West Georgia
Li V ing Nov./Dec. 2015
Life . Art . Music . People
A Country Holiday!
In Style for Christmas Parties Wines of West Georgia Toys from Your Childhood Holiday Gift Guide Plus ... Bowdon by Candlelight Feast New Orleans Style Gifts for Book Lovers
... And much more!
$3.95
Vol. 5/Issue 6
ǡ At Southwire, we believe education is the key to success. Through partnerships with the University of West Georgia (Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program), West Georgia Technical College (Southwire Center for Manufacturing Excellence), Carroll County Schools (12 for Life) and Carrollton High School (Southwire Engineering Academy), we are helping students build brighter futures. It’s another way we deliver power...responsibly.
F r om the E d itor
West Georgia
Li Ving Volume 5 . Issue 6 Nov./Dec. 2015 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, Josh Sewell, Molly Stassfort, Marilyn Van Pelt
Dear Readers:
with the Nativity.
When we first began preparing this holiday issue, it was the middle of summer, and it seemed strange then to be working on projects related to Thanksgiving and Christmas when the temperature was up in the 90s.
Rob Duvé shows us how to put a little Creole spin on traditional holiday foods, with easyto-make recipes inspired by New Orleans. And when it’s time to serve your holiday meal, why not pair the food with some locally made wine? Rob also shows us how west Georgia vineyards are producing excellent table wines, and he has some suggestions on what foods are best suited for the distinctive tastes.
Now, however, there is a decided crispness in the air, and some leaves on at least some trees are starting to change color. It’s time for all of us to start getting into the holiday spirit, and we hope that this issue - months in the planning - will help all of you do just that. One of the main things we’re proud of this year is our special Holiday Gift Guide, located in the center of the magazine. Our many merchants across west Georgia have put together several gift suggestions to help you find just the right gift for those special people in your life. We hope that this will make your annual shopping chores a bit easier – and, of course, encourage you to shop locally. All of us have special Christmas memories, and for some of us that includes receiving a special toy during the holidays. Would you believe that some of those toys from decades past are still popular today? We’ll take a fun look at the history of some of our favorite toys and see how they have changed for 21st Century children. We also take a look at the history of some of those classic Christmas carols that everyone loves during the holidays. You’ll be surprised at how some of these have changed over the years - and how some have nothing to do
Taylor Boltz has some suggestions for us as to what kind of outfits we should wear for the slew of holiday parties and get-togethers that come with this season – and, in a separate article, she also tells us how to avoid gaining weight so we can fit into those outfits. All this year, we have been looking at the historic and distinctive churches of west Georgia. We end the year with the historic Bethany Baptist Church in Tallapoosa, one of the oldest in our area. All this and a few more surprises await you inside. We hope each of you will be able to spend time with your loved ones during this holiday season, and will create many joyous memories for the years to come. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to everyone! Sincerely,
To advertise in West Georgia Living, call Melissa Wilson at 770-834-6631. West Georgia Living is a bi-monthly publication of the Times-Georgian. Submissions, photography and ideas may be submitted to Ken Denney c/o The Times-Georgian, 901 Hays Mill Rd., Carrollton, GA 30117. 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 2015 by the Times-Georgian
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Marvin Enderle is Publisher of West Georgia Living, the Times-Georgian and the Douglas County Sentinel.
November/December 2015
Melissa Wilson is the Advertising Director for West Georgia Living, the Times-Georgian and the Douglas County Sentinel.
Ken Denney is editor of the West Georgia Living
Ricky Stilley is the Photographer for West Georgia Living and IT Director for the TimesGeorgian.
FairField Plantation Golf Club The Fairfield Plantation Golf and Country Club displays a high level of commitment to service and excellence in every detail. Tree-lined fairways and rolling hills give the course it’s charming character. Fairfield Plantation Golf Club is within the gates of Fairfield Plantation at 7500 Monticello Drive. It is located off Highway 61 between Villa Rica and Carrollton. The Public is welcome and we have very reasonable rates. You can reserve a tee time by calling 770-836-1112, option #1.
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Photos and Cover Art by Ricky Stilley On the Cover: Lance Hardin puts a country spin on Santa Claus at his family farm in Haralson County
F eatures 16 Dressing up in style for those must-attend holiday
26 Add a little Georgia flavor to the holiday season
21 You sing them during the Christmas season. . . but
33 Stop obsessing about the dreaded weight gain
functions
do you know the history behind the carols?
with the wines of west Georgia
during the holidays . . . we have tips to avoid it
D epartments Cinema
'It's a Wonderful Life,' revisited
Garden
Holiday decorating fast and easy 51 Take 5
Food
Explore your inner Cajun this holiday 29
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Books
Events
Recommended gift books
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Lawyana McElroy
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Your Holiday calendar
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Here Come The Holidays! No matter which Holiday you are getting ready for…..
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Holidays in the Country
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heesy decorations hanging from lampposts. Incredibly cheesy light displays in neighbors’ yards. Pumpkins rotting on people’s porches in midNovember; Thanksgiving dinner with cranberry sauce that looks like a tin can.
swirling with plastic snow. If you saw one of those inflated wavy tube things made to look like an elf, you wouldn’t be too surprised.
sengers in life, all going to the same place.
The holidays exist to remind us that we are human. and that we are connected to this Perhaps the big city people sincerely love the crazy quilt we call existence. You can wrap holidays, but it doesn’t seem to me that their Christmas in a bow, and you can shoot for all-too-perfect displays reflect much of the the best Thanksgiving dinner, but life will That’s what the holidays are like in the coun- spontaneity of a real holiday. somehow, always, intrude on your plans. try – and what makes them great. People will yell, feelings will be hurt, there Come on, admit it. The best Thanksgivwill be cries of joy and sadness – but all People who live out in the country enjoy the ing dinners you’ve ever attended, and the these will be genuine, human emotions. holidays. We like the family get-togethers best Christmas mornings you’ve ever had, and the gentle sentimentality of the weeks were full of noise, confusion and unplanned Living out in the country means living closer between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yes, events. This is the way it should be. to the chaotic universe. There are no streets city folk like Christmas, too, but somehow laid out in perfect symmetry; here the roads urban holidays seem just a tad, well, insinThere should be a sense of drama hangmeander and wander. No, you can’t get up in cere. ing over every Thanksgiving dinner. People the middle of the night and get a latte and a should be asking whether the turkey will bagel, but you can walk outside at night and Now, when I talk about city folk, it’s imporcome out OK; or whether the guests will all see the broad sweep of the galaxy in the sky. tant to understand that I am not talking arrive bringing the same side dish; will the about the towns of west Georgia. I’m talking father and son-in-law get along this year, or Neatly trimmed trees and tasteful outdoor about the big cities in this country. If you’ve will Uncle Joe burn down the house trying to displays are nice to look at, but they don’t ever been to New York or Chicago during the deep fry something? seem to compare to slap-dash displays put holidays, you might know what I mean. Yes, together by people of modest means. It’s one the lights are pretty and the choirs all sing in Christmas mornings are supposed to begin thing to put up something nice for the neighperfect pitch, but that’s the problem. It’s too somewhere around 4 a.m., when the kids bors to see; it’s quite another to decorate a perfect. come tearing down the stairs. There should yard out of sheer exuberance for the holiday. sounds of paper ripping, children laughIt’s the same in big Southern cities. If you ing, dogs barking and bleary-eyed parents It just seems to me that country people “get” drive up to Atlanta and cruise through some grumbling. The TV should be on, the smell the holidays. Not that city slickers don’t also, of those big-city neighborhoods, you will see of coffee and bacon in the air, and everybody but being closer to Nature, amid the rustling homes all trimmed up and decked out with should be sitting around the living room in multi-colored leaves – and the cold winds the tonier displays of Christmas: artfully robes and pajamas. of fall and winter – it seems that we feel placed lights in well-shaped trees; artistic life more keenly. Country people know that wreathes arranged on doors. They look perLife is a chain of unplanned events and he holidays are about family, and love, and fect, like a photograph, or a Thomas Kinkade improvised reactions. You can anticipate, holding close as many good times and celpainting. you can take precautions, but, in the end, ebrations as possible. you cannot foresee what life is going to On the other hand, if you drive the roads throw at you. The only thing certain is that When the holidays are over, and the house between Douglasville, Bremen and Carrollwe are all in this together, and that the is quiet; when all the food is eaten and the ton you will see some pretty strange sights family and friends around you are all pas- dishes are all washed, think of the friends at Christmas time: fake snowmen standing and family who, for better or worse, have on brown grass; cheap plastic Santas on created another memory for another year. KEN DENNEY rooftops; gigantic, forced-air snow globes And rejoice. WGL 8
West Georgia Living
November/December 2015
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hurches OF West Georgia
Bethany Baptist Church, Tallapoosa
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November/December 2015
Bethany Baptist Church was founded on Aug. 28, 1830, making it the oldest church in Haralson County. Originally, there were only 11 members, but the congregation eventually grew large enough to create several other churches, including First Baptist Church of Tallapoosa. The building has undergone many additions and renovations over the years, most recently in 2008, but in recognition of the 185-year history of the church, the membership chose to stay as close to the original design as possible. The building has increased seating capacity by 80 percent, but it still feels like a country church inside. The church is now led by Pastor Kevin Ayers and has 200 members
PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY November/December 2015
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The manger scene, above, points the the birth of the Savior, while the communion table, left, calls remembrance of His sacrifice.
Join us Monday, November 30 from 4 - 7PM for our
2nd Annual Santa Social Indulge features a full service salon offering designer cuts, hair color, and texturizing services for men, women, & children. At Indulge Salon & Day Spa we take great pride in our education. Our experienced hair stylists visit Bumble and Bumble University in New York yearly, we also hold our own classes monthly to stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and styles. Our experienced and educated team will cater to all of your style needs. 1019 Rome Street • Carrollton, GA 30117 www.indulgedayspa.net
770-838-9095
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• Visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus • Milk and Cookies • Create your own Sugar Scrub or Mud Scrub • Professional Photos with Santa • Receive a $5 gift card
Call for more information or to reserve your spot. 1019 Rome Street • Carrollton, GA 30117 www.indulgedayspa.net
770-838-9095
It's a Wonderful Classic
CINEMA
"It's a Wonderful Life," 1946, starring Thomas Mitchell, Donna Reed and Jimmy Stewart. Images from Paramount Pictures.
Seeing "Life" for the first time S
ince 2008, I’ve intermittently used my weekly newspaper column (which you can read in the Times-Georgian and the Douglas County Sentinel) for a series known as Catching Up on the Classics. That’s when I get real and admit that, even though I’ve been writing about movies for nearly 14 years, there are still plenty of iconic films I’ve yet to experience. Over the years, I’ve discussed my first impressions of “The Apartment,” “Vertigo,” North by Northwest” and “It Happened One Night,” all of which I now consider some of my favorites. But for this holiday issue of West Georgia Living, I’m admitting what might be my most shameful secret of all: I somehow made it to age 34 without seeing “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not Amish or anything. I know all about the story and I’ve absorbed most of the iconic lines through cultural osmosis. But there’s a big difference between knowing a movie’s plot and becoming emotionally invested in the characters. Despite just seeing Frank Capra’s most beloved work, the fictional people he co-created now seem like close friends. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the power of great cinema. I can’t even imagine how strong those connections are for longtime fans who have made the film a Christmas tradition, watching it every year since childhood. To them, each viewing must feel like a family reunion.
JOSH SEWELL
It made me feel a little better to learn that I was not alone in my later-in-life viewing of such a revered work. When I announced my plans for this column on Facebook and Twitter a few weeks back, several friends and family members told me they either still hadn’t seen it, or didn’t watch it until they had kids of their own. I wonder if those friends and relations had the same realization I did during my initial viewing: that I’d spent most of my life with a fundamental misunderstanding of the plot. The most famous part of the story is when bumbling angel Clarence (Henry Travers) shows the eternally decent George Bailey (James Stewart, in arguably his best performance) what the world would’ve been like if
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he’d never existed. I always figured that was how the movie got its name and what took up the bulk of its 130-minute running time. But I was wrong – that’s just the last halfhour. Instead, the title refers to the entirety of George’s life, which viewers get to experience in several beautifully ordinary vignettes.
what became of Mary in the world where George doesn’t exist. Turns out she’s single and enjoys being a librarian – the horror!
Those are the moments that communicate what a fine man George is, and why it hurts so much as fate deals him one nasty blow after another. When he loses "A toast to my big brother George: The richest man in town." his hearing in one ear because he saves his younger brother from But the dam finally burst during the famed drowning in an icy lake? I figured that was a small price to pay for his final sequence, when the citizens of Bedford Falls prove just how much George means sibling’s life. to them by donating baskets full of cash to keep him out of jail. Even though I’d seen When he can’t go to college because he has the ending a million times, thanks to its to take care of his ailing father’s affairs? pervasiveness in pop culture, experiencWell, that just proved George is a good son. ing it in context for the first time absolutely When a run on his family’s bank – the one destroyed me. I’m glad I watched it alone, he continues to manage, even though he because I was a sobbing mess. loathes it – prevents him from taking his wonderful bride Mary (the phenomenal From a cultural and technical standpoint, Donna Reed) on their honeymoon? That’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” mostly holds up in when I started to think this guy had the the modern era, a small miracle considerworld’s worst luck. ing it was released nearly 70 years ago. The one hilarious exception is when Clarence Then, when things are finally looking up, tells George he’s not supposed to reveal George’s dunderheaded Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) flat-out hands the villainous Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) an envelope stuffed with every dollar they own. I’m not exaggerating when I say it felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. At that point, I honestly couldn’t blame poor George for considering a dive into that freezing river. But those moments, as wrenching as they are, prove that George Bailey – in large part because of Stewart’s performance and the quietly devastating screenplay – is one of the most fundamentally decent characters in cinema history. He’s right up there with Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” When young George (Robert J. Anderson) takes a beating from his boss because he knows the grieving pharmacist was about to poison a patient, my throat tightened. When George uses his honeymoon savings to keep his bank’s customers afloat, my eyes got watery.
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And, even though that previously mentioned cultural osmosis prepared me for the fact that the story concludes without tying up all the loose ends, I was still gobsmacked that the era’s production code allowed Mr. Potter to remain unpunished for his treachery (even though that’s a far more realistic outcome). Oh, well. Looks like I’ll have to go through life pretending that the hysterically dark “lost ending” depicted in an old “Saturday Night Live” sketch – which features Uncle Billy suddenly remembering what he did with the money, leading to an angry mob breaking into Mr. Potter’s home and beating him to death – is how the movie actually wraps up. I’m not exactly proud that it took me 34 years to see “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but I’m glad that I finally corrected the oversight. I have a feeling it’ll be the first of many viewings to come, as I’m adding it to the list of Christmas movies our family watches every holiday season. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is not rated. WGL "Clarence! Get me back! Get me back, I don't care what happens to me! Get me back to my wife and kids!"
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Holiday time is party time. A few simple tips can help you look your best for every occasion. Ana Forde is wearing a green and tan knit sweater and dark skinny jeans with black suede ankle booties. She's modeling a sample casual attire outfit.
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ell, it’s that time again. The holidays are approaching, along with the parties, food, decorations – and outfits. The “Tacky Christmas Sweater” party, always a staple during the holidays,remains one of the easiest events to dress and prepare for, but what about the Family Cocktail party, the Black Tie event, or the “Festive Attire” shindig? Ladies, first things first: Laura Williams of the personal finance blog MoneyCrashers writes that it’s not necessary to “go overboard on spending,” which means, save on items you might only wear once or twice. She recommends “bargain stores such as Marshall’s, T.J. Maxx, and Target,” each of which offer a ton of different options for dresses and other equally appropriate outfits. Yet splurging may be necessary for parts of outfits you may use throughout the year, like pants, jackets, or shoes. Williams also includes stockings in this list, because you “don’t (want to) end up with a nasty run because you chose to wear cheap hose … expensive tights cost less than $30, so go ahead and indulge.” She recommends, though, saving on bags, earrings, necklaces, and rings, as these “can ‘make’ your outfit.” Try a sequined clutch, a statement-making cocktail ring, and a long, simple necklace for when your hair is down and your outfit maintains a modest neckline. When your outfit has an open back and your hair is up, some chandelier
Evan Harte is wearing a black tuxedo with a plaid cumberbund, bow tie and patent black dress shoes. Outfit courtesy of The Squire Shop, Carrollton. earrings and a wrist cuff, along with a simple satin clutch may do the trick. A wide statement necklace with a mini bag on a long chain is a perfect finish for an outfit with a deep neckline. But how do you know what to wear when? We all become confused with the different options.
STORY BY TAYLOR BOLTZ PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY
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Megan Kaplan of realsimple.com deciphers the party dress codes: The Black Tie Affair, for example – the most formal of holiday events – is easy for men, since the name of the event tells them what to wear: a tuxedo and bow tie (not necessarily black.) For women, such an event usually requires a tea or floor-length gown in either satin, taffeta, or beads. A-line is typically the easiest dress cut and works for everyone, but you know what looks best on your body. With this kind of event, classic remains key and you should opt for time-honored diamond drops or a pearl necklace, over something too costumey. The Cocktail Event is what everyone else might call “semiformal.” Here, Kaplan recommends rich fabrics with a modest hemline, or separates, like pants and a blouse. Either way, “fancy footwear is mandatory.” She recommends that men pull out a dark, fitted suit, with a white shirt. Dressy Casual, one step down from semiformal, leads into the land of knit or sweater dresses, or nice tops with dark jeans and heels, making
Kaan Ural is wearing khaki pants by Ralph Lauren, with a white button-down shirt and red tie. This dressy casual holiday outfit was supplied by The Squire Shop in Carrollton.
Taylor Boltz is wearing a navy A-line dress with black pumps, offering a sample formal attire outfit.
Jenna Harte is wearing a maroon long sleeve dress with opaque tights with calf-high boots, a festive or cocktail holiday outfit.
Amanda Shoemake is wearing a blue fitted dress with nude pumps, showing a possible dressy casual holiday outfit. 18
West Georgia Living November/December 2015
Sydney Thomason is wearing a black and purple baby doll dress with lace tights and black suede boots, showing a sample cocktail or festive holiday outfit.
what Jamie Edelen of Baltimore Magazine calls “Party Perfect.” Dressy Casual would also be appropriate for an office party, at which guys should wear dark denim and a nice button-up. For the Casual Event, both men and women should dress in nice jeans and a nice top, but it’s a more everyday affair, meaning there’s a little more leeway for your outfit. The Festive Event, as laid out in Kaplan’s article, allows you to show off your fun side, meaning color, jewelry and exciting details. Some people recommend sophisticated jewelry and vibrant colored dresses, or “a jeweled cardigan, opaque tights, and heeled booties.” For the guys, this means a playful blazer with corduroys, or nice pants and a sweater. This is a great opportunity to have fun and play around with the different aspects of the holidays. For women, sparkles, glitter and beads are, of course, filled with the holiday spirit. For men, embrace holidays and try something new, like a velvet blazer or a spirited tie. Whether it be New Year’s or Christmas, these small touches will be sure to put you and the other guests in the holiday mood. The holidays are all about having fun with those closest to you, so don't wear anything that may be uncomfortable while dancing or laughing the night away – and always remember to just be yourself and wear what is best for you and your body. WGL
Tammie Pero-Lyle (770) 832-0911 102 Trojan Drive, Suite A Carrollton tammiepero@allstate.com tperolyle@allstate.com
© 2011 Allstate Insurance Company
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The Story Behind the Carol
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or some, “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” is a hallowed Christmas classic. Other, well, normal people, prefer classic Christmas tunes for their most festive holiday. But any song can get so lost in tradition that the meaning behind it becomes obscured. Have you ever wondered why they are called “carols” in the first place? The word “carol” is from an old French word – carole - which is a type of circle dance. Medieval dance songs evolved into music for religious occasions. During the Protestant Reformation, the Calvinists, in their zeal to take frivolity out of religion, tried to ban them, but they lived on. With the arrival of the printing press, many old folk tunes and poems about the Nativity were collected and handed down to new generations, often with new melodies and words translated for modern ears.
Away In a Manger Most people know that a manger is a rough container for animal feed – and that Mary placed the newborn Jesus into one. Fewer people know that the verses of this carol came down to us from Lutheran émigrés to Pennsylvania, that the music isn’t even called “Away In a Manger,” and that the carol is sometimes considered theologically suspect. The song first appeared in print in the U.S. in 1885 in a Lutheran songbook for children which mistakenly claimed it had been written by Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, for his children. Actually no one knows who wrote it. The original song only had two verses; the third was added when it was republished in the late 1890s. The original melody for the song disappeared at the same time, replaced by a tune called “Cradle Song,” itself an adaptation of a much earlier melody called “Sweet Afton.” Although the song is clearly about the Nativity, some aspects of the song raise questions for some church leaders. For one thing, there are references to “cattle lowing,” whereas there are no references in
Such arcane theological issues is not a concern for the millions of people who love the classic song and the imagery it evokes. Perhaps that is why it has become a holiday classic, recorded over and over throughout the years.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing When this song first appeared in 1739, its author, Charles Wesley – leader of the Methodist movement – had the opening couplet as “Hark! How all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings,” and intended it to be sung with slow and solemn music Fortunately, Wesley didn’t get his wish, either in terms of lyric or music. A friend and fellow clergyman, George Whitefield, changed the opening couplet to what we know today, presumably because absolutely no one knew what a “welkin” is (it’s from a Middle English reference to the sky.) And, 100 years after the song’s original publication, it got its familiar tune from Felix Mendelssohn, a German composer of the Romantic period.
So, here are the hidden backstories of 10 of the most wellknown Christmas carols, as chosen by us at West Georgia Living.
STORY BY KEN DENNEY PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY
Luke to mooing cows or any other animal present at the scene of Jesus’ birth. There is also the line “The little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes,” which of course is unusual for an infant. Some church scholars believe this is a veiled reference to Gnosticism, in which supernatural traits overshadow the humanity of Christ.
Ornaments cour tesy of David and Beth Warner, Tallapoosa.
Mendelssohn had written a cantata to commemorate, of all things, the invention of the printing press. An English musician named William H. Cummings adapted the chorus of the secular cantata to fit Wesley’s
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hymn. That adaptation also necessitated a lyrical change to Wesley’s hymn. Two of his short stanzas were combined to fit the music, and the refrain, repeating the first two lines of stanza one, was also added to accommodate the tune. Although there are a total of six stanzas to the song, the final four are usually not sung because they are dense with theology and biblical allusion. Thus, a murky, dirge-like hymn has evolved over the years to be a festive song of celebration.
that version, you owe it to yourself to find it on YouTube. Thus, a Christmas carol that doesn’t even mention the birth of Christ has now become an international anthem of peace, even if there are two different ways of singing it.
Silent Night
This carol is beloved by many because it is so fun to sing, and because of the impressive pile of presents that appear by the end of the song.
Sometimes titled with an “a” instead of a “the,” this was originally written as a poem in 1849 by Edmund Sears, pastor of a Unitarian Church in Massachusetts. When most people hear this song, they no doubt think about the birth of Christ – but it actually has nothing to do with biblical times.
In 1850, Richard Storrs Willis – who, incidentally, had trained under Mendelssohn – wrote a melody called “Carol,” and that tune has become the one Americans associate with this song. In the United Kingdom, however, the song is sung to a tune called “Noel,” adapted in 1874 from an English melody. If you’ve never heard
While the “true love” of the song may be overly enthusiastic in the gift giving, there really are a 12 days of Christmas - running from December 25 and the celebration of the Nativity, to January 5, marking the eve of the Epiphany. Traditionally, celebrants of this “Twelvetide” have given gifts representing a wish for a corresponding month of the New Year.
In 1816, a young German priest named Father Joseph Mohr wrote a poem called “Stille Nacht.” Two years later, Mohr approached a schoolmaster and organist named Franz Xaver Gruber to write a melody for it. The result is what has been anglicized into the carol “Silent Night.” The song was first performed Christmas Eve, 1818, at St. Nicholas parish church in what is now the town Oberndorf bei Salzburg in Austria. In 1859, an English translation was published by an Episcopal priest named John Freeman Young, who was serving Trinity Church in New York City. That published work changed Gruber’s original melody from a sprightly, danceable tune in 6/8 time, to the slow lullaby that we know today. Gruber originally wrote the melody for guitar, which was unusual for the time. In the 1930s, a book printed in the United States told a false story that a guitar was used because the organ at the St. Nicholas church wasn’t working due to mice eating away at its bellows. But
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It became very popular when a troupe of folk singers performed the carol – with a few altered lyrics - across Europe. In 1839, the song was first performed in America. Today, 197 years after it was first performed, the song remains one of the most popular carols of the season.
Twelve Days of Christmas
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Instead, Sears meant this to be a commentary on his own time: the tumultuous years leading up the Secession Crisis and the U.S. Civil War. In the poem, Sears alludes to the song of the angels in Luke 2:14. But scholars say he is only contrasting that angelic choir with the growing social discord in the U.S. that followed the Mexican-American war, and the increasingly violent debate over whether the territories acquired as a result should be admitted as slave states.
it is true that an organ builder, sent to do maintenance on the organ, obtained a copy of the carol and took it to other towns.
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However, despite a popular belief that the song has a religious connotation, there’s really no evidence of that. The carol has its roots in 18th Century England, where children sang it as a “memory-and-forfeit” game. The singers had to remember all the previous verses and add a new verse at the end. If you couldn’t remember a verse, you had to pay a forfeit, usually in the form of a kiss, or a piece of candy given to the other singers. In short, it’s all about the gifts. Each year, PNC Wealth Management of New York publishes the cost of all the items mentioned in the song, based on current
trends of inflation and wages (maids-amilking, for example, are reckoned to earn minimum wage.) In 2014, the True Love of the song would have to fork out a total of $116,273 for all 364 gifts that would accrue by the last verse.
O Holy Night
and the song was performed at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The song, known as “Cantique de Noel,” became very popular – until the heads of the Church, learning of its origins, deemed it unfit for church services. The French people kept singing it anyway.
With its six verses, the carol combines the shepherd story told in the second chapter of Luke with the Star of Bethlehem described in the Gospel of Matthew, to create a scene unknown in the Bible: that of shepherds seeing the same star as the Magi.
It came to the United States in 1855 by John Sullivan Dwight, a Unitarian minister and Transcendentalist, who translated the song from French to English. Since Unitarians reject the doctrine of the Trinity, some Evangelical churches of today might have their own problems with the song. Immune to doctrinal conflicts, the song is beloved by people worldwide and is sung at many churches every year by soloists who usually meet the challenge of that high note at the end.
The First Noel This song first appeared in a collection of carols published in 1823, but it is far older than that – possibly as early as the 1600s. You might think it has a French origin, since the word “Noel” in the title is French for Christmas, but the actual title of the song is "The First Nowell," an old English version of the French "Noel." Somehow it got switched back to the French. No one knows how.
This song terrifies most soloists because of the formidable and notorious high note toward the end. And while it carries a strong Christian message, this carol has a decidedly secular pedigree. It was composed in 1847 to accompany a French poem called “Minuet, Chrétiens” (Midnight, Christians) that was written by a wine merchant and poet named Placide Cappeau – a self-professed anticleric and atheist. As if that weren’t enough, the composer of the melody, Adolphe Adam, was of Jewish ancestry, and likely didn’t celebrate Christmas at all. The story goes that the parish priest of Roquemaure, the French town in which Cappeau lived, asked Cappeau to write a poem to celebrate the renovation of the church organ. He did so, basing the text on the second chapter of Luke. Cappeau commissioned Adam to write the melody,
And no one knows who wrote the original carol. The version we know had its origins – without music – in an 1823 collection published by Davies Gilbert, a member of Parliament who was keen on preserving traditional carols known around his native Cornwall. In 1833, William Sandys republished the work, but this time with a tune he said was “a traditional English melody.” Sandy’s collection, “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern,” became the primary source for many of the English traditional songs we sing during the Holidays.
O Come All Ye Faithful Originally written in Latin as “Adeste Fideles,” this song has a particularly murky history, with attributions to various authors and an alleged tie to a political revolution. The earliest copies of the hymn bear the signature of John Francis Wade (17111786), who fled to France in 1745, after Charles Edward Stuart (a.k.a. “Bonnie Prince Charlie”) failed in his attempt to stage a revolution and restore the House of Stuart. Some scholars claim the song is full of code words referring to the wouldbe king, each of which would be decipherable by the “faithful,” that is, loyal Jacobites. But Wade is not known to be the actual author, so this is just speculation. Whatever the truth is, an English translation of the hymn was published in 1841 by an English Catholic priest named Frederick Oakeley, who also extended the original four verses to eight, most of which are usually omitted during performances, particularly the eighth, which is only meant
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Joy to the World This is another carol that does not mention shepherds, mangers, wise men or anything else associated with the Christmas story. Instead, its meaning is rooted in the second half of Psalm 98 (“make a joyful noise”), as the hymn was written in 1719 for a book by Isaac Watts wwith a very long title, the first four words of which are: “The Psalms of David.” Watts was writing a hymn celebrating the return of Jesus, not his arrival. Back in his day, congregational singing was limited to the Old Testament songs in poetic form, but Watts was determined to liven things up a bit and began writing hymns in “imitation” of the Psalms, so this hymn, calling upon the nations of the world to celebrate the arrival of a source of salvation, was written in “imitation” of Psalm 98.
to be sung on the Epiphany. The melody that accompanies the song is usually attributed to Samuel Webbe and dates to 1782, but it has evolved over the years with improved harmonization.
We Wish You a Merry Christmas Here’s another example of a song traditionally associated with Christmas, but which has nothing to do with the Nativity of Jesus. Instead, this song has to do with an old English tradition in which wealthy people gave treats to carolers on Christmas Eve, including the “figgy pudding” mentioned in the song. “Pudding,” by the way, is nothing like what we call pudding in the South; in the English sense, “pudding,” is
just another word for dessert, and Christmas puddings are a cake-like dessert with lots of fruit and a kick of alcohol. There is a reason why carolers might expect a treat for their singing: caroling was actually banned twice in English history, once in the Middle Ages, and again after the English Civil War. Fortunately, people in villages were willing to risk the wrath of authorities and kept the old traditions alive by going door-to-door at Christmastime.
In 1839, an American leader in church music named Lowell Mason adapted a melody from George Frederick Handel’s “Messiah” to Watts’ original lyrics. The name of the melody, incidentally, is “Antioch.” It has since become one of the most published Christmas hymns in North America. WGL
No one knows much of the history of the song; it does not appear in published collections of traditional Christmas hymns, such as that by the aforementioned William Sandys. Yet, it is found in many modern collections, starting with an arrangement published in 1935 under the title “A Merry Christmas.”
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of Illustration by Ken Denney
Add Some Local Flavor to Your Holiday Feast B
uy local, eat local, right? Well, let’s assume you’ve shopped at a few local businesses, or the many farmers markets in west Georgia and gathered up the best ingredients possible: maybe braised, local beef short ribs with seared butternut squash, and some of the last fall greens. So why next go out and buy a Napa Valley cabernet to serve with that locally-grown meal? Whether you are planning a holiday or every day meal, keep in mind that our area produces some of the best wines in the country. It may be hard to believe, but in the mid to late 19th Century, west Georgia and east Alabama were one of the largest grapeproducing regions in the United States. That is, of course, until Prohibition – first on the state level, then with the 21st Amendment – shut down the region’s vineyards and the economic engine they powered. Then, in 1992, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur named Don Panoz traveled to one of his research laboratories near Gainesville, Ga., and tried one of the many types of muscadine wine familiar to the region. He asked why more prevalent wine grapes weren’t being grown in those parts and he was told “it can’t be done.”
of our west Georgia region:
In the mid to late 19th Century, west Georgia and east Alabama were one of the largest grapeproducing regions in the United States.
Lenior
Fortunately, he didn’t believe that was true. He purchased a large tract of land near Braselton, and opened Chateau Elan, in the process setting in motion the future of Georgia wine making. Since then, not only have some of the most popular wine grape varietals been grown in our area, but also some very unique and interesting new grapes, bred especially for the high heat and humidity of the South. Not only has this introduced a new sector in Georgia’s economy, it has also encouraged Georgians to expand their taste palates and appreciation for all our locally produced wines. Even the venerable muscadine wine has has found a new level of respect among those who enjoy local wines with local foods. So let’s get to know the grapes - and wines -
STORY BY ROB DUVÉ PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY
When the Huguenots emigrated from France to settle in the Low Country near Savannah and Charleston, S.C., they brought European grapes with them to begin community vineyards. At some point, either by intent or by accident, those grapes crossed with a native variety known as the summer grape (Vitis aestivalis), and the result was a new cultivar with a nearly black skin. In fact, it’s often known as the Black Spanish grape, along with many other names. It has proven to resist many diseases and to flourish in hotter climates, making it a great Southern wine grape. Lenoir tends to be an “Off Dry” wine that works very well with our local cuisine – that is, it goes very well with barbecue and smoked or grilled meats, especially those with a sweeter sauce or glaze. It also lends itself to light cheeses or darker fruits and fruit jams. Lenoir is also a great wine for heavier, oilier fish, such as salmon or smoked bluefin tuna. Lenoir is best served just below room temperature.
Norton This particular cultivar was introduced in Richmond by Dr. Daniel Norton in the early 1800’s, and its lineage seems to have almost as much mystery as does the Lenoir. It’s said that this breed is a cross between the aforementioned domestic summer grape
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and a now-extinct variety known as “Bland� – but, because it is extinct, this is now impossible to prove. Norton grapes flourish in the Napa wine region of California, but do equally well in the Mid-Atlantic states, the Southeast, and the Midwest. It is the state grape of Missouri and won a very prestigious medal in Vienna in 1873. And this variety does exceptionally well in northeast Georgia. Norton is the quintessential dry red wine and pairs with any foods that would complement most dry reds. It’s fantastic with rare and medium rare beef, venison, duck, as well as other game animals. It also pairs very nicely with aged cheeses such as grana and Asiago, but is also a natural alongside bleu, Gorgonzola, and Roquefort cheeses. Norton wines also work very well with sweets of a dark chocolate origin. Like the Lenoir, it is best served just a touch below room temperature.
Blanc du Bois Created in 1968 and released in 1987, Jonathan Mortensen of the University of Florida
Enjoy
began crossing several varieties of white grapes with native Florida grapes to produce a cultivar that is both a strong wine producer, and highly resistant to the insects and diseases that have been known to wipe out entire vineyards in the Southeast. Upon its release, Blanc du Bois quickly became a favorite of wine growers across the Southeast. It does well in several types of soil, and, where it doesn’t do well, it can be grafted to roots of other varieties which do. Although I was never a fan of dry white wines, this one got my attention. The first time I experienced Blanc du Bois was alongside vermicelli with a crab and white wine sauce, and it fit perfectly. It also works very well with chicken that is roasted with aromatic seasonings and spices such as a garam masala roasted chicken (a spicy Indian dish.) Its seafood pairings are wide and varied, such as creambased New Orleans style barbecue shrimp, or steamed crab done in the Baltimore style – as well as being very present next to a savory fondue or a sweet, white chocolate fondue. Its versatility also makes it a nice aperitif with baked brie and fruit, and as a digestif when paired with crème brÝlÊe. Blanc du Bois wines
are best when served chilled to around 50-55 degrees. ••• We are seeing farmers markets and all-natural food stores popping up all around our area. They are gaining popularity simply because they are produced by people who care about what goes on the table, and because chefs in our area are beginning to demand something better than the average food. Chefs and home cooks alike are starting to present dishes that represent the area and its culinary heritage. Their meals, whether for special or ordinary occasions, harken back to our grandparents’ day, when some of the best cuisine that could be had was on their table, every day. The same is true for our local wine producers and the labels they offer. Prohibition is long past. Not only are the ventures of our new vineyards great for our local economy, we owe it to ourselves – and this region's culinary heritage – to experience and enjoy local wines alongside the local foods we are serving. WGL
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FOOD
'Tis the Season for Cajun seasonings T o my way of thinking, there are some holiday traditions that should be preserved – and there are those that need to be created. When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, there’s a good reason why. Not long after I moved to Georgia, I met the woman who would become my wife – and she decided to take me home to meet her family in New Orleans. This was just a few short months after Katrina had hit, and I arrived to find a city that was nearly destroyed, but whose inhabitants were just rolling with the punches. I also found foods that I had never heard of before. Sure, I had a love of Cajun and Creole cuisine long before I got there, but the dishes that I found in New Orleans were light years away from the green bean casserole that I was used to. It was at that moment that I decided that the holidays would never be the same again, and I was bound and determined to come up with new recipes that would make lasting, new traditions.
Turkey with Boudin stuffing and cranberry cranapple coulis ½ cup vegetable stock ½ cup ham stock ½ cup shredded Manchego cheese 2 eggs Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, sauté
Boudin Stuffing
In a large mixing bowl, add remaining ingredients and combine, making sure the bread absorbs all of the liquid. Be patient, as this might take a minute or two. If there is too much liquid and the mixture is a little loose, add additional bread crumbs to tighten it up – but not so much that the stuffing will be dry. When all of the liquid is absorbed, add the sautéed sausage mélange and mix thoroughly. Place mixture in a slightly buttered, oven safe mixing bowl and top with Manchego cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until stuffing is set and the cheese is lightly browned.
Boudin isn’t something you’re going to come across very easily. In the Cajun tradition of not throwing anything away, this is a spiced pork sausage that usually uses pork liver and rice as fillers and as binders. Although it’s not for everyone, the flavor is something that should be tried at least once and, as an ingredient, can lend a truly unique flavor to many dishes. 1 pound Boudin sausage 4 cups dried bread chunks 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion 1 ½ cups diced celery 2 cloves garlic, very finely diced 1 cup diced green pepper 1 cup Italian bread crumbs ½ very finely chopped tasso (spiced, smoked ham) 30
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onions, celery, green peppers over medium high heat until just lightly browned around the edges. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Remove the Boudin from its casings, add to aromatics and sauté until the sausage begins to brown just a bit. Make sure to keep stirring this as it may stick. Add tasso and set aside to cool slightly.
If you would like to make the stuffing a bit more Southern Traditional, replace 2 cups of breadcrumbs with 2 cups of crumbled cornbread.
Cranberry Crabapple Coulis Rob Duvé
Coulis is a simple sauce that can be made with many fruits or vegetables, and is a very
easy add-on to many dishes. It’s also a natural replacement for traditional cranberry sauce. 1 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay or Blanc du Bois) 1 cup natural cane sugar 1 pint fresh cranberries 2 cups diced crab apple ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of sea salt to taste In a medium sauce pan, bring wine to a simmer over medium heat and reduce by one quarter, or just enough to boil away the wine flavor. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries and crab apple begins to break down. Remove from heat and let stand for just a minute. Using either an immersion blender or food processor, puree mixture until very fine and strain through a medium sieve. Serve either hot or chilled.
Looking at the above ingredients, it’s easy to see that this recipe can be made to suit the tastes of nearly anyone. Replace the cranberries and crab apple with blackberries and the white wine for red and you have a great topping for duck or goose, which was once a very popular holiday meat. This is a recipe that very much encourages you to play with your food and tinker with
whichever flavors you desire.
Scalloped Oysters This is a classic Low Country holiday recipe that harkens back to the day when oysters were plentiful, easy to get, and found their way into nearly holiday dish. 1 quart shucked oysters, with their liquor (this is about 10 cans of pasteurized oysters) 2 cups coarsely crushed, whole grain water crackers 1 cup standard bread crumbs ¾ cups melted butter 1 cup heavy cream ¼ cup parmesan cheese ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon celery salt Pinch of fresh ground black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix crackers, bread crumbs, and butter until thoroughly blended. Using about one third of the bread crumb mixture, make a layer in the bottom of a 13 X 9 baking dish. Place about half the oysters over this as their own layer. Season the cream with nutmeg, celery salt, and pepper, then pour half over the layer of oysters and top with half of the parmesan cheese. Create another layer of breadcrumbs, oysters and cream, then top with remaining breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
I’m not sure how it goes at your house when the holidays come, but at mine, there is usually a little stress trying to get things done and timed out just right so that everything comes together just when it’s needed. However, if at all possible, try to make sure that you have just a little bit of time to “Play with Your Food”. The recipes that I’ve presented here are meant to be tried and tested, and then broken down, changed, and altered to fit your tastes and to try to “Wow” the people you are serving. When the holidays come, there is no better time to try to create new traditions to go alongside those that your family loves. And, as always, Happy Holidays and
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Tanner Health System
Know the WARNING SIGNS of a
Heart Attack When heart attack symptoms start, call 911 — it’s the fastest way to get to a hospital, like Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton or Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica that can relieve the symptoms and save heart tissue.
H
eart attacks occur when the flow of oxy- Several other conditions also cause chest gen- rich blood to the heart is blocked, pain that can feel like a heart attack: often by a build-up of a fatty substance Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). in the arteries called plaque. Referred to as chronic heartburn, GERD accounts for most non-heart-related chest pain. Warning Signs of a Heart Attack This burning chest pain tends to occur after Chest pain is a major symptom of a heart meals and is often relieved with antacids. attack. However, some people may have little or no chest pain, especially the elderly and Panic attacks. These usually last a few seconds those with diabetes. This is called a “silent heart to a few minutes. Besides chest pain, sufferers attack.” report shortness of breath, dizziness and a fear of dying. Extreme anxiety can trigger a panic The pain may be felt in only one part of the attack, as can excessive caffeine. body, or move from your chest to your arms, shoulder, neck, teeth, jaw, stomach area or Angina. The pain from this condition feels like back. pressure or squeezing. Angina chest pain can result from physical effort, stress, temperature extremes or a heavy meal. The pain can be severe or mild.
It can feel like:
• Squeezing or heavy pressure • A tight band around the chest • Something heavy sitting on your chest • Bad indigestion
Other symptoms of a heart attack include:
• Shortness of breath • Nausea or vomiting • Anxiety • Cough • Fainting • Lightheadedness or dizziness • Palpitations (feeling like your heart is beating too fast) • Sweating, which may be extreme 32
What Affects Your Symptoms
Studies show that certain groups are less likely to experience chest pain with a heart attack. These include women, non-Caucasians of either gender, or people who have had a stroke. Patients who are age 75 or older, or who have nerve damage caused by diabetes, may not be able to sense pain well and may not be aware of any chest discomfort during a heart attack. In addition, people who experienced chest pain with a previous heart attack may not have it the next time.
Newer medications and procedures — such as angioplasty and stenting — are highly effective in treating a heart attack, but they must be administered soon after symptoms begin.
Know What to Do
The most important response to the symptoms of a heart attack is to seek help right away. The longer you wait, the more damage is done to the tissue that comprises the heart. The first step is to call for help. Dial 911 and tell the dispatcher that you think you, or someone near you is having a heart attack. The paramedics on the responding ambulance will be able to provide possibly lifesaving care en route to the hospital. The 24-hour emergency departments at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton and Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica are equipped with technology that allows them to receive the results of an electrocardiogram (ECG) taken aboard the ambulance while it’s on its way to the hospital. A board-certified emergency physician can interpret the ECG and call a “heart alert,” having a heart care team on standby and expediting care when the patient arrives.
Unfortunately, many people are not as familiar Learn more about cardiac care at Tanner at with other heart attack warning signs, so they TannerHeartCare.org. may delay getting to a hospital — or don’t go - Paid advertisement at all — because they think that their symptoms aren’t serious.
West Georgia Living November/December 2015
The Dreaded Holiday
Weight Gain
(And More Importantly . . . How to Avoid It)
F
o r women and men alike, one of the hardest parts of the holiday season is avoiding putting on any extra weight. That’s easier said than done, because the added stress from parties and events can actually cause weight gain. The last thing weight-conscious people want to do is throw the rest of the year out the window with one holiday season. Health Magazine thinks everyone should weigh themselves twice a week – but nobody enjoys hopping on a scale. So, how does someone protect their weight when there’s a delicious meal or dessert at every turn, and when stress levels are so high? Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have noted that most holiday weight gain is never lost. So the best strategy is simply to never be hungry when you arrive at an event. It’s better to have a hearty snack, like mixed nuts, before you arrive at the office party (or grandma’s house) so that you are less likely to binge on the pecan pie or honey ham. If it’s your event, try your hardest not to cook while hungry, because you’re more likely to taste and snack before the guests even show up. While at the party, though, be sure to drink lots of water between cocktails. Water helps you feel full and might help
first and then going back for other stuff if you’re still hungry. Food opportunities are endless at social gatherings, especially when it comes to buffets. But as Chris Freytag writes in Prevention magazine, “keeping nourished with healthy food helps avoid those excess sugar highs and energy lows that can make you tired and depressed.”
WEBSITE HELP: For more information, search for articles on these websites: Health.com Womansday.com Prevention.com WebMD.com Greatest.com
prevent overeating. Women’s Day magazine also recommends trying a smaller serving of eggnog, champagne, or other drink of choice so that you take in less calories through drinking. This works well if you have good willpower.
Only eat what you know you’ll like. That sounds easy enough, but it can be hard to accomplish at family dinners, where you may feel an obligation to have Aunt June’s greasy (and just awful) holiday casserole. Put some on your plate if she insists, but Chew slowly. This way, you can try to trick discretely throw it away afterwards. The your brain as your stomach catches up. On holidays should not be spent on eating WebMD, dietician Susan Finn notes that food you don’t like. you should “put your fork down between every bite,” because it “puts you in con- Some specialists would advise you to limit trol.” She also recommends using distrac- your plate to one layer of food and avoid tions, like conversations with friends and the temptation to stack our dishes high family – or even dancing – to help divert during the holidays. This is one other way your attention away from the food. With to allow yourself to be picky about what this strategy, you can enjoy the sole pur- you’re about to put in your body. pose of the holidays: spending time with Preparing for parties and then worrying loved ones. about what your weight is no way to have Also try eating what is deemed healthy fun. This season is all about enjoying yourself and the time you spend with family and friends. Keep these tips in mind and TAYLOR BOLTZ then feel free to celebrate! WGL November/December 2015
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W
Toys That Stand hether for girls, or for boys – or for both – toys have changed with each generation of children.
In the 1950s and early 60s, boys dressed up as cowboys and carried around cap pistols and rifles. When is the last time you’ve ever seen that happen? And while girls have always carried around baby dolls, most do so now while dreaming of being both a mother and a career woman. The 1960s, inspired by James Bond and the Batman TV series, introduced toys that were all about escapism. The 1970s brought us electronic toys – although primitive by today’s standard of gizmos. Changing times, changing culture, changing technology; all are factors in how toy fads come and go. Each February, at the American International Toy Fair, hundreds of manufac-
turers display what their market research tells them will be the hottest toys of the coming year. Each of those companies are fighting for the $23 billion that will be spent on toys by parents, grandparents, uncles and older siblings. Yet all of that effort depends on what kids decide they want to play with. All that marketing and all those resources all come down to whether the kid would rather play with the toy – or with the box that it came in. Some toys, however, defy the transitory fads. There are some toys that were made 50, 40 or even 30 years ago that still are in demand today. They may have changed with the times – updated looks, different packaging – but at their core, some of the toys your children play with today are pretty much the same as those that you had when you were a child.
COLORFORMS
In the early 1950s, two married art students named Harry and Patricia Kislevitz discovered that thin strips of vinyl would stick loosely to the semi-gloss paint of the bathroom of their Manhattan apartment. They found the vinyl could be removed and repositioned with no damage to either the material or the surface. The Kislevitzes and their friends had fun cutting out different shapes and sticking them to the wall – and it turned out that kids liked it even better than adults.
Right, Colorforms playsets from across the decades. In front is the Batman Cartoon Kit, produced in 1966 as a tie-in to the then current “Batman” TV series. Also shown is the Lone Ranger set (1966), Bozo the Clown (1963), Superman (1964) and Mary Poppins (1965). All toys cour tesy of Full Circle Toys, Newnan, Ga.
STORY BY KEN DENNEY PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY 34
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This happy discovery became Colorforms, which appeared on toy store shelves in 1951. With no electronic, flashing lights and no complex instructions, this simple toy has been entertaining children for 64 years. At first, the toy consisted of a series of multicolor, geometric shapes, much like what the Kislevitzes and their friends had played with – and where the name of the product comes from. But in 1957, the company began using licensed
characters familiar to children. Starting with Popeye – and moving on to other childhood favorites like Superman, Bozo the Clown and the 1966 version of Batman – a whole new dimension was added to the toy. Now, kids could place the bodies of their favorite comic characters against a no-stick backdrop, then add differently posed arms and legs to act out stories of their own imagination. More than 1 billion Colorforms playsets have been sold since its introduction – and the company shows no sign of slowing down. They currently have more than 70 different products in distribution.
the Test of Time LITTLE PEOPLE In 1930, Herman Fisher and his business partner Irving Price began a toy company that made pull toys from wood covered with lithographed paper. Their Fisher-Price company of East Aurora, NY, was dedicated to making toys for preschool kids that met a ‘five-point creed”: intrinsic play value, ingenuity, strong construction, good value and action. In the early 1950s, the company introduced a toy firetruck that children could pull along behind them. On top of the firetruck was three round-headed firefighters, permanently mounted in place. Nine years later, the company made the “Safety School Bus.” The vehicle had a smiling human face and contained the same kind of stumpy, round-headed characters – but this time the figures were removable; shaped like pegs, children could move them around inside the toy vehicle. That was the birth of the Play Family line – now known simply as Little People. The Safety Bus, with its removable figures
and eyes at the front that rolled back and forth as it was pulled, proved a success. As it turned out, the removable figures were the most The world of Little People. First introduced in 1959, the Fisher-Price line of Little People have always been round-headed, peglike figures that kids could move popular around and use to act out stories. Still manufactured today, they appear in numerpart of ous playsets, including this jet airplane that features everyone’s favorite, Lucky the toy, and soon the Dog. similar figures Today, there is a wide variety of Little began People, representing all ethnicities. Yet the to appear on a whole fleet of vehicles. The seven main figures who made up the origitrend continues to this day, although the nal Play Family line remain: Mom, Dad, Pee shape and size of the Little People have Wee, Butch, Patty, Penny – and a little dog changed, due to the risk that the toys might everyone calls Lucky. Many modern sets spend more time inside a kid’s mouth than are quite elaborate, and the figures still have in his or her hands. the same peglike body.
VIEW-MASTER
People have been viewing stereoscopic images since the time of the Civil War, when military engineers first began using what we today call 3-D photography to study enemy military fortifications. After the war, and well into the 20th Century, people used to enjoy sitting in their parlors, peering through stereoscopes at photos from exotic places all over the world; the 3-D effect made it seem as if they were actually there. Just after World War I, there was a pharmacist in Portland, Ore., named Edwin Eugene Mayer. Drug stores at the time often offered a photo-finishing service, and in 1919 Mayer bought an interest in the Sawyer Photo Finishing Service. As the business grew, he began taking on partners, one of whom was a major producer of scenic postcards. But when the company’s leaders met William Gruber, an avid photographer, they came up with a brainstorm. Gruber had been working on an update of the old stereoscopes of the 19th Century, making use of a new, cheap color film called Kodachrome. By placing color slides into a small, binocular viewer and aiming it at a light source, viewers could enjoy their grandparents’ experience of seeing the world’s wonders right where they lived. From left, a Model E View-Master dating from 1956, a slide projector and two different Model G viewers, introduced in 1959. At center is a Tru-Vue viewing device, produced by a rival manufacturer that was purchased by View-Master’s parent company. Also shown are four packages of reels, including one for the original series of “Star Trek.”
Since 1939, the View-Master system – now owned by Mattel – has allowed people to “click through” tours of many distant places at seven views per circular reel. Over the decades, the company has provided not only images of natural wonders and cities, but also fictional worlds, and even cartoon characters, into three-dimensional life. Although most current View-Master reels are meant for children, the company continues to be innovative in immersive experiences. Earlier this year, Mattel announced a deal with Google to create a system that will allow people to view 3-D images using their smartphones and an inexpensive cardboard viewer. November/December2015 West Georgia Living
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STAR WARS TOYS When the very first “Star Wars” film was released in May 1977, its spectacular box office success took almost everyone by surprise – most particularly the one toy company that had grudgingly agreed to a merchandizing deal. Producer George Lucas had been turned down by Mego Corporation, whose licensed dolls of DC superheroes and “Star Trek” characters had made them a giant in the field. Other toymakers also turned down the concept, apparently convinced that “Star Wars” would be a flop. Kenner toys finally agreed, thinking it would be a good way to enter what was then a new toy market: a 3.75-inch figurine, instead of the standard 12-inch figure. But Kenner had no toys ready when the movie premiered, leaving it totally unprepared for the massive, sudden demand for merchandise. So that they could catch the fleeting Christmas sales period, Kenner sold customers what, in essence, was an empty box. All it contained was a cardboard display of “Star Wars” characters and a certificate that kids could mail so that they could receive, in 1978, a set of four figures. But that was a long, long time ago. “Star Wars”
The Force is strong with “Star Wars” toys. An incredibly rare R5-D4 droid figure from the original line of “Star Wars’ toys (left, front) is joined by other figures and play sets from across the decades, including a 12-inch Boba Fett from 1979 and a Lego mini-fig Imperial Stormtrooper astride a Tatooine dewback. toys have been a consistent top seller since they were first introduced 38 years ago. Each release of each new movie has been accompanied by a host of new droids, Jedi knights, Sith lords and all manner of alien life forms. In December, a seventh “Star Wars” movie is
set to premier, and this time the merchandizers will be certainly be ready. In fact, the toys will act as a sort of prelude to the eagerly anticipated film, allowing kids – and legions of adult followers – to get their first glimpse of all the new characters before they hit the silver screen.
GI JOE In 1964, an era of firmly defined gender roles, Hasbro of Pawtucket, R.I., decided that it wanted to make a doll for boys that was every bit as popular as Barbie was with girls. To do so, however, they had to tackle the controversial idea of boys playing with dolls – and did so by inventing the term “action figure.” Their 12-inch G.I. Joe action figure (the name came from the 1945 war movie “The Story of G.I. Joe”) was a rugged, powerful fighting man – with a scar on his face – who carried a variety of weapons precise in every detail. In fact, designers for the company had borrowed actual weapons to create perfect, miniature reproductions. Joe was an immediate hit among boys, largely because many of their fathers had fought in World War II and Korea, and “playing war” was, for them, a common activity. Also, the Vietnam War was raging in their living rooms. But it was that war that indirectly led to a decline in Joe’s popularity. As the war became more controversial, Hasbro “retired” him from the military and he became an “adventurer,” whose equipment was meant more for exploring than fighting. As the decline continued, Hasbro introduced in 1982 a new line of much smaller, 3.75-inch figures and accompanied the rebranding with a cartoon TV series.
Go Joe! A reproduction of the original 12-inch G.I. Joe (left) with a variety of other Joe-related items from the toy’s 51-year history. 36
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Today, Joe isn’t quite as popular as he was in the 1960s, but he and his adventurous pals are still on the job, fighting evil in its various forms, with lots of awesome firepower and cool battle machines.
Welcome to the world of Strawberry Shortcake. An original (1979) Strawberry Shortcake doll (front) is shown with her friends, Huckleberry Pie (left) and Apple Dumplin’ (right), along with accessories.
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
This cute, lovable figure and her many dessert-themed friends were the brainchild of Muriel Fahrion, a greeting card illustrator for American Greetings. Fahrion worked in the company’s “juvenile and humorous” department, and in 1977 designed Strawberry Shortcake and her dog Custard. The character proved so popular, that Fahrion designed 32 other characters, all with a fruit or dessert-inspired name. In 1979, Kenner Products purchased the license and began producing a line of dolls based on the characters. Girls across the country ate them up (sorry.) Each of the dolls had scents to match their name, and they all played in a magical world known as Strawberryland. As the fad spread throughout the 1980s, there were many related products introduced as well as TV specials. But by 1985, the fad had faded. In 1991, a new company called Toy Headquarters (THQ) purchased the license and produced an updated line, featuring a revamped Strawberry Shortcake and five of her classic friends, each with new clothes, hair and eyes. In 2002, the franchise got another reboot, with new designs by a new designer. This time, the dolls were accompanied by a TV series and several new DVDs. When Bandai and KellyToy received manufacturing rights for the line, the dolls and recordings were joined by a line of new videogames. Subsequent branding efforts went south, however, and now American Greetings has relaunched the line again, this time with Hasbro as the manufacturer. The many changes in Strawberry and her pals over the years have left a bad taste in the mouths of many of her fans, but she is still a popular toy and still around after 38 years.
Barbie can do anything. An original Barbie from 1959 (far right) joins a 35th anniversary replica, both dressed in a zebra-striped swimsuit, as well as two other special edition Barbies. At far left is an original case for Barbie dolls and accessories.
BARBIE
In the late 1950s, young girls played with paper dolls, on which the children could hang cutouts that represented the latest fashion trends. One day, Ruth Handler, wife of one of the co-founders of Mattel, was watching her daughter, Barbara, struggling with one of her paper dolls. The figure was flimsy and didn’t stand upright; the cutout dress wouldn’t stay put. Why not, Handler thought, create a three-dimensional doll figure, and put real clothing on it? The clothes and other accessories could be exact miniatures of couture fashion – and with that thought (and her daughter’s name for inspiration) Barbie was born. Introduced in 1959 at the American Toy Fair, Barbie was the first teenage doll ever produced for children, and she caused a sensation. In 1961, Barbie got herself a boyfriend – Ken – and over the years she has acquired a sister and a host of friends of all ethnicities, not to mention any number of dream houses, dream cars and every kind of playset a young girl could possibly want. Barbie’s popularity and high visibility in the toy world has, over the years, made her the target of criticism. Her hourglass figure has especially been censured. In a culture that causes young girls to be conscious of their body image, Barbie’s figure has been thought to present girls with a highly idealized – and impossible to attain – body shape. Also, Barbie’s apparent fascination with style and glamor has been thought to deter girls from ambition into fields of business and the sciences. But she has proved immune to all the criticism. Over the past 56 years, over a billion Barbies have been sold, and collectors avidly seek older models and older fashions. They also seek out special edition Barbies, especially those created every year for the holiday season. Her face and body has altered over time, and she aspires to as many different career options as are open to any woman. As such, Barbie has become much more than a mannequin for children to play with, she has become a role model for young girls approaching adulthood. WGL November/December 2015 West Georgia Living
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November/December2015
West Georgia
LiVing 2015
Holiday Gift Guide The merchants of Carroll, Douglas and Haralson counties have everything you need for a memorable Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. So why fight the crowds in metro Atlanta? Stay home, shop local, and make the people in your life happy with these terrific gift ideas.
July/August 2015 West Georgia Living
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Gifts for WOMEN Sailor knot earrings
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2015 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
2 West Georgia Living September/October 2014 42 West Georgia Living November/December 2015
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8 West Georgia Living September/October 2014
November/December 2015
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FURNITURE
November/December 2015
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November/December 2015
Have Yourself A Really Little Christmas
W
elcome to the “Disney House.”
made shingles found on some manufactured houses, the ones on this one-off structure are all handmade and all somewhat different. Even the clapboards on the siding are individual boards, placed on a frame.
That’s the name Dee Perry of Carrollton has given this elaborate model home. Don’t confuse it with a dollhouse however; this is an detailed miniature, with a mindboggling array of furnishings and accessories equally scaled to match. The illusion is so perfect, that anyone looking at these photographs may feel they are looking at a real house. Instead, it was actually a model house, built by an architect who happened to work for the Disney companies. Decked out for the holidays, as seen here, the house is represents an ideal Victorian Christmas. Perry discovered this scale-model Queen Anne style house in Augusta while she was searching online ads. “Up popped the picture of this house and the hair stood up on my arms,” she said. “I knew it was something special.” The house was being sold by a woman whose aunt had always wanted a Queen Anne style Victorian. “Her aunt couldn’t afford a real Queen Anne to restore, so she thought that maybe she would build one, so she had some-
The house is also fully wired, with tiny switches hooked up to electric lights. “Another unique thing (the builder) did is, in real life, this house would not have had an indoor kitchen; the kitchen would be separate from the house. He made the kitchen look body draw up a plan.” like it was added onto the house.” Indeed, the wood flooring in the kitchen is different But building the house was also too expensive from that used throughout the rest of the for the aunt, so, she contracted in 1975 with house, and there is also unevenness in the the Disney architect to take the blueprint and floor where it transitions between the “origiscale it down to a one-inch to one-foot scale, nal” house and the “addition.” and build a miniature instead. Since it is a scaled-down version of an actual Today, many manufacturers create a slew of building, it is difficult for adult-sized hands detailed parts for dollhouses, helping them to fit through the narrow doorways. That to be as realistic as possible. Perry said such means that when Perry decorates the house parts were virtually unavailable 40 years ago, for Christmas, she must move very carefully forcing the architect to make the parts by and plan out how each of the rooms are to be hand. And that’s part of the charm of this lit- decorated, working from the back of the room tle building. Instead of the perfect, machine- to the front.
STORY BY KEN DENNEY PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY
The house is full of miniature items that Perry has collected during her frequent sojourns to craft stores and online shopping. Along November/December 2015
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with lighted Christmas trees and realistic strands of garland for the holiday theme, the house has a tiny Victrola, a vacuum cleaner and an extremely elaborate kitchen with tiny cakes and pies sitting on the table. “My dream is eventually to have a dollhouse museum, because these houses that I’m finding have been left to people, or someone has come across one who doesn’t know their value, or how to take care of them. And I think it’s very sad that someone worked all their lives collecting (furnishings) for them, especially for houses like this one.” WGL
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Christmas In a hurry S
GARDENING
ome people love decorating for the holidays. They put out enormous, complicated light displays with robotic Santas and dancing elves that gyrate to booming sound effects. They pay big bucks to hire artsy professionals to twinkle up their houses, inside and out. Other people? They simply turn on the icicle lights nailed to the eaves of the house, left up since last year. Christmas is a time of sweet memories. We all remember our childhood holidays, and we wish for our children the same happy experiences of, say, taking an ornament to school for the classroom tree, baking grandma’s favorite cake, and singing the beloved carols with the Scout troop at the city celebration.
Today, in our hurried world of emails, texting, and cell phone calls, maybe there are ways we all may have a more pleasant, less rushed, sort of old fashioned Christmas. Disconnecting from electronics and reconnecting (that is, talking and listening) with our families is the best way to have a happier holiday. There's no reason to decorate in a hurry. Involve the children Involving children in your family traditions is a great place to begin. Instead of doing the baking before they get home from school, let them mix and decorate the sugar cookies, set the timer and wait. Staring into a warm oven is a good way to learn how r-e-e-eeally long 25 minutes is. When they’ve participated in
STORY BY MARILYN VAN PELT & KITTY BARR
Guests coming and no time to decorate? Here are some fast tips to make your home festive November/December 2015
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on a family tree is pretty daunting; what to do?
cooking, and cleaning up; packing away and serving guests the goodies, it‘s a real lesson in giving. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Giving, not just getting.
“I have fantasized about inventing an automatic Christmas tree that comes out of a closet with the flick of a switch, fully decorated. Imagine my amazement when I found a real pop-up tree advertised on the internet ... really! The ad with video demonstration promised that this instant tree would:
Children will bring home the darndest things to hang on your color coordinated tree. Their teachers have run out of ideas over the years, and are now sending home red and green glitter-shedding CDs. Never mind; in 15 years you can strategically position these artifacts to the rear of the tree, along with all the clay, Play-Doh and chewing gum foil ornaments from previous generations. Life goes on. Send – no, take your little ones outside to prune holly or pine for your mantle. That Burfordi holly needs trimming away from the drive; now’s the time. Wind tiny white lights through your greenery on the buffet and the mantle. The young ones will be entranced with your living room’s glow, while the cocktail crowd will admire your creativity.
Ribbons and Candles Wired ribbon is the best invention since cheese straws; it makes anyone looks like a pro. For your tree, fasten five or seven long garlands of this ribbon from top to bottom, before you top the tree with the angel or star. Now bend the wire to make the ribbon bend and wave in a cascading fashion. Your tree will look like it is out of a magazine. This fabulous ribbon will make lovely bows for home and packages. The weatherproof variety is also great for mailboxes and lamp posts. Hang these bows on hangars in the back of a closet or cabinet and reuse for years. Once you’ve got them, getting the house and yard ready for the holidays is a far easier task.
'(A)dd some instant holiday cheer. It assembles quickly and easily, and comes fully decorated, so you can spend less time on setup, and more time with your family It assembles in less than three minutes without tools and stands 6 feet tall, with 200 white LED lights.'
the time he nailed the Christmas tree to the floor, after my baby brother kept pushing it over. "In my early years, I remember that our tree was always a red cedar that my dad would cut in the woods. As time passed, my parents' Christmas trees got smaller, then artificial, until they decided not to have one. I think I might be headed that way, too. “Older folks have boxes filled with the decorations from a lifetime. There might be boxes of handmade items from children, heirloom ornaments, inherited items, and things bought last year at the 90% off post-Christmas sale. The idea of putting all this
Building and tending to a fire can add needless stress to a host’s duties, especially with Georgia’s weather. But you can give your fireplace a festive look by putting lit candles in the opening, balancing them on your probably never-used gas logs. You give the illusion of a warm, inviting fire without the heat or the bother.
Holiday Stories We’d like to share some holiday anecdotes for those who may feel a little overwhelmed with the season fast approaching: "My mother loved to decorate for Christmas. All the colored lights, ornaments and foil icicles had to be artfully placed, one at a time. No one was allowed to throw the tinsel at the tree The only time my dad participated was 52
West Georgia Living November/December 2015
“It sure did, but it looked a little strange. For a bit more money, I could have a more realistic tree that assembles, fully lit, in about the same time. After popping it up, I would spray it with some 'Smell of the Tree' scent and the illusion would be complete. Will wonders never cease? “I decided to simplify my Christmas decor a long time ago. So, rather than pull out everything I have in an effort to display it all, I choose a few things to feature. Some themes I can do with selected decorations are 'elegant', with white lights, garland, wreaths, special ornaments and a few candles; 'festive', with lots of color, old-style tinsel and lights; and 'family tradition', with all those handmade decorations, old photos and sentimental objects. If I do this, I will have a less cluttered home that feels more like Christmas and less like the local thrift store. By the way, have you seen that flickering candle that absolutely looks real but it isn't? I have one and it won't
burn my house down." And then there’s this suggestion: “My mother kept an artificial, lighted 6-foot tree in the basement. Each year, she brought it up and set it in front of the window; put on the small ornaments stored in the bottom drawer of a living room chest; tied the angel on the top with gold wired ribbon and flung the tree skirt underneath. VoilĂ ! Christmas decorating was done. “Her artificial wreath (I know; it’s anathema to a real gardener, which she wasn't) also came out of the basement. Ribbon straightened and hung on the door, ribbon on the mailbox and she was ready for the season. If you don't have a basement, the corner of a spare bedroom and a closet will do. “Younger people whose bedrooms are full of children will probably be buying a real tree and their houses will smell – not just look like – Christmas.â€?   WGL
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Bowdon by
Candlelight
F
or the past 17 years, The Bowdon Merchant’s and Citizen’s Guild has hosted the ever-popular annual event, “Bowdon by Candlelight.” This year marks the first time that BBC will be hosted as a Bowdon Main Street event. People from miles around will congregate downtown to enjoy fun, food, and shopping. The evening will begin November 5 with a Christmas parade at 5:30 followed by the tree lighting at 6:00 in Heritage Park. Festivities will continue until 9:00 PM.
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West Georgia Living November/December 2015
Downtown merchants decorate the storefronts and open their doors for extended hours so that residents and visitors can enjoy an evening stroll into local shops. Many merchants offer refreshments and special sales throughout the evening. Entertainment in Heritage Park and various other locations is always a treat. Santa Claus rides into town on a firetruck, and makes his first stop at Heritage Park for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Pictures made with Santa are always special for the children and parents, too. Often there are booths set up around town offering home baked goodies, handcrafted decorations and gifts. Each year this event takes place on the first Thursday night in November. Come join us on November 5th to kick off the Christmas shopping season. We look forward to seeing you in downtown Bowdon. WGL
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55
Keeping Away The
HOLIDAY BLUES
I
f you aren’t looking forward to the holidays this year, you can blame society.
Our culture places such an emphasis on the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, that any failure to achieve an ideal celebration is likely to be taken as a personal failure. If the turkey is too dry, or the tree isn’t big enough – or if any of the preparations don’t match someone’s idea of what the holiday should be – then “failure” overtakes the joy of reunion with loved ones, or the fun in giving and getting gifts. This expectation that the holidays must be a special time of year hits hardest at those who are missing people who used to make the holidays special. Deaths, divorce or estrangement from loved ones leave voids in people’s lives – voids that only become more pronounced during our society’s most important holidays. Events that are invested in joy, happiness and celebration are often uncomfortable, and even painful, when you cannot share them with the person you miss most. It’s certainly not helpful when friends and loved ones insist on including you in festivities you don’t want to join, or when they seem not to understand your feelings. But having experienced a personal loss is not the only reason to dread the approaching holidays. It’s traditional in our culture that families reunite at this time of year, and so we can feel an obligation to do so, even if that involves long trips and personal expense. It also can mean we will have to spend time with people we have been keeping distant all year. We cannot prevent the holidays from arriving – they are, after all, fixed dates on the calendar. Yet this can be an advantage in mapping out a strategy to cope with feelings of sadness or loneliness, or just plain dread.
Dealing with Sadness If you are feeling sad this time of year, you have plenty of company. But sadness, in and of itself, is not the end of the world. Although sadness can make clinical depression more difficult to cope with, sadness and depression are not the same things. Sadness means that 56
West Georgia Living
you are in touch with your feelings and are affected by things; depression, on the other hand, is a profound absence of feeling. Sadness has been the parent of many a great poem, song or novel. That doesn’t mean you should “enjoy” being sad, but you should also not be afraid to experience sadness, or to explore what the sadness means to you. You could learn a lot about yourself if you allow yourself to experience a bout of sadness. But being blue during the holidays could also be the result of a problem called Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s related to how our distant ancestors were attuned to the changing of the seasons in Nature. During the cold, often bleak days of winter, every creature on earth exhibits signs that, in people, can take on an emotional aspect. It’s rare, but real, and can be effectively managed through numerous techniques, including being exposed to full-spectrum light for a specific number of hours each day.
Dealing with Loneliness If you are going to be alone for the first time this year– or will be alone again – you can cope with your loneliness by joining in community events, such as tree lightings, free concerts or community brunches. Yes, this means that you will be surrounded by strangers, but there is both anonymity and oneness in a crowd. You won’t have to put on a brave face for friends, and you won’t have to talk about deeply personal issues. Instead, you can just be part of a crowd taking part in a festive event. If there are certain holiday traditions you associate with your missing loved one, try inventing new ones instead. Share these with close friends, or other family members – especially if they, too, share your loss. Also, if there are events going on that you actually would like to attend, don’t wait to be asked. And don’t hesitate to invite people over to your place.
November/December 2015
KEN DENNEY
If you are dealing with loss, your friends and loved ones will know this. Don’t be afraid or hesitant to lean on your support group. You may be afraid that you might have to talk about your emotions, but don’t be; true friends will simply be there at your side. There is no greater gift a true friend can receive than the knowledge that their friend – you – so values your relationship that you would turn to them.
Dealing with Stress It can be stressful, knowing that you are entering a festive season when you are anything but. Stress can take a real toll on your body however, so it makes sense to prevent as much as possible. Be primed to take care of your own body and mind when the holidays do arrive – eat well, make sure you get enough sleep, and get lots of exercise. Those things alone will help you resist the physical impact of emotional stress. Be prepared for disappointment, too. That doesn’t mean that you should expect to be disappointed, of course; but hopes that any event, especially the holidays, will be perfect are simply unrealistic. In any life event, what you expect might happen will not be what actually happens. So try to go into events with no expectations, and try to accept whatever comes. Focus only on those things you can control and let go of things that you cannot. Giving gifts can be stressful if you are overly concerned about spending more than you have just to please someone you care about. Pick a budget and stick to it, and always choose something simple and from the heart. Any gift recipient who doesn’t accept the adage that “it’s the thought that counts” deserves a lump of coal in their stocking. Your presence is more important than your present.
Dealing with the Family No one knows us better than our family members, and no one knows more how to push our buttons than a family member with whom you have had a long history of conflict. But remember that this knowledge is a
two-way street. Consider yourself forewarned. That person has likely not changed in the past 12 months, so anticipate that, whatever it is that they do to “spoil’ the holidays, they’re likely to do it again this year. Don’t rise to their provocation; release your own anger at their behavior. If you ignore someone’s attempt to get a rise out of you, they will at best be flummoxed by their inability to do so. If you ignore someone’s boorish behavior, then you won’t have aggravation. And if things start to get to the boiling point, defuse the situation by going out for a walk or a drive; maybe you can take some other family members with you. Like as not, they may be just as irked as you are. Concentrate on those family members that you actually do get along with, and give the rest of your family the gift of a wonderful visit.
Dealing with the Day After Our culture places so much emphasis on Thanksgiving and Christmas that many of us
look forward to it. But that only sets us up for a post-holiday let down. Again, this is where the calendar can be your friend. Instead of letting your holiday season come to a crashing end after January 1, find ways to stretch out the celebration. Plan a special day of shopping to pick up those post-holiday bargains. Plan trips to visit with loved ones whom you couldn’t see over the “real” holiday. Consider your time away from work a real vacation. Of course things have piled up during the holidays; but that would happen during any absence of work. Don’t stress over the inbox; ease yourself back into work as best you can, drawing on pleasant memories of being with loved ones and seeing old friends. ••• No one has ever had a Hallmark Christmas. Those holidays only exist in fiction, and they exist only because our culture places such an emphasis on Thanksgiving and Christmas being the most festive wtimes of the year.
Long experience with these holidays should tell us that such expectations are unrealistic, yet it is easy to fall in with the hype and expect this to be the best holiday ever. Just remember, though, that if you expect something to be perfect, you’ll always wind up disappointed. That’s not the purpose of holidays. They are supposed to be the festive events our culture says they should be, and they only fail at doing so when we bring our unrealistic expectations and emotions get in the way of the festivities. The holidays are simply days on a calendar; the responsibility for making them festive rests on us. Knowing the holidays are approaching means that we have time to prepare ourselves for how they affect us. Whether that means facing a tough period of loss, or yet another holiday with an aggravating relative, we don’t have to be a victim to our own feelings. We can simply accept what comes and take charge of our own survival. WGL
November/December 2015
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Sketching the Soul
ARTIST'S CORNER
“I
love the face,” says Andi Kichinko as she flips through pages and pages of penciled portraits she has drawn. Each face on every person is expressive, and seem to look beyond the image into reality. The 27 year-old Carrollton artist specializes in graphite and charcoal portraits, mostly of family members, musicians, and actors. “Art is so wonderful in that it’s all encompassing,” she enthuses. “You can draw or paint or sculpt – you can do it digitally or compose – whatever it is you’re feeling; whatever it is you’re seeing.” Her first artistic interaction with the pencil was during her junior year of high school. She needed one more elective to fill her schedule, and decided to take an introductory art course. There, she explored all two-dimensional media: paints, pastels, and pencil.
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“If the eyes are not correct, I will scrap the picture; the eyes are what people look at. It’s amazing how much that captures in a person." She seemed to gravitate most naturally toward the graphite pencil. She learned the basics - to look at the tones and shapes of faces, rather than just the lines.
November/December 2015
STORY BY MOLLY STASSFORT PHOTOS BY RICKY STILLEY
“I wanted to become as proficient in the medium as I could, so I would just sit and draw as many (portraits) as I could.” Since high school, Andi has delved into charcoal pencils, giving her new ways to look and to think about her portraits. “(Charcoal) gave me a lot more freedom to work with black and white.” She said that, as she became more proficient in her charcoal pieces, she saw her skill increase with the graphite pencil. Being able to switch between the two has allowed her become even more inventive with her work, alternating between light and dark paper, black and white charcoal, and different textured surfaces. The growth she has seen in the past 10 years has been tremendous, but definitely not unforeseen.
Growing up, Andi’s household was deeply rooted in the art world. Her parents, who were music teachers through her childhood, always instilled a sense of creativity in their daughters. “My parents encouraged us to make our own pictures – not to color in the lines of someone else’s, (but) to be imaginative.” Even with the nonstop love of art and all things creative running through her home, Andi says there was never any pressure from her parents to be artistic. “My entire family, we are as artistic as they come.” Her father, George Michael Kichinko, got a job in Carrollton in 2007, and the rest of the family, including her mom, Pat, and her two sisters, migrated from the Chicago suburbs to Georgia. Her older sister, Carol, is also an artist, focusing more on fantasy scenes than realism. She went to school for video game design, and focuses in digital media. Andi’s twin sister Kristen, however, fell in love
with theater growing up. She is now the lighting director for the dolphin show at the Georgia Aquarium. Andi’s career path took a different route. An IT office manager by day, Andi said that finding the balance between work and creativity can be a struggle. Because art is not her full-time career, she has to make time in her days to let her art flourish.
“I try to set aside at least an hour where I can just sit and draw.” During that time she sets up her materials, gathers her pencils, turns on some music, and dives deep into her work. “It’s amazing how lost I can get. I draw, and hours will pass without me realizing it. It is one of the most relaxing activities.” Having moved to Carrollton just over eight years ago, Andi has made the town her artistic haven, finding inspiration in local sights she sees every day. “The art appreciation in this town is amazing. I’ve never been in a community that has such an appreciation for the fine arts.” Fellow Carrollton artist Alan Kuykendall is one of Andi’s local inspirations. He has painted murals for the Corner Café, as well as on Adamson Square, and is also a gifted drawer and sculptor. She has taken workshops with him to enhance her own skill and to
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find her niche with drawing.
only questions she has when she sits down to draw: “What interests me? What am I willing to look at for the next eight hours?”
“Kuykendall told me I can be a skilled renderer, but that doesn’t make me an artist. To be an artist would be to develop my own style.”
When not taking influence from music, Andi turns to Norman Rockwell and Paul Calle, two noted portrait artists. She has also connected with artists across the country and turned to social media outlets as a way to stay motivated and learn new skills. “Whatever your strange interest is, even if you don’t have the community right around you, it’s so easy to find to share with.”
Following that advice, Andi has devoted years to defining her personal style. She finds it easier to work from a photographic reference. “With a photograph, you’re looking at a two-dimensional image and you’re trying to render it in another two-dimensional format.” Yet her goal is not merely to duplicate the photo, rather it is to capture the spirit of the person in the photograph. Where does the spirit of a photo lie? For Andi, it’s in the eyes.
Although many career artists inspire her, she sometimes is taken aback by the speed of their work. While they can finish a few portraits a week, Andi may only have time for one or two a month. Yet her goal is quality, not speed.
“If the eyes are not correct, I will scrap the picture; the eyes are what people look at. It’s amazing how much that captures in a person.” To this day, her favorite piece is a beautiful graphite sketch of her late maternal grandparents. That particular piece was a tribute to her grandmother, who passed away earlier this year. “I wasn’t able to go back up north for her funeral, so this was my way of contributing.” The picture depicts her grandfather sitting with his wife standing behind him, smiles on both of their faces. She gave the piece to her mother, who has it framed and hanging in the family’s house in Carrollton. Her paternal grandfather, George Kichinko, was an abstract artist and director of the Springfield Art Association in Chicago from 1956 to 1969. He passed away when Andi was only 8 years old, well before she began her art career; he did, however, leave behind a vast collection 60
West Georgia Living
of work that she looks to for inspiration and memories. “Being able to look back at his artwork, that’s been a big driving factor for me.” His accomplishments are not only motivation for Andi, but also a way to connect to her grandfather. Another inspiration is rock ‘n’ roll. Flip through her portfolio, and you’ll see a hand-drawn rock hall of fame. The most replicated artists: Tom Petty and Warren Zevon. Kichinko cites these artists as her favorite musicians and an easy source of inspiration. “It’s easy to tell when I get into a certain musician,” says Kichinko as she moves past pages of musicians she has sketched, “because then I want to draw them while I’m listening to them.” Other favorites include Sam Smith and Bob Dylan, each taking up a few pages. The
November/December 2015
Since the building of her website and social media outlets, Andi has made started doing portraits on commission. She started with family and friends, then gained a larger following as more people in the community saw her work. She receives regular emails and calls asking for her to render photos. “I once had a lady chase me down in Hobby Lobby when I was framing a piece I had just finished. She begged me to do a picture for her, and I was beyond happy to.” “Most of my work, even the ones I do just for fun, I happily give them away.” Andi says she would rather share her work with the world than just keep it for herself. Time has cultivated Andi’s high school hobby into an exquisite aptitude of transferring life onto a two-dimensional surface. As she continues to grow as an artist, she wants to expand into new media. Her next endeavor is pastels, which will
allow her to continue with portraiture, but with the addition of color, giving a new spirit to her work. “I look at my pieces from ten years ago and I cringe a little bit, but I’m
so happy I have them, because it has shown me what ten years has done to my skills as an artist and it makes me so hopeful. What’s the next ten years is going to bring me?” WGL
Leading West. Partner. Innovator. Creator. Economic Driver. Leader. The University of West Georgia is more than a nationally recognized educational institution. UWG connects with local schools to create synergy in preparing students for college. And UWG works closely with area employers to ensure that our graduates are prepared to meet the region’s workforce needs.
UWG’s leadership – in online curriculum development, the expansion of services for veteran and adult learners, and the new UWG Newnan – creates opportunities for more members of our community to Go West, earn degrees, and change the direction of their futures. Learn more about how UWG is leading West at westga.edu.
Go West. It changes everything. November/December 2015
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Lawyana McElroy Owner, Exit 205 Tire Center and Truck Repair, Tallapoosa I never dreamed I'd ... be so blessed to have two of the most wonderful kids. They are both smart, talented, honest and good-hearted. My best friend is... Kaycee, my daughter. I am so thankful for the relationship I have with her. If stranded on a desert island, I'd want this book with me ... The Holy Bible. I'd love to share a cup of coffee with ... Joyce Ann Key. My hero is ... my husband, Vic. People probably don't know that I ... LOVE ALABAMA FOOTBALL! LOL! When I have 10 minutes alone I like to ... talk to God. My parents taught me ... to always give a firm hand shake. My personal motto is ... "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eye off the goal." My favorite childhood memory is ... spending the summer with my grandmother, Berta Robinson.
November/December 2015
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BOOKS
Gifts for Book Lovers L ooking for gifts for the book lovers in your life? Here are some suggestions for anyone who loves Southern writers. We’ve separated these according to interest.
Southern / Coming of Age / Social Drama
“Go Set a Watchman”
A
By Harper Lee / Harper Collins, 2015
lthough “Go Set a Watchman” was written first, Harper Lee’s recently rediscovered novel follows the events of her Pulitzer Prize-winning “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Readers who loved “Mockingbird” may be disappointed, and somewhat distressed, by this novel, simply because it is not that book. But “Watchman” is worth reading on its own.
serious. Jean Louise confronts harsh facts about racial issues and about her father, perhaps the most painful aspect of the novel. Her relationships with her father, and with Calpurnia, are more complicated than in “Mockingbird,” and her exposure to the complex issue of race in Southern culture creates a more convoluted perspective in the novel.
Jean Louise Finch (Scout) returns as a young woman to Maycomb, Ala., from New York City, arriving amid the painful realities of race relations in the South during the 1950s. Her more adult point of view, and her brief exposure to other perspectives, changes her awareness – and thus her narrative.
Atticus Finch is not the saintly character from “Mockingbird.” Calpurnia’s perspective on racial issues is also less simplistic. Jean Louise, as an adult, must come to terms with a more realistic view of her father and of Calpurnia’s attitudes toward race relations, just as the reader must face some uncomfortable truths that Lee’s more famous novel merely hints at.
The story of the Tom Robinson trial is mentioned, and Jean Louise’s relationships with her father and their maid Calpurnia are evident, though in a different context because of the storyline. The plot and the style of the novel show some flashes of Harper Lee’s later writing, especially early in the novel with Jean Louise’s verbal sparring with her uncle and with her boyfriend, Hank. Lee’s sense of humor is evident in some of those conversations,
giving the reader some comedic relief from some of the novel’s more serious content. Later on, the sparring becomes more
Some critics and readers alike wish that this book had not been published because it challenges some of the innocence of Lee’s first publication. For other curious readers, the book is worth reading precisely because it gives a different perspective on the characters and events in “Mockingbird.” Readers who accept the challenge of this book will certainly have something to talk about in book clubs, or on the internet.
Author Biography: Harper Lee A descendant of Robert E. Lee, Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Ala. She studied Law at the University of Alabama, and was an exchange student at Oxford University, England. Before graduating, she moved to New York City to pursue a literary career. In 1959, she 64
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November/December 2015
was a research assistant for her childhood friend Truman Capote (and the model for her character Dill) on his book, “In Cold Blood.” Her novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” won a Pulitzer in 1961 and became a major motion picture in 1962. This is her second novel.
BOOKS
Gifts for Book Lovers Mystery / Crime
“Pretty Is”
By Maggie Mitchell / Henry Holt, 2015
M
aggie Mitchell’s debut novel tells of the abduction and subsequent lives of two girls who spend a summer with their abductor, a charismatic stranger who calls himself Zed.
two women are reunited as the novel’s climax leads them toward a greater understanding of their kidnapping. The narrative voices of the two characters give the reader a dual perspective on the events of the book. Additionally, Mitchell inserts a section from her book-within-a-book, giving the novel a post-modernist twist as Lois attempts to make sense of her life, perhaps asserting a creative control over the story as she searches for their abductor’s purpose.
The girls, Carly Mae and Lois, both 12 at the time of their kidnapping, alternate the book’s narration. Before their abductions, Carly had competed in beauty contests, while Lois had competed in spelling bees. Unlike most abduction stories in novels, television shows, and movies, Mitchell’s novel delves into the subsequent psychological effects on the lives of the two girls. They never discover their abductor’s purpose, and the lack of Zed’s perspective on those events makes it impossible for them to triangulate the point of their abduction. As adults, Carly Mae changes her name to Chloe and becomes an actress, while Lois becomes an academic, teaching in a small college. Despite their attempts to distance themselves from the trauma of that summer, their lives and their relationships with others are distorted as they search for answers. Lois writes a
novel called “Deep in the Woods,” using the pen name Lucy Ledger. Lois sells the movie rights, and Chloe, of all people, is cast for a role in the film. Thus, the
“Pretty Is” tells a fascinating story, using the dual narrative perspective to develop both characters and their psychological responses to the events. Mitchell delves into the complexities of the human psyche, giving the reader a deeper understanding of the two girls’ complicated and evolving view of their abductor and of the events they experienced as children. The reader shares the characters’ uncertainties as they search for answers. The conclusion is at once satisfying and tantalizing, leaving the reader both fulfilled and mystified. This is a must-read.
Author Biography: Maggie Mitchell Maggie Mitchell has been teaching English and creative writing at the University of West Georgia since 2004. She grew up in upstate New York and won the New York State Fair spelling bee when she
was 12, just like her character Lois. She did her undergraduate work at Cornell and received her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. This is her first novel. November/December 2015
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BOOKS
Gifts for Book Lovers Family Melodrama
“The Half Brother” By Holly LeCraw / Doubleday, 2015
H
olly LeCraw’s second novel provides a fascinating blend of two settings and two subgenres: the Southern Gothic and the New England boarding school narrative. LeCraw grew up in Buckhead, where her parents operated that book lovers’ mecca, the Oxford Bookstore. She now lives close to Boston, so she knows both locales.
LeCraw’s plot twists create increasingly tangled threads that weave through the tapestry of the plot. The entanglements are the result of increasingly contorted character developments, leaving the reader to wonder what will happen next. Some of the twists are true Southern Gothic, worthy of William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, or Erskine Caldwell. The novel’s New England Prep School elements (reminiscent of many novels and movies) are an interesting counterpoint to the Southern aspects, but both show the importance of family and personal relationships as driving forces in people’s lives. Charlie Garret’s search for his own identity shifts drastically because of what he learns about himself and those closest to him.
Her plot reveals the intricate complexities of families, and the secrets in relationships that confuse and sometimes destroy their lives. The protagonist, Charlie Garrett, grows up in the Buckhead, the first son of a single mother. His mother marries Hugh Satterthwaite, a member of her church, and thus she and Charlie enter the fringes of Buckhead society. His mother has a second son with Hugh – the half-brother of the book’s title. Through his stepfather’s influence, Charlie goes to Harvard and begins teaching at the Abbott School, a second-tier private prep school in northern Massachusetts. He meets the school chaplain, Preston Bankhead, whose daughter becomes
one of his students, and their personal relationship develops after she graduates. But when Charlie’s charismatic half-brother comes to teach the same school, complications ensue.
LeCraw’s style is elevated, but engaging. Her depictions of her settings give a true sense of not only the places, but also the cultural attitudes of both the Southern and the New England gentry. Her plot and character revelations keep the reader turning pages, arriving at the novel’s surprising and melodramatic conclusion.
Author Biography: Holly LeCraw Holly LeCraw grew up in Atlanta in Buckhead where her father owned the Oxford Bookstore. She holds English degrees from Duke and Tufts. She has been published in numerous publications, and 66
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her first novel The Swimming Pool received critical acclaim. She now lives outside of Boston with her husband and three children. This is her second novel.
BOOKS
Gifts for Book Lovers Illustrated Children's Biography
“Swan: the Life and Dance of Anna Pavolva” O
By Laurel Snyder / Illustrated by Julie Morstad / Chronicle Books, 2015
ne of the iconic traditions of the holiday season is the performance of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, “The Nutcracker Suite.” For that reason, Laurel Snyder’s book about one of the world’s greatest ballerinas is a perfect gift.
appropriately poetic. Children will love the sound of the language as it carries the story. The words dance across the page, as the music that sweeps through the book. The illustrations are superb. Julie Morstad depicts the dress and the culture of 19th Century Russia, giving the reader a sense of the time. The illustrations of dancers seem to flow on the page, as though carried by the music of Snyder’s language. Particularly beautiful are the images of Anna Pavlova as the swan.
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) changed ballet through her dance and through her attempts to make the art more available to a wider audience across the globe. Her life will inspire the young readers who read this book. Her story could itself be the subject of a fairy tale. Born in Czarist Russia in the late 19th Century, she was the daughter of a poor laundress who took her to the ballet as a child. Her exposure to the music of Tchaikovsky and to the dance transformed her life. Snyder tells a story worthy of Cinderella; of how Pavlova struggled and sacrificed to study ballet. She was too thin by traditional standards, and her feet were too small to dance en pointe. She designed toe shoes to adapt to her limitation, a design that is in common use today. Through hard work, dedication, and a passionate belief in dance, she became the iconic ballerina. At the peak of her success, she carried the message of dance to common people, performing in non-traditional venues, thus enlarging the audience beyond the
Pavlova died young, of either pleurisy or pneumonia. As she was dying, she asked for her swan costume, and her last words were “Play that last measure very softly.” Snyder includes Pavlova’s death, but writes with such grace and sensitivity that young readers should not be traumatized by the book’s end. As a finale, the author also relates more information about Pavlova’s life and art, which older readers may find interesting.
traditional elite. The existence of numerous dance studios in small towns may be a result of her influence. Snyder is a poet, and the text of the book is
Laurel Snyder’s “Swan” is a book that parents and children will enjoy sharing. Young people interested in dance will find the story, the language, and the illustrations enchanting. As in Pavlova’s actual life, Snyder’s biography may inspire people to enjoy the beauty and the magic of ballet. WGL
Author Biography: Laurel Snyder Laurel Snyder was born in Baltimore, Md. She holds degrees from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. She has published poetry and a number of children’s books. She
took ballet classes as a child, a passion that she still obviously feels. She is an occasional commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and three children. REVIEWER BIOGRAPHY
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. November/December 2015
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Events
Calendar of Events November /December NOVEMBER Tuesday, November 3
mium reserved seats (rows A-N) $30; reserved seats (rows O-Z) $25. All ticket prices increase by $5 at the door after 5 p.m. on the night of the show. For more information, call the box office at 770-537-MILL (6455).
and holiday specials. It’s the event that officially starts the holiday season! 6pm until 8pm.
Friday, November 21
Election Day – Douglas County: Municipal election in Douglasville; parts of Villa Rica Carroll County: Municipal elections in Bowdon, Carrollton, Roopville, Temple and Villa Rica; Countywide school SPLOST referendum; distilled spirits referendum in Whitesburg. Haralson County: ESPLOST referendum, municipal elections in Bremen, Tallapoosa and Buchanan.
Georgia Gives Day. Take time today to donate to a local cause or charity of your choice. For further information, visit www.gagivesday.org.
“Home is Where the Heart Is” exhibit. Art show opens on the third floor of the Douglas County Courthouse with a reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with free admission. The exhibit will thereafter be open anytime the Courthouse is open.
Monday, November 16
November 7-8 Christmas in Lithia. Begin your Christmas shopping “the Lithia Way” with an indoor arts and crafts show at Lithia Springs High School. Saturday hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, open from Noon to 5 p.m. There will be a special Santa Land Play area. Free admission and parking.
Friday, November 13 John Conlee in Concert. Mill Town Music Hall, 7:30 p.m. Opening act: Judge Talford Band. Pre-
Sunday, November 15 America Recycles Day. Dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and to buy recycled products. Sponsored by the National Recycling Coalition, and celebrated on this day every year, is.
Chat with the Chairman. One-on-one conversations with Chairman Tom Worthan on any topic - Free admission, open to the public, no set program or agenda. Hours 6-7 p.m. at Fire Station Nol. 11, Highway 92 North.
Thursday, November 20 Lighting of Adamson Square. You know that Christmas is just around the corner when the lights are switched on in Downtown Adamson Square. The square will be all dressed up for the holidays, and there will be shopping, carolers, dance groups performing, eating and of course the much anticipated arrival of Santa Claus! Come sit with Santa in his grand chair for photos, and visit our shops for hot cocoa
Wet Willie in concert. Mill Town Music Hall, 8 p.m. Opening act: Diane Durrett. Premium reserved seats (rows A-N) $30; reserved seats (rows O-Z) $25. All ticket prices increase by $5 at the door after 5 p.m. on the night of the show. For more information, call the box office at 770-537-MILL (6455).
November 23-25 Lecture Series at Pine Mountain Gold Museum. Lectures on historical topics held daily from noon until 2 p.m. at Pine Mountain Gold Museum & Scenic Railroad at Stockmar Park. Watch th museum’s Facebook page for complete schedule and topics.
Thursday, November 26 Thanksgiving Day
DECEMBER Tuesday, December 1 “Holiday Photography” exhibit. Opening reception for monthly exhibit on the third floor of the Douglas County Courthouse from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Free admission. The exhibit will thereafter be open anytime the Courthouse is open.
November/December 2015
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Environmental Excellence Awards Luncheon. Sponsored by Keep Carroll Beautiful, this event recognizes business, non-profit organizations and community volunteers in Carroll County that provide leadership in environmental protect, and practice environmentally sound behavior in the areas of water quality protection, waste reduction, recycling and pollution prevention. Noon until 1 p.m.
Thursday, December 3 Holiday Wishes Christmas Parade. With lights, Christmas trees, and sometimes even snow, there’s no event more magical during the holidays than the annual Holiday Wishes Christmas Parade in Carrollton. Each year, we host over 50 participants in this parade ranging from civic organizations and churches to high school marching bands and fire trucks. This parade of lights and all things festive is a fun treat for the whole family. 5:30 -7:30 p.m., rain or shine. Parade begins at Dairy Queen and follows Maple Street to Adamson Square, then down Newnan Street to South White Street.
December 3 – 20 Winter Wonderland Train Ride at Pine Mountain Scenic Railroad. Take a ride on the train as we tour thousands of lights around the mountain! All beautifully illuminated in a traditional Christmas theme. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Nights from 6 pm to 9 pm through December 20th. Only $13 per person; children 2 & under ride free. Free Hot Beverage for riders! Pictures with Santa!
Friday, December 4 “Winter Wonderland” Holiday Parade &
Tree Lighting. Downtown Douglasville from 6:30 to 8:30. The parade starts at 6:30 on Church Street. The tree lighting will take place at O’Neal Plaza at 8:15 pm and kids can have their photos with Santa at the Conference Center.
trants. Fee includes breakfast, a gift and activities. From 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Villa Rica Civic Center (V-Plex). The cost is $20 per adult & child, $10 for each additional person.
Saturday, December 5
John Berry’s 19th Annual Christmas Concert. Mill Town Music Hall, 7:30 p.m. Premium reserved seats (rows A-N) $35; reserved seats (rows O-Z) $30. All ticket prices increase by $5 at the door after 5 p.m. on the night of the show. For more information, call the box office at 770-537-MILL (6455).
Christmas Tree Lighting and Arrival of Santa. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mill Amphitheater, downtown Villa Rica. Contact 678-8401160 Snack N' Snap. Downtown Buchanan Revitalization invites you to enjoy refreshments and meet Santa. Professional photos are available for a small fee. 3pm - 5pm. 770-646-3369 Simply Christmas in Buchanan. The Haralson County Historical Society invites you to finish (or start) your Christmas shopping in the Historic Old Courthouse from 9am - 3pm. Local vendors will display their wares. Entertainment schedule T.B.A. 770-646-3369.
Friday, December 11 Mark Lowry, The Martins and Stan Whitmire in concert. Mill Town Music Hall, 7:30 p.m. Premium reserved seats (rows A-N) $35; reserved seats (rows O-Z) $30. All ticket prices increase by $5 at the door after 5 p.m. on the night of the show. For more information, call the box office at 770-537-MILL (6455).
Saturday, December 12 Breakfast with Santa. Children ages 10 and under can visit with Santa and enjoy a breakfast. You must pre-register at Gold Dust Park by December 4. Limited to the first 200 regis-
Friday, December 19
Thursday, December 25 Christmas Day
Wednesday, December 31 Gold Nugget Drop. Music and fireworks to mark the beginning of 2016 in Villa Rica. From 10 p.m. until midnight. Possum Drop 2015/2016. Celebrate New Year’s Eve with music and fireworks in Tallapoosa. Beginning at 8:30 p.m. The 2016 Possum King and Queen will be crowned at 9 p.m., followed by the band On the Border. Radio personality Rhubarb Jones will begin the countdown at 11:58 p.m., and the New Year will be celebrated by a fireworks display. Free admission. New Year’s Eve Celebration with Billy Dean and the Steel Horses. Mill Town Music Hall, 8 p.m. Premium reserved seats (rows A-N) $40; reserved seats (rows O-Z) $35. All ticket prices increase by $5 at the door after 5 p.m. on the night of the show. For more information, call the box office at 770-537-MILL (6455). . WGL
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November/December 2015
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Ask the Ex ert What every West Georgian should know about...
Changing Seasons Doesn’t Have to Put Your Pets Health at Risk
Buying Local Walker Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Inc. ............76
Carroll County Animal Hospital .................73
The Benefits of Realtor Representation
Coping With Grief During the Holidays
Ellen Wynn McBrayer/ Jones Wynn Funeral Farish Realty & Associates .........................74 Home .........................................................77
Success Skills For Kids Oak Mountain Academy ...........................75
Heart Attacks and Cardiac Arrest Tanner Health System ................................78
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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.
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What every West Georgian needs to know about keeping your pet healthy during this fall season... As the season changes to cooler weather, some new concerns creep up that aren’t present during other times of the year. Protecting your pets from certain potential dangers is important. 1) Pets and Rodent prevention As the weather cools rodents try and get inside to a warmer area, and many homeowners would like to prevent these intruders but aren’t sure what to use. We recommend glue strips or the snap mouse traps to prevent these pest. The traditional bait bags have agents in them that prevent blood from clotting. Your pet can ingest these colored pellets thinking they are a treat and this can be life threatening. If this should happen you should contact your veterinarian immediately.
2) Pets and Antifreeze usages around the house If you are adding or changing antifreeze to your car or tractors make sure to clean up any residual antifreeze or better yet use the pet friendly antifreeze whose active ingredient is propylene glycol (nontoxic) instead of ethylene glycol (toxic). As little as a tablespoon of ethylene glycol antifreeze can kill an average sized dog, and if your pet were to get into antifreeze time is essential for successful treatment. If this occurs, see your veterinarian immediately.
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... The Benefits of Realtor Representation
Q A
Mary Jo Farish Licensed in 1971 while selling homes, lots and timeshare at Sky Valley, NC, Jo moved to Carrollton in 1979, bought a Century 21 franchise, hired 30 agents and acquired 5 million dollars in listings in 8 months. She was a founding member of the West Metro Board of Realtors and the first inductee into its Hall of Fame. She has held many offices in the Georgia Association of Realtors, including Regional Vice President, RPAC Trustee and Chairman of the Congressional Action Committee.
Q A
With so much information on the internet these days, do we really need a Real Estate Agent to help us buy or sell our home? More than ever! While information is more readily available to the public now, the process of buying and selling a home has gotten much more complicated. We tell our clients that the real work of representing them kicks in after we go to contract on a property. There are usually a host of unforeseen obstacles that can and will derail a closing if they are not handled properly and promptly. Experience does matter. Real estate agents work with the flood of new information all day, every day and will have at their fingertips tools and ideas the general public might not be aware of. They know the neighborhoods, the right pricing, the buying and selling process and can save you time, money and headaches.
How does a Realtor make it easier?
Q A
Even with an agent to assist you, buying or selling a home is traumatic, right up there with death and divorce I am told. But, even in those situations, it is always nice to have someone to be there guiding you through the tough spots. First, agents help you find the right financing and the home that fits your needs; they guide you through the negotiation of the contract; they make sure you have a home inspection for your protection; and, they coordinate all of the big and small details that lead to a smooth closing with the attorney, loan officer and buyer or seller. A always available to answer your questions G goes the extra mile for you E expect the best N negotiations not found on the internet T trust you can count on We live and work by the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
YOUR FULL SERVICE REAL ESTATE COMPANY Residential ∙ Commercial ∙ Land ∙ Industrial ∙ Rentals 736 Bankhead Hwy, Carrollton, GA 30117 (770) 832.1196 www.farishrealty.com
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What every west Georgian should know about... “Success Skills” for Kids
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.
Q A
Besides the necessary school supplies, what kinds of skills do students need to help them succeed at school? In preparation for the onset of a new school year, parents and their children swarmed store aisles as they sought everything needed to ensure a great start. By now, the newness has worn off the book bag, binders, pencils, and textbooks. The 2015-2016 is now well underway! In addition to the purchased supplies, a student must bring a “supply” of personal skills in order to be successful in all areas of school life. According to Dr. David Walsh, adolescent psychologist, among the most important are empathy, curiosity, the belief that they can grow as learners, resilience, focus, and realistic self-esteem.
How are these skills important in a student’s life both in and out of the classroom? To begin, empathy provides a student with a respect for others and their differences, the ability to form friendships and accept challenges, and to possess a genuine concern for the greater good. Curiosity is the foundation of learning. Dr. Walsh further explains that
WARRIORS
OAK MOUNTAIN ACADEMY
many students bring to school a belief that their ability and capacity for learning are inherited, predetermined traits. However, the most successful students are those who understand that they can continue to grow as learners with persistence and hard work. Next, we understand that too much stress can be detrimental to learning. Unfortunately, as parents we sometimes attempt to intercept adversity and challenges before our children experience them. Ultimately, we do them a much greater service if we help our children learn to deal with their adversities and to accept challenges. Another necessary skill is the ability to focus. Our students live in a world where they are continually bombarded with countless distractions. We must help them learn to focus in order to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Dr. Walsh completes the list of needed skills with “real self-esteem.” Often when parents focus too much on a child’s happiness, it can be counter intuitive in the long run, creating unhappiness. It is much more advantageous to help our children gain real, deserved self-esteem from their hard work, achievements, and opportunities to grow their competence, rather than showering them with meaningless praise and unearned accolades. A student equipped with adequate supplies and the skills described by Dr. Walsh will undoubtedly be ready to strive for and attain success in the classroom and beyond.
Learn more at: www.oakmountain.us 770-834-6651 paulagillispie@oakmountain.us
W ELCOME W EDNESDAY Come experience us in action!
Please join us each Wednesday. 10:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
I am a Warrior!
Can’t make it on Wednesday? Please call 770-834-6651 to schedule your personal weekday visit!
We can’t wait to see you “on the Mountain.” N�� ac��p��n� ����ica�i�n� f�� ��� 2015-2016 s�ho�� �e��. P�ea�� c��� �� st�� �� ��A!
Come see what it means to be a Warrior.
. . . . . . . . .
ADMISSIONS OPEN H OUSE EACH W EDNESDAY 1 0 : 0 0 A. M. — 1 2 : 0 0 P. M.
O AK M OUNTAIN A CADEMY 222 Cross Plains Road ~ Carrollton, GA 30116 www.oakmountain.us Oak Mountain Academy admits qualified students without regard to race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, handicapped status, or religion.
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What every West Georgian should know about... Buying Local
Q
Does a dealer’s reputation matter?
A
Yes, absolutely! Walker Cadillac Buick GMC has been in the West Georgia area for 46 years. It is our goal to be the exclusive new or pre-owned dealer when anyone asks “Where should I buy my next car?” and we can stake our reputation on being that preferred dealership.
Todd Rupp Sales Manager Walker Cadillac, Buick, GMC Inc.
Qualifications Todd has been in the Automotive Industry Since 1978 in Sales, Service and Finance and has worked with Walker Cadillac Buick GMC as Sales Manager since 2000.
Q
How does buying locally play a role in the local economy?
A
When a West Georgia resident makes a purchase at Walker Cadillac Buick GMC, the residual effect of that transaction allows us to make donations to local schools,
non-profit organizations, and other charities. It is the generosity of many local small businesses that make this community so great.
Q
Will you really pick my car up for service?
A
Yes, we sure will! We have been offering vehicle pick up and delivery as well as shuttle service and loaner cars since the late 1960s. We want to make your service experience as painless and easy as possible; if that means picking up your car, we will be glad to make that happen. We’ve even been known to make house calls for simple repairs. LEARN MORE www.walkergmauto.com• 770.832.9602
AWARD WINNING DEALERSHIP www.walkergmauto.com
770-832-9602
1492 N Park St. • Carrollton
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What every West Georgian should know about... Coping With Grief During The Holidays 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:
How do I Maintain a Balance? While it might feel tempting to avoid celebrating the holidays altogether, it is difficult to escape the season entirely. Family celebrations will still go on, even if they will not be the same as they once were. It’s important to acknowledge that things will be different. Don’t feel as if you need to attend every gathering you’re invited to; however, even a small amount of time spent with family and friends can prove therapeutic. Just make sure to balance your social activities with solitude. Is it Okay to Express Your Grief? Yes...
Should You Nourish Your Mind and Body? Yes....
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.
It’s easy to overlook the physically draining effect the holidays can have on individuals, an impact magnified for those who have experienced the death of a loved one. To boost your energy level: Stay well hydrated and do not overindulge; eat balanced, nutritious meals; stay active and find an exercise program you enjoy; and get enough sleep. Remember, take care of yourself. Most importantly, listen to what your body is telling you. If you don’t feel well, take time to rest. If your fatigue persists, see your physician. Would It Help To Pay Tribute to Your Loved One? Yes.... 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 Thanksgiving 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.
It’s okay to let the tears flow. Crying will offer a release and is often quite healing. However, be sure to complement these feelings of sadness with positive thoughts. Acknowledge the support you have received from family and friends in your time of grief. Remember the many happy holidays you spent with your loved one. Finally, remember that while the upcoming days and weeks might seem daunting, you will get through them. Remember, when you think you have gone as far as you can go...stop and look back at how far you have already come. For continued support we provide 365 days grief support that you can sign up for on our website. For additional grief resources reach out to us at 770-459-3694 or www.joneswynn.com, on our facebook pages or visit www.nfda.org. Our Annual Remembrance Service will be Sunday, November 15 at 6 pm from our Douglas Chapel and Sunday, November 22 at 6pm from our Villa Rica Chapel.
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What every West Georgian should know about Heart Attacks and Cardiac Arrest rrest
Q A
Rajat Jhanjee, MD, MSEE Tanner Heart & Vascular Specialists
Qualifications: Dr. Jhanjee is board-certified in electrophysiology and cardiovascular disease. He earned his medical degree and finished his electrophysiology and cardiology training at the University of Minnesota. He also holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Q A
both heart attack and SCA. Cardiac arrest can also be caused by severe physical stress from major blood loss, lack of oxygen or low levels of critical minerals like potassium and magnesium; an electrical shock; structural heart abnormalities from inherited disorders; and heart defects or infections.
What’s the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? People often confuse sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) with heart attack. While SCA can follow a heart attack, these two heart problems are entirely different. During a heart attack — also called an acute myocardial infarction — blood is blocked from flowing to the heart. As a result, part of the heart muscle can be damaged or killed. Usually, the blockage is caused by a blood clot formed from the buildup of fatty deposits in the heart’s arteries. Cardiac arrest, however, is caused by a malfunction in the heart’s electrical system. Often, an abnormal heart rhythm, called an arrhythmia, is to blame. When the heart’s rhythm is disrupted completely, it fails to deliver blood to the brain and other vital organs. Unless the heartbeat is restored within minutes, death occurs. A device that sends an electrical shock to the heart, called a defibrillator, can be used to get the heart beating again. Are heart attacks and cardiac arrest caused by the same thing? Artery blockage from heart disease is the No. 1 culprit in heart attack and cardiac arrest. When lack of blood flow damages the heart, the resulting scar tissue can wreak havoc on the heart’s electrical system and lead to SCA. In fact, most people who experience cardiac arrest have heart disease and may have unknowingly had a heart attack at an earlier time. Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity also frequently play a role in
Q
How can I tell the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest?
A
Fainting is usually the first sign of cardiac arrest. Breathing often stops and no pulse is felt. Some report dizziness, a racing heartbeat or lightheadedness before losing consciousness. Heart attack symptoms are more varied than symptoms of SCA. While chest pain can occur, other signs include: • Chest tightness or pressure • Sweating, nausea or vomiting • Upper body discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach • Shortness of breath • And others
Q
What should I do if I see someone with those symptoms?
A
Call 911 immediately. Both cardiac arrest and heart attack are life-threatening conditions. Emergency medical responders can begin providing care en route to the hospital, and help the hospital be better prepared to respond when the patient arrives.
For more information, call 770.812.9326 or visit www.HeartAndVascularSpecialists.org.
Advancing Health WITH HEART CARE BEYOND MEASURE. Who has your heart? Your spouse? Your grandkids? Tanner specializes in your heart, with preventive services to keep you healthy and the region’s largest network of primary care providers to quickly catch cardiovascular problems when they begin. Advanced diagnostic care ensures that your heart is working properly, and innovative treatments like angioplasty and cardiac electrophysiology are available should problems occur, including heart attacks or irregular heartbeats. So your heart can be there for the ones who hold it, strong and safe, with medicine beyond measure.
To find a heart specialist, call 770.214.CARE or learn more at TannerHeartCare.org.
MEDICINE BEYOND MEASURE
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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 CARE BEYOND MEASURE.
When it comes to heart attacks, quick action to open blocked arteries is critical to preserving your heart muscle. That’s why having advanced heart treatment like angioplasty close to home means not only saving miles — it could save your life. From the time you enter our doors at Tanner, we can open blocked arteries and stop a heart attack in its tracks in less than 90 minutes. From the latest heart tests for coronary artery disease to lifesaving angioplasty and stenting, Tanner is delivering advanced heart care with medicine beyond measure.
To find a heart specialist, call 770.214.CARE or learn more at TannerHeartCare.org. MEDICINE BEYOND MEASURE
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