10 minute read
Cooking With Anna
Are You Committed?
by Anna Hamilton
Advertisement
Webster’s Dictionary defines commitment as “having made a pledge or commitment to someone or something.” What are you committed to in your life? For many, the answer is their spouse, their home church, their job. Most people, however, do not name themselves as a commitment. For most of my life, I wouldn’t have listed myself in my commitments. I put myself on the back burner and just kept going. I think many women would agree that there is a sense of guilt associated with taking time for yourself. Some might even say that you are selfish for doing so. A wise friend and I were talking on the phone last week about this very topic. She assured me that taking care of myself, putting my health and mental well-being at the forefront of my mind, is actually the responsible thing to do. She so kindly reminded me that in order to be of good to others, you must be able; and if you don’t take care of yourself, you will not be able. Take the time to eat healthy foods, take good vitamins, take a long walk, take time to
Curry Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients: 6 cups cauliflower florets 4 tsp olive oil 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp curry powder 1 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with oil, lemon juice, curry powder, garlic powder, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Spread cauliflower in one layer onto a large, foillined baking sheet. Roast, stirring and turning over occasionally, until tender and golden, about 25-35 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
pray and meditate. Give yourself time to build up your physical and mental health so that you can be of service to others.
How do you actually put that into practice? For me, I am having to start slow. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous, learning to take time for yourself? I am starting this week to take extra time in the morning to just be in the stillness and quiet -- taking time to pray and meditate on the positive things in my life. What are you going to do that become more committed to yourself? I hope you learn to take time for yourself, we can learn to do it together! This week’s recipe is a simple side dish that is sure to be a crowd favorite. Simple roasted cauliflower takes on a Middle Eastern twist with savory curry powder. Enjoy!! “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
Home Improvement Multigenerational Living: DIY And Home Improvements For The Expanding Family
courtesy BrandPoint content
(BPT) - The American household is evolv ing. Traditional family households with par ents and children up to 18 have transformed into a mix of various generations. The coro navirus pandemic has accelerated the growth of multigenerational households, including adults with boomerang children living at home after college, or ag ing parents living with them rather than at as sisted living facilities. While each household has its personal reasons for opting for a multi generational structure, it's a trend growing across cultures. One in five Americans live in a multigenerational household, according to the Pew Research Cen ter, which defines multigenerational living as a home that includes two or more adult gen erations, or including grandparents and grand children younger than 25. As quarantine and social-distancing im pacts continue, the number of families choosing multigenerational living is poised to grow. As the pandemic has shifted the way a home functions in multiple ways, more people are putting time into homeimprovement projects that help a home func tion well for everyone who lives there. This is particularly important for people transition ing to multigenerational households. Consider three steps to help im prove multigenerational living:
Step 1: Expand living space
When someone moves in, it's amazing how
what used to feel like ample space can sudden ly seem very cramped. Space becomes a pre mium and with lack of adequate space to read, watch TV or simply sit to rest, home stress lev els can rise fast. That's why you may want to consider ways to add common spaces, or transform the space you do have to accommodate more people. Finishing a basement is a smart option if you have financial means. You might also finish at tic spaces or add a shed with seating and elec tricity. Stylish room partitions or curtains can provide privacy and the feeling of a room if you don't have money to in vest in a larger homeimprovement project. Finally, consider re freshing outdoor spaces with seating spots grouped throughout the yard to expand the prop erty's livable space and encourage people to en joy the outdoors.
Step 2: Add a bathroom without costly demo
When the number of people increases in a home, the bathroom be comes a hot commodity. Whether it's to put a bathroom closer to an aging parent's bedroom or simply add a pow der room in a nontraditional location to expand resources, consider af fordable options such as macerating toilets and drain pumps from Sani flo. These above-floor plumbing options allow you to add a bathroom where no conventional, below-floor plumbing exists, so there's no need to bust through concrete floors and compromise a home's integrity.
This was the case for designer and homedécor blogger Kristine
Abram who dreamed of adding a bathroom in the basement of her
Ohio farmhouse-style home for her kids to use. Unfortunately, the slope of the land would not allow her to build a conven tional bathroom with below-floor drainage.
She researched al ternatives and found the Saniaccess 2: a 1/2-horsepower mac erator pump system used to install a halfbathroom (toilet and sink) up to 15 feet below the sewer line.
Learn more at www. saniflo.com.
Step 3: Add and en hance entryways
With more people com ing and going, entryways can become chaotic places in a home. If possible, consider refin ing the entry points to accommodate increased traffic and contain clut ter. You may want to add benches and cubbies for each person's personal items to help contain messes and prevent tripping hazards. Proper lighting, stable hooks and grab bars are also useful additions to accommodate multigenerational living. Although you have a main entryway, you might also have other points of entry such as from the garage, the side or back of the home. Consider refreshing different entryways for different residents. For example, young adults just starting their careers may be coming and going a lot, so the door from the garage should be their main point of entrance. For aging parents with stability issues, the front entryway might be a good option, because it has railings and bright lighting. You can even change stairways into ramps if necessary. Thinking strategically and making a few smart improvements, you can update your home so that it is comfortable for many people for many years to come.
Cover Story Cruise Planners of Athens: Ready, Willing And Able To Help You Travel Well
by Ali Elizabeth Turner
continued from page 1
District 4; and she and her husband, Scott, now own a Cruise Planners franchise. Their new ly-launched travel advisory service is located inside the Hyatt & Sims store, which has been a part of “Classic. South ern. Character.” in our town for decades. It is right across the street from the south side of the courthouse at 211 W. Washington Street in Athens. Dana basically grew up at the shop, and has run it since her parents died 8 months apart in 2007-2008. She went to Ath ens High School and also is a University of Alabama gradu ate. She met Scott while participating in the Jaycees, and being involved in community activities has always been a part of what they do because of who they are. Scott and Dana are also the adoptive parents of Mitchell, who is now 20 and is a student at Auburn. “Mitchell is a mir acle,” Dana told me. Her tale
of how they got him is won derful, and it was actually the process of planning and then taking several memorable fam ily vacations that inadvertently prepared them for this new endeavor. “We love to travel, and Scott would be the one to do the research on the best deals,” Dana told me. At first, especially when Mitchell was younger, many of Scott’s skills as an accountant went toward planning and then taking Dis ney trips. They also got good at cruises, and over time they would have friends ask for help with planning their trips, which Scott was happy to do some what as a hobby. However, it was what Dana calls a “reward trip” which was promised to Mitchell that really convinced them that becoming travel advi sors would be a beneficial new career, as well as something the Henrys could do when the time comes to “officially retire.” When Mitchell turned 18, he completed the requirements to become an Eagle Scout, which is no small accomplishment. He also graduated from high school, and Scott and Dana promised him he could pick any where he wanted to go for a celebratory trip. Mitchell chose Scotland, and in 2019 the Henry family took the trip of a lifetime. “That trip was what put us over the top regarding the travel in dustry,” Dana said. Now that Mitchell was leaving the nest, being able to travel more was possible; and getting paid to help others travel well and make the same kinds of memories the Henry family had been blessed to make was especially attractive. Scott set out to research travel advisory franchises, and narrowed it down to three. They finally decided in September of 2019 to go with Cruise Planners, Inc., which is headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Hyatt & Sims Travel, LLC (which is doing business as Cruise Planners) was formed in October of last year, and Dana went to Florida for her training as a certified travel advisor in November. They then set up a shop-within-ashop and quickly began to book trips for the people of Athens-Limestone County. Then COVID hit. Dana and Scott were so glad that they had chosen Cruise Planners as their parent company for a num ber of reasons, not the least of which was the quality of Cruise Planners’ response to the pan demic, as well as the integrity they demonstrated in helping people with now-ruined travel plans. Dana told me a bit about the history of their travel advisory franchise. “Cruise Planners was started by two best friends, and has been around for 25 years. At
first they focused just on cruis es, but then they expanded to every type of travel, all over the world,” she said. Cruise Plan ners truly sets up their agents for success and gives them ad visors and business development managers to help them grow; and Dana has been espe cially thankful for that during COVID. “The vendors are do ing everything they can to make it right,” she assured me. Travel is picking back up, and people are planning ahead by booking trips now while the prices are so good. Her dreams for the business are undaunted. “I want to make educational experiences pos sible and help people have the best possible experience for the best possible price,” said Dana. She also emphasized that there is no charge to the customer who comes in to Hyatt & Sims Travel. It is the industry that
The 2019 trip to Scotland that launched a new career
pays the travel advisors. I asked her, “I have choices, or I could do it myself; why should I choose you?” With that trade mark grin she replied, “I will outwork anyone out there. Just like with District 4, I delivered and did what I said I’d do.” If you are looking for someone to help you to travel successfully, then stop by and speak with the woman who hit the ground running in the travel business during COVID and then went on to become an Athens City Councilwoman—Dana Henry.
