Altom Piney Woods

Piney Woods Edition

June 2020

Community Builders Relay for Life

Trippin’

Virtual Vacations, Part 1

Texas Treasures Kaspar Companies

Business Focus

American Glass & Mirror

™ e n i z a g a M

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 3

June 2020 | Volume 10, Issue 6

FAVORITES

10 FEATURES 10

Community Builders Relay for Life

20 Trippin’

Virtual Vacations, Part 1

36 45

Texas Treasures Kaspar Companies

Business Focus American Glass & Mirror

6 8 9 14 15 16 17 18 24 25 26 27 30 31 32 34 35 41 42 44 49 50

Letters from Our Readers What Are You Reading?

From the Publisher Things My Granddaddy Said Dear Gabby Garden Post Health Matters

20

Pet Pals Tickle My Funny Bone Star Students Touching Tomorrow Recipes Living with Children “Seens” from Our World Puzzle Pages Out of the Mouths of Babes Milestones Community Postcards

36

Glorious Grandkids Vet Connect Community Calendar Mustard Seed Moments

45 Magazine™

Published Monthly by Altom Consulting & Marketing, Inc.

Publisher: Karen Altom Editor: Wes Altom Social Media Management: Abby Altom Boyd Advertising Sales: Janet T. Jones, Emily O’Rear, Marshall Altom Designers: Mary Partida, April Key, Chris Blair Webmaster: Steve McMillan Printed in Texas by Shweiki Media Photo by Abby Boyd of Abby Dee Photography

Postcards Magazine™ welcomes reader feedback.

4 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

ADVERTISE IN POSTCARDS Call our Office: 936.293.1188 Online: www.PostcardsLive.com Address: PO Box 690 • Huntsville, TX 77342 PostcardsPineyWoods Phone: 936.293.1188 We reserve the right to edit or reject any material submitted.

The publisher assumes no responsibility for the return of any unsolicited material. No material from Postcards Magazine™ can be copied, faxed, electronically, or otherwise used without express written permission. Publication of articles, advertisements or product information does not constitute endorsement or approval by Postcards Magazine™ and/or its publisher. Business Focus stories printed in Postcards Magazine™ are drawn at random from contract advertisers. © 2020 by Altom Consulting & Marketing, Inc., All rights reserved.

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 5

Letters from Our Readers

Dr. Rosemond in Living with Children has to be the dumbest person I have ever heard. To think he is telling people how to raise kids is utterly This magazine is so worth it. Each issue brings incredible articles and preposterous. Everyone has an idea, but his are really lame. This gives places to visit I was not aware of around the local area. I truly love the your magazine a foul smell. Expert - come on! magazine and I’m looking forward to receiving more.

Douglas Parker Kayla Heitmeyer Editor: In addition to a master’s degree in psychology and over 20 years full-time experience as a practicing psychologist, Rosemond has authored 11 best-selling parenting books, is syndicated in approximately 225 newspapers nationwide, and is one of America’s busiest and most popular speakers. That said, we doubt almost anyone would agree with him on every issue. From our perspective, everyone, even those who disagree, can use his column as a tool to examine their parenting style and circumstances in order to make whatever adjustments they deem appropriate for their family situation.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MAGAZINE. It is wonderful. As soon as we get it, we read it cover to cover. So many interesting and funny things.

Walker County has needed this for a long time and we appreciate you for doing it. So THANK YOU! Ann and Gerald Barosh

Dads and Lads Agree…

Vision care for the entire family starts here!

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 7

Thank you!

What Are You Reading?

Tell us what you’re reading! www.postcardslive.com

Karen Altom reading

Shattered

By Dani Pettrey

Renee Spivey reading

Awaken

By Priscilla Shirer

Thank you to all the healthcare workers, EMTs and all essential employees who are working hard every day during this outbreak.

We appreciate every single one of you!

Dallas Williams and the therapists of PTA

Randy Brim reading

Secret Empires

By Peter Schweizer

Vicki Prentice reading

127 Medical Park Lane Huntsville

936.294.0283

8 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

1020 Riverwood Ct. • Suite 120 Conroe

936.494.1292

Half Broke Horses

By Jeannette Walls

u ?

From the Publisher

Life is Just GRAND!

Karen Altom publisher@postcardslive.com

Our lives have completely changed. And I’m not talking about CovidWalker Hayes Altom was born May 5, 2020 to Marshall and Kathryn 19. If you know me, you probably knew this was coming.

Altom. Grandparents are Sheri and Scott Miles and Wes and Karen Altom.

His great-grandparents are Betty Jo Stevens, Don and Lana Plunkett, We are GRANDPARENTS! George Miles, and Greg Sawka. He was born on Cinco de Mayo AND Taco One morning in May, I woke up with the sweet man I married more Tuesday, so we expect him to love Mexican food as much (or possibly than 27 years ago…that night, I went to bed with a grandfather! How more) than the rest of his family. in the world? I remember hearing my parents and grandparents talk Since this is our first grandchild, we had to choose grandparent names. about how fast time flies, and boy, they I chose Sassy. (I’ve been told numerous times it was a very appropriate were right. I told my son he won’t really choice.) Wes has been more difficult. He said Walker could choose. Our know this for a few decades, but some daughter (and proud aunt) Abby told him he had to choose SOMETHING, day he will understand how young his otherwise, we would say, “Look, Walker! Go to “HIM”!” dad and I really are.

He wants something “different” – so much so that he even considered One of the things that happens when “Granite,” because he saw it on a list somewhere. While we DO consider you own and publish a magazine is him the ROCK of our family – we are not excited about that name. So having the prerogative to choose the in the meantime, we are just calling him “G”. We are also open to other subject of your column, and what I ideas, so you’re welcome to share! want to do is tell you about the 7 lb, 9 oz lump of sugar and sweetness that Walker doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to say our names, so we plan to has entered our lives. I would have done just spend a lot of time loving on this precious gift from God. There will this in our Milestones section, but it was be many stories told in many families about the time spent in quarantine full (and that’s a good thing!), so please – this will always be our favorite. indulge me!

Until next time,

Your Local Community Magazine!

~

Karen (Sassy)

PostcardsLive.com Digital Version

PostcardsPineyWoods

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 9

“CANCER

HASN’T STOPPED. NEITHER CAN WE!” Community Builders

By Claudia Kirkwood

Relay for Life is a yearly fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that celebrates cancer survivors, honors caregivers, and remembers those who have lost the battle to this dreaded disease. According to Delma Talley, Event Co-lead along with Sheila King, “It’s never too early to start planning for a good thing!” They, along with ACS Community Manager Kelsie Oliver, encourage you to initiate your 2021 calendar now by penciling in “Relay for Life” on Saturday, May 1, 2021! Due to COVID-19 concerns, the 2020 Conroe and Walker County event has been cancelled. Their focus and energies are now aimed toward the 2021 event which will take place at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds Pavilion from 2-10 PM. 10 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

Submitted Photos

In addition to accomplishing the goals noted above, this event also serves as a source of healing for families who have lost loved ones to cancer, a reason that Delma has chosen to be involved in Relay for Life. In her words, “My friend Amy lost her husband after 3 years of marriage, much too young. And soon thereafter I watched another friend lose her husband to cancer, followed by the loss of her 12- year-old son to the same cancer 9 months later. I continue to see many of my friends and church family struggle with this monster. My friend Amy and her husband were both involved with Relay for Life, and recognizing the needs and struggles, I got involved, too. I work and walk for the survivors, because someday, someone may need to walk for me.”

According to the American Cancer Society, predictions for new cancer cases in Texas for 2020 are 129,770, with an estimated 41,810 deaths due to cancer this same year. Funds raised through local events such as the Relay for Life are used to supply critical services that touch all aspects of the cancer journey for patients, families, and medical communities. In 2018, $36,472,119 was invested in our state for research, funding studies to find the causes of and better treatments for cancer and to improve the lives of cancer patients. To improve these lives, the ACS Cancer Resource Network includes:

INFORMATION

• National Cancer Information Center (800-227-2345): Patients can speak with trained cancer information specialists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get answers to questions and links to local resources.

• Personal Health Manager: A toolkit for newly diagnosed cancer patients that provides specific cancer information in a packaged format.

• www.cancer.org: A user-friendly website that includes an interactive cancer resource center containing in-depth information on every major cancer type. Visitors can access recent news articles, info on local resources, advocacy efforts and special events in their area.

• Clinical Trial Matching Service: Information on clinical trial participation and treatment options.

DAY-to-DAY HELP

• Patient navigators: Provide one-on-one support and connect patients and caregivers to Society services including more than 5000 local and national resources.

• Insurance Information Resource: Help with understanding insurance issues and possible insurance options available to patients with or without insurance.

• Transportation: Volunteer drivers provide transportation to and from cancer-related appointments.

• Gift Items: ACS provides gift items including comfort pillows, wigs, hats, and materials related to rehabilitation programs.

• Lodging: Hotel Partners program provides temporary lodging for patients receiving outpatient treatment who must travel more than 50 miles from home when lodging would provide a financial hardship.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

• Support Groups: a variety of ongoing support groups designed to help patients, their families and friends better understand and learn to live with cancer.

• Online Support through Cancer Survivors Network SM: free online support community that provides opportunities to communicate with others who have experienced cancer.

• I Can Cope®: Online classes that include topics such as fatigue, pain, nutrition, and other pertinent matters.

• Reach to Recover: A breast cancer support group • Look Good…Feel Better®: A free program that helps women cancer patients improve their appearance and self-image by teaching them hands-on beauty techniques to overcome the appearance-related side effect of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Programs are facilitated by a certified cosmetologist and participants received a free make-up kit.

»

June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 11

BABY BOTTLE

Boomerang

TIME IS HERE!

Yes, it’s that time of the year! One of our biggest fundraisers is our Baby Bottle Boomerang held between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Services may vary community to community. More information and specific services available in your area can be obtained by calling 800-227-2345, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This spring, HOPE Lodge is opening a facility in the Houston area which will provide lodging near medical facilities for patients and family members who would ordinarily need to drive long distances each day for continuous treatments. During the present coronavirus crisis, the hotel is being utilized by first responders and medical personnel who have found themselves on the front lines of the COVID-19 event.

Fundraising from Relay for Life and other annual events all funnel to the parent organization, ACS, and are then distributed as needs dictate. The importance of local events, therefore, is essential to the success of ACS so these and other services can be provided for patients, families, and medical studies. It starts with individuals getting involved!

BUT, because of Covid19, we will not be delivering bottles to area churches to be filled up with change, cash and checks to support the “life-saving” work of Care Center Huntsville.

INSTEAD we will be holding a Virtual Baby Bottle Boomerang.

S A c A i

So, instead of filling up a bottle we ask you to send a gift for any amount as a donation to the ministry of the Care Center. If you would rather use a credit card, just go to our website carecenterhuntsville.com and click on partnership.

We appreciate all gifts, big and small as we continue the work of

“Telling the Truth about healthy LIFE choices.”

1215 15th St. Huntsville, TX 936.294.0404

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12 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

What does a Relay for Life event look like? According to Delma, expect to have an experience filled with fun, laughter, celebration, deep meaning, and emotional healing--all rolled into one afternoon and evening with new friends, old friends, and family members! The event consists of a walk from 2-10 pm, where team members take turns walking the track to symbolize the ongoing fight against cancer.

Between laps you can check out other teams’ tents for games and activities and help support the cause by purchasing raffle tickets and food. At 9 pm, a very meaningful Luminaria event takes place.

Luminaria which have been purchased and decorated in memory of loved ones are placed around the track. Each luminaria contains a light and, as hundreds of lights softly illumine the night, 30 minutes of silence are observed to honor each person represented. “This is a very touching ceremony,” remarks Delma, “and I have seen a great deal of family healing take place at this time.”

How can you be a part of this meaningful celebration? Relay for Life offers several avenues of participation. The following are a few opportunities for you to consider: • Be a Sponsor for the event. Sponsorships begin at $250 and these provide a solid start for a highly successful event.

• Sponsorships can also be in-kind through the donation of sup-

O a C c a

G

plies and equipment for the event. o Join the Leadership team in planning and helping to facilitate activities.

• Register as a Survivor, Participant or form a Team to fundraise and/or provide free services.

• Donate items to the Silent and Live auctions.

• Be a Vendor (Vendors donate 25% of their proceeds toward the fundraising goal).

• Purchase a track sign that will be on display around the track.

• Come and be part of this fundraising experience for our communities.

Survivors and caregivers are at the heart of every Relay for Life event.

Activities are designed specifically for meeting others within the cancer community and developing networks of friends and support.

As Delma shares, “Cancer is something that is faced together, not individually.”

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On December 5, 2020, a Bark for Life event will be held from 9 a.m. – noon at the Frisky Biscuit Dog Park at Grand Central Park in Conroe. This canine-focused event supports canine caregivers and canine cancer survivors. Activities will include pictures with Santa and contests for best canine costume and best trick. More details will be announced about this event at a later date.

To stay informed about events, go to one of the following sites: www. relayforlife.org/conroeandwalkercotx; https://www.facebook.com/ RelayforLifeOfConroe; https:// www.facebook.com/BarkForLifeConroe/. You may also contact Delma Talley at delma@shsu.edu, Sheila King at sking1973@gmail. com or Kelsie Oliver at Kelsie.oliver@cancer.org.

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Get involved and be a part of the solution to say,

“CANCER, GAME OVER!” June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 13

Things my Granddaddy said...

Wise and witty ways to talk like our grandparents

Grand-parenting is our consummate opportunity to serve rather than to be served, to love without taking offense, and to cheerlead and hand-hold those who come behind.

Marty Norman

Grandpa got us up early, otherwise we might miss something. Sunsets, he loved’em. Made us love’em.

Lucille Ball

My grandfather would say, “We are minutes ahead when seconds count...”

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Dear Gabby

NEW TO HUNTSVILLE

Welcome back to the Dear Gabby advice column. This was shaping up to be a really good month for me. I told my husband I wished he loved me half as much as he did his dog. He assured me that he did. I was elated and walking on air for days until I really thought about what he said and did the math!

I’m now feeding him half as much as I feed his dog. Drop me a line at Dear Gabby at PostcardsLive.com/share if you want advice on dealing with problems without getting mad. Just pleasantly get even.

DEAR GABBY

n

I truly believe you get what you pay for. I don’t mind paying thousands of dollars for a purse that I like, because of the designer logo. I pick my cars for the hood ornament and my clothes for the price tag. I feel like people respect me for my good taste and income level, and that’s important to me. Do you agree?

t

LOOKING GOOD DEAR LG No, I don’t agree. If you’re paying $3 for a bottle of smart water, it’s not working. Bless your heart.

GABBY

CONFIDENTIAL TO “IMPATIENT”: You remind me of the wino I saw eating grapes. Dude, you have to wait!

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 15

We have what it takes.

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The Romance of Summer

by Kim Bius

Ah, the romance of summer is in the air. The strong fragrance of blooms, the vivid colors, and the growth is fresh and new...every sense is awakened.

As “Southerners,” most of our lives are spent in our outdoor living spaces. This is why we go to great lengths to find “just right” plants for these spaces. Here is my list of favorites to consider for your summer garden.

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Tropical Hibiscus – My all-time personal favorite for beauty. Chinese Hibiscus are considered tropical plants. A “tropical” is a plant that will survive easily in a mild to tropical temperate environment. Most are evergreen plants in their native habitat, thrive in regions above 50 degrees, and will die in temperatures below freezing. Hibiscus,thrive in rich organic soil, with good drainage and full sunlight. They respond best to a low phosphorous level, and high doses of phosphorous can be lethal to them.....so avoid Super Bloom, Miracle Gro and BR 61 with Hibiscus.

Plumeria –The most fragrant bloom in the world is also considered a tropical. Native to the tropics,and widely known as fransy pansy or the plant used to make Hawaiian leis. Plumeria can be a bit fussy when not given full light, good drainage, and light soil. Like a bougainvillea, plumeria need to be rootbound to bloom, and overwatering will cause the blooms to drop. Like the Hibiscus and other tropical plants, bugs can be an issue. Keep a systemic insecticide granular in the containers or on the ground at all times. Bonide is my favorite for pot plants and plants notorious for problems with spider mites.

This should be applied every 30 days from April until October.

Dipladenia –Sun Parasol is a marketed name. These hearty souls will bloom profusely from mid-spring to late fall and will survive several hours of below 30 degrees. The lush velvety red, pink, or white blooms come in vine or bush variety and make the perfect container plant.

Unfortunately, the deer will love your plants as much as you do, and they will need to be protected or placed out of reach. Dipladenia need ½ day to full sun, consistent watering, and can be fertilized with a basic bedding plant or mid-level phosphorous fertilizer to increase the size of the bloom.

If shade is your friend during the summer, consider New Guinea impatiens, coleus, begonias, Persian shield, caladiums, and fern.

These beauties will lend an elegance to any planter or mass plant for instant “glam” in the landscape. Top dress your containers and beds with a black or red mulch to raise the finish level. If you have azaleas and tons of acid lovers in your landscape, use pine bark mulch, and then the colored mulches in containers or beds that are away from your acid loving plants. The colored mulches are hardwood, and this will change the Ph of the soil, causing “liming” and an overall decline in the look of the plant.

16 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

The most important point, is to always plant something you “love.” Gardening is about growth, learning, trial and error, and having enjoyment.

Health Matters

By James W. Jones, MD, PhD, MHA, and GOB (Good Ole Boy)

Be Wise, Energize, and Realize the Exercise Prize.

Back two and a half millennia, Hippocrates (the father of medicine) noted, “Walking is man’s best medicine.” Ever since, all evidence, subjective, empirical, and rigidly scientific, strongly and without exception, have supported that contention. Exercise is not a dirty word; it is very positive. The Merriam Webster dictionary’s definition is “physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier.” So, exercise is activity with a worthy purpose.

Animals are constructed to be mobile.

Unlike plants, whose job is to be biological solar panels, animals need to forage for fuel.

Until the arrival of agriculture and animal husbandry, our hominoid ancestors had to be physically active in acquiring food. Except for certain times of year and certain choice locations, those who caught more game ate more and had increased survival, likely because they traveled greater distances foraging.

Now human’s greatest foraging problem is standing in line at the checkout stand.

Everyone knows exercise is beneficial, yet studies show only one third of Americans report they exercise regularly (and since duration in the quoted study was only ten minutes or more, probably half of those do not exercise with enough vigor or long enough to secure health benefits). Definite exercise benefits are seen when people moderately exercise for 30 minutes five times a week. GET BENEFIT. The current and future rewards of physical activity are manifold. Especially now, a 30 minute walk has been shown to be as calming as a tranquilizer! TAKE ONE TODAY! Regular exercisers not only live longer, they live better.

Aging is not a four letter word; it is mandatorily essential. People gain certain functions growing older, but other functions diminish. Regular exercise allows retention of our treasured functioning. YES, HANG ON.

Are you ready to get out of quarantine and be HEALTHY for the summer?

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Regular exercise is the best investment one can make toward a health-giving future. It not only allows enhanced living in the NOW; it reduces the chance the bad actors of health including heart attack, stroke, and cancer will visit. Suspensions of bad stuff foretell exercise’s wholesome effects on the overall aging process. Aging is molecular damage to living cells from “aging molecules” (free radicals).

The faster cells produce energy, the more “aging molecules” they produce. Thus, exercise should worsen things, but the body has a wonderful protective mechanism to produce “anti-aging molecules” which neutralizes the bad molecules. TAKE THAT, BAD STUFF! Because of exercise’s overproduction of protective molecules, exercisers have less loss of function as they continue maturing.

You can gain and retain better overall physical and mental performance. YEA Start slow, and see your doc if necessary.

(936) 291-3526

j219nell@gmail.com June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 17

Pet Pals

loved by

Obi & Larry Kerbow RUCKU

S

BUFFORD loved by

Meagan & Trey Callaham

PIPER & LOUISE

loved by

James Trow & Denese O’Pry

18 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

PEPPER

loved by

Aly Ghormley

Come as you are !

Worship Time: Sunday Mornings 10:30am Worship Place: Alpha Omega Academy • 3891 Hwy 30 West

& MAUDIEIE H P O S

loved by

Kittie & Mark Parker

Church Email: Church Website:

covenantpastor@gmail.com cfhuntsville.org

Church Phone:

(936) 435-0993

Office: 606 FM 1791 North • Huntsville

Lead Pastor: David Valentine June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 19

ins ’

rd

Virtual Vacations Part 1

Taking Your Kids to “Summer Camp” Online

with c t s Po ards

By Linda W. Perkins

It’s June, and the kids have been home with you since mid-March. Right now, even if you’re the happiest family ever, you may be ready for a vacation from the kids. Normally, that would come in the form of summer camps. They provide a nice break for parents while providing fun, educational experiences for the kids.

Trippin’

This year, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many summer camps – not just sleepover ones, but day camps as well – to be cancelled. It’s hard to get children to maintain proper social distancing when they are out exploring! And even though Texas has been one of the first states to open back up for business, there are still places your kids would like to go but can’t, because traveling in groups isn’t quite safe enough yet.

Fortunately, just as the Internet has allowed many children to finish up the school year using online classes, there are some fun places to go on the World Wide Web that can serve as a pretty good substitute for summer camps. In fact, there are some places they can go online for fun (and a little education) that aren’t just out of town, but out of this world!

Whether your children are into science, art, history, nature, drama or music, there are some great sites to explore online that make great virtual vacations for kids. Here are some places to check out.

20 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

Boston Children’s Museum

California Science Center

Missing science camp? The California Science Center (http://californiasciencenter.org) has a new program called Stuck at Home Science, where kids can do science projects and experiments with their families using household supplies. For each daily activity, participants watch a video (which often includes tours of the Science Center) and then download an activity sheet which has detailed instructions on how to do a related project at home. All of the videos and materials are available in both English and Spanish.

Are you looking for a way to connect with your kids and to expand their understanding of different cultures? In addition to offering a virtual tour of the museum itself, the Boston Children’s Museum (http://bostonchildrensmuseum.org) has an entire section of its website called Play, Fun and Learning at Home.

In the 100 Ways to Play area, kids can choose from a long list of fun things to do, from dance parties to planting seeds from fruit they’ve had for a snack. If you’re stumped on how to keep your kids entertained, this is a great place to start!

For more in-depth activities, check out the Activities Archive, which has everything from a photography class to a nature scavenger hunt. There are even instructions on how to make your own zine, story times with famous Bostonian athletes and musicians, and a family yoga session!

East Asia Resources and Native Voices help expand children’s cultural awareness. In these areas, your child can take virtual tours of museum exhibits about Japan and Native Americans, and well as accessing interactive content. They can even learn some Japanese!

The National Gallery of Art

Art lovers will be thrilled to have the chance to visit the National Gallery of Art (http:// nga.gov) in Washington, D.C. and be able to walk through the museum in 3D. There are three virtual exhibitions to visit, complete with links to curator notes, audio and video to enhance your tour. To help you create your own art camp, the museum has put together Ten Digital Educational Resources from the National Gallery of Art, which includes children’s video tours, lessons and activities by grade level, and information on the NGAkids Art Zone app for the iPad.

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1525 Sam Houston Ave. • Huntsville

huntsvilleheartfieldflorist.com

(936) 295-5448 June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 21

San Diego Zoo

You won’t have to go all the way to California to take your kids on a tour of one of the most renowned zoos in the world, the San Diego Zoo. Visit https://zoo.sandiegozoo. org/were-here-together and you’ll get a list of all of their online resources for kids of all ages. San Diego Zoo Kids will help your young children learn about wildlife through videos, stories, games, and hands-on activities. Your middle school and high school kids can take free online classes at the San Diego Zoo Global Academy or learn about conservation on the zoo’s science blog. Family members of all ages will enjoy the zoo’s wildlife cams, which give a live look at the animals in their zoo habitats.

Ancient Egypt

Travel back in time to the land of the pyramids with a Virtual Field Trips tour of ancient Egypt (https://www.virtualfieldtrips.org/ancientegypt-land-of-the-pyramids). For $10, you can access a full video tour of Egypt that includes the Valley of the Kings, Pyramids of Giza, Valley of the Queens, Luxor, the Temple of Ramses and more. A 20-minute video preview of the tour is free. Further down on the page are ideas for activities. For explorers who want to follow up with a more interactive experience, including the opportunity to “walk” right up to the pyramids themselves, Google Maps offers a short close-up tour of the pyramids and the Sphinx at https://www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/ streetview/treks/pyramids-of-giza/. Finally, if you want to give your summer campers a look at some of the artifacts that archeologists have preserved from Ancient Egypt, you can take them on a quick virtual tour of the Tutankhamen exhibit at the Saatchi Gallery in London at https:// tutankhamun-london.com/see-do/.

• Tune-Ups • Brakes • Electrical • A/C & Heat • Major Engine Repair • Computer Diagnostics • Custom Wheels • Transmissions Repair • Tires/Alignment • American Racing Dealer Master Mechanics on Duty

WC Auto Center Complete Auto Repair Serving Huntsville Since 1997 Two Locations For Your Convenience 1412 Sam Houston Ave 936-291-1093 1704 Hwy 30 E. 936-295-2280

22 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

mckenziesbarbeque.com 1548 11th St • Huntsville

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Open: Tue. - Wed. 10:30 am - 2 pm Thurs. • 10:30 am - 8 pm Fri. - Sat. • 10:30 am - 9 pm

The Dali Theatre-Museum

Take an online trip to Spain to see the Dali Theatre-Museum (https://Salvador-dali.org/en). Although the museum is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, its virtual tour allows you to feel like you’re there. With a click of a computer mouse, you and your child can step into a world where it rains upside down and gardens grow in cars. More than just moving through the museum, you can click on colored spots that will take you to text information and videos about the unique art pieces, as well as enabling you to interact with some of the exhibits themselves.

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Front Door Sales • Pickers • Packers NASA and Other “Out of this World” Experiences

If outer space exploration is your kids’ cup of tea, NASA has plenty to keep them engaged. Online, they can take virtual tours of not one, but three, NASA facilities.

Langley Research Center in Virginia (https://oh.larc.nasa. gov/oh/), offers online tours of the entire campus, including the Vacuum Spheres at the Hypersonic Facilities Complex, Manufacturing and Assembly In-Space with Robotics, and the National Transonic Facility, which is the world’s largest pressurized cryogenic wind tunnel.

At the Glenn Research Center in Ohio (https://www.nasa.gov/ glennvirtualtours), you can go inside the Propulsion Systems Laboratory and the Space Environments Complex, and can take a virtual tour of Zero-G. Space Center Houston now has a mobile phone app (https:// spacecenter.org/news-center/news-releases/space-centerhoustons-new-app-offers-an-enhanced-visitor-experience/) with virtual tours, augmented reality experiences, and video and audio stories about space exploration.

For younger children who are interested in space, but not quite old enough to understand all the science behind it, there is also Storytime from Space (http://storytimefromspace.com).

Viewers can watch as space-related story books are read by astronauts on the International Space Station.

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Other great virtual vacation options to do with kids

• The National Women’s History Museum (http://womenshistory.org) • The National Museum of the United States Air Force virtual tour (http://www.nmusafvirtualtour.com/) • Monterey Bay Aquarium (http://montereybayaquarium.org)

• Legoland Miniland (http://www.film360.com/legoland_vtour2/) June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 23

Touching Tomorrow

S

Sponsored by: Honoring teachers who work with our kids day in and day out.

They go above and beyond and really do “Touch Tomorrow.”

Those chosen for publication will also be given a $50 gift card to 1836 Steakhouse. Nominate a special teacher today by going online: www.PostcardsLive.com.

Proudly serving our community for the past 66 years. For all the years to come, we stand together.

Bank Happy.

Spend Smart.

Live Well.

936.295.3980

Ashley M. Haynes Huntsville Intermediate

Nominated by Tish Humphrey

I got to know this young lady while she was attending Sam. Now that she is a teacher, I keep hearing great things about her love and enthusiasm for “her kids.”

During this pandemic, I have seen posts on Facebook.

It is still about her kids, the love they have for her, and her realness in relating to this. Her post from April 23:

866.648.9549

24 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

“I had a kid tell me yesterday that my class was still his favorite...’My Class.’ My ONE goal through all of this was to make sure the kids knew that we were still us!

We preach all year about how we will always be there for them, and we aren’t going to let this stop us.”





Cade Edney New Waverly High School

Madilynn Caperton



Madisonville High School

 

Favorite Movie: Lion King

Favorite Movie: The Greatest Showman Favorite Music/Artist: Boyce Avenue Favorite Food: Chik-fil-A

make a fatal mistake.” ade is a senior at New Waverly High School and is the son of Kevin and Anitra Edney. His activities include UIL Academics - state qualifier in Number Sense, Computer Science, Calculator Applications; UIL Band Solo State Qualifier for Piano and Marimba; Drum Major 2018-2019, 2019-2020; One Act Play - received All-Star Cast award 2020; and Beta and NHS member. Following graduation, Cade will attend Washington University in Illinois to study applied mathematics, then pursue a career in software development. His philosophy is “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Wayne Gretzky as quoted by Michael Scott in The Office).

C



Favorite Music/Artist: Lauren Daigle Favorite Food: Crawfish Favorite Quote: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work

Favorite Quote: “So what now? Continue on and hope I don’t

THERE REALLY IS A DIFFERENCE

. .”

Star Students

hard.” – Kevin Durant

M

adi is a senior at Madisonville High School and is the daughter of Chadd and Marci Caperton. Madi ran Varsity Track and Cross Country all 4 years of High School.

Her activities include Vice President of FFA, Vice President of 4-H Lamb and Goat Club, Vice President of National Honor Society, Vice President of Jr. Bank Board, Beta Club, FCA, MCFA Fair Ambassador, Texas Livestock Ambassador, and a Teen leader in her youth group at FBC Madisonville. Following graduation, Madi will attend Texas A&M University to major in health and kinesiology, then pursue a career in physical therapy. She believes, “It is better to try and fail than to not try at all.

Now taking applications for Fall 2020!

A classical, Christ-centered Pre-K-12th grade school

936-438-8833 For more information visit: alphaomegaacademy.org

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 25

Tickle My Funny Bone PostcardsLive.com

Partners Submitted by: Brian B Smith, CFP , Bryan M Masten, CFP & Riley W. Smith ®

®

Is This Time Different?

We have had an exciting start to 2020. Through the first month and a half, markets rose to all-time highs…only to have the quickest fall in history...then a pretty good rebound in April.

While we are aware these rapid market changes are stressful for investors, we also know we need both the ups and the downs for markets to work properly. You often hear “experts” talk about what makes this time different than every other market downturn in history, but is this time different?

I couldn’t figure out why the baseball kept getting bigger...then it hit me! submitted by Jason Tucker

Q: Why was six scared of seven?

A: Because seven “ate” nine.

The short answer is no... and yes.

The reason the answer is no is, like every other time in history, the markets will come back and do well again in the future. It is difficult to see this when things are at their worst, and it is human nature to try to avoid the “pain” of a down market. In fact, investors regularly pull out of investments at market lows and are then hesitant to get back in the market. This results in them locking in losses and not participating in market rebounds. Investors know intellectually this is not the right response, but it is very difficult emotionally to see past the negative news.

This is the reason it is so important to have a professional to talk to. I do not mean a psychiatrist; I mean an investment professional who can help you stay on track when your emotions tell you to flee the markets. If you have a plan in place and a process to decide when you should (and should not) have investments with exposure to stock markets, it becomes much easier to stay the course. If you do not have that professional or that process, things can get much more difficult.

So, why is the answer also yes? Because every market downturn has a different trigger.

According to a study done by Goldman Sachs analyst Peter Oppenheimer, bear markets can be classified as “structural,” “cyclical,” or “event-driven.” His research determined that, on average, an “event-driven” bear market had a decline of 29%; however, the good news is such bear markets generally get back to previous levels within 15 months (a much shorter timeperiod than either the structural or cyclical bear markets).

I tell you all this because our current market downturn (or bear market) is event-driven. It is the direct result of the current Coronavirus pandemic and resulting decrease in demand globally.

So, the cause of our current market downturn is different, but the eventual result will not be.

We will get past this and enjoy prosperity again. During these times, it is important to have regular conversations with your investment professional and stay the course. The more you understand the process your advisor uses and the progress toward your goals, the easier it will likely be to stay invested during difficult times.

www.financialpartner.net (936) 294-0201 • 1211 Financial Plaza • Huntsville Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member, FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a registered investment advisor. Cambridge and Global Financial Partners are not affiliated. Cambridge does not provide tax advice.

26 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

A bus full of ugly people had a head-on collision with a truck. When they died, God granted them each one wish. The first person said, “I want to be gorgeous.” God snapped his fingers, and it happened. The second person said the same thing, and God did the same thing. This want on and on throughout the group. God noticed the last man in line was laughing hysterically.

By the time God got to the last ten people, the last man was laughing and rolling on the ground. When the man’s turn came, he laughed and said, “I wish they were all ugly again.”

Instead of “the John,” I call my toilet “the Jim.” That way, it sounds better when I say I go to the Jim first thing every morning.

Q: What starts with E, ends with E, and has only 1 letter in it?

A: Envelope.

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Chicken Ranch Enchiladas

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Ingredients ¼ cup butter 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into ½-inch cubes

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1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

Always Open!

1 (16 oz) container sour cream 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies

936-661-6125

1 (1 oz) pkg ranch dressing mix 10 (8”) flour tortillas 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions 1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center, about 7 minutes. Whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chiles, and ranch dressing in a bowl; spread a thin layer of the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce into each tortilla; divide the chicken among the tortillas and sprinkle with 3/4 of the cheese. Roll the tortillas into cylinders and place seam-sidedown into the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and cover the dish with aluminum foil.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until hot, about 35 minutes.

Remove the foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Return to the oven and cook a few more minutes until the cheese melts.

located inside West Hill Mall

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FASHuntsville.com June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 27

Creamed Eggs on Toast

Recipes

Ingredients 12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled ¼ cup butter ½ cup all-purpose flour 3 cups milk

Peach Tea

1 Tbs chicken bouillon granules 6 slices white bread, lightly toasted

Ingredients

salt and white pepper to taste

3 cups water 3 family size tea bags

Directions

2 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted, and sliced

1. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Place the egg yolks into a bowl and mash with a fork. Chop the egg whites into small pieces and set aside.

1 cup water 1 1/2 tsp stevia powder Directions 1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over mediumlow heat and cook onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, celery seed, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.

Reheat soup until warm and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

VICK LUMBER LLC

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and chicken bouillon so that no lumps form and stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Add the egg yolks and mix until dissolved. Stir in egg whites. Serve over toast and season with salt and white pepper.

Huntsville Memorial Hospital

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Become A Volunteer!

Join our hospital volunteers who get back many times over what they give!

Mon. - Fri. 7 am - 5 pm • Sat. 7 am - 12 pm 206 West Magnolia Street • Madisonville, TX

936-348-3522 28 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

110 Memorial Hospital Drive • 291-3411 Open Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Simple Tomato Soup

Amish Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

Ingredients

1 Tbs unsalted butter or margarine

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup milk

1 Tbs olive oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 onion, thinly sliced 2 large garlic cloves, peeled

& crushed

2 (28 oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes 1 cup water 1 Tbs sugar

Directions

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/4 tsp celery seed

2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

1/4 tsp dried oregano

3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Directions 1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over mediumlow heat and cook onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, celery seed, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender.

Reheat soup until warm and season with more salt and pepper if desired.

WHY BUY?

You can rent all the tools you need from us!

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(936) 295-6417

Stay at Home with

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We hope that each of you are keeping safe and healthy and maintaining appropriate social distance as our government works to arrest the corona virus. Your health and the health of your families is most important. We keep you all in our thoughts and prayers.

We want to offer you the opportunity to enjoy Froggy Wines at home. We are open for to go purchases and that includes curb side service. We can also ship wine directly to you. Just give us a call and we will take care of the rest.

www.facebook.com/froggywines 936-293-8855 • 104A Knox Circle • Huntsville • www.froggywines.com

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Huntsville June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 29

G2 Construction Specializing in: • Asphalt Paving, Repair, Sealing

• Concrete Construction, Paving, Refinishing, • Home Remodeling Removal, • Brick and Resurfacing and Stone Driveway Repair Installation & • Foundation Repair Construction, • Deck Staining and Inspection, Repair Sealing & Testing • and much more

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Why Small Classrooms Are Overrated “No rational person would argue the smaller the class size, the better, right?” asked the radio talk show host. “I think I’m a rational person,” I said, “and I can offer proof that smaller class size propaganda is nothing but, well, propaganda. Small classes are overrated. Individual attention is overrated. It quickly reaches the point of diminishing returns.”

“Really? What proof?”

History, personal and otherwise. I went to first grade in 1952. At the time, kindergarten was not universal in South Carolina, so first grade was my first grade. One teacher presided over fifty children.

That’s a large classroom, for sure, yet I’ve spoken to women who taught as many as ninety-five first graders in the early-to-mid 1950s, when the first wave of boomers was entering school. All the women in question attest to orderly learning environments. Today, in many third-world areas of the world, classroom size is huge by first-world standards; yet, those teachers also report orderly learning environments.

How much individual attention do you think any given child received in my first-grade class? Correct. Very little. Occasional. We had to pay attention. Get it?

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30 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

Typically, a 1950s elementary teacher taught for fifteen minutes or so, gave a timed assignment, and worked at her desk while her students worked at theirs. When time was up, students exchanged and graded one another’s papers. Then, on to another subject area.

Fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, five minutes, put away one workbook and take out another.

I’m writing this column for parents who homeschool, the number of which the current school shutdown has greatly and suddenly increased. For the first time in over a century, most elementary-age children are being taught by their parents at home.

The Internet is full of advice for these new homeschoolers, but I have yet to run across one article that tells these folks, mostly moms, many of whom are complaining of exhaustion, to relax about the involvement thing. Homeschooling does not require a high level of parent involvement. That is myth. Across the demographic spectrum, student achievement in the 1950s, when children were largely “deprived” of one-on-one attention, was significantly higher than it is today.

The key to successful homeschooling is not lots of involvement; it’s organization. When I’m giving advice to a parent who wants to homeschool, I recommend the fifteen-thirty-five routine. It worked with fifty or more kids; it will surely work (and does, in fact) with less than a handful.

The more individual attention children receive in a classroom setting, the more they expect it and the more they come to depend upon it. The attention-overdosed child is likely to not pay close attention to what his teacher is saying unless she’s standing over him, talking directly to him. In a homeschool situation, codependency is an ever-looming possibility. Codependency is exhausting.

Homeschooling, per se, is not.

“Seens” from our World PostcardsLive.com We want to see what you’ve seen! When you see the unusual, funny or absurd, break out your camera, take a picture, and submit it to us with a description!

, ”

.

,

“Seen” by:

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.

ch o o l H ome s ! u p d a te

PC Staff

Th is ide a un so ds fr uit y to me !

“Seen” by

:

Karen Den m

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You'll be glad you called us!

,

.

June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 31

Sudoku Puzzles Easy Sudoku

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• New Construction Homes • Real Estate Cleanings, Buying or Selling • Rent Homes • Residential Cleaning

Trash /Junk removal Service by large dump trailer loads. Kenny 936-577-5738.

Attics • barns • garages • hoarder houses • storage areas • warehouses • yards

Jerry B. Register, P.C. * Family Law

* Child Custody

* Assault

* Criminal Law

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* Divorce

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Jerry B. Register Attorney At Law

1202 Sam Houston Ave. Phone: 936-295-9109 Fax: 936-295-4424 Suite 5 jerrybregister.com Huntsville, TX Email: Registerjb@outlook.com

God’s Redeeming Love International We provide training for new missionaries prior to each trip!

We want to encourage others to step out of their comfort zones. It will change your world.

For speaking or preaching engagements, information, or interests in possibly going on a mission trip please call.

godsredeemingloveintl.org Kyle & Cathi Coston. 936-755-0051 Like us on Facebook

Sending prayer for th people of e Our Nation!!

paypal.me/GRLIMissions

June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 33

Woods Welding Inc.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Shop & Field Serving The Area Since 1976

Teresa, my 3-year-old asked me, “What happens when you die? Is it like a Popsicle, you just melt into the ground?”

I was getting ready to tuck my son Wiley into bed, and he said, “Wrap me up like a Dorito, Mommy!”

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When my daughter was three, she asked if she could drive, and I told her she could when she was a grownup. She said, “Yeah, and then I can say ‘Speed up or get off the road, you big dummy!’” Oops…

Mommy had to check her road rage after that!

Autumn

Soon to be four Juliet just told me that, for her birthday, she wants a rainbow dress and amazing hair.

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Need a rental vehicle CALL HERTZ 936-207-1119 103 Hwy 30 East • Huntsville Mon. - Fri. 7am - 5pm • Sat. 7am - 12pm

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34 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, “Are you a cop?”

“Yes”, I answered and continued writing the report.

“My mother said if I ever needed help, I should ask the police. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” I told her.

“Well, then,” she said as she extended her foot toward me, “would you please tie my shoe?”

s

Milestones Join us as we celebrate life’s “mile markers” with our friends and neighbors. Share your milestones with us by submitting a photo and information to PostcardsLive.com.

We want to celebrate with you!

p

m

I d …

n

s

Happy 2nd Birthday!!

Tate McCaffety celebrated his 2nd birthday!

Home Improvement Loans There’s real value in your home and chances are it’s growing every day.

Talk to one of our expert lenders today and see what a home improvement loan can do for you.

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Susie Garza NMLS# 493275 936-439-1800 sgarza@ffin.com 33 State Highway 75 N.

s

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Home Sweeter Home

Huntsville TX. 77320

YOU FIRST

Happy 50th Anniversary!!

Mike and Sandra Lansford celebrated 50 years on March 7!

Member FDIC

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 35

TEX S TREASURES

C

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Kaspar Companies

By Ruth Fields

Submitted Photos

Not long after barbed-wire was invented in 1867, Texas ranchers began replacing their fences, leaving miles of smooth wire behind. Three decades later, Shiner resident August Kaspar saw a use for abandoned smooth wire fencing. Using only rudimentary tools, he patiently hand-made a basket for toting corn husks and hay. Soon, a neighboring rancher saw the basket and liked it. He offered to buy it for $1, and August--surprised to have stumbled onto a market for his craftsmanship--agreed. It was 1898—about a hundred years before manufacturing with repurposed materials became fashionable.

August began to make more baskets and, over time, he identified needs and made baskets to address them.

Meanwhile, he invested in tools and machinery more sophisticated than pliers. August’s company, Kaspar Wire Works, became versatile, creating a shopping cart that was used in a grocery store in Shiner. It is believed to be the first shopping cart ever used in America. Kaspar Wire Works also invented and manufactured newspaper racks that, during the heyday of newspapers, were used at nine out of ten newspaper stands in North America.

G

“If it had anything to do with wire, we could make it, and it’s still the same today” Today, fourth- and fifth-generation Kaspar family members are at the helm of Kaspar Companies and its seven diverse subsidiaries. Kaspar Wire Works, the original company, is still a manufacturing stronghold. “If it had anything to do with wire, we could make it, and it’s still the same today,” says Gerald Tempton, Kaspar Companies’ chief administration officer. Other subsidiaries include Texas Precious Metals (a gold and silver bullion dealer), Ranch Hand (which makes heavy-duty truck accessories), Bedrock (which manufactures heavy-duty truck beds), Horizon Firearms (a manufacturer of custom long-range, bolt-action rifles), Iota Outdoors (which uses modern technology to make innovative products for outdoors enthusiasts) and Silverback Homes (a builder of affordable, single-family homes for people who work in the Eagle Ford Shale region of south Texas). With 382 employees, most based in Shiner, it is the largest employer in Lavaca County. Well over a century after its inception, the company still adheres to its three core values first practiced by August Kaspar: versatility, family and stewardship.

Don Kasper & four sons

Versatility Kaspar Companies is proud to note that it has been in business for more than 120 years, spanning 21 presidential administrations.

During that time, the business has survived two world wars, the Great Depression and 20 recessions, as well as other threats, such as oil embargoes and steel shortages. One reason cited for the company’s longevity is its versatility: as needs have changed, the company has adapted to meet them.

“During the Great Depression, many companies didn’t survive,” Gerald says. But as August Kaspar traveled from farm to farm, selling baskets, he began to diversify, creating baskets for cotton, vegetables and other goods. He also began to sell his products in general stores and hardware stores. During the Great Depression, August developed and manufactured other products—mostly tools—such as tongs for moving coal, post hole diggers, wire garment hangers and even heavyduty metal fly swatters. He also improved his baskets, offering painted baskets, as well as cadmium-coated gym baskets, to discourage rust.

Throughout the many decades of its existence, Kaspar Companies has added product lines to fulfill needs; likewise, it has discontinued products when they were no longer needed.

It has also created—or acquired—subsidiaries with diverse products and services. “Our agility in adapting has always been something we have encouraged and we have benefited from,” Gerald says.

“We are quite agile and quite adaptive.”

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 37

“Everything we make is custom-made,”

says Laura Gautreau, president of Kaspar Wire Works. “It’s made to solve a problem for somebody.” So, when spread of the coronavirus began making news, Laura thought about what the pandemic might mean for Kaspar Wire Works and its employees. She noted that supply chains of products manufactured in China were disrupted; she wondered if the company could manufacture something that would be of use to medical providers, even though it might be something that they’d never made before.

Opting to be proactive rather than reactive, Laura assembled a task force that contacted medical suppliers to see if there were shortages of any products. Task force members soon learned that hospital beds were needed. With help from a customer, Kaspar employees came up with a design that could be manufactured quickly and Emergency Relief Articu-Cot affordably. “We are not schooled up to make the ones for the more sophisticated hospitals,” Laura says, “but we can make hospital beds for overflow patients—those not in such critical condition.” Kaspar Wire Works can be in production in less than a week from the time a customer first places an order, she says.

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Kasper family in office

Family August Kaspar’s son Arthur began working in his father’s business when he was 10 years old, and his expertise in operating and maintaining churlish equipment was soon apparent. As he continued to work in the family business, his mechanical aptitude increased, and he created machines specifically for the family business. Arthur is also credited with designing that first grocery shopping cart. His son Don created the newspaper rack dispenser that became so widely used across the continent.

Today, five family members work at Kaspar Companies, but other employees are treated like family, too. One of the many ways Kaspar strives to be a family-friendly employer is through its counseling services. Recognizing employees may have problems stemming from such stressors as financial concerns, marriage issues, post-traumatic stress syndrome and substance abuse, Kaspar Companies offers confidential, professional counseling to its employees, both on-site and off. This counseling is offered to employees at no cost, and there is

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no limit to the number of sessions available. The program also includes Not surprisingly, one of Gerald’s favorite Bible verses is Luke 12:48: the family members of employees. Apparently, there were needs that these services addressed, because employees are taking advantage of the program. “We are very proud to do that, because our employees have utilized that service extensively,” Gerald says, “far more than we expected.”

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

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Stewardship

One of the ways Kaspar Companies exemplifies good stewardship is through lean management, which originates from the Toyota Production System, often referred to as Just in Time (JIT) Production.

It is a system focused on removing waste from processes, problemsolving, and customer service, which enhances the company’s ability to operate more efficiently. “We focus on changing for the better,” Gerald says. “We identify a problem and immediately work to solve it.

What can we do to address this problem and make things better right then and there? It’s helping us streamline many things.”

From the start, Kaspar Wire Works was dedicated to faithful “It means stewardship of God-given resources. “We are a faith-based based c o n t i n u o u s company,” Gerald says. “That is not something we hide under a bushel. improvement,” Laura It is something that is definitely the core of Kaspar Companies. It is agrees. “We fully support not unusual to start our board meetings or other meetings with prayer.

We believe that when you do well, like Kaspar Companies has done, we have to do good--that means to be faithful with what God has given us.”

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lean manufacturing and a lean way of things, eliminating waste. How can you do more with the people you have, streamlining process and making it easier for people?”

All of this streamlining is done with an eye to future success. “We have a very strong entrepreneurial spirit at Kaspar Companies,” Gerald says, hinting that the company may soon be diversifying yet again. “If we can fulfill a need…and we believe we can do that business and do it well and really serve the customer well…that is something we will move forward on. We are not very shy or reserved in that regard.”

For more information about Kaspar Companies and its subsidiaries, visit kasparcompanies.com.

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Vet Connect: Article Submitted by: Steve VanWagner, D.V.M.

Equine Summer Sores Many people do not associate flies with habronemiasis (summer sores), granular dermatitis, or jack sores. Summer sores result from a complex association between the horse, the stomach worm, and its intermediate hosts--house, face, and stable flies. Adult stomach worms shed larvae into the environment through the manure of infected horses. These larvae are then ingested by maggots, where they develop into adult flies. They reside in the mouthparts of the flies, where they are deposited on the wounds or mucocutaneous junctions of horses, causing an infection.

Some horses are shedders, but even a wormed horse can get summer sores. This is because the larvae that cause the massive inflammatory reaction are actually already dead. It is the body’s immune response to the dead larvae that causes the intense itchiness and summer sore formation.

The classic presentations of summer sores are one or more open, draining, ulcerative nodules with swelling, redness, and itching.

Generally located on the legs, inner corners of the eyes, lips, sheath, penis, and any moist area or where skin has undergone injury or irritation, such as an open wound.

The key to therapy is early aggressive treatment! De-bulking is often necessary to remove the dead larvae from the sores. After de-bulking edges of the wound, some need to be injected with corticosteroids subcutaneously. Usually, the infection is aggressive, and therapy has to be repeated. The area needs to be covered at all times when possible with a medicated ointment. An oral de-worming product, preferably an avermectin product, needs to be administered once a week for 4 weeks.

Fecal counts do NOT detect Habronema larvae.

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If you are suspicious your horse may have summer sores, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible to hopefully stop a small problem from becoming a large problem.

Focus Business

by Rosa Coss

Photos by Libby Rogers

It’s not every day you’re met with destiny time & time again but that is exactly what happened with Jason Neal, owner of American Glass & Mirror located at 2612 Montgomery Road, Huntsville, TX 77340.

It all began in Waller, Texas, the place where Jason grew up, and where he and his wife Lisa both graduated from high school. In 1996, at the age of 17, while still going to school, he stumbled onto a job working for a local glass company in Waller. This is also when he and Lisa began dating. “I wanted to take her out on dates, he said, “so I needed a part-time job to make extra money.”

One day, Jason recalled, he got a chip on his windshield, so he took his vehicle down to the local glass company to get it repaired. While the owner was working on his vehicle, Jason asked him, “Hey, you don’t happen to need some help around here, do you?” The owner said he would talk to his partner. After returning for the third time, his persistence finally paid off. The owner gave him a job. According to Jason, this is not something he had planned out; it just happened. “I don’t know why or what drew me to this line of work, said Jason, “I just happened to be there, and it looked interesting.” Working in the glass industry not only carried him through high school and college, but 20 years later, added Jason, “I realize it has become my lifelong career.”

Jason Neal

After graduating from high school, both Jason and Lisa attended a community college where they received their associate degrees. Jason attended Blinn College in Brenham. While going to school there, he found himself working at another local glass company. Lisa went on to Wharton Jr. College on a rodeo scholarship.

Once they each completed their associate degrees, both transferred to Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. In 2002, Jason received his bachelor’s degree in Business Management, and Lisa received her degree in Marketing. During his time in Huntsville, and while going to school there, Jason again worked at a local glass company. Then, in 2003, he decided to open his own business, American Glass & Mirror in Madisonville, which is home to he, his wife, and their 3 children.

More recently, in January 2020, Jason opened his second store in Huntsville.

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June 2020 | Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition 45

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“We believe that if the employees are happy, they will strive to At American Glass & Mirror, “We are a family-based business, and our number one goal is to have good customer service,” said Jason. “We believe that if the employees are happy, they will strive to make our customers happy.” Much of their business is returning customers, and they often refer people they know to American Glass & Mirror, “which is definitely a plus,” said Jason. Specializing in residential and commercial services, as well as auto glass Complete window replacement on old main repair and installation, they are a commerbuilding, Blinn College, Brenham, Texas cial glass and glazing subcontractor. They currently serve Madisonville, Huntsville, and surrounding areas. “We’ve actually done work all over the state of Texas,” said Jason, adding that they have gone as far south as Corpus Christi, and as far as Austin and San Antonio to the west. In fact, they have even been all the way up to the Texas Panhandle. Their team of professional auto glass technicians have the training and expertise needed to get the job done right, offering quality service and materials, whether it’s replacing an auto windshield or glass and glazing at a residence or business construction or remodeling project. They also offer specialty products: glass vanities and tabletops, custom mirrors, screen porches, and so much more! For a full list of services provided, visit their website: americanglassandmirrortx.com.

When it comes to workload, COVID 19 has slowed them down a little, mostly in getting materials, but according to Jason, for the most part, they are fortunate. They haven’t had to cut back on staff, and they are all still working 40 hours a week. “We already had a lot of work in the books when all this happened, so we haven’t really missed a beat,” said Jason.

Our customers are very understanding, and most people and businesses are still welcoming us. Our employees are taking extra precautions by cleaning and sanitizing their workspaces more frequently. The guys in the shop are taking extra sanitary precautions in dealing with customers’ vehicles.

Commercial jobs have not slowed down at all, Jason added. “It’s like a normal workday Custom glass showcase for MISD for us. The only thing that has changed are our residential jobs. Some people just don’t want to have people in their houses right now. In some cases, we already have the material to do the repairs, but our customers prefer we wait until this pandemic is over.” On a positive note, “This pandemic has definitely changed our lifestyle,” said Jason. “It has caused us to slow down and take a deep breath. I am actually enjoying it. I get to spend more time with my family.”

A few years ago, Jason said they got on a bandwagon with a group of guys building Hampton Inns throughout the Texas Panhandle. “We worked in Childress, Wheeler, and in Perryton.

We were literally just a few miles from the Oklahoma border.” Another big customer is Bucee’s. When Buc-ee’s came to Madisonville, Jason met with some of their representatives at the jobsite when they were first breaking ground. Eventually, they were responsible for installing single windows and sliding doors in every Buc-ee’s throughout Texas. “They’ve been a great customer, and we still do all their repairs,” said Jason. The commercial work

46 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

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American Glass & Mirror does throughout Texas has been a large part of their bread and butter and, according to Jason, they are doing well enough within Texas that he does not foresee having to expand outside of Texas anytime in the near future.

This reminded Jason of a story that reaffirms working in the glass industry was truly his destiny. Several years ago, when he first started his business, Jason was invited to a hunting trip in Colorado. “It was an all-expense paid trip. I just had to show up.” During the trip, he had the opportunity to hunt with a group of guys and found out one of them owned a glass company. “I met this guy on the first day and discovered he owns one of the largest glass companies in Texas. He started as a one man show, doing business out of his pickup. Now, he has somewhere between 150-180 employees and provides service to some of the largest buildings in the Houston area.” One night, Jason recollected, we were sitting there eating dinner, and I said to him, “You startRetail store, Garland, Texas ed at the bottom like I did. If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?” His response was, “I would have stayed small with 10-12 employees. You can be a lot happier and still make a good living.” I took those words to heart, said Jason, and God has blessed us over and over again.

Between the two locations in Huntsville and in Madisonville, American Glass & Mirror has a total of eight employees. There are four employees that work in the shop, and another four work in the office.

“By 2021, this may change slightly, but for now, between the eight of us, we manage both stores pretty well,” said Jason. “My wife Lisa does all the bookkeeping. After graduating from college and working at the same place for 10 years, she decided she wanted to try something different, so she began working for the company.

She really plays a big role, and we exchange a lot of ideas with one another… we make a great team.” We are fortunate in our industry that Residential window replacement, we’re still workBryan, Texas ing through

»

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this pandemic, since we fall into the ‘essential business’ category.

Given the opportunity to take time off if they need it, my employees have opted to continue working. They were more concerned about our customers and making sure we met their needs and not falling behind.”

In five years, Jason plans to have both stores working at their peak and hopes one of his children takes an interest in the business, becomes involved, and eventually, takes over the business. As for opening another store, Jason says he never would have thought he would open a second store, so you never know. When he was considering opening emergency call number is available, and someone is always on call) to allow employees to enjoy time with their families. As for Jason and his his second store in Huntsville, Jason said, “I woke up one morning, family, he says on the weekends, they spend a lot of time at sporting and I felt like God just put it in my heart, saying to me, “I events with their kids, since they are very involved in baseball, softand rodeo. “Everyone in my family rodeos, except me,” he added. believe you’re ready for the next challenge.” It all just kind of “Iball, am just the designated driver.” They are members of Madisonville came together. There was a property on Montgomery Road that was Christian Fellowship and attend on a regular basis. “We really enjoy for sale, it had been in the market for over a year, and when I pulled up it there, and our kids love it as well,” said Jason. He has served on the to look at it, I said, “This is it!” Immediately after he bought it, Jason little league board and was president for a couple of years. Something said there were three other people that came in after him wanting to else Jason and Lisa do on the side, is “flip houses.” According to Jason, buy the property. In 5-10 years, who’s to say, I may open another store they have been doing this for almost 20 years, and have flipped about in Conroe! It’s hard to predict; I just follow my heart.”

10 houses. Jason does all the manual work, while Lisa handles the decorating, reiterating, “We work really well as a team.”

Jason firmly believes in giving back to the community and staying connected. They do this by sponsoring various organizations and events aimed at helping the kids at their local schools, whether it’s Madisonville Location Huntsville Location through little league, the fair and rodeo, booster club, football, or the 503 S May St 2612 Montgomery Rd. school band.

Madisonville, Texas 77864 Huntsville, Texas 77340 According to Jason, American Glass & Mirror keeps them busy Monday through Friday, but they are closed on Saturdays and Sundays (an

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48 Postcards Magazine: Piney Woods Edition | June 2020

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6 JUN 2020

Calendar of Events

Due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus, some events have been postponed or canceled in the interest of safety and participants’ well-being. Please make sure to check the event website, social media, or call ahead to confirm an event is still taking place if you are interested in attending.

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“Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s “Camping with Gasoline” End” June 27 June 12-21 thegrand.com crightontheatre.org

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“Patriotic Pops” June 27 conroesymphony.org

Jefferson County Go Texan Cookoff and Fish Fry June 26-27 jeffersoncogotexan. com Lorrie Morgan in Concert June 28 visitbeaumonttx.com

FORT WORTH Texas Indy 600 Race Weekend June 4-6 texasmotorspeedway. com

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83rd Annual Round-Up Rodeo June 10-13 gladewaterrodeo.com

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Stop Distracted Driving Fun Run June 6 Email: justdrivepmi@ gmail.com

Magnolia Showdown Barbecue Cookoff June 26-27 cityofmagnolia.com

NACOGDOCHES

Shot in the Dark NIGHT Golf Tournament June 26 chamber.huntsville. tx.us

HENDERSON “9 to 5: The Musical” June 19-21, 26-28 hendersoncivictheatre. org

Aaron Watson June 18 banitacreekhall.com

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Dogwood Jamboree June 20 dogwoodjamboree. com

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I married my husband in 2018 & we are now expecting our first baby. Since I was a little girl, I have had a passion for anything hair. It came naturally to me as it ran in the family. Helping women feel beautiful and empowered was always a dream of mine. So six years ago, I went to school & made that dream a reality.

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In our culture, the term “parting gift” usually brings to mind the token supplied to the loser of a game show, as in, “Thanks for playing. Johnny, tell them what we have for them!”

A consolation prize by definition is intended to alleviate or lessen the grief, sorrow, or disappointment of; give solace or comfort. Even in sports, the consolation game is to determine the better of the losing semifinalists.

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How contrary to this concept is the action of our Lord as he prepared to leave this earth. He not only gifted us with dying in our place that we might live…in John 14, as Christ prepares for his death and leaving his disciples, he also promises to send the Holy Spirit as a guide. Then, he provides the ultimate consolation gift, but this one is not lesser…not inferior…not for the loser. In the truest sense of the word, it is a gift that consoles.

In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” The Message translation even renders this, “I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace.”

May we gratefully claim and humbly realize the power of all he has gifted us. And with His peace in us in these uncertain times, we are truly winners, in every way imaginable.

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