Newnan-Coweta Magazine, November/December 2010

November/December 2010 | $3.95

M A G A Z I N EA Times-Herald Publication

Cowetansbelieve

in Santa

Newnan’s mostthankfulhomeowner

One elf’s story

ChristmasChristmas

The art ofDavid

Boyd Jr.

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Comprehensive cardiac careclose to home.

CARDIAC SERVICES INCLUDE:� Nuclear Medicine Stress Testing(Myocardial Perfusion Imaging)

� Cardiac Rehabilitation

� Carotid Ultrasound (to screen for blockage)

� Echocardiogram

� Echocardiogram Stress Testing

� Vascular Ultrasound (to capture photosof the body’s veins and arteries)

� MUGA (scanning of the heart to lookat the ventricles)

20 Francis Way • Suite 301Sharpsburg, Georgia 30277 • 678.854.2980

piedmontnewnan.org00909-0910

Piedmont Newnan Hospital announces the grand openingof the Piedmont Cardiovascular Imaging Center.Our state-of-the-art cardiovascular imagingcenter is the latest addition to PiedmontNewnan Hospital and offers comprehensivecardiac care for patients in Coweta County.Staffed with board-certified cardiologists,registered technologists, patient caretechnicians, cardiac rehabilitation nurses andtherapists, we are dedicated to taking care ofall of your cardiac healthcare needs today.

NOW OPEN!Piedmont Newnan HospitalCardiovascular Imaging Center20 Francis Way, Suite 301Sharpsburg, Georgia 30277

For more information on cardiac services, pleasecall 678.854.2980 or visit piedmontnewnan.org.

Physician referral required.

Lobby

Cardiac Rehabilitation

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■ Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy■ Image Guided Radiation Therapy■ Partial Breast Radiation■ Stereotactic Radiation Therapy■ Prostate Seed Implants■ High Dose Rate Brachytherapy■ Gamma Knife

Accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in radiation therapy since 1995.

At ROS-Newnan, we recognize that the word cancer has different meanings depending on one’s perspective.

We deliver quality cancer care at all levels throughout a patient’s ROS-Newnan experience. In addition, we provide technology and expertise in an environment of compassionate care. It is through the efforts of many that the fear associated with cancer can be replaced with understanding, acceptance and hope.

ROS-Newnan extends a heartfelt thank you for the support of the communities we serve.

The Newnan center has expanded to include two linear accelerators. Dr. Rao, Dr. Santiago and the ROS-Newnan team provide state-of-the-art technology to include:

www.radonc.com

■ InIntetensnsitityy MoModudulalatetedd RaRadidiatatioionn ThThererapapyy■ ImImagagee GuGuidideded R Radadiaiatitionon T Theherarapypy

TheThe Ne Newnawnan cn cententerer hashas ex expanpandedded to to in inclucludede twotwo li lineanear ar acceccelerleratoatorsrs.Dr. Rao, Dr. Santiago and the ROS-Newnan team provide state-of-the-artart te technchnoloologygy toto incincludlude:e:

CLOSE TO HOME, CONVENIENT, STATE-OF-THE-ART

RADIATION ONCOLOGY SERVICES–NEWNAN 211 Millard C. Farmer Industrial Blvd. | Newnan, GA 30263 | 770-254-9600

in Cancer TreatmentYears ago, the Radiation Oncology Services – Newnan (ROS) physicians developed a unique clinical program still in active use today: New Patient Tumor Conference (NPTC). NPTC provides a weekly forum for treatment planning and peer review. All new ROS-Newnan patients have the benefi t of this built in second opinion. During NPTC, the treating physician presents new cases to our team of eleven ROS physicians for their input and approval of the treatment plan. Through a collaborative effort, NPTC ensures that all patients receive treatment consistent with both ROS and national standards.

-ART

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

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MAGAZINEEstablished 1995

A publication of The Times-Herald

President William W. Thomasson

Vice President Marianne C. Thomasson

Publisher Sam Jones

Editor Angela McRae

Art Director Deberah Williams

Contributing Writers Kimberly Campbell,

Sarah Fay Campbell, Nichole Golden,

Holly Jones, Katherine McCall,

Alex McRae, Elizabeth Melville,

W. Winston Skinner, Kenneth Wilson,

Martha A. Woodham

Photography Bob Fraley, Jeffrey Leo,

Katherine McCall,

Tara Shellabarger

Circulation Director Naomi Jackson

Sales and Marketing Director Colleen D. Mitchell

Advertising Manager Lamar Truitt

Advertising Consultants Doug Cantrell, Mandy Inman,

Candy Johnson, Norma Kelley,

Jeanette Kirby

Advertising Design Debby Dye, Graphics Manager

Sandy Hiser, Jonathan Melville,

Sonya Studt

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION, call 770.683.6397 or e-mail [email protected].

Newnan-Coweta Magazine is published bi-monthly by The Times-Herald, Inc.,16 Jefferson St., Newnan, GA 30263.

Subscriptions: Newnan-Coweta Magazine is distributed in home-deliverycopies of The Times-Herald and at businesses and offices throughout Coweta County.Individual mailed subscriptions are also available for $23.75 in CowetaCounty, $30.00 outside Coweta County. To subscribe, call 770.304.3373.

Submissions: We welcome submissions. Query letters and published clipsmay be addressed to the Editor, Newnan-Coweta Magazine at P.O. Box 1052,Newnan, Georgia 30264.

On the Web:

www.newnancowetamagazine.com

© 2010 by The Newnan Times-Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction inwhole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Member:

WINNER OF FIVE 2009 GAMMA AWARDS (for issues published in 2008)

Gold Award for Best Series, Silver Award for Best Single Issue, Bronze Award for Best Single

Cover, Bronze Award for Best Profile, Bronze for General Excellence

MAGSMAGAZINE ASSOCIATION OF THE SOUTHEAST

4 | NEWNAN – COWETA MAGAZINE

On Our Websitewww.newnancowetamagazine.com

On Our Cover

A sampler of festive and delicious cookies is just the thingfor holiday entertaining. See article on page 30.

– Photo by Bob Fraley

Web extras you’ll find only online.Look for the computer icon through-out every issue to lead you to thespecial content at newnancowetamagazine.com.

Special FeaturesBook giveaways

Contests

Downloads

Recipes

Blogs

Links of local interest

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OF WEST GEORGIA

Enjoy Relief from

Allergies this Fall!

Eugene S. Hurwitz, M.D.

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No Waiting For Appointments

10_1112_1-9 10/25/10 11:56 AM

12

24

58

6 NEWNAN – COWETA MAGAZINE

12 THANKFUL FOR HOME

When Kathy Grant’s home burned down four years ago atThanksgiving, the family learned an important lesson aboutwhat’s really most valuable in life.

20 BEHIND THE SCENES AT A TREE FARM

When members of the Lovell family decided to open aChristmas tree farm together, they didn’t anticipate theamount of planting, trimming, tending and loving that wouldbe required, but they say it’s worth it.

24 SETTING THE HOLIDAY TABLE

Enjoy some holiday place settings created by the ladies ofNewnan’s First United Methodist Church and learn aboutsome of the churches offering Christmas events for womenthis year.

30 DELICIOUS HOLIDAY COOKIES

Looking for a new cookie recipe to try this holiday season?Our staff has been busy sampling some favorites and isready to offer a few recommendations!

38 THE DECORATOR SHOW HOUSE

This year the Piedmont Newnan Hospital Auxiliary will beoffering a Decorator Show House instead of the annualCandlelight Tour. Learn about the design teams who will bedecorating this wonderful old home in holiday finery.

42 TEA FOR TOYS

Join Newnan-Coweta Magazine staffers and a few of ourfriends at a holiday charity event at Holly Cottage Tearoom.

44 I BELIEVE IN SANTA

Is there really and truly a Santa Claus? Lots of Cowetanssay “yes” and tell us why!

52 NCTC PRESENTS SANTALAND DIARIES

Actor Jeff Allen is busy preparing to entertain localaudiences in the Newnan Community Theatre Company’sproduction of David Sedaris’ The SantaLand Diaries thisDecember.

58 PAINTING FROM THE HEART

Artist David Boyd Jr. is taking his work in a differentdirection with new pieces that are being praised for theirsplashy, abstract style.

ContentsFEATURES

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A DEVELOPMENT OF CBL & ASSOCIATES PROPERTIES, INC.

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66 THE THOUGHTFUL GARDENER

Learn more about the plant known for itsdraping red berries and lovely foliage,Nandina domestica.

72 SADDLE UP

At Mark and Julie McKee’s 50-acre horse farmnear Grantville, there’s one rule that isfollowed above all others: the horses alwayscome first.

76 LOCAL HERITAGE

Many southern families have an ancestral tieto Jamestown and the first permanent Englishsettlement in America. Several Cowetans haveancestral ties to John Woodlief, who is knownfor leading a Thanksgiving service in the NewWorld.

DEPARTMENTS

Contents

8 NEWNAN – COWETA MAGAZINE

10 EDITOR’S LETTER

79 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

80 THE BOOKSHELF

82 I AM COWETA

In every issue

66

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 | 9

Visit our temporary Membership office today to take advantage of an exclusive,

limited-time Membership offer.

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 | 10

he Christmas lights I most rememberfrom Christmas ’09 were of the blue flash-

ing variety and came perched on top of ablack and white patrol car that pulled me over

on Bullsboro just days before Christmas.My attitude was not a very merry one as the

polite but firm officer pulled out his pad. I wasespecially ticked at being ticketed because, tech-nically, I think it was the fault of that slowpoke infront of me who lollygagged through the lightleading out of Ashley Park and caused the delay.

Besides the expense and embarrassment ofhaving to pay a traffic fine, this unscheduled stopkept me from getting back to a local shoe storewhere I feared the last pair of pink cowgirl bootswould be purchased before I could get to them.

You see, my then four-year-old niece, a greatshoe lover, had requested just three items when Iasked what she wanted for Christmas: some blueboots, some red shoes and some high heels. Thered shoes, oddly enough, proved hardest to find,but at last I found a local store with cute ones inher size. I was torn, though, because at this storeI also came across the pink Dingo boots that Istrongly suspected my niece would absolutelyadore.

I bought the red shoes she requested, but Iwas unsettled about having left those pink bootsbehind. I told my husband about them and asked ifhe thought I should return the red shoes andswap them for the boots.

“Get ’em both,” he said. “After all, it’sChristmas!”

I don’t know why I didn’tjust do that to start with.

It truly is more blessed togive than to receive. My niecewas crazy about those pinkboots from the minute sheopened them and enjoyedclomping around the kitchenin them on Christmas Day. She was still wearingthose pink boots with shorts around Easter.

Much as I love to give gifts to the children inmy family, this year I’ve become aware of thegreater-than-usual need for toys in our communi-ty. For that reason, I am delighted our magazinewill be sponsoring a “Tea for Toys” charity eventat Holly Cottage Tearoom on Dec. 2 and hopesome of you will be able to attend (see page 42).The toys are urgently needed this year, and I hopewe’ll get some nice donations.

If you do decide to meet us for tea, learn fromme and take it easy through those intersectionsaround Bullsboro. The person in front of you maynot be quite as driven as you are!

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and a veryMerry Christmas, from my home to yours.

Fondly,

Angela McRae, [email protected]

{ From the Editor }


Christmas Wishes

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10_1112_10-19 10/25/10 11:59 AM


Thankful forThankful forHome

By Elizabeth Melville | Photos by Bob Fraley

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our years ago atThanksgiving the Grantfamily stood in the

smoldering rubble of their homeand realized they had nothingbut each other.

The family lost their worldlypossessions in the fire. Armed with adetermined spirit, the family’smatriarch, Kathy, has refurnished theirexquisite new home bit by bit with

yard sale items – though you’d never knowit stepping foot in their immaculatelydesigned home.

During the holidays, Grant reflects onthe fire and chooses to acknowledge thethings she’s gained, like a new passion foryard sale-ing and a little perspective on whattruly matters in life.

The Grants – Kathy and Clay and theirdaughters Finley, 22, and Jordan, 17 – livedin an old dairy farm on Sullivan Road thatwas built in 1847.

The fire happened over theThanksgiving holiday in 2006.

It was the Friday after Thanksgiving. No

Kathy Grant’s family rebuilt their homefollowing a devastating fire at Thanksgivingfour years ago. Though the home today isbeautifully furnished, largely via yard sales,Grant is now careful to note that “it’s juststuff” and counts her family and friends as hergreatest treasure.

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one was home except Clay, who wasworking in a detached garage on theproperty. An electrical fire sparked aninferno that destroyed their historic home.

All that remained were some bricksand a Pampered Chef pizza stone theyfound inside a melted oven.

“It was hard,” Kathy Grant recalls. “Welost sentimental, irreplaceable items, like thefamily’s china, silver and photos.

“But, it’s just stuff in the end,” shequickly adds. “I remember the amazingpeople that helped us – people we didn’teven know.”

The Grants lived in their garage for sixweeks. She remembers spending Christmasthere.

“I love Christmas ornaments,” shesaid. “I’d been collecting them for 30years.”

A friend of Kathy organized anornament party for her, and Grant recallshaving the “most interesting tree” thatyear. Every Christmas since, she’s decoratedher family’s tree with those ornaments as areminder of the compassion her family wasshown.

A fellow church member moved toFlorida and let the Grants stay in herfurnished home in SummerGrove for twoyears. When their generous landlordreturned from Florida, the Grants rented ahome on Sullivan Road and foundthemselves in need of furnishings for thefirst time since the fire.

This transition happened to coincidewith SummerGrove’s neighborhood yardsale.

“I started yard sale-ing that weekend,and I was hooked,” said Grant.

Quickly, her rental home filled up.Kathy and her husband decided that thiswas their opportunity to design and buildtheir dream home – and they decided to doit on their former Sullivan Road property.

“There is nothing you can’t find at a yardsale,” says Kathy Grant, who discoveredthe joys of such sales while furnishingher home following a fire. “If you havetime and patience, you can find it all.”


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16 |

Rebuilding after a fire, the Grant familywas able to use a few pieces such as anisland top and dining room tableconstructed from old flooring fromtheir attic. The materials had beenremoved from the home and storedelsewhere before the fire. At bottomleft is the Christmas card the familysent just weeks after fire destroyedtheir home.

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They set about rebuilding usingthe few salvageable items from theirhome that remained. They usedbricks found inside the previoushome’s chimneys to create amagnificent open foyer and greatroom.

Their island top and diningroom table were constructed fromold flooring from their attic that hadbeen removed from the home andstored elsewhere prior to the fire.

With the rental house furnished,she decided to keep frequenting yardsales because she didn’t have theupfront money to furnish her dreamhome with new items. Quickly, shefilled her garage.

“When we moved in, we prettymuch had everything,” recalls Grant.

The family moved into theirnew home in October 2008. Grantwould estimate that 98 percent oftheir furnishings are “yard sale stuff ”– with a few pieces from her familyand some thrift store finds.

“There is nothing you can’t findat a yard sale,” she said. “If you havetime and patience, you can find itall.”

In retrospect, Grant fullybelieves she could have even builtthe house from materials she finds atyard sales.

Every week, Grant spends anhour Thursday night and an hourFriday night combing through herfavorite yard sale websites to mapout a route for her weekendexcursion. Her game plan is toconcentrate on an area where shecan visit the most yard sales duringher outing.

Grant jokes that yard sale-inghas gone from a hobby to anaddiction. She rarely comes homeempty-handed, and she’s admittedlyhaunted by the items that she let getaway. Friends – most of whom havebeen dragged along a time or two –

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joke that Grant finds somethingeverywhere she goes.

“You’ve just gotta dig,” said Grant.And everywhere she goes, she runs

into her new group of yard salefriends.

Grant admits that when shestarted yard sale-ing, she thought itwas a temporary thing.

“It’s fun! I can’t go anywhere andpay full price ever again.”

Her best tip for yard sale-ingnewbies: “An address means nothing.”In other words, don’t assume that thelocation of the yard sale has anybearing on the quality of the itemsbeing sold.

Secondly, “there’s not enough timeto visit them all.” Go in with a gameplan. Grant sticks to Coweta andFayette counties when she’s shoppingfor bargains.

And, in the case of yard sale-ing,the early bird doesn’t always get theworm. Grant said she leaves when shegets up and she never has troublefinding a few deals during her outing– and she’s found peace with neverknowing what items she missed outon.

Grant says the fire was the greatlightbulb moment of her life. She mayhave a new hobby, but she frequentlyreminds herself that it’s “just stuff.”

When she reflects on her family’stragedy at Thanksgiving, she’s gratefulfor the health and safety of her lovedones and for the outpouring of loveand support from her community.

The homemade Christmas cardher family sent out in the weeksfollowing the fire says it all. It containsa photograph of the Grants standingin the ruins of their former homeholding a holiday wreath. Theirmessage that year: It’s not what youhave, but whom you have that’simportant.

The photo reminds her that, nomatter what, “this is just a house.”NCM

Beautiful as it now is, “this is just a house,” Kathy Grant says of her homein Newnan. The family rebuilt on Sullivan Road following a fire.

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10_1112_10-19 10/25/10 12:00 PM

Behind the scenes at a family

20 | NEWNAN – COWETA MAGAZINE20 | NEWNAN – COWETA MAGAZINE

Christmas Tree FarmBy Sarah Fay Campbell | Photos by Bob Fraley

ince 2003, the Lovell family of Senoia andNewnan has been planting and trimming,tending and loving, the trees on theirChristmas tree farm.

The family includes Doyle and JackieLovell, son Jerry Lovell and his wife Stacy,

daughter Cheryl Martin and her husbandScott, and their grandchildren. Originally, theythought owning a tree farm would be easy.

“You’re thinking, you have harvest timeonce a year. How hard can it be?” said Cheryl.

“We didn’t know!”Harvest is once a year, but a tree farm is a year-

round job. In addition to tending to the treesthemselves, it’s “keeping the grass cut, fighting thefire ants, those kinds of things through the year,”Cheryl said. “It’s a whole lot more work than what wethought it was going to be.”

But it’s fun, too.Doyle and Jackie Lovell bought the tree farm

property on Crawford Road, adjacent to propertythey already owned, several years ago. For many years,

Cheryl Martin

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Doyle used it for hay growing.But “that just got to be too hard

of a job to keep up on his own,”Cheryl said.

The Martins had just movedback to Georgia from California and“mom said ‘I want to do somethingproductive with the land,’” Cherylsaid. “We thought – what about aChristmas tree farm?”

They did some research, hookedup with the Georgia Christmas TreeAssociation and talked to otherfarmers.

“We thought, well, we’ll give thisa shot. And seven years later, here weare,” she said.

They planted their first crop in2003. “We just kind of did researchon it and did what we thought we

should do,” Cheryl said.They started with small “liner-

sized” Leyland Cypress that can’t gointo the ground for a year. Theyquickly switched to buying gallon-sized seedlings.

They’ve also diversified, addingrows of Carolina Sapphire and MurrayCypress. The Carolina Sapphire has ablue tint and a great Christmas treescent. The Murray Cypress variety hasstronger branches that hold up betterunder heavy ornaments.

The Lovells had consideredgrowing landscape trees but “my dadreally wanted to do the Christmastrees,” Cheryl said. He had fondmemories of cutting his own tree and“really wanted that familyexperience,” she said. “So there was aromantic idea to it from dad’sperspective.”

The first year the farm was openfor business, 2006, “we just had apop-up tent and a fire. We openedthe gate, we did a little bit ofadvertising, and sold some trees,”Cheryl said.

Now, they offer hot chocolateand cider, boiled peanuts, and havebuilt a new fire ring. They’replanning on adding a hay ride,Cheryl said. “It is a familyenvironment. We want to make itsafe and fun.”

Everybody helps out at the farm.“We have a lot of hands on. Wetouch every tree,” Cheryl said. Hermother lives right next door so “sheis out here every day,” Cheryl said.“It is very personal, because we areout here.”

Jackie Lovell retired last year andworking at the farm “keeps me out oftrouble, most times,” she said with asmile.

Everybody gets involved inspring planting.

“I can’t ride on the tractor oranything,” said Cheryl’s oldest

Cheryl Martin says it was her father’s idea for the family to open aChristmas tree farm. Everyone in the family helps out, whether it’s springplanting season or Christmas.

10_1112_20-29 10/25/10 12:05 PM


daughter, McKinley, 13, but “we’recoming behind and dropping trees inand then planting them,” she said. “Iguess I’ve learned how to plant apretty good tree.”

McKinley even operates her ownsideline business selling snowman,reindeer and Grinch “poop.”

The poop – marshmallows, greenM&M’s, or Whoppers, respectively –is sold in little bags with a “cute littlepoem,” McKinley said. “I hear you’vebeen bad, so here is the scoop. Allyou get this year is ... poop,” she said.

“It’s really funny to have theadults come in and you ask them ifthey want to buy some poop,”McKinley said. “They don’t get whatyou are talking about at first, thenyou show it to them and they laugh,”she said. “We sell a pretty goodamount of those.”

McKinley wanted to be moreinvolved, so she and her mom came

up with the poop peddling idea.McKinley and her sister, Reagan,

love being a part of the tree farm.“I think it is really cool,” said

Reagan, 9. “It is challenging towork there, but I still think it isfun,” she said.

And their friends love to spendthe night when they know the familywill be working at the tree farm thenext day.

“If you like nature, you shouldreally come there,” Reagan said.

“I think they get to have anexperience that so many kids don’tget to have,” said Cheryl. “They’relearning about money and the cost ofsupplies and having to talk tocustomers, so it’s a good learningthing for them,” she said.

But more than that, “it’ssomething they’ll remember.” NCM

�� I-85 at Exit 35 in Grantville, Georgia

Owned and Operated by the Jabaley Family Since 1981

770-583-3299

10_1112_20-29 10/25/10 12:05 PM


or many local ladies,creating a lovely table for

family and friends to enjoy isone of the pleasures of theholiday season.

Local churches have in recentyears become a great resource fordecorating ideas. Many of themhold an annual event inNovember or early Decemberwhere members decorate eleganttables which are then presentedfor the enjoyment of all.Sometimes it’s an afternoon teaevent, and other churches choose

to hold a more formal dinnercloaked in candlelight.

It’s always fun to see how eachtable hostess interprets the holidaytheme, whether she’s usingcontemporary dishes and accents,heirloom family china, or a hodge-podge of pieces chosen for acertain theme.

Last year the ladies ofNewnan’s First United MethodistChurch invited us to tour theirChristmas dinner, and we hopeyou’ll be as inspired by theirbeautiful tables as we were!

Setting the

Holiday Table

Photos by Bob Fraley

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Salute to Santa

TraditionalSilver

Splendor

RadiantReds

< Vintage plates featuringSanta’s likeness shine on goldchargers at this Santa-themed table.

A soft green color palettespotlights a table set withChristmas dinnerware andelegant crystal and silveraccents.

Red carnations andChristmas greenery spruceup a classic red and green

table setting featuringSpode’s popular Christmas

dishes. >

A patchwork quilt topper pullstogether all the elements in the redand green table at left. At right,poinsettias are prominent in thistablesetting, featured in both the tablelinens and the napkin rings.

<

10_1112_20-29 10/25/10 2:42 PM


Beautiful homes and cottages with acres of well-

manicured grounds, wisdom and wellness classes,

excursions, activities and spiritual services are only

a part of what makes Wesley Woods so attractive.

Transportation, housekeeping, maintenance upkeep and

chef prepared meals offer active, involved retirees all the

charm of a friendly neighborhood. Both you and your

family will appreciate the peace of mind that comes with

continuing care. Now is the time to secure your retirement

future.

The Benefits of Continuing Care

Our Continuing Care Retirement Community offers

independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care,

all in one location, should your health needs change.

DISTINCTIONPRESENTING ANOTHER

Come to Wesley Woods. You’ll Love How You Live!

Call 770-683-6833 to schedule

a complimentary lunch and tour!

Wesley Woods of Newnan-Peachtree is part of Wesley Woods Senior Living, Inc. – a not-for-profit corporation serving Georgia seniors since 1954.

10_1112_20-29 10/25/10 12:06 PM


Karen Dailey decorates her table at last year’s Christmas dinner at First United Methodist Church in Newnan. Daileyused a variety of family pieces, including her daughter’s Bernardaud Grenadiers china, her mother’s silver and hergrandmother’s ruby red berry bowls.

10_1112_20-29 10/25/10 12:06 PM


Main Street ~ Senoia, GA770.599.3443

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Upcoming LadiesChristmas Luncheons,Dinners & Teas inNewnan

• Royal Baptist Church,Saturday, Nov. 6, 5:30 p.m.dinner, with Betty T. Smithspeaking. 770-251-7762

• First Baptist ChurchNewnan, Sunday, Nov. 14,12:30 p.m. luncheon followingthe morning worship service,770-253-0797

• Bethlehem BaptistChurch, Newnan, Saturday,Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m. ChristmasTraditions dinner. (Ticketsmust be purchased inadvance.) 770-583-2394

• First Methodist ChurchNewnan, Tuesday, Nov. 30, 6-8 p.m. dinner, with LoriWilson speaking. 770-253-7400

• Crossroads Church,Friday, Dec. 3, 6:30 p.m.dinner, 770-254-0291

• Unity Baptist Church,Saturday, Dec. 4, 5:30 p.m.Christmas Treasures dinner,770-253-2483

• Orchard Hills Church,Afternoon Christmas Tea,Saturday, Dec. 4, 2-4 p.m. 678-854-9180

To have your women’s eventincluded in future listings,send your information to [email protected].

10_1112_20-29 10/25/10 1:58 PM

DeliciousHoliday

By Angela McRae and Deberah Williams | Photos by Bob Fraley

Whether you prefer large-scale celebrationsor small family gatherings, chances are youcan use a new cookie or candy recipe to servethis Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Recently we baked up several batches of ourfavorite treats and had a tasting at the officesof The Times-Herald and Newnan-CowetaMagazine. The sweets were a real hit, and wewanted to share our recipes with you!


Cookies

10_1112_30-37 10/25/10 12:08 PM


10_1112_30-37 10/25/10 12:08 PM

In a small pan, stir brown sugar and butter overlow heat just until mixture is melted and combinewell. Remove from heat. When cooled, add eggand vanilla.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powderand baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mix-ture and combine. Set aside about 3 tablespoonsof the almonds and add remainder to the batter.Fill baking cups about half full, then sprinkle afew almonds over each cup. Bake for about 15minutes or until tops are just beginning to brown.Cool on wire racks. When cool, you may addyour favorite powdered sugar glaze/icing ifdesired.


ALMOND CUPCAKE COOKIES

1 cup brown sugar1/3 cup butter or margarine1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla1 cup white whole wheat flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/8 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup almonds, chopped in food processor, divid-ed use

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 36 mini-muffin tinswith paper baking cups (or use silicone baking cupsplaced on a cookie sheet).

“Oatmeal cookies dipped in

chocolate –OUTSTANDING.”

— Debby Dye, GraphicsManager

CHOCOLATE-OATMEAL CHEWYCOOKIES

2/3 cup butter or margarine2 cups quick oats1 cup sugar2/3 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup corn syrup1/4 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla1/4 teaspoon salt1 (12-ounce) package semi-sweet chocolatechips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in asaucepan over medium heat. Remove fromheat, then add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup,milk, vanilla and salt. Drop by half-teaspoonsonto foil-lined cookie sheet sprayed lightly withcooking spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes or untiledges are just starting to brown. Let cool. (Tip:If cookies are well-baked but still sticking tothe foil, pop the cookie sheet into the freezerfor a few minutes and they will peel right off.)

To assemble: Spread a thin layer of chocolatebetween two cookies (flat sides facing) andpress lightly together. Dip edge of cookie inmelted chocolate and place finished cookie onwaxed paper to set. Yields about 3 dozencookies.

“The Almond Cupcake Cookies were delectable! I love that they hada chewy texture with a crisp exterior – and the tiny bit of icing on top

was the perfect finish. This could easily be a new holiday favorite.”— Elizabeth Melville, News Staff

10_1112_30-37 10/25/10 3:01 PM

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT BALLS

7 ounces (1/2 can) sweetened condensed milk1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar1 (7-ounce) package flaked coconut3/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped in food processor1 (1-pound) package Almond Bark

Mix sweetened condensed milk, butter, powdered sugar andcoconut. Add nuts. Dough will be very stiff. Cover and chill forseveral hours before shaping into balls about the size of a largegumball. Melt Almond Bark according to package directions, dipballs and place them on wax paper to set. Yields about 50 balls.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

1 box German chocolate cake mix, dry (Duncan HinesGerman Chocolate Cake Mix was used for this recipe)1/4 cup vegetable oil2 eggs3 to 4 teaspoons water1 (18.25-ounce) container of coconut pecan frostingOne (4-ounce) package of German sweet chocolate

Mix first three ingredients, then add enough water tomake mix the consistency of cookie dough. Drop by scantteaspoonful onto baking sheet lined with parchmentpaper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool for a fewminutes on baking sheet and transfer to cooling racksafter cookies have set. After completely cooled, spread ascant teaspoon of frosting in between two cookies, sand-wich-style.

Optional garnish: Melt chocolate in the microwave for 30seconds, remove and stir. Repeat two to three more timesuntil chocolate is melted. Roll filled cookies in meltedchocolate or drizzle chocolate on top. Makes approxi-mately 45 cookies.


BROWNIE MIX COOKIES

1 box brownie mix, dry (Ghirardelli Double Chocolate BrownieMix was used for this recipe)1/4 cup vegetable oil2 eggs1 (7-ounce) jar of Kraft Marshmallow Creme (consistency is best)Optional:1 (4-ounce) bag semi-hard peppermint candy, chopped 1 (16-ounce) package chocolate candy coating, melted 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted

Mix first three ingredients and, if necessary, add enough teaspoonsof water to make mix the consistency of cookie dough. Drop byscant teaspoonful onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on bak-ing sheet and transfer to cooling racks after cookies have set. Aftercompletely cooled, spread a scant teaspoon of marshmallow cremein between two cookies, sandwich-style. Yield: 45 cookies.

Optional garnishes: Roll edges of sandwich cookies in chopped pep-permint, or melt chocolate in microwave and dip sandwich cookie inchocolate coating. Cool on parchment paper, then drizzle with melt-ed white chocolate.

10_1112_30-37 10/25/10 3:02 PM


MARKET BULLETIN ORANGE BALLS

Several years ago when I received a cookbook thathad belonged to my maternal grandmother, I learnedthat, like me, she had clipped and saved recipesfrom the Georgia Farmers and Consumers MarketBulletin. This one is a classic, easy-to-make citrus-packed treat that never fails to surprise those whotake a bite. And friends I’ve shared these with tellme they just get better after a few days in thefridge! AM

1 (16-ounce) box + 1 cup powdered sugar, divided1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice (do NOTthaw)1 (12-ounce) box vanilla wafers, crushed in foodprocessor1 cup chopped pecans

Combine box of powdered sugar, butter, orangejuice, vanilla wafers and pecans. Roll into ballsabout the size of a large gumball, then roll in pow-dered sugar. Store in refrigerator. Yields about 5dozen balls.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY NOEL BARS

This is based on my mother’s “Noel Bar” recipe. We usedcandied cherries, chocolate chips and pecans. They werealways a very popular Christmas treat in our home. DW

1/2 cup butter1 cup brown sugar, packed2/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract3 large eggs1-1/2 cups plain flour1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon salt1-3/4 cups dried cherries (two 5-ounce packages)1 cup chopped pecans1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Add flour, baking pow-der and salt and mix well. Stir in cherries, pecans andchocolate chips. Pour into 9 x 3 x 2 inch pan for thick bars or12 x 15 x 2 inch pan for thinner, more chewy bars. Bake at350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center is done. Cut intobars of desired size.

“I devoured several Noel Bars. I loveall bar cookies, but these had an

extra zing with the dried cherries.Loved the orange-flavored cookies –

very rich! Gluten-free cookies hadgreat texture.”

— Nichole Golden, Close-up Editor

10_1112_30-37 10/25/10 3:02 PM

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CANDY CANE COOKIES

This recipe is based on my mother’srecipe for sugar cookies. AtChristmas, we would mix up multi-ple batches of cookie dough, rollthem out and cut out star or bell-shaped cookies. We would thenpress a pecan half in the center ofeach cookie. Sometimes we wouldsprinkle on granulated sugar, col-ored red or green before baking.We thought they were wonderful.DW

1/2 cup butter3/4 cup sugar1 egg1/2 teaspoon soda1/2 tablespoon vinegar2-1/3 cups plain flour, plus 2-3tablespoons1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon red gel food coloring1 teaspoon mint flavoring1 (4-ounce) bag semi-hard or old-fashioned peppermint candy,crushed or chopped into smallbits1 (6-ounce) package white choco-late candy coating

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggand beat until creamy. Dissolve sodain vinegar and add to mixture. Add 2-1/3 cups flour and salt and combine.Divide mixture and store half inrefrigerator. To remaining batch, add

food coloring and mint flavoring, thenmix well. Add enough plain flour untilmixture is thick enough to roll intocookies. Chill in the refrigerator for atleast two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Remove doughs from refrigeratorand form into scant half-teaspoonballs. For each cookie, take a ball ofeach color, roll into logs of equallength, then twist the two lengthsinto a candy cane shape. Place onbaking sheets lined with parchmentpaper. The cookies will expand, sodon’t space them too closely togeth-er. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes. Allow tocool completely on racks.

These cookies are delicate so besure to handle them carefully ashooks sometimes break.

Chop peppermint in small pieces infood processor. Place white choco-late candy coating in a bowl andmicrowave on high for 30 seconds.Remove from microwave and stir.Repeat until white chocolate is melt-ed. Dip edges of cookies in whitechocolate to simulate snow.Immediately dip into chopped pep-permint candy. (An alternate methodwould be to drizzle on the whitechocolate and sprinkle withchopped candy.) Allow to cool onparchment paper.

Yields 3 dozen cookies.

GLUTEN-FREE APPLE SWIRL PASTRIES

This is a gluten-free recipe made from a baking mix.

2 cups Bisquick gluten-free mix2-1/2 tablespoons butter, softened (divideduse)1/2 cup vanilla almond milk2 tablespoons brown sugar1-1/2 large apples or two small apples (peeland finely dice)White sugar Cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, combine baking mix and 1tablespoon of butter using a pastry blender(or use a food processor). Add almond milkand mix well.

Roll out dough onto parchment paper into a12 x 6 inch rectangle. Spread 1-1/2 table-spoons of butter on the dough and top with 2tablespoons of brown sugar. Layer with dicedapples. Sprinkle with a few teaspoonfuls ofwhite sugar and cinnamon. Carefully roll upalong the 12-inch side and seal. Slice into 15equal pieces and arrange pieces on a bakingpan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375degrees for approximately 20 to 25 minutes oruntil lightly browned. Makes 15 rolls.

Glaze:1/2 cup Confectioner’s sugarVanilla almond milk

Mix enough almond milk with the sugar until itis thin enough to drizzle over the warm rolls.

10_1112_30-37 10/25/10 3:05 PM


cookie evenly untilit is flattened.

(This isimportantbecausethesecookies

won’t flattenas well as

cookies madewith regular flour.

This step also prevents

cracks and breaks.) Bake at 350degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Substitutions: You can substitute moreoatmeal for the oat bran and oat flourfor the white rice flour. You can addgluten-free ingredients like your favoritecandy, pumpkin seeds, white chocolate,raisins, walnuts or other nuts or driedfruits.

Yields 5 dozen cookies. NCM

GLUTEN-FREE MONSTER COOKIES

These cookies have everything aregular cookie has except gluten.Make sure additional ingredients,such as chocolate chips, don’tinclude corn syrup, fillers and thick-ening agents that contain wheat orcorn. This recipe is not low-fat. Itmay contain other ingredients thatmay cause allergies, like nuts, but itis a good alternative for people whohave allergies to most gluten-con-taining grains. DW

1 cup butter1 cup brown sugar, packed2/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 large eggs2 tablespoons Tapioca flour3/4 cup coconut flour1/2 cup white rice flour1/2 cup oat bran3/4 cup oatmeal1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup pecans1-1/3 cups dried cranberries1-1/2 cups gluten-free chocolatechips

Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs.Add flours, oats, baking powder andsalt and blend well. Stir in remainingingredients and combine. Form intoteaspoon-sized balls and place onbaking sheets lined with parchmentpaper. Use a glass to press each

10_1112_30-37 10/25/10 12:09 PM

By Nichole Golden | Photos by Bob Fraley


Photo courtesyof Bob Shapiro

Piedmont Newnan Hospital Auxiliary event

10_1112_38-43 10/25/10 12:12 PM


he Piedmont Newnan HospitalAuxiliary will reprise its Decorator

Show House this November,featuring the Georgian-style mansion

at 74 Jackson St. in Newnan. Theauxiliary opened Decorator Show Houses

in 1990 and 1992 as an alternative to itsannual Candlelight Tour of Homes.

Several talented local designers, businessesand the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society arepart of the 2010 Show House.

Barbara Tumperi and Julie McKinney,representing the auxiliary, are the chair and co-chair for the Show House project. Tumperisays proceeds from the Show House willprovide scholarships for children of hospitalemployees and support the auxiliary’s pledge tothe Women’s Diagnostic Center.

Each designer is responsible for a specificarea of the two-story red brick home,constructed in 1937-38.

“I’m doing the breakfast room,” said JanetCantrell of Encore Décor. The small roomfeatures a bay window, and Cantrell hassearched for the perfect table and chairs andfocused on accessories to emphasize the room’scharm.

Martha Ann Parks of Panoply InteriorDesign is decorating the home’s masterbedroom and a series of rooms off the master.“We’re calling it the lady’s retreat,” Parks saidof the adjacent space. The master bedroom willbe decorated in a monochromatic theme witha “pop of color,” said Parks.

The lady’s retreat will be contemporary yetwill display vintage frocks on loan from thehistorical society, Parks said.

Other participating designers andbusinesses are Knox Furniture, CherylSimpson of CCS Interior Design, Cook OfficeSupply, Jamie McPherson of Hearth & HomeInteriors, and Ethan Allen.

The home was designed by well-knownAtlanta architect Kennon Perry, who alsodesigned the neighboring Newnan Hospitaland the Coweta County AdministrativeBuilding on Perry Street. The house was first

10_1112_38-43 10/25/10 12:12 PM


home to Ellis H. Peniston and hisbride, Mildred Arnall.

Contractor Tom Ball of Newnanhired both local artisans and out-of-town specialists in building thehome. The windows and doors wereall fabricated by the R.D. ColeManufacturing Company ofNewnan. Carved limestone lintelscap all windows, and a widelimestone band surrounds the houseat the bottom of the upper windows.

The heavy single front door withsidelights is topped with a moldedplaster design matching the capitalson the fluted columns at the frame.The lanterns are electric antiquecarriage lanterns.

A suspended curved staircasegreets guests entering the foyer.

Other highlights of the home includea formal dining room with decoratedmantel, black walnut-paneled den,and powder room with wrap-aroundmirrors.

The Penistons, known fondly as“Bunny” and “Old Man,” weregenerous members of the Newnancommunity. They had no children oftheir own and willed their home toMrs. Peniston’s niece, Susie ArnallMann Thomasson. She and herhusband, Dr. James J. Thomasson Jr.,returned to Newnan in 1967 uponcompletion of his surgical residencyand service in the U.S. Navy. TheThomassons raised their fourchildren in the home and sold thehome to Newnan Hospital in 1988.

Newnan Hospital added a long,covered walkway to join the twobuildings. The home served as itsadministrative hub.

The Show House will be open tothe public November 20-23. Hourswill be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4p.m., Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.,Monday from noon to 7 p.m. andTuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tickets are available for a $10donation and will be sold at the door.

Janet Cantrell of Encore Décor, Martha Ann Parks of Panoply Interior Designand Pamela Prange of the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society are amongthose helping with the Decorator Show House in November.

Pamela Prange Janet Cantrell

MarthaAnn Parks

Several talented

local designers,

businesses and

the Newnan-

Coweta Historical

Society are part

of the 2010

Show House.

10_1112_38-43 10/25/10 2:34 PM


Panoply, Knox Furniture and EncoreDécor, all in Newnan, and EthanAllen in Peachtree City.

A visit to the 2010 Decorator

Show House will be a lesson inarchitecture and Newnan history andserve to inspire your own homedesign and decorating plans. NCM

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Pre-sale ticket locations include theauxiliary gift shops at both PiedmontNewnan and Piedmont FayetteHospitals, Scott’s Book Store,

Above left, Inger Gilstrap of Ethan Allen and Cheryl Simpson of CCS Interior Design, at front, and Eddie Cook ofCook Office Supply and Julie Ruble of Two Turtle Doves, at back, are among those helping with the Decorator ShowHouse. At right, Cheryl Simpson, Barbara Tumperi of the auxiliary and Inger Gilstrap discuss preparations for theShow House.

10_1112_38-43 10/25/10 12:12 PM


ew things are more rewarding than giving a gift to a needy child atChristmas. If you agree, then join Newnan-Coweta Magazine for a Tea for

Toys event at Holly Cottage Tearoom in Newnan on Thursday, December 2!Tea for this event will be served in two seatings, at 11 a.m. and again at

2 p.m. Tickets, which must be purchased in advance, are on sale now at the Times-Herald offices for $15 each, and participants are also asked to contribute a toy witha suggested value of $10 at the door on the day of the tea. Toys will be donated tothe Coweta County Foster Parent Association for their Christmas toy distributionprogram.

The menu for the event will include Holly Cottage’s signature Yorkshire Loaf,two gourmet tea sandwiches, one plump traditional fruit scone with lemoncurd, berry preserves and clotted cream condiments, a hand-rolled truffle and aseasonal fresh fruit cup. Dessert will be a Traditional English Sherry Trifle, and ofcourse hot tea and water will be available as well. The tearoom will be decorated inChristmas finery, so this will be a great way to kick off the Christmas season!

Each guest will receive a goodie bag including recipes and a special tea partymemento. Door prizes will be given away at each teatime, including cup and saucersets, candles, books, teas, tea accessories and more. Editor Angela McRae and ArtDirector Deberah Williams will be on hand to share some of their favorite holidaydecorating and baking ideas.

Seating for this intimate event is limited to 27 guests at each teatime, and thereis a limit of two tickets per person. When you purchase your ticket, please specifywhether you wish to attend the 11 a.m.-1 p.m. seating or the 2-4 p.m. seating.

For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 770-253-1576.

Newnan-Coweta Magazine presents

Christmas Tea at Holly Cottage

10_1112_38-43 10/25/10 12:12 PM


Discussing plans for the Tea for Toys charity event at Holly Cottage Tearoom in Newnan on Dec. 2 are,seated, Frances Smith of the Coweta County Foster Parent Association and Bonnie J. Dejoie of CowetaCounty DFACS, and standing, Deberah Williams, Newnan-Coweta Magazine’s art director, and AngelaMcRae, editor. Admission to this special Christmas Tea is $15 – and a toy.

10_1112_38-43 10/25/10 12:12 PM


ver a hundred years ago, little Virginia O’Hanlon madehistory when she wrote her now famous letter to The NewYork Sun.

Dear Editor,I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no

Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me thetruth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Reading this letter (and the editor’s brilliant and thoughtful response), Iwondered how people nowadays would answer that question. Is there a SantaClaus? Do people still believe? I sure hope so – because Santa is a tradition of

By Kimberly Campbell | Photos by Bob Fraley

10_1112_44-51 10/25/10 2:43 PM

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 | 45NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 | 45

The Brooks familyKyle, Jodi, Dalton, 9, and Cory, 6, SharpsburgThe boys attend Brooks Elementary

“We believe in Santa Claus because he is an inspiration tothe meaning of Christmas and the gift our heavenly Fathergave. Just as our heavenly Father gave his only Son for us,Santa gives graciously to all the good boys and girls. SantaClaus is someone that children can respect for his jolly spiritand selfless attitude when our world is all about, ‘What canyou do for me?’”

the heart and mind. He is a symbol of believing in something good, even whenyou cannot always see it or touch it. Santa spreads joy to everyone by faithfullydelivering happiness, wonder and delight.

While Christmas for most of us holds a deeper spiritual meaning thatshapes our lives and hearts all year, have you ever noticed that especiallyduring the holidays, folks have a tendency to open their hearts wider, be morecharitable, be kinder to strangers and spend more time with family? If SantaClaus and the good Lord can inspire us to do all that, then I will forever be abeliever.

So, yes, Coweta, there is a Santa Claus!

10_1112_44-51 10/25/10 12:17 PM

Newnan Mayor Keith Bradyand granddaughter Grier Brady, 1

“I still believe in Santa Claus because thespirit of giving brings out the best in all ofus. As soon as the Christmas season begins,smiling faces appear on every corner; thenyou see the sparkle in the eyes of childrenand you just believe! Santa Claus of course ispart of this magical time of year and hemakes you believe anything is possible! Iwish everyone in Newnan a very MerryChristmas.”

Anna Marie Campbell, 10NewnanFifth grader, Brooks Elementary

“I know he’s real because I’ve doneresearch. Santa Claus used to be a saint.Then Mother Nature gave him magicalpowers to be everlasting.”


10_1112_44-51 10/25/10 2:54 PM

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Carolyn Walz Kramlich Newnan

“I wanted a blue bicycle forChristmas. Weeks before, my parentsexplained that a bicycle was a veryexpensive gift for a five-year-old; therewould be no other presents. When Iawoke Christmas morning and foundnot only a bicycle but also a red doctor’sbag and a Tiny Tears baby doll, I knewthere was a Santa Claus—and he hadmore money than my parents did!”

Andrew, Jack, and Anna SeppingsAges 4, 8, and 10(Pre-K, third grade and fifth grade) Brooks Elementary

“Santa Claus gives everyone a present but nothing for naughty children!”— Andrew

“He eats cookies and is a very nice man. No one could get into ourhouse anyway because we’d hear—we have good ears. It’s magic!”

— Jack

“We write letters to Santa Claus every year. I keep mine a secret. And hebrings exactly what I ask for!”

— Anna

10_1112_44-51 10/25/10 12:17 PM


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November 10U.S. Army Field Band& Soldiers ChorusFree Concert 7:30 pmFirst Baptist ChurchDowntown LaGrange

November 20Candlelight HolidaySip & Shop5-7 pmDowntown mer-chants will host aspecial evening ofholiday shoppingwith different winesand beverages tosample.

Visit LaGrange for Exciting Holiday Events!November 21Holiday Open House12-5 pmShop locally in downtownLaGrange while you enjoyrefreshments and in-storespecials. A guide will beprovided to customers forparticipating merchants.

December 2Mingle with Kringle3-5:30 pmJoin Santa and Mrs.Claus at the ChamberPlaza for photos, funand a few surpriseguests!

10_1112_44-51 10/25/10 2:23 PM


FurnishingsConsignment &Consignment &Marketplacece

612 Lincoln StreetLaGrange, GA706-416-2946

TheRitzyRoost.com

[email protected]

18 MerchantShowrooms

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December 2Annual DowntownChristmas Parade6 pmKids and grown-ups of all ageswon’t want to missour biggest paradeevent of the year.Join us downtownfor some Christmascheer!

10_1112_44-51 10/25/10 12:18 PM

Annual D

owntownC

hristmas Parade

Thursday Dec. 2, 6 pm

downtownlagrange.com 706.298.4532

DowntownLaGrangeHolidayCalendarFive Exciting Events

Candlelight H

oliday Sip &

Shop

Saturday N

ov. 20, 5-7 pm

Downtownmerchants

willhosta

specialeveningofholiday

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U.S

. Army F

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First BaptistChurch,D

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ourbiggestparadeeventofthe

year.Joinus

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Mingle with K

ringleThursday D

ec. 2, 3-5:30 pm

Join Santaand

Mrs.C

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forphotos,funand

afew

surpriseguests!

Holiday O

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Sunday N

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Shop locallyindow

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specials!Aguide

willbe

providedto

customers

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Actor Jeff Allen isready for his role asCrumpet the elf inDavid Sedaris’SantaLand Diaries,to be presented byNCTC in December.


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t is a brisk fall evening with thetemperature hovering around 45degrees – a sure sign that, ready or

not, the holiday season hasarrived in Georgia.

Retail stores explode withflamboyant holiday

decorations, blinking lights, theoverpowering smell of cinnamon and 1,000renditions of “Jingle Bells.” Their carefullycrafted winter wonderlands, splattered with red,silver and gold, whip most people into a buyingfrenzy. But on this chilly night, despite million-dollar attempts by big-box retailers, there justdoesn’t seem to be any HOLIDAY SPIRIT.

For some, the search for holiday cheer leadsthem to their local theatre company, where oneprofessional actor notes, “People see a lot of

of Jeff Allen

theatre over the holidays. It’s probably the busiesttime of the year.”

There are two productions on the NewnanCommunity Theatre Company’s holiday calendar.One of them is David Sedaris’ SantaLand Diaries, aone-act production with one actor playing the partof Crumpet the elf.

Jeff Allen, who plays the part of Crumpet, has abubbly demeanor which stands in stark contrast tohis character in The SantaLand Diaries.

By Kenneth R. Wilson | Photos by Bob Fraley

The reluctant


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Jeff Allen, aveterinarian aswell as an actor,says his favoriteholiday isbasketball’sFinal FourWeekend, butChristmas is aclose second.

The dark comedy tells the storyof an unemployed aspiring soapopera writer trying to make endsmeet working in Macy’s SantaLanddisplay. Allen says, “The play gives usthe behind the scenes, hilarious, true-life story of David Sedaris’ adventurefrom finding the want-ad, applying,training, working with fellow elvesand the Santas, interacting withfamilies and kids, right throughChristmas Eve.” Crumpet pulls nopunches detailing the bad behavior ofrude customers and the peculiarpersonalities of his coworkers.

Sedaris first recited The

10_1112_52-57 10/25/10 3:23 PM

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SantaLand Diaries on NationalPublic Radio in 1992. Since then,Sedaris has become a best-sellingauthor and his story is now aChristmas tradition for the “bahhumbug” crowd.

It was Allen’s idea to doSantaLand Diaries here. “I thinkthat it is everything I want in aplay,” he says. “There are partswhich are funny, sarcastic, witty,touching and droll.” Allen can relateto Sedaris and shares a similar senseof humor with the author – astrange revelation for such a chipperpersonality.

By day, Allen is a Peachtree Cityveterinarian and spends Saturdaysworking with the Newnan-CowetaHumane Society. He moved toNewnan in 1993 and immediatelybecame involved with the NewnanCommunity Theatre Company. He

acts, directs and works behind thescenes on three or four productionseach year.

Like Sedaris, Allen spent hischildhood in North Carolina. But,herein lies the first clue thatconnects this happy actor to thisangst-riddled play. He gets moreexcited about college basketball thanhe does about mistletoe andwassailing.

“In fact, I’m named after theformer Duke basketball player JeffMullins, who also happens to havethe same birthday as me,” headmits.

It’s clear basketball is Allen’sfavorite sport, but he offers asurprising answer when asked abouthis favorite holiday.

“My favorite holiday would haveto be the NCAA men’s basketballFinal Four Weekend,” he says.

Why?Allen elaborates, “Although it

may not be officially recognized as areligious or state holiday, it is one ofthe most sacred times of the year,especially when Duke is still inthere!”

He adds, “Christmas would be aclose runner-up though.”

At this point, Allen’s HOLIDAYSPIRIT is suspect. He later confirmshis views on the season. “Ipersonally get into some of theaspects of Christmas but not all ofthem.”

Such as? “I love the traditions that seem

to get passed from one generation tothe next.”

Then Allen’s interest in TheSantaLand Diaries becomes apparentwhen he says, “I hate thecommercialism and the chaos that

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has seemed to become synonymouswith the holiday shopping season.”

Despite his glowing demeanor,Allen’s desire to play Crumpetappears to be an outlet for hispersonal holiday season frustrations.So why did Allen want to do such adark play in the middle of thischeerful season?

After a brief moment ofreflection, Allen responds,“Anything I can do to help thosearound me enjoy life a little more,I’m all for it.”

Then the actor’s HOLIDAYSPIRIT comes into full view whenhe says, “Over the years, NewnanCommunity Theatre Company hasgiven me a creative outlet forlearning the art of theater, and Ijust want to keep returning thatgift.”

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The SantaLand Diariesby David Sedaris, a one-manshow starring Jeff Allen anddirected by Tony Daniels, willbe presented at the NewnanCommunity Theatre CompanyDec. 10-12 and 17-19.

NCTC will also present AChristmas Twist, a humorousChristmas tale by DougArmstrong, Keith Cooper andMaureen Morley, Dec. 9-12and 16-19. Dave Dorrelldirects.

For ticket information,call 770-683-6282 or visitnewnantheatre.org.

10_1112_52-57 10/25/10 12:20 PM


D a v i d B o y d J r .

Painting from the HEART

By Alex McRae | Photos by Bob Fraley

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ost kids who scribble ontheir bedroom walls earn a

spanking for their efforts.David Boyd Jr.’s rewardwas encouragement and

applause. That’s not surprising since his mother,Rosalyn, is a longtime patron of the arts and his dad,David Sr., is an illustrator and political cartoonistwhose work has appeared in newspapers from coast tocoast.

10_1112_58-65 10/25/10 12:21 PM


David Boyd Jr.’ssplashy, abstractpainting style isunmistakable. Above,some of Boyd’s pieceswere featured atPanoply in downtownNewnan at MainStreet Newnan’s fallArt Walk.

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In fact, once Boyd Jr. showed an aptitude forart, his parents left the walls of his bedroom whiteand bare to give him a bigger work space.

“I started drawing on the walls as soon as Icould hold a pencil,” Boyd says. “Nobodycomplained so I kept it up.”

By the time he graduated from The HeritageSchool Boyd was the go-to guy for all thingsartistic, providing illustrations for everything fromschool publications to promotional posters.

No one was surprised when Boyd enrolled at theSavannah College of Art and Design, but few knewhis plans didn’t include painting pretty pictures.

“I wanted to be an architect,” he says. “Itsounded mature and responsible and grown up.”

Boyd’s dreams were dashed when one look atthe math and science requirements for anarchitecture degree took his breath away.

“I knew right then and there it wasn’t going tohappen for me,” he says.

Boyd tried graphics and eventually focused onillustration. “It made more sense than anythingelse,” he says. “I knew it wasn’t exactly right for me,but at least it was art.”

Boyd also dabbled for the first time with oilpaints. He knew nothing about color or technique,but was still proud of his early efforts. Hisprofessors didn’t share his enthusiasm.

“Let’s just say it didn’t elicit the response I’dhoped for,” Boyd says. “It was very disheartening.”

Boyd graduated from SCAD in 1995 andheaded back to Newnan determined to earn a livingas a freelance illustrator or cartoonist. Boyd’spolitical cartoons were well-received and are nowsyndicated in several newspapers. But cartoonsdidn’t pay the bills and Boyd shopped hisillustration work to scores of commercial firms andadvertising agencies, but lost job after job to“artists” more skilled with a computer mouse than asketch pad and pen.

“I had followed my own footsteps right intoextinction,” he says. “It was a pretty low point forme.”

Boyd fell back on the skills he sharpenedworking for Headley Construction during schoolbreaks and started painting houses. He knew thework would never cause critics to swoon, but hewas calling his own shots and at long last, gettingpaid to put paint on something.

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I rememberedhow much Iloved crawlingaround the oldbeat up cars andtractors at mygrandmother’shouse and Iknew I waspainting a pieceof my heart.”— David Boyd Jr.


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“I loved working alone and thephysicality of it,” he says. “It was justwhat I needed.”

Demand for Boyd’s work grewand he had to hire friends to help.Soon the painting venture was alljob and no joy.

“I realized I wasn’t cut out tohire or work with other people,” hesays. “I shut it down.”

Boyd was pondering his nextcareer move in 1997 when one of hisformer Heritage art teachers, Nancy-Jeanette Long, became ill and took aleave of absence. Boyd agreed to fillin temporarily. When the jobbecame permanent several monthslater, Boyd knew he had found ahome.

“I loved teaching,” he says.“Better yet, I got excited about artall over again.”

Boyd sketched, scratched andcovered acres of canvas with fast-drying acrylic paint, but artisticsatisfaction remained out of reach.

“All the great painters worked inoils and I felt like I’d never be goodif I couldn’t,” he says. “I kept tryingbut I didn’t know what I was doing.”

One day he received a call fromNewnan artist Millie Gosch. She wasa fan of Boyd’s work and invited himto try plein air, a style of outdoor oilpainting first popularized by 19thcentury impressionist painters.

Boyd hesitantly agreed. “I knewit may not be my cup of tea,” hesays, “but figured it was a good placeto start.”

It turned out to be the doorwayto a whole new world.

“I’d never watched anyone reallywork with oils or mix colors or even

use a palette,” he says. “When I sawMillie work, I was amazed. Threehours that afternoon changed mylife.”

Boyd learned to create a rainbowfrom a few basic colors and usedpalette knives to lend a new edge anddistinctive style to his work. Hepainted still lifes and landscapes butfound himself drawn more and moreto paintings of vintage cars, rustingfarm equipment, crumbling motelsand old signs still clinging to a fewspecks of paint.

“I finally realized I wasn’t justdrawn to a bygone era,” Boyd says. “Iremembered how much I lovedcrawling around the old beat up carsand tractors at my grandmother’shouse and I knew I was painting apiece of my heart.”

Boyd’s latest work is bold and

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big. His splashy, abstractstyle is unmistakable anddemand for his work issoaring. Boyd’s paintingshang in several metroAtlanta galleries and are ondisplay as far away asHighlands, N.C. andSeaside, Fla. His art alsograces the walls of theSouthern Living Idea Housein Senoia.

Boyd knows his artisticjourney is far from over, buthe is finally enjoying theride.

“Right now I’m finallydoing what I want andwhat I like,” he says. “I’mmore comfortable in myskin than I’ve ever beenbefore.” NCM

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{ The Thoughtful Gardener }

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or the three of us, 1973 was a tottering year. Wetottered on a precipice, glancing somewhat longingly backover our shoulders at childhood, innocence and all things

familiar. Looking ahead, also somewhat longingly, at GrowingUp, junior high, platform shoes and bell bottoms. The nightlynews shouted to us incessantly of a war in Vietnam, the IRA in

Ireland and an oil crisis. Yet, our livesremained virtually unchanged. It

was a confusing, exhilarating andterrifying time whichintermittently required aphysical and mental retreat.A time to think, muse andslip back into being a child.A narrow row of nandinabushes, flourishing alongthe west side of our

neighbor’s house, providedthat retreat.

The cool, crumbling brickof the house was one side of our

refuge, and the other was theupright trunks of a mass planting of

nandina. Behind our nandina “wall,” mytwo friends and I lived out the secrets of

our childhood. Alternate worlds whichchanged day by day and hour by hour,

according to the whim of our imaginations. Abrief respite unaffected by the inevitable events

which swirled around us. A leafy, earthy place wherewe were joined by birds and crawling things with an

endless, everchanging sky arching overhead. Theseinterludes bolstered us when we rejoined our

Nandina domestica

Story and photos by Katherine McCall

10_1112_66-75 10/25/10 12:23 PM


In China, where this shrub originated,it was also thought of as heaven on earthand appropriately named HeavenlyBamboo or Chinese Sacred Bamboo.

10_1112_66-75 10/25/10 12:23 PM


contemporaries in our teenage rush to engage the world.The nandina hedge was the perfect place to come toterms with life ... a little heaven on earth.

In China, where this shrub originated, it was alsothought of as heaven on earth and appropriately namedHeavenly Bamboo or Chinese Sacred Bamboo. InGardens and Historic Plants of the Antebellum South, JamesCothran provides us with Robert Fortune’s observationswhile in China in 1843:

“In the winter season at Shanghai, a plant with redberries is seen in the gardens which takes the place of ourEnglish holly. The Chinese call it Sacred Bamboo. Largequantities of its branches are brought at this time fromthe country and hawked about the streets. Each of thesebranches is crowned with a large bunch of red berries, notunlike those of the common holly, and when contrastedwith the dark, shining leaves, are singularly ornamental.”

The draping red berries and delicate foliagesupported by cane-like trunks are a familiar sight in thesouthern landscape. Nandina domestica, an evergreen

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Common name: Nandina, Heavenly Bamboo, SacredChinese Bamboo

Botanical name: Nandina domestica

Description: An evergreen shrub which is perfectlysuited for the southern climate and can go for yearsuntended by human hands. Bamboo-like trunks withdelicate foliage. The lacy leaves are green throughoutthe summer, then in the fall the leaves become tintedwith bronze or purple. Winter frosts will cause a deep-ening of the colors, producing beautiful crimsonleaves.

Blooms: In the spring, small creamy flowers arrive inclusters or panicles, followed by the hallmark archesof bright red berries.

Cultivation: Nandina is very drought tolerant but doesnot like wet feet. In the garden, these shrubs can beused as specimen plantings or massed for greatereffect.

Special notes: In the home, the berries and foliagecreate striking fall and winter bouquets.

{ The Thoughtful Gardener } Plant Index

Nandina

WEB EXTRA:The ThoughtfulGardener PlantIndex

Go to newnancowetamagazine.com to download your nextgarden journal page, Nandina.


shrub, is perfectly suited for our climate and can go foryears untended by human hands. The hardiness andornamental beauty mentioned by Fortune are endearingfacets of its personality. Placement in full sun willproduce a wider variety of foliage color, but nandina alsodoes well in shade. In the spring, small creamy flowersarrive in clusters or panicles, followed by the hallmarkarches of bright red berries. The lacy leaves are greenthroughout the summer, then in the fall the leavesbecome tinted with bronze or purple. Winter frosts willcause a deepening of the colors, producing beautifulcrimson leaves.

Nandina is very drought tolerant but does not likewet feet. In the garden, these shrubs can be used asspecimen plantings or massed for greater effect. In thehome, the berries and foliage create striking fall andwinter bouquets.

As the nandina made its way from China to Englandand finally to the Americas, a legend traveled along withthe hardy shrub. When you plant the nandina by theentryway to your home or garden, it will hear and absorball the household worries and problems. Maybe that iswhy the nandina hedge provided such a wonderfulhideaway. But in reality, it refreshed us because weactually had time to think. Thinking that cannot be donewhen one’s day is full and every minute accounted for.Our little nandina heaven gave us free time in whichnothing was scheduled except our imaginations and thebeauty of nature.

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{ Saddle Up }

Living by the RulesThese horse lovers enjoy

By Martha A. Woodham | Photos by Bob Fraley

72 |

10_1112_66-75 10/25/10 2:26 PM

hen MarkMcKee first

met the womanwho would

become his wife,she laid out three

rules.Both recovering

from bad marriages and worse divorces, the couplehad been set up by friends on a blind date in October1995. He recalls that the evening was going wellwhen JulieWhitlockMcKee said,“We’ve bothbeen to thisrodeo before.Before we goany further,would youlike to hearthe rules?”

Mark,intrigued,said sure.

Rule No.1: The horsesalways comefirst. “Thehorses arewhat’simportant toher, and shehas been trueto her word:The horsesalways come first,” he says.

Rule No. 2: If it’s not fun, we’re not doing it. “Ihad just spent 15 years of not having fun, so Ithought that doesn’t sound so bad,” he says.

Rule No. 3: It’s always your fault. “She set me upfor Rule No. 3, but I thought, that’s OK,” Mark says,adding that when something goes wrong when he’sriding, it usually is his fault.

Today the McKees are very happily married, livingon a 50-acre Coweta County farm near Grantville withtheir horses, dogs and cats. Mark, co-owner ofCunningham Associates, puts in long hours helpingclients with their heating and cooling needs, but mostweekends are reserved for foxhunting with his wife.Julie is a full-time horse trainer, producing horses forthe sports of foxhunting and eventing.

The couple belongs to three Georgia foxhuntingclubs, Bear Creek Hounds, Midland Fox Hounds andShakerag Hounds. During the season, from September

to March,Julie McKeehunts aboutfour times aweek, usuallyon a client’shorse she istraining to besafe while onthe chaseafter a coyoteor fox. Markjoins herwhen he canget awayfrom hisprofessionalduties.

Friendlywith otherfoxhuntersacross thecountry, thecouplefrequently

travels from Florida to Virginia to Canada to hunt. In2007, Julie and her horse Leica competed in theMasters of the Foxhounds of America’s quest to findthe best hunt horse in America as part of its centennialanniversary celebration. At 24 the oldest horse in thecompetition and a well-seasoned campaigner, Leicabested hundreds of other horses to place third.

Although his experience had been limited to a few


“The horses always come first” is Rule No. 1 at Mark and Julie McKee’s farmnear Grantville.

10_1112_66-75 10/25/10 12:24 PM


Horses and fox hunting are passions of Mark and Julie McKee thatare reflected in their home near Grantville.

10_1112_66-75 10/25/10 12:24 PM


lessons at camp when he was a teen,Mark had always been interested inriding. But he had never had achance to learn until he met Julie: “Iwas smitten by Julie and the horseworld. I soon realized she was havinga lot more fun than I was.”

Julie McKee, who grew up inAtlanta, discovered her passion forall things equine at age 3, when shewas just tall enough to hug the kneesof her grandfather’s horse. Prince wasa notoriously grumpy animal whoseemed to detest everyone, especiallysmall boys like her two brothers. Buthe didn’t seem to mind Julie, evenwhen she curled up on his rump fora nap. Her grandfather wasconvinced it was because Princerecognized her as a truehorsewoman.

Beginning at age 8, Julie took theway of most horse-crazy girls – riding

lessons and local shows, spending allof her time at the WestminsterSchool stables, bumming rides on thehorses no one else wanted, all ofwhich helped develop her ridingskills. She recalls the first time sheshowed her horse – a $500 bargainthat was a crazy mix of Quarterhorse-Arab-Tennessee Walker – on across-country jumping course.

“She ran away with me, and I felloff three times and had five refusals –and we still came in under theoptimum time!” Julie recalls.

Julie’s mother and grandfatherencouraged her horsey ambitions,although her father said horses were awaste of time and sniffed that theymade him sneeze. Still, Juliepersevered. As a student atWoodward Academy, she spent hersenior year career session, whenseniors interned in a field that

interested them, working for a realhorse trainer, Frank Gombolay. Shechose to attend college at Virginia’sSouthern Seminary so she couldmajor in horses.

After graduation, Julie held avariety of jobs before quitting tofollow her true calling: horsetraining.

“I never stopped traininghorses – I just couldn’t do it fulltime,” she says, recalling boringdesk jobs as a travel agent andmortgage broker. She married, andwhen her then-husband said, “It’sme or the horse,” she chose thehorse.

Then Mark McKee came intoher life and, like Julie, picked thehorses. Since then, the horses havealways come first, the McKees don’tdo it if it’s not fun, and it’s always,always Mark’s fault. NCM

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{ Local Heritage }

Descendants of first Thanksgiving leader

still celebrate in Cowetaby W. Winston Skinner


10_1112_76-84 10/25/10 12:27 PM

he word Thanksgivingbrings to mind thoughts ofturkey, pumpkin pie,Pilgrims and Plymouth,

Massachusetts.Yet more than a year before English

settlers landed at Plymouth, aThanksgiving service was led in the NewWorld by John Woodlief, a native of

England who was settling what wasthen frontier woodland in Virginia.

The plantation house at Berkeley in Virginia was built in 1726, but the first English Thanksgivingobservance was held nearby in 1619.


Capt. John Woodlief, who ledthe first Thanksgiving in

America, has a spot on thefamily tree of many Cowetans.

10_1112_76-84 10/25/10 12:27 PM

Many southern families have anancestral tie to Jamestown and thefirst permanent English settlement inAmerica. Several Cowetans who havegenealogical ties to John Woodliefhave special traditions associated withThanksgiving.

John Woodlief is said to havefirst arrived in Virginia in 1609, twoyears after Jamestown was founded.He made at least two return trips –once bringing his family back withhim. Then in 1619, as captain ofthe ship Margaret, he brought 38settlers to Berkeley Hundred, about20 miles up the James River fromJamestown.

The charter for BerkeleyHundred called for a day ofThanksgiving: “Wee ordaine that theday of our ships arrival at the placeassigned for plantacon in the land ofVirginia shall be yearly andperpetually keept holy as a day ofthanksgiving to Almighty God.” Thedates of Dec. 4 and Dec. 14, 1619have been cited as the date for thatfirst Thanksgiving observance.

Berkeley Hundred was wiped outin a 1622 Indian uprising. Aplantation built there in 1726became the birthplace of BenjaminHarrison V, a signer of theDeclaration of Independence, andWilliam Henry Harrison, ninthpresident of the United States.

Thanksgiving is still a big day atBerkeley. The Virginia state tourismsite for this year proclaims: “Attendthe Berkeley Plantation FirstThanksgiving Festival on Nov. 7 tosee where English colonists first helda thanksgiving celebration, one yearand 17 days prior to the landing ofthe Pilgrims in Massachusetts.” Thesite also suggests places to “enjoyyour Thanksgiving dinner inVirginia” and even offers a link to“book a Thanksgiving travelpackage.”

My father’s blessings stillbring us to tears as he thanksour Heavenly Father for thereason for Thanksgiving. Healways mentions our servicemen and women, ourpresident, our health, and ourfamily and friends. He alwaysreminds us that our greatestblessing is being together asa family in the United Statesof America.”


— Emeline Loughlin

This plaque at Berkeley Plantation recalls the provisioncalling for a day of Thanksgiving when the settlers landedat Berkeley Hundred and yearly thereafter.

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Many Cowetans can trace theirroots to colonial Virginia. Retiredteacher Judy Ethridge said hermother was a Pace. The Paces“inhabited Jamestown,” Ethridgerecalled.

Emeline Loughlin is one ofdozens of Cowetans descendedfrom Ezekiel Strickland, who cameto north Meriwether Countybetween 1830-1840. His mother,Amy Pace Strickland, was adescendant of those early Paces. Anabundance of Richards in the Paceline has made it hard to sort thestrands of the family tree. Somegenealogists have concluded AmyStrickland was the granddaughterof George Pace, who married SarahWoodlief, John’s granddaughter.Others believe Amy was thegranddaughter of George’s brother,one of the Richards, who marrieda great-niece of Jane Poythress –herself daughter-in-law of thelegendary Pocahontas.

Both Loughlin and Ethridgehave traditions associated withThanksgiving. “In 1967 when myfather finished his tour of duty inthe Navy, we moved to 74 JacksonSt. and became part of the holidayrotation in my mother’s family,”Loughlin remembered.

“We ate dinner – meaningnoon – and we dressed in ourfinest, making sure we brought thebest manners to the table. Ourtables were decorated for theseason using the china andsilverware that told you tobehave,” Loughlin recalled. “Adultsate in the dining room – and thechildren in the breakfast room.”

Loughlin remembered thewonderful people who worked forher grandmother, Myrtle Mann, andher great aunt, Katie Arnall Freeman,and how they joined with Loughlin’smother’s help to prepare and serve

the holiday feast. “We always hadthe traditional southernThanksgiving of turkey and dressing,sweet potato soufflé, green beans,rolls and nut pudding,” she recalled.“We ate slowly – enjoying each otherand each bite, remembering why wewere thankful.”

Ethridge was a working wife forher adult life until her recentretirement. “I’ve never had gourmetdinners,” she said. Thanksgiving andChristmas were exceptions. “Thereare two times of the year when I goall out,” she said.

Generally, Ethridge has preparedall the traditional Thanksgivingfoods, but risen to culinary heightswith her desserts. She makes all thesweets from scratch – even piecrusts. Those who have eaten themknow the crusts to be as flaky asthose in the Betty Crockercommercials of years ago.

“Betty Crocker would kill formy pie crust,” Ethridge said.Ethridge’s husband, Wayne,particularly loves her cherry pie –made with boiled cherries andalmond flavoring.

Loughlin and her family stillcelebrate Thanksgiving at the homeof her parents, Dr. Jimmy and SusieThomasson. Her father’sThanksgiving prayers are a specialpart of the holiday.

“My father’s blessings still bringus to tears as he thanks ourHeavenly Father for the reason forThanksgiving. He always mentionsour service men and women, ourpresident, our health, and ourfamily and friends,” she reflected.“He always reminds us that ourgreatest blessing is being together asa family in the United States ofAmerica.”

Those prayers would probablyhave a familiar ring to JohnWoodlief himself. NCM

{ Index of Advertisers }

January/February 2011 Ad Deadlines

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advertising information.

Arbor Place Mall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Bank of Coweta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84BB&T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Carrollton Eye Clinic, P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . .57Center For Allergy & Asthma . . . . . . . . . .5Chin Chin Newnan Chinese

Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Coweta-Fayette EMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Coweta Medical Center . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Crescent Veterinary Hospital . . . . . . . . .47Crossroads Podiatry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71The Dinoff School for the Gifted . . . . . .47Downtown Church of Christ . . . . . . . . . .29Downtown LaGrange Development . . . . .

Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51Farm Bureau Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Farm & Masonry Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Franklin Road Animal Clinic . . . . . . . . . .49GMC Community College . . . . . . . . . . . .11Grantville Package Store . . . . . . . . . . . .23Heritage Retirement Homes

of Peachtree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Kimble’s Events by Design . . . . . . . . . . .49The Heritage School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Hollberg's Fine Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Landmark Christian School . . . . . . . . . . .35Lee-King and Lee-Goodrum

Pharmacies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Main Street Newnan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Mercer University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Morgan Jewelers/Downtown . . . . . . . .47Newnan Academy of Preschool &

Child Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64NGTurf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Oak Mountain Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Phillips Dental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Piedmont Newnan Hospital . . . . . . . . . . .2Piedmont Newnan Hospital Auxillary . .15Radiation Oncology Services . . . . . . . . . .3The Ritzy Roost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Sam’s Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Savannah Court of Newnan . . . . . . . . . .17Southern Crescent Equine Services . . .75Southern Shooters Hunting &

Archery Pro Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50Spoon Sisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29StoneBridge Early Learning Center . . .56Super Sand Professional Topdressing .71A Taste of Lemon Restaurant and The . .

Lemon Tree Shoppes . . . . . . . . . . . .49Torrance Construction Company . . . . . .49Uniglobe McIntosh Travel . . . . . . . . . . . .57University of West Georgia . . . . . . . . . . .37Wesley Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Wedowee Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17West Georgia Hospice Christmas

Tour of Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

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Strangers at the FeastBy Jennifer VanderbesScribner, $26Reviewed by Holly Jones

They say you can’t judge a book by itscover, but the cover of Jennifer Vanderbes’

latest novel, Strangers at the Feast, gives ahint of the discord in this story. The bot-tom layer of the image shows a beautifullyset table, laid out for a family dinner. Thetop layer shows the book’s title and author,but it looks like a label on top of that per-fectly set scene. This label is tearing. It isbeing peeled away, torn apart – just likethe Olson family.

Eleanor Olson wants nothing morethan a perfect family. It is all she’s everwanted, what she was raised to believeshe could and should have. At the veryleast, she wants people to believe she hasa perfect family – a loyal husband, twosuccessful, happy children and dotinggrandchildren. And this Thanksgiving,

when the story Vanderbes has cre-ated takes place, Eleanor wantsher family to have the picture per-fect, Norman Rockwell-inspiredholiday.

From the outside looking in,it would appear Eleanor might getwhat she wants. Her family istogether, gathering at her daughterGinny’s new house where they willmeet Ginny’s recently adopteddaughter. Ginny is even excitedabout cooking her firstThanksgiving dinner for the fami-ly. Eleanor’s son Douglas, his wifeDenise and their three children arethere, another picture of a perfectfamily. And Eleanor’s husbandGavin, while he isn’t exactly fatheror even conversationalist of theyear, will at the very least watchfootball with Douglas and eatwith his family.

A perfect familyThanksgiving, right? Not exactly.

Peel away the top layer – or thecover – and you have another layerentirely.

There are other forces at workin Vanderbes’ story. Readers get aglimpse of each adult member of theOlson family’s past, what’s reallygoing on under each character’sshiny exterior and why history iscatching up with them. A homebreak-in brings everything to thesurface. One Olson’s past puts theentire family in danger; but it alsosheds light on the family’s real prob-lems, their true relationship witheach other, and what it means totruly be a family.

Never judge a book by its cover.Never gauge a family by theirappearance. Tear away the top layerof the turkey this Thanksgiving tothe meat of the story. You might findStrangers at the Feast, but you willalso find a richly satisfying tale.

100 Things Bulldogs Fans ShouldKnow & Do Before They DieBy Jon NelsonTriumph Books, $14.95Reviewed by Holly Jones

Glory, glory to old Georgia, Glory,glory to old Georgia

Glory, glory to old Georgia, and to….University of Georgia fans know the

rest of that song – however they chooseto sing it. They know Sanford Stadium,The Arch, Ugas I–VII, and LarryMunson’s famous calls. There are hun-dreds of things Georgia fans know abouttheir school, but Jon Nelson has nar-rowed the list to an even 100 ThingsBulldogs Fans Should Know & Do BeforeThey Die.

The usual suspects are included, likethe Hedges, the 1980 NationalChampionship team, Herschel Walker’sfirst game, and a play simply known as“Run Lindsay Run!”

There are stories in Nelson’s bookfans already know but might enjoy reliv-

{ The Bookshelf }

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more contemporary cream and silvermantel. One of the mantels displays redpoinsettias in silver galvanized buckets,all tucked in a garland of burlap.

Perhaps one of the most helpful fea-tures in the book is its section on GiftIdeas. The suggestions for food giftsinclude recipes for holiday sweets (theOrange Pralines look tasty) and somemore unusual food gifts, such asRosemary-Marinated Olives. Directionsare also included for spa gifts such asbath salts, hand scrub and a foamingbath oil.

The book ends with a HolidayPlanner, which features calendar pagesfor November and December and sec-tions for list-making, dinner planningand more. If you’re looking for inspira-tion for Christmas baking and decorat-ing, you will not be disappointed in thislatest Southern Living release. NCM

tion in the 2010 Christmas With SouthernLiving book. This 30th anniversary edi-tion of a holiday favorite has beautiful,do-able decorating ideas as well as 100-plus recipes to make your holiday atasty one.

Six full menus are presented, cele-brating occasions ranging from the tradi-tional (a Make-Ahead Progressive Dinnerand a Christmas Tree-Cutting Party) tothe more contemporary (a Holiday Tex-Mex Party). The southern touch is evi-dent in recipes such as Roasted RootVegetables with Praline Crunch,Cornmeal Cheddar Scones, Cinnamon-Pecan Cookie S’Mores, and an Andouille-Cheese Grits Dressing with CrawfishGravy.

Are you a fan of the legendary bigwhite cakes from Southern Living? Thendon’t miss the four-layer Bananas FosterCake or the equally decadent lookingAmbrosia Cake. Chocolate lovers willfind much to admire, includ-ing the Chocolate ChunkCheesecake and the MexicanChocolate Bar Cookies withBittersweet ChocolateFrosting.

If you’re looking for dec-orating ideas, the book offerslots of eye candy for thosewho want to deck the hallswith boughs of holly – orfront doors with multiplewreaths, or staircases withsmall grapevine wreaths. Oneparticularly lovely idea is tocover a square-shaped wreathform with greenery and tie onribbon-trimmed pieces of oldsilverplate flatware that havebeen stamped with words like“Merry Christmas,” “Noel”and “Yule.”

Mantels earn a spread oftheir own, and the colorpalettes range from traditionalred and green to a cleaner,

ing, like Erk Russell and his JunkyardDawgs, The Varsity (you’ll crave chilidogs) or Kevin Butler’s 60-yard field goal.

There are stories some fans mightnot know – or not know well. One ofthese lesser-known stories might be thatFrank Sinkwich, who wore number 21for the Dawgs and was the first player tohave his jersey retired, was discoveredthrough a gas station attendant. BillHartman, on a recruiting trip for a play-er who ultimately went to Ohio State,was getting gasoline when the attendanttold him the best running back in thestate wasn’t the guy Hartman had drivento Ohio for, “it was Frank Sinkwich.”Sinkwich said he’d come to Georgia, ifthey signed his friend George Poschnertoo. A lucky deal was struck.

Most UGA fans know the nameDan Magill. And the school’s most loyalfan is listed in Nelson’s book. But do fansknow Coach Magill once cut the grass inSanford Stadium with a push mower, hetypes 148 words a minute – with onlytwo fingers – and he once battled for onepoint in a table tennis match for an hourand 58 minutes? Coach Magill is a leg-end and a true Dawg.

Nelson’s 101 Things is a book anyDawg can enjoy, even those who believethey know everything about UGA.However, a few warnings must beissued. The book was printed beforeDamon Evans’ arrest and resignation,so he is included. There is also oneitem in the book that UGA fans won’tlike. Item #100 is, in fact, someoneDawgs love to hate.

But we’ll leave it at that. After all, theother 99 items are well worth knowing!

Christmas WithSouthern Living 2010Oxmoor House, $29.95Reviewed by Angela McRae

No matter what your decorating orbaking style, you can find lots of inspira-

A copy of this book will be among the doorprizes given away at our Tea for Toys on Dec. 2.See page 42 for more details!

10_1112_76-84 10/25/10 12:27 PM

{ I am Coweta }

The Coweta County Health Department offers many valuable programs to protect the public’s health and well-being. Marylyn McPhie, atransplant to Coweta and a health department staff member, is key to helping the department run smoothly.

How long have you called Coweta home?It was nine years in June 2010. We moved here in June of 2001 from Long

Island, N.Y. (For those familiar with Long Island, Marylyn was born andraised in Glen Cove, and then lived in Bay Shore.)

Tell us a little about your family.Husband Victor works at the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office as a

narcotics investigator.Daughter Laryssa is a senior at East Coweta High School. She

works at Panera and is looking to study nursing at GeorgiaSouthern University after graduation.Daughter Krystal is a freshman at East Coweta High Schooland is a JV Football Cheerleader and also plays softball withthe Sharpsburg Girls’ Softball League.Son Victor is a fifth grader at Willis Road Elementary Schooland plays baseball, football and basketball.What do you and your family enjoy doing in Coweta?We spend a lot of time playing taxi for our kids, but we alsoenjoy the restaurants and the shopping. Where we lived inNew York, we had to travel at least 30 minutes for a goodrestaurant and shopping, so having everything right herein our town is wonderful.We also attend St. Mary Magdalene Church, where thepeople have been so welcoming and friendly from thevery beginning, which made for a pleasant transition.We also enjoy the pace, calmness and quiet here,even though native Cowetans would probably beg todiffer with me. In New York, it was always so noisyand everyone is always rushing around to getsomewhere. It was difficult in the beginning get-

ting used to the pace but we certainly enjoy itnow.

What is your job at the health department, andwhat do you like most about working there?Well, I actually wear many hats at the

Health Department. I assist and supervisethe front desk. I am the translator forSpanish-speaking clients, and I handlethe accounting. I enjoy working herebecause I can honestly say that everyday I feel like I have helped someone inneed in some way.As Thanksgiving and the Christmasseason quickly approach, what areyour favorite holiday traditions?Our holiday traditions consist ofspending time with loved ones andeating big meals. This is usually thehardest time for us because a lotof our family still live in New Yorkand this is when we miss them themost.What are you most thankful forthis holiday season?Being able to spend quality timewith my family. NCM

Marylyn McPhieBy Nichole Golden | Photo by Bob Fraley


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Newnan-Coweta Magazine, November/December 2010

Documents

Transcript of Newnan-Coweta Magazine, November/December 2010