Marshall Good Life Magazine - Winter 2020 by The Good Life Magazine

MARSHALL COUNTY

Grant photographer Donna Prickett has a thing for landscapes ... See why

The Barnetts started with a view, and it grew beyond building a simple house WINTER 2020 | COMPLIMENTARY

Baking for the coming holidays? Kristy Falcomeni serves up some ideas

This thing is really starting to stack up in our favor. Thanks for making us Marshall County’s deposit market share leader – again! Last year’s big news keeps getting better. For the second year running, Citizens Bank & Trust is Marshall County’s deposit market share leader based on the annual FDIC Summary of Deposits*. We’ve worked hard to prove the benefits of locally-owned banking, and we’re proud to submit the FDIC report as evidence. Being number one in our home county is a special honor. As the small bank with big-time products and services, we’re glad to serve the home folks who make it all possible. *FDIC Summary of Deposits as of June 30, 2020

Albertville • 256-878-9893 Arab • 256-931-4600 Guntersville • 256-505-4600 visit us at citizensbanktrust.com

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N A M E LY C LAU DI A’S

A new shopping atmosphere for Marshall County in downtown Arab

Tue.-Wed. 11-6; Thurs-Sat. 11-late

VISIT CLAUDIA at her new location at 127 North Main Street

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Melissa Stone and Brook Hemphill enjoy a glass of wine and a draft beer with a charcutrie board of imported cheeses, dip, chips and crackers.

Claudia, top, is excited not only about her unique, new shop, but about contributing something to the future of downtown Arab. Above, customers Niki Bowling and Kayla Harper have fun checking out the popular Sorrelli jewelry. That’s Claudia, upper right, on the lift applying German smear to spruce up the old brick. Right are Maddie, who works for Claudia, Joseph, her oldest son, and husband Bob.

t’s been a ton of sometimes nasty work, but here’s the truth … Claudia Schultz opened Namely Claudia so she could have fun. And she wants you to have fun with her. Son in tow, the Arab native and stay-at-home-mom returned home from living in Atlanta in 2007. Claudia subbed at Arab High and continued a life-long enjoyment of calligraphy, sewing, monograms, painting … anything fun and creative. She took her growing business to the former Funky Junk, expanding into engraving jewelry and sterling silver. Then she opened her own one-room shop in downtown Arab. A friend suggested naming it, well, Namely Claudia’s. Claudia added candles, painted furniture, cuckoo clocks, T-shirts, novelties … and the business grew. About two years ago she visited a boutique in Dahlonega, Ga., that sold wine slushies to shoppers. The “That’s brilliant!” look on her face would have been priceless. Inspired and cramped in her old shop, she needed a new place to hatch her idea – enjoying a fun glass of wine while shopping. “I looked all over Arab, but my heart is downtown Arab,” Claudia says. In January 2020 she bought the old Bishop’s Jewelry Store across Main Street from her old shop. Home to two short-lived bars, it was in sad disrepair. Rains left 1.5-inch deep ponds on the floor. She invested a lot of money and sweat in the building’s miraculous transformation, especially the front. And, since opening in October, her front doors have become trademarks for her. Plus she has a bar selling wine and beer on-site and to go. I’m not surprised by how many people have a glass of wine while they shop,” Claudia says. “The atmosphere is so much fun.” It’s still a job for her, “but I’m doing it so Claudia can have fun!” And you can have fun with her.

ap’hy r g i l l Ca vice s r e S

Money spent in Marshall County stays in YOUR community A message from

Arab Chamber of Commerce Albertville Chamber of Commerce Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce Grant, AL Chamber of Commerce Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce Good Life Magazine/MoMc Publishing

MARSHALL COUNTY

B Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce

Chamber COMMERCE Grant, AL

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Welcome

Of Aprils and Octobers that are not as lost as I sometimes lament

pril and October have long been my two favorite months. Diane, my wife, said recently that hers is May. Since I’ve come to love it more and more, I made room in my top listing by tying April and October for first place. OK ... so why, you may wonder, am I writing about spring and fall months in the winter issue of the magazine? It’s a fair question. It’s because the other day I was lamenting that I pretty much have to spend the entire month of October on deadline writing stories, selling ads, designing pages ... all the fun stuff that goes into producing the winter issues of Good Life for Marshall and Cullman counties. While I have you on the verge of tears, I’ll give you the rest of the bad news – April is production month for our summer issues that publish in May. I work through a chunk of spring, too. I have to say my all-time favorite spring was that of 1981. Flowers and trees were blooming like crazy when my buddy Jeff Mitchell and I left Birmingham that early April to hike the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. But up on the 4,000-5,000-foot ridge lines the AT follows, it was still winter. But as we hiked north we watched spring gradually creep from the valleys and up the mountains. A seemingly endless spring, it was a thing of slow-motion beauty. While the autumn equinox varies only by a few days, it seems fall falls later than it once did. Either way, I hope to see some good color this fall. I’m fasttracking my work this October to finish this issue a few days early so Hunter, my son, and I can visit the Tennessee River Gorge to do a little hiking. I plan to shoot photos for our GLM Good Getaways feature in the fall 2021 issue. Is that work? I don’t want to come across as ungrateful, what with my complaints about laboring through my favorite months. I am fortunate. After all, I not only have a job, but it’s a rewarding one I truly enjoy. And, like Diane says, I can be happy and enjoy any month of the year. Heck, I’m just glad to be here.

Mo Mc PUBLISHING LLC Proudly printed in Marshall County by BPI Media of Boaz 6

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Contributors Jacquelyn Hall of Union Grove and her husband, Michael, had their fourth baby this year, so it’s understandable that she took a break from freelance writing. She’s back in this issue with a Good Cooking feature on a baking caterer in Boaz, whom she found to be a kindred spirit. Something about sweets .... Steve Maze’s brother Keith built a lighthouse just south of Arab in New Canaan that is starting to attract some attention. It’s hidden from the road, but Steve says it was noticed from the air. “It’s the first story I wrote with a drone and a powered parachute chasing me.”

In one of her book reviews, Deb Laslie says the Covid shutdown has made a real dent in her to-be-read piles at home in Cullman County. Of course her “piles” are actually sorted shelves. So one wouldn’t even notice that dent until measuring her nightstand “pile.”

An aerospace worker and writer David Myers of Guntersville believes that aging gracefully includes dining well. He and Rose travel the county in search of good eating and happily share their adventures with fellow bon vivants and connoisseurs.

Good Life Magazine ad/art director Sheila McAnear of Guntersville got to design and build several ads in this issue for her clients. Beams she, “It’s what I like most about selling advertising ... getting to be creative for different kinds of businesses.”

David Moore of Arab has published GLM for more than a tenth of his entire life. Hmmm ... doesn’t sound all that impressive. He did, however, enjoy a recent birthday. Over time he’s learned to lie up. He now tells people he’s 70 ... counting that extra lick to grow on. David F. Moore Publisher/editor | 256-293-0888 david.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

Sheila T. McAnear Advertising/art director | 256-640-3973 sheila.goodlifemagazine@gmail.com

MoMc Publishing LLC P.O. Box 28, Arab, Al 35016 www.good-life-magazine.net

Reward Yourself

How to maximize credit card rewards while holiday shopping

2020 GOOD LIFE MAGAZINE November 2019 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT A Special Supplement to

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Arab Lumber & Supply, Inc. 841 N. Brindlee Mtn. Pkwy. • Arab 256-586-4197

WE HAVE THE SHOES!

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2020 COVID 19 CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS Flower Exchange 31 N. Main St. • Downtown Arab 256-586-5455

Fine Things 1942 N. Brindlee Mtn. Pkwy. • Arab 256-586-5685

The Monkey’s Uncle 382 Gunter Ave. • Guntersville 256-486-3773

Guntersville Outfitters 534 Gunter Avenue • Guntersville 256-582-6320

Personalized Christmas Ornaments from

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Blossom Boutique 354 Gunter Avenue • Guntersville 256-486-9449

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Lighted Snow Globes

WE HAVE THE RING Fant’s Mercantile 355 Gunter Ave. • Guntersville 256-582-3845

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Gibbs Gifts LLC 946 North Brindlee Mountain Parkway, Arab • 256-586-4246

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Inside 10 | Good Fun

Help make your holidays happy – get out and (safely) do something

16 | Good People

Johnny Brewer passes on those high notes of encouragement

22 | Good Reads

Jeffery Deaver is still a go-to; Andy Andrews is a go-back-to

25 | Good Cooking

Sweetness – but not too sweet – wafts from Kristy’s Boaz kitchen

34 | Good Eats

Tried and true, Grumpy’s in Arab still serves up a surprise or two

36 | The view came first

George and Amy Barnett planned to downsize, but a vision grew

42 | Good Getaway

Dickens of a Christmas canceled, but put it on your 2021 wishlist

46 | T-Day tradition?

Nope. This “wild turkey” event was fortunately a one-and-done

48 | Promise kept

They had written the lighthouse into their will. It had to be built

55 | Escapism under sail Butch and Elizabeth Starnes, Susan Wilson and others get it

61 | Prickett Images

Grant photographer does justice to a beautiful part of the world

70 | Out ‘n’ About

It’s that time of year to enjoy museum’s annual Festival of Trees On the cover | David Moore photographed the holidayflavored image during last year’s Festival of Trees. This page | Photographer Donna Prickett – featured in this issue – lives in Grant, where she shot this Christmas photo last year.

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“Stacy Beam: HOME” exhibit will be held Nov13-14 at Fine Things. Brent Harrington photographed Stacy Beam in the Arab native’s Nashville studio. “Arab flows through my veins,” Stacy says. “My connection to place shows up daily in the art I create.”

Good Fun • Now-Dec. 30 – ART Market A dozen or more local artists will fill the new Mountain Valley Arts Council Gallery not just to exhibit their creative pieces but to sell them as unique Christmas gifts. It’s the third year for the market. The MVAC Gallery, now across from the courthouse at 440 Gunter Ave., Guntersville, is open 10-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; and by appointment. Admission is free. For more info visit: info@mvacarts.org; or call: 256-5717199. • Now-Dec. 7 – Ho! Ho! Ho! (Help!) Create some “Good Fun” for those who aren’t financially able this Christmas –donate to the Marshall County Christmas Coalition. The group has gotten applications for help from over 1,500 children, and, with Covid, additional crises are expected between now and Christmas. All applicants are screened and verified for need. Sponsor a child – or several – as an individual, business or a group. 10

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‘It’s the most wonderful time ...’ Sponsors are encouraged to spend at least $100 (tax-deductible) per child, and donations may be made in honor or memory of someone. While Dec. 7 is the deadline for bringing gifts, monetary donations are welcome anytime. For details on playing Santa: www.christmascoalition.org; or 256582-9998. • Nov. 13-14 – “Stacy Beam: HOME” Fine Things in Arab is hosting an art exhibit by native Arabian Stacy Beam. The exhibition, “Stacy Beam: HOME,” will include a cross-section of his fine art for sale. Known earlier as a musician, Stacy has achieved acclaim for his participation in the 2020 En Plein Air exhibition at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville, a premier art museum. “Stacy Beam and I have been good friends since childhood,” says Jacob Bright, proprietor of Fine Things. “It’s wonderful to see his success as a fine artist, and it’s great to be part of Stacy sharing his beautiful artwork with his hometown crowd.” The exhibition is 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Fine Things is located at 1942 N. Brindlee Mountain Parkway. For more information, visit: Stacy Beam.com or Fine Things on Facebook; or call: 256586-5685. • Nov. 19-Jan. 1 – Festival of Trees This 12th annual event organized by the Guntersville Museum features an array of festively decorated trees from organizations across Marshall County. And the opening reception is bound to get you in the spirit of Christmas. To give you an idea, please see the Out ‘n’ About photo feature on pages 70-71. The museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-4 p.m. weekends; free admission. For more: www. guntersvillemuseum.org; or 256-5717597. • Nov. 19-Jan. 1 – Larry Allen/Frank Gee exhibit In conjunction with the Festival of Trees, the Guntersville Museum will host exhibits of Larry Allen and Frank Gee’s artwork.

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A Birmingham native, Larry’s glazed pottery designs are inspired largely from African and Native American art. Using a special black stoneware clay, he delicately carves designs into the surface and puts each piece through multiple glazings and firings. For more on Larry, visit: www.larryallenpottery.com. The world of nature provides the subject matter for much of the art created by Frank Gee of Gallatin, Tennessee. His depth of knowledge regarding the anatomy of all species of fish, combined with his interest in biology, render his fish rubbings – Gyotaku – real and captivating; not merely one-dimensional paintings of fish. For more on Frank: www. frankgee.com. For museum info, please see the Nov. 19-Jan. 1 “Festival of Trees” listing on page 10. • Nov. 21 – Skinny Turkey 5K/10K Beat the rush and run off those extra holiday pounds – before the holidays. Dress up for Thanksgiving and register for the Third Annual Skinny Turkey 5K/10K and raise money for the Second Chance Shelter, a non-profit, no-kill dog shelter. The 2019 run raised $9,000. The certified course with water stations runs through Snead State Community College, the Boaz SportsPlex and Boaz Elementary School on all paved roads with some small hills. Medals awarded for top three male and female in each age group, ranging from 12-70. Registration is $40 and begins at 6 a.m. at the starting place, Boaz Recreation Center; 10K starts at 8 a.m., 5K at 8:10.For more info and preregistration visit: runsignup.com/ race/AL/Boaz/SkinnyTurkey@boaz. recdesk.com; email: Nicole.presley@ cityofboaz.org; or call: 256-593-7862. Nov. 27-Dec. 31 – Christmas in the Park The city’s holiday tradition continues for its 26th bright year, as some two million lights transform Arab City Park into a festively magical spectacle. The lighting ceremony is at 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 12

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

• Dec. 1-23 – Free gift wrapping – Guntersville Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce is offering free gift wrapping for anything you buy in town and have the receipt for. Bring your own box. The chamber is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., M-F. • Dec. 1 – Guntersville tree lighting The city’s annual 20-foot Christmas tree lighting ceremony starts at 5 p.m. at Errol Allan Park downtown. Sponsored by the city’s Tree Commission. Plans were incomplete at deadline, but it’s always a fun event. Need more info? Call: 256-571-7561.

Zachary Taylor enjoys last year’s Skinny Turkey run with a good buddy. 27, after which the lights will glimmer and entice from dusk to 9:30 nightly through the end of the year, weather permitting. It’s free to walk and enjoy the park, which is located at 844 Shoal Creek Trail. • Nov. 27–Dec. 19 – Santa in the Park In conjunction with Christmas in the Park, Santa in the Park will be at Arab Historic Village – located in the park – 6-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, starting Nov. 27 and going through Dec. 19. Visit Santa’s Toy Shop and his elves. Children can sit in Santa’s lap and have their photo taken. Decorate a cookie or write a letter to Santa. Children can also take home reindeer food made in the old grist mill. Admission to Santa in the Park is free for kids 2 and under; $6 per person. More info? Call: Arab Parks and Rec, 256-586-6793; visit www. arabcity.org; or visit on Facebook. • Nov. 30–Dec. 22 – Free giftwrapping, Albertville BYOB – bring your own box – along with a receipt from any merchant in town to the Albertville Chamber of Commerce during regular office hours for free gift wrapping.

• Dec. 3– Albertville Christmas Parade It starts with the tree lighting at 5:00 p.m. at Rotary Park and a performance by the high school choir. The parade, sponsored by the Civitans and Albertville Chamber of Commerce, starts at 5:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, goes up Main Street, cuts over on Sand Mountain Drive, then loops back to the church. The theme is “Christmas at the Movies.” Floats can register for $15 at the chamber or online: albertvillechamberofcommerce. com. For more info, call the chamber: 256-878-3821. Dec. 3 – Arab Christmas Parade The parade starts at 6 p.m. at Arab First Baptist Church and runs south down Main Street to Snead State. The theme is “Christmas in Toyland” and the grand marshal will be Danny Hawkins, winner of the Arab Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Outstanding Citizen Achievement Award. Registration forms available at the chamber; entries are free except floats are $35 and eligible for $100, $75 and $50 awards. For more information, call the chamber: 256-586-3138; or register at: arabchamber.org. • Dec 4-13 – WBS Christmas Movies As its holiday fundraiser this year, the Whole Backstage is packing two weekends with your favorite Christmas movies: 7 p.m. Dec. 4 – “It’s a Wonderful Life”; 2 p.m. Dec. 5 – “Elf”; 7 p.m. Dec. 5 – “It’s

Lorna S O’Leary, AAMS® Financial Advisor

Aron Matsuyama Financial Advisor

12 Guntersville Road Arab, AL 35016 256-586-0494 lorna.oleary@edwardjones.com

John Clay Dollar Financial Advisor

1325 Gunter Ave. Guntersville, AL 35976 256-582-8007 aron.matsuyama@edwardjones.com

12 Guntersville Road Arab, AL 35016 256-586-0494 john.dollar@edwardjones.com

Edward Jones www.edwardjones.com

MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING

Member SIPC

The City of Arab invites you to visit our . . .

ANNUAL

hristmas IN THE PARK

November 27 - December 31

Admission is free to walk the park and view the lights Located at Arab City Park at 844 Shoal Creek Trail, Arab, AL

Lighting Ceremony is Friday, November 27 at 6 pm Lights on from dusk to 9:30 pm daily (weather permitting)

Santa In The Park at the Historic Village 6-9 pm Nov. 27 - 28, Dec. 4 - 5, Dec. 11 - 12, Dec. 18 - 19

Nightly admission: age 2 and under FREE, $6 per person (no family passes) More info:

Call 256-586-6793

Visit www.arabcity.org

parkrec@arabcity.org

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facebook

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

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a Wonderful Life”; 2 p.m. Dec. 6 – “The Santa Clause; 7 p.m. Dec. 11 – “The Muppet Christmas Carol”; 2 p.m. Dec. 12 – “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”; 7 p.m. Dec. 12 – “Christmas Vacation”; 2 p.m. Dec. 13 – “Christmas Vacation.” The Whole Backstage is located at 1120 Rayburn Ave. in Guntersville. At deadline, ticket prices had not been decided. For more info: 256-582-7469. • Dec. 4 – Boaz Christmas Parade Boaz’s traditional Christmas Parade will again this year end at the new Old Mill Park in downtown where the city’s 40+foot Christmas tree will be lit. There will be Santa, live music, hot chocolate, the works. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. For more info contact: Boaz Area Chamber of Commerce: 256-593-8154; or boazchamberassist@gmail.com. • Dec. 4 – Guntersville Christmas Open House Get in the Christmas spirit 4-8 p.m. as the North Town Merchants Association kicks off the shopping season. Participating stores will offer great specials, refreshments and other events, and you’re invited to “sip and shop.” It’s a prelude to the next event … • Dec. 5 – A Night Before Christmas This annual Christmas tradition in downtown Guntersville from 4-8 p.m. is fun for kids and parents alike. Take carriage rides, train rides, decorate cookies, see Santa, go ice skating, have your face painted, enjoy music and more. All events are free, compliments of the North Town Merchants Association. Businesses will not only be open and offering sales, but offering refreshments and fun activities, too. In conjunction with the event, Guntersville First United Methodist will again stage its outdoor “Night in Bethlehem” at the church.

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• Dec. 8 – Lights of Love Shepherd’s Cove Hospice’s annual event will be both drive-thru and virtual because of Covid concerns this year. The drive thru is 4-6 p.m. at 408 Martling Road in Albertville. Families and friends of loved ones who have died can still sponsor lights, ornaments and luminaries, some of them virtual fashion. Plans were still underway at press time. For more info, visit: www. shepherdscove.org; or call Shepherd’s Cove: 256-891-7724

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

• Dec. 12 – Guntersville Christmas Parade The parade begins at 4 p.m. at Scott Street one block past the chamber of commerce and makes its way through town on U.S. 431 to Gilbreath Street. The theme is “A Season of Surprises.” No fee to enter the parade, but you need to fill out an application, available at the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce or online at: www.lakeguntersville.org. For more info: 256-582-3612. • Dec. 12 – Downtown Albertville Christmas Open House Open house is 5-9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. It’s spread out Saturday along Broad Street from Albertville Home Bakery and Coffee Shop to the fire station, and east on Main Street to the chamber. Follow the Christmas tree trail and vote on your favorites at participating businesses and restaurants, which will have sales and events of their own. Friday night catch a live performance of “Elf Jr. – The Musical, presented by Aggie Theatre, Lighthouse Theatre Co. and the Albertville City Schools Foundation. The fun Saturday includes carriage rides and Cookies with Santa 10 a.m.-noon at Albertville Chamber of Commerce. For more info, call the chamber: 256- 878-3821. • Jan. 22-Feb. 14 – Eagle Awareness Lake Guntersville State Park hosts its 36th annual winter event that puts American Bald Eagles center stage. Open to all ages. The Saturday (5:30 a.m.-5 p.m.) and Sunday programs (5:30 a.m.-2 p.m.) are free and include guided field trips to view eagles in their natural environment, live bird demonstrations and notable speakers. Or make a fun weekend of it with one of the park’s special overnight combo packages with discounted lodge rooms, camping, eating at Pinecrest Dining Room and more. For more program info, call: the nature center, 256-571-5445; for campgrounds, call: 256-571-5455; for other reservation, call: 256-505-6621; or google it. • Feb. 12-20 – Crimes of the Heart The Whole Backstage production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Beth Henley was still a “go” as of press time. For more info: 256-582-7469; or at: www. wholebackstage.com.

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SNAPSHOT: Johnny Brewer

EARLY LIFE: Born Feb. 21, 1961, to the late Will and Willie Ruth Brewer of Guntersville. Fourth of four kids, Johnny is 20 years younger than his only surviving sibling, William Wayne Brewer. EDUCATION: Graduated Guntersville High, 1979; Jacksonville State University, 1983, with a bachelor of science in music education and a bachelor of arts in theatre; University of Montevallo, 1994, master’s degree in communication arts; post graduate work at The University of Alabama. PERSONAL LIFE: Married in 1991 to Katherine Ables, pipe organist at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Boaz and Spanish teacher at Albertville High. Daughter Alicia, born 1986; works in a school on an Indian reservation in North Dakota. Son John Everett, born 1994, earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Auburn University, 2019; lives in Albertville; part-time creative consultant and voice-over actor. CAREER: Band/choir/drama director 1983-1994 at Heard County (Ga.), Glencoe, Douglas and Colbert County; Snead State Community College, lead speech instructor, 1994-present; started and directed Snead theatre program 1994-2002 and 2009-2013. ACTIVITIES: An active 45-year veteran of The Whole Backstage Community Theatre in Guntersville, he serves as secretary and past president of its board of directors; directed and performed in scores of WBS productions; created, wrote and directed the Black Tie revues. Elder at Albertville First Presbyterian Church and choir director for 10 years; performed with and conducted The Mountain Valley Singers community choir. RECOGNITIONS: Among many, he was chosen in 1999 and 2012 as Snead’s Academic Faculty of the Year; 1998, Whole Backstage Lifetime Achievement Award; Glencoe High School Teacher of the Year, Etowah County School System Secondary Teacher of the Year and nominated into the Alabama Teacher Hall of Fame at Jacksonville State University; 2003, Boaz Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year. 16

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Good People

5questions Story by David Moore Photo by Monica Martin

e may or may not have always been interested in music, but 59-year-old Johnny Brewer knows exactly when he decided to become a band director. From that early discovered wellspring, today he still rides currents of creativity that spark not just his own life but those of students, singers, speakers, actors and musicians who have performed in classrooms and auditoriums and under the lights of football fields and theatre stages to boot. “I knew I wanted to be a band director in the seventh grade at Carlisle Park Middle School,” Johnny says. He played trombone. His band directors were Rosemary Champion at the middle school and Bobby Johnson at Guntersville High. “They were truly instrumental in me wanting to become a band director,” Johnny says, the pun unintentional but right on beat as if cued by a baton. “I remember how much I enjoyed being creative, learning to play this piece of metal in my hands. At the time I thought it was all me, but then I realized I needed guidance.” Rosemary and Bobby inspired him to be creative. “They were great teachers,” he says. “They made me feel like I could do anything and be anything I wanted to be.” Likewise, the late Dot Moore, founding mother of The Whole Backstage community theatre in Guntersville, influenced Johnny from the time she asked him to play a part in the musical “1776,” which she directed in 1976 for America’s bicentennial. “Dot taught me to be creative, dream big, to fight for what’s right in the world and to believe that the ‘magic’ will happen,” Johnny says. “I owe a lifetime of experiences to Dot Moore and to the Whole Backstage. It gave me – as it has to countless others – a direction for life, a love of the arts and lifetime friendships.”

Johnny Brewer

Passing on the encouragement he got in his lifetime love of music and theatre

ohnny did not audition for “1776,” but his schoolmate, fellow band member, and best friend, Bob Crook, did, and he invited Johnny to rehearsal one night. This was well before the WBS found its home in the historic rock schoolhouse, and the local troupe rehearsed and performed where it could around the county. Johnny had been “blown away” by the few productions he’d seen, and he knew Dot by reputation when she sat down next to him that night at rehearsal. “She didn’t know me, but we started talking and she said, ‘Hey! I need someone to play the role of a judge. At least give it a try,’” he recalls. So, the 15-year-old sophomore played 76-year-old Judge James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Johnny suspects he landed the part because his hair was long enough to wear in a fashionable, 1776 ponytail. Whatever the reason, he was hooked. Sparked with a growing can-do attitude, he agreed to play sousaphone in the marching band when Bobby Johnson asked him. As a junior, Johnny tried out and became drum major. As Bobby’s student aide, he came in contact with and was influenced by high school band directors Stacy Goss and Bob Killian at Albertville, the late Jim Blair at Boaz and Wayne Washam at Arab.

n fall 1979, Johnny started Jacksonville State University with scholarships not only in band but also theatre. In addition to other challenges, Johnny found himself dashing from band practice to rehearsals for musicals. “It was frantic, but I loved every minute of it,” he says. “I had a spark from my band directors, then all of the sudden, I go to Dot and she’s the exact same way – ‘Give it a try. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But never give up.’” Through band at JSU, he came to admire Curtis Burttram, who went on

to be band director at Albertville, and Paul Tallent, who would replace Wayne Washam at Arab. Graduating from Jax State with an even bigger “spark” and with double degrees in music education and theatre, he departed to teach theatre and choir at Heard County High School in Georgia. After a year, he went to Etowah County Schools to teach theatre and to direct the band at Glencoe High. In his first year, the band had 23 members. When he left for Douglas High School after two years, about 55 students were part of the program. Johnny took his engaging approach to directing and teaching to Douglas for two years, then to Colbert County High for three more years. Having loved Glencoe, he jumped at the chance to return in 1991. Band participation had fallen to 29 kids, but over three more years there he built the band up to 102 members. “Can you twirl a flag? Can you play tuba? Just give it a try.” Rosemary, Bobby and Dot might as well have been whispering in Johnny’s ear.

ohnny’s last marching band show at Glencoe was a huge theatrical production based on the recent animated movie “Aladdin.” It was also a testament to his ability to draw and engage talent. “Everybody got involved, even the ag teacher, God bless him,” Johnny laughs. “I persuaded him to weld and modify a golf cart into a rolling cloud with a magic carpet on top. Everyone got inspired, and that makes teaching so worthwhile.” While there, Johnny took graduate classes at the University of Montevallo. He was encouraged and inspired by his wife Katherine, whom he’d married in 1991. The two had met through the Whole Backstage in 1982. “I needed an accompanist for a show,” Johnny says, “and my good friend Andy Powell, roped her into playing for me. We’ve been friends ever since,” he grins. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Johnny earned his master’s in communication arts – a tri-fold degree in speech, theatre and TV and radio production. It proved handy. Soon afterwards, Katherine had a happenstance conversation with Nancy Jo Hardy, who expressed her plans to retire as speech instructor at Snead State Community College and said that Johnny should apply for her position. He did. And so it was that in 1994, the year he completed his master’s, Johnny began his 26-year current career at Snead. To his delight, Snead President William Osborn asked him to work with voice instructor John Ray to create a theatre department. Soon after, John moved to Tuscaloosa to pursue his doctoral studies, but Johnny was unfazed as a one-man department. Armed with scholarships to offer, he began recruiting talent from across Marshall County, the ranks of WBS, Huntsville and, later, the nationally acclaimed Arab Musical Theatre. He led Snead’s theatre program for a dozen years.

xcept for the year he taught in Georgia, Johnny has remained immersed in The Whole Backstage since “1776,” so to speak. Even while teaching in Colbert County he dashed home to direct “The Sound of Music” in 1989. At Snead, he staged two big annual community plus several student productions and competitions. For a time, he included shows for audiences of middle school and elementary students as a daytime theatre field trip opportunity. One year while working with his Snead students on a competition play for the American College Theatre Festival that would take place in Mobile, Johnny was directing the musical “Oklahoma!” at the college and preparing for an upcoming Christmas choral show. At the same time, he was lighting director for a WBS show and played the role of the narrator in the production of “Our Town.” “That,” he says, “was a crazy year.” In 2016, as part of a tribute-honor production for Dot Moore, it was discovered that she had directed or worked on over 600 plays. It was also realized that Johnny had significant involvement in some 400 productions, 18

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with over 250 productions at the WBS, ranking second only to Dot’s. His professional experience also includes working with various groups and troupes. For instance, he worked and performed in the stage band for several years for Scott Rains’ national awardwinning show choir, CenterStage, at Albertville High School. Also in his resume is working with Gadsden Civic Theatre, Theatre of Gadsden, Boaz First Baptist Church, Arab First United Methodist Church, AMT (orchestra director), Carroll County Community Theatre in Carrolton, Ga., arts camp instructor and director for Mountain Valley Arts Council, drama camp director for Big Wills Arts Council in Ft. Payne and camp instructor for the Talladega Arts Council. Admittedly, his love for music and the stage are major causes of his lack of free time. But, he says, the Mother of The Whole Backstage bears some blame. “No one,” Johnny laughs, “could ever say no to Dot Moore.”

People in the community may think of you first in terms of your theatre and musical work, but being an educator is a significant part of your life. What’s your attraction to education? I love the “ah-ha!” moments my students get when they understand a concept or react to something I am teaching. I feel like I’ve had more than my fair share of students who have provided me with that reward. There have been a lot of times directing a play when I say, “Why don’t you try it this way?” and the actor gets an “ah-ha” moment. It’s the same when a speech student says, “Hey, I can do this.” That is really gratifying to me. The second attraction is helping students establish a life skill in public speaking or in their personal communications. Another thing is seeing them be creative in putting together their speech presentations or acting on stage. Here’s the biggest thing … my students encourage me to try new things. So, I try to take that power of encouragement to my students and to the folks involved in a play with me. The power of encouragement is a good thing.

Students have told me that I made a difference in their lives. That’s important. I just recently had a Facebook post … (Johnny scrolls through his phone) … from this young man, a former high school band student, Tim Bullington. I got emotional when I read it: I can’t say enough about this man. He probably kept me out of more trouble than I will ever know. Made me do the work to get the grades to graduate. If not for you and the way you treated and loved me … I would have quit school as soon as I was able to. You made me work for it and told me it would pay off. Thanks for that and for all you did for me and all of your kids. Love ya, Mr. Brewer. That post is what every teacher, choir director and theatre director works a lifetime for. That is our payment for what we do. Those words make teaching a joy.

So would you say your work as a teacher has helped you to be a better music and theatre director? I would say it’s the opposite. My work in theatre has made me be a better educator, and a better student, too. My experiences at The Whole Backstage helped me get though theatre classes in college. Here’s an example … In the ‘70s and early ‘80s we did not have a lot money at The Whole Backstage. We had to be creative in a lot of ways, and I learned to be resourceful. Once, for a prop, we needed an old Ma Bell telephone that we could ring on cue. My brother is an electrician. While growing up, I used to hang out with him and he taught me the basic principles of electricity. So I learned how to make an old phone ring by plugging it into an electrical outlet. How did that apply to me making an A in a class at JSU? For one show we needed to have six phones on stage that would ring. Dr. Carlton Ward, head of the theatre department at JSU, said, “Here’s your project for the semester: come up with a system for ringing six phones”. I thought, OK. I made one phone ring. This should be easy. It was supposed to be a semester project, but in two days I had this contraption built that would ring six

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phones. Just push a button for phone one, push a button for phone two … Dr. Ward thought it would take the whole six weeks to build. There are other examples … directing shows, doing lighting projects, set building and various other skills, I learned to do at The Whole Backstage. Now, coming back to being teacher and theatre director at Snead … We were doing “The Wizard of Oz,” and I wanted the wizard’s head floating in midair. I challenged two students to come up with a way to do that. They had to think through the project like I thought through my phone project back at JSU. They put the actor playing the wizard in a back room holding a flashlight with a green lens under his chin. They used a video camera and ran a cable to the projector and projected the wizard’s face onto a large set piece on the stage. They came up with the idea. They were resourceful. And it worked. I encourage my students to be resourceful, to be creative. That’s education. You are learning something if you are creative. It’s paying it forward. What I learned about being creative and resourceful, I try to encourage in others.

How important are the arts – or how important should they be – to a community, to creating a more fully rounded quality of life? It’s often misquoted that during World War II Winston Churchill was asked if he would cut funding for the arts in favor of the war effort. According to the story, he replied, “Then what are we fighting for?” He never said that. He did say, in talking about England’s Royal Academy, “The arts are essential to any complete national life. The State owes it to itself to sustain and encourage them.” And that’s true. Even in Marshall County. In the decades I’ve been a part of The Whole Backstage, people have approached me time and time again and said how important a play was to them or the meaning of a song in a musical. I recently put together a patriotic musical revue, “Black Tie America.” After every performance, soldiers and veterans from World War II and up, from all ranks and branches of the military, 20

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thanked me for the patriotic performance. Some would cry – and that in itself is a moving experience. I think it’s important when we – as a theatre, as performers and creative individuals – create what I and others call a “suspension of disbelief.” This happens when a person goes to the theatre, concert or a movie and is taken out of the moment and suspended into a different world, in a created moment. We have a suspension of disbelief. I have a former student from Colbert County who served in the United States Army and drives a long-distance tractor trailer truck now. He’s a husband and a dad and kind of looks like ZZ Top. He drove all the way to Guntersville to see “Black Tie America”. Afterward he was crying and saying thank you for doing this, for creating this moment. To help keep the arts alive during the pandemic, after brainstorming with some talented people I organized and directed a virtual choir and posted the inspirational performance on social media. I also created “Broadway Sings,” where performers submitted individual solos. With 41 submissions, the summer project presented show tunes for six weeks running on Facebook. It was a popular post with thousands of views.

Can you explain how The Whole Backstage fits into the community, what it provides and means to Marshall County? Many people still see The Whole Backstage as a Guntersville organization. But that’s not true. The WBS is community-based, serving all of Marshall County and surrounding areas. Time and time again people say they didn’t know we have something like this in Marshall County. We hear that all the time at The Whole Backstage. We take people on a tour of the building, and people in other theatre groups say, “How did you get the money to do this?” We received some grants over the years, but much of it was accomplished by volunteers and people supporting our fundraisers. The Whole Backstage also fits into the community in other ways. That’s because founder Dot Moore had a far more reaching hand than anyone could have expected.

She directed plays at Snead that were instrumental in getting that program started. She influenced the old Brindlee Mountain Little Theatre, which in a way was a predecessor to AMT. Also, other arts camps and children’s theatres have spun out of the WBS. The WBS may not have been directly involved, but it had a little pinky in the development of them all. I think that’s what’s so important and unique about The Whole Backstage in Marshall County.

What’s something about Johnny Brewer that most people don’t know? My classmates may remember this, but whenever I tell people that I directed the Alabama Symphony Orchestra when I was in high school, they say, “What?” The symphony came to Guntersville on a school tour in 1979 when I was a senior and drum major. The final song in their program was John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” But before they played the song, the conductor turned to all of the students sitting in the auditorium and said he needed someone to help him direct this. As soon as he said that, everyone started calling out, “Johnny! Johnny!” I walked up on stage, and he asked if I knew the song. I said yes. I was scared out of my wits, but I felt confident enough to do it. We had played it in high school concert band all those years, so I knew the song. The conductor planned to stand beside me and help me conduct, but as soon as I got the orchestra started, he just stepped away, and I had it. The trumpets and trombones traditionally stand up to play the last part of “Stars and Stripes Forever,” so I figured they would stand. As we reached that point in the score, I looked at them and nodded. When I raised my hands, they stood. Everyone cheered, and it was really quite exciting. I was thinking, “Gosh. I really can do this.” It was not a cocky thing, but I felt very accomplished about it. Like the encouragement Rosemary Champion, Bobby Johnson and Dot Moore gave me … it made me think I could do anything I wanted to do if I tried. Good Life Magazine

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Good Reads

Deaver keeps you up late with a new hero, Colton Shaw

This Andrews oldie emerges from depths of bitter rage

effrey Deaver is one of my go-to authors. I have enjoyed each of the Lincoln Rhyme and Katherine Dance books (and others) he has published over the years. Another character, Colton Shaw, makes his debut in the 2019 release of “The Never Game.” Colton is Say good-bye to the life many things, but what he does best is find people. you’ve known, to your Amidst the (unfamiliar friends and lovers and to me) world of online family home. Run and competitive computer hide as best you can. gaming, he is challenged There’s no escaping the to find a kidnapper who Whispering Man. Now, appears to be enacting the role-playing game known die with dignity. as The Whispering Man. Abandoned in different scenarios, the kidnapped person is left barefoot and alone in a life or death situation with five items that may, or may not, aid in their safe rescue. But are these supposedly random kidnappings really only a decoy for a much greater conundrum, one in which all of us – even those who have never played a computer game – may pay the ultimate price? How much influence can these games have, not only on real-time players but the freedom of all of us? From Silicon Valley to the rough terrain of eastern Washington State, Colton attempts to track a madman before he himself is left to “die with dignity.” Jeffrey Deaver has once again kept me up way past my bedtime. – Deb Laslie

taying at home these days is, for me, like punishing a kid with candy. Lordy! The books I’ve read made a serious dent in my going-to-read-someday pile. And so it is with “The Heart Mender” by Andy Andrews. Full disclosure: I read it when it came out in “It’s not good for you,” 2010, but, like a classic movie, it’s well worth the Margaret had said. reread. “Holding on to all that Part mystery, part anger . . . it’s like taking history, part love story poison and waiting for (kinda’ like all of his everyone else to die. There books), Andy Andrews are no hopeless situations, draws us into the lives of a small community on sweetheart, only people the Gulf Coast near Foley who have grown hopeless during World War II. about them.” Helen Mason is bitter and angry. Angry at the war machine that cost her the life of her young husband and unable to let go of the fury that rages inside her, Helen lives day-to-day in a fog of resentment. She holds her emotions in check enough to survive as a waitress in a small diner. Befriending her is Danny, a young man with Down’s syndrome, and his parents, the owners of the diner. So what is Helen to do when one night, walking the beach and hating the world, she stumbles across the halfdrowned body of a German soldier? You will be taken in by Andy Andrew’s story-telling. – Deb Laslie

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Sweet relationships mix well with Kristy’s passion for baking

Good Cooking

Story by Jacquelyn Hall Photos by David Moore

ikibinks is the fulfillment of a lifelong passion for owner Kristy Falcomeni. From humble beginnings as a child under the loving, patient tutelage of her aunt, Kristy’s love of baking and natural talent grew. Her aunt fostered this by letting her pipe icing onto nostalgic doll dress cakes. Kristy is sure she made more messes than provided actual help. “But,” she says, “my aunt graciously just rolled with it.” Kristy began her foray into the professional world of baking over 20 years ago when she apprenticed under Eddie Bopp at Albertville Home Bakery. Little did she know when she began working there that her love of baking would usher in the true love of her life, her Kristy, left, shares her baking skills with her daughter Kelsie. Proud mom notwithstanding, husband Frank. Kristy says that Kelsie has more natural talent than anyone she’s ever met. For more about Frank, on one of his visits to the bakery, happened to catch sight Kristy and what she has baking at Kikibinks, visit: www.facebook.com.kikibinksllc. of Kristy. Once he saw her, he had to meet her. she established her own business – friend, Brooke, who was like family in He visited the bakery every day Kikibinks – right in their kitchen in Boaz. Kristy’s eyes. for over a week, unsuccessfully trying to Kelsie is now grown, and Kristy has “I prayed my way through making it,” get a chance to introduce himself to her. been teaching her the secrets of the baking she says of the project. Eventually, his motives were world, preparing her for a more prominent From there, she went on to make uncovered by his boss, who happened role so they can become a mothercountless stunning cakes, just about to be the brother of one of the bakery owners. His boss called his sister, the part- daughter team. any other kind you can think of. She Kristy loves her day job, working four owner, and finagled things so that Kristy even bakes cakes for pets, similar to the days a week for Top of Alabama Regional popular “baby smash cakes” but made for and Frank could finally meet. Housing Authority in Boaz. It allows her From there, their relationship, you cats and dogs. to convey one of her other passions in might say, was a piece of cake. Kristy loves it when customers show life: helping people. her a picture or an idea board and allow Her deep love of baking and creating is her to use her talent and creativity to make hey married and bought a house in all their cake dreams come true. Boaz near Marshall Medical Center South only rivaled by her love of neighbor and generosity of spirit. And kitchen creations A favorite of hers on the menu is a to live with their daughter, Kelsie. From are her favorite way of expressing herself, sentimental one. They are “Kay-Cups,” then on, baking and Kristy’s family were pouring love into each confection. named in memory of her mother, Kay. always intertwined. Not to be confused with cupcakes, KaySince then, her passion for baking cups are made in a cup with a parfaitristy recalls Kikibinks’ first order grew so much that, with support and encouragement from family and friends, – a four-tier wedding cake for a loving style lid.

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FRESH RASPBERRY SAUCE (Chocolate pound cake recipe on page 32) 6-oz. pack of fresh raspberries ¼ cup raspberry wine ½ cup white sugar 1 cup of seedless raspberry jam 1 Tbsp. framboise liqueur 1 Tbsp. water (optional) Combine raspberries, wine, sugar and liqueur in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir 3-7 minutes until raspberries break down, sugar dissolves and sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and press sauce through a finemesh strainer to remove seeds, if desired. Again, if desired, you can add the sauce to the food processor until smooth. Cool to room temperature; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 45 minutes. NOTE: Depending what you’re serving the sauce with, you may want to add some water before cooking the berries. If you want it little thicker – to serve on ice cream, say – then don’t add any water. On the other hand, if you want a lighter texture, toss in a few tablespoons of water before heading to the stove. Be careful; we’re not boiling and reducing the sauce, so we can’t cook out excess liquid. FRENCH SILK FROSTING

SATINY CHOCOLATE GLAZE ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips 3 tablespoons butter 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup ¼ tsp. vanilla extract In a double boiler over hot (but not boiling) water,

combine chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla. Spread warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Through the years, Kristy has perfected her cake recipes, making sure they are all airy and moist. She has also mastered what is now her signature buttercream icing – a recipe she keeps secret. Her buttercream goes beyond simple frosting. It’s essentially whipped butter that is flavored and sweetened – light and fluffy, creamy and dreamy, sweet but not overly so.

risty is always working on minimizing sugar in her recipes; but do not worry, you will not miss the excess. Her bakes are sweet without the need to have a dentist on standby. One new thing in the works is a 26

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2 ⅔ cups confectioners’ sugar ⅔ cup butter, softened 2 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 Tbsp. milk

soft-baked oatmeal cookie. Like her other bakes, it has a perfect balance of sweetness, allowing you to taste the oats and subtle hints of cinnamon – and it pairs well with her buttercream and a morning coffee. “Pound cakes are my favorite kind of cakes to make,” Kristy says. “There is so much love and carefulness that goes into getting it ready… it’s a slow process and you have to get it just right. Then you bake it and see the fruits of your labor.” If you would like to bake more cakes but are hesitant, she says confidence and skill grow with trying. “Just be patient with yourself and give yourself a lot of grace,” she smiles.

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, blend confectioners’ sugar, butter, melted chocolate and vanilla on low speed. Increase speed to high. Gradually add milk; beat until smooth and fluffy.

Kristy has a baking workshop and models that patience and grace with everyone in it. That approach harkens back to the patience and love her aunt showed her when she was a child. While most of us have been troubled, to say the least, by the changes to life that the influx of coronavirus has caused, Kristy says she’s been blessed by the change of pace it provided. She and her daughter spend their newfound free time at home by putting together new recipes and flavor combinations. On this and the following pages, Kristy shares a few of her favorite recipes … Good Life Magazine

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2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt ½ cup butter 1 cup white sugar 2 large eggs 1 ¼ tsp. vanilla flavoring 2 ½ cups chopped apples NOTE: I love to add ¼-½ cup of chocolate chips.

APPLE STRUDEL MUFFINS (With topping) TOPPING ⅓ cup packed brown sugar 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon ¼ tsp. of allspice 1 Tbsp. butter Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or use cupcake liners (spray the inside of the liner with Pam). In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat together butter,

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS ½ cup butter butter and sugar until light 1 ¼ cups white sugar and fluffy. Add eggs one at a 2 large eggs time and mix in. 2 cups all-purpose flour Mix flour, baking powder 2 tsp. baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture, ½ tsp. salt alternating with milk. Mash ½ ¼ cup milk cup berries and stir into batter. 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries Fold in remaining berries. ¼ cup white sugar for topping Fill muffin cups and sprinkle remaining sugar as topping. Preheat oven to 375. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove Grease and flour muffin pans from oven and allow to cool for or use paper liners. 20 minutes before removing In a large bowl, cream from pan. 28

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sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan. For the topping, in a small bowl, mix first four ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Finish cooling on a wire rack.

BANANA MUFFINS 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour baking soda, and salt; set 1 tsp. baking powder aside. 1 tsp. baking soda Combine bananas, ½ tsp. salt sugar, egg and melted 3 large bananas, mashed butter in a large bowl. ¾ cup white sugar Fold in flour mixture and 1 egg mix until smooth. Scoop ⅓ cup butter, melted into muffin pans. Bake mini muffins Preheat oven to 350. for 10-15 minutes; Coat muffin pans with large muffins for 25-30 non-stick spray, or use minutes. Muffins will paper liners. Sift together spring back when lightly the flour, baking powder, tapped.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. hot water ½ tsp. salt 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips NOTE: You can add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans or ½ cup more of semisweet chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 350. Cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips and nuts if used. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are nicely browned. GINGER SNAPS

LEMON LUSH COOKIES

¾ cup white sugar 2/3 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 2 large eggs 2 tsp. lemon extract

just combined. Beat eggs, one at a time, into butter-flour mixture until dough is thoroughly mixed; stir in lemon extract. Drop small scoops of dough onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until cookies spring back when touched, 10-12 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Cream sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Whisk flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl; gradually beat into creamed butter mixture until

NOTE: You can top with Homestyle Jam, Lemon Marmalade. Just add one teaspoon of jam on each cookie before serving. A lemon glaze is amazing also. You can even add lemon zest to make the lemon stand out more.

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

1 cup packed brown sugar ¾ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup molasses 1 egg 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ground cloves 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground ginger ⅓ cup white sugar for decoration Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil, molasses and egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon and ginger; stir into the molasses mixture. Roll dough into 1¼-inch balls. Roll each ball in white sugar before placing 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 or until center is firm. Cool on wire racks.

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CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE 2 cups butter, softened (4 sticks of unsalted butter) 3 cups white sugar 5 large eggs 2 tsp. Mexican vanilla extract 2 tsp. instant coffee granules dissolved in ¼ cup hot water 1 cup buttermilk or regular milk (buttermilk is best) 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the dissolved coffee and buttermilk. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 70-90 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. KAY’S RUM CAKE My mom’s recipe 1 cup chopped walnuts comes out clean. Let sit for 10 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix minutes in the pan, then turn out 1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla onto serving plate. Brush glaze over pudding mix top and sides. Allow cake to absorb 4 large eggs glaze and repeat until all glaze is ½ cup water used. ½ cup vegetable oil ½ cup dark rum GLAZE ½ cup butter Preheat oven to 325. Grease and ¼ cup water flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle 1 cup white sugar chopped nuts evenly over the ½ cup dark rum bottom of the pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix In a saucepan, combine butter, water and sugar. and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, Bring to a boil over medium heat water, oil and rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan. and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from Bake 60 minutes, or until a heat and stir in rum. toothpick inserted into the cake 32

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CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, leave out the night before to soften 1 ½ cups butter 3 cups white sugar 6 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. vanilla extract Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add eggs two at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the flour all at once and mix in. Add vanilla. Pour into tube pan. Bake one hour and 20 minutes. Test for doneness at 1 hour using a toothpick.

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Pickle pizza, above, is new at Grumpy’s. Its chicken salad was listed in the Top 100 Dishes to Eat before you Die in 2012. Family deals are available, as well as a selection of sandwiches, salads and soups. The Italian Trio, upper right, is very popular, as is the pretzel salad. Grumpy’s delivers for free within the Arab city limits. It’s located in Northgate Shopping Center and is open 10:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sun.

Good Eats

Grumpy’s – tried and true (with a twist or two) Story by David Myers Photos by David Moore

s a couple who really enjoys eating out, Rose and I are sometimes in the mood for “new and different”; other times we crave “tried and true.” A recent lunch outing had us headed to one of our longtime favorite spots, Grumpy’s Pizza and Pasta Shoppe in Arab. The nice thing about this more than 20-year-old restaurant is that we know all our favorites – lasagna, chicken salad, Grumpy Pie – will be on the menu. But the creative 34

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genius behind the business also makes sure there is something new and different to try. Our surprise this visit? Pickle pizza. No kidding. Pizza with pickles as a topping. And, to our delight, it was dill-icious, yeah! “I like different things,” said owner Tracy Jackson. “We have to be adventurous in the restaurant business.” Indeed, this foodie/restaurateur was brave enough to take a pizza, replace the tomato sauce with buffalo sauce and top with gherkin chunks. It was a hit even though it’s not yet on the menu – same with the Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza. Tip: If you don’t see it on the

menu, ask the server. Tell her David and Rose sent you! Tracy has a knack for what will work in the restaurant business. She took a job right out of high school in 1998 to work in the original Grumpy’s on the corner of Main Street and U.S. 69. Working her way through nursing school, she began seeing untapped potential, especially in the famous chicken salad which would sell out every single day. “It’s gold,” she realized at the time.

racy bought the restaurant and its recipes at the age of 23. From the beginning,

she made plenty of chicken salad so that no customer would be disappointed. Its popularity earned a spot on the Top 100 Dishes to Eat Before you Die in 2012. “I think I had good business sense,” she understates. If it seems odd to reach cult status with chicken salad in an Italian restaurant, Tracy laughs and says she gets that all the time. “We’re an American Italian restaurant, but we’re known for our chicken salad,” she quips. Sure, chicken salad is found everywhere, but Grumpy’s is different. You won’t find big hunks of chicken or fruit or nuts here. A simple recipe of basic ingredients mixed with mayonnaise is a time-tested winner. The chicken is cut small so it soaks up the mayonnaise better, Tracy explains. She also gets creative with how it’s

served. I like to think of it as a choice of girlie food or guy food. It can be ordered as a chicken salad plate – which is the girlie way – where it takes center stage on a beautiful fruit plate of melon balls, strawberries, pineapples, oranges and grapes or the chicken salad salad, where it’s accompanied by cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and pepperoncini. It also stars on a sandwich – good ole guy style – slathered on buttered garlic bread. Either way, both genders get a delicious meal and a full belly.

ow for the Italian dishes. We asked for the Italian trio of lasagna, spaghetti and fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. Mama Mia! How I love the lasagna! Once again, not authentic, but Americanized with fresh meat sauce, pasta layers and covered with melted cheese, it hits the table bubbling.

The reason it wins the heart of a Louisiana soppin’ man like me is that the garlic bread is perfect for mopping up every drop of sauce. Not to be outdone is the fettuccine Alfredo, which we ordered with chicken. The rich creaminess of the cheese sauce makes you want to lap up every drop. Unashamedly, we also split a Grumpy Pie, their version of a calzone which comes packed with your choice of 3 out of 15 possible toppings/stuffings. We chose pepperoni, Canadian bacon and black olives, which spilled out of the folded crust. It was a handful of pizza pleasure. Pizzas are available in four sizes. Choices are cheese, Hawaiian, buffalo chicken, BBQ chicken or create your heart’s desire. The thin crust is hand-rolled from dough made fresh daily. It’s a great crust – tried and true. Good Life Magazine NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

A jogger gets in his morning run on the walking trail that borders Lurleen B. Wallace Drive and the lake. Up the hill, George and Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garden house perches with others at Harbor Point, which they developed.

For some reason, Amy and George Barnett spend lots of time on one of their decks, if not in the hillside garden Amy made.

It started with the view

Story and photos By David Moore

oday it’s called Harbor Point. And from the moment she first stood there, Amy Barnett loved the panoramic view from the hill overlooking the main channel of the Tennessee River, Veterans Memorial Bridge, Guntersville Harbor and the receding series of mountains rolling into Lake Guntersville. The house? That was a different story. “I came and loved it,” says Amy. “I didn’t love the house, but I loved the view.” That was fall 2012. She and George, her husband, lived at Cherokee Ridge north of Arab but were looking to

The Barnetts wanted to downsize, but their vision grew into a development of garden homes ... with a real garden and a huge view

downsize. Guntersville seemed logical. George’s law office is there, and she had wanted to live near Lake Guntersville since she was a kid. “If you ever find a place with a beautiful view, I would like to see it,” Amy had told Steve Carver, an agent for ReMax. One day Steve called and told her the old home of T.C. Crain, a mid-20th century mayor, was for sale. Near the north end of Hill Avenue, it offered a stunning view. Seeing was loving, Amy excitedly told George. Born, raised, lawyered and mayored in Guntersville, he knew of the house. “That old place? Naw,” was his reply every time Amy asked.

“I begged and probably threatened until one Sunday he agreed to look at it,” she laughs from their deck overlooking the view. But now the price had dropped; he figured it was worth at least a look. “It was unbelievable,” George says of the view. They bought it that day.

nitially their vision was restoration. So they started cleaning up the old house to assess the situation. OK … Amy started cleaning it up. “George is a lawyer,” she laughs. “I work.” He laughs, too. Turns out the house’s structural and utility problems quickly reared bleak, million-dollar heads. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

The vacant house next door at the end of the street was owned by the elderly parents of the late Skip Monroe. One day as Amy worked she saw them, introduced herself and explained they hoped to renovate next door. The couple had their own problems. Skip had died several years ago, and they just couldn’t do anything with the house. Interested in buying it? After an impromptu tour, Amy hurried home with the news. One old house wasn’t enough. The next day they bought a second. But a wild idea struck George – they now owned a 1.8-acre chunk of the point, all with 38

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a fabulous view. Raze the old houses, pick a lot on which to build a down-size garden home – with a great view – and sell the others for similar use. “Went from, ‘We’re going to renovate a house,’ to ‘We’re going to develop this’ – all in a nanosecond,” Amy says. “Well, George did. I had to catch up.” But she quickly did, bringing with her an emerging vision.

eorge Barnett is as anchored to Guntersville and Marshall County as Veteran Memorial Bridge is to the bedrock beneath the mud beneath the flowing waters of the Tennessee River.

His family moved to town in 1908. His granddaddy was the first Ford dealer. His father owned an auto parts store. George can extract from his brain every story he’s heard uttered. He knows the old ferry charged a nickel, the old George Houston Bridge initially charged a dime and what that meant at the time. He knows where the proverbial bodies are buried. His first political campaign saw Gorgon Person elected governor in 1951. George served as Guntersville mayor from197276. His daughter, Leigh Dollar, began her third term in August. He was city attorney, attorney for the Guntersville Electric Board, Marshall

The Barnetts’ home has 1900 square feet. The kitchen, dining room and living room are on the main level, along with their en suite master bedroom that includes a screened porch with a lake view, plus the main deck. The design allows for living on the main floor. Downstairs has a guest bedroom, bottom center, a full bath, a wine cellar with a safe room extension, a bar and lower deck. Floors and ship-lap walls are tulip poplar. Elsewhere, wood and some bath fixtures were re-purposed from the Crain and Monroe homes. Detailed at left is stained glass in a bathroom door. County Gas District and Marshall Medical Centers. In a pinch, he served as hospital administrator during the birthing of Marshall Medical Center North in Scant City. “I have,” George says, “been blessed.”

he former Amelia Fitzgerald’s local roots are not set in bedrock like George’s. But her emotional ties run at least as deep as the lake’s average 15-foot depth. She grew up in Falkville except for those golden years in grade seven through nine when her dad’s job with the Alabama Department of Transportation brought the family to Honeycomb while he worked on

the old George Houston Bridge and the former state docks on Big Spring Creek. “We lived by the lake where the old road goes to DAR School,” Amy recalls. “We loved the place. My brothers and I fished and swam. None of us wanted to leave, but Dad got transferred.” Never did she dream she might someday return. Amy married. Raised a family. Logged an illustrious, 42-year, civilian career at Redstone Arsenal. After retirement, through defense contractor CAS and the Small Business Administration, she had the opportunity to work a few years in a mentoring initiative,

assisting the Cherokee Nation’s Red Wing company in performing defense contracts at the arsenal. She worked another eight years as Red Wing’s operating general manager. “We all studied a little bit about the Trail of Tears in elementary school, but nothing in high school,” Amy says. “You think, ‘Oh, how awful.’ But you really don’t know – and I still don’t know the full extent – but you see a whole different side when you work with them and are friends with them.” Gazing from her deck – the old bridge site from her golden years, the nearby route of the Trail of Tears – a happy tear wells in Amy’s eye. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

ome of the vision Amy brought to the development of Harbor Point surely traces to her early golden years. Some of it, George says, was inspired by pristine woodlands and attractive villages they saw on their many trips to Europe. Another influence was driving from Nova Scotia down U.S. 1 through Maine, seeing the reserves and beautifully landscaped parks around Camden. “Amy said, ‘That’s what I want to do for Guntersville,’” George says. “And being a country girl,” she adds, “I still like country stuff, and Country Living magazine at the time was showing country living communities. I said, ‘If we’re going to develop the land, why don’t we do something like this?’ That was my contribution – and doing the work.” So it was that when the Barnetts broke ground in January 2014 on land zoned for multi-family construction, it was not condos being built into the hillside, but their interesting and moderately-sized twostory house. They ran underground gas and power to the subdivision of nine lots. “We wanted a nice residential development,” George says. Where Amy has especially flexed her creativity, muscle and willpower is in landscaping the hillside and planting a garden between the front row of lots and the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce and Lurleen B. Wallace Drive below. To date she’s personally planted some 3,000 plants. Some are transplants from her mom’s yard, some were given as memorials. “Some people gave them to her just because they know she loves plants,” George says. “She is the plant lady.”

he view and vision that is Harbor Point have appeal. Seven of the nine lots are sold and built out. And the thing is, most of the houses are occupied by people who have moved into Marshall County, not from within it. Besides George, Jim Nix is the only other exception. He grew up in Guntersville and moved back from Houston. The others hail from Key West, Birmingham, South Carolina and Kentucky. “I grew up in the country without any close neighbors,” Amy says. “Mother said 40

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when I got older I’d want to be close to town, close to the doctor. “I understand now. I loved Cherokee Ridge. I loved neighbors driving by in golf carts and shopping. But here, I have this view and can be at a restaurant in five minutes.” The Barnetts usually eat at Old Town Stockhouse several times a month. They can walk, if they want. “We have people from West Palm Beach and New York come here and say this is the most incredible restaurant they have ever seen in a small town,” George says. “We also enjoy Rock House Eatery. This is a great place to live.” “A lot of people don’t want change, but if a town doesn’t change and grow then you can lose your children and grandchildren to places that have activities or places to hang out,” Amy says. “It can’t just be an oldpeople place where you sit on the deck.”

Including the iron railing above, the Barnetts bought many of their antiques from Hill Antiques in Amana Colony, Iowa. Architect for the house was Darryl Bird of Bird and Kamback (now ARCSPACE STUDIO) in Huntsville. General contractor was Heath Wallace Construction of Huntsville. It specializes in commercial work but owner Heath Wallace made an allowance, seeing as Amy is his mother. Inspired by her and George’s travels, Amy envisioned and designed the nearly-acre hillside garden. What’s more, she did – and still does – most of the actual labor. She chose plants that attract birds, bees, butterflies and other critters. They’re entertaining to watch. “Work is,” George says, “her hobby.” “I want it beautiful for whoever sees it,” she explains.

he operative word in that last sentence is just. The Barnetts do, in fact, rack up a lot of deck time. “It’s five o’clock here almost every day,” George says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or cold. We are here on this deck unless there’s a catastrophe.” With their combined kids, grand-kids and great grand-kids, along with other aspects of her life, Amy hesitates to say living at Harbor Point is the happiest time of her life. But it’s close. “To be able to sit and look out and see such beauty and be in such a beautiful town,” she says. “We are so blessed with what we accomplished in our life. “Where else would we want to go? We love to travel and see other places, but when we do, I want to go home.” “I can’t tell you how good it is to see the sun coming up and see the fishing boats going out,” George says. “We watch the tow boats and count the number of barges. “Day in and day out, it’s hard to beat,” he continues. “To think that I’ve been so fortunate to live these latter years of my life like this. We’ve been blessed.” “It has been,” Amy agrees, “a great adventure.” “She had a vision of what she wanted it to look like,” George says of Harbor Point. “We’ve worked hard to make that way. Well, I do what I can, but she’s worked for this.” Good Life Magazine NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Dickens of a Christmas Put it on your 2021 wishlist

Good Getaways Story and photos by David Moore

ome rain, snow or cold north winds, for 35 years happy holiday throngs have flocked into the Victorian flavored streets of Franklin, Tenn., to enjoy Dickens of a Christmas. But faced with the coronavirus pandemic this year, organizers were forced to cancel the holiday tradition. “To my knowledge, it’s never been canceled before,” says Meg Hershey, chief operating officer for the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, sponsor of the 35-year-old festival. “We tried to do a lot of different things and plan for a slightly different experience, but at the end of the day we canceled because of public health concerns and organizational, financial reasons.” The foundation has already set Dec. 11-12, 2021, as the date for next year’s Dickens of a Christmas – which you might want to put on your wishlist. Characters from the stories of Charles So that you know, last year the festival drew one of the Dickens, some shown on this page, largest crowds, an estimated come to life on the streets of Franklin. 130,000 people over the course of the two-day event. Helping create the atmosphere were some 200 musicians, dancers and characters from the pages of Charles Dickens’ stories, including, of course, NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Some 100 vendors offer an array of unique arts, crafts and other items from booths along East and West Main Street.

If you go to Dickens of a Christmas .. When: This year’s festival is canceled, but next year’s is already set for Dec. 11-12, 2021, rain or shine. The event is free and open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Where to stay: Franklin is located just off I-65 two hours north of Cullman. Numerous hotels are located on the interstate. Make reservations soon enough and you can stay at one of the local B&Bs, inns or the new (2019) luxury boutique Harpeth Hotel, a Curio by Hilton property downtown. Getting around: With 100,000-plus visitors, parking will be an issue; anticipate walking four or five blocks to reach downtown. Park-and-ride shuttles are available, too. A few weeks before the event, check for details at: williamsonheritage.org; or follow Dickens of a Christmas on social media. While you’re in the interesting neighborhood: You can easily spend an extra day or two exploring Williamson County’s rich historic and cultural offerings, including sites of the Civil War Battle of Frankin. Tiny Leiper’s Fork, called one the most interesting small towns in America, is eight miles west of Franklin; check out Pot N’ Kettle Cottages there for a unique place to stay.

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim Cratchit, his parents and the ghost of Jacob Marley from the novella “A Christmas Carol.” “We bring in about 50 performers and characters during the weekend,” Meg says. The rest are volunteers who show up in the spirit of the event. There are also demonstrations of yesteryear crafts, such as blacksmithing and a snow machine that creates flutters for photographs in front of the old courthouse on the historic town square. Good Life Magazine

Among numerous restaurants is historic Gray’s on Main, where you’ll find great dishes, such as a roasted acorn squash salad with goat cheese, left, shrimp and grits, fine steaks and crafted cocktails. For more on eating and shopping visit: downtownfranklin.com.

It’s a great time to buy or sell a home!

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No new Thanksgiving traditions started with this wild bird Story by Steve A. Maze

hanksgiving traditions have evolved in our family over the years. As a child, our family would join aunts, uncles and cousins at my grandparents’ house on Thanksgiving Day. The men would bring their bird dogs for an early morning quail hunt while the ladies helped prepare the big dinner. The thoughts of their turkey, dressing and all the trimmings would lure the men back from their hunting trip around noon. Bird hunting and gathering together with relatives at our grandparents’ house was a family Thanksgiving tradition we honored for decades. Now we have a new Thanksgiving tradition. Family members gather together at my house to watch me eat turkey and dressing while I watch them stare at their smart phones. 46

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I didn’t say it was a great tradition – just a new one. One of my most vivid Thanksgiving memories took place in the 1960s, but the recollection has nothing to do with Thanksgiving traditions. That’s because the event only happened once. And with good reason ..

week or so before Thanksgiving, one of my uncles surprised us with a turkey. It wasn’t one from the grocery store, but a live one. It was an enormous bird, weighing in excess of 20 pounds. We were living in the city at the time, and Dad put the gobbler in a cage behind our house. He fed it bags and bags of dried corn to fatten the turkey until Thanksgiving Eve, when it was scheduled to be “prepared” for dinner the following day. Dad arrived home from work that

evening and promptly took me and my younger brother to the cage where he would demonstrate the proper technique in preparing Tom Turkey for our holiday meal. Dad removed the thin belt from around his waist and looped it around Tom’s legs as he hoisted the turkey high into the air. Dad then headed for the garage where he placed one of the eyelets in his belt over a nail that had been hammered into the eave of the building. The enormous bird looked funny hanging upside down. But then I noticed it looked more mad than funny. Our Thanksgiving dinner immediately began flapping its huge wings while simultaneously jerking its feet back and forth in a paddle-ball fashion. Dad’s small belt soon broke in half and the gobbler hit the ground with a thud.

tunned, Tom flopped around for a few seconds before scrambling to his feet. Then he fluffed his feathers and loudly squawked “Gobble, gobble, gobble!” while peering at us in a menacing fashion. Dad futilely grabbed for the bird’s legs, but it escaped and tore out through our neighbor’s back yard. It’s amazing how fast an overweight turkey can run. The chase lasted more than 15 minutes as we rambled through several of the yards of several more neighbors in our one-block area. Their outside lights began flipping on in a domino-style fashion as we made our way through their yards. A few people came outside to see what all the commotion was about. One even threatened to call the police if we didn’t stop the yelling, screaming and … gobbling. We finally cornered defiant Tom at a neighbor’s house which, thankfully, had a chain link fence erected around the yard, blocking the bird’s progress. Dad immediately fell on top of the gobbler to smother him into submission. At least, I think that’s why he fell on the turkey. Dad didn’t seem to be breathing too well … probably from all those unfiltered Camel cigarettes he liked to smoke at the time.

t took a while before my brother and I could roll him over – Dad, not the turkey. With both hands placed firmly on his knees, Dad instructed me to tote the bird back to our house. Once there, Dad barely had the strength to pluck and dress ol’ Tom. As it turned out, the gobbler got the last laugh. When Mom went to cook it the following morning, the turkey was too large to fit inside our oven. Dad had to saw the turkey in two, and we enjoyed half of it for Thanksgiving while the other half went in the freezer to await our Christmas dinner. To this day I still remember how funny that turkey looked in the roasting pan with only one leg sticking up. Happy Thanksgiving, whatever your tradition may be. Good Life Magazine

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A promise kept ... a light in the dark Story by Steve A. Maze Photos by David Moore

here is no need for a keeper, beacon or foghorn to help navigate a distant boat to the safety of a coastline. Neither will you see any maritime activity nearby – there is not a drop of substantial water within 15 miles. So why does a newly built lighthouse – complete with a light – rise up in the middle of a 20-acre field in northeast Cullman County? Well, it has more to do with a promise to preserve the memory of a loved one, rather than saving a loved one from some rocky shore. Keith Maze began building the lighthouse after his wife, J.J., passed away Feb. 12, 2020.

They were married for 38 years, but the last 12 years of her life were spent fighting a battle with multiple sclerosis. Cancer and dementia later invaded her body, and she was homebound at the end of her life. Keith and J.J. discussed burial plans while making out their will several years ago. They decided to be cremated, their ashes stored together somewhere on their farm –J.J. insisted. “I first thought of building a windmill in which to store our ashes,” Keith says. “But I had a few of those over the years and they were a lot of trouble to maintain. Eventually we decided on a lighthouse since I could build it to be low maintenance. Plus, one of J.J.’s favorite gospel tunes was ‘The Lighthouse.’”

any years ago Keith purchased part of his grandfather’s property, which is adjacent to his current house site. His grandfather referred to it as the “new ground.” “It was really our first preference to build a house,” says Keith.” But the location was too far back on the property, and the expense of building a quarter-mile long driveway and other construction costs prevented that.” But who wouldn’t have wanted to live in the serene setting of the new ground? Gentle winds softly blow through oak leaves and pine needles of sun-splashed trees as puffy white clouds hover overhead. The powerful fusion of fragrances emanates from the white blooms of dogwoods, honeysuckle and brilliant wildflowers that dot the landscape. “The property is pretty to look out over,” Keith says, “and I can see it from the kitchen window. We had a spot on it we called the camp house where we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows for the grandkids. It was J.J.’s favorite place on our farm. “I promised her I would build a lighthouse there to put our remains in, and I was determined to keep that promise.” The new ground soon became a “field of dreams,” at least in Keith’s mind. “I developed a love of raising game fowl at an early age,” Keith reminisces. “And I wanted to see the entire field covered in chicken teepees (small structures made of metal roofing that provide shelter for fowl). But that never happened, and now it never will.”

hile Keith was determined to keep his promise to J.J., there was a problem. He was in no position – physically, mentally or financially – to construct the lighthouse. Long term care of his wife had drained all or most of those resources. Keith has belonged to a number of game breeders associations (GBAs) since he was a teenager. Over the years, he’d watched them hold fundraisers for folks in need. The Kentucky GBA put together one for Keith to help with the construction costs of the lighthouse, even though he told them not to. Still, they insisted, and numerous individuals contributed as well. 50

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“The people in these groups are some of the most caring and generous people I have ever known,” Keith says. “David and Melvin King really saved the day for me by building the lighthouse. They offered their labor for free, but I wouldn’t let them do that. They did a fantastic job with the construction and other details.” Some donated in other ways. “Scottie Terry of Moulton handmade a beautiful walnut urn for J.J.’s ashes, and Bud Ross of Conyers, Georgia, helped run 750 feet of electrical line,” says Keith. Many friends, and even strangers, contributed vital emotional support during J.J.’s illness, as well as after her passing. “Chinetta Maze was her hospice nurse and did a wonderful job,” Keith says. “I have never seen a better nurse. She came to check on J.J. when she didn’t have to, and really improved her quality of life. Chinetta was very understanding and available any time day or night.”

eith and J.J. came to realize that the lighthouse would be more than their final resting place. They wanted it to become a symbol of hope. To Christians, a lighthouse symbolizes salvation and safety in the face of stormy adversity. The beacon emits a continuous and powerful signal to those who may have lost their way. The foghorn warns of the limited vision and rocky waters of sin we all face, and like His guidance they lead us through the perils of life. “The lighthouse will not only hold mine and my wife’s remains to start with, but future generations of our family will also have access to it should they choose to,” Keith says. “Hopefully, they can learn from the mistakes of their ancestors and be able to navigate their way through the storms of life.” Keepers are responsible for caring for a lighthouse, especially the light and lens in order to keep one’s sight clearly on Jesus. “I installed a light in the top of the lighthouse and people should be able to see it clearly for several miles during the fall,” says Keith. “Christians believe that Jesus is our beacon to guide us to heaven, and maybe someone will view it as an inspiration to their faith.” Lighthouses are often painted with red and white stripes to more easily identify the structure should it be against a white

Keith stands near the lighthouse he constructed – with a lot of help – for his late wife’s ashes, and eventually his own. About 28 feet tall, its light turns on automatically with the coming of darkness. He says his dog Rowdy has provided him great comfort during these hard times. For instance, on August 29, the day he, his son Shane, and grandchildren, Gylianah and Gentry, carried J.J.’s ash box to the lighthouse, Rowdy instinctively placed a paw on Keith’s knee – a touching moment Gylianah captured with the photo at left. Giraffes and a tiger were placed in the lighthouse because J.J. loved animals. Suffering from dementia, she often lost things – which he placed on her ash box. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

backdrop, such as cliffs or rocks. Christians often view the red as Jesus’ blood, white as His purity. Keith and J.J. believed that as well, but they had one more idea for the red and white color scheme. “We were both huge University of Alabama football fans and wanted to incorporate a Crimson Tide theme as well,” Keith grins, “even though it turned out to be more gray than white.”

n August 29, J.J.’s birthday, Keith led a procession to the lighthouse. His son, Shane, and grandchildren, Gylianah and Gentry, carried J.J.’s ashes to her final resting place. Each walked an equal distance of the 850 feet from the house to the lighthouse before handing the urn off to the other. Keith then went inside and sat down. Shane handed the urn to Keith who placed it on a mantel. Each laid a rose on the black marble mantel while Keith placed tombstone, yet to be his on top of the urn. delivered, had to be Also placed nearby were things J.J, frequently imported from China lost on a daily basis due to its unique size. during her bout with The top has a picture of dementia; her wristwatch, Jesus with an extended eyeglasses, false teeth arm controlling water and a charm necklace coming toward the containing a photo of lighthouse. Under J.J.’s name is “The Hen” while Shane and J.J. Keith’s name has “The Another member of Rooster.” A houndstooth the family, a Mountain letter “A”, signifying the Feist named Rowdy, also University of Alabama, is visited the lighthouse. He in between the names. and Keith had become J.J. was a lover of very close since his birth flowers and planted them about two years ago, and everywhere – not just Rowdy can sense when next to the house. Keith is feeling low … “The goats ate the or, in this case, mourning. hosta she planted around The dog walked over and the edge of the fence, and placed his paw on Keith’s the chickens scratched up knee. the flowers she planted While the lighthouse in potting soil,” Keith is certainly a beautiful laughs. “She claimed structure, it is off limits that I was weed-eating to the public, accessible all her flowers, but she only to family members. finally realized what was “I did not build it for a The sun glows behind the cross atop the lighthouse. happening.” tourist attraction,” Keith Some of her favorite says. “It will be used as flowers are planted a memorial to family as beavers slap their tails against the around the base of the lighthouse. members for future generations. It will rippling water from the nearby creek. From inside the lighthouse, perhaps not be opened again until I die. Maybe she will see newly hatched J.J. will be better able to glimpse a “I promised to build the lighthouse chicks peek out from under their haloed moon as stars fall from a purple for J.J.,” he adds, “and now that promise mother’s wings. And each morning, her sky. Maybe she will be able to hear has been kept.” soul might be stirred awake with the owls screech on stormy nights, or listen familiar sound of a rooster’s crow. Good Life Magazine

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

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Escapism therapy under sail They lose count, but S/V Spirit, above, is probably Butch and Elizabeth (left and right) Starnes’ 11th sailboat. They got their first one together after marrying in 1976. “People think that sailing is a rich sport, but it’s not,” Butch says. “There are a lot of boats on the market under $15,000.” As another mark of their enthusiasm, along with Sue Wilson, center, and five others, they own North Alabama Sailing Marina in Warrenton. It’s home port to 147 boats.

Story by David Moore Photos by David Moore, Elizabeth Starnes and Mark Ponder

scapism under sail is so underrated. Cast off, hoist the main and stress disperses in the breeze. I sometimes forget this. Growing up on Lake Guntersville, however, Butch Starnes has long practiced such therapy. During most of their years working with Madison County Schools, he and Elizabeth, his wife, lived in Huntsville. But many weekends found them returning home. Sailing was a major calling card. “I’d come out on a boat and in a matter of minutes would de-stress,” Butch says from the cockpit in his and Elizabeth’s 30-foot Watkins sailing vessel, S/V Spirit. “I could feel my blood pressure dropping.” Such is the escapism therapy of sailing. And it need not await a day from hell. “It was a good day today,” says Butch. A former principal in Madison County and the Marshall County Schools career tech supervisor since 2014, he monitors and helps teachers. “I had a new teacher who had never taught before – deer in the headlights. But it went OK.” Elizabeth, who works at the Guntersville Museum, was off today, cleaning at home after 18 out-of-town guests. “Thank goodness the marina has two vacation rental houses where most of them stayed. Still,” she says, “I was looking forward to getting on the water.” At the helm of the Spirit is Susan Wilson, a Warrenton neighbor of the Starneses and one of their partners in North Alabama Sailing Marina, formerly Browns Creek Sailing Marina. “Easy day,” she says. “I went to the marina and helped a new sailor with what NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

he needed to buy. Then I walked the dog. That was the extent of it. “But this morning I woke up and thought it sure would be a good day to ride on Butch’s boat,” she grins. “Then, after the walk, Butch called.”

his is escape time. Of the four of us aboard this easy, Thursday afternoon in September, no one is close to blowing blood vessels. About the only frustration I was facing had disappeared in our gentle wake. Ironically, “sailing” was part of the source of that frustration – and it had lasted six years. I did a story on sailboat racing in the 2014 fall issue of Marshall County GLM. Susan was my contact, and we met the morning of races. She paired me with Gordon Trowbridge, his 26-footer, and a crew of Jerry Cox and Chris Torgerson. As designated landlubber, I took no active part crewing for the simple reason I knew as much about sailing as I did subatomic particles. I was ballast with a camera and notepad. But, hey, I had a blast. Butch and I talked that day, and he offered to take me sometime to experience a far more laid back form of sailing. “Sure,” I eagerly replied. I lost track of how many times he and I never got around to doing that. Finally, a year ago, we bumped into each other at Fire by the Lake restaurant. “We need to go sailing,” I said. “Really.” And we did. He, Elizabeth and I bundled up in early March 2020 and launched from a cove near their house. Susan and her husband – he goes by “T” – left moments earlier. It was to be casual sailing with me changing rides to shoot photos of both sailboats and crews on the water. It was chilly but beautiful. The only problem was the “moments earlier” departure gap morphed into a mile. By the time we cleared the cove, Susan and T were long gone. Plans torpedoed, I needed a follow-up sail date for more photos and notes – or so I told myself. Maybe I just wanted to be under sail again.

ny trace of frustration over my previous plans and the pressure I felt to get this story in the magazine are whisked away today as wind whispers in 56

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the sails and rigging to the soft rhythm of Lake Guntersville rippling along the hull of S/V Spirit. “Any time you get on the boat on the water …” The rest of Butch’s sentence goes the way of the wind. Members of Browns Creek Sailing Association are bound by a love of

all mast-bearing vessels, and my chitchatting companions discuss the group’s annual 70-mile Great River Race, an October event started 50 years ago. “That’s the year I graduated,” Butch remarks. His late dad, Harmon, once managed the city’s Electric Board. His mom,

Elizabeth takes their S/V Spirit out of the cove near their house in Warrenton on a beautifully chilly day in early March, upper left. The Coast Guard requires horns on boats. Butch, center left, prefers blowing the conch shell Elizabeth bought him. Fortunately, he played trumpet once upon a time at Marshall County High School. On a much warmer day in September, Spirit heels nicely with the wind, bottom left. Top center, Mark Proctor’s boat, Back Burner, is framed by the railing and rigging on board the Spirit. Elizabeth’s pictures of waiting for dusk at the Bat Cave, left, and their decorated boat at Christmas, above, capture some of the sense of community among sailors on the lake. Jewell, was secretary at the old rock school house when it was still a school. Previously, she commuted to work by barge when she was secretary at the dam. “I am a ‘river rat’ from way back,” Butch laughs. During World War II, he adds,

Harmon had two ships torpedoed out from under him. “He did get on our runabout boat,” Butch says, “but he would not go on a cruise ship.” A plywood 14-footer, Butch’s first boat sported an 18-horse Johnson. “Probably half of Guntersville

learned to ski on that,” he says. “If you were strong, it would eventually get you up on one ski … of course we all weighed less back then.”

usan, who is Coast Guard rated as a captain, remains at the wheel. In accordance with her captaincy, she notes NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

that wind is up to about 10 miles per hour. Elizabeth doesn’t have the official rating of a captain but jokingly considers herself one, the Coast Guard notwithstanding. Growing up in Nashville, her dad, Perry Leaming, was a private pilot and flight instructor who acquired a sailboat. Six years ago, he moved into a house on the water in Elizabeth and Butch’s Warrenton community. He bought another pontoon boat and loved to take friends on birdwatching cruises. “A year ago he gave me the boat,” Elizabeth says. “I rated myself captain because I learned how to drive it.” Her recent tsunami of company was thanks to Butch’s sister, Barbara Rountree of Tuscaloosa. Naturally, their guests wanted to hit the lake. Butch took some out on Spirit, Elizabeth took others out on the pontoon. “Is this boat gonna’ sink?” a nephew asked her. “This boat,” she replied, “will never sink … that’s what Butch tells me.” But the next day – at least for a second – she wondered. She had four adults and three kids onboard, taking turns pulling them on the shark float before heading downstream to see the dam. “All of a sudden, for some bizarre reason, they all ran up to the front,” Elizabeth says. The weight shift lifted the propeller out of the water. “Everyone sit down!” the self-rated captain barked. “Now!” 58

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a mixed-use development conceived by Texas developer Patrick Lawler. Patrick and wife, former Kim Gilbert of Albertville, were featured in the summer 2016 issue of GLM along with his boyhood home on the lake, which they usan grew up sailing with her had remodeled. “Finally, we’ll have a destination we can go to in a sailboat,” Butch says of City Harbor. As it is, locally boats with masts cannot fit under the causeway to access the restaurants located on Big Spring Creek. Sailing, this day, never drifts far from the conversation. “Sailing’s like riding downhill on a bicycle as opposed to in a car ... you feel you’re going so much faster than From his boat, Mark Proctor you are,” Elizabeth shot the nice photo of us says. “And it’s heading toward Warrenton empowering that under a quickly westering you can get there sun. On this closing leg of our with the wind. We afternoon of escapism therapy see motorboats going along and we under sail, Elizabeth shot a say, ‘Cha-ching! picture of me, left. I’m still Cha-ching!’” the shooting photos, too. But it’s gas pump impossible to say I’m under the sound cash registers make. pressure of work. “There’s a T-shirt that says, ‘Fishermen are in a hurry to get there. Sailors are dad in Arkansas. Living in Huntsville, already there.’” “In a sailboat,” Butch she and T answered the lure of sailing continues, “you just go out and take with the Browns Creek group. So they whatever the Lord has provided for you were agreeable when Elizabeth and Butch at the moment. You don’t have to go encouraged them to look at a neighboring anywhere.” house on the market … and they bought it. “I love Guntersville. It’s like the e have not been anywhere these town I grew up in,” Capt. Susan says. few hours, just sailing. As the sun is “Now I go back to the big city with all westering, Susan recognizes the sail on the traffic ... it’s like ‘Oh, I have to get another boat a half-mile away. home.’” “That’s James and Angela,” she says. “Nashville, Huntsville … you can “Thursday night is their date night. They have that traffic,” Elizabeth agrees, lake dress up and sail out in the evening.” breeze in her hair. I smile. I get it. Escapism therapy. That said, the trio in the cockpit are eager to see work start on City Harbor, Good Life Magazine

Speaking of shipwrecks … “Did you know,” Butch interjects, “there is still water in the swimming pool of the Titanic?”

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Driving to work one day, Donna stopped on Sunset Drive, beside the walking trail, and composed this compelling sunrise.

Donna Prickett

Grant photographer turns her camera to the world at hand, rendering the issue of ‘pro’ or not a beautifully moot point Story by David Moore

ou may well have seen Grant photographer Donna Prickett’s work before. A number of lush local landscapes hang at Marshall Manor. Others brighten walls at Guntersville City Hall, the electric board office, and she shot pictures for the town’s street banners. Patient at Lakeside Clinic North? You’ve seen her work there. Is Jason Simpson your TV weatherman in Huntsville, or perhaps James Spann in Birmingham? They displayed Donna’s

pictures on their show. And you can see one of her images in the Leading Edge ad on page 3. If you’re the parent of a kid who’s played football or basketball at DAR over the past 20 years or so, Donna you may well have a Prickett photo of him or her that Donna shot. It’s understandable if you pegged her for an accomplished pro. But she’d beg to differ.

“Am I professional? And do I know all the ends and outs? Not really,” Donna says. “I just shoot pictures. I capture life’s moments one picture at a time.” You’d be hard pressed to get her to admit to being talented, but she’s come a long way on her own. “It’s all seat of the pants,” she allows. Continued on page 64

Donna says her landscapes are inspired by Marshall County’s great beauty. She shot the sunset on the following two-page spread less than a mile from the location of the photo above. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Continued from page 61

“I haven’t had any classes or seminars. I just go with it.” Photography, Donna’s found, has opened her eyes to the world around her. “You see things in a different way,” she says. And perhaps simply see, notice and enjoy aspects of the world you might miss were you not looking for pictures to take.

onna Turner wasn’t born with a silver spoon in her hand or a 35 mm camera around her neck. She grew up in Hokes Bluff. She and Johnny Prickett married in 1991. An electronic technician for Propulsion Directorate, he works on rocket engines at Redstone Arsenal. They moved to Marshall County right after they married because it was convenient to his work. They moved to Simpson Point Road in Grant in 1993. They raised Laura – now a Dunaway – and Alex, who are now, respectively, a pediatric intensive care nurse in Huntsville and a ranger at Gulf State Park. Donna worked at Lakeside Clinic in Guntersville 20 years and, since 2015, for Dr. Clay Campbell at Lakeside North Family Clinic. It was not until the kids began playing rec ball that she thought about buying a camera. Johnny was on the spot, beat her to the punch, and bought her a Canon Rebel about 1999. “Lord, the film I wasted at first,” Donna laughs. “I was excited when they went digital.” The learning curve was no serious hurdle. “It was a matter of adjusting the buttons to get the light right,” she says. “I can read the book, but I have to see it work. I am a hands-on person.” Following Alex’s football progression, she later became a fixture on the sidelines at DAR, shooting not only him but, to the delight of parents, all of the players. Which brings up one reason she loves shooting photos. “When you have pictures,” Donna says, “and your loved ones are gone, you can look at the pictures and say, ‘Remember this day?’” So it was that when DAR senior and

Continued on page 68

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Donna shot the images at the top of the page at Lake Guntersville Sailing Club on the way to work for Dr. Clay Campbell in Scant City. “It’s a beautiful commute,” she says. “Whenever I’m late for work, Clay says, ‘What were you shooting this morning?’” On the other side of the clock, Donna shot the stunning night images of Guntersville Dam and North Alabama Sailing Association above. The images are among some 30 local prints she and Guntersville photographer Bob Blankenship have hanging at Marshall Manor Nursing Home. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Donna says she never has to travel far from home to find good photo opportunities. She shot the image at upper left at the late Nelson Kennamer’s farm off Swearengin Road in Grant. Above, her husband Johnny drives his John Deere across their 10-acre farm on Simpson Point Road. “He was trying to get to the barn before the rain started,” Donna says. “The clouds were pretty scary that day.” She wants to make a mural of the image for their home. Though their children have moved on from their sports days at DAR High School, she still loves shooting action there. A favorite is of a Douglas football player getting his helmet knocked off against the Patriots in 2014. To get action shots – or any good shots – requires first that you be there and second that you have a camera with you, Donna says. And luck never hurts. She happened to be shooting eagles near the dam when she came upon one feasting on roadkill. It flew off just as Johnny drove up in his pickup. Donna shoots a Canon 7D and uses several different lenses, including at 200 mm “L” series zoom with a 2x extender. NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

Sunrise breaks over Lake Guntersville in this shot Donna captured from the former home of Dr. Clay and Jessica Campbell at Legacy Pointe on the side of Georgia Mountain. Continued from page 64 football standout Eli Spray was killed in a car wreck in October 2019, Donna gave his parents the shots she’d taken of their son over the years.

ver time, however, landscapes have emerged as Donna’s photography love. “Landscapes … that’s my passion,” she says. “I don’t care a thing in the world about posing people and shooting them. Shooting landscapes dovetails with Donna’s lifestyle as well as her love of Marshall County. Commuting from western Shelby County to Birmingham on U.S. 280 or from say, Marietta south to Atlanta, leaves precious time or space for photography. But Donna’s lifestyle includes driving back and forth for work between Grant and Scant City – that’s up and down a couple of mountains and 68

NOV. | DEC. | JAN. 2020-21

around a lake with the possibility of catching a stunning sunrise or sunset. She doesn’t always carry her camera, but, especially, if the atmosphere looks promising, she does. And there are plenty of places to pull over should the need arise. Come Monday, her off day, she loves to grab her camera and just go riding. “I love to get out on the back roads,” Donna says. “I might drive four hours and not shoot a thing, or I might shoot 60 images right down the road.” Being a photographer and shooting landscapes has only added to her appreciation and love for the world around her – and, in her case, that usually means her immediate world. “I always knew we lived in a beautiful place, but when I take pictures and look at them in my hand or on the computer, it brings a whole new meaning to it,” Donna says. “That’s the neat thing about living in Marshall County – there

are so many places right here in our backyard to see, to shoot. “The older I’ve gotten, the more I wonder why I’d want to travel. I have a beautiful place right here in North Alabama. I can get in my car and see all sorts of beautiful things to shoot.”

ll of those B.C. years – before cameras. Now she can’t imagine life without one. “It would,” she laughs, “be boring.” So, Donna Prickett, photographer … accomplished pro or very talented enthusiast? Ultimately, sticking a label on her doesn’t matter. Either way, she’ll still grab her camera bag and car keys, and head out the door. Undoubtedly, she’ll return with yet more stunning landscapes from the world around her. And you? You can only hope you get to see more of them. Good Life Magazine

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Out ‘n’ About If you were out ‘n’ about last year on Nov. 21 for the opening reception for the Guntersville Museum’s Festival of Trees, you were treated to a festive display of some 30 trees cleverly, stylishly and classically decorated by community organizations from across Marshall County. You would also have enjoyed great company, delicious hors d’oeuvres, drinks and music played by Catherine Brewer (wife of the Good People feature beginning on page 16). This year, the 12 th Annual Festival of Trees opens Nov. 19 and runs through Jan. 1. The 5-7 p.m. opening night reception is free to members; non-members enter for $15, which covers membership for a year. You can also see the museum’s new art exhibits by Larry Allen and Frank Gee (see page 10 for more info on them). The museum is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-4 p.m. weekends; free admission. For more: www. guntersvillemuseum.org; or 256-571-7597. Photos by David Moore. 70

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