Married by the Lake
Corey and Erica Strength
August 1, 2009
Corey Strength and Erica Knight got engaged March 7, 2009 and one of the early decisions was to have an outdoor wedding. The couple scouted locations at the beach and Mt. Cheaha before deciding on Chimney Cove at Lake Wedowee.
"When we looked at Chimney Cove, we knew we had found the place for our wedding," Erica said.
Both Corey and Erica are Randolph County natives and the location made perfect sense.
"It was beautiful and being close to home allowed all of our family to attend," Corey said.
Erica and Corey both have a rather large extended family and deciding on who would participate in the activities could have been cause of duress, but the problem was solved easily by having more than one flower girl and one ring bearer.
"We couldn't pick between our cousins so we let all the little ones be in it," Corey said.
In all there were six flower girls and two ring bearers.
For most summer weddings the chance of rain is a given and the Strengths' day was no exception, however it did hold off until later in the night and the couple were able to enjoy the day.
"We wanted the outdoor wedding at sunset and even though the weather didn't cooperate fully, we still had a wonderful time," Corey said.
The couple even left the reception by boat courtesy of Wedowee Marine.
"Mr. Randy was great for helping make that happen," Corey said. "It was a great way to leave our lake wedding.
John and Krystal Payne
July 12, 2008
As a child Krystal Rice decided when she married she wanted to do so on her family's property on Lake Wedowee. And, on July 12, 2008 her dream came true at Rice Pavilion when she became John Payne's wife.
"I always wanted to get married on the hill on our family land and John wanted an outdoor wedding," she said. "But it was my aunt that suggested we get married on the dock at Rice Pavilion instead of the hill behind it."
The couple relied on family to plan the wedding with her grandmother Letha Rice (owner of the Hub Restaurant) taking the lead on the reception.
"She took care of everything," Krystal said. "She looked through magazines to get her ideas and got a little input from us. It was a relief that she did that for us because it was one less thing we had to worry about."
Rice also baked both the wedding cake and the groom's cake as well as handling all the decorations there.
The main worry the day of the ceremony was the chance of rain.
"I remember we looked at the radar for most of the day," John said. "The forecast said it was going to rain at 7 p.m. (the time of the ceremony), but it didn't rain a drop."
John and Krystal did have their share of wedding nerves on the big day but it was more about being the center of attention instead of doubts about each other.
"Neither one of us really like to be in the spotlight," Krystal said. "John had worked himself up about it for months, but that day he really enjoyed himself."
The couple grew up in Wedowee and have enjoyed playing on the waters of Lake Wedowee for most of their lives.
"We both have fond memories of skiing, tubing and fishing on the lake and we couldn't think of a better place to have our wedding," Krystal said.
Songwriter to perform at Ashland Theatre
Early on in his career, Austin Cunningham carved out a place for himself on Music Row as a songwriter. He left his hometown of Garland, Texas in 1986 and made the move to Nashville to pursue a career in music. His songs have been covered by artists such as Martina McBride, Hank Williams, Jr., Lee Greenwood, Wynonna, Del McCoury, Chris Knight, Claire Lynch, and the list goes on. Several years back, Austin was awarded the Johnny Mercer Award for Emerging American Songwriters.
Although writing is his first passion, he is no slouch at performing, blazing a trail with live shows across the U.S. With a strong voice and some of the best guitar playing you'll ever hear, he always manages to captivate his audience.
It's interesting to watch people respond to Austin's songs, whether it's one that paints a picture of salty characters like "Buck Clayborn" or a heart wrenching "Long Way To Go", about the struggle to understand the suicide of a good friend, or the hatred in the sky on 9-11.
His songs aren't the only thing that resonates. It's his down-to-earth-I-know-you-from-somewhere personality that sweeps over the crowd. He interacts with his audience like he's known them since childhood.
"Austin is the type of guy who wants to know your name and has the uncanny ability to remember it. His outgoing personality makes one understand the enticing nature of his songs. I found myself tearing up over lost love and tasting hot chili pepper while boot scooting in my mind."....... Janet Brice Parker, Author, The Ivy Stays Green.
If you're a writer looking for inspiration, a music buff, or just someone wanting to be entertained for a while, don't miss the chance to hear and meet this shining star from Texas. You won't be disappointed.
Cunningham will play February 27 at the Historic Ashland Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for $10 and may be purchased by calling 256.565-2458.
To discover more about Austin Cunningham, visit www.austincunningham.com
The Creative Side,
Bianca Jackson teaches ways to play with paint
Bianca Jackson is an artist that loves to share her knowledge. It started when her kids were young as they watched her build a Victorian doll house made of numerous materials including many innovations of her own. Soon friends of her children were interested and would come watch her projects develop. “Binky” as she is known to her family and friends loves to paint. She has painted large murals on each of her grand children’s bedroom walls. She hand paints furniture for children and decorates items around the house with creative finishes, handles and hinges. As a substitute teacher in Randolph County, Binky has numerous stories about introducing students to art at many local schools and in various class subjects. “I was a substitute teacher for the Wood Shop class and taught the kids to paint their birdhouses in individual Bianca Jackson teaches ways to play with paint ways” she said “then they took the birdhouses home as gifts for Mother’s Day. In a Home Economic class I brought in materials to show the students how to make a center piece and coordinate it with the place settings. Many boys lean toward monsters and fantasy images but occasionally one will surprise me and paint flowers.” Bianca Jackson believes that everyone has artist ability and needs an opportunity to experience art lessons. She teaches classes in a cozy environment in her home. For several years now she has been enjoying the development of several regular students and amazed by their talent. Binky’s home art classes are a combination of coffee, conversation and exploration of many approaches to creative ideas. “I wish Randolph County could provide art classes for all children. It’s an important part of learning and personal growth. And if not in school we really need a place to have classes for art” she said “art is good for the soul and helpful for sparking new energy in people of all ages.”
Market Conditions,
Putting the "Real" in Real Estate
Just like many parts of the county, the Lake Wedowee real estate market has experienced enormous change in the last three to five years. We had the highs in 2006 and 2007 then the lows of 2009. This chart is very revealing of what is happening in our market.
The lake market has taken a hard hit by the economy. The number of houses sold on or near the lake has decreased by approximately 40 percent since 2007. The average and median price has fallen from 25 percent to 30 percent.
While the lake market has struggled the other areas of Clay and Randolph County stayed almost stable at approximately 90 sales each year and with little difference in the median sales price calculations.
What does this mean for 2010? Predictions are good for traditional real estate up to the second quarter of the year, due to the tax credit still being available to buyers buying a new primary home. Speculation after the first six months is sketchy due to the large number of foreclosures yet to hit the market as well as unemployment. For the second home market... Prices will continue to adjust.
The serious seller will need to price competitively to attract a buyer. Sellers' will be competing with bank foreclosures and short sales. The buyers will be looking for the best deals.
Median Definition: Median is a mathematical result that indicates that one half of the group is higher and one half lower. Median price of 101 sold homes would be that price which is lower than 50 of the prices and also higher than 50 of them.
Do not confuse this term with the average. They can be quite different for the same sample group. For instance, if you are doing a sold properties report and the homes are very evenly distributed, the median and average might be very similar. However, if the homes sold were weighted more to one end or the other of the price spectrum, then the median and average could be quite different.
Leisel Caldwell is the Broker of RE/MAX Lakefront in Wedowee and has been a licensed agent since 1978.
Building Basics,
Fireplaces add more than heat to your home
There's nothing quite like the crackle of a warm fire on a cold winter day. Anyone that owns a lake home can tell you that half the fun is sneaking away to a cozy cabin during the "off" season. A great fireplace in your lake home is a must.
The decision to have a fireplace is an easy one. However, designing and installing the perfect fireplace for your home can be very complicated. A great fireplace can be the "heart" of the home and it requires a great deal of thought to get it right.
One of the most important decisions is "where" to locate the fireplace. The fireplace should be located in a central location with plenty of seating around it. Make sure you've thought through the furniture layout. Locate the fireplace so that you have great views of it as you move through the house. Be careful not to pick a fireplace location that blocks the views of the lake.
What type of fireplace will you build? A true masonry fireplace is preferred, but expensive. This type of fireplace will cost between $5,000 and $20,000. A great alternative is a wood burning insert fireplace that can be covered with rock. The cost of this version is between $750 and $2,500 depending on the size and style of the fireplace selected. The finished product looks great and may save you enough money to buy a boat.
The availability of flat screen televisions has further complicated fireplace design. If you like the idea of a T.V. over the fireplace, there are several things to consider. A raised hearth is great to sit on, but it causes the T.V. to be placed higher on the wall. Consider a hearth that is flush with the floor to lower the T.V. and improve the viewing angle. Television cables and power outlets can be placed on the face of the fireplace or can be cut into the mantle. The T.V. cable should be looped to a nearby location so that satellite receivers and DVD players can be hooked up without being placed on the mantle. The television can be left in plain view or can be disguised behind wooden doors or a piece of art.
What type of materials will you use on your fireplace? Stone seems to be the material of choice at the lake. There are hundreds of great choices of fireplace veneers in real and artificial stone. Will you use a stone or wood mantle? Do you want an arch over the fire opening? What about a wood box for storing firewood?
The outdoor fireplace has also become very popular, especially at the lake. An outdoor fireplace can be located on a back porch or in the back yard near the lake. Consider the view of the fireplace and the view of the lake when choosing a location.
A fireplace at the lake is a "must have". With attention to detail and a little planning, your fireplace can truly be the "heart" of the home.
Max Fulbright has designed dozens of homes on Lake Wedowee. He is also Operations Manager for StoneCo Development and owner of Bunks and Closets, Inc.
Charley's Treasures,
Rustic Elegance is alive and well on Lake Wedowee
"It doesn't matter how many years you've been in this business. If you haven't been in it in the last 5 years, you really don‘t know anything." This was said to me by my dad back in 1991 when my wife and I moved to Roanoke to join the family flooring business. I always thought this was probably the most modest thing he had ever said. At that time, he had over 40 years in the business and to say that the first 35 didn't count for much was hard to believe. The truth of the matter is he was right then and is still right today.
I guess it isn't as much that we have so many floor options now that gets me excited. It's the fact there are so many people talking about it. But that is the case for many products and professions previously thought of as mundane and utilitarian.
There are houses here in Randolph County that have electrical systems that can be programmed to do amazing things and sound systems with drivers mounted behind walls turning the walls into speakers (talk about surround sound). I know of one house which incorporates water from the bottom of the lake into its heating and cooling system dramatically reducing its heating and cooling bill. Technology has changed so much almost anything can be customized for a specific purpose.
But to me, what makes a house special isn't the gadgets and modern conveniences. It's how cleverly they are incorporated into a home without being a distraction.
It's personality over perfection but not at the sacrifice of quality and function. It's looking aged but well maintained.
"Rustic Elegance" is the phrase that best describes what many people are looking for in a home and there are many fine examples in Randolph County. For those fortunate enough to go on Lake Wedowee's Tour Of Homes the last couple of years, you had a first hand look at Rustic Elegance done to perfection.
Now, I know, short of winning the lottery, most of us will never be able to own a house like the Octacello or Camp Stone, but some of the nuances making these homes so warm can be duplicated. These houses are idea boxes not only showing how talented and creative our local builders, decorators and designers are but how it is possible for any of us to incorporate these ideas into our own homes without spending a bundle.
The Huddleston house on Mill Street in Wedowee is one such house built to have an old house feel. Their house sits on a nice lot with some old trees out front and they chose a house plan with a colonial look. Inside they have higher ceilings, hardwood floors and an open staircase. But to me, one of the best decisions was to remove the factory trim boards around the doors and windows and use painted 1x6 boards to trim with. That, along with the taller than standard baseboards, gives the house an authentic look that is subtle, attractive and functional.
Another way to warm up a houses appearance is to recycle. The Octacello and the Baker house are the recycle poster children of Wedowee. Floors, doors, stairs, even some of the ceramic tile in the Octacello is recycled from houses that were torn down. This house impresses me because it's not a house with history, it's a house that holds history. I look at the mismatched floors and doors, the different style spindles in the staircase and the wide variety of furnishings and I see a story in each one just begging to come out and be heard.
Laughter and depression, war and peace, life, death and the struggles and triumphs that came in between have all been witnessed in loyal silence by these inanimate things. They show workmanship in being built by hand to last through the ages and represent the proud work of someone long gone. I like to think some of the work I am a part of will be displayed years from now, long after I'm gone like the old newel post in the Octacello which anchors that magnificent staircase. It is as much art to me as a painting. But unsigned and that, I feel, is the beauty of an anonymous antique. It represents and keeps alive a period in our history and pays homage to all the craftsman who contributed to it instead of just one.
If the Octacello is a house built from salvaged pieces, then the Baker house is pieces built from a salvaged house, or should I say houses, churches, barns etc etc. Rusty tin, heart pine boards, glass, rocks and more was rescued from the scrap heap and assembled through the hard work and determination of this family to create a post card setting that makes my stress level drop in half just looking at it.
In these times of environmental awareness, so many people are looking at buying "green". Bamboo and Cork flooring are considered the greenest products on the market when it comes to floors. But, they are still harvested and combined with machinery to mill it, chemicals to bond it and fuel to transport it. So, I can't see it remotely as close to green as a product made from refuse.
Laminate flooring is made from wood byproducts, waste from sawmills and the like. And the waste from laminate is made into pellets and burned as an efficient heat source in many homes. Shaw, Mohawk, Uniclic and a few other laminates are made here in the USA so not only is less fuel used to get it to your home, American labor is used to manufacture it.
Simply Fabulous,
Weddings on a budget
Brides near and far are in planning mode preparing for their special day. Some will hire an Event Planner to pave the way for a smooth and stress free event. While others will take on the task of Event Planner themselves. The difference between having a planner and doing it yourself if simply less work and stress on the Bride-to-be and her mother.
But if you budget doesn't allow you that pleasure just roll up your sleeves and dive in head first because it can be done!
Pictures are worth a lot when planning your own wedding. With the internet at your fingertips focus on a single section and begin looking it up on your computer. Once you've found what you like, print it off and take it to whomever can make it happen for you. Printing your own invitations and programs will save mega bucks. And you can always ask you guest to RSVP by e-mail to save double postage. There are "must have" things you just can't do without. Decide on those right away, then you will know where to cut back. Unless you are paying for your bridesmaids attire please, please be considerate of that expense. The popular way now is a more modestly decorated ceremony and then putting on the ritz for the reception.
When choosing a menu try and pick different items that your guest may not have had so it will stand out and be talked about. Book your venue, photographer and baker first to insure getting the one you want.
Keep very good records of everything so you will be on top of what has been done and what needs to be done. I'm sharing my nutty olive recipe with you which is simple but timely.
Happy planning and let's get cookin'.
Glass Slipper Events
256.449.2946
Enjoy Life,
Time Flies When You Are Having Fun
Can you believe Lake Wedowee Life turns two this month! It seems just like yesterday we excitedly anticipated our first issue hitting the streets and hearing your response to the first lifestyle magazine dedicated to Lake Wedowee.
I have enjoyed the new experiences each of the 12 issues before this have brought to me. And, I have learned so much about this wonderful county we call home.
The people of Lake Wedowee are absolutely wonderful. There is so much talent here it truly amazes me how many fascinating stories there are to tell and hopefully you have enjoyed reading of these people as much as I have writing about them.
Since we are embarking on our third year, we decided to see how many states or places Lake Wedowee Life can visit, but we are going to need your help. If you check out page 35 (of the printed version), you will discover Lake Wedowee Life made appearances at the National Championship Game in Pasadena, Calif., The Rick and Bubba Show in Birmingham (It was such a treat to be a golden ticket seat holder!) and The Atlanta Boat Show. We hope you will remember to take us along on your next trip and let's see how well traveled Lake Wedowee Life can be.
Redneck Adventures,
Simpler Days, Better Ways
Well now let me see, if I can recollect just what all "Ol Skeeter's" been up to for the past couple of months. Now as usual I've been doing a good bit of huntin' and there is plenty of meat in the freezer. I've seen a good many young bucks, but so far I haven't had an encounter with any "rocking chair" racks yet. I guess that's why we call it huntin'.
We did have a big hog killin' a couple of weeks back and the fresh sausage has been "larpin" good. Now being around a fire and an old black wash pot boiling brought back some fond old memories. And since most hog killins' went on in Grandmother and Granddaddy's backyard, some of those thoughts were about Jet and Lucille. I don't know how Granddad got the nickname "Jet" because there were no jet airplanes around back then and his name was William Jefferson, so you figure it out. Grandmother always called him "Jet" and he referred to her as "Cille".
Back in those hog killin' days, I probably was no older than nine or ten and no younger than four or five, so it was a big happening for me at the time. Killin' Day always started off before the sun came up with a big breakfast of coffee and biscuits for the grownups and surp and biscuits for me. Now we ate a lot of sorgum surp, but my favorites were Diamond Joe or Golden Eagle soppin surp cause Joe Roomore said they was good on the radio. Breakfast complete and its off to the barn to gear up the old mule and hitch him up to the ground slide. You see the hog pen was bout a quarter mile from the house, so after the hog was administered a dose of hot brain dissolver and a knife to the jugular, he was rolled onto the ground slide and away we went. Of course, I got to sit on the hog and ride too.
Now while me and Jet was off doing the fun stuff, others were tending the wash pots and throwing more split scantlings on the fires, preparing for the scalding and scraping. Now for those of you that don't know, the water temperature has to be just right. You see if the water is not hot enough the hair won't "slip", but on the other hand if it is too hot you "set" the hair and that would make Jet cuss! Usually before we got through with the scraping, Mr. Herman Green would show up, you see Mr. Herman was the neighborhood butcher and had all the knives, saws, and knowledge that went along with gutting, quartering and the general dissection of a hog. Just about every part of a hog was used. Granddad always said the only thing wasted was the squeal!
After all the meat was cut up for sausage, hams set aside to be salted and cured, organ meat for souse and liver loaf there was still plenty of fat left to be rendered into lard. This was done by cutting the fat into small cubes, placing it in a clean dry wash pot, and cooking slowly until it melted. To this you could add the pork skins and cook until they fluffed up. They could be dipped out and drained on brown paper sacks. As soon as they cooled a little we commenst to do some powerful smacking. They were never quite as soft as the store bought kind, but boy were they tasty and we all had ourselves a "bate of em"! Of course, the head was never wasted, but split in half, brains removed and put in the frigerator ready for eggs the following morning for breakfast. After that the head was cooked and used for "hog head cheese" or Brunswick stew.
By this time us young uns are getting pretty wore down and some have a bellyache from too many pork rinds. By now I've quit blowing the pig's bladder up over and over and over again. You see Jet would take the bladder, rinse it out real good and insert a small piece of cane, then tie with a string. You could put the cane in your mouth and blow up the bladder to about the size of a volleyball. At this time you were supposed to slip the cane out while tightening the string resulting with something the resembled an inflated balloon. Now granddad said when he was a chap they kept these until Christmas, placed them one at a time under a plank, then stomped on ‘em....POW....what fireworks!
Well it's getting close to sundown, everyone's had a long day, but there is still work going on, the ladies are grinding sausage on the kitchen table, the men are cleaning wash pots and salting meat. Granddad is still busy and says "HEY PEEDROW" how bout tossing down some hay to those ol perish gutted cows and give the ol mule seven or eight years of corn....
Skeeter
