Septaaw2013

A AW M A G .C O M

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INGRID BROWN CELEBRATING Women of the Year

MEACHELE MARTIN Healing her Heart

Myleia Slagle and beverly ward On Top of Spaghetti

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‘Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.’ - GOLDA MEIR

Photo by Sherrie Norris

publisher Gene Fowler

executive editor Tom Mayer

editor Sherrie Norris sherrie@aawmag.com 828.264.3612, ext. 251

writers Caroline Bond Heather Brandon Danielle Bussone Bonnie Church Yozette “Yogi” Collins Jeff Eason Heather Jordan Linda Killian Heather Samudio Kellen Short Reta J. WInebarger

production & design Jennifer Canosa Meleah Bryan

advertising Anna Roseman 828.264.6397, ext. 271

Photo by Sherrie Norris

cover photo

by Sherrie Norris

Any reproduction of news articles, photographs or advertising artwork is strictly prohibited without permission from management. ©Copyright 2013 A Mountain Times Publication

contents news bits from our readers meachele martin worthwhile women’s club high country women of the year intro alice denton sandra hagler and roberta jackson stacy cox randy brown on top of spaghetti ingrid brown an illness of metaphors young at heart neal goldman blowing rock fashion show you go girl healthy lady mom’s world by the book home décor and more recipes

ingrid brown

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meachele martin

high country women of the year

myleia slagle and beverly ward

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

5

editor’s note

As we close out another summer, as short as it seemed to be, it is now time to transition into a new season.

Such as it is with life, as we often feel as if we’re moving too quickly from one phase to another.

The journey from youth to adulthood seemed to take forever, remember?

Most of us couldn’t wait to turn 16, then 18, and then the final rite of passage to the all-legal, all-powerful age of 21. It was exciting for a while, I remember, but still confusing and awkward at times.

After that, a few uneventful years pass as we settled into reality as adults and all the responsibilities it includes. And then, we begin anticipating (with mixed emotions) the big 4-0.

On our 50th birthday, we are quickly reminded that we are “over the hill,” and even the balloons turn black.

This is not where the story ends, thankfully, but beyond that point, my wisdom, insight and experience are limited, so far.

I hope that in another 25 years, I will be able to report on this era — the 50-plus — as being the best of the best.

In the meantime, regardless of where we are in life, just as the leaves begin to take on their annual transformation, we women need to glide smoothly and effortlessly into our next phase.

I am enjoying my gray hair — I earned it and see it as my crowning glory. The wrinkles that have mysteriously appeared on my face remind me that I’ve had a lot to smile about. The extra weight that loves me too much to leave me reminds

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me that I’ve never gone hungry. My aches and pains are multiplying with time, but I am glad to be able to move freely through each day and to revel in the next new thing that awaits me.

“You never know what’s down the road,” my husband often says. That’s true, but we can prepare ourselves for the ride by anticipating it with joy, rather than facing it with fear.

Transitioning together,

newsbits&clips All You Ever Wanted to Know about Scouting From 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, Girl Scouts of the High Country invite all girls of Avery and Watauga counties in kindergarten through 12th grade to a fishing derby at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock.

It’s a chance to give girls a chance to see what Girl Scouting is all about, said Amber Mellon, local troop leader.

Current Girl Scouts and representatives from the organization will be available to answer questions about scouting, while the girls enjoy a fun afternoon of fishing.

The cost for the event is $6, which includes fishing, a picnic dinner and a patch.

All girls must be accompanied by a parent and are asked to bring a fishing pole, clothes that can get dirty, a water bottle and a blanket or chair.

The registration deadline is Sept. 3.

To register, contact Amber Mellon at (828) 355-5222 or email at ambermellon@gmail. com, or email Nancy Blair at nblair@girlscoutsp2p.org.

Boone Service League seeks new members The Boone Service League — one of the area’s oldest women’s organizations — openly seeks new members who are interested in contributing to the community while forming lasting friendships and partnerships.

Established in 1957 as an auxiliary women’s organization to the Boone Jaycees, the Boone Service League is open to women ages 21 and older living in the High Country area, including Watauga, Ashe and Avery counties.

The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month (except June and July) at Deerfield Methodist Church in Boone. Light refreshments and fellowship begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by a business meeting at 7 p.m. Child care is provided.

Boone Service League needs new members to help sustain its ongoing fundraising and community service efforts, and the time commitment is very minimal. Each year, the Boone Service League awards grants to High Country organizations and presents scholarships to high school seniors. Boone Service League members also hold food and supplies drives, volunteer for the Meals on Wheels program and provide financial assistance for families in crisis.

For more information about the Boone Service League, visit www.booneserviceleague. org or find the organization on Facebook at www.facebook.com/booneserviceleague.

Children’s Advocacy Center The Children’s Advocacy Center, a program of South Mountain Children & Family Services, helps abused children in Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties by providing services in a safe and caring place, reducing trauma to children and coordinating investigations, counseling, medical treatment and advocacy through multidisciplinary teamwork and training.

In an effort to help fund its ongoing services, the nonprofit organization will host a fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, at Perkinsville Baptist Church. Tickets are $8 for BBQ, beans, slaw, hushpuppies, dessert and a drink.

Larger orders (12 or more) will be delivered during lunchtime to your office in Boone, but will not include drinks.

For more information, visit www.cacbr.org or call (828) 414-9277.

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

7

Women in the News

Melanie Childers, chaplain at Watauga Medical Center, right, is presented the Outstanding Local Leadership Award of the Association of Professional Chaplains in June by APC representatives Teresa McIlwain and Valerie Storms.

Photo submitted

Medical Center Chaplain Honored for Outstanding Leadership Melanie Childers, director of pastoral care at Watauga Medical Center, received the annual Outstanding Local Leadership Award of the Association of Professional Chaplains during the organization’s annual conference in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on June 29.

The award is given to an association member who exhibits outstanding dedication to the group and promotes professional chaplaincy through active involvement and initiative at the local or regional level.

Melanie is a board-certified chaplain with the APC and in 2002 was named the organization’s Chaplain of the Year.

From 2004-2007, she served on the board of directors for the APC and on the board of managers for the Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling.

Since 2010, Childers has served as the area certification chairwoman for APC, organizing board certification committees for candidates in North Carolina and Virginia.

Her award came as no surprise to those at the local hospital who work with her on a daily basis, or to the countless patients and family members to whom she has ministered since coming to the medical center in 1998.

“We are fortunate that Melanie chooses to share her talents at Appalachian Regional Healthcare System,” said Claire Cline, director of patient-care services. “The chaplaincy services she provides are a true blessing to our patients, their families and our employees. It is an honor to work with her.”

A North Carolina native, Childers graduated summa cum laude from Mars Hill College in 1990 with a degree in mass communications and journalism. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., in 1994.

Before entering professional chaplaincy, she worked as a writer and editor in Oklahoma and Kentucky. She became board certified by the APC in 2000 and is ordained and endorsed for chaplaincy through the United Church of Christ.

In 2009, she completed her master’s degree in community counseling from Appalachian State University, and in 2011 she became a licensed professional counselor.

“I am so thankful to Watauga Medical Center for valuing the role of spiritual care alongside all the other modalities of healing that take place in healthcare institutions,” she said.

September Medical Listings

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SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

from our readers.

Dear All About Women team, I want to express my sincere appreciation for your kind words of acknowledgement in your AAW’s “News Bits and Clips” section. I feel honored and flattered to be featured in your magazine. I am so proud that my hometown has its own publication that highlights High Country women.

As a single working mom, I find that your magazine provides a refreshing perspective that is encouraging for my daughters and me, and we look forwarding to reading each month’s issue. Your work at AAW provides yet another reason to feel blessed about living in the High Country.

Thanks again, for everything.

Sincerely,

A recent social media post, reprinted with permission from its author: “Well, another day with Murphy’s Law in effect. Went to the grocery store, but forgot my grocery list, so I spent too much money. Now I can’t find anything on the computer, so I will shut it off and read my new All About Women magazine that I picked up this morning. So far, that is the only thing I have done right today.”

- Joyce Perry Ragan

Wendy W. Green Allstate Ins. Co.

let us hear from you We care about what you, our readers, think about the job we are doing. We would also like to know if any particular feature or column has made a difference in your life.

Feel free to share your thoughts with us at . . . sherrie@aawmag.com or send to AAW, 474 Industrial Park Dr., Boone, NC 28607

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Meachele Martin, 54, found hiking the entire Appalachain Trail to be part of her healing experience. Photo submitted

Meachele Martin

Healing Her Heart One Step at a Time

Meachele Martin is no stranger to overcoming obstacles and one of her most recent accomplishments proves that she doesn’t give up easily.

Born in Germany into a military family, Meachele, 54, joined the Navy in 1982 and while stationed in Wales, she met and married Ray Martin, also in the Navy.

They started their family in Wales, and with hiking an important part of those early years, they enjoyed trekking the scenic coast of Wales together.

After 23 years with the Navy, Ray retired and eventually settled his family in the small Ashe County community of Crumpler.

But in 2009, Ray was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2010, leaving Meachele alone with no real way to deal

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with her grief. Sleep deprived with a heart full of pain, Meachele started hiking again as a way to deal with her loss. Starting out slowly, she eventually was physically able to hike her dream, the Appalachian Trail.

Starting on March 5, 2011, Meachele began the trail for the first six weeks with only her dog, a Spinone named Cianna, as her companion.

Starting from Springer Mountain, Ga., the famous Appalachian Trail winds its way through wilderness and traverses towns, roads and rivers through the mountains, eventually ending at Katahdin, Maine. Hikers typically begin in March or April and finish the 2,181 mile journey in late summer or early to late fall of the same year.

Life on the trail isn’t easy, as Meachele attests.

“The backpack and gear can’t be

heavy — it shouldn’t weigh more than 14-18 pounds,” she says. “I took only the clothes I had on, and in my pack were my sleeping clothes, toiletries, my phone which doubled as a camera, a sleeping hammock, a small amount of food, a pot and a ‘stove’ made out of a cat food tin can and denatured alcohol used for fuel.”

Food on the trail consisted of uncooked oatmeal, raisins, nuts, peanut butter for protein, hot chocolate, Slim Jims, tuna, Ramen noodles and power bars.

Stopping at the occasional hostel or restaurant, Meachele ate her fill of carbohydrate-loaded foods such as pancakes, hamburgers and fries.

After the first six weeks, Meachele met up with fellow hikers, and they ended up sharing the experience of the hike together.

“There are all kinds of people on the

trail,” she says. “Young and old, rich, poor, the very educated and students. I hiked with a group of young kids in their 20s who gave me the name, ‘Mothership,’ and it stuck.” Meachele and her fellow hikers developed a strong bond on the trail — one that she says will last a lifetime.

Averaging 15 miles of hiking a day, she would hit the trail at 6 a.m. and hike at least 10 miles before noon. “Anything beyond that was gravy,” she says.

While walking, Meachele was healing — emotionally and spiritually — working out her grief. Besides having spent two weeks for downtime for healing of shin splints, she was actively on the trail for six months, ending her journey in Maine on Sept. 28, 2011. Meachele is one of only 13,000 people who have completed the trail.

Meachele’s next endeavor will be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, over 2,600 miles walking across parts of Mexico, the Sierra Nevada mountain range, California, Oregon, Washington and Canada.

“I am hoping to hike this next year,”

she says. “It is only supposed to take five months,” she says. “My pack will be heavier because water is not as available there, so we will have to carry it.” She plans to travel with a group of hikers she met on the AT. Meachele says that being on the trail changed her in many ways. “My point of view changed. I see now that people are chasing after the wrong things. ‘Stuff ’ isn’t important. Relationships with nature and other people are important,” she says.

“People don’t take time to enjoy the simple things in life — washing their feet in a creek, or putting their feet upon a tree.

Small things are greatly important.”

Throughout the experience, she has learned that she can do things without other people.

“I have learned that I can say no to people without feeling guilty,” she says. “Life is short — we must live our own lives. It felt great that I had accomplished something so wonderful, yet within days I wished I were back on the trail. It was very hard to come back to reality.”

Meachele still keeps her mind, body and spirit in shape by hiking regularly and hosting hikers on short outings.

She has an anthropology degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, but she now works in retail, doing what she loves — selling gear: camping, hiking, boating, etc. She hosts a Facebook page, “Mothership’s Walkabout,” which centers on outdoor activities such as hiking.

“I am also in the process of writing a book about my day-to- day experiences on the Appalachian Trail and my reflections on life itself and the grieving process,” she says. The book will be published in Boone.

Meachele’s grieving process is different now, she says. She is healing her heart — one step at a time.

reta J. winebarger Wife, mother, avid reader and a CNA at Ashe Memorial Hospital. Her passion is writing stories about her Appalachian heritage.

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A gathering of the Worthwhile Women’s Club with friends in 1924.

Photo from Watauga Democrat.

Installation of Officers. Photo from Watauga Democrat, 1973.

A scene from Worthwhile Women’s Club Bazaar fundraiser. Photo from Watauga Democrat, 1973.

Current members: L to R, front row: Jeannie Morris, Barbi Quatrano, Frances Arnold, Bea Davidoski. L to R, back row: Baben Patricelli, Deborah Plotts, Barbara Bernstein, Lenore Highet, Janice Edwards, Marie Schaedler. Photo by Yogi Collins

90 Years and counting

The Worthwhile Women’s Club Boone’s Best Kept Secret 12

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

Although the Worthwhile Women’s Club has contributed to our local community for the past 90 years, members wouldn’t be surprised if you hadn’t heard of them. Once you hear of them, of course, you can’t forget a club with a name like that.

There are just so many punch lines, said club president Baben Patricelli, whose favorite is from members’ husbands who considered forming the Worthless Men’s Club.

Begun in 1923, the original goal of the founding women remains unchanged — to have meaningful fellowship while helping the community in any way they can. While membership is low right now, with 12 women, the club at one time had 100 members and a clubhouse on Cherry Brook Lane in Boone that they purchased in 1966. The clubhouse served them well for many years, but as the expenses of the aging building grew, the women decided

in 1995 to sell it.

“The club was declining in numbers, and the house just became too much to manage, so we sold it and invested our monies,” says Baben. “Today we do not have to pay any dues to the club, and there are no money-making events going on.

We furnish all of our donations out of the interest we receive from our investments.”

Clearly, these women are more than worthwhile; they’re savvy, too, letting their money work for them. “We do nothing now,” Baben says, good-naturedly. “We don’t need to, and that’s a good selling point for people who are interested in joining us. We have no dues and we have no money-raising functions. We have meetings for both the fellowship and to listen to a speaker tell us about local organizations, because that’s what we are interested in.”

They’re also interested in aiding our area, as evidenced by their donations to more than 15 local organizations annually, plus two $1,000 scholarships to area students. “At one time,” Baben says, “we gave as many as five scholarships annually. Since 2000, we have donated $45,000 in scholarships.”

So, if you’re interested in helping your community, but reluctant to over-commit, this may be the perfect club for you. The Worthwhile Women meet for lunch once a month from May to October and, basically, that’s the only time commitment required.

“We’re the best kept secret in Boone,” Baben says. “And we’d like to get new members because we want the club to continue. There aren’t any requirements to be a member. Men are welcome, too.

We have nothing that says they can’t join — as long as they don’t mind being called a worthwhile woman.”

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For information on joining this worthwhile group, contact Baben Patricelli at (828) 264-2539 or Francis Arnold at (828) 262-0155.

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

13

Intro High Country Women of the Year

Alice Denton, Randy Brown, Virginia Foxx, Stacy Cox and Roberta Jackson. Not pictured: Sandra Hagler. Photo by Sherrie Norris

High Country Women Five deserving women were named High Country Women of the Year by All About Women magazine in August.

Randy Brown, Stacy Cox, Alice Denton, Sandra Hagler and Roberta Jackson were honored after being chosen from a pool of nominations accepted earlier in the year. U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx assisted magazine editor Sherrie Norris with the presentations following opening remarks by publisher Gene Fowler.

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Foxx said being part of uplifting events in her district was like “vitamins” and thanked the women and their families for their contributions to the community.

“We’ve needed over the years to celebrate our heritage and celebrate what we do,” Foxx said, calling the recipients “unsung heroes” who act as role models for others.

Randy Brown of West Jefferson was honored for her Service to the High Country, with a focus on her volunteer role as director of Camp

New Hope, a refuge for terminally ill children and their families that allows guests to stay free for one week at a time while all their needs are met.

Stacy Cox, who works with A Safe Home for Everyone in West Jefferson, was awarded for her work advocating for women and victims of domestic abuse and helping them discover new opportunities for success.

Alice Denton, a well-known insurance agent in Boone for more than 40 years who also helped establish High Country Homebuilders Association,

en of the Year Honored was recognized in the category of Business and Professional Leadership.

Sisters Sandra Hagler and Roberta Jackson of Boone shared the honor in Preserving Mountain Heritage for their work in helping to bring the Junaluska community of Boone back to life again and helping to establish the Junaluska Heritage Association and coordinate the annual Junaluska Jubilee.

“We all know that the High Country would not be what it is today without the efforts of these women, and others like them, who have given so much of them-

selves to make life better for the communities in which they live,” said Norris. “I am very proud to be a part of this event and to be given the freedom with the magazine each month to highlight the accomplishments of amazing women, including these who are being honored today.”

Originally planned as part of the All About Women’s Expo that was scheduled for June 29, the awards ceremony was delayed due to the event’s cancellation. It was held instead at the offices of Mountain Times Publications in Boone.

The awards presentation was attended

by family members and friends of the recipients ands staff members of Mountain Times Publications. Bandana’s Bar-B-Q & Grill catered a light lunch.

KELLEN SHORT kellen.short@mountaintimes.com

sherrie norris Editor, All About Women

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

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Business and Professional Leadership High Country Women of the Year

Alice Denton, right, accepting her award from Rep. Virginia Foxx, is known for her positive influence to the local business community. Photo by Kellen Short

Alice Denton

Woman of the Year for Business and Professional Leadership Alice Denton has long been known not only for her success as a self-employed businesswoman but also as one of the most hardworking and loyal volunteers in the area.

Having held a North Carolina insurance license for nearly 60 years, Alice owned an insurance business for more than 40 years, during which she was recognized as a Tier I Insurance Agent in the state by Builder’s Mutual Insurance Company, the highest honor an agent can receive.

Alice helped establish the High Country Home Builders Association in 1979; in 2005, she was recognized in Washington, D.C., by the national Home Builders Association as the only person in North Carolina (at that time) to have sponsored 617 members in the organization. She received a lifetime membership award for outstanding service to the High Country Home Builders Association.

She was named an honored member of the President’s Council by Consolidated Administrators as well as in the

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National Directory of Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals.

She also served as president of the Boone Lioness Club and as a leader in the Eastern Star organization.

For 12 years, Alice was a member of the advisory board for Hospice of Watauga County, through which she led the organization’s major fundraising campaign and helped establish an annual Hospice Telethon.

Through the years, Alice has also spoken at numerous conferences for women in business and always tried hard, she says, to be a positive role model for young women entering the workforce. She also “made it a point,” she says, to hire aspiring seniors from Watauga High School to work in her office through a workplace program.

Alice came to Boone in the early ‘60s and quickly found her place as a leader in the local business community and as a volunteer with area nonprofit organizations.

As a child, she was taught work ethics — “to be smart and do your best,” she says, and “if you’re going to do something,

you must do it well.” Alice was one of five children raised on a small farm near Zebulon; she finished high school at age 16, business school two years later and soon married Robert Denton, her high school sweetheart.

Alice says she quickly learned that women had to “work harder, to be smarter and gain leadership skills.” She also realized that she needed to set goals and to make sacrifices. “Every opportunity that came my way, I would take a course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” she says.

She and her husband lived in Chapel Hill for 12 years prior to their move to Boone, where Robert accepted a position at Appalachian State University.

Alice worked with Watauga Insurance Agency for 11 years before realizing a longtime dream to have her own insur-

ance agency. “With professional growth, visibility, faith in God and help from many people, my dream came true when I became owner of my own insurance agency,” she says.

“I have had a wonderful life and career, no doubt about it,” she adds.

She was also a longtime active member of the Colonial Garden Club and other nonprofit organizations. For many years, the Dentons have been members of First Baptist Church of Boone, where Alice has served in numerous capacities through the years, on various finance-related committees, as Sunday school teacher and leader in the children’s department.

“God has been so good to me,” she says. “I have had many opportunities to be active in the community and I appreciate each and every one of them.”

Be happy, enjoy your work and take time for all things that are important.

Now retired, she and Robert share their time between Boone and a seasonal home at Surfside Beach, S.C., where they are involved in local ministries.

Anyone who knows Alice Denton should not be surprised that her motto is, “Be happy, enjoy your work and take time for all things that are important.” She believes each new day should begin with prayer, thanking God for your blessing — “and always have the right attitude.”

“It is a remarkable thing that we have a choice each day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day,” she says. “As we continue our journey, we should never give up our spirit, our will to win and our will to excel in all things that we undertake.”

Alice, married to Robert for 65 years, is the mother of two children. She has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild, who make her life complete, she says. sherrie norris Editor, All About Women

Preserving Mountain Heritage High Country Women of the Year

Roberta Jackson receives her award from Rep. Virginia Foxx. Photo by Kellen Short

Sandra Hagler and Roberta Jackson

Sisters are Women of the Year for Preserving Mountain Heritage Sisters Sandra Hagler and Roberta Jackson of Boone have worked diligently to document the history of the Junaluska community and educate others about Boone’s black history.

The historically black community of Junaluska abuts downtown Boone and is tucked at the base of Howard’s Knob. Decades ago, before desegregation, the community was much larger and contained a barbershop, general stores, two or three churches and a restaurant known as the Chocolate Bar. In the 1940s and 1950s, the community even had its own adult baseball team, the Boone Mountain Lions, which competed against other communities and prison teams.

First dubbed the Junaluska History Project, the effort

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has evolved into the Junaluska Heritage Association, a nonprofit organization. The association hosts an annual “Junaluska Jubilee” to build community cohesion and has plans for a walking tour and the possibility of designation by the town as a historic district.

Roberta has facilitated the Junaluska History Project; Sandra has been the “historian.”

“I think we’ve got a great community, and we want people to know it,” Roberta says. “We want people to know that we’re proud of who we are and where we live and that we’re making a difference and playing a part.”

The effort quickly gained support from the town of Boone and surrounding area, ASU, the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina, the Boone Mennonite Brethren Church and St Luke’s Episcopal Church.

wonderful son-in-law, Casey Tester,” she says, “and two beautiful grandchildren: Ben Hagler and Olivia Tester.”

Roberta Jackson

Sandra Hagler “I really don’t feel that I deserve an award for doing something that I truly love to do,” says Sandra. “I began years ago working on my family’s history and now have the privilege to work on the histories of other families from the Junaluska community.”

A registered nurse, Sandra retired earlier than expected from the Appalachian District Health Department in 2010, a choice she made to care for her twin sister, Louise, who is now disabled.

At about the same time of her retirement, Sandra began a food ministry called “The Supper Table,” through which she prepares meals for the sick and elderly in the Junaluska community.

“Most of ‘my people,’ she says, “receive Meals on Wheels for lunch, but are on their own after that. I feel that this is a way for me to give back to the community.”

Since she is on a limited income now, Sandra depends on the help of others to help provide enough food for those she serves.

“One such person is Brian Yerman, a deacon at the Mennonite Brethren Church,” she says. “He goes by the food banks and brings part of his food to me.

This sometimes means the difference in having enough food to cook.”

To help her meet the needs of the community, she says, The Boone Alliance Fellowship provides a meal once a week — “for which I am eternally grateful.” She says that Gladys White, “another lady in the community, treats us to cakes and pies once or twice a week. She is a God-send. I am not above accepting donations.”

Sandra is the mother of one daughter, Catherine Hagler-Tester and she has “a

Roberta Jackson has always been a member of the Junaluska community “except for a few years when I was away in college at Winston-Salem State University in the late 1960s,” she says. “But I graduated from Appalachian State University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.”

Roberta retired from ASU almost seven years ago, following 30 years of service.

A multitalented individual with many hobbies, she says she especially enjoys cross-stitching, reading — “and here lately, researching our family history.”

She has always been an active member of Boone Mennonite Brethren Church and has served in various roles. Currently, she is the church secretary.

Through the years, she has also served on the Boone Planning Commission, Hardin Park School Parent Advisory Board, the ASU Library Service Board, the Watauga Public Library Advisory Board and most recently, the Junaluska Heritage Association.

Not surprisingly, Roberta says, the JHA has become one of her “most important commitments.”

“Our community came to realize that very few people outside of Boone natives knew our community existed,” she says.

“We have been here a long time, and I wanted others to know that we feel a part of the city of Boone and have made a contribution to ensure its continual growth.”

Roberta was married to G. Cecil Jackson for 29 years until his death in 1996.

She has three children: Lynn Patterson, who lives in Boone, Cecil Jackson Jr., who lives in Fort Mill, S.C., and Mike Jackson, who lives in Lenoir. “I have been blessed with seven grandchildren,” she says, “and feel honored to be chosen for this award.”

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19

Advocacy for Women High Country Women of the Year

Stacy Cox, right with Rep. Virginia Foxx, is known for going above and beyond her job description as an advocate for victims of domestic abuse in Ashe County.

Photo by Kellen Short

Stacy Cox

High Country Woman of the Year for Advocacy for Women Stacy Cox began working with A Safe Home for Everyone (A.S.H.E.), a program of the Ashe County Partnership for Children, in December 1999.

At that time, she was a single mother to a beautiful 3-year-old daughter, attending college at Wilkes Community College and working at Smoky Mountain BBQ in West Jefferson. It was Byron Jordan, her boss at the time, she says, who encouraged her to apply for the position with A.S.H.E. when it came available.

In 1998, Stacy returned to Wilkes Community College to obtain her degree in human services and eventually transferred to the Gardner-Webb University GOAL program, where she graduated with her degree in 2007. “This was a year and a half after I had completed construction on a home for myself and my daughter and a year after marrying a very supportive, Christian man,” she says.

At A.S.H.E., Stacy started as the administrative assistant; her role quickly evolved into that of case manager/court

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advocate and included carrying the pager, sometimes, she says, on a rotation schedule with other advocates and staff — and sometimes on her own.

“If I didn’t have the main pager, many times I had the backup pager. Combined with school, work, and a small child, my life was pretty full, but I have never regretted any of that time.”

Currently, she is the case manager for the office’s walkin clients and serves as court advocate.

“That simply means that I work with individuals on creating safety plans, locating suitable housing, jobs, childcare and assisting in securing other needs as they arise,” she says. “I also work with clients who may be going to court to obtain a protective order or who have a criminal case in court.”

Stacy says she is there to provide support for the women and to explain the court process to them. She also works with law enforcement, attorneys, Legal Aid, and the district attorney’s office to advocate on a client’s behalf.

“From 2009-2012, I was able to work on behalf of the survivor in a local case to ensure that the FBI took over her case,” Stacy says. “This resulted in the defendant’s conviction of interstate domestic violence and kidnapping and 250 months in federal prison. The co-defendant was convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, kidnapping and assault. His charges resulted in 60 months in federal prison.”

Because of the magnitude of this case, Stacy had the opportunity to speak at the Federal Domestic Violence Conference in 2011 and was able to be part of the Plenary Panel at the Biennial Conference for the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2012.

“This panel included both the survivor and the prosecutor in the case,” she says. “Both times, I was able to speak about what it takes to get the FBI to take a case involving domestic violence: knowing the laws and perseverance. Advocates are the voices of those who have lost theirs. We must keep fighting, no matter how many times we are told ‘no,’ and keep talking until somebody listens.”

In 2012, Stacy received the Kit Gruelle Peace Award for her work with survivors.

“This award was provided by the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and came as the federal case was coming to a close.”

For more than a year, she had the opportunity to learn what it takes to become a U.S. citizen, having worked with a young lady filling out and filing her naturalization application and assisting her in gathering all the necessary documents. “She recently attended the oath ceremony in Charlotte and is now a U.S. citizen,” Stacy says.

Another “exciting” opportunity, she says, was participating in the filming of the documentary “Private Violence,” a documentary that follows the survivor from the federal case as she transforms from victim to survivor.

Stacy says that she has been “truly been blessed” in life.

Her first marriage, one of abuse, put a passion in her heart and in her life to embrace and empower individuals and fami-

lies experiencing the trauma of domestic violence, she says.

“I am a Christian and I don’t believe my savior placed me in the abusive marriage, but I believe that he used it to allow a couple of things to happen,” she says.

“The first thing he used it for was for me to grow and become a stronger woman and Christian, myself. The next was that I might be able to use my experiences to help other abuse survivors.”

Stacy decided to use her life as an example to other women, she says. “To help them see that they are not the sum of their experiences, but rather that they are full of infinite possibilities, hopes and dreams — all of which they are capable of achieving with faith the size of a mustard seed, and a bit of support.”

That “support,” she says, must come from family, friends, co-workers, community members, law enforcement and medical personnel.

“One word of encouragement can make all the difference in someone believing they should endure an emotionally or physically abusive relationship — or believing that they deserve a better life,” Stacy says. “I believe that God can use us and turn trials into triumphs. I believe that if it ever gets to the point where I am no longer a blessing to individuals and families seeking a safe haven, then it will be time for me to willingly and gracefully move on. I love what I do and consider it a calling, not a job.”

To “de-stress,” Stacy enjoys traveling and exploring new places, photography and creating — whether it’s a new do-ityourself project or crafting, and generally being in nature. “I also value spending time with my wonderful family which includes my husband, Joe Cox, my beautifully talented 16-year-old daughter, Kelsey Eldreth, and our three dogs and two cats,” she says. “I am truly blessed.”

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21

Service to the High Country High Country Women of the Year

As volunteer director of Camp New Hope, Randy Brown, center, with Rep. Virginia Foxx and Sherrie Norris, helps dry tears and make memories for youngsters with terminal illness and their families. Photo by Heather Samudio

Randy Brown

Woman of the Year for Service to the High Country When nominated as Woman of the Year, Randy Brown was described as “one of the most energetic and compassionate women in the High Country who always puts the needs of others above her own.”

We found that to be true — and more — about this Concord native who describes herself as “a proud mother of two adult sons, mother-in-law to two beautiful daughters-in-law and extremely proud ‘Nana’ of four.”

Randy moved to West Jefferson in 2006 to work as the first (and only) director of Camp New Hope, a nonprofit facility for children with life-threatening illnesses. The camp offers a one-week stay at no cost to families who may otherwise not be able to enjoy time together away from home, hospitals and heartache.

For 14 years prior to moving, Randy performed both clinical and clerical duties at South Cannon Medical Fam-

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ily Practice, but she quickly found her niche in the mountains.

“Besides my family, Camp New Hope is the thing for which I am most proud,” she says.

With a love for people and the outdoors, the Camp New Hope setting by the New River quickly became her “perfect place,” she says.

“Children have always had a special place in my heart because they love unconditionally,” Randy says. “I thank God for allowing me to have a small part in the lives of these precious children and their families.”

Making her home on the camp property, Randy coordinates all activity and services for the guests and sees that their every need is met — from accepting applications for a visit to scheduling special events and volunteers to making sure the property is maintained. She personally greets all families and makes sure the five-bedroom handicap-acces-

sible house where they stay is always clean and ready for occupancy.

Randy coordinates a full slate of special events for her guests that usually includes music, storytelling/reading, crafts, Santa visits, a night out at the local theatre, family photos taken by a professional photographer and educational, but fun, visits from a wildlife officer. A trip to a stable in Lansing is always well received, where guests ride horses and a “special train” and are treated to a pizza party.

Randy helps maintains the garden of hope, a small chapel, a playhouse, swings and two fire pits, and she arranges for tubing, canoeing, biking, fishing and fourwheel trail rides.

Randy is quick to say that Camp New Hope is not a one-(wo)man show. “We have devoted volunteers who help make the camp a success,” she says. “Steve, Ezra, Dave, Nancy and Debbie all have vital roles at the camp. We could not do the things we do without them.”

She “can’t say enough about the owners, Will and Mark Adkins,” either. “They make the camp possible and have hearts of gold,” she says.

Despite a small, privately funded operating budget, Randy helps provide a place of refuge and rest for those in need, where tears are dried and memories are made.

“The camp depends on the prayers and donations from so many folks who believe in this unique ministry,” Randy says.

“My prayer is that Camp New Hope will flourish for many years to come and that we can continue to be a blessing to these very special children.”

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23

Mother and Daughter Team Realize Dream

‘On Top of Spaghetti’ It’s all about family at Primo’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs at the Boone Mall, where relatively new owners have spiced things up a bit.

The hardworking mother/daughter team of Myleia Slagle and Beverly Ward took ownership of the restaurant at Boone Mall in 2011, three years after its original opening.

It made little difference to either of the women that they’d never tossed a pizza before — they wanted to own a restaurant and were up for the challenge. It did help that Myleia had been a chef for 10 years, but Italian cuisine alone did not top her specialty list.

“We knew we would have a lot to learn, but we decided it would be an adventure,” says Beverly who, now as her mother’s long distance partner, leaves her “real” job in Wilmington a few days each month to come help in the kitchen.

Myleia Slagle stays busy doing what she loves to do.

Photo by Sherrie Norris

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“I always had confidence in Mom to be able to run her own place,” she says. “And, she’s doing a great job with it.”

It was a natural fit for Myleia, who has won various cooking competitions, cooked for celebrities and was featured in “Our State” magazine. Still, having a place of their own — and an Italian place at that — was “all new,” the women say.

How it all began “Very modest beginnings,” is how Beverly describes her young life, raised by her mother in a West Jefferson mobile home along with her brother, stepfather and usually several members of their extended family — “and a lot of dogs.”

“My mom always worked hard to support us and was at Hanes Printables, (which became Sara Lee Knit Products) for 17 years,” Beverly says. “She always put food on the table and found a way to pay for school field trips, new basketball shoes, a softball glove or a prom dress. She took good care of my brother and me.”

With a goal to one day take care of her mother, Beverly says she always tried to be helpful, to be a good daughter and a good student. At 16, she began working in restaurants and for several years did everything from dishwashing and bussing to serving “and even marketing,” she says.

Calling it “an interesting turn of fate,” her mother’s job ended when the factory closed, “shortly after NAFTA was passed,” she says. With a severance package that offered educational opportunities, Myleia enrolled at Wilkes Community College, “strangely enough,” Beverly says, “at about the same time that I was starting college,

Beverly Ward, left, and her mother, Myleia Slagle have made it to the top as co-owners of their own business in Boone. Photo submitted

too.” In her college admission essay, Beverly wrote that her desire to attend Appalachian State University centered on getting a great education and a good career so that she could, in turn, help her mother buy a home.

“That, honestly, was my goal, first and foremost,” she says. “Luckily, I got into ASU on an academic scholarship.” She later graduated magna cum laude with a degree in marketing.

“By that time, my mother had also graduated (on the Dean’s List) and was working her way up the culinary ladder.”

Myleia’s “climb” began with special events at the Walker Center in Wilkes, at MerleFest and private events, and through cooking at Grandfather Country Club.

“Mom eventually heard about a job opening for a pastry chef at Glendale Springs Inn in Ashe County,” Beverly says.

“It was a great opportunity for her to hone

a specialty in pastries, as well as work closer to home. Mom was still working there when I graduated from college.”

Beverly worked as a server at the Mountain House in Boone before moving to Wilmington, where she gained more experience in the service industry as a bartender, she says, before landing her first “real” job at Castle Branch.

Eight years at Castle Branch, a background screening company, was “an incredible experience for me,” she says, where she worked her way from a parttime marketing assistant to a senior sales representative and sales manager. “After a few years there, I had finally saved up enough money to get myself out of debt, pay off my student loans, and help my mom get a house,” she says.

Beverly and her husband were able to help her mother find land to build the home she wanted. And, she was able to afford the new home, a dream come true, in her promoted role as executive chef at Glendale Springs, along with her husband, Joe. The arrival of Beverly’s son, Jack, “the first grandchild,” changed everything. “Of course, he was the center of our world,” she says. After a year off from work with her new baby, Beverly became “a bit restless” and was ready to re-enter the workforce.

“But, I knew this time I wanted to be my own boss,” she says. After several “strikeouts,” she began looking for new jobs for herself and her mother, because in the economic “shift,” Glendale Springs Inn closed.

“Mom became executive chef at 6th & Main in Wilkesboro, which offered her a lot of growth and experience,” Beverly says. “She learned to make sushi and became famous for her coconut cream pies, but she still yearned for more independence.”

Still searching, Beverly found a restaurant for sale in Boone. The duo admits to being “quite skeptical at first” because it was an Italian restaurant. “Although Mom had cooked lots of pasta dishes and had plenty of experience with subs, soups, salads and desserts,” she says, “pizza was new.”

The two also had to seriously consider the pros and cons of working together as business partners, asking themselves, “Was this a genius idea or a terrible one, or somewhere in the middle?” Beverly was

concerned about doing her “part” from Wilmington, unable to move due to family obligations.

They finally decided to take the plunge and in November 2011 bought the restaurant and dedicated several months to learning all about the business, the employees and clientele.

“Then,” Beverly says, “we began to slowly integrate changes to make it our own.’

Calling her mother “an incredible chef,” Beverly, knew they would use a lot of her recipes and signature dishes, “like her homemade lasagna, bruschetta and cheesecake,” she says. “We also wanted to focus on using fresh ingredients and making as much from scratch as we possibly could — everything from salad dressings, pizza and pasta sauces, meatballs, soups, lasagnas, chicken parmesan and desserts.

We wanted our food to be just like eating at home, but also with generous portions and affordable prices.”

Success didn’t come overnight, exactly, but it did come.

“We still can’t believe it,” says Myleia.

“It is a dream come true. All we wanted to do was to be able to make wonderful food and work with awesome people, and we did it. We are so grateful, happy and proud.”

It’s hard to believe, Beverly says, “that Primo’s has now been our baby” for almost two years now.

Myleia had always treated her former places of employment with as much care as if they had been her own.

“I always put all the love I had into my work,” she says. “And now, I am proud to do my best with my daughter as my business partner.”

Continuing to “evolve” while adding their personal touches, Myleia now offers gluten-free options for her loyal customers, including a no-pasta zucchini lasagna and polenta.

“We have also changed our logo from the Italian guy with a big mustache,” she says. “That’s not who we are. We are two strong, independent, hardworking women who love our employees, love our customers and love good food.”

A new logo and menu with daily specials better reflect the restaurant, the food and the owners’ vision, they say.

“We are so proud to provide great food and good times, to be a part of the busi-

ness and social community of Boone, and to have the opportunity to grow as women and as mother and daughter,” Beverly says. “The restaurant, although not without adversity, relentless challenges and tough lessons, has taught us so much about owning a business, toughened us up even more, and brought us closer as mother and daughter, and as friends.”

An “added bonus,” the women say, is becoming a part of the female business community in Boone.

“So many women have come in and offered their patronage, support, advice and encouragement,” Beverly says. “And for that, and so much more, we feel truly blessed. As we like to think of it, we are ‘on top of spaghetti.’”

Primo’s Restaurant is located near the back entrance to Boone Mall at 1180 Blowing Rock Road, open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

For more information, call (828) 3559800, visit www.boonepizzapasta.com, or like the restaurant on Facebook.

sherrie norris Editor, All About Women

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

25

Ingrid Brown Long-haul trucker, not yo At five feet, two inches tall, she is known on the open road as “Half-pint,” but those who know Ingrid Brown from her Watauga County hometown know she may be small in stature, but she’s larger than life in every other respect.

While truck driving doesn’t top the career list for many women, Ingrid was “born to drive,” she says, learning it all while growing up in her family’s road construction business.

Today, as a 51-year old grandmother, Ingrid represents less than seven percent of the nation’s 3 million truck drivers; she averages rolling a big rig across the country “about three weeks out of every month,” she says, taking the “east-west coast turns,” from home to California and hauling everything from cattle to produce.

An independent trucker for most of her 31-year career, Ingrid recently joined Randall Miller Trucking Company of Boone.

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“Randall and Angela, his wife, are great to work for,” Ingrid says. “The company offers a sense of security that I didn’t have as an independent owner. If I have a problem, all I have to do is pick up the phone, and it’s pretty neat to have someone call me just to make sure I’m OK.” Randall Miller calls Ingrid a professional with an upbeat attitude who pays close attention to details and takes great pride in her work. “She always does what she is asked to do without complaining and knows more about the mechanical aspects of a truck than most men,” he says. “Most importantly, she is strong in her faith.”

A “solo” driver, Ingrid says she couldn’t make it without Annie Oakley, her buddy, a miniature Austrian shepherd.

Recognized on numerous occasions for her driving skills, earlier this year Ingrid was named one of the industry’s “10 Most Beautiful Women Truckers,”

Photos by Sherrie Norris

your typical grandmother

Eighteen wheels and a manicure keep Ingrid Brown perfectly balanced.

through a contest sponsored by “Overdrive” magazine to honor the hard-working, dedicated women who move America’s freight.

“Trucking often has a negative image with the driving public,” said Carolyn Mason, contest organizer. “We wanted to show Americans that trucking can be a good career choice for women with a sense of adventure and an independent spirit — and that behind the wheel of that big rig you just passed might be someone’s mom, sister or best friend.”

Where it began It all started for Ingrid as a young girl growing up in the shadows of her father, D.T. Brown, Jr., co-owner of Brown Brothers Construction; her mother, JoAnne Hartley, owned Boone Flower shop for many years.

“Both my parents were dedicated to their careers, not only to provide for our family, but also for what they could give back to others,” she says.

Ingrid has one sister, Shelia Brown, a

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nurse in Hickory; her brother, Blake Brown is Boone’s Public Works Director. “And we have tons of relatives in Watauga County,” she says.

Despite her mother’s best efforts to bring out her femininity, Ingrid admits that she was always a tomboy.

“My mama dressed me in frills and my daddy dumped piles of dirt in the back yard for me to play in with my trucks,” she says. “To this day, you can put me in my little black dress, but it won’t be long before I’ll be back in my jeans, boots and spurs.

Ingrid graduated from Watauga High in 1980; her first job was in the Tweetsie Railroad arcade.

Always up for a challenge, she says, it was her brother who tried to keep her out of trouble when she was younger. “Blake has always been there for me, every step of the way. He is my greatest inspiration and I am so proud to be his little sister.”

Growing up in the construction business taught Ingrid to be comfortable wherever she is — and to do whatever she wants to do.

And, for her, life has no gray areas. “It’s either black or white for me, nothing in between,” she says. “People who know me know that I mean what I say.”

In her profession, she says, there is no room for error.

“When it comes to business, I am all about getting it done and doing it right the first time. That may be the only chance I get,” she says.

She is not easily intimidated or frightened, whether parking her rig in downtown Los Angeles, pulling over to sleep at the Mexican border, traveling into Canada or finding her way through every major city in the U.S. “I don’t give anyone a reason to harm me, either,” she says. “I mind my own business and I know how to protect myself. ” Just don’t come toward her with a dead mouse or a spider. “That’s a different story,” she says with her infectious giggle.

She has a keen sense of humor and believes that laughter truly is good medicine. “I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t laugh,” she says.“ When I was younger, I stayed in trouble at school and at home for giggling — and especially while sitting beside my grandmother, Mama Hazel, in church.”

A large network of friends and extended family, many of them fellow truckers, and across every state line, keep her from getting lonesome, she says, with quick stops, calls, texts and emails keeping her connected.

“I’ll hear from some every day, asking if I am OK and seeing where I am,” she says.

“Some will warn me about weather conditions and major problems across the country. Somebody always knows my route and my schedule. And, with Annie in the truck with me, there is never a dull moment.”

Routines work Varied routes, schedules and the type of freight she “pulls,” Ingrid says, make life interesting, but even then, routine is best.

“Whether hauling produce or cows, I have to know each day what I’ve got to accomplish — and I’ve got to work out in my mind how it’s going to get done.”

Usually running from coast-to-coast, Ingrid is gone for a week at a time and at home for only a few days to do laundry and visit with family before she hits the road again.

Striving for the best Ingrid obtained her commercial driver’s license at age 18, and has been making long-distance hauls to the west coast for16 years, “as hard as I can run,” she says.

She takes seriously her role as liaison for shippers, receivers and buyers, “as well as the man’s name on the side of that truck,” she says. “That’s who they remember and it’s my job to makes sure everyone is happy — to the best of my ability.”

Ingrid tries hard to lead by example.

“It’s hard to get back on your feet (with other drivers) after you slip and fall out there,” she says. “They see you for you who are, what you do and how you do it.”

Putting the safety of others ahead of her own is of upmost importance.

“Some people have no clue what happens when they pull out or stop quickly in front of an 80,000 pound tractor and trailer,” she says. “On average, going 55 mph, it takes the length of a football field to get stopped.”

She says it’s “way beyond” the safety of others, her freight and especially the equipment with which she’s been entrusted. “It’s also about courtesy and professionalism.”

Ingrid is always happy to be “on the move” with a strong will and ambition to succeed.

Having received safe-driving awards from three companies, Ingrid is, to date, the first and only solo female driver to receive Mobile Delvac’s Driver of the Month, (May 2011). She also received a MillionMile Award from Red Eye Radio and Northland Insurance.

From 2006-2012, she served on the driver advisory committee for Women In Trucking Association, through which she also received several Million Mile Safe Driving awards.

She is actively involved in two programs that are “near and dear” to her heart, she says.

Through Trucker Buddy International, she is assigned an elementary school

class “sometimes two or three” each year to which she sends emails, post cards and pictures of her travels “to aid in lessons about history, geography, math, transportation and trucking,” she says. “I try to take the truck by to the schools at least once,” she says. This year, she will be working with a class in Winston Salem.

She also participates in a program at Hardin Park Elementary, through the Millers, joining local businesses that bring their large trucks and service vehicles to the school for students to explore.

Trucker Charity Inc. is all about drivers helping drivers, Ingrid says. “The main objective is to provide safety, transportation and food for a trucker who might be stranded or down on his (or her) luck.

One arm of that program, the Christmas Group, provides assistance for trucking families needing help for the holiday.

The “Last Ride Home,” through which truckers volunteer time, fuel, equipment and expenses to transport deceased drivers back home to their families, became very real to Ingrid in late July.

Raymond’s life ended while he was on the road in Mexico; Ingrid picked up the urn carrying his remains “at the mortuary in Moriarty,” she says, and strapped it into the passenger seat of her truck where it rode for four days and 2,250 miles while she continued her scheduled run to California.

In Oklahoma, with tears in her eyes, Ingrid says, she passed it on to another trucker who delivered it to Raymond’s family in Missouri.

Meeting the Challenges Ingrid’s attitude “was seriously challenged,” in 2004, while listening to an all-night radio show for truckers.

“A male driver called in, saying that all women drivers needed to return to the kitchen where they belonged,” she says.

Before that night, Ingrid had never called into the station, but she decided to issue a challenge to the male caller for a “drive-off ” six weeks later following a truck show in Dallas, Texas.

Ingrid won the contest that became known as the Truck Challenge of the Genders and helped raised $12,300 for Special Olympics.

Her steering wheel doesn’t care about gender, she says. “I don’t look at it as a man or a woman thing, but about doing a job and doing it right to the best of my ability. God made men and women differently and I know that I can’t do everything that a man can do — but if there’s something a woman wants to do, I say do it.

Don’t ever give up and don’t say ‘I can’t.’”

The best and worst “I’ve met every type of person imaginable and have learned about different cultures and seen things on the road that nobody could or would believe,” she says.

“Songs about the Arizona sunsets? They’re real. Winters in Montana — the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. California beaches?

Something different every week. I have it all inside my heart and my memory is a camera that I’d love to share.”

It’s not the traffic in Los Angeles or Dallas that concerns her the most, but, her greatest fear, she says, is that something will happen to her family when she’s so far away. “I think about it every day and it hurts.”

Ingrid is a divorced mother of “two beautiful daughters,” she says. Tiffanie, 27, and Lacie is 25, both married and living in southeast Georgia. She is the proud grandmother of Hayleigh, 2½ and Layton, 6 months.

The future Ingrid plans to “keep on truckin’” as long as she is physically able.

“I am never promised tomorrow,” she says, “even though I prepare for it.”

Retiring and taking a cross-country trip — as a tourist in anything other than an 18-wheeler, would be miserable, she says. “When I’ve had enough, then God will let me know what he needs me for next — and where. And, I will be glad to go, no matter where that may be.”

sherrie norris Editor, All About Women

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

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An Illness of Metaphors

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I would love to be able to scientifically explain why mental illness is painful, and isolating, and destructive. But mental illnesses are illnesses of metaphors. It’s hard to describe depression as anything but a dark and endless pit that leaves me hopeless, as something that makes me feel like I can never get enough air.

It’s hard to describe the way that depression intertwines with my moods, thoughts and behaviors to a degree that symptoms seem like personality. Depression and every other mental illness manifest to a large degree as the way we interact with the world and its people, and that can make life hard for everybody.

All mental illnesses occur on a spectrum. Someone with a severe illness will have a very different experience from someone with a mild illness. Some will learn the right coping skills, or take the right medicine, and that will work for them. Others will have their lives turned upside down by relentless symptoms that never fully respond to any treatment.

The most persistent key to my ongoing recovery is maintaining hope. Depression occurs when hope is lost, and hope is lost when depression occurs. It’s a cycle that brings me to my knees. It’s dominos falling, and with each one that falls, it is harder and harder to stop them. It’s a downward spiral, and when I reach the bottom, I am horribly weak. At those times, I wonder if there will ever be recovery for me.

But, when I am at the very bottom of it all, that is when I relent and relax. It seems like I can’t bear it, but actually, it’s that I can’t keep struggling against it. I become too tired to continue fighting, and I accept it. Accepting it may sound like giving up, but it’s just the opposite. It humbles me and allows me to see that there is so much more in my life than just this fight.

It is at those times, when I can’t connect with a single soul on this earth, that I have the most intimate understanding of the strength I carry. That’s when I see that my depression is not who I am. I can

feel that my brain is not working properly. There is a glitch, a short, and it needs fixing. I feel a very strange kind of relief when it gets so bad that I know unquestioningly that there is something physiologically wrong. I begin to have compassion for myself.

I don’t like the depressed me, I don’t like the struggle, but I struggle because I am in this world, and I love so deeply, and I feel so much, all the time. My emotions blind me sometimes. I don’t want to be “mentally ill.” I want to be someone who struggles with mental health issues who is still a loved and loving person.

I choose to go forward and believe that no matter how intense my struggle, it does not define me. The roots of my life are good, and they are solid. No matter how many times I’m destroyed by storms I will continue to come back again and again. The blooms will always be a little different, and they will always be lovely. I am not a static person. I come and go in the same way that roses die every fall and come back every spring. My comings and goings are less predictable in timing perhaps, but quite similar in cycle.

One day, my time on this earth will be over. Until then, I will keep blooming. I will keep praying that those I love will know that even when the beautiful part of me is gone, I am still there, and I will return.

I have thought more than once, “I’m glad I’m not famous.” I would hate for every nuance and dip of my life to be chronicled for all to see. I don’t need a projection of my mistakes and sorrows and flaws. I am well aware of them. I just need to be loved, and I need to be forgiven, and I need to be accepted. I want to tell you, I have tried my very hardest on this journey of my life. With every storm I understand more and more that I am not the rose — I am the roots.

CAROLINE BOND Caroline Bond is president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), High Country Chapter. NAMI works at local, state, and national levels to support, educate and advocate for people who have mental illnesses as well as their families, friends and health care professionals. Caroline has struggled with depression since childhood.

NAMI High Country Programs

To begin in 2014:

Meetings for the remainder of the year: 7 p.m. Monday, September 9 at Lois E. Harrill Senior Center/Project on Aging in Boone: Denise Levy will speak on therapeutic writing.

7 p.m. Monday, October 7 at Watauga County Public Library in Boone: Murray Hawkinson will speak on Dialectial Behavior Therapy.

7 p.m. Monday, November 4 at Watauga County Public Library in Boone: Lisa Curtin will speak on addictions.

7 p.m. Monday, December 2 at Watauga County Public Library in Boone: Holiday Party

Peer to Peer: a free 10-week, once-a-week class for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery.

Family to Family: a free 12-week, once-a-week class for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses.

In Our Own Voice: a public education program developed by NAMI, in which two trained people living with mental illness share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery.

For more information, email info@namihighcountry.org or visit www.namihighcountry.org.

youngatheart

Comfortable Shoes

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I have long been a believer that fashion and comfort are mutually exclusive — at least when it comes to shoes. The thought of “comfortable” shoes conjures cringe-worthy adjectives like sensible, dowdy and, gasp, old. Yes, I said it. Old. This, at my ripe young age of 36, is the last adjective with which I want to be associated.

I picture orthopedic shoes that litter hospital hallways, blocky low heels favored by autocratic librarians and any shoe constructed of plastic. These I find so unappealing that even if they are the most comfortable shoes in the history of shoe-wearing mankind, they will not grace my feet. I want my shoes to scream adjectives that reflect my personality — fun, adventurous and young at heart — and for this reason, I have always been drawn to high heels.

I am not alone in this respect. Women’s shoes is a multi-billion dollar industry, which with the help of magazines, the Internet, television and film has permeated the minds of consumers and made household names of many shoe designers — Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, to name a few.

Have I (and many other women) been brainwashed?

Maybe. Or, perhaps I like the way that heels make us gals stand up a bit straighter and taller, make our legs look long and lean and give off an air of self-assurance.

And, should I let you in on a little secret: they can be a bit intimidating. A great pair of heels says, “I am in control of my destiny.”

Yes, yes, I know. I’m ruining my feet and knees and hips. And, yes, some of my shoes should come with the following warning: “May result in wobbling, swaying or toppling, broken ankles and/or hips, bunions and/or blisters. Caution, persons getting too close may be inadvertently impaled.”

I can trace my fascination with heels back to high school English class. I had a very stylish teacher who wore her stilettos like a runway model. She glided around the classroom while oozing confidence and authority. She embodied the quintessential successful

h

s str o n g a a g in s

No go. They slide and move and are more trouble than they are worth.

Frustrated and dejected, I continued my quest by scouring shoe retailers in the area. I squished and squeezed foot beds of promising pairs to find the cushioniest. I also read online articles about affordable, comfortable, fashionable brands — Cole Haan, Sofft and Naturalizer, to name a few.

Eventually, after many rejections, I found a few pairs that met my fashion and comfort criteria.

While I doubt that I am cured of my shoe lust for impractical pairs that make my internal self squeal with delight, I am excited about finding comfortable shoes that are not sensible, dowdy or old. Turns out a girl can have her shoes and wear them, too.

heather brandon Considers life to be one big anthropological field experience. She observes and reports.

She enjoys travel, food and wine and adventures with her husband, Roger.

wo en ...

The

t ly

embellished sandals, riding boots and even a couple of pairs of Converse tennis shoes.

And, then, one day it happened. I awoke with aching feet!

Mumbling, “Ouch,” under my breath with each awkward step, I literally stumbled around in a fog for several days, painfully aware of the, well, pain. Because I am a lady, I won’t share the thoughts that assaulted my consciousness upon accepting the fact of the matter; however, I will confess that I wanted to wail and scream and throw a tantrum. Because that would have accomplished nothing, I instead resigned myself to searching for those allusive creatures — comfortable, fashionable shoes.

Turns out the two are not mutually exclusive, if you are willing to take out a second mortgage on your home. That is not a joke. Some of the so-called comfortable, fashionable shoes I discovered are literally more expensive than my mortgage payment. Not willing to trade the security of a roof over my head for walking on pillowy soles, I decided to give shoe inserts a try.

m

on

woman. I wanted to be just like her.

During my 20s, I collected pair after pair of heels — classic pointy-toe stilettos, strappy-heeled sandals, platforms and wedges — and they came to define a part of my personality. I prided myself on my style, which I imagined was more “streets of New York” than sidewalks of Boone.

Speaking of sidewalks, I will admit to some near-misses that made me question my shoe choices. And, the grace factor is definitely diminished when one has to walk like a tight rope performer, arms out to the side for balance, to avoid staggering on the uneven pavement.

My early 30s continued on much the same path as my 20s. Friends and colleagues would inevitably ask, “How can you walk in those shoes? Are they comfortable?” I waved off their questions, stubbornly insisting that even the most blistercausing, toe-pinching pair was, of course, comfortable.

But, over time I realized that flats were creeping into my shoe wardrobe — ballerinas in a multitude of colors and patterns,

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Neal Goldman

Since award-winning doctor Neal Goldman came to Boone in late 2012 and opened his new practice on State Farm Road, he has become the new best friend to many women (and men) looking for that special “lift.”

Goldman, known for his expertise in facial plastic surgery, has received many awards including “US News and World Report Top Doctor,” “America’s Best Doctors” (2007-2013), “Castle Connolly Top Doctor” and the prestigious “Medical Society Alpha Omega Alpha, M.D. with Distinction” as a top graduate from his medical school.

Goldman has published and presented nationally and internationally on topics such as face lift, mid-face lift, minimally invasive procedures, endoscopic brow lifts, revision rhinoplasty, nasal valve repair, nasal reconstruction, facial reconstruction, microtia, Botox, Restylane and skin care.

Goldman believes strongly in giving back to both our community and the international community and is actively involved in medical mission trips, performing surgery on children with congenital deformities in foreign locations such as Antigua, Guatemala and Hanoi and Vietnam. He also serves veterans, providing reconstructive surgery for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Goldman began his education at Duke University. He then chose to study medicine

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at the University of Rochester in New York because of its focus on the biopsychosocial model of medicine, which emphasizes the doctor-patient relationship.

From there he completed two fellowships at the University of Washington, which focused on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the face, head, neck and cranial maxillofacial surgery. During that time, he served as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Washington.

Goldman is double board-certified by both the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and serves as an examiner and a test writer for the boards.

After completing his second fellowship, he began his practice at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, where he served as the director of facial plastic and reconstructive surgery from 1999 to 2012.

In December 2012, Goldman decided to move his practice to Boone. He has hospital privileges at the Watauga Medical Center, where he performs facial aesthetic and reconstructive surgeries.

For more information, see his ad elsewhere in this magazine, visit www.FacialPlasticSurgeryNC.com or call (828) 278-9230.

Dr. Goldman’s practice in Boone offers the following services: surgical rejuvenation including minimally invasive surgery, facelifts, neck lifts, eye lifts, brow lifts, chin augmentations, aesthetic rhinoplasty, fat injections, chemical peels, dermabrasion and hair transplants, as well as reconstructive surgery for facial trauma, functional breathing issues, nasal valve repair, ear reconstruction, ear pinning and scar revisions.

Goldman offers skin care consultations for wrinkles, brown spots, acne, rosacea and dermaplaning.

He has a minimally invasive fractional CO2 laser and an erbium yag laser for skin resurfacing, wrinkles, brown spots and scars. His office carries the Obagi skincare line and Latisse for eyelashes.

Goldman also offers dermal fillers and injectables including Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus, Radiesse and Botox.

Neal Goldman, award-winning plastic surgeon, welcomes patients to his new practice in Boone. Photo submitted

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Sandy Miller Named Blowing Rock Woman of the Year at Annual Fashion Show Sandy Miller was named the Blowing Rock Woman of the Year at the 36th annual fashion show and luncheon benefitting the Blowing Rock Medical Facility. The event was held on Friday, August 2, at the Blowing Rock Country Club.

As executive director of the Blowing Rock Community Foundation, Sandy oversees the BRCF board and helps direct its fundraising efforts through events such as Groovy Nights and the Community Service Day tennis and golf tournaments.

Those efforts have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Blowing Rock non-profit agencies and scholarships for local students.

More than 300 people attended the fashion show and luncheon, which included a silent auction to raise money for the new health care facility in Blowing Rock, tentatively named Appalachian Place at Chestnut Ridge.

During the event, Appalachian Regional Healthcare System CEO Richard Sparks announced that the Broyhill Family Foundation had made a major gift toward the construction of the new health care facility.

Models for this year’s fashion show included Lynn Boyd, Bill Brooks, Laurin Carter, Rob Dyer, Janis Fite, Bo Henderson, Nancy Hershey, Gaines Kiker, Dee Lambeth, Pam Muma, Shelby Ott, Linda Russell, Susanna Russell, Tiffany Taylor, Patsy Turner and Tacky Vosburgh.

Dressers, who worked behind the scenes to help organize the fashion show and switch out wardrobes, included Ellyn Cooley, Carol Dickerson, Suzi Lowe, Emily Reagan, Jess Wehrmann and Sheri Whelan.

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Susie Greene, right, bestows a plaque to Sandy Miller, who was named Blowing Rock Woman of the Year at the annual fashion show and luncheon at the Blowing Rock Country Club.

Kitchen Countertops • Fireplace Surrounds • Exterior Spaces • Tub Surrounds • Vanity Tops • Furniture • Bar Tops

Tacky Vosburgh strolls down the runway during the Blowing Rock Hospital Fashion Show and Luncheon.

Photos by Jeff Eason

The fashion show featured ensembles available at Doncaster, Monkee’s, J.W. Tweeds and Sister Act. The show was divided into three sections: Sporty Casual, Business Casual and Casual Elegance.

“This year, we honor Betty Pitts for her dedication to the Blowing Rock community by naming her the honorary chairwoman of the 36th annual Blowing Rock Hospital Fashion Show and Luncheon,” said Tim Ford, CEO of Blowing Rock Hospital.

“She has served Blowing Rock Hospital as the president of the auxiliary, as a member of the Board of Trustees, as a committee member of the Blowing Rock Fashion Show and Luncheon and was named Blowing Rock’s Woman of the Year in 1981.

“She continues to serve the sick of our community by chairing the Care Committee that takes meals to the sick and shutins and by singing with the Pitts Family Singers the first Thursday of each month at Blowing Rock Hospital’s Davant Extended Care for more than 30 years.”

“Six of my seven children were born at Blowing Rock Hospital,” said Betty Pitts.

“My oldest was born before the hospital was built, or else he would’ve been born there too. So it is a place that is near and dear to me. I am proud to be an ambassador of Blowing Rock Hospital.”

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McKenzie Chasteen, right, pictured with Rep. Virginia Foxx during her Washington DC tour as the 2013 winner of the annual Congressional Art Contest for the Fifth District. Photo submitted

McKenzie Chasteen wins Congressional Art Contest

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YouGoGirl Local high school sophomore McKenzie Chasteen was selected as a winner of the annual Congressional Art Contest for the Fifth District.

McKenzie and her mother, Kim Chasteen, traveled to Washington on June 26 to visit with Rep. Virginia Foxx for a ceremony in their honor and a tour of the Capitol grounds.

Art competition winners are selected from each congressional district within the United States. For the year following their recognition, the winners’ artwork is displayed in the Capitol complex.

“McKenzie Chasteen represented Watauga well,” Foxx says. “I’m so happy that the Congressional Art Competition gives talented students like McKenzie the opportunity to come to their Capitol for recognition and a front row seat to the work that goes on in the People’s House. Hundreds of thousands of visitors

pass through the Capitol each year, and I’m glad McKenzie’s artwork will be enjoyed by so many.”

McKenzie’s winning piece is an acrylic painting titled “Poppies.” It took her more than a month to perfect her painting, which she originally presented to her mother as a Christmas gift.

McKenzie is a student at Grace Academy.

She says she was honored to be part of the competition and to tour the Capitol: “The collection of art hanging in the Capitol is extraordinary, and I’m blessed to be a part of it.”

For the third year, the winner of the Fifth District art competition was decided by a vote of Foxx’s Facebook audience.

Last year’s winner also was from Watauga County. Noah Padgett, a student at Watauga High School, won with a pen-and-ink drawing titled “Homeland.”

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healthylady

Swallowing

the Pain Pain is part of the human experience. We lose loved ones. We experience disappointment. We feel financial pressure. Relationships get rocky. This pain produces emotions.

These emotions stimulate a cascade of stress hormones, which can trigger cravings and mindless, fast eating.

There is a logical reason for this.

Food provides a form of relief. Stress creates an imbalance of the “feel good” hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine. The body craves food in an attempt to bring those hormones back into balance. The hunger triggered by stress is called emotional eating.

Emotional eating differs from genuine hunger in these ways: Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually.

When you are eating to fill a void, you crave a specific food, such as chocolate chip cookies or ice cream.

When you eat because you are actually hungry, you’re open to options.

Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait.

Even when you are full, if you’re eating to satisfy an emotional need, you keep eating. When you’re eating because you’re hungry, you’re more likely to stop when you’re full.

Emotional eating can become “hardwired” and habitual. This is dangerous as it leads to overeating unhealthy foods, weight gain and disease. Here are some things you can do to manage your emotional eating habit:

Journal for awareness: Write down the things that trigger stress, the foods you crave and the negative consequences of eating those foods. This will make you more mindful of your food choices under stress. Mindfulness is the first step toward self-control.

Drink a soothing cup of green tea: Green tea contains an amino acid called L theanine, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and has mood-soothing properties.

Studies have shown that L theanine is involved in the formation of dopamine. It supports a relaxed alertness and sense of wellbeing.

Eat lean protein with a small bit of a starchy carbohydrate: Proteins contain tryptophan which helps the body produce serotonin (the feel good hormone). Starches (i.e. potatoes) help drive serotonin into the receptor sites in the brain.

Take a fish oil supplement: In a study, recently published in Science Daily, fish oil has been shown to counteract the detrimental effects of mental stress on the heart.

Take a brisk walk: 20 minutes of exercise every day will naturally release serotonin and dopamine.

Cuddle with a loved one: A hug releases oxytocin, the ultimate “feel good” hormone. Oxytocin reduces the stress hormones, lowers blood pressure and improves digestion.

Massage the feet: Take off your shoe and place your foot over a tennis ball. Rub your feet, one at a time, over the top of the ball until they feel relaxed and soothed. Besides feeling great, self-massage has been shown to reduce stress hormones.

Relax and breathe deeply: Close your eyes. Stare at the blackness of your eyelids. Slowly breathe in and out as you consciously relax your body. Relaxed breathing with eyes closed tricks your body into thinking it is time to sleep.

This triggers the hormones of relaxation.

Do the best you can: When you are in pain, just getting through it can be a challenge. Make the best choices you can under the circumstances in which you find yourself. If you fall into a binge of emotional eating triggered by stress in your life, forgive yourself and move on. There is grace in the journey. bonnie church Certified Life and Wellness Coach Author/ columist, motivational speaker Certified Trainer for TLS Weight Loss Solution

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mom’sworld

I’ve always thought that in our own real life experiences, we should all get the same benefit that special effects and music provide in movies.

Running with music often gives me time to ponder which songs I would put on my life soundtrack, for the really good times and bad. But, the other special effects that would be most helpful are those where the whole screen gets wavy or blurry, or there is a fade in or out effect to let us know that a change is occurring. How convenient that would be if, when life decided to throw us a curve ball, we could know it was coming by such a visual cue.

Going through change is a reality and necessity.

Sometimes it is foreseen, expected and anticipated.

Other times, it is not. It may bring rewards or disaster or something in between.

There are the transitional times when one is returning to a familiar scene, such as school or work or

The Mountain

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an athletic sport. My son typically goes through this every time he is returning to school and different sports. His perfectionism overrides logical thinking, and with it comes an unrealistic expectation of himself that he should be unlike presumably every other kid out there who allows sleeping in, summer vacation and fun to take precedence over regimented workouts or academic preparation.

There is conscious recognition of the grind that awaits — and sometimes the accompanying anxiety, but once there, most of us adapt. The anxiety fades (usually) and we move on to our normal business, assignments and training.

I think of this scenario as if it is a road we’ve traveled hundreds of times before, fully aware of each turn, valley and pothole. We do our best to avoid the potholes and know ultimately that we can navigate our way through to the destination and/or goal.

Unfortunately, there are also those times when we have absolutely no idea where we are, where we are going and what just happened. We come around a

bend and the road has taken a haltingly straight up-turn, and staring us in the face is the biggest mountain we never knew existed.

In my experience, it is moments like these when those wavy lines would really provide some benefit. Instead, it’s just you and the journey.

Sometimes, we want to turn around or wait for an omniscient guide or companion to help us up. Ironically, the steepest climbs may crop up when no one else is on that road with us. So, we trudge up.

Recently, a dear friend of mine and fellow runner reached one of these mountains in the sudden loss of her father. My heart has ached for her. I have tried hard not to let her be alone on this road, but I have also recognized that there is a certain solitude that such grief brings.

I text, call and leave messages to remind her of my presence and try to wrap my brain around the depth of her emotion.

And then, as I run, I think of her — strong, determined, deep and beautiful.

I think of the words another runner once said in passing after we both had

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climbed the long uphill stretch of my first marathon: “Nice to not have to earn every breath, isn’t it?” Right now, she is earning those breaths, working on some way to cope with an impossible kind of change.

This is not the road or path she’s traveled on hundreds of times before, thank God. But it is there and she is, too.

I know she will make it to the other side, and, with time, it is my hope that the grade will be less steep, the terrain more passable and the breaths easier.

Change interrupts us and forces an adaptation to our behavior, beliefs, feelings, relationships and self. I know my friend will be changed by this change. She will be strengthened by the climb. She will be tired from the journey. Eventually, though, the pain will fade and a new path will be waiting.

heather jordan, CNM, MSN Comments or questions?

828.737.7711, ext. 253 landh@localnet.com

‘Our Held Animal Breath’ Receives BrockmanCampbell Award for Poetry Kathryn Kirkpatrick was recently presented the prestigious Brockman-Campbell Award for her collection of poetry in her newest book, “Our Held Animal Breath.”

Kathryn is a professor of both English and sustainable development at Appalachian State University and is passionate about safeguarding the environment and protecting the habitat, rights and dignity of animals with which we share this planet.

This collection covers a gamut of topics, including animal suffering, the rapid deterioration of our planet and natural resources, political and social issues of global climate change and feminist issues of women in the workplace and at large.

She ponders the human struggles of working through grief and despair and the fear of dying while reflecting on the resilience of the body and of nature.

Kathryn’s poetry will resonate with anyone who has lost a loved one, who has loved an animal or who has felt powerless under the oppression of a male-dominated society. She weaves these conditions together seamlessly, using descriptors of animal consciousness as vehicles to deliver her messages. She does this in the context of living within the natural beauty of Appalachia.

“Cede what you know to be right to comfort and plenty. Ask the land to bear each wound. Ask the animals to leave their nests and lairs.”

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“Our Held Animal Breath” explores the profound grief Kathryn experienced following the death of two beloved people in her life. She manipulates the language using images of plants and wild places to unleash intense feelings of loss and longing in these deeply personal and emotional poems. “...you’re nowhere now but here’s your madcap laugh from the nuthatch, your tall sway in the willow, curly hair in the coral bells.”

Kathryn also tackles issues of global conflict seen from a distinctly feminine perspective. She anguishes over the headlines in the newspaper about war, refugees, political unrest and terrorist attacks. We can sense the author’s feeling of impotence in the face of world events.

Her anxiety and hopelessness is channeled into something she can control.

Taking the newspapers, she lays them in her garden and covers them with mulch to protect her plants from weeds and to conserve the water that feeds them. This stubborn determination to hope is what elevates “Our Held Animal Breath” to an affirmation of life in the face of what could easily degrade into suffocating and inert powerlessness.

“As I lay down the stories of war and coming war I want each changed, slowly, to what will do these plants good: the absence of weeds, moisture in drought, sustenance sufficient for bloom.”

The poem from which this book derives its name, “Our Held Animal Breath,” comes from a situation that occurred when Kathryn was at a conference hotel when a rabbit appeared in this completely urban setting, on an exit ramp in the parking garage.

A group of people watching the rabbit were stunned to see it in this environment and at the same time fearful for its wellbeing in this precarious situation. Kathryn was heartened to see how quickly this small group of strangers came together in their common concern for the welfare of this small, vulnerable creature.

“A leap at the last moment into the managed green of a flower bed, all uniform, unopened bulbs and we cheer because for the moment, escape, survival in the common release of our held animal breath.”

Kathryn’s writing is immediately available to the reader. It is written in a style that engages the reader and pulls her into the world she has created. It is a book that only improves upon rereading and is one you may want to visit many times over.

At moments we squirm with the realities of the age we live in and the recognition of how our actions have contributed to that reality. In the end, we are left with a message hope and solidarity. That we — man, woman, animal and plant — are, after all, in this together.

About The Author Kathryn Kirkpatrick lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where she currently holds a dual appointment at Appalachian State University as a professor in the English Department and the sustainable development program. Her most recent book, “Our Held Animal Breath” (2012) was selected by Chard DeNiord for the Brockman-Campbell Award; “Her Small Hands Were Not Beautiful,” is forthcoming from Clemson University Press in 2014.

Kathryn has held writing residencies at Norton Island in Maine and the Tyrone Guthrie Center in Ireland.

Her long poem about Maud Gonne in six voices will be performed this summer as part of the Yeats Summer School festivities in Sligo, Ireland. As a literary scholar in Irish studies and the environmental humanities, she has published essays on class trauma, eco-feminist poetics and animal studies.

Danielle Bussone Danielle Bussone is a writer, an artist and a wellness coach. Visit her blog at www.vegginoutandabout.com.

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Transforming for the

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homedÉcorandmore Decorating a room for your teenage son might not be as easy as fixing up a similar space for your daughter.

It’s usually not a difficult task to come up with great fabrics, colors and accents for the girls — but it’s not always so simple to do the same for the boys.

Before tackling such a project, it might be a good idea to talk with your son about his preferences. Otherwise, he might not be too excited about chilling out in his room when you’re finished. It’s important that his “domain” be a place that he can claim as his very own, especially in those years of transition. Talk to him about the colors he likes and possible themes that are acceptable to you both. The sports he plays or the activities he enjoys are always good places to start.

And, just think of the fun you two can have together if you can coax him into helping you.

A good example for a teen theme is shown in the photographs, but you may be wondering just how you get started turning an ordinary bedroom into one for a music lover.

This particular room is painted in colorful horizontal stripes of orange, cream and blue — but the colors can vary according to one’s personal tastes. Try choosing your main colors from those in your bedding — or maybe from a chair in the room, or from a favorite poster around which you might want to decorate.

The room pictured depicts a creative way to display one’s love of music. But, if you happen to tap into this decorating idea, you may need to explain to your teen that those round things on the wall are not extra large CDs. The old vinyl records, framed behind glass, add a unique touch for an authentic musical expression. It not only “looks cool,” but it can also encourage conversation while including a bit of edu-

cation into the history of music. The bedding and artwork coordinates with the colors from the wall and the guitar print on the bedding fits perfectly into the theme.

So, if you are the lucky mother of a teenage boy and you’re just as tired of his room as he is, then get him involved in transforming the old into something new again. And, in the process, you just might find out something you didn’t know about him.

Whether he admits it or not, he is likely to be thrilled that you took the time to help transform his space.

Linda Killian Cabin Design Interior Decorating Killiancabin@aol.com

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SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

Grandparent’s Day is celebrated each September on the first Sunday following Labor Day. The special day was established by Marian McQuade originally as a way to honor the lonely and elderly in nursing homes.

It was also McQuade’s hope that grandchildren would use the day to focus on — and to learn from — the wisdom and heritage of their grandparents.

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter made it a national holiday.

Plan to make Sunday, Sept. 8, a time to remember for the young and young-atheart in your family by sharing a special gathering, meal or activity together.

Help your youngsters make cookies, pick wildflowers or create a memorable scrapbook for their grandparents — or fill a basket with favorite goodies and deliver it with a hug and a smile.

Don’t Forget

Grandparent’s Day Following are a few simple treats from the kitchen that are sure to make a lasting impression on the ‘grands:’ Cheese Straws 4 cups plain flour 1 pound shredded cheese 1 pound butter or margarine Pinch of salt Dash of Tabasco sauce Mix all ingredients together. Press through cookie press to form a straw, or roll into ball and flatten with fork on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes, or until lightly brown.

Easy Snack Mix 10 cups popcorn 1 pound plain M&Ms 1 (14 oz.) jar dry-roasted peanuts 1 cup raisins 1 cup miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cups Combine ingredients in a large bowl.

Divide into smaller containers with lids and tie with a colorful ribbon for a festive, simple gift.

Peanut Butter Brownies 1 cup peanut butter 1 stick butter 3 eggs 2 cups brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup self-rising flour

Made in America

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-by13-inch pan. Beat peanut butter and butter with electric mixer; add eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir in flour until well blended.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool, cut and enjoy.

Newland, NC (828)733-0186 Tuesday – Friday 9am-5pm Saturday 9am-3pm Sunday & Monday Closed

SEPTEMBER 2013 | AAWMAG.COM

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‘Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Photo by Leda Winebarger

20% OFF

ANY BENJAMIN MOORE PRODUCT With this coupon. Expires 10.15.13

Visit us at: Boone Paint & Interiors 1852 Highway 105, Suite 1 Boone 828-264-9220 or 3587 Tynecastle Hwy Banner Elk 828-898-2022 www.boonepaint.com Locally owned and operated for 26 years.