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4 » November/December 2012

16World class art from the Old World is making a stopin Huntsville, Alabama.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSON

22Know any good boys andgirls? Our Annual Holiday GiftGuide has tons of gift ideas—something for everyone onyour list!

66David Abramson and hisfamily raise a litter of elitehunting dogs (with a fewrescues); you’ll love them(and they will love youback!).

BY LAURA ANDERS LEEPHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

14Lobsterfest began in 1994 as a way for a church to fund an annual mission tripto Honduras. Over the years,it has grown to fund localmissions as well.

BY LAURA ANDERS LEE

20Picnic with a purpose: Isom’sOrchard hosts a uniquefundraising dinner.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSONPHOTOS BY GARY HARDISON

42One of North America’s mosthighly respected Hunts, theMooreland Hunt is both asport and a way of life for itsNorth Alabama members

BY ALLEN TOMLINSONPHOTOS BY ADRIAN JENNINGS

Anna, one of David Abramson’s eight beagle puppies, is ready for holiday entertaining. Are you?

6 » contents

TIME KEEPERCurtis Stolaas in hisHuntsville studio. See page 62.

November/December 2012Volume 1: Issue 4

• • •C. Allen Tomlinson

Editor-In-Chief

David SimsManaging Editor/Design Director

Contributing WritersSarah Gaede, Laura Anders Lee, David Sims,

Claire Stewart, Allen Tomlinson

Contributing PhotographersPatrick Hood, Gary Hardison, Adrian Jennings,

Danny Mitchell

Business ManagerRoy Hall

Marketing Coordinator/Advertising SalesHeidi King

Graphic DesignerRowan Finnegan

Editorial AssistantClaire Stewart

InternsSara Kachelman, Ryan Paine

• • •No’Ala is published six times annually by No’Ala Press

PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: 800-779-4222 | Fax: 256-766-4106

Web: www.noalapress.com

Standard postage paid at Huntsville, AL.A one-year subscription is $19.95for delivery in the United States.

Signed articles reflect only the views of the authorsand do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors.

Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements.

© 2008-2012 No’Ala Press, All rights reserved.

Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson, Editor,

at the postal address above, or by e-mail [email protected].

Letters may be edited for space and style.

To advertise, contact us at:256-766-4222, or [email protected].

The editor will provide writer’s guidelines uponrequest. Prospective authors should not

submit unsolicited manuscripts; please query theeditor first.

No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inkson 100% recycled paper.

Join us on Facebook: No’Ala Huntsville

H U N T S V I L L E• • • • •

N O ’A L A H U N T S V I L L EA D V I S O R Y B O A R D

Jennifer DossHuntsville Symphony Orchestra

Leslie EcklundBurritt on the Mountain

Dan HalcombHuntsville Symphony Orchestra

Jeff JohnsonTerramé Day Spa & Salon

Elizabeth JonesBurritt on the Mountain

Ginger Penney Liles

Matthew LilesAIDS Action Coalition

Patrick RobbinsAlabama Pain Center

Charles VaughnVaughn Lumber Company

Anna Baker WarrenAnna Baker Warren Interiors

14 CalendarEvents for November-December 2012

62 Everybody’s BusinessCurtis Stolaas has always been fascinated by watches and it showsBY ALLEN TOMLINSONPHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

104 Food for ThoughtNot Bambi’s Mother!BY SARAH GAEDE

108 Back TalkHow Does He Do It?Our Panel of First Graders Weigh in on Santa’s Odds for Christmas 2012BY CLAIRE STEWART

112 Bless Their HeartsA Tale of Two Christmases PastBY DAVID SIMS

114 Parting ShotBY PATRICK HOOD

editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson « 7

It’s beginning to look a lot like…what, already?

It’s the beginning of November, and we all know what that means. Even though sev-eral big box retailers have had Christmas trees and decorations for sale since themiddle of the summer, we haven’t really taken any of that seriously…but it’s time to,now. As soon as we get to Thanksgiving, which is just around the corner, it’s off tothe races! We’ll hardly have a chance to blink before we’ll be sitting in a pile of dis-carded wrapping paper and piles of dirty dishes, wondering where the year went andhow it could possibly be another New Year.

This is the first Holiday issue for our Huntsville edition, but we’ve been publishinga holiday buying guide in the Shoals for five years. In that time, we’ve sharpened our

shopping skills and scouted out some great treasures fromlocal retailers and artists so that you can get gift giving andentertainment ideas. This year, there is absolutely no rea-son to do any shopping online or at the chains; you are goingto love the selection and variety you’ll find right here athome!

As we put together this issue, we were aware that some ofour readers might not be quite as interested in the sport ofshopping, so we have included some articles that will appealto them as well. The Huntsville Museum of Art is bringinga spectacular exhibit called “Object of Devotion and Divine

Masterpieces,” opening December 1, and you’ll see a preview; Lobsterfest, an annualfundraiser held by St. Thomas Episcopal Church, happens in November, and we’ll tellyou all about it, too. The Mooreland Hunt, a gathering of people who practice Amer-ica’s oldest sport, fox hunting, has fascinating traditions and a deep heritage in theTennessee Valley, and David Abramson, known statewide for his hunting dogs, isprofiled as well. Ever wonder how Santa gets to all of the houses in the world in onenight? The kids at Randolph School will tell you. There’s something here for every-one!

The real joy of this season is spending time with those you love. When you shop,shop locally; take advantage of all of the wonderful activities the season has to offer,and relax and enjoy yourself. No matter how you say it or celebrate it—Merry Christ-mas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays—we hope this is a joyous season for youand yours, and that we can all look forward to a bright and Happy New Year.

HOOKED YET?If you like NO’ALA,be sure to checkout our Facebookpage. We’d love tohear from you!No’Ala Huntsville

8 » calendar

November 1–3Independent Musical Productions presents Ain’t MisbehavinFri and Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2:30pm; Admission charged; UAH; (256) 415-7469; imphuntsville.org

November 2–4Randolph School’s Under the Christmas Tree MarketFri and Sat 10:00am–7:00pm and Sun noon–5:00pm; $5 adults; students/children free; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe Street; (256) 799-6105

November 2Songwriters Showcase6:30pm; Admission Charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse; 700 Monroe Street; (256) 533-1953

Christabel and the Jons8:00pm; $10; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; flyingmonkeyarts.org

Monkey Speak Open Mic Night8:00pm; $5; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; Mature audiences only;(256) 533-0399; flyingmonkeyarts.org

November 3Madison City Farmers Market8:00am–noon; Free; 1282 Hughes Road; (256) 656-7841; madisoncityfarmersmarket.com

Artist Market Noon–4:00pm; Free; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: Make It Count6:00–9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 for additional children ages 4-12; 102 D Wynn Drive; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org

BATTLE AIDS concert presented by AACGates open at 7:00pm and bands start playing at 7:30pm; Free; Fly-ing Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; flyingmonkeyarts.org

5 O’clock Charlie/Gus Hergert Band7:30pm–11:00pm; $8; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;flyingmonkeyarts.org

November 4Film Co-op Workshop2:00pm–4:00pm; Free; Studio #264 on the second floor of LoweMill ARTS & Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

November 5Yoga with Casey6:00pm–7:00 pm; $14 per session; Studio #258 on the second floorof Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256)679-7143 ext 43; youryo-gasite.net

November 6Hooping with Chrisha of Circle Motion Hoops6:00pm–7:15pm; $15; Flying Monkey Theatre at Lowe Mill; (229)630-2508; circlemotionhoops.com

November 7Need to Breathe Tour7:30pm; From $25; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe Street; (256) 799-6105

November 8–9Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience7:30pm; From $30; Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Boulevard;Huntsville; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

November 8 The Beloved Book Club6:30pm–7:30pm; Free; Studio 273n on the second floor of LoweMill ARTS and Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

November 9Triple Artist Reception6:00pm–8:00pm; Free; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

November 9–11Theatre Huntsville Presents It’s a Wonderful Life: Live from WVL Radio TheatreFri and Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2:00pm; From $18; Von Braun CenterPlayhouse; 700 Monroe Street; (256) 536-0807;yourseatiswaiting.org


Rocket City Half Marathon8:00am; $46; Hillwood Baptist Church; 300 Kohler Rd. SE; (256) 882-3706; huntsvilletrackclub.org

Artist Market Noon-4:00pm; Free; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

November 11Yoga with Casey6:00pm–7:00pm; $14 per session; Studio #258 on the second floorof Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256)679-7143 ext43; youryog-asite.net

November 12Hooping with Chrisha of Circle Motion Hoops6:00pm–7:15pm; $15; Flying Monkey Theatre at Lowe Mill; (229) 630-2508; circlemotionhoops.com

November 15Art Krewe and Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment6:00pm–8:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville Museum of Art;300 Church Street; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

December 31The Huntsville SymphonyPresents New Year’s theAmerican Way

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 | NOALAPRESS.COM | 9

November 16-18Delta Zeta MarketplaceFri. & Sat., 9:00am–6:00pm, and Sun. Noon-5:00pm; Admissioncharged; VBC South Hall, 700 Monroe Street; (256) 533-1953

November 16 Third Friday Decatur5:00pm–8:00pm; Free; Bank Street and Second Avenue in Decatur;(256) 350-2028

Open Studio Night6:00pm–8:00pm; Free; Third floor of Lowe Mill ARTS and Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net



November 10Sci-Quest Wild Weather Day10:30am; From $8; 102 D Wynn Drive; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org

November 15 A.J. Croce7:30pm; From $30; Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Boulevard;Huntsville; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

Christian Women’s Job Corps Circles Luncheon Noon; $50; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe Street; (256) 428-9435 Continued page 10

November 15–17Theatre Huntsville Presents It’s a Wonderful Life: Live from WVL Radio TheatreThurs., Fri. and Sat., 7:30pm and Sat, 2:00pm; From $18; Von BraunCenter Playhouse; 700 Monroe Street; (256) 536-0807;yourseatiswaiting.org

November 16Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: Make It Count6:00pm–9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 for additional children ages4-12; 102 D Wynn Drive; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org

Huntsville Chamber Music Guild Presents Parisii Quartet7:30pm; $25 adults, $20 seniors and $15 students; Trinity UnitedMethodist Church; 607 Airport Road; (256) 489-7415; hcmg.us

Pony Painting Party3:00pm–5:00pm, $35; Studio 114 in Lowe Mill ARTS and Entertain-ment; (256) 520-4134; myhorsesart.com

November 17Geno Haffner and the Dean Martinis/Huntsville Swing Dance Society7:00pm–11:00pm; $7 student, $10 adult; Lowe Mill ARTS andEntertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

November 18Jingle Bell 5K Run/Walk for ArthritisNoon; $25; Columbia High School; (256) 837-5177

November 19Yoga with Casey6:00pm–7:00pm; $14 per session; Studio #258 on the second floor

10 | NOAL APRESS.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

of Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256) 679-7143 ext. 43; youryogasite.net


November 22Annual 5K Turkey Trot Run8:00am; Admission; UAH; Spragins Hall; (256) 716-4052

November 22–December 31Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights Drive-Through5:30pm–9:00pm; $8-$12; 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

November 22Thanksgiving Day Hike9:00am; Free; 4747 Bob Wallace Avenue; (256) 534-5263; landtrust-hsv.org

November 23–December 23Santa’s Village5:00pm; $5; Alabama Constitution Village; 109 Gates Avenue; (256) 564-8100; earlyworks.com/santasvillage

November 24Artist Market Noon–4:00pm; Free; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

Letterpress Holiday Card Workshop12:00pm–4:00pm; $5 Admission; Green Pea Press, Studio #122,Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Moonfolk Festival6:00pm–11:00pm; Admission is donation only; Lowe Mill ARTS &Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; MoonFolkHSV.com

November 26Yoga with Casey6:00pm–7:00pm; $14 per session; Studio #258 on the second floorof Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256) 679-7143 ext. 43; youryo-gasite.net


November 27–28Sesame Street Live! Tuesday 7:00pm; Wednesday 10:30am and 7:00pm; From $30; Von Braun Center; 700 Monroe St. (256) 551-2345;sesamestreetlive.com

November 28Art Critique at Lowe Mill6:00pm–7:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

November 29-30My North Pole Adventure7:00pm; $20; Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Boulevard; Huntsville;(256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

November 30Songwriters Showcase6:30pm; Admission Charged; Von Braun Center Playhouse; 700 Monroe Street; (256) 533-1953

Epic Comedy8:00pm–11:00pm; $7; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

November 30–December 1Kris Kringle’s Candlelight Christmas5:00pm–8:00pm; $9 adults, $8 seniors and military, $6 students, $5 children; $2 members; 3101 Burritt Drive; (256) 536-2882; burrittonthemountain.com

November 30–December 3The Nutcracker: A Yuletide BalletFri 7:30pm; Sat 2:30pm and 7:30pm; Sun 2:00 pm; Admissioncharged; Butler High School; 3401 Holmes Avenue; (256) 881-5930;alabamayouthballet.org

December 1-January 20Object of Devotion/Divine MasterpiecesSee article beginning on page 16

December 1Santa Train10:00am; $12; North Alabama Railroad Museum; 694 Chase Road;(256) 851-6276; northalabamarailroadmuseum.com


Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: Holiday6:00–9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 for additional children ages 4-12; 102 D Wynn Drive; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org

December 2Film Co-op Workshop2:00pm–4:00pm; Free; Studio #264 on the second floor of LoweMill ARTS & Entertainment; (256)533-0399; lowemill.net

December 3Yoga with Casey6:00pm–7:00pm; $14 per session; Studio #258 on the second floorof Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256) 679-7143 ext. 43; youryo-gasite.net

December 4Hooping with Chrisha of Circle Motion Hoops6:00pm–7:15pm; $15; Flying Monkey Theatre at Lowe Mill; (229) 630-2508; circlemotionhoops.com

December 6Winter Citywide Gallery Tour5:00pm–9:00pm; Free; Various locations; gallerytour.org

The Four Bitchin Babes Present Jingle Bells7:30pm; $25-$30 Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Boulevard;Huntsville; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

December 6–7Holiday Magic at Burritt on the Mountain6:30-9:00pm; $9 adults, $8 seniors and military, $6 students, $5 children; 3101 Burritt Drive; (256) 536-2882; burrittonthemountain.com

10 » calendar

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 | NOAL APRESS.COM | 11

December 7Monkey Speak Open Mic Night8:00pm; $5; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; flyingmonkeyarts.org

December 7–9Huntsville Ballet Presents The NutcrackerFri 7:30pm; Sat 2:00pm and 7:30pm; Sun 1:00pm and 5:00pm;From $22.50; Von Braun Center Concert Hall; 700 Monroe Street;(256) 539-0961; huntsvilleballet.org

NEACA Christmas Craft ShowFri and Sat 9:00am; Sun noon; Free; Von Braun Center; 700 MonroeStreet; (256) 859-0511; neaca.org

Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater presents A Christmas CarolFri. 7:30pm, Sat. and Sun. 2:00pm and 7:00pm; From $14; VonBraun Center Playhouse; 400 Monroe Street; (256) 539-6829; let-themagicbegin.org

December 8Rocket City Marathon8:00am; $100; Holiday Inn Downtown; 401 Williams Avenue; (256) 650-7063; runrocketcity.com

Santa Train10:00am; $12; North Alabama Railroad Museum; 694 Chase Road;(256) 851-6276; northalabamarailroadmuseum.com


Pony Painting Party3:00pm–5:00pm, $35; Studio 114 in Lowe Mill ARTS and Entertainment; (256) 520-4134; myhorsesart.com

December 10The Heart Behind the Music7:30pm; From $25; Princess Theatre; 112 Second Avenue Decatur;(256) 350-1745; princesstheatre.org

Yoga with Casey6:00pm–7:00pm; $14 per session; Studio #258 on the second floorof Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256)679-7143 ext. 43; youryo-gasite.net

The Weeden House Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries5:00pm–9:00pm; Advance tickets available for $15.00 adults, and $5.00 children; (256) 536-7718; weedenhousemuseum.com.

December 11Hooping with Chrisha of Circle Motion Hoops6:00pm-7:15pm; $15; Flying Monkey Theatre at Lowe Mill; (229) 630-2508; circlemotionhoops.com

December 13-16Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater presentsA Christmas CarolThurs–Fri. 7:00pm; Sat. 2:00pm and 7:00pm; Sun. 2:00pm; From$14; Von Braun Center Playhouse; 400 Monroe Street; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org

December 13Mandy Barnett’s Winter Wonderland7:30pm; $25-$30 Merrimack Hall; 3320 Triana Boulevard;Huntsville; (256) 534-6455; merrimackhall.com

The Beloved Book Club6:30-7:30 pm; Free; Studio 273 on second floor of Lowe Mill ARTSand Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

December 15Artist Market Noon–4:00pm; Free; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

Christabel and the Jons7:00pm; Admission charged; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; flyingmonkeyarts.org

December 17Yoga with Casey6:00pm–7:00pm; $14 per session; Studio #258 on the second floorof Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment; (256) 679-7143 ext. 43; youryo-gasite.net

December 18Hooping with Chrisha of Circle Motion Hoops6:00pm–7:15pm; $15; Flying Monkey Theatre at Lowe Mill; (229) 630-2508; circlemotionhoops.com

December 19Flying Monkey Garden Community Meeting6:00pm–7:00pm; Free; Flying Monkey Arts floor studio 269 at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399; flyingmonkeyarts.org

December 21Third Friday Decatur5:00pm–8:00pm; Free; Bank Street and Second Avenue in Decatur;(256) 350-2028

Open Studio Night6:00pm–8:00pm; Free; Third floor of Lowe Mill ARTS and Entertainment; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Sci-Quest Parents’ Night Out: Holiday6:00pm–9:00pm; $20 for first child; $15 for additional children ages 4-12; 102 D Wynn Drive; (256) 837-0606; sci-quest.org


Solstice Celebration/Huntsville Feminist Chorus Concert4:30pm–6:00pm; Free; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

December 26Art Critique6:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill; 2211 Seminole Drive; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net

December 28Epic Comedy8:00pm–11:00pm; $7; Flying Monkey at Lowe Mill; (256) 533-0399;lowemill.net


December 31Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Presents New Year’s the American Way7:30pm; From $25; Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, (256) 539-4818;hso.org.

Whitney Clemons and Louise Brown

Kathy Littrell, Gail Baggs, Jennifer Jackson,and Jo Ann Malcolm

Alicia Nails, Kay Woller, and Whitney Clemons

Carrie Hart, April Botto, GinnyPylant, Vanessa Pappenburg,and Stacey Peebles

Alicia Nails, Mary MargaretBeggs, Kay South, and Kim Mitchell

Yvonne Hawkinsand Alex Jolly

Mark and Julien Young, AJ and Ivy Albert

Margaret-Anne and Kevin CrumlishJoe Newberry, Phillip Price,

Randy Roper, and AJ Albert

Jean and Bill Salter, and Linda Akenhead

Phillip and Debbie Price, and Greg Oden

12 » scene

Above: Decatur Morgan Hospital FoundationGala Kick-Off Party

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

Below: 2012 Huntsville Symphony GuildDebutante Ball Advisors Cocktail Party

AUGUST 26, 2012 HOME OF CARL & SARAH GESSLER

Joan Dowdle, Randy Roper, and Joanna May

Debbie Overcash, Brenda Milberger, Richard and Carole Hamm

Libby Britt, Ginny Pylant, Apryl Botto,and Carrie Hart

Alexis Chandler and Lila Tourney

Laura Fite and Sonya Hodge

14 | NOAL APRESS.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 201214 | NOAL APRESS.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

In a little mountain village in Honduras, a young mothernamed Claudia lives in a concrete block house. She hasno running water or electricity. Some of her neighborslive in houses made of cardboard or old street signs theyfound on the side of the road, and others live in housesmade of sticks and mud. The villagers take their baths

and drink the water from the river nearby. They eat mostlyfruit, but without getting enough iron and protein, many aremalnourished and anemic. All have basic medical needs andmany more have needs that are more severe, even life-threat-ening, but they don’t have the money or the resources fortreatment.

For the past 18 years, members of St. Thomas EpiscopalChurch have been visiting Delicias del Norte, the village mean-ing Sweet Wind of the North, to care for the thousands of localslike Claudia and her neighbors. Their medical mission isfunded by Lobsterfest, one of Huntsville’s most beloved fallevents.

Plenty of churches have fund-raisers, but none are quite likeSt. Thomas’ Lobsterfest. On Saturday, November 10, thechurch grounds transform into a fall festival for the 19thannual Lobsterfest. Thousands come to dine on 2,500 lob-sters, an abundance of barbecue and home-baked goodsand enjoy live music, a silent auction, an arts-and-craftsshow and children’s activities.

Lobsterfest began in 1994 as a way for the church to fundan annual trip to Honduras. Over the years, it has grownto fund local missions as well, including Habitat forHumanity and First Stop, an organization serving thearea’s homeless population. Last year Lobsterfest raised$18,000, and this year, event organizer Patty Moy hopesto top that goal.

“Pretty much everyone in church does something,” saysPatty. “From a group of ladies who makes the secret bar-

becue sauce recipe to the group who makes the side itemsand the team of Huntsville engineers with their elaborate

system with the hot pots of lobsters. Everyone has what theydo. We have shifts for pretty much everyone in the church,

but we all enjoy it so much, we end up staying all day.”

The festival’s proceeds have allowed St. Thomas to build morethan a dozen Habitat for Humanity homes locally as well asfund medical assistance, and even a permanent clinic, for thepeople of Delicias del Norte. One hundred percent of theevent’s proceeds go toward the missions, not administrativecosts or even travel expenses.

“Everyone pays their own airfare and food and lodging,” saysCindy Adkins, who has been on nearly all of the Hondurastrips. “It’s a wonderful testament to how dedicated people are.They’re willing to give up a week of their life, the doctors anddentists close up their practices, and they pay their own way. Itsays a lot about how generous people are. To see how the peo-ple there live and how they struggle and what a proud andwonderful people they are, it makes you want to do more andmore.”

This March, a team of around a dozen nurses, doctors, den-tists, and support staff from Huntsville will once again head toHonduras. From Sunday to Sunday, they will endure long andgrueling days, serving a total of 2,000 people during the week

TEXT BY LAURA ANDERS LEEPHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. THOMAS EPISCOPAL CHURCH


with a range of maladies. The team will help with basic needs,such as providing vitamins, Tylenol, and toothpaste, as well asgive medical and dental treatment.

“There was a young man who was confined to a wheelchair—and that’s in the roughest sense, it was a lawn chair with wheelsfrom a lawn mower,” recalls Cindy. “He had seizures constantly.We have gotten him some medication to help with his seizures,and we’ve established a clinic with local nurses and two doctorswho go out to the village twice a month to make this kind ofongoing treatment possible.”

The Sloan Clinic, which St. Thomas founded two years ago ata church in Delicias del Norte, is named after Kee Sloan, thechurch’s reverend in 1994 who helped start Lobsterfest and theHonduras mission. Sloan is now a bishop in Birmingham.

“We’ve made a big difference with the people in the village andin the church,” says Cindy. “We set up the clinic in the churchitself. It’s not just for the church members but for the wholecommunity. They charge a small amount to the people, like adollar for the whole family to come, so we can continue to payour workers.”

Claudia, now a mother of two in her late 20s, has been receiv-ing assistance from the St. Thomas mission trips since she waseight years old, and she and Cindy have developed a friendshipover the years.

“I’ve known Claudia since she was a little girl,” says Cindy. “She’sthe oldest daughter in a very large family. She’s just very brightbut had this terrible depression. She was almost catatonic. Wedid get her to a hospital, and we were able to get her an appoint-ment to see a psychologist there, and we (St. Thomas) providedthe medication for her.”

“She just had another baby, and at our closing service last year,I heard my name being called, so I walked up to the front, theyhanded me the baby, and they told me I was the madrina, thegodmother. It was very touching.”

Claudia is already planning to send a birthday present for herone-year-old goddaughter in January, but finding an addressfor Claudia has been difficult and postage costs are astronom-ical. But she’s definitely looking forward to seeing them inperson during the next mission trip in March.

“We’ve made many, many friends in that village; they are verydear to us,” says Claudia. “It’s incredible how they live. They arevery poor, very uneducated. It’s a really difficult life in a thirdworld country. They’re wonderful people, they just really are.”

The holiday season is upon us—the season of celebration andthe season of giving. Lobsterfest embraces both. This Novem-ber, the community can enjoy fellowship on a crisp, fall day,while helping a good cause, whether it’s providing someone likeClaudia with medical treatment or a local Huntsville familywith a home. Isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

Health and Healing in HondurasThe Sloan Clinic, which St. Thomas founded two years ago at a church inDelicias del Norte, is named after Kee Sloan, the church’s reverend in 1994who helped start Lobsterfest and the Honduras mission.

Clockwise, from top left: The dental clinic; Rev. Deacon Dave Drachlis, Dr.Ray Fambrough, and an interpreter visit with patients; A family outside of atypical village home; Fambrough (left), Drachlis, and an interpreter work inthe clinic; A family waits for treatment outside the clinic; The closing serv-ice, with the medical mission team and local villagers.

For the past 18 years, members of St. ThomasEpiscopal Church have been visiting Hondurasto care for thousands. Their medical mission isfunded by Lobsterfest.


A DIVINEINSPIRATION

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 | NOALAPRESS.COM | 17

IT CAN TAKE YEARS TO PUT TOGETHER AN EXHIBIT FOR THEHUNTSVILLE MUSEUM OF ART, BUT THE OFFERING PLANNED FORTHIS HOLIDAY SEASON WAS CREATED CENTURIES AGO.

eginning December 1, the museum will feature an exhibit entitled“Object of Devotion/Divine Masterpieces.” It’s a mix of two dif-ferent, complementary collections, the first featuring a selection ofMedieval English alabaster panels and free standing figures fromthe world’s largest collection of medieval alabasters at the Victo-ria & Albert Museum in London. The other part of the exhibit is

a selection of 16 stunning 14th–16th century devotional paintings from the collec-tion of Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery.

“We start planning our exhibits years in advance,” said Peter Baldaia, the Museum’sDirector of Curatorial Affairs. “Often we have to wait for a particular collection totour and see if it’s something we’re interested in, something we can afford, and some-thing that will appeal to our audience. We always try to bring something unique herefor the Christmas season, but it’s not always religious in nature. We were lucky thatthis nationally traveled show was available to us this year.”

The Medieval English alabaster collection in this exhibit is organized to show theprogression of the art and highlights everything from the smaller, folk art aspects ofthe craft to the more sophisticated and intricately detailed pieces. For example,alabaster images of saints were made for private homes and were often affordable—but they ranged in complexity from the less expensive and simpler pieces to thehighly detailed, gilded pieces sold to the aristocracy.

The Reformation of the 1530s ended the alabaster industry in England as part of itswholesale rejection of religious art. During that time, mobs defaced and destroyedmuch alabaster sculpture, and examples of vandalized sculpture are included in theexhibit as well.

To complement the alabaster pieces, the museum is bringing 16 stunning devotionalpaintings from the collection of Bob Jones University Museum and Gallery. “Thealabasters are generally smaller in scale, and these are much larger,” said Baldaia. “Wewere looking for colorful pieces that would integrate well and provide a balance.”

Once an exhibit has been selected and approved by the program committee, the realwork begins. The curator of the show must be multi-talented: the show has to bestaged in such a way that the viewer moves through, “and we have to provide anexperience,” said Baldaia. “We have to think about the sight lines and situate theobjects so the viewer is drawn through the space. We’re creating an experience, and

TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSONIMAGES COURTESY OF THE HUNTSVILLE MUSEUM OF ART


Alabaster sculptures werepopular inEurope until the Reformationof 1530. Theytold stories of thelife of Christ, ordepicted saints,and were oftenplaced in homesto protect thefamily’s healthand wealth.

we want the general public to comethrough and not know what hit them!”

That means the exhibit hall is painted,supporting graphics and labels created,the exhibit set, and then the pieces arelit. “Lighting is crucial,” he said, “becauseit makes all the difference in how anobject is viewed or how attention isdrawn.” As curator of this show, he hasto be part set designer, part lightingexpert, and part stagehand.

And this exhibit excites him more thanmost. “The collection of alabasters fromthe Victoria and Albert Museum, touredby Art Services International, and theselected pieces from Bob Jones Univer-sity are very prestigious,” Baldaia said.“This is world-class art, from the OldWorld, and it will be right here inHuntsville, Alabama. Not everyone cantravel to Europe to see these works, sothis is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunityfor local art lovers.”

Admission to the exhibit is free to museum members,$10 to the general public,and $5 to children 6 to 11.Military, students, and seniors are eligible for discounts, as are groups often or more. The exhibit runs from December 1, 2012,through January 20, 2013.For more information visitwww.hsvmuseum.org.



PICNIC WITHA PURPOSETEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON » PHOTOS BY GARY HARDISON


On a beautiful fall evening in October, 150 guests gathered at Isom’s Orchard for anelegant dinner to raise money for the Athens-Limestone Public Library and the Susan G. KomenFoundation.

The dinner was hosted by orchard owners Wes and Marlene Isom in the middle of their 250-acre peach and apple orchard in Athens. The second dinner of its kind, the event was in memoryof Wes’s uncle, Raymond Isom, a man who once said “If knowledge is never cultivated, the bestwork of the individual will never be produced. For future profits the money spent for knowledgewill be well spent.”

Each guest brought a favorite plate, which was collected as they arrived. As they mingled aroundthe pond, sampling Alabama wines, premier quality goat cheese, and hand-dipped chocolates,they were able to see works of art from local craftspeople and listen to musician Consort A. Lac-ienne. Behind the scenes, Dr. Mary Crowell, members of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society ofWomen Educators, local city and county educators, and The Southern Belles, who represent theSusan G. Komen Cancer Walk, readied to serve the food, all from local and regional farms andcarefully prepared by an army of local culinary professionals.

It could not have been a better evening. The weather was perfect, the orchard was a unique anddelightful setting for the bountiful food, and, at the end, the event raised $11,500 for the libraryand $3,307 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It was a fitting tribute to Mr. Raymond Isom, and,even more, it was a picnic with a purpose.


TEXT BY DAVID SIMS » PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELLPRODUCED BY CLAIRE STEWART

It’s that time of year again—the most wonderful time of the year! This Holiday season, take the opportunity to discover all the

unique, independently-owned shops in your area—and then spend somemoney with them. They’ll appreciate it, our local economy will benefit,

and you’ll be a Holiday Hero! Just about any gift on your list can be purchased in our neck of the woods, and shopping locally creates a

microclimate of positive economics. Plus, you’ll save time and gas! Youmight even have time to bake cookies with your family and friends.

Our annual gift guide is full of wonderful suggestions—from extravagant jewelry, to handmade art and designer clothing. Fromthe simple to the sublime, it’s everything you wanted, and some thingsyou didn’t know you had to have. So, put down that computer and startshopping down the block and around the corner. And say hello to your

local shopkeepers because—well, because you can.

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A John Hardy Bracelet ($1,495)B Slane Ring ($1,170)

Osborne’s Jewelers(256) 883-2150

C 4ct Diamond, 14ktWhite Gold Hoops ($10,000)

D .65ct Diamond, 14ktWhite Gold Leaf Ring ($2,000)

E .21ct Diamond, 14kt Rose Gold Teardrop Necklace($1,000)Grogan Jewelers(256) 837-4808

F Emerald Bracelet ($3,160)G White Gold Ruby and

Diamond Pendant ($1,785)Jamie Hood Jewelers(256) 686-2852

H David Yurman 7mm Pave Bracelet in Hematite ($1,825)

I David Yurman 6mm Pave Bangle ($1,450)

J David Yurman 14mm Albion Ring w/Hematite ($1,650)Loring & Co.(256) 880-1909

K Heather Guidero Oxidized Sterling Silver, 18kt Gold, Raw Diamond Ring ($1,900)

L Heather Guidero Oxidized Sterling Silver, 18kt Gold Necklace ($1,200)Little Green Store(256) 539-9699

Mono B Jeans ($59)Potter’s Pot Sequin Blazer ($69)Shoefly(256) 881-0002

JEWELRY (opposite)

A Lenny and Eva Bracelet ($69)B Julio Alumni Collection

Bracelet ($28.95)C Pressed Cross Necklace

($48.95)Market House(256) 606-7888

D Stone Bracelets ($28 each)E Akola Project Necklace ($34)

J. Whitener Boutique(256) 885-2006

F Green Onyx Cuff by Kendra Scott ($130)

G Ayala Bar Israeli Statement Necklace ($238)Loletta’s(256) 489-8889

H Gold Spike Bracelet ($25)I Fish Dangles ($24)

Cotton Cottage(256) 533-8668

J Gold Cross Bracelet ($57)K Wallflower’s Beaded

Bracelet ($56)Memi’s(256) 350-0101

Mono Reno Woven Dress ($48)Lariat Necklace ($49.95)Envelope Purse ($17.99)Market House(256) 606-7888


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deck the halls…

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A Gatski Striped Fish ($260)The Little Green Store(256) 539-9699

B Metal Wine Holder ($32.99)C Pip Studio Mug ($9.99)

Pip Studio Bowl ($16.99)Josie’s at Burritt on the Mountain(256) 536-2882

D Leann Satterfield Painting ($225)

E Rosignano Lamp ($389.95) Portobello(256) 489-9286

F Signed Copy of Tasia’s Table($32.35)

G Brie Baker ($30)Harrison Brothers Hardware(256) 536-3631

H Wooden Jewelry Tower ($109)Nadeau(256) 885-1889

I Liorra Manne Pillow ($62)Brooks and Collier (256) 534-2781

J Artichoke ($49)K Cowhide Pillow ($190)

Glee Interiors(256) 355-4533

L Reserve Candle ($29)Golden Griffin(256) 535-0882

M Rablabs Natural Quartz Coasters ($68/set of 4)

N Arte Italica Bronzed Platter ($130)

O Rablabs Trivit ($92)Sam, Frank & Moore(256) 353-1741

P Mary Margaret Brinkley Painting ($78)Memi’s(256) 350-0101

Q “Dwellings” by Xander Booker ($125)

R European Roe Deer Antique Antlers ($89)Miranda Alexander Interiors(256) 355-6941

S Stencil Votives ($8)T Magnolia Plates ($18.75)

In Bloom(256) 533-3050

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A Blabla Doll ($44.99)B Pediped Silver Girl’s

Flats ($58.99)C Green Swirl Dress ($67.99)

Posh Mommyand Baby Too(256) 722-3181

D Lilly Pulitzer Lunchbox ($20)E Doodle Cook Book ($14.95)

Divas, Doodlebugs, & Debutants(256) 350-0572

F Princess Plate ($8)Princess Bowl ($8)Princess Cup ($8)

G Striped Journal ($13)H Paisley Journal ($17)

Paperchase(256) 355-8993

I Osolita Purple Jacket ($90)Alabama Outdoors(256) 885-3561

J Lilly Pulitzer Color Me Puzzle ($16)

K Lilly Pulitzer Paper Dolls ($20)The Pink Pelican(256) 882-1433

L Glop and GlamTravel Kit ($16)

M Knot Genie Brush ($14.50)Spoiled Rockin Kidz(256) 489-6300

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B Mudpie Rudolph Hat ($19.99)

C Borris the Monkey ($28.99)D Corduroy Mayoral Pants

($43.99)E Mayoral Sweater ($49.99)F Mayoral Shirt ($35.99)

Posh Mommy and Baby Too(256) 722-3181

G Pirate Quilted Backpack ($24.95)

H Marshmallow the Elephant ($21.95)Market House(256) 606-7888

I Jonathan & Martha ($14.95)Divas, Doodlebugs, & Debutants(256) 350-0572

J Billy Train ($99)Paperchase(256) 355-8993

K Polartec Long DistanceJacket ($80)Alabama Outdoors(256) 885-3561

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ye merry gentlemen

A Minimergency Kit for Him ($16)

B Deer Cufflinks ($90)C Billy Reid Half-Zip

Pullover ($195)Status(256) 585-2232

D Monte-Carlo Levy’s Leather Guitar Strap ($64.95)

E Guild D125 Dreadnought ($529.99 with case)The Fret Shop(256) 430-4729

F Montecristo 75th Anniversary Series($300 per box)Vintage Wine & Cigars(256) 585-2345

G Chaco Otis VibramBurly Boots ($140)

H Kavu Wallet ($25)I Corbina Glass Mirror

Costa del Mar Sunglasses ($199)Alabama Outdoors(256) 885-3561

J Eco X Pro Shock Resistant, Waterproof Speaker ($79.95)

K Kershaw Rescue BlurKnife ($99)

L WeWood Date BrownWatch ($120)

M iSolar Smart PhoneBattery Charger ($35)Mountain High Outfitters(256) 327-8438

N Skipjack Canvas Belt ($49.50)O Cotton Bow Tie ($55)P Alabama Bow Tie ($65)

Pelican Joes(256) 517-8252

Q Gents Titanium Rectangular Cuff Links ($150)

R Gents Titanium RoundCuff Links ($165)Grogan Jewelers(256) 837-4808

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jingle belles3 Stone Bibb Necklace ($30)Black Chiffon Skirt ($35)Mustard Open Front Top ($33)Aztec Fur Vest ($56)Diba Lace-Up Boots ($77)Cotton Cottage(256) 533-8668

Black Leighton Blazer ($178)Black Resort Chic Wedge ($228)Lucy Dress ($258)Run Around Gold Clutch($98)Pink Pelican(256) 882-1433

Joyce Dress ($326)Black Boots ($32)Ring ($13)Bangles ($17)Earrings($5.75)Envy(256) 539-6790

Gomax Black Cowboy Boots ($99)Turquoise Necklace ($34)Leopard Dress ($43)J. Whitener Boutique(256) 885-2006


Red Cape ($49)White Long Sleeved Top ($20)Jeggings ($72)Coin Necklace ($18)Black Satchel ($60)Ring ($40)Uptown Girl(256) 340-7360



Put some stuffingA Bliss Fabulips Kits ($45)B Bliss Bodyscrub ($36)C Moxie Plumping Lipglosses ($18 each)D Hair Ties ($3) and Head Bands ($9)E Bare Minerals Eyeshadow Quad ($30)

Terrame(256) 319-3003

F Goddess Bottle Stoppers ($21)G Baggu Shopping Bags ($9 each)H Moonspoon Tea Strainer ($16)I Solemate Scarves ($26)

Little Green Store(256) 539-9699

J Soap Squares ($1.25 each)K Tipsy Blue Cheese Olives ($6.99)L Wild Oregano & Sage Savory Salts ($9.99)M Chickadee Notepad ($9.89)

Josie’s at Burritt on the Mountain(256) 536-2882

N Watch Desk Clock ($98)O Woodblock Stamped Cards ($2.50 each)

Glee Interiors(256) 355-4533

P Wooden Wine Cork ($20)Huntsville Museum of Art(256) 535-4350

Q Fabric for StockingThread(256) 383-2223

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in your stockings


R Tickets to “New Years—The American Way” ConcertHuntsville Symphony Orchestra(256) 539-4818

S Votivo Red Currant ($26.50)T Shurshot Dip Mixes U Milk Bar Soap ($10.25)

Topiary Tree(256) 536-7800

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Robert Ryan and Bing Abantao

Lizeth Benton, Ella David Layag, Malou Salazar, Malou Duhaylungsod, and Jacky Fraga Jake and Maita Stone

Gloria Vergara

Kris Yamada, Michelle Ralleca,and Dan Zimmermann

Philip Carrie and Lori Chase

Felicia Beaulieu andRobert Wallace

Dave Goode and Ginger Harper

Margery Woodley and Tom Albright

Martin Folgmann, Dan Montgomery, Bill Weinzierl, and Paul Fry

Monita Soni and Jason Lockette

40 » scene

Above: Philippine-American Association of AlabamaSilver Anniversary Ball

SEPTEMBER 8, 2012 THE WESTIN HUNTSVILLE

Below: Iberiabank Grand Opening CelebrationSEPTEMBER 18, 2012 HUNTSVILLE

Jaque Johnson, Mike Brazier,and Melissa Putiner

Brittney Melcomber, Nicle Jones, and Suzanne Gabig

Helen Evans, Jane Mesenbrink, Pauline Johnson, Margie Swenson, Maita Stone, and Bless Stonecypher

Jun and Lilian Pedroso

Baby Ralleca, Malen Gilbert,and Luz Ladrillono

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD


STARTING BLACK FRIDAY(Bridge Street Location Only)

256.764.4013

FREE iPhone5 or iPad2 With Purchase*

*Certain Restrictions Apply

Join the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and membersof the U.S. Army Materiel Command Band to bring in

the New Year with American favorites!

Monday, December 31, 20127:30 p.m.

Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, VBC

Tickets are stillavailable!

Call 256-539-4818

or visitwww.hso.org


TEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON » PHOTOS BY ADRIAN JENNINGS

The Mooreland Hunt Kicks Off the Holiday SeasonWith a Display of Tradition and Sport


WHEN THE AIR BEGINS TO FEEL A LITTLE CRISP and there’s a light froston the ground in the morning, most people begin to think about sports. There’sfootball, of course, and deer hunting and even the sport of shopping for the holi-days; but the oldest sport in America, a sport that goes back hundreds of years andcarries with it a rich tradition, is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind.

This sport has deep tradition—even tailgating—but doesn’t take place in a stadium.It has uniforms and team colors—even rules—but no scorekeeping. The sport is foxhunting, and for a large group of people across North Alabama, it’s a passion thatrivals the fiercest Alabama or Auburn fan’s.

But instead of runningbacks and quarterbacks, you’re following Field Masters andhounds.

“Hunting is a sport, but it’s not just a sport,” said Evie Mauldin, one of the Mastersof the Mooreland Hunt. “It’s a way of life. No…” She pauses for a moment. “It is a life.”You might not understand exactly what she means by that until you learn more aboutthe sport of hunting and how it encompasses almost every waking hour.

First of all, it’s important to make a distinction between fox hunting and deer hunt-ing. “This is not shooting, this is hunting,” says Evie. “That is a distinction that wasoriginally made in England, where the sport of hunting began. When you go shoot-ing, you go out with a gun; when you go hunting, you go on horseback and followthe hounds. They are the ones doing all of the work.”

In other words, deer “hunting,” another popular sport in the fall, is technically deer“shooting.” Riders on a fox hunt are not armed with guns.

Secondly, hunting requires a great deal of athletic skill, and not just from the hunters.Hunts take place on horseback, following the hounds, and it’s a rigorous course thatcan cover as much as 25 miles in a single event. It can be dangerous: Evie and her sis-ters, Martha VanSant Zuelke and Mary Marshall VanSant, tell stories of scrapes andbruises, sore muscles and broken bones; a horse could step in a hole at any momentand injure itself and its rider.

But the athletic skill that is most fascinating to watch is that of the hounds. “Theseanimals have been bred to hunt, and they are highly trained athletes,” said Martha.“Because hounds are pack animals, they work as a team, and it’s interesting to seeeach hound develop his or her unique skill. It all blends together and works, just likea highly skilled football team.”

What’s most interesting about the hounds is the fact that they rarely see the prey.“From the back of a horse, we’re up high and can see the fox or coyote,” said MaryMarshall, who is one of the field masters for the hunt, “but the hounds hardly lifttheir heads. They are hunting purely on scent.”

“Because hounds are pack animals, they work as a team, and it’s interestingto see each hound develop his or her unique skill.

It all blends together and works, just like a highly skilled football team.”—MARTHA VANSANT ZUELKE


In one of the toughest jobs ever, the Perfect Wedding partners have narrowed the finalists to four couples,one of which will become our Perfect Wedding Pair.

The couples are:Chancey Praytor & Jacob BartonRachel Baggett & Kyle KnightChelsea Turner & Chance MitchellKimberly Moore & Dakota Brown

These couples were chosen from the 15inspiration boards delivered to Burritton the Mountain at the end of Septem-ber. The boards represented thedreams of each bride and gave us anopportunity to glimpse her personality,her style, and her vision for her perfectday. The boards were exceptional—onewas even as large as a show display—and the work and creativity that wentin to each one was admirable.

Unfortunately, there can only be onewinning couple…and although we weresupposed to narrow the field to threecouples, we ended up with four. Allfour couples have been interviewed,and the winning couple will beannounced in the January/Februaryissue of No’Ala.

In the meantime, our Perfect WeddingPartners have grown in number. Thevalue of this wedding is approaching$30,000 and will take place at beautifulBaron Bluff, the brand new event centerat Burritt on the Mountain that openedin late October. The bride and her wed-ding party will have a day to remember,overlooking the city of Huntsville.

Chancey Praytor & Jacob Barton

Rachel Baggett & Kyle Knight

Meet the Finalists for the Alabama Perfect Wedding

PERFECT WEDDING PARTNERS{ AS OF OCTOBER 22 }

ARMOSA STUDIOSPHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS

WEDDING STYLIST JORDYN DEAN

BARON BLUFF AT BURRITT ON THE MOUNTAIN

SIGNATURE SMILE

GROGAN JEWELERS

IN BLOOM FLORAL DESIGN STUDIO

PARTY WORKS

MAKE-UP ARTIST NATALIE FAGGIONI

THE HUNTSVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

DAMSON AUTOMOTIVE

WALTER THAMES/WHAT’S FOR SUPPER?

TERRAMÉ DAY SPA AND SALON

FINERY, A BRIDAL BOUTIQUE

INVITATION DESIGNER MAGGIE CRISLER

ALL NEEDZ

BRUCE ROY, BELLE FLEUR CATERING & FLORAL

BETTY LANGFORD, CATERING EVENTS

CHEFS TO GO

ARTZ STUDIOS

DECOROUS DISHES

LOOKING FOR IDEAS FOR YOUR PERFECT WEDDING?

Our winning bride will be blogging about her experience as she plans the perfect wedding. Follow her at alabamaperfectwedding.com and get ideas for your wedding, too!

Kimberly Moore & Dakota Brown

Chelsea Turner & Chance Mitchell


Here’s another fact about hunting: it’s complicated. The hounds are led by a hunts-man, who happens to be a paid employee of the hunt; his job is to train the houndsand then direct them during the hunt. He does that through signals with his horn andwith his voice, and it’s his job to make sure the hounds don’t get too distracted or gooff on tangents. One rule of the hunt is that you don’t get ahead of the huntsman andthe hounds; another is that there is a hierarchy of hunters, with beginners at the backof the pack and more experienced hunters who have been awarded their colorsnearer the front.

But let’s back up.

The sport of hunting is heavily dependent upon the hounds. Hounds are bred togive birth in the spring – this is called “whelping.” After the puppies are about a yearold, right before they start hunting, hunts will have Puppy Shows, where they invitetheir own members to come see the year’s newest participants and they invite mem-bers of other hunts to come take a look as well. “We don’t sell our puppies, butinstead we “draft” or trade them with other hunts,” said Evie. “A hunting hound is avery specific breed of animal, not found in the general house dog population. Weeven have our own governing body, and breeding is closely regulated. Every houndhas a tattoo in his ear, to identify him, and although these dogs are very valuable, wenever sell them. Instead, we share them and trade them with other hunts. It’s all verycivilized and gentlemanly.”

Male dogs are called “dogs,” and females are called “bitches,” but the name “hound”applies to them both. After the puppies are whelped and weaned, they are named,and there are strict traditions that govern the way this happens. All puppies in a lit-ter are named using the first initial or vowel of the parents’ names. For example, if


the father is named Penn and the mother is named Windfall, the offspring will all benamed with names that begin with “W-E:” “Weasel,” “Wedlock,” “Wendy,” etc. Thenames aren’t necessarily human names.

After the puppy shows, puppies are sent home with members of the hunt, wherethey are socialized. They learn their names, learn manners, and learn to be friendlyto people. “It’s important to socialize a hound because during the hunt they are sur-rounded by people,” said Martha. “We don’t want them to be anti-social or afraid, andwe don’t want them to be skittish.” This brief period of time in a member’s home iscalled “walking,” and a hound will be out on walk for several months.

After they have been out on walk, they return to the kennels where their trainingbegins. The kennel is maintained by the hunt, and the huntsman and his staff are incharge of teaching the hounds their role in the sport. It will take a puppy a full yearof training before entering the pack, and they are called “puppies” until they beginto hunt. During that year, they work with other, more experienced hounds, learningto work as a group, and learning to be “biddable,” which means they have to learn torespond to the huntsman’s commands. “If the huntsman tells them to stop, they haveto stop, and they can’t go until the huntsman releases them,” said Evie. (The popu-lar phrase “release the hounds” is a fox hunting term.)

Evie, Martha, and Mary Marshall are members of the Mooreland Hunt, and, in fact,Evie is one of three Masters. There are three Masters of the Mooreland Hunt, allinvolved because of their demonstrated commitment and understanding of hunt tra-dition. Leslie Rhett Crosby, Mr. Harry Rhett’s daughter, is one of them; Dr. Jack Moodyis one; and Evie Mauldin is the third.

“This is not shooting, this is hunting. When you go shooting,you go out with a gun; when you go hunting, you go on horseback

and follow the hounds. They are the ones doing all of the work.”—EVIE MAULDIN


HUNTINGTERMSDRAW A BLANK

To fail to find a fox.

COLORSThe distinctive colors that distinguish the uniform of onehunt from another. Usually a distinctive color of collar on acoat. To be awarded or giventhe colors is to be given theright to wear them.

COVERT (pronounced “cover”)A patch of woods or brushwhere a fox might be found.

CRYThe sound given by houndswhen hunting. “The pack is infull cry.”

ENTERA hound is “entered” when he isfirst regularly used for hunting.

HUNTSMANThe man who controls thehounds in the field.

LINEThe trail of the fox.

TONGUECry. A hound “gives tongue”when he proclaims with hisvoice that he is on a line.

VIEWTo see the fox.

WHIPPER-INA staff member who assists theHuntsman in the control of thehounds.

HISTORY OF THE MOORELAND HUNT

Harry Moore Rhett, Jr., a prominent community leader inHuntsville, loved to hunt. According to his daughter, Leslie,who has taken the reins as a Joint-Master of the MoorelandHunt, he hunted so much in Virginia, with a group of huntingfriends, that her mother begged her father to find a way tohunt closer to home. Because the Rhetts owned land in Lime-stone and Lawrence counties, and that land had fox, coyoteand bobcats on it, it just made sense to start a hunt right herein Alabama.

That was in the early 1960s. The Mooreland Hunt (so namedbecause of Mr. Rhett’s middle name) is a small to mid-sizedhunt, with 60 or so members and has become one of the mosthighly respected in North America.

There are responsibilities for the three Masters, some of whichare financial. The Hunt employs a huntsman, Rhodri Jones-Evans, a Welshman who has been with the Mooreland Huntsince 2005, and it also employs a professional whipper-in,Shannon Roach. (A whipper-in assists the huntsman with con-trol of the hounds.) Members of the Hunt are either mountedfollowers or social members, and there are dues associatedwith each type of membership; social members can ride up tothree times before having to pay a “capping fee.” Regardless ofyour designation, you must be invited to be a member by oneof the Masters, and in many cases hunting is a generationalthing. (Leslie’s teenaged daughter, Hattie Crosby, is an avidhunter; Martha’s daughters, Mary Hurston and Elizabeth, haveboth been awarded their colors at the Mooreland Hunt.)

Mr. Rhett died in 1996, but the Hunt he loved continues. It’snot hard to believe that his spirit permeates the MoorelandHunt, and that he would be proud of the way it’s endured.

THE HUNTING SEASON BEGINS

It’s a chilly morning in early November, and members of theMooreland Hunt have gathered for the Blessing of the Hounds.They are all dressed in their traditional “kits,” the name for theformal clothing they wear at a hunt. Although the kits are beau-tiful, they are also very functional. Boots come to the knees, forprotection during the ride, and women’s boots are patentleather at the top. Men wear white breeches, and women weartan or canary; shirts have standing collars and there is a whitetie at the neck that sort of looks like an ascot. “The tie is veryfunctional,” said Martha, “because it is long and can be used asa tourniquet, a bandage, or a sling, if necessary. It’s pinned witha large pin, that can also be used in emergencies.”


The Mooreland Hunt is a small to mid-sized Hunt, with 60 or so membersand has become one of the most highly respected in North America.

next season. In between, hunters haveample opportunity to participate in thehunt and in tailgating parties which fol-low them; even though the season onlyruns during the winter months, there areopportunities to get together at puppyshows and other social events in thewarmer months.

“That’s why we say it’s not just a way oflife—it’s a life,” said Evie. “Some call it anobsession,” she adds with a laugh. This isnot football, but with its rules, its tradi-tions, the skills required and theceremonies surrounding it, it is certainlya sport. It just happens to be the oldestsport in America—and it’s practicedright here in North Alabama.

Vests are usually canary or tattersall, andthe coats are colored depending uponthe rank in the hunt. At the end of theseason, some members of the hunt willbe awarded their colors, and as suchgranted the ability to ride closer to thehounds.

At the Blessing, the horses have beenfreshly bathed, manes braided. Thepriest invokes a traditional prayer, onewritten just for the Mooreland Hunt. Heasks for blessings upon the hounds, thehunters, the landowners and the prey.

And then, it’s time for the hunt.

“The hounds are trained for the hunt,but so are the horses,” said Evie. “Weprefer thoroughbred horses for ourhunts, because a hunt can last for fouror five hours and we’ll cover 20 or 25miles. The hounds cover even more ter-ritory than that—but it’s important thata horse have the endurance to be able towithstand that sort of exercise.”

The huntsman decides which hounds tobring to each hunt, about 37 to 40hounds. He puts together the pack basedon experience, mixing those who arehunting for their first season with thosewho have hunted for years. He also hasto take into consideration how tired thehounds might be, because there can beas many as three hunts every weekthroughout the season, which runs intothe early spring.

The strike hound finds the scent; thehunt begins.

HUNTING SEASON

Hunt season runs from late October,when the crops are out of the fields, untilMarch, when the landowners begin tomake plans to plant. Season opens withthe Blessing of the Hounds and ends withAwarding of the Colors at the ClosingHunt Breakfast, a celebration in whichhunt members are given traditional col-ors and a new position in the hunt the

This page:Mooreland’s Professional Huntsman, RhodriJones-Evans

Opposite:Evie Mauldin, one of the Hunt’sMasters


62 » everybody’s business


IF YOU LOOK AT PHOTOGRAPHS OF CURTIS STOLAAS WHEN HE WAS A CHILD,you’ll see something unusual. There he is on Christmas Day, in his pajamas, excitedabout opening presents—and wearing a watch. There he is in another one, ridingbikes with his friends in the neighborhood—and he’s wearing a watch. “I can’t helpit,” he says with a smile, “I’ve always been fascinated by watches.”

The watch world, it turns out, is pretty fascinated by him, too.Curtis and his wife, Christina, (with a lot of cheering on fromtheir four children, all under the age of six) have created a lineof luxury watches that is getting a whole lot of attention. Theyare beautifully designed precision timepieces, and they havebeen on the covers of watch magazines and already are beingcollected by watch aficionados around the world.

So, how did that happen? And what makes the STØLÅS Watch(named for the family, without the extra “a”) so unique and sodifferent—and so worth the $500 to $2,000 asking price?

The first reason is because the Stolaas family embodies thevery definition of “entrepreneur.” Curtis has a degree in envi-ronmental biology, and Christina’s background is marketing.When they first married they formed a sales company andmade their living selling clothing, cell phones—and watches.Their company operated out of their home, and because Cur-tis has always been a watch wearer, he paid special attention tothe brands they were selling to find out what customerswanted. “I liked what we were selling,” he said, “but I wantedto design something especially for me.”

Not only is Curtis a self-taught watch expert, he’s also a self-taught designer. He began working with different designs andconsulting with Christina about design elements that might make the watchesunique. All the while, he was working on a design that would encompass his uniquestyle, and what he ended up with was a watch called the Harbormaster Genoa.

UNIQUE ELEMENTS

There are several design elements that make the Harbormaster line of watches dif-ferent from other luxury brands. The first, most noticeable difference is that thewatch face itself is large. “That makes it easier for a Navy pilot to read the watch,”said Curtis, and STØLÅS Watches have a large following among the military andsportsmen. The stainless steel case is intricately designed, and the face of the watchfeatures a sail pattern. The markings on the face of the watch include somethingcalled “MLC,” or Midnight Luminary Composite, which glows in low-light condi-tions to make the time even easier to see.

The original watch, the one Curtis built for himself, has a crocodile band, but theyare offered with a variety of band options, including stainless steel.

“Most luxury watches use engines, or movements, that are made from just a fewwatch works specialists,” said Curtis. “These movements are only made in Germany,China, Japan and Switzerland, and the majority of them are Swiss. We pick the finestmovements for our watches, and they come to us in various stages of assembly; some

MAKING BEAUTIFUL TIMETEXT BY ALLEN TOMLINSON » PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

Above: Curtis Stolaas gets a watch forChristmas...and abusiness is born.

movements are completeand some need some mod-ification as they areinstalled and assembled.No matter, every watchthat comes from our com-pany has been touched insome way by me, so I canensure that they are thehighest quality.”

Interestingly, not all of themovements are electronic (or battery operated) or created sothat the movement of your hand helps keep it wound. “Somepeople still like a watch that is wound by hand,” said Curtis.“There’s something about the ritual of winding a watch that isappealing to some people, so we have those movements avail-able as well.”

To compete in the watch business at this price point, you haveto be very good—and according to the press this company has

been getting, they are. The materials are hand-selected, themovements are high-precision units, and the designs areunique.

Some of the designs are only produced in limited editions.“The original series, the Harbormaster Genoa, is sold out rightnow,” said Curtis. “But we are also able to design watches forspecial occasions or to benefit specific needs we want to sup-port.” A case in point is a special design he created for tsunamirelief, with understated graphics and touches of Japanese red.

Limited editions can be in runs of between 50 and 500. Onesign that STØLÅS Watches are gaining a reputation for qual-ity and style is the fact that there are watch lovers andcollectors who are buying their way through the collection.“We have one customer who bought six of our watches to giveas gifts,” said Christina. Several customers they know aboutown two or three of the watches, “and we’ve been getting verypositive feedback,” she said.

The amazing thing is that they have established this reputa-tion in a very short time. Curtis and Christina finalized initialdesigns and placed orders for components in 2009, and theyhad the first product available for sale for the holiday season in2010-2011. This season, STØLÅS has six styles to choosefrom, with an additional eight coming that are available forpre-order.

The fact that these are produced in Huntsville, Alabama—theSpace Capital of the world, and home of NASA, U.S. MissileDefense, and Redstone—makes perfect sense, especially sincethe watches have been favorites of military professionals andrugged outdoorspeople because of their quality constructionand precision works. And they aren’t just for men; Christinawears a beautiful STØLÅS Watch with a white stitched leather

band. “I can’t go anywherewithout people stopping me toadmire it and ask me where itcame from,” she said, laughing.“Most of the time I have todecide how much time I canspend talking about thesewatches, because a routine runto the Post Office could takehours!”STØLÅS Watches are soldthrough stores in Denmark,Norway, Singapore, and in theU.S., but most are sold throughan online store at www.sto-laswatch.co. Best of all, just asthe Stolaas family began their

sales and marketing business at home, the watch workshop isan upstairs room above their garage that has been convertedinto a watch wonderland. “When the Swiss began makingwatches, they put them together in upstairs rooms in theirbarns,” said Christina. “We feel as if we are carrying on a longtradition of craftsmanship by doing something similar. Ourgoal is to continue to design timepieces that are beautiful,functional, and desirable.” Take a look at their designs andyou’ll agree that they already are.


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TEXT BY LAURA ANDERS LEE » PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

“Now that I’m retired, I have plenty of time, and I love[training my dogs] more than anything in the world.”

—David Abramson

David Abramson has spent nearly all his life outdoors—from growing up on a dairy farm and building bridges androads, to hunting every minute during his off time.

David’s first love was a beagle named Doc. At just 10 years old, David trained Docas his hunting dog. Since then, he’s trained some hundreds of dogs to accompany himon his many hunting excursions, whether in his backyard or around the country. Sowhen David retired 13 years ago, he and his wife Faye bought an 1830s home on afarm in Florence with plenty of room to raise hunting dogs. Today the couple, withhelp from their son Zac, is raising a family of beagles like Doc, including eight pup-pies, along with a handful of American Pointers and a few rescues.

When David and Faye got married 55 years ago, his first purchase was a $50 hunt-ing dog, which would cost thousands of dollars today. His new bride and high schoolsweetheart was more understanding than most.

“I didn’t have the sense enough to get mad,” laughed Faye.

“Faye hunted a lot with me at first,” said David. “She was a good shot.”

Throughout his career as owner of Abramson and Sons, Alabama Bridge Builders,and Bellew and Roberts, David squeezed in hunting trips before work or on week-ends, spending as much time as possible in the woods. He and Faye even spent theirvacations traveling the country to hunt. They covered a lot of territory, from NorthAlabama and South Texas and from Alaska to Canada, hunting everything from rab-bit, quail, and doves to deer, elk, and caribou. After one hunting trip, David broughthome a pet deer for Zac, who was in sixth grade at the time.

“I could never hunt after that,” recalled Zac. “But I loved being around all the ani-mals.”

The deer was just one of hundreds of animals the Abramsons have raised. Besidesdogs, the family has had a raccoon and a possum. Today they have donkeys namedObama, Michelle, and Hillary after their favorite Democrats, along with some twodozen hunting dogs.

Zac, who lives in downtown Florence, comes to the farm every day to help his fathertake care of the dogs. David sells a hunting dog occasionally, but he really just raisesthem for himself as a hobby and to have company on his hunting trips.

“Getting them to mind, getting them to come, you have to spend a lot of time withthem,” said David. “But now that I’m retired, I have plenty of time, and I love doingit more than anything in the world.”

David, who’s 74, is still energetic and active, rising at 4:00 a.m. to drink his coffeeand check on the dogs. Then he’s gone by sunrise, whether it’s to hunt in the fall andwinter or to fish in the spring and summer.

One of the Abramsons’ beagles recently had eight puppies that David is busy train-ing. They are three months old now, and at six months, they’ll be able to run rabbits.

Facing page:Abramson with oneof eight beagles he’straining; Precedingpage: Robin MarieHerald, friend ofthe family, lovesspending time withthe beagle puppies.


“About the only way you can hunt rab-bits and birds is with dogs because theytrack or point them,” said David. “I’ll takeabout seven beagles out with me at atime for rabbit hunting. When one ofthem smells a rabbit, they bark, and theothers follow. When we spot one, we sayTally-ho!”

That’s the signal the dogs have been wait-ing for—they know they’ve done their job.

The beagles’ mother was a hunting dog,and they come from a special bloodlinewith keen natural instincts, makingthem perfect hunting companions. Butnot all of the Abramsons’ dogs are froman elite bloodline.

“This dog is a rescue my son Zac pickedup,” said Faye, pointing to one of thedogs in their large kennel, which over-looks open fields behind the house. “Iguess he’ll be here ‘til the end. We’re justanimal lovers.”

“Nemrod came to my house during athunderstorm,” added Zac. “I put an adin the paper but couldn’t find the owner.If I take him to the pound, no one willwant him—he’s old and has bad teeth.He’s the sweetest dog in the world butnot adoptable. I come out and walk himevery day. Waterloo is another rescuedog we have—we call him Loo for short.”

One of the Abramsons’ short-hairedAmerican Pointers was born prematureand deformed. His bones not completelydeveloped, he looked flat, like a pancake.But before putting him down, Zac andDavid waited it out.

“We didn’t think he would survive, buthe did,” said Zac.

Not only did Lucky survive, but he’s beenone of the Abramsons’ best bird dogs.

The Abramsons have also raised Trigger,another pointer and bird dog, along with

Trigger’s parents and siblings. Thepointers accompany David on quailhunts. While David and the beagleschase the rabbits merely for fun, he andthe pointers bring the quails in.

“We have it for a good many meals in thewinter months,” Faye said. “I sauté it, putit in a pan and bake it for about 45 min-utes with a little wine over the top.”

Both David and Faye love cooking andenjoy hosting weekend hunting tripswhich always include plenty of food,from chicken stew and fried fish towhatever has been freshly killed. For 30years, the Abramsons owned a 3,000-acre wildlife preserve in Cullman wherepeople came in from all over the countryto hunt trophy bucks, many on theBoone and Crockett scale. Weekendguests paid a large sum of money to stayin a log cabin with luxury amenities suchas a personal chef and hunt the covetedbucks that David raised himself in con-

What was once a corncrib on the Abramsonfarm, now functions as both his office andas a gathering place for the family.



junction with Auburn University. Today,the Abramsons host an annual dovehunt on a much smaller scale for closefriends at their farm in Oakland, justnorth of Florence.

“David was a patient of my husband’s,”said Merry Ann Herald of Birmingham,whose family attends the annual dovehunt and often visits the Abramsons.“He’s gone from patient to huntingbuddy to best friend. My son Luke hasbeen hunting with them since he wasfive, and my daughter Robin Marie triesto keep up. She’s a little tomboy.”

Luke, who’s now 15, is a skilled marks-man, and Robin Marie, who’s 10, often

goes out with David and her BB gun. Shecan call all eight beagle puppies by nameand told David he better consult with herbefore giving any of the puppies away.

“I like dogs, and I love to hunt,” saidRobin Marie. “When you combine both,it’s all the better.”

Not only does David share his passion forthe outdoors with his family and friends,but he’s involved with various organiza-tions in the community. He volunteersfor the Florence/Lauderdale Countytourism bureau, where he helps themmarket the area as a fishing destination.In the early 90s, David was appointed byGovernor Jim Folsom on the first boardof Alabama’s Forever Wild Land Trust.Forever Wild has purchased more than227,000 acres of land for public use suchas state parks, hiking trails and naturepreserves. While Alabama is still behindother southeastern states for percentageof land designated for public conserva-tion, Forever Wild continues to expandto make more land available for futuregenerations, like Luke and Robin Marie.

While many men have a man cave withfootball memorabilia or a pool table,David’s man room is an upscale barnwith attached kennel. Inside are dozens

of trophies mounted on the wall, fromsheep and wild boar and even a moose.But while he loves spending time in his“office,” his favorite place to be is outside.For David, the thrill of the hunt is onlythrilling with his dogs by his side.

Left: Abramsonbonds with Trigger,an AmericanPointer he raised;Below, right: Fourbeagle puppies fromthe litter of eight viefor the camera’sattention.

74 » food for thought » Sarah Gaede

IT’S NO WONDER SO MANY AMERICANS ARE DUBIOUS ABOUT EATING VENI-SON. Bambi, the movie, has been traumatizing generations of children since 1942.We all witnessed Bambi’s mother’s death at the hand of a villainous hunter, whichcaused Bambi to experience abandonment issues, and caused us to wonder, “WhenI eat venison, how do I know I’m not eating some innocent little fawn’s beloved mom?”

Who knows how many children—or adults—become vegetarians after falling in lovewith an anthropomorphized movie character? My friend swore off eating pork aftershe saw the movie Babe. (She doesn’t count bacon as pork, because she’s not afanatic, and because, as we all know, bacon is like crack cocaine.) I will eat rabbit,although I feel a bit peculiar about it, not only because of the fluffy little tail andwiggly nose, but because I have a grandbunny named Lightfoot. She lives inCharleston with my daughter, her bunny daddy, and her part-time bunny nanny.

People who hunt will tell you it is more ethical to hunt what you eat than to buy itcut up in the grocery store, and I think they are right. If I thought about it too much,I’d probably become a vegetarian (except for bacon, of course). Venison has one-third the fat of beef and is lower in calories. Deer lead happy lives right until themoment they are sent to be with Jesus. And let’s face it, if we don’t do some judiciousculling, deer will take over the world, eating their way through all our flowers, fruits,and vegetables on their way to world domination. Without deer hunters, our coun-try would be like India, except with deer instead of cows.

When we decided on a hunting theme for the Holiday issue of No’Ala, I thought avenison tenderloin recipe would be perfect. Unfortunately, all I knowabout deer hunting is what my friend Rob Brown, Episcopal priest andhunter, posts on Facebook. I found out venison tenderloin costs $70online, my first stop for everything exotic. Lucky for me, I’m one ofthose southern women who will talk with anyone, anywhere, aboutanything. My farmers’ market vendor buddy Carl Ahonen was com-plaining one morning that the deer were eating his pears andmuscadines. I remarked, “So, you going to be gettingsome venison soon?” He replied, “Why? You wantsome?” He turned to his crony Gerald Perrigin andasked, “Gerald, you got some venison?” “Yep,” Geraldanswered. “How much you want? I’ll bring some Satur-day.” I didn’t realize most hunters have a stockpile of lesser

Not Bambi’s Mother!

DEER LEAD HAPPY LIVESRIGHT UNTIL THE MOMENT

THEY ARE SENT TO BE WITHJESUS. AND LET’S FACE IT,

IF WE DON’T DO SOME JUDICIOUS CULLING,

DEER WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD, EATING THEIR

WAY THROUGH ALL OURFLOWERS, FRUITS, AND

VEGETABLES ON THEIR WAYTO WORLD DOMINATION.


cuts of venison in the deepfreeze. Gerald brought me steaks,sausage, and ground meat, and didn’t charge me a dime. Notenderloin, but I couldn’t argue with the price. And, as Rev.Rob points out, “So much better for you than processed cow!”

Chili is a good place to start with venison. You don’t have to tellpeople what’s in it, and they need never know. The followingrecipe uses cubed meat instead of ground, which was perfectfor the half-inch-thick leg steaks Gerald gave me, althoughground venison or plain old hamburger would work just aswell. I threw in some canned beans because I had them in mypantry. That’s the fun of cooking; figuring out how you can usewhat you have on hand to make something good.

Venison Chili

• 4 strips bacon (or 2 tablespoons bacon fat, or 2 tablespoons olive oil)

• 1-1/2 pounds or thereabouts leg or shoulder of venison, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

• 1 large onion, chopped• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped• 3 large cloves garlic, minced• 1 tablespoon chili powder (any kind—I used

good old McCormick’s)• 1 teaspoon ground cumin• 1 teaspoon ground coriander• 1 teaspoon dried oregano• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper• 1 tablespoon tomato paste• 1 cup hearty red wine—I used Malbec in a box

from Target• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice• 1 can beef broth• Salt and pepper to taste• 1 or 2 cans beans, such as pinto, black, or kidney beans,

or a combination, optional (I used 1 can pintos with bacon, and 1 can seasoned black beans)

• 1 tablespoon cornmeal or masa harina • 1 cup finely diced sweet or red onion• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped• Grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

(I used Pepper Jack because that’s what I had)

In a Dutch oven big enough to brown the meat in onelayer, cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and baconis crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.Add the venison to the hot fat and cook until well-seared(or at least brown-ish.) Add the onion, green pepper, andgarlic, and cook until onion is translucent. Stir in spicesand tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1minute. Stir in the wine, tomatoes, and beef broth, andbring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heatand simmer, covered, until meat is tender, stirring occa-sionally if you happen to pass by, for at least an hour. Addbeans; simmer 20 minutes. Add bacon and stir in corn-meal; stir until thickened. Check for salt. Serve withonion, tomato, and grated cheese.

Serves 4 to 6

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76 » back talk » Claire Stewart

How does Santa deliver all the gifts—all over theworld—in just one night?

“The elves go everywhere with him and help him.He is going to bring dolls to my house.” —Ava C.

“Because he is magic. It’s not hard to stay upall night. I have done it before.” —Jamie M.

“He has magic that lets him get everywhere.He gets pretty dirty going down all the chimneys.His favorite color is red and his favorite cookieis gingerbread.” —Abigail W.

“His reindeers are as fast as 1,000 racecars.” —Shaun P.

“He goes fast, but he leaves the elves on the shelffor us. Only moms can move the elves. dads and kids can’t move them.” —Paris S.

“His reindeers and him just disappear. Sometimes hegets stuck in chimneys and the reindeers jump on

top of him until he gets down the chimney.” —Sophia B.

Abigail W.

Ava C.

Sophia B.

Jamie M.

Paris S.

Shaun P.


“His sleigh flies him all over the world. He can read all the languages to read directions and read lettersfrom kids.” —Howard T.

“I think he tries really hard to get everywhere. He makes toys all year long. He is a hard worker.”—Kailey L.

“The reindeers go fast. I saw him right before Christmas last year, and we ate cookies with his faceon them and my brother slept on the couch.” —Lily R.

“The elves help him take all the presents.They probably take six or seven presents at a time.He stays up all night because he is old, and theolder you get the later you get to stay up.” —Will S.

“His reindeers have some kind of magic, but I don’tknow exactly what kind. When he is all done on Christmas night, he gets back and makes toys for himself.” —Molly S.

“He just goes super fast. The elves helphim some, too. He eats a lot of cookies

but never too many.” —Aspen H.

Kailey L.

Howard T.

Lily R.

Will S.

Molly S.

Aspen H.

“He zooms through the air and drops thingsinto chimneys. He does about 55 houses

in one minute. The reindeers have special gearthat tell them where to go.” —Lexa M.


78 » back talk » How does Santa deliver all of the gifts—all over the world—in just one night?

“He packs really early for the trip.His sleigh has rocket boosters.” —Matthew A.

“If I were him, I would take a car everywhere…a red car because red is my favorite color. I think heprobably takes a few naps when he can on Christmasnight. One time he brought us a whole pool table. I don’t know how he fit that in his bag.” —Abby T.

“He travels the speed of light. Both my brotherscaught him, and Santa gave them a candy cane…

I also just lost a tooth.” —Nathan S.

“He is specialty trained to drop into each house. The elves are also trained. They have a rope tiedaround them, and they drop through the chimneys.They use a zip line to go right into each chimney. Then they tug on the rope and zip right back up into the sleigh. They probably go to 400 housesin one night…or 4,000. One of those.Any more questions?”—Ari E.

Nathan S.

Ari E.

Matthew A.

Abby T.

Lexa M.

“He uses his fast sleigh. But he does it in two nights.He first goes to Africa, then America.” —Sophie Z.


“He has fast reindeer. One time, on Christmas,I heard him going down the stairs, andhe dropped one of my toys!”—Ashlyn H.

“He is fast. I saw Santa one time! He told me togo back to bed. I told my brother and he didn’t

believe me. I think he is jealous.” —Eli I.

“He goes fast. He just drops the presents into thechimneys. But, I saw something on Facebook where someone caught him on video!” —Sarah C.

“He goes fast. When he is done, he getsback to the North Pole and rests for like

an hour and eats cookies.” —Corinne A.

“His flying reindeer get him everywhere. He doesn’t get tired because he sleeps all through November.” —Michael D.

Sophie Z.

Corinne A.

Eli I.

Michael D.

Sarah C.

Ashlyn H.

All children are enrolled in the 1st grade at Randolph School in Huntsville.

80 » bless their hearts » David Sims

I know I’m probably not alone when I say that my family’s Christmases were notexactly of the Currier & Ives variety. I grew up in Pensacola, Florida, which duringlate December is already hit-and-miss when it comes to wintery weather (moremiss). And no matter how many times our parents tell us kids that our white sandslook just like snow, sand will never be snow, and 75 to 80 degree temperatures do notencourage a steaming batch of hot chocolate nor a round of neighborhood caroling.Holidays in the Florida panhandle were confusing to children who were subjected totelevised Christmas specials featuring happy, bundled children sledding, buildingsnowmen, or daring each other to touch their tongues to frozen flagpoles. So wemade do.

Our holiday season would usually kick off with the hunt for the perfect tree—or inthe case of the Sims family—the hunt for the tree that was the “most straightest”and “least dryest.” By the time we got around to visiting our local tree lot, it was rid-dled with dangerous holes where the good trees had once stood. Gone were the“forests” of wonderfully scented fir trees that often became the backdrop for a gameof hide-and-seek, or some other boyish adventure. All that were left were orphansand deformities, no doubt cut down in early November and trucked from places likeOregon and Colorado where they belonged—and where they were happy. Our treealways looked as though it was suffering from a severe case of scoliosis, and no mat-ter how hard my father tried to force (and curse) its trunk into our red and greenmetal tree stand, it would eventually have to be tethered by a thick rope to the cur-tain rod in the living room. How I longed for a tree that stood proudly on its own.Even that rope had an honored place among the Christmas ornaments.

Our ornaments were at best only pleasant—never anything special. Often purchasedin bulk from the Lillian Vernon catalog, we plucked them from their original boxesyear after year, with a dubious grin—the grin that’s usually reserved for similar crustyrelatives you also see annually. Truthfully, the only ornaments that provoked fondmemories were the ones handmade in grade school by my brothers and me, and“Little Drummer Torso” (which I will get to shortly). But all of the ornaments,

A Tale of Two Christmases Past

Those gatherings at my grandmother’s house were a lot like the ones portrayed on the Andy Williams Christmas special—only her roaring fire was complemented by a blaring window unit air conditioner.


whether they were hand-painted wooden, flocked glass, or theangel tree topper with gossamer wings, were just potential kin-dling for an already dangerously dry tree. And when you throwin the fact that the only lights on the tree were overly large andhot (and old), then you understand why my mother would onlylet us turn the tree on for brief, supervised viewings. The treewas always lit for company though, which was an event ofwhich I always took full advantage. There I would be, uncom-fortably seated among a group of adults, staring unblinkinglyat the pretty lights—mostly embarrassed about the clumps oficicles (they should be placed individually by hand), and nerv-ous about the tree falling into Aunt Dot’s lap, or worse—theimminent possibility of a house fire. How would Santa get tous? Would he even bother?

You get the picture. Christmases at the Sims’ were more akinto Charlie Brownish ones. But that was okay, because holidaysat my grandmother’s house were magical. My grandmotherwas the consummate hostess. She had the space, she had whatseemed like the only fireplace in Pensacola, and she sewed andbedazzled her own Christmas aprons. Those gatherings at mygrandmother’s house were a lot like the ones portrayed on theAndy Williams Christmas special—only her roaring fire wascomplemented by a blaring window unit air conditioner, andthe dainty snow fall outside of Andy’s fake living room win-dow was replaced with the thick, white fog of fivechainsmoking adults. And the food! Pâté, Triscuits with realSwiss cheese, a four layer coconut cake, sliced roast beef withspicy mustard on tiny little buns, and a glorious footed bowl ofambrosia—full of pineapple, coconut, mandarin oranges, andMaraschino cherries—made this annual event one you did notwant to miss—even if you had no other choice.

But I have a choice now, how I make my holiday memories.And I choose to combine a little of both of those Christmases.Today my trees always have straight trunks, and they standproudly—without assistance. The lights are smaller, but stillcolorful, and my ornaments are carefully chosen—except forone. The Little Drummer Torso (it truly is just a tattered foil,legless little drumming boy) has been saved by my brothersand me. We take turns keeping him, and you never knowwhere he’ll show up. But it’s always fun, and funny. And Iwouldn’t have my Christmases any other way.

82 » parting shot » Patrick Hood

First Snow

no'ala, november/december 2012

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