Winner of
NW GEORGIA
5 MAGS
GAMMA AWARDS
Complimentary SUMMER 2016 Volume 7, Issue 4
Inspiring, Informing, Enriching
Summer Adventure on Two Wheels Getaway to the Wildflower Café A Picnic for Two
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If you thought today was beautiful, wait ‘til you see tomorrow. Would you rather reside within view of a majestic mountain? Alongside a clear lake where eagles soar? Or near the center of a vibrant college campus? Welcome to all the above. The Spires at Berry College is a visionary new Continuing Care Retirement Community, opening in 2019, that will offer its residents the best of all worlds. It’s all here. Spacious apartment homes and cottages. A lake-view dining room. Sparkling wellness and fitness centers. The security of a full complement of healthcare services. And all the social, cultural, educational, spiritual and natural attractions of “America’s most beautiful college campus” at your doorstep. To learn more about all of the exceptional benefits of life at The Spires, please call us at 706-622-6632 or visit RetireatBerry.com
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NW GEORGIA
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28 10
24 8 CONTENTS FEATURES
Getaway to the Wildflower Café Paradise Found: A Look into the World of Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden
10
16
Summer Adventure on Two Wheels 24 Just Cookin’: A Picnic for Two 2
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Winner of
NW GEORGIA
5 MAGS
GAMMA AWARDS
DEPARTMENTS Dog Eared
Complimentary SUMMER 2016 Volume 7, Issue 4
Inspiring, Informing, Enriching
8
Fish Out of Water
14
On Blackberry Hill
20
Roberts World
30
“The Church of Finster” was taken at Paradise Garden. Image by Patricia Montgomery.
Summer Adventure on Two Wheels Getaway to the Wildflower Café A Picnic for Two
Paradise Found at
Paradise Gardens www.nwgeorgialiving.com
It’s time to buy. No hustle, just Heritage.
706-622-3783 965 Veterans Memorial Hwy NE Rome, GA 30161 www.heritageromehonda.com
706-622-3783 965 Veterans Memorial Hwy NE Rome, GA 30161 www.gmcrome.com
706-291-1981 1500 Veterans Memorial Hwy NE Rome, GA 30161 www.romenissan.com
Letter From the Editor
NW GEORGIA
Florida or Bust
O
ne Fourth of July holiday weekend, many moons ago, my college roommate and I set out for a well-deserved vacation. After graduating from college the year earlier we were now in the real world working for peanuts. I was a receptionist at Richard Heiman Advertising, located in the penthouse suite of Tower Place in Buckhead, doing menial tasks like getting my boss coffee and running his personal errands. Lisa was half-heartedly selling billboards in North Carolina and spent many an afternoon napping in her car in the safety of various church parking lots. This is not what we expected to do with our college degrees. A road trip was in order. With only fifty dollars between us and our brand new American Express cards, we hit the road. From Atlanta we made it as far as Dothan, Alabama, when we first ran into trouble. My Toyota SR5 had driven me eight hours one way many times from Cedartown to Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina. I’d never had any problems until that day. It was your typical blazing hot July day, and my car kept running hot. After getting it serviced we continued on our journey, but the car was not even close to being fixed. It took forever to get to the beach as the car kept sputtering and stalling. With more stops at service stations, we two broke girls kept getting ripped off. By the time we made it to Panama City, we had to literally push it into the campground. We pitched our little pup tent and got ready to go out for dinner. As we soon found out, no business accepted American Express cards. I mean no restaurant, no bar, no gas station and we were practically penniless from the car repairs. I remembered that my boss had a Lisa (left) and me goofing off in our dorm condo at Edgewater. From a pay phone I called room our sophomore year at Appalachian only to get his answering machine. Ugh! Now State University. what? We walked the beach shoreline and met some guys who gave us a couple of beers which was the highlight of our evening. The night was almost as bad as the day. Our campsite was right across the street from Spinnakers Bar, which apparently stayed open into the wee hours of the morning. Trying to sleep in the sweltering heat, surrounded by hooligans with music blasting, was something I will never forget. We spent the next day at the beach and it was absolutely packed. One of the many things I learned from that trip is never go to the beach on the Fourth of July unless you like being a sardine. People were lined up row upon row. After getting totally fried from the sun using Hawaiian Tropic with relatively no sunscreen, we had had it. We had brought some sandwich stuff, so we hadn’t starved. This entire nightmare was like a bad version of Thelma and Louise or should I say Dumb and Dumber! We tore down the tent, threw it in the car, grabbed a bag, and traveled down the road like two hobos. The angels must have had pity on our lost souls. We found a motel that accepted AmEx! Hallelujah! After a shower and lounging in our air conditioned room watching TV, I can’t tell you how happy we were. We even found a restaurant within walking distance and had a decent meal. How did we get home? Stay tuned for another lost adventure of L & L, the harebrained buddies. Now looking back on that fiasco, we can really laugh out loud! 4
Summer 2016 Volume 7 Issue 4 Publisher and Founder Editor-In-Chief Laura Wood Creative Director Andi Counts Designers Andi Counts Colette Leima Photography Patricia Montgomery Senior Editor, Calendar for Living Ciara N. Mealer CrookedPage@gmail.com Editor Gene Murphy Sales Laura Wood Contributing Writers Jennifer Almand Tammy Barron Joan Brady Jay Deville Ciara N. Mealer Lillie Read Robert Smyth Rachel Turner Contact us at: (706) 346-9858 wood.laura@yahoo.com NW Georgia Living P.O. Box 1065 Rome, Georgia 30l62 NW Georgia Living is published bi-monthly by L. Wood LLC © 2016. No portion of this issue may be copied, scanned, or reproduced in any manner without prior written consent from the publisher. www.nwgeorgialiving.com
208 Broad Street, Rome, GA Reservations – 706-235-9700 Facebook – seasonsrome
Open Daily except Monday Saturday and Sunday Brunch, 11a-3p Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar
Arts & Events
CA L E N DA R FO R Ongoing Food Truck Fridays
Monthly on second Friday 6:00 p.m. Come out to enjoy an old-fashioned picnic with a modern twist! While you eat, enjoy a free concert from local musicians. Frankie Harris Park. Euharlee. www.euharlee.com
Downtown Rome Guided Walking Tours
July First Friday Concert Featuring The Georgia Blues Brothers July 1, 7:00 p.m. This family-friendly event in the heart of downtown Rome has become a local summer favorite. Bridgepoint Plaza. Rome. www.downtownromega.us
Country and Southern Rock Showcase
July 8, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Enjoy a night out, with great live music, in vibrant downtown Cartersville. Friendship Plaza. Cartersville.
Bartow County Championship Rodeo
July 15 – 16, 8:00 p.m. Two thrilling nights of bareback bronco riding, barrels, bull riding, calf roping, and more. Hosted by Phillips Championship Rodeo. Bartow County Saddle Club. Cartersville. www.cartersvilleevents.org
Fourth Friday Concert & Cruise In
July 22, 5:00 p.m. Cruise In; 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Concert Enjoy country and classic rock by Redneck Romeos with food and beverages from Knucklehead Café. Prior Street in front of Courthouse #2. Cedartown. www.downtowncedartown.com
National Day of the Cowboy
July 23, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. This celebration honors the contributions of cowboys and cowgirls to America’s culture and heritage. There will be entertainment, activities, 6
demonstrations, and more! Booth Western Art Museum. Cartersville. www.boothmuseum.org
The Ridge and Valley Storytellers Guild
July 28, 6:30 p.m. This annual storytelling event is celebrating its third year. All are invited to participate. Stories need to be 5-8 minutes. Schroeder’s New Deli. Rome. www.bigfibbers.com
4th Annual Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival
July 29 – 30 Enjoy bikes, live music, games, vendors, great food, and more at this annual gathering. Downtown Cave Spring. www.cavespringmotorcyclerally.com
August First Friday Concert Featuring Ellie Lawrence from The Voice August 5, 7:00 p.m. Bring the whole family to enjoy this special evening with a celebrity performance. Bridgepoint Plaza. Rome. www.downtownromega.us
Forever Plaid
August 19 – 21, August 26 – 28 Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. When a 1950s quartet is killed on their way to their first major gig, the alignment of space and time allow them to come back for one final concert. Featuring some of the greatest hits of the 1950s. DeSoto Theatre. Rome. www.romelittletheatre.org
Monthly These tours will highlight historical architecture, culture and customs, unique stories, and paths to reveal intriguing pieces of Rome’s history. Greater Rome Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Rome. (706)295-5576
Celebrate Independence Fireworks at Ridge Ferry
July 4, 9:45 p.m. Enjoy a beautiful display celebrating the birth of our nation. Sponsored by Harbin Clinic. Rome. Ridge Ferry Park.
Star-Spangled 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks
July 4, 6:00 p.m. Experience the largest fireworks display in Northwest Georgia during this Fourth of July event that will include great food and live entertainment. Calhoun. Northwest Georgia Regional Fairgrounds.
Stars, Stripes, & Cartersville July 4, all day Cartersville Optimist Club will hold their annual Fourth of July celebration with music, crafts, car show, food, and activities. There will be a fireworks display at dusk. Cartersville. Dellinger Park.
Cave Spring Independence Day Celebrations
Fireworks: July 2, 9:00 p.m. Parade: July 4, 9:00 a.m. Enjoy two days of patriotic festivities in a beautiful, historic town. Rolater Park. Cave Spring. www.nwgeorgialiving.com
DOG EARED
By Ciara N. Mealer
Fifteen Books to Feed Your Wanderlust “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” — Anais Nin
I
t can be argued that our reasons for travelling are the same reasons we read. We read because we are seekers, adventurers, learners. Our passion is one of discovery. We search for distant lands and forgotten stories. We seek connection and understanding to something greater than the sum of our individual selves.
1. The Minaret of Djam: An Excursion in Afghanistan by Freya Stark 2. Gorge: My Journey Up Mount Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds by Kara Richardson Whitely 3. Where the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, A Prince, and the Search for Home by Alison Singh Gee 4. Life is a Trip: The Transformative Magic of Travel by Judith Fein 5. Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria by Noo Saro-Wiwa 6. Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche 7. Last Stand: America’s Virgin Lands by Barbara Kingsolver 8. T he Good Girl’s Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure by Rachel Freidman 8
Historically humans have always had a taste for wandering. Even now that our nomadic past has been laid to rest we still feel that itch in our soles (and our souls), the only balm for which is the soil of distant lands beneath them, perhaps even through the eyes, hands, and feet of another. Whether you find your answers in a dot on a map or between the pages of a beloved book, never stop seeking, exploring, or discovering.
9. S kating to Antartica by Jenny Diski 10. What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding: A Memoir by Kristin Newman 11. U ndress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman 12. T he Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents, One Unconventional Detour Around the World by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett, and Amanda Pressner 13. Love Comes First, Then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and a Third World Adventure Changed My Life by Eve Brown-Waite 14. B eyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan by Jamie Zeppa
15. T he Spice Necklace: A Food-Lover’s Caribbean Adventure by Ann Vanderhoof Bonus: The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World by Lonely Planet
Ciara N. Mealer is Senior
Editor at NW Georgia Living Magazine, a writer, and floral designer. Her current abode is high upon a mountaintop in Cleveland, Ga. She is an avid naturalist, a voracious reader, an adventurous explorer, and a curious collector who loves quirky, odd, forgotten, and lost things. Contact her at CrookedPage@gmail.com www.nwgeorgialiving.com
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Featured Restaurant
Getaway to the Wildflower Café By Jay Deville
O
n my next visit to my doctor I am going to ask for a substitute for the blood pressure medication he usually suggests. Instead, I am going to request a prescription for dinner at the Wildflower Café in Mentone, Alabama. I begin to relax as I walk through the garden that seems to have been painted by a French Impressionist toward the door that promises a serendipitous dining experience. This delightful restaurant with its focus on nature and health is located in an 1800’s log cabin. It is appropriate that owner and spokesperson for the getaway is known to everyone as “Moon.” Laura Catherine Moon and her staff of friends have created a destination as warm and colorful as the oak leaf hydrangeas and daylilies residing in the garden. Eventually, you will want to pass through the gardens into the cabin and
Photography by Patricia Montgomery
art store. There you will be greeted by friendly hosts and servers who are serious about creating a dining experience that you will never forget. My wife, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I went on a recent weekday afternoon and the gardens were already in shadows. The petunias were blooming and the sunlight was dancing on the top of pines that probably provided shade to the Cherokee years before. As beautiful as the gardens were, I was hungry and excited to try a particular dish I’d heard of. Several weeks ago, I ran into some old friends as I was enjoying the spray of the Little River Canyon Falls on a Sunday afternoon. They had just come back from their first visit to the Wildflower Café and they recommended that I try it, but particularly that I taste the tomato pie. I am from Louisiana, where we cook and eat everything that can be grown or caught in as many different manners as
one can imagine. However, I had never heard of tomato pie and I was intrigued. A combination of Roma tomatoes, cheddar, mozzarella, and basil baked in a flaky pie shell, is the most popular brunch, lunch, and dinner item on the menu. The popularity of this dish has led Moon to create other specialty dishes with tomato pie, such as tomato pie wraps and a loaded tomato pie entrée. Our server for the evening was Bleu Stone. He was extremely helpful and guided us with attention to our tastes. His enthusiasm was contagious and he seemed to be truly concerned about our dining experience. I especially appreciated the fact that he did not rush us and allowed us the time to enjoy the atmosphere and fellowship. The menu selection is varied from burgers and chicken salad to fresh wild caught trout, prime rib, and vegetarian dinners. The common thread throughout the menu is a focus on high-quality, healthy food from sustainable sources.
A lovely garden surrounds the inviting entrance of Wildflower Café.
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www.nwgeorgialiving.com
Wildflower Café’s décor is eclectic and casual with walls that are lined with local art for sale. All desserts at Wildflower are homemade. Top: Peanut butter gluten-free pie Middle: Triple layer carrot cake with cream cheese icing Bottom: The popular brunch sampler includes quiche, tomato pie, fresh fruit and a homemade crepe topped with strawberry puree.
The burgers, steaks, chicken, and fish are hormone free. Many of the dishes are gluten-free as well, but I was especially pleased to see some great vegetarian and vegan options. My daughter, who tries to encourage me to eat healthy, laughs about the number of times restaurants respond to her request for a vegetarian menu, with something like: “Of course we have a vegetarian menu. What would you like to go with your grilled cheese sandwich?” All of the dishes we sampled were great, but there were a couple of items that were fantastic. The mixed spring leaf salad was perfect. All of the dressings are freshly made at the restaurant, but the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette dressing was wonderful and I highly recommend it. The other item that my family is still raving about was the roasted butternut squash. Fresh www.nwgeorgialiving.com
butternut squash, roasted on a bed of fresh spinach and topped with chopped pecans and crumbled blue cheese or feta. I will try other dishes on future visits, but tomato pie, spring leaf salad with strawberry balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and roasted butternut squash will remain favorites. We did not save room for dessert, but I had to try some anyway. We had the hummingbird cake and peanut butter pie. My family loved the pie, which is one of Moon’s recipes and happens to be gluten-free. I enjoyed the hummingbird cake, which was heavy and decadent, but not overwhelmingly sweet. The food and gardens are breathtaking, but make sure you allow time to wander around the country store when you visit. This gallery of local arts includes handmade clothing, wood crafts, jewelry, pottery, oil and water
color paintings, pen and ink drawings, music, books, as well as honey, teas, jams, organic chocolates, and more. I enjoy unique experiences and my time at the Wildflower Café was one that I will remember. Everything that I had heard about the great food, people, gardens, and atmosphere was true. I will be back to enjoy its sumptuous offerings soon. Jay E DeVille is a resident of Rome Georgia. He received a B.S. from Louisiana College and a M.S. in Economics from Baylor University and has provided instruction in economics and finance at LSU, LSUS, Mercer U. and Highlands College. He owns Right At Home of Northwest Georgia, a provider of in-home care and assistance. 11
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FISH OUT OF WATER
By Rachel Turner
The Magical Art of Canning
W
hen I was a little girl, I loved going to my grandmother’s house because she was the best cook in all of the South. I know what you’re thinking but you’re wrong. My grandmother was. Look, let’s just agree to disagree. While prepping for meals, Mamo (Translation: southern grandma name,) would disappear down the stairs that led to her partially finished basement. She would walk across the linoleum floors past the brown and avocado colored faux-leather furniture and cross-stitched scripture framed on the wall over to an almost hidden door in the back of the basement. Through the door she would go, into a small dark closet with only a low-watt light bulb turned on by a flimsy pull chain to light her way. In that mystery room were shelves upon shelves of so many filled glass jars with stuff floating in them it would make a mad scientist envious. She would grab what she needed and make her way back upstairs with arms filled with canned beans, tomatoes, jams, and chow-chow. She would pair the contents of those jars with fried chicken and butter-laden biscuits and it would be the most amazing meal in the history of meals. At least since the last meal she made. Those jars of “put up” food always fascinated me. Where did they come from? How long had they been down there? Why did something that languished in a dark room in my grandmother’s basement, where only those weird cricket spiders dared go, taste so fresh? Canning has always baffled me. I scientifically don’t understand it. You take a fresh vegetable, put it in a jar, and it keeps? For, like, ever? You don’t get botulism, listeria, or gross moldy fooditis? When I was young, I decided to get to the bottom of this mystery. I needed to prove once and for all that there must be something enchanted about that room in my grandmother’s basement to show people that there was clearly some sort of Harry Potter food preservation witchery charm happening down there.
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Vegetableus Cannus Stay Freshus in the Jarrus. Alakazam. Or something like that. When I have unanswered questions of the domestic kind, I always seek out the two mothers in my life for answers. In this case, I knew my mother-in-law practiced the dark art of canning. Yes, at this point, I consider canning a dark art, as are all mystifying things I don’t understand. I made a phone call. She was willing to take me on as an apprentice. My mother-in-law, Carole, (southern grandma name: Tiggy) decided to teach me how to make jam using the water bath canning method. I was both excited and skeptical since water bath sounds a lot like water board, and one of those is a kind of torture. You see the internal struggle, don’t you? We were going to make strawberry jam; so my mother-inlaw ran the strawberries through the food processor prior to my arrival. I’m pretty sure she was wary about how much help I was actually going to be, and her instincts were right on. She had the processed strawberries, sugar, jars, lids, sugar, rings, three pots, sugar, some magical ingredient called Pectin, and some more sugar. Pectin is the ingredient that pulls this whole thing together. Pectin is enchanted with jam making powers. I watched in awe as she hustled through the steps, educating me along the way. She cautioned me to never stop stirring, helped me recognize what a rolling boil was, told me to keep the jars warm at all times so they don’t break when the hot jam hits them. She even threw in a kitchen hack: a little butter in the mixture reduces froth. Then it was my turn to explain “kitchen hack” to her. Yes, I was proud of my nonculinary contribution for the day, thank you for asking. She had cool grabby gadgets (Translation: kitchen utensils I had never seen before) that she used to transfer the hot filled jars into the water bath. She covered the jars with more water and let them boil in the pot on the stove for ten minutes. I marveled at the extensive heating and sterilizing process that is necessary in food preservation. I also marveled at her kitchen confidence as she moved through the nine billion steps (seriously, I counted) to making jam. After ten minutes, she pulled the jars out on the counter and told me to wait and I’d hear the seals pop. When they popped, and this is my favorite part, she told me that her grandmother taught her to always say, “thank you.” So there we were, me scribbling notes while dipping a hamburger bun into the leftover jam at the bottom of the pot, thanking each jar as it sealed for us. I knew there was an element of magic somewhere in this process. I got to the bottom of canning and I decided it was well worth all the effort. From the moment I tasted the jam left in the bottom of the pan, I knew canning was magical. Rachel Turner is a freelance writer and
Can It Preserve It Savor It Ball Canning Jars: Half Pint to Gallon Lids, Rings, Funnels, Jar Lifters ★ Ball Blue Book for Preserving Food ★ Pressure Canners ★ Water Bath Canners & Blanchers ★ Ceramic Pickling Crocks & Churns ★ Pickling & Salsa Mixes ★ Pressure Canner Parts for Mirror & Presto
Canning Seminar Thursday, July 21st @ 6 PM Rebecca Thomas, Chattooga County Extension Coordinator
4065 Martha Berry Hwy. NW Rome, Ga 30161 706-295-0299
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humor blogger. She also runs a traveling murder mystery party business called Make it a Mystery. Georgia born and raised she lives in Woodstock with her husband and two sons. Drop by her blog, www.rachelshumor.com or email her at justpeachy1123@gmail.com.
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Featured Artist
Paradise Found: A Look into the World of Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden By Lillie Read
A
s we pass the local Wal-Mart and turn down a nondescript residential road, I wonder if the GPS is taking us to the right location. Houses from the forties, fifties, and sixties line the street and the setting doesn’t exactly fit the mental image I had for this iconic landmark. Then, just as I start to check the map, I see the spire of the World’s Folk Art Church rising above the rooftops and I know that we have, in fact, arrived at Paradise Garden. This place is the devotional magnum opus of Howard Finster, a preacher and bicycle repair man turned artist and visionary. Actually, Finster was always a “man of visions” having had his first at age three when his sister Abbie appeared to him from heaven. It was those very visions that inspired his work at Paradise Garden and ultimately informed the course of his entire life. Born in Valley Head, Alabama in 1916 Howard was one of thirteen children and a devout Baptist. He was “born again” at a revival when he was thirteen and began to preach at sixteen. He believed that he was “sent here on a mission” and that mission was to spread the word of God. Left: Howard Finster self portrait, “Preaching” Below: Howard Finster’s self painted Cadillac. Photo by Patricia Montgomery
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Photography by Paradise Garden Foundation
He started his first garden museum in 1945 outside of Trion, Georgia but moved to Summerville in 1961 when he bought the swampy land on which Paradise Garden sits. Originally known as the Plant Farm Museum, Finster started creating this fantastical landscape by piecing together mosaics from bicycle frames, tools, bottle caps, and other found objects and enshrining them in concrete. For him, the purpose was “to show all the wonderful things o’ God’s Creation,” which resulted in the cacophony of materials, colors, images, and buildings that dot the landscape today. It was a 1975 article by Esquire magazine that first dubbed it Paradise Garden, but Finster’s plan for the place truly started to crystalize in 1976 when he had a vision that launched him into the realm of art and painting. The story goes that one day he was repairing a bicycle when a daub of paint on his finger morphed into a face and told him to “paint sacred art.” Five thousand pieces of sacred art, in fact. As a man of faith, Howard took this vision seriously and set about the task with astonishing vigor. He was 59 when he received his calling and by the time he passed in 2001, at the age of 84, he had painted 46,991 pieces of art. He numbered each and every one. Yet, even that astonishing sum doesn’t give a clear picture of the scope of Paradise Garden. It is brimming with life, teeming with color, bursting at the seams with creative energy, and everywhere you look there is evidence of Finster’s deep and abiding devotion to God. The unique aesthetic of his creations even gained the attention of REM, who filmed a music video here and then collaborated with Finster to create the cover art for their second album. Finster also created an album cover for the band Talking Heads, which was later named album cover of the year by Rolling Stone magazine. Finster relished the attention, but not for himself; he saw it as a means for spreading the word of God and he viewed his artistic subjects in much the same way. For example, you might consider UFOs or Elvis Presley to be unorthodox material for devotional art, but you will find those images and many others at Paradise Garden. As I walk around, I am struck by the overwhelming diversity of objects, mediums, and subject matter contained here. It is a landscape unto itself, almost like being on another planet, which is apt considering that Finster saw himself as a “man from another world.” As you come in the gate and walk towards his house, you’re greeted by a large portrait of George Washington that’s painted directly on the siding by the front door. There are angels, an orange panther, and other figures painted there too, and the porch is decorated with old lanterns, chandeliers, and garlands of white chain. www.nwgeorgialiving.com
Paradise Garden almost defies description because it creates its own context with each building, sculpture, and creation contributing to the artistry of the whole. There are whimsical oddities scattered across the land and mosaic sidewalks that wind between buildings, each more spellbinding than the last. There is a garage, festooned with objects, sheltering a white Cadillac painted in Finster’s signature style. One barn is filled with everything from bicycle handles to RC Cola bottles. The Mirror House, a small wood-frame structure on stilts, is spangled inside and out with thousands upon thousands of mirrors. The Hubcap Tower is a truly towering, conical structure studded with hubcaps and wreathed in climbing roses. The Bicycle Tower, a huge tangle of vines covering a bristling dome of bicycle frames, is so large that it tinges the air with a metallic scent. Then there is the iconic World’s Folk Art Church. This neighborhood church was purchased by Finster in 1981 to serve as a gathering space and while it is not currently open to the public, the outside is very compelling and makes me anticipate its planned restoration. The ground floor is clad in board and batten siding, which rises quickly to a multi-tiered, twelve-sided cupola. The second floor is covered with copper-colored metal that transitions to an overhanging balcony on the third floor, which is trimmed with decorative wooden filigree. Above that are two more levels, each progressively smaller, and the entire structure is capped by a large metal spire. As with everything else here, the building is adorned with paintings, objects, and Bible verses as well as a newer piece dedicated to the memory of Howard Finster. In fact, there is an entire building dedicated to displaying the art that people sent to Howard. It takes the form of a long, free-standing hallway that is pierced at regular intervals by arched Gothic-style windows. It is clear from Finster’s careful preservation of these gifts that they were very meaningful to him. At the same time, they also reflect his outsized impact on the art world and on people in general. While the pieces vary greatly in content and presentation, they make it clear that Finster’s work inspired people from all walks of life. As I was leaving Paradise Garden, I noticed a quote. It said: “My work is scrubby. It’s bad, nasty art. But it’s telling something. You don’t have to be a perfect artist to work in art.” To me, that quote perfectly reflects Finster’s egalitarian www.nwgeorgialiving.com
Above Left: Photo of Howard on the front porch of his studio. The poem he shows is now a part of the High Museum Collection. Above: Howard’s Mirror House. Right: “Elvis at Three” a copy of a Howard Finster original, on display in the garden.
approach to art, God, and life. He wanted to share with everyone, he wanted to include everyone, and he “never met a person [he] didn’t love.” That is part of the magic of Howard Finster and what makes Paradise Garden the type of landmark that people travel from around the world to see. Restoration work has been ongoing since 2010 when the Paradise Garden Foundation started reclaiming the property from the swampy land upon which it sits. When I asked Jordan Poole, the foundation’s executive director, what he most wanted to share about the property it was that Paradise Garden is going to continue to evolve, just as it did when Finster was alive. The Paradise Garden Foundation is going to add permanent art installations on undeveloped parts of the property and begin restoring and revitalizing buildings like the World’s Folk Art Church, and by so doing it is going to ensure that Howard’s art — and his mission — endure for years to come. Lillie is a ninth generation Georgian who loves history, camping, and exploring. She is manager of the Cartersville Downtown Development Authority and Main Street Program where she works with the community to preserve and promote their historic downtown. She lives in Marietta with her husband and two spoiled cats. 17
Terry Simmons, Agent 5 N. Fourth Street, Lindale, GA 30147
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ON BLACK
BERRY HILL
By Tammy Barron
Pickled: Preserving Tradition
W
hen I think of pickles, my mind is most infallibly whisked away into my grandma’s kitchen 30 years ago when I was just a young girl. I remember the large family gatherings, the familiar laughter and chattering voices all around, and my cousins and I aching to find mischief. Everyone always seemed to storm the kitchen even though the whole house was a chaotic masterpiece, a wonderful cacophony
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of sounds and smells. I remember squeezing through the throngs of people to catch a glimpse of the enormous spread on grandma’s old oak table. Draped in a cream lace table cloth, it played home to platters piled high with chilled meats and marinated vegetables these little hands just couldn’t wait to grab. Peeking through the bodies cozily pressed into that kitchen, my eyes had one purpose — to find her relish tray. On it were various olives and pickles,
but my quest was always for grandma’s sweet pickled midgets. Everything in that wonderful woman’s house was homemade, of course. Those little dark pickles had a surprisingly sweet and tangy flavor that always startled my tongue. They were tiny and fit right in the palm of my hand. I could stealthily grab three or four then duck under the table and skitter out of the crowded room before anyone had a chance to tell me not to spoil my supper. www.nwgeorgialiving.com
Through the years, it seemed that our family gatherings thinned out and happened less frequently. Children got older and busier. On weekly visits, I’d always find an excuse to graze through the shelves in her refrigerator door and look at all of the mysterious unmarked jars. Opening and testing the contents inside, I’d play guessing games to name what mystery was inside. Pickled cinnamon watermelon rinds with their dense texture and bright fuchsia tonic were the strangest thing I found. I couldn’t imagine it would be anyone’s fancy. Years later, grown and in college, I was surprised to hear that besides herself, I was the only one who adored grandma’s little sweet midgets. I realized that some things are just intended to be our little personal gifts, ours, and ours alone. Pickles have been around forever it would seem. Among the earliest recorded culinary history, we have evidence of the pickle from 2030 BCE in the Tigris Valley, where India brined and preserved the first known cucumbers. Nomadic peoples and traditions wandered the globe bringing with them their methods and practices, and ultimately their recipes. From the Bible to Cleopatra, Napoleon to the Second World War pickles played a significant role in survival. They have provided winter sustenance, staved off scurvy, preserved beauty, as well as awarded soldiers the strength to claim victory. American traditions of pickling can all be traced back to our ancestors, sweet spiced pickles and chutneys from England, Kosher dills, and sauerkrauts from Eastern Europe, tart and savory olives and peppers from the Middle East. These recipes represent more than mere dishes. They represent our histories and our families. They are reminiscent of afternoons spent as children playing about mothers’ and grandmothers’ skirts as they tended boiling pots. Many of our southern pickling recipes lead us beyond our beloved cucumber. In fact, Georgia kitchens offer everything from classic pickled cucumbers to pickles onions, cabbage, green beans, peaches, and, yes, even pig’s feet. The most symbolically southern pickle incorporates that which grows really well here in our red clay and hot sweltering Augusts, okra. Okra is an acquired taste, www.nwgeorgialiving.com
or texture, rather. The mild earthy flavor is delightful and adds a subtle layer to many dishes. It can be fried, boiled, and, my favorite, pickled. The fuzzy texture and natural flavors of young okra lend themselves to the vinegar brine perfectly as they absorb the spices well and quickly. Pickled okra seems to come in just as many variations as its cucumber counterpart. Sweet, spicy, or savory okra, it is the perfect garnish to any dish (or Bloody Mary). My favorite recipe is for spicy pickled okra. The original version was dug up from my mother-in-law Patti Barron’s recipe box. It had been a family favorite for years. I added some zing with a medley of my favorite crushed red chilies and peppercorns and created a new recipe all my own. A few novice blunders helped me perfect the canning procedure and salt ratios. It took a couple of blissfully frustrating afternoons to get it right. Since then, it has been a huge hit with friends and neighbors, and my children love the tangy heat. The convenience of shopping for commercial brands and processed foods has led us away from some of the simple traditions that we hold most dear. Those traditions of grandma’s kitchen, brewing its potent vinegar solutions and tonics, shared more than recipes across the generations. They shared back story and history, memory and pride. I can go to the grocery aisle and pick any kind of pickle I want. Kosher dill, sweet chips, spicy spears, yet they all fall short. Even with the fancy labeling and tallied nutrition ratios, they always fall short. There are no tales, no memories, no lessons in the sharing. Today I look at my own refrigerator door and smile at all of the unmarked jars full of preserves, marmalades, and pickles. Seeing the jars quickly empty when I put them low enough for my children to sneak into, explore, and enjoy makes me happy and it makes me remember. This art of pickling is my gift and my pride, a new family tradition from my kitchen to yours. Here is my spicy pickled okra to enjoy with this summer’s harvest. May you don an apron in your grandmother’s memory and cheerfully explore new pickling flavors to tickle your palate.
Spicy Pickled Okra Ingredients and materials: • Sterilized Mason Jars with canning seals • Large pot • Whole garlic cloves • Washed and trimmed okra, about 1 ½ in. to 2 ½ in. • Dill seed • Crushed red chili pepper (may substitute red pepper flakes) • Whole black peppercorns • Pearl onions • Vinegar • Water • Pickling Salt Directions: 1. In each sterilized pint Mason jar place: 3 garlic cloves, 2 peeled pearl onions, 1 tsp. dill seed, 1 tsp. peppercorns, 1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper. Set aside. 2. Boil together: 1 qt. vinegar, 3 qt. water, ⅓ cup pickling salt. 3. Stuff the okra into the jars. Don’t stuff too tight as to block oxygen under the vegetable or to bruise the skins. 4. Fill with boiling vinegar solution. 5. Tightly screw on the lid. Let them cool off and they should seal. 6. If any of the lids fail to seal, wipe off the rim of the jar and place into boiling water. After a minute carefully remove, as the jar will be very hot. Allow it to cool and seal.
Tammy Barron first
made her way to the south on the back of a Harley Davidson. A handsome Heritage Softail Classic driven by the man of her dreams brought Tammy to the beautiful hills of Rome, Georgia. She and George Barron raise their two beautiful children Emma and Broc on their small organic homestead, Blackberry Hills. Tammy recently left the teaching profession to stay home with their children, writing her thoughts, cooking her passions, and following her heart. 21
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Recycle. Reuse. Reduce. Rebuild.
e YOU ER TS YOU ER
Enabling house building through sales of new, used and surplus donated goods.
What Is ReStore?
ationwide network of transitional care hospitals d for medically complex patients who require are and extended recovery time. We specialize in eaning and management, complex wound care, ehabilitation, dialysis and IV antibiotic therapy.
ReStore is a fundraising arm of Habitat for Humanity–Coosa Valley. Supporters make tax deductible donations of new and used furniture, appliances, housewares, décor, and building supplies. These are then sold to the public at 50% to 90% off retail price. The proceeds from the sales help to fund the work of Habitat.
We need volunteers!
WHERE YOU RECOVER AFFECTS HOW YOU RECOVER
rner McCall Boulevard • Rome, Georgia 30165 .378.6800 • GA TDD/TTY# 800.255.0135 www.kindredrome.com
Donations may be dropped off during regular store hours. Arrangements may be made to have your items picked up by calling the store at 706-378-5957.
2014 Kindred Operating Healthcare, Inc. CSR 177318-01, EOE
Kindred’s nationwide network of transitional care hospitals are designed for medically complex patients who require continued care and extended recovery time. We specialize in ventilator weaning and management, complex wound care, short-term rehabilitation, dialysis and IV antibiotic therapy.
10 Central Plaza, Rome, Ga 706-378-5957 www.habitatrome.org restore@habitatrome.org 304 Turner McCall Boulevard • Rome, Georgia 30165 706.378.6800 • GA TDD/TTY# 800.255.0135 www.kindredrome.com
Tue–Sat: 10:00 am–6:00 pm Habitat for Humanity Restore Rome
© 2014 Kindred Operating Healthcare, Inc. CSR 177318-02, EOE
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Daycation
Summer Adventures on Two Wheels: Chronicles of a Modern-day “Biker Chick”
By Jennifer Almand
N
othing feels better than the sun on your skin, the wind in your face, the rumble of pipes, the thrill of the curves. Why? We are bikers. Let me be clear. Bikers have come a long way from their bad reputation in the 1970s. These days, bikers prefer the term “motorcycle enthusiast” and our gang simply consists of a group of friends that enjoy the same hobby. In fact, the average modern bikers are career people who work hard all week long to be able to afford a recreational vehicle that can cost as much as a car. Together, we enjoy riding, camaraderie, fun, and food. We are wild and crazy, aren’t we? Between the months of April and October, every weekend has a new adventure in store. Sometimes we ride to a hometown motorcycle rally at the local Harley dealership, Southern Devil Harley-Davidson in Cartersville, where
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they sponsor food, music, and vendors. Other times we take short rides to the next town to eat at either Knuckleheads in Rockmart or Sixes Tavern in Cartersville. It really doesn’t matter as long as our “knees are in the breeze!” Many local restaurants sponsor a Bike Night during the week, and sometimes a short ride downtown may be all the fuel you need to get you through what’s left of the work week. The longer rides are my favorite though. We leave in the morning and ride all day. What I refer to as a ‘destination ride.’ Destination rides are the ultimate goal for riders. We specifically seek out the curviest roads possible and go the long-way on purpose. Over the course of fifteen years, I have ridden a motorcycle to many fun places, including Washington D.C. for the Memorial Day Rally/Ride to the Vietnam Wall; Milwaukee, WI to visit the birthplace
of Harley-Davidson; Daytona, FL for Biketoberfest; Panama City Beach, FL for Bike Week; Key West, FL; New Orleans, LA. Bikers from all over the globe always manage to congregate to enjoy their common pastime: motorcycles and riding. We bikers never meet a stranger and I have met so many interesting people along the way. Riding a motorcycle really is a way of life, and we don’t care what you ride as long as you ride. The skills necessary to ride a motorcycle can easily be compared to a professional racer or stunt driver. As a rider, you have to be able to understand the physics involved in keeping a vehicle with only two wheels upright, learn how to correctly maneuver it, and also constantly be aware of obstacles in the roadway. Whether it is a dead animal, gravel, or perhaps even a car pulling out that didn’t see you, the dangers are always present. Traveling on the Interstate is particularly dangerous; it is not only because of the speed, but also because you may not survive a tire that blows out on a tractor-trailer. It is important to wear safety gear and to be aware of your surroundings. An easy way to get the proper rider training is to attend the Harley Davidson Rider Course, which is a three-day course taught by professional motorcycle drivers. You can find the dates of these courses on the dealership websites. I took the course back in 2003, and it was the best thing I could have ever done. We have such a blast on our adventures that I wanted to include a few of my favorite destinations, complete with places to eat and things to see along the way. These rides are also great day trips for those of you who aren’t on a motorcycle but looking for something fun to do. www.nwgeorgialiving.com
Ft. Mountain Ride This ride is cool as a breeze. First, you head towards Calhoun and then on to Chatsworth. In Chatsworth the fun really begins with a curvy ride over Ft. Mountain, winding up in Ellijay. Make sure to grab an awesome sandwich at River Street Grille while you are there. After eating, head back south on Hwy 515 to Jasper and make sure to stop in at Rocco’s Pub to enjoy some great live music. Cloudland Canyon Ride This trip is a little lengthy, so plan to be well-rested and to start early. We always head north on Hwy 27 to Summerville and then west to Menlo. Go north over the mountain to Cloudland, GA, but be sure to watch for falling rocks. In Cloudland, you will take GA 157 through scenic Cloudland Canyon for some of the most beautiful scenery Northwest Georgia has to offer. Take GA 136 East to Lafayette, where the Farm to Fork restaurant is highly recommended. All of its menu items are locally grown and harvested, yum! After lunch, be sure to visit the Chickamauga Military Park & Battlefield in Ft. Oglethorpe before heading back home. This ride makes for a full day of adventure. Amicalola Falls Ride It is tons of fun to slowly wind through the hills of Northwest Georgia; full of nice curves and scenery, it is a very relaxing ride. We start off on GA 140 and head east towards Canton, but break off in Waleska on Hwy 108, which leads to Hwy 53 in Tate. This highway between Tate and Dawsonville is spectacular for motorcycles, with great curves and lots of shade. Once you get to Dawsonville, you must visit the Dawsonville Pool Room and get one their famous ‘Bully Burgers.’ After lunch, head north on Hwy 136 to Amicalola Falls State Park and enjoy the beautiful waterfalls. Dahlonega Ride This route is spectacular and Dahlonega is one of my favorite places. Head east through Calhoun and Fairmount on Hwy 53. Then pick up Hwy 5 to Ellijay. Continue on US 76 to Blue Ridge. Just past Blue Ridge head south on Hwy 60, riding smack-dab through the Chattahoochee National Forest, a curvy www.nwgeorgialiving.com
Adventure Weekend Trips: Lake Burton: Travel east to Lake Burton and spend the weekend riding around the lake. A great place to stay overnight is The Dillard House.
Blairsville: Ride around Brasstown Bald and stay overnight at the Copperhead Lodge.
Top Left: The gangs all here! Rob Byers, Richard and Karen Davis, Jon and Alecia Ledford, Mark Eley, Rick and Jennifer Almand, David Perry, Summer Smith, and Chesley and Lesa Jacobs
Bottom Left: A line of gorgeous Harleys. Top: David Perry and Summer Smith head out on another adventure.
and shady stretch of road that will put you out in Dahlonega, GA. In Dahlonega there is a great opportunity to stretch your legs and go antique shopping. I always like to eat some good Cajun cuisine at the Bourbon St. Grille too.
Rock City and Chattanooga Ride Take US 27 north from Rome, over the ridge through Summerville, north through Chickamauga Battlefield, and into Ft. Oglethorpe. From there you dog-leg back west towards Lookout Mountain. Be sure to visit Rock City and then cross into Tennessee and see Ruby Falls. Once in Chattanooga, there is no limit to your lunch opportunities, but I love Sticky Fingers BBQ.
Little River Canyon Ride Since we live so close to Alabama, it is possible to take a nice day ride west to Little River Canyon. West from Rome on Hwy 20 you quickly enter Alabama. Just before Cedar Bluff, AL go northwest on Hwy 35 through Little River Canyon National Preserve. Be careful in this area because some of the roads turn to gravel without warning and I don’t know anyone riding on two wheels that enjoys gravel. Little River Canyon is gorgeous; it takes ‘scenic’ to a new level. You will end up in Ft. Payne, AL where you turn north towards Mentone. Once in Mentone, make sure you stop at The Rattlesnake Saloon, a restaurant literally built inside a rock. After lunch, I always like to head back through Menlo and Summerville over the scenic ridge.
Since 2006, Almand Specialty Painting & Design has specialized in murals, faux finishes, wallpaper, painted furniture and custom art. She renovates kitchen cabinets, installs decorative tile, works as a personal shopper and home organizer, and consults with her clients on fabrics, finishes and fixtures to make their home unique. Jennifer lives with her husband Rick and their four dogs in Kingston, Georgia. Contact her at (706)346-1590, www. facebook.com/Almand-Specialty-PaintingDesign, or jaland94@bellsouth.net. 25
Get Cookin’
A Picnic Date for Two
By Joan Brady
W
ho doesn’t love a picnic? Some of the most memorable picnics I’ve experienced are those spur of the moment ones with my granddaughters. Cheese puffs, juice boxes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and cookies. It wasn’t the food that excited us, although baking the cookies together was great fun. The idea of throwing an old quilt in the shade on the banks of Euharlee Creek and pulling our treats from the picnic basket and simply doing something different was the excitement that overwhelmed us. Other fond memories are picnics Dereck and I used to share when we were dating at Screen on the Green at Piedmont Park in Atlanta. We had all the accessories: a small picnic table that folded up into a bag, napkins, plastic wine glasses, our favorite wine, candles, food from the deli at Harry’s Farmers Market, and, of course, our blanket. We
were actually featured in a local magazine with the most romantic set-up. As you can see, picnics can be memorable experiences with your family, but they can be romantic too. There’s something special about being outside enjoying a favorite spot or maybe a new one and dining on foods we don’t eat on a daily basis, those that you share only with your love. Those little delicacies will evoke fond and loving memories for years to come. We won’t invent the wheel with these recipes. They are designed to create a memorable gastronomic experience with little effort so that your special picnic can be extraordinary. All you’ll need is a tote or a basket with an ice pack and you’re ready for a new adventure which is sure to put some spark into your day.
AVOCADO DIP Yield 1 cup 4 oz. full fat sour cream 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed 1 tsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste
1. Mix the sour cream and avocado with a mixer or food processor until smooth. Add olive oil, juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pita chips. STUFFED CHERRY TOMATOES Yield one dozen 1 package fresh mozzarella balls 1 container cherry tomatoes (the larger ones work best) 1 cup balsamic vinegar
1. Reduce balsamic vinegar over medium heat until thickened. Cool. 2. Slice the top from tomatoes and stuff with the mozzarella balls. 3. Drizzle with reduced vinegar.
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PEACH NECTAR SWEET TEA
CUCUMBER TEA SANDWICHES Yield 8 small sandwiches
1 cup peach nectar 1 cup sweet tea ½ cup club soda or sparkling wine
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature ½ tsp. fresh dill, chopped finely ½ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. black pepper 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced Your favorite bread
1. Pour peach nectar into your favorite recipe for sweet tea. Add your favorite club soda or sparkling wine and don’t forget to dress it up by using some really pretty plastic champagne flutes.
1. Beat cream cheese, dill, salt, and pepper in a mixer and whip until light with no lumps remaining.
ALMOND FRUIT DRESSING Yield 3 cups
2. Trim crusts from the bread and spread some of the cream cheese mixture onto both sides of the bread. Add the sliced cucumber. Press together. Chill.
1 cup sour cream 8 oz. cream cheese ½ cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. almond extract (substitute vanilla extract if you don’t like almond)
1. Beat cream cheese until soft and lump free. Add sugar, sour cream and heavy whipping cream along with almond extract. Blend well. 2. Refrigerate and serve with fresh fruit.
ASPARAGUS, PROSCUITTO, AND PARMESAN PHYLLO ROLLS Yield 10 pieces 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and steamed until tender ½ cup grated parmesan cheese 1 package phyllo from the grocery freezer section, thawed ¼ lb. thinly sliced Proscuitto ½ stick melted, salted butter
1. Lay one sheet of phyllo onto a cutting board, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with parmesan cheese, salt , and pepper to taste. Repeat this process, then add cooked asparagus and Proscuitto to each sheet. 2. Roll up and bake at 400° until golden and crispy, about 20 minutes. 3. When cool, cut into ½ inch slices on the bias.
Bonus Chef Joan Brady is the coowner and Executive Chef at Crawdaddy’s Cajun and Creole Cuisine and Gourmet Grub Catering at 239 Broad Street in Rome. She lived in the heart of Cajun country and gained a love and respect for the people and the food. After graduating from culinary school, she staged at three of New Orleans most iconic restaurants: Borgne, Luke, and Restaurant Revolution. She can be reached at 706-237-7775 or Joan@Crawdaddy’sinfo.com.
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CHOCOLATE CHIP SHORTBREAD Yield 12 cookies 4 oz. chocolate chips, coarsely chopped in food processor or by hand 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour ½ cup cold salted butter, cut into small pieces ½ cup sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1. Chop chocolate chips and remove from the food processor. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor (no need to wash the bowl) and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add chopped chocolate. 2. Working quickly, press into an 8 x 8 inch pan and bake at 325° degrees for 10 – 12 minutes.
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A Taste of NW Georgia
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Patricia Montgomery Photographer
Patricia is a local photographer who delivers creative fine art for the walls of your home or office as well as photographic services to meet your personal or business needs, including commercial/ marketing/advertising/ aerial photography.
Web Site: www.bucksmountaingalleries.com/ Blog: www.TinCanHappy.blogspot.com Email: patricia@bucksmountaingalleries.com Phone: 706-234-4482 | leave detailed message 28
Southern Casual Cafeteria Dine In or Take Out Let Us Cater Your Next Event
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Hours: Mon–Sat: 10:30am–8pm | Sunday: 10:30am–3pm 1403 Dean Avenue | Rome, GA | 706-235-4131
t s for 2015 s e B d e t o V rritos & Fajitnaderufl customers Bu
o all our w thanks to
Mondays wy. ft beer on ke at Riverside Pk ra D & s o c o a ra T a 9 K .9 t day nigh location. and Thurs r Avenue e rt o h S t able a kes avail ferent ca if d y n a M
CARTERSVILLE:
ROME:
465 Cherokee Place 770.386.2977
311 Riverside Pkwy 706.235.0555 246 Shorter Ave. 706.291.9788
DALTON: 1331 W. Walnut Ave. 706.529.8477
Coolade the clown at Shorter Ave. Location Tuesdays 6-8 p.m.
Visit LasPalmasMexicanRest.com to check out our daily specials. www.nwgeorgialiving.com
Choose Heatherwood,where living is easy!
Estate Planners of Rome, LLC. NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS FOR INDEPENDENT SENIORS ~ Rent Based on your Income and all Utilities Included ~
DON ASH, C.E.P. AS SEEN ON
329 Broad Street Rome, Georgia 706-234-9920
Age 62 and Over
Heatherwood is a beautifully designed three level, sixty-eight unit one bedroom complex with units available for the mobility impaired. Heatherwood includes the following amenities: Automatic Entry Doors with Security System
Individually Controlled Heat and Air Conditioning
Rent based on 30% of Adjusted Monthly Income
Bulk Rate Cable Fee
All Appliances Included Private Mailbox Inside Building
In-House Maintenance Walk-In Closets & Kitchen Pantry
All Utilities Included
Medical Alert Pull Cords in the Apartments
Laundry Facilities
Bus Route
“Each Unit Provides You with a Quiet, Private Environment and a Homey Atmosphere.” Heatherwood has a sunroom with deck and patio suitable for family parties and other activities. There are spacious landscaped grounds with a beautiful gazebo.
You have saved your entire life for retirement; We will teach you how to protect your hard earned assets. Find out how you can participate in market gains without the risk of market losses.
YOU WILL LEARN: • About the latest updates in regards
to the State attaching liens to recover Nursing Home expenses paid by Medicaid.
• Asset protection techniques to keep your assets out of harms way • To manage your Estate using the proper documents such as Wills, Trust, and Power of Attorney
• 401K ROLLOVERS / RETIREMENT PLANS Find out how you can participate in market gains without the risk of market losses.
CALL FOR APPOINTMENT TODAY
HEATHERWOOD Apartments, Ltd. 42 Chateau DR. SE • Rome, GA 30161 Judy L. Evans — Manager: 706-235-2881 Equal Housing Opportunity
Equal Employment Opportunity
Estate Planners of GA, LLC Don Ash, C.E.P. • Tracy Williams, Estate Planner *Legal Advice / Services offered by David R. Trippe LLC ATTY & Joe Marion P.C. Atty Securities Offered Through Core Capital Investments, Inc. RBC Capital Markets, custodian.
ROBERT’S
WORLD
By Robert Smyth
The Art of Pittling
I
am a world class pittler, not to be mistaken for piddler, which means something totally different. You just Googled it on your phone, didn’t you? Pittle is an English term which means, “To spend time in trifling activities or to “potter” around,” and boy, am I good at it. A great example of the classic pittle would be reorganizing your screw bin in the garage or trying to find that little plastic flag that marks your property line. These are somewhat mindless activities that, when done properly, are very relaxing and satisfying to accomplish. Pittling can come in several categories. There are activities that don’t really need to be done but keep you out from under the feet of people in your household that are actually trying to accomplish something. These activities can be of your own design or assigned to you by the family member that needs you out from under foot. Hosing down the driveway or fluffing the pine straw so it looks thicker and fuller for instance. These activities require very little brain power but are very satisfying when finished. The second category consists of small tasks that need to be done and take some intelligent thought, but not much. If you are an expert pittler like me, you can do five or six of these little projects at the same time. I move from one to the other until they are all completed or I have made such a mess of them that they move into the major repair category which we will discuss in just a moment. This second category drives those who
30
need to control all aspects of time and space, my wife for example, nuts. She wants me to finish one project before I move on to the next. If she and the kids will leave me alone, I will get all five or six projects done by the end of the day and feel very proud of myself. The only time this category becomes tense is when the five or six projects you are working on are not the five or six projects your spouse wanted or needed you to work on. Hey, there is always next Saturday. I mentioned the final category before. This is when your pittling turns into a full repair job. This involves a trip to the hardware store which, for most redblooded American males, is the same as a shoe sale at Ross for the ladies. The reason I am using that comparison is not sexist, but rather how my lovely wife explains it to me. You see, when the Ross shoe sale happens, the prices are so good that multiple pairs come home, even though we have a closetful that looks just like the new ones. It works similarly with tools for men. When I go to the hardware store, I may have gone for a certain part but I will walk up and down every aisle and find tools and things I need. Strangely, my wife swears I already have
all of this in my garage. She is wrong, of course, just like I am with shoes apparently. I need every tool I buy, I promise, even if I do have three other ones that look very similar. Again like the shoes. This category of pittling can take up a whole day plus a couple of hours on YouTube figuring out the problem. Category three also usually ends up with a call to a real repairmen and writing a check I was not planning on writing. At least I tried, right? So ladies, if you have a pittler in your home, please be kind and patient. Remember, if we did not pittle, we would be helping you do the things that you need to do. Even worse, we might go with you to the shoe sale and make very clever comments about how many pairs of black shoes one person needs, and no one wants that!
www.nwgeorgialiving.com
www.nwgeorgialiving.com
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G EORGIA H IGHLANDS C OLLEGE WHERE EXCELLENCE BEGINS “My college is more than a school. It’s a community. My experience at Georgia Highlands has been both the most difficult and rewarding experience of my life. You never know what you’re capable of until you’re pushed to your full potential. Through the struggles and triumphs, GHC has been the vessel to help me reach the highest degree of personal success.”
GHC WE ARE
IGHLANDS
GEORGIA H
COLLEGE
Ad Directory
Less than $8,000 for an associate degree 11 areas of study 100% online Strong academic programs Bachelor’s degree options Adult accelerated program Championship athletics Award-winning student organizations
Y BY L P P A T 1ST S U AUG semester ll for fa
Jenny Quan
Rome • Cartersville • Marietta • Dallas • Douglasville 800.332.2406 highlands.edu
Kindred Hospital
23
Las Palmas
28
Lavender Mountain Hardware
15
13
Maine Street Coastal Cuisine
28
Candy Apple Collision
18
Owasa Medical Spa
Coosa Valley Credit Union
31
Patricia Montgomery Photography 28
Do Good Boutique
22
Pick ‘o Deli
Estate Planners of Georgia LLC.
29
Redmond Regional Medical Center 19
Farrell’s Frame and Design
12
Right at Home
9
Georgia Highlands College
32
River City Bank
31
Georgia Northwestern Technical College
13
River Ridge Escapes
12
The Good Dog Company
22
Grinder’s Stump Removal
15
Habitat Restore
23
Action Rent-All
18
Anxiety & Depression Center of Georgia
12
Avery Drugs
Harbin Clinic Heatherwood Apartments
Photograh by Patricia Montgomery
7 29
Riverside Automotive Group
Inside Cover 28
Inside Cover
Riverside Oral & Facial Surgery
Back Cover
Seasons 5 The Spires at Berry College
1
Heritage Automotive Group
3
Sylvan Learning Center
It’s About Time
9
Terry Simmons State Farm Insurance 18
Johnny Mitchell’s Smokehouse Photograh by Patricia Montgomery
28
Unique Interiors of Rome
22 9
CADILLAC CT6 COMING SPRING 2016
ROME, GEORGIA
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E! N FRE LTATIO
CONSU
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2001 J.L. Todd Drive • Rome , GA 30161 www.riversideoralfacialsurgery.com Although there are a number of options for treatment of missing teeth, none have been proven to be as functional, effective and durable as dental implants. Call TODAY to schedule a consultation.