CaddyStage

LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE SELFISH.....

2010-01-17T10:50:00.000-06:00

CaddyStage Quote of the Day

2009-04-16T10:03:00.001-05:00

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly"
Robert Francis Kennedy

Tweetstack: CaddyStage's newest obsession

2009-04-10T19:02:00.007-05:00

I've been a member of Twitter and Facebook now for over a year, and what a blast it has been to be part of the most popular social networking scene! My latest obsession though has to be Twitter.

With so many Twitter Applications to download on the iphone, I settled on Twitterrific. Twitterrific and Tweetie are really fun applications, but today I downloaded Tweetstack from iTunes and I've decided to use this due to the popularity of Tweetdeck which I also use at home.

Yes, the Tweet lingo has exploded!

This Tweetstack video below should give iphone users an idea if they want to try the latest Twitter application..... enjoy :) Download Tweetstack here.

TweetStack Beta 1.0A from Matt Brooke-Smith on Vimeo.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter and Facebook and lemme know what you think...

2009 Opening Season Dixie Softball

2009-04-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

2008 Hartselle Dixie Darlins World Series Winners

The thrill of the chase

2009-01-14T10:39:00.005-06:00

"Everyone needs to work. Even a lion cannot sleep, expecting a deer to enter his mouth."
Hitopadesha (14th century), India

image borrowed from www.barriekelly.com

Caddystage Eats Fulin's: Authentic Asian Cuisine

2009-01-13T15:41:00.019-06:00

Yesterday, hungry as usual, and may I add completely excited about registering for Spring semester at Calhoun, I decided to check out Fulin's Asian Cuisine. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about Decatur's newest Asian restaurant.

Let's backtrack a little bit here, ok. My New Year's resolution, as well as, probably most of America's is to get healthy, and in my case I wanted more energy so I've decided to eat more fruits and vegetables and keep my meat proportions to a bare minimum.

Vegetable/Bean Curd soup

At around 4p.m., Fulin's is not that busy, so it was the perfect time to order takeout.

My first choice was to start with a soup. The Vegetable Bean Curd soup was a combination of broccoli, corn, tofu, peppers, and water chestnuts mixed together in a beef broth base. The soup was excellent and a great starter to go along with my entree of Curry Mixed Vegetables. My entree was a mixture of carrots, asparagus, corn, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini and let's add to this a little spicy which I love. Served with brown rice and the vegetables being lightly cooked made for an overall very delicious and healthy meal.

Curry Mixed Vegetables

I'm really ecstatic about trying Fulin's now and recommend it to everyone if your looking for fine Japanese cuisine. With the economy slow and everyone now on a more strict budget, my total bill was only $12.85 and enough for two people. Try Fulin's out, you want be sorry and that's a Caddystage statement that I can live by.

Fulin's
Target Shopping Center
1241 Point Mallard Parkway, SE Suite 46
Decatur, AL 35601
256.355.3588

Photos by Cindy

Old Decatur and Albany District Christmas Home Decorations

2008-12-16T11:45:00.002-06:00

BubbleShare: Share photos - Easy Photo Sharing

Merry Christmas North Alabama: Caddy Martin

2008-12-16T00:58:00.004-06:00

My best friend for the past 16 years. Merry Christmas Caddy

Aunt and Uncle's Home

2008-12-15T23:51:00.000-06:00

Carolyn and W.L. Martin's House - Albany Historic District, Decatur,AL.

Best of the Valley 2008 Online Poll

2008-12-06T12:03:00.002-06:00

It's that time again my fellow North Alabamians where you can express your vote and pick your favorite place to eat, drink, socialize or just give your support to your favorite businesses here in North Alabama. Vote here at Valleyplanet.com. Some of the categories are:

Best Restaurant

Best Service

Coolest Bar

Best Bartender

Best Place for a Glass of Wine (CaddyStage's favorite :)

Best Wine Shop (CaddyStage's favorite:)

Best Mexican, Asian, Italian, etc. Restaurant

Best Coffee Shop

CaddyStage has visited some of these fine establishments and actually have blogged about them. If your a reader of my blog you will find out that most, if not all of the places that I have blogged about are listed on The Valley Planet's Readers Poll.

So please take the time and vote! Here is a list of last year's winners.

image courtesy of Valleyplanet.com

Inquisitive Minds want to know: Curry's on Johnston Street

2008-12-04T16:28:00.008-06:00

Alabama is probably best known for BBQ and Football, but it's no surprise that we are surrounded by more Southern traditional food that would make the most inquisitive Northerner think twice about traveling back home and instead taking comfort in our traditional Southern classic cuisine.

Curry's on Johnston Street mixes good ole Southern comfort food with gourmet-style deli selections.

Owners Meg and Scott Curry have their work cut out for them with all of the hustle and bustle at Curry's and if that's not enough, they offer a state of the art catering service and private dining events.

Curry's is famous here in Decatur for their scrumptious chicken salad. I first tasted this deli sensation in 1988 when Curry's on Johnston Street was formerly known as Johnston Street Cafe. I became a huge fan of this chicken salad plate that comes with broccoli salad, banana bread and a sweet pickle. When visiting though I have to make sure I order extra melt-in-your-mouth sweet pickles: wow, they're awesome!

So if your in the River City, stop by Curry's and say hello to Scott and Meg and experience all this wonderful Southern cuisine that will make you stop and say, "I will be back." :)

Curry's on Johnston Street
115 Johnston St. SE
Decatur, AL 35601
256.350.6715

Mon-Fri 8-5
Sat 11-2

photos by Cindy

Life Lessons: Daddy you will be missed! But always here....

2008-11-20T12:54:00.004-06:00

To all of my North Alabama friends and family:

As all of you know, my Dad passed away on Nov. 9. Though it's been really hard for my family to except that he is gone, he will be forever in our hearts and thoughts. He was my best friend. Always there to listen, talk, debate, even argue with me when I was wrong, but the perfect Dad, never the less.He was our Rock and it does not feel the same without him.

I found this poem on Life Lessons, and it is fitting to say that I learned everything from him on life and he learned some lessons from me as well.

Life Lessons

You may have thought I didn't see,
Or that I hadn't heard,
Life lessons that you taught to me,
But I got every word.Perhaps you thought I missed it all,
And that we'd grow apart,
But Dad, I picked up everything,
It's written on my heart.Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be
The woman I am today;
You built a strong foundation
No one can take away.I've grown up with your values,
And I'm very glad I did;
So here's to you, dear father,
From your forever grateful kid.
Daddy you will be missed and we loved you dearly...........
Vickie, Tim and Cindy

Michelle Malone singing the National Anthem

2008-11-03T07:00:00.001-06:00

Moving Beyond the Mountain with Michelle Malone

2008-11-02T20:00:00.001-06:00

"The kind of singer and songwriter who can jolt things into overdrive."
-New York Times

This photo does not count as a quality photo or give justice to Michelle Malone. Taken with my iPhone from far away after realizing that my batteries were dead in my camera, this is all that I can present here at CaddyStage to my followers. Yes I was upset, after all I had been looking so forward to this concert and getting permission to take some great photos thanks to Trish Land, Michelle's Manager.

My plans had changed to attend the concert due to the fact that my family had a traumatic event this past week with my father. So my state of mind was disoriented, sad and fearful because we had no idea why my father had no feeling in his legs. Admitted last Tues. night into Huntsville Hospital and waiting patiently for some diagnosis, we finally got some relief that he had suffer a Popliteal Artery Aneurysm in his left leg.

So, for the next 2 weeks he will undergo a Arteriogram and possibly surgery to relieve the blocked artery. Doc saids that his prognosis and recovery will be 100%, so let's keep all our fingers crossed North Alabama.

Ok, now back to the Michelle Malone concert. Awesome, dirty, raw and a powerhouse of a guitarist, and may I add slide guitarist, Michelle Malone gave me a whole new look at the type of music repertoire that is in my vault. My taste has changed since last Thursday night. :)

Thank you Michelle Malone for making me your newest biggest fan. All of my sadness and fear from last week has been relieved. My Dad would love your music (he's a 60's music lover, yes I'm a flower child) and I will make sure he get's a copy of your latest CD. CaddyStage's favorite track on Sugarfoot is 'Beyond the Mountain' and this chick has moved beyond the mountain.

For CD's, T's, Songbooks and Tourdates;
please visit: www.michellemalone.com
www.myspace.com/michellemalonemusic

photo by Cindy

Scheduled Appearance

2008-10-31T07:24:00.001-05:00

Princess Theatre - Decatur, AL

photo by Cindy

The Princess Theatre presents Michelle Malone: "Blues & BBQ"

2008-10-26T18:00:00.003-05:00

This Thursday night at The Princess Theatre for the Performing Arts, country-blues singer Michelle Malone will perform her classic soulful tunes for a fundraiser event.

The "Blues & BBQ" event will start at 6 pm, with BBQ from B.B. Perrins Sports Grill, beer tasting from Valley Budweiser and some Red Zine wines. Tickets are $35, including pre-party event at 6 p.m. and concert at 7:30 p.m. Concert tickets only are $15.

I will be attending this event with much anticipation. Michelle Malone's music reminds me of Sheryl Crow and Lucinda Williams, which I'm a big fan of both. Looking forward to this night and sharing it with a very old friend that I haven't seen in 2 years. Will be a special night for CaddyStage, and I will be sure to let all of you know how the event turns out. Hopefully they will let me take photos, and if so I will present them here to all of you.

For more information and advance tickets please visit, www.Princesstheatre.org.

The Princess Theatre for the Performing Arts
112 Second Avenue Northeast
Decatur, Alabama 35601
256.350.1745
box office 256.340.1778

Princess Theatre image courtesy of www.decaturcvb.org
Michelle Malone image courtesy of www.michellemalone.com

Perfect combination: Dracula and Kim Crawford Tane' 2000

2008-10-23T16:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Market Street Cafe&Deli: A little taste of Italy on the River

2008-10-16T09:12:00.004-05:00

Let me set the scene up for everyone: The sun is setting, your sitting on a patio gazing at the Tennessee River, Rhodes Ferry Park is next door with beautiful people walking their dogs, couples holding hands-walking and every now and then tilting their heads toward one another as if this is a special moment. Wow! That's exactly what I witnessed the first time I visited Market Street Cafe & Deli.

You see, when CaddyStage visits these one-of-a-kind establishments, I want the citizens of North Alabama to know what I've been missing and what we can explore together.

Known for their diverse selection of Italian food, wine selection and oh-so delicious desserts, Market Street is exactly that, 'A little taste of Italy on the River.' Owners Kathy and Scott Babbitt have turned this Italian eatery into one of the most popular restaurant destination's here in Decatur.

I would have to say that if your a Caesar Chicken Salad lover like myself, then this is the best by far chicken salad you will ever have. With a Makulu-Shiraz wine from South Africa, this paired beautifully with my salad and they offer a fine range of wines for sophisticated palates. But I believe that Market Street's little secret is their Focaccia Bread (my favorite) that is made fresh daily; served with olive oil dipping sauce that you will be begging for more. Offering catering, delivery, corporate accounts and 'Pick up and Go Buffet's' serving 10 to 14 people, this well established Italian eatery has been very busy since opening.

On October 23, Market Street will be hosting their annual 7 Course French Cuisine Dinner prepared by Chef Mariah Spears, paired with a French Wine of your choosing. Call for reservations if interested, as this is an annual event. Market Street would love to offer these 7-course meals once every month if deemed necessary. Reservations are feeling up fast, so request that they offer these dinners more often.

I like to say thank you to owner, Kathy Babbitt, for sharing with me how important and special Market Street Cafe & Deli is to you and the rest of North Alabama.

Market Street Cafe and Deli
301 Market Street Suite A
Decatur, Al 35601
256.351.0300

Mon-Fri 11-3 Lunch
Tues-Sat 5-9 Dinner

photos by Cindy

New Look of the Dollar Bill

2008-10-08T14:53:00.000-05:00

CaddyStage's #1 Hits of all Times

2008-10-02T17:00:00.001-05:00

Rotten Tomatoes: Love it, Love it, Love it!!!!

2008-09-29T20:00:00.001-05:00

Hey all my North Alabama movie buffs! I've added a Rotten Tomatoes Widget in the left column so you guys and gals can keep up with all of the latest Movie Buzz and Releases. It's a great site, so please enjoy. :) One of my favorites!

CaddyStage

Giving Something Back: The Boys & Girls Clubs

2008-09-27T18:00:00.002-05:00

During September, The United Way of Morgan County kicks off their annual Day of Caring. On this day, the UW will schedule projects for volunteers to go out and help in the community.

For the past 2yrs., I have along with good friend Beverly Bankston, volunteered to deliver items to the Boys& Girls Clubs of Morgan & Lawrence Counties. This year we delivered a box full of children DVD's that we had collected from work. The movies included titles such as, 'Disney Classics', 'The Black Stallion', 'Cars' (my favorite!) and whole lot more of fun-loving titles that the kids can enjoy with their time well-spent at the Boys&Girls Club.

In Morgan Co. the Boys&Girls clubs have given children a safe place to go for over 70 years. They enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. With 5 clubs in Decatur and on into Hillsboro, the Boys&Girls clubs are always looking for volunteer's. For more info, please call 256.340.3466

Casey and David, keep up the good work! Cindy Martin

Boys&Girls Club of Morgan & Lawrence Co.

PO Box 1431

Decatur, Alabama 35602

Casey Coleman, Asst. CPO

256.940.3470 or 256.898.4505

David Varner

Chief Professional Officer

256.340.3464

Photos courtesy of The Boys&Girls Clubs

Tennessee River: Memories to Last a Lifetime

2008-09-21T21:15:00.002-05:00

I've lived in North Alabama all of my life and there is always something near and dear to remind me of my youth. But the one memory that will always be so special to me is of my time spent on the Tennessee River or Smith Lake. Growing up in Hartselle, we were between these great bodies of water and my parents made an unbelievable effort to instill in us the memory of the times that we shared here.

Boating was the norm for us Martins, as well as, the Lindseys, Vinzants and the McCurrys. Yes, there was a genuine camaraderie among friends and family and my parents loved the water. My mom would pack a picnic lunch for a day full of adventure that would make you want to eat. Our days on the water would start early morning and last until evening. You would be so tired of all the skiing, sunbathing and swimming, that all you could think about was a cold shower and a bed on the way home.

My first skiing experience was on the Tennessee River. I'll never forget that moment because my Dad was hell-bent on getting me up on a pair of skis. At exactly the 13th try, I succeeded with joy, but soon fell and it was back to the drawing board. Swimming was also in that category of being self-taught. There were no swimming lessons in the Martin family, just good ole peer pressure. You had to teach yourself to swim and so I did.

God I miss those days. Now everyone is older, scattered around and no more boat rental slips exist amongst family and close friends. You don't hear Castlerock, Duncan Bridge, Yellow Creek, or better yet the Boat Harbor during talking points at the Martin home. It's more on the line of 401k's, pensions, current events, sports or what my 2 nieces are up to.

So, to get my fix now, I make extra time to visit these great waterways when I can. I only live about 2.5 miles from the river, so at least I can say that my memories are still there and great memories they are to cherish.

photo by Cindy

Tennessee River at Sunset

2008-09-21T20:00:00.001-05:00

Ketchup presents the "Hoelzer Hamburger"

2008-09-17T14:15:00.005-05:00

The Dolce Group, one of the country’s leading restaurant and hospitality groups, has teamed with USA Olympian Margaret Hoelzer to raise money and awareness for The National Children’s Advocacy Center. The Dolce Group has recently opened their first two Alabama restaurants, Dolce and Ketchup, at the brand new Bridge Street Town Centre development in Huntsville.

Beginning on Saturday, September 20^th, Ketchup will offer the “Hoelzer Hamburger”, which was custom designed by Ms. Hoelzer, for $11. The Dolce Group will donate $2 from every purchase of a “Hoelzer Hamburger” through October 31, 2008 back to The National Children’s Advocacy Center.

The “Hoelzer Hamburger” is a 10 ounce certified Angus beef patty seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning and grilled to perfection. It is topped with a slice of Aged Cheddar Cheese and Muenster Cheese, Pico de Gallo, Red Onion, Organic Tomato slice, and slices of Haas Avocado, on a lightly toasted Kaiser Bun.

Margaret will be at Ketchup on Saturday, September 20^th, from 11:30AM – 2:30PM to help with the launch of the new “Hoelzer Hamburger” and to sign autographs.

The National Children’s Advocacy Center is a non-profit organization that offers clinical services to children, and their non- offending family members and caregivers, who are victims of abuse. Such services include individual and group therapy as well as specialized medical and legal services.

Thank you Sam Rubin for inviting Caddystage to post about this wonderful event

Ketchup
350 The Bridge Street NW
Huntsville, Alabama 35806
256.327.8390

open 7 days a week, 11:00 am to close

Lunch daily @ 11:00 am

Dinner daily @ 5:00 pm

images courtesy of The Dolce Group