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Fort Bend PAWS Saving Fort Bend’s Furry Friends – One Pet at a Time
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CONTRIBUTORS MARCH/APRIL 2022 VOLUME 19 | NUMBER 2 Patti Parish-Kaminski Publisher Page 6
{COVER STORY}
6 Cathy Baker www.BakerMortgage.com Page 12
12 Alisa Murray www.AlisaMurray.com Page 14
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Fort Bend County Animal Services (FBCAS) Director Rene Vasquez, Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales and FBCAS Assistant Director and Lifesaving Programs Manager Barbara Vass. Photo by Alisa Murray Photography.
Steve Kursar Auto Enthusiast Page 16
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{Column}
6 FORT BEND PAWS: SAVING FORT BEND’S FURRY FRIENDS – ONE PET AT A TIME Each year more than 4,700 homeless pets are taken in by Fort Bend County Animal Services (FBCAS) in Rosenberg making it difficult to provide for all of the essentials our four-legged friends need each day. Fortunately for our beloved animals, there’s a non-profit organization headed up by Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales and a dedicated board of directors called Fort Bend Pets Are Worth Saving or Fort Bend PAWS who’s mission is to fill in the gaps to help care for man’s best friend.
14 THE SWEET LIFE GARDENER How Much Should I Grow?
16 AUTO REVIEW 2022 Subaru Wilderness Edition
{Newsworthy}
{Feature}
17 KATY ISD ATHLETES Sign with Colleges/Universities across the United States
10 ANNABELLE’S AMAZING GRACES Daniel and Shelley van Deursen started Annabelle’s Amazing Graces non-profit to raise awareness about the GNAO1 mutation and help find a cure for their daughter Annabelle.
18 DERBY DAY A Kentucky Derby Party for Reining Strength
2021 WILD WEST BREWFEST An amazing, record-breaking event
12 HOME & HEARTH Tips and resources to turn your house into your dream home
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW About Mortgages
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ON THE COVER: Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales and Buster. Photo by Alisa Murray Photography.
{In Every Issue} 4 EXCLAMATION POINTS!
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WE MADE SURE THAT SHE DIDN’T JUST SURVIVE, SHE THRIVED
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EXCLAMATION POINTS! Publisher, PATTI PARISH-KAMINSKI
Spring Has Sprung – Finally! Happy spring Katy! I for one am ready for some warmer weather, some outdoor family fun and some time and energy to tackle some of those home projects. And in this issue, we’re here to help you with all of that and more! Now that the weather is warming, we can enjoy more time outdoors with our favorite four-legged friends, and this issue shines the spotlight on our furry family. Fort Bend PAWS is an amazing non-profit organization headed up by Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales that is literally helping save the lives of our pet population. As a Momma’s babies: Kolton, Kassidi, momma to my beloved babies Annie May Annie May and Lilly June Kaminski. and Lilly June, I have had the privilege of supporting this amazing organization from its inception. Fort Bend PAWS is leaving an indelible “pawprint” for Fort Bend County Animal Services – just see what their director, assistant director and board members share in our cover story. These two organizations are “purrfectly” caring for our precious pets. Family outdoor fun definitely includes Annabelle’s Benefit on April 2nd at No Label Brewery. Join the van Deursen family for a 5K Run/1 Mile Walk, live music, wine pull, face painting, ice cream and more to raise money to find a cure for the GNAO1 mutation. Read all about Annabelle and her amazing family on page 10. Spring also means it’s time to spruce up around the house. In our Home & Hearth feature, we share some great gardening tips and information on the upcoming Katy Home & Garden Show coming in March. The event also includes a Spring Gift Market all at the Katy ISD Ag Center. Fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer said, “Despite the forecast, live like it’s spring.” That’s sage advice especially if you’re in Texas, because as y’all well know, the weather here can change in 30 minutes or less, especially in spring. Happy spring y’all – and keep a jacket in your car!
Vol. 19 No. 2 March/April 2022 WWW.ABSOLUTELYKATY.COM absolutely! focus media P. O. Box 1253 Richmond, Texas 77406
PUBLISHER Patti Parish-Kaminski AC C OUNT EXECUTIVES Kay Garrett Gena Horak A RT D I R E C T O R Grace Belleza WEB DESIGNER JOBpage Graphics S O C IA L M E D IA M A NA G E R Natalee Moore I T S U P P O RT A D M I N I S T R AT I V E / S A L E S A S S I S TA N T Kolton W. Kaminski CONTRIBUTORS Cathy Baker Steve Kursar Alisa Murray A D V E RT I S I N G I N Q U I R I E S Kay@absolutelyfocusmedia.com E D I T O R IA L S U B M I S S I O N S Patti@absolutelyfocusmedia.com
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Fort Bend PAWS Pets Are Worth Saving
Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales and Buster. Photo by Alisa Murray Photography.
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ur furry friends are really more than just friends; they are our family, some of the most important individuals in our lives. And this sentiment is nothing new. It is claimed that as far back as the mid-1700s, King Frederick of Prussia referred to one of his Italian Greyhounds as his best friend. That is certainly the sentiment shared by Fort Bend County Precinct 1 Commissioner Vincent Morales and the dedicated board members of Fort Bend Pets Are Worth Saving or Fort Bend PAWS.
Defining the Need Each year more than 4,700 homeless pets are taken in by Fort Bend County Animal Services (FBCAS) in Rosenberg. That equates to nearly 13 dogs or cats every day, and as the county facility responsible for preventing pet overpopulation, providing compassionate enforcement of laws relating to the treatment of animals and placing them with loving, responsible families, FBCAS’s task is a daunting one and growing every day. The responsibility of housing this many animals alone – much less providing food, shelter, medical care and grooming all while trying to place pets in new forever homes – is a full-time endeavor. But FBCAS has also gone above and beyond by achieving a lifesaving rate of over 90% since August of 2018 functioning as a life-saving facility expanding its programs to the next level. That success takes an even greater commitment and resources, and that’s where Fort Bend PAWS comes in.
COVER STORY By Patti Parish-Kaminski
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Saving Fort Bend’s Furry Friends – One Pet at a Time Providing a Paw Up In September 2017, Best Friends Animal Society conducted a shelter assessment for FBCAS, and their assessment gleaned an important recommendation to assist the shelter with reaching their goals: form a “friends of” nonprofit organization to both support the shelter’s fundraising efforts and to provide necessary items not covered under the shelter budget. Then Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert and Commissioner Vincent Morales took FBCAS’s needs and this recommendation to heart. “The Best Friends Animal Society assessment concluded that a non-profit could provide
Pat Hebert and Socks.
Working with PAWS is my way of giving back to the animal kingdom the love and loyalty they show us every day in multiple ways. I get reminded by them that they appreciate my efforts, and although it’s usually just a wet tongue or a friendly paw, it’s truly marvelous. – Fort Bend PAWS Board Member Pat Hebert
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valuable financial assistance in the shelter’s effort to improve the save rate for the county’s homeless pets,” said Morales. “Working with Judge Hebert and county staff, I was asked to take the lead on achieving that effort.” On July 5, 2018, Morales headed up a this new “friends of” organization as president. Fort Bend Pets Are Worth Saving (PAWS) was born as a non-profit to support FBCAS with an initial Board of Directors that included Pat Hebert, Elaine Dietz and FBCAS Director Rene Vasquez as a non-voting board member.
Fort Bend PAWS has been an amazing resource to Fort Bend County Animal Services,” said FBCAS Director Rene Vasquez. “In my 26 years at the shelter, we would have never been able to purchase FBCAS Director Rene much needed items, Vasquez and Kitty. such as garage doors to keep the animals warm in the winter and all of the essential medical supplies without Fort Bend PAWS. The partnership between the County, the shelter and PAWS has afforded so many advantages and necessities for our shelter pets – things they desperately needed that our budget simply could not provide. Fort Bend PAWS is a tremendous asset to FBCAS, our staff and most importantly, our animals. – FBCAS Director Rene Vasquez
Long-time FBCAS staff member and current Assistant Director and Lifesaving Programs Manager Barbara Vass has seen firsthand what a difference Fort Bend PAWS has made to the shelter. “When I came to FBCAS as a FBCAS Assistant Director and volunteer in late 2014, Lifesaving Programs Manager it was a very differBarbara Vass with her 13 yearent place with a very old Boxer George. low save rate,” she recalled. “In 2015, shelter leadership changed, we developed new programs and the culture changed towards becoming a lifesaving facility. With the formation of Fort Bend PAWS, we have been able to improve and save the lives of so many pets that come through our shelter. Whether it is through funding ProHeart 6, raising funds to keep our pets warm in the winter and cool in the summer or providing the means to purchase medication in emergent circumstances, PAWS is always there for our shelter. As a Katy resident, I am proud to be a new constituent of Commissioner Morales and excited to bring the Katy community into the FBCAS and PAWS family.”
Mandi Bronsell with Yeti.
The small but mighty group was established with Commissioner Morales at the helm, Hebert as treasurer and Dietz as secretary. Together, they embarked on a fundraising and awareness-building campaign that to date has purchased items for FBCAS that total over $100,000. Some of the larger funded projects for FBCAS include: Vaccines and Medical Supplies ProHeart 6
Fort Bend PAWS
Porta-a-Cools for the Kennels
Pets Are Worth Saving
Garage Doors on the Kennels
Mission
Heating Units for the Outdoor Kennels Vaccine Refrigerator X-ray Fund at Rose Rich Veterinary FBCAS Marketing and Events, including a Van Wrap Transport Costs with Rescued Pets Movement Royal Canin Mama/Baby Food to support the Neonatal Foster Program and Kittens in Shelter
Fort Bend Pets Are Worth Savings (PAWS) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization founded by a dedicated group of Fort Bend County citizens. Fort Bend PAWS was created with the goal of raising funds and awareness for Fort Bend County Animal Services (FBCAS), the shelter animals housed at FBCAS and the Community Cat Program at FBCAS to achieve our goal. For more information, visit www.FortBendPaws.org.
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Fort Bend PAWS Board Member Tracey L. Deiss, DVM with her pets Jezzie, Sapphira, Jancsi and Ivy.
Continued Support for Our Furry Family Today with Commissioner Morales continuing in his role as president, Fort Bend PAWS has expanded both its board and its efforts to support FBCAS. Fort Bend native and veterinarian Tracey Deiss became a board member to lend her industry expertise to the organization while serving her community. “Serving on the Fort Bend PAWS board is important to me because it allows me to serve my community and industry of Veterinary Medicine in a unique, multi-faceted manner,” shared Deiss. “I am able to provide veterinary insights and lend a voice to the voiceless, displaced and homeless pets of Fort Bend County, as well as provide assistance to the incredible FBCAS team who dedicate their lives to the cause. It is truly a PAWsome honor.” In addition to expanding the board and providing the capital improvements and initiatives over the past three years, the organization has covered the cost of emergency medical supplies, as well as provided routine maintenance items for the shelter, such as kennel panels, flea and tick medications and tools. “Fort Bend PAWS has the ability to make a direct impact on serving FBCAS, because the money we raise goes directly to providing a way to take care of those unforeseen needs in short term emergency situations, as well as address long-standing issues of providing more in-depth medical treatment to get these animals out of the shelter and into people’s homes quicker,” said Board Member Elaine Dietz. And when unforeseen needs arise for the shelter, Fort Bend PAWS responds. “One of our strengths as an organization is our ability to reach out to our community and present matching fundraising opportunities when emergency situations occur,” said Commissioner Morales. “The awareness that we can bring to a specific need and the
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ability to solve that need is a valued asset of Fort Bend PAWS and our supporters.” Social media plays a vital role in keeping the community informed about Fort Bend PAWS’ progress, needs and future plans, specifically Facebook. From when the county is facing inclement weather and the shelter needs assistance to safely house animals, to heart-felt adoption stories, to free spay and neuter clinics throughout the county, Fort Bend PAWS’ Facebook page keeps the organization and their story accessible to the community. “The pet profiles on our Facebook page are my favorites,” said Commissioner Morales. “Barbara, Rene and the FBCAS staff do such an amazing job of getting to know each and every animal, and they take the time to share each animal’s personality on these pet profiles to share with our community. I’m happy to say that this is how so many of these pets find their forever homes.” Meet some of these amazing animals, and stay up to date with Fort Bend PAWS on their Facebook page: @2018PAWS.
I am involved with Fort Bend PAWS because it is an extension of essential resources for our sheltered pets – vaccines, blankets, food – basic needs to help them on their path to finding their forever home,” said Board Member Ray Ray Aguilar and Paco. Aguilar with his pal Paco. “What I appreciate about the organization is that it encourages partnerships with the community to get involved with volunteering, fostering and adopting pets at a very low or no cost – something everyone can benefit from and participate in. A pet in our shelters will love you for it. – Ray Aguilar
Making a Difference – One Pet at a Time “Through Fort Bend PAWS, we have absolutely made a difference in people’s and pet’s lives,” said Commissioner Morales. “One valuable lesson learned during the isolation of the pandemic is that our pets are more important than ever in our lives. For many, the comfort of a pet was the only contact available for days or weeks on end. Caring for our pets is absolutely caring for our community, and through Fort Bend PAWS, we are committed to doing just that.” For more information or to donate to Fort Bend PAWS, visit www.FortBendPaws.org.
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Annabelle’s Amazing Graces A
nnabelle van Deursen was born on November 6th, 2015, a healthy, beautiful girl. She was developing appropriately until about six months of age, and at this time, her mother, Shelley van Deursen, noticed she was missing developmental milestones. Shelley and husband, Daniel, voiced their concerns to their pediatrician, and at nine months, Annabelle was referred to a neurologist.
fers the coverage needed to diagnose patients rapidly and reliably.
Finding An Answer
Delayed Milestones At nine months, Annabelle wasn’t sitting, crawling or babbling much. The van Deursen’s were told Annabelle had benign hypotonia. At her first neurologist appointment, Annabelle was referred for physical therapy, and several labs were ordered. In August of 2016, Annabelle began physical therapy weekly. Her blood work for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) came back negative, and her other labs came back normal. At a follow up with the neurologist in November, an MRI and additional blood work was ordered. These tests came back relatively normal for her age of 12 months. In January, Shelley became pregnant with Annabelle’s little brother, and at her prenatal genetic appointment, the counselor recommended the van Deursen’s meet with a genetics’ physician for Annabelle. They continued to follow up with Annabelle’s neu-
Annabelle van Deursen. Photo by Laura Geisen photography.
rologist every three months with blood work and tests continuing to come back negative. The genetics’ physician then ordered the TRIO WES test for Annabelle, Daniel and Shelley. The Trio Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) is a highly complex comprehensive genetic test that identifies changes in a patient’s DNA that are causative or related to their medical concerns. By focusing on the entire protein-coding regions of the genome – the exome – WES of-
About GNAO1 Mutation GNAO1 (G Protein Subunit Alpha O1) is a Protein Coding gene. Some of the individuals with mutations on the GNAO1 gene suffer from seizures associated with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy-17. Others have mild to severe movement disorders. All seem to have some form of developmental delay. To date, 60 people worldwide have been identified as having a mutation on the GNAO1 gene.
Shelley was 35 weeks pregnant when she received the call from Annabelle’s genetics’ counselor with the WES results. Though the van Deursen’s were told the test results would take eight to 12 weeks, the results were in within about four weeks. “I will never forget that moment,” recalled Shelley, who was driving Annabelle to therapy. “The counselor told me that they had found the source for Annabelle’s developmental delays. She proceeded to tell me that Annabelle had a GNAO1 mutation, and there were only eight reported cases in the world, all females, and the oldest was 18 years old. The only question I asked was, ‘What is her life expectancy?’ The counselor couldn’t answer that question for me. I hung up with her and immediately called my husband hysterically crying. I couldn’t lose this beautiful, sweet little girl.” That night Shelley and Daniel searched the internet for anything they could find about the GNAO1 mutation. They were surprised to find there were 50 children in the world with that mutation, all boys and girls. “We connected with families through a Facebook group and email,” said Shelley. “We met with Annabelle’s neurologist that Monday. Since the mutation is so rare, she didn’t know much about it. That week we also met with her geneticist. He, too, did not know very much about GNAO1.” The van Deursen’s continued to connect with families through social media and received much more information about Annabelle’s diagnosis. They discovered about 250 children diagnosed with a GNAO1 mutation in the world;
Finding A Cure The GNAO1 mutation is progressive and Shelley and Daniel see that in Annabelle. “I feel like we are in a race with time, which is why it’s so important for us to fund research for the GNAO1 mutation and try to stop this mutation from progressing and eventually find a cure,” said Shelley. “We started Annabelle’s Amazing Graces non-profit to raise awareness about the GNAO1 mutation and to try and cure our daughter. I remember telling my husband when we decided to host Annabelle’s Benefit that I couldn’t let this genetic mutation kill our daughter without trying to stop it. I still feel that way. It’s hard to watch your child suffer knowing you can’t do anything to help, so we are doing what we know to do and that is fund research to learn about the GNAO1 mutation and ultimately find a cure for it.”
there is a broad spectrum of symptoms, depending on the variant. Some variants are known to cause seizures, and some cause movement disorders. Every child diagnosed seems to have some sort of developmental delay. There is currently no cure for this GNAO1 mutation, but the van Deursen’s goal through Annabelle’s Amazing Graces is to change that through fundraising to provide funds for research. Today Annabelle attends kindergarten and is loving every minute of school. Therapy seems to be Annabelle’s only treatment at this time. She does have hypotonia; she isn’t talking or walking independently, but she is the hardest working little girl according to mom and dad. She has made incredible progress, and now Annabelle can now scoot and crawl around the entire house, getting to where she wants. She can get into a sitting position from lying down, she is walking beautifully in her walker, she can maneuver her wheelchair around, she can feed herself, and she is “talking’”using her AAC device. Shelley describes Annabelle as a “happy, beautiful, sweet and funny little girl. She is one of the biggest blessings in our life, and we are blessed that God has entrusted us to be her parents.”
The van Deursen Family: Daniel, Annabelle, Shelley, Matthew and James.
April 2nd is the fourth year to host Annabelle’s Benefit, which is a 5K Run/1 Mile Walk with beer, live music, a wine pull, face painting, ice cream, princesses, snowcones and much more at No Label Brewery in Katy. It’s a fun family friendly event with the race starting at 8:30 am. For more information, visit www.annabellesamazinggraces.org.
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Garden
Home
Landscape
Tips And Resources To Turn Your House Into Your Dream Home
Things You Should Know When Getting A Mortgage By Cathy Baker
I
t’s kind of funny, most people who call me all want to know, “What’s the rate,” and I’ve had people tell me that’s all they need to know. Is that all you really need to know? Of course not! What’s just as important as the interest rate are the costs involved to get it. Looking at the interest rate without looking at the costs is like standing on the street corner and looking one way down the street. It looks good, so you step out into the street, and that bus called Closing Costs is going to hit you from the other side. Seriously? Bottom line: You can get just about any rate your heart desires, but you’d be better be sitting down when you discover what some of those “teaser” rates will cost you. And as I’m always saying, look at the whole picture. Before you tell someone, “l don’t want to pay any points,” just know that when you decide you’re not going to pay any points, know that you’re going to pay a higher interest rate than would be available if you were to pay a discount point (1% of your loan amount) or a partial discount point. I know it seems funny that we call something you pay for a “discount,” but it in
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effect is “discounting” the rate you’re getting by paying a point or points. Here’s the real deal as far as paying points. Whether or not it makes sense to pay for buying down the rate mostly depends on how long you’re planning on paying on that loan, NOT the loan term. In other words, who cares how much you’re going to save over 30 years if you’re only going to have the loan for 7 or 10 years? Look at the numbers over a realistic timetable for you, and consider all of your options before making a decision.
Credit
The rates and pricing that are available to you are largely dependent on what your middle credit score is when pulled on a mortgage credit report, or MCR. The credit score that your credit card company, bank or consumer credit report site is NOT going to be the same as it is on an MCR. The mortgage report is a much more thorough report, and the scores can be anywhere from 20-50 points lower than you’ll find on a consumer site, so have an idea what your credit scores are from a consumer standpoint, and when you get your own credit report, it doesn’t count as a hit against you. You never want more people than necessary to pull your credit and NEVER go online and put your social security number into a site. You’ll get a lot of unwanted company. When it comes to credit, there are things it makes common sense to do that sometimes can hurt you credit score wise, even if it seems as if it would help you, so be careful and speak with someone who’s experienced working with credit BEFORE you start paying off old debts or collections. Another NEVER is NEVER close an account. If you aren’t using one, let it die it’s natural death, but it will HURT your credit score if you go closing accounts. The credit score modules want to see that you have plenty of available credit that you’re not accessing. If you’re wanting to pay down debt, don’t start with the small ones; they’re not hurting you, or keeping you from being able
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Advertorial
to do anything. If you are trying to qualify for a home loan, the ones it will make a difference to pay down or eliminate are the ones with the larger monthly payments. Do not consolidate your credit card debt and shove it onto one card. That ALSO will hurt you. It’s much better to have your debt spread out over several accounts. You also want to try to keep the balances on those cards at no more than 30% of the high credit limit. If you want to pay down the cards, spread out the amount you’re paying down if you’ve got several that are inching up towards the limit
Employment/Income If you’re thinking you’re going to be purchasing or refinancing a home in the next couple of years, this is the wrong time to decide to start your own business. Do the house first, THEN start the business. Timing is everything, right? It also matters if you get paid differently than you used to, and even if you’ve taken a job where “potentially” you’re going to make more money, we can’t use “potential” income, only what you’re actually receiving, and there are some limits on that as well. There are also certain types of income that we either have to prove you’ve received for over two years, and other types where we have to prove you’re going to be receiving at least another three years for us to be able to use it as “qualifying income.” This is just one of the many reasons why the mortgage preapproval process is really not a DIY project.
Terms Generally speaking, 15 year loans normally have lower rates than 30 year loans. There are also 10, 20 and 25 year terms available. If you are absolutely comfortable NO MATTER WHAT, with a 10 or 15 year loan, then there’s no reason not to consider those. But, what’s more important than the interest rate on your loan? The comfort level of your payment. It makes absolutely no sense to avoid a purchase or refinance loan just because you can’t comfortably afford the payment on 15 years. Do not make the mistake of going for a 15 year loan because the rate is lower than it is on the 30. Get something that’s comfortable for you, and if you’re refinancing, make sure it’s something that’s actually going to benefit you. We do many loans for retired folks, and just about every one of them does a 30 year fixed rate loan, because it offers the lowest payment and therefore, the most security for the borrower. As we get younger every year, we get to appreciate and prioritize comfort. Make sure you do the same with your mortgage. For more information, visit www.bakermortgage.com.
Create Comfort In Your Home: Katy Home & Garden Show and Spring Gift Market Finding comfort in the home has reached an all-time high. Our home is not only an extension now of work and home but a reflection of what’s most valuable to us – what we are and love. There has never been a better time to refresh. Multifunctional spaces, outdoor living and bringing nature inside are all trends for 2022. Want to find all the brightest ideas and experts under one roof? Save the date and make plans to attend the Katy Home & Garden Show back for its 16th year March 26th – 27th, featuring the beloved Spring Gift Market. All under one roof in a new convenient location at the KISD Ag Center, off Hwy. 99, on Katy Hockley Cut-Off Road, between Morton Ranch and FM 529. With twice as many exhibits, garden and outdoor living galore, food sampling, food trucks and tons of free parking. Find ways to renovate and create a new level of comfort at home with inspiration from home design, renovation, and trend-setting experts where you can comparison shop on everything from windows to doors, floors, outdoor living areas, landscape, pools, kitchens, baths and more. And shop ‘til you drop for gifts and home décor galore. If ever there was a time to cultivate green, it is 2022. Explore an expansive 10,000+ square feet dedicated to garden and outdoor living ideas. Plus, find loads of petfriendly products for the fur baby and how-to tips in Pet Central, and learn how to create the perfect charcuterie board with The Cheese Chica, featured on The Fresh Ideas Stage sponsored by Culligan Water. Tickets are $7 for adults. Children 12 and under are free. Show hours are Saturday, March 26th from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday, March 27th from 11 am to 5 pm. To register for a $250 shopping spree or for additional information, directions to the KISD Ag Center, seminar times and hours visit www.katyhomeandgardenshow.com or call 832-392-0165. Parking is free. See ad on page 5.
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How Much Should I Grow?
By Alisa Murray alisamurrayslivingthesweetlife.com
H
ey Sweet Lifers! There are so many challenges to think about when planning a garden, like understanding the way the sun lands throughout the day, the quality of the soil, and rotation and location annually. Unless it lives in the Sweet Life Garden year round, each year every bed is delicately and thoughtfully planned as a brand new piece of art to care for and then enjoy. The biggest and sometimes most overlooked challenge is not only what to plant, but how much of it to plant to actually have enough to feed your family. There’s simply no sense in planting a bed full of broccoli if your family will not eat it. On the flip side, it’s frustrating to plant what you do love and realize that you did not plant enough to do much with! That is why the first step in planning your garden is to think about what your family actually eats. The amounts per person must be considered, as well as accounting for interruptions in production due to pests and weather. Additionally, it is also important to make the decision as to whether your garden will be exclusively a “feeding” one or also provide extras built in for preparing a canning and preservation resource for your kitchen. That changes the quantities of the plants you’ll want to sow and or purchase this spring. For example, the average person will consume beans equal to 10 plants. For celery, six plants are needed per person, and for cherry tomatoes, you need to have one plant per person. I have created an easy graphic for feeding a family of four fresh veggies to help you decide how much you need to plan for. This does not account for canning and preserving for winter. If you know you want to can sauces and pickle cucumbers, then you’ll need to plant extra so that you’ll have enough to do both. If the amounts seem overwhelming, I recommend starting with a few vegetables that you really will enjoy and not try to plant an entire garden full. From my own experience I will tell you that a garden can bring great joy, satisfaction and teach patience in ways no other lovely experience in this life can; however, planting too much can also be stressful and overwhelming, so start with what you’ll eat and grow from there. Once you have determined how much you need and what you need, the next step is to actually map out where these plants will go in your garden, account for what their individual needs are and the space you have to work with. That will be next month’s task, but for now, I hope this helps you in thinking further about how to make your garden work for you! Keep on growing!
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MARCH / APRIL 2022 l TO ADVERTISE, EMAIL: kay@absolutelyfocusmedia.com
Advertorial
Family Business and Family Life Operating a family-owned business can offer flexibility in your family life. Small business can mean long hours, but a family business allows for “extra” coverage and flexibility to go to the children’s appointments, games and competitions. Today’s technology keeps us in touch when we are on the go. Smartphones, tablets and other devices enable us to keep everything under control from nearly anywhere. This allows us to work after hours and even weekends without missing all of the milestones. Sometimes work time and family time combine in a positive way. When this happens, it feels like you are no longer working at all. Working with family has other advantages as well. Having a deep familiarity can help with the anticipation of expectations. Also, family is easily accessible for clarification conversations or a quick pep talk. Having employees/family all on one calendar helps everyone know exactly where they need to be, when and why. This is a real benefit when the unexpected appointment or illness pops up. We can quickly and accurately expedite changes that will be clearly understood. Family working together as a unit is a site to behold. It is hard to imagine a more solid team. Hurdles are approached with a common goal in mind but from many angles. Successes are celebrated joyfully as a group. The excitement of reaching for the next level or phase is felt by all. Creating and operating a family business while living in that community is a most rewarding venture. Visit www.katycarpets.com for more information. See ad on page 1.
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absolutely AUTO REVIEW By Steve Kursar
2022 SUBARU WILDERNESS EDITION 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness.
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or 2022, Subaru has upped the game for two of their most popular models with the introduction of the Wilderness Editions for the Forester and the Outback. The Subaru brand is known for building cars that are tough and reliable. And now, they have created these new Wilderness models engineered for off-road exploring with upgrades to their ground clearance, drivetrain and all-terrain capabilities. Both Forester and Outback WIlderness Edition models share similar engineering design features. They both come standard with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, which provides traction in all kinds of weather and trail conditions. Nine inches of ground clearance puts you above rough terrain and a standard front skid plate gives extra protection against obstacles. Standard all-terrain tires allow for improved performance on mud, snow, gravel, and other surfaces and enhanced dual-function X-MODE with settings for Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud makes it safer to navigate through treacherous conditions. Even gear ratios have been revised for improved low-speed climbing power. Each Wilderness Edition Subaru has redesigned bumpers with improved approach and departure angles for steeper climbing and avoiding larger obstacles and a re-tuned suspension to handle even tougher trails. In the interior, a durable, water-resistant upholstery called Star-Tex helps the
interior stand up to the elements along with any combination of passengers, pets and gear. All Wilderness Edition models are easily distinguished from the other Subaru models by distinctive badging and strategically placed bright orange patches.
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness interior. The Forester Wilderness Edition has a starting MSRP of $32,820, which is about $7,500 over a base edition. The Forester is powered by a normally aspirated 182 hp, 2.5 liter Boxer engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). EPA estimated fuel economy numbers are 26 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. The larger Outback Wilderness Edition has a starting MSRP of $36,995, which is about $10,000 over a base model. The bigger Outback also gets a more powerful engine, a 260 hp, 2.4 liter turbocharged Boxer engine which is also mated to a CVT. The Outback’s fuel economy numbers are the same as the Forester, 26 mpg city/ 33 mpg highway. Subaru used to be a car brand that was content building solid vehicles with sometimes quirky exterior designs. Over the last couple of decades, they’ve transformed into a mainstream car manufacturer with compelling designs to which new car buyers are flocking. Expect more models like the winning Wilderness Editions to appear in Subaru dealer showrooms.
2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness.
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MARCH / APRIL 2022 l TO ADVERTISE, EMAIL: kay@absolutelyfocusmedia.com
Katy ISD Athletes Sign with Colleges/Universities Across the United States In February, over 50 Katy ISD student-athletes formally committed to their college or university of choice during National Signing Day events across the District. The countless hours of practice, sweat and effort of these competitors was recognized during memorable celebrations that documented each studentathlete signing a binding national letter of intent for a collegiate sport. Signees include the following:
NEWSWORTHY
Paetow High School 2022 Signees: • Kayin Tillman – Baseball – Kansas Wesleyan University • Michael Jordan – Football – Lehigh University • Jacob Brown – Football – Houston Baptist University • Kole Wilson – Football – University of the Incarnate Word • Kentrell Webb – Football – Tulane University • Channing Dumas Jr. – Football – Prairie View A&M University • Jalyn Richardson – Football – McPherson College
Seven Lakes High School 2022 Signees: • Michael Amico – Football – Rice University • Grayson Medford – Football – University of Texas at San Antonio • Keegan Sneedon – Football – Sam Houston State University • Scott Stanford – Football – University of Tulsa Mallorie Luitwieler, Alison Mueller Hickler and Krista Burg.
Cinco Ranch High School 2022 Signees: • Alison Mueller Hickler – Cross Country/Track – Colorado College • Krista Burg – Softball – Concordia University Texas • Mallorie Luitwieler – Golf – University of North Texas
Katy High School 2022 Signees: • Toryn Turpin – Girls Track – University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) • Izzy Denton – Volleyball – Stephen F. Austin State University • Emily Parks – Softball – Galveston College • Ashley Piraneo – Softball – Connor State College • Brayden Powers – Baseball – Murray State College • Dominic Melchor – Baseball – Murray State College • Parker Kidwell – Baseball – Odessa College • Ryan George – Baseball – Houston Baptist University • Kailey Wykoff – Softball – Stephen F. Austin State University • Kate Raynal – Girls Soccer – East Texas Baptist University • Michael Dante – Football – Texas Wesleyan University • Dylan Bennett – Football – Benedictine College • Erynne Castillo – Softball – Blinn College • Adien Wendt – Football – Lincoln University • Carson Marshall – Football – University of Texas – Austin • Ronnie Schneider – Football – Texas Wesleyan University
Mayde Creek High School 2022 Signees: • Greg Meeks – Football – West Texas A&M University • Nick Martinez – Wrestling – Lyons College
Morton Ranch High School 2022 Signees: • Madison Koteras – Girls Soccer – Concordia University Texas
Taylor High School 2022 Signees: • Gracie Gibbens – Volleyball – University of Wisconsin – Platteville • Valor Chalker – Baseball – Ottawa University • Camden Champness – Baseball – Trinity University • Matthew Irwin – Baseball – East Texas Baptist University • Nate Lopez – Baseball – University of St. Thomas • Jared Schaeffer – Baseball – St. Edwards University • Blake Wolf – Baseball – West Texas A&M University • Javontae Yarbrough – Football – University of Arkansas at Monticello • Hollis Robinson – Football - Stephen F. Austin State University
Tompkins High School 2022 Signees: • Paris Herrman – Volleyball – Texas Tech University • Natassia Baptiste – Volleyball – Oral Roberts University • Colton Howard – Cross Country – Dallas Baptist University • Cash Russell – Baseball – Temple College • Jodi Keener – Golf – Southwestern College Kansas • Regina Garcia Perez – Golf – University of St. Thomas • Samantha Mok – Swimming – Pace University • Matthew Aigner – Diving – Texas A&M University • Lorenza Kabuloglu – Diving – University of the Incarnate Word • Ashley Martinec – Softball – College of Central Florida • Kaitlyn Scribner – Softball – Southern Arkansas University • Daniel Aigbogun – Football – Texas Wesleyan University • Eti-ini Bassey – Football – Texas A&M University – Kingsville • Sean Dubose – Football – Abilene Christian University • Maliik Edwards – Football – Black Hills State University • Dylan Erwin – Football – Midwestern State University • Cole Francis – Football – Texas Wesleyan University • Chidubem Lebechi – Football – Abilene Christian University • Jack Lynch – Football – Tufts University • Luke Snyder – Football – Black Hills State University
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NEWSWORTHY
Derby Day A Kentucky Derby Party for Reining Strength On Saturday, May 7th, Reining Strength will hold its 8th Annual Derby Day Event. The event will be held at Safari Texas, 11627 FM 1464 Road in Richmond from 3:30 to 7:30 pm. Don your best Derby Day hats and dust off your boots for an event that brings the Kentucky Derby to Texas. The benefit will include a large screen live feed of the 148th Kentucky Derby Race Simulcast, seated dinner, live and silent auctions and hat and boots contests. Each guest will choose their horse to cheer on during the race, and if he wins, you win a prize as well! The Derby Day Party event benefits Reining Strength Therapeutic Horsemanship of Fort Bend County and the Greater West Houston, Texas area. Its programs serve individuals with physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs through therapeutic horsemanship, providing safe, effective services that meet and exceed PATH International Standards (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, Intl.). Sponsorships and individual tickets are still available. Please call 832.451.6874 or contact Heather at heather@reiningstrength.org.
An Amazing, Record-Breaking Event for the 2021 Wild West Brewfest The 2021 Wild West Brewfest (WWB) was an amazing, record-breaking event, and we hope you had as much fun as we did! Brewers, patrons and vendors were able to get out and have a great time for a worthy cause. The attendance was strong – patrons from all over Texas, along with 13 other states, came to Katy for the event. The event featured record brewer attendance, record beer consumption, great feedback from the wine and silent auction tents, along with terrific praise for all of the activation party zones throughout the event. The Rotary Club of Katy made the firm decision to have the 2021 WWBF after the previous year’s event was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. Twenty-twenty was a difficult year because giving back to those in need is what WWBF was founded upon, and not being able to donate to the charities the organization supports was a tough blow to many, especially to the organizers of the event. While COVID continues to plague our
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country, WWBF did its best through the uncertainty in today’s world. Because of those efforts, the 2021 event was a great success. The Rotary Club of Katy will be able to donate $135,000 to worthy charitable organizations in and around the Katy and Houston areas. WWBF is extremely excited to be “back in business,” and they could not do this without their sponsors, patrons, brewers and vendors. Updates on the deployment of these funds will be released in the coming weeks. As it is widely known, no one takes any fee to run this event. The Rotarians give away everything they make so that they can positively impact as many as possible. Rotarians are passionate about what they do and the “why” they do it, and know that they are always grateful for the support they receive. Stay tuned for further updates from the 2021 event and details of the 2022 festival!
MARCH / APRIL 2022 l TO ADVERTISE, EMAIL: kay@absolutelyfocusmedia.com
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