July 2013 Ellis County Living Magazine

Shopping Music Home Travel Law Health Medical

Living LM I Ellis County Living Magazine

Backyards 2013

July-August 2013/living-magazine.com

Your GATEWAY to HOMETOWN service and expertise

www.TheSchmidtGrp.com When you are looking for hometown service backed by expert, local professionals, turn to The Schmidt Group at Gateway Mortgage. Their Waxahachie office has over 90 years’ experience in the mortgage industry and best of all, they live and work right here in ELLIS COUNTY. The Schmidt Group promises you: • A community - first approach • Local underwriting and reliable closings • Service for a lifetime So whether you are purchasing a new home, considering refinancing or even seeking access to your home’s equity, they have the right solution to meet nearly any mortgage need.

Your Local Mortgage Team JEFF SCHMIDT - 817.681.7897 Regional Manager, RMLO 91368

TOM KER - 972.365.7022 Senior Loan Officer, RMLO 356892

NICK HESTER - 469.855.9262 Senior Loan Officer, RMLO 338108

TERRY WOOTEN - 214.949.9285 Senior Loan Officer, RMLO 224831

Office: 972.937.2200 | 100 Executive Court #3 | Waxahachie, TX 75165

Gateway Mortgage Group, LLC NMLS 7233

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WAXAHACHIE AUTOPLEX CONGRATULATES THE WISD TEACHERS OF THE YEAR WITH A SET OF WHEELS FOR THE SUMMER!

Above: Bobby Malatia, Internet Director for Waxahachie Autoplex, with Megan Mills, Secondary Teacher of the Year Below: Samantha Kosoris, Rookie of the Year, with her Jeep Wrangler

WISD TEACHERS OF THE YEAR: Samantha Kosoris - Rookie of the Year (Jeep Wrangler) Megan Mills - Secondary Teacher of the Year (Ford Edge) Debbie Davis - Support Staff of the Year (Chrysler 300) Holly Reid - Elementary Teacher of the Year (Ford Flex)

888-275-7858

I-35 and HWY 287 in Waxahachie www.waxahachieautoplex.com

Tuesday-Saturday 11AM-7PM

Waxahachie Civic Center Presents the

10th Annual Bridal Extravaganza

September 15th, 2013 Waxahachie Civic Center 12 P.M. - 4 P.M. Admission $3 Per Person Events S Groom’s Wedding Ring Pull S Fashion Show S Groom’s Lounge S Spring Wedding Ceremony Giveaway

Brides Preregister

Today and Receive: S 2 Free Tickets to Bridal Show S 2 Sheets of Registry Labels S Entry into Groom’s Ring Pull

For more information: 469.309.4040 | www.waxahachieciviccenter.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS 38

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2013

BacKYaRDS: iS YoUR YaRD THe Haven iT SHoUlD Be?

MARIE Q PHOTOGRAPHY

20

12

cHecK oUT THe laTeST in local FaSHion!

FASHION Summer Fashion 12 choosing the Right Suit 16 Summer Style cheat Sheet 18

LIFE & STYLE going out With a Bang 20 Raise a glass to the Texas Hill country 22 noteworthy novels 24 The grill next Door 26 a mother’s Tale: Facing Fears 28 Wish Upon a Paw 30 Tales of the orient 32

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TiPS FoR YoUR WeDDing

JULYAUGUST HOME & GARDEN Backyard Bliss 38 Raise it Up 44 For the Birds 48 Perfectly Potted 50 July/august Plants 52

MEDICAL coping with Tragedy 56 a compound Solution 58 life can be Tough to Swallow 60 Hospitalists 62 The new World of Dentistry 64 arguing with alzheimer’s 66

*

CINDY BURCH:

Risky Business 68

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Living

ELLIS COUNTY

MAGAZINE

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 4 PUBLISHER CINDY CAMP CREATIVE DIRECTOR JENNIFER KEMP EDITOR KATHRYN KEMP ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR LINDSEY KEENEY ADVERTISING PAMELA MCCRORY NOEL HARRIS CFO SUSAN KOSORIS INTERN TRISTA MCCORMICK

What’s your favorite thing about summer?

My favorite thing to do in the summer is swim. I love the water. I grew up going to surfside beach in Freeport, Texas.

Either my family camped on the beach or stayed in a beach house so we could play. Now I’m happiest floating in a pool surrounded by family or by myself. I can dream and think of creative hobbies that I would like to do. Yes, I’m a daydreamer. Any time I have off, I’ll head to the beach!

- Cindy Camp, Publisher

The smell of summer. It reminds me of cookouts, lightning bugs, the Fourth of July and birthdays, all of which I love!

- Jennifer Kemp, Creative Director

I love laying by the pool and reading good books, then jumping in when I inevitably get too hot!

- Kathryn Kemp, Editor

A special thanks to all of our contributing writers.

Ellis County Living Magazine is published bi-monthly

by ECL Media, Inc.© using only environmentally friendly ink.

Copyright 2013, ECL Media, Inc.© All rights reserved.

For advertising information, please contact Ellis County Living Magazine at 972.935.0938 or info@living-magazine.com.

We are proud members of the Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian and Red Oak Chambers of Commerce.

No portion of Ellis County Living Magazine shall be reprinted in any other publication without permission.

The views expressed herein should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult your physician.

Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter! facebook.com/EllisCountyLiving pinterest.com/eclivingmag twitter.com/ECLiving

Guarantee you’ll receive Ellis County Living Magazine by subscribing today!

Go to www.living-magazine.com and click on “subscriptions.”

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LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JULY-AUGUST 2013

My favorite thing about summer is vacation!

- Lindsey Keeney, Associate Creative Director

Summer...fun, hot and beautiful gardens!

- Pamela McCrory, Advertising Representative

My favorite thing about summer is getting to spend time on the water!

I always look forward to boating on the lake and floating the river!

- Noel Harris, Advertising Representative

Summer favorites for me are outdoor grilling, Rangers games, ice cold watermelon and a trip to Santa Fe! - Susan Kosoris, CFO STAFF PHOTOS TAKEN BY MARIE Q PHOTOGRAPHY COVER PHOTO BY THIBAUT | THIBAUTDESIGN.COM

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{ aRoUnD ToWn { A LOT IS HAPPENING IN ELLIS COUNTY...

eDiToR’S noTe ahh, sweet summertime. a time for baseball, boats, swimming pools, vacations, snowcones, and the list goes on. While even just the thought of stepping outside most days can make you sweat, the sunshine and lingering feeling of school breaks are bound to bring on the smiles and good times.

This issue is the Backyards issue, and we’ve learned so much about what goes into a really great backyard. Flip through the pages to learn all about innovative ways to plant your garden, arrange your outdoor space and even attract some feathered friends to your backyard. if you’re looking for something fun to do this summer, check out the recipes and tips for the perfect backyard gathering, or think about volunteering as you read the nonprofit article. if you feel like getting away, read up on a great weekend trip to Fredericksburg, or really get away as you learn all about a trip to china.

Up next we have the Wedding issue, and we’re already talking to lots of brides and vendors to showcase some great local weddings. if you know of a recent or upcoming wedding, email me about it at editor@living-magazine.

Have a great summer!

MIDLOTHIAN SENIOR CITIZENS FOOD PANTRY FUNDRAISER

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3 6 p.m. midlothian iSD multi-Purpose Stadium entertainment, children’s activities and concessions, including barbecue sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, cookies and drinks, all benefitting the Senior citizens Food Pantry. at 9:30, someone will be singing the Star Spangled Banner as the citizen’s national Bank fireworks show begins.

WILDFLOWER & BIRD WALK

MONDAYS: JULY 15, AUGUST 5 & 19 9 to 11 a.m. mockingbird nature Park 1361 onward Rd., midlothian members of the indian Trail chapter of the Texas master naturalist Program lead wildflower and bird walks the first and third monday of July & august. The event is free, and you are asked to bring water and binoculars. it will be cancelled in the incidence of rain.

“A WORLD OF COLOR” 2013 ELLIS COUNTY QUILT SHOW

JULY 21-22 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1 community circle, midlothian over 100 quilts, judged quilts & wearable art show, vendors, scissor man, quilt appraisals, silent auction for charity and more, all presented by the creative Quilters guild

of ellis county. For more information, visit elliscountyquilters.com.

THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING RING WAXAHACHIE COMMUNITY THEATRE JULY SHOWCASE-KIDS JULY 26-28 7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2:30 p.m. Sun. SagU campus – mccafferty Hall 1200 Sycamore, Waxahachie Tickets go on sale July 8. visit waxahachiecommunitytheatre.com.

MIDSUMMER PARTY

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 Doors open at 5 p.m.

Sokol clubroom, 2622 e. Hwy 34, ennis live music by The moravians with room for dancing. There’s no cover charge, but bring a covered dish or snack if you’d like. learn more at sokolennis.com or call 972.875.7959.

30TH ANNUAL ENNIS CHAMBER AUCTION BOOTS N BLUEBONNETS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 Doors open at 5 p.m.

Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $45 per person or $320 per table of 8 and include dinner, entertainment, live & silent auctions, raffles and games. contact the chamber at 972.878.2625 or email mary@ennis-chamber.com.

FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY looking to amp up your skincare routine? Jennifer collier, a local Rodan + Fields representative, wants you to see what the company’s products are all about and is offering TWo samples each of the ReDeFine mulit-Function eye cream (valued at $59) and the ReDeFine night Renewing Serum (valued at $89), both part of the product line aimed at reducing the appearance of lines, pores and loss of firmness. visit rodanandfields.com to learn more about the products, and “like” us on Facebook at facebook.com/elliscountyliving to be entered to win! Throughout august, we’ll pick a winner from our Facebook fans each week, meaning FoUR chances to win! Reach Jennifer collier directly at 214.926.8666.

For updates and chances to win free stuff, be sure to “like” us on Facebook and visit our blog at www.living-magazine.com.

Do you have an event you want everyone to know about?

Send an e-mail to: EDITOR@LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM

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Members of the Waxahachie Downtown Merchants Association:

WAXAHACHIE CRAPE MYRTLE FESTIVAL & DRIVING TRAIL

JULY 3 Concert & Fireworks at the Waxahachie Sports Complex JULY 4 Parade downtown at 10 a.m.

JUNK IN THE TRUNK SALE SATURDAY, JULY 13 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Downtown Waxahachie

HISTORIC WAXAHACHIE, INC. ICE CREAM SOCIAL SATURDAY, JULY 13 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Downtown Waxahachie

SUMMER MOONLIGHT MOVIES – THE BLIND SIDE

SATURDAY, JULY 13 9 p.m.

Downtown Waxahachie Bring lawn chairs or blankets.

Concession stand on-site.

Admission to movie is FREE to the public. Sponsored by the City of Waxahachie Main Street Program. Call 469.309.4111 for more information.

SINCE 1850

SUMMER MOONLIGHT MOVIES – THE AVENGERS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 9 p.m.

Downtown Waxahachie Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Concession stand on-site. Admission to movie is FREE to the public. Sponsored by the City of Waxahachie Main Street Program.

Call 469.309.4111 for more information.

CHECK IT OUT

We can decorate your outdoor living area along with the rest of your home. Come check out our large supply of in-stock fabric or order from fabric samples.

212 S. Rogers St. • Waxahachie 972.938.2403 CheckItOutFabrics.net

CROOKED CREEK FARMS “Waxahachie’s Unique Antique Experience” Come junk with us!

Store Hours: Fri & Sat 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sun 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

510 W. Main Street • Waxahachie 214.463.5169 510antiques.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALL OF THE FUN THINGS GOING ON IN DOWNTOWN WAXAHACHIE, VISIT...

WWW.DOWNTOWNWAXAHACHIE.COM

Beads n Bling Buffalo Creek Cowgirls Catfish Plantation Check It Out Cherics Antiques Citizens National Bank of Texas College Street Printing College Street Restaurant & Pub Common Threads Quilting Crafty Scrapper Crooked Creek Farm Dan’s Maintenance Service Ellis County Art Association Ellis County Living Magazine Ellis County Museum Inc. Frank’s Urban Collection Gingerbread Antique Mall Glenn’s Warehouse Carpet Gran’s Antiques Happy’s Furnishings Inc. Hodge Podge KBEC 1390 Klassy Klutter Martha Nell’s Clothes Tree Maxwell’s Jewelry Mosaic Madness NAPA Auto Parts/Marine Pool Supply Old Town Village Antiques & Uniques Pearman Oil & LP Gas Inc. Plain Jane & Co Salon Friends Sandra’s Dazzling Jewelry The Boyce Feed & Grain Corp The Doves Nest Restaurant & Gifts Tina Bohlman Gallery Tire Town

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Downtown SHOPPING

FREE

Parking Garage

kson and Jefferson at the corner of Jac

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Take Me Out to the Ball Game Firecra

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TanK, Boyce Feed $33.99 • miSS me SHoRTS, Briarpatch $87 • Bag, chic Boutique $85 • HeaDBanD, Plain Jane $12.99 • SUnglaSSeS, Boyce Feed $18.99 • SanDalS, chic Boutique $27.95 • moRoccanoil Frizz control

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cker

Backyard Bash DReSS, Plain Jane $28.99 • necKlace, Stella & Dot $39 • eaRRingS, Plain Jane $12.99 • SanDalS, chic Boutique $21.95 • SUnglaSSeS, Briarpatch $125 • BRaceleT, Boyce Feed $9.95 • maRY KaY True Dimensions lipstick, Firecracker * items labeled Stella & Dot from living magazine contributing writer lindsay markert. Find more at www.stelladot.com/lindsayjmarkert

If you’ve ever picked up a women’s magazine, you’re probably familiar with the different body shapes.

PingFaSHionSTYleacceSoRieSSUmmeR UmmeRSHoPPingFaSHionSTYleacceSo acceSoRieSSUmmeRSHoPPingFaSHion acceSoRieS SHoPPing Modern Muse

Perfume Sweet

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On The Beach Out and About

ToP, chic Boutique $26.95 • SHoRTS, Briarpatch $88 • HaT, chic Boutique $10.95 • FliP FloPS, Briarpatch $32 • SUnglaSSeS, Briarpatch $85 • ToTe, Briarpatch $65 • maYBelline color Show nail lacquer, Sweet clementine

ToP, The Doves nest $28.95 • miSS me JeanS, Briarpatch $88 • ToTe, chic Boutique $82.95 • WeDgeS, chic Boutique $36 • BRaceleT, Stella & Dot $79 • eaRRingS, The Doves nest $12.95 • eSTee laUDeR Perfume, modern muse living-magazine.com // JUlY-aUgUST 2013

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PLAIN JANE 4 FOR $7.99

THE DOVES NEST

THE DOVES NEST

BOYCE FEED $18.99 CHIC BOUTIQUE $16.95

CHIC BOUTIQUE $30

Beaded Beauty STELLA & DOT $39

BRIARPATCH $90

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PLAIN JANE $12.99

PingFaSHionSTYleacceSoRieSSUmmeR UmmeRSHoPPingFaSHionSTYleacceSo INDIAN acceSoRieSSUmmeRSHoPPingFaSHion SUMMER THE DOVES NEST $12.95

BOYCE FEED $29

BRIARPATCH $34

BEADED BEAUTY CHIC BOUTIQUE $28.95

PLAIN JANE $12.99

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THE DOVES NEST $32

BRIARPATCH $65

STELLA & DOT $69

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FASHION { SHOPPING }

BODY-CON: The Best Swimsuits for Your Shape It’s every woman’s tiniest piece of clothing, but it causes the most trouble— and tears.

Here’s how to shop for a swimsuit and bypass all the ones that clearly aren’t right for you.

If only we could employ this trick while dating, we’d save a lot of heartbreak.

Pear Shapes THE PITFALLS: You need a swimsuit to flatter both your top and your bottom.

THE TRICKS: Steer clear of boy shorts, which will only make you look wider, and don’t be afraid to mix and match sizes. (You could be a 4 up top and a 10 on the bottom— swimsuits are not one-size-fitsall.) Try solids on the bottom and go crazy with prints on the top.

This helps to balance out your assets. or try a black bottom and a solid, lighter color on top. For a longer, leaner look, try high-cut bottoms, but steer clear of the string bikini bottoms, which will only emphasize your thighs.

Apple Shapes THE PITFALLS: Tankinis tend to ride up, and belly-baring bikinis aren’t doing you any favors, either.

THE TRICKS: one-pieces don’t have to be matronly—just make sure you have the right size. Trick the eye with low-cut v-neck tops, halters, ruching or a high-cut leg— all these attributes draw attention away from your middle.

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Hourglass Shapes THE PITFALLS: You have the ideal figure for a bikini so the only thing to keep in mind is to make sure you have enough support up top, and that the bottoms don’t fall off or ride up.

THE TRICKS: Try a halter bikini top that will lift and support your bust. if you are blessed in the chest area, look for a suit with thicker straps—you can get the sexy vibe going by choosing a one-piece with a deep v.

Find This Article

WEAR THIS NOW From Michelle Madhok, founder of SHEFINDS MEDIA and publisher of shefinds.com, Wear This Now is a full guide offering tips on what to wear and how to shop for EVERY occasion.

Big Busts

Rectangle Shapes

THE PITFALLS: it’s hard to find a suit with enough support to feel comfortable on the beach. So many styles are too flimsy or too revealing, leading to sagging and spillage that’s not so hot.

THE PITFALLS: You have a va-va-voom look in mind, but your lack of womanly curves makes you feel more like a teenage boy, or worse, a SpongeBob SquarePants look-alike.

THE TRICKS: if you want to go onepiece, look for swimsuits that have a form-fitting waist with a dark stripe around your middle. This will give the illusion of curves. Bikini bottoms with ruffles or side ties will help your hips look fuller and offset your lack of a defined waist. To add more oomph to your bust, look for tops with patterns and details like studs or chains.

and More Helpful Tips Here!

THE TRICKS:

Plus Sizes THE PITFALLS: many plus-sized swimsuits have high necks, low-cut legs and large prints that stretch out—not cute.

THE TRICKS: Try pleated, ruched suits, small graphic prints and tankinis that are solid on bottom and printed on top to trick the eye into seeing a slim line. Stripes can look cool on every body type, as long as they’re vertical or angled, not horizontal, which will only make you look wider.

Wrap styles, just like the dresses, create a thinner waist—you’ve got to try it. if you want to wear a bikini, go with thicker straps and make sure you tie the halter correctly to support your bust.

go for cups big enough to hold you in with wider bands to give you the support you need. a tie in the back is better than those clasps that can break or bend. Steer clear of triangle tops, ruffles or high necklines (ahem, uni-boob). For the best support, choose an underwire or a haltertop. Solid, jewel-tone colors tend to be best for this body type.

Petites THE PITFALLS: many petite swimsuits for small busts are created with tons of synthetic padding—not only is it itchy and uncomfortable, it’s also noticeable after you take a dip.

THE TRICKS: Try underwire. You’ll get a lift and some shape, without flattening you out or adding an artificial pad. Don’t be afraid of details like ruffles, beading and pleats—they add some va-vavoom to your look by bulking up your bust and creating balance. Be wary of bandeau styles—while they’re cute, they can make you look flatter.

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19

WEDDING

MARIE Q PHOTOGRAPHY

{ PLANNING }

MARIE Q PHOTOGRAPHY

Going Out With a Bang

BY TERESA CHOATE

As I start to write the article for this issue, I am thinking about all the outdoor ceremonies and receptions that happen in our great state of Texas. Outdoor ceremonies and receptions are occurring nearly year round with the wonderful weather our state has. Many couples are choosing outdoor venues because they can offer larger space than an indoor event and are not as sterile as some of the indoor venues.

Photography usually has limitless opportunities for an awesome wedding album. Here are a few tips if an outdoor event is chosen: While selecting your venue, decide if you would like an outdoor ceremony and reception, or an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception (or the opposite). Many venues offer both ceremony and reception. I have coordinated many church ceremonies and then outdoor receptions that were beautiful and fun, still offering the outdoor photography opportunities at the reception site.

A FUN COCKTAIL HOUR IN WARMER TEMPS: popsicles in a pretty clear glass and Champagne poured on top.

20

While selecting your venue, always ask about a plan B, just in case of weather issues. Is there a covered area? Are tents allowed, or is there enough space for a tent? If tents are needed for the plan B, what size is required to accommodate your guest count? Will the cost of the plan B tent fit into your planned budget or emergency budget? Also note, a last minute tent can be difficult to locate on a highvolume event date. A hold can be placed on a tent with a deposit. The deposit is not always refundable or there may be a cancellation fee involved.

LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JULY-AUGUST 2013

When selecting your vendors, make sure they know your venue is outdoors, as some vendors do not work outdoor events. Plus, while planning they will need to accommodate for warmer weather or cooler temperatures. For example, depending on the bakery, buttercream icing may not be a good option for an outdoor event if the cake is in an open area. Or if the bakery stores the cake in the cooler during the week, the cake may sweat and tend to melt. Chocolate does not do well if the cake has been in the cooler and then brought to an outdoor reception. If chocolate icing is a must, you may opt for cupcakes. There are several professional cake bakers that know how to handle the warmer temperatures, just make sure you ask the questions. Again, please let your cake person know that your reception will be outside and what the perimeters are, as this will also affect delivery time for the cake.

The musicians or DJs usually require a covered area for their setup and bands will have electrical requirements. The caterer may need to prepare more by bringing more ice and more nonalcoholic beverages in warmer temperatures. For cooler temperatures, you may want to serve a couple of warm beverages; a coffee bar, hot chocolate or hot apple cider are always fun ways to celebrate the cooler weather of the season.

When planning the design and decor of your event, it is important to keep in mind the outdoor elements. Is the altar area or the reception in the sun or a high wind area during setup, pre-ceremony photography, or during the event? This will determine what type of flowers your designer will use and if your decor will need a water source. A gorgeous design is still possible, the designer just needs to be aware of the location so they can be prepared.

In your invitation, you should let your guests

know that your event will be outdoors so they can be prepared to wear the appropriate attire.

Bring a jacket if needed for cooler temperatures, possibly lower heeled shoes for the ladies or maybe leave the suit jacket at home for gentlemen in warmer weather. It is also good information if the guests are bringing children so they will be prepared for the kiddos too.

In warmer temperatures, please have water ready to offer guests as they arrive and during the ceremony. We have offered frozen damp cloths; we put them into a cute monogrammed galvanized tub and the guests were able to refresh with these. An updated version of “misters” and porta-coolers are available to rent if you need to cool down an event space, as well as patio heaters for the cooler weather events.

We have had a basket of small fleece blankets in the wedding colors to offer guests in cooler temperature ceremonies and receptions.

Many times, someone’s lovely property will be offered for the ceremony or reception. This is such a loving gesture, just keep in mind that creating a venue can end up being quite expensive. A few things to keep in mind that will be needed: tables, chairs, linens, tents, lighting, restrooms, parking, electricity, altar site, budget for all the rentals and time and help for all the setup and the often-forgotten tear down and rental returns.

Outdoor ceremonies and receptions are lovely and certainly enjoyed by all, and the photography captured is fabulous. Just plan accordingly to avoid unneeded stress the week of or day of the event. As always, if you have any questions or need advice feel free to contact me.

Happy Planning, Teresa Choate The Bride’s Rep - 972.935.3478 teresachoate@aol.com

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LIFE & STYLE

{ DRINKS }

RAISE A GLASS TO THE

Texas Hill Country

BY SUSAN KOSORIS

Looking for a fun getaway close enough to drive and thus avoid hassling with airports? A weekend outing to the Texas Hill Country is my favorite and one that my husband and I try to do at least once a year. Good food, great wine, beautiful scenery, picturesque drives with animals and birds, and shopping – what more could you ask for? We have been at various times of the year, but this year we chose to go in early May. My brother-in-law and his wife went with us, and since they live in Temple, that determined the route we would take.

We left Temple, drove through Killeen and Lampasas and turned south on US 281, making our usual stop at the kitschy Bluebonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, famous for blue plate specials and a dozen or more kinds of pies, made fresh daily. The meringue pies are about 6 inches tall and never fail to amaze.

Stuffed with carbs and sugar, we moved quickly on to the main business at hand – visiting vineyards and tasting wines. For a few dollars, you can get a small taste

of a “flight” or grouping of usually six to eight wines – most vineyards allow you to choose which ones you’d like to try to customize your tasting. Our first stop is always the delightful small TEXAS HILLS VINEYARD in Johnson City, which features a nice selection of different varietals, including our favorite, Kick Butt Cab. They also have a decent Pinot grigio, a tasty Sangiovese and a variety of sweeter wines for those who lean in that direction. A wide front porch and some unique yard art provide a lovely view of the vines if you decide to buy some cheese and crackers and hang out for awhile.

Next we turned west and head toward Fredericksburg. About 25 minutes down the road in Stonewall, we arrived at the wonderful little inn where we’d be staying the next two nights, Rose Hill Manor. A Four Diamond luxury inn, Rose Hill features little cottages as well as handsome rooms in the two main buildings. Gorgeous views of gardens near the lodging areas and vast expanses of open hill country beyond make you feel relaxed and content. A four-course gourmet dinner is always a delicious treat, and a multi-course breakfast is served in the same venue, offering views of deer, llamas, jackrabbits, sheep, cattle and various birds often glimpsed from the table.

After checking in to our lovely rooms in the carriage house, we walked down a boardwalk path to the nearby excellent winery, PEDERNALES CELLARS. Their Vino Blanco, a pleasant, all-purpose white, is always refreshing, but the

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LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JULY-AUGUST 2013

spicy smoothness of the Tempranillo Reserve is my favorite. The Ruby NV, a nice little port, goes well with their housemade cinnamon brittle. Pedernales Cellars has a large tree-covered deck and often has entertainment on the weekends.

Fortunately, there is still time for another winery before we have to get ready for dinner. The Tuscan-style TORRE DI PIETRA on the way toward Fredericksburg fits the bill. The winery grows 10 grape varietals in their own vineyards located in the Hill Country, and the wines have a nice complexity of flavors. My favorite whites are the Texas Dirty Girl, a Chardonnay with a slight effervescence, and the Chenin Blanc, a dry white with notes of citrus and a lingering finish. In the reds category, Amore de Tuscano is a great all-around drinking red and would go well with most foods. Their Sangiovese is a medium-bodied red with great flavor and a beautiful dark red color, perfect with cuisines with some spice. Like most vineyards now, Torre has several sweet wines and ports from which to choose as well.

Several new vineyards have opened since our last visit, and on Saturday we tried a couple we were not impressed with, but discovered the quality INWOOD ESTATES VINEYARDS. The interesting fact here is that some of their grapes are grown in the North Texas area. We enjoyed several of their excellent but fairly pricey wines – a lovely Chardonnay and the Tempranillo-Cabernet blend were our favorites.

Our final stop for the afternoon was the popular BECKER VINEYARD, a huge vineyard with two large tasting areas, one inside and one out. The place was packed, but we managed to find a place at the outside bar and get down to tasting the wines. The vineyard cat wound his way through the crowd and fell in love with my purse, so I had petting duties along with tasting the great wines.

Becker wines are widely available in our area, but what’s fun at the vineyard is to taste and purchase wines that are not available anywhere else. I love the Reserve Viognier, a medium white with flavors of apricot and vanilla, the Culinaria, a blend of Cabernet franc, Merlot and Malbec, and the Raven, their flagship red wine that is a blend of Petit Verdot and Malbec with a hint of spice and a velvety smoothness. Music is often an added bonus on summer weekends, and you can spend the afternoon in one of the many shaded porch and gazebo areas.

Sunday after breakfast and check-out,

we went to do some scenic touring via the Willow City Loop Drive. Rated one of the best wildflowers drives in the state, the 21-mile loop did not disappoint. On the way back to Fredericksburg, be sure to stop and view the 425-foot tall pink granite Enchanted Rock at the State Natural Area of the same name. Legend states Tonkawa Indians named the rock batholith, believing a Spanish conquistador cast a spell on it, making magical ghost fires glow at the top.

net Sauvignon, which is a red Bordeaux Meritage aged 12 months in oak barrels.

Back in Fredericksburg, we turned south on Old San Antonio Road to our next stop, the Old Tunnel State Park. If you plan your trip in the evening from May-October, you can watch the public nightly viewing of three million bats emerging from their home in the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area.

Travel Notes: There are many choices of places to stay in the area, from campground sites to hotels and bed-andbreakfasts. Bus tours of the vineyards can be reserved for those that don’t want to drive themselves. Three or four times a year, there is a themed wine trail with participating vineyards offering one fee for all the tastings, snacks at each vineyard and sometimes giveaways. At the Christmas-themed trail, for instance, you receive a grapevine wreath and each vineyard gives away a special ornament.

SISTER CREEK VINEYARDS, located in an 1885 restored Cotton Gin, allows you to walk through and tour the historic building and sample their wines.

My favorite here is the 3-Blend Caber-

There are many other interesting things to see and do in the area, all of which we have enjoyed at one time or another, including the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site and the lovely Pedernales Falls State Park. For now we head back north, with great memories (and several wine bottles) of a perfect Texas weekend adventure.

✪

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✪

✪

TEXAS HILLS VINEYARD

PEDERNALES CELLARS

TORRE DI PIETRA

INWOOD ESTATES VINEYARDS

BECKER VINEYARDS

SISTER CREEK VINEYARDS

BARBERA

VINO BLANCO

TEMPRANILLOCABERNET

TEMPRANILLO RESERVE

3-BLEND CABERNET SAUVIGNON

PARADA

LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JULY-AUGUST 2013

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R&R { {

LIFE LIFE&&STYLE STYLE

{ BooKS }

Noteworthy Novels BOOK REVIEWS FROM THE RED OAK BOOK CLUB CALICO JOE

THE END OF YOUR LIFE BOOK CLUB

BY JOHN GRISHAM

BY WILL SCHWALBE

Reviewed by Jackie lozada This is not the typical John grisham novel.

For one, it is not the legal thriller he is known for. Second, it is about baseball. mr. grisham has written a baseball book that is not bogged down with stats and hard-to-decipher baseball lingo. instead, it’s a short novel about baseball and forgiveness. it’s the story of three men in the summer of 1973 and again 30 years later.

Joe castle, aka “calico Joe,” is the best baseball player the cubs and major league Baseball have ever seen. calico Joe is called up in the summer of 1973 and quickly becomes the idol of every baseball fan in america, including Paul Tracey, an 11-year-old baseball fan. Joe castle is Paul’s hero. He roots for him but is careful never to let his dad know. life is hard for Paul, having a father who is a baseball player, mets pitcher Warren Tracey, also a drunk and abusive. When you are an 11-year-old boy, the summer should be about baseball and friends, not a drunken father who is past his prime and takes out his misery on you.

Then, one summer day in 1973, Warren throws a pitch that will change all of their lives forever. He’s always got something to prove, whether it’s teaching your kid to throw a pitch or teaching a rookie not to show you up. i’m a baseball fan and always enjoy when baseball is part of a book, but even if this book had been about another sport, it would be stellar. mr. grisham hits a homerun with this one.

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Reviewed by marlice Peabody

THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY: A NOVEL

BY RACHEL JOYCE Reviewed by Rob Shamel i’ve always enjoyed books that include a map of a character’s progress/journey, and “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” by Rachel Joyce is no exception. at the onset, Harold receives a farewell letter from an old acquaintance recently admitted to a hospice in northern england.

Harold decides to write back, and while posting the letter he makes an unexpected choice, leading him on a unique walk to say the least. all throughout the trip, we learn multiple aspects of Harold’s life and his interesting supporting cast, with just enough questions lingering to make the reader curious as to why Harold decides to step out of his box on the way to the mailbox.

This was an enjoyable read on multiple levels.

What is a Book club? it depends upon whom you ask? and when you ask them? Before i read “The end of Your life Book club” by Will Schwalbe, i would have told you it was a group of people who met regularly (usually monthly) to either hear about or discuss a particular book, sometimes with the author present. Some book clubs specialize in a particular genre (history, biography, romance, mystery, etc.) while others read a variety of types. i realize now that i have spent my entire life being in one book club or another. any time you say or hear, “You’ve got to read this. You’ll really love it,” you are part of a book club. i’ve been in book clubs with an aunt (she sent me books every year for christmas and my birthday); omar Sharif (i imagined his deep brown eyes as i read Dr. zhivago, now knowing how to pronounce all the names); my brother John (he introduced me to cold mountain and The Power of one); my granddaughter megan (we shared the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series as i drove a big rig across the country); my daughter–in-law Dona (who handed me The Particular Sadness of lemon cake); ang lee (who introduced me to the wonderful descriptions of Wyoming that flow from annie Proulx’s pen); and Robert Redford (who “bought the movie rights” to “The Horse Whisperer” and “an Unfinished life”). i am a member of two book clubs at the present time. one is at the DeSoto Senior activities center where i work, the other is the Red oak Book club, which meets in the Red oak municipal Building the third monday evening of each month from 7 to 8:30. in DeSoto, while reading “The end of Your life Book club,” we learned how important it is to live each day and why reading is vital to living.

living-magazine.com // JULY-AUGUST 2013

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LIFE & STYLE { RECIPES }

THE GRILL NEXT DOOR RECIPES AND TIPS TO HELP YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR GRILL AND YOUR SUMMER

BY JUDD MCCUTCHEN

Charcoal

Easy

Grilled Chicken Breast with Chili-Lime Rub I know, this sounds very simple and boring. But I have found that most people haven’t mastered how to cook a nice juicy piece of chicken on the grill. Here’s what you’ll need: 1 package (3 breasts) Sanderson Farms Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets with Rib Meat 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 1/2 tablespoons WilliamsSonoma Chili-Lime Rub (This is the best rub I have found for grilled chicken) In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients by hand. Make sure you get a good coverage of seasoning on each piece of chicken.

Cover with foil and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Build a nice-sized pyramid-shaped fire on one side of the grill and let the coals burn down until they turn grey.

It should be ready when you can hold your hand over the fire for a few seconds without it burning you, but it still feels good and hot. Lay each chicken breast onto the fire, smooth side down and with the thicker part of the breast in the center of the fire. About every 2 minutes,

run a metal spatula under each piece of chicken to prevent sticking and flip it over. Unlike a steak that you don’t want to flip more than once if possible, I have found that with chicken it doesn’t really matter how many times you flip it. Just make sure it doesn’t get too charred on either side. When you can push the thick side of the chicken breast with your finger and it has a little give to it but for the most part is firm, take it off the grill. Do not cut open to check wellness as this will let all the juices out. If the fire is right, total cooking time should be around 10-15 minutes. Place the chicken breast in a metal cooking pan and cover with foil. Place it in the microwave or oven (leave it turned off) for 15 minutes prior to serving. I like to serve this with fresh grilled zucchini and rice.

And I save the leftover chicken for salads during the workweek.

Williams-Sonoma

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G r i lli ng 1 0 1 Propane vs

LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JULY-AUGUST 2013

CHILI-LIME RUB

Step one to host ing a successful cookout is having right equipmen the t. There are basi cally two options able when it com availes to grills these days, and it depe on your needs an nds d preferences as to which one will suit you best. Her e are a few pros and cons that w help you decide ill …propane or ch arcoal?

Charcoal

PROS: Taste, Sm oke, Add wood for fl avor CONS: Time, Cleaning, Cost of Coals

SIDE NOTE: All of my recipes are made using a charcoal grill. I do not use propane; it flames up too much for my liking and it’s hard to control the temperature. Also, all of these recipes only use the upper box of this type of grill.

Get Togethers

I have found three components that are essential to a good cookout. Obviously food is one…but you must also have a little music and some cold beverages. This time of year has an abundance of opportunities to enjoy hanging out with friends and cooking out, whether it be a holiday, birthday or just a social get-together. So turn up the iPod, crack open a cold one and enjoy a good old-fashioned Texas BBQ with friends.

Propane

PROS: Faster, Cleaner, Cheaper CONS: Flare U ps, No Smoke, Equipm ent Upkeep

{

Medium

Burleson Honey

Helpful Tips

no matter what you are grilling, here are a few universal tips to always adhere to if you want good results: 1. make sure you have the proper temperature for what it is you are cooking. This is critical because too much heat could dry out your food, and too little could leave it undercooked.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Caribbean Jerk Marinade

{

This is a favorite at my house. There are many ways to serve this dish. I prefer to slice it up into medallions and serve it on King’s Hawaiian Spring Rolls with a little horseradish mayo. Here’s what you will need:

2. keep a close eye on your food once it is placed on the grill.

You never know when you might have a potential flare up that would end the BBQ. 3. always bring meats to a cool room temperature prior to grilling. Putting cold meat on the grill could burn the outside before the interior has had a chance to cook.

one 4-5 ounce package (2 tenderloins) unseasoned pork tenderloin 6 tablespoons mccormick Perfect Pinch caribbean jerk seasoning 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 5-6 tablespoons Burleson’s Honey (This is the key to the marinade. it makes everything stick.)

in a mixing bowl, combine the jerk seasoning, vegetable oil, soy sauce and cider vinegar, one ingredient at a time, using a whisk to incorporate each ingredient. once thoroughly mixed, add the honey and whisk for 20-30 seconds to make sure it’s combined well. Place the pork tenderloin into a heavyduty zip lock bag and add the marinade.

Seal the bag and marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Build a nice-sized fire on one side of the grill that is flat across the top, and make sure the length of the fire is at least as long as your tenderloins. let the coals burn until they are grey. it should be ready when you can hold your hand over the fire for a few seconds without it burning you, but it still feels good and hot. Place the two pork tenderloins across the fire. Save the remaining marinade for basting. Sear each side for a minute or two. each time you roll the meat to a new side, brush on some of the marinade. once you have seared all the sides, move the tenderloins over to the other side of the grill without a fire and close the lid.

Do not use any more marinade at this point. it should take the tenderloins around 20-30 minutes to cook, depending on the heat of your fire. check them every 5-10 minutes with a meat thermometer. When the interior reaches 145-160 degrees they are good to go. Do not cut them to check wellness as this will dry them out.

Hard

BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs The only reason I say this is a hard recipe is because they take a little TLC. But it’s worth it in the end. Here’s what you will need: 2 racks of baby back pork ribs meat tenderizer seasoning salt & pepper garlic salt lawry’s Seasoned Salt with Black Pepper onion salt brown sugar 1 rib rack for cooking heat thermometer on grill Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce, flavor of your choice (this is my favorite BBQ sauce) Build a large flat fire covering one half of the grill. once the fire gets started, close the lid to keep all the heat in. The fire should burn upwards of 500 degrees with the lid shut. let it cook down until it gets to around 290 degrees. This will take at least a couple of hours. While it’s cooking down to the proper temperature, lay the ribs out bone side down and

sprinkle a little bit of each seasoning on them. next, using a flour sifter cover the ribs with a moderate amount of brown sugar and let them sit for 20 minutes or so to absorb the seasonings. now back to your 290-degree fire. open the lid to the grill and place your rib rack over the coals. next, slide each seasoned slab of ribs in the rib rack, making sure there is a space between each one of them for airflow. Be careful, it will be very hot. once they are positioned over the coals, close the lid and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes. Your fire will now be around 275 degrees, our ideal temperature. Do not open the lid until the time is up. after the 1 hour 45 minute mark, take out the ribs and place them in an aluminum pan with 1/4 cup of water and cover with foil.

Place this on the side of the grill without a fire and shut the lid. leave them in for another hour before removing to serve.

This is when you can brush with BBQ sauce. i prefer to do this at the end to avoid the ribs getting dried out.

Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ SAUCE

living-magazine.com // JUlY-aUgUST 2013

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LIFE & STYLE

FACING FEARS A MOTHER’S TALE BY linDSaY maRkeRT

my father passed away when i was young, and because of that i have always been hyperaware of the finiteness of life. i have carried a deep-seated fear since that day that stemmed from the realization that yes, everyone does in fact die. not just in movies or books, but real people that you love pass away. my mother, husband and close friends would tell you that i tend to be an over analyzer and somewhat of a dramatic worrier, and i think that all of those behaviors can be tied to my loss early in life. i distinctly remember breathing a huge sigh of relief the second my first-born was declared a healthy baby boy shortly after his entrance into this world. it was about a week later that my new mommy euphoria cleared a bit and the reality hit. He was healthy now, but in the future? i couldn’t guarantee it. anything could happen - an accident, a disease…the list was endless. my mind was spinning from the enormity of the responsibility of keeping him safe, healthy and alive.

“making THe DeciSion To Have a cHilD - iT iS momenToUS. iT iS To DeciDe FoReveR To Have YoUR HeaRT go Walking aRoUnD oUTSiDe YoUR BoDY. ” -elizaBeTH STone

my heart was heavy because i realized so much of it was out of my control. So long sigh of relief, hello fear.

Before he was born, i planned and prepared. Diapers and wipes, check. clean onesies folded neatly, check. Plans for childcare, check. i naively thought that being prepared in those ways made me ready to parent. and while those things certainly help, no amount of shopping, laundry or researching could have prepared me for that heavy dose of reality and the fear that came with it. little did i know, parenting has its own kind of fear. it is a multi-faceted fear; the fear of something happening to your children and the fear that you are ruining them yourself.

Both types of fear in parenting can be allconsuming, and every single mother i know struggles with one or the other daily. i am learning every single day how to combat both kinds of fear, but i am far from a place of being free of it. i do my best to protect my children from dangerous situations while attempting to educate them on how to react or how to avoid harm. example: my oldest is going through a bug phase.

He is terrified of anything that flies. i told him that the flying bugs are attracted to whining and crying, so he should not do that when he sees them. (clearly i am an expert! Feel free to steal this stellar idea. But, seriously, momma’s ears can only take so much, and i figured that he needs to learn how to cope with flying insects, as i cannot kill the entire population of them for him.) We are working on memorizing our address, learning how to call Daddy or 911, and talking about strangers. i try to explain that some danger-

ous things we can avoid and some we can’t, like the weather. The fear of something happening to my sweet babies is not something that will ever leave me, and i don’t really have a good plan to prevent it. like other mommas, i pray. i teach. i hope that they are listening and retaining. even though i wish i could, i can’t keep them under my wing forever. i don’t want them to miss out on fun things and good life experiences because of my fear, so i will continue my pattern of pray, teach, hope.

Fear is real and it is something we all deal with, in one way or another. Besides my parenting fears, i am not fond of high bridges and snakes. also, tornadoes. my husband strongly dislikes roller coasters and birds.

He says that birds just look creepy and he isn’t really afraid of them…but he has almost abandoned the kids and i a few times while we were feeding ducks, so i’m thinking that is a cover up. my point is, fear looks different to everyone. Some are little and insignificant, some are bigger and can affect quality of life. it is something that must be worked on continually so that it does not control our thoughts, actions and lives in general.

Hopefully, in learning to manage fear, i can pass that knowledge down to my children. and i can add that to my plan for not ruining them, too.

lindsay, a Waxahachie native, is a mother of four and writes her articles during morning nap time. visit her blog at www.themommarazziblog.blogspot.com/ to read more about her family.

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LIFE & STYLE { nonPRoFiT }

WISH UPON

When park rangers at lake Bardwell found a little heeler mix surviving on campers’ leftovers, they were alarmed to find that the dog had a collar embedded in her neck with a piece of chain still attached. The rangers brought her to the ellis county Society for the Prevention of cruelty to animals, where workers contacted their veterinarian, Dr. nancy carter, who found the only option was to treat the infection around the collar and cut away the chain that was not imbedded. The patient was named “Parker,” for the park rangers who found her, then put up for adoption to wait for her very own “forever home.”

ally rescue purebreds as well, currently housing two shar peis.)

each month, 230 animals like this one arrive at the ecSPca, where space is limited, with room to keep only 57 animals and an average of just 50 adoptions a month.

While the shelter can also see anywhere between 35 and 65 owner claims monthly, there is not always enough room for the very high number of pets in need of a home.

once an animal is brought in by animal control, it is processed through the shelter’s intake system, then held for 72 hours before it officially becomes property of the shelter and can be medically evaluated and considered for adoption, allowing owners time to come in and claim a lost pet. more and more animals are coming in with microchips, Fincher said, but any sort of identification on the pet helps a lot in reuniting owner and pet.

“We say to people, ‘instead of shopping, adopt.’ Because the pets there make the best pets, better than any purebred that people pay a fortune for. They deserve to be provided a loving home. if you’re an animal lover, find a pet that can’t find a home,” ecSPca Board member marilyn Jones said. (The shelter does occasion-

With no funding from the state’s SPca or the national organization, the ecSPca is funded through donations and contracts with some of the smaller cities and animal control units in the county. most of the animals have been picked up off of the streets by one of these groups, but many are also brought in and “surrendered” by pet owners. in this case, Shelter Director amy Fincher said she encourages the owners to find a home for the pet before clearing an occupied kennel for the animal.

“You can tell the ones that have been roaming out on the streets for much longer than dogs who are owned and just got lost. if we see something like that, we hold it as long as we can before we

INTERESTED IN ADOPTING?

The shelter is open to the public Tues. - Sat. 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. You can also visit Petsmart in Waxahachie, where all available cats come straight from the shelter and the ECSPCA is out front the second and fourth weekend of every month with more pets looking for homes.

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A

PAW

BY kaTHRYn kemP

put it up for adoption or foster,” Fincher said, noting that on average lost pets are at the shelter for no more than four days before being found.

every once in a while, a pet will wander or be picked up and dropped off far from home, making for a special reunion when an owner sees their long-since lost pet on Facebook, as was the case for one man from Balch Springs, Texas. after almost a year of missing his dog, he happened across the ecSPca’s Facebook page and a picture of his dog, which had been picked up in ennis by animal control. once an animal has passed the initial 72 hours, medical evaluations begin and vaccinations are brought up to date (ellis county requires dogs have rabies shots annually). With dogs, other than medical evaluations, staff checks to see if a dog is good with people, children and other dogs.

“We’re looking for temperament, not so much looks. Just because a dog looks good doesn’t mean it’s going to be a good dog,” Fincher said. “We want to make sure it’s a good match for the family it’s going into.”

Parker got lucky when one of the rangers who rescued her came to check in, deciding then and there to adopt the dog and take her home, adding “Bonnie” to her name. While the more infamous Bonnie Parker from the area stole plenty in her day, Bonnie Parker the heeler mix has merely stolen the heart of a kind park ranger, leaving behind many others just like her awaiting their very own forever home.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? While adopting a pet is always needed, the shelter is also in need of funding and volunteers, whether it be to clean kennels or just snuggle the animals. other than accepting direct donations, the ecSPca hosts two annual fundraisers, the Bow Wow Howlo-Ween Hustle in october and the upcoming Wish Upon a Paw gala. Follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/elliscountyspca, or visit elliscountyspca.org to learn more about the events and how you can help.

WESTERN WISH UPON A PAW GALA SEPTEMBER 28, 6 TO 10 P.M. midlothian conference center Support the ellis county SPca while you enjoy live country western music, barbecue and silent & live auctions, and hear from Texas State Representative Jim Pitts.

living-magazine.com // JUlY-aUgUST 2013

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LIFE & STYLE { TRAVEL }

Orient TALES OF THE

This summer as America celebrates its 237th birthday, I will not think of our country as 237 years old, but rather 237 years young. Old describes the country of China, which I had the pleasure of visiting in May for ten days.

My adventure began in the early hours of the morning, when I departed DFW airport on the first of three flights before arriving in Shanghai.

Other than a slight hiccup in Denver where I feared I might not make my next connection, my trip was without trouble. I made the connection in San Francisco and settled in for a 13-hour flight, a long ride during which the sun never set.

As I exited the plane in Shanghai, a huge city and home to approximately 30 million people, the first thought that came to my mind was, to paraphrase Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz,

“Tom, you are not in Texas anymore.” All signs were in Chinese, soldiers and immigration officers were Chinese, as were most of the other people I saw. Despite my trepidations, I breezed through customs and immigration, actually with more ease than the last time I entered Canada. Because my trip was a mixture of business and pleasure, I was fortunate to always have a driver from my employer and a friendly guide from our offices in China. Such certainly made my travels less stressful.

My first meal that first evening introduced me to, among other things, barbeque pork belly and a very good Chinese beer, Tsingtao. This was not P.F. Chang’s. I did struggle a bit with the chopsticks, something I have used on occasion but usually in a playful atmosphere with friends and not in a quiet business setting with colleagues who I thus far only knew through phone and email correspondence. That same evening I was introduced to Baiju, a strong Chinese liquor, which I would soon learn is used for many toasts, and out of respect to your host, you were to bottoms up with the small glass each time someone at the table toasted you.

My first day of sightseeing, a Saturday, took me into downtown Shanghai, a very modern city with large skyscrapers just as in our large American cities. From 1,300 feet above the street on the observation deck of the Shanghai World Financial Center, I would have had an amazing view of the city if not for the heavy smog which is a daily nuisance in China. I only

BY TOM YOUNGBLOOD saw blue skies two days during my 10-day trip, and it was not because the weather was bad, but the pollution is a problem. This same day I enjoyed a boat ride that gave me a view of old English and French colonial buildings from the turn of the last century.

The traffic in Shanghai, even on this weekend day, was amazing. The streets are wider than any that you would see in the U.S. and are very full of cars, motorcycles and scooters. I feel fortunate that I had a driver at all times and never had to experience being behind the wheel where the drivers seem to blow the horn as a signal for changing lanes, turning or any other maneuver that might infringe on another driver’s space.

The next day, I had the opportunity to glimpse life in ancient China when I visited Old Shanghai. I encountered old Chinese architecture, narrow streets and crowds of people; the streets were so narrow that they only provide foot traffic. There were shops and street vendors selling Chinese food and every kind of folk art item you could imagine. This same day, I toured Yu Yuan Garden, a beautiful Chinese garden. This garden was built during the Ming Dynasty in 1559. Gardening in China is almost like a religion, and in ancient times it was actually thought to have a spiritual benefit.

This garden had many amazing plants and was decorated with ancient eroded white jade from a nearby lake.

Later that same day, I visited Zhujiajiao, an an

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LIFE & STYLE { TRAVEL }

cient village outside Shanghai. This village was very crowded and was alive with the smells of Chinese dishes being cooked by sidewalk vendors. The buildings and houses were very old and the village was very crowded. There was a river running through the village with boats similar to those in Venice taking people for rides on the river. These boats passed under beautiful ancient bridges of ancient Chinese architecture.

My next destination was Suzhou, where my company has a large industrial plant. After touring our facilities, I had the afternoon to visit a garden known as the Humble Administrator’s Garden. Built in the early 1500s, it was a retreat for a high government official who did not like the trappings of office. He retired from office and built this garden as a retreat and refuge from the hustle of government work. The people of his time thought he was stupid, and the original name of the garden was the Stupid Administrator’s Garden. This old garden was beautiful with many lovely plants, ponds and very old trees.

The next morning was spent touring more company facilities in Suzhou before starting an afternoon of sightseeing. I was taken to Tiger Hill, yet another garden built as a Buddhist retreat. Tiger Hill is a beautiful garden built around a Buddhist Pagoda that is over 1,000 years old. The pagoda leans due to settling of the foundation, like the Tower in Pisa in Italy. One remarkable feature of Tiger Hill was an area of the garden containing huge bonsai trees, which were hun-

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dreds of years old.

Later that afternoon I flew from Shanghai to Tianjin, our headquarters location in China. Upon arrival at my hotel, our company management treated me to a traditional Chinese dinner with several colleagues from the Tianjin office. During dinner, I was schooled in the art of toasting with Baiju. Everyone toasted me, both as a group and individually, which resulted in drinking many glasses of Baiju, a necessity out of respect to the host. Yes, I slept very well that night!

The next two days were business days touring our facilities in Tianjin. Late on that second day in Tianjin, I changed locations to Beijing. My first evening I experienced roast duck at Quanjun, a restaurant that dates to 1864 and is the most famous restaurant for Peking duck. I enjoyed my meal very much and have my certificate for the duck that was served to me. Interestingly, Quanjun is very the near Tiananmen Square, one name that is familiar to many Americans.

The following day, Friday, I visited the Great Wall of China. What a colossal undertaking it must have been to build this wall along the northern border of ancient China over a distance of 5,000 miles in a very difficult, mountainous terrain. The Great Wall was quite a sight and quite a crowded Chinese tourist attraction.

Saturday, my last day in China, was spent at the Forbidden City in Beijing. The Forbidden City

was built as the palace home for the emperors of the Ming and the Qing Dynasties from 1406 through 1911. It consists of a walled city with many palaces, gardens, courtyards and plazas in which the Emperor, his wives, his royal guards and his concubines lived. The size, scope and beauty of the Forbidden City are amazing. The Forbidden City is the best and most well-preserved example of ancient Chinese architecture in existence. It impressed me as emblematic of the sophistication of ancient Chinese culture.

The next morning, I boarded an American Airlines plane for Chicago at 7:55 a.m. and, due to crossing the International Date Line, arrived in Chicago at 7:15 a.m. the same morning. Several hours later, I would finally be home in Texas.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip, truly a once in a lifetime experience. It was wonderful to see a culture firsthand that is so different from our own and so much older than our 237 years. I learned that even though the culture, food, language and architecture are very different from ours, the Chinese people are very much the same as people everywhere. They have the same aspirations and wants as we do and are just as addicted to their cell phones as Americans. They are a very generous people and went out of their way to make me feel welcome and at home, when I was a very long way from Texas. Like Americans, they are very proud of their country and of their heritage, as well they should be. Given the opportunity to return, I would gladly do so.

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Local Shopping

LIFE & STYLE

maRKeTPlace OLD TOWN VILLAGE ANTIQUES & UNIQUES

BLOOMS & MORE Flowers for all occasions!

301 n elm Street Waxahachie 972.937.3111 www.bloomsandmore.net

Waxahachie’s only 3-floor antique mall! come browse our selection of unique antiques, collectibles, repurposed treasures, vintage items & so much more just waiting to be discovered. old, new or artistically created, you will find something beautiful in every aisle.

307 S Rogers St, Waxahachie 972.938.9515 www.oldTownvillageantiques.com

L & J MANUFACTURING Restyle, renew and repair outdated pieces into fresh, new styles. come in and create your own ring with your style! men’s & Women’s jewelry store.

130 n Hwy 77, Suite D Waxahachie 972.938.0504

PUDDIN’S CAFE come visit us for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 2 and enjoy our brunch menu from short stacks to chicken fried steak!

114 W Brown Street, ennis 972.878.0046

BRIARPATCH #2 SALON ENVY NEW LOCATION noW HiRing HaiRSTYliST & maSSage THeRaPiST 401 n Hwy 77, Suite 11-B Waxahachie (next to Tuscan Slice) 972.937.4142 www.salonenvywaxahachie.com

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come shop our huge selection of vera Bradley! From beach towels and flip flops to school supplies and bags, we have got you covered! also be sure to check out our new items for home decor.

405 Water St Waxahachie 972.937.1441

BETTY’S BOUTIQUE

THE STUDIO music of the Spheres Windchimes “The Windchime for all Seasons” Handcrafted in austin, these chimes are perfect for any backyard or front porch.

3671 n Hwy 77 Waxahachie 972.617.7740

To book our mobile boutique at an upcoming festival or event, contact us today!

972.217.5395 (message only) bettysboutiquetx@yahoo.com

ANNIE’S GARDEN For all your wedding and floral needs! anna Sanders 903.879.2633 annasanders71@gmail.com

MOSAIC MADNESS create your own mosaic masterpiece for your outdoor area this season perfect for your garden or patio (and indoor decor as well). Flower pots, stepping stones, birdbaths, vases, frames and so much more.

Fun for all ages!

211 S college St, Waxahachie 972.937.5797 www.mosaicmadness.net info@mosaicmadness.net

ARK COUNTRY STORE IMPRESSIONS SALON ETC. enJoY $5 oFF neW clienTS WiTH THiS aD. gift certificates available! an aveda Salon Thank you to all of our loyal customers - we appreciate you.

202 n i-35 Service Rd, #B Red oak • 972.617.6300 www.impressionssalonetc.net

looking for furniture for your covered patio? come shop our store for home accessories, gifts, jewelry and more.

209 S Hwy 77 Waxahachie 972.937.8860 www.arkcountrystore.com

living-magazine.com // JUlY-aUgUST 2013

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HOME & GARDEN

Let’s Get Together There’s something about a great backyard or patio that just makes you want to throw a party. Invite a few friends over, throw some drinks in the cooler and some food on the grill, and enjoy sweet summertime.

(Check out the recipes page for recipes and tips for your outdoor gathering!) Ready for a change?

More and more people are adding outdoor living spaces, including kitchens, bars and even pizza ovens! The possibilities are endless.

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LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JULY-AUGUST 2013

Top left: Outdoor kitchen & gazebo at the home of James & Melinda Kocian. Custom porch by Cole Custom Homes. Top right: Patio furniture covered by Check it Out. Bottom photos: Home of Mary Harris.

{ BACKYARDS 2013 }

Whether you’re spending time with family, lounging by the pool or digging in the soil, your backyard is a haven that should inspire and excite you. Do something for yourself this year and make sure your space does just that.

Backyard Bliss { BACKYARDS 2013 }

Go Green

Home of John & Arlene Hamilton.

With or without an innate green thumb, many are opting to grow their own produce and herbs right in their own backyards. Not only does it make for a great hobby, but with all of the questions surrounding what really goes into our food, some prefer to be in control of their produce from the moment it’s planted to the first bite. Read Farm Girls Marilyn and Donelle Simmons’ article on raised bed construction for an idea of how to get started.

LIVING-MAGAZINE.COM // JULY-AUGUST 2013

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HOME & GARDEN

{ BACKYARDS 2013 }

Clockwise from top left: Flamingos at the home of Melinda Miller. Beautiful birdhouses.

Backyard of Pat Theisen. Backyard by Gardenscapes by Diane. More metal art pieces from the home of Melinda Miller.

Accessorize!

Everyone has their own style, and the backyard is a perfect place to showcase it. From garden gnomes to beautiful bird houses, your yard can be as whimsical or as elegant as you wish. Will you choose that pink flamingo or go with the abstract metal art piece? The sky is the limit.

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HOME & GARDEN

{ BACKYARDS 2013 }

Calm & Cool Let’s face it, here in Texas some days going outside seems like a miserable idea. The wall of heat that hits you as you emerge from an air-conditioned building just doesn’t seem worth it. But a pleasant outdoor experience isn’t completely lost if some refreshing water can be found. A dip in the pool is an instant cool-down, and the sights and sounds of a trickling waterfall or fountain inspire calm meditation.

Clockwise from top: Backyard by Gardenscapes by Diane. Fountain by Earthtones. Pool

by Rivermist. Decor by Gardenscapes by Diane. Pool by Cole Custom Homes.

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HOME & GARDEN

Raise it Up

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{ gaRDening } BY maRilYn & Donelle SimmonS,

“THE FARM GIRLS” In the past 4 or 5 years, there has been a renewed interest in vegetable gardening. Whether one wants to have a more positive impact on their environment or simply know where their food has come from, vegetable gardening is a solution. Gardeners have the ability to ensure that their vegetables are pesticide free.

Among the many reasons people have taken the initiative to grow their own vegetables, eating local and eating fresh is a guarantee if the food comes from your organic garden plot.

Thomas and Shonnie Lolley and their family have set out to create a healthier lifestyle. They are striving for more self-sufficiency and want to raise and harvest fresh vegetables. They researched several options ground gardening, square foot gardening - but decided raised beds best suited their needs.

Shonnie, an intern at Garden Inspirations, along with her husband Thom and their son Andy, set out to build their first raised garden bed. Thom chose untreated cedar 12 feet long by 8 inches wide. Using two boards he had the lumberyard cut into 4-foot sections of wood, he built the bed 24” deep.

These weekend warriors used the following six-step method and had their garden ready to plant in one short day. Grow fresh vegetables for your family by following these easy steps.

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1

First, choose the location of the garden.

The garden needs to be in a convenient location where it is visible to the gardener. most vegetable gardens thrive in full sun, so the selected spot needs to receive five to six hours of sun. There must be a water source for the garden, whether it is a hydrant nearby, rainwater catchment or olla pots. olla pots are earthen clay pots designed to be buried in the soil and filled with water, then slowly release water to the planted area.

2 3 4

Second, decide on size of bed and determine building materials. The raised beds can be made of wood such as cedar. Do select untreated wood, as treated wood could be toxic and will leach into the vegetables. Raised rock or cement blocks are sturdy and long lasting. galvanized watering troughs can be used if holes are drilled in the bottom for drainage. Size will be determined by the space available. Depth of boxes can be from 8 inches to 3 inches depending on personal preference.

Third, assemble the Raised Bed. The raised bed pictured here is 4 feet by 4 feet wide and 24 inches high. it was constructed with untreated cedar wood. materials include: » Twelve 4-foot pieces untreated cedar wood (we had this pre-cut at lumber yard) » one 8-foot long by 4-inch corner post, for bracing the corners (circular saw will be needed to cut into four 2-foot pieces) » 3-inch wood screws » electric screwdriver

Fourth, place raised garden box at desired spot and line the bottom with newspapers. The newspapers will block sun-killing vegetation where the garden will be growing. The newspaper will serve its purpose then biodegrade. extend the newspaper beyond growing area to prevent vegetation from growing in from underneath the bed.

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HOME & GARDEN

{ gaRDening }

5

Fifth, fill the raised garden box with soil. The soil is the most important part of the raised garden equation. Providing healthy nutrient- and microberich soil will grow healthy plants, and eating the fruit from healthy plants will guarantee more nutrients for you. Purchase mushroom compost, enriched soil, expanded shale and a good potting soil. Using a wheelbarrow, mix the soil for the garden using this ratio of product: » one 3-cubic-foot bag of mushroom compost (note mushroom compost is hot and must be added to other soil as listed below) » Half a 3-cubic-foot bag of Soil mender enriched mulch (enriched mulch is decaying mulch, halfway composted material) » Half a 3-cubic-foot bag of expanded shale (expanded shale are tiny pebbles that absorb up to 10 times their weight in water, creating water retention and air space in the soil mix) » one 3-cubic-foot bag of organic potting soil or finished compost

6

Sixth, plant the garden box, water and enjoy the harvest. Thomas and Shonnie are taking advantage of the extra deep raised bed and planting georgia Jets sweet potatoes and marigolds for companion plants. They planted their bed in may for a fall harvest.

For successful planting and harvesting, choose seeds and/or vegetable transplants that grow well in North Central Texas. Check with your local master gardeners to find a list of vegetable varieties that thrive here. Research and know the appropriate planting dates for Ellis County.

Check out gardeninspirations-tx.com for a list of current gardening classes.

Marilyn & Donelle Simmons are the “Farm Girls” behind Garden Inspirations, a garden education business in Ellis County aiming to teach people about growing their own food. The mother-daughter duo is also involved in various other projects in the area.

Learn more at www.gardeninspirations-tx.com.

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HOME & GARDEN

For the

Birds

BY EILEEN BERGER, INDIAN TRAIL MASTER NATURALIST Bird watching is a very popular hobby that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Bird watchers, also known as “birders”, sometimes travel with no other thought in mind than to see an elusive bird and add it to their life list. However, you don’t have to even know what kind of birds you are watching to enjoy them.

Whether you live in the middle of a town or city or out in the country, there are probably at least 10 to 15 species of birds in your neighborhood. A clear view from a window, patio or porch, and some quiet time to sit or stand and observe, may be all you need. Birds tend to be most active in the early part of the day and at dusk.

A feeder with seeds such as

sunflowers or a blend of those and nuts will draw in some of the year-round residents in your neighborhood. Birds that eat insects may also be attracted by suet cakes. You can expect to see Northern cardinals, mourning doves, chickadees, mockingbirds, English sparrows, house finches, tufted titmice and blue jays. Other birds that frequent our yards include Carolina and Bewick wrens, cedar waxwings, crows, red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, and robins.

If you want to identify the birds you see in your area, you may want to purchase a field guide.

Many good ones exist, and avid birders sometimes own three or four different guides.

Some of the more popular ones include National Geographic, Sibley, Smithsonian, Audubon and Stan Tikela. A

visit to your local bookstore or an online search will show you the wide variety of choices.

If you are just beginning to watch birds, you might enjoy using a guide aimed at a younger audience. Peterson’s First Guides are inexpensive and could be used by the whole family. A laminated foldout guide by Quick Reference Publishing is handy, light and inexpensive.

Besides the guide, you may want to invest in a good pair of binoculars. Many people own inexpensive binoculars, which usually are disappointing when used for birding. With optics, you really do get what you pay for, because the more expensive ones bring in more light, which makes looking at a distant bird worth all the money. Of course, you do not have to have binoculars to see birds right outside your window or porch. For many people, that is enough. For others, they

want to see the bird hiding in a bush 50 feet away, or at dusk or dawn. That is when the optics matter.

To attract birds to your yard, remember that birds need the same things that humans do: food, water, shelter and space.

Landscaping to attract wildlife to your yard is called “wildscaping.” Many good sources exist for guidance in planting and managing a wildscape.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife website has suggestions and lists of native and adapted plants that can provide the food and cover that birds and other wildlife need. Avoid the use of pesticides to kill insects.

Many birds eat insects and larvae, and feed them to their young. If your yard is devoid of insects, it will not be as inviting to birds. Also, the pesticide can kill birds. Leave some of the grass a little taller, perhaps at the back of your yard, and have a shallow source of clean

water to benefit the birds, especially in the summer. Even better would be to have a dripping source of water, because birds are attracted to moving water.

Many people enjoy watching hummingbirds visit a feeder near a window or porch. The birds are attracted by red flowers, and many commercial feeders are red. The fluid does not need to be red, and in fact the dye could be harmful. The mixture for hummingbirds is four parts water to one part sugar. You can cook the mixture and then cool it, or just mix warm water and sugar in

Winter Feeding Tips FROM INDIAN TRAIL MASTER NATURALIST CAROLYN GRITZMAKER

PLATFORM FEEDER: It is basically just a large, shallow a jar. Change the water every two to three days to make sure it is fresh. Fill it only partially full until you see how many birds you attract. Store the unused mixture in the refrigerator.

Some people set out several feeders because the birds tend to fight over them.

Grab that first cup of coffee or a cold glass of sweet tea or lemonade, walk outside, and enjoy the birds.

wooden box 1 to 3 inches deep with drain holes in the bottom. Usually mounted on a post, it can also be mounted on a windowsill or placed on the ground. If raised, you can expect to attract goldfinches, chickadees, titmice, red-bellied woodpeckers, cardinals and blue jays when you offer sunflower seeds and seed mixes. Some birds, like the Harris sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, junco and mourning dove are ground feeders. They prefer white proso millet, mixed seeds and cracked corn. Almost any type food can be offered in the platform feeder, it just depends on the kinds of birds you want to attract.

HOPPER FEEDER: Sparrows and cardinals looking for a specific seed will empty a hopper feeder filled with a mix in no time, dumping the unwanted seeds to the ground as they search. If you have this problem, just offer one type of seed in each feeder. These feeders can be mounted on a pole or hung from a support.

THISTLE FEEDER: Good for goldfinches and pine siskins, it is a tube with tiny holes by the perches so the finches remove only one or two seeds at a time, preventing waste of this expensive food, and also preventing other birds with larger bills from raiding the feeder.

Other Tips:

MIDLOTHIAN’S HIDDEN GEM Mockingbird Nature Park is one many Ellis County residents may not know about. At the intersection of Mockingbird Lane and Onward Road in Midlothian, this 68-acre park contains a manmade seasonal lake and seasonal creek, along with beautiful scenery, wildflowers, insects and birds. The Indian Trail Master Naturalists work to keep it up for visitors and hold nature walks every first and third Monday of the month at 9 a.m. throughout the summer. For more information on the park and the Indian Trail Master Naturalist Chapter, contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service at 972-825-5175 or visit txmn.org/indiantrail/.

• Early fall is the time to set out your feeders. Try to choose a site that is protected, yet also gives you easy access even if there is snow (wishful thinking) on the ground.

• Half of a coconut shell hung from a tree or other support provides a place for suet mixes, seed or chopped fruits for smaller birds.

• Net bags from produce are perfect for pieces of suet or suet cakes. Either suspend the bag from a branch or attach it to a tree trunk.

• A large open pinecone packed with peanut butter mix, sunflower seed or melted suet is a favorite of chickadees.

• A tuna or cat food can filled

with peanut butter mix and chopped fruit is sure to please your mockingbird.

• A short log with one-inchwide holes drilled in it at various intervals then packed with suet or peanut butter mix and hung by one end is ideal for woodpeckers.

• Don’t forget to supply water for the birds at your winter feeding station. Some birds, like the yellow-bellied sapsucker, will come for water but not visit the feeding station otherwise.

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HOME & GARDEN { inTeRioR DeSign }

Perfectly Potted

BY Diane JoHnSon collaRD

Saying goodbye to a roller coaster winter puts a smile on my face. i know the heat has arrived and we will soon be complaining that we will surely die if things don‘t cool off, but i do love springtime and all of the glory it brings. in mid February, i see the iris standing tall at the entrance to my drive. i know that flowers will soon fill the hillside and spring is coming. i wish everything in my yard followed nature’s directions as well as those 100-year-old iris plants. They seem to ignore the draught, the ice storms, the weeks on end of 100-degree weather, and whatever else Texas weather brings their way. They are determined to rise and say, “Hello world! i am back!”

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i would love to take credit for those prolific plants, but it is with dismay that i confess i do not have a green thumb. Despite that, i have vast flowerbeds on all sides of my home as well as on the grounds. i plant flowers every spring hoping for the best. What was i thinking when i had those beds made? Did i really think it would be easier for a novice to maintain flowering beds than grass? Well, yes, foolishly i did.

Through the years we have struggled with disease, bugs, slugs, draught, ice storms, possums and the viciously hungry Texas armadillo. if one thing has not killed my plants, something else has eaten them or uprooted them until they have no roots left to replant. my husband has sat up night after night

trying to outsmart the armadillos, but the little beasts have proven to be far cleverer than he. if he is in the back, they are tearing up the beds in the front. and the dance goes on.

We have tried everything. We have set out traps, only to catch skunks.

We have used cayenne pepper, red pepper seeds, fox urine, human urine, fencing and lord knows what else the internet has suggested.

Finally, someone said that we were just going to have to accept the fact that our beds are feeding grounds and we really can’t do much about it. now that was profound. i guess that means the little devils have won the battle. in thinking about a solution to the dilemma, it occurred to me that

potted plants might actually survive in my beds because they are not easily accessed. outdoor potted plants surround swimming pools, decorative ponds, patios and gazebos, making them all look amazing. Potted plants can be covered easily to protect them from the freezing weather.

They can be watered easily with a hose or sprinkler, and the pots retain the water better than the ground does. They have almost no weeds and they flourish in rich fertilized soil with no bugs.

This year, i bought no bedding plants. i was tempted, i must confess, but i walked right past the temptation and right to the hanging plants. i don’t have the color that i usually have to enjoy, but i have blooming plants spread sporadically around my house and porches that are alive and well‌so far.

When i meander around my

DIAnE JOhnSOn COLLArD Diane has been decorating Ellis County for more than 20 years. Contact Diane Johnson Interiors at 972.935.8899 or djohnsoninteriors@ hotmail.com.

yard enjoying the landscaping, i am pleased to see that the potted plants remain undisturbed. The beds are filled with mulch that gets tilled and turned regularly by nature’s little tiller, but my pots are all intact. now my beds are accessorized with an occasional pot of blooming flowers as well as the deep-rooted plants that survive the nightly invasions. i look at my plants and smile because there are no weeds, no bugs and no mess. Just lovely flowers flourishing, to my surprise, even for me.

Whether you have creature issues like i do or really poor soil, potted plants may be your answer. Small yards or patios can be beautifully embellished with decorative pots filled with blooming shrubs. if you need instant height you can put a pot on a stand. Stagger the plants with various shapes and sizes of pots to get a more interesting look. add more spark by choosing pots with lots of color. You can create a glorious garden without ever digging a hole in the ground. my potted garden is in its first stage of completion, but i intend to continue adding to my collection. i have a very limited amount of time to be a gardener, so hanging baskets and pots seem to be the answer for me. at least until the armadillos figure out what i have done. Have a wonderful summer.

Until next time, happy decorating. living-magazine.com // JUlY-aUgUST 2013

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hOME & GArDEn BY melinDa Kocian, elliS coUnTY maSTeR gaRDeneRS

JULY 2013

» Gardening

PlanTing » Plant tomatoes and peppers from transplants. They need full sun, mulch and water several times a week. Plants should survive through a hot, dry summer if kept well watered. other fall vegetables can be planted in august. » Use tomato varieties that are early maturing and tolerant of the summer heat. Best varieties for this area include ‘celebrity,’ ‘Juliette,’ ‘Porter improved,’ ‘cherry’ and ‘Sweet 100.’ » Plant warm-season grasses such as St. augustine and Bermuda from sod. it should look fresh and recently dug. Bermuda grass, which is the most draught tolerant, can also be planted from seed or by hydromulching. Both grasses need to be kept moist until established.

FeRTilizing anD PRUning » Deadhead all blooming plants and fertilize sparingly. clean up container plantings by removing dead leaves and flowers. » Pinch off flowers of herbs that are going to seed to encourage additional foliage. » Keep pinching back growing tips of fall-blooming plants so they remain compact.

gaRDen WaTcH » grassy weeds such as dallisgrass and crabgrass will have to be weeded by hand or dug out. The chemical herbicide mSma, previously used on Bermuda turf, is no longer available. » Dead turf that does not respond to irrigation may have chinch bugs. check by parting the blades and looking for small black bugs with white diamonds on their backs. Treat with an insecticide for chinch bugs. Brown areas in a lawn may be grub worms. check by grasping a handful of turf and pulling. if grass easily comes up you may need to treat, especially if you had them last season. » Weed nutsedge by hand in mulched areas. it has underground rhizomes with nutlets. Remove them all or it comes back. nutsedge likes moist or wet areas and can be controlled by applying image or manage. it will usually require two applications, ideally applied two to three days after mowing. Read and follow label instructions.

earth-Kind® MuLCh



» one of the best methods of growing healthy plants and conserving water at the same time is to use mulch in the landscape. experienced gardeners have long known the secret of mulching the garden and all its benefits. » What is mulch? it’s simply a protective ground covering that saves water, reduces evaporation, prevents erosion, controls weeds, and in the case of organic mulches, enriches the soil. almost sounds too good to be true! » To learn more about earth-Kind mulch, click on the Resource tab at www.ecmga.com and click on earthKind Publications.

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tips: mulch also suppresses the growth of many weeds. a 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch should be sufficient to prevent sunlight from reaching the soil, thereby reducing the chance of weed growth. any weed seedlings that do manage to germinate and break through the layer of mulch are easily pulled. a mix of coarse and fine mulch will help reduce seed germination. mulches should not be piled up against the trunks of plants, but rather form a donut around the base of trees and shrubs.

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hOME & GArDEn

AUGUST 2013

» Gardening

PlanTing » Plant fall vegetables during the first of the month to produce a crop before the first fall freeze.

The average date of first fall freeze for this area is november 15, however it could occur a week or two before or after that date. it is best to use transplants if available. many vegetables can be planted from seed, such as corn, winter squash and beans. leafy (green) and root crops can be planted later in the month. a planting guide for fall vegetables can be found on the website aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. » Plant bluebonnet and other wildflower seeds in full sun and directly in the ground. The soil should be free of weeds and grass and the surface should be lightly cultivated. make sure they make good contact with the soil. Water well, as these plants must germinate in the late summer or fall. » Plant fall-flowering bulbs such as spider lily, naked ladies, rain lily, fall crocus and oxblood lily. Place them in the ground twice as deep as the diameter of the bulb. These bulbs may not bloom the first year.

FeRTilizing anD PRUning

gaRDen WaTcH

» Prune most roses by cutting out dead canes and weak spindly growth. cut back stems about one-third. Fertilize and water well for beautiful fall blooms. » Salvia greggi (autumn sage) can be cut back at least by one-third.

Do not flat top any blooming shrub; always leave the tops in a rounded, natural shape. if pruned now, it should display great fall and early winter color. » Prune abelia after it blooms. » Prune other prolific growing shrubs and vines to keep them in bounds (for example, variegated privet, elaeagnus, hollies, trumpet vine and honeysuckle). » Pinch back the tips of fallblooming perennials such as mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), mountain sage (Salvia regla), mexican mint marigold, copper canyon daisies, mums and aster if their buds have not already set.

» continue to follow the Home owner’s Fruit and nut Spray Schedule to protect pecan trees against pecan weevils and hickory shuckworms, which can destroy the crop. » The same schedule also applies to peach and plum trees to protect from peach tree borers. » many insects are prevalent this time of year. identify the insect and only use a pesticide if it is necessary. Treat grubs and chinch bugs in turf with a labeled pesticide if they were a problem last year, or if three or more grubs are found in a square foot of turf.

earth-Kind® BeneFiCiaLs in the garden



» Did you know that 97 percent of the insects most commonly seen in homes and gardens are considered either beneficial or innocuous? learning how to put these “beneficials” to work is an important earthKind practice that can help reduce the use of chemical pesticides in the environment. » Beneficial insects come in a remarkable variety of sizes, shapes and functions. Using function as the determining criterion, they can be divided into four basic types: predators, parasitoids, decomposers/ recyclers and pollinators. » To learn more about earth-Kind beneficials in the garden, click on the Resource tab at www.ecmga.com and click on earth-Kind Publications.

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tips: Pollinators have long been recognized for their contributions to mankind’s welfare and comfort. Without pollinators, we would have no apples, pears, cherries, citrus fruit, coffee, melons, cucumbers, squash or many other common feeds. it is estimated that pollinators are worth at least 20

billion dollars annually in the United States alone. The best known “flower duster” is, of course, the honey bee.

Some less well-known pollinators, such as hover flies, do double duty as beneficial insects. as adults, they pollinate flowers and as larvae, they prey on aphids and other soft-bodied insects.

Residential Service Providers

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55

MEDICAL

Coping With

tragedy When visiting with clients, I am seeing an increase in stress and anxiety resulting from the combined tragedies of the Boston Marathon bombing, the explosion in West, and the devastation of the Oklahoma tornados. We have all been affected by the emotional images of the victims we see flashed continuously across our televisions.

Responses include shock, feelings of helplessness, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, sadness, anger, irritability, nightmares, emotional numbing, fear, anxiety and difficulty with concentration. I would like to share with you ways to cope when tragedy hits close to home.

1. Realize that everyone handles stress differently. Your way of coping may be different from someone else’s, but that doesn’t make it wrong.

2. It is important to talk about your feelings. When we share our concerns with others the levels of neurotransmitters related to nurturing increase and we feel better. It is also helpful for us to know others feel as we do.

3. Take a news fast. Round-the-clock news coverage of horrific images

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leads to feeling overwhelmed and increases feelings of anxiety. Limit the amount of news that you watch and redirect yourself to other activities.

4. Take care of yourself physically. Be sure to rest, exercise and eat a healthy diet. Limit caffeine, which can increase feelings of nervousness.

5. Volunteering is a powerful antidote to the feelings of helplessness that accompany a tragedy. Whether we give our time or our money, it empowers us to know we are doing something useful for those in need. We cannot control what happened, but we can control how we choose to respond to the events.

6. Find comfort in the support of family and friends. If family doesn’t live nearby, connect through calls or emails.

7. Difficult times help us remember our priorities and motivate us to take care of unfinished business. Tell your loved ones how you feel about them.

8. Do not overdo. Of course we all have commitments to be fulfilled, but limit nonessential activities to allow quiet time away from the stress of demands and news stories.

9. A support group or individual

BY DR. KATHERINE DONALDSON

therapy can be helpful during times of tragedy.

10. Don’t self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, which can ultimately exacerbate the stress you are feeling.

11. Be careful to make sure young children are not seeing inappropriate images on the news. When they see news stories repeated, they often think the tragic event is happening again. Reassure them they are safe and that such tragedies are rare occurrences.

While we have seen horrible tragedies occur in recent days, we have also seen people at their best; ordinary people coming to the aid of neighbors and even strangers. It is a time to ask ourselves how we can reach out to those around us.

Dr. Donaldson is a clinical psychologist practicing in Waxahachie.

She can be contacted at donaldsonpsyd@aol.com or by visiting donaldsonwellnesscenter.com.

living-magazine.com // JULY-AUGUST 2013

57

MEDICAL

COMPOUND SOLUTION

BY JeFF glaSS, PHaRmD

according the United States FDa, pharmacy compounding “is a practice in which a licensed pharmacist combines, mixes, or alters ingredients in response to a prescription to create a medication tailored to the medical needs of an individual patient.

Pharmacy compounding, if done properly, can serve an important public health need if a patient cannot be treated with an FDaapproved medication.” compounding incorporates an enduring art, current medical practices and the latest technology to develop customized medications to best fit each patient’s individual needs. compounding is essential

to pharmacy and was the only means of providing prescription medications prior to mass production of drugs by pharmaceutical manufacturers. most massproduced medications are well tolerated by patients, but due to limited commercially available strengths, dosage forms and formulations, some patients may respond to and/or tolerate a customized medication better. compounding allows your physician or veterinarian to prescribe medications or dosage forms which are not available from the drug manufacturers. This provides the prescribers and patients with therapy that is more customized to their specific needs.

SOME EXAMPLES OF COMPOUNDED MEDICATIONS ARE: Transdermal gels to treat nausea for patients who are uncomfortable using suppositories and who are too sick to take tablets or capsules.

Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy providing hormones tailored to each patient’s specific needs, not just what is available from the manufacturers.

Pet medications in flavored suspensions to make dosing the medication easier. compounding fills many prescriber and patient needs.

Jeff glass is a pharmacist at Red oak Drug in Red oak.

A trained compounding pharmacist prepares customized medications according to a physician’s or veterinarian’s prescription to meet a patient’s individual needs.

Among the many benefits of compounding are: » Unique dosage forms (e.g. troches, chewies, lollipops, etc.) » Customized dosages » Lactose, sugar, alcohol or other excipient-free products to improve tolerance

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» Multi-ingredient compounds to decrease medication burden and increase compliance » Medications that are not commercially available

living-magazine.com // JUlY-aUgUST 2013

What do I do with unused medication? it is a common question asked by consumers as unused medications pile up in their cabinets. not only do they take up space, but they could be dangerous with children and pets in the home. While the U.S. Food and Drug administration lists certain medications to flush and recommends mixing others with kitty litter, coffee grounds or another undesirable substance to keep kids and pets out, a better option is a drug take-back program. in recent years, the U.S. Drug enforcement administration began leading the country in national Prescription Drug Take-Back Days, the most recent falling on april 27, 2013 and collecting 371 tons of prescription medications nationwide. They rely on local law enforcement agencies to collect from their community, and ellis county has jumped onboard. in april, the Sheriff’s office teamed up with the ennis and Waxahachie police departments, school districts and imPacT groups to collect 394 pounds of unused prescriptions. The next event is set to fall in october 2013 – contact the ellis county Sheriff’s office or follow them on Facebook if you want to know when the official date is set, and start rounding up your unwanted medications! *note: if you do choose to dispose of medications yourself, the Dea reminds you to remove your personal information from containers before throwing them in the trash.

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MEDICAL

BY alliSon KemP, mS, ccc-SlP

LiFe Can Be tough to

sWaLLoW But Chicken Fried Steak Shouldn’t Be

“But i can say ‘rrrr,’ why do i need to see a speech therapist?” This is a comment made by many adults when coming to their initial evaluation with a speech-language pathologist. it is a common misconception that the “speech therapist” treats only children in a school or private practice. However, the speech-language pathologist plays a primary role in evaluation and treatment of dysphagia (swallowing dysfunction), voice disorders, expressive and receptive language disorders, motor speech disorders and deficits in cognitive function resulting from a variety of diagnoses.

Some medical diagnoses which can affect speech, voice, language, cognitive ability or swallowing function include Parkinson’s disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, injury/ surgery involving the head, and neck and tracheostomy/ventilator. a speechlanguage pathologist’s job would be to perform an assessment to diagnose and create a plan of care. as a speech language pathologist for the adult population, i have worked in a variety of settings, including home health, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient rehabilitation and acute care in a hospital.

The basic goal is always the same: to restore or improve function when possible, whatever the diagnosis. This can mean helping someone return to eating after having a stroke or implementing a means of communication for persons who have lost the ability to communicate verbally.

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one of my first patients at Baylor institute for Rehabilitation in Waxahachie was a man who had undergone radiation treatments for cancer on the base of his tongue. Scar tissue had developed in the muscle across his entire neck, limiting his swallowing ability. He had been receiving primary means of nutrition via Peg (feeding) tube for almost a year, with the ability to eat only small portions of puréed foods (like pudding, applesauce, etc.). During our initial evaluation, he told me his goal was to, “eat a chicken fried steak!” needless to say, he was very motivated. He progressed with varying treatments, including traditional oral motor exercises, electrical stimulation (vitalStim), myofascial release (to break up scar tissue) and diet progression. gradually, he was able to increase intake by mouth and eventually have his Peg tube removed. i’ll never forget the day my patient sent me a text message with a picture of the remains of the chicken fried steak he had just finished eating. another client came to her first appointment after having conceded to the fact that she would never be able to speak clearly again. She had a type of motor speech disorder that caused her to “get stuck on” or slur words and had difficulty even expressing basic information. She was afraid that if she got pulled over she

DURing oUR iniTial evalUaTion, He TolD me HiS goal WaS To, “eaT a cHicKen FRieD STeaK!”

might go to jail because the officer would think she was drunk. Prior to her speech difficulty, she had been very active in her community, but when the difficulty began, she isolated herself socially, avoiding activities where she would have to talk.

Through speech therapy, she was able use learned strategies to talk with only occasional episodes of slurred speech.

She returned to her daily activities, including bingo and coffee with the ladies. it is important that you are your own advocate and request a referral to speech therapy if you think you or a loved one may need it. visit asha.org for more information about speech-language pathology.

allison is a speech-language pathologist for Baylor institute for Rehabilitation in Waxahachie and also works PRn for Pleasant manor Health & Rehabilitation.

living-magazine.com // JULY-AUGUST 2013

61

MEDICAL { Health & wellness }

the hospitalists

SUBMITTED BY BAYLOR MEDICAL CENTER

Last New Year’s Eve, while most Americans were raising a toast or exchanging a kiss to ring in 2013, 68-year-old Mike Ramsey was being stabilized in the Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie intensive care unit (ICU). The day prior, Ramsey was rushed to the emergency room with double pneumonia. Initial tests revealed he also was suffering from diabetes.

His wife, Bonney, was extremely concerned.

“He was in the ICU for four days because they were trying to get his blood sugar down,” Bonney recalls. From there, the news only got worse. Her husband was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer as well, and, while in the ICU, suffered from two episodes of rapid heart palpitations.

After four days in the ICU, he was moved to an inpatient room. It would be another eight days and two more bouts of heart palpitations before he was well enough to go home.

A New Approach Traditionally, a case like Mike Ramsey’s–which involves many different elements, ailments and needed services–would be managed by a patient’s primary care physician. The physician would be responsible for ordering tests, procedures, calling in other specialists and closely tracking changes in condition throughout the duration of their patient’s hospital stay...all while seeing a slate full of other patients at their office.

However, the move toward increased efficiency in patient care has given rise to a new type of physician: the hospitalist. Hospitalists are hospital-based physicians who have special training and experience in managing hospitalized patients. Since the 1990s, their popularity and numbers have grown across the United States.

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“Due to the fact that I tend to perceive myself as invincible, I hadn’t had a primary care physician in a very long period of time,” Mike says.

But hospitalists aren’t just for patients without a primary care physician and are not meant to take the place of your doctor, according to Jeffrey Astbury, MD, medical director of the Baylor Waxahachie hospitalist program.

“It’s a team approach to care,” explains Dr. Astbury. “We have a very effective communication system with primary care physicians, so the primary care physicians always know when one of their patients is admitted or seen in the emergency room. Our hospitalists can even access outpatient medical records.”

One of the many benefits of being cared for by hospitalists is that they help encourage and promote standardized care for common problems. They also often participate in or take the lead in quality improvement initiatives at a hospital.

“Pneumonia is a good example,” says Dr. Astbury. “A hospitalist may treat five patients a week with pneumonia, whereas a primary care physician may only hospitalize one patient a year with pneumonia. Patients like Mr. Ramsey may recover more quickly and spend less time in the hospital when specific care protocols are followed, which hospitalists can coordinate.”

On Location Primary care physicians are usually tied up at their office most of the day, and only able to make it to the hospital to round on patients before or after hours, if at all. For patients and families, knowing the physician who is in charge of the care plan is in the same building provides peace of mind.

“I couldn’t be at the hospital 24 hours a day, so sometimes by the time I got up there, I might have missed a visit by Mike’s hospitalist,” says Bonney. “I would just ask a nurse to find him and have him stop back by, and he would always take the time to come back to the room to talk to me.”

Mike adds, “Knowing that you have a physician right there, essentially on call for you was very comforting.”

And it’s not just hospital patients that benefit from the arrangement. For patients at their physician’s office, it’s frustrating and inconvenient when their physician is called to the hospital for an emergency, or is late getting to the office because they get hung up at the hospital. Too often, the result is a cancelled appointment or hours in a waiting room.

Dr. Astbury says that when physicians focus their care solely on outpatients, they can do a better job.

All the Care You Need For Mike Ramsey, 12 days was more time than he ever wanted to spend inside a hospital. Between the emergency room, the ICU and a mounting list of diagnoses, his family had plenty to fret over. But the care he received from a hospitalist – a term he hadn’t even heard before – went a long way in allaying his concerns and those of his wife and daughters.

DISCLAIMER: Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary, community, or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie or Baylor Health Care System.

Sudoku is a logic-based number placement puzzle where the objective is to fill the 9x9 grid. Do you have to use arithmetic? No! Nothing has to add up to anything else.

Instead, you solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Each column, each row and each of the nine 3x3 boxes should contain the digits from 1 to 9, only one time each (that is, exclusively).

Find the answers at www.living-magazine.com and click on the Sudoku link.

living-magazine.com // JULY-AUGUST 2013

63

MEDICAL

maKing a gReaT

First iMpression WiTHoUT THe gooP oR gag!

Welcome to the new world of dentistry! as you probably know, over the past decade digital x-rays have taken the place of old-fashioned film x-rays. This means less discomfort and harmful radiation for the patient, and a much better result for the dentist. in a more recent development, technology has also caught up with another of the dental procedures that most patients dread - impressions. gone are the days of clamping down on trays full of thick goo. State-of-the-art equipment now enables a dentist to capture much more precise digital impressions without ever subjecting the patient to an unpleasant mouth full of putty.

There are several machines capable of capturing digital impressions. The iTero scanner, produced by (a division of) align Technology, is considered cutting edge, and the scanning technology integrates seamlessly with the company’s other popular product, an innovative system for braces known as invisalign (more on that in a moment). The iTero can be used for crown and bridge procedures as well as invisalign braces.

With the iTero machine, impressions - or “scans” - are comfortable, safe, accurate and fast. comfortable because there is no gooey mess or unpleasant taste – the dentist uses a “wand” to capture images of the tooth surface and gum tissue. Safe because a laser is used to generate the images, not radiation. accurate because there is no material outside of the digital

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BY maRgaReT SHaW, DDS, Pa

image that can potentially shift. and you can view the 3D scans on-screen with your dentist immediately - how’s that for fast? The entire procedure typically takes no more than 3-5 minutes. The computer-generated 3D model is sent directly to your dentist’s lab to construct a crown; or, if you are being treated with braces, the aligners are manufactured by invisalign and sent directly to the dentist. invisalign treats the misalignment of teeth by using a series of clear, nearly invisible, removable appliances that gently move teeth to a desired final position. Because it does not rely on the use of metal or ceramic brackets and wires, invisalign significantly reduces the aesthetic and other limitations associated with braces.

The iTero machine comes equipped with the invisalign outcome Simulator as well, which provides a unique dual view layout showing the prospective patient an image of his/her own current dentition next to his/her simulated final position of how the teeth may look after invisalign treatment.

While all of this cutting edge technology might seem “fun,” more than anything, dentists need to focus on the benefit to the patient. The primary goal should be to provide patients with the highest quality of care possible with the least invasive methods available. Regular X-rays were good, but now there is something better.

Regular impressions were okay, but now there is something superior.

When you have a crown done the iTero

way, you can be assured that the accuracy of fit will be above and beyond that of a conventional impression. That means you will have less likelihood of getting decay around the margin of your crown and having to have it redone. not to mention the fact that you didn’t have to go through the goop and the gag to get there!

a “wAND” iS RePlacing X-RaYS anD TRaYS oF goo FoR caPTURing 3D IMAGES oF THe TeeTH (like the one shown here).

Dr. Shaw is a graduate of, as well as a clinical assistant professor at, the Baylor college of Dentistry in Dallas. She has been practicing dentistry in ellis and Dallas counties for 24 years. She is also the president of elite mobile Dental, which serves nursing homes throughout north Texas.

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65

MEDICAL

BY Pam KovacS

Avoiding the Arguments: Tips for Getting Loved Ones with Dementia to Attend an Adult Day Center Studies have shown that people suffering with alzheimer’s need socialization. it enables them to have a life with meaning and purpose in spite of the diagnosis of dementia. adult day centers with specialized memory programs provide this type of environment. With all of the demonstrated benefits, it is surprising for most to learn that many of the people happily participating in this type of program were reluctant to come to the center in the very beginning.

When someone is struggling with memory loss, the thought of going some place unfamiliar, to be with people they don’t know for reasons they can’t understand, is not a choice most would make willingly. caregivers hesitate to bring them, anticipating the arguments and resistance their loved one might exhibit. it is seldom that a new member walks in the door and says, “gee, this is swell!” However, some families are solution seekers and are quick to recognize the adult day center for its countless benefits and affordability.

Those caregivers are the ones that struggle for the first few weeks to get their loved one to the center and feel it is worth every effort. often family caregivers will use one of the following tips to ensure

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success in getting loved ones to attend the day program:

1.

identify the day program as a social club, memory class or an adult day club, or as an activity center.

2.

“Your doctor said that you need to go because it will help you … …keep your mind active.” …stay independent.” …with your mobility issues so that we can keep going places together.” …keep other brain cells healthy, like ‘brain therapy.’”

3.

“But mom, we already made your reservations for their luncheon (entertainment program, special event, etc.) and they are expecting you”

4. “They’re counting on you to volunteer and help with… …the hospital pillow project.” …fixing the flowers for the dining tables.” …watering the plants.” …calling Bingo or teaching one of the other ladies to play bingo.”

5.

“You promised me (you told your doctor) you would at least try it… …a couple of times.” …for two weeks.” …for one month.”

6.

ask him/her to come simply because they love you and you need to go to (the doctor, work, run an important errand)

without worrying about them missing a nice lunch, being safe, being all alone or needing something.

7.

Some clients might be willing to come as a “volunteer,” “employee,” or to present a special program, share a travel experience or talk about a special achievement.

8.

Discuss health concerns that could be monitored that day by the nurse. a wellness check-up might include weight, blood pressure monitoring, foot care, etc.

9.

Reassure them you will be back to take them home and write a note to them with the time you should arrive. Be sure to lovingly sign it and give them the copy to keep with them. once the new member becomes familiar with the routine, the arguing and reluctance subsides. They realize they are safe while they are there, they have fun, and often they are not ready to leave when their family member comes to pick them up. it was worth the time it took for the adjustment.

Pam Kovacs is a health care professional with extensive alzheimer’s knowledge.

She founded Friends Place adult Day Services in 2005 in order to enhance the lives of those affected by dementia.

Friends Place has individually owned locations in DeSoto, Richardson and mcKinney.

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Cindy Burch

Risky

Business I’ve been told most entrepreneurs have to pay their dues, fail a few times and learn from their mistakes in order to succeed. I guess that makes me an entrepreneur. If you have eaten at The Doves Nest and read the back of our menu, you probably know part of my life story. The chapter most people may not know is that I started out in the fashion business, opening my own clothing store right out of college. Unfortunately, failure came quickly for me. The 1980s’ boom went bust soon after I opened an upscale boutique in Addison. When my country club clientele stopped buying pricey European sportswear, I found myself bankrupt at age 26.

asked how she could know that. The angeliclooking woman answered, “It doesn’t matter; I just needed to tell you.” As quickly as she appeared, she was gone, and we never saw her again. My mom has always looked for signs to assure her she was doing God’s plan for her life. From that day on, we have never doubted Waxahachie is where we are meant to be. I continued helping my mom with our new venture while working for Neiman Marcus and later managing a clothing store on Lovers Lane in Dallas. It wasn’t until we moved Marilyn’s Art Room to the east side of the square that I began working in Waxahachie full time.

Although my first hard knock was painful, my next try at business is what brought me to Waxahachie. My mom, Marilyn Goss, opened an art gallery and gift shop in the old Marchman’s building on the town square.

Having just come off a failed business, and still paying off debt, we cautiously hung out our shingle in 1987 with borrowed antiques, her original artwork and a few gift lines. On opening day, our first customer seemed to appear out of nowhere looking at my mom’s art, where a hidden scripture and a white dove can be found in all of her work. She was wearing a simple lavender dress with a single strand of pearls around her neck and had a beautiful head of white hair. “The Lord is in your work and He has brought you here,” she said. My mother looked at her and

With just a few tables in the back of our new space, I decided to try my hand at running a restaurant. I did most of the cooking by myself and quickly realized the food business was not for the faint of heart. We would usually sell out of food each day and I would turn around and make more. It seemed I was spending all my time now in the kitchen, but our little business was beginning to take off. In 1994, my mom retired and my husband and I bought the Moore Hardware Store building down the block. We inherited over 40 antique dealers in what had become one of the first antique mall concepts in the area. We mixed in our gift items and renovated one side for The Doves Nest Restaurant, expanding our space to feed well over 100 people each day. Eventually I made it out of the

kitchen on a daily basis and replaced myself with a full-time chef and crew, while adding a catering business to the mix. In 1996 I wrote a cookbook that won an award by Reader’s Digest for the best self-published cookbook in America.

Almost 20 years later we are truly blessed to have not only built a business that has grown to be a major anchor in our beautiful historic town, but also serves as our home in a loft above. It hasn’t always been easy and there were many times we weren’t sure if we would make it. As a business owner you sacrifice a lot of your personal life, especially in the service business. However, tenacity, hard work, loyal employees and customers who appreciate what we offer make it a rewarding effort.

Entrepreneurship is about more than just starting a business. It’s about having attitude and the drive to succeed. I believe the more mistakes you make, the more you learn and the greater chance you have to succeed in future endeavors. The key, however, is to have faith in what you are doing, learn from your mistakes and never give up on your dream. If you are meant to do something, there will always be signs encouraging you along the way.

Cindy Burch

Cindy Burch and her husband, Andrew, own and operate The Dove’s Nest in historic downtown Waxahachie. Cindy is also a freelance writer, caterer and consultant. Her award-winning cookbook, “The Doves Nest Restaurant: New American Recipes From A Historic Texas Town,” is in its fifth printing.

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WE WANT TO BE YOUR

FAMILY DENTIST!

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125 Park Place Blvd.

Waxahachie, TX 75165

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