Archives

  • A LOVE FOR ART: Sandra Lester uses her amazing talents to create vibrant, one-of-a-kind abstract art
    Story By Maria Rakoczy | Photos By Joshua Berry | Living 50 Plus Sandra Lester is our very own Van Gogh. A skilled artist, a member of the Huntsville Art League, and a Madison resident, Lester creates eye-catching and thought-provoking art that invokes the color and movement of Vincent Van Gogh’s art. Lester’s artwork is
  • “REELIN’ IN THE YEARS”: Well-known sportswriter and radio DJ Bob Labbe is celebrating his 52nd year in broadcasting this September
    Story By Ava Malone | Photos By Joshua Berry | Living 50 Plus Traveling down the road in Huntsville in 1958, four-year old Bobby, as his mother called him, asked his dad to turn up the radio. Perry Como was singing “Catch a Falling Star.” That moment is one of the first memories Bob Labbe
  • HER ENERGY IS CONTAGIOUS!: Patsy Trigg of ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’ fame shares her passion for woodworking and having fun at STUDIO 60
    Story By Erin Coggins | Photos By Cristie Clark | Living 50 Plus Fifteen years ago, Patsy Trigg walked into the STUDIO 60 Senior Center on Drake Avenue for some advice on repairing her grandmother’s swing and she has never left. “The bolt was twisted in the swing, and I couldn’t get it out,” Trigg
  • ESCAPE & SOAK UP NATURE: The perfect blend of relaxation and recreation
    Story and Photos By Teresa Gibbs | Living 50 Plus Imagine spending a quiet romantic evening with your loved one in a private, open-air cabana built on the edge of a forest with an amazing view of a mountain lake. Close your eyes and think of breathing in pure, fresh mountain air while soaking in
  • Scaevola works as border, groundcover or in container
    By Dr. Eddie Miles Louis Smith, MSU Extension | For Living 50 Plus I am always looking for unique plants that brighten the landscape. Scaevola, commonly known as fan flower, is one of those plants. Native to Australia and the Pacific Islands, these plants are popular for their distinctive, fan-shaped flowers, versatile growth habit and
  • Suspect a scam or fraud? TARCOG issues tips to caution senior citizens
    By Gregg Parker | Living 50 Plus A local agency is helping to protect the well-being of senior citizens in the North Alabama region by advising them to avoid dangerous scams and consumer fraud. To hopefully prevent costly fraud, Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments or TARCOG conducted the Senior Medicare Patrol Fraud &
  • Events
    Food Truck Rallies Third Fridays through October • Big Spring Park • www.downtownhuntsville.org Grab your friends, family, or pets and head downtown to enjoy mouthwatering food truck vendors each month. Don’t forget to bring a chair or blanket to sit, eat, and listen to live music. There will also be yard games and activities throughout
  • TELLINI’S ITALIANO: A new taste of the olde world
    Story By Maria Rakoczy | Photos By Joshua Berry| Living 50 Plus Tellini’s Italiano has long been a Huntsville institution, serving fresh, homestyle Italian food to Madison County for 25 years. The restaurant began in 1995 as Tellini’s Pasta Market and opened its first location in Gadsden, Alabama in 1996. The following year, in 1997,
  • The time is right for a senior group trip to the Cook Museum of Natural Science
    You are never too old to go on a field trip! Looking for a fun day trip idea, during the months of August and September may be the perfect time to take a “hop, skip and jump” to Decatur and experience the Cook Museum of National Science. While area kids go back to school and
  • City Lights & Stars audience can chill to Calypso Vision on August 30
    The motto for Calypso Vision, the featured group at Burritt on the Mountain’s City Lights & Stars Concert Series on Aug. 30, reveals their music’s genre and the band’s outlook. “A Better Attitude from Another Latitude.” Their motto shows devotion to light-hearted good times, seasoned with a heavy dose of Parrot-head style. Much of their
  • Chipotle Chicken Flatbread
    When dining outside with your loved ones, there are few things better than a tasty dish everyone can enjoy. This Chipotle Chicken Flatbread makes for a perfect al fresco meal. Prepared along with a fresh salad or simply enjoyed by itself, this flatbread is simple to make and even kids will love adding the toppings
  • EXERCISE AND THE BRAIN: How regular routine exercise can affect mental health
    It is well documented that physical activity can be beneficial for the body, but what about the effects of exercise on the brain? Exercise enthusiasts will be glad to learn there are some notable ways that physical activity can benefit the brain. A 2018 study published in Frontiers in Psychology indicated that much evidence shows
  • Empty nesters looking to banish boredom can consider these strategies
    Raising children is a significant responsibility. Parents know there’s no such thing as a day off, which is why the first day they come home to an empty nest can be so confounding. After roughly two busy and likely hectic decades or more of looking after their children, parents whose sons or daughters have left
  • VAN GOGH: A new exhibit opens in Huntsville showing visitors the renown and multidimensional life of artist Vincent Van Gogh like never before
    Maria Rakoczy | Living 50 Plus When you step into Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience, you’re not stepping into an ordinary art gallery. You’re stepping into a full experience that, more than just hanging paintings on a wall, surrounds you in the moving and skillful pieces of Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
  • Awaken your spirit with the North Alabama Hallelujah Trail
    From Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association The North Alabama Hallelujah Trail features 32 churches that are at least 100 years old, stand on their original sites, still hold services, and are accessible to the public. These structures paint an immaculate portrait of North Alabama’s history and combine to tell the remarkable story of early Alabamians’
  • JIM PARKER: He composes, performs and mentors songwriters in a lifetime of music
    By Gregg Parker | Living 50 Plus Focused on music since the early 1960s, Jim Parker pursued an 8-to-5 career but always cherished the music scene. In fact, Parker’s musical career is still on a high note. In 2001, he founded “Jim Parker’s Songwriters Series” at Bandito Burrito on Main Street in Madison. By 2005,
  • Studio 60 celebrates 50 years of serving area’s active seniors
    STUDIO 60 Senior Center, Inc., formerly the Huntsville-Madison County Senior Center, is celebrating a milestone this year. It was created 50 years ago in 1974 when three organizations serving senior citizens were merged. Since 1994, it has been located in a state-of-the-art 47,500 square foot building at Brahan Spring Park. Over the past five decades,
  • SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT: Here is what the experts say in regard to the benefits of a few good belly laughs
    Most people have heard the adage that “laughter is the best medicine.” There are many indications that laughter can be beneficial to the mind and body, and that the perks of laughter and humor are far-reaching. Various professionals have studied the clinical benefits of laughter, including Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan at Loma
  • OUT OF THE FIRE: Dr. Harry Hobbs’ remarkable journey through the fire of life to become the man he is today
    By Erin Coggins | Living 50 Plus Those in the community may recognize Dr. Harry Hobbs as a soldier, a spokesperson for the Huntsville Police Department, a professor and dean, the founder of Community Awareness for Youth (CAFY) and presently as the Vice President of Employee Engagement at Huntsville Utilities. But what they do not
  • Sheet Pan Cajun Shrimp Fajitas with Bell Pepper
    Meals savored with loved ones are intended to produce smiles and shared moments. Take the first step toward bringing back joy and magic while making Sheet Pan Cajun Shrimp Fajitas with Bell Pepper. Recipe courtesy of Albertsons Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 2 green bell peppers 2 yellow bell peppers 1 lime 1 medium
  • Secure your financial privacy: These tips from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority can help individuals safeguard their privacy
    By Metro News Safeguarding personal financial data has never been more important, as an increasingly digital world has made online banking much more prevalent. Cybercrimes are a significant concern. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, no less than 422 million individuals were impacted by cyber-crime last year, and nearly 33 billion accounts are anticipated
  • Great live music with an amazing view: City Lights & Stars Concert Series
    For the 31st Season, Burritt on the Mountain is welcoming back their long running Summer Concert Series. The City Lights & Stars Concert Series will feature eight concerts this season through September, with musical acts from varying genres. This year’s lineup features a fabulous mix of local hometown favorites and regional talent on the Isenberg
  • Dating later in life: Many people 50 plus have years ahead of them to devote to new relationships.
    Here’s what they may want to know before navigating twenty-first century dating waters. People are living longer, a reality that can be traced to a number of factors, including advancements in medicine and greater dissemination of information regarding preventive health care. According to data from the United Nations Population Division, the average life expectancy in
  • BLESSED TO BE ALIVE: David Webb’s road to recovery after near-death strokes is nothing short of a miracle, one that has him thankful for being given a second chance
    By Bob Labbe | Living 50 Plus David Webb continues to follow his road to recovery. The world record-setting powerlifter is currently making headway on his journey after suffering near-death strokes in early 2022 and to the amazement to everyone, including his doctors, Webb is again lifting weights in record form and earlier in 2024