By Donna Thornton/News Editor
Terry S. Bradley is an idea man. He’s been working to incorporate some of his ideas to launch a character called “Nubbiebee,” through a children’s book he’s written.
Bradley has a few loves – one of them is making chili.
He said he’s been a regular in the chili cook off, and has quite a fan-base for his chili.
Although he lost a couple of fingers in an accident, Bradley has taken the old injury in stride.
When he started looking for a web address, he looked for something based around “nubs,” and had trouble coming up with a variation that was not already claimed.
He came up with Nubbiebee, and decided it would be an appealing name for a children’s book character.
He wanted to come up with a bee character that shared his love of chili-making, but found himself a challenge: Coming up with a series of storybook events that would result in a bee making chili.
He looked to his own life for inspiration. “How Bees Came to Make Chili – Nubbiebee’s Hive Volume 1” is the story of a high-flying bee who injures a wing, and in trying to find something useful to do after losing the ability to fly, he begins making chili.
Bradley fleshed out his story with a cast of bee characters with various abilities, and teamed with illustrator Patrick A. Siwick to complete the book. He published it through KG Books of Decatur.
The Nubbiebee book is available locally in the gift shop at Noccalula Falls – along with another of Bradley’s ventures. He’s packaging and selling NubbieBee’s honey also.
Bradley said all his ideas are geared toward larger goals: to earn enough money to some day start the Meagan L. Bradley Foundation in honor and in memory of his niece, a little girl with the heart of saint, who died too young.
The foundation would help fight child abuse, poverty and homelessness – all things that have touched Bradley’s life.
He also wants to support the “Make a Wish Foundation” and “The Freedom of the Arts Foundation.”
Bradley said he also writes poetry and hopes to eventually publish poems as well as additional stories about his bee characters.
And Bradley has an eye on perhaps one day marketing the chili that he, like Nubbiebee, loves to make.