December 2021

NWGA'S PREMIER FEATURE MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2021

Too Cool for Christmas To kick off the holiday season, the Rome International Film Festival brought Billy Bob Thornton to town... and he's just our kind of Santa Claus.

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Merry Christmas from the Family and Staff of Henderson & Sons Funeral Homes and Rome Memorial Park

- Isaiah 9:6

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be on His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

DECEMBER2021 COLUMNS 10

Tammy Barron joins an elk hunt in the mountains of northern Utah. No experience could prepare her for the beauty and the reverence of the hunt, and the new perspective found through someone else’s eyes.

FEATURES 16

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Local entrepreneur Tiffany Ballinger launches the holiday season in Rome, Georgia, by establishing Christmas on the Coosa, an arts and crafts festival at Heritage Park.

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FEATURES 24

A Hardy Home on the Coosa River decks the halls (and the rest of the house too) in Christmas décor that exudes elegance and charm.

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Carol Rutledge is a Master Gardner who inspires the Christmas spirit in her botanical garden shop, Bluem. A couple of years ago, she took her expertise on the road and decorated the White House for the Christmas holiday. Rutledge describes the experience and her vision for Bluem this season.

GRAND COLUMNS 44

From Nina Lovel's box of “things I want to write about someday,” here are six Truisms she hopes you’ll find connection with.

FEATURES 48

Renaissance Marquis, Northwest Georgia’s premier retirement village, extends heartfelt gratitude to its residents, staff, and caretakers.

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Rome resident Sam Naff tells how he left the corporate treadmill to pursue work that he considered not just a job, but a calling.

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Publisher's Note: Billy Bob Thornton, a Man of Many Talents

TEXT: Paul Moses PHOTOS: Andy Calvert

charming. A consummate professional. He regaled his listeners with stories and anecdotes about his life, career, and personal philosophy, much of it focusing on storytelling.

It’s all about the story

One thing is now indisputable: no one can call Rome, Georgia, an entertainment backwater; the city’s connection to Hollywood grows stronger year by year. In recent times, it has even become more and more common to see famous actors strolling down Broad Street or sipping a latte in a downtown coffee shop or dining in local restaurants, keeping rumors flying and social media humming. Much of that is due to movie and television studios springing up in and around Atlanta, making Floyd County a convenient location for filming stories set in small towns and in rural areas. The South is on the rise, as far as the TV and film industries are concerned.

So, it was exciting, but hardly surprising, when last month A-list actor Billy Bob Thornton showed up on the streets of Rome.

Rolling out the red carpet

Thornton was in town for the Rome International Film Festival (RIFF), which celebrates its 18th birthday in 2021. Under the leadership of Executive/ Creative Director Seth Ingram, RIFF continues to welcome local, national, and international filmmakers to showcase their works here. For nearly two decades, the festival has given filmmakers the invaluable opportunity to rub elbows with likeminded entertainment professionals. The festival was held from November 11th through the 14th.

As RIFF’s website says, the festival “accepts films in every genre, on any topic, from every country around the world. Narrative and documentary features by first-time directors, breakout features from non-first-time directors, short films across genres, and episodes. We do not disqualify any films based on premiere status or date of completion. We do lean into genre and documentary films.”

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RIFF featured a 25th anniversary screening of Sling Blade, a movie that Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in, and for which he received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (and for which he was nominated for Best Actor).

Though not his first movie, Sling Blade is the film widely credited for thrusting him into the public eye, affording him the platform for subsequent success.

Some of his other movie credits include U Turn, Primary Colors, Armageddon, Monster’s Ball, Friday Night Lights, and Bad Santa. Two of his breakout TV roles were in Fargo and Goliath.

V3 was proud to open its office doors to RIFF for two press junkets, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. There, local and regional news outlets and publications gathered to hear various filmmakers talk about their work. On Sunday afternoon, the guest of honor was Billy Bob Thornton.

After the mayoral welcome and proclamation, and after graciously receiving the obligatory Key to the City, Thornton accepted the inaugural Flannery O’Connor Award for Storytelling, presented by RIFF. For Thornton, both screenwriting and creating song lyrics satisfy creative and emotional needs in ways that other creative outlets in the entertainment industry do not. For instance, contrasting the processes of acting and writing, Thornton says, “Acting is playing—it’s actually going out on a playground with the other kids and being in the game. And I need that. But writing satisfies that part of myself that longs to sit in my room and dream.”

After the award presentation, Thornton sat down for an interview with RIFF’s co-creative director, Michael Dunaway. During the interview Thornton was relaxed, talkative, funny, and

In response to an interview question by Dunaway regarding the storytelling traditions of the South, Thornton says, “The South has a rich history of storytelling, and I don’t know what it is about the ghosts, but they’re here. And Southerners have a unique way of telling stories, too.” In the small community where Thornton grew up, there were few, if any, outlets for theatrical expression, so oral tradition was important; tales were passed down through the generations around kitchen tables with family and friends.

Thornton addressed a shortsighted, even myopic, view of history that he sees as prevalent in America today: that the broad sweep of historical context is being lost in a truncated view. For him, good writing is part of the solution for this problem.

He says, “I think one of the things about history for our younger generations is that it’s going back a shorter and shorter distance all the time, and so in writing I just believe that we need to draw on our entire history to do it. It may be your personal history, or it may be actual history—whatever it is— but we don’t have to just start now and go forward.

There’s no sense in just dropping who we are.”

Music man

Besides being a screenwriter, actor, director, and producer, Thornton is also a musician. When he was young, he thought he would have a career solely in music. Ever since middle school he has been in various bands. While still in high school, he worked as a roadie for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Statler Brothers, and Johnny Paycheck, among others. Early interaction with these music greats strengthened his resolve to pursue a career as a musician.

In 1982, Thornton and friends Nick and Michael Shipp (brothers), while living in Houston, Texas, formed the band Tres Hombres, which they named after a ZZ Top album of that name. The band had some regional success, even opening for big names like Hank Williams Jr. They garnered the appreciation of some of those they idolized; Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top called Thornton’s band “the best little cover band in Texas.” However, despite touring and recording an album, Gunslinger, they disbanded in 1985.

In 2007, Thornton founded his present band, The Boxmasters, with friend and former sound engineer J. D. Andrew. The Boxmasters, who have produced ten albums, have a sound that evokes the rock & roll of the 1960s, but with a contemporary flare. Their music owes an obvious debt to the influence of the upbeat rhythms of surfer rock and the iconic sound of the bands of the British Invasion, as well as to such singer/songwriter greats as John Pine and Kris Kristofferson. Originally, Thornton served as the band’s drummer, but is now the frontman; he and Andrew have always shared the responsibility of songwriting. Besides headlining in many venues (including Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry) for an ever-growing cult fanbase, they have also opened for such diverse groups as ZZ Top and Kid Rock.

Many in the public tend to think of Thornton as an actor who sings and plays the drums, however, he thinks of himself as a musician who acts. Growing up in a tiny Arkansas town, his family did not have electricity until he was nine years old, so TV was not part of his early childhood. Chuckling, he notes, “The most memorable movie from my childhood was The Ghost and Mr. Chicken” (starring Don Knotts, 1966). As a child, Thornton did not see acting as an aspirational goal, but he always had an interest in storytelling, and even more—music. “I never intended to be a movie star,” he says. “It happened accidentally. Music is what I love.”

Marching to his own drumbeat

For someone whose original dream was not to work in the film industry, Thornton certainly has paid his acting dues. To pay the bills between acting gigs while living in Los Angeles, he waited tables, worked as a fast-food manager, worked the phones as a telemarketer, and laid asphalt. He even worked as an offshore wind farmer. Times were often tough. And hungry. At one point, after a long stint of eating almost nothing but potatoes, he was hospitalized in critical condition for myocarditis, a heart condition caused by malnutrition.

Those same sidewalks he once walked in search of work now display his name, on the star he received on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004.

Despite his early setbacks, Thornton has proven himself as a sort of polymath of the entertainment trade, doing a little bit of everything, and doing it all well, earning him the respect of many of those he has long admired. Film legend Robert Duvall, for instance, summed up Thornton well, calling him “the hillbilly Orson Welles.”

OWNER & CEO Ian Griffin MANAGING PARTNER Chris Forino CREATIVE DIRECTOR Elizabeth Childers WRITERS Jim Alred, Tammy Barron, DeMarcus Daniel, Ian Griffin, Nina Lovel, Paul Moses PHOTOGRAPHERS Rob Smith AD DESIGN Elizabeth Childers PUBLISHER V3 Publications, LLC CONTACT 417 Broad Street Rome Ga, 30161 Office Phone 706.235.0748 hello@v3collective.com CREATOR Neal Howard

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Hunt for Understanding opened doors

By Tammy Barron

Steam rises from the fallen animal, AND A CERTAIN DISBELIEF SETTLES IN MY CHEST as I take in the timeless human rite of the hunt. I have never been hunting before, nor have I ever really understood the appeal. However, for my husband, George, hunting is a huge part of who he is. Every season fills our deep freezers with different game: doves, ducks, pheasants, and deer. This month brought a larger aspiration for George as he set his eyes on an elk hunt in the mountains north of Salt Lake City, Utah. Knowing the lodge was less than an hour from my hometown he asked me if I’d like to join him. I didn’t hesitate to say yes. With three months to prepare I had plenty of time to mentally envision stalking prey in the mountains. The problem however was I never imagined anything beyond my 10

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usual experiences of hiking. It was only a few weeks before our trip that I started to really think about what I had signed up for, and I began to question whether I was up to the task of watching a kill.

Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate eating and preparing wild game, its flavors bold and untainted with hormones and antibiotics. It is a leaner meat that you can rest assured is less processed than most of what you find at the grocery, which is often laden with fillers and preservatives. Cooking what George brings home is a healthy alternative, but I’ve never been inspired to join him on his expeditions. An animal lover at heart, I feared I would be sentimental and get upset to watch an animal killed. I was happy to let George take this role on alone. With the elk hunt quickly approaching, I begin to get nervous about how I will react when the time comes, and an elk goes down. Will I cry? Will I judge my husband as callous?

We settle into a handsome modern lodge at the Sawmill Ranch, nestled in the Wasatch Mountains.

This private cattle ranch sprawls over 40,000 acres of

wild desert terrain. Red rock spires and bare aspen trees with their brilliant white bark give a stark contrast to the scrub oak and sage brush thickly dispersed on the hillsides. This landscape inspires an undeniable sense of homecoming, and I can’t wait to get out there in the thick of it. I want the sensation of being lost- which only these mountains can afford. After a quick lunch, we pack up our gear to scout the terrain for our hunt planned for the next morning. I hang back a little from George and our guide, Brett, as I’m not really sure what to do. I listen closely to what is said about scoping the trees and brush, spotting the different species, and the weather that is moving in. I feel completely out of my element. Through the binoculars, we spot some moose, several mule deer, and finally a small herd of elk bulls in the far distance.

George decides to go in for a closer look. A cold wind rises from the west, and we are less than an hour before sunset. My heart races as we stalk closer to the animals. There is not a lot of cover on the top of the ridge Brett calls Black Hawk, and we

are banking that the wind will continue to work in our favor as we hike closer to the bulls. Seven of the largest animals I’ve ever seen graze on the sage brush and dry grass. These beasts were huge, and their antlers look deadly. In my mind, I think a foul shot on such an animal would be disastrous. I look to George; his face intent on sizing up a possible shot. Any of these bulls would be an impressive mark, but I see my husband hold back. We had only just arrived and have all week for his shot. I watch as he weighs the existential reality that any of these animals would be more than satisfactory on the last day. George passes and we silently retreat leaving the herd in peace.

Everyone at the lodge is excited to hear and share what they saw. A certain thrill begins to brew inside me as well, and I can’t wait for tomorrow.

Leaving before dawn the next morning, we go to Black Hawk in darkness, quietly watching shadows emerge with the rising dawn. The air is frozen as is the ground beneath our feet. My breath fogs the binoculars, and it’s tricky to get a good view of the

land. At last, the sun crests above the eastern ridge and lights up the mountain. Immediately, we spot seven bulls at twenty-eight hundred yards off, one of which catches George’s attention. He is a massive animal that dwarfs the rest of the herd. Brett and George’s excitement is palpable as we begin the chase. In our side-by-side, we close four hundred yards, the rest of the distance will have to be won on foot. Quietly we climb the mountain side, creeping from bush to bush we make our line toward a large red cedar tree for cover. Halting abruptly when we spot a group of mule deer above us. They are easy to spook and if they bolt so will the elk. It is a tense fifteen minutes as they make their way out of our sightline, and we continue cautiously toward the elk herd. Eight hundred, six, five, then four hundred yards, George unsheathes his rifle. There is a severity to this moment, a hushed reverence for the skill needed for an ethical hit. The shot rings out; echoing through the canyon. The muzzle break makes me jump and I struggle to keep the bull in view. He runs.

He drops. I release the breath I’d been holding when I see George’s bullet was true.

I approach the animal with awe. I watch the scene as George sizes up the animal and inspects the angle of his shot. He looks at ease, without a doubt this is his environment. Unexpectedly, I feel overwhelmed with appreciation for both the animal’s sacrifice and for the opportunity to see further into my husband’s world. Hunting is an enormous part of his life; it inspires his travel and his time with his family, and it has always been a mystery to me. I see how this is the way he connects to nature, resets himself, and recharges so he can face the stress in our day-to-day lives. I consider it a privilege to have shared it with him, and to witness the hunt through his eyes.

*The views expressed in this column are those of the writer, and do not represent the opinions of V3 Magazine READV3.COM | DECEMBER 2021 V3 MAGAZINE

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Christmas on the Coosa A Christmas-theme arts and crafts festival has come to Heritage Park, offering Northwest Georgians the chance to find that unique hand-made holiday gift they won’t find anywhere else.

Text: Paul Moses | Photos: Rob Smith

EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS, Rome, Georgia, has more to offer than it did the year before. Such things as fairs, festivals, concerts, parades, car shows, sporting events, and theatrical productions are filling up the calendar’s weekends, giving folks from the surrounding communities (and beyond) a growing list of reasons to come to town. This fall, local entrepreneur Tiffany Ballinger added yet one more reason to this list by spearheading Christmas on the Coosa, an arts and crafts festival and antique car show at Heritage Park on the weekend of November 6th and 7th.

Commerce on wheels

The idea of establishing a festival was a new one to Ballinger (a surprise, really, even to her), but it was a natural outgrowth of her upbringing. “I grew up in Silver Creek,” Ballinger says, “on the Lazy J Ranch, where I worked with my dad and my grandfather in the meathouse, making sausage and processing deer.” The experience of raising her own food, combined with a farmer’s work ethic, gave her a desire to launch out on a new venture of her own. “I always wanted to start a business that had something to do with a restaurant, with food,” she says. When she learned last spring that someone was selling a used food truck, she jumped at the chance to buy it. Ballinger and her brother, Nick Ballinger, refitted the food truck for their own needs, rechristened it the Shuck Shack, and began selling roasted corn and BBQ pork at festivals, fairs, and other event around the area. The food truck’s menu varied according 16

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to the particular event’s needs; some customers wanted hamburgers and hotdogs, so that’s what the brother/sister team provided.

Looking to create more opportunity for the Shuck Shack, Ballinger decided to float the idea of starting an arts and crafts festival in the spring of 2021. For years, she had enjoyed attending such events as Ellijay’s Georgia Apple Festival and the Cave Spring Art Festival, so it seemed like a natural pursuit for her. “I put the opportunity out there of having a festival on Calhoun Highway. I expected maybe twenty or twenty-five vendors, but I wound up with fortyeight. That became the Dirt Road Festival we did in April, and it went really well.”

After that, some of the vendors from the Dirt Road Festival started asking Ballinger to host another event in the fall. She knew that Rome already had the Chiaha Harvest Fair in October, and she didn’t want to compete with that.

“Chiaha focused more on Halloween and Thanksgiving,” Ballinger says, “so I decided we would do something more geared toward Christmas.” Searching for a venue, she considered Ridge Ferry Park on the Oostanaula River, but the space proved too large. “We only had forty vendors to start with,” Ballinger says, “so Heritage Park turned out to be the perfect location.”

Word of mouth

“I’ve gotten most of my vendors through word of mouth,” Ballinger says. “I told a few people, they told more people,

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and it grew. A lot of these vendors know each other, so I started getting emails and messages from all kinds of people asking if they could sell with us.” For Christmas on the Coosa, she only had to turn a few vendors away. It wasn’t because there was anything wrong with what they were selling, but because their inventory was redundant to what others were already offering. As Ballinger puts it, “We didn’t need several vendors selling the same thing, we wanted variety. I felt bad telling a few people no, but I had to. Still, we wound up with eighty vendors, so that was plenty, and more than I had expected.”

Something for everyone

“Most of our vendors are not buying inventory from stores; they’re actually making the products they sell,” Ballinger says. “Many of them just do it for the joy of doing what they love to do. And they don’t want the overhead of owning a brickand-mortar store.”

Variety was the theme of Christmas on the Coosa. The festival offered such things as handmade jewelry, floral arrangements, skin care products, wreaths, steel firepits, lemonade, cotton candy, ballcaps, home décor, woodcrafts, bicycles, face painting, and lots of other things.

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The beautiful handmade products of some of the festival’s vendors can best be described as eccentric, even quirky. Ergamoca Art, owned by artist Jenny Walker, is a good example. Walker creates a sort of modern twist on the old tradition of stained glass. Working in a converted two-car garage at home, she takes all sorts of glassware (even colorful sea glass) and uses her own proprietary method to embed them into window displays, encasing them in window frames and picture frames. The results are colorful works of glass art that sparkle in the light. Ergamoca Art also does custom pieces, incorporating the customer’s personal glassware into the designs.

The use of people’s antiques and family heirlooms gives the work a nostalgic vibe. “I’ve always been artistic,” Walker says, “and I’m glad I can use my talent to make things that touch so many people on an emotional level. And for me, doing the work is very therapeutic.”

Then there’s Janet’s Designer Bottle Lights, owned and operated by Janet and Terry Woodall.

Beneath the Woodall’s tent, hundreds of bottles crowd the tables, showing off a wide variety of brands, shapes, sizes, types, and slogans. Each bottle is filled with Christmas tree lights, perfect for use as a nightlight or just a unique piece to

use as a conversation-starter. The themes of the artwork and logos on the bottles range from sports teams to children’s room décor. Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 is a big seller. “People always want Jack Daniel’s bottles,” Janet says. “We can’t keep them in stock.” Janet got the idea for this business when Terry worked as a bartender. She was intrigued by the great variety of interesting bottles he worked with. She took some of Terry’s empties, decorated them, and filled them with lights. The lighted bottles were a hit with their family and friends, and soon afterward Janet’s Designer Bottle Lights was born.

Several of Christmas on the Coosa’s vendors are brand new businesses that were birthed from the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiffany Ballinger

Cars and kids

Point Blank Pepper Company is one such vendor.

Rich Newton lost a long-time job in the hospitality industry due to pandemic cutbacks, so he started this new business from his home. He took the idea of old-fashioned southern bread & butter pickles and applied it to peppers. Experimenting with recipes in his kitchen, Newton finally settled on a range of products to introduce to the public.

There are his Smoke Rings, a mix of hand cut jalapeños and mini sweet pepper rings in a sweet, spicy bread & butter brine. Newton also offers Hallo Rings, jalapeños in sweet ghost pepper brine. Besides the pepper ring products, Newton produces table sauces in a range of spicy heats that are sure to elevate any number of recipes. The company’s name, Point Blank Pepper Company, its logo, and branding were inspired by Newton’s deep respect for the military.

One event at Christmas on the Coosa, the Car Show, gave attendees not only the chance to see a great display of vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles, but also gave them the opportunity to contribute to a great cause: the Specially Gifted Foundation.

Specially Gifted Foundation, established in 2020 by Bree Kernion Lanham and Marcie Price, is a non-profit organization that helps special-needs children and their families. The foundation’s website explains: “We believe that children with disabilities deserve to be loved and valued as equals in our society. We respect the unique journey that each of their families face and are dedicated to enriching their lives by providing them with a special gift or opportunity, beneficial resources, and a sense of community.”

Tiffany Ballinger is proud that the Car Show at Christmas on the Coosa was able to contribute to this worthy endeavor. “All the profits from the Car Show went to Specially Gifted,” Ballinger says. “We didn’t want any of the money from that to go to us.”

More to come

Through the adventures of starting the Shuck Shack, the Dirt Road Festival, and Christmas on the Coosa, Tiffany Ballinger has acquired a

renewed appreciation for her own hometown.

“I’ve learned that Rome is a community that will support you,” she says. “Even when you don’t believe in yourself and you have your doubts, Rome is there for you.” Initially, the crowded event calendar for Rome and the surrounding communities was a genuine concern, but Ballinger found her worries were ill-founded.

“The weekend of Christmas on the Coosa there were so many other things going on around town, but the people still came out to Heritage Park. The turnout was great. I was so thankful!” And the good news is, Rome can look forward to visiting Christmas on the Coosa again next year.

In 2022, Ballinger’s festivals will return, but this time, expanded. The Dirt Road Festival & BBQ Cook-off will be held on April 30th and May 1st. Also in the new year, Ballinger will team up with Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation to co-host Christmas on the Coosa & Chili-Fest on November 5th and 6th at Ridge Ferry Park.

Vendors interested in participating in either of these events can contact Tiffany Ballinger at tballinger1997@gmail.com or 706-233-2520.

For more information, visit @ChristmasontheCoosa on Facebook

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Building Christmas Memories with Comfort and Joy One family uses long-cherished traditions and beautiful, tasteful Christmas décor to build new holiday memories in their 1940’s-era home on the Coosa River. photos KEITH BEAUCHAMP text PAUL MOSES

O

n Horseleg Creek Road, just across the river from the Coosa Country Club, sits a sprawling ranch home, with its interior decked out for Christmas in elegant style. The rooms are decorated with a tasteful aesthetic, nothing gaudy or obtrusive. Like the rest of the home’s décor, the color scheme of the Christmas decorations is classic. Pine boughs.

Flowers. Silver and gold. Each piece is placed with care, just the right touch here and there. Not too much, though, nothing over the top. Where bright colors are used, they pop, accenting the spaces rather than overwhelming them. The house seems to be quietly holding its breath, waiting for a holiday party to break out any minute. This time last year, however, the home’s owners had no idea they’d be living here in 2021.

A call out of the blue

The Mauer family had lived in a lovely, secluded home in North River Farms for sixteen happy years. Chris, a local business owner, and Kim, an ICU nurse, had raised their children there and had no plans to move to Horseleg Creek Road or anywhere else.

26 | HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE

Then the phone rang.

“We sort of accidentally sold our home,” Kim says. “Our house was not on the market, but we got a call from Brooke Brinson of Hardy Realty, who said he had a young married couple with children who wanted to see the house. So, we let them.” Laughing, she adds, “Well, within a couple of weeks we had sold our house and had nowhere to go!”

Coming home

That was May of this year. Hardy Realty introduced them to the home on the Coosa River, they immediately loved it and bought it. They moved in during the first week of July.

“When I first walked through this house,” Kim says, “I felt a sense of coming home. I was raised in a ranch house, so I’ve always pictured myself eventually living in another one. For me, ranch house equals home.”

HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE | 27

Another reason the Mauers enjoy their ranch house is there are no staircases to climb (except to access the apartment above the garage).

This is a feature they suspect will pay off later in life, in their senior years. With a chuckle, Kim says, “Age in place: that’s our plan!”

The Mauers also like the way this home is laid out, the way it flows.

It accommodates their large extended family. “We’re sort of the hub of the family; everyone comes here,” Kim says. “Probably about once a week I have a full house, but even if everyone winds up in the kitchen, there’s still plenty of room. Our previous home was not quite as open as this one is, so this has been fantastic.”

The house was built in 1948 by Dr. Robert Harbin, and it has undergone a couple of rounds of expansions since then. Previous owners added a whole master suite wing, also a front bedroom. “We’ve made some changes, too,” Kim says, “but we didn’t change the footprint of the house.” The Mauers did some updates in the kitchen: adding a commercial cooktop, some painting, a new sink and cabinet hardware.

The bar’s previous cherrywood finish has been painted a soothing green color. Kim adds, “We’ve recently uncovered and restored the original

28 | HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE

flooring in two of the bedrooms, removing the carpet and bringing the floors back. We’re trying to be true to the home’s history.”

As a special personal touch, the Mauers have hung several works of art that were created by Chris’ sister, Tami Modlin. These landscape paintings and figure drawings are important additions to this home because they convey a sense of family connection that is so important to the Mauers.

Decking the halls

This is a lot of house to decorate for Christmas, and Kim Mauer had no desire to do it alone. She rallied family and friends to the task. For instance, she called on long-time family friend and floral expert Carol Rutledge (owner of Bluem). “She is responsible for the beautiful flowers and plants in the dining room,” Kim says. “She brought in the orchids and the amaryllis. And she did a beautiful tree in the foyer. It was fantastic.”

Also, Rutledge came out and walked Kim around the grounds and taught her all about the plants and trees in the yard, and how to best take care of them. “She’s such a lovely person. I so appreciate her expertise.”

The Mauer’s daughter, Lauren Ward, also pitched in, working hard to make the family home a festive holiday showcase. “Lauren did a great job helping us decorate,” Kim says. “She has a good eye for it.”

One big chore Kim did not want to take on herself was decorating the Christmas tree. Fortunately, one of her friends, Josh Kerce, who is a Rome police lieutenant, stepped up to the task. “Josh has come over for the last five years and helped me with the tree,” Kim says. “He and his mom are like family to us and it’s a special time every year when he comes to do the tree.”

The finished look of the house is, overall, that of a traditional Christmas, but an updated version of it.

The real challenge was in taking all the Christmas décor the family had collected over so many years and transferring them into a home with a completely different style. Their previous home had a rustic vibe, with lots of natural wood and stone. “It’s been fun picking things, weeding through them,” Kim says.

Many of the tree ornaments they used have lots of sentimental value, like the ones made by their children and others crafted by local artisans. One ornament, a little cherub, was given to Kim by the family of one of her ICU patients. “The patient, unfortunately, didn’t get to go home from the hospital,” she says, “and the family gave me the ornament. It’s a treasure that I hang on our tree every year.”

Now the stage is set at the home on Horseleg Creek Road for its first Mauer family Christmas. It is their hope that this holiday here will be followed by many to come. “To me, this house is all about family and friends,” Kim says. “That’s what’s most important.

When we decorated for Christmas, that’s what we wanted to represent.”

HARDY REALTY | HOME FEATURE | 29

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A Dickens' Christmas on Broad The Rome Symphony Orchestra, Rome’s most historic fine arts organization, sets to dazzle audiences in a big way as in-person holiday outings resume.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Christmas 2020 season didn’t have the same sparkle as years prior. This year, organizations large and small are bringing much needed holiday cheer and magic to reinvigorate the 2021 holiday season. The Rome Symphony Orchestra is excited to resume in-person live performances and seeks to entertain audiences young and old alike with their holiday offering, A Dickens’ Christmas on Broad, happening on Sunday, December 19th.

Dokken says, “Our costumed carolers, seasonal readings, and musical selections will sweep the entire family away to a bygone era of Christmas magic, and we hope the performance will help audiences take that spark back to their own family holiday celebrations.”

The RSO, known famously as the “oldest symphony in the South,” traditionally offers a holiday concert as part of their season slate. Due to pandemic restrictions last year, the 20202021 season began in January and skipped the fan-favorite holiday event in favor of virtual performances until live events could take place again.

With restrictions lifted and crowds permitted to gather again, the symphony resumes its mission to inspire, educate, and entertain through musical performances. But this year is big for the organization in other ways as well: the orchestra celebrates a milestone birthday with the 21-22 season: one hundred years of orchestral music in downtown Rome. In homage, the entire season slate pays tribute to all the “greatest hits” in music over the last one hundred years: from the introduction of music into the movies, the advent of Broadway, the rise of Aaron Copland and more.

The holiday concert, however, skips the overall 100th anniversary theme and stands as a love letter for symphony supporters. Maestro Jeffrey Dokken, now serving in his fourth year as conductor, is upping the ante by creating an immersive holiday experience with interactive elements alongside symphonic music. “Nothing evokes thoughts and feelings of Christmas more than Charles Dickens and the Victorian Era,” 32

V3 MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2021 | READV3.COM

Maestro Jeffrey Dokken

The symphony’s late-in-the-holiday-season event (less than a week before Christmas!) aims to be an outing for the whole family. As part of their initiative to engage the next generation of symphony goers, the symphony board also moved the holiday concert two hours earlier than the traditional 7 p.m. start time, in order to provide an opportunity for the youngest family members to attend.

The concert will be held Sunday, December 19th at 5 p.m. in the afternoon at The Rome City Auditorium on Broad Street. As the

symphony’s home base for many years, the city auditorium is sure to be decked in holiday decor and ready to resume holiday traditions.

In December, there is truly no place like “Rome” for the holidays.

For more information on the symphony and to purchase tickets for A Dickens’ Christmas on Broad, please visit romesymphony. org.

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A Bluem Christmas Christmas is blooming in the River District, and Carol Rutledge talks Christmas décor of a living variety.

Text: Tammy Barron | Photos: Rob Smith

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Q&A with Carol Rutledge

Master Gardener, Carol Rutledge was selected to join a creative team in decorating the White House for Christmas in 2019. Thousands of applicants from across the country submitted essays in hopes to be selected for the job of decorating the White House; it’s hallways, elaborate Christmas trees, and the stately rooms of the East Wing. It was a tremendous privilege for Rome, Georgia, to be represented. Carol Rutledge, owner of Bluem, speaks about her amazing experience at our nation’s capital and the inspiration that makes her botanical garden shop the premier place to visit when looking for that special holiday gift.

Q: Tell me about your expectations during the application process for the White House Christmas decoration team, and were you prepared for what was to come?

Rutledge: It was so competitive. There were thousands of applicants. We had to write an essay and be vetted. When I received the email of my acceptance, I just couldn’t hardly believe it. I reread the email a couple of times because I was shocked: to be selected from Rome, Georgia. There were just over one hundred of us that were picked. We came from all over the country and all walks of life, though most of us had experience with floral design and décor. We were assigned to individual designers who in-turn worked directly with the First Lady, Melania Trump. I was designated to the Blue Room, and I couldn’t believe it. Everyone wants to get assigned to the Blue Room, the tree is so grand. Our tree’s theme was of the of state flowers. We paired these beautifully hand cut gold paper state flowers to its banner. Being familiar with flowers really helped me with the assignment.

Q: What was it like working in the White House?

Rutledge: Surreal is the first word that comes to mind. Every morning secret service would walk

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us through a back entrance and escort us through security; all our purses and bags, including our phones, were kept in a secured closet. We walked through hallways and rooms that are not typically open to the public. I just kept thinking of all of the important dignitaries that have walked past these same walls and paintings over the last hundred years. It was all very humbling. At some point when we were working on our tree, I glanced out the window and saw Marine One land on the lawn right outside and the President of the United States walk out to board. I thought this is really neat, to be here watching this scene out the window while standing in this beautiful room.

Working in the White House was a tall order.

We were expected to work, and work we did. We

perhaps had about twenty minutes to eat lunchthey fed us, and it was delicious- but by golly we were working. None of us minded because we had this common goal: “we were going to get this done, for our government.” We had almost a militant attitude (laughing).

Q: What was your favorite moment of the experience?

Rutledge: Probably the most incredible part of the experience was being an invited guest to attend a Christmas Party, hosted by the First Lady.

After all the work was complete, we each received a formal invitation to celebrate Christmas and see all our hard work over the course of the week.

For the first time, we entered the White House from the front steps. I found myself feeling rather emotional, as we climbed those stairs. Off in the distance I could see the security fence that separates the grounds from the public, I could see those people’s faces, and realized how special this moment was. Dignitaries, ambassadors, world leaders and all the people who have walked these steps before me, and here I am. I felt very reverent for what this place represents. I am so grateful for our country and where we live. I thought of the military and the sacrifices made by so many families by so many generations, and I was humbled by the magnitude of the place. That’s what the White House means to me. It doesn’t matter who is in it. All the people who were there were so happy and delightful, everyone was grateful to be working there, and no one had the countenance of “I can’t wait for this term to be over.” You know, that’s political and this was bigger than that. Everyone was so happy.

We were given a tour of all the rooms and hallways that the group decorated. It was all so beautiful and mind blowing to see all the work we were able to accomplish in a week. Everything was all so beautiful and powerful, being surrounded by the most incredible works of art and history. I was just so humbled.

Q: What does the Christmas season mean for your shop and how do you prepare for your customers’ holiday needs?

Rutledge: Susan Hortman and I went to the Atlanta Market. We had the intention of finding some things that were fun and unusual, all the while staying true to our garden concept, which you know can be rather difficult when you are trying to find gifts for people to purchase for Christmas. We can put a plant in just about anything; for example, last week we had a young woman bring in an enormous sterling silver READV3.COM | DECEMBER 2021 V3 MAGAZINE

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punchbowl that she had been gifted by a family member. She said, “Carol, what am I going to do with this? I’m never going to serve punch.” I agreed, no one really serves punch anymore. “Can I use it as a planter?” she asked. Absolutely! So, we put some orchids and ferns in it, and it was incredible. She was thrilled because she had a use for her sterling silver punch bowl. People have laughed at what we can create a composition out of. So that is what has been so fun about going to the market and looking for Christmas ideas, knowing we can put a plant and an arrangement in just about anything. It’s allowed us to be creative, and unique in our gifts all the while staying true to our garden shop. Santa candy dishes, and red lanterns all turned to pots, the possibilities are endless.

Rutledge: Well, we opened in the pandemic

Q: What trends do you see for this season?

Rutledge: This time of year, people gravitate toward rosemary, Norfolk pines, ivy topiaries, and pansies because they can withstand the colder weather, but nature isn’t trendy- it transcends.

Plants are timeless. You may see trends in containers and colors, and we can create a composition that compliments any style.

Q: What are the reasons people should consider botanicals for their Christmas décor and gifts?

Rutledge: First of all, they clean the air; exchanging our carbon dioxide for oxygen.

Giving us clean fresh air to breathe. More than that though they allow us to nurture. They love 38

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the light, and having plants encourages us to open the blinds and let the sunshine into our homes.

Take into consideration those orchids over there.

(Pointing at a large porcelain bowl filled with orchids and moss.) They are so majestic. An orchid, a klinko, or an anthurium; they are living and producing blooms. These thriving green plants make a wonderful gift because they inspire life and joy through living color and blooms.

Q: How has Bluem grown and adapted over the course of a year?

as you know, and that had its obvious challenges.

I think that the secret to our success is that we have stayed in our lane. We opened as a boutique garden shop and that’s what we have stayed. That’s what we do best. Susan and I are both Master Gardeners, and we like to use our knowledge to help set people up for success when they come and buy a plant from us. We do this by first providing good plants. None of our plants are mass produced, we purchase from small growers who have hands-on traditions. When you leave, we want you to feel good about your purchase and for you to feel good about the experience.

The shop has grown in predictable ways, extending our inventory to include different varieties and more exotic succulents. We have expanded what we would normally offer, because people like different things. We have also grown in volume, because we’ve stayed in our lane. We are good at what we do. We are good with plants.

We are good with composition. We’ve not been like a water spider bouncing around trying to figure out who we are; Bluem is a boutique garden shop and that’s what we are.

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FOR MANY PEOPLE, THE CHRISTMAS SEASON IS A JOYOUS TIME OF YEAR,

but for some families it is a hard time, too.

To help spread a little extra joy, Harbin Clinic has teamed up with Toys for Tots to provide Christmas gifts for less-fortunate children in Northwest Georgia. Harbin Clinic Dermatology shares how their office helped collect toys and raise funds for the organization.

HEALTHCARE THAT’S MORE THAN SKIN-DEEP

Practice Manager Kim Miller and Aesthetician Julie Johnson work with fellow staff members at Harbin Clinic Dermatology to deal with all issues related to skin, hair, and nails; everything from skin cancer to nail infections. They also offer a variety of cosmetic procedures and a full line of high-quality products to rejuvenate skin, giving patients a more youthful appearance.

Asked what she does at work, Johnson (chuckling) says, “I make people pretty.”

That’s true, of course, and she and her colleagues do far more than that. They also serve as educators for their patients, teaching them how to protect the health of their skin year-round. Miller and Johnson point out that even in the winter months it’s important to guard against the sun’s harmful rays. They suggest common sense precautions like sunscreen, moisturizers, cleansers, and the wearing of sunglasses,

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hats, and long sleeves. Also, they urge their patients to be vigilant about hydration.

The professionals at Harbin Clinic Dermatology care about more than people’s skin, hair, and nails; they care deeply about their everyday lives, too.

Both Miller and Johnson are enthusiastic supporters of Harbin Clinic’s partnership with Toys for Tots. Miller says, “That’s why from the end of October through the beginning of December we offered a 15% discount on any cosmetic service or on various products for any patient who brings in a gift for Toys for Tots.” Toys and monetary donations are collected at the

Harbin Clinic Dermatology

dermatology office until the good folks from Toys for Tots come to collect them.

GREAT GOOD FROM MODEST BEGINNINGS

The idea for Toys for Tots began in 1947, when Diane Hendricks gave a few handcrafted dolls to her husband, Bill, and asked him to donate them to some worthy organization that would gift them to children in need. After Bill searched and could not locate such a group in their area, Diane said, “Well, start one!” So, he did.

Bill, a major in the Marine Corps Reserve, enlisted the help of his fellow Marines from

his Los Angeles, California, unit. Together they collected and gave away some 5,000 toys that first year. When the Marine Commandant saw what the reservists in LA had done, he was impressed and ordered all Marine Reserve Sites to take part in Major Hendrick’s program. In 1948, after only one year in existence, Toys for Tots went nationwide.

Since Major Hendricks’ day job was in public relations at Warner Brothers Studios, he had plenty of friends who were executives and celebrities in the entertainment industry. He called on many of them for their help with his new endeavor. One of these friends was none other than Walt Disney himself. Eager to do his part, Mr. Disney provided Toys for Tots’ first marketing poster, which featured Donald Duck decked out in Santa Claus garb and riding on a miniature train loaded with toys. From this, the image of a three-car train was later adopted as the organization’s logo.

Today, Toys for Tots collects approximately eighteen million toys annually and gives them to some seven million children each Christmas, and Harbin Clinic is proud to be part of this wonderful, ever-expanding holiday tradition. As Miller and Johnson see it, the Marine Reserve’s Christmas initiative ties in perfectly with the clinic’s stated mission, which is “to care completely for the health and wellness of every person in the communities we serve.” As Miller puts it, “Harbin Clinic is in the profession of helping people, helping them completely.

Toys for Tots fits that mission perfectly.”

can be contacted through the Patient Portal at harbinclinic.com or by calling 762.235.3480. For more information about Toys for Tots, go to toysfortots.org.

HEALTHY SKIN IN THE NEW YEAR

One Christmas present people can give to themselves is the gift of healthy skin. Miller and Johnson invite those interested in exploring the many services and products provided by Harbin Clinic Dermatology to contact the practice for a complimentary consultation. The practice

Julie Johnson, Aesthetician

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GRAND COLUMN

NINA LOVEL

Truisms I Have Known and Loved

Here and Now with Nina Lovel

I hope you’ll find an epiphany somewhere in my column today.

DON’T WORRY, I’M NOT GOING ALL CEREBRAL ON YOU; I just want to share some Truisms that help me make sense out of life. If they make you think, “I knew that!”, I've done my job. Let’s go!

1. There’s somebody for everybody This one took hold on me years ago when I was working with some very quirky people. Since “quirky” is subjective and may mean nothing more than “way different from me”, my quirky may be your normal; we each have the right to think what we think (see below).

One lady I considered quirky had a larger-than-life personality and a voice to go with it. She didn’t talk like most of us, and she didn’t 44

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dress like most of us, but she had a good heart, and she was looking for love. She was a heavy smoker, always headed outside to burn another one, and I worried that she would never find a partner, but find love she did, right out back at the smoking table! It was a sweet wedding (albeit a bit loud).

Look around the next time you’re at a ball game or party, or out shopping; you’ll spot them: couples who seem so mis-matched you wonder how they ever got started. You may even have a friend that you worried would never find love, and they’re now blissfully partnered-up with just the right person. There’s somebody for everybody, and that brings hope to us all!

2. Everybody’s got something I don’t spend much time on Facebook anymore, because I fell into reading all the look-at-my-perfect-life posts by distant friends I hardly know. I happen to think my *own* life is awesome, even if I’m not well-retired to a tiny community and taking charcuterie classes at night, but I’ve cut back on my sharing these days, just because.

Look, nobody’s life is perfect; everybody’s got something. You may not know it, but it’s there. That sweet little older couple in church may spend every waking hour praying for a grandchild in the grip of addiction. That grouchy lady being rude to your server

NINA LOVEL

may have a swelling that she’s terrified to have checked. The sullen man behind you in line may be about to lose his job and is too embarrassed to tell his family. Your coworker may be afraid his wife is seeing someone else.

While really close friends may share their burdens with one another, this Truism is about the somethings we hold way down deep. The ones we may not even admit to ourselves.

Always be kind, because you never know what someone else is going through. Everybody’s got something.

3. Everything is somewhere Way before it was defined, I was a template for ADHD. Had they known of its existence, my Central Primary teachers would have slapped that label on me before the bell for recess. I developed adaptive behaviors like list-making, and I even had fancy fidget toys with names like pen, pencil, and eraser. To me, ADHD is a gift that leads me to embrace fun and love adventure, and it powers my creative streak too.

The most annoying aspect of this thing has always been that gasp of anxiety that comes when I can’t find something. Early on, I learned that if I put something back where I got it, it would usually be there the next time I needed it, but this system flew out the dorm window when I arrived at Furman. What drove me the craziest was that hall-mates would borrow my hairbrush (wait till I do a column on words like “hairbrush”) and not put it back. They meant no harm and I didn’t want to get mad about it, so I managed my nerves by telling myself “Breathe...my brush is not gone; it is somewhere.” And, it always was.

You know how people say getting older makes you forget where you put things? That’s not going to be a problem for me; I’ve already adapted! The next time you get that tightness because you can’t find something, just remember this: everything is somewhere. Then take a deep breath and go look for it.

4. What somebody thinks is what somebody thinks I was recently in a conversation with a diverse group of friends, and the subject of (surprise) masks came up. This group had more political stripes than a tiger, and the talk grew louder as each one justified his/her stance on masks. Seriously? If we haven’t learned by now that we can’t change somebody’s mind about masks, it’s time to stop trying.

Unless it’s essential to your position to do so, don’t waste another molecule of your life’s energy discussing masks. You’re not going to change my mind, and I’m not going to change yours, and that’s just about masks. Try convincing somebody that there’s no way her friend’s cell phone could have magnetically stuck to her arm after her COVID vaccine.

How many times has an ad or editorial actually changed your mind about something you already believed? There ya go: what somebody thinks is what somebody thinks.

GRAND COLUMN

5. We’re never always able to do everything While my GRAND column started out for people over 50 (aka “grownups”), I try to speak to all generations. I don’t read a lot of senior adult articles because my identity is not all wrapped up in being a senior adult. I’m much more than that, and anyway, the same things are going to happen to all of us if we’re lucky to live long enough. I have a perspective on this.

Is it harder for me to open jars these days because I’m getting older? Maybe/maybe not; I don’t dwell on it. Instead, I just grab one of those little rubber grippy-mats I used to give away when the hospital did senior health fairs, and then I open the jar. So what if I need a rubber grippy-mat? Guess what? I couldn’t open that jar when I was four years old, either!

Is it harder for me to lift my cast iron cornbread pan these days? Maybe, but so what? I couldn’t have lifted it when I was six years old, either.

Life is made of seasons: we’re never always able to do everything.

And finally, the true-ist Truism of all, dedicated to my best paddle-buddy friend and partner in mischief, Gena Agnew (but you need to read this first): Gena and I have shared countless hours of friendship and adventure over decades. She introduced me to the river twenty years ago, and oh, what stories we can tell (and some we won’t)!

We’ve crashed over dams and trees, paddled straight past our takeout point (twice!), and even found a body, but what we’ve really found is friendship. We’ve hiked, traveled, laughed, played tennis, weathered drama and celebrations, and are unconditionally here for one another.

As I write this, Gena is in the hospital and extremely ill. Had she not sought care when she did, she would not be with us now.

The doctors (and I) believe she will get better, but it is going to be a very long haul. I pray for her healing, and I pray that we’ll be back on the water by summer, but that is not promised right now. Gena, you’ve always shown me how to enjoy life, sometimes daring me, sometimes dragging me, and the memories we’ve made will last our lifetimes. I want these to be LONG lifetimes, so I’m praying for your steady and complete recovery!

And with that, our last Truism:

6. “You might as well enjoy life, because you’ll never get out of it alive!”

-Dr. Raymond Young, many years ago.

Go! Enjoy!

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Merry Christmas Happy New Year WISHING EVERYONE A

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GRAND COLUMN

RENAISSANCE MARQUIS

Where The Heart Is with Renaissance Marquis

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RENAISSANCE MARQUIS

GRAND COLUMN

Seasons Greetings with Thankful Hearts THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS AN IDEAL TIME TO PAUSE AND COUNT OUR BLESSINGS. We at Renaissance Marquis are surrounded with these blessings every day of the week, yearround; they are too many to count. But we want to try.

First and foremost, we are especially grateful to you, our residents. You make coming to work a real pleasure. The way you rally around each other, forging friendships and building community, is an inspiration to all of us who have the privilege of knowing you. You are truly more than residents; you are friends and neighbors to the whole Renaissance Marquis family. We are also thankful for your patience during the long process of renovating many of the apartments here. You have shown such appreciation for all the good work the

prepare the meals and the friendly folks that serve it, you are doing fine work, and it shows. Whether you work behind a desk or tread the halls or drive a shuttle, the dedication you pour into your service does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. You evoke the spirit of family here, providing for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others. Thank you for all you do.

If our residents are the heart of this place, you, the caregivers, are its hands.

You meet all the personal needs of our wonderful residents with kindness and compassion, always assuring that their wishes are respected, and that their dignity is maintained. You work tirelessly to give them the quality of life and safe, comfortable lifestyle they’ve earned for themselves. The grace you display every day brings more

Please know that when we at Renaissance Marquis count our blessings, you, our residents, are at the top of our list. planners, builders, and decorators have done to upgrade your living spaces. And your continued indulgence is appreciated as well (yes, the best is yet to come). So, please know that when we at Renaissance Marquis count our blessings, you, our residents, are at the top of our list.

We give special thanks for all of you that serve as the Renaissance Marquis staff. Ever the consummate professionals, you are the ones who keep this wonderful organization going on a daily basis. Without you, the good work here could not continue.

From the smiling faces at the front desk, to the busy hands that keep the whole place spotless, to the talented cooks that

joy to others than you can imagine. You maintain an atmosphere that encourages our residents to continue to pursue their interests, hobbies, and passions in a way that allows them to continue to contribute to the wellbeing of the Renaissance Marquis community around them. We see your work, and we are thankful for you.

With grateful hearts, we wish a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you who make Renaissance Marquis a truly premier retirement village, helping us all to work together to (as our motto puts it) serve the Greatest Generation with honor, respect, faith, and integrity.

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Career and Calling Text DeMarcus Daniel | Photos Andy Calvert

After graduation, he worked at Kraft Foods’ corporate office. Over the next seventeen years, he worked his way up the company ladder until all the cheese plant managers across the United States reported to him. In many ways, Naff’s career trajectory was an exciting and rewarding one. On the other hand, it meant he had to visit all those factories at least twice per year, even more often when some major project was in the works. That meant time away from his wife and growing children.

During this time, Naff made academic strides as well. While working, he went on to earn his MBA. As he puts it: “In those days at Kraft, if you didn’t have an MBA, you really weren’t going anywhere. It was considered a prerequisite for further promotion.”

A change of mind and a new purpose

When does a career become a calling?

PERHAPS THAT’S A QUESTION some people never apply to their own lives, while others wrestle with it throughout their working years. It’s a question that Rome, Georgia, resident Sam Naff found an answer to for himself. Naff has no regrets about leaving a lucrative job in the corporate world to pursue a higher calling. And believe it or not, this journey began with cheese.

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From college to cows

As a college student, Sam Naff got a summer job at Kraft Foods. He soon became intrigued by the food processing industry, so he asked around the company about what it took to work full-time in the field.

He was advised to major in dairy science in a school of agriculture, so he did. This was a big change for him, having no experience with livestock. Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, he had little opportunity of coming across cattle. “Until that time, I had never seen a cow,” Naff says, “except seeing one from the car window while driving down the highway.”

While clearly on a successful track at Kraft Foods, Naff started having nagging doubts about his career path. Some things he was hearing at church began to change his outlook; his worldview was shifting.

“When you’re in a corporate job,” he says, “you want to get ahead. Everyone’s trying to see who has the most influence with the boss. I began thinking life had to mean more than that.” Something had to change.

The first order of business was to figure out what he wanted to do. Naff knew he did not want to become a pastor or a missionary in the traditional sense. He wanted to use his MBA to work on the business side of some Christian ministry. However, he also knew he needed to be careful about the decisions he made. After all, they would not only impact his own life, but also those of his family. He had to be certain he wasn’t misreading his feelings and motivations.

“I was in my mid-forties then,” Naff says, “and I wanted to make sure this was a true calling rather than a mid-life crisis. Besides that, I had two kids in college.”

After job-hunting, and much soulsearching, Naff landed a position at Campus Crusade for Christ (today called Cru) in one of their ministries, Family Life, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.

When Naff explained his plans to his boss and workmates at Kraft, they thought he was crazy. They simply could not understand why he was taking what they considered a drastic career move. “If I had told them we were going to sell our house, buy a boat, and sail around the world,” Naff says, “it

SAM NAFF

would have been a lot better received than what I was telling them.”

When Naff started at Campus Crusade for Christ, it was an adjustment in many ways. A sacrifice, too. For one thing, it meant a huge pay difference, about an 80% cut in income. On the upside, the family was debt free. The regional disparity in real estate prices helped as well; the sale of their home near Chicago provided enough equity for them to pay cash for a house in Little Rock. Also, Naff ’s stock options at Kraft Foods were enough to pay for the kids’ college.

Pulling up roots…again

Naff loved serving as Family Life’s director of marketing, but it wasn’t long before he felt drawn in yet another direction. His father was a friend of one of the trustees on the board of directors at Haggai International, headquartered in Atlanta. Out of deference to his father, Naff met with the trustee.

At this meeting, he learned they needed someone with business experience to take care of administrative types of things: personnel, finance, HR, etc. “My initial meeting with that trustee was brief, and I saw a short video, but I was impressed,” Naff says. “I knew then this was a big deal.”

Haggai International, founded by Dr. John Edmund Haggai, is an evangelistic organization that trains leaders from non-western countries to evangelize their own people. Naff says, “They reach out to university presidents, mayors, members of Parliament, doctors—you name it.” Haggai International’s website puts it this way: “At the core of our mission are strategically positioned leaders who are multiplying their influence with one purpose—to end Gospel poverty.”

Haggai International doesn’t use traditional missionary methods, such as transplanting Americans into other

countries. Rather, the people they train already live in their own culture, they already know the language, and they don’t stand out as foreigners. “The world won’t be won to Christ by just one method,” Naff says. “There are lots of ways to evangelize.”

When Naff first came to Haggai International, all the training of national workers was done in Singapore, so the work would have an indigenous flavor to it, not a Western one. Naff explains, “The founder, Dr. Haggai, did not want people to go home with a ‘Made in America’ label sewn in their clothes. Now the training is done in Hawaii; even though that is America, it is still Polynesia.”

Before he met Dr. Haggai, Naff already had a positive connection of sorts to him. In 1963, Dr. Haggai was a guest speaker at First Baptist Church Atlanta, and during that service Naff’s future wife, Sarah, responded to the gospel and received Christ. Naff says, “So, when I met Dr. Haggai years later, I felt like I already owed him a debt of gratitude.

I knew then that this was absolutely what I was supposed to do. It was my calling.”

Joining the ministry team, Naff served as

GRAND FEATURE

COO, working as one of three executives who reported directly to Dr. Haggai.

Retirement in the fast lane.

Though he is now retired from Haggai International, Sam Naff still takes an active role in the work, serving on the ministry’s Board of Trustees. But his life is not all about work. One indulgence Naff allows himself is his love for cars. He freely admits this has long been a weakness for him, but he is quick to point out there are far worse vices some men have: “I don’t stay out drinking or run around on my wife. I just get tired of driving the same car all the time. That’s all.”

Only one month after Naff married his wife Sarah (now his bride of 57 years), he purchased a 1964 ½ Ford Mustang. Since then, his fascination with automobiles has continued, and he is grateful that Sarah has patiently turned the other cheek about the matter. One regret Naff does have is that when they built their current home, they only built a two-car garage. “Big mistake!” he says.

“When you’re in a corporate job, you want to get ahead. Everyone’s trying to see who has the most influence with the boss. I began thinking life had to mean more than that.”

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GRAND FEATURE

SAM NAFF

He has a special fondness for Jaguars.

He’s owned eleven of them; “But,” he adds in his own defense, “not all at once.”

These days, Naff drives the fifth Mustang he’s owned, a 2018 GT Ford Mustang convertible. “And why not?” he says, “It’s just too good to give up.”

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From cheese to change

In Sam Naff ’s years with Kraft Foods, his job was to make sure the company produced the best quality product at the best possible price. He enjoyed the challenge of finding savings in the production process. As he points out, a savings of only one cent per pound of cheese meant millions in recouped

profits. Eventually, however, that kind of work wasn’t enough. Naff says, “Years ago, I would hear people say they had a ‘calling from God’. That was always a mystery to me back then.” Later, he received helpful counsel on the subject from Dr. Vernon Broyles, chaplain of Big Canoe Chapel in Big Canoe, Georgia. Broyles explained, “You’ll know it’s a calling when you can’t think of anything else.” That made a lot of sense to Naff, who says, “I saw that the desire to make the change had to be allconsuming. And it was.”

When asked what, for him, was better about working in the ministry that in the corporate world, he says with a slight smile, “The product is better.” He goes on to say, “Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with cheese—cheese has been very good to me—but cheese has never really changed anybody’s life.”

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4617 Rockmart Hwy Silver Creek, GA | 706-528-4963 | www.acwlandscapes.com | Find us on Facebook READV3.COM | DECEMBER 2021 V3 MAGAZINE

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a gathering place...

Great Bar • Great Food • Great Friends Beer • Cocktails • Wine • Hot & Cold Appetizers • Soups • Salads Entrees • Burgers • Sandwiches • Desserts • Coffee • Tea

Mon - Thurs 5-10pm Fri - Sat 5pm-1am For takeout, call 706-378-4837 bar ext. 407

Catering & Event Space Available

100 W. 2nd Avenue, Rome, Georgia • 706.378.4837 • hawthorn.com 54

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THE DISH MEDITERRANEAN

bistro

www.lascalaromega.com 413 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161

706-238-9000

www.mellowmushroom.com Hours: Mon - Sat: 6pm - 10pm 400 Block Bar & Lounge: 4pm-1:30am Live music each weekend.

La Scala offers both first-rate service and terrific Italian Cuisine in an upscale casual atmosphere.

50% off cafe menu from 4-6 p.m.

www.schroedersnewdeli.com 406 Broad Street Rome, GA 30161

706-234-4613

Hours: Mon-Thur: 11am-9pm Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm Sun: 11:30am-3pm

Schroeder’s menu includes sandwiches, calzones, soups, salads, potato skins, nachos, wings, and more. And don’t forget our pizza! It’s the best in town... and for a sweet treat, try our Cheesecake Calzone! (Draft and Bottled Beers & Wine also offered) Famous for: Their Roast Beef Relief!

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1204 Turner McCall Blvd • Rome, GA 30161 2300 Shorter Ave • Rome, GA 30165 3110 Cedartown Hwy • Rome, GA 30161 104 S Tennessee St • Cartersville, GA 30120

We’re known as the place to go for juicy, delicious charbroiled burgers & made from scratch biscuits. Because if you’re gonna eat, you should Eat Like You Mean It!

429 Broad St Rome, GA 30161

706-295-5330

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Hours: Sun-Wed: 11am - 9pm Thursday: 11am - 9:30pm Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm

Funky, art-filled chain pizzeria featuring craft beer, calzones & creative stone-baked pizzas.

www.moesoriginalbbq.com/rome 101 West 1st Street Rome, GA 30161

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Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am - 10pm Fri- Sat: 11am - 2am

Moe’s Original BBQ is a Southern soul food revival where great food is served in an atmosphere that is relaxed, spontaneous, yet civilized….well, sometimes.

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28 S Wall St Cartersville, GA 30120

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Hours: Mon - Sun: 11am-3pm

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Colorful, casual outpost serving Mexican street tacos & fajitas, plus beers & tequila drinks. Join us every Sunday for Brunch from 11-4pm.

24 W Main St Cartersville, GA 30120

770-334-3813

Hours: Mon - Thurs: 11am - 9pm Fri - Sat: 11am - 10pm Sun: 11am - 8pm

At Maine Street Coastal Cuisine, in the heart of historic downtown Cartersville, we pride ourselves on sourcing seafood from sustainable fisheries. Our passion is to provide a restaurant free of artificial flavors and ingredients.

Make it a meal worth remembering. Where to eat in Northwest Georgia.

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J Y Don't forget to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.

Wear a mask & place distance between yourself and others when in crowded spaces.

Stay extra protected against illnesses by getting your COVID & flu vaccines if eligible.

While sweets and desserts are tasty, don't forget to eat healthy, nutritious foods.

Remember to get plenty of rest during the busy holiday season.

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