SHE | November 2017

November

2017

Universally Speaking

Learning expert Joni Degner teaches the teachers

Also Inside

Therapy in motion Jobs for mean cats A spiced pear cocktail

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November 2017

Jaime Miller works with Angel Baez-Lopez at Clifty Creek Elementary.

2 She Magazine // November 2017

» 10

November 15, 2017

©2017 by AIM Media Indiana.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction of stories, photographs and advertisements without permission is prohibited.

Stock images provided by © iStock.

Health

Physical Therapists

14 Joni Degner 16 Morgan Abel 18 Winter-blooming Plants 20 Journaling 22 Working Cats 24 Flea Market Decor 26 Fall Flavors 30 Feels like Home 31 Team Green 32 The Golden Rule Profile

EDITOR

What BCSC teacher are you most thankful for?

Jenny Elig Designer

Margo Wininger COPY EDITOR

Katharine Smith

Five QUESTIONS

Contributing WRITERS

Sara McAninch, Katie Glick, Katie Willett, Glenda Winders, Catherine Winkler

GARDENING

PURSUITS

Pets

Home Trends

Cuisine

Transplanted Spouse

First comes love

The Farmer’s Daughter

4 Editor’s note 6 Things to Do

I truly admired my Columbus Contributing photogr apher North journalism April Knox advisor, Kim Green.

I do what I love every day because Advertising art direc tor of the classes I Amanda Waltz took with her.

Advertising Design

Dondra Brown, John Cole, Ashley Curry, Julie Daiker, Jessica Dell, Cassie Doles, Kassi Hattabaugh, Josh Meyer, Tina Ray, Robert Wilson Phil Miller,

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He inspired my career choice.

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He sparked my interest in books by how he would read to us with such enthusiasm.

(812) 379-5652 SEND COMMENTS TO

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Email shemagazine@aimmediaindiana.com

on the cover Joni Degner photographed by April Knox.

November 2017 // She Magazine 3

» editor’s note

A

Mid-Range Expectations

As the days slip by in the countdown to my 40th birthday, I find myself at a loss for words.

More specifically, I’m at a loss for words for my editor’s note. I keep thinking that this — the last She editor’s note of my 30s — should be a collection of shimmering prose that encapsulates my sophisticated worldview and will impart wisdom to all who read it. My expectations are so high for this piece, it’s no wonder I’m feeling a little tongue-tied. Or, in this case, finger-tied.

But I suppose it’s all about managing expectations: I’m sitting down to write an editor’s note, not the next great American novel. And if I could share one of life’s big secrets, it would be just that: Manage your expectations.

When I headed to college in 1996, I pictured my university experience as raucous and fun, with a close circle of friends. Fast forward to spring of my freshman year, and my life had been overtaken by

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4 She Magazine // November 2017

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the best experiences came when I went into a situation without assumptions. When my outlook was set, when the outcome was pre-planned, I would inevitably be disappointed.

Oh, that’s not to say there’s no room for planning. As my mother says, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I always make arrangements; I love to have a strategy. I control the things I can control. Then I set my sails, but I don’t forget to dampen the wind of expectation. Then I ride the waves and see where they take me.

So I will turn 40 with no expectations and therefore no disappointments. It is perhaps the most freeing feeling of them all.

Jenny Elig

jelig@aimmediaindiana.com

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a horrible depression, my body weighed down with an extra 40 pounds. I carried those pounds around with my unmet prospects.

Four years later, I set out for the Washington, D.C., area, picturing adventures and glory in our nation’s capital. I knew it would happen. I was young and overconfident, with a brash way of talking to other people. Instead of being an appreciated member of a social scene, I found myself broke and oddly alienated. I remember going for six months without even hugging another human.

So much for expectations.

I’ve seen my friends crash and burn under the weight of their expectations: a friend who lashes out after a failed relationship; a friend who’s bitter over a less-than-transcendent meal; and another friend who’s still angry over a crummy date.

At some point in my 40 years, I’ve found that

November 2017 // She Magazine 5

24 Hours in a Day

Things to Do

Compiled by Jenny Elig

1

During “Legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers,” 6:30 p.m.

Nov. 15 at Bartholomew County Public Library, Navajo fine artist Teddy Draper Jr. will speak about the experiences of his father, who worked as a World War II Navajo code talker.

2

Check out Cassandra Claycamp’s senior project, Ag-Stravaganza 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds’ Community Building.

3 Get to know the Ladies for Liberty, a singing troupe dedicated to performing the Andrews Sisters’ style of music. The Ladies perform 6 p.m.

Nov. 16 at Bartholomew County Public Library. Pick up free tickets at the library or at Mill Race Center.

6 She Magazine // November 2017

4

Stop by WellConnect for the Healthy Communities Breastfeeding Coalition 2017 Art Exhibit, highlighting the work of local photographer Angela Jackson. Free.

5

8

Take one last walkthrough of Exhibit Columbus’ temporary art and architecture installations at various modernist structures around downtown and elsewhere, free through Nov. 26. Information and locations: landmarkcolumbus.org.

9

Pro tip

Cheap trick: Get twice the mileage out of your sponges and dryer sheets by cutting them in half. After all, half a sponge cleans dishes just as well.

6

7

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, says Harriet Armstrong of the Purdue Extension Office. “There is no such thing as a ‘diabetic diet.’ It is simply eating a healthy diet,” she says. Try to build a plate this way, Armstrong advises: Half the plate non-starchy vegetables, a quarter of the plate lean protein, a quarter of the plate starch (whole grain products and/or starchy vegetables), a lowfat dairy item with the meal or as a snack, and a nonsugary fruit as a snack or a dessert.

GARAGE

SALE

Garage sale fun continues past summertime at the Community Cast-A-Ways Garage Sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nov. 18, Donner Center.

Stretch it out at Community Yoga, 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena.

Donation-based class appropriate for all levels. Information: (812) 447-2585; facebook.com/bodhiblossomyoga.

10

The popular ongoing series First Fridays for Families is back, featuring “A Christmas Story,” 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at The Commons.

11

’Tis the season for … bourbon?

Check out Farm-to-Fifth Tours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Dec. 30, Bear Wallow Distillery, 4484 E. Old State Road 46, Nashville. Cost: $6, includes samples.

12

16

See Victorian Splendor: Holidays at the Henry Breeding Home, Dec. 1 to 3. Guests will experience music, horse-drawn carriage rides, toys and other items belonging to the family, holiday craft activities for children and storytelling. Information: bartholomewhistory.org or (812) 372-3541.

17

Crook your pinky for the 20th annual Mom and Me for Tea, 1 p.m. Dec. 3 at Donner Center. This holiday party for mothers with daughters ages 3 to 8 includes tea, punch, crafts, games and fashion show. Cost: $24 per mother/ daughter pair. To register, call (812) 376-2680, stop by Donner Center or visit columbusparksandrec.com.

Pro tip

Cheap trick for pet owners: You can remove pet hair with a damp (not soaking wet) cloth or sponge.

13

Work out your kinks at Yoga of 12-Step Recovery, noon Mondays, Recovery Engagement Center. Donation-based class.

Information: (812) 447-2585.

18

Join the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for “A Holiday Journey,” 3:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at The Commons.

Tickets: Adults $10 in advance. Information: csoindiana.org/tickets.

19

14

Skate with Santa, noon to 4 p.m.

Nov. 25, Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena.

Cost is $7.50 and includes skate rental.

15 Don’t miss Arts for AIDS, a fundraiser in conjunction with World AIDS Day featuring The Kenyetta Dance Company. Doors open at 5 p.m. and program at 6 p.m., Nov. 30, The Commons.

21

If boot-scooting boogies pound in your heart, get line dancing lessons at 7 p.m.

Dec. 8 at the Pixy Theatre, 111 S. Walnut St., Edinburgh. Cost: $5, TheEdinburghPixy.com.

22

Marja Harmon is “Home for the Holidays” and performing with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Columbus North High School auditorium. Tickets and information: (812) 376-2638; online at thecip. org; and in person at 315 Franklin St.

Continue your holiday merriment at Santa’s Workshop, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Dec. 8, Donner Center. Holiday show with hands-on Christmas crafts, games, prizes and snacks after the show. Cost: $1.

23 Catch “Sleepless in Seattle” at the Brown County Playhouse, 70 S. Van Buren St., Nashville, 4 and 7 p.m.

Dec. 31. Information and tickets: (812) 988-6555 and browncountyplayhouse.org.

20

Dance yourself into a holiday state of mind at Dance Indiana’s Holiday Dance, 7 to 10 p.m.

Dec. 9 at The Commons.

Tickets: $25. Information: danceindiana@gmail.com.

24

Got an item for 24 Things?

Email it to jelig@therepublic.com.

November 2017 // She Magazine 7

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8 She Magazine // November 2017

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November 2017 // She Magazine 9

» health

»

healing

In Motion Local physical therapists offer aid to patients

By Sara McAninch Photography by april knox

10 She Magazine // November 2017

You have a stroke and it’s affected your ability to walk. Maybe you are an athlete with chronic pain that slowly worsens over time and you eventually stop playing because of it. Or you’re a woman with bowel and bladder pain that isn’t going away with antibiotics. Maybe you have a child with a physical disability that prevents him from walking properly.

As a result, he can’t climb the stairs to use the slide, play sports with his friends or ride a bike. All these scenarios could mean you or your loved one needs physical therapy, but what does that mean?

Being told you must see a physical therapist can seem intimidating and overwhelming, and possibly even a little scary. After all, you must see a specialist to treat a nagging ailment that hasn’t been cured via other means. So who is the person you’ll be seeing? What are her credentials?

“I think of us as a movement specialist,” says Aubrey Jackson-Conner, a doctor of physical therapy at Columbus Regional Health Rehabilitation. “We are assessing movement; how each individual will move through their daily activities.”

Physical therapist Kim Wilson-Bickers says people in her field are “jacks of all trades” when it comes to the medical profession.

“Our education allows us to know a little about a lot of things as they relate to

medicine and to relate that then to often the physical functioning of a person,” she says. “We are a health care provider who is pretty well versed in all aspects of medical care, and we work to help a patient really be restored to as normal physical function as possible.”

According to the American Physical Therapy Association , the official member organization for people in the profession, PTs are “highly educated, licensed health care professionals who can help patients reduce pain and improve or restore mobility.”

Current APTA requirements state that even before a PT sees her first patient, she must obtain a doctorate from an accredited program, which is considered a professional entry-level program. Although stopping at a bachelor’s or master’s degree is no longer an option for those in the field, anyone who obtained those degrees prior to the 2015 requirement change is still allowed to practice.

In addition, PT hopefuls must pass a state licensure exam administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. In Indiana, the license must be renewed every two years for all degree levels. PTs wishing to specialize in one or more areas can obtain a certification from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. The specialty areas are cardiovascular and pulmonary,

Aubrey Jackson-Conner has worked as a physical therapist for Columbus Regional Hospital’s Rehabilitation Center for nine years.

clinical electrophysiology, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics, sports and women’s health.

Women in movement It’s fitting that PTs can opt to specialize in women’s health: Women make up the majority of the workforce. According to APTA, women currently make up 64 percent of the PT workforce, which is down slightly from 68.3 percent in 2010.

Women in physical therapy date as far back as 1921, when the American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association was formed. In the 1940s and ’50s demand for physical therapists grew due to World War II and the spread of polio. During

Jaime Miller has worked as a physical therapist for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. for 17 years.

this time, the number of women physical therapists kept increasing.

Jackson-Conner heard about physical therapy when she was in college.

“I started volunteering for therapeutic horseback riding, which is not necessarily physical therapy, but there is an equivalent form called hippotherapy that is when a physical therapist can provide treatment to a child with special needs on a horse,” she says. Because of volunteering in hippotherapy and outpatient physical therapy, Jackson-Conner changed her major as an undergraduate so physical therapy was an option for her.

Since graduating with her doctorate, she feels that her most rewarding days as a

physical therapist are when people are getting better. “When you see a person come in who initially you could just see in their face how bad they hurt, or how much their pain was affecting their daily lives, and they come in smiling the next week,” she says.

Jaime Miller is a physical therapist who works for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Her interest in physical therapy began when she took a health occupations class at Columbus East High School. She was also involved in cross-country and track, which enabled her to see the sports medicine side of physical therapy. She graduated from college in December 2000 and immediately November 2017 // She Magazine 11

» health

started working as a physical therapist. “I started out at Schneck for five years and did kind of everything down there, but I always kind of knew that I had a love for kids and I wanted to get back to kids,” she says.

For Miller, the best days are when she has worked on an activity with a child for a while and it finally clicks. Seeing the child’s success and smile, as well as his ability to interact with his peers, is what she finds rewarding.

Wilson-Bickers was introduced to the health care field even earlier in life.

Growing up, she and her two siblings would accompany their father, who was a nurse anesthetist, on the weekends when he cleaned his machines at the hospital.

“He would talk to us about health care as a profession,” she says. Because of that early introduction, all three of them went on to work in the health care field.

Working as a physical therapist for 33 years, Wilson-Bickers has had her share of rewarding days on the job. Her best days are when she sees a patient, whether for the first time or as a repeat visit, and she feels as if she’s made a difference. She likes knowing that she’s helped patients feel safe at home because they can maneuver without falling or getting hurt.

She also likes it when patients learn that they can do their exercise program and not be in pain doing it.

All three women cite schedule flexibility as one of the main reasons they love being physical therapists. As mothers, their jobs allow them to work around child care and school schedules. They also like the nurturing aspect of the job – being able to care for others and make connections with their patients.

Seeing your PT All first-time visits start with an individual evaluation, which helps the PT determine the best course of treatment based on you or your loved one’s needs 12 She Magazine // November 2017

Kim Wilson-Bickers works with Ruthanna Kaler.

and limitations. From there, the PT creates short- and long-term treatment goals. The reason you are seeing a PT and the results of your evaluation will determine what sort of plan is created, including the activities performed during each treatment.

“Each individual is going to respond differently to different treatments, so we have to put together the puzzle of what works for this individual because when we evaluate them at the first day it’s an individualized evaluation. There’s all kinds of questioning as to what hurts, what doesn’t, what feels good, and what can’t I do,” says Jackson-Conner. A PT will then develop a diagnosis and

recommend a combination of individualized treatments.

At the Rehabilitation Center where Jackson-Conner works, PTs can see you for many reasons, including sports medicine injuries, vestibular (inner ear) problems affecting balance, chronic pain, spine pain and injuries, women’s health issues, such as pain during or after pregnancy as well as bowel and bladder incontinence, post-stroke mobility, traumatic brain injury recovery, and general weakness, to name a few. Treatment will be a combination of manual and physical therapies.

Manual therapy can include massage techniques of the head, neck, back and

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other areas of the body, joint mobilization, and a treatment that “regenerates soft tissues (muscles, tendons, etc.) and removes unwanted scar tissue that may be causing pain or movement restrictions.

Physical therapy can include therapeutic exercise, core stabilization, spine stabilization, balance activities and fall prevention exercises. If you’re a woman needing physical therapy, some of the treatments may involve pelvic floor strengthening, relaxation, and bowel and bladder control exercises.

If you have a child with a disability, someone such as Miller can help your child access his educational environment.

Treatment can include strengthening to improve balance so he can sit in chairs in class, or evaluation and recommendations for adaptive seating if needed.

If you are an older person who cannot leave your home for care, or if you’re home from the hospital after a surgery, then a PT such as Wilson-Bickers could help you. As an in-home PT for American Nursing Care, Wilson-Bickers conducts head-to-toe assessments that include a review of your medical history and medications and how they affect your ability to move around safely. She will also check your memory, alertness, strength, and ability to walk and move your arms and legs. During the assessment, she considers how safe it is for you to do each of these activities.

76 -30 66

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» profile

A Language for Learning UDL expert Joni Degner sets the pace for local classrooms

By Glenda Winders Photography by april knox

14 She Magazine // November 2017

S

Sit down for a 10-minute chat with Joni Degner and chances are you’ll come away wishing you could go back to high school. Degner is the Universal Design for Learning facilitator for Columbus North and East high schools, where she implements a program geared toward student learning about which she radiates excitement.

“We’re setting students up for success, no matter what their post-secondary path might be,” she says. “We want kids to understand how they best engage in learning, how to set challenging learning goals for themselves and persist when those challenges seem really hard. We

want kids to be resourceful and to understand how to go and get what they need.

We’re preparing them for jobs we don’t even know about yet.”

UDL is a framework based in neuroscience. The system was designed with the goal of reaching all students and making them experts in their own learning. The UDL approach is proactive; educators anticipate issues students might have rather than waiting for them to falter.

The system is based on three principles. The first, “multiple means of engagement,” offers students many different ways in which to get interested in what they are about to learn.

“We want our kids to understand why they’re learning what they’re learning, to connect to learning and to find value and relevance in what they’re learning,” Degner says. “‘Why’ is not because it’s the next chapter or we’re having a test over it. There are bigger reasons why we’re learning something.”

The second principle is providing “multiple means of representation.”

“We all take in information differently, so it’s important for us to give our kids information in a lot of ways,” she says. “When we design our learning environments for UDL, it becomes an active experience. I teach them about different ways to get information and ask them which of those ways will work best for them.”

Part of Degner’s job is to coach teachers in organizing classrooms and lesson plans in this way. One of the social studies teachers with whom she works accomplished the goal by setting up “information stations” around his room that included a YouTube video, a textbook, an infographic, a historic document relevant to the lesson and himself as a resource. In observing and talking with his students he was able to help them discover which modes of learning worked best for each of them. The system requires the teacher to do a lot of work upfront, Degner says, but

once class begins the students take over.

The final principle, “multiple means of activity and expression,” gives students a choice of how they’d like to demonstrate what they have learned. They can take a traditional test or write a paper, but they also have such options as drawing a picture, creating a PowerPoint presentation, making a recording or talking to the teacher about it.

Degner became interested in UDL when as a language arts teacher at East she had a student she couldn’t reach.

“He would do work in class, but he never did anything outside. When he walked out the door, it was over,” she says. “When January came and I didn’t yet have a writing sample from him, I felt like a failure.”

Then a colleague suggested she give him choices of ways to show her what he had learned from reading “To Kill a Mockingbird”: He could take a quiz, write a paragraph, put together a collage, select and caption pictures or write a postcard from one character to another.

The student liked the postcard idea, so he worked on it in class and then asked if he could take the colored pencils home to continue working there. The piece he turned in had a series of vignettes from the book drawn on one side and on the other side was his first writing sample.

“He showed me he was a very talented artist,” Degner says. “Up until then the message I had been sending him was ‘I don’t value your talent in this learning environment.’ The message I want to send is ‘I want to see what you know so I know how to teach you better.’ It changed the relationship between me and that kid and between me and every kid I would ever teach going forward.”

Degner says variability exists in every classroom. Some students don’t read at their grade level, others don’t have their math facts memorized. But that doesn’t mean they can’t learn.

“The notion that a student is remedial or average or an (Advanced Placement)

student is crazy,” Degner says. “Even students who seem to be struggling the most have a lot of strengths, and kids who seem to be the very brightest also have weaknesses. UDL says to design for all those kids, and if we remove barriers for some kids, we remove them for others, too.”

Once Degner took the job as UDL facilitator, she and other facilitators from Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. (every school has at least a part-time UDL facilitator) had additional training through the Boston-based Center for Applied Science Technology at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

It was at CAST that the concept for UDL was born.

A presentation Degner made at a symposium earned her an invitation to be a part of CAST’s professional learning cadre, which means she travels to several other states helping spread the word about this innovative system.

“Whenever I hear Joni talk, whether a formal presentation or a small-group discussion, I learn something,” says Allison Posey, curriculum design specialist at CAST. “She is incredibly smart, engaging and passionate about education for all.

She really is a leader in the field.”

But Degner is proudest of BCSC, where the program has been embraced from the top administration on down.

The corporation brings in UDL consultants for professional development, and when other school districts want to see it in action, Columbus is one of the places they come.

Degner says knowing about UDL has also made her better able to advocate for her own children, River, 9, and Thomas, 5. When River was in second grade, his assignment was to write a reading log, but he hadn’t yet mastered the mechanics of handwriting. She was able to identify the problem and ask the teacher if he could demonstrate what he knew in some other way.

Another area where Degner is a leader

is in cultural responsiveness.

“At BCSC we work really hard to make sure that in our content and in our curriculum we honor diversity,” she says. “We make sure we incorporate a multitude of histories and heritages and contributions and perspectives from a lot of different kinds of people. It’s a beautiful marriage between UDL and cultural responsiveness.”

To that end, one teacher asked his students to relate their first political experience and to ask someone at least twice their age to tell theirs. He learned that he had students whose families had left Mexico because of drug cartels, participated in the Iranian revolution and lived in Sudan during its civil war. Knowing those things, he was able to broaden his teaching to give students a glimpse into other parts of the world.

“Joni’s research and interest in incorporating the concept and practice of cultural responsiveness into the UDL framework has been exceptional and has thrust her into the national spotlight as an expert practitioner and speaker on this topic,” says Bill Jensen, BCSC’s director of secondary education. “She is able to effectively communicate to our teachers and administrators the importance of incorporating cultural responsiveness into an educator’s practice in order to more fully engage students in their learning.”

Degner has worked in Columbus schools for 10 years. Her husband, Adrian, is an electrician at Cummins, and she says they love everything about living in Columbus.

“I can’t imagine going anywhere else because I want my kids to go to BCSC to get their education,” she says.

When asked what she’d like to be doing in 10 years, she says she’d still like to be teaching people about UDL. “We’re taking steps toward social justice in education, and I like being a part of that. At BCSC we’re all running in the same direction,” she says. “And it’s the right direction.”

November 2017 // She Magazine 15

» Five questions Morgan Abel

The Fast and the Curious

Monster Girl Morgan Abel wears contrasting uniforms

by Jenny Elig

M

Monster Energy Drink Girl Morgan Abel was just hopping off the stage after the race car driver introductions at Talladega’s Super Speedway when she spied a teenage girl passed out on the ground. Abel ran over, offering to help.

The two adults hovering over the teen eyed the Monster Girl warily. She was clad in her usual work uniform of a crop top and shorts and full makeup, and the parents might have wondered just what help Abel could even offer.

“I took a second and said, ‘I’m a nurse,’” Abel says. “And it was kind of like a light switch went off. It was like, oh she’s more than a cute girl in this outfit. I was able to help them until the paramedics got there.”

Abel, who grew up in North Vernon and now lives in Scipio with her fiancé, Joe Flora, spends her weekdays working as a psychiatric nurse at Columbus Regional Hospital. On Fridays, she hops on a plane for the gig she’s had for an even longer time — a representative for Monster Energy Drink, which is a main sponsor for NASCAR races.

A longtime pageant contestant, Abel started with Monster in 2008 after she won Miss Indiana Teen USA. (Abel’s pageant career continued as she went on to represent Indiana in the 2016 Miss USA competition.) And she seems to have continued her lifelong quest for adventure and knowledge; the self-described HGTV addict recently became a real estate broker so she could help people in the home-buying process.

Here, Abel explains how she came to have her dual roles.

16 She Magazine // November 2017

1 2

You have two pretty specific careers or trades — you’re a nurse and a Monster Girl. Which one came first?

Monster came first. They discovered me through social media and reached out. I’ve been with them ever since; throughout college and even as I was graduating from high school, I was working a lot of events with them. Now, I want to say there are 34 weekend events a year. The schedule is from mid-February to mid-November.

What’s a day like for you, when you’re working for Monster?

Fridays and Mondays are our travel days.

On Saturdays, we go to the track and take pictures for about four or five hours with fans and sign autographs. Usually they have stunt shows, so some of the Monster athletes come in. On Sundays, it’s the cup race. We stay for about an hour in the fan zone, then we go to the drivers’ meetings to welcome the guests and the drivers.

We hand out T-shirts and hats. We go to the driver introduction. The girls are present at the pit box, and the girls are at victory lane, which is always a lot of fun; the drivers are so pumped that they won.

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What led you to nursing?

When I was 9, I was in Riley Children’s Hospital for 90 days. I had a rare, braineating amoeba. It’s called Naegleria fowleri.

It’s amoeba that goes up your nasal passages and into your brain. Typically, when you have Naegleria fowleri, you don’t live past five to seven days. When I was up at Riley, I had a great nurse; her name was Tasha. She was so compassionate with me.

It always seemed like she was very in the moment with me. She was never rushed. She really made a big impact on me. When I graduated from high school, I thought, you know, I think I want to be a nurse.

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Recently, the Monster Girls have gotten some flak, nationally, for their outfits.

How do you respond to that criticism?

I’m an educated woman who’s been brought up in a great family, with great morals and values. I would never do anything that I felt was wrong. I would never be in an outfit that made me feel uncomfortable. I would never wear anything that I felt would shine a bad light on my parents or my family.

So, I think it’s just people who don’t see us for more than being a costume, and they really miss out. There’s always more than what meets the eye. My mom has always told me to live my life like a letter that will someday come back to your kids. You only get one life to do that.

I would rather take as many chances as I can to do what makes my heart happy while my body is young and able. Fear will kill more dreams than failure ever will.

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What’s it like when you’re working at the hospital?

It’s definitely a change of pace. I’m a psychiatric nurse, so I work in the mental health unit at Columbus Regional. It’s nice to be back there. I really enjoy helping people and talking to people.

www.facebook.com/RepublicMagazines November 2017 // She Magazine 17

Âť gardening

Cold-Weather Buzz Winter-blooming plants help bees survive in your yard

By Dean Fosdick, Associated Press

18 She Magazine // November 2017

AP photos

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Winter and early spring are lean times for honeybees as they emerge from their hives, where food supplies are dwindling, to forage. Adding clusters of winter-blooming plants around the yard will give them much needed nourishment.

Bees take in carbohydrates from floral nectar and protein from floral pollen.

Being aware of bloom times and providing flowers that overlap the seasons are important for beekeepers who want to successfully overwinter their colonies.

Some bees, including many wild varieties, begin searching for food as early as January, when sunny days can push temperatures up to 55 degrees F or more.

“In the early spring, bees are going to need food to get their engines started again,” says Andony Melathopoulos, a bee specialist with Oregon State University Extension Service. “You can’t simply start up your gardening routines (for pollinators) again in the spring. Solitary wild bees, honeybees and hummingbirds are just clinging to life. The preparation you do now is very important since early spring is a vulnerable time for pollinators.”

Pollinator plants such as crocus, primrose and snowdrops will bloom even when snow is on the ground. Trees and shrubs also are effective choices for feeding early emerging honeybees.

“People often overlook trees,” Melathopoulos says. “But when it comes to late winter and early spring, it’s the trees that are important. Willows, maples, filberts and hazelnuts are some of the earliest sources of pollen you’ll find.

They’re easy to establish and grow.”

He also suggests establishing the early blooming plants in clusters to make it easier for foraging honeybees to spot and access them.

“Bees are efficient pollinators,” Melathopoulos says. “They really appreciate patches of flowers. They can go from flower to flower easily. It’s hard for them

to work on cool days, and if they don’t have to fly between clusters, they really appreciate it.”

Many winter-flowering plants grow in the wild, but pollinators generally don’t live near them, he says. That makes cultivating winter bloomers important when you’re planning your gardens.

Property owners also should leave suitable places for native bees to hibernate undisturbed. Let turf grass grow long over the winter. Avoid pesticides.

Reduce lawn size and turn instead to protective shrubs.

Even a small amount of habitat will be enough to sustain bees, Melathopoulos says. “These are tiny creatures. Wellthought-out landscapes can provide all the food they need in winter. Gardeners can really help with that.”

Here are some additional bee-friendly plants that can provide a degree of brightness in winter while also nourishing pollinators: Oregon grape, an evergreen shrub that produces yellow flowers blooming for weeks.

Heath and heather. “In shades of purple to copper to gold, these low-growing plants make a mat of color throughout the year, including winter,” Melathopoulos says.

Male willow plants, maples, apple, crabapple, native cherry. “I’d start with these shrubs,” says Mace Vaughan, pollinator program director for The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation in Portland, Oregon. “Native plants selected to feed bees are definitely part of the solution” to declining bee populations, Vaughan says.

Online For more about nourishing pollinators in late winter and early spring, see this Xerces Society list of bee-friendly plants: xerces.org/pollinatorconservation/plant-lists.

November 2017 // She Magazine 19

» pursuits

The Write Stuff Creative ways to keep a journal

By Molly Sprayregen, Associated Press

20 She Magazine // November 2017

Whether you’re looking to release pent-up emotions, motivate yourself or simply clear your mind, keeping a journal can be great for your mental health.

“We discover things about ourselves that are hidden,” says Jamie Ridler, a creative living coach and founder of the online Jamie Ridler Studios. She says journaling is “great practice for showing us something beyond what we think we know.”

Your journal should be a place where you feel completely free to experiment and have fun. But how do you get started? What do you say? Some techniques to help get those creative juices flowing:

Create an art journal There are no rules for art journaling, but it generally involves a combination of words and images.

“Images allow us to tap into different parts of us,” says Amy Maricle, an artist, art therapist and founder of the online journaling hub Mindful Art Studio.

“With language, we’re really good at censoring and controlling and presenting what we think and feel. Through visual means we don’t have the same kind of censorship and filters.”

Art journaling doesn’t require advanced skills. Even painting messily all over the page can be cleansing, Maricle says. She enjoys taking one or two colors

AP photos

and merely spreading paint all over a page. “It’s like taking a walk in nature,” she says. “It helps open me up.”

Another exercise she suggests: Write what you’re feeling, and then, in light pencil, underline words or phrases that stand out to you. Using paint, cover any of the writing you didn’t underline. Now you’ve created an original poem.

Ridler says you can also start an art journal by selecting an image from a magazine that catches your eye. Glue it into your journal and write about why you picked it. She also suggests a style of journaling known as Fuaxbonichi — dividing a page into many sections and filling it with words and drawings.

Maricle and Ridler both urge journal keepers not to worry about the final product. No one else needs to see it, after all.

“When you are in your journal, you are in a process,” says Ridler. “Let yourself be messy. Let yourself find your way.”

Make lists Sharie Stines, a therapist and coach for those suffering from addiction and/or abusive relationships, suggests keeping gratitude lists and lists of your strengths and goals. She also recommends writing self-affirming declarations such as “I am enough” and “I can do this.”

The ultimate form of list-making may be the Bullet Journal, invented by Ryder Carroll. It involves tracking your life in bullet points. Carroll says doing that helps us remain organized and gain awareness of how we spend our time and energy.

“It’s not only about what we need to do,” he says. “It’s also about understanding and questioning the things that demand our attention.”

There are three main categories of bullets in a Bullet Journal: tasks, events and notes. Carroll explains, however, that the Bullet Journal is “infinitely customizable” and can also involve sketches, color and other visual elements.

Keeping a Bullet Journal by hand is key to its effectiveness, he says: “Studies suggest that analog journaling of any kind has many benefits, ranging from treating anxiety to increasing memory retention.” For more information, see the tutorials on bulletjournal.com.

Try expressive writing Social psychologist Dr. James Pennebaker was a pioneer in using expressive writing to help people deal with problems. He explains: “You set aside three or four days and write for maybe 15 or 20 minutes each day and ideally about some topic that is gnawing at you, that is getting in the way of your life.”

Writing, he says, requires us to stop pushing the issue aside. It acknowledges how we feel and helps us “place some kind of organization and structure to it.”

Pennebaker emphasizes that expressive writing isn’t for everyone all the time and may not be beneficial immediately after an upheaval. Trust your gut, he says. “If you absolutely don’t feel as though you are ready to write, don’t write,” he says. “Your brain is telling you something.”

Write letters Addressing journal entries to a person in your life can help release bottled-up feelings. Stines regularly utilizes this technique with her clients.

“It’s not for the other person,” she says. “It’s only for the writer. The other person may never know you had a problem. They don’t even have to know, because you’re giving voice to yourself.”

November 2017 // She Magazine 21

» pets Gary, a cat adopted through Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia Working Cat adoption program, sits on a shelf on the retail floor at his new home at the Bella Vista Beer Distributors in Philadelphia.

G

Here, Kitty Kitty For ornery shelter cats, second chance is a job chasing mice By Kristen De Groot, Associated Press

Jordan Fetfatzes, owner of Bella Vista Beer Distributors, pets Gary.

22 She Magazine // November 2017

Gary wasn’t used to being around people. He didn’t like being touched or even looked at. If anyone came too close, he’d lash out.

He was perfect for the job.

Because at the Working Cats program, no manners is no problem. Philadelphia’s Animal Care and Control Team established the program about four years ago to place unadoptable cats — the biters and the skittish, the swatters and the ones that won’t use a litter box — into jobs as mousers at barns or stables.

The shelter recently expanded the program to move cats that were lessthan-ideal pets into urban jobs at places like factories and warehouses as a sort of green pest control. The animals are microchipped, vaccinated and free of charge.

“Part of the reason cats became domesticated was to get rid of the rodent population,” says Ame Dorminy, ACCT’s spokeswoman. “We took advantage of their natural propensity to hunt and made an official program out of it.”

Cats identified as good matches for the program are kept in a separate aisle at the shelter in a row called TTA, time to adjust. On a recent visit, a low growl could be heard from a cage housing a

AP photos

Spike, who is up for adoption as a working cat, looks out from his cage.

Below: Todd Curry, vice president of sales at Emerald Windows, pets Shelley, a cat adopted through the program.

male named Spike, whose intake sheet listed his qualifications: hissing, swatting, spitting, can’t be picked up. A few doors down, Prince was standoffish at the rear of his cage.

Just because cats don’t want to be petted or snuggle on a lap doesn’t mean they can’t have good lives, Dorminy says. “A lot of these cats feel more comfortable when they can be themselves and use natural behaviors,” she says. “Then they’re more open to human interaction because they feel more confident.”

At Bella Vista Beer Distributors, mice were gnawing on bags of chips overnight, leaving a mess and forcing staffers to throw out about 15 bags a day, owner Jordan Fetfatzes says.

They tried exterminators, but nothing worked. An employee found ACCT’s program online, and Fetfatzes even-

tually decided on Gary, a white male with one blue eye and one green that had “behavioral issues.” Gary wasn’t accustomed to people and would hiss from the crate. At first, Gary would stay in the office and would only go into the warehouse after hours.

As the weeks passed, he warmed up to workers and customers, and has transformed into a sweet, playful mascot with free rein of the store.

“My only complaint is sometimes he gets in the way of a transaction,” says Fetfatzes, who describes himself as a “dog guy” who’s turned into a cat lover thanks to Gary. Neighborhood kids come in just to say hi to him, and he loves to play soccer with a worker who balls up cash register tape and kicks it around as Gary bats at it. As for the mice, they vanished, seemingly repelled by Gary’s scent, Fetfatzes says.

“You’re not only saving your business money, you are helping save the life of an unwanted pet,” he says. “And in this case, we made a friend.”

A number of shelters around the country have working cat

programs. One of the first, in Los Angeles, launched in 1999. Many focus on placing feral cats into barns and stables.

Chicago’s Tree House Humane Society places feral cats at condos and suburban backyards. Pennsylvania’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals puts its feral cats to work in all kinds of jobs, from barns to breweries.

Todd Curry wasn’t exactly sure what was inside the dumpster next door to the Emerald Windows showroom, but it seemed like a free buffet for rats.

“It was almost comical,” he says, comparing it to a scene in the animated film “Ratatouille” with seemingly hundreds of rats streaming out of the dumpster.

Traps didn’t work, says Curry, the company’s vice president of sales, so they brought in Shelley from ACCT’s program. Soon, dismembered rat carcasses started appearing. Now the rodents just stay away. And Shelley, who was given to the shelter after biting her family’s kids, has come out of her shell, craving petting and attention, Curry says. “The only reason she was here was for the rats, but it has turned into a lot more than that,” he says, adding she functions as a workplace stress reliever.

“It’s nice to see these cats put to use, not put down.”

November 2017 // She Magazine 23

» home trends

Overwhelmed at the

flea market?

Designers give shopping tips 24 She Magazine // November 2017

By MELISSA RAYWORTH, Associated Press

AP photos

A

Arriving at a sprawling flea market on a crisp Saturday morning can be exciting. So many potential treasures might be hidden among the dusty piles of cast-off, second-hand goods.

Yet often it’s overwhelming, even for experts. With acres of furniture, art, accessories and more stretching out in front of you, where do you begin?

With a list, suggests New York interior designer Jenny Dina Kirschner, who rarely goes hunting for vintage items without one.

On a recent flea market visit, “we made a list of things we still needed.

Accent tables, some specific chairs,” Kirschner says. You won’t always find what you seek, and you may find a few treasures you’d never imagined wanting. But having the list helps “avoid that insane feeling of arriving and, ‘Oh my God, what do I look for first?’” she says.

So what do designers like to look for first at a flea market?

For Los Angeles interior designer Jessica McClendon, founder of the design firm Glamour Nest, that depends where she is.

“When I shop on trips, I like to focus on items that are unique to the location. I found a Bavarian deer head carved out of wood when I was in Munich that is so interesting and unique to the Black Forest that I simply had to have it,” she says. “In Ireland, I zeroed in on textiles and antique Bibles or prayer books.”

When shopping for vintage items closer to home, McClendon is always on the lookout for chairs.

“I have a full-fledged vintage chair fetish,” she says. “I find antique and vintage chairs so much more interesting and well-made than options found at retailers today. All they need is a little TLC.” Kirschner agrees: She hunts for chairs that have an eye-catching shape but may be covered in worn or ugly fabric. “As a designer, I know I can revive that chair” by refinishing the wood and updating the upholstery, she says.

She’s open to just about any style; the key, she says, is making sure these secondhand chairs are striking and unusual.

If you’re not in the market for furniture, try hunting for art and accessories at estate sales or flea markets, says Jaclyn Joslin, an interior designer and founder of the retail store Coveted Home in Kansas City.

These items “bring life and character into a room that sometimes cannot be achieved with a new item,” Joslin says. She often uses vintage pottery and unique sculptures to add style and color to shelves, mantels and coffee tables.

Interior designer Caitlin Murray, founder and CEO of Black Lacquer Design in Los Angeles, also loves hunting for art. Her favorite finds are abstract portraits of women, and she’s had “a ton of luck finding

interesting pieces at great prices,” she says. “I like to group vintage portraits together as a salon wall, or use just one as a focal point of the room to tie in other colors incorporated throughout the space.”

Smaller art and accessories can also be wonderful flea market finds.

Kirschner recently found a small enamel candy dish with a painted scene on it and bought it for just a few dollars. She found an insignia on the back, searched online and discovered that the piece was part of a series created in Europe decades ago by a family of artisans. She’s since hunted for more dishes from the same series, and they’ve become a treasured collection in her home.

If you’re not sure what type of accessories you’re looking for, consider focusing on one material.

“I’m a sucker for anything solid brass,” says Murray. “Some of my all-time favorite scores are a midcentury Mastercraft coffee table for $40, valued at $4,000, and a vintage, sculptural, 2-foot-tall giraffe for $25.”

You can also find eye-catching lamps and light fixtures at flea markets, but they might need rewiring.

“Ask the dealer if it’s been rewired recently. If not, do they know any history or background on it? It’s typically easy to have done, but it’s an added expense,” Kirschner says. If the light hasn’t been rewired recently, use that fact to bargain the price down.

No matter which items make your personal list for a flea-market hunt, these designers recommend buying vintage pieces that delight you. If the price is reasonable, says Kirschner, don’t hesitate: “If you want to think about it for an hour, there’s a chance it won’t be there when you get back.”

November 2017 // She Magazine 25

»cuisine

Spice World Late fall and winter are accompanied by darker tastes on the flavor spectrum. Rich, full-flavor recipes — both in cocktails, entrees and side dishes — will keep your winter table alive and interesting.

Scotch stars in this fall cocktail

By The Culinary Institute of America via Associated Press

Cold-weather cocktails aren’t limited to eggnogs and mulled ciders. In fact, the flavors of fall and winter can be just as exciting, and even as refreshing, as those beachy concoctions we sip during the summer. And there’s an ingredient you may not have considered that is definitely 26 She Magazine // November 2017

worth adding to your repertoire — scotch.

In this Spiced Orchard Pear recipe from The Culinary Institute of America, scotch is the unexpected star. The drink highlights the best of the fall season, with notes of citrus to help you ease into the snowy winter.

Culinary Institute of America instructor Rory Brown says, “The flavor from the orange liqueur and the lemon juice balances the cocktail and acts as a transition into winter.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a fall cocktail without the familiar flavors of

juicy pear and the warmth of spices, and while you may be less accustomed to using scotch in cocktails, this recipe may change your mind.

Scotch is basically the embodiment of fall, with its caramel flavors perfectly complementing the aroma from your neighbor’s fireplace. And while many think of Scotch as whisky’s smoky cousin, not all Scotch is smoky.

Widely regarded for its long history, Scotch is a whisky — much like those produced in the U.S. — made in Scotland under some very specific requirements.

Part of the historical process is to toast and dry the malt before processing. Peat, a sort of spongy, mossy material that is abundant in the earth of Ireland and Scotland, remains a popular fuel source in Scotland. It imparts a strong flavor that carries through to the finished product.

The scotches produced on the island of Islay are known to be among the smokiest (or, the peatiest), but overall, scotches run the gamut in color, flavor and aroma.

Experiment with producers, regions and blends to find your favorite.

You can find pear puree in the freezer section of some grocery stores, but if not, just put 3 to 4 peeled and cored pears in a saucepan with about ¼ cup water. Cook until the pears are soft, then blend them to a smooth puree. Cool them before using.

Simple syrups are an equal mix of sugar and water, boiled to dissolve the sugar.

We often add flavorings like vanilla, fruit essence or spices. Make your simple syrup weeks ahead, if you like.

We know that not everyone is on the prowl for a good cocktail, so if you would prefer a nonalcoholic version, combine the pear puree, lemon juice and simple syrup with a splash of club soda, seltzer or good quality ginger beer. You can torch the end of the cinnamon stick (we give a quick how-to in the recipe) for a smoky garnish that is just like the real deal.

AP photos

RECIPE

SPICED ORCHARD PEAR Serves 1 2 ounces blended Scotch ¾ ounce pear puree ½ ounce orange liqueur ¼ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

Ginger tea is a soothing drink

By Sara Moulton, Associated Press

¼ ounce Winter Syrup (recipe below) 1 cinnamon stick, for garnish (see note) In a cocktail shaker, combine the Scotch, pear puree, orange liqueur, lemon juice and syrup. Add ice, then shake until well combined. Strain into a rocks glass, over fresh ice, and garnish with the cinnamon stick.

Chef’s note: If desired, lightly burn one end of the cinnamon stick with a torch. Invert the rocks glass over the cinnamon stick on a heat-safe surface or plate while you prepare the cocktail.

Winter Syrup Makes about 3 cups syrup 2 cups water 2 cups sugar The peel of 1 orange, white pith removed 1 star anise 3 whole cloves 2 cinnamon sticks 5 cardamom pods Combine water, sugar, orange peel, anise, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the mixture is simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside until cool, then strain. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

With the arrival of the cold-andcough season, you may be thinking about cooking a big batch of chicken soup as a cure for what ails us. I love the stuff, too, but I suggest you stock up on some fresh ginger root instead.

Ginger, of course, is one of the many flavors to be found in a stir-fry Asian dish or Indian curry. But used in larger quantities than specified for those recipes, it can become quite spicy. Of all the home remedies out there, I have found tea, prepared with fresh ginger, to be the most effective.

Ginger tea is easy to make (and is much cheaper than chicken soup).

Essentially, there’s nothing to do but chop up some fresh ginger root, combine it with water and let it simmer.

When you’re done, you’re looking at a potent, clean-out-your-sinuses beverage that’s ready to sip. I’ve provided a recipe below, but there’s no need to be so formal. You can wing it, and you’ll be fine.

When making the tea, you might imagine that the first task would be to peel that gnarly ginger root. In fact, it’s not necessary. Just rinse it well and slice off any bruised spots, then chop it and pile all the chunks into a small saucepan. The more finely it’s chopped, the better, but half-inch chunks are good enough. Cover the ginger root with 1 inch of cold water,

then bring the tea to a boil. (Starting with cold water pulls out more of the ginger flavor than starting with hot water.) The longer you simmer it, the stronger it becomes. So take a sip after 15 minutes or so and, if you approve, strain the liquid. You can drink it straight up or embellished with honey and lemon, or even a pinch of cayenne.

If one potful of the tea doesn’t entirely vanquish your cold, you can return the chunks to the saucepan, add fresh water and repeat the process. A single crop of chopped ginger can keep a pot going all day.

RECIPE

GINGER TEA Serves 4 4 ounces fresh ginger root 1½ tablespoons honey, divided, or to taste 4 lemon wedges Rinse the ginger, cut off any bruised spots and cut it into (roughly) ½-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, combine the ginger with 4 cups cold water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover partially and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste, and if strong enough, strain and pour into mugs. Add 1 teaspoon honey or more if desired to each portion and serve with a wedge of lemon.

November 2017 // She Magazine 27

»cuisine

Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Hash gets a bacon blast

By Melissa D’Arabian, Associated Press

A chill is in the air, which transforms what goes on our table.

Winter squash, hardy greens like kale and chard, cabbage, cauliflower and sweet potatoes are filling the markets and my recipe-testing table. The colder weather has me craving filling 28 She Magazine // November 2017

side dishes to go alongside juicy roasts and festive winter meals.

Baking sheets covered in cubed veggies offer a nutritious and weeknight-friendly solution. Cut almost any firm veggie into cubes, toss in a little olive oil and seasoning, and roast on high heat until the inside is tender and the edges are golden and caramelized. Time varies by vegetable, but most are done in the 20 to 30 minute range. Serve your roasted veggies with sliced beef or pork roast, or serve simply with some steamed quinoa.

Today’s Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts Hash is filling enough to step

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RECIPE

ROASTED SWEET POTATO AND BRUSSELS HASH

Our recommendations for the hottest spots to eat in Columbus.

Serves 6 ¾ pound medium-sized Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, about 2 cups 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes, about 1½ cups 1 medium Granny Smith (or other tart) apple, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes, about 1 cup ½ cup whole garlic cloves, peeled 2 thick-cut slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the chives and rosemary, and stir until vegetables are coated evenly with olive oil and spices. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture out into a single layer. Bake until sweet potato, Brussels sprouts and garlic are tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cook time. Sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired and serve.

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon smoked turmeric (optional) ½ teaspoon kosher salt Chopped fresh chives and rosemary for garnish (optional)

in for less healthy options at your holiday table, but broad enough in its appeal to be eaten year-round (OK, so maybe not at your Fourth of July barbecue).

Brussels sprouts and their ever-popular companion bacon are teamed with sweet potato to make a tasty oven-roasted hash that requires just minutes of prep time to cube the veggies, all of which can be done a day in advance.

Fans of sweet potatoes love that they have a lower glycemic index than their white counterparts, while fans of bacon love that I’m not such a stickler for

healthy that we can’t indulge a little here. It only takes two thick slices of bacon, boosted by a little smoked paprika and smoked turmeric (a worthy splurge if you can find it), to impart a lovely salty-smokiness on the whole dish.

Garlic cloves roast up into mellow creamy pods of flavor while tart apple cubes add a welcome touch of acidity. The hash is meant to be a plug-and-play recipe — swap out ingredients as you wish — but this combination is exactly right, so you may find yourself making this version over and over.

Henry Social Club 423 Washington St., Columbus (812) 799-1371 henrysocialclub.com

Culinary adventures in a sleek setting: This is the dining experience you’ll find at Henry Social Club. More than that, the venue is proof positive that one doesn’t have to travel to get the kind of food experience found in a larger city. Since opening in late 2014, HSC staff, under the direction of owner and chef Gethin Thomas, have served up a mixture of large and small plate dishes, as well as steaks, salads, pizzas, pastas and pastries, and an extensive wine and spirit selection.

Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant 870 Creekview Drive, Columbus (812) 372-2266 carinos.com

Described as an authentic Italian restaurant with added spice, Johnny Carino’s features one-of-a-kind favorites, all handcrafted from the finest, freshest ingredients available.

Order the ever-popular 16-layer lasagna or dive into a classic dish such as chicken Parmesan.

If you’re ready for a new twist on Italian fare, try Johnny Carino’s Italian nachos or the jalapeno garlic tilapia.

November 2017 // She Magazine 29

» transplanted spouse

making a place a home

It was an interesting thing when I discovered that I actually loved living here. I had dug in deep with my vintage stubbornness and held on to hope that my husband would take me back to my Chicago someday. But my life had been so completely flipped upside down by raising a child that my identity was now irrevocably changed.

I went through a seemingly unending bout of postpartum depression, developed an anxiety disorder and was struggling to figure out who I was. I know some of you ladies out there, probably most of you, know exactly what I’m talking about.

That “working mom” title got slapped on me so hard I could barely breathe. I wasn’t exercising (a 10 Commandments-level sin for me), and I felt just generally lost.

The support I received after I had my son — from my husband, my family, my co-workers and a few select friends who had the stomach to deal with my depression — was what kept me sane.

30 She Magazine // November 2017

Mom-life aside, I started noticing things about Columbus.

This place is special.

To start, the convenience of just about anything you need being no more than a 10-minute drive is unbelievable. I can pick up my son after work, run errands, grab groceries and still be home in less than 45 minutes. In Chicago, that’s laughable; it’s also impossible.

I started noticing the people as well, who are diverse, kind, generous and proud of their town.

The people finally broke me of my Chicago-lust. Working at the Volunteer Action Center opened my eyes to the heart of Columbus.

There are so many people here striving and working and thriving just on hope: Hope that their not-for-profit will provide shelter and safety for a woman running from an abusive relationship. Hope that neighborhoods will stay safe enough for kids to play outside. Hope that the schools’ playgrounds will be updated. Hope that there is a group of kind volunteers available to build an elderly veteran’s wheelchair ramp. Hope that small businesses will continue to thrive. Hope that children in need will receive a free, brand-new backpack filled with brand-new supplies every year.

Behind all this hope are the

people doing the work to make these things happen. It is truly astounding. The people of this town inspired me, they drove me to be better than who I thought I was, they taught me that community is more than an idea — it’s action.

Within this discovery of hope and action, I also discovered my own resilience and that being a mom was a beautiful thing. The haze of depression and anxiety finally lifted, and I was me again, but a stronger, better me, a me who is now an active and engaged member of this community.

One of the things I like the most about ColumKatie Willett has lived in bus is that it has Columbus since 2012. yet to stop surprisShe loves trail running with her dog, playing ing me. From the guitar and eating at frequent summer Lincoln Square Pancake festivals to giant, House with her family. interactive outdoor artwork, I find something new in Columbus whenever I participate in a community event. The people here love this town and take great pride in serving it and cultivating the beauty of it.

In my time at the Volunteer Action Center, I got to be a part of that, cultivating and growing culture, hope and accomplishment.

I now own that, transplant or not, this is not just a place where I live.

Columbus is my home.

first comes love «

The Downside of Being

Team Green

W

When I found out I was pregnant, there were a million worries that ran through my head (and still do). It’s always hard when a Type A person loses control, and pregnancy is basically one big experience of things happening to you that you have no control over. As I finally let myself get excited about having a baby, there was one thing I couldn’t wait to buy: baby clothes.

Walking past the aisles of soft pastels and adorable bear-eared hats at Target has never been more difficult now that I am pregnant. I’ve tried to not overindulge my inclination to buy every tiny onesie in sight, but it hasn’t been easy. It also has stirred up some surprising reactions to the baby clothes that are most available.

I am about as girly of a girl as they come. I hate bugs, and camping to me is defined as having to stay in a bad hotel and nothing lower. So my next statement may come as a surprise: I hate the push for gender-specific baby clothes.

Maybe that’s shocking because as a self-defined girly girl, you’d probably expect me to be all about the pink and giant bows. Believe me, I already have those things ready in my Etsy cart should my baby be a girl. But for now, I’ve been drawn to plain white sleepers and onesies, which are painfully hard to find. I love simple baby clothes, which apparently makes me an anomaly to children’s clothing designers who have never seen a cutesy saying and cartoonish animal they didn’t love.

Color is never more obviously gender-specific

than when it comes to babies. While we thankfully live in a world where adults mostly feel comfortable wearing any color, God forbid I put my baby girl in a blue onesie. Even the paint color we chose for the nursery — a pale gray with blue undertones — was brought up as being “too boyish.” Personally, it’s an attitude I find ridiculous.

As I keep telling people, the baby doesn’t care. The baby doesn’t care what color the crib sheets are. The baby doesn’t care if it’s wearing a neon fuchsia or bright sapphire sleeper. And that wall color I agonized over?

Catherine Winkler is a Columbus resident The baby wouldn’t have minded and author. You can if I chose black, though my mom find out more online at might. As long as the baby is warm catedashwood.com. and fed, it’s happy. I hope.

My issue with gender-specific baby clothes gets into my issues with the limitations we place on men and women as a society. My husband and I have chosen not to find out if we’re having a boy or girl. If it does turn out we have a girl, I’ll definitely be breaking out the giant flower headbands while also keeping her cozy in a blue sweater and matching pants. But it also means if we have a boy and he sees me painting my toenails and wants to join in, I’ll be fine with that, too.

I don’t want to place any limitations on my child’s future, whether it comes to a career or even something as simple as the color of a shirt.

November 2017 // She Magazine 31

» the farmer’s daughter

Protecting the Heart

Glick and daughter, Mae

I

By Katie Glick

It’s been a sad few months in our country with the fires in the West, hurricanes in the South, a gunman in Las Vegas and protests of all kinds. It’s no wonder our hearts hurt and our souls long for better days.

I have always wondered if we all stopped for a second to love a little more if it would help us in the days just ahead of us and years far from today. Maybe we should live up to the Golden Rule that was so prominently displayed in Mrs. Sterns’ fourth-grade classroom. It read “Treat others how you would want to be treated.”

The poster was large, and it hung above our backpacks, purposely I am sure. I can remember my seat in the class vividly and exactly where the poster was behind me. When someone wasn’t being nice or I caught myself not being the best classmate, I could feel the sign behind me as if it had some type of magical powers.

As I’ve gotten older, I have caught myself not living up to that rule at times. And when I stop for a moment and realize what I’m doing, I can tell my heart hurts a little and I need to do something to protect it so it Katie Glick lives with her doesn’t sway any further. husband and daughter In the year since the presion their family farm dential election, I have had to near Columbus. She shares her personal, reflect a lot on my core values work, travel and farm and beliefs. I’ve had to really life stories on her blog, think about how I want to live “Fancy in the Country.” my life, be a role model for my daughter and be a member of my community and contributor to society. I don’t think I’m alone in my thought process and reflections and am sure you have had to do the same.

But how much have we all challenged ourselves and changed for the better? I’m reluc-

32 She Magazine // November 2017

tant to think that I have given it the amount of thought and time I should, but I have started by engaging in my community and issues that affect all of us — even if not myself — directly.

How do you need to change to help protect your heart and feed your soul? I think becoming a more informed citizen and taking time to get to know about the issues in the community and ones my neighbors and others face has helped me. I challenge you to get more engaged in our community and to get out of your bubble and comfort zone. Our kids will thank us for tackling issues head-on and will be better off for it in the future.

In our busy lives it’s as though we’ve forgotten to get to know our neighbor, and then we don’t even see them as a neighbor, hence not treating them as we would want to be treated. There is no room in this world for more hate, ignorance, rude behavior and dismissing others at the expense of our busy schedules and personal gains.

When we all help each other — in whatever way — we help ourselves and our hearts. Feed your soul by feeding others’ hearts, and you’ll protect yours along the way.

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