ALMetro360 Magazine

8 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com EDITOR’S NOTE.................................................................................................................... Access ALMetro360, Any Time… Any Place… AL METRO 360 NOVEMBER 2019 VOLUME 24, NUMBER 7 CHARLIE SHAMBURGER Publisher JON SHAMBURGER Associate Publisher HELEN SHAMBURGER HERNDON Associate Publisher Marketing & Sales, helen@almetro360.com LYNN COX Editor, editor@almetro360.com ANITA CAPOUANO Director of Marketing & Sales, anita@almetro360.com LYNN COX Sales & Marketing, lynn@almetro360.com HELEN SHAMBURGER HERNDON Director of Social Media, helen@almetro360.com GEORGE PUDZIS Art Director DARREN FREEMAN, KIM NELSON, DIANNA PAULK, STEPHEN POFF, PAUL ROBERTSON, JR., LISA SMITH Contributing Photographers HENRIETTA MACGUIRE Staff Writer BECKY BEALL, BRENDA ROBERTSON DENNIS, KRISTI GATES, SANDRA LONG ELEANOR HENDRICKS MCDANIEL, LORI QUILLER, PATSY ROBERTSON, MELISSA JOHNSONWARNKE Contributing Writers TRACY SHAMBURGER Business Manager WILLIAM C. HONEY , HENRIETTA MACGUIRE Founders THE MAGAZINE OF MONTGOMERY LIVING, LLC 1430 I-85 Parkway, Suite 224 , Montgomery, AL 36106, Telephone: (334) 265-0066 , Facsimile: (334) 386-3813 he Season of Giving is here. That time of the year when we gather with family and friends to offer thanks for all that we’ve been blessed with and give joy to those around us. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and yet it can be a very stress-filled time. Rushing around planning, shopping and getting ready for all those gatherings can make you feel as if your head is spinning. Relax. In this issue of ALMetro360 we have many articles to help make your holidays merry and bright. It is filled with some wonderful stories of artists and leaders making a difference in so many lives. The Holiday Gift Guide starting on page 12 includes some great gift ideas from local retailers for those special people in your life. You’ll find exquisitely designed, handmade, one-of-a-kind items that are trendy and fun for everyone, including your pet. For those large family get-togethers, you may want to check out a recipe from a Montgomery chef for a non-traditional entrée, a Juniper Rubbed Smoked Duck. I had the chance to taste some and it is quite delicious! Melt in your mouth delicious! For an out-of-the-ordinary dessert item to take to some of your gatherings, we feature two traditional pie recipes with a few twists that make them so rich and sweet. We are still right in the thick of the college football season with some of our favorite teams competing on the gridiron. It can be thrilling one weekend and agony the next. I had the great opportunity to sit down with Kristi Malzahn, wife of Auburn University head football coach Gus Malzahn, to gain some insight into what life is like being married to a major college coach and what her passion for the job they are doing together is like. Read all about it on page 32 and then go to ALMetro360.com to see more of our interview. Decorating your home for the holidays is very important to many of us. We want to enjoy those decorations that express the meaning of what the season is about and share that with those around us. Our Inside Out department includes a “Once Upon a Holiday Home” feature of a completely decorated home inside and out. Lynda Turner, the owner, shared her story. We’ve also included our annual Private School Review in this issue. It’s never too early to start thinking about your child’s education. You’ll find a list of some of the top institutions you should put on your list to visit. Turn to page 34 to get the details. To help with your stress this holiday season, we asked Dr. Ryan McWhorter to suggest some solutions to manage the weeks ahead with alternative steps to keep you jolly! See the Living Well department on page 50. If you are thinking about where to welcome the New Year, we have a feature for you about ringing in 2020 in the Big Easy, New Orleans. Not only are there many attractions, events and restaurants to visit, the culmination of all the hard work the college football teams have put into this season will happen at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome during the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Jan. 13. This is definitely an event to plan for if you are a football fan. Celebrating positive things is something I love to do. I was able to attend the celebration of a 10-year international partnership that our former mayor, Todd Strange, formed with the then-mayor, Massimo Mallegni of Pietrasanta, Italy. In commemoration of two important anniversaries – celebrating both the 200th birthdays of the city of Montgomery and the state of Alabama – a beautiful sculpture was unveiled at the John and Joyce Caddell Sculpture Garden at the Montgomery Museum of Art. See photos from this momentous event and read more about this important partnership inside this edition. And, there are other stories and events to tell you about, but I’ve run out of space for now. In closing, I encourage you to slow down this holiday season and take it all in. Here’s to a very merry Christmas and a joy-filled New Year! Lynn Cox T