House concerts have become a thing. Private homes host musical artists with invited guests who help cover the expenses of the musical guests with a suggested donation.

As an author of 23+ books and contributor to 17 anthologies, I have garnered enjoyment from learning about all kinds of places and people and sharing stories about them with the reading public.

When my sister-in-law was visiting from Maryland, we decided to go on a field trip to the Africatown Heritage House, a museum that houses "Clotilda: The Exhibition" about the survivors and descendants of slaves transported on the Clotilda, the United States last known slave ship, many of whom established Africatown. The exhibit lets visitors share the experience of the journey to and from Africa, bringing stories of the 110 captives, showing artifacts of the burned and sunken shipwreck, and exhibiting how strength, optimism, and resilience created the community of Africatown.

If you’ve driven down Highway 59 through Loxley, Robertsdale, and Foley on the way to the beach, you’ve probably seen Hood’s Home Center. It’s hard to miss the giant colorful rooster guarding the various building supplies, hardscape, and yard swings that front the highway. It looks chaotic but I promise, it’s by design.

Early this year, Laura Stafford, owner and operator of Gourmet Goodies in Daphne, received a call from a man in Pensacola who told her he had eaten one of her homemade Crawfish King Cakes the year before. He was on his way to a party in New Orleans and was wondering if he could swing by and pick one up on his way through town.

If you read our piece about Roger Fritz’s new book, A Luthier's Life, or better yet, if you attended the book release party at the Mobile Art Council’s Gallery @ Room 1927 next to the Saenger Theater, then you might know a bit about what the arts Council does to support the arts community.