Angels among us
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:09 pm
It is difficult to determine the harder part of Christmas: the giving or the receiving.

The finalists
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:14 pm
Elba Barnes says it was the experience of caring for her elderly parents that inspired the Westminster Interfaith Caring Place. “My sister and I were homebound with them for six years,” Barnes says. Though the two alternated weeks of care for their parents, Myra and Thomas Crow, they had nobody else to help them during that time. After...

My favorite Christmas gift
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:22 pm
Amid the piles of wrapping paper, bows, bags and boxes on Christmas morning lie the gifts that have been opened. Sometimes it can be hard to remember each gift when the season's frenzy is over, but usually there is one that stands out among the rest. Sometimes it's the thought behind it; other times it's the sacrifice made to obtain it. The one...

Add a personal touch to your tree
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:28 pm
Whether it's the papier mache work of a child or a carefully painted glass ball, hand-crafted Christmas ornaments hold a special place in the heart of the recipient.
The ornaments also can be an inexpensive way to wish a friend or family member a merry Christmas.

Q&A
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:33 pm
A: Reasons for feeling stressed around the holidays are ubiquitous. Many of us tend to overspend, even in times of economic stress, and the bills keep growing to the extent of making the coming year look bleak. Exuberance around the holiday season makes many people more impulsive; they drink too much; eat too much and take on more activities than...

Weathering outerwear
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:36 pm
Like most Shoals women, I love clothes and fashion and shopping for new shoes, but when it comes to outerwear — all those jackets, coats, boots and other weather protection we’re supposed to have — I get lost.

Will the cycle be unbroken?
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:39 pm
Every Jan. 1, I make a heartfelt resolution to lose the unwanted pounds I have gained throughout the year. I dust off the treadmill, oil its rusted gears and with grim determination, I set out to reach my goal of the perfect weight.

Are you bringing the turkey?
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:42 pm
Those of you who really know me realize I’m not talking about the bird. I’m one of those women who can’t cook. Every year at this time, when my family asks me this question, they’re not concerned about the star of the dinner table.

Making memories
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:46 pm
As a child, I remember lying on the living room floor in my new pajamas playing with my mom’s nativity set while the colored lights twinkled on the Christmas tree. Not a care in the world.I gave no thought to the hustle and bustle of loading the car and going from one grandparents’ house to another during Christmas. I’m sure that...

Providing shelter
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:00 pm
Rose Lovelace is an officer for Florence Animal Control and animal shelter.
Lovelace stays busy all day responding to calls, often about stray dogs and cats. Sometimes the calls are quite interesting, though, when she or one of the other officers has to catch a snake, a chipmunk or a cow that has gotten out of its fence.

Cookie celebrations
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:05 pm
Christmas has always been a time for cookies in our family. Many people participate in cookie exchanges — a party where each person brings a batch of their favorite cookies to swap with everyone else. This way, everyone leaves with an assortment of goodies without the hassle of making several different mixes.

’Tis the season for health
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:13 pm
Are you nervous about packing on the pounds during the holiday season? Concerned about catching a cold or the flu? Fret not.
This is the season to enjoy good health, family and celebrations.

A life of love
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:18 pm
Lafreda Winston, of Sheffield, is a no-nonsense woman.
“I don’t see white or black, old or young. I just see people, and I love them all, especially children,” she said.

A family life
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:20 pm
Dorothy Nale, of Florence’s Merrill Gardens, is “all about” family, home and country. She was born and reared in Florence and was the first girl and the third oldest of eight children.

A life of service
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:22 pm
Sue McCully, of Muscle Shoals, has led a life of service, dedication and Christian love. Family, friends, faith and her life work of teaching and helping others are the priorities in McCully’s busy life.

A life well lived
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:28 pm
Pauline Gravlee, or Polly, of Florence, has lived life well.
She was born and reared in Birmingham. She studied psychology at Samford University, then Howard College.
Before she got her degree, she was a secretary at U.S. Steel in Birmingham. During this time, she attended the University of Alabama extension center at night.

A life of teaching
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:30 pm
Francis Porter is one of many women who worked as a civilian “Rosie the Riviter” during World War II.
Porter, a student at Coffee High School in Florence, married her high school sweetheart in 1943 on his first leave from the Army.

Book it
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:05:33 pm
If you are looking for a gift, here are a couple of books I’ve come across this year that you might consider.

From the editor
Oct, 27, 2009  Last Updated:04:06 pm
We had a record number of entries this year for our Shoals Woman of the Year contest, which made a hard job even more difficult for our judges. There just were so many deserving people nominated for this award.