• Andrea Wynn looks at how Montgomery Area Nontraditional Equestrians is helping children with disabilities reach new goals, one gallop at a time.
• Thicket book editor Todd Keith recommends several great new children’s books, as well as a few select titles great for adults, too.
• Jean M. McLean takes a look at Shelby Baptist Association’s innovative program that helps struggling Alabamians accept gifts with dignity during the holidays.
• The Giving City—Birmingham tops the list as the most charitable city in the U.S. Barry Wise Smith takes a look at what makes “The Giving City” so generous.
• Giving is about more than donating money—it’s about donating your time and your talents as well. Andrea Wynn talks with Alabama Roadrunners, a local basketball team whose efforts help keep female athletes in school.
• Food writer Katherine Cobbs chimes in with an Alabama-inspired holiday menu full of great local ingredients to enhance your holiday meals.
• New December holiday calendar event updates.
• A comprehensive list of all Alabama non-profits for you to consider when time comes to give back
• Need help with inventive gift ideas? Thicket previews a host of holiday gift ideas all over the state.
• Andrea Wynn profiles Black Belt Treasures, which is becoming a must-see stop for I-65 tourists and travelers heading to the coast.
And more each coming week! Click for more details >
A look at fun events in communities around the state in January and February. See events >
The world’s largest MoonPie is set to rise over Mobile for New Year’s Eve! Read more, take a bite! >
Several Thicket writers—Mark Kelly, Katherine Cobbs—are celebrating the holidays with a newly published book on their coffee tables. Read more >
After the coffee, after the presents, after recycling the wrappings, a look at Google Trends tells a lot. The top 25 hottest Google searches this Christmas morning are... all about iPod. See the full list >
"Who took the Christ out of Christmas?" asks novelist Daniel Wallace on his Thicket blog. "I feel like it might have been my family. I don’t believe we were totally responsible; there were others like us." Read more >
When the opportunity to tag along with geologist Dr. Jim Lacefield, conservation photographer Beth Young, and environmentalist James Lowery, to learn more about the Black Warrior, I wasn’t going to let it pass by. Read more, see pics, watch video >