Candy's Land: The Cutest Little Low-down on Loving and Living in Macon, Georgia

So Who's in a Name?

2010-03-11T20:54:00.003-05:00

Just where did Boz Waggs' new moniker come from? Why, Boz Scaggs, of course! According to Walden family legend, Boz used to sleep on Mom's Pop's couch at his cabin in Round Oak and did various odd office jobs in hopes of getting a deal with Capricorn. The deal was never dealt. But he did record a solo album featuring Duane Allman on guitar, and the rest, they say, is history.

The Candy's Land Crew Gets Cuter!

2010-03-11T20:30:00.006-05:00

We're proud - and a little crazy - to announce a new addition to the Candy's Land family. Mom made a downtown detour to the City of Macon Animal Shelter this week (thanks AC Pup) and faster than you can say Papillon, she fell in love and signed the adoption papers.

There's now someone shorter than me in our big happy family. Everyone, meet my new little brother, Boz Waggs.

Bozzy is a four-year-old, full-blooded Papillon who was turned into the pound because his family moved into an apartment. Their loss is our wonderful gain. Why shop when you can adopt someone this precious?! Candy Lou loves you!

Them Young Girls, They Do Get Wearied

2010-03-11T20:18:00.004-05:00

When they wear that same ol' mini skirt dress. But these girls weren't wearing just any old mini skirt dresses . . . It was the 11th Hour Readers' Choice Awards when Supermom SGM (and winner of Best Community Leader!) and Mom hit the red carpet in their downtown-bought gowns. Supermom wore a rockin' frock from boutique maven haven Ginger Michelle. And Mom wore a $2 taffeta find from Salvation Army. Just try a little tenderness.

Who You Calling a Tramp?

2010-03-08T12:36:00.001-05:00

He might not have worn continental clothes or a Stetson hat, but Macon's soul brother and lover number one did make the iconic GQ Best Dressed list. Mom's Pop shared this with her this weekend as he shed a tear over the crowning achievements that keep coming over the decades for his late best friend, the legendary Otis Redding. Check it out:

Birth of the Cool: 20 Black Style Pioneers Style: GQ.com

Reading: It Never Goes Out of Style

2010-03-01T23:01:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Mom's well-read buddy since their days of Sunday School and sticker-swapping, Lil Red, we just saw this vintage "Electric Company" video and had to share. That Jimi Hendrix-jiving, hippy heavy hustler would be Mom's Hollywood crush Morgan Freeman. She can never get enough of his voice . . . even when he is singing about reading, straight off a can of Monterey Pop.

It's Meatless Monday!

2010-03-01T21:06:00.004-05:00

Tonight, after dinner, Shuga D rubbed his belly and said he was glad it was Meatless Monday. Mom cooked up a meal that made you forget that the majority of it was grown from the ground. Here we go:

1 eggplant
2 eggs, beaten (Mom used fresh farm eggs from her Dad's very-loved, local chickens!)
Grated Parmesan
Fresh Mozzarella
Angel Hair
Vegetable Oil
Olive Oil
Marinara Sauce

Slice the eggplant lengthwise and then cut in half, into squares, until you have enough for matching "tops" and bottoms" (a.k.a. a sandwich). Lightly brunch the slices with olive oil, liberally salt and pepper and bake on cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Dredge each slice in beaten egg, then Parmesan cheese. Top one slice of eggplant with a slice of fresh mozzarella, then top with another slice of eggplant. Place in hot oil, fry and flip after bottom is brown. When done, lay on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Okay, so it isn't the healthiest Meatless Monday. But the eggplant were organic, the eggs were fresh and local, she didn't use flour and the dinner made you want to slap your mama.

The eggplant "parms" were nestled on a bed of angel hair and ladled with some organic marinara sauce. Mom also chopped up a zucchini length-wise and used the same parm-egg mixture and fried them up, too! Even a picky three-year-old would eat these veggies!

Far from an Old Grey Mare

2010-03-01T20:26:00.005-05:00

Sweet Shuga D sent Mom an email at work this morning reminding her that today was special because it was Miss ProBo's 22nd birthday. Mom was a sweet 16 when her dad sat her down, handed her a birthday card and played the old cowboy song "Happy Trails" as she read the words he wrote: "I hope you and Pro are a winner each and every time." That day Mom received the greatest gift a horse-crazy girl could receive . . . a flashy red 5-year-old quarter horse that is to this day, stunningly beautiful.

Pro and Mom have been through good times and bad. But there has been one thing that has remained through it all: the love between a girl and her horse.

See a video from one of our old postings right here.

Happy Trails (and Birthday) to you, Miss ProBo!

Remember Him?

2010-02-23T20:25:00.004-05:00

Meet Tod. You may remember him from a previous post when we rescued him from the mean streets of fresh abandonment where Mom found him wondering. She thought he was a puppy who would grow to be a big boy. Turns out, he has a serious case of perma-puppy. There is some short stock in him that makes him look like a mini-Pointer/Lab.

Tod, or Todderson McTater-Tot, as he is known in some circles, is now the cherished child of our friend Carly, who opened her door to the loving home he deserves. He recently had his male "brain surgery," a.k.a snip-snip. Hope he's feeling better soon and can come over for a play date!

How can you resist a face like this? Happy tails.

Best Friends Furever

2010-02-23T20:14:00.006-05:00

This oh-so-cute (and kinda kinky) photo of me and my sister mutt Miss Kitty was taken in our living room. Yes, I need to close my legs. But Kitty doesn't seem to mind. Why shop when you can adopt this kind of cuteness? We're two former pound puppies in a pod.

Candy Lou loves you!

It's a Beautiful Day in Downtown Macon

2010-02-23T14:01:00.007-05:00

Our arctic temps seem to be a thing of the past and you can practically smell spring just around the corner. Check out this super cool shot of downtown Macon's Poplar Avenue, taken just yesterday by photographer Ingrid Lyndon.

Turn on the Tap for a Good Cause

2010-02-23T11:18:00.003-05:00

Waterhead is going straight to a good cause. The benefit concert will be held at the Cox Capitol Theatre on February 27 from 6 p.m. to midnight. The evening will kicked off with a silent auction of original artwork, photography and launch into a night of music featuring some of Macon music's past and present, including Brass Tacks, Saint Francis, Treas in Season, Moonshine Still and slew of special guests.

All proceeds from the evening will be donated to Jamie Waters to help with his battle against Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Jamie is a hometown guy with a heart of gold, who is known in restaurant circles for his good work at Forsyth's Southern-food-with-a-flair Grits Cafe.

In addition to showing support for Jamie, Waterhead will also be raising awareness. A booth will be set up inside to have your cheek swabbed and sign up for the bone marrow registry.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Advanced tickets are on sale via the Cox Capitol Theatre website.

Waterhead is more than just a rock reunion. It's music, food and friendship worlds coming together to help their brother out.

Come Down to the Crossroads

2010-02-23T09:47:00.003-05:00

Crossroads seem to come and go. Freight trains may all look the same. But when you throw in an opportunity to sit at the feet of writers who are actually living a literary dream, well, you can bet there are folks out there who would make a deal with the Devil at Dockery Plantation to have this kind of opportunity in their backyards.

Thanks to a Knight Neighborhood Challenge grant, the Crossroads Writers Conference and Literary Festival will take over the Mercer University campus and College Hill community this weekend.

Visit Crossroad's fantastic website by clicking here for a run-down of writers and events. Mom is very much looking forward to seeing her own favorite writer, Lauretta Hannon, whose book unlocks the hell-raising beauty of being a Cracker Queen.

Mom will be moderating Lauretta's reading "The Cracker Queen in her Court" at 10:30 a.m. Mom [a.k.a. Jessica Walden] will also be featured in her own panel on "Selling Yourself with Renegade Marketing" at 2:30 p.m. and will participate on "Alternative Careers for Writers" panel at 4:30 p.m. No, I won't be in attendance . . . Grrr. Mom's just not famous enough yet to carry me around to all the public places (a la Illeana Douglas).

For the complete schedule of all of Crossroad's Activities, click here. Get our your pen, paper and running shoes.

Candy's Land Joins Meatless Mondays!

2010-02-22T23:15:00.006-05:00

Although Mom spent nine months in the womb with no meat and three years as an herbivore here and there across the course of her life, she tends to fall off the veggie wagon and go on a red meat iron-inducing frenzy every now and again. Still, she's a grass-belly grazer at heart . . . and in her heart of hearts, she doesn't want to eat other animals. It's not just a love for all creatures great and small. She detests the cruelty of factory farming and the havoc it induces on our ecosystem. God may have created hunters when he kicked us out of Eden, but the industrial methods of slaughtering cows, pigs, turkeys, chicken, buffalo (yep) and gulp, horses, just isn't Kosher. No bones, thighs or filets about it.

So, Mom has signed us up on the movement of Meatless Mondays. It's simple. Cut out meat one day a week, traditionally Monday - just as they did during the days of conserving during World War II. The goal is to reduce meat consumption by 15 percent to improve the health and welfare of our greatest temples - our bodies and the earth in which they exist.

As members of the movement, expect to find a meatless recipe here in Candy's Land, every Monday. Tonight, it was stuffed bell peppers. Here you go:

2 large [organic] green bell peppers
tub of fresh salsa
rice
Veggie ground
salt / pepper
Coriander
Cumin
Pepper Jack Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook rice. Heat up the frozen veggie ground by mixing it in a saucepan or skillet with the tub (or jar) of salsa. Mix the rice in the veggie ground and salsa mixture. Quarter each pepper, leaving just the ribs, stem and seeds. Grease pan. Layer pepper slices. Fill with rice, veggie ground and salsa mixture. Season with spices. Layer with cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes for a healthy, cheapie and wise supper.

Happy Birthday Grant's Lounge!

2010-02-22T22:45:00.002-05:00

A cherished Macon establishment turns another year older this week. Grant's Lounge is celebrating its 39th anniversary with a well-deserved "Happy Hippy Hour" to mark the milestone. To read more about the historical downtown Macon establishment, as well as the brother and sister team who continue to keep the spirit of Grant's alive and well, read an article Mom wrote a couple of years ago, found on the Grant's website by clicking here.

The party takes place on Wednesday, February 24, starting at 5 p.m. Big Mike and the Booty Papas are jamming. Special guests includes Chris Hicks, Paul Hornsby, Newt Collier, Robert Lee Coleman, Eddie Kirkland and our own Papa Alan Walden. Proceeds benefit the Big House Museum and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

See all you baby boomers and babes who came from them at Grant's Lounge, this Wednesday.

(photo by the incomparable Ken Krakow.)

Lights, Cameras and Plenty of Action

2010-02-22T22:09:00.006-05:00

Mom is moping and Shuga D is dragging his tail. MaGa came. They saw. And now they are worn slap out, yet sad to see it go. This year's MaGa only proved that it keeps going up a notch. So, what were Mom's highlights?

Was it driving to the airport with Bright Blue and Texas T to pick up actor, special guest and downright swell Maconite Jack McBrayer? Was it the fact Shuga hauled their bikes downtown so they could pedal in between the Douglass and Cox Capitol Theatres? Was it the moment the lights went down and the audience cheered, clapped and whistled during the College Hill Corridor video trailer? Or was it the indie films, visiting filmmakers, friendly after-parties, bustling downtown restaurants and dedicated friends who work hard to make this festival possible? Or was it just our hometown of Macon, whose community now lays claim to an artistic, happening, international film festival?

Who knows . . . but if we learned one thing this weekend, unicorns do exist every now and then.

MaGa Makes You Happy (Ain't that Right, Shuga?)

2010-02-17T23:04:00.010-05:00

It's the friendliest, funkiest little film festival that just keeps getting better and bigger every year. The Macon Film Festival (MaGa) is here and Mom can't wait to put a lanyard around her neck, turn her attention to the silver screen, down a Magatini and rub elbows with over 70 filmmakers taking over her dear downtown for four fabulous days, starting Thursday.

Visit the official website right here for the schedule of events. And I'll be here doing my best to keep you in the loop of Mom's MaGa picks and adventures over the course of the next four days . . . pending the Magatinis don't get in the way.

Have You Seen It?

2010-02-17T22:47:00.003-05:00

Mom's 9 to 5, the College Hill Alliance, has been abuzz over their new promotional video that made its debut last week at Macon's Downtown Rotary Club. As director of communications, Mom put the video together with gal pals, partners in crime and motion picture extraordinaries Texas T (producer Tabitha Walker) and Bright Blue (editor Stephanie Shadden). The response their little creative crew has received since the video went live has been just what they all needed to re-charge their artistic, community-driven energy. Even the Macon Telegraph's Harold Goodridge gave it a shout-out in Saturday's Business section, saying, "They're doing it in the College Hill Corridor."

Here is the full video promo in all its eight-minute glory. Stick around to the last minute and 20 seconds when you recognize some of our favorite community faces, who are the true stars of the show:

Spend a Sunday with Your Sweetie . . .

2010-02-08T18:47:00.003-05:00

Or just you and all your single ladies, friends with benefits and/or bro-hams. Mom and the College Hill crew are at it again. This time Second Sunday is going to have a Valentine's twist, considering it falls on cupid's (and Hallmark's) favorite calendar day.

Second Sunday Brunch starts at noon and will feature the reunion of Mark Brooker with the Soul Proprietors. Mark, one of Mom's favorite peeps, who she has mentioned here before, is coming back from Long Beach, California just for this Second Sunday performance. The event is free. Bring a picnic or buy one on site. The event will most likely be held in the Armory Ballroom, but in case of a warm snap, we'll be in Washington Park.

Then, that same day, when the sun starts to set, College Hill will host a free movie screening of "Dirty Dancing" at the Armory Ballroom, followed by an encore set from Mark before we ship the Crooner back to Cali. Same set up as Second Sunday - decorate your table and get there early because College Hill has a special, ultra-cute sippy gift for all of the early lovebirds.

Don't forget, both events are free. How's that for a cheap and easy date?

If you want to know more, shoot Mom an email at jessica@collegehillmacon.com. Tell her Candy sent you.

Cute Candy

2010-02-06T19:38:00.002-05:00

Here's a little video . . . just because.

View from the Top

2010-02-06T19:31:00.008-05:00

Mom was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the Medical Center of Central Georgia's new emergency helipad that will soon open at Central Georgia's only Level One Trauma Center. The height made her a little weak in the knees, but the spectacular view of our fair city of Macon was well worth it.

The Best Parting Gift

2010-02-06T19:15:00.003-05:00

No need for a housewarming gifts when you're still trying to figure out what to do with the stuff you already own. But Mom did receive a thoughtful "parting" gift when she was packing up the last of the boxes last week. Lil' Miss Bibb dropped off a sack of Macon's finest with a bottle of the un-refinest -- Nu-Way wieners and a bottle of Andre in honor of the infamous Monthlies' Wiener Roast and Cheap Champagne Toast of 2009 that was held at our former home.

You know you're from Macon when you and Nu-way have gone a long way together. Thanks, Lil' Miss Bibb, for the cheap and greasy gift with a whole lot of sentimental value. Candy Lou loves you!

Happy Birthday to my Brother and Sister Mutt!

2010-02-05T09:51:00.008-05:00

Here's the story of a dog-lovin' lady,
Who had two little cute pooches of her own.
There were the three of them, in it together,
re-building their lives in their new home.

Here's the story, of a man we call Shuga,
Who was a single dad to very two loving mutts,
They all had hearts of gold and a good life,
They just needed a lady's touch.

Finally, the lady agreed to go out with this fella
And they knew it was much more than a hunch,
That this group would somehow form a furry family.
That's the way we all became the Bow-Wow Bunch.

The Bow-Wow Bunch,
The Bow-Wow Bunch,
That's the way we all became the Bow-Wow Bunch!

Happy Birthday to Tybee and Bowen! Candy Lou (and Kitty too) LOVES You!

How Lucky We Are

2010-02-04T20:15:00.002-05:00

It's First Friday in downtown Macon, and we've got not just one but two acts taking the stage of downtown Macon that are guaranteed to make you shake your thang.

Blues extraordinaire Eddie Kirkland puts on an encore with the Mobile Slim Band. They'll get the show going at 8 p.m. at the historic Douglass Theatre.

After Eddie, Barry and the Slims make Macon music magic happen on the soulful stage (the same one that Otis Redding once shook), turn the corner, head to the Hummingbird and experience an act that the live music capital of the world has named one of their best bands.

T-Bird and the Breaks are back from Austin. And if you've haven't taken a ride in the "Two-Tone Cadillac," now is the time to buckle your seat belt.

How lucky we are to live in Macon, Georgia - where you can turn a corner and experience the best of two music worlds . . . on one happening Friday night.

T-Bird & the Breaks in Macon, GA! from Stephanie Shadden on Vimeo.

(Video by Candy's Land own Bright Blue!)

Did You Miss Us?

2010-02-04T18:02:00.005-05:00

Candy's Land officially has a new place to rest our heads. After a never-ending move, two storage units and just enough enough of a freak-out that a mancation and a couple of cocktails could cure, Mom and Shuga D have a new address in the beautiful College Hill Corridor. And luckily for me and my brother and sister mutts, we're just a bone-throw away from the Macon Dog Park. Life is good again. And with that, Candy's Land is back on track.

We haven't been the only ones uprootin'. Honey Shot just got back from a month-long stay in cowboy country. Remember how she and Mom went on a Wyoming ranch adventure this summer? Well, while out west, Honey found her a honey. And she is not longer just taking pretty pictures, she's telling her story. Check out Leah Yetter's new blog by clicking here.

Pictured is the "Uprooted Magnolia" on the scene of what may soon be her future home on the range. The West is lucky to have won her heart. Photo credit, high-five and a belated birthday to Cowboy Patrick.

Ooh-la-L.A.

2010-01-19T21:31:00.004-05:00

Once again, family knows just what a girl likes. Today, Mom received a special Fed-Ex by way of L.A. from her sister Georgie Girl that put a big smile on her face.

A vintage Vox vinyl of "New Songs of Mademoiselle de Paris" Jacqueline Francois (circa 1952) will soon be spinning on her record player. And the contents of the brown paper bag from L.A.'s famed Trashy Lingerie . . . well, Shuga D sends his thanks.

There are moments when Mom misses Georgie dearly but receiving such sweet discoveries from her Hollywood stomping grounds continues to make Mom proud that her little sis is working hard on her fairytale. Tonight, Mom is searching for a star in the sky and hopes it's the same one her Los Angeles' angel is wishing upon from the West Coast.

Candy Lou loves you (Auntie)!