make sense to you. A lot of research before you walk into a salesman’s office will give you the confidence to haggle so that you and the dealership make a great deal.

Step Five: Take a Test Drive Before you sign your name a lot of times on a lot of documents, take one last step and test drive your new vehicle. All the research in the world can’t make up for an actual experience, not only with the model of car you are buying, but also the particular vehicle.

You may have read that a certain car model West Georgia Living March/April 2016 27

has a specific amount of headroom, but what does that mean? If you get into the car and your skull is poking up into the headliner, then your research has failed you. Also, if the car won’t turn around in your driveway, or won’t hold your kids and all their toys, you won’t be getting the same deal you thought you were getting on paper.

The test-drive advice is, of course, even more acute when you are buying a used car. No matter what the paperwork may say, a used car is one that has been used – and possibly abused – by a previous owner. Make sure there are no suspicious rattling noises under the hood, or that the left fender is not more Bondo than metal.

Always, always have a mechanic check out a used car, and it might not hurt to have a trusted mechanic check out a brand-new vehicle as well.

Your choice of vehicle was based on certain factors, comfort and practicality – and mechanical soundness – being among

them. If the car doesn’t meet this ultimate test, feel free to walk away and start the process over.

••• Of all the steps in the process of buying a car, the one about sticking to your decision may be the most important.

No matter what car you buy, you are making a long-term commitment. Unless you go in with a stack of cash to buy the car outright, you will be putting your credit rating and your monthly disposable income on the line. If you have balanced out all the figures and had them make sense, don’t waste all that effort with a last-minute impulse buy that will put all that at risk.

Buying a car is a big step, whether it’s the first time you’ve done it, of if it’s the 15th car you’ve bought. Being informed and being resolute will help you spend your money wisely, and keep you happy with the car you’ll be sharing the road with for many years to come. WGL

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It doesn't have to be

O

E M

E R T X E Couponing made Easy

n the TLC show “Extreme Couponing,” a soccer mom finishes up her grocery shopping by unloading two or three carts of products at the checkout lane. The clerk totals up the bill – it’s upwards of $300. Then the shopper smiles, pulls out a bundle of coupons and hands them to the cashier.

Her fellow shoppers are drawn to the beep-beep sound of coupons being redeemed by the dozens. They start to stare — half in awe, half in jealousy. When the cashier is finished, the shopper’s bill has been whittled down to 50 bucks. We all gasp: how can we do that?!

It’s a trend called “extreme couponing,” in which people clip coupons that come with the newspaper, in advertising circulars or online. By taking $1 off here, and buying discounted items in bulk there, the promise is that you can save beaucoup bucks at the checkout stand.

But let’s be real for a second: there’s a limit on the amount of coupons are used, according to Fanny from “Living Richly on a Budget,” a website that details how people can live life frugally. She says some of the TLC show is exaggerated, and so we shouldn’t base our expectations of couponing on reality television.

Even though these people are stockpiling toilet paper and canned green beans as

TAYLOR BOLTZ 30 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

if for the apocalypse, the same concepts can apply to the simplest of grocery trips.

In other words, you don’t have to go to extremes.

start planning meals with what’s on sale, so look at the ads and visit a couple of stores to see which has cheaper prices. Try not to make long grocery lists, or take late afternoon grocery runs when you might be hungry or pressed for time.

There’s a website—www.krazycouponlady.com – that claims it takes 10 days to become a couponer. Ten days. That’s less Sometimes, people are deterred from than two weeks to save 50 to 90 percent on using coupons because it takes a while to groceries. So, let’s get started. ring up in the checkout lane — It holds up the line! But, by shopping either early in The first step, according to the site, is the morning or later at night, the grocery changing the way you shop. Which means: store is pretty quiet, meaning that there

most likely won’t be any hold up from all the coupons you use.

cally this book allows you to discover what is a good deal and what, in fact, is not.

The next few steps revolve around organization — get coupons from lots of different locations: some are online, in ads, on mobile applications; put your hard copy coupons in some kind of methodic sorting, whether it be a file box or binder. Time your coupon redemption appropriately: sometimes you can stack coupons, meaning using more than one coupon at the same time, or when stores have double coupon deals (using the same coupon twice), or when there are matched sales and promotions, meaning more savings for you!

The price book is “a record of … past purchases on items … (bought) the most … (to) determine which store had the lowest price on a particular item.” It should record the store name, the brand or item, and the unit price.

You can track your prices via past receipts, sales inserts, or in the store itself.

The best idea, both the Krazy Coupon lady and Fanny advise, is to work with the coupon policies. Figure out what they allow and don't allow. The example that Fanny offers features the Walgreens policy of only allowing one coupon per item. If you want to use two coupons for one item, she suggests buying a “filler item, which is a cheap item like a five cent pencil, that will allow you to use that extra coupon.” This is a solid resolution, but some other stores vary in that policy, so if you are serious about coupons, sometimes it’s best to do some research.

Another policy is in what stores call overages. That’s when a “coupon is worth more than the product itself and the store gives credit towards something else you are buying,” Fanny explains. But this policy also varies from store to store, so be sure to look into it if you think that might occur with some of your coupons.

She advises making a chart and tracking the prices of five to 10 of the items most frequently purchased. To figure out the unit price, divide the price by the unit and then you can figure out if it’s cheaper to buy.

Coupons should not be overwhelming.

They should be fun, easy, helpful little finds that offer relief in spending. The website “Pretty Frugal Diva” mentions classes in the metro Atlanta area to learn more about couponing and how to morph it into what you need. The website also offers advice on apps for saving money in the store and an online course in organizing coupons. WGL

In addition to the researching idea, start a grocery price book. This is an idea Fanny explains in detail with her article, “Start Your Own Grocery Price Book,” but basi-

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EXPENSIVE TASTES Every now and then, everybody wants something special

34 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

March/April 2016 West Georgia Living 35

FOOD

For a few extra bucks, a regular

Portabella Risotto Timbale

W

e all have our daily and weekly dinner habits, and I am no exception. There are meals and entrees that I do so frequently they are referred to as “The Usual Suspects.”

Every so often, however, I get the urge to spend just a few extra dollars on some high quality ingredients, and take an evening – or maybe even a couple of days –to do something in the kitchen that takes everyone by surprise.

Coffee & Cocoa Short Ribs Beef short ribs have been a consistent culinary classic for years, and meals built around them come in many forms. For this recipe, we take the flavors of beef cooked low and slow for hours and pair them with two tastes that are a natural fit.

Rob Duvé 36 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

2 pounds short ribs, cut into individual sections 2 tomatoes, diced ½ cup onions, diced 2 ribs celery, diced ½ cup carrots, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup good Merlot ½ cup strong coffee 2 tablespoons quality olive oil ½ teaspoons Dutch process dark cocoa Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Heat a Dutch oven or other heavy bottom, oven-safe pot with a tight fitting lid and add olive oil. Season short ribs with sea salt and pepper and brown heavily. Remove and set aside. In the same pot, add onions, celery, and carrots and sauté over medium high heat until the edges just turn brown. Deglaze the pot with Merlot, add remaining ingredients and simmer for about 10 minutes. Return short ribs to pot. Make sure there is enough braising liquid to almost cover the short ribs and place in oven. Braise for about 3-4 hours, or until short ribs are almost fall-apart tender. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve with a bit of the braising liquid.

Easy Gnudi 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 8 ounces plain, fresh goat cheese 2 egg whites 3 tablespoons water 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated ½ teaspoon lemon juice Pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper Extra flour for hands

PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY

meal becomes a special occasion

Coffee & Cocoa Short Ribs

Blend well cheeses, 1 tablespoon of the egg whites, lemon juice, and seasonings with a whisk. With well-floured hands, roll cheese mixture into balls about the diameter of a quarter (about one inch).

Mix remaining egg whites with water to make an egg wash. Roll cheese balls in egg wash then place in a bowl containing the remaining flour, leave in the flour bowl and refrigerate until well set; about 2 hours. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil.

Drop four or five of the gnudi in the water at a time.

Gnudi are done when they float to the surface.

A slightly more complicated version of this recipe involves using semolina flour instead of a finer ground flour. Such a coarse-ground flour will take more time to form a “skin” around the cheese. Roll the gnudi in egg wash and then semolina flour and place on wax paper in the refrigerator for about 3 hours. When the surface feels sticky to the touch, roll again in semolina flour and return to the refrigerator.

Most chefs who use semolina flour on a regular basis agree that this process can take anywhere from one day to three to get the skin the right thickness and texture. However, the payoff is a gnudi with a thicker skin that acts and chews like regular pasta. It may take a couple of tries to get this right, but the time is well worth it.

QUICK TIP One of the tricks I often use for browning meat is to deep fry it in good, clean vegetable oil. Not only is it a fast way to brown meat, but it allows the cut to be browned consistently on all sides, creating more flavor in dishes that are cooked slowly in a sauce or braising liquid.**

Portabella Risotto Timbale Timbale (pronounced Tim-Bahl) means “Drum” in French, and it’s a term used to describe a dish cooked in a pastry shell or a mold. It usually involves lining a muffin tin or springform pan with some element of the dish, then filling it with chopped meats, vegetables, pasta, etc. If you get to the point that you enjoy timbale and would like to try other versions of it, the varieties are nearly endless.

2 cups Arborio rice 6 cups rich beef broth, heated 2 cups portabella mushrooms 1 cup onion, finely diced 1 cup celery, finely diced 1 cup carrots, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 mushroom slices (for decoration) Sea salt and pepper to taste In a large skillet, sauté mirepoix (onion, celery, and carrots) in two tablespoons of butter until just translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another two minutes. Set aside.

In a medium, heavy bottom pot, sauté mushrooms in butter over medium high heat until well browned, then add rice and toast the rice for about two minutes. Begin adding broth one cup at a time, stirring constantly. As soon as the broth is absorbed, add the next cup, stirring constantly.

Repeat until all of the broth has been used. For the construction of this recipe, the risotto should be a little thicker than normal.

Cut six small disks of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a well buttered muffin cup. Place one portabella slice in the bottom of each cup on top of March/April 2016 West Georgia Living 37

the paper, then press a one quarter in layer of cooled mirepoix into the bottom and around the sides, making sure that it is tightly pressed against the bottom and sides. Fill each cup to within one eighth of an inch from the top with risotto and allow to cool to room temperature; at least 2 hours. Remember that the longer it sits, the more firm it will set up, which is the goal. Reheat timbales in a 300 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.

To turn out, place a sheet of parchment paper over the timbales then lay a cookie sheet of them. Grasping the two together tightly, turn the muffin cups over and allow to sit until timbales fall away on their own.

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For myself, the time that I spend in the kitchen is very much akin to the time a chemist spends in the laboratory – and that time doesn’t always come when I would like it to.

However, it never seems to fail that every time I come into a few extra dollars, they get spent on exceptional, local ingredients. This always grants me the time to experiment, tinker, and create something that I hope will make not only myself, but everyone within the reach of a fork happy.

As always,

! y o j n E

MARCH 10 – APRIL 28, 2016 BOBICK GALLERY, HUM BLDG RECEPTION & PRESENTATION: APRIL 8TH, 7–9 PM Info: www.westga.edu/~artdept/ or 678-839-6521

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38 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

West Georgia Living March/April 2016 39

Get ready for a musical trip down Mark Twain's mighty Mississippi!

T

he “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is many things to many people. Some, including Ernest Hemingway, consider it the original American novel; others attack the book for its offensive language and racial stereotypes.

"I, Huckleberry, me Hereby declare myself to be Nothin' ever other than Exactly what I am" - “I, Huckleberry, Me,” Act One, Big River

Nevertheless, it is a widely cherished book – and for good reason. Not only is it a ripping good story that perfectly captures childhood, but it also is built around the giant adult themes of slavery and freedom; of the moral quandary of choosing between right and wrong. Written in 1884, years after its author, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), had mastered his writing, it forces the reader to see the true horrors of slavery.

The book has been adapted many times for film, television and the stage. In 1985, “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” appeared on Broadway, and it was a huge success. With a book by William Hauptman and music by Roger Miller, the show ran for more than 1,000 performances, and was one of the few successful musicals of the decade.

And now it’s coming to west Georgia. The Carroll County Community Theatre’s production will have an eight-performance run, beginning March 10 at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center’s Mabry Theater. It promises to be one of the most ambitious shows the company has ever produced: a massive stage work involving special effects, a chorus, comedy, drama and almost anything an audience could ask for.

Performances will be Thursday through Saturday, March 10-12, at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday, March 17-19 at 7:30 p.m. The final show will be Sunday, March 20, at 2 p.m.

Tickets will be $10. You may call 770-8381083, or order online at www.carrolltontix. com.

While the show does deal with the reality of slavery, it is a family-friendly performance, with language suitable for everyone. There are no offensive terms used in the show.

STORY BY KEN DENNEY / PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY 40 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

The musical will be directed by Heather Miller, while the musical performances will be directed by Annette Reid. Both are experienced at their craft, and this is actually Miller’s second experience directing “Big River.”

“Once the theatre board approved my application to direct, I began developing a concept,” Miller said.

“Our costume designer and constructor, Nan Stephens and I met for a brainstorming session and the concept was born at her kitchen table (where all great ideas start): the quilt of Huckleberry’s life.

Daniel Akin, left, who portrays Huckleberry Finn, and David Wilkerson III, right, in the role of Jim, are headed down the Mississippi River in the Carroll County Community Chorus musical production of "Big River."

“The costumes for the actors are constructed from the same fabrics as the landscape ‘quilt’ backdrop of the Mississippi River, woven into Huckleberry’s memory.

They both match. So, on stage, the characters that Huck encounters change him, and he remembers each in a meaningful way – most importantly being Jim, the runaway slave and the only father figure Huckleberry has ever known.”

When Reid began preparing for directing the musical numbers in the show, she also met with Miller and Stephens to discover their concept. “I then immersed myself in watching several different versions of the play, and listened to the original sound track over and over,” she said. “And then I put it all aside so I could work the music coming from my own idea of how the music should be performed in this production.

“I feel much of the music differently from what I've heard in other productions. And fortunately, my take on how the music should be performed by this cast compliments the director’s vision of the show quite nicely. I also sought and found some of the best musicians Carroll County has to offer. They are going to make me look really good.”

For both women, the show represents some challenges to overcome, both technically and personally.

“I think that set design and construction are always challenging,” Miller said. “There are plans for three moving rafts on our Mississippi river that move with the current, i.e.: ‘ theatre magic.’”

"Our costume designer and constructor, Nan Stephens and I met for a brainstorming session and the concept was born at her kitchen table (where all great ideas start): the quilt of Huckleberry’s life."

– Heather Miller director West Georgia Living March/April 2016 41

Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer.

“I feel much of the music differently from what I've heard in other productions. And fortunately, my take on how the music should be performed by this cast compliments the director’s vision of the show quite nicely. I also sought and found some of the best musicians Carroll County has to offer."

– Annette Reid musical director

She declined to elaborate on exactly how she plans to bring the Mississippi River onto a stage in west Georgia; she said audiences should come and discover for themselves what she has in mind.

For Reid, the most challenging part of preparing for the show was preparing herself.

“I have been away from the theater about 20 years. When I filled out the application for the position of music director, it provided me with a wonderful trip down memory lane. I did so much more than I remember.

I was reminded of just how capable I am, and how much fun working in the theater again could be.”

Anything having to do with the novel “Huckleberry Finn” touches upon the controversy of the book’s raw depiction of slavery, including the use of one of the most offensive words in the language. There are no offensive words in this production, but everyone in charge of the show wants to both entertain and stay true to the message of humanity at the core of Twain’s novel.

“Twain wants his readers to recognize the ridiculousness of slavery, so he uses satire humor over-exaggeration – in order to teach readers that lesson,” said Miller. “Twain believes that each man is born with the 42 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

same blood, same brain, same heart. Our differences shouldn’t separate us; our similarities should unite us.”

“Huckleberry Finn” is a satire, said Reid.

“Of a time when snake-oil men duped the smartest people; superstitions were rampant; and, yes, slavery was a way of life. In

the story, much is exaggerated to shine a spotlight on how foolish things can be and how wrong things can be. Slavery being one of those wrongs.

“It is a story of the boy, Huck. Who, like his peers and the adults around him, found no fault in the enslavement of a people with

Musical Director Annette Reid, left, and Director Heather Miller, right.

the justification that they are not like us.

Huck comes to see Jim as he sees himself, a person with dreams, desires, love for family and a desire to be free. Free to be a man, a human being – a father, a husband, a friend.

He realizes, as sung in “Worlds Apart,” that the only difference between him and Jim, is that Huck sees the world through blue eyes, while Jim sees the very same world through brown.”

Miller says she hopes to coach the actors into achieving roles that inhabit the spirit of Twain’s work. “The story must maintain Twain’s tone and theme throughout this musically adapted version for the stage.

Also, the actors have to create honest characters who move, think, live, and breathe.

Creating reality on the stage is always a great challenge for directors. So, I hope not only that we all make memories together, but that we value the work, the music, the characters, and our craft with honesty.”

As for Reid, “I hope to bring out of the singers and musicians a level of performance they have not yet realized they have. I hear

“I think that the our audiences are going to leave ‘Big River’ amazed at the talents of their friends and neighbors,” said Miller. “Hopefully, audiences will have giant smiles on their faces and toe-tapping songs in their ears. Perhaps our audiences will be reminded of the joys of friendship.

Huckleberry, a 17-year-old white boy who is as mischievous as ever, and a runaway slave, Jim, who, although uneducated, has wisdom beyond his years ... they teach that friendship transcends all social standards.”

Reid believes the audiences will experience considerable laughter, considerable tears:

what they don't hear. And it is my goal that they will learn to hear it as well and build upon that. The cast, staff, and musicians for "Big River" is a very eclectic group of people brought together because of similar interests and goals. I hope new friendships will be fostered among them and an appreciation for one another's talents and abilities.”

“Maybe their eyes will be open to seeing things and people differently. I think they will be awed by the great musicians providing the music, and swept away into a world created by our talented cast as they take command of the stage to tell the transforming adventure of two true friends in the end. Huck and Jim. Well, I hope so. I dream big.” WGL West Georgia Living March/April 2016 43

ARTIST'S CORNER

The

Willing

From left, Stanley Kendrix, David Jackson, Clyde Thomas, Jackie Moreland. Sitting is Willie (Jack) Kendrix, the only remaining member of the original group.

For over six decades, they've traveled the South singing the Gospel 44 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

Workers

C

arroll County’s longest surviving gospel group, The Willing Workers, started 61 years ago – but its members were not very willing in the beginning.

Willie “Jack” Kendrix, at age 80, the only remaining member of the original five singers, recently recalled that it was his grandmother’s neighbor, Jimmy Lee Shackleford, who planted the seed for the family-based singing ensemble.

“One day he told me, ‘You and your brothers ought to start a gospel group.’ Me and my oldest brother, Walter James Boykin, were the only ones who knew how to sing,” Kendrix said.

“Shackleford told us he would listen to our voices and decide where to put us.”

Boykin said one reason the brothers were able to learn so quickly was they had been raised in a gospel singing family.

“My mama, sister and brother had a group called The Harmonizing Seven, and they used to sing on the radio station when it was located on the square,” he said. This was in reference to the original WLBB radio station, which first broadcast from the old People’s Bank building on Carrollton’s Adamson Square.

So, with Jack singing lead and tenor, and the bass and baritone roles assigned to the other brothers, practice began in earnest. The group started out singing without any instrumental accompaniment.

“We practiced every evening when we got home,” Kendrix said. “I was 19 then, and we all lived at home, so it wasn’t hard to get together.

Shackleford would sing a different part for each member and then he’d work at it until he got the part down right.”

WINSTON JONES

Photos courtesy The Willing Workers

March/April 2016 West Georgia Living 45

Shackleford was also the person who gave the group its unique name.

drix said. “All six of us would pile into that car and we’d put the guitar and amp in the trunk.”

“’By your being a family, and so willing to work at singing the gospel, I’m going to call you The Willing Workers,’” Kendrix recalled Shackleford telling them.

Eventually the group bought a used trailer, which they attached to the car to haul the equipment they began to collect. That combination was later replaced by a nine-passenger van that gave them more room for their suits and equipment.

Kendrix said the group’s first gigs were drop-in guest appearances at local churches.

“We were scared at first and afraid to sing in front of anybody,” he said. “The first place we ever sang together was at a church in Clem.”

However, the group soon picked up a guitar player to back them up, and began to travel to different churches in west Georgia and east Alabama.

“A friend named Kevin Beaver played guitar and joined us,” Kendrix said. “After Beaver got sick, my brother-in-law started playing the guitar.”

From the earliest days, the group makeup often changed, but the new members were usually family. One brother left the group to pursue blues singing and a cousin came in to replace him.

“I had an old, 1946 two-door black Ford,” Ken46 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

Their itinerary soon branched out to Ohio and to Delaware, where friends lived. They also sang at shows in Tennessee, South Carolina, and all over Georgia and Alabama.

It was during those early days that The Willing Workers got its first broadcast radio program on WLBB. The late Sister Everlee Shackleford was the announcer and the late Crogman Mullins was the sponsor. Later, Marvin Walker at Walker Funeral Home sponsored their broadcasts, which continued for 30 years.

“We also got a fan club started, with my wife, Roberta, as president,” Kendrix said. “They put on programs to help us raise money and keep the van going.”

Jessie Maye Shepherd, now deceased, wrote a tribute in a book about the group, self-published in 1999 to celebrate their 45th anniversary.

mission, with Stanley doing the driving. The bus has room for all the group members, their clothing, instruments and a state-of-the-art sound system.

The Willing Workers celebrated its 60th anniversary last May by staging a huge gospel music show at Copeland Hall in Bowdon.

They were joined by a slate of major gospel groups from around the South, including Doc McKenzie and the Hi-Lites from Lake City, S.C.; Blessed By Four, from Duncanville, Ala.; Roy and the Revelations, from Columbia, S.C.; the Clark Brothers, from Tuskegee, Ala.; and Ruth Black and the Harmonettes, from Alexander City, Ala.

In her writing, Shepherd said young people of today have no understanding what it was like back in the 1950s and 1960s when The Willing Workers were getting started.

“It was the time of afro hairstyles, the hot comb and Royal Crown hair dressing,” Shepherd wrote. “The only magazine we read was Ebony and few people had cars in those days, so you begged a ride or walked. Their radio program on Sunday mornings was eagerly

awaited. I don’t know if they knew the joy they brought to so many elderly people who no longer could make it to church. Music has changed a lot since the 1950s, but The Willing Workers, and other groups like them, are still praising God the same way.”

Stanley said the group members have logged many miles together and have performed thousands of shows, but it’s something they all found pleasure in doing.

“This is a gift God has given us, spreading the Word,” he said. “We don’t know how many people we’ve reached, or will reach. I’ve been at it since I was 14 years old and I still love it."

WGL

Jack Kendrix still travels with the group and sings lead on many songs. However, his son, Stanley Kendrix, performs most of the group functions, including singing baritone, playing bass, booking shows and serving as the group’s treasurer.

Stanley joined the group in 1971 as a teenager, but left to join the military in 1974. When he returned in 1976, he rejoined the group.

The Willing Workers had its first commercial 45-rpm single in 1988, “I Never Found a Love Like My Jesus’ Love.”

Stanley now has his own sound equipment and production company, but still performs with The Willing Workers.

“We used to sing nearly every weekend, but now we perform maybe two or three times a month,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, but we still enjoy doing it.”

995 Maple Street • Carrollton, GA (770) 832-9673 Westover Square Shopping Center www.shopsquireshop.com

In addition to Stanley and Jack, the current lineup of the group includes David Jackson and Clyde Thomas, who both take turns singing lead and high baritone, and Jackie Moreland, who sings tenor.

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West Georgia Living March/April 2016 47

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Clear Rivers Chorus

Clear Rivers Chorus/Women of the Watershed is an informal gathering of women making music in celebration of Spirit, Earth, and Life. Begun in January 2003, the group welcomes women of all experience levels, ages, and backgrounds including singers, instrumentalists, & visual artists. Director Carol Boyd, left, leads the group in a per formance last month at the First Baptist Church of Carrollton as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance. The group's music celebrates the environment and includes social messages. The group started out singing just for themselves, but now per form in a wide variety of venues across the west Georgia region for funraisers and other events. To join or to see a list of upcoming per formances, visit clearriverschorus.com

PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY West Georgia Living March/April 2016 49

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50 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

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West Georgia Living March/April 2016 51

GARDEN Bear Claw

the old fashioned way Invest in a few items for the long-term

52 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

A

re you a natural-born gardener? You might be, if you have to restrain yourself from weeding as you approach a friend’s door. Or, if work buddies are planning a golf game, or a trip to see the Braves, you find yourself fighting the urge to work in your yard instead.

Although a day out with friends is great fun, a fullblooded gardener finds puttering at home in a new herb bed more enjoyable. If that’s you, listen to your instincts. A couple of inexpensive tools can get you started on a hobby that’s both healthy and enhances the worth of your property.

On your next birthday, wish for a pair of good hand pruners – the bypass style – and a pair of loppers for larger branches. Pruners are handy for every small job. In autumn, when plants turn brown, prune and compost all the dead material. Neaten up the beds with your handy dandy pruners in preparation for bulbs’ spring appearance and new bedding plants.

Having had my pruners in my hand constantly for so many years, I got so used to the feel of them that I wouldn’t notice them slip away when I tossed whatever I was discarding into a pile of clippings. Now, having lost at least a dozen pruners over the years, I now tie a bright, iridescent orange or pink plastic strip to the handles so I can find them at the bottom of a clipping pile. A 6-inch strip of tape does the trick, and I usually leave a strip trailing at the end; the tape sort of floats up through the discarded clippings, making it easier to find the pruners.

Tying a length of colored tape to a pair of pruners will save you from having to buy new pairs.

Pineapple Lily

Note that this isn’t foolproof: the fool writing this has just misplaced a good pair yet again.

Buying Plants The spring season rapidly approaching is not the best time to buy plants. They are priced dearly, and our hot summers will have you sending a wad of your money to the local water department as you attempt to keep your investment from dying. Nevertheless, it’s impossible to keep a die-hard gardener away from the tempting displays. My car veers uncontrollably into the big box parking lots and out I leap, ready to pay untold amounts for trunk loads of the prettiest perennials you’ve ever seen. I do try to stick with perennials because they return next spring, whereas annuals will die over the winter.

Read The Labels. I preach this, boringly, over and over. Reading these have given me useful information about the plant in question, such as whether it is an annual; how big the specimen will grow at maturation; and whether it thrives in full sun, part-sun,

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY KITTY BARR

Purple Shamrock

West Georgia Living March/April 2016 53

with sweet memories when you have plants given by good friends and relatives long gone.

I have moved many of my pass-alongs to new gardens in new cities, not willing to leave them behind.

or prefers total shade.

Labels are not included just to add to your recycling bin. They impart valuable facts that can save you hundreds of dollars. Recently, I was asked by someone why their camellia wasn’t in bloom.

I discovered it had been struggling in total shade for over a decade. Instead of having them move an 8-foot tall shrub, I suggested they buy a new bush and find it a very sunny home with late afternoon shade. Reading the label will prevent you from placing an expensive plant where it will be unhappy.

Once in a while, I accidentally get a new plant with whiz bang attributes.

Last year, at the end of season sales, I purchased a small ferny-like speciGreen-Leaved Euryops, (Europs pectinatus ‘ Viridis’) men called Green-Leaved Euryops, (Europs pectinatus ‘Viridis’). The label, buying plants suitable for your yard, the one of those fancy fold-over kinds with a color third recommendation I have for long-time photograph, said it was deer resistant and savings is the pass-along plant. I heard this evergreen. Only later when I noticed it had term one Saturday many years ago at a small continuously covered itself for months in yelselective nursery near Athens, Ga. The term low daisy sized blooms did I dig out the label has nothing to do with UGA but it certainly and read that it blooms year round and will educated me! reach 6 feet tall.

I thought the nearby customer was naming Golly gee, if I had only bought more! I might a plant. Hmm, I thought, “passalong”; that’s order more online, although no vendor will a new one for sure, I thought, as I peered beat the $1 sale price I triumphantly paid last to see which one she meant. Only later did fall. I might move it to a roomier spot before it I learn it refers to plants that dedicated gets too settled into its home. gardeners pass along to others when bulbs become over crowded, beds are spilling over The Pass-Along with babies, or when there’s just too much of a good thing. Your garden can become filled Besides getting quality gardening tools and

Treasured pass-alongs I possess include the bear claw Lenten Rose, candy tuft, phlox, Mexican petunia, pineapple lily, gladiola, white bearded iris, purple shamrock and the white variety also. The fabulous ground cover pachysandra has been a smashing success. Variegated liriope, which makes a bigger green and white striped clump, and won’t spread as the plain green variety will, is a very recent gift from a friend who said “Take it all, I have a new plan.” Well, I too have a plan for it: all along a path.

Be careful when accepting such gifts, however. A generous pachysandra owner also invited us to take along some allium, a charming white and green-leafed creeping vine. Holy Moly, I had a creeping explosion: under, over and around a huge bedding area maybe 6 feet by 25 feet. I don’t think I ever conquered it.

Those soft vines wove a web about 8 inches deep under every other plant.

Now that we have smart phones, do a little research before accepting every gift. Politely murmuring, “I don’t think I have a spot for that one,” can save your back and your good humor. WGL Kitty Barr is a Carroll County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer

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readers’ choice winner

times-georgian I 2014

TAKE 5

John Lemmings Pastor

Corinth Baptist Church Buchanan, Haralson County I never dreamed I'd ... Marry my high school sweetheart, be blessed with wonderful children, be called to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and pastor a great group of people.

My best friend is ... My wife of 28 years, Missy Lemmings. I love to serve the Lord with her.

If stranded on a desert island, I'd want this book with me ... The perfect Word of God, the Bible.

I'd love to share a cup of coffee with ...

Dr. Herb Reaves Jr. He is the pastor of North Jacksonville Baptist Church. He is one of my favorite preachers.

My hero is ... Without question, Jesus Christ.

He loved me, died for me and rose again so that mankind could have eternal life.

People probably don't know that I … was on the University of Georgia sidelines when Kevin Butler kicked the 60-yard field goal to beat the Clemson Tigers in 1984. I got to go into the locker room and listen to Coach (Vince) Dooley talk to the Bulldogs after the game. What a great experience.

When I have 10 minutes alone I like to …

Stay in communication with my Heavenly Father through prayer.

My parents taught me ... That no one is perfect, everyone needs forgiveness, and Jesus fixes broken lives.

My personal motto is ... actually a verse in the Bible: Proverbs 20:7: “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.”

My favorite childhood memory is ... Getting off the school bus at my granny’s house and having a fresh bologna sandwich waiting for me.

Photo by Ricky Stilley

West Georgia Living March/April 2016 55

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BOOKS

Triumph over Tragedy:

The human spirit breaks through poetry The deep feelings of Silver’s poetry are at once emotionally powerful and intellectually challenging.

The deep feelings, evinced in her poetry about her battle with cancer and her personal life. Her poetry challenges readers. Her experiences as a cancer survivor speak forcefully to other survivors, and to those who have witnessed that battle.

Anya Krugovoy Silver “I Watched You Disappear” Louisiana State University Press, 2014.

I

n his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, William Faulkner said “man will not merely endure: he will prevail.” That optimistic pronouncement could serve as the theme for Anya Krugovoy Silver’s second book of poetry.

Winner of the 2014 Georgia Author of the Year Award for poetry, Silver’s powerful and lyrical writing gives insights into the

58 West Georgia Living March/April 2016

joys and sorrows of her life, and the challenges she has faced. Thoughtful and passionate, Silver’s writing speaks unflinchingly and honestly about family, nature, faith – and of life and death.

and concrete, the mythological subtext gives the patients’ suffering a larger cultural significance.

Section two of the volume consists of seven poems loosely based on Grimm’s fairy tales, as the author explains in her end notes. While the poems are accessible on one level without the citations, they become multi-dimensional when the reader is able to read them in the context of the fairy tales. Silver embellishes her work with the images of good and evil, and the archetypal struggles that are evident in the Grimm tales.

Perhaps the most powerful verses in the book share the adversities and triumphs of Silver’s battle with breast cancer.

Poems such as “Stage IV,” “Vigil,” and “Hospital at Night” portray starkly the experiences of surgery, chemotherapy, and recovery from cancer. Silver and her fellow sufferers (to whom some of the poems are dedicated) face their treatment (“the drip of chemo, / accepted into my blood, these poisons / that would sting the skin”) with courage and determination.

A short prose piece, “Ulysses,” is inspired

by Tennyson’s poem of the same name.

As Tennyson’s hero viewed his aging crew, with whom he voyaged over vast distances, as men still capable of even greater adventures, Silver sees chemo patients as heroes, though ravaged by disease. While many of her images and metaphors are harsh or even grotesque, the courage of the cancer patients remains strong: “We use words that once embarrassed / us—courage, prayer, miracle,” as their spiritual strength imbues these poems with a tough optimism in the face of despair and mortality.

In contrast with the somber tone of the poems about cancer treatments, the volume includes a number of more poems on nature, family, and faith. Silver’s poems, images and metaphors provide a sense of meaning, even in the mundane events of life.

The poem “Advent, First Frost,” as its title implies, combines the beginning of the Christmas season with winter cold, as the frost is described as having “descended / like feathered prophecy.” The references to “a word passing / from mind to speech. / Every breath a birth” recall the mystery of the Incarnation in the Gospels.

“The Three Salvations” is a poem built on the theme of three Russian autumn holidays, represented by honey, apples, and nuts. The three parts of the poem include references to family and religious images, as she describes her “great-uncle, the priest-bee keeper” whose honey harvest is described as “Combs split open in his stung palms / like the doors of the Ark.”

REVIEWER BIO Robert C. Covel, a retired university and high school English teacher, received his Ph.D. in English from Georgia State University. He has published two books of poetry and he is also writing a novel. When not reading and writing, he enjoys playing trivia. He lives with his wife Deloris and his dog Monet in West Georgia.

Perhaps the most profoundly joyful family poems consider the poet’s relationships with her son and husband; her book is dedicated to them. The poem “On Our Anniversary” recalls their wedding in a Quaker Meetinghouse, thus celebrating both their physical and their spiritual union in images that are at once as plain as the meetinghouse (“shabby—its carpet faded Wedgwood blue”) and sensually joyful. Silver’s maternal joy is evident in “My Son’s Legs,” as she recalls the boy’s first steps in archetypal terms: “It’s for him that our ancestors / reared up and stuttered across the plains.” The images are at once sublime and ordinary: “No seraphims’ burning wings more glorious / than those calves unbloomed with veins. / And those wide, always dirty feet / that run when they should walk.”

While many of Silver’s poems reach the reader on an emotional level, some require more intellectual effort. As noted earlier, the prose work “Reading ‘Ulysses’” gives Silver’s battle with cancer a heroic, literary context. While the images of cancer treatments in the poem are vivid

That same level of intellectual layering also appears in “Valentine Godé-Darel (1873-1915)” a poem that reflects the artist Ferdinand Hodler’s series of paintings of his lover as she lay dying of ovarian cancer. Silver’s poems describe vividly the images of the five paintings, her words providing them with a powerful verbal context. As with many of the poems in the volume, the looming shadow of cancer gives this poem an intensely personal immediacy. Seeing the paintings brings the poems to life for the reader.

The deep feelings of Silver’s poetry are at once emotionally powerful and intellectually challenging. The deep feelings, evinced in her poetry about her battle with cancer and her personal life. Her poetry challenges readers. Her experiences as a cancer survivor speak forcefully to other survivors, and to those who have witnessed that battle, even as other poems celebrate human hope and optimism.

Thus, the full range of human life, its tragedies and its triumphs, is evident in these pages. Like any worthwhile artistic work, Silver’s writing stays with the reader. Her words and images remain, echoing and reflecting in the mind, and in the heart.

Author Bio Anya Krugovoy Silver, grew up in Pennsylvania, the daughter of a Ukrainian-born literature professor who taught at Swarthmore College. After attending Haverford College, she went to graduate school at Emory, where she met her husband. She is an associate professor of English at Mercer University in Macon. Her third book of poetry, “From Nothing,” is scheduled for publication in 2016. WGL

West Georgia Living March/April 2016 59

2016

West Georgia

Advertiser's Guide

LiVing

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July-August

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Trips to: Birmingham, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Columbus, and the Sea Islands Also: Beach rentals, West Point Lake Sweetwater Park, Mountain weekend

September - October

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Trading in your current car....

Walker Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Inc. ...... 63

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Ask the Ex ert

Mark Foster General Manager Walker Cadillac, Buick, GMC Inc.

Qualifications Mark has a Dual BBA in Automotive Marketing/Automotive Management from Northwood University and Certification in Dealership Successorship through the NADA. Mark has 15 years experience in the automotive industry and is a community visionary who has a passion for exceptional customer service.

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What every West Georgian should know about...

Trading in Your Current Car

Q

How is the value of my trade-in calculated?

Q

Does past service history change the value of my trade-in?

A

Sid Lee, our used car manager, will walk around your trade looking for interior and exterior damage, condition of the tires, and will drive it to check for any mechanical issues.

Once we have that data, we compare NADA, BlackBook, and major auction summaries; based on the miles and condition of your vehicle we will make you an offer that aligns with the pricing provided from those sources. In essence, your offer will be based on the true market at that time.

A

It can. A vehicle that has been serviced regularly by a Technician who has been certified by a manufacturer should be worth more than a vehicle with no service records or from a quickie lube facility.

Q A

Does prior damage change the value?

Yes. A vehicle without visible paintwork or damage can be worth more than a vehicle with damage or poorly done repairs. If your vehicle is ever damaged, it is best to use a reputable body repair facility; there are many locally from which to choose.

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What every West Georgian should know about Losing Weight With Social Media

Q A

Physician, Tanner Primary Care of Carrollton

Qualifications: Dr. Vargas earned his degree in osteopathic medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa., and completed his residency in family medicine at Lakeside Medical Center/ Nova Southwestern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Belle Glade, Fla.

The total cost of obesity in the U.S. continues to skyrocket, but there’s an inexpensive tool that could help Americans slim down: online social networking. Studies show that digital support could help people shed pounds.

You may already log on to social networking sites to catch up with friends. These sites may have another use, recent research suggests: helping you get the support you need to lose weight.

Researchers analyzed 12 different studies where subjects took part in formal weight loss groups.

Some of the groups included a social media component, such as a private Facebook group.

The researchers concluded that social media had a small but significant impact on the amount of weight people lost.

Isaac Vargas, DO

Q A

Weight-loss programs with social media components can be very motivating, experts say.

Peers can offer practical advice and tips. You also tend to receive feedback quickly when you ask a question or need support.

How can social media help me lose weight?

What are the advantages of using social media to lose weight?

The programs studied used social media in a variety of different ways. Some programs, for example, offered online group chats with a healthcare provider. Other people used social networking sites to send direct messages back and forth with doctors.

Q

Does joining an online group mean I don’t need to keep seeing a doctor?

A

No. Joining one of these groups still has some drawbacks. Online chats can be less personal than face-to-face meetings, for example. Peers may also be unsupportive or they may give incorrect advice. The bottom line: Social networks are no replacement for a talk with your doctor.

Q A

What other tools are available to help me lose weight online?

GetHealthyLiveWell.org, the site for Tanner’s Get Healthy, Live Well initiative, offers a calendar of healthy events going on in the region and ongoing challenges to help you lose weight and stay fit. You also can find free apps for smartphones that can help you track your calories. Find the tool that works best for you.

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What every West Georgian should know about...

Comparing asphalt or concrete bids from multiple contractors, are they apples to apples?

Q. What will you receive with your new asphalt pavement?

A. You’ll recognize several benefits with asphalt pavements, compared to other, more costly options.

Peyton Stallings, Owner PKS Paving & Concrete Construction

When dealing with asphalt-paving contractors, many of them quote different specifications: different types of asphalt, different thicknesses of asphalt, and different thickness in sub-base. Make sure that you really have applesto-apples when comparing different specifications and bids.

1. It is strong and durable.

2. It is a smooth, continuous surface.

3. It is engineered to withstand heat, freezing and thawing.

4. No need to worry about salting your driveway in winter. Asphalt is unaffected by salt.

5. Unlike other, more rigid materials, such as concrete, asphalt pavements are designed to flex and “give� with slight settlements.

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Q. Can you do an asphalt overlay on concrete and asphalt driveways?

A. Existing driveways of asphalt or concrete can be overlaid with asphalt with excellent results. Usually for driveways, an overlay of 1.5 to 2 inches thick will suffice.

Before paving, be sure the contractor patches any serious holes or cracks with asphalt and compacts it. Otherwise the trouble spots may reflect upwards through your new pavement. The contractor must also clean the surface thoroughly and treat any oil stained areas. Once this is done, a tack coat (asphalt emulsion) is applied to the surface to bond the new overlay to the existing pavement. The overlay is a more cost effective alternative to demo and repave of your existing surface.

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Ask the Ex ert Q A

Paula Gillispie

Head of School Oak Mountain Academy, Carroll County’s only independent, college-preparatory, faith-based, day school

Qualifications Earning her graduate degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, Paula is a lifetime educator in her fifth year as Head of School at Oak Mountain Academy. Professionally, she chairs Accreditation Teams for the Southern Association of Independent Schools, is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association, and Phi Delta Kappa. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Independent School Association. Paula is a member of the Carrollton Dawnbreakers Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, and she serves on the Workforce and Education Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.

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Sleepy Teens I Your teen is tired‌is “early to bed, early to riseâ€? really the answer?

Parents of most teens have experienced at one time or another the doubts related to whether or not their teen is getting enough sleep. Does this sound familiar?

After years of teaching the child about the benefits of a reasonable bedtime hour and encouraging him or her to get up happily in the morning, the teen years bring late nights and exhausted mornings, following the battle to “rise and shine.�

Dr. David Walsh explains that like most actions of adolescents, sleep patterns are the result of what is going on in the teenage brain. Melatonin is the culprit or cause, as the case may be.

Typically, melatonin production increases as it gets dark causing us to become sleepy. It decreases in production as we gain more rest, and then we wake up. That is, unless you are a teenager.

In puberty, this cycle begins to change. Teenagers experience greater melatonin increases later at night and decreases occur later in the morning. Consequently, when it is time to wake for school, most teenagers have not gotten enough sleep, nor are they sufficiently rested. Making this even more difficult, teens need more sleep than adults, but they are getting less. Interestingly, Walsh points out that research indicates that teens actually need about 9 ½ hours of sleep each night; however, the average night’s sleep is at least 2 hours less than that. Consequently, the struggles you may be having with your teen about sleep may have little to do with the teen being difficult to get along with – rather, it is because of his or her brain functions.

Unfortunately, the negative effects of sleep deprivation have an

Q A

impact on school performance. Dr. Avi Sadeh notes that a “significant performance gap between sleep deprived and well rested students. Students who got just one hour less of sleep per night for three nights in a row experienced a cognitive slide equivalent of two grade levels.� Further studies by sleep researcher Dr. Carskadon note that students with poor grades, indeed, slept less and went to bed later than those who made A’s and B’s.

As a parent, what should I do?

As suggested by Dr. Walsh and other sleep or brain experts, • Know how much sleep is recommended for your child’s age. • Create a consistent bedtime routine – no matter whether you are dealing with a teen or tween. • Allow teens to catch up on sleep during the weekends. • Discuss the importance of sleep with your children. • Determine and enforce a technology curfew for cell phones, laptops, and similar devices. • Limit violent media. Research indicates it has a negative effect on sleep patterns, especially in younger children. • Encourage exercise and limit caffeine. • Younger children should take naps during the day, • Seek professional assistance if your child snores, is sleepy during the day, and is challenged by sleep.

Learn more at: www.oakmountain.us 770-834-6651 paulagillispie@oakmountain.us

O M A C A D E M Y

A I P - K 3 12 G C -P S

At Oak Mountain Academy we encourage our students to dream big! We strong students deserve be develop their gifts. OMA combines academic At Oak Mountain Academy we encourage our students to dream big! We believe strong students deserve tobelieve be challenged in order to to fully challenged in order to fully develop their gifts. OMA combines academic and athletic rigor, along with a strong and athletic rigor, along with a strong commitment to the fi ne and performing arts, to encourage our students to strive to succeed.

Oak Mountain Academy students grow into confident commitment to the fine and performing arts, to encourage our students to strive to succeed. Oak Mountain Academy young adults who are ready to take on the world andconfident becomeyoung everything they Weworld invite to visit our campus see for yourself what OMA is all about. students grow into adults who are ever readydreamed! to take on the andyou become everything they everand dreamed!

We invite you to visit our campus and see for yourself what OMA is all about.

Please call today to schedule a personal tour of Please our beautiful campus, meet our students and faculty, and experience what it means to be a Warrior! call today to schedule a personal tour of our beautiful campus, meet our students and faculty, and experience what it means to be a Warrior!

222 CROSS PLAINS ROAD ~ CARROLLTON, 770-834-6651 ~ WWW.OAKMOUNTAIN.US 222 C���� P����� R��� ~ C���������,GA GA 30116 30116 ~~770-834-6651 ~ ���.�����������.�� * Bus service is available from Douglasville and Villa Rica.

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Ellen Wynn McBrayer

Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory and Meadowbrook Memory Gardens As always, we remain “A Family Serving Families®....Since 1950”

Qualifications

Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory has served our community for over 65 years. We keep our funeral home synonymous with its name & reputation of serving & caring for families. We are three generations carrying on one tradition.

We offer the highest quality service with the most affordable options.

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The Four “H” Words and Just Help Attitude Although the holiday season characteristically fosters feelings of happiness and joy among family and friends, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season can feel overwhelming for those coping with the death of a loved one. While it might seem that everyone else around you is in the festive spirit, it is normal to feel increased anguish during the holidays, even if your loss is not recent. However, there are things that you can do to ease your grief during this time of year. Ellen Wynn McBrayer with Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory and member of The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) offers the following suggestions to help you cope with the holiday season: Often times we talk about “what not to say”, but one question I’m often asked is, “What can I say or do to help”?

It seems that during a time of death, there are no adequate words. To be honest, so many times words are not even needed. Words make us feel better, but remember it’s the words coming from someone with a broken heart that can help them the most. Listening to them is healing. They need to “tell their story”. I don’t mean the “story of what happened”. I am referring to “their story” of what they are struggling with concerning the difficulties of grief. Of course, their main struggle is the death of someone they love. But grief creates other worries and struggles. Some examples I’m referring to include: fi nancials, family dynamics, work, food, and the list goes on. For example, when a lady lost her husband and her home was suddenly full of friends and family there to help her, the one thing she found herself worrying about was whether or not her bathrooms were clean with all of her house guests there. At the time she didn’t realize or understand grief or have the emotional energy needed to ask someone to check for her, so she just worried. If fact, now when any of her friends are in the same situation, she goes to their house and cleans all their bathrooms. It’s just how she “pays it forward” and helps the family of the deceased, instead of saying one of the popular statements like, “Let me know if you need anything”. The gesture itself is well intended, but in grief our friends are just trying to survive and often don’t have the energy to know what they need. So here are two simple things to remember.

First, if you want to help and you’re not sure how, everyone could use food, paper towels, or even a small gas gift card, or an action of love that you know would be helpful (without adding stress to them). So respect their answer if you want to cut their grass and they say “no”. The second thing to remember is the “4 H Words”: Hush, Hug, Hear, and Hang Around.

What is one way I can help?

There are many ways to honor and remember your loved one and even the simplest of acts can represent his or her importance in your life. Consider making a donation to a charity in your loved one’s name, volunteering at an organization that was significant to your loved one, or attending a holiday memorial service sponsored by a funeral home or faith community. You can create a new normal or

new tradition during the Holidays. We changed our Th anksgiving normal for a few years after my father passed away by helping with Meals on Wheels and then eating together at the local Waffle House.

“Sitting silently beside a friend who is hurting may be the best gift we can give.”

-Unknown Isn’t this quote so true!! I often remember the example of a child who falls and scrapes his knees on the ground. Immediately the child is in NEED of a band-aid for their “boo-boo”. During the days that follow (this life changing experience), the child asks most everyone they see, while pointing at his bandaid, “Did you see my boo-boo?” They are establishing significance in their pain and the event that caused their injured knee. Just as adults who have lost a loved one to death, they also need to establish significance in their pain. So allow them a safe place to “tell their story”. However, your friends might not tell you what happened to their loved one and/or why they died, but they need to “tell their story”, meaning that they are trying to battle with words in that moment . During times of grief, the challenges you normally would think are simple might just be mountains others are trying to climb.

Unlike a broken leg, a broken heart can’t be seen. Having the ability to understand a friend’s struggles, in that moment, are not easy to read. For example, if a friend has a broken leg, we can see how to help them with their struggles, such as, opening a door for them. Unfortunately, with a broken heart, the struggles and battles are usually all internally. So if you follow the 4 “H” Words (Hush, Hug, Hear, and Hang Around), you can quickly begin to understand that providing a safe place for someone to just “feel what they feel” and allowing them to talk, cry, scream, yell, or all of the above could just be more meaningful to them than you might expect. However, for many, this isn’t as easy as it might seem. However, if you are like I am and you talk a lot, remember to try to say compassionate things like, “I can’t imagine”, or “That must be really hard to go through or deal with.” You could also consider a phrase that expresses to your friends (who are experiencing grief) that you support them, because even if you don’t know what they are going through, you do know it’s hard for them. Grief can’t be “explained away” and can’t be justified. Even if we could understood the “why” behind the event that happened, our hurt and pain that we feel would remain the same.

As always, we remain “A Family Serving Families....Since 1950”, Ellen Wynn McBrayer Jones-Wynn Funeral Home & Crematory and Meadowbrook Memory Gardens

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What every West Georgian needs to know Heartworm disease in dogs.

1) What is heartworm disease and how does my dog get it?

- Heartworm disease is a disease caused by the parasite Dirofilaria immitis. This parasite is spread by mosquitoes and is particularly prevalent in the eastern U.S. in Gulf coast states and Mississippi river valley. Once the mosquitoes infect your dog the worms grow and migrate to vessel in the lungs and chambers of the heart. If left untreated these parasites will cause dogs to go into heart failure can be fatal.

2) How can I find out if my pet has heartworms and is it preventable?

Jason P. Harden, DVM

Veterinarian at Carroll County Animal Hospital

Qualifications Dr. Jason Harden is a native of Carrollton, GA. He graduated from Oak Mountain Academy and continued on to the University of Georgia where he received his degree in Biology and his doctorate in veterinary medicine. His interests in veterinary medicine include surgery, exotic medicine, and ophthalmology. Dr. Harden is married to Chloe Harden, and they have 2 children, Maggie and Reese. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association. He is the chairman of the Oak Mountain Academy school board, a member of the Carrollton Lions Club, and on the board of directors of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.

- There is a simple blood test that your veterinarian can perform and only takes about 10 minutes to find out the results. The tests looks to see if there are heartworms circulating in your pet’s blood but doen not determine how long they have had these parasites or how progressed the infection is.

- If your dog tests positive for heartworms then that means their heart is having to work harder than normal and this can lead to worsening of the disease. We would recommend treating your pet as soon as possible to prevent any undue strain on the heart and lungs. Assuming the disease has not caused any damage to the lungs or heart that would need to be treated, treating heartworms is a common practice. Treatment is a lengthy procedure that is normally performed over several months to slowly kill the worms so as to minimize any risk to the heart and lungs, as well as, treat all stages of the heartworms life cycle.

Heartworm disease is preventable with monthly heartworm preventatives or there is available an injection that will prevent heartworms for 6 months, Proheart. Ask your veterinarian what products are right for your pet.

3) What do I do if my dog tests positive for heartworms?

For furthur information go to www.heartwormsociety.org for the American Heartworm Society

LEARN MORE www.carrollcountyah.com 770-832-2475

Carroll County

Animal Hospital Sometimes your pet’s health care can’t be scheduled Office Hours: Mon. - Sun. 8am - Midnight Regular Office Hours: Mon. - Sun. 8am - 6pm

NOW SERVING YOU FROM TWO LOCATIONS

(770) 832-2475

635 Columbia Dr. 1155 Stripling Chapel Rd. Carrollton, Ga. 30117 Carrollton, Ga. 30116 #OLUMBIA $R s #ARROLLTON 'A (770) 832-2475 Across from Sony(770) Music834-1000

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What every west Georgian should know about...

GETTING YOUR LAWN READY FOR SOD

Spring is the perfect time to install warm season turf

(Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede, St. Augustine). NG Turf recommends soil test prior to sod installation. The test

can be submitted through your local County Extension Agent. Follow these simple steps for optimum site preparation results:

1. CLEAR THE SITE of any and all debris,

Helen Albrightson Business Manager Qualifications A native of Wisconsin, Helen joined NG Turf in 2001. Her responsibilities include oversight of internal functions including accounting, sales, marketing and human resources. Helen has been a Certified Turfgrass Professional since 2005.

including rocks and stick.

2. ROUGH GRADE the entire area to prevent drainage problems and sloping from buildings.

3. INITIAL TILLING of at least 4-6 inches is

recommended. This should be done before adding topsoil and will allow for proper water movement.

7. FINISH GRADE the entire site, maintaining

the rough grading contours and slopes.

8. ROLL THE AREA with a lawn roller to firm

and settle the soil on the surface. Low spots that are revealed should be filled in.

9. THE SITE IS NOW READY FOR TURFGRASS SOD. Remember to water sod as

you lay it. Download our Watering Tips and Guidelines for detailed instructions.

Q: What are the proper steps to lay the sod? Visit ngturf.com and under Resources is our Installation Step-By-Step Guide you can download.

4. ADD TOPSOIL if your soil is not very nutritional; up to 4 inches in depth.

5. TEST THE SOIL PH

with a chemical soil

test. Acidic soils (pH of 6 and below) can be improved with the addition of powdered lime.

6. APPLY “STARTER FERTILIZER� such

as a 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 and lime, as necessary and till into the soil.

Need a rain gauge this winter?

The first 20 callers to mention this ad will receive one for free!

Call NG Turf @ 770-832-8608.

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Daniel Cazenave

Student Pastor at Crossroads Church

Founder of Choose Greater: An Anti-Bullying Initiative

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What every West Georgian should know about...

How students can break free from bullying in 2016.

Q: What do I do if my child is being bullied?

A: First and foremost, know that you are not alone in this situation. We can easily feel embarrassed, disarrayed, and angry that our child is being bullied. 1 in 3 students are bullied throughout their middle and high school years. We use Choose Greater, a program that is designed to help students trust the adults around them in a school or church setting. It is important during this time to voice what is happening to your child to their teacher, principal, counselors, youth pastors, small group leaders, coaches, wherever your child is connected to the bullying situations. The more trustworthy adults nearby that can help your student throughout the day the better. We also encourage students to speak up if another student has made them feel uncomfortable.

It may be hard at fi rst, but understand in the long run it will help to have adults to help in this situation. As soon as bullying occurs have your student find the closest adult to talk to.

If for some reason that adult doesn’t respond appropriately, find another adult (your teacher, principal, coach) and don’t give up.

Q How should my child respond in a bullying situation?

A: We look to help students who have seen bullying, who are being bullied, or who are bullying. Choose Greater teaches that there are many choices one can make that are greater than bullying. One of the best choices one can make in a bullying situation is self-control. Choosing

self-control will help you understand that your response matters and how you respond in this situation matters. If you choose to respond with feelings of anger, the situation will most likely escalate. But if you choose a peaceful response and “let it go” in that moment, it will give your child ownership over their choices. It also gives them an opportunity to fi nd a trustworthy adult to help with the situation.

Q: How can we overcome bullying?

A: We believe that a strong front and effort can be made to eliminate bullying. One of the choices we teach to help students overcome bullying is goodness. Goodness is a relative and general concept, but when we break it down, we can discover that when we choose goodness, we are choosing to walk the right path. We are choosing to bring good into a bad situation. The way we overcome bullying in our schools is by combating hate and fear with kindness. If we choose to show kindness and self-control, which are difficult to do at times, we can overcome any bullying situation. Take the opportunity to look for moments throughout the day to show kindness. Now we are not acting out of our insecurities and fears, but out of kindness. As parents, we should be modeling this at home with our children. As we set the example and children understand this picture of a bully free atmosphere, they too will understand the beauty of no bullying.

www.pcgofwestga.com

Jeff Reid, M.D. Joseph Jellicorse, M.D. Mandi Del Pozo, PA-C Lindsey Roenigk, M.D. Shawna Berg, NP-C Hermogenes Pagsisihan, M.D.

Advancing Health WITH HEART IMAGING BEYOND MEASURE.

What’s a picture worth? The detailed images we create of your heart have value beyond measure. Advanced imaging tests such as PET/CT, cardiac ultrasound, catheterizations and MRI give us the information we need to assess the health of your heart muscle, its function and the blood vessels that supply it. With an accurate diagnosis, we can make a plan to improve your heart health and your life.

You don’t have to travel far from home to find heart imaging beyond measure.

To find a heart specialist, call 770.214.CARE or learn more at TannerHeartCare.org.

MEDICINE BEYOND MEASURE

SM