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Can you believe it's our ninth anniversary already? Some days, it seems like only yesterday we were publishing our very first issue, and on other days, it seems as if West Georgia Woman has been around forever with all the work we have to do!
When I started my business and WGW in November 2015, I could never have imagined we would be where we are today. We've grown from publishing only one monthly magazine to adding our special Bridal and Holiday issues, our Football Preview and Spring Sports Showcase, to partnering with Tanner Health System with our Healthy Woman magazine, Carroll County, Ga., to publish the County's annual report to the community and the Carroll County and Greater Haralson Chamber of Commerce's Community Guides (the Greater Haralson community guide will publish in January 2025).
We are so thankful that we have been given the opportunity to partner with these wonderful organizations in our community.
During this month of thankfulness, I sincerely thank you for reading West Georgia Woman magazine. I am so humbled and deeply grateful that you choose to bring our beautiful magazine into your homes each month.
I'd like to extend thanks to all our staff, our editorial contributors and everyone who helps produce West Georgia Woman. It truly takes a village to produce our high quality magazine each month along with all our special issues.
And to our community advertising partners who have invested in our publication and trusted us to deliver their important message to West Georgia and East Alabama over the last nine years, I can't thank you enough. You have truly made a difference in my life, the lives of the people who work for WGW and the lives of our readers throughout West Georgia and East Alabama.
Thank you so much to each and every one of you. We wouldn't be here without you.
Our feature this month is Debra Land. Five years ago, Debra had no clue she had a ticking timebomb inside her body that was about to betray her. It was a normal day in November 2019 when she lost consciousness at work and was life-flighted to Grady Memorial Hospital, where medical staff found she had an undetected brain aneurysm that ruptured. Fifty percent of people who have a subarachnoid hemorrhage like Debra experience sudden death, and one-third of people who make it to the hospital die, while another one-third of patients survive – but with disabilites, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Debra is truly a walking miracle, but it hasn't been easy for her. It's taken a lot of work and a mountain of faith to be where she is today. On page 10, learn more about Debra, her support system and her extraordinary story of survival.
As you flip through the pages of this issue, you'll learn about creating new family traditions, the benefits of shopping local, uncommon ways to give back to your community and much more, including Chef Rose Isaacs' delicious recipes.
Thank you for reading! Please continue to shop locally as much as you can and continue to do business with our wonderful community partners whose advertisements are included in this issue. We couldn't do this without them!
Happy Thanksgiving! Publisher
West Georgia Woman is a voice for and about the women who live and work in West Georgia.
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Please hug those you love a little tighter tonight and thank the good Lord for everything you have.”
That’s the message Debra Land’s husband of 32 years, Mike, shared consistently after the family went through a life-altering emergency when an undiagnosed aneurysm ruptured inside Debra’s brain.
It started out as a normal day in November 2019. The Carrollton family – Debra, Mike and daughter Mylah, who was 15 at the time, woke up, got ready for the day, and headed to work and school. Debra headed out for her office manager position with O2 Plus, where she handles payables, receivables and other business administration duties.
Debra had no clue she had a ticking timebomb inside her body that was about to betray her.
“I was at work, and I called my mom,” Debra recalls. “I told her I was experiencing all the symptoms I have when I have a migraine. I was feeling a little bit dizzy, and like I needed to close my eyes so I won’t throw up – but my head didn’t hurt. And then she called back to check on me, but I didn’t answer. She called the store and told them to come back to the office and check on me, and they found me unresponsive."
She lost consciousness at work and was lifeflighted to Grady Memorial Hospital, where they found she had an undetected brain aneurysm that ruptured.
A brain aneurysm is a bulging, weakened area in an artery, kind of like a thin balloon. About 1 in 50 people have a brain aneurysm, and most have no symptoms. When they rupture, brain aneurysms bleed into the area between the skull and brain, which is considered a life-threatening type of stroke called a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Most people don’t know they have the aneurysm. The
cause can be genetic, or it can be caused by head trauma. It’s more common as people age. Other risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure, drug and alcohol abuse, or certain infections. Women over 40, particularly people of color, are more likely to develop an aneurysm, even without other risk factors.
“My granddaddy died from an aneurysm,” Debra says. “He passed away before I was born. No one had spoken about it to me until after mine ruptured – then they told what he had died from.
“I’d had problems with migraines for almost 30 years, but it depends on which doctor you talk to. Some say migraines have nothing to do with aneurysms, some will say they do. I had a migraine the Saturday night before the Wednesday my aneurysm ruptured. I don’t remember any other real symptoms before it happened.”
Brain aneurysms are silent, often showing no symptoms, according to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. Sometimes the unruptured aneurysm becomes large enough to press on a nerve, which can cause blurry vision, drooping eyelids or other facial features, a dilated pupil, pain above and behind one eye, or weakness and numbness.
Once the brain aneurysm ruptures, fast action is key to survival. Symptoms of a ruptured brain aneurysm include the symptoms of an unruptured aneurysm as well as a sudden and powerfully severe headache, nausea/vomiting, stiff neck, light sensitivity, seizure, loss of consciousness and confusion. Call 911 immediately if you suspect you or someone around you might be suffering from these symptoms.
One of the problems with aneurysms is the ruptures usually happen without warning, so the patients don’t have time to talk about their symptoms or help first responders with triage questions. Since Debra was unconscious, the first responders originally suspected the symptoms could be related to an overdose and started treating her for that.
“Young people typically aren’t sick” explains paramedic Amy Jerome, who was one of the first on the scene. “Debra’s coworkers were unsure of any medical history on her when I asked.
Spider
Leg
Tired,
Restless
Leg
She was initially unresponsive to any stimuli, so that’s why we were thinking of a possible overdose/ overmedication. However, when we asked her coworkers about her medical history, they contacted her husband to see about any recent illnesses. While I continued my assessment, I noticed her starting to posture (almost looked like she was having seizure activity), and then I was advised she had been complaining of a headache that week. That’s when I was very sure she had something neurological going on.”
Amy called for helicopter transport to get Debra to Grady as quickly as possible because they have a stroke center capable of neuro surgery. “Patients with neurological emergencies need immediate intervention and can become increasingly critical quickly. I knew the medications I had available may not be effective long enough for me to get her to Grady. So I erred on the side of caution and called for air transport, as they have more effective medications.”
“Most EMTs would have taken me to Tanner, the closest hospital,” Debra says. “But the first responders, Amy and EMT Keith Henderson, decided to take me to Grady instead. Amy knew my issue was associated with the brain. They are two of the biggest reasons I am here – God put them in my path!”
“The neurosurgeon said only 1/3 of the people who have her condition ever even make it to a hospital,” explains Mike. “He told me that he had seen this many times before and it often didn’t end
well. He told me that on a scale of 1-5 (5 being deceased), that my Debra was a 4. I walked down that very hall that night not expecting to ever see her again. I now tell that doctor that she is the 1 out of 3. It did not end there, and in my eyes, she has always been a 10. I tell him that our God is a mighty God and she made it.”
No regular screening procedures exist for brain aneurysms – most that are found unruptured show up in scans meant to look for something else. However, they are easily seen in most cases in noninvasive tests such as CT scans, MRIs and MRAs.
If doctors find a brain aneurysm before it ruptures, endovascular treatments or surgery often correct the problem. For small aneurysms, doctors might recommend monitoring it and reducing risk factors, such as adding blood pressure medication if necessary.
After being rushed by helicopter to the hospital, the doctors quickly got Debra into emergency brain surgery, performed by neurosurgeon Dr. Jonathan Grossberg. Debra credits him with performing a miracle operation.
In addition, Dr. Mark Hinrichs, Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, never gave up on her
during her treatment, and he prayed over her with Mike when he was on rotation.
“Debra certainly found favor with God to even be on this Earth,” Dr. Hinrichs shares. “According to the Cleveland Clinic, half of people who have a subarachnoid hemorrhage experience sudden death. Of those who make it to the hospital, onethird die in the hospital. One-third of patients survive with disability. There were many days I was pleasantly surprised to see her still alive.”
The surgery went well, but she was certainly not out of the woods yet. To keep her still and calm while her brain healed, doctors put Debra in a medically induced coma for nearly a month. The coma helps the brain stay in a deep state of inactivity, meant to protect the brain from damage while it uses its energy to heal.
The doctors closely monitored her cranial pressure and brain vascular spasms – both of which could be life threatening. That means a host of tubes and wires monitoring her vitals constantly, as well as helping her breathe and offering nourishment.
Debra’s family watched anxiously by her side as the doctors began to wean her off the sedation medications, telling her husband Mike it was all about baby steps. “Mom stayed with me the whole
time,” Debra says. “She wouldn’t leave, even when Mike had to leave to care for Mylah. The hospital had water leaks in the walls, and the elevators stopped working, but she wouldn’t leave.”
Mike was also her stalwart supporter, refusing to believe the outcome would be anything but positive. “I think a major factor in Debra's recovery was the steady, quiet and fierce love of her husband, Mike,” relates Dr. Hinrichs. “I have never seen a husband so deeply desire to help his wife. I know this gave her the hope she needed to fight for her recovery. I was deeply blessed to observe his love for her.”
As they tried to move forward with her treatment, she started to embody the mantra, “Two steps forward, one step back,” which is common with brain injuries. She began having vascular spasms on the right side of her brain – the aneurysm was on the left side, so that was not a good sign. She went into surgery yet again for her fourth angiocatheter procedure in two weeks.
“The spasms are not strokes,” Mike explains. “The spasms can lead to strokes if left unattended. The spasms are caused by blood vessels constricting and preventing blood from getting to where it needs to be.”
By Dec. 10, the doctors had weaned her off most of the sedatives. They were unsure how much brain damage existed, but when Mike walked in her room, Debra was looking around the room, following instructions from the nurse and recognizing family members. “I spoke to her, and I could tell she understood what I was saying,” he remembers. “I asked her to wiggle her toes, and she did!”
Debra continued to endure procedures, such as having the drain removed from her head and a battery of regular tests. Doctors found evidence of a small stroke, and she began running a fever from pneumonia, so they administered multiple antibiotics. Because of the complications, they
still couldn’t remove the breathing tube – while Debra couldn’t talk, she was able to squeeze people’s hands, and communicate by nodding or shaking her head. The doctors were finally able to remove the breathing tube on Dec. 20.
After a ruptured aneurysm, there are so many issues with the brain that can occur. However, Debra seemed cognitively aware with some expected gaps in memory and delays, so the doctors and family were hopeful for her recovery.
Memory gaps are common after a ruptured aneurysm. Patients often experience cognitive challenges, slowed reaction times affecting things like their ability to drive, vision or hearing problems, headaches, extreme fatigue, loss of emotional control and depression. While most people who survive a ruptured brain aneurysm have some level of brain damage that can lead to permanent cognitive challenges or disabilities. About half of survivors die within three months of the rupture, even after receiving emergency treatment, according to the Cleveland Clinic. As few as 17% of survivors are able to return to work after treatment.
By Christmas, Debra was able to sit in a chair and started communicating more. By New Year’s Eve, she was released to the Shepherd Center to begin the long rehabilitation process.
The process was long and arduous. Many of the basic functions people take for granted were lost to Debra. She had to learn how to eat and swallow food, for example. “Her days were filled with physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and recreational therapy each morning, then they all returned after lunch for round two,” Mike recalls.
“I don’t remember anything from the time I passed out at work until the Shepherd Center,” Debra shares. “I was responsive in the hospital and would talk to them, but I don’t remember. I don’t remember the first couple of weeks at Shepherd.
One of the first things I remember was one of the therapists would always comment on how well I was walking by myself, and I wondered why she kept saying that – I’d been walking by myself for almost 46 years. I had been in a wheelchair and didn’t even remember not being able to walk or that I had to learn to eat and chew due to having a feeding tube in for so long.
“I woke up with no hair – I’ve always had long hair, but what are you going to do? Mike said they wanted to just shave one side, and he knew that’s not a look I would like. The right side of my body was a lot smaller, too – when the left side of the brain is affected, the right side of the body deteriorates while you’re laying still. My facial shape also changed – one eye is bigger than the other now, for example. My smile doesn’t function the same as it used to.”
While she was dealing with her new reality and the shocking changes to her appearance, she was also working hard every day to regain her abilities. Sometimes it was the down time that was the hardest, though. “Rehabilitation was hard in a lot of ways,” she remembers. “They kept me strapped to the bed at night so I couldn’t get up and fall, so I had to call the nurse if I needed to get up and use the restroom. I was so glad to get well enough to not need to be strapped down for my safety anymore!”
Not all the therapy was difficult and exhausting, though. “I never felt trapped at Shepherd like some people do – I always felt they were working hard to help me,” she says. “They would sometimes take us grocery shopping and have us cook. It was interesting that they did that kind of activity. This was so we could relearn how to plan a meal, look at prices, and cook the meal. I love to shop, so I was good with it!”
Although her therapy was going well, the family still dealt with the terror of setbacks. Debra developed Turson Syndrome in her left eye, which
is blood in the eye fluid that blocks part of the vision. Although common with the type of aneurysm Debra suffered, it could have required an additional procedure if the body didn’t absorb it.
“My left eye was covered with blood, and I couldn’t see out of it for a while,” she recalls. “Eventually, I could see, but I couldn’t see colors. That eventually came back, but it took about a year.
“They said that didn’t technically have anything to do with the aneurysm, and the body would just have to absorb it. There was a surgery that could be done, but I would have to lay on my stomach for weeks, and I couldn’t sit up. I just couldn’t do that. I saw the retina specialist in Douglasville, but I knew I couldn’t stay on my stomach for days or weeks.”
An unexpected complication of losing sight in one eye was persistent nausea. “I threw up so much at Shepherd,” she shares. “Something about trying to function with one eye because sometimes I wasn’t even doing anything when I’d get sick. If I went to the cafeteria, something about that large room and eating with everyone else made me get sick as well, so I had to eat in my room.”
Another setback occurred when her white blood cell count dropped, and she was put in a semiquarantine. This was difficult emotionally for her as visitors and movement outside her room was restricted.
During her recovery, Mike tried to make life as normal as possible for their daughter, Mylah. She was busy with high school, volleyball and track, but she called and visited her mother often.
After weeks of intensive therapy, Debra came home in early February 2020 for a long weekend. She started her outpatient treatment, which required Debra and Mike to stay in Atlanta during the week and go home to Carrollton on the weekends.
“We continued to stay at the same Shepherd apartment Mike was given while I was a patient,” she explains. “It was the building next door to the Shepherd Center. The therapy was at Shepherd’s Pathway facility 15 minutes away.”
Debra is one of the lucky ones. Not only did she survive the ruptured aneurysm, she’s been able to work back up to living life independently.
To Debra, yoga was an essential piece of her recovery. “I was dizzy, almost like vertigo, several days a week. It was extremely worse on rainy days. The yoga I did two to three days a week began to help after a month or so. And Dr. Allison Key, my
Lee Stringfellow, M.D.
William Berard, M.D.
Kevin Webster, M.D.
Andrew Rho, D.O.
Simone Berard, M.D.
Joanne Gaw, M.D.
Schuyler Cook, D.O.
Jessi Stockham, FNP-C
primary care physician, told me to drink Propel daily. After about a year of doing both, the dizziness has been gone for the most part, except for an occasional rainy day.”
One of the hardest skills to lose for Debra was driving. “I couldn’t drive for three years,” she remembers. “That was one of the most stressful things, to have to depend on other people. My muscles didn’t work like they used to. It took years to get my muscles to where they could work right, especially in my arms and hands. It was mentally challenging to never know if your muscles would work the way they should.”
“Traffic didn’t use to faze me, and I’ll be glad when I can do that again,” she shares. “I’ve only been on I-20 six or seven times, like to Douglasville or Oxford, Ala., but it’s weird to be scared to get on I-20, when I used to do it all the time without thinking about it. You learn to not take things for granted, because they can all be taken away from you.”
Before she could drive, she was able to return to church, and eventually the Lions Club and Chamber of Commerce meetings, where she’s on the Board of Directors and the Ambassador Committee.
She is still careful about where she goes, and when she goes, preferring to avoid heavy traffic.
“Members of Lions and Chamber were so kind to pick me up and bring me back to work for these meetings,” she recalls. “I also had a few friends that
came to get me weekly to run errands. People also brought us meals several times a week for months after we came home. Everyone needs to realize how incredible it is to have this kind of help, compassion and giving of time thrown in your direction. I don’t know that I could ever be more thankful for anything than I am for this. This is why I like to ‘pay it forward’ and do for others when I can.”
While most aneurysm survivors are never able to return to work, Debra feels blessed to be back. She says although she continues to do the same work, tasks often take a little longer than they used to. “I eventually came back to work one day a week at first,” she says. “Then the owner wanted me to come back to work more, but I didn’t know how I would get there. The owner, Shane, said he’d come get me and bring me back home. We go back a long way. The first job I ever had at 16 was at his grandfather’s pharmacy, so I’ve known him since he was 12 and I was 16.”
Debra still works at O2 Plus, which provide welding-supply gases for commercial, industrial, food service and medical facilities. “Probably a few days into my hospital stay, Shane called Mike crying, him straight and organized, that I told him what to pay and when to pay. Mike said he was in the same
boat. I took care of all our bills, all our finances for 27 years – Mike had to figure out how to log into everything and pay for it.”
Nov. 20 will be the fifth anniversary of the aneurysm rupture, and Debra continues to look to the future. “I’m about to start back to college for a business administration degree. I went to college years ago, but I didn’t finish. I had to drop Inorganic Chemistry because I was pregnant and unable to do the labs, so I dropped out and was planning to go back in a year or so. That never happened. But now I want to go get that diploma.”
Her daughter Mylah is also headed back to college, finishing her welding certifications and studying business administration. She’s currently preparing to add a tiny house to Mike and Debra’s property. “She’s always wanted a tiny house, since she was about 7 or 8,” Debra shares.
Debra hasn’t had any symptoms of another aneurysm, and hasn’t had any migraines since her recovery. She will continue to return for scans every few years, just in case.
“I’m closer to God now,” she says. “Death used to always be a fear, and I’d have to say it’s not anymore. For anyone out there facing a potentially lifethreatening situation, my advice is don’t be afraid of what might happen, and read your Bible.” WGW
By Sandra Bolan
you’re not alone. Just within your friends and family, there is a myriad of talented and skilled people. So why not start a skills-sharing group?
What exactly is a skills-sharing group? It’s a whole host of experts in a variety of fields including cooking, gardening, DIY home repair, arts and crafts, woodworking and academia, to name a few, who set up free weekly or monthly classes for anyone in the community. These groups not only encourage personal growth, but they also foster a sense of community.
Another type of skills-sharing is a community garden. Not everyone can live in a home with enough green space to plant a garden, but they still want to grow some basic foods like tomatoes, lettuce and herbs for their family.
If you have a green thumb, why not help a neighborhood install and cultivate a community garden? If there is a particular neighborhood interested in having a garden, find out from the municipality if a community garden is allowed and if it has enough land available.
Depending on how large the garden is and how bountiful the crops are, there may be more than enough to not only share with all of the garden’s caretakers but possibly enough leftover crops to
give to your local community food bank. Schools seem to continually cut back on extracurricular programs – especially in the arts –but if a qualified person were willing to coordinate a program for free, there’s a good chance it would continue.
Long-term care facilities and retirement homes are great places to share your expertise and talents. It can be something as simple as teaching the residents how to use FaceTime so they can video chat with their families.
On the other hand, some long-term care residents have no family and very few living friends, so why not buddy up with one? Visits could be anything from going out to lunch together, playing cards or chess or just hanging out and talking.
How and where you buy your groceries, clothes and other goods has an enormous impact on your community.
Support local farmers by buying fruits and vegetables directly from them and purchasing your clothes and other household items from locally
and
If you don’t agree with how your city or town is functioning, fix it from the inside by running for public office.
Other ways to give back on a much broader scale include donating blood or becoming an organ donor. Your blood can help anyone who suffers a complication during surgery or childbirth, or someone who is injured in a car accident or a natural disaster. You won’t ever know how your blood helped, but you can be confident it did.
Giving back to your community will have an immediate impact on the people you assist, local farmers and shop owners. It will also impact your children, family, friends and coworkers who will see the results of your volunteering and
community advocacy and perhaps decide to join in. Being involved in your community improves where you live, work and play and creates a stronger and safer community, which results in a higher quality of life for everyone. WGW
Chef Rose Isaacs is a native of Carroll County and lives in Carrollton with her husband, Shawn and their son, Sebastian. She graduated from West Georgia Technical College in 2013 with a degree in Culinary Arts.
She is a personal chef who offers cooking lessons, baby food prep, date night dinners for two and more. Learn more about Chef Rose at www.chefrosecooks.com.
Chef Rose photos by Zachary Dailey, Dailey Life Photography, daileylifephotography@gmail.com
Recipe photos by Andrew Agresta, Agresta Photography, www.agrestaphotography.com
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 to 2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 bottle (750 mL) chilled Prosecco or sparkling water
Pear slices and cinnamon sticks for garnish
In a blender, combine the pears, ginger, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg with 1/4 cup of water.
Blend until smooth and well combined.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill and allow the flavors to meld.
To assemble the drink, divide the pear puree evenly among 4 glasses, filling about 1/3 full.
Top with Prosecco or sparkling water. Garnish with a fresh pear slice and cinnamon stick.
Please drink responsibly.
Serves 4
“For a slightly sweeter version, add some simple syrup to your pear puree to reach your desired level of sweetness.”
Ingredients
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 to 2 fresh jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 baguette, sliced
In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, finely chopped jalapeños, orange zest, juice and salt.
Mix well until thoroughly incorporated. Spread the cream cheese mixture on a serving plate or shallow dish.
Spoon the canned whole cranberry sauce over the cream cheese mixture, spreading evenly.
Top with orange zest for garnish. Serve with a sliced baguette. Serves 8 to 10. WGW
“A perfect appetizer for any holiday gathering. ”
By Sandra Bolan
While on vacation, the one place most people visit is the town’s Main Street. And not just because it may be iconic such as the Champs–Elysees in Paris, London’s Camden High Street or 5th Avenue in New York City, but because it’s typically the city’s heartbeat – as well as home to unique shops and restaurants. If we shop this way while on vacation, why can’t we do it in our very own hometown?
Thanks to Amazon, we don’t have to change out of our pajamas or leave the couch to buy anything we could ever want. And when it comes to big box shopping, it doesn’t matter whether the logo is red and white, blue and yellow or orange and white, the products and prices are pretty much the same. But the shopping experience, well, it’s often uninspiring and becomes more of a chore than an experience.
If just 10% of big box shoppers shifted their buying to include local Main Street stores, studies show this could create roughly 14,000 jobs and benefit the local economy by $4 billion. Another advantage to shopping locally is residents who live near these shops drive 26% less because they’re able to walk to the stores.
When we shop in a big box store, even if it’s located within our city, most of that money doesn’t
Giving THANKS to YOU, our customers, for your continued patronage for over 60 years. We appreciate you and your loyalty. We are your LOCAL plumbing, electrical, heating and appliance store.
stay there – it goes to the store’s headquarters, which is likely located somewhere across the country. On average, $43 of every $100 spent in a big box store remains in the community.
On the other hand, for every $100 spent at a locally owned and operated mom-and-pop shops, $68 goes back into the community. Those local businesses also have a trifecta of recirculation – the uniqueness of the business brings customers in from out of town who spend their money at potentially more local shops, local businesses donate almost 2.5 times more per employee to local charities and sports teams versus the national chains, and these stores are what help make your hometown different.
Despite the aisles being filled with other vacantlooking and aimlessly wandering people, shopping in a big box store is a very solitary experience. You don’t have to speak to or make eye contact with another human from the minute the double doors magically usher you in, to checking out and leaving through those same doors.
Conversely, when shopping locally, you’ll most likely be fawned over and treated like royalty. From
the minute you cross the threshold, you’ll be greeted with a warm “hello,” most likely from the owner, and if you happen to have any questions, she'll be more than happy to answer them for you.
The more you shop at these local stores, the more personal the recommendations will become as the owner and staff get to know your specific likes and dislikes.
Yes, you may pay a little more for that dress or non-toxic soap, but when you get superb customer service and items you know no one else will have, it’s worth it.
No matter how hard we try, we can never really eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables. Sure, we have a vast selection to pick from at the grocery store, but do we know what is truly local and freshly harvested, versus what came across the country or from another country?
Opting to buy directly from a local farmer, whether it be from their farmstand or at the farmers’ market, means that apple, watermelon, ear of corn or potato was most likely picked that very morning. Produce from a farmers’ market tends to be less
expensive than from the grocery store, and because it was grown locally, its carbon footprint – meaning its distance traveled from farm to market – is very minimal.
In terms of quality, it doesn’t get any better than fresh from the farm, in part because it was harvested within hours of being put out for sale and is less likely to be coated in harsh chemicals.
Eating at locally owned restaurants that buy from area farmers is another way to support farmers and the local economy because these are the restaurants that offer the most unique meals as they curate menus with in-season foods.
Those quaint, family-owned diners, hardware stores, bakeries and coffee shops are the lifeblood of every community. By supporting local businesses, you may very well be supporting your neighbor versus some nameless and wealthy CEO living across the country. WGW
Publisher's note: Shopping locally isn't just about buying food, clothing or goods from local merchants. For business owners, it's also about choosing where you spend your marketing dollars. Our magazine's home base is in Carrollton, Ga. Next time someone asks you to advertise, check to see if they are truly a local business or owned and operated out-of-state.
This group meets the third Thursday of each month from 11:00 to noon at the Villa Rica Library located at 869 Dallas Highway, Villa Rica, Ga.
These events are free to pregnant women and moms looking for breastfeeding support. Weight checks for your baby will be available at no cost. Come and share your breastfeeding journey with us.
Please check our website for meeting and event updates at www.nursingfromtheheart.com.
There is Hope is a support group for women survivors who have dealt with, or are currently dealing with, domestic violence.
This is a private group where women survivors come together and share their personal stories of experience, strength and hope.
This group meets on the first Thursday of every month from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at a private location. A ZOOM option is available.
There will be guidance for help and resources available as needed. At times there will also be guest speakers.
Contact hopefulone807@gmail.com for more information and to obtain the privacy contract with the physical address or ZOOM meeting ID and passcode.
Has your life been impacted by the loss of a friend or loved one to suicide? You are not alone.
These groups offer peer support for anyone who has been affected by suicide loss.
There is no cost to attend.
Group meetings in Carrollton are the third Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at 306A Bradley Street.
For more information, contact Ivey Rollins at iveyrollins@gmail.com or call 470.729.0909.
Group meetings in Douglasville are the second Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church at 6167 Priestley Mill Rd., Room 226.
For more information, contact Terri Johnson at chose2live@aol.com or 770.765.2181.
Group meetings in Newnan are the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at Crossroads Church, 2564 Hwy 154.
For more information, contact Lynn Bradley at 770.301.4890 or email nbll.bradley170@gmail.com, or contact Nancy Bradley at 770.251.6216.
PFLAG Carrollton provides a free monthly peer facilitated support group for adult members (ages 18+) of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as their family, friends and allies, as a resource for families struggling with acceptance of their LGBTQ+ loved ones.
The goal is to meet people where they are and lead with love. PFLAG’s mission of support, education and advocacy from a place of love can help struggling families, as well as the community at large.
Support group meetings (for adults 18+) are led by a PFLAG trained facilitator and held on the second Thursday of each month from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at Grace Lutheran Church, 101 Somerset Place in Carrollton.
Confidentiality and safety are top priorities. Contact Julia Houser, pflagcarrollton@gmail.com for more information.
North Carolina-based handbell choir, The Raleigh Ringers, will help ring in the holiday season at the Carrollton Center for the Arts, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
North Carolina-based handbell choir, The Raleigh Ringers, will help ring in the holiday season at the
Carrollton Center for the Arts, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
"The Raleigh Ringers will entertain and amaze you with its musical repertoire," said Arts Center Manager Tim Chapman. “The concert will feature a variety of music including Christmas to help get us ready for the holidays."
The Ringers are internationally acclaimed and Emmy-nominated. Under the direction of David M. Harris, the choir has released eight CDs and two DVDs and performed in 39 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, England and France. They sponsor annual festivals for adult, youth and less experienced ringers, biannual sight-reading sessions for those interested in new handbell music, a biennial performance experience for advanced ringers and handbell technique classes several times a year. They will perform music from their regular setlist during the first half of the Carrollton show and holiday music during the second half.
This performance is sponsored by Milestone Investments, the National Endowment for the Arts and South Arts.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for youth and can be purchased online at carrolltonarts.com, by phone at 770-838-1083 or at the center’s box office at 251 Alabama Street.
The annual Small Packages show, featuring works likely to fit in a gift box, returns to the Carrollton Center for the Arts, November 7 – December 13.
Holiday shoppers can buy original artwork at the exhibit. These works, created by members of the Carrollton Artist Guild, fit within a cubic foot of space and come in a variety of media and styles.
Carrollton Writers Guild members’ books, poems and other writings will also be available at the show.
“Small Packages is always the start of my search for great gifts during the holidays,” said Arts Center Manager Tim Chapman. “The price point for small works is accessible for anyone shopping for something unique. Most of all, it gives us the chance to support our local artists.”
All purchased artwork may be taken home immediately.
“This show continues to be one of my favorites every year,” said Visual Arts Coordinator Marcella Kuykendall. “There is always great art and I can't help but go shopping myself for pieces to add to my personal collection or to give as gifts.The variety of art means there is something for everyone.”
Also on display at the center is the Though Present and Peripheral exhibit. A reception for both exhibits will be held November 7, 5 – 7pm.
The City of Carrollton will host Carrollton on Ice –a seasonal open-air ice-skating rink at East Carrollton Park – from December 7 through January 12.
The rink will be housed under the Polar Pavilion at East Carrollton, 410 North Lake Drive, and will feature skating and a spectator section for those who enjoy watching the icy action.
There will be a variety of food trucks on-site Fridays and Saturdays during Carrollton on Ice’s month long run. To access the pavilion, enter East Carrollton at the skatepark, then drive past the gymnastics center towards the baseball and soccer fields. Free parking will be straight ahead, adjacent to the rink.
Individual tickets are $10 each, which includes skate rental, card only, payable at the rink. Private rentals are available on select dates. Interested renters should contact Angela Boling at 678-3907132.
Special events will also accompany the new arctic attraction:
Pictures with Santa: With this much winter fun, it is sure that Santa Claus will be nearby. Patrons can bring their cameras and snap selfies with old Saint Nick himself. December 14 from 12 – 4pm and December 21 from 2 – 4pm.
The Merry Market, December 14 from 12 – 5pm, will feature giftable items produced by local artists, creators and makers. Organizers note that the market is full and no other vendors will be accepted this year.
The new attraction is funded by visitors to the area via the city’s lodging tax, which is collected on hotel room rentals.
For more information about Carrollton on Ice, including operating hours and food truck schedules, go to carrolltonga.com/iceskate.
The City of Carrollton will host Carrollton on Ice – a seasonal open-air ice-skating rink at East Carrollton Park – from December 7 through January 12.
Two city departments have joined forces to bring beautification and other improvements to Carrollton’s city cemetery.
Carrollton’s Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments will partner to remove four rows of asphalt in the Magnolia Section of the city cemetery and install sod, trees and shrubs there. Work started on the project earlier in October and is expected to take six to eight weeks to complete. The city will also add three flag poles to fly the American, state and city flags.
"We are excited for the opportunity to beautify our city cemetery and thankful for the resources provided by the mayor and council and city manager,” said Parks and Rec Director John Layng. “I'd also like to thank Public Works Director Mike Green and his staff for assisting us. The cemetery is rich in local and state history and we will continue to honor that through this project."
The Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for maintenance and management of the park-like cemetery located on the west side of the intersection of Highway 27 and Alabama Street. The cemetery was established in the early 1800s with the Magnolia Section opening in the 1880s.
For more information about the Carrollton Parks and Recreation Department, please call 770-8321161.
West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Phyllis Ingham as the new Dean of Health Sciences. Dr. Ingham brings academic excellence, leadership experience, and a deep commitment to healthcare education, making her the ideal choice to lead WGTC’s School of Health Sciences.
West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Phyllis Ingham as the new Dean of Health Sciences.
Dr. Ingham holds Bachelor of Applied Science in Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/ Technologist from Auburn University, a Master of Education from Alabama State University, and a Doctor of Education from Argosy University. Her academic background is complemented by over 21 years of dedicated service at WGTC, where she has held the roles of clinical director and program director of the Medical Laboratory Technology and Phlebotomy Technology programs.
Dr. Ingham previously served as a Medical Laboratory Supervisor for Tanner Health System, gaining expertise in laboratory operations and management. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to medical laboratory science at both WGTC and in the field. A published author and frequent conference presenter, her dedication to advancing healthcare education has made a lasting impact on students and colleagues alike.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ingham into this role,” said Dr. Julie Post, President of West Georgia Technical College. “Her extensive experience, vision, and passion for student success will continue to shape the future of healthcare education at WGTC.”
West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) received two top awards honoring board members at the annual Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Leadership Conference in Savannah.
The Board of Directors earned the Technical College Directors’ Association (TCDA) board certification for the entire board for the tenth consecutive year. To become TCDA certified, local board members must complete required workshops and activities that educate board members on various policies and procedures concerning WGTC and TCSG. The majority of the required workshops are taught at the Leadership Conference each year. Other requirements include attending 80% of college board meetings and touring the College campus.
The WGTC Board of Directors is led by Noah Zehr of Troup County and includes Nilesh Sivaramakrishnan and Terrance Youmans of Carroll County, Jim Mottola and Michael Robertson of Coweta County, Beverly Tate of Douglas County, Bill Hightower of Haralson County, Angie Roberts of Heard County, and Dr. Bob Patterson of Meriwether County.
WGTC Foundation’s Board of Trustees received an award for attaining role model foundation board certification from the Technical College Foundation Association (TCFA) for the eighth consecutive year. TCFA is a membership organization that represents the 25 TCSG foundations and over 600 trustees statewide. To achieve TCFA Role Model Foundation Board Certification, the board must engage in excellent business practices and demonstrate the highest level of commitment. Each board member must be actively involved in the work of the board throughout the year by participating in board and committee meetings, college events, leadership activities, professional development, and fundraising initiatives on behalf of the college.
Members of the WGTC Foundation Board of Trustees include Mark Foster (Chair), Ned Fowler (Vice Chair), Aaron Mabon (Treasurer), Will Berry, Marco Brown, Jane Fryer, Linda McWhorter, Martha Murphy Long, Allen Parham, Tripp Sewell, and Marie Swope. WGW
By Sandra Bolan
Traditions are repeated rituals that provide a sense of identity, tell the story of your family and create memories. Food and cooking are among the top family traditions around the world, as they are not only used to celebrate milestones and holidays, but also to keep us connected to our culture.
Sometimes traditions start organically. You move to a new city and find yourself faced with celebrating Thanksgiving alone for the very first time in your life. But there may be others in your predicament faced with sitting on the couch alone, eating ramen. Instead of all of you doing the same thing alone, you decide to get together, have a potluck dinner composed of everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes, then pile into the living room to watch a holiday movie. Ten years later, the tradition is still going strong and may include partners and children.
As a kid, you had no say in your family’s traditions, but now that you’ve moved out and have your own children, it’s an opportunity to create new ones –perhaps some you always wished you could have had when you were a kid.
When you want to revamp or create new traditions, first think about what you want to get out of it in terms of culture, community and family.
New traditions are an opportunity to create ones that align better with you and your family’s ever-evolving values. Not all of them need to be over-the-top extravaganzas that only involve the high holidays. Some traditions can be as simple as jumping on board the Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday trend or creating your own food alliteration
meal days such as Waffle Wednesday, Thai Thursday, Finger Food Friday, and Splurge Saturday. Creating weekly traditions like this not only makes meal planning a breeze but also gives everyone coming to the table something to look forward to.
On Thanksgiving, it’s not uncommon to go around the table and tell everyone why you’re thankful. Why not make that a weekly tradition?
Children’s birthdays are a good place to start new traditions. When they’re old enough, allow them to choose their preferred cake flavor and meal. Over the years, the cake and dinner remain the same, even if the day’s activities change.
Other milestones should also be celebrated the same every year. For example, the first day of school starts with homemade pancakes; the last day of school means an outing to the local ice cream shop, and each graduation is celebrated with a trip to the family’s favorite place.
We all love a cheesy photo op. Take the annual family photo at the same time of year, in the same place with everyone lined up in the same order. It’s a fun way to look back at how everyone has changed. Making everyone wear matching pajamas or outfits adds another layer to the tradition, for better or worse.
Remember those early days in your relationship when you and your partner gave each other heartfelt cards and notes? Make it a tradition to share love notes with your family members. They don't have to be long; just let her know you're thinking of her. On a tough day especially, these notes can mean a lot.
Traditions anchor us, provide predictability and create a sense of comfort – something we can all benefit from. They can also help keep us connected to one another, our heritage and our culture. WGW
By Sandra Bolan
Whether it’s your first or fourth, bringing home a newborn is overwhelming. You must learn how to navigate life with a baby while balancing your need to physically heal and manage the expectations of your very wellmeaning, but potentially overwhelming, family and friends.
The best way to survive those first few days or weeks at home is to create boundaries. Some people, especially the overbearing mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, might view any sort of
rules regarding access to you and your newborn as selfish, but it's important that you put your family first. Those very same well-meaning but overbearing family members may also believe your rules don’t apply to them, so it's important when you notify everyone about your boundaries regarding visits and posting photos on social media, that you do so before the birth. You should make it crystal clear that the rules apply to everyone, with no exceptions. This way, everyone involved knows what to expect after your baby is born.
I am “Big opportunities in a community that makes me feel right at home.”
Friends, co-workers, neighbors and family will want to drop by to meet your family's newest member, but many don’t realize they’re not the only ones wanting to “just pop by for a minute.” If you allow everyone to drop in, you could have a parade of people coming through your home that rivals the length of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
So, your first and toughest rule to lay down is to ask for no unannounced drop-ins. All visits must be pre-arranged. That doesn’t mean guests get to text you from your front porch before knocking, either. Ask guests to pre-arrange a visit with you or your partner at least a day or two ahead of time.
Only you can decide what you're comfortable with regarding the rules of engagement while your guests are holding the baby, but there are typically some dos and don’ts most parents expect during the visit that guests should adhere to for the safety of the newborn.
Guests should avoid wearing perfume or any heavily scented body and hair products as newborns have overly sensitive skin and lungs. If you have smokers in your family or social circle, ask them to not light up right before visiting and especially not while in your home. Although it should go without
saying, if guests are sick, they should stay home. There will be a person or two who will try to circumvent your boundaries. Let them know there will be consequences, especially if they “pop by for a quick visit” without pre-arranging it. If, or when, this happens, don’t answer the door. The consequences aren’t meant to be punitive but a natural step in preserving the relationship between you and them.
You may have several family members who come from out of town. Make it clear they are to stay elsewhere, whether it be at a hotel, Airbnb or another family member’s home, unless you want 24/7 assistance from someone like your mother. Let the out-of-towners know that neither you nor your partner will function as a tour guide while they’re in town. Your only role right now is to care for your newborn.
Setting boundaries and sticking to them will be tough, but don’t be afraid to do so. Most important, don’t concern yourself with whether you’re offending someone or hurting their feelings. You are responsible for ensuring you get what you need and want during this challenging time in your life. Hopefully those who love you and your new baby will respect that. WGW
Materials
Black, brown, red and yellow felt
Scissors
Hot glue gun with glue sticks
Crayons
Googly eyes
By Jordan Dailey
Cut out the turkey’s body from the brown felt.
Cut a beak out of the yellow felt and a wattle out of the red felt.
Cut a scalloped pattern all around a full piece of the black felt.
Fold one side of the black felt three quarters of the way over the opposite side.
Glue the black felt together to mimic the feathers of a turkey, leaving room for one crayon in between.
Glue the turkey-shape to the front of the black felt.
Glue the googly eyes to the top of the turkeyshape.
Materials
Red and yellow pipe cleaners
Mini clothespins
Small drawstring bag (we found ours in the wedding
section of the local dollar store)
Peanut flavored shell candies
Ready-to-stick googly eyes or use glue for non-stick eyes
Brown marker or paint
Instructions
Take six or seven mini clothespins, and color or paint them brown. Allow to dry.
Fill the small bag with candy and pull the drawstrings tightly to close the bag.
Wrap a yellow pipe cleaner around the draw string area and bring the remainder of the pipe cleaner to the front. Shape remainder into a beak.
Repeat the process again with a red pipe cleaner, shaping the remainder into the turkey's head and wrapping the rest around the beak for the wattle.
Stick or glue googly eyes to the red pipe cleaner head.
Clip the clothespins to the top of the bag for the turkey's feathers.
Word Bank
Turkey
Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Pie
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Green Beans
Rolls Ham
Sweet Potatoes
Mac and Cheese
Pecan Pie
Casserole
Dressing
Pudding
Giblets
Deviled Egg
A good start is a healthy start.
Children’s needs change as they grow. You need an expert who you trust to make sure your child’s development is on track.
We’re there for the sniffles, fevers and tummy aches that spring up at the most inconvenient times.
We’ve placed primary care and pediatric clinics throughout west Georgia and east Alabama to make care convenient. And we’ve opened the region’s first walk-in urgent care clinic specially designed for minor pediatric emergencies.
Your child’s health is your top priority. And it’s ours, too.
It’s children’s care, redefined.
Your care, redefined.