Eat well, buy local
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:09:58 pm
A two-part look at where to buy the goods in the Shoals. Next issue: A foodie’s map of the Shoals

Busting boredom is a breeze
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:10:01 pm
Kids and boredom are a natural combination in this era of automated ease, mind-numbing electronics and short attention spans.

Fire up the grill, it’s hot dog time
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:10:11 pm
The dog days of summer are right around the corner, so it must be time to clean the racks and fire up the grill. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council at hot-dog.org, a staggering 7 billion hot dogs will be prepared between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and a large percentage of those hot dogs will be consumed on the Fourth of July.

Summer is for lemonade
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:10:46 pm
It is summertime in the Shoals and the living is easy. Days are filled with fishing and festivals, suntans and sunburns, and once again our mouths start watering for one of the simplest summer concoctions in the world: lemonade.

Q&A
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:10:37 pm
Concentrated sun exposure includes UVA and UVB light as well as harmful high energy visible (HEV) light. Exposure to UVA rays may contribute to premature aging of the delicate skin around the eyes.
Exposure to UVB and HEV may contribute to cataract and macular degeneration development.

Finding your roots
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:10:50 pm
Alvin Cobb has never been to Cameroon and doesn’t know anyone from Cameroon. But he has discovered that he shares a paternal ancestor with people who live in the Bamileke region of the African republic.

Finding your inner florist
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:11:01 pm
Summer is the time for fresh flowers. Creating your own floral arrangements is a great way to let your inner artist shine. It’s also simple if you have the right materials and follow a few easy rules.
Here are 10 steps to a beautiful arrangement:

Dive in this summer
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:10:57 pm
It’s 95 degrees in the shade and even the dog won’t leave the house. The water hose in the backyard refuses to run cold, and popsicles melt before you can get them unwrapped. Nothing short of a cool dip will suffice. But where should you go? Here are a few places you might try.

Gardening help
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:11:05 pm
Buying a prom dress is not the usual route to a favorite job, but that is how it happened for Khristina Reid.
“I was shopping for a prom dress next door and I stopped in Coldwater Seed and Supply because it just looked like such a great store.”

Sunny side up
Jun, 23, 2008  Last Updated:12:14 pm
Here comes the sun … dress.
Summer is the right time for fashion’s hot-weather favorite, and this year there’s something for every body, every age and every occasion.
“I don’t think there is anything better for summer than a perfectly fitted, skin-baring sundress,” said Sarah Knight, owner of Addiction Clothing Boutique in Florence.

Fulfillment in competition
Jun, 23, 2008  Last Updated:12:20 pm
Recreational activities require varying degrees of skill and physical fitness. However, when competition is added into the equation, much more is involved.

Getting plugged in
Jun, 23, 2008  Last Updated:12:25 pm
Whether you love clothes and schedule life-changing events (marriage, childbirth, elective surgery) around your favorite store’s clearance sales, or you simply want to look nice and not embarrass your friends — much, that is — introduce yourself to a valuable fashion tool: the computer.

What is his, what is mine and what is ours?
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:09:49 pm
“In marriage the ‘me’ becomes ‘we.’ That includes our finances. Now, bills are not ‘my’ bills; they are ‘our’ bills. We must share. Money represents sharing, and it is just not natural to share. Ask any 2-year-old to share his candy and you may be surprised. But we grow, learning step by step that to give is better than to receive. And we do it...

Yours, mine and ours
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:09:45 pm
It’s this simple,” says Dr. Phil, “Money can ruin your marriage.”

From the editor
Jun, 18, 2008  Last Updated:09:39 pm
Every summer, the Shoals plays host to the W. C. Handy Music Festival in honor of one of the area’s most famous residents. Handy is famous for his song “St. Louis Blues,” among others. And while we celebrate this American music form, what do we really know about it? In this issue, we offer a primer of sorts, so you can impress your friends and...