Volume 6 Issue 1 Kitchen Drawer Illustrated

VOL 6 ISSUE 1

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Staff Picks

E D I TO R

MGMT

PuBLISHER

IN THIS ISSuE, THE KITCHEN DRAwER fAMILy SHARES SMALL TOwNS THEy LOvE

CATCH-ALL ALLISON

Patillo, GA

ASHLEY

DO-ALL DESIGN

BEN

Meansville, GA

Orchard Hill, GA

BRITTANY

HEATHER

Hollonville, GA

Milner, GA

NICOLE

Pine Bush, NY

Extended Family AMANDA

ASHLEY

BEAU

CLARK

Emily

WRITER

WRITER

PHOTOGRAPHER

WRITER

AD DESIGNER

Wilmington, NC

Wakefield, KS

Duluth, GA

Williamson, GA

JENNIFER

PAIGE

RACHEL

RoNNIE

TAYLOR

AD DESIGNER

AD DESIGNER

WRITER

OUTDOORS WRITER

SPORTS WRITER

Senoia, GA

Zebulon, GA

Dearing, GA

Old Town Duluth, GA

McDonough, GA (When it used to be small)

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ABOUT THE COVER

This issue’s cover was a collaboration between featured artist Casie Hughes and our Art Department. For more info on Casie, see page 30.

FEEDBACK

“Special thanks to you for featuring the Ritz in your excellent magazine. The story is great and the photos really make it look good. We have had several people comment on the story, including one who said, ‘How could a upscale magazine be for free?’ ” “I loved your column about what kids say/what parents say to kids.

So funny and enlightening! Let’s make this one a biennial column, if not more frequently. Art Linkletter is not the only one who knows that kids say the darnedest things.”

Kitchen Drawer is a community magazine, and we love hearing from our readers! Thank you for all the feedback on our last issue (see left). Keep sending us your photos, ideas, gripes, history, and more! Don’t forget there’s even more content to love on

KITCHENDRAWER.NET

“Just wanted to say that I loved the article ‘Raising Country Music Failures’ from this month’s Kitchen Drawer. Keep up the good work, that needed to be said...love it.”

“I loved the bit about radio announcers in the current KD...KD gets even better with every issue.”

“Thank you so much for a beautiful article.”--Mitch and Lori Flanders

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Framing By: Preston Hardie

Matt Pierce 770-468-6416

Building the future, restoring the past

Architectural Design By: Frank Irizarry, Decatur GA 678-362-6378 w w w.k it chendr aw er.net

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KITCHEN DRAWER ILLUSTRATED’s

Entrepreneur Focus Featuring a wide range of talented local business owners, Kitchen Drawer's Entrepreneur Focus puts you up close and personal with the businesses around town. Learn the stories behind these businesses and the unique products and services they offer.

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PROCEEDS

BENEFIT programs at Futral Road Elementary School.

Hosted by Franklin & Rosemary Boutique

Dancing Dining Giving Back All Proceeds Benefit Camp Kudzu ( 7 7 0) 412 - 0 4 41

BY RONNIE GARRISON

A

lot of folks are making resolutions for the new year. Most involve ways to improve ourselves, from losing weight to reading more. For some reason, I have never been successful in keeping those kinds of resolutions, so I am trying to make some this year that I really want to accomplish, and almost all of them seem to involve the outdoors.

I resolve to take kids fishing more often. I really enjoyed helping out with a youth bass club tournament this past year, and both bass clubs I am in formed local youth clubs we have.

make it to every club tournament in the Flint River Bass Club and the Spalding County Sportsman’s Club. I have not missed many tournaments in either club over the past w w w.k it chendr aw er.net

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39 years, and I hate to miss even one. Starting catch a bass in every tournament.

I resolve to take rain gear with me each time I go out in the boat and not pay any attention to the weather guessers when they say there is no rain in the forecast. I won’t spend time then giving up and making a cold ride back to the van for dry clothes and rain gear like I did one time this past year.

whatever is necessary to keep everything working, but I can do better. I plan on

washing my boat, or having it washed, more than one time this year!

I have all kinds of electronics on my boat, and thanks to a Christmas present from my wife, I now even have a GPS in my car. I resolve to learn to use these electronics better. Now, I get ever get lost on the lake or highway if I will just study the manuals a little more and use

three new ways to

cook fish and venison. This past year I discovered also venison tenderloin chops braised for one minute on each side in olive oil. I really interesting recipes for the new year.

A hunting goal of mine is to spend more time in a tree. In 2013, I spent just a few days hunting and taking them to the processor, I went

My land in eastern Spalding County has a Forest Stewardship Plan. I will follow all recommendations in it and go even further. I will plant forage crops for wildlife year-round and manage the land so the wildlife gets the

spend more time there fishing, hunting, cutting wood, and just enjoying the natural environment.

I resolve to have more fun every time I am

outdoors.

so serious I forget about the joy of catching more. I want to try other kinds of hunting, too. Maybe this will be the year I call in a turkey, kill a wild hog, or shoot a duck. I have never done any of those things.

sure that if I miss a deer it is me, not the gun, and I will not take any shots at deer unless I am in the right position. I won’t miss one like I did this year because I twisted around in my stand and took a shot I should not have tried. When I am in the right position, I will aim exactly where I want the bullet to hit so it does not damage much meat and remember to breathe out and squeeze the trigger slowly so I make a good shot.

I really hate cleaning boats, reels, guns, and tackle, but this year I resolve to try to keep all of them in better shape. I have been doing

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every time I hook a bass—that happens without fail. I won’t get frustrated when I don’t see deer from my stand. Instead, I will enjoy everything around me in nature, contemplate life’s mysteries, and maybe even solve them all!

My last resolution is to make these articles as interesting as possible. If you have anything you would like me to research and write about, let me know, especially if you have a place to go hog hunting! You can email me at ronnie@

Read more from Ronnie at http://fishing-about.com.

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Happy New Year!

Now it’s time to call Squeaky Clean to get the house back into tip-top shape after all those Holiday parties

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The Christmas Carol Special Report

spalding high school’s blue and silver brigade

Classic rock and blues band “old Bones” and “Dj frank holy” entertain the sun city crowd

The children at toddlers in motion enjoy wednesday morning storytime

Good times at Bank street cafe

Mr. Greenwood Asks review questions at futral road elementary’s body walk

artist shannon lake finds freedman

Introduction to Futral Road Elementary’s Body Walk

Bo Meeks completes his first ironkids triathlon

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YOU AND

ARE NOW

CONNECTED

By Allison Smyly Photos by Wiley Hilley

It's

no secret that to make important deals happen in the business world, who you know can be as important as what you know—a truth that businessman Chris Pettis embraces every day.

Chris is Vice-President of Business Development in the Business Banking Unit of Wells Fargo. A large part of his job is community networking in his assigned 28-county area, which includes metro Atlanta and areas south of the city. who needs access to capital to make things happen, and helps those deals come to fruition, sometimes even when Wells Fargo is not involved. Chris describes his work simply: “I'm a the bank.”

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As what he calls a “paid professional networker” for the fourth-largest bank in the to help people make connections. He networks in a variety of ways: to spread the word about the bank's unique abilities, to help clients and prospective clients grow their businesses, and development opportunities. According to Chris, “The real beauty of what I do is helping growing companies with access to capital because where most Georgia banks have an ability/ appetite to lend, but downstream from where the Big Three banks will come in with personal service. Historically, that is a very large gap in Georgia, and companies don't like having to go out of state to get a loan just because they've outgrown their bank...As they say, 'a rising tide

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lifts all ships,' and that is my job—tide-riser for the bank, as well as our clients and communities.”

Chris thrives on making things happen by introducing people. At work, he has nicknames like “Mr. Linked-In,” “Mr. Rolodex,” and “the ‘I Know a Guy’ Guy.” Linked-In is an essential tool for his work; in fact, Chris had one of the majority of my work using Linked-In,” says Chris. “If

The Power of Networking and Pinewood Atlanta Studios

some questions about the project and contacting some potential stakeholders, Chris’s attorney friend told him, “You need to think bigger—a lot bigger.”

From there, the project grew into plans for Pinewood Atlanta to create, over the next seven years, a studio complex in Fayette County. According to press releases, “The project is fully funded and will become a world-class studio for the production of

also planned that is anticipated to create hundreds of new jobs. Plans for Phases II and III include an

Kingdom, Pinewood’s international network of studios includes Toronto, Canada; Berlin, Germany; Iskandar, Malaysia; the Dominican Republic; and now, of course, Atlanta. Pinewood Studios has played a key role in the include portions of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Les Misérables.

The Georgia Economic Developers Association presented Pinewood Atlanta Studios and the Fayette Deal of the Year in the Large Community category.

“That deal came together purely through networking,” says Chris. “It all started around a little white tablecloth at the City Café.”

Chris’s understanding of the importance and power of networking has resulted in some really big deals for our area, the most recent being his key role in bringing the County. It all began when Chris was contacted by the President/CEO of the Fayette County Development Authority, Matt Forshee, about a studio project being planned by private investors. Matt and representatives of the ProMaker Development Group met at The City Café in downtown Fayetteville to discuss plans. The proposed studios were to be on about 11 acres near the Peachtree City Airport, adjacent to the site where Drop Dead Divas I often do, and made an introduction to an attorney friend of mine in Midtown Atlanta.” After asking

Chris used his networking skills to help set in motion a collaboration between two Thomaston businesses, United Media Graphics and Triumph Packaging, resulting in In the same year, Chris also made an initial contact to a

Coming Home and son Wyatt (5), reside in Thomaston. Both Chris and Heather are Thomaston natives who returned to the town to raise their family. “When I left town, I had zero interest in returning,” says Chris. When Abi and Wyatt came along, his priorities shifted. “We wanted to raise our children in a small community, close to family, close to church.” The charm of the couple’s hometown drew Continued on p. 17

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Continued from p. 14

them back. Heather says, “It’s a fabulous community.”

Chris, having rediscovered the attraction of his hometown, is working to make it even stronger. “I would like to see a redevelopment of our little corner of the world,” Chris says.

encounter, Chris’s friends suggested that the Ug-ALantern be replicated as a fundraiser, which required obtaining product licensure through the Collegiate application process, setting the stage for the launch of his Ug-A-Lantern business.

Carving Out Time for a Hobby

The rest is history: Chris found a small Florida business willing and able to produce Ug-A-Lanterns, which became an instant sensation, selling out in all locations.

Though a businessman through and through, Chris has a creative and artistic side.

When Chris and

one of their most prized possessions, a rare original drawing of them holding an Ug-A-Lantern. Chris and Heather remain avid Bulldog fans, and you can be sure that on Halloween their porch will showcase one of the most intriguing jack-o’-lanterns around.

he learned of her interest in The Godfather movies, and caught his future wife’s attention with a pumpkin carved into a likeness of Vito Corleone. It worked—Heather took notice, and Chris decided to try another pumpkin carving design. Since both Chris and Heather are big fans of the Georgia Bulldogs, he then carved an “UgA-Lantern,” which won The Atlanta-Journal Constitution’s At the time, Chris worked at Smith Barney in the Atlanta Financial Center in Buckhead. The UGA Alumni Center’s

received an Ug-A-Lantern through his membership in the

Community Champion In addition to staying connected professionally, spending time with family, and enjoying his hobbies, this businessman is a crusader of sorts for local communities, especially his own. He is passionate about bringing businesses and native talent back to the area and is involved in a number of projects designed to do just that. As a banker in Thomaston during the economic downturn, Chris focused on economic development, attracting Thomaston natives to bring their businesses back home. He continues to brainstorm and implement ways to strengthen local communities by drawing local

below Chris’s. Some of Chris’s friends from the Alumni Center heard of his Ug-A-Lantern creation and asked

social media to convince homegrown talent to come

friends showed the photos to Vince Dooley, former head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, who remarked, “That is the best pumpkin I’ve ever seen.” After that

hometown,” Chris says. “I want people to move back and bring their businesses with them. Every banker has an interest in that.”

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Hiking the Appalachian Trail

By Rachel Scoggins

Photos by Beau Gentry and Brandon Tober

The starting footpath of the

Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain in Amicalola Falls State

Park is one of the most exciting resources Georgia has to offer its residents. In our backyard is a

natural treasure where you can just get away for a day hike in the Appalachian Mountains or where you can start the adventure

of a

lifetime: the six-month-long hike

to the end of the trail.

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14 states, ending at Maine’s Mount Katahdin. It is part of the Triple Crown of long-distance hiking in the United States,

The AT follows the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains into both the Great Smoky Mountains and the White

A

.

.

Park is the highest point on the trail, reaching to 6,643 feet. Other high peaks include Mount Guyot, also in the Great Smoky Mountains, at 6,621 feet; Mount Washington

T .

.

attempt to “thru-hike” the entire trail each year. According to Appalachiantrail.org, only 1 in 4 people who attempt a thru-hike complete it.

the Roan High Knob in the Roan-Unaka Mountains on the

at 124 feet.

In Georgia, the trail rises to a height of 4,461 feet at Women make up only 25% of the hikers who complete the north Georgia before it crosses the state border.

is now maintained throughout the year by multiple trail clubs and other partnerships. The trail is marked with 2” by 6” rectangular white blazes, while turns and junctions are marked by double blazes and side trails by blue blazes.

Approximately 3 million people, many from all over the

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hike alone. Many of them are trying to dispel the myth that the trail is too dangerous for women to hike alone.

One such solo thru-hiker is Megan Maxwell, also known as Appalachian Trail Girl (appalachiantrailgirl.com).

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Your Neighbors on the AT trail was there was enough temptation to make me want to do it,” Brandon said.

covers six months of living on the hike,” he said. After he got the money together, things were easy. He purchased some guidebooks to plan the trip, read up on Internet forums so he knew what to expect, and started buying some of his gear months in advance.

He did a few short weekend hikes prior to setting out, but Brandon said, “You’re better off to wing it.” the stuff I started with, but some of my equipment wasn’t geared towards what I was doing.” When Brandon found need for a library and email companies for trial products, or see if they would sell him products at a discount in exchange for feedback, reviews, and pictures of him using the products on the trail.

Brandon found the psychological aspect the experience. After a few weeks, your body gets into physical shape for the intense demands of the terrain and the weather, but hiking the trail for six months to completion is an intense commitment. “You have to get up and pack up the same tent and hike past the same trees every day,” Brandon said.

Although beautiful and relaxing, the monotony could make some people begin to get bored and start to question their decision. “If you went back home, you had to go back to living your normal day-to-day life,” Brandon said. “There was just something gratifying about the freedom you had over your daily experience on the trail.”

Although the trail winds through mountains and wilderness, most of it is relatively close to small mountain towns, many of which are geared towards hikers. “The hikers are an outside source of income for many of these towns,” Brandon said. Hikers pass through the towns and use the laundromats, buy supplies at the grocery stores, and stay at hostels and inns. “Instead of thinking about the trip as one long six-month hike, you think about it in small chunks,” Brandon top of one another.”

Brandon offers the following advice for people who are interested in hiking the entire trail: save up twice as much money as you think you’ll need. “The sure you really want to devote yourself and your time to the hike, and be sure that you are truly prepared to cut yourself off from the world. And, of course, do some research as you plan. discovering the AT. They recently hiked two sections of the trail in Georgia: Springer

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Mountain to Three Forks last October and Indian Grave Gap to Dicks Creek Gap

tent, sleeping bags, and a pad.

and Amicalola Falls. outdoors—yes, me, who wouldn’t even car camp before,” she said. Though this endeavor started as a bucket what it takes to accomplish something really challenging.”

The AT hiking experience was so rewarding for Brandon that he would love to do it again when he retires.

“So much has changed in the last ten years,” he said. “Back when I hiked, there weren’t cell phones like warns hikers against relying on cell phones because reception can disappear for days on end. In their safety tips, they also caution against posting a live itinerary on social media sites and instead recommend leaving itineraries with family or friends and posting about the experience on the Internet afterward.

“It’s an unplugged experience,” Brandon said. “The journey should be about getting out there, relying on totally disconnect from the rest of the world just following a path in the woods,” she said. “I encourage anyone to do it while you still can and get out there, even if just day hikes.”

This return to the simplistic beauty of nature attracts millions every year. Whether it’s a day hike, a short weekend trip, or the full six-month experience, the Appalachian Trail offers something for everyone of every

For more information about the AT, visit the National Park Service’s website: nps.gov/appa/index.htm and the AT Conservancy home page: appalachiantrail.org. If you’d like to learn more about Brandon Tober’s hike, email him at brandontober@gmail.com.

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SEND YOUR EVENTS TO STUFF@KITCHENDRAWER.NET

JANUARY Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday 1

HOPE 5

BETTY 6

PEANUT Knit-A-Long with Toni Tidwell A Novel Experience Zebulon

7

8

Power Lunch Church 11:30 AM

10 AM 12

13

14

Kids Eat Free

Super Senior Luncheon

11 AM

11:30 AM

Church

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Public Auto Auction

Dealer’s Choice Auto Auction

7 PM

9 PM

Center

9 AM

MACIE

Kiwanis Center 6:30 PM

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Maxi-Lube & Castrol Premium Lube Express 9 AM

Butts County Historical Society Foundation

Historical Luncheon

First United Methodist Church

12:30 PM

HAPPY SCAN THIS CODE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS

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Community Zumba

House

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7 PM

9 AM

Liberty Technology Free Movie Event

NCG Cinemas at Fischer Crossing

Southern Cruisers Car Show 5 PM

770-229-9424 25

Courthouse Classics Group Square Market “The Count of Historic Downtown McDonough 7:30 AM

Monte Cristo” A Novel Experience

7 PM

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Kiwanis Club of Barrel Jackpot

Williamson Arena

11:30 AM

Center

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7 PM 27

Christ Church at White Water 7 PM

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Annual Dinner

SKEET 26

IVY

10 11 Lunch & Learn Jackson Road Starting a Elementary Business Class Wildcat 11:45 AM Hosted by SBDC Resolution New Year Dance Run/Walk 5K

Flint River Regional

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Free Bowling Magnolia Lanes

4

BISTRO LEYLAND

Spalding Library Meeting

Ladies’ Day

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

Saturday

3

16

Pike County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

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Friday

9

15

6 PM 19

2

CAFE

SADIE

Thursday

6 PM

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MAGPIE

The dogs featured on this page are adoptable pets from Dolly Goodpuppy

Society, Inc. in Barnesville, GA. If you are interested in providing a home for one of the dogs on this page, please visit dollygoodpuppy.org or contact dolly@dollygoodpuppy.org ( 7 7 0) 412 - 0 4 41

FEBRUARY Sunday 1

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday 1

The dogs featured on this page are adoptable pets

Partners for Smart Growth

from CARE, Inc., a foster-based businessKiwanis lookingClub to of Kiwanis Center

Methodist Church 11:30 AM

in providing a home for one of the dogs on this page, 11:30 AM

please call 706-957-8316. careinc2010@gmail.com 2

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4 BINGO

GROUNDHOG DAY

915

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“Deathtrap”

7 “Deathtrap”

10 AM

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Flint River Astronomy Club Campus

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“Deathtrap” 3 PM

PRESIDENTS’ DAY

7:30 PM

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7 PM

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Business After Hours

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Free Blood Pressure Screening

9 AM

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Kiwanis Club Meeting

6 PM

Methodist

Center

“A Tale of Cinderella”

11:40 AM

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Draw Your Heart Out 201 1 PM

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Cosmic Bowling

Dart Tournament

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Performing Arts Center

Valerie Gill in Concert First United Methodist 7:30 PM

28 1 MARCH “Seussical Jr.” Putting on Opera House the Ritz 770-228-1306

The Return in Concert 7:30 PM

Most dogs are spayed or neutered and up to date on shots.

Make an appointment to meet them. (706) 957-8316 Photos provided by Mary Alice

VFW

7:30 PM

LADY

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Sweethearts Ball

14 15 OneSource Creation Lunch & Learn Station

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27

Zumba

9:30 AM

7:30 AM

7:30 PM

5 PM

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A Novel Experience Zebulon

Futral Road

7 PM

13

LINCOLN’S BIRTHDAY

5 PM

17

Poetry Group

ASA

BONNIE 16

8 Heart Hustle 5K

7:30 PM

Zumba

3 PM

FRECKLES

Great Clips

7 PM

10

MAGIC 6

Senior Day

Moose Lodge

Saturday

Annual Gala Dinner Dance Candler Field

770-467-9490

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GRIFFIN/SPALDING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

1913-2014 101 Years of Serving Businesses

SAVE THE DATE FOR

UPCOMING EVENTS FEBRUARY Power Partners Entrepreneur Expo Southern Crescent Technical College Public Welcome

APRIL Spring Awards Luncheon ations for "Boss of the Year" and "Staff Person of the Year" are now open.

April 27-28, 2014 – Grea

Ma

MAY May 19, 2014 – Chamber Annual Golf Tournament

Chamber Leadership 2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Chairman: Fred Rudbeck – Georgia Power Co. Vice Chairman: Chris Farr – Georgia Banking Co. Treasurer: Randall Peters – Southern Crescent Technical Col. Past Chairman: Jerry Lower – Magnolia Lanes

Directors Linda Blevins – Economy Rent-A-Car Jim Brown – Championship Martial Arts Virginia Church – Galloway & Lyndall LLP David Clev Fannie Delaney – Xi Beta Omega Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. at Doughtie – United Bank f Fame Way

Sponsorship Levels Available Now! Goody Bag Items Needed Team Registration Now Open

Amanda Rose – Petro South Kelly Smith – Fir ational Bank Brandon Stooksbury – Central Georgia EMC Eric Worrell – Wells Fargo Advisors evelopment Authority Dick Morrow – City Commissioner Chipper Gardner – Spalding Commissioner

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LOW

BLOWS

By Taylor Gantt

Why the NFL’s policy on illegal hits could damage the game

F

Photo Credits Nicolle Florian Washington Post providencejournal.com

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by Betsy Harris

Photos by Heather Beauchamp Betsy Harris Christy McVay

pet tarantula named Helen. A fascination with Steam Powered Giraffe (more on that later). From her art teacher, an endorsement as a student of “raw talent.”

This description doesn’t even begin to show you who Casie Hughes is, but I hope you’ll keep on reading so that you can get to know this phenomenal 17-year-old.

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The Griffin Christian Academy senior has been doodling since age four, and by the time she was 11, she had seriously considered doing something in art as a career. At 13, she grew even more dedicated to the notion of nurturing her talent.

This shy, ambitious, unassuming young woman hopes that eventually she’ll be a professional animator and digital artist.

Since the third grade, she’s had the same art teacher, who has been a friend of her mother’s since the two women were

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acquainted in early childhood. Monta Rae Purser couldn’t be more enthusiastic in talking about her protégé Casie.

When speaking of her, Purser doesn’t hold back. Not only does she see her as highly talented but also adds that she is “very accurate. Her work is balanced, and she’s excellent with color. In fact, her understanding of color theory is amazing. She’s my only student who’s twice been selected to Savannah College of Art and Design’s summer program. In this program, Casie even got to experiment in sculpture.”

The veteran art teacher recalls her favorite memory of Ms. Hughes as an elementary school student. A sidewalk chalk exhibition at Monroe Academy elicited amazement from the many awestruck adults who stopped by to study Casie’s renderings. Purser’s remarks reflect how well she knows this budding artist. “She is spunky, a nonconformist. All I do is encourage her and expose her to new concepts. She wins or at least places in every competition. For the Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Casie inked a cartoon poodle surrounded by cherry blossoms; this she’ll submit to the t-shirt design contest for that event in March of 2014. It wouldn’t surprise

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me at all if hers is the one chosen. She’s capable of original thought and amazing symmetry that needs virtually no fixing.

She even has an intuitive eye for color and value—that is, highlight, shadows, and gradation. She needs a career right now!”

A career right now? Let’s get this kid into college first! Casie would love to go to SCAD in Atlanta, but she’s savvy enough to know that it’d be easier on the budget if she did her first two years at Gordon and then transferred. Regardless of the path she takes to earn her bachelor’s degree, some day, I predict, we’ll be saying, “I knew Casie when she was still just dreaming of becoming a digital artist and animator.”

She can “produce times 10,” as Purser says.

I have no doubt that someone as prolific as this young lady will reach her career goal and even surpass it.

If you’re as ignorant of the 21st-century art world as I am, you may not even know what a digital artist does. Not to worry— I’ll share the education Casie gave me one dreary afternoon in late November.

Digital art is that which one renders on a computer. Modern animation is in that category, too, as are graphic novels, which, of course, are much like comic books, only longer. Casie uses a device called a Wacom Bamboo Tablet. She hooks it up to her laptop, and, with a stylus, draws images that appear on her screen. She can manipulate those images, add color, and perform any number of other “tricks.” It’s fascinating to watch, especially if you are a dinosaur, as I am.

Her demonstration of that special tablet is where Steam Powered Giraffe comes in.

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Casie discovered this musical pantomime troupe when she was in pursuit of interesting music, such as that of Gorillaz, a British visual and musical project that debuted in 1998. Jamie Hewlett, a comic book artist and designer, is the artist for Gorillaz. Casie aspires to be like Hewlett and create animation for groups such as Steam Powered Giraffe. Another of her inspirations is Tim Burton, a name you may be familiar with, since you’ve probably seen some of his efforts as a director and producer. Remember Edward Scissorhands? The Nightmare before Christmas? Frankenweenie? Then you know the quirky Tim Burton.

Meanwhile, she’s quite happy honing her skills and entering contests. “I’m most proud,” she says, “of the Federal Junior Duck Stamp competition. I have earned one third-place win and three second-place wins for the state of Georgia. This will be the last year I compete, so, hopefully, this will be a blue-ribbon year!”

Entering contests, however, is not the only way the artist shares her talent. She and two friends in particular, Jade and Miranda, draw things for each other and exchange their works. “It’s nice to have close friends with the same interests….[I also like it when] people ask me to create greeting cards such as birthday and teacher cards for them to give. I have done many of those, and most of the time, I get paid for them, which is always cool. I am helping illustrate a children’s book my grandfather is writing. Hopefully, it will be complete soon and ready for print.”

Although Casie prefers animation and digital art, she likes drawing with pencils, too. Almost always she has a sketch pad with her so she can get her ideas down on paper while they’re still fresh. “I can’t say I haven’t gotten in trouble for that,” she admits. “Oh, well. It’s hard to turn off an artist’s mind.”

We’re grateful that it’s difficult to turn off an artist’s mind.

Casie’s s i n g l e - m i n d e d n e s s , creativity, and determination bode well. As long as the muse of art smiles kindly upon her, fans will get to see even more of her work as she adds to her portfolio. In short, the girl is good! Don’t take my word for it, though; check out what you see in these pages. You’ll be impressed.

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“Hey, we should do this,”

this particular bathroom-free caving expedition. I think she had been expecting more of a Ruby Falls-type cave experience: riding an elevator to the cave; admiring lovely illuminated formations;

which advertised a caving expedition sponsored by our university's outdoor recreation program.

I was a bit skeptical, since I had never known Des to be the outdoor type; but she was enthusiastic about the opportunity to explore a real cave and then camp in the mountains, so we paid our deposits and signed up.

waterfall, complete with uplifting music and multicolored lights; and then riding the elevator back up to the earth's surface an hour later.

said my college roommate, Des, as

We collected our gear, borrowing some items from our families and friends: warm coats that were not too bulky, thick jeans, gloves, boots, long underwear, and heavy-duty sleeping bags—this caving and camping trip would be in the north Georgia mountains in January. The night before we were to leave, we attended a meeting led by the organizers. Des had only one question, “Are there bathrooms in the cave?” It turned out that there were no bathrooms in the cave.

Photo by Hannah Younker As I packed, although it was never Des was not going to be attending

Since my parents had generously covered the non-refundable cost of my trip, I decided to go ahead with it even though I didn't know any of the other participants.

My roommate's assessment had been correct. This was not the kind of tour that was illumined by red, yellow, and blue electric lights and narrated by an avuncular tape-recorded voice on a loudspeaker.

This was more of the crawling-on-yourbelly-in-the-dark kind of expedition.

Illumination was provided by the batterypowered lights on our caving helmets.

There was no narrator.

This was how I found myself, for almost eight hours, slogging through underground streams, squeezing through small gaps between rocks, slipping in cave mud, and (successfully) trying not to panic while I dragged my body through yards and yards of a “crawl” so low that I couldn't even hold my head upright. This was also how I found myself camping in 18-degree weather that night. (Our group had to choose one of two options— camping outdoors or camping in the cave. I had been one of the more vocal opponents of camping in the cave on the grounds that there might be bats in there, which there were.)

However, at about 1 a.m., I was so cold camping outside that the idea of camping in a 56-degree cave, even with bats, seemed mighty appealing. Despite getting really dirty in the cave and really cold camping outside, I made it safely back to college, where I immediately threw cave mud on my roommate. (Not really, but the thought crossed my mind.)

My college caving adventure was years ago—an experience which made for some good stories but not one that I was particularly eager to repeat. However, when my family and I made plans to hike in Cloudland Canyon—ironically, the site of my own college caving and camping trip—a friend who had just been to Cloudland mentioned that she and her family had gone on the Georgia Girl Guides Wild Cave Tour there. She recommended it as “unforgettable” and “amazing.” Memories of my own longago caving expedition returned, and I began to wonder what it would be like to do it all again with my family. Besides, as the mother of three daughters, I was intrigued by the name—just who are these Georgia Girl Guides? I signed us up for the two-hour Wild Cave Tour.

Caving was much like I remembered it—slippery, a bit damp, and comfortably cool, since Sitton's Cave at Cloudland Canyon stays a constant 56 degrees year round. What I hadn't remembered was Continued on pg. 37

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Continued from pg. 34 how much fun caving can be. The Georgia Girl Guides, Christine and Amy, helped to make our experience outstanding. Christine, with a degree in Environmental Education and a Master's in Ecological Teaching and Learning, taught us about cave formations; showed us fossils; and pointed out creatures such as bats, salamanders, and cave crickets.

I attempted a few of the challenges, but during one maze-like crawl in which half my body seemed to be going southwest and the other half seemed to be headed southeast, I was quite unsure if I would be able to get both halves going the same direction again. “It's always the hips that are a problem,” Christine, who is also a mom, called helpfully. “Yes,” I agreed, wondering if power tools would be necessary to get me out of my predicament. I eventually managed to pry myself free, but decided then that just getting out of the cave without the aid of jackhammers would be challenge enough for me.

the two-hour tour being the most popular. Cavers who want to take their exploration to the next level can schedule a six-hour Extreme Cave Tour.

The motto of the Girl Guides is “No Destination—Just Exploration.”

The adventures are called “Wild Cave Tours” to avoid confusion with the cave tours in which visitors stand upright, admire electric lights, and listen to narration. After two hours in the cave, our whole family emerged extremely muddy but exhilarated by our new adventure. The Georgia Girl Guides Wild Cave Tour, like the caving expedition of my college days, on-your-head, watching-for-bats, nobathrooms-in-the-cave kind of tour; but after spending a couple of hours in the cave with my family and the Girl Guides, I realized that I wouldn't have it any other way.

seemed to enjoy taking my daughters on what she called “challenges”—very low crawls, tight squeezes, and climbs.

I wasn't surprised that my girls were adventurous and surefooted in the cave, because they've been exploring the woods near our home and climbing on slippery rocks in the woodland creeks since they could barely walk. I was, however, impressed at how they negotiated claustrophobia-inducing squeezes through inches-wide openings between rocks and crawled under “ceilings” that looked barely over a foot tall.

At one point, we all turned off our headlamps and agreed to remain silent for a time. A cave is one of the few places in the world where we can still experience absolute darkness and silence. It was moving. It was aweinspiring. It was—a little unnerving after a while. After a few minutes of majestic silence and darkness, I, the voice of wisdom and maturity, the one who countless times assured my young girls at bedtime that the dark was nothing to fear, cracked. “Can we turn our lights back on?” I asked in a slightly squeaky voice.

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As Amy and my daughters emerged from their last challenge, an elevated crawl that looked barely high enough to allow a Barbie doll to stand upright, Christine turned to me and said of Amy, “We call her Tiny.” I could see why.

As we explored the cave, we learned the story of the Georgia Girl Guides, an excellent example of what a successful partnership between a government entity and a private enterprise can look like. Christine and Amy both worked at Cloudland Canyon State Park when it became apparent, in light of increasing cuts and layoffs, that their jobs could soon be eliminated. The friends began exploring their options and in 2011 founded the Georgia Girl Guides (also known as G3), realizing that this would be the perfect opportunity to combine their love of nature, especially of Cloudland Canyon, with their entrepreneurial interests. Through a concession agreement with the state park (the park receives a portion of the business's proceeds), the friends lead tours of varying lengths, typically one, two, or four hours long, with

Photo by Hannah Younker

To schedule your own caving adventure, call 706-9137170. Note: For conservation reasons, the caves at Cloudland Canyon State Park are closed from November through March.

During these months, the Georgia Girl Guides lead cave tours at Pigeon Mountain, Georgia, approximately 26 miles from Cloudland Canyon State Park. The Georgia Girl Guides resume their tours at Cloudland Canyon in April.

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Photos by Heather Beauchamp Recipes by Elizabeth Doss Elizabeth Doss studied in the culinary program at Southern Crescent and currently bakes goods for Safehouse Coffee

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Winter Cranberry Cookies ¾ Cup Sugar ¾ Cup brown Sugar 1½ StiCkS of buttEr, SoftEnED 2 EggS (at room tEmpEraturE) ½ tSp purE vanilla ExtraCt 1 tSp Cinnamon 2 CupS all-purpoSE flour ½ tSp baking powDEr ¼ tSp Salt ½ Cup DriED CranbErriES 6 oz whitE ChoColatE bar, finEly ChoppED

Prosciutto Pear Crostini

in a large bowl, mix both sugars and softened butter together until fully

brush the baguette slices with oil

12 thin SliCES baguEttE ½ tbSp Extra-virgin olivE oil 6 thin SliCES proSCiutto, halvED CroSSwiSE ½ pEar, ShavED thin 2 oz gorgonzola, Cut into 12 piECES honEy

top with the prosciutto, pear, and

ingredients to bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until all ingredients

Rosemary Red Crostini 12 thin SliCES baguEttE ½ tbSp Extra-virgin olivE oil 8 oz StEak filEt ½ Sprig roSEmary Salt anD pEppEr to taStE 2 largE ShallotS 3 oz gingEr alE 1 rED pEppEr brush the baguette slices with oil steak with rosemary and salt and pepper; place in a skillet, cook to Slice shallots and sauté in a pan with ginger ale and a pinch of salt

350° and spoon onto a greased

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Highlights of 2013

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wards season is always a fun, crazy time of year for movie

lovers: pundits are feverishly

while another is gaining some last-minute momentum, actors are weeping onstage while reciting the same speech over and over again, orchestras are cutting a great cinematographer’s speech short, Billy Bush is

handful of movies you’re going to be hearing a lot about this time of year.

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SaviNG Mr. BaNkS: If you love the enchanting Mary Poppins as much as I do, you’ll likely appreciate this sentimental-yet-involving look at the making of that classic between Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers (an enjoyably brusque Emma Thompson) and Walt Disney (Tom Hanks, never more charming). The movie makes a few missteps here excessively so. Besides, I seem to recall someone once saying that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

12 YearS a Slave: Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery during the pre-Civil War era. The movie documents each step of Northup’s capturing the man’s desperation. Steve McQueen’s sensitive direction, the masterful production design, and the exceptional supporting cast (Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alfre Woodard, Sarah Paulson, Paul Dano, and Paul Giamatti are among the participants) further ensure that slavery more effectively than any other.

FrozeN: Right now, Disney’s animated effort is looking like the favorite in the “Best Animated Feature” category, and it’s certainly easy to understand why: the animation is beautiful, the central character (a young woman voiced by Kristen Bell) is a remarkably well-crafted protagonist, and the songs (penned by Broadway veterans Kristen AndersonLopez and Robert Lopez) are enjoyably witty. Even so, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen doesn’t quite manage to capture the magic of the very best Disney animated worthier efforts: Pixar’s joyous Monsters University (a moving, funny, monster-themed riff on college comedies like Animal House) and Studio Ghibli’s elegiac The Wind Rises (legendary director Hayao

GraviTY: Regardless of one’s feelings on Gravity as a story, there’s no question that it’s one of the most important cinematic technical achievements in years—James Cameron (the director of Titanic and Avatar) went so far as to dub it “the greatest space wrings a great deal of emotion and tension out of their ordeal. The special effects are indeed astonishing, but Bullock’s tremendous performance (for my money, a far greater effort than her work in The Blind Side this is it), there’s no doubt that Gravity companion piece: All Is Lost, another survival tale which stars Robert Redford as a man lost at sea. It’s a much less expensive movie, but every bit as powerful.

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Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows The Anti-Vent Let’s start the new year on a positive note! Kitchen Drawer’s readers and Facebook friends share what they love about their communities.

I live in Griffin, and I love how there are so many kind and helpful people who have goals for a better community—to help others make healthy choices and creating healthy events and activities.

Chelle Wilson

I LOVE, LOVE, a beach in any season. The winter beach is as gorgeous and amazing as in the summer season.

Nan Jolly Moore, St. Simon’s Island

I love to hear the roosters crow in the mor ning and to see the mountaintops from my front porch.

Cynthia Queen, Thomaston

I love the cows that I have for neighbors. They are much better to have than people.

Kelly Grisham Herring, Lifsey Springs

We live near Murrayville, Georgia, and I love it because it’s still rural, aside from the giant chicken plant, which is also something to love since I love chickens. (And taters.) (And cornbread.)

Jeff Jones

The sounds of silence, the beautiful sunsets, and the breathtaking views of the starlit skies...stuff you just can’t find in the city.

Herb Barley, Hollonville

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Instructions: Find as many of the city and town names as you can. To be recognized on our website, email your first and last name and the number of cities/towns you found to stuff@kitchendrawer.net. The answers will be posted on our website, www.kitchendrawer.net, on February 14, 2014 and published in the next issue (Vol. 6, Issue 2 – March/April 2014).

If you’d like to see your town in a future puzzle, please email the name of the town to stuff@kitchendrawer.net. Happy hunting!

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A IC

DV E

Many of our Facebook friends answered the question, “If you could go back in time and tell your 18-year-old self one thing, what would it be?”

Here are some of our favorite responses:

To my 18-year-old self

It doesn’t matter; my 18-year-old self wouldn’t have listened anyway. ~Ashley Green Learn to play poker well, learn a foreign language, travel, read daily, and keep a journal.

~Jason Stowell Don’t pick a major you hate just because you finished high school and you’re “supposed to” go to college now. F igure out what you want to do or it’s pointless. ~Charlie Wild Bohr Start saving for retirement! ~Kathy Thomas Ethridge Get that college degree while you’re single, stress & kid free!! ~Stephanie

Fowler Wolfgram

Buy Google stock. ~George McDonald Get your mind off that boy and concentrate on school! ~Beth Wilson Griffin Quit your relationship and go get an eight-year degree in something! ~Herb Barley The winning lottery ticket number for that day! ~Timothy D. Perez Stay single until you’re in your 30s, travel the world, live it up & don’t sweat the small stuff !

~Dixie Moore

High School IS NOT the best time of your life! ~Whitney Chandler Pasch The wise answer would be “nothing.” Most of us are blessed beyond our imaginations because of the good and bad decisions we’ve made. ~Nora J. Foster

Slow down and learn about yourself. Really explore all your talents and choose a career you love.

~Monica Ann Evans If it looks and sounds like an idiot, it probably is. Run! ~Cheryl

English Clark

Stop smoking now...don’t wait until you are in your 30s. ~Natasha W Stansel

Don’t take out so many student loans. ~Erika Shay

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by Ashley Garrett

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I

f I count backwards through the gifts that Richard gave me, they all end with the house and everything in it, left to me in his will. Eleven days before that, he gave me a band of diamonds.

The night before that, two silver bracelets at the rehearsal dinner. Then back three weeks more to Valentine’s Day 2005, when he surprised me in his hospital room with a box of chocolates and a card tucked between the hands of a teddy bear wearing a little sweater with a red heart on it.

I gave him a jar of heart-shaped gingersnaps that year, because ginger is good for nausea. He was touched,

the memory of my attempt at a Martha delicious, but looked horrifyingly like cat turds—leave it to me to mess up a recipe with only two ingredients.

That cookie jar stayed with him at Johns Hopkins while I brought the bear home with me. My other teddy bears had names—Theodore, Louis, Edward—but I didn’t have a name for this one. Andrew?

No. Hopkins? No. Poe? No. I was a little too grown up to sleep with the bear tucked beneath my chin, but I didn’t want him to be lonely. I set him atop the stack of gratitude journals on my nightstand and slept alone.

A week and a half later, I was back in Baltimore to bring Richard home.

We packed up the jar of untouched gingersnaps—he wasn’t eating much by then—along with his other things. Back in Athens, it landed on the dresser top, but was soon covered over by the clutter of illness.

He died on March 16th.

I couldn’t throw away the cookies. I couldn’t name the bear, either. I talked to him sometimes. I traced the shiny surfaces of his eyes with the tip of my

disingenuous to go back and paste a name over that absence. clutter of illness but left the jar of gingersnaps on the dresser. Sweetness and memory, growing stale. February 14th rolled around and I realized that, for the anyone to send a Valentine. I left work early so I could throw myself onto the bed and sleep until the day was over, but there sat the cookie jar and I made up my mind to deal with it.

I sat in our hammock down by the river and as the afternoon sun bounced off the water, I opened the cookie jar and let myself cry as the smell of ginger rose out of memory and into the day. I reached in and took out a heart-shaped cookie, held it in my palm and spoke aloud one good memory from my life with Richard.

“Thank you for this house.” Then I threw Another cookie, another gift. “Thank you for that Valentine’s Day that you ripped the ugly wallpaper out of the bathroom while I went shopping.” Into the river.

“Thank you for the time you brought me roses and said that you knew you should give me red ones for love but you got the pink ones because they smelled like real roses.” Into the river. “Thank you for teaching me how to paddle a kayak.”

I went through dozens of cookies, a hundred memories. With every memory, every gift, I felt lighter, as my spirit rose up as the cookies in the jar dwindled.

Then I was down to just two cookies and it was time to get to the heart of the matter. I pulled a cookie out and cried for a while. “Thank you for loving me.” I threw that cookie as far out into the river as I could, into the current of the middle channel, into the deep. A few clean breaths and I reached in the jar for the last cookie. It was broken into two pieces, right down the middle. I laughed. “Thank you for this broken heart.”

A year later, I was pregnant on Valentine’s

his shoulders every few months. I kept him out of reach of the dog who liked to eviscerate stuffed animals. When she died the next spring and I got an even bigger dog who liked to shred things, I kept the bear safely out of harm’s way. He just never got a name. When I got him, there had been too much going on to focus 48

that would become Vivi, and I had a new the bears given to me by high school and college boyfriends on to Victoria, but not my Valentine’s bear. He still sat on the nightstand, keeping watch over the bassinet, for Vivi and then three years

later for Carlos. After Carlos moved to his own bed, the bassinet sat empty. Over these years, the stack of gratitude journals had grown, too, and the bear’s head was perilously close to the light bulb. I moved him into the bassinet. He sat there for another year, still without a name, still never far from my side. in the big bed for family snuggle time and someone did something to someone else and Carlos ended up crying. I tried to distract him with…there was nothing in reach save my pen, a journal, a Kindle and a glass of water. Vivi grabbed the bear and before I could remind her that he was mine and special to me and not to be touched, she waggled him in Carlos’ face and the crying stopped. I decided to get over it, to let life happen as it would. I showed Carlos how the bear’s arms could be opened but the tiny magnets in his paws would bring them back together. “See, baby?” I said as I pulled the arms apart, then as they popped back together I cried “BOOP!” He dissolved into giggles. I repeated this again and again and each time I squealed, “BOOP!” to his delight. Carlos took the bear and squeezed it tight like babies do. My heart lurched and sank as I watched my special bear being treated like an ordinary toy after six years on the shelf. But when my darling boy pulled the arms apart then whispered, “boop,” I One day, if Carlos counts backwards from Richard too. In a family, every story is like that. Sometimes one generation has to hold on to something for the next until it can be known by its name.

Reprinted with permission, copyright Ashley Garrett 2013.

Ashley Garrett grew up in Gay, Georgia and graduated from Flint River Academy. She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Sam Garrett of Greenville. Ashley writes stories daily at BaddestMotherEver.com.

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