Thomasville Magazine Winter 2024 by Thomasville Magazine

Behind the Brush

shares her artistic journey

PEACE & JOY

WINTER’S TRADITIONS, FROM THE NUTCRACKER TO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Thomasville artist

Suzanna Winton

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Laura Albritton | Amy Faeskorn

Kristen Soles McCrackin

Stephanie Rice | Sarah Shearer

PHOTOGRAPHY

Emily Tucker Photography MAGAZINE

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Setting the Standard for Beautiful Smiles.

“People compliment me. I’m more self confident. It’s worked wonders in my life!”

the Brush BY

AMY FAESKORN

Thomasville artist

Suzanna Winton shares her artistic journey. 26

SARAH D. SHEARER

Ally B Boutique is the go-to shop for many looking for the latest fashions. 40 Christmas on Stage BY KRISTEN SOLES MCCRACKIN

South Georgia Ballet ushers in the season with its production of The Nutcracker.

LAURA ALBRITTON

All the wonders of the holiday season in New York City.

RICE

Stop snoozing in the new year and vow to improve your sleep habits.

STORY BY AMY FAESKORN

PHOTOS BY EMILY TUCKER

BEHIND THE Suzanna

BRUSH

Winton

“In my portraits I try to evoke an emotion in the viewer and hope that they see the character of the subject. Everyone is important to someone.”

A“I loved how I could just get completely lost in the details I notice everywhere.”

teenage boy in a white tuxedo jacket standing proud against the emerald green trees in his backyard, ready for prom. A bow-tied bartender tilting whiskey into a glass, a dozen liquor and juice bottles strewn on the bar in front of him. A homeless man slouching against an outside wall, grinning in spite of it all.

These images—precise, vivid and, above all, truthful—are just a few of the many works adorning the walls on the way to the teaching studio in Suzanna Winton’s Thomasville home. Their beauty and complexity are striking, and together they tell the tale of her decades long career in the arts.

“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing,” recalls Winton, who won gold in the Tallahassee Watercolor Society’s 2024 Tri-State exhibition for Traveling Man, a moving piece true to her bright, realistic style. She also won gold in the society’s Brush Strokes Member Exhibition for a similarly arresting portrait, Ms. Joan

“In my portraits I try to evoke an emotion in the viewer and hope that they see the character of the subject. Everyone is important to someone,” says Winton, who serves as president of the society.

Growing up in Metcalfe on her parents’ farm, Winton was mentored from an early age by her mother, Kay Cromartie, also an accomplished artist, who encouraged but never pressured her three children to explore their creative instincts. Winton took to painting early on, spending her youth dabbling in acrylics while honing her skills in whatever art classes her high school had on offer.

Winton was mentored from an early age by her mother.

Cromartie’s decision at one point to experiment with watercolor sparked her daughter’s interest in the medium and proved a turning point in her artistic growth. “My mom got into it while I was in high school, and I just thought, ‘I want to give that a try,’” she says of a time she was unsure about being able to pursue painting professionally. “That was definitely a pivotal moment for me.”

After a brief foray into commercial art as a student in

Tallahassee, Winton began taking classes at the Florida Art Center in Havana. It was just after the birth of her second child in 1993, and Winton quickly realized she had found her calling. “It was like a drug to me. I just found it so fulfilling,” she says. The late Tallahasseebased painter and instructor Joe McFadden, whom she credits as being one of her best teachers, encouraged her to keep at it. “He said that if you really want to be good, just do it every day. So, while the kids were in school, I would paint for six or eight hours at a stretch,” she remembers. “I loved how I could just get completely lost in the details I notice everywhere.”

As Winton’s confidence grew, so did her visibility in the local arts scene. She began doing character portraits from both sittings and photographs. Her painting of her grandfather won first place in the Tallahassee Watercolor Society Tri-State

exhibition and was highlighted in the Tallahassee Democrat

After joining the Florida Watercolor Society in the mid 1990s and winning some awards there as well, she was featured in a cover story in the trade publication Watercolor Magic. That issue also featured Shipless, her portrait of a homeless gentleman she regularly encountered in Tallahassee. “You can see in his face and eyes that he’s had a hard life, but he’s remained kind,” she says. “The light and joy still shine through.”

The next several years saw Winton continuing to focus on portraits, often by commission. Her work soon caught the attention of North Light Books, who asked if she would write a book on how to paint portraits, but she initially turned them down. “The timing didn’t feel right back then,” she says. “I felt like I was a painter, not a writer.”

When Joe Miller, owner of Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, in Boone, North Carolina, asked her to teach a class there, she found a whole new passion in helping others learn to paint. By 2000, Winton had established herself as a sought-after instructor in

places as far away as Utah and California, and she maintains a strong connection to Cheap Joe’s to this day.

“When I first started teaching there, it was kind of a big deal,” she says. “Joe is the funniest, most gracious person. I love being an ambassador for their company, and I’m so grateful they supply all of my materials.”

In the late 2000s, with more experience under her belt, Winton reached out to North Light and began work on what was to become Realistic Watercolor Portraits, published in 2008. “I was ready,” she recalls. “It was a lot of work, but I’m glad I did it. I wanted to write a step-by-step approach that included a lot of the things I felt were left out of similar books I had turned to when I first started in watercolor.” Since then, Winton has also worked toward mastery of oil and now feels comfortable switching back and forth between the two. “They each have their own challenges,” she observes. “With watercolor you kind of have to ‘save the white,’ but in oil you have to ‘put the white on.’ Now I can say I truly love both.”

Though individuals and families remain the bulk of Winton’s subjects, she took an interest in painting animals about 10 years ago, a natural outgrowth of her love of nature and the outdoors. She often takes photos of egrets and herons while she’s out walking and paints from them later in her studio.

After several rounds of taking in orphaned squirrels and releasing them back into the wild, having cared for them for up to a year, she recently began assisting with feral cat rescue using the TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) approach. Her recent work, It’s OK to Be a Little Squirrely, is a whimsical homage to both her Creek heritage and her love for these tiny rodents and recently exhibited several animal paintings during the Thomasville Center for the Arts’ Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival. She maintains membership in several organizations, including the National Watercolor Society, the Southern Watercolor Society, the Florida Watercolor Society and Watercolor West.

When not in her studio or out teaching a class, Winton enjoys competitive country-western dancing with Sam, her husband of 37 years, and spending time with her adult sons, Cooper and Reese; her English cream retriever puppy, Kai; and rescue cat, Smidge.

Giving back to the arts community remains vitally important to her, and she still finds it rewarding to work with beginning students. She encourages people to give painting a try and to hopefully discover the joy in painting that awaited her when she first picked up a brush. “Capturing a moment in paint, you get the essence of that person’s soul,” she says. “And I feel like everyone can do something. The biggest thing is passion and desire—and lots of practice!”

To learn more about Suzanna’s art, visit suzannawintonwatercolors.com.

Photos this page and next by

Emily Tucker Photography

BY SARAH SHEARER

ally b

A THOMASVILLE SHOP ENJOYS A REPUTATION FOR QUALITY PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.

“MY LOVE FOR RETAIL STARTED WHEN I WAS JUST 13 YEARS OLD,” APRIL FLETCHER SAYS, IN HER SWEET SOUTHERN TONE. PROPRIETOR OF ALLY B BOUTIQUE IN DOWNTOWN THOMASVILLE, APRIL’S LIFELONG LOVE OF FASHION, AND HELPING PEOPLE LOOK AND FEEL THEIR BEST, BEGAN AT NEEL’S DEPARTMENT STORE IN THOMASVILLE. SHE WORKED AT NEEL’S, HOLLYWOOD JEWELERS AND THE NEW IMAGE BOUTIQUE AS A TEENAGER. “I LITERALLY WORKED THE BLOCK,” SAYS APRIL, WHO FELT RIGHT AT HOME WHEN, IN 2019, HER GOOD FRIEND AND ALLY B OWNER, ALEX MARTIN, PASSED HER THE PROVERBIAL BATON.

Fletcher and her daughters Mallory and Ava have brought fashion, pizzazz and most importantly hospitality and genuine kindness to every aspect of Ally B. Soon after purchasing the business, it became necessary to relocate, so April found herself undertaking a project to make 110 Broad Street the store’s new home.

Then in 2020, Covid threatened to thwart all their hard work, but the Thomasville community stood strong, and the Fletchers continually relied on God to provide. “We never went a day without a sale,” she says. “Whether it was a Mother’s Day gift or a doctor providing his nurses with a gift to cheer them up, business continued through an extremely uncertain season.”

April’s vision for Ally B is simple: She wants every woman from every generation to be able to find something in her boutique. Guests are treated to topnotch service and can select from an extensive selection of clothing, jewelry and gifts. April and her staff take pride in being a full-service store, “like downtown businesses used to be,” she says. At Ally B they want you to feel

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

welcome and well served as soon as you walk through the door. Three little birds in the Ally B logo pay homage to Fletcher and her two daughters. Both are in college right now but still play an invaluable role in the business.

Of her experience of working with her mom, Ava says, “I love being a part of Ally B for so many reasons. Through middle school and high school, I spent every afternoon working alongside my mom and sister, but since college I have gotten to have a different perspective of the store. My mom is the hardest worker I know, and seeing her consistently pour into her business is inspiring. She puts her heart and soul into all she does, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

“For us, Ally B is not just another business on the downtown bricks of Thomasville but something we love, cherish, and thank God for. Having this business has allowed us to meet great friends, support our small town, and grow closer as a mom-daughter trio. It has allowed me to learn so much, both from my mom and from running the business itself.”

Ava’s passion for finding and curating sustainable brands for the store ensures their customers that the clothing they purchase is created in an ethical manner. Additionally, many of their brands are zip code protected, which means you’ll find certain brands only at Ally B and not at other local clothing stores.

Photos this page and next by Whigham Images

PRIVATE SHOPPING EVENTS

· This group of friends enjoyed an evening full of champagne, an amazing charcuterie board, and a lot of laughs!

One of the most rewarding aspects of the business is getting a sneak peek into special moments in their customers’ lives. One day it’s a young woman on the hunt for a simple white dress to wear for her elopement, and on another day it’s a mother-to-be searching for a gender reveal event dress. April loves seeing babies and children grow up and come in to shop with mothers, grandmothers and friends.

Everything about Ally B is done with people in mind, and it is this trait that makes Downtown Thomasville as charming and unforgettable as it is. There is a reason tourists travel from states away to visit Thomasville. It’s because of people like April Fletcher and her staff of close to 20 women.

Places like Ally B Boutique remind customers of just how unpersonal online shopping can be. Nothing beats trying on a new dress to the tune of several cheerleaders saying you look like a million bucks. This interactive and warm environment is what will keep Ally B welcoming shoppers for years to come. TM

This yummy but simple recipe is a great one for getting the “littles” involved.

DarkCelementinesChocolate

Dark Chocolate Clementines

4 clementines

½ cup dark chocolate chips sea salt or fleur de sel shredded coconut chopped pistachios

Line a baking sheet with parchment/wax paper. Peel and segment clementines.

Place chocolate chips in a small microwaveable bowl, heat for 30 seconds. Stir chocolate (chips will still be only partially melted) and keep stirring until they melt. You may need to microwave for additional time.

Dip one end of the clementine in the melted chocolate and place on parchment paper.

Sprinkle with sea salt, coconut or nuts right away, before chocolate starts to harden. Once all segments have been dipped, place in the refrigerator for approx.10 minutes to harden chocolate.

Chocolate Variations

You can also use white chocolate for this recipe or do both white and dark for a pretty presentation.

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NOTHING GETS US IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT QUICKER THAN ENJOYING A PERFORMANCE OF THE NUTCRACKER.

Classic

CHRISTMAS FAVORITE

STORY BY KRISTEN SOLES MCCRACKIN

Photos by Emily Tucker

Performers rehearse for months in preparation for the live performances.

The South Georgia Ballet will once again bring holiday favorite The Nutcracker to Southwest Georgia this season to dazzle and delight local audiences.

Founded in 1998 by Alison Bundrick, originally as South Georgia Performing Arts, the program began humbly with a small group of students. “And then from there, it just grew and grew. Word got out, and in 2007 they got their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and became South Georgia Ballet,” says Melissa June, who currently serves as executive artistic director and outreach education director for the organization.

“From there, the tradition and reputation grew of this very serious training program with highly trained staff with extensive knowledge and production expertise.”

The South Georgia Ballet’s (SGB) mission is to enrich the quality of life in Southwest Georgia by expanding the cultural opportunities available to all its citizens. The regional youth ballet company patterns itself after the curriculum and commitment of a pre-professional training program, developing and producing original performing arts productions, and interacting with a diverse community through education and performing arts enrichment experiences.

Instructor Sophi Sampson says, “I came back to teach here because I want to give back the knowledge that my teachers once gave me. I am forever grateful to give back to the dance community that gave me so much!”

SGB offers a curriculum of classes to kids ages two to 18, including ballet, tap, jazz, pre-pointe and pointe, acrobatics, and contemporary. Students who wish to try out for the company also have the option to take a pre-company class that readies them for their audition. The school now has approximately 300 students. “Most

of [them] are from Thomasville, but we also have students from Cairo, Bainbridge, Moultrie, Whigham, Tallahassee and Valdosta. So, really, it’s a Southern regional training school,” says June.

At age nine (fourth grade), a student is eligible to audition for the company and they may perform until age 18 (senior year). June advises that youth who do not attend school are also welcome to audition, but she encourages them to enroll in a couple of classes first to get the lay of the land. The company currently has 65 dancers.

The instructors are highly skilled professionals. June says the paths that bring them to teaching may differ, but they all have a real love for children and the desire to share their gifts with students in training.

“It’s so rewarding to continue to be a part of the legacy of South Georgia Ballet,” says instructor Sydney Ellen Rawlings.

Through classes, performances, lectures and demonstrations, and school workshops, SGB educates both students and audiences in Southwest Georgia. They sponsor the outreach projects Step Up! and Special Steps.

Step Up! offers weekly dance classes to second to sixth graders in Thomas and Colquitt counties. The Thomas County program brings kids from the Marguerite Neel Williams Boys & Girls Club and the Thomasville Community Resource Center to the Thomasville Center for the Arts studios to participate in weekly ballet classes. Eighty to 100 area students can train and perform through this special outreach program each year.

Special Steps is a program in which SBG works with Hand-in-Hand, Thomas County Middle School, Scott Elementary School, Harper Elementary School, and Southside Elementary School to teach dance classes to children with special needs. June describes the classes, saying, “Children come once a week to receive training in balance, coordination, and rhythm as well as working on gross and fine motor skills.”

SGB also partners with CASA and NECCO, allowing foster children to experience the magic of dance with their peers at no cost to them. Children in this program remain anonymous to teachers and peers to give them a feeling of inclusion rather than labeling. They can also dance in the spring show in beautiful costumes on

stage. This

June says, “The

school matinee performances, and other stuff. We perform for about 24,000 people every year.”

For those enchanted by The Nutcracker, the South Georgia Ballet performance is headed into its 27th year and remains as fresh as ever. June says they change things about the production each year so audiences can come for multiple years without getting bored. “Every year we change the choreography. Sometimes we’ll change the parts up, sometimes we’ll change up the costumes, just to keep it fresh and exciting, not only for the audience but also for the dancers because we like to gear the work towards the dancer to help them shine,” she says.

June shares her personal feelings about why she loves The

Nutcracker. “It’s the tradition, getting all the little girls dressed up, and they stand with their little nutcrackers that they bought at the ballet boutique, and they watch with magic in their eyes, dreaming about being up there.”

She goes on to say what she thinks draws audiences. “It’s watching the littlest ones that are little cherub angels and baby mice year after year grow, and their skill grows, and the stage presence grows. To see that joy of the Christmas season on stage, and it starts everybody’s season off. It’s the tradition of going with your family, watching the little, little girls in the audience look forward to one day being on that stage, keeping the trajectory of ballet growing, and then watching the performers grow year after year. I think that is what really engages everybody to keep coming back.”

SGB will perform The Nutcracker at Thomasville Municipal Auditorium on December 7 at 7:30pm and December 8 at 2:30pm. Following the matinee performance, young guests

Continued, p.49

Those who attend SGB’s performances every year have enjoyed watching the dancers grow up on stage.

ON POINTE

CLASSIC CHRISTMAS

SGB typically hosts a couple visiting professional dancers for the show.

can participate in a Meet & Greet with the characters on stage. Attendees will receive special gifts from each of the soloists. (Additional ticket purchase is required to attend the Meet & Greet.) Tickets are $25 to $35 and may be purchased at southgeorgiaballet.org.

Following the hustle and bustle of the holidays, Ballet de Soiree will be presented on January 31 at 7pm at the Thomasville Center for the Arts. Students will perform as an elective course in addition to their main training.

June notes, “[The students] come on Fridays, they get to learn different variations, and then this performance is kind of an elevated evening of art, with a smaller ensemble of students that really love classical ballet.”

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RETURNING TO THE STAGE

Godfather Drosselmeyer, performed by Jeff Lovett (two top photos), is the mysterious toy maker, and Dylan O’Neal performs as the beloved Nutracker Prince.

She goes on to share which dances the students will perform, “It’ll be selections from a lot of different ballets. Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Paquita, La Bayadere, La Sophie. I also think there are some original works that are going to be presented.”

The Soiree de Ballet is in its second year and came to fruition in response to community feedback that they wanted to see more traditional ballet. June says this was a way of offering what they asked for without audiences having to sit through a lengthy three-hour performance.

Tickets for this one-night-only January performance may also be purchased at the SGB website. The prices are $20 for general admission and $10 for students.

The orchestra is sponsored by The Edward C. Fogg and Lisbeth A. Fogg Charitable Trust. The show is sponsored by Thomasville National Bank, and the season is sponsored by 1915 South/Ashley. TM

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1 cup granulated sugar

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IN NYC

BY LAURA ALBRITTON

The massive decorations on NYC’s 6th Avenue are a favorite every year.

WINTER TRAVEL

Few major capitals in the world can outdo New York City when it comes to celebrating the holidays. From the window displays of Manhattan’s famed department stores to the sparkling lights ablaze on Fifth Avenue, this singularly American metropolis celebrates Christmas in unparalleled style. Starting around the first of November, festive décor turns Manhattan into a visual treat for kids and adults alike. For those of us traveling from the balmy South, it’s a chance to enjoy Yuletide traditions like “chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” in this case supplied by a street vendor, as well as “Jack Frost nipping at your nose.” The New York holiday season also sees exciting celebrations of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, in November, while Hannukah is marked with giant menorah lightings in Central Park and Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

But first, let’s talk practicalities. As a former New York City resident myself, I suggest visitors pick a home base that’s centrally located, near multiple attractions. The largest cluster of hotels can be found within Midtown Manhattan. Here you can book chain hotels, boutique hotels, and of course, private apartments. Try to avoid staying right on Times Square, unless you enjoy being enveloped by massive crowds. Although there are plentiful cabs and Manhattan is extremely walkable, you’ll want to avail yourself of the excellent subway system and extensive bus network, both easily accessible in Midtown.

Now that we’ve covered practicalities, let’s get to the fun. It’s hard to resist the lure of Midtown’s Rockefeller Center, with its giant Christmas tree and iconic skating rink. This is truly a magical, if touristy, experience, to be swirling around on the ice (or if you’re like me, clutching the side rails), while holiday music plays cheerily in the background. Dress warmly in cozy clothes and do yourself a favor: buy your tickets in advance online. You can rent skates here

ROCKEFELLER CENTER ·

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is about as iconic as it gets when it comes to holidays in The Big Apple.

and get your photo taken in front of the towering tree. For the ultimate après-skate experience, walk south to Angelina Paris Bryant Park, where you can savor the most decadent hot chocolate this side of the Atlantic, accompanied by macarons and other delicious pastries.

Another beautiful spot for ice skating can be found in Central Park, at the Wollman Rink. Central Park, designed in the 1850s by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, is one of the jewels of New York City and well worth visiting. The park is especially enchanting when the city receives a fresh layer of snow. You might take an official tour, visit the zoo, or watch a winter-themed puppet show at the Swedish

Cottage. Once you’ve had your fill of this 843-acre urban wonderland, consider indulging in another quintessential holiday experience: afternoon tea at the Plaza hotel. Located just south of the park, the Plaza’s Palm Court is a grand, luxurious space that offers all the traditional delights: finger sandwiches, delicate pastries, and freshly baked scones, to name a few.

Fifth Avenue creates the eastern boundary of Central Park, and if you continue southward, you’ll encounter seriously upscale stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue. Whether or not you like shopping, it’s worth strolling here at night to take in the annual holiday light extravaganza. Literally hundreds of thousands of lights are projected onto Saks’ flagship building between 49th and 50th Streets. A few blocks away you’ll find Radio City Music Hall, location of another iconic New York tradition. From early November through early January, the Rockettes perform high kicking, energetic holiday numbers.

Perhaps one of New York’s most beloved Christmas performances is Tchaikovsky’s

Nutcracker. Soloists and the corps from the world class New York City Ballet perform this classic at Lincoln Center. Other classical music opportunities abound, including concerts at Carnegie Hall and the glorious Metropolitan Opera. Also at Lincoln Center, the New York Philharmonic accompanies a fantastic chorus for a spine-tingling rendition of Handel’s Messiah If classical music’s not your thing, head for a night out on Broadway. These theaters host some of the world’s best performances of plays and musicals, which run the gamut from Shakespeare to standards like Cabaret and The Lion King to cutting-edge new works. The Theater District contains a slew of restaurants that offer pre-theater dining. There are the

ENJOYING PARKS & PLAZAS · Exploring Central Park in the winter is an unforgettable experience, especially after a snow.

WINTER TRAVEL

HOLIDAY LIGHTS· Neighborhoods throughout the city each have their own look this time of year, and it’s worth seeing them all!

tried-and-true favorites like Joe Allen and Sardi’s and a wide range of establishments: burger joints, Japanese sushi, oyster bars, and multiple French bistros. There’s something for every taste—and nearly every budget— including New York resdient diners.

In addition to the “Met” opera, there’s another famed Met in New York: the Metropolitan Museum of Art. No visit to Manhattan is complete without drinking in some of the Met’s many galleries. This impressive institution welcomes visitors from around the world to enjoy its special holiday installation: a stunning, enormous Christmas tree, in the Medieval section. Situated amongst nativity scenes and other religious art from the Middle Ages, it’s a moving sight. The Met offers art for everyone and every age: the ancient Egyptian Temple of Dendur, paintings by impressionists like Claude Monet and Mary Cassatt, Greek and Roman marbles, ancient Hindu sculptures, and so much more. Like any great museum, the Met has a wonderful gift shop and multiple cafes. (My favorite is on the Grand Hall Balcony, perfect for people watching.)

As a former New Yorker, I also enjoy getting slightly off the beaten track, beyond the best-known attractions and institutions. While afternoon tea at an upscale hotel is swell, it’s a whole other experience to stop at Tea & Sympathy, a quaint restaurant in the West Village downtown, frequented by English expats. The West Village also has some of the most charming historic row houses and lovely streets, as well as appealing cafes, including Dante NYC, Cluny Café and Caffe Reggio.

In “the Village” you can take a stroll through leafy Washington Square Park and imagine yourself in a novel by Henry James. I’m also partial to a visit to Morningside Heights, on the Upper West Side, home to the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Particularly during the holidays, this huge, Gothic cathedral is worth a tour; it’s almost like stepping into a sacred space in Europe. Another Morningside gem—only steps away—is the Hungarian Pastry Shop, where you can order a drink, cakes, and Eastern European pastries like hamantaschen. You might overhear students from my alma mater, Columbia University, earnestly discussing Socrates or Nietzsche.

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LUNAR NEW YEAR·

There are plenty of celebrations in the city this time of year, including the parade marking the Lunar New Year.

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE·

Visitors can enjoy quite a light show by standing outside of Saks’ flagship store on Fifth Avenue.

NEW YEARS EVE · For many, it’s a dream to be in Times Square on New Year’s Eve to enjoy the festivities leading up to the countdown.

In all honesty, there are too many things to do in New York City to fit into a single article, but some of the best NYC experiences are free or inexpensive, so here are some parting suggestions. Check out the exuberantly decorated holiday windows at Macy’s department store, which doesn’t cost a dime. Or ride the free Staten Island ferry round-trip for an awesome view of the Statue of Liberty. Visit the magnificent Guggenheim Museum, which has “pay what you wish” admission on Mondays and Saturdays, from 4-5:30pm. Stroll through the bustling neighborhoods of Chinatown and Little Italy. Finally, be sure to sample a real New York City bagel, which must be boiled to achieve the right consistency.

The holiday season can certainly become hectic, with shopping, cooking, and wrapping presents. But a trip to New York gives you the chance to explore one of the most fascinating cities in the world, when it’s at its most cheerful and most festive, bright with twinkling lights. Whether you’re ice skating, watching a play, or looking at art, it’s an unbeatable place for a Yuletide escape. TM

Now get your homestyle food to-go in our convenient drive thru

Family Style Buffet Restaurant

Enjoy fresh country cooking served buffet style daily in a casual family friendly atmosphere.

Cateringforthe Holidays!

Rotating menu features 10-plus meats, 20-plus vegetables, a 70-item salad bar, and over 20 varieties of fresh baked desserts, served every day.

14815 US Hwy 19 S., Ste 100

(229) 227-0622

This yummy but simple recipe is a great one for getting the “littles” involved.

Pecan Shortbread

CookiesPecan Shortbread Cookies

10 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tsp dark rum or vanilla extract

¾ tsp kosher salt

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp cinnamon

¾ cup pecans, coarsely chopped toasted

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt at low speed just until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until fluffy.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until almost combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then add the chopped, toasted pecans. Mix on low until fully combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and lightly flour your hands. Roll the dough into a log shape, about 2 inches in diameter, then wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm (up to 72 hours).

About 20 minutes before you are ready to bake, place one oven rack in the top third of the oven and one in the bottom third. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and slice the logs into cookies about ½-inch thick. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch of space between each.

Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets from the upper to lower racks in the oven and turn them 180 degrees. Bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies rest for about 5 minutes on the sheet tray before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Set the Alarm

New Habits for the New Year!

BY STEPHANIE RICE

Once the alarm goes off, chances of getting any quality sleep are low, especially if you are used to hitting the snooze button again and again!

For Your Health

Iused to be the worst snoozer in the mornings. I would intentionally set my alarm at least 15 to 20 minutes before I needed to get up so that I could feel like I was sleeping in by hitting the snooze over and over again. A study in 2022 found that 57 percent of people admit to being snoozers like myself. Over the past couple of years, I’ve heard that snoozing isn’t very good for you, but I never really gave it much thought. Snoozing and I were buddies!

Being in the fitness industry, early mornings were always part of my routine. People love to get their workout done before the day begins, so my days always start early. To me, snoozing was telling my body it got just a little more sleep than I did. In the early days of my career, I had to be at the gym as early as 4:30am. Three kids and another 20 years of working at a gym or owning a studio later, I am no amateur when it comes to early mornings. Anyone with kids, especially during the early years, knows that snoozing and sleeping in is not an option. Once they are up, you are up, no matter how early it is. And it’s usually pretty darn early!

There is a three-year difference between my second and third child. During those

For Your Health

years I became a pro at hitting snooze again. I was totally out of the baby phase; they could be up and about the house while I was still in bed, snoozing, of course. But boy was it hard to get up and get myself going in the mornings.

So, after I had our third child and was back to waking up early, with no option of snoozing, I began to notice that, although I was sleep-deprived, it was easier to “get going” in the mornings. I also had more stable energy during the day. Was I feeling better in the morning and throughout the day because I wasn’t hitting snooze? I decided to research the effects snoozing has on our bodies. First, let’s dive a little deeper into sleep facts. There are four stages

of sleep that specialists divide into two phases, non-REM sleep and REM sleep. REM stands for rapid eye movement, which will make more sense later.

Non-REM sleep is composed of three stages. The transitional stage comes first, the five to 10 minutes it takes to fall asleep. Next comes light sleep, when your body starts to slow down, your eyes stop moving and you prepare for deep sleep, which is stage three.

“Once deep sleep begins, it lasts as much as an hour at a time and returns about every 90 minutes. For your body to feel rested in the morning, this is the type of sleep you need [in order to avoid feeling groggy or disoriented in the mornings],” according to Dr. Chris Winter, a neurologist and sleep researcher.

The fourth stage of sleep is REM, which

is about an hour to an hour and a half after you fall asleep. In this stage your brain becomes active again, your body stops moving, your eyes start to move, and you dream. This stage is super important for our bodies, as it is the most restorative, according to Dr. Reena Mehra, director of sleep disorders research in the Sleep Center of the Neurological Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

These cycles of sleep are extremely important for our health. Oh, and we can’t forget energy! If you are getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night, then your body can go through at least four to five cycles. Giving your body plenty of time to rest, recover and rebuild.

If you snooze, then most likely your REM or deep sleep, which is the most important

WHETHER A CHILD IS ON A COLLEGE OR CAREER TRACK, WE HELP STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. For

stage of sleep and happens at the end of a sleep cycle, is probably being disrupted, says Mehra.

It’s no surprise that most of us are stressed out these days. The hustle and bustle the world expects of each of us seems to keep going up and up in a trend. Wait, did I forget that I was talking about snoozing? No, I’m taking a full swing back around.

I believed hitting the snooze button over and over was somehow tricking my body into thinking it was getting more sleep than it was. Little did I know, I was adding more stress to my body and mornings. Hitting the snooze constantly disrupts our sleep cycles but it can also lead to a fight or flight response, which increases our blood pressure and heart rate, according to Mehra. This can make you feel anxious and rushed, which is not an ideal way to start your day.

Have you ever met anyone who doesn’t need an alarm to wake up? That is my ultimate goal. Take it from me, choosing to not snooze anymore was one of the hardest and best habits I now follow. But it was a game-changer for my mind, body, and energy. I may have to get up earlier, but my mornings are calmer and less rushed. I also have better energy during the day.

So, how can we get better sleep, increase our ability to allow our bodies to go through the full sleep cycle, and stop snoozing? Here are my top recommendations for creating better sleep habits:

· Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day. Keeping a regular wake time and ensuring you get the amount of sleep that’s right for you is a reliable strategy for feeling refreshed upon waking.

· Exercise early in the morning. Working out too close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.

· Limit alcohol. Research shows that drinking before bedtime can delay REM sleep. Alcohol may even shorten the time you’re in it or prevent you from entering REM sleep at all.

· Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary. Stop scrolling or binge-watching in the bedroom. Any type of technology like a phone, TV, or laptop emits blue light. Blue light blocks your body from making melatonin, which is an important sleep hormone. A dark and cold room is best.

· The key takeaway is we need to make sleep a priority. Not only do bad sleeping habits affect our energy, but they can also negatively affect metabolic issues like weight gain and cardiovascular health.

So, start your New Year’s resolution tomorrow—set the alarm, and forget the snooze. TM

Winterin Town

Through December 31 Christmas in Lights Flowers Foods’ annual holiday gift to the community, the light show features more than 20 holiday vignettes and 25,000 multi-colored lights throughout the grounds of the company’s home office in Thomasville. Enter through the gates on northbound U.S. 19 South, near the intersection with Old Monticello Road. Visitors are asked to turn off their headlights when entering the display, observe the 5-mph speed limit, and always remain in their vehicles. Free to the public, the drive-through display will be open every evening from 6-10pm through New Year’s Eve.

December 4

Downtown Christmas Parade

The Annual Thomasville Downtown Christmas Parade is hosted by Thomasville YMCA and ThomasvilleThomas County Recreation Department. Parade begins at 6:30pm.

December 3

Tree of Lights

Donors, families and the community are invited to the lighting of the living tree—a ceremony that heralds the beginning of the holiday season and offers a celebration of life and remembrance for attendees. 6pm - front lawn of Archbold Memorial Hospital on Gordon Avenue. 229-228-2924; archboldfoundation.org

December 6

First Friday Sip & Shop

Enjoy the monthly sip and shop activities along with The Ritz Amphitheater Tree Lighting. Extended shopping & dining hours throughout downtown Thomasville, and a free concert with Derrick Flowers. 6-10pm

December 7

Red Nose Run

It’s the Ugly Sweater Edition! The annual 5K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run, benefiting Thomasville Junior Service League’s efforts to fund the cultural and medical needs of the children in the community through their Eyeglass Program and Project Rosebud. Santa will be in the mix for the 5K at 8am, followed by the Fun Run at 9am. Thomas University, Magnolia Campus, Magnolia Street. $30 for the 5k and $15 for Fun Run. For more information, call 205-862-1945 or email thomasvillejsl@gmail.com.

December 7-8

The Nutcracker South Georgia Ballet invites you to celebrate the holiday season with Clara and her prince as they journey to the Land of Sweets in South Georgia’s favorite family tradition— The Nutcracker. Tickets start at $25. 7:30pm Dec. 7 and 2:30pm Dec. 8 at Thomasville Municipal Auditorium, 144 E. Jackson St.; 229-288-9420; southgeorgiaballet.org

COMMUNITY EVENTS

December 8, 15 & 22

Extended Shopping & Dining

Many downtown shops and restaurants are open through 5pm so you can finish up your holiday shopping and enjoy a bite to eat, too.

December 13-15 & 20-22

TOSAC Christmas Performance

Thomasville on Stage and Company presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids, the most inventively awful kids in history. Tickets online at tosac.com/tickets or call 229-226-0863 to leave a reservation message and pay at the door.

December 14

Adult & Family Workshops

Second Saturday make and take workshop activities are $5 for up to four people and FREE for members. All workshops are from 11am to 1pm. Kids PLAYce is also open on 2nd Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and is always free. Visit thomasvillearts.org to learn more about the monthly workshops and to register.

December 12-13

Victorian Christmas Journey into the past as Thomasville’s turn-of-the-century downtown ushers you into the spirit of Christmas long ago with the Annual Victorian Christmas. Stroll the bricks and be entertained by performers, carolers, and musicians. Featuring live reindeer, carriage rides, a live nativity, visits with St. Nick, marshmallow toasting, chestnut roasting, live entertainment on The Ritz Amphitheater stage, food vendors and more. Unless noted, all activities and attractions are free. Shop, dine and welcome the holiday season. 6-9pm. 229-228-7977; visit@thomasville.org

December 17

TEF Concert

Vienna Boys Choir presents Christmas in Vienna. Tickets $40/ adults and $15/students. For information, visit tefconcerts.com.

January 18

MLK Service Day

A weekend full of service projects throughout Thomas County that honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Space is limited. First-come, first-served. Learn more at HandsOnThomasCounty.org.

February 7-9

Stage Play

Brookwood School presents The Wizard of Oz! Under the direction of TL Steel, the Brookwood All-School Musical takes the stage again and invites to wander down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. For info, call 229-226-8070.

Flannel Monday

Wildlife Arts Festival

THOMASVILLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Thomasville Center for the Arts recently held it’s 29th annual Wildlife Arts Festival, celebrating the fine arts and the great outdoors.

Dr. Bryan Spooner graduated from Liberty University in 1992 with a bachelor’s in biology. He earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the University of Osteopathic Medicine & Health Sciences, where he was a member of the Pi Delta Podiatry National Honor Society in 1997. He completed his two-year podiatry residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Spooner joined Tallahassee Podiatry Associates Foot & Ankle Center in 1999. Board Certified in podiatric surgery by the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery, he is also a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

Born in Augusta and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, he says starting a practice in Thomasville feels like a homecoming.