Our Home Holidays 2012

7/30/2019 Our Home Holidays 2012

1/12

HAM CHAMPSDecorating Outside the Box

The Twelve Days of Christmas

OurHome

Holidays2012 EDITIONPublished by THE LEBANON DEMOCRAT


2/12

BuildingCustom HomesAdditions & Remodeling

Mike and Judy Cox1330 W. Main StreetLebanon, TN 37087

615-443-3130

615-443-3130www.canddrealty.com

PEOPLE YOUCAN TRUSTMerr

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Christmas

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3/12

TulipGroveBaptist.com

facebook.com/TulipGrove

twitter.com/TGBCinfo

615-883-1856563 Shute Lane, Old Hickory

Places toWorship

G.A. Wallace, Pastor

402 E. Forest Avenue,

PO Box 731

Lebanon, TN 37088

Phone: 547-4848

Cell: 615-390-5550

email: [email protected]

415 West Main - Lebanon 37087

444-3315

Join us for Sunday

Worship 8:30 & 11

Sunday School 9:45

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Join us on Facebook Lebanon First United Methodist

Church

www.lebanonfumc.com

Mt. Juliet Church of Christ1940 N. Mt. Juliet Rd. Mt. Juliet, TN

615-758-2274 www.mtjuliet.org

Sunday: Early Worship 8amBible Classes 9:15am

Late Worship 10:15am

Evening Worship 6pm

Tuesday: Ladies Bible Class

10am - September-May

Wednesday: Bible Study 7pm

Hispanic Worship Service:

Sunday 8 a.m.

Bible Class 9:15 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Class 7 p.m.

LEBANON

Church of God of Prophecy1001 West Spring Street

Lebanon, Tn.

615-547-4855

[email protected]

CONNECTING GROWING SERVING

Sunday Morning Services:

Sunday School 10am / Worship Service 11am

Wednesday Night classes for all ages at 7pm

Check us out on facebook!

www.facebook.com/pages/Lebanon-Church-of-God-Prophecy


4/12

OURHOMEHolidays

20123rd Edition

Published by

The Lebanon Democrat402 N. Cumberland Street

Lebanon, Tennessee

Publisher

Joseph H. Adams

Director of Content

Jared Felkins

Advertising Director

Roger Wells

Marketing Specialists

Jackie BrownBlair Churchman

Traci Walker

Art Director

Mark Rodgers

Assistant Graphic Designer

Pam Wingett

Contributing Writers

Laurie Everett

Mary HindsKimberly Jordan

Photography

George Page

PUBLISHED LOCALLY

Our Home Wilson County, published annually by TheLebanon Democrat, is distributed through the circu-lation of The Lebanon Democrat, a newspaper with areadership of more than 39,000 daily, the Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, the WilsonCounty Joint Economic and Community DevelopmentBoard, and Middle Tennessee Electric MembershipCooperative. The magazine is also provided to partic-ipating advertisers and is placed in local businessesand professional offices.

Cover Photo by George Page

Scott Dabbs took over Ed Rice, Jr's. hamstore a few years back. In addition to selling

thousands of hams during the holidayseason, the little country store offers up

jams, jellies, biscuit mixes and cured bacon.

Ed Rices

ChristmasMorning

Red Eye Gravy

Use the juices left in the skilletafter frying the ham.

Heat until the juices smoke.

Add about 3 ounces of water forevery three slices of ham.

Before liquid boils, remove to aserving bowl.

A good "Tennessee country ham"will make red eye gravy without

adding coffee.

To order a country ham,email [email protected]

or call 615-758-2362.Rice's Country Ham store is at

12217 Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet.


5/12

O U R H O M E H O L I D AY S 2 01 2 3

There's a comfortable silence between the twomen as they stand shoulder to shoulder in the crick-ety smokehouse filled with thousands of hamshanging heavy at the end of the "summersweat." The sweet, smoky smell of the aged hamspervades the building as Ed Rice, Jr. and his son-in-law Scott Dabbs check the progress of the 10-monthcuring process. In a few short weeks, Scott will startto haul the hams out of the smokehouse and intoRice's Ham Store situated just a lot away.

And, by Dec. 31, all 5,000 hams now hangingeight deep from the rafters to shoulder level will

be sold.Curing champion hams is a generational thing

Story by

LAURIE EVERETTPhotos by

GEORGE PAGE

HamCHAMPSA tradition of excellence

comes full circle

(above) Scott Dabbs, on the right,and his father-in-law Ed Rice, Jr.

showcase their award winninghams. The two have swept the

county and state for years insmoked ham competitions. Rices

Hams Smokehouse has been inWilson County since 1933. (right)Back in the day Ed Rice Sr. shows

off his award winning country ham.


6/12

4 O U R H O M E H O L I D AY S 2 01 2

with the Rice family, andthe tradition of excellencemet a milestone late sum-mer when Ed's grand-daughter Brice won grandchampion ham at the Wil-son County Fair. She's just13 years old and the fourthgeneration to learn the art

of slow curing hams andbacon. This award-winningham now hangs from a pegon a cross beam in theancient store, alongsideother hams that were curedexactly the same way.

Last year, two tophams cured by this familyteam snagged awards aswell. Ed is considered a topexpert in the dying art ofslow-cured hams, madeperfect by "Mother Nature

and Father Time.""My father started cur-

ing country hams in hisbackyard smokehouse," saidEd. "I've been carrying onthe tradition since 1981.Our country hams can bebought online and at mydad's country store."

The Rices have beencuring hams for more thanhalf a century. Ed's great-grandfather bought thelittle country store in 1910,and it still showcases thehams. It's situated at thecorner of Nonaville andLebanon roads in Mt. Juli-et. Built in 1886, it lookstoday much like it did backthen with its creaky woodfloors and tin roof. Thestore is a local landmarkand point of destination forfolks from all over the U.S.

Ed's father began cur-ing hams out of necessity in

the early 1950s when hisgrocery business faltered.Ed carried the tradition onwith pride. When he hand-ed the business over to hisdaughter Ginny and Scottnine years ago. They vowedthey would not change a thing.

And because Ed spent close to 15years teaching his son-in-law how tocure award-winning hams, there's norivalry when it comes to whose entrycaptured best in the state. In fact, Edjust grins when he reveals one of his

hams competed against Dabbs' at thestate fair two years ago, and he was

beat out. His ham was in the finalthree, up against Dabbs' the manRice trusted to hand his business overto in 2003.

"He beat me," Ed said with asmile. "It was the first time I got beatby my son-in-law. But, it makes me

feel good being beat by someone who'scarrying on our family tradition."

And besides, Ed has captured thestate fair's grand champion ham rib-bon countless times before, as well ashundreds of other first-place distinc-tions throughout the years. He figuresthis is the way it should be, and hecould not have planned it any better.

"Scott and Brice make meproud," he said while looking at the

Just like it looks today, back in 1933 the Ham Store supplied the community with hams cured theold fashioned way.

Ed Rice Jr. stands in front of the store his father founded in 1933. Now the fourth generation is curingaward-winning country hams.


7/12

blue ribbon wrapped around Brice'sham."It's a tradition we've had foryears, carried forward. It's about the wayScott has taken over with such qualityand great customer relationships. Theway they do business is first class."

Ed said if Scott and Brice had neverwon a blue ribbon at a ham competition,he'd be just as proud, because of the way

Scott and Ginny treat their customers."That makes me feel as good as itdoes him getting best at the state fair," Edsaid.

Though humble, Dabbs said he's"extremely" proud he and Brice havecured award winning hams just like Ed.He laughed when he explained, yes, hedoes feel a bit of of pressure to continuethe award winning tradition of curinghams.

"Yep," he said. "The pressure'son. I'm not going to be the one who loses.No way."

Ed said curing hams is a dying art."Most hams are quick cured and pro-

duced in 77 days. Ours cure for morethan 10 months."

Scott said he's learned everything heknows from Ed and is still learning some-thing new about the process each day.

"It's all about carrying the traditionforward,'" he said. "We haven't changeda thing. I've been doing this 15 yearsnow. I don't think you are a real hamcurer until you place in a competition. I'm doingthings Ed's dad taught him years ago. I finally feellike I'm catching on to what we do. I feel like I'm areal ham curer now."

While they've always sold bacon, this year thereare several new types thrown in the mix.

"We have hickory, pepper, maplewood smokedand sun-dried tomato," said Ginny.

There's no secret to this family's award-winningsuccess. It's simply done the old-fashioned way withno shortcuts. Long-cured hams have the most fla-vor, with a richer texture.

"It's an art," Ed said. "Not too many people takethe time these days.

According to the two gentleman, the prize-win-ning hams won't be put under lock and key, but

rather sold along with the others and, not to any-one in particular. They said all the hams out of thesmokehouse are "champion" hams.

"It's just that they were pulled out and shinedup," Ed said. "It's like making a show horse out of aregular horse. Clean them up and make 'em pretty."

So, they said, all their customers will get theirhands on a champion ham.

"The reason people come here and order fromall over the county is because we do it the old-fash-ioned way," said Scott. "We sell out every year."

And while Scott and his wife have taken overthe reins of the family business, no doubt Ed will beat the store more often this season.

"Yeah, Scott now smokes the hams," Ed said."And I blow the smoke." A

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Brice Dabbs won first place at the Wilson County Fair for her cured country ham this summer. Herfather, Scott, taught her the process.



8/12


It's never too soon to start preparing forChristmas, especially if you are one of thosepeople who pull out all the stops to decoratefor the season. Locally and nationally thereare new trends in decorating, and some oldfavorites that never go out of style.

Artificial treesIn a time when more and more people,

especially children, are allergic to realChristmas trees, one item that is a big sellerevery Christmas is artificial trees. Thesetrees have come a long way and their new,better appearance has made them more pop-ular than ever. When buying a real, cut treebecomes more expensive each year, invest-ing in an artificial tree that will last for yearsis a sound investment. Not to mention thenew LED lights that are on pre-lit trees thatare much safer. They also have the advan-tage of easy clean up assuring holidayrevelers they won't be finding pine needlesin their carpets in July.

"We got a full selection of artificial treesand we already have them decorated," saidK-Mart Manager Neal Crowell. "Some treesare pre-lit and some not."

He agreed artificial trees aren't what theyused to be.

"The manufacturers have been able tomake them more life-like," he said. "It'snot the typical old-time artificial tree.They look good."

At Home Depot, the store has coordinat-ed decor for your tree and your home thattake the guess work out of decorating.

"We have the Martha Stewart line thathas logos on the boxes so you can match theicons," said Assistant Store Manager WesMuncil.

He said the artificial trees come in awide price range and are more big sellerseach year.

"Artificial trees are very popular,"Muncil confirmed.

Inflatables and moreAnother popular item for full on decora-

tors are inflatable decorations. They range insize from somethings small to put on the

front lawn, to ones big enough to awe theneighbors. Decorators can find Santa,Rudolph, elves or even the Grinch to maketheir yards unique. You can even find inflat-able Santas, complete with a sleigh andreindeer to go on the roof. When combinedwith Christmas lights your lawn can looklike Santa's workshop.

"We have Santa, Mickey Mouse and allthe typical lawn ornaments and decorations.We even have reindeer whose heads move,"Crowell said.

Crowell noted that his store is nearlyready for Christmas for all those early

shoppers."All the decorations are out except the

For ChristmasDecorations

Think Outsidethe Box

Story by

MARY HINDS


9/12


Christmas candles which will be done right after Hal-loween," he said. "Some people see decorations andthey have a theme in mind and won't wait till the lastminute."

Unique color schemesEveryone thinks of Christmas as a time when red,

green and gold are the colors of the season. But it'stime to think outside the box and use your imagina-

tion to let other color schemes and decoration ideasbrighten the season.

Experts suggest that if you want to give yourChristmas decorations a jump start this year, skip redand green and explore new color schemes when dress-ing up your table, decorating your tree, or putting upother holiday decorations. The choices are endless tocreate a holiday look that is unique.

One way to liven up your holiday decor is to thinkpink. That's rightpink for Christmas. Pink com-bined with gold, along with touchesof lavender, white,and silver make a striking color palette that will catchthe eye. You can use these colors when creating yourtablescape, wrapping gifts, and even decorating your Christ-

mas tree.Another choice is silver and blue. This holiday dcor has

a wintry appeal that is understated and beautiful. The tree isdecorated with soft white, cool blue, and shiny silver. Whitefurniture, and artwork sets off this holiday look. Of course,the packages are wrapped to match the color scheme as well,allowing you to save your Santa wrap for next year.

Not an obvious choice, violet and green gives a new twiston the traditional red and green color scheme. It's a littlemore regal and sophisticated. To make a unique wreath,head to your local craft store for ball ornaments, silkflowers,and green faux foliage. You can easily attach the items to afoam wreath with floral picks. Also, use violet tablecloths

and napkins, create a centerpiece for your table with violetflowers and add touches of silver to finish off the look.Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? White and

turquoise can make those dreams come true with this cool,wintery color scheme. This combo can look a little too cool,so it's a good idea to add an accent color that really popslike turquoise or fuchsia. This modern color palette willcertainly brighten up your home this holiday season.

It's hard to believe, but neutrals can also make your hol-iday home stand out in thecrowd. Sounds boring right? Thisholiday palette features brown, beige, cream, grey-green, andsilver.

Change more than color

Unique decorating for Santa's big day can mean morethan just changing your color scheme. Using vintage piecescan spice up your decor as well.

A blending of old and new is always preferred when dec-orating your home forthe holidays. This season, add vintagepieces that have been handed down in your family for gen-erationsor fake it by purchasing items from the fleamarket or antique shops. Vintage ornaments, wall hangings,clocks, figurines, and other items can add some uniquecharm to your home during the holidays.

Another trend is usingbig, oversized ornaments on yourtree and around your home. In the past, the trend was to dec-orate your tree with lots of very small ornaments. Nowthings have swung in the completely opposite direction.

This year, think big! Hang several very large bulbs on yourtree, skip the tinsel and keep therest of your tree decorations

to a minimum. Voluminous Christmas ornaments that are8 inches in diameter or more are your best betthe biggerthe better.

Using items with rich textures can allow you to adda personal touch to your decor. When decorating yourhome this holiday season, don't forget to dress up yourcouches, chairs, and other furniture. Add throws and pil-lows and slip in colors with rich textures such as velvet,suede, and faux fur.

Regardless of how you choose to decorate for Christ-mas, the most important thing is that you and yoursenjoy the holiday. A

metro creative connection

For more information

call 615-443-7929or drop in for a visit at

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10/12


Most have heard thetimeless Christmas carol,The 12 Days of Christmas.

If youve ever wondered howmuch money True Lovewould shell out to buy all ofthose lovely presents, here isa list of what those itemswould cost today if heshopped (mostly) in WilsonCounty.

There are a few items onthe list that are not readilyavailable in these parts, soTrue Love would have to bea little bit creative.

True Love would be spending

$106,952.72 to buy every item listed inthe famous carol.

A partridge in a pear treeMoss Florist in Mt. Juliet offers atopiary keepsake featuring the firstitem on True Loves list. BrendaMoss, wife of shop owner Hale Moss,said the keepsake costs $75. So buy-ing the 12 which the song calls forwould be $900.

Two turtledovesPetSmart in Mt. Juliet says while theydo not carry doves, True Love couldbuy Spice Finches for $18.69 each.For 22 of the finches to cover the 11days required, True Love would beset back $411.18.

Three French hensAt the time of this writing, henswere not available for purchase inlocal grocery stores, so if True Lovewanted to do a little early shopping,hens can be ordered online for any-where from $3-$8. Using thehigh-end figure, 30 small henswould total $240.

Four calling birdsPetSmart sells parakeets for $19.99apiece a grand total of $719.64would be added to True Loves tabfor the requisite 36 fowl.

Five golden ringsAs the price of gold has risen recent-

ly, Coxs Jewelry reports that thestore has simple golden bands forbetween $500-$600. The cost of 40rings, five each day for the final eightdays in the song, calculating on thehigh side, the bling would cost$24,000.

Six geese-a-laying.

If True Love knew of a Wilson Coun-ty farmer who sold geese, then he

could probably wrangle adecent price for the Canadi-an breed of the fine

feathered animal. But if thiswas not the case, individualbirds are selling for $41.95online. At this price, the 42feathered friends for hissweetheart would cost$1,761.90.

Seven swans-a-swimming

As if all of the other birds werentenough to make True Loves signifi-cant other go bonkers from all themyriads of calls that would be ringingthrough the house, having swans-a-swimming in the living room wouldrather complicate things. In WilsonCounty, there is a shortage of liveswans, so True Love would be spring-ing for the next best thing - electricalswans such as the display featured inthe annual Festival of Lights at theWard Ag Center.

Through a partnership with the Wil-son County Fair Board, the Chamberof Commerce secured a brand newfixture for the annual light displaythat will feature all seven majesticcreatures in what is being called theFountain of Life. The large fixturecost a whopping $10,000, settingTrue Love back $60,000 for the finalsix days of Christmas.

Eight maids-a-milkingThe maids-a-milking, the onlyunskilled labor in the song, would gar-ner minimum wage for each of theirdays milking cows for True Loveslove. Assuming each maid will beworking an eight hour day, theywould each grab $58 per day. Thismeans True Love would dish out $464per day to cover the entire group. Thetotal bill for all eight maids laboring

the final five days of Christmas wouldcost True Love $2,320.

Twelve Days of Christmas

by KIMBERLY JORDAN


11/12

Nine ladies dancingTrue Love could entertain his sweet-heart with the local talent of studentsat the Rockstar Academy of Dance inMt. Juliet. To have nine of theseyoung ladies perform for his signifi-cant other, True Love would spend$100 per dancer or $900 for each per-formance. Four days of performancesat $900 would total $3,600.

Ten lords-a-leapingSince there are no true lords in Wil-son County, we do have the membersof our County Commission who areresponsible for creating the laws andvoting on the well-being of our com-munities. Sometimes, when issues arehotly contested, these civil servants

will leap to their feet in defense oropposition of various proposals. Theseindividuals receive $400 per month toserve on the governing body, so hiring10 of them to leap in the living roombears an expense of $4,000. True Lovewould be shelling out $12,000 to coverthe lords for the final three days ofthe holiday season.

Eleven pipers pipingand 12 drummers drumming

On the final day of Christmas, TrueLove can satisfy his gift giving plea-sure and also do a good deed. TheLebanon High School Band will per-

form for a donation to the bandprogram. The typical donation for aband performance is between $250-$500. If you consider the $250 figurefor the pipers piping and the $500donation for the drummers drum-ming, you would have a grand total of$1,000 for the two two pipers perfor-mances and the drum exhibition. A

would like to wish

all of the citizens of

Wilson County

an ExceptionalHoliday Season.

and

A

A


12/12

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Our Home Holidays 2012