April, 2008
HOME FRONT HEROES 
Janeane Barrett is Christmas shopping. Since the last jingle bell fell silent, she’s trolled the post-holiday sales like a master angler, making a killing at the 75 percent and 90 percent markdowns that come as Rudolph is shoved aside by red hearts and roses. Even long after the shelves were cleared of their last scraps of red and green tinsel, she kept right on shopping, picking up a gift here, a gift there, for a holiday many months away.
What's in your bag?
On the theory that you can tell a lot about a person by sticking your nose in her handbag, here’s what the Lee staff members carry.
Swooning for strawberries
I brought a carton of strawberries to our church youth group the other night and the kids lit into them like they were more essential to life than chocolate. Strawberry season isn’t even in full swing yet, but the smell and anticipation of that sweet, juicy taste draws a crowd. Just set a bowl in the middle of the table and watch the berries disappear.
The well-equipped kitchen
You might say Joe Hippel knows a thing or two about what to do in the kitchen. The owner of the Warehouse Bistro on Rocket Avenue in Opelika won five stars from the North American Restaurant Association and picked up an “Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator. So who better to ask: What things must you absolutely, positively have in your kitchen?
T(oe)tally fun shoes
The fashion industry battles schizophrenia with this summer’s shoe lineup. On one hand, it’s open season on tootsies. Show a little toe, these shoes demand. On the other, it’s boots. Yes, boots for summer, in natural tones, with toes safely tucked out of sight.
Mommy time
I thought I’d hit the grand slam of motherhood. I was pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl, the complete family set acquired in just one pregnancy. Oh yes, I was smug. I was happy. I was utterly delusional. The babies arrived 10 weeks early, each no bigger than a kitten.
Lose it: do the math
My sister called me one day with a big emergency. Practically in tears, she related that her redesigned bathroom provided her with an unwelcome view. When she stepped from the shower, she could see her entire backside. New vistas can sometimes be inspirational, and this one was no exception. Enough contemplation of her vast landscape motivated her to undergo gastric bypass surgery.
Brain fortification
You can have a face lift if you look old. (Not that you do, darling.) You can have your tummy tucked, your butt boosted, and your pecs pumped. Hey, have a full-body PET scan! A colon inspection! And squeeze through a mammogram! Eat better. Sleep eight hours. Eschew smoking and keep alcohol to one healthful glass of red wine a day.
Letter from the Editor
The best part of starting a new women’s magazine here has been meeting so many great Lee County people. Every time Publisher Beth Snipes told neighbors and friends about her idea of putting together a Lee County women’s magazine, they couldn’t wait to read it. “Great, we really need something like that around here,” folks said again and again.
