It has been several weeks since I last shared with you all, and looking back, this past May was probably the best I can remember in years.
Mother’s Day has always been a special time that I try to make great for my mom and sisters, and this year, I was happy to include Mandy as well.
We had a fun family gathering after church where all the ladies’ received flowers, and I fired up the grill to cook hamburgers and hot dogs while we relaxed and enjoyed one another’s company.
Later that month, on May 23, Mandy and I were married. Our friends and family worked hard to make it the most fun any of us have had in years, and we were honored to have the very first wedding ever held at the 19th Hole in Boaz. The food was a fantastic joint effort between the Morgan House Deli and the 19th Hole. Tiffany English from the Morgan House set up the charcuterie tables, while Laura, Heath, and their staff ensured everything ran smoothly. In a nod to the “island lifestyle” I’ve grown to love — and because I am a proud Parrothead — we wanted an island-themed wedding.
Mariam and Sarah Quinn Richey even teamed up to perform a wedding march from Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” — yes, you heard that right!
The Leader’s favorite cook, Morgan Roe, made a beautiful wedding cake. A special thanks goes out to my Thursday night trivia team, Thirsty Thursday; you all know who you are. You are the greatest friends I have. Thanks also goes out to all those of you that came to the wedding and gifted us so many gifts. We are truly blessed.
After the wedding, we were gifted a two-night stay at Firefly Tree Houses on Smith Lake in the Cullman area. We spent Saturday and Sunday nights there, and while it rained a good bit, it was still a great time. With no TV, internet, or cell service, it reminded me of the days following the 2011 tornado outbreak, only this time with the luxury of air conditioning. We managed to get out between rain showers to enjoy the property, and by pure coincidence, Mandy’s brother was nearby and took us out for a boat ride on the lake. If you’ve never been or want to spend a couple of days in a tree house, you should check out the Firefly Tree Houses—it was a great way to disconnect.
We returned home on Memorial Day and enjoyed the holiday with family. That following Thursday, we drove to Atlanta to stay in a hotel with “Stay and Park” services, and on Friday, we flew out to Miami. We rented a car and drove U.S. 1 all the way through the Keys to Key West, where we stayed at the Margaritaville Beach House.
It is such a peaceful, relaxing place. We probably walked more during that trip than either of us has in recent history, but it was very fun. We toured the Truman Little White House, the Hemingway House and nearly all of Old Town. We even took a Jimmy Buffett walking tour, which showed us the places he frequented, his first couple of homes and his favorite grocery store for chocolate milk.
We also enjoyed a sunset cruise, which provided beautiful pictures and a wonderful time. It was the first vacation I’ve ever been on where I didn’t want to come home.
I’ve felt for years that I want to live close to saltwater, and Key West was a perfect match. However, we returned home because we know we are loved here, and we have careers and responsibilities to tend to. Our four dogs were certainly glad we were back; to them, we are the world.
Before we got married, I had a miniature schnauzer named Daisy, and Mandy had three Corgis: Winston, George and Lucy. There is never a dull moment in our home, and they all get along very well. The Corgis are still learning about my TV soundbar and subwoofer, so to “break them in,” we watched Twister.
The movie has some major subwoofer sounds, and since houses with a crawl space reverberate better than those on a slab, the house rumbled beautifully — it felt like I was really in the storms.
Married life is great; I could not have asked for a better match, as Mandy is my soulmate.
Election season
I am writing this on the day before the runoff election, and it has been a particularly tough season. The competition for a few of these positions has gone to some people’s heads, and with the polarization on Facebook, it’s hard to see the positives in having some of these jobs be elected rather than hired.
In an election, you often get the most popular candidate rather than the most qualified. I must wonder if positions like tax assessor, superintendent and coroner would be better served by interviewed, qualified candidates who can be held accountable like employees, rather than only once every four years.
But I’ll get off my soapbox now.
On a brighter note, I am working on notifying the winners of our first annual Leader’s Choice Awards. A publication listing all the winners will be out in a few weeks, and you may start seeing them posted on Facebook soon — this is an awesome thing to present to my advertisers.
Keep your eyes open for those and remember that Father’s Day and Independence Day are coming up. Summer is my favorite season; I love the sun, the warm weather, the outdoor activities, the travel, and the daylight after 8 p.m. that makes the days feel more accomplished.
I hope you all have a great summer, and if you see me out and about, please come say hello — I love to hear from our readers, so feel free to email me or call the office.
Jonathan Bottomlee is the advertising director of The Sand Mountain Leader. Contact him with advertising or circulation inquiries at [email protected].
Mandy Milner and Jonathan Bottomlee married May 23 at The 19th Hole in Boaz. Now they’re home from the honeymoon and Jonathan is back to work at The Leader, where he is the advertising director. SPECIAL TO THE LEADER
