Ann Cipperly
Columnist
Ann Cipperly is an award winning journalist whose career includes being a lifestyle and food editor, feature writer, columnist and photographer for newspapers and magazines
Ann Cipperly's Latest
BY ANN CIPPERLY With their home nestled among towering trees, Mary Ann and Dr. Norman Godwin will celebrate Thanksgiving with their grown children, extended family and international students. The holiday will also include a “thankful tree” and a...
BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION — The above title in correct English would be: What are you doing? Around the house, some of us take shortcuts with our words. I can remember my wife asking me many times, “Whatcha doing?”I got in the habit of replying...
BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION —Oswald Chambers was blunt about sorrow and difficulty. Nothing is gained by saying there ought to be no sorrow. “Sorrow is,” he said, and we must face it. Sin, sorrow and suffering are facts of life, “and it is not for us...
BY ANN CIPPERLY As I look back over the past 15 years of my food column being in The Observer, starting with the first issue, I am reminded of many wonderful cooks who have shared their recipes, as well as spending busy days looking through my own...
BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION —During my early and middle years, but not much during my older years, there were occasions when I had lustful thoughts while admiring the beauty of another man’s wife. Each time that happened, I heard the inner voice of...
BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION —It caught my attention — the story of a young man scoring a touchdown for Murphy High School in Mobile Thursday night, Oct. 5. When we lived in Mobile 50 years ago, my two oldest sons, Matt and Mark, both played on the...
OPINION —During my first visit to the beautiful African country known as Zambia, my host Alfred Kalembo introduced me to his sister Catherine. Since her understanding of languages was limited to her native tongue, Tonga, we communicated mostly with...
BY ANN CIPPERLY /FOR THE OBSERVER Situated at the end of a long driveway, the classic southern home of Kathryn and Bryan Blackburn sits stately amidst a manicured lawn against a backdrop of deep forest. The Blackburns have a fondness for older...
BY WALT ALBRITTON OPINION —To live well, you must learn to cope with change. The most common truth about life is that change is a constant reality. It is forever foolish to wish that “things would never change.”When I was born in 1932, gas cost 10...
BY ANN CIPPERLY An assortment of heritage pumpkins on the porch provides an attractive fall arrangement at the home of Jessica and Adam Nicholson in Opelika’s Camelot subdivision. Jessica loves cooking and enjoys being in the kitchen preparing...
BY WALT ALBRITTON RELIGION —One of the most popular songs across the world is “Jesus Loves Me.” I love the way the song reveals the source of that good news: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”So, if you ask Christians why...
BY ANN CIPPERLY / FOR THE OBSERVER With Auburn decor in ceramic and stuffed tigers, blue and orange dishes on the kitchen table, Auburn art and towels displaying AU, there are many clues at the lovely home of Betty DeGraffenried Burgess and her...
BY WALT ALBRITTON For years I have smiled at the embarrassment of the Pharisees when Jesus left them speechless. The gospels tell of many instances when Jesus, while eating a meal with a prominent Pharisee, asked questions that silenced his...
BY WALT ALBRITTON RELIGION —A woman of my acquaintance loved this poem and often quoted it as she shared her faith with others:"Greenless Child"by Ann WeemsI watched her go uncelebrated into the second grade,A greenless child,Gray among the orange...
BY ANN CIPPERLY Terri and Dennis Bisanz both enjoy cooking. On Labor Day, Dennis will grill entrees, while Terri prepares sides and dessert. The Bisanzes have a heart for children and are the founders of the Feeding God’s Children program. Along...
RELIGION — Published in 1896, the book "In His Steps" by Charles M. Sheldon has sold more than 50 million copies. One of the best-selling books of all time, it is based entirely on the question “What Would Jesus Do?” A Congregationalist pastor in...
RELIGION — In the year 1224, in a small Italian town, Theodora and Landulf gave birth to a little boy. They named him Thomas. He would become known as Thomas Aquinas, though Aquinas is not a family name but an indicator of his birthplace. As Thomas...
BY ANN CIPPERLY Now that the students are back in school, there is no time for leisurely breakfasts they enjoyed during summer. Children need a hearty breakfast to fuel them for doing their best in school, and keep them full until lunch. It can...
RELIGION — Glory! I reckon I say it 40 times a day. It is more than a wonderful habit; it expresses who I am. It’s my way of paying tribute to the power and presence of God in my daily life. It’s not a Sunday word. Like many of my generation,...
RELIGION — A verse in the Gospel of John caught my attention. In describing Jewish leaders who believed in Jesus but were afraid to admit it, John says “they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (12:43, ESV)....