ROME IS THE PLACE FOR FALL EVENTS ROME IS THE PLACE FOR FALL EVENTS
Styx in Concert
Sept 19 7:30pm Forum River Center
Haunted Trolley Tours
Oct 17-19 Oct 25-26
First Friday Concer t RLT Disney ’s Descendants
Tenth Avenue Nor th Drake White
Cave Spring Pig Out
Coos a Valley Fair
Sep 6 Sep 6-8 Sep 22 Sep 26 Sep 28 Oc t 1-5
Fiddlin Fest
Oct 12 12pm - 6pm
Downtown Rome
Schnauzer fest Oct 25-26
Downtown Rome
Going Caching
Rodney Carrington
Ultimate Eagles
Experience
Chiaha Har vest Fair
Rome International Film Festival
Oc t 2-6
Oc t 18
Oc t 26
Oc t 26-27
Oc t 31-
Nov 3
On the cover:
This photo of the Sante Fe River was taken in High Springs, Florida, by Gurdon Counts using his Android phone. See our story on page 28 for tips on how you too can take great cellphone pics.
22 It’s Time for Tea
As tearooms gain popularity, we examine the art and ritual of afternoon tea.
26 A Magic Carpet Ride
The fascinating story of how Dalton, Georgia, became the carpet capital of the world.
30 10 Tips for Taking Better Smartphone Photos
We all use our cellphones as cameras these days, so why not learn how to utilize all of its features to create photo magic.
4 Letter From the Publisher
The journey to discovering your core pursuits.
A colorful example of the chenille bedspreads hand-stitched by local women that were the catalyst for today’s billion-dollar carpet industry. | courtesy of Adairsville Depot History Museum & Welcome Center
10 Dog Eared Highlighting the unique genre of novels written as correspondence. 14 Dollars & Sense The importance of couples being on the same financial page and how to get there.
16 Community Getting to know Philip Little, a Rome firefighter and volunteer tour guide.
18 Wanderlust New York City may get top billing as the destination for live theater, but Chicago is its unsung understudy. 6 Calendar for Living Happenings in our ’hood.
36 Get Cookin’ How to master cooking with a cast-iron skillet, plus two yummy recipes.
38 Robert’s World These days, Halloween has become more trick than treat.
Picture Perfect
For years, I’ve thrown away any information I’ve gotten from AARP, refusing to think of myself as a senior citizen. But turning 65 this year and signing up for Medicare is making it real. I used to pay a co-pay at the doctor’s office, and now I’m answering questions about whether I’m a fall risk! I still refuse to accept the label, and age is a state of mind anyway, but with many of my friends retiring, I’m beginning to ponder what will keep me busy when that day happens. What will I do after publishing a magazine I’ve loved for 14 years? I’m not there yet, but I’ve realized that the key to enjoyment and fulfillment in life rests solely in my hands. I’ve got to think about my future and shape my retirement how I want it to be.
I’ve listened to WSB radio host, writer, and financial advisor Wess Moss for years. His last two books focus solely on retirees, and he addresses the issue regularly on his Sunday morning show, Money Matters. After surveying several thousand retirees, Moss discovered that the happiest retirees weren’t necessarily the wealthiest, but rather they all had one thing in common: at least three core pursuits. They travel, work out, enjoy reading or a hobby like painting, or may be involved in church or volunteering. In other words, they don’t become couch potatoes once they quit working. They’re active, engage with other people, and travel with friends.
My parents enjoyed traveling, and after retirement, they spent four months every year cruising the country in their big fifth-wheel camper, so traveling is in my blood. My husband, Jerry, and I just took our second trip to Huntsville, Alabama, for some R&R and to revisit a city we thoroughly enjoy. On one of our outings, we visited a historic estate called Burritt on the Mountain, which is nestled on Round Top Mountain and overlooks all of the city. Only a few guests were there, and we learned many fascinating things from our private tour guide. Typically when we travel, I take a lot of photos and then edit them later. In our cover story about how to take amazing cellphone photos (see page 28), professional photographer Jeffrey Mitchell mentions enhancing your pics using photoediting apps. I already use Lightroom, and it’s a game-changer. Last year, when Jerry and I were on a trip to England and Wales, we got up early to go to Sunday mass at Bath Abbey, a gorgeous Anglican cathedral. It was closed for a wedding, but I snapped a photo of the exterior as a few folks walked by. Using the app allowed me to wipe out any distractions and, poof!, the people were gone. I also adjusted the sky to a brilliant blue, and the resulting image is a real keeper. As I explore what counts as core pursuits, I’m excited to discover new activities to keep me occupied. I’ve just joined the YMCA. I’m eager to try something new, pickleball, when the Y’s leagues start up this fall. For now, NW Georgia Living is here to stay because it makes me happy. Our motto is Inspiring, Informing, Enriching. Now get off that couch and join me in this exciting journey of discovery!
SEPT/OCT 2024 Volume 15 |
Publisher and Founder
Editor-in-Chief
Laura Wood Erickson
Editor
Jill Becker
Creative Director
Andi Counts
Designer
Mackenzie Allanson
Copy Editor
Elin Woods
Contributing Writers
Jill Becker
Ande Frazier
Jeffrey Mitchell
Kathy Patrick
Jennifer Robinson
Robert Smyth
Elin Woods
Web Master
Tracy Slack & Associates
Sales
Laura Wood Erickson
wood.laura@yahoo.com
Contact us at: (706) 346-9858
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NW Georgia Living P.O. Box 72546
Marietta, GA 30007
We welcome all contributions, but we assume no responsibility for unsolicited material.
NW Georgia Living is published bimonthly by L. Wood LLC.
A pic of me in London, taken with my phone. There were people on the sidewalk, but I magically edited them out using the Lightroom app.
SEPT
Nature’s Generosity: Fine Art Nature
Photography Exhibit
Sept 5-Oct 30, times vary Rockmart Cultural Arts Center, Rockmart
Collection of images by outstanding Georgia photographers. rockmart-ga.gov/ rockmartculturalartscenter.aspx
First Friday Concert Series
Sept 6, 7pm
Town Green, downtown Rome
Free concert on the town square featuring The Purple Madness Prince Tribute Band. downtownromega.us/events/ first-fridays
Northwest Georgia Regional Fair
Sept 6-14, gates open 5pm Cherokee Capital Fairgrounds, Calhoun Includes music performances, carnival rides and games, magic shows, a comedy circus, livestock shows, pageants, and more. northwestgeorgiaregionalfair. com
Rolater Regatta Cardboard
Boat Race
Sept 7, 10:30am Rolater Park, Cave Spring Teams engineer cardboard boats for a crazy race across Rolater Lake. ahhas.org/rolater-regatta.html
Legion of Comedy Improv
Sept 13, Oct 11 & 12, 8pm Legion Theatre, Cartersville Comedians play classic improv games where you never know what’s going to happen. pumphouseplayers.com
Staged Reading: Double Fault by Hank Kimmel
Sept 14, 7:30pm Legion Theatre, Cartersville
A free staged reading of Hank Kimmel’s play Double Fault, involving a top-tier junior tennis player on the cusp of greatness. pumphouseplayers.com
Styx
Sept 19, 7:30pm Forum River Center, Rome
Hear all your favorites from Styx, with special quests Jet Black Roses. forumrivercenter.com
Logtown Concert Series
Sept 20, 7-10 pm Logtown, Adairsville
This concert’s theme is radio ’80s bands. adairsvillega.net/community/ events/logtown_concert_series. php
The 39 Steps
Sept 20, 21, 27 & 28 at 8pm, Sept 22 & 29 at 3pm Legion Theatre, Cartersville
Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel and a dash of Monty Python and you have this fast-paced whodunit. pumphouseplayers.com
USTA Southern Ozaki Junior Cup
Sept 20-22, times vary Rome Tennis Center at Berry College, Rome
Top youth tennis players from nine states compete. romegeorgia.org/visit-rome/ calendar
Brandon
Arts Festival at Rose Lawn
Sept 21 10am-6pm, Sept 22 noon-5pm
Rose Lawn, Cartersville Paintings, sculptures, glassworks, and more from artists across the Southeast, along with food and entertainment. roselawnmuseum.com
Copper Creek Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Fest
Sept 21-Nov 2, times vary Copper Creek Farm, Calhoun Enjoy hayrides, pony rides, pig races, mechanical bull riding, a petting barn, a haunted corn maze, a candy cannon, caramel apples, and much more.
coppercreekfarm.com
Tenth Avenue North Sept 22, 7pm
Forum River Center, Rome
See the contemporary Christian band live in concert. forumrivercenter.com
Drake White Sept 26, 8pm
Forum River Center, Rome
The country music artist performs. forumrivercenter.com
Evening at the Museum
Sept 26 & 27, 6-9pm
Chieftains Museum, Rome
Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks as volunteers and staff share the rich history of the 200-year-old home turned museum.
chieftainsmuseum.org/events
Sterling Holloway Hunny Pot Festival
Sept 28, 10am-3pm
Big Spring Park, Cedartown Annual festival honoring the Cedartown native who served as the voice of Disney’s Winnie-the-Pooh. cedartowngeorgia.gov/events
Great Locomotive Chase Festival
OCT
Oct 4 10am-11pm, Oct 5 9am-11pm & Oct 6 noon-5pm Downtown public square, Adairsville Annual hometown tradition with arts and crafts, amusements, food, a parade, and beauty pageant. adairsvillega.net/community/ events
Euharlee Covered Bridge Fall Festival
Oct 11 6:30-9:30pm & Oct 12 9:30am-5pm
Frankie Harris Park, Euharlee Kick off fall with hayrides, pumpkins, kids activities, music, 75-plus vendors, and a 5K that runs through the historic covered bridge. facebook.com/ euharleecoveredbridgefallfestival
Cartersville Comic Con Oct 12, 10am-5pm Clarence Brown Conference Center, Cartersville Marketplace for comics, collectibles, and other merchandise, plus special guests and a cosplay contest. cartersvillecomiccon.com
Fiddlin’ Fest
Oct 12, noon-6pm
Broad Street, Rome
Annual downtown street festival with bluegrass music, arts and crafts, fall treats, and other activities.
downtownromega.us/events
Rome Bikefest
Oct 12, 9am-6pm Coosa Valley Fairgrounds, Rome Motorcycle enthusiasts from around the country converge for a bike show, escorted rides, live music, food trucks, and more.
romegeorgia.org/visit-rome/ calendar
Summerville Mini Renaissance Festival
Oct 12, 11am-5pm
Summerville Depot/Dowdy Park area, Summerville
Fun-for-all-ages renaissancethemed fair with live entertainment, shopping, games, and a feast fit for a king.
facebook.com/ summervillerenfest
OCT
Rodney Carrington Oct 18, 7pm Forum River Center, Rome
The multitalented comedian, actor, writer, and singer performs. freshtix.com/events/rodneycarrington-rome
Antique Engine & Tractor Show
Oct 18-19, 9am-5pm Cherokee Capital Fairgrounds, Calhoun
Enjoy free exhibitions of wheat threshing and baling, a daily power parade, children’s tractor train, and more. facebook.com/gcaeatc
Friday Movie Nights
Oct 18 & 25, 6-9pm Logtown, Adairsville
Grab a blanket and some popcorn for this free outdoor movie event. adairsvillega.net/community/ events
Misery
Oct 25 & 26 and Nov 1 & 2 at 8pm, Oct 27 & Nov 3 at 3pm Legion Theatre, Cartersville
Gripping tale of a successful romance novelist “rescued” from a car crash by his number one fan. pumphouseplayers.com
Schnauzerfest Rome
Oct 31, 4-6pm Downtown public square, Adairsville
Annual show for model car builders, with themes including pickup trucks and 60 years of the Mustang.
Coosa Valley Fairgrounds, Rome
Enjoy unique arts and crafts from regional artisans and craftsmen, plus food and
Costumes, candy, and more. adairsvillega.net/community/ events/halloween_on_the_ square.php
Rome International Film Festival
Oct 31-Nov 3, times vary Downtown Rome
Four days of the best in independent, documentary, and short film, plus fabulous after parties, behind-thescenes peeks, and exclusive access to celebrities. riffga.com
Clarence Brown Conference
FRENCH COUNTRY GETAWAY
Nestled in the foothills of North Georgia, discover a place where Southern charm meets French luxury.
Better as Letters
Highlighting the unique genre of novels written as correspondence.
BY ELIN WOODS
September 1 is World Letter Writing Day, and as a card-carrying member of The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society (yes, it’s a real thing), I thought it was the perfect time to explore the epistolary novel genre. An epistolary novel refers to a fictional work written in the form of letters. The story can also be shared through diary entries, emails, text messages, and other forms of communication. Notable examples of the genre include Carrie, The Color Purple, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Bridget Jones’s Diary, but below are some others I think you’ll enjoy. Happy reading, and writing!
84, Charing Cross Road
By Helene Hanff
When the topic of books written in letter form became the topic of this edition’s column, I knew immediately that I had to include this little novel on my list. And I mean truly little, as it comes in at just over 100 pages. It’s probably one of my favorite books because I see myself in the characters. A freelance writer, just like me, who’s obsessed with rare British literature, also like me, sends a letter to a used bookstore owner in London, igniting an exchange of correspondence and an eventual friendship. If you love reading and long for a friend who feels just as strongly as you do, you’ll fall in love with this book for sure, especially if you’re a massive Anglophile. After you read it, make sure you give the film version, starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft, a try as well.
Sleeping Giants
By Sylvain Neuvel
Science fiction isn’t one of the first genres I turn to when I’m looking for something to read, but after a fellow librarian wouldn’t stop talking about this debut novel from Sylvain Neuvel, I picked it up. I think my mission had been to prove to her that I wouldn’t end up interested in a sci-fi novel that was probably about aliens, but I was wrong.
Neuvel doesn’t write this in letters only, but rather through varying types of communication, even some government files that haven’t always been fully redacted. As a little girl in South Dakota, our narrator/interrogator Rose Franklin takes off on her bicycle, like on any normal day, but on this day she falls into the ground and wakes up in the palm of a very large and strange figure. What is it? How long has it been there? Who put it there? And is it a sign of peace or war? The truth, it’s been said, is out there.
Code Name Verity
By Elizabeth Wein
Technically, Code Name Verity is a young adult novel, however, I’ve used it a few times for adult book clubs and have yet to hear a complaint about it being a kids’ book. It’s classified as young adult because the lead characters are two young women, but they’re dealing with very adult situations. In the midst of World War II, Verity’s spy plane is shot down and she’s captured by the Gestapo and given two choices: reveal the secret mission she and her comrades are on or face execution. She chooses to confess and does so slowly on small pieces of paper she’s been given, hoping it’s enough to save not only her but also her best friend, Maddie, who piloted the plane and was left for dead in the wreckage. Verity starts at the beginning, telling the story of young women aviators in England, and her friendship with Maddie.
well-known, like Abigail telling John to “remember the ladies” when John was off creating what would become the United States, but there are so many other moments we should know about this pair, who respect each other and who give us a front-row seat to what life was like for both men and women of a certain class in Colonial and Revolutionary America. It’s also sort of adorable witnessing a former president and his wife flirt both before and during their marriage, as witnessed in a 1762 letter from John to Abigail that included the nickname “Miss Adorable,” and almost always began with “My Dearest Friend.” They debate the ideas of the day, discuss how to raise their children, and most importantly, share their love.
The Historian
By Elizabeth Kostova
Halloween is right around the corner, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t include something horror-related in this edition’s list. Two of the biggest masterpieces in the horror genre, Frankenstein and Dracula, are both written in the epistolary genre, and this book continues that tradition and picks up, in a way, where Dracula left off, through letters and archival files. We know that Vlad the Impaler is considered the inspiration for Dracula and other famous vampires, but what if there’s a lot more to their connection? And what if those connections were connected
Europe’s libraries and monasteries and into the past of Eastern
In this clever book, off the coast of South
credited with giving us the pangram “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” (A pangram is a sentence or phrase that includes all the letters of the alphabet.) Not all is as it should be on Nollop, though, as the government is turning too totalitarian and is starting to ban the use of some letters of the alphabet entirely. Ella Minnow Pea, our book’s heroine, is determined to save both the letters and the island’s citizens before they all fall from the island’s statue of Nollop. (You see, if a letter falls from the statue and an islander uses it three times too many, their punishment is death.) What I love most about this book is that author Mark Dunn follows the law of the land and each time a letter disappears from use in the story, he stops using it in the book, too. It’s a clever play on the epistolary: It’s written through letters and yet sometimes without letters, too. It’s also a love letter, or a series of them, to freedom of expression and the power of words, and letters, and how each of them, like each of us, matters.
Elin Woods is a librarian from the mountains of western Pennsylvania, now living in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. When she's not busy reading, she enjoys baking historical treats and exploring the East Coast. She balances her mostly nonfiction history reading with the occasional modern romance novel and plenty of cookbooks.
Love and Money
BY ANDE FRAZIER
The importance of couples being on the same financial page and how to get there.
Managing your money can be tricky for anyone, but managing your finances as a couple can be even more challenging, particularly when each partner has a different definition of risk. Balancing the adventurous approach of one partner with the cautious nature of the other requires open communication, mutual understanding, and strategic planning. Here’s how couples can effectively tackle financial planning despite having differing opinions.
The first step is to understand each other’s fiscal perspectives. Risk tolerance is influenced by several factors, including personality, past experiences, and financial knowledge. One partner may be comfortable with high-risk, high-reward investments like stocks or cryptocurrencies, while the other may prefer safer options like bonds or savings accounts. Recognizing and respecting these differences is crucial. Here are three questions that can help start a conversation between you and your partner when it comes to money and taking risks:
1
1. What are your financial goals for the next five years, and how comfortable are you with taking risks to achieve them?
3
3. What financial risks have you taken in the past and what was the outcome?
This question encourages sharing personal experiences and lessons learned from previous financial decisions. It also reveals your partner’s decision-making process and how they handle financial challenges.
Open and honest communication about financial goals, fears, and expectations is essential, and these probing questions can foster meaningful dialogue and lead to a better understanding and alignment in your financial partnership. Schedule regular discussions where you can both express your concerns and aspirations.
Identify shared financial goals, such as buying a home, saving for retirement, or funding a child’s education. These common objectives can serve as a foundation for your financial planning. Allow each partner to voice their preferences and comfort levels regarding investments and savings. This can help in finding a middle ground.
Once both partners understand each other’s perspectives, the next step is to create a financial plan that accommodates both of your risk tolerances. Here are some strategies:
“Educate yourselves about various investment options, market trends, and monetary strategies. The more informed both partners are, the easier it will be to make joint financial decisions.”
This question opens up a discussion about long-term investment strategies, assesses your partner’s risk tolerance, and helps you understand if your goals align.
2
2. What is your approach to budgeting and saving, and do you prefer to play it safe or take risks for higher returns?
The answer to this question communicates your partner’s financial habits, how they balance saving and spending, and their approach to growing wealth.
Diverse investments. Diversification can satisfy both risk profiles by balancing high-risk investments with more conservative ones.
Separate and joint bank accounts. Consider maintaining separate accounts for discretionary spending and individual investments in addition to joint accounts for shared expenses and goals. This allows each partner to manage a portion of their finances according to their risk tolerance.
Risk budgeting. Establish a risk budget where a certain percentage of the overall portfolio is allocated to highrisk investments. Agree on a limit that satisfies the adventurous partner while
ensuring the more cautious partner is also comfortable.
Reviewing and rebalancing. Regularly analyze and shift your investment portfolio to maintain the agreedupon risk level. This ensures that neither partner’s risk tolerance is disproportionately represented over time.
Engaging a financial advisor can be invaluable. A professional can provide objective advice, develop a balanced financial plan, and mediate discussions about financial decisions. They can help identify investment opportunities that align with both partners’ risk profiles and ensure the couple’s overall financial health is maintained.
Increasing your financial literacy can also help bridge the gap between differing risk tolerances. Educate yourselves about various investment options, market trends, and monetary strategies. The more informed both partners are, the easier it will be to make joint financial decisions.
Flexibility and compromise are essential in any partnership, and when it comes to financial planning, this might mean occasionally stepping out of your comfort zone. The risk-averse partner may agree to a small portion of high-risk investments, while the risktolerant partner might allocate more to
stable investments than they normally would. Recognize that financial planning is a journey, and adjustments may be necessary along the way.
Of utmost importance is that both partners are open and transparent in order to avoid financial infidelity. Financial infidelity occurs when one partner hides or lies about financial activities, such as secret spending, hidden accounts, or undisclosed debts.
Spotting financial infidelity can be challenging, but signs may include unexplained withdrawals, missing bank statements, or sudden changes in financial behavior. If your partner becomes unusually defensive about money or insists on controlling all financial matters without transparency, these could be red flags.
Handling financial infidelity requires a delicate and nonconfrontational approach. Start by creating a safe space for open, honest communication. Express your concerns without accusations, focusing on how the financial secrecy affects your trust and relationship. It’s important to understand the underlying reasons for the behavior, which could range from fear of judgment to deeper emotional issues.
Seek professional help if necessary, such as couples therapy or financial counseling, to address the root
causes and rebuild trust. Establish clear financial goals and boundaries together, ensuring both partners are involved in managing and understanding the household finances. Regular financial check-ins can help maintain transparency and prevent future issues. Ultimately, rebuilding trust after financial infidelity takes time, patience, and a commitment to open communication and mutual accountability.
To ensure both partners feel secure, establish safety nets such as emergency funds, insurance policies, and clear financial boundaries. Having these safeguards in place can provide a sense of fiscal stability and mitigate anxiety about riskier investments. By recognizing each other’s perspectives, setting common goals, diversifying investments, and seeking professional advice, couples can create a balanced plan that satisfies both partners and ensures long-term financial well-being.
Ande Frazier, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, RICP, BFA™, ChSNC, CDFA®, is an expert in behavioral finance and the author of Fin(anci)ally Free: 11 Conversations To Have With Yourself About Life, Money, and Worth. In addition to being a recognized thought leader, author, and speaker, she also serves as a partner at Peachtree Planning Corporation. To learn more, visit andefrazier.com
Getting to Know …
Philip Little
Firefighter/paramedic and Sulzbacher Roman Holiday volunteer guide
BY JILL BECKER
In addition to his full-time duties as a firefighter and paramedic for the City of Rome, Philip Little serves as a volunteer guide on the historic boat tours that take place aboard the 40-passenger Sulzbacher Roman Holiday throughout the year. “My wife says I have an old soul,” he admits. “I’ve always enjoyed learning about history and I like to share that knowledge with others.” The 41-year-old has a unique way of jazzing up his tours, by lending some authenticity and dressing up in period costume. Says Little: “Everything I have on is either from the actual time period, like my pocket watch, or an authentic reproduction.”
Little began leading the tours, which take passengers on an informational journey along the Coosa River, five years ago. He also portrays historical characters at area events, like the time he played James Noble, the man behind the Rome Clocktower, at its 150th birthday celebration. “I try to help bring history back to life as accurately as possible,” says Little.
Some of the fun facts Little shares on the tours are that Rome’s fire department was the second in the state to become fully mechanized and that the wolf statue in front of City Hall was a gift from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. The question he says he gets the most on the tours isn’t actually a question but rather the statement “I bet you’re burning up,” given the fact most of the clothes he’s wearing are made out of wool or some other period fabric.
accident was life-changing for him, it’s not every day you see good outcomes from traumatic events. Things like this make it worth all the classroom time, staying up late studying, and hard work that you do to be good at your craft.”
Here’s more about this veteran civil servant.
“I try to help bring history back to life as accurately as possible.”
In his day job, Little shuns civilian clothes for a firefighter uniform. He says the most rewarding thing about his job of 21 years “is being able to help people on one of the worst days or moments of their life.” His most memorable day on the job involved responding to a call about a child who’d been injured by a fallen tree while swimming in a creek. “He received life-threatening injuries and was flown out to a higher level of care via helicopter,” recalls Little. “With those types of calls, sometimes the outcome isn’t good, but with this one, I was able to later see this child at an EMS event and most recently at his job after he had graduated from high school. Though the
My pet peeve is … at work, not securing your chin strap on your fire helmet when wearing it.
I’m known around the firehouse for … a run-in I once had with the dishwasher. My captain left the dishwasher door down, unbeknownst to me, as I was moving a large coffee maker. I tripped over the door, hitting the island and knocking myself unconscious. I ended up in the ECC with several stitches over my eye. I’m the only person I know with battle scars from trying to make coffee.
My favorite thing to do in my off-time is … watching historical videos and learning more about history via YouTube and the internet.
I cannot live without … coffee.
Something everyone should try at least once is a good cigar. The best thing I can cook is … cook, not sure, but to eat, pinto beans and cornbread.
My go-to vacation spot is the mountains.
To stay fit, I like to … I am not, LOL, but I used to enjoy CrossFit. Cats or dogs? Dogs.
The best advice I ever received was “Don’t forget where you came from.”
Photo courtesy of Georgia’s Rome Office of Tourism
Better Than Broadway?
New York City may get top billing as the place for live theater, but Chicago is its unsung understudy.
BY JILL BECKER
The playbills have been passed out and the audience has been seated. As the curtain slowly rises, a muffled hush falls over the auditorium. The show is about to begin.
There’s something thrilling about a trip to the theater, of seeing the words on the page come to life live in front of you with flesh-and-blood actors pouring their hearts out on the stage. But if you think you have to head to the Big Apple to see a quality show, think again. Chicago’s theater scene is equally worthy of the spotlight.
scene so special.
In fact, hit shows like A Raisin in the Sun, Kinky Boots, Spamalot, and The Producers premiered in the Windy City
“We believe theater is better here, or at least more experimental,” she said, “as artists can afford to truly create, as opposed to pandering to Broadway tastes.”
Whether you like productions big or small, dramatic or droll, innovative or mainstream, you’ll surely find it on a Chicago stage, so plan a visit soon. We’ve made it a little easier with these tips on where to stay, where to go, and what to see.
Lodgings to Love
There are noteworthy hotel options right in the theater district, making it easy to stroll to the show without having to spring for an Uber. The list includes the Allegro Royal Sonesta, a gorgeous art deco gem dating back to 1926. Check out the mural near the lobby that tips its hat to theatergoing of old and be sure to stop in at the complimentary nightly wine reception. Richard Branson’s first foray into the hotel biz, the Virgin Hotels Chicago, opened in 2015 and boasts rooms with his and hers closets, sliding privacy doors, ergonomically designed beds, and other clever touches.
Venerable Venues
Almost 100 years young, the Goodman Theatre is the city’s flagship theater. Lynn Redgrave, Christopher Walken, Karl Malden, James Earl Jones, Patti Lupone, and Helen Hunt are just some of the award-winning actors who’ve taken the stage here over the years in everything from A Christmas Carol to The Iceman Cometh. The name Steppenwolf is also synonymous with Chicago theater. Formed in 1974, it is the longest-standing ensemble group in the country (John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, and Gary Sinise are charter members), and produces some 700 performances annually in its trio of performance spaces. The Second City is another landmark venue, serving as an improv training ground for the likes of John Belushi, Chris Farley, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater, ironically located in a modern glass edifice alongside amusement park rides and souvenir shops on the Navy Pier, presents classic works from The Bard himself and other productions. But the drama isn’t always limited
The famous Bean sculpture at Millennium Park | Courtesy of Alejandro Reves & Choose Chicago
Goodman Theatre | Courtesy of Choose Chicago
to the stage. The elaborate decors of revered playhouses like the James M. Nederlander Theatre and Cadillac Palace Theatre, the latter of which was inspired by the French palaces of Versailles and Fontainebleau, are equally worthy of a standing ovation.
Best Bets for a Pre-Show Meal
Petterino’s is a popular Italian supper club that’s connected to the Goodman Theatre; its nightly dinner menu features tasty options like chicken parmesan and pork osso bucco. Though its name makes it sound a bit like a coffee shop, River Roast is a riverfront restaurant serving up savory roasted meats carved tableside, alongside a selection of small plates and sides. Craft cocktails and seasonal American fare take center stage at Atwood, located in the historic Reliance building mere blocks from the Chicago Theatre, Nederlander Theatre, and other venues.
Standouts for Drinks and Dessert After the Show
CH Distillery produces its own custom liquors right on the premises, which its
mixologists craft into creative cocktails like the Rosemary’s Baby, combining peppercorn vodka, lemon juice, and rosemary syrup. Le Bar, inside the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile hotel, is known for its extensive wine and champagne selection and offers late-night bites both sweet and savory. If it’s nice out, grab a spot at one of the picnic tables at The Northman Beer & Cider Garden and enjoy a local brew, adult slushy, cup of soft serve, or other refreshment as you watch the boats make their way up and down the river. If all else fails, you can always pick up some cupcakes and cookies from the 24-hour Sprinkles ATM on East Walton.
Enticing Diversions
The Art Institute of Chicago is a must. One of the oldest and largest art museums in the country, it houses 300,000 works and is itself a masterpiece of design (the Modern Wing was designed by starchitect Renzo Piano). The museum’s third-floor bridgeway connects it to Millennium Park, a 24-acre square featuring Anish Kapoor’s famous Cloud Gate sculpture (aka The
Bean), arguably the most Instagrammed attraction in town. You’ll want to be sure to take your camera along too on one of the Chicago Line’s Architecture Boat Tours, which offer not just a look at Chi-town’s most memorable buildings, but interesting insights into its storied history as well. Another great way to see the sights is on two wheels. Chicago is one of the country’s most bikeable cities, and certain hotels offer free loaner bikes you can borrow for a spin around town, or you can rent some wheels from any of the 600-plus Divvy bike-sharing stations throughout the city. And how many major cities can boast their own beach? Several miles of sandy shoreline along Lake Michigan make up Rainbow Beach, where you can swim, kayak, paddleboard, and more with the city skyline as your backdrop.
For More Information
For details and help planning your own Chicago adventure, visit choosechicago.com.
Jill Becker’s travel writing has appeared in dozens of magazines and websites, including more than 25 stories for CNN.com.
The Riverwalk | Courtesy of Alice Achterhof & Choose Chicago
The Northman Beer & Cider Garden | Courtesy of Alejandro Reyes & Choose Chicago
It’s Time for Tea
As tearooms gain popularity, we examine the art and ritual of afternoon tea.
BY JILL BECKER
Afternoon tea is the new happy hour.” That’s according to Pinterest Predicts, an annual report tracking trends on the social media app. It’s a trend substantiated by the increasing number of tearooms throughout the U.S., especially following the pandemic.
Originating in both the United States and Europe during the late 1800s and early 1900s, tearooms began as a place for women to gather and socialize freely as they typically weren’t allowed in taverns, hotels, and other establishments without being accompanied by a man. Today, they’re popular for a whole host of reasons.
One of those factors is an increase in the desire for experiential dining, particularly among younger people, who
are looking to share their experiences on Instagram and other social media platforms. Other drivers include an increase in the number of people living a sober lifestyle, the fact that tea is healthy for you and has zero calories, and that it gives people an occasion to get dressed up in their Sunday best. Another major factor is that we live in stressful times, and a tearoom is a perfect place to relax and escape the burdens of everyday life for a few hours.
Stepped in English tradition, a typical afternoon tea service consists of fragrant pots of tea and three courses consisting of savory finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and miniature pastries and cakes, all of which are served on elaborate china or other finery. Some teas may also include champagne and can range anywhere from $30 to $100 a person depending on the location and what’s included.
The fact is, you don’t have to be British to love tea, and there are places right here in Northwest Georgia where you can go to enjoy a lovely spot of tea and conversation. To learn more, we
spoke to the proprietors of one of those tearooms, Haley and Brian Johnson, who own Southern Seasons, a charming little spot with an adjoining florist shop on Broad Street in historic downtown Rome.
How did you come to own Southern Seasons?
We bought it from Aida Brockwell. She started it under the [Small Business Association’s] Boots to Business program to help a military family. She opened in early 2020, so it was a difficult period to own a small business. Her husband retired from the military last year and she was ready to do something else. We were starting to look for a way to be more involved in Rome and loved the downtown, so when this came up, it felt like a good fit.
What different types of tea service do you offer?
We have four different services that we offer in the tearoom.
1 We do afternoon tea. This is a traditional English-style decadent tea service. Guests enjoy two hot tea
Southern Seasons, located in downtown Rome, offers four different types of tea service.
Photo: Holly Jean Photography
offerings and two cold tea offerings. We serve traditional tea sandwiches and scones (both savory and sweet), with curd and clotted cream, and sweet treats, all on a lovely tiered plate stand. We serve a crustless quiche or another warm item, and we have a nice amuse-bouche at the end. This is usually about two hours.
2 We do cream tea. This is a much smaller version of afternoon tea. It is a simple tea service with one hot pot of tea or an iced tea and a few traditional tearoom sweet treats, lasting about an hour.
3 We do luncheon. This is a bit old-fashioned, but our guests enjoy it. It is a lovely meal served during the lunch hours Monday through Thursday. It includes a pot of tea, a signature salad, a sample platter of tea sandwiches (so you don’t have to choose), and a delectable dessert. It can last up to 90 minutes, but we do a quick service for our locals who are here for their lunch hour.
4 We do private parties. We love to celebrate brides, babies, birthdays, and more. We can host anytime, but most people want to celebrate with their families on weekends, so we have carved out a time at 11 a.m. on Saturdays for these special occasions.
Tell us about the tea you sell.
We have self-serve tea and tisane samplings on the floor almost every day that are staff favorites or crowd-pleasers. We like our guests to understand the wide variety of teas that are available, so we make samples available for them to explore new flavors. We carry Harney & Sons and are an embassy for The Republic of Tea. But our private label is our passion. We love to play with the flavors and are currently working on a spicy chai for fall.
What
are
your most popular teas?
We have several very popular teas from our different brands. For Harney & Sons, Tower of London and Hot Cinnamon Spice are best-sellers. Honeybush Vanilla Turmeric and Blackberry Sage are our most popular teas from The Republic of Tea. Bergamot Breakfast, Cozy Cabin, and Georgia Peach are some of the fan favorites from our Southern Seasons private label line.
Is there an art to tasting tea like there is with tasting wine?
There are definitely similarities. Typically, teas can be described and experienced through their aroma, body, and finish. The finish of a tea is the final note that one tastes. For example, one of our popular summer teas is Razzle Dazzle Raspberry. It has a sharp and bright citrusy aroma, a fruity-citrusy body, and a lemony finish. When we prepare for afternoon teas, we like to be conscious of tea flavors so we can better pair them with the meal. A stronger tea served hot, like a black tea, is often better at the end of the service if a lighter tea, like a green or oolong, is served at the beginning. Teas that are a little bit sweeter and more decadent also make for a good final hot tea, as they are meant to be enjoyed with the dessert course of the tea service.
Is sipping tea from fancy china an essential part of the experience?
We laugh in the tea circles that tea really
is “all about the dishes.” The joy comes in making the place look beautiful for the guests. We call it “dish world.” For my part, I spend hours each month in dish world, organizing place settings and preparing for our guests. The dishes are so important to the aesthetic. In our tearoom, each set of dishes has its own name we have given it. This may be something that fits the set, like Jubilee because it makes us so happy, or something thematic like Jane, for Jane Austen, because it has a story. We have fun naming them.
You also run a florist and fresh flower market out of Southern Seasons. Do beautiful flowers and tea services go hand-in-hand as well?
They do. Dishes and flowers make beautiful tablescapes. They go hand-inhand with our tearoom as we accentuate the theme or seasons through the use of our flowers. We are also very cognizant of the reduce, reuse, and recycle mantra, and so we love to use tea tins, cracked
Photo: Holly Jean Photography
Southern Seasons believes that the china its tea is served in is as important as the tea itself.
or chipped teacups, gravy boats, sugar and creamer pitchers, and such as floral containers. When we are done with them, we often give them to people who are having a birthday with us or who are laid up in the hospital or who just need a lift.
Do people generally dress up when they come in for a tea service?
Oh, yes. For our regularly scheduled teas, people wear their floral dresses and their fascinators or their hats. It is such a fun treat in a world where people don’t dress up that much anymore. This gives
people a place to wear that beautiful dress that they see hanging in a shop on Broad Street and they just need an opportunity to don it.
For our themed teas, we definitely have people dress up. We have witches and wizards. We have Victorian ladies. We have princesses and fairies. In June this year, we had Barbies of varying attire every Saturday. We had Malibu Barbie and Career Barbie. It was so fun to see people come in for Wedding Barbie. One group did their bridal shower that day! A friend of the tearoom wore a gorgeous wedding dress. With her blond hair, she was just like Barbie — she looked amazing. We decked the whole room out in pink and the flowers, done by our designer Courtney Atkinson, were absolutely gorgeous.
Who is your typical customer?
Tea people of every background and age come in. We have had people drive four hours from Kingston, Tennessee, just to come to tea with us. We had a sweet couple from Pearl, Mississippi, and a rowdy group of guys from Huntsville, Alabama. We had sisters who currently live in Florida, South Carolina, and Indiana pick Rome as their meet-up spot so they could come to tea with us. We love our out-of-town guests and look forward to hosting them. We, of course, love our local Romans, too. They come in for garden parties, birthday parties, and bridal and baby showers. They also drop in for a quick cream tea with a friend or to grab tea and scones to go.
What’s the best thing about owning a tearoom?
We like to think Southern Seasons is a special place to make memories and celebrate good things happening in life. There is so much noise in the world sometimes and we have worked hard to create an elegant, timeless place where people can relax, gather together, and tell stories. They can share and make memories at the same time.
Northwest Georgia Tearooms
Here are some wonderful area spots for afternoon tea. Reservations are generally recommended.
Château Élan Winery & Resort (in the Versailles Restaurant) Braselton, GA | (678) 425-0900 chateauelan.com
Chelsea’s on Thornton Dalton, GA | (706) 277-2872 chelseasonthornton.com
Sanctuary Restaurant and TeaRoom Ringgold, GA | (706) 956-3113 facebook.com/ sanctuarydiningandtearoom
Southern Seasons Rome, GA | (706) 528-4546 southernseasonsrome.com
Photo: Courtesy
Members of the Atlanta Time Travelers, a group of historic costume enthusiasts, dress in period clothing for Southern Seasons’ recent Colonial Boston Tea Party.
Elegance and charm abound at Southern Seasons.
Tearooms like Southern Seasons are making a comeback across the nation.
Photos: Holly Jean Photography
Photo: Holly Jean Photography
BY JENNIFER ROBINSON
A Magic Carpet Ride
The fascinating story of how Dalton, Georgia, became the carpet capital of the world.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. But sometimes, necessity drives mothers to invent an entirely new industry. Such is the tale of how the women of Northwest Georgia turned a depressed, rural area of the state into what is today the carpet capital of the world. And it all started with them just trying to keep their families clothed and fed.
In the late 1800s to early 1900s, the area of Georgia including Dalton and Adairsville was a thriving agricultural region. The Atlanta Constitution newspaper reported, “the Oothcalooga valley beats the world for butter, eggs, and poultry.” Other products shipped were bricks, roofing tiles, flour, cotton, and Elberta peaches. The goods were transported by train to points both north and south. However, the arrival of the boll weevil in 1910 virtually decimated the cotton crops, and in 1925 the worst drought in a hundred years brought an end to most of the area’s other agricultural business. More than 60,000 farms were lost. With the stock market crash of 1929, most banks were leery of investing money, especially in failing farms, and families were becoming destitute.
At this same time, cars were becoming more and more prevalent, and the highways were seeing an increase in traffic.
The Dixie Highway, the road most traveled by people in the North when driving south to vacation or winter in Florida, ran right through the Dalton area. By that point, the local ladies had already been making tufted bedspreads for their families, friends, and relatives for a while. Tufting is a method of decorating bedspreads that involves stitching designs on cotton sheets using 12-ply yarn. Once the stitching was done, the sheets were boiled to shrink the cotton around the yarn so that the stitches wouldn’t come out. The loops of the stitches were then cut, which created the tufts. Because the bedspreads were so popular in their communities, the women thought maybe they’d be popular with the people traveling along the Dixie Highway as well. So clotheslines were put up to display the bedspreads and announce they were for sale.
The folks from the North, who hadn’t seen tufted bedspreads before, started pulling off the highway to snatch them up. When they returned home, they’d show them off to their friends and neighbors, who wanted tufted bedspreads of their own. Soon, the big stores up North were being
Once completely handsewn, the tufted bedspreads the Dalton area became known for became more mechanized. Here, local women use spreadhouse sewing machines to insert the raised tufts into the bedspread material. The bank of yarn cones in front of each operator supplied the tufting yarn to the sewing machines.
Courtesy of Adairsville Depot History Museum & Welcome Center
In this 1940 pic of a Bartow County roadside stand, hand-stitched bedspreads are advertised as souvenirs to the increasing number of drivers traveling along U.S. Route 41, aka the Dixie Highway.
Courtesy of Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia
The stretch of U.S. Route 41 that ran through the Dalton area inherited the nickname Peacock Alley after spawning a cottage industry that saw women selling their handcrafted chenille bedspreads by the side of the road, many of which featured colorful peacock, floral, and geometric designs. Here, a family stands in front of their home, which is flanked on both sides by elaborate handsewn bedspreads for sale.
asked why they weren’t carrying the bedspreads, so the stores entered into deals with the women from Georgia and started buying them in bulk. Only they didn’t want to call them tufted bedspreads; they needed something more exotic. Someone noted that the tufted rows looked like fuzzy caterpillars, but they didn’t want to call them caterpillar bedspreads either. Someone else mentioned that the French word for caterpillar is chenille, and they soon became known as chenille bedspreads.
As bulk orders came in, the women began renting out spaces where they could do more of a production line to create the bedspreads, but the tufting was still being done by hand. With the increased sales, there was now enough money to feed and clothe their families, and also to adapt their sewing machines to do the tufting so that the bedspreads could be done easier and faster. The men in the area soon saw that this was becoming a money-making venture and they started mechanizing more of the processes, and soon other products like bathrobes and small rugs were being made.
It’s here that the story leaps from bedspreads to carpets. Once they’d mechanized the process to start making small rugs, the next step was to produce the machines that could make wall-to-wall tufted rugs, or carpeting. And the business skyrocketed from there. Today, an estimated 75% of the world’s wall-to-wall carpeting is manufactured in Dalton, earning it the name “The Carpet Capital of the World.”
More to the Story
For more information on this subject, we spoke to Randall Patton, a professor of history at Kennesaw State University, who’s the author of the book Carpet Capital: The Rise of a New South Industry.
Can you sum up the role Dalton and Northwest Georgia played in the rise of the carpet industry?
Dalton and the Northwest Georgia area effectively gave birth to the modern U.S. carpet industry. The region contributed the workers and their craft skills, the entrepreneurs who organized the industry, homegrown technical expertise, and community support.
Is it true the carpet industry is one of the only major U.S. industries begun by women?
Certainly, women made a unique contribution to the development of the industry. In particular, women effectively created the original tufted bedspread industry in the early 20th century, which developed into the tufted carpet industry of the post-World War II era.
What would you say was the major factor that allowed what started as a small group of women selling tufted bedspreads on the side of the road to the city of Dalton becoming the carpet capital of the world?
It was a combination of factors that came together at the same time: the booming postwar housing market, the development of machine technology for mass production of broadloom rugs and carpets by companies like Cabin Crafts and Cobble Brothers, and the entrepreneurial and marketing talents of Gene Barwick and a host of others. [It received] a crucial assist from the DuPont company’s introduction of the critical fiber that really fueled the takeoff, BCY nylon (bulked continuous filament), though it was the first three factors mentioned that generated the proof of concept that spurred DuPont’s research.
Today Dalton manufactures a majority of the world’s wall-to-wall carpeting. What economic impact does that have on Dalton and the surrounding areas?
In this 1934 photo, a woman named Ethel Partin is seen tufting a chenille bedspread pattern taught to her by Catherine Evans Whitener, a pioneer in the industry. A small cone of yarn sits on her lap and she wears a thimble for protection as she pushes the yarn through the fabric.
The industry was the economic lifeblood of the Northwest Georgia region for many years, from the bedspread days but even more so from the late 1940s through the early 21st century. The area has diversified to a great extent recently, but the floor-covering industry is still crucial to the livelihoods of thousands of North Georgians.
Is there anything else you think people would be interested to know about the history of the carpet industry in the area?
Perhaps just that the concentration of the industry in Northwest Georgia was, for the most part, a story of locally initiated industrial development that flourished as it did due to the interaction of local efforts and national and international economic conditions.
— Jill Becker
Jennifer Robinson is a retired lexicographer living in Adairsville. She is a volunteer docent at the Adairsville Train Depot Museum and Welcome Center.
Courtesy of Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia
Courtesy of Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia
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Tips for Taking Better Smartphone Photos
Let’s face it, we all use our cellphones as cameras, so why not learn how to utilize all of its features to create photo magic? Here are some helpful pointers from a professional photographer.
For years, photographers have realized that the best camera at any given moment is the one you have in your hands, which these days most often turns out to be our cellphone. The principles of good photography are the same regardless of the type of camera you use, and using your cellphone as a camera can produce excellent results if you take advantage
10 essential tips to help you get the most
If you learn the capabilities of your cellphone camera, you can capture awesome pics like this fun image snapped by amateur photographer Gurdon Counts.
This amazing image of an orchid, taken by pro photographer Jeffrey Mitchell, demonstrates the close-up capabilities of everyday camera phones.
and make it more visually appealing. Additionally, if there is a specific item in the image, emphasis is given if it’s placed at one of the intersections of the grid lines as shown in the photo of the hibiscus above.
3. Focus and exposure.
Once you open your camera, tap on the screen to set the focus and exposure before taking a photo. If you tap and hold for a second, it will lock the focus and exposure where it’s set. You can also adjust the exposure manually by sliding your finger up or down.
4. Use natural light.
Your phone’s camera generally takes great noise-free shots even in fairly dark settings. (Noise refers to the grainy, speckled patterns or irregular marks that appear in your photos.) Use natural light to your advantage and avoid using the flash as much as possible, as it can create harsh shadows and unnatural colors.
5. Use HDR mode.
High dynamic range (HDR) mode combines multiple exposures to create well-balanced photos with
This Jeffrey Mitchell image of a hibiscus, titled “Birth,” is overlaid with grid lines, which helps with composition. The new white bud is highlighted by being placed on the intersection of the two lines.
“The rule of thirds is a composition guideline that places your subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two-thirds more open.”
more detail in both the highlights and shadows. I use it virtually whenever I shoot. It’s particularly useful in high- or low-contrast scenes to capture more detail.
6. Experiment with other modes.
Cellphones come with various camera modes, such as portrait, panorama, and night mode. Experiment with them to see which one best suits your subject and setting. Portrait mode creates exceptionally sharp images for subjects within 8 to 10 feet of the camera with very natural blurring (bokeh) of the background. Most people also find the wide-angle and panorama modes useful when traveling. For action shots or to capture the perfect moment, use the burst mode. Holding down the shutter button will take a series of photos in quick succession, and then you can choose the best ones and delete the ones you don’t want.
7. Edit your photos.
Use the built-in editing tools in your phone’s Photos app to enhance your images. You can adjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation and apply filters to improve the overall look of your images.
8. Utilize third-party apps.
There are numerous third-party camera and editing apps available that offer advanced features and controls not found in your default camera app. My favorites are Adobe Photoshop Express, which is free from the app store, and a third-party one with a moderate fee, ProCamera, which enables you to experience the power of a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera in the palm
Only have a cellphone on your travels? No problem. You can still capture treasured moments like
“Keep your phone steady to avoid blurry photos, especially in low light.”
Additional Resources
of your hand. DSLR cameras have large image sensors that produce high-quality photos and are a popular choice for both professional and amateur photographers.
9. Stabilize your shot.
Keep your phone steady to avoid blurry photos, especially in low light. You can use both hands, lean the phone against a stable surface, or use a tripod or stabilizer to secure the phone.
10. Use an external power source.
Although the new generations of cellphones have longer-life batteries, there are still those days when you run out of power, so I recommend the purchase of an external power source. They’re inexpensive, at around $25, and are no larger than a deck of playing cards. A unit with 10,000 mAh (milliampere hours) of power is equivalent to three full charges on most cellphone cameras. By following these tips, you can
cellphone camera’s capabilities. With a bit of practice, you can capture amazing smartphone photos of landscapes, people, and so much more, even if you’re an absolute beginner. Keep in mind that capturing outstanding images with a smartphone should be simple, but at the same time, an iPhone or Android camera is a genuinely powerful tool that lets you explore the world around you, capture memories, and express your artistic vision. There’s no right or wrong approach, so feel free to experiment and find what works best for you. I encourage you to pick up your phone and start exploring the possibilities.
Mobiography is a digital magazine for smartphone photographers that covers techniques, composition, and specific topics such as travel, portraits, and landscapes. You can download a free copy of the most recent issue on their website, mobiography.net, or sign up for a yearly subscription. Another great resource is iPhone Photography School, a photo education platform that offers weekly 10- to 15-minute tutorials for $49 a year. The emphasis is on iPhone users, but there are some more general videos as well. Here is a link to several free tutorials: https://iphonephotographyschool.com/
To learn more, you’re invited to attend a meeting of the Booth Photography Guild, a group dedicated to increasing the awareness and appreciation of digital photography as an art form. The group is sponsored by The Booth Museum in downtown Cartersville and meets via Zoom on Saturday mornings for peer reviews of individuals’ photos from 10 to noon. They also meet on the second Saturday of each month from 10 to noon in the museum’s Bergman Theatre, followed by lunch in the café. For more information, visit boothphotographyguild.org or contact member Jeffrey Mitchell at jvm1147@gmail.com (please put “BPG” in the subject line).
Jeffrey Mitchell, a Marietta resident, is a member of the Booth Photography Guild. He received his first camera as a gift for his thirteenth birthday and has been an active photographer and teacher for 70-plus years. His work has been displayed at The Booth Museum and Downtown Gallery, the Savoy Automobile Museum, and the Bartow History Museum in Cartersville, as well as other fine art museums and galleries both nationally and internationally.
To create this amazing sunset pic by Jeffrey Mitchell, a panorama was taken by moving the phone left to right while snapping the image.
this scenic beach shot taken by Gurdon Counts.
For tricky action shots, like this one taken with an Android Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra phone by Gurdon Counts, use the burst mode.
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Pan-tastic!
A cast-iron skillet is a kitchen must-have that can last for decades. Here are some tips to master cooking with cast iron and two yummy recipes.
The meals pictured are variations of the recipes featured in this article.
Cast-iron skillets are a mainstay of many a smart chef’s kitchen. These versatile workhorses are long-lasting, great for both cooking and serving, and work well with gas, electric, or charcoal heat sources. Cast-iron pans can hit ripping-hot temperatures and then retain that heat. They can also last you a lifetime if you know the basics of using and cleaning them.
Cast-iron skillets range in size from 5 to 15 inches in diameter and sometimes come with features like a helper handle to assist with lifting or a spout on the pan’s edge for easy pouring. Today, most cast iron is sold pre-seasoned. Seasoning means that the pan is coated with a layer of carbonized oil that gives it a nonstick surface and helps keep it from rusting. Because they’re nonstick, cast-iron pans are easy to clean and offer healthier cooking options because less oil is needed.
The pans will eventually need to be re-seasoned. The best indicator of that is if food sticks to it. Visually, a wellseasoned cast iron will have a slight sheen to it as opposed to being dull and matte. Rust is also a sign your cast iron needs re-seasoning.
To re-season your pan, preheat your oven to 500°, wipe a thin layer of canola oil over the entire pan (inside and out) with a paper towel, place the pan facedown on an upper oven rack with a foil-covered baking sheet on the lower rack, and bake for one hour. Repeat the process if the surface still isn’t fully nonstick.
You may have heard to avoid using soap when cleaning your cast iron, but that’s not true. Ages ago, soap was made of lye, which could wear down the pan’s seasoning, but today’s soap is milder, and a small dab is completely safe to use on cast-iron cookware. Just be sure to dry the pan thoroughly after washing. If you have stubborn or burnt-on bits, a chainmail cast-iron scrubber is a handy tool. Try to get into the habit of coating your cast iron with a thin layer of oil after every wash and dry, as oil acts as a conditioner, protecting the iron from the moisture in the air.
Another misconception is that castiron pans are only for cooking steaks and other meats. But they can be used for everything from cinnamon rolls to deep-dish pizzas. Here are two tasty recipes you’ll want to try.
Blackened Skillet Pork Chops with Spinach and Beans
Serves 4 | A fantastic one-pan dish. The amazing spice blend amps up pork chops, chicken, and salmon, too.
BLACKENING SPICE BLEND:
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp. ground toasted cumin seeds
1 tsp. ground toasted coriander seeds
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. light brown sugar juice from 1/2 lime
PORK CHOPS, BEANS, AND SPINACH:
2 tbsp. canola oil
4 8-oz. bone-in, rib-cut pork chops
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup chicken stock
1 small shallot, minced
4 cups fresh baby spinach
1 tsp. kosher salt lemon wedges, for serving
Skillet-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookie
Serves 8 | This recipe is paleo, vegetarian, and grain-, dairy-, and gluten-free.
2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour (not almond meal)
6 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 400°. In medium bowl, mix almond flour, brown sugar, and salt. Stir in butter, egg white, vanilla, and almost all of the chocolate chips, saving a small handful to press into the cookie top. Stir until dough combines, or form dough with your hands to make sure it’s fully mixed.
Press dough in an even layer in an 8-inch cast iron skillet, then press remaining chocolate chips onto cookie top. Smooth surface by rolling over it with a small glass.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes until texture sets but cookie is still warm. Slice into wedges and serve. Note: If you have to eat the cookie right away, eat it straight from the skillet since it’s difficult to slice into pieces when hot. To make it even more decadent, top with vanilla ice cream.
Combine spices in small bowl. Squeeze lime juice over spice mixture and stir until well combined. Rub each chop with 1 to 1½ teaspoons of spice blend. Reserve remaining spice blend for later use.
Heat oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook until blackened and a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 135°, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and set aside.
Add beans, stock, and shallot to skillet. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until hot, about 2 minutes. Add spinach in large handfuls and stir until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Move to serving dish, season with salt, and top with pork chops and lemon wedges.
Kathy Patrick is a retired personal chef in Rome, Georgia. She loves cooking, travel, waterskiing, stand-up paddling, and bicycling with her husband, Berry College professor Martin Cipollini. Kathy is a board member of Rome Little Theatre and vice president of the Georgia chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation.
Halloween Just Ain’t What It Used to Be
BY ROBERT SMYTH
So Halloween is coming up and I’m just not excited about it like I used to be. It used to be loads of fun. All of my kids, plus my nieces and nephews, would gather at my mom’s house and we’d forge out into the neighborhood like a band of wildly dressed candy raiders. You see, I have five kids, my sisters have five and six, and my brother, the sensible one, has two. Add in a friend or two and you have a small village plundering the neighborhood all high on sugar and adrenaline.
We’d roam street after street, house after house, like we were on a conquest, leaving the homes’ candy supplies destitute and the dwellers visibly shaken. It was great! Then the kids all grew up and, boy, have things changed.
October 31st is also my sister’s birthday (yes, she’s a ghoul baby), and in the past, after we’d come back with our bags full of sweet treats, we’d all sit down to a wonderful meal and celebrate. Well, that’s changed as well. We only have three young ’uns that even go out, if they come over at all, because everyone is grown up now and off doing their own thing.
These days, the occasion has become more trick than treat.
“We’d gather at my mom’s house and forge out into the neighborhood like a band of wildly dressed candy raiders.”
Last year, our then 12-year-old had Covid, so we stayed home and tried to have our own little Halloween festival. I let her decorate the yard with caution tape and she dressed up like a zombie and hid behind a tree waiting to scare people. I did put a big kibosh on the two real machetes she decorated with red paint that she planned on chasing people with, but everything else was within reason. We set up a table at the end of the driveway, lit the torches, fired up the fog machine, and waited. And waited. And waited.
We had a huge bowl of candy at the ready and maybe 10 kids showed up. And all of them were being driven from house to house like pint-size politicians complete with their own Secret Service detail to make sure everything was safe and scarefree. Some didn’t even dress up. They just showed up in regular clothes with a bag and asked how many pieces of candy they could have. By 8 o’clock that night, we were in the house scarfing down the giant bowl of leftover candy. Okay, maybe that part’s not so bad. This year, we’re going to try and do things a little differently. This year, I’m grabbing as many kids as I can, dressing them up, and heading out into my mom’s neighborhood. I will charge a 5% candy tax, with them being pieces of my choosing, and hopefully have the kids all home or back with their parents by 8:30 so that they can be up for school the next day. I’ll then eat dinner at my mom’s house and have cake and wish my sister a happy birthday even if she’s not there. I’ll then load my car with the collected spoils and be home by 10 with a haul of chocolate bars and other confections and feeling good about the night.
Of course, my wife will change a candy tax on my candy, and possibly the 13-year-old will too, but I should still have a couple of pieces left and feel like I got to actually celebrate Halloween. So if you see a giant ghost accompanied by a bunch of little goblins, fairies, and other costumed characters, just hand over the candy and know that you’re making one guy really happy this Halloween.
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— Emily Brontë
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Surrounded by natural splendor on the banks of Eagle Lake, the simple things in life are made even better at The Spires. With all the serenity of our 27,000 wooded acres yet all the vitality of our location at Berry College, it’s second nature to explore new opportunities and make genuine connections when you’re here.
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