Postcards Magazine Lake Conroe February 2022

Lake Conroe

POSTCARDS Alex Boylan / Old Main / Patient-First Dental Care

Magazine

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

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FEATURES

February 2022

| Volume 11, Issue 2

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A Special Conversation

Business Focus

Alex Boylan

Patient-First Dental Care

20 Texas Treasures Old Main

FAVORITES

Cover Photo by Barbara Carter Submission in 2021 Postcards Cover Photo Contest

6 7 8 9 19 28 29 32

Publisher’s Post Let’s Celebrate From Our Readers Dear Gabby Glorious Grandkids Health Matters Pet Pals

34 37 39 44 46 48 50

What’s Cookin’ Giggles & Grins Sudoku Marketplace Kidding Around Vet Connect Community Calendar Mustard Seed Moments

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

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Publisher’s Post Karen Altom publisher@postcardslive.com

It’s the Little Things.

I would not be surprised if, when you read the title of this column you thought, “Here she goes again about her grandbaby!” Well, now you can be surprised. That is not what I am writing about, but since you mentioned him…he’s adorable!

Today, while lunching at a restaurant with a friend and client, I noticed the plate on which my lunch was served. It had a sizable chip in it. The kind of chip, in my mind, that would warrant it no longer being in service.

Apparently, the staff disagreed. Maybe the manager would have made that decision but hadn’t noticed? The problem with that theory is that it leads to the thought of, “What else has gone unnoticed? I wonder what other little things are being left undone?” Thoughts like that can lead you down a scary path, so I stopped.

Those who know me well know this--I am a nut about excellent customer service. I want everything we do and touch to show this. It is why things like the cracked plate get my attention. It is why I pay a little more to shop in local establishments who offer excellent service (Although, I do have a story for you for next month once I recover from the shame.). It is why I frequent the restaurants I do…you get the idea. You can tell when someone CARES.

I write this because I want you to know we care. Every single person who is involved in putting this magazine together for you each month really and truly cares about every reader and every advertiser we do this for. If ever you feel like we don’t, my email address is above. I want to know.

Your Local Community Magazine! @PostcardsMag

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If you would like to receive our magazine and are not currently on our mailing list, subscriptions are available.

MAILED to select postal routes in Conroe, Willis and Montgomery.

FREE rack copies at advertisers and businesses in towns listed above.

Published Monthly by Altom Consulting & Marketing, Inc. Publisher Karen Altom Editor Wes Altom Advertising Team Jennifer Abbrat Nancy Jolly Marshall Altom Design Team Mary Partida April Key Social Media Management Abby Altom Boyd

Printed in Texas by Shweiki Media Online: www.PostcardsLive.com Address: PO Box 690 • Huntsville, TX 77342 Call our Office: 936.293.1188

This month, take a moment and let our advertisers know how much you care and thank them for bringing you this issue. It’s a little thing, but it lets them know we love them BIG!

Until next time,

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~

Karen

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

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. © 2022 by Altom Consulting & Marketing, Inc., All rights reserved.

Let’s Celebrate This Month’s Business Anniversaries:

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From Our Readers The article “Bella Becho - Book & Print Binder” was very interesting.

Keep up the good work in providing us with news of our community and county.

Sara Bartee Editor’s Note: If you missed the article on Bella Becho, you can find it on our website at PostcardsLive.com.

I enjoy reading your magazine each month. I especially enjoy Mustard Seed Moments, Out of the Mouths of Babes, Pet Pals, and Glorious Grandkids. I read your magazine from cover to last page.

Congratulations on a great magazine and God Bless You. Wanda Bedenbaugh

I wanted to thank you for a special magazine I have enjoyed for years.

I read, and keep, every edition and have shared many of the recipes.

Thank you again for sharing such a wonderful publication!

Marke Montgomery

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Dear Gabby Welcome to February’s Dear Gabby column! It’s time to get an extended weather forecast from a jittery, inconsistent marmot. Marmots are cousins to squirrels, who can’t even decide whether to finish crossing a road. In any case, if the groundhog ate as much as I did over the holidays, there’s no way he can miss seeing his shadow! Spring is sure to be right around the corner. The date I’m really looking forward to is February 22nd!

It’s 2/22/22. We can call it 2’s day! Drop me a line to Dear Gabby at PostcardsLive.com. If you need more time, March has more days..

drama, or ineptitude. Sociopaths lie simply because they feel like it.

Lying is easy for them, and they lie with no conscience or remorse. The bottom line is…don’t loan this person any money. The next thing you know, you will owe her.

GABBY

DEAR GABBY DEAR GABBY I have recently been spending time with another female co-worker. We get along well and enjoy each other’s company, but I have caught her in several lies. I even told her a story of something that happened to me once, and she later repeated it back to be as if it happened to her. What on earth do you make of that?

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES? DEAR TRUTH While I am no expert (on anything), I did do some research on the subject of prevarication.

Don’t I sound smarter already? I read that sociopathic liars are the most damaging types of liars because they lie on a routine basis without conscience and often without reason.

In contrast, pathetic liars lie to get along, and narcissistic liars use it to cover their inaction,

I have a long-time friend, but we no longer have anything in common. We get together often, because we always have, but it is becoming tiresome and a chore. There are people whose company I enjoy more, but haven’t known as long. What constitutes friendship, anyway?

TIMED OUT? DEAR TIMED Friendship isn’t about the person you knew the longest. It is about who walked into your life and said, “I’m here for you” and proved it. You don’t have to drop your “old” friend; just space your visits a little farther apart.

She may feel the same way.

GABBY CONFIDENTIAL TO “DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING”: Yes, but word your email like the contents may one day be read aloud in a deposition.

February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

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A Special Conversation Story by Courtney Burleson Submitted Photos

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Alex Boylan,

Producer of The College Tour Ever wonder what college life is like at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville (or what it is like at any university, for that matter)? Now, anyone can experience a virtual college visit and hear about campus life directly from college students – including Sam Houston State University (SHSU) students.

Created by reality television contestant, TV show host and producer Alex Boylan, The College Tour is a streaming series designed to help prospective students with the daunting task of choosing the college or university that is right for them.

“Our mission is to tell real stories, through real students,” explained Boylan. “I knew from the get-go I wanted a certain format and a diversified portfolio of schools from big universities to smaller state schools.”

In the season 2 episode, ten SHSU students share their college experience and show what life is like to be a Bearkat. This includes a glimpse into the academic life, research opportunities, student life, athletics and friendships of SHSU students.

The approximately 40-minute show highlights a variety of colleges located on the main campus in Huntsville, along with Conroe and The Woodlands. Season 2 aired November 8th and can still be viewed on any of the available platforms. Season three will begin airing on Amazon in early 2022.

How did you come up with this original idea?

Sometimes great TV shows come from simple places. Approximately two years ago, my niece was a junior in high school trying to figure out where she wanted to go to college. She is from a small town in Wisconsin, and my older sister granted her one college trip, so she decided to come see me in Venice, California. I took her to UCLA and all the schools around the Los Angeles area. During that trip, she said, ‘I also want to check out some schools in Texas, New York, Florida, and other places around the country.’

The average cost of a college trip outside someone’s hometown is $2,500. So that wasn’t in the cards.

Not long after that, COVID hit, and the country got shut down, so I started helping my niece navigate this process online. I quickly realized this was a huge challenge. Every

school has their own marketing approach, their own story, some have very high-end commercials – every school does their own thing.

That’s really where the lightbulb went off - higher education needs its own television series.

So, the journey began.

The journey has led Boylan (and the approximately 50+ production team) to universities and colleges around the country, including the Lone Star State. Texas schools included thus far have been Baylor University, Texas Christian University, and the Piney Woods’ own SHSU in Huntsville (all Season 2). The University of North Texas will be featured in Season 3, and The University of Texas at Austin and St. Edwards University in Austin will be included in Season 4.

University life is about finding your passion, your people, and learning who you are and your place in the world. I want students to know

there is always a way to make it to college.

How does the selection process work for the schools?

We have a partnership team, and we are constantly looking for great universities. We really just want to go big, small, medium across the country.

What made you choose SHSU for a spotlight?

There are so many awesome things about Sam Houston University. The school is very historic, 140 years old, and there’s something about the motto. That motto penetrates throughout the university--through its student body, its faculty, and alumni. “The measure of a Life is its Service.” It’s a great institution, great location, and it was a joy. The students were awesome!

There are some really unique aspects to that university.

February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

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What are some of those unique aspects that stood out to you while filming?

There are a lot of really amazing pieces in the forensic science program; it is top notch. In the episode, forensic science doctoral student Ryan Gutierrez shares the cutting-edge research and technology he uses every day, which is getting national attention.

The College of Osteopathic Medicine was also rather impressive. The hands-on learning and handson experience inside their new facility is what university life is all about.

advantage. You get the isolated university experience, but you’re not far from a big city where there are internships and big opportunities.

What makes The College Tour different from just going online and looking at college websites or the high-end commercials you mentioned earlier?

If you watch The College Tour, you know what the format is going to look like,

Another thing that stood out for me was the history connected to the university. Everywhere I went, I was asking questions, because there’s just so much history there. That was just a highlight for me and something really special.

Also, another highlight of the university is being an hour north of Houston is a huge

no, but I got here as fast as i could!

visit huntsville & get

and you get a real authentic look at the school, regardless of where it’s located.

It has been so important to us to tell that authentic story through real current students, and that’s what we’re most proud of. You’re going to get to know the students, the campus, and hear real stories. Hopefully, it will help students find their vibe, their tribe, and what’s the right location for them. These are all variables that high school students and their parents are trying to figure out what’s best. We now have this great television series on many platforms, all for free, to help students and their parents find the right fit.

Why do you think it is important to have college students share their story and talk about the school?

What is really cool is we are getting college students to talk to high school students.

That doesn’t happen. We’re finally bridging that gap.

Instead of someone’s mom, some professor or guidance counselor, now it’s the student who is only three years ahead of them saying, ‘This is who I am, this is what I do here, and maybe it will be a good fit for you, too.’ How powerful is that?

So, how do you put this series together, and how long does it take to produce?

This really becomes a co-production with the university. We become one team and work together as a family in order to make an episode.

There are two months of hard work done before we ever step foot on a campus. We work with the university team, and we start with the basic conversations of what are we going to talk about on the show, what makes the university tick, what are the highlights, and what does the world need to know about this school.

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Then casting becomes key. We look for students who have genuine, authentic stories that co-align with the topics we’re going to talk about. Once we have the topics and students locked in, we focus on the student’s unique story. The first draft of their story is written by the student,

not us. We need to know their story and what it is about the school’s program that has changed their life. So, when you’re listening to the students on the show, it’s not complicated; it’s just their story.

into it. Then, boom--she had a full ride to ASU with this Starbucks scholarship she learned about from The College Tour.

Then we shoot film on campus for a week, and we’re jamming. By the time we come on location to film, we are all seeing the same movie in our head. On location is the most fun for us and the university.

We have very talented directors who have worked on the biggest shows in the world, so they know what to do. We keep a small crew and a small footprint in the field.

We are on multiple platforms. The segments can be viewed online at www. collegetour.com, and the app may also be downloaded on IOS or Android phones.

The show is also streamed on The College Tour Channel for free on television platforms around the world, including: Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, and on smart TVs from manufacturers such as LG, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Phillips, Sharp and other TCL Android-driven smart televisions. The series also airs on ImdbTV & Amazon Prime.

From there, we wrap the week, and there’s about two months of post-production to put the show together.

So, what ever happened to your niece?

Did she use The College Tour to decide on a school?

She watched the episode we did on Arizona State University. On part of the episode, they talked about this Starbucks scholarship program at ASU. My niece was like ‘I work at Starbucks’ and checked

Where can a person find and view The College Tour?

We also work with about 60,000 high school college counselors across the country, and every episode gets distributed to that group of people, which is then distributed to their students. Our goal is to tell the stories of these institutions to high school students around the world, for free.

Tell us a little about yourself? How did you get into television?

My first TV experience was being part of the winning team on The Amazing Race with my buddy Chris Luca, whom I have known since kindergarten. That is where my life changed. I saw the world of television production for the first time, and I was floored. I knew I was going to be a travel producer. Afterwards, I got an opportunity to work for a small production company in Florida and started hosting shows, then producing shows for them.

Then I created and hosted Around the World for Free. It was the first online, interactive experience show we did with the CBS network, and that turned into a little franchise. That catapulted my career, and I became known as this travel interactive specialist, which has definitely helped out with The College Tour. I learned to take a very small crew into the world and come back with a story.

Have you always liked to travel?

Before I was on The Amazing Race, I went to Jackson University in Jacksonville,

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Florida and was an International Business major. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the degree, but I liked to travel.

I knew that whatever I did, I wanted to live with passion and purpose. My father was a pastor and lived with so much passion, and he instilled that in us at an early age. I believe you only live once, so might as well make it awesome. I want to be excited every day when I wake up, be passionate, be driven, have some purpose, and leave the planet better than when I had it.

For a blue-collar kid from the north

‘thing,’ buses, trains, and couch surfing.

I was at a really impressionable age, and the world was a lot bigger back then. My parents gave me experiences like this that shaped me into the human I am today.

They didn’t have to, and they didn’t necessarily have the money to do so, but they found a way because they felt it was that important.

I tell my parents all the time, ‘Isn’t it interesting what I’ve gone on to do – tell stories from every corner of the world.’

Regardless of where his journey leads him, Boylan’s philosophy is simple: We are all born with a different size backpack; it’s what we do with that backpack on that matters. When looking back, I believe time is our greatest asset.

Time can’t be bought, time can’t be stopped, and time spent following your passion or your purpose is ‘time’ you will never get back. That, I believe, is the synopsis of how I try to live life. And a big reason why we work so hard on The College Tour. There is so much passion and purpose behind this TV series.

Kensley Grant

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shore of Boston, Massachusetts, you’ve had a pretty amazing life. Are there any experiences you feel helped shape who you are and your career?

It has been an awesome ride. I had great parents who exposed me to the world and definitely raised me in a way that I thought I could do anything.

In high school, I was on a semi-pro soccer team and spent a year living in Brazil during my junior year. Soccer was a big part of my life when I was young.

When I was a kid, my parents took my siblings and I on an amazing trip that has really helped me in life. It was the early 90s, and the last year all my siblings and I were going to be under one roof. I have two older siblings and a younger one. It was my freshman year of high school, and my parents pulled us out of school to spend three months together, backpacking across Europe as missionaries. We started in Ishmire, Turkey and backpacked through Turkey, Greece, down southern Europe, and ended up in Scotland. I’m talking about air B&B before it was a

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Hailing from the small West Texas town of Paducah, Kensley Grant was one of the students spotlighted on The College Tour episode featuring SHSU. A secondyear osteopathic medical student, Grant was elated to share his experience as a Bearkat and SHSU’s new state of the art Osteopathic Medical School.

“The way the world is moving, we rely pretty heavily on technology for information. With people looking for more and more avenues of education, I think it’s a really nice way to express things about your school in which you’re passionate,” says Grant. “If it had been around when I was looking for schools – especially medical programs – I would have used it. It shows more than what a webpage and a page of text can.”

Located in Conroe, Texas SHSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine is the university’s eighth college and only the third college of osteopathic medicine in Texas. According to SHSU, its mission is to develop osteopathic physicians, grounded in osteopathic principles, who will serve the healthcare needs

of rural and underserved Texans. The facility serves as an all-inclusive campus complete with lecture halls, research and anatomy labs, library, full mock hospital suite with an emergency room and surgical suites, and a mock clinic with actors who have ailments which students diagnose and treat. Students are even provided simulated patient mannequins that have full mobility and allow faculty members to set up different scenarios for the students.

“Their eyes move, you can take a pulse, hear respiration, and they are even hooked up to telemetry machines,” explained Grant. “We are trained exactly the same way as an M.D. (medical doctor), have all the same basic and advanced science classes, except we’re also trained in manipulative medicine.

We use a more multi-faceted approach with our patients,” said Grant.

After getting his undergraduate degree from The University of North Texas in Denton, Grant made his way to Huntsville and SHSU so he could train specifically to help the rural communities.

“To be in rural medicine, you must be well versed in multiple areas, because you might be the only doctor that patient sees and not have the option to refer them to a specialist,” explains Grant. “Even if you can, there’s no guarantee they will go see the specialist, if they are two or three hours away.”

Grant is active in political advocacy for rural healthcare and has served for the last two years as student body president for the College of Medicine Student Council.

Courtney Sumaya-Herrera Life may have started in Northern California for this Bearkat, but her heart is in Texas. As a first-generation college student and an ag teacher hopeful, Courtney Herrera couldn’t wait to get to Texas after graduating high school.

Herrera also shared her story on The College Tour, representing the College of Agriculture and her experience working on Gibbs Ranch. Deeded to SHSU in 1993, it is an 1800-acre working ranch with cattle and goats—and, for many ag

students, it is a second home.

With a major in interdisciplinary agriculture and a minor in secondary education, Herrera hopes to share her agricultural knowledge and experiences with young minds someday.

“Agriculture has always been near and dear to my heart,” said Herrera. “My favorite memories as a young child are from helping out on the ranch back home. In high school, I was active in FFA, showed livestock, and earned the highest FFA degree possible – the American degree.”

“While political views between California and Texas may be different, they are very similar in the ag sector. My thought was that if I can thrive in my community back home, it would be great to experience another form of agriculture. Then if I do go home, I can bring that aspect to bridge the two sides,” said Herrera. “Even though the states have two different atmospheres, we are actually all together when it comes to the industry.”

For tickets call the Crighton Theatre Box Office (936) 441-7469 or go to www.stage-right.org Crighton Theatre •234 N. Main Street •Conroe, TX 77301

Funded in part by the City of Conroe.

February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

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Milestones

Congratulations to Conner Zachary on receiving her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University.

Happy 20th Anniversary to Mitch & Tracy Farris

Share your Milestone!

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Real Volunteers Real Results

Assistance League® Action Week Book Drive for Montgomery County elementary schools going on now!

Singer Songwriter Show

Assistance League is conducting its annual book drive. You can support literacy in Montgomery County elementary schools with the donation of a SINGLE BOOK. We are collecting NEW books for elementary schools having the most need. These books may go to classroom libraries, or they may be given to individual students as the need dictates.

DROP-OFF location: Assistance League Thrift Shop BOOK TYPE- NEW books only, appropriate for elementary ages 5-10

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

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Promises Made. Promises Kept.

4Reduced my salary and capped it!

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4Adopted the no-new revenue tax rate three years in a row. First time in county history!

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Glorious Grandkids

Case Shirley

Ivan Anderson

Marina Maki

Grandchild of Stacey & Sherry Shirley

Grandchild of John & Mary Kellar

Grandchild of Patty Maki

Share Your Grandkid Photos with Us!

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Texas Treasures Story by Mike Yawn Submitted Photos

SHSU Archives

Remembering SHSU’s Old Main 20

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

The Fire It was February 12, 1982. Old Main, a building once referred to as the “most beautiful building owned by the State of Texas,” was on fire. The first call came in at 1:17am. The dispatchers were professional, but the tone was urgent, even frantic. Old Main, the dispatcher noted, was aflame, and Austin Hall, located just feet away, was in jeopardy.

Even today, 40 years later, Debbie Pecor—now Debbie Daugette—remembers the scene. “The streets were blocked by emergency vehicles; smoke filled the air. It was chaos, and it was awful.”

Tom Grisham, one of three paid firefighters with the City of Huntsville (and now a retired Chief from the agency), recalls the response. Even as he approached, he could see the magnitude of the fire.

He knew it would be a long night, and he suspected Old Main might be beyond saving. He hoped that, with the assistance of volunteer firefighters and help from Livingston’s Fire Department, the crew “could save the Austin College Building.” It was, he said, the longest and most emotionally draining fire event to which he responded in his career—a career of service lasting more than 40 years.

SHSU Archives

Up close, the view was grim. Grisham remembers the front wall of Old Main collapsed before dawn.

The building’s interiors were mostly wood, which burned, turned to ashes, and blew away. Skeletal walls remained, teetering over a rubble of bricks, and beams, the collapsed bones of a quondam cathedral.

“It’s all gone,” SHSU President Elliott Bowers told The Houston Chronicle, “the spires, the stainedglass windows, the auditorium.” It was, he said, the “saddest day of my life.”

»

Susan Headrick Reiter

Susan Headrick Reiter

SHSU Archives February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

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SHSU Archives

The Structure Before the stained-glass windows were installed, before the spires were erected, before the auditorium was built, the structural concept was developing in the mind of architect Alfred Muller. Prussianborn, he immigrated to Galveston via Washington, DC and New York City, and, if his own advertisements are credible, he designed as many as 100 structures.

His body of work, according to one architectural guide, reflects “flashes of genius,” and, incontestably, one of those flashes was his 1890 design of Old Main.

The structure possessed many of Muller’s characteristic motifs, which, according to architectural historian Helen Mooty, included effusive “ornamental millwork,” “heavily embellished” surfaces, “beaded and turned spindles,” and “generous and impressive” entry stairs. With Old Main, Muller not only found a physical scaffold for his ideas, but he was provided a 22

SHSU Archives

budget ($40,000 in 1890 dollars), location (hilltop), and institutional setting (college campus) that afforded him the opportunity to express fully his mature architectural style.

Although Muller architectural plans

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

developed the for Old Main,

execution of the design was left largely to the “supervising architect,” Edward Northcraft. In fact, Muller was relieved of his official duties before the project was complete. Historian (and SHSU alumnus) Dan Utley suggests that the dispute involved the “integrity of the foundation,” but whatever the cause, it was Northcraft

who completed the design, and a decade later, he designed a (suspiciously) similar building at what was then Southwest Texas University.

The builders of Old Main were brothers George H. and J. A. Wilson, who constructed numerous courthouses in Texas. The structure, situated on a hill, with high ceilings, and seemingly sky-scraping spires, was imposing and created an impressive silhouette against the Huntsville

SHSU Archives

sky.

Professor of Architecture Willard Robinson praised Old Main’s picturesque massing, which he described as possessing “extraordinary pinnacles, steeppitched roofs, and pointed arches.” Dan Utley went further, noting that the building “set a standard for other elaborate public buildings to follow.”

The rapid technological and cultural changes of the 20th century, however, brought changes even to Old Main. The structure was equipped with electricity in 1913; the organ was removed

Dr. Ruth Thomas

sometime around 1925 to provide more space in the auditorium (this organ is now in the Peabody Library); Architect Harry Payne, who designed many structures in River Oaks and Huntsville, renovated the building’s exterior features, particularly along the roof and eaves; the ivy was removed in the 1950s, to prevent further damage to the building; and major renovations were made in 1966 to “modernize” the structure.

Unfortunately, the building wasn’t fully modernized. No sprinkler

»

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23

SHSU Archives

system, for example, was installed, and the electrical wiring was laughably problematic, so much so that people remember lights flickering in and out during stage performances. Joe Janczak, who, on February 11, 1982, stopped in Old Main at sunset to see the sun shining

through the stained-glass windows, remembers noticing “extension cords plugged into extension cords,” which he described as “a violation of basic electrical standards.” It was, according to many sources, a fire trap.

The fire, of course, was the most

SHSU Archives 24

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

massive and devastating change in the structure of Old Main, but it wasn’t the last. In the fire’s aftermath, University leaders explored building a new “Main Building,” using the Old Main design and incorporating a modern infrastructure.

This was rejected as too expensive, and,

instead, a memorial was designed on the original site, one that highlighted the building’s footprint and incorporated original elements salvaged from the ruins.

It is now typically referred to as “the Old Main Pit,” emphasizing, in sculptural or architectural terms, the negative space left by the absence of the once towering structure.

The absence of Old Main isn’t just a physical phenomenon. In the days after the fire, numerous students, citizens, and alumni sent in letters—some handwritten, some typed, some by telegram— expressing their sense of loss. Bill Hall described the news as a “great shock and

sadness”; Mac Woodward referred to it as a “tragic loss;” Kriss Brink likened it to someone stealing “a piece of my heart.”

All mentioned a sense of grieving or loss.

Frank Krystyniak, then the University’s Spokesperson, arrived early in the morning—possibly around 3am— and managed to hold his composure through dozens of media interviews and fact-gathering meetings. Later that day, however, while walking across campus, he noticed that there were an unusual number of pigeons flying around campus, and it dawned on him: “They had lost their nesting place. They didn’t know where to go.” Confronted with this poignant observation, his eyes filled with tears.

For a while, students may also have felt they didn’t have a place on campus. For more than nine decades, Old Main was the natural gathering spot for students, where they played frisbee, sat, conversed, flirted, and made friends. That happens much less frequently at the Old Main Memorial today, but the spirit of sociability and friendliness hasn’t departed or declined,

SHSU Archives

»

COLLEGE OF ARTS & MEDIA

y

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The Spirit

SPRING 2022

FEBRUARY Mass Communication A PRESENTATION BY OLYMPICS COMMENTATOR CAROL LEWIS February 3 | 3:30 p.m.

DRCB Room 301 Free Admission Art SENIOR PREVIEW EXHIBITION February 17 - 26 Satellite Gallery Free Admission

School of Music CONCERT BAND AND SYMPHONIC BAND CONCERT February 17 | 7:30 p.m.

Payne Concert Hall, GPAC School of Music WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT February 22 | 7:30 p.m.

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February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

25

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Mike Yawn

it has simply found new sites and means of expression. Mostly, it has moved eastward, toward the middle of campus, where the Blatchley Clock Tower reminds students that they are—following a welldocumented SHSU student tradition— late for class.

Today, many students and alumni attend events in one of the campus’s newer—and

presents

Mike Yawn

January 13th through February 27th at the

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26

most attractive—buildings: the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.

Each time they do, they strengthen University traditions, while also forging new memories, which, in turn, they will likely share with others in future years.

Renewal comes from rediscovery, too.

Four decades ago, Paul Culp sought solace after coming to work and seeing Old Main reduced to rubble. But in an eloquent letter to President Bowers, he suggested that in the face of such a “tragedy,” a restoration of Austin Hall

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

might bring forth a “new symbol of the University.” He observed that, “for the first time in nearly one hundred years, Austin Hall is visible from the…foot of the hill,” and he openly hoped that its renewed profile would again be recognized for its preeminence “both in age and in beauty among educational structures west of the Mississippi…”

Most on campus would agree that Austin Hall has fulfilled Culp’s hope and, in doing so, these onlookers are implicitly thanking those firefighters who, for 17 hours, fought and contained the flames of Old Main on February 12, 1982. Their efforts salvaged Austin Hall, allowing this building’s restored beauty to be seen on campus today—and from diverse vantage points across the community.

SHSU archivist Barbara Kievit-Mason was instrumental in providing information for this article, and she generously shared artifacts, photos, and knowledge about the University and Old Main.

Any person with Old Main artifacts—letters, photographs, bricks, histories, shards of glass, etc.—is encouraged to consider donating these to the SHSU Archives.

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My 8 year old in the car today: “Do you want me to throw the confetti in my pocket?”

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February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

27

Health Matters www.drjimshealthtips.com

By James W. Jones, MD, PhD, MHA

Get Confident that Betterment of Contentment is Triumphant Goals in life are important and should be sensibly thought out, because attaining one’s goals contributes to life gaining purpose. And just what should our personal goals be? Frequently, they involve several themes including family, occupation, and affluence. But I would suggest achieving contentment with your life should be right at the uppermost. Contentment means to be satisfied or even pleased and proud with what you have done, your status in the world, and your personal surroundings (including things, but most importantly PEOPLE).

Contentment is important to relaxing one’s lifestyle and brings about pleasurable states. It is important to rethink your surroundings and overall lifestyle periodically, especially in these troubling Covid times, and to realize that most

in the USA have an abundance of necessities to live a good life and be comfortable. MORE THAN ENOUGH. If one has contentment, it does not mean giving up ambitions.

Instead, it means focusing on the present, which is how you are presently living, and still having dreams for the future-but realizing dreams are imaginings. It does not mean being troubled that your present is not adequate. There are personalities which constantly need to have more. OH NO. Decide if you have enough. Realize most of us actually have more than enough! We all should be asking what the ideal life is for us. If you have

enough to eat, comfortable surroundings with people you care about who care about you, and have health sufficient to live a meaningful life, then your present is sufficient and you should recognize the sufficiency in your present-day.

Accepting your life is sufficient will allow you to receive contentment.

Don’t predetermine when your contentment will happen (such as basing your happiness on achieving certain goals and delaying it until the particular events happen). A good bit of our contentment becomes misplaced due to our childhood learning experiences. When positive happenings would occur, our parents or teachers would tell us to become pleased. Those teaching us focused on external dealings. But this behavioral arrangement limits the internal self from sustaining a pattern of contentment with our lives that makes our “self” a happier mostly satisfied person. In other words, don’t limit your satisfaction and internal rewards to future events which may not come about soon.

If you need to limit some considerations, limit negative thoughts.

Contentment tells your inner emotional determining self, “You may and should be HAPPY because your present-day situation is superb.” Also, avoid any and all “what if” considerations. Some of the saddest people I have ever met believed life should be fair on their terms. “I have been good, and I don’t know why this could have happened” is a commonplace renouncement. Morality confers rewards and punishments, but only in an offhand manner. Being a wonderful, giving person is good, but doesn’t protect bad drivers or good people from bad drivers. Trust in God and or good fortune, but lock your car.

28

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

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Star Students

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Kailyn Fisher Marco Solis

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Huntsville High School Favorite Movie: Princess and the Frog Favorite Music/Artist: Beyonce Favorite Food: Chicken Spaghetti

Favorite Movie: Rush Hour Favorite Music/Artist: Young Thug, Travis Scott, Don Toliver Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite Quote: “Forget yesterday, live for today. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

M

arco is a senior at Huntsville High School and is the son of Cruz and Alicia Solis. His activities include football, soccer, and Criminal Justice Club. He plans to attend Sam Houston State University to pursue a degree in criminal justice. Marco believes, “If you truly want something, then you have to first go get it.”

Stephanie Ruiz

Favorite Quote: “I came; I saw; I conquered.”

K

ailyn is a senior at Trinity High School and is the daughter of Donald and Leshia Fisher. Her activities include powerlifting, dance captain, track and field, softball, Beta Honor Society, and student council. Following graduation, she plans to attend college to major in business. Kailyn believes, “Always act from personal power.”

Kaelan Patel Huntsville High School

Trinity High School

Favorite Movie: Fast and Furious Favorite Movie: The Notebook Favorite Music/Artist: George Strait Favorite Food: Wings Favorite Quote: “You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” –Maya Angelou

S

tephanie is a senior at Trinity High School. Her activities include student council, FCCLA, HOSA, and powerlifting.

Following graduation, she plans to work in phlebotomy, while attending an 8-month program in Laredo, Texas for three certifications in the medical field. Stephanie believes, “Strive for what you want! Be happy!”

30

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Favorite Music/Artist: Post Malone and Lil Uzi Vert Favorite Food: Enchiladas Favorite Quote: “The process of becoming is better than being.

Set big goals and love the work that gets you to them. Even if you fall short, you’ll still be winning.” –Des Linden

K

aelan is a senior at Huntsville High School and is the son of Sheetal Patel and Ajay Patel. His activities include cross country, track, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, National English Honor Society, student council, and senior council. Following graduation, Kaelan plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree, attend medical school, then become a doctor with his own practice. He believes, “Don’t make excuses; make improvements.”

r

,

y, r

r ; February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

31

The Garden Post

By Kim Bius

Spring Preparation February in southeast Texas marks the beginning of rose season. It is also the prep month or “foundation” month for spring.

There is so much to do, address, plan, and put into action. It seems the “action” gear is the one many of us have the most problem with.

Gardeners are such fair-weather participants… if the weather is beautiful, we flood the local garden centers, like birds in migration; if it is brutally cold and wet, we look out the window and look at magazines or online. We have to chuckle; such is our nature. As we move into late January through early February, the “to do” list is large, and the following should help you decide which priorities you should address first in your landscape, because each is a bit different.

Planting time - Late winter is the best time to purchase and plant fruit trees, blueberries, grapes, blackberries, and roses. Selection is at its best during late winter. If you are looking for hard-to-find selections, look now. Roses and fruit trees require a full sun area (a minimum of direct, unfiltered sun on roses and 8 hours on fruit trees). Fruit trees and roses do not play well with clay soils, so prepare your area with 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 sandy topsoil, and 1/3 black humus, and raise the area 2”- 3” + above grade for added drainage. Correct

placement of “site” is 30% of successful fruit tree and rose production. For instance, pecan trees prefer rich, sandy river bottom land, and peach trees require excellent drainage but consistent watering.

Pruning time - Valentine’s Day is the target date for fruit tree and rose pruning. Fruit trees should be pruned 20%; thin out crossing branches for easy harvest and removal of dead wood. Roses should be pruned to 12” to 18” from the graft, with 3-5 main canes left only. Antique ramblers, pillar roses, and many hybrid climbing roses will bloom on last year’s wood; be careful, and do not prune old growth more than 20%, and remove dead wood.

Side shoots and crossing branches should be removed as well. Apply pruning paint to canes or limbs over 1.5” in caliber, and always prune directly above (1”) the outwardly facing bud and cut at a 45-degree angle. Sharp pruners are a necessity; Corona makes the best! If wood is diseased, please wipe blade in bleach or alcohol between cuts. Perennials, such as daylilies, hydrangea, mums, can be pruned to a few inches above the ground. If a late winter freeze is expected or winter is lingering, wait a few additional weeks.

Fertilization - Fruit trees and roses should be

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Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

planted with a good dose of root stimulator upon installation and again in 4-6 weeks. At this time, depending on the variety of plant, your regular fertilization schedule would begin. Roses are fertilized once a month through the growing season. The first fertilizer application on fruit trees is late winter before they break dormancy and new growth appears.

Basically, now! Fruit trees require .01 pounds of fertilizer per 1” of trunk diameter and a 3-12 ratio. Fertilome makes an excellent fruit and nut tree fertilizer.

Pest control - Dormant oil is an excellent choice for the gardener who is staying away from chemical applications. Dormant oil basically “smoothers” insects and fungi growth and works as a preventative. It is inexpensive and can be applied until full leaf out occurs.

Best Wishes for a bountiful spring.

Happy Gardening.

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What’s Cookin’ Breakfast in Bangkok Ingredients 2 carrots 1 Gala apple, peeled and quartered ¼ cup coconut milk ¼ tsp grated fresh ginger root

Directions Step 1: Run the carrots and apple through a juice extractor and pour the resulting juice into a glass.

Classic Slow Cooker Corn Chowder Ingredients

Step 2: Stir in the coconut milk and garnish with freshly grated ginger root.

3 cups milk 2 (14.75 oz) cans cream-style corn 2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chiles 2 cups frozen corn 2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes 2 cups cubed cooked ham 1 large onion, chopped 2 Tbs butter 2 Tbs hot sauce 2 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp chili powder salt and ground black pepper to taste

Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce Ingredients 2/3

Directions Step 1: Stir milk, cream-style corn, cream of mushroom soup, chopped green chiles, frozen corn, hash brown potatoes, ham, onion, butter, hot sauce, parsley, and chili powder in a slow cooker. Season with salt and black pepper.

Step 2: Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or on Low and for 6 hours.

Cook’s Note: I love to make this with bacon. I take 1 pound of bacon and brown, then crumble into the chowder towards the end.

cup hot pepper sauce

½ cup cold unsalted butter 1 ½ Tbs white vinegar ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 1/8

tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

Directions Step 1: Combine the hot sauce, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt in a pot and place over medium heat.

Step 2: Bring to a simmer while stirring with a whisk. As soon as the liquid begins to bubble on the sides of the pot, remove from heat, stir with the whisk, and set aside for use.

34

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Best Brownies Ingredients ½ cup butter 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup

unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp baking powder Frosting: 3 Tbs butter, softened 3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder 1 Tbs honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.

Step 2: In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Step 3: Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

Step 4: To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Stir until smooth.

Frost brownies while they are still warm.

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

Welcome to 2022... and the Rest of Your Life It happens every year about this time, and each time, many of us commit to being better, different, more organized, and disciplined. Sometimes we make some progress.

Too often, however, life gets in the way. Or we take, like water, the path of least resistance--the “easy or easiest” way.

I saw a quote last week: “The easy road feels good, but it’s a thief!” It steals our future, it keeps us from doing the things we must, to improve our health, whether spiritual, physical, or financial. And it keeps us from being what we were designed and called to be.

What are your goals? What do you really want for you and your family? Ultimately, that’s all that matters. Clearly you seek the guidance of a higher authority, but even that guidance comes with the freedom of choice, the freedom to act…or not, the freedom to succeed or fail, and maybe the most important: the freedom to choose the attitude and frame of mind in how you respond to any of the above.

In reading a financial report from a so-called expert last week, I was amazed at how many “bad” if not “cataclysmic” events he called upon to possibly impact us and our world in the very near future. According to him, “it” was all spinning out of control by forces beyond our control.

Contrasting the negativity, we also see so-called experts with all the “right” answers that will solve all your issues forever (currently hot real estate, crypto, or precious metals).

The menu of “hot stuff” cycles, but their exuberance for “do it now” never does.

Note: I’ve seen these guys and their missives and warnings for the 36 years we’ve celebrated being in this business. They are never as right as they insist they will be. At best or worse, an event is short-lived.

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February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

35

HAIR THINNING DUE TO COVID?

Sesame-Orange Beef & Veggie StirFry Ingredients 3 oranges ¾ cup water ½ cup long-grain brown rice ¼ cup low-sodium beef broth 2 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce 2 Tbs chili-garlic sauce 2 Tbs low-sugar marmalade 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

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Directions Step 1: Remove 1 tablespoon zest and 1/4 cup juice from 1 orange. Peel and section remaining 2 oranges.

Step 2: Bring water and brown rice to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.

Step 3: Stir together zest, orange juice, broth, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, marmalade, sesame oil, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk in cornstarch.

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Sudoku #1 5

8

2

9

6

5

6 9 7 4 3 1 1 5 6 8 2 3 7 4 9 2 1 8 3 7 4

7

3

4 1

1

6

9

5 2 4 3 8 6 8 9 5 2 7 4 9 2 7 8 3 1 6 7 9 5 4 3 5 8 2 1 6 9 4 6 3 7 5 8 1 5 6 9 2 2 7 3 8 4 1

Step 4: Coat a wok or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat Sudoku #3 over medium-high heat. Stir-fry 6beef 8 until 5 2 3 29 7 4 browned, to 31minutes.

9Transfer 7 2 to6a bowl.

4 1 Add 5 3 8 vegetable oil and carrot to the wok; stir-fry 5 1 3 8 9 7 4 6 2 for green onions 33 to2 4 5minutes.

4 6 Add 8 1 7 9 and bell pepper; stir-fry for 2 to 7 6 8 1 3 9 2 5 4 3 minutes more. Add garlic and 4 9stir-fry 2 seconds 1ginger; 7 5 6 8 3 for 30 more.

2

5

6 3 8 4

7

9

1

7

1

4

3

9

8

6

Step4 5:3 Return 8 2wok.

5 Stir 7 9 beef 1 to 6 the cornstarch mixture, then add to the 8 9 1 2 7 5 3 4 6 wok. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbling. Add orange sections; cook, stirring, Sudoku #5 for 1 minute more.

5

2

Step 6: Divide rice among 4 plates; 9top2with 3 beef 4 6 8 5and7 sprinkle 1 mixture 5with 6 7 seeds.

9 1 4 2 3 8 sesame

9 7 3 5 2 1 6 8 3 5 8 1 7 6 2 9 4 1 6 2 9 8 4 7 3 5 8 3 5 2 1 7 6 4 9 2 4 1 6 3 9 8 5 7 6 7 9 8 4 5 3 1 2 4

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Creative Corner

The Laundry Fairy

By Ryan Baker

Not long after I got married, the strangest thing started to occur. Every day, I would put my clothes in the hamper, and after a few days, they would appear back in the drawer clean and folded. It was utterly remarkable. Other things would find their way back home as well. Dishes placed in the sink would appear back in the cabinet, shoes, left in the living room, would be found in the closet later. It made no sense.

Now, I will say that I have heard of other men telling tales of magical laundry fairies or the like, but I never thought I would experience it. I had to figure out how to keep the laundry fairy around. I could not go back to a life of doing my own laundry. I knew too much.

I took steps to figure out what would keep the laundry fairy around. Flowers worked. Puppies also worked. Cooking dinner produced a coinflip of effects. if the dishes were too messy, the laundry fairy would not touch them. The same went for my clothes. Balance was key.

If there was an argument happening with the wife, the laundry fairy was also absent. Clearly, the laundry fairy would run away, scared of my wife. Therefore, keeping a calm head when discussing things with my wife would keep her calm as well, and keep the laundry fairy around.

The laundry fairy would also disappear if my wife left for an extended period of time, or if I had to go on a work trip or travel without my wife. That was the oddest part of it all.

I could only assume it was the flowers though, because I did not buy flowers for anyone but my wife. I had solved the mystery once and for all! Flowers keep laundry fairies around!

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39

Business Focus Story by Ruth Fields Photos by Gina Turner

Patient-First Dental Care

Tracy Buckner, Abby Newhouse, Shyra Livingston

When new patients arrive at Patient-First Dental Care for the first time, they are often surprised to discover there is no check-in paper to sign. Instead, they are greeted personally. “We like a different approach,” says Abby Newhouse, office manager. “We always provide a welcoming atmosphere. Once we get to know our patients, we greet them by their first names.”

It’s just one of many ways Patient-First Dental shows its commitment to patients’ dental health and well-being.

“The whole staff just makes you so comfortable,” one patient says.

40

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

“We always provide a welcoming atmosphere.

Once we get to know our patients, we greet them by their first names.”

Not a numbers game While some dentists might see dozens of patients per day, Dr. Gayle Fletcher has chosen a more focused approach. “We are not an insurance-driven office,” he says. “I want to treat you as a person, not as an insurance plan. It’s kind of like your physician back in the ‘60s. They knew who you were. It’s not a numbers game. It’s personal.”

Fletcher acknowledges that for some people, going to the dentist is frightening, and many people profess they hate to go to the dentist.

“This is a difficult job,” he says. “It’s tough knowing you are one of those folks no one wants to see.” To make it easier for his patients, Fletcher listens to their concerns,

strives to be empathetic, and tries to keep a light atmosphere in treatment rooms. “I have worked really hard to make sure my injection techniques are as painless as possible. I take my patients seriously. They put their trust in me, and I feel like I have to earn that every day,” he says.

“He is just a great dentist,” one patient says.

“He is there for you. He’s always available. I drive an hour and a half to come here. It’s not a dreaded experience. The whole staff is so professional and friendly. When you call, they call you back immediately.”

Many patients appreciate the fact that their dental work at Patient-First Dental Care is covered by a six-year warranty. If, for

example, a filling comes loose despite a patient’s ongoing dental health maintenance, there is usually no need for panic. If the work was completed within the past six years, the patient can recoup the original cost of the filling through Patient-First Dental’s third-party administrator. “So, even if a patient moves away, it goes with them,” Abby says. “They can use it at another dental office.”

Fletcher entered the field of dentistry via an atypical route. A member of a military family, he attended Department of Defense schools at U.S. Air Force bases in the U.S. and abroad.

After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Navy, where he became a nuclear power plant operator on submarines. He

February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

»

41

“Everyone here is like family. We have a very close-knit team”

began his collegiate studies after his Navy service, ultimately graduating from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio as a doctor of dental surgery. He then served on active duty in the U.S. Army as a dentist for four years, completing his military career in the Army Reserve. Now a retired lieutenant colonel, Fletcher has a heart for military reservists, and often helps them get required dental care so they can deploy with their units if needed.

A winning team Fletcher has nothing but accolades for his excellent staff. “I don’t know what we would do without the team,” he says. Many of the

Paige Kawszan, Hygienist

members of the Patient-First Dental staff have worked at the practice for years. “Everyone here is like family.

We have a very close-knit team,” says Amanda Chambers, who has been Fletcher’s dental assistant for 14 years— so long, she says with a laugh, that she can practically read his mind. “Everything is automatic for us,” she says. “We don’t talk much.”

While growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Amanda always had a calm demeanor.

She had a knack with animals and vividly remembers her neighbors asking her to help load their stubborn bull into a trailer. She was

Amanda Chambers, Dental Assistant

just seven years old. Over the years, many patients have also sensed her quiet nature and have come to appreciate her presence during dental procedures. She listens to them, “getting to the bottom of their fear,” she says.

“I have probably a dozen patients who request me because they are so fearful. They tell me I am very calming and soothing. I build trust and make them comfortable. If they need to hold my hand, they hold my hand.”

Although Amanda has worked for other dentists in the past, her highest praise is reserved for Fletcher. “He is the best dentist I have ever worked for, especially doing extractions. He makes sure he takes the tooth out in a way that’s not so aggressive,” she says.

She notes that Fletcher, a co-founder of Dental

Because Pets Are Family Too Quality Veterinary Care Dr. Gayle Fletcher

• Internal Medicine

Development Seminars, often travels to Guatemala to instruct dentists in surgical extraction techniques. “If I move anywhere else,” Amanda says, “I would fly back here to see Dr. Fletcher.”

Patients also appreciate Paige Kawszan, dental hygienist, who is known for her gentle touch during dental cleanings. Patients often tell her they’ve had rough hygienists in the past, and say, “I have never had such a gentle cleaning.” This pleases Paige, who enjoys helping people. “You can be gentle, but also effective at the same time,” she says. “I feel like I am a very sympathetic person. I care, and I want my patients to come back and see me. The mouth is the first pathway to the rest of your body. It helps you stay healthy— not just in your mouth, but systemically as well.”

For Paige, becoming a dental hygienist was a natural choice. Her mother once wanted to pursue a career in dental hygiene, but was unable to do so because of illness in the family. So, after graduating from

• Preventive Care

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Montgomery High School, Paige completed the dental hygiene program at UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, graduating with honors. Although she is making her mother proud and “living out her dream,” she is quick to acknowledge she loves her job. Not only does she get to help others, but she also gets to meet intriguing people.

“I learn a lot from my patients,” she says.

“They have jobs I’ve never heard of before.

It’s really interesting and really rewarding.”

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Patients are grateful for the helpful staff at the front desk, too, as well as other members of the Patient-First Dental team who work behind the scenes, including Fletcher’s

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“truly good, honest people you can trust”

wife Angela, who serves as the human resources coordinator for the practice.

“They know you by name, are super friendly, and are truly good, honest people you can trust,” one patient says. “We have used several dentists before we were referred to Dr. Fletcher, and will never use anyone else!”

Amanda

Patient-First Dental Care 1336 League Line Road, Suite 400 Conroe, TX For more information, visit its website: patientfirstdental.net or call 936-856-9969.

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POSTCARDS Magazine 44

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Things my Grandaddy said...

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Grandfathers know a lot. I know this, because I am a grandfather, and I feel like I know a lot of things.

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My grandfather is the king, my Dad’s the prince, I guess that makes me the butler.

One of the most powerful handclasps is that of a new grandbaby around the finger of a grandfather.

The sweetest sound to the ears of a grandfather is the endearing name his grandchildren give him. It not only conveys recognition, but also a depth of feeling expressed in no other way.

Together, we can... v improve your mobility and motion v reduce pain without medication in many cases v improve surgical outcomes

My grandfather was a wonderful role model.

Through him I got to know the gentle side of men.

A grandfather makes us laugh, makes us feel safe, and always makes us feel loved.

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February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

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www.willis-kwikkar.com 46

By Kim VanWagner, D.V.M.

Love and Affection Don’t limit the opportunity to celebrate love and affection to just Valentine’s Day. Let’s celebrate through the whole month of February. A lot of images we see and create in our minds about love and affection include our furry family members.

Did you know Valentine’s Day originated as a Christian feast day honoring an early Christian martyr named Saint Valentine that further developed through folk traditions?

Saint Valentine of Rome was imprisoned under the Roman Empire in the third century for ministering to persecuted Christians.

While in prison, he restored the sight to a blind daughter of his jailer. The Feast of Saint Valentine was set by Pope Gelasuis I in AD 496 to be celebrated on February 14 in honor of his death (which occurred on February 14th in AD 269).

Our affection for animals begins because we perceive them as being helpless and vulnerable. This natural affection we feel can be compared to the affection we feel for our children. Regardless of your feelings towards animals, humans have lived and worked closely with them for centuries. Some have cared for animals because they were needed for survival, especially in the earlier times. The bond we form with animals is reciprocated back.

Neuroscience has proven many animals possess the physiological attributes needed to enable them to experience love.

Pets form strong attachments to people who care for them confirmed by Daniel Mills, a British specialist in clinical animal behavior. Since attachment is a form of love, animals are therefore capable of loving their caregivers. Pets are non-judgmental and provide unconditional love, meaning, and joy to our lives. Relationships formed with pets can be emotional, psychological, and physical. Studies have proven that dopamine and serotonin levels (chemicals needed for happiness and relaxation) increase just by the simple act of petting your pet.

The hecticness of life sometimes gets in the way of us showing our pets the affection we want to (and even the affection they deserve).

Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition | February 2022

Honestly not a lot of extra time is needed to add to your already packed day to show your pets you love them. Making a few simple adjustments to your normal day can bring about big rewards for your relationship with your pet. Ways to show love and affection to your pet are endless. It can start first thing in the morning. Wake up 10 minutes early to take your dog for a quick walk versus just letting them outside. A brisk morning walk would benefit the both of you. Provide plenty of mental stimulation. Instead of a basic regular food bowl, use a puzzle bowl.

This will mentally stimulate your pet while they eat. Leave toys around the house or in the kennel if you’re able while you are away (especially interactive toys that can be stuffed with treats). For cats, hide treats or snacks around the house for them to hunt. Try gentle belly rubs or rubs behind the ears versus hugs or head pats. A brushing with a soft brush also feels great! Pay attention to praise. Offer a healthy treat or 30 seconds of love when they are doing something praiseworthy. Even if it’s for just resting calmly near you. Rules and boundaries help pets feel more safe and secure. Making some time for training can bring great rewards.

Studies have shown the importance and health benefits of expressing love and affection. For example, one study shows the amount of affection we express may affect our ability to cope with and recover from stressful events.

The act of expressing affection has been found to improve mental well-being, cardiovascular, metabolic, and sleep health, and stress reactivity. So as February is surrounded by talks of cupid, hearts, and love, remember a furry friend would be glad to receive your love and affection.

Wildlife Wonders THE AMAZING CARACARA

By Cheryl Conley

PHOTO CREDIT: This beautiful photo was taken by Robert Thompson in Montgomery County on January 3, 2022.

This is a bird I’ve never had the good fortune to see, even though their range is limited to Texas, Arizona and Florida. I’m talking about the crested caracara. They are beautiful birds, quite large and belong to the falcon family, but they are not typical in many respects to “true” falcons. They are about 22” in length and can have a wingspan of up to 4’. They have four areas of white: white in the tail, white on each wing, and on their neck. They have a large blue-grey bill with red a cere (a waxy fleshy covering at the base of the upper beak) and colorful facial skin. Amazingly, they have a patch of skin around their eyes, and they can actually change the color of the skin from pink to red-orange, and then to yellow if excited.

Their orange legs are long and thin with flat talons. They feed on insects, reptiles, large rodents, mammals, birds, and carrion. They’ve even been spotted chasing vultures away from roadkill, but they have to wait until the vulture has opened up the carrion, since they are unable to do it. They prefer to reside in open prairies and rangeland, which is perfect for searching for prey and nesting. They spend more time on the ground than they do flying.

There’s a little courtship routine they go through.

The male and potential female mate toss their

heads back and let out a guttural call. Once a mate is found, they stay together for life. Pairs and family groups will preen each other. They nest between 8 and 50 feet above ground at the top of a shrub, tree, or even cacti in Arizona, and usually return to it year after year. Their nest is made up of sticks, weeds, vines, and debris, and sometimes they’ll build it on top of an old nest of another species of bird. If this is the case, they have to do a little housekeeping and add some materials to the nest. If they start from scratch, it can take 2 to 4 weeks to build the nest, and both males and females work on it.

If you live in the Houston area, the best places to find this beauty are in the Katy area north of I-10 and east to Highway 290, Galveston Island, the Bolivar Peninsula, the Brazos Bend area, and south of Houston anywhere you see grasslands and open fields.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have listed the crested caracara as threatened due to population declines. This is mainly due to the loss of dry prairie habitat. Remember, it’s illegal to harass, harm, capture, or kill this bird.

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47

CALENDAR

February

10-27 San Antonio

Thru 20 Houston

Stock Show and Rodeo

“No One Owns Me”

sarodeo.com

adplayers.org

11-27 Conroe

Thru 27 Huntsville “12 Plus One” Exhibition

“The Drowsy Chaperone” crightontheatre.org

samhoustonmemorialmusuem.com

12 Sugar Land

3-5

South Padre Island SPI Kite Fest

Valentines with Patti La Belle & Friends

smartfinancialcentre.net

spikitefest.com

Matagorda County Fair and Livestock Show

Family and Faith International Film Festival

4-5

12-Mar 6 Bay City

Waco wacofamilyandfaithfilmfestival.com

College Station

matagordacountyfair.com

16-17 College Station

“Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”

“RENT” – 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour

mscopas.org

mscopas.org

4

18-19

Sugar Land

Brenham

Disney Princess – The Concert

smartfinancialcentre.net

5

Galveston

Hearth and Home Quilt Show friendshipquiltguild.weebly.com

18-Mar 1 Galveston

The Doo Wop Project in Concert

thegrand.com

Mardi Gras! Galveston galveston.com

9-21

Houston

19 Conroe

“South Pacific”

tuts.com

Go Texan Parade conroe.org

10

Lufkin

19-20

My Funny Valentine with Pat Hazell

angelinaarts.org

Humble Lake Houston Home & Outdoor Living Show lakehoustonhome.com

Due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus, some events may have schedule changes. 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.

22-Mar 20 Houston “Hamilton” houston.broadway.com

Sam Houston State University

COLLEGE OF ARTS & MEDIA PRESENTS

24-27 Beaumont Mardi Gras of Southeast Texas beaumontcvb.com

24-Mar 25 Corsicana Texas Artists Invitational Show and Sale pearcemuseum.com

CAM ARTIST SERIES TEXAS GUITAR QUARTET March 25, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.

Recital Hall, GPAC COSTANTINO MASTROPRIMIANO (Conservatory of Perugia, Italy) April 20, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.

Recital Hall, GPAC

27 Houston Gladys Knight beaumontcvb.com

28 Conroe Eagle’s Nest 15th Anniversary

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March 2

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Huntsville Sam Houston’s Birthday and Texas Independence Day Celebration huntsvilletexas.com

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February 2022 | Postcards Magazine: Lake Conroe Edition

49

Mustard Seed Moments

by Linda W. Perkins

A Lasting Impression It’s easy to wonder sometimes if a profession of faith made at a young age was the real deal. Maybe we have a prodigal child who has gone astray, or perhaps it’s our own life that has become a mess.

“God, I can’t see you anymore!” we cry, as we look at the darkness that seems to have taken over and replaced the light that was once there. We wonder where we went wrong, and we question whether we should hold out hope anymore for a life change. The layers and layers of mistakes seem too many to recover from.

children of God. We can have hope in knowing that, no matter how much has come after our salvation, we are still sealed by God’s grace in Christ Jesus. It is still there, underneath everything else. And when – in His time – God makes His mark visible again, it will seem even more beautiful sitting on top of the unique layers of our lives.

The answer to my questions were answered in an art class, as I learned about a process called gel printing. In it, an initial layer of paint is laid down in a pattern on a gelatin printing plate. Once that layer is dry, additional layers of colors can be added on top of it. The original pattern cannot be seen. Yet when the final layer of paint is applied and a piece of paper is laid on top of it and then pulled up, the very first layer is revealed once again on top of all the colors that once obscured it.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” – Ephesians 1:7

I realized God works in our lives like gel printing. When we are born again, we are sealed with God’s mark of salvation. Then as we continue on in our lives, we begin accumulating layers of life experience.

Sometimes those layers are transparent, allowing God’s light to shine through. Others may be dark or opaque, hiding our true nature as

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” – Ephesians 1:13

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